Category: Notes on Scripture

Jesus is Introduced to the World

Scripture is from the Holy Bible — New King James Version (NKJV)

Notes on Scripture (below) by tkbrown

Matthew 3:13-17

13 — “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.”

14 — “And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?'”

15 — “But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him.”

16 — “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.”

17 — “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'”

Isaiah 11:1, 2

1 — “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.”

2 — “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.”

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Luke 3:21, 22

21 — “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized, and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.”

22 — “And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.

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John 1:29-36

29 — “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'”

30 — “‘This is He of whom I said, after me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'”

31 — “‘I did not know Him, but that He should be revealed to Israel. Therefore, I came baptizing with water.'”

32 — “And John bore witness, saying, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.'”

33 — “‘I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'”

34 — “‘And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.'”

35 — “Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.”

36 — “And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God!'”

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Mark 1:9-14

9 — “It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.”

10 — “And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.”

11 — “Then a voice came from heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'”

12 — “Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.”

13 — “And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.”

14 — “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.”

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Notes on Scripture: by tkbrown

Reading through the scriptures above, we see that John had not met or seen Jesus prior to this event. God had instructed John that His Son would be The One upon whom the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove — and remained upon Him. By this, John would recognize God’s Son.

When Jesus came to the Jordan River to hear John preach, there was a specific purpose for His appearance. This would be the beginning of preparing the public for Jesus’ ministry. When John saw the Spirit descend as a dove and remain upon Jesus, he knew this was the Son of God for whom he was sent to clear the way. He first mentioned Jesus’ presence without introducing Him. After this, Jesus approached John and asked John to baptize Him.

It shocked John to be asked such a thing of the Son of God. He pointed out his need to be subject to, and baptized by, Jesus rather than the other way around. John asked, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

Jesus reminded John of the need to fulfill prophecy, and then was baptized by John. Upon coming up from the water after baptism, God recognized His Son publicly when His Voice from heaven said, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!” Thus, Jesus’ introduction to the world was complete.

Rather than confuse the message presented in this lesson by including Jesus’ lineage now, I will cover His roots in the next lesson. Both this lesson and Jesus’ lineage are long enough to cover separately . . . and each has specific value separate from the other. As I develop these lessons, I am listening to my heart song when I am urged to ‘stop here.’ I had intended to cover these lessons more quickly, but Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection are too important. It is necessary to limit the lessons to specific subjects rather than a cumulative presentation. The reason for this new approach is to aid those who choose to study in being able to ‘rightly divide the word of truth.’ While the reasoning may not make sense now, it will after the study is complete. Thank You for stopping by, studying, and listening with ‘your’ heart. Have a Blessed Week!

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Week One -- Scripture: Zacharias to have Son . . . 
Week Two -- Scripture: Jesus' Birth Foretold . . . 
Week Three -- Scripture: Zacharias' son, John, is born . . .
Week Four -- Scripture: Jesus is Born . . .
Week Five -- Scripture: And Jesus Grew . . . 
Week Six -- Scripture: John Begins His Ministry . . .
Week Seven -- Scripture: Jesus Is Introduced to the World . . .

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John Begins His Ministry

old antique bible as an open book with sunlight bursting from the pages

Scripture is from the Holy Bible — New King James Version (NKJV)

Notes on Scripture (below) by tkbrown

Luke 1:76-80

76 — “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,”

77 — “To give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins,”

78 — “Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;”

79 — “To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

80 — “So, the child grew and became strong in spirit and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.”

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Isaiah 40:3-5

3 — “The voice of one crying in the wilderness; prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

4 — “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth.”

5 — “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

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John prepares the way for Jesus

Matthew 3:1-12

1 — “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,”

2 — “and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!'”

3 — “For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.'”

4 — “Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.”

5 — “Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him”

6 — “and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.”

7 — “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?'”

8 — “‘Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,'”

9 — “‘and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.'”

10 — “‘and even now the ax is laid in the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

11 — “‘I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.'”

12 — “‘His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.'”

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Luke 3:1-20

1 — “Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,”

2 — “while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.”

3 — “And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,”

4 — “as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness; prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.'”

5 — “‘Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth;‘”

6 — “‘And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.‘”

7 — “Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized of him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?'”

8 — “‘Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father, for I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.'”

9 — “‘And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree which does not bear fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.'”

10 — “So, the people asked him, saying, ‘What shall we do then?'”

11 — “He answered and said to them, ‘He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.'”

