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The Final JudgmentMatthew 25:31-46The judgment predicted here will not occur until Christ comes back to earth and sets up His millennial reign as Israel's Messiah.“Son of man” is in the Scripture the “Millennial title of Christ . . . [it] is found eighty-eight times in the New Testament [but] not once in the Epistles. The Epistles concern the Church, not the coming Kingdom of the millennium. Christ is the King of the Kingdom but Head of the Church.“Son of man” involves His humanity but does not exclude His Deity. His humanity needs to be involved in His Messianic office, for that is from the line of David. Christ is also called “King”Thank you for tuning into Daily Bible Benefits Have a good and godly day
In this episode, we explore the fascinating connections between the story of David and the King of Tyre in 2 Samuel 5:9-12 and the story of Jesus and the Canaanite woman from Tyre and Sidon in Matthew 15:21-28. When David receives aid from King Hiram of Tyre to build his palace, we see a powerful image of Gentile support in establishing Israel's king. Centuries later, in a scene full of rich echoes, a Gentile woman from Tyre seeks the help of David's greater descendant—Jesus. Like David, Jesus sees His mission as initially directed toward Israel, the "lost sheep of the house of Israel," but, unexpectedly, it is a Gentile woman who calls Him both “Lord” and “Son of David,” recognizing His Messianic identity and power. This story highlights a unique theme in Matthew's Gospel: Gentiles often perceive Jesus' true identity more clearly than Israel does. We dive into the interpretive challenges around Jesus' use of the term “little dogs” in His conversation with the woman. Could this be a window into Jesus' humanity where he seeks a temporary break from His ministry to Israel? Yet, even in this moment, the woman's persistence draws Him back into His Messianic calling, pressing Him to heal her daughter, despite His exclusive mission focus on Israel. In the end, Jesus encounters profound faith from an unexpected place and person, echoing Matthew's message that the Gentiles often grasp Jesus' identity when His own people do not. We conclude with a powerful reflection: genuine faith in Jesus can emerge from unlikely backgrounds, reminding us that we may encounter faith in surprising places—even among those with a history of different beliefs. Sometimes, those who have only heard faint whispers of Jesus display a faith more fervent than those who have been close to Him for a lifetime. Key Passages: 2 Samuel 5:9-12 Matthew 15:21-28 Explainer Video on how to use www.biblehub.com and www.blueletterbible.org Leave us a question or comment at our website podcast page. * Intro Music: "Admirable" Carlos Herrera Music --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/onelifenash/support
As the enemies of Jesus prepare to kill him, Jesus is anointed for His Messianic mission
As the enemies of Jesus prepare to kill him, Jesus is anointed for His Messianic mission
In Luke 5-12-26, Jesus demonstrates His Messianic power to forgive sins by performing-two healings.-I. Jesus heals a leper, making him ceremonially clean as a testimony to all.-A. -If you are willing--a faith-filled request for healing -v. 12-.-B. -I am willing--a complete cleansing in response to a faithful request -v.-13-.-C. -Go to the priest--tell no one but go to the priest in obedience to the Law-as a testimony to everyone -v. 14-.--Summary Statement- Many come to Jesus to hear Him and be healed by Him, but He-slips away often to pray -vs. 15-16-.
In Luke 5:12–26, Jesus demonstrates His Messianic power to forgive sins by performingtwo healings.I. Jesus heals a leper, making him ceremonially clean as a testimony to all.A. "If you are willing"—a faith-filled request for healing (v. 12).B. "I am willing"—a complete cleansing in response to a faithful request (v.13).C. "Go to the priest"—tell no one but go to the priest in obedience to the Lawas a testimony to everyone (v. 14).Summary Statement: Many come to Jesus to hear Him and be healed by Him, but Heslips away often to pray (vs. 15–16).
In Luke 4-31-44, we observe Jesus engaging in 4-acts demonstrating His Messianic authority.-I. Jesus teaches with authority -vs. 31-32-.-II. Jesus casts out demons with authority--vs. 33-36-.-Summary Statement- Reports of Jesus's-teaching and work spreading throughout the-district.-III. Jesus rebukes fever and heals the sick with-authority -vs. 38-40-.-IV. Jesus silences demons with authority--v. 41-.-Summary statement- Though the crowds try to-detain Him, Jesus moves on to other cities in-Judea to preach the good news of the kingdom-because this is His purpose.
In Luke 4:31–44, we observe Jesus engaging in 4acts demonstrating His Messianic authority.I. Jesus teaches with authority (vs. 31–32).II. Jesus casts out demons with authority(vs. 33–36).Summary Statement: Reports of Jesus'steaching and work spreading throughout thedistrict.III. Jesus rebukes fever and heals the sick withauthority (vs. 38–40).IV. Jesus silences demons with authority(v. 41).Summary statement: Though the crowds try todetain Him, Jesus moves on to other cities inJudea to preach the good news of the kingdombecause this is His purpose.
* Up to this point in our study of Luke's Gospel, we have seen the proclamation of the coming of the Messiah and His forerunner. We have then seen the birth and ministry of the Messiah's forerunner - John the Immerser (the Baptist), the proclamation of Jesus inaugurating His Messianic ministry, the authority and power of Jesus displayed through a variety of healings and of demons being cast out. Last week, we saw Jesus begin to ramp up His Messianic ministry by providing corrective instruction regarding the observance of the Sabbath. During this time, Jesus began to call individuals to follow Him. Some did and some did not. We read of some of those who did. * Today, we see Jesus take the next step in His Messianic ministry - choosing His primary Ambassadors and giving them their primary Message. * If you were to choose twelve men to represent you, or your business, or your ministry ... how would you go about choosing them? Would they send in resumés? Would you have multiple interviews? What criteria would you use to assess the most qualified candidates? * What we begin to learn ... or begin to learn in a more intensive way ... is that the Kingdom mindset is unlike the mindset of the world.
* As Chuck reminded us last week, Luke wrote this gospel account that we are studying in order "that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed." * We have seen, that it was Jesus' custom to go to the Synagogue on the Sabbath. It was on the Sabbath that Jesus gave His Messianic proclamation in the Synagogue in Nazareth. It was also on the Sabbath that we saw His ministry begin in the town of Capernaum. There, in the Synagogue, the people were amazed at His teaching and He cast the unclean Spirit out of a man. Afterwards, Jesus went to Simon's house and healed Simon's mother-in-law. * Today, we are going to see Jesus - the Lord of the Sabbath - begin to deal with the misunderstandings that the people have regarding the Law of the Sabbath. These interactions are going to bring Him into direct confrontation with the Pharisees and teachers of the Law. * Similarly, this topic can be quite controversial amongst believers, and theologians, in the church today. Is the discussion of the Sabbath only for Israel in an Old Covenant setting? Do the principles of the Sabbath "laws" apply to believers, and if so, how? * Also, questions are then raised regarding the application of the teachings of Jesus for New Testament. Many dispensationalists, of which I am one, would declare that Jesus' teaching was "Kingdom" teaching and is not applicable to the saints if they are not reiterated elsewhere in the New Testament. However, Jesus specfically declared as part of the process of His Great Commission - to Make Disciples - that it included teaching the new believer (disciple) to observe all of the things which He commanded. * So, today's passage ... though, only 11 verses ... has so much for us to consider. Indeed, as Chuck mentioned last week, we will only scratch the surface! * First ... what is the Meaning of the "Second Sabbath." Again, there is great debate: is it the second Sabbath of Jesus in Capernaum (since Luke 4:31), or is this an allusion to it being the week of Passover and this is a reference to 1st Fruits, or one of the Holy Convocations? It is a detail that Luke chose to include by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Though it is not germaine to our discussion today, it would be a good study for you to perform!
This passage explains why John and Jesus' disciples held a wrong understanding of the kingdom of God, one shared by the Jewish people. This misconception led the Jewish leaders to reject Jesus and crucify Him. John was in prison for rebuking Herod for his illegal marriage. This setback caused John to question the circumstances and, consequently, sent disciples to Jesus to ask Him about it. Jesus compassionately pointed them to the proof of His Messianic office, not in reestablishing David's throne in Jerusalem, but in bringing the gospel into the world to save sinners, both Jew and Gentile.
This passage explains why John and Jesus' disciples held a wrong understanding of the kingdom of God, one shared by the Jewish people. This misconception led the Jewish leaders to reject Jesus and crucify Him. John was in prison for rebuking Herod for his illegal marriage. This setback caused John to question the circumstances and, consequently, sent disciples to Jesus to ask Him about it. Jesus compassionately pointed them to the proof of His Messianic office, not in reestablishing David's throne in Jerusalem, but in bringing the gospel into the world to save sinners, both Jew and Gentile.
This passage explains why John and Jesus' disciples held a wrong understanding of the kingdom of God, one shared by the Jewish people. This misconception led the Jewish leaders to reject Jesus and crucify Him. John was in prison for rebuking Herod for his illegal marriage. This setback caused John to question the circumstances and, consequently, sent disciples to Jesus to ask Him about it. Jesus compassionately pointed them to the proof of His Messianic office, not in reestablishing David's throne in Jerusalem, but in bringing the gospel into the world to save sinners, both Jew and Gentile.
* Today, we begin a new series - a study of the Gospel According to Luke. * It has been well stated each of the Gospels seem to present Christ from a different "angle." Traditionally, most commentators declare that Matthew presents Jesus as "The Promised Messiah," Mark presents Him as "The Suffering Servant," Luke presents Him as "The Son of Man," and John presents Him as "The Son of God." * There were reasons why each of the writers wrote their gospel accounts. As we have considered each of these gospel accounts we have seen that indeed Matthew was a Jewish man writing to a Jewish audience about a Jewish Messiah. His focus was upon proving that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah by declaring the authenticity of His Messianic claim - through His genealogy, His miracles and signs, His teaching, and His resurrection. Mark, I believe, was writing Peter's account of the life of Christ after he was brought to Rome at the request of Paul. John declares that he was writing in order that those reading would "believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." * As we begin our study today, we want to look at who it is that wrote this gospel (since the author does not declare himself), to whom the author was writing, and the purpose for which he was writing. * This message was presented on December 31, 2023 by Bob Corbin.
