Last week we looked at the triune nature of Jesus Christ
as Priest, Prophet, and King, worthy of our worship, loyalty and submission. Because
He is pure, holy and just, He is filled with righteous anger and wrath at sin (Jeremiah 10:10; John 3:36; Romans
1:18).
Yet the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 17:14; 19:16) is also a God of love (1 John 4:7). He has a gentler,
more nurturing side, also described in
three aspects as our Creator, Sustainer,
and Redeemer.
The Creator spoke us and the universe into existence (Colossians 1:16); the Sustainer satisfies
all our physical and spiritual needs to maintain life (Ephesians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 9:10-12); and the
Redeemer or Deliverer (Romans 11:26)
bought us with the price of His own shed blood, freeing us from the bondage
of sin and death (Romans 3:23-25).
Names of Jesus reflecting His creative powers include Maker, Builder, and Author. Jesus
is the just, pure, and righteous
Maker (Job 4:17; 36:3) of all men (Proverbs 22:2), of
the heavens and earth (Isaiah 51:13),
and of the Holy City (Hebrews 11:10).
Our Maker is
therefore worthy of our worship (Psalm 95:6), respect (Isaiah 17:7),
and obedience (Isaiah 45:9).
He is the Master Builder Who places us on His sure
foundation (Hebrews 3:3; Matthew
16:18), and the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
As the Sustainer, Jesus Christ feeds us. He is the Bread of Life (John 6:32-:51) Who came down from Heaven, the Living Water, and the True Vine
(John 15:1,5) Who nourishes us
as a vine brings life-sustaining nutrients to its branches.
The roles of Jesus as the Sustainer, Who upholds all
things (Hebrews 1:3) include Physician or Healer, Teacher, and Bridegroom (Husband and Spouse). The Physician heals our diseased
bodies, casts out demons, cleanses us from our sins, and heals our troubled
souls (Matthew 8:16; 9:12;
10:8; Mark 2:17; Luke 4:23).
The Teacher taught from the Scriptures, in parables,
and by example. His teachings are
the words of eternal life (John 6:68;
I John 1:1).
The Bridegroom (Matthew
9:15; 25) is the perfect
Husband (Isaiah 54:5), Who loves
us with self-sacrificing agape love (Ephesians
5:25), Who will always be faithful (1
Corinthians 1:9) and Who will never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
We are further blessed that our Spouse is the fairest and
chiefest of ten thousand (Song of Solomon
5:10). His matchless beauty (Isaiah
33:17) is compared to that of three plants: the Rose of Sharon, the Lily of
the Valley (Song of Solomon 2:1),
and the glorious Branch of the LORD
(Isaiah 11:1; 4:2; Zechariah 6:12;; Jeremiah 33:15,
23:5).
The sustenance of Jesus Christ is the only source of
everlasting life from the Father, for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one can come to the Father except by Him (John 14:6).
Three roles of Jesus befitting His nature as the Truth (Revelation
3:7) are the Faithful and True Witness (the Amen; Revelation
3:14; 1:5; 19:11;
Isaiah 55:4), a Covenant
of the people (Isaiah 42:6) in
that He is the fulfillment of God’s promise of a Messiah, and the Testator (Hebrews 7:22; 9:16,17) Whose death allowed all believers
to be joint heirs with Him.
The Sustainer also guides us on our journey through life,
for He is not only the Way (John 14:6), but also the Light (Isaiah 9:2; Luke 2:32; John 1:4,9, 8:12, 12:35,46),
and the Shepherd Who leads us out of danger and to safety (Psalm 23; Ezekiel 34:23; John 10:11,16; Zechariah 13:7; Isaiah
40:10-11; 1 Peter 2:25; 5:4) because He Himself is the
Door of the sheep (John 10:7).
Even the selfless love and care of Christ the Shepherd
has three progressive stages. He is the Good
Shepherd Who knows His sheep and lays down His life for them (John 10:14-16). The power of His
resurrection makes Him the Great
Shepherd Whose blood is the everlasting covenant (Hebrews 13:20). When we see Christ in His glory at the
judgment seat, He shall be as the Chief
Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4).
As the Light, Jesus is described as the Morning Star; as the Dayspring (dawn’s first light; Luke 1:78), and as the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2). The Morning Star, which refers to Venus or other
bright planet when visible in the east before sunrise (Revelation 2:16,28), is also known as the Star (Numbers 24:17) or Day
Star (2 Peter 1:19. These
names remind us that His Light is always there to guide us, faithful as the sun
rising every morning, brightening our days, and giving us hope when darkness
seems to surround us.
The Sustainer also guards and protects us with His
infinite strength (Joel 3:16),
which is like a strong Tower (Proverbs 18:10) or Fortress (Psalm 31:3; 71:3) protecting
us from the storms (Isaiah 25:4; 32:2)
or our enemies (Psalm 31:2,
the spiritual Rock of our salvation (Matthew 16:18, Psalm 61:2; 62:7;
71:3; 94:22; 2 Samuel 22:47; 1 Corinthians 10:4),
and a Foundation or precious and living
chief Corner Stone (Psalm 118:22, Isaiah
28:16, 1 Corinthians 3:11, 1 Peter 2:4,6).
Praise God that He is not only our Creator and Sustainer,
but that He is our Redeemer (Job 19:25;
Psalm 19:14; 78:35; Isaiah 41:13; 43:14, 44:6,14), Who set us free from sin and death! (Romans 3:23-25). He is known as
the Redeemer, Deliverer (Romans 11:26), and Arm of the Lord (Isaiah 51:9; 52:10; 53:1; 62:8), mighty
to save but tenderly protecting us (Isaiah
40:11).
He paid the price in full for our freedom, giving every drop of His precious blood to pay our sin debt in full. We are saved by grace through faith in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15) as the completed work to buy our liberty from the bondage of hell. Praise God that whosovever believes in Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, and Himself the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, has everlasting life! (John 3:16).
This post is featured as Reader's Choice this week at What Joy is Mine! Thanks so much to Naomi and to your readers!
© 2012 Laurie Collett