12 — “Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, ‘Teacher, what shall we do?'”

13 — “And he said to them, ‘Collect no more than what is appointed for you'”

14 — “Likewise the soldiers asked him saying, ‘And what shall we do?’ So, he said to them, ‘Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.'”

15 — “Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not,”

16 — “John answered, saying to all, ‘I indeed baptize you with water, but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose, He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.'”

17 — “‘ His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.'”

18 — “And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.”

19 — “But Herod the tetrarch being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,”

20 — “also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.”

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John 1:15-28

15 — “John bore witness of Him and cried out saying, ‘This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'”

16 — “‘and of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.'”

17 — “‘For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.'”

18 — “‘No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father. He has declared Him.'”

19 — “Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?'”

20 — “He confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.'”

21 — “And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ And he answered, ‘No.'”

22 — “Then they said to him, ‘Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?'”

23 — “He said: ‘I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.'”

24 — “Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.”

25 — “And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?'”

26 — “John answered them, saying, ‘I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.'”

27 — “‘It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.'”

28 — “These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan where John was baptizing.”

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Mark 1:1-8

1 — “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.”

2 — “As it is written in the Prophets: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before your face, who will prepare Your way before You.‘”

3 — “‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.'”

4 — “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”

5 — “Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.”

6 — “Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.”

7 — “And he preached, saying, ‘There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.'”

8 — “‘I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.'”

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Notes on Scripture: by tkbrown

Above, in Luke Chapter 1:76-80, we see the instructions John received regarding his purpose in life. In accordance with Isaiah’s prophecy, he ‘grew and became strong in spirit and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel,’ at which time he did prepare the way of the Lord. He cleared the path for Jesus Christ. In this lesson, we see that he showed Israel his was a baptism ‘unto repentance,’ but Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit to actually do the cleansing of their sins and to grant salvation to each who believes He is the Son of God and abides by the commands He has given.

John grew from childhood in the deserts and came from the wilderness to Judea and the Jordanian region to reveal the imminent presentation of God’s Son. He was clothed with camel hair cinched at the waist with a belt, and his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey. His was truly a voice out of the wilderness, and he laid the way straight for the Lord. He taught that his baptism would never carry them to heaven. For that, they would require the baptism of Christ. During Christ’s ministry, we will see how we obtain that baptism. John’s message was: the One to come after him was preferred before him because He was before him.

We are shown that the Sadducees and Pharisees came to John and tried to ‘trip him up’ with questions. When they did this, John called them ‘A brood of Vipers’ and rebuked them–telling them they should bear fruit worthy of repentance if they were to receive the salvation of Jesus Christ. When they asked him to explain who he was, John told them–clearly–he was not Christ, he was not Elijah, and he was not the prophet. “So, who are you?” they asked. He responded, “‘I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness; make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.'” This explained to the priests and the Levites that the Christ had not yet been revealed, and John did not come to offer salvation, but to ‘prepare the way for the Lord.’

In the next lesson, we see that John introduced Jesus to Israel when He came to be baptized by John. We will also view Christ’s genealogy from Adam to Joseph and Mary and try to understand why that lineage is important to Christians. Then, we will see that–prior to the beginning of His ministry, Jesus went into the wilderness where he fasted and prayed for forty days. During this time, he was tempted of Satan in order that He could understand the temptations we as humans experience. This was one of the primary reasons for God sending His Son to earth–that He might understand the struggles of man in abiding by God’s law. This would aid Christ in His service as mediator between man and God. When man goes to God to ask forgiveness, Jesus understands the struggles that person has faced because He was human at one time. Thus, He is able to make intercession with God on our behalf.

As mentioned earlier, Christ offers salvation to all who believe He is the Son of God and abide in his teachings. With ‘winnowing fan’ in hand, Christ will ‘thoroughly clean the threshing floor,’ gather his wheat into the barn, and burn the chaff with ‘unquenchable fire.’

John taught them things they must change about their behavior if they were to attain the salvation offered by Christ Jesus. Repentance requires a change in behavior. John instructed them to share what they had. If one had two tunics and knew someone in need of one, they were to give to the one in need. The same with food. If one had more food than he or she would need, they should give part to someone who did not have enough. The tax collectors (who were known for taxing more than the amount assessed and thereby becoming wealthy off their own dishonesty) were to tax no more than that which was owed. The soldiers were told they must intimidate no one, and they were not to falsely accuse anyone. These are all lessons we can apply in our own lives today–especially now, with COVID-19 rampant about the world. In His ministry, Christ taught how we must live if we want Him to give us an eternal home in heaven.

