John 18: 28-39 ~ The King of the Jews †

Scala Sancta, the Holy Stairs, 

transferred from the archaeological ruins of Pilate's Palace to the Vatican 

before 400 A.D.  

The stairs are the stone seen through the wood.

John 18:28-39

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.

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. 39 But 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'?"

Scala Sancta, Vatican, uncovered from the wooden coverings typically placed there.

To Pilate, this felt like he could lose standing with the Emperor. There was no Legion stationed in Jerusalem, Pontius Pilate was only the rank of Equestrian, so he could not garrison a full legion under his command. Jerusalem was garrisoned by Cohors II Italica, it was only one Auxiliary cohort. Another, probably, at Caesarea.

Each of these auxiliary units would have been commanded by a tribune. There are 10 cohorts in a Legion and Judea had two cohorts.

Pilate had not wanted to go to Judea. 

Pilate would only be in Judea from 28 A.D. to 38 A.D. He wrote a famous letter to Claudius about Good Friday, referred to by historians of the day. Lost. 

The predecessor of Pilate....5th Governor of Judea

Valerius Gratus  4th Governor of Judea

He succeeded Annius Rufus in 15 and was replaced by Pontius Pilate in 26 or 28 A.D.

The government of Gratus, chiefly remarkable for many and frequent changes Gratus made in the appointment of the high-priesthood. Let that sink in.

He deposed Ananus, and substituted Ishmael ben Fabus, then Eleazar, son of Arianus, then Simon, son of Camith, and lastly Joseph Caiaphas, the son-in-law of Ananus.

Pilate could have shoved this off on the High Priest. "

Ananias son of Nedebeus was a high priest who, according to the Acts of the Apostles, presided during the trials of the apostle Paul at Jerusalem. In Roman History, it's a fair assertion that Ananus of Roman History is Aramaic for Ananias. We could reconstruct a mental guess conversation, that did not take place.

Pilate would say to Ananias, he certainly looked comfortable being High Priest. And now it was time for Ananias to step forward and make his real employer, the Roman Empire, to become more comfortable and do what the High Priests have done, like Samuel, for centuries. To slay the unrighteous in their eyes. As Rome has done.

Pilate didn't want the backwaters of the suburb of their greater Roman Empire in Syria. Historians say the papers exist of his requests. And Pilate did make violence during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, during Holy Days. Pilate, constantly on the alert for insurrection.  Would have noticed events like Capernaum, all 3 thousand turning up the first day of Jesus' ministry. And then what Scriptures call the 'Large Crowd.' Still following Jesus to the widow of Nain's son being raised to life as Jesus merely touches the funeral bier. Which quickly became the "Great Crowd."

Yes, we can easily assert and find correct assumptions, Pilate knew from oral history as part of Israel, Messiah Claims cause death from Rome and from the History of both Israel and Judea.

 Instead, Pilate made a huge error, seeking his career and comfort. And he did this without planning. As if he didn't take the time to examine this huge mistake. We realize the lack of depth in Pilate. This was too easy.  If Pilate regretted what he was doing to the man who healed them all, the blind, the deaf, the lame, the leper, Pilate would have put as much thought as he did to the Holy Day murders by clubs, apparently by men dressed in Civilian clothes and later revealed as soldiers. Pilate saw the conclusion from the Great Crowd and the Large Crowd. And went with comfort and a jump to this decision.

Ascend.

Don't be Pilate. 

Jesus said He could call down 12 Legions of Angels. Stick with Jesus. His Angels arrive with memorable Style.

Abba, Yes, thank you, Father

For Jesus Christ

Messiah, Savior

of not the few

but of the world.

Draw us to You.

Oh, the places He would go. You uphold Life by Your Word.  A Beautiful Promise and Sure Truth. Life Forevermore in Jesus the Only Son of God. God is Truth.

Dwell in us

Dwell in the people we Love

Dwell in the people you have given us

Please, Father

Help us to seek You First

And we will finish well in Jesus Christ.

