FROM PASTOR RODRIQUEZ. 9/6/'14.
....A STORY.........THE MORAL...... A CHALLENGE.
There is a good King, and well beloved King, a King whom the whole Universe, payed loyal homage too. Yet this well beloved King, who for the His great love for humans on this earth, became a baby in womb of a young lady. A young lady who had not ever known...
Luke 1:31-34 "And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?"
Please know this fact, modern science of human medicine, now knows that a new baby's eyes can only focus at a distance of 8-10 inches, which is just the right distance for a nursing new Mom, that her baby can see her face, clearly! Her voice, the child already knows for some months in the womb, as well as other family voices and music!
A child within the womb, is confined in a small space, so after birth, they are comforted, by being wrapped up in a blanket, that keeps their arms and legs from being extended, which seems to cause many to be frightened. Thus a manger, filled with straw, would have been both warm and comforting to this baby who is still today a King!
There is not much humans know about this man's life, but a few days of his life at the age of twelve, and then again at the age of thirty, when He was baptized, by John the Baptist, and by the Holy Spirit in the form of dove.
Matthew 3:13-17 "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
Man, can not yet know, when Jesus knew the full measure of His earthly Mission, but we do have a clue..
Luke 2:43-49 "And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?"
Then we find Him...
Matthew 20:25-28 "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."
Jesus Christ was prepared to surrender His life, as a ransom payment for all humanity,from the Prince of the air, Satan,who inherited this dominion from Adan, at his fall into sin, thus it was that Christ's life and blood should be shed as payment for sin, and to defeat the devil, Satan, at the same time giving us all who desire it, salvation of God!
He knew He would be betrayed....
Matthew 26:14-16 "Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him." Matthew 26:19-23 "And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover. Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me."
He knew He must suffer.... and to be murdered, in a most cruel and humiliating way....
Matthew 16:21 "From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day."
Yet it was during the Lord's Supper, The Passover day, what we call today Communion, that one of His last yet greatest lessons, He had to impart on mankind, The Teaching of Humility of the Foot washing! The contemplation before, during and post this action, can taken as a "Mini-Baptism".
John 13:5 "After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded."
John 13:11-17 "For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one an other's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."
Who can NOT see, that Jesus also wanted to wash their hearts from this all too human desire, to be the greatest?
Luke 22:17-20 "And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you."
Now what's the symbolism of all this mean?
A: Christ is our "Bread of Life" ..John 6:48 "I am that bread of life." We must "EAT" Christ, as He is also the WORD, the Holy Bible, we should it of at least one hour every day! [this is the challenge part!]
B. His Blood......Colossians 1:14 " In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:" Hebrews 9:22 "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. " Revelation 7:14 "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
Then they went to the garden of Gethsemane, while singing a song;; :
Psalms 117:1-2 "O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD."
Most of know that most criminals, or those so accused, have but one trail right? Some are tried twice, but Jesus? Well....
First trial: John 18:13 "And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year."
Next Trial: John 18:14 "Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people."
:John 18:24 Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest.
Matthew 26:57 "And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled."
Next: Trail: Matthew 27:2 "And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor."
Next Trial: Luke 23:15-16 "No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chastise [whip Him] him, and release him."
Final Trial: John 19:12-18 "And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
Psalms 22:13-18 'They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture."
Please know this, Ps. 22 was written about 1,000 years before the Christ's death on the Cross,
Now who but god, has the power to make events come to pass, in order the events fit perfectly into Prophecy but God Himself?
Someday soon....Revelation 22:4 "And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads."
Now, what's in our foreheads, but our Frontal Lobe of our brains, where wee preform reasoning, and the seat of conscience.
Matthew 24:33-34 "So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled."
What things? The woes found in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. Read 'em!
1 Corinthians 2:9 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."
Tell me dear reader, DO Y O U love Him? Do Y O U even know Him well enough to love Him? Learn of Him within the Bible! Remember my challenge to you?
John 14:1-3 "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
John 3:15-19 "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."
Thanking Y O U for your time
Questions?...............Comments? John at www.servant@frontier.com
Want to learn more? Visit your Seventh day Adventist church, any Saturday/Sabbath at 9:15 AM. You just may be very glad that you did!
Other sites: servantsite@wordpress.com www.blbn.org www.itiswritten.com 3anb.org
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