Jesus Christ, the Word of God, became flesh

Acts 4:12 - Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 

 

John 1:1,14 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we saw His glory, glory in the same manner as the only child of the Father, full of grace and truth."

 

Luke 4:16-21 - Then He came into Nazareth, which was where He grew up, and He entered the synagogue according to His custom on the day of Sabbaths and He stood up to read. And a scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him and when He opened the scroll He found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has anointed Me to preach Good News to the repentant, He has sent Me to preach release to captives and recovery of sight to the blind,  (Isaiah 61:1) to send release to the oppressed,  (Isaiah 58:6) to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."  (Isaiah 61:2) Then rolling up the scroll, after He gave it back to the attendant, He sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were looking attentively at Him. And He began to say to them "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your ears."  

 

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Contents

Upfront: Prophecies Fulfilled

Jesus - "...for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

"I AM" - "The Way, Truth and Life"

Without Sin - Blameless

God's Gift: The Blood of Christ - Grace  for what He has done. "Not of yourselves."

Anointed - Savior. "...to preach Good News to the repentant."

Tolerance? - Or Love and Repentance

Lamb of God - Which takes away the sins of the world

He is Risen! - Victory over death

Ascension and Return - The Right Hand of God

 


Upfront: Prophecies Fulfilled

The birth, ministry, parables, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ foretold by Old Testament prophets.

Philippians 2:5-11 - For you must live in harmony with yourselves, who are also in Messiah Y’shua, Who was in the form of God, yet did not think that this equality with God was to be eagerly clung to or retained, but emptied Himself of His own equality, taking the form of a servant, when He came in a likeness of men: and, when He was found in a manner of life as a man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient until death, even of a death of the cross. On this account then God raised Him to the highest rank and He freely gave Him the name above every name, so that at the name “Y’shua!” every knee of the heavenlies and the earthly and those below the earth would bow and every tongue would confess that Y’shua Messiah is Lord in the glory of God our Father. (Isaiah 45:23)

If Jesus had never come it would be always winter, but never Christmas. --C.S. Lewis (paraphrased)

Birth

Isaiah 7:14 -  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Matthew 1:18 - Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Micah 5:1-2 - But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you One will come forth to Me Who is to be ruler in Israel.

Matthew 2:1-6 - Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

What Old Testament Prophecies Reveal About Jesus - By Phylicia Masonheimer - ...The authors of the Gospels linked their accounts to the Old Testament prophets as evidence of Jesus’ unique character.

Here are a few of the prophecies fulfilled by Jesus’ birth:

o Numbers 24:17—He would be from the line of Jacob

o Isaiah 11:1—He would be born from the family of Jesse

o Jeremiah 23:5–6—He would be David’s kingly heir

o Micah 5:2—He would be born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:4-7)

o Isaiah 7:14—He would be immaculately conceived, born of a virgin. (Matthew 1:24-25)

o Psalm 72:10—He would be worshiped and given gifts at His birth

o Jeremiah 31:15—A king would murder children in an attempt to kill Jesus

o His flight into Egypt (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:15).

o The Messiah would be called a Nazarene (Isaiah 11:1; Matthew 2:23).

o He would anointed by the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 61:1; Matthew 3:16).

o His ministry in Galilee (Isaiah 9:1–2; Matthew 4:15–16).
o He would speak in parables (Psalm 78:2–4; Matthew 13:10–15,34-35).

o He would heal the sick (Isaiah 61:1; John 5:1–9).
o He would be called a King (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 27:37).

o He would be hated without a cause (Psalm 35:19; John 15:25).

o He would be rejected by the Jews (Isaiah 53:3; John 1:11).
o He would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, and a potter’s field would be bought with the money (Psalm 41:9. Zechariah 11:12–13; Luke 22:47–48; Matthew 27:9–10, John 13:18).
o He would be silent when accused (Isaiah 53:7; Mark 15:4–5).
o He would be killed with criminals (Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 27:38).

o He would be forsaken by His disciples (Psalm 88:8; Mark 14:50).
o He would be a sacrifice for sin (Isaiah 53, Romans 5:6–8).

o His garments would be divided by lot (Psalm 22:18; Matthew 27:35).

o He would be offered vinegar for His thirst (Psalm 69:21; Matthew 27:48).

o His body would be pierced without His bones being broken (Psalm 34:20; John 19:36; also Zechariah 12:10; John 19:37).

o He would be buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57–60).

o He would rise from the dead on the third day (Hosea 6:2; Luke 24:46).

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Scholars have concluded that Jesus fulfilled anywhere from 300 to 570 Old Testament prophecies. Many of these are woven into the fabric of psalms of worship. Others are part of more immediate prophecies regarding coming judgment on evil nations. Both Jesus and His disciples attributed these prophecies to Christ. Jesus was not the Messiah He was expected to be; He was the Savior the world didn’t know they needed.

Parables

Psalms 78:1-2 - Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

Matthew 13:34-35 - All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

Ministry & Death

Isaiah 53:1-12 - Who would have believed our report? (Romans 10:13) And to whom is the arm of the LORD* revealed? (John 12:38) For He grew up before Him as a tender plant and as a root out of dry ground. He had no form or splendor, and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of pains and having known about sickness, disease, and as one from Whom men hide their face: He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

   Surely He has borne our sicknesses, our pains; He carried them, yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. (1 Peter 2:24) But He was wounded because of our transgressions, bruised because of our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and we have been healed by His wounds. (Matthew 8:17, Luke 24:46, 1 Peter 2:24)

   All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned, each one, to his own way, and the LORD* has caused the iniquity of us all to fall upon Him. (1 Peter 2:25) He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth, like a lamb which is brought to the slaughter and like a sheep is mute before her shearers. (This is referenced in Matthew 27:12,14, Mark 14:60-61; 15:4-5, Acts 8:32-33, 1 Corinthians 5:7, 1 Peter 2:23, Revelation 5:6,12; 13:8.)

