Week 11 - The Lion of the Tribe of Judah

Monday Scripture Reading: Gen. 49:9-12; John 15:1; Rev. 1:10-11; 4:11; 5:5 I [Jesus] am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5) The Lord Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah After the martyrdom of the apostles Paul and Peter, the apostle John was imprisoned for many years, during which we believe he learned to deny himself. We also believe that during his exile in Patmos, John learned to listen to the Spirit (Rev. 1:10). By being in spirit, he received a revelation and was commissioned to write the book of Revelation (v. 11). In that book, John received the revelation of Jesus Christ, which conveys the way God is leading the churches and governing all things according to His will (4:11). John recorded the visions he saw, being told to do so by the angel of the Lord. In Revelation 5 is the vision of a sealed scroll with the content, we believe, of God s New Testament economy, His eternal purpose for man. When he heard the angel ask in a loud voice who would be able to open the scroll and loose its seals, John wept much, for in the whole universe no one was found worthy to open the scroll or even look at it. At that moment, one of the twenty-four elders who were before the throne of God said, Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals (Rev. 5:5). That elder was referring to the Lord Jesus. In Genesis 49, in the prophetic blessings of Jacob for his sons, we see that Judah is regarded as a lion (vv. 9-10); this is a type of the Lord Jesus as the King. The scepter and the lawgiver mentioned in this prophecy indicate authority and the nobility of kingship. Verse 11 speaks of the colt of Judah which was bound to the choicest vine, and was transformed as a result of that restriction (v. 12). That colt represents man. Although God has predestinated us to reign with Christ, our nature is still as stubborn as that of a donkey. In order to be prepared for the kingdom, we must put off the old man who opposes God s will. That is only possible if we are bound to Christ, the choicest vine, so that we may feed upon His life, represented in this portion as the blood of grapes. In other words, the Lord Jesus has bound us to Himself that He may carry out a transforming work in us. According to John 15:1, Jesus is the true vine. As opposed to a tall tree, a vine grows horizontally, meaning that its fruit is accessible to all. Even animals of short stature like donkeys are able to reach the grapes. This indicates the unreserved availability of God s life. If we desire to be transformed like that little colt in Genesis 49, we must submit to restriction. This way, we will no longer have the freedom to feed on just anything, for our diet will be abounding with grapes, that is, with the words that supply God s life. Denying the self by feeding on the true vine. Your What is the meaning of the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the colt in this portion? THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY OF CHRIST - Walking in Love 1

Tuesday Scripture Reading: Gen. 49:11-12; Matt. 21:3; John 6:57; 10:10b; 2 Pet. 1:3-4; 1 John 3:2 Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. (Eph. 5:25b-27) Glorious Process of Transformation As He drew near Jerusalem, the Lord sent two of His disciples to a nearby village to find and bring with them a donkey and a colt that had been tied up. The Lord also told them that if anyone asked about those animals, they should simply say, the Lord has need of them (Matt. 21:1-3). Despite being regarded by the people as a king in Jerusalem, rather than choosing a noble animal to ride, Jesus chose two animals used for carrying loads. It is important to notice here that when the Lord needed them, both the donkey and the colt were ready. The Lord also needs us for His second coming. Like those two donkeys, if we desire to be used by the Lord, we must be prepared to bring Him as King. Such preparation requires us to be transformed by the divine life. While we are being filled with God s life, we are being emptied of our old nature at the same time. That is a metabolic transformation process, advancing to the measure that we are nurtured by God s life. By being bound to Christ, the choicest vine, we are only allowed to eat of His fruit. In other words, when we are in spirit, in fellowship with the Lord, we are restrained and no longer have the freedom to choose other things as food; instead, we are supplied by the Lord Jesus and satisfied by Him. This way, little by little, we put aside our old nature and live by the Lord s life in us (John 6:57). The Lord is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, clothed with the authority and nobility stemming from the divine life. Since it is God s desire that we be like Him, making us partakers of His life and nature, He also wants us to be lions (1 John 3:2; 2 Pet. 1:3-4). If we practice the church life, always seeking to be in spirit, we will eat a lot of the fruit of the vine. As the choicest vine, the Lord Jesus possesses life that is available abundantly (John 10:10b). That is represented by the clusters of grapes produced in Genesis 49, where we see enough wine to wash one s garments, and blood of grapes to wash his clothes (v. 11b), indicating the transformation which takes place in our acts, or actions (Rev. 19:8). When we experience the abundance of God s life and the joy of the Spirit, our eyes become red with wine like someone who is filled and even drunk with the Spirit (Gen. 49:12; Eph. 5:18). During this glorious process, our teeth become white as milk, that is, our nature is metabolically changed. We, who were like donkeys, are being sanctified and our expression transformed (vv. 25b-27) that we may be ready to reign with the Lord. Although we were stubborn and selfish in the past, we are now being transformed into obedient servants who have a desire to share God s life with others. Like the donkey in Matthew 21, we become useful to the Lord and cooperate with Him by preaching the gospel of the kingdom, using books that abound with the Word. Hallelujah! Being like the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Your How can we prepare ourselves to be useful to the Lord? THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY OF CHRIST - Walking in Love 2

