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Category: 4 Gospels + Good News of the NEW Testament

What are the Gospels?

FOUR Gospels:

GOOD NEWS! (That’s what Gospel means.)

Matthew, Mark, Luke & John begin the New Testament proclaiming the Good News of Israel’s long-awaited Messiah and talk of JESUS Christ.

The four Gospels are first hand witness + proclaiming GOOD NEWS

by two Jewish Apostles of the Messiah JESUS, Matthew & John
Two gentile (non-jewish) followers of THE WAY of Jesus Christ, Mark & Luke, who proclaim the GOSPEL recorded from witness of Peter, Paul and other Apostles and disciples of JESUS in the first century.

READ the Good News of the Messiah and Savior Jesus from accounts of His twelve Apostles & others witnessing the resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the four Gospels of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

SHARE the Gospel

with your Christian friends and those who do not yet believe in JESUS CHRIST.
Comment on a TalkofJESUS post and SHARE in your social media world.

Hail Mary, humble wife of GOD
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
Gospel of Luke 2:16 King James Version

Mary an Introduction
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Christians, Jews and unbelievers know parts of the iconic scene unfolding in Bethlehem through a virgin Jewish mother. 

Today I honor Mary most appropriately by retelling her story of Christmas mostly from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
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Mary, Eve of the Virgin Birth

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem..

.. with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

Gospel of Luke 2:4-5 KJV excerpt

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

Mary, wife of Joseph?

Not quite, according to custom and Jewish law.
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Do YOU know any young woman who has been pregnant (even near full term) yet not married to the man she knew?
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μνηστεύω – Strong’s G3423 – mnēsteuō – from a derivative of G3415; to give a souvenir (engagement present), i.e. betroth:—espouse.
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Recall that GREEK is the common language not only of Luke the Physician but also of all of the Roman Empire ruled by Caesar Augustus. 
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Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused G3423 to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Gospel of Matthew 1:18 KJV

SCANDELOUS !

(as least in the A.D. First Century)

Mary, ENGAGED to Joseph

AND they both know that the Virgin Mary had NEVER come together with Joseph her fiancé!

Joseph, an honorable man
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(like his namesake and ancestor, Joseph, son of Jacob, who the LORD used to rule Egypt under Pharaoh.) 
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Gospel of Matthew 1:19- KJV

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying,

Joseph, thou son of David,
fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife:
for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
Matthew 1:20b KJV

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:

for he shall save his people from their sins.

Gospel of Matthew 1:21 KJV

An angel of the Lord speaks to you!

What to do?

The adoptive father of JESUS believes God (of course). And Joseph is a righteous and honorable man.

Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Gospel of Matthew 1:24-25 KJV

Signs and Witnesses

Prophesy of Isaiah and others centuries Before Christ.

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14 KJV

a Failure of Kings Advent 4 of Christ

Witness by a heavenly host of Angels – Luke 2:8 KJV

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Gospel of Luke 2:8-14 King James Version

Witnesses and worship

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. .. Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

A light to lighten the Gentiles,

and the glory of thy people Israel.

Gospel of Luke 2:25-32 KJV excerpt [context]

Signs before Jesus’ birth

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

Gospel of Luke 1:5-11 King James Version
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An Angel of the Lord standing beside the Priest of God right inside the Holy of Holies! A pretty big deal.

Briefly, what happens next is a foretelling prophetic birth of JOHN the BAPTIST, preparing the way for the Lord Jesus, the consolation of Israel and Messiah sent of God the Father. 
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Elisabeth, John and the Holy Spirit
- Zacharias the Priest of God continued to serve his term in the Temple unable to speak.
  - Daily worshipers in Jerusalem must have know that something was up.
- He returns home.
- Elisabeth conceived.
- An angel of the Lord then appears in Nazareth prior to their trip to register for the census of Caesar and also tells Mary:
And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Gospel of Luke 1:36-37 KJV
- And Mary went into the hill country of *Juda
- And entered into the house of Zacharias
- and (knowing the the angel had revealed) saluted Elisabeth.
And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary,

the babe leaped in her womb;

and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

Gospel of Luke 1:41 KJV signs confirming the Messiah when Mary greeted the mother of John the Baptist

In the Year of the most controversial birth in history

Jesus Christ born in a manger

Church fathers, theologians who study such things, took a few centuries to articulate the trinitarian Christology from the Apostles recorded in Scripture from the A.D. first century.

