Tag: messiah

  • 12 Men Texting as their Messiah approaches – Part 2

    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.

    texting group - and you can be part of one to Talk of JESUS Christ in social media - 3-part series.

    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.

    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:

    google earth image of hills between Bethany and Jerusalem and Ephraim to the north

    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?

    To be continued...
  • 12 Men Texting as their Messiah approaches – Part 1

    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:

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

    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

    To be continued...
  • Lazarus – the Dead Man came out!

    Lazarus – the Dead Man came out!

    Witness of a Dead Man

    What must it be like to be dead? (Have you ever thought about it?)

    You get sick and perhaps pain increases. Your loved ones begin to look at you in a different way than when you participated in life with them.

    Although John’s Good News focuses on Jesus, dear friend of Lazarus (who just happens to be the Messiah), the mourners present for this funeral now would see Lazarus in a new light. He becomes a dead man walking out of his own grave!

    The Messiah Jesus, after having been to Jerusalem for a festival (and likely Bethany) receives a message from Mary and Martha asking for help. Jesus continues His mission while returning to Bethany, arriving four days after Lazarus’ death. The Messiah mourns publically the death of His friend.

    But then a turn of events for the dead man unexpected by the mourners of Lazarus.

    John 11:

    38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.

    It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

    Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”

    One does not go into the place of the dead to pray for their soul. And what else can a mere man do to help one that has died?

    Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

    40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”

    This goes back to their conversation about death and resurrection when Martha first spoke with Jesus as He and the Apostles approached Bethany.

    “If only you had been here, Lord,” said Martha, “my brother would never have died… “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus replied to her.

    John 11:21-23 excerpt PHILLIPS

    41 So they removed the stone.

    Witness of a prayer

    Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said,

    “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

    I knew that You always hear Me;

    but because of the people standing around I said it,

    so that they may believe that You sent Me.”

    Does God hear you?

    If the Lord God hears you, then your public witness to the world around you had best be true.

    43 After Yeshua had said this, he shouted as loudly as he could,

    “Lazarus, come out!”

    The Messiah Jesus (Yeshua) has just shouted into an open tomb to a dead man!

    Does God the Father, Whom Jesus thanked for hearing Him, hear the Lord Jesus’ loud cry to Lazarus? Can a man dead for four days hear the loudest shout of earth or heaven?

    Resurrection of a dead friend

    “Lazarus, come forth.”

    44 The man who had died came forth…

    … bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth.

    A dead man walking. This very sight of Lazarus bound in the wrappings of death must have terrified those present!

    These sort of things do not happen.

    “Now unbind him,” Jesus told them, “and let him go home.”

    Some brave soul complied with the command of their Lord and Lazarus, a man dead in the grave, would walk weakly in amazement to the door of his own home, his sisters Martha and Mary at his side.

    The Messiah Jesus, his friend, would accompany the one He had just saved from a death already experienced.

    … for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth;

    those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life,

    those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

    John 5:28b-29 NASB– the words of the Messiah Jesus
    You with ears to hear, 
    hear the voice of Jesus 
    calling out to your dead soul...
    
    To be continued...

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