ministry of righteousness

2 Corinthians 3:6-11

who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
 ⁷Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, ⁸will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? ⁹For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. ¹⁰Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

The law of Moses the old covenant, was a ministry of condemnation. The new covenant is a ministry of righteousness. In the old covenant the letter of the law was unachievable and killed but in the new covenant the spirit of righteousness brings life. The old has come to an end but the new has always been and has now been fully revealed and is permanent. We are blessed to live in such a time of revelation when God's plan for humanity is clearer than ever before!

He set his face

Luke 18:31-34

31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

What must it have been for Jesus as he grew from a boy and having read and understood the scriptures to know that one he would be the one to fulfil them! He knew exactly what would have to face, the horrible physical suffering, the rejection of his closest friends, the sin of the world and finally (as this one really blows my mind) separation from the Father. How does the Godhead, complete in unity, one in power and will, deal with the Son becoming sin. What must have been the suffering of the Son as the Father turned from the sin he had become. That truely was the perfect sacrifice. Jesus who was fully God and Fully man endured that separtaion for us that we might be able to experience the spiritual conection found in the Godhead. Adopted as Sons and Daughters...