Tag: acts

  • Crucifixion! – Scripture Fulfilled

    Crucifixion! – Scripture Fulfilled

    Crucifixion! – The Spirit of Grace

    .. this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. Acts 2:23
    And how is this the Spirit of Grace?

    For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that He might suffer and die on a Cross for sinners like us, that we should not perish, but have everlasting life.

    Roger Harned – talkofJesus.com – on Christ’s Crucifixion & John 3:16

    The Apostle John presents the Good News of Jesus Christ in light of the love of God the Father.

    Yes, the LORD of Old Testament Scripture to which John will point IS the Almighty God who must judge sin! Yet John testifies of Jesus who reveals God as the Father, the One of relationship who willingly shows mercy for the sake of the Son and saves sinners like you and me by grace.

    about the Author the Gospel of John - photo of quill and pen & computer talkofJesus.com

    A brief reintroduction to John

    John had unique access to witness the questioning of Jesus by the High Priests of Jerusalem. At the beginning of our journey through the Gospel of John we introduced the Apostle, this youngest Son of Zebedee who we now know was also known in the house of Herod.

    It is important to note here that the Apostle John later became the last surviving Disciple of Jesus Christ, living more than fifty years more until nearly the next century.

    John wrote the gospel during his residence at Ephesus in Asia Minor when he was advanced in age (Against Heresies 2.22.5; 3.1.1) – source

    מָשִׁיחַ מָשִׁיחַ talk of jesus dot com

    John’s Good News is NOT a News Alert to our phone, a BREAKING NEWS HEADLINE interrupting our life at home or even a well-researched story for an Ephesus News Courier.

    The Apostle, therefore, has not written the Gospel of John as events unfolded at the horrific scene of the crime of Jesus’ Crucifixion.

    In Conclusion

    The beloved Apostle and recognized authority of witness to these historical events some decades ago will soon assure the reader of John’s Good News (Gospel): Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;

    .. but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

    John 20:31 ESV

    John now begins the conclusion of his Gospel even before the climax of the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection.

    Intermingled with John’s conclusive evidence, he includes reporter-like facts (which we will address in a later post), but his purpose now is to reveal why Jesus did some of what the Lord came to accomplish.

    Every mention of Scripture (of course) refers to the Old Testament. John links the events of Jesus’ crucifixion to Old Testament prophesy.

    John 19:

    Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers also twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and clothed him in a purple robe. 3 And they kept coming up to him and saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” and were slapping his face.

    Isaiah 50:

    6 I gave My back to those who strike Me,
    And My cheeks to those who pull out My beard;
    I did not hide My face from insults and spitting.
    7 For the Lord God helps Me,
    Therefore, I am not disgraced;
    Therefore, I have made My face like flint,
    And I know that I will not be ashamed.

    14 It was the preparation day for the Passover, and it was about noon…

    17 Carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called Place of the Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him and two others with him, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle.

    23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier. They also took the tunic, which was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. 24 So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it, to see who gets it.

    This happened that the Scripture might be fulfilled, John tells us.

    Scripture includes more than the Law, which Jesus promises will be satisfied; but also the Psalms (or songs of worship), historical scrolls and also writings of the Prophets who Jerusalem’s religious leaders seldom heeded and like now, rarely taught.

    Here is this Scripture, a Psalm most descriptive of Jesus’ crucifixion.

    Psalm 22:

    READ ALL of Psalm 22, if you dare. And looking upon the scene of the Place of the Skull, with Jesus’ Blood pouring forth from His broken Body on the middle Cross, know His suffering for our sin endured for the grace of God’s love.

    18 אֲסַפֵּ֥ר כָּל־עַצְמוֹתָ֑י הֵ֥מָּה יַ֝בִּ֗יטוּ יִרְאוּ־בִֽי׃

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

    This is what the soldiers did, John tells us.

    John 19:

    28 After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now finished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, he said, “I’m thirsty.”

    Psalm 69:

    21 They also gave me a bitter herb in my food,
    And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

    30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.