It is commonly asserted that the primary reason Jesus performed miracles was to authenticate His preaching, His teaching, and His Messianic claims. His miracles certainly did that, but do the scriptures truly indicate that healing miracles served mainly as an apologetic? Was there another reason or motive? The answer may surprise you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
I need to talk with you today about something called imminence. Perhaps you have heard people who believe in the pretribulation rapture say that the rapture is imminent. Or perhaps you haven't heard that. Either way is OK. But I believe that it's important to know about imminence so we're going to talk about it today. There is a Biblical definition of imminence, at least a definition that can be derived from the Bible. Many Bible teachers, theologians, and Saints of the past - going back many centuries - have considered the Second Coming of Christ to be possible at any moment. Many of these Saints had no detailed understanding of the Second Coming and many did not believe in the pretribulation rapture. Some did not even believe in a rapture at all. Yet some were quite solid believers. They just didn't have revelation from the Holy Spirit about the rapture. But many believed that Christ's return could occur at any moment and that is very important. Was this a belief in imminence, however? Or at least let me ask, was this a belief in imminence as we will define it in this message today? I don't know if we can answer that definitively. But that's OK. We'll see those saints in heaven and we can ask them then if we want to. But for you and me, we'll talk about it now and I hope to show you the value of that. And we will define imminence shortly, folks.But before we define imminence, I'd like to make sure that you understand that the Second Coming of Christ can be viewed as having two parts - first the rapture which happens when Jesus snatches believers and resurrected saints up to meet Him in the clouds to take them back to heaven with Him, and then, second, after the 7 year Tribulation, the return of Christ to earth (to the Mount of Olives), which is the actual Second Coming of Christ to terra firma, to the earth, at which time He rescues the Jewish Nation, judges the world, and sets up His Messianic or Millennial Kingdom which He will then rule from Jerusalem. Many great theologians and believers in Christ of the past, those who took the Scriptures literally, didn't understand that there is a pretribulation rapture nevertheless they believed that Messiah's Second Coming could occur at any moment. The great British preacher Charles Spurgeon was such a man.So, what is the definition of imminence, as we will use the word and concept here? Imminence refers to an event that first, could occur at any time, second, has no preconditions attached to it, and third, is not necessarily going to occur soon. It is as if this event is hanging over our heads and could fall upon us with no advance warning at any time. Is this concept of imminence based on New Testament Scriptures? Yes! I will give you several examples that demonstrate imminence in the context of the Second Coming of our Messiah. The first example is:Titus 2:13 (NKJV) looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,The Greek word for looking for in this verse is prosdechomai and it means to look for, to wait for, to expect. The tense of this Greek verb is the present tense which means continuous action; the waiting and looking-for is non-stop. The Apostle Paul is saying in this verse that he is continuously waiting for and expecting the Son, but he mentions no time frame for the Son's return, no preconditions for the coming of the Son, and he never said that the Son was coming soon although He was obviously yearning for that. By the way, this verse could not be about a post-tribulation rapture because Paul would not be continuously waiting in hope knowing that he would have to go through the seven year Tribulation first.The second example is:1 Thessalonians 1:10 (NKJV) and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.The Greek word for wait in this verse is anamenō and it means to wait for, to await, to expect. It is also a verb in the present tense. So, again Paul is saying in this verse that he is continuously waiting for and expecting the Son, but he mentions no time frame for the Son's return, no preconditions for the coming of the Son, and he never said that the Son was coming soon. And this verse too could not be about a post-tribulation rapture because Paul would not be continuously waiting for that, knowing that he would have to go through the seven year Tribulation first. Paul is actually stating in this verse that he is waiting for deliverance from the wrath to come. Paul is not waiting to enter a time of wrath which is what the Tribulation is.The third example is:Hebrews 9:28 “28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”Eagerly wait for is the translation of the Greek verb apekdechomai. The verb is again in the present tense and again indicates continuous waiting. The author is continuously waiting for the Messiah's return. This would not be the case if he had to go through the seven year Tribulation first.Now it's important to realize that the Apostle Paul knew all about the Second Coming including the rapture. He was with the Lord in heaven where he received surpassingly great revelations, he wrote both letters to the Thessalonian Church, and he also taught the Thessalonians, in person, for several weeks. So, consider this: if anything in the future (future to Paul's time) had to come before the rapture or was a required condition for the rapture to happen, Paul would have known that, and he would have said so. THAT is why he wrote the verses that I've given you above as examples of imminence in the manner that he did. And these verses are not the only examples. The only thing Paul was not told was WHEN the Second Coming was going to occur. But he knew that it was imminent. Verses like these is where the concept of imminence comes from. This is not necessarily obvious or easy to grasp but I hope that the Biblical concept of imminence is more understandable to you now.As we discussed in the last podcast, the rapture is not present in the synoptic gospels. But is imminence present in the gospels and if it is what does it mean and what is the implication?Now, I want to give you a few verses from Matthew and Mark that, at least to me, sound like verses that are talking about imminence, at least with only a superficial hearing of them. But it is most important that we understand the context of each of these verses in order to know if they are describing Biblical imminence. Before I quote the actual verses, I want to remind you that these verses all follow after this verse:Matthew 24:29 (NKJV) "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.So the verses that I will now quote all refer to a time after the Tribulation. Here are the verses:Matthew 24:36 “36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”This verse is clearly referring to the coming of Jesus after the Tribulation. He is coming then in judgement. This coming requires something else to come first: the Tribulation. Therefore, although at the present time – October 3, 2023 – we cannot know when this event will occur, this event does not qualify for imminence because the Tribulation must come first.Matthew 24:42 “42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”This verse refers to the same event as the above verse refers to (Matthew 24:36). Therefore, imminence is not described here either. Again, Yeshua is coming in judgement. This is not the rapture of the Church, which is a blessing and a deliverance from the wrath to come.Matthew 24:44 “44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”Same thing. This is after the Tribulation. No imminence is described in this verse. He is coming in judgement.Matthew 25:13 “13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”This verse is spoken by Jesus as part of the parable of the ten virgins. There is no reason to believe that Matthew 25 is not continuing the description of the judgement that is coming at the end of the age, after the Tribulation, described in Matthew 24. Therefore, this verse also requires something to come before it namely the Tribulation. Imminence is not in this verse. Judgement is.And finally:Mark 13:32–33 “32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.”This is like the verses in Matthew (verses 24:36, 42, 44) that we just quoted. These verses are about judgement. The Tribulation must come before these two verses in Mark. Imminence is not here.So, at the present time, today, October 3, 2023, these verses which describe the Second Coming of the Messiah, are not about the rapture even though it is easy to become confused about this because, right now, we cannot know when the Second Coming is going to be. Once the Tribulation begins, we will know when the Second Coming will be. It will be seven years from the start of the Tribulation. But right now, we can't know when that will be.These verses then do not describe imminence and have nothing to do with the rapture. The rapture which happens before the Tribulation is an imminent event.So, what's the big deal about all of this? For one thing, don't you want the assurance of hope? Aren't you glad – and more then glad, in fact ecstatic – that you, if you are a believer, will not be going through any part of the Tribulation? I'm definitely ecstatic about that! Maybe I'll go to be with the Lord before the rapture occurs – that's OK with me! – but maybe I won't. I want to pray like the early believers did and I want to greet my fellow believers with “Maranatha – Come, Lord Jesus!” And, yes, that verb Come – erchomai - is in the present tense signifying continuous action. Yes, Lord Jesus! Come!And for a second thing, isn't it a great joy to rightly divide the word of God? It's a great joy for me to be able to understand verses or passages in the Bible that often confuse people and to be able to clear up that confusion! I hope I've done that today. If not, please let me know. I think that the Lord is pleased when we understand His word better!So, let's close with a prayer:To my Father in heaven, and to my Savior, Yeshua, and in the power of the Spirit of God, the Ruach HaKodesh – the Holy Spirit – thank you so much for teaching us and encouraging us! And most of all, thank you for saving us. And please bless these dear people who are reading or listening. Please give them the same excitement and joy that you've given me. And if any of them don't know you, please quicken their hearts so that they can be saved and be blessed by all of this. In Yeshua's name I pray. Amen. This is a public episode. 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Title: Peter's Sermon in Solomon's Porch Text: Acts 3:11-26 FCF: We often struggle clinging to Christ alone by faith alone. Prop: Because God has established Jesus as the only way to approach Him, we must repent and believe on Jesus the Messiah of God. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 3. Last week we saw the gospel through the healing of a lame man. We saw how God worked and moved and was the author of this man's salvation from beginning to end. Today Luke records another sermon of Peter. It is an abbreviated sermon. We are told in Chapter 4 that Peter is interrupted by the Jewish leaders. Nevertheless, Peter's sermon lands directly on target, hitting the hearts of those who had ears to hear. And there is much to learn here today. I am in chapter 3 and I'll begin reading in verse 11. I am reading from the LSB but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1232 or in whatever version you prefer. Transition: Our Lord in His sermon on the mount illustrated entrance into the Kingdom of God by speaking of a narrow gate. The gate is broad and the path is wide that leads to destruction, death, and judgment. But the gate is narrow and the path is difficult that leads to life. I'd like you to keep this parable in mind as we hear this sermon of Peter. For the narrow gate to which Jesus refers is identified very clearly. I would not want you to miss it. I.) The Suffering Servant has been glorified so that all may approach Yahweh through Him, so we must repent and believe on Jesus the Messiah of God. (11-18) a. [Slide 2] 11 – And while he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the portico called Solomon's, full of wonder. i. This formerly crippled man, who can now walk and run and leap, has been joyously praising God in and out of the temple. ii. Although Luke doesn't fill in the blanks for us in the narrative, it is obvious that they have walked out of the temple and are now in Solomon's portico. iii. Why is he clinging to them though? Was he walking shakily now? Was he losing his ability to walk? No. Friends, he was hugging them. Weeping with them. Thanking them. iv. People were now running to them and wondering at what they had just seen. v. How could this be? By what power has this happened? We want an explanation! b. [Slide 3] 12 – But when Peter saw this he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?” i. Peter's reply questions their questioning in two ways. 1. First, Peter wonders at their wonder. He marvels at their marveling. This suggests that they should not be shocked or surprised by what they have seen. They should have expected this kind of thing to happen. 