December 1, 2012

• Advent # 8: WHY HAS JESUS COME? "so that [we] might be WITH HIM" ~ Mark 3:14

  I Peter 3:18
  For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God...

  Mark 3:13-15
  And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.
  And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be WITH HIM
  and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons...

  In the midst of myriad preparations
  Have you missed the blessèd consummation?

  Cookie baking, choir practices
  Bellies stuffed, but hearts are restless

  Trimmed the tree, hung the greens
  But have you glimpsed the Savior's sheen?

  Aromas swirling, rising, lifting, fireplace crackling
  Have you heard the voice of the newborn King?

  Christmas parties, ladies' teas
  Have you felt the Spirit's breeze?

  Advent programs, pageants, nativity scenes
  Your calendars bloated, your souls are lean

  Lists were made, the presents all bought
  But was The Unspeakable Gift sought?

  Gift exchanges, shopping madness
  Is that heaven's joy and gladness?

  Hear your Bridegroom's sweet plea and lamentation:
  "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten

  "Open to Me, take My yoke, find My rest,
  Lay your weary head upon My breast.

  "Precious blood for thee I freely shed
  To bring My bride to My Marriage Bed

  "Deliver you from the power of darkness
  Carry you safely across the great gulf fixed

  "To lavish upon you ev'ry spiritual pleasure
  O! sister, made alive, seated with Me together

  "In the heavenlies:  Satisfaction! Full Delight!
  Behold your Bridegroom! Love's Pure Light!

  "My fair one! Rise up! Open to me!
  Flame of Jehovah burns ardently!

  "Awake, My love, forfeit not the consummation:
  For I have desired thee before world's foundation!"

  

  I Peter 1:14-21
  As obedient children,
  do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,
  but as he who called you is holy,
  you also be holy in all your conduct,
  since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

  And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds,
  conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,
  knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers,
  not with perishable things such as silver or gold,
  but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

  He was foreknown before the foundation of the world
  but was made manifest in the last times for your sake,
  who through him are believers in God,
  who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,
  so that your faith and hope are in God.

  James 4:4-10
  You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?
  Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
  Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says,
  “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?

  But he gives more grace.
  Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
  Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
  Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
  

  Deuteronomy 10:15-16
  Yet the LORD set his heart in love
  on your fathers
  and chose their offspring after them,
  you above all peoples,
  as you are this day.
  Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart,
  and be no longer stubborn.

  His bride's rightful response:

  Isaiah 63:15-19
  Look down from heaven and see,
  from your holy and beautiful habitation.
  Where are your zeal and your might?
  The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion
  are held back from me.
  For you are our Father,
  though Abraham does not know us,
  and Israel does not acknowledge us;
  you, O LORD, are our Father,
  our Redeemer from of old is your name.
  O LORD, why do you make us wander from your ways
  and harden our heart, so that we fear you not?
  Return for the sake of your servants,
  the tribes of your heritage.
  Your holy people held possession for a little while;
  our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.
  We have become like those over whom you have never ruled,
  like those who are not called by your name.

  Song of Solomon 8:6-7
  Set me as a seal upon your heart,
  as a seal upon your arm,
  for love is strong as death,
  jealousy is fierce as the grave.
  Its flashes are flashes of fire,
  the very flame of the LORD.
  Many waters cannot quench love,
  neither can floods drown it.
  If a man offered for love
  all the wealth of his house,
  he would be utterly despised.

  the Bridegroom's strong assurance:

  Zechariah 1:13-14
  And the LORD answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.
  So the angel who talked with me said to me,
  ‘Cry out, Thus says the LORD of hosts:
  I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion.’

  From Dafydd Morris' second address to the 2007 Reformation and Revival Fellowship Conference, "Why Should Jesus Send His Spirit? Part 2 - Song of Solomon 4:12-5:1 ~ starting at around the 16:00 point (emphasis mine):

     And so, from the stress placed on fellowship in Scripture and communion, we gather that there must be something in that for the Lord Jesus Christ. Because look how keen the Bridegroom is for fellowship. He comes courting, doesn't He? And He's so ardent in His courting. Courting that lukewarm Church at Laodicea. We're amazed at that, aren't we? The way that He still desired strongly to come in and to sup and to have communion. There's so much that was unattractive about that Church –– not seeing its own need at all:  awful, awful self-sufficiency and complacency. Yet the Bridegroom comes knocking [*knocking on podium*], and His voice is heard and calls, and He desires to come in, to sup and to dine!