Creeds, Catechisms, Confessions & Christ – What do you believe?

The clarity of their CREEDS and CONFESSIONS of FAITH define our hope of eternal life in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.
Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary,
and was made man…
Nicene Creed excerpt
AD 325 & AD381

Born of the Virgin Mary

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

And the angel answered and said unto her,

The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,

and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:

therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Gospel of Luke 1:34-35 King James Version

εὐλογέω – eulogeō

.. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

Luke 1:42b KJV

κύριος – kyrios

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden:

for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

Gospel of Luke 1:46-48 KJV [familiar beginning of the Magnificat of Mary]

As were Joseph and others to whom the Lord sent His angels:

The soul of Mary is humble, as is JESUS from her womb to the Cross.

For he that is mighty hath done to me great things;
and holy is his name.
And his mercy
is on them that fear him
from generation to generation.
Gospel of Luke 1:49-50 King James Version – from the Magnificat of the Virgin Mary declaring that the Lord is mighty and holy is His Name.

Talk of JESUS .com

Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel
December 24, 2024
Son-Man Risen!
“Are you the King of the Jews,” the Prefect Pilate had asked JESUS just three days ago?

βασιλεύς King ?

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews.

But my kingdom is not from the world.”
Gospel of John 18: ESV 36 [in context John 18:28-40 AKJV]
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Case dismissed! This Man is NO threat to Rome or Jerusalem, Pilate COULD have said (had the Governor cared more about the Truth than public opinion.)
 
SO instead HE WAS CRUCIFIED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE and THREE DAYS AGO was BURIED in a GUARDED TOMB!
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The Jews had wanted a king more powerful than the Herod. Now these powerful pastors can celebrate THEIR Passover and finally dismiss this prophet JESUS saying,

The King is DEAD! Long live the King.

“Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar,” these Elder accusers of JESUS had taunted. The hereditary Chief Priests might no longer need to limp around the bloody temple sacrifices in order to please the multitudes.

YET since the rising of the sun three days later, some witnesses now report the RISING of the SON-MAN, JESUS!

Resurrection witnessed

The leaders of Herod’s temple (for it had been rebuilt by the Great Herod who left many of the common areas of the courts unfinished) did NOT need any interruption of their indulgences and ceremonial place of authority over worshipers of God obligated to come to THEIR temple twice yearly.

BUT even before THEY managed to convict and crucify the Christ so many followed the leadership of Jerusalem also sought to kill Jesus’ Apostles and most of all Lazarus.

When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there [Bethany], they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he [JESUS] had raised from the dead.

So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
Gospel of John 12:9-11 ESV
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The Temple leadership, however, failed to seize and kill Lazarus (again) but seemed satisfied to crucify the Christ said to raise Lazarus from the grave. 

(But how could such a thing as that have really happened, those many men who did not believe in the resurrection questioned?) 
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Jesus knew how these would REJECT Him not only because they did NOT believe Scripture, but also because these religious leaders could never envision their Messiah (the Christ, of whom the gentiles spoke) would be given the authority to raise the dead.

For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father.

Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
Gospel of John 5:22-25 ESV

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

And he has given him authority to execute judgment,
because he is [the] Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out,
those who have done good to the resurrection of life,
and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
Gospel of John 5:27-29 ESV – Jesus claiming the Authority of the Son-Man Messiah

Jesus certainly had demonstrated this Authority of the Christ by raising Lazarus from death!

The LEADERS of JUDAH knew rejected the Truth they knew; but even the most faithful worshipers sometimes doubt the veracity of Holy Scripture.
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Does this sound familiar?
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Son-Man, can these bones live?

+ Note: Lit. “son man” – the Hebrew does not use articles bēn ‘āḏām – בֶּן־אָדָם
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Picture yourself standing near Golgotha, where rotted bones of the crucified eventually fall to the dust. See any scene of a low valley of graves where flesh and bones decay in the dust and loved ones lament over the lifeless souls of their past..
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Ezekiel 37: KJV

And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.

Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath [רוּחַ]came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

Resurrection Prophesied

And at that time Michael the great prince shall stand up, that stands over the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of tribulation, such tribulation as has not been from the time that there was a nation on the earth until that time: at that time thy people shall be delivered, even every one that is written in the book.

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to reproach and everlasting shame.
Daniel 12:2 Brenton Septuagint Tran slation

Christ holds His priesthood permanently

The problem of the High Priests Annas and Caiaphas is no different than that pointed out by the author of the book of Hebrews.

And the former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently.

Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 7:25-27 LSB
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AND don't miss this about the necessity that the CHRIST should become the Perfect Sacrifice for our sins.
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For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

What must you do to be saved?

The Son-Man, JESUS (SAVIOR) Son WHO IS One with the Father and the Holy Spirit — Messiah [Christ] prophesied in Scripture IS the Very WORD of the LORD God!

THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND IS SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY?

Good News!

Spurgeon on Lazarus and resurrection
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Charles Spurgeon, the renowned English preacher of the 19th century provides us with further thoughts about what happened to Lazarus and those who already had mourned over his death.
THOUGH HE WERE DEAD - 14 September, A.D. 1884, Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington G.B.
John 11:24-26
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- here is the comfort which we may each one safely take, namely, that when Jesus comes the dead shall live.
- Then we are also told that when Jesus comes, living believers shall not die. After the coming of Christ there shall be no more death for his people.
- Resurrection with Jesus is resurrection indeed. Life with Jesus is life indeed.
- I think that Jesus meant that even now His dead are alive. Again, even now his living do not die.
Beyond these few brief points of comfort for the bereaved Spurgeon continues with a notable Scriptural truth WE tend to avoid:

Methinks, first, this text plainly teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ is the life of his people.

We are dead by nature, and you can never produce life out of death: the essential elements are wanting..

.. The life of a Christian in its commencement is in Christ alone, not a fragment of it is from himself, and the continuance of that life is equally the same; Jesus is not only the resurrection to begin with, but the life to go on with.”
Charles Haddon Spurgeon

The multitudes of Jerusalem loved Jesus’ teaching and loved Jesus’ humility. YET many who yearned to gather in the Temple REJECTED the greater love of a Savior willing to die on the Cross rather than life the life of a great teacher.

the resurrection and the life

Spurgeon pleas with those with ears to hear teaching on the power of Jesus raising Lazarus and what the Christian disciple must do:

“I tell you you must learn that Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

Hearken to that great “I,” that infinite EGO! This must cover over and swallow up your little ego.

“I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.”

WHAT ARE YOU?

Less than nothing, and vanity; but over all springs up divine, all-sufficient personality, “I am the resurrection and the life.”

.. further [Spurgeon points out],

“he that believeth in Me”: that is it.

He does not say, “He that loves me.”

my Lord and my God!

The GOOD NEWS of the RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST!

Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are those who did not see, and yet believed.”
Gospel of John 20:29 LSB

Alleluia!

Talk of JESUS .com

Christ IS Risen!

Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel
March 31, 2024
King of the Jews Savior of Sinners
Behold, Elijah is here.

“How long will you be limping between two opinions?

If Yahweh is God, follow Him..”

But the people did not answer him a word.
1 Kings 18:21 excerpt – Legacy Standard Bible

‘What does this QUESTION of Elijah have to do with HOLY WEEK?’ you ask.

READ our QUESTION from yesterday.

King for a Common Era Holy Week 5

Are YOU of the multitudes? OR one of His disciples?

Good Friday has a context we rarely consider: the Passover and Paschal Sacrifice of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

QUESTIONS are important to the celebration of the Passover.
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Later we will return to Elijah's QUESTION in this context.
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The Passover Lamb – (Exodus) 12: שְׁמֹות

“And it will be when your children say to you, ‘What is the meaning of this new slavery to you?’ [Lit What is this service to you?]{some translations use ‘rite‘ or ‘ceremony’} that you shall say,

‘It is a Passover sacrifice to Yahweh who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but delivered our homes.’”

