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Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a
curse for us (for it is written,“Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”).
Galatians 3:13

If there is any title of the Lord Jesus that truly belongs in the “Who’da thunk it?” file, it would have to be “Curse.” Stranger yet, this is not a title given to the Savior by His enemies; it’s one that He chose for Himself. But how is it that He who brought blessing into the world has become a Curse?

It all has to do with substitution. We were cursed, so Christ took our place in order to redeem us from the curse of the law.

When the children of Israel came into the promised land, half of the tribes stood on Mount Gerizin and the other half on Mount Ebal. A blessing and a curse were set before the nation. Those on Mt. Gerazin read from Deuteronomy about the blessings that result from obeying God. The people on Mount Ebal listed the terrible things that result from breaking the law; this is the curse of the law.

The Bible tells us that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We’re all under the curse of the law and the only way to turn that around is to exchange our curse for His blessing. Christ was sinless, so he gave us his blessing and took on Himself our Curse.

When Adam and Eve sinned, God cursed the ground and it produced thorns and thistles. It was no coincidence that on the day of His death, Christ was given a crown of thorns.

In crucifixion, the Savior was lifted up for all to see, and so the curse of Deuteronomy 21:23 fell on Him: “ for he who is hanged is accursed of God.” While Jesus was dying, His critics came to mock Him. They spit on, taunted, and cursed the spotless Lamb of God. Even so, He blessed His enemies by saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). It’s strange, but Christ could not have blessed us if He had not first been made a Curse.

September 28

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Colossians 2:9-10

During the Middle Ages, Thomas Aquinas proposed a system of angelic hierarchy in his book Summa Theologica. He developed and elaborated on an idea first suggested by late fifth century Theologian, Pseudo-Dionysius. Aquinas’ aggrupation of celestial beings included three levels, or “spheres,” each with a triad of angels.

Highest Sphere: Heavenly Counselors
1.     Seraphim (listed from highest to lowest)
2.     Cherubim
3.     Thrones

Middle Sphere: Heavenly Governors
1. Dominions
2. Virtues
3. Powers

Lowest Sphere: Messengers and Soldiers
1.     Principalities
2.     Archangels
3.     Angels

Aquinas based his hierarchy roughly on Colossians 1:16 and Ephesians 1:21. He mentioned the Cherubim guarding the tree of life, as well as Isaiah’s, Ezekiel’s, and Apostle John’s descriptions of the throne of God. Although the Roman Catholic church today still holds these levels of angelic authority as church doctrine, there is little in actual scripture to support this belief.

Although interesting, angelology is not elaborated on much in the Bible. However, one thing is very clear: Jesus Christ is God. In His body was the fullness of the Godhead. He is the Head of all Principality and Power, and anything else anyone wants to add to the list.

September 4

But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.
Acts 3:14-15

After Peter and John healed the lame man at the gate of the temple, a crowd formed, so Peter saw that it was a great opportunity to preach. Only a few months had gone by since Christ’s crucifixion, and the events were on everyone’s minds. Peter clearly placed the guilt of rejecting the Messiah on those temple-goers, noting the irony that they chose a murderer to be granted life, but cursed the Prince of Life to be murdered.

Contrasting Barabbas with Jesus shows both ends of the human spectrum. Matthew called the criminal a “notorious prisoner,” and Mark said he committed “murder and rebellion,” while John just noted he was a “robber.” On the other hand, the Prince of Life was viewed by His enemies as a political threat, and they saw that as much worse than someone who just went around stirring up trouble and killing people.

Our sinful nature can justify any form of deviant behavior. Psychologists have been shocked to discover that most criminals in prison have an extremely high self-esteem. They feel pretty good about themselves and have reasons for doing the terrible things they have done. Others, of course, buy into their lies, so every year really notorious bad guys are acquitted of their crimes, if they have powerful lawyers and a high-profile case.

When the human heart rejects the Savior and justifies its evil deeds, the trial of Jesus occurs all over again with the same results. The guilty are exonerated and the Prince of Life is condemned.

September 29

But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,  And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.
Jeremiah 10:10

On September 9, 2015, Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom became the longest-reigning female head of state in the world, displacing Queen Victoria, who reigned 63 years, 216 days. Sobhuza II of Swaziland holds the record for male monarch at 82 years, 254 days. A little better-known is King Louis XIV of France, who sat on the throne for 72 years, 110 days. In 1830, King Louis XIX of France became the shortest-reigning sovereign with just 20 minutes on the job.

