1 Thessalonians 1 ~ our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.

 the Jews, "For us it is not permitted to kill
anyone," so that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he sp-
oke signifying what kind of death he was going to
die. Entered therefore again into the Praeto-
rium Pilate and summoned Jesus
and said to him, "Thou art king of the
Jews?"

a King I am. For this I have been born
and (for this) I have come into the world so that I would
testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth
hears of me my voice." Said to him
Pilate, "What is truth?" and this
having said, again he went out unto the Jews
and said to them, "I find not one
fault in him."

^{St.John's Ryland Gospel}
St Johns Gospel is St of a literary codex. Around 90 A.D. dated by the writing style. Gospel of John 18:31–33, in Greek, and the back (verso) contains parts of seven lines from verses 37–38

Magdalen Papyrus, Above , Papyrus 64, Carsten Peter Thiede's redating of the Magdalen papyrus to the middle of the 1st century (37 to 70 A.D.)

Chester Beatty Papyrus 46
Above. Acts and Revelation it is classified as Papyrus 46 (⁴⁶) and housed partially in Dublin, Ireland in the Chester Beatty Collection and partially in the University of Michigan, Special Collections Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Dated to the later 1st century before the reign of Emperor Domitian.

Bodmer Papyrus - 50 collected works of Scripture dated to 200 A.D. Below.




2nd century Book of Revelation fragments labelled as P18, P24, P47, P98, P115
Papyrus 32, P32, Papyrus 52, P52, Papyrus 64, P64, Papyrus 67, P67, and Papyrus 4, P4 (believed to be coming from the same codex). Papyrus 66, P66. Papyrus 90, P90. Papyrus 98, P98. Papyrus 104, P104.




1 Thessalonians 1
 
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace.

2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly^{[without ceasing]} mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers^{[brothers and sisters. The plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) refers to siblings in a family. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, adelphoi may refer either to men or to both men and women who are siblings (brothers and sisters) in God's family, the church]} loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.

You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 

8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.



For almost 400 years, the Gospel was preserved at great cost. It was preserved - based upon reason, faith, events - people hid, ran, started new lives - not knowing what would happen. Gave up their lives. And worked desperately to bring the Good News to you.

They believed, with all of their actions - the Word of God is power; is the Holy Spirit. They had full conviction.

Believing  people, generations,  millenniums would know He chose you, the unique person reading the Bible - to be chosen, part of the family of God. Loved by God.

And because of this faith unproven, unseen, untried - the Word of the Lord - has sounded forth to you.

Serve the living and true God. Knowing His Son, Jesus Christ the Lord, is raised from the dead. And will deliver you.

<><

Acts 5:12-26 ~ Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

Painting, by Tadema

Acts 5:12-26

Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council and all the senate of the people of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. 25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.


Even in the Syrian suburb, the little country of Judea, the Roman Empire flooded vast fortunes into the country. In the plentiful abundance of life, Pontius Pilate regularly had riots with the Jews.

Can you imagine yourselves being a rioter? I can. I once, at the age of 6, joined all my neighborhood children help tear down a lovely home being carefully constructed over an empty lot with a creek. We had enjoyed the lot, with huge Willow trees and large rocks. It was always shady and you would always meet more kids seeking relief from the Texas summer. We were looters and rioters. As we all carried home a chunk of the building materials, I told this group of little kids, teenagers and tweens, we'd had fun. We should do more things together. Everyone agreed. Maybe softball.

The builders of the home hired a guard to protect the property; my three other six-year-old friends and I became very good friends with the kindly, elderly man. After a few weeks, the man asked us did we know who had looted. All 3 little blond heads said no. The man explained to us that it was wrong and it had been an expensive vandalism. I went home to discuss it with my mother.

She said she didn't remember  the board I had dragged home, didn't I put it back. I said yes, we didn't really have a need for a board. She asked me how many teenagers had been involved and I said every kid in the neighborhood had been there. She said something to the effect she knew teenagers were behind it all. I said not really, everyone showed up, for something to do.

