Jesus Called Disciples and More Healings

January 5, 2026 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Book of Luke Chapter 5

In the time of Jesus, every teacher had his own company of disciples.

Jewish Rabbis had theirs, Pharisees had theirs, John the Baptist had his, but the difference in the disciples of Jesus Christ was that He chose twelve men Himself.

This inner circle of men had to forsake their lives and follow the Lord Jesus wherever He went.

They also continued the ministry of Jesus after He returned to Heaven.

The most important thing was that they were trained to carry the ministry of Jesus forward after He was gone.

They changed from disciples to Apostles.

That word apostle has a similar meaning to ambassador.

We should realize that the Lord Jesus also appointed another seventy men and commissioned them.

Luk 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
Luk 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, the harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
Luk 10:3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

A disciple of Jesus Christ will submit to baptism, submit to the teachings of God’s Word, and obey all the Lord Jesus has commanded.

The Lord has told all His disciples that He will make us fishers of men: Mrk_1:17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

Jesus would have all mankind caught in the Gospel net!

*Luk 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

Lake Gennesaret is the same body of water known as the Sea of Galilee.

The call of men is needed more today because the world has more than eight billion people in it who need to hear the truth of the Gospel and make a decision for themselves.

We can see that these people wanted to hear what the Lord Jesus had to say.

They wanted to hear the Word of God!

They had a hunger and thirst for things that the Lord Jesus was saying.

Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

We need that same hunger and thirst today for the truth.

*Luk 5:2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them and were washing their nets.
Luk 5:3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

Have you ever noticed how sound travels so well when you are on the lake?

I believe the Lord Jesus had a booming voice that could be heard from a great distance, but no man can talk over a large, disorderly crowd hanging all over him.

Simon Peter makes his fishing boat available to the Lord Jesus, so Simon participates in the work of the Lord.

Like a pastor preached recently, “What do we have in our hands to give unto the Word of the Lord”?

Do we make available our resources to the work of the Lord?

*Luk 5:4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
Luk 5:5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

The work of the Lord is not all drudgery; the work of the Lord can be rewarding.

Now, this is not saying that Jesus teaches a prosperity Gospel, but God will reward those who are on the battlefield of the Lord, but it is rarely financial, other than meeting our needs.

Peter and those with him had fished all night and had taken nothing.

This is the outcome I have most of the time, but catching fish is not the main reason I go fishing.

Here again, the Lord Jesus had a reason for the miracle that He was about to perform.

The title Master comes from the Greek word meaning teacher.

Sometimes the same Greek word for teacher is used as the title doctor.

Peter was an experienced fisherman, and he knew if the fish did not bite in the night, they were not going to bite in the daytime, but the Lord Jesus wanted to start working on Peter’s faith.

The Lord also wanted Peter to accept Him as the Messiah who has control of all nature.

The lesson from the Lord Jesus was out with the old and in with the new.

A New Covenant was beginning, and it would have better results than the Old Covenant.

The lesson for us all is that we can place our faith in the infallible Word of God.

As we build on our Christian lives, doubt must be replaced with obedience.

There are no hopeless situations for the child of God.

The results of obedience will always be a blessing.

When we are drawn to God, we need to obey our hearts.

I can remember a few weeks before I came to this church, I was walking in my yard, and the Holy Spirit asked me why I was throwing my life away because of the way I was living.

I only knew the truth of that day when I came through the doors of this church.

Peter was having a similar feeling on this day with the Lord Jesus.

*Luk 5:6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
Luk 5:7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

The miracles of the Lord Jesus Christ showed that He could do things that only God could do.

There are many charlatans out in this world today, but none of them can do what only God can do. And we must not be fooled by them.
The Holy Spirit will not allow their lies to be true.

Those who claim the power to heal should go to the closest hospital and stop the suffering of those on the inside.

If Peter had only caught a few fish or even a net full of fish, he would have thought little about it.

The Lord Jesus wanted Peter to feel the willingness to serve the Lord.

If Peter thought he was exhausted, he was about to find out what true exhaustion was all about.

Peter’s net could not hold all the fish, and he called for another boat to come to help. Both boats had so many fish in them that they were in jeopardy of sinking, which the Lord would not have allowed because it would have defeated His purpose.

The Lord Jesus knew exactly how many fish it would take to sink those boats!

When we make decisions in this life, we must make those decisions according to the Word of God and our faith.

Peter’s faith began to rise.
Peter’s faith rested on the Words of Christ, “At Thy Word”. No one else could have talked Peter into letting down his nets he had just cleaned.
Peter’s faith led to obedience without questioning.

Many of us are disappointed at what this life offers, but we find that as we walk in step with Jesus Christ, we learn what blessings are all about.

Peter became overwhelmed because of his own sin of doubt.

*Luk 5:8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
Luk 5:9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

Peter understood exactly what had happened!

Peter was overwhelmed by his own unworthiness!

Peter understood that he had just witnessed a miracle.

The people on the shore are not mentioned, but they were there, many of them, because they had witnessed or heard of the many miracles of healing that the Lord Jesus had performed.

To Peter, the Lord Jesus was no longer Master but now Lord. We know Him as Lord of lords.

Peter came to the Lord Jesus upon his knees in confession of his sins.

1) Peter confessed to his sin of unbelief. He had questioned the Lord’s will. He had to acknowledge that the Lord’s power was not of this earth.

2) Peter confessed that Jesus was indeed Lord. In this verse, the Greek word “kurios” means supreme in authority.

1Co 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Peter acknowledged that the Lord Jesus was the authority that must be obeyed, and we had better understand this also.

3) Peter confessed his fear and his reverence as Peter was in awe of the miracle that the Lord Jesus had just shown him.

This reminds us of the Prophet Isaiah: Isa 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

Peter was close to salvation as we know it:

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

And others had witnessed this miracle.

*Luk 5:10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
Luk 5:11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

This passage tells us when these men realized that Jesus is Lord of all, and they were determined to follow Him.

This passage tells us something else.

We know that in typology, this fishing boat is in type the Church, and the Church cannot do anything without the Lord Jesus Christ being onboard.

Jesus Christ challenged these men to follow Him and become fishers of men.

It is the job of the Church to produce and train fishers of men with those who answer the call of Christ and are filled with the Holy Spirit.

To Peter, it was now obvious that the Lord Jesus was indeed the Messiah come from God, and he had what we all need.

A reverent fear of God and an actual fear of the Almighty God and the Lord Jesus, sensing this fear, said, “Fear not”.

The Lord Jesus had not come at this time for “judgment”. He will judge this world when He returns the second time.

So, we too can “Fear not”.

In actuality, the world has already been judged, and we are judged as sinners.

This is the reason the Lord Jesus came to earth the first time.

Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

What do we know of our own calling?

Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

There were two of the disciples of Christ who were named James.

Here we have James, the brother John was the son of Zebedee.

It is this James with his brother John and Peter who become the Lord’s inner circle.

This James is never mentioned apart from John.

This is the James that King Herod had killed with a sword.

There is another James, the son of Alphaeus, called James the Less, because he was shorter than James, the brother of John.

There are also two other men named James.

James, the half-brother of the Lord, who later became the pastor of the Church in Jerusalem.

It is this James who wrote the epistle of James.

Then there was James, the father of Judas Iscariot.

Those who are called of God will forsake all and follow the Lord.

Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

*Luk 5:12 And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

There are some things we should see here.

Leprosy is a type of sin in the New Testament.

In the salvation plan of God, we must first acknowledge that we are sinners.

Then we must acknowledge the cleansing.

In reality, we are not healed from our sin; we are cleansed from our sin.

Only the Lord Jesus Christ can cleanse us of our sin.

We must be washed to become clean.

Rev_1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Is the Lord Jesus also the Great Healer? He certainly is, and He can heal us from any ailment.

Mat_14:14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

He will do neither without a show of faith.

Luk_9:11 And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.

This leper, who came to Jesus, was sustained by his hope. He saw hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our only hope in this world!

He called Jesus Lord because he knew that Jesus is Lord of lords.

1Co_12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

We must realize just how dirty and defiled we are on the inside and on the outside before we can be cleansed of that defilement.

We must humble ourselves before the Lord, who only can cleanse us!

Leprosy was the most terrible of diseases in the day of Jesus and was greatly feared by the people, and we should see sin in the same way today.

It would cause disfigurement, and many times it was fatal; again, sin causes these same things.

It is no wonder that leprosy is a type of sin in Scripture.

The leper was considered unclean.
The leper was judged to be the walking dead.
The leper was an outcast and banished from society.
The leper was considered polluted and incurable.

Sin will cause these same things, but because of the mercy and grace of God, He looks deep into our hearts, and He knows there can be something special in each of us if we will only trust Him.

The leper had asked the Lord Jesus if He could be willing to help him, and the Lord said; ‘I will”.

*Luk 5:13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.

We see that the Lord Jesus Christ is willing to help anyone if they show faith in His powers.

The Lord Jesus is always moved with compassion for those who are hurting in any manner.

This leper acknowledges that he is hopelessly lost and the only thing that can help him is God’s “Grace”.

Only “Grace” can heal a leper because only “Grace” can cleanse us of our sin!

So many have become desperate in our world today because this world cannot help them, and if it could, it refuses to help them.

The Lord Jesus reached out and touched this man when no one else would ever touch a leper for fear of getting the disease.

Every leper was considered untouchable!

The Highest of all God’s could go low enough to touch the unclean leper when no one else would.

The Lord Jesus Christ will reach out and touch all who are considered untouchable in our world if they trust Him.

The Lord Jesus is always willing to help those who have faith that He will help them.

How did Jesus heal this leper? It was that sword in His mouth. He just spoke the words “be thou clean,” and this man was cleansed.

We can all be cleansed by the Word of Jesus Christ.

What did the Lord Jesus do throughout the time He was upon this earth the first time?

Mat 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
Mat 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

For this, He was crucified!

*Luk 5:14 And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

What did this man need to do next?

This man needed to worship and offer thanks to God and learn to obey the Word of God before doing anything else.

Remember, this man did not have a place on his body that was not covered with leprosy.

In typology, he was deep in sin. He wanted to run and tell the world that he was now.

We must understand that the Lord Jesus had come to this earth as a lowly servant, and He did not want people to think more of Him than this.

Jesus Christ did not do the things He did for self-exaltation.

Jesus wrote all prophecy, and He knew some would try to make Him king, but it was not the time for this to take place.

It was highly unlikely that any lepers were healed in those days. A priest had to go through a detailed list of laws to ever confirm that any leper was cured.

This leper still needed a certificate from a priest saying he had been cleansed.

Book of Leviticus, Chapters 13, verses 38-59, and Chapter 14, verses 1 through 32 will give us some idea about the cure of leprosy.

*Luk 5:15 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
Luk 5:16 And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

The fame of our Lord actually interfered with His ministry so much that Jesus had to withdraw to the wilderness and talk to His Heavenly Father.

This is another great example for us.

When the world interferes with our relationship with our Savior, we need to get alone with God and tell Him what we are going through.

Jesus had the message of salvation and the power to heal, but the message of salvation is much more important!

It was God and prayer that were the source of His power, and He needed much time alone with God, just as we all do.

*Luk 5:17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

As the fame of the Lord Jesus grew, the old religionists came to investigate.

Above all, the Lord Jesus Christ was at this time Teacher, and it is His message that is of greater importance.

This committee had representatives from all over the country. Every major area was represented.

These people could not get along with each other, but they came together to critic the Lord Jesus.

These critics did not come to help Jesus in His ministry of salvation, and they certainly did not come to learn from Him.

They came to investigate and observe Him. They were like spectators at a ball game, except salvation is not a game. Salvation is a God thing, and God sent His Son to show us the only path to Salvation.

What did the Lord Jesus do? He just kept on doing what He was doing and paid them no attention.

Rom 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

We are not here to judge any minister who is serving in the name of our Savior.

We were never called to be judges but witnesses!

*Luk 5:27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.
Luk 5:28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.
Luk 5:29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.

When the Lord Jesus Christ began building His disciples who stayed with Him, He chose those who were the outcasts of society.

This man called Levi is the same as Matthew, who wrote the Book of Matthew.

Levi was a dreaded tax collector.

The tax collectors of that day were normally Jews, and it was Rome who set up the tax standard, but most of the tax collectors were rich because they collected more than was required.

For this reason, they were hated because they worked for the Roman government.

To the Lord Jesus, Matthew was just a sinner like we are all sinners, and we should see other people as sinners just as we are sinners.

We may be better off than those who reject the Lord Jesus, because He has made a way for us to get to Heaven, but we are not better than anyone we meet, lost or saved.

In fact, Christian Pride can interfere with the job the Lord has given us to do.

We should have a testimony about what salvation has done for us, but the message we have is the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus went forth, whether it was from a house or a city, because it was time for Him to be busy about His Father’s business.

What is the business of our Heavenly Father? 1Ti_2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

By associating with a man such as Levi, Jesus was exposing Himself to ridicule and acceptance by the upper class of Jerusalem.

These outcasts were not acceptable to the social network of society, but Jesus loved them.

We must understand that we were all outcasts from Heaven until we accepted the truth of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Just as the Lord Jesus humbled Himself before these outcasts of society, we have to humble ourselves before Him.

Everything that the Lord Jesus did was an example for us to learn as we are to be more like Him in all His ways.

Matthew made a great feast in his home, and there were many more of the tax collectors there because they were each other’s only friends.

Matthew’s heart was now filled with joy, and he wanted all his friends to learn of God’s Messiah.

Matthew forsook his riches and became a disciple of Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus wants us all to do the same thing today.

2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
2Co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

As always, the super religious crowd found faults in the way that the Lord Jesus worked His ministry, and these outcasts of society were not wanted in their religious circles.

They were not acceptable!

*Luk 5:30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
Luk 5:31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
Luk 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

The religious crowd saw Jesus Christ only as a person who associated with the rejected of society.

Today, this would be the drunks, those who consume drugs, those who have addictions to all sorts of illegal substances, those who are in jails, and anyone else who accepts the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus called us to witness His truths and not be like those who only judge people to see if they think they are acceptable.

If you did not keep the laws of the religious crowd on that day, you were ceremonially unclean and rejected.

Thank goodness we are not under the law, but under grace, God’s Amazing Grace.

The Lord Jesus said to this crowd that only those who realized they were sinners needed a Savior.

All those who are righteous in their own eyes do not need anything.

These are those who are sick, but they do not know it.

They will never call the doctor, so they can never be healed.

The Lord Jesus came to save sinners.

The Lord Jesus died to pay the sin debt of all sinners, even those who think they are not sinners.

The Lord Jesus gave His life for the life of all sinners!

The righteous crowd does not accept the fact that they need repentance!

They say they do not need saving.

Those who trust in some false god say they do not need saving.

Those who are rich think their money can buy them salvation, so they do not need saving.

Those who trust in the ways of the world say they do not need saving.

What does God teach us?

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And God the Father adds: Psa_2:4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

Pro_6:15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

Pro_1:26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

Today is the day of salvation, don’t wait until it is too late to call upon the Lord!

Amen

Jesus’ Temptation, Teaching, and Healing

December 29, 2025 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Jesus’ Temptation, Teaching and Healing

Book of Luke Chapter 4

When we need to know how to act in any situation, all we need to know is how Jesus would act in that situation.

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We have no greater example to follow than the Lord Jesus Christ!

This will not always be an easy thing to do.

Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

We must never get confused. The Lord Jesus is God in the flesh!

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.

Jhn_1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Our greatest problem that we face in our Christian life is that we just do not handle temptation very well.

If Satan finds out what works on us, he will use that against us unless we wise up to him.

Victory over temptation is our greatest challenge as we walk in the ways of Jesus Christ.

Every temptation we face today is the same as the ones the Lord Jesus faced in His lifetime in the flesh.

*Luk 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Luk 4:2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

Then Jesus was baptized.

The Lord was the fulness of the Holy Spirit.

Here the Lord Jesus shows how to handle the temptations of the Devil.

The Lord Jesus Christ was about to launch the most important work of Yahweh.

The work of the Lord Jesus Christ was to determine the eternal fate of this world we live in today.

It was the Holy Spirit who led the Lord Jesus into the wilderness so that He could be tempted.

Mar 1:12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
Mar 1:13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.

Mat 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

The Lord Jesus could not begin His ministry unless He could stand up to temptation.

The devil is our adversary, and we must know how to deal with him!

1Pe_5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

If Satan, the Devil, is not afraid to tempt the Lord Jesus, then who do we think we are that we will not face his temptations?

The Lord Jesus is not tempted as the Son of God, but He is tempted as the Son of God who is also the Son of Man.

God allows this so we know that we have an example of the Son of Man, the man Jesus could withstand the attacks of the Devil.

We can too if we learn how the Lord Jesus accomplished this.

The Lord Jesus, one hundred percent God but also one hundred percent man, had to be totally committed to the salvation plan of God the Father.

He needed to gain the victory that was needed so that whosoever believed these things could be saved for an eternity in the presence of God.

God’s plan included the cross, the way of sacrifice and suffering, to help others.

The Lord Jesus would always be tempted to use His power of God to end His temptations, and had He done so, we would all still face that Burning Lake of Fire we know of as Hell.

The man Jesus had to be assured that the God Jesus had the power to deliver him and conquer temptation.

We must be winners of the trials of life.

1) Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit.

2) Jesus was led to spend time alone with God the Father.
We must spend some time alone with God.

3) Jesus was led to be tried and tested.
It is our trials that test us and make us stronger.

4) Jesus was led to fast and pray.
Most of us pray, and maybe not enough, but very few of us take fasting seriously.

We must understand that God is not allowing us to be tempted so that we will fail! God is allowing our temptation so we can have victory over it.

Temptation comes from our heart; temptation does not come from God!

Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

We are never singled out for some special temptation. The same temptations can happen to all mankind.

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

There is only one way to overcome temptation!

Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Let’s watch the Devil do his dirty work.

*Luk 4:3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
Luk 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

The Devil knew exactly that Jesus was the Son of God, but if he could get Jesus to use His godly powers to sustain His human side, then Satan would win this battle.

Jesus had gone forty days without food in a fast that was intended to prepare Him to begin His ministry.

Jesus, the man, knew He needed all the help He could get from His Heavenly Father, and by fasting, He wanted His Father to know how much He would give up completing His ministry.

Remember the Lord Jesus came to die for us, but Satan was not aware of all the plan of God.

No doubt Jesus was hungry, and those river stones probably looked a whole lot like a baked loaf of bread.

Certainly, He had the power to make some food if He wanted to, but His forty-day fast and prayer had given Him much spiritual strength.

All the power that Jesus had at that time could not be used to sustain Himself.

He had to live as a man in order for God’s will to be done and He refused to go against the will of His Father.

He could only use those powers that He had to help mankind!

Mat 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

Jesus had to be who He claimed to be, just as every Christian is to be who they claim to be.

Each Christian and his ministry is to follow in the ways of Jesus Christ.

1) If Jesus used His power upon Himself, then it could not be said that He trusted His Heavenly Father.
2) If Jesus used His power upon Himself, it would be like saying that man could use their own abilities upon themselves instead of helping a lost world to come to know their Savior.
3) If Jesus used His power upon Himself, He would be teaching that men could use their own abilities to build themselves up instead of honoring God for His power.

If you are a Christian, you already know that we could not survive in this world without our Heavenly Father supplying our Spiritual means.

Food alone is not enough to sustain us; we need the Word of God and the strength of the Holy Spirit.

We must clearly understand that we may be better off than those who are lost, but we are not better than anyone else in this world, nor should we see ourselves as better; our pride will get in the way of God’s work.

There is a Spiritual hunger that food cannot satisfy!

*Luk 4:5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
Luk 4:6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Luk 4:7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
Luk 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Satan does not give up easily, and we should understand this fact.

As we grow up in this wicked world, we are taught that we must have ambitions to succeed.

In the devil’s evil mind, he thought that Jesus, with His great power, would also have ambitions beyond those of His Father.

We must never believe that Satan does not have some powers, even though his powers are allowed to take place under the watchful eyes of God.

Satan never has control of this world, but the fact is, he can control every unbeliever because God allows it.

2Ti_2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

What were the ambitions of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Luk_19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Isa 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Satan made a bold claim that he controlled the possessions and the glory of the world, which was a lie.

Satan may be the “prince of this world,” but every prince serves a King, and the Devil serves the Almighty God, Yahweh.

Dan 4:25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

Joh 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

Satan is only the author of confusion.

2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Satan offered this part of the world that he influenced over to Jesus if Jesus would fall on His knees and worship him.

1) Could Jesus compromise His standards and behavior?
2) Could Jesus compromise His loyalty and faithfulness to His Heavenly Father?
3) Could Jesus give up His ministry and His mission?

The Lord Jesus was quick to answer: Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Jesus could not follow the ways of worldliness and still be God!

We can have all the ambitions we want as long as they are in the Will of God for our lives.

God wants us to do the very best we can in everything we do, but not sin.

All sin is an abomination to our Heavenly Father!

1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

*Luk 4:9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
Luk 4:10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
Luk 4:11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Luk 4:12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Again, we see that Satan is persistent, so we must be strong in the Lord.

We may not know what or where this pinnacle was located, but we do believe that the roof of Herod’s portico of the Temple, which overhung the ravine of the Kedron Valley, was six hundred or seven hundred feet high.

Surely this would have been the place that Satan would use, for no man could survive such a fall.

Jesus allowed Satan to take Him to this place because Satan had no intention of throwing Him off, but he wanted Jesus to jump off under His own power.

God had said that He would take care of His Son no matter what happened.

Psa 91:9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
Psa 91:10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
Psa 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Psa 91:12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

This was not the will of God for the life of Jesus the man!

Satan tempted Jesus to die some other way than the cross.

Luk 9:21 And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;
Luk 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

We know that Satan did not know about the cross.

1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

If Satan had known, then those wicked men in Jerusalem would have known.

If you listen to this world, you will begin to believe that that are many ways to get to God’s House in Heaven, but reality is that there is only one way and that is God’s way.

God’s way is the way of the Cross!

Heb 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1Co_1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Heb_12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Again, the Lord Jesus was quick to answer, and He answered for all of us: It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

When God says there is only one way to get to Heaven, He means what He says, and He says what he means!

*Luk 4:13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
Luk 4:14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
Luk 4:15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

Though Satan is much smarter than the sinner, he does not have a chance against the wisdom of God.

This is the major reason why we need the wisdom of God.

Satan did not have anything else with which to tempt the Lord Jesus at that time, but we see he would linger in the background until he thought he had something else.

Satan began working on the people of Jerusalem and those who represented the government of the Jews and the government of Rome. Those who did not have the power to resist him.

For us, the Church, we can see that Satan is a loser!

This man, Jesus, had defeated Satan and shows us that we can defeat Satan by making use of the Word of God.

It is God’s truths that defeat the Devil!

The Devil knows he is a loser, but he does not ever give up!

We must remember that Satan does not have to convince the sinner who already belongs to him.

Satan can spend the majority of his time trying to confuse God’s people, and he is good at it.

He has been doing it for two thousand years.

Rom 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Rom 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

When we have victory over temptation, we will be able to see our lives change, and we will be able to see that change in others.

What did the Lord Jesus tell the Church, and the Holy Spirit confirm? Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

*Luk 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

The Lord Jesus was not a Nazarene because He took some oath. The Lord Jesus was a Nazarene because He was raised in Nazareth.

Those people in that synagogue would be very familiar with Jesus, who was raised by Joseph and Mary, who kept the Sabbath and the Laws.

At the age of thirty, Jesus was allowed to teach and this is the place and He began His ministry here at this place.

There is something in the Book of Isaiah that these other Jews needed to take to heart.

Here it is not the man Jesus who is speaking it is the Son of God who is speaking: Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Here again, we see the Triune God. We see the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus, and Yahweh, and it is here where the Lord Jesus first claims that He is the Messiah, sent from Yahweh.

*Luk 4:17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luk 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

We should be able to understand that when the Lord Jesus read the Scriptures, it was far different from when others read.

The author of a book knows his intentions when he reads his own words.

The Lord Jesus treated those Scriptures with reverence, and is another example for us when we read those same Scriptures.

The Messiah was anointed by the Holy Spirit.
He was called by the Holy Spirit.
He was equipped by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit goes with God’s Messiah everywhere He goes.

This is the same job the Holy Spirit does with every child of God today.

1) The Lord Jesus came to preach the Gospel, the Good Tidings of Yahweh.
He would preach to those who were poor financially, but more importantly, to those who were poor in spirit.
He was to preach deliverance to those who were captives of the Devil.

2) The Lord Jesus came to minister. To help and heal the brokenhearted. Give sight to those who were blind spiritually and physically. The Lord Jesus came to make us free from this wicked and evil world.

3) The Lord came to preach the Day of Salvation!

The Lord Jesus read from Isaiah sixty, verses one and two, but He did not read from verse three because verse three dealt with judgment.

The Messiah will deal with “judgment” when He returns with His saints.

Luk_21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

When the Lord Jesus finished reading, He sat down, but He was not through.

*Luk 4:20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
Luk 4:21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

We may not realize it, but after the reading of the Scripture, the preacher would sit down to preach.

This is the way it was done in the Jewish synagogues.

All eyes were focused upon the Lord Jesus Christ as He sat down.

Jesus told them they were looking at the beginning of the fulfillment of this prophecy of Isaiah.

This was to be the work of God’s Messiah.

It made them mad that He, the son of Joseph, could say such things, and they would have murdered Him if they had been able to do so.

Jesus left and came to Capernaum and spoke at the synagogue in that place for several Sabbaths.

Jesus also began to heal many of their sicknesses and ailments.

*Luk 4:38 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.
Luk 4:39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.

When we follow the life of Jesus Christ, we will see many miracles, and we should know there is a reason behind every miracle that He did.
,
For instance, the Lord Jesus could have healed everyone who lived during His life here on earth, but Jesus chose to heal certain ones, and He had a reason for each one.

Some say Jesus cured or healed the neediest.

The Lord Jesus had just left the synagogue in Capernaum and went to the home of Simon Peter.

Peter was a married man, and his mother-in-law was ill.

Notice she had a great fever.

Even today, the marshes associated with the River Jordan are the most fever-stricken regions of Israel.

In most cases, it was malaria carried by the mosquito.

It could cause jaundice in those who frequently have repeated attacks of this fever.

Typhoid was also common in this region.

This mother-in-law was critically ill and would probably not have lived through the fever at this time.
She was helpless and could not even speak.
She was so weak, she could not get out of bed.

I do not know how many of you have been this sick, but I have during cancer treatments and chemo. It’s terrible to think you might be gone by the next day but it is wondeful to know that if you do die you will wake up in Heaven.

The Lord Jesus just spoke the Word, and her fever was gone.

All the Lord has to do is speak the Word, He does not have to be present for the healing to take place.

Joh 4:52 Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

Next, we see that whoever was in the home at that time compelled the Lord Jesus to heal her as He had those at the synagogue.

We can see that no matter what the Lord Jesus was doing as He began His ministry, it was always okay to take our needs to Him.

He is never too busy to deal with God’s children.

If and when you go through these days, you will find that the Lord Jesus is your only hope!

Also, notice that fever obeys the Lord just as if it were a person.

The power of this miracle is shown as this lady immediately rises, completely healed, and begins to minister to those in Peter’s home.

As many had witnessed this miracle, they left to bring back all those who were sick in that city.

*Luk 4:40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.

The Lord Jesus had been busy this day as His ministry began, but He never said no, “I’m too tired to do more”.

The Lord never gets tired of showing us His Grace!

2Co_9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

No matter when we call upon the Lord today, He is always willing and ready to help us.

Notice it did not matter what disease was presented to the Lord Jesus; He had the power to heal.
No matter what misery was brought to the Lord, He was able to remove that misery.

We see where those who were helpless had been brought to Jesus; they were so helpless.

No matter how helpless we are, we can always reach out to the Lord Jesus.

The Lord Jesus did not overlook any illness or infirmity.

Jesus spoke to some illnesses, and some He just touched them, but they were all healed.

Some of those who were brought to the Lord Jesus had their bad health caused by the Devil.

*Luk 4:41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.

Notice that those demons knew exactly that Jesus was the Son of God.

Notice also that the Lord Jesus does not want any testimony from demons.

The Lord Jesus does not want His name associated with false preachers!

Demons were a deity and spirits. They were superhuman, but they were not supernatural!

Psa 106:37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,

Deu 32:17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.

Some people believe that demons are the spirits of dead evil people, but this is proven to be false by Scripture.

Remember that rich and evil rich man and Lazarus? Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Some people believe these demons are the remnants of those wicked people who rejected the preaching of Noah.

This theory comes from those who believe in the Gap Theory. They believe there is a great gap of time between Genesis Chapter 1, verse 1 and verse 2.

We know that God did not make man until verse 26, and besides this, we have Scripture that says sin entered because of Adam.

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Some people believe that these demons were the offspring of angels and women from the verse in Gen 6:2, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

Gen 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

That these giants became the demons that hound us today.

The majority of Christians believe that these demons are a remnant of fallen angels whom God has left unconfined.

Many of these demons followed Lucifer, and God allowed some to roam free.

Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

We know that at least most of those angels that followed Lucifer, God has already bound: 2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

Another group is confined in a more secure pit: Jud 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

Even some of these will be released during the Tribulation Period: Rev 9:11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

Demons are called spirits because they have no bodies: Mat 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:

Demons are not omnipresent but exist locally and cannot go very far from where they are located: Act 16:16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

Demons are intelligent, but they do not know all things; they do know who the Lord Jesus Christ is: Mar 1:24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.

Demons will lead you away from Christ if you listen to them: 1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Demons have some power. Mark 5:3-4
Demons can inflict disease. Luke 13:11
Demons can influence the mind. 2 Cor 4:4
Demons will deceive you. 1 Thess 3:5
Demons can possess you. Throughout the Gospels

Demons can deceive nations: Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

After praying alone, seeking the presence of God, Jesus became a traveling evangelist.

Jesus prayed often alone during His ministry, another great example for us!

*Luk 4:42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.
Luk 4:43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
Luk 4:44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

We need some time alone with God!

Jesus had been preaching and healing for at least twenty-four hours, and He was exhausted.

Many desperate and helpless people were trying to find Him, and it is the same today.

Many desperate people are seeking something that they do not know, and it is our job to tell them where to find it.

It is in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

We will need to stay in touch with God and seek His help.

After all, it is His plan, and we are to become a part of His plan.

We cannot save anyone, but we can lead them to the One who can.

The Lord Jesus was determined to complete His mission, and He had very little time to do it.

He already had a date with a cross on Mount Calvary.

Isa 50:5 The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
Isa 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
Isa 50:7 For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

Amen

The Message of John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus

December 22, 2025 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Message of John the Baptist and Jesus’ Baptism

Book of Luke Chapter 3

In Chapter 2, we can read about the Lord Jesus as a twelve-year-old, but just a few verses later, we find our Savior at thirty years old.

The rule of the nation of Israel and the Head of the priests is in the hands of people who do not care about Yahweh and will reject His Messiah.

Pontius Pilate has been placed in Jerusalem to rule over God’s land.

Herod, a descendant of Esau, has been placed as King of Israel, and we know that the descendants of Esau have always been haters of God’s people.

Oba 1:6 How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!

Oba 1:10 For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

There are two High Priests, but there is no time when God said there should be two High Priests.

Joh 18:13 And led him away to Annas first; for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.

At the end of this book, we will see how these political and religious leaders conspired to bring the Lord Jesus Christ to the cross that Jesus came to die on.

The first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Messiah, was and still is the pivotal point in the history of our world!

The earth that rejects our Divine God got a chance to see Him and what He stands for.

The impact that the Lord Jesus made upon this world can never be overstated.

John the Baptist paves the way.

*****Luk 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

Luk 3:2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

Luk 3:3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

Luk 3:4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Luk 3:5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

Luk 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Luke gives us an accurate picture of history in the early days of John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke, with the help of the Holy Spirit, is showing us just how corrupt the government and the religious circles were on that day.

The false High Priest, Annas, had been removed from office by the then Roman procurator, Valerius Gratus, but he continued to hold power over the High Priest office, with Caiaphas being his stepson.

Rome wanted control over the religion of the Jews, and this was their way of doing this.

This is the same thing China, and some other nations, keep control over some churches that teach Christianity.

God had commanded that all High Priests were to be in the line of Aaron.

God’s call to John the Baptist came while he was in the wilderness, which was a sparsely populated area.

God found John in a most obscure place.

God always knows where we are and what we are doing.

The Word of God can reach any place at any time because the Holy Spirit goes where He pleases.

Today, the Holy Spirit is the most powerful Deity on the face of this earth, and we know that He will not always strive with man or mankind.

The call of God is a personal matter, and this is the way God continues to work.

He loves personal relationships with each of us.

This Jordan is not the nation Jordan that we know of today, but the River Jordan where John could find a place to baptize those who repented.

We will notice that John would not baptize those who would not repent of their sins.

The Church has been lax in this regard.

The Lord Jesus Christ said: Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

In other words, the Lord Jesus states that there are no exceptions to this command.

Eph 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

The work of John the Baptist was in fulfillment of prophecy.

Isa 40:1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God

Isa 40:2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.

Isa 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Isa 40:4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

Isa 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Notice John does not call them back to the Laws of Moses; John calls them to repent of their sin.

We must repent of our sin and our old life before we can be members of God’s family!

They had to recognize that they were sinners just as we do today.

John was called to serve God rather than to serve religion!

Religion will send you to Hell. Only Christianity can get you to Heaven.

John, as a descendant of his father Zacharias, was to train for five years and then serve

at the Temple when his time came, but God had other plans for John.

If our ministry does not align with God’s plans, then we are in the wrong ministry.

What is repentance?

Repentance means that if anyone wished to be forgiven of their sins, they would turn from their sins and change their lives; then and only then could they be baptized.

It should be obvious that we cannot do this without the Holy Spirit, but it must be our goal.

Baptism was a sign to their neighbors and the world that they were changing their lives because they wanted God’s forgiveness.

As Christians, we follow in baptism because we follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

Act 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:

Act 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

There would be no animal sacrifice; there would only be a living sacrifice.

Rom_12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

John’s baptism was a sign that a man wanted forgiveness it was not the means of forgiveness.

Baptism does not wash away sins!

It would be that changed life that would determine if these things came from the heart, just as it is today.

