From Resurrection to Ascension: What was happening?

Why Did Jesus Appear to Various People After His resurrection?

Before we examine our main question let’s have a look at how Jesus tried to prepare the disciples for His coming crucifixion!

The first time Jesus predicted His death and resurrection to the disciples was in Matthew 16 just after He asks them, “Who do you say I am”? It was only Peter who was able to say, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” But sadly, not long after this Peter denied him!

Matthew 16:21 (NIV)

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

The second time He predicted His death was just after He healed a demon possessed boy in Matthew 17:18.

Matthew 17:23 (NIV)

22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

The third and final time He told them was in Matthew 20 when they were on their way to Jerusalem where Jesus lay down His life for us, His Church!

Matthew 20:17-19 (NIV)

17 Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”

So, here we see Jesus preparing the disciples for what was about to happen, His death on the cross!

In Matthew 16:22 we see Peter taking the Lord aside and saying to the Lord in complete disbelief that His crucifixion will never happen. This of course leads to him receiving a very stern rebuke from the Lord because of his unbelief!

Matthew 16:22 (NIV)

Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

In Matthew 17:23 above the verse ends by telling us that the disciples were filled with grief, a despairing grief. They were unable to grasp that His death would end in great joy at His resurrection and this would bring life to mankind, man’s salvation through Him! Again, unbelief was there!

And, of course in Matthew 20 we read that two of the disciples (brothers) were seeking ‘position’ in heaven either side of Jesus. So very much a fleshly desire which led to the other disciples having a ‘go’ at them – verse 24 tells us that the other disciples were indignant! Very human indeed - self-seeking and totally missing the point of salvation!

So, from what scripture tells us I think we can safely say that at the crucifixion the disciples and the other followers must have been feeling pretty down and defeated and unbelieving!

Now from here let’s go back to our original question and answer it from scripture!

Why did Jesus appear to various people for 40 days after His resurrection?

Well, there are a number of reasons that I have come across from studying the scriptures but I’m pretty sure that you can find many more yourselves. Here is what I’ve found!

1. To fulfil centuries of Old Testament prophecy of His death and resurrection.

Isaiah 53:3-5 (NIV)

3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,

a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.

Like one from whom people hide their faces

he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

4 Surely he took up our pain

and bore our suffering,

yet we considered him punished by God,

stricken by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

This is one of many Old Testament prophecies of Jesus, his birth, death and resurrection!

2. To fulfil His own prophecies.

Shown above in Matthew 16, 17 and 20.

These are the two main reasons for the resurrection which prove that God always had His son in mind as mankind’s Saviour. It was always God’s will!

But woven in between the fulfillment of prophecy are many other 'salvationary' facets such as:

• To finish the work of redemption. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, it would mean that he was not the son of God and that he did not conquer death and there would be no route for man to receive salvation and reconciliation with God. It is his resurrection that proved that redemption was finished. Indeed his blood was sufficient to pay for mankind, if not, he would not have been raised from the dead.

• It is proof that death has been defeated, and divine, everlasting life is now available to believers and that we as His children are able to enter God’s presence – the Holy of Holies.

Revelation 1:17-18 (NIV)

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

• To empower us with the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit so we can rule and reign in this life and to fulfill the command that we call ‘The Great Commission’.

Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV)

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

• To show us that our future resurrection is assured and that we as believers in Christ will receive everlasting life.

John 11:23-26 (AMP)

23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise [from the dead].” 24 Martha replied, “I know that he will rise [from the dead] in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, relies on) Me [as Savior] will live even if he dies; 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me [as Savior] will never die. Do you believe this?”

• For our justification which is what completes our salvation

Romans 5:1 (AMP)

Therefore, since we have been justified [that is, acquitted of sin, declared blameless before God] by faith, [let us grasp the fact that] we have peace with God [and the joy of reconciliation with Him] through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

Right, now that we have established why Jesus was resurrected, let’s move on to what He was doing during the forty days between the Resurrection and the Ascension which is something that is rarely preached from the pulpit – at least in my limited experience!

