Jesus was the ruler of god's creation

JESUS WAS THE RULER OF GOD'S CREATION
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Revelation3:14 14"To the angel of the church in
Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the
faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation.
Ruler of God’s Creation
SCRIPTURE READING:Revelation3:14-16, 18-20
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of
God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish
you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot
nor cold—Iam about to spit you out of my mouth.
I counselyou to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich;
and white clothes to wear, so you cancover your shameful nakedness;and
salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnestand repent. Here I
am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the
door, I will come in and eatwith that person, and they with me.”
SIGNIFICANCE:The LORD JESUS CHRIST is the reigning King overall of
God’s creation.

DearFather, Thank You for the greathope all believers have in Jesus, the
sovereignRuler of God’s Creation. I honor Jesus againas the Word, Who
createdand rules all things. I fondly go back to Paul’s strong declarationin
Colossians 1:15-18, “The Sonis the image of the invisible God, the firstborn
over all creation. For in him all things were created:things in heaven and on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or
authorities; all things have been createdthrough him and for him. He is
before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the
body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead,
so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” I praise Jesus that He
rules in total righteousness. Ihonor His boundless qualifications to tell the
Church of Laodicea, as wellas the Church of our day, of our lukewarmness
and all our other sins. I pray that You will convict us to repent of all our sins.
I am deeply grateful that the Ruler of God’s Creation is standing at the door
of our lives and knocking. Pleasehelp us to clearlyhear His voice and throw
open the door of our hearts, for Him to dwell in and rule every part of us. I
pray these things in His wise name. Amen.
https://christnow.com/devotion/the-ruler-of-gods-creation/
Christ's Role In Creation
MostRelevantVerses
John 1:3
Verse Concepts
All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came
into being that has come into being.

John 1:10
Verse Concepts
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did
not know Him.
1 Corinthians 8:6
Verse Concepts
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we
exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we
exist through Him.
Colossians 1:16
Verse Concepts
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible
and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things
have been createdthrough Him and for Him.
Hebrews 1:2
Verse Concepts
in these last days has spokento us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all
things, through whom also He made the world.
The Lord Jesus – the Makerand Ruler of Creation
Sam Shamoun

According to the N[ew]T[estament]writings Jesus Christ, in his prehuman
existence, made all createdthings and is actively sustaining them. The
inspired Christian Greek Scriptures state that Christ is the active (not merely
passive)Agent of creation, that God [the Father] used his Divine Sonto bring
all createdthings into being:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. He was with Godin the beginning. Through him all things were
made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life,
and that life was the light of men… He was in the world, and though the world
was made through him, the world did not recognize him… The Word became
flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seenhis glory, the glory of the
One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:1-
4, 10, 14 NIV
"yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and
for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all
things came and through whom we live." 1 Corinthians 8:6
"Forhe has rescuedus from the dominion of darkness and brought us into
the kingdom of the Sonhe loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness
of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn overall creation.
For by him all things were created:things in heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were
createdby him and for him. He IS before all things, and in him all things hold
together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and
the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the
supremacy. For God was pleasedto have all his fullness dwell in him, and
through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or
things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."
Colossians 1:13-20 NIV
"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times
and in various ways, but in these lastdays he has spokento us by his Son,
whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the
universe. The Sonis the radiance of God's glory and the exactrepresentation

of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided
purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majestyin heaven."
Hebrews 1:1-3 NIV
The next references make it plain that Christ didn’t merely have a passing
role in creationbut was fully responsible for making and fashioning the entire
createdrealm:
"But about the Son he [the Father] says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last for
ever and ever, and righteousness willbe the scepterof your kingdom. You
have loved righteousness and hated wickedness… In the beginning, O Lord
[Jesus], you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of
your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a
garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be
changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.’" Hebrews
1:8, 10-12 NIV
Amazingly, the NT author has the Father praising his Sonfor being the Lord
who personally created(and who is also actively sustaining) the heavens and
the earth, and does so by quoting a Psalmwhich speaks ofYahweh’s work in
creating the cosmos:
In the beginning You, O Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth; and the
heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but you remain; and
they all shall grow old like a garment; and as a vesture shall You fold them
and they shall be changed. But You are the same, and Your years shall not
fail. Psalm 102:25-27 Septuagint(LXX) (Source)
By attributing this particular Psalmto the Son’s role in creationthe writer
has pretty much identified Jesus as Yahweh, the Godwho createdthe entire
universe!
As if this identification of Jesus with Yahweh wasn’t clearenough the
O[ld]T[estament] writings emphatically teachthat Yahweh alone made the
cosmos since he didn’t enlist anyone to help him create the universe:

"This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the
womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the
heavens, who spreadout the earth by myself," Isaiah 44:24 NIV
"He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves ofthe sea." Job
9:8 NIV
The inspired Scriptures further teachthat Yahweh is actively sustaining all
creation, that he is the One who is keeping it all togetherand guiding it along
to accomplishall of his purposes:
"Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah,
Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, ‘Stand up and bless the LORD your God
from everlasting to everlasting. Blessedbe your glorious name, which is
exalted above all blessing and praise. You are the LORD, you alone. You have
made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that
is on it, the seas andall that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the
host of heaven worships you.’" Nehemiah 9:5-6 ESV
Moreover, the Jewishintertestamentalliterature gives us an idea of what the
Jews believedconcerning Yahweh’s providential care of creation. It is rather
apparent that the Jews who composedthese writings did not think for a
moment that God had some creature helping him but believed that Yahweh
alone holds all things togetherby his word:
"Because ofhim his messengerfinds the way, and by his word all things hold
together." Sirach43:26 RSV
And yet, amazingly, the NT says that the Son (yet not to the exclusionof the
Father) createdand sustains all things by his powerful word, which logically
means that Jesus is Yahweh! (At the same time the NT teaches that Christ is
not the Father or the Holy Spirit which further implies that there is more than
one Personwho is Yahweh).
The following syllogismillustrates why there is no wayof avoiding the logic of
this conclusion:
Yahweh alone createdall things.

Christ in his prehuman existence created allthings.
Therefore, Christ is Yahweh God.
Here is another way of putting it:
Yahweh is the only One who made all creation.
Christ in his prehuman existence made all creation.
Therefore, Christ is Yahweh God.
Since the Bible affirms both premises the conclusionis therefore
inescapable.(1)
Did Yahweh really create everything by himself?
Unfortunately, not everyone agrees that the logic here is sound since there are
some who try to deny that the Holy Bible teaches one or both of these
premises. For example, anti-Trinitarian groups argue that the context of
Isaiah40-48 is a polemic againstthe false gods of the Babylonians and that
Isaiah44:24 must be read in light of this fact, e.g. Yahwehwasn’t claiming
that he didn’t have anyone assisting him in creating the universe. Yahweh was
simply denying that any of the Babylonian deities aided him in making the
cosmos.
The problem with this assertionis that the verse from Jobshows that this is
not the plain reading of the Isaiahtext since there is nothing within the
context of Job that addressesothergods, e.g. Jobis not pitting Yahweh
againstthe false gods but is simply affirming Yahweh’s unique status and
characteristics.
In a similar manner the prophet Isaiah was setting out to prove that Yahweh
alone is God by highlighting the functions that only Yahweh is able to perform
and the attributes that he alone has. These functions and attributes include
such things as creating the universe by himself and foretelling the future.
Yahweh then makes sure that what he has announced comes to pass exactlyas
he has stated:

"‘All the nations gather togetherand the peoples assemble. Which of them
foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their
witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, "It is
true." You are my witnesses,’declaresthe LORD, ‘and my servantwhom I
have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am
he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am
the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealedand saved
and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my
witnesses,’declares the LORD, ‘that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I
am he. No one candeliver out of my hand.’" Isaiah43:9-13 NIV
"This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the
womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the
heavens, who spreadout the earth by myself, who foils the signs of false
prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise
and turns it into nonsense, who carries out the words of his servants and
fulfills the predictions of his messengers, who says ofJerusalem, ‘It shall be
inhabited,’ of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be built,’ and of their ruins, ‘I
will restore them,’ who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up
your streams,’who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplishall
that I please;he will say of Jerusalem, ‘Let it be rebuilt,’ and of the temple,
‘Let its foundations be laid.’" Isaiah44:24-28 NIV
"It is I who made the earth and createdmankind upon it. MY OWN HANDS
stretchedout the heavens; I marshaledtheir starry hosts… Forthis is what
the LORD says— he who createdthe heavens, he is God; he who fashioned
and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but
formed it to be inhabited— he says:‘I am the LORD, and there is no other. I
have not spokenin secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness;I have not
said to Jacob's descendants, "Seekme in vain." I, the LORD, speak the truth;
I declare what is right. Gathertogetherand come; assemble, youfugitives
from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray
to gods that cannot save. Declarewhatis to be, presentit— let them take
counseltogether. Who foretold this long ago, who declared it from the distant
past? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no God apart from me, a
righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me. Turn to me and be saved,

all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.’" Isaiah45:12,
18-22 NIV
"Rememberthis, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the
former things, those of long ago;I am God, and there is no other; I am God,
and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from
ancient times, what is still to come. I say:My purpose will stand, and I will do
all that I please. From the eastI summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a
man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I
have planned, that will I do. Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are
far from righteousness." Isaiah46:8-12 NIV
All of these functions and attributes demonstrate that Yahweh is the sovereign
Lord of all creation, having full controlover it, who makes the end known
from the beginning with absolutely no one being able to thwart any of his
purposes since he is both omnipotent and omniscient:
"The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the
peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his
heart through all generations."Psalm33:10-11 NIV
"Our God is in heaven;he does whateverpleases him." Psalm115:3 NIV
"The LORD does whateverpleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in
the seas andall their depths." Psalm 135:6 NIV
It is apparent from the foregoing texts that the point Isaiah is making is that
since Yahweh alone is God who can do all these things this means that there
are no other gods, which therefore proves that the deities worshiped by the
Babylonians are false gods who do not exist.
The anti-Trinitarians are not satisfiedwith this explanation. Seeing that Job 9
is not a polemic againstother gods they realize that their explanation here
won’t work. Yet they still want to desperatelyprove that Job 9:8 does not
exclude God making use of another being or intermediate agentto create the
universe by appealing to the secondhalf of the verse, i.e. "treads upon the
waves of the sea." Theysource the Greek versionof the Hebrew Bible, the