Forgiveness of sins is conditional upon that repentance and that changed life.

A person who truly repents will turn away from sin and turn to God!

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost(Holy Spirit) will not move into a dirty house!

Act 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Act 3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

It was John’s job to prepare the world for the coming of the Lord, and He would come first to the Jews because this was His promise, even though He knew they would reject Him and would then go to the Gentiles.

Amo 4:12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

Amo 4:13 For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.

The Jews will not reject the Lord Jesus a second time!

*****Luk 3:7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

We had better be aware that the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not for entertainment.

That sad fact is that John the Baptist would not be allowed to preach in many churches today because he preached the truth, and neither would the Lord Jesus Christ for the same reason.

John preached the coming “judgment” of God. People do not want to hear about the judgment of God!

So many today concentrate upon the love of God, which is very great, but they reject the judgment of God on the unbeliever, and they are wrong.

No matter what different preachers preach, there will be a day of God’s wrath!

I admitted to God that I was a terrible sinner because I was!

In fact, I am still a sinner only saved by the “Grace” of God, and He is still working on me.

A viper is the great enemy of souls!

Mat 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

A sinner is anyone who has voluntarily violated the divine law; a moral agent who has voluntarily disobeyed any divine precept, or neglected any known duty.

All sinners are devoted to sin.

1Ti 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

1Ti 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

The wrath of God is not coming to those who fall in love with Jesus Christ and believe in Him.

The wrath of God is coming upon those who reject any part of the Word of God!

The only unforgivable sin is rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ!

Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Joh 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Eph 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Eph 5:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

Psa 2:11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Psa 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

To follow the truth of God is noticeable in those who do!

*****Luk 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

The proof of a saved soul is repentance!

Valuable fruits of repentance are speaking truth and doing things that are according to the will of God. Such fruits come from the new life that a person receives when he repents.

The concept of having Abraham as their father made the Jews feel safe because their pride would not allow them to believe that any child of Abraham should ever be lost.

That same pride said that any single Jew was of more value than all the people in all the nations of the world.

The Talmud stated that God made the world for the sake of the Jews, which is not true, and the Bible never says such things as these.

The Lord Jesus put an end to this nonsense: Mat 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

What is the truth? Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

It’s called faith! Faith in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that has been done to save us.

Rom_4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Rom_4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

Gal_3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

To disagree with the Lord Jesus Christ is to bring the judgment of God upon yourself!

*****Luk 3:9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

God is the Divine Woodsman who cuts down trees, and He has laid His axe at the roots of the trees!

This is God’s warning to us all!

To be honest, we cannot produce good fruit in our lives without faith in the Gospel and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

For these Jews, the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple was less than a generation away.

*****Luk 3:10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

Luk 3:11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

Luk 3:12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

Luk 3:13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

Luk 3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

When “judgment” is preached without prejudice, people begin to understand what God is saying.

To the first group, John answered that we are to share our blessings with others.

To the second group, John answered that we should not rob others to enrich ourselves.

To the entire group, John answered that we share our prosperity with those who have nothing.

The fruit of salvation goes much deeper than these practical things. John gave these people a good idea of where to start.

We can see the reality of removing hate and increasing love.

How can we tell we are in the last days?

2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2Ti 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

2Ti 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Along with all these things, we see there is no natural affection for our neighbors.

The one thing that drives our politicians today is hatred. They hate each other with passion; it drives them to make laws that each other hate instead of doing the job they went to Washington to do.

They are a pathetic bunch, for certain.

A question has come up about our military following illegal orders.

We should understand that God does not condemn any soldier for doing his duty.

A soldier who goes above his duty and simply becomes a murderer will be condemned by God, but even these can be forgiven.

When John says to do no violence to any man, this is what he is saying.

We follow orders, but indiscriminate killing, especially of the innocent, should not take place.

All terrorists are murderers!

God demands a changed life!

When we are filled with the fruit of the Spirit, it will be noticeable to those we are around.

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

The Messiah would be mighty.

The Messiah would be more worthy than any man.

The Messiah would use the Holy Ghost.

The baptism of John the Baptist was a full-immersion baptism and not a sprinkling.

John’s baptism was with water, but the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ would be with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

This fire would be unquenchable!

John preached the truth of the Scriptures, but also as a Prophet, he preached the words God told him to preach.

John the Baptist preached the same no matter who was in the audience.

*****Luk 3:19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

Luk 3:20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

When God gives His preacher a message to preach, it is to be preached as instructed, not watered down, not distorted, nor twisted.

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Herod was as much a sinner as we all are!

A corrupt and sinful life will always bring the wrath of God.

I hope our politicians, those who claim the Lord Jesus Christ, do not forget this, and those who do not know Him will certainly see that wrath aimed at them in the near future.

It has to be hard to be a Christian in Washington, but it is not impossible, and they must know they are there because it is the will of God, and they are there to hold back evil and corruption in our nation.

I do not believe that Herod would have killed John, but Herod had an evil wife.

Mar 6:17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her.

Mar 6:18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.

Mar 6:19 Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

Mar 6:20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

When John preached, he told it like it was.

When sin is relevant in our rulers, it makes it easier for the entire nation to be in sin.

Corruption in our leadership just causes corruption throughout our nation, as we have seen and are still seeing.

Herod the Great was living in sin, the sin of adultery; he was, as we know, also a murderer, and those soldiers who murdered those children were also murderers because that was a command that they should have refused.

When our military stops the drug trade, they are not murderers or killers because those who spread the drugs are the killers, and our politicians need to be with our President and our military.

What is the truth? We will never truly prosper in sin! 2Ch 24:20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.

The judgment of God is coming to this wicked world!

Jud 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

Jud 1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Jud 1:16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

*****Luk 3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

Baptism is an act of obedience to God.

If the Lord Jesus Christ is obedient to His Heavenly Father, who are we to think we can be disobedient?

We know that our Lord Jesus had no sin, so we must know that Baptism is not for the removal of sin; it is being obedient to our Heavenly Father.

We had better know that every time Heaven opens up, it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the object of admiration of Heaven.

Joh 1:51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

What did Stephen see? Act 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Act 7:56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

The one thing that sets these people apart from all others is the fact that they heard the message of John the Baptist, and they responded.

God wants this whole world to hear His message so that everyone in the world will get a chance to respond to the truth of God.

What did the Lord Jesus do differently from the others who were baptized?

1) He demonstrated that He, the Son of God, was fulfilling all righteousness.

Mat 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

Mat 3:14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

Mat 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

2) He was demonstrating His humiliation, that He was a man, fully man.

Jesus was required by our Heavenly Father to live obediently, just as all men are to live obediently to the Word of God.

The Lord Jesus had to live a sinless life to accept all our sins on His body.

Jesus became the Som of Man. Mat 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Birds and foxes are cunning and wicked, but God still cares for them; however, His Son does not have a home on this earth because His home is in Heaven. It is the same for every Christian.

It is God’s will for every human to hear the Gospel, and they all respond positively to it!

1Ti_2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

No man is above any other man in the eyes of God. If God expected His Son to be obedient to all the Word of God, then how can we say God will understand if we keep that secret sin or any other sin?

This is why the Lord Jesus was baptized!

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

We must all repent and be baptized!

The Lord Jesus also obeyed God in prayer.

As He was being baptized, His mind and His thoughts were upon His Heavenly Father.

This is another thing that gets our prayers into the throne room of God.

Baptism is the most significant act of discipleship and must be followed by a changed life.

This is where many churches fail today. There is no change in life.

God will not waste His “Grace” on those who will not change their lives!

Prayer is something we must all do!

Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

*****Luk 3:22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

God is pleased with us when we are obedient and following the steps that Jesus took to be obedient; we are on the right path to the Glory World.

1) When the Heavens opened up it showed us that God was approving the ministry of Jesus to begin, and it began that day.

2) When the Heavens opened up it showed John that prophecy was fulfilled, and the Lord Jesus is truly the Lamb of God.

Gen 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

The Lord Jesus would soon give His life for us: Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the bodily shape of a dove.

We now get to see the Triune God.

God the Father speaking from Heaven, saying This is My Son.

The Holy Spirit(Ghost) descended from Heaven in the shape of a dove.

The Son of God receives the blessing of God.

Mar 1:9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

Mar 1:10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

Mar 1:11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

When we love the Lord, God will do things that tell us He is much more than just real.

Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

We begin to understand just how wonderful Heaven is going to be.

1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

*****Luk 3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,

The Lord Jesus was about thirty years old in His body when He began His public service.

If He had tried to begin at an earlier age, no one would have paid much attention to Him.

Num 4:23 From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

He is an heir to King David.

He is an heir to Abraham.

He is an heir to Adam.

He is the Godly Heir. He became the Messianic Prophet of God.

Amen

His name is Wonderful!

The Birth of John the Baptist

December 8, 2025 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Birth of John the Baptist

Book of Luke Chapter 1 Verses 57 through 80

Elisabeth’s pregnancy goes full term without complications, naturally.

John’s life began to develop in his mother’s womb, just as all babies do.

Elisabeth already knew that she would have a son because the angel Gabriel had said that God had decided.

God had decided the name for this son would be John and not Zacharias or another name from the family of Zacharias.

The birth of John the Baptist brought great joy to this family because they had recognized that the birth of John was due to the mercy of God.

The birth of John the Baptist was a significant event for every generation, including today.

*Luk 1:57 Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
Luk 1:58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

Elisabeth had forgotten her baroness because it had been replaced with joy.

We too can have joy because we live in a time when the Lord Jesus Christ could return in the clouds at any moment.

The Lord Jesus Christ said His return could be somewhat compared to the birth of a child.

Joh 16:21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
Joh 16:22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

Because the birth of John was a miraculous birth, many people wondered what manner of child he would be.

Elisabeth had forgotten all those years she could not have a child.

She was ready to give her love to this child of God.

Her friends and family had come by to rejoice with her.

The birth of John the Baptist was proof again that God will do what He says He will do.

The birth of John was of God’s power over nature.

The birth of John was evidence that God is the God of life.

Nothing is impossible for God.

Luk 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Psa 115:3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

Prophecy was fulfilled.

Isa 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Mal 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

The Lord Jesus said that John was the fulfillment of these prophecies: Mat 11:10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

The birth of every child is an awesome miracle of life.

The birth of John showed us a merciful God who so loves us.

The birth of John the Baptist is not much different from our own birth.

It is our job to prepare those we meet to meet the Lord Jesus Christ.

John was used in God’s plan of salvation, and we have the same job on a smaller scale than John had.

God allowed John the privilege of being the forerunner for the Messiah.

1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

All of the family and friends of Elisabeth rejoiced with her.

The mercy of God was not just for Elisabeth but was for the entire world!

God always does exactly what He says He will do!

*Luk 1:59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
Luk 1:60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
Luk 1:61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
Luk 1:62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
Luk 1:63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.

It was on the day of circumcision, the eighth day after the birth, when a Jewish child was named, and most names came in relation to the father and the father’s family.

John was named by God Himself, and some of these friends of Elisabeth were confused.

We should know that it is on the eighth day that the blood of a newborn will clot to stop the bleeding, naturally.

This is why God chose the eighth day.

Lev_12:3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

Circumcision was the sign of the covenant God made with Abraham.

Gen 17:9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
Gen 17:10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

We should also understand that circumcision is also a type of Christ.

Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

Those friends and family of Elisabeth and Zacharias could not grasp that something new was at hand, a New Covenant.

John was circumcised as a sign of the New Covenant that God was about to make for His people.

Most of the Jews have not accepted the New Covenant even today, but they will while going through the tribulation period of seven years.

Rom_11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

The Jews did not stumble to be rejected but once they stumbled, God offered His “grace” to the Gentile world with the purpose of provoking Israel to jealousy.

The fact that this son was named John is enough proof that this whole event was true!

Zacharias confirmed it by naming the child John.

Immediately, the chastening of Zacharias ended, and his voice returned to him.

*Luk 1:64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
Luk 1:65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
Luk 1:66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

Zacharias knows that John will be his only son, but he does not give him his own name, which was tradition.

By doing so, he renounces his rights to John and acknowledges that he is giving him to God.

He originated from God; he therefore belonged to God!

Zacharias had a baby dedication by dedicating him to God.

Unbelief had closed the mouth of Zacharias, but faith had made him free!

Jhn_8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Zacharias had not spoken in nine months, but the first words he had were to praise God.

All those who were there did not understand what was going on.

They could not explain it, nor could they deny it.

They could not understand because they had no faith.

The one thing they knew was that John was something special because they could tell the hand of the Lord was involved in these things.

They went about all Judaea telling them what had happened on that day of John’s circumcision.

They would not forget what they had seen and heard but kept them in their hearts.

After our salvation, we should be praising God continuously.
We should be amazed that the Lord would do such a thing as die for our sins.
We should be spreading this “Good News” everywhere we go.
We should see that our destiny lies in the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1Pe 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

Psa 111:9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
Psa 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

Psa 89:7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.

*Luk 1:67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

There is one thing we know for sure, and it is that God will never go against His own words.

God will never break a covenant that He has with us as a group or that He has made with us individually.

No sooner than when his tongue was loosed, Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Once Zacharias obeyed God, God removed His chastisement from him, and he was healed of his dumbness, and he could speak again.

1) Zacharias was forgiven for his sin of unbelief.

We must be aware that every time we question the Word of God, we are committing the sin of doubt, doubting God, doubting our Lord Jesus Christ.

Remember, it is by faith we are saved!

2) Zacharias being filled with the Holy Spirit is a great picture of what happens to every child of God who accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.

We believe and obey God, then and only then, are we filled with God the Holy Spirit.

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

*Luk 1:68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
Luk 1:69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
Luk 1:70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
Luk 1:71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
Luk 1:72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
Luk 1:73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
Luk 1:74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
Luk 1:75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

The birth of John is the reason for this song of prophecy by Zacharias, but this song is about the yet unborn Jesus Christ.

This is the fruit of the Holy Spirit at work.

The Holy Spirit will always, ALWAYS, lead us to the Lord Jesus Christ!

It is this same God of Israel who is God the Father of Christianity!

Just as Jehovah will stand up for Israel as He has done many times already, He is now standing up for Christians throughout this world.

Notice an important thing here: Zacharias is speaking as if these events are already fulfilled, while they are still in the future.

Why, because God’s promises are guaranteed. God will do just as He says He will do!

It is God Himself who visited this earth in the person of the Messiah.

God will not neglect this earth until He has taken all His children to our new home on the New Earth.

Why has the Messiah come first?

1) He came to redeem His children.
2) He came to rescue His children from sin
3) He came to save His children.

Though it is wonderful for those who have faith and accept the Gospel, God paid a tremendous price.

He paid a life for a life!

Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Just as promised, the Messiah would come from the House of David.

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

That word “horn” is always a symbol of strength, power, and might.

The Lord Jesus, the “Horn,” is the Mighty One of salvation because He alone possessed the might, the strength, and the power to save.

We should also add that He is willing.

These are acts of “mercy and grace”.

These acts prove that God remembers His covenants.

Every prophet of the Old Testament is proven to have told the truth, and they were murdered just because they spoke the truth of God, just as many are murdered today just because we believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

God is working on His plan for this world at all times; He never rests from looking out for His children.

Jesus is the same Messiah named in the Book of Genesis.

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

The world may have driven a nail through the feet of Jesus, but He still walks through the lives of Christians, and He will walk again upon this earth.

Satan will not overcome that blow to His head.

God will remember the promises made to Abraham.

Gen 26:3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
Gen 26:4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
Gen 26:5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

We may think there is turmoil in and around Israel now, but things are going to get worse until the Lord sits upon the throne of David.

God saves us so that we might serve Him and fulfill the purpose He has for each of us upon this earth.
God saves us so that we can live righteously and serve Him forever.

We can be at peace knowing that we do not have to fear what the world can do to us because the worst thing the world can do to us is the best thing that can happen to us.

We must have a clear understanding that we do not need to fear our enemies; we have been saved from them!
We will stand one day in the presence of our Holy God in a new world designed especially for us.

1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
1Jn 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

Now back to John the Baptist.

*Luk 1:76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
Luk 1:77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
Luk 1:78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
Luk 1:79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luk 1:80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

John would be a prophet of God.

There had been no prophets for four hundred years, and John would be the first prophet since the prophet Malachi.

Here in this same verse, it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Highest.

Jhn_10:30 I and my Father are one.

Highest means the Supreme God, just so no one gets confused.

John was to prepare the way for the Lord Jesus.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the “Dayspring from on high”. The morning light, the rising sun.

The Messiah, Our Lord Jesus, was sent to give light to those who had been in darkness.
The Messiah was sent to those who are in the shadow of death.
The Messiah was sent to guide our feet through this sinful world.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

The only place in Scripture we see anything about the childhood of John the Baptist is in verse eighty.

He was a boy with a strong heart and commitment.
He had a strong will and decisiveness.
He was strong in his convictions.
He was a servant of the Most High God!

He was committed to follow, obey, and serve God.

He separated himself from the world until it was time for him to preach.

John stayed in the desert till the day of his showing.

John is not told to form a political party.
John is not told to make known God’s thoughts to His people.
John is not taught all the fighting methods of his day.
John is not told to form an army.
John is told to trust the Lord!

Our one greatest test is, “do we have faith in the truth of God”?

