"When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple."
Joseph interring Jesus in his tomb earmarked for his own reminds us of Isaiah who foretold his burial. "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death."(Is.53:9). There were two other malefactors on the cross. So the first part of the verse refers to them as well as to the rich man who let his own tomb at his disposal. So much so for the carcass and after spirit has left it is an empty shell. The rich and the poor meet in death fulfilling the natural law. Piety of Joseph stands in stark contrast with those chief priests and the Pharisees who also required to get a hearing from the Governor.
The Spirit gives us the spiritual depth of the rock pointing out to the Alpha aspect of the Son. He was the cornerstone while for his enemies, the rock of offense. Wisdom principle determined the house with seven pillars (Pr.9:1) "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old./ I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was."(Pr.8:22-23) Everlasting covenant is between God the Father and the Son which requires no other covenant. Wisdom and Power define God. Their covenant when simply put means the Power and glory that we refer every time we say the Lord's Prayer, refers to God the glory of the Son, ("Who being the brightness of his glory"-He.1:3,)
"And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory." In the case of Moses who wanted to see it God replied, "And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by."(Ex.33:18-23). The Spirit was pointing to this rock from where he would be lifter by His power. So Isaiah warns us, "look unto the rock whence ye are hewn,"(Is.51:1) Did not God see Joseph before the worlds began?
"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour."
Three hours as the Spirit records it intends the darkness as a sign independent of natural cause of a solar eclipse. The number Three decidedly favors the spiritual darkness enveloping in their rejection of the Son; by the same token we have another sign, of graves letting out their contents as though in protest; The torn veil of the temple is a symbolic act as the word of God fulfilling as in the case of the hour of darkness that had now taken over the land. Jesus was correct in the timing. "I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me./But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." (26:55-56) The word of God zeroed in, that the Word become flesh could not have missed. (To digress a little, obedience of Jesus Christ was perfected in letting the word of his Father work with him.)
The voice came from heaven and in the Gospel of John Jesus explains it clearly. "Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes."( John 12:30). It was while he was alive. By the same token the death of the Son could not have passed on without some visible signs of it. There are so many strange signs and bizarre light and sound show in the sky. What does the man on the street say,"UFO sighting." His reasonable mind wants to hitch his mind to anything however silly it may be. But he rejects any suggestion that rejecting the word concerning shall have serious consequences. The mind of the centurion who witnessed the events, was much more of noble cast. " they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God."(v.54) Consider the chief priests and the Pharisees who would hush up his resurrection, what was their mind like? (vv.62-66) Do you think the modern churches shall disband their churches or abjure their heresies in the face of truth revealed?
Psalm 22 gives us a graphic account of the agony of Jesus on the cross. Jesus knew well that he was hung up not only on two wooden crossbeams but also between his deity and humanity,- and St Luke pithily sums it up: "For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end." ( Luke 22:37). Gospel of St Luke does well in dwelling on the Man component while John and Matthew give us the Alpha aspect of Christ.
Ps. 22:6-9 " But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people./All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,/He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him." Isaiah also refers more or less the same. "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him;"(Is.53:3)
In real time he was despised and they 'laugh me to scorn'. "And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,/And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross." while some, "let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him." Chief priest befitting their holier-than- thou stance, "He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God."
"He was despised, and we esteemed him not." His death did not mean much to the man on the street other than a spectacle of three 'malefactors'. Unless one makes 'the word' in his heart as the truth God has planted and unless you daily care for it do you think you would have been any different than the passersby? We are marvelously created and set on two timescales and blessed in his Son to be his witnesses.
We have in this chapter a few dilemmas created by wicked men.
1.Dilemma of 'other man's riches'
v.5 " And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself." Judas realized all too late his actions were irrevocable. Thirty pieces of silver did not help him to clear his name or conscience. Money was other man's riches so the chief priests hired him to do a job would not want to touch it; the enormity of guilt over betrayal of an innocent man's blood, no money could handle. Satan is the designated 'other man' since value of thirty pieces of silver has also changed. Who shall price an abstract thing as conscience? Chief priests whose piety was in observing traditions of their fathers set a price accordingly as 'unclean'. "And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood." Instead bought the land thereby fulfilling the scriptures. "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet."
2 Dilemma of duty imposed by ungodly man.
Pontius Pilate despite of honor and authority was a pawn or a loser. " For he knew that for envy they had delivered him." He was a clever and worldly wise to have risen the ranks of a brutal regime, where dog eats dog principle prevailed. Envy killed you as well as slip of the tongue cast you down at any moment. He saw through the hypocrisy of the religion. He believed that Jesus was innocent. All he could do was wash his hands. "When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it."(v.24). If life was as simple as that but Judas realized it was not. He as well as Pilate were accountable to a Just God who could cast their soul to death and hell. Man in honor abides not.(Ps.49:20)
God sent his only begotten Son to the world. St Matthew presents him deliver the doctrine of his Father. Sermon on the Mount in ch.5 gives it as the Word become flesh. As the Word there was no higher authority than what he signified in his person. John speaks of his deity thus, "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." ( John 1:2).
The Gospel presents him in the following chapters as Man is the Message. Evangelist traces a subtext why he was not received by his own." He came unto his own, and his own received him not"( John 1:11). Conflict between light and darkness must be resolved and it comes to a head on the charges of blasphemy. "I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me./But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."(26:56-57)
When Jesus told the truth, "Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven" the council that tried him was certain,"Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy." Their entire process was illegal but his role as the Lamb to his slaughter was right on track. "he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."(Is.53:7)
"And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly."(27:14). Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ in denying the truth they were proving that they were unworthy of the other. So the mob crying,"Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children."(v.27) illustrates what precious gift had they trodden underfoot. Holocaust wiped out some six million in the process. Has it sobered them up? Without grace beauty is blind and truth is darkness. We are warned what a terror awaits us if we neglect it.
"Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value;/And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me."(vv.9-10)
Here St Matthew refers to a quote from the book of Zechariah. In order to give them its proper context we shall consider the v.10. "And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.' This covenant with Israel refers to the Law of Moses. Beauty symbolic sign for Jesus ("For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?"- Luke 23:31) In cutting off the Son they were repudiating the covenant and God. Jeremiah then smashing the potter's vessel at the east gate in Je.19 was a public event. Now the crucifixion was going to be a public event.
The inspired writing of the Evangelist did not err, an example of which we have seen in the preceding chapter. The verse"that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled" referred both Isaiah and Zechariah.(26:56) The Spirit presented the potter's vessel as a sign for the Son and where Prophet Jeremiah had begun we have Prophet Zechariah leading to the field, which in general sense signifies the whole land. "The land is mine" and the divine potter "O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel."(Je.18:6)
Matt.26:56-75 "Jesus in the hands of his tormentors"
v.56 "But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled."
