Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 8 refers to the Golden Candlestick. In Luke 8, there are seven stories that refer to seven lamps on the Golden Candlestick and they are as follows:
We discuss the fourth story, namely Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Come to Him.
Luke 8:19-21
8:19. Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.
8:20. And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."
8:21. But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."
Jesus teaches us to do the will of God, including honoring our parents, respecting family and others as it is written in the Old and New Testament.
Jesus does not teach us not to respect parents, family and others, but He expects two things as follows:
Ephesians 2:19-22
2:19. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
2:20. having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
2:21. in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
2:22. in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
The household of God is built to become the spiritual temple of God or the eternal perfect body of Christ.
The process of the building of the body of Christ or spiritual temple of God is as follows:
God blesses us.
Luke 8 refers to the Golden Candlestick. In Luke 8, there are seven stories that refer to seven lamps on the Golden Candlestick and they are as follows:
- Many Women Minister to Jesus (Luke 8:1-3).
- The Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4-15).
- The Parable of the Revealed Light (Luke 8:16-18).
- Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Come to Him (Luke 8:19-21).
- Wind and Wave Obey Jesus (Luke 8:22-25).
- A Demon-Possessed Man Healed (Luke 8:26-39).
- A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed (Luke 8:40-56).
We discuss the fourth story, namely Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Come to Him.
Luke 8:19-21
8:19. Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.
8:20. And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."
8:21. But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."
Jesus teaches us to do the will of God, including honoring our parents, respecting family and others as it is written in the Old and New Testament.
Jesus does not teach us not to respect parents, family and others, but He expects two things as follows:
- Our Christianity is not based on flesh generation, but faith that roots in the heart.
- Our relationship with others must not be only in the flesh family, but until we are in the family of God.
The flesh family can be the obstacle in spirituality and result the fruit of flesh. That is why God desires us to become His family.
Ephesians 2:19-22
2:19. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
2:20. having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
2:21. in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
2:22. in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
The household of God is built to become the spiritual temple of God or the eternal perfect body of Christ.
The process of the building of the body of Christ or spiritual temple of God is as follows:
- Building the foundation.
Ephesians 2:20
2:20. having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
The foundation must be strong. Otherwise, the building of the body of Christ will be destroyed.
There are two kinds of foundation as follows:- The cornerstone.
It means Christ's sacrifice or Jesus who is crucified.
If Jesus had not been crucified, everyone would have been the body of Babylon.
The practices of having the foundation of Christ's sacrifice are as follows:- Believing that only Jesus is the Savior, because He is the only innocent man who is able to save the sinners.
- Repenting. It means one stops doing sin and returns to God or he is dead to sin.
- Water and Holy Spirit baptism, namely new birth from water and spirit.
Romans 6:4
6:4. Therefore we were buriedwith Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
The right water baptism is one who has repented must be buried in the water with Jesus and come out or rise from water with Him to receive new life or Heavenly one.
- The foundation of the apostles and prophets.
The apostles refer to the New Testament.
The prophets refer to the Old Testament.
The foundation of the apostles and prophets means the Bible.
It means that we have to hold fast true teaching Word and do not want to be deceived by false teachings.
Haggai 2: 18-19
2:18. 'Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty–fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the LORD’S temple was laid––consider it:
2:19. 'Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.’"
If we have the foundation, God will bless us both physically and spiritually.
If our foundation is not strong but we insist the blessing to come, both we and the blessing will be destroyed. Vice versa, God will surely command the blessing spiritually and physically in our work, study and the household. - The cornerstone.
- The building on the foundation.
It means ministering to God.
Who may build the body of Christ?
1 Peter 2:5
2:5. you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
The priests and kings are the people who may build the body of Christ.
The priest is a holy man.
The place for the building of the body of Christ must be right.
Leviticus 21:12
21:12. 'nor shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.
The place to build the body of Christ is in the Holy Place. It refers to the sheepfold, namely perseverance in committing three kinds of main service as follows:- The Golden Candlestick. It means perseverance in committing General Service= fellowship with Holy Spirit God in His gifts.
- Table of Showbread. It means perseverance in committing Bible Study Service and Holy Communion= fellowship with Son of God in teaching Word and Holy Communion.
- The Golden Altar of Incense. It means perseverance in committing Prayer Service= fellowship with God the Father in His love.
In the sheepfold, our body, soul and spirit have fellowship with God the Trinity, so we are purified.
To build the body of Christ, we need the tool. To get it, the term is we must holy.
Ephesians 4:11-12
4:11. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
4:12. for the equipping of the saintsfor the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
If we are holy, God will equip us with ministry and the gift of Holy Spirit to do the work of ministry orderly, in regularity and faithfulness.
The results are as follows:- We become living or beautiful stones.
It means we live in the beauty of Heaven; God guarantees successful and beautiful future in His time. - We are made as the apple of God's eye.
We are protected and loved so much by God.
- The Golden Candlestick. It means perseverance in committing General Service= fellowship with Holy Spirit God in His gifts.
- The finishing.
1 Chronicles 28:20
28:20. And David said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God––my God––will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finishedall the work for the service of the house of the LORD.
We must be strong and of good courage. It means as follows:- Keeping on holding fast true teaching Word and we are not driven and tossed by other teachings.
- Keeping on living in righteousness and we do not want to be tempted and forced for doing sin.
- Keeping faithful and fervent in spirit to minister to God.
- Keeping on worshipping God, believing and hoping in Him.
4:24. and that you put on the new manwhich was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
4:25. Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.
James 3:2
3:2. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
So, we experience spiritual miracle, namely renewal of life. It starts from being honest until we do not stumble in word. Physical miracle will happen too, all of our problems are finished and the impossible thing becomes possible until we are lifted up with God forever.
God blesses us.