Podcasts about jewish sanhedrin

Great Bible Truths with Dr David Petts

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2024 10:18

Jesus has testified before the Jewish Sanhedrin and before Pontius Pilate the Roman governor of Judea. While denying culpability, Pilate eventually gives way to the demands of the Jews and send Jesus to be put death by crucifixion. The cries of the Jews which declare, “We have no king but Caesar” recall the posture of Israel of old, for as early as the book of Judges they declared that they were in need of a king although God himself was to be their king. John takes care to point out the fulfillment of the Scripture as Jesus endures the agony of the cross unto death. Once it has been determined that he is dead, they take his body down and bury him in a borrowed tomb. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

god jesus christ israel scripture jews judges pilates caesar judea john 19 pontius pilate christian standard bible jewish sanhedrin john burgess ross

275 Mark 12:1-27 Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2024 23:17

Talk 36 Mark 12:1-27 Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders Welcome to Talk 36 in our series on Mark's gospel. In our last two talks we were considering the meaning of Jesus cleansing the temple and of his cursing the fig tree in Chapter 11. I suggested that, rather than cleansing the temple, Jesus was by his actions declaring the beginning of the end of worship in the temple, because that was soon to be replaced by the living temple, the church. I also suggested that's the cursing of the fig tree was, in a similar way, an enacted parable declaring God's rejection of Israel as his people. Today's passage, Mark 12:1-17, continues Jesus' confrontation with the Jewish religious leaders, firstly in the form of a parable, and then in the account of two specific encounters, (1) with the Pharisees and Herodians, and (2) with the Sadducees, all of whom were bitterly opposed to Jesus. First then, the parable of the tenants. As I mentioned this briefly last time, and because its meaning is so obvious, I shall devote little time to it today, especially as it is dealing with much the same subject as we were dealing with in the last two talks. But let's begin by reading it. The Parable of the Tenants (vv.1-12) He then began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. 6 "He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 7 "But the tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 "What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven't you read this scripture: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; 11 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" 12 Then they looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away. As I say, the meaning of this parable is extremely clear: · The man who planted the vineyard, the owner, symbolises God · The vineyard is Israel · The tenants are the Jewish leaders – and they knew it (v12) · The servants sent to them are the OT prophets and John the Baptist · The son of the owner is Jesus · The ‘others' to whom the owner gives the vineyard are the Gentiles. This last point is not made clear in the passage but is in harmony with Paul's teaching in Romans 11 which we looked at last time. So the parable confirms the line we have been taking in our last two talks. Jesus concludes with a quote from Psalm 118:22-23. He himself is the stone the builders rejected and has become the most important stone in the building of the new temple which was to be his church. The builders who rejected him were the Jewish leaders – see Acts 4:11 where Peter applies this same scripture directly to them (see also 1 Peter 2:4-8). No wonder the Jewish leaders were looking for a way to arrest Jesus. Which introduces us to the next section. An Encounter with the Pharisees and Herodians - Paying Taxes to Caesar (vv13-17) 13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn't we?" But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. 17 Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him. We're very familiar with the Pharisees constantly opposing Jesus. They were sometimes joined by the Herodians who were a political group. What they had in common was their fear that Jesus might cause political unrest and that the Romans would impose even more sanctions on their nation and so affect their position in society and frustrate their own personal ambitions. So both groups wanted to get rid of Jesus and the question about paying taxes to Caesar, the Roman Emperor, was designed to trap him. If he said yes, it would turn the people against him because they hated their Roman oppressors. And if he said no, Jesus would be in trouble with the Romans who might very well accuse him of treason. Either way, they thought they had got him! But Jesus always had an answer for them. He answers, as he so often did, by asking them a question. He asks for a coin and then asks them whose portrait is on it and whose inscription. They then reply, Caesar's. So Jesus says, Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. In other words, The coin belongs to Caesar, then. So you'd better give it back to him! And don't forget to give to God what belongs to God. Brilliant! But how does this apply to us as Christians? Let's look at what Paul has to say in Romans 13: Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes… This applies whether we like the government that has been elected or not. The exception to this is when the authorities want you to disobey God, who is of course a higher authority. As Peter and John said to the Jewish Sanhedrin who ordered them no longer to teach or preach in Jesus' name: Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard (Acts 4:19-20). But now let's turn to the next trap that was set for Jesus. This time it was by the Sadducees. Along with the Pharisees they formed the Jewish Sanhedrin (a council of national religious leaders). The Pharisees believed in life after death, spirits and angels (Acts 23:6-8). The Sadducees did not. So now let's read Mark 12:18-27. An Encounter with the Sadducees – Marriage after the Resurrection 18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19 "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?" 24 Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising – have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!" From this passage I have selected three main areas from which we can learn: 1. Jesus' opponents and our opponents 2. The basis of Christian certainty 3. Life after death. 1 Jesus' opponents and our opponents The first thing I'd like you to notice is that the questions Jesus' opponents asked were not genuine. They didn't believe in the resurrection (v18), but they ask him a question about it. There was no genuine desire to find out the truth. They just wanted to catch him out. Jesus knew this, but he gave them an answer anyway. Sometimes we need to bear witness to the truth even when the questions people ask are not genuine. Secondly, their questions were based on ignorance. The only authority they accepted was the Pentateuch and they couldn't find resurrection in the Pentateuch, so they didn't believe in it. But in v32 Jesus shows them it's there in Exodus 3! The point Jesus is making is that at the time God revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were all long since dead. But God doesn't say to Moses, I WAS the God of Abraham etc. He says I AM. Because Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were still alive, even after they had died. The Sadducees hadn't read the Pentateuch carefully enough. Very often, the questions people ask us are based on ignorance too. When they criticise the Bible, it's not a bad idea to ask them, Have you read it? It's important that we should know our Bible well, and know how to interpret it correctly. And one important principle of interpretation is that it's Jesus' interpretation of the Old Testament that matters. Thirdly, we see that religious leaders can be in error. Notice what Jesus says in verses 24 and 27: 24 … "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 27 …You are badly mistaken!" Their error sprang from the fact that they did not know the Scriptures well enough and had no real experience of the power of God. Sadly, this is true of many religious leaders today. We must not be led astray by them. Finally, the opponents of Christ usually differ among themselves. The Pharisees now had an answer to the Sadducees but were more interested in defeating Jesus than in learning the truth. And it's much the same with many people today. Nevertheless, we still have a responsibility to tell them the truth. But that brings us to the basis of our certainty as Christians. 2 The basis of Christian certainty The Sadducees were in error because they did not know the Scriptures or the power of God. It follows, therefore, that if we want to know the truth we must understand both the Scriptures and the power of God. Both are important. As a Pentecostal minister, I am both an evangelical and a charismatic. I believe in the authority of the Bible and I believe that God's miracle-working power is still available to us today. Some Christians believe in one without the other. But to neglect either is to miss God's best for our lives. God is all-powerful. So don't limit your faith to what you can see. It's the Scriptures that tell us what to believe. We can believe in life after death, resurrection, because God is all-powerful. We can say like Paul when on trial before King Agrippa: Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? It's a matter of simple logic. Our faith is not contrary to logic, but logic is not the main basis for our belief. We believe in resurrection because of what the Scriptures say. Look at how Peter quotes Psalm 16:8-11 in Acts 2:25ff. The resurrection was inevitable because of what God had said in the Old Testament. And in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Paul insists that Christ was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures. In short, we believe in the power of God as revealed in the Scriptures. Like the noble Bereans in Acts 17:11, who examined the Scriptures every day to verify what they were hearing, we need to do the same. It is not enough to believe in the power of God. We must believe the Bible! Failure to do so will only lead to error. Supernatural manifestations must be tested to see if they are in line with Scripture. And the great certainty of our Christian faith is the evidence of the resurrection of Jesus as revealed in the Scriptures. 3 Life after death So what does Jesus teach us in this passage about life after death? Four things: i. He assures us that there is life after death (vv. 26-27). He is not the God of the dead but of the living. ii. We will be like the angels in heaven (v25) This doesn't mean that we will become angels when we get to Heaven. In Hebrews 12:22-24 angels are distinguished from the spirits of righteous people made perfect. However, Jesus' main purpose is to point out the fallacy in the Sadducees' reasoning when they ask, Whose wife will she be? He is not saying that we will not recognise our loved ones when we get to Heaven. He is saying that relationships will be different. iii. There is life after death now. We don't have to wait until the resurrection. Abraham is alive now (26). He lived some 2000 years before Jesus, but he was still alive when Jesus spoke about the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:22 ff. And, as we saw at the transfiguration, Moses and Elijah were still alive at the time of Jesus. When we die as Christians we go to be with Christ which is far better (Philippians 1:23). To be absent from our body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). iv. Ultimately there is to be a resurrection Jesus had already predicted his own death and resurrection on three different occasions. He got that right, so we can trust him about our resurrection! Look at what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15: But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

Acts 7 Stephen: The First Christian Martyr

Line by Line with Pastor Shay Spencer

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2024 70:49

Bible knowledge & boldness accompany Stephens message about Christ to the Jewish Sanhedrin.

jesus christ bible stephens acts 7 first christian christian martyrs jewish sanhedrin

Christ on Trial Before Pontius Pilate (Mark Sermon 84) (Audio)

First Baptist Church of Perkasie Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2024

Pilate's soul hangs in the balance as he puts Jesus Christ on trial and declares the innocent one guilty. The question lingers... are you doing the same? - SERMON TRANSCRIPT - This morning I had the privilege to sit again in the “Discovering Christ” class, which is a class we have every week to study the person and work of Christ based on the Gospel of Mark. I was struck again as we began the cycle. We're looking at infinite majesty of the person of Christ. That's the purpose of the Gospel of Mark. It depicts Jesus in His remarkable person, His authority, declared to be the son of God at His baptism by a voice that came from heaven when heaven was torn apart and a dove came down and a voice said, "This is My Son whom I love; with Him, I'm well pleased." Then Jesus begins his ministry, teaching in a way that no one had ever heard before with authority, the ability to speak the truth of God in a powerful way, authoritative way- “You have heard that it was said, but I say to you.” Then as a demon possessed young man is there, to be able to instantly drive out the demon with a word. The demons were terrified of Jesus. He had no fear of them; He absolute authority over demons. Then there was every disease and sickness known to man. There was no disease or sickness He could not cure effortlessly, instantaneously, personally, effectively, every disease and sickness. We see His ability to control the wind and the waves when He was in the boat. A raging storm came down and the boat was filling with water. Jesus was asleep, then got up and stretched His hand over the wind and the waves and said, "Peace, be still." Instantly they obeyed His voice. “What kind of man is this? Even the wind in the waves obey him.” He revealed power over death as He raised Jairus's daughter from the dead. He said, "Talitha Cumi, little girl, I say to you, get up,” and her spirit returned to her and she got up. For Him, death and sleep were no different. It's just the same as waking a girl up from sleep. That's how powerful Jesus is over death, but even more, His authority over sin, His ability to declare to a sinner, your sins are forgiven and they are. This man that we've been learning about now in fourteen chapters now going into the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of Mark is on trial before Pontius Pilate, on trial for His life, the only perfectly good man that's ever been. On trial for what? What did He do except love God with all of His heart, soul, mind and strength and love His neighbor perfectly as Himself and didn't break any of God's laws or man's laws ever. He's on trial before Pontius Pilate. Things are not, however, as they appear. If we had been transported back in time and we were there, we'd see this prisoner arrested on trial before the Roman procurator, on trial for his life. But the reality is much different. It was determined in the mind of God that Jesus should die for the sins of the world and that that would be the process whereby it would happen. It was a foregone conclusion. What's really going on in this account of Jesus before Pilot is that Pilot's on trial, actually. Pilot's on trial. In order to make that case and to make it then relevant to us, I'm going to... often I just stick with the words of Mark. But this morning I'm going to be reaching out to all four Gospels. I would say especially John 18:28-19:16 which probably puts the trial of Pilot himself more clearly than any of the other gospels. I'll be leaning on that, but also some things from Matthew. Whereas Pilot thought that he was evaluating and judging Jesus, the reality was that he was on trial and through him, all of us are, we all have a decision to make about Jesus because the Bible reveals that someday we're going to stand before his Judgment Seat. The only way we're going to survive that is if in this world, in this time now we have, come to personal faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Only that way will we survive judgment day, only that way. So here's Pilot judging, the only perfectly innocent man that has ever lived and by condemning Jesus to death, a man Pilot again and again asserts publicly that He is innocent. A man he may well have believed was supernatural and incarnation of sorts. We'll talk about that. He was actually destroying his conscience and condemning his own soul, he did it, we're told in the text, to please the crowd. Behind that we can say, he was trying to save his life and his job. But Jesus put it so plainly in Mark 8:36, "What would it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his soul?" I don't know if Pilate ever did repent of his sins and trust in Jesus as his Lord and Savior, I have no idea. But if he didn't, he'll spend all eternity wishing for this moment back. The real question in front of all of us, what about us? What about you? Not just that personal moment of repentance and faith in Jesus, but understanding really what this passage teaches us. There's so many lessons here. We're going to see how God orchestrated in providence the condemnation of Jesus before the Roman procurator, before any of these things came to be, that God moved providential wheels to give the Jews, the chief priests, the Sanhedrin power over Pilate, so he would do what they wanted him to do, though he didn't want to do it. We're going to walk through that and learn providence. Now overall, the purpose of this account, like any account in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John is summed up in John's purpose statement in John 20:31, "These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and believing may have life in His name." So that's the purpose today. 1. The Charge Against the Silent Jesus: “King of the Jews” Let's walk through the trial. Let's see what happens in Mark's account, but then looking at the others as well. In the charge against Jesus... Jesus is arraigned before Pilate, the religious phase of the trial is over. The Jewish leaders had come to their decision. Look at verse 1, “Very early in the morning the chief priests with the elders, the teacher of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led Him away and delivered Him over to Pilate.” They have condemned Jesus to death, but they can't kill him, as much as they would like to. The Romans took away the power of that local body to execute people. The Romans retain that right, so they needed Pilate's involvement. They deeply wanted to put Jesus to death. They wanted him killed. Now we notice in John's account the hypocrisy of these Jewish religious leaders. In John 18:28, "Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness, the Jews did not enter the palace because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.” This is disgusting, religious hypocrisy. They maintained an outward appearance of spirituality and legality, but their whole purpose that morning was to murder an innocent man and not just any innocent man but to kill the glorious Son of God. But they're maintaining a certain pattern of religiosity so they can go through their rituals. Pilate asks Him this question, verse 2, "Are you the King of the Jews?" That's how it begins. This was the charge the Jews had figured would work with the Roman governor. They had tried to get him, as we know earlier in Mark's Gospel, on tax evasion, saying you don't need to pay taxes to Caesar, but Jesus openly asserted that they did. "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God, the things that are God's." So that didn't work out, but this “King of the Jews” charge was weighty because it implied a threat to Roman interest in the area. In Luke's Gospel, Jesus’ enemies took another approach. In Luke 23:5, they insisted, "He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here." That basically is a charge that He's a rabble rouser, He's an insurrectionist. Ironically, Barabbas, the very one they chose instead of Jesus, was openly an insurrectionist. So are you for or against insurrectionists? In Luke 23:19, "Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city and for murder." Pilate zeroes in on this question, this charge, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus gives a very interesting answer. In verse 2, "You have said it," or, "Yes, it is as you say," there are different translations. In Matthew 27:11, "You have said it." What does that mean? It’s somewhat mysterious. Perhaps Jesus meant the words like this, “Yes, it is as you say, but it's not what you mean or not how you mean. Or, you have said it but you really don't understand it.” In John 18, he goes into it in more detail. In John 18:36-38, "'My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews, but now my kingdom is from another place.' 'You are a king then,' said Pilate. Jesus answered, 'You are right in saying that I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born and for this I came into the world to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.' 'What is truth?' Pilate asked." That's a more in-depth conversation on Jesus's kingship. Jesus's kingdom is infinitely more powerful and more complex, more spiritual than Pilate could possibly imagine, but it's an entirely different thing than he was thinking when he asked, "Are you the King of the Jews?" So was He? Was Jesus King of the Jews? Answer: Absolutely, yes. As a matter of fact, that's the purpose of the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. The first thing taught in the New Testament about Jesus is that He is the son of David, meaning King of the Jews. That's true, yes, He was King of the Jews, but not the way anyone thought, not the way His disciples thought, not the way anybody on earth thought. Yes, He's King of the Jews, but certainly not the way Pilate thought. Actually, Jesus is more than just King of the Jews. In Zechariah 9:10 it says, "He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth." So not just King of the Jews, but yes, King of the Jews. Was Jesus a threat? Was Jesus a threat to Pilate? Was Jesus a threat to Caesar? Was Jesus a threat to Rome? Answer: yes and no. Let's say no and yes. Jesus is no threat to lead an immediate political insurrection against Pontius Pilate and Judea or Caesar and the Roman Empire. But Jesus threatened Pilate and Caesar with eternal damnation. Jesus' kingdom is vastly more powerful than any earthly ruler could ever imagine. When Christ returns, He will set up a kingdom that will destroy all other kingdoms and will itself never be destroyed. This is the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 2, it says, "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself endure forever.” This is the meaning of the vision of a rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands. The rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold to pieces. Those represent empires. All empires come to an end at the Second Coming of Christ, and Jesus's kingdom established will reign forever and ever. The account is given in Revelation 19 of the Second Coming, "Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule him with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty and on his robe and on his thigh, he has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords." "Jesus is no threat to lead an immediate political insurrection against Pontius Pilate and Judea or Caesar and the Roman Empire. But Jesus threatened Pilate and Caesar with eternal damnation." Is Jesus a threat? Absolutely. Just not the way the Pilate was thinking. Jesus responds in silence, in direct fulfillment of prophecy. Look at verses 3-5, the chief priests accused Him of many things. Again, Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they're accusing you of." But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed. This is in direct fulfillment of course, of Isaiah 53:7, "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." Why not? Why was Jesus silent? There's a horizontal and a vertical aspect of Jesus' silence. Horizontally, He's silent because the trial is completely corrupt and unjust, and there's nothing He can say that will change it, and He's very aware of that. There's no point in Him saying anything. As He says in Luke 22:67-68, "'If you are the Christ,' they said, 'tell us.' Jesus answered, 'If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you a question, you would not answer.'" So He's openly saying, "What's the point?” Horizontally, there's no point in Him answering. Vertically, He must be silent because He's our sin bearer and there's nothing we can say in response to defend ourselves. We are guilty. We have broken God's laws and He has taken our sins on Himself and cannot reply to Almighty God, and so He must be silent, vertically. Pilate was amazed at the silence. He had never seen any prisoner behave like this man. As procurator with the power of life, death, he was used to seeing prisoners in many different states. Some might beg and plead for their lives, groveling on the ground. Some might be terrified, unable to speak because of terror, paralyzed. Some might be sullen or defiant or louder defiant. But Jesus had a supernatural calm to Him and a peace to Him. In the Gospel account, especially in John, there's a sense that He's in charge of the whole process. He has no fear at all. “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” Pilot's never seen a man like this before. Never. Proverbs 16:32, "Better a patient man than a warrior. A man who controls his temper than one who takes a city." Jesus was in absolute control of Himself, of His emotions, of His reactions at every moment. He was infinitely strong. 2. Pontius Pilate on Trial It really is Pontius Pilate on trial. Look at verses 6-15, “That was the custom at the feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilot to do for them what he usually did. ‘Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews,’ asked Pilot, knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilot release Barabbas instead. ‘What shall I do then with the one you call King of the Jews,’ Pilot asked them. ‘Crucify him,’ they answered. ‘Why? What crime has he committed,’ asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, ‘Crucify him!’ Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilot released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.” Pilot's on trial here, though he doesn't know it. As we look at John's account, we can see that Pilot again and again and again tries to release Jesus. It's his top priority it seems, below self-interest. He wants to release Jesus, he wants to set him free. Pilot knows that Jesus is innocent. In our text he says he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. Pilot has undoubtedly heard about Jesus's miracles and the power that surrounded His ministry. Thirdly, Greeks and Romans frequently believed that the gods and goddesses took on human bodies and mucked around in human life and did human things and got into human affairs, and they believed this. There's biblical support of this conception. In the book of Acts, in Acts 14:11-12 when Paul and Barnabas were ministering in Lystra and did a healing miracle, it says, "When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in Lyconian language, 'The Gods have come down to us in human form.'" That's it right there. Barnabas, they called Zeus, and Paul, they called Hermes. They tried to offer sacrifices to them. This idea of gods taking on human bodies was well established in Greek and Roman culture. Fourthly, we have Pilate's wife who had a dream about Jesus and sends him a message during the trial about the dream, and we'll get back to that in a moment. John's Gospel, therefore, makes it plain that Pontius Pilate was afraid of Jesus. Most of the depictions of the trial do not show this aspect of Pilate, but he was afraid of Jesus. In John 19:7-9, “The Jews insisted, ‘We have a law, and according to that law, he must die because he claimed to be the Son of God.’ When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid and he went back inside the palace. ‘Where do you come from,’ he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.” What do you think was in his mind when he asked him that question? Are you a God? That's what he's asking. But however afraid he was of Jesus, he was even more afraid of what the Jews would do to him if he didn't do what they wanted. Now to get this background, we have to turn to a Jewish historian named Josephus, who tells us what the early stages of Pontius Pilate's rule was like in Judea. It was bad. Josephus was a Jewish historian who lived shortly after Jesus, and he gives us insights. Pilate ruled the Roman province of Judea from 26-36 AD. Once he was established in his position, he quickly offended the Jews multiple times by his high-handed and arrogant treatment of the Jewish people. Right away he marches into Jerusalem and sets up the Roman Eagles in the temple itself. The Roman Eagles were looked on by the Romans and therefore by the Jews as idols, representatives of Caesar's power. For him to put them physically in the temple was incredibly offensive to the Jews. They assembled and demanded that he remove the Eagles. Pilate refused and threatened the Jewish mob with slaughter if they didn't disperse. Undaunted, the Jews bared their necks and said, "Go ahead and kill us. We're not leaving." So Pilate backed down, losing face and authority with them. Soon after that, he offended the Jews again with his handling of a public aqueduct conflict. Again, the Jews assembled a protest. Pilot had the crowd infiltrated with plain clothes Romans, bearing swords. When the Jews refused to disperse again, Pilot gave the signal and the soldiers slaughtered many of the Jews. Jesus talks about this, how Pilot had mingled their blood with their sacrifices. He killed a lot of Jews that day. But the Emperor Tiberius was so angry at Pilot for his mismanagement because if he's stirring up trouble, Caesar will have to send more troops to the region. This is key. He was under orders to keep things quiet and orderly and get along with the Jews. These two things happened before Jesus's trial. Do you not see the hand of God in all this? He's giving to the Jewish Sanhedrin, the high priests, the chief priests, power over Pilot and they traded it in, in John's Gospel. No doubt about it. It says in John 19:12, "From then on Pilot tried to set Jesus free." You see that statement? He wants to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar's. Anyone who claims to be a king, opposes Caesar." They're clearly threatening to go to Tiberius, to go over his head. There's no doubt about it. Now, as I said, Pilot's conviction is that Jesus was completely innocent. He knew it was out of envy that the chief priest had handed Jesus over to him. Three times in John's Gospel, he declares publicly that Jesus was innocent of any charge at all. John 18:38, "I find no fault in him." John 19:4, "Look, I'm bringing you out to let you know I find no fault in him." And then verse 6, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against." That's three times a public assertion of Jesus's innocence. Set him free, you’re in charge. Set him free if he's innocent. This whole conviction is even more greatly strengthened by his wife's dream. Matthew 27:19, "While Pilot was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message. 'Don't have anything to do with that innocent man.'" Innocent man. "For I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him." What effect do you think that message would've had on Pilot in the middle of this? In John's account, he goes out to the Jews and back to Jesus. He goes out. He's going back and forth. He doesn't know what to do. He's like a trapped animal. All of this was orchestrated by God. Why? Because He wanted to give His only-begotten son, in your place, as an atonement for your sins to bring you to heaven. That's why, and Jesus was equally determined to die for you and me. That's why all this was happening. Now he tries the clever attempt. One of the things he tries is, "Oh wait, yeah, it's the feast. I can release a prisoner. I got an idea. Let's do that.” It was the custom at the feast to release a prisoner whom the people had requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists, who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. Pilate brings it up in John's Gospel. They both remember this custom. "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews," asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. However, this clever attempt to get out of this whole thing was thwarted by the Jewish leaders. In verse 11, the chief priest stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead. I don't know how they did that, but they were running the show here. They had infiltrated the crowd. They had whispered, they'd called in IOUs, maybe bribed some people, got some people to shout things out for Barabbas and then shout, "Crucify!" for Jesus. They manipulate the crowd into a maniacal frenzy. "What shall I do then with the one you call King of the Jews," Pilate asked them. "Crucify him!" they shouted. "Why? What crime has he committed? He's innocent." But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!” In Matthew's account, "Pilate saw he was getting nowhere, but instead an uproar was starting." It's a frenzy. Satan must've been stirring this whole thing on as well. It was Satan that was in Judas Iscariot to orchestrate this whole thing. Satan's fanning this whole thing into a flame because he was a murderer and he hates the Son of God and wants him killed. The sinlessness of Jesus is clearly established. The roots of the chief priests and elders, their wicked hatred for Jesus was envy, greed, and power. The crowd vacillating just a week before shouting, "Hosanna, Hosanna!" Now they're yelling, "Crucify, crucify!" This is the culmination of Jesus's rejection by His own people. He's been officially rejected by the chief priests and the Sanhedrin. He's officially condemned to death, but now the people are shouting for His death. "He came to his own and his own did not receive him." [John 1:11]. In Matthew 27, this stunning statement is made, "When Pilot saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. 'I'm innocent of this man's blood,' he said. 'It's your responsibility.' And all the people answered, 'Let his blood be on us and on our children.’" 3. Jesus’ Blood on the Jewish Nation (Matthew’s Gospel) Wow, what a statement. What does that mean? “Let his blood be on us,” mean we'll take responsibility. It's a common Jewish expression. Like in Leviticus 20:9, "If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father and mother and his blood will be on his own head." In other words, he's responsible for what's coming to him. That's their way of saying, "We will take responsibility, let his blood be on us and on our children." This is the very thing that Jesus said would happen in Matthew 23, after the seven-fold woes. "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees." After all that He says, "'Therefore, I'm sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you'll kill and crucify. Others, you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town and so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all this will come down on this generation.’" They are going to be responsible for it all. They're willing to take responsibility for the death of Jesus. Later they try to shirk this responsibility. In Acts 5, they said to the apostles, "You filled Jerusalem with your teaching and to determine to make us guilty of this man's blood." Well, you are, you are. So that's the first sense, that's the darkest sense. But there's another sense of “Let his blood be on us and on our children,” a much better sense. Because it is only by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross that our sins are forgiven, that our sins are forgiven. At present through unbelief, the blood of Jesus is upon them and their children for condemnation and for guilt, but if any individual Jewish person repents of his or her sins and trusts in Christ, His blood will be on them to cleanse them from all their sins, just as it's on us for salvation and cleansing. For God delivered Jesus over as a propitiation, a sacrifice of atonement through faith in His blood. It is by the blood of Jesus, by the shedding of blood. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. I believe that at the end of history, there'll be a massive turning of ethnic Jews physically descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to faith in Jesus, and His blood will be on Abraham's children for salvation. As it says in Romans 11, "And so all Israel be saved, as it is written. The deliverer will come from Zion; he'll turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” "For God delivered Jesus over as a propitiation, a sacrifice of atonement through faith in His blood. It is by the blood of Jesus, by the shedding of blood. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins." IV. The Final Verdict The final verdict is given by Pilot. In verse 15, "Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilot released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged and handed them over to be crucified." Pilot could not evade responsibility. He washes his hands, but he's responsible for what he did. He rendered a verdict, guilty, death on a cross, but it violated his conscience. He knew he wasn't guilty. Was it really Pilot who handed Jesus over to be crucified? It was at the human level, but as I've already said, Romans 8:32, "He who did not spare His own son but delivered Him up for us all. How will He not also along with Him, graciously give us all things?" Interesting, at the moment that He was delivered over to be crucified, Barabbas was set free. That's marvelous, isn't it? It's an interesting picture. The guilty set free, the innocent dies. This is a picture of substitutionary atonement. As 1 Peter 3:18 says, "For Christ died for sins once for all the righteous, for the unrighteous to bring you to God." Barabbas represents a disgusting, vile murderous sinner who's set free from condemnation death by Jesus. I'm not saying Barabbas is in heaven. I hope so. Wouldn't it be great to meet him and say, "Generations have been talking about you, now here you are." But we don't know. We have no knowledge, but I'm just saying he's a picture of a guilty person set free and not having to pay the penalty that we deserve. Concerning the flogging, it was a hideous punishment. Picture a rod of wood and long leather straps with bits of bone and metal at the end, like a whip, only enhanced. The straps would wrap around the victim's body and then rip flesh off that victim's back. It was a hideous torture. If done enough, it would be lethal. It was done to weaken the victim before the crucifixion, so he ordered that it be done. Why? He was innocent. In John's Gospel, it was used as one of the steps that he tried to appease the people, but it didn't work. Here it is written at the end. It's beautiful because in Isaiah 53:5 it says, "He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our inequities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him. And by his wounds, sometimes translated stripes, we are healed.” As 1 Peter 2:24 says, "He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.” V. Applications First of all, the judgment theme. You've heard the evidence, you have the information. You're sitting, in some sense, in judgment on Jesus. You're deciding about Jesus. God gives you that time to do that. Make a right judgment. Evaluate Him properly. Look at the evidence. I began the sermon with the marvels of the person of Jesus as depicted in the Gospel of Mark. Make a right judgment about Jesus and trust in Him for the forgiveness of your sins and the salvation of your soul. Don't do what Pilate did. Make a right judgment about Jesus. Secondly, understand what's going on here. I've said it two or three times, I'll say it one final time. This account is evidence of God's sovereign control over human history, His orchestration of events, His maneuvering of people and positioning of people because He's sovereign over everything that happens on earth. What He was doing was giving the Jews power over Pontius Pilate so that he would condemn an innocent man to death. What God's intention was to give Jesus as a Savior for your sin. Again here, Romans 8:32, "He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also along with Him graciously give us all things?" What is the “all things”? I've been thinking about different pastoral circumstances that I'm walking through right now with different people in the church. It could be medical, it could be relational, it could be a sin problem, it could be financial. There's all kinds of things going on all the time in the life of the church. I don't know what's happening in all your lives.The things that you're yearning for are significant, they’re important. Romans 8:32 doesn't minimize. It's just saying, "With God already having given his only-begotten Son, everything else in the universe is lesser than that to Him. He would not withhold from you anything that would further His purpose in your life, which is to save your soul, use you in this world, and then take you to heaven.” Understand that's what's going on in this trial here. Thirdly, rejoice in God's sovereignty over wicked, unjust human governments. As we go through a political process in this nation, and we wonder who's going to get elected president or lesser roles, and not just our country, but around the world, we can see evidence of this kind of selfishness and weakness and caving into the crowd and injustice. Isn't it wonderful to know that God is sovereign over that whole thing and rules actively over it for His own purposes, for His own glory, and for the good of His people? Fourth, look at the fickleness of the crowd here. "Hosanna," one week, a week later, “Crucify," and distrust your own loyalty to Jesus. Say, "Prone to wander. Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, Lord. Take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above. Help me not to be fickle and weak and vacillating in my love for Jesus." Finally, it's time now to get our hearts ready for the Lord's Supper. I'm going to close the sermon time and prayer ,and we're going to transition to the Lord's Supper. Father, we thank you for the word of God. We thank you for its power. We thank you for this account of the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate. Now as we give our attention to the Lord's Supper, we pray that you would be with us in this time. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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This Is Who He Is - Gospel Of Mark | Easter Sunday - 3.12

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2024 29:28

Gospel Of Mark | Nobody | Pastor Chris Heller The last few weeks have been heavy as we've watched Jesus cry out to God in Gethsemane, stand before the Jewish Sanhedrin and Pilate, endure a Roman scourging, and submit to his horrific crucifixion and death on the cross. But, praise God, the story doesn't end there! After three days in the tomb, Jesus conquered death and arose from the grave! Because of His resurrection power, we are promised salvation from sin and given eternal life through faith in Him.

