Monthly Archives: March 2021

A Week Before The Resurrection

DAY 3 AND 4 OF THE WEEK BEFORE THE RESURRECTION

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No one Could Answer Jesus

“And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.”  Matthew 22:46

Based on Matthew 22: 41-46, Mark 12: 28-34, Matthew 9:13, 1, Samuel 15:22, Deuteronomy 6: 4-6, Hosea 6:6, Psalm 110:1

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DAY 3

Today, is the third day since Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey!

He continues to occupy the temple and teach to the Rabble. The religious leaders, including the chief priests, are close by to listen intently to His words so they might trap Him. Every word is examined so they will have an excuse to eject Him from the temple, and even kill Him!

The Passover is near and I am exhausted! These last few days of activity has created a dramatic change of heart for me.  It started off with His entry into Jerusalem. Then He threw out the money changers and took over the Temple area.

Then, my brother Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the chief priests have called me and the others into many meetings to discuss and plan on how to condemn Him. The results have been much less than expected.  In fact, many are simply embarrassed and angered by Him. But, the people love Him and this creates a particular problem in dealing with Jesus.

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When Jesus began to teach at the temple, it has been almost non-stop.  After His parable of the owner of the vineyard, the religious leaders have become like crazy animals pursuing their prey.  They will not stop until He is gone and life can return to normal!  Can you believe that?  As far as I can tell, the man has done nothing wrong, but challenge their authority and their pompous religion.  I have never seen them so determined to hurt Jesus or anyone for that matter.  It is as if their very lives depend on destroying Him.

As I have listened to the teachings of Jesus, I feel that He knows their plans, their intentions, and their hearts, but despite the danger to himself it does not seem to matter.  He is in control despite what they want to think.  Strangely, I am affected by this man…I can feel a change coming over me, so I continue to listen to Him even though my assignment is to trap Him with His own words.

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The self-righteous Pharisees got wind that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees. So, they got together and chose a young lawyer from among them who is an expert at scripture and skilled at debate. I saw everything.  The lawyer with a condescending air about him asked Jesus this question:

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment of the law?”

Jesus then quoted the book of the law known as Deuteronomy,

 “‘The most important one, ‘is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

The young lawyer knew these passages well, but then Jesus said something very insightful. As it rolled off his lips, it brought a moment of pause to the lawyer:

“On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Brilliant! All the law can be lined up under these two commandments! The first 4 under the first commandment to love the Lord and the last 6  under the second commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.  They are not new commandments, but a summary of each table of God’s will for mankind.  A person who lives under those two commandments will naturally follow in the letter of the law of all 10 commandments.

As I understand Him, a person who loves his neighbor as himself will not steal or lie to him.  He would especially not kill him or take his wife in adultery.  He showed the connection between the spirit of the law (love) and the letter of the law (loving obedience).

To follow in the spirit of the law, you will naturally obey the letter of the law. Try telling your wife that you believe in the spirit of the law, but not the letter when it comes to adultery.  Do you think she will expect obedience to the letter if you really love her?  Of course! To ignore the letter or specific command his to deny the spirit of the law!

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Then the young lawyer was impressed and he said,

“Well said, teacher, You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

As I listen to the exchange between Jesus and the young lawyer, I am reminded of the prophet Hosea when He wrote:

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

Samuel also said in the Tanakh,

…to obey is better than sacrifice,

Some time ago, one of the priests told me Jesus said,

“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus seems to be separating the religious works of animal sacrifice from the merciful works towards each other. His mission is for those who recognize their sin as opposed to those who indulge in their own self-made righteousness.  He is saying the two great principles of love and mercy towards God and our neighbor outweigh all the sacrifices and religious acts any man or woman could do!

Jesus then compliments the young lawyer and says,

“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

My mind is flooded with thoughts as I think back on the history of our people. Our story as recorded in the Tanakh is one of disobedience and failure to love God and those around them.  Had they done so, things would be different.

All the prophets taught the absolute necessity of loving God first so they could love their neighbors. But the people often turned their back on the spirit and letter of the law and chased after the popular false gods of the heathen.   All this made sense and seemed to silence the bright lawyer. He stalled and became quite as he contemplated the simple but profound truth of Jesus’ answer.

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But, Jesus did not let him relax for long because He asked him a question:

“What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”

The lawyer knew the scripture well and responded exactly as scripture revealed the Messiah or Christ.  He said very quickly,

“The Son of David.”

Expecting this response, Jesus then asks him a very deep question that required the young man to think deep thoughts rather than a programmed memorized answer:

 “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:

‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”’?

Then Jesus goes right to the heart of the question:

“If David then calls him “Lord,” how is He his son?”

What a tough question!  How can David call his offspring son and then call Him Lord? All of this is in the context of the coming Messiah. The answer is really quite simple.  The Messiah would come through David’s line.  The Messiah, Christ the Lord, would sit at the right hand of the Father until the Messiah would be born into the world as the Son of God or Lord!

This question and its implications silenced the lawyer and the other Pharisees did not dare to ask Him any more questions.  They knew that the Christ would come from the line of David, but to admit that the Christ would be Lord was tough for them to accept. Jesus seemed to be saying that He is Lord!  This would eventually be a reason for his demise.  Himself being a man makes himself God.  This is blasphemy according to our law.  But I was beginning to understand more about Jesus as He taught. I was not ready to buy the false prophet argument any longer.  Never had a man spoke and taught like this!

