II Corinthians 4:5-7
"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."
May 4th
"Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?" Luke 24:26
The SON stripped Himself of His Vestments-in-Power, leaving the glory at the Father's side (Jn. 17:5) in order to become our Redeemer. From the approximate age of 12 He again sacrificed: yielding up the normal life of youth of His day in order to make our "salvation" possible; thereby becoming "a whole burnt offering" unto God the Father (for your sake and mine). Its "cost" we cannot conjecture. Throughout 21 years and more this was continued, climaxing on Calvary's cross. The "cost" of that final sacrifice is far beyond a computer's capacity to calculate. Yet for you and me He paid that price – even deliberately, with "His face set like a flint" (Isa. 50:7, Lk. 9:51) lest Lucifer deprive Him of the prize. Even as we cannot compute the "cost" to Him, so neither can we estimate the value of the prize. (...Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and ENTER INTO HIS GLORY?" – Lk. 24:26)
Comparatively, we are also expected to PREPARE ourselves for parenthood, even as the Father did for the Son. While yet again we PREPARE ourselves in order that we may be both able, as well as accounted worthy, to bring many to the foot of the Cross.
Discipleship (a Sermonette) (continued tomorrow...)