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  • That you may have Certainty -3- Transitions

    That you may have Certainty -3- Transitions

    That you may have Certainty in these Uncertain Times

    Can you think of any transitions of our years more difficult than dealing with death? Any death of a loved one brings uncertainty for times ahead. 

    Luke and the other Gospel writers must have had second thoughts after the Cross, transitions of faith challenging the teachings of Jesus. “Did you know Him,” those who had witnessed His triumphant entrance into Jerusalem for the Passover festival would have asked?

    The Messiah of God: humiliated, tortured and executed as a spectacle on a Roman cross!

    How those leaving Jerusalem must have hung their heads during the transitions of these three days until certainty of the Resurrection. But then a risen Christ appears. 

    I have always wondered what stories from scripture Jesus must have told his disciples on the road to Emmaus. 

    Luke 24: 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

    יָדַע Certainty

    In Hebrew,-יָדַע yâdaʻ, yaw-dah’; a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment..

    This is the certainty of which Luke, the gentile, speaks of in detailing the record of Jesus’ life. For a Hebrew people conquered by Rome and accustomed to a Greek culture, Jesus assures them of God’s unrelenting faithfulness.

    So what might Jesus have told these defeated Jews after His death and resurrection about Joshua? We might conjecture the inclusion of certainty [yâdaʻ], used roughly 900 times in Hebrew scripture 

    The Certainty of the Jews

    The impact of the resurrection of Jesus surpasses all transitions of history. Yet Jesus speaks first to followers of a past of promise, rather than this new transition for believers. Jesus had spoken often of Moses, but among transitions between Hebrew leaders few surpass the journey of Joshua.

    Moses, David and the Prophets had predicted a Messiah King. The LORD affirms the certainty of His covenant with Abraham through Moses. Yet Moses dies before crossing into the promised land. Transitions from a forty year leadership of the 120 year Moses to following his assistant, Joshua. He would command this untested Hebrew army crossing the Jordan into enemy lands.

    If ever a people journeyed into uncertain times, transitions from the wilderness into lands beyond the Jordan lay before the Hebrew people. Yet here rests faith in the certainty of God’s promise.

    נָגַד More Certainty 

    Another Hebrew root word translated as certainty is  nagad. Without getting into Hebrew and English parts of speech we find an additional 370 uses of this word for certainty.

    נָגַד – nagad – to be conspicuous, tell, make known, to tell, declare, announce, report, expound, to inform of, to publish, proclaim, to avow, acknowledge, confess, to be told, be announced, be reported.. plus a few additional definitions and ‘to bring to the light.’ 

    Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

    Just a reminder that Moses is synonymous with the Law, Torah and five Books of Moses, from which we will begin.

    From Moses to Joshua

    Deuteronomy 31:

    7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. 8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

    Do you know the meaning of Joshua’s name? יְהוֹשׁוּעַ The transliteration is: Yĕhowshuwa` from: יְהֹוָה Yĕhovah – The Existing One and יָשַׁע yasha` – savior.

    The LORD told Moses I AM THAT I AM! He IS The Existing One from whom the Savior is sent.

    14 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting. 15 And the Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. And the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent.

    16 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them.

    Joshua Like Jesus

    Joshua 1:

    After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.

    The LORD’s promise is a promise of certainty.

    … Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success[a] wherever you go.

    Yet as with Moses and later, Jesus, the followers of God fail in their faith. We love to sing of our victories in the Lord [Joshua 6 video], but in these transitions of faith watch what happens next.

    Joshua 7:

    But the people of Israel broke faith… 2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai… 

    5 and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.

    6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us?

    Uncertain times, then Certainty from the Lord

    And so it goes in difficult transitions. Men (and women) will sin. The Lord must draw us back to faith.

    • Jesus, Savior of sinners, tells His faithful why the Messiah must die. He is resurrected and becomes our resurrection and our life!
    • Joshua, Jehovah is Salvation, appeals to Jehovah God for mercy and the Lord speaks certainty of deliverance.

    Joshua 8:

    And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed…

    Following the defeat of Ai, hear this explanation of the certainty of the power of Almighty God.

    Joshua 9:

    3 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, 4 they on their part acted with cunning… 8 They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? … because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, 10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan…

    They go on with their deception of Joshua, but they praise the Lord. 

    15 And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.

    16 At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them. 

    Now comes the assurance of certainty from the Lord. נָגַד

    24 They answered Joshua,

    “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—

    so we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing. 25 And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.”

