Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 11:29-32
11:29. And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
11:30. "For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.
11:31. "The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.
11:32. "The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.
God reveals two signs as follows:
ad. 1. The sign of Jonah the prophet.
We still learn about the sign of Jonah the prophet. Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days, and then he was vomited. It refers to Jesus who was in the belly of the earth for three days, and then He was raised.
So, the sign of Jonah the prophet is the one of death and resurrectionor the one of the cross.
The journey of Israelites from Egypt to Canaan was signified with the cross too.
Exodus 15:22-24
15:22. So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three daysin the wilderness and found no water.
15:23. Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.
15:24. And the people complained against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?"
The Israelites were joyful when they came out from the Red Sea. But, in the next journey for three days, they faced difficulty.
The journey for three days is the same as the one of the cross.
It means that we will experience the journey of the cross with Jesus after being baptized.
Matthew 3:16
3:16. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
Matthew 4:1-2
4:1. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
4:2. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
The example is Jesus. After being baptized in the water, He was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness. He had fasted forty days and forty nights, and He was tempted by the devil.
The meaning of the cross is signified by two things as follows:
Exodus 15:25-26
15:25. So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. And there He tested them,
15:26. and said, "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you."
The way out is that God showed hima tree. It refers to the cross.
So, in the journey of the cross, we must always see and appreciate the cross (Christ's sacrifice). We willingly suffer in the flesh to experience the tearing of flesh, so Holy Spirit is poured out to us.
The usefulness of Holy Spirit is as follows:
God blesses us.
Luke 11:29-32
11:29. And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
11:30. "For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.
11:31. "The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.
11:32. "The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.
God reveals two signs as follows:
- The sign of Jonah the prophet.
- The wisdom of Solomon.
ad. 1. The sign of Jonah the prophet.
We still learn about the sign of Jonah the prophet. Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days, and then he was vomited. It refers to Jesus who was in the belly of the earth for three days, and then He was raised.
So, the sign of Jonah the prophet is the one of death and resurrectionor the one of the cross.
The journey of Israelites from Egypt to Canaan was signified with the cross too.
Exodus 15:22-24
15:22. So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three daysin the wilderness and found no water.
15:23. Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.
15:24. And the people complained against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?"
The Israelites were joyful when they came out from the Red Sea. But, in the next journey for three days, they faced difficulty.
The journey for three days is the same as the one of the cross.
It means that we will experience the journey of the cross with Jesus after being baptized.
Matthew 3:16
3:16. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
Matthew 4:1-2
4:1. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
4:2. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
The example is Jesus. After being baptized in the water, He was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness. He had fasted forty days and forty nights, and He was tempted by the devil.
The meaning of the cross is signified by two things as follows:
- Facing the Wilderness of Shur and finding no water.
Exodus 15:22
15:22. So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.
Shur means mortar or the flesh. The flesh with all of its lusts and desires makes the condition which is without any water. It means spiritual dryness. One is not satisfied, so he looks for apparent satisfaction in the world until he falls into sin up to the peak, namely sin of eating-drinking (smoking, getting drunk and drugs abuse) and marrying-giving in marriage (sexual sin with all of its kinds).
The apparent satisfaction in the world is often brought into the church, so we serve and minister in the ambience of the world, without purification. - Facing the bitter water in Marah.
Exodus 15:23
15:23. Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.
It refers to the bitterness of lifeand the characters of the flesh such as anger, hatred, revenge, grumble, and murder.
Exodus 15:25-26
15:25. So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. And there He tested them,
15:26. and said, "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you."
The way out is that God showed hima tree. It refers to the cross.
So, in the journey of the cross, we must always see and appreciate the cross (Christ's sacrifice). We willingly suffer in the flesh to experience the tearing of flesh, so Holy Spirit is poured out to us.
The usefulness of Holy Spirit is as follows:
- Holy Spirit keeps us faithful and fervent in ministering to God up to the finish line.
Romans 12:11
12:11. not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
Exodus 15:27
15:27. Then they came to Elim, where there were twelvewells of water and seventypalm trees; so they camped there by the waters.
Number 70 refers to seventy disciples who preach the gospel word. Number 12 refers to twelve disciples who preach the teaching word.
We are used in the revival of Holy Spirit in the last rain. - Holy Spirit renews us from fleshly men tospiritual ones like Jesus.
Titus 3:5
3:5. not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
The spiritual miracle happens. Bitter things are changed into sweet ones. We can bear the sweet word, namely the good and true one, as well as the blessing and testimony for others.
We can love one another. We love others as we love ourselves, even we can love our enemy.
The dry life can be satisfied. We can live in holiness. We always give thanks to God and worship Him. We experience heavenly bliss that cannot be influenced by the state of the world.
Exodus 15:25-26
15:25. So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. And there He tested them,
15:26. and said, "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you."
We can be obedient until our flesh does not sound anymore. It is the same as stretching out our hands to God and He will stretch out His hands to do the physical miracle.
Jehovah Rapha healsthe diseases in physical life, economy, study, and work, and spiritual ones, namely stress, worry, fear, sins, et cetera.
Genesis 22:12-14
22:12. And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."
22:13. Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
22:14. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of The LORD it shall be provided."
Jehovah Jireh provides from nothing to something and impossible things become possible.
Psalm 23:1
23:1. <<A Psalm of David.>> The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
God as the Great Shepherd is able to take careof our life who is small and powerless in the midst of the difficulties of the world. We are taken care of abundantly, so we always give thanks to God.
We are purified and changed up to perfection or being spotless. We become the bride of God who is ready to greet Jesus when He comes a second time on the glorius clouds. We are with Him forever.
God blesses us.