Adults were told to look in their backyard for building materials. Some materials returned. It never happened again, even later when more houses were built.

This was parents willing to talk to other parents. It look some frank discussions.


After Hurricane Ike, in Houston, grocery stores opened for minute time frames in the morning. HEB allowed shoppers to go in, in groups of 18 shoppers. If you'd seen the mayhem in the stores before the Hurricane, you'd understand why. So every day, the electricity was off in town, Edward, my husband, would head over to HEB. Then on the third morning, a police cruiser showed up as the forty or so people waited for the store to open. The police car opened the mike and said, "HEB was unable to open this morning." People were a little surprised and looked at the police car in astonishment. No one said a word. So the Police car repeated the message and said it was time to disperse. After a moment's pause, the humorous police said, "Time to disperse, we think you all will riot." The very dangerous suburban engineer types looked at each other in frank astonishment. One man looked at the others and said, "I'm Not Rioting! Are you?"

Are we interested in the multitudes who flooded the Temple?

A model of Solomon's Portico, from the First Temple until the Second Temple fell 70 A.D. And the back corner is Antonia Fortress, Herod's Fortress complete with jail.

Many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles

 

 

Surely the Temple officials, the bureaucracy were stunned. So much so - they let the rabble in to the Temple discussing Jesus. Worshiping Jesus.

Can you imagine this? It's frankly incredible, but accurate. The Temple officials let the followers of Jesus Christ the LORD, meet in the Temple grounds. They had signs up saying foreigners would be killed beyond certain points.

"No foreigner is to enter within the balustrade and embankment around the sanctuary. Whoever is caught will have himself to blame for his death which follows." Both Greek (above and there are 2 Greek signs discovered) and Latin versions of this warning were posted at regular intervals around the balustrade).The engraved block of limestone is about 22 inches high by 33 inches long. Each letter was nearly 1 1/2 inches high and originally painted with red ink against the white limestone. Part of another sign was unearthed in 1936. Currently locatated in the Archaeological Museum of Istanbul, Turkey. It is a fairly well-known and understood archaeological find, labeled CIJ 2.1400

Rather more obscure is CIJ 2.1404 The Theodotus Inscription. Not all of the Second (or First) Temple is completely understood. 75 centimeters long.
The Theodotus inscription (CIJ 2.1404) was discovered in a Jerusalem cistern by R. Weill in 1913. It dates to the first century AD prior to the Temple's destruction. Significantly, the inscription reveals that three generations of priests served as the "rulers of the synagogue" (archisynagôgoi - the Greek word) mentioned in the dedication. Translation:

Theodotus, (son) of Vettenus, priest and
archisynagôgos, son of an archisynagôgos,
grandson of an archisynagôgos, built
the synagogue for the reading of the law and
the teaching of the commandments, and
the guest-chamber and the rooms and the
water installations for lodging for those needing them
from abroad, which his fathers, the elders
and Simonides founded

And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 

During the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”

"Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.”


 Light of Jesus Christ - Shine.

<><

Luke 24:1-12 ~ when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus

The Disciples Peter and John Running to the Sepulchre on the Morning of the Resurrection, painted by Eugene Bumand

Luke 24:1-12

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.

And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  While they were perplexed about this:  Behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,  that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”

And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.

Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles,  but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

Isaiah 53:9
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

This is a marvel.... Critics bash Jesus for fulfilling so many Scriptures by being able to say "it is written"  - knowing the Bible even as a child. However,  it would have been difficult for Jesus to have arranged His own grave upon His death, without being the Son of God.

Leen Ritmeyer, who oversaw the reconstructions for the ESV Study Bible, had information on the tomb.

