Matthew 9: 15; Mark 2: 19 - 20; Luke 5: 34 - 35.
Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
This was spoken by Jesus about a year and a half into His earthly ministry. This passage is in response to the disciples of John asking why they and the Pharisees fast and Jesus' disciples do not.
The Pharisees fast at least once a week and probably two times a week. The Pharisees fasted, because they were trying to look more pious than other Jews. John's disciples were fasting for another completely different reason. John had at this time been taken from his disciples and they were fasting to remind them of their pain. Remembering their pain, this is what the Pharisees and John' s disciples had in common. Jesus prophesied that His disciples would fast also, after Jesus is taken from them. The disciples of Jesus had heard these words spoken, but did not understand what Jesus was telling them. When Jesus' disciples understand what Jesus death and resurrection mean, they also will feel pain, and fast to remember it, but they also, will be fasting for a different reason. The Bible meanings become clearer, and murkier at the same time. This is why you will never learn everything this Book has to offer. I have been studying it for over 40 years, and in no way consider myself an expert on it. How is your studying going?
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
421st Post Jesus on His Ascension and Glorification Prophesises - New Section My Introduction
Jesus is going to tell the disciples and His other believer's what His death, Resurrection and Ascension will mean to the world. Before the Holy Spirit was taking an active role on earth, the disciples did not fully understand what they had been taught, what they saw as far as miracles; and what this will mean to them in living their lives. The religious leaders did not accept Jesus as the Son of God as He, Himself declared. This truth, made it hard for believer's to hear the truth in the Scriptures, and come to the knowledge of Christ. Only people truly seeking God's Truth, would find it. Holy Scriptures, at the time of Christ, were not as readily available as they are today. Jesus, Himself had to be the bridge of knowledge between the Old and New Testament. This is why knowledge of the Old Testament is necessary, to understand the New Testament. Too many Christians, only look at the New Testament, and have a narrow view of Jesus Christ because of it. I tried to show that in order to understand why Jesus had to die, and rise from the dead; you would have to understand the Old Testament, and what it teaches. Many believe the Bible contains two completely different books in the same binding. The Old Testament is not just for the Jews, and the New Testament is not just for the Christians. To have a complete faith, you need both parts of the Bible. This is why it is called God's Word. How is your knowledge of God?? Only you can change your answer if you did not like your first answer.
Friday, February 3, 2012
420th Post Why Must Jesus Rise From the Dead? - My Comment.
Jesus had to die, to satisfy God's need for payment for man's sinning against God's Laws. As explained in last post Man brought sin into the world through Adam, and needed to be reinstated back into God's good graces. Jesus dying on the cross only halfway fulfilled the reinstated process. God had to accept Jesus sacrifice, as full payment. Jesus Resurrection, is that acceptance. Ever since Adam sinned, all men have had an appointment with death. Jesus put an end to that appointment. The Bible teaches that the wages of sin is death. If Jesus had not been the perfect sacrifice, He would have remained dead, and our belief in Jesus would be pointless. Since Jesus bore (became) the sins of the world in order to be our perfect sacrifice; He would also have to remain pure (sinless) in order to beat the power of the grave. This is why Jesus had to die and be raised. Without the Resurrection on Easter, Good Friday would be just another day. Both of these things had to happen, it would not have worked with only one. Christians observe Worship on Sunday, to remember Jesus Resurrection. Jesus became the first-fruit of the Resurrection. Jesus received a resurrected body when He was raised from the dead. We will go into this in more detail when we look at Jesus encounters with his followers after His Resurrection. HE IS RISEN!!! Praise God! Do you believe??
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
419th Post Why did Jesus Have to Die on the Cross? - My Comment.
