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Tag: messiah

  • as to a lamp shining in a dark place

    as to a lamp shining in a dark place

    Perhaps you look at Biblical prophesy as something of darkness from the past. Maybe in this 21st century we just don’t believe the lives and words of men like Jeremiah or Isaiah could shed any light on the struggles of our life.

    If God has spoken through certain men of old, why send Jesus to fulfill the many prophesies already given over the millennia? Why would God have to send a Messiah to the mortal men of the world?

    The Apostle Peter gives us an insight into what God has spoken through Jesus as a Prophet.

    2 Peter 1:

    • Prophets as light
      Prophets predicted the Messiah of God, Christ Jesus

      we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ

    • we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
    • he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,”
    • we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven

    19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.

    21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

    The Apostle Peter proclaims that God provided a first-hand witness, an intimate look at the Person of God Incarnate. Twelve Disciples witnessed the daily life and teaching of Christ Jesus. The rabbi, Jesus, spoke more than just a retelling of words of God.

    Though Jesus the Messiah prophesied, He IS more than a Prophet.

    • The most powerful predictions of Jesus Christ augmented even His highly acclaimed miracles.
    • Jesus not only explained the scriptures, He taught how He fulfilled them.
    • Christ foretold His own death on the Cross.
    • Jesus amazingly told of HIs resurrection from the dead in 3 days!
    • As a Prophet, the Messiah Jesus tells of His return.

    The Disciples continued to preach the Gospel, the Good News that God IS involved in our lives in the Person of Christ Jesus.

    The return of Christ Jesus in these last days will be a final fulfillment of all prophesy and perfection of God the Father’s plan of grace.

    After His resurrection and even now, He sends true followers into the world to tell the Good News (Gospel) until the number of the elect will fill the streets of a glorious New Jerusalem.

    Many are called; few are chosen.

    Believe in the Son of Man: born as a lowly babe in a manger. Believe in the Christ child who become a refugee to Egypt in Mary’s arms. Believe in the witness of His glory on earth by sinners like Peter, Levi, prostitutes and Pharisees. Believe in Jesus crucified on a Cross by gentile Roman soldiers, convicted by corrupt religious rulers manipulating mob-ruled injustice.

    Believe: Jesus IS risen from the dead! Believe scripture when we are told Jesus’ resurrection from the grave was witnessed by over five hundred mortals. He IS the Messiah of God, prophesied to return once more to rule in righteousness and love.

    In the year of our Lord, 2015, we see only though a mist these dark days of so many suffering souls.

    Let us be a light in Christ, a flicker of hope in the darkness of the sin so pervasive in the hearts and acts of mankind. Lord let your church and bride shed more than a flicker of hope on those lost souls who do not know the love of your great Light.

    To be continued…

    This is the fourth in a series of Christmas messages by Roger Harned. Please share the Gospel with others through your social media witness.
  • Interrupting Jesus 11 – a last supper in Jericho

    Interrupting Jesus 11 – a last supper in Jericho

    jericho-mapJericho, best known as the place where the Hebrew nation, led by Joshua, began their conquest of Canaan with a march around the walls of Jericho, strategically central to inland trade routes to the Mediterranean. old road jerusalem-jericho

    Along a barren highway to the west, about a 15 mile walk to Jerusalem after an ascent from the small town of Bethel. Galileans, Judeans, Samaritans and of course, Roman soldiers, traveled these highways through Jericho. It would be the path to the festival of the Passover, this one the time of the Sacrifice of Jesus.

    The crowds have traveled with the popular Rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth. In just days they would lay palms before His triumphal entry into the gates of Jerusalem. Like Joshua, His Hebrew Name means: “Jehovah is salvation.” 

    Jesus IS the Christ, the Messiah.

    Into the town of Jericho crowds enter. People allign the streets as if awaiting a King with riches or celebrity you must see once in your mortal life. One of the town’s lesser citizens is a resented tax collector. (Perhaps you have heard how the Jews hated the men who collected taxes for Rome.) In fact, one of the purported followers of Jesus used to be a tax collector. Perhaps you have read his Gospel.

    Luke 5:

    After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.

    And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

    The Messiah came to save sinners: seductive women, adulterous men, liars, thiefs and even tax collectors.

    Jesus did not come to save the regular attenders of church (synagogue). Jesus has tax collectors and sinners following Him as Disciples and as part of the crowds – sinners like you and me – sinners like Zacchaeus.