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For the next two days, Jesus taught on many topics and performed many more healings.  His actions spoke of urgency and deep feelings.

He talked about the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, particularly the Scribes and Pharisees.  I saw him weep over Jerusalem like a mother would over her dying children. He described his desire to protect Jerusalem like a mother hen with her little chicks. I was with the disciples when Jesus told them about the coming destruction of the temple and the end of the world.  He compared the tribulation and destruction of Jerusalem with the tribulation at the end of time. He then talked about a second coming and that no one would know when it would happen…not even himself or the angels.

Jesus talked about the faithful servant and the evil servant.  The evil servant went back to his evil ways because the coming of the Lord seemed to be delayed.

Then he began to teach with more parables.  He talked about the wise and foolish virgins.  The foolish did not prepare for a long wait.  Then there was the story about the talents and then one who was wicked and lazy and buried his talent. So profound!  All in the context of the 2nd coming of Christ!

Indeed I am exhausted because I have listened carefully to the words of Jesus all week and I am convinced He is the long-awaited Messiah.  I want to tell Him this, but my position in community prevents me from publicly acknowledging Him.  So I am caught between my respected life as a Sadducee and a new follower of this man they call Jesus.

More tomorrow. For now, I have been called to the palace of the high priest by the other religious leaders and elders.  This seems like an important meeting so I will go.  No doubt the meeting is about Jesus.  I wish they could just slow down and consider what they are doing.

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DAY 4

THE TEACHER-HYPOCRISY, PARABLES, AND WARNINGS

Hypocrisy

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

Matthew 23: 1-3

Parables

“And with many such parables, He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. But without a parable, He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.”

Mark 4:33, 34

Day 4

The following is based on Matthew 23-25,  Micah 4:2, Luke 21

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Last night, in our “Jesus meeting,” the religious leaders determined that the only way to rid the city of Jesus was to hire false witnesses.  As I reported to them, we are unable to catch Him in his words, so they have resorted to developing a plan to lie and make up false reports about what He has said, so as to present Him as a threat to the nation and the people in Jerusalem.  They can see how the people love Him, so it is going to be tricky arresting Him and eliminating His influence from the minds of the people.

My constituents do not know that I am becoming a secret follower and I desire to save Jesus from His fate. My inside position as a trusted Sadducee is valuable to Jesus and His disciples.   I want to warn Him and I will as I have the opportunity to talk with Him alone.

Last evening before I retired, I read the following from Micah in the book of prophets,

Many nations will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

I am watching the fulfillment of this before my very eyes!  Jesus speaks with authority, but it is mixed with pitiful emotion for everyone, even the Scribes and the Pharisees.

Today we are just a few days before the Passover and it seems Jesus’ intensity in teaching has accelerated….as if He knows His time is short.

He started the day talking directly to the people and His disciples about the hypocrisy of the religious leaders and ended by instructing His own disciples in a private meeting…of sorts.  Of course, there were some of the religious leaders on the fringes of the crowd looking for an opportunity to catch Him in His words.

“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.”

“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

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He is being exact. It is as if He has observed them from their youth.  They are like this!  Sadly, so am I. I feel conviction moving inside me as I listen to His words. He shows my true heart and it hurts. But, somehow, I feel hope also. He just wants me to hear and respond to Him as an acknowledged sinner.

He advises us to call no man teacher or instructor. He is the only instructor. Then He talked of being humble and putting others ahead of yourself.  A hard thing for me to understand or to do for I have been taught differently.

The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

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He then began to use the phrase:

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!

I counted 7 times he used it!  Those teachers of the law and Pharisees who were there heard it, well most of them.  Their faces turned red as if Jesus was revealing their minds to the crowd.  It surprised and astonished them and several left His presence,  but some stayed to hear more. I watched the faces of the religious leaders as they heard these 7 warnings. Many were angry, but some seemed to be melting under the truth of His words and judgment.

As he continued, He spoke directly to the haters….those who were determined to do away with Him.  He read their mind and left the most intense words for the last:

“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?”

With this judgment came some light of mercy, for He said,

Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages (wise men) and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town…Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.

Jesus is now prophesying, but despite the fact He knows their future actions, He sends more prophets, teachers, and wise men to appeal to them, knowing they will treat them badly

In the most pitiful way, and with tears in his eyes, Jesus ends His talk with them.  Jesus reveals his love for them, despite their terrible sins. In His voice, I hear the disappointment and a mixture of mercy and judgment…He knows He is going away and they won’t see him again.

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

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Jesus leaves the temple with His disciples.  I follow from a distance.  Suddenly, Jesus looks back directly at me.  Those eyes penetrate my soul and I am compelled forward to follow.  I want to hear more and to be with Him.

We seem to be headed towards the Mount of Olives.  The disciples are stunned by Jesus’ remark,

“your house is left to you desolate”

In response, they bring to His attention the grandeur and beauty of the temple and all the buildings. The sun is setting and the temple is glowing.  His next words stop me and the disciples in our tracks.  Our mouths open to speak, but we can’t say anything,

“Do you see all these things?” Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

The image in my mind of a flattened Jerusalem seems impossible! What strange event would cause this? Who or what could do this?