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This Is Who He Is - Gospel Of Mark | The Death Of the Son Of God - 3.11

First Baptist Church of Perkasie Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2024 47:38

Gospel of Mark | The Death of the Son of God | Pastor Jon Adams Mark 15:20-41 Mark's gospel has been a book of action as we've traveled with Jesus from his earliest moments of ministry to his final week. But, as Mark brings his gospel to a close, he slows the pace and we get an almost hour-by-hour account of what Jesus experienced. We've watched Jesus cry out to God in Gethsemane, stand before the Jewish Sanhedrin and Pilate, and endure a Roman scourging. This week, Mark guides us through the final moments of Jesus' life as we witness the crucifixion and death of the Son of God. This will be a heavy week at Renew. But, it's a part of Jesus' story we must linger in and learn from before we can celebrate all he won on Resurrection Sunday.

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Acts 7: Called to serve – Part 2 [UPSIDE DOWN SERIES]

Living With Power

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2024 26:42

In today's podcast we will look at Acts 7, focusing on the testimony of Stephen, a Christian disciple full of God's grace and power, before the Jewish Sanhedrin. This chapter highlights themes of the faithfulness of God, persecution for righteousness' sake, and the continuity of God's plan throughout history. Stephen will also exemplify what it means to be a servant. ABOUT: Lina AbuJamra is a Pediatric ER doctor, now practicing telemedicine, and founder of Living With Power Ministries. Her vision is to bring hope to the world by connecting biblical answers to everyday life. A popular Bible teacher, podcaster, and conference speaker, she is the author of several books including her most recent book Don't Tell Anyone You're Reading This: A Christian Doctor's Thoughts on Sex, Shame, and Other Troublesome Issues and her Bible Study series Mapping the Footsteps of God. In her “spare” time, she provides medical care and humanitarian help to Syrian refugees and others in disaster areas. Learn more about her at LivingWithPower.org. Follow on Insta: linaabujamra Follow on facebook: Lina Abujamra Follow on X: @LinaAbujamra

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Jesus Before the Sanhedrin

Redding Reformed Fellowship

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2024 51:00

After being betrayed and arrested, Jesus is led before both religious and civil leaders. In this morning's passage, we see Jesus before the high priest and the Jewish Sanhedrin.

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Jesus Before the Sanhedrin

Redding Reformed Fellowship

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2024 51:00

After being betrayed and arrested, Jesus is led before both religious and civil leaders. In this morning's passage, we see Jesus before the high priest and the Jewish Sanhedrin.

jesus christ sanhedrin jewish sanhedrin

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin

Redding Reformed Fellowship

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2024 51:09

After being betrayed and arrested, Jesus is led before both religious and civil leaders. In this morning's passage, we see Jesus before the high priest and the Jewish Sanhedrin.

jesus christ sanhedrin jewish sanhedrin

God's People After the Temple Ep. 16

Emmanuel Tuscaloosa Wednesday Night

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2023 43:53

The Romans, Pt 2 // Herod's rise to power was marked by ruthless actions such as executing Zealots and manipulating the Jewish Sanhedrin, along with his Hellenization policy and tumultuous personal life.

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John 19

jesus christ gospel jerusalem speech book of acts acts 7 sanhedrin luke taylor jewish sanhedrin

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2023 10:18

Jesus has testified before the Jewish Sanhedrin and before Pontius Pilate the Roman governor of Judea. While denying culpability, Pilate eventually gives way to the demands of the Jews and send Jesus to be put death by crucifixion. The cries of the Jews which declare, “We have no king but Caesar” recall the posture of Israel of old, for as early as the book of Judges they declared that they were in need of a king although God himself was to be their king. John takes care to point out the fulfillment of the Scripture as Jesus endures the agony of the cross unto death. Once it has been determined that he is dead, they take his body down and bury him in a borrowed tomb.:::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

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Stephen's Speech to the Sanhedrin (Acts 7)

Cross References

Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2023 33:56

The Cross References Podcast with Luke Taylor: Episode 71 Stephen is known as the first martyr in the book of Acts. He was going around Jerusalem proclaiming the Gospel. The Jewish Sanhedrin arrested him and put him on trial, asking why he felt compelled to preach Jesus. His response was a history lesson. Now, what's that all about? You'll find out today on the Cross References podcast. 0:00 - Stephen, the First Martyr 6:20 - Stephen on Trial 20:52 - Why Stephen Had to Die 23:30 - Recap and Closing Thoughts If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com Hosted by Luke Taylor

Wise as a Serpent; Harmless as a Dove

Gateway Church Long Island

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2023

Paul appears before the Jewish Sanhedrin

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Making way for the Lord to come

Bennetts End Reformed Baptist Church

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2023 44:00

1 Kings Chapter 8 marks the end of the 480 year Tabernacle era, making way for the Temple and likewise, the Temple for Christ Who was to come. Stephen the martyr in Acts 7 draws this parallel before the Jewish Sanhedrin in his defence of the faith. Follow the link.

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The Fatal Rejection of Jesus Christ

The Bible Church

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2023 42:00

The Jewish Sanhedrin bring Jesus to Pilate on the charge that He claims to be -the King of the Jews.- On Sunday of this same week, Jesus was hailed as Israel's Messiah- But now He's suddenly rejected, and our text shows some of the reasons behind this tragic rejection.

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Who were the Magi? (Understanding and Defending Christmas) [Part 2]

The Universe Next Door

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2022 40:20

Why were the Magi led to Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem by "His star"? What prompted Herod and the Jewish Sanhedrin to give them a hearing and take them seriously? How did they know to expect when the Messiah would be born? What are their origins and were they familiar with biblical prophecy? Where did the idea of "Three kings" come from and is it completely inaccurate? Join us as we uncover who the Magi were and what significance they had in the ancient world. Interested in giving to support The Universe Next Door?https://apologetics.org/donate/The Star that Astonished the World - book:https://www.askelm.com/star/Support the show

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God and Government

Mosaic Boston

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2022 42:42

Audio Transcript: This media has been made available by Mosaic BostonChurch. If you'd like to check out more resources, learn about Mosaic Bostonand our neighborhood churches, or donate to this ministry, please visitmosaicboston.com. Heavenly Father, as we find ourselves in a text that speaks about submission to the governing authorities, we also find ourselves as a nation the Sunday after an election. Lord, we thank you for this sovereign timing. We pray that you speak to us now and continue to shape our minds by the renewing of your Word, with the washing of water with the Word. Lord, there are manmade categories in our minds. I pray that you break through them with the power of your holy Word. For each one of us, Lord, we pray that you give us an extra measure of grace to continue to humble ourselves before your kingship so that we do submit every single aspect of our lives to King Jesus. We pray all this in Christ's name, amen. On this November 13th, we find ourselves in Romans 13:1-7. The historical context is this is a few decades after Pentecost. The church has started. The Apostle Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles. He's preaching wherever he goes, planting churches. Part of the reason why he had the freedom to plant church for a few decades is because the imperial authorities didn't distinguish between Christians and Jews. They said, "Oh, Christians are just a sect, just another stripe of Judaism." Left them alone. For several decades, there was no systemic persecution of Christians by the Roman state. Things turned bad, and they turned bad fast. Eventually, in the Book of Acts, we see Paul on the run from the governing authorities, spent several years in prison, eventually put to death by the Roman government. For what? For resisting the state. The state told him, "Stop preaching the gospel." He said, "I will not." Continued to preach even to the death. Same thing with Peter and the other apostles. When Paul wrote Romans, the situation wasn't as severe as it would become. Even then, no one thought that the Roman state was a friend. They just crucified Jesus, although at the instigation of the Jewish Sanhedrin. It's important for us to recognize that the issues raised by this paragraph have been largely theoretical to believers in the United States. In the United States, for the last few centuries, we have experienced relative freedom to preach the gospel, partially why this land has been blessed. Other Christians in other nations at other times have had to ask serious questions, adult questions, sober-minded questions, "Well, what if the government is forbidding me from worshiping God? What if the government is forcing me to do that which is against God? What if the government is preventing me from speaking truth? What about at those moments?" We'll get into all of this. Just to set the context, before the theme of civil government, Paul talks about vengeance. This is in Romans 12:18-21. The passage right before ours, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine. I will repay,' says the Lord." "To the contrary, 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For by so doing, you will keep burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." This is a precursor for Paul's treatment of the civil government. He starts with God has the prerogative for vengeance. "Vengeance is mine," says the Lord. Then he tells the personal Christian, "Your personal duty is not to take vengeance." Take not vengeance, and leave it up to the Lord. God has vengeance. You can't take vengeance. Between this, He gives us His command about the civil government, that the civil government has been entrusted by God with a sword in order to curb which is evil, to bring down the sword on the evil person. That's the context. God keeps for Himself the prerogative of vengeance. He establishes order on earth with the civil magistrate to carry out justice under the authority of God. There are different spheres that we're talking about here. That's the civil sphere. We went from the personal sphere, "No, you don't have the right to take... " to the civil sphere. This is all in the context, this conversation, of the church, that God has established the church with its redemptive mission. Our job is to go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. The government is also given special task by God for common grace ministry, to further their common good, to further shalom. The church dispenses elements of special grace. That has to do with salvation, whereas the civil government attends to the common good of the human race, not just for Christians but for all people. Both church and state are established and governed by God. This conversation about separation of church and state, well, that... originally, a division of labor. State, you focus on what you focus on, your God-given duty to promote good and curb evil, and we're going to focus on what we need to focus on, which is preaching the Word of God. That's the division of labor. Today church and state means a church that is separated from God completely, divorced from God. Don't even mention. God don't speak about God in public sphere, public schools, or anywhere. No, keep your religion to yourself. That's private. It's true that when the state declares independence from God and seeks autonomous rule apart from Him, well, that government... Be it the United States, or Russia, or any other nation, it becomes demonized and exists as an agent of opposition to God Himself. Such nations truly become godless. That's the context of Romans 13:1-7. Would you look at the text with me? "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct but to bad." "Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer." "Therefore, one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this, you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them, taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed." This is the reading of God's holy, inerrant, infallible, authoritative Word. May He write these eternal truths upon our hearts. Three points. First, submit to the governing authorities. *Second, to a point. Third, submit to King Jesus always. First, the principle is given to us that we should submit, submit to the governing authorities. This is verse 1, "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." Paul begins with the basic rationale for Christian subjection to the state. The scriptures testifies that it's God who sets up governments. Even the bad ones, it's all under His sovereignty. Who elected the person in power? It doesn't matter who put that person into power. It was God Himself. God allowed for this to happen. When there's a wicked ruler ruling over people, scripture is clear. It's judgment from God over the people. At those moments, if we don't like our rulers, yeah, vote. Yeah, yeah. We get on our knees as a nation, and we beg God, "God, please assuage your wrath. Remove your judgment from this nation." It only happens with the people who are humble before God. Yes, God puts them in control, even the bad ones. When Daniel gave the prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar's fall, he began by saying, in Daniel 2:20, "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and... He changes times and seasons. He removes kings and sets up kingdoms. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding." Later, he summarized what Nebuchadnezzar had learned through his well-deserved humiliation. God punished him because he wouldn't give glory to God. Then Daniel 5:21, "Until he," Nebuchadnezzar, "knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will." Christians are to recognize that God is sovereign over whoever He puts in charge of me. Christians should be models of civil obedience. That's where we start. This should be the natural spirit fill... We'll get to the disobedience part. Point two is spicy. I like it. First, we start here. We start with, yes, we want to obey. We want to do everything. Jesus was the model of this for us. In Micah, it's prophesied that Jesus will be born in Bethlehem. How did he end up in Bethlehem when His parents were from Nazareth, where Joseph and Mary were following the order of the emperor to go back to your hometown to be counted for the census. For what purpose? So that the emperor gets the most tax amount that he can. Jesus in Mary's womb... Joseph and Mary taking the arduous journey at the risk of the unborn. They're risking the unborn child, all in obedience to the civil magistrate. In the second century, the apologist, Justin Martyr, gave a defense of the faith to the emperor, Antoninus Pius, in which he argued. He's like, "Look, emperor. You want Christians. Leave the Christians alone. That's all they want. They want to be left alone, so they can preach the Word and build up their households and their churches. That's all they want. Leave them alone." What he wrote was, "Compare them to any other citizens in the empire. The Christians pay their taxes in full, scrupulously, and they're in obedience to the civil magistrate. They're a humble people. Leave them alone." The reason Christians must obey the state is because it has been instituted by God, and its authority derives from the Christian's own heavenly Father. All throughout the history of the church, we see God's people suffering to a phenomenal degree. Beautifully, they heeded the council of this great and important text from the earliest days. They also heeded other injunctions from scripture. The St. Paul tells us, "Pray for those who persecute you. Pray for them." Even as they are about to slaughter you, you're praying for them. It was martyrdom of the Christian Church. Their blood was the seed for the church because there's no more powerful testimony. Yes, these people really believe that the second that you slaughter them, they will meet Jesus Christ. They're dying with smiles. They refuse to lift up arms against their rulers. They're often mistreated above any other group of citizens. They remain obedient and dutiful citizens. To be sure, they refused to do wrong when it was demanded of them. They refused to worship Caesar as God, but their refusal was made all the more powerful because they had shown themselves so ready to be obedient and loyal citizens in every way that they could. Then martyrdom was their ultimate resistance. "I obeyed you in absolutely everything, but in this, I will not. No, Caesar, you are not God over me. I will give onto God's what is God's, which is ultimate allegiance, ultimate authority. Government, you are not God over me." The one thing the Roman government could count on was that Christians would pay their taxes, keep the laws. As Augustine would later explain in The City of God, "The patience and faith of the saints wore down the fury of the churches' persecutors." He continues in Romans 13:2, "Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment." This is a sober warning, and you have to take it at face value. If we resist the authorities that God has appointed, we might be regarded as heroes by some, but we can expect the visitation of God's judgment. That's on face value. Verse 3, "For rulers are not a terror to good conduct but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you'll receive his approval. For he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer." Oh, this is masterful. Paul, this is masterful. Along with giving Christians our charge, "Submit to the authorities," he gives God's charge to the authorities. He's saying, "Government or anyone in a position of authority, this is your job." The government has two roles. Promote good, bring down the sword on wrongdoers. Promote good and restrain those who are evil by force, if necessary. That's why God gave you the sword. In Romans 13:4, we read of the state as an avenger who carries out God's wrath on wrongdoers. That same verb was used in 12:19, talking about vengeance. Yes, this is God's sort of government. You are God's servant to wield God's sword upon the evildoer as you promote good. That's your job. The state is to do a private individuals, and Christians in particular are never told to do. The state has a different function in the economy of God. It has different callings and authorities. The government's job is to protect us from evil. That is, they are to preserve the security of people. They are to protect us from attack from without and crime from within. For that purpose, governments properly have armies, and police systems, and courts of justice to preserve us from evil in our midst. Submit to governing authorities but never blindly, never blindly, just like you don't submit to anybody blindly, except for Jesus Christ and God's Word. As soon as those in authority over you contradict God's Word, they lost all authority over you, completely. That's a point. To a point, we submit to governing authorities to a point. We must realize what the passage does not tell us. It does not directly say what we ought to do when a government departs from the role God has given them. What if the government starts using the sword to promote evil and bring down the sword upon those who do good? Wait, what about those cases? It doesn't specifically explain what to do when the government is committing a moral wrong. Neither are we told what to do in the midst of a revolution. What if evil people came into the government, and evil people infiltrated, and now evil people are using the government for evil means? You got to ask hard questions. It also does not show us which form of government is best. It doesn't even commend democracy. I'm mentioning these things because many of the difficulties found in this chapter result not from what we read in the text, but they result from what we read into the text. For example, Samuel Rutherford, in his classic 17th century work of political philosophy called Lex Rex: The Law Is King... He was arrested for writing the book by the king's men. He would've been executed had he not died of natural causes while seized by them. He explained why Romans 13 does not prohibit Christians from rising in violent resistance to a tyrant. He goes through the scriptures and scholastic theologians. Basically, his point... This is what Lex Rex means in Latin: law is king. God's law is king. God's law is above the king. When the king starts promoting evil and curbing that which is good, we got to ask some heavy questions. I say this because, look, it's a heavy text, and it's a heavy subject. It's important because we no longer look at the government as benign. I do not. You should not either. My family immigrated from the Soviet Union to get away from tyrants that wouldn't let us preach the gospel. That's how we got here, on religious refugee status. We got here in 1989. I'm telling you, the '90s were the glory days. If you did not grow up in the '90s, man, you missed out. It was a different America. It was tremendous. No, no, no, no, no. The things have changed: the way we're raising our children, what they're being taught. We now have to ask, will our children or grandchildren face a state overtly hostile to our Christian convictions, to our Christian way of life? Will our children be taken from us, as children have been taken from Christians before by rogue states, hostile governments determined to ensure that our children are not raised with our principles? What do we do in those moments? What do we do in those moments when the state encroaches on the church, encroaches on even my family and my household? What do I do? Well, you got to recognize that Romans 13 is to be interpreted in the whole council of God. This text, as so many biblical texts, must be interpreted according to the principle of ceteris paribus. In the Latin, ceteris paribus means all things being equal. I take that from equal, as in from the whole perspective of the council of God. You can't just take one text by itself in isolation and use that as a proof text for theology. No. How does this text read in light of all of the canon? We do not have the teaching of the scripture on any subject unless we have examined all of the relevant passages. Not all the qualifications of a complex subject are to be found in any one passage. The principle that one must obey, the existing government, and that it is God's will that the government shall exist, and that lawless person is resisting this government that was ordained... In that context, yeah, that makes all the sense in the world. When the government is doing its job, and, yes, it punishes bad people for doing bad things, and it approves of good people for doing good things, when all of that is function... Yeah, all things being equal, yes, submit to the governing authorities. But there are also exceptions. The Apostle Peter and the Apostle John are preaching the gospel. All of a sudden, the Jewish leaders are like, "Stop." They said, "No, no, we must obey God rather than men." Well, that's an exception. If there's an exception to a moral rule, then it's not a moral absolute. A moral absolute... This is true always. That's the Ten Commandments. True always, there's no exceptions. This is not a moral absolute. You submit, but if Caesar calls you to do something that God's Word prohibits or against God's Word, no, no, no, we're not submitting. If authority commands us to do something that God forbids or forbids us from doing something God commands, we must obey. I'll repeat that. If authority commands us to do something God forbids or forbids us from doing something God commands, we must disobey. If the civil magistrate calls us to sin, we must say no. History is replete with examples of governments that have commanded the citizens to do evil, right? This is the Nuremberg trials, right? If fascists after... Now all these Nazi lieutenants and high-ranking members, their whole case, justification-wise, "I was following orders." You know what they said? "That's not enough." No, you should have followed your conscience that told you that this was evil. What were they appealing to? They were appealing... the moral law in the heart. You knew. You knew this was evil. When you know this is evil, whoever in authority tells you to do it, say, "No, no." It wasn't an excuse then, and it won't be. I'll bring this example. Ephesians 5, "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." Oh yeah, tremendous text. Keep going. Then, "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord in everything." My wife and I have had very extensive theological conversations on what the word, everything, means. What does everything mean? Let's go to the original. Let's go into the dictionary. It means everything. It means everything. We know. We know there are exceptions. What if your husband is abusive, huh? In everything? What if your husband is telling you not to worship Jesus, not to go to church? In everything? No, of course not. At that moment, when he goes against God's Word, he's lost all authority. No, there are exceptions. At some point, yes, divorce is actually encouraged. Well, apply that to the nation. What if the government is an abusive spouse? You can't speak. You can't believe. You can't say things that are true about gender and about sexuality. What about those moments? It can happen in any country, even our own. We must know that God has the highest authority. This comes from not just our text, but also Matthew 22:15-22. "Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him," Christ, "in his words. And they sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians, saying, 'Teacher, we know that you were true and teach the way of God truthfully. You do not care about anyone's opinion.'" Sad. "'For you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us then what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?' But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, 'Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.' And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, 'Whose likeness and inscription is this?' They said, 'Caesar's.'" "Then he said to them, 'Therefore, render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's.' When they heard this, they marveled. They left him and went away." They're trying to trap Him. Bring a coin. It says inscription in the Greek's icon. Whose icon is on this coin? It's Caesar's. Okay, give onto Caesar's. What He's saying is, "It's not that important. Give unto God's what is God's. That which is created in the image of the government, give them that. That which is created in the image of God, give that to God. Who's created in the image of God? That's you." Meaning, ultimately, it's not the government that owns you. The government has no jurisdiction over your soul. It has no jurisdiction over your mind. It can't tell you what to think. It can't tell you what to believe, what to love. No. We are to love God with our highest affections, heart, soul, strength, and mind. God has stamped His own image on us through our intellect, our will, the soul. It all bears the divine stamp. Thus, man may give outward things to Caesar but never inner loyalty, never inner allegiance, never hope. Don't put your hope in people. Don't put your ultimate trust in people. The coin's use is determined by its likeness, and your use is to be determined by the likeness you bear, that of the Lord. 1 Peter 2:17, look at the order. "Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor." Before we get the emperor, yeah, yeah. It was Nero. Yeah. We'll give you the honor that your offices do even if you don't deserve the honor. We'll honor you. First, we fear God. Here in the text, he talks about a sword, that God's sword is given to civil authorities as restrain. The first sword that we see in scripture is the angelic sword at the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, God puts the sword there as restrain. I am restraining you. I'm restraining your depravity. In the Old Testament, several offenses were considered so heinous that God in the civil code of Israel required the death penalty. Death penalty wasn't just from the Mosaic Law. It was actually grounded in creation. We get that from Genesis 9... Excuse me, 1-6. "And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to him, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.' The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand, they are delivered." "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I gave you everything, but you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. And for your lifeblood, I will require a reckoning. From every beast, I will require it, and from man. From his fellow man, I will require a reckoning for the life of man. 'Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.'" God, rooted in creation, requires the death penalty for murder. Distinctions are made in the law code of the Old Testament that corresponds to our distinctions between first and second-degree murder or murder and manslaughter. In the case of manslaughter, the penalty was not death but banishment to cities of refuge. If someone kills someone by accident, that was different than first-degree murder. When it was committed, the civil magistrates of Israel were commanded to execute the guilty one. The law of capital punishment for murder isn't restricted to law code of the civil penalties of Israel. No, it was grounded in creation. Here I pause, and I want to deal with an abjection that you hear all the time. Christians are so inconsistent. How are you pro-life by being against abortion, but you're for capital punishment? That doesn't make any sense to people. That's inconsistent. I would submit to you, it's absolutely consistent because at the heart of it, of our worldview, is the sanctity of human life. Human life is so sacred that if you rise up without just cause and kill your neighbor, you forfeit all your rights and privileges to your own. That makes all the sense in the world. It's not consistent. It's not consistent. You're right. It's not consistent to say, "Abortion is murder, but we're not going to do anything about it." If we were to be consistent, if we would truly be consistent, we would say abortion is murder because life begins at conception. That's the Word of God. We should, or to make it illegal. Anyone who participates in abortion deserves capital punishment. That would be consistent, including the man. The man that fathered the baby, you commit the abortion. That should be a capital offense. I'm telling you, that law would absolutely transform this country. Men would actually start taking responsibility. People wouldn't be so flippant about sexuality anymore. Yes, it creates life. When we go against God's law, obviously, God's going to pour out His judgment on this nation. That's if we were truly consistent. Then this also brings up the just war theory. The same verse, Romans 13:4, serves as a locus classic. It's in historic Christian ethics concerning just war theory. What is the fundamental principle of just war theory? If a nation or a people aggressively invades or attacks another nation, the attacked nation is the victim of external aggression, so has the right and responsibility to protect itself from the invading aggressor. Yes, it's the sanctity of life that's at the heart of just war theory. Human life is so sacred that the civil magistrates have been given the sword to protect the innocent from the evildoer. When the civil magistrate uses reasonable force to restrain the evildoer, he serves not only the community but also God. In terms of just war, those principles are simply elevated to a larger domain of national security. Also, I would say, Christian, we must be sure that whatever cause that we're picking up a gun or sword for is truly just. You got to ask the hard questions because it's silly to assume that the government can be trusted to engage in only just military activity. No, history proven that that's not true. I remember I was 22 years old. One of my first jobs out of college was to work for the CIA as a Russian analyst. I hadn't thought through any of this. It was a job. I remember I had the Holy Spirit. I remember driving into the compound in Langley, and I remember just a darkness would come over me. All day, I was walking around in darkness as I'm writing these little reports about people. I'm showing up. A week later, I find out that that person I wrote a report on is dead. Well, that forces you to ask some questions. Is this a just organization that I'm working for? Are the causes just? I was led by the Lord to believe, "No, it's not." I peaced out. There are more important things to do like building the church of Christ. No, when the government turns its back on its primary responsibility, it's acting in utter defiance of the law of God and is exposing itself and the nation it governs to the judgment of God. The sword is necessary because there's sin in the world, and the sword is given to work against evildoers and restrain them. The primary responsibility of any civil government is to protect, defend, and maintain human life. Third... This is where I land on all of this. I don't like talking about politics or any of that. Submit to King Jesus always because at the end of the day, look, you can only control what you can control. You are responsible for what God has entrusted you to bring all of what you influence, to bring it all in submission to Jesus Christ. That's your mind. That's your soul. That's your body. That's your relationships. That's your finances. That's sexuality, everything. You are to bring in order unto the law of Jesus Christ. Submit to King Jesus always. By the way, this is the posture of God. Remember when Israel was like, "Yeah, I think we want to be like other people. God, send us a king." God's like, "You don't want a king. You don't want a king. Trust me, you don't want a king. You want to pay taxes? You don't want to pay taxes." God literally had that conversation with them. He said, "Look, the king's going to take your daughter. He's going to take your sons. You don't want a king." They said, "We want to be like everyone else. We want a king." God's like, "All right." This is what God told the prophet, "They rejected me, not you." They rejected the ultimate rule of God. This is why God gives us scripture, that we are to be independently dependent on God, independently submissive to God's Word. When you do that, when you get a faithful populace of people who are submitting to God, you don't need as much government as we have. This is my plan to take over the world. You tell everyone to submit to Jesus Christ. "Everybody, let's just submit our lives to Jesus Christ." The more of us there are, like democracy... Let's just use it. The more of us there are, we just vote our own people into power, and then we just dismantle the government. Just dismantle it. No more taxes. Because I want Christians to pay fewer taxes and more to the church, so we can build up the kingdom of God. That's just me. This is verse 5, "Therefore, we must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience." Why does he bring this in? Why not just stand back and say, "I said everything there is. Submit to the authorities." He brings in conscience. We're not to submit simply because we're afraid of law enforcement agencies in our nation. We're to submit because it's a matter of conscience. Jesus told us to. If magistrates are oppressive and we disagree radically with them, we're still to render obedience because our consciences are held captive to the Word of God. This is how God initially ruled, through His Word. Now what if your conscience is in submission to the Word of God, and the government calls you to something that is against your conscience? Well, if your conscience is to submit to the Word of God, at that point, believers must never go against their Christian conscience in order to obey the government. This is crucial. If the Holy Spirit through your conscience and in God's Word is calling you a certain way... I bring the conscious part in because there's some things that it's not just black and white. It's not right or wrong. Those are morality issues. There are questions, discernment and wisdom. Which way is right or left? Which way should we go? I'll bring you an example. For example, COVID, in 2020, March, we have to make a decision as a church. As the elders of the church, what do we do? By the way, we were one of the first churches to shut down because we got the data from the doctors, and they're like, "Yeah, this is going to be crazy." All right, two weeks to flatten the curve. Let's do it. We just stayed closed. I remember we wrestled. The elders were wrestling. This is a question of discernment. It's not a question of law. We're wrestling. My conscience was not easy because in scripture, it says, "Do not forsake the gathering of the saints," the physical gathering of the saints. That wrestling led us, by the Lord, to open up much sooner than most churches. Why? Because we were trying to obey all of these texts. Fundamental to Christian's loyalty to God is his submission to the state at every point possible, but we don't do it blindly. There are limits, of course. We must obey God rather than man. 1 Peter 2:13-14, "Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and praise those who do good." Then in Romans 13:6, everyone's favorite topic, taxes. "For because of this, you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing." I find it interesting that he calls tax collectors, ministers. Also, in the Word, in the Greek, it's deacon. These are deacons of God. They just hired 87,000 more of them. Make sure you're paying your taxes. The Roman government was, in terms of taxation, tribute policies and oppressive government. A lot of Christians are like, "Yeah, but my tax money is going to things that are immoral." Well, so it was during the Roman Empire, right? Jesus still paid the taxes. Paul still said to pay the taxes. We are to pay the taxes. I will say to you, pay as little as possible, legally speaking. You pay as little as possible to Uncle Sam. When you're doing taxes, they're like, "Do you want to pay extra?" No, don't even ask me that. You should pay me extra for having to read. No, no, no, no, no. Pay as little as possible. That's what the rich people do. That's what they do. They figure it out. They get the accountants. You know about foundations. You know about starting businesses and then K-1. You can look into that. Pay as little as possible because a lot of these rules are freaking arbitrary. They are just arbitrary. You cross the border of New Hampshire, from Mass. to New Hampshire, and you go from paying 7% sales tax to nothing. All right? That's just arbitrary. Fake line, arbitrary rules. Manmade rules, you got to obey, but sometimes to an extent. For example, driving, speed limit. I'm not the guy that's going to tell you to obey the speed limit because the governing authorities don't obey the speed limit. If there's exceptions sometimes, then it's not a moral absolute. If my wife's pregnant and I'm in the car, I'm going to be going 120 because we got to get the baby to the hospital, or we're going to heaven together. I don't know. We're going to get her there.At that moment, you're not going to be like, "Romans 13:55." No, of course not. There are things that take precedent over these manmade rules. Okay. One of the great ethical debates in Christian ethics pertains to the sanctity of truth. Are we always in every circumstance obligated to give the unvarnished truth? Rahab lied to protect Joshua and his people, and she made the roll call of saints for her valorous action. The midwives of Egypt were instructed by Pharaoh to kill every male born to Hebrew women. The midwives disobeyed, protected the newborn babies, and then lied about it to the authorities. God commended them for that. Why? Because life takes precedent. Do you always tell the unvarnished truth? Well, here you got to say, "Well, what's the point of truth?" The point of truth is justice. Will this truth be used to further justice or not? Here we got to pause and say, "How do you define justice?" How do you define justice? You wrestle with that. That's hard to define. I think the biblical definition... This is a good shot at it. Justice is giving a person his due. Justice is giving a person his due. What you deserve, that's what you get. That's justice. We deserve because we are condemned because we have transgressed God's law. The justice that we deserve, the celestial justice, is damnation for eternity. We deserve that, but God is a loving God. He wants to forgive us our sins, but He can't just forgive us our sins because He is just. This is why the gospel of Jesus Christ is so powerful because God gets to remain just, and He justifies us because Jesus Christ got what He did not deserve. Jesus Christ on the cross got the sword of God's wrath. He did not deserve it. He was the only flawless one. He was the only sinless one. Never transgressed the law. Through your repentance, and faith in Jesus Christ, and the work of the gospel, that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, bearing the justice that I deserve... The very moment that that sinks into your heart, becomes a reality that you are Christ's follower, you're submitting to Christ, all your sins are wiped out, and Christ's righteousness is counted to you. That's justice. Justice is giving a person his due. The biblical principle is that we should always tell the truth when justice requires it, but righteousness and justice do not always require it. Case in point, a Nazi shows up to your house in the '40s and says, "Are you hiding a Jew?" Right? This is a classic example. If you say, "Oh, Romans 13. Yes, I am. Here they are," no, you'd be just as wicked as the fascist for doing that. You know exactly what this truth will lead to. Yeah, if someone says, "Do I look fat in this dress?" you tell them, "No, you look tremendous." Just make them feel better. It's okay. Pastor Jan said, "It's okay." Everyone feels tremendous. The principle that defines justice and righteousness is that which is due, owed, or obligatory. That's why he tells Roman Christians that we are obliged to pay our taxes. Give him what is due. We must give the state what is due the state. Justice and righteousness require that we submit to taxation. We are to honor the king even if the king isn't honorable. He is to be honored. It's his due. We are to honor our father and mother even if they do not deserve. Because they're our parents, it's due. Romans 13:7, "Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom our honor is owed." I close with this. Hopefully, everyone voted on Tuesday. I voted. I primarily do it to get the sticker. Also, I like writing my name in. There are a bunch of boxes. That's not democracy. Jan Vezikov. A lot of people in the country were hoping for a red wave, right? As we find ourselves in church on Sunday after the midterm elections, people were hoping for a red wave because things are so bad, right? It didn't materialize for reasons. This is what I say to you. This is my pastoral encouragement. Stop hoping in people. Stop hoping in red waves or blue waves. The only red wave that will actually change this country, that will actually save this country, that will actually make a difference is the red wave of the blood of Jesus Christ that needs to pour over like a tsunami over this nation, bring us to our knees, and beg God for grace and mercy. That's the only way I see forward. In the meantime, if you're not a Christian, repent of your sins. Trust in Jesus Christ. Have your sins forgiven, and then submit your life to Jesus Christ. Order your life according to God's Word.For dear Christians, for the rest of us, if there is a place in your life where you are not submitting to Christ, where you know that His Word does not reign in authority, repent. Repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Amen. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of grace. We thank you for the message of the cross. We thank you, Lord, that you remain just and that you became the justifier to all those who trust in Jesus Christ. Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit upon each one of us in a measure that we've never experienced before, and use us powerfully to do what your church is called to do, to make disciples of all those who trust in Jesus Christ. In whose name we pray, amen.

