THE MINISTRY OF JESUS AS THE RISEN AND GLORIFIED CHRIST SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER

***Who Christ Is Now, Today, This Moment, To The Believer***

Jesus Our Mediator > 1 Timothy 2:5 > The Umpire/Daysman (King James) Job 9:33 > Job Laments His Condition > Jesus Is The Way > John 14:6 > Believers Became Known As "The Way" Acts 9:2; Acts 19:9; Acts 19:2,3; Acts 24:14,22 >

Jesus Is Our Shepherd > Hebrews 13:20,21 > Jesus Is Our Good Shepherd Who Is The Door > He Lies Down Across The Doorway Of The Sheepfold To Protect Us > John 10:7-18 > Jesus Seeks Out The Lost Sinner , He Is Our Savior > Luke 19:9,10 > Jesus Is Our Healer, He Seeks Out The Sick > Jesus Is Our Great Physician, Soul And Body.

Jesus Is Our Great Shepherd > 1 Peter 5:1-4 > Jesus Leads Us, Feeds Us, And Protects Us > Psalm 23 >

Jesus Is Our Bishop > 1 Peter 2:21-25 > Bishop Is Our Overseer > Jesus Cares For Our Souls And Bodies > As Bishop He Is Our Ruling Teacher > Our Archbishop Who Teaches Us Truth > He Is Not Like The False Shepherds - Ezekiel 34:1-6 >

Jesus Is Our High Priest > Hebrews 2:14-3:1 > Jesus Is Our Apostle - The Sent One - The Holy One Sent For Us > Jesus Will Complete, Perfect, That Good Work He Has Begun In Us > Philippians 1:6 - 1 Thessalonians 5:24 > In Jesus The Offices Of Prophet And Priest - Of Moses And Aaron - Are Combined > Jesus Offered Himself Once And For All > Hebrews 9:12-14,26,28 > Jesus Is Our Great High Priest Who Was Tempted As We Are > Hebrews 4:14-16 He Feels What We Feel > He Provides Mercy And Grace In Time Of Need

Jesus Is Our Advocate > 1 John 1:9-2:2 > Jesus Pleads Our Case Every Time We Sin And Break Fellowship With The Father > When We Repent - Confess Our Sins - Jesus Is The Reason Our Sins Are Forgiven And Our Unrighteousness Is Cleansed And Healed.

Jesus Is Our Intercessor > Hebrews 7:22-25 > Romans 8:31-39 (note v. 34) > Jesus Is Our Surety - The Guarantee Of The New Testament > Nothing Can Seperate Us From The Love Of God Which Is In Christ Jesus Our Lord.

Jesus Is Our Minister - Our Liturgist - Who Leads Us Into The Heavenly Things Of The New Covenant (Testament) > Hebrews 8:1-6 >Jesus Is The Captain Of Our Salvation Who Led The Way To God Through Sufferings > Hebrews 2:9-18.

WHAT HAPPENED FROM THE CROSS TO THE THRONE (PART 1) - THE CROSS

                                                 THE GOSPEL 
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 It is paramount for the Christian to know and understand what is the Gospel. For we have warnings that there will be those who "pervert the gospel of Christ"(Gal 1:7) and that teachers will come along to corrupt our minds with a different kind of gospel(2 Cor. 11:3,4).

                                           THE CRUCIFIXION
Philippians 2:5-8 Our salvation in Christ begins with His incarnation. God manifests Himself to us in soul, body, and divinity, so that, as God, He could deliver us, soul and body, from death. He partakes of our nature and becomes man, in order to deliver us from the power of sin and death, creating the path for us to have His image restored in us, and also, to make the flesh immortal.

Hebrews 2:9,14,15 Jesus took on the human  nature, yet without sin, so that He could deliver us from a slavery of anxiety and distress over the possibility of dying and being deprived of the present life and then being subject to the sufferings of condemnation after death. Salvation is not only a forgiveness of  the sinner; it is not only a reconciliation of God with him. Salvation is the very removal, abolition and disappearance of sin; it is the deliverance of man from sin and death. Salvation was fulfilled upon the Cross, by the blood of the Cross(Col. 1:20; Acts 20:28; Rom. 5:9; Eph. 1:7). Not only with the Passion(Suffering) on the Cross, but with the death upon the Cross. This is how death was abolished, and defeated comlpetely. Death destroyed by death!!!

2 Corinthians 5:21 The death of Christ makes possible a new creation(2 Cor. 5:17); His death reconciles us, canceling out our sins, making it possible for us to live free of sin's power and to no longer live for ourselves, but instead, be motivated by the love of Christ(2 Cor. 5:14,15). A great transaction is possible! The distorted image in us can be healed and restored. A miraculous transformation is possible! We can become righteous with divine virtues - in Him!!!

