Category Archives: Abraham and Sarah

Abraham and Sarah, awe and reverence, beauty of holiness, conversion of a Muslim to Christianity, glorified, rubbish, scroll, Simon Altaf, Summer garden, the lamb that was slain, winter garden

The Messiah’s Secret – The Calling of Nathanael

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The Messiah’s Secret – The Calling of Nathanael
Visual Aid. A garden with flowers.
When we see a garden in full bloom in summer, it’s hard to think that things lie hidden in the undergrowth.

It’s not until winter comes and the plants die back we can see what lies there.

(Removing the rubbish to reveal wind blown: plastic bottles, bags and other bits of plastic.)
Not all that has blown in the garden is rubbish there might be something there that we have lost. In the picture a silver cross and chain lost in the garden during the summer.
In our reading Nathanael did not think anything good could come out of Nazareth certainly not God’s promised Messiah. He soon was to find Jesus something very precious to him. Later he would learn that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. 

Some times we have to stand still and sift through our beliefs and remove some things that we have heard from other people and taken on board. We also may find again something in scripture that we might have lost.                                                                                   

Readings: Revelation 5: 1-10. John 1: 43 end.
The other week I was sifting out old CD’s to throw away when I looked at a CD with a name on it Simon Altaf and date Feb 2007. I thought I’ll check what’s it’s about before I bin it. I was glad I did look at the CD, it was Simon Mohammed Altaf’s testimony, Jesus had called him to follow him. 
He began by sharing his background, he grew up in Pakistan his family were Sony Muslims. and he was a committed Muslim. He said he had prayed every day for ten years that Allah would speak to him, but he heard nothing. He believed that there was a God and he wanted to know him.    
Mohammed said he became disillusioned with his religion and went on a Muslim website and began to talk to other Muslims. One day by accident, he read the heading of a blog, ‘Why I became a Christian,’ by a fundamentalist Muslim. After reading it he got in touch with him asking him all kinds of questions,  he started comparing the Koran with the Bible. He found out that Abraham had two sons, 2 heirs Ishmael and Isaac only Isaac was the son of the promise to Abraham. “But Abram said, O Lord God, what wilt thou give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said,”Behold, thou hast given me no offspring; and a slave born in my house will be my heir.” (Ishmael) And behold, the word of the Lord came to him,”This man shall not be your heir; your own son shall be your heir.” Genesis 15: 2-4.  
“And Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live in thy sight!” God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.” Genesis 17: 18, 19. RSV Bible.  
Simon had not been taught about Isaac, he did not know about him until he read the Bible.                                                              
He studied both the Koran and the Bible for a period of time, but it was while he was at work he heard Jesus’ voice saying to him, ‘Follow me’ immediately in his thoughts he said, what about my family? Again he heard the voice say to him ‘Follow me,’ and so he did. It was at great cost to him, later his marriage was annulled under Muslim law, he lost everything of importance to him, but he could not deny Jesus.  

In our reading Philip after being found by Jesus was asked to ‘Follow him.”  He realised that Jesus was the one who Moses had referred to in scripture, Deut 18: 15 “The Lord will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brethren him shall you heed.” 
Philip then went and witnessed to Nathanael that Jesus was the one spoken of by Moses. Nathanael was cynical in his response, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Perhaps he thought that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem.  

Philip said to Nathanael, ”Come and see,” so together they went to find Jesus, they found him and as they walked towards him, Jesus said to Nathanael, “An Israelite indeed, in whom there is nothing false.”  Jesus discerned that Nathanael was honest, and open to seek the truth, a Godly man. Mohammed Altaf was open to seek the truth and there are many more people like him who are open to seek the truth. He became known as Simon Altaf.

Nathanael replied, “How do you know me?” Jesus said that he had seen him before Philip called him sitting under the fig tree. Jesus had seen him not in the flesh but in the eye of his Spirit. The Spirit of Jesus searching for the people who would become his disciples. Jesus and the Holy Spirit is searching today for people who are open to hear the good news.    

Jesus looking for the lost in the garden of the world.  
On Tuesday afternoon at open door a young woman came in full of trouble, I tried to help her by giving her what she asked for some food.  I asked if I could pray with her and she was happy for me to do so. My continuing prayer is that she will come to know Jesus and as a result make a fresh start.  

Nathanaels response, he declared that Jesus the Rabbi was the Son of God! and the King of Israel. 

Simon Altaf could identify the three in one God. 
Simon said that Jesus is God and as the Son of God he had the nature of God, and the Holy Spirit. Simon said that the Hebrew word for God is Yahweh. The Muslim’s name for God is Allah and they are not the same God. Allah is an impersonal god, transcendent meaning: superior and beyond reach, whereas Israel’s and the Christian’s God is a personal God, Yahweh, the true God. 

Nathanael had discerned for himself that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah from the scripture ‘Sitting under the fig tree’ which was the expectation of the peace and security with the coming of the Messiah and his kingdom. Zechariah 3: 10 “In that day, says the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbour under his vine and under his fig tree.”  
The day speaks of Jesus return, bringing in his kingdom, a place that is described as full of peace and tranquillity, hence the term ‘sitting with your neighbour under the fig tree.’