covid-19 united states america god love jesus christ death history trust church father lord israel men state christians russia holy spirit government russian left gardens pray romans teacher fake jewish meaning greek blessed ephesians human nazis jews kingdom of god old testament mass cia abortion latin pentecost new hampshire pharisees amen hebrew gentiles remove beloved bethlehem excuse repent wives verse his word caesar ten commandments sad judaism vengeance apostle paul soviet union promote nazareth compare book of acts nero husbands pharaoh fundamental heavenly father rahab roman empire king jesus god himself faith in jesus christ nebuchadnezzar fear god uncle sam christian church church of christ beautifully langley apostle john man made nuremberg apostle peter in romans most high god distinctions mosaic law herodians justin martyr roman christians other christians jewish sanhedrin antoninus pius lex rex pastor jan audio transcript

Lechem Panim #220 “What GOD Had Done” (Acts 21:17-20) Pastor Cameron Ury

The Lechem Panim Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2022 17:30

Greetings! It's good to have you with us today. In our passage today here in Acts 21, we find Paul returning from his third missionary journey. He has been visiting the churches in Asia Minor and Greece with the purpose of edifying and building them up. And as he is visiting all these Gentile churches he had previously helped to establish, he has been collecting an offering for the Church in Jerusalem; an offering of money that was much needed by the believers there and one which would help solidify the bond between the Jewish and Gentile Christians. Now everyone is warning Paul not to go to Jerusalem because of how the Holy Spirit of God is revealing through many Christians the fact that awaiting for Paul in Jerusalem are trials and persecutions. And Paul accepts that, but continues onwards because he senses that the Holy Spirit (despite the danger) is compelling him to go; the mission of helping to minister to the needs of and unite the Church is more important than his own personal safety. Here was a man who was utterly and completely sold out in his love for God, his love for the Church, and his desire to pour his life out as an offering to both. An Ambassador In Chains— And today's passage is Paul's last one as a free man. From here on (in his own words in Ephesians 6:20) he will be an ambassador in chains. This passage is a transitional one in that it tells of the events leading up to his arrest. Now you would think that chains would limit (or at least severely handicap his ministry). But instead we will see that despite the intentions of others, those chains will have no effect on his ministry whatsoever. God was able to use him even in his chains. And that is something that God has done (and continues to do) often. If I were to ask each of you to name your favorite verse, I'm sure at least several (perhaps more) of you would say Romans 8:28. It reads… Romans 8:28 (NIV)— 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Still True— Now this verse is a great source of comfort to any person who is going through any trial or tribulation because it reminds us that God is in control and that whatever suffering we are going through He will go with us and give us victory. But do we really believe that? Do we really believe that in any situation God can bring something good. It is hard to think that way. But it is true. There is no situation you are going through that God cannot bring His glory. But we have to trust Him. We have to believe that He is going to remain faithful to us. Brengle's Trials— Lately I have been (with my grandfather) reading through the works of Samuel Logan Brengle, who wrote some of the most helpful books on holiness ever written; such as Heart Talks on Holiness, The Way of Holiness, and When the Holy Ghost Is Come. But what is really incredible about these books is the story behind them. [Brengle was a brilliant young preacher whom God led into the Salvation Army. He became the Salvation Army's great spokesman for the message of personal holiness. One night a drunken man continually interrupted a service Brengle was leading. Finally, Brengle put the man outside the service. After the meeting was over, Brengle was the last one to leave, so he turned the lights off and stepped into the street. The drunken man was waiting for him. He struck one side of Brengle's head with a …{brick}…, and smashed the other side against the building. Samuel Brengle was in the hospital for an extended period, hovering between life and death. When he finally began to recover, it was a long time before he could resume his former activities, so the editor of the Salvation Army's magazine asked him to write] [a series of articles on holiness. These were later gathered and published as a little red book entitled Helps to Holiness. That book would become an international success, and the first of nine by Samuel Logan Brengle, causing him later to remark, “If there had been no little brick, there would have been no little book!”[4] By the time of his death in 1936, Commissioner Brengle was an internationally renowned preacher and worldwide ambassador of holiness. His influence continues today, perhaps more than that of any Salvationist in history other than the founders, William and Catherine Booth.] And his story is a reminder to us that [We must believe that God is running our lives. The devil can create minor complications, but God is in control whether you are in a hospital bed like Brengle, in a prison like Paul, or anywhere else. God can and will use your circumstances to accomplish his purposes. He is the only one who can produce fruit out of an apparent disaster.] And (as we will see in the coming chapters) incredible fruit will be produced by God through Paul even in the midst of his chains. Gentile Companions— Now as Paul comes to Jerusalem, he has with him a group of Gentiles who are representatives of those Gentile churches Paul helped start who have come to actively show love, compassion, and solidarity with the Jerusalem church. And they arrive (most likely) at Pentecost. Now the text doesn't say explicitly that it was Pentecost, but it being Paul's plan to arrive at Pentecost coupled with the fact that (as we will see) there are multitudes there in Jerusalem, it would seem that Paul made it back in time to celebrate this very important Jewish feast. Pentecost— Now [Pentecost means “fiftieth” because this feast was held fifty days after the Feast of …{Passover}…. The calendar of Jewish feasts in Leviticus 23 is an outline of the work of Jesus Christ. Passover pictures His death as the Lamb of God (John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7), and the Feast of Firstfruits pictures His resurrection from the dead (1 Cor. 15:20–23). …Pentecost….pictures the formation of the church. At Pentecost, the Jews celebrated the giving of the law, but Christians celebrate it because of the giving of the Holy Spirit to the church.] And really it is a celebration of when God took the Law of God and gave it again, not on tablets of stone this time but wrote it upon our heart in and through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. And Paul is no doubt reflecting about these realities as he himself prepares two celebrate. Now it says in… Acts 21:17-18 (NKJV)— 17 And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. {Now this was an initial, unofficial reception; the meeting before the meeting, so to speak. But the next verse says…} 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. From Apostles to Elders— Now notice it says James, and all the elders; but it does not mention the apostles. Why? Because they aren't there anymore. Well, where are they? Well, as you know, they had been very key in the establishing of the Jerusalem Church. And they were the leaders of the Church in the beginning (2:42; 4:35-37; 5:2). But remember, as the Church grew, they recognized the need for assistance in running the whole administrative side of thing; and so they chose seven to serve under them and help with these tasks (6:2-6). Elders are mentioned for the first time in 11:30 and we see that by the time the Jerusalem Council convenes, the elders had taken a very prominent role in the leadership of the Church (15:2,4,6,22,23; 16:4). Now the elders are the full leaders and the apostles are gone. Now where did they go? Well at least one (James the brother of John) had already been killed (Acts 12:2). But the rest (after turning over the leadership of the Church to the elders) had [left the city to engage in missionary work. Elder rule was thus being established as the New Testament pattern of church government (cf. Acts 14:23; 20:17; 1 Tim. 5:17; Titus 1:5; James 5:14; 1 Pet. 5:1, 5).] Number of Elders— Now we are not told the number of elders present. Some speculate that there may have been seventy, paralleling the number of members in the Jewish Sanhedrin. And when we consider the enormous number of Christians there in Jerusalem, there were probably at least that and probably more. But however many there were, we see they receive him and his team gladly. Now having a large offering with them no doubt helped. But that wasn't the only reason; most likely not even the main reason, which is evident in that it is not even mentioned here in the text. No, they focus on (at least at first) what Paul and his team has been up to. Missionary Sunday— In one congregation I pastored there was an unusually high emphasis placed on missions; and once a month we would have missionaries come to share. But even in a congregation as mission-focused as that, I remember there was a small handful who were very religious about not being in Church on missionary Sunday. They didn't think we had any business galavanting across the world when there were plenty of local needs right there. It was kind of like a silent protest every month in our Church from these people. But let me tell you, none of them ever visited a foreign country; and so they never saw the need. And the heart cannot feel what the eye has not seen. Now there were other people who would never miss a missionary Sunday. And you could see in their eyes this hungry eagerness to hear about all that God was doing and were eager to support and come alongside those missionaries. And often these were people who had gone on missions trips before; and so they knew. These elders were like the latter group. They were hungry to hear from Paul and his team. Key Characteristics— Now in and throughout Paul's ministry, we have seen demonstrated quite a number characteristics that made him a truly godly man. We talked about his powerful preaching, his powerful teaching, His persistence, his discipline, his courage, his commitment, his convictions. And last week we focused in on his courage. And as we move through this passage, we are going to see another one of Paul's characteristics that we will see envelops and permeates the events that transpire here; and that is the characteristic of humility. We are going to see that this quality saturates virtually everything he does. It says in… Acts 21:19 (NKJV)— 19 When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things {(he had so wisely and thoughtfully done by his own whit, charm, and speaking ability. The elders gave him a standing ovation and presented him with a plaque he hung on the wall of the office he never had and he admired it for years to come. Does it say that? No. It says he told in detail those things)} which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. Geempa's Epitaph: Behold The Lamb— You see it was it was all about what God had done; not what he had done. It was never about him. He reminds me of my Grandfather on my dad's side (we called him Geempa). Just about every time I am able to make it back to Kentucky to visit my family, I stop by his grave site. And let me tell you, there are thousands in heaven right now (and more to come) because of the ministry of that man; because of his ministry stateside, but also throughout Asia. But on his epitaph are three very simple words printed below his name: “Behold the Lamb”. And let me tell you, that is how he lived his life. He did a lot of tremendous things for Christ. But he never took glory for a single one of them. It was all about pointing people to Jesus. And let me tell you, that is the supreme mark of a sanctified person; a deflection of all glory to where it truly belongs, the face of God. Paul's Humility— And it is that kind of humility we see in Paul. [Paul expressed his humility in his rebuke of the hero-worshiping Corinthians. Writing to them in 1 Corinthians 3:5–7 he declared: What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Later in that same letter he added, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1 Cor. 15:10). To the Romans he wrote, “I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed” (Rom. 15:18). {You see,} It is the mark of a godly man that he exalts the Lord and not himself. “He who boasts,” wrote Paul in 2 Corinthians 10:17, “let him boast in the Lord.”] Now that kind of orientation is contagious. And we see that in the very next verse, where the elders (as Paul did) gave the glory where it belonged. It says… Acts 21:20a (NKJV)— 20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. Let Us Point To God— And so this week, let us also be careful (in everything) to give glory to God. Let us be people who choose to say (in whatever way fits the situation in which we find blessing) “Behold the Lamb of God”. Let's do so. Amen.

John 19

christians readings daybreak morning prayer gamaliel day st jewish sanhedrin

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2022 10:32

Jesus has testified before the Jewish Sanhedrin and before Pontius Pilate the Roman governor of Judea. While denying culpability, Pilate eventually gives way to the demands of the Jews and send Jesus to be put death by crucifixion. The cries of the Jews which declare, “We have no king but Caesar” recall the posture of Israel of old, for as early as the book of Judges they declared that they were in need of a king although God himself was to be their king. John takes care to point out the fulfillment of the Scripture as Jesus endures the agony of the cross unto death. Once it has been determined that he is dead, they take his body down and bury him in a borrowed tomb.:::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

god jesus christ israel scripture jews judges pilates caesar judea john 19 pontius pilate christian standard bible jewish sanhedrin john burgess ross

Daybreak for August 3, 2022

Daybreak

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2022 51:22

Wednesday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Gamaliel; rabbinical teacher and mentor of St. Paul; adviced the Jewish Sanhedrin to release St. Peter and other apostles. reportedly became a Christian; early Christians celebrated the finding of his body on August 3 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/3/22 Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28

Nicodemus (John 3:1-2)

Deer Pants

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2022 41:30

Josh is recovering from VBS, preparing for Bible Camp, and excited to study John 3! On this episode, we examine what a "Pharisee" is, the leadership of the Jewish "Sanhedrin", the purpose of miracles, and Nicodemus' path toward discipleship. Other Scriptures: John 9:16; 7:50-52; 19:38-40; Acts 2:22. Any questions? Email Josh at closerhomeoutdoors@gmail.com

acts pharisees john 3 nicodemus vbs bible camp jewish sanhedrin

The Only Innocent One

All Peoples Church

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2022

The Only Innocent One Luke 22:63–23:5 Main Point of the Sermon: We who are guilty are declared innocent because of Jesus. Introduction As a kid I often heard these words, “Daniel, can you come here for a minute,” having been caught in doing or saying something that I shouldn't have. Slowly I made my way to my dad, trying to consider how to argue for my innocence. I usually didn't a case, though I certainly tried. Have you ever been caught? Maybe you were caught cheating on taxes or a test or maybe looking at something you shouldn't have been. Perhaps you were caught at work cutting corners, or caught talking behind someone's back. Unless you've lived under a rock until this day, it's safe to say that we've all been there. But today, we're going to step into the shoes of the one human being who never got caught for doing something wrong. There was never anything to catch him for. His enemies tried him and led him before the Roman court, but unlike us, we'll see that nobody had a legitimate case against Jesus. He was innocent, through and through. I want to show you why that matters so much for us today. But before that, let's talk about where we've been in Luke's Gospel. Context: Jesus spent his last evening with his friends, around a table for a meal and then in his place of prayer, the garden of gethsemane. He prayed in anguish, surrendering his will to the Father just before he would was arrested in the night by a mob of Jewish leaders and officers led by one of his closest friends, Judas. His disciples fled in fear and Peter outright denied that he even knew him (Mk 14:50). As Jesus said to his captors in verse 53, this was indeed the “hour, and the power of darkness.” Though we'll witness great darkness, Jesus will shine brightly. Jesus Is Mocked 63 Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. 64 They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” 65 And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him. The King of kings was mocked and beaten in the middle of the night. Who were these men? Verse 52 says that it was the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, and verse 54 says he was brought to the high priest's home, which we know was Caiaphas (Mt 26:57). These men were supposed to be the people's shepherds. Yet they mocked Jesus as they beat him. He was blindfolded and bound. Doubtless they threw punches to the gut and face and anywhere else they could to inflict pain and shame. They also inflicted emotional pain as they shouted in mockery, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” Imagine being Jesus. Here you are, their Creator and Lord, who loves them and yet knows every sin, every detail about these men. And here they are beating you, mocking you, insulting you. And what do you do? Do you show them who they are messing with? Do you call them out and meet their challenge, "that was John. He just cheated on his wife.” That was Mathias, who is jealous of the High priest.” “That hit was Caiaphas, who is actually deeply insecure.” But what does Jesus do? The Gospel accounts tell us that he just takes it. Silently. Friends, this is not Jesus' weakness on display. It is an all-powerful man under perfect control. He has authority to summon legions of angels to his aid, but chooses to stand under the abuse silently. Mark's Gospel account adds that though many stood up to testify about him, nothing stuck, none of their stories held true. They had nothing on him. They were beating an innocent man. The scene gets darker, but Jesus shines even brighter. Jesus Before the Council 66 When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, After a night of abuse, Jesus was brought before the counsel of the Jewish Sanhedrin for further questioning. These were the most important Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, supposed to be the wisest and most careful judges among them. They should have helped Israel recognized their Messiah. But instead they looked for a way to kill him. Verse 67 says that they demanded: 67 “If you are the Christ, tell us.” Why is this answer so important to them? They had no evidence by which to condemn him, so they try another route. If Jesus says that he is king, they could try him before Rome as a revolutionary. But [Jesus] said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, 68 and if I ask you, you will not answer. Jesus was right. In dozens of interactions with the religious leaders, Jesus openly claimed to be the Messiah, referring to himself regularly as the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies (e.g. Lk 4:18–19; 6:5; 20:41-44). Further, his life, his teachings, and the powerful signs that he performed only provided good reason to believe his word. He was prophesied to be king (1:32–33), he was born of a virgin (2:11), he received an affirmation and commission from the Father at baptism (3:21–22).[1] But they did not believe. Likewise, when Jesus asked them questions, they would not answer because they were afraid of the people (Lk 20:5-7). But listen to the rest of Jesus's answer, verse 69: 69 But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” He says, “from now on…” this is the reality. This is incredible! Jesus is telling his captors that regardless of their unbelief, regardless of their murderous efforts, Jesus was in control of the situation and reigning over them. Jesus says that from this day on he would be seated at the right hand of God. In other words, his earthly ministry was coming to an end, but through his death and resurrection he would soon enter his glory. Jesus is referencing two famous prophecies about the Messiah: Daniel 7, and Psalm 110. Look at Daniel 7 briefly: 13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days [that is, the Father] and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him (13-14). This is a complex Scripture, but what Jesus is saying here is that he is the man from Daniel's vision. He was about to ascend to the level of God and take his seat next to God to reign over all creation. His accusers, who doubtless knew these Scriptures by heart, knew exactly what Jesus was saying and pressed on to find a way to get him killed, asking him a follow up question. 70 “Are you the Son of God, then?” Again, they want him to confess that he is a king. The Son of God is the title of Israel's king found in Old Testament prophesies (e.g. 2 Samuel 7). Verse 70. Jesus answered them, “You say that I am.” Jesus answer seems kind of illusive, but it is simply an affirmation. He is basically saying, “you are right in saying I am”. He gives them what they want it speaks out his identity. “What further testimony do we need?” they said. “We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.” What should have been the greatest honor, to be in the presence of the king, and to hear his voice, what should have produced fear and reverence so that everyone in the room bowed the knee before their king, produced even more murderous slander and accusation. Was he guilty of death simply for affirming his identity? Surely, they should have condemned him if he was phony and out for selfish gain. But Jesus had done nothing wrong. He was, in fact, the only one in Israel's history, in the history of the world, who walked righteously before God. But their hard hearts only allowed them to see Jesus as a threat to their religious system, to their power, and to their nation as they knew it. How can something so clear be so twisted by men? We've seen this sort of blindness and rejection throughout Luke's Gospel, and what it shows us is that humans are not inherently good and just judges. We are often so sure of ourselves, ready to cast the stone. But we don't see the world, ourselves, or God rightly. Perhaps this is why Jesus said to the adulterous woman's accusers, “he who is without sin throw the first stone.” We don't see clearly at all. Why? Because our hearts are dark and sinful. It's just as the Psalmist says: 2 God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. 3 Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Ps 53 The Bible is not full of stories of good men who just needed a good example to help keep them on the right path. No, it is full of stories of murderers, adulterers, liars, idolaters, and thieves who desperately need a rescuer. Even God's people. They seem to be the most forgetful and corrupt of all. And though we need a savior like a diseased man needs a doctor, we love our darkness and refuse to come to the light (Jn 3:19-20). Though we find ourselves again and again falling short, instead of turning to God, we turn to everything but him for help, to a new self-help scheme, to new religious regimen, to a new diet, a new haircut, a new relationship, a new medication, a new hobby, a new career, or substances. This book is screaming from beginning to end, you need light to guide you out of the dark, and you and me are not the light. But his name is Jesus. Come to him and live! But these men would choose darkness like the rest of us. The scene gets even darker, but Jesus will shine brighter. Look at 23:1. Jesus Before Pilate 23 Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. Pilate was the ruling governor over Judea, including Jerusalem. It was against the Roman law for any Jewish leader to condemn someone to death, which is exactly why the leaders brought Jesus before Pilate, who alone could enact the death penalty in Judea. This was the fulfillment of what Jesus told his disciples: he was “delivered over to the Gentiles” (Lk 18:32). 2 And they began to accuse him [before Pilate], saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king. Notice how the focus of the charges change from religious grounds to political grounds. Their first statement is a claim that Jesus is disrupting their loyalty to the Roman empire. We see this more clearly in the second and third accusations, saying that Jesus was “forbidding them to give tribute (pay taxes) to Caesar, and that he claimed to be a king, which would clearly be in opposition to Roman rule. Pilate's answer shows that this is what most concerned him. 3 [He] asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And [Jesus] answered him, “You have said so.” A second time, Jesus gives a guarded affirmation, saying, “yes, it is as you say.” This is significant. Jesus knows what this affirmation would mean for, but he doesn't shrink back. Surprisingly, despite Jesus's open confession, Pilate says in verse 4 to the chief priests and the crowds: “I find no guilt in this man.” His tone, his posture, everything about Jesus caused Pilate to give his verdict, innocent. He didn't see Jesus as a threat despite his claim. What kind of man could get away with that? Only this king. Though he was a king, his kingdom and his teaching did not oppose the Roman empire as the Jewish leaders wanted Pilate to believe. Jesus openly taught that Israel should pay taxes to Caesar, while also giving to God what rightly belonged to him (Lk 20:20-26). Further, we read in John's Gospel that he confessed to Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews” (Jn 18:36). His kingdom was fundamentally different than the kingdoms of the world. Jesus held this dual identity perfectly in tension. He belonged to the world and submitted to its governing systems, while submitting completely under the Kingdom of his Father. But verse 5 says that the people would not take no for an answer. They wanted him to be condemned as a revolutionary. 5 But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.” [2] Jesus healed the sick, diseased, and lame; he fed the hungry; he gave sight to the blind and raised the dead; he delivered those tormented by evil Spirits; he taught a message of freedom and healing and rest to the weary, and liberation of captives. Jesus certainly made waves wherever he went, but it was only waves of the kingdom of God breaking into the hearts and lives of weary men and women. The revolution was in people's hearts. They had nothing of legitimacy and Pilate knew it. Sadly, as we'll see in next week's sermon, though Pilate wanted to release Jesus (23:20), he feared man more than he feared God, which led him to make an utterly unjust judgment to have Jesus crucified. Never, in the history of the world, has there been one wholly innocent like him, yet he was condemned to death. This is the epitome of injustice. Why is Jesus's innocence so important? In my last few minutes, I want to answer an important question: Why does Jesus's innocence matter so much to Luke? Why should it matter to you and I? It matters because we need a sinless substitute. Let me explain. Friends, we are all guilty. Knowing myself, knowing us, knowing our propensity to sin and quickly judge others without clarity on a situation, I know that any of us could have been in these accuser's shoes, mocking and condemning this innocent man. We too would have put him to the cross. Furthermore, if any one of us stood in his place at that trial, and our history was scraped for evidence against us, we would have been found guilty before God and man on many counts. We are guilty of great sin before God, so we desperately need a Savior or we're justly going to face his wrath. Further, Jesus had to be innocent if he were going to be of any help to us. If he were sinful like us, if he was on the same sinking boat as the rest of us, what good could he provide? But he was not born like us with a sin nature. Though he was fully man, he was born of a virgin. He was like version 2 of Adam, the first man, see Romans 5. We can send rescue boats all day to those who are perishing in sin, but we're all sinking in the same way. Jesus alone is sufficient. Fully man, yet fully sinless. He is the rescue boat, the refuge, the healing. But he wasn't just our rescue, as if he could just come and lead us to safety without any cost to himself. He had to be our substitute. He had switch spots with us. The Bible tells a story of God's plan of salvation, to restore all creation to himself, like it was in the Garden of Eden. But that reconciliation could not come by God just haphazardly saying, “Ok, I forgive you.” In order for it be just, there had to be a sacrifice. So God provided a substitute. Just as the lamb was sacrificed year after year in the place of the guilty sinner and the people, Jesus was sent from heaven so that he could take upon himself the penalty for our sin. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He was slain on the cross so that anyone who believes in him would no longer be guilty before God but rather innocent like him. Jesus is our substitute. Through faith our guilt is transferred to him, while his innocence is transferred to us. This is why Luke goes to such length to declare Jesus's innocence. He had to be innocent if he were going to take our place. God is a just judge. But he loves you so much that he doesn't want you to die, though it would be just, so he laid the burden of your sins on the innocent Lamb, so that you and I could be justified, that is declared righteous in his sight. Praise be to God whose love is so rich and beyond our comprehension! But death was not the end of the story. Justice wouldn't allow Jesus to remain in the grave. Death can't hold an innocent man! How should we respond to this glorious Gospel today? If you believe this message, then you should rejoice. Yes, it is right to grieve the reality that your sin drove an innocent man to his grave. But it is also right to rejoice that God rescued you! And if you're here today and do not believe and embrace this message, I want to invite you now to put your hope in Jesus. There is no other rescuer. You must take him at his word and bow to your king. As promised, this Jesus, who looks so helpless in our story, is not in a grave anymore, but a risen and reigning king who will soon come again. He rose on the third day and is now seated at the right hand of God surrounded by myriads of angels and Christians who have passed into glory. Every knee will one day bow and every tongue will soon confess that he is Lord. So, come to him. He is the only way to find forgiveness for your guilt and rescue from the death you deserve. In a moment we will take the Lord's Supper, remembering the life of Jesus poured out for us. And I want you to remember as you eat and drink that this body which was broken and this blood that was shed was innocent and that it was poured out for you, the guilty. And because of this great sacrifice, we are promised that death now has no dominion on you. No list of sins or guilt or shame that you feel today can stand against the pure and cleansing blood of Jesus. We who are guilty are declared innocent because of Jesus. Let's worship him. Benediction: [1] Utley, R. J. (2004). The Gospel according to Luke (Vol. Volume 3A, Lk 22:24). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International. [2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Jn 13:3–7). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