Here we have a reference to Ze.13:7 "smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones."" As a result 'all the disciples forsook him and fled." The passage where Peter denying Jesus owes to the specific saying of Jesus. "Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice."(v.34) Why single out Peter? In following verse, "Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples".
Zechariah tells us in vv.8-9 what must occur. Number Three refers to the Son. "And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein./And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God." This points to the end times.
The third part refers to what is left in Palestine. What occurs in Gaza must like a boil must burst open till 'all the land' their wound is cleansed and healed. Mal.3:2-3
Peter's problem was that he relied on his powers as a man. "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."(1 Co.10:11-12) What happened to St Peter and Israel are examples, "and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
v.67 "Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him" is a fulfillment of Isaiah verse." I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting."(50:6-8). The key verse v.56 referred to the prophets and Matthew meant Zechariah and Isaiah.
"Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;/ But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,"
The Seat of Moses is a symbol for authority. It signals the Law of Moses and his piety. What if the man who sits there is actively seeking false witnesses what are we to think of it. That law is an ass, is it not? Hypocrisy of chief priests and the council allowed their temple to be a den of thieves and now a Privy Council of Satan was called to order. They needed two witnesses since in their law two or three witnesses clinched the case against Jesus.
"But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God./Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." (vv.63-64)
Simon Peter comments on the trial,"Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain."(Ac.2:23)
Wicked men in their cloth pontificate and get their victims which explains, the Inquisition and the imposter church has soiled their hands ever since but the Word of God stands sure.
vv.63-64 "Thou hast said"
You shall be judged by what you say and the chief priest who said,"I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God" having said it was in judgment himself. In refusing the truth he was guilty of hellfire as well. This is what Jesus implied. Compare with this question, "The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?"(21:25-27)
There is a sharp change of scene between v.45 and v.46.
In one he required his disciples to keep watch in his hour of sorrow with him. They failed at it. Now he says," Sleep on now, and take your rest."
Without their aid he was fortified from above. St Luke mentions that in his agony, of an angel from above being present.( Luke 22:43-44) God makes "his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire." When Jesus warns us not to despise 'these little ones' he is referring to their angels. "That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."(18:10-14). It is not for us to know in what manner but God does not leave those who are least esteemed in the eyes of the world without support. "A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation."(Ps.68:5-6)
They disciples are let to take ease since his hour was at hand. "For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me."(Ro.15:3) He was about to claim his victory.
vv.53-54 "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?/ But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" Lucan Gospel as mentioned earlier introduces the angel in strengthening Jesus in his agony.This helps us to understand the Angel of the Lord sees to the fulfilment of the scriptures. All His promises are 'yea' in his Son. Jesus speaks of legions of angels which are saints battle girt and shall do valiantly in battle. We see them in St John's vision,"And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean."(Re.19:14). They follow the Word of God which is Person specific. Whether one angel or legions of them what comes to our aid is our Savior Lord, who warned us, "Without me you can do nothing." Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever."
The superscription is the Latin phrase for the Savior of the World and while we study the last supper let us keep this aspect of the Son in our mind. Each gospel has something to tell us about the significance of it.
"And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;/ For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."(26:27-28) Luke also treats the same. He does it after he blesses the cup. which is by offering it to his Father. "And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves." Divide it among yourselves is similar to the act of the Sower in the Parable. "Behold, a sower went forth to sow;" The field is the world where the heart is not alike. In vv.4-6 we read how the seed come to nought or produced very little. the fault lay entirely with the heart of man. "but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."( 1 John 1:7-9). Blood of Jesus is not at fault but the heart of man is. Out of it comes heresies since it is not entirely good. Like the proverbial curates egg it is half half. So some of the time man runs with his brethren and claims."I have seen the light Hallelujiah" and at other time he is chasing with politicians to do their bidding. Limited salvation as some sects claim is a case in point. If they stumble at this what else is there for them? "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."(Jas.2:10)
Notice it is "after supper" that he said " Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." As with the bread they have had partaken the bread during the Last supper "this do in remembrance of me."( Luke 22:19-20). If one makes 'this cup' to mean his blood, what are we to assume? Man's reason is at fault.
"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." The spirit that Jesus speaks here is of the spirit of man which St Paul finds as an essential tool, and he asks,"For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God."(1 Co.2:11) St Peter's flash of brilliance by fits and starts brought Jesus to commend him on one occasion, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God./And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."(16:16-17). When God breathed into the nostrils of man he made him a living soul and thereby he opened a way for the Spirit to work with Him. The Spirit of Christ for instance moved holy men of old to seek the path of righteousness. Jesus refers to it as 'dry places' so when an unclean spirit prompted Peter to speak a little later on it raised his master's ire. "Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee./But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."(16:22-23). Peter was capable of savouring things that be of man' equally as that of God. Jesus spoke a Parable, let me quote, "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places,"(12:43-45) is where the prince of the power of the air can move about. But the heart of a child of God is qualified as Isaiah says,"And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not."(Is.58:11)
"And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives./ Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad."
The chief priests covenanted with Judas to pay thirty pieces of silver. Their conspiracy to kill Jesus was born out of their human failings which however connected with the Word that underpins the everlasting covenant. Who shall betray him was a question that cropped up when Jesus foretold it. "And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me./ The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born."(vv.23-24). Jesus knew all along what role his disciple would play and as the Word become flesh he did not refuse him but his deity demanded grace must be shown and it is what he did. John gives us that account. Peter professed his faith, saying, "And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God./ Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?/ He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve. "( John 6:69-71).
vv.14-16 It was purely Judas' free will to judge the event in the house of Bethany that tilted his decision to betray his master. He did not have to wait too long because the word sent forth before the worlds began was in control of every events ever since he sent it, and Judas chose to do the bidding of Satan,- and Jesus equates the son of perdition as the devil himself. "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
Ze.13:7 was about to be fulfilled. In the following passages we shall see how the little ones fared after smiting the shepherd.
"Take, eat; this is my body."(v.26) "For this is my blood of the new testament,"
All gospels save that of John narrate the last supper before his passion. It occurred in the evening.
John instead gives us the first supper in the day of regeneration. This we shall examine before we consider 'my body' for bread and "new testament"
The disciples according to the Gospel of John did not recognize their master. He was there in his risen body, naturally."but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus." ( John 21:4). Significance is in the morning, "But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore." The Spirit uses the morning to indicate that their repast shall be breaking the fast. He was evidently in his spiritual body and for forty days he was seen of them since he was risen. At the mount before his passion he carried both physical and spiritual bodies and transfiguration was merely a foretaste of what was to come. Death had no more hold on the risen Christ so while he stood on the other shore he was in his spiritual body.
He asks the disciples present there, "Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No." (v.5). But soon they shall find a miraculous draught of fish and also bread. "As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread."(v.9). The catch was apart from the fish. Their labour and the catch brought ashore was their testament. While what was the testament of the spiritual body? Is it not the fish laid thereon a fire of live coals and the bread? Thus there are to aspects to what we mean by the body.