Come back, join us in learning the ‘Christian way of living.’

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Week One -- Scripture: Zacharias to have Son . . . 
Week Two -- Scripture: Jesus' Birth Foretold . . . 
Week Three -- Scripture: Zacharias' son, John, is born . . .
Week Four -- Scripture: Jesus is Born . . .
Week Five -- Scripture: And Jesus Grew . . . 
Week Six -- Scripture: John Begins His Ministry . . .

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And Jesus Grew . . .

old antique bible as an open book with sunlight bursting from the pages

Scripture is from the Holy Bible — New King James Version (NKJV)

Notes on Scripture (below) by tkbrown
Matthew 2:1-23

1 — “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem.”

2 — “saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.'”

3 — “When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.”

4 — “And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.”

5 — “So they said to him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet.'”

6 — “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.'”

7 — “Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.”

8 — “And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.'”

9 — “When they heard the king, they departed, and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.”

10 — “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”

11 — “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

12 — “Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.”

13 — “Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying, ‘Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word, for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.'”

14 — “When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt,”

15 — “and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, ‘Out of Egypt I called My Son.'”

16 — “Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and he went forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.”

17 — “Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,”

18 — “‘A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.'”

19 — “Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,”

20 — “saying, ‘Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.'”

21 — “Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.”

22 — “But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.”

23 — “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, ‘He shall be called a Nazarene.'”

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Luke 1:30

80 — “So the child grew and became strong in spirit and was in the deserts ’til the day of his manifestation to Israel.”

Luke 2:40-52

40 — “And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.”

41 — “His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.”

42 — “And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast.”

43 — “When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it,”

44 — “but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acuaintances.”

45 — “So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.”

46 — “Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.”

47 — “And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.”

48 — “So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, ‘Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.'”

49 — “And He said to them, ‘Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?'”

50 — “But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.”

51 — “Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.”

52 — “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

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Notes on Scripture: by tkbrown

So, Jesus grew in wisdom, stature and favor with both God and men. As we can see, things began to happen rather quickly in Baby Jesus’ life, but some happened not as quickly as most have touted. For example, most believe the wise men from Parthia visited twelve days after His birth (which is celebrated as Epiphany on January 6). At this time, the Parthian Maji are believed to have paid their respects via gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. According to Joseph Holleman (2019), ‘The journey from Parthia, in Babylon, to Jerusalem is approximately 500 miles. By caravan, with no major detours or disruption, this trek would have probably taken 50 to 60 days. Maybe less.” Thus, the earliest the wise men could have visited Jesus was mid-February, by modern-day calendar.

As we see in Luke 2:22, after the days of Mary’s purification according to the law of Moses, they took Jesus to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. Now, according to the Law of Moses as seen in Leviticus 2:1-4 (below), Mary and Joseph would not have left Bethlehem for Jerusalem for a minimum of forty-one days after Jesus’ birth. This says the Wise Men — or the Three Kings — could not have seen Jesus until after Mary’s purification.

When King Herod of Judea heard about the Parthian Maji who were searching for the one who had been born to rule over Judea, he requested an audience with them at his palace in Jerusalem. There, he told them he, too, wanted to worship the Young King, and he asked them to inform him of the Young King’s location. The Maji agreed to grant King Herod’s request. When they had left the palace, an angel of the Lord came to them in a dream and informed them of King Herod’s plot to kill the Young King. Thus, when they left Bethlehem, a different route was taken back to Parthia.

The angel of the Lord then appeared to Joseph in a dream, informed him of King Herod’s plan to kill Baby Jesus, and instructed him to take Mary and the Babe to Egypt where they would be safe. Joseph obeyed the angel. He arose and, in the night, took Mary and Baby Jesus away to Egypt.

When King Herod realized the Maji had evaded him, he decreed that all male children two and under in and around Bethlehem be killed. His stipulation of the age, ‘two and under’ indicates that Baby Jesus was more than a few days old. Herod had questioned the Maji extensively about their revelation of “the newborn king.” So, this indicates that the Child was probably between one and two years of age.

After King Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared again to Joseph in a dream and informed him it was now safe to return to Israel. When they arrived in Israel, Joseph learned Herod’s son was now ruler. This made Joseph fear for Jesus’ life. The angel appeared to him again in a dream to tell him to go to Nazareth in Galilee; thus “fulfilling the prophecy that Jesus would be called a Nazarene.”

