By Klara Lange
Before His ordeal of crucifixion, Jesus Christ desired to strengthen and comfort His beloved disciples by assuring them His approaching suffering, death, resurrection and finally His ascension to heaven will not be a final separation.
“Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me.
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
With His dying breath, Jesus assured the sinner on the cross of eternal life for his confession, saying “You will be with Me in paradise.”
I give you My word of commitment, Jesus said, to continue working earnestly for you in co-operation with My Father in heaven while you’re building characters to My divine similitude and I am building mansions for you in heaven.
For this reason, I came to reveal Myself to you, he added, so you might believe, I will rise again!
We are often perplexed in life’s struggles and ask like Thomas asked Jesus, “Lord, we know not where you are going, how can we know the way?”
Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the Truth, and the Life, no man comes to the Father, but by Me.”
We cannot pick and choose our own way to God. None, but Jesus Christ alone is our representative before God in heaven. There’s only one way and that is His way!
His disciples were privileged to behold His representation as revealing His Father to them, for over three years. The disciples then passed that knowledge onto us.
The disciples witnessed Christ humbling Himself to humanity. But, at the same time, He did not cease to be God Almighty. Jesus was still part of the Godhead.
They also saw how every second of Christ’s life was totally dedicated to the uplift of humanity from the bottom of wretchedness and immorality in irrepressible streams, the world had never seen.
“And if you love Me,” Jesus said, “in MY name … whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him because we keep His commandment of love and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” 1 John 3:22
God for His son, Jesus’, sake freely forgives us not seeing the vileness of sin in us.
He recognizes the likeness of Jesus in us in whom we believe and as a result God highly esteems His children.
To pray in His name means that we recognize and honour His terms of His covenant with Him, such as accepting and embracing Jesus’ benevolent nature as our own. Further, we manifest His spirit of heartfelt love and exercise the service of love towards everyone.
This constituted the joy of Jesus to glorify God’s name even amid all His humiliations and suffering, and when we know Him, it will be our joy, too.
Klara Lange is the spokesperson Christ our Saviour Outreach.
