1 Corinthians 15 ~ The Gospel ~ Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

1 Corinthians 15 

  1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
 

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
 

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
 

29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
 

35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
 

42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
 

50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
 

“Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
 

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
 

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
 

What did the Resurrection mean to the people alive at Jesus' Resurrection?

Matthew 27:51-52
And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised

John 5:28-29
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

1 Corinthians 15:5b-8
 he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

 Romans 4:3
 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

John 20:26-29
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Have a Blessed Easter.


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Mark 15:42-47 ~ preparation

 Earthquake in the Temple with the Veil being torn

Mark 15:42-47

It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. 45 When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph.

 Entombment of Christ, painted by Carl Bloch

 46 So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.

 The Women See Where Jesus is Entombed, painted by James Tissot

62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 "Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."

65 "Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

Luke 23:55,56

55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

John 19:38-41         Also records the body of Jesus and the spice details.

38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. 40 Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.

Italian News - radioactive waves emanating from the Shroud are measured reports the Shroud dates to Jesus' crucifixion.

 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders.

What will you remember from the readings of late Good Friday (Preparation Day), Holy Saturday (Passover or Special Sabbath) and early the first day of the week (Easter Sunday)?

If you are focusing on the details of the embalming spices, you are either fortunate to have not have lived through a trauma or you are seeing a "mistake" in the gospels. Mary Magdalene ; the other ladies were not merely making a mistake by bringing a second round of spices to a sealed tomb. This is, more than likely, not a mistaken detail in the Gospels.

In an extreme trauma, people all react differently. Some bring spices in an effort to do the last possible thing for one whom they have given their heart to, Jesus. Some will be focused on observing the ritual to pull them through, like following step a to step b, believing life will go on more easily if all the steps are followed appropriately. Some will cling to the Jewish burial customs because they are numb and unable to focus properly. Some come to the tomb because they are trying to believe Jesus' tragic death did occur. Some will come to be near Jesus, a first step in good-bye.

During Jesus' trial, His suffering and His death, all the Temple authorities heard Jesus declare He was God's Son. Pilate heard Jesus say He was a King and declared so himself by posting the sign in three languages. The Roman Guard knew Jesus' death was of an innocent, declared to be God. The crowd waited with morbidity to see if a miracle would occur. Those guilty in His death placed damage control in place.

The disciples were hiding in fear. Jesus lived defiantly through an attempt to stone Him, Once the temple guards wouldn't take Him, because they realized He spoke unlike anyone else - with authority from His Father. Jesus lived through several attempts to seize him. Some believed they would be next to be destroyed by the Temple authorities. The beloved disciple, John, knew he had directly seen the most evil the spiritual realm had to offer. John believed for the rest of his life, the world would end soon. Some of the disciples were defiantly angry - Thomas. Some of the disciples were ashamed. All were afraid and heart broken.

Mary, the mother of God, is not heard from. She was probably beyond being seen by others. Simeon had told about Mary's sorrow in Luke 2:34-35

Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

Yet the people involved with Jesus and Good Friday had one emotion in common, they were in sorrow. And unknowingly,  all were waiting.

The Roman Empire would be waiting during the next 350 years to eradicate Jesus. The gates of hell have not prevailed.

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John 18, 19 ~ Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS

Scala Sancta, the Holy Stairs, transfered from the archaeological ruins of Pilate's Palace to the Vatican. The stairs are the stone seen through the wood.

John 18: 28-40

28 Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?" 

30 "If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you."

31 Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law."

"But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected. 32 This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled. 

 Jesus with Pilate, painted by Antonio Ciseri

33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"

34 "Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"

3 5"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"

36 Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

37 "You are a king, then!" said Pilate.
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

38 "What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him. 39But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?"

40 They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.
 
John 19
1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.
The flogging instrument seen on the Shroud of Turrin.

 Jesus before Pontius Pilate, painted by James Tissot

4 Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him." 5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!"

6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!"
But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him."

7 The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God."

8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, 9 and he went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"

11 Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin." 

 Pontius Pilate Archaeological Stone, Museum of Israel

Pontius Pilate was doubted to exist until this archaeological discovery

12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar."

13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour.
"Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.

15 But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" "Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
"We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.
16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
 

19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 

21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews." 

22 Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."



A cross seen with a sign "King of the Jews" Pilate had written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The ties would have held the condemned down to avoid the prisoners hanging crucified on the Passover & the condemned was nailed to the cross three times. To have death occur from trauma as well as suffocation.

23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

24 "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing."
So this is what the soldiers did.

25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27 and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," 37and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced."

38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. 40 Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.


A new, unused tomb in Israel, similar to the one used for Jesus' body. Where Jesus was placed until Easter resurrection.