"A body hast thou prepared me" (He.10:5-7; Ps.40:7) is Word based so it points to the covenant between the Father and the Son. "Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,/I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart."
The fish and bread witness the spiritual body of the risen Christ.
"Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,/ And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver."
This covenant is between men. Now Judas well knew what the box of alabaster with its contents cost. "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?" The Spirit in setting this event is aligning it in terms of the everlasting covenant. The number Three whether counted in terms of value of the ointment or price of the betrayal referred the Word become flesh. The word 'covenant' is used with reference to the everlasting covenant. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ."(2 Co.5:10)
The Spirit has organized the entire salvation program where it pleased the Father that in his Son should all fulness dwell so there is only one covenant which is everlasting that is between God and Man(the Son). The everlasting refers the holiness of God. His calling and gifts are irrevocable.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to day and forever. In order to show the fulness of Jesus Christ we have the Gospel of John as a testimony. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."( John 1:1-2,14) Secondly we have the Law, "For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven."(Ps.119:89)
Without following the signposts set up by the Holy Ghost the Covenant theology to mean five or seven covenants are heresy.
When God has by a decree given a day to the Son how can man interpret seven days as stated in the opening chapters of the Book of Genesis as separate days?. The covenant between Judas and the Jews point to the everlasting covenant between God and the Son so judgment on them must be accordingly. Je.32:40 mentions the same everlasting covenant.
Jesus in the house Bethany is a private world of the larger world to which God sent his Son. He loved the world so he sent him as only begotten meaning the word was literally in the house. It is in this sense Jesus accosted Zachaeus," This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham."( Luke 19:9). Simon the leper is of the same weight as Zachaeus in that God made man a living soul equally. Truth makes every man born of woman in need of salvation.
Jesus commended the woman "for she hath wrought a good work upon me.". Those who had no business to criticize did for no good reason. She brought the alabaster box and broke it in order to wrought a good work upon him. Jesus understood her service was spot on. This explain the Parable in the preceding chapter.
Jesus was there in his humanity, which St Luke emphasizes in his version. His host is Simon and a Pharisee. So the short colloquy in vv.40-47 establishes this human interaction between the host and him. John's Gospel gives us a clue to his deity instead. "Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany" The event and Passover is thus established. The Gospel of Mark sets his version closely similar to that of Matthew. " She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying./Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."( Mark 14:8-9). The importance of service a believer does to another is tantamount to serving the Lord directly. All four gospels include this event. How do we erect memorials in heaven?
"Let brotherly love continue./Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares./Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body." (He.13:1-3)
"What does the throne of glory signify? The white throne judgment is not about color but holiness of God so when he judges it is good, with no fear or favor. God is the Father of lights and all judgment is under the authority of his Son who is the true Light. So the glory of his throne is the Law and truth. "Thy word is truth" gives sovereignty of the Word binds every soul to him."Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."(He.4:13).
Before the white throne all things are naked and open to him. "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it."(Re.20:13-15) names not found in the book of life are those earmarked for the lake of fire. Men may cheat death in the court of law but they shall not escape the second death where their souls are on the dock. Outer darkness spells where the presence of God shut them out so no memory of them shall taint the Land of the living.
What does 'one of the least of these my brethren' say Emmet Till or MLK represent? They shall be avenged for certain. The lame shall take the prey, the word of God has set down in the book of life which applies to all from the beginning of the world.
"for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well./My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth./Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them."(Ps.139:14-16)
Those who judge by appearances are certainly deceived. "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."(Jas.4:4) Knowing the right people to go high despising the poor is to despise his Maker
"And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?"And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee." Evangelist Matthew reports after he cleansed the temple Jesus introduces himself as " My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." (v.13) Compare how John treats the same cleansing of the temple, " And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise."(John2:17). John places the emphasis on "My Father's house." It is in this gospel we have this citation, "I and my Father are one."( John 10:30). In the Gospel of Matthew the book introduced Jesus as the son of Abraham and son of David. (Matt.1:1) St John having presented the logos aspect of Jesus Christ gives us a concrete example in this cleansing. My house is as valid as My Father's house. John continues the Alpha aspect of Jesus by the next verse, "And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up."(v.17)
This just shows each Gospel has its inner logic and what drives them as one is the Alpha Omega aspect of the Son hitched to the word.
John 2:18-23
Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?/Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up./Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?/But he spake of the temple of his body."
"Temple of the body" how marvelously the Spirit gives us a concrete image of the Word become flesh? We are made kings and priests into Jesus Christ and the church as his body must witness this aspect of our Savior Lord. (Re.1:6)
Levitical priesthood was set for the Israelites as befitting their bootcamp, while Order of Melchizadec is forever.
" Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world"
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory," v.31 must be understood in its correct setting. Jesus in his humanity emptied himself of the glory so in all things he shall like men, -namely of the seed of Abraham. Matt.1:1 so begins as the son of Abraham; "Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people"(He.2:17) Nevertheless the Holy Spirit enumerates generation of Jesus as following those of heavens. (Ge.2:4)
Here we shall examine the glory factor related to the Alpha Omega aspect of the Son. In his prayer to his Father he speaks of it. "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."( John 17:5). This glory is based on the word. "As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him./And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." The cloud of witnesses were thus part of his glory. and sanctified by truth. So Jesus prays, "Sanctify them by truth: thy word is truth" (John17:10)
In his transfiguration on the mount the three disciples were present. Jesus wanted them to hold it a secret till he had completely perfected the will of his Father. From the above we see how man trivializes this glory by playing to the gallery and for the praise of men? In our Savior we are assured of life eternal. "that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Instead of truth how false teachers make Jesus with limited salvation. Such doctrine of man shall do much worse. "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."
In our time and place we endure temptation and are ridiculed and treated as fool but nevertheless we are enduring these for righteousness sake. It is thus Jesus Christ who of God has become righteousness connects us into his Alpha Omega aspect.
"then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory"
When we received Jesus Christ as our savior we heard the knock on the door. Supping with him signaled heavenly places (Re.3:20) and abiding life would mean that at one level Alpha mode of the Son, we were assured of life everlasting. God telling the Son " rule thou in the midst of thine enemies" was included as well. (Ps.110:1-2). When the enemies came down like a flood the Spirit raised the standard or the emblem. The bow in heaven signified it.(Is.59:19-20)
As with other emblems mentioned earlier we have the bow in heaven associated with the throne of the Lamb. " And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones."(Re.21:18) These 12 stones are to be seen from the new earth. This serves as rainbow. Science would it as a bow owing to gravitation lensing. The main point that New Jerusalem is hung up aloft in midair serving as sign for the everlasting covenant.
