We are told to give thanks to God the Father in Jesus' name...have you ever thought much about that? I don't know if questions like this come to your mind when you read a verse like ours of this week, but when I read a verse repeatedly I start seeing things like this that make me think, "Why is that?"
Colossians 3:17 gives a similar directive...
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
We are told in James 1:17 that...
Colossians 3:17 gives a similar directive...
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
We are told in James 1:17 that...
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father...
So can we determine that everything that we have to be thankful for is from God the Father, that the Giver of the Trinity is the Father. He is the One who determines the gifts that are needed by His children and He is the One who orchestrates their delivery to us. He is the Giver of every good and perfect gift, including the greatest gift ever given, Jesus, our Savior, His Son, given for us so we could be His. Thankful? Oh yes...eternally thankful to God the Father. For His love, for His plan, for His Son.
Which leads us then to, why do we give thanks "in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." And a similar question, why are we instructed to pray, "in Jesus' name?" Throughout the New Testament, we are told to honor and to praise God, "through Jesus"...
Hebrews 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Jesus instructed us to "ask in His name" when we present our petitions to God (John 16:23-26). What is it about Jesus' name in context of our dialogue with God the Father?
I think 1 Corinthians 3:23 gives us a good statement to launch our answer on..."and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's" or as The Message puts it, "and you are privileged to be in union with Christ, who is in union with God."
Just as Jesus told His followers (and us today)..there is no other way to the Father, except through Him. Jesus tore the curtain to the Holy place, the presence of God. Read what Matthew Henry has to say about Matthew 27:51,
The rending of the veil signified that Christ, by his death, opened a way to God. We have an open way through Christ to the throne of grace, or mercy-seat now, and to the throne of glory hereafter.
We can never presume that on our own, without Christ, we could ever have dialogue with God the Father; and we know we would never have been able to have access to the throne of glory hereafter. It is only through Christ that we have been given the right of entrance into the presence of God the Father.
Oh my yes! Yes! - Give thanks always for everything to God the Father...our Giver...in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ...our Gift!
1 comment:
You have given such great insight to this verse and to the way we approach our God. New meaning to me, "In Jesus' Name." Your little brain operates "a mile a minute" and I am thankful.
Post a Comment