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Isaiah 64 ~ you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.

Who does Jesus Say HE is???

Isaiah 64

1 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains might quake at your presence—
2 as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
and that the nations might tremble at your presence!

3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
4 From of old no one has heard
or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
who acts for those who wait for him.

5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?
[in your ways is continuance, that we might be saved]

6 We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7 There is no one who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have made us melt in [have delivered us unto]the hand of our iniquities.

8 But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
9 Be not so terribly angry, O Lord,
and remember not iniquity forever.
Behold, please look, we are all your people.
10 Your holy cities have become a wilderness;
Zion has become a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation.

11 Our holy and beautiful [holy and glorious] house,
where our fathers praised you,
has been burned by fire,
and all our pleasant places have become ruins.
12 Will you restrain yourself at these things, O Lord?
Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?


We are approaching Good Friday. Historically, Jesus, The Word, became flesh and made his dwelling among us (we have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth) this was the week the Pharisees, the Jewish ruling council, and the teachers of the law could tell the crowd was angry with Jesus. The Messiah was to come in great glory.

The people felt they had given Jesus great glory, hadn't they run out to the street and waved Palm branches at Him and hailed Him as King of the Jews? Yes, Jesus had healed the blind, the deaf could hear, the lepers were cleansed, but..... the poor were waiting. Rome had swept in, creating amazing fortunes in front of them. Oxford Historians said the fortunes would not be repeated until the 16th Century Anno Domini, so great were the fortunes created by the Roman Empire. That's right, the righteous poor were waiting. They had had enough of Rome, Herod, Pilate and the rest. Now it was Jesus' turn to triumph, throw out the baggage, gather the armies and let Israel shine.

Did the people wonder if Jesus was Son of God?

Yes, they asked Him. People who don't read the Bible ask, today, "Did Jesus ever actually say He was the Messiah?"

  This question isn't to be frowned at! This is the door open for Jesus! The answer is answered in almost every other chapter (letter) of the Gospels. The Scriptures repeat and repeat. Just as Jesus implied, said plainly, and gave great and amazing wonders proclaiming Jesus is the Son of God.

The Scriptures repeat. The Ark of the Covenant was put together after all the great plagues the scientists agree occurred in Egypt around 1250 B.C.. - this according to the National Geographic Channel program on Holy Week of this year. 

The people of Israel won battles and traveled safely through the desert for 40 years. They loved to take the Ark of the Covenant in battle with them. But when they sinned, the Ark & the hand of God went against them. Even King David was worried by the power and the stories of destruction from God's Ark. The people were happy to have a place for the Ark, behind a curtain, where only one priest with a cord tied around his waist (in case the priest died they could pull him out with the cord without entering themselves) would enter once a year. God in a box for them.

The people wanted Jesus to be a tool getting them the freedom they wanted. "Was Jesus the Son of God?" Did He say it. Really. Yes. (In your ways is continuance, that we might be saved!)


John 1:5 ~
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:49,50
Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

⁵⁰Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." ⁵¹He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

John 4:
²⁵ The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

²⁶ Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

John 7:
Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, ²⁹but I know him because I am from him and he sent me." 

John 9:²⁵ He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"

³⁶ "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him."

³⁷ Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you."

³⁸ Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.

John 11:
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; ²⁶ and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

²⁷ "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."



Matthew 16:

¹⁶Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

¹⁷Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Why was Jesus killed? Because He was proclaimed as God, King on earth, King of the Jews.

John 7:45
⁴⁵ Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why didn't you bring him in?" ⁴⁶ "No one ever spoke the way this man does," the guards declared.

Mark 15:
²"Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate.
"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.

Luke 22:
⁶⁶At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. ⁶⁷"If you are the Christ," they said, "tell us."

Jesus answered, "If I tell you, you will not believe me, ⁶⁸and if I asked you, you would not answer. ⁶⁹But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God."

⁷⁰They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?"
He replied, "You are right in saying I am."

⁷¹Then they said, "Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips."

John 8:58
"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"

Exodus 3:13-17
Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"

¹⁴ God said to Moses, "I am who I am . This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' "

Revelation 22:13
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

The people saw amazing events, but could not comprehend Jesus. Look around you. The Church of Jesus Christ has existed for 2,000 years.

Matthew 16:

¹⁶Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

¹⁷Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are You, Lord Jesus Christ. And blessed be the people who proclaim You.

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Psalm 27 ~ The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 27


The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold^[refuge] of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.

4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire^[meditate] in his temple.

5 For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
9 Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will take me in.

11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.

13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!

People can aggravate you. Irritate. Annoy. Ridicule.
Words can encourage, knit and tear down. Words can be very powerful.

David as a human being in the Scriptures knew the power of words.