    Are you a King?

    What did these kings, destined to fail before the Lord think of Joshua? Surely they feared the anointed of the Lord (though at that time they were not named king).

    Pilate, Governor of Judea had asked the accused Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?”  For the Jews had accused Jesus of blasphemy, for He had said: “Before Abraham was, I AM.” Then they crucified Jesus on a Cross and buried our Lord in a grave. Now, in the greatest of transitions ever, the risen Christ tells His followers why He had to be crucified for our sins. He IS and was and is to be, the Lord! He is the redeemer of those facing certain death and inevitable judgement. 

    For fifty days a risen Jesus will once again lead disciples into the uncertainty of a new and everlasting covenant. Like followers of Joshua, these disciples must have had times of uncertainty turn into a certain faith in the Lord. 

    Whether forty years, fifty days, two millennia or a few moments of transitions of this life, certainty remains in Christ the Lord.

    To be continued…

  • By What Authority? – Leaders, Law, Scriptures, God

    By What Authority? – Leaders, Law, Scriptures, God

    What authority in A.D. 2018?

    Can you come up with a proverb from scripture anymore applicable to leaders of this 21st century?

    They self-appoint a leader with strong-arm authority as Caesar for life. Or perhaps the rich and powerful will poison your opposition, if not literally, at least in the press. The evil ones manipulate the election, anointing and celebrating key world leaders. They imprison, assassinate or remove vocal opponents from the spotlight of the multitudes. All new, right?

    Certainly not. For such political intrigue preceded the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, not only among its religious authorities, but also across the world in Rome.

    Even though the popularity of Jesus, King of the Jews, threatened local leaders, the criminalization and public execution of Jesus could deter others from opposing the authority of the politically appointed.

    Leaders in the first century

    Israel is not a country; therefore Roman states and authority do not parallel Jewish identification of a former Judah and Israel. 

    As mentioned in previous posts in this lenten series, Rome’s conquest of the Mediterranean led to installment of Jewish leaders with limited power.

    As Rome itself grew from republic to empire a strong military sought alliances with influential kings and leaders, including Herod the Great. Greek influence (Hellenism) gave way to Roman order.

    The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
    Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
    Until Shiloh comes;
    And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.

    – Genesis 49:10

    Leaders during the time of Jesus’ teaching

    After Herod’s death, three sons (two named Herod and Philip) administered separate Roman-ruled provinces. Religious divisions and insurrections also sought to weaken Roman rule by selective terrorism.

    The religious/political leaders of Jerusalem divided into three parties, really as much political beliefs as traditional religion. The Lord was not foremost in the philosophies of most of the Jewish elite, which included the Sadducees and Scribes or the more middle class Pharisees. The Essenes were sort of the monks of the day, with limited influence from the wilderness on the religious rule of the cities. (John the Baptist is thought to be one of the Essenes.)

    All of this turmoil preceded the birth of the Messiah Jesus during the reign of Herod the Great and continued even beyond Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, ruled by Herod Archelaus. 

    The natural question to Jesus by leaders on all sides of political and religious belief would of course be, “.. who gave you this authority?” – Matthew 21:23

    Leaders of every political persuasion and religious belief had already challenged Jesus frequently in His three years of teaching. Everyone knew of His power, righteousness and positions in matters of Law, the Scriptures and God.

    And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying,
    “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
    Mark 1:
    For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. – John 1:17

    Sadducees believed the Law was literal and authority came though the Priests. Jesus challenged their authority, but not that of the Law.

    “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished… – Matthew 5:17-20

    Jesus had explained to his Disciples:

    The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace.

    Religious officials hearing him would likely have understood that Jesus identified them as the weeds in the parable of the weeds.

    Pharisees too were far from immune to identification with sin and hypocrisy by Jesus. They had a tendency to impose priestly law and complex interpretation of the Law on the common people. Jesus challenged them.

    “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. – Matthew 23:23

    This Jesus, arriving at the gate of Jerusalem, worshiped by huge crowds is no stranger to these religious leaders. In fact, the Son of Man, the Messiah of Scripture is a direct challenge to their own future.

    Scriptures

    You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. – John 5:39-40 NIV

    Again, even now, no book is so controversial as the Bible.

    Sadducees interpreted the written word of God so literally as to not leave room for the many modes of literary expression. Pharisees loved to spin their own interpretations of God’s word with such complexity as the Lord never intended. They added an oral law of their own making.