Jesus our Wonderful. Amen in Jesus Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yay Jesus

Galatians 6:10-19 ~ Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might

During Jesus' lifetime and Ministry, a fire on the beach led to the discovery of Stained Glass.  

And that was just the beginning of Histories, Cultures and People finding Unity in Jesus Christ, Son of God, Messiah. Salvation for the World.

In the First Century

Pliny, Roman author, a naturalist and natural philosopher, a naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of emperor Vespasian.

Pliny’s history of the accidental discovery of glass by Phoenician sailors (the same Nation provided archaeology and materials for David's Palace and the Temple). Shipwrecked sailors set their cooking pots on blocks of natron (soda) from their cargo, then built a fire under it on the beach. In the morning, the fire’s heat had melted the sand and soda mixture. When cooled and hardened this became glass. Romans had windows.

St. Denis Cathedral in Paris, still has small amounts of Stained Glass traced from the 12th Century. St. Denis was the Cathedral of Charlemagne. Charlemagne's success as a warrior, administrator and ruler is traced to Charlemagne's devotion for learning and education. His reign is the Carolingian Renaissance. Flowering scholarship of literature, art and architecture. Charlemagne came into contact with the culture and learning of other countries. He greatly increased the provision of monastic schools and scriptoria (book-copying) in Francia.

In the same era, Alfred the Great was learning from Roman history texts and beginning to record history.  King Alfred was pushing back the Vikings. The Siege of Paris was going to happen in 845. As the UK and France had gained in culture as trust and trade flourished, with histories and maps and understanding of the broader world going back to the Roman Empire.  The Nations serving God were people broadened to have learning and hospitals as well as flourishing trade. The Vikings served the gods and the one they loved the most was a god of war. To die in war to gain material goods, was the leadership of Vikings heritage from father to son. The glory of death.

Today, Cathedrals draw from Churches built in the 800s.

 Like St. Denis, we find history going back the 4th Century.

The 4th Century 

Records Unity in Cathedrals in Archaeology

Cathedrals are built on Christians and pagan tombs. The History of Cathedrals is dissimilar cultures, by faith learn to work and live and live and marry together.

Since before the 4th Century, The Gospels have been layering John's Gospels Description of Jesus and His Works, Love and Fruitfulness. 

Today Cathedrals

Many of which are major visitor attractions and which together welcome around 25 million visitors per year.  England's Cathedrals generate substantial local economic benefits of some £150 million each year within their urban economies and the UK employs 1885 people on a full-time basis. Cathedral visitors spend approximately £30 a day on a visit to a Cathedral City, but unfortunately very little of this revenue is received by the Cathedral as donations. The economic significance of English cathedrals.

Jesus told us of the Church of Jesus.

We find the History Of God's Blessings in the Church is still alive and working today.

Galatians 6

GALATIANS 6, PAPYRUS 46, Age 1st or 2nd Century Depending on Theological Verbs Identified

Housed University of Michigan. 

300 Intact Chapters of The New Testament. Great Condition.

Galatians 6:10-19

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 

Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, 

and having done all, 

to stand firm. 

14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, 

and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 

15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 

16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, 

with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 

17 and take the helmet of salvation, 

and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, 

18 Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. 

To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim 

the mystery of the Gospel

The Goal of the Armor of God is Life.

To have faith and the trust to build like the Exodus did, a legacy for children. The hope of a culture built on building for family and children. Love.

A life of faith and prayer seems a fragile hope. 

Like Papyrus of the First Century.

Like Stained Glass. I was fortunate one Christmas to receive a necklace of colorful almost dust, actually shards. And this is actual remnants of Roman glass. Stained Glass exists from 800 years ago, and maybe further back in other Cathedrals.

Stained Glass is sand, pummeled and heated, made into Beauty. Fragile and enduring.

Where do we want to place our Goals? 

Fighting verbal battles of air. Reading the flaws of people.

Build the foundations to go forward in Jesus Christ

Fight for family and education. Trade. To promote Life for children. The Good Fight finds a strong shelter for Love to dwell. The purpose of God initiating marriage almost immediately in Genesis.

