Today’s exhortation – Christ our Brother
There are many many many things imparted to us from the resurrection of The Lord Jesus and one is, we passed from friendship into sonship. Before He was crucified, He called His disciples friends and when He rose, He called them brothers. He said, No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15). When He was risen, He said to the woman whom He first appeared to, “Do not hold on to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to My brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’ ” (John 20:17)
Now as brothers, that made them children of God even as we are now. Being a friend is one thing and being a child is another. The privileges of a friend and a child are different. Eg, as children we walked into our parents house without any fear or worry. We asked for things and expected to get them because they are our parents. We ate what we wanted, drank whatever was in the fridge and were carefree. On the contrary, our friends didn’t have the same liberty. Paul the apostle wrote, The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ… (Romans 8:16-17). This is amazing grace. Thank You Jesus. Amen
Francis Hans-Jorie