Jeremiah 11:18-19 ~ Gentle Lamb †

Jeremiah 11:18-19

18 And the LORD informed me, so I knew.

 Then You showed me their deeds. 

19 For I was like a gentle lamb led to slaughter; I did not know that they had plotted against me: “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that His Name may be remembered no more.”

Earthquake records

Pontius Pilate wrote about Jesus and Good Friday to Emperor Tiberius 'Claudius' Nero. Tertullian and Justin Martyr refer to an account of Christ's Passion sent by Pilate to Rome. The letter is lost today.

Before the Coliseum, Claudius had an Imperial Palace on the site of the Coliseum. This is where the people of God found the Roman Empire would begin to destroy all the Scripture of the New Testament they could find. The Bible in your hand is a miracle. A Testament to the Light of Jesus Christ found in mankind. 

Coin of the Roman Coliseum, minted with 70s A.D. gold from Jerusalem.

The gold taken in was extremely profitable to hold and mint the coins.

An Aureus from the reign of Emperor Severus Alexander with an image of the Colosseum in Rome. The Colosseum was the biggest amphitheater in Ancient Rome. Capable of seating more than 50’000 spectators and had 80 entrances. Construction of the four-storied building began under the rule of Emperor Vespasian in 72AD

 and was completed eight years later by his son Titus.

The Roman Colosseum was built by the gold from the destruction of Jerusalem and The Temple of God in the 70s A. D.

When Jesus died, Claudius was Emperor of Rome. 

It was Claudius who imprisoned Paul, the first time. In the remote, far away country of Judea, the name of Jesus Christ and His promises and His Word, created unease for Claudius. Imagine this could occur in the time there were no mass methods of communication. It is historical fact. 16 years after the death of Jesus. Claudius has gone from prominence to being an enigma in history.

Jesus Christ has gone forth.

Claudius – Imprisoned Christians. Reigned 25 -54 AD. Emperor during the death and resurrection of Jesus. Imprisoned Paul, for his first imprisonment, house arrest.

Nero – Tortured, burned and vilified Christians. Blamed them for burning Rome . 54- 68 AD

We can see the rooms Nero lived in where he killed his 2nd wife.

This was their home, part of the invention of Shopping Malls could be credited to crazy Nero

Galba – Put St. Paul and others to death. 69 AD

Otho & Vittelius– only 4 months as Emperor

Vespasian – Sent Titus to destroy Jerusalem in 70 AD, it was the natural end time of Jesus’ life. It is said it is the prophecies Jesus spoke of, His forgiveness was given to the people of His generation. In that destruction, the Temple of the Jews has not been built in 2,000 years. (In 300 A.D, a third temple had the materials gathered, but earthquake, war and fire put an end to that.) Jewish Sacrifice has not been practiced for 2,000 years, it is forsaken. The Jews don’t even know why. God said Jesus was the sacrifice for you.

Titus – See Arch of Titus, still standing, in Rome today. The Temple Tools minus the Ark of the Covenant, is carved in the marble. The profit from the sack of Jerusalem is used for the Coliseum. The Coliseum was used to burn Christians until Constantine naively adopted Christianity thinking Christians would be model citizens. Still a triumph for the 1,100 Bishops, Priests, Christians proclaiming Jesus Christ for 300 years even if they would be burned alive for it.

Domitian – Hauled St. John from Ephesus and exiled him to Patmos. Continued to be fearful of Christians. Conducted one of the fiercest battles against Christians. Under Domitan, the Church split in half. Domitan Heresy - the Church is only for saints. Domitan tortured until Christians surrendered every fragment of the Gospels and New Testament he could find. 81-96. Because of Domitan – we have the word traitor . Part of the Church wanted to forever exile anyone who lied to get out of torture or gave up Scripture. Forgiveness is the business of the Church and Jesus Christ.

Because of Domitan, we only have 15 fragments of the Gospel before 96 AD. But these portions exist and date to 30 AD. Hebrews 9 tells us when Paul wrote Hebrews, the Second Temple is in operation.

The Love of Jesus Christ opening His arms to slaves, lepers, women, the poor, the wife of the steward of Herod’s household, Nicodemus of the Sanhedrin Council and Josephus. 

Author Ian Wilson records a letter from a Jewish rabbi, of Lyracanthra, saying it would be the end of Judaism because of the incredible miracles of healing, restoration, life transformation and complete hope. These are letters confirming the Gospels show the Rabbi to be extremely unhappy. Josephus, the Israeli General turned traitor, turned Historian says Jesus was the Christ and his brother James formed the later Christian Church until martyred in 62 AD.

