Series No 7 RSV Bible
Preparations for the Jigsaw Festival held at St Paul’s Ramsbottom on Saturday 7th September are well under way. Every second-hand jigsaw is displayed showing that all the pieces are present and there are lots of new jigsaws.
In this blog the Lord has put another piece of the jigsaw of ‘Messiah’s Secret’ in place.
The disciples were expecting Jesus to return soon after Pentecost.
During Jesus’ ministry the disciples had heard Jesus say, “ . . . . when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” Mark 8:38. 9:1.
Soon after Pentecost Peter and John ministered to a severely disabled man at the Gate Beautiful in Jerusalem. The crowd gathered around the disciples and Peter recounted the events surrounding Jesus crucifixion, and the part that some of them had played in it when they chose Barabbas to be set free, and Jesus to be crucified at the hands of the Romans. Even though they had acted in ignorance in condemning Jesus, their sin was before God and Peter knew that what God required was repentance. Peter said that if they repented their sins would be blotted out, and God would send the ‘times of refreshing’ which meant: the restoration of the land and throne of King David and God would send the appointed Christ, Jesus from heaven.
The commotion from crowd and had drawn the attention of the authorities, they were annoyed because Peter and John were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead, so they arrested Peter and John.
Before the council they witnessed that the crippled man had been healed in the name of Jesus, and they were Jesus’ witnesses, they said, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
The council decided to release them due to man being healed they warned them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. Peter and John went to their friend’s house and they told them what the chief priests and elders had said and together they praised God. Acts Chapters 3 & 4: 1-22.
From this situation due to the council rejecting the disciples message the scene was like what the prophets had spoken about: the disciples and the community of followers would have been the remnant based in Jerusalem, surrounded by unbelieving Jews, and Gentiles. Micah 2: 12, 13.
“Why did the Gentiles rage and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth set themselves in array, and the rulers were gathered together, against his anointed. For truly in this city there were gathered together against thy holy servant Jesus whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, to do whatever thy hand and thy plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to thy servants[a] to speak thy word with all boldness, 30 while thou stretchest out thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of thy holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4: 23-31.
The disciples weren’t afraid or discouraged when they realised what had happening. Their anticipation of Jesus return must have been very great.
Jesus had told his disciples to notice the sign like the fig tree puts forth its leaves summer is near, “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away before all these things take place.” Mark 13: 28-30
This sign of being rejected by the leaders before and after his ascension, fulfilling King David’s prophecy; “Why did the Gentiles rage and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth set themselves in array, and the rulers were gathered together, against his anointed.” Acts 4:25, 26.
Another sign, ”The place was shaken” Satan’s kingdom shaken and lose their power and influence over nations and people.
But Jesus continued telling his disciples to watch while the master of the house left his servants in charge until he returns. That’s why they prayed for boldness and for people to be healed and for signs and wonders to be performed in the name of Jesus. they had been instructed by Jesus to continue his ministry until he returned. Mark 13: 28-37.
“And then they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory.” Mark 13: 26.
Jesus said that he expected to return within the lifetime of that generation, but he didn’t return.
The question some would ask, “If Jesus is God why didn’t it happen?”
I believe that it was dependent on Israel’s leaders accepting Jesus as the nations’ Messiah, the King of Nineveh repented and brought the city to repentance.
Jesus said, “But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Mark 13: 32
The God head made up of three persons making the whole: God the Father, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that he and the Father were one, and he told Philip that seeing him was seeing the Father. Jesus the word of God clothed in the flesh said that he only said and did what his Father heard from God; he didn’t hear from his Father the exact day of his coming. Jesus in his love and compassion knew of his return with the angels and in the power of God’s kingdom. John 5: 19-24. 14:3, 8, 9.
Another question: “The Son of man and the Messiah are they the same person?
Series No 6 God’s seed was complete with both the sperm and the egg that was implanted in Mary’s womb. “Charles Wesley writes with tremendous spiritual insight when he proclaims the depth of this: ‘Tis mystery all! The immortal dies: who can explore his strange design? In vain the first-born seraph tries to sound the depths of love divine.’”
Bob Gordon “The Cross” wrote, “Jesus himself was not subject to man’s death until he took mankind’s sin into himself, because death is the outcome of sin. Jesus himself was not sinful, therefore, he did not live his life under the threat of death.”
