Category: The Nation Israel

Two Testimonies to (Try to) Silence!

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

“But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus” (John 12:10,11 KJV).

To save their religion, these Israeli chief priests are willing to kill twice!

In the previous chapter, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Verses 45-48 continue: “[45] Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. [46] But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done. [47] Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. [48] If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.”

“Then from that day forth they took counsel for to put him [Jesus] to death” (verse 53). Jesus immediately escaped from Bethany, going out into the wilderness, and abiding in a city called Ephraim, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Jerusalem. As chapter 12 opens, it is six days before the Passover (and His death). Jesus returns to Bethany, where Lazarus is living (again!). There, Lazarus attends a supper held in Jesus’ honor.

Verse 9 says, “Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.” Now we reach today’s Scripture. Lazarus’ living testimony is a threat to their religion—many have converted to Jesus because of His miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. Now, these chief priests start plotting to kill Lazarus also; they had been conspiring for some days to kill the Lord Jesus, and now they want to silence His friend, too! The plan to murder Jesus was effective because He gave Himself up. However, the scheme to kill Lazarus was evidently unsuccessful. God had him stay around for more witnessing!

Imagine their horror, when they killed Jesus… and then He came back from the grave, too!

The Crown of Thorns

Monday, April 13, 2015

“And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!” (Mark 15:17,18 KJV).

What is the significance of the crown of thorns?

Matthew 27:29 affirms: “And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!” “And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands” (John 19:2,3).

After scourging (lashing) Jesus, the soldiers braided a crown of thorns and forced it onto His head! Mocking Him, they put a purple robe on Him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They knelt before Him to further tease Him. They punched Him to humiliate Him. He could have called down tens of thousands of angelic soldiers, but He chose not to. He could have instantly destroyed those Roman soldiers, but He chose not to. All of creation watched in horror as the Creator manifested in human flesh was beaten mercilessly. The most graphic event in human history was just beginning but He chose not to fight it.

Pause and think about the crown of thorns. Where did thorns first appear in the Bible? When God cursed the ground because of Adam’s sin, “thorns and thistles” sprung up (Genesis 3:17,18). The land that Adam once loved and tilled would now be a burden… and literally a pain. Thorns are part of the curse of sin.

Jesus Christ being forced to wear a crown of thorns emphasized Him bearing the curse of sin. Yes, He was the rightful King of creation, but He had to pay our awful sin debt first. Now resurrected, He has since taken off that crown of thorns, never to don it again. One day, He will return, wearing “many crowns” (Revelation 19:12), to rule and reign, proving He is indeed KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Did John really write ‘The Gospel of John?’”

Another Jesus

Sunday, April 12, 2015

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached… ye might well bear with him” (2 Corinthians 11:3,4 KJV).

Who is this “other Jesus?”

The other day, I was sharing the Gospel with a dear man. As I began to introduce him to the Bible, he said that all Christian ministers, regardless of denomination, preached the same Jesus Christ. Their sermons all “sounded pretty much the same.” Dear friends, in today’s Scripture, Paul corrected such erroneous thinking.

If Paul admitted that he feared the Corinthians would accept someone who “preached another Jesus,” then surely, “preaching Jesus” is not necessarily good. For example, cults and world religions preach Jesus according to their theological bias; they do not present the full picture of Jesus Christ as found in the Holy Bible. They highlight His good deeds, remember His kindness, and admire His wise sermons. But, they do not see Him as the Son of God, the only Saviour. Furthermore, they may not even believe He was crucified and resurrected! Certainly, these people are “preaching Jesus” to some extent, but they are not preaching the Jesus of the Bible.

When Paul talked about “preaching another Jesus” in today’s Scripture, he was referring to someone who did not “preach Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery” (Romans 16:25). There are two ways to preach Jesus Christ using the Bible—according to prophecy (non-Pauline Bible books) and according to the mystery (Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon).

