The Bible 
crosses:
Celtic, Palm, wooden plain, 2 ‘Cross in the Pocket.’
All shapes and sizes of crosses: ‘Cross in the pocket’ The MU have recently donated 90 ‘Cross in the pocket’ to Langley House Trust.
Over this last week we have been hearing from the UK’s politicians each party putting their policies before the people in a General Election.
The Sanhedrin was Israel’s centre of government 2,000 years ago. Israel had several political parties that stemmed from their interpretation of the Hebrew scriptures. The Pharisees, ‘The Circumcision Party’ believed in the resurrection, whereas, ‘The Sadducee’s’ their Party did not believe in the resurrection. Other parties included were the Herodians, the Zealots and the Hellenists, they all had similarities and differences, and they taught different things.
The Jewish people including the disciples had been taught by the chief priests, Lawyers, scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees that the Messiah having come from God he would remain on the earth.
John 12: 34 “The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ would remain forever . . ” The people were taught from the law that the Christ would have already an eternal life when he comes.
They had the example of Melchizedek
The writer of Hebrews saw Melchizedek the high priest of God who met with Abraham, had come from God and is described as “Having no father or mother or genealogy and has neither beginning or end of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.” Hebrews 7: 3.
It’s understandable that the people were taught by their leaders to expect the Messiah to already have eternal life.
That’s why in my view the disciples struggled to believe Jesus, when Jesus said that he was going to be killed and rise on the third day from the dead. Peter in response to these words said, “God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” Matthew 16:21, 22.
Luke records that in fact they could not grasp what Jesus was saying when he spoke of his death and resurrection, “But they understood none of these things; this saying was hid from them, and they did not grasp what was said.” Luke 18: 31- 34 “
Undeniable evidence that they did not believe that the Messiah would come and die.
When Jesus was dying on the cross, the chief priests, scribes and others shouted up to him, “Save yourself and come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests mocked him to one another with the scribes saying, ‘He saved others but he cannot save himself. Let the king of Israel come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Mark 15: 30-32.
It couldn’t be any clearer that the Jewish leaders taught that the Messiah was not expected to come and die, especially on a cross.
Someone shouted, “Let’s see if Elijah will come and take him down.” Mark 15: 36. Malachi 4: 5. They believed that Elijah would come and announce the coming of the Messiah. An empty chair is placed at the Passover table in expectation of Elijah’s coming.
John the Baptist
John the Baptist taught the same as the leaders: the chief priests, Lawyers, scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees. that the Messiah would come in his eternal state “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3: 12.The wheat and the chaff represents; people and the wheat are those whose names are written in the ‘Book of Life.’ Those whose names are absent from the ‘Book of Life’ are in hell, where there is no light at all, no presence of God. The unquenchable fire a term relating to the judgement by the Messiah. (Names recorded on the Day of Atonement)
The Unquenchable Fire
Luke 12: 49, 50. “I came to cast a fire upon the earth and would that it were already kindled, but I have a baptism to be baptised with and how I am constrained until it is accomplished.”
Jesus knew about the fire of judgement. He said before he brought in the fire of judgement that he would complete his task the baptism referred to his death.
Jesus used this term ‘Baptism’ when two of his disciples asked if they could sit on his right and on his left ruling with him in his kingdom. “But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptised with the baptism with which I am baptised.’ . . . and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10: 35 -45.
The disciples on the road to Emmaus spoke of Jesus being the one who they had hoped would redeem Israel, implying that they believed that the Messiah wouldn’t die. “How our chief priests and rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes and beside this, it is now the third day since this happened.” Cleopas went on to declare Jesus’ resurrection, not realising that he was speaking to the resurrected Jesus. Luke 24:20, 21.
On the evening of the day of Jesus’ resurrection he opened up his disciples’ minds to understand the scriptures concerning his suffering and being raised from the dead. Luke 24: 44-48.
Now the disciples were able to unravel the teaching from their leaders: the chief priests, Lawyers, scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees. Before they like everybody else had been taught that when the Messiah came he would live forever. Now they could see the words, the prophets’ prophesies that revealed his death and resurrection. Isaiah 53: 4-6
“Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
10.Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes[c] his life an offering for sin,
(See blog 34 prophesies fulfilled in one day.)