We have already established that the disciples and probably many of the Lord’s other followers were grieving and feeling pretty depressed and sad. Now the Lord knew this, and He knew that He would need to give them both natural and supernatural encouragement.

Now, what better way to get someone’s attention than an earthquake! We read in Matthew 28 that after the Sabbath at dawn there were a number of people at the Lord’s tomb. There were a number of guards and there was Mary Magdalene and Mary, Martha’s sister.

So now an earthquake strikes and and an angel appears and rolls away the stone that seals the tomb. The angel was pretty awesome in appearance as well, he was like lightning and his clothes were as white as snow. Now the guards were so petrified that they became frozen with fright! But the women, obviously made of much sterner stuff, wanted to chat! The angel spoke these famous and encouraging words to them:

Matthew 28:5-7 (NIV)

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

The two Mary’s, afraid but full of joy, scoot off to tell the disciples but Jesus Himself appears to them (Mary and Martha) on the road where they fell at His feet and worshipped Him. Here He encourages them to also go and tell the disciples that they should go to Galilee, and He will meet them (the disciples) there.

The two Mary’s do as they are instructed, and the disciples head for Galilee to meet Jesus where they worship Him, and He gives them ‘The Great Commission’ – Matthew 28:16-20 above.

In the Book of John, we get more detail of the happenings than we do from Matthew the Tax Collector. John, who had a more intimate relationship with the Lord, gives us a more ‘loving’ view of things when the disciples meet Jesus in Galilee.

In John 20 we are told that Peter and John, when told that the tomb was empty and that Jesus had arisen, didn’t really believe it and ran to the tomb to see for themselves and of course all they found were the grave clothes. They then went back to the other disciples.

It is after this that Jesus supernaturally appears to the disciples who had locked themselves in a room where they were staying because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders – John 20:19-23. Jesus suddenly appears to them from nowhere and says, “Peace be with you!” He then shows them the wounds in His hands and side! It is at this point that the disciples, except for Thomas who wasn’t there, start to truly believe in Him as the Messiah, the Son of God!

Now, when Thomas hears this news from the other disciples, he still doesn’t believe! So, Jesus in His great compassion and love, appears to the disciples again a week later in the same room when Thomas is there. Again, the Lord says to them, “Peace be with you!” He then shows Thomas His wounds, and he touches them. It is at this point that Thomas finally believes and makes this delaration, “My Lord and my God!” – John 20:26-28.

It is only at this point, even after walking with Jesus together for just over three years, that all the disciples, minus Judas Iscariot who betrayed Him, finally and truly believe that Jesus is the Messiah! It is here that their redemption is complete! If Jesus hadn’t have appeared to them this would not have happened, and Christianity and the Church would not exist, neither then nor today!

The third time Jesus appears to the disciples is on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Seven of the eleven had gone fishing at Peter’s suggestion, they were Peter, Thomas (Didymus), Nathanael, James and John the sons of Zebedee and two other unnamed disciples but probably Andrew (Peter’s brother) and Philip.

It is for these disciples that the miracle of the miraculous catch of fish takes place – John 21:1-14. This confirms to the disciples that it is indeed the resurrected Christ that has been appearing to them – blessed assurance.

But even more significant than the miraculous catch of fish, it is on these Galileean shores that the Lord reinstates Peter after his heartbreaking denial of Christ at his arrest and trial. This too is the very place that Peter was first called by the Lord to follow him!

John 21:15-17 (NIV)

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

Peter denied the Lord three times and in the above verses Peter confirms to the Lord three times that he loves Him! It here, at this point that I believe that not only does Peter realise that he has been forgiven but just as importantly, he is able to forgive himself and let go of self-condemnation. A lesson many of us today can learn from today!

After his reinstatement Peter emerges to be one of the principal leaders of the Church and the Apostle to the Jews. He remains a pillar of the Church until he Himself is eventually crucified by the Romans (supposedly upside-down) a number of years later in Rome.

