The fragrance of His prayers

Fragrance in NT associated with 3 important ministries of Jesus: 1. Fragrance of his sacrifice – Eph. 5:1,2 – he offered
himself as a sacrifice before God because he loved us, and it was like a sweet fragrance aroma. The fragrance is
associated with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross,… 2. Sacrifice of his prayers in our behalf. His prayers are associated
with a sweet fragrance, according to Rev. 8:3,4 – fragrance of incense, representing Christ’s perfect righteousness
and his perfect intercession. His fragrance mingles with our weak prayers. We have a great hope, we should not
focus on our feeble prayers, but we should focus on mingling our weak prayers with the incense of Jesus’ prayers.
Today we are going to talk about the fragrance of Christ’s witness. Prayer without witness is of no
value/avail/benefit. Genuine prayer, Christ centered prayer has real impact in people, bring life transformation. Isn’t
that an awesome blessing? Christ is our prayer partner. Christ is our greatest witnessing partner. Our subject is
based on 2 Cor. 2:14,15 … Background – Paul is using a powerful analogy – the triumphant procession of a roman
general that comes from war after gaining victory over an enemy. He would march into Rome riding in his chariot. On
his head a crown of victory. In his right hand the scepter of authority. Going triumphant on the road that goes
through the middle of the capital, right to the center, surrounded by VIP, and by musicians, by senators, and many
others who had burning incense. The history tells us that within the city and outside the city everyone could smell the
sweet fragrance of victory. So here Paul is using this powerful analogy to illustrate that Jesus is our victorious
general, and that we are engaged in this triumphant procession with Jesus. And our function is to diffuse the
fragrance of Christ’s love, and grace, and knowledge, and power, in every place, always, to all people around us. DA
comment on this passage; it says that when Christ lives in our lives, when we walk with him we breath out his
fragrance. It is like the saying, the more you walk among flowers the more you smell like flowers. As we encounter
people instead of passing by or just doing our regular business, we need to diffuse, not to give, but to let it smell, let
it spread the triumphant aroma everywhere. It is associated with breathing. Why? For a healthy body, breathing
comes instinctively, without effort, it just happens continually. Breathing is a way of life. It goes without seeing, even
without planning. We don’t just breathe Jesus’ victory on Sabbath. Why? Because breathing, praise God, takes place
always, everywhere. Yu all are breathing right here, right now. Paul says, when Jesus really fills your life with his
sweet fragrance, you breath out his fragrance, all the time, without effort, everywhere you are. It becomes an
integral part of your life. . EGW says that those that don’t share God’s love all the time through all they do, they have
never really been converted. When you are converted you cannot keep it in. You shine it out, you share it… Notice pls
in this passage some special words that illustrate this reality of sharing or spreading Jesus’ fragrance. He uses the
word – diffuse. When you use cologne, you don’t make an effort to smell nice, it happens alone, you naturally diffuse
that smell. However, Paul uses the word – in Christ. We must have Christ, we must be in Christ in order to diffuse that
fragrance. It is just impossible to diffuse it, regardless the efforts, the methods, or programs, unless we have the real
presence of Christ, unless we are – present continuum - in Christ. That’s why he says, thanks be to God in Christ, who
always leads us in this triumphal procession, and through us he diffuses the fragrance. But to diffuse you must first
infuse. Unless you have both you are not really alive. How can you diffuse Christ if you never really infuse Him? You
must do both. He diffuses His fragrance through us, when we have time with him to infuse the fragrance of his
presence. He wants us to infuse, so that we can diffuse it. The in us experience leads the through us experience.
Then the 2 other words: always and everywhere. It is like breathing. We breath anytime and anywhere. We must
diffuse that fragrance anytime, anywhere. v. 14 talks about diffusing the fragrance of Christ, however, in v.15 talks
about becoming the fragrance of Christ. For we are the aroma of Christ. We so much get attached to Jesus, we so
much stay within his presence that we start looking like him, talking , walking, acting like him, even smelling like
him……. To the point that we have the great honor to be called the aroma of Jesus. Ex. someone’s smell… (The more

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you walk among flowers the likely you smell like flowers). People when getting in touch with us, they feel it, they are
drown to Christ. They are not repulsive, but attracted. Ex. Armani…. Attractive… May people everywhere recognize
that SDAs smell and look just like Jesus, that we spread the heavenly pleasant aroma of the Savior. That would draw
them to Jesus. Without Jesus we don’t smell too good. We must have Jesus’ fragrance to attract people to him. How
does this work in real life? How do we diffuse Jesus’ great aroma? We talk about it as being a way of life, always,
everywhere, no difference, no picking, here yes, there not possible. Always, everywhere, just like breathing. A way of
life means we smell like Jesus not just during the Sabbath day, but Monday also,…, it means we smell like him when
people see us and when no one sees us. It means whenever we encounter people, all people, anybody, when we
work, when we do business, in family, in the affairs of day to day life. We know we should be that way, but how that
does happen, how does it work? I want to mention 2 of Jesus’ disciples who give us a glimpse what does it mean,
how does it happen to be the aroma of Jesus.