Furthermore, if we look again at Leviticus 2:6-8 (below), we see that when Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem to present Baby Jesus to the Lord in the tabernacle, to atone for Mary’s impurity they were to present a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a young turtledove as a sin offering. If they could not afford the lamb, the Law of Moses allowed for them to present two young pigeons or two young turtledoves–one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. The fact that Mary and Joseph met the latter requirement indicates they were quite poor. If the Maji had already been to pay homage to Baby Jesus, they would not have been poor. The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh would have rendered them able to present a lamb and a bird instead of two birds.

Joseph Holleman elaborated a bit on the probable date of Christ’s birth. (Holleman is CEO of Magister Technologies Inc., and Author of “The Prosperity Clock” book series.) In all likelihood, December 25 was not the date of Christ’s birth. Since we do not know, with certainty, the actual date of His birth. this date has been set aside to remember the glorious event. Below, I have included some of Holleman’s elaboration on the subject.

“The goal of the Maji was to pay homage to the infant Jesus just after the time of an extremely rare astronomical configuration, which only they were aware of, that reached its peak on March 2 of 5 B.C. right around the time that Jesus was likely born. This was also likely around the time that they began their journey,” (Holleman, 2019).

“The Parthian Maji likely arrived at the place where Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus were staying around the time of the Summer Solstice, June 21, when the Sun or the ‘Star’ was directly overhead. Jesus was likely born in late February or early March of 5 B.C.; so, he would have been around 3 or 4 months old when they arrived,” (Holleman, 2019).

Each year, Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When Jesus was twelve, they had made a day’s journey back toward home before they realized that the Young Boy was not with them. They had thought He was with a relative or friend who might have had a boy near His age. Upon realization that He was missing, they went back to Jerusalem looking for Him. Three days later they found Him in the temple both asking questions of and giving answers to the teachers who were astonished at His knowledge and understanding. When Mary reproached Jesus regarding the anxiety she and Joseph had suffered, Jesus responded, “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business” (Luke 2:49, NKJV). They did not understand that He meant He must be about God the Father’s business, but Mary held all these things close to her heart–we are told.

Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and favor with both God and men. Thus, He must have been a very obedient teen who listened to His elders when they spoke.

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Leviticus 2:1-8

1 — “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,”

2 — “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days, as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean.'”

3 — “‘And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.'”

4 — “‘She shall then continue in the blood of her purification during thirty-three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled.'”

5 — “‘But, if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days.'”

6 — “‘When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting.'”

7 — “‘Then he shall offer it before the Lord and make atonement for her. And she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who has borne a male or a female.'”

8 — “‘And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons–one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. So, the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.'”

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Next week, we will look at John’s ministry as trailblazer for Jesus and His ministry.

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Sources:

Abbott, Shari. (5 January 2020). “Did the Wise Men Arrive 12 Days After Jesus Birth? Or Was it Much Later?” Reasons for Hope–Jesus. (4 April 2020). https://reasonsforhopejesus.com/did-the-wise-men-arrive-12-days-after-jesus-birth-or-much-later/.

Holleman, Joseph. (7 August 2019). “How long did it take the 3 wise men to find Jesus?” Quora. http://www.quora.com. (12 April 2020). https://www.quora.com/How-long-did-it-take-the-3-wise-men-to-find-Jesus.

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Week One -- Scripture: Zacharias to have Son . . . 
Week Two -- Scripture: Jesus' Birth Foretold . . . 
Week Three -- Scripture: Zacharias' son, John, is born . . .
Week Four -- Scripture: Jesus is Born . . .
Week Five -- Scripture: And Jesus Grew . . .

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Zacharias’ son, John, is born . . .

old antique bible as an open book with sunlight bursting from the pages

Scripture is from New King James Version (KKJV)

Notes on Scripture (below): by tkbrown

Luke 1:57-80

57 — “Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son.”

58 — “When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.”

59 — “So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child, and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias.”

60 — “His mother answered and said, ‘No, he shall be called John.'”

61 — “But they said to her, ‘There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.'”

62 — “So, they made signs to his father–what he would have him called.”

63 — “And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, ‘His name is John.’ So, they all marveled.”

64 — “Immediately his mouth was opened, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God.”

65 — “Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea.”

66 — “And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts saying, ‘What kind of child will this be?’ And the hand of the Lord was with him.”