Septuagint [LXX], to show that the text is specificallyreferring to the actof
walking on the sea:
"Who alone has stretched out the heavens, and walks on the sea as on firm
ground." (Source)
The anti-Trinitarian then references Matthew 14:28-29where Jesus granted
the apostle Peterthe ability to walk upon the sea.
The point that the anti-Trinitarian is hoping to make by this example is to
somehow convince a personthat the verse from Jobdoesn’t rule out the fact
that Yahweh can or did grant a creature (such as Jesus)the ability to assist
him in creating the cosmos in the same way that this text doesn’t rule out the
possibility that someone other than Yahweh was able to walk on the sea by the
powerof God. Job is simply stating (or so it is claimed) that Yahweh is
ultimately the Source of all power and life, that no one other than God
possesses suchan ability in himself, and yet he cangrant creatures the
authority to perform specific functions such as creating and walking on the
seas.
In this way the anti-Trinitarian thinks that one canbelieve that God used
Christ to create the universe without having to acceptthe factthat Jesus is
Yahweh God.
The main problem with this rather desperate attempt of denying the plain
reading of the Holy Bible is that this grosslydistorts and/or misunderstands
Job’s point of Yahweh walking on the waves ofthe sea. A careful reading of
the immediate context shows that Job wasn’t merely speaking of Yahweh’s
ability to walk on waterbut was referring to Yahweh’s complete control over
and mastery of the seas:
"Then Jobansweredand said: ‘Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man
be in the right before God? If one wishedto contend with him, one could not
answerhim once in a thousand times. He is wise in heart and mighty in
strength — who has hardened himself againsthim, and succeeded? — he who
removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his
anger, who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; who

commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars;who alone
stretchedout the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea;who made the
Bearand Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south; who does great
things beyond searching out, and marvelous things beyond number. Behold,
he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him.
Behold, he snatches away;who can turn him back? Who will sayto him,
"What are you doing?"’" Job9:1-9 ESV
As the reader canplainly see, the idea that is being communicated here is that
there is nothing in creationwhich Yahweh doesn’t fully control. The point of
Job isn’t merely that Yahweh can walk on water but is emphasizing Yahweh’s
sovereignrule over the entire createdorder, especiallythe seas.
In fact, the word darak, variously translatedas "treads" (NIV) or "trampled"
(ESV), is used in certain passages withthe meaning of trampling over
something such as grapes in a winepress:
"And they went out into the field and gatheredthe grapes from their
vineyards and trod them and held a festival; and they went into the house of
their god and ate and drank and reviled Abimelech." Judges 9:27 ESV
"In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepressesonthe Sabbath,
and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine,
grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalemon the
Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food." Nehemiah
13:15 ESV
It is also used in reference to trampling over one’s enemies:
"Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people savedby the LORD, the
shield of your help, and the swordof your triumph! Your enemies shall come
fawning to you, and you shall tread upon their backs." Deuteronomy33:29
ESV
"Surrounding the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from
Nohah as far as opposite Gibeah on the east." Judges 20:43 ESV

The above examples demonstrate that the word darak canconvey the notion
of subjugation and domination. This is the point that Job is communicating,
i.e. Yahweh treads or tramples the waves of the sea in the sense that he has
complete control over the natural elements and that they perfectly obey
whateverhe commands, preciselythe point that the book of Job goes onto
make a little later:
"Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, when I
made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, and
prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, and said, ‘Thus far shall you
come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed'?" Job38:8-
11 ESV
The Psalmistechoes this very truth:
"The LORD reigns;he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he has put on
strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established;it shall never be moved.
Your throne is establishedfrom of old; you are from everlasting. The floods
have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up
their roaring. Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the
waves of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty! Your decrees are very
trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore." Psalm93:1-
5 ESV
As does the prophet Jeremiah:
"Do you not fear me? declares the LORD. Do you not tremble before me? I
placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot
pass;though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they
cannot pass overit." Jeremiah 5:22 ESV
Jesus - the sovereignLord of the winds and seas
With the foregoing in mind we can now examine the context of Matthew 14 to
see whether the inspired Evangelisthas left us any clues concerning who
Christ is, i.e. whether he is God’s createdagent invested with God’s power or
whether he himself is God in the flesh:

"Immediately he made the disciples getinto the boat and go before him to the
other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissedthe
crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came,
he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land,
beaten by the waves, forthe wind was againstthem. And in the fourth watch
of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw
him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ and they
cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart; it
is I (ego eimi – I AM). Do not be afraid.’ And Peteransweredhim, ‘Lord, if it
is you, command me to come to you on the water.’He said, ‘Come.’So Peter
got out of the boat and walkedon the water and came to Jesus. Butwhen he
saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save
me.’ Jesus immediately reachedout his hand and took hold of him, saying to
him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ And when they gotinto the
boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly
you are the Son of God.’" Matthew 14:22-33 ESV; cf. Mark 6:45-52
There are severalrather interesting and astonishing factors to consider here,
all of which point to Jesus’Divine identity. First, Jesus not only walks on
waterbut has complete control overthe winds and waves. As we saw earlier
(and shall see again) these are all functions that the OT says are performed or
carried out by Yahweh.
Second, Jesus didn’t merely utter the words "it is I" but actually referred to
himself as the "I AM" (Hebrew – ani hu or anoki, Greek – ego eimi).
What makes this such a vitally important clue in understanding Jesus’true
identity is that the "I AM" is specificallyused in the Hebrew Scriptures by
Yahweh as a type of self-designation, functioning as a Divine title of sorts, just
as we see in the following verses:
I, even I, am He (ego eimi ego eimi, lit. "I AM I AM") that blots out your
transgressions forMy own sake, andyour sins; and I will remember them no
more. Isaiah43:25 LXX (1, 2)

I, even I, am he (ego eimi ego eimi, "I AM I AM") that comforts you… Isaiah
51:12 LXX (1, 2); cf. Deut. 32:39; Isaiah41:4; 43:10, 13; 46:4-5;47:8, 10;
52:6; Zephaniah 2:13-15
Third, when Petersinks he cries out "Lord, save me," which in the context is
a plea to Christ to deliver him from drowning.
Some of these very same elements are found in an earlier pericope:
"And when he gotinto the boat, his disciples followedhim. And behold, there
arose a greatstorm on the sea, so that the boatwas being swampedby the
waves;but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, ‘Save us,
Lord; we are perishing.’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, O you of
little faith?’ Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a
greatcalm. And the men marveled, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that
even winds and sea obey him?’" Matthew 8:23-27 ESV; cf. Mark 4:36-41
Much like in Matthew 14, we see the disciples crying out to Jesus as their
Lord, pleading with him to save them, and Christ having complete mastery
over the winds and sea.
Fourth, Jesus has the powerto allow others to perform miraculous feats such
as walking on water, a point reiteratedin other parts of the Gospels:
"Jesus wentup on a mountainside and calledto him those he wanted, and
they came to him. He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—thatthey
might be with him and that he might send them out to preachand to have
authority to drive out demons." Mark 3:13-15 NIV
"Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them
authority over evil spirits… They went out and preachedthat people should
repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil
and healedthem." Mark 6:7, 12-13 NIV
"‘Teacher,’saidJohn, ‘we saw a man driving out demons in your name and
we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.’ ‘Do not stop him,’ Jesus
said. ‘No one who does a miracle in my name canin the next moment say

anything bad about me, for whoeveris not againstus is for us.’" Mark 9:38-
40 NIV
"When Jesus had calledthe Twelve together, he gave them powerand
authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, andhe sent them out to
preach the kingdom of God and to healthe sick." Luke 9:1-2 NIV
"The seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit
to us in your name.’ He replied, ‘I saw Satanfall like lightning from heaven. I
have given you authority to trample on snakes andscorpions and to overcome
all the powerof the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice
that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in
heaven.’" Luke 10:17-20
These four factors combined prove beyond a shadow of doubt that Matthew
(as well as the other Gospelwriters) is portraying Jesus as the visible
manifestation of Yahweh since Christ does the very exactworks that the OT
ascribes to the one true God of Israel, as the following references emphatically
show:
"By awesomedeeds you answerus with righteousness, O Godof our
salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas;the one
who by his strength establishedthe mountains, being girded with might; who
stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the
peoples, so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your
signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for
joy." Psalm65:5-8 ESV
"You rule the raging of the sea;when its waves rise, you still them." Psalm
89:9 ESV
"Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the greatwaters;they
saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep. Forhe
commanded and raisedthe stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage
melted awayin their evil plight; they reeled and staggeredlike drunken men
and were at their wits’ end. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and

he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the
waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,
and he brought them to their desiredhaven." Psalm107:23-30 ESV
"But now, this is what the LORD says— he who createdyou, O Jacob, he who
formed you, O Israel: ‘Fearnot, for I have redeemedyou; I have summoned
you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with
you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweepover you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not
setyou ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your
Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you
are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men
in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for
I am with you; I will bring your children from the eastand gatheryou from
the west… You are my witnesses,’declares the LORD, ‘and my servant whom
I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am
he (ego eimi [LXX]). Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after
me. I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. I have
revealedand savedand proclaimed— I, and not some foreigngod among you.
You are my witnesses,’declares the LORD, ‘that I am God. Yes, and from
ancient days I am he (ego eimi). No one can deliver out of my hand. When I
act, who can reverse it?’" Isaiah 43:1-5, 10-13 NIV; cf. 41:10-14
These OT citations contain all of the same elements found in the stories of
Matthew, with the only difference being that it is Jesus who is performing
these astonishing feats!
In summary here is what we learned from these stories in Matthew:
Jesus, like Yahweh, identifies himself as the I AM who comes to deliver his
people and quiets their fears.
Jesus, like Yahweh, tramples overthe waves and stills the storms.
The disciples cry out to Jesus as their Lord(2) and plead with him to save
them in the same way that the people in the Psalms cry out to Yahweh to save
them from their distress.