"And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it:."(Re. 21:24)
What do we make of nations? Alpha aspect of the Son separated light from darkness. (Ge.1:4) The White Throne Judgment casts out the children of disobedience (goats) from children of light (sheep).
"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."(v.34)
The mind of the Lord lent his capital to the wicked servant in good faith but wickedness of the servant was his reasonable faculties took the line of least resistance. The Lord envisioned, as in the fable of the Collier and the Fuller, a clean environment while the servant was letting out the grounds for colliery. It is thus faith and reason are ever at odds when we consider the kingdom building.
Has Christianity made the name of Jesus Christ redound to glory of God since St Paul took leave of the elders of Ephesus?
"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock./Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them./ Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears./ And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. (Ac.20:28-32)
Sects allowing only limited salvation and honor as a teacher denying his deity in full measure are sign of the times. Overseers which preach another Jesus is laying out another gospel. Blasphemy against Holy Ghost St Paul warned then. The single culprit for this is the manner the false teachers have cherry picked the word of God to impose doctrines of men rather.
25:28-29 speaks of a church that is so feeble that they fall upon nationalism as their last refuge.
Chapters 24 and 25 should be taken as one: two aspects of the Gospel to indicate election and damnation invested with Jesus Christ, " I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."(Re.1:18). In short Gospel of St Matthew presents us his generation He is the son of Abraham as well as the son of dead. The latter indicates his humanity while his Omega aspects tells us,"For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end."( Luke 22:37). Matthew presents an aspect of Jesus Christ while Lucan gospel gives us the ending. It is thus Alpha aspect has to meet the condition: what 'is written must yet be accomplished in me.' Each gospel presents us likewise an insight into the inestimable riches God holds for us in his Son.
The body prepared for his Son has similarly given us, "we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."( 2 Co. 5:1) And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal..5:1) According to the Omega aspect we are called to part of this body to which he is the head also has its counterpoise in Alpha which refers to the stone laid in Zion and the House with seven pillars. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth and what does the ending tells us? "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." God's handiwork declares his glory so there shall no more any diminishment or correction. Instead we became new creation in Christ. In his Omega aspect we became new. It is to this Jesus refers," And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." (v.46).
Righteousness was revealed to the nation of Israel. (1 Co.1:30)
From what I can glean from the scriptures, Jesus, when his hour was getting close, he prayed in Mark 14:35 and other verses "take this cup from me". Do you know of other scripture where God might have talked to him about his "powerful resurrected blood" after his death and what effect that this blood, and being resurrected would have on him? I wonder if God talked to him about it. Maybe he didn't. I'm not sure. What do you think? Kathy
"For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be./For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together."
The disciples of Jesus asked the question, which is in three parts. "Tell us, when shall these things be?"The first part we have covered already. From 'the books opened and the judgment was set' in the night vision of Daniel has a bearing on the great tribulation and it is also set on a reconstituted time. Now we shall look at "what shall be the sign of thy coming" For the final part of " the end of the world?" we have a parable in the following chapter.
The second Temple of Jerusalem faced the east, the prince mentioned in the vision of Ezekiel on leaving the east gate has to be shut. So we are not looking at the Son of man but Jesus Christ as the Lord from heaven. In Malachi his coming leads to the day of his coming. "And the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts./But who may abide the day of his coming?" (Mal.3:1-2)
What do we make of lighting, which in the vision of St John is associated with the throne of God?"And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices."(Re.4:5) From Re.10:4 we shall infer that thunderings and voices refer to gospel preached.
"And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not." What contained in the little book was judgment remained to be executed."But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."
East west mentioned in the first part refers to the destruction of Jerusalem AD70.
Acts 16:30-33 states: And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
This passage shows what appears at first glance to be a statement that supports the idea of infant baptism; or that entire households as a given are saved as a result of one person coming to faith. I would take it more as a word of knowledge on Paul's part. We see in this passage in verse 32 that the Gospel was spoken to the entire household of the jail guard first; and immediately afterwards baptism occurred (although it is not clear where that was done in the middle of the night).
The main concept here is that with the earthquake and releasing of chains at midnight of Paul and all the prisoners brought great fear; and that this shows the Biblical prescident for faith; that is an emphasis on the fear of the Lord and a desire for the individual to come to faith without prodding or compulsion by others as is the style today. When we see other verses such as in Acts when Agrippa almost was convinced to be a Christian ( Acts 26:28) it was through Paul's eloquent appeal. Repent and believe is a general call; but I can't find any specific verses where an individual is called to make a confession of faith such as in modern day "altar calls". This shows that a heart must be ready; and how frequently such commitments are made due to pressure from man; rather than genuine conviction. The appeal in Acts to the Jews was that the one they had crucified was indeed the Christ ( Acts 2:23). Such response brings persecution as all who are giving a genuine convicting message of truth; this is opposed to today's easy believism without counting the cost which happens often.
"And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you./For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."
When Christ sent his disciple he laid down the principle of Association."He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.". He that received in the name of Jesus received the Father who sent him.(10:40). If this is the case, where is the deception? We see in our times, how preaching of gospel is a ruse for Televangelists to add to their acquisitions Universities, real estate, fleet of sleek autos and aircrafts. It is of them Jesus warned, "For mayy shall come in my name and shall decieve many. They do not have to say, "I am Christ" but the principle is already laid down. They are collecting 'in my name; since the gospel stands as witness against them. All the while camera is rolling under the lights controlled to set off the preacher performing his spiel it is not for the glory of Christ but for his own brand name.
We see already the beginning of sorrows.(v.8) "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. In the post-pandemic days uncontrolled wild fires and monster surges snowstorms inundating cities are merely the beginning. Famine in Gaza, Ethiopia or in Sudan, street violence in Haiti the list can go on endlessly. These sorrows ought to make the complacent nations realize that manifest destiny for them is no different. Seek the Lord while he may be found.
Can anyone offer information located in The New Testament, KJB, regarding the Sabbath? I would like to know if Jesus changed the commandment regarding Saturday as the Sabbath, Holy Day of Rest, according to God? And replaced it with Sunday or as I was also informed any day of the week is proper for worship. I keep reading but there are no direct or indirect notations/references regarding the Sabbath or 7th day if the seek, Saturday or Sunday Or??
"Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers." Here we can understand the world of the body is a closed system where law of sin run through the whole lump of flesh and blood, so being 'woke and cancel culture' are merely BandAid that nation applies to a sepulcher of the past. Statues erected to commemorate men of yesteryears fall in disrepute but fighting the past is only to clear the way for those who shall be thrown down in future. Thus man fights the phantoms of the past. The real culprit is the law of sin.
The Don Quixotes who tilt at the windmills are themselves "whited sepulchers,"and as such Jesus observes,"Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity"(vv.27-28).
St Paul writes of being born again. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new./And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ."(2 Co.5:17-18). What is this new creation but brought out of the world of the flesh to the everlasting life. Father of mercies accepted us in his Son. "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:/Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son."(Col.1:12-13).