   He was taken away from rule and from judgment, and who will recount His life? For He was cut off out of the land of the living. He was stricken because of the transgressions of My people. And one made His grave among the wicked and His tomb among the rich, (Y'shua was crucified between two criminals [Matthew 27:38], then buried in a wealthy man's tomb.[Matthew 27:57-60]) although He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth. (Hebrews 4:14-15, 1 Peter 2:22, Revelation 14:5)

   But it pleased the LORD* to bruise Him. He has put Him to grief: if His very being will consider it a recompense for guilt, He will see His seed, He will prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD* will succeed in His hand. He will see of the travail of His soul and will be satisfied.

   By His knowledge My Servant will justify the righteous before many, and He will bear their iniquities. Therefore I shall divide Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoil with the strong, because He has laid open His very being to death, and was numbered with transgressors (Matthew 27:38, Mark 15:28, Luke 22:37) and He took off the sin of many (1 Peter 2:24), and made intercession for the transgressors.

 

Resurrection

 

Hosea 6:1-3 -Come! We will return to the LORD*! For He has torn and He will heal us. He has smitten and He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us: on the third day He will raise us up and we will live in His sight. (1 Corinthians 15:4) Then we will know, if we follow on to know the LORD*. His going forth is prepared as the morning and He will come to us as the rain, as the latter and former rain to the earth.

 

1 Corinthians 15:1-6 - And I am making known to you, brothers, the Good News which I proclaimed to you, which then you accepted, in which you have also stood, and through which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the kind of message I preached to you, except in case you believed in vain. For I gave over to you at first what also I had accepted, that Messiah died on behalf of our sins according to the Scriptures and that He was buried and that He rose on the third day according to the Scriptures (Hosea 6:2) and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve: (Matthew 28:16-20, Luke 24:36-49, John 20:19-23, 26-29.) then He was seen by more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are remaining until now, but some fell asleep: then He was seen by Jacob, then by all the apostles:  and last of all as in an untimely birth He was seen by me.

 

Ascension (See Ascension: The Right Hand of God below.)

 

Psalms 110:2 - The LORD* says to my Lord, Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool. (Matthew 22:44; 26:64, Mark 12:36; 14:62, Luke 20:42, 43; 22:69, Acts 2:34, 35, Ephesians 1:22, Hebrews 1:13)

 

Acts 2:29-36 - "Men, brothers, allow me to say to you with confidence concerning the Patriarch David, that he died and was buried, and his tomb is among us until this day. Therefore since he was a prophet, and knew that God swore to him with an oath, He will cause One to sit on His throne from the fruit of David's loins," (2 Samuel 7:12, 13, Psalms 132:11) since he saw beforehand, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah that 'neither would He be forsaken in Hades nor' His flesh 'see corruption.' (Psalms 16:10) God resurrected this Y'shua, of which we all are witnesses: therefore since He has been raised to the right hand of God, and has taken the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He poured this out which also you are seeing and hearing. For David was not raised into the heavens, but he says, 'The Lord said to My Lord, You must sit at My right hand, until I would have put Your enemies under Your feet.'(Psalms 110:1) Therefore assuredly all the House of Israel must continually know that God also made Him Lord and Messiah, this Y'shua Whom you crucified." 

 

See also:

 

The Ultimate Guide to Old Testament Prophecies Jesus Christ Fulfilled - By Cory Mansfield - The Old Testament has anywhere from 200-400 prophecies that were fulfilled by Jesus. Although scholars differ on the number, the sheer unlikeliness that one person could fulfill all of these prophecies point to the fact that Jesus is indeed the true Messiah. The prophecies about Jesus, which can be found throughout the Old Testament, vary widely from his birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection. This article, which will focus on some of the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled...

 

How many prophecies did Jesus fulfill? ...So, the question of how many prophecies Jesus fulfilled is difficult to answer with precision. Should we count only direct messianic prophecies? Do we count repeated prophecies twice? How about allusions and indirect references to the ministry of Christ? And what about types? A type is a prophetic symbol: a person or thing in the Old Testament that foreshadows a person or thing in the New Testament. So, while Isaiah prophesies the Lord will offer good news for the brokenhearted (Isaiah 61:1), Boaz lives this out, acting as a type of Christ (Ruth 4:1–11). The Table provided here is an attempt to list the types and prophecies given in the Old and New Testaments that Jesus has fulfilled. Undoubtedly, it is not complete. But that’s one of the great things about the Bible—the more you read it, the more you see.

 

Statistical Probability of Jesus Fulfilling Messianic Prophecies - Probability of Christ Fulfilling Prophecies From the book Science Speaks by Peter Stoner Compiled and edited by James George The focus of this topic is to look at the probability of Christ fulfilling the prophecies in the Old Testament. So we can begin to understand the authority and veracity of the Bible. So, what is probability? Probability, also known as "odds", is a branch of mathematics that measures the likelihood that a given event will occur.

   ...Dr. Peter Stoner, author of Science Speaks, applied the principle of probability, which states that if the chance of one thing happening is "1 in M", and the chance of another independent thing happening is "1 in N", then the chance that they shall both happen is "1 in M x N", as it pertains to fulfillment of Biblical prophecies. ...Just so you can grasp the magnanimous scale of the prophecies of the coming Messiah, consider these facts. The size of the number of 1 in 10157: there are not that many electrons in the known universe! And that number is just for 48 of the 300 known Messianic prophecies that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled. No man could write that Book, we call the Bible. Our Bible was written by Kings, Generals, shepherds, priests, over 1600 years, in 3 languages, on 3 continents, totally 66 books. It was written mostly by authors who had never met, who wrote about controversial subjects, and yet all 66 books agree. You can absolutely stake your life on its authenticity, authority and trustworthiness. See "The Word of God" for further coverage of "Science Speaks."

 


"No man comes to the Father except through Me"

Isaiah 61:1-3 - The Spirit of Adonai, the LORD*, is upon me, because the LORD* has anointed me to preach Good News to the humble. (Matthew 5:3) He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and opening of eyes for those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD*, (Luke 4:18-20) and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, (Matthew 5:4) to appoint to those who mourn in Zion, to give to them beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment, prayer shawl, of praise instead of the spirit of infirmity,3 so they could be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD*, so He would be glorified.