     And we've got that of course, in the Song. We have Solomon as a type of Christ, saying to the Shulamite, a type of believer – the Church, "Let Me see thy countenance," He says. "Let Me hear thy voice!" Now, that's ardent courtship isn't it? Warm love. Passion. That's what it is.

     And, the Lord Jesus Christ in the days of His flesh chose His disciples for His fellowship, His communion, for His friendship, that they would be WITH HIM. That's why He chose them. Something very basic. Mark 3 and verse 14:  "So that they would be WITH HIM.
   
     And our Lord seems to relish that companionship. We find it very difficult to believe. We know what the disciples were, they were slow and unbelieving, at times not catching on to what He was speaking about, misunderstanding Him, and all of that. And then we find it difficult to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ should ardently want their company, don't we? And we find the same with ourselves, don't we? We have a glimpse – we know what we are, in part, anyway, and we have difficulty taking on board that the Lord Jesus Christ  should ardently desire to be with us. But He did desire the company of those disciples: "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place," He said. "Come on and rest awhile. I want to be with you. I want to speak to you." And it was a sorrow to Him to contemplate losing that fellowship:  "Will ye also go away?"

     So, if we come back to the central thesis in these addresses, that it is in the Lord's own interest to pour out of His Spirit, how is the Lord Jesus Christ going to get the company He wants, the companionship, the fellowship of His bride, if He does not pour out the Holy Spirit so that there is the matchmaking?

  * * *

  Psalm 85:4-6 (KJV)
  Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
  Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
  Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?

  
  O! Lord Jesus, pour out of Your Spirit! Make Your face to shine upon us again, as in the ancient days, that Your people might ardently desire to be WITH YOU. Teach us to savor, relish and treasure our companionship and fellowship WITH YOU, that we might rejoice in You!
  

  "Alleluia! And for his marriage feast prepare, for ye must go and meet him there."

  ~ from "Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying" by Philipp Nicolai, 1599, tr. by Catherine Winkworth, 1858, 1863, emphasis mine

  ---

  HT for the reference to Mark 3:13 from Dafydd Morris' message "Why Should Jesus Send His Spirit? Part 2," available at http://www.reformationandrevival.org/pastconferenceaddresses.html

  Related posts...

  my other Advent posts on "Why Has Jesus Come?" ...

  • Advent #1 WHY HAS JESUS COME? that we might have life & life more abundantly
  • Advent #2 WHY HAS JESUS COME? to give his life as a ransom for many
  • Advent #3 WHY HAS JESUS COME? not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance
  • Advent #4 WHY HAS JESUS COME? "I have not come to bring peace, but a sword"
  • Advent # 5 WHY HAS JESUS COME? So we might draw near to God | Even a Vapor
  • Advent # 6 WHY HAS JESUS COME? So we might be a light to all the nations
  • Advent # 7 WHY HAS JESUS COME? So we might be satisfied with Him

  other related posts:

  • Considering Jesus: (2) Why do we do quiet time anyhow?
  • a conversation with Jesus about misplaced joy ("do not rejoice in this" - letter 73 on joy)
  • wives, your husband is not your Husband | letter 77 on assurance & joy
  • don't waste your Christmas | exchange this world's madness for Heaven's gladness (letter 95 on joy)
  • let's not forget ~ reflections on Christmas (& everyday) for Christians
  • "Your works I know, your toil, your pain" (Labor Day reflections) | letter 146 on fighting for joy (Mary & Martha)
  • "the treasure you can never find in a mall" ~ Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable Gift!
  • the 6th sola: "The Price of salvation is the Prize of salvation" ~ John Piper
  • five years ago ~ for your joy (AND an inheritance | Richard Sibbes & the Sealing of the Spirit)
  • Lenten Reflections: Why did Jesus die? ACCESS! | Letter 140 on assurance & fighting for joy
  • Flame of Jehovah! Jealousy's Love
  • Jacob, come, eat!
  • Are you sitting in the midst of the ephah? ~ Zechariah 5

  Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Emphasis mine.

  Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

  Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hunt,_William_Homan_-_The_Light_of_the_World_-_1853-54.jpg / {{PD-Art|PD-old-100}}

  • 3:19 PM
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