Despite of this liberty if man would prefer darkness what shall we call them. They are enemies to Christ. Jesus denounced the Pharisees and scribes and it applies in our times as well. Their culture wars shall continue since they have by rejecting the prince of life has rejected the wisdom that Jesus Christ of God signifies to us. (1 Co.1:30)
v.33 "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"
"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption(2 Pe.1: 4)
"When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple."
Joseph interring Jesus in his tomb earmarked for his own reminds us of Isaiah who foretold his burial. "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death."(Is.53:9). There were two other malefactors on the cross. So the first part of the verse refers to them as well as to the rich man who let his own tomb at his disposal. So much so for the carcass and after spirit has left it is an empty shell. The rich and the poor meet in death fulfilling the natural law. Piety of Joseph stands in stark contrast with those chief priests and the Pharisees who also required to get a hearing from the Governor.
The Spirit gives us the spiritual depth of the rock pointing out to the Alpha aspect of the Son. He was the cornerstone while for his enemies, the rock of offense. Wisdom principle determined the house with seven pillars (Pr.9:1) "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old./ I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was."(Pr.8:22-23) Everlasting covenant is between God the Father and the Son which requires no other covenant. Wisdom and Power define God. Their covenant when simply put means the Power and glory that we refer every time we say the Lord's Prayer, refers to God the glory of the Son, ("Who being the brightness of his glory"-He.1:3,)
"And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory." In the case of Moses who wanted to see it God replied, "And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by."(Ex.33:18-23). The Spirit was pointing to this rock from where he would be lifter by His power. So Isaiah warns us, "look unto the rock whence ye are hewn,"(Is.51:1) Did not God see Joseph before the worlds began?
"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour."
Three hours as the Spirit records it intends the darkness as a sign independent of natural cause of a solar eclipse. The number Three decidedly favors the spiritual darkness enveloping in their rejection of the Son; by the same token we have another sign, of graves letting out their contents as though in protest; The torn veil of the temple is a symbolic act as the word of God fulfilling as in the case of the hour of darkness that had now taken over the land. Jesus was correct in the timing. "I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me./But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." (26:55-56) The word of God zeroed in, that the Word become flesh could not have missed. (To digress a little, obedience of Jesus Christ was perfected in letting the word of his Father work with him.)
The voice came from heaven and in the Gospel of John Jesus explains it clearly. "Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes."( John 12:30). It was while he was alive. By the same token the death of the Son could not have passed on without some visible signs of it. There are so many strange signs and bizarre light and sound show in the sky. What does the man on the street say,"UFO sighting." His reasonable mind wants to hitch his mind to anything however silly it may be. But he rejects any suggestion that rejecting the word concerning shall have serious consequences. The mind of the centurion who witnessed the events, was much more of noble cast. " they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God."(v.54) Consider the chief priests and the Pharisees who would hush up his resurrection, what was their mind like? (vv.62-66) Do you think the modern churches shall disband their churches or abjure their heresies in the face of truth revealed?
Psalm 22 gives us a graphic account of the agony of Jesus on the cross. Jesus knew well that he was hung up not only on two wooden crossbeams but also between his deity and humanity,- and St Luke pithily sums it up: "For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end." ( Luke 22:37). Gospel of St Luke does well in dwelling on the Man component while John and Matthew give us the Alpha aspect of Christ.
Ps. 22:6-9 " But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people./All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,/He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him." Isaiah also refers more or less the same. "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him;"(Is.53:3)
In real time he was despised and they 'laugh me to scorn'. "And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,/And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross." while some, "let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him." Chief priest befitting their holier-than- thou stance, "He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God."
"He was despised, and we esteemed him not." His death did not mean much to the man on the street other than a spectacle of three 'malefactors'. Unless one makes 'the word' in his heart as the truth God has planted and unless you daily care for it do you think you would have been any different than the passersby? We are marvelously created and set on two timescales and blessed in his Son to be his witnesses.
We have in this chapter a few dilemmas created by wicked men.
1.Dilemma of 'other man's riches'
v.5 " And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself." Judas realized all too late his actions were irrevocable. Thirty pieces of silver did not help him to clear his name or conscience. Money was other man's riches so the chief priests hired him to do a job would not want to touch it; the enormity of guilt over betrayal of an innocent man's blood, no money could handle. Satan is the designated 'other man' since value of thirty pieces of silver has also changed. Who shall price an abstract thing as conscience? Chief priests whose piety was in observing traditions of their fathers set a price accordingly as 'unclean'. "And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood." Instead bought the land thereby fulfilling the scriptures. "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet."
2 Dilemma of duty imposed by ungodly man.
Pontius Pilate despite of honor and authority was a pawn or a loser. " For he knew that for envy they had delivered him." He was a clever and worldly wise to have risen the ranks of a brutal regime, where dog eats dog principle prevailed. Envy killed you as well as slip of the tongue cast you down at any moment. He saw through the hypocrisy of the religion. He believed that Jesus was innocent. All he could do was wash his hands. "When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it."(v.24). If life was as simple as that but Judas realized it was not. He as well as Pilate were accountable to a Just God who could cast their soul to death and hell. Man in honor abides not.(Ps.49:20)
God sent his only begotten Son to the world. St Matthew presents him deliver the doctrine of his Father. Sermon on the Mount in ch.5 gives it as the Word become flesh. As the Word there was no higher authority than what he signified in his person. John speaks of his deity thus, "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." ( John 1:2).
The Gospel presents him in the following chapters as Man is the Message. Evangelist traces a subtext why he was not received by his own." He came unto his own, and his own received him not"( John 1:11). Conflict between light and darkness must be resolved and it comes to a head on the charges of blasphemy. "I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me./But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."(26:56-57)
When Jesus told the truth, "Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven" the council that tried him was certain,"Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy." Their entire process was illegal but his role as the Lamb to his slaughter was right on track. "he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."(Is.53:7)
"And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly."(27:14). Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ in denying the truth they were proving that they were unworthy of the other. So the mob crying,"Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children."(v.27) illustrates what precious gift had they trodden underfoot. Holocaust wiped out some six million in the process. Has it sobered them up? Without grace beauty is blind and truth is darkness. We are warned what a terror awaits us if we neglect it.
"Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value;/And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me."(vv.9-10)
Here St Matthew refers to a quote from the book of Zechariah. In order to give them its proper context we shall consider the v.10. "And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.' This covenant with Israel refers to the Law of Moses. Beauty symbolic sign for Jesus ("For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?"- Luke 23:31) In cutting off the Son they were repudiating the covenant and God. Jeremiah then smashing the potter's vessel at the east gate in Je.19 was a public event. Now the crucifixion was going to be a public event.