Over five millennia of human history have seen world leaders and their governments come and go, none ever reaching a century of being figurehead of their domain. Christ will outshine them all when he rules 1,000 years on earth, after the Anti-Christ is destroyed. Then, He’ll reign in heaven as the Everlasting King.

Some might argue that this title is referring to God the Father and not the Son. To clear that up, one would only have to go to 2 Peter 1:11, which says, “for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Simple logic then concludes that, if the Son of God has an everlasting kingdom, He must be the Everlasting King.

Living forever without having to go through destructive campaign cycles, political attack ads, regime change, revolutions, coups d’état, wars and rumors of wars, it must be heaven. True paradise will not have injustice, corruption, or oppression. This certainly was impossible when men and women ruled the world, but is very obtainable under Christ.

Hail King Jesus! – the Everlasting King!

September 9

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 11:28-29

Jesus could walk on water and, after His resurrection, He could even go right through a locked door. He fed 5,000 men from a little boy’s lunch box, calmed storms, cured incurable diseases, and raised the dead. With superpowers like that, you’d have expected both D.C. and Marvel to offer Jesus His own comic book series. Christ could have been the quintessential superhero, but He had one problem – marketing.

When Jesus healed the leper, He told the man not to tell anyone. He could have flown, turned rocks into bread, or jumped from tall buildings, but He wouldn’t do any of it. True, Christ fed 5,000 poor people in the desert, but He never advertised this. He could have gotten government subsidies if he fed 5,000 soldiers or bureaucrats. The Son of God lacked a public relations agent.

His power over death and disease could have made Him millions, and when you factor in His ability to bring peace to a troubled heart, He could have had the world come knocking at His door.

In the verses above, Jesus offers rest to the weary and heavy laden. He offers His yoke to pull the load and supports His claims by saying “I am gentle and lowly in heart.” What kind of self-affirmation is this? No modern faith healer or televangelist would ever come across so weak! And there you have the answer: The Savior of the World knew who He was, so He never needed to promote Himself. The miracles He did validated what He said, so that everyone who believed would receive His promises.

In a world full of make-believe superheroes and superpowers, there is still one who can do so much more – and for real – and He is Gentle and Lowly in Heart.

September 30

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men,
the Man Christ Jesus,
1 Timothy 2:5

A mediator is only effective when both sides have confidence in their go-between. Divergent sides with no common ground cannot be brought together unless there is someone standing with one foot firmly in each camp. That person must be able to take seriously the interests of both.

Job had many problems, but he was afflicted most of all by his loss of fellowship with the living God. Feeling frustrated and rejected, he cried out to his maker, “Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both” (Job 9:33). Job longed for a mediator who could get things settled.

Holy God and sinful man – a great gulf separated the two. The vast expanse was uncrossable, so a cross was provided. The Creator took on His creature’s form and bridged heaven and earth at the moment of the incarnation. Christ Jesus, having both the divine and human natures, became the true Mediator Between God and Men.

God
Holy Omnipotent
All-seeing Ruling Judging
Jesus Christ Savior Lord
Feeling Searching Thirsting
Living Breathing
Man
                        – R. Khol

August 14

Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly,
I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
John 8:58

Talk about a conversation-stopper. The Pharisees were shocked. They couldn’t believe their ears. Jesus of Nazareth had just called Himself “I AM.” Just moments before, He had said that He was older than Abraham. Now, in effect, He was saying that He was the God of Abraham. They immediately picked up stones to throw at Him (John 8:59).

This was no inside joke or subtle allusion. Jesus had blatantly applied one of the most powerful names of God to Himself. They knew the scripture: “God declared to Moses ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.'” (Exodus 3:14).

The Jewish leaders didn’t believe the Lord. They refused to have Him rule over them, and thus, they were guilty of the crime of rejecting the Living God.

When Jesus calls Himself the great I AM, He calls all humanity to respond to His claim. To reject or ignore the deity of Christ is to choose not to believe the Master. Believing Him is to praise, worship, and honor Him as the everlasting God.