147 - The Interlude Visit to Jerusalem

Urantia Book

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2021 34:20

147:0.1 (1647.1) JESUS and the apostles arrived in Capernaum on Wednesday, March 17, and spent two weeks at the Bethsaida headquarters before they departed for Jerusalem. These two weeks the apostles taught the people by the seaside while Jesus spent much time alone in the hills about his Father's business. During this period Jesus, accompanied by James and John Zebedee, made two secret trips to Tiberias, where they met with the believers and instructed them in the gospel of the kingdom. 147:0.2 (1647.2) Many of the household of Herod believed in Jesus and attended these meetings. It was the influence of these believers among Herod's official family that had helped to lessen that ruler's enmity toward Jesus. These believers at Tiberias had fully explained to Herod that the “kingdom” which Jesus proclaimed was spiritual in nature and not a political venture. Herod rather believed these members of his own household and therefore did not permit himself to become unduly alarmed by the spreading abroad of the reports concerning Jesus' teaching and healing. He had no objections to Jesus' work as a healer or religious teacher. Notwithstanding the favorable attitude of many of Herod's advisers, and even of Herod himself, there existed a group of his subordinates who were so influenced by the religious leaders at Jerusalem that they remained bitter and threatening enemies of Jesus and the apostles and, later on, did much to hamper their public activities. The greatest danger to Jesus lay in the Jerusalem religious leaders and not in Herod. And it was for this very reason that Jesus and the apostles spent so much time and did most of their public preaching in Galilee rather than at Jerusalem and in Judea. 1. The Centurion's Servant 147:1.1 (1647.3) On the day before they made ready to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover, Mangus, a centurion, or captain, of the Roman guard stationed at Capernaum, came to the rulers of the synagogue, saying: “My faithful orderly is sick and at the point of death. Would you, therefore, go to Jesus in my behalf and beseech him to heal my servant?” The Roman captain did this because he thought the Jewish leaders would have more influence with Jesus. So the elders went to see Jesus and their spokesman said: “Teacher, we earnestly request you to go over to Capernaum and save the favorite servant of the Roman centurion, who is worthy of your notice because he loves our nation and even built us the very synagogue wherein you have so many times spoken.” 147:1.2 (1647.4) And when Jesus had heard them, he said, “I will go with you.” And as he went with them over to the centurion's house, and before they had entered his yard, the Roman soldier sent his friends out to greet Jesus, instructing them to say: “Lord, trouble not yourself to enter my house, for I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. Neither did I think myself worthy to come to you; wherefore I sent the elders of your own people. But I know that you can speak the word where you stand and my servant will be healed. For I am myself under the orders of others, and I have soldiers under me, and I say to this one go, and he goes; to another come, and he comes, and to my servants do this or do that, and they do it.” 147:1.3 (1648.1) And when Jesus heard these words, he turned and said to his apostles and those who were with them: “I marvel at the belief of the gentile. Verily, verily, I say to you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” Jesus, turning from the house, said, “Let us go hence.” And the friends of the centurion went into the house and told Mangus what Jesus had said. And from that hour the servant began to mend and was eventually restored to his normal health and usefulness. 147:1.4 (1648.2) But we never knew just what happened on this occasion. This is simply the record, and as to whether or not invisible beings ministered healing to the centurion's servant, was not revealed to those who accompanied Jesus. We only know of the fact of the servant's complete recovery. 2. The Journey to Jerusalem 147:2.1 (1648.3) Early on the morning of Tuesday, March 30, Jesus and the apostolic party started on their journey to Jerusalem for the Passover, going by the route of the Jordan valley. They arrived on the afternoon of Friday, April 2, and established their headquarters, as usual, at Bethany. Passing through Jericho, they paused to rest while Judas made a deposit of some of their common funds in the bank of a friend of his family. This was the first time Judas had carried a surplus of money, and this deposit was left undisturbed until they passed through Jericho again when on that last and eventful journey to Jerusalem just before the trial and death of Jesus. 147:2.2 (1648.4) The party had an uneventful trip to Jerusalem, but they had hardly got themselves settled at Bethany when from near and far those seeking healing for their bodies, comfort for troubled minds, and salvation for their souls, began to congregate, so much so that Jesus had little time for rest. Therefore they pitched tents at Gethsemane, and the Master would go back and forth from Bethany to Gethsemane to avoid the crowds which so constantly thronged him. The apostolic party spent almost three weeks at Jerusalem, but Jesus enjoined them to do no public preaching, only private teaching and personal work. 147:2.3 (1648.5) At Bethany they quietly celebrated the Passover. And this was the first time that Jesus and all of the twelve partook of the bloodless Passover feast. The apostles of John did not eat the Passover with Jesus and his apostles; they celebrated the feast with Abner and many of the early believers in John's preaching. This was the second Passover Jesus had observed with his apostles in Jerusalem. 147:2.4 (1648.6) When Jesus and the twelve departed for Capernaum, the apostles of John did not return with them. Under the direction of Abner they remained in Jerusalem and the surrounding country, quietly laboring for the extension of the kingdom, while Jesus and the twelve returned to work in Galilee. Never again were the twenty-four all together until a short time before the commissioning and sending forth of the seventy evangelists. But the two groups were co-operative, and notwithstanding their differences of opinion, the best of feelings prevailed. 3. At the Pool of Bethesda 147:3.1 (1649.1) The afternoon of the second Sabbath in Jerusalem, as the Master and the apostles were about to participate in the temple services, John said to Jesus, “Come with me, I would show you something.” John conducted Jesus out through one of the Jerusalem gates to a pool of water called Bethesda. Surrounding this pool was a structure of five porches under which a large group of sufferers lingered in quest of healing. This was a hot spring whose reddish-tinged water would bubble up at irregular intervals because of gas accumulations in the rock caverns underneath the pool. This periodic disturbance of the warm waters was believed by many to be due to supernatural influences, and it was a popular belief that the first person who entered the water after such a disturbance would be healed of whatever infirmity he had. 147:3.2 (1649.2) The apostles were somewhat restless under the restrictions imposed by Jesus, and John, the youngest of the twelve, was especially restive under this restraint. He had brought Jesus to the pool thinking that the sight of the assembled sufferers would make such an appeal to the Master's compassion that he would be moved to perform a miracle of healing, and thereby would all Jerusalem be astounded and presently be won to believe in the gospel of the kingdom. Said John to Jesus: “Master, see all of these suffering ones; is there nothing we can do for them?” And Jesus replied: “John, why would you tempt me to turn aside from the way I have chosen? Why do you go on desiring to substitute the working of wonders and the healing of the sick for the proclamation of the gospel of eternal truth? My son, I may not do that which you desire, but gather together these sick and afflicted that I may speak words of good cheer and eternal comfort to them.” 147:3.3 (1649.3) In speaking to those assembled, Jesus said: “Many of you are here, sick and afflicted, because of your many years of wrong living. Some suffer from the accidents of time, others as a result of the mistakes of their forebears, while some of you struggle under the handicaps of the imperfect conditions of your temporal existence. But my Father works, and I would work, to improve your earthly state but more especially to insure your eternal estate. None of us can do much to change the difficulties of life unless we discover the Father in heaven so wills. After all, we are all beholden to do the will of the Eternal. If you could all be healed of your physical afflictions, you would indeed marvel, but it is even greater that you should be cleansed of all spiritual disease and find yourselves healed of all moral infirmities. You are all God's children; you are the sons of the heavenly Father. The bonds of time may seem to afflict you, but the God of eternity loves you. And when the time of judgment shall come, fear not, you shall all find, not only justice, but an abundance of mercy. Verily, verily, I say to you: He who hears the gospel of the kingdom and believes in this teaching of sonship with God, has eternal life; already are such believers passing from judgment and death to light and life. And the hour is coming in which even those who are in the tombs shall hear the voice of the resurrection.” 147:3.4 (1649.4) And many of those who heard believed the gospel of the kingdom. Some of the afflicted were so inspired and spiritually revivified that they went about proclaiming that they had also been cured of their physical ailments. 147:3.5 (1649.5) One man who had been many years downcast and grievously afflicted by the infirmities of his troubled mind, rejoiced at Jesus' words and, picking up his bed, went forth to his home, even though it was the Sabbath day. This afflicted man had waited all these years for somebody to help him; he was such a victim of the feeling of his own helplessness that he had never once entertained the idea of helping himself which proved to be the one thing he had to do in order to effect recovery—take up his bed and walk. 147:3.6 (1650.1) Then said Jesus to John: “Let us depart ere the chief priests and the scribes come upon us and take offense that we spoke words of life to these afflicted ones.” And they returned to the temple to join their companions, and presently all of them departed to spend the night at Bethany. But John never told the other apostles of this visit of himself and Jesus to the pool of Bethesda on this Sabbath afternoon. 4. The Rule of Living 147:4.1 (1650.2) On the evening of this same Sabbath day, at Bethany, while Jesus, the twelve, and a group of believers were assembled about the fire in Lazarus's garden, Nathaniel asked Jesus this question: “Master, although you have taught us the positive version of the old rule of life, instructing us that we should do to others as we wish them to do to us, I do not fully discern how we can always abide by such an injunction. Let me illustrate my contention by citing the example of a lustful man who thus wickedly looks upon his intended consort in sin. How can we teach that this evil-intending man should do to others as he would they should do to him?” 147:4.2 (1650.3) When Jesus heard Nathaniel's question, he immediately stood upon his feet and, pointing his finger at the apostle, said: “Nathaniel, Nathaniel! What manner of thinking is going on in your heart? Do you not receive my teachings as one who has been born of the spirit? Do you not hear the truth as men of wisdom and spiritual understanding? When I admonished you to do to others as you would have them do to you, I spoke to men of high ideals, not to those who would be tempted to distort my teaching into a license for the encouragement of evil-doing.” 147:4.3 (1650.4) When the Master had spoken, Nathaniel stood up and said: “But, Master, you should not think that I approve of such an interpretation of your teaching. I asked the question because I conjectured that many such men might thus misjudge your admonition, and I hoped you would give us further instruction regarding these matters.” And then when Nathaniel had sat down, Jesus continued speaking: “I well know, Nathaniel, that no such idea of evil is approved in your mind, but I am disappointed in that you all so often fail to put a genuinely spiritual interpretation upon my commonplace teachings, instruction which must be given you in human language and as men must speak. Let me now teach you concerning the differing levels of meaning attached to the interpretation of this rule of living, this admonition to ‘do to others that which you desire others to do to you': 147:4.4 (1650.5) “1. The level of the flesh. Such a purely selfish and lustful interpretation would be well exemplified by the supposition of your question. 147:4.5 (1650.6) “2. The level of the feelings. This plane is one level higher than that of the flesh and implies that sympathy and pity would enhance one's interpretation of this rule of living. 147:4.6 (1650.7) “3. The level of mind. Now come into action the reason of mind and the intelligence of experience. Good judgment dictates that such a rule of living should be interpreted in consonance with the highest idealism embodied in the nobility of profound self-respect. 147:4.7 (1651.1) “4. The level of brotherly love. Still higher is discovered the level of unselfish devotion to the welfare of one's fellows. On this higher plane of wholehearted social service growing out of the consciousness of the fatherhood of God and the consequent recognition of the brotherhood of man, there is discovered a new and far more beautiful interpretation of this basic rule of life. 147:4.8 (1651.2) “5. The moral level. And then when you attain true philosophic levels of interpretation, when you have real insight into the rightness and wrongness of things, when you perceive the eternal fitness of human relationships, you will begin to view such a problem of interpretation as you would imagine a high-minded, idealistic, wise, and impartial third person would so view and interpret such an injunction as applied to your personal problems of adjustment to your life situations. 147:4.9 (1651.3) “6. The spiritual level. And then last, but greatest of all, we attain the level of spirit insight and spiritual interpretation which impels us to recognize in this rule of life the divine command to treat all men as we conceive God would treat them. That is the universe ideal of human relationships. And this is your attitude toward all such problems when your supreme desire is ever to do the Father's will. I would, therefore, that you should do to all men that which you know I would do to them in like circumstances.” 147:4.10 (1651.4) Nothing Jesus had said to the apostles up to this time had ever more astonished them. They continued to discuss the Master's words long after he had retired. While Nathaniel was slow to recover from his supposition that Jesus had misunderstood the spirit of his question, the others were more than thankful that their philosophic fellow apostle had had the courage to ask such a thought-provoking question. 5. Visiting Simon the Pharisee 147:5.1 (1651.5) Though Simon was not a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, he was an influential Pharisee of Jerusalem. He was a halfhearted believer, and notwithstanding that he might be severely criticized therefor, he dared to invite Jesus and his personal associates, Peter, James, and John, to his home for a social meal. Simon had long observed the Master and was much impressed with his teachings and even more so with his personality. 147:5.2 (1651.6) The wealthy Pharisees were devoted to almsgiving, and they did not shun publicity regarding their philanthropy. Sometimes they would even blow a trumpet as they were about to bestow charity upon some beggar. It was the custom of these Pharisees, when they provided a banquet for distinguished guests, to leave the doors of the house open so that even the street beggars might come in and, standing around the walls of the room behind the couches of the diners, be in position to receive portions of food which might be tossed to them by the banqueters. 147:5.3 (1651.7) On this particular occasion at Simon's house, among those who came in off the street was a woman of unsavory reputation who had recently become a believer in the good news of the gospel of the kingdom. This woman was well known throughout all Jerusalem as the former keeper of one of the so-called high-class brothels located hard by the temple court of the gentiles. She had, on accepting the teachings of Jesus, closed up her nefarious place of business and had induced the majority of the women associated with her to accept the gospel and change their mode of living; notwithstanding this, she was still held in great disdain by the Pharisees and was compelled to wear her hair down—the badge of harlotry. This unnamed woman had brought with her a large flask of perfumed anointing lotion and, standing behind Jesus as he reclined at meat, began to anoint his feet while she also wet his feet with her tears of gratitude, wiping them with the hair of her head. And when she had finished this anointing, she continued weeping and kissing his feet. 147:5.4 (1652.1) When Simon saw all this, he said to himself: “This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what manner of woman this is who thus touches him; that she is a notorious sinner.” And Jesus, knowing what was going on in Simon's mind, spoke up, saying: “Simon, I have something which I would like to say to you.” Simon answered, “Teacher, say on.” Then said Jesus: “A certain wealthy moneylender had two debtors. The one owed him five hundred denarii and the other fifty. Now, when neither of them had wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them do you think, Simon, would love him most?” Simon answered, “He, I suppose, whom he forgave the most.” And Jesus said, “You have rightly judged,” and pointing to the woman, he continued: “Simon, take a good look at this woman. I entered your house as an invited guest, yet you gave me no water for my feet. This grateful woman has washed my feet with tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave me no kiss of friendly greeting, but this woman, ever since she came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil you neglected to anoint, but she has anointed my feet with precious lotions. And what is the meaning of all this? Simply that her many sins have been forgiven, and this has led her to love much. But those who have received but little forgiveness sometimes love but little.” And turning around toward the woman, he took her by the hand and, lifting her up, said: “You have indeed repented of your sins, and they are forgiven. Be not discouraged by the thoughtless and unkind attitude of your fellows; go on in the joy and liberty of the kingdom of heaven.” 147:5.5 (1652.2) When Simon and his friends who sat at meat with him heard these words, they were the more astonished, and they began to whisper among themselves, “Who is this man that he even dares to forgive sins?” And when Jesus heard them thus murmuring, he turned to dismiss the woman, saying, “Woman, go in peace; your faith has saved you.” 147:5.6 (1652.3) As Jesus arose with his friends to leave, he turned to Simon and said: “I know your heart, Simon, how you are torn betwixt faith and doubts, how you are distraught by fear and troubled by pride; but I pray for you that you may yield to the light and may experience in your station in life just such mighty transformations of mind and spirit as may be comparable to the tremendous changes which the gospel of the kingdom has already wrought in the heart of your unbidden and unwelcome guest. And I declare to all of you that the Father has opened the doors of the heavenly kingdom to all who have the faith to enter, and no man or association of men can close those doors even to the most humble soul or supposedly most flagrant sinner on earth if such sincerely seek an entrance.” And Jesus, with Peter, James, and John, took leave of their host and went to join the rest of the apostles at the camp in the garden of Gethsemane. 147:5.7 (1653.1) That same evening Jesus made the long-to-be-remembered address to the apostles regarding the relative value of status with God and progress in the eternal ascent to Paradise. Said Jesus: “My children, if there exists a true and living connection between the child and the Father, the child is certain to progress continuously toward the Father's ideals. True, the child may at first make slow progress, but the progress is none the less sure. The important thing is not the rapidity of your progress but rather its certainty. Your actual achievement is not so important as the fact that the direction of your progress is Godward. What you are becoming day by day is of infinitely more importance than what you are today. 147:5.8 (1653.2) “This transformed woman whom some of you saw at Simon's house today is, at this moment, living on a level which is vastly below that of Simon and his well-meaning associates; but while these Pharisees are occupied with the false progress of the illusion of traversing deceptive circles of meaningless ceremonial services, this woman has, in dead earnest, started out on the long and eventful search for God, and her path toward heaven is not blocked by spiritual pride and moral self-satisfaction. The woman is, humanly speaking, much farther away from God than Simon, but her soul is in progressive motion; she is on the way toward an eternal goal. There are present in this woman tremendous spiritual possibilities for the future. Some of you may not stand high in actual levels of soul and spirit, but you are making daily progress on the living way opened up, through faith, to God. There are tremendous possibilities in each of you for the future. Better by far to have a small but living and growing faith than to be possessed of a great intellect with its dead stores of worldly wisdom and spiritual unbelief.” 147:5.9 (1653.3) But Jesus earnestly warned his apostles against the foolishness of the child of God who presumes upon the Father's love. He declared that the heavenly Father is not a lax, loose, or foolishly indulgent parent who is ever ready to condone sin and forgive recklessness. He cautioned his hearers not mistakenly to apply his illustrations of father and son so as to make it appear that God is like some overindulgent and unwise parents who conspire with the foolish of earth to encompass the moral undoing of their thoughtless children, and who are thereby certainly and directly contributing to the delinquency and early demoralization of their own offspring. Said Jesus: “My Father does not indulgently condone those acts and practices of his children which are self-destructive and suicidal to all moral growth and spiritual progress. Such sinful practices are an abomination in the sight of God.” 147:5.10 (1653.4) Many other semiprivate meetings and banquets did Jesus attend with the high and the low, the rich and the poor, of Jerusalem before he and his apostles finally departed for Capernaum. And many, indeed, became believers in the gospel of the kingdom and were subsequently baptized by Abner and his associates, who remained behind to foster the interests of the kingdom in Jerusalem and thereabouts. 6. Returning to Capernaum 147:6.1 (1653.5) The last week of April, Jesus and the twelve departed from their Bethany headquarters near Jerusalem and began their journey back to Capernaum by way of Jericho and the Jordan. 147:6.2 (1654.1) The chief priests and the religious leaders of the Jews held many secret meetings for the purpose of deciding what to do with Jesus. They were all agreed that something should be done to put a stop to his teaching, but they could not agree on the method. They had hoped that the civil authorities would dispose of him as Herod had put an end to John, but they discovered that Jesus was so conducting his work that the Roman officials were not much alarmed by his preaching. Accordingly, at a meeting which was held the day before Jesus' departure for Capernaum, it was decided that he would have to be apprehended on a religious charge and be tried by the Sanhedrin. Therefore a commission of six secret spies was appointed to follow Jesus, to observe his words and acts, and when they had amassed sufficient evidence of lawbreaking and blasphemy, to return to Jerusalem with their report. These six Jews caught up with the apostolic party, numbering about thirty, at Jericho and, under the pretense of desiring to become disciples, attached themselves to Jesus' family of followers, remaining with the group up to the time of the beginning of the second preaching tour in Galilee; whereupon three of them returned to Jerusalem to submit their report to the chief priests and the Sanhedrin. 147:6.3 (1654.2) Peter preached to the assembled multitude at the crossing of the Jordan, and the following morning they moved up the river toward Amathus. They wanted to proceed straight on to Capernaum, but such a crowd gathered here they remained three days, preaching, teaching, and baptizing. They did not move toward home until early Sabbath morning, the first day of May. The Jerusalem spies were sure they would now secure their first charge against Jesus—that of Sabbath breaking—since he had presumed to start his journey on the Sabbath day. But they were doomed to disappointment because, just before their departure, Jesus called Andrew into his presence and before them all instructed him to proceed for a distance of only one thousand yards, the legal Jewish Sabbath day's journey. 147:6.4 (1654.3) But the spies did not have long to wait for their opportunity to accuse Jesus and his associates of Sabbath breaking. As the company passed along the narrow road, the waving wheat, which was just then ripening, was near at hand on either side, and some of the apostles, being hungry, plucked the ripe grain and ate it. It was customary for travelers to help themselves to grain as they passed along the road, and therefore no thought of wrongdoing was attached to such conduct. But the spies seized upon this as a pretext for assailing Jesus. When they saw Andrew rub the grain in his hand, they went up to him and said: “Do you not know that it is unlawful to pluck and rub the grain on the Sabbath day?” And Andrew answered: “But we are hungry and rub only sufficient for our needs; and since when did it become sinful to eat grain on the Sabbath day?” But the Pharisees answered: “You do no wrong in eating, but you do break the law in plucking and rubbing out the grain between your hands; surely your Master would not approve of such acts.” Then said Andrew: “But if it is not wrong to eat the grain, surely the rubbing out between our hands is hardly more work than the chewing of the grain, which you allow; wherefore do you quibble over such trifles?” When Andrew intimated that they were quibblers, they were indignant, and rushing back to where Jesus walked along, talking to Matthew, they protested, saying: “Behold, Teacher, your apostles do that which is unlawful on the Sabbath day; they pluck, rub, and eat the grain. We are sure you will command them to cease.” And then said Jesus to the accusers: “You are indeed zealous for the law, and you do well to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; but did you never read in the Scripture that, one day when David was hungry, he and they who were with him entered the house of God and ate the showbread, which it was not lawful for anyone to eat save the priests? and David also gave this bread to those who were with him. And have you not read in our law that it is lawful to do many needful things on the Sabbath day? And shall I not, before the day is finished, see you eat that which you have brought along for the needs of this day? My good men, you do well to be zealous for the Sabbath, but you would do better to guard the health and well-being of your fellows. I declare that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. And if you are here present with us to watch my words, then will I openly proclaim that the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” 147:6.5 (1655.1) The Pharisees were astonished and confounded by his words of discernment and wisdom. For the remainder of the day they kept by themselves and dared not ask any more questions. 147:6.6 (1655.2) Jesus' antagonism to the Jewish traditions and slavish ceremonials was always positive. It consisted in what he did and in what he affirmed. The Master spent little time in negative denunciations. He taught that those who know God can enjoy the liberty of living without deceiving themselves by the licenses of sinning. Said Jesus to the apostles: “Men, if you are enlightened by the truth and really know what you are doing, you are blessed; but if you know not the divine way, you are unfortunate and already breakers of the law.” 7. Back in Capernaum 147:7.1 (1655.3) It was around noon on Monday, May 3, when Jesus and the twelve came to Bethsaida by boat from Tarichea. They traveled by boat in order to escape those who journeyed with them. But by the next day the others, including the official spies from Jerusalem, had again found Jesus. 147:7.2 (1655.4) On Tuesday evening Jesus was conducting one of his customary classes of questions and answers when the leader of the six spies said to him: “I was today talking with one of John's disciples who is here attending upon your teaching, and we were at a loss to understand why you never command your disciples to fast and pray as we Pharisees fast and as John bade his followers.” And Jesus, referring to a statement by John, answered this questioner: “Do the sons of the bridechamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as the bridegroom remains with them, they can hardly fast. But the time is coming when the bridegroom shall be taken away, and during those times the children of the bridechamber undoubtedly will fast and pray. To pray is natural for the children of light, but fasting is not a part of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. Be reminded that a wise tailor does not sew a piece of new and unshrunk cloth upon an old garment, lest, when it is wet, it shrink and produce a worse rent. Neither do men put new wine into old wine skins, lest the new wine burst the skins so that both the wine and the skins perish. The wise man puts the new wine into fresh wine skins. Therefore do my disciples show wisdom in that they do not bring too much of the old order over into the new teaching of the gospel of the kingdom. You who have lost your teacher may be justified in fasting for a time. Fasting may be an appropriate part of the law of Moses, but in the coming kingdom the sons of God shall experience freedom from fear and joy in the divine spirit.” And when they heard these words, the disciples of John were comforted while the Pharisees themselves were the more confounded. 147:7.3 (1656.1) Then the Master proceeded to warn his hearers against entertaining the notion that all olden teaching should be replaced entirely by new doctrines. Said Jesus: “That which is old and also true must abide. Likewise, that which is new but false must be rejected. But that which is new and also true, have the faith and courage to accept. Remember it is written: ‘Forsake not an old friend, for the new is not comparable to him. As new wine, so is a new friend; if it becomes old, you shall drink it with gladness.'” 8. The Feast of Spiritual Goodness 147:8.1 (1656.2) That night, long after the usual listeners had retired, Jesus continued to teach his apostles. He began this special instruction by quoting from the Prophet Isaiah: 147:8.2 (1656.3) “‘Why have you fasted? For what reason do you afflict your souls while you continue to find pleasure in oppression and to take delight in injustice? Behold, you fast for the sake of strife and contention and to smite with the fist of wickedness. But you shall not fast in this way to make your voices heard on high. 147:8.3 (1656.4) “‘Is it such a fast that I have chosen—a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, to grovel in sackcloth and

Israel is preparing for a Messiah but will it be Jesus?

End Time Headlines

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2021 58:11

In today's segment, We discuss the growing anticipation in Israel regarding a coming “Messiah” that many are looking for among the Rabbis, Mystics, and even the Jewish Sanhedrin. Extraordinary measures are being taken to prepare for the arrival of this “Messiah” that could very well end up being the Antichrist of the Bible.

jesus christ israel bible preparing extraordinary antichrist mystics rabbis jewish sanhedrin

Some can handle the truth however many cannot handle the truth:

