Tag: Jesus

advent, Bible, Christian Writer, Jesus, Names of Christ, The Word of God

ADVENT 7 – JESUS – THE BRIDEGROOM

joymargetts

THE BRIDEGROOM

One of the most beautiful descriptions of Jesus for me is that of the bridegroom.

John the Baptist exalted Christ, describing Him as the bridegroom coming for His bride. He described himself as the friend of the bridegroom (John 3:29). Jesus also described Himself as the bridegroom. He did so in response to the Pharisees who were criticising His disciples for not fasting . Why should they be fasting and miserable when the time they have left with the bridegroom was time for celebration (Matt 9: 15)?

The bridegroom theme was one that Jesus’ listeners would have been familiar with; God Himself described Himself as the bridegroom, the one who rejoices over His people as His bride (Isaiah 62: 5).

text of Isaiah 62 v 5 within a red heart. Above the heart is a string of Christmas lights, below it pine cones and berries.

COMING FOR THE BRIDE

In Hebrew tradition the bride would get herself prepared on her wedding day, and sit beautifully dressed waiting patiently at her home until her bridegroom and his friends came calling. Her bridegroom would then come and take her back with Him to His own home. What a wonderful picture for us. Jesus our bridegroom is coming for us to make us fully His.

Do you not feel you are worthy? Well in Rev 21:2 He tells us that the bride (the church) He is coming for is already beautifully adorned, dressed ready for her bridegroom –  because He has made us pure and spotless for Him.

Photograph of the upper body and hand of a bride, in bridal dress, taken through a thick veil.

BESOTTED BY THE BRIDE

And how does He feel about us His bride? Well just turn to Song of Solomon, which is a beautiful love song between the bridegroom and His bride, and a glorious picture of Christ wooing us. Song 4: 9 says ‘you have ravished my heart, My sister, My bride’. He is completely besotted with us. The romantic in me loves that Jesus is described in this way. He is the lover of our souls. Transfixed by our beauty, He can’t wait for the day when He comes and makes us fully His for all eternity.

Do you struggle to see Jesus being besotted by you?

text of Song of Solomon 4 v 9 within a red heart. Above the heart is a string of Christmas lights, below it pine cones and berries.

Image of front cover of the book, The Healing

‘He wants me to have it all, doesn’t He?’ The realisation of that truth was beginning to sink in. ‘God wants me to be happy, to be loved, to be fulfilled, to be useful. For me that could be as a husband, a custodian, a father, even. I still can’t quite believe it, that this is the reason He restored my life? I wanted to believe there was some great act of service I was to do for Him, some noble sacrifice on my part, a life of devotion to Him to pay Him back for what He has done for me.’

THE HEALING p 205

Joy Margetts is a published author and blogger. Her books are works of Christian Historical fiction. Set in medieval Wales against the backdrop of Cistercian abbey life, they tell stories of faith, hope and God’s redemptive power. Her debut novel ‘The Healing‘ was published by Instant Apostle on 19 March 2021. Joy has also self- published a short novella, ‘The Beloved‘ as both a companion to ‘The Healing‘, and as an easy to read standalone story, which is available to buy on Amazon Kindle.

‘The Pilgrim‘, her second full length novel, was published by Instant Apostle on 22 July 2022

More information on Joy, and her books can be found here www.joymargetts.com

advent, Bible, Christian Writer, christmas, Jesus, Names of Christ, The Word of God

ADVENT 5 : JESUS – THE BRANCH FROM THE ROOT OF JESSE

joymargetts

MY SERVANT THE BRANCH

We are back in the book of Zechariah today. Another picture of the Messiah found in the book of Zechariah is in 3 : 8, ‘I am bringing forth My servant the Branch’, God declares.

In Jeremiah 23 : 5 we read that the branch will be a ‘branch of righteousness’ and from ‘David’. Isaiah 11:1 also describes this ‘branch’, this ‘shoot from the stem of Jesse’.

A GLORIOUS KING

When we think of a branch we might picture the branch of a tree, but the meaning here is more like a sprout of new growth with the potential to become a strong branch. If a great tree like an oak is felled and a stump left, with it’s roots still in the ground, there is the potential for a new branch to begin to sprout and grow from it. The stump or stem in this case is the kingly line of David and his father Jesse, and the branch that will sprout from it a new and glorious King. Although a King not born in a palace but in a Bethlehem stable.