The inspired writing of the Evangelist did not err, an example of which we have seen in the preceding chapter. The verse"that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled" referred both Isaiah and Zechariah.(26:56) The Spirit presented the potter's vessel as a sign for the Son and where Prophet Jeremiah had begun we have Prophet Zechariah leading to the field, which in general sense signifies the whole land. "The land is mine" and the divine potter "O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel."(Je.18:6)
v.56 "But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled."
Here we have a reference to Ze.13:7 "smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones."" As a result 'all the disciples forsook him and fled." The passage where Peter denying Jesus owes to the specific saying of Jesus. "Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice."(v.34) Why single out Peter? In following verse, "Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples".
Zechariah tells us in vv.8-9 what must occur. Number Three refers to the Son. "And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein./And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God." This points to the end times.
The third part refers to what is left in Palestine. What occurs in Gaza must like a boil must burst open till 'all the land' their wound is cleansed and healed. Mal.3:2-3
Peter's problem was that he relied on his powers as a man. "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."(1 Co.10:11-12) What happened to St Peter and Israel are examples, "and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
v.67 "Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him" is a fulfillment of Isaiah verse." I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting."(50:6-8). The key verse v.56 referred to the prophets and Matthew meant Zechariah and Isaiah.
"Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;/ But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,"
The Seat of Moses is a symbol for authority. It signals the Law of Moses and his piety. What if the man who sits there is actively seeking false witnesses what are we to think of it. That law is an ass, is it not? Hypocrisy of chief priests and the council allowed their temple to be a den of thieves and now a Privy Council of Satan was called to order. They needed two witnesses since in their law two or three witnesses clinched the case against Jesus.
"But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God./Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." (vv.63-64)
Simon Peter comments on the trial,"Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain."(Ac.2:23)
Wicked men in their cloth pontificate and get their victims which explains, the Inquisition and the imposter church has soiled their hands ever since but the Word of God stands sure.
vv.63-64 "Thou hast said"
You shall be judged by what you say and the chief priest who said,"I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God" having said it was in judgment himself. In refusing the truth he was guilty of hellfire as well. This is what Jesus implied. Compare with this question, "The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?"(21:25-27)
There is a sharp change of scene between v.45 and v.46.
In one he required his disciples to keep watch in his hour of sorrow with him. They failed at it. Now he says," Sleep on now, and take your rest."
Without their aid he was fortified from above. St Luke mentions that in his agony, of an angel from above being present.( Luke 22:43-44) God makes "his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire." When Jesus warns us not to despise 'these little ones' he is referring to their angels. "That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."(18:10-14). It is not for us to know in what manner but God does not leave those who are least esteemed in the eyes of the world without support. "A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation."(Ps.68:5-6)
They disciples are let to take ease since his hour was at hand. "For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me."(Ro.15:3) He was about to claim his victory.
vv.53-54 "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?/ But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" Lucan Gospel as mentioned earlier introduces the angel in strengthening Jesus in his agony.This helps us to understand the Angel of the Lord sees to the fulfilment of the scriptures. All His promises are 'yea' in his Son. Jesus speaks of legions of angels which are saints battle girt and shall do valiantly in battle. We see them in St John's vision,"And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean."(Re.19:14). They follow the Word of God which is Person specific. Whether one angel or legions of them what comes to our aid is our Savior Lord, who warned us, "Without me you can do nothing." Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever."
The superscription is the Latin phrase for the Savior of the World and while we study the last supper let us keep this aspect of the Son in our mind. Each gospel has something to tell us about the significance of it.
"And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;/ For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."(26:27-28) Luke also treats the same. He does it after he blesses the cup. which is by offering it to his Father. "And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves." Divide it among yourselves is similar to the act of the Sower in the Parable. "Behold, a sower went forth to sow;" The field is the world where the heart is not alike. In vv.4-6 we read how the seed come to nought or produced very little. the fault lay entirely with the heart of man. "but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."( 1 John 1:7-9). Blood of Jesus is not at fault but the heart of man is. Out of it comes heresies since it is not entirely good. Like the proverbial curates egg it is half half. So some of the time man runs with his brethren and claims."I have seen the light Hallelujiah" and at other time he is chasing with politicians to do their bidding. Limited salvation as some sects claim is a case in point. If they stumble at this what else is there for them? "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."(Jas.2:10)
Notice it is "after supper" that he said " Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." As with the bread they have had partaken the bread during the Last supper "this do in remembrance of me."( Luke 22:19-20). If one makes 'this cup' to mean his blood, what are we to assume? Man's reason is at fault.
"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." The spirit that Jesus speaks here is of the spirit of man which St Paul finds as an essential tool, and he asks,"For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God."(1 Co.2:11) St Peter's flash of brilliance by fits and starts brought Jesus to commend him on one occasion, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God./And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."(16:16-17). When God breathed into the nostrils of man he made him a living soul and thereby he opened a way for the Spirit to work with Him. The Spirit of Christ for instance moved holy men of old to seek the path of righteousness. Jesus refers to it as 'dry places' so when an unclean spirit prompted Peter to speak a little later on it raised his master's ire. "Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee./But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."(16:22-23). Peter was capable of savouring things that be of man' equally as that of God. Jesus spoke a Parable, let me quote, "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places,"(12:43-45) is where the prince of the power of the air can move about. But the heart of a child of God is qualified as Isaiah says,"And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not."(Is.58:11)
"And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives./ Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad."
The chief priests covenanted with Judas to pay thirty pieces of silver. Their conspiracy to kill Jesus was born out of their human failings which however connected with the Word that underpins the everlasting covenant. Who shall betray him was a question that cropped up when Jesus foretold it. "And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me./ The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born."(vv.23-24). Jesus knew all along what role his disciple would play and as the Word become flesh he did not refuse him but his deity demanded grace must be shown and it is what he did. John gives us that account. Peter professed his faith, saying, "And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God./ Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?/ He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve. "( John 6:69-71).
vv.14-16 It was purely Judas' free will to judge the event in the house of Bethany that tilted his decision to betray his master. He did not have to wait too long because the word sent forth before the worlds began was in control of every events ever since he sent it, and Judas chose to do the bidding of Satan,- and Jesus equates the son of perdition as the devil himself. "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
Ze.13:7 was about to be fulfilled. In the following passages we shall see how the little ones fared after smiting the shepherd.
"Take, eat; this is my body."(v.26) "For this is my blood of the new testament,"
All gospels save that of John narrate the last supper before his passion. It occurred in the evening.
John instead gives us the first supper in the day of regeneration. This we shall examine before we consider 'my body' for bread and "new testament"
The disciples according to the Gospel of John did not recognize their master. He was there in his risen body, naturally."but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus." ( John 21:4). Significance is in the morning, "But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore." The Spirit uses the morning to indicate that their repast shall be breaking the fast. He was evidently in his spiritual body and for forty days he was seen of them since he was risen. At the mount before his passion he carried both physical and spiritual bodies and transfiguration was merely a foretaste of what was to come. Death had no more hold on the risen Christ so while he stood on the other shore he was in his spiritual body.
