Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Seen the Father (LS14)

         'Last Sermon of Jesus'

John 14:7-8  "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us."
    The Jews feared God very much, for they realized that they had not loved Him nor kept His commands. They dare not mention His Name but just YHWH because He is righteous, holy and just, the Almighty God, who quickly metes out judgment and chastisements.
Deu 11:1-2  "Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always. Know today that I do not speak with your children, who have not known and who have not seen the chastening of the Lord your God, His greatness and His mighty hand and His outstretched arm"

Deu 28:1-2  "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:"
    Yahweh is a God of justice, who will bless those who obey His commands, but curse those who disobey Him. Since Yahweh is a righteous and just God, how can He be merciful? So the only mercy that the Jews could expect from Yahweh was possibly the reduction of chastisements for their sins.
Deu 28:15  "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:"

Hosea 6:6  "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."
    The Jews did not realize that Yahweh is all merciful, for His throne is the mercy seat and He desires mercy more than sacrifices.

Luke 23:34a  Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."
    Our Lord displayed the love and mercies of the Father on the cross. All those who know Jesus has seen the attributes of the Almighty God - merciful, compassionate, humble, righteous, faithful, upright and just.

Brethren, love God! It is by His grace that our sins are forgiven whenever we confess and repent of our iniquities. Our Lord Jesus was judged for our sins on the cross at Calvary, otherwise, hell fire awaits us! As such, we too must forgive our brethren who have sinned against us.