Only a few of these rolling stones have been found. They usually have a diameter of 4.5 feet (1.4 m) and were about a foot (0.3 m) or so thick. Based on these measurements, the stone would have weighed a good few hundred kilos. Were rolling stones typical of tombs in the first century? Surprisingly, only very few tombs dating to the Second Temple period (c. 516 B.C.–A.D. 70) had rolling stones to close off the entrance. Actually, only four have been found in the Jerusalem area. The most well-known examples are the so-called Tomb of the Kings (more likely the Tomb of Queen Helena of Adiabene) and the Tomb of Herod’s Family. These were very elaborate tombs, built by wealthy people, as it is more expensive to build this kind of closing mechanism than just putting a blocking stone in front of the entrance. It confirms the fact that Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy man (cf. Matt. 27:57).

Let's not forget the stone had a Roman guard and seal placed upon it.

Rolling stone tombs were in fact quite rare during that period, due to the fact it would have cost more to have a stone shaped to round.

In the image, the left hand points to the position of the Garden Tomb and the right hand points to the location of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (see end note 3 for the church floor plan). Both locations could fit the Scriptural description of the location, as they were both outside the city walls in Jesus' day. Both are sites of former quarry's and obvious burial locations, each near to a rock face that could have been known as the Place of the Skull; Golgotha (See John 19:17). [The Antonia fortress, the place of Roman judgement, was a reasonable and easily accessible distance from both sites]. Again, it is more probable that the location at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the correct one, since it was near to an ancient city gate. Romans liked maximum visibility for their crucifixions.

For us, visually, we see how elaborate man has made a shrine of the slit rock from the first century.  And the more natural beauty of the city of Jerusalem, wept over by Jesus.

 The Rock that split. Not as easily repaired as a quarried stone floor. Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Matthew 27:51-52
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open.

"It seems that the crucifixion earthquake of 33 A.D. was magnitude 5.5, leaving direct physical evidence in a thin layer of disturbed sediment from the Dead Sea." - Greatest Earthquakes of the Bible, by Steven A. Austin, Ph.D.   Dr. Austin is a Senior Research Geologist, Logos Research Associates, Santa Ana, CA.

50 times the Scriptures use the word 'ran'. One fifth, of the 3,000 pages of the Bible, uses the word 'ran'  in the Gospels. Peter, who knew Jesus  - would run to the tomb to look for his Savior.

Luke 15:20

20 So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."

<><

2 Thessalonians 3 ~ and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us

2 Thessalonians 3

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, 2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
Benediction

16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

17 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Politically correct Christian behavior. The Scriptures do not rest in one angle. Jesus sat with the woman in adultery.

1 Corinthians 5:1-2
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

Matthew 9:12
But when Jesus heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."


How are we to relate all of this together? It's the same as turn the other cheek. Different situations call for different responses.

Jesus sat with the woman caught in adultery. We learn a lot from Scriptures with similar passages, which only seemingly, point away from each other.

We know Jesus chose to be born in a time period where Israel, the lands influenced and controlled by the Roman Empire were saturated with money. People working hard at trades and jobs, like selling purple to get ahead. Two people were in the adultery, one was shamed. This speaks to the time frame of Herod picking the priests and living with his brother's wife. When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, working with Moses in Numbers 25, saw a Midianite woman brought forth to be killed for worshiping Baal - who demanded infant sacrifice for prosperity - both the man and woman were killed. Jesus' story of the woman caught in adultery is also a sign of selective punishment from the Temple. The Essenes left Jerusalem saying the Temple had abandoned the Holy Spirit.

And we hear from Jesus, at Matthew the tax collector's party; He is calling sinners to repentance, in mercy.

Later, we hear from the same Holy Spirit asking us to mourn & an action removing sinners. This verse for idle ability to stir up trouble. We are encouraged in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. Do not grow weary in doing good. This idleness creates trouble in opinions outside the Word of God. This is Gossip.

1 Corinthians 5:1 states there is sexual immorality among you. Surely today we tend to look the other way. Jesus encouraged the woman caught in adultery not to sin.

