Notes for BSF
JESUS IS RISEN (Matthew 28:1-15)!
The resurrected Jesus was seen by the Mary’s first
Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after he was buried, on a Sunday. When Mary Magdalene and the other Mary arrived at the tomb, they witnessed an angel rolling the stone away from Jesus’ tomb, and they experienced great fear.
All throughout the Bible, whenever man comes into the presence of God or the angels, man’s reactions are always fear, that compelled us to fall on our faces out of worship, or reverent fear. This gives us a glimpse of what it is like to be in the presence of God and angels in our fallen form – God’s holiness is so great, we cannot help but feel extremely inadequate in His presence and thus experience fear. The “fear” recorded here is not the same kind of fear we feel when we are simply afraid of the unknown. This “fear” is fear out of reverence. Being in the presence of God and angels, we become clearly aware of the holiness of the situation, filling our hearts with reverent fear.
The angel then commanded the women to spread the GREAT NEWS of Jesus’ resurrection. And when they saw the resurrected Jesus, they were commanded to do the same as they worshiped Jesus by His feet.
Matthew 28:10
Jesus told them, “Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
One of the methods doubters and non-believers try to dismiss this miracle (and other miracles of the Bible) is to claim that the Bible was just a collection of made-up stories or to discredit eyewitness accounts as hyperboles. I’m not going to try and dispute all such arguments in a small paragraph, but I do want to point out one caveat to claims that eyewitness accounts were doctored to fit the story. Back in those days, women were not held in high regard – or any regard, in that matter. In fact, the status of women was valued below that of slaves. Slaves, on certain levels, were at least treated like human beings. Women, however, were simply property to be traded. Also back in those days, eyewitness accounts are the main sources of proof of events – as it is today in most judicial systems. If the Bible was written as a made-up story or composed of falsified eyewitness accounts to convince people of events that never took place, why would the writer(s) choose female eyewitnesses? Women had no value, no authority in society back then; nothing they said were ever considered valid in court; and certainly, no man would ever take the account of a woman seriously. Logic would dictate that if anyone were to make up an amazing miracle such as the resurrection of Christ, he would at least have all the eyewitnesses as men! The fact that the first eyewitnesses of the resurrected Jesus were women suggest that the intention of this documentation was not to convince anyone of anything – but rather, just a straightforward report of what took place. Further, it shows the tenderness of Jesus’ heart toward women.
How does each one of us respond to the resurrection of Christ? (Cf. Luke 24:19-27)
Jesus’ disciples couldn’t believe until they saw
Before seeing Jesus alive with their own eyes (and Thomas even had to physically touch the nail marks on Jesus wrists before he believed – John 20:27), even the disciples couldn’t really believe that Jesus would rise from the dead. They knew that His body was not to be found in the tomb. However, they couldn’t really wrap their heads around anyone beating death! It wasn’t until Jesus broke bread with them later that night that they finally grasped that our Lord had risen (Luke 24:28-34)! What opened their eyes? The Bible doesn’t say, but I suspect it was them seeing the nail marks through Jesus wrists as He broke bread!
The reason why they finally believed was not due to blind faith. They were eyewitnesses to the resurrected Jesus – and this Truth gave them all the courage they needed to spread the Gospel. Death no longer feared them because our Lord has conquered death! We may be amazed at how so many men readily die standing up for Christ, but when we realize the reality our eternal life with Christ in our resurrected bodies, death has no hold on our eternity! Only a fool would give up eternal life to avoid physical death, to swap eternal life for temporary life!
The guards died from extreme fear
They guards were non-believers, who were directly in charge of guarding the tomb. They were put there in the first place, because all were aware of the prophecy of Jesus’ resurrection, and the religious leaders and the Roman government wanted to make sure that this event never took place. If anyone were to know what really happened, none would know more than the guards. They knew what had happened, and it wasn’t something that could be covered up by hand-waving explanations. Because they had witnessed what happened, they couldn’t tell themselves lies to make them feel better. They knew the truth, and the truth literally shocked the life out of them.
The Jewish leaders refused to see the truth and chose to believe a lie that was more comfortable to their lifestyle
The Jewish leaders, on the other hand, never witnessed what actually took place at the tomb on the dawn of Jesus’ resurrection. They heard that Jesus’ body was not to be found, and 1) immediately assumed Jesus’ disciples had stolen the body; and 2) bribed the soldiers to lie about what had happened to Jesus’ body.
It never fails to strike me just how ironic the Jewish leaders were. They were held in the highest regard as the authoritative figures in anything that pertained to God. And yet, they were the most blinded people to the truth of God. They knew prophecies of the coming Messiah, yet every time Jesus fulfilled a prophecy, they came up with a reason for how Jesus cannot be the Messiah.
Why is that?
1) Jesus was not the Messiah they wanted
The religious leaders were expecting their Messiah to come as KING, someone who was strong and powerful – not a no-name carpenter from a no-name town from a no-name family (although if they had bothered to take the time to trace His blood lineage, perhaps they would have realized His royalty). And because Jesus was not the King they wanted, they found every possible way to disregard all evidence that pointed them to Jesus as the Messiah.
2) They loved their power too much to relinquish it
Throughout the short ministry of Jesus, the religious leaders were rebuked time and time again by Jesus for their hypocrisy. As true children of God, we all ought to have the humility to be rebuked and reflect – and repent when we are convicted. We saw none of that kind of heart in the religious leaders. They prided themselves in being the authority on anything pertaining to God. They allowed that pride to elevate themselves above the rest, to a level that they could do no wrong. They bathed in the power of the authority that they had given themselves through a system that they had established – and when Jesus came, on the authority of God the Father, they knew their system was jeopardized. And instead of recognizing how far their prideful sin had taken them off the path, they sought ways to shut up Jesus for good.
We may look at the religious leaders and wonder how they could make such a serious mistake, but when we allow the sins of our lives to drive our carnal desires, we can easily tell ourselves lies that would make us feel more comfortable about our continual sin. But learn from the religious leaders – All lies eventually run out of room to run, and we all are smacked with the truth at the end of each run. It is just so much more liberating to live in the light of truth rather than having to constantly run and hide in the shadows.
The Jewish people blindly followed falsified media hype
The lies about Jesus’ resurection spread by the religious leaders were gobbled up by the Jewish people, and to this day, they still doubt Jesus as their Messiah.
We need to realize that although the news media is supposed to be unbiased and report events as they are, that simply is not reality. I am not saying we should doubt everything we read or hear, but I am advocating that we at least think about it. Don’t just accept conclusions as they are reported. Instead, follow up with some research. If multiple resources from various perspectives all match up, the chance of that being the truth is high. If, however, there are some contradictory voices, it is worth our time to determine the reason behind these voices. Often times, when we are willing to dig a bit for those reasons, the picture becomes far clearer. If we readily accept whatever conclusions people throw at us, we become extremely easy for manipulation and can be led to think any way people want us to.
Hear His voice! (John 10:3-5, 14, 27-28)
John 10:14-16
I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
We are given the command to go out and spread the Gospel (Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8). The Gospel, the Good News, is that Jesus has eternally cleansed us of our sins. He was sacrificed for us, but God brought Him back to life, for all who are sinless have eternal life with God. As Jesus’ disciples, we have the confidence that through the cleansing of Jesus’ blood, we, too, share in His eternal glory. This is the great news that we should be out sharing with everyone!
Jesus’ bodily resurrection is a critical criterion for our salvation (1 Corinthians 15)
Cf. John 10:17-18; Acts 2:31; Psalm 16:10; Acts 17:30-31; 1 Corinthians 15:45-58; Ephesians 1:18-20; Romans 6:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14; Hebrews 7:16, 23-28; 1 Peter 1:3-5
1 Corinthians 15:5-8
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. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
Matthew 29:9
Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.
Luke 24:5-7
The angels said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’”
1 Corinthians 15:14-19
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise… And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
Understand what Paul is saying here. If Jesus was not bodily resurrected, our faith is EMPTY, FUTILE. We would still be in our sins, and death would still have a hold over us due to our sins (Romans 6:23). If Christ was not resurrected, then those who had died in Christ, those who continue to live through Christ, we would be pitiable, pathetic, because such hope is an empty hope!
Paul was certainly a highly educated man, with incredible intelligence. He fully understood what it meant to place his faith in Christ. He fully understood what it meant if Jesus was not who He claimed He was. Yet, Paul remained firm in his faith. Why? Because he was an eyewitness and
beneficiary of the promises and blessing of Jesus. Strong faith comes from knowledge and personal experience and is always based on evidence. It thus stands up to the toughest scrutiny, and we can confidently defend it.
SPREAD THE GOSPEL (Matthew 28:16-20)
Matthew 28:19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.
We are to make disciples of ALL nations, teaching them the things that have been taught to us by Jesus – baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We don’t make up stories; we don’t add anything to the story. We study the Bible and teach ONLY what the Bible teaches.
Share with the heart of Jesus
It is difficult to share the Gospel without annoying or offend other people. However, we can’t let this stop us. Instead, we each need to find our own way to share the story of Jesus to try and save more souls.
Live out the Gospel
Romans 5:10
If Jesus loved us so much to redeem us even when we were sinners and enemies against Him, imagine how much more we would receive from Him when we are now following Him as disciples!
2 Corinthians 4:10-18
The renewal of our mind, body, and soul occurs through the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit. As we live, we live with the life of Christ inside of us. In this fallen world, we may continuously run into problems and be tempted to sin. This may lead us to great discouragement, but don’t forget that we have the power of Christ within us. Be encouraged by the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to renew our spirit so that we can face each day with the strength of Christ!
Galatians 2:20
When we choose to walk with Christ, in a way, we are crucified with Christ. Our decision signifies our commitment to live APART from sin. We nail our sins to the cross. And from then on, we walk forward with Christ, not with ourselves controlling our lives, but allowing Christ to take over, allowing Him to guide our decisions. Why? Because we couldn’t live a sinless life without Christ. When we were the ones controlling our own lives, we continued to sin. We couldn’t break the cycle. Only when Jesus came and died for us could we successfully escape sin.
So, having learned that alone, we cannot conquer sin, it’s time to try something better, try the best. Let Jesus take control of our live and learn to truly live apart from sin!
Philippians 3:10
Because we know how much God has had to sacrifice to redeem us, we ought to be grateful for all that He has given us.
Colossians 3:1-4
Since we have made the commitment to follow Christ, let our minds be occupied with things that are of Christ. We should embrace the heart of God, seeking ways to bring the Good News to more unsaved souls. We should be focused on following Jesus commandment to spread the Good News. Because in this lifetime, there is nothing else more important than to receive eternal salvation. Because once this lifetime is over, none of us would have the opportunity to make that decision! So, be focused on the missions of God and not be tempted by the missions of man!
Showing posts with label Matthew. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matthew. Show all posts
Friday, April 25, 2014
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Matthew 27:32-66
Notes for BSF
JESUS WILLINGLY GAVE HIS LIFE FOR US BECAUSE HE LOVED US (Matthew 27:32-56; Mark 15:22-24; John 19:23-30)
Jesus took off His robe or righteousness so that we may be clothed in His righteousness (Cf. Genesis 3:7; Isaiah 61:10; 64:6; Matthew 22:11-12; 2 Corinthians 8:9; Revelation 3:17; 19:7-8).
Our sins can only be washed away with blood of an innocent man, the blood of the Lamb, of Jesus Christ
Leviticus 4:12, 21; Leviticus 4:28-29; 5:5
Jesus was our sin offering.
Deuteronomy 21:22-23
He became accursed of God for us.
2 Corinthians 5:21
Jesus was made to be sin for us, so that we can become righteous in Him.
Hebrews 13:11-13
Jesus’ death sanctified us with His blood.
1 Peter 1:18-19
We are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
1 Peter 2:24
Jesus was beaten so that we might live free. Jesus bore our sins on the Cross, so that we may live righteously.
We must understand the seriousness of these passages. Jesus died for our sins so that we may be clean. He died a brutal death so that we may be free. To continue our lives as sinners, to ignore the sins in our lives, to remain prideful and think that we can redeem our own righteousness, that would be us continuing to mock Jesus, to beat Jesus, to abuse and nail Jesus on the Cross over and over again. Until we recognize how great a sacrifice God has given to us so that we may LIVE ETERNALLY with Him, we will never fully comprehend the immense seriousness of our sins. And when we don’t understand the seriousness of our sins, we will remain prideful and ignorant of our helplessness – and be like the men who tortured Jesus on the Cross.
Jesus’ death fulfilled prophecies (Compare Matthew 27 with Psalm 22, for example)
Psalm 22 prophesied Jesus’ death on the Cross in accurate details. Prophecies regarding the death of the Messiah are documented in other books of the Bible as well, though the discussion below will focus on those recorded in Psalm 22 God the Father turned His back on God the Son.
Psalm 22:1
Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” as he dying on the Cross.
Psalm 22:2-6
Jesus took on the sins of the people. Because Jesus became sin, He could no longer be in the presence of God the Father; and God the Father could no longer look upon Jesus as His Son. For the first time in Jesus’ life, God had to turn His back on Him! Any parent can feel some of the immense pain that God must have felt, as God had to turn away from Jesus, and allow our sins to torture Him. This is such a heartbreaking scene and illustrates vividly how great God’s sacrifice was to redeem us.
Jesus was mocked and tortured before being nailed on the Cross
Psalm 22:7-9
As Jesus was nail to the Cross, the people mocked Him, saying, “Let your God save you!”
Psalm 22:12-13
Many people who were against Christ surrounded Him as He was dying, mocking Him and abusing Him.
Psalm 22:18
The guards cast lots to divide up Jesus’ clothes.
Psalm 69:21
The guards gave Jesus gall for my food and vinegar to drink.
Some pastors said this drink contained sedatives to make the torture more bearable, and Jesus refused it because He wanted to be clear-minded through this process. Other pastors said this drink was actually offered as further mockery of Jesus. It was offered with the sponge that slaves used to wipe their masters’ butt after they have relieved themselves in public restrooms.
The drink was not offered out of care; it was offered out of mockery and hatred.
Jesus died
Psalm 22:14
When the guards punctured His heart, a mixture of blood and water flowed out.
Psalm 22:15
Jesus died. Jesus died a physical death. He didn’t swoon or just lose consciousness. He literally died.
Psalm 22:16
Jesus was pierced in his feet and hands – This method of crucifixion was not the traditional way the Jews executed prisoners. Stoning had always been reserved for capital punishment under Jewish law. In fact, this method was prophesied 700 hundred years before it was even invented by the Persians!
Psalm 22:17
Not one of Jesus’ bones was broken. This was a miracle, since guards often have to break the bones of the prisoners on the cross to expedite their death. The reason why the guards didn’t have to break Jesus’ bones was because Jesus was already dead by that time.
Psalm 22:19-21
God the Father raised Jesus, God the Son, from the dead in 3 days.
God proves to us the validity of His Word by showing us history in advance – We call this prophecy. No one in the world can predict future events with exact accuracy – Only someone who has foreseen it all can have the foresight to know what is going to happen. The Old Testament is full of prophecies that we have witnessed to come true. It is because of these fulfilled prophecies that allow me to trust that God is God – and to have complete faith in His Word and promises.
JESUS’ DEATH BROKE DOWN THE BARRIER BETWEEN GOD AND US (Hebrews 9)
The Holy of Holies is an area within the Temple separated by a temple curtain. Only the High Priest, after preparations meticulously done according to the Bible, could enter the Holy of Holies. The High Priest could only enter the Holy of Holies once a year, during the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). He enters it with the blood of an innocent lamb, to cleanse the nation of Israel of its sins.
The Temple curtain was said to be 60 feet long, 20 feet wide and 4 inches thick. Upon Jesus’ passing, the curtain was torn in half by the heavens.
Matthew 27:51
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
Before Jesus redeemed the world with its blood, our sins prevented us from being in the presence of God. This was why we could only communicate with God through a mediator, the High Priest – A mediator chosen not by man but by God. The curtain was both a physical and a symbolical separation of man from God. The Holy of Holies was where God’s presence would descend when He met with the High Priest. If the High Priest did not cleanse himself as God had commanded in Leviticus 16 prior to entering into God’s presence, God’s perfect righteousness would strike the High Priest dead immediately. This was why the High Priest often entered the Holy of Holies with a rope tied to his ankle, so that should he be struck dead, people could pull him back out without having to go into the Holy of Holies.
Because Jesus Christ – our ETERNAL mediator between God and us – cleansed us with His blood, then as long as we place our faith in Christ, we need no other mediator between God and us. The blood of a perfect lamb could only redeem us temporarily because a lamb is not a complete sacrifice for man. The only perfect sacrifice for man is another man – and not just any man, because any man with sins could die only for his own sins. His death redeems no one else but himself. Hence, the only way we can be redeemed of our sins is if someone without sin dies in our place – and the only man that fits that description is Jesus Christ. The blood of a lamb is temporary – but the blood of THE Lamb of God, that is eternal.
Through Jesus, we thus gain PERMANENT and DIRECT access to God. This was why God struck down the curtain, signifying the end of an old era and the coming of a new era – an era where God has personally redeemed us in Him, so that we can directly interact with Him!
JESUS WAS BURIED AS PROPHESIED (Matthew 27:57-66; Mark 15:43; Luke 23:50-53; and John 19:38-42)
Jesus’ death and burial were prophesied hundreds of years ahead of time.
Prophecy – Isaiah 53:9
And they made His grave with the wicked—But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
Reality – Matthew 27:57-60
Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.
Jesus died with the sinful but was buried among the rich.
Pilate tried to prevent fulfillment of prophecy
Knowing that the Messiah was prophesied to rise from the dead on the 3rd day, the religious leaders requested that Pilate seal Jesus tomb at least until after the third day, so that they could ensure that nothing would happen to Jesus’ body. They naively thought that they could out-maneuver God! Of course, we know what happens next, despite the tomb having been sealed and guarded by soldiers!
Matthew 28:5-6
Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.
JESUS WILLINGLY GAVE HIS LIFE FOR US BECAUSE HE LOVED US (Matthew 27:32-56; Mark 15:22-24; John 19:23-30)
Jesus took off His robe or righteousness so that we may be clothed in His righteousness (Cf. Genesis 3:7; Isaiah 61:10; 64:6; Matthew 22:11-12; 2 Corinthians 8:9; Revelation 3:17; 19:7-8).
Our sins can only be washed away with blood of an innocent man, the blood of the Lamb, of Jesus Christ
Leviticus 4:12, 21; Leviticus 4:28-29; 5:5
Jesus was our sin offering.
Deuteronomy 21:22-23
He became accursed of God for us.
2 Corinthians 5:21
Jesus was made to be sin for us, so that we can become righteous in Him.
Hebrews 13:11-13
Jesus’ death sanctified us with His blood.
1 Peter 1:18-19
We are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
1 Peter 2:24
Jesus was beaten so that we might live free. Jesus bore our sins on the Cross, so that we may live righteously.
We must understand the seriousness of these passages. Jesus died for our sins so that we may be clean. He died a brutal death so that we may be free. To continue our lives as sinners, to ignore the sins in our lives, to remain prideful and think that we can redeem our own righteousness, that would be us continuing to mock Jesus, to beat Jesus, to abuse and nail Jesus on the Cross over and over again. Until we recognize how great a sacrifice God has given to us so that we may LIVE ETERNALLY with Him, we will never fully comprehend the immense seriousness of our sins. And when we don’t understand the seriousness of our sins, we will remain prideful and ignorant of our helplessness – and be like the men who tortured Jesus on the Cross.
Jesus’ death fulfilled prophecies (Compare Matthew 27 with Psalm 22, for example)
Psalm 22 prophesied Jesus’ death on the Cross in accurate details. Prophecies regarding the death of the Messiah are documented in other books of the Bible as well, though the discussion below will focus on those recorded in Psalm 22 God the Father turned His back on God the Son.
Psalm 22:1
Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” as he dying on the Cross.
Psalm 22:2-6
Jesus took on the sins of the people. Because Jesus became sin, He could no longer be in the presence of God the Father; and God the Father could no longer look upon Jesus as His Son. For the first time in Jesus’ life, God had to turn His back on Him! Any parent can feel some of the immense pain that God must have felt, as God had to turn away from Jesus, and allow our sins to torture Him. This is such a heartbreaking scene and illustrates vividly how great God’s sacrifice was to redeem us.
Jesus was mocked and tortured before being nailed on the Cross
Psalm 22:7-9
As Jesus was nail to the Cross, the people mocked Him, saying, “Let your God save you!”
Psalm 22:12-13
Many people who were against Christ surrounded Him as He was dying, mocking Him and abusing Him.
Psalm 22:18
The guards cast lots to divide up Jesus’ clothes.
Psalm 69:21
The guards gave Jesus gall for my food and vinegar to drink.
Some pastors said this drink contained sedatives to make the torture more bearable, and Jesus refused it because He wanted to be clear-minded through this process. Other pastors said this drink was actually offered as further mockery of Jesus. It was offered with the sponge that slaves used to wipe their masters’ butt after they have relieved themselves in public restrooms.
The drink was not offered out of care; it was offered out of mockery and hatred.
Jesus died
Psalm 22:14
When the guards punctured His heart, a mixture of blood and water flowed out.
Psalm 22:15
Jesus died. Jesus died a physical death. He didn’t swoon or just lose consciousness. He literally died.
Psalm 22:16
Jesus was pierced in his feet and hands – This method of crucifixion was not the traditional way the Jews executed prisoners. Stoning had always been reserved for capital punishment under Jewish law. In fact, this method was prophesied 700 hundred years before it was even invented by the Persians!
Psalm 22:17
Not one of Jesus’ bones was broken. This was a miracle, since guards often have to break the bones of the prisoners on the cross to expedite their death. The reason why the guards didn’t have to break Jesus’ bones was because Jesus was already dead by that time.
Psalm 22:19-21
God the Father raised Jesus, God the Son, from the dead in 3 days.
God proves to us the validity of His Word by showing us history in advance – We call this prophecy. No one in the world can predict future events with exact accuracy – Only someone who has foreseen it all can have the foresight to know what is going to happen. The Old Testament is full of prophecies that we have witnessed to come true. It is because of these fulfilled prophecies that allow me to trust that God is God – and to have complete faith in His Word and promises.
JESUS’ DEATH BROKE DOWN THE BARRIER BETWEEN GOD AND US (Hebrews 9)
The Holy of Holies is an area within the Temple separated by a temple curtain. Only the High Priest, after preparations meticulously done according to the Bible, could enter the Holy of Holies. The High Priest could only enter the Holy of Holies once a year, during the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). He enters it with the blood of an innocent lamb, to cleanse the nation of Israel of its sins.
The Temple curtain was said to be 60 feet long, 20 feet wide and 4 inches thick. Upon Jesus’ passing, the curtain was torn in half by the heavens.
Matthew 27:51
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
Before Jesus redeemed the world with its blood, our sins prevented us from being in the presence of God. This was why we could only communicate with God through a mediator, the High Priest – A mediator chosen not by man but by God. The curtain was both a physical and a symbolical separation of man from God. The Holy of Holies was where God’s presence would descend when He met with the High Priest. If the High Priest did not cleanse himself as God had commanded in Leviticus 16 prior to entering into God’s presence, God’s perfect righteousness would strike the High Priest dead immediately. This was why the High Priest often entered the Holy of Holies with a rope tied to his ankle, so that should he be struck dead, people could pull him back out without having to go into the Holy of Holies.
Because Jesus Christ – our ETERNAL mediator between God and us – cleansed us with His blood, then as long as we place our faith in Christ, we need no other mediator between God and us. The blood of a perfect lamb could only redeem us temporarily because a lamb is not a complete sacrifice for man. The only perfect sacrifice for man is another man – and not just any man, because any man with sins could die only for his own sins. His death redeems no one else but himself. Hence, the only way we can be redeemed of our sins is if someone without sin dies in our place – and the only man that fits that description is Jesus Christ. The blood of a lamb is temporary – but the blood of THE Lamb of God, that is eternal.
Through Jesus, we thus gain PERMANENT and DIRECT access to God. This was why God struck down the curtain, signifying the end of an old era and the coming of a new era – an era where God has personally redeemed us in Him, so that we can directly interact with Him!
JESUS WAS BURIED AS PROPHESIED (Matthew 27:57-66; Mark 15:43; Luke 23:50-53; and John 19:38-42)
Jesus’ death and burial were prophesied hundreds of years ahead of time.
Prophecy – Isaiah 53:9
And they made His grave with the wicked—But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
Reality – Matthew 27:57-60
Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.
Jesus died with the sinful but was buried among the rich.
Pilate tried to prevent fulfillment of prophecy
Knowing that the Messiah was prophesied to rise from the dead on the 3rd day, the religious leaders requested that Pilate seal Jesus tomb at least until after the third day, so that they could ensure that nothing would happen to Jesus’ body. They naively thought that they could out-maneuver God! Of course, we know what happens next, despite the tomb having been sealed and guarded by soldiers!
Matthew 28:5-6
Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.
Friday, April 4, 2014
Matthew 26-27
Notes for BSF
JUDAS BETRAYS JESUS (Matthew 26:47-56; John 18:1-11)
Peter reacted rashly
When the religious leaders came to arrest Jesus, Peter pulled out his sword and cut off one of the guard's ear. Although it was based on a tender and pure heart for Jesus that Peter took such an action to protect Jesus, this was not a well thought through plan. If Jesus had not intervened by stepping forward immediately and healing the guard's ear, Peter's action could very well have resulted in everyone getting arrested, or worse, killed. Further, it was a reaction out of hate, which is completely opposite of the two commandments emphasized by Jesus.
Jesus came to fulfill the law
Jesus knew the mission He had come to fulfill. Even His arrest, we should note, took place by His arrangement. Previous attempts to either arrest or kill Jesus always resulted in Jesus being able to successfully slip away -- because it simply wasn't time yet for His fulfillment of prophecies. When the time came, He prompted Judas' hand and forced His arrest to occur during feast celebrations (which under usual circumstance, the religious leaders would avoid this). He knew His time had come -- for He was the Passover Lamb -- and He thus allowed the soldiers to arrest Him. Even at His arrest, He had full control of the situation, fielding the guards for His disciples, protecting His disciples from the possible clash with the guards.
Matthew 26:53
Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?
Everything that took place that night was part of God's plan of redemption.
Matthew 26:56
All this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.
JESUS IS ILLEGALLY INTERROGATED BY THE SANHEDRIN (Matthew 26:57-68; 27:1-2; John 18:12-14, 19-24)
Before the night was over, Jesus were put through 6 trials, all of which were illegally conducted. First, Jesus was questioned by Annas, Caiaphas' father-in-law, before He was interrogated by Caiaphas himself.
During Caiaphas' examination of Jesus...
Phase I
The religious leaders paid people to be false witnesses against Jesus. These false witnesses were "bought" by the religious leaders.
Phase II
Caiaphas put Jesus on the trial, forcing Him to answer false accusations.
Phase III
Caiaphas condemned Jesus for blasphemy -- even though Jesus spoke nothing but the truth -- and the crowed beat Him for it.
Jesus publicly announced His Godship
When asked if he were the Christ, the Son of God, Jesus confirmed this as fact. For Jesus to make this claim, we can deduce a couple of possibilities:
1. If Jesus is NOT the Son of God yet claims He is, Jesus is either a liar or delusional -- even crazy.
2. If Jesus IS the Son of God, then He is telling the truth.
We could go for hours bringing up details after details why Jesus IS the Son of God. For starters, it is not everyday that nations become devoted followers of a lunatic. It is even rarer to have people readily die for a lunatic. During this illegal trial and subsequent trials, none of the "judges" could find any fault with Jesus -- Clearly, Jesus was no lunatic. Caiaphas falsely accused Jesus of blasphemy because despite all reasoning and evidence, he refused to accept the truth in order that he might continue to live and divulge in sin. Let us learn from his mistake. There is no escaping the truth -- It exists whether we want to believe it or not. We may be able to close our eyes for a while, but ultimately, all truths catch up with us.
PETER DENIES JESUS THREE TIMES (Matthew 26:69-27:10; Luke 22:59-62; John 18:12-27)
Peter denied knowing Jesus every time he was asked if he knew Jesus, just as Jesus had prophesied.
Peter and Judas both betrayed Jesus -- but one was repentant whereas the other was not
Judas regretted his betrayal, but he never repented -- He carried his guilt with him to his grave, but he never returned to God. Jesus gave Judas a chance to be truthful about the sin he was about to commit, and instead of repenting, Judas immediately ran to the religious leaders to arrest Jesus that night. God always gives us chances to make the right choice. And so, at the end of the day, we are always responsible for the sins that we each commit.
Peter also regretted his betrayal, but he repented. When Jesus was resurrected, Jesus gave Peter three opportunities to redeem his faith (for the 3 times that Peter denied Jesus) – and each time, Peter confirmed that he loved Jesus. Peter than went on to be the founding father of the Church!
Repent means to literally turn around. When we are repentant, we will stop doing what we’re doing and TURN AROUND so that we are no longer walking the same path – but a completely opposite path.
Someone who is just sorry can surely feel regret. We can feel regret for a lot of reasons. We could feel sorry because we realize the choice we have made did not make us rich or made us lose something we really valued (like our jobs or our positions, etc.). Being sorry, without being repentant, means we continue to walk down the wrong path. We remain prideful in our previous decision and have no will to change. Judas died in this condition. I pray that none of us would repeat his path.
PILATE WANTED ONLY FAME FROM JESUS (Matthew 27:11-31; Luke 23:1-12)
When Jesus was born, Herod traveled all the way to Bethelhem because he knew the prophecy of Jesus’ birth was fulfilled and that the people called him as the king of the Jews. Herod came to seek the child not to offer his blessings but to murder Him -- because he didn't want to relinquish his position as Herod. Thirty some years later, Pilate was asking the same question. And on this day, Jesus confirmed it for Pilate.
Herod was not blind. He knew Jesus was the Messiah. Sadly, he had the knowledge, but he had no heart.
It is not enough for us to just know who God is. We have to also willingly follow Him. We have to love Him with our heart. Knowing is not enough to solidify our relationship with God. We have to build it with trust and by walking with God.
Pilate found no fault in Jesus (cf. John 18:28-19:16)
Pilate realized that Jesus was speaking the truth and did not lie. Therefore, Jesus did not blaspheme, like what He had been wrongfully accused of.
John 18:37
Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
The religious leaders wanted to persecute Christ by any means necessary
The religious leaders, however, were not interested in the truth. They just wanted to get rid of Jesus so that they could remain at the top of the food chain, so to speak. Before Jesus' arrival, the religious leaders had power over the people. They used religion as a tool for them to gain wealth and power. With His coming, Jesus changed all that. He rebuked the religious leaders for their wrong-doing, and most importantly, their sinful hearts. Instead of repenting, the religious leaders decided to kill Jesus instead, so that they could return to their sinful ways.
John 18:31-32
The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.
The religious leaders, under Roman rule, could not execute anyone. In order to carry out the death sentence, they had to convince to Roman rulers the prisoner at hand deserves death. As we have seen, they were so desperate about getting rid of Christ, that they bribed people to be false witnesses against Jesus.
Pilate executed an innocent man in place of a guilty man
In not wanting to risk becoming an enemy of Caesar, Pilate, despite knowing the truth, released Barabbas in exchange for Jesus' life. That is, Pilate chose to please man than God.
John 19:12-13
From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.” When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is calledThe Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
Pilate, because of his eagerness to please man, lost his salvation. There is nothing worth enough in this world for us to trade our eternal salvation with. We really must learn from the mistakes of people like Pilate and make sure we never make the same mistake. Eternal life or temporary self-glory? Choose wisely!
JUDAS BETRAYS JESUS (Matthew 26:47-56; John 18:1-11)
Peter reacted rashly
When the religious leaders came to arrest Jesus, Peter pulled out his sword and cut off one of the guard's ear. Although it was based on a tender and pure heart for Jesus that Peter took such an action to protect Jesus, this was not a well thought through plan. If Jesus had not intervened by stepping forward immediately and healing the guard's ear, Peter's action could very well have resulted in everyone getting arrested, or worse, killed. Further, it was a reaction out of hate, which is completely opposite of the two commandments emphasized by Jesus.
Jesus came to fulfill the law
Jesus knew the mission He had come to fulfill. Even His arrest, we should note, took place by His arrangement. Previous attempts to either arrest or kill Jesus always resulted in Jesus being able to successfully slip away -- because it simply wasn't time yet for His fulfillment of prophecies. When the time came, He prompted Judas' hand and forced His arrest to occur during feast celebrations (which under usual circumstance, the religious leaders would avoid this). He knew His time had come -- for He was the Passover Lamb -- and He thus allowed the soldiers to arrest Him. Even at His arrest, He had full control of the situation, fielding the guards for His disciples, protecting His disciples from the possible clash with the guards.
Matthew 26:53
Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?
Everything that took place that night was part of God's plan of redemption.
Matthew 26:56
All this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.
JESUS IS ILLEGALLY INTERROGATED BY THE SANHEDRIN (Matthew 26:57-68; 27:1-2; John 18:12-14, 19-24)
Before the night was over, Jesus were put through 6 trials, all of which were illegally conducted. First, Jesus was questioned by Annas, Caiaphas' father-in-law, before He was interrogated by Caiaphas himself.
During Caiaphas' examination of Jesus...
Phase I
The religious leaders paid people to be false witnesses against Jesus. These false witnesses were "bought" by the religious leaders.
Phase II
Caiaphas put Jesus on the trial, forcing Him to answer false accusations.
Phase III
Caiaphas condemned Jesus for blasphemy -- even though Jesus spoke nothing but the truth -- and the crowed beat Him for it.
Jesus publicly announced His Godship
When asked if he were the Christ, the Son of God, Jesus confirmed this as fact. For Jesus to make this claim, we can deduce a couple of possibilities:
1. If Jesus is NOT the Son of God yet claims He is, Jesus is either a liar or delusional -- even crazy.
2. If Jesus IS the Son of God, then He is telling the truth.
We could go for hours bringing up details after details why Jesus IS the Son of God. For starters, it is not everyday that nations become devoted followers of a lunatic. It is even rarer to have people readily die for a lunatic. During this illegal trial and subsequent trials, none of the "judges" could find any fault with Jesus -- Clearly, Jesus was no lunatic. Caiaphas falsely accused Jesus of blasphemy because despite all reasoning and evidence, he refused to accept the truth in order that he might continue to live and divulge in sin. Let us learn from his mistake. There is no escaping the truth -- It exists whether we want to believe it or not. We may be able to close our eyes for a while, but ultimately, all truths catch up with us.
PETER DENIES JESUS THREE TIMES (Matthew 26:69-27:10; Luke 22:59-62; John 18:12-27)
Peter denied knowing Jesus every time he was asked if he knew Jesus, just as Jesus had prophesied.
Peter and Judas both betrayed Jesus -- but one was repentant whereas the other was not
Judas regretted his betrayal, but he never repented -- He carried his guilt with him to his grave, but he never returned to God. Jesus gave Judas a chance to be truthful about the sin he was about to commit, and instead of repenting, Judas immediately ran to the religious leaders to arrest Jesus that night. God always gives us chances to make the right choice. And so, at the end of the day, we are always responsible for the sins that we each commit.
Peter also regretted his betrayal, but he repented. When Jesus was resurrected, Jesus gave Peter three opportunities to redeem his faith (for the 3 times that Peter denied Jesus) – and each time, Peter confirmed that he loved Jesus. Peter than went on to be the founding father of the Church!
Repent means to literally turn around. When we are repentant, we will stop doing what we’re doing and TURN AROUND so that we are no longer walking the same path – but a completely opposite path.
Someone who is just sorry can surely feel regret. We can feel regret for a lot of reasons. We could feel sorry because we realize the choice we have made did not make us rich or made us lose something we really valued (like our jobs or our positions, etc.). Being sorry, without being repentant, means we continue to walk down the wrong path. We remain prideful in our previous decision and have no will to change. Judas died in this condition. I pray that none of us would repeat his path.
PILATE WANTED ONLY FAME FROM JESUS (Matthew 27:11-31; Luke 23:1-12)
When Jesus was born, Herod traveled all the way to Bethelhem because he knew the prophecy of Jesus’ birth was fulfilled and that the people called him as the king of the Jews. Herod came to seek the child not to offer his blessings but to murder Him -- because he didn't want to relinquish his position as Herod. Thirty some years later, Pilate was asking the same question. And on this day, Jesus confirmed it for Pilate.
Herod was not blind. He knew Jesus was the Messiah. Sadly, he had the knowledge, but he had no heart.
It is not enough for us to just know who God is. We have to also willingly follow Him. We have to love Him with our heart. Knowing is not enough to solidify our relationship with God. We have to build it with trust and by walking with God.
Pilate found no fault in Jesus (cf. John 18:28-19:16)
Pilate realized that Jesus was speaking the truth and did not lie. Therefore, Jesus did not blaspheme, like what He had been wrongfully accused of.
John 18:37
Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
The religious leaders wanted to persecute Christ by any means necessary
The religious leaders, however, were not interested in the truth. They just wanted to get rid of Jesus so that they could remain at the top of the food chain, so to speak. Before Jesus' arrival, the religious leaders had power over the people. They used religion as a tool for them to gain wealth and power. With His coming, Jesus changed all that. He rebuked the religious leaders for their wrong-doing, and most importantly, their sinful hearts. Instead of repenting, the religious leaders decided to kill Jesus instead, so that they could return to their sinful ways.
John 18:31-32
The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.
The religious leaders, under Roman rule, could not execute anyone. In order to carry out the death sentence, they had to convince to Roman rulers the prisoner at hand deserves death. As we have seen, they were so desperate about getting rid of Christ, that they bribed people to be false witnesses against Jesus.
Pilate executed an innocent man in place of a guilty man
In not wanting to risk becoming an enemy of Caesar, Pilate, despite knowing the truth, released Barabbas in exchange for Jesus' life. That is, Pilate chose to please man than God.
John 19:12-13
From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.” When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is calledThe Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
Pilate, because of his eagerness to please man, lost his salvation. There is nothing worth enough in this world for us to trade our eternal salvation with. We really must learn from the mistakes of people like Pilate and make sure we never make the same mistake. Eternal life or temporary self-glory? Choose wisely!
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Matthew 26
Notes for BSF
BE A MARY, NOT A JUDAS (Matthew 26:1-16; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-11)
Mary's faith was her salvation
Mary's faith was great. She put Jesus first, not money or things. The disciples saw that the perfume was expensive and admonished Mary for using it to wash feet. The disciples saw that the perfume was worth more than to wash feet. Mary, however, did not see it that way. She saw it as a way of giving her best to Jesus.
Matthew 26:10-13
He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
Judas valued his faith at 30 shekels
30 shekels was the price of a slave (Exodus 21:32; Zechariah 11:12-13). For 30 shekels, Judas agreed to sell out Jesus, a mentor who had sheltered and protected him for years.
Jealousy, pride... greed for self-glorification can overwhelm us and blind us to selfish wants. For 30 shekels, Judas traded his salvation, his eternity with the Lord, for eternal suffering.
Learn from Mary, learn from Judas. We are to offer our first fruits to the Lord, to offer the best to the Lord. And in return, we will rest in God's protection.
JESUS CALLS JUDAS OUT (Matthew 26:17-25)
In His death on the cross, Christ fulfilled the true meaning of the Jewish sacrifice of the Passover Lamb (cf. John 1:29). Christ, the Lamb of God, was crucified on Passover day, a celebration that began the evening before when the Passover meal was eaten (cf. Exodus 12:8).
This feast commemorates the time that God passed over households that were covered by the blood of the Lamb and withheld judgment from these households. Similarly, Jesus is our Passover Lamb, whose blood is shed to cover us, allowing God’s judgment to pass over us.
JESUS IS OUR BREAD, OUR WINE (Matthew 26:26-30)
The bread that we partake during communion is representative of Jesus' body; the wine, Jesus' blood, the blood of the Lamb (Luke 22:19-20; John 6:51-58; 1 Peter 1:19; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:7)
1 Corinthians 11:26
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Whenever we partake in communion, we should always remember that Jesus died for us.
JESUS PREDICTS PETER’S DENIAL (Matthew 26:31-35; Mark 14:27-31; Luke 22:31-38)
Peter was weak at his strongest point
Jesus predicted that Peter would deny Him 3 times before the night was over.
Peter thought he was better than the others
Upon hearing Jesus' prediction, instead of heeding Jesus' words as a warning, Peter became defiant, saying, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble" (Matthew 26:33).
Peter entered Gethsemane in a dangerous attitude of mind
Instead of praying and keeping watch as Jesus had asked Peter and the rest of the disciples to, they all fell asleep, unable to support Jesus at this critical hour of His life.
JESUS PRAYS IN THE GARDEN (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46)
Jesus, as man, suffers pain and agony as we do. Taking the cup was a very difficult mission, to endure the wrath of God on behalf of the entire human race. This was why Jesus prayed to God that if there was any other way, please make it so.
How difficult is enduring the wrath of God? Death is the result. This is why Paul said, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
Despite the hardship that He must endure, Jesus knew that He was here to accomplish God's will. And so, while facing the wrath of God, Jesus prayed for the strength to endure the sins of the world placed upon His shoulders.
Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane allows us a brief glimpse into the intimate relationship between God the Father and God the Son. Perhaps we cannot grasp the full extent of Jesus' prayer until we are reunited with God in body and spirit, but we can certainly sense the enormous burden this mission was for Jesus. Jesus prayed hard and prayed numerous times to gain as much strength as He could from the Father in order to persevere through this incredible mission.
BE A MARY, NOT A JUDAS (Matthew 26:1-16; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-11)
Mary's faith was her salvation
Mary's faith was great. She put Jesus first, not money or things. The disciples saw that the perfume was expensive and admonished Mary for using it to wash feet. The disciples saw that the perfume was worth more than to wash feet. Mary, however, did not see it that way. She saw it as a way of giving her best to Jesus.
Matthew 26:10-13
He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
Judas valued his faith at 30 shekels
30 shekels was the price of a slave (Exodus 21:32; Zechariah 11:12-13). For 30 shekels, Judas agreed to sell out Jesus, a mentor who had sheltered and protected him for years.
Jealousy, pride... greed for self-glorification can overwhelm us and blind us to selfish wants. For 30 shekels, Judas traded his salvation, his eternity with the Lord, for eternal suffering.
Learn from Mary, learn from Judas. We are to offer our first fruits to the Lord, to offer the best to the Lord. And in return, we will rest in God's protection.
JESUS CALLS JUDAS OUT (Matthew 26:17-25)
In His death on the cross, Christ fulfilled the true meaning of the Jewish sacrifice of the Passover Lamb (cf. John 1:29). Christ, the Lamb of God, was crucified on Passover day, a celebration that began the evening before when the Passover meal was eaten (cf. Exodus 12:8).
This feast commemorates the time that God passed over households that were covered by the blood of the Lamb and withheld judgment from these households. Similarly, Jesus is our Passover Lamb, whose blood is shed to cover us, allowing God’s judgment to pass over us.
JESUS IS OUR BREAD, OUR WINE (Matthew 26:26-30)
The bread that we partake during communion is representative of Jesus' body; the wine, Jesus' blood, the blood of the Lamb (Luke 22:19-20; John 6:51-58; 1 Peter 1:19; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:7)
1 Corinthians 11:26
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Whenever we partake in communion, we should always remember that Jesus died for us.
JESUS PREDICTS PETER’S DENIAL (Matthew 26:31-35; Mark 14:27-31; Luke 22:31-38)
Peter was weak at his strongest point
Jesus predicted that Peter would deny Him 3 times before the night was over.
Peter thought he was better than the others
Upon hearing Jesus' prediction, instead of heeding Jesus' words as a warning, Peter became defiant, saying, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble" (Matthew 26:33).
Peter entered Gethsemane in a dangerous attitude of mind
Instead of praying and keeping watch as Jesus had asked Peter and the rest of the disciples to, they all fell asleep, unable to support Jesus at this critical hour of His life.
JESUS PRAYS IN THE GARDEN (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46)
Jesus, as man, suffers pain and agony as we do. Taking the cup was a very difficult mission, to endure the wrath of God on behalf of the entire human race. This was why Jesus prayed to God that if there was any other way, please make it so.
How difficult is enduring the wrath of God? Death is the result. This is why Paul said, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
Despite the hardship that He must endure, Jesus knew that He was here to accomplish God's will. And so, while facing the wrath of God, Jesus prayed for the strength to endure the sins of the world placed upon His shoulders.
Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane allows us a brief glimpse into the intimate relationship between God the Father and God the Son. Perhaps we cannot grasp the full extent of Jesus' prayer until we are reunited with God in body and spirit, but we can certainly sense the enormous burden this mission was for Jesus. Jesus prayed hard and prayed numerous times to gain as much strength as He could from the Father in order to persevere through this incredible mission.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Matthew 25
Notes for BSF
See also this related post
BE A WISE VIRGIN (Matthew 25:1-13)
The virgins were all waiting for the bridegroom -- That is, they were all Christians expecting the return of Jesus.
The wise virgins are those who are actively studying the Bible to understand the times of Jesus’ 2nd Coming, so that we will be ready for Him when He returns.
The foolish virgins are those who also follow Christ – However, they became lazy in their walk. They knew that Jesus would return one day, but they never bothered to prepare for it. They didn’t keep their lamps glowing. The light of the lamp is representative of their walk with Christ. The oil they used to light the lamp represents the Holy Spirit. So, the foolish virgins did not tend to the lamp. They didn’t trim the wick or renew the oil. That is, they did not continue to take care of their faith; they did not renew their spirit with the Holy Spirit – And this is why their lamp did not shine with light. This is why they missed the Wedding Party.
Be prepared for Jesus' 2nd coming
Matthew 7:13-14
Jesus is the only way. Truly understand that in our heart.
Matthew 7:24-27
Heed the Words spoken by Jesus.
Matthew 24:4-5, 42, 44
Don’t let anyone deceive us, especially the false prophets.
John 1:12
Receive Jesus, and we can be children of His Kingdom.
1 Thessalonians 5:4-8
We are not children of dark but children of light – So let us have the knowledge and not be without understanding of Jesus’ 2nd coming.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Be ready for Jesus’ arrival by remaining sanctified through the Holy Spirit.
Oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit
John 3:5-8
We are born again in the spirit through the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:9
Followers of Christ have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:13-14
When we received Jesus, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit.
As long as we hear Jesus’ words and follow Him – not just what we want to hear, but everything that Jesus has said – we know that we are in a solid relationship with Jesus, a relationship based on the WHOLE counsel of His Word. This is why we don’t just read some parts of the Bible and skip others. We should read the ENTIRE Bible.
BE FRUITFUL FOR GOD (Matthew 25:14-30)
Examples of being fruitful for God
Proverbs 3:13-15
Wisdom
Matthew 13:52
Discipleship
Matthew 28:19-20
Spreading the Gospel, making disciples
John 1:9-13
Receive Jesus
John 13:15
We should be an example to others.
John 21:15-17
Feed God’s sheep – Take care of God’s people. This is Jesus’ 2nd commandment: To love others as we love ourselves.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Learn from the Scripture. The Bible teaches us, rebukes us, corrects us, and trains us in righteousness. That is, the Bible teaches us what is the Righteous Way. It tells us when we are wrong and directs us back to the Righteous Way. It continues to train us, so that we remain on the Righteous Way.
Use what God has given us to the best of our abilities
The man who had received five bags of gold put his money to work and gained five bags more. The man who had two bags of gold also put his money to work and gained two more. To both, their master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!"
The man who had received one bag of gold, however, dug a hole in the ground and hid the money instead. He was lazy and did not want to work for the master, so he did nothing with the talent he was given. His master replied, "You wicked, lazy servant!" Instead of working for his master, he judged him and worked against him instead.
We are each uniquely equipped to do God's work on Earth. God does not judge us based on what other people were able to do with their abilities. God judges us based on what we have done with what we're given. As believers in Christ, we will not lose our salvation. However, our works determine the rewards we will receive in Heaven, at the Mercy Seat Judgment of Christ (Matthew 25:29; Matthew 13:12; Luke 8:18). We may not lose our salvation, bu we will still be judged for the works we do.
SERVE WITH THE HEART OF CHRIST (Matthew 25:31-46)
Jesus returns not as a Lamb but as a Lion
When Jesus returns, He returns as judge. He will judge between the believers and the non-believers; He will also judge the believers for their works. After these judgement, He will then begin His thousand-year reign on Earth.
Whatever we do, we do as representatives of Christ
Any time we take care of someone else, we have taken care of Jesus. Any time we refuse to help others, we have refused to take care of Jesus.
The way we live reflects our walk with Jesus
Romans 2:7-11
Seek and continue to seek Jesus with patience.
James 2:14-17
Show our faith. It is not enough to just have faith. We need to also have the actions that exemplifies our faith.
1 John 3:16-19
Love in actions. Don’t just say it or know that it is important. God told us to Love God and love others. Everything we do revolves around "agape," God's Love. Knowing this is important, but most importantly, we need to SHOW it in ACTIONS.
Heaven and Hell are eternal
Heaven is where God resides
Matthew 25:10
The door of Heaven closes on those who do not receive Jesus.
Matthew 25:21, 23
When we come into Heaven, Jesus will give us rewards based on what we have done.
Matthew 25:34
As followers of Christ, we will share in the treasures of God’s Kingdom.
Hell is where God is not
Matthew 25:41
Hell is made for Satan and his demons.
Matthew 25:12
People who are in hell die apart from Jesus. They do not know Jesus, and Jesus does not know them.
Matthew 25:30
Hell is dark, where there is gnashing of teeth and weeping.
We were made with eternal souls. We will exist eternally, and the choice to either live eternally in God or apart from God is completely in our hands. It is not the heart of God to have any one of us perish in hell.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
Instead, it is the heart of God to see us all return to eternal life by His side. However, if we choose to live apart from Him, He will honor our choices.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Following Jesus is not just saying we want to follow Him and then sit back and do nothing. Following Jesus, being Jesus’ disciples, is a very active commitment. Jesus expects us to know the Bible, and from the Bible, to know of His return. The first step in following Him is to study and understand His Word. We are then to DO what we have learned. This is how we start to follow Jesus with our heart. When our heart belongs to Jesus, we are with Him in eternity.
See also this related post
BE A WISE VIRGIN (Matthew 25:1-13)
The virgins were all waiting for the bridegroom -- That is, they were all Christians expecting the return of Jesus.
The wise virgins are those who are actively studying the Bible to understand the times of Jesus’ 2nd Coming, so that we will be ready for Him when He returns.
The foolish virgins are those who also follow Christ – However, they became lazy in their walk. They knew that Jesus would return one day, but they never bothered to prepare for it. They didn’t keep their lamps glowing. The light of the lamp is representative of their walk with Christ. The oil they used to light the lamp represents the Holy Spirit. So, the foolish virgins did not tend to the lamp. They didn’t trim the wick or renew the oil. That is, they did not continue to take care of their faith; they did not renew their spirit with the Holy Spirit – And this is why their lamp did not shine with light. This is why they missed the Wedding Party.
Be prepared for Jesus' 2nd coming
Matthew 7:13-14
Jesus is the only way. Truly understand that in our heart.
Matthew 7:24-27
Heed the Words spoken by Jesus.
Matthew 24:4-5, 42, 44
Don’t let anyone deceive us, especially the false prophets.
John 1:12
Receive Jesus, and we can be children of His Kingdom.
1 Thessalonians 5:4-8
We are not children of dark but children of light – So let us have the knowledge and not be without understanding of Jesus’ 2nd coming.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Be ready for Jesus’ arrival by remaining sanctified through the Holy Spirit.
Oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit
John 3:5-8
We are born again in the spirit through the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:9
Followers of Christ have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:13-14
When we received Jesus, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit.
As long as we hear Jesus’ words and follow Him – not just what we want to hear, but everything that Jesus has said – we know that we are in a solid relationship with Jesus, a relationship based on the WHOLE counsel of His Word. This is why we don’t just read some parts of the Bible and skip others. We should read the ENTIRE Bible.
BE FRUITFUL FOR GOD (Matthew 25:14-30)
Examples of being fruitful for God
Proverbs 3:13-15
Wisdom
Matthew 13:52
Discipleship
Matthew 28:19-20
Spreading the Gospel, making disciples
John 1:9-13
Receive Jesus
John 13:15
We should be an example to others.
John 21:15-17
Feed God’s sheep – Take care of God’s people. This is Jesus’ 2nd commandment: To love others as we love ourselves.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Learn from the Scripture. The Bible teaches us, rebukes us, corrects us, and trains us in righteousness. That is, the Bible teaches us what is the Righteous Way. It tells us when we are wrong and directs us back to the Righteous Way. It continues to train us, so that we remain on the Righteous Way.
Use what God has given us to the best of our abilities
The man who had received five bags of gold put his money to work and gained five bags more. The man who had two bags of gold also put his money to work and gained two more. To both, their master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!"
The man who had received one bag of gold, however, dug a hole in the ground and hid the money instead. He was lazy and did not want to work for the master, so he did nothing with the talent he was given. His master replied, "You wicked, lazy servant!" Instead of working for his master, he judged him and worked against him instead.
We are each uniquely equipped to do God's work on Earth. God does not judge us based on what other people were able to do with their abilities. God judges us based on what we have done with what we're given. As believers in Christ, we will not lose our salvation. However, our works determine the rewards we will receive in Heaven, at the Mercy Seat Judgment of Christ (Matthew 25:29; Matthew 13:12; Luke 8:18). We may not lose our salvation, bu we will still be judged for the works we do.
SERVE WITH THE HEART OF CHRIST (Matthew 25:31-46)
Jesus returns not as a Lamb but as a Lion
When Jesus returns, He returns as judge. He will judge between the believers and the non-believers; He will also judge the believers for their works. After these judgement, He will then begin His thousand-year reign on Earth.
Whatever we do, we do as representatives of Christ
Any time we take care of someone else, we have taken care of Jesus. Any time we refuse to help others, we have refused to take care of Jesus.
The way we live reflects our walk with Jesus
Romans 2:7-11
Seek and continue to seek Jesus with patience.
James 2:14-17
Show our faith. It is not enough to just have faith. We need to also have the actions that exemplifies our faith.
1 John 3:16-19
Love in actions. Don’t just say it or know that it is important. God told us to Love God and love others. Everything we do revolves around "agape," God's Love. Knowing this is important, but most importantly, we need to SHOW it in ACTIONS.
Heaven and Hell are eternal
Heaven is where God resides
Matthew 25:10
The door of Heaven closes on those who do not receive Jesus.
Matthew 25:21, 23
When we come into Heaven, Jesus will give us rewards based on what we have done.
Matthew 25:34
As followers of Christ, we will share in the treasures of God’s Kingdom.
Hell is where God is not
Matthew 25:41
Hell is made for Satan and his demons.
Matthew 25:12
People who are in hell die apart from Jesus. They do not know Jesus, and Jesus does not know them.
Matthew 25:30
Hell is dark, where there is gnashing of teeth and weeping.
We were made with eternal souls. We will exist eternally, and the choice to either live eternally in God or apart from God is completely in our hands. It is not the heart of God to have any one of us perish in hell.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
Instead, it is the heart of God to see us all return to eternal life by His side. However, if we choose to live apart from Him, He will honor our choices.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Following Jesus is not just saying we want to follow Him and then sit back and do nothing. Following Jesus, being Jesus’ disciples, is a very active commitment. Jesus expects us to know the Bible, and from the Bible, to know of His return. The first step in following Him is to study and understand His Word. We are then to DO what we have learned. This is how we start to follow Jesus with our heart. When our heart belongs to Jesus, we are with Him in eternity.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Matthew 24
Notes for BSF
See also notes on a related Bible study with Pastor Terry Gray:
http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2011/11/matthew-24-signs-of-end-of-days.html
JESUS PREDICTS THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE (Matthew 24:1-14)
Matthew 24:2
Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
In 70 AD, the Roman empire conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple. And indeed, not one stone was left standing, because the Roman soldiers tore apart the stones to get to the melted gold.
JESUS REVEALS THE SIGNS OF THE END OF DAYS (Matthew 24:3-51)
The disciples asked Jesus about the end of days
Matthew 24:3
Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?
Signs of the End of Days
1. False prophets
2. Wars and rumors of wars
3. Famine and pestilence
4. Abomination of Desolation
A time of deception – Matthew 24:8
And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’"
There are many religions today that claim they can provide salvation, that claim they also believe in Jesus. However, the things they teach are contrary to what the Bible teaches. We cannot claim we believe in God and then turn around to preach a theology that directly contradicts with the Word. One of the best ways to prevent ourselves from following false teachers is to diligently study the Bible with the attitude of the Bereans:
Acts 17:11
These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
Paul was their ministering pastor, and from the Scriptures, we know Paul to be one of the greatest Christians leaders of his time. We all have flaws (and Paul had his share), but read through the New Testament, and no one can deny the awesome, admirable, and inspirational Christian spirit exhibited by Paul. Under the teachings of such an amazing scholar, the Bereans didn't just take Paul for his word. They went and compared his teachings against the Bible, to make sure for themselves that what Paul taught was consistent with the Word of God.
No man is perfect, no matter how Christ-like they are. We can all be tempted at any time of our lives. This is why it is dangerous for us to put our faith in any one person, to just trust them and take them at their word. Be like the Bereans, and our chances of weeding out the false teachers will be greater.
A time of war – Matthew 24:9-10
But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately. Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
Today, there are numerous wars brewing with Israel smack in the center of them. The battle for Jerusalem makes no political or economical sense, because the land has not strategic advantage. The only reason to fight for Jerusalem is Biblical, as prophecy dictates that people will constantly fight against Israel for the land granted to them by God.
A time of natural disasters – Matthew 24:11
And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
A time of persecution – Matthew 24:12-13
But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.
Christians today are persecuted for their faith in Christ.
A time of betrayal – Matthew 24:16-17
You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake.
Soon, the society will return to the times of the Judges, where the society regards no laws. Everyone will do what is right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25).
The documented responses in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 provide different perspectives
See also notes on a couple of related Bible studies with Dr. Chuck Missler:
1. http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2011/12/revelation-28-11.html
(Scroll down near the end)
2. http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2012/10/daniel-9.html
Matthew 24:9
They they will...
Luke 21:12
But before all these things...
Matthew 24 focused on events that follow the Signs (mostly centered around the Great Tribulation). Luke 21, however, focused on events that come before the Signs (mostly centered around the fall of Jerusalem).
... Until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled
Luke 21:24
Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
One of the criteria for the return of Christ is the fulfillment of the times of the Gentiles. What does this mean? The Bible does not elaborate. However, this passage informs us that there is a unit of measurement that defines completion for the time that we're currently living in -- and once that measurement hits 100%, all the events that usher in Jesus' return will take place in rapid succession.
Be aware of the Abomination of Desolation
In the end of days, the Antichrist will defile the Holy of
Holies, announcing himself as god. Jesus used the term, "Abomination of Desolation" (Matthew 25:15) to describe this event, quoting Daniel (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11).
The erection of a pagan idol is an abomination. When such an idol is erected in the Holy of Holies, it is the ultimate abomination, the Abomination of Desolation." This has happened only once in history, when Antiochus Epiphanes erected an idol in the Holy of Holies in 167 BC. The next time it happens, it will be as Daniel had prophesied about the Anti-Christ (Daniel 9:27).
Jesus warned those in Judea (Jews) that when they "see" this happening, drop everything and just FLEE to the mountains (Matthew 24:16-22).
We do not know exactly how we can "see" this occurring, but we know several things:
1. Only the High Priest can enter the Holy of Holies, and this occurs only once a year.
2. There hasn't been a Temple since it was destroyed in 70 AD.
Given the above, we can deduce the following:
1. The Temple will be rebuilt.
2. The erection of the Abomination of Desolation will be a major political move. And with our media today, major television companies (e.g., CNN) will capture this for the world to "see."
Jesus revealed these Signs so that we would know the signs of His coming, that we would know the seasons; that we would know the time -- and BE READY for His return.
Matthew 24:32-33
Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!
Jesus expects us to know the seasons. He used the weather as an example. When we see leaves fall, we know that autumn is coming. Similarly, when we see the signs that Jesus spoke of, we should therefore know that He is returning soon.
Upon the return of Jesus...
Zechariah 12:10
The people of Israel will be redeemed; they will recognize Jesus as their Messiah.
Matthew 24:30
We will see the Son of God in glory.
Revelation 1:7
All will know Jesus is God, and those who are not in Jesus will mourn because they would realize their fate.
No one knows the day or the hour of Christ's return
Matthew 24:36
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
We do not know exactly when Jesus would return – so be aware of people who try to predict it. When God says we will not know, then we will not know.
Be on the look out for the return of our King
Although Jesus has made it clear that we will not know the exact day of His return, He does expect us to know the seasons, the times of His return.
The end of days will be like the days of Noah
Matthew 24:37-39
But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Those who perished in the flood remained blind to the warnings of God pronounced through Noah until they perished in the flood (Genesis 6-7). Jesus here warns us of the same fate if we are as those who eat, drink, and be merry, refusing to acknowledge the sovereignty of God.
The people of Noah's time...
1. Did not heed the Word of God
2. Mocked those who were good stewards of God’s Word
3. Were taken over by sins of the flesh
Be a faithful servant and diligently seek our King's return
In the parable, the first servant worked expecting his master to return at any time. And so, when he worked, he worked hard so that if his master were to return at any second, everything will be ready for his master.
The wicked servant, on the other hand, worked expecting his master to delay in his return -- perhaps, to never return. And so, when he worked, he was lazy, thinking since his master wasn't coming back any time soon, he could slack off and do the work later. When the master does return, this wicked servant would be caught off guard, having done nothing and not ready to welcome his master home.
Do not walk through our Christian lives as wicked servants. We do not know when Jesus will return, but Jesus has already told us how to identify the signs of His return. We are to remain vigilant and always be expecting His coming. If we are ready for Him when He returns, we will reign with Him as kings and priests. If we are not ready for Him, then we will be judged.
Therefore, let us be diligent students of the Bible. Study the Word of God, but most importantly, DIGEST and UNDERSTAND how the Word of God applies to our lives. And then, every day, LIVE out the Word of God, and let the Holy Spirit guide us in ALL that we do.
See also notes on a related Bible study with Pastor Terry Gray:
http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2011/11/matthew-24-signs-of-end-of-days.html
JESUS PREDICTS THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE (Matthew 24:1-14)
Matthew 24:2
Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
In 70 AD, the Roman empire conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple. And indeed, not one stone was left standing, because the Roman soldiers tore apart the stones to get to the melted gold.
JESUS REVEALS THE SIGNS OF THE END OF DAYS (Matthew 24:3-51)
The disciples asked Jesus about the end of days
Matthew 24:3
Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?
Signs of the End of Days
1. False prophets
2. Wars and rumors of wars
3. Famine and pestilence
4. Abomination of Desolation
A time of deception – Matthew 24:8
And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’"
There are many religions today that claim they can provide salvation, that claim they also believe in Jesus. However, the things they teach are contrary to what the Bible teaches. We cannot claim we believe in God and then turn around to preach a theology that directly contradicts with the Word. One of the best ways to prevent ourselves from following false teachers is to diligently study the Bible with the attitude of the Bereans:
Acts 17:11
These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
Paul was their ministering pastor, and from the Scriptures, we know Paul to be one of the greatest Christians leaders of his time. We all have flaws (and Paul had his share), but read through the New Testament, and no one can deny the awesome, admirable, and inspirational Christian spirit exhibited by Paul. Under the teachings of such an amazing scholar, the Bereans didn't just take Paul for his word. They went and compared his teachings against the Bible, to make sure for themselves that what Paul taught was consistent with the Word of God.
No man is perfect, no matter how Christ-like they are. We can all be tempted at any time of our lives. This is why it is dangerous for us to put our faith in any one person, to just trust them and take them at their word. Be like the Bereans, and our chances of weeding out the false teachers will be greater.
A time of war – Matthew 24:9-10
But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately. Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
Today, there are numerous wars brewing with Israel smack in the center of them. The battle for Jerusalem makes no political or economical sense, because the land has not strategic advantage. The only reason to fight for Jerusalem is Biblical, as prophecy dictates that people will constantly fight against Israel for the land granted to them by God.
A time of natural disasters – Matthew 24:11
And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
A time of persecution – Matthew 24:12-13
But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.
Christians today are persecuted for their faith in Christ.
A time of betrayal – Matthew 24:16-17
You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake.
Soon, the society will return to the times of the Judges, where the society regards no laws. Everyone will do what is right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25).
The documented responses in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 provide different perspectives
See also notes on a couple of related Bible studies with Dr. Chuck Missler:
1. http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2011/12/revelation-28-11.html
(Scroll down near the end)
2. http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2012/10/daniel-9.html
Matthew 24:9
They they will...
Luke 21:12
But before all these things...
Matthew 24 focused on events that follow the Signs (mostly centered around the Great Tribulation). Luke 21, however, focused on events that come before the Signs (mostly centered around the fall of Jerusalem).
... Until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled
Luke 21:24
Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
One of the criteria for the return of Christ is the fulfillment of the times of the Gentiles. What does this mean? The Bible does not elaborate. However, this passage informs us that there is a unit of measurement that defines completion for the time that we're currently living in -- and once that measurement hits 100%, all the events that usher in Jesus' return will take place in rapid succession.
Be aware of the Abomination of Desolation
In the end of days, the Antichrist will defile the Holy of
Holies, announcing himself as god. Jesus used the term, "Abomination of Desolation" (Matthew 25:15) to describe this event, quoting Daniel (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11).
The erection of a pagan idol is an abomination. When such an idol is erected in the Holy of Holies, it is the ultimate abomination, the Abomination of Desolation." This has happened only once in history, when Antiochus Epiphanes erected an idol in the Holy of Holies in 167 BC. The next time it happens, it will be as Daniel had prophesied about the Anti-Christ (Daniel 9:27).
Jesus warned those in Judea (Jews) that when they "see" this happening, drop everything and just FLEE to the mountains (Matthew 24:16-22).
We do not know exactly how we can "see" this occurring, but we know several things:
1. Only the High Priest can enter the Holy of Holies, and this occurs only once a year.
2. There hasn't been a Temple since it was destroyed in 70 AD.
Given the above, we can deduce the following:
1. The Temple will be rebuilt.
2. The erection of the Abomination of Desolation will be a major political move. And with our media today, major television companies (e.g., CNN) will capture this for the world to "see."
Jesus revealed these Signs so that we would know the signs of His coming, that we would know the seasons; that we would know the time -- and BE READY for His return.
Matthew 24:32-33
Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!
Jesus expects us to know the seasons. He used the weather as an example. When we see leaves fall, we know that autumn is coming. Similarly, when we see the signs that Jesus spoke of, we should therefore know that He is returning soon.
Upon the return of Jesus...
Zechariah 12:10
The people of Israel will be redeemed; they will recognize Jesus as their Messiah.
Matthew 24:30
We will see the Son of God in glory.
Revelation 1:7
All will know Jesus is God, and those who are not in Jesus will mourn because they would realize their fate.
No one knows the day or the hour of Christ's return
Matthew 24:36
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
We do not know exactly when Jesus would return – so be aware of people who try to predict it. When God says we will not know, then we will not know.
Be on the look out for the return of our King
Although Jesus has made it clear that we will not know the exact day of His return, He does expect us to know the seasons, the times of His return.
The end of days will be like the days of Noah
Matthew 24:37-39
But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Those who perished in the flood remained blind to the warnings of God pronounced through Noah until they perished in the flood (Genesis 6-7). Jesus here warns us of the same fate if we are as those who eat, drink, and be merry, refusing to acknowledge the sovereignty of God.
The people of Noah's time...
1. Did not heed the Word of God
2. Mocked those who were good stewards of God’s Word
3. Were taken over by sins of the flesh
Be a faithful servant and diligently seek our King's return
In the parable, the first servant worked expecting his master to return at any time. And so, when he worked, he worked hard so that if his master were to return at any second, everything will be ready for his master.
The wicked servant, on the other hand, worked expecting his master to delay in his return -- perhaps, to never return. And so, when he worked, he was lazy, thinking since his master wasn't coming back any time soon, he could slack off and do the work later. When the master does return, this wicked servant would be caught off guard, having done nothing and not ready to welcome his master home.
Do not walk through our Christian lives as wicked servants. We do not know when Jesus will return, but Jesus has already told us how to identify the signs of His return. We are to remain vigilant and always be expecting His coming. If we are ready for Him when He returns, we will reign with Him as kings and priests. If we are not ready for Him, then we will be judged.
Therefore, let us be diligent students of the Bible. Study the Word of God, but most importantly, DIGEST and UNDERSTAND how the Word of God applies to our lives. And then, every day, LIVE out the Word of God, and let the Holy Spirit guide us in ALL that we do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)