If Jesus had not appeared to the disciples to encourage them after His resurrection none of this would have happened. Man would have no way to be saved and reconciled with God! God’s plan revealed!

The Apostle John also tells us that during this time Jesus did many other things, and I mean ‘big time’ many, that were not recorded!

John 21:25 (NIV)

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

In Acts 1 the author, the Apostle Luke, tells us in a nutshell what Jesus was doing in these forty days!

Acts 1:3-5 (NIV)

3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

During these forty days the Lord’s focus was on the disciples and telling them about the kingdom of God, proving to them that He was alive and encouraging them and building them up in their faith – Jesus is the kingdom of God. He also gave them the command not to leave Jerusalem until they received the gift the Father had promised – baptism with the Holy Spirit! Jesus knew that if the didn’t receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit they would be unable to fulfill the Great Commission – Matthew 28:16-20 above!

The Holy Spirit will equip them, empower them and lead them in all truth in all things! And He will do the same for us, His Church, today! We just have to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit and be continually filled!

John 16:12-15 (NIV)

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

The Apostle Paul in his letters teaches us so much more about the importance of living life in the Spirit and being led by Him! I would encourage all my readers to study Romans 8 in particular!

Just before Jesus was taken up into heaven, He leaves the disciple with these incredibly powerful and energizing words:

Acts 1:8 (AMP)

But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.”

And after Pentecost that is exactly what the disciples and the Lord’s other followers did! And this is what today’s Church should still be doing, both individually and corporately!

Acts 2:1-4 (NIV)

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

This was the start of the New Testament Church, the Church that today’s Church should be emulating in every way! But sadly, many false prophets have arisen in these times and have led many astray. These Churches are no longer preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified and modelling themselves on the New Testament Church of the Bible. They are following the whims and fancies of man’s desire for fame and fortune modelling themselves on friendship with the world, turning the Lord’s Church into businesses that are lovers of money and leading many to destruction, including themselves.

James 4:4 (AMP)

You adulteresses [disloyal sinners—flirting with the world and breaking your vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend [that is, loving the things of the world] is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

1 Timothy 6:10 (AMP)

For the love of money [that is, the greedy desire for it and the willingness to gain it unethically] is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves [through and through] with many sorrows.

It is only through the Holy Spirit that God’s children have Jesus Christ living in them and apart from Jesus we can do nothing!

It is only through the Holy Spirit that we will fulfill the will of God for our lives!

It is only through the Holy Spirit that we will be able to do on earth even greater things that our Lord!

It is only through the Holy Spirit that we will be overcomers of the world and much, much more!

Prayer
Dear Lord
In the name of Jesus, I pray that you would help me to imitate you in every way. I pray that you would continually fill me with your Holy Spirit and lead and guide me in all truth and on the path that you have willed for my life. I asked that you fill me with your love that I may love others as you love me – unconditionally so that I may glorify your name! Amen.

All glory, honour and praise belongs to Jesus!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself! I am flawed the Bible is not!

What is the 'JOY' of the Lord?

 

Dear Readers

Thank you so much for joining me on this site. I pray that that the scriptures in this article would bless you richly and that through them God would reveal himself to you, as He has to me, by the power of the Holy Spirit and to the glory of Jesus! As you read on, I pray that you would hear what Jesus has to say to you through the Holy Spirit.

What is the joy of the Lord?

Let’s start by examining the Greek word for ‘joy’ in the above verse Romans 15:13.

The Greek word for ‘joy’ in this verse is ‘chara’ (pronounced ‘khar-ah’) and is a transliteration (Transliteration is the process of transferring a word from the alphabet of one language to another. Transliteration helps people pronounce words and names in foreign languages) of the original Greek word (using the Greek alphabet) Χαρά (xará).

This Greek word is also used for the word ‘joy’ in Galatians 5:22, joy being one of the nine facets of the fruit of the Spirit!

