He is Going Ahead of You into Galilee
(Mt28:7-10)
God is the First (Col1:18).
He is before all things (Col1:17), and
He goes ahead wherever it is.
He wants to be the First of not only the things that will perish
But by raising first the Son who came from His bosom from the dead and
Let Him enter first the eternal heaven which He made, so that
He would be eternally the First.
Faith is acknowledging Him, and
The life of this faith is putting effort to follow the path He went ahead.
Every road has someone who had gone on it first, and
Every place has someone who had set his foot in it first.
While those who get ahead on everything become famous and respected,
They certainly face danger and solitude along the way.
After Adam sinned and hid in the bush,
God sought and approached him first (Ge3:8-9).
God first called Moses in Mount Horeb and
Instructed him about the exodus of Israel (Ex3:4).
Furthermore, before he went into Egypt
God sent his brother Aaron to meet him in the wilderness (Ex4:27).
After the exodus, the Israelites marched, following the pillars of fire and clouds (Ex13:21).
They put the ark ahead of them and crossed the Jordan (Jos3:3-6), because
God went ahead of them and they were able to go on such path
Though they had never gone there before.
The sanctuary was where the name of the Lord God was and it was
Also where the Ark was, and thus,
It was a reminder that God always went ahead of them.
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would be the first to go ahead to the Father's house (Jn14:1-6), where
No one has ever gone before (Jn3:13).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1. Laid down His life, making the Father's will first, and glorified Him (Jn10:17; Php3:11);
2. Condemned the devil who tried to be the first (Is14:12-15; Eze28:14-17); and
3. Tore His flesh and the wall of sin, and made a way for those who believe Him to follow Him to the Father's house (Jn10:7; Eph2:14; He10:19-20).
His death confirmed the Father's love that loved sinners first (Rm5:6-8; 1Jn4:19), and
His resurrection was the first fruit of resurrection (1Co15:20),
Becoming the First of those who will follow Him to resurrection (Php3:10-11; Col1:17-18).
The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus (Ac16:7), came in His name and
Lets believers know that Jesus went ahead of them.
Therefore, the man of the Spirit
Believes that, until the end of the world,
The Lord goes ahead wherever he goes (Mk10:32), and,
Thus he is not afraid (Mt28:10).
Furthermore, he willingly takes on risks and solitude (Lk9:23),
Putting effort to do what others do not,
Go to the path others do not take, and
Go to the place where others do not go, for
He longs to arrive in the first resurrection when the Lord returns (1Co15:22).
O Lord,
We believe in what others do not believe:
Your resurrection and the resurrection of our bodies.
So it is only natural that the world calls us crazy.
We know that this path is one of persecution, opposition and solitude.
When You return
Let me and all those You have given me
Be at the place where we will be the first to see Your face!
Amen.
