MY ADVENT CALENDAR FOR DECEMBER 2014
SCRIPTURAL TITLES FOR JESUS CHRIST
SCRIPTURAL TITLES FOR JESUS CHRIST
This Advent Calendar project has blessed me in many more ways than I ever expected. As I searched the scriptures, pondered and reflected upon what the Lord means to me, it became an increasingly joyful spiritual journey of discovery.
For the titles of Jesus Christ that are used in this Advent Calendar (pictured below, which is from an old Children's Friend), I looked up scriptures in the Bible's Topical Guide, and also used the Bible Dictionary and other reference works. Sometimes it was difficult to narrow it down to just one or two scriptures, for I found much meaning and significant messages in many of them. My comments are in italics.
The Lord Jesus Christ has become the center of my life and I humbly seek to live in such a manner that I will always be able walk in His light.
1 Timothy 2:3 - 6 "…God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all,"
This first scripture is from a letter that Paul wrote to Timothy. Paul understood completely how Jesus has taken on the role of mediator between Heavenly Father and us. Our Savior suffered and paid the horrible price for our sins. He descended below all things so he could succor us in our trials. He died, and had the power to rise from the dead, making possible our own resurrection. He fulfilled the great plan of Mercy by atoning for our sins if we but turn to Him and follow Him. That appeases the law of Justice which has separated us from God because of the fall of Adam and Eve. Only Jesus Christ could do this for us. He was the literal Son of God and the only sinless person to have ever lived upon the earth. This gave him the power to pay the price for our redemption, something we could not do for ourselves. He is our Mediator, and by following Him we have been given the opportunity to return home to our Father in Heaven.
Book of Mormon, Mosiah 3:8 "And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary."
Knowing that Jesus is the "Creator of all things from the beginning" (under the direction of Heavenly Father) gives me a feeling of connection, a feeling of deep gratitude. It helps me to see people in a more enlightened way and appreciate the beauties of the earth more readily, including all creatures great and small! It encourages me to always remember and recognize what our Lord has given us. How beautiful are the mountains, the sunsets, the flowers, the fields, the rivers and oceans. I think my favorite is getting the rare opportunity to see a glorious double rainbow. And I haven't even begun to mention all the other pleasures to my senses of touch, smell and taste!
John 10:14-15: "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep."
So many images come to my mind when likening Jesus Christ to a good shepherd. Unlike the hired sheep herder, who drives the sheep, a shepherd leads his sheep, watches over them and knows them by name. When he calls, they know his voice from all others and follow him.
David, who became king of all Israel, knew quite a bit about what it is like to be a shepherd, for that is what he was until Samuel the Prophet anointed him to be king. His Psalm 23, gives beautiful imagery about how it is that the Lord is our Good Shepherd.
“1 THE LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art
with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with
oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of
the LORD for ever.”
I thought of how much I love the hymn, The Lord Is My Shepherd (#108). I sat down this morning at the keyboard and sang it to myself. What a feeling of joy and gratitude welled up in my heart! He is my Good Shepherd.
Luke 4:16-21 "And he [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias [Isaiah]. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."
I quote the Bible Dictionary for Anointed One. "Jesus is spoken of as the Christ and the Messiah, which means he is the one anointed of the Father to be his personal representative in all things pertaining to the salvation of mankind. The English word Christ is from a Greek word meaning anointed, and is the equivalent of Messiah, which is from a Hebrew and Aramaic term meaning anointed. See Ps. 2:2; Isa. 61:1–3; Luke 4:16–32; Acts 4:23–30; 10:38." There are New Testament quotes by the Savior saying that He came not to do His will, but the will of His Father, and that everything He did was what He had seen the Father do. What a wonderful example for us!
John 1:1-5 "IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."
I have been thinking about what symbolism was intended by the Apostle John, Jesus' disciple and witness, when he used "the Word" as a name for our Savior. I have searched a number of scriptures that contained "the word," and have sought to understand. Thanks to that reading it finally dawned on me. All the years I have been gratefully reading the scriptures, I have been impressed by the miracle of having access to inspiring words given through ages past and into the present. Those words from the Lord, spoken through His prophets, are the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have constantly rejoiced in His words as truths and enlightenment have touched my soul. No wonder John called Him "the Word"!
Book of Mormon Alma 5:50 "Yea, thus saith the Spirit: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand; yea, the Son of God cometh in his glory, in his might, majesty, power, and dominion. Yea, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, that the Spirit saith: Behold the glory of the King of all the earth; and also the King of heaven shall very soon shine forth among all the children of men."
Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 10:14 "For he that raiseth up a king against me shall perish, for I, the Lord, the king of heaven, will be their king, and I will be a light unto them forever, that hear my words."
How wonderful to anticipate the time in the not too distant future when Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, will return to the earth to reign in all His majesty and power. The earth will be a marvelous place to live in when we are led by so glorious a personage. Will I be ready?
Isaiah 12:2 - 5 "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth."
Today in our women's meeting we were treated to hearing and singing many carols to our King in celebration of Christmas. One of my favorite quotes by J. Reuben Clark was shared: "We get nearer to the Lord through music than perhaps anything else except prayer." We basked in the beauty of worshiping the Lord through the sacred music that celebrates His birth. The room was flooded with a glorious spirit. As a special treat, the Primary children came in to sing to us at the end. Isaiah surely gave us some wonderful descriptions of ways we worship our Lord, Jesus Christ, known as Jehovah in the Old Testament, when we recognize what He has done for us. There are so many inspired messages in the carols. I especially felt the message from "Joy to the World:" "Joy to the world, the Lord is come; let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare him room, and Saints and angels sing. Rejoice! Rejoice when Jesus reigns, and Saints their songs employ …" Somehow, it loses much of the joy I felt when no music accompanies the words. I hope everyone will take the opportunity to hear and sing the beloved Christmas carols this season.
John 5:35, 50-51 "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. … This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
Oh, my, the Savior has given us a powerful imagery of how vital He is to our lives, now and forever. Two things come to my remembrance. The first is my expressing a number of years ago to some friends that I could exist just on the whole wheat bread I make (along with water, of course). To me it has been the "staff of life." Unknowingly, I was reflecting the Lord's imagery. The second is some reflecting I was doing once during the Sacrament ordinance. I thought of the nutritional phrase "we are what we eat" and likened it to becoming spiritually what we "eat" as we eat the Sacramental bread and water in remembrance of the body and blood of Jesus Christ and covenant with God to always remember the Savior, promise to obey His commandments, and be willing to take upon ourselves His name. These are poignant and intense reminders to me of my total dependence upon Jesus Christ for my eternal salvation.
Malachi 3:1 - 3 "BEHOLD, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifer of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness."
What prompted the prophet Malachi to call Jesus Christ the Messenger of the Covenant? To find out, I went to the Topical Guide in the Bible and found a section titled, "Jesus Christ, Messenger of the Covenant." There I found references to a number of scriptures quoting the Savior as saying He was sent by His Father to fulfill the will of His Father.. In Bruce R. McConkie's reference book, Mormon Doctrine, page 488, I found an explanation as well: "Our Lord is the Messenger of the Covenant (Malachi 3:1). He came in his Father's name (John 5:43), bearing his Father's message (John 5:16-17), to fulfil the covenant of the Father that a Redeemer and Savior would be provided for men."
How grateful and awed I am that Jesus Christ, our elder brother, loved us so much that He was willing to suffer beyond comprehension, die and be resurrected for us. He fulfilled Heavenly Father's great Plan of Salvation, and made it possible for us to be resurrected and have the opportunity to return to live with Him and Heavenly Father. To me, this is another great reason we celebrate the birth of our Savior.
Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 25:29 "And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out."
Isaiah 43:1 - 7 "BUT now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him."
It reassures my soul to know that Jesus claims us for His own and will gather us and protect us as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. And so we can trust in Him, follow Him and learn from Him. The more I turn to Him, live His teachings and follow His example, the closer I feel to Him; the more I trust His words. And greater feelings of gratitude enfold me.
Doctrine and Covenants 45:3 - 5 "Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him— Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified; Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life."
Book of Mormon, Mosiah 15:8 - 9 "And thus God breaketh the bands of death, having gained the victory over death; giving the Son power to make intercession for the children of men— Having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of mercy; being filled with compassion towards the children of men; standing betwixt them and justice; having broken the bands of death, taken upon himself their iniquity and their transgressions, having redeemed them, and satisfied the demands of justice."