Wake up Castle Rock and America

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2021 58:30

Some can handle the truth however many cannot handle the truth: Almost two thousand years ago, Truth was put on trial and judged by people who were devoted to lies. In fact, Truth faced six trials in less than one full day, three of which were religious, and three that were legal. In the end, few people involved in those events could answer the question, “What is truth?” After being arrested, the Truth was first led to a man named Annas, a corrupt former high priest of the Jews. Annas broke numerous Jewish laws during the trial, including holding the trial in his house, trying to induce self-accusations against the defendant, and striking the defendant, who had been convicted of nothing at the time. After Annas, the Truth was led to the reigning high priest, Caiaphas, who happened to be Annas's son-in-law. Before Caiaphas and the Jewish Sanhedrin, many false witnesses came forward to speak against the Truth, yet nothing could be proved, and no evidence of wrongdoing could be found. Caiaphas broke no fewer than seven laws while trying to convict the Truth: (1) the trial was held in secret; (2) it was carried out at night; (3) it involved bribery; (4) the defendant had no one present to make a defense for Him; (5) the requirement of 2-3 witnesses could not be met; (6) they used self-incriminating testimony against the defendant; (7) they carried out the death penalty against the defendant the same day. All these actions were prohibited by Jewish law. Regardless, Caiaphas declared the Truth guilty because the Truth claimed to be God in the flesh, something Caiaphas called blasphemy. When morning came, the third trial of the Truth took place, with the result that the Jewish Sanhedrin pronounced the Truth should die. However, the Jewish council had no legal right to carry out the death penalty, so they were forced to bring the Truth to the Roman governor at the time, a man named Pontius Pilate. Pilate was appointed by Tiberius as the fifth prefect of Judea and served in that capacity A.D. 26 to 36. The procurator had power of life and death and could reverse capital sentences passed by the Sanhedrin. As the Truth stood before Pilate, more lies were brought against Him. His enemies said, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King” (Luke 23:2). This was a lie, as the Truth had told everyone to pay their taxes (Matthew 22:21) and never spoke of Himself as a challenge to Caesar. After this, a remarkably interesting conversation between the Truth and Pilate took place. “Therefore, Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?' Jesus answered, ‘Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?' Pilate answered, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?' Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, my kingdom is not of this realm.' Therefore, Pilate said to Him, ‘So You are a king?' Jesus answered, ‘you say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.' Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?'” (John 18:33–38). Pilate's question, “What is truth?” has reverberated down through history. Was it a melancholy desire to know what no one else could tell him, a cynical insult, or perhaps an irritated, indifferent reply to Jesus' words? In defining truth, it is first helpful to note what truth is not: Truth is not simply whatever works. This is the philosophy of pragmatism—an ends-vs.-means-type approach. In reality, lies can appear to “work,” but they are still lies and not the truth. Truth is not simply what is coherent or understandable. A group of people can get together and form a conspiracy based on a set of falsehoods where they all agree to tell the same false story, but it does not make their presentation true. Truth is not what makes people feel good. Unfortunately, bad news can be true. Truth is not what the majority says is true. Fifty-one percent of a group can reach a wrong conclusion. Truth is not what is comprehensive. A lengthy, detailed presentation can still result in a false conclusion. Truth is not defined by what is intended. Good intentions can still be wrong. Truth is not how we know; truth is what we know. Truth is not simply what is believed. A lie believed is still a lie. Truth is not what is publicly proved. A truth can be privately known (for example, the location of buried treasure). The Greek word for “truth” is Alethia, which literally means to “un-hide” or “hiding nothing.” It conveys the thought that truth is always there, always open, and available for all to see, with nothing being hidden or obscured. The Hebrew word for “truth” is Emeth, which means “firmness,” “constancy” and “duration.” Such a definition implies an everlasting substance and something that can be relied upon. From a philosophical perspective, there are three simple ways to define truth: Truth is that which corresponds to reality. Truth is that which matches its object. Truth is simply telling it like it is. First, truth corresponds to reality or “what is.” It is real. Truth is also correspondent in nature. In other words, it matches its object and is known by its referent. For example, a teacher facing a class may say, “Now the only exit to this room is on the right.” For the class that may be facing the teacher, the exit door may be on their left, but it is absolutely true that the door, for the professor, is on the right. Truth also matches its object. It may be absolutely true that a certain person may need so many milligrams of a certain medication, but another person may need more or less of the same medication to produce the desired effect. This is not relative truth, but just an example of how truth must match its object. It would be wrong (and potentially dangerous) for a patient to request that their doctor give them an inappropriate amount of a particular medication, or to say that any medicine for their specific ailment will do. In short, truth is simply telling it like it is it is the way things really are, and any other viewpoint is wrong. A foundational principle of philosophy is being able to discern between truth and error, or as Thomas Aquinas observed, "It is the task of the philosopher to make distinctions." Challenges to Truth Aquinas' words are not extremely popular today. Making distinctions seems to be out of fashion in a postmodern era of relativism. It is acceptable today to say, “This is true,” as long as it is not followed by, “and therefore that is false.” This is especially observable in matters of faith and religion where every belief system is supposed to be on equal footing where truth is concerned. There are a number of philosophies and worldviews that challenge the concept of truth, yet, when each is critically examined it turns out to be self-defeating in nature. The philosophy of relativism says that all truth is relative and that there is no such thing as absolute truth. But one has to ask: is the claim “all truth is relative” a relative truth or an absolute truth? If it is a relative truth, then it really is meaningless; how do we know when and where it applies? If it is an absolute truth, then absolute truth exists. Moreover, the relativist betrays his own position when he states that the position of the absolutist is wrong—why can't those who say absolute truth exists be correct too? In essence, when the relativist says, “There is no truth,” he is asking you not to believe him, and the best thing to do is follow his advice. Those who follow the philosophy of skepticism simply doubt all truth. But is the skeptic skeptical of skepticism; does he doubt his own truth claim? If so, then why pay attention to skepticism? If not, then we can be sure of at least one thing (in other words, absolute truth exists)—skepticism, which, ironically, becomes absolute truth in that case. The agnostic says you cannot know the truth. Yet the mindset is self-defeating because it claims to know at least one truth: that you cannot know truth. The disciples of postmodernism simply affirm no particular truth. The patron saint of postmodernism—Frederick Nietzsche—described truth like this: “What then is truth? A mobile army of metaphors, metonyms, and anthropomorphisms … truths are illusions … coins which have lost their pictures and now matter only as metal, no longer as coins.” Ironically, although the postmodernist holds coins in his hand that are now “mere metal,” he affirms at least one absolute truth: the truth that no truth should be affirmed. Like the other worldviews, postmodernism is self-defeating and cannot stand up under its own claim. A popular worldview is pluralism, which says that all truth claims are equally valid. Of course, this is impossible. Can two claims—one that says a woman is now pregnant and another that says she is not now pregnant—both be true at the same time? Pluralism unravels at the feet of the law of non-contradiction, which says that something cannot be both “A” and “Non-A” at the same time and in the same sense. As one philosopher quipped, anyone who believes that the law of non-contradiction is not true (and, by default, pluralism is true) should be beaten and burned until they admit that to be beaten and burned is not the same thing as to not be beaten and burned. Also, note that pluralism says that it is true, and anything opposed to it is false, which is a claim that denies its own foundational tenet. The spirit behind pluralism is an open-armed attitude of tolerance. However, pluralism confuses the idea of everyone having equal value with every truth claim being equally valid. More simply, all people may be equal, but not all truth claims are. Pluralism fails to understand the difference between opinion and truth, a distinction Mortimer Adler notes: “Pluralism is desirable and tolerable only in those areas that are matters of taste rather than matters of truth.” The Offensive Nature of Truth When the concept of truth is maligned, it is usually for one or more of the following reasons: One common complaint against anyone claiming to have absolute truth in matters of faith and religion is that such a stance is “narrow-minded.” However, the critic fails to understand that, by nature, truth is narrow. Is a math teacher narrow-minded for holding to the belief that 2 + 2 only equals 4? Another objection to truth is that it is arrogant to claim that someone is right, and another person is wrong. However, returning to the above example with mathematics, is it arrogant for a math teacher to insist on only one right answer to an arithmetic problem? Or is it arrogant for a locksmith to state that only one key will open a locked door? A third charge against those holding to absolute truth in matters of faith and religion is that such a position excludes people, rather than being inclusive. But such a complaint fails to understand that truth, by nature, excludes its opposite. All answers other than 4 are excluded from the reality of what 2 + 2 truly equals. Yet another protest against truth is that it is offensive and divisive to claim one has the truth. Instead, the critic argues, all that matters is sincerity. The problem with this position is that truth is immune to sincerity, belief, and desire. It does not matter how much one sincerely believes a wrong key will fit a door; the key still will not go in and the lock will not be opened. Truth is also unaffected by sincerity. Someone who picks up a bottle of poison and sincerely believes it is lemonade will still suffer the unfortunate effects of the poison. Finally, truth is impervious to desire. A person may strongly desire that their car has not run out of gas, but if the gauge says the tank is empty and the car will not run any farther, then no desire in the world will miraculously cause the car to keep going. Some will admit that absolute truth exists, but then claim such a stance is only valid in the area of science and not in matters of faith and religion. This is a philosophy called logical positivism, which was popularized by philosophers such as David Hume and A. J. Ayer. In essence, such people state that truth claims must either be (1) tautologies (for example, all bachelors are unmarried men) or (2) empirically verifiable (that is, testable via science). To the logical positivist, all talk about God is nonsense. Those who hold to the notion that only science can make truth claims fail to recognize is that there are many realms of truth where science is impotent. For example: Science cannot prove the disciplines of mathematics and logic because it presupposes them. Science cannot prove metaphysical truths such as, minds other than my own do exist. Science is unable to provide truth in the areas of morals and ethics. You cannot use science, for example, to prove the Nazis were evil. Science is incapable of stating truths about aesthetic positions such as the beauty of a sunrise. Lastly, when anyone makes the statement “science is the only source of objective truth,” they have just made a philosophical claim—which cannot be tested by science. And there are those who say that absolute truth does not apply in the area of morality. Yet the response to the question, “Is it moral to torture and murder an innocent child?” is absolute and universal: No. Or, to make it more personal, those who espouse relative truth concerning morals always seem to want their spouse to be absolutely faithful to them. Why Truth Is Important Why is it so important to understand and embrace the concept of absolute truth in all areas of life (including faith and religion)? Simply because life has consequences for being wrong. Giving someone the wrong amount of a medication can kills them; having an investment manager make the wrong monetary decisions can impoverish a family; boarding the wrong plane will take you where you do not wish to go; and dealing with an unfaithful marriage partner can result in the destruction of a family and, potentially, disease. Nowhere are the consequences more important than in the area of faith and religion. Eternity is a long time to be wrong. God and Truth During the six trials of Jesus, the contrast between the truth (righteousness) and lies (unrighteousness) was unmistakable. They are stood Jesus, the Truth, being judged by those whose every action was bathed in lies. The Jewish leaders broke nearly every law designed to protect a defendant from wrongful conviction. They fervently worked to find any testimony that would incriminate Jesus, and in their frustration, they turned to false evidence brought forward by liars. But even that could not help them reach their goal. So, they broke another law and forced Jesus to implicate Himself. Once in front of Pilate, the Jewish leaders lied again. They convicted Jesus of blasphemy, but since they knew that would not be enough to coax Pilate to kill Jesus, they claimed Jesus was challenging Caesar and was breaking Roman law by encouraging the crowds to not pay taxes. Pilate quickly detected their superficial deception, and he never even addressed the charge. Jesus the Righteous was being judged by the unrighteous. The sad fact is that the latter always persecutes the former. It is why Cain killed Abel. The link between truth and righteousness and between falsehood and unrighteousness is demonstrated by a number of examples in the New Testament: For this reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11–12, emphasis added). “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18, emphasis added). “who will render to each person according to his deeds; to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation” (Romans 2:6–8, emphasis added). “[love] does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:5–6, emphasis added). What Is Truth? - Conclusion The question Pontius Pilate asked centuries ago needs to be rephrased in order to be completely accurate. The Roman governor's remark “What is truth?” overlooks the fact that many things can have truth, but only one thing can actually be the Truth. Truth must originate from somewhere. The stark reality is that Pilate was looking directly at the Origin of all Truth on that early morning almost two thousand years ago. Not long before being arrested and brought to the governor, Jesus had made the simple statement “I am the truth” (John 14:6), which was a rather incredible statement. How could a mere man be the truth? He could not be, unless He was more than a man, which is actually what He claimed to be. The fact is Jesus' claim was validated when He rose from the dead (Romans 1:4). There is a story about a man who lived in Paris who had a stranger from the country come see him. Wanting to show the stranger the magnificence of Paris, he took him to the Louvre to see the great art and then to a concert at a majestic symphony hall to hear a great symphony orchestra play. At the end of the day, the stranger from the country commented that he did not particularly like either the art or the music. To which his host replied, “They aren't on trial, you are.” Pilate and the Jewish leaders thought they were judging Christ, when, in reality, they were the ones being judged. Moreover, the One they convicted will actually serve as their Judge one day, as He will for all who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Pilate evidently never came to a knowledge of the truth. Eusebius, the historian, and Bishop of Caesarea, records the fact that Pilate ultimately committed suicide sometime during the reign of the emperor Caligula—a sad ending and a reminder for everyone that ignoring the truth always leads to undesired consequences. The truth of the gospel is not subject to any human veto or democratic procedures. Jesus was not elected Lord by humans but chosen by God. Truth about God. God created everything, he created us, and as a result we belong to him. Truth about Sin. God loves us, and as a result he has given us free will. Truth about Jesus Christ. Truth about Man's Response. God exists. The Bible is the source of all truths. Jesus Christ will one day establish His Kingdom here on earth. Satan is the god of this world. It is more blessed to give than to receive. We reap what we sow. All things work together for good to those who love God. Death is not permanent. Sin leads to death. World events will fulfill Bible prophecy. A few Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled in Jesus Christ Prophecy Description Fulfillment Gen 3:15 Seed of a woman (virgin birth) Gal 4:4-5; Matt 1:18 Gen 3:15 He will bruise Satan's head Heb 2:14; 1 John 3:8 Gen 5:24 The bodily ascension to heaven illustrated Mark 16:19 Gen 9:26-27 The God of Shem will be the Son of Shem Luke 3:36 Gen 12:3 Seed of Abraham will bless all nations Gal 3:8; Acts 3:25-26 Gen 12:7 The Promise made to Abraham's Seed Gal 3:16 Gen 14:18 A priest after the order of Melchizedek Heb 6:20 Gen 14:18 King of Peace and Righteousness Heb 7:2 Gen 14:18 The Last Supper foreshadowed Matt 26:26-29 Gen 17:19 Seed of Isaac (Gen 21:12) Rom 9:7 Gen 22:8 The Lamb of God promised John 1:29 Gen 22:18 As Isaac's seed, will bless all nations Gal 3:16 Gen 26:2-5 The Seed of Isaac promised as the Redeemer Heb 11:18 Gen 28:12 The Bridge to heaven John 1:51 Gen 28:14 The Seed of Jacob Luke 3:34 Gen 49:10 The time of His coming Luke 2:1-7; Gal 4:4 Gen 49:10 The Seed of Judah Luke 3:33 Gen 49:10 Called Shiloh or One Sent John 17:3 Gen 49:10 Messiah to come before Judah lost identity John 11:47-52 Gen 49:10 Unto Him shall the obedience of the people be John 10:16 Ex 3:13-15 The Great "I AM" John 4:26; 8:58 Ex 12:5 A Lamb without blemish Heb 9:14; 1 Pet 1:19 Ex 12:13 The blood of the Lamb saves from wrath Rom 5:8 Ex 12:21-27 Christ is our Passover 1 Cor 5:7 Ex 12:46 Not a bone of the Lamb to be broken John 19:31-36 Ex 15:2 His exaltation predicted as Yeshua Acts 7:55-56 Ex 15:11 His Character-Holiness Luke 1:35; Acts 4:27 Ex 17:6 The Spiritual Rock of Israel 1 Cor 10:4 Ex 33:19 His Character-Merciful Luke 1:72 Lev 1:2-9 His sacrifice a sweet-smelling savor unto God Eph 5:2 Lev 14:11 The leper cleansed-Sign to priesthood Luke 5:12-14; Acts 6:7 Lev 16:15-17 Prefigures Christ's once-for-all death Heb 9:7-14 Lev 16:27 Suffering outside the Camp Matt 27:33; Heb. 13:11-12 Lev 17:11 The Blood-the life of the flesh Matt 26:28; Mark 10:45 Lev 17:11 It is the blood that makes atonement Rom. 3:23-24; 1 John 1:7 Lev 23:36-37 The Drink-offering: "If any man thirst" John 7:37 Num 9:12 Not a bone of Him broken John 19:31-36 Num 21:9 The serpent on a pole-Christ lifted up John 3:14-18; 12:32 Num 24:17 Time: "I shall see him, but not now." John 1:14; Gal 4:4 Deut 18:15 "This is of a truth that prophet" John 6:14 Deut 18:15-16 "Had you believed Moses, you would believe me." John 5:45-47 Deut 18:18 Sent by the Father to speak His word John 8:28-29 Deut 18:19 Whoever will not hear must bear his sin Acts 3:22-23 Deut 21:23 Cursed is he that hangs on a tree Gal 3:10-13 Joshua 5:14-15 The Captain of our salvation Heb 2:10 Ruth 4:4-10 Christ, our kinsman, has redeemed us Eph 1:3-7 1 Sam 2:35 A Faithful Priest Heb. 2:17; 3:1-3, 6; 7:24-25 1 Sam 2:10 Shall be an anointed King to the Lord Matt 28:18; John 12:15 2 Sam 7:12 David's Seed Matt 1:1 2 Sam 7:13 His Kingdom is everlasting 2 Pet 1:11 End Times Biblical Answers from Billy Graham QUESTION: How bad is the world going to have to get before God finally steps in and Jesus comes back? Are we living in the last times? ANSWER: The Bible warns us against making precise predictions about the exact time of Jesus' return—but His return is certain, and we may well be living in the last days before He comes again. The Bible says, “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here” (Romans 13:12). Shortly before returning to Heaven, Jesus told His disciples that someday He would come back to establish His kingdom. But before that could take place, He said, certain things would have to happen—and we see many of these today. For example, He said that before His return the Gospel must be preached throughout the world (see Mark 13:10). Never before has this been possible—but now it is through radio and the internet and other modern means of mass communication. Our world is no stranger to evil; Satan has always been working to stop God's plans. But God's enemies now have access to modern weapons of mass destruction, and no one can predict what the outcome will be. Jesus said, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. … Nation will rise against nation” (Matthew 24:6–7, NKJV). With so much chaos and confusion in the world today—from the COVID-19 pandemic to widespread civil unrest—many wonder if we are living in the end times. THE END TIMES 1 QUESTION: How will the world end? Does the Bible say anything about this? ANSWER: I want to assure you that the world's future is firmly in God's hands, and the world as we know it will only pass away when God intervenes to bring it to an end. Does that mean we'll never experience wars, plagues, or natural disasters that look like they might bring life to an end (just as they have in the past)? It's certainly possible; God hasn't promised to deliver us from such tragedies. But they aren't the end, and even in the midst of these we can trust God's promise to be with us. Jesus said, “Such things must happen, but the end is still to come” (Matthew 24:6). What will the end be like? For one thing, it will be sudden and unexpected—and most people will be unprepared. Just as in the days of Noah's flood, a catastrophe will suddenly overtake the earth—and then it will be too late to turn to God. The Bible also hints at total, fiery destruction. “The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything … in it will be laid bare” (2 Peter 3:10). The good news is, we need not need fear that day if we know Christ. “Since everything will be destroyed … live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God” (2 Peter 3:11–12). QUESTION: Why do some people get all wrapped up in trying to predict the end of the world? We've always experienced wars and natural disasters, and we always will. ANSWER: You're right—up to a point. Throughout history some people have claimed to know exactly when the world was going to come to an end—and they were clearly wrong. Jesus said, “About that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36). But there is one prophecy about the future that I urge you not to ignore or dismiss as nonsense—and that is the one spoken by Jesus. Jesus warned that someday this world as we know it will come to an end—not because of a war or natural disaster, but because God will intervene and bring it to an end. The future is in God's hands, and He alone will bring an end to the world. THE END TIMES 2 And when He does, all the evils of this world will be destroyed and Jesus Christ will come again to rule over a new world in perfect peace and justice. We can barely imagine this, but it gives us hope for a better world. As the Bible says, “In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). Don't worry about those who falsely claim to know when the world will come to an end. Instead, put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. He alone gives us hope for the future and strength for our lives right now. QUESTION: If we are living in the last days and the world is going to come to an end before long, then why should we bother having children or saving money for our retirement? Why bother preparing for the future if there isn't going to be any future? ANSWER: If we knew for certain exactly when Christ was going to come again, and when this present world would come to an end—then yes, what you say might make sense. But we don't know—and that is the way God intended it to be. When Jesus' disciples asked Him when He would return to establish His kingdom, He answered by warning them not to be fooled by anyone who claimed to know the answer. Then He said, “About that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32). Why is this? One reason, I believe, is because if we did know, we might be tempted to stop doing the work God wants us to do. In one of His parables, Jesus commended the servant who kept on working while his master was away. Then He added, “It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns” (Luke 12:43). May that be true of us. At the same time, Christ's promise is clear: Someday He will come again in glory and power, and all the evil and rebellion and injustice of this present world will come to an end. That day is closer now than it has ever been before. Are you ready for that day? Make sure of your commitment to Christ—and make sure as well that if He does come during your lifetime, He will find you working and living for Him. THE END TIMES 3 1. RECOGNIZE GOD'S PLAN—PEACE AND LIFE God loves you and wants you to experience His peace and life. The BIBLE says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16, NKJV 2. REALIZE OUR PROBLEM—SEPARATION FROM GOD People choose to disobey God and go their own way. This results in separation from God. The BIBLE says: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23, NKJV 3. RESPOND TO GOD'S REMEDY—THE CROSS OF CHRIST God sent His Son to bridge the gap. Christ did this by paying the penalty of our sins when He died on the cross and rose from the grave. The BIBLE says, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8, ESV 4. RECEIVE GOD'S SON—LORD AND SAVIOR You cross the bridge into God's family when you ask Christ to come into your life. The BIBLE says, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12, ESV

WHAT MAKES A BIG DOG WHIMPER? - Plundering The Kingdom Of Darkness

Rich Laskowski Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2021 134:14

We've all had the experience where the owner of a big barking dog says, “don't worry, he won't bite”. Some of us have had the experience of being bit by that same dog that supposedly does not bite. So, considering the truth, that big barking dogs sometimes bite, we ask, what makes a big dog whimper? The answer, a bigger dog! In Acts chapter 5 the big dogs of the Jewish Sanhedrin strut out in all their pomp and prideful glory, threatening to bite. But God is "The Big Dog” in the room who immediately shows them He is in total control. As you read chapter 5, you can almost hear a little whimper.

dogs in acts big dog whimper plundering kingdom of darkness jewish sanhedrin

Moment of Meditation: Asked for the Body (Matthew 27:58)

Wrestling with Theology

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2021 0:55

''He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him (Matthew 27:58).'' Emboldened by his faith, with none of the Apostles' permission, Joseph goes before Pilate. He asks for Jesus' corpse. Being wealthy, he would be allowed an audience with the governor. Even in the first century, money talks. Joseph stands before the Roman governor as a simple Jew seeking to keep the holy Sabbath of the Passover undefiled. He wants the cursed bodies from the crosses taken down. He specifically asks for Jesus' body. Pilate is still reeling from the political firestorm of Jesus' trial. He didn't want to upset things further with the Jewish Sanhedrin by not allowing burial for the condemned. Especially at the Passover. Millions of Jews would have rioted had the Romans desecrated the highest feast of the year. Joseph asks and receives Jesus' body for burial. A burial that takes over your burial. Amen.

jesus christ body meditation romans jews millions sabbath apostles passover amen pilates matthew 27 jewish sanhedrin

John 19

god jesus christ meditation holy spirit jewish corinthians jerusalem temple deuteronomy amen destroy pilates rebuild last day judea matthew 26 clothed jerusalem temple jewish sanhedrin

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2021 10:33

Jesus has testified before the Jewish Sanhedrin and before Pontius Pilate the Roman governor of Judea. While denying culpability, Pilate eventually gives way to the demands of the Jews and send Jesus to be put death by crucifixion. The cries of the Jews which declare, “We have no king but Caesar” recall the posture of Israel of old, for as early as the book of Judges they declared that they were in need of a king although God himself was to be their king. John takes care to point out the fulfillment of the Scripture as Jesus endures the agony of the cross unto death. Once it has been determined that he is dead, they take his body down and bury him in a borrowed tomb.:::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Aaron Colyer and the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

god jesus christ israel scripture jews judges pilates caesar judea john 19 pontius pilate christian standard bible jewish sanhedrin john burgess ross aaron colyer

Moment of Meditation: Destroy and Rebuild (Matthew 26:60-61)

Wrestling with Theology

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2021 1:16

''At last two came forward and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.'" (Matthew 26:60-61).'' As the Jewish Sanhedrin tried to come up with some probable cause for Jesus to be executed. They needed proof. And they needed two or three witnesses to agree (Deuteronomy 17:6). Finally two come together and remember Jesus saying His statement from John 2. He was standing in the Temple when He said it. And the threat of destruction of property is punishable by law. Especially when it comes to the Jerusalem Temple. It was the center point of the city of Jerusalem and the region of Judea. Everything that was inherently Jewish hinged on the Temple. With this statement, and these two witnesses, they could bring Jesus before Pilate on charges of insurrection and treason. But the Temple was destroyed. And Jesus rebuilt it on the third day. This Temple is Jesus' body. Just as you, as a believer in Christ, are a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). With His resurrection, Jesus has promised to rebuild your temple as well on the Last Day. No matter what charges lie against you. Clothed in His righteousness, you live in His forgiveness. And your temple will be raised. Amen.

God's Call to be Bold in our Faith

Branch Church

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2021 42:55

In Acts 4:1-22, Peter and John answer to the Jewish Sanhedrin concerning the miracle they performed on the crippled man. With boldness, they proclaim Jesus to the same men who handed Jesus over to be crucified. This message teaches us that God can take ordinary people with an extraordinary mission and help them be bold to fulfill their calling.

god jesus christ in acts jewish sanhedrin

O Church, Arise | Paul Upsets the Establishment

St Marcus MKE Sermons

Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2021 37:18

This week we'll be studying Acts 23:1-1 as we worship under the theme "Paul Upsets the Establishment." As we continue on in our several-week journey studying Paul's legal defense of the Christian gospel, this week we see Paul before the Jewish Sanhedrin. We learn the necessity of sometimes standing up to our earthly authorities, holding them accountable to their calling from God.

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O Church, Arise | Paul Upsets the Establishment

St Marcus MKE Sermons

Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2021 37:19

god church acts arise upsets establishment jewish sanhedrin

March 31, 2021, Holy Rosary (Glorious Mysteries)

Daily Rosary

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2021 29:02

[Comment: Crucifying Jesus] Friends of the Rosary: This Wednesday of Holy Week we continue reflecting upon the sacred mysteries and ask forgiveness for our personal and collective sins. How often do we offend and even crucify Jesus Christ? The Jewish Sanhedrin along with the Temple's priests and the political system condemned to death to the Author of Life and the society of that time either cheered the decision or showed indifference. Even the apostles abandoned Jesus Christ. Only His Mother truly understood the plan of salvation. Our modern society is not that different. Our sins are enormous. Unknowingly, we embrace the lies spread by the Evil One denying Jesus Christ again. Only the prayers and charitable acts of millions of faithful will save the world. Jesus and Mary do listen to these prayers and respond to them. During this Holy Week of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of the Lord, we recollect ourselves. Today we pray the Glorious Mysteries in anticipation of Easter Sunday. Ave Maria! + Mikel A. | TheRosaryNetwork.org, New York ___ Premiere Daily Broadcast at 7:30 pm ET on YouTube.com/TheRosaryNetwork | Today's Holy Rosary in Video after the broadcast

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Jesus, the True Confessor

Good Shepherd Community Church

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2021 42:00

In our 7-week -Countdown to Calvary- series, we arrive at Jesus' trial before the high priest Caiaphas. Even though the entire Jewish Sanhedrin was determined to have him put to death, Christ did not shrink back but was the True Confessor as he affirmed his deity, power, and glory before Pontius Pilate and the others. He declared that the heavenly Man in Daniel's vision in Chapter 7 -13-14 was fulfilled in himself.

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The Tragic Trial of Jesus: The Verdict of the Nations (Matthew 27:11-26)

AEFC Sermons

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2021 53:00

The trial of Jesus moves now from the Jewish Sanhedrin to the Palace of the Roman Governor. This is no accident of history but is rather a theological necessity. God wants us to see that no single person or group or ethnicity is responsible for the death of Jesus. Instead the whole human race is… The post The Tragic Trial of Jesus: The Verdict of the Nations (Matthew 27:11-26) appeared first on Atlantic Evangelical Free Church.

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Giving in Light of Eternity (1 Corinthians Sermon 66) (Audio)

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Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2021

