Pastor John,
I had a new thought yesterday; it felt new.
I’ve always understood that many early saints were required to forsake their lives as a result of staying true to their faith (and their declaration of faith) in the Father, and the Son, and their spiritual new birth that marked their new covenant with God.
I understood that future saints will likely one day be pressed the same way – to forsake their creator (their experience with him) and the real faith once delivered to the saints, or die. But I have never considered that, in this thing, Jesus was also first among many brethren.
It occurred to me that Jesus’ whole earthly existence, to the point of his crucifixion, was a life of pressure to forsake his faith in God, and he knew death was imminent for refusing to do so.
(Even Satan trying to promote him to earthly king was pressure to deny God.)
Similar to the choice no doubt offered to those saints who were slain, Jesus could have denied his faith, his experience with God when threatened, and he may have lived, if men were allowed to have their way.
Men likely would have happily absorbed Jesus and his miracle-working reputation into their polluted faith, if he would just deny his own faith.
I never considered that Jesus went through that difficult trial before the first spirit-filled saint ever faced it.
Jerry
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Yes, brother Jerry. Jesus Christ is the first of the creation of God, “the first firstborn among many brethren”, the firstfruits from the dead, and the first of everything else “that he might have pre-eminence in all things”.
Pastor John
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