After our short walk from the city to the Mount of Olives, the disciples finally speak and ask Jesus,

“Tell us, when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Since I am a new follower of Jesus, there is much I don’t know. What do they mean by  His “coming?” He is already here!  What is the “end of the age?” Despite my limited understanding, Jesus begins to teach me things I had never heard in all my years as a “religious teacher.”   I draw close, forgetting my position in the community as a religious leader.  At this point, I feel like a little child who is learning how to speak.

“Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

This seems easy to understand.  He is going away and while He is away, many people are going to be deceived by false Messiahs! Then there will be plenty of wars!  Not very good news, but it is followed by comforting words.  We are not to be troubled as we see these wars happening.

There will be plenty of unrest among the nations as they take up arms against each other. Perhaps because of these wars, people will be starving and conditions will lead to diseases and plagues! But even then, there will be more sorrow to come.

Then He turns to tell the disciples of their fate after Jesus leaves to wherever He is going.

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Things do not look good for His followers. They will be killed and hated by everyone!  I can understand the thought, “many will be offended” because it seems people are so sensitive about their traditions and their personal lives.  It is all about themselves and not the people around them. So if Jesus comes with words that warn of judgment, they will not hear His words of mercy and redemption.  Indeed, it seems that people can not think any higher than themselves.

Despite all this trouble, they will be successful in giving the “gospel of the kingdom” to the entire world.  That is a lot of people to cover. The end He spoke of earlier will come after everyone has the opportunity to hear and respond!

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Next, He talked of a warning especially for them and those who are living in Jerusalem

“…But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.“

(See Author’s note on the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD at the end of this writing.)

As I hear the urgency in His voice and His desire for me to understand, I believe Him and desire to warn others.

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I learn more as Jesus continues to speak.  I feel fortunate to be hearing His words.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 

This is what I understand…Right after the tribulation, He speaks of, He will return.  He is returning on the clouds from heaven, that is where He is going for a time…heaven!

And when He comes, it is going to be magnificent and glorious! Even the sun, moon, and stars will be affected! There will be the loud sound of a trumpet and the work of the angels will be seen as they gather His people from everywhere under the son! But for some, they will mourn as they see Jesus coming in the clouds!

He really makes it clear! He goes on to use another parable of the fig tree. When the leaves begin to come forth, we know that summer is near…Same way when Jesus comes…There are signs we know that His coming is near.

“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!

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As I hear more, His coming is made more clear.  He uses more comparisons from the Tanakh to explain His coming. He compares what happened to those who did not go into the ark with His second coming.  Those that did not go in the boat drowned or were “destroyed.”

 “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.”

In Noah’s day, the people are going about their normal routines. Then it begins to rain lightly at first, then a downpour! Soon the water begins to rise and the water under the earth breaks to the surface. But, it continued to rain for 40 days! Those who were left alive were only 8 souls. A small number in comparison!

Then He uses another story from the Tanakh. The story of Lot!

“Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.”

Both stories are similar: There are people caught up with the normal routines of life, but lose it when they are caught unaware. Their opportunity to get in the boat or out of the city came and went. Then, sadly, they were destroyed.  One group by water, the other by fire.  Those who were left were only a few people in comparison.

These two stories tie in with Jesus’ second coming and His warning to get out of Jerusalem when the armies surround the city and finally destroy it.  It seems there will be many so caught up in their earthly life, that the warning and signs are ignored. The end result is eternal destruction.

But, Jesus takes the warnings one step further.  He provides a warning to His servants that forget who they are and the times they are living.

“…Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.”

Good for them but, not good for those who do the opposite!

But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Even though this group was God’s servants at one time, they move to the same class of those in Noah’s day and Lot’s day who ignored the Lord and were destroyed. They did not endure to the end and were put in the category of hypocrites.

This is where we started.  Hypocrisy is a dangerous place to be according to Jesus.  This time with Jesus has been good.  I’ve had learned and unlearned many things.

As I stand to leave, he begins with more parables, but then He stops and looks at me. He calls for me by name.  I didn’t know He knew my name!  This will be my opportunity to warn Him!  As I walk over to Him, He walks towards me and a new chapter opens up in my life.

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Extra Material:

The Destruction of Jerusalem

In 70 AD, the Roman armies guided by Titus surrounded Jerusalem. The lives of those who remembered and obeyed the words of Jesus were spared. The followers of Christ who would later be called Christians left the city and soon it was attacked and leveled.

Below is a small portion of Chapter 1 from a book called “The Great Controversy” which describes the circumstances of the city’s demise.  The scope of horror and ruin are hard to imagine. This event forever changed the culture of the Jewish people. If you want to read the entire Chapter, click here.

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Chapter 1-The Destruction of Jerusalem

“If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” Luke 19:42-44.

