December 1, 2019 Jesus and the Cross
/in 2019 Lord’s Day /by Youhyun ChangSenior Overseer Kidong Kim
[1 Corinthians 1:18]
God
is good.
He
gave His Son to the world.
He is Jesus Christ (Jn 20:30-31).
‘Jesus’ is His name (Mk 1:21),
‘Christ’ is His duty (Jn 17:3).
This is the duty of God’s Son.
He received God’s command to hang on the cross (Jn 10:17-18).
The cross is the method, hanging there is the punishment.
The cross is worldly law and religion (Lk 23:24).
Christ hung there. He is unrelated to sin.
He is God’s Son (Mk 16:16).
Therefore,
do you see and believe God’s Son
or see the cross and stumble?
Mankind’s turning point to be saved or perish (Jn 10:9-10)
is found in the two criminals beside Jesus.
One criminal was saved and the other perished (Lk 23:33).
Do you see punishment on the cross and become dismayed (Lk 23:39)
or see Christ hanging there and believe?
Baptism is standing on the side of Christ (Mk 16:14-20).
It is confessing and certifying you are one with Jesus.
○ If you are baptized by immersion,
God will give you His recognition and guarantee.
○ The Holy Spirit’s coming is His witness and guarantee.
We do not see and believe the cross but believe Him who hung there.
○ If you misunderstand Jesus and the cross, you will stumble (Mat 11:6).
He needed to hang on the cross (Jn 3:14-15).
We are saved by faith in Jesus. Those who stumble will perish (Jn 3:18).
※ No one is justified by seeing man.
If you see Jesus and believe, you are justified.
Only those who receive baptism and God’s grace are justified.
Coming Soon
As I have walked this single path my whole life, I have witnessed God’s eternity, wisdom and renown. I understood not only does man exist for God’s will, but so do the animals, trees and flowers. To fulfill God’s great will, God did use one person. King David and King Solomon each did their work to fulfill God’s great will. It was not only Moses, but the prophets who fulfilled this great will. It was not just mankind, but one was chosen among them to be ‘a living soul’. Abraham did his work, Isaac did his work, and Jacob did his work. Each of them fulfilled God’s work. This is God’s great grace. God said to Abraham, “To you I will give the land of Canaan As the allotment of your inheritance” (Psalms 105:11). It also say, “He remembers His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac, And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant” (Psalms 105:8-10). God saved Israel by the statute He gave Jacob. Finally, they entered the land of Canaan and took possession of it. For the first time in Korean history, Sungrak Church was established as an independent church. God supported Semuon, and Semuon used all his strength, body and soul in every work. God set the root and stump firmly in place. He cut off some branches so new branches could grow. Semuon became the stump. I am sure the Overseer to follow me will be like a new shoot and produce leaves, flowers and fruit. I am joyful. David restored Jerusalem, and Solomon built the temple. God’s name dwells in this temple. It heals, saves and redeems His people. Think about it: has the foundation been set this well by man’s strength or will? We all receive sap from the stump, and grow. The succeeding Overseer has much work to do. Our job is to obey him that he becomes God’s great servant. Let us pray continually, be full of the Holy Spirit, full of the truth, and full of God’s grace. A baby cannot be born except by pains of childbirth. It is the same in the church. The tree feels the pain in its joints as it grows. When the leaves of grass come out, new stems even appear to become a flower. In the same way, God truly works His continuous progress. The great work Semuon could not complete will be done by the succeeding Overseer. The fruit and crown will be dedicated to God. God raised the church for the stump to remain and bring forth new stems. Amen. We must leave the past behind, look forward and run all the quicker. Semuon, 1st December 2019
Coming Soon
Outline translated by John Kim
Letter translated by John Kim
Interpretations by John Kim
Korean Summary by Ki-Taek Lee