So Peter at Pentecost proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah to the crowd for the first time in public, many would find his words contradicted the teaching of the chief priests, scribes the teachers of the law and Pharisees.
Pentecost Sunday 2017
In my ministry as Reader Chaplain at a Langley House Care Home we held a Baptism for those who work and live there. I put together the preparation sessions and for the first time this word that the Lord gave me in 1996 I included. It was God’s plan for the Jewish nation to receive Jesus as their Messiah after Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension, Pentecost was the first time that the disciples proclaimed publicly that Jesus was the Christ.
Peter said in Acts 2: 21 Jesus was crucified in the foreknowledge of God. But God had hidden his prophesies concerning the death of the Messiah from the leaders and people so that God’s plan of salvation through Jesus’ death on the cross would take place.
For God’s plan to succeed he had given the high priest Caiaphas a prophecy that one man would die to save the nation; Caiaphas took it to mean that through Jesus’ death he would save them from the Romans taking over their Sanhedrin, they were afraid of insurrection coming from the people making Jesus their King. On an earlier occasion Jesus had heard that the people wanted to make him their king, so he withdrew himself so it couldn’t happen. John 6: 15. 11: 45-52.
God’s plan also included Jesus being raised from the dead Psalm 16: 8-11. Peter quoted from the prophesies of King David proving that God intended Jesus to die and be raised from the dead.
“ David said about him:
“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.’ Isaiah 53: 25-28
Peter continued: “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. “ Acts 2: 25-32.
Many responded convicted by the Holy Spirit they repented and were baptised into Jesus’ baptism.
Jesus’ baptism revealed in the Book of Exodus the Israelites on their journey towards the Promised land. They ran out of water in the desert, they found a the pool of water, however, it was undrinkable, so they complained to Moses and he sought God’s help, he was told by God to throw a tree that lay beside the water into the pool. The water became sweet and drinkable. Exodus 15: 22-25.
Jesus’ Baptism
The undrinkable water – sin.
The tree- the cross where Jesus bore the sin of the world.
The sweet water – forgiveness of sin and the receiving of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’ baptism in the Hebrew scriptures fulfilled in the New Testament when John the Baptist baptised Jesus and the Holy Spirit alighted upon him in the form of a dove, and Jesus’ baptism is for us today. Matthew 3: 13-16.
The Lord has blessed the word, the truth shall set you free, “Jesus said, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” John 8: 31, 32. The promise of the Holy Spirit has revealed Jesus to the people who were baptised on June 4.
Alleluia! Jesus is Lord, Alleluia!
Jesus was expected to return soon after Pentecost.
Luke records: Peter said to the crowd that had gathered at Solomon’s Portico that their leaders and themselves had acted in ignorance when Jesus was killed, and if they repented their sins would be blotted out and God would bring in the times of refreshing meaning the restoration of the throne and land of King David and he would send the appointed Messiah, Jesus. Acts 3; 17-21.
Why didn’t the leaders of Israel respond to the disciple’s message?
The Sadducees were unable to undo the stronghold of belief that they had built their party upon, they did not believe in the resurrection.
The Pharisees condemned Jesus for not keeping the Sabbath laws, the laws that they had added to the Laws given to Moses by God, to earn their righteousness as they wanted to please God and by doing so over burdened the people.
Will the church be ready to respond to Jesus calling out his bride, the church?
John was inspired by his vision wrote about the seven churches, their ministry and for them to listen to the Spirit’s words to them.
Prayer
Help us, Lord God, to be ready for Jesus calling out his church, help our leaders and all Christians in our churches to be bold in making Jesus known to all people in our communities. Help us to focus on Jesus, the cross foolishness to the world. Yet we know the cross is where Jesus bore the sins of the whole world and as a result paid the price for our sin with his life’s blood.“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness for sin.” Hebrews 7: 7 To look to his words that set people free from all the lies coming from the devil that would stop them from recognising Jesus, as their Saviour. For us to listen for the gentle whisper of your Holy Spirit to have the words in prayer to move the mountains, the strongholds of unbelief in Jesus across the nations. Bless the people who today who confess with their mouths from their heart that Jesus is their Lord and Saviour. In Jesus’ name, Amen.