What a magnificent plan of Heavenly Father's that rescues us from the lawful demands of justice. Mercy has interceded because of the Savior's supernal sacrifice in our behalf. We have a transcendent champion in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:19 - 20 "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief
cornerstone;"
Book of Mormon, Helaman 5:12 "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
"A cornerstone is a massive stone that is laid at the corner of a foundation to give strength and stability to the entire structure." New Testament Student Manual, chapter 44. On a personal level, a powerful image comes to mind to think of the Savior as my chief Cornerstone. He is the Rock upon which I can build my faith, trust and hope, knowing that He will never fail me, a solid foundation of eternal truth. On the gospel level, He is the foundation upon which the Church in all ages has been built, with Apostles, prophets and other priesthood office holders firmly planted upon His cornerstone, guided by His royal leadership for the benefit of all mankind..
John 1:29 "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
Book of Mormon Alma 7:10 - 14 " And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God. And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me. Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness."
From the time of Adam, God commanded man to sacrifice on alters made for that purpose. Moses in the first five books of the Bible gave specific instructions for worshiping God by offering sacrifices. Firstborn unblemished lambs were sacrificed to symbolize the last great sacrifice to be performed for us by the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
I wonder if, through the ages, men forgot why they sacrificed those lambs? Did it become just another duty as part of temple worship? I hope not. I think of how appropriate the symbolic use of an innocent lamb is for remembering the promise of sinless Jesus' culminating sacrifice.
When the resurrected Savior appeared to the Nephites, He told them, " I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit." (Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 9:18 - 20) He explained, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfil; For verily I say unto you, one jot nor one tittle hath not passed away from the law, but in me it hath all been fulfilled." ( 3 Nephi 12:17 - 18)
Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
Luke 2:10 - 14 "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
John 14:21, 27 "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
Ah, peace! In this world of turmoil and confusion, what a great blessing it is to feel peace at heart because of our Lord and Redeemer's gift to us. We know His promises are sure and His love unending. Even the elements respect this Prince of Peace. When his disciples' ship was at hazard to capsize in a storm, our Lord "rebuked the wind and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased and there was a great calm." (Mark 4:39) It is my prayer that all of us will daily feel this all-encompassing peace in our own lives. As Paul said to the church at Philippi, "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)
Isaiah 44:23 - 24 "Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel. Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;"
Book of Mormon, Ether 3:14 "Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters."
Where would we be if Jesus had not been willing to fulfill Heavenly Father's plan and offer himself as a ransom for us all? Our older Brother loved us so much that he gave his precious life for us and suffered more than we can comprehend to redeem us from the justice of the law. We become His sons and daughters when we choose to come unto Him and show our love for Him by obeying His commandments.
This past Sunday we had the opportunity to participate in our stake's musical fireside. What a glorious experience to celebrate the birth of our Savior through inspired Christmas carols. The air was filled with worshipful joy and beauty. One's spirits couldn't help but be uplifted.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Luke 1:30 - 35 "And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the 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 Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."
We are all spiritual offspring of our Heavenly Father, and thus have a divine heritage. But our Lord Jesus Christ is not only the spiritual Son of the Father, He is the only begotten Son in the flesh. In a way that we as yet do not understand, Jesus became the flesh and blood son of Heavenly Father and Mary. Thus He was singular in that He had an exalted Father and an earthly mother. He inherited powers from His Father that no one else could ever have. He had power over death and the power to take upon Himself the penalties for all the collective sins of mankind. And yet He inherited from Mary a body that could die, a body subject to every pain, sorrow and temptation known to man. How can we ever truly appreciate this gift from our Heavenly Father? How can we possibly ever thank Him and our Savior?
John 4:25 - 26 "The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias [Messiah] cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he."
Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 2:25 - 27 "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given. Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."
For me, the epitome of a testimony that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah cannot be better expressed than through Handel's aptly named and magnificent oratorio, The Messiah. All of the libretto in The Messiah is sacred Biblical text about the Savior. When I come across a scripture while I am reading that is contained in The Messiah, it thrills me to hear the beautiful music in my mind, filling my soul with joy.