The Strength of His Might.

To Believe the Promises of God will find you a place of shelter.  God's Name is a Strong Tower to call upon. Scriptures record people exist in all ages and cultures with fear. The Scriptures and God's Love are not to be fearmongering. God wants His People to have a Hope and Future.

The Armor of God

John 3:17 

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, 

but to save the world through him.

Proverbs 18:10 

The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

Stand Firm

2 Corinthians 9:13

Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, 

people will praise God for the obedience 

that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, 

and for your generosity in sharing with them 

and with everyone else. 

1 Timothy 6:18

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, 

and to be generous and willing to share.

Yesterday we talked about being a house of God

Noble Purposes

Who would expect Glass and Papyrus to be here 2000 years later?

Timothy 2 

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, 

but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes 

and some for disposal of refuse.

 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for noble purposes, 

made holy, useful to the Master 

and prepared

 to do any good work.

Abba, Father God,

Dwell in Us, Jesus Christ.

In You, we will see more Heaven on earth.

Help us to Seek You First.

The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory are Yours.

In this time of Covid fear,

In this time of uncertainty and angry responses,

Please help us to Love one another

Build the Church

 Speak Love to One Another

Give us the Day Gratitude

Give us the Day Wisdom of God

Give us the Day, Daily Bread of God for Unity in God's Love.

Just as a Body, though One,

has many parts,

but all its many parts form One Body,

Let this be with Jesus Christ this season.

We ask You, Jesus, to fill our families

with Your Love and Mercy.

Bless those we Love with Jesus.

Take all of our Prayers and Concerns

and in Jesus' Righteousness,

let our reasonable Prayers be answered in Your Willingness.

Help the Words of our mouth,

Meditations of our Heart

be Pleasing and Acceptable to You.

Be the Miraculous Rock

and Forever Redeemer of this Difficult Season.

Bless this Nation in Jesus Christ, please.

And strengthen the Nations of Jesus bringing forth

The Light of Jesus in mankind.

Peace to Israel.

Prosper us in Peace and Love

we ask in Jesus all our cares and loves.

Thanksgiving for Elliott's improvement to travel.

Bless Harby in this new environment for 7 or 8 weeks.

The comfort and well-being of their family and pets.

We ask the Willing Healing Word of Jesus Christ for Elliott.

Thank You.

Blessings on all suffering with Covid in all aspects.

To find Strength and Comfort, to bring Love forth in these lives.

In Jesus Christ, we pray, 

in His Righteousness and Love.

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

Scripture Today Web Results  

Scripture for Today Blog

Scripture for Today Blogspot 

Scripture Today Search

Psalm 138 ~ with my whole heart

>

Psalm 138

Of David.

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;

    before the gods 

I sing your praise

2 I bow down toward Your Holy Temple

    and give thanks to Your Name for Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness,

    for You have exalted above all things

    Your name and Your word.

3 On the day I called, 

You answered me;

    my strength of soul 

You increased.

4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,

    for they have heard the Words of Your mouth,

5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,

  

For Great is the Glory of the Lord

6 For though the Lord is high, He regards the lowly,

    but the haughty He knows from afar.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,

    you preserve my life;

You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,

    and Your right hand delivers me.

8 The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me;

   Your steadfast Love, O Lord, endures forever.

    Do not forsake the work of Your Hands.

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;

    before the gods 

I sing your praise

We know the Emperor Claudius began persecuting Christians 16 years after Jesus died. And the real situation, the gods weren't appealing to the people as they once did. 

When Jerusalem was sacked in 80 A.D., the amount of Gold in the Temple of Jerusalem was staggering to the Romans. So much so, the Temple had teams of Romans scraping melted gold from the ruins of the Temple for a long time. Herod had built Caesarea, where Jesus predicted His Church today on the Rock of Peter, fighting hell off, 50 years before the Fall of Jerusalem. Herod had built The Royal Stoa, with Roman Architecture, holding the Jesus-whipped-them money changers because they were making millions annually. Herod wanted the Roman Empire, to vaguely understand, the little-wanted Judean Province was cash flowing astutely. The gold from the Jewish Temple, the Romans came home with, gold into the tens to hundreds of millions. For very valid reasons, the Roman Empire realized the gods weren't in favor.

