ISRAEL BEGAN TO BE A NATION WHEN IT CROSSED THE RED SEA
THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW IS MORE THAN JUST THE 10 COMMANDMENTS.
Continue reading HOW GOD DEALS WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE NEW: Lesson 3 of 8
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. And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written I have written (John 19:17-22).
The term, “King of the Jews” is used 18 times in the New Testament scriptures—each time referring to Jesus. At the time of Jesus’ birth (Matt. 2:2), there was a common belief that some remarkable person was about to emerge in Judea. The Jews were anxiously looking for the coming of the Messiah. By computing the time mentioned by Daniel (Dan. 9:25-27), they knew that the period was approaching when He would appear. The person they were looking for was supposedly going to be a temporal prince, and they were expecting that He would deliver them from Roman bondage. It was natural that this expectation should spread into other countries. At the time, many Jews lived in Egypt, Rome or Greece. Also, many had gone to Eastern countries, and in every place they carried their sacred writings, and talked of their expectation that some noteworthy person was about to arise.
The Jews were all looking for the kingdom of God (Luke 3:15; 17:20; John 1:41). Daniel had prophesied the world-ruling kingdom of God would be established in the days of Rome (Dan. 2:44). By the time Christ was born, Rome had ruled the world for about 80 years, and the Jews and even many in the world knew the kingdom could come any time. If the Jews could find the king, they could find the kingdom (John 1:41; John 3:28; John 4:28-29; John 4:42; John 7:41; John 10:24). Although the Jews looked for the kingdom, because of envy, they crucified the very one the multitudes identified as their king.
Whether or not Pilate was convinced of what he wrote, he used three languages to write for the world to see that Jesus was the king of the Jews (Luke 23:38)! Pilate rejected the Jews’ demand to alter the writing or remove it (John 19:22).
Even the thief testified that Jesus’ kingdom would be set up after His death (Luke 23:42). Peter accused the Jews of crucifying their king (Acts 4:10), and on the day of Pentecost, Peter proved that God had foreordained the king of the kingdom would be put to death (Act 2:23). It was not until after His death that Jesus was crowned with all power in heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18). Jesus is king over His spiritual kingdom. Only His citizens can claim Him as their king (John 18:36). Jesus was made both Lord and Christ. The name Christ means anointed one. Jesus is both Lord and king (Acts 2:36). He is Lord over all men (Acts 10:36).
Jesus has been exalted with authority above every authority not only on this earth but also in heaven (Matt. 28:18). He is approved as Lord not only in this life but also in that which to come (Eph. 4:21). Jesus is not seated as king of a physical nation (John 8:23). He is king of the Jews but only in a spiritual sense (Rom. 9:6-7). His kingdom is not of this world; it is not a physical kingdom (John 18:36). He is king of all people who are spiritual Jews (Rom. 2:28-29). He is king only of those who are translated into His marvelous kingdom (Col. 1:13).
The king of the Jews has made all His subjects priests to offer spiritual sacrifices (1 Pet. 2:5-9; Heb. 13:15). If His people suffer with Him, He will make them kings to reign with Him (2 Tim. 2:12). If His citizens overcome the battle with Satan He will give them power over the nations as He received of His Father (Rev. 2:26-27). If His citizens overcome they will reign with Him forever and ever (Rev. 22:5).
Blessed be the King of the Jews! (Luke 19:38).
–Beth Johnson
“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works” (Matt. 16:27).
Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living (Matt. 22:29-32).
ANGELS CAN CHANGE THEIR FORMS TO LOOK LIKE PEOPLE:
Heb. 13:2—Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Remember Abraham, Gideon, Lot, Elisha and the chariots of fire, and many more.
What is the old man, and in what sense does the old man die? Why does he describe the death of the old man as a crucifixion? In whatever sense we understand it, the death of the old man is very painful. In New Testament times the cross was always death, not mere suffering without death. Crucifixion was never an easy death. Jesus said “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able” (Luke 13:24). Many want to enter heaven but not many are willing to endure a crucifixion. Crucifixion is a very “strait” gate. If we do not “strive to enter in at the strait gate,” we will not be able to enter the path that leads to life. Jesus teaches in many other ways that entering the pathway is not a simple thing. For example, he says, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” (Mark 8:35). The Lord compares the old and the new man in several different ways. There must be a conscious decision to crucify the old man so the new man can be born. This decision is described as a crucifixion.
|
The Old Man |
The New Man | |
| Saves his life |
Mark 8:35 |
Loses his life for Christ and the gospel |
| Keeps all that he has |
Luke 14:33 |
Forsakes all that he has |
| Under the power of darkness |
Col. 1:13 |
Translated into the kingdom of Christ |
| Lives for self |
2 Cor. 5:15 |
Lives only for Christ |
| Does what he wants to do |
Luke 9:23 |
Denies himself |
Even making the decision to lose one’s life is a very painful thing. Again, he said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). The decision to deny oneself is also very painful. Similarly, the decision to forsake all but one has is quite painful, but Jesus said, “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Does this forsaking all that one has relate to no longer living for oneself? (2 Cor. 5:15)? The reason that Jesus died is so that we would no longer lives as we desire to live. “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:15). Making the decision that we will no longer live for ourselves but will only live for Christ, is not an easy decision. Jesus purchases God’s children with his blood (Acts 20:28). He says “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:20). “Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men” (1 Cor. 7:23). Have we consciously made a decision that we will sell ourselves to Christ, so that he purchases us? What does it mean that we have been purchased? If Jesus is our new owner, then we no longer belong to ourselves for Jesus has purchased us. If we no longer belong to ourselves we can understand why we should no longer live for ourselves. Crucifixion of the old man is losing one’s life, no longer living for self, been willing to be purchased, and been willing to live only for Christ. Is it possible for a soul to be buried with Christ before the old man is crucified and fully dead? The soul may be immersed in the water, but he cannot be buried with Christ in the waters of baptism until he has been crucified and is dead.
A second event occurs when the old man is cut off and the new man is born from the dead. This event is seen in the apostle Paul’s conversion. The Lord directed Ananias to go to Paul and lay his hands on him so he could receive his sight. When Ananias arrived, Paul had already believed in the Lord Jesus for three days. However, until Ananias came, Paul did not know what to do. The Lord had told him to “Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do” (Acts 22:10). After Ananias instructed him, he then asked Paul, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). We know from this command that Paul still had his past sins. Before Paul obeyed the command to be baptized, his old man had been crucified (Gal. 2:20), but he had not been buried with Christ. God had not yet cut off his old man. He was dead, but he had not been buried. Paul could call on the name of the Lord (authority of Christ) for doing what he did, for this is the command of Christ (Matt. 28:18-20). Until the old man is buried, there is no “operation of God” to cut off the old man (Col. 2:11.12). Peter gave this same direction to the Jews on the day of Pentecost when he said. “…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). It is only with Jesus’ authority (in his name) that we can be baptized for the remission of sins. When the old man is cut off, the sins of that old man are cut off, and the new man rises from that burial without the guilt of sin.
MULIEBRAL VIEWPOINT 