Wednesday Scripture Reading: Matt. 24:14; Mark 16:15; John 5:39-40; 6:63 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, and, What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia. (Rev. 1:9-11a) John: Prepared to Be Useful to God in His Maturity The majority of the disciples were Galilean fishermen, simple folk without much formal instruction, to whom the Lord entrusted preaching the gospel of the kingdom throughout the earth (Matt. 24:14; Mark 16:15). After the Lord s death, resurrection, and ascension, they continued the New Testament ministry, propagating the gospel of the kingdom and calling on the Lord s name. In the year 70 AD, the Roman general Titus destroyed the city of Jerusalem along with its temple, and the believers who called on the Lord s name were persecuted throughout the empire. The apostles Paul and Peter were martyred, as well as other Christian leaders. During that time, John was not in a leading position. (In the book of Acts, John is always following Peter, being led by him.) Due to his position as a follower as opposed to that of a leader, rather than being martyred, John was imprisoned and exiled to the island of Patmos. God did not allow John to die, for He still needed him to continue the ministry of the New Testament and help the churches. While in prison, John was transformed to be useful to God; he matured spiritually and received visions and revelations, including the book of Revelation itself. After recording the book of Revelation, John spent time with the Ephesians, whose spiritual situation at that time was quite negative. In fact, once he was free to go, John was prepared to help the church in Ephesus practice the words they had received from Paul. Despite receiving such wonderful words, the Ephesians did not practice them, focusing on old-womanish tales, discussions, and different teachings. Having been transformed by God s life, John possessed the spiritual maturity needed to help the saints repent from that problematic situation. Instead of analyzing the Lord s words, John shows us that we should gain life from them (John 5:39-40; 6:63), the life which can transform us. Like John, we must prepare ourselves to be useful to the Lord. Therefore, let us not fear situations of restriction, our prisons, but take advantage of every opportunity to deny ourselves and remain in spirit. That is how we can grow in life and be ready to be sent by the Lord to transmit His words of life to others. Restricted, transformed, and prepared to be useful to God. Your Restricted, transformed, and prepared to be useful to God. THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY OF CHRIST - Walking in Love 3