Luke 4:16-21 - Then He came into Nazareth, which was where He grew up, and He entered the synagogue according to His custom on the day of Sabbaths and He stood up to read. And a scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him and when He opened the scroll He found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has anointed Me to preach Good News to the repentant, He has sent Me to preach release to captives and recovery of sight to the blind,  (Isaiah 61:1) to send release to the oppressed,  (Isaiah 58:6) to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."  (Isaiah 61:2) Then rolling up the scroll, after He gave it back to the attendant, He sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were looking attentively at Him. And He began to say to them "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your ears."

Acts 4:12 - Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 

Sir Lionel Luckhoo  (1914-1997), was ambassador of Barbados and Guyana. Knighted by the Queen of England, he was listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most successful criminal attorney. Sir Lionel Luckhoo, who spoke to presidents, kings, parliaments and the United Nations, stated: "The bones of Muhammad are in Medina, the bones of Confucius are in Shantung, the cremated bones of Buddha are in Nepal. Thousands pay pilgrimages to worship at their tombs which contain their bones. But in Jerusalem there is a cave cut into the rock. This is the tomb of Jesus. IT IS EMPTY! YES, EMPTY! BECAUSE HE IS RISEN! He died, physically and historically. He arose from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of God."

John 1:10-14 - He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His received Him not. But as may as received Him, to then gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name; which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Colossians 1:12-17 - With joy giving thanks to the Father, the One Who equips you with adequate power for you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the Light: Who rescued us from the authority of the darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son by His love, in Whom we have the redemption, the forgiveness of sins: Who is of the image of the invisible God, Firstborn of all creation, because by Him all things were created in the heavens and upon the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or lordships or leaders or authorities: all things have been created through Him and in Him: and He was alive before all things and all things have come together in Him...

Romans 8:11 - "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you."

"I AM"

Exodus 3:12-16 - 12. And He said, “Certainly I shall be with you, and this will be a sign for you, that I AM3 has sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will serve God upon this mountain.” (Acts 7:6, 7) 13. And Moses said to God, “Behold, when I come to the children of Israel and will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ then they will say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What will I say to them?” 14. And God said to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM!”4 And He said, “Thus will you say to the children of Israel, I AM5 has sent me to you. 15. And God said further to Moses, “Thus will you say to the children of Israel, ‘The LORD* God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob (Acts 3:13) has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’ 16. Go! Gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The LORD* God, the LORD*6 of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob appeared to me saying, I have surely visited you and seen what has been done to you in Egypt.

   [3] (v.12) The I AM is the very forceful Anokhi. The Anokhi is referred to three times in New Testament writing: Matt. 22:32, Mk. 12:26, and Acts 7:32. These all refer to the same verse in the Hebrew Scriptures, Exodus 3:6, And he said, I AM the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

   [4] (v.14) This is Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, literally “I WILL BE AS I WILL BE.”

   [5] (v.14) Literally, I WILL BE. This is a statement that He is now and forever will be the Power, always the same.

   [6] (v.15) The letters 6 (v.15) The letters of His name are the third person masculine singular of the verb, while Ehyeh is the first person masculine singular future. The LORD*’s name is in the imperfect tense which cannot be limited to past, present, or future.

John 14:6-9 - Jesus said unto him, I Am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me. If you had known me, you should have known my Father also: and from henceforth you know him, and have seen him. Philip said unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it will suffice us. Jesus said unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet have you not known me, Philip? he that has seen me has seen the Father; and how do you say then, Show us the Father?"

Matthew 16:13-17 - Either Jesus is Who He says He is, or He is a liar. - "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that you art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, You art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but my Father which is in heaven."

John 2:18-19 - Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign will you show unto us, seeing that you do these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

John 8:52-58 - Then the Jewish people said to Him (Jesus), "Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham and the prophets died, but You are saying, "If someone would keep My word, he would not ever taste death. Are You greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died. What do You make Yourself?" Y'shua answered, "If I shall glorify Myself, then it is not My glory: My Father is the One Who glorifies Me, Whom you are saying that 'He is our God,' and you have not known Him, but I do know Him. And if I were to say that I do not know Him, I would be a liar like you: but I do know Him and I keep His Word. Abraham your father rejoiced because he would see My day, and he did see it and was joyful." Then the Jewish people said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old and You have seen Abraham?" Y'shua said to them, "I most positively say to you, before Abraham was born I AM."

1 Corinthians 1:18 - The "Good News" of the "Kingdom of God" that Jesus came to reveal is for believers to have a relationship with God the Father and His Son (the King) through the Holy Spirit as Jesus proclaimed: "...the Spirit of Truth, Whom the world is not able to accept, because it does not see and does not know Him..."Jesus: John 14:17) For the message of the cross on the one hand is foolishness to the lost, but on the other hand, to those among us who are saved, it is the power of God, for it has been written (Isaiah 29:14), "I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise And I shall do away with the understanding of the intelligent."

Ezekiel 3:18-21 - When I say unto the wicked, You shall surely die; and you give him not warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if you warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. Again, When a righteous man does turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because you have not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also you hast delivered thy soul.

Hebrews 4:14-15 - Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

With a Word - By Dr. Ray Rooney Jr -  ...In Matthew 24:35 Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." 

     ...According to the Gospel of Mark, before anyone was mesmerized or astounded by any miracle Jesus did they were first: "...astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority…" (Mark 1:22).

     ...As John starts to tell the story of the passion of Christ, he begins with the arrest in Gethsemane. Roman soldiers and Jewish temple guards accompanied by Judas have come to arrest Jesus. He stepped forward asking, “Whom do you seek? They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” When Jesus said to them “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground” (John 18:4-6). Three words. An entire cohort of soldiers and guards fell helplessly to the ground!

     ...Mark said it only took three words from Jesus to calm a storm so vicious it had professional fishermen who had spent their lives on the sea fearful of death: “Peace! Be still!” (Mark 4:39). Three words called a man who had been dead for four days out of his own tomb: “Lazarus, come out” (John 11:43).

     ...The conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount is a little story about what happens to people who hear the words of Christ and act upon them and those who hear those same words and do not act upon them (Matthew 7:24-27). That wasn’t the last time Jesus spoke about the eternal significance of His words. In John 12:48 He said, "The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day." Then again, in John 14:24, "Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me."