2. Second, Peter questions their gazing at them. At the apostles. He not only wonders at their wonder; he wonders at their wonder over himself and John. As if something is special about them. As if it was their power or their godliness that caused this man to be healed. ii. Peter suggests that they should know who has healed this man and they should have been expecting it to have happened. iii. This is the main point of his sermon. iv. But who did heal this man and why should they have been expecting it? That is where he goes next. c. [Slide 4] 13 – The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus, i. This statement is of great importance for several reasons. 1. [Slide 5] First, is God the God of the living or of the dead? a. This is significant because it gets to the heart of a great debate in Judaism at this time. b. The Sadducees believed that there was no resurrection from the dead. They denied the afterlife and the existence of the spiritual realm altogether. c. The Sadducees were by far the minority sect during this time, but what they lacked in number they made up for in power. Most of the leaders of the Jews were Sadducees. d. Peter saying “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers” – is significant because it affirms an afterlife. e. Peter saying that God has glorified His Servant Jesus, who was dead, affirms the resurrection from the dead. f. In other words, this statement by Peter is incredibly offensive to the Sadducees' brand of Judaism. This will be the crux of what happens in chapter 4. We'll get to that next week. 2. [Slide 6] The Second reason this statement is important is because it points to a covenantal relationship in all that Peter is about to say. a. Peter is not advocating for a new religion. b. Peter is not suggesting that the faith He possess in Jesus is some new sect or heresy of Judaism. c. Instead, Peter is saying and teaching that following Jesus is THE next step of Judaism. d. Just as the Exodus, the giving of the law, the creation of the tabernacle, the establishment of the nation of Israel, the building of the temple – just as all these were new phases of Yahweh worship… e. Jesus, the Messiah of God, has established a new and final phase of Yahweh worship. The last phase before the end of the age. f. If Israel wished to return to purely worship Yahweh, they must do so through His glorified Servant. g. We'll see this truth unfold increasingly throughout this sermon. 3. [Slide 7] The Third reason this statement is significant is because Peter refers to Jesus as the Servant of God. a. You might say – well, what is the big deal? Why is it significant that Jesus is being referred to here as the Servant of God? b. If anything, that makes Him sound like He isn't God since He is God's servant. c. Peter's words should have struck a chord with the Jews though. For as soon as Peter referenced the Servant of God, their minds should have been drawn to several passages in Isaiah. d. The Servant of Yahweh is introduced in chapter 41 of Isaiah, but by the last Servant song in Isaiah 52 and 53, two truths are presented. The Servant of Yahweh would both suffer, die, but would also prosper and be given a long life with many offspring. The riddle is – how can both of these be true? e. Especially when the suffering and death is the reason for God making Him to prosper and have many offspring. f. Peter indicates that Jesus is the Servant whom God has already glorified. Jesus is the one who has prospered. ii. But if He has prospered… that means he must have died… d. [Slide 8] Whom you delivered and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. i. Not only were the Jews reminded instantly that Jesus was killed only weeks ago… ii. But they are also reminded that it was by their zeal, by their mob mentality, and by their leader's guidance that they insisted that Jesus must die. iii. In fact, even the pagan Romans saw God's Servant as innocent (as Isaiah 53 says the Servant would be.) iv. Yet they denied Him as their King. Only Caesar is King they cried. v. Peter draws the comparison between the will of God toward Jesus and the will of the Jews toward Jesus. vi. God glorified His Servant; they rejected and denied Him. vii. The two responses are in direct opposition. e. [Slide 9] 14-15 – But you denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, But put to death the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. i. The Holy One of Israel is a title reserved for Yahweh and the title Righteous One is used of any who follow the Lord but was a title in 1st Century Jewish scholarship that was being applied ultimately to the coming Messiah. ii. In other words, Peter affirms not only the Messiahship of Jesus here, but also His place in the godhead. He is named Yahweh and the Messiah of Yahweh in the same breath. iii. But these Jews, possibly even in this crowd, traded a murderer, Barabas, one who takes life for the one who gave them life. iv. But how can Peter say all this so authoritatively? v. Because God raised Jesus from the dead! vi. God's testimony of Jesus is that He was indeed His Servant. He gave this testimony to us by raising Him and glorifying Him. vii. And now the apostles bear witness to all they saw and heard. f. [Slide 10] 16 - And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which is through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all. i. In case you didn't' realize it – it was by the power of, for the sake of, and by the authority of Jesus that this lame man before them was healed. ii. They know him, they know he had been a cripple since birth. Yet now he stands, leaps, and runs among them. Now he is praising God and Jesus Christ for His restored health. iii. And all of this came to him not by works, not by keeping the law, not by his righteousness, not by the righteousness of the apostles, not by the power of the apostles – it all came to him through faith in the righteousness and power of Christ. iv. Is this the faith of the apostles or is this the faith of the lame man? The grammar does not indicate which. But perhaps that is the point. For through faith in Christ the apostles procured the healing of this man and through faith in Christ this man received complete and perfect healing. v. This man placed his hope, all his hope, in Christ and Christ alone. And he was healed. Not just of his physical malady – but of his sin too. vi. And it was not done in secret behind closed doors. vii. This man was lame and now he walks. g. [Slide 11] 17 – And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. i. Perhaps he saw that they were cut to the heart for their part, no matter how small, in the murder of the Lord of glory. ii. Peter immediately blunts the shame and guilt upon them. iii. It doesn't relieve their need for repentance of the sin of murdering the Lord's Servant, but it does show that they did not do so intentionally or deliberately. The law makes it clear that deliberate and willful sin has no opportunity for atonement. But sin done in ignorance, by accident, or by surprise, can be atoned for. iv. They lacked the necessary understanding to do the right thing. v. Peter refers to the Jewish leaders as well. They too lacked the knowledge necessary to make the correct decision. vi. In I Corinthians 2:8 Paul speaks of a wisdom that had the rulers of their day had it, they would have never crucified the Lord of glory. h. [Slide 12] 18 – But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. i. Peter blunts their guilt even further by adding that even though they acted in ignorance, their actions were part of the Sovereign plan of God since the foundation of the world. ii. We hear the echoes of Joseph to his brothers here. A type of Christ perhaps. Where what the Jews intended for ignorant evil, the Lord intended for sovereignly appointed good. iii. While it may be true that these people are guilty of the murder of the Lord's Anointed One. iv. While it may be true that had they possessed spiritual insight they would not have crucified Christ. v. God brought about what He had prophesied 700 years ago – that His Servant, His Messiah, would suffer and die. vi. We see God's hand of mercy here. vii. It was God's will and pleasure to crush His Son. And according to Zechariah it would be His own people who would do this. But to spare them greater guilt in the murder of God's Messiah He hid the truth from them so they, unlike Pharoah, may act in ignorance. i. [Slide 13] Summary of the point: God has always revealed by all the prophets that His Servant would suffer at the hands of His own people to be the substitute for sin. That His people would mourn their sin and grieve over the one they had pierced. And that the establishment of a new covenant, a new era of redemption would be funneled through His Servant whom He will prosper and glorify. Therefore, the path ahead for all who wish to worship Yahweh is through faith in Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, the Suffering and now exalted Servant of Yahweh. For He has already walked the path for us. Transition: [Slide 14 (blank)] So, Peter has made the case that Jesus is the Suffering Servant to whom all must come through faith in order to worship Yahweh. But is this all Christ is? A glorified Servant? Or does our faith in Him consist of more than this? II.) The Great Prophet, The Great High Priest, and the Eternal King is available to each individual who repents and believes, so we must repent and believe on Jesus the Messiah of God. (17-26) a. [Slide 15] 19 – Therefore, repent and return so that your sins may be wiped away i. Again, Peter's words are filtered through Isaiah 53. ii. This Suffering Servant of Yahweh is sent to be pierced for the transgressions of His people. iii. He was sent to be crushed for their iniquities. iv. He was sent to bear God's punishment to bring them peace with God. v. He was sent to be slashed open so their wounds could be healed. vi. This Suffering Servant was a substitute for sinners. He would bear their sin and according to Isaiah 53, he would also justify the many as He bears their iniquity. vii. He would make them righteous. viii. Peter tells the crowd that day that it was their sins that killed the Messiah. Not simply their denial of Him. Not their insistence that He be crucified. No. For even though that was done in ignorance – their sins as a whole are what held him there. Later in Acts we'll see that this is not a uniquely Jewish problem. That the sins of the Gentiles were also why He died. ix. Now Peter tells them to repent and to return. To repent means to change your mind, it means to abandon former practices and adopt new practices. x. To return means to turn or go back. xi. What they are to go back to? xii. Peter already alluded to this. He is telling them to return to faithfulness to Yahweh through faith in His glorified Servant. xiii. Jesus has been authenticated as the one to whom all must return or turn to. xiv. And what is the benefit for repenting and believing in Jesus as the Messiah of God? xv. First, that their sins will be wiped away or blotted out. xvi. Repentance and faith – gifts of God, exercised by those to whom God gives them, this is the path for sins to be truly and completely wiped away. This is the path to the justification mentioned in Isaiah 53. xvii. But there is a second reason they must repent. b. [Slide 17] In order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; i. Peter makes it clear, as the Old Testament made clear, the sins of the people are what separated them from the presence of the Lord. ii. God was not approachable by even the most pious of His people, because of their sin and because of His holiness. iii. And yet, here Peter mentions a refreshing that comes from the presence of the Lord. iv. We are drawn to visions of what it must have been like to walk with God in the garden as Adam and Eve. And we compare that to Isaiah who in a dream saw the throne of God and was immediately frozen with fear and came to instant loathing of his sinful state. v. To be refreshed in His presence and not fearful? How peculiar. vi. In this way, the Lord Jesus fulfills the need they had for a High Priest that did not need atonement for Himself. A Sacrifice that did not need to be repeated but was sufficient for all their sin. A High Priest that was able to connect them to God permanently and not merely symbolically. Peter in so many words says that they must repent and believe to receive Jesus as their Great High Priest. vii. Peter has mentioned two very strong reasons for his audience to repent and believe on Christ. But there is yet a third. c. [Slide 18] 20 – and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, i. Didn't God already send Him? Indeed, He has. But He is coming again. Indeed, at this future time the fullest scope of His Messianic work will be completed. For the Jews were not wrong to expect a military conqueror, they were simply putting the cart before the horse. ii. All who repent and believe are those whom the Father has appointed the Son to be their Messiah. And He will come with them to defeat death and finally and forever restore all things. iii. He will come as the Lord of Lords. The King of Kings. He will come to reign forever in a new heaven and earth where none will remain who oppose Him. iv. But why is there a delay for this? d. [Slide 19] 21 – whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. i. The restoration is not yet complete. ii. Although the Kingdom is come and there is nothing that could be added to the work of Christ for the redemption of His people… the restoration of all things is not yet complete. iii. Although this is somewhat debated, I believe that there are several prophesies in the Old Testament that are still not yet fulfilled. iv. There may even be prophesies in the Old Testament that have been fulfilled in part but will have a fuller and greater fulfillment in the future – even our future. v. Peter has just given three excellent reasons that his audience must repent and believe on Jesus. 