This is the same Holy Spirit. Jesus sitting with the woman to help her. Mercy over sacrifice. Yet not when sin becomes accepted as part of the Church. Jesus does not ask sin itself to become part of the congregation. We are never to abuse grace by saying this is all covered. Surely 2 Thessalonians 3 is not our favorite part and we remember the work ethic more than the way this starts out:

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, 2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

We are told to have confidence in those working towards the LORD. Let us to remember to direct our hearts to love that Jesus Christ did give us. At the same time, not accepting sin. Joshua was told not to go to the right or the left. We are to be salt, light and find the balance He gives us.

Paul, I have been told in lean to the left Bible Studies, is too harsh and he is obviously clueless on meeting Jesus personally. Not so.

2 Corinthians 2 - in verses following:
For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you.

For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.

Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you.

so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.

so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

Which seems important to stress this again:

that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.


<><

Numbers 15 ~ I am the Lord your God.

 Passover in Jerusalem

How This Passover Was Different From All Others. The Events people witnessed, leaving the world completely changed. The nitty gritty so often over looked.


Numbers 15


15 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving you, 3 and you offer to the Lord from the herd or from the flock a food offering or a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering or at your appointed feasts, to make a pleasing aroma to the Lord, 4 then he who brings his offering shall offer to the Lord a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil; 5 and you shall offer with the burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, a quarter of a hin of wine for the drink offering for each lamb. 6 Or for a ram, you shall offer for a grain offering two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a third of a hin of oil. 7 And for the drink offering you shall offer a third of a hin of wine, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 8 And when you offer a bull as a burnt offering or sacrifice, to fulfill a vow or for peace offerings to the Lord, 9 then one shall offer with the bull a grain offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with half a hin of oil. 10 And you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, as a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

11 “Thus it shall be done for each bull or ram, or for each lamb or young goat. 12 As many as you offer, so shall you do with each one, as many as there are. 13 Every native Israelite shall do these things in this way, in offering a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 14 And if a stranger is sojourning with you, or anyone is living permanently among you, and he wishes to offer a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord, he shall do as you do. 15 For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a statute forever throughout your generations. You and the sojourner shall be alike before the Lord. 16 One law and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you.”

17 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land to which I bring you 19 and when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall present a contribution to the Lord. 20 Of the first of your dough you shall present a loaf as a contribution; like a contribution from the threshing floor, so shall you present it. 21 Some of the first of your dough you shall give to the Lord as a contribution throughout your generations.


22 “But if you sin unintentionally, and do not observe all these commandments that the Lord has spoken to Moses, 23 all that the Lord has commanded you by Moses, from the day that the Lord gave commandment, and onward throughout your generations, 24 then if it was done unintentionally without the knowledge of the congregation, all the congregation shall offer one bull from the herd for a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the rule, and one male goat for a sin offering. 25 And the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the people of Israel, and they shall be forgiven, because it was a mistake, and they have brought their offering, a food offering to the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord for their mistake. 26 And all the congregation of the people of Israel shall be forgiven, and the stranger who sojourns among them, because the whole population was involved in the mistake.

27 “If one person sins unintentionally, he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering. 28 And the priest shall make atonement before the Lord for the person who makes a mistake, when he sins unintentionally, to make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven. 29 You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally, for him who is native among the people of Israel and for the stranger who sojourns among them. 30 But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken his commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be on him.”


32 While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. 34 They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. 35 And the Lord said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the Lord commanded Moses.


37 The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. 39 And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow^{[spy out]} after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. 40 So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. 41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the Lord your God.”


Scripture with an extra sensory device. We understand, in this Scripture,  the aroma of the Holy Days was very pleasant. In the painting, we see people eager to be part of the festival.

With the people enjoying, as written in Psalms, and in this Chapter, festival clothing. The Priests probably looked splendid. Ciaphas' house and is ossuary have been found. His house was very close to the Temple.

We know this from Chapter 18 of John's Gospel.
13 First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.

28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor's headquarters.





The house of Caiaphas and his ossuary.



