Like Father, Like Son (John 5:1-29)

[Sung Psalm: 40]

Psalm 40 starts by speaking of how God delivers from the miry pit. And proclaims a blessing on the one who trusts in the LORD. The first person singular voice is the voice of the Davidic King – the voice of Jesus – "Behold I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: 'I delight to do you will, O my God; your law is within my heart.'"

Jesus came to do that which we could not possibly do for ourselves. He came to pass through death – and through his death – to triumph over the grave. Jesus came to bear our iniquity – so that our guilt would be imputed to him.

If you think about it, this intermediate "return from exile" illustrates well where we are in redemptive history!

We're back! We have been restored to fellowship with God! Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ!

And yet it doesn't quite feel like we're back! There's the already – and the not yet. We are not yet all that we will be – all that we long to be!

But little-by-little, more-and-more, we are becoming what Christ has begun in us!