67 — “Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:”

68 — “‘Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people,'”

69 — “‘and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David,'”

70 — “‘as he spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world began,'”

71 — “‘that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,'”

72 — “‘to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant,'”

73 — “‘the oath which He swore to our father Abraham:'”

74 — “‘To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear,'”

75 — “‘in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life,'”

76 — “‘and you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,'”

77 — ‘”to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins,'”

78 — “‘through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us,'”

79 — “‘to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.'”

80 — “So the child grew and became strong in spirit and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.”

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Notes on Scripture: by tkbrown

Here, in Luke 1:57-80, we are told of John’s birth. His mother, Elizabeth was well-advanced in years. Thus, when the neighbors and kinfolk ’round about heard of John’s birth, they spoke of it often, speculating as to the child’s purpose in life. In other words, they viewed John’s birth as a miracle and were certain he was a child with special purpose.

If you recall, when we covered — in Week One–Luke 1:5-25 — the angel’s visit to Zacharias. Gabriel informed him of John’s impending birth. However, both Zacharias and his wife — Elizabeth — were advanced in age. Having never had children, Zacharias did not believe this could happen and said as much. For this disbelief, Gabriel informed him he would be unable to speak until the child was born.

When Elizabeth’s time came, the babe was born. According to Jewish custom, on the eighth day when the babe was to be circumcised, those in attendance wanted to name him Zacharias because that was his father’s name. Elizabeth informed them the babe’s name should be ‘John’. They expressed concern about this because no one in the family had the name, ‘John’.

Zacharias was brought in, and he confirmed that the babe’s name would be ‘John’. Then Zacharias was able to speak again, and he praised God for the blessings bestowed upon him. From that time, Zacharias taught John the reason for his special birth — that he should go before the Lord to prepare the way for Jesus and His ministry.

Last week, I said we would also look at John’s life in this lesson. However, John’s life ministry is covered in sufficient manner, I believe, to warrant studying those scriptures in a separate lesson. Also, I believe it is important to cover it in the order it occurred. Therefore, we will next study the birth of Jesus and His childhood — since that is the order in which they occurred chronologically. Then we will study John’s ministry just prior to Jesus’ ministry. Thank You for following our study of the scriptures. God Bless!

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Extra Note:

These are harrowing times in our world today. The coronavirus, COVID-19, is marching across our lands with a virulence that most alive today have never witnessed. It is a time to engage in fervent prayer to our God in heaven, that this time of tribulation might be brought to an end.

My mother was born in 1918 — when the Spanish Flu ravaged the earth and devoured the lives of many. She was too young to remember the quarantines and other measures put into place by the government, but my grandparents, great-aunts, great-uncles and great-great-grandparents remembered and talked about it from time to time. She spoke often, to me, of the stories they all told.

It is imperative that we adhere to the self-quarantine and social distancing measures put into place as well as any other measures recommended. Let us all join together in these prayers, that the suffering wreaking havoc in our world might be drawn to a close.

Thank You for taking the time to read my posts. If you have questions or comments, please note them below. Have a Blessed Week!

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Week One -- Scripture: Zacharias to have Son . . . 
Week Two -- Scripture: Jesus' Birth Foretold . . . 
Week Three -- Scripture: Zacharias' son, John, is born . . .

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Jesus Birth Foretold . . .

old antique bible as an open book with sunlight bursting from the pages

Scripture is from New King James Version (NKJV)

Notes on Scripture (below) by tkbrown

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Lesson Scripture — Matthew 1:18-25

18 — “Now the birth of Jesus was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.”

19 — “Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.”

20 — “But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.'”

21 — “‘And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save his people from their sins.'”

22 — “So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:”

23 — “‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel.’ which is translated ‘God with us.'”

24 — “Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,”

25 — “and did not know her til she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.:

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Luke 1:26-56

26 — “Now in the sixth month [of Elizabeth’s pregnancy with John — Week One] the angel Gabriel was sent by God to the city of Galilee named Nazareth,”

27 — “to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.”

28 — “And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!'”

29 — “But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.”

30 — “Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.'”

31 — “‘And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name Jesus.'”

32 — “‘He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.'”

33 — “‘And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of His kingdom there will be no end.;:

34 — “Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?'”

35 — “And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.'”

36 — “‘Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.'”

37 — “‘For with God nothing will be impossible.'”

38 — “Then Mary said, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.”

39 — “Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste to a city of Judah.”

40 — “and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.”

41 — “And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”

42 — “Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!'”

43 — “‘But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?'”

44 — “‘For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.'”

