Living the Living Word by Deon Crafford

Ezekiel 1:9-10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle.

Ezekiel’s prophetic vision is not an arbitrary event, but a clear link in the divinity and majesty of Jesus Christ. As it is this vision comes to live in the four Gospels which opens the New Testament. The faces he sees correlates perfectly with the Gospels – the humanity of Christ (Matthew); the sovereignty of Christ depicted in the lion (Mark); the sacrificial commitment of Christ as in the ox (Luke) and the authoritative and revelational vision of Christ depicted in the eagle (John). What Ezekiel sees and describes is what is to come when the Word becomes flesh – a Living Word – logos becomes Rhema through the life of Christ and so it remains through the infusion of the Holy Spirit.

But is that it? If it were so, why then were the apostles mandated to go out and make disciples of all the nations? Why then were the Gospels penned, if it all ended with the ascension of Jesus? What was the point of the Good News, if there was no need for it anymore? It can only be that Jesus gave Life to the Word, so that others will keep on giving Life to the Word, so that more others can feed on the Living Word, so that all humanity may come to know Christ – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Herein is the call on our lives, that we shall embrace the Living Word and keep on giving Life to it. That we shall do so in the same way as Ezekiel saw in his Vision. Through our humble humanity in embracing the lost, through exercising our God given authority over darkness, through availing ourselves sacrificially in service of Christ and through the consistent clarity of the Vision which we’re able to speak and hanker after with joy. It remains astounding that Jesus Christ chose us to represent Him in this world and yet there is no doubt that He did. Thankfully our shortcomings will always be covered by the Holy Spirit. Let those that received Life, never revert to being dead.

Love to all