16 May 2014 - way better

16 May 2014 - way better

In Romans we read that Jesus is "designated Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead" (cf. Rom 1:4).  This is what Paul is preaching about in Antioch this morning.  He tells us because he is risen Jesus is the fulfillment of all the promises of God.  Then he quotes the second psalm.

You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
'This day' for Jesus is the day of the resurrection.  Jesus is revealed as the one begotten of God.  He is not begotten at the resurrection but from all eternity.  It is in the resurrection that his relationship with the Father is revealed and vindicated.  This is why Paul refers to the second psalm when he talks about it.  This psalm is used for enthroning a king.  All the kings of Israel are meant to have a filial relationship to the Father.  But for all of them prior to Jesus it is a metaphor, and one which is always lived imperfectly. 

In those kings and for ourselves sin and death keep us from the Father.  Only the one who has come down from heaven, the one who is without sin, truly knows the Father, and only he can reveal him (cf. Luk. 10:22, Mat. 11:27).  "No one comes to the Father except through me", as he tells us.  It is an unbridgeable gap for us on our own. 

But Jesus is willing to bridge that gap in his very flesh.  He is will to unite heaven and earth in himself.  He wants to be "the way and the truth and the life" for you and for me.  When Jesus is on the cross we wonder where this way can lead.  It is a bridge disappearing into darkness.  His claims of kingship seem equally insubstantial as he suffers before our eyes.  He seems impotent before the inexorable power of death.

All of Israel sees this death happen.  They're pretty sure that Jesus is dead, just another revolutionary or zealot.  They think that he can't be a way which goes anywhere.  If this is his power, they think, how can he be king?  And we think these same things when Jesus doesn't act when we expect him to do so.  That is why we need to hear Paul tell us:

But God raised him from the dead,
and for many days he appeared to those
who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem.
These are now his witnesses before the people.

Because of the resurrection all of the claims which Jesus makes are proven.  He is the King of kings.  He is the Son of God, for the Father himself has spoken for him by raising him up.  Even his humanity is now enthroned by this resurrection.  We can now see why he himself is the way.  He is the way beyond death to life eternal.  All of this is revealed by his resurrection!  Imperfect metaphor gives way as the true king is revealed in all his glory.

“I myself have set up my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD:
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.”

Since we have such a great king, a king who only takes reveals himself out of love for us, let us serve him with joy!

Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.

Jesus, reveal yourself as the risen one to us!  Show us why you are the way so that we can follow you with reckless abandon!