On the evening of the day of his resurrection when he appeared to his disciples in the house at Jerusalem, Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you!” The kingdom in their midst, the peace of the Kingdom of God. John 20: 19.

But what spoke to me in Revelation 5  Jesus was being lifted up into a place of honour in his meekness and majesty receiving blessings from God. And we can relate it to his parable of the wedding feast, were he made the point on arrival not to sit down on the top table, in case someone more important came, but instead to seek the lowest place and so you might be lifted up and asked to sit on the top table. Luke 14: 7-11    

All heaven was rejoicing as Jesus was the one who would open the scroll., “Worthy is the lamb who had been slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing.”Rev 5: 12. The scroll that contains the information of the events leading up to his return to the earth and being identified by his suffering bearing the marks in his resurrected body of the lamb that was slain for forgiveness of all that stands between us and our Father God. All the rubbish that has separated us from our creator God is completely removed, all is forgiven.

We in our humanity saw no beauty before we knew him as our Saviour and Lord, but in knowing him, we see the beauty of his holiness, the greatness of his victory over the devil and his minions and his eternal reign over all things in heaven and on the earth. 

No other is worthy of our praise, in awe with reverence, we see the lamb in great humility being adored, revered, worshipped and glorified.                                                                                                                                                                
Abraham and Sarah, faith, Jesus., Martha and Mary, veil

The Messiah’s Secret – Removing the Veil

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“For nothing is hid that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be made known and come to light.” Luke 8: 17.

Abraham’s Journey of Faith.

God made a covenant with Abraham that he would be a father of a multitude of people. This covenant extended to his descendants, it was an everlasting covenant. Nations and kings would come from his descendants and that and the land of Canaan was given to him for an everlasting possession.
Abraham’s wife Sarah would have a son and she would be the mother of nations and kings would come from her.
On hearing this Abraham fell on his face and laughed as he thought to himself shall a man 100 years old and Sarah his wife of 90 years bear a child.
Abraham offered God Ishmael his son by his slave wife Hagar to fulfil the promise, but God said, “No.”
The customs of the day allowed Sarah to give her maid Hagar as a slave wife to Abraham to enable him to have an heir. Genesis Chapters 16. 17.

At the turn of the 19th century archaeologists excavating in Iraq found the Nuzi tablets. On these tablets they discovered customs relating to the time of Abraham. Theologians were particularly interested as these Nuzi customs as they were evident in the Biblical accounts written about Abraham.
(Eyre and Spottiswoode Study Bible.)
Archaeological evidence of Nuzi customs indicates that in some marriage contracts a childless wife was required to furnish a substitute for her husband, in oriental eyes childlessness was the greatest of tragedies. Nuzi custom stipulated further that a slave wife and her children could not be sent away. If a natural son was born later, the slave heir was disinherited to a great extent.”

Confirmation of Prophecy
God’s prophecy to Abraham was confirmed by the three strangers who called upon him at the Oaks of Mamre, he offered them hospitality and they stayed there for a meal. Whilst Sarah was preparing the meal they told Abraham that when they returned in the spring Sarah would have a son. Sarah was listening in on their conversation and she laughed to herself.
One of the three men who Abraham addressed as the Lord said,” Why did Sarah laugh? Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Sarah denied laughing because she was afraid, the Lord said, “But you did laugh.” The Lord knew her thoughts.

In the New Testament when Jesus arrived at Jarius’ house the mourners laughed when Jesus said that the little girl was asleep, as far as they were concerned she was dead. Jesus prayed and the little girl opened her eyes, got up and ate some food.
From the deadness of Sarah’s womb the Lord enabled Sarah to conceive and she bore a son whom they were told by God to name him Isaac which means laughter.

Abraham under Nuzi Law
Under the laws of Abraham’s day he offered his son Ishmael to fulfil God’s prophecy. But it was to be by faith and grace through the son of Abraham and Sarah that God’s prophecy would be fulfilled.

Jesus Removing the Veil of the Law of Moses from Mary
Jesus was invited to stay at Martha and Mary’s home for a meal. We are not informed by Luke whether Lazarus was also there.

It was the custom the Jews that women were the homemakers: this meant looking after their children, doing the household chores and preparing and cooking the meals.
The men were the head of the household and they worked to provide for the family. When the family attended the temple or the Synagogue the men were separated from the women. In the Synagogue the men were together worshipping and discussed the scriptures, any visiting Jewish men were invited to speak at their services. The women they sat apart or in the gallery, listening to the service. It was when they went home that the father would instruct and discuss with his family the Hebrew Scriptures.

Martha and Mary after welcoming their special guest would have started to prepare the meal. Only we read that Mary broke with convention, instead of helping with the preparing and serving the meal, she sat listening to Jesus.

We read that Martha was distracted by too much work; she couldn’t overhear what was being said by Jesus and she must have been too busy to attract Mary’s attention.