While most of today’s “Christian” preaching is derived from Matthew through John, we do not find our salvation in those books—Jesus did not die until the end of those books! If we want to learn Jesus Christ’s ministry today to us Gentiles, not His ministry to Israel (Matthew through John), we have to go to Paul’s epistles. There, we find Jesus Christ crucified for our sins, buried, and risen, to be the Head of the Body, for the purpose of reconciling the heavenly places unto Himself. That is Jesus whom Paul preached, and let us not embrace another Jesus!

When the Roll is Called Up Yonder #2

Thursday, April 9, 2015

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 KJV).

The second verse of James Milton Black’s classic 1893 hymn “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder” highlights today’s Scripture.

“On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise,
And the glory of His resurrection share;
When His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.”

One day, when no one else wants to trust Jesus Christ as his or her personal Saviour, “the fulness of the Gentiles [will] be come in” (Romans 11:25). The Church the Body of Christ and the Dispensation of Grace will be complete: Paul’s Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) will no longer be a valid Gospel message. Once our mystery program ends with the Rapture (today’s Scripture), Israel’s prophetic program will resume where God paused it 2,000 years ago with Saul’s conversion in Acts chapter 9.

“Our gathering together unto [Christ]” (2 Thessalonians 2:1) is a most joyous hope, comforting bereaved and weary Christians: sadness and suffering permanently ends, a reunion with loved ones in Christ, and meeting Jesus Christ Himself! This world ending for us that we enter the heavenly places and fulfill God’s will there. The Rapture is much more than an escape from Earth. It is an appointment to keep in the heavens!

These weak, flesh-and-blood bodies cannot function in outer space. So, God will give all deceased Christians resurrected glorified bodies, and He will give us (living Christians) new glorified bodies as well (1 Corinthians 15:35-55). These new bodies will be just like Jesus’ resurrection body (Philippians 3:20,21), unlimited by time and space (meant to function in heaven). One day, I will be there, when all the saints are called up yonder to fill the heavens with Jesus Christ’s glory (Ephesians 1:18-23; Ephesians 2:6,7)! Will you?

“Deranged” for the Lord

Tuesday, April 6, 2015

“And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself” (Mark 3:21 KJV).

If they called our Lord “crazy,” surely we can count it all joy when they do it to us!

Jesus told His Jewish disciples on the night just before His death, “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also” (John 15:20).

When Festus heard Paul’s testimony, he said, “Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad” (Acts 26:24). In other words, “Paul, you are loopy, gone off the deep end, insane!” Just as the Bible says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). To the un-regenerated spirit, the Bible is nonsense, madness, craziness. It is literally a foreign language to them.

It will be a happy day when each and every Christian realizes that, before the lost world hated us, they first hated Jesus Christ. They do not hate us personally; they hate Him Whom we represent. We should not get mad at them; they are only acting naturally, for they know of no other way to think or live. They cannot get at Him, for He is not physically here, but they can get at us, we who are physically here. We should not expect lost people to act any differently than lost people acted 2,000 years ago. If they hated Jesus Christ living His flesh, they will hate Him living in our flesh. If they called Him names, they will call us names. If they mistreated Him, they are sure to mistreat us.

Still, I have a dear friend in the ministry who likes to say, “I would rather be a ‘fool’ for Christ than an idiot for the Devil!” We agree with this brother wholeheartedly! 🙂

Christ Liveth in Me

Sunday, April 5, 2015

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 KJV).

“He is risen” is not a simple blasé cliché!

When Jesus’ disciples came to His tomb on that glorious Sunday morning nearly 2,000 years ago, they were startled to find it empty! Angels inform them that He has resurrected, but they are still in shock (Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-8). Jesus Christ Himself must later explain the Scriptures to them regarding what happened those last few days (Luke 24:44-46).

However, until Paul’s ministry, Christ’s finished crosswork is not preached as good news for salvation. Peter and Israel’s other apostles simply preach that Jesus Christ is now resurrected to “sit on [David’s] throne” (Acts 2:30)—that is bad news for much of Israel, for they still reject Him, weeks and months after His resurrection and ascension. Throughout early Acts, Israel’s apostles warn her that Jesus Christ is coming back to judge them.

