The Cross and Crown

In Mt. 3:13-17 we see, how Jesus was baptized by John, as He was entering into His public ministry. What we see here He is the Son of God, the Word, wrapped in impeccable humanity. Then we see the Holy Spirit, descending like a dove, the seal of the divine complacency--rest. And then we see and hear God the Father's voice expressing and manifesting His pleasure.

In Mt. 17:1-8 we see Jesus transfigured on the mountain, as the glory of who He is, about to face the Cross, comes shining through His impeccable humanity. Peter, James, and John are with Him there, the picture of the few, out of the other disciples, as to how far they would go with Him.

He was teaching them that the Cross and the crown go together and that the Cross and communion go together. The Cross touches our natural will--it breaks it down and takes away anything that hinders communion with God. The truth is that we walk with a rejected Savior. The whole system of the world is a stumbling block to turn the heart from God (See 1 Jhn. 5:20-21).

The enemy uses the world system to elevate the natural and lower God. Whatever in me that tends to exalt the world that rejected Christ is a stumbling block to others and is anything that weakens the perception of the excellency of Christ in the weakest one in Christ.

There is a better light to be looked for because it is not only Divine but heavenly. It is a Light which shines in the person of Christ that flows from Him in virtue of HIS WORK and HIS GLORY on high and associates us in heart and hope with Himself there (Col. 1:27 = Gal. 6:14).