    31 Since it was the preparation day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross on the Sabbath…

    32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other one who had been crucified with him.

    33 When they came to Jesus, they did not break his legs since they saw that he was already dead.

    John 19:

    Jesus’s Side Pierced

    34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out.

    Isaiah 53:

    The Suffering Servant

    Yet we ourselves assumed that He had been afflicted,
    Struck down by God, and humiliated.
    5 But He was pierced for our offenses,
    He was crushed for our wrongdoings;
    The punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him,
    And by His wounds we are healed.

    John’s Testimony is True

    Christ on the Cross from movie The Passion of the Christ

    Jesus replied [to Pilate]. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

    “What is truth? ” said Pilate.

    John 18:37b-38 CSB

    The Apostle here answers Pilate’s earlier question before he pronounced the sentence of DEATH ON A CROSS for Christ Jesus.

    John 19:35 He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows he is telling the truth.

    John 19:

    36 For these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: Not one of his bones will be broken.

    37 Also, another Scripture says: They will look at the one they pierced.

    Psalm 34:

    But the Lord rescues him from them all.
    20 He protects all his bones,
    Not one of them is broken.

    Zechariah 12:

    12:10 וְשָׁפַכְתִּי עַל־בֵּית דָּוִיד וְעַל יוֹשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלִַם רוּחַ חֵן וְתַחֲנוּנִים וְהִבִּיטוּ אֵלַי אֵת אֲשֶׁר־דָּקָרוּ וְסָפְדוּ עָלָיו כְּמִסְפֵּד עַל־הַיָּחִיד וְהָמֵר עָלָיו כְּהָמֵר עַֽל־הַבְּכֽוֹר׃

    Here is John’s Gospel GOOD NEWS of Scripture fulfilled.

    “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced;

    and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.

    Zechariah 12:10 NASB

    The Spirit of Grace

    John began his Good News speaking of grace. He begins his conclusion by quoting Zechariah’s imagery of the Spirit of grace and of supplication.

    judge's gavel - quote: And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment

    For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

    John 1:16-17 NASB

    Yet rather than supposing that we know what grace is, let’s look at grace through John’s eyes.

    Technical NOTE on Strong's Concordance linked here.
    H-#'s = Hebrew equivalent & G-#'s = Greek equivalent 

    χάρις – charis

    Even Pilate would share some understanding of this Greek concept of grace.

    • that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech
    • of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues
      • (This, of course, is that love of the Lord Jesus which John frequently shares freely as grace.)

    John later greets his fellow beloved believers in his second letter (mailed in about A.D. 90–95):

    Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

    About 5-10 years earlier in about A.D. 80–90 John would have had his Gospel delivered to these same saints of the churches where he quotes Zechariah (from about 520 BC, five centuries after David and before Christ), whose name means: “The LORD remembers.”

    “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace..,” John encourages from Scripture, as one who witneesed and had mourned for his beloved friend Jesus near the foot of the Cross.

    chen – חֵן

    The Hebrew meaning of grace from Zechariah understood by Jews is:

    • favour, grace, elegance, kindness, acceptance, (even beauty, preciousness or gratitude)
      • But Noah found favor H2580 in the eyes of the LORD.
      • The LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor H2580 in My sight and I have known you by name.”

    You are fairer than the sons of men;
    Grace H2580 is poured upon Your lips;
    Therefore God has blessed You forever.

    Psalm 45:2 – A Song Celebrating the King’s Marriage.

    The Spirit of Supplication

    .. and of supplication, which John adds from the prophet Zechariah,

    Do we even know what that is?

    ἱκετηρία –hiketēria

    • an olive branch
    • supplication

    Hebrews 5:

    In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.

    tachanuwn– תַּחֲנוּן

    • earnest prayer:—intreaty, supplication.
    • supplication for favour

    Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;

    And give heed to the voice of my supplications!

    Grace by God in the Person of Christ Jesus

    John began his Gospel by hope in the Messiah who was hung on a Cross.