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“The hour of hope and pardon was fast passing; the cup of God’s long-deferred wrath was almost full. The cloud that had been gathering through ages of apostasy and rebellion, now black with woe, was about to burst upon a guilty people; and He who alone could save them from their impending fate had been slighted, abused, rejected, and was soon to be crucified. When Christ should hang upon the cross of Calvary, Israel’s day as a nation favored and blessed of God would be ended. The loss of even one soul is a calamity infinitely outweighing the gains and treasures of a world; but as Christ looked upon Jerusalem, the doom of a whole city, a whole nation, was before Him–that city, that nation, which had once been the chosen of God, His peculiar treasure.”

“Prophets had wept over the apostasy of Israel and the terrible desolations by which their sins were visited. Jeremiah wished that his eyes were a fountain of tears, that he might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of his people, for the Lord’s flock that was carried away captive. Jeremiah 9:1; 13:17. What, then, was the grief of Him whose prophetic glance took in, not years, but ages! He beheld the destroying angel with sword uplifted against the city which had so long been Jehovah’s dwelling place. From the ridge of Olivet, the very spot afterward occupied by Titus and his army, He looked across the valley upon the sacred courts and porticoes, and with tear-dimmed eyes, He saw, in awful perspective, the walls surrounded by alien hosts. He heard the tread of armies marshaling for war. He heard the voice of mothers and children crying for bread in the besieged city. He saw her holy and beautiful house, her palaces and towers, given to the flames, and where once they stood, only a heap of smoldering ruins.”

A Week Before The Resurrection

DAY 1 AND 2-THE WEEK BEFORE THE RESURRECTION

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“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Zechariah 9: 9

The above was written about 550 years before the events of Jesus entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. Despite clear descriptions from the word of God, it seems we always get it wrong regarding the coming of Jesus. The Jews of old expected the Messiah to come riding on a white horse and conquering their enemies so they could rule the world. But He came quietly riding on a donkey in a small part of the word as predicted by the prophets. Today, many preachers think Jesus’ second coming will be quiet despite scripture’s teaching of a grand world-wide event seen by “every eye.” Revelation 1:7

(The following first-person account is based on the NIV version of John 12:1-19, John 11, Matthew 21:1-11,  26: 6-13, Mark 11:1-11, 14:3-9, Luke 7: 11-17,  Luke 8: 40-56, Luke 19:28-40, and Luke 24)

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Six day before the Passover,  Jesus asked me to take Cleopas and go to a small nearby village.  There we would find a donkey and a colt tied up.  Jesus told us to loosen the two animals and bring them back to Him.  If anyone asks why we were taking them, we were to say, “the Lord has need of them.”

Looking back on the events of the last seven days, I understand more about the prophecies of the Tanakh (Old Testament), especially after Jesus gave Cleopas and me a  Bible study on the Messianic prophecies as we walked towards Emmaus after the resurrection.

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The day before Jesus asked us to bring to him the donkey and its colt we were all staying in Bethany (just outside of Jerusalem) at the home of Martha and her brother Lazarus.  It was odd to sit there at the table with a  man who had been dead for four days! But there he was.  I asked him what it was like and he said it was like a sleep where time movement was as a split second.  I remember Jesus using the same word as we headed to Bethany to see Lazarus.  He had told us,

“Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.”  

We thought this peculiar and told him it would “be good to let him sleep.” Then Jesus told us very bluntly,

” Lazarus is dead.“

So, I was not surprised that Lazarus had nothing to report about being dead other than being unconscious like a deep sleep where morning comes as soon as your head hits the pillow.

When Lazarus got sick, Martha sent for Jesus, but He took his time getting to Bethany because He said that his sickness was

“for the glory of God  and that the Son of God might be glorified through it.”

Martha was upset that Jesus didn’t come right away because she knew He could heal Lazarus and He wouldn’t die.  She had comfort knowing that Lazarus would “rise again in the resurrection at the last day,” because Jesus told her so.   But Jesus said,

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

In Jesus’ presence, the dead are always brought back to life.  He never attended a funeral where the dead were not raised! This is the way it will be when He returns the second time. He has promised.

Two times before, we had seen Him bring life back to a dead body.  There was the widow’s son at Nain and Jairus’ daughter.  The noisy crowd at Jairus’ house  had laughed at Jesus when he told, them

“She is not dead, but sleeping.”

I am sure if we asked them what death was like, they would say the same thing as Lazarus and Jesus.  It is like sleep.  This was Jesus, favorite description of death.

Now the chief priests not only wanted to kill Jesus, but they wanted to kill Lazarus too!  Lazarus was a testimony against their own beliefs and power.  The Sadducees were especially irritated by the resurrection of Lazarus because they did not believe in the resurrection, but as I said,  there he was…living proof of not only the certainty of resurrection but also of the power of the Son of God.  He symbolized what would happen to all who put their trust in Jesus and the chief priests did not like this because it was a threat to their own beliefs about death and their own power over the people.

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So after the wonderful supper served by Martha, Mary washed the feet of Jesus with some expensive oil called spikenard.  Judas was unhappy about this act and complained that Mary’s oil could be sold and given to the poor.  Later we would understand why Judas was so upset.  It turns out he was stealing from us!  Jesus told us, particularly Judas,

“Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

Little did we know that about a week later, she would have this oil with her when she went to the empty tomb of Jesus.

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Cleopas and I left the crowded home of Lazarus and headed to the village where we found the donkey and the colt tied up just as Jesus had described.  The owner asked the question for which we already had the answer and we headed back to Bethany.