Galatians 3:13,14 From the moment of Adam's sin God joined Himself to man's plight, promising that the seed "of the woman" would crush Satan's head. This is the Virgin-born Messiah who was later called Abraham's seed.

John 3:1-14 Nicodemus had questions. Jesus had mystical  answers. How does one see the kingdom of God? Be born from above! How does one enter the kingdom of God? Be born of water and the Spirit! How can these things be? The Son of Man comes down to earth from heaven to be lifted up on a Cross even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness.





1 Peter 2:24 Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 53 in His life, and in His death on the Cross. In His life he healed the diseases of many, which was a fulfillment of Isaiah 53(Matthew 8:16,17). In His death upon the Cross He bore our sins, and by His stripes we were healed(Isaiah 53:4,5).

WHAT HAPPENED FROM THE CROSS TO THE THRONE (PART 2) - CHRIST'S DESCENT INTO HADES

                  CHRIST'S DESCENT INTO HADES
Luke 16:19-31 At death the soul and the body separate > The body sleeps in the grave, the soul is awake in its place  - Here we see the reality of the departed, one in Paradise, the other in torment.  > Christ slept the sleep of death!!! > Christ's promise to the thief on the cross!

Matthew 12:38-40 Jesus Himself foretold of His descent into Hades. Jonah was a type of Christ, foreshadowing the sojourn of Jesus into Hades. Jesus descended as a Conquerer through the Cross, not as a victim!!! (Jonah 1:17-2:10)

Ephesians 4:9,10 St Paul reveals the mystery of what was happening with Christ between "the Cross and the Throne". There was 40 days between the Resurrection of Christ, where he raised up the Old Testament Saints from the graves(Matthew 27:52,53), and the Ascension of Christ where he ascended on high taking the saints with Him. Acts 1:2,3

                   Sts. Peter and Paul Proclaim the Gospel
Acts 2:22-32 St Peter's sermon on Pentecost Sunday reveals that Christ fulfilled the Old Testament Messianic prophecies. Jesus divine body did not, could not, see corruption(Acts 13:37). And Jesus soul could not, was not, left in Hades(Psalm 16:10) The Lord's body would undo the laws of corruption and would prove death powerless.

1 Peter 3:18-20; 4:5,6 Upon His death on the Cross the soul of Christ went immediately to the souls held in prison in Hades, and He preached to them the gospel of salvation.



Easter Hymn > "Lord, you descended into the lower parts of the earth, into the grave, to preach there your salutary gospel. There, as a powerful and omnipotent king, you crushed and broke the bonds of death and Hades that had kept in bondage for ages the souls of those who were dead. But after three days you rose from the grave, just as Jonah had come out of the belly of the whale in three days".

TEN PONDERABLES

                               TEN PONDERABLES

#1 Are The Bones Of Saints Imbued With The Power And Presence Of God? > 2 Kings 13:20,21 > The bones of Elisha when contacted by a dead man caused the dead man to revive and stand upon his feet. > Are the bones of Saints To Be kept by the Church as Relics? Who is a saint? We are all called to be saints. We are all expected to be saints. But some believers acquire the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in this life. While some do not, or at least to varying degrees. > Saint in Greek is "Hagios" meaning "holy" or "holy one". Christ alone is perfect in holiness and we, the believers, are to be being "perfected in holiness" (2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Thessalonians 3:13).  >  2 Peter 1:4 says we are to become partakers of His divine nature. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says we are to be changed into the image of Christ's glory, from glory to glory, by the Holy Spirit. Joseph the Patriarch's bones were carried out of Eygpt by The children of Israel. > Joshua 24:29-32

#2 How was it that from the Apostle Paul's body were taken handkerchiefs and aprons that when laid upon sick people they were healed? Is the power and presence of God a tangible/mystical
 substance that can be stored in physical items and transmit that power and presence to those who come in contact with them? Acts 19:11,12

#3 What was it about Peter's shadow that people were healed? > Acts 5:12-16 > Or was it that if someone was in close proximity to Peter that the power and presence would come in contact with the sick and heal them? Remember when the woman with the issue of blood was healed by Jesus (Mark 5:25-34)? The crowd of people were pressing upon Jesus and He asked the Apostles, "Who touched me?". Of course they couldn't say because the crowd was pressing upon them. But Jesus had been touched with the hand of faith because He percieved that virtue/power had gone out of him when the woman had touched the hem of his garment. > Acts 10:38