What Words could ever match the incomparable Word of GOD?


whom shall I fear?

of whom shall I be afraid?

an army encamp against me

He will lift me high upon a rock

O You who have been my help!

The Lord will take me in.

be strong, and let your heart take courage.

David tells us people are fickle, in situations. We can rely upon the LORD and His promises in His Word. We are defined by Him. Accept no lesser judgement.

My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

The Lord's will is not always comfortable for the doers. Samuel was adopted out to Eli in the Temple of the Lord. He was orphaned. David was not put before the Prophet when Samuel came. Samuel had to ask David's father to retrieve the overlooked David, from his father's work of shepherding. Hezekiah's father Azah hoped Hezekiah would tear down the Temple and give the gold to the Assyrians to keep Hezekiah as a puppet king. Abraham proceeded to sacrifice Isaac until stopped. And Jesus cried out, "Why have You forsaken me?" Jesus was carrying all the sins of the world, ours, upon Him.

Jesus took the brokenness of that moment - the first person to see Him was Mary Magdalene. He adopted her saying "Your Father and Mine." Mary was seeking the face of Jesus - to be able to be adopted. 
 
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
 

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Tonight, at Maundy Thursday, I had the privilege to sit in front of soft-spoken child questioning his father. His questions, if we phrase them biblically, were the height, breadth, width, depth of the service.

Ephesians 3:18
May have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

If you let your imagination run over what a child might ask, these were the typical questions of a child asked to attend a longer Church service, and one that is unfamiliar. The questions were softly asked, trusting the Father, the answer would be provided, with love. Not questions we would hope our child would hold up to God, straight away. The child, knowing the Father, was not going to ask the Cup be taken away. The service would be seen to the conclusion.

The Father spoke lovingly, with infinite patience. Love. Mercy. Questions were answered. As I turned to go home, I saw the child was held lovingly. I was reminded again, how much He bends down to lift us. To sit with us.

This is Our Father. This is why. We have Easter. Infinite Love.



The breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge



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Psalm 34 ~ He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

Psalm 34

Psalm of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11 Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
21 Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.


Abimelech referred to is a King of the Philistines. Achish, referred to as Abimelech or Achimelech in the title of Psalm 34 "father/leader of a king; my father/leader, a king" was a common name of the Philistine kings.

David is confronted with all types of pressures. Governmental issues becoming criminal issues, marital issues, neighbor issues, wrong crowd issues, housing issues, transportation issues and self-management issues and macromanagement issues. David looked for God to provide the opportunity for a solution. We determine our hopefulness and hostility levels in our humble willingness to examine God's direction our lives. David was always willing to examine the options God was willing to provide.

David is being pursued by Saul back and forth.

Luke 6:31
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.


David is used as an example to us, not just of one who is loved by GOD. But to not grow tired of Seeking Peace and pursuit of peace.

This beautiful poetic Psalm is written by a youngish, victorious David. He absolutely rejoices in Victory over being a fugitive, a cave and ditch dweller, and becomes soft. He tells himself God might not comment, David puts Self over Peace. David is also a supreme example of Peace being sought - in rapid currents of the waves life throws at us. He is the epitome of innocent as a dove, wise as a serpent. How can anyone ever say the Scriptures are not excellent examples of the curves, the hairpin turns life delivers.

Galatians 6:9
Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.


I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.

John 19:32-34
The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

God did use this Psalm of David for His Son. This week we are reminded, God fulfills His Word. God knows what He is doing.




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Philippians 3:1-14 ~ To write the same things to you is no trouble to me

Philippians 3:1-14

Finally, my brothers,^{[brothers and sisters]} rejoice in the Lord!
 To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.



Finally!
We are getting to what Paul is recording as the bottom line of walking down the road with Jesus.

Paul says he loves this! Let him go on and on about this subject - JESUS.

Then he says - look out for what other people think about impressing their Christianity upon you.

Paul says he put more sacrifice into knowing the Lord than others. Then he veers over into the suffering - not anyone's favorite aspect. This all seems pretty violent, like a dog fight. The Holy Spirit is really saying to watch were the hips move, watching Christian actions going along with the words. The Holy Spirit is telling us following Christ is a personal thing, not Simon says. And I love the reminder of Abraham.

I AM NOT PERFECT!!! Through faith in Jesus Christ - not a righteousness of the law/perfection  instead a righteousness from God saying - I believe YOU! I trust You! I believe Your Word! I believe Your promises!

Genesis 24
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

We know Abraham had hardships, yet God was in the process of working all things to good.

Genesis 12:3a
I will bless those who bless you

Abraham according to Genesis 24, spent a lot of time looking for blessings and blessing others. Attitudes of blessing and being blessed.

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Numbers 6:24-27
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
“So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.



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