He asks the disciples present there, "Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No." (v.5). But soon they shall find a miraculous draught of fish and also bread. "As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread."(v.9). The catch was apart from the fish. Their labour and the catch brought ashore was their testament. While what was the testament of the spiritual body? Is it not the fish laid thereon a fire of live coals and the bread? Thus there are to aspects to what we mean by the body.
"A body hast thou prepared me" (He.10:5-7; Ps.40:7) is Word based so it points to the covenant between the Father and the Son. "Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,/I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart."
The fish and bread witness the spiritual body of the risen Christ.
"Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,/ And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver."
This covenant is between men. Now Judas well knew what the box of alabaster with its contents cost. "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?" The Spirit in setting this event is aligning it in terms of the everlasting covenant. The number Three whether counted in terms of value of the ointment or price of the betrayal referred the Word become flesh. The word 'covenant' is used with reference to the everlasting covenant. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ."(2 Co.5:10)
The Spirit has organized the entire salvation program where it pleased the Father that in his Son should all fulness dwell so there is only one covenant which is everlasting that is between God and Man(the Son). The everlasting refers the holiness of God. His calling and gifts are irrevocable.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to day and forever. In order to show the fulness of Jesus Christ we have the Gospel of John as a testimony. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."( John 1:1-2,14) Secondly we have the Law, "For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven."(Ps.119:89)
Without following the signposts set up by the Holy Ghost the Covenant theology to mean five or seven covenants are heresy.
When God has by a decree given a day to the Son how can man interpret seven days as stated in the opening chapters of the Book of Genesis as separate days?. The covenant between Judas and the Jews point to the everlasting covenant between God and the Son so judgment on them must be accordingly. Je.32:40 mentions the same everlasting covenant.
Jesus in the house Bethany is a private world of the larger world to which God sent his Son. He loved the world so he sent him as only begotten meaning the word was literally in the house. It is in this sense Jesus accosted Zachaeus," This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham."( Luke 19:9). Simon the leper is of the same weight as Zachaeus in that God made man a living soul equally. Truth makes every man born of woman in need of salvation.
Jesus commended the woman "for she hath wrought a good work upon me.". Those who had no business to criticize did for no good reason. She brought the alabaster box and broke it in order to wrought a good work upon him. Jesus understood her service was spot on. This explain the Parable in the preceding chapter.
Jesus was there in his humanity, which St Luke emphasizes in his version. His host is Simon and a Pharisee. So the short colloquy in vv.40-47 establishes this human interaction between the host and him. John's Gospel gives us a clue to his deity instead. "Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany" The event and Passover is thus established. The Gospel of Mark sets his version closely similar to that of Matthew. " She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying./Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."( Mark 14:8-9). The importance of service a believer does to another is tantamount to serving the Lord directly. All four gospels include this event. How do we erect memorials in heaven?
"Let brotherly love continue./Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares./Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body." (He.13:1-3)
"What does the throne of glory signify? The white throne judgment is not about color but holiness of God so when he judges it is good, with no fear or favor. God is the Father of lights and all judgment is under the authority of his Son who is the true Light. So the glory of his throne is the Law and truth. "Thy word is truth" gives sovereignty of the Word binds every soul to him."Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."(He.4:13).
Before the white throne all things are naked and open to him. "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it."(Re.20:13-15) names not found in the book of life are those earmarked for the lake of fire. Men may cheat death in the court of law but they shall not escape the second death where their souls are on the dock. Outer darkness spells where the presence of God shut them out so no memory of them shall taint the Land of the living.
What does 'one of the least of these my brethren' say Emmet Till or MLK represent? They shall be avenged for certain. The lame shall take the prey, the word of God has set down in the book of life which applies to all from the beginning of the world.
"for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well./My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth./Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them."(Ps.139:14-16)
Those who judge by appearances are certainly deceived. "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."(Jas.4:4) Knowing the right people to go high despising the poor is to despise his Maker
"And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?"And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee." Evangelist Matthew reports after he cleansed the temple Jesus introduces himself as " My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." (v.13) Compare how John treats the same cleansing of the temple, " And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise."(John2:17). John places the emphasis on "My Father's house." It is in this gospel we have this citation, "I and my Father are one."( John 10:30). In the Gospel of Matthew the book introduced Jesus as the son of Abraham and son of David. (Matt.1:1) St John having presented the logos aspect of Jesus Christ gives us a concrete example in this cleansing. My house is as valid as My Father's house. John continues the Alpha aspect of Jesus by the next verse, "And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up."(v.17)
This just shows each Gospel has its inner logic and what drives them as one is the Alpha Omega aspect of the Son hitched to the word.
John 2:18-23
Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?/Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up./Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?/But he spake of the temple of his body."
"Temple of the body" how marvelously the Spirit gives us a concrete image of the Word become flesh? We are made kings and priests into Jesus Christ and the church as his body must witness this aspect of our Savior Lord. (Re.1:6)
Levitical priesthood was set for the Israelites as befitting their bootcamp, while Order of Melchizadec is forever.
" Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world"
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory," v.31 must be understood in its correct setting. Jesus in his humanity emptied himself of the glory so in all things he shall like men, -namely of the seed of Abraham. Matt.1:1 so begins as the son of Abraham; "Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people"(He.2:17) Nevertheless the Holy Spirit enumerates generation of Jesus as following those of heavens. (Ge.2:4)
Here we shall examine the glory factor related to the Alpha Omega aspect of the Son. In his prayer to his Father he speaks of it. "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."( John 17:5). This glory is based on the word. "As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him./And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." The cloud of witnesses were thus part of his glory. and sanctified by truth. So Jesus prays, "Sanctify them by truth: thy word is truth" (John17:10)
In his transfiguration on the mount the three disciples were present. Jesus wanted them to hold it a secret till he had completely perfected the will of his Father. From the above we see how man trivializes this glory by playing to the gallery and for the praise of men? In our Savior we are assured of life eternal. "that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Instead of truth how false teachers make Jesus with limited salvation. Such doctrine of man shall do much worse. "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."
In our time and place we endure temptation and are ridiculed and treated as fool but nevertheless we are enduring these for righteousness sake. It is thus Jesus Christ who of God has become righteousness connects us into his Alpha Omega aspect.
"then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory"
When we received Jesus Christ as our savior we heard the knock on the door. Supping with him signaled heavenly places (Re.3:20) and abiding life would mean that at one level Alpha mode of the Son, we were assured of life everlasting. God telling the Son " rule thou in the midst of thine enemies" was included as well. (Ps.110:1-2). When the enemies came down like a flood the Spirit raised the standard or the emblem. The bow in heaven signified it.(Is.59:19-20)
As with other emblems mentioned earlier we have the bow in heaven associated with the throne of the Lamb. " And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones."(Re.21:18) These 12 stones are to be seen from the new earth. This serves as rainbow. Science would it as a bow owing to gravitation lensing. The main point that New Jerusalem is hung up aloft in midair serving as sign for the everlasting covenant.