So, getting back to the full Greek meaning of ‘joy’ we see that it embraces all this: joy, delight, a source of joy, joy because of the grace of God, God’s extended favour to, a leaning towards, be favourably disposed to), the awareness (of God's) grace, favour, love and joy in our lives ("grace recognized") – Strong’s 5479, 5485, 5463.

When we look at this word picture of the biblical context of ‘joy’ we see that it is not all about dancing and skipping around like a carefree child. No, it’s all about cultivating a lifestyle of being immersed in Jesus and the Bible in the power of the Holy Spirit. Immersing ourselves in the agape love of God and drawing our joy (from our relationship with Jesus) to meet and overcome the obstacles we face in our daily lives from Jesus through the Holy Spirit by God’s amazing grace and our recognising God’s grace in our lives! This is where the Christian’s strength comes from – the joy of the Lord!

Let’s take an example from Nehemiah who restored the protective walls around Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 8:10 (NIV)

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

We too can be like the Jews during Nehemiah’s time where even in the midst of adversity and strife, physically, mentally and spiritually, the joy of the Lord is our strength and in Him we are overcomers and can still enjoy our life in Christ Jesus and continue to spread His kingdom.

Romans 8:31-39 (NIV)

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Our life as born-again Christians here on earth is all about Jesus. Jesus – God, Jesus – the man and Jesus – the Bible – Jesus the Spirit – The Holy Trinity. Apart from Jesus we can do nothing, and we are nothing, without Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, our lives are meaningless – a chasing after the wind! In Jesus we can overcome the world and all that the devil can throw at us!

John 16:33 (NIV)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

In Christ Jesus our joy is found in His strength and in this we have peace and the ability to overcome the world! Apart from Jesus we can do nothing!

John 15:5-8 (NIV)

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

And of course, as I mentioned earlier, ‘joy’ is one of the nine facets of the fruit of the Spirit and follows directly after ‘love’.

Galatians 5:22-26 (NIV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

When we, as born-again Christians, are living our lives in the Spirit the fruit of the Spirit will be manifest in us and through us to the world. This is the lifestyle that God uses in His children (the Church) to draw people to salvation by the power of the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit will add to the number of believers when our lifestyles truly reflect Jesus and when we live life in the Spirit.

Now, nothing that God does happens by chance, He is a God of order and is all knowing. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end!

It is not by chance that the Apostle Paul in the above verses (the fruit of the Spirit) mentions love first and then immediately places joy thereafter. He was following the example of Jesus when He was talking to His disciples in John 15 about remaining in Him.

Let’s examine this carefully and analyse the following verses!

John 15:9-14 (NIV)

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.

In verses 9-11 above the Lord is telling us that He loves us in the same way the Father loves Him, and He then encourages us to remain in His love. He then tells us how we can remain in His love and thus in the Father’s love – by keeping His commands. Being obedient to His Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit!

Why does Jesus tell us this?

Verse 11, so that His joy, the joy that He has received by the grace of the Father (remember here that Jesus was without sin), may be in us and that because of this our joy will be complete!

2 Corinthians 5:21 (AMP)

He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].

Romans 15:13 (AMP)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you will abound in hope and overflow with confidence in His promises.

Now, my dear readers, the joy of the born-again Christian is not found in earth’s physical realm and lasts but a moment, but it is found in the spiritual realm through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour and in the power of the Holy Spirit and endures throughout eternity!

The joy of a born-again Christian is not experienced through our soulish emotions and how we are treated by others or on how good we feel about the things that happen around us, it is experienced in the depth of the love God has for us and the depth of the love that we have for our Saviour Jesus and our willingness to live life in the Spirit and to be fully obedient to God’s Word and to ‘love your neighbour as yourself!’

Remember Jesus endured the cross because of the joy that the Father had set before him, this is the same joy we receive when we repent and accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour! Through Jesus we each have our cross to bear, and through Him in the power of the Holy Spirit we are overcomers and so our joy remains eternal!

Hebrews 12:1-2 (AMP)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, 2 [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].

As the Apostle Paul says let us finish our race which is the completion of our work on earth that God Himself has predestined for us to do! We can only do this when we are in Christ Jesus and are filled with the holy Spirit which enable and empowers us to live life in the Spirit – the Christian life that God intends for us!