Passover was a huge event. Surely Annas, Caiaphas Nicodemus and plenty of others really looked forward to Passover each year. How was that Passover for Caiaphas and Annas? Pesky Jesus Christ Lord had been disposed of. The Roman Empire would continue to turn without a bump. Except in a mere sixteen years, people would begin to be put to death for proclaiming a mere carpenter's son as the Messiah, Son of GOD.


It would very much appear that the grave did not hold Jesus and His Name would be proclaimed for many years, secretly, with many changed lives, until Constantine would appease the growing number of Christians to allow Christianity to be the Religion of the Roman Empire.

Catacombs are the billboards of yesterday. Christian Art has been discovered only in recent decades. What an amazing time we live in. I grew up thinking Pontius Pilate was a myth. And the census of Augustus driving Joseph to bring Mary to give birth to Jesus Christ in Bethlehem is now discovered.

The Catacombs have major art. They are now famous for Christian burials begining in the 2nd century. The white tombstone is the Funerary stele of Licinia Amias, one of the most ancient Christian inscriptions. Upper tier: dedication to the Dis Manibus and Christian motto in Greek letters ΙΧΘΥC ΖΩΝΤΩΝ / Ikhthus zōntōn ("fish of the living"). The other art is Jesus as Shepherd and the Eucharist. Peter's home in Capernaum was covered with praise inscriptions as well.

Why was this such a time of great change? Only a carpenter's son was condemned after Pontius Pilate declared him to be innocent. We know from written history, other political zealots had declared themselves to be the Messiah of God.


Jesus was unusual for the lame walking, the blind seeing, the deaf hear and the poor had good news preached to them.

Jesus Heals, painted by James Tissot

And so, more than likely, Annas and Caiphas were ready to jump back into the swing of things as business as usual. My husband, likes, without theological background or seminary, to call this the Zombie Passover. And the painter James Tissot would agree. Actually, this would have caused me a very great upset to see. The Disciple John, the beloved disciple, believed he had seen evil and that Good Friday, day, changed him and his writings more than the other disciples who had hidden.

Passover was not the joy they had known - instead they had major looming problems.

Matthew 27:51-54
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and e went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

Bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life, Painted by James Tissot

And the graves were opened - "Graves" or sepulchres were most commonly made, among the Jews, in solid rocks or in caves of rocks. The rending of the rocks, therefore, would lay them open. The graves were opened by this earthquake, but the dead in them did not rise until after his resurrection.

So what did the Temple government look like upon The death of Jesus Christ the LORD and His Resurrection?




Today in Jerusalem, this is a model of the 2nd Temple with a close-up of Solomon's Porch.





Acts 5:12-16 ~ American Standard Version

And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. But of the rest durst no man join himself to them: howbeit the people magnified them; and believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of them and women; insomuch that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that, as Peter came by, at the least his shadow might overshadow some one of them. And there also came together the multitudes from the cities round about Jerusalem, bring sick folk, and them that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

Quite a change. From hiding behind locked doors, the disciples are preaching Jesus Christ the Savior in the 36 acres of the Temple Court.

John 20:19-20
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

The Pharisees are having a bad week. Jesus didn't just disappear, instead multitudes have come... not to the Sea of Galilee, or the wilderness, but to the Temple to hear more about Jesus. Those miracles and signs haven't stopped either. Some of the Sanhedrin, the ruling council for the Temple, want to go over and hear too.

Ian Wilson's book, "The Historical Jesus" tells of a letter from the first century Anno Domino. This famous letter - Rabbi Lyracathra, of Lystra, Israel, writes he cannot keep the Jews from being interested in the multitudes of healings done in Jesus' name, after the man has died. He wonders how Judiasm will continue when these signs cannot be contained.

Thanks be to God. Thank You for Your steadfast love and Your miracles You give us in the highest name of Jesus Christ. Amen.



When did the Sacrifices stop? Remember as Jesus Christ died on the cross He said Forgive them. It is God's nature to be forgiving, and not to accept injustice. In 70 A.D., the time of Jesus' natural life span, Jerusalem was destroyed.