45 — “‘Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.'”

46 — “And Mary said: ‘My soul magnifies the Lord.'”

47 — “‘and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.'”

48 — “For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.'”

49 — “‘For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.'”

50 — “‘and His mercy is on those who hear Him, from generation to generation.'”

51 — “‘He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.'”

52 — “‘He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly.'”

53 — “‘He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent a way empty.'”

54 — “‘He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy.'”

55 — “‘As He spoke to our fathers, to Abram and to his seed forever.'”

56 — “And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her house.'”

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Notes on Scripture: by tkbrown

Joseph and Mary are told of Jesus’ impending birth. Joseph in his dream is told not to fear taking Mary as his wife — she has not been unfaithful — she will give birth to a man-child whose name shall be Jesus — the Son of God. Joseph is relieved to learn this because he had been unsure how to handle the situation. He married her, but did not ‘know her’ until after the birth occurs.

When Mary is told of the birth, she asked how this could be, since she had not been with a man. The angel assured her the child is conceived by God through the Holy Spirit. This satisfied Mary’s discomfit. Since she w as also told of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, she went to visit Zacharias and Elizabeth.

As soon as Elizabeth heard the sound of Mary’s voice, the babe in her womb — John — leaped for joy. So, John — in the womb — recognized Jesus’ presence and rejoiced.

Thus, we have knowledge of Jesus’ conception and Joseph’s acceptance of this. Next week, we will look at the actual birth of John and his role as trailblazer for Jesus’ ministry here on earth.

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Week One -- Scripture: Zacharias to have Son . . . 
Week Two -- Scripture: Jesus' Birth Foretold . . .

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Zacharias to have son . . .

old antique bible as an open book with sunlight bursting from the pages

Scripture is from the Holy Bible — New King James Version (NKJV)

John the Baptist to be born

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Lesson Scripture — Luke 1:5-25

5 — “There was in the days of Herod the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.”
6 — “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”
7 — “But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.”
8 — “So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,”
9 — “according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.”
10 — “And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.”
11 — “Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.”
12 — “And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.”
13 — “But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.'”
14 — “‘And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.'”
15 — “‘For he will be great in the sight of t he Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.'”
16 — “‘And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.”
17 — “‘He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 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.'”
18 — “And Zacharias said to the angel, ‘How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.'”
19 — “And the angel answered and said to him, ‘I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.'”
20 — “‘But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.'”
21 — “And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.”
22 — “But when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.”
23 — “So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.”
24 — “Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived and she hid herself five months, saying”
25 — “‘Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.'”

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Notes on Scripture — by tkbrown

Above, I have presented the scripture in Luke Chapter 1 regarding the birth of ‘John the Baptist.’ (The apostle, John, was not John the Baptist. They are two different men.) Zacharias was informed by the angel, Gabriel, that his wife — Elizabeth — would bear a son, and they were to call his name “John”.

Zacharias did not understand how, at his and Elizabeth’s advanced ages, she could give birth to a son. He asked Gabriel how he would know this was true. Gabriel informed him he would not be able to speak (he would be mute) the entire time — nine months — until John would be born. This was the consequence dealt Zacharias for not believing Gabriel, the angel of God.

Then we see that Elizabeth, who is in awe of being with child. She hides herself away for five months before she tells anyone.

I stopped the scripture here, and next week I will begin with verse 26 — which is the beginning of Mary being told — six months after Zacharias was told of John’s impending birth —  she would give birth to Jesus. John was six months older than Jesus and would pave the way for Jesus’ ministry here on earth.

We will review the high points of Jesus’ life here on earth, and I will present scripture from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It will take a few weeks to cover all of this. Then we will look a bit more closely at Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection.

Please come back each week to study the scripture with us and learn of Jesus’ life here on earth.

Have a Blessed Week

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Lesson 1: Zacharias to Have Son . . . 

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Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth . . .

old antique bible as an open book with sunlight bursting from the pages

Scripture is from — “Holy Bible: New King James Version (NKJV)”

~~ Notes on Scripture Below ~~
by tkbrown

1 — “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

2 — “He was in the beginning with God.”

3 — “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

4 — “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

5 — “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

6 — “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.”

7 — “This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through the night believe.”

8 — “He was not that Light but was sent to bear witness of that Light.”

9 — “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”

10 — “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the word did not know Him.”

11 — “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”

12 — “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name,”

13 — “who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

14 — “And the Word became 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.”