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NIV)

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father
In the name of Jesus, I pray that your joy would be in me so that my joy may be complete regardless of the physical circumstances that surround me. Help me Lord, to cultivate a lifestyle that will be immersed in you and your Word in the power of the Holy Spirit. Father let your will be done in my life and not my will! Amen.

All glory, honour and praise belongs to Jesus!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself! I am flawed the Bible is not!

Hold Fast to the 'NEVER' of Jesus.

When you become a born-again Christian, your life belongs to Jesus. You have willingly submitted yourself to His authority over everything you do and speak. You have become a new creation because you recognise that you are a sinner, you have repented of your sin and because Jesus paid the price for your sin by dying on the Cross you now have the right to become a child of God! And because Jesus redeemed you by dying for your sin you receive eternal life in Him – He is your Lord and Saviour.

In this article I am going to talk to you about the power, peace and protection we receive when we hold fast to the promises He makes us through the word ‘never!’

Now, before we go into the ‘never promises’ let me just remind you of these few Biblical truths.

Jesus is the Bible, and He has always been in existence, everything was made through Him and in Him we have life!

John 1:1-4 & 14 (NIV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus never changes, the Bible, His Name is as relevant today and tomorrow as it was at the beginning of creation.

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

All scripture, Old and New Testament, comes from God and is relevant to us in different things and at all times.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (AMP)

16 All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; 17 so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

1 Corinthians 10:11 (NIV) brackets in text are mine

These things happened to them (Old Testament) as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.

So, it is my personal view that all scripture is as relevant today as it was at any other time in history. Jesus never changes!

With this in mind let’s now have a look at just how important the ‘nevers’ of Jesus are to our lives today and for the rest of our futures as born again Christians!

Let’s examine what Jesus tells through the scriptures about His ‘never’.

Deuteronomy 31:6 & 8 (NIV)

6Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

8The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

In the above verses is Moses is addressing Israel and Joshua and is telling them not to be afraid of what lies ahead of them because the Lord is with them and will go them and ahead of them.

This also applies to each one of us today! In whatever the Lord tells you to do, He will always go ahead of you and with you and He will never leave or forsake you no matter how difficult and fearsome the task appears to you. Hold on to His never in whatever He tells you to do. Be brave and courageous as you step out in faith and obedience to do what He has told you to do. He has a ‘promised land’ for each and every one of His children.

Psalm 9:10 (NIV)

Those who know your name trust in you,

for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

In Psalm 9:10 the writer tells us that the Lord will never forsake those who seek Him. But we have an action part in this, we have to know Him (be born-again) and trust Him – have complete faith in Him alone and we must actively seek Him – know the Word and actively pursue a relationship with Him.

Psalm 55:22 (NIV)

Cast your cares on the Lord

and he will sustain you;

he will never let

the righteous be shaken.

In Psalm 55:22 the writer tells us that the Lord will never let the righteous be shaken.

Who are the righteous? We are, the true Church, those of us that are born-again and have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. The Lord will keep us and sustain through all things no matter how difficult, no matter how dire and heart-breaking things may seem, we need not worry. The Apostle Peter puts it this way:

1 Peter 5:7 (AMP)

casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].

God knows everything about us, He cares about us. Nothing in our lives will take us further than what we can handle if we remain in Him!

Matthew 24:35 (NIV)

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

In Matthew 24:35 we are told that the Bible will never pass away it will be with us always – Jesus is the Word! We will get a new heaven and a new earth as the old will ‘be burned!’ But the Word will remain the same.

2 Peter 3:7 & 10 (NIV)

7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

Revelation 21:1-2 (NIV)

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

On Judgement Day those in Christ Jesus will go to heaven for eternity to dwell with God in eternal life but those outside of Christ Jesus will go to hell for eternity, separated from God forever – eternal death!

John 4:14 (AMP)

But whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. But the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water [satisfying his thirst for God] welling up [continually flowing, bubbling within him] to eternal life.”

