The Church which is His Body V- The Christ

The Church which is His Body V – THE CHRIST

“Matthew 16:13-18 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” 

“Thou art THE CHRIST, the Son of the Living God.”  Let us hear this.  We are the Church which is His Body.  Jesus called Peter Petra or a stone.  Peter said in one of his epistles that we are lively stones built up for a spiritual habitation of God.  The Apostle Paul said we are built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ for a habitation of God by the Spirit.  He says we are built up in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.  As we know Him, we are built for God to inhabit our hearts.  In other words, the more knowledge, not brain knowledge, but knowing Jesus Christ, by the Spirit, the more of the reality of God that is within us.  

Notice, I did not say the more of God that is in us.  I said the reality of God.  The reality of the one that dwells within.  We are built in Him for God to inhabit us.  As I see Jesus Christ by the Spirit, God fills my heart in that seeing of Christ.  It is this building I yearn for, to be built up in Him!  Glory to God!

Now Jesus was THE CHIRST for a purpose.  Christ means the anointed one.  If I search the scriptures, I will find in the Old Covenant that they were anointed for purpose.  The Priest was anointed to offer the offerings unto the LORD.  They did not just offer them.  Moses didn’t simply say to Aaron you are a Priest.  Aaron was anointed with an extremely specific oil to operate in the Priests office, Leviticus 8:12.  This symbolized the anointing of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.  He was anointed for the purpose of offering Himself unto God by the Spirit.

Jesus is our Great High Priest.  As the Priest of God, He was anointed to offer Himself.  He is the Anointed of God, The Christ.  As our High Priest, He offered Himself.  Therefore, He is highly exalted and given a name above every name.  He was also anointed King.  Jesus is the King Priest, and He reigns over death and hell.  He conquered them, and He redeemed us to Himself.  We live in His dominion.  Glory to God!