Pages: 1
The Zeal Of Jesus
(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)
Posted by: mellie73
The Zeal of Jesus
Because Jesus was as much man as though He were never God He has a human nature, just as we do, yet without sin. The Bible says, in Hebrews 4:15 that Jesus "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." As a man Jesus had a character unlike any other.
He was a zealot. Whose zeal manifested at an early age, and as a young boy it caused Him to remain behind in Jerusalem when his mother and Joseph left the city. When they returned to see Him out and found Him, three days later, in the Temple astounding the learned, He replied: ..."How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business?"
This same zeal led Him on in later life to become a rather unusual circuit preacher to say the least. In Luke 4:42-44 we are told that the as He left town the people would follow Him so that He would remain with them. But He told them that He had to "preach the Kingdom of God to other cities also". In Luke 8:1 we are told that "...He went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God:...".
He was "on fire" and His zeal was such that it caused great crowd to follow Him. As He withdrew from a town so many followed him to the sea that He ordered His disciples to have a boat waiting so that He could cast away a bit to keep the crowds from thronging Him.
He finally had to withdraw from this massive Preaching and healing Crusade and flee into the mountains taking some with Him, and there He held an ordination service for the twelve Disciples, that would travel with Him preaching and also go out later on their own.
After this service, they decided to eat, but before they could the crowds caught up to them and were so pressing they could not even eat, but the zeal of Jesus burning within Him caused Him to take up where he had left off, and some of His friends sought to restrain Him, thinking He had gone mad, as it were, and was beside Himself, with His burning zeal.
Jesus was Zealous
Read in the second chapter of John, how His zeal caused Him to literally risk His life cleansing the Temple and driving out the "money changers" with a whip and turned over their tables. His disciples were reminded then of Psalms 69 which says in verse 9: "For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up;...".
This burning zeal of Jesus consumed Him and would not so much as allow Him to rest till He had accomplished the job God gave Him to do. Luke 12:49,50: "I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
I see much written about the Love of Christ, and how we are to exhibit this love in our dealings. But I don't see much written about the zeal of Christ. Ought we not also to exhibit that zeal in our lives as well as His Love? Did He not call us and ordain us to do just that? How many have we touched with His power? How many have we anointed and prayed for and how many have we led to the Cross?
If we are to exhibit His Love, ought we not also to exhibit His zeal?
Want to deepen your fellowship with Jesus and grow spiritually? Exhibit, in your life, not only His Love, but His Zeal as well!