     ...Perhaps the most overwhelming statement in the Bible on this matter is what the author said in Hebrews 1:3 about Jesus the Son: "He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power."

 

The Outlaw" by Larry Norman

"Some say He was an outlaw..."

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Without Sin

For He has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. --2 Corinthians 5:21

Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: --1 Peter 2:22 

And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. --1 John 3:5

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. --Hebrews 4:15

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be yours. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. --Luke 4:1-13   

For because He suffered when He was tested, He is able to help those who are being tested. --Hebrews 2:18


God's Gift - The Blood of Christ

Ephesians 2:8 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 3:23-27 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

2 Corinthians 5:21 - For he has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Luke 11:13 - If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Romans 7:24-25 - O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

 


Anointed

Luke 4:18-19 -"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has anointed Me to preach Good News to the repentant, He has sent Me to preach release to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send release to the oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

 

Empowered By The Holy Spirit - By  Derek Prince - Have you ever considered the fact that Jesus needed the Holy Spirit, just as we do? Jesus never took credit for Himself, but attributed His whole ministry to the presence of the Holy Spirit. ...If Jesus needed the Holy Spirit, surely we do! Nothing can take His place.

      ...The first and most significant fact about the Holy Spirit is that He a Person, a very important Person! It is absolutely essential for believers to embrace this truth. He is not just an influence, a doctrine, or a theological abstraction. The Holy Spirit is a Person, as real as your own father or mother or son or daughter.

    ...What Is the Dove Looking For? As the Dove descended over the crowd of people that day, what was He looking for? The Lamb of God. What is the Dove looking for today? He is looking for the nature of the Lamb, Jesus' nature. If we cultivate the nature of the Lamb, the Holy Spirit will find us, descend on us, and remain on us. There are three Scriptural characteristics of the nature of a lamb: purity, meekness (humility), and sacrifice, a life laid down. When the Holy Spirit finds that nature in a person, that is where He chooses to settle and remain. He does not approve of arrogance, self-seeking, boastfulness, or aggressiveness. Those are characteristics of the nature of the Beast. 

 

See Baptism in the Holy Spirit

 

Spirit-Filled Author Gives 7 Truths That Distinguish Jesus From Every Other Religious Leader  (5 minute video: Bill Wiese - Jesus Is The Savior) - We celebrate Christmas each year, but many people don't acknowledge the Savior of all mankind: Jesus Christ. They happily acknowledge the holiday, but not the one it's all about. The decision to repent of our sins and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior is a precious gift that so many just brush off as insignificant. Since hell is a place that's horrific and eternal, the decision to follow Jesus is not one to be shunned. Watch this video to find out how a non-decision for Christ is in fact a decision to reject Him.

 

Jesus' Most Amazing Trait - By Dr. Ray Rooney Jr. - The political and military power of history's most prolific generals, conquerors, and royals are laughable when stood up next to the King of kings and the Lord of lords for as the book of Hebrews says, "he upholds the universe by the word of his power" (Hebrews 1:3). But then the pre-incarnate "Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14).

     ...One of the most astonishing facets of Jesus of Nazareth was His mind-boggling restraint when considered in the light of His power. Here was a Man who openly demonstrated His dominion over things that human beings have no dominion over. Things like nature (walking on water, silencing storms, withering a fig tree with just a word, ascending into heaven on a cloud), history ("before Abraham was I am," "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you," "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven"), and even death (raising from the dead the widow's son, Jairus' daughter, Lazarus, and ultimately Himself).

     ...Nature yearned to heed His commands. Legions of angels stood ready to unleash the fury and wrath of Almighty God on His behalf (Matthew 26:53). Demons yielded to His softly spoken commands. Even the ultimate equalizer, death, relented to His will. Yet there He went into the wilderness without food or water, shelter or sword to spend more than a month being tempted and harassed by none other than Satan himself. With the power to turn stones into bread, He went hungry.

     ...Instead, the Son of God "humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death" (Philippians 2:8). ...He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth (Isaiah 53:7).

     Though Jesus was (and still is) the true Master and Sovereign of the entire cosmos, "He learned obedience through what he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8). He did not then nor does He now require anyone to love Him or even obey Him. Consequently, most people mistake His lack of interference with those who ignore or even hate Him as a sign of weakness or impotence. But His friend Peter warned the entire world not to mistake lack of the execution of His will or power for anything other than loving forbearance: "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you not wishing that any should perish but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief." (2 Peter 3:9-10).

     ...Yet for all our fascination with the power and authority of Jesus of Nazareth, I believe the most breathtaking aspect of the divine revelation that Christ let shine out into this darkened world was restraint.



Tolerance

 

Scriptures don't tell us to preach love and tolerance; Scriptures implore us to preach love and repentance.

 

Do You Know the Biblical Jesus? - By Dr. Ray Rooney Jr. - ...So when I hear churchgoers speak of how Jesus was all about love, hospitality, and inclusivity, I wonder how they managed to mangle the Sermon on the Mount and how they possibly reconcile the passion and crucifixion of Jesus to what they claim was His central message to humanity. If Christ was all about promoting tolerance and acceptance toward everyonehow in the world did He end up beaten and crucified?

   ...It boggles the mind that people actually believe Jesus was accepting of all and simply proclaimed a message of love and tolerance. Do people really believe that's what the Jewish and Roman leaders tormented and killed Him for? I have no interest in painting a picture of an angry vindictive Jesus here. He certainly was (and still is) a Man of grace, truth, and love. But to suggest, as many do, that His central goal and mission was to make everyone comfortable with themselves and feel good about their future is absolutely ludicrous.

   ...He said and did things that infuriated a lot of people and it wasn't "God loves you" or working in the local food pantry that did it. He flat out said more people were on their way to hell than heaven (Matthew 7:13-14; all references below are from the gospel of Matthew as well). He said those who blasphemed the Holy Spirit would pay for it eternally (12:31). He referred to some people as tasteless salt (Matthew 5:13), dogs (Matthew 7:6), diseased trees (Matthew 7:17), fools (Matthew 7:26), snakes (Matthew 23:33), robbers (Matthew 21:13), hypocrites (Matthew 23:13 and many more), children of hell (Matthew 23:15), blind fools (Matthew 23:17), whitewashed tombs (Matthew 23:27), and sheep and goats (Matthew 25:32). None of which, supposedly had anything to do with His central message and purpose?