1. He wipes the believer's sins away. 2. He establishes a believer's ongoing and refreshing connection to God. 3. He will be sent as the believer's conquering King one day. vi. In this he makes it plain that they must repent and return to Yahweh through Jesus because He will be their Great High Priest and their Eternal King. vii. But now Peter will give a negative reason that they must repent and believe on Jesus. e. [Slide 20] 22-23 – Moses said, “The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers; to Him you shall listen to everything He says to you. And it shall be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.” i. Peter makes it clear that Jesus is not just The Servant, The Savior, The High Priest, and The King, but he is also The Prophet. ii. Moses prophesied in Deuteronomy that one greater than he would come. A prophet that if they did not listen to Him, they would be destroyed. iii. This prophet, as far as Peter is concerned, is clearly Jesus of Nazareth. iv. Once again, Peter clearly defines the next step in the worship of Yahweh has been funneled through the Righteous One Jesus the Messiah of God. There is no other path to true Judaism and truly worshipping God than through His Christ. v. If they do not listen to Him as the greater-than-Moses prophet, then they will be cut off. f. [Slide 21] 24 – And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also proclaimed these days. i. Indeed, we see many events happening from the prophets in this book of Acts. ii. People are being healed, the Spirit of God is being poured out, people are prophesying and having visions. iii. Even Samuel's prophesies of a Davidic line that will be established forever, has come true! Through whom? Through Jesus the Messiah. Who was dead and is now alive and seated at the right hand of God until God makes His enemies his footstool. g. [Slide 22] 25 – It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, “And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” i. Now Peter gives them one final reason to repent and believe on Jesus. ii. His first set of reasons were individually positive. They have much to gain in that they gain Christ as their High Priest and King. iii. His second reason was individually negative. They have much to lose. In that they must listen to their Great Prophet or be destroyed. iv. Now he focuses on the global positive reason that they must repent and believe on Jesus. v. They are part of this rich heritage and part of an amazing covenant of God's redemption. vi. The Servant has come! The seed promised to Abraham has come. God is right now fulfilling the blessing of the nations through Christ and through Jews moving into the final form of what it means to be a worshipper of Yahweh. vii. Through these Jews, by faith in Christ… all the families of the earth will be blessed. Why? Because the Messiah has come! A new era has begun! And they will take the news of this Glorified Servant to the utter most parts of the earth! h. [Slide 23] 26 – For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.” i. But before it goes to all the world… ii. This new era must first come to them. iii. How longsuffering the Lord is to the Jews. My friends, how patient He is. Countless times they turned from Him. Twice exiled, many times punished. And yet here He offers the next step in His worship, the funnel of Christ is offered to them first. iv. The Servant of Yahweh has come to turn every one of them from their wicked ways. i. [Slide 24] Summary of the point: God has always revealed that the redemption of His people would be funneled through one seed. The seed of the woman. That seed is Jesus the Messiah, the Righteous One, the Servant of Yahweh. And for the Jews they find themselves in an honored place. That, even though they killed their own King, they may even now repent and believe on God's Servant and have their sins erased, their hearts refreshed in communion with God, their futures secured, their covenant established and their global mission go forward. All this is only possible through the Seed, The Servant, The Savior, The Great High Priest, The Conquering King, The Great Prophet, The Messiah of God, Jesus of Nazareth whom the Lord has glorified. Conclusion: And so, CBC, as we look at these summary points of Peter's sermon we do not have to strive hard to uncover the heart of His sermon to these wonderstruck temple worshipers. It is the same message that 1200 years later people like Peter Waldo and Jon Huss were being burned at the stake for. It is the same message that 300 years later a man by the name of Martin Luther was declared a heretic for believing. It is the same message that continues to be opposed by the council of trent's ruling. It is simply this… [Slide 25] Solus Christus and Sola Fide. Jesus Christ alone is the funnel, He is the ONLY way, He is the final phase of Yahweh worship. All must come through Him if we desire to worship the Father. He is the Great High Priest offering the final sacrifice and establishing the ongoing refreshing from the presence of God. He is the Great Prophet whom all must heed lest we be cast out. He is the Eternal King who will conquer and rule the nations. But it is all through faith in Him. It is through following Him, through trusting in Him. His work is finished. His path has been tread. He has been glorified. We must join Him - but the path before us is not through works and not through faith and works. It is through faith alone that we are united to Christ. A faith that works this is true… but faith alone is how we are joined to Christ. And Christ alone is how we come to the Father. But are these doctrines still relevant for us today? A doctrine can't possibly be relevant if it is in Latin can it?
Returning to Hebrews chapter 9, we see the centrality of the death of Christ in His Messianic mission. In fact, the author switches his emphasis from Covenant to Testament to show us that it is only through the death of Christ that we might receive the many promises of God that are made to us in Christ. Join us as we marvel at the love and grace of God seen in the mission of Christ.
Returning to Hebrews chapter 9, we see the centrality of the death of Christ in His Messianic mission. In fact, the author switches his emphasis from Covenant to Testament to show us that it is only through the death of Christ that we might receive the many promises of God that are made to us in Christ. Join us as we marvel at the love and grace of God seen in the mission of Christ.
Returning to Hebrews chapter 9, we see the centrality of the death of Christ in His Messianic mission. In fact, the author switches his emphasis from Covenant to Testament to show us that it is only through the death of Christ that we might receive the many promises of God that are made to us in Christ. Join us as we marvel at the love and grace of God seen in the mission of Christ.
Part 4/4 John the Baptizer had a difficult time with the transition. Like the disciples, John expected Jesus to fulfill his Messianic prophecy to take over the government and set up His Messianic kingdom. They all overlooked the suffering that was also prophesied for The Messiah. John began accusing a top government leader of breaking Jewish law and expected Jesus, as the Messiah, to back him and come to his rescue. Jesus did not rescue John. But Jesus did recognize John's disappointment and handled it with such grace that most would never notice the subtle correction. Have your expectations of Jesus led to disappointment? Photo by Ron Lach at pexels.com
Pastor Jeff Hartman November 27, 2022 – A study from Matthew 1:1-17. Do you fully appreciate the full significance of Christ's incarnation and His Messianic, redemptive work on your behalf? 21
The Messiah is not just a rescuer but a king, one who claims ultimate authority. After Jesus begins His ministry, He asserts His Messianic authority in the most famous sermon of all time: the Sermon on the Mount. This crucial teaching of Jesus reveals that our need for God is far deeper than we could have imagined. But as we read the rest of the story, we discover in Jesus a savior who delights to meet that need—through laying down His life for us. Scripture passages cited in this message include Luke 2:52; Matthew 3:2-3; 4:17; 5:3, 20, 21-22, 27-28; 31-32, 33-37, 48; Daniel 2:44; and Deuteronomy 18:18.
As Jesus went about during His earthly ministry, His miraculous healings provided the proof of His Messianic mission. They were the evidence that testified to the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven, and the real change it brought. Jesus proved His authority over both the physical and spiritual realms, as He healed sickness and disease, as well as cast out demons from those who were oppressed. Listen as Pastor Caleb preaches about some of the miraculous healing that Jesus performed during His ministry in Capernaum. See His authority over the physical and spiritual forces unleashed by the curse. Consider the unique time and place in history into which Jesus arrived. Jesus has borne our griefs and our sorrows. He has taken our sicknesses and our diseases.
Some want to manipulate the spiritual world for money or power while others are smitten with godly fear and magnify the Lord. We discuss examples from Luke-Acts that demonstrate this. Some turn to the Lord and others seek to gain religious status or money. The appropriate response is to glorify God and believe fully in His Messianic salvatio
Some want to manipulate the spiritual world for money or power while others are smitten with godly fear and magnify the Lord. We discuss examples from Luke-Acts that demonstrate this. Some turn to the Lord and others seek to gain religious status or money. The appropriate response is to glorify God and believe fully in His Messianic salvatio
The miracle stories of Jesus continue to fall back to back, together displaying an authority that is beyond earthly ability. By calling fish, healing leprosy, and cleansing sin Jesus is establishing much more than His Messianic role - He is giving clues to His very identity as God. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/eatscripture/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eatscripture/support
Download Luke 7:1-8:15 We in the Christ Stream reading from the New American Standard Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Stream | Donate Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis Lord Jesus, your marvels are altogether marvelous. Keep us on track with you and in line with what you are about every day. Amen. Luke 7 - This is about a centurion who had control over 100 Roman soldiers. He had ultimate power; even to execute on a whim. And as any one knows, when your helper is down/ill/gone things get complicated and laborious and very inefficient very quickly. This centurion presently has such a problem and somehow he knows Who to call upon. This is testament to how the news of Jesus is spreading and that hunting him down is NOT a waste of time; never is it a fruitless pursuit to seek out Jesus. His respect for Jesus is revealed in how he requests that Jesus simply 'say the word'. The man knows about authority for certain. Jesus' exclamation is noteworthy. He is saying, "hey family (of Jews in the Jewish nation)! The outsiders that you despise have me pegged. They know what I am about. Pay attention. They're catching this faster than many of you are." And this healing takes us straight into Jesus' performing a resurrection. This woman is of Nain is at her end. Her husband is gone. Her only son is now gone. The funeral is complete despair that sweeps the town, drawing a huge crowd. Jesus stops the procession, brings him back from the dead. Note the wording - that Jesus gave him back to his mother. Death took him --> Jesus gave him back. The news of this spread like feathers in a hurricane. Jesus' resurrections, of which three are recorded, truly sent undeniable shockwaves through the countryside. The incident wherein John the Baptist is confirming that Jesus is HIM and here and the Savior is a scenario that had to happen. Jesus proceeds to prove His Messianic power through healing and it suffices for John's followers. He then exhorts the crowd of which many of whom had sought out John the Baptist. Some skeptics who had been tracking John duplicitously were simply jealous of the tremendous crowds that were listening to him in Jordan/Jericho area v.s. being in Temple in Jerusalem. And now some those same skeptics were following Jesus around - but not wholeheartedly. And Jesus gives them 'the business' . Then one of the Pharisees invited Jesus for dinner and a sinful woman came to be with Jesus. She was penitent and broken and could not do enough to show her devotion to the Son of God. And just so everyone knows, this was not Mary Magdalene, nor Mary from Bethany (Lazarus' sister), nor was it the woman who anointed Jesus' feet right before the crucifixion; in John 12. Jesus is so completely tender with her and receptive as he was with those who made mistakes. He uses the moment to teach about forgiveness, gratitude, and Jesus' personal power to forgive. What an amazing conclusion to this meal and to this day. 8 - the women listed here who assisted in the ministry is helpful insight into Jesus' day to day. Even prominent women knew to get involved. Can anyone think of anything better to do than to be about the business of assisting in the work of Jesus!? Just one assessment I wish to make as we closed the reading today - BE good soil. This is more than a story about a parable of a sower. When Jesus invests in you and plants His seed in you, make it grown, pay attention, be fruitful, multiply it, tend to it, and watch God simply invest/plant more in you. God is looking for faithful people to use to make the matters of the Kingdom grow and grow. Don't be thorny, careless, paper-thin and worthless. Make good of what God has given. Again, be good soil.