The prophets Zechariah, Isaiah and Jeremiah were speaking at a time when the Kingdom of Israel was disintegrating and suffering under a succession of evil and godless kings. The promise was for a King who would have a reign of righteousness; like David the great King who had once ruled a great Israel. But this new King’s reign would even surpass that of David’s.

FULL OF THE SPIRIT

The features of this King and His reign are described in Isaiah 11:1-10. Full of the Spirit and wisdom, fully submitted to God, and delighting in Him, the branch King will reign with righteousness, justice, faithfulness and compassion. His reign (Kingdom) will see the lion lying down with the lamb, and the earth full of the knowledge of God. Gentiles (the nations) will seek Him and His kingdom.

This is our Jesus, the King whose reign has begun but will come into its fullness in eternity, when the heavens and earth are made new, and sin and death, evil and darkness will have no longer have any power.

Is Jesus King in your life? He is righteous and trustworthy.

‘The tree will bear fruit again. We have seen it so many times before to know that it is true. Spring always follows winter. While the tree lives, even through the winter, then there is hope that it will flourish again when spring comes. So it is with us. We are sometimes defined, and altered, by the hard things that life throws at us, but we can learn to even appreciate the winter seasons. It is often in those hard times that God is doing the deepest and most important things inside of us, to prepare us for the more fruitful seasons of our lives that will inevitably follow. Our responsibility is to make sure our roots are deep and grounded in truth. In God, and what He says.’

THE HEALING pp 34-35

Joy Margetts is a published author and blogger. Her books are works of Christian Historical fiction. Set in medieval Wales against the backdrop of Cistercian abbey life, they tell stories of faith, hope and God’s redemptive power. Her debut novel ‘The Healing‘ was published by Instant Apostle on 19 March 2021. Joy has also self- published a short novella, ‘The Beloved‘ as both a companion to ‘The Healing‘, and as an easy to read standalone story, which is available to buy on Amazon Kindle.

‘The Pilgrim‘, her second full length novel, was published by Instant Apostle on 22 July 2022

More information on Joy, and her books can be found here www.joymargetts.com

advent, Bible, Christian Writer, Holy Spirit, Jesus

ADVENT 4 : JESUS- FOUNTAIN OF LIFE

joymargetts

CLEANSING FOUNTAIN

The little book of Zechariah is full of Messianic prophecies. One of these in Zech 13:1 promises a ‘fountain’ for the house of David. The explicit purpose for this fountain is for cleansing from sin. Psalm 36:9 describes God Himself as a ‘fountain of life’.

Text of Psalm 36:9, on a background of a image of Christmas tree baubles

Now when we read the word ‘fountain’ we might automatically think of an ornamental fountain in a grand garden. This is something completely different. The word ‘fountain’ could be translated as ‘spring’ but that is not enough if we picture a trickling spring on a rocky mountainside. This fountain is more, much more – it is water of life and cleansing springing up and flowing over in torrents, a well of never ending water, a wellspring.

FOUNTAIN OF LIFE

Jesus met the Samaritan women at a well and began a discussion with her about water and life. In John 4:13-14 He tells her that He is the source of water that will satisfy her thirst forever and will become like a fountain of life within her.

Text of John 4 v 13-14, on a background of a image of Christmas tree baubles

In Rev 21:6 the glorified Jesus offers the fountain of life to any that thirst for it. In the natural, water is necessary for life. As human beings we have the blessing of being able to turn a tap on at any time and access a clean, constant water source for drinking and cleansing.

In the Spiritual, Jesus is that water source. He is the source of all spiritual life, creating life within is and sustaining that life. He offers cleansing – because He shed His blood we can be washed, made white as snow (Isaiah 1:18) if we come to Him repentant.

So next time you turn on the tap for water, take a moment to connect with the One who is the ever-flowing fountain of life and thank Him for your life in Him.

Fast flowing torrent of water pouring over rocks

‘ Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned … God. I am so sorry. Thank You for Your mercy and grace. Thank You for the cross. Wash me. Make me clean, God. I submit myself to You, and lay my burden at Your feet.

‘Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation … Stay here with me, God. Let me feel Your grace. Change me, restore me, forgive me. I am Yours.

Hywel felt inexplicable peace descend and wash over him, until the very air around him seemed to be saturated with it. ‘It is finished’. God’s voice, not his.

