Notes for the Teaching on “Starting the New Year Right”

by Anna Rountree

1. The Lord Jesus calls disciples to be with Him and to share His life (Mark 3:14). They are to be wholly given to Christ as He is to the Father (1 Cor. 3:23). Claiming nothing as their own, they are to receive all from Him (Luke 14:33; Rom. 8:17, 32). They know the unearthly joy of blessing God and others in His name (1 Pet. 3:9).

2. The passions of Christ are the pure spiritual fires of His love that have burned from eternity for the Father and for those whom the Father has given Him in betrothal (Luke 10:22; John 6:39). “l have loved you [My people] with an everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3).

3. Christ has shed tears from eternity. He has known heartache because of the rebellion of the angels. From the beginning “the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart” (Gen. 6:6). There is sorrow for those whom He knows will not receive the gift of salvation (Matt. 7:13-14). He has continuing sadness because He knows that many of those who will be joined to Him will be lukewarm in their response (Rev. 3:16). His regret for their loss does not diminish the ardor of His heart that yearns for all of these (Jer. 31:20).

4. It is the wisdom of the Father that the full stature of His Son will be shown forth by His body, the church (Eph. 4:13). Each member of the bride has been chosen and called to manifest that portion of God’s Son that the Father in His inscrutable wisdom designs. Hence the full stature of the Lord Jesus will one day be reflected corporately in the Father’s children (Eph. 4:4, 7, 10; Gal. 4:19).

5. The root of the Hebrew word for myrrh means “bitter.” Myrrh signifies the bitter sufferings of Jesus at Calvary. “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities” (Isa. 53:5).

It also represents His present tribulations (Phil. 3:10; 2 Cor. 1:5). Christ Jesus is still bearing shame and sorrow because Christians deny Him by cooperating with His enemies (Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26-29).

It is necessary for the church to bear its portion of His afflictions as His body, as part of Him. “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body [which is the church] in filling up [completing] that which is lacking in Christ’s afflictions” (Col. 1: 24).

6. The other Hebrew word for husband, Baali, is translated “my master.” It is the same word used for the god Baal. Hosea says that this word will not be used again for Israel’s husband (Hos. 2:16-17).

7. The human race was created to reflect the life, character, and glory of God’s own Son who is the image of the Father (Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:15). Christians cannot themselves in any way bring forth this divine fruit. It can only be the Lord Jesus formed in them by the Spirit (John 15:5; Gal. 4:19).