#4 Are there two aspects to "speaking in unknown tongues"? Are these two aspects two sides of the same coin? One side being the "public" "gift of divers tongues" which requires the complementary "public" "gift of the interpretation of tongues" (1 Cor. 14:23-28). The other side of the coin is private or personal-devotional tongues (1 Cor. 14:1-6) which does not need another person to interpret. But the interpretation of your personal praying in tongues is given to you directly in revelations, in knowledge, in prophecies, in doctrines (1 Cor. 14:5). If you speak in your personal-devotional tongues in public you profit no one, but if you speak either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine (all of which are the interpretation of your praying in tongues privately) then you will edify the church. When you speak by revelation or by knowledge or by prophecy or by doctrine in a known tongue it is music to their ears (1 Cor. 14:7-9).

#5 Did you know that Philip the Evangelist (Acts 21:8) experienced a "quantum leap" the moment he came out of the water after baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40)? "The Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more...but Philip was found at Azotus". "A quantum leap is a leap from point A to point B, without passing through any of the points between A and B". From the desert of Gaza to Azotus was about 20 miles!!! Philip was transported supernaturally.

#6 When did God run? And does He still run today? When the prodigal son decided to return to his Father in repentance, "while he was still a great distance away, the Father saw him, had compassion on him, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him". This is what the Almighty Father God does when you turn towards home in repentance. The Father still runs toward all who walk toward him. > Luke 15:11-32

#7 Every generation is to call Mary "blessed" (Luke 1:48). We are not to worship her, or elevate her to a status of being equal to her Son Jesus. She is not a co-redemptrix as the Roman Church teaches. But neither should we ignore "calling her blessed" as most protestants do. Mary, inspired by the Holy Spirit sings a prayer-song, now known as "the Magnificat". It is Luke 1:46-55. Worship is reserved for the Holy Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Veneration is for the saints, of whom Mary is the foremost (Luke 1:26-38). Mary's purity, unconditional obedience, and wholehearted devotion are to be emulated. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, in a loud voice proclaimed "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me?". Mary is the mother of God (Greek = Theotokos = God-bearer). Our Salvation hinges on the Incarnation, ie, the coming of our God in the flesh. It is through the Virgin Mary that God became man. By ackowledging Mary's place in salvation history we proclaim that Jesus is God come in the flesh. The Angel Gabriel initiated the honor of calling Mary blessed, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed art thou among women". God himself chose to call Mary blessed.

#8 You will be given a new name by God in the age to come that no man knows except you, and God (Revelation 2:17). The inner meaning of your unique personhood will continue to be an eternal secret between God and you. The kingdom will be one, yet in the one kingdom each person finds his/her own special place and his/her own special work. Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many mansions...I go to prepare a place for you". > John 14:1-6

#9 Imagine this - The moment that Jesus died upon the cross, "crying with a loud voice, the veil of the temple was torn from the top to the bottom; the earth did quake, and the rocks split; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves, and after his resurrection they went into the holy city, and appeared to many". > Matthew 27:45-55 > Then imagine this - after Jesus' resurrection, (Luke records what Jesus did and taught for the 40 days between His Resurrection and His Ascension - Acts 1:1-11), "He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them for forty days, and speaking to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God" > Then imagine some more - Paul records the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-8), Christ dies for our sins according to the scriptures; he then is buried, and then He arose on the third day, according to the scriptures: THEN He was seen of Cephas(Peter), then of the twelve, THEN HE WAS SEEN BY MORE THAN 500 Brethren AT ONCE, and most were still alive when Paul wrote his epistle to the Corinthians in 55 A.D., more than 20 years after the Resurrection of Jesus!!! And He was seen of James, then by all the apostles, and finally to Paul himself. The Beginnings of the Church were not done in secret. The Faith of Christ, what we call the Christian Faith, has its foundation in actual history, in the testimony of more than 500 eyewitnesses to His resurrection!!! Glory to God!!!

#10 An age is a time period in which God has in mind a plan to accomplish His will > God has an infinite number of ages planned out for His creation, "Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all the ages, world without end. Amen" (Eph 3:21) > In each age God reveals to us more of His eternal mysteries > There will be an endless unfolding revelation of "the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Eph 2:7) - One 10,000 year age will be followed by a 50,000 year age, followed by...Forever and ever, Amen > The Mystery of Christ, The unsearchable riches of Christ, once hidden in God, who created all things by Christ, can now be seen by us, and we can enter into the fellowship of this mystery > And it is by the Church that the manifold wisdom of God is revealed to the principalities and powers in heavenly places (Eph 3:1-11) > The Angels are awestruck by what they see (1 Peter 1:12) > We are called The Family, the Family in heaven and earth (Eph 3:14) > And this Family, which is "sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph 1:14) waits patiently for the redemption (Romans 8:16-25) of the purchased possesssion, which is the church, the body of Christ (Eph 1:19-21), which will become one flesh at the Second Coming of Christ for his bride (Eph 5:30-32). We will share in His resurrected and glorified body (1 Corinthians 15:51-58; Philippians 3:20,21) - "This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church".

