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12 Men Texting as their Messiah approaches – Part 2
A Context to Texting

You may find the photo headline of this post somewhat whimsical, but my incongruous placement of 21st century communications devices into first century Jewish hands comes with a purpose. Just imagine yourself in this scene of controversy.

The very irony of our recent look back at the seriousness of what Daniel had to say about the future coming of the Messiah of Israel adds to divisions of thought by first century Jews.

Any anachronistic imagery of the last days by Prophets like Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah and many more must have met with diverse interpretation.

Suppose the twelve Apostles and religious rulers of Jerusalem had communication tools such we do.

Would they have been texting ahead as the Messiah Jesus approached?

Of course these historical events did take place in the first century, but what if Jesus approached our city now?

What do you think would happen?

Consider the motivations of those in John’s Gospel as if they could communicate as quickly as we do in this 21st century A.D.
A Context to Texting
The Jerusalem Jesus approached
John 12:
Good News / Bad News?
Path of the Betrayer
John 13:
Judas’ Betrayal Predicted
Returning to Jerusalem
John 8:
What do you think?
The Jerusalem Jesus approached

Jerusalem is a city under Roman imposed rules suppressing their world through might and mitigated right imposed by compromising captive national and local leaders. Their religious leaders convened as the Sanhedrin.

The Sanhedrin‘s beginning is to be placed at the period in which Asia was convulsed by Alexander the Great and his successors. The Hellenistic kings conceded a great amount of internal freedom to municipal communities, and Palestine was then practically under home rule, and was governed by an aristocratic council of Elders

John 12:

You may recall the context of these parting paths from Jesus – Traveling to and from Bethany.

The Twelve Apostles and many other Jews have just witnessed the Lord Jesus raise Lazarus from the grave!

After returning to Bethany from Ephraim in the hills far-removed from Jerusalem’s public eye, they return to the home of Lazarus.

Mary, sister to lazarus pours expensive oil on Jesus’ feet and one of the Twelve objects.

5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”

We then followed the separate path of the Messiah and His Apostles away from the amazed public eyewitness of this great sign in Bethany.

Good News / Bad News?

Just image the Good News of the texts between those traveling with Jesus and the mourners of Bethany!

Who did they tell of this confirmation of Israel’s Messiah?

Last time we followed the storyline of the Good News (as Jesus retreated to the hills one last time). But now we will return to Bethany and follow the thread of bad news (no doubt texted ahead to the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem). Now we turn to a divergent path headed in a different direction.

Path of the Betrayer

6 Now he [ Judas Iscariot ] said this, not because he cared about the poor [for he had never cared about them], but because he was a thief; and since he had the money box [serving as treasurer for the twelve disciples], he used to pilfer what was put into it.

7 So Jesus said, “Let her alone, so that she may keep [the rest of] it for the day of My burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.”

The impulse of betrayal

What does a zealous follower of a powerful man do when spurned by his idolized leader who fails to take the path he had expected?

(Perhaps this is not so irrelevant to these times and leaders as well.)

Judas would have texted other zealots he knew in the capital, those in the palaces of power.
Roger Harned- talkofJesus.com

John 13:

Once more, jumping ahead to follow Judas after the Messiah’s triumphal entry to the gates of Judah’s capital:

2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him…

To Peter the Lord said:

… You are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For he knew who would betray him. This is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

Judas’ Betrayal Predicted

You’ve entered the Holy gathering at the Table with the Lord.

HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR CELL PHONES?

You just can’t wait to tell your friends back home and waiting in the public square what has just happened. But just for a moment you allow Jesus to lead the events in the room.

“Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.

After a murmuring among those present John tells us that after the urging of Peter he asks the unspoken question on everyone’s mind.

6 Jesus then answered,

“That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.”

So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.

A devil revealed reacts

John has already witnessed in his Gospel that Judas is a devil of a disciple who will betray Jesus. He has also witnessed that Jesus called the leaders of Jerusalem by the same.

So what will these devils of conspiracy against all righteousness do?

What would they do in this day?

Communicate! — “TXT ME“

After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”
John 13:27 NASB – Judas Iscariot and the command of Jesus

IF you were the betrayer, wouldn’t you immediately go for your communication device?

We have to post an ‘update‘ to our ‘friend‘ network in the world we love?

So did Judas!

30 So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night.

Returning to Jerusalem

Judas has left the Lord Jesus on a different path. (I pray that you have not left the presence of the Lord as well, claimer of Christ your savior for this brief life.)

