the psalms

The Lord Jesus Christ—Man of Many Titles

ADVOCATE; ALPHA & OMEGA; ATONING SACRIFICE; AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH; BAPTIZER; BRANCH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS; BREAD OF LIFE/LIVING BREAD; BRIDEGROOM; BROTHER; AUTHOR OF OUR SALVATION; CHIEF SHEPHERD; CHRIST/MESSIAH; CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL; CORNERSTONE; CREATOR; DELIVERER (1); DELIVERER (2); DOOR; EMMANUEL; FIRST FRUITS; FOUNDATION; FRIEND; GRAIN OF WHEAT; HEAD OF THE CHURCH; HEALER; IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD; INTERCESSOR; JEHOVAH; JUDGE; KING; LAMB OF GOD; LIFE-GIVER; LIGHT OF THE WORLD; LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH; LIVING BREAD; LORD; LOVE (1); LOVE (2); LOVE (3); LOVE (4); PASSOVER; PRIEST; PRINCE OF PEACE; PROPHET; PROPITIATION; RABBI (1); RABBI (2); RANSOM/REDEEMER; RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE; ROSE OF SHARON; SANCTIFICATION; SAVIOUR; SECOND MAN/LAST ADAM; SERVANT; SON OF GOD; SUSTAINER; TRUE VINE; WAY

ADVOCATE

My little children, I am writing these things to you, so that you do not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One. 1 John 2:1

An advocate is a person who pleads his client’s cause in a court of law.

In His role as advocate, Jesus Christ is able to represent sinners before God. The court of God the Father is perfectly just, and Jesus is the perfect advocate.

In the secular world, if I commit a crime I am called to the law-court and have to face charges. If they are serious charges I will need someone to represent me; someone who knows what they are doing, someone who is well acquainted with laws and courts and procedures. Such a person is normally called a barrister, and the role they play is that of an advocate—they plead my cause for me. It is costly, but often the only way to see justice done.

Thinking spiritually, humanity has broken the laws of divinity, knowingly or unknowingly, and one day we will all be summoned to appear before God. Here is a court of true equity. God knows all things, so His justice is exact. Every thought, word and deed will be taken into account, and each one of us would inevitably be pronounced guilty. We have no excuse; we are guilty! You, me, all of us. If one is going to plead on our behalf, how then can they succeed? God knows all, and is incorruptible. He needs no evidence or witnesses. He has everything infallibly recorded.

Jesus is willing to be an advocate for anyone who sees their need. Yet He is not going to make out a good case for us, nor plead mitigating circumstances. He is actually going to accept right from the start that we are guilty and fully deserving of all that God’s justice would demand of us.

And yet His advocacy will be successful for all who are trusting in Him. How? He will tell His Father that He has already paid in full the penalty demanded; that the punishment for sin has already been borne by Himself; that on Calvary’s cross, He voluntarily gave up His sinless life to be a full and final sacrifice for the sins of others.

This is why—when writing his epistle in the light of this wonderful truth—John the apostle encouraged the believers not to sin; but that if they did fall into sin, their advocate Jesus Christ was continually representing them before the Father.

Even now, before the altar in heaven, there is the blood of the slain Lamb, the blood of Jesus Himself, the only remedy for sin, the only plea which can free you from deserved condemnation and judgment.

Here then is the assurance of a successful outcome—our advocate has already won the victory. He can be trusted with your very soul. And you need to trust Him! Without an advocate at heaven’s court, how would you fare? How shall you escape, if you neglect so great a salvation? Why struggle on, when the advocate’s services are free?

Jesus died but took again His life! He lives eternally. His advocacy is available.

He is able. He is willing. He is the ultimate, the only, advocate.

Will He be pleading for you at the Judgment?

ALPHA AND OMEGA

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8

Jesus is the Alpha and Omega. He is the First and the Last—as He described Himself in Revelation 1:11, 17, and 2:8. He is the Beginning and the End, who is, and who was, and who is to come—the Almighty.

How difficult it is for us to understand the eternal nature of Christ.

We know, for example, that He now lives in the power of an endless life, that His life is eternal as we look forward in time; and so He is called Omega, which is the last letter of the Greek alphabet. But if the last letter signifies His eternal existence looking forwards, then the first letter, Alpha, also signifies His eternal existence, but this time looking backwards—He has always been.

And then He calls Himself the Almighty—none other than the Lord YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
At any point in time, whether before creation or after it, Jesus can always say, “I AM.” During His time on earth, He actually made that inference when He enigmatically said, “Before Abraham was, I AM.”

Two millenniums have passed since the first coming of Alpha & Omega. Then, it was a coming in humility and poverty, a Child of a virgin, born in a cattle-stall rather than a palace. But this Lord declares in our text that He is the Almighty who is yet to come. He is coming to us for a second time—as He actually is!

This second advent will herald the close of history. He will come in glory, power and majesty, with all the holy angels, and with the blast—as St. Peter says—of a great and loud trumpet. The Christ comes as Omega, the fulfilment, to judge the world in righteousness, and usher in eternity. The world, as we know it, will cease to be, being engulfed in flames, and all shall know then that Christ is Lord of all. Eternal destinies shall be set, and the new order put in place: there will be new heavens and a new earth, a home of righteousness and peace.

