Things that Belonged to the Lord

The Lord Jesus had very few earthly possessions of His own. Perhaps all He had were the clothes that He wore. He had no fixed address – “no place where to lay His head”. He had no money – He had to borrow a penny in order to illustrate a point in His teaching. Yet among His priceless teachings it may surprise you to discover that He did actually own some very precious things.

We would have to begin by making mention of His Love. Could anyone have loved more than He? “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15: 13. When we look at the Saviour’s death on the cross, the Bible tells us that it wasn't just any cross but it was 'His cross!' (see John 19: 17 & Colossians 2: 14.)

We see that it was for the world He died, and that includes you and me and it was while we were enemies and alienated from God being yet in our sins. What love is this; to love the unlovable, to seek and to save that which was lost, and to bring the poor lost sinner into His family and into His fold. Then there is of course the immense love between He and His Father; for He said: “as the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.” John 15: 9.

The Lord Jesus left His special love behind as a legacy for His people to continue in it. What tremendous blessing would be for each of His trusting people if were to do just that! That is to love one another as God loves His Son, and as His Son loves us. This kind of love is unique; it is the kind of love spoken about in 1 Corinthians 13: 5: “it does not seek its own good but the good of those around” etc.

This isn’t an optional extra in the Christian life package but a priceless possession we have, as given to us because He became poor. It is a command to love like He does now that we have His very presence living within us.

Of course the Lord Jesus was in possession of life but His life was a very different kind of life to the one that we possess. His was a life that was perfect in every way. The life of the Lord Jesus brought infinite pleasure and delight to the heart of His Father. But He willfully laid it down as a willing, spotless sacrifice, sufficient to satisfy the claims of a righteous God against our horrible sin. He laid down His life (and oh, what a life His was!) and He took it up again the third day after He was crucified.

No wonder the Father has openly declared His love for Him. But when we think on this, that the living Lord Jesus isn’t far away and unreachable in heaven somewhere, but living in the very lives of His people today, then we begin to see what’s entailed.

Remember, He laid down His life - and so should we: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service," Romans 12: 1, so that He might take it up again - and so should we also: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2: 20. Imagine His very own life in all its strength, holiness and beauty manifesting itself in the life of the true believer!

The Lord Jesus had a character that was unique. He was in every aspect of His life truly God. Because of that He thought as God would think. He behaved as God would behave. He loved; He spoke and interacted as God would do so in all instances. “And we beheld His glory ... full of grace and truth” John 1: 14. Just before He went to the cross He prayed to His Father and said: “The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” John 17: 22. He hasn’t taken away from this world His beautiful character but has left it behind and implanted it in the lives of those who are 'born of God' so that people might catch a glimpse of what He is actually like.

There couldn’t have been a more storm tossed individual than the Lord Himself and no one more rejected and hounded than He, and yet He was in possession of peace, which no one could unsettle. Yet He never kept it for His own pleasure but shared it with the needy and suffering folks.

He brought His peace to a man called Legion (a man once possessed with demons), until He now at peace was found sitting, clothed and in his right mind. He brought peace to Jairus whose daughter was laid sick and at the point of dying. He brought comfort and peace to the widow of Nain and restored her Son alive to her again. He even shed abroad His peace to overcome a storm that had been brewing while He slept. He called out to the wind and the waves: “peace, be still’, and there was a great calm.” Mark 4: 39.

His peace was not like the quietness we sometimes know, which is fleeting. The world cannot disturb or ruffle the peace that belongs to Him. He left it for His people; “Peace I leave with you, not as the world giveth give I unto you, my peace I give unto you.” John 14: 27.

Often I am inclined to think that peace has a twin called joy! There is nothing like the joy deep down in the soul of the believer who is at peace with God. His joy is deep not like the frothy sort of happiness that the world knows. Like soap suds on the water, its only just sitting on the surface and very short lived. Indeed His joy is deep and abiding! What did the Lord Jesus give to His disciples just before leaving to go to heaven? “These things I have spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” John 15: 11.

The grace of God caused His Son to leave the heights of heaven to redeem the souls of sinners is boundless and free. God gave to believers His riches at the expense of His beloved Son. It was mighty grace that kept the dear Lord in His mission in accomplishing what He was sent to do. It was His grace that manifested the power and glory of God in what appeared to be His weakest moments. That is probably why Paul the Apostle learned from the Lord Himself that “my grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness...” 2 Corinthians 12: 9.

And here we have it, the only tangible thing that He has left behind for us – His Word. Perhaps all who are reading this article today are in possession of a Bible, or maybe even several of them! His Word is all important and all encompassing for: “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1: 14. He moved around in this scene of time which seems but for a short moment and then left for us His Words recorded for us to read and feed upon daily: “heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Luke 21: 33. These are living words; eternal words therefore let us handle them with care and utmost respect.

What a very different set of values He had. What a legacy He has left behind to be appreciated by every true believer to the full, considering He had so very few earthly possessions of His own. The Bible tells us that we are joint heirs with Christ and have been entrusted with things most precious indeed.

None of those precious things He left will ever perish, unlike anything we could ever leave behind!