Light in the Darkness- Part5
Christ the Burden Bearer
The Bible is much more than a book. We can say, it is a library of books; written in different literary forms. Some portions give a historical account, some are poetic, and some are prophetic. Even if it is not a book of science, wherever God’s Word touches science, it speaks the truth.
From Genesis to Revelation the theme of Christ as burden bearer is interwoven. The concept of Christ as the Burden Bearer is deeply rooted in the Christian understanding of Jesus' role in the redemption and sustenance of believers.
Strong's Hebrew: 4853. מַשָּׂא (massa') -- Burden, load,
oracle, …
מַשָּׂא embraces the idea of anything borne or lifted. In Scripture it is applied to (1) physical loads, (2) inner or administrative pressures, (3) compulsory tributes, (4) the assigned loads of…[1]
Strong's Hebrew: 5449. סַבָּל (sabbal) -- Porter,
burden-bearer
סַבָּל depicts a laborer who carries heavy loads for another. The term evokes physical strength, endurance, and willing service under authority. By extension it speaks of the human …[2]
That power which creates
life and maintains all else in existence was in the Logos.
Logos: Theology
The
Word of God, or principle of divine reason and creative order, identified in
the Gospel of John with the second person of the Trinity incarnate in Jesus
Christ.[3]
God
created everything by His word. Word is logos. In the first creation, ‘darkness
was upon the face of the deep’ Gen. 1: 2. God called light into being, so the new
creation involves the banishing of spiritual darkness by the light which shines
through His Word.
Consider the Universe: its
complexity; the solar system, the atmosphere and the hydrosphere, the stars, life,
the first man and woman and the marriage, Good and evil; formation of
languages, government, culture, nations, and religions. Where do we find the
origin?
Now the foundations of the doctrines of: sin, the Fall, redemption, justification, Promised Messiah, the personality and the personhood of God; and the Kingdom of God. Where do we find the origin and the information?
So, dear friends and readers,
without Jesus, we are dead and
in deep darkness. We are lost and we cannot comprehend anything
without Him. Significantly, as humans we have an inborn fear towards both for
death and darkness. There is a certain supernatural element, which can be
related to light and darkness. Don’t you agree?
Remember
this,
And the light shineth in darkness; and the
darkness comprehended it not; Jn. 1: 5.
Then God said, “Let there be
light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good;
and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the
darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day; Gen. 1.3-5.
The first step from chaos to order is
to bring light. This is also the way God works in our life. This light came
instantaneously; when God spoke. ‘Light be: light was.’” Think of Saul,
and the bright light on the road to Damascus. Saul became Apostle Paul.
Comprehend: “The Greek verb is not easy to translate. It contains the idea of laying hold on something so as to make it one’s own. This can lead to meanings like ‘lay hold with the mind’, and thus ‘comprehend’…[Yet] The verb we are discussing has a rarer, but sufficiently attested meaning, ‘overcome’. It is that….that is required here.” (Morris)[4]
And
the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it: Did not overcome it is another way to translate
the phrase, “did not comprehend it.”
In fact in the light all the dirt, will be exposed.
So, when light shines in our heart, which is the seat of understanding, our hidden man, our secrets are now exposed to us; which is known to God from the beginning. When it shines on our brain, our cognitive capacity changes. Light shinning in our hearts and brain totally changes our emotional understanding and cognitive processing. This means we humans, who were blind before now begin to see.
Jesus knew that from the beginning, that
we need Him, all the time as the real burden bearer. So, in His
sacrificial love, He gave Himself for us all. He is the true light. Light
cannot lose against the darkness. The
darkness will never be able to overcome the light. This is good news for us,
our soul, our body, our spirit and our being!
Spiritual
Significance
Referring back to all of Christ’s role;
our real model is Christ Jesus Himself. Every believer has an
opportunity, to conform to the following; if we search God’s word and wait upon
His presence.
1.Service:Humble labor as much as regal decree.
2.SharedBurdens:communal responsibility;Gal.6:2.
3. Perseverance: weariness and opposition overcome by prayer and
watchfulness; Neh. 4: 9.
4. Obedience: Tasks may not be glamorous. But, our faithfulness in lowly duties is precious to God.
Burden
bearing represents covenant faithfulness expressed through manual service. From
Solomon to Nehemiah, burden bearers advanced God’s redemptive plan. Their
legacy calls every believer to shoulder assigned tasks. The giftings are
different for varied personalities.
But, as Christ’s Ambassadors, wherever our calling may be, we are called to be like the real Burden bearer- who is Christ Jesus Himself! This by trusting the Lord who empowers and remembers even the cup of cold water offered in His name.
Think about all
the different times God protected you in your life?
Crawling towards the altar of grace daily and
surrendering our life and death and the events which occur in between and our
unending need; is the most humble
adoration to God and an act of trust in Him.
The neuroscience of trust reveals that trust is deeply rooted in
our brain chemistry, particularly through the action of oxytocin, which fosters feelings of connection and safety in social interactions.[5]
When
an infant comes to this world, when the mother touches, or holds the hand, the
infant will clasp the mother with the tiny little fingers….an awesome
beautiful moment to be cherished! The fact is we are like infants in this
dark world in our inward- Neuro-chemical makeup. We are build to hold on to
something … for security (Ref, Ecc 3). The most beautiful thing is like an infant,
in our darkness, grasp the hands of Jesus for help!
[1]https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=299&q=Burden+in+Hebrew&cvid=a2ed41ba56b74cb598c
[2]https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=299&q=bearer+in+Hebrew&cvid=08d04e492a9f401181be
[3]https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=299&q=logos+meaning&cvid=987d8771064f475196372
[4] Enduring Word
Bible Commentary John Chapter 1