Thursday Scripture Reading: John 1:1, 4; 5:39-40; 6:63; 14:17; 2 John 4-6; 3 John 4 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us. (1 John 1:1-2) God s Main Burden: Spirit and Life During John s exile, the Spirit reminded him of many things the Lord Jesus said (John 14:26). Therefore, when he wrote his gospel, John was able to mention things that had not been recorded in the other three gospels. For instance, he recorded that God became flesh in the person of the Lord Jesus (1:1, 14), and that He would return as the Spirit of reality to abide in those who were to believe in Him (7:39; 14:17). The first three gospels present happenings which took place during the Lord Jesus earthly ministry. Luke, for instance, wrote an orderly account of events involving the Lord Jesus (Luke 1:1-4). Matthew and Mark adopted a similar approach in their gospels, highlighting, respectively, the Lord s actions as the King of the kingdom of the heavens and as a Slave, always submissive to God s will. However, John presents a deeper perception of the Lord s teachings, having certainly used his time in exile to better understand the main burden of His words. It interesting to see that in His earthly ministry, the Lord transmitted His words to all of His disciples. Matthew, Peter, James, John and all the others heard what the Lord said concerning the Spirit, the end times, His second coming, the judgment seat of Christ, and the manifestation of the coming kingdom. Nevertheless, in order to complete the revelation of God s will and help us see the desire of His heart, John was commissioned to write his gospel and epistles. In John s writings, we can see that God desires man to receive His life and grow by walking in spirit and by practicing His Word, thus making him ready to reign in the coming world with Christ. We should not be satisfied with only our first perception of the biblical records. In order to receive the revelation of God s main burden, we must spend more time in fellowship with Him, calling on His name. We must consider God s Word in spirit, meditating over it in order to see what is most important Spirit and life (John 1:4; 4:24; 5:39-40; 6:63). Furthermore, in order to carry out God s burden, we must be in spirit to gain more of His life. When that takes place, we become willing to deny ourselves and follow the Lord in the church where we can be perfected with others. That is a continuous process which does not take place all at one time. John, for instance, took twenty years to learn that walking in spirit, absorbing the words of life, and practicing them to manifest God s love are most important (1 John 1:1-2; 2 John 4-6; 3 John 4). Like John, we must redeem our time by daily picking up our cross, denying ourselves, and by taking advantage of every opportunity to grow in life. Seeking to understand and practice God s will. Your What is the difference between the revelations in the Gospel of John and those contained in the other gospels? THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY OF CHRIST - Walking in Love 4

Friday Scripture Reading: John 1:12-13; Eph. 4:14; Phil. 2:14; Col. 3:17; 1 Tim. 1:3-7 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21) The Real Need for Denying the Soul-life When the Lord regenerated us, we received the new life, God s life (John 1:12-13). This life is not intended to remain stagnant, but to grow up and fulfill God s purpose. In order for this growth to take place, we must deny our soul-life, which is the life we inherited from Adam (James 1:21; 1 Pet. 2:1-2). Many of us already know in theory how to deny our soul-life. We know that our soul is like a glass filled with water that needs to be emptied of its content so that something else can be added. In other words, we must let go of our soul-life to be filled with the divine life. Still, in practice, all of us must experience these words in a more effective way. In our day-to-day living, we must seek to live by God s life more than we do our own natural life. Although we may be good Christians, we may be missing out on opportunities to deny ourselves. Let us not fool ourselves. When we preach the gospel, we should not preach ourselves to the people we encounter. Despite being eloquent and pleasant while transmitting God s words, we must be careful that our self is not manifest. Therefore, we must walk in spirit, constantly calling on the Lord s name. When we call on His name, our self is restricted and the Lord can rule over us. We may assess how much we have been denying our soul-life by looking at our service to God, whether we do it in spirit or in ourselves (Col. 3:17; Phil. 2:14). For instance, if the saints in the church need us to serve, yet we do not present ourselves, it is because we still live by our natural life. It is also inadequate when our service is inconstant, which indicates its source is not the spirit, but our natural disposition: If something is according to my opinion, I will serve, but if not, I will do nothing. Another characteristic of someone who walks according to their soul-life is to have itching ears toward unsound teachings (2 Tim. 4:3). Beware! Let us not be deceived by any idle talk, trickery of men, or cunning craftiness of those who lead to error (Eph. 4:14; 1 Tim. 1:5-7). Instead, let us keep a sober mind that is under the spirit s control and feed on the healthy words of life which promote our spiritual growth as well as the Faith. Essentially, the church life is the practice of Matthew 16:24, for in it we have the proper environments to daily take up our cross and follow the Lord. In other words, whenever our soul-life attempts to manifest itself, we must put it to death through the efficacy of the cross in the Spirit (Rom. 8:13). That is how we can do the Lord s will and bring His kingdom to earth. Living by God s life in our day-to-day life. Your How can we find out whether we are serving God in spirit or in ourselves? THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY OF CHRIST - Walking in Love 5