There is a natural curiosity in all of us to know what will happen in the future. We want to know, -What will be the end of all of this- Where is this going- What will become of all my energy and labor after I'm gone-- After Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple at the beginning of Matthew 24, His disciples thoughts are immediately transported to the future - all the way to the very end of time - and they come to Him asking the question that's on everyone's mind, -When is this going to happen, and how will we know when it gets here-- In the ensuing discussion Jesus explains in vivid detail the events that will precede His Messianic kingdom. Of course, to many this can be a very confusing study to engage in. Therefore, in order to prepare for a more in-depth look at Jesus' answer Ryan explains several key concepts associated with end times in the fourth and final part of a four-part message entitled, -The Question on Everyone's Mind.-
There is a natural curiosity in all of us to know what will happen in the future. We want to know, -What will be the end of all of this- Where is this going- What will become of all my energy and labor after I'm gone-- After Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple at the beginning of Matthew 24, His disciples thoughts are immediately transported to the future - all the way to the very end of time - and they come to Him asking the question that's on everyone's mind, -When is this going to happen, and how will we know when it gets here-- In the ensuing discussion Jesus explains in vivid detail the events that will precede His Messianic kingdom. Of course, to many this can be a very confusing study to engage in. Therefore, in order to prepare for a more in-depth look at Jesus' answer Ryan explains several key concepts associated with end times in the third part of a message entitled, -The Question on Everyone's Mind.-
There is a natural curiosity in all of us to know what will happen in the future. We want to know, -What will be the end of all of this- Where is this going- What will become of all my energy and labor after I'm gone-- After Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple at the beginning of Matthew 24, His disciples thoughts are immediately transported to the future - all the way to the very end of time - and they come to Him asking the question that's on everyone's mind, -When is this going to happen, and how will we know when it gets here-- In the ensuing discussion Jesus explains in vivid detail the events that will precede His Messianic kingdom. Of course, to many this can be a very confusing study to engage in. Therefore, in order to prepare for a more in-depth look at Jesus' answer Ryan explains several key concepts associated with end times in the second part of a message entitled, -The Question on Everyone's Mind -Part 2-.-
There is a natural curiosity in all of us to know what will happen in the future. We want to know, -What will be the end of all of this- Where is this going- What will become of all my energy and labor after I'm gone-- After Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple at the beginning of Matthew 24, His disciples thoughts are immediately transported to the future - all the way to the very end of time - and they come to Him asking the question that's on everyone's mind, -When is this going to happen, and how will we know when it gets here-- In the ensuing discussion Jesus explains in vivid detail the events that will precede His Messianic kingdom. But why is a study of this subject important- To many it may seem esoteric and irrelevant to consider a in-depth study of an event that seems so detached from present day struggles. In order to answer this question, Ryan explains why a study of -end times- matters in the first part of a two part message from Matthew 24-1-3 entitled, -The Question on Everyone's Mind -Part 1-.-
Dennis R Wiles FBC Arlington April 18, 2021 2021 A JOURNEY OF FAITH Celebrating 150 Years of Ministry: Appreciating Our Past Anticipating Our Future SPRING 2021 Keeping the Faith April 11 – June 5, 2021 The Passover Exodus 12 EXODUS Deliverance Discipleship Devotion The Passover Exodus 12:24-28 (I’m only going to read these verses) “Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’” Then the people bowed down and worshiped. The Israelites did just what the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron. THE STORY: A story of miraculous deliverance THE FEAST: A commemoration of God’s redemptive grace THE FULFILLMENT: Jesus used this story and its images to contextualize His Messianic ministry
On this Palm Sunday, Pastor Bob delivers a message from Mark’s gospel. Jesus stages His entry into Jerusalem fulfilling Old Testament prophesy and preparing the way for His Messianic kingdom. His message then and now is unmistakable, the light has come into darkness and we are part of His salvation army. Are you armed for…
Summary- The following passage describes the first time in Christ's ministry where He reveals His true identity and the nature of His Messianic ministry.
GOSPEL POWER - NOVEMBER 19, 2020 THURSDAY - 33rd Week in Ordinary Time Gospel: Lk 19:41-44 41 As Jesus came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.” Reflection: In any generation, the failure to recognize God's visitation is not only a lost opportunity, but a real tragedy. At the beginning of Luke's Gospel, particularly in the song of Zechariah, Jesus is identified as “the daybreak from on high…who will guide our feet into the way of peace” (1:78-79). The way of Jesus is the way of active nonviolence. His Messianic strategy is not conquest by the sword but service and sacrifice, as embodied by the Suffering Servant of Yahweh in the Isaiah prophecies. Israel, who was expecting a Messiah who would lead them to victory against their foreign enemies, rejected both Jesus and his way of peace. They took up arms against Rome in 70 AD, thereby bringing about what Luke portrays in today's Gospel as a prophetic vision of Jesus as he enters Jerusalem to fulfill what has been written about him in the Scriptures. Prayer: Lord Jesus, help our generation to recognize the illusion that peace can be achieved by our own efforts and through weapons of violence. Amen.
Click Here to Listen to the other parts in the seriesReclaiming Easter (Part 1) - The Miracle of EasterReclaiming Easter (Part 2) - Regaining the High GroundReclaiming Easter (Part 3) - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...EasterFamilyLife Today® Radio Transcript References to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete. Regaining the High Ground Guest: Barbara Rainey From the series: Reclaiming Easter (Day 2 of 4)Air date: March 17, 2015 Bob: The cross is the universal symbol of the Christian faith; but through the years and in different countries, all around the world, there have been different styles of crosses that have represented Christianity. Barbara Rainey says, “That's a good thing.” Barbara: Jesus is universal—He's not American / He's not Western. He's for everyone—from every tongue, and every tribe and every nation, from every era. I wanted to have crosses that were international—that sort of brought us back to the idea that Jesus is for all people, for all time. Christ has been pushing into country after country, around the world, since He left us. The message is continuing to go on into every nation and every language. Bob: This is FamilyLife Today for Tuesday, March 17th. Our host is the President of FamilyLife®, Dennis Rainey, and I'm Bob Lepine. This is the season of the year when all of us should be surveying the wondrous cross. We'll talk on today's program about how we can make the cross more central to our celebration of Easter. Stay tuned. 1:00 And welcome to FamilyLife Today. Thanks for joining us on the Tuesday edition. The guy, who leads worship at our church, knows that, on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, he is going to be leading two hymns: “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” and— Dennis: I want to guess! It's one of the Gettys' songs. Bob: No. Dennis: Really!? Bob: “We Gather Together.” Dennis: But you're kind of a Getty groupie. Bob: I would not call me a groupie. [Laughter] Dennis: A Getty groupie—that kind of has a sound to it; doesn't it? Bob: I am—I have a great appreciation for their work, and we sing a lot of their hymns in our worship service. But on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, it's always “We Gather Together” and “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come.” 2:00 The next Sunday, which is always the first Sunday of Advent, we always sing, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” and we sing “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus.” You have to sing those on the first Sunday in Advent. On Palm Sunday, which is coming up, here in a couple of weeks—on Palm Sunday, we always sing “All Glory, Laud, and Honor, to Thee Redeemer King.” Do you remember that song? It's about the kids and the palm branches. [Singing] “All glory, laud, and honor to Thee, Redeemer King!” Have you heard this? Dennis: Vaguely. Barbara: Yes! Bob: [Singing] “…to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring.” There is something about those traditions. Michael, the worship leader, is very gracious to indulge us older folks who say, “We have to sing these things.” [Laughter] There's something about those traditions that are rich with meaning. Barbara: That's right. Dennis: No doubt about it. And the voice you're hearing say, “Amen,” over here is my wife, Barbara. 3:00 Welcome back to the broadcast. Barbara: Thank you. Dennis: The most requested guest we have on FamilyLife Today. In fact— Bob: Dennis requests you every time he can. He says, “Can we have Barbara on some more?” [Laughter] Dennis: Yes! No doubt about it. [Laughter] We're all about Easter and wanting to regain the high ground— Bob: Yes. Dennis: —the holy ground for the Easter season. You've got a big idea, Barbara. It's all about contrasting what Christmas is all about with Easter—just kind of calling families to focus on something really fresh and new this Easter season. Barbara: Well, my big idea is that God would grant us the favor in helping us, as believers, raise our awareness of the importance of the holiday of Easter. We put so much energy, money, time, and effort into Christmas—and there's nothing wrong with that—but, by comparison, we spend very little time, very little money, very little energy, and very little preparation to celebrate the greatest moment of history, which is Resurrection Sunday. 4:00 I'm hopeful that, over the course of time, as God grants favor, that we can help believers understand the importance of this holiday—the magnificence of what Christ has done for us—and then help them understand some new and fun ways that they can celebrate that day and make it meaningful because, as you just said, Bob, it's their traditions that help tie those things to hearts. The more our kids understand the truth of why we celebrate / why we do what we do, the more it becomes embedded in their hearts and in their souls. They go: “This is important! This has to mean something; otherwise, Mom and Dad and the other adults wouldn't have made such a big deal about it.” Dennis: You know, we spend the entire month of December preparing for Christmas Day—it's all about giving. You think we need to be spending the weeks, leading up to Easter, focusing on what theme around Easter? Barbara: Focusing on the theme of forgiveness. 