    In fact, Luke reports a parable Jesus had told about a Pharisee and a tax collector. Here is a story we can relate to about good ‘church’ people and the corrupt public official in their midst:

    Luke 18:

    The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

    9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee,standing by himself, prayed thus:

    ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

    12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’

    13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying,

    ‘God,be merciful to me, a sinner!’

    14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

    Do you, dear claimant of Christ, good observer of God’s ordinances, come to the LORD pleading for mercy while showing no mercy for your fellow sinners?

    Matthew, the tax collector who quit to follow Jesus, and the other repentant sinners of the crowds knew that the Messiah, the Christ, Jesus, was a merciful teacher. Not only the Gospel of His miracles preceded Jesus as He entered Jericho, but also the wisdom and compassion of His teaching of scripture. A tax collector like Zacchaeus might just have a chance to see this man of mercy traveling to Jerusalem through his town of Jericho.

    Luke 19:

    He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.

    5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”

    Imagine, the leading teacher and prophet comes through town with crowds of followers. Jesus pauses where you are and looks up to you! He calls you by name. Further, this well-known teacher boldly tells you (in front of all of the witnesses around Him) that He has to come to your house for dinner. Unthinkable! Nobody wants to associate with tax collectors and corrupt politicians, let alone have dinner.

    Have you ever been looked down on by others, rejected by everyone of importance?

    Jesus did not think himself to be so important as to not interrupt His journey to Jerusalem to have dinner with a sinner. Zaccheaus

    6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.

    7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”

    8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”

    9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.

    10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

    Jehovah is salvation: Jesus has interrupted the journey of His high sacrifice about to take place at the Passover. The Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, has come to the house of a sinner for a feast.

    What is your response to Christ Jesus? Have you repented of your sins and accepted the grace of God?

    Lord have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us.

    Therefore, let us keep the feast, beloved fellow forgiven sinner.

     

  • Conquest of Love; Sin Slain at the Gate

    Conquest of Love; Sin Slain at the Gate

    Philippians 2:

    overlooking jerusalem  And being found in human form,
    8     he humbled himself
        and became obedient to the point of death—
        even death on a cross.

    9 Therefore God also highly exalted him
        and gave him the name
        that is above every name,

    10 so that at the name of Jesus
        every knee should bend,
        in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
    11 and every tongue should confess
        that Jesus Christ is Lord,
        to the glory of God the Father.

    It was neither the conquest nor the King Jerusalem expected. The Messiah would surely take back the Temple and the City centered on the worship of God. He must by His miraculous power from Almighty God reclaim the promise and the land.

    Herod had rebuilt the Temple, just as Nehemiah had prevailed in the land conquered by gentile invaders, evil unbelievers who destroyed the House of worship and enslaved the people once more.

    Centuries had passed with silence from the Lord – not one Prophet until just this time when John had proclaimed the coming of the Messiah.

    Yet Rome would have nothing of trouble-makers like John, though he hid in the desert. And Herod could not remain King with another King of the Jews at the gate.

    A Conqueror greater than David was poised to ride into Jerusalem. He had been there before, a faithful Rabbi who taught with authority. His miracles were well documented and witnessed by many. Now the crowds followed.

    And the gates could not be closed for the most profitable festival of the entire Jewish year. Many would come to the Temple and buy their kosher food for the Seder, overpriced animals required for the sacrifice and souvenirs of the Temple to take back home throughout Judea, Samaria, Asia and even Rome itself.

    Another zealot insurrection could not be tolerated by Centurions guarding the gate and controlling the crowds.

    And Jesus of Nazareth rides a colt down the hillside to the very gate of Jerusalem with thousands shouting: HOSANNA! HOSANNA! SON OF DAVID!

    Five centuries earlier Zechariah had prophesied:

    Zechariah 9

    9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
        Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
    Lo, your king comes to you;
        triumphant and victorious is he,
    humble and riding on a donkey,
        on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
    10 He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
        and the war-horse from Jerusalem;
    and the battle bow shall be cut off,
        and he shall command peace to the nations;
    his dominion shall be from sea to sea,
        and from the River to the ends of the earth.

    11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
        I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
    12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
        today I declare that I will restore to you double.
    13 For I have bent Judah as my bow;
        I have made Ephraim its arrow.
    I will arouse your sons, O Zion,
        against your sons, O Greece,
        and wield you like a warrior’s sword.

    The stage of all history is set, the battle prepared, the King has come to Jerusalem.

    To be continued…

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