Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. Mark 10:18
Advent…
The Christmas season, for us, in our culture, begins with thanksgiving, literally, and, figuratively. And for what are we to be grateful? Good gifts, from a good and generous Father, who has bestowed upon His children, nay, all creation, a bountiful portion of His loving graces - and for this - we can, and ought to be, thankful.
Luke 11:13 “...If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
This attitude of thanksgiving, times perfectly to set our minds and hearts and spirits aright for the pinnacle of gifts, the gift from which all gifts come, the Gift before which all gifts bow - the Messiah.
This Gift is a gift of the gift Giver, prepared for in the hearts of mankind by all the gifts having been previously given which all point to this one Gift - it is why “grace”, an unmerited favor, or, gift, is how this Messiah is described, as grace is not merely the act of having been given life, but grace is Life Himself… …and all graces, good gifts, flow from Him… Jesus, from the Father, by the Spirit. The grace, the Gift OF God - Himself - to man.
John 1:14 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Eph 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith… it is the gift of God”
And this is to His delight, or, “good pleasure”. Will we be pleased?
Luke 12:32-33 “...“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been p you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give…”
Good pleasure: it seems good to one, is one's good pleasure; to think it good, choose, determine, decide;
...with the included idea of kindness accompanying the decision: to do willingly - to be ready to, wanting and (God was) pleased to give; to prefer, choose rather - we thought it good
The pleasure, as with all good things, is in the tasting, savoring the gifts, the Gift, but mostly, the Gift Giver, the Giver of gifts, and being like Him, to give. For He is good and gives good gifts and these good gifts are a reflection of His goodness.
John 2:1-11 - the wedding in Cana…
Six jars… the incompleteness, the imperfection of the Law, changed, transformed, fulfilled – the perfect fulfillment, by the wine of grace - the gift of God’s loving mercies and life – joyful and super-abundant, enough to spare and share; sufficient, and more than sufficient… inexhaustible. (Luke 1:78)
“To the Jews”, John was saying, “Jesus has come to turn the imperfections of the Law into the perfection of grace. To the Greeks he said: ‘Jesus has really come and truly to do the things you only dreamed the gods could do’”
“...whenever Jesus comes into a man’s life, there comes a new quality which is like turning water into wine.”
W. Barclay
Psalm 34:1-15 - Psalm 34:8 - taste, and see… the Lord is GOOD
Attentive… paying attention, giving attention to (Nehemiah 8:3 “listened attentively” or “the ears of all the people listened” so that they would hear AND understand. Or in our case today “the tongues of all the people tasted” and their palates savored and discerned.)
Taste - to examine by tasting; taste, small amount, almost like nibble, as to perceive or experience its quality or goodness
· And this by the senses. To taste goes beyond knowing of or about, but experiencing
· To taste means to try and linger over, to dwell upon, tasting as something with depth and complexity or richness with hints of its attributes
· In this context, God implores us to “taste, even a little bit”
· His goodness is revealed in the tasting, the “testing”, the exploring, the lingering
o You cannot taste without apprehension
o You cannot taste by gulping or swallowing whole
· This tasting develops in the taster a discerning palate teaching the taster what is actually “good”
Good - pleasant, agreeable, good; beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, fair, favor…
· Fine, glad, gracious, joyful, kindly, kindness, loving
· Pleasant - pleasing, pleasure, precious, prosper, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well-favored
That all of these statements of “good” have in it, under it and through, those principles that are above - that are good, as what makes good, good.
34:9 - of God, Himself - for He is good, kind
34:10 - lacks no good thing
34:13 - welfare, prosperity, happiness
34:15 - do good, moral good
the beast of the field, fed by God (in time, by instinct Job) cry out forlorn in hunger and when fed tears and gulps its food as mere nutrition, not so God’s children. He can use such an analogy because, though He made call creation for His enjoyment, He has made us not only for that, but also, that we would enjoy - Him.
34:13 - welfare, prosperity, happiness
34:15 - do good, moral good
Therefore … taste and see… that the Lord IS good and that...
James 1:17 all good and perfect gifts are from the good and perfect God...
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
John 2 having tasted the gift of the Giver of the Gift...
“...but you have saved the best for last…”
Lamentations 3:21-26 He is good…
“21Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
22Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
25The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
26it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