I Kings 7:13, 5:6, 13, 14; II Chronicles 2:17-18.

The materials assembled for the  Jewish Tabernacle is in Exodus 35-38. 

The total quantity of gold collected was approximately one ton; of silver, 3-3/4 tons; and of bronze, 2-1/2 tons. At approximately $500 per troy ounce, or $6000 per pound, or $12,000,000 per ton. Silver priced around $12 per troy ounce, or $144 per pound, which is $288,000 per ton. 

Exodus 12:35 states Jews were given gold, silver, and ornaments by the Egyptians at the time of the departure from Egypt. The golden lampstand in the tabernacle weighed a talent and would today be worth a half million dollars for its gold alone. A replica of this Menorah is now in the Temple Institute in Jerusalem. (These prices for Gold are old.)

I Chronicles 28:1-19; II Chronicles 2-4; I Kings 6-7M

Materials included 100,000 talents  of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver, (I Chronicles 29). From his own private fortune, David also gave 3,000 talents of gold and 7,000 talents of high-grade silver.  100,000 talents of gold = 3750 tons, value today = $45 billion; 1,000,000 talents of silver = 37,500 tons, value today = $10.8 billion.  The wealth of the First Temple was about $56 billion. Or if we take the current Gold Price Per Ounce $1,232.40 = $137,984,000 Billion.  We have to credit all to God.

Cicero and Josephus wrote of the hoarding of wealth by the High Priests. 

The Second Temple was not wealthy although the Temple Tools returned from the Babylonian Exile. The plunder Titus carried to Rome could well have been worth tens of millions of dollars. Cicero wrote of great influxes of gold to Jerusalem. Josephus, Wars of the Jews, has told of Tradition saying the intense flames of the Temple fire melted the gold and silver, and it ran between the cracks of the rocks. Roman soldiers then totally dismantled the Temple stone by stone to extract the gold, Matthew 24:1-21.

Temples to the gods, goddesses in Rome were sometimes painted colors.

Isis' worship was later in the Roman Empire. Her Temples were red.

The Romans didn't know how much the Temple would be looted for. Suddenly, the Roman Empire had a more serious problem. Romans realized the gods weren't in favor. 

Roman History is so complete, we have the addresses of the Romans written in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Mamertine Prison records Peter and Paul. Justin and Tertullian refer to a letter Pontius Pilate wrote to Emperor Claudius of Good Friday, the earthquakes, eclipse and reports of the dead rising to life. The letter to the Emperor is lost, although complete forgeries exist. History explains where Peter was buried. We know which Emperor signed the death warrant of Peter. 

How were the gods and goddesses going to reclaim the fragments?

Some serious thinking went with this loss.  The Culture of Egypt, Ancient Greece and Rome were loosely tied around the gods and goddesses being so similar.  With so many cultural changes sweeping the Roman Empire, more instability was extremely undesirable.

How to repackage, advertise, challenge and enthrall the Participants of the Eleusinian Mysteries?  

The Roman Empire knew about Catacombs and Synagogues, House Churches and cryptic messages (they knew there were signs like the upper and lower case fish <><, but not the actual sign.) And God knows, these Christians were cannibals meeting in the Catacombs and healing lepers, so something was definitely creepy there.

So, the repackaging of the Eleusinian Mysteries: Mysteries of Mithra.

And this looked like the movie Bowfinger with Steve Martin and Eddie Murray in 1999: Bobby Bowfinger: "Now that you and your colleagues here at Mindfu -, head have had a chance to think, what do you say?"