The Son of man, the immortal Jesus, the second Adam was created to inhabit both earth and heaven. John 17: 5.
Mark wrote using the Greek words from the Aramaic that identify Jesus, the Son of man as the same person as the Messiah coming with the angels.
“Son of Man” NIV Theological Dictionary New Testament Words Verlyn Verbrugge
“We also find statements about the coming of the Son of man, which reflect an apocalyptic tradition Mark 13: 24-27. 14:62 The Greek phrase ‘ho huios you anthropou’ is derived from the translation of the Aramaic ‘bar nasa.’ This shows that the evangelists attached a messianic significance to the Greek translation.”
“And then they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory.” Mark 13: 26.
The prophet Daniel saw in his vision ‘one like a man’.
13 I saw in the visions of the night, and behold with the clouds of the heaven, one like a man (כבר אנש [kibar ‘anash]) was coming, and he came up to the Ancient of Days and was brought before Him.” Daniel 7: 13.’.
The high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” “Jesus said, “ I am; and you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Mark 14: 62.
Verlyn Verbrugge confirms through his study of Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic that the Son of man and the Messiah are the same person.
The day of Jesus’ return draws nearer.
Daniel’s prophecy: “Know therefore and understand: from the time that the word went out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the time of an anointed prince, there shall be seven weeks; and for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with streets and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 After the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing, and the troops of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its[a] end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27 He shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall make sacrifice and offering cease; and in their place[b] shall be an abomination that desolates, until the decreed end is poured out upon the desolator.” Daniel 10: 25-27.
The ’anointed one’ refers to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Daniel prophesied that he would be ‘cut off’ after 69 weeks (7+62 wks.) Jesus was cut off from the earth when he ascended into heaven, there he waits to return till the end of the 70th week.
Jesus is coming soon
As the day of Jesus’ return draws nearer, the world seems to be heading into chaos: with pollution of plastic and CO2 climate change threatening the food production of our planet. The world leaders can’t agree on a strategy to address the situation. The escalation of violence in the world with two world wars and Daniel prophesied that there would be ‘increase of knowledge’ and that has happened during the last century. Daniel 12: 4.
The last week of Daniel’s prophecy begins when the world leader (the antichrist) makes a peace treaty with Israel. However, it will be broken after three and a half years and then the war of great suffering and devastation (the Bible calls ‘the tribulation’) takes place for three and a half years. Followed by Jesus coming with his holy ones.
“But in those days after the tribulation the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out his angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.” Mark 13: 24-27 Revelation 19: 11-21
Jesus will fulfil the angel’s words he gave to the disciples
“This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11.
Jesus the Son of man coming after the war that is described as the tribulation. The prophet Zechariah prophesied, “For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle and the city shall be taken . . . Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as when he fights on the day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives which lies before Jerusalem on the east; and Mount Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley;. . . Then the Lord your God will come, and all the holy ones with him.” Zechariah 14: 2-5
Zechariah prophesied that the nations will come against Jerusalem and take it over, other prophesies tell us that remnant of Jewish people are left in the city and Jesus stands with them and defeats the nations. Joel 3:12, 13. Revelation 14: 19, 20. 19:14-16. Micah 2: 12.
The day of Jesus’ return draws nearer,“The Lord your God will come, and all the holy ones with him.”
Arnold Fruchtenbaum “Footsteps of the Messiah’
“Isaiah 63: 1-6 made it clear that although the armies of the saints and angels will return with Christ, they will not participate in the fighting. Messiah will fight this battle himself.” “While the battle between Christ and the antichrist will begin at Bozrah it will continue all the way back to the eastern walls of Jerusalem which overlook the Kidron Valley, also known as the Valley of Jehoshaphat.” Page 245/8. Isaiah 63: 1-6. Isaiah 61: 2
The piece of the jigsaw that’s missing among the Jewish people; the identity of their Messiah. At the coming of Jesus, Israel will identify, recognise Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Zechariah 12: 10.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, there is a growing chaos in the world, help us to proclaim God’s love in giving assurance of eternal life. Jesus gives and offers hope to what may seem hopeless. When we come to the end of ourselves and look to God, we will experience the strong arm of the Lord Jesus holding us in the palm of his hand. Take from us doubt and fear as the day of his coming draws closer to fulfilment. In Jesus’ name. Amen