   ...Not only did He proclaim that God is love, but He also preached a very clear message of righteousness and holiness that is required for forgiveness and eternal life. ...Jesus Christ was crucified because He made people very uncomfortable about their sins. If you feel comfortable with Jesus in your sinful lifestyle, you don't know the right Jesus.

 

See also: Judging & Reproof - How "progressives" distort and falsify "Do not judge."


The Lamb of God

John 1:29 - The next day John sees Jesus coming unto him, and says, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.

Isaiah 53:1-12 - The Coming Messiah
1. Who would have believed our report? (Rom. 10:13) And to whom is the arm of the LORD* revealed? (John 12:38) 2. For He grew up before Him as a tender plant and as a root out of dry ground. He had no form or splendor, and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.
3. He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of pains and having known about sickness, disease, and as one from Whom men hide their face: He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
4. Surely He has borne our sicknesses, our pains; He carried them, yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. (1 Pe. 2:24)
5. But He was wounded because of our transgressions, bruised because of our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and we have been healed by His wounds. (Matt. 8:17, Luke 24:46, 1 Pe. 2:24)
6. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned, each one, to his own way, and the LORD* has caused the iniquity of us all to fall upon Him. (1 Pe. 2:25)
7. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth, like a lamb which is brought to the slaughter and like a sheep is mute before her shearers. (Matt. 27:12, 14, Mk. 14:60, 61; 15:4, 5, Acts 8:32, 33, 1 Cor. 5:7, 1 Pe.2:23, Rev. 5:6, 12; 13:8.)
8. He was taken away from rule and from judgment, and who will recount His life? For He was cut off out of the land of the living. He was stricken because of the transgressions of My people.
9. And one made His grave among the wicked (Matt. 27:38) and His tomb among the rich (Matt. 27:57-61), although He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth. (1 Pe. 2:22, Rev. 14:5)
10. But it pleased the LORD* to bruise Him. He has put Him to grief: if His very being will consider it a recompense for guilt, He will see His seed, He will prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD* will succeed in His hand.
11. He will see of the travail of His soul and will be satisfied. By His knowledge My Servant will justify the righteous before many, and He will bear their iniquities.
12. Therefore I shall divide Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoil with the strong, because He has laid open His very being to death, and was numbered with transgressors (Matt. 27:38, Mark 15:28, Luke 22:37) and He took off the sin of many (1 Pe. 2:24), and made intercession for the transgressors. 

Greg Locke on Jesus in the Garden and the Ultimate Sacrifice - ..."The Bible says that Jesus came to the Garden of Gethsemane, the place of pressing, and it says that He was in great heaviness and the King James says, 'agony,'" Locke says. It was in this place of heaviness, here in the garden that Jesus asked for the heavenly Father to take this cup from Him.

   As Locke notes, it wasn't because Jesus was trying to get out of something. It was because He knew that He was not only taking on the weight of the world's sins, but that He would ultimately become sin, as the Scriptures say, "He who knew no sin became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him," (2 Cor. 5:21). This would mean separation from the heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit so that the Father could judge Jesus according to the standards of sin.

   Knowing this was coming to pass, Jesus still chose to say "not My will be done, but Thine will be done." Jesus was obedient even though it meant taking on the death He did not deserve out of His love for us. This decision to fully submit to the will of God that would bring down His wrath and perfect judgment was so distressing that it caused Jesus to sweat blood. "He has this encounter with His Father in the garden, and the Bible says that He sweat, as it were, great drops of blood," Locke says. "Medically, that is called hematidrosis...a medical phenomenon that happens when someone is mentally and emotionally under such distress, they are literally in such vile agony that literally the pressure from the inside will burst the blood capillaries, mix with the sweat and come out of the pores of your skin."


He is Risen

 

 

He is Risen!  "Death is swallowed up in victory." 1 Corinthians 15:54

"He is not here. He has risen from the dead as he said he would." Matthew 28:6

For You will not leave my soul in Sheol (Hell), nor will You suffer Your godly one to see corruption." -Psalms 16:10

 

The Resurrection of Y'shua (Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-10) Matthew 27:62-66 - The Guard at the Tomb: And the next day, which was after the preparation for the Sabbath, the high priests and the Pharisees were gathered to Pilate saying, "Sir, we remembered that that deceiver said while still living, 'After three days I shall rise.' Therefore you must immediately order the tomb to be guarded until the third day, so when His disciples come they could not steal Him so they could say to the people, 'He was raised from the dead,' and the last deception will be worse than the first." Pilate said to them, "You have a guard: go, as you know you will have your guard." And then after they left they guarded the tomb, by having sealed the stone with a guard.

 

Matthew 28:1-15 - And after Sabbaths, on the First Day of the Week at dawn, Miriam Magdalene and the other Miriam came to see the tomb. And behold there was a great earthquake: for there was an angel of the Lord, who descended from heaven, and after he came he rolled the stone away and was sitting upon it.

   And his appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow. And those who were guarding trembled from fear of him and became as dead. And the angel said to the women, "You must not be afraid, for I know that you are seeking the crucified Y'shua: He is not here, for He has risen just as He said. Come! See the place where He was laid."

    And go quickly, you must tell His disciples, "He has risen from the dead, and behold He is going before you into Galilee, for you will see Him there: behold I told you." Then they left quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and were running to report to His disciples. And behold Y'shua met the women saying, "Greetings." And they, who had approached Him, took hold of His feet and they paid homage to Him. Then Y'shua said to them, "You must not be afraid: you must go, report to My brothers so they would go into Galilee, they will see Me there."

   The Report of the Guard: And after they left, behold, some of the guards, having gone into the city, reported to the high priests everything that happened. And gathering with the elders they formed a plan and taking silver coins they gave them to the soldiers saying, "You must say, 'When His disciples came in the night they stole Him while we were sleeping.' And if this is heard by the governor, we will persuade him. We will keep you out of trouble." And those who took the silver did as they were taught. And this word was spread widely by Jewish people until today, this very day.