sermon transcript So turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 16, as we go now to a new chapter in this marvelous Epistle. And as we do, I'm thinking about a couple of quotes from Scripture that just are powerful in my mind. 1 Timothy 6:7, the Apostle Paul said, "We brought nothing into this world and we can take nothing out." We brought nothing into this world and we can take nothing out. The Apostle Paul was just repeating the wisdom from the ancient patriarch, Job, who lost all of his possessions, his worldly possessions in a single day, dreadful day and all of those things taken from him. And Job said in Job 1:21, "Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I will depart." So we need to meditate on these things. We need to realize how transitory are the material blessings of life. We need to think properly about money and possessions and eternity. John Piper gives us a powerful image, rather humorous actually, in Desiring God in his chapter on money. And the image was of a foolish man who was... You're walking with this individual and he's going through a museum and much to your shock and horror at some point, he starts picking artwork off the wall, paintings and putting them under his arm and he's… And you're stunned. And you're saying, "What are you doing?" And he says, "Well, I'm becoming an art collector." [chuckle] "I'm becoming an art... You can't take those things. And I tell you right now, they are never going to let you get out of here with those things under your arm." So I thought how ridiculous that image was. I thought about my time in Amsterdam, in the Rijksmuseum, and seeing those beautiful Vermeer paintings, four of them in there. Especially the Milkmaid and it's so beautiful, and it's a good size for being stolen. The night watch is 12 feet by 14 feet and there's like 500 people around it all the time, but maybe it'd be possible to get a Vermeer under your arm. They sold it at auction, one of them did for $40 million. But again, those words, they are not going to let you get out of here with those things, you're not becoming an art collector. Well, the image is one of a transitory passage through this world and a decisive end in which we are effectively stripped of everything that we have. So how should our knowledge of the world to come, our knowledge of the future world, affect the way we live? And it's really quite remarkable in this incredible Epistle here, 1 Corinthians, we're moving from the sublime to the practical. We're moving from a meditation on eternity and resurrection bodies to talking about money. We have just finished soaring into the realms of eternity as we consider the glories of the resurrection body. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, Paul says, "Listen, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash in a twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable and we will be changed." In Verse 54, "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that has been written will come true. Death has been swallowed up in victory." These words should fill us with a radiant buoyant hope. A hope that transcends anything that we could ever face in this present world of sickness, sorrow, loss, and of death. We are to feed our souls continually. So that our hope will be shining brightly. We should fix our minds on things above and on things to come." Colossians Chapter 3 says. "Now the glorious world to come defies all description." Paul, when he was caught up to the third heaven, it says he heard inexpressable things, things that man is not permitted to talk about. So that's really quite remarkable. The world to come cannot be put in words and Paul at least, was forbidden even try. The Apostle John was translated up in the heaven, through a doorway in heaven and he saw amazing things and he was given the role of writing what that world would look like. Revelation 21:1-4, "Then I saw a new heaven, a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. And I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There'll be no more death, mourning, crying or pain, for the old order of things had passed away.'" So this heavenly perspective, as we meditate on what we do know about the world to come, should affect, should color, the way we live every day of our lives. Now, the last thing we were told in 1 Corinthians Verse 58, is that our labor in the Lord is not in vain. Because we will receive resurrection bodies, glorious, powerful, incorruptible, resurrection bodies. How then should we live? And Paul ends in Verse 58 says, "Therefore my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." So he wants the Corinthians based on 57 verses of solid, true doctrine about our future, the resurrection body that we're going to get. He wants them to live an energetic, fruitful Christian life. So the question then in front of us now, as we transition to the first four verses of Chapter 16. It seems to be not merely how should we live, but how should we spend. What should we do with our money? And that's the question that immediately comes to us. Just as we should be steadfast and immovable and always abounding fruitfully in the works of the Lord, we should do the same with our money and with our possessions. Now the world is gonna throw at us temptations to be worldly-minded all the time. Either by, on the one hand, temporary successes or on the other hand, temporary failures, financially. Temporary successes would be financial windfalls, raises, winning the lottery, getting an inheritance, accumulating wealth that you didn't imagine. These things, however, can deceive us into a carnal mindset, temporary successes. And so can temporary setbacks or failures, like sickness and surgery, and unemployment and financial reverses and economic reverses and losses and financial stock market crashes. These things can also make us very focused on worldly things and anxious and having that materialistic mindset. So Paul wants us to work hard for the kingdom, liberated from temporary concerns. Set free from idols, set free from the deception of wealth so that we can store up effectively treasure in heaven. So Paul's gonna move seamlessly from the resurrection body to money. He's gonna give us an eternal perspective on how we spend, how we save, how we give. And he's not gonna do all this in these four verses. But I'm taking an opportunity to walk through these four verses in which he's exhorting them to save up money for the relief of the poor among Jerusalem as a doorway into a deeper meditation on Christian spending. So that's what we're gonna do this morning. Now concerning the collection for the saints, Verse one. But there's no real division in Paul's mind in light of the fact that someday you will be raised out of these corruptible bodies and these temporary circumstances. How should you spend your money? Just like, how should you spend your time and your energy? How should you give to the poor and needy among the saints in Jerusalem? That's the way he thinks. Money really does have the power to reveal the state of the soul, money reveals the soul, reveals the health of the soul. Randy Alcorn in his great book on this topic, Money, Possessions, and Eternity, said, "Jesus spoke more about how we are to view and handle money and possessions than any other topic, including heaven or hell." He went again and again to materialistic concerns. He looks again and again at how you spend your money. And in doing this, he's just lifting up Jesus's theme in the Sermon on the Mount and many other places. But in Matthew 6:19-24, Jesus said in the Sermon on Mount, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal." "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness?" Then Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." So Jesus says you have to make a choice when it comes to money and material possessions. Either they will rule you and dominate you or you will use them in your service to King Jesus, one or the other. It's a battle and if you are generous with your money here if you're generous with what you do with it, giving it away as the Lord leads by the Spirit, as the Scripture says, "You will be actually storing up treasure in heaven." You'll be rich for all eternity. Conversely, if you're not careful, if you're not on your guard about money, you could make a shipwreck of your faith, as Paul gives us that image. Think of a terrible shipwreck, a wooden sailing vessel getting closer and closer to the shore in a storm and then the rocks loom up and then you're dashed, and so there's that image of a shipwreck. And he specifically, Paul does, links it to concern about material things, about money. So we need to be very, very careful. The love of money is dangerous to our souls. The love of money is dangerous to our souls. It's the root of all kinds of evil, Paul says. And Jesus said in the parable of the seed in the soils, you remember the different seed was going in different outcomes. So the different soils and one of the soils that he describes is the seed sown among thorns. He said in Mark 4:18-19, "Still others, like seeds sown among the thorns, hear the Word but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the Word, making it unfruitful." That's a very powerful triad there of outcomes of thorns, weeds that come in and deprive the growing seed of nutrients. There's only so many nutrients in the soil and in come these weeds and crowd out the seeds so it can't bear fruit. The worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth. Powerful phrase. How is wealth deceiving us? How is it lying to us? And then vaguely the desire for other things other than what, other than the Kingdom of God. Just other things have the power to choke out the Word. Covetousness, I find is a very sneaky sin, it's the kind of thing we don't tend to confess. There are other sins that we're very aware of and they're dangerous and they are dangerous. But greed, materialism, covetousness is something that we, Western Christians, American Christians, have a hard time facing up to, being honest about. And so I think Psalm 139 comes in as it always does, Verse 23 and 24, "Search me, O God and know my heart. Try me. Test me and know my anxious thoughts." We could say my materialistic thoughts. "See if there's any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." Alright, so that's just setting up the topic, now let's talk about the context for the actual offering. Alright, the context for that offering. We need to understand Paul's ministry and Paul was commissioned by the Pillars, the leaders of the church in Jerusalem, he's called by God, he makes this plain in Galatians 1, "Nobody gave me my ministry, I got it directly from God, got it directly from Jesus Christ. But I went to the church at Jerusalem and those that were Pillars there, James, Peter, and John agreed that we should go to the Gentiles," this is Galatians 2:9-10, "and they to the Jews." So Paul's the Apostle to the Gentiles and Peter the Apostle to the Jews and his entourage, they were gonna focus on Jewish evangelism, but Paul was gonna be sent out to do Gentile evangelism. And then they say this, "All they asked is that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do." In context, that's the poor among the Jewish Christians there in Jerusalem. "Don't forget them as you go out among the Gentiles," and so Paul's keeping that promise, that commission from them. Now, we need to understand what we're dealing with, with poverty, what it was like back then compared to the way we would tend to think of poverty here in America in our setting. Poverty then was pervasive and devastating. People were facing, in some cases, their own extinction, when they ran out of resources. For the most part, we, here in America, have never seen that kind, that level of poverty. Really have to go overseas, you have to go other places to see it. I was in my 20s before I saw that level of poverty and I had to go to Africa and then eventually to Haiti, Port-au-Prince. Some of these other places in India where I saw that level of life-threatening poverty. But poverty is an issue all over the world. And that's what Paul is addressing here. He's addressing poverty that is so deep and powerful and pervasive, it really threatens their lives. And he wants the Gentile Christians to be concerned about it, so he's dealing with the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Look at Verse 3, he talks about a gift, he's gonna send some men with a gift, men that they approve, with their gift, he says, to Jerusalem. So here we get to this issue of Jew-Gentile relationships and the Jew-Gentile unity in the Body of Christ and the need to look out for one another. The collection was being taken among Gentile converts to a Jewish Messiah. Gentile converts to a Jewish religion as it were. And as Jesus himself said, "Salvation is from the Jews." And so Jesus was a son of Abraham, a son of David. So these Gentiles had been grafted into a Jewish work, a Jewish olive tree, the image from Romans 11. So the material needs among the Jewish Christians was a prime opportunity to put the unity of the Gospel on display. Now, why were they poor? Why were Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, why were they poor? Well, it started even in Jesus's lifetime. Do you remember the account in John 9 of Jesus healing the man born blind? And so Jesus heals a man born blind and then he gets hauled up in front of the Jewish authorities, and it says very powerfully in John 9:22, "Already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue." So that's very significant. If you think Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, is the Messiah, you're out of the synagogue, kicked out of Jewish life. It was the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem that condemned Jesus and handed him over to be crucified. It was the unbelieving Jewish Sanhedrin that organized the first systematic persecution of Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. The Book of Acts makes it clear that there was a relentless persecution of Christians by Jewish leaders again and again, in the Book of Acts. Confiscation of property, arrests, even death by the Jewish Sanhedrin. So Jerusalem was one of the worst places on earth to be a Jewish Christian. Now central to that eviction from the synagogue were economic effects. If you were a Jew, a Jewish person kicked out of the synagogue, that will have a devastating effect on your economic life. You could no longer make a living. If you were a carpenter, no one would hire you to do carpentry. No one would buy your furniture, if you're a furniture maker, they wouldn't buy it. If you're a potter, they wouldn't buy your pottery. If you're a farmer, they wouldn't buy your harvest. If you were poor, they wouldn't hire you. You're out, you're blackballed. And so that ends up being, creating severe economic difficulties for the Jews, the Jewish Christian, Jews among the saints in Jerusalem. Paul also argues in Romans 15 to the Gentile converts to this Jewish faith, that they have an obligation to take care of their Jewish brothers and sisters, financially. He's very clear about this. He says in Romans 15:25-27, he says, "I'm on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there, for Macedonia and Achaia to Greek churches, Gentile churches, were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem." "They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them." How do you think that, Paul? Well, if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. So we are in obligation, Paul would've said if we lived back then. We are under obligation to Jewish Christians in Jerusalem to give because we have received such rich spiritual blessings from the Jewish people. It also, as I mentioned earlier, a great opportunity to show the new covenant unity that there is between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. And this whole thing is unfolded so beautifully for us in Ephesians 2, that through Christ, those who are at one time aliens and strangers have been brought near, that's Gentiles, have been brought near through the blood of Christ, and they're no longer aliens and strangers, they are now part of God's household, part of God's people. And the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, set up in the old covenant circumcision, the dietary regulations have been abolished, they're done. And now God is making in Christ one new man out of the two. Out of Jew and Gentile, one new man thus making peace. And in this one body, to reconcile both to God through the cross. By which he put to death their hostility. We can put that on display by just generously giving to our Christian brothers and sisters, that's the argument. So Paul's making his collection, it's progressing, he's going to various Gentile communities where he planted churches and he's collecting money from them. Verse 1, Now about the collection for God's people, do what I told the Galatians churches to do. Now, he's already talked about the Macedonians and he elaborates this at length in 2 Corinthians Chapter 8, and he goes on into Chapter 9. Now, 2 Corinthians 8:1-4, he says, Now brothers, I want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty weld up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability, entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. So here are some very poor Macedonian Christians. And they have given lavishly to their Jewish brothers and sisters in Jerusalem, they gave abundantly more than Paul ever imagined that they could give. They pleaded, they begged for the opportunity to do this. And they gave themselves first to God, and then they gave themselves to the Apostles as God led. And they were so generous, he talks about them. So he's already collected some money to the point now he's going back to the Corinthians, so what's going on with them? Well, he's collecting money from them, and he talks about the practicalities of it, Verse 3 and 4, Then when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. And if it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me. So I think you should read between the lines if it's wise for me to go then we'll go together. Well, Paul, why wouldn't it be wise to go? Not enough money yet. The offering isn't big enough yet. I've heard this one account of a church in which they were raising money, and this is in some literature, and they're raising money for a situation and they passed the hat and they got an amount and it wasn't enough yet. So he said, It's not enough, passing it again. And so they passed the hat again, and it's like, Aren't you glad we don't do that at FBC, alright lock the doors when we have enough, we'll let you go home. But that's an effective, effective strategy, but anyway, I'm gonna go to Jerusalem if there's enough money, if not, I'm gonna be here and persuade some more and pray and I'm gonna work. So now the Corinthians, we learned from 2 Corinthians 8 had made an earlier pledge on this, an earlier pledge. They gave some and they made pledge to give more. So 2 Corinthians 8:10-11, he said, "Last year, you Corinthians were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so, now finish the work," so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it according to your means. So thank you for the pledge. Now, give the money. [chuckle] So it's this matter of, good intentions are not enough. It's not gonna look good on judgment to say, "Well, Lord, I had already always intended to give to the poor and needy. I had always intended to give to missions. I always intended to support the church financially, I just didn't quite get to it the way I wanted to. It's not gonna look good on judgment day. So you've had a start, you've had some indications and some intentions, now do it. Now do it. As Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, but those who do the will of the Father, not those who say it but those who do," Matthew 7. So it's time for action. So let's derive from this text and some of the others I've alluded to some principles. I'm aware, and I sense that it could be that numbers among you haven't really been biblically trained on giving. There's aspects of it that are new to you, there are themes that you haven't heard before, so my desire is that you will not be able to say that after hearing this sermon, that you'll be able to dry out... And I'm not gonna, it's not comprehensive, there's a lot of other things I could say about giving. But this is a timeless opportunity and timeless because though the immediate circumstances of that offering are done now. The elders of this church are not taking up an offering for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Those times are done, but the Holy Spirit, in his wisdom, put this in the written Word of God, and he means for these principles to be standing over every generation of Christian. Not just these, but the other New Testament principles on giving over every generation of Christians. So that we can learn how to give financially. Now, we begin by saying that the priority that Paul has is for the saints, the giving is for the Saints. So we start almost in concentric circles. We learned from 1 Timothy, if any breadwinner doesn't provide for his own family, he's denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. So you need to work hard with your own hands, make money and provide for your own family so that you won't be dependent on the church. Or you just take care of your immediate family, so the church isn’t burdened with them. You start there, so it goes out in concentric circles, we got from there to talk about the family of God, verse 1. Now, concerning the collection for the saints, the church must take care of its own. We need to take care of Christian brothers and sisters. The same matter of Christian witness. The Church's reputation is on the line. Okay, Psalm 37, Verse 25, the psalmist says, I was young and now I'm old, and I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. Now, this does not mean Christians should never give to non-Christian needs, it doesn't mean that at all. Think about the teaching on the second great commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself, and Jesus tells a story about the Good Samaritan. And in that story, we've got a Samaritan, that's the hero of the story, he was a neighbor to the man that was lying bleeding by the side of the road, a different culture, different religion perhaps, different background, but he cared for him. And so when there are life and death issues, we don't ask, "Are you a Christian or not?" We do whatever we need to do to save people's lives. So if there are disasters, disaster relief, there are earthquakes, there are hurricanes or other things in this life and death issues, Christians have always stepped up and cared for those in disasters and in those situations. However, there is still a Biblical theme of a priority on the family of God, the priority. We see this in Galatians 6:10, Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people. That's anybody, everybody but especially to those who belong to the family of believers. So do good to all people is uploaded in our minds, we are gonna be generous to everybody, but especially has the uploaded to. What do you mean by especially? Focus on the saints, on the people of God. So at FBC, we have a benevolence fund, the church has been generous to give. It's a good amount of money in there. As the elders disperse that fund, we are looking primarily first and foremost to our own local church and then to other Christian brothers and sisters for pressing needs, immediate kind of physical needs that there may be. And so that's what the benevolence is for. Now, also one theme here is the interconnectedness of the body of Christ, the church. So a local church in Corinth should care about a local church in Jerusalem. Because we're all part of the body of Christ. So he talks about, then verse 3, he's gonna send the gift with the men that they chose to Jerusalem. So this isn't just a Jew-Gentile issue, it's a our church, your church issue. So the word church is used in two marvelous different ways in the New Testament, you got the church universal, and you got the church local. So the church universal is a mystical communion of the body of Christ that we become a member of the moment we come to faith in Christ. So that's everyone who in history has ever crossed over from death to life and has become a Christian, living or dead, they're part of that mystical communion, the Body of Christ. And you can never go back the other way, you crossed over from death to life. You live forever and you're in that body, you're part of the mystically... But you can't see that, that... You can't see it with your eyes but you know it's true. We've got brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world, most of whom we've never met, but it's so sweet when you do mission work with them, you go to other countries and you can't even share a common language or culture, but you share a common faith, and so through a translator, you can find out, you believe the same things about Jesus and about the Bible, and about missions and all that, it's so beautiful. But when there's needs out there that should matter, and so a local church, the other way that the New Testament uses the word church is local church, and that's what we are, First Baptist Durham, it's a place you assembly where you can know and be known, you can be a covenant member of that local church, and that has value as well, use your spiritual gifts there, you develop, you come here and there's that connection. But we are part of a network of churches all around the world, and we should care about needs other people have. Now, obviously, the mystical body of Christ that's up in heaven doesn't need your money. Amen. Hallelujah. They are fine, there's no more death, mourning, crying, or pain for them, they don't need money. But there are brothers and sisters in other parts of the world who do, and so there's a sense of obligation that we have. We also have implied here and these are the role of ministry leaders like apostles and pastors to teach the people of God about money. So, I've preached on money many, many times, I've been here 22 years. Yes, I preach on money again and again, I'm kept safe by sequential exposition, I can say, "Not my fault. It's the next text." But why would I have such an attitude? Why would you, any of you complain about pastors preaching about money again. It's kind of an interesting dynamic there, all churches ever do is care about money, do you ever realize what a two-edged sword that is, how you're really looking in the mirror. Could be that you might have an unhealthy view of money yourself. If you don't want pastors going there and talking about money, the fact is we're gonna give it all up anyway. And for me, as a pastor as a shepherd of souls, Oh, how I yearn to set as many of you as I can free from idolatry, so that you can lead fruitful free lives and store up treasure in Heaven. I want you to be rich on judgment day and beyond. So I have no fear in this matter, we're not looking to press people or fleece people like we're some cult, we just wanna teach faithfully on what the Bible says. And so, as an apostle, the Apostle Paul had a role to teach about the doctrine of giving. Earlier he talked about money given to spiritual leaders to support them in their financial needs. 1 Corinthians 9:4, he said, "Don't we have the right to food and drink?" Food and drink. And so, key theme in this is, we're talking not about luxuries, but necessities. Food, clothing, shelter, those basic things are met, and so those who preach the Gospel should make their living from the Gospel. So he laid all that out, and I'm not going into that in detail, here, but money given to leaders is part of the theme. But then there's money given through leaders as well, money given through leaders. So the idea is that spiritual leaders are more aware of ministry opportunities and good ways to spend the Lord's money than the lay people are. And so we see this in Acts Chapter 4:34-35, it says, there were no needy persons among them for from time to time those who own lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the Apostles feet and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. So there's that image, I don't know if they literally put it at the Apostles’ feet, but it's like given to the apostles to disperse as they were aware of the needs. And so in our church, the plurality of elders is overseas, the money that's pulled and collected and spent wisely, and that's a very good system, very good situation where you have a group of interconnected men holding each other accountable, not fleecing the flock or taking the money wrongly, etcetera, but dispersing money wisely according to the church budget. And according to needs as they come up. So the money given to leaders and money given through leaders. Also ministries come up that the ministry leaders know about and they know they take money. We're gonna look at this a little bit next week, but verse 6, he's talking about his own... Paul's talking about his own plans. And he says, “Perhaps I will stay with you a while or even spend the winter so that you can help me on my journey wherever I go.” Now, what do you think he's talking about there? Help me on my journey. He does the same thing in Rome, he said, I'm going to Spain to preach where people have never heard the name of Jesus, and I want you to help me on my way, that's financial, that you would support my mission, that you would support my ministry. And so all of these things are principles as well. He also gives some practical insights on the first day of every week, look at verse two, "On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income." So this first day of the week was the Lord's day. It was the day of worship, so what that implies is that Christian giving is a part of worship. It's something that we do as an act of worship to the Lord. And so when the Church is assembled for worship, we would give on the first day of every week. Now, there are practicalities, if you get paid once a month, you could give your tithes and offerings once a month without sinning. But the idea is that Christian giving needs to come across your mind regularly and be something you choose to do as an active worship. Okay. You don't want a prayer app that does all your praying for you. You just hit go and get some extra sleep while your prayer app does your praying for you. No, it has to pass through your mind and heart and you have to care about it, so it is with Christian giving. I think there is some benefit to having money automatically taken out of your account and given to the church. The church, financial secretaries love that. It's very regular, but there's some danger to it too, I don't know the answer to it, but I just think it's good for you to think and pray and give regularly. It's an active Christian worship as well. And he says, saving it up. So this again is practical, don't go running around like a chicken with your head cut off when I get to town.You should have planned out, figured out and saved up what you wanna do for this. Because that kind of hurried approach to Christian giving is gonna reduce the amount and going to be less effective. So save it up, accumulate it, and then give when I come, that's what he's saying, and then he says, "Each of you." Oh yes, look at it. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money. This is something that we need to teach to our children. It's something that we need to talk about with each other, husband and wives need to discuss it together, this is something all of us are in on, we all get to give to the Lord's work, it's part of a healthy Christian life, just like all of us have spiritual gifts, and therefore should have a spiritual gift ministry. Every one of us should feel the weight of Christian giving and give. Every one of you, he says. And he says, The giving should be in proportion to your income, it's all a matter of what you have, not what you don't have. It's in proportion to how the Lord has blessed you. You remember the story of the widow that gave those two little copper coins, remember Jesus is watching the offering. And he does watch the offering, he sits there and watches the offering, and so the widow gave the two copper coins, and Jesus said this in Luke 21:3-4, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put in more than all the others, all these people gave their gifts out of their wealth but she gave out of her poverty everything she had to live on.” So the Lord will account or measure your giving based on sacrifice, how much it pinches you, how much it cost you to give. That's how he measures, proportion to what you have and your resources. Now, not mentioned here, I definitely wanna bring in 2 Corinthians 9:7, Cheerfulness, cheerfulness. Our giving should be cheerful not under compulsion, he says in 2 Corinthians 9:7, each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. So just ask the Lord to set you free from invisible materialistic chains so that you have the joy and delight of blessing people here and now horizontally, 'cause that's all money can do. Money doesn't pay for spiritual things, it pays for physical things. You can enable missionaries to preach the word, you can enable pastors to preach the word, you can give to the poor and needy so they have something to eat, physical things, but there's a joy in giving. And then you know that you're storing up treasure in heaven, there should be a cheerfulness to it. You should not think God needs your money. Wow, God's constantly begging, he doesn't need anything from you. But you need to give. Alright, what applications can we take from this? Well, first of all, to all of you that are non-Christians, there were non-Christians when you came in this morning, I wanna tell you, I don't want you to give anything, I want you to receive something freely. I want you to receive the gift of full forgiveness of sins without money and without cost. It says in Isaiah 55, "Why spend your money on what doesn't satisfy? Listen, listen to me and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest affair without money." The Lord didn't come from heaven to earth to get something from us. He says very plainly in Matthew 20:28, "The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many." So what I want for you that are non-Christians, I want you to hear the Gospel. I prayed it at the beginning, I have referred to it throughout this message, that God sent his Son, Jesus, who was rich in Heaven, became poor for us, so that we through his poverty on the cross, his death on the cross, might become rich forever. Rich in forgiveness of sins. Rich in Heaven for all eternity. So trust in Christ. And THEN do your Christian giving after that. So for those of you that are members of our church, FBC members, I'm speaking to Covenant members, this sermon is a call to each of you to search your heart concerning your giving patterns. Is cheerful, faith-filled giving a regular part of your Christian life or not? Have you asked the Lord to search your heart and know your soul about covetousness? We live in a very materialistic culture in which we're lied to all the time. Jesus said, A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. The advertisers say, "Yes, it does." So we're being lied to about that. Have you given yourself in prayer to the pattern of giving to the budget of our church, specifically the FBC budget? Are you sacrificially giving to support the ministry here? It is part of our church covenant, we were talking about this earlier and it could be one person said it may be that people just don't know that that's part of what you promise to do as a covenant member of the church. To support the church financially, but it is part of our lives, and then beyond that, do you pray regularly about how you can use your money to the relief of poverty around the world, to the spread of the Gospel around the world, to various other Christian Ministries as the Lord leads you? This is the beautiful thing. René Alarcón said, "It stuck with me." The money, you can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead. Isn't that great? Wire it ahead by faith. By giving it away by faith. Now, one of the approaches that I tell young preachers as they're growing, it's like, how do you make very difficult squirmy kind of applications to people? How do you do that? It's like, Well, here's one approach I call it, If the shoe fits, wear it. I just describe a shoe, and then I just say, I don't know, but there may be somebody in our midst that this fits you. And now I'm gonna do that when it comes to giving. So the elders have general information about giving patterns of the members of this church. We do not have specific information about who gives what, I do not know, as I look at your faces, I do not know what any of you have done, or... I've been here 22 years, I've never known specifics, ever. But we are aware of trends and patterns, so according to our data, last year there were 315 giving units, at FBC, the membership of FBC 315 giving units, that's individuals or households. Of that 65% gave some money to FBC's budget at all. That roughly two-thirds of our members gave money. Turn it around, one-third, roughly one-third of our members gave not one single dollar to FBC last year. Of that, again, we don't know any names, we don't know that, but further categories, there are some people that just are not in a position, they're not situationally, able to give, we understand that, and then there's others that it seems they were in a transition going to another local church, perhaps were giving to other local church but that leaves effectively 20% of our regular attender type members that gave nothing to the church at all. So at that point then, I just wanna say, are you aware of the promises in the church covenant, that this is part of what it means to be a healthy member of this church? To support your own local church, the ministry here is a responsibility that the elders think is incumbent on all of us as members of the church, beyond that there are other patterns of giving, different steps of priority, it's not easy to compare this category of giving and this category of giving and which is more important. I'm not able to do that, but I've already listed them. We've got the spread of the Gospel to the ends of the earth, giving to missions, and you can give to various kinds of missions, I would advocate giving to unreached people group missions as a top priority, 'cause they get about 1 out of every 100 mission dollars worldwide so let's, as a church, expand and give more and more to unreached people group missions, especially through the IMB. We have members of our church that are in process with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist and will soon be on the field ministering the gospel, and we as a congregation are part of supporting their finances, we're helping them go. And so that's pretty exciting when you do that, so again, alleviation of the poor and needy, find out things, invest your time and your energy before you invest your money, find out ways you can help alleviate physical suffering in the world and just ask the Lord, search me, O God and know me. Are my giving patterns lined up with your purposes for my life? Am I giving as I should? By faith. Close with me, if you would in prayer. Father, thank you for the Word of God, we thank you for how it searches us, it knows us. Nothing in all creation, Lord, is hidden from your sight, everything's uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account. So Lord, help us to be faithful. Help us to give, I Thank you, O Lord, for those in our church that are giving faithfully and sacrificial and grateful, there's so many. Lord, for all of us, help us to just come before you by faith and allow you to lead us to be generous, to change perhaps aspects of our lifestyle so that we can give as you wish, in Jesus name, Amen.

Mark 14:53-72 - Courage and Coward Under Pressure

Christ 2R Culture Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2020 45:45

This week, Amy Coney Barrett is being grilled by the Senate for potential confirmation to the Supreme Court. It is a time when senators attempt to find anything in her past that would disqualify her for the position. The hope is that she would insure truth and justice in the highest court of our land. As we study Jesus' trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court—a court that was also committed to truth and fairness, we find the ultimate miscarriage in justice to send Jesus to the cross.

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To The Ends of the Earth: Acts 8 - Chapter 21-28

Bible Streams

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 6, 2020 80:57

After returning to Jerusalem after his third missionary journey, Paul is caught up in a riot which leads to his arrest by Roman soldiers, much like the arrest of Jesus Christ. Over the next two years Paul would face numerous trials; first to the angry crowd, then with the Jewish Sanhedrin, then with the Roman govenor Felix and his successor govenor Festus, and then finally to King Agrippa. While being able to share the gospel in various public trials in Jeruselem, Jesus Himself appeared to Paul to confirm that he must also testify in Rome. This would not only be his final "missionary journey" alongside Luke, it would also be the place of Paul's final breath. In this final episode of 'To The Ends of the Earth', Jo and Scott explore Acts Chapters 21-28. Resources/Links mentioned in this episode or helpful for Bible Streams:Book: The Book of Acts: A Commentary by C. Peter WagnerBook: Paul: A Biography by N.T. WrightBook: ESV Expository Commentary: John - ActsWebsite: The Bible Project: ActsBible Text: ESV Online: ActsBig thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify.

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Interview with Rabbi Who Sent a Letter to Trump: 'NO' to the Peace Plan! - The Tamar Yonah Show

Israel News Talk Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2020 43:09

How can a plan for peace be bad? Well, with US President Donald Trump's 'Deal of the Century' Peace Plan, which is the same formula as the failed 'two state solution' and goes against the Bible, and the fact Mahmoud Abbas has already refused and rejected it, this plan has no where to go. Tamar Yonah speaks with her fascinating guest, Rav (Rabbi) Meir HaLevi, an Israeli who shares with us his family's background being 'Levites' from the Tribe of Levi, one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. He explains that his ascendants stood at Mount Sinai when the Torah was given. His family served G-d in the Holy Temple that King Solomon built in Jerusalem. His ancestors were eventually exiled to Babylon with other Jews, and remained there for 2500 years. After the Modern State of Israel came into existence in 1948, his family was finally able to come to the Promised Land. Rav Meir HaLevi became the first child in his family to be born in Israel after 2,500 years of Exile. Today, he is the spokesperson of the 'Nascent Sanhedrin: www.thesanhedrin.org/en/index.php/The_Re-established_Jewish_Sanhedrin . Rabbi HaLevi helped draft a letter to US President Donald Trump which states the several reasons why this new peace plan can NOT be accepted as is, that it would create a terror state, and that Israel cannot be 'split' or 'divided'. The articles stating that Israel can apply sovereignty to Jewish communities in its Biblical Heartland, or, Judea & Samaria, or as some incorrectly refer to as 'The West Bank', is a positive and correct move. However, it cannot be stopped there. Listeners call in, and make their comments. This is an intriguing show! The Tamar Yonah Show 21JUNE2020 - PODCAST

Heroes & Villains #56, Jewish Sanhedrin

Sermons

Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2020

heroes villains jewish sanhedrin

Condemned (Matthew 26)

First Fifteen

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2020 9:46

We hear stories often about a miscarriage of justice, of how the authorities charged to protect us and faithfully serve the law fall down on the job. Of course it doesn’t happen always or even as often as the stories might make us believe. But humans can be seriously wrong even when they fervently believe they are upholding the law. Like in today’s story. If you are getting started in a relationship with God, trying to have a quiet time or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.Spend your first fifteen minutes of the day listening to God and responding in a personal way. This podcast will show you how and teach you in an easy to follow process.In fifteen minutes (or less) you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day. What a perfect way to get started!The featured scripture in this episode is Matt 26:57-68. The armed crowd marches Jesus from Gethsemane on the slopes of the Mount of Olives into the city of Jerusalem, to the high priest Caiaphas' house. The Jewish Sanhedrin meets there in an extraordinary session, not to hear the claims and counter-claims for and against Jesus, but to look for any evidence that can incriminate Jesus and remove him from the spotlight. They convict him on his own testimony that he is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by condemning him they condemn themselves.Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word. You can also watch this as a video podcast on Youtube at the Word of Prayer channelGet a copy of Book 4: Journey with Jesus: Praying Your Way through Matthew's Gospel - Book 4 on Amazon (or ebook)Download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen. Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.comSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=30142397)

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Luke 22:47-71 / Day 125

1-Year New Testament

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2020 2:53

Arrested, Denied by Peter, Judged by the Jewish Sanhedrin

arrested denied luke 22 judged jewish sanhedrin

Warning This Is Not Your Typical Nativity Story

Sunshine Satellite Story Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2019 8:40

When the sounds of scuffling in the entryway of the inn surpassed that of the ruckus of the inn guests, the innkeeper knew he had to intervene. He was beyond exhausted, having worked two days without sleep to set up accommodations for travelers on a property that was not designed to be an inn at all, more of an expanded fruit-stand-way-station extension of his own home. He could hear a woman’s shrill hysterical crying, and the sound of a man’s head thumped like a melon against the stucco. “Great, another fight over a stupid whore. Not in my inn,” he vowed as he jumped down the stone steps ready to throw down on anyone. Well, almost anyone. “God don’t let it be a Roman soldier,” he swore under his breath. His wildest dreams never prepared him for the scene unfolding in his entryway. The huge stinking man looked like a highway robber. He held the innkeeper’s servant up off his toes, pinned with a muscled forearm against the wall. But that’s not what held his attention. What held his attention was a little girl, no older than his own 16-year-old daughter, swollen with pregnancy and pain. Her pale hands grasped the door frame in a desperate attempt to stand while the blood and water gushed down her legs. “No!” He shouted, “There is no room in the inn! She is unclean!” The Innkeeper had received large payments from prominent members of the Jewish Sanhedrin, their scribes, and their families. They would want their money back if they knew a girl was bleeding all over the floor. His guests would become unclean by association under the Mosaic law. The desperate burly man was nearly crushing his servant’s throat. Spittle frothed into his black beard as he spat the words, “There is no room in all of Israel!” The girl was on the floor now, a trail of tears cutting through the dust on her face. She rolled on her back in the puddle of blood on the floor the urge to bear down was primal, uncontrollable. The abstract shame of total exposure was nothing compared to the real fact of her dilated cervix. The innkeeper was a passionate man, but he was also a businessman, and he knew he had to find a solution to the problem before it engulfed him, before his paying guests witnessed the bloody scene. “Ok, Ok, I have one more room,” and to his servant, he said, “Get a large blanket from the dirty laundry. We will carry her out in it and still be able to wash in time to serve the guests the evening meal.” Mary felt the horribly unpleasant sensation of being carried out back into the dark lonely night. She shrieked. Joseph helped to carry her. What else could he do? Images of what the Roman soldiers would do to his Beloved if they were roused from their gambling and whoring in order to keep the peace, danced in his head like a bloody nightmare. The three men set her down as gently as they could in the dark. The servant hurried back with a dim lamp and a flask of water. “Sir, I am sorry, but considering these irregular circumstances…’” the servant trailed off mid-sentence as he averted his eyes, shook his head, and backed away. Joseph was vaguely aware that he was in a hastily assembled shack for housing beasts. The creatures who bore the weight of man’s burdens. This symbolism was lost on him until much later in life. In the dim light, he could see a pallid crown of curls emerging from the mother’s pain. This was the first he had seen Mary’s nakedness. Her utter vulnerability reminded him of his own failure to provide, and one last guttural sob escaped his throat as he called out to a God that he felt sure was so very very far away. The red screaming baby flopped unceremoniously into Joseph’s hands with a tangle of organic glossy umbilical cord. He knew he was supposed to cut it. Would it hurt Mary even more? Maybe he should wait. “God what do I do?” He cut the cord. She did not notice. Good. Mary took the baby from Joseph. She was flooded with endorphins after the relief of completed labor. She tried to... Support this podcast

