Looking for a question that will trip-up nearly any 21st c. christian?
And since I have answered it before rather than answering it yet once more today on this GOOD FRIDAY, I will point you (my christian, jewish and anti-Christ friends) to previous Good Friday posts on which perhaps you might comment (publicly or privately) in this year of our Lord 2022.
Why do you call a day JESUS was killed on a Cross good; what GOOD is it to you or for me?
Look at the NEWS of today (and I dare say NONE of it is ‘Good News.’
When Israel saw the great power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in the same way..
“For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son just as they honor the Father..
You examine the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is those very Scriptures that testify about Me..
Yet truthfully -- and sadly -- not only do many jews no longer believe Scripture, but too many 'evangelical christians' no longer hold to the Way, the Truth & the Life of the Scriptures either.
“How can you believe, when you accept glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?
“For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.”
All Scripture is [God-breathed] inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for [reprimand] rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be [proficient] fully capable, equipped for every good work.
IF these are YOUR excuses to say that GOOD FRIDAY is NOT GOOD NEWS for YOU, you will not want to Talk of JESUS [HERE, or anywhere else].
For salvation is only for those the Lord will choose as His faithful remnant who will believe.
Good Friday’s past
PLEASE COMMENT ON THIS [privately or publically] OR any of my previous posts which include, of course, OTHER GOOD Fridays and RESURRECTION SUNDAYS. - rh
Although the American tradition of Thanksgiving begins with a storyline of faith,
WE THE PEOPLE have strayed far from the faith of our fathers.
Pilgrims & Puritans
It’s worth mentioning again at Christmas, with its varied denominational, traditional and secular celebrations:
All of us are pilgrims journeying from place to place on the troubled seas of this world.
The religious founding of various Colonies created challenges from the very first, but pilgrims found freedoms of worship in America agreed upon by men of differing faiths.
13 Colonies Religions
The Mayflower Compact
Men of faith will continue to disagree with each other, but faithless men will never agree with any who worship Christ Jesus.
Roger Harned
Jesus (He was the baby in the story about to be frequently retold) rebuked His fellow Jews who constantly disagreed with each other on many interpretations of the Law of Moses.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
A 21st century pilgrimage back into the turbulence of 17th century America will challenge our own lethargic drifting away from Scripture as witnessed by Puritans and others.
Briefly, I would like to share a couple of points from an excellent look back (linked above), BY ANDREAS KÖSTENBERGER.
In 1642, the article notes, “the Puritan-led English parliament asked citizens not to celebrate Christmas in any way, other than private respectful prayer.”
The anti-Christmas laws remained in effect until 1660 when the monarchy was restored, yet it took almost another 300 years before Christmas became a full national holiday in Scotland in 1958.
No Miracle on 34th St
in 2020..
OR at Macy’s or at Shillato’s.
(due to COVID)
Think of the disappointment of all the little boys and all the little girls
who believe that Christmas is all about Santa Claus.
Pictured: 1956 Rochelle Baverman
(a Jewish girl, like the virgin Mary) photo with Santa in Cincinnati, Ohio
- The Nativity Crèche (pictured for this post) became one of her traditions later as a Messianic Jew.
Christmas of the Gospels
Many a preacher either struggles or delights to return in December to the all-too-familiar passages of Scripture (now recited by Linus & other children for the joy of all parents).
The church continues to tell the story of a Virgin birth of a baby Jesus in a manger, with a secular ‘Once upon a time’ message targeting children, as the Puritans once feared.
When we present Christmas as a gift to children, do we perhaps upstage God’s purpose of sending His Only Son Jesus to the Cross?
The Puritans thought more of the Cross than of the Manger. (And there are other issues of Roman idolatry here.)
Are you still a child in your understanding of Christ?
Is Christmas the way we traditionally celebrate with our families, truly the Good News of the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ to sinners like us?
Christ is Born (Good News edition)
I will just briefly address the Christmas nativity narrative here, for our purpose is to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ by each writer of the four Gospels — the Good News of Christmas, the Good News of Jesus’ Crucifixion and especially the Good News of Jesus’ Resurrection.
1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.
You may read the rest of the Nativity story in the link above.
Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
Luke 2:1-2 NASB
Recall that we have just discussed Caesar Augustus from later in the Gospel of John.
Our children’s Christmas pageants may not convey that Rome is in charge of Judea, a subject kingdom of Syria’s Roman Governor, Quirinius.
We may not even have sensed how the Herod’s had lost power with Rome or noted that Quirinius’ successor was not appointed by Caesar, leaving Pontius Pilate as governor of Judea (with no governor of all Syria).