In light of the foregoing does it come as any surprise that the disciples ask
what manner of man Jesus is (cf. Matt. 8:27; Mark 4:41, 6:52) and worship
him as the Sonof God (cf. Matt. 14:33) seeing that even the winds and waves
obey him? (3)
The Bible expositors have spoken!
There seems to be somewhatof a concensus among NT scholars, whether
liberal or conservative, that Christ’s use of the "I AM" within the contextof
this particular Matthean pericope (as well as in its Markanparallel) is
intended to unveil Jesus’identity as Yahweh.
An example of a moderate liberal NT exegete who held to this view is the late
Catholic Scripture scholarRaymond E. Brown. Here is what he wrote
concerning the "I AM" sayings that are found in both John and the Synoptic
Gospels:
"Againstthis backgroundthe absolute use of ‘I AM’ by the Johannine Jesus
becomes quite intelligible; he was speaking in the same manner in which
Yahweh speaks in Deutero-Isaiah. Forinstance, in John 8:28 Jesus promises
that when the Sonof Man is lifted up (in return to the Father), ‘then you will
know ego eimi’; in Isaiah 43:10 Yahweh has chosenIsrael, ‘that you may
know and believe me and understand ego eimi.’ The absolute Johannine use of
‘I AM’ has the effect of portraying Jesus as divine with (pre)existence as his
identity, even as the Greek OT understood the God of Israel.
John did not invent this usage, forthere are examples that verge on the
absolute use of ego eimi in the Synoptics even though one can argue that a
predicate is assumed. For instance, in Matt 14:27 (Mark 6:50): As Jesus
comes walking acrossthe water, he says to the disciples in the boat, ‘Ego eimi;
do not be afraid.’ This is the same use we saw in John 6:20 (footnote 202).
That in this scene Matthew intends more than a simple ‘It is I’ is suggestedby
the professionoffaith elicited by the disciples (Matt 14:33), ‘Truly you are
God’s Son!’ Or again, when speaking of the signs of the last days Jesus warns,
‘Many will come in my name, saying ego eimi’ (Mark 13:6; Luke 21:8). The
context does not clearly suggesta predicate (even though Matt’s 24:5: ‘I am
the Messiah’);and the juxtaposition of ego eimi and ‘my name’ brings us close

to Johannine usage…" (Brown, Introduction to New TestamentChristology
[Paulist Press;Mahwah, NJ 1994], p. 139;bold and underline emphasis ours)
Brown, in a footnote, comments on two additional Johannine usages ofI AM
which have a direct bearing on the meaning of Matthew 14:27:
"I would include two other texts. The first is 6:20 where the disciples in the
boat are frightened because they see someone coming to them on the water,
and Jesus assuresthem, ‘I AM; do not be afraid.’ The secondis 18:5: The
soldiers and police who have come to the garden acrossthe Kidron to arrest
Jesus announce that they are seeking JesusofNazareth, and he answers, ‘I
AM.’ Some would tell us that the first means simply, ‘It is I, i.e. someone
whom you know and not a supernatural being or ghost.’And they would tell
us that the secondmeans simply, ‘I am he, i.e. the one you are looking for.’ A
better solution is to recognize a play on the expression‘I AM’ as having a
twofold meaning: While it has a simpler story-line import (as just
exemplified), it also has a higher connotation. In the first example, the sacral
comes from the context that involved Jesus’walking on the waterand a
dangerous storm from which they are immediately brought to land: in the
secondexample it comes from those who, hearing Jesus’response,fall back to
the ground. Both, then, would be instances of a theophany or divine
appearance ofone who, like the God of Israel, is master of storms and the sea
and at the mention of whose name every knee must bend." (Ibid., p. 137, fn.
202;bold emphasis ours)
The New Jerome BiblicalCommentary agrees withBrown since this is what
this very liberal, critical source writes in reference to the Markanparallel:
(b) WALKING ON THE WATERS (6:45-52). The approachto this story as
an epiphany/theophany is most consistentwith Mark's presentation. The twin
focus is Jesus and the disciples:(1) The divine identity of Jesus is suggestedby
his walking on the waters, his passing by them, and his words, "It is I" … The
OT portrays walking on wateras a divine function (see Job 9:8; 38:16). The
representationof Jesus as walking on waterthus carries an implicit claim
about his divinity. he wanted to pass by them: The implicit christological
claim is strengthened by the use of the vb. parelthein, which was linked with

the theophany tradition in the LXX (see Exod 33:19,22;34:6; 1 Kgs 19:11). Its
appearance in the LXX of Amos 7:8; 8:2 also suggests thatJesus desiredto
help his disciples in their difficulty… I am He: In the context of self-disclosure
and theophany, this phrase must allude to the OT revelationformula (Exod
3:14; Deut 32:39; Isa 41:4; 43:10) applied to Yahweh, thus contributing to the
implicit christologicalmessage ofthe text. The formula ego eimi is prominent
in John… (NJBC, eds. Raymond E. Brown, SS, JosephA Fitzmyer, S.J.,
Roland E. Murphy, O. Carm [Prentice Hall; EnglewoodCliffs, NJ], p. 611);
bold emphasis ours)
The Catholic commissionedversionof the Holy Bible, the New American
Bible (NAB), concurs:
[50] It is I, do not be afraid!: literally, "I am." This may reflect the divine
revelatory formula of Ex 3,14;Is 41,4.10.14;43,1-3.10.13. Mark implies the
hidden identity of Jesus as Sonof God. (Source)
The evangelicalZondervan NIV Bible Commentary Volume 2: New
Testamentsays concerning Matthew 14:25-27 that:
25-27 The Romans divided the night from sunsetto sunrise into four watches
(reflectedhere). Jesus’approachto the boat therefore occurredbetween3 00
A.M. and 6:00 A.M. The disciples were terrified, thinking they were seeing an
apparition or ghost. "Take courage!" and "Don'tbe afraid" bracketthe
central reasonfor his calming exhortations: "It is I." Although the Greek
words for "It is I" (‘I am’) can have no more force than that, any Christian
after the Resurrectionand Ascensionwould also detectechoes of"I Am," the
decisive, self-disclosure ofGod(Ex 3:14; Isa 51:12;cf. Jn 8:58). Once again we
find Jesus revealing himself in a veiled way that will prove especiallyrich to
Christians after his resurrection(see comment on 8:20). (Kenneth L. Barker
& John R. Kohlenberger III [Zondervan Publishing House; Grand Rapids,
MI 1994], p. 73; bold emphasis ours)
Another evangelicalcommentary, the Life Application Bible Commentary,
writes in reference to the Markanversion:

"Take courage!It is I. Don’t be afraid." Jesus calledout to the disciples over
the storm, telling them to take courage. He identified himself and told them
not be afraid any longer. The literal reading for "It is I" is "I am" (Greek, ego
eimi); it is the same as saying "the I AM is here" or "I, Yahweh, am here"
(see Exodus 3:14; Isaiah41:4; 43:10; 52:6). Jesus, the "I AM," came with
unexpected help and encouragementduring the disciples’time of desperate
need. (Ibid., Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.; Wheaton, Il. 1994, p. 189;bold
emphasis ours)
The late Bible expositorMatthew Henry noted:
1. It was a confirmation of their faith in Christ, and abundantly convinced
them that the fulness of the Godheaddwelt in him; for none but the world's
Creatorcould multiply the loaves, none but its Governorcould tread upon the
waters of the sea;they therefore yield to the evidence, and make confessionof
their faith; Thou truly art the Sonof God. They knew before that he was the
Son of God, but now they know it better. Faith, after a conflict with unbelief,
is sometimes the more active, and gets to greaterdegrees ofstrength by being
exercised. Now they know it of a truth. Note, It is goodfor us to know more
and more of the certainty of those things wherein we have been instructed,
Luke 1:4. Faith then grows, whenit arrives at a full assurance, whenit sees
clearly, and saith, Of a truth.
2. They took occasionfrom it to give him the glory due unto his name. They
not only ownedthat greattruth, but were suitable affectedby it; they
worshiped Christ. Note, When Christ manifests his glory for us, we ought to
return it to him (Psalm50:15); I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
Their worship and adoration of Christ were thus expressed, Of a truth thou
art the Son of God. Note, The matter of our creedmay and must be made the
matter of our praise. Faith is the proper principle of worship, and worship the
genuine product of faith. He that comes to God must believe; and he that
believes in God, will come, Hebrews 9:6. (Matthew Henry Complete
Commentary; source;bold and underline emphasis ours)
This next Evangelicalsource states:

50. For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with
them, and saith unto them, Be of goodcheer: It is I; be not afraid--There is
something in these two little words--givenby Matthew, Mark and John (Mt
14:27;Mr 6:50; Joh 6:20) --"It is I," which from the mouth that spake it and
the circumstances in which it was uttered, passes the power of language to
express. Here were they in the midst of a raging sea, their little bark the sport
of the elements, and with just enough of light to descry an object on the waters
which only aggravatedtheir fears. But Jesus deems it enough to dispel all
apprehension to let them know that He was there. From other lips that "I am"
would have merely meant that the person speaking was sucha one and not
another person. That, surely, would have done little to calm the fears of men
expecting every minute, it may be, to go to the bottom. But spokenby One
who at that moment was "treading upon the waves of the sea," andwas about
to hush the raging elements with His word, what was it but the Voice which
cried of old in the ears of Israel, even from the days of Moses, "IAM"; "I,
EVEN I, AM HE!" Compare Joh18:5, 6; 8:58. Now, that Word is "made
flesh, and dwells among us," uttering itself from beside us in dear familiar
tones--"Itis the Voice of my Beloved!" How far was this apprehended by
these frightened disciples? There was one, we know, in the boat who
outstripped all the rest in susceptibility to such sublime appeals. It was not the
deep-toned writer of the Fourth Gospel, who, though he lived to soarbeyond
all the apostles, was as yettoo young for prominence, and all unripe. It was
Simon Barjonas. Here follows a very remarkable and instructive episode,
recordedby Matthew alone:(Robert Jamieson, A. R. FaussetandDavid
Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; source;
bold, italic and underline emphasis ours)
Finally, in the book Case for Christ, Lee Strobel interviews renowned NT
scholarDr. Craig L. Blomberg regarding the Divine claims of Christ. Lee
begins his interview by asking:
"Johnmakes very explicit claims of Jesus being God, which some attribute to
the factthat he wrote later than the others and beganembellishing things," I
said. "Canyou find this theme of deity in the synoptics?"

"Yes, I can," he said. "It’s more implicit but you find it there. Think of the
story of Jesus walking on the water, found in Matthew 14:22-33 and Mark
6:45-52. MostEnglishtranslations hide the Greek by quoting Jesus as saying,
‘Fearnot it is I.’ Actually, the Greek literally says, ‘Fearnot, I am.’ Those last
two words are identical to what Jesus saidin John 8:58 when he took upon
himself the divine name ‘I AM,’ which is the way God revealedhimself to
Moses in the burning bush in Exodus 3:14. So Jesus is revealing himself as the
one who has the same divine power over nature as Yahweh, the God of the
Old Testament." (Strobel, Zondervan Publishing House; Grand Rapids, MI
1998, p. 29; bold emphasis ours)
With the foregoing in perspective it seems rather obvious that Matthew’s
inclusion of the story of Christ walking on the waterand his use of the I AM
formula is intended to presentJesus as the visible appearance ofYahweh, the
God who has come to dwell and remain with his people:
"‘She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his
people from their sins.’All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken
by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they
shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us)." Matthew 1:21-23
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Fatherand of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all
that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of
the age." Matthew 28:19-20
Concluding Remarks
What we have discoveredfrom our examination of the Biblical data is that the
inspired authors of the NT ascribedto Jesus the very functions which the OT
Scriptures emphatically proclaim to be the very works that Yahweh alone can
carry out. For instance, the NT teaches that,
Jesus createdand is actively sustaining the universe.
Jesus controls and rules the natural elements such as the winds and seas.
Jesus promises to be with all his followers in order to guide and protect them.

Jesus is also the very "I AM" who comes to the aid of those who cry out to
him as Lord and stills their fears.
Since these are some of the various functions which Yahweh performs all by
himself it is quite obvious that the Gospelwriters clearlybelieved that Jesus is
incarnate Deity.
We further saw that the arguments raised by anti-Trinitarians to refute this
clearBiblical teaching concerning the absolute Deity of the Lord Jesus were
not at all convincing (at leastnot to us). The anti-Trinitarians had to grossly
distort and/or misunderstood the obvious meaning of the specific passages
that they marshaledagainstthe plain teaching of the Holy Scriptures
concerning the Triune nature of God and the Divine Personof Christ, thereby
drawing erroneous conclusions from their gross misreading of these texts.
After all is said and done this one glorious truth remains crystal clear.
According to the inspired Word of God, the Holy Bible, Jesus Christ is God
Almighty in the flesh, the eternal Son of God and the sovereignRuler of
creation, the very Lord of the winds and the seas.
Further Reading
http://answering-islam.org/Responses/Osama/zawadi_jesus_creator.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/john1_1_eb.htm
Endnotes
(1) One way in which a personcan deny the logic of our case is to simply
rejectthe teaching of the Holy Bible, or at leastthe NT. A person candiscard
the NT on the grounds that it is nothing more than the fallible, errant words
of men who sought to distort and embellish the teachings of the historical
Jesus. Eventhough a very strong and persuasive case canbe easilymade to
prove the contrary, that the NT does not embellish but accuratelytransmits
the messageanddeeds of Christ (something which is beyond the scope of this

current article), this skepticalview of the Christian Greek Scriptures does
very little to refute our arguments for the Deity of Christ. The logic we
employed to show that Jesus is Yahweh doesn’t necessarilyhinge on the
inspiration and the veracity of the NT documents. It merely depends on what
these very documents teachconcerning the nature of God and the Personof
Christ, and the factis that these books do emphatically proclaim the absolute
Deity of Jesus.
Now it is obviously important to know whether these books canbe trusted in
what they teachabout Godand Christ since we do not want to base our faith
on myth and fairytales. But as we said that is a topic that goes beyondthe aim
of this current article. There are plenty of excellentbooks and web articles
that thoroughly address this issue, some of which include:
http://www.worldinvisible.com/library/ffbruce/ntdocrli/ntdocont.htm
http://christian-thinktank.com/nuhbias.html
http://christian-thinktank.com/stilltoc.html
http://christian-thinktank.com/hnoblood2.html
http://christian-thinktank.com/loftus.html
http://christian-thinktank.com/qtheudy.html
http://christian-thinktank.com/quirinius.html
http://christian-thinktank.com/qiwitnes.html
http://christian-thinktank.com/qiwitne2.html
http://christian-thinktank.com/qconspr.html
http://christian-thinktank.com/rome.html
http://christian-thinktank.com/hallucn.html
http://christian-thinktank.com/pseudox.html
http://christian-thinktank.com/pseudox2.html

http://christian-thinktank.com/copycat2.html
http://christian-thinktank.com/copycat.html
http://www.tektonics.org/lp/nttextcrit.html
http://www.tektonics.org/ntdocdef/gospdefhub.html
http://www.tektonics.org/books/nthistbooks.html
http://www.tektonics.org/books/jesusbooks.html
http://deityofchrist.com/
(2) The Greek word for Lord that Matthew uses in both stories is the vocative
form (direct address)of Kyrios:
"The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us (Kyrie, soson)!
We're going to drown!’" Matthew 8:25 NIV
"But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out,
‘Lord, save me (ekrazen legonKyrie, sosonme)!’" Matthew 14:30 NIV
Interestingly, this is the same word which the Septuagintuses in place of the
Divine name Yahweh. In fact, the Greek versionof Psalm 107:28[106 in the
Septuagint] pretty much employs the same language as that of Matthew
14:30:
Then they cried to the Lord (ekekrazanpros Kyrion) in their affliction, and
He brings them out of their distresses.(1, 2)
This provides further attestationthat Matthew recordedthis episode in order
to unveil Jesus’identity as Yahweh God incarnate.
(3) A further comparisonof the Greek versionof Job9:8 with Mark 6:48-49
provides additional substantiation that the Gospelwriters’ purpose in
relaying this story was to revealJesus as Yahweh God:
“Godwho alone stretched out the heavens, walking on the sea (peripaton ...
epi thalasse)as if on dry land.”

“... At about the fourth watchof the night, he came to them walking on the sea
(peripaton epi tes thalasses), and he wanted to pass by them. But they saw him
walking on the sea (epi tes thalassesperipatounta)…”
It is apparent that the similarity in the language is not coincidentalbut
deliberate since it communicates the point to those familiar with the Greek
version of the Hebrew Scriptures that Jesus is Yahweh God in human form.
Articles by Sam Shamoun
Answering Islam Home Page
Jesus is often marginalized during the Christmas seasonas we focus on the
typical festivities that surround the seasonof Christmas. It would be goodif
every Christian and ministry would focus on who Jesus is and what He has
done during the Christmas season. Is Jesus really the reasonfor the season?
Part II – JESUS:The Ruler of the World
Isaiahclaims that One will be born who will have the government upon His
shoulder. What exactly does this mean? What did Isaiahhave in mind when
he penned down that phrase in Isaiah 9:6? That is what we will seek to cover
as we look at the subject of Jesus as ruler of the entire world.As Jesus died
upon the cross – he lookedto be a defeatedking rather than the ruling King.
A song rightly statedthat Jesus is the only king who surrendered to win. Jesus
Christ has already been given all powerand authority – but the government
shall be upon his shoulder for eternity as He rules and reigns over His
creation.The throne of David is promised to Jesus. Noticewhatis said in Luke
1:32-33:

He shall be great, and shall be calledthe Son of the Highest: and the Lord
God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign
over the house of Jacobfor ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the kingly office of the Old Testament.
Therefore, whenHis kingdom is completed and brought to fulfillment – Jesus
Christ will be the ruling King – the Righteous King – the King of Peace – the
King of Joy – the King of Wisdom – and the King of Powerand Authority. His
throne will never be overtaken. His rule shall never end. His peace shall
always reign. His joy shall always be full.
All of the kingdoms and thrones of earthly kings have grownto high peaks
whereby they ruled people and gatheredto themselves riches and gold and
power. However, what was once a peak of power and riches always fell to
defeatand poverty at some point. No earthly kingdom has lasted – not even
the most powerful rulers of world history. Matthew Henry wrote the
following:
The monarchies of the earth were eachless illustrious than the other, so that
what began in gold ended in iron and clay, and every monarchy dwindled by
degrees;but the kingdom of Christ is a growing kingdom, and will come to
perfection at last(Matthew Henry’s Commentaries, vol. 4, 47).
From the cradle to the cross – Jesus Christ had a royal crownthat no man
and no Devil could remove. Even in death the crown of Christ was mocked
with thorns – but through that death and resurrectionJesus Christ secured
the victory for all of His people – for all of eternity. In the end – every knee
shall bow and every tongue shall confess thatJesus Christ is Lord!
Philippians 2:10-11 – That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.
Therefore, let us praise and worship our Lord Jesus – the righteous ruler of
the world. When rulers of this earth fail us – He shall never fail. He shall reign

forever – and we should praise Him for His righteousness andworship Him
forever!
Merry Christmas!
PastorJoshBuice
Jesus Is the Ruler of Kings on Earth
Resource by John Piper
Scripture: Revelation1:4–5 Topic:The Supremacy of Christ
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come,
and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ
the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of kings on
earth.
The Happiest and the Saddestof Times
The time betweenThanksgiving and Christmas is the happiest of times and
the saddestof times. It's happy for millions of people because it brings a spirit
of warmth and love and togethernessand sharing and goodmemories, and a
whole lot of cozy experiences like "chestnuts roasting on an open fire." But
for others the seasonis painful. It is the loneliest of seasons forthe lonely. For
millions the beauty of the seasonmakes their pain worse not better. It makes
them ache for what life might have been like if the marriage had workedout.
Or what life might be like if I weren'tso sick. Or what it might be like if my
husband were still alive. Or if I could be home. Or if I had enough money to
pay the rent and buy some toys for the kids. It's the happiest of times and the
saddestof times.

And in some years, like this year, the advent seasoncomes withworldwide
upheaval. And if you already feela little bit anxious and emotionally
vulnerable, maybe because ofsickness, orbecause some relationshipis in
trouble, or because finances aren'tworking out, then the upheaval of the
world may add to the anxious knot in your stomach. And there is no question
that these are incredibly unstable days in national and international events.
Days of Great Instability
In Poland the labor powerof Solidarity was triumphant and a new
government is in place. In the Soviet Union Gorbachev's leadershiphas
brought unparalleled openness and change—atleastfor now. In East
Germany and now Czechoslovakia immense demonstrations for freedom and
democracyhave brought entrenched communist regimes to an end. These
seemlike wonderful events. But who knows where the new military alliances
and new economic partnerships will lead?
Meanwhile the rest of the world reels with one blow after another. In India
dozens of people are killed during a crisis election. Next door in Sri Lanka the
Sinhalese and Tamils continue to shed eachother's blood and keepthat little
land in turmoil. In the Philippines communist bands threaten the security of
the nation and no one knows what Mrs. Aquino's decisionnot to run again
will mean. The bloody civil wars in Nicaragua and El Salvadorand Lebanon
and Ethiopia, the racialstrife in South Africa and Israel, the economic chaos
in Argentina, the oppressive reversals in China, the destructive drug cartels in
Columbia—when we read of these things day in and day out, we begin to
realize how unstable and precarious the world is. The factis, we don't know
what will happen in any of these political developments in the world. And the
speedof change in these lastweeks shouldmake us realize that absolutely
amazing developments are possible in the near future beyond anyone's ability
to predict.
This could be for greatharm or for greatgood. So the holidays come upon us
as days of great instability. And that leads me to the text and the word of hope
and encouragementthis morning.

A Word of Hope and Encouragement
In Revelation1:4–5 John, the apostle of Jesus, is writing to the sevenchurches
of Asia Minor. It is a time of crisis for all of them. You cansee that by reading
the sevenletters in chapters 2–3. So Johnbegins with a very reassuring,
strengthening, encouraging, hopeful word. There is nothing that has
happened betweenthen and now to make these words of hope any less
relevant or less applicable to Christians today. So hear them from the apostle
for yourself.
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come,
and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ
the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of kings on
earth.
The phrase I want us to focus on is the phrase, "the ruler of kings on earth."
Jesus Christ is "the ruler of kings on earth." This is what John means when
he says that Jesus is "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Revelation17:14;
19:16).
Jesus Reigns OverAll
This is what I want to declare today in the midst of the amazing political
upheavals of these last weeks:Jesus Christ is the ruler of all the kings and
presidents and chiefs and premiers and governors and prime ministers. If
George Bushsays to Jesus, "How canyou be the ruler over me? I have my
office by the electionof the people of the United States, a sovereignnation,
and by virtue of a constitutionalinauguration and installation," Jesus will
answer, "I have my office as ruler over you by God's electionand by virtue of
my resurrectionfrom the dead, my indestructible life, and my installation at
God's right hand."
When Jesus rose from the dead, God exaltedhim and gave him a "name
which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee might bow,"

and that includes all the rulers and kings of the earth. Jesus is alive today
presiding from heaven over the rulers of the earth.
Now this is a breathtaking thought. It is something that most people today do
not believe or even think about. But it is at the heart of biblical truth. Jesus
Christ is alive, and reigning over all the kings of the earth, all the events of
EasternEurope and the Middle Eastand CentralAmerica. We need to
understand what this means.
1. He Controls Who Becomes King and Who Doesn't
The reign of Christ today means that he controls who becomes a king and who
doesn't.
Daniel 2:21 says, "Godchanges times and seasons;he removes kings and sets
up kings." When Jesus says in Matthew 28:18, "All authority in heaven and
on earth have been given to me," I think his meaning must include that God's
authority to remove kings and set up kings is given to him. The Father
appoints the kings and presidents of the earth through the Son.
This doesn't mean that every king lives an obedient, Christian life or pleases
the Lord. God often ordains and disposes things that do not please him
completely. It means that Jesus overrules the sinful acts of evil rulers and
makes their sin and their folly a part of his wise plan for history. The ways of
Christ's rule are not simple. We must say againand again, "O the depth of the
riches and wisdom and knowledge ofGod! How unsearchable are his
judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Romans 11:33). Christ is ruling in
taking down the governments of EastGermany and Czechoslovakia andin
establishing for a time the government in China—like he did Cyrus the king
(Isaiah 45:1–6). Don'tread your papers or listen to the news the way non-
Christians listen. Listen with the ears of Scripture and hear the works of
Christ, the ruler of the kings on earth.
2. He Regulates Whatthe Kings of the Earth Do
The reign of Christ today over the rulers of the earth means that he regulates
what the kings of earth do; sometimes holding them back from evil, and
sometimes ordering international events to further his purposes.

For example, in Genesis 20 we readabout how Abraham went down to Gerar
south of Canaan. To protecthimself he said that his beautiful wife Sarahwas
his sister. So Abimelech the king took her into his harem. But God came to
Abimelech in a dream and threatened him with death if he did not give her
back untouched. Abimelech protested his innocence and God said something
very important: "I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart,
and it was I who kept you from sinning againstme; therefore I did not let you
touch her."
This means that God has the authority to prevent rulers who do not even
know him from doing acts that are sin. God canand does restrain evil in the
hearts of rulers. And this authority right now belongs to Jesus Christ. He is
the ruler of the kings of earth. Christ is restraining the governments of
EasternEurope from harsh and terrible reprisals. And, yes, he did not
completely restrain the crackdownin China. He has his wise and loving
purposes when he allows sin to take its course, and he has his wise and loving
purposes when he restrains the Abimelechs of the world.
But not only does he restrainevil, he also orders international events to
further his purposes. For example, since he had promised in the Old
Testamentthat the Messiahwould be born in Bethlehem, and he chose a
young woman in Nazareth to bear the child, he ordered things so that the
emperor CaesarAugustus would take a census ofthe whole empire, which
causedJosephand Mary to travel from Nazarethto Bethlehemjust when
Jesus was to be born. God rules the nations to fulfill his saving purposes. And
so today Christ rules over the nations to order events to accomplishhis
redeeming work for men. This is the realmeaning of what is happening in
Europe today: God is planning new things for the advancementof his
kingdom. We should be praying and seeking to be alert about how to be right
in step with what God is doing.
3. He Has Authority to Claim Citizens Everywhere
The reign of Christ today over the rulers of the earth means that he has
authority to claim citizens for his own kingdom from all the nations and states
of the earth.