THE CHURCH - THE BODY OF CHRIST

God's plan from eternity was that in Christ Jesus he would "make in himself of twain(Jews and Gentiles) one new man...that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, slaying the hostility that was between them"(Eph. 2:13-18) and thus build the household of God(Eph. 2:19-22), the Church, which is His Body, which is the fulness of Him that fills all in all(Eph. 1:23), "His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord"(NIV, Eph. 3:10,11). It was God's plan to save us(Eph 2:8,9) so that we would be a part of His eternal plan of grace which He will reveal to us throughout the ages to come(Eph. 2:7); This Mystery, has been revealed to us(Eph. 3:1-6), St Paul preached, "among the gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ. We have redemption, forgiveness of sins(Eph. 1:7); we have an inheritance(Eph. 1:11); we are sealed by the Holy Spirit(Eph. 1:13); we have promise of future bodily redemption(Eph. 1:14); we have been blessed with ALL spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ(Eph.1:3); "There is one body!!!, and one Spirit!!!...one hope!!!...One Lord!!!, one faith!!!, one baptism!!!, One God and Father of all!!!"(Eph 4:1-6). God gave gifts to the Church "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ(Eph. 4:8-14). God chose a committed and Godly marriage as a picture of the relationship between Christ and His body, the Church(Eph.5:22-33); the Church is the very flesh of Christ, "For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones"(Eph. 5:30); "THIS IS A GREAT MYSTERY: but I speak concerning CHRIST AND THE CHURCH(Eph.5:32).

NOTE: Had the princes of this world known what the Mystery was they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory(1 Corinthians 2:6-8). "But we see Jesus, made a little lower than the angels by the suffering of death...bringing many sons unto glory"(Hebrews 2:9,10). St Paul was "made a minister, to fulfil the Word of God; even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles; which is Christ in you the hope of glory"(Colossians 1:25-27). "Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen."(Romans 16:25-27)

THE CHURCH - WHAT IT MEANS TO BE MEMBERS ONE OF ANOTHER

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE THE CHURCH >
1 Corinthians 12:12-27 > The body is one yet has many members(verse 12), so it is with the "body of Christ", and we are members in particular(verse 27), and yet, we are also members of one another. We are members in particular, not rugged individualists. We are members of the church, the body of Christ.  We maintain a unique identity known to only the Lord, yet we have a communal identity simultaneously.  "We being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread"(1 Cor. 10:17). Holy Communion expresses our oneness, both with Christ, and with one another(1 Cor. 10:16,17; 1 Cor. 11:17-34)

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE MEMBERS ONE OF ANOTHER >
Christ's Household is governed by His commands > His ultimate  command is to "love one another as I have loved you"(John 13:34,35) > St Peter says, "Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently"(1 Peter 1:22) - there is to be no fakery or pretend love, only sincere love > Hebrews 10:24,25 - "consider one another"  ..."exhorting one another", never forsaking the gathering together for the express purposes of 1)the Apostles Doctrine, 2)fellowship(koinonia-Greek), 3)breaking of "the" bread(Greek), 4)"the" Prayers(Greek)(Acts 2:42) > Help and healing comes through our relationships with one another > Galatians 6:1-5 - "bear one anothers burdens" and so fulfil the law of Christ"(verse 2) - Are you obeying the law? The law of Christ? > Are you restoring your brother or sister who is overtaken in a fault? And if so, are you restoring them without judging them in a spirit of meekness >
Colossians 3:12-14 - "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another...even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do" - Put on "bowels of mercy" - have a heart of compassion, feel, from deep in your guts, an empathy for the suffering - Put on kindness - Put on Humbleness of mind - Put on meekness - Put on longsuffering - "And above all these virtues, put on charity/love, which binds them all together in perfect unity"(NIV) > Ephesians 4:29-32 - "be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you" - Note that the emphasis on "one another" is to communicate our "oneness" with each other, that we
are the "the church, the body of Christ" - always minister grace, always speak words that edify your brother and sister, lay aside all the dark feelings of anger, and bitterness, and evil speaking, and malice > Philippians 2:1-8 - We are to imitate Christ's humility - we are to share the encouragement that we experience in Christ with others - the comfort of his love we experience, and the sweet fellowship of the Spirit that we experience, and the tenderness and compassion we experience in the Lord - these are the things we can share with others + "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain deceit" - "Always consider others better than yourselves", "Always be looking out for the interests of others as well as your own" >

