WE SHOULD ENJOY THE HIDDEN LIFE OF THE LORD JESUS.

The Lord commanded Moses on the vital night of the Passover lamb to eat the head, the legs and the entrails. ‘ (Exodus 12:9 ) Why eat the inner parts of the lamb?

They speak of the intrinsic worth or attributes of our Lord Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. While in English we speak understandably of loving the Lord with all our heart, African tribesmen speak of caring with their whole liver, using inner parts to express a deep experience of God.

David wrote, ‘I delight to do your will, O God, for your law is within my heart.’

The man after God’s own heart cherished the eternal law guarding his inner life.

We should be delighted when the ‘Holy One’ occupies our life; for ‘the angel said, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, the Holy one who is to be born, will be called the Son of God.’ (Luke 1:35 ) His holiness is His spiritual purtenance; enriching us immensely.

He is also the sinless One, as Paul wrote, ‘He has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be become the righteousness of God in Him.’

( 2 Corinthians 5:21 ) How marvellous that His inner righteousness is attributed to us, so that we are immeasurably wealthy in our beloved Lord.

Isaiah adds a rich truth, ‘He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.’ ( 53:11 ) He transferred his righteousness ( hidden life ) to His followers, while generously granting us inner peace, and bravely bearing all our iniquities.

In our tough, unyielding world, Christ’s gentleness and lowliness are entrails which we must absorb. Our Lord classically spoke, ‘Take My yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls.

( Matthew 11;28 ), Gentleness is the central fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 and is desperately needed to preserve the sweetness of Christ’s life in each believer.

Justice is an essential ingredient in the life of Christ: Zechariah expressed this well in 9:9, ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold your King is coming to you. He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ Our triumphant Lord shows His justice and lowliness as attributes of His hidden life. Oh, that these qualities will be apparent in born-again believers. Do you reveal His justice and humility?

Perfectly balanced with His justice is His mercifulness and faithfulness. We read in Hebrews 2:17, this delightful aspect of the hidden life of the Lamb, ‘In all things, He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.‘ In humbling Himself, he became man, to be a perfect, merciful and faithful High priest in all the dealings with the Father. In addition, He propitiated ,or satisfied, the Father’s justice and right in dying for our sins. When Christ enters our lives, he adds mercy and trustworthiness that enrich our personal, family. professional and worshipping lives.

Christ’s priesthood is unique, indeed, “He continues for ever, having an unchangeable, intransmissible priesthood.’ No transmission is possible because he is eternal, and unchangeable. Hebrews continues, ‘He is able to save to the uttermost those who come unto God by Him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them. Such a high priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens. (7:24-26)

Christ, our Intercessor invested prayer in our lives, teaching us elements and principles of prayerful intervention. Every community has lowly prayerful saints. On such, our Lord has divested His concern for precious souls, pastors, missionaries, and nations. Surely, a holy entrail of the lamb. ’Eat the Lamb’ drives us to prayer.

The forgiveness of our Lord as shown to His brutal murderers is an astonishing characteristic of the Lamb of God. He cried, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ Then they callously ’divided His garments among them and cast lots.’ This is one of the Saviour’s most desirable qualities. It is a hidden feature of the inner life of the Lord Jesus, and is an entrail of the Lamb. Only our Lord enables us to fulfil the Lord’s prayer, ‘Forgive us this day our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.’ Do you forgive? How readily?

Paul included remarkable qualities in Philippians 4:8. ’ Whatever things are noble, whatever things are just; whatever things are pure; whatever things are lovely; whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue and if there be anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things.’ These are hidden strengths of our beloved Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ. We understand how the Lord ’longed to eat the Passover lamb with His chosen disciples before He suffered.’ He desired them to absorb ( digest or metabolise) His inner qualities: nobility, justice, purity, loveliness, being well reported of, virtue and praiseworthiness. Are they your hidden strength?

How much of the inner life ( entrails, purtenances ) of your Lord have you imbibed?

What is your score : 1-10? How precious are you in His eyes? How much of Christ do your reveal? Are your non-Christian associates marvelling at the inner beauty of your life?