John 1:1-14 — “Holy Bible: New Testament, New King James Version (NKJV)”

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Notes on Scripture: by tkbrown

The New Testament reveals Christ, His church, His plan of salvation and a guide for living the Christian life. It also gives us a glimpse of the afterlife. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each depict the life of Christ here on earth. They begin with His conception and follow with excerpts of His life as viewed by these four men who followed and assisted his ministrations closely. His crucifixion, burial, and resurrection are each presented as are the responses to each by friends and enemies. Events that occurred before and after His ascension, including His Great Commission to the apostles and to His followers, reveal the plan to extend His salvation to the Jew first and then to the Gentile. Over the next several months, we will search excerpts from each of these four Gospels. Please review my presentations with your own searching of the Scriptures so you can be assured that I present the Truth as it is presented in the Holy Bible.

Today’s scripture shows us that Christ — the Word — existed in the beginning with God. It reveals that the world was made through Him. I remember reading this as a child and being in awe of the fact that Jesus was with God when He (God) created the world and all that is in it. Then it went on to say, not only was Jesus (the Word) with God, but He ‘was God’. This was an awesome revelation to me. It said that this ‘plan’ God had for my own, personal salvation was in existence when the world was formed. Imagine that, God knew ‘you’ before the world was even formed! You were and are that important to God — important enough for God to send His Son (an extension of Himself) to earth so that ‘you’ might hear His word!

He came first to His own, but they did not receive Him. Then, He and His plan were extended to all the world. His love did not stop with His own people, it is extended to all those who receive Him. Each and every person who receives Him is granted ‘. . . the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. . . .” This ‘right to become children of God’ is taken one step further in Romans 8:17 which says: “. . . and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and Joint heirs with Christ. . . .”

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Study to Show Thyself . . . .

old antique bible as an open book with sunlight bursting from the pages

Scripture     with Notes:     by tkbrown

2 Timothy 2:15

(KJV) — “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

(NKJV) — “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

I grew up hearing, reading and studying the original King James Version (KJV) of 2 Timothy 2:15. The first section of the verse was stressed and impressed upon us. Thus, we should never take another person’s word for our own salvation. Anything presented to us in sermon or Bible study should be studied in private to ensure that no false message had been presented. The salvation of our own soul depended upon it!

As I have grown older, I have come to realize, with impunity, the importance of this lesson. Switch one word — or even one comma — to another position, and the whole section can hold some meaning totally averse to that presented in the KJV. This is how conflicting doctrines have developed. I quickly came to understand my preference for intensely personal, private study to ‘search the true meaning of the scripture in question.’

If we truly search the scriptures and study them, discerning the message God is delivering and to whom, we will never have need to be ashamed for our lack of understanding and knowledge. The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 2:12, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling . . . . “

In recent decades, I have paid much more attention to the latter part of the verse, ” . . . rightly dividing the word of truth.” Certain events occurred at specific times. In order to truly understand the overall message God presents in His Word, I must understand the dividing lines. I must not confuse the message given in the New Covenant (New Testament) as applying to the practices instructed in the Old Covenant (Old Testament).

~~ In another lesson, I will go more in-depth with regard to ‘rightly dividing the Word of Truth.’ For now, I present to you, Matthew 27:50, 51:

— 50 — “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and   yielded up the spirit.”

— 51 — “Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split . . . . “

These two scriptures tell us precisely when the Old Covenant ended, and the New Covenant began. When Jesus, ‘yielded up the Spirit,’ — at that exact instant — ‘the veil of the temple was rent into two pieces, thus exposing the Ark of the Covenant for all to see.’ As I said above, this will be addressed more in-depth at a later date but think on this!

In closing, I present the instance when Jesus was tempted by the devil in Matthew 4:1-4:

— 1 — “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”

— 2 — “And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.”

— 3 — “Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.'”

— 4 — “But He answered and said, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’“

Notes:  Thus, Jesus tells us that we must study the Word of God in order to ‘have life.’ So, search the scriptures and find, for yourself, the message sent from God to man (or woman, or child). Even parents and other loved ones can lead us astray scripturally without even realizing it. Study the Scriptures. Search the time a message is given and to whom it applied/applies. The Old Testament is still important. I helps us to understand the will of God and why it was necessary to simplify things by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die as compensation for our sins — not His sins — our sins.

