The tabernacle and the temple. The son of God and God. His spirit indwells us. We are given a new spirit and a new heart.
Jesus is the lover of my soul. All earthly relationships are copies and shadows of his desire for me and my desire for him. His death on the cross was because of his full and intimate knowledge of me and my desperate situation and his passion for me and my reconciliation to him.
Jesus became flesh and made himself nothing for my sake, experiencing all the joys and sorrows, pain and suffering, even temptation, so that no excuse could be made by anyone.
It is not surprising that so many could not accept his offering of a personal relationship. Christ's love is devastating in its mercy, concern, and relentlessness. He moves against our sense of independence and stature. He acknowledges his own deity, our insignificance, and the impossibility of our relationship with each other. Our small minds, without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, cannot grasp a solution to this situation. We cannot face our own despicable natures. We cannot look upon the glory and perfection of our bridegroom without falling prostrate in our shame. We are worse than nothing.
Even so, God, incarnated and exalted as Jesus, loved us. Loves me. In the face of this, I am devastated and crushed. In the face of this, I am transformed by the renewing of my mind. In the face of this, I am broken and remade from nothing into beauty. Beauty, not for the sake of joy for this world, but for the sake of God's glory; as an everlasting offering to the One who created me with the expectation and foreknowledge that I would turn my face toward Him.
I am gladly made foolish and humble in the midst of the agony of this love. Jesus left his throne of majesty and adoration. He left it temporarily for my sake and not only for my sake. His love is not only for me. Even so, the depth of his love for me is not diminished or diluted. He is jealous for me, not needing me or anything I can offer, but DESIRING me. He requires nothing from me, but causes me to give everything.
The mystery of this love is that it does not worry me; it does not lead me toward selfishness or doubt like an earthly love. In truth, the love of Jesus for me and my love for him makes me want to introduce others to him.
Who is Jesus? A man? Yes. God? Yes. Lived? Yes. Alive? Yes. Mine? No. I am his.