Our minds are so feeble, so finite, that to try to understand the doctrine of the full deity of Christ will leave us frustrated and humbled. Far better to simply believe in the Alpha and Omega, and enjoy fellowship with Him, loving Him, serving Him, worshipping Him, glorifying Him, and enjoying Him forever.

His offer of a fresh start is made to all without exception. And those who have availed themselves of His forgiveness have found—also without exception—that they have come to know God personally through spiritual union. This is what being reconciled to God is all about.

This union, the mystical union, has been purchased by Him, and is applied by Him through the new birth, as a free gift. Whoever knows this union, knows that Christ is the Almighty, the Eternal Word.

ATONING SACRIFICE

For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, how much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. Furthermore, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:10-11

Atonement is described as the reconciliation of man with God through the life, sufferings, and sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the only atoning sacrifice. His sacrificial blood makes atonement for our sins and reconciles us to God. There is no other way but this. If you desire to be reconciled to God and eternally saved, this sacrifice of Christ is of crucial importance. You must not neglect this, but make it a first priority in your life.

The whole world is by nature at enmity with God; enemies indeed, and by thought, word and deed we declare defiance against the Almighty. Our tendency is to go our own way, unaware of our slavery to sin. Proclaiming freedom, we are slaves still. This fact has always featured in the great historic confessions of faith in the Christian church.

Yet though we are enemies of God by sinful deeds and rejection of His authority, He has purposed to reconcile rebels to Himself, and He does this through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. What a purpose! And what grace! Such condescension!

This reconciliation is legal and actual: He declares us forgiven and justified, so that there is no more enmity between us; He comes to dwell within our hearts by His Spirit, a union takes place between God and man. This is the immediate effect of the application of atonement in a person’s life. We are reconciled to God.

This union is so real and profound, that anyone who knows this in their experience can say with assurance: “I know Him whom I have believed in.”

Faith is not blind, not a groping in the dark—it is coming into the light, and seeing the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. It is to hear Him calling, with gentleness, love and power.

The first tentative step of faith is when you can say, “Because of my unbelief, I have been a rebel against God. I have broken His laws, trampled on His love in Christ, and am lost. I have become His enemy, and have actively resisted coming to faith. I deserve nothing but condemnation. Yet, do I hear Jesus calling to me? Do I find a change of heart being worked in me? Do I now see something of Christ’s purpose in dying on a cross? Surely my soul is being lifted up, away from all earthly things, and is having its meditation centred on God and the salvation of my soul. Now I can see that there could never be any merit in my own works; I must come to Him with empty hands, and a repentant heart, a heart that grieves over my sins.”

Jesus made a sacrifice of atonement to reconcile sinners to God. His work, there on Calvary’s cross, was a perfect work, and it achieves its goal. Atonement was made, and reconciliation paid for. Enmity with God is replaced by love and worship. Guilt is removed, the conscience cleared, you begin to really live.

Jesus is real! Jesus is alive! Jesus atones for sin! He restores us to God!

Do you know Him? Has He reconciled you to God?

AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH

Let us look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

An author is an originator, or creator; and a finisher is defined as one who brings to a desired or complete condition.

Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.

Faith in Christ is that which makes us Christian, and it is a trust that rests wholly and solely on Jesus Christ and what He has done for us in His life, death, and resurrection.

This particular title of Christ is most comforting to believers, for it shows us where our faith originated: we did not conjure it up, rather Christ has formed it within us. Once there, in our hearts, Christ purposes to maintain and feed it, causing it to grow and come to maturity, a faith to move mountains. He Himself is the originator, and He will achieve the desired end. Our faith may, at certain times, be weak, yet He will sustain it; it is all a part of the growing experience.

The salvation of God is not dependent on man’s effort, man’s goodness, man’s faith, man’s commitment. It is wholly the work of Jesus. With Jesus, we have all; without Jesus, we have nothing.

It is true that faith comes by hearing God’s word, through the preaching or reading of the Scriptures, but not everyone who attends the preaching of the word, or who reads the Bible, comes to faith. There is more needed. God must act. He must come to make alive our spirit and illuminate His word. Without this, there can be no active faith. There may be intellectual assent, but no real experience of hearing the voice of God, and responding to Him in penitence. The only remedy for spiritual death is regeneration.

Jesus proclaimed that no one knew the Father; but that He could reveal Him. Even an understanding of the Person of Christ cannot be learned by men, but only shown us by the Father. Whichever way you look at it, we are dependant on God totally.

So man—in all his supposed wisdom and knowledge—does not know God, nor does he glorify God. Man does not even seek after God; he pretends rather that God doesn’t exist, or that He exists only in some impersonal way.