    No one has ascended into heaven, except He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes will have eternal life in Him.

    John 3:13-15 NASB

    As Jesus gave up His Spirit while John and other witnesses sat beneath the Bloodied Cross with the corpse of their Messiah and Savior they must have wondered why.

    John 3:3536 “.. The Father loves the Son and has entrusted all things to His hand.

    The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

    “It is finished.”

    Then bowing his head, he gave up his spirit…

    They will look at the one they pierced.

    The Gospel of John 19:30b,37b NASB
    To be continued... 
  • Amos – Not immune from judgment

    Amos – Not immune from judgment

    We interrupt the Good News of John for an urgent warning from the Prophet Amos.

    “Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom,
    And I will destroy it from the face of the earth

    Amos 9:8a NASB

    We are NOT IMMUNE to the #pandemic of sin!

    A familiar forgotten history

    Even though festival seasons of Passover and Easter approach, our casual celebrations may possibly be banned this year and diminished by the rulers of this world.

    We know little of the first century church in this year of our Lord 2020, and struggles of the saints when Jerusalem fell not so many years after the Sacrifice and resurrection of the Messiah Jesus.

    Yet during this time of Jesus and the Apostles, scripture from Amos and other Prophets of the LORD would have been familiar to some.

    Briefly, the historical background of the time of Amos reads something like more recent times before our most recent struggles of these last days.

    Prosperity before the fall

    • Uzziah is King of Judah (792-740 BC)
    • Jeroboam II is King of Israel (793-753 BC)
    • Both kingdoms were blessed by tremendous wealth
    • Both kingdoms had powerful military which had defeated their enemies.
    • Both kingdoms had an aristocratic class who gained great wealth, enough to loan money to their poor neighbors.
    • Both Israel and Judah believed their kingdom to be permanently blessed by the LORD as a chosen people.
    • Israel and Judah believed themselves immune to judgment by the LORD.

    Sound familiar?

    It will to many of the suppressed working poor of first world nations.

    Yet the LORD sent a poor shepherd of Tekoa, a hillside suburb of Jerusalem, to tell the nations why a judgment of the LORD would fall upon them.

    It was a warning rejected, as we would have rejected such bad news just a short time ago when billionaires bragged of how good we have done under their affluent watch.

    Amos speaks for the LORD

    Perhaps you would like to sit still in dust and ashes, reading everything the Prophet Amos warns from the LORD – every call to repentance to a nation which has strayed far from righteousness. Here I can only list a few which may apply.

    Jesus, the Messiah, and John the Baptist will both echo these same indictments to broods of religious vipers.

    Peter, Paul, John and the Apostles of the first century church all encourage the saints, yet reprove the unrepentant who stray from teachings of the Lord.

    The church witnessed judgment on Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, when the Lord struck them dead for lying to the church!

    The Revelation of Christ to John warns the church. To one local church at Sardis, Christ warns though John:

    I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.

    Be alert and strengthen what remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before my God. Remember, then, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent.

    If you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come upon you.

    Revelation 3:1a-3 CSB

    Is your church in the the year of our Lord, 2020, like that? Not alert, though your reputation of this life multiplies the flock?

    If so, the warnings of the Prophet Amos and other prophets of the Old Testament may help you to return to the will of the Lord our God.

    Amos 1:

    Various Indictments & Punishments

    • Because they deported an entire population
    • And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.
    • because he pursued his brother with the sword.
    • He stifled his compassion,
    • his anger tore at him continually,
    • and he harbored his rage incessantly.
    • Because they ripped open the pregnant women… in order to enlarge their borders.
      • (Was this a barbaric abortion to choose only the boys of their own culture?)

    15 “Their king will go into exile,
    He and his princes together,” says the Lord.

    Judgment on Judah and Israel

    4 Thus says the Lord:

    “For three transgressions of Judah, and for four,
    I will not turn away its punishment…

    • Because they rejected the law of the Lord
    • And have not kept His commandments.
    • Their lies lead them astray,
      • Lies which their fathers followed.