 

1 Corinthians 15:11-22  - Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so you believed. Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 

 

The Eyewitness Testimony That'll Make You Never Doubt the Resurrection Again - By Paul Strand - Christianity's core belief is that the Son of God took on human form, died for our sins and then rose from the dead to give us eternal life. But if Jesus Christ didn't come back to life, it undoes His claim to be the all-powerful, eternal Son of God, Savior and Messiah.  So, Christianity hangs on the Resurrection. (See the evidence and videos at link.). 

Was Jesus in the Grave for "Three Days and Three Nights?" - By Gary DeMar - ...So even if Jesus was crucified on Friday and raised on Saturday, we are still missing a third night (first night, Friday, second night, Saturday). Attempts to resolve this apparent contradiction center on the mistaken assumption that "heart of the earth" is a reference to the time Jesus spent in the grave. Does "heart of the earth" mean the grave?:
   There were times when Jesus spoke in parables so He would not be understood by everyone: "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted." Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand" (Matt. 13:11, 13; see Matt. 13:34-35). The Scribes and Pharisees had come to Jesus asking for a sign. Similar language and context are used by Jesus in John 2:19: "The Jews therefore answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, seeing that You do these things?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
   Since Matthew 12:40 is the only place in Scripture where "three days and three nights" and "heart of the earth" are used, we can assume that it's an idiomatic expression that takes some deciphering using other Scripture passages.
If Jesus was buried in the "heart of the earth," and "heart" is a metaphor for "center" or "middle," then Jesus was not buried in the literal heart (center) of the earth. From what we know of Jesus' burial, He was buried above ground (Matt. 28:2) in a rock-hewn grave (Mark 15:46) that could be entered and exited easily.
   Jerusalem was considered the "heart of the earth": "Thus says the Lord GOD, "This is Jerusalem; I have set her at the center of the nations, with lands around her," (Ezek. 5:5). Later in Ezekiel, Jerusalem is said to be "the navel [center] of the world" (Ezek. 38:12). "Jesus does not simply use Jonah as a convenient analogy to express the time span of three days. In fact, "three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" is a strained analogy for the crucifixion. To make Jesus's experience cover three days and three nights, we must extend it to his time on trial, so that the "heart of the earth" is Jerusalem and thus includes Jesus's trial by Jew, Edomite, and Roman. (Calling Jerusalem the "heart of the earth" is not a novel reading; Ezekiel 38:12 refers to the "navel" of the land, and Ezekiel 5:5 describes Jerusalem as being in the "middle" of the nations.). 6
   Jerusalem was the redemptive center of the world: "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Today, it's no longer physical Jerusalem but the "Jerusalem above" (Gal. 4:26) "the heavenly Jerusalem" that is the redemptive center (Heb. 12:22).
Jesus continually points to Jerusalem as the place where He would be betrayed and crucified: "From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised on the third day" (Matt. 16:21). When did the "suffer many things" begin?: "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered up to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will deliver Him up to the Gentiles to mock and scourge Him, and on the third day He will be raised" (Matt. 20:17-19).
   From the time of His being "delivered up" on Thursday evening in the Garden of Gethsemane to the day He "will be raised" constitutes "three days and three nights" in the "heart of the land," that is, in Jerusalem. The Greek word often translated as "earth" is better translated as "land."
   There is no need to claim that there was a special Sabbath or even to argue that exactly 72 hours was necessary for Jesus' words to be true. "Heart of the earth." considered to be the center of the world, was Jerusalem. 
 

What We Are Missing in the Resurrection? - By Dr. Ray Rooney - ...What we seem to have lost is the fear of Easter. Of the four gospel accounts of the resurrection of Christ, Mark captures this the most. To see what I mean, read Mark 15:16-16:8 concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus. You see these words scattered throughout: Golgotha, save yourself, darkness, forsaken, torn, alarmed, fled, trembling and astonishment, and afraid.
     ...Mark's tone concerning the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is constant and unchangeable. Ominous. Troubling. Worrisome. It's all aimed at implying one thing: accountability. More than a martyr. More than a prophet. More than an angel. He is Lord. He is God. We will answer to Him. Everyone. On His terms. Not ours.
     He is eternal as is His Word. He has the final say on what constitutes faithful obedience. He has the final say on sexuality. He has the final say on gender. He has the final say on marriage. He has the final say on what is and is not love. He has the final say on whose heart is filled with hate and whose is not. He has the final say on eschatology. He determines authenticity. Not you. Not me. He will separate the sheep from the goats. And He will not misjudge or misinterpret one single word or event in anyone's life. He is not an arbiter of the truth. He is the ultimate manifestation of truth.
     ...There is little reverence or fear in what is being passed off as "Christian" these days. The name of Jesus is abhorred by government officials, ridiculed by counterfeit religions, and manipulated by church leadership. It is used to justify hedonism, prevent discernment, and promote immorality. Words like "Judge not" are taken out of context, twisted, and repackaged as justification for sinful choices and lifestyles.
     ...Not only does that mean He has defeated Satan, sin, and death, but it also means that every single angelic and human being is answerable to Him. That means it really doesn't matter what my interpretation of the Bible and Christianity is. All that matters is what His view is. Remember what He said He would tell those who cringed before Him in judgment after their "Well, to me" argument concerning what they considered obedience to be. "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness" (Matthew 7:23)

Acts 2:29-40:  "Men, brothers, allow me to say to you with confidence concerning the Patriarch David, that he died and was buried, and his tomb is among us until this day. Therefore since he was a prophet, and knew that God swore to him with an oath "He will cause One to sit on His throne from the fruit of David's loins," (2 Sam. 7:12, 13, Ps. 132:11) 31. since he saw beforehand, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah that "neither would He be forsaken in Hades nor" His flesh "see corruption." (Ps. 16:10)
   God resurrected this Y'shua, of which we all are witnesses: therefore since He has been raised to the right hand of God, and has taken the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He poured this out which also you are seeing and hearing. For David was not raised into the heavens, but he says, "The Lord said to My Lord, You must sit at My right hand, until I would have put Your enemies under Your feet." (Ps. 110:1) Therefore assuredly all the House of Israel must continually know that God also made Him Lord and Messiah, this Y'shua Whom you crucified."
   And when they heard this they were pierced in their hearts. They said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "What could we do, men, brothers?" And Peter said to them, "You must immediately repent, and each of you must immediately be immersed in the name of Y'shua Messiah, for forgiveness of your sins and you will take the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all those in far away places, whomever the Lord our God will call to Himself." And he chargedthem in many other words and was urging them saying, "You must right now be rescued from this crooked generation." 