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Amen

An Angel Foretold of John the Baptist

December 1, 2025 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Book of Luke Chapter 1 Verses 4 through 25

An Angel Foretold John’s Birth

Who was Luke, who wrote the Book of Luke and the Book of Acts?

Luke was a physician, maybe the most educated of all the writers of the Scriptures.

Luke was a Gentile, the only Gentile writer of the Scriptures.

He was familiar with the Greek and Roman world and the Gospels.

No doubt he was very familiar with the Apostle Paul.

He stresses the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the person of Christ, and the ministry to the Gentiles.

Luke is seen with Paul at Troas, a city in Asia Minor.

Luke went to Jerusalem with Paul when Paul was arrested.

Luke was with Paul when he was a prisoner in Caesarea.

Luke was with Paul when Paul was imprisoned in Rome.

Paul called Luke the beloved physician: Col 4:14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.

Paul called Luke a fellow worker in the spreading of the Gospel: Phm 1:24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.

Luke was the last one to remain with Paul in his imprisonment.

The writing of the Book of Luke and the Book of Acts was probably in the first century 58-62 AD, because Luke did not mention the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, and he would have.

Who was this Theophilus? Some believe he was a Gentile convert to Christianity and possibly a high official in the Roman government.

This is suggested by the use of the words “most excellent”.

Because that name, Theophilus, means “Lover of God”.

We should know that there were many early attempts to narrate the life of Jesus Christ, but the four Gospels give us all that we need to know and preserve everything that was accurate and essential when those others did not.

We know that the Gospels were led by the Holy Spirit, and only the books that were guided by and approved by the Holy Spirit make up the canon of the Bible we have today.

Luke gives us an eyewitness account of the life of Jesus Christ. Luke was not an eyewitness, but he chose to get his information from those who were eyewitnesses to the life of Jesus Christ.

The Book of Luke is the Gospel of salvation. Luke uses the words salvation and Savior many more times than the other Gospels.

The Book of Luke gives us an orderly view of the whole life of Jesus Christ.

Luke’s Gospel is a record of historical events that are being verified every day!

We will begin in verse 4

*Luk 1:4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

It may be that the purpose of the Book of Luke is to look at the Lord Jesus Christ as Man, the Son of Man.

Joh 19:5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

Pilate realized that “here stands the Man of God, who has fallen into the hands of mere men and our Lord Jesus came willingly.

The intent of Luke was to establish the truth of Jesus Christ, God’s Messiah.

As Christians we must know that Christianity is based upon the truth of the Almighty God!

The Gospel is more about God’s creating power than His deliverance.

Believers are “Born Again” a new creation of God!

Tit_3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Col 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

To become a Christian is to be accepted by the only true God, our Creator.

Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

The greatest feeling we can have as believers is to know we have been accepted by our Creator and chosen to join Him in Heaven in His house.

Joh 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Let us look at the birth of John the Baptist.

*Luk 1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
Luk 1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

The parents of John the Baptist were righteous parents; they were godly parents.

This is the foundation that every child should have.

This family was childless because Elisabeth was barren.

So, John the Baptist was a promised child.

The name Zacharias means “Remembered of Jehovah”.

That phrase “the course of Abia” has a meaning.

There were 24 groups assigned to the Temple, of all the descendants of Aaron, and Zacharias was in the eighth group.

Each group served in the Temple for one week twice every year.

John’s mother was Elisabeth, and her name means “One whose oath is to God”.

Elisabeth was the daughter of a priest.

She was a pure woman, a virgin at her marriage.

All priests were required to marry a virgin.

The Bride of Christ must be considered the virgin wife (without sin) of our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ

Like everyone who has ever lived, they had human problems in their lives.

They were committed to each other, and they were committed to Jehovah.

They spent their lives doing the things that pleased God.

They obeyed the commandments.
They obeyed the ordinances.
They were blameless.

These things do not mean they were perfect.

None of us can be perfect until we reach Heaven’s gates.

They were faithful and living in such a way that no one could charge them with open sin.

This should be the same for Christians of today.

They had now become elderly.

John was promised to these godly parents right at the end of the reign of Herod the Great.

This Herod also reigned at the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ and died during the time that Joseph had taken the Lord Jesus to Egypt to keep Him safe, though Herod could never have harmed Him.

It was the providence of God.

We know that Herod murdered every child in Bethlehem up to the age of two years old.

Herod the Great was a wicked man.

*Luk 1:7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

We should remember that God had promised His Messiah since the time of Moses.

Deu 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

The Messiah would have a Jewish mother.

Elisabeth had spent her entire life knowing that she could never be the mother of the Messiah because she was barren.

This was the wish of every Jewish mother.
Some even considered baroness as a punishment for sin.

1Sa 1:6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.

She felt she was disfavored and displeasing to God.

God was about to change things for Elisabeth.

*Luk 1:8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course,
Luk 1:9 According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

For Zacharias, burning incense in the Temple was a great honor.

A priest would probably only get one chance for this duty their whole lifetime.

This duty was chosen by lot, and the lot was cast to choose one of those who had never had this opportunity, and finally, near the end of his life, Zacharias had been chosen.

The incense was burned upon the altar by a priest before the morning service and after the evening service.

The aroma of the incense was just like a prayer, as it enveloped the sacrifice and that aroma before the throne room of God.

We should understand that the golden incense altar represents Jesus Christ as our Mediator.

1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

The golden altar of incense stood squarely in front of the Mercy Seat, depicting Jesus Christ interceding at God’s right hand.

Having a son to be born into any family at that time was also considered one of the greatest blessings from God.

Both Zacharias and Elisabeth had remained faithful even though they were childless.

Jas 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

*Luk 1:10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

Zacharias and Elisabeth had many friends, and those friends were praying for Zacharias while he performed this great honor, and he also was praying.

We should be praying for our pastor the whole time he is preaching and giving us the Word of God.

1Ch 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.

If we do not see anything else, we should be able to see that we must patiently serve the Lord continuously all our days because He knows what we are going through, and remaining faithful is the only path to great blessings.

Things were about to change for this godly family.

*Luk 1:11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
Luk 1:12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
Luk 1:13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
Luk 1:14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
Luk 1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.
Luk 1:16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
Luk 1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

No doubt that Zacharias and Elisabeth were people who prayed, and they may have seen prayers answered for others, but they dearly wanted a child and preferred a son.

We must realize a son was more apt to help them in their old age than a daughter in that day.

Zacharias was even praying while he was performing his duties in the Temple.

Zacharias was in God’s House and working near the Holy of Holies on the right side of the Golden Altar of Incense.

It seems that the right side is always the right side of the Lord to be on.

Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

This was the place for prayer, and the angel of the Lord said Zacharia’s prayer had been heard in Heaven.

In the Book of Luke, we see more about angels than any other of the preachers in his day.

Notice the first words of the angel were “fear not”.

Zacharias had nothing to fear, for he was a godly man, but not a perfect man, because we see that doubt entered into him.

The Hebrew name for John is Johanna and is the name of four other Israelites.

John the Baptist
John the Apostle
John Mark, who traveled with Apostle Paul for a short time.
John, the Kindred of Caiaphas
John, the father of Simon Peter

John, the son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, would be a great man of God.
John would cause his parents to be proud of him.
John would be great in the sight of God.
John would be like one of the prophets of old, Elijah.
John would take the vow of the Nazarene.
John would be filled with the Holy Spirit from his birth.
John would cause many to rejoice.

There had been 400 years of silence of the time between the Old Testament and the New Testament, during which God did not speak to His people, and no Scripture was written.
The 400 years of silence began with the warning that closed the Old Testament: “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.
He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse,” and this period ended with the coming of John the Baptist, the Messiah’s forerunner.

Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
Mal 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

The thing we can see is the fact that God does reward those who are faithful to Him.

Next, we should understand that there is no good time to quit on God, especially in our older years.

1Jn 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
1Jn 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1Jn 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

John the Baptist was the prophet of the New Testament and turned many to the Lord.

John the Baptist was the forerunner of the promised Messiah, and John preached and lived a whole lot like the Prophet Elijah from the Old Testament.

Mat 17:10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
Mat 17:11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
Mat 17:12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
Mat 17:13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

*Luk 1:18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
Luk 1:19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

We should understand that it is never too late for God to answer a prayer, so we must never quit praying.

Zacharias had lost confidence in himself, and he and his wife had a hard time believing this angel.

Zacharias had forgotten that he was a child of God and not a child of the world.

There is nothing too hard for God to accomplish at any time in our lives if we do not give up.

Jer_32:17 Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

Jer_32:27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

We either believe in God or we don’t, at our own peril.

It is only our Heavenly Father who can overrule the laws of nature!

The angel Gabriel is one of those angels who stand in the presence of God, awaiting God’s commands.

Isa 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

Mat 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

We know that Michael is the most powerful angel, but we should not believe that there is any weakness in the angel Gabriel.

The name Gabriel means “Hero of God”.

Gabriel always brings “Good News”, but Zacharias also got some bad news because of his doubts.

*Luk 1:20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
Luk 1:21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
Luk 1:22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

We should understand that angels have no spirit. They speak straight up and do not show emotion.

They speak the message that God has given to them just as He spoke it.

To not believe what an angel tells you is to not believe in God the Father who gave him that message!

We should understand that God’s angels are very powerful and they speak reality.

Because of that moment of doubt, Zacharias would spend the next nine months not being able to speak at all.

The Jews still have a problem with the truth of God that they need to change.

They expect God to show them a sign so they can know the truth.

1Co_1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

Gabriel was not offended by what Zacharias said, but the reaction of Zacharias was an offence to God.

We need to be careful how we respond to the Word of God.

The Bible is more about commandments than it is about suggestions.

If we reject any part of the Word of God, we will certainly not have the ability to share the Word of God with others.

God will not allow us to speak words of distrust or unbelief to those who need to hear the truth of the Gospel.

We should understand that the chastening of the Lord can sometimes be painful.

Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

We should be more like Jeremiah when we have made such a mistake.

Jer 10:24 O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

We need to ask for God’s mercy in His chastisement.

When the Lord sits as King of this world from Jerusalem, He will put a stop to all unbelief and distrust, just as He did to Zacharias.

One of the major problems in our prayer life is that we do not believe that God will do what we ask of Him.

Why pray at all if we do not have enough faith that God will answer our prayers?

Can God change the course of nature? At any time, He so chooses to do it!

Zacharias was to lead these people waiting on him in prayer after his work was complete, but he could not because God had taken away his voice until the time that John was born.

*Luk 1:23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
Luk 1:24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
Luk 1:25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

Zacharias had lost the use of his voice, but he still fulfilled his duties despite being chastised for unbelief.

He did not quit on God!

He finished his course, and he returned home.

Elisabeth, after conceiving, hid herself for five months.

We have to think that she needed time alone with God to absorb all that was happening to her and to prepare herself for the job of being a godly parent even in her elder years.

Zacharias and Elisabeth lived to see God fulfill His promise.

When God makes a promise, He will keep that promise!

Elisabeth is conscious of the fact that God has shown His favor to her, and she is thankful.

She had wanted a child all her days of marriage, but it had not happened.

She had been barren, but by a miracle of God, her barrenness was over.

She did all the things she could do to have a healthy baby because she knew John would be used mightily by God.

This child, John the Baptist, would represent the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament as he would preach to the world the soon coming of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we answer God’s calling, we become a part of God’s salvation plan and the providence of God!

Amen

We Have Been Given A Work To Do

August 21, 2016 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Certainty Of Christ’s Commission

Luke 24:36-53

To be commissioned is to be appointed as a representative. It is like an order given from a superior and carries His authority.

We can go all the way back to the Book of Genesis and we will see that from that time of creation, God has not created anything new.

Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Of course this can be disputed but that does not change the facts but there is one thing that has been made new. Every time a sinner is “Born Again” they have become a new creature or a new creation!

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

A wise man once said that there is nothing we have that God needs and that is true, but the one thing we can give to God is that we are sinners in need of being saved which He will gladly do if we come to Him with a true heart. We can give God a sinner in need of salvation!

God then takes His new creations and commissions us all for a special work.

2Co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

An ambassador in the Old Testament meant someone who was sent on an errand:

Pro 13:17 A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.

An ambassador was also an interpreter:

2Ch 32:31 Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.

An ambassador was also a messenger:

Isa 33:7 Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.

The Apostle Paul says an ambassador for Christ must be all these things:

Sent by Christ on His errand.

Interpreters of the Scriptures or making sense of the Word as Nehemiah put it.

Bringing God’s Message of peace through His “saving grace”.

Eph 6:20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

What this world seems to forget is that to do harm to one of God’s ambassadors is an insult to our King, King Jesus.

2Sa 10:5 When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

So what is the commission given to each of us by our Lord and our tasks as ambassadors for Christ?

Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

This is the work of the Church and more important the work of each of us as individuals!

The truth is, our work is not inside the Church building, that’s the place to hone our skills, the work of the Church is outside the doors of the Church!

Let’s Begin:

In these Scriptures we will see the great statements of the Christian Faith.

1) Jesus has risen, we worship the Living God, the only One.

2) All prophecies of the Scriptures and the Promises of the Lord must be fulfilled.

3) Repentance and the forgiveness of sin is imperative.

4) We must be filled with the Holy Spirit.

*****Luk 24:36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Luk 24:37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
Luk 24:38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
Luk 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
Luk 24:40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.

Of the disciples we may not know who all were present but we know that Thomas was not with these others at this time.

The truth is, this was an evening service and you can miss some important things when you miss the evening service!

Many will say that this was a spirit of Jesus and He was not actually risen in a body but the first thing we see is that He can speak and He still had the same message of “Peace”.

Jesus knew their thoughts and Jesus knew they were all frightened, in fact terrified, because Jesus just appeared in the room as if He had just walked through the closed door which He had indeed.

No doubt they recognized His familiar voice!

But this was not enough for them to believe and Jesus knew this.

So besides hearing, Jesus said look upon Me!

See where the nails were driven in His feet and in His hands and Jesus showed them these places.

Along with “seeing” and “hearing” Jesus said use all your natural senses and “touch Me”.

What we know of spirits is that they do not have bodies of flesh and bones that can be touched!

Anyone that believes differently is calling Jesus a liar!

But are their then ghosts or spirits? The truth is, we know for sure the God is Spirit.

We know the truth of the Holy Ghost and we also know that Satan, the Devil is capable of doing many things.

Besides these we know of no others!

BUT, Some of these disciples still could not step over the threshold of the truth and believe even at this time.

So Jesus went one step farther.

*****Luk 24:41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
Luk 24:42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
Luk 24:43 And he took it, and did eat before them.
Luk 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

Jesus did not scold any of them for their doubts, Jesus patiently entered into the fullness of fellowship with them.

The Lord wants a very personal relationship with each of us and He will never ridicule us if we have questions, He will always provide the necessary proof of the truth!

There is no question to small for God, but when He exposes the truth then He ask that we believe it!

Jesus then ate of the same food that they had made available for themselves, a clear token of fellowship with them.

And then Jesus said, let’s look at the real truth and the real proof “The Scriptures”.

Peter said:

2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

It is the Scriptures that are our sure proof of the truth of God!

Jesus taught from the 5 Books of Moses, all the Books of the Prophets, and also in the Psalms which contain the prophecies of the Messiah.

Not one of these men who had abandoned Jesus deserved His loving patience and certainly not His “Grace” for what He was doing but not one breath of anger was in the person of Jesus Christ on this night.

We can just imagine the excitement that was in the air, the hearts beating out of those chest and those minds grasping to understand what was happening before their eyes and before their person.

God’s anger only comes when we deny Him!

AND, We just cannot interpret the Word of God in a spiritual sense, we must understand the Word of God in a literal sense!

Jesus did not have to perform one miracle to prove who He was, because He is the miracle of life!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

The one other thing that was evident of the glorified body of Christ, was that it was not bound by this physical world and it’s natural substance, which they had first seen as He had appeared.

The glorified body of Christ, could be seen, could be touched, could do things that the average person could do, but could also pass through walls and doors without being hindered,

What is one of the promises given to every believer?

Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Php 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

In all probability this change in our bodies will take place at the “Rapture” of the church but it is also true that whenever we see Jesus we will be like Him.

1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Those that have their doubts about a glorified body, do ignore the truth of the Scriptures!

1Co 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
1Co 15:43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
1Co 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

Most of us do not realize the importance and the truth of these Scriptures!

The Greek word “soma” is used to describe the natural body and the spiritual body.

The difference in the natural and the spiritual is, that the spiritual body will be be perfected!

No longer subject to pain or illness, or aging, or death, or tears, or sorrow, or crying and many other things we experience now in our natural body.

Our natural body is sown in corruption but it will be raised in “incorruptible”
Our natural body is sown in dishonor but it will be raised in “glory”
Our natural body is sown in weakness but it will be raised in “power”
Our natural body is “sown” but our spiritual body is “raised”, what a difference that makes!

And just so we know, that same body we had on earth will be a similar body to that we will have in Heaven but perfected.

A body that is not “flesh and blood” because flesh and blood are corruptible, they age, they deteriorate, they die and then decay.

That spiritual body cannot do any of these things!

1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

That glorious day lies ahead for all those that confess the truth of Jesus Christ!

Our old bodies will be radically changed!

No “body” that has been glorified will need reproduction to continue the redeemed human race.

Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

This law of creation will no longer be necessary!

And Jesus began to explain all these things to His disciples.

*****Luk 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
Luk 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
Luk 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luk 24:48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
Luk 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Understanding, is said to be when our minds grasp the real truth of the things presented to it.
Understanding, is when we can comprehend the idea which are expressed by another when we communicate.
Understanding, is the faculty by which we obtain our knowledge.

It was Jesus Christ who did this for His disciples:

Luk 24:45 Then opened he “their understanding”, that they might “understand” the scriptures,

It is the Holy Spirit that does that for all those that believe today:

Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Jesus opened the understanding of the Scripture to these disciples, because the things that happened to Him should not have been a surprise to these men.

These things were written down in the Scriptures!

Our problem is, that we simply do not have enough faith to believe what the Scriptures teach us!

The truth is, it is the Word of God that predicts most all the things that happen in this world. Notice “predicting” is not the same as “causing”!

God does not cause the evil things that happen in this world. God does not cause the catastrophes that happen in this world.

The only thing we know for sure is that God may send famine to some places for His own reasons but these people may just need to move on to some new location.

If the water is rising on our place of living maybe you need to move inland.

If the wind is blowing your home away, maybe you need to build in a place more sheltered.

The truth of us all is, that we either accept and believe, or ignore what God says to our own harm.

It is a mistake to spiritualize the prophecies of God!

It was utterly necessary for Jesus Christ to die for our sins!

It was utterly necessary for Jesus Christ to rise from that death to show the power God!

If we cannot see a victory in our Lord, how can we ever know we will have victory over death?

The Church is built on these truths, those that disagree are only trying to destroy the Church that Christ has built!

We are fools to believe that only the New Testament is relevant today, because Jesus has already said that the entire Old Testament told of His coming and most important of His salvation!

We need Jesus Christ to open our own eyes to the understanding of the entire Word of God!

1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

What is our job after salvation?

We must put forth the effort to show that Jesus Christ had to suffer and die for our salvation!

We must teach that repentance and forgiveness go together, forgiveness cannot happen without repentance!

We must teach that these things must take place before Christ will send Holy Ghost power to live with us throughout eternity!

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

These things must take place before we are ever equipped to be witnesses for the Lord!

To receive the power of the Holy Spirit is to be clothed in that power!

Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

The source of the Holy Spirit and that power, is God!

Jesus Christ brought this promise to us!

BUT, The promise came from God the Father!

We are to tarry until we receive this promise.

Because that promise comes from on high!

It is the Holy Trinity of God Himself that is the source of the power of evangelism!

Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

That uttermost part of the earth is our mission field!

Salvation has it’s benefits but being that witness for the Lord, is when we become capable of receiving the blessings of God.

*****Luk 24:51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
Luk 24:52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
Luk 24:53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

The last thing that completed the earthly work of the Lord Jesus was to bless those who would begin the Church, the Apostles and the disciples who were with Him that day but in fact every disciple of Christ has receive this blessing.

Then the Lord allowed them to witness His ascension back to Heaven,

This is another thing that a glorified body can do that could not be done other wise.

It is only a “glorified body” that can come face to face with God!

Exo 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

This was also important, because it gives all the disciples of Christ a vision of our own ascension into Heaven.

Heaven is not on this earth as some may say!

Heaven is where my Lord is and that is where I will be one day soon.

There was not one moment while God was on this earth, even when He was on that cross that He was not in full control of His created world, but we must recognize that Heaven is the true place of His throne.

There were 120 eyewitnesses that day that know for sure that our “God is alive”!

**We worship the Living God!

Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

**The ascension of Jesus Christ is further proof of the Tri-Une God, the Holy Trinity, The Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost.

2Co 4:14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

**It proves that Heaven, is a real place.

**It proves that the “Gospel” of the Lord Jesus Christ, is true!

1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1Pe 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

**It proves that it is now the time of the Church to carry on the work of the Lord until He returns!

Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

**It proves that it is God, and God only who has the power to save and that power is through His Son!

**It also proves that we do indeed have a Mediator in Heaven.

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Just as these who loved the Lord did next, we are now to worship our God!

A worshiper by Greek definition is a Temple Keeper.

When you ask the Lord Jesus Christ to come into your heart the Holy Spirit will move in and you become a Living Temple of the Lord and also a Temple Keeper.

1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

**The Temple in Jerusalem was the dwelling place of the Holy Trinity.

The Holy of Holies was where the mercy seat was located, the throne of God.
The outer courts were the place of the sacrifices, a type of Christ.
The burning incense, the sweet aroma of the Holy Spirit

**The Temple was also the treasury of the sacred truth. “A type of Christian life”.

Aaron’s rod that bloomed, represents the freshness of the Gospel throughout the ages.
The manna, represents the Word of God the bread from Heaven.
The laws of Moses, are a type of the perfect law, the law of love, the commandments of Jesus.

**The Temple was also a partial reflection of Divine Glory.

Sin explains the early worship.
Sin explains the later worship.
Only when all sin is destroyed, will the Christian heart be a perfect Temple of God, the complete reflection of Divine Glory!

Jesus Christ is the center of the Heavenly Temple.
Jesus Christ must be the center of our lives to be a living Temple of God!

Are you a true Temple of God? We need to answer this question every day!

And how did the Apostles respond to the Lord’s ascension?

**They were inspired to worship.

As Christians we need to worship the Lord, “in His way”!

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

**They were filled with joy.

They were filled with joy, because they would soon be filled with the Holy Spirit.

As Christians we should have this same joy.

Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

**They found that the Temple was the center of their life and the focus of God’s presence and worship!

As Christians, we need to find a place of worship where the truth of God is preached and taught and Jesus Christ is still the center of all worship.

Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

There are a great many things that we are to learn about and from the Lord Jesus Christ!

We can learn from every step that Jesus took on this earth!

Joh 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

There are a great many things that we are to learn about and from the 12 men who turned this world upside down, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Act 2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

We can do none of these things without the salvation that Jesus has provided us when He came to this earth to die on Calvary’s cross that we can be saved.

It is “Faith” in these things that is the true beginning of life!

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

We Can Be Certain That Christ Arose

August 15, 2016 / Bobby Mayfield / 1 Comment

The Certainty of Christ Resurrection

Book of Luke 24:1-35

The truth is, the atonement of Jesus Christ did not end with His death. The atonement of Jesus Christ could not end until His resurrection.

Rom 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

When John and Peter raced to the tomb of Jesus they saw grave clothes lying in the tomb still retaining their shape as though the body of Jesus was still in them but He was not there.

They realized that only one thing could have happened. The body of Jesus had passed through His burial wrapping and Jesus had risen from the grave just as He had said He would do.

It is John who later writes how Jesus had passed through the walls or the physical doors in that upper room in His resurrected body.

Joh 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

Joh 20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

It was John who verified the reality of a bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and in His final work, He had overcome death to show us all what true life is all about!

Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ what hope would we have of eternal life?

Joh 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Joh 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Jesus Christ openly displayed this truth for all the world to see!

It must be clear to us all discovering that empty tomb was the greatest discovery in human history.

The facts remain, that many people either have not heard of the resurrection or they simply refuse to accept that Christ Jesus arose from that grave having defeated death.

Every human being must discover this fact for themselves in order to be saved from the wrath of God!

It’s called “Faith” and that faith in the Word of God and His promises.

*****Luk 24:1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

This first day of the week would have been on Sunday and would have begun at 6 PM the previous Sabbath evening.

This was the day after the Jewish Sabbath and the same day chosen by the early church and the modern day church to gather together to worship the Lord, the Apostle John called it the Lord’s Day.

We are to worship the Lord everyday but the Lord’s Day should always be special!

The Lord’s day should remind us all of the “Resurrection” of the Lord.

After all, Jesus Christ is the only One who said He would come back from the dead and then proved it by doing it!

That empty tomb that morning was the greatest discovery in all of human history and there is no other way to look at it.

The truth is, Jesus arose before the dawn of that day because He had made a promise to another man on a cross and we know that God will always keep His promises.

Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ was His triumph over death to prove to us all that we could also triumph over death if we would place our “Faith” in the work that He did at the Cross.

Death reigns no more in the life of the believer!

The rule of death hanging over our heads has been broken forever!

1Co 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The laws of the Sabbath and it’s observances no longer had any authority over the Lord nor His New Testament Church.

The New Covenant was in place for the Church!

Mat 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Because of “Resurrection Power” every believer is now dead to the law but open to the laws of Christ.

Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Rom 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Those who first witnessed that empty tomb are a strong evidence of this truth because they had also witnessed His death.

They knew He was dead. They knew He had been buried in a borrowed tomb. They had no question in their mind about His death because they had been eyewitnesses to all these things.

If it had been a stranger who found this empty tomb, it could have made all these things irrelevant and no one would have ever trusted in the resurrection.

Further proof is the fact that they had purchased spices to anoint the body of Christ in a more proper Jewish way as it had only been hastily done before.

They knew Jesus had died.

They truly cared for the Lord.

They wanted to take care of the body of Jesus just as they would have for any family member who had died.

They were also obedient to the Law because they had strictly obeyed the law of the Sabbath.

They had refused to break the Sabbath even though they certainly wanted to take care of the Lord.

They certainly would not have lied about any of these things and they had no cause to!

*****Luk 24:2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

On the way to the grave they had discussed how they could ever roll the stone that had closed off the tomb from thieves, so we can just imagine that it was a great stone.

Mar 16:3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
Mar 16:4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

They were perplex at what they saw, the stone was not where it had been placed as they had also witnessed.

We now know that the physically resurrected body of Jesus was was not bound by the physical laws of this earth!

Jesus did not resurrect as a spirit but His body was now obedient to the Heavenly Laws and this world we know of, had no control over Him!

So twice already we have had a glimpse of a “Glorified Body”!

*****Luk 24:3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

There was no body in that tomb.

Oh, the folded napkin was there, to serve it’s own purpose.

The wrappings that had been placed around the body of Jesus were there, still holding to the shape of the body but his body was not within those wrappings.

The body of the Lord Jesus Christ was not inside that tomb anywhere!

They were then persuaded that what Jesus had said that He would do, He had actually done!

Rom 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

We must believe that God means what He says and He also says what He means!

2Ti 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

And if further proof was needed God also provided His own witnesses.

*****Luk 24:4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
Luk 24:5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
Luk 24:6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
Luk 24:7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
Luk 24:8 And they remembered his words,

We should clearly understand that stone was not rolled back because Jesus could not have escaped without that being done.

That stone was rolled back so these ladies could enter that Garden Tomb.

AND, There was no doubt that these were angels:

Mat 28:2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
Mat 28:3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

These women fell down in reverence but they fell down more in fear.

But these angels only had one question which really meant, “Why Did You Not Believe The Words Of Jesus”

We are fools not to believe the Word of God!

The world is full of people who honor truly dead men, who they believe to be their savior.

How can anyone honor a dead man in that way, as they certainly could not save themselves, so what power could they have over death.

I worship a Living Savior!

I worship a Living God who has power over death, the grave, and in fact over all things!

All these that worship a dead savior have no hope for any life after this life they live now!

Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

To be without God, is to live all your life in the grip of death!

These angels said He is not here, because He has risen!

That evidence was very clear. Jesus was not in that tomb!

Those angels reminded these ladies that Jesus had done exactly what He said He would do.

Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Joh 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

They had never accepted these words of Jesus as being true!

But now they were convicted by their own thoughts.

All the followers of Jesus had been confused about these things Jesus had said but they now realized that they had been wrong.

We should all remember these simple words of Jesus:

Mat 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

We serve the God who has the power to do as He wishes to do at any moment!

There are some places we just will never find our Lord!

We will never find Him dead and in some grave!

We will never find Him in man’s law!

We will never find Him in human nature!

We will never find Him in philosophy!

Since our Lord is alive and cannot die, He certainly cannot be found among the dead!

Even though some Christians are worldly, you will never find Christ Jesus to be worldly!

Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

What we see in the Scriptures about the Lord will always hold true!

The modern day Christ is the same One who is written about by the New Testament writers!

These ladies who now knew the truth then rushed to tell the 11 remaining disciples what they had seen.

*****Luk 24:9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
Luk 24:10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.
Luk 24:11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.

It seems amazing that these men who had spent so much time with the Lord and had heard the words that He had said, simply refused to believe these ladies who now knew the truth.

To these 11 men these things just seem to be too astonishing to be true and had to be ridiculous and wild imaginations.

Mat 28:8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.

It would have been hard to miss the excitement these ladies had when they were trying to convince these men of the truth and them so full of doubt.

They had a lot to tell.

The stone was rolled away, the body of Jesus was not in those grave clothes that were still laying there.

They had seen the angels and the angels had told them many things.

These 11 men really had no excuse to not believe, these were the very things that Jesus had said He would do.

Mary Magdalene was a true believer not some religious nut.

Joanna had provided finances for the ministry of Jesus and no doubt much of that had provided for the families of these men. She was a sincere Christian.

Mary was the actual mother of James the Less one of these 11 men and a mother would have never lead her son in the wrong way.

And there were other women also.

Salome the mother of James and John.

These men simply thought that the government had done something with the body of Jesus.

The government thought these disciples of Christ had stolen the body but neither of these things could have been true.

This secret could not have been hidden!

The governments persecution proves they did not have the body of Jesus.

The faith of the disciples proves they did not have the body of Jesus.

The family of Jesus became believers so they could not have stolen the body of Jesus.

There was only one alternative, Jesus had done exactly what He said He would do!

There can be no Church if this is not true!

1Co 15:12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
1Co 15:13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
1Co 15:14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
1Co 15:15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
1Co 15:16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
1Co 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

But Peter’s heart was still drawn to the Lord, even though he had failed Him!

*****Luk 24:12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.

Peter who had denied Jesus three times at His trial and whose heart was broken for what he had done, just could not wrap his head around the things that Jesus had told Him.

BUT, Peter was still drawn to the Lord despite his failures.

When we look down on Peter we need to take a hard look at ourselves in life’s mirror.

Peter arose.

Peter rushed to the tomb.

Peter was ready to believe what Mary and the other ladies had told him.

Peter took a close look at the evidence.

The folded napkin lying by itself. We already know that a folded napkin meant the one who folded it was not finished.

The linen clothes in which Jesus had been wrapped lying undisturbed as the body of Jesus had just passed through them.

It was plain that the body of Jesus had not been carried away or stolen because no one would have taken the time to do these things!

BUT, Peter still could not accept what he saw as many do today.

The truth is, it is very dangerous for us not to understand the Word of God.

God says:

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2Ti 2:16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

Unless the words we read are intended to be symbolic and those places are noted, we need to accept the Word of God just as it is written!

Twisting the Word of God to mean something else is sinful.

Adding to the Word of God is sinful.

Taking away from the Word of God is damnation!

These things lead to unbelief and eternal damnation.

The evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ speaks for itself.

That tomb was empty!

The evidence within, revealed that no one could have stolen that body of Jesus.

Peter was so locked up in the impossibility of these things that he just could not believe at this time.

This my friends is where most of the world is today, yet they still believe in so-called gods whose bones are still within the tomb in which they were buried.

Who can figure that one out?

What other proof do we have?

The Apostle Paul wrote these words:

1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1Co 15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
1Co 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
1Co 15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
1Co 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

But at this time Peter and John departed from that tomb just wondering about these things that had seen and heard.

Next we see how the Lord Jesus deals with those who have lost all hope.

*****Luk 24:13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
Luk 24:14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

The first thing we see is how easily the Lord Jesus can join in communication with us.

And like Jesus has already said, where two or three are gathered He would be there with them.

Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Many have guessed who these two men are but that is not even important or the Word of God would have said.

This was simply a lonely walk by two disciples of the Lord who walked with broken hearts, their world was crushed by the death of our Savior.

This day was the same day that those women had discovered the empty tomb and reported it, so these two disciples had heard all these things.

As they made their way to Emmaus they were very sad to the point of despair.

So as they walked they hardly noticed as a stranger joined with them.

*****Luk 24:15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
Luk 24:16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

As these two disciples were walking and discussing all the things that they had heard that morning, Jesus did what He does for everyone of us. “He went with them”

They had been so caught up in their sorrow that they had not noticed Jesus who had joined them in their travel.

Their eyes being “holden” would be similar to not being able to see because of the glare of the Sun.

The truth is, we can become so preoccupied with our own sorrows and distress, that we do not recognize the truth of our Lord:

Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Jesus had been walking along with them for a while and they had not noticed Him.

*****Luk 24:17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?

Jesus will always show concern for our troubles and sadness as He said unto them, “why are you so sad”.

The Lord will always ask us “Why are we so sad”.

No matter what happens to God’s people, we are still saved.

The truth is, these two were trying to understand the death, the burial, and the empty tomb of out Lord.

Jesus Christ was the subject of their conversation!

They wanted answers that only God could provide!

*****Luk 24:18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
Luk 24:19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
Luk 24:20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.

Then Jesus ask them “what things” have cause you to be this way?

God will always want us to know exactly what is bothering us.

When we pray to God we need to give Him a good description of what our problems are!

He already knows, He just wants us to see if we know exactly what we are seeking the answers to.

At first this Cleopas attacks, saying “how could anyone in the area not know what had happened in Jerusalem”.

We need to always be aware that when we are full of doubts, that is when the Devil will launch one of his attacks.