When we come to the Apostle Paul’s ministry, we learn that we Gentiles can benefit from Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork. Israel’s rejected Messiah is now our way to heaven! Yes, Israel hated Him, and demanded that He experience the most awful method of execution devised, but God allowed it in order to accomplish His will. Satan attempted to hinder God’s will by having Christ killed, but all that did was provide the method whereby God could save us pagan Gentiles. Calvary’s finished crosswork frees us from Satan’s evil system and gives us a chance to be God’s people (Acts 26:17,18)!

As people who have trusted Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as sufficient payment for our sins, that crucifixion is our death to self and sin, and that resurrection is our raising to walk in newness of life—His life (today’s Scripture; cf. Romans 6:1-11)!

Indeed, Jesus Christ is alive, and He lives in and through those who walk by faith in God’s Word to them, Paul’s epistles of Romans through Philemon! 🙂

HAPPY EASTER!

*Adapted from a larger Bible study by the same name. That study can be read here or watched here.

Messiah’s Joy Amidst Calvary’s Grief #2

Saturday, April 4, 2015

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2 KJV).

Do you ever wonder what our Lord Jesus Christ was thinking about while He hung there on Calvary’s cross?

Jesus knew Bible prophecy had to be fulfilled: He had to suffer in accordance with the Old Testament prophets. Even when He spoke seven times from the cross, He quoted various Old Testament verses. The Old Testament prophets also gave Him comfort: “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross” (today’s Scripture).

For instance, He remembered that Jonah’s prophecy had to be fulfilled: “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40). On the third day, He would live again, and be reunited with His heavenly Father!

He knew that His Father would resurrect Him. His spiritual torment and physical death were only temporarily, as David quoted Jesus 1000 B.C., “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption” (Psalm 16:10; cf. Acts 2:24-31).

Our Lord thought of reigning over that glorious kingdom that His Heavenly Father would give Him after His resurrection. As the psalmist wrote centuries before Calvary’s crosswork, “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession” (Psalm 2:6-8). “Begotten” refers to Jesus’ resurrection, not His nativity in Bethlehem (Acts 13:33,34).

Jesus Christ, during His torturous crucifixion, thought about and rejoiced in the promises in the Scriptures that applied to Him. Likewise, we, during difficult circumstances, can remember and rejoice in God’s promises to us—Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon.

We too can share Messiah’s joy amidst grief! 🙂

Please check out our archived Bible Q&As: “Should Christians celebrate Easter?” and “Is ‘Easter’ a mistranslation in the KJV?”

Messiah’s Joy Amidst Calvary’s Grief #1

Friday, April 3, 2015

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2 KJV).

Do you ever wonder what our Lord Jesus Christ was thinking about while He hung there on Calvary’s cross?

Psalm 22:1-21 provides us with a glimpse of Jesus’ thoughts as He endured that awful crucifixion: He is greatly tormented physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Various verses in Psalm 69 provide additional insight, especially as death begins to close in on His soul. Written about 1000 B.C., these and other “Messianic psalms” graphically describe assorted events in our Lord’s earthly life (in this case, His crucifixion)… centuries before they occurred!

What Jesus Christ thought about while suspended on Calvary’s cross was the Holy Scriptures. He had faith in the Old Testament passages that applied to Him. No matter what happened to Him, He knew it was His Father’s will, and His Father would be glorified. As He stated earlier, “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup [of Thy wrath; Revelation 14:10] from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt” (Mark 14:36). “…The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him” (John 8:29bc).

