Believe it or not, as they stood at the foot of the cross, the original disciples who walked in close companionship with Jesus knew nothing of the real mission of the man they followed. They did not realize who Christ was, why He came, why He had to suffer, and what was to be gained by His suffering. They did not know what happened on the cross, or during the three days and nights in the tomb before His resurrection. They did not know why the incarnation was important, or that it even was an incarnation. All they could see was the undeserved suffering of their friend and rabbi.
Now, legendary Bible teacher E. W. Kenyon reveals hidden truths there were not fully understood until the Pauline Revelation of the Epistles. Until God revealed these truths to the apostle Paul, no one understood why Christ came...why His death on the cross was necessary...or what exactly occurred in the tomb. They did not comprehend the good news: that because of these events, we now become the righteousness of God, people who can stand in God's presence without a sense of guilt, shame, or inferiority. This is the miracle of redemption and the miracle of New Creation. It is the confidence to overcome the devil, to heal disease, and to call Lazarus out of the tomb.
To this day, far too many believers share the disciple's view of Jesus: a biographical account of the things He did, the words He spoke, and the suffering He endured. Because of this limited revelation, their Christian faith will experience the same fears and doubts the disciples were left with the day Jesus was crucified. Like the apostles at Pentecost, we must move beyond sense knowledge and into the Spirit realm. We must move beyond religion and into a living and active truth if we are to truly walk in a powerful and overcoming faith.