NOTE: Philippians 2:5-11 is a hymn that was sung in the early church - St Paul here is quoting from the hymns of the church - Ephesians 5:14 is an early baptismal hymn - 1 Timothy 3:16 is an ancient Christian creed or hymn, as is 2 Timothy 2:11-13;             1 Timothy 6:15,16; Ephesians 1:3-14; Colossians 1:15-20 >

Romans 14:1,10-13 - "Let us not judge one another".

Romans 15:1-7 - "be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus" - "receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God" - "bear the infirmities of the weak" - "Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification" > Luke 22:31,32 - Note how Jesus prayed for St Peter and then what St Peter wrote years later - 1 Peter 5:8-10.

James 2:1,14-18 - Meet one anothers needs > John 3:16-18 - Lay down your lives for one another starting with the basic necessities

James 5:13-20 - "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed..." (verse 16) - Convert the erring brother - "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep, Be of the same mind one toward another" (Romans 12:15,16).

THE SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS BY KING HEROD

“Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not”. (Mt. 2:16-18)

There are Bible critics who make the claim that Herod could not have massacred the baby boys of Bethlehem because the Jewish Historian Josephus failed to make reference to King Herod committing this particular evil. But Josephus is not the only first century historian, or source of what happened in first century Judah. Matthew, the author of the gospel by his name, gives us a historical account of the slaughter of the innocents by King Herod. The Holy Spirit inspired Evangelist Matthew is much more trustworthy than a Jewish historian writing 100 years after the said event. There was, by the way, a Roman historian, Macrobius (c.a. 400 A.D.), that writes about Herod’s slaughter of the Innocents.

THE SCOPE OF THE SLAUGHTER OF INNOCENTS

Some historians, even Christian historians, say that only a few children were slain by King Herod because Bethlehem probably only had a population of about 1000 people, and therefore would have only had 10 to 30 two year old and under children that could have been slain. But the scope of the slaughter appears from the text of Matthew that it was not just the children in the little town of Bethlehem that were in danger of King Herod’s edict. The text states that the slaughter was not limited to the “little town of Bethlehem”, because it bluntly reads that Herod “slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, AND in all the coasts thereof” (KJV, 1599 Geneva, Wycliffe). In other translations we read, “and the borders” (Young’s, Douay-Rheims, ASV, Aramaic Bible in Plain English, Jubilee 2000, Darby, Webster’s); “and in the environs” (NASB, NAS 1977, ); “and in the region” (RSV, ISV ); “and in the vicinity” (NIV); “and in all the districts” (NKJV, Phillips). We can see from these translations that the massacre was not limited to the town of Bethlehem, but included a far greater territory, as far as the coasts and/or borders of Judah.

“There appears to be a hint in verse 18 as to what is being spoken of when we read, “AND in all the coasts thereof”, or “AND in all the borders thereof”. Ramah, the city of Jeremiah’s prophecy is located 5 miles north of Jerusalem (10 Miles north of Bethlehem). Ramah is the city where Rachel lamented from. She was buried in Bethlehem (Gen. 35:19). Ramah is a border town situated on the northern border of the kingdom of Judah, and the southern border of the kingdom of Israel. Judah’s borders ran from the east along the shores of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea to the west at the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, some 30 miles; in the south in the desert, and borders in the north, Samaria, some 55 miles. We also have a hint from the prophecy of Micah as to the scope of Herod’s slaughter; “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah…” (Micah 5:2). Let us take note that the prophecy that Herod was made aware of by the chief priests (Mt. 2:4-8) references Judah as the greater territory in which the Messiah-King would be born. Micah, of course, names the very birthplace of the Messiah, the little town of Bethlehem, and its 1000’s of villages (hyperbolic or not). So it appears from the textual evidence that the slaughter was not limited to “the little town of Bethlehem”, but spread all the way north to Ramah on the border with the kingdom of Israel and quite possibly to the remaining borders; west, south, and east.

An interesting note is that Ramah was the city where Jewish captives were gathered for deportation to Babylon (Jeremiah 40:1). Rachel, the wife of Jacob-Israel, was the mother of Benjamin, whose tribe became part of the southern kingdom, Judah. The city of Ramah was given to Benjamin by lots. So Rachel’s descendants, her beloved children, after much suffering as captives, are now suffering the slaughtering of Herod’s soldiers. Rachel weeps for her children.

