Talk of JESUS . com

Tag: Matthew

Jesus Christ Lord – 3 Christ of the Christian Church
Christians of the early Church proclaimed Jesus Christ Lord confessing, “JESUS is Lord.”
- What is your relationship to the Son of God and Son of Man?
Jesus Christ IS Lord – 1

Part 1 UPDATED 25 September 2024 CE

So far, we have been reminded that GOD is One – that is: Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Eternal (before all time and and after all time ceases to exist) – separated from His creation (including creatures), that is: Holy.

Previously I pointed out thoughtful teaching QUESTIONS about GOD from the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

Roles and Relationships of JESUS

In Part 2 we read about Jesus Christ from the Nicene Creed.

Jesus Christ 2 the Person and His Roles

“.. of one substance with the Father,..”

JESUS relates to mankind in roles summarized as King, Prophet and Priest; but none is more foundational than Christ of God.

Roger@TalkofJesus.com

the Trinity of the LORD

Church and Biblical teaching are both clear and mysterious in describing GOD’s ROLES of relationship within HIMSELF, that is:
- FATHER to the SON
- SON to the SPIRIT
- Holy Spirit
  - to the Father
  - and to the Son
Some Christians know and experience a personal relationship to THE ONE GOD. The HOLY SPIRIT speaks to the heart [spirit ] of a uniquely created man or woman, a mortal made of flesh and blood.

Church Doctrine (teaching)

Christian Teachings of the Church from Scripture

In Part 3 of this doctrinal post about the one LORD JESUS CHRIST we will look at scriptural teaching concerning CHRIST from historic catechisms of the Church AND most foundationally, from God’s word in the BIBLE.

Catechisms provide studied ANSWERS to student QUESTIONS

Every Christian has QUESTIONS about the Lord God and about JESUS (who IS God).
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Like ANY learning, the Questions and Answers of a catechism we study and memorize as students seeking a deeper understanding of God.
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Doctrine-based QUESTIONS of Christology
- 21. Who is the redeemer of God’s elect?
  - The only redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, forever.
- 23. What offices doth Christ execute as our redeemer?
  - Christ, as our redeemer, executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in His estate of humiliation and exaltation.
- *24. How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?
  - *
- *25. How doth Christ execute the office of a priest?
  - *
- *26. How doth Christ execute the office of a king?
  - *READ the Westminster Catechism [A.D. 1647] for ANSWERS to these and more Questions about God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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If you also wonder about the Holy Spirit, time does not allow further study today.
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What does the Church teach? (Church Doctrine)

Today we’ll study the roles of JESUS’ personal relationship with YOU, with me and with all followers of the Lord.
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Let's begin with a review from the NICENE CREED with its EARLY UNIVERSAL (Catholic) agreement as to the Person and Roles of Christ and God.
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THE CREED OF NICAEA – AGREED AT THE COUNCIL IN 325
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Until the early 20th century, it was universally assumed that the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (the more accurate term) was an enlarged version of the Creed of Nicaea, which was promulgated at the Council of Nicaea (325). It was further assumed that this enlargement had been carried out at the Council of Constantinople (381) with the object of bringing the Creed of Nicaea up to date in regard to heresies about the Incarnation and the Holy Spirit that had arisen since the Council of Nicaea. - source: Britannica
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JESUS

Who because of us men and because of our salvation came down,

and became incarnate

and became man,

and suffered,

and rose again on the third day,

and ascended to the heavens,

and will come to judge the living and dead,

And in the Holy Spirit.

Nicene Creed, a Christian statement of faith that is the only ecumenical creed because it is accepted as authoritative by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and major Protestant churches. -Britannica

Offices, Titles, Roles and Relationships of JESUS
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As is my practice, linked DEFINITIONS to clarify.
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Christ our Redeemer

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,

And [after] the last He will rise up over the dust of this world.

Job 19:25 LSB

Redeemer is a specifically Scriptural reference to a person acting to save a person or people from the hold, control or responsibility of another.