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Responding to Jesus: The Scandal of the Gospel

Hayden Bible Church

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2019 41:00

A sincere belief is no measure of-it being true or false.-The Jewish Sanhedrin was-sincere.-So, too, was Pontius Pilate.-Although last to reach their-conclusion, so too the crowds of-Jerusalem were sincere.-All were sincere in their measure of Jesus.-And all were sincerely wrong.-Sincerity is to truth like your car's accelerator-is to its direction. Going faster has nothing to do-with whether you'll end up in the right place--Yet around the world today, mankind seems-intent on accelerating in error when it comes to-Jesus.-It's no wonder we're so far off course.--Far more important than sincerity is right belief.-This weekend, we'll see in Scripture mankind's-final measure of Jesus before Calvary.-Then we'll see God's scandalous response.-I hope you'll join us this Sunday as we turn to-Mark 15 and consider, -Responding to Jesus--The Scandal of the Gospel.-

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They Began to Accuse Him

Liberty Bible Church

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2019 48:00

The Jewish Sanhedrin presented Jesus to the Roman governor, accusing Him of serious political crimes. Pilate only inquired of Him, -Are You the King of the Jews-- Based on Jesus' response, Pilate proclaimed for the first of three times, -I find no guilt in this man.-

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2 - Denied, Mark 14:53-15:20

Woodmen Valley Chapel

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2019

Jesus' trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin was a gross miscarriage of justice. Wrongly convicted of blasphemy, he is condemned to death and handed over to the Romans. Jesus, the Son of God, is abandoned by those closest to him, rejected by his people, and brutally scourged and mocked at the hands of those he created. All this he endured because of his great love for us and desire to reconcile us to our father.1. The “trial” (vs. 53-65)2. The denial (vs. 66-72)3. The sentence (15:1-15)4. The injustice (vs. 16-20)SONGSThis Is Amazing Grace #6333821 by Josh Farro, Jeremy Riddle & Phil Wickham ©2012 Bethel Music, Seems Like Music, Sing My Songs, Phil Wickham MusicHallelujah For The Cross #7107551 by B Glover, C McClarney, and J Pardo © 9t One Songs Exalted Over All #7065022 by A Rozier, J Ingram & J Cates ©2016 All Essential Music'Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus #5373600 by W J Kirkpatrick, J A Schreiner & L R Stead ©2003 John Andrew Schreiner MusicMan Of Sorrows #6476063 by M Crocker & B Ligertwood ©2012 Hillsong Music Publishing

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142 - The Passover at Jerusalem

Urantia Book

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2019 36:58

142:0.1 (1596.1) THE month of April Jesus and the apostles worked in Jerusalem, going out of the city each evening to spend the night at Bethany. Jesus himself spent one or two nights each week in Jerusalem at the home of Flavius, a Greek Jew, where many prominent Jews came in secret to interview him. 142:0.2 (1596.2) The first day in Jerusalem Jesus called upon his friend of former years, Annas, the onetime high priest and relative of Salome, Zebedee’s wife. Annas had been hearing about Jesus and his teachings, and when Jesus called at the high priest’s home, he was received with much reserve. When Jesus perceived Annas’s coldness, he took immediate leave, saying as he departed: “Fear is man’s chief enslaver and pride his great weakness; will you betray yourself into bondage to both of these destroyers of joy and liberty?” But Annas made no reply. The Master did not again see Annas until the time when he sat with his son-in-law in judgment on the Son of Man. 1. Teaching in the Temple 142:1.1 (1596.3) Throughout this month Jesus or one of the apostles taught daily in the temple. When the Passover crowds were too great to find entrance to the temple teaching, the apostles conducted many teaching groups outside the sacred precincts. The burden of their message was: 142:1.2 (1596.4) 1. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 142:1.3 (1596.5) 2. By faith in the fatherhood of God you may enter the kingdom of heaven, thus becoming the sons of God. 142:1.4 (1596.6) 3. Love is the rule of living within the kingdom—supreme devotion to God while loving your neighbor as yourself. 142:1.5 (1596.7) 4. Obedience to the will of the Father, yielding the fruits of the spirit in one’s personal life, is the law of the kingdom. 142:1.6 (1596.8) The multitudes who came to celebrate the Passover heard this teaching of Jesus, and hundreds of them rejoiced in the good news. The chief priests and rulers of the Jews became much concerned about Jesus and his apostles and debated among themselves as to what should be done with them. 142:1.7 (1596.9) Besides teaching in and about the temple, the apostles and other believers were engaged in doing much personal work among the Passover throngs. These interested men and women carried the news of Jesus’ message from this Passover celebration to the uttermost parts of the Roman Empire and also to the East. This was the beginning of the spread of the gospel of the kingdom to the outside world. No longer was the work of Jesus to be confined to Palestine. 2. God’s Wrath 142:2.1 (1597.1) There was in Jerusalem in attendance upon the Passover festivities one Jacob, a wealthy Jewish trader from Crete, and he came to Andrew making request to see Jesus privately. Andrew arranged this secret meeting with Jesus at Flavius’s home the evening of the next day. This man could not comprehend the Master’s teachings, and he came because he desired to inquire more fully about the kingdom of God. Said Jacob to Jesus: “But, Rabbi, Moses and the olden prophets tell us that Yahweh is a jealous God, a God of great wrath and fierce anger. The prophets say he hates evildoers and takes vengeance on those who obey not his law. You and your disciples teach us that God is a kind and compassionate Father who so loves all men that he would welcome them into this new kingdom of heaven, which you proclaim is so near at hand.” 142:2.2 (1597.2) When Jacob finished speaking, Jesus replied: “Jacob, you have well stated the teachings of the olden prophets who taught the children of their generation in accordance with the light of their day. Our Father in Paradise is changeless. But the concept of his nature has enlarged and grown from the days of Moses down through the times of Amos and even to the generation of the prophet Isaiah. And now have I come in the flesh to reveal the Father in new glory and to show forth his love and mercy to all men on all worlds. As the gospel of this kingdom shall spread over the world with its message of good cheer and good will to all men, there will grow up improved and better relations among the families of all nations. As time passes, fathers and their children will love each other more, and thus will be brought about a better understanding of the love of the Father in heaven for his children on earth. Remember, Jacob, that a good and true father not only loves his family as a whole—as a family—but he also truly loves and affectionately cares for each individual member.” 142:2.3 (1597.3) After considerable discussion of the heavenly Father’s character, Jesus paused to say: “You, Jacob, being a father of many, know well the truth of my words.” And Jacob said: “But, Master, who told you I was the father of six children? How did you know this about me?” And the Master replied: “Suffice it to say that the Father and the Son know all things, for indeed they see all. Loving your children as a father on earth, you must now accept as a reality the love of the heavenly Father for you—not just for all the children of Abraham, but for you, your individual soul.” 142:2.4 (1597.4) Then Jesus went on to say: “When your children are very young and immature, and when you must chastise them, they may reflect that their father is angry and filled with resentful wrath. Their immaturity cannot penetrate beyond the punishment to discern the father’s farseeing and corrective affection. But when these same children become grown-up men and women, would it not be folly for them to cling to these earlier and misconceived notions regarding their father? As men and women they should now discern their father’s love in all these early disciplines. And should not mankind, as the centuries pass, come the better to understand the true nature and loving character of the Father in heaven? What profit have you from successive generations of spiritual illumination if you persist in viewing God as Moses and the prophets saw him? I say to you, Jacob, under the bright light of this hour you should see the Father as none of those who have gone before ever beheld him. And thus seeing him, you should rejoice to enter the kingdom wherein such a merciful Father rules, and you should seek to have his will of love dominate your life henceforth.” 142:2.5 (1598.1) And Jacob answered: “Rabbi, I believe; I desire that you lead me into the Father’s kingdom.” 3. The Concept of God 142:3.1 (1598.2) The twelve apostles, most of whom had listened to this discussion of the character of God, that night asked Jesus many questions about the Father in heaven. The Master’s answers to these questions can best be presented by the following summary in modern phraseology: 142:3.2 (1598.3) Jesus mildly upbraided the twelve, in substance saying: Do you not know the traditions of Israel relating to the growth of the idea of Yahweh, and are you ignorant of the teaching of the Scriptures concerning the doctrine of God? And then did the Master proceed to instruct the apostles about the evolution of the concept of Deity throughout the course of the development of the Jewish people. He called attention to the following phases of the growth of the God idea: 142:3.3 (1598.4) 1. Yahweh—the god of the Sinai clans. This was the primitive concept of Deity which Moses exalted to the higher level of the Lord God of Israel. The Father in heaven never fails to accept the sincere worship of his children on earth, no matter how crude their concept of Deity or by what name they symbolize his divine nature. 142:3.4 (1598.5) 2. The Most High. This concept of the Father in heaven was proclaimed by Melchizedek to Abraham and was carried far from Salem by those who subsequently believed in this enlarged and expanded idea of Deity. Abraham and his brother left Ur because of the establishment of sun worship, and they became believers in Melchizedek’s teaching of El Elyon—the Most High God. Theirs was a composite concept of God, consisting in a blending of their older Mesopotamian ideas and the Most High doctrine. 142:3.5 (1598.6) 3. El Shaddai. During these early days many of the Hebrews worshiped El Shaddai, the Egyptian concept of the God of heaven, which they learned about during their captivity in the land of the Nile. Long after the times of Melchizedek all three of these concepts of God became joined together to form the doctrine of the creator Deity, the Lord God of Israel. 142:3.6 (1598.7) 4. Elohim. From the times of Adam the teaching of the Paradise Trinity has persisted. Do you not recall how the Scriptures begin by asserting that “In the beginning the Gods created the heavens and the earth”? This indicates that when that record was made the Trinity concept of three Gods in one had found lodgment in the religion of our forebears. 142:3.7 (1598.8) 5. The Supreme Yahweh. By the times of Isaiah these beliefs about God had expanded into the concept of a Universal Creator who was simultaneously all-powerful and all-merciful. And this evolving and enlarging concept of God virtually supplanted all previous ideas of Deity in our fathers’ religion. 142:3.8 (1598.9) 6. The Father in heaven. And now do we know God as our Father in heaven. Our teaching provides a religion wherein the believer is a son of God. That is the good news of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. Coexistent with the Father are the Son and the Spirit, and the revelation of the nature and ministry of these Paradise Deities will continue to enlarge and brighten throughout the endless ages of the eternal spiritual progression of the ascending sons of God. At all times and during all ages the true worship of any human being—as concerns individual spiritual progress—is recognized by the indwelling spirit as homage rendered to the Father in heaven. 142:3.9 (1599.1) Never before had the apostles been so shocked as they were upon hearing this recounting of the growth of the concept of God in the Jewish minds of previous generations; they were too bewildered to ask questions. As they sat before Jesus in silence, the Master continued: “And you would have known these truths had you read the Scriptures. Have you not read in Samuel where it says: ‘And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, so much so that he moved David against them, saying, go number Israel and Judah’? And this was not strange because in the days of Samuel the children of Abraham really believed that Yahweh created both good and evil. But when a later writer narrated these events, subsequent to the enlargement of the Jewish concept of the nature of God, he did not dare attribute evil to Yahweh; therefore he said: ‘And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number Israel.’ Cannot you discern that such records in the Scriptures clearly show how the concept of the nature of God continued to grow from one generation to another? 142:3.10 (1599.2) “Again should you have discerned the growth of the understanding of divine law in perfect keeping with these enlarging concepts of divinity. When the children of Israel came out of Egypt in the days before the enlarged revelation of Yahweh, they had ten commandments which served as their law right up to the times when they were encamped before Sinai. And these ten commandments were: 142:3.11 (1599.3) “1. You shall worship no other god, for the Lord is a jealous God. 142:3.12 (1599.4) “2. You shall not make molten gods. 142:3.13 (1599.5) “3. You shall not neglect to keep the feast of unleavened bread. 142:3.14 (1599.6) “4. Of all the males of men or cattle, the first-born are mine, says the Lord. 142:3.15 (1599.7) “5. Six days you may work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. 142:3.16 (1599.8) “6. You shall not fail to observe the feast of the first fruits and the feast of the ingathering at the end of the year. 142:3.17 (1599.9) “7. You shall not offer the blood of any sacrifice with leavened bread. 142:3.18 (1599.10) “8. The sacrifice of the feast of the Passover shall not be left until morning. 142:3.19 (1599.11) “9. The first of the first fruits of the ground you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God. 142:3.20 (1599.12) “10. You shall not seethe a kid in its mother’s milk. 142:3.21 (1599.13) “And then, amidst the thunders and lightnings of Sinai, Moses gave them the new ten commandments, which you will all allow are more worthy utterances to accompany the enlarging Yahweh concepts of Deity. And did you never take notice of these commandments as twice recorded in the Scriptures, that in the first case deliverance from Egypt is assigned as the reason for Sabbath keeping, while in a later record the advancing religious beliefs of our forefathers demanded that this be changed to the recognition of the fact of creation as the reason for Sabbath observance? * 142:3.22 (1599.14) “And then will you remember that once again—in the greater spiritual enlightenment of Isaiah’s day—these ten negative commandments were changed into the great and positive law of love, the injunction to love God supremely and your neighbor as yourself. And it is this supreme law of love for God and for man that I also declare to you as constituting the whole duty of man.” 142:3.23 (1600.1) And when he had finished speaking, no man asked him a question. They went, each one to his sleep. 4. Flavius and Greek Culture 142:4.1 (1600.2) Flavius, the Greek Jew, was a proselyte of the gate, having been neither circumcised nor baptized; and since he was a great lover of the beautiful in art and sculpture, the house which he occupied when sojourning in Jerusalem was a beautiful edifice. This home was exquisitely adorned with priceless treasures which he had gathered up here and there on his world travels. When he first thought of inviting Jesus to his home, he feared that the Master might take offense at the sight of these so-called images. But Flavius was agreeably surprised when Jesus entered the home that, instead of rebuking him for having these supposedly idolatrous objects scattered about the house, he manifested great interest in the entire collection and asked many appreciative questions about each object as Flavius escorted him from room to room, showing him all of his favorite statues. 142:4.2 (1600.3) The Master saw that his host was bewildered at his friendly attitude toward art; therefore, when they had finished the survey of the entire collection, Jesus said: “Because you appreciate the beauty of things created by my Father and fashioned by the artistic hands of man, why should you expect to be rebuked? Because Moses onetime sought to combat idolatry and the worship of false gods, why should all men frown upon the reproduction of grace and beauty? I say to you, Flavius, Moses’ children have misunderstood him, and now do they make false gods of even his prohibitions of images and the likeness of things in heaven and on earth. But even if Moses taught such restrictions to the darkened minds of those days, what has that to do with this day when the Father in heaven is revealed as the universal Spirit Ruler over all? And, Flavius, I declare that in the coming kingdom they shall no longer teach, ‘Do not worship this and do not worship that’; no longer shall they concern themselves with commands to refrain from this and take care not to do that, but rather shall all be concerned with one supreme duty. And this duty of man is expressed in two great privileges: sincere worship of the infinite Creator, the Paradise Father, and loving service bestowed upon one’s fellow men. If you love your neighbor as you love yourself, you really know that you are a son of God. 142:4.3 (1600.4) “In an age when my Father was not well understood, Moses was justified in his attempts to withstand idolatry, but in the coming age the Father will have been revealed in the life of the Son; and this new revelation of God will make it forever unnecessary to confuse the Creator Father with idols of stone or images of gold and silver. Henceforth, intelligent men may enjoy the treasures of art without confusing such material appreciation of beauty with the worship and service of the Father in Paradise, the God of all things and all beings.” 142:4.4 (1600.5) Flavius believed all that Jesus taught him. The next day he went to Bethany beyond the Jordan and was baptized by the disciples of John. And this he did because the apostles of Jesus did not yet baptize believers. When Flavius returned to Jerusalem, he made a great feast for Jesus and invited sixty of his friends. And many of these guests also became believers in the message of the coming kingdom. 5. The Discourse on Assurance 142:5.1 (1601.1) One of the great sermons which Jesus preached in the temple this Passover week was in answer to a question asked by one of his hearers, a man from Damascus. This man asked Jesus: “But, Rabbi, how shall we know of a certainty that you are sent by God, and that we may truly enter into this kingdom which you and your disciples declare is near at hand?” And Jesus answered: 142:5.2 (1601.2) “As to my message and the teaching of my disciples, you should judge them by their fruits. If we proclaim to you the truths of the spirit, the spirit will witness in your hearts that our message is genuine. Concerning the kingdom and your assurance of acceptance by the heavenly Father, let me ask what father among you who is a worthy and kindhearted father would keep his son in anxiety or suspense regarding his status in the family or his place of security in the affections of his father’s heart? Do you earth fathers take pleasure in torturing your children with uncertainty about their place of abiding love in your human hearts? Neither does your Father in heaven leave his faith children of the spirit in doubtful uncertainty as to their position in the kingdom. If you receive God as your Father, then indeed and in truth are you the sons of God. And if you are sons, then are you secure in the position and standing of all that concerns eternal and divine sonship. If you believe my words, you thereby believe in Him who sent me, and by thus believing in the Father, you have made your status in heavenly citizenship sure. If you do the will of the Father in heaven, you shall never fail in the attainment of the eternal life of progress in the divine kingdom. 142:5.3 (1601.3) “The Supreme Spirit shall bear witness with your spirits that you are truly the children of God. And if you are the sons of God, then have you been born of the spirit of God; and whosoever has been born of the spirit has in himself the power to overcome all doubt, and this is the victory that overcomes all uncertainty, even your faith. 142:5.4 (1601.4) “Said the Prophet Isaiah, speaking of these times: ‘When the spirit is poured upon us from on high, then shall the work of righteousness become peace, quietness, and assurance forever.’ And for all who truly believe this gospel, I will become surety for their reception into the eternal mercies and the everlasting life of my Father’s kingdom. You, then, who hear this message and believe this gospel of the kingdom are the sons of God, and you have life everlasting; and the evidence to all the world that you have been born of the spirit is that you sincerely love one another.” 142:5.5 (1601.5) The throng of listeners remained many hours with Jesus, asking him questions and listening attentively to his comforting answers. Even the apostles were emboldened by Jesus’ teaching to preach the gospel of the kingdom with more power and assurance. This experience at Jerusalem was a great inspiration to the twelve. It was their first contact with such enormous crowds, and they learned many valuable lessons which proved of great assistance in their later work. 6. The Visit with Nicodemus 142:6.1 (1601.6) One evening at the home of Flavius there came to see Jesus one Nicodemus, a wealthy and elderly member of the Jewish Sanhedrin. He had heard much about the teachings of this Galilean, and so he went one afternoon to hear him as he taught in the temple courts. He would have gone often to hear Jesus teach, but he feared to be seen by the people in attendance upon his teaching, for already were the rulers of the Jews so at variance with Jesus that no member of the Sanhedrin would want to be identified in any open manner with him. Accordingly, Nicodemus had arranged with Andrew to see Jesus privately and after nightfall on this particular evening. Peter, James, and John were in Flavius’s garden when the interview began, but later they all went into the house where the discourse continued. 142:6.2 (1602.1) In receiving Nicodemus, Jesus showed no particular deference; in talking with him, there was no compromise or undue persuasiveness. The Master made no attempt to repulse his secretive caller, nor did he employ sarcasm. In all his dealings with the distinguished visitor, Jesus was calm, earnest, and dignified. Nicodemus was not an official delegate of the Sanhedrin; he came to see Jesus wholly because of his personal and sincere interest in the Master’s teachings. 142:6.3 (1602.2) Upon being presented by Flavius, Nicodemus said: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher sent by God, for no mere man could so teach unless God were with him. And I am desirous of knowing more about your teachings regarding the coming kingdom.” 142:6.4 (1602.3) Jesus answered Nicodemus: “Verily, verily, I say to you, Nicodemus, except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Then replied Nicodemus: “But how can a man be born again when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born.” 142:6.5 (1602.4) Jesus said: “Nevertheless, I declare to you, except a man be born of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. But you should not marvel that I said you must be born from above. When the wind blows, you hear the rustle of the leaves, but you do not see the wind—whence it comes or whither it goes—and so it is with everyone born of the spirit. With the eyes of the flesh you can behold the manifestations of the spirit, but you cannot actually discern the spirit.” 142:6.6 (1602.5) Nicodemus replied: “But I do not understand—how can that be?” Said Jesus: “Can it be that you are a teacher in Israel and yet ignorant of all this? It becomes, then, the duty of those who know about the realities of the spirit to reveal these things to those who discern only the manifestations of the material world. But will you believe us if we tell you of the heavenly truths? Do you have the courage, Nicodemus, to believe in one who has descended from heaven, even the Son of Man?” 142:6.7 (1602.6) And Nicodemus said: “But how can I begin to lay hold upon this spirit which is to remake me in preparation for entering into the kingdom?” Jesus answered: “Already does the spirit of the Father in heaven indwell you. If you would be led by this spirit from above, very soon would you begin to see with the eyes of the spirit, and then by the wholehearted choice of spirit guidance would you be born of the spirit since your only purpose in living would be to do the will of your Father who is in heaven. And so finding yourself born of the spirit and happily in the kingdom of God, you would begin to bear in your daily life the abundant fruits of the spirit.” 142:6.8 (1602.7) Nicodemus was thoroughly sincere. He was deeply impressed but went away bewildered. Nicodemus was accomplished in self-development, in self-restraint, and even in high moral qualities. He was refined, egoistic, and altruistic; but he did not know how to submit his will to the will of the divine Father as a little child is willing to submit to the guidance and leading of a wise and loving earthly father, thereby becoming in reality a son of God, a progressive heir of the eternal kingdom. 142:6.9 (1603.1) But Nicodemus did summon faith enough to lay hold of the kingdom. He faintly protested when his colleagues of the Sanhedrin sought to condemn Jesus without a hearing; and with Joseph of Arimathea, he later boldly acknowledged his faith and claimed the body of Jesus, even when most of the disciples had fled in fear from the scenes of their Master’s final suffering and death. 7. The Lesson on the Family 142:7.1 (1603.2) After the busy period of teaching and personal work of Passover week in Jerusalem, Jesus spent the next Wednesday at Bethany with his apostles, resting. That afternoon, Thomas asked a question which elicited a long and instructive answer. Said Thomas: “Master, on the day we were set apart as ambassadors of the kingdom, you told us many things, instructed us regarding our personal mode of life, but what shall we teach the multitude? How are these people to live after the kingdom more fully comes? Shall your disciples own slaves? Shall your believers court poverty and shun property? Shall mercy alone prevail so that we shall have no more law and justice?” Jesus and the twelve spent all afternoon and all that evening, after supper, discussing Thomas’s questions. For the purposes of this record we present the following summary of the Master’s instruction: 142:7.2 (1603.3) Jesus sought first to make plain to his apostles that he himself was on earth living a unique life in the flesh, and that they, the twelve, had been called to participate in this bestowal experience of the Son of Man; and as such coworkers, they, too, must share in many of the special restrictions and obligations of the entire bestowal experience. There was a veiled intimation that the Son of Man was the only person who had ever lived on earth who could simultaneously see into the very heart of God and into the very depths of man’s soul. 142:7.3 (1603.4) Very plainly Jesus explained that the kingdom of heaven was an evolutionary experience, beginning here on earth and progressing up through successive life stations to Paradise. In the course of the evening he definitely stated that at some future stage of kingdom development he would revisit this world in spiritual power and divine glory. 142:7.4 (1603.5) He next explained that the “kingdom idea” was not the best way to illustrate man’s relation to God; that he employed such figures of speech because the Jewish people were expecting the kingdom, and because John had preached in terms of the coming kingdom. Jesus said: “The people of another age will better understand the gospel of the kingdom when it is presented in terms expressive of the family relationship—when man understands religion as the teaching of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, sonship with God.” Then the Master discoursed at some length on the earthly family as an illustration of the heavenly family, restating the two fundamental laws of living: the first commandment of love for the father, the head of the family, and the second commandment of mutual love among the children, to love your brother as yourself. And then he explained that such a quality of brotherly affection would invariably manifest itself in unselfish and loving social service. 142:7.5 (1603.6) Following that, came the memorable discussion of the fundamental characteristics of family life and their application to the relationship existing between God and man. Jesus stated that a true family is founded on the following seven facts: 142:7.6 (1604.1) 1. The fact of existence. The relationships of nature and the phenomena of mortal likenesses are bound up in the family: Children inherit certain parental traits. The children take origin in the parents; personality existence depends on the act of the parent. The relationship of father and child is inherent in all nature and pervades all living existences. 142:7.7 (1604.2) 2. Security and pleasure. True fathers take great pleasure in providing for the needs of their children. Many fathers are not content with supplying the mere wants of their children but enjoy making provision for their pleasures also. 142:7.8 (1604.3) 3. Education and training. Wise fathers carefully plan for the education and adequate training of their sons and daughters. When young they are prepared for the greater responsibilities of later life. 142:7.9 (1604.4) 4. Discipline and restraint. Farseeing fathers also make provision for the necessary discipline, guidance, correction, and sometimes restraint of their young and immature offspring. 142:7.10 (1604.5) 5. Companionship and loyalty. The affectionate father holds intimate and loving intercourse with his children. Always is his ear open to their petitions; he is ever ready to share their hardships and assist them over their difficulties. The father is supremely interested in the progressive welfare of his progeny. 142:7.11 (1604.6) 6. Love and mercy. A compassionate father is freely forgiving; fathers do not hold vengeful memories against their children. Fathers are not like judges, enemies, or creditors. Real families are built upon tolerance, patience, and forgiveness. 142:7.12 (1604.7) 7. Provision for the future. Temporal fathers like to leave an inheritance for their sons. The family continues from one generation to another. Death only ends one generation to mark the beginning of another. Death terminates an individual life but not necessarily the family. 142:7.13 (1604.8) For hours the Master discussed the application of these features of family life to the relations of man, the earth child, to God, the Paradise Father. And this was his conclusion: “This entire relationship of a son to the Father, I know in perfection, for all that you must attain of sonship in the eternal future I have now already attained. The Son of Man is prepared to ascend to the right hand of the Father, so that in me is the way now open still wider for all of you to see God and, ere you have finished the glorious progression, to become perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” 142:7.14 (1604.9) When the apostles heard these startling words, they recalled the pronouncements which John made at the time of Jesus’ baptism, and they also vividly recalled this experience in connection with their preaching and teaching subsequent to the Master’s death and resurrection. 142:7.15 (1604.10) Jesus is a divine Son, one in the Universal Father’s full confidence. He had been with the Father and comprehended him fully. He had now lived his earth life to the full satisfaction of the Father, and this incarnation in the flesh had enabled him fully to comprehend man. Jesus was the perfection of man; he had attained just such perfection as all true believers are destined to attain in him and through him. Jesus revealed a God of perfection to man and presented in himself the perfected son of the realms to God. 142:7.16 (1605.1) Although Jesus discoursed for several hours, Thomas was not yet satisfied, for he said: “But, Master, we do not find that the Father in heaven always deals kindly and mercifully with us. Many times we grievously suffer on earth, and not always are our prayers answered. Where do we fail to grasp the meaning of your teaching?” 142:7.17 (1605.2) Jesus replied: “Thomas, Thomas, how long before you will acquire the ability to listen with the ear of the spirit? How long will it be before you discern that this kingdom is a spiritual kingdom, and that my Father is also a spiritual being? Do you not understand that I am teaching you as spiritual children in the spirit family of heaven, of which the fatherhead is an infinite and eternal spirit? Will you not allow me to use the earth family as an illustration of divine relationships without so literally applying my teaching to material affairs? In your minds cannot you separate the spiritual realities of the kingdom from the material, social, economic, and political problems of the age? When I speak the language of the spirit, why do you insist on translating my meaning into the language of the flesh just because I presume to employ commonplace and literal relationships for purposes of illustration? My children, I implore that you cease to apply the teaching of the kingdom of the spirit to the sordid affairs of slavery, poverty, houses, and lands, and to the material problems of human equity and justice. These temporal matters are the concern of the men of this world, and while in a way they affect all men, you have been called to represent me in the world, even as I represent my Father. You are spiritual ambassadors of a spiritual kingdom, special representatives of the spirit Father. By this time it should be possible for me to instruct you as full-grown men of the spirit

Jesus Before Pilate

Covenant Community Sermons

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2019 52:27

Jesus has already been found guilty and sentenced to death by the Jewish Sanhedrin. He now goes before the Romans to have His fate decided by Pilate the Roman Governor. But all of this is according to God's Sovereign plan in order to purchase the salvation of His people. Jesus, the Innocent One, is declared guilty by the guilty ones, in order to purchase the pardon of all repenting sinners. Look upon Jesus! Trust Him! Rest in Him! Obey Him! Glorify Him! Preached by Lem Lane on April 7, 2019Mark 15:1-15 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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Moment of Meditation: How Majestic Is Your Name (Psalm 8)

Wrestling with Theology

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2019 1:00

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:1, 9) "How Majestic Is Your Name" We're continually assaulted with images and signs of the coming Christmas season. But what do we have before us? Christmas. The name of Christ is at the heart of the word. Just as He should be at the heart of this season and every season of life. Throughout the month of December, we'll look at various names given to Jesus by the prophets who proclaimed His first coming--especially Isaiah. All of this will be done under the auspices of David's statement, "how majestic is your name in all the earth!" When we talk about a "majestic" name, it means something. Something rich and honorable--like a king or the President of the United States. But the name of Jesus is much more rich and honorable than any other. As St. Peter said before the Jewish Sanhedrin, "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). What better way can we explain "majestic" than that? Amen.