Acts 2:36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ."
Revelation 17:14 " These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful."
Book of Mormon, Mosiah 3:17 "And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent."
I think of nobility, authority, all power, all wisdom, all understanding and omniscient love. He is my Lord and Master. I think of Him watching over me. I totally trust Him to lead me in all truth and righteousness. I want to be subject to the Savior, to be obedient, to follow, and to always put His will before mine.
Isaiah 43:10 - 11 "Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour."
Matthew 1:20 - 21 "But while he [Joseph] thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."
Book of Mormon, Moroni 10:32 - 33 "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot."
Our Savior is our deliverer. Oh, how we need rescuing! Rescued from our sins, from our mistakes, from our inhumanity to one another. As I come unto Him, the grace He offers gives me what I could never obtain on my own: salvation and exaltation. He has rescued me from the chains of death, darkness, confusion and hopelessness. Gratitude fills my soul.
1 Peter 2:21 "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:"
Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 27:21 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do;"
We read in the New Testament and the Book of Mormon how our Lord and Savior manifested the true way to become who we were meant to be. For our sakes it is imperative that we, as His disciples, imitate Him. He went about doing good in never ending service. He blessed those in need with healing of body and spirit, validated the worth of individuals, and loved and blessed the children. He was merciful, tender, kind, considerate, humble, and filled with perfect love. What better role model could there be?
Revelation 21:1 - 7 "AND I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."
Doctrine and Covenants, Section 35:1 - 2 "LISTEN to the voice of the Lord your God, even Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, whose course is one eternal round, the same today as yesterday, and forever. I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was crucified for the sins of the world, even as many as will believe on my name, that they may become the sons of God, even one in me as I am one in the Father, as the Father is one in me, that we may be one."
It gives me great peace and comfort to know that Jesus never changes. He can be depended upon to keep His word through all generations and eons of time. His constancy is the rock I build my trust and hope upon. He was at the beginning and willingly took on the role of our Savior. He overcame all to rise triumphant, completing all the Father gave Him to do and now reigns for eternity with His Father in the heavens. I love what Isaiah quotes Him as telling us: "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." (Isaiah 41:10) Thank you, Lord—I yearn to be your daughter—one with thee.
Isaiah 33:22 "For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us."
2 Corinthians 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 27:13 - 16 "Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me. And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil— And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works. And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world."
I am very grateful that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be the one to judge us in the winding up scene. His whole purpose in completing Heavenly Father's Plan was to rescue us, His brothers and sisters, for He loves us. The right to judge is His, and He has atoned for our sins if we just repent. Who else would make every effort to advocate our cause and give us every possible leeway? Yes, the law must be obeyed and we are accountable for choices we make. I just need to be sure my life choices will bring me ever closer to Jesus and Heavenly Father. The Holy Ghost is my guide. Every day I make choices—I must always ask, am I drawing nearer?
Doctrine and Covenants, Section 93:19 - 22 "I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness. For if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace. And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn; And all those who are begotten through me are partakers of the glory of the same, and are the church of the Firstborn."
The description in the scriptures of Jesus as the Firstborn has given me something to think about. We know by revelation that He was the Firstborn of all Heavenly Father's spirit children, and thus received the inheritance of a firstborn. This would include inheriting all that the Father has and all the responsibilities associated with this inheritance, such as creation, redemption, salvation. He was also the Firstborn of Mary. And upon further reflection, He was the firstborn of the dead, thus instituting a permanent reunion of our bodies and spirits through the resurrection. How wonderful is our Lord Jesus Christ!
December 24, 2014 LIGHT OF THE WORLDJohn 8:12 "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 11:10 - 11 "Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning."
The hymn, "The Lord Is My Light" has been playing in my mind today and I have found myself humming and singing, "The Lord is my light; then why should I fear? By day and by night his presence is near. He is my salvation from sorrow and sin; this blessed assurance the Spirit doth bring. The Lord is my light; he is my joy and my song. By day and by night he leads me along."
By His light I see everything clearly, for where light is there can be no darkness. His light bathes me in happiness, confidence and direction. I claim Him for my light and my life.
