(266) Oct 17/2016 – Fruit in Season

Monday Meditation
October 17, 2016
From the desk of A.J. Higgins

Fruit in Season

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance;
against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22

Psalm 1 describes the blessed man as being a tree which brings forth fruit in season. In the life of the Lord Jesus, there was always seasonable fruit. It is not that He exhibited one specific virtue at a given time; but at every moment, everything which God sought to find in a man was found in Him. Every virtue was present and balanced; nothing in excess and nothing wanting.

At Calvary, we normally think of His love. Certainly, the dark background of the hatred of humanity, the attack by Satan and his hordes, and the failure of even His closest disciples highlight the immensity and character of that unique love. But all the graces which the Spirit produces were found in fullness in this Man, in Whom the Spirit was always present in all His fullness.

Think of His ..

Joy: “Who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). We rarely think of the joy which He had in accomplishing the Father’s will. But on the cross there was the paradox of sorrows unbounded combined with joy inexpressible. His meat, His mission in coming was to do that will. It was His timeless decision in eternity to accomplish the Father’s pleasure.

Peace: The storm that broke at Calvary was intense. He sank in the deep mire; the waves went over Him; the flood gates were opened and engulfed His holy soul. Yet a man in the will of God will know the peace of the hand and heart of God controlling all.

Longsuffering: It is not difficult to recognize and appreciate His long-patience. The blasphemies hurled at Him; the vile abuse He sustained, the suggestions that He come down from the cross to attest to His claims – all these demanded of Him perfect longsuffering. They gloated in self-righteous assurance – that they were right and He was wrong. How could one who pleased God and trusted in God be forsaken as He was? He was longsuffering

Gentleness: Moral excellence and kindness were on display at the cross. “Woman, behold thy son” (John 19:26). He not only was attending to her future welfare, but He was removing her from the scene, so that a mother’s tender heart would not break as she witnessed her Son suffering as He did. He was so kind!

Goodness: Do we need to search far for His goodness? “Father forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34), and again “today shalt thou be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). His goodness was present at every moment of His walk here below. At Calvary, a place bankrupt of any human goodness, His is all the more lovely to behold.

The final three, meekness, temperance, and faith were also there. But it would be a good exercise for the reader to consider these and to appreciate His sacrifice as an act of faith, a display of meekness (absolute surrender and contentment with the will of God), and the temperance or self-control that was His. Whatever way in which we look at His sacrifice on Calvary, there was fruit that pleased the heart of God and there is food for our souls. The increasing pressure of Calvary, the hostility of humanity, the ferocity of His foes, and the failure of His friends only serve to enhance the beauties of His person.

Consider:

In considering the cross as an act of faith, go to Hebrews 12 where the Lord Jesus is described as the author and perfecter of the life of faith. This follows on the heels of Hebrews 11, and the heroes of faith. what is the connection?

_____________________________________________________________

This entry was posted in Articles, Monday Mediations, Think. Bookmark the permalink.