The word testament means “covenant.” So when you read the New Testament, you are actually reading about the New Covenant. When Jesus was preparing to die on the cross, He shared a final meal with His disciples. It was the Passover meal, but Jesus gave it new significance (Luke 22:14-20). At that meal, He said, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood” (v. 20).
With this New Covenant comes a very special blessing. We read about it in Hebrews: “So Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant… Therefore He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:22,25).
When Jesus was on earth, His mission—His “job description”—was to fulfill the Law and pay for our sins on the cross. Part of His job description now in the New Covenant is to make intercession for the saints, which includes you (9:24; 10:19-22). You are not on your own. You are not alone.
You are not on your own. You are not alone.
Jesus now intercedes on your behalf. But the only way to experience His saving power on a daily basis is by aligning yourself under Him. When you do that, you experience the blessings of His care.
Experiencing a blessing includes the ability to both enjoy the favor of God in your own life and extend His favor to others. We are not “cul-de-sac Christians.” We are conduits. God never intended for His blessings to go no further than our own lives. He desires for us to be channels through which His blessings will be delivered to others.
He desires for us to be channels through which His blessings will be delivered to others.
Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). He established His church as His own body, of which He is the head. As His body, we are called to serve one another. Love one another. Honor one another. Encourage one another. Forgive one another. Instruct one another. Essentially, we are to reflect and honor Jesus in our words and actions with one another.
Our vertical relationship with God—our intimacy with Him and our access to His authority and blessings—is tied to our horizontal relationship with His body, the church. In our relationships with other people, it could be said that we are the “horizontal Jesus” to others. Because Christ is in us, others should be able to see Jesus in us. He is our head and we—His church, His family of believers—are His body, living under His lordship.
In our relationships with other people, it could be said that we are the “horizontal Jesus” to others.
If you know someone who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, you know a disconnect occurs between what the brain signals and what the body does. The nerve impulses that control movement malfunction. This is highly frustrating for the individual, because the body is designed to follow the signals from the head.
The same is true for the body of Christ. We are to function fully under the direction of our head, Christ. We are to reflect Jesus in all that we do. We are His hands and feet.
We are to reflect Jesus in all that we do. We are His hands and feet.
We desire others to treat us with honor, and Jesus wants the same thing from us. Honoring Him in all we do ushers in His favor. How can you honor Jesus with your thoughts, words and actions? Here are some suggestions:
Thoughts –Ask yourself: do my thoughts honor the Lord or am I preoccupied with myself?
Words –Make it a habit of showing Jesus honor through your words by talking to others with the honor they deserve as people made in His image.
Actions –Keep a journal for one week of how you spend your time. After reviewing your journal, assess if you are honoring and reflecting Jesus with the first place position in your life.
The life and ministry of Jesus does not end. He is in His rightful exalted place in heaven and He is in you. Let His life and ministry flow out of you as you reflect Him in what you think, do and say.
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