Center for Creative Ministry A research organization and research center for Seventh-day Adventist pastors and their congregations
The Power of the Exalted Jesus
“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds,” was the thought running through J. Robert Oppenheimer’s mind after the Trinity test revealed the devastating power of his own creation, the atomic bomb.
Oppenheimer, the biographical thriller film releasing in theaters next week, documents the gravity of holding life and death – the fate of the world – in one’s hands, and how the later bombing of Nagasaki catapulted Oppenheimer into a war against the use of nuclear weapons – the very weapons he brought into the world.
Such immense power was never meant to be in mortal hands. Only the divine Creator and Messiah Who “holds the keys of death and Hades” (Revelation 1:18, NIV) can also “put to death” and “bring to life” (Deuteronomy 32:39, NIV).
God spoke the entire universe into existence. Jesus broke down the temple while nailed on a cross, and then He effortlessly rose from the grave.
As a member of the Godhead (read John 1:1-14; 8:58) and Victor over death, Christ sits at the right hand of God just as David writes in Psalm 110:1, Paul echoes in Ephesians 1:15-23, and John the Revelator examines in Revelation 5.
In light of the Lord’s power and mercy, the only appropriate response is to revere, glorify and worship God.
For Reflection
Connecting: Witnesses of the Manhattan Project and Trinity test say that Oppenheimer was proud of piecing together a successful nuclear weapon. Yet, he regretted its use at Nagasaki. Do you think he would he have felt differently if it had been used on the Nazi regime, as he seemingly originally intended? Why?
Sharing: Review the following passages that reveal the power within spoken words. What other examples of this do you find in the Bible? Why is it important for us to watch what we say?
- Genesis 1 – The Creation Account
- John 1 – The Word
- Numbers 22 – 24 – Balaam
- 2 Chronicles 18 – Ahab, Micaiah, and the False Prophets
- 2 Samuel 16 & 2 Kings 2:23-25 – Cursing God’s Chosen Leaders
- Proverbs 16:24 – Gracious Words are a Honeycomb
Applying: Take your favorite verse from this week’s Sharing Scripture and share it with someone. Discuss what it means to you and what it reveals about God. If you are unable to meet/share with someone, apply it to memory and journal about the insight you received from Holy Spirit.
Valuing: Prayerfully meditate on Ephesians 1:15-23, 3:14-21. What aspects of Paul’s response to God’s power can you incorporate into your own prayer life?
~ Stefani Leeper
