Monday, April 27, 2015

Christ Jesus is our Teacher

"Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ." (Matthew 23: 10)

In Matthew 23, Jesus speaks to the crowds, the fans and the followers, but also indicates to them that they will one day be family:

"8But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." (Matthew 23: 8-9)

In Christ, every person who believes on Him becomes a brother, first of Jesus, the firstborn of many brethren () and also to everyone else in the Body of Christ:

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Romans 8: 29)

Now, when Jesus reduced the fleshy preeminence of the Pharisees, He first attacked their status as Rabbis, or teachers of the law.

The law was never meant to be a standard to live by, but rather the absolute standard of God's righteousness and holiness, which no one can keep:

"Moreover the law entered (lit. came in alongside), that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:" (Romans 5: 20)

and

"23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." (Galatians 3: 23-25)

and then

"8But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; 9Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient. . ." (1 Timothy 1: 8-9)

Today, we have one Rabbi, but more specifically one teacher/instructor, and He is Jesus our Lord and Savior!

"12Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:1 2-13)

and then

"27To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: 29Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily." (Colossians 1: 27-29)

Specific in the above verse, however, is that our teacher, our guide is Christ, which is Greek for Messiah, or anointed.

Why do we have Christ Jesus living in us today? Because of His Spirit:

"20But ye have an unction (anointing) from the Holy One, and ye know all things." (1 John 2: 20)

and then

"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." (1 John 2: 27)

He lives in us by His Holy Spirit, released to us when He sat down at the right hand of God the Father (Acts 2: 28-30), and He is our teacher, as we see more of Him and all that He is!

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