Notice the connectionbetweenMatthew 28:18 and 19. "All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me. THEREFORE go andmake
disciples of all nations." In other words the fact that Christ has all authority
in heaven and on earth—the fact that he is the ruler of the kings on earth—
means that he cantake their citizens to be citizens of his kingdom.
This means that missionaries are rightful emissaries andambassadors ofthe
King who is over all other kings, and no one has a right to keepthem from
calling all people everywhere to submit to the King, Christ Jesus. The kings of
the earth may not recognize this right and authority of Christian missionaries
in all countries. But at least the missionaries themselves canhave a clear
conscience. The authority of the Ruler of the kings on earth is behind them.
And they have a right to go where he sends.
4. He Will Triumph
The reign of Christ over the kings on earth today means that he will triumph
and bring all his saving purposes to victory.
1 Corinthians 15:25 says, "He [Christ] must reign until he puts all his enemies
under his feet." In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says, "The gates ofHades shall not
prevail against" his church. And in Revelation 17:14 the kings of the earth are
arrayed in battle againstChrist; but it says, "Theywill make war on the
Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of
kings." In other words, because he is the ruler of kings on earth, he cannot be
defeated. His cause will triumph.
This is the very air we should breath this holiday season. Christis triumphant
in his reign over the kings of the earth. All the developments today are steps to
a decisive triumph. It cannotbe otherwise becausehe is risen from the dead.
The ultimate weaponof earthly kings is death. If that weaponhas lostits
power, then the kings will be defeated. It is only a matter of time. And that has
been setby the sovereignwisdom of God (Acts 1:7).
5. Christ Is Ordering the World for the Goodof the Church

Finally, the reign of Christ over the rulers on earth today means that Christ is
ordering the world for the goodof the church; and that means for your
holiness and happiness.
You can see this here in the text and in other texts as well. For example in
Ephesians 1:22 it says, "Godhas put all things under his [Christ's] feet and
has made him the head over all things for the church." He reigns for the sake
of the church.
This is an awesome thought. It should utterly revolutionize the way you watch
the news and read the newspaperand live out your life. If you watchthe news
with the eye of faith, what you are seeing played out before you are the divine
strategies forthe purifying and expansionof the body of Christ.
You can see this goodnews right here in Revelation1:4–5. It says, "Grace to
you and peace from . . . Jesus Christ . . . the ruler of kings on earth." In other
words, John wants us to know that the authority of the Christ over the kings
of the earth is designedto bring grace and peace to his people. That is true
whether Christ is ordering glasnostand perestroika in the Soviet Union or
whether he is permitting the reversals in China.
At Lausanne II in Manila the Chinese who wept overthe crushing of
democratic life in Tiananmen Square said, "This was in the wisdom and love
of God. The church was not ready for liberty. The church needs to be purified
still further."
This too is grace and leads to the true peace of the people of God.
Be Encouraged, Strengthened, Hopeful, and Bold
So be encouragedand be strengthenedand be hopeful and bold as you enter
the turmoil and upheaval of the world this holiday season. Remember, "Jesus
is the Ruler of the kings on earth."
He controls who becomes a king and who doesn't.
He regulates what the kings of earth do, sometimes holding them back from
evil and sometimes ordering international events to further his purposes.

He has authority to claim citizens for his own kingdom from all the nations
and states ofthe earth.
He will triumph and bring all his saving purposes to victory.
Christ is ordering the world for the goodof the church.
Therefore grace to you and peace from Jesus Christ the ruler of the kings on
earth.
Question:"What was Jesus’message to the church in Laodicea in
Revelation?"
Answer: The seventh and final letter to the churches of ancient Asia Minor is
to the church in the city of Laodicea. This last messageis found in Revelation
3:14-22. Laodicea was a wealthy, industrious city in the province of Phrygia in
the Lycos Valley.
The messageis from the Lord Jesus Christvia an angel or messenger(likelya
reference to the church’s pastor): “To the angelof the church in Laodicea
write . . .” (Revelation3:14). This was not simply John’s messageto those in
Laodicea;it was a message fromthe Lord. Jesus identifies Himself thus: “The
Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.” These titles
emphasize the Lord’s faithfulness, sovereignty, and powerto bring all things
to their proper completion (the “Amen”).
In contrastto the other six churches, the Laodiceanchurch has nothing to
commend it. Jesus begins the messagewithcondemnation: “I know your
deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the
other! So, because you are lukewarm—neitherhot nor cold—I am about to

spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do
not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor,
blind and naked” (Revelation3:15-17). Jesus emphasizes their “lukewarm,”
apathetic nature three times. As a result of their ambivalence to spiritual
things, Jesus would have nothing to do with them. He would “spit them out,”
as the people of Laodicea wouldspit out the tepid water that flowedfrom the
underground aqueducts to their city. With their apathy came a spiritual
blindness; they claimedto be rich, blessedand self-sufficient. Perhaps they
were rich in material things. But, spiritually, the Laodiceans were in a
wretched, pitiful condition, made all the worse in that they could not see their
need. This was a church filled with self-deceivedhypocrites.
Jesus calls the Laodiceanchurch to repent of its sin: “I counselyou to buy
from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to
wear, so you cancover your shameful nakedness;and salve to put on your
eyes, so you cansee” (Revelation3:18). Their material wealth had no eternal
benefit, so Jesus commands them to come to Him for true, spiritual riches (see
Isaiah55:1-2). Only Christ can supply an everlasting inheritance, clothe us in
righteousness, andheal our spiritual blindness.
Jesus then notes His concernfor His church in Laodicea:“Those whomI love
I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the
door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in
and eatwith him, and he with me” (Revelation3:19-20). His rebuke is not
born of animosity but of love. “The Lord disciplines those he loves” (Hebrews
12:6). The desiredresponse to God’s reproof was zealous change and true
repentance.
Verse 20 is often used as an evangelistic appeal, yetits original context
communicates Christ’s desire for fellowshipwith His lukewarmchurch in
Laodicea. The church is nominally Christian, but Christ Himself has been

lockedout. Rather than turn His back on them, He knocks, seeking someone
to acknowledgethe church’s need and open the door. If they would repent,
Jesus would come in and take His rightful place in the church. He would share
a meal with them, a Middle Easternword picture speaking of closenessof
relationship.
Jesus then makes a promise to the believers in Laodicea:“To him who
overcomes, Iwill give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame
and satdown with my Father on his throne” (Revelation3:21). The
“overcomer” refers to any believer, and the promise is that he will share
Christ’s future kingdom.
In summary, the church at Laodicea had become apathetic in their love for
Christ. They were allowing “the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for
other things [to] come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Mark
4:19). Christ called them to repent and live zealouslyfor Him, to “choose for
yourselves this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15). The Lord Jesus
issues the same call to those who say they follow Him today.
https://www.gotquestions.org/church-in-Laodicea.html
ANTHEM: “Beautiful Savior”ChesterL. Alwes
FairestLord Jesus, Rulerof Creation, Son of God and Son of man. Truly I’d
love thee, truly I’d serve thee, light of my soul, my joy and crown. Fair are the
meadows, fairerstill the woodlands, robedin the flow’rs of blooming spring.
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer, he makes the sorrowing spirit sing. Beautiful
Savior, Ruler of the nations! Son of God and Son of man. Glory and honor,
praise adoration, now and forevermore be thine!

Who is the Rightful Ruler of God's Creation?
Hebrews 2:5-9
Hebrews, Day 7
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For it was not to angels that God subjectedthe world to come, of which we are
speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere,
“What is man, that you are mindful of him,
or the sonof man, that you care for him?
You made him for a little while lowerthan the angels;
you have crowned him with glory and honor,[a]
putting everything in subjection under his feet.”
Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his
control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjectionto him. But we
see him who for a little while was made lowerthan the angels, namely Jesus,
crownedwith glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the
grace ofGod he might taste death for everyone. - Hebrews 2:5-9, ESV
I love the story of Robin Hood. Contrary to many people, my favorite aspect
of this story is not stealing from the rich to give the poor. Rather, I like the

theme of the displaced ruler and the sinister usurper who is challengedby the
bold and brave hero. King Richard the Lionhearted is off fighting the
Crusades, and Prince John is ruling in his place. Only Prince John sees
himself as King John and tries to take the throne for himself.
Sir Robin of Locksley, a knight who has returned from the Crusades, begins
to confront and resistthe corrupt would-be king. He is removed from his
rightful place as the Earl of Locksleyand hides out with his band of men to
try to make trouble for John and to seek to restore Richardto the throne.
This story resonates deeplywith me because it echoes the story of creation's
fall. Adam was createdby God in His image to be the rightful ruler over all
creation. God put everything under Adam's feet leaving "nothing outside his
control." Adam and Eve were to rule as vice-regents overall creation. God
said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have
dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over
every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Gen. 1:28, ESV)
But Satanentered the Garden of Eden in the form a serpentand began an
insurrection to overthrow Adam's rule, just as it was beginning. Satan
succeeded. He gotAdam to submit to his devious design and threw all creation
into chaos and death.
Why could set things right? Jesus, ofcourse!Jesus comesin like a Robin
Hood figure, poor and outcast, working outside and againstthe system. The
eternal Sonof God agreed, fora time, to be made lowerthan the angels. Why?
So He might taste death for everyone. He came to take the curse of death upon
Himself and to defeatthe devil by submitting to defeat and death Himself.

As we continue in Hebrews, we will see exactlywhat Jesus did to win this
greatvictory, but here the author of Hebrews wants us to pause and consider
how gloriouslyChrist has restoredhumanity. He tells us that now, while we
don't see humanity reigning over all creationyet, we do see Jesus,who was
humiliated and who tasted death for all, exaltedwith glory and honor above
creation. We see Him at the Father's right hand, crownedwith the crown of
the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. Because He came and
overthrew the usurper, restoring humanity to their rightful place of rule in
Himself.
http://www.walkingwithjesusdevo.org/2018/05/hebrews-day-7-hebrews-25-9-
who-is.html
How is Jesus the first-born over Creation? What does it mean for Jesus to be
the first-born?
Some have tried to deny the divinity of Jesus (i.e. that Jesus is God) by
quoting a statementmade by Paul in his letter to the Colossians thatsays:"He
is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation" (Colossians
1:15). The argument is that Jesus was createdfirst of everything that was
created, and if He is a created"thing", He cannotbe God.
This argument, however, fails to recognize that the meaning of the term
"firstborn" depends upon the context in which it is used in Scripture. The
Greek term prōtotokos canrefer to either the birth order in a family (e.g.
Luke 2:23) or to a specialstatus conferredupon someone or something, which
connotes preeminence or having first place among other contenders.
The context of Paul's statements made in the first chapter of Colossians
clearly demonstrates the secondusage ofprōtotokos in play, as Paul uses it to
show that Jesus has first place in everything. Paul says that "Forby him all