    The Essenes actually had it right, using inspired exegesis of the Bible.

    Jesus told Parables, but also quoted scripture to explain why the religious authorities failed in their teaching of scripture. The religious officials of Jerusalem knew what Jesus had previously spoken during the festival of the booths.

    John 7:

    … 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. … then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much muttering about him among the people…

    13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.

    Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching… 

    19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” 

    … 25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? …

    37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

    … 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”

    This Jesus of Nazareth was well known in Jerusalem and controversial as well, even prior to His entry into Jerusalem, even after the resurrection of Lazarus.

    God

    Isaiah 44:22 מָחִיתִי כָעָב פְּשָׁעֶיךָ וְכֶעָנָן חַטֹּאותֶיךָ שׁוּבָה אֵלַי כִּי גְאַלְתִּֽיךָ׃

    John:

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

    “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’

    Jesus Is Equal with God

    5:18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

    The Authority of the Son

    19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

    וְכָל־בָּנַ֖יִךְ לִמּוּדֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְרַ֖ב שְׁלֹ֥ום בָּנָֽיִךְ׃

    6:45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—

    John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.” 

    Zechariah 9:9  גִּילִי מְאֹד בַּת־צִיֹּון הָרִיעִי בַּת יְרוּשָׁלִַם הִנֵּה מַלְכֵּךְ יָבֹוא לָךְ צַדִּיק וְנֹושָׁע הוּא עָנִי וְרֹכֵב עַל־חֲמֹור וְעַל־עַיִר בֶּן־אֲתֹנֹֽות׃

    Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

    Behold, your king is coming to you;
    righteous and having salvation is he,
    humble and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

    lamb bound on the altar of sacrifice
    The Passover Lamb

    Matthew 21:23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said,

    “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”

  • Your Mistake – You Don’t Know the Power of God

    Your Mistake – You Don’t Know the Power of God

    Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.

    Matthew 22:29 NLT

    The Power of God

    Psalm 68:

    God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;
    and those who hate him shall flee before him!
    2 As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
    as wax melts before fire,
    so the wicked shall perish before God!
    3 But the righteous shall be glad;
    they shall exult before God;
    they shall be jubilant with joy!

    18 You ascended on high,
    leading a host of captives in your train
    and receiving gifts among men,
    even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.

    19 Blessed be the Lord,
    who daily bears us up;
    God is our salvation. Selah

    28 Summon your power, O God,
    the power, O God, by which you have worked for us…

    34 Ascribe power to God,
    whose majesty is over Israel,
    and whose power is in the skies.

    35 Awesome is God from his sanctuary;
    the God of Israel—

    he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.
    Blessed be God!

    Who is in Control?

    Political and religious bickering such as is common in every age postures man against man and promotes idea against ideal. Jesus encountered such controversies as part of everyday life and ministry, yet refused to become entangled in issues of authority.

    The hidden question beneath numerous inquiries to Jesus from religious officials of every belief was, ‘do you see why we are right and that you are wrong?’

    Their assumption of the Son of Man was that Jesus would have taken control (like they would have seized power) IF He IS the Son of God.

    Yet God did not sacrifice his only Son for power of control, but for forgiveness of sins.

    When do powerful leaders look upwards to the Lord in humility?

    Where was the humility of Jerusalem’s religious leaders in the presence of their Messiah Incarnate? They continued to cling to what little control Rome would allow. To relinquish power to Jesus would mean giving up authority of their position. 

    Perhaps the best illustration of the questions of authority of the Lord Jesus Christ from officials in control of the people takes place in their first dialogue after clearing the Temple.

     MATTHEW 21:

    Quotes & Events:

    “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

    Jesus, surrounded and worshiped by crowds, rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. (Christians celebrate this occasion as Palm Sunday.) He drove out all who were buying and selling from the temple of God.

    “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

    He healed the blind and the lame in the courtyards of the temple. Crowds continued to praise Jesus, while the established religious authorities continue to question their witness to miracles.

    … they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?”

    “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?”

    Jesus left for Bethany, home of Lazarus whom He had raised from the dead! He returned the next morning and crowds continued to follow and Praise the Lord.

    Do you suppose the multitudes praising Jesus in Jerusalem included those who had witnessed the resurrection of Lazareth in Bethany?

    Yes! Of course. 

    Resurrection – Only by the Power of God

    John 12:

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

    9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.

    10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

    12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

    To be continued…

    By What Authority? – Leaders, Law, Scriptures, God