Luke 19:44
and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.

We So Very Often hear Jesus did not die. He rose from the dead and when we go to Heaven we will receive His promises. The faithful hear the same Easter message. And a lot of times think about what the child's Easter basket or the grandchild's Easter basket will look like. We've reached the point that we are like the people in World War II.  We are bombarded by the world and life has sped up. With Easter being important, but the message fails to touch our hearts. Life demands so many things from us, in so many fast, moving directions.

The Truth is our world is shaped today by the work Jesus did. In dying, according to Mayo Clinic doctors, of a broken heart brought about by the extreme agony of the beating, the mocking, the desertion. One of the miracles of the cross, we overlook, is God helped Jesus die quickly on the cross. 

We forget the agony of a Father for His good son. His beloved Son. The earthquake. The darkness. 

And we remember Easter lilies and colored eggs. 

The world is shaped today from Jesus Christ. Who was there in the beginning of time, according to God's Word; He shouted with joy at creation. Knowing He would experience these things, chose to wade into the fray. 

I had an Easter table discussion as to why so many Easter sermons are so uninspiring.  From people all over Texas, we sat and thought about worship. Worship is uninspiring because we fail Him. One more thing to feel guilty about. Worship is uninspiring because we expect something from HIM like emotional support. And fail to realize we are called to do some digging to find our gratitude to give Him.

We expect our worship to be always pleasing to us and not a gift to give the Father.

Worship is uninspiring because we are given the message preached over and over again. The major points are thumped and we miss the sweetness and preciousness of the love. We fail to do our own work to be impressed by the wonders that exist. And we overlook because they are messy or unbelievable.  

Basically we should show up to worship because He is the center of our lives. Our eternal lives. When we show up to worship Him to do the work, a miracle occurs, so unseen its over looked. We think, "Okay I went," but actually we are fed.  When you are desperately hungry,  it's hard to see that a small portion of HIM has helped. Sometimes it takes others seeing in you, that you have been fed.

 

Jesus also said something important as the Lord our God. And this reaches through the millenniums to influence our Easter week of 2013.

Matthew 16:16-18

Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.t

A Huge Thanks to the Radio Programmers of America. The television does not have many Easter programs. Sometimes its even tough to find some the best done Disney films. We need some more Christian Disney Films.  But traveling across Texas (we missed Easter at our Church), the radio stations were filled with the American Freedom of Religion and  Free Speech proclaiming the Good News. Even the secular stations on the FM dial had all different types of people proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord.

If you are called upon to give Testimony to Jesus. Try not to repeat the same old message. Most people have the basic message. You have to go deeper than who Jesus is. It's like going beyond hello and how are you. People want to know the deep down way Jesus is loved by you and why.


I've given my "how I came to believe" story many times. I have to say what's relevant today to me, is the mercy of the LORD. When I am not as I should be, He does not walk away. Believing in me, encouraging me. I see the signs around me - the people who have tears of joy of pregnancies prayed for by people trying to help, and His mercy reaches out with a miracle. By our 93 year old friend, who has fully recovered, to be bright eyed and interested in those around him. The brightness of those eyes. In his wife, who fought the hospital  system and still had the energy to give to those around her. In Rusty, told his brain tumor was fatal and found a message from MD Anderson of clear and stable. In the cancer of the 9 month old, her family prays hard, and she had surgery to find she is healing. Our neighbor down the street, sending out an email blast, two of her loved ones have diagnosis of bi-polar but by seeking treatment, learning how much He loves them, they are on the right path for quite some time now.


Jesus Christ shapes the world. Then and now. The purpose of life is to grow up and go Home. We all have an invitation to leave this planet. There just happens to be someone who loves You and wants you there for eternity. The great mystery of life is this - this message - called the Gospel - is the Truth. 


If you look at the Gospel of the disciple who "walked along the road" with Him, you see this:

1 John 4:8b
God is love.

1 John 4:16
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

Romans 10:9
If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Acts 2:24
But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.




<><