The Prophet Isaiah points forward to the Holy One of Israel as the redeemer of Israel for the chosen ones of God.

Lord – κύριος

Jesus asked them, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”

He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:

‘The LORD said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” ’ ?

Gospel of Matthew 22:41-46 excerpt New King James Version
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22:45  εἰ οὖν Δαβὶδ καλεῖ αὐτὸν κύριον πῶς υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἐστιν 

Since David called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?” - NLT
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Offices of our Redeemer
- the office of a prophet
- the office of a priest
- the office of a king
Prophet –from נָבָא (H5012) – נָבִיא

Then the LORD came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward. Then He said,

“Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision;
I speak to him in a dream.

Numbers 12:5 NKJV
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New Testament use of prophet from the Greek:
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προφήτης – Strong’s G4396 – prophētēs

“But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.

Gospel of Matthew 11:9 NKJV [7-15 in contest] JESUS, speaking of John, even comparing John to Elijah and citing Scripture from O.T. Prophets.
- What does the BIBLE teach us about this office of JESUS?
Resurrection Before Jesus

And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying,

That a great prophet G4396 is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.

Gospel of Luke 7:16 KJV [vs 11-17 in context] when JESUS raised a boy to life from his funeral casket

Priest – kōhēn – כֹּהֵן

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest H3548 of the most high God.

Genesis 14:18 KJV (first reference to the office of priest in the Bible)

priest,
principal officer or chief ruler
priest-king (Melchizedek, Messiah)
[6 more]
Active participle of כָּהַן (H3547)
Lexicon :: Strong’s H3548 – kōhēn

The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest H3548 for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Psalm 110:4

לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר נְאֻם יְהוָה לַאדֹנִי שֵׁב לִימִינִי עַד־אָשִׁית אֹיְבֶיךָ הֲדֹם לְרַגְלֶיךָ׃
1. priest-king (Melchizedek, Messiah)
2. pagan priests
3. priests of Jehovah
4. Levitical priests
5. Zadokite priests
6. Aaronic priests
7. the high priest
Priest – ἱερεύς

just as He says also in another passage,

“YOU ARE A PRIEST G2409 FOREVER

ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.”

Hebrews 5:7 LSB

High Priest or Chief Priest – ἀρχιερεύς – archiereus

Now the main point in what is being said is this: we have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the holy places and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.

Hebrews 8:1-2 LSB

King

.. for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.

Malachi 1:14b KJV

king – meleḵ – מֶלֶךְ

occurs 2,526 times in the Hebrew Bible

Israel follows YAWWEH as its King of kings and Lord of lords.

What other people have GOD as its King by their covenant with the LORD?

king – βασιλεύς – basileus
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Strong's Number G935 matches the Greek βασιλεύς (basileus),
which occurs 118 times in 107 verses in the TR Greek.
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And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING G935 OF THE JEWS.

Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John

Outline of Biblical Usage
1. leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king
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probably from G939 (through the notion of a foundation of power); a sovereign (abstractly, relatively, or figuratively):—king.
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JESUS showed POWER on earth, signs and miracles no created man could do except the expected Messiah of GOD !

The King, as Judeans had hoped, would be more powerful than Herod the Great (who rebuilt the Temple, a civil project still under construction under one of his sons (King Herod). Jerusalem and all the lands and their kings were subject to ROME and its Caesars.

“Hosanna,

Ὡσαννά εὐλογημένος ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰσραήλ

hōsanna eulogeō ho basileus israēl

“.. Blessed [is] the King of Israel..

John 12:13c

Rome’s Governor Pilate would decide a pre-ordained mortal fate of this earthly KING Jesus, a man seemingly powerless as Jerusalem’s King Herod and his appointed priests of the Judean Temple.