It helps to have friends we can discuss these things with. That’s why God wants us to be like a family because we are the family of God.

Cleopas said Jesus, the Great Prophet of Israel had been condemned to death and crucified.

It had not just been the elders of Israel but also the Roman rulers, in a sense the whole world that had done this evil thing.

BUT, this was not what they had expected from Jesus, they had had higher hopes.

*****Luk 24:21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
Luk 24:22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
Luk 24:23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
Luk 24:24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

You see the biggest disappointment of Cleopas and the disciples. They had expected Jesus the Messiah to over come all these enemies of the people and it had been just the opposite, He had been overcome. He had even promised to return in 3 days and they still believed He had not even done that.

The disciples could only see the end of all their hopes.

When we allow the things of this world to take us down to this level, we need to question our faith!

Jesus had told them to watch, for on the 3 day something dramatic would happen, days are still 24 hours long.

They had expected this to mean that His triumph over Rome would have taken place but they had seen no changes in these things.

Added to all this, they felt that even the body of Jesus had been stolen.

They had heard about the heavy stone that was rolled away, the women could not have done this thing.

They had heard of the empty tomb but could not understand the significance of this.

They had heard about the angels but that seemed too far fetched.

Some had felt that Jesus was alive but how could that be true.

If so, then why had Jesus not been seen.

The things of this world had robbed them of their “faith”!

Jesus Christ wants to know all the things that bother us as we go through this life down to the most minute detail.

And how did Jesus respond?

*****Luk 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
Luk 24:26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
Luk 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

What’s wrong with this world? This world does not take the Word of God serious!

These disciples of Christ Jesus simply did not believe what the prophets had said and they had come up with their own plan of what the Messiah would be and would do.

The greatest sin of all is the sin of unbelief!

The world today refuses to accept the truth of a “risen Savior”.

The sin of unbelief will send them to an eternity in the “Burning Lake of Fire”!

If we have faith in our risen Savior, then we must relinquish the control of our lives to Him and obey and serve Him.

Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

What had been the truth of the Scriptures?

As true disciples we are to take the Word of God seriously!

We are to study the Word of God to see what it says and not so much how men interpret what it says.

God says what He means and God means what He says and we need to feel comfortable with this truth!

If we were not capable of understanding the written Word of God, God would have chosen another method to teach us.

If the death of the Messiah and then the Resurrection of the Messiah had not been necessary we can be sure God would have used some other method!

In order for our salvation, these things had to take place.

Jesus had no choice but to obey the will of His Father!

We must accept these things and also realize that we are also to obey the will of our Father who is in Heaven.

In fact to be in the will of our Heavenly Father is to be in the safest place we can be in the world!

The pure truth is, that the plan of God had not been defeated but there was actually a great victory!

1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

When our doubts over come us, then we need to return to the Word of God and begin at the beginning, the Book of Genesis and we will see that the Messiah was promised even from the words of Moses.

The Lord Jesus Christ can be found throughout all the Bible!

Unbelief will ruin our day and also our testimony and break the heart of our Lord, but He will never give up on us because His faith remains steadfast.

1Co 1:8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Co 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Jews lived according to the Pentateuch, the 5 books of Moses so Jesus began from these books and went through the writings of all the prophets and pointed out all the places that concerned the Messiah.

We are expected to believe what the Word of God says!

If we are to slow to believe, then we may listen to what some man says that opposes the Word of God.

We are to believe what the prophets of God say. If we are to slow to believe we may miss the fulfillment of that prophesy.

The Bible plainly states that the Messiah had to die!

The Bible plainly states that the Messiah had to rise again!

The Bible plainly states that the Messiah had no choice!

These things were the will of God and had been God’s plan even before creation began.

AND, God’s plan was a complete success!

Jesus showed these two disciples “all the Scriptures” concerning these things.

We can see that “unbelief” not only destroys our testimony but it will leave us sad, perplexed, and in despair.

We simply cannot symbolize all the Scriptures.

The disciples of Jesus Christ had begun to accept a dead Savior just like the world does, and so many other men today but they had a hard time dealing with a risen Savior and most of the world has that same problem today.

We simply cannot pick and choose what we are going to believe in the Word of God. It is an all or nothing book.

This trip was about 7 miles or as much as 3 hours as they drew close to the village where they were going.

*****Luk 24:28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
Luk 24:29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
Luk 24:30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
Luk 24:31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

When the truth of the Scriptures open up our eyes then we will always want to hear more.

Jesus wold have gone on further because He will never enter into any house where He is not invited, just as He will never enter into any heart unless He has been invited.

Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

In order to hear the truth, we must invite Jesus into our temple to become a Temple of God!

There are 9 different occasions recorded in the Gospels where Jesus broke bread with His disciples and then blessed it.

SO, We can see why they remembered this thing but not only that, those hands still bore the scars of the nails that bound Him to the cross.

God opened their eyes to the truth and Jesus vanished out of their sight!

If they had not invited Jesus into their home they would have missed out on this great opportunity.

We miss so very much when we do not accept the Lord when we first come under Holy Ghost conviction. Even when we do later, we have already missed out on so many blessings.

It is a fact that once we are saved, the Word of God will burn within us and our need to tell others about what Jesus has done in our lives will just want to come out.

When we hear the Word of God explained and conviction comes, the only thing lacking is a response on our part.

What is Christian Heartburn?

Jer 20:9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

It is a fact that once we are saved the Word of God will burn within us and our need to tell others about what Jesus has done in our lives will just want to come out.

When we sit on our hands and refuse to do the work of the Lord we not only hinder our blessings but someone in this world may have missed their own opportunity to know the Lord.

Quit having Christian heartburn and get busy serving the Lord!

That soul that is won to the Lord is the remedy to Christian Heartburn!

These two disciples of the Lord had Christian Heartburn.

They now knew the truth and they had to let it out!

*****Luk 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
Luk 24:33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
Luk 24:34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
Luk 24:35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

It was night time and night time travel was dangerous but that did not stop these two disciples. They now knew the risen Savior and not just a dead Savior.

It was a late hour when they arrived back in Jerusalem but most all the disciples were already gathered together and all the talk was about their risen Savior!

They were all bursting with excitement because the truth of the Messiah was finally sinking in!

The amazing truth about the Word of God is that there are promises that no man has ever tried to find!

There are treasures that no one has taken the time to dig up.

There are medicines that have not been uncovered.

There are truths that have not yet been exposed.

There are little golden nuggets of information that are waiting on those that are willing to search for them!

The Bible is a love letter from God, He has not left anything out that would be a help to us but we just refuse to search the Scriptures.

These disciples had been around the Scriptures all their life and the truth of a risen Savior had never been a part of their reality until now when the truth was before their eyes.

This was one of those things in the Scriptures that had eluded them but was now exposed by the Lord Himself.

One of the most beautiful sights there are is when that lost soul finally realizes the truth of the Scriptures and faith takes over.

Once we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, it is then time for our feet to take over and go tell someone else about it!

Our biggest mistakes are made in this life when we look at our plan for this life from ground level and not from God’s level

We can be certain that Jesus Christ arose from that grave, not because there were so many witnesses to this truth but because the Word of God has told us about our Messiah, our Savior, from the very first book of the Bible and has relayed His truth all the way to the Book of Revelation and every book in between.

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

Jesus Christ Was Crucified

August 7, 2016 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Certainty Of Christ’s Crucifixion

Book of Luke 23:26-56

Crucifixion was a mode of capitol punishment used by Rome in the time of Jesus but was not used by the Jews.

The Jews used capitol punishment but they used the sword and stoning for the most part.

Crucifying was regarded as the most horrible of deaths by the Jews and was a greater horror for the curse of God.

Deu 21:22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:
Deu 21:23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

Notice the first rule was that they be worthy of death!

**Crucifixion always began first by a scourging.

The difference in Jesus case was that He was scourged before He was even sentenced!

**Then the condemned had to carry his own cross to the place of execution which would be outside the city but in full view of those who entered into the city.

Before they were nailed to that cross, they would be given a cup of vinegar with medication mixed of gall and myrrh to deaden the pain but we know that Jesus rejected this this cup.

God will never go against His Word about alcohol or drugs!

Mat 27:34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

**It was then that the nails were driven into the body.

Jesus felt every hit of the hammer that drove those nails.

All the accounts of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ are in accordance with the customs and the practices of Rome.

**It is a fact that the Lord Jesus Christ died of a broken heart, a ruptured heart which is why we see the blood and the water from the soldiers spear.

Joh 19:33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
Joh 19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

The truth is that the Lord Jesus Christ clearly understood from the beginning that He had come into this world to die on the cross and He was fully prepared and had joy in giving His life so that we could be saved!

Joh 12:27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

Let’s begin:

*****Luk 23:26 And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.

Again we should realize that everything that Christ did had a purpose.

It was not some accident that Simon just happen to be passing Jesus at that time.

It was not some accident that Jesus felt the pressure of the cross at that time.

The truth is, that the trials of this life come when we least expect them.

The cross that we are to bear in this life is usually laid upon us at an unexpected time and in an unexpected place.

We often think of Christ bearing the cross for our sin and that is so true, but here we see a sinner bearing the cross for Jesus Christ.

It is that close personal relationship that Jesus is seeking with each and everyone of us.

It is a beautiful thought that our own cross borne for Jesus Christ is borne with Jesus Christ!

Jesus wanted us all to know He is involved with us in a very personal relationship!

The truth is, we all had have a piece of the cross of Jesus and we must help bear that cross.

Luk 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Nothing in this world happens by chance, not to the Christian. God will oversee the life of all His children.

Simon was just a pilgrim traveling in a foreign land.

Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Heb 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Heb 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Many of the crosses we bear for ourselves are the ones that me make ourselves.

There was a large crowd following the procession that day but only Simon was chosen. It was not really the soldiers that chose Simon because it was the Lord.

*****Luk 23:27 And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.

In most cases it is said that the same crowd that was saying Hosanna one day were saying crucify Him the next day. That could be true, but there could also be two separate crowds. Jerusalem was full of all sorts of people in celebration of the Passover and some did actually realize that the true Passover was being crucified that day.

These were those who knew that Jesus was innocent.

These are those that knew everything about Jesus was good and He possessed no evil at all.

These are the ones that knew Jesus was the hope of all people.

This is a picture of us all, when we get to know Jesus in a personal relationship.

When we realize what great things God has done in order that we can be saved, then we to can weep and bewail and feel the pain of our Savior for what He has done for us!

These people were crying out, especially the women, because they were feeling the pain of their Savior!

Some had known Him for many years and others were mourning because they felt their pain.

Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Jas 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
Jas 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

But what we see when we mourn, let it be for the right reasons.

*****Luk 23:28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
Luk 23:29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.
Luk 23:30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
Luk 23:31 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

The women of that day were for the most part home makers and not involved in the politics of the day. To many of them, their husband was their lord.

1Pe 3:5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
1Pe 3:6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

They knew Jesus was innocent and they had never heard unfavorable things about Him.

They knew that everywhere Jesus had traveled, He had shown only mercy and truth.

They knew Jesus was the only hope for the people, because they knew that the glory of God had departed from Israel and the land was under the curse of God.

They had been aroused by the words He had spoken and the miracles they had heard of Him.

They knew no such person as this, deserved death!

Jesus simply said “weep not for me” because it was by the cross that the prayers of these women would be answered and prophesy would be fulfilled.

Jesus was saying “trust me, this is what I came to do”!

The truth is, a natural response to the sufferings of Christ is just not enough. We must understand why Jesus suffered and feel a godly sorrow over Christ bearing the sins of the world.

We are just not ashamed of our sin!

2Co 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Then Jesus painted a picture of Israel’s doom, which we must remember is also a “type” of the future destruction of this world.

They would be better off weeping for themselves!

There was soon coming a day when these women would wish they had been childless.

They would soon wish that they were buried alive rather than see the death of hunger.

If we realize that Jesus represents that “green tree” the “tree of life”, how will the world treat a tree of no use, with no visible life left in it.

Israel was that “dry tree” at that time with no signs of life.

We could say that “America is that dry tree” today because America is dying the death of sin.

We are witnessing that today!

Israel had rejected the invitation of God time after time and had tried God’s patience.

This time they had gone too far!

Mat 27:25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

The killing of the Lord Jesus Christ by such ruthless men was the last straw for that generation!

Just as soon as the Church was established to a point of survival, Jerusalem was judged and Israel was scattered.

Mat 3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

And then another prophesy must be fulfilled:

Isa 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

*****Luk 23:32 And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.

As far as we know, this day may have already been set aside for execution. We already know it was a day when a criminal would be set free.

Mar 15:6 Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.

It would be fair to say, that it was also an execution day already planned by Rome for some reason or another.

To those Jewish leaders it just added weight to their saying to the people that this was just a man like any other man and not the true Messiah.

Just another prophet like the others they had killed, but this time they were wrong.

Christ was counted with the sinner because our Father in Heaven had decided these things!

Over and over again we see God’s plan and God just wants us all to be a part of His plan because no other plan will work!

So Mount Calvary came into view.

*****Luk 23:33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
Luk 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

Every sinner has a limited view of their own sin, because we simply do not see the things we do as evil!

For this reason, sin to them is just not a big deal and Christ dying for our sin was also no big deal.

They see laws made for others than themselves because they think they have no evil intent.

What we see in our world today is that sin appears indifferent and according to the circumstances in which it is seen.

So we see that Jesus said “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”.

Here we see the power of “Grace”!

Mat 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

The truth is that Christ was crucified in order to bring us back to God!

1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Now we also see Jesus the Mediator between God and sinful man, because remember at His death, the Veil of the Temple was ripped into.

It is very true that those leaders and politicians simply did not know what they were doing!

In order to stop God’s plan then Jesus would have had to live!

1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

And then another prophesy is fulfilled.

Psa 22:16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
Psa 22:17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
Psa 22:18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

God just knows every little detail of every little thing and even every big thing!

Jesus was stripped of His clothes because Jesus allowed all His mortality to be stripped from Him.

Jesus came to bring eternal life from His death, because He came to abolish death and bring immortality through the “Gospel”.

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
2Ti 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

There is no way that this world could deny Jesus His cross and that is the same way we should all feel!

We should not allow this world to deny us our own cross in Jesus’ name!

God will have His will on this earth!

*****Luk 23:35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
Luk 23:36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
Luk 23:37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.

What’s wrong with this world? Most all people do not understand the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Those looking for a Messiah always have their preconceived notions of what a Messiah is.

Is the Messiah the anointed one of God? Yes

Is the Messiah the Savior of the world? Yes

Is the Messiah the Christ? In the Greek, Yes.

Is the Messiah the expected prince of God’s chosen people? Yes of Israel. The prince who will be King.

Is the Messiah the High Priest of the Church? Yes

Was the Messiah sent to complete God’s purpose? Yes

The Messiah was never to fulfill the will of the people!

The truth of the cross was, that since the Messiah came to save the people of this world then He certainly could not save Himself!

Did He have the power to do so? Yes

Did He have the will to do so? No, for He would have left us all to die!

You would think the people of God could better understand these things.

From the day Jesus was laid in that manger, He had not hid Himself from His message of salvation!

That cross that crucified our Lord was His message of love!

It was love that kept Jesus from coming down off that cross!

1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

All leaders, all those who say they have religion, and all people of all societies are only human and Jesus died to save us all!

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

It was that generation in the time of Jesus, that should have realized the truth but they had rejected the truth and this is what is going on in our world today.

So what is the next truth?

Mat 23:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
Mat 23:39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

This is also the truth of a world without Jesus Christ until He returns.

Those soldiers could not have understood the claim of Jesus to be King, they were only men paid to be obedient to Rome.

Jesus was first offered vinegar mixed with pain killers but He refused.

You will never see Jesus go against the Word of God.

Pro 23:29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
Pro 23:30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
Pro 23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

Those soldiers also had their own drink source that was a mixture of vinegar and water and this is what was later offered to the Lord which He did take some.

Vinegar has no alcohol content in itself!

And there was also the superscription that was misunderstood.

*****Luk 23:38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

The sign hanging above the head of Jesus was intended to mock the Jewish authorities and to reproach the claim of Jesus.

But God changed things. Pilate who was His judge had now proclaimed the glory of God.

So the cross had actually become the first throne of King Jesus!

And this was written in the known languages of that day.

Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Just when this world thinks it is in control, God shows up to make a mockery of those who ridicule Him!

But still the world is full of unbelievers!

*****Luk 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
Luk 23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
Luk 23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

First we have a man in the same predicament as Jesus and you would think this man would have at least shown pity.

He had probably never even seen Christ before, yet he rejected the Lord.

So even with this horrible thing he said that day, he is still less guilty that those who have known the Lord Jesus and still rejected Him.

The truth is and we all need to know, if we pray for God to show us His power to prove who He is, then God will remain silent and never answer such a prayer.

God is all about faith and not about proof!

But there is always someone on the right side!

This known criminal became humble and repented because he felt the power of the cross, maybe the very first one to do so!

In faith he found hope for his guilty soul!

The truth is, this man knew that he and his partner in crime were both guilty beyond measure but he also realized that Jesus had committed no crime at all, yet they all were together on this day, judged by an unrighteous world.

What is the truth of most all Atheist? As they see their life come to an end, the love of this world that they cherished all their days will begin to disappear and they indeed will search for something else or cry out in torment even before death finally comes.