But in some—the reasons for which are known only to God—Jesus originates faith and draws out repentance. This happens in such a powerful way that for their lifetime the person leaves sin and follows the Lord. They wholeheartedly rest their eternal hope on Jesus only. Such a person prays, reads the Scriptures, engages in good works, proclaims the salvation of God from day to day, glorifies the Saviour, and looks forward to being with God for ever. They have become citizens of heaven.

All this, let it be known, because Jesus has authored, will sustain throughout life, and will complete, the salvation He has been pleased to bestow through faith. For He who is the author of faith is also the finisher, the one who completes His work.

Therefore if any man can glory in anything, let it be in this—that he knows and loves the Lord, thanks to His authorship. If therefore your name is written in heaven, take comfort from these words, and know for sure that you have eternal life.

BAPTIZER

“I indeed baptize you with water to repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Matthew 3:11

Jesus is the great Baptizer; He baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Here is found that unique period in history when the old covenant merged with the new covenant. The Old Testament had served its purpose, and the New Testament was being ushered in. Though not accomplished in an instant—the actual transition took some decades—yet the prophet of God declared what was happening, and pointed away from himself to Christ. This is the duty still of all ministers of God—to point men and women, boys and girls, to the Lord Jesus Christ.

John Baptist preached on the banks of Jordan River as the forerunner of Jesus. His message was simple yet powerful: “Repent! Turn from sin to God!”

The words of this young prophet were heard, and responded to, by large numbers of Jews who had come out into the desert to hear him. Upon their confession of sin and declaration of heartfelt repentance, John led them down to the river and baptised them with water. This was a seal, or sign, of their repentance, and it put into picture language the fact of their having been cleansed by God from sin.

The old covenant was full of such pictures; it had to be necessarily, for the reality of pure spiritual life would only begin when the pictures found fulfilment in Christ. He would usher in the age when types and shadows were made obsolete, having served their purpose. There is no more need of types when the antitype arrives.
Baptism was one such picture, and Jesus retained this baptism with water as an ongoing declaration of repentance and cleansing.

Yet there is a better baptism, a baptism in its fulfilment. A baptism by Jesus Himself.

Think of what John Baptist said in our opening text. He is saying: “If you are obedient to my call to repent, I will then baptise you and seal your confession, and you will be acceptable to God. But there is soon coming one who will preach that you should repent and believe the gospel. He is worthy to preach this word, for He is the Lord from heaven. He will not baptise you with water, but with the Holy Spirit, and with fire.”

While on earth, Jesus never baptized any with water; it was always His disciples that carried out this task. Jesus had a better baptism to bestow, one that He would perform Himself. This spiritual baptism was to be ongoing till the end of the age, and it assures and empowers all who believe in Jesus—all who repent and believe the gospel.
Since His ascension into heaven, Jesus has baptized millions, hundreds of millions, all who have called on His name and repented of their sins.

Somewhere in the world, while you read these lines, there are those whom Jesus is baptizing with the Holy Spirit. They are set on fire with zeal for Him. It is a continual work that will not cease until He returns. This baptism still serves as a sign, but this time it is inward, silent. It is the Spirit of God poured out on the new convert. It is the seal of God. It is His stamp of acceptance. It is God’s direct way of saying: “I forgive you all your sins; you are now My child, My beloved child, forever.”

BRANCH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

The days are coming, says the LORD, that I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the earth. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely. And this is the name by which he will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Jeremiah 23:5-6

A branch is an offshoot or secondary part.

Jesus is the Branch, the offspring of David.

It is to the glory of God that He humbles Himself and is pleased to refer to Himself in human terms, that is, according to His human genealogy, by which He is of the lineage of David according to the flesh.

This prophecy of Jeremiah links with Isaiah’s in proclaiming Jesus as the Branch, the offshoot, of David the king and Jesse. This Branch shall be raised up by Jehovah, and will be a righteous Branch, that is, perfectly righteous.
This is to be the King of the Jews, the one set by God on His holy hill of Zion. He is to reign, not territorially, but over the entire earth. He is to prosper in all His judgments, executing righteousness and perfect justice. Jews and Gentiles alike will come under His authority, and should all pay Him homage.

Judah and Israel, typifying all with a like faith as Abraham—the entire church—will dwell safely in His kingdom. All who subject themselves to His rule, and voluntarily become His servants, remain under His protection and authority at all times and forever.

This King, Jesus the Righteous, the righteous Branch, is here named as Jehovah our Righteousness. Not only is He the incarnate God—that is, God manifest in the flesh, of which mystery we cannot fathom the depths—but He is also declared to be our righteousness, a perfect and imputed righteousness which is by faith alone, apart from works. The moment you trust in Christ, God declares you perfectly righteous in His sight.

So that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved, for with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says: ‘Whoever believes in Him will not be ashamed.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is generous toward all who call upon Him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ (Romans 10:9-13)

The prophecy of Isaiah 11 says of the Branch that the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord. He is described as one who would judge justly; not by what He hears or sees, but as He omnisciently knows.

Here then is the perfect justice of God, who will slay the wicked and strike the earth in righteousness, there will be a world-wide manifestation of the glory of God, with the final judgment of God upon His enemies.