 
Luke 24:13-49 (BBE) - And then, two of them (Disciples), on that very day (of the resurrection of Jesus), were going to a little town named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking together about all those things which had taken place. And while they were talking and questioning together, Jesus himself came near and went with them. But their eyes were not open that they might have knowledge of him. And he said to them, What are you talking about together while you go?
    Then stopping, and looking sadly at him, one of them, named Cleopas, said to him, Are you the only man living in Jerusalem who has not had news of the things which have taken place there at this time? And he said to them, What things? And they said, The things to do with Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, great in his acts and his words, before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers gave him up to be put to death on the cross. But we were hoping that he would be the Saviour of Israel.
   In addition to all this He has now let three days go by from the time when these things took place; And certain women among us gave us cause for wonder, for they went early to the place where his body had been put, And it was not there; then they came saying that they had seen a vision of angels who said that He was living. And some of those who were with us went to the place, and saw that it was as the women had said, but Him they did not see.
   And he said, O foolish men! how slow you are to give belief to what the prophets have said. Was it not necessary for the Christ to go through these things, and to come into his glory? And he made clear to them all the things in the Writings, from Moses and from all the prophets, which had to do with Himself.
   And they came near the town to which they were going, and he seemed as if he was going on; But they kept him back, saying, Do not go, for evening is near, the day is almost gone. And he went in with them. And when he was seated with them at table, he took the bread, and said words of blessing and, making division of it, he gave it to them. And then their eyes were open, and they had knowledge of him, but he went from their view. And they said to one another, Were not our hearts burning in us while he was talking to us on the way, making clear to us the holy Writings?
   And that very hour they got up and went back to Jerusalem, where the eleven and the others had come together. And they said to them, The Lord has truly come back to life again, and Simon has seen Him. And they gave an account of the things which had taken place on the way, and how, when He gave them bread, they had knowledge of Him. And while they were saying these things, He himself was among them, and said to them, Peace be with you! But they were full of fear, being of the opinion that they were seeing a spirit.
   And He said to them, Why are you troubled, and why are your hearts full of doubt? See; my hands and my feet: it is I myself; put your hands on me and make certain; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have. And when He had said this, He let them see His hands and His feet. And because, for joy and wonder, they were still in doubt, He said to them, Have you any food here? And they gave Him a bit of cooked fish. And before their eyes He took a meal.
  And He said to them, These are the words which I said to you when I was still with you, how it was necessary for all the things which are in the writings of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms about Me, to be put into effect. Then He made the holy Writings clear to their minds.
   And He said to them, So it is in the Writings that the Christ would undergo death, and come back to life again on the third day; And that teaching about a change of heart and forgiveness of sins is to be given to Jerusalem first and to all nations in his name. You are witnesses of these things.
And now I will send to you what my father has undertaken to give you, but do not go from the town, till the power from heaven comes to you.
 
The Road to Emmaus - and Understanding - By Ed Vitagliano - In Luke 24:13-35, Jesus had been crucified and had risen from the dead. Despite His clear teaching about the matter, no one expected the resurrection to occur, not even His disciples! Moreover, even an empty tomb, the declaration of angels, and the testimony of eyewitnesses seemed like "nonsense" to the 11 apostles, who were gathered together in fear of the law (vv. 10-12).
      They could not understand, as the words "appeared to them as nonsense;" but it also says they would not believe. There was a refusal to trust these words. Perhaps it was because of fear, doubt, unbelief, disappointment, or some combination. It is a sad testimony nonetheless that they "would not believe them." "Everything they thought they knew about life, even about God, seems to have been swept away by wicked men. Evil appears to have triumphed. Their world has collapsed into confusion and fear. He is always admonishing, exhorting, and encouraging us. It is important to note that these two disciples had the facts right but not the meaning of those facts. They had a faith problem. They understood what their eyes could see, but they could not understand what only faith could see behind everything in our lives.
      These two disciples were being shown that, without faith, it is impossible to see Him. They knew the tomb was empty, but why was it empty? What did it mean? It's almost as if Jesus wanted these disciples to finish the thought: OK, all these things you saw Jesus do and the words you heard Him teach, He told you He would suffer and die, and on the third day, something would happen. Then some disciples went to the tomb and no one was there, except for angels , who said something important.  
     As I said, these disciples had a faith problem. "And He said to them, 'O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?'" (vv. 25-26). The symptom was that they were "foolish men." The cause was that they were "slow of heart to believe." But believe what? Jesus said, "all that the prophets have spoken!" In other words, they should believe all that God has said.
      Their hearts, which had been slow to believe, were now burning within them because Jesus Christ had interacted with them. He is the cure! Do we desire to go from (1) being slow of heart to believe in all that God has said to (2) having hearts that burn with understanding? It requires drawing near to Christ and interacting with Him. If you don't do that, you won't attain to the latter, while remaining in the former state.

Jesus Resurrection - Proof that Death is a Failure  - By Michael Bresciani - The resurrection of Christ isn't merely about Easter religious observances, spring, flowers, bunnies and Easter bonnets, it is the single most important event in the history of mankind. It is the pivotal point upon which every man and woman's final destiny rests. Perhaps no one in recent history has described this immutable truth better than Mr. Timothy Keller. "If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn't rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching, but whether or not he rose from the dead. -  Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism.

CBN.com Easter Special Section (2010) Explore the Garden Tomb, Biblical Archaeologists Explore the Crucifixion, Gordon Robertson Teaches on Jesus in Psalm 22 "Can you imagine, a Psalmist a thousand years before it actually happened describing exactly what people are going to be saying to Jesus as He's hanging on the cross? It absolutely boggles your mind." 