The Messiah Jesus called Judas a devil – διάβολος diábolos
- prone to slander, slanderous, accusing falsely
- metaph. applied to a man who, by opposing the cause of God, may be said to act the part of the devil or to side with him
Do you follow anyone like that?

(Better not text them or pay much attention to their media campaigns pointed at you and their ‘followers.’)

Do you believe that men and women like Judas claim authority as “followers of the Lord?“

You will always have the poor and you will always have those who do evil in the eyes of the Lord!

False leaders must ultimately promote a lie of their own false traditions and compromised purity. John uncovers the motives of these ‘leaders.’

Judas had hoped Jesus would overthrow Jerusalem’s autocratic, aristocratic religious leaders and their Roman allies violently, but the Messiah chose a sacrificial path.

Now we return to the capital of the land in an earlier visit.

John 8:

We have examined this defendant of the devil before in Before Abraham was, I AM! Jesus had called these same leaders with false interpretation of Scripture and devious leadership to their own cultural ends, ‘devils!’

37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God…

“You are of your father the devil, ^G1228 and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks [fn]a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of [fn]lies.

45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.

Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.”

The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon.
John 8:51-52a NASB

What do you think?

What BREAKING NEWS will you TXT ahead?
- Will you remain with the Messiah, essentially following obediently as commanded as did the eleven?
- Or will you betray your only Hope of cleansing of your sin (and text ahead to the world that the Messiah isn’t what you thought?)
Perhaps you’ve been listening to distorted news of the powers you seek from principalities you cannot touch. You need to identify with these ‘leaders’ of the world and in the world.

What is your reaction to the Messiah Jesus approaching in these last days?
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To be continued...
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April 3, 2020
12 Men Texting as their Messiah approaches – Part 1
If you could TEXT 12 men or women about Jesus Christ, would you? Do you SHARE the Good News of JESUS with a ‘christian’ friend or 12 men you know or dozens of men and women who have questions about the Gospel?

Worship of the Son of God!

You likely know the narratives of 21st century holidays such as Palm Sunday, Easter or even Passover [Pesach – פסח (in Hebrew)] all too well – perhaps too well to worship the Lord God in the context of a first century Jerusalem.

A dear Jewish friend of ours, one of many since my wife is a Messianic Jew, commented just last week on the troubling events of these last days. He said something to the effect that it looks like it could be getting close to the time of the return of the Messiah.

Perhaps our Jewish friend is right. Indeed, if you examine the context of the first coming of the Messiah Jesus you will see promise after His bodily resurrection of a return once more.

Yet I ask you to consider in my agreement with our Jewish friend (a social jew just like many “christians” have become social christians) a deeper look into Scripture – Jewish Scripture. What you read here I offer based on what Christians call, the “Old Testament” or the ‘former Covenant.’

The Former Covenant – בְּרִית

How many Christians OR Jews truly value the solemn witness of Covenant with the LORD our God?

Sadly, too few — and the LORD in these last days seems all-but forgotten in the hearts and lives of those ‘religious’ who claim covenant with the Lord our God. I trust that by your own study of my exposition of prophecy of the Messiah and especially all other Scripture (yes, christian, including the Old Covenant) you seek cleansing and redemption for your sins.

Although ancient writings of the Talmud & Mishna, (in various translations), the Apocrypha (with 14 books Jewish in origin) and other extra-Biblical teaching may be enlightening, these do not stand up to Scripture alone, the inspired word of the Lord God.

We might easily veer off course, sidetracked from the Lord’s application of Scripture in our own lives by even unintentional misdirection and misinterpretation by teachers of the past.

In this brief look of connection between the Old Covenant and New we will look back to two brief passages from three chapters of Daniel.

The New Covenant

Our purpose here is focused only on the Sacrifice of the Son of Man – the Messiah of Israel – and not specifically the broken covenant compared to a new and better covenant. If the Spirit of the Lord draws you to further study the following translations of the book of Hebrews may help.

Hebrews 9:
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Please note that you may LISTEN to three of these translations as well as READ it in Hebrew.
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Daniel 9:

… I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

24 …
- to finish the transgression,
- to make an end of sin,
- to make atonement for iniquity,
- to bring in everlasting righteousness,
- to seal up vision and prophecy
- and to anoint the most holy place.
What mere mortal, what man even a priest of the Lord can do this with permanence?

Only the Son of Man, the Holy One of Israel – the One Messiah Jesus!