So, exactly how many children were slaughtered? According to the Tradition of the Ancient Church, 14,000 children were slain. They are commemorated every year on December 29. For me, this number is far more likely than the 6 or 10 children as the modern scholars seem to prefer.

MARRIAGE AND VIRGINITY

As Taught By the Gnostic Sects of the First Four Centuries

Of The Church and the Answer of the Holy Scriptures
 

    Among the Gnostic heretics and sects of the first four centuries, after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, was a wide range of false teachings about ‘Marriage and Virginity’. These teachings were completely non-Christian, and contrary to the revealed truth of God about these topics as recorded in Holy Scripture. The one extreme, ‘excessive asceticism’, was championed by Tatian, Marcion, and Saturnius. These heretics actually called marriage ‘fornication’. No Marcionite was permitted to marry because to marry and procreate was to participate in the evil work of the demiurge (the heavenly beings responsible for the created world). The other extreme was to be ‘openly licentious’. Two sects that taught this view of ‘Marriage and Virginity’ were the Carpocratians and Borborites. Their views were rooted in popular Gnostic cosmology which taught that the created world was born out of the spiritual copulation between heavenly beings. Between the two extremes of ‘excessive Asceticism’ and ‘open licentiousness’ were the Gnostic heretics, Basilides, Valentius, and Isidore (Basilide’s son). These men taught that marriage was not sinful, but should be avoided by the fully mature believer. Monogamous marriage was acceptable, but the asceticism of the virginal life was belittled. Then, overlapping all these heretical sects were the Manichaean’s , a wildly successful sect that became a world religion. The founder, Mani, of Babylonia, was portrayed by the Manichaean missionaries as the ‘Apostle of Jesus Christ’ to the Roman Empire; to India and Central Asia he was touted as the Buddha; and to China he was presented as the reincarnation of Lao Tzu. Concerning Marriage and Virginity, Mani taught that there were two types of Manichaean disciples: the elect, and the hearers. ‘The elect’ were forbidden to marry and to participate in sexual intercourse, because both the body and procreation were evil. ‘The hearers’ were permitted to marry, or have mistresses, and could have intercourse as long as they avoided procreation.

  

  As you can see, the religious world swirling around the Church was speaking to mankind’s basic instincts, and redefining marriage from the age-old norm of marriage that Jesus validated when he said, “Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder" (Matthew 19:4-6). Then Jesus spoke to the disciples about the one alternative to married life when they asked him if "it is not good to marry". Jesus said, "All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs ,which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake.He that is able to receive it, let him receive it" (Matthew 19:10-12). Here Jesus gives us three classes of men who abstain from marriage: First, those men who were born without the inclination, or ability to be married; second, those men who were made eunuchs against their will, and therefore are incapable of having a marriage relationship; and thirdly, those men who choose to live celibate by the grace of God. St. Paul carries forward Jesus’s teaching on this “twofold grace” of ‘marriage and virginity’. The entire 7^th chapter of First Corinthians is dedicated to the two callings of ‘marriage and virginity’. The answer to all the false teachings of heretical sects, then and now, as well as detailed instruction concerning how Christians are to live either a married life in Christ, or the life of a virgin fully devoted to Christ are found here in the Scriptures. So read carefully Paul’s instruction that he was inspired to write in response to the Corinthian’s questions. In verse one Paul advocates for living a virginal life, “It is good for a man not to touch a woman”. But for those who cannot resist sexual impulses he says in verse two, “Let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband”. The remaining thirty eight verses expound on these two particular callings that a Christian must discern between or choose between. Once committed to marriage or virginity, “Let every man abide in the calling wherein he was called (verse 20).
    Finally, let us realize that the heresies that early Christians battled concerning 'marriage and virginity' are the same heresies that Christians must battle in the 21st century. "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; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry..." (1 Timothy 4:1-3). We live in a time when marriage is defined according to doctrines of devils, and where living a virginal life is mocked as unnatural. Let us choose God's truth on the matter. Amen.