THE PILGRIM p 225

Joy Margetts is a published author and blogger. Her books are works of Christian Historical fiction. Set in medieval Wales against the backdrop of Cistercian abbey life, they tell stories of faith, hope and God’s redemptive power. Her debut novel ‘The Healing‘ was published by Instant Apostle on 19 March 2021. Joy has also self- published a short novella, ‘The Beloved‘ as both a companion to ‘The Healing‘, and as an easy to read standalone story, which is available to buy on Amazon Kindle.

‘The Pilgrim‘, her second full length novel, was published by Instant Apostle on 22 July 2022

More information on Joy, and her books can be found here www.joymargetts.com

advent, Bible, Christian Writer, Glorifying Jesus, Jesus, Names of Christ, The Word of God

ADVENT 1: JESUS – SERVANT

joymargetts

This year I am going to attempt to do something I have never done before, on this blog at least. Today marks the first day of Advent and I am going to attempt to post a blog every day, right up until Christmas.

A few years ago I did a series of studies on the names and descriptors of Jesus, primarily taken from the Old Testament Messianic prophecies. I have long wanted to develop these and so this year I am going to include them in this blog, in association with quotes from my books. I want to focus on Jesus, more than ever this Christmas, when there are so many difficult things going on in the world. I hope that you will follow along with me, and be taken up with the myriad ways Jesus is presented in Scripture. That you will see more and more just how wonderful He is.

SERVANT

Isaiah is an Old Testament book full of prophecy, and within it’s pages are many references to the coming Messiah.  These use many different names and ways of describing the coming Saviour. The one I want to focus on today on mentioned in Isaiah 42:1, and echoed in Is 43:10 and Isa 49 : 6.

Image shows the words of Isaiah 42 v 1 surrounded by a wreath of evergreen and holly berries

Through Isaiah’s prophetic words God describes the one to come as ‘My Servant’. We know this was a prophecy about Jesus as Matthew quotes it in Matt 12:18-21. Reading Isaiah 42:1-4  we can see that this Servant will carry the Spirit of God and will bring justice  – a form of justice that doesn’t crush the already bruised. In Isaiah 49 : 6 it tells us He will come bringing light to the gentiles, and salvation to the ends of the earth.

Image shows the words of Isaiah 49 v 6 surrounded by a wreath of evergreen and holly berries

BOND SERVANT

In the New testament, in Phil 2:7, Paul describes Jesus as the one who came as a ‘bond servant’ – one who knows they have no rights of their own and yet are willingly submitted to obey and serve the one in authority over them. Jesus willingly left behind any rights He had as God’s Son and took the form of a servant, demonstrating this in the washing of the disciples’ feet in John 13. He came willingly submitted to God’s authority and lovingly enslaved to Him, obedient to the cross. It was His choice and God honoured Him for it ‘my elect one in whom my soul delights’ (Is 42:1).

Image shows a mans hands holding and drying another man's foot with a rag

Image courtesy of freebibleimages.org

He came as a servant in order to bring about our salvation, and in doing so Jesus gave us the supreme example.  But did coming as a servant lessen His power, authority or kingship? No! That is the most amazing thing. He came as a servant, but also as a king. He showed us that true leadership requires humility, compassion and a servant heart. To those we are called to serve, and towards the One who calls us.

The Servant King shows us that we are called to be lovingly enslaved to God, and lovingly enslaved to one another.

In the areas of your life where you have authority, how can you follow Christ’s example of being a servant?

‘But kneeling to serve doesn’t lessen Father Abbot’s authority, or the respect he engenders. In fact, it does the opposite. We watch him pour himself out and we want to follow his example. He leads us with a quiet and loving authority, even disciplining us when necessary. But because we know the goodness of his heart, his inert humility, his love for his fellow man, we take the discipline and the encouragement with equal gratitude. He is being as Christ was, you see, the Servant King. He does not abuse his position of authority by lording it over us, rather he uses it to teach us a better way. The mark of a true godly leader.’

‘The Pilgrim’ pp 176-177

Joy Margetts is a published author and blogger. Her books are works of Christian Historical fiction. Set in medieval Wales against the backdrop of Cistercian abbey life, they tell stories of faith, hope and God’s redemptive power. Her debut novel ‘The Healing‘ was published by Instant Apostle on 19 March 2021. Joy has also self- published a short novella, ‘The Beloved‘ as both a companion to ‘The Healing‘, and as an easy to read standalone story, which is available to buy on Amazon Kindle.

‘The Pilgrim‘, her second full length novel, was published by Instant Apostle on 22 July 2022

More information on Joy, and her books can be found here www.joymargetts.com