 

 

When Devout Women Pray

~~ a Devotional ~~

~~ by tkbrown
Source: Holy Bible — New King James Version (NKJV)

Lydia Becomes a Christian

Acts 16:11-15

  • 11 — “Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samo-thrace, and the next day came to Neapolis,”
  • 12 — “and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days.”
  • 13 — “And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.”
  • 14 — “Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.”
  • 15 — “And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’ So she persuaded us.”

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Lydia was a businesswoman who met with a group of women to make prayer on the Sabbath day by the riverside in Philippi of Macedonia. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira.

Paul and his party, who had just recently arrived in Philippi, joined the women. There, Paul met Lydia. “And the Lord opened her [Lydia’s] heart to heed the things spoken by Paul,” (Acts 16:14 NKJV). Thus, God had seen Lydia’s heart and had deemed her prayers worthy of being heard. He answered her prayers by sending Paul to speak with her.

Lydia and her household saw the truth in Paul’s teachings and were baptized into Christ’s church. Afterward, she begged of Paul and his team that they stay in her house if they judged her heart to be faithful to God. Paul said she persuaded them.

What this says is, even before she became a Christian, Lydia’s prayers were fervent enough to be heard by God and Jesus Christ. Her prayers were recognized as those of a woman who was truly searching for the truth, and He answered her prayers.

Typically, When the prayers uttered before becoming a Christian are referenced as being ‘heard’, it is those of Cornelius that are mentioned and studied.

Perhaps, as encouragement to devout women of faith, we should make an effort to show the same virtue and righteous recognition are given to Lydia’s prayers. Thus, when a woman of ‘faith’ prays, God hears and answers.

Lydia continued to support efforts to grow the church in Philippi.

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Photo Above: by reenablack @ pixabay.com.

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For God so Loved theWorld — Part 2

~~ Notes: by tkbrown ~~
Photo by: Comfreak
at pixabay.com
Source: Holy Bible (NKJV)

In Part 1, we discussed the choice to ‘believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God’ or ‘not to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ It is our individual, personal choice whether or not we are saved by God. If we believe, then He offers a plan — through Christ Jesus — whereby we can be saved. If we do not believe, then we have already condemned ourselves to an eternity of darkness without salvation. Here, we can read this message directly from His word (NKJV).

John 3:16 — “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.“

John 3:17 — “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

John 3:18 — “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he wo does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

While Jesus was on the earth in human form, He was given power to reveal this plan to all mankind through His personally chosen disciples. If we study the New Testament through, we can see how Jesus personally called His disciples — one by one — to follow Him and become ‘fishers of men.’ He did not choose these disciples from the educated and the elite of the synagogue or from the community. He chose ‘sinners’ whom He knew to possess the character traits necessary to understand His will and to relay that will to people from all nationalities and walks of life. Before He ascended back into heaven, He instructed these disciples in the manner to convey His power to those who would believe.

Matthew 28:18 — “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.'”

Jesus assured His disciples that His time on earth was to impart His teachings to all mankind via the disciples. He assured them that God is concerned even about the grass in the field which is here today and gone tomorrow. If God loves even the grass in the fields, how much more does He love us. We who are made in His own image are loved so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross as payment for the sins of those who choose to believe — thereby choosing salvation and eternal life with Him. First, we must seek His kingdom and His righteousness, then these things can be ours.

Matthew 6:30 — “Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?“

Matthew 6:33 — “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.“

The New Testament is the ‘last covenant’ or ‘will’ imparted from God to mankind. If we are to know what we can inherit, we must study that will and obey the commandments outlined within it. The guidelines are all spelled out for us in the New Testament of God’s word – the Bible. If we believe Him, we will study this covenant which was delivered via His Son’s death and we will strive to obey the blueprint presented. Paul told Timothy to continue in teachings outlined in the Scriptures which provide all that is needed for salvation.

2 Timothy 3:14 — “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them.“

2 Timothy 3:15 — “and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.“

2 Timothy 3:16 — “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”

2 Timothy 3:17 — “that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Thus, if we choose to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, we will study His word — the Bible — to discern His guidelines by which we might be saved. Once we have studied and obeyed the plan of salvation outlined in the Holy Scriptures, we must continue in His teachings. Even in His kingdom, we find those who strive to obey and those who do not obey. If we believe, we will obey His teachings because we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to earth to provide a way by which we can be saved. Those who do not believe engage in profane babblings and wrest with the scriptures to their own destruction. Therefore, it is our will to be saved or to not be saved. God accepts the choice we make and will not force the issue. Do you believe? Will you obey? I pray that you will.