things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether
thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—allthings were created
through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things
hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent"
(Colossians1:16–18, emphasis added).
Notice that Jesus is referred to as also being the "firstborn of the dead". Jesus
was not the first personever raised from the dead; a number of people
throughout the Bible were raisedfrom the dead before Him (e.g. Elijah raised
the widow of Zarephath's sonin 1 Kings 17:22;Jesus raisedLazarus in John
11). But Jesus holds first place among all who have or will be raisedfrom the
dead because ofwhat His resurrectionaccomplishedand provides.
In the same way that God refers to David as his "firstborn" king in Psalm
89:27, "the highest of the kings of the earth", so also is Jesus the "firstborn of
all creation" in that Jesus has preeminence and first place in everything that
exists.
https://www.compellingtruth.org/Jesus-firstborn.html
Psalm24: Jesus is Lord of all Creation
Global sea levelrose about 17 centimeters (6.7 inches) in the last century. The
rate in the lastdecade, however, is nearly double that of the last century. All
three major globalsurface temperature reconstructions show that Earth has
warmed since 1880… the 20 warmestyears having occurredsince 1981 and all
10 of the warmestyears occurred in the past 12 years. Glaciers are retreating
almost everywhere — including in the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies,
Alaska and Africa. NASA data show Greenland is losing between150 to 250
cubic kilometers (36 to 60 cubic miles) of ice every year. Antarctica is losing

another 152 cubic kilometers (36 cubic miles) of ice per year.[1]The UN
Intergovernmental Panelon Climate Change or IPCC (2,500 ofthe world’s
top climate scientists)predicts temperature rises of between1.5°C and 4.8°C
by the end of this century. If global warming of more than 2°C is not avoided,
impacts from extreme weatherwill leadto significantfood shortages, large-
scale migration and inevitable wars and conflict.[2]
But not everyone is convinced. Dave Bookless inPlanetwise writes,
“Many people say climate change is the biggestthreat our world faces today. I
beg to differ. Its not that I doubt the scientific consensus onthe threats posed
by melting ice-caps, changing weathersystems and warming oceans. Noram I
blind to the terrible effects these … are already having, on wildlife, the poor,
and ultimately all of us. The reasonis this: Climate change is a symptom of a
far biggerproblem. Imagine if… science haddiscovereda ‘cure’ for climate
change:a magicalsolution to absorb all the excessgreenhousegases.Imagine
that the … clock was turned back … 200 years of industrial pollution were no
longergoing to cause ice-capsto melt, oceans to expand, forests and coral
reefs to die and hundreds of millions of people to be forcedto migrate. Would
we then have a perfect world with no environmental problems? Sadly… ‘no’.
Forests wouldstill be destroyed, oceans over-fished, resourcesover-
exploited… Dangerous pesticides andchemicals would still be causing huge
problems to ecosystems andhuman health. People in rich nations would still
be consuming enormous amounts of the earth’s resources andliving energy-
hungry lifestyles, while those in poor countries would struggle just as hard to
find food and water… Climate change is simply the most obvious symptom of
a much, much deeper sickness… we have got our relationship with the planet
all wrong… we have been living in a waythat simply cannotcontinue. We
cannot solve this problem simply by better technologyand a few hard political
choices. It goes deeperthan that, right to the heart of who we are. We need to
rethink not just how we treat the planet and its creatures, but who on earth
we think we are as human beings.”[3]

Last week, US Secretaryof State John Kerry saidit was our biblical “duty” to
confront climate change.
“Our faiths are inextricably linked on the environment. Formany of us,
respectfor God’s creationalso translates into a duty to protect and sustain his
first creation, Earth, the planet. Confronting climate change is, in the long
run, one of the greatestchallenges thatwe face, and you cansee this duty or
responsibility laid out in Scriptures clearly, beginning in Genesis. And
Muslim-majority countries are among the most vulnerable. Our response to
this challenge oughtto be rooted in a sense ofstewardshipof Earth, and for
me and for many of us here today, that responsibility comes from God”.[4]
Jesus and CreationPsalm 24 from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.
That is why over the next four weeks, leading up to our Harvestcelebration,
we are going to discoverour biblical responsibility by examining what the
scriptures teachabout Jesus and Creation. Please turn with me to Psalm24
which I have entitled “Jesus is Lord of all Creation”. Godhas createdus with
meaning and purpose, with dignity and value – in His image. But for what? –
We inhabit a world designed, created, nurtured and sustained by Almighty
God, to whom we are accountable for the way we stewardHis goodearth.
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it on the seas and establishedit on the waters. Who may
ascendthe mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one
who has cleanhands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear
by a false god.” (Psalm 24:1-4)
How is the Lord revealedin Psalm 24?
He is God the Owner (24:1)
He is God the Creator(24:2)
He is God the Holy one, high and lifted up (24:3)
He is God our Saviour (24:5)

He is God the Lord (24:5)
He is the God who blesses (24:5)
He is the God of history (24:6)
He is strong and mighty (24:8)
He is the King of Glory (24:9)
He is the Almighty (24:10)
The attributes of Almighty God seepfrom every verse of this short, beautiful
Psalm.
“He is the ownerof planet earth and all it contains:the atmosphere and the
oceans, the mineral resourcesand the wildlife. Yet he has given us the use of
this world as stewards and caretakers. MargaretThatcheronce said, “No
generationhas a freehold on this earth. All we have is a life tenancy – with a
full repairing lease.”This earth belongs to God and we are responsible to him
for how we use and leave it. Or to be more precise it belongs to Jesus.”[5]As
we read in Colossians 1,
“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For
in him all things were created:things in heavenand on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have
been createdthrough him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all
things hold together… and through him to reconcile to himself all things,
whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his
blood, shed on the cross.’(Colossians1:15-17, 20)
Jesus is the Source ofCreation “in him all things were created” (1:15)
Jesus is the Sustainerof Creation“in him all things hold together” (1:17)
Jesus is the Saviour of Creation“to reconcile to himself all things… on
earth…” (1:20)
“The whole of creationis for Jesus, not for us. Why does the universe exist? It
exists for Jesus. Why do the ice-caps andthe rainforests, the Sahara desert

and the Russiansteppes exist? They exist for Jesus. Whatis the purpose of the
blue whale, the Bengaltiger, the Pacific salmon, the hose sparrow, a human
being? There are all createdby and for Jesus Christ, and they find their
purpose in him. This has huge implications when we think about how we use
the earth’s resources. We cannotuse up the oil and gas without remembering
they were made for Christ. We must take greatcare in experimenting with
genetic modifications to species orlarge-scalechangesto habitats, recognising
we are answerable to God. We must not destroy forests or use up the fish in
the seas – because Godcares aboutthem, and wants us to leave healthy stocks
for others. … We must treat creationwith greatrespect, as an expressionof
God’s characterand as a possessionof Jesus.”[6]
Making sense ofour responsibility begins by asking the right questions. And
the right question is askedin Psalm24:3.
The QuestionAsked
“Who may ascendthe hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?”
(Psalm 24:3).
Three observations implicit in this journey.
This is an Upward Path “Who may ascendthe hill?”
This is an Inhabited Path “the hill of the Lord?
This is a SacredPath “Who may stand in his Holy place?”
This is His earth. His presence makes it holy. The words that bestdescribes
this journey or quest are transcendence, metamorphosis,sanctification. And
that is the path we are calledto take. A path of holiness, demonstrating the
characterof God, modelling the actions of God, stewarding the creationof
God and caring for the people of God. The question asked.
The Conditions Given
Four things are needed to ascendthe hill of the LORD.

“The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol
or swearby a false god.” (Psalm24:4)
Four simple conditions that define your calling as a Christ follower:Clean
hands. Pure heart. Devotedsoul. Honestmotives. The first two are intimately
connected. The term “cleanhands” is a neat illustration.
At any given time your hands canhave millions of bacteria crawling all over
them. Right now you have more bacteria on your body than there are people
in the world. Our hands are the hardest things to keepclean, because we use
our hands to open doors and shake hands, to touch things we maybe shouldn’t
and then we put them in our mouths. We use them to cleanourselves with and
then we eat with them – so no wonder we getfunny tummies sometimes. Yet
our hands also affectour hearts and minds as well as our stomachs. We use
our hands to choose the TV channels. To open books and magazines. To pick
up the phone. Our hands and our hearts our intimately connected. They
either help us ascendinto God’s presence or they lead us downward, out of
God’s will. The hands are only motivated by what is within – from our heart.
So we need cleanhands AND a cleanheart. David defines that by adding,
“who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swearby what is false.” (Psalm
24:4)
God demands our exclusive worship, devotion and service. We cannotserve
both God and money. We cannotstewardthis earth for God and selfishly
plunder it for ourselves, atthe same time. Which is why, if the Psalmfinished
there we would never be able to enter God’s sanctuary. There is no way that
alone, we can stand in the presence ofholiness.
It is as if we are standing at the bottom Mount Snowdonwith two broken legs,
with two fifty pound weights strapped to our arms, and with dirty hands that
can’t grip anything. Like Jack and Jill, we may try to get up the hill to fetch a
crownof glory, but in our own strength, we will fall down and break our
crowns. The hill is too steep. So we have not only the question askedand the
conditions given. But thirdly,
The BlessingsAssured