1 Corinthians 15:11-22 - Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so you believed. Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

1 Corinthians 15:49-58 - And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.    

 

Romans 8:11 - "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you."

 


 

Ascension and Return

 

Psalms 68:18 - You have ascended on high: You have led captivity captive: You have taken gifts among men, yea, even among the rebellious, so Yah, God, might dwell among them. (Eph. 4:8)

 

Ephesians 4:7-10 - And the grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of the gift of the Messiah. For this reason it says (Psalms 68:18), "When He ascended into the high places He turned the tables on your enemies in warfare (The literal is "turned captivity captive" which is a Hebrew idiom for "turn the tables on your enemies in warfare." This idiom is also used in Amos 9:14, "V'shavti veyish'vu, in Hebrew.). He gave gifts to mankind." (This is from the Greek text, the Hebrew saying, "You (God) took gifts from men," referring to God's taking of Judea and its spiritual advantages, thus making Israel the home of His people forever.) And He went up. What is this ascending, unless He also descended into the lower parts of the earth? The One Who descended is the same One Who also ascended high above all the heavens, (Heavens is always plural in Hebrew, with seven Hebrew words describing seven levels of heaven.) so that all things would be filled with His presence.

 

Zechariah 14:4 - And His (the LORD's) feet will stand in that Day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives will split in the middle toward the east and toward the west and there will be a very great valley, and half of the mountain will remove toward the north and half of it toward the south.

 

Acts 1:1-11 -Indeed the first narrative I made concerning everything, O Theopholis, which Y'shua began to do and also to teach, until that day He was taken up, after He gave orders to the apostles whom He had chosen by the Holy Spirit: to whom He also presented Himself alive, by many convincing proofs, after He suffered, while He appeared to them for forty days and was saying these things about the Kingdom of God: and while He was staying with them, He ordered them "Do not go away from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father which you heard from Me, for John on the one hand immersed3 in water, but you on the other hand will be immersed in the Holy Spirit after these not many days." (Ten days later on the Day of Pentecost.)

   The Ascension of Y'shua Therefore indeed those who came asked Him saying, "Lord, are You restoring the kingdom in Israel at this time?" But He said to them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father set by His own authority, but you will take power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the outermost part of the earth." And after He said these things, as they were watching, He was lifted up and a cloud bore Him up and away from their eyes. And as they were looking intently into the sky at His going, then there were two men in white clothing who stood by them, and they said, "Men of Galilee, why have you stood looking into the sky? This Y'shua, Who, as He has been taken up from you into the sky, will come back in the same way as you saw Him going into the sky." (Zechariah 14:4)

 

John 3:13, 6:61-63, 13:36, 14:2-4, 16:7 - And no one has ascended to heaven except the One Who has descended from heaven, the Son of Man. ...When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Does this offend you?  What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. ...Simon Peter said to Him "Lord, where are You going?" Y'shua answered him, "Where I am going you are not now able to follow Me, but you will follow later." ...In My Father's house are many dwelling places:1 and if it were not so, would I tell you that I am going to prepare a place for you? (1 Kings 8:13)  And if I would go, then I shall prepare a place for you. I am coming again and I shall take you (The verb used here is paralambano which speaks of the bridegroom taking his bride.) along with Me, (Exodus 6:7) so that where I AM you would also be. 4. And you know the way, where I am going."  ...But I am telling you the truth, it is profitable for you that I would leave. For if I would not leave, the Comforter will not come to you: but if I would go back, I will send Him to you.

 

Mark 16:19 - Indeed then after the Lord Y'shua spoke to them He was taken up into the sky and sat at the right hand of God.

 

Luke 9:51 - And it was the days in which His ascension was to be fulfilled and He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.

 

John 14:25-29 - "I have spoken these things to you while staying with you: but the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name, that One will teach you all things and will remind you of everything which I Myself said to you. I am leaving peace with you, I give My peace to you: I am giving to you, not just as the world would give. Your heart must not ever trouble you and it must stop being timid. You heard that I said to you, 'I am going where I came from, then I am coming to you.' If you loved Me you would rejoice because I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it would happen you would believe."

 

John 3:1-8 - And there was a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus was his name, a leader of the Jewish people: this one came to Him at night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You, a teacher, have come from God: for unless God were with Him no one is able to perform these signs that You do." Y'shua answered and said to him, "Most definitely I say to you, unless someone would have been born from above, he is not able to see the Kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How is a man able to be born when he is in old age? Is he able to enter his mother's womb and be born a second time?" Y'shua answered, "Most certainly I say to you, unless someone would have been born out of water (Being born of water speaks of baptism but also of Torah, from Exodus 14:22 and Isaiah 55:1.) and Spirit he is not able to enter the Kingdom of God. What has been born of the flesh is flesh, and what has been born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'It is necessary for you to be born from above.' The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going: thus it is with everyone who has been born of the Spirit."

 

Matthew 24:36-44 - Concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Two will be in the field; one will be taken, and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord will come. But know this, that if the owner of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for in an hour when you least expect, the Son of Man is coming.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 - And we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, that you would not grieve as the rest of those who do not have hope. For if we believe that Y'shua died and rose, so God will also bring with Him those who have fallen asleep by means of Y'shua's redemption. Indeed we say this to you in a word of the Lord, that we, those left behind who are living to the coming of the Lord, would not precede those who are sleeping: because the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a command, with a voice of an archangel and with a shofar (trumpet 1 Corinthians 15:51-58) of God, and the dead in Messiah will rise first (Revelation 20:4), then we, the living, those who are left behind, will be taken away together with them into the clouds to meet with the Lord in the air (1 Corinthians 15:20-23, Revelation 20:5): and thus we will always be with the Lord. So you must continually comfort one another with these words.

 

1 Corinthians 15:51-58 - Listen, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible will put on incorruption, and this mortal will put on immortality. When this corruptible will have put on incorruption, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then the saying that is written shall come to pass: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” - “O death, where is your sting? - O grave, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

 

I Wish We'd All Been Ready --Larry Norman

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See also: The Fourth Man and God's Hebrew Names and their meaning.