Jesus in John 4:14 above tells us that when we are in Him (born-again) our souls will be satisfied by drinking in His Word. The Holy Spirit will fill us and we too, like Jesus, will become rivers of living water to eternal life! This is also echoed in the book of Revelation!

Revelation 7:16-17 (NIV)

16 ‘Never again will they hunger;

never again will they thirst.

The sun will not beat down on them,’[Is 49:10]

nor any scorching heat.

17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne

will be their shepherd;

‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’[Is49:10]

‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’[Is 25:8]”

The promises in the above two verses were also foretold in the Book of Isaiah!

John 11:25-26 (NIV)

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

In John 11:25-26 Jesus tells us that He alone is the resurrection and the life and those that believe in Him (born-again believers) will be resurrected and will receive eternal life. We will dwell in the presence of God forever where there will be no more tears and no more sickness.

Revelation 21:3-4 (NIV)

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Make sure you are truly born-again and that your heart is completely sold out to Jesus or the promise in the above verse will not apply to you!

Romans 10:11 (AMP)

For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him [whoever adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] will not be disappointed [in his expectations].”

The Apostle Paul in Romans 10:11 tells us that when we believe, rely on and trust in Jesus for all things we will never be disappointed in our Godly expectations!

2 Peter 1:10-11 (AMP)

10 Therefore, believers, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you [be sure that your behavior reflects and confirms your relationship with God]; for by doing these things [actively developing these virtues], you will never stumble [in your spiritual growth and will live a life that leads others away from sin]; 11 for in this way entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly provided to you.

The Apostle Peter in the above verses tells us that we will NEVER STUMBLE when we ensure, this is action on our part, that we lead a lifestyle that confirms our relationship with Jesus, a lifestyle that complies with his Word and is accompanied by putting His Word into action. This lifestyle will ensure that we become imitators of Christ and that we will grow spiritually as this is our only way to eternal life!

Hebrews 13:5,-6 (NIV)

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;

never will I forsake you.”[Dt 31:6]

6 So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.

What can mere mortals do to me?”[Ps 118:6-7]

The writer of Hebrews in the above verses has a double ‘never’ for us, “NEVER WILL I LEAVE YOU; NEVER WILL I FORSAKE YOU” is a quote taken from Dt 31:6. This not only reinforces the relevance of the Old Testament for today, but also the fact that Jesus never changes. The verse also commands us to keep ourselves from the love of money and to be content with God’s provision for us!

Revelation 3:5 (AMP)

He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God] will accordingly be dressed in white clothing; and I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, and I will confess and openly acknowledge his name before My Father and before His angels [saying that he is one of Mine].

Jesus, in the verse above, promises us that He “WILL NEVER BLOT OUT OUR NAMES FROM THE BOOK OF LIFE” if we stand firm to the end and overcome the world by believing in Him as our Lord and Saviour – by being born-again. He will also acknowledge us as being His own before the father and His angels.

Dear readers

Hold on to the ‘nevers’ of Jesus as all his promises are Yes and Amen! God's promises will lead you on the path of righteousness in Christ Jesus and will lead you to Christian maturity in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Our Lord has promised us that if we remain in Him and remain true and obedient to His Word:

• NEVER WIIL I leave you nor forsake you.

• NEVER WILL I let you be shaken.

• NEVER WILL MY words pass away.

• NEVER WILL you be hungry or thirsty – you will be filled with God for eternity.

• WE WILL NEVER STUMBLE in our spiritual growth and walk to maturity.

• I WILL NEVER BLOT OUT YOUR NAME FROM THE BOOK OF LIFE!

2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV)

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father
In the name of Jesus, I pray that you would help me to hold fast to your promises and to never forsake you and your Word. Help me, I ask, to be obedient to your Word in every way and keep on filling me with your Holy Spirit that I may glorify the name of Jesus. Amen.

All glory, honour and praise belongs to Jesus!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself! I am flawed the Bible is not!