THE SON OF MAN

“Who do men say that I the Son of Man am?” Jesus asked his disciples. Peter’s correct answer was finally, “Thou art the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the Living God”. (Matthew 16:13-19) So Jesus is named as the Messiah, and as the Son of God, but take note that these are descriptive titles of “the Son of Man”. The title “Messiah” (Hebrew) or “Christ” (Greek) is speaking of His ministry as Prophet, Priest, and King. “Son of God” speaks of His divinity, and His relation to the Father. Other titles of Jesus describe His other characteristics; “Son of the Blessed” and “Emmanuel” expresses His divine nature; “Son of David” reveals His human nature and His lineage, and the name “Jesus” conveys simply that He is “the Savior” of humanity. None of these titles on their own can give a complete meaning of the person of our Lord because each name only signifies one of His characteristics. However, the title “Son of man” is a comprehensive name, a name that is able to describe all His characteristics and attributes. The Lord Jesus, the very God-man, determined that the title “Son of man” would be his chosen and foundational title that would encompass His person completely. If you were to read carefully through the four Gospels you would discover that Jesus chose for Himself His primary title, “Son of man”. In fact it is the only title that He applied to Himself, and He speaks of Himself as the “Son of man” 80+ times. Do a phrase search at Bible Gateway for “Son of man” if you are interested in marking these verses in your Bible. The title “Son of man” has its origin in the book of origins, Genesis. When God cursed the serpent for his deception of Adam and Eve he said, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed; he shall crush thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). This curse upon the serpent, Satan, was a promise to Adam and Eve and to all their descendants as well, and became the hope of the human race that a redeemer and savior would be born of a woman that would abolish the authority that Satan had stolen from Adam and Eve. This “seed of the woman” would be the “Son of the woman”, who is the “Son of Man”. Since a woman does not produce seed, this promise means that in the future there would be a woman, a virgin, who would conceive a Son without the seed of a human male. This virgin born Son would be at enmity with the seed of the serpent, that is, the devil and all his devotees. And in the mystery of God’s plan of redemption, this seed, this Son of man, would crush the head of the serpent, loosing us from the devil’s authority (1 John 3:8), destroying the power of death (Hebrews 2:14, 15), and granting life and immortality to those who believe in Jesus (2 Timothy 1:8-10). The Prophet Daniel foretold of this “Son of man” coming with clouds of glory and establishing an everlasting kingdom (Daniel 7:13, 14). This prophecy is fulfilled in the person of Jesus as we read in Revelation 1:12-18. Jesus is more than just a man, He is “The Man”, “Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the Son of man…(Psalm 80:17). Eighty plus times Jesus declares unequivocally that He is the “Son of man”, making it abundantly clear to all who will listen that He is the promised redeemer and savior foretold in Genesis 3:15. Amen.

PUT THE TREE IN THE SEA

Luke 17:1-4 “Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!² It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.³ Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.⁴ And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”
 

Faith, according to the scriptures, is for overcoming! “..and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4) In the text we are studying now (Luke 17:1-10) faith is for overcoming a number of things; love of money, offences or obstacles put in our paths to thwart ministry, and the “sycamine tree” of bitterness and unforgiveness. The backdrop for Jesus’s teaching here to his apostles is what you find in the previous chapter, Luke 16. In Luke 16:1-13 the Pharisees are listening to Jesus teaching his disciples about the significance of non-possession, that is, being free from the love of money. In Luke 16:14 we see the Pharisees, who were covetous (lovers of money), mocking Jesus about his teaching  where He instructs the servants to be good stewards over the wealth they have been given and to be careful not to hoard it, but to distribute it to the poor while they had the opportunity while still alive. Then when they depart this life they will be received into everlasting habitations by the very poor they ministered to while alive on earth. Jesus responds to the Pharisees mockery with the story of “The Rich Man and Lazarus” in Luke 16:19-31. In this story Jesus warns the Pharisees of the eternal torment awaiting them for choosing to love mammon (money/things) over loving God and having pity upon the poor. This brings us to Luke 17 where Jesus begins with a warning to his disciples that there will be offences put in their pathway of ministry by the religious elite because of their love of money and hatred of the truth. The Greek word here for offences is “skandalon” which is defined as stumbling block or obstacle. Woe to those who cause the offences and would hinder someone from hearing the truth. It would be better that they were cast into the sea with a millstone around their neck. This is speaking metaphorically of being cast into the sea or abyss of fiery torment. Then Jesus warns the apostles that they are to take heed among their own ranks to be watchful concerning trespasses and how they respond to them. For as sure as offences will come from those without the church, trespasses will come from our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus commands us that we are to forgive the repentant brother as often as he repents, even endlessly (Matthew 18:22). 