When you are on death’s row, you may think one way but when you sit down in the electric chair life becomes real!

Every breath becomes important because you do not know which one will be your last.

When we realize we deserve death, it is at that point that Holy Ghost conviction can do it’s work!

Then can come repentance and only then!

It takes a whole hearted submission to God for salvation to take place!

And only then can we be “Born Again” into new life that last for an eternity!

And He said to Jesus:

*****Luk 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

Death to the sinner is death of the body and then a living death of the soul in Hell and later the Burning Lake of Fire.

Death to the Savior, who knew no sin, but He bore all our iniquities on the cross and then rose again to “New Life”.

Death to the child of God means no death has any power over him. We may not be able to escape the death of this body because just like all the material things on this earth it was just something else on loan from God.

We have a new glorified body awaiting us and an eternal life body and soul in the glories of Heaven.

There is not one soul that has done things so bad that they cannot be forgiven by the Lord!

God must judge sin, or God could not be God!

It was at the cross where God showed the intensity of His love.

And Jesus said:

*****Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Not next week, not next year, not next generation but “today”.

We know that Jesus gave up the ghost at 3 PM. The Jewish day ends at 6 PM. Jesus made an appointment which He kept before that new child of God had his legs broken before 6 PM and he died the death that we all face but he was in the arms of Jesus before they took his body off that cross and he was with Jesus before the body of Jesus was laid in that garden tomb.

Jesus was busy while that old physical body was being prepared for that borrowed tomb!

Once we realize that Christ Jesus does certainly have a Kingdom, why would we be foolish enough to not want to be with Him in that place!

What does the sinners prayer require? Lord remember me!

*****Luk 23:44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.
Luk 23:45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

Darkness is a symbol of separation and loneliness and the darkness will always speak to us in lies and broken promises.

The truth is all of mankind was separated from the light of the Lord until Jesus came the first time and one at a time, many have come to the light and out of the darkness!

Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Joh 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

The truth is, none of us can really see when we are in the darkness!

Without true sight we stand alone in this world solely responsible for our own behavior.

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

The sixth our to the Jew is the noon time hour.

When the Sun had reached it’s peak on that day the world became dark and stayed dark for three hours until 3PM or the ninth hour.

Those who have not witnessed an eclipse of the sun cannot know how this takes place. Whether eclipse or not the timing of it was in God’s hands!

We should consider that the Passover was held at the time of the full moon and it is impossible to have an eclipse of the Sun and a full Moon at the same time!

This veil that was ripped into was the veil that hid the entrance to the Holy of Holies.

This was the most sacred place in all the Temple, the place of where the presence of God was said to be at times.

The death of Jesus on the cross on Mount Calvary had rolled back the curtain to open the door to the Holiest Place of all to all who would come to worship at the feet of God!

Jesus simply said, “Father into thy hands, I commend my spirit”.

Jesus was not concerned with what was going on around Him, He just knew that His work that He had come to accomplish was finished.

John was a witness to these things and John gave us the words of Jesus.

Joh 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

When Jesus commended His soul into the hands of God, it was certainly proof that the soul still lives as the body does.

It also shows us that the true resting place for the soul is with God!

The truth is when we die we will go through a great change in true living!

But that soul cannot return to God unless we go through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
1Pe 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Jesus did not die for Himself no more than He lived for Himself!

And we must realize no matter what we are going through, somebody is always watching.

*****Luk 23:47 Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.

As we have seen throughout the New Testament, these Centurions have been thoughtful and honest men.

This is the man that had the responsibility to obey the commands of Pilate and crucify our Lord, yet He stood amazed at the man he had murdered.

This is exactly what most of our world is missing today. Certainly Jesus was a righteous man but more important He is our Savior.

This was a Gentile who is a “type” of the working of the Cross upon the human mind and the human heart once we realize what Jesus has done for us all.

Jesus had fulfilled His purpose!

This Centurion had only obeyed His orders.

But how did those that insisted He be crucified act?

*****Luk 23:48 And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.

What had God said?

Zec 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

Many had come with malice and many out of curiosity but they had been overcome by the “Grace” of God!

**It was sin that drove the “Passion” of Christ, we may not have driven those nails but He bore “our” griefs and “our” sorrows.

**Jesus did not die on the cross for all mankind as much as He died for each individual sinner.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

**Jesus Christ is the same in His glory as He was on that cross!

Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

Oh what a Savior we have!

These people may have come for entertainment but what they saw had saddened them and brought conviction and some were now prepared in their hearts to hear the truth of the ‘Gospel”.

Hos 14:9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.

We are a foolish people to think that every step that Jesus took on this earth did not have a direct and profound purpose and He fulfilled everyone of them.

But there were those that loved Him there also:

*****Luk 23:49 And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

Disciples, secret friends, and even some acquaintances who lacked the courage to get closer to the Lord not ready to pick up there own cross.

The women who had financially supported the ministry of the 12 chosen of the Lord feared to get closer but they were there never the less.

There were many who truly cared for the Lord and loved Him and there would soon be many more and Jesus said “He has not lost a single one of them”!

The three that we know who got as close as they could was His mother Mary, John, and Mary Magdalene.

We can be sure of the the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ!

We can be sure that Christ died for our sins because He had none of His own.

We can be certain of our salvation because we can be certain of our Lord!

His purpose was completed on the cross and ours just began once we realized this truth.

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

The Trial Of Jesus Christ

July 31, 2016 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Certainty Of Christ’s Trial

Book of Luke 23:1-25

The Jewish Sanhedrin was the supreme council of the Jewish people and consisted of 71 elders of the Jews.

As a judicial body, the Sanhedrin constituted what we would say was a supreme court.

The Sanhedrin had been hastily called at a time before the dawn of the day.

The Lord Jesus Christ was brought before this group as a false prophet.

Jesus had professed to be the Messiah and they had pronounced the death sentence upon Him even before He had a trial.

They could have put Jesus away for years in prison and nothing would have been said but they wanted Him dead.

In order to accomplish this they needed Pilate, the Roman governor to go along with their verdict and they accused Jesus of insurrection against the Roman government.

*****Luk 23:1 And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate.
Luk 23:2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.

The Jewish religious system was so opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ that all 71 of the Sanhedrin court arose and took Jesus to Pilate seeking for His death.

The truth is their only goal was to protect their worldly desires, their security and their position and their authority given to them by Rome and of course their riches.

They had become rich while their nation was being plundered by Rome.

Jesus was accused of “perverting the nation”.
Jesus was accused of “forbidding other Jews to give tribute to Caesar”.
Jesus was accused of “naming Himself true King of the Jews”.

If proven true, these were in fact serious crimes against the Roman government.

Pilate was a morally weak man who sinned in spite of himself.
Pilate was a worldly man who sought only his own interest.
Pilate was irreligious, he had no ties to any religion and was not guided by any and actually condemned most all religion.

It was this immoral man who began to question Jesus.

*****Luk 23:3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sanest it.

“thou sanest it” was in fact the most solemn mode of affirmation used by all the Jews.

The Book of John gives us greater detail into the actual things Jesus said and it is possible that John may have even been present during this time.

Jo 18:34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
Jo 18:35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
Jo 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
Jo 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sanest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Jo 18:38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.

Jesus stated that His kingdom was not of this world.

Jesus was not some political revolutionary.

Jesus was not a threat to any civil government.

(These are to be the same traits of the Church)

Jesus said at this time He ruled a spiritual kingdom!

Jesus was, is, and always will be the King of Heaven!

Jesus had first come to rule in the hearts and the minds and the lives of man!

Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

So Pilate came to his verdict.

*****Luk 23:4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.

This same man who would later condemn Jesus to die, acknowledged that the Lord Jesus was not guilty of any of these false charges.

Pilate knew that this Jewish court was lying about the things they were saying about Jesus.

Kind of reminds us about our own politically charged Supreme Court of today.

Not only had the Lord Jesus never committed any crime at all, He had never committed any sin at all!

If there were ever an innocent man on trial, it was the Lord Jesus Christ!

1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit

We should also keep in mind that anything Pilate did was overpowered by a selfish regard for his own interest.

So when the Jews heard what he said they knew just what to do.

*****Luk 23:5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.

These foolish men then exerted themselves with great fury and violence.

They became even more unruly.

They increased their charges against Jesus.

They said it was not only in Judea that He stirred up treason and sedition, but also in Galilee, making Jesus a national threat.

They said that no matter where Jesus went He stirred up the people, and He did but never against the government of Rome or any other government.

Jesus stirred the people up spiritually!

Pilate knew the truth and it did not move him, so it would be impossible for him to be moved by any sense of justice toward any Jew.

There was no cause for these things to happen to Jesus, except men seeking their own material things the exact same things that cause most all the problems in our world today!

Psa 69:4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.

Any so-called national leader to seeks to escape his duty is an unworthy leader and that’s what sits in our White House today.

Jas 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

When Pilate heard Galilee, he thought he had found another way to avoid being in this Jewish mess.

*****Luk 23:6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilean.
Luk 23:7 And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.

Pilate never really considered to set Jesus free, but he did have a great desire to be free of Him!

If Pilate had been just at all, he would followed up on his verdict of innocence!

Pilate feared an uprising of these Jews more than he feared causing harm to one innocent man.

Pilate had made an enemy out of Herod, so it made it even easier to allow Herod to get burnt by causing harm to such an innocent man.

This Herod was Herod Antipas the son of Herod the Great.

Again Pilate was only seeking his own best interest in all these matters, he had no real concern for Jesus.

*****Luk 23:8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.

This was also the same Herod who had beheaded John the Baptist and thought that Jesus may have even been the resurrection of John.

Mar 6:14 And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.
Mar 6:15 Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.
Mar 6:16 But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.

It is obvious that Herod showed no concern for the truth.

It is also obvious that Herod had no concern for his own soul.

The possibility that Jesus was truly the Messiah never entered Herod’s mind.

Herod just wanted to witness an actual miracle!

Herod felt that he was high enough up on the ladder of success, that he deserved for God to just perform for him!

The truth is God will never do a miracle just for the recipient of that miracle. God does all things for His own pleasure and for the benefit of His kingdom!

We should remember, the “Gospel” had already entered into the household of Herod.

Luk 8:3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.

Also

Act 13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

And possibly

Jo 4:46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.

The truth is Jesus knew that it would be a waste of time to offer any words of wisdom to Herod and Jesus said nothing at all.

*****Luk 23:9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.

Men who get their delight from moral darkness, usually have no objection to the “Gospel” they just hate the moral requirements of the “Gospel”.

For a king such as Herod the commandments of God would have robbed him of his terrorizing power, so Jesus gave no response at all.

Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

Once the “Gospel” tears away the fabric of their moral condition, it reveals just how depraved we truly are.

Once the “Gospel” shakes their soul with the promise of the judgment of God then we will become our own worst enemy.

Jo 15:22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
Jo 15:23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
Jo 15:24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
Jo 15:25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

So Herod then listened to the false charges against Jesus.

*****Luk 23:10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.
Luk 23:11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.
Luk 23:12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.

Herod had refused to listen to John the Baptist.

Herod had refused to listen to the witnessing going on in his own household.

Herod had refused to believe in the wonders that he had heard about the Lord Jesus.

But Herod listened to the government backed, politically motivated religionists of the Jewish elders of the Sanhedrin court.

Herod set Jesus aside, as just being unimportant enough for his concern for justice.

Most of this world approaches the Word of God with fore-drawn conclusions and since those conclusions cannot be verified they revolt toward humanism.

We must remember as Christians we are simply witnesses of the truth of God.

It is the Word of God itself that is God’s appointed representative.

We are responsible for the manner in which we present the Word of God

Jo 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

That word “nought” means that Herod looked upon Jesus as nothing, not even as a decent human being.

We can say what we wish, but how much of the world today and even some so-called churches look upon Jesus Christ as still being nothing.

You cannot accept the Word of God and reject Jesus Christ.

When we count our own lives as greater than that of Jesus Christ, we have then becomes failures as humans.

When we accept the ways of the world as truth then we are complete failures.

We must accept that Jesus Christ is exactly who He says He is!

Jo 8:23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
Jo 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

Jesus Christ did not come into our lives to give a performance. Jesus came into our lives to save us!

Jesus was silent before Herod because when we continue in sin we will never get an answer from God.

Herod and Pilate became friends because all things worldly are brought closer together in their opposition to the truth!

This is what is happening in the political arena today!

Judaism and Heathenism came together to destroy Christianity and all false religions will try to do the same before the end comes.

We also see the beginning of this happening today!

Jesus went to the cross because of sin but it was hatred that put Him there!

Compromising with the world will always lead to sin and then on to trouble and tragedy.

Pilate knew the truth of Jesus innocence.

Herod knew the truth but Jesus was nothing to him.

Pilate then sought to compromise with with a group of liars which is impossible if they do not get their way.

This is what is happening in America today as our leaders compromise with the abortionist, the gay community, the LBGT movement, the BLM movement, climate change, and other foolish things that go against the Word of God and then tell Christians we must just get over it.

God says:

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

We will see that in the end Pilate was only concerned with himself.

*****Luk 23:13 And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
Luk 23:14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:
Luk 23:15 No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him.
Luk 23:16 I will therefore chastise him, and release him.

We will see that 3 times Pilate did try to release the Lord Jesus but the Jews would not relent in their hatred for the truth.

Pilate knew this whole group was a bunch of liars and Jesus was innocent of all the things that were brought against Him.

Even Herod had found Jesus innocent of all charges.

Not one crime worthy of death had been committed by Jesus in fact no crime at all had been committed by Jesus.

What did Pilate know about these Jews?

Pilate knew these Jews would cause trouble for him in Rome and he already stood on shaky ground with Rome.

So again we see how power and money rule most all men.

Truth and justice always suffer at the hands of ruthless power hungry people!

A compromising person is always thinking only of themselves.

They will protect themselves even at the expense of truth and justice.

We need to remember all these things when we cast our votes in the coming election because these things never change.

God tells us the same thing!

Psa 82:2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.

Pilate was directly responsible to Rome for the administration and the finances of Judea.

To become a procurator was as much political move as it was a military success.

Even with all these things at stake it was still Pilate’s job to free those innocent of the laws of Rome.

These Jews were not about the let Jesus go free no matter what other punishment was offered.

They wanted Jesus dead!

This in turn made Pilate even more bitter with these Jews.

Pilate offered one more option.

*****Luk 23:17 (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)
Luk 23:18 And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:
Luk 23:19 (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.)
Luk 23:20 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them.
Luk 23:21 But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him.

The truth is always the truth no matter what is said to the contrary!

Here we see the Pilate is trying to compromise the truth when there can never be a compromise between justice and injustice.

We live in a world today where the innocent get the blame for what the guilty do and that is wrong. How backwards have we become?

Pilate is a picture of what this world has become!

Pilate may have wished to do right and he had it in his power to do right but he cared more for his own image and these Jews manipulated him to get what they wanted him to do.

These Jews never did want a Messiah like Jesus, they just wanted a king that they could control to do things their own way.

And the truth is any nation that could forsake Jesus for a man or woman like Barabbas deserved destruction.

Many will say the same thing if Hillary Clinton becomes the next president and it will be just as true.

Our nation will get what we deserve to get for such stupidity!

There is not a whole lot of difference between the mob that rejected Jesus and applauded Barabbas and the mobs that surround this presidential election.

They will not be satisfied until they have received Barabbas.

The truth is, this world will always cry out to get rid of Jesus!

The truth is, an immoral man will never be a good judge nor should they ever be put on a bench to judge others because the innocent will always suffer and laws will always be meaningless.

But that is exactly what we have today in many of our court rooms!

When the truth is known then it must always be proclaimed.

The opposite of that is that the guilty should never get off totally free of the wrong that they have done.

To compromise these things will bring the downfall of civil society!

When we agree to something less than the truth it will be the beginning of chaos!

The truth is and the lesson we should learn is that God will never compromise on the things that concern His Son.

Jo 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Jo 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

We either stand with Jesus Christ or we stand against Him! There is no middle ground!

Mobs are always cruel when left to there own ways!

We have certainly seen this truth in the past several months.

The truth is that this mob admired what they resembled and Barabbas was much more like them than Jesus could ever be!

This is the truth of most all mobs!

Jesus was innocent and sinless, the ideal man and it is in Him we are to trust.

The world is still struggling with this truth because the world is still more like Barabbas!

And Pilate asked one more time the question why? Because none of us really understand any more than Pilate did.

*****Luk 23:22 And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.
Luk 23:23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.
Luk 23:24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.
Luk 23:25 And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

It’s hard to understand exactly why these Jews insisted on the death of Jesus but to say it was written in the Old Testament that they would do so.

They could have easily just locked Him up and put Him out of reach but they were just as afraid of the people.

There was absolutely no cause for Jesus to die by worldly standards!

Pilate was never strong enough to do what was right.

Pilate could never stand up for Jesus because he did not possess moral strength.

Pilate was too weak of a man to declare the truth before such men as these Jews.

“We should clearly understand that the pressure of this world to do evil is hard to overcome”!

This is more evident today right here in America than it has ever been.

We should realize that the trial of Jesus was illegal by Jewish Law.

And the truth of any nation is, that those who are regarded as great men are not necessarily wise.

Job 32:9 Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.