“Theywill receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their
Saviour. Such is the generationof those who seek him, who seek your face, O
God” (Psalm 24:5-6)
We don’t have the hands or the heart to enter God’s presence. We need
someone with more wisdom and greaterstrength to climb the hill of God’s
presence. We needa Saviour! And so the Psalm continues,
“Lift up your heads, you gates;be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King
of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates;lift them up, you
ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of
glory? The Lord Almighty— he is the King of glory..” (Psalm24:7-10)
This is why Psalm24, like Psalm 22 and like Psalm 23, is talking about the
Lord Jesus, the Lord of all creation.
Jerusalemis up on a hill. When you enter it from the south, eastor west, there
is a steepincline leading up to it. On the Easternside, overlooking the Kidron
Valley and the Mount of Olives is the Golden Gate. It is blockednow but was
open at the time of Jesus whenhe entered Jerusalemon Palm Sunday. Many
people had entered Jerusalemthrough this gate. But none of them had clean
hands or a pure heart. When Jesus enteredthrough these gates, the prayer of
David was answered. A very large crowd spread their cloaksonthe road,
while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ‘The
crowds shouted, “Hosanna to the Sonof David! Blessedis he who comes in the
name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” But Jesus was not done climbing
the mountain. He was only just beginning the ascent. He still had to climb
another hill – calledGolgotha. It was on that cross that Jesus pure hands were
nailed, smearedwith our impurity. His heart was stabbedby the spearof our
sins. God would acceptno other sacrifice – than that of a pure Lamb – to
enter into that Holy Place. WhenJesus wentto the cross, he took us with Him.
He exchangedour sinfulness for his holiness. He gave us the pure heart and
cleansedhands we need to enter God’s presence, we needto identify with how
he feels about his creation, and take responsibility for our part in it.
Application

In March this year, Time magazine ran an article “What 10 Things Should
You Do Every Day To Improve Your Life?” Want to know what scientists tell
is the most significantthings you cando to improve your life? Before exercise
(which came 2nd)? Before spending more time with your family (which came
3rd)? The most significant thing you cando daily to improve your life is “Get
out in nature” Time says “You probably seriously underestimate how
important this is. (Actually, there’s researchthat says you do.) Being in nature
reduces stress, makes youmore creative, improves your memory and may
even make you a better person.” When Jesus wantedto be with His Father,
where did he go? Not the Temple or the Synagogue. No, he went into the
desert, to the mountains, to the garden. If you want to be more like Jesus, get
back to nature. Appreciate God’s creation, respectGod’s creationand take
responsibility for God’s creation – and your footprint on it.
So, take your shoes off and take a moment to examine your footprint.
Compare it with the footsteps ofJesus, and the role we are meant to play in
God’s creation. We were createdin God’s image with moral choice and the
gift of creativity, in order to take responsibility for his world. He is the
Sustainer, but we are his stewards, serving and preserving the earth.
The creationnarrative says
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it
and take care of it.” (Genesis 2;15).
The former Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sackssaidthat in the original Hebrew,
these two verbs are technicalterms designatedfor specific types of
responsibility. The word translated as “to work” in fact means “to serve”. The
verb translated as “take care of” has the legalsense ofguardianship. So how
does this impact your Christian service? Do you see it as part of your
Christian service? We have so many creative opportunities to be imaginative
and minimise the negative impact of our footprint. All it takes is a few steps.
We canfor example, purposefully walk, cycle and use public transport more
than ever before or carshare. We will cause less pollution, but actually have
more time to spend with God as we travel. We can also recycle more. We can
all buy more localfood produce in season. Whatabout solarpanels, switchoff

electricaldevises atnight, replace light bulbs with energy efficient alternatives
– or how about just going to bed when it gets dark like our ancestors?If you
want more ideas, here are some resourcesI would recommend:
Dave Bookless,Planetwise:Dare to care for God’s world (IVP)
John Stott, Issues Facing Christians Today(IVP)
The GreenBible (Harper Collins)
“Theywill receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their
Saviour. Such is the generationof those who seek him, who seek your face, O
God” (Psalm 24:5-6)
When David lookedat this world, he comparedit to an uphill struggle. God
never said life would be easy. But many times, it seems like we’re at the
bottom of the mountain. Like I saidthat the beginning, the temptation is to
think the main problem is climate change, or globalwarming, or diminishing
resources,orthe Islamic State, or China, or the economy, or your boss, or
your neighbours. We can always find someone else to blame and do nothing.
But the problem is deeperisn’t it? You know it is. And you know the answer
as well, don’t you?
“Theywill receive blessing from the Lord … who seek your face, O God”
(Psalm 24:5-6)
Are you experiencing God’s blessing? Are you seeking God’s face? His
wisdom? His guidance? The mountain of climate change is indeed high. Who
May Ascend the Hill of the LORD? The King of Glory has come and
answeredit – not just with words – but with actions. Jesus rode into
Jerusalemto die in your place. And so when David asks, “who may ascendthe
hill of the LORD?” you know the answer. You may. And you will – if you hold
firmly onto the strong hand of Christ our Creator, Sustainer, Redeemerand
Friend.
Lets pray.
https://www.stephensizer.com/2014/09/psalm-24-jesus-is-lord-of-all-creation/

Tag Archives: ruler of God’s creation
Jesus Describes Himself
21
Nov
Jesus reveals Himself to the church in many different ways. It all
depends upon what we need to see. Look at how He describes
Himself to the pastor (angel, messenger) of a church in a town called
Laodicea.
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words
of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s
creation.”
Revelation 3:14
The Lord reveals Himself in three ways. First, He shows Himself as
the Amen. The literal translation of that word throughout the New
Testament is so be it.
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by
me and Silas and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it
has always been “Yes.” For no matter how many promises God has
made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is
spoken by us to the glory of God.
II Corinthians 1:19-20

It’s through Christ that the Amen is spoken to all the promises of
God. So many times we don’t understand why promises seem to be
delayed.
Our first response is, “Well, maybe it’s not God’s will for me.”
Scripture is clear. If you’re in Christ you already have the yes and
the so be it.
It’s no longer a matter of if, but of God’s timing – which, by the
way, seems to be on a different level than our timing. Just
remember, when it comes to His revealed will as recorded in His
Word, we need unwavering faith to trust in Him no matter what the
situation looks like.
He also reveals Himself as the Faithful and True Witness. He’s the
One we can totally rely upon. He’s the only One worthy of putting
your complete faith and trust in.
Not only is He true and genuine, the Lord is truth, the Word of God
made flesh. It’s important, however, to understand how He’s a
witness. What is it that the Lord is a witness to? The answer to that
question makes all the difference.
God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of
his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers
at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may
be opened for me to come to you.
Romans 1:9-10
Over and over again in the New Testament we’re told that God is a
witness to all that we do. We may be able to hide our activities from
other people, but not from God. This should give us a motive to
serve God with all of our hearts.

This is because the Lord is our attorney at the judgment seat.
Granted, that in Christ we will not be in danger of Hell, but our
rewards are dependent upon His testimony. Remember this – He is
the faithful and true Witness. He will not whitewash your actions or
cover up your wrong doings.
The testimony of Christ will be perfectly correct and accurate. If
you want your rewards to be great, then you must live your life at
the highest level for the Lord.
Finally, He shows Himself to be the Ruler of God’s creation.
Everything was made by Him and for Him. He is the Origin and
Source of the universe.
Therefore, the Lord is also the Owner. He has complete sovereignty
over all there is. We must acknowledge that He’s in charge and we
are not. It’s God’s plan that we follow His lead and not seek after
our own petty desires.
Question: What are the ways in which Christ revealed Himself to
you in your life?
© Nick Zaccardi 2016
Colossians 1:16 For in him all things were created:
things in heaven and on earth, visibleand invisible,
whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;all
things have been created through him and for him.

BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
Christ's Headship Over Nature
Colossians 1:15-17
T. Croskery
The Gnostic errorists at Colossae taughtthat the gulf betweenthe infinite God
and finite man was bridged acrossby subordinate angelic agencies.The
apostle teaches thatthe gulf is bridged by Jesus Christ, who, being both God
and Man, touches both and is the ReconcilerofGod and man. He shows that
Christ has a double sovereignty, a twofold mediatorial function - in relation to
the universe and in relation to the Church. Thus we have a most pregnant
statementconcerning the doctrine of the personof Christ with the view of
showing that there is a real mediation betweenGodand creation.
I. HIS RELATION TO THE INVISIBLE FATHER. "Who is the Image of the
invisible God." Christ is likewise called"the Brightness of the Father's glory,
the express Image of his person" (Hebrews 1:3).
1. The meaning of this image.
(1) Christ is not a mere likeness ofthe Father, like the head of a sovereign
stamped on a coin, or as a sonhears the features of his father.
(2) But he is an essentialmanifestationand embodiment of the Father. Thus
the invisible God becomes visible to man, according to our Lord's own words,
"No man hath seenGod at any time; the only begottenSon, who is in the

bosom of the Father, he hath revealedhim" (John 1:18). "He that hath seen
me hath seenthe Father" (John 14:9).
(3) It implies his perfectequality with the Father in respectto substance,
nature, and eternity. The Son is the Father's Image except in respectthat he is
not the Father.
2. Lessons to be drawn from this representationof Christ's glory.
(1) If we would know the Father, we must get into Christ by faith (2
Corinthians 4:4).
(2) As it is Christ's glory to be God's Image, be it our honour to be Christ's
image, in knowledge (Colossians3:10), in holiness, in righteousness
(Ephesians 4:21). We are "predestinatedto be conformed to the image of his
Son" (Romans 8:29).
(3) How great a sin it is to turn the glory of the incorruptible Godinto the
image of corruptible creatures" (Romans 1:23)!
II. CHRIST'S RELATION TO THE UNIVERSE. He is "the Firstborn of all
creation." As his being God's Image implies his eternal unity with God, so his
being the only begottenSon of God implies the distinctness of his Person. The
apostle thus guards the truth on one side againstArianism, on the other side
againstSabellianism. There are two ideas involved in this statement.
1. Christ has a priority to all creation. Arians refer to the passage as implying
that he is only one, though the very first, of createdbeings. But
(1) he is said here to be begotten, not created.
(2) He is declaredin the context to be "before all things," and therefore he is
no part of them.
(3) "All things" are declaredto be "made by him," but he is himself
necessarilyexceptedfrom the number of the things he created.
(4) The Scriptures elsewhere declarehis eternalpreexistence and Godhead.

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