Title: I Die Daily
Last week we learned that after resurrection, Jesus manifested to His people 11 times before His ascension, and more than 3 of these occasions were used to bring back Peter to Jesus. What really amazed us was that firstly Peter didn’t or couldn’t believe in Jesus’ resurrection even after he saw the resurrected Jesus 3 times. Secondly, Jesus never gave up on such miserable and unbelieving Peter but kept coming to Him, and finally Jesus restored and reinstated Peter as His disciple again. Please know that Jesus will never give up on us but keep coming until He restores and reinstates us as His beloved disciple and children.
How could we believe in Jesus and all the Words that He said if even Peter couldn’t believe in Him even after he saw the resurrected Jesus 3 times?
- The death of Jesus
The story of the two disciples going down to Emmaus gave us a clue (Luk 24:15-16). These two disciples were journeying and conversing together with the resurrected Jesus, but they couldn’t recognise who He was. Why? Because they didn’t understand the Bible properly and because they had a conviction that Jesus is not the Messiah as He is dead (Luk 24:31-32). However, later their eyes were open and recognize Jesus after Jesus expounded and explained the Bible to them. It broke their wrong conviction and when it happened, their eyes were open to recognize Jesus.
It teaches us a very important foundation of Christian faith. To see the resurrected Jesus is one thing but to believe in Him is another. Rom 10:17 says that the faith comes from hearing the Word of God. Thus, when faith is formed by understanding the Bible, to recognize Jesus will be happening.
It is beneficial to see the living Jesus or the resurrected Jesus with our own eyes. However, to see Him doesn’t always lead us to believe in Him. Whether we have seen Him or not, it is same that we have to believe in Jesus through His word and through the Bible. And this is why the founding pastor and TLCC are putting so much emphasis on the Word of God being taught and learned.
- The death of myself
If we think deeply about Peter’s situation, it wasn’t only that he was having hard time to deal with the death of Jesus but also his own death. The Bible (Jhn 20:19) says that the disciples including Peter were hiding themselves in the room shutting down all the doors and windows for the fear of the Jews. It means they were worried that they may be killed if they get caught by the Jews.
However, after he was reinstated and received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, he feared the Jews no more. He went out to the public and boldly testified about Jesus Christ. He got caught and was killed on the cross. It is a famous story that he asked to be hung upside down because he felt that he is not worthy to be hung in the same way as Jesus Christ. He truly overcame the fear of death.
Do we worry about our death? Do we have the fear of death? Heb 9:27 says that it is appointed for men to die. So, what shall we do? Mat 24:42-46 teaches us that there are two kinds of waiting or expectations. One is to wait and expect without preparation and the other is to wait and expect with preparation.
We do not know whether we will encounter the personal end which is my death or the universal end which is the coming of the Lord. However, one thing for sure is we are going to encounter the end, the day of the Son of Man, therefore the Bible teaches us that we should be ready and be prepared.
What would be the preparation for the end? Apostle Paul showed a good example. He said, he dies daily.
The founding pastor taught us not to wait for the day of death, but we die daily so that we will be ready for the day of death.
To know that we are going to die is God’s blessing because we can prepare for it: not to prepare money and buildings for children but to prepare our heart, our faith, and our love toward Gods. We should prepare for the day of death by dying daily. Only then, we will be able to receive eternal life. Rom 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death. However, if we die daily to sins, there is no sin left to bring us to death.
Apostle Paul must have prepared well for his death. When he encountered his death, he didn’t cry out “please save me or I won’t believe in Jesus.” He rather asked, “Can I be hung upside down?” He already overcame the fear of death. Death couldn’t do anything to his faith.
Now that we believe the power of resurrection. What about transfiguration?
Jhn 8:51 “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”
1 Cor 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
Do believe that there is a way that we will not see death. Of course, it is a particular blessing we will receive if the Son of Man comes before our personal ends. However, if the day of His coming comes but there are a lot of sins in us, what will happen? The second coming is to come to judge not to forgive: the work of forgiveness is already completed by the first coming. Therefore, we got to die daily to get rid of all sins. Only then, we will receive the blessing of transfiguration.
Mat 21:21 says that it will be done according to our faith. If we have faith that His day will come in our lifetime and we will receive the blessing of transfiguration. It will be done so, Amen!
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 