The next morning on the first day of the week, Sunday (aka as Palm Sunday) as you Gentiles call it, we threw our cloaks on the donkey and helped Jesus upon the beast.  Fear came over some of us because Jesus had avoided Jerusalem, the Jews, and particularly the religious leaders.  They were expecting Him to come to Jerusalem for the feasts.

 “…both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.“

We felt like Jesus was putting us all on dangerous ground.

As we headed into town, many of those who Jesus had healed began to go ahead of him and the crowds began to grow as they gave open and loud praises to him!  It was customary for royalty or important leaders to ride into Jerusalem on powerful horses to prove their strength, force, and intimidation.  But, seeing Jesus on the donkey spoke to me of humbleness, servitude, compassion, and empathy.

Instead of royal banners, the people joined the growing throng and cut down palm branches and placed them in the path of the anticipated new king of Israel.  As the crowd grew larger and louder, our hearts beat wildly within us.  All of the disciples had waited for this day when He would accept the people’s adoration and set himself up as King and deliver us from the tyranny of our enemies, particularly Rome!  All of us would certainly have high positions in His new kingdom!

More people got caught up in the scene of the approaching King and went out to join the followers and those healed by Jesus.  There were many there whose lives found not only new health but meaning and faith in Jesus as the Messiah.  All joined in with the praises and cutting palm branches.  They waved them in celebration of this wonderful day of deliverance.  Many placed clothing in the path of their new King!

The crowd spontaneously and repeatedly shouted the words of the Psalmist who predicted their words hundreds of years before:

 ‘“Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” The King of Israel!”‘

(Psalm 118: 25, 26)

This scene was also described by the prophet Zechariah (9:9)

‘”Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”‘

The Pharisees shouted over the crowd for Jesus to rebuke or make the people quiet.  But Jesus said if He did so the stones would immediately cry out! Now was the appointed time for praise to the long-awaited Messiah!

Cleopas and I would not understand all this until a week later when Jesus would give us the Bible study as we walked towards Emmaus.  We would hear it a second time when He also taught the remaining eleven disciples from the Tanakh.

In the coming week, before His resurrection, we would see and hear many things from Jesus.  After his clearing out the merchants at the temple,  we would hear parables and listen to the religious leaders try to trap him.  Most of all we looked forward to having the Passover with Him.  But, only the twelve would be there.  

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DAY 2

Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ 

Mark 11: 17

A first -person account of the last week before the resurrection

The following happened on the 2nd day of the week before the resurrection of Jesus

Based on Matt. 21:12-16, 23-46; Mark 11:15-19, 27-33; 12:1-12; Luke 19:45-48; 20:1-19

I would tell you my name, but I don’t want my constituents to know who I am, particularly those of the ruling class here in Jerusalem. You will understand after you hear my story.

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The Rabble call Him Jesus.  I watched the stinking rabble follow the false prophet into our city.  The palm branches, the donkey, the praises were disturbing to me. The timing could not have been worse.  The Passover is near and there are many people from all over the country in our fair city. Jews, converted Gentiles, and the merchants I hired.  This is one of the biggest festivals of the year and it is my responsibility as one of the Sadducees to make sure the event is profitable.

The temple yard is full of the merchants selling the sacrificial animals required by the Torah and the Law of Moses.  There are sheep, goats, bulls, and doves.  I must admit, the sound is loud in the temple yard with all the commotion of the bleating sheep, cows mooing, and all the other sounds of bargaining and people doing business, but the tinkling of the money tells me this year is going to be very good for the Temple and our religion. Most important to me is that I will get a good share of the profits.

The rabble is more than willing to sacrifice their money to buy one of the animals.  Because of the demand, we can charge what we wish.  They will pay for it!   The prices are the highest they have ever been!  Yes, business is good!  We need to take advantage of the short time available to those of us in the business.

There is a sudden hush over the crowd. It has gone dead quiet.  Even the animals have stopped their pitiful sounds.

“What is going on?”

As I say this to a man standing next to me, my eyes fall on a figure near the entrance to the temple and behind the money-changers’ tables.  His eyes meet mine and I see anger and pity combined.  I have never seen such a face so calm and assuring, but also powerful and regal despite his well-traveled clothes.  He is obviously not part of the leaders in the city.

Then it occurs to me, this is the man…the false prophet…He is the man called Jesus that everyone was honoring yesterday!  He has some cords in his hands and he raises them above his head and strikes the tables and all the coin goes flying.  He then takes hold of the tables and flips them quickly as if he is judging my friends selling the animals.  Who is He to judge my friends in such a harsh way?

Then in a loud voice,  He says,

“Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ 

The crowd, particularly the money changers go running out of the Temple yard trying to grab a few of the reachable coins as they hastily and fearfully retreat.  Even the animals flee! The sheep and goats run with a certain joy as would a man escaping from prison. Jesus opens the cages and lets the doves fly away.  There goes the money we planned on making today! Who is this Jesus to do such a thing?  We are just trying to make an honest living…Well, some of those money changers are sinners and probably are not honest with the buyers, but what is that to me?