5:00 Forgiveness is something we all need. We all need it, individually, because we all have offended God, at our core, because of our selfishness. We all, individually, need forgiveness. Every one of us needs forgiveness, and we need to understand how it works—we need to understand how to give it / how to grant it—we need to understand the whole process because, in relationships with people, we need to practice forgiveness—so in your marriage / in your home with your kids—your kids need to learn how to forgive one another—at school with kids on the playground, and classmates, and bullies, and teachers who aren't fair, and all of that stuff—business relationships. We all need to understand and practice forgiveness—those of us who are called by Christ—focusing on forgiveness at Easter because of what Christ did for us and then the practical application into our lives of how we can be better forgivers. Dennis: And I think that's what a family is all about—that is following Christ—is learning how to forgive and love people, just as God, in Christ, loved and forgave us. 6:00 Bob: And this is something that has been a passion of yours for—well, it's a growing passion—because I've heard you talk about this pretty much every spring for the last couple of years, at least. Barbara: Right. Bob: You have been raising the banner on Easter— Barbara: Yes. Bob: —and saying: “Let's draw some attention to this holiday. Let's use it as a discipling tool in our home.” Barbara: Yes. Bob: And not just for our kids because our hearts need to be drawn back to this theme as well. Barbara: Oh, absolutely. Yes, I think that it is a growing thing for me—it is a growing passion that I have. When our children were little, I remember wanting to make more of Easter and wanted to do more for Easter; but I didn't really know what to do, and I was so busy and overwhelmed, and so I couldn't—I didn't do anything. Dennis: So you've created something called Behold the Lamb. Barbara: Yes. After our kids left, I had the time and the freedom to be able to think creatively, “What would I have liked to have had, when I was a mom, raising kids?” 7:00 One of the things that we created is Behold the Lamb. It comes in this cute little metal tin—inside are eight cards. What I like about those is—I can picture myself doing that with my kids, when they were at home and they were growing up, because each of them have a very short little lesson—I guess, for lack of a better word—that you can probably read in three minutes/four minutes. It doesn't take very long. Dennis: I've done it with our grandkids. Barbara: Yes. Dennis: They're all around the statements that Christ made: “I AM.” Barbara: Exactly. Dennis: “I am the Messiah,” “I am the Bread of Life,” “I am the Light of the World,” “I am the Door.” I took one of our grandkids through this—it took me less than five minutes. I know because my grandchild stayed on my lap the entire time and didn't crawl off. Barbara: Yes. Dennis: It was interesting that you were able to communicate the importance of what it meant when Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life,” in a practical way to him—or her—and bring them into the celebration of Easter. Barbara: Yes; it gives moms and dads something that's very easy to do— 8:00 —pick out a card, read a card as the kids are packing their lunches or you're eating breakfast or whatever. Just read it very quickly or have one of your kids read it while you're driving in the car to school. It sort of sets the tone, not only for the day, but it's a way to do something meaningful every day of Holy Week, leading up to Easter. Bob: Yes. You mentioned there are eight of these cards. The thought would be that you could get the cardholder out— Barbara: Yes. Bob: —on Palm Sunday. Barbara: Yes. Bob: That would be when you would read the first of the eight cards. Barbara: That's correct. Bob: One a day; and then, on Easter Sunday, eight days later, you get to “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” You get a chance to unfold the resurrection of Christ; right? Barbara: Correct. What it does is—it allows you, as parents, to engage your kids in the meaning of Easter on those days leading up to Easter. There's something to read every day for those eight days up until Easter Sunday. Bob: Is this something you can read to a five-year-old, or a ten- year-old, or a fifteen-year-old? 9:00 Barbara: I think you can read to as young as a five year-olds, yes—through eighteen. You know, the eighteen-year-olds—I don't think they're going to be bored by it because it's short—they're not going to roll their eyes and go, “Oh, it's another story about David and Goliath!” These are stories about what Christ did each of the days of His last week of life. So, when you look at that and you think about Jesus coming into the Temple, an eighteen-year-old/sixteen-year-old—they can imagine what that might have been like because He knew He was about to be executed. Bob: Yes. Barbara: As you lead your children into thinking about these, you just don't know, when they get off the bus or when they're walking between classes, what they're thinking about. It's a way to invest, spiritually, in your children, leading up to Easter. Dennis: You actually got an email from a radio listener—. Barbara: I did! Dennis: —who wrote quite a story about a little boy by the name of Nathan. Barbara: Nathan, yes. 10:00 His mom wrote a really long story about the whole process, but the bottom line is that she used the Behold the Lamb cards. As God would have it, when they read the Palm Sunday story, Nathan decided that that was the impetus for him wanting to receive Christ. Dennis: Yes, I'm reading it. The little boy turned to his mom and said: “Mom, you're talking about things that are eternal. When I die, will I go to heaven?” So it gave the mom an opportunity to talk about how Jesus is the door—He is the way, the truth, and the life. He's how you get to heaven, and you can have a personal relationship with Him. She led him to Christ, at that point. It was the end of a lot of conversations she had had with that little boy. Barbara: Yes. Bob: These cards can go back in the card holder, but you've also—you've got—what is it?—a chain? Barbara: Yes; if you buy it, it comes with what we call a “chain garland.” It's a chain that has 15 little metal clips. You can clip the cards on the chain and hang it on your fireplace mantle or you can hang it on a wall—or you can put little push pin tacks on the wall and hang it on that. It's a way that you can—almost like counting down the days to Christmas. 11:00 You hang up a card, one each day, until Easter Sunday. Bob: Yes. Barbara: Kids like that. Kids like counting down the days until—I mean, they count the days until their birthday, they count down the days until school is out, and they count down the days until they can go to camp. There's something about building anticipation that's important for all of us. As you read these cards and you hang them up, one by one, you're building the sense of anticipation for the grand finale, which is Easter Sunday. It helps prepare kids' hearts for understanding that this is really a big deal. Bob: I was counting down the days to the jelly beans. Barbara: Yes, jelly beans at Easter. Bob: You didn't like jelly beans?! Barbara: No, I didn't like jelly beans. Bob: Did you like— Barbara: Chocolate eggs! [Laughter] Dennis: You've got to keep in mind that this was before they created the kind of jelly beans they have today. Bob: The gourmet jelly beans! Dennis: Yes, no doubt about it. Barbara: Well, I might have liked the gourmet jelly beans, but I didn't like the originals. [Laughter] Bob: In addition to the garland that's hanging in the home—that is reminding you that Easter is just around the corner, you also have designed crosses. 12:00 Listeners, who were listening at Christmastime, remember that we talked about seven crosses/ornaments that could be hung on your Christmas tree. They're called Adorenaments®. Barbara: Yes. Bob: You actually had Easter in mind when you made the Christmas ornaments; right? Barbara: We did because the thing about the names of Christ that I think is so important is that we need to know the names of Christ every day of the year, not just at Christmas or not just at some other holiday. We need to be reminded of who He is and what He has done for us. When we created the crosses, we wanted to be able to find a way for them to be displayed at Easter. As we decorate our homes for Christmas, we wanted to have some things that people could put up at Easter that, again, are visual reminders that help us remember what the Easter holiday is all about. We have a set of three crosses for Easter. You can put them on your dining room table and create a really nice arrangement, say on Palm Sunday, and it is there all week. 13:00 It's a reminder to the family, all week long, that: “This is Easter week,” / “This is Holy week. This is really a big deal.” You can put them on your kitchen counter—you can line them up in a window or put them on the fireplace mantle. The sky's the limit, really, as to how you want to use them. Bob: You're not hanging them on a tree Barbara: No. Bob: You've got stands for them— Barbara: Yes. Bob: —so they can sit on the stands. They're three different heights— Barbara: Yes, they're graduated heights. Bob: —so there's a little bit of an artistic touch to it; right? Barbara: Exactly! That was very nice of you—I appreciate that. [Laughter] Dennis: And the cool thing about this is—when Barbara set out to create Adorenaments, she did so around the names of Christ. The first year was around His Christmas names, from Luke and Isaiah. Barbara: Yes. Dennis: The next year was His royal names—each of the Adorenaments is in the shape of a different crown. This year, you've chosen different crosses from different periods/different eras of church history. Each of these three crosses bears a different name. 14:00 Barbara: Correct. One of the reasons that—it was really fun to do, I have to say—to do the research on all the different kinds of crosses. If you've not ever done it, just google “crosses” and look at how many different shapes, and sizes, and designs there are. It's very fascinating, but it was fun to do the research. Part of the reason I wanted to do it is because Jesus is universal—He's not American / He's not Western. He's for everyone—from every tribe, and every tongue, and every nation—from every era. I wanted to have crosses that were international—that sort of brought us back to the idea that Jesus is for all people, for all time. We have a Celtic cross. We have an Armenian cross. We have an Ethiopian cross. We have the Jerusalem cross. The idea is— Dennis: One of them is right here—it's the anchor cross. Barbara: Oh, yes. I forgot the anchor cross. The idea is that each shape of the cross also has history to it because Christ has been pushing into country after country, around the world, since He left us. The message is continuing to go on into every nation and every language. 15:00 Bob: The three names that you've selected to display at Eastertime are Great High Priest, Mediator, and Messiah. Barbara: Yes, correct. Bob: Messiah is one we all know—Jesus is the Messiah. That's pretty common. Barbara: Yes. Bob: But I'm not sure that people really stop and think about what it means that Jesus was—and is—the Messiah, the Promised One of God. Barbara: Yes. What is so interesting is that Jesus was promised, from the very beginning. I don't think that's as common to all of us, as believers, as it should be. From the very beginning, He was promised—the Jewish people knew it. They knew He was promised, and they looked for centuries for the coming Messiah. They knew that the Messiah was going to come and deliver them. Messiah actually means “Anointed One” in Hebrew. It also means “Savior.” The term, “Messiah,” was a term that was used often in the Bible to refer to this “Coming One.” 16:00 We know Him as Jesus—Jewish believers know Him as Jesus. But most of the Jews do not know who He is yet—they still think He is yet to come. Bob: Jews in the Old Testament had developed a picture of who the coming Messiah would be—what He would look like / what He would act like. Barbara: Yes. Bob: It was really just one aspect of His Messianic ministry. Barbara: Yes, the Jews in the Old Testament thought the Messiah was going to come as a conquering King—He was going to deliver them. They had been oppressed over, and over, and over again. They really hung onto those prophecies of Him coming as their deliverer; but they overlooked the fact that Jesus is also spoken of, in the Old Testament, as one who was going to come and be their “Suffering Servant.” He was also going to be their sacrifice. That missed their eyes and their understanding—most of them. Bob: Which is why—when Jesus was declared as the Messiah /when people said, “Could He be the Messiah?” others looked and said, “No, He can't be because He's not here with a sword.” 