Death and RESURRECTION

As per usual, I read the True Vine devotional this morning and below is an excerpt from what I read (here is the whole thing if you are interested: http://www.spiritoffire.org/ebooks/the%20true%20vine/vine05.htm

Excerpt from the True Vine devotional – John 15:1:

“…Christ ever lived in the spirit of what He once said: “The Son can do nothing of himself.” As dependent as a vine is on a husbandman for the place where it is to grow, for its fencing in and watering and pruning, Christ felt Himself entirely dependent on the Father every day for the wisdom and the strength to do the Father’s will. As He said in the previous chapter John 14:10: “The words that I say unto you, I speak not from Myself; but the Father abiding in Me doeth his works.” This absolute dependence had as its blessed counterpart the most blessed confidence that He had nothing to fear: the Father could not disappoint Him. With such a Husbandman as His Father, He could enter death and the grave. He could trust God to raise Him up. All that Christ is and has, He has, not in Himself, but from the Father…”

I have read this many times but this time something stuck out to me more than before. It was the line that said “He could trust God to raise Him up [from death and the grave].” He had nothing to FEAR… He could trust God to raise Him from the dead!!

I have a tendency to think of Jesus as more “God” than “man” and that all He did and said came easily to Him… But this morning I was reminded that He was 100% human as well as God.  He struggled with the same things and in the same ways WE do.  When I read this particular line this morning, “He could trust God to raise Him up.”, it not only reminded me of His humanness but it also reminded me of Abraham in that he also believed God could and would raise Isaac from the dead once he sacrificed him. But, instead of putting someone else to death, Jesus allowed Himself to be put to death and believe that God would raise Him from the dead! Wow. How incredibly hard was that?! I am sure His relationship, faith and belief in God made it somewhat easier, but again; I believe he had to battle His human side of things as well. He had to counter the lies that God couldn’t, wouldn’t and didn’t really ask Him to do that. He had to avoid reasoning His way out of it thinking things like “My loving Father would never ask me to do something like that!”  He had to counter the temptation to do what His disciples wanted Him to do, i.e. raise up an army and become the ruler and King in Jerusalem here on earth. He had to counter the enemy and the temptation to demand that “this cup be taken away …” and instead submit Himself to: “may your will be done." (Matthew 26:42)

But He was able to do this because why? Because, EVEN AS A HUMAN, He was absolutely and completely dependant upon His Father in Heaven and He had NO FEAR or doubt that God’s GOOD and PERFECT Will would be done in, and through Him.  He didn’t question the Fathers will, goodness or desire but TRUSTED Him completely. He knew that His flesh HAD to die in order for the Spirit to live, and live not only in Him but in us as well (“Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” John 16:7).  Jesus is our example of how WE need to live here on earth. Am I absolutely and completely dependant on God like Jesus was? Do I have the love, faith, and trust in God that Jesus did to be put to death...? And, am I as obedient?

 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23. In order for me to follow Jesus, I have to daily deny myself and crucify my flesh on the cross. Ok, to be honest, I have heard this for most of my Christian walk but the part that I missed before this morning was that, when I do actually manage to die to my flesh, I need to TRUST that the Father will RAISE ME FROM THE DEAD! Not in the physical form but in the spiritual. Not only that but that He will raise me to be better than I was… that His plans for me are for GOOD and not for HARM and that I will actually LIKE what He does with me.  Isn’t that where the difficulty lies? Do I trust that God will raise me from the dead, and when He does, will I like what He does with me?? Look what He did for Jesus! He surrendered His life to God and God raised Him from the dead, transformed him and sat Him on His right side, ruling along side of Him from the Throne of Heaven. Oh man! Just think of what He would have missed out on if He had catered to and given in to His “flesh” the “disciples” and the “enemy”! So, do I expect great things like that from God for me? The least I can do is expect that He can do greater and better things than I can!!  How many times have I missed out on the “best” that God has for me by allowing my flesh to lead my actions? Is my will and my way better than the creator of all the heavens and the earth? Can I put MY flesh to death daily and trust that, when I do, He will raise me up to be better than I was? Oh Lord, help me to get there!!

This makes me think of the caterpillar that goes into its cocoon willingly, surrendering its life and its transformation to God, and then immerging as a beautiful butterfly in flight! He was designed and created by God to do that but I think God uses His creation so we can see what He plans for us as well. Do we really want to stay as caterpillars when we can be transformed into butterflies?  This of course does not happen without a cost, the death of MY will and MY desires, but is the cost worth the results?

So, going back to the True Vine devotional analogy and summarizing, Jesus is the True Vine, completely submitting to the Father, relying completely upon Him for EVERYTHING. Having absolute trust and no fear that the Father would take care of Him and do what was needed for the Vines health and growth.  And, if we are to be the branches, grafted into the True Vine to become one with the Vine, can we be a different plant, producing our own fruit? I think we keep trying to do that and then we wonder why it isn't working!  Jesus is our example of becoming “entirely dependent” upon the Father for guidance, wisdom and strength to do His Fathers will everyday. We need to die to what we were before and trust that we will be raised from the dead and transformed into the butterflies and servants that He needs us to be to for HIS glory and HIS Kingdom purposes. But the first and most important question that we need to ask ourselves is, “do I trust that He will raise me from the dead…?”   

Oh Father, I look forward to the day when I can say “YES” without hesitation to that question. Only You know my heart both it’s corrupted side and it’s desires to do good and only You can help me to climb up on the sacrificial table each day and surrender my life and my will to You for Your purposes. Help me to TRUST You and Your goodness and help me to see that Your purposes are better than mine. Father, I DO believe you can raise me from the dead… but please, help me in my unbelief!