    Is your religious tradition more important than obedience to the Lord your God? A better perception of your own righteousness than the Perfect righteousness of the Messiah sacrificed for your redemption?

    6 Thus says the Lord,
    “For three transgressions of Israel and for four
    I will not revoke its punishment…

    • Because they sell the righteous for money
    • and a needy person for a pair of sandals.
    • They trample the heads of the poor on the dust of the ground
    • and obstruct the path of the needy.

    How sad the compassionless ambition of the rich who do not see the sufferings of the poor.

    Roger Harned – talkofJesus.com

    … And you commanded the prophets saying, ‘You shall not prophesy!’

    13 Look, I am about to crush you in your place
    as a wagon crushes when full of grain.
    14 Escape will fail the swift,
    the strong one will not maintain his strength,
    and the warrior will not save his life.

    וְשָׁמַרְתָּ אֶת־מִצְוֹת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו וּלְיִרְאָה אֹתֹֽו׃

    “Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.

    Deuteronomy 8:6 – Masoretic Text, NASB

    I’m not even certain that christians blinded by science fear the Lord our God, let alone those chosen of Jesus’ and Amos’ times who turned away from scripture.

    Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”

    “I and the Father are one.”

    John 8:58, 10:30 NASB

    Authority of the Prophet’s Message

    Hear this word which the Lord has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of Egypt:

    Indeed, the Lord God does nothing
    without revealing his counsel
    to his servants the prophets.
    A lion has roared;
    who will not fear?
    The Lord God has spoken;
    who will not prophesy?

    11 Therefore, the Lord God says:

    An enemy will surround the land;
    he will destroy your strongholds
    and plunder your citadels.

    13 Listen and testify against the house of Jacob—
    this is the declaration of the Lord God,
    the God of Armies.
    14 I will punish the altars of Bethel
    on the day I punish Israel for its crimes;
    the horns of the altar will be cut off
    and fall to the ground.

    Social and Spiritual Corruption

    Perhaps some in this day will yet hear the indictment of our land, a warning to shepherds who lead the flock astray.
    • [You rich women] Who oppress the poor,
    • Who crush the needy,
    • Who say to your husbands, “Bring wine, let us drink!”

    Are these not the leadings of rich women who lead their husbands by day and discard them by the darkness of divorce?

    Yet we have not listened to the Lord who places the man over his wife; also father and mother over their children and youth, raised in God’s Law. Raised as rebellious children ourselves, we do not believe God’s warnings to return to fear of His judgment.

    I gave you absolutely nothing to eat
    in all your cities,
    a shortage of food in all your communities,
    yet you did not return to me.
    This is the Lord’s declaration.

    8 Two or three cities staggered
    to another city to drink water
    but were not satisfied,
    yet you did not return to me.
    This is the Lord’s declaration.

    • I struck you with blight and mildew… yet you did not return to me.
    • I sent plagues like those of Egypt;
    • I killed your young men with the sword,

    11 I overthrew some of you
    as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
    and you were like a burning stick
    snatched from a fire,
    yet you did not return to me—
    This is the Lord’s declaration.

    “Therefore thus will I do to you…

    Because I will do this to you,
    Prepare to meet your God…

    13 For behold,
    He who forms mountains,
    And creates the wind,
    Who declares to man what his thought is,
    And makes the morning darkness,
    Who treads the high places of the earth—
    The Lord God of hosts is His name.

    4:13 כִּי הִנֵּה יֹוצֵר הָרִים וּבֹרֵא רוּחַ וּמַגִּיד לְאָדָם מַה־שֵּׂחֹו עֹשֵׂה שַׁחַר עֵיפָה וְדֹרֵךְ עַל־בָּמֳתֵי אָרֶץ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵֽי־צְבָאֹות שְׁמֹֽו׃ ס

    Martin Luther King "I have a dream" speech

    “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream.” – quoting Amos 6:24

    Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying,

    “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality,

    and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.”

