God in Ancient China

 

Hebrews 1:1-2

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 

God has spoken to people in many ways:  Through the Prophets, through Jesus' words on the cross, through the Gospels, through preaching and other ways.  In this video God speaks to the Chinese people through their own written language.  The characters used here are the traditional Mandarin characters, that are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.  The characters in China were "simplified" during Mao's Cultural Revolution.

The oldest known reference of written Chinese characters was from 2,500 years before the birth of Christ. This puts it very close to the death of Shem who actually lived through many examples mentioned here, such as the Flood and the Tower of Babel.

Lessons From Jesus on the Cross #8 - Into Your Hands

Today, we have the final lesson in our Study:  Lessons from Jesus on the Cross.  This lesson is called I Commit my Spirit. 

(Luke 23:44-46)

Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.' " Having said this, He breathed His last.

Once again, Jesus is quoting a Psalm by David.  This quotation comes from Psalm 31:5

(Psalm 31:5)

Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

David and Jesus Trusted God While Under Attack

David is acknowledging his total trust that God will deliver him from his suffering.  Ths psalm isn’t a prophecy of the crucifixion; it’s a statement about God’s faithfulness.  Look at the context in the psalm:

(Psalm 31:1-5)

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. In You, O LORD, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name's sake, Lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

So, we see that David was being under attack by enemies.  Look at the things he said here:

1)      Deliver me

2)      Be a fortress for me

3)      Pull me from the net (snare/trap) they secretly laid for me

4)      Into your hands I commit my spirit

He’s saying I’m in trouble, people are trying to destroy me, deliver me I’m trusting in you.  There is a parallel to Jesus here.  The religious leaders of Jesus’ time plotted in secret to destroy Jesus. During His ministry they questioned Him, slandered Him, attacked Him and tried to kill Him twice.  One by Pushing him off a cliff. 

(Luke 4:28-30)

So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

They also tried to stone Him:

(John 8:58-59)

Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Both trusted God in life, for deliverance.  In Jesus’ case He is trusting God in death, as well. This is an example for us that we can trust in God., for His guidance and direction in Life and His promises in death. Once again there are lessons for us in all of this.  Let’s look at those lessons:

God’s Promises in Life

We put our trust in a lot of things.  We trust in our education, “If I get a good education, I will get a good job!”.  We trust in our job, “This company will always do well and support me and my family!”. We trust in money, “If I make a lot of money things will be good, money will always have value!” (Ask Iranians if that’s true.) 

In Psalm 31 David makes an interesting statement:

(Psalm 31:6)

I have hated those who regard useless idols; But I trust in the LORD.

What he’s saying is that he considers those who regard idols to be an abomination.  In simpler terms, he’s disgusted by them. Idols are made by men’s hands; how can they have any power look at what Isaiah said about them:

(Isaiah 44:14-17)

He cuts down cedars for himself, And takes the cypress and the oak; He secures it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it. Then it shall be for a man to burn, For he will take some of it and warm himself; Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread; Indeed he makes a god and worships it; He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it. He burns half of it in the fire; With this half he eats meat; He roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He even warms himself and says, "Ah! I am warm, I have seen the fire." And the rest of it he makes into a god, His carved image. He falls down before it and worships it, Prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god!"

These people put their trust in natural things.  They use wood to make a fire, and to cook food and then takes the rest of the log and makes it a god.  Whatever you put before God becomes an idol. If you trust in your education, your job, or your money more than you trust God then you are an idolator.  I’m not saying, “Don’t get an education, don’t avoid working, be poor!”  I’m not saying that, I’m just saying that our trust needs to be in God’s promises and not worldly things.  Let’s look at some of the promises God makes about our lives:

(Psalm 46:1-3)

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

God is a very present help in time of need. 

(Isaiah 41:10)

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

Fear Not, I will help you!

(Proverbs 16:9)

A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

We make plans, but sometimes we make plans according to our own ideas.  If we ask God for guidance, He will guide us and direct us.

(Psalm 9:9-10)

The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

He will be a refuge.  A refuge is a safe place.  He won’t forsake those who seek Him.

(Philippians 4:19)

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

God will supply our needs. 

(Matthew 6:31-34)

"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

These are the kinds of things that David trusted God for in his lifetime.  God met those needs.  God lived up to those promises in his life.  He will also live up to those promises in our lives.  There are a lot of life promises.  That would be a good personal study to undertake.

Promises After Death

God also makes promises for what happens after our lives.  I have a friend who is a believer in reincarnation.  The thought is that you can only make it to heaven if you do everything correctly here on earth.  If not, you’re doomed to repeat your life over and over until you get it right.  The problem with that is that no one ever gets it right.  So, they endlessly repeat life. The law that was given to Moses was the same thing.  You had to do everything right to make it to heaven.  But we couldn’t, so God sent his Son to die for us in order that we can make it to Heaven.  Look at the promises of Heaven and the afterlife.

(John 3:16-17)

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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

(John 5:24-25)

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.

Whoever believes in Jesus will have everlasting life.

(John 11:24-26)

Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

Jesus is talking to Martha after the death of Lazarus. He then proves it by calling Lazarus out of the grave.  But what is it like after we’ve died?  Let’s look:

(Revelation 22:1-5)

 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

Finally, there is this:

(Revelation 21:4-5)

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."

These are the promises of God

Some commentators say there are approximately 3000 promises of God.  These are direct promises where God says “I WILL!” do this or that.  There are others though.  Everett Storms a Bible scholar identified about 7,487 promises in the Bible and Christian literature. 

Rev 21:5 makes the statement “Write for these words are faithful and true.  As an exercise when you read the Bible and come across a direct promise mark it and count it.  My father-in-law keeps a book and he marks down scripture references in it when something speaks to him.  Write down scripture references of promises when you come across them.  It will help strengthen your faith. 

Trust in God. Into His hands commit YOUR spirit!

Lessons From Jesus on the Cross #7 - It is Finished

 Last week we talked about the statement, “I thirst.”  That once again pointed to the fulfillment of prophecy.  Immediately following that statement Jesus Said:

(John 19:29-30)

Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

This is the moment of Jesus’ death.  “It is finished.”  Then He gave up His spirit. 

There was a work that Jesus did on the cross.  There was something He was there to complete.  Today I want to examine that work.

If I asked you why did Jesus have to die on the cross, I would bet that you all have an answer.  Right? So, why did Jesus have to die on the cross.  To free us from sin! Let’s look at some scriptures that explain that.

So, let’s start with the Old Testament;

Sin Separates Us from God

(Genesis 2:15-17)

  Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

Because of Sin we are separated from God.  God commanded Adam that he could eat of any tree in the Garden with the exception of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  Look what happened after Adam and Eve did exactly that and sinned:

(Genesis 3:22-24)

Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"—therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

God drove them out of the Garden.  He separated Himself from them. He no longer walked with them in the cool of the Garden.  What is His reasoning?  It’s right there in verse 22: “Lest (in case) He put out his hand and take also of the fruit of the Tree of Life and live forever.”

(Psalm 14:2-3)

The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.

Mankind turned away from God and was corrupted.  So, after this mankind was separated from God.  God’s perfect creation was corrupted.  You can think of it like divorce.  The relationship becomes corrupted, it’s become unworkable, the couple must separate and can’t be together unless there is some kind of reconciliation.

Adam and Eve sinned and became corrupted and that corruption passed down through them to all generations.  We all have that taint or iniquity of sin on us.  Jesus came to earth to overcome sin, and separation from God.  To reconcile us with God.  Reconcile means to bring us back together.  But how dos His death reconcile us with God?

Sin Requires Atonement

In order to be reconciled with God there must be an atonement for sin.  Atonement means that there is an action that makes amends for a wrong, in this case, sin.  In the Book of Leviticus God created a system of sacrifices that atone for sin.

(Leviticus 17:11)

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.'

This scripture tells that the Key component of atonement is BLOOD.  There is a day of atonement that takes place once a year.  Look at how it plays out:

(Leviticus 16:15-16)

"Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

A goat is killed and its blood is sprinkled on the altar and on the MERCY SEAT.  The Mercy Seat is on the top of the Ark of the Covenant and is the place that God He would meet with His people.  So blood is sprinkled there to atone for our sin. 

(Hebrews 9:22)

And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

The book of Hebrews tells us that only blood can cause the remission of sin.  Remission comes from the word remit which means to send away.  Our sin is sent away through blood atonement. 

One final word about atonement is that the word translated as atonement mean to cover.  We as Christians say, “I’m covered by the blood of Jesus.”  In other words, Jesus’ blood atones for our sin.

The Passover Lamb

I want to look for a moment at the Passover Lamb.  In the book of Exodus, there are ten curses that God put on the Egyptians in order to get Pharaoh to release the Israelites.  Water turned to blood, Flies, Lice, Frogs, Death of livestock, Boils, Fire and Hail, Locusts, Darkness and the Death of the Firstborn. 

The ritual od Passover was instituted for the last plague, the death of the firstborn. We did a study once before on Passover.  But here is the part that I want you to see:

(Exodus 12:6-7)

Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it.

Okay, so the lamb is killed and blood is put on the doorposts and the lintel of the house.

(Exodus 12:12-13)

'For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

When God passes through the land, He will see the blood on the doorposts and pass over those homes and not kill the firstborn there.  It is like a mark or a seal on them that protects them.  Now let’s flash forward to Jesus’ time.  Jesus is about to begin His ministry.  John the Baptist is out preaching “Repent for the Kingdom of God is near!”  Jesus walks up and:

(John 1:29)

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

  This is a reference to the Passover Lamb.  If you draw a line from the blood on the lintel to the ground below it, and a line from one doorpost to the other.  The blood makes the shape of a cross. As Jesus is hung on the ross there is blood from the wounds on His head and feet and from His Hands.  It is similar to the smears of blood on the lintel and doorpost on Passover.  Jesus is the Passover Lamb for us!

The Work of the Cross

Let’s look back at what we have said here today.

1.      Our sin separates us from God and requires atonement in order to reconcile with God.

2.      The Price of Atonement is Blood.

3.      Ther blood of the Passover Lamb preserved the life of the Israelites in Egypt.

4.      Jesus is the Passover Lamb

So, what did Jesus do on the cross and who did he do it for?

(Romans 3:23-25)

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

We are all sinners.  All of us have done things that violate God’s commands to us.  Even after accepting Jesus’ sacrifice and redemption we still sin.  It is our nature as human beings.

(1Timothy 1:15)

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

This is Paul saying this but I think we can all put our own names on this. We have all sinned and we all put Him on the cross.

(1 Corinthians 15:3)

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

Christ Died for OUR sins!

(2 Corinthians 5:21)

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

 In the atonement ritual, not only is one goat killed and his blood spread on the Mercy Seat, but there is a second goat.  The High priest lays hands on the second goat and transfers the sins of the people on to that goat.  In a sense making him to be the sin of the people.  He was then led into the wilderness and the sin removed from the people.

(Ephesians 1:7)

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

His death and blood spilled is the price of atonement and reconciliation with God.  This is the work of the cross. Finally, look at this:

(Matthew 27:51)

Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,

The veil in the temple was the symbol of our separation from God.  That veil separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple.  The Holy of Holes is the place where God dwelt in the Temple.  That veil enforced the separation but on Jesus’ death the veil was torn in two.  We were no longer separated from God.  This is the work.  He paid the price of atonement and reconciled us with God.  He cried out “It is finished!” at the completion of that work.

 

 

 

Lessons From Jesus on the Cross #6 - I Thirst

Today, we’ll look at the fifth thing that Jesus said as he hung on the cross. “I Thirst.”

Last time we looked at Psalm 22:1 and its prophecy of the crucifixion.  How all the things described in that psalm related to what Jesus endured on the cross.  Today’s study also includes a prophecy, though it isn’t as extensive as the other one.  Look at this:

(John 19:28)

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!"

  The prophecy fulfilled here also comes from King David; Psalm 69:21

(Psalm 69:21)

They also gave me gall for my food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Another fulfillment of scripture.  Another proof of the truth of the Bible.  But to me this isn’t the main lesson for us. I want to look at something else here.  We have said many times that Jesus was fully God and fully man.  That is, that He is God become man.  I want to examine that for a bit:

The Divinity of Jesus

(John 1:1-5)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

This is a powerful statement by John that Jesus was God: “the Word was with God and the Word was God.”  Jesus is the Word of God. John straight out says, The Word was God.   The Freek word logos is translated as WORD.  So, we know that the Word was with God and the Word was God.  But look at what it says in John 1:14.

 

(John 1:14)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

In what Form did God, (the Word) dwell among us.  The manifestation of God as a human being comes in the form of Jesus; the only begotten Son of God.

(John 1:18)

No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

Jesus is referred to as the only begotten Son of God eleven times in the New Testament.  Why begotten Son?  Why not just say son?  Look at this:

(Job 1:6)

 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.

Sons?  I thought there was only one!  Satan among them? Sons of God is a reference to angels, those that were created directly by God not created through a woman.  “Begotten” means that the son came into being through a woman.  Jesus, in human form, was born through Mary.

(Luke 1:30-35)

Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

So, Jesus is not only the only begotten Son of God, but also God, as the Word was God). So, we have established Jesus as God.  There’s one more reference that I want to show you.  Jesus Himself refers to himself as God.

(John 8:56-59)

Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM.”  Then they all picked up stones to throw at Him.  This is not because the were into grammar.  It’s because what He was saying is that He existed from the beginning.  He was saying that he was God.  The Jews saw that as blasphemy.  He had made Himself equal to God.  Finally in Exodus, Chapter  

(Exodus 3:13-14)

Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?" And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.' "

I AM is the Name of God.

The Humanity of Jesus

We’ve established that Jesus was divine; that he was God made man.  But this part of the crucifixion demonstrates to us the humanity of Jesus as well.  He’s going through this intense suffering and cries out “I’m thirsty!”  Last time we talked about this a little bit.  Blood loss results in a great thirst.  But we can also see His humanity in other ways as well:

After that last supper, Jesus took His apostles to pray.  He knew what was about to happen.  Remember?  He told them that one of them would betray Him. Then Judas left to go do exactly that.  So, they rest of them go off to pray, and look at what happens:

(Luke 22:39-44)

Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Jesus knows what He’s about to face.  He knows what crucifixion is like.  He cries out to God.  Can this cup pass from Me?  Is it necessary to do this, this way?  Your will not mine be done.  He prayed and was in such agony, that he actually sweat blood.  An angel came to strengthen Him.  Mark’s Gospel says that He cried out three times.

Jesus, like us is suffering emotionally.  We all face anxiety and emotional pain.  Jesus being incarnated as a human has the same emotional response to intense agony. 

On the cross we see all that He suffered.  The pain of nails driven through His hands and feet.  The rough made cross scraping the wounds that He received through the scourging.  Gasping for breath, pushing up on the nails in His feet and hands to gulp a breath and the great thirst from the heat, exertion and blood loss.  All of this speaks to His humanity. His physical body tortured, beaten and bloodied.    

(Hebrews 2:9-10)

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

The Lessons

What does this say to us?  What are the lessons for us?

1.       This is what Salvation costs.  In the US we say that there’s a price for freedom.  Many US soldiers have sacrificed their lives to allow us to have the freedoms that we have.

What we see in this scripture is the price of freedom from sin:  The cost of salvation.  The tremendous price paid by Jesus so that we could be reconciled to God.  That should fill us with reverence.  

I did a sermon a number of years ago talking about the altar.  In it I mentioned that 3 of David’s mighty men fought their way through the Philistines to get him a cup of water from the well by the gate.  When they brought it to him:

(2 Samuel 23:17)

And he said, "Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men.

He’s acknowledging the price that was paid for that.  It’s a way of honoring those men. When we look at the suffering of Jesus, we also should honor all that was given for us.

2.      Obedience. Jesus exemplifies obedience to God’s will.  Take a look at your life, are you obedient to god’s will for your life.

      This obedient?

(Philippians 2:8)

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

What are we willing to sacrifice of our own will to serve Him?  Someone used to say, “Jesus died for you, can you live for Him?”

One last thing!

3.      Ministering to Christ:

 (John 19:29-30)

Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

 

One of the soldiers put this sour wine (actually vinegar) to Jesus’ lips.  This was really an act of compassion on his part.  The soldiers drank sour wine with their meals. It was intended to refresh.  He was “ministering” to Jesus.  In light of that look at this

 

(Matthew 10:40-42)

"He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."

Jesus calls on us to meet the needs of others.  That is how we minister to Jesus.

 

 

 

 

Lessons From Jesus on the Cross #5 - My God, My God

 Today we will examine the next thing that Jesus said on the cross: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!”

(Mark 15:34)

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"

We see that and we think to ourselves, “Why is He saying that?” Today we will look at what’s happening here!

A thousand years before the crucifixion King David wrote the 22^nd psalm.  Look at the opening line of that psalm:

(Psalm 22:1)

To the Chief Musician. Set to "The Deer of the Dawn." a Psalm of David. My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?

It’s interesting to look at this psalm and break it down to see the relationship between the psalm and the actual crucifixion. This is a prophecy by David So let’s look at it and at the end we will look at the lesson that is here:

 

The Psalm:

(Psalm 22:6-8)

But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, "He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!"

The Bible:  A Prophecy from Isaiah 700 years before the crucifixion

(Isaiah 53:3)

He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

The crucifixion:

(Mark 15:29-32)

And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, "Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!" Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

So, those who Jesus had cried out for forgiveness for were mocking Him.

The term "reviled" means to criticize someone strongly or to say unpleasant things about them. It involves using scornful or abusive language to assail someone. This is more than just disagreeing with Him.  It’s more than criticizing Him.  It is contempt, it demonstrates intense disgust.

The Psalm:

(Psalm 22:14-15)

I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death.

The Crucifixion:

(John 19:28)

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!"

This is pretty self-explanatory. Blood loss causes extreme thirst.  

The Psalm:

(Psalm 22:16-17)

For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.

The Crucifixion

(John 19:32-34)

Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

 

The Psalm:

(Psalm 22:18)

They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.

The Crucifixion:

(Mark 15:24)

And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.

The way Jesus’ clothes were made, made them valuable.  So, the Roman Soldiers cast lots to see who would get them

The Psalm:

(Psalm 22:30-31)

A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, That He has done this.

The Bible:

(Philippians 2:10-11)

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

So, it’s very amazing that all of the things that happened on the cross were prophesied by David one thousand years prior. Many times, atheists will tell you that the Bible is a book of myths and fables, but I believe that it’s a historical record. There is archaeological proof that David lived and was king of Israel at the time he was.  There is archaeological proof that Jesus lived, died and rose again.  In fact, there is more evidence of the resurrection of Jesus than of the life of Julius Caeser.

The Gospels are eyewitness testimonies to the events of Jesus’ life.  Look at this:

(1Corinthians 15:3-7)

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.

The Book of Corinthians was written in 53-55 AD.  Jesus died in 33 AD.  This is an account written by the apostle Paul, documenting that more than 500 people saw Jesus alive after he had been crucified. 

In establishing the authenticity of the text there are 4 standards used.

1.      Internal Consistency – Does the information remain consistent throughout the text.

Psalm 22 is written 1000 years before the Gospel by a different person and the accounts match.

2.      Number of Sister Copies – The Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in 1947 have the same information contained in the Bible with exact wording

3.      Dating of Manuscripts – 1 Corinthians is written approximately 20 years after the Crucifixion.

4.      Archaeological Evidence – There is archaeological evidence of places and people in the Bible. For example, the location of Noah’s Ark in Türkiye has been discovered and scientists have used ground penetrating radar and other scientific methods to determine it exists.  (By the way, The daily Mail Newspaper in England, just this week, announced that the ark in Turkey is 100% Noah’s Ark, because of the discovery of rooms and chambers under the ground.)

For me prophecies like this prove the truths written in the Bible.  If we are convinced of Biblical truth then what is the lesson of the prophecy and the crucifixion?

As Jesus hung on the cross, He used the first verse of Psalm 22 to call attention to the fact that this was prophesied in the scriptures.  These people in the crowd being Pharisees and Sadducees knew the scriptures.  Saying, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me” would bring that to their minds.  

It brings them to a place where they either had to agree and believe the Jesus is Whom He said He was or reject it.    He saying, “Look at what you’re doing here! It is exactly as the scriptures said it would be.”  We also have a choice to believe or reject it.

But there’s one final thing here and that is that there is HOPE written into this Psalm.

(Psalm 22:30-31)

A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, That He has done this.

We have been set free from sin and oppression by His death and resurrection.  This all took place more than 2000 years ago and we still believe it today.

(Psalm 22:26-28)

The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the LORD. Let your heart live forever! All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You. For the kingdom is the LORD's, And He rules over the nations.

(Romans 14:11-12)

For it is written: "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL CONFESS TO GOD." So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

Every knee shall bow every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  In this judgment the question won’t be, “Are you a good person?”  It won’t be, “Did you do good deeds?”  The question will be, “What did you do with my Son?”  Accept and believe or reject and deny?

That was the statement made by saying, My God, My God why have You forsaken me?”  So, the question before us today is:  Do you accept and believe or reject and deny.

 

 All scriptures NKJV except where noted,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lessons From Jesus on the Cross #4 - Mother, Behold Your Son

Today we will be learning about Jesus’ third phrase on the cross; “Woman behold your son…Behold your mother.”  There’s a lot to be seen in this interchange, so let’s get to it.

(John 19:26-27)

When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

I want to break this into parts:

1)      We can see that obviously this has to do with Filial Piety.  Jesus is looking to care for His mother, even in the moments of suffering and death. In those days they didn’t have government programs to care for retired or elderly people.  When a husband died, if a woman didn’t have sons, she wouldn’t have a way to support herself.

(1 Kings 17:10-12)

So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink." And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." So she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die

 God sent Elijah to her. He called on the widow to support Elijah, but used the prophet to provide the means of that support.  Jesus is basically doing the same thing here.  He is using John to provide support for His mother. Sometimes, we think that Jesus is calling His mother to look at Jesus, but what He is doing is establishing that This disciple would step in and act in His place to care for His mother’s needs.

 Jesus had brothers, so Mary had other sons. 

(Mark 6:3)

Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.

Why was John, his disciple chosen to care for Mary, rather than His brothers?  Because apparently, they weren’t saved yet.

(John 7:5)

For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

 Look at what Jesus said:

(Matthew 12:46-50)

While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You." But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

It is our salvation that brings us into familial relationship with Christ.  We are adopted into God’s family.  We become Children of God, just as Jesus is.

(Roman 8:14-17)

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

 So that’s the first lesson here.  In salvation we become Children of God, with all the rights of sons.

2)      The second thing has to do with Chapter three in the Book of Genesis.  It’s important to know that the crucifixion is God’s final solution to sin.  We know that Genesis three is the picture of the fall of mankind.  It shows us the nature of mankind.  It is our nature to sin.  Look at what it says in Genesis 3:6

 In calling Mary “woman” He is pointing us back to the Garden.  This will become clearer in a little bit.

(Genesis 3:6)

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

Compare that to this description of sin:

(1 John 2:15-16)

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

Good for Food = Lust of the flesh. 

(Philippians 3:19)

whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.

Pleasant to the eyes = lust of the eyes

(Mark 9:47)

And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire—

Desirable to make one wise = Pride of life

An example of that is here:

(Acts 12:21-23)

So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting, "The voice of a god and not of a man!" Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.

So, this is a way to describe sin.  It is the pathway to the sin of the Garden (eating the forbidden fruit). 

Look at what God speaks to Satan after his successful temptation of Eve. These things are her reasons for eating the fruit. God curses him by saying this:

(Genesis 3:14-15)

So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."

There is an excellent scene in the movie, “The Passion of the Christ,” where Jesus after saying, “Nevertheless, not my will but yours, where He encounter Satan as a serpent and stomps on his head.” 

He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."

This is what is taking place during the crucifixion.  By setting is free from sin through his death on the cross He is destroying Satan’s power.  Look at this:

(Revelation 1:18)

I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

Through His death and resurrection, He holds the power over Hell and death.

3)      The final thing I want to show you here is the care that Jesus takes of His mother even though he is suffering.  He looks not at His own suffering but instead looks to her care, so he appoints John to look after her.

       (John 19:26-27)

      When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

      Throughout the Gospel of John, he refers to himself as, “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”  Before we begin to think John is being egotistical here, it is more likely that his whole identity is wrapped up in Jesus loving him.  He’s not saying He loves me more than the others, what he’s saying is that I am who I am because he loves me.  

      His whole life is wrapped up in his relationship to Jesus. So, the question here is, “What is your identity?”  Do you think of yourself in the way that John did? It is quite freeing to think that you are loved by Jesus.  All of our problems, hurts and sufferings pale in comparison to Jesus’ love.  These things are all temporary, His love is eternal.

 

 

           

 

 

 

 

Lessons From Jesus on the Cross #3 - Today...Paradise

 Today we’re going to look at the next phrase Jesus spoke, “Today you will be in paradise with Me!”

(Luke 23:42-43)

Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

So, let’s look at the crucifixion scene.  Jesus is ordered to be crucified by the Roman soldiers. He is taken to Golgotha along with two criminals, and is crucified one on the left and one on the right.

(Mark 15:27-28)

With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH THE TRANSGRESSORS."

This is a prophecy from the book of Isaiah:

(Isaiah 53:12)

Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Let’s take a moment and examine this prophecy.  We can break it down to find the importance of what Jesus is saying through this phrase on the cross.

1.    “Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death.”

Look at this scripture by way of explanation:

(Colossians 2:14)

having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

The “handwriting of requirements that was against us” is a reference to the law.  The law was a list of violations against God and we were under the law.  In other words, Heaven was only accessible to those who committed no sin.

(James 2:10)

For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

If we sin, in one area we have violated the law and are guilty.  If we’re guilty then we must face the consequences of that guilt.  What are the wages of sin?

But it also says that God will divide Him a portion and divide the spoil with the strong. This is a reference to Jesus’ victory over sin.  He has destroyed “principalities and powers”

(Colossians 2:15)

Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

He is a conqueror, which allows Him to divide the spoil with the mighty, and according to this prophecy of Isaiah, he has done that through His death. “Because He poured out His soul unto death.

2.      Here is what is pertaining to what we’re talking about today, the second part of Isaiah 53:12:

(Isaiah 53:12)

Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

He was “numbered with the transgressors.”  We know that Jesus didn’t sin.  In fact, He’s the only person who ever lived that didn’t sin.  But in His crucifixion, He was treated as just another criminal.

In those times crucifixion was reserved for the worst criminals.  Murderers, and others who committed horrible crimes.  Jesus was, of course, innocent of that kind of crime.  Remember, Pilate said I find nothing worthy of death.

(Luke 23:15-16)

no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. I will therefore chastise Him and release Him"

But, here He is being crucified with those who had committed those crimes. This is what it means to “be numbered with the transgressors.”

3.      Here’s the final part of the prophecy.  “And He bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

As Christians we understand that Jesus took our sin upon Himself and died on the cross.  After all that’s a major part of Christian doctrine.

(Hebrews 9:28)

so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

We’ll talk about this later, but today we are looking at this part: “and made intersession for the transgressors.”  Many times, in the church world we define intersession as pertaining to prayer.  We intercede during church service when we pray for needs in the church; when we pray for each other. But, I want you to see the dictionary definition of the word intercession.

the act of using your influence to make someone in authority forgive someone else or save them from punishment -Cambridge Dictionary

In other words, it is when we go before someone in power and ask for them to forgive someone.  In the US there is a law that says the president of the United States can pardon a prisoner of their crimes.  So, often someone will go before the president and ask him to pardon someone.  That is an intercession.  Jesus, through His death on the cross is interceding with God on our behalf.  We ARE the transgressors.

This what Issaiah was saying in his prophecy in Isaiah 53:12.

  So now understanding that let’s go back to the subject of this study.

(Luke 23:42-43)

Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

This scripture is a snapshot of that prophecy.  Jesus is being counted as one who is a transgressor.  One who has broken the law.  One who is being punished for that crime.  He is being crucified, enduring the punishment of the worst of the worst.  He is being hung between two criminals who deserve this punishment.  Jesus is innocent of the crimes (sin), the others are guilty.

Let’s look at the scene more closely:

(Luke 23:39-43)

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

So those that were being crucified with Him began to mock Him. Luke says that one criminal blasphemed and said “If you are the Christ save yourself and us!”  According to Matthew they both mocked and blasphemed. Whatever the case at one point one of the criminals rebuked the other.  Maybe Isaiah’s prophecy came to his mind.  At some point, though, he realized the Jesus was innocent and not deserving of death.

(Luke 23:40-41)

But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."

This is a declaration of faith.  We’re sinners.  We deserve death, we are receiving the punishment we deserve.  “The wages of sin is death.”  But this man is innocent.  He’s committed no sin. Then he turns to Jesus and says, “Remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

He’s saying I believe You are whom You say You are. A powerful declaration of faith.

When I lead someone through a Sinner’s Prayer.  I always lead them through this.  I start with Dear God, I know I’m a sinner.  I ask you right now to forgive me of my sin.  That what the criminal on the cross was saying.  I know I’m a sinner.    He’s asking Jesus for forgiveness, “Remember me.“  Jesus says to him, “This day you will be in Paradise with me.”   This is how simple salvation is to receive.  It’s not about Bible knowledge. It’s not abut being a good person.  It’s about faith and repentance.

Let me finish off by explaining this:

(John 3:16-18)

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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

So according to this, salvation is received by believing the only begotten Son of God. Believing that Jesus is who He said He was.  We see that in this Man on the cross.  He didn’t have good works.  He was a criminal.  He didn’t read and understand the scriptures. He just believed Jesus. 

Secondly there is this:

(Romans 10:9-10)

 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Confess with your mouth.  That is don’t be afraid to speak that Jesus is God.  That He died for our sins. That He is the “way, the truth and the life.” Do not be ashamed to say it!.

(Matthew 10:32-33)

"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

When the one criminal rebuked the other he was confessing whom Jesus was.  He confessed with his mouth.

Finally, there is one other component – Repentance:

(Acts 17:30-31)

Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."

God is looking for repentance from us.  That word repent literally means to turn around.  As if you are going one way – away from God (into worldliness and sin), and you turn around and begin to move toward God (away from worldliness and sin).  Repentance is more than just saying, “I’m sorry, forgive me.”  It is a change of heart and a change of lifestyle.  I’m not going to live for my own selfish desires.  I want to live for Jesus.

The lesson in this is that salvation is a gift.  There are three things to receive that gift. Believe, Confess and Repent.  It is that simple.  All three things were seen in the criminal that was crucified with Christ and Jesus said to him: “This day you will be in paradise with me.”