Other detail of Luke’s Gospel will resound familiar detail of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem of Judea.
Once again, what you do not hear from Linus you may read in the link from the Gospel of Luke above.
Mark
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Mark 1:1
Note that I have not taken the Gospels in order. This is due to the Nativity detail given by Matthew and Luke not being mentioned by Mark or John.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY;
THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.’”
The Gospel of Mark 1:1-3 NASB
Note that Mark points to the Prophet Isaiah as well as a prophesied messenger, John the Baptist. Mark’s Gospel begins with the baptism of Jesus by John (as it is written) and receiving the Holy Spirit of the LORD God His Father!
Luke records this as well after reporting from witnesses of Jesus’ birth.
John:
I began this year of our Lord, 2020, with John’s Gospel.
John 3:19 “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
We have followed Jesus through Scripture, primarily from the Gospel of John, little knowing in January what darkness of this past year would bring to a world far-distanced from Christ.
How did John approach the birth of Jesus?
The Apostle reflected that which was before every event of the Nativity!
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
John 1:1-3 NASB
The Apostle John records what he has already witnessed of Jesus, the Christ of the Jews and Savior of the world:
Jesus IS the Creator, the LORD GOD!
HE WAS, before HIS own birth as Emmanuel, God With Us.
John has witnessed through Jesus Christ the fullness of the LORD’s glory, including Jesus’ resurrection and when the Apostle records this witness:
Yeshua said to them,
“Most assuredly, I tell you, before Avraham came into existence, I AM.”
John testifies that Jesus tells us this unscaleable truth to creatures of His making, which all men and women are:
“I and the Father are one.”
John 10:30
His place of birth, His mother, His lineage, His story told at Christmas — ALL pale by comparison to His Existence before the beginning — the Genesis of Adam and Creation to which Moses testifies.
When will we emerge from the darkness?
The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. – Genesis 1:2 NASB
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the LORD,
“My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”
You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day;
Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
“Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
Excerpts from Psalm 91 NASB
Shall we take Jesus out of the box of Christmas?
continuous media updates by media
19 March AD2020 Churches ordered closed
Christmas – HUMBUG!
2020? I stole that too, BOO HOO, BOO HOO.
I just want to have a perfect gift this Christmas.
a Covid Christmas
What does CHRISTMAS mean to YOU?
We can not have Jesus born in a manger without the shadow of the CROSS.
Will we leave Jesus in the grave?
As we have painstakingly walked with John in this year of our Lord, 2020, we have tarried during the long week of the Passover of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
John 2:19
But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
John 19:
40 They took Jesus’s body and wrapped it in linen cloths with the fragrant spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews.
41 There was a garden in the place where he was crucified. A new tomb was in the garden; no one had yet been placed in it. They placed Jesus there because of the Jewish day of preparation and since the tomb was nearby.
Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him – John 18:12 KJV
..one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? – John 18:22b KJV
24 Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest.
28 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment..
29 Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation..
33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
19:1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
His scourging poured forth sinless Blood by 39 lashes upon Jesus’ back.
Pilate and the politically motivated religious leaders of Jerusalem made mockery of mercy (one less lash than Rome’s forty which should cause death) by condemning the Son of Man in whom they found no guilt.
John 19:2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head..
3 and they repeatedly came up to Him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and slapped Him in the face again and again.
Judas & a detachment of troops & officers from the chief priests & Pharisees,
Hosanna to the Son of David:
Behold the Man
Pilate *said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?”
The chief priests answered, “We have no king except Caesar.”
Jesus, the King of the Jews
From Glorified King to Crucifixion on a Cross
About the sixth hour [noon]
14 Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Look, your King!” 15 So they shouted, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king except Caesar.”
16 So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified.
17 They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, carrying His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which in Hebrew is called, Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between…
21 So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’; rather, write that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’”
A Temporary Victory
The powerful have won the political battle of the day!
Yet complete defeat is near for political rulers of the Empireand the powerful leaders of religion in Jerusalem.For by their own shouts the preordained Sacrifice of the Lamb of God for the sins of the world is now to be fulfilled.
22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
It was nearly noon, the Passover Lamb now prepared by scourging. “CRUCIFY, CRUCIFY!” shout the crowds. We will NOT follow Jesus.
Jesus the Christ will take back the power of sinfrom the enemyand defeat deathfrom a Cross of Sacrifice.
.. 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 this grace you must also wait until next time.
To be continued...
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