In a matter of moments, the Temple area is quiet and all that remains is Jesus, the rabble, and me. But,  I decided to leave with the animals as His eyes again penetrate mine.  I feel uncomfortable and feel the strange metallic fear in the back of my throat.  But, as I quickly leave, I see some of the rabble coming in.  They have their children.  Soon the Temple area has a new sound of praising and children laughing.

In the streets, I see my other Sadducee brothers, the chief priests, and the elders coming towards me with a perplexed look on their faces.   The Pharisees are not too far behind. They ask me what I had just asked a man near me,

“What is going on in the Temple?”

I give them a brief description and we all walk to the Temple to encounter Jesus.  He can’t do this and get away with it!  I seem to recall that He did this three years ago! What authority does He have to do such a thing?  Anyway, we need to get our business back up and running quickly.

As we enter temple area, we can hear men and women singing and the children are saying the same thing as yesterday,

“”Hosanna to the Son of David!”

People are praising God and crying with happiness for their eyesight and ability to walk again.  The children are sitting on the knees of Jesus and everyone is in a joyous and attentive mood.  Not very proper for the religious atmosphere of the Temple!  It makes me uncomfortable hearing the sound of children saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” So I say to Jesus,

“Do you hear what these children are saying? “

“Yes,” He said “have you never read,“‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise?”

I remember reading this in the book of Psalm.  He seems to be a teacher.  His voice is soft but strong.  He seems like a King.  I walk back to my friends and constituents for comfort from those eyes!

We walk in together and I ask Jesus:

“By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”

I expect my question to trap him because He is going against all the tradition and the strength of these important leaders! But, He immediately responds by asking me a question!

“I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me: The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?”

All of us huddle together to discuss how we will answer.  But, we soon find there is no easy response.  We must be careful not to trap ourselves!

“If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.”

We don’t know how to answer so I say,

 “We do not know.”

Maybe this answer is a good one because He will then have to tell us by what authority He takes over the temple area.  Instead, He says,

“Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.“

As we turn to leave, He asks for our opinion about a story of two sons,

“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?”

This is easy, so I answer,

“The first.”

But, His point cuts to my heart and makes me angry,

“Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.”

How dare Him to say that the Rabble is better than me!

Just when I am about to turn and leave with my constituents,  He engages us again,

“Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.”

“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

Again, an easy answer, but because of my anger, I answer before I think it through,

“He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

Then Jesus rouses the anger of my highly esteemed religious leaders by referring to the book of Psalms and saying to us,

“the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

These parables are referring to us! He thinks our great nation will be given to another?  What nerve!  He is a false prophet! My anger boils as I listen to this…this….man.  We can’t take it any longer.

We all walk outside the temple area confused about how to handle this situation.  Since no one can come up with a suitable answer that would not arouse the anger of the people, we agree to meet later to discuss what we should do about Jesus and His Rabble.  We will call it a day, but we will take up the matter again tomorrow.  Something must be done about this false Prophet.  He is stirring up the people and is a threat to our business and religion. The death of one man to save our nation seems to be the only answer!

A few of us hang around to listen to Jesus talk…hoping to use His own words against Him.

Later, we learn Jesus has retired to Bethany for the night.  Tomorrow we will deal with Him and get this matter settled once and for all.  After all, there are many of us who are well established in the community.  We have been to all the good schools, we can out think Him.  We will expose Him for who He is!

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Author’s note:

Some are good at religion but have a poor knowledge of the Kingdom of God.  Jesus came to reclaim that which was taken by the merchants, traders, and those who occupy the Temple.  Does Jesus need to overturn and clean our minds so He may bring praise and singing back to our hearts-the Temple of the Spirit? Indeed, one Man’s death would spare not just one nation, but many people around the world.  In Him we all find life.

Faith

IS OBEDIENCE ONLY FOR THE LEGALISTIC-PART 3

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He (Jesus) answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 

For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 

But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— 

then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 

Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.

And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

Matthew 15:3-9

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Jesus and His disciples were watched by the religious leaders very closely to see if they would obey “the law.”  Jesus was often tested by them on this subject.  But “the law” of the Scribes and Pharisees was at odds with God’s law in a profound way as Jesus points out in the verses above.

 Their law was their own interpretation of the unchangeable  law of the Creator.  Their law contained additions without any blessing, direction, or endorsement from the Creator and Giver of the law.

As pointed out in the condemnation by Jesus to those mutilators of God’s law in Matthew 15, they had attempted to create a loop-hole in God’s 5th commandment to make it a little less harsh and easier to “keep.”  God’s law clearly and simply states:

 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”

Exodus 20:12

But, the  leaders said this law could be voided through the offer of a gift as a substitute for giving honor and respect to those who bore and raised them.   It was like they were paying their way out of an obligation that was not to their liking.  So they changed it!  There is not scriptural authority for doing so.

Jesus didn’t like their addition and proclaimed their man-made tradition would make God’s “commandment of no effect.”  Jesus desired them to obey this commandment from the heart, but because they didn’t and tried to come up with ways to make their changes legal, Jesus viewed this as legalism and worthless .  As a result of their changes and their traditions their worship was “in vain.”  It disclosed their hypocrisy of lip service vs heart service.

