Hope of Glory

^“I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.  To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Colossians 1:25-27

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)

 
Colossians 1:25-27 tells about a mystery that has been hidden for ages but is now disclosed to the saints.  There are glorious riches in this mystery.  This mystery is Christ in us, the hope of glory.

This isn’t the only Scripture that talks about what resides in you and me.  Second Corinthians 12:9 is another amazing verse.  We’ll have to go through a language lesson and match it with other verses in the Bible to grasp the fullness of its meaning.  The Greek word for “rest” in the phrase “the power of Christ may rest upon me” is episkenoo which means “to dwell, to abide in, to tabernacle.”  Part of this word is used in John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”   The Greek word for “dwelling” is skenoo which means “to tent, or encamp, to occupy or to reside, to tabernacle.”  John was using a play on words to say that the glory of God seen in the Exodus tabernacle and Solomon’s temple had come back to dwell in Israel.  God sent the fullness of His glory once again.  Only this time instead of being enfolded in a cloud or a pillar of fire, the glory was draped by flesh and bone on Jesus. 

Therefore, in 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul was saying that the power of Christ tabernacled in him.  In fact, the power of Christ tabernacles in all believers.  It is covered by your flesh and my flesh, but it’s in there.  The Greek word for “power” is dunamis which means “to be able, achieving power.”  This power is different from other words for power because this power is active, working, and achieving.  It is not just possessing the ability.  It is working power!  The English word “dynamite” is derived from dunamis.  Inside you and me is the very power of God!  We have dynamite in us that is all accomplishing!  Oh, my!  Oh, yes!  In you.  And in me.  Hallelujah!

Jesus was the Shekinah Glory of the Old Testament returned in the cloak of human flesh to dwell among us.  The Shekinah Glory had come back to Israel.  God’s glory had walked on the shores of Galilee, had taught in Judea, and had entered the temple during the annual feasts.  The glory that the old men longed for in their restored temple was back in Israel.  The disciples, the women, the crowds, and even the religious leaders had seen this glory for which others had wished.

Because the nation rejected Jesus as its Messiah, Immanuel left the temple for the final time in the history of mankind.  Just as the Shekinah Glory left the temple, ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives, and has not returned, so did the Son of God…Two thousand years of history without the perfect presence of the glory of the LORD. 

However, the glory of God still resides here on earth.  When the Holy Spirit came, the glory of God came back in secret once again.  Only those with eyes that discern the things of the Spirit understand it.  In you and me is the Hope of Glory.  Christ in us, the Hope of Glory!  Jesus Christ lives in us!  Jesus lives in you and me!  Believers are covenant partners with Him, and we have ingested Him into our entire being.  Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah, now lives in us.

This is just another dimension of how I know that Jesus lives.  I know that He lives because He lives in me.  I am being made new every day and being conformed into the image of God’s precious Son.  The old sinful Shirley is dying, and the righteous Shirley with Jesus in her is blooming.  It is the most alive, beautiful, and wonderful that I have ever felt.  So I say, “Keep living in me, Jesus.  Keep living in me.”

Pray with me:  Oh, God, how amazing is it that Christ dwells in us!  This mystery that was hidden through the ages was revealed to those who accepted Jesus.  The mystery is that the Hope of Glory is in us.  Jesus lives in us!  We have dunamis power, accomplishing power.  Keep living in us, Jesus.  It’s in Your Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray.  Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study