And the people bowed low and worshiped.
Exodus 12:26-27 LSB
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NOW consider this as one of the MULTITUDES and hypocrites living the life in this world or in the time of Jesus' sacrificial days in Jerusalem. 

Do you WORSHIP the Pascal Lamb? 
(Can you make up your mind about JESUS?)
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Borrowing briefly from a PRIVATE moment of Christ Jesus with the Twelve - a sorrowful scene before the night unfolded toward the Cross.
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“With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
Gospel of Luke 22:15b – New King James Version

And this day will be a memorial for you..

12:14 וְהָיָה הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה לָכֶם לְזִכָּרוֹן וְחַגֹּתֶם אֹתוֹ חַג לַיהוָה לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם חֻקַּת עוֹלָם תְּחָגֻּהוּ׃

On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you..
Exodus 12:16a – NKJV regarding the required Passover Feast
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מִקְרָא from H7121; something called out, i.e. a public meeting (the act, the persons, or the place); also a rehearsal:—assembly, calling, convocation, reading. 
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Exodus 12:21 – slaughter the Passover lamb.

וְשַׁחֲטוּ הַפָּסַח׃

Every rendering of the LORD’s command sheds additional pathos of God’s only Son sacrificed on the CROSS and commemoration of HOLY COMMUNION for Christ followers.
Roger@TalkofJesus.com
- slaughter the Passover animal.
- kill the Passover lamb.
- kill the passover. [KJV]
- slay the Passover lamb.
- slay the passover.
- kill it for Passover.
- kill the Passover animal.
- celebrate Passover.
- slaughter the Passover-sacrifice
Indeed, that is exactly what they did to JESUS by hanging a savior from SIN on the cross-beams of a tree!
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(and 'lambs,' by the way, in Hebrew is pronounced, "ṣō'n."
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pesaḥ :פֶּסַח
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Lexicon :: Strong's H6453 - pesaḥ
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- sacrifice of passover
- animal victim of the passover
- festival of the passover
a sparing immunity from penalty.. From פָּסַח (H6452)
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Lexicon :: Strong's H6452 - pāsaḥ 
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פָּסַח pâçach, paw-sakh’; a primitive root; to hop, i.e. (figuratively) skip over (or spare); by implication, to hesitate; also (literally) to limp, to dance:—halt, become lame, leap, pass over.

Communion – a ‘difficult’ memorial

“For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed..

Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”
Gospel of John 6:55,60 NKJV

Limping toward the CROSS! – a ‘difficult’ Judgment
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Returning to ELIJAH'S QUESTION to worshipers of a FALSE god of FALSE prophets:
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“How long will you be limping between two opinions?

.. “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they limped about the altar which they had made.
1 Kings 18:21b,26b LSB
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'by implication, to hesitate; also (literally) to limp..
- - - - - - - - - -
HOW CAN GOD PASSOVER OUR SIN?

HOW CAN THE FLESH AND BLOOD OF THE SON OF GOD BECOME OUR PASSOVER OFFERING?
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Progress toward confession of Christ
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An excerpt from THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS 
by John Bunyan ~A.D. 1675
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I am in myself undone by reason of a Burden that lieth hard upon me: moreover, I am certain informed that this our City will be burned with fire from Heaven..  

He was reading in his Book.. he burst out, as he had done before, crying, "What shall I do to be saved?"

I looked then and saw a man named Evangelist coming to him, asked him, Wherefore dost thou cry?"

[The 'man,' later named 'Christian' answers as anyone confronted by the CROSS and JUDGMENT. - RH]

"Sir, I perceived by the Book in my hand [a BIBLE] that 
I AM CONDEMNED TO DIE 
AND AFTER THAT TO COME TO THE JUDGMENT.."

[And here is where WE limp between the CROSS and our own worldly City of Destruction - RH]

".. AND I FIND THAT I AM NOT WILLING TO DO THE FIRST,
NOR ABLE TO DO THE SECOND."
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Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews,

“Behold, your King!”

– Gospel of John 19:14 LSB

“How long will you be limping between two opinions?

Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
1 Corinthians 5:7-8 NKJV

Amen
March 29, 2024