Although there has never been anyone who faced judgment who was as innocent as Jesus, He was still condemned to die on a cross.

When we are delivered to the will of our enemies we will never get fair judgment!

Psa 27:12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

This trial lasted no more than just a few hours and the sentence was forced by an unruly crowd who were influenced by powerful men with money.

What is causing the division in America today? Powerful men with money!

The murder of an innocent man was dressed up as justice!

Why do we pray for good laws and good lawmakers, if we refuse to obey those laws.

What happened to the Lord Jesus Christ had been predetermined before the words “let there be light” were ever said.

Pilate could give many excuses of why he gave in to these Jews, but he still could have done the right thing and set Jesus free but in dooming Jesus, He also doomed himself.

The truth is every unrighteous judge will weigh every decision against their own livelihood and their own recognition rather than true justice.

Our courts are full of these people today!

Our laws were never intended to be hypocritical.

Everyday that goes by, it is so easy to see why a righteous God has no choice but to judge an unrighteous system put in place by men!

Pilate was guilty of many things but these Jews were even more guilty!

They had predetermined that Jesus would die and would accept no other verdict.

They never questioned His innocence!

The truth is, that the ruling class of every nation insist on keeping a death grip on the poor of that nation and Jesus interfered with that system just as the true church does today.

What is the truth?

Act 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Act 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Act 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

They had predetermined that Jesus would die and they killed His outer flesh but the part they hated, what Jesus was and what He stood for can never die!

The truth is, that through death, the power of God to save was released onto this world and only He will decide when it is finished!

The death of Jesus brought the “Gospel” of salvation according to the Scriptures.

1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

The truth of our world is that most men prefer the company of evil and sinful men who can be controlled and used as pawns.

And it is also obvious that the worldly religionists prefer this world rather than the truth of God.

The truth is when we are willing to compromise the truth of God then the pressure to do evil will get to us.

2Pe 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

This world we live in will continue to try to make a mockery of God but every time the world sees victory, God has already won!

1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

The trial of Jesus Christ was a mockery of justice!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

The Memorial To Christ

July 24, 2016 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Certainty Of Christ’s Memorial

Book of Luke 22

A “Memorial” is something that preserves the memory of something of great importance.

Today we will see that the Lord’s Supper is a memorial of the death and the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ as the sacrificial Lamb of God.

We are expected to take part in this memorial service until the Lord returns.

1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

But we are also to be worthy to take part in this remembrance of the work of the Lord.

1Co 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
1Co 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
1Co 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

If we look back to the first Jewish Passover we can get the true meaning of all these things.

Everything about the Passover Feast was designed to teach the people of Israel and of course all those that study the Scriptures, that we all owe our lives to the protecting and guiding hand of God.

If we look back at the first Passover we should see some important things.

Exo 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
Exo 12:23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
Exo 12:24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.

If you took that blood and put in the places mentioned in this Scripture you have made the shape of a cross.

The significance is obvious. Israel was saved from the bondage of Egypt by the blood of a perfect lamb.

The world is saved from the bondage of sin by the blood that was shed on Mount Calvary by the blood of the perfect Lamb of God.

It was the Lord Jesus Christ who gave Himself for our redemption!

As Jesus peered out through blood soaked eyes, He said Father forgive them for they know not what they do.

He was looking at us through His own blood.

The Bible says:

Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

At this Passover Feast with His disciples, the Passover had now reached it’s end, and had found it’s full meaning!

The Passover, which sprinkled the blood of the covenant on those door posts in the land of Egypt, descends until it’s last victim dies beneath the shadow of the cross of Jesus Christ.

Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Let’s Begin:

*****Luk 22:14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
Luk 22:15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
Luk 22:16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

Without a doubt we can see that there is a connection between the Passover and the suffering of Jesus Christ.

In “typology”, the Passover pictured the coming of Christ (a perfect lamb, the perfect Lamb of God)

The blood that was placed on the side posts and the lintel pictured the blood of Jesus (shed on the cross)

It was a sign that the life and the blood of an innocent lamb had been substituted for the sin of the first born (sin of Adam)

The eating of the lamb represents the spiritual nourishment gained by the feeding of Christ (The Bread of Life, The Lord’s Supper)

The unleavened bread is a picture of putting evil out of your life and out of your household.

The Jews used 4 foods and drink items at the Passover Meal.

1) They used a bowl of salt water to remind them of the tears shed by their forefathers, while they were in 430 years of bondage in Egypt.

2) They used a bitter salad like plate, to remind them of the bitterness of bondage and slavery.

3) They used a paste mixture of of fruit and cinnamon sticks, to remind them of the labor in making those bricks from clay and straw.

4) They used 4 cups of wine to remind them of God’s 4 promises to deliver their forefathers from bondage.

God promised Israel these 4 things.

Exo 6:6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:
Exo 6:7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
Exo 6:8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.

The Passover Feast was based upon historical facts.

The Lord’s Supper is a memorial to the work of the Lord much much more than just history.

The Lord’s Supper is a remembrance of the Living Christ until He returns to take us home!

The Passover Feast reached it’s end and found it’s full meaning with the Lord’s Supper!

The Passover then represents the change of slaves to servants!

The Lord’s Supper represents the change of servants into the children of God and joint heirs with Christ!

We are close to the end of the Church Age, when that last when victim will die in the shadow of the cross and is “Born Again” and then the return of Jesus Christ.

1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Jesus said “you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”.

Don’t you just love the Word of God!

We should also remember our Messiah had a human side and that side needed some support for what He was about to do.

Remember Christ “gave” His life, because no man could take it from Him if He so wished not to die!

Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

But above all these things God’s created human beings also needed comfort. These chosen men needed reassurance for the things they were about to face!

We can be sure, that God is well aware of the painful steps that each one of us have in our daily walk with Him and all the steps we will take in our own journey in this life!

Maybe the greatest reason for the Lord’s Supper of all is, that it looked forward to the glorious future of the Church and all the people of God!

The Lord took His place in that first Communion and the end of these things is when He once again joins with us all at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!

You know we do not have to look for great things in order to discover the great truths of God.

God will use the routines of common life to show us His deepest secrets.

The Lord Jesus Christ took a simple meal of bread and juice to show us the truth of the “Gospel”.

*****Luk 22:17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
Luk 22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.

We can just imagine the intense love of Christ for us as He took the time to explain to explain the truth, a communion meal of memorial for all believers, yet it was His last meal on this earth.

The Lord Jesus “desired” to spend His last free time with a simple meal and then singing and rejoicing and then prayer before His death and He even took the time to wash their feet as a slave would his master.

The Lord’s Supper is all about the death of Christ.

The Lord’s Supper is also a picture or a “type” of that Heavenly Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

This will not take place until all things are fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

The Lord’s Supper is also God’s promise of that future Marriage Feast.

Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Jesus then took the bread.

*****Luk 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Luk 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

**There is a great meaning to the bread.

Jesus took the bread and broke it:

This symbolized His broken body.

Jesus Christ sacrificed His body for our deliverance because He needed no deliverance.

Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

AND, this act of the Lord was truly significant to the early church and it should be today:

Act 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Act 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Under the Old Testament the broken bread signified the sufferings of the Jews.

Jesus said this was a New Testament and the bread signified the broken body of Christ.

Jesus said His body would be broken and given for us!

He suffered and died for us!

Jesus took our place on the cross of death. (The wages of sin are death)

Jesus Christ bore the “Judgment of God” for us!

**There is also great meaning in the cup.

Jesus said the cup held the blood of the New Testament.

It is the blood of Jesus Christ that established a New Covenant with God!

It is the blood of Jesus Christ that has allowed us to have a personal relationship with God as He had in the time of Adam before Adam had sinned.

It takes “faith” in these very things to have assurance of eternal life.

Joh 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

Joh 6:56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
Joh 6:57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

The Jews had rejected this truth but the Church lives by this truth!

We can only be saved and our sins forgiven by believing that Christ’s blood was shed for our forgiveness.

1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

And Jesus said “do this in remembrance of me”.

We are to remember how God liberated Israel from the slavery of Egypt, that’s what the Passover was all about.

We are to remember how, by the blood of Christ, we are liberated for the bondage of the sin of this world.

We are to remember that this same blood will make it possible for Jesus to return and take us all into the eternal presence of God.

We should also realize that Jesus Christ used this Lord’s Supper to reach out one more time to sinners!

*****Luk 22:21 But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.
Luk 22:22 And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!
Luk 22:23 And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.

Jesus knew exactly what Judas would do but He also knew that we would be studying these Scriptures and Jesus wants us all to know that He will give every sinner as many opportunities as He can to repent.

Judas knew exactly what Jesus was saying even though the rest of these disciples did not.

Jesus knew what Judas had already done and He wanted Judas to know that He knew.

Jesus knows the same about all sinners.

Jesus also took the time to warn Judas.

This warning extends to all who reject Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Jesus says “woe to those who betray Him”

Judas clearly understood he would face the “judgment” of God, even though he may not have realized the severity of His actions.

The world today knows that God is all about love and through liberal theology they have forgotten about God’s “judgment”.

In fact there cannot be one without the other!

Terrible judgment is a sure thing for sinners and Judas was made well aware of that this night of the Lord’s Supper.

The wages of sin are death and redemption is only by the blood of the Lamb as proven by the Lord’s Supper.

God knows the destiny of every sinner and it is not something that makes Him happy!

Each sinner has until the day they die to repent even though just like the Lord knew Judas would not, He knows all sinners who will not ever change their mind.

We should never forget it is also God’s “Grace” that warns us of the consequences of sin!

Judas was not forced to turn away from his sin, it was his freedom of choice to decide.

It is by God’s “Grace” that He even warns us of the coming “Judgment”.

We have a God that respects our will and our desires!

God loves us enough to tell us the truth but He will never force our obedience!

We must understand that there are consequences for going against the Word of God!

So we see that it is the purpose of Lord’s Supper to cause a searching of our own hearts.

*****Luk 22:23 And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.
Luk 22:24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

We need to understand that we, especially the men have a natural desire for superiority.

We all desire recognition, prestige, position and honor.

Many even desire power and authority.

We have seen where many people in such positions try to become absolute rulers, or monarchy, as our President.

So when we hear that these disciples of Christ had such desires then we should better understand these passages.

When a group of men are together many times there are those who want the others to acknowledge them as the greatest.

That desire becomes sinful when it is of the things of this world!

If that desire is aimed at the work of the Lord it then becomes useful as long as we realize that in our person we are no better than anyone else!

What we see is that these disciples argued about these things just like most other men do!

When we try to rise, at the expense of others or the ruin of others or by trampling on others we are going against everything the Word of God stands for.

True greatness consist of a reverent fear of the Lord and our usefulness to Him and His work, that He has given us to do.

The Holy Spirit is not given to us for enjoyment, He is given to us for our “employment”!

The main ability we need in the work of the Lord is “availability”!

That word “strife” means these men were always eager to argue about who was the greatest disciple of the Lord.

Even these disciples were still thinking about an earthly kingdom where the Lord would appoint them into positions of authority, which will one day take place but that is still in ours and in their future.

Self-seeking will always blind our eyes to the true glory that is in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Even at this last meal, the Lord’s Supper, these men were trying to seat themselves in seats of honor.

On the eve of the cross, these men could still only think of worldly things!

And how did Jesus respond to these things, this is our lesson to.

*****Luk 22:25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.

A benefactor is one who is granted favors for charitable things they have done in serving others.

A worldly benefactor wants to be known recognized and honored, for what they have done but that word “called” is a great man who is “known to be” a generous man and who gives of himself simply to help others.

Those around him “know him” for what is is!

Psa 10:3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.

And Jesus begins to explain the difference between these two lines of thought.

*****Luk 22:26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
Luk 22:27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

We already know that there will be rewards and great benefits for serving the Lord which far out weigh and persecution in this life!

So it would pay us to listen to what Jesus says here to His disciples.

It is obvious that Jesus rejects the world’s attitude about greatness!

The world says that “he that is being served is the greatest”.

Jesus says “it is the one who serves that is greatest”.

These are on opposite ends of thought from each other!

True greatness is never a position of power over someone else!

A wise man once said “we are but waiters in the Lord’s hotel”.

When we acknowledge that we are sinners saved only by the “Grace” of God, it is easy to assume the lowest position in any room because in the end we know that is the highest position after all!

It is true that in most places, age is looked up to and honored, but Jesus says we need to honor those who are His servants no matter their age.

A truly great person will look for people to help and places to help them!

A truly great person will seek for the sake of being a minister to them.

Do we call ourselves Christian or are we known to be Christian?

Php 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

If we are to follow in the example of the Lord, then we must realize the Lord Jesus gave up the glories of Heaven to humble Himself and make a way for our salvation.

Jesus did not ever say we are not to hold a place of authority or a place of honor!

Jesus said “we are to use any place we hold to be servants to the needs of the Church and to Him”.

In John’s Gospel we are told that it was at this time that Jesus washed the feet of each disciple to prove His point.

Joh 13:5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

In those days of the Jews, there was no less menial task than washing the feet of some one else and that was the duty of the lowest slave.

One of the happiest days of Jesus was when He took our sins to the cross.

The same one who would die for our sins would also wash our feet to clean us from the filth of this world.

Then Jesus said if we are His disciples we would continue in all these things with Him.

*****Luk 22:28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.
Luk 22:29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
Luk 22:30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

What is the most important quality of a servant? “That they are faithful”!

It is in our best interest to prove to be faithful servants.

We must continue with Jesus all our days.

We must stand by Him.

We must stick to Him.

We must be like Him.

What are some of the rewards that are set and promised to these disciples?

There would be 12 thrones and each disciple would sit on a throne and be judge to the 12 tribes of Israel.

This promise probably relates to the Millennial Kingdom because it is at that time that Israel will be fully restored to the Promised Land with all the tribes and all the “Resurrected Saints” of the “Church Age” which will include the 12 Apostles and will judge the world.

1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

This is what John saw in the Book of Revelation.

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

This is also the reason that Jesus said it was not up to Him who was to sit on what throne because this is His Father’s plan and God just wants us all to be part of His plan.

Mat 20:22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
Mat 20:23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

This is also the promise that was made to Israel:

Isa 1:24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
Isa 1:25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:
Isa 1:26 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

There may be no distinction between the Jew and the Gentile in Heaven but during the Millennial Kingdom, The Lord Jesus has made this promise the Apostles.

It was these 12 men who turned the world upside down in the name of Jesus Christ and we have survived by the Doctrine of the Apostles that they gained from the Lord Jesus, why would He not honor them?

These 12 men endured things that most all others will never see in their entire lifetime and all in the name of Jesus Christ.

1Co 4:9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
1Co 4:10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.
1Co 4:11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;
1Co 4:12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
1Co 4:13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
1Co 4:14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.

But every true believer will also be rewarded!

Mat 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

But none of us should never forget that once we have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we live in the sight of Satan who hates all things of Christ but thank goodness for the Lord.

*****Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luk 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Peter was to carry the load as the leader of these 12 men and we know Peter tripped many times but it should be obvious that Satan paid a lot of attention to Peter and hindered him in every way possible.

When Satan “sifts” any believer he is trying to separate that believer from God!

We need to know and understand these facts!

That word “desired” means that Satan is actually begging God for permission to trip up the disciples of Christ.

Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
Job 1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Job 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Job 1:11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

When God allows these things to happen we must realize it is only a test of our faith!

Satan does not care at all for the believer but he will do anything he can to disgrace and cut the heart of God!

We need to make a firm stand no matter what we are going through, because it is God who is in control and not Satan.

We must be aware of the workings of Satan!

2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Jesus wanted Peter to know he had an intercessor!

We all have an intercessor between us and God and it is the Lord Jesus Christ!

It is the Lord Jesus Christ that steps in, in our defense when Satan wants to attack!

Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

We will definitely suffer as Christians but don’t let anyone tell you that Satan can pluck you out of God’s hand because that is impossible!

Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.

No doubt we will fail and we will fall, but in every case when we return to the Lord, we will be restored!

Act 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

When we have been through these things ourselves we are then to be that added strength for those that are going through these things later in their own lives.

Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

The worst thing we can do is to become over confident in our own strength!

*****Luk 22:33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
Luk 22:34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

Peter was committed to Jesus but he was not considering “spiritual things” at this time.

These men could only think of the material things of this world!

When Peter saw the Lord Jesus captured and beaten his material strength faded away!

Peter’s over confidence had made him blind to the cross!

Jesus had explained all these things but these 12 men at this time had failed to believe the Word of God.

There is a great difference in knowing and no knowing the truth!

There are many problems we cause ourselves when we over estimate our own strength!

The strength of the flesh causes weakness in our faith!

It is our faith that makes us strong!

Php 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

That’s why it is called “Grace”!

The Lord’s Supper should remind us of all these things when we partake of it as a memorial to the One who died for our sins and saved us from the bondage of sin and gave us eternal life in the glories of Heaven.

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

LESSONS IN GOD'S WORD

Taking time to read the Bible

Book of Luke

Jesus Called Disciples and More Healings

Jesus’ Temptation, Teaching, and Healing

The Message of John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus

The Birth of John the Baptist

An Angel Foretold of John the Baptist

We Have Been Given A Work To Do

We Can Be Certain That Christ Arose

Jesus Christ Was Crucified

The Trial Of Jesus Christ

The Memorial To Christ

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