By the Spirit all pervading,
Hosts unnumbered round the Lamb,
Crowned with light and joy unfading,
Hail Him as the great “I AM.”
                                J.N. Darby (1800-1882)

August 15

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God,
God abides in him, and he in God.
1 John 4:15*

The title is a statement of faith, the distinguishing creed of all true believers. Peter admitted to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Martha, Nathaniel, the Roman centurion, and the Ethiopian eunuch also acknowledged the same. In fact, no one can have true faith in Christ without reaching this conclusion.

Phony Christians might employ the phrase in one way or another, but they don’t understand it, or at least they refuse to accept its true meaning. That is because the title is a declaration of the deity of Christ, and that is something counterfeit converts don’t wish to accept.    

In Bible times, the phrase “son of…” clearly meant “being one with”, as in the “sons of the prophets” or “sons of the singers.” When Jesus declared, “I am the Son of God,” the Jewish leaders were immediately offended and ready to stone Him for blasphemy. To them, by saying God was His father, He was making Himself equal to God (John 5:18).

To call Jesus the Son of God is the same as acknowledging Him as God, the Son. It concedes that He has power and authority to judge and punish sinful man. Calling on the Lord by this title implies submission and obedience to His will. It concludes that no surrogate savior could ever redeem God’s lost creation. Only God Himself in human form could be capable of bringing complete salvation.

*Matthew 27:54; John 1:49, 11:27, 10:36; Acts 8:37; Daniel 3:25; plus 38 other references.

August 17

“I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.”
Daniel 7:13,14**

The husband was an American and his wife Canadian. The child was both. He wasn’t a little of each, but 100% a citizen of both countries.

Jesus Christ is the God-Man. Conceived through the Holy Spirit, He is all that the Almighty ever was or is. Born of a woman, He is fully human and is a credit to His race. Not half God and half man, the Lord Jesus combines deity and humanity without diluting either.

As Son of God, Christ is of the family of God and the possessor of God’s nature. As Son of Man, the Lord couldn’t have been more human. There wasn’t an emotion or experience that He couldn’t feel.

Of the two titles, it was Son of Man that He chose to use the most. It was such a special title that, with only one exception in the New Testament, it always comes from the Lord’s own mouth. The term is powerful and most often refers to a time when the God-Man will reign forever over the human race. However, the Savior made it very clear that the Son of Man had to be lifted up, suffer, and die for His creation before this would be possible.

Son of Man, His incarnation
Opened first the tale of grace;
Son of Man, in new creation
Leader of a chosen race!
Well may glory, well may glory,
Give to Him the honored place!
                                      – Thomas Kelly

* The favorite title of Christ for Himself.
**see also Mark 14:62; Matthew 20:28; John 3:14; Acts 7:56 plus 80 other New Testament references

August 18

And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him,
“Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
Matthew 11:2,3

The writings of Moses and the prophets included hundreds of prophecies concerning the Messiah that was to come. Centuries had passed since these promises were given, and then came another four hundred years with no message from God at all. Yet the faithful to God still awaited the “Coming One.”

Then, on the day his son was born, old Zacharias the priest prophesied concerning the Dayspring from on High that was coming. Roughly six months later, both the honorable and just Simeon  and the prophetess Ana from the temple testified that they saw the Lord’s Christ come as a baby to be dedicated in the house of God.

John the Baptist lived his whole life set apart for the work of God. When he baptized Jesus, he saw the heavens opened and heard the voice of God Himself declare the Savior as the beloved Son of God. John had strong affirmation that day that He was commissioned to be the voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord. He was convinced that the Coming One had finally arrived.

Yet circumstances and solitude have a way of raising doubts and compromising firm decisions. So when John was thrown in prison and the Messiah, the Son of David, didn’t come to liberate him, he sent two disciples to affirm his faith in the Messiah.

John had indeed perceived correctly; the Coming One had, in fact, come. Two thousand years later, Christ is still the Coming One, because He promised His followers that He would return. That’s a long time to wait, so just like the first time, some believers have started to wonder, “Where is the promise of His Coming?” (2 Peter 3:4).

The good news is that He is on His way, and He’s right on schedule. The signs of His coming laid down in Matthew 24 all check out, so any time now we’ll get to see the Coming One.

August 1