Luke 17:5-10 ⁵ And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.⁶ And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.⁷ But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?⁸ And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?⁹ Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.¹⁰So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

This brings us to the apostles famous request, “Lord, Increase our faith”. The apostles were feeling the gravity of all they were being called to do, and the many spiritual battles that were about to ensue. They sense their need for one particular spiritual quality that will enable them to overcome, faith. Jesus responds by letting them know that they can overcome with the smallest amount of faith, a faith as a grain of mustard seed. A mustard seed is that smallest of grains. Jesus is saying that each and every believer has within them the ability, the faith, to overcome the un-forgiveness and bitterness that can follow the offences and the trespasses. Jesus gives us a metaphor of how we can pluck up by the roots the bitterness and un-forgiveness that has planted itself deep in the soil of our hearts (Hebrews 12:15). And how we can cast out this devilish wisdom (James 3:14-16) from our hearts, and cast them into the sea which is the abyss. Take note that Jesus guides us on how to express this faith to overcome the rooted bitterness in us. We must “say unto the sycamine tree. Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.” (Luke 17:6) Faith speaks to the tree of bitterness, “Bitterness, I pluck you out of my heart, and I cast you into the sea to drown and never to be replanted in my heart.” I would like to introduce a little ditty to encourage one another with when we are battling bitterness and un-forgiveness, Let us say to one another, “Put the Tree in the Sea”. The sycamine tree is a kind of Mulberry tree, possibly a Black Mulberry, common in the Middle East and prominent in lower Galilee. The sycamine tree has an enormous and very deep root system and is nearly impossible to dig out of the ground. You can cut the tree down to ground level, but the tree can live on because of its deep root system accessing water. This imagery was not lost on the apostles, nor should it be lost on us. The sycamine tree of un-forgiveness must be plucked up by the roots and destroyed in the sea/abyss. Another feature of the sycamine tree is that the silk worms would feed on the leaves and form nests in the branches. This shows us that when we are embittered there are worms that eat at us constantly. I say, “Put the Tree in the Sea”. 

Jesus finishes his lesson on plucking up the un-forgiveness by faith by instructing them that this “life of forgiveness” is their duty as servants. They are to say (referencing the parable of Luke 16:1-13), “We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which is our duty to do.” We are not to live for mammon as the Pharisees (the religious elite) do, we are to live a life of sacrifice and self-denial, spending all including ourselves (2 Corinthians 12:15), caring for the poor.

A NOTE ON BIBLE STUDY:

Faith is often a very misunderstood bible subject. It is important to study each reference in the bible according to its immediate context first, then its context within the particular book of the bible the passage is in, then study the reference in light of the entire bible. Let us be “a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

IS YOUR FAITH GROWING?

 Your faith can grow. God has given to every one of us “the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3). Your faith is designed by God to grow, and to grow exceedingly. The Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 1:3 says, “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet (fitting), because that your faith grows exceeding, and the charity (love) of every one of you all toward each other abounds”. Here we are shown this very fact of the spiritual life! You, who possess faith in God, and in his Son Jesus, have a faith given to you by God that should ever be growing stronger, and greater, and fuller and richer. Let us take note that Stephen the Deacon (Acts 6:5) was chosen for his ministry because he was “a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost”.  So our faith in God is measurable. We can have a faith that is a quarter full, half full, or like Stephen, completely full. And what is the primary way in which our faith may grow? It is by hearing the word of God. “For faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). 1 Peter 2:2 instructs us about our spiritual beginnings as newborn babes in Jesus, “…desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby”.  As we grow in our knowledge of God’s word, we become acquainted with his commands, and as we become doers of these words / commands, we increase in faith to overcome that which his word reveals to us is of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Note in the verse prior that we are to be, “laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes (1 Peter 2:1, 2a). Faith is for overcoming; overcoming these worldly ways that are a part of our old fallen nature, but which can be transfigured by the glory of the Holy Spirit through our obedience of faith. “For whosoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, EVEN OUR FAITH.” (1 John 5:4) Please note that the verses immediately before we have revealed to us this victorious faith life (the amazing fact that we who are born of God possess a world overcoming faith), we are taught that we who believe in Jesus are born of God, and that we in turn love him who has begotten us again, AND we love all those who are also born again through faith in Jesus. For, “we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments”. (1 John 5:1-3) This is what is meant by “the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith”. In the world we feel malice toward our neighbors; we use cunning and guile in our relationships; we play the hypocrite, wearing masks of deceit, thinking we fool our neighbors while we pretend to be someone other than who we really are; we envy what our neighbor possesses, coveting their house, their wife or husband, their belongings and wealth, all the while breaking the tenth commandment (read Exodus 20:17); and we speak evil of our neighbors. Living in victory means we live in victory over the lack of love for our brothers and sisters by keeping God’s commandments by faith. Our faith in Jesus, knowing his example, believing in his promises, fearing his commands, all of these truths, inspire overcoming faith. May we grow in faith as we grow in love as we come to know God’s Holy Word.