Honoured by the Father

“You love righteousness and hate wickedness therefore, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” (Psalm 45:7)

“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight. I will put my Spirit in him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.” (Matthew 12:18)

Once when an emergency occurred on earth - precisely in the Garden of Eden - that needed urgent attention, God realised that human beings, his own creation, could no longer stand firm against the enemy. Satan had dealt a devastating blow on Adam and Eve and there was a pressing need to look for a remedy. God the Father, could find no suitable substitute other than his Son to redress the situation. Therefore he declared, addressing both offenders (Adam and Eve) and the devil thus: “I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman (Mary, mother of Jesus) and between your offspring and hers (Jesus); he will crush your head (be victorious over you), and you will strike his heel (have him crucified).” (Genesis 3:15)

In essence God was saying; ‘I have found a solution to the state of affairs in my Son, Jesus, who at the appropriate time will be sent to clear the mess made by Adam and Eve. Satan would be no match for my Son whom I will assign the task.’ The Bible records that; “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” (Hebrews 1:1-3) In short, Jesus will reflect God’s glory on earth.

When angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, the mother-to-be of the Messiah, he shared with her these words with regard to the birth of her son: “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:32-33) If Jesus is going to reign as king, then he must have a kingdom. Though drawn from king David’s lineage, unlike David’s kingdom which was earthly, our Lord Jesus’ kingdom will be heavenly and eternal.

God gave him power and strength to carry out his assignment effectively and honourably. Right from the start, God declared that he was pleased with his Son and with his ability to carry out the assignment. “Now God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and … he went about doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” (Acts 10:38)

Beloved son

To demonstrate that he approved of his Son, the Bible records at the point when he was going to take up his appointment: “And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased'.” (Matthew 1:17) The choice was perfect. Jesus was undeniably the right person for the job. At another instance, at the Transfiguration, prior to going through the final phase of his earthly ministry, (God) a voice from the cloud said; “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.” (Matthew 17:5)

There is no doubting that God appreciates his Son, who enjoys equal status with him as God to not only appoint him but to send him on this noble assignment. Prophet Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah’s job description in executing his ministry: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to crown all who mourn…” (Isaiah 61:1) Our Lord’s schedule was a heavy one; and as he traversed villages and towns proclaiming the word of God, he healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, comforted the oppressed, fed the hungry and raised the dead.

Prior to his ascension, Jesus reminded his disciples that he was in absolute control. “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me'.” (Matthew 28:18) His authority spans heaven and earth and is limitless. It is God-given, to enable him carry out his functions as the Saviour of the whole world. Because he is the sole custodian of authority, he could in turn delegate that authority to all who believe in him.

“All that belongs to the Father is mine…” (John 16:15)

God honoured his Son by empowering him to reverse the fall (of Adam and Eve) in order that humankind could take its rightful place as heirs in the kingdom of God. “For just as through the disobedience of the one man (Adam) the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man (Jesus) many will be made righteous.” (Romans 6:19)

Jesus took on the challenge on behalf of humanity at large and won the battle. On the cross of Calvary he exclaimed; “It is finished!” His shed blood has secured a place for each and every believer in his father’s house.

“And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scrolls?’ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scrolls or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:2-5)