Talk of JESUS . com

Tag: Scripture

Scripture is the word commonly used for the Written Word of the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible.

TalkofJESUS.com would like to hear from you via your comments and questions on a NEW Series of brief posts in A.D. 2022.

Short Takes on Scripture – Tell us your thoughts about this brief quote from the Bible.

ONLY Scripture

Crucifixion! – Scripture Fulfilled
Crucifixion! – The Spirit of Grace

.. 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 God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that He might suffer and die on a Cross for sinners like us, that we should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Roger Harned – talkofJesus.com – on Christ’s Crucifixion & John 3:16

The Apostle John presents the Good News of Jesus Christ in light of the love of God the Father.

Yes, the LORD of Old Testament Scripture to which John will point IS the Almighty God who must judge sin! Yet John testifies of Jesus who reveals God as the Father, the One of relationship who willingly shows mercy for the sake of the Son and saves sinners like you and me by grace.

A brief reintroduction to John

John had unique access to witness the questioning of Jesus by the High Priests of Jerusalem. At the beginning of our journey through the Gospel of John we introduced the Apostle, this youngest Son of Zebedee who we now know was also known in the house of Herod.

It is important to note here that the Apostle John later became the last surviving Disciple of Jesus Christ, living more than fifty years more until nearly the next century.

John wrote the gospel during his residence at Ephesus in Asia Minor when he was advanced in age (Against Heresies 2.22.5; 3.1.1) – source

John’s Good News is NOT a News Alert to our phone, a BREAKING NEWS HEADLINE interrupting our life at home or even a well-researched story for an Ephesus News Courier.

The Apostle, therefore, has not written the Gospel of John as events unfolded at the horrific scene of the crime of Jesus’ Crucifixion.

In Conclusion

The beloved Apostle and recognized authority of witness to these historical events some decades ago will soon assure the reader of John’s Good News (Gospel): Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;

.. but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 20:31 ESV

John now begins the conclusion of his Gospel even before the climax of the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection.

Intermingled with John’s conclusive evidence, he includes reporter-like facts (which we will address in a later post), but his purpose now is to reveal why Jesus did some of what the Lord came to accomplish.

Every mention of Scripture (of course) refers to the Old Testament. John links the events of Jesus’ crucifixion to Old Testament prophesy.

John 19:

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers also twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and clothed him in a purple robe. 3 And they kept coming up to him and saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” and were slapping his face.

Isaiah 50:

6 I gave My back to those who strike Me,
And My cheeks to those who pull out My beard;
I did not hide My face from insults and spitting.
7 For the Lord God helps Me,
Therefore, I am not disgraced;
Therefore, I have made My face like flint,
And I know that I will not be ashamed.

14 It was the preparation day for the Passover, and it was about noon…

17 Carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called Place of the Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him and two others with him, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle.

23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier. They also took the tunic, which was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. 24 So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it, to see who gets it.

This happened that the Scripture might be fulfilled, John tells us.

Scripture includes more than the Law, which Jesus promises will be satisfied; but also the Psalms (or songs of worship), historical scrolls and also writings of the Prophets who Jerusalem’s religious leaders seldom heeded and like now, rarely taught.

Here is this Scripture, a Psalm most descriptive of Jesus’ crucifixion.

Psalm 22:

READ ALL of Psalm 22, if you dare. And looking upon the scene of the Place of the Skull, with Jesus’ Blood pouring forth from His broken Body on the middle Cross, know His suffering for our sin endured for the grace of God’s love.

¹⁸אֲסַפֵּ֥ר כָּל־עַצְמוֹתָ֑י הֵ֥מָּה יַ֝בִּ֗יטוּ יִרְאוּ־בִֽי׃

18 They divide my garments among them,
And they cast lots for my clothing.

This is what the soldiers did, John tells us.

John 19:

28 After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now finished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, he said, “I’m thirsty.”

Psalm 69:

21 They also gave me a bitter herb in my food,
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.

31 Since it was the preparation day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross on the Sabbath…

32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other one who had been crucified with him.

33 When they came to Jesus, they did not break his legs since they saw that he was already dead.

John 19:

Jesus’s Side Pierced

34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out.

Isaiah 53:

The Suffering Servant

Yet we ourselves assumed that He had been afflicted,
Struck down by God, and humiliated.
5 But He was pierced for our offenses,
He was crushed for our wrongdoings;
The punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him,
And by His wounds we are healed.

John’s Testimony is True

Jesus replied [to Pilate]. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
“What is truth? ” said Pilate.
John 18:37b-38 CSB

The Apostle here answers Pilate’s earlier question before he pronounced the sentence of DEATH ON A CROSS for Christ Jesus.

John 19:35 He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows he is telling the truth.

John 19:

36 For these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: Not one of his bones will be broken.

37 Also, another Scripture says: They will look at the one they pierced.

Psalm 34:

But the Lord rescues him from them all.
20 He protects all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.