"And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it:."(Re. 21:24)
What do we make of nations? Alpha aspect of the Son separated light from darkness. (Ge.1:4) The White Throne Judgment casts out the children of disobedience (goats) from children of light (sheep).
"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."(v.34)
The mind of the Lord lent his capital to the wicked servant in good faith but wickedness of the servant was his reasonable faculties took the line of least resistance. The Lord envisioned, as in the fable of the Collier and the Fuller, a clean environment while the servant was letting out the grounds for colliery. It is thus faith and reason are ever at odds when we consider the kingdom building.
Has Christianity made the name of Jesus Christ redound to glory of God since St Paul took leave of the elders of Ephesus?
"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock./Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them./ Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears./ And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. (Ac.20:28-32)
Sects allowing only limited salvation and honor as a teacher denying his deity in full measure are sign of the times. Overseers which preach another Jesus is laying out another gospel. Blasphemy against Holy Ghost St Paul warned then. The single culprit for this is the manner the false teachers have cherry picked the word of God to impose doctrines of men rather.
25:28-29 speaks of a church that is so feeble that they fall upon nationalism as their last refuge.
Chapters 24 and 25 should be taken as one: two aspects of the Gospel to indicate election and damnation invested with Jesus Christ, " I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."(Re.1:18). In short Gospel of St Matthew presents us his generation He is the son of Abraham as well as the son of dead. The latter indicates his humanity while his Omega aspects tells us,"For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end."( Luke 22:37). Matthew presents an aspect of Jesus Christ while Lucan gospel gives us the ending. It is thus Alpha aspect has to meet the condition: what 'is written must yet be accomplished in me.' Each gospel presents us likewise an insight into the inestimable riches God holds for us in his Son.
The body prepared for his Son has similarly given us, "we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."( 2 Co. 5:1) And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal..5:1) According to the Omega aspect we are called to part of this body to which he is the head also has its counterpoise in Alpha which refers to the stone laid in Zion and the House with seven pillars. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth and what does the ending tells us? "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." God's handiwork declares his glory so there shall no more any diminishment or correction. Instead we became new creation in Christ. In his Omega aspect we became new. It is to this Jesus refers," And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." (v.46).
Righteousness was revealed to the nation of Israel. (1 Co.1:30)
"For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be./For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together."
The disciples of Jesus asked the question, which is in three parts. "Tell us, when shall these things be?"The first part we have covered already. From 'the books opened and the judgment was set' in the night vision of Daniel has a bearing on the great tribulation and it is also set on a reconstituted time. Now we shall look at "what shall be the sign of thy coming" For the final part of " the end of the world?" we have a parable in the following chapter.
The second Temple of Jerusalem faced the east, the prince mentioned in the vision of Ezekiel on leaving the east gate has to be shut. So we are not looking at the Son of man but Jesus Christ as the Lord from heaven. In Malachi his coming leads to the day of his coming. "And the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts./But who may abide the day of his coming?" (Mal.3:1-2)
What do we make of lighting, which in the vision of St John is associated with the throne of God?"And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices."(Re.4:5) From Re.10:4 we shall infer that thunderings and voices refer to gospel preached.
"And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not." What contained in the little book was judgment remained to be executed."But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."
East west mentioned in the first part refers to the destruction of Jerusalem AD70.
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
This passage shows what appears at first glance to be a statement that supports the idea of infant baptism; or that entire households as a given are saved as a result of one person coming to faith. I would take it more as a word of knowledge on Paul's part. We see in this passage in verse 32 that the Gospel was spoken to the entire household of the jail guard first; and immediately afterwards baptism occurred (although it is not clear where that was done in the middle of the night).
The main concept here is that with the earthquake and releasing of chains at midnight of Paul and all the prisoners brought great fear; and that this shows the Biblical prescident for faith; that is an emphasis on the fear of the Lord and a desire for the individual to come to faith without prodding or compulsion by others as is the style today. When we see other verses such as in Acts when Agrippa almost was convinced to be a Christian ( Acts 26:28) it was through Paul's eloquent appeal. Repent and believe is a general call; but I can't find any specific verses where an individual is called to make a confession of faith such as in modern day "altar calls". This shows that a heart must be ready; and how frequently such commitments are made due to pressure from man; rather than genuine conviction. The appeal in Acts to the Jews was that the one they had crucified was indeed the Christ ( Acts 2:23). Such response brings persecution as all who are giving a genuine convicting message of truth; this is opposed to today's easy believism without counting the cost which happens often.
"And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you./For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."
When Christ sent his disciple he laid down the principle of Association."He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.". He that received in the name of Jesus received the Father who sent him.(10:40). If this is the case, where is the deception? We see in our times, how preaching of gospel is a ruse for Televangelists to add to their acquisitions Universities, real estate, fleet of sleek autos and aircrafts. It is of them Jesus warned, "For mayy shall come in my name and shall decieve many. They do not have to say, "I am Christ" but the principle is already laid down. They are collecting 'in my name; since the gospel stands as witness against them. All the while camera is rolling under the lights controlled to set off the preacher performing his spiel it is not for the glory of Christ but for his own brand name.
We see already the beginning of sorrows.(v.8) "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. In the post-pandemic days uncontrolled wild fires and monster surges snowstorms inundating cities are merely the beginning. Famine in Gaza, Ethiopia or in Sudan, street violence in Haiti the list can go on endlessly. These sorrows ought to make the complacent nations realize that manifest destiny for them is no different. Seek the Lord while he may be found.
Sunday as the Sabbath?
"Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers." Here we can understand the world of the body is a closed system where law of sin run through the whole lump of flesh and blood, so being 'woke and cancel culture' are merely BandAid that nation applies to a sepulcher of the past. Statues erected to commemorate men of yesteryears fall in disrepute but fighting the past is only to clear the way for those who shall be thrown down in future. Thus man fights the phantoms of the past. The real culprit is the law of sin.
The Don Quixotes who tilt at the windmills are themselves "whited sepulchers,"and as such Jesus observes,"Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity"(vv.27-28).
St Paul writes of being born again. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new./And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ."(2 Co.5:17-18). What is this new creation but brought out of the world of the flesh to the everlasting life. Father of mercies accepted us in his Son. "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:/Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son."(Col.1:12-13).
Despite of this liberty if man would prefer darkness what shall we call them. They are enemies to Christ. Jesus denounced the Pharisees and scribes and it applies in our times as well. Their culture wars shall continue since they have by rejecting the prince of life has rejected the wisdom that Jesus Christ of God signifies to us. (1 Co.1:30)
v.33 "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"
"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption(2 Pe.1: 4)