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Luke 22:47-71 / Day 125

1-Year New Testament

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2019 2:53

Arrested, Denied by Peter, Judged by the Jewish Sanhedrin

arrested denied luke 22 judged jewish sanhedrin

Wisdom Through the Spirit (1 Corinthians Sermon 8) (Audio)

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Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2018

Introduction: The Information Age So turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. We are looking this morning at verses 6-16. We live in an age, relentlessly hungry for information. Some people even call it the information age. It was born by digital technology which has resulted in remarkable devices like the smartphone. It's amazing what these things can do. Search on Google, some words of archaic medieval poem, and it comes up in like three-tenths of a second. It's more than just freaky fast, it's just simply freaky. Google's supercomputers handle 40,000 search queries per second on average, 3.5 billion searches every day, and 1.5 trillion searches a year on average. So there's this relentless thirst for knowledge, for facts. And it extends to an instantaneous awareness of current events. An earthquake in Haiti, or popular uprising in Venezuela, the death of a celebrity, all of it coming to us in real time, as it's happening. This is the power of these smartphones. Data shows that by next year, there may be as many as 2.5 billion smartphone users worldwide. Yet for all of this amazing access to knowledge, there's an appalling lack of wisdom. The world continues to go on, in its foolishness, acting like there is no God, acting like there are no 10 Commandments, that there is no death, and no Judgment Day that follows. The gospel of Jesus Christ is being heard every single day by more people than ever before, in history, but it's also being rejected by more people than ever before in history. Now, the text that we're going to look at today explains why. Look at verse 14. "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned." But we who are Christians, we have been rescued from that spiritual darkness. And we have been specifically rescued from our darkness by the Holy Spirit of God. And so this morning we as Christians are going to celebrate the sovereign work of the Spirit in our lives. That He was able to speak into the darkness of our hearts, and show us Christ. And He's still doing that, He's going to continue to do that, as long as we live. This is the ministry of the Spirit of God. We're going to continue to follow the argument of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 1 and 2 as he wrote to the Corinthian church concerning the wisdom of God in the cross, and we're going to see specifically the ministry of the Spirit and delivering that wisdom to us. I. The Deep Mystery of God is Infinitely Wise The deep mystery of God is infinitely wise. Paul is tracing out for the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 1-2, the apparent foolishness of the Gospel. And he's done it for a very clear reason because the Corinthians, like all Greeks, loved human philosophy, they loved human wisdom, they were enamored with it. Greek philosophy was their glory, it's what made them shine in the world. And Paul is seeking to expose their pride, their arrogance, the utter foolishness of human wisdom. And so he's been revealing effectively the competing systems of wisdom here. God's wisdom versus man's wisdom. They're in direct competition. And he's been revealing how God's wisdom appears to be foolish to the world, to the natural mind. And he does it in three steps. First, in the middle part of 1 Corinthians 1, he begins by talking about the cross of Christ. And the cross of Christ seems foolish. How could a dead Jewish man on a Roman cross be the Savior of the world? That just seems foolish. And then the second step was the Corinthian church itself. How could such an assembly of people that no one really would want, not many wise, not many influential, not many of noble birth, the foolish people really of the world, that no one wants. They are Christ's church. And that seems foolish. And then the third step we looked at last week is how would God choose as a messenger someone like Paul, who was not a very polished speaker and had rejected the strategy of polished rhetoric and speaking. He put that aside, and was even that day, not at his best. He said he was with them in weakness and fear and much trembling. It seems foolish. Why would God use such a messenger? But there is, in fact, an amazing wisdom in all of this. So as Joel began his reading in verse six it starts with the word 'yet.' So, I've been tracing out why we're turning now, we're turning a corner concerning all of this. There actually is an amazing wisdom in all of this. He's been calling Christ crucified the foolishness of God and the weakness of God, but actually it is infinite wisdom, it is infinite strength. And in this competition between God's wisdom and man's wisdom, God is going to have the final word. God is in the business of leveling human pride. Isaiah 2 makes this plain that God is set against human arrogance, human pride, against all the lofty towers and the stately trading vessels, and all the high mountains of human arrogance, those are idolatrous self-worshipping systems of human arrogance. Isaiah 2 says that God is going to level all of that. "The Lord alone will be exalted in that day." And He uses the gospel and the church and messengers of the Gospel to level human pride. The Gospel is Actually an Infinitely Wise Message So actually, Paul says here, we do preach a message of wisdom. Look at verses 6 and 7, "We do however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined, decreed for our glory before time began." So Paul speaks of we, we being messengers like me. Faithful evangelists, faithful missionaries, faithful pastors who are preaching this message. We who are speaking this message, we actually are speaking a message of wisdom. In fact, you're going to see on Judgment Day just how wise this message really was. In my home state of Massachusetts up in Newburyport there is the burial site of one of the greatest evangelists of all time, George Whitefield. And Whitfield wanted this put on his tomb as a memorial, concerning his life, "Here lies George Whitefield. What sort of man he was, Judgment Day will reveal." Now George Whitefield was one of the most famous men on earth at that point. A lot of people spoke for him or against him. He said, "You want to know who I really am, wait till Judgment Day. Then you'll see." That's true of all of us, what kind of person we really were will be revealed on Judgment Day. Well, I want to take that idea and apply it to the Gospel. Here is the Gospel of Christ, how wise it really is will be revealed on Judgment Day. But it would be very good for all of us to see its wisdom now while there's time. Before Judgment Day comes when it's too late to believe this message, it is good for us now, by faith to see how wise the message of Christ and Him crucified, really is. And so he says, "To the mature, we speak a message of wisdom." Or to the perfect, that's one translation but I think it just means to those who have received this gospel message, to those who love it, who are swimming in it, and delight in it, we can see it, can't we? We can see this is a message of wisdom. So, among the mature we are speaking a message of wisdom. And this deep mystery of God is infinitely wise. It is wise because it lines up with the central reality there is in the universe. It's foolish to live in a fantasy, in a fantasy world, in a world that isn't. We believe that God the Creator and the King and the Judge has a throne in Heaven, and that throne is the center of the entire universe. And so it is infinitely foolish to deny that Creator, King and Judge, that God. But this gospel message lines us up with that central reality. So it is very wise. The deep mystery of God and Christ is infinitely wise also because there are just so many dimensions to it, it's a very deep, wise, multi-faceted thing, what God is doing with sinners in the world through Christ. And so, it's very wise actually. And it's so wise and so overwhelming that the Apostle Paul as he was unfolding the deepest clearest exposition of the gospel, which is the book of Romans, as he's going step by step by step, and especially in that section in Romans 9-11, where he's dealing with the perplexing problem of the Jews and why the overwhelming majority of the Jews are rejecting Christ, and he gives us three chapters of answer to that, including the future when all Israel will be saved and he goes through all of that. And then it's almost like he looks at what he's written and he can't fathom everything that the Holy Spirit has told him to write in the book of Romans. And so he just gives this incredible doxology. "Oh, the depths of the riches of the wisdom and the knowledge of God. How unsearchable His judgments. And His paths beyond tracing out. Who has known the mind of the Lord? And who has been His counselor?" And so he's just in awe at the words he wrote that he doesn't understand, but he wrote them as an instrument of the Holy Spirit. And so, it is wise, this gospel is wise, because it is so multi-faceted and complex. Thirdly, this deep mystery of God is infinitely wise, because it is so powerful in humbling humanity, and we need humbling. We have been allied with Satan in his arrogant rebellion against God, who sought to ascend and topple God from His heavenly throne. We joined him in the Garden of Eden, and we have been arrogant and lofty and so proud and boastful, this gospel is wise because it humbles us. And what it's going to do is it's going to rescue people from every tribe, language, people or nation and humble us and quiet us around the throne of God, where we celebrate His grace in saving us. That's what it's going to do. So it's a very wise message. It is also infinitely wise, because it displays all of the perfections, the qualities, the attributes of God, puts them all on display. God's power, His justice, His wisdom, His mercy, His kindness, His patience, His love, all of these things are on display in the cross and in the gospel. And so it's infinitely wise, finally, because it overcomes all of Satan's complex powerful opposition to it. Satan is very intelligent, far more intelligent than any of us, and he set up all of these faulty religions and these idolatrous systems, and they're very persuasive and they're very powerful. God's wisdom is wise because it knows how to topple all of those systems and level them and rescue us out of them all, redeemed in Heaven. So see how wise is this gospel, how infinitely wise. The Ultimate End of this Wisdom: God’s Glory and Ours Now, the ultimate end of all this, look at verse 7, is God's glory in ours, in our glory. That's the end, that's where we're heading. God will be glorified by us being glorified. Look at verse 7, it says, "We speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden, and that God destined or predestined or decreed for our glory, before time began." Now that's amazing. Before time began, God worked out this message, this gospel message, so that we would end up glorious in His presence. Now God does everything for His own glory, it says in Revelation 5:13. And this is a little glimpse of heavenly worship. They're all around the throne, and they are celebrating and this is what they say, "To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb," that's Jesus, "be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever." That's what we're going to be doing in heaven, just giving God the honor and the glory. So God does everything for that, for His own glory. But God will be most glorified in us when we are finally glorified in Him. When we are in our resurrection bodies, when we are shining like the sun in the kingdom of our Father, God will get maximum glory from any of His creatures at that point, that's the maximum glory there will ever be. And so God actually destined this message that we would be glorious in His presence, and it'll be His glory in us. It's not an independent glory like we're in competition, we'll be shining with His glory. In Revelation 21:10-11, an angel showed John the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. Now listen to this Revelation 21:11, "It shone with the glory of God and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel like a Jasper, clear as crystal." That's the people of God, and we're going to be shinning with the glory of God through Christ. So God destined this message before time began, that we would end up glorious in Him. How powerful is that? II. The Deep Wisdom of God is Hidden from the People of this Age Now, the deep wisdom, this deep wisdom of God that we've been talking about is hidden from the people of this age. It is a secret wisdom. Look again at verse 7, "No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began." This is a mysterious thing. This is a hidden wisdom. And Paul calls the wisdom of God, the secret thing hidden in the mind of God, he calls them the deep things of God. This is something that the world with all of its philosophical brilliance, or its scientific acumen, with all of the precision of human technology and science, we could never have figured it out, never have plumbed the depths of it. The focus of this wisdom is Christ who was hidden in the mind of God, before He revealed Him. Isaiah 49 speaks of Christ being concealed like a secret arrow in a quiver, and at the right time, He unveiled Him. And little by little He unveiled Him in prophecy, but then at the right time, unveiled Him. This wisdom has been hidden in the mind of God, and God destined for our glory before time began. So that means before God said, "Let there be light," He worked all of this out. Revelation 13:8 speaks of Jesus as the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. So that means He was effectively, it was worked out that He would die for our sins before God said, "Let there be light." All of this was worked out in the mind of God, before time began. And Ephesians 1 tells us that God chose His elect people from every tribe, language, people, and nation, before the world began. It says in Ephesians 1:4 that God "chose us in Christ," "before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight." So this is something God had worked out before the creation of the world. Now, God's wisdom is not the wisdom of this age. Verse 6, "Not the wisdom of this age or the rulers of this age who are coming to nothing." Here he makes it plain that the secret wisdom of God is not the wisdom that Satan is selling in the present age. The rulers of this age rejected it in every generation. So back in the day, the Greek heroes like Alexander the Great, who thought might makes right and won an empire with the edge of his sword, rejected the wisdom of God. And philosophical heroes like Plato and Aristotle and Socrates, they didn't discern the wisdom of God, they didn't discern Christ. And so also the rulers of our age are going to be universally rejecting the gospel of Christ. Don't be shocked by that, that the movers and shakers of the 21st century in America and around the world, the political leaders, the Fortune 500 CEO’s, the best and the brightest, the most brilliant individuals, the talking heads that everybody goes to for all this insight, for them, almost universally, this is foolishness. Just like it was in Paul's age. But Paul says the rulers of this age are coming to nothing. They're going to be exposed on Judgment Day as having been wrong, having been foolish. The crucifixion of Christ as essential moment in human history proves their blindness. Look at verse 8-9, "None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory." The rulers of this age proved that they did not understand what God was doing by crucifying Jesus. Some people think the rulers of this age refers to Satan and his demons, and that kind of terminology is used in Ephesians 6, but here I really think it's humans. Because in context he says, "As it is written, 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard…'" He's talking about human beings, human rulers. And so, Annas and Caiaphas and the Jewish Sanhedrin, by rejecting Jesus, by the high priest tearing his robes and saying, "He's spoken blasphemy," they didn't recognize that Jesus was what the text says, "the Lord of glory." They didn't see Jesus as the Lord of glory. And why? Because Isaiah 53:3 says, "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him." Nothing in His appearance, He just looked like an ordinary man, and they considered it blasphemy that He would be calling Himself the Son of God. And so, they didn't see it. If they had seen and known who He was, they would never have crucified Him. Pontius Pilate, I think he was puzzled by Jesus, he was troubled by Jesus. I think he wondered who Jesus was. His wife had a dream about Him, he was afraid of Jesus in some sense, but he didn't recognize Him as the Lord of Glory. If he had, he would never have given the order to his soldiers to crucify Him. They would not have crucified Him if they had known who He was, the Lord of glory. Supporting verse in verse 9, "However, as it is written, No eye has seen no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him." Now people who use this verse to talk about our own future. Like, I'm writing a book now on heaven, and one person said to me, "Well, I don't think we can know anything about heaven 'cause it says, 'No eye has seen no ear has heard, neither has it entered the heart of man what God has prepared for us in heaven.'" Just read the next verse. God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. So, so much for that. But I don't even think it's talking about Heaven, this is talking about Christ crucified and resurrected. It's talking about the gospel and no eye has seen, and no ear has heard and neither has it entered into the heart of man. The natural mind would never have thought of this. We would not have come up with this gospel. No human author, no William Shakespeare, no Charles Dickens, no Mark Twain, would have ever been able to concoct this, they never would have come up with this story. Some time ago I came across a bit of prose, written to just give us a sense of the greatness and the mystery of the life of Christ. Let me read it to you. It Said this: "More than nineteen hundred years ago there was a Man born contrary to the laws of life. This Man lived in poverty and was reared in obscurity. He did not travel extensively. Only once did He cross the boundary of the country in which He lived; that was during His exile in childhood. He possessed neither wealth nor influence. His relatives were inconspicuous, and had neither training nor formal education. In infancy He startled a king; in childhood He puzzled doctors; in manhood He ruled the course of nature, walked upon the billows as if pavements, and hushed the sea to sleep. He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His service. He never wrote a book, and yet all the libraries of the country could not hold the books that have been written about Him. He never wrote a song, and yet He has furnished the theme for more songs than all the song writers combined. He never founded a college, but all the schools put together cannot boast of having as many students. He never marshaled an army, nor drafted a soldier, nor fired a gun; and yet no leader ever had more volunteers who have, under His orders, made more rebels stack arms and surrender without a shot fired. He never practiced psychiatry, and yet He healed more broken hearts than all the doctors far and near. Once each week the wheels of commerce cease their turning and multitudes wend their way to worshipping assemblies to pay homage and respect to Him. The names of the past proud statesmen of Greece and Rome have come and gone. The names of the past scientists, philosophers, and theologians have come and gone; but the name of this Man abounds more and more. Though time has spread nineteen hundred years between the people of this generation and the scene of His crucifixion, yet He still lives. Herod could not destroy Him, and the grave could not hold Him. He stands forth upon the highest pinnacle of heavenly glory, proclaimed of God, acknowledged by angels, adored by saints, and feared by devils, as the living, personal Christ, our Lord and Savior." —The Incomparable Christ Now, no human author would come up with that, it's impossible. And the rulers of this age cannot understand this Wisdom. Verse 14, "The natural man," that's the literalistic translation. One translation says, "The man without the Spirit," but it's just the normal man, the non-supernatural man, "does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." Every unbeliever around the world is inherently hostile to both the Law and the Gospel. When he hears the law of God, he fights against it. Romans 8:7 says, "The mind of the flesh is hostile to God, it does not submit to God's law, indeed it cannot." III. The Spirit Searches Out and Reveals to Us the Deep Wisdom of God The mind of the flesh, that's the natural mind, hates the law of God. Ten commandments, two great commandments, hates, fights against it. But also in this text, we would say the unregenerate mind does not accept the good news of the Gospel either. The blind eye cannot receive sight. No unbeliever can ever be talked into or persuaded to, or threatened or bribed or coerced into faith in Christ, just like none of those things would make a blind eye see. It's beyond us to do that. The Spirit searches out and reveals to us the deep wisdom of God. However, though no eye has seen, though no ear has heard, though it has not entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him, the Spirit has revealed these things to us. When I was going back over the sermon a couple of days ago, it became pretty emotional for me at this point because I have increasingly realized what I owe to the third person of the Trinity for my salvation. I would still be an unbeliever. I was converted at age 19 as a junior at MIT. I've gone on into a career in science and would never believed if it weren't for the Spirit. Look at verse 10, "But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit," unveiled it to us by the Spirit. Look at the powerful work of the Spirit of God in Verse 10-11, "The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." Now, the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. We believe in one God who has eternally existed in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, co-equal with God the Father, and God the Son, and His unique role in all of this, is to reveal Christ to unbelieving minds. To do it powerfully and effectively. And first, the text says, He searches all things, even the deep things of God. This reminds me of the first two verses of the Bible, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." So you get the sense of the depths and the darkness, and the Spirit is active and ready to work. The images of undulating chaos and turbulence and darkness and the Spirit of God hovering over the waters, He's ready to bring light and order out of the darkness and out of the chaos. Do not think the Holy Spirit of God was not involved in creation, He was. Just as Jesus was involved in creation, triune God created all things. And so it is with human conversion. 2 Corinthians 4:6 says, "God who said Let light shine out of darkness, made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." This text is saying He does that by the Spirit. By the Spirit, God says Let the light of Christ shine in your heart. That's what the Spirit has done for me and for all of you who are Christians. And what's amazing here, is the Spirit is said to understand the mind of God. And by extension, I'm gonna say He understands the human mind as well, He searches the mind of God, He searches out the deep things of God. Remember that doxology, Oh, the depth of the riches, the wisdom and the knowledge of God. Who has known the mind of the Lord?" This text actually answers. The Spirit has, the Spirit knows the deep things of God, He plumbs the infinite depths of the mind of God. He knows exactly what God the Father wants out of the human race. He knows what God the Father intended in sending His only begotten son Jesus into the world. He's not misunderstood theology, He's actually really good at theology. The Spirit understands predestination, election, He understands justification by faith alone, He understands sanctification, He understands glorification, He understands every heading of theology very, very well. He has searched out the mind of God and knows exactly what God thinks about all of these things. And though it doesn't say overtly here in the text, it's true, He understands your mind too. He's able to plumb the twisted dark depths of the human sinful mind. Says in Jeremiah 17:9-10, "The heart," the human heart, "is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind." He does that by the Spirit. So what that means is the Spirit of God both searches God's mind and searches our minds and is able to convert us and bring us together. He knows how to heal us, He knows how to give us spiritual sight when we are blind. I don't know if this is a good analogy, but I look on Him this morning, at least as a master safe cracker. He's able to pick the locks of your deceitful heart, and suddenly the door swings open. How did that happen? You put up all these defenses against Jesus. How many defenses did Saul of Tarsus put against this gospel? Remember how He said, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads." He's been pressed, he's been pushed to faith in Christ, but he's resisting, resisting, resisting. But the Spirit of God is able to cause the locked gates of the soul to swing open to Jesus. He has that kind of power, He did it in my heart. All of you who are genuinely converted, He did it in your hearts too. He has that kind of power and that is a miracle, it's called the miracle of the new birth, of being born again. Jesus said to Nicodemus, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again." But Nicodemus didn't understand that, and so Jesus used this, in other words He said, "Flesh gives birth to flesh but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit. The wind blows where it wishes, you hear its sound but you can't tell where it comes from, where it's going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." So the Spirit works on us to be born again to faith in Christ, and so every Christian in the world owes his or her salvation as much to the Spirit as he does to Christ. Jesus provided the atoning blood, the Spirit painted it on the doorpost and lintels of your soul. Just like the Israelites did on the night of Passover, He has painted the blood of Christ on you, and by that you are saved. Without that, it never happens. Jesus died 2000 years ago, and many people have heard about it and know about it and never believed it and went to hell. And so there needs to be that separate act of the application of the blood of Christ to our souls individually, and the Spirit does that. And the Spirit, verse 12-13, teaches us the words of the Gospel, the words of theology. Look what it says, "We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truth in spiritual words." So the spirit of the world, Satan, is teaching worldlings, the people of the world, the language of the world. The language of wealth, the language of power, the language of pleasure, the language of self, that's what the spirit of this age is teaching the people of this age. But the Spirit from God teaches us the language of spiritual riches that God is giving us. He puts these riches into words that people like Paul and pastors like me speak, that's all we do. Just words, words that capture how rich Christians are in the Gospel. And the Holy Spirit is able to marry spiritual truths with spiritual words. It's a difficult phrase in the Greek, but the sense is, He's putting together, knitting together, the spiritual truths that God is giving in words where you get to understand what they are. Because they're all invisible. And so the Spirit teaches us the words of theology, the words of preaching, the words of scripture, so that we can understand how rich we are in Jesus IV. The Spirit of God Transforms Our Judgments Now, the Spirit of God also transforms our status and our judgment. Look at Verse 15-16, "The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment, for who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ." Martin Luther, who was put under a death sentence by the Catholic authorities, the Holy Roman Emperor and by the Pope used this text to say I'm above all of your judgments. You can't do anything to me. I am not judged by any of you. I've been already judged at the cross, and now I am innocent through faith in Christ. And so we're not under any worldly judgment, we've been already judged and now declared to be 'not guilty' through faith in Christ. But we get to evaluate the world, we get to judge the world, we get to say that the pleasures and the powers and the principalities of this world are going to nothingness, and we'll still be standing when they're all swept away by the judgment of God. And then Paul says, amazingly, the last verse of this chapter, "We have the mind of Christ." Isn't that amazing? If you're a Christian you have the mind of Christ. Not you ought to have it, you do. Through the indwelling Spirit, you are already fully capable of thinking like Jesus Christ, about everything. And yet Philippians 2, Paul says to the Philippian Christians there, "Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ," and then talks about humility. So it's like, how do I put that together? Ah, contradiction in the Bible. No. He says here, You have the mind of Christ. In Philippians 2, he says, now use it, think like Jesus. And so in everything at every moment of our lives, we're able to think and then live like Jesus, by the power of the Spirit. V. Applications Alright, applications. First to the unconverted, the things of the Gospel, maybe when you walked in here even this morning, might have seemed foolish to you. But maybe this morning, something's happening inside your mind, inside your heart. Happened to me. October of 1982 it happened to me, and all of a sudden things change. Maybe that's happening for you. You've heard the Gospel this morning of God sending His Son who died on the cross for sinners like you and me, that we're justified, we're made righteous by faith, not by works, that's the gospel. And it may be that this is happening to you right now, you're seeing yourself more and more as a person who needs a Savior, that you have violated God's laws, that you need a Savior, and that Jesus is the Savior. If this is happening to you, this is the work of the Holy Spirit. And not only that, He begins to show you how glorious Jesus is, and you feel an attraction, a magnetic attraction, to Jesus and you want to follow Him, this is the work of the Holy Spirit of God. Let me just give you a warning, if today you hear His voice, don't harden your heart, don't put it off, call on the name of the Lord. You don't have to go anywhere, even now you can cry out inside your mind, inside your heart, Jesus save me, and He will. Now for you who are Christians, stand in awe of the wisdom of God in all of this. You have been instructed how amazingly wise this gospel is, just stand in awe of that. This is a wise message. And isn't it amazing that He crafted it for your glory? Think about that. This message will glorify you. It is the power of God for your full salvation, it will get you to glory, just stand in awe of that. And secondly, give the Holy Spirit full credit for your salvation. Thank God for sending the Spirit for you. Understand you would still be in darkness and blind and not born again if it weren't for the Spirit of God. Thirdly, rejoice that the Spirit's not done working on you, He's still hovering over the deep of your heart. He's still got more things to teach you, He's teaching you more and more the significance of the final statement. You have the mind of Christ. Now use it, use it here, use it there, use it in thinking about money, use it in thinking about marriage, use it in thinking about sex, use it in thinking about your time, use it in thinking about everything. You have the mind of Christ, now use it. And feed on this Scripture, feed on the word to know what that means. The mind of Christ totally harmonizes with the words of Scripture and the Spirit can minister that to you. Fifth, understand the state of the lost. We are surrounded by people who are without hope, and without God in the world, and they will never understand this message, and they're lost and they're on their way to hell. If they're not converted, they will be condemned for their sins. This is the only hope for them. And as you begin to talk to them, you're going to begin to realize just how true verse 14 really is. It's going to seem foolishness to them, they're going to push back on it, etcetera. Don't give up, the Holy Spirit has power to transform sinners. He has the power to pick the locks of their soul, and it will swing open, or just maybe blow open all the defenses and then the light floods in. How powerful is that? And so, let us this week, just say, Lord lead me to someone who's ready to hear this message and just open the gates of their soul. I would love to see that happen. I would love to be sharing the gospel with someone who says, "That sounds good. What do I do?" So it's like, Lord lead me to someone who's ready to come to Christ and I will rejoice. Close with me in prayer. Father, we thank You for the time that we've had in Your Word, we thank You for the power of the word, we thank You for the power of the Spirit in our lives. Thank you that You hovered over the deep of the mind of God, and You are able to draw the truths from the mind of God and deliver them to us. And thank You that You have hovered over the depths of our own twisted wickedness, the deceitfulness of our minds and You've been able to bring the truth through all of those obstacles, and barriers and hatred and dislikes, in order that we might be saved. God, make us truly thankful and make us bold as never before. Bold in our sharing of the Gospel. It's in Your name that we pray, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Ep 415 – Acts 13:13-41

Devotionary

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2018 10:24

What do you think Paul would have to say to a synagogue full of Jews living in a foreign country, far from the land of Israel? Well, thanks to Luke, we don’t have to guess. He provides us with the details of just such a sermon, delivered by Paul in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. And he takes a note from the apostle Peter’s play book, mirroring the content he used when he had spoken before the high priest and the Jewish Sanhedrin. Paul basically gives a history lecture, but with a very specific objective. He is trying to get them to understand that all of Jewish history pointed to Jesus as the Messiah or Christ. God had led them out of captivity in Egypt, back to the land of Canaan, the land promised to Abraham – but for a much greater reason than just their occupation of it and infatuation with it. God had given the people of Israel judges and then kings, including King David, but they were meant to hold the nation together, until such a time that God would send His Son. Paul’s whole objective was to get to Jesus. He is not only the consummation of Israelite history, but of the entire world. He is the focus of all human history. But these Jews, hung up on their heritage and religious rituals, ran the risk of missing the very one God had promised to Abraham: The seed who would bless all the nations of the world.

god jesus christ israel acts jewish jews sermon israelites king david barnabas his son antioch acts 13 jewish sanhedrin

KAPOW-"Social Masonry pt.5"- The Sanhedrin, Haters of Christ

KAPOW Radio Show

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2016 84:00

We trace the origins of the ancient Jewish Sanhedrin to the 1st Century murder of Jesus Christ with the persecutions and murders of the Apostles of Christ. We show how the Illuminati, Globalists, and Elites are still part of this nobility serpent seed bloodline. We reveal the ancient Hebrew language word play between the words Stone and Son, and show how the Stone motif became a Messianic doctrine of Christ. The Sanhedrin Freemasons use the Corner Stone Ceremony to mock and hate the name of Jesus because they still to this day utterly hate God and His Son Jesus. They also hate anyone who preaches the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

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The Third Temple Update-Part 2

Contending for Truth Podcast, Dr. Scott Johnson

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2009 63:58

The Third Temple Update-Part 2 8/16/2009 Muslim leader Adnan Oktar recently met with three representatives from the re-established Jewish Sanhedrin, a group of 71 Orthodox rabbis and scholars from Israel, to discuss how religious Muslims, Jews and Christians can work together on the project. Adnan Oktar is a controversial but highly influential Muslim intellectual and…

israel christians jews muslims orthodox third temple jewish sanhedrin adnan oktar

The Third Temple Update-Part 1

Contending for Truth Podcast, Dr. Scott Johnson

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2009 59:03

The Third Temple Update - 2 Parts8/16/2009 Muslim leader Adnan Oktar recently met with three representatives from the re-established Jewish Sanhedrin, a group of 71 Orthodox rabbis and scholars from Israel, to discuss how religious Muslims, Jews and Ch...

israel jews muslims orthodox third temple jewish sanhedrin adnan oktar

The Folly of the Loudest Voice - Audio

jesus christ jerusalem authority temple equivocation jewish sanhedrin

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2009 49:16

It's often said 'the loudest voice always wins'. Such was the case when the Jewish Sanhedrin judged Jesus guilty of blasphemy. Such was the case with Peter, who avoided certain criminal charges by forcefully denouncing his affiliation to Jesus. But while the loudest voice may always sin, the loudest voice you can hear may not be God's.

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Jesus' actions in the Temple at Jerusalem had incited the members of the Jewish Sanhedrin. They were the self-proclaimed guardians of the Temple, and they demanded that Jesus tell them 'by what authority' He had acted as He did.

Put an End to Equivocation - Audio

jesus christ jerusalem authority temple equivocation jewish sanhedrin

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2008 34:16

Put an End to Equivocation - Audio

jesus christ jerusalem authority temple equivocation jewish sanhedrin

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2008 34:16

Put an End to Equivocation - PDF

jesus christ jerusalem authority temple equivocation jewish sanhedrin

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2008

Trouble Ahead: The Kingdom Advances Through Suffering (Matthew Sermon 38 of 151) (Audio)