Why did Jesus have to die, and just what did it accomplish? Has been one of the most asked questions through out history. Jesus Said "I am the Resurrection and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me." This statement has troubled people since Jesus Said it. The battle Jesus had with Himself in Gethsemane over the "Cup", gives us a clue. What did this "Cup" symbolize? God created the world and made it perfect. The world became imperfect because of sin. God created us with free choice, and it is this free choice that gets us into trouble, because we always pick the wrong choice. Our inability to do what is right on our own, proves that we need a "Savior" to save us from our sins. In order for us to have eternal life we must have a Savior. Jesus is that Savior! The "Cup" represents this sin. How then did Jesus save us? We humans being born in sin and in need of saving. Needed someone to get rid of this sin. The Bible teaches "The wages of sin is death." God is perfect, and in order to come into His presents, you must be perfect also. Us plus our Savior, make us perfect in God's eyes. The "Cup" represents our sin, plus something else. What else? This is God's Righteous Wrath, earned through our disobedience to His Word. In order to pay our debt, Jesus had to be perfect and free of sin. In order to take away our sin, Jesus had to become "All OF OUR SIN" and absorb it and stay pure. Jesus hates sin just as much as His Father, but in order to save us; He had to take all of our sin upon Himself, and get rid of it. This is why Jesus had to suffer and die for our sins. Jesus paid this price on the cross, you know this because Jesus said "It is Finished." Before He died. I will comment on the Resurrection in next post.
418th Post Jesus On Predictions Con't. - His Resurrection Con't. - John 2: 19
John 2: 19
Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
This was spoken by Jesus very early in His earthly ministry. Jesus had not yet called all of His disciples yet. Jesus said these words in Jerusalem in the Temple, just after Jesus had cleansed it according to John's account. The other Gospels say that Jesus did this just before he was arrested to be killed. This looks like a contradiction or an error. The Bible is God's Word, and as such it can not lie or contradict itself. So that means the Gospel accounts and this one in John have to be true. That means there have to be two different times Jesus Cleansed the Temple. This makes sense and answers the question why the other Gospels don't have this account. When Jesus said these words, He only had two to four disciples called. When Jesus talked about the Temple, they thought, He was talking about the Temple Herod was working on. The Temple, Jesus was talking about was His own Body. This was the first time Jesus prophesied, concerning His death. These words troubled the Jewish religious leaders, they could not understand what Jesus meant by these words. Jesus own disciples, would not remember this until after Jesus died and rose again! Jesus had just started His ministry, and already He was causing quite a stir within Israel. When you come face to face with Jesus, you have to make a decision, do you believe He is Who He Said He was? Or, Is He a Liar? Only you can answer this question for yourself. Who is this Jesus? Son of God? Or, is He a fake? What do you think?
Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
This was spoken by Jesus very early in His earthly ministry. Jesus had not yet called all of His disciples yet. Jesus said these words in Jerusalem in the Temple, just after Jesus had cleansed it according to John's account. The other Gospels say that Jesus did this just before he was arrested to be killed. This looks like a contradiction or an error. The Bible is God's Word, and as such it can not lie or contradict itself. So that means the Gospel accounts and this one in John have to be true. That means there have to be two different times Jesus Cleansed the Temple. This makes sense and answers the question why the other Gospels don't have this account. When Jesus said these words, He only had two to four disciples called. When Jesus talked about the Temple, they thought, He was talking about the Temple Herod was working on. The Temple, Jesus was talking about was His own Body. This was the first time Jesus prophesied, concerning His death. These words troubled the Jewish religious leaders, they could not understand what Jesus meant by these words. Jesus own disciples, would not remember this until after Jesus died and rose again! Jesus had just started His ministry, and already He was causing quite a stir within Israel. When you come face to face with Jesus, you have to make a decision, do you believe He is Who He Said He was? Or, Is He a Liar? Only you can answer this question for yourself. Who is this Jesus? Son of God? Or, is He a fake? What do you think?
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
417th Post Jesus on Predictions Con't.; Resurrection Prophecy Con't.- Matthew 26: 32
Matthew 26: 32; Mark 14:28.
But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.