Inspired as of the days of old, gods inspired of other gods and goddesses was trade. Mithra was Persian Empire of the Zoroastrian divinity like the Greek Mithras and continuity between Persian and Greco-Roman practice. The Mysteries of Mithra were taken from what Christianity inspired from far away observers. A complex system, 7 grades of initiation mysteries and reveals. Plus communal ritual meals. Initiates were united by handshakes. And divided by mysteries and levels seen at the communal meals. This was held underground temples, Mithraea Temples, which survive in large numbers.  Centered in Rome, traveling around the Roman Empire. This was to enthrall the Eleusinian Mysteries and provide a warm, "Oh yeah, I knew that vaguely."

And soon the gods and goddesses were history. 

And where Peter is buried became the Rock where the Church of Jesus has started 2,100 years ago. 

How could this have happened. 

Peter lived near Rome's Red City Wall. Red let everyone know, in the vast, traveling Roman Empire that this was the section set aside for the foreigners. The poor and underprivileged foreigners. According to the 62-year archeological dig under the Vatican, this section went on for 3 city blocks. This encompassed the foreigner cemetery where criminals were buried. Not the best side of town. And near the Red Wall Foreigner side of Rome, was an entrance into the catacombs of the true Romans.

Jesus, c 235 AD, Syrian. Jesus is alive!

Easter has people rise from the tombs.

What would cause the world's most educated population, 

with extensive cultural history of Rome 

to turn to Jesus Christ?

Jesus describes His Father:

Jesus tells of His Loving and Available Father:

Jesus, 4th Century Roman Art

Luke 11

    

5 And He said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything

    

    Because He is his friend, yet because of his impudence He will rise and give him whatever he needs. 

    

    9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, 

and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 

    

    10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, 

and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 

11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 

12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 

13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, 

how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

The Romans came to know the poor foreigner's section and went to find Peter and Mark to know Jesus.

We can see what they saw in Vatican archaeology. The slum is still under the Vatican, the early Romans of 400 AD smoothed out the slum to make a flat surface to build the Vatican. Using the same area of the town to house the Christian worshipers.

We are seeing Peter's neighborhood in the black and white photos. The same doors and doorways, Peter probably knew. The cemetery was recorded being the park of the neighborhood. The neighborhood wrapped around the large rectangular cemetery. Which was like a park.

Really, when we see Mark's Gospel, we are seeing Peter's Ministry to Jesus.

Peter directed Mark to write the chapters of the Gospel to  the First Century Romans questions they mostly asked about Jesus. Mark's Gospel was written to fill in the conversations heard on the Streets and in the houses of Rome. 

  Romans 1:7

To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: 

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 

  

    Mark 10:21

Jesus looked at him and loved him.

  

  John 21:7

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" 

  

    John 11:5

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 

Jude 1:1

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, 

To those who have been called, 

who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ

    

  

  John 13:1

It was just before the Passover Festival. 

Jesus knew that the hour had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. 

Having loved His own who were in the world, 

He loved them to the end. 

  

  

  

    

  Abba, Father God,

  

  2 Thessalonians 2:16

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope

  

Help us to hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, and we are encouraged with those we love and help each other with Your sound doctrine and put our doubts aside. To help your Church. To Strengthen the Body of Christ. And overcome this virus and season.

  

 Dwell in us, Father and give us the Joy of Your Strength. Bless us to see more Heaven on earth.

 Rejoicing each day to pray for the people we love and the people You have given us.

To Seek You first and be more Heaven.

  

  Bless our neighborhoods, communities, Churches, the States we live in and the Nation. 

  Remind us of Your Love and we rejoice.

  

  The Love Jesus has for us make our days easier and give us the warmth

  to overcome our moments of discomfort.

  

  Bless Elliott and Harby in the hospital and hotel in Maryland and Virginia.

  Bless their children and dogs to be encouraged and Blessed.

  Blessings of Health in Jesus' Willingness. Abundantly.

  

  We ask in the Highest Name of Jesus. Amen.

Lord Father, Thank You for

hearing our Prayers

in  Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

Scripture Today Web Results  

Scripture for Today Blog

Scripture for Today Blogspot 

Scripture Today Search