17:00 Barbara: —“with a sword.” Bob: “He's not here on a horse, charging in and toppling political structures.” Barbara: Yes. Dennis: “He's not a politician.” Bob: There is a day coming when He'll come on a horse with a sword. Barbara: He will! That's right. Bob: So His Messianic ministry will fulfill that picture. Barbara: Yes. Bob: But they missed the first coming; didn't they? Barbara: They did. That's a part of why Easter is such a wonderful celebration because we, not only celebrate what He did for us on the cross, but we celebrate that He's coming back because that first part of what He was to do is fulfilled and now we're waiting on the second part—we're waiting on Him to come back again. I think, at Easter, we not only celebrate what He did for us in the past, but it's a time to look forward to what He is going to do in the future. It may be a very near future too. We've been waiting for a long time, and it may be just around the corner. That makes celebrating Easter even more fun. 18:00 Dennis: It does. And I don't think I've asked you, even though I watched you create these: “Why did you pick the anchor cross?”—which is really pretty interesting; isn't it Bob? I don't think I'd ever seen this until Barbara created this—but it's a cross that, literally, is in the shape of an anchor—I didn't know there was one. “Where did you find it; and why did you decide to put ‘Messiah' on that cross?” Barbara: Well, two answers to that question. As I was looking through for different shapes of crosses, I found the anchor cross. When I saw it, I remembered that, when I was a child and I went through confirmation class in my church—I don't know if it was my parents or somebody else—but somebody gave me a charm for my charm bracelet. Charm bracelets were really a big deal then. The charm consisted of three small charms, all looped together on one ring. There was a cross, which represented faith; there was a heart, which represented love; and then there was an anchor. At the time, I had no idea what the anchor meant; but I came to learn that the anchor represents hope. In 1 Corinthians, we hear “faith, hope, and love, these three.” 19:00 So, faith is the cross, love is the heart, and the anchor is hope. There's a verse in Hebrews, where it talks about Jesus being “the anchor of our soul.” It talks about—we have hope because of Jesus being the anchor. It was just obvious to put “Messiah” on the anchor cross because the Messiah is our Savior—He is our hope / He is our anchor. Because of Him, we can be sure and we can have a steadfast faith that will not waver because of what He has done for us. Bob: Each of these ornaments that you can display on a stand—there is a card for each one that explains, not only the name that's displayed, but a little bit about the cross. If your kids are looking and say, “That looks like an anchor,” you have an opportunity, as a mom or a dad to say, “Well, let me read this to you,” and explain to them what's going on. Barbara: Yes; because I think we have lost—in the modern church, we have lost a lot of our historical Christianity. The anchor cross has been around almost since the time of Christ. 20:00 It's been around for a long, long time. I had forgotten all about it. I don't think too many people even know what it stands for and why it's important. I think we need to recapture some of that. I'm hopeful that the focus on Jesus as our Messiah and He is also our anchor—He holds our faith steadfast because of what He does—I hope that becomes more common knowledge in the church as we talk about who He is and what He did. Dennis: And I think one of the things we don't talk a lot about today is the Savior's different names. You know, each of these names gives us a different facet. It's almost like He is a diamond and each of these names is a facet of His glory and of His character. You come to know Him by virtue of His names, and what He's like, and who He is—then, passing those names onto our children to introduce them to Him as well. 21:00 Messiah gets at the heart of the issue. He came to save us from our sins—that's what Easter is all about. Bob: And I really think people need to get a visual of what we've been talking about. I mean, we can describe the resources you've been working on, Barbara, but folks need to see what these crosses look like—what the anchor cross looks like, and what the Ethiopian cross looks like, and the stands that they can hang on, and the other resources that you've been working on. There's the Easter banner—there's the Behold the Lamb chain with the cards that attach to that. You've got a lot of Easter resources that you've been working on. Barbara: Yes. Bob: If folks go to EverThineHome.com, they can see the complete collection. We've put a website together so that folks can see all that you've been doing. Again, it is EverThineHome.com to see FamilyLife's collection of resources that have been designed by Barbara Rainey. 22:00 You can also call if you have any questions about these resources, or you can order over the phone. Our toll-free number is 1-800-FL-TODAY. That's 1-800-“F” as in family, “L” as in life, and then, the word, “TODAY.” Or, again, go to the Ever Thine Home website, which is EverThineHome.com. You know, we have talked, for years, here on FamilyLife Today, about how strategic holidays can be in a family's life—how you can take advantage of these naturally-occurring dates on a calendar to share biblical truth with your kids—use as a discipling opportunity. In fact, it was a couple of decades ago that we developed a resource called Resurrection Eggs® that puts symbols from Holy Week in these 12 eggs and allow children to learn the Easter story by opening these eggs, one egg at a time, and learning what the donkey means, and learning why there's a crown of thorns, or learning why there are nails included in the eggs. 23:00 We've heard some great stories about how parents and grandparents have used this resource with their children, their grandchildren, neighbor kids, kids at school. We thought, this year, we'd love to send a set of Resurrection Eggs to any listener who will put these eggs to good use. If you'd like a set, all we would ask is that you would make a donation to help support this ministry; and we are happy to send a set to you. We are listener-supported—we depend on your donations to do the work we do. If you will go to FamilyLifeToday.com, and click the link that says, “I CARE,” and make an online donation—be as generous as you can possibly be—we will send you a set of Resurrection Eggs as our thank-you gift for your financial support. Again, the website: FamilyLifeToday.com. Click the link that says, “I CARE,” and make an online donation; or call 1-800-FL-TODAY. Make your donation over the phone and request a set of Resurrection Eggs. 24:00 Of course, you can mail a donation to FamilyLife at PO Box 7111, Little Rock, AR. Our zip code is 72223. Make sure you let us know that you are interested in a set of Resurrection Eggs when you mail a donation, and we'll get them mailed to you. And we hope you can join us again tomorrow when we're going to talk more about the names of Jesus that we ought to be meditating on as we head toward the celebration of His resurrection. I hope you can tune in for that. I want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time for another edition of FamilyLife Today FamilyLife Today is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas. Help for today. Hope for tomorrow. Copyright © FamilyLife. All rights reserved. www.FamilyLife.com
As Jesus gathers His Messianic assembly (the Church), constituting the family of God and the kingdom of God, he assigns to His believing people a brand new, corporate identity.
Clarifying What the Gospels Are In this episode, we begin a series looking at the Gospels. We'll talk about: What a Gospel actually is, by definition – and what it isn't. What the “synoptic” gospels are. Why there are four different gospels. And more. Approaching the Gospels with More Confidence By learning to answer the question, “what are the gospels?” – which includes understanding what they are not – you'll be able to approach them with more confidence, understand how to engage with them as a collection, and ultimately, learn to see Jesus through a clearer set of lenses. The Big Ideas and Helpful Highlights A Simple Definition for A Gospel The first four books of the New Testament are known as the Gospels. They are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are essentially a type of biography, which was a popular form of writing at the time of their composition. The gospels are specifically focused on the life of Jesus. All of these four were written in the later half of the first century and accepted as authentic before the close of the following century. They are nearly our only source of information about the earthly life of Jesus. Four Unique Perspectives on One Extraordinary Life Each of the gospels was written by a specific individual, with personalized intention, for a unique intended audience. Mark's gospel centers around asking and answering the question, “Who was Jesus?” Matthew's gospel was written for Jewish Christian, and, as a result, places an emphasis on both Jesus' relationship to the law and His Messianic role as King of the Jews. Luke's gospel focuses less on the return of a risen Christ, and instead puts its emphasis on what the church should be doing as it waits for His return. John wrote somewhat later and his gospel reflects the position of the early Christian church amidst its Jewish context. The Significance of Context and Its Impact on Expectations When we ask the question, “What are the gospels?,” we must also look at what they are not. The gospels aren't 21st-century biographical reports. They are not journalism or encyclopedic reference. When we allow the gospels to exist in the context in which they were created, we can see that they provide four different ways of answering the question, “Who was Jesus?” Not one is more “correct” than another. Neither are they less for their apparent differences in approach. In fact, when we read them as a collection, we are better able to see a dimensional Jesus, a true man and Messiah in one. The Best Way to Read the Gospels The gospels can be read one-at-a-time when we remember that they are faceted accounts. When we take into account the reality of a single audience with a specific set of purposes in writing, we are able to contextualize what that gospel writer included in his account. When we read them as a collection, we see a story that's most complete when read with all four points-of-view. How this Helps You Read the Bible Better When we approach the Gospels with a proper perspective, we're best able to read them on their own terms. This helps us to take from the Gospels the best of what they have to communicate to us, rather than being restricted by what we expect them to say to us. How to Learn Even More as You Read You can learn practices designed to help you dig into passages from different angles, like those from the gospel, with my FREE Guide “5 Practices for Engaging Bible Study.” --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marinalmcclure/message
Genesis 25:19-28 In this lesson, we find that as God took care of gaining a wife for Isaac, so He took care of giving him offspring (even though Rebekah was barren). The Lord would be faithful to His Messianic-lineage promise, even though Isaac and Rebekah were married 20 years before He finally opened her womb. THEN the real troubles began! "Twin Troubles" started in the womb and continue to this day through the descendant of Esau and Jacob! Oh me.
The Lord Jesus was going about Israel authenticating His Messianic credentials through His works, which demonstrated His supreme authority over nature, over Satan's realm, and over diseases of all types (including leprosy). He also demonstrated His divine authority to preach, to purify, and to forgive sin. Now, in this next two-part study entited "Tackling Tradition, we see Him demonstrate His power and authority over both men's traditions and the Sabbath. In the first part of this lesson, we discuss a question the disciples of John the Baptist asked Jesus. They wanted to know why they spent much time fasting, while He and His disciples were feasting (Luke 5:33). The Baptist, at this time, was in prison. The Lord's answer: "Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the Bridegroom is with them" (Matthew 9:15) is explained, as His predication of the day the Bridegroom would be taken away. In the latter half of this lesson, we discuss two more parables given by the Lord: the Parables of the New Cloth Patch and the New Wine Pouch. He teaches, by them, that His way of salvation has nothing to do with traditions, ceremonies, and man-made rules. He did not come to improve the old system, but to renounce it, for the "old" pharisaic way of attempting to attain righteousness was not connected in any way to His way (which is completely by grace through faith and not of works).
