What is Designation?

If you read my last post and thought about this question, you should definitely read this post. There is a very simple yet practical illustration to help you understand. First of all, look at the following pictures. Can you distinguish carnation seeds from sesame seeds?














No doubt. Your elementary school teachers should have taught you not to put any suspicious stuff in your mouth. (Neither do I know what would happen if carnation seeds are taken into our body…) As far as the personal safety and the spirit of experiment are concerned, we can simply sow these two into the earth. This should take some time but it's worthy. Once they have sown, have grown, and have blossomed, they are "designated." Look at the following pictures.

















Here we can say that their blossoms are their designations! Now we should be able to tell out which one is of carnation seed and of sesame seed. Their blossoms are very different in forms from their seeds. If a seed remain as a seed without blossoming, it is difficult for most people to realize that it is a carnation or a sesame. In the same principle, when Christ was in the flesh during His 33 and half years on the earth, He was exactly like a carnation seed. Although the Son of God was in Him, no one could recognize this easily. By being sown into death (It is like the grain of wheat in John 12:24) and growing up in resurrection, He blossomed. By this process He was designated the Son of God, and by this process He uplifted the flesh, the human nature. (As I mentioned in the last post.)



Question? =)



References: Life-study of Romans, Message 2, 45.

Why did Jesus need to be designated the Son of God?

Well, I think many who read the Bible may bump into this question when reading Romans 1:4, which says, "Who was designated the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness out of the resurrection of the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord." We know in the divine Trinity there are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Since Christ was already the Son of God, why did He need to be designated the Son of God?

Thankfully, I found the answer from the New Testament Recovery Version. In the footnote on the word "designated" says,

"Before His incarnation Christ, the divine One, already was the Son of God (John 1:18; Rom. 8:3). By incarnation He put on an element, the human flesh, which had nothing to do with divinity; that part of Him needed to be sanctified and uplifted by passing through death and resurrection. By resurrection His human nature was sanctified, uplifted, and transformed. Hence, by resurrection He was designated the Son of God with His humanity (Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:5). His resurrection was His designation."

I was marveled to see how Christ's resurrection has to do with the matter of designation. Christ not only died on the cross and resurrected on the third day to become a life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45b), but also His human element, humanity, in His resurrection was uplifted and sanctified and was brought into the divine sonship. That is, wow, man was brought into God!

References:

• Life-study of Romans, Message 2.
• New Testament Recovery Version, footnote.

2010 Winter Training - Breakdown

We were breaking down 5000+ chairs after the last message. Praise the Lord for this opportunity to serve!

Blogger mobile is so convenient!

This is my first try on the mobile Blogger!

Study Abroad Fair

From 20080918-回淡水本部交換生回國說明會

You might wonder what are these funny guys doing.... Well... we are kind of enjoying our reward - a nice-looking bento - from a study-abroad fair. Interesting, the fair was held during lunch time but we were not in for the eating part, which made us have our lunch after we worked - experience sharing. I could still recall how terribly hungry I was. However, the bento was pretty nice and delicious. How comforting!