A couple of other things to notice about this commandment and Jesus’ response:

1.)  God does not put a condition on whether to honor your mother and father or not.  It doesn’t say to honor them if they are worthy of the honor and respect or if they were perfect parents.  Most parents, including myself, are no where near perfect, but we do have a God-given love for our offspring that most children do not understand.  Many times we fail, but that does not make a loop-hole for the breaking of this commandment.

2.)  Jesus doesn’t do away with this commandment or indicate  obedience to this commandment would be legalistic.  As we discussed in a previous article, the new covenant is based on the laws written on the heart.

3.)  Jesus does not give them a list or tell them how to honor their parents.  Lists encourage tasks or works.  While the ten commandments could be considered a list, they are 10 principles. disclosing God’s character and will.  We see in these commandments a God that desires love and respect for both himself and our neighbors.  They are not a list to “work on” to deserve salvation or love from God.

The law of God is not minimized or changed by the new covenant. Even the giver of the law (Jesus) will not change even the smallest part to accommodate mankind. Some are surprised to discover that Jesus, before He came to the world as an infant, gave the 10 Commandments to Moses.  That is a different study for a different time.

Those who have been born again and have a new heart will obey from a love basis rather than a basis to be saved (legalism).  The new covenant people obey the Lord because they ARE saved, not in order to BE saved.

 These born-again followers will understand that to honor their mother or father is the will of God Himself and it will be a natural response from a heart transformed by the power of God to love and respect them.  To try and circumvent, excuse, rationalize, or change it is hypocrisy and attempting to put our own thoughts and reasoning above God’s.

This commandment, like the others, should be read carefully and simply.  Nothing should be added nor taken away, not even one letter or stroke of the pen.  How can anything that is perfect be changed anyway?  It is a transcript of how God wants us to live, not a checklist for finding favor or salvation from the Lord.  Those who will endeavor to obey for the right reasons will be blessed.

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Revelation 21:14

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Jesus made it clear to the  Scribes and Pharisees that he did not come to change the law and that anyone who taught others to break even the smallest detail  was outside of God’s will.  Any attempt to modify the law affected the truthfulness of the worship experience.   This is a pretty serious situation.  Listen to his exact words:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

Matthew 5:17

It is here where some will say, “since Jesus fulfilled the law (10 Commandments) it is no longer viable.”  The next verse clears that up.

“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

Matthew 5:18

We still have a heaven and an earth, so the law remains.  Also, it has been almost 2,000 years since Jesus fulfilled it, and he still wants us to teach that the law should not be broken.  It is so immovable that Jesus makes reference to “jot” and “tittle”  (smallest letter or stroke of the pen) will not be modified or eliminated.

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:19

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be the one who teaches that even one thing can be changed in God’s “perfect law of liberty” James 1:25. How about you?

Jesus perfect obedience to this law (fulfillment) is the basis for His perfect sacrifice (No sin found in Him) and for the forgiveness for our breaking the law which is sin.

Sin is the transgression of the law

1 John 3:4

All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:23.

But sin is much more.  We are born sinners with a nature to sin.  Anything not of faith is sin.  There are a 1,000 ways we can sin, but in the end, all can be summarized by the 10 commandments.

 When we are born again, we are given a heart of flesh with God’s law written upon it (New Covenant) and we obey out of sense of love and respect rather than a method of salvation (legalism).  Our very nature is changed.  The thief stops stealing,;the liar stops lying; the adulterer stops sleeping with women who are not his wife…..

If you love me, keep my commandments

John 14:15

Of course they are not perfect.  When we do sin, we have an advocate:

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

1 John 2:1

Oh!  The mercy and forgiveness of our great God!

How can we claim to be followers if we disobey or re-write the law to suit us as did the religious leaders of Jesus’ time?

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In Luke, Jesus confirmed as He did in Matthew 5 that the law would never change.  Further,  He used the passing of heaven and earth to drive home the point:

“But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one stroke of a letter in the law to be dropped.”

Luke 16:17

Other writers agree with Jesus on the eternal existence of the law and His word:

“All His precepts are sure. They are upheld forever and ever”

Psalm 111:8

“The sum of your word is truth;
    and every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever.”

Psalm 119:160

“The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.”

Isaiah 40:8

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Jesus was tested another time on a different commandment. But, the same principles apply.

“At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Matthew 12: 1-8

The Scribes and Pharisees were particularly zealous for this law.  They added their own rules that is in the thousands.  However, like the 5th commandment, the law is presented by the Lawgiver in a simple manner.  However, the religious leaders made it very legalistic and burdensome.  In the process, this law intended to bless man became another checklist of things to do or not to do.

In this incident, Jesus and his disciples were hungry and began to shuck corn in a field and eat it as they walked along.  This violated one of the Sabbath “rules” created by the very legalistic religious leaders, but Jesus said they were “guiltless.”  Here is an important question:  Is there anywhere in scripture where God forbid such action by the disciples? No!  It is another example of man’s tradition or adding to the law that makes the law a burden and makes their worship vain.