Burden of Egypt - We finish chapter 18 and also look at Zachariah's account of the coming of the Lord reminding us of events to come. We then look at the redemptive judgment on Egypt. Here national calamities and the move of the Lord on the idols and gods of Egypt are clear. The prophetic implications are clear. But here we find in the nations of men and their gods or idols; there is one true Lord and God. To Him will all these give way and bow. To get the Books from the Watchman Dana G Smith go to his website http://www.DanaGlennSmith.com Burden of Egypt - We find much today in our reading of Egypt. The distance between the old and new testament is only paralleled by the prophecies of the Lord. Isaiah prophesies of things to come and much historical data is here. But we also find future fulfillment, lessons, and those direct lines to the Lord of Lord and King of Kings. He is coming and His Messianic kingdom will be set up. Yeshua [Jesus] HaMassiach [Messiah] will rule and reign with a rod of Iron for a thousand years. Go to https://linktr.ee/warnradio for more info
Burden of Egypt - We finish chapter 18 and also look at Zachariah's account of the coming of the Lord reminding us of events to come. We then look at the redemptive judgment on Egypt. Here national calamities and the move of the Lord on the idols and gods of Egypt are clear. The prophetic implications are clear. But here we find in the nations of men and their gods or idols; there is one true Lord and God. To Him will all these give way and bow. To get the Books from the Watchman Dana G Smith go to his website http://www.DanaGlennSmith.com Burden of Egypt - We find much today in our reading of Egypt. The distance between the old and new testament is only paralleled by the prophecies of the Lord. Isaiah prophesies of things to come and much historical data is here. But we also find future fulfillment, lessons, and those direct lines to the Lord of Lord and King of Kings. He is coming and His Messianic kingdom will be set up. Yeshua [Jesus] HaMassiach [Messiah] will rule and reign with a rod of Iron for a thousand years. Go to https://linktr.ee/warnradio for more info
Burden of Egypt Isaiah's Prophetic Book Pt31 on Battle Lines | www.warn-usa.com | WIBR/WARN Burden of Egypt - We finish chapter 18 and also look at Zachariah's account of the coming of the Lord reminding us of events to come. We then look at the redemptive judgment on Egypt. Here national calamities and the move of the Lord on the idols and gods of Egypt are clear. The prophetic implications are clear. But here we find in the nations of men and their gods or idols; there is one true Lord and God. To Him will all these give way and bow. To get the Books from the Watchman Dana G Smith go to his website http://www.DanaGlennSmith.com Burden of Egypt - We find much today in our reading of Egypt. The distance between the old and new testament is only paralleled by the prophecies of the Lord. Isaiah prophesies of things to come and much historical data is here. But we also find future fulfillment, lessons, and those direct lines to the Lord of Lord and King of Kings. He is coming and His Messianic kingdom will be set up. Yeshua [Jesus] HaMassiach [Messiah] will rule and reign with a rod of Iron for a thousand years. Go to https://linktr.ee/warnradio for more info --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/wibr-visions/support
The Jews asked Jesus for clarification on His Messianic status, and He gave them an answer far beyond what they were asking. Whereas Jesus privately told people that He was the Messiah -such as the woman at the well-, He did not literally, plainly, flatly declare as much publically to the leadership. Instead, He revealed His true identity through veiled comments designed to lead them to the proper conclusion- He was both Messiah and Jehovah God in human form.
After Jesus raised Lazarus, the response was what we would expect: some will have eyes to see Jesus as Messiah, and others will become even more adamant in opposition to Him. But, this weekend we find that one of the most prominent opponents of Jesus actually becomes an unexpected witness to His Messianic mission.
Jim DiBiaso - Matthew 3:13-17 The baptism of Jesus was the inauguration into His Messianic ministry. He could save us because He lived a perfect life, but He got baptized to identify with those He came to save. The Father and the Spirit then bore witness that Jesus was the Son of God.
Theme: Jesus is the son of God anointed by the Holy Spirit for His Messianic ministry and validated as the Son of Man who fulfills all righteousness.
December 17, 2017 - A study from Mark 1:9-13. What does the baptism of Jesus by John teach us about His person, and His Messianic redemptive work?
Answers Bible Curriculum Year 3 Quarter 2 Lesson 12 This week in Sunday school, we conclude our look at Jesus’ public ministry in the Gospels by considering the proper response to Jesus. Jesus clearly displayed His Messianic authority in both his miracles and in his teaching, but how did people respond to Him? Did those… The post Responding to Jesus appeared first on Calvary Community Church.
In Revelation, the victory is being and will be fully implemented. Patterns of seven are revealed and God is in control of the history John is watching unfold. There are several views of Revelation’s thousand years. Those who hold to the Preterist interpretation believe most Revelation events happened in the first three centuries. Premillennialists hold that Christ’s return happens before the thousand year reign. Amillennialists believe the thousand years is metaphorical and not a specific number of years. Most Christians throughout Church history have been Amillenialists. Postmillennialism has been a rare idea. The second coming of Christ will be in glory as the Conqueror. Christ is the Anointed and His Messianic rule is the time of God’s sovereignty over creation and His defeat of Satan.
Matt 2:19-23 brings the opening two chapters of Matthew to a close. It sets the scene for the growing up years of young Jesus as He is prepared for His Messianic assignment. In this teaching, Henson Lim shares seven points about how the exposures, experiences and environment in our lives shape and prepare us towards our kingdom assignments.
In Revelation, the victory is being and will be fully implemented. Patterns of seven are revealed and God is in control of the history John is watching unfold. There are several views of Revelation’s thousand years. Those who hold to the Preterist interpretation believe most Revelation events happened in the first three centuries. Premillennialists hold that Christ’s return happens before the thousand year reign. Amillennialists believe the thousand years is metaphorical and not a specific number of years. Most Christians throughout Church history have been Amillenialists. Postmillennialism has been a rare idea. The second coming of Christ will be in glory as the Conqueror. Christ is the Anointed and His Messianic rule is the time of God’s sovereignty over creation and His defeat of Satan.
This exposition examines Jesus asserting His Messianic rights by cleansing the Jerusalem Temple about to be made obsolete by His resurrection which would ultimately lay the foundation for the new spiritual temple that would replace it, namely, the church. Title: The Messiah's Zeal Speaker: Dr. David Harrell Event: Sunday Service Date: Nov 17 2013 Bible: John 2:12-25
November 25, 2012 - A stud from Exodus 4:1-17. How do the experiences of Joseph and Moses point to the coming of Jesus Christ and His Messianic redemptive work?
Today we are back in our study of the Gospel of Mark. The first half of this book showcases Jesus as the Sovereign Son who has come bringing the kingdom authority and power of Heaven to bear on all creation. Jesus has demonstrated in both teaching and miracles that He is the promised Messiah, the One who will rescue all that sin has stolen. You would think that, given His amazing teaching and displays of miraculous power, everyone would recognize His Messianic office, and gladly follow Him. But in that day as in ours, many just don’t see the truth. They overlook Jesus! And we who have found real life and purpose and gracious forgiveness of our sins wonder: Why do people overlook Jesus? The answer has everything to do with their hard hearts. They come looking for something Jesus doesn’t offer while being blinded to all that He does. They refuse to give up their expectations, and as a result, they miss the hand of rescue that is so very near to them in Jesus Christ, the Savior of souls.
After giving an overview of Jesus’ public and private ministries that deliberately led Him to the cross, this discourse examines five events that occurred during the passion week, namely, His Messianic presentation, proclamation, preparation, propitiation, and pronouncement. Title: The Passion Week of Christ Speaker: Dr. David Harrell Event: Sunday Service Date: Apr 04 2010 Bible: Selected Passages
At the start of Chapter 6, the scribes and Pharisees confront Jesus on two occasions regarding how He and His disciples observe the sabbath. Jesus implies that while the law of the Lord is perfect and provides guidance, the law is not an end in and of itself, but a means to the end – a roadmap to God, if you will.We see the scribes and Pharisees scrutinize the actions of Jesus and His disciples, watching for even the smallest mistake and demanding a strict observance of the law. When his disciples pluck heads of grain on the sabbath, Jesus transcends their reasoning and cites David's eating the bread of the Presence, claiming "the Son of man is lord of the sabbath" (v. 3-5). On another occasion, despite knowing the thoughts of the scribes and Pharisees, He heals on the sabbath after asking, "is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?" (v. 9). In verse 12, Jesus retires "in these days" to the mountain to pray, and spends all night in prayer before appointing twelve disciples, a period of time that is akin to Mt. Sinai and Moses' preparation prior to receiving God's covenant. From his numerous disciples, Jesus selects twelve by name to be His apostles. One sees in this the continuation of the Hebrew office of "shaliach" wherein a master sends out a representative, oftentimes giving them their full power.In verse 17, Luke first expounds on the core of Jesus' message in the Sermon on the Plain. Among these tenets, we hear, "Blessed are you when men hate you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets" (v. 20-24).Accompanying these promises and exhortations, Jesus expounds on the following warnings, in order that we might not follow imprudent paths, most notably He says, "Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets" (v. 25-26).Jesus demands a radical adherence to all of the gospel message in one's actions. He fleshes out many ethical teachings in verses 27-38. Overall, we see that we must rely completely on God instead of desiring security or clinging to what is comfortable. If we are not radical disciples of Jesus and only take His message half-heartedly, we are no better than blind men and possess no credible Christian identity (v. 39). Verses 40-49 further describe Jesus' lofty call, containing many wonderful images and lessons for us all.The start of Chapter 7 describes the miraculous healings in Capernaum and Nain. In the first, Jesus says of the centurion "not even in Israel have I found such faith" before healing the man's son (v. 9). Soon after this, Jesus travels to Nain and raises a young man from the dead by touching the platform on which he is being carried out of the city, saying, "Young man, I say to you, arise" (v. 14).Somewhat unlike the depiction of John the Baptist given to us in the Gospel of John, Luke describes that the Baptizer is in need for a final answer whether or not Jesus is the Messiah. After the disciples of John describe the events in Capernaum and Nain to him, John and Jesus communicate with one another through messengers. Giving the last statement, Jesus' disciples cite elements from Isaiah, imply His Messianic identity, acclaim John's ministry and justify those who receive John's baptism. In verse 36, Luke describes a striking incident while Jesus dines in the house of Simon, a Pharisee. During the meal, a sinful woman enters, wetting his feet with her tears, kissing them, wiping them with her hair and anointing them with oil. Jesus contrasts her devotion with the lack of honor Simon bestows upon Him. He says, "her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little" (47). Simon who is only aware of formal religion, does not break through to God and thus cannot honor Jesus in the same manner. By following Jesus' message wholeheartedly, not only do we receive His forgiveness, but break beyond formal religion to encounter Christ Himself.
Adam concludes Matthew's introduction of Jesus as the Messiah in Matt. 4:12-17. Even Jesus' movements from city to city confirmed His Messianic claims by fulfilling OT prophecy, and His spoken message announced the good news of the Messiah's arrival.
The Pharisees couldn’t discredit Jesus’ authority, nor could they make Him out to be a blasphemer, nor could they arouse the anger of the Roman government against Him. So, trying somehow to stop Him, the Sadducees attempt to poke holes in His theology. Jesus dispenses of their folly, thunders forth His Messianic claims, and again […]
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