Zechariah 12:

12:10 וְשָׁפַכְתִּי עַל־בֵּית דָּוִיד וְעַל יוֹשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלִַם רוּחַ חֵן וְתַחֲנוּנִים וְהִבִּיטוּ אֵלַי אֵת אֲשֶׁר־דָּקָרוּ וְסָפְדוּ עָלָיו כְּמִסְפֵּד עַל־הַיָּחִיד וְהָמֵר עָלָיו כְּהָמֵר עַֽל־הַבְּכֽוֹר׃

Here is John’s Gospel GOOD NEWS of Scripture fulfilled.

“I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced;
and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.
Zechariah 12:10 NASB

The Spirit of Grace

John began his Good News speaking of grace. He begins his conclusion by quoting Zechariah’s imagery of the Spirit of grace and of supplication.

For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
John 1:16-17 NASB

Yet rather than supposing that we know what grace is, let’s look at grace through John’s eyes.
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Technical NOTE on Strong's Concordance linked here.
H-#'s = Hebrew equivalent & G-#'s = Greek equivalent 
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χάρις – charis

Even Pilate would share some understanding of this Greek concept of grace.
- that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech
- of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues
  - (This, of course, is that love of the Lord Jesus which John frequently shares freely as grace.)
John later greets his fellow beloved believers in his second letter (mailed in about A.D. 90–95):

Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

About 5-10 years earlier in about A.D. 80–90 John would have had his Gospel delivered to these same saints of the churches where he quotes Zechariah (from about 520 BC, five centuries after David and before Christ), whose name means: “The LORD remembers.”

“I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace..,” John encourages from Scripture, as one who witneesed and had mourned for his beloved friend Jesus near the foot of the Cross.

chen – חֵן

The Hebrew meaning of grace from Zechariah understood by Jews is:
- favour, grace, elegance, kindness, acceptance, (even beauty, preciousness or gratitude)
  - But Noah found favor H2580 in the eyes of the LORD.
  - The LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor H2580 in My sight and I have known you by name.”
You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace H2580 is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.
Psalm 45:2 – A Song Celebrating the King’s Marriage.

The Spirit of Supplication

.. and of supplication, which John adds from the prophet Zechariah,

Do we even know what that is?
ἱκετηρία –hiketēria

an olive branch
supplication

Hebrews 5:

In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.
tachanuwn– תַּחֲנוּן

earnest prayer:—intreaty, supplication.
supplication for favour

Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;

And give heed to the voice of my supplications!
Grace by God in the Person of Christ Jesus

John began his Gospel by hope in the Messiah who was hung on a Cross.

No one has ascended into heaven, except He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes will have eternal life in Him.
John 3:13-15 NASB

As Jesus gave up His Spirit while John and other witnesses sat beneath the Bloodied Cross with the corpse of their Messiah and Savior they must have wondered why.

John 3:35–36 “.. The Father loves the Son and has entrusted all things to His hand.

The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

“It is finished.”
Then bowing his head, he gave up his spirit…
They will look at the one they pierced.
The Gospel of John 19:30b,37b NASB
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To be continued... 
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November 7, 2020
HOLY | separated
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Leviticus 11:45 & John 6:69  Roger@talkofJesus.com reading today's devotional scriptures
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Isolation

What does a pandemic have to do with holiness?

Observe how some react to isolation (as in #StayatHome #Pandemic etc.) and you might just wonder how any wall of separation can exist between mankind. Human beings made in the inage of God are social. We must live and work together as families, as neighbors and as citizens of nations, even the world.

So how does separation from those crucial to our lives work?

And who makes the rules?

In fact we currently see several struggles between many authorities of this world, nations, states, media, social and professional organizations, international corporations, wealthy philanthropists and more.

Of course few in this world will first ask,

‘What is the will of the LORD for our interactions with others?‘

Festivals of the LORD

Now Jews and Christians alike must ask additional relational questions of gathering to worship the Lord God. Add to the urgency of questions in the year of our Lord 2020:
- How will I celebrate Passover?
- How will I celebrate Easter?
We enter a HOLY WEEK in A.D. 2020 without possibility of practical obedience to traditional scriptural worship of the Lord God.
Roger Harned – talkofJesus.com
1. We must realize that obedient worship of the Lord has changed at times. Congregational worship began with a traveling Tabernacle, pointed to an established Temple, reinstituted in a rebuilt Temple, then dispersed into an unclean world.
2. The Messiah of Israel, the Son of Man and Son of God offered a New Covenant of worship between God our Father and the world through the Holy Spirit of God given to those who believe in Jesus the Son.
3. Regardless of which tradition of Judaism or Christianity you came to know you likely do not completely grasp the holiness of the Lord God and without the Lord’s mercy your sin before God fails to keep you appropriately distanced from the Very Holiness of the LORD GOD.
We might easily become sidetracked in religious discussions about festivals and traditions, but more germain to our relationship to the Lord God is a brief look at holiness.