The Apostles Peter and John also preached Christ crucified and risen with signs from God. ACTS 3-4

JESUS, according to God’s Word

HOW should we address JESUS?
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Wouldn't HOLY SCRIPTURE; written, God-breathed words of the BIBLE (faithfully translated); provide the best, true guidance of how Christian should proclaim JESUS?
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Consider how the New Testament speaks about Jesus - source
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- “Jesus” occurs 980 times in 940 verses in the LSB.
- 942 times in the KING JAMES VERSION
- 1000+ times in translations substituting ‘Jesus‘ for prepositions such as ‘He.’
- “Jesus” AND “prophet” occurs in 5 verses in ‘The Gospels” in the LSB.
  - and JESUS never uses it Himself as a title, only confirming this office.
- “Jesus” AND “priest” occurs 30 times in 14 verses in the LSB.
- He is never addressed as a ‘Priest,’ but the letter of HEBREWS and other Scripture makes clear that JESUS is both Priest and Sacrifice.
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us take hold of our confession.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things like we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:14-15 LSB
- “Jesus” AND “king” occurs 18 times in 8 verses in the LSB
- Jesus never refers to Himself as King yet acknowledges the recognition of Him by others.
So Jesus, knowing that they were going to come and take Him by force to make Him king G935, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.

Gospel of John 6:15 LSB – G035 – basileus

The Lord Christ Jesus

“Jesus” AND “Lord” occurs 379 times in 179 verses in the KJV
- The Twelve Apostles and others frequently address the man Jesus as, “Lord.”
- Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. – Matthew 20:30b
- When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. – Luke 5:8
And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

Gospel of Luke 24:23 KJV – the women at the tomb of Jesus on Resurrection Sunday

HE IS RISEN!

Jesus the Christ of GOD

“Christ” occurs 559 times in 522 verses in the KJV.
- The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. – Matthew 1:1
- And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. – Matthew 1:16
- And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. – Matthew 16:16
- For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. – Matthew 24:5
- Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. – Matthew 27:22
- Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, – Romans 1:1
- Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 1:3 ESV
He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:8 Christian Standard Bible

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Acts of the Apostles 2:36 Legacy Standard Bible

‘.. what should we do?”

And Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized

in the name of Jesus Christ

for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts of the Apostles 2:38 LSB

Talk of JESUS . com

Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
September 30, 2024
Prophesying the unseen future
Prophets predicted the Messiah of God, Christ Jesus

Acts of the Apostles 21:
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Dr. Luke continues his account of their return to Jerusalem and Paul's stay with Philip the Evangelist in Caesarea.
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Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.

And as we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says:

Now some of you are NOT going to believe this

STOP
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BEFORE we hear 'what the Holy Spirit says' to the Apostle Paul through Agabus, LET'S take a quick look ahead at PROPHESY, Prophets and Prophetesses and SEE if YOU even believe in such predictions. 
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προφητεύω – Strong’s G4395 – Prophesy

to prophesy, to be a prophet, speak forth by divine inspirations, to predict

Luke has already used this same word describing a scene back in Ephesus.

And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.

Now there were in all about twelve men.
Acts of the Apostles 19:5-7 LSB

Here Luke reveals that Philip, one of the seven deacons who had received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and was later sent out with the Apostles’ teaching, had four daughters known as prophetesses.

In fact, prophesy is not so much given as positive prediction but more frequently as WARNING of some unseen future event.

And when He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?”

And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Gospel of Matthew 21:10-11 LSB

The Greek New Testament word used here for prophet is prophētēs.
- in Greek writings, an interpreter of oracles or of other hidden things
- one who, moved by the Spirit of God and hence his organ or spokesman, solemnly declares to men what he has received by inspiration, especially concerning future events, and in particular such as relate to the cause and kingdom of God and to human salvation
προφήτης – Strong’s G4396 – prophētēs

JESUS had been received as a PROPHET and King by the Jews. It was Christ as Priest and SACRIFICE for our sins they rejected.
Roger@Talkofjesus.com

ARE PROPHETS TRUE? CAN THEIR PROPHESY PREDICT?

Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him while they beat Him, and they blindfolded Him and were asking Him, saying,

“Prophesy, who is the one who hit You?”

And they were saying many other things against Him, blaspheming.
Gospel of Luke 22:63-65 LSB – Prophesy g4395 prophēteuō

“Prophesy G4395 to us, O Christ; who is the one who hit You?”
Gospel of Matthew 26:68

And some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, “Prophesy G4395!” And the officers received Him with slaps in the face.
Gospel of Mark 14:65 LSB
- Jesus the King is opposed by the Herod’s.
- Jesus the Prophet is opposed by those adorned in false robes of righteousness.
- And Jesus the Priest is opposed by the false intercessors claiming coins of indulgence before altars of idolatry.
And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy G4395 of you hypocrites, as it is written:

‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,

BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
Gospel of Mark 7:6 LSB

THE APOSTLE PAUL PREACHES CHRIST CRUCIFIED AND RISEN!

‘..Bind the man who owns this belt..’

Once again, true prophesy through the Holy Spirit provides a vision of further suffering awaiting the Apostle who had been blind even as Philip had received the Holy Spirit years before.

a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea

“The Holy Spirit says,
‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”
Act of the Apostles 21:11b – NIV
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Luke, who of course is traveling with Paul by now records an account of his own reaction:
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When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.

But he said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart!

I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.”
Acts 21:12-13 NLT

hyper ho onoma ho kyrios iēsous
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The King James Version is even a bit more pointed in its rendering from the Greek:
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for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 21:13b King James Version

YES, these early apostles and many disciples of Christ Jesus proclaimed their faith in ‘the Name of the Lord Jesus – kyrios iēsous.

This beloved apostle to the Gentiles, as one drawn later to his faith had asked the risen Christ on a road to Damascus,

“Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: [Acts 9:5 excerpt KJV}

As all disciples traveling with Paul knew, he had once sought the deaths of many brothers and had been present at the execution of Philip’s fellow deacon and friend, Stephen.

And they stoned Stephen,

calling upon God, and saying,

Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Acts 7:59 KJV

NOW their beloved apostle to the gentiles pleads with them that he too may accept Stephen’s fate ‘in the name of the Lord Jesus.’

14 When he would not be dissuaded,

we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem.

Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.

And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
Acts of the Apostles 21:17 KJV

A.D. 52-57

Acts of the Apostles – To Be Continued… – in Jerusalem
April 22, 2024
King for a Common Era Holy Week 5
KING jesus! KING jesus! The Prophet who drove the money changers out of God’s Temple HAS RETURNED!

Holy Week in the year of our Lord 30
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Without noting several significant private events and conversations of this holy week, including Jesus' celebration of the Passover meal with the Twelve;
 
let's look once more at the witness of PUBLIC encounters of the Lord Jesus in the Temple through actual and FICTIONAL witnesses.
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And he [Jesus] taught daily in the temple.
Gospel of Luke19:47a Καὶ ἦν διδάσκων τὸ καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ

Gospel of Matthew 21: New King James Version

23 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said,

“By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”

“I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:

The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?”
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No Elder could answer Him.
The Prophet from Nazareth then taught us with parables.
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Parables in the Temple

28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons.. ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. .. the second .. said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go.

31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”

33 “Hear another parable:

There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country...

.. Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
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Every listening soul knew that Jesus was speaking of the Shepherds of Israel AND knowing that this teacher from Nazareth called Himself a 'Son.' 
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But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves,

‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’

So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.
Gospel of Matthew 21:28-29 – New King James Version
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So is this JESUS the coming KING about to conquer Jerusalem from the Herod's (as when HE rode into the city like DAVID)? 

Will this Teacher also turn the tables on OUR corrupt religious leaders, we wondered?
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OTHERS in the TEMPLE also heard Jesus challenge EVERY false philosophy, teachings obligating US to pay indulgences to support their own well-healed corruptness among regular worshipers.

“He will destroy those wicked..

