A Great Mystery

2 Cor 5:14 For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us, because we are of the opinion and conviction that [if] One died for all, then all died; (AMP)

This is a great mystery…one died for all then all died.  Something so profound happened for us and TO US when Jesus was incarnated, lived His life, died on the cross and was raised again.  We were inexplicably joined to Him during and because of His life, death and resurrection.  That is a great mystery.  We don’t have to understand it really (that is why you call it a mystery) but we should be living in glory realm (manifest goodness) of the good news (gospel).

2 Cor 5:15 And He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake. (AMP)

We are no longer alone.  We are no longer on our own.  We are no longer separate from God.  Actually we were never separate from Him since He is everywhere.  We were alienated in our minds:

Col 1:21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

But now we are joined with Him.  We are His children.  We are just like Him.  Now everyone is in Christ and no longer just a human:

2 Cor 5:16 Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a [purely] human point of view [in terms of natural standards of value]. [No] even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a man, yet now [we have such knowledge of Him that] we know Him no longer [in terms of the flesh].

It is a great mystery.  The DNA of God joins the DNA of mankind. In Adam we were of the dirt and His Spirit breath gave us life. Now we are dirt joined with divinity. At the cellular level we are joined with Him. His seed joins our seed. This is what happened with Mary.  All of mankind was already in Jesus from the foundation of the Earth and now He was born in union with mankind.  He wasn’t just a man filled with the Holy Spirit like two bodies in the same space. He was joined to mankind as the first of many of a new kind of being. When he died we died. We went back in the dirt we came from but came out a new creation. He took what was of us and left the fallen sin-nature in the grave. The dirt of the world, the decaying corruptible part of us stayed dead in the dirt. He carried us through sanctification and death.

Joined to him we are joined to holy. His holy cleans up our dirty. His holy killed our dirty. His holy was rejected by mankind but in the rejection, mankind facilitated the death of Jesus who was joined to mankind?!?!.

We were raised glorious. Christ in us the hope of glory. Not two nature’s sharing a space but one new nature of two nature’s joined. I am no longer just me. The “just me” is joined to “just Him.” I am in the family because I am of the same substance as my dad. Just like two people who marry they produce a child that has equal parts of both but are blended as one.

I am connected to goodness himself. I am a good boy because I am joined to good. My dad is good so I am good. His goodness removed my badness on the cross. Mankind wanted to kill him because he wasn’t like us. So when we killed him we became just like Him forever. Every part of me is saturated by His glory because I am joined to His glory.

One of the benefits of being a child is inheriting our Father’s genes. The DNA of God radiates glory. The DNA of God is the substance of love. The DNA of God is so holy it makes me holy. My inheritance does includes resources and wealth but more importantly, I inherited His chromosomes. I am pumping his blood that is God-man blood. I have the blood of Jesus pumping in my veins. The same blood that was spilled for me is  the blood that keeps me alive. The same flesh that walked the earth and helped so many people is the same flesh that carries me around today. Flesh of my flesh and bones of my bones.

I believe this is why Jesus was raised again and appeared to the many.  He could have left us (humanity) in the tomb but instead He came back to life still joined with humanity.  This is sooooooooo important.  He is still joined to us and we are still joined to Him.  We are closer to Him than our very breath.  His life is my life.  I have become one with Him.  That is why this scene is so powerful:

Luke 24:36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “ Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “ Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “ Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish,  (ESVST)

God is everywhere and the Holy Spirit is someone who we have a hard time imagining in a human form but go with me for a moment into your imagination and see Father, Son and Holy Spirit sitting together in the living room.  They are so secure in who they are.  They are completely absent of selfishness.  They are completely selfless by nature.  They are love itself.  They love to play a game where they look at each other and say “you are awesome.” Then the other looks back and says “no you are awesome.”  This goes on for centuries.  There is so much acceptance in the room.  There is glory illuminating the room itself.  If feels so good in that room.  It is warm and inviting.  It is calm and peaceful.  It is joy and excitement.  It is anticipation and satisfaction.  It is creativity and completion.  It is the most amazing place there with three in one that love and accept each other without reservation.  They lack nothing.

Now…breath in that amazing place…feel the person of God in all His glory.  Open your eyes and look closer.  You are there too.  You are in and with Jesus.  Jesus is you in the room.  You are bound to Him and He is bound to you.  You are living His life.  You are breathing His air.  You are joined and connected and engrafted and abiding and one with this family!!!!!!  This is who you are.  You are this relationship.  You are this reality.  You are just like Jesus because He is just like you.

Listen…you didn’t get a choice.  This is what is so mind-blowing.  He didn’t ask your permission.  He joined Himself to mankind to bring us all into Him so we are all in that room with Him and joined to Him.  This was His plan.  I’m sorry that nobody asked you if it was OK.  I think there are some people who are upset by being included without a vote.  It seems strange to me but I guess that is the difference between a goat and a sheep?

It is a great mystery but it is such a great mystery.  It may be hard for us to understand but it is profoundly important.  You couldn’t write down an explanation on an essay question but in faith you see it clearly.  John Crowder says “you need to smell the dirt to get this.”  I like that.  I’m on a dirt smelling journey.  Like Paul I want to know Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  I am waiting for something but missing nothing.  I am living in anticipation while fully satisfied.  I am living in that room with my family while He shows me more.

Yay God!

Lance