To make his point (That He and the disciples had not broken the 4th commandment), He asks the supposed scriptural authorities the question:  “Have you not read….”  This question (referring to 1 Samuel 21: 1-6) puts them back on their heels.  They obviously had read it, but they had missed the  application from their reading about the priority of man’s needs above a ritual of the law.  Jesus begins to connect the hunger of David’s men and the hunger of Jesus and His disciples.  Very simply, the value of men and their hunger needs outweigh any man-made religious ceremony (i.e., Hot warm bread used in the sanctuary service and the need to eat on the Sabbath when nothing else is available).   Again, there is no law written or intended by the Lawgiver for anyone having to subscribe to such a strict interpretation of a simple law and go hungry on a day the Lord has blessed and made holy.  Further, Jesus clearly states the priority of mercy over sacrifice and ceremonial religious laws.

The 4th Commandment is very simple and plain in its delivery by the Creator, much like the 5th commandment.  The Great Lawgiver and Creator states the commandment simply and provides the reason as to why a professed follower should obey it.  (Not to be saved, but because they are saved)

The command: 

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 

The Reason:

For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Exodus 20: 8-11

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As with the 5th Commandment, Jesus made it clear that His Law should not be modified or added to in any way.  The same observations for the 5th Commandment can be made for the 4th Commandment:

1.)  God does not put a condition on whether to honor the Sabbath or not or that He had plans to modify or change it.   He says, “Remember” and to “Keep it Holy” since the reason for the commandment has to do with the fact that he is the Creator (and Redeemer-See Deuteronomy’s version-Chapter 5: 12-15)

2.)  Jesus doesn’t do away with this commandment or indicate  obedience to this commandment would be legalistic.  As we discussed in a previous article, the new covenant is based on the laws written on the heart.

3.)  Jesus does not give them a list or tell them how to keep the Sabbath holy, other than refraining from work on that day.  The reason?  We are to respect our Creator and “rest” as He did. It is not only a physical rest, but a rest of relationship with the Creator and His Creation.  It is about relationships and not a religious list of things to trip us up so that we sin.

When the Lord stopped working after His work of Creation, it was not that He was tired, but that He wanted the time to be immortalized as proof of his Creatorship.  Further, Adam and Eve began their first full day with the Lord on the Sabbath.  This must have been a very special Sabbath as they began to see and understand life and a relationship with the Creator.

Have you ever wondered about the heavenly bodies that tell us about time?  Even scientist will admit we measure time by the sun and the moon. Our year is based on the orbit of the earth around the sun.  Our month is based on the orbit or phases of the moon around the earth.  But there is nothing in nature to base our 7 day weekly cycle.

A 7 day weekly cycle  exists only because it was instituted by our Creator (Jesus) in the beginning.  Why not a 6 day cycle or a 5 day cycle?  The 7 day cycle and the Sabbath screams:  God created us!

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Jesus Conclusion:

The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath:

Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.

Mark 2: 27, 28

Jesus told the religious leaders that He made the Sabbath to be a blessing for man not a list of do’s and don’t’s so that man is made a slave to the Sabbath.  Notice it is made for “man” or mankind  not just the Jews.  The commandment was given long before there was a nation of Jews.  That reasoning would also indicate that all the other commandments are only for the Jews and not for us.

The Scribes and Pharisees had effectively made the Sabbath a burden and God’s original intention was lost through their adding and modifying a simple commandment meant to be a lasting memorial to our Creator and an opportunity to “come unto (Jesus) and rest.”

Jesus knew how it should be remembered because He is Lord of the Sabbath!  This is the real Lord’s day!  It was created by God and it belongs to Him

“But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.”

Exodus, 20:10

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In conclusion:

We can learn from these two incidents regarding honoring parents and honoring the day God blessed.  It tells us  that the law of God is immutable and has a relationship/heart purpose.  They are not part of a list of do’s and don’ts to follow so one can be saved.  God forbid!  it is a law of liberty (James 2:12).  It can not be modified to meet our own convenience, thinking, or tradition.

Jesus gave the Law and He knows better than anyone how to follow the spirit of the law which does not negate the letter.

I am sure your spouse would want you to keep the letter of the law regarding adultery, but even more the spirit (i.e., you are faithful because you love her/him.)

The same goes for your neighbor.  You don’t steal, lie, cheat, or covet his wife, or kick his cat (the letter of the law).  Not because you have to, but because you respect him as a child of God and because of the born-again heart given you by the Lord (Spirit of the Law).

Have you asked yourself how can you “Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy?”  The key word here is holy (a.k.a sanctified).  How do you make it about a love relationship with God and His creation rather than a list of do’s and don’t’s? How do you make it a delight or a blessing and not a burden?

The Sabbath was made for man, to be a blessing to him by calling his mind from secular labor to contemplate the goodness and glory of God

Of all the commandments, the 4th one is the most misunderstood and the one where legalism can quickly smother the spiritual blessing God has prepared for us each week.  It is not just about when should church attendance be conducted.  This is no doubt a “holy” activity for the Sabbath.  It was Jesus’ and Paul’s custom to go to meet with God’s people each Sabbath.  I would say they are good examples to follow.  Wouldn’t you?

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In our next study, we will see how the enemy has attacked the law of God and the family unit (the 4th and 5th commandments) to serve his purpose of confusing and  leading people away from a knowledge of the Lord which is salvation.

He has a special anger towards those who teach and obey the will of God and testify of Jesus Christ:

And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 12:17