    Revelation 17:1-2 NASB
    To be continued... Lord willing...

  • WE Have Been Here Before – in Awe of JESUS

    WE Have Been Here Before – in Awe of JESUS

    We show no awe of Jesus in our no-salt ‘christian’ lives. Oh, perhaps in a stanza of singing, a sentence of sermon or a moment of compassion in our encounter with another; but for the most part we Christians fail to show any awe of Jesus in our worship or daily lives.

    Our church and yours will most likely witness the “aahhh” of a baby born in Bethlehem directed for our children. Ah, not awe — the small sprinkling of Christ for the community, rather than Spirit led worship of the Christ who still lives.

    AWE!

    The forgotten awe of the Lord God witnessed in the past becomes the superstition of today’s disbelief.

    When we read of the awe of Jesus we quickly overlook it. How easily we miss a personal awe of the Lord.

    So just for a moment put yourself in the sandals of some witnesses we missed in Jesus’ introduction. (For the Gospel shows us much more than the ‘ah’ of a babe in a manger.)

    The Gospel of Matthew

    1:20b an angel of the Lord appeared to him [Joseph] in a dream… 24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him.

    Note: Maji: Matthew 2:1 A caste of wise men specializing in astronomy, astrology, and natural science

    2:2 “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.”

    13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt.

    19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.

    The Gospel Mark

    The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

    9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

    The Good News (εὐαγγέλιον) of Luke

    1:8 … he was serving as priest before God… 11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified and overcome with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah…

    26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David…

    2:9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid

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

    “Glory to God in the highest,
    And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

    Luke 2:14 NASB – Strong’s G2107 – eudokia Blueletterbible.org

    33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.

    Does Jesus still amaze you after hearing HIS STORY each year?

    Do you hear the awe in these witnesses of Christ? And like them do hold HIM in awe as well?

    34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed

    Prophecy – Simeon recalls and applies prophecy of the Messiah to Jesus, the Son of Man born in a manger in Bethlehem.

    The Gospel of John

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

    The same was in the beginning with God.

    John 1:2 KJV of Christ Jesus ‘this one, visibly present here
    manger with shadow of cross falling across
    The Lamb of God in a manger

    The Lamb of God

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

    30 This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’

    John the Baptist was in awe of Jesus. Are you?

    51 And He said to him [Nathanael], “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.

    Awesome! Truly, the Gospel records many instances of awe connected to Christ Jesus.

    What is Awe?

    φόβος – phobos

    You know the greek root and its connection to fear, dread, terror and that which strikes terror.

    Yet we marginalize our phobias even of miracles. And awe in this sense startles our sense of the natural. For our human understanding must be finite and understanding of the infinite baffles us.

    We mention the fear of the shepherds who witnessed the awe of angels at Jesus’ birth. Yet seldom will we note the supernatural motivations for the multitudes of followers who subsequently had to see and hear the Messiah Jesus.

    In just one scene here in Nain, imagine yourself as part of the crowd gathered for the funeral of this man. Jesus, of whom you have heard, walks up and touches the coffin.

    “Young man, I say to you, arise!”

    The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

    Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying,

    “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and,

    “God has visited His people!”

    Luke 7:14-16

    Luke further records witness of the first century church.

    Everyone kept feeling a sense G5401 of awe; G5401 and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.

    Acts of the Apostles 2:43 – awe = Literally: fear was occurring to every soul

    Fear as Consequence of Awe

    We frequently live in fear during this brief mortal journey of our life.

    Do we fear man and circumstance or the Lord?

    Therefore here this one example of awe from the Hebrew Bible [Old Testament] as wisdom for our fear.

    33:8 יִֽירְאוּ מֵיְהוָה כָּל־הָאָרֶץ מִמֶּנּוּ יָגוּרוּ כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵֽל׃

    Let all the earth fear the LORD;
    Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

    Psalm 33:8 Masoretic Text; NASB
    To be continued...