Saturday Scripture Reading: John 14:16-18; 2 Cor. 2:12-13; 1 Tim. 1:5, 19; 1 John 1:6-7 This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men (Acts 24:16). That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ... But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:3, 7) Turning to the Spirit of Reality and Living by It Through regeneration, we received God s life. Now, He expects us to grow and reach maturity. When we are regenerated, we are born anew, yet to continue receiving God s life, we must exercise by denying our soullife and taking up our cross. That is possible when we turn to our spirit where the Spirit of God is, turning to it so that the impurities of our soul might be burned away. We all must learn to exercise our spirit, through which God is able to govern us by means of the conscience, fellowship, and intuition. When we do something that displeases the Lord, our conscience warns us so we can repent. The Lord is always speaking to us through our conscience, and that is why we must take care of it, so it is sensitive to God s feelings (Acts 24:16; 1 Tim. 1:5, 19). Through fellowship, we can also receive the Lord s direct speaking. We can have fellowship with Him both individually and collectively with the church to receive help and be perfected (1 John 1:6-7). When our fellowship with God is strengthened, He utilizes our intuition to direct us toward doing His will in a specific way (2 Cor. 2:12-13). By walking in spirit, John experienced the Spirit of reality through which God was able to show him the reality of the revelations and words spoken by the Lord Jesus. Once freed from his exile, John was able to also help others exercise their spirit and deny their self, practices which had become real in his living. Everything that we need to grow in life is in the Spirit of reality! According to John 14:16-18, the Spirit of reality contains the totality of the person of the Triune God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It holds the work of God the Father, who chose and predestinated us unto sonship. Moreover, we have the redemption carried out by the Son on the cross, as well as the purification from sins by the precious blood of Jesus. In the Spirit of reality is also the work of the Holy Spirit, leading us to do God s will that we may be approved and sealed by Him. Therefore, like John, let us turn more to the Spirit of reality and live by it. Keeping a good conscience to maintain fellowship with God. Your After being regenerated, what must we do to grow in life? THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY OF CHRIST - Walking in Love 6

Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) Week 11 - The Lion of the Tribe of Judah Sunday Scripture Reading: Rom. 6:6; Eph. 4:22 I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly (John 10:10b). Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:24-25) God s Main Burden As Revealed by John The gospel of John conveys God s main burden and concern, focusing on the divine life (John 10:10b). In order for this life to grow, however, our soul-life must diminish. In fact, the priority of Christ s work on the cross was to destroy the soul-life, thus terminating the old man (Rom. 6:6), indicated by the description of the Lord s death in John 19:33-35. In that portion of the Bible, we can see that the Lord died first, and then shed blood and water. Although the other Gospels did not record this important fact, the Spirit of reality caused John to remember that. Being very close to the cross, John witnessed details not seen by the other disciples. Let us read the portion related to this passage: Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe (John 19:31-35). According to this detailed record of events, God s first priority was to eliminate the self; hence, the Lord s death preceded the shedding of His blood. The blood of Christ was shed to provide the redemption of sins. Not only blood was shed, but also water, representing God s life being dispensed to regenerate us. According to the revelation of this gospel, our priority needs to be denying the soul-life, so that God s life can have room to grow in us (John 12:24-25). We must be always conscious that we are all learning to deny ourselves. The more God s life is added to us, the better prepared we become to govern the coming world. God needs people filled with His life in order to give them the authority to reign with Christ. Knowing that the Lord needs us, let us prepare ourselves by preaching and practicing the gospel of the kingdom. Denying the soul-life is our priority. Your What is the difference between the record of the Lord s crucifixion in the Gospel of John and the other gospels? Additional Reading Enrich your reading of the Daily Food by simultaneously reading the books suggested below: Your Kingdom Come chap. 33 Dong Yu Lan God s Focus: the Kingdom chap. 3 Dong Yu Lan The Greatest Suffering of Jesus chap. 6 Dong Yu Lan THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY OF CHRIST - Walking in Love 7