“Have you never read in the Scriptures:

‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?
the Good News of Matthew 21:42 – New King James Version – The Lord JESUS in the Temple, quoting MANY Scriptures to Jewish leaders
- Psa 118:22
- Isa 28:16
  - .. a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
- Zec 3:8-10
In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.
Zechariah 3 :: King James Version (KJV)
3:10 בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת תִּקְרְאוּ אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ אֶל־תַּחַת גֶּפֶן וְאֶל־תַּחַת תְּאֵנָה׃
- Hab 1:5
  - Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
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JESUS IS PREACHING GOOD NEWS TO EVERYONE IN THE TEMPLE -- JEWS AND GENTILES -- BUT NOT SO GOOD for the entrenched rulers of Jerusalem.
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Good News of Matthew 22:

And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said:

“The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son..

“For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Gospel of Matthew 22:14 NKJV – Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast
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Of the Pharisees (who teach of the resurrection, although some it seems would have us pay them to have Yahweh overlook our sins to earn our way to it) Jesus challenged: 
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“Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? .. “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

The Pharisees also tried to test HIM on the LAW.

³⁶“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
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Now I was immediately thinking 'FIRST COMMENDMENT' 
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5:7 לֹא יִהְיֶה־לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל־פָּנָיַ׃

‘You shall have no other gods before Me.
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The Teacher of the teachers however went straight to the Shammah: 
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שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד׃

Hear, Yisra’el: the LORD is our God; the LORD is one..

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like it:

‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

And just like us, He didn’t think much of the Sadducees either.

“You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

Some who witnessed Jesus’ miracles thought that He might be John the Baptizer risen from death. And other who know Lazarus seemed certain that HE held the power over death because HE IS the Promised One of Israel.

Jesus had asked the Pharisees (who believe the Scriptures about the resurrection):

“What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”
Matthew 22:42 NKJV

The Pharisees’ very Judaic response about “The Son of David” Jesus proved as quite insufficient. The Pharisees did NOT know who the Christ would be.

Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees and …

Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples
Matthew 23:1 King James Version

SO YOU WANT A ‘KING’ JESUS, ALL OF YOU WHO LOVE TO SHOUT OUT ‘HOSANNA‘ WHEN HE ENTERS THE TEMPLE TOWARDS YOU?
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* Some quotes below updated for awoke Common Era [christian] hearing.
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“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

Woe to you, ..[who] for a pretense make long prayers.. travel land and sea to win one [*new visitor to your church and life], and when [*they are] won, you make [*them] twice as much [*sons and daughters] son of hell as yourselves.

“Woe to you, blind guides..

For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith..

“Woe to you [*church leaders & priests]! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind [*Popes and Pastors], first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

“Woe to you.. hypocrites like whitewashed tombs.. beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.. outwardly appear righteous.., but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

“Woe to you, Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say,

‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’

Are YOU of the multitudes? OR one of His disciples?
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JESUS had hundreds of disciples [followers] and thousands from the crowds in the Temple, multitudes who heard Him preach in this holiest of weeks.
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ARE YOU ONE OF THESE? WOULD YOU have been one of the MULTITUDES who shouted, ‘HOSANNA, KING JESUS!’ who tomorrow might side with ‘leaders‘ denying Him, saying with all the world, CRUCIFY HIM! ‘WE have NO KING but Caesar‘?

OR are you NOW a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ – Jesus the Pascal Lamb of God slaughtered for sinners — a follower who will believe and take up His Cross?

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!

How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”
Matthew 23:37-39 NKJV

Communion with His Apostles

Jesus is about to have some private moments with His closest friends and Apostles — a last meal — Communion… followed by betrayal, prayer, arrest… then a trial of injustice under the veil of darkness.

WHAT WILL YOU SAY IF A FRIEND FROM YOUR LIFE IN THE WORLD ASKS YOU ABOUT JESUS?

IS HE THE CHRIST SENT TO SAVE US?

SAVE ME FROM WHAT?

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Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
March 28, 2024