Feeding the Lambs - Finished Work of Christ
-Jesus of Nazareth, 1st century
John 16:12
[8th message of the New Believer Series]
So this is the 8th day of this series. If you arrived here after reading the 7th message, then we are in the understanding that you have been reborn -- transformed by the finished work of Christ. What this means is moving forward we will unpack what this is about in the life of a new believer.
8th Day
If you are into numbers or biblical numerology, then we can say that from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament bible) the number 8 sometimes is used symbolically to represent the total completion of something or a surplus (7 + 1). The number 7 being the number of completion.
New Beginning
8 also represents a new beginning. We see this with the 8 people saved from the flood in Noah's time. These 8 people restarted the human race all over again -- a new beginning for humankind.
Circumcision
Also in the Old Testament bible, every Israelite male was circumcised on the 8th day. This is in accordance with the law of the firstborn (a new beginning). Jesus Himself was circumcised on the 8th day following His birth, as was their Jewish tradition.
The Work of the Holy Spirit
Before Jesus finished His earthly ministry, He told His disciples many things, like a tutor teaching everything they needed to know to help His students who were cramming before they take their final exams.
But Jesus stopped Himself from telling them more as we read from the excerpt above, from the narrative written by the Apostle John.
Jesus explained that after He leaves them He will send the promise, the gift of the Holy Spirit. And that He has to leave, otherwise the Spirit will not be sent to them. And when the Spirit comes, He (the Holy Spirit) will explain what will come next.
Dispensations
To explain this further, in the Old Testament, God the Father was the One in communication with His creation. In the New Testament, it was God who was made flesh -- Jesus of Nazareth. After Jesus went back to heaven, He sent His Spirit -- the Holy Spirit and it is His turn from that time on (up to our time today).
Before Jesus left, He told His closest followers He will not say more because without His Spirit guiding them, they would not be able to understand.
This is also the reason why we wanted to be in agreement that only (new) believers -- those who have believed Christ, would continue on with this series.
The Day of Pentecost
The day of Pentecost took place after 7 weeks, 7 x 7 days (49 days). It happened on the very next day (49 + 1), after 7 complete sabbaths (on the 8th day).
The day of Pentecost (50th) as told in the book of Acts marked another new beginning.
Because the day of Pentecost was the day God sent His Spirit to humankind. He established the new era where the Holy Spirit would indwell in the believer -- the age we are in right now.
We would explain this further, later on with the help of the Holy Spirit.
For right now, we just want to reiterate that as Jesus said, we too will tell you many things but we will also refrain from discussing other things because it will totally not make sense. Being a new believer is being a new creation -- a newborn. And as a newborn, we will start our feeding with milk and baby food.
To explain this further, in the Old Testament, God the Father was the One in communication with His creation. In the New Testament, it was God who was made flesh -- Jesus of Nazareth. After Jesus went back to heaven, He sent His Spirit -- the Holy Spirit and it is His turn from that time on (up to our time today).
Before Jesus left, He told His closest followers He will not say more because without His Spirit guiding them, they would not be able to understand.
This is also the reason why we wanted to be in agreement that only (new) believers -- those who have believed Christ, would continue on with this series.
The Day of Pentecost
The day of Pentecost took place after 7 weeks, 7 x 7 days (49 days). It happened on the very next day (49 + 1), after 7 complete sabbaths (on the 8th day).
The day of Pentecost (50th) as told in the book of Acts marked another new beginning.
Because the day of Pentecost was the day God sent His Spirit to humankind. He established the new era where the Holy Spirit would indwell in the believer -- the age we are in right now.
We would explain this further, later on with the help of the Holy Spirit.
For right now, we just want to reiterate that as Jesus said, we too will tell you many things but we will also refrain from discussing other things because it will totally not make sense. Being a new believer is being a new creation -- a newborn. And as a newborn, we will start our feeding with milk and baby food.
Start of the Church
With the sending of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. That first Pentecost Sunday marked the start of the Christian Church.
If you are still unsure or if you still have doubts if you are part of that church or if you have been reborn and totally a new believer in Christ, then review the Rebirth Series and afterwards come back and continue on with this New Believer's Series.
As a lost sheep, one needs to be reborn and nourished as a new lamb.
If you are still unsure or if you still have doubts if you are part of that church or if you have been reborn and totally a new believer in Christ, then review the Rebirth Series and afterwards come back and continue on with this New Believer's Series.
As a lost sheep, one needs to be reborn and nourished as a new lamb.
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