Hi all,
Last week I ended with how the resurrection changed the relationship between Father and Son forever. “This day I have fathered you” the Father said.
The quote is from Acts 13: 33 where Paul states one line from Psalm 2: “You are my son, this day I have fathered you.” But the whole of Psalm 2 gives us a bigger picture. The first 4 verses set the stage:
v1-4: “Why do the nations rage and the people plot things in vain? The rulers take counsel and conspire against the Lord (Father) and His anointed one (Christ), saying: ‘Let’s take their shackles off and cut their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens (Father) laughs at them. He scoffs at them.”
Then v5-12 switch to the Father talking to His Son and Son talking to the Father:
v5: “Then He will speak to them in His anger, and terrify them in His fury, saying, ‘As for Me, I have installed My King upon my holy hill in Zion (Jerusalem). I will proclaim the order of the Lord (Father).
“He (Father) said to me (Jesus), ‘You are my Son. This day I have fathered you. Ask of Me and I will give you the nations of the world as your inheritance, the ends of the earth for your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron and shatter them like an earthenware vessel. Be wise therefore you kings of the earth, be instructed you judges. Serve the Lord (Jesus) with fear and rejoicing and trembling. Kiss the Son (custom of bowing at the feet) lest He be angry with you for His wrath can be kindled quickly. How blessed are all who put their trust in Him!”
When you read Psalm 2 realizing it is the Father talking to His Son it puts our own lives in perspective. The ‘this day I have fathered you’ is the day of the resurrection, and it was the start of the Lord Jesus receiving the nations of the earth as His inheritance, and His possession which is the planet. Amazing plan, amazing grace.
Inheritance and taking possession
These two parts Jesus received from the Father are important to our own story. We receive the inheritance, which is spiritual. Then we meek will inherit the earth, the possession which is in the natural.
When we were born again we were born into the kingdom. Actually in a unique process, Ephesians 1 tells us the Father used Jesus to be able to legally adopt us. THEN once we accepted that adoption we were also then born into the family. We have the best of both worlds. Legally adopted and then born into the Father’s family. Amazing grace.
When born again we start learning about our inheritance, which is a life-long process. “In whom we have obtained an inheritance.” “Giving thanks to the Father who has made us able to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints of light.” Ephesians 1: 11, Colossians 1:12.
We renew the mind according to Romans 12: 1-3, the Greek word being ‘metamorphosis’ to describe the transformation of our thoughts to think like God thinks about every aspect of ourselves and life. Sometimes we seem to be more caterpillar than butterfly, but renewing the mind to learn of our inheritance is a life-long process.
When the Father gave the people of the earth to Jesus as His inheritance, it includes you and me. Amazing. Jesus inherited you and you in turn inherited Him.
“And the earth as your possession”
As we learn of our inheritance we start taking possession of our part of our world. Meek means teachable and humble. We learn, we grow, we start taking back what the devil had stolen. Instead of curses upon our family we begin insisting the blessing be upon our family. We start making good decisions. We start thinking with logic rather than emotions, based on revelation of truth from the Father.
We start taking possession of our land, our part of the world. That is what Jesus is doing, one person at a time born into the kingdom. We are merely doing what Lord is doing, for His kingdom stretches to include us and our lives and those we love and care about. Inheritance and possession. That’s what the Father gave Jesus on resurrection day, and be extension, to you and I. We cannot be separated from Him and the effects of that resurrection day for we are one with Him; He is in us and we in Him.
This is why ‘is risen’ is so important. It is a state of being. An eternal condition of existence for Jesus and for you and I. Amazing grace.
After resurrection day Jesus is never again called the only Son of God
Because Acts 13:33 and Psalm 2 show us resurrection day started the day for Jesus to get His inheritance of the people of the earth (Jew and non-Jew alike), and take possession of the earth, He is called ‘the first born from the dead’ from that day on.
John 3:16 tells us He left heaven He was “His only begotten Son”, but when He was resurrected it was as the first born among many brethren.
“Those He knew ahead of time (would receive His Son) He determined they would be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He might be the first born among many brethren.” Romans 8: 29
“And He is the head of the body, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things He might have the preeminence.” Colossians 1: 18
“But you have come to the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, of those written in heaven, and to God (Father) the judge of all, and to the spirits of just people made perfect (complete in heaven.” Hebrews 12: 22-23
“And from Jesus Christ, the first born of the dead and Prince of the kings of the earth…” Revelation 1: 5
He is first born from the dead, what number are you?
You and I are included as those who follow the first born from the dead. There are times we feel more like a caterpillar than a butterfly, but those days don’t change the fact we have been born from the dead. One day we will receive glorified bodies like Jesus – made of heavenly material. But for now, we are learning to walk in what He was given – an inheritance and a possession. He ‘is risen’ and we are in Him…amazing.
We will conclude next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