To see the rest of the 300 years of Roman persecutions, click on this link

We know so much more about Jesus than Claudius or Nero.

First Century Rome would be so shocked.

Abba, Father,

Help us to go before the Lord to prepare His ways

To give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins

Because of the tender mercy of our God

 His sunrise shall visit us from on high 

Giving light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death

Guiding our feet into the way of peace.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms

By grace you have been saved through faith

 and that not of yourselves

 The gift of God

not as a result of works, so that no one may boast

Faith is a gift of God

by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ

May grace and peace be multiplied to you

 in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord

We pray for all facing injustice

and those who face the injustice

in a system called Justice.

We pray this Land

is Home of the Free

the Brave

and 

the Honest.

FREEDOM!

1 John 3:1

See what kind of love the Father has given to us,

 that we should be called children of God

Dwell in us, Father

Dwell in those we Love

Help us to seek You first

and in Jesus Christ,

we will finish well.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord

Jesus Christ, Savior of God.

Blessed are the Churches with 

Shepherds

FEEDING

their Flock!!! 

Blessings Blessings

Blessings Blessings

Amen in Jesus

Thank You, Father

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Thanks be unto the Lord

John 12:12-18 ~ to meet Him

The first tomb of Lazarus, in Bethany, is a place of pilgrimage to this day. The tomb, as it was described in 1896, was entered down a flight of twenty-four rock-cut steps from the then-modern level, to a square chamber serving as a place of prayer, leading by more steps to a lower chamber that was reverenced by Muslim and Christians as the tomb of Lazarus. This is where Lazarus rose from death.

The second tomb of Lazarus, history, traces from France. 

The pilgrims and the Crusade, carried Lazarus relics from Church to Church. An ancient altar in one of the Spanish Cathedrals was opened, inside, beside a relic, was a piece of paper saying, 

"Lazarus is a friend to Jesus, Always."

John 12:12-18

12 The next day (the day was a close to the Resurrection of Lazarus from odorous to Life, and was the Passover in Jerusalem.)

the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;

behold, your king is coming,

    sitting on a donkey's colt!”

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.

John 21 24 

This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, 

and who has written these things, 

and we know that his testimony is true.

Jesus had so many options in life. We see popular ideas: Jesus understood His brain better than others. We've seen popular thought say Jesus was an alien, like the type who built the Pyramid. Jesus lived His Life for truth. He would have said. Instead, Jesus said He is the Messiah, God's Plan of Salvation.

One popular idea, the sadness of Jesus to do God's Will. This isn't Biblical, Jesus is found as a Child, staying to be with His Father in the Temple. Teaching about His Father. Jesus said so many times, "I am." Jesus embraced being holy and human.

 John 7:35 

The Jews said to one another, 

“Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? 

Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 

 John 12 20 

Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 

23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. 

John 21

 25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. 

Were every one of them to be written, 

I suppose that the world itself could not 

contain the books that would be written.

In Holy Week, consider what Jesus had seen as

Messiah. Not just human, but Holy and Divine.

Revelation 4

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in Heaven.

And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”

2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. 

And think of Palm Sunday

The view from the Ascension, wouldn't surprise Jesus. He had seen Adam and Eve in the Cool of the Evening meet His Father in Eden.

   

Proverb 8 Creation

I was rejoicing in His whole world,

 delighting together in the sons of men. 

32 Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, 

for blessed are those who keep my ways.

Jesus could have thought of so many places and events in History. Lent records Jesus was thinking of His Father, the Disciples and their understanding. Comfort, Help, Helper.

1 Peter 2:25 

 For you were straying like sheep, 

but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Jesus was thinking of the salvation He was giving His Children. He was thinking of us. He was bringing us to the Gate. To Living Water.

John 10:9 

I am the door. 

If anyone enters by me, 

he will be saved 

and 

will go in and out and find pasture.

Holy Week, is when we show up for Jesus.  We are not hired, as Job's life did, to be paid to sit Shiva. We are there to say we think of Jesus. We would be there on Good Friday.  We would want Him to have our comfort for all the times Jesus gave us Comfort.

Matthew 27

55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and 

the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

John 19:39-40 

 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.

We attend Holy Week to be the balm of Gilead. 

This is a historical time of unease, all plagues and pandemic recovery has uncertainty and vile violence. We go to say we would Comfort Jesus in the middle of these days.

Jeremiah 8:22, 

“Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? 

Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?

Let us Bless the Lord

Thank You, Father

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Thanks be unto the Lord