25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince…

You with ears to hear, understand: Jerusalem does not surpass the Messiah the Prince of God our Father in importance. For by His Sacrifice worship of the LORD is sanctified and perfected in Jesus the Son of Man and Only Son of God.

… It will be rebuilt with a plaza and a moat,
but in difficult times.
26 After those sixty-two weeks
the Anointed One will be cut off
and will have nothing.
The people of the coming ruler
will destroy the city and the sanctuary…

Daniel 10: Vision of a Glorious One

Better-learned men than me have studied Daniel’s vision of the Messiah and understood more, but even the Prophet Daniel confessed that he did not understand its full meaning.

I will add one additional look at Daniel after deferring to Sir Isaac Newton.

On the Bible:

“I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God, written by men who were inspired. I study the Bible daily.”

On atheism:
“Atheism is so senseless.

When I look at the solar system. I see the earth at the right distance from the sun to receive the proper amounts of heat and light. This did not happen by chance.”
TEXT COMMENTARIES :: SIR ISAAC NEWTON – BluedLetterBible.org

If you count in Judaic years commencing in autumn, and date the reckoning from the first autumn after Ezra’s coming to Jerusalem, when he put the King’s decree in execution; the death of Christ will fall on the year of the Julian Period 4747, Anno Domini 34; and the weeks will be Judaic weeks, ending with sabbatical years; and this I take to be the truth…

Daniel 12:

Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.
Daniel 12:2 NASB

7 Then I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the water of the river. He raised both his hands toward heaven and swore by him who lives eternally that it would be for a time, times, and half a time.

When the power of the holy people is shattered, all these things will be completed.

8 I heard but did not understand…

Whether texting 12 men and women OR simply sharing the Gospel in person you can bet that THEY do not understand either. Why not start your Christian Social Witness here?

Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
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To be continued...
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April 2, 2020
Jesus – Traveling to and from Bethany

Departing Bethany

Jesus the Messiah has just given the Jews of Judea a sign proving that He IS the Son of God. For after traveling some distance on foot to Bethany the Lord arrived to find his friend Lazarus dead. Then to the amazement of all, Jesus calls Lazarus from the tomb.

The Messiah gives back to a man dead in the grave life itself!

We pause once more in the chronological events in Jesus’ journey to the Cross and His own resurrection to look back briefly at Bethany, the town of this miracle, from Luke’s Gospel.

Luke 10:

Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come…

“Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.

This was Jesus’ caution to seventy disciples following Him. Do not be so innocent as to think that because God will save you that God’s enemies of this world will not harm you.

“The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
Luke 10:16 – Commission of the Messiah Jesus to followers

Jesus travels these roads between Galilee, Samaria and Judea. The Lord’s disciples know the dangers of travel in these places.

“Who is my neighbor?”

Jesus tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan to listeners familiar with a distrust of other travelers. The villains, however, turn out to be just the type of religious officials we look up to at church!

Luke makes his point from Jesus’ parable most likely told to crowds coming to Jerusalem, then proceeds to introduce us to the family of Lazarus in Bethany.

Bethany

38 Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word.

But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said,

“Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”

But the Lord answered and said to her,

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Luke then moves on with another time and place without providing detail about their brother Lazarus, who presumably is at work somewhere away from this scene.

Returning now to the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha on the Lord’s later journey witnessed by John.

John 11:

… Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.

The Apostle John proceeds to witness the motives of the Jews who sought to kill their Messiah.

Two paths leaving Bethany

(God-willing, we will return to this while considering Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem, completing that for which He was sent by God the Father.)

A road through Bethany to the Cross

Now let’s depart Bethany with Jesus as the Lord left after healing Lazarus from death itself.

54 Therefore Jesus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews,

but went away from there to the country near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there He stayed with the disciples.

Returning to Bethany

Then as the Passover approaches many leave for Jerusalem with other pilgrims traveling to the Temple to purify themselves.

John 12:

Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

2 So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him.

Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair.

And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

The Apostle John adds further description of the fragrance, adding the reaction of Judas with witness of his motives:

“Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”

“Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

Dining with dear friends

Jesus and the Twelve have returned to Bethany from the small city of Ephraim in the hills to the north full-well knowing of the plot of Jerusalem’s religious leaders to kill them all.

Yet for a brief evening, they share precious mortal time together. No man knows the value of this more than Lazarus, their host and the Son of Man who must soon depart for Jerusalem one last time.

How they must have discussed the experience of DEATH.. and of RESURRECTION…

March 31, 2020