Do you realize what today’s Scripture is saying? Jesus Christ felt immense physiological and spiritual pain, but He thought about the overall view: “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame” (cf. Psalm 16:8-11). Yes, the Old Testament spoke of His suffering, and those Scriptures must be fulfilled, but it also testified of His glorious kingdom that would follow, and those Scriptures also were to be fulfilled in due time! “…The sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (1 Peter 1:11). While it did not diminish the extent of His distress and suffering, Jesus Christ kept in memory the glory His Father would give Him once He had endured the crucifixion (Philippians 2:8-11). It gave Him such joy. He felt grief unspeakable, but He also had joy unfathomable!

Please check out our archived Bible Q&A: “Are Christians obligated to observe Passover?”

Excruciating Thursday

Thursday, April 2, 2015

[Reader discretion advised: Christ’s sufferings are graphically described below.]

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (Hebrews 2:9 KJV).

His three years of earthly ministry have expired, but His greatest work is yet to come!

During the all-night interrogation in the “kangaroo court,” His sentence is passed—execution by crucifixion. They have scourged, beaten, and punched Him. Covered in their spit, they laugh at Him, and strike His head with a rod to force on the crown of thorns. His back shredded, His skull possibly fractured, His beard ripped off. His massive blood loss weakens Him further. Having been stripped of His clothing, He struggles to carry His heavy cross to Mount Calvary: Simon must carry His cross for Him. The crowds watch Him, laughing and jeering. His little flock looks on in total shock.

They lay Him on the wooden cross, yanking His limbs to nail them in place. His bones unbroken, but exposed, and His limbs dislocated. They pierce His hands and feet with long spikes, severing the median nerve in the hands, causing permanent hand paralysis. They raise up that cross, and He hangs, slowly suffocating due to His own weight. Every breath becomes increasingly difficult, His lungs fill with fluid, His heart becomes progressively strained. Eventually, He cannot breathe, and thus dies.

Now imagine His spiritual suffering. Three hours into His crucifixion, His heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost have abandoned Him. For the first time ever, He is totally alone. Physical and spiritual darkness now cover the earth. The weight of all the world’s sin and sins of all time crushes His soul. God’s undiluted wrath falls upon Him, as it does on those suffering in hellfire. He cries out in agony. Hanging on that cruel cross, with His spiritual eyes, He observes Satan himself and all his evil creatures snickering and cheering. He looks out to see His disciples staring at His helpless disfigured body. Oh, if only they knew how His physical and spiritual bodies were being tormented, utterly tortured beyond imagination!

After six hours of excruciating pain, He finally lets Himself die….

Please check out our archived Bible Q&A: “Was Jesus Christ really crucified on Friday?”

Me Whom They Have Pierced

Sunday, March 29, 2015

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10 KJV).

JEHOVAH says, “they shall look upon me whom they have pierced.” What a clear affirmation of the deity of Jesus Christ!

Various and sundry Bible verses can be fulfilled twice—they have a dual application. Moreover, some verses have been completely fulfilled; others have been partly fulfilled (awaiting complete fulfillment). Concerning today’s Scripture, it is fulfilled on two occasions. It was fulfilled 2,000 years ago and it will be fulfilled again in the future. The Prophet Zechariah originally pointed to Jesus Christ’s Second Coming (still future), but the Holy Spirit moved John to use it to refer to His First Advent, too.

“And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced” (John 19:37). Israel looked at Jesus hanging on the cross that Rome had erected to appease them. Revelation 1:7 sees the Second Coming (future), just as Zechariah did in today’s Scripture: “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

When Jesus was crucified (John 19:37), He was demonstrated to be the fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10. When He will come again, in wrath to avenge Israel against her (His) enemies, Revelation 1:7, He will again prove Himself to be Israel’s Messiah/Christ, her Deliverer/Saviour, the JEHOVAH of today’s Scripture (no wonder the “Jehovah’s Witness” New World Translation corrupts the verse).

After Jesus resurrected, His body still bore the scars from His crucifixion (John 20:25-27). Israel’s believing remnant will see them when He comes back one day. Zechariah 13:6: “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.” They will finally see their mistake in rejecting Him. They will finally receive Him whom they pierced!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Could you explain, ‘I will give you the sure mercies of David?’”