Bible Study Lesson 10- Luke Chapter 1:30-33 Recap of Lesson 9
In the previous Study, we considered the significance of the names of Joseph and Mary which revealed to us that the favour of God did not come on Mary whose name means Rebellious because she deserved it, but on account of God exercising the prerogative of His mercy towards her.
We also looked at the fact that Joseph and Mary were engaged and this is a type of the relationship the Lord has with His Church at this hour, and that we are engaged to Him with the expectation it should end in marriage. However, we also noted that not all engagements end in marriage and so examined the expectations of engaged persons. We found one key expectation to be fidelity of the partners and this is also applicable to the relationship between the Church and her Lord, Jesus Christ who is the greater Joseph of the House of David now engaged to her.
We ended up by considering the fact that she had found favour with God and not man. We also contrasted the favour of God with that of man and found that which is of God comes with no conditions unlike that of man.
Luke 1:31
We see Mary told here by the angel that she will bring forth a Son and shall call his name JESUS. The name here means SAVIOUR for He was to save Israel and the world.
We know that the natural or literal Mary did bring forth a literal Jesus who walked the face of this earth. So also must the spiritual Mary or Church nation, bring forth a Son or ‘Man child’ whose purpose is also to save man or his kind. Rev 12:1-2,5-6 tells us about this woman who had become mature, clothed with the sun and the moon was under her feet and her head a crown of 12 stars. She was pregnant and brought forth a Son who was to rule the nations. The intent of the enemy is to frustrate this purpose of God and to resist the birth of this child but we know such thought is doomed from its onset.
Obadiah 1:21 also tells us, that ‘saviours’ shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau’. We see then, that it is a company of saviours that make up this son or man child that the spiritual Mary or Church nation is to bring forth and just as the Lord Jesus accomplished His literal task at that time to natural Israel and set up the Church, the Church symbolised by this woman in Revelations, is a place of incubation to bring forth Sons that will save mankind. Even now, these sons are beginning to manifest and are saving mankind though in seeming bits and pieces. A fully grown corporate Son is coming and the intent of hell to frustrate this shall be futile even as the scripture has revealed.
It must be pointed out that only a people who have not broken the terms of their engagement to the Lord Jesus, their espoused husband can come into that union with Him necessary to bring forth this man child company of mature sons who will rule the nations. They are caught up to God and His throne. The word ‘caught up’ here is the Greek word ‘harpazo’ meaning to seize (in various applications): – catch (away, up), pluck, pull take (by force). It comes from a primary word meaning to ‘take for oneself’.
We see then, that the essence of the exertion of this force or seizure, is that the person exerting the force or pull wants to take for him or herself that which is the object of the force. When we therefore remember the word of the Lord Jesus when He said in Mathew 11:12 that since the time of John the Baptist the kingdom of God suffers violence and only the violent take it by force, we realise that for each one of us who seek to belong to this company of sons or saviours who will rule the nations and come forth as such from the Church, we must take it by force.
This means we must be violent about our intention not to be taken by the enemy in Revelation 12. Only the ones who are violently intent on entering in to this which is set before us will make it. It is not an estate for those who give in or give up because the enemy is well intent on violently ensuring we do not get caught up to the throne.
Bved of God for us to reach the throne, we must as the Lord has told us, be violent in our commitments, be violent in our zeal and love for Him, be violent in everything that has to do with the Kingdom of our God. There is no place for lukewarmness as such will be spewed out of His mouth – Rev 3:15&16.
Read Mathew 13:19 & John 10:12.
These scriptures reveal to us the violence of the enemy in his attack on the Word of God and His people. The words translated ‘catcheth away’ in Mathew and ‘catcheth them’ in John are the same Greek word – harpazo.
Beloved, there is a conception in each and everyone of us that make up this Church nation or engaged spiritual Mary and it is the Christ seed which has to be fully formed so it can come forth in and through us to rule the nations – Galatians 4:19.
However, it will only become fully mature through our understanding of the need for spiritual violence against all that seeks to frustrate this seed from coming to maturity as sons ordained to rule the nations
‘my little children of whom I travail in birth AGAIN untill Christ be formed in you’. – Galatians 4:19
There must be a travailing and the pangs associated with birth pangs for the coming forth of these sons hence only the violent take it by force.
Further reading Galatians 4:1-31. There must also be a casting out or forceful ejection of the son of the bondwoman so the son of the free within can come forth.
Luke 1:32
Here we see the qualities of this son first revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ and which shall yet be revealed and manifested in the company of sons who by violent zeal and commitment to their Master and Lord lay hold on their sonship.
They shall be great, they will be called the sons of the highest and the Lord shall give them authourity in His Church and rule over the nations.
Luke 1:33
Here we see the angel say of the Lord Jesus, that He will rule over the house of Jacob for ever.
When Jacob is used to describe the nation of Israel in scripture, we believe it is in reference to the nation’s state or character before the covenant that changed his name. In effect, it takes into account the nation as a people yet steeped in and walking in its carnal and surreptitious ways of carrying out eternal things. Since there is a specific mention of Jacob here, it is our understanding that the Holy Spirit is indicating through the writer that whether carnal Israel likes it or not, the Lord Jesus, will reign over her and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
This becomes more so because, at the time this prophecy or word was coming to Mary, there was no longer one House of Jacob as the literal nation at the time was made up of a Samaria and Israel so why the reference to Jacob? We believe it was to address the disunity and to point to the fact that as far as God was concerned, it was one House in Jacob.
So also, we believe the Lord is indicating to the Church that the Lord reigns over His House regardless of the denominations, disunity and imperfections and this rule of His is without end. The Lord has but one Church be it Evangelical, Pentecostal, Called Out or by whatsoever name we call ourselves presently, to Him, we are but one House and it is His Church, the virgin to whom He is espoused and from whom He will beget Himself sons who will be like the Christ in all respects and will rule the nations. May we be found in this company of people
Prayer Points
– Lord grant our hearts to understand the urgency of the times so that we may be violent in our commitment to you and your purpose in our lives
– Make us hate with hatred all things spotted with the flesh and to take the kingdom by force for your glory.
– Lord make us understand that this House is yours and yours alone and not man’s so the walls of denominations may fall.
Amen
his weekly publication is from Chris and Imah of the THE NEIGHBOURHOOD CHURCH, Notes for today's Study.Please note that due to the difference in time zones presently,that the Study starts at 4.30pm British Standard Time,which is one hour behind the Nigerian time which will now be 5.30pm every saturday. The Lord bless us as we find time to share fellowship with us. Please do not forget you can ask questions and we welcome your contributions via messages and comments through our "WRITE TO US PAGE" HERE ON THIS WEBSITE. Warm Regards Chris and Imah - the ones our Master loves
