Friday, 22 March 2024

The Upper Room Discourse 81

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John 17:19 And for their sakes I make Myself holy, so that they also may be made holy in truth.

Now Yeshua's prayer turns to holiness. Holiness is an interesting commodity. It can be challenging to our intellect. No one ever went to the store for a pound of holiness. The Hebrew word for "holy" is Kadosh. It means "separate or set apart." It reminds me of the phrase "called out ones."

We have been called out of darkness. (Listen to this message at Shomair here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=epe5kVy-1Yk go to 1:45.00 - it's on this subject.) 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Yes, called out ... called out of darkness, but also called in ... into His marvelous light.

There is a great separation coming. Matthew 25:31-34 Now when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'

Interestingly, what follows is a description of those sheep put on His right side. And the distinguishing characteristic of those who are blessed to inherit the kingdom of God is not how much of the Bible you memorize, but how well you care for His sheep. Matthew 25:35-36 For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you invited Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.

To be made holy is to be made distinct and different from the ways of this world. Yeshua told Pilate ... John 18:36 Yeshua answered, "My kingdom is not of this world ... My kingdom is not from here." We follow the pattern of life of our Teacher, Who is not of this world. His world is almost always the opposite of this world, even to the point of "love your enemies." (Matthew 5:44).

To be a disciple is to learn His ways. Isaiah 55:8-9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways." It is a declaration of Adonai. "For as the heavens are higher than earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." And finally, there is a promised reward for those who follow Him ... Isaiah 55:12 Yes, you will go out with joy and be led forth with peace. The mountains and the hills will break forth before you singing, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands!