“The Benefactor and the Beneficiary"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe….

"The Benefactor and the Beneficiary"

    The writer of Hebrews proclaims the Lord Jesus Christ as "the heir of all things" (Hebrews 1:2).  This raises the question: who is the benefactor of Christ's inheritance?  Who died to make the Lord Jesus the heir?

      The answer is Himself.  Indeed, our Savior is the only person in history to serve as both benefactor and beneficiary in the same will. First, let us consider His possession of "all things."  As God the Son, and the Person of the godhead most directly involved in creation (He would become a part of that creation), our Savior rightly bears the title, "Possessor of heaven and earth" (Genesis 14:19).  He also confirmed His ownership: "All things are delivered unto Me of My Father" (Matthew 11:27).  Thus, His inheritance of all things resulted from His bequeathing of all things to Himself.  In normal terms, this constitutes an impossibility.  One who dies cannot inherit an estate because He is no longer present to receive the benefit.

    Unless… unless the one who dies somehow escapes the bonds of the grave.  "God raised Him from the dead" (Acts 13:30).  The resurrection made possible the impossible.  The Benefactor who died arose to become the beneficiary of His own estate, namely, the estate of "all things."  The implications of this wonder are vast, particularly regarding believers in the Lord Jesus.

    "The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God, and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:16-17).

   The Christ who rightly merited the miraculous bequeathing of His inheritance to Himself gives to believers undeserved involvement in the estate.  Grace provides salvation, and then participation in our Savior's inheritance:

    "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32).  

    We live in and from the abundance of the Lord's inheritance.  Of course, He also administrates the bestowal in accordance with His glory, wisdom, and will, and with our best interests.  This may conflict with our fleshly notions regarding God's provision.  It may not always feel or seem as if "His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness" (II Peter 1:3).  The truth nevertheless stands.  Christ is the heir.  We are "joint-heirs" with Him.  The One who died arose to receive His own estate, and to bequeath His bounty to all receive the free gift of salvation and "all things."  This we must believe, first because it is true, and then because our Lord's administration of His estate involves not only His gracious and wisely dispensed generosity, but also our confidence in the bestowal.  "Ask and ye shall receive...Ye have not because ye ask not" (John 16:24; James 4:2).  The risen Christ is everything and more than we will ever need.  He died and arose in order to receive His inheritance and also serve as our Benefactor.  Let us rejoice in the wonder, and let us believe the promise of the Benefactor and the Beneficiary…

"All things are yours... and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's."

(I Corinthians 3:21; 23)

Weekly Memory Verse

   "Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us and hath give us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work."

 (II Thessalonians 2:16-17)

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