Holy

קֹדֶשׁ

Outline of Biblical Usage
1. apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness
  1. apartness, sacredness, holiness
    of God
    of places
    of things
  2. set-apartness, separateness
You likly know the first use of this word Holy from when Moses approached the LORD in a burning bush. It’s used more than a hunded times in just Exodus and Leviticus to describe detail concerning worship.

It is used many times in reference to celebration of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread.

‘On the first day you shall have a holy assembly, and another holy assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them, except what must be eaten by every person, that alone may be prepared by you.
Exodus 12:16 NASB

Holy

קָדַשׁ

sanctify (108x), hallow (25x), dedicate (10x), holy (7x), prepare (7x), consecrate (5x), appointed (1x), bid (1x), purified (1x), miscellaneous (7x).

Outline of Biblical Usage
to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate

קָדַשׁ qâdash, kaw-dash’; a primitive root; to be (causatively, make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally):—appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow, (be, keep) holy(-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify(-ied one, self), wholly.

Then Moses said to Aaron,
“It is what the LORD spoke, saying,
‘By those who come near Me I will be treated H6942 as holy, H6942
And before all the people I will be honored.’”
So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.
Leviticus 10:3 NASB

Do you recall from Scripture what had just taken place?

10 וַיִּקְח֣וּ בְנֵֽי־אַ֠הֲרֹן נָדָ֨ב וַאֲבִיה֜וּא אִ֣ישׁ מַחְתָּת֗וֹ וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ בָהֵן֙ אֵ֔שׁ וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ עָלֶ֖יהָ קְטֹ֑רֶת וַיַּקְרִ֜בוּ לִפְנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֵ֣שׁ זָרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹ֦א צִוָּ֖ה אֹתָֽם׃

²וַתֵּ֥צֵא אֵ֛שׁ מִלִּפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה וַתֹּ֣אכַל אוֹתָ֑ם וַיָּמֻ֖תוּ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

³וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן הוּא֩ אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֨ר יְהוָ֤ה׀ לֵאמֹר֙ בִּקְרֹבַ֣י אֶקָּדֵ֔שׁ וְעַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־הָעָ֖ם אֶכָּבֵ֑ד וַיִּדֹּ֖ם אַהֲרֹֽן׃

⁴וַיִּקְרָ֣א מֹשֶׁ֗ה אֶל־מִֽישָׁאֵל֙ וְאֶ֣ל אֶלְצָפָ֔ן בְּנֵ֥י עֻזִּיאֵ֖ל דֹּ֣ד אַהֲרֹ֑ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם קִ֠רְב֞וּ שְׂא֤וּ אֶת־אֲחֵיכֶם֙ מֵאֵ֣ת פְּנֵי־הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ אֶל־מִח֖וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃

⁵וַֽיִּקְרְב֗וּ וַיִּשָּׂאֻם֙ בְּכֻתֳּנֹתָ֔ם אֶל־מִח֖וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֥ר מֹשֶֽׁה׃
Before the Lord our God you must: consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate — precisely as the LORD instructs. Even Priest and prophet, pastor and teacher (these perhaps moreso) — all must be Holy, because the Lord our God is Holy.

Holy

ἅγιος

Strong’s Definitions
ἅγιος hágios, hag’-ee-os; from ἅγος hágos (an awful thing) (compare G53, G2282); sacred
- (physically, pure, morally blameless or
- religious, ceremonially, consecrated):—(most) holy (one, thing),
- saint.
“BUT THE LORD SAID TO HIM, ‘TAKE OFF THE SANDALS FROM YOUR FEET, FOR THE PLACE ON WHICH YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY G40 GROUND.
Acts 7:33 Stephen, quoting Moses before the Sanhedrin

Holiness does not change from the Old Testament to the New – different word, same meaning. Stephen also uses it as Jesus did to describe the Holy Spirit of the Lord God.

“You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy G40 Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. – Acts 7:51

Outline of Biblical Usage
1. most holy thing, a saint
Saints & Sinners

Are you Holy to the Lord — separated to the Most High from the commonness of worldly sin?

Dare you enter the Holy of Holies into the Presence of Almighty God?

IF NOT, hear just a bit more about the Messiah Jesus to understand about the Holiness of Holy Week.

Lord Jesus

Christ our Passover is Sacrificed for us.

Hebrews 10:

For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest,

holy, innocent, undefiled,

separated

from sinners

and

exalted above the heavens;

who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices,

first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people,

because this He [the Messiah] did once for all when He offered up Himself.

For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak,

but the word of the oath, which came after the Law,

appoints a Son, made perfect forever.

Therefore let us keep the feast

אֶרְחַץ בְּנִקָּיֹון כַּפָּי וַאֲסֹבְבָה אֶת־מִזְבַּחֲךָ יְהוָֽה׃

For dogs have surrounded me;
A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They pierced my hands and my feet… – Psalm 22:16

I can count all my bones.

They look, they stare at me;

They divide my garments among them,

And for my clothing they cast lots.

the amen

“Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy;
For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU,
FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED.”
The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 15:4 NASB
April 7, 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