This was spoken on Maundy Thursday, before He told Peter that soon He would deny Jesus three times. Jesus was telling them where they could find Him after He had risen from the grave. Jesus told the disciples many things that night, but it seems they did not remember them. Jesus also told the disciples that He would rise from the dead several times before this time, and they seemed to forget that also. Jesus said that "I will go before you to Galilee." When Jesus appeared to His disciples soon after He was raised, He told them to wait in Jerusalem until He could send them the Helper (Holy Spirit). The Resurrection, is probably the hardest thing for us as humans to understand. None of the people Jesus or the prophets had raised, had undergone so much physical punishment. The "Cross" was the Romans most extreme punishment for enemies of the State of Rome. It was meant to make a statement of the convict's death, and be very painful and final! This is what helped the disciples to think that Christ rising as being impossible. Impossible for man, yes; but impossible for God, No! Jesus always knew who He was, and what His destiny was. Only Jesus could have fulfilled this request made by His Father!! Do you believe??
But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.
This was spoken on Maundy Thursday, before He told Peter that soon He would deny Jesus three times. Jesus was telling them where they could find Him after He had risen from the grave. Jesus told the disciples many things that night, but it seems they did not remember them. Jesus also told the disciples that He would rise from the dead several times before this time, and they seemed to forget that also. Jesus said that "I will go before you to Galilee." When Jesus appeared to His disciples soon after He was raised, He told them to wait in Jerusalem until He could send them the Helper (Holy Spirit). The Resurrection, is probably the hardest thing for us as humans to understand. None of the people Jesus or the prophets had raised, had undergone so much physical punishment. The "Cross" was the Romans most extreme punishment for enemies of the State of Rome. It was meant to make a statement of the convict's death, and be very painful and final! This is what helped the disciples to think that Christ rising as being impossible. Impossible for man, yes; but impossible for God, No! Jesus always knew who He was, and what His destiny was. Only Jesus could have fulfilled this request made by His Father!! Do you believe??
Saturday, January 21, 2012
416th Post Jesus Said Predictions Con't. His Resurrection Con't. - Matthew 17: 9.
Matthew 17: 9
Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.
This was spoken by Jesus about 2 to 2.1/2 years into His earthly ministry. Just after His Transfiguration. Peter, James and John, were the disciples Jesus chose to be with Him to see this miracle. These disciples were there to witness Moses and Elijah meet with Jesus. If you read the account of the Transfiguration, you will see that Jesus' appearance changed, His body gave off light and His clothes became bright with white light. Moses and Elijah came and talked to Jesus. Both of these Old Testament prophets had had their run ins with the Jews, and their believing them. Who better than these two prophets, to come and give Jesus encouragement. They had also tried to deal with these stiff-necked people. Jesus had allowed these three disciples to witness Jesus' Godly side. The disciples witnessed this, but still did not really understand what they had seen. As Jesus was coming down the mountain, He tells His disciples not to tell anyone about what they had seen until Jesus rises from the dead. Jesus said this because these were His most trusted disciples and they could not process what had taken place. Other folks would totally not understand what took place in the miracle.
Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.
This was spoken by Jesus about 2 to 2.1/2 years into His earthly ministry. Just after His Transfiguration. Peter, James and John, were the disciples Jesus chose to be with Him to see this miracle. These disciples were there to witness Moses and Elijah meet with Jesus. If you read the account of the Transfiguration, you will see that Jesus' appearance changed, His body gave off light and His clothes became bright with white light. Moses and Elijah came and talked to Jesus. Both of these Old Testament prophets had had their run ins with the Jews, and their believing them. Who better than these two prophets, to come and give Jesus encouragement. They had also tried to deal with these stiff-necked people. Jesus had allowed these three disciples to witness Jesus' Godly side. The disciples witnessed this, but still did not really understand what they had seen. As Jesus was coming down the mountain, He tells His disciples not to tell anyone about what they had seen until Jesus rises from the dead. Jesus said this because these were His most trusted disciples and they could not process what had taken place. Other folks would totally not understand what took place in the miracle.
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