Martha’s frustration must have welled up inside of her to the point were she stopped what she was doing and went and spoke her mind to Jesus. “Lord do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone, Tell her to help me.”
Martha had gone to a higher authority, Jesus the Rabbi asking him to administer the law to her sister.
Jesus’ response was not what she expected. “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, one thing is needful and Mary had chosen a good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.”
Martha was anxious and troubled by her sister’s behaviour, her disregard for their custom of waiting on their guests

On Sunday 11th July 2010 whilst preparing before I attended church, I was studying the passage on Jesus’ visit to Mary and Martha’s home, I realised that Jesus was doing something very special that has its effect on women today.
As Mary was nourished with spiritual food coming directly from the living Word himself, Jesus. He had removed the veil of the law of Moses from Mary. As she sat listening looking into the face of Jesus nothing separated her from the love of Jesus.
In Christ nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Jesus was looking to beyond the cross when he said to Mary “which shall not be taken away from her.” The cross is the end of the law of Moses.
The Veil that enforced the law was torn in two, opening up the Most Holy Place where God dwelt in the midst of his people.

On the cross Jesus died, “And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain or veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” Matthew 27: 50, 51

The Messiah’s Secret page 100
Jesus has removed the veil of separation between us and God“God revealed himself in Jesus and as a result the veil of separation was taken away, because God had made the final offering, sacrifice for sin in Jesus. The law fulfilled in the temple of his body.”

The Veil of Jesus’ Flesh
For the law to come to an end Jesus fufilled all the demands that the law made in his body, his humanity. He paid the price for sin in being the sacrifice laying down his life. He died to our fallen nature, to sin and the causes of sin.
Jesus risen body a temple made without hands.

Paul in his letter to the Corinthian Church
2 Corinthians 3: 14. “For to this day, when the Jews read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.
15. Yes today, when ever Moses is read a veil lies over their minds.”

Martha was applying the customs of the law when she came to Jesus demanding that he should speak to her sister and tell her to help her serve.
If Jesus had told Mary to go and help her sister the veil of the law would have remained over Mary.

16. “But when a man turns to the Lord the veil is removed.”
Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet the barrier of ‘the fall’ that separated her from God, also her role under law was liberated.

The Messiah’s Secret page 36
Adam was disobedient to God when he chose to be guided by his wife Eve and of his own free will, ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they were both deceived by the serpent. Adam’s disobedience separated him from God and a curse was put on the ground by God. As a result of Eve’s disobedience she too was separated from God and God put a curse upon her, the pain of child bearing would be greatly multiplied, yet she would have a desire for her husband and he would rule over her.
Every generation from Adam and Eve has inherited their sin, Adam’s son was born in the likeness and image of Adam.Genesis 5: 3
St Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Rome that through one man’s (Adam) trespass led to the condemnation for all men, so one man’s (Jesus) act of righteosness leads to all acquittal and life for all men.
Jesus has redeemed humankind, male and female from being separated from God and from the curses that God placed upon the ground and those upon Eve.”

Jesus removing the veil of the law from Mary confirmed what I know in my heart that I’m not under the laws of Moses and that Jesus is the head and centre of my life.”
In St. Paul letter to the Galatian church he acknowledges that women are born again and are one in Christ with men, ” For as many of you were baptised into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave or free, there is neither male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3: 27, 28.

But when St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians and to Timothy and Titus he re-established the laws of Moses when he forbid women to exercise ministry, to take part in worship. “As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silence in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as even the law says. If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home.” 1 Corinthians 14: 26, 33 – 35.

The Holy Spirit had been at work in the church at Cenchreae they had appointed Phoebe to the ministry of Deaconess. Whilst Paul was in prison at Rome he commended Phoebe to the church at Rome, that they should receive her in the Lord as befits the saints, and help her in whatever she may require, for she had been a helper of many and of Paul as well. Romans 16: 1, 2.

The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth, all that is to come. John 16: 13
St. John writing at the end of the first century states that the love of God embraces whosoever accepts Jesus as their Saviour they will become children of God. Not born in the usual way through the coming together of a man and a women. But born through faith in Jesus directly through the operation of God the Holy Spirit acting upon the word read or heard through the preaching of the Gospel by either a man or a woman. It is as a person recognises through the Gospel that sin separates us from God and calls us to repentance, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all of our sins and we are raised up by God’s forgiveness to receive him into our lives for eternity, becoming children of God.
“But to all who receive him, who believe in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of the blood nor of the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God.” John 1: 12, 13.
Jesus taught equality amongst his disciples.
“But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ.” Matthew 23: 8-10.

17. “Now the Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. And we all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord.”
Mary beheld the glory of the Lord when she looked directly at Jesus seeing and hearing the living words pour out of his mouth, from his heart.

18. “Are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another for this comes; from the Lord who is Spirit.”
When a person male or female accept Jesus as their Saviour from whatever their background or religion, all that would veil the Gospel is taken away through faith in Jesus.

I thank the Lord for Mary of Bethany, women like me are being liberated into the fulness of our inheritance in Christ.
“And if children, then heirs, heirs with God and fellow (joint) heirs with Christ, provided we suffer (and I am suffering, with tears falling as I type this ending to this blog) with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Romans 8: 17.