The Biblical Mary-6

It is as important as what Mary has said, as well as what is said about Mary in the Bible. It is also important to know when Mary was not mentioned. If she was to have an exalted position, she was not included in some very important events.

Matthew 17:1  Six days later Jesus *took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and *led them up on a high mountain by themselves. 17:2  And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. 17:3  And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 

This transfiguration is also mentioned in Mark 9 and Luke 9. It is a very significant event for a number of reasons. But, Mary was not invited and therefore not present. In fact, her name is not mentioned either. Only Peter, James, and John are invited to this gathering of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.

Mark 5:37  And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 5:38  They *came to the house of the synagogue official; and He *saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing. 5:39  And entering in, He *said to them, "Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep." 

5:40  They began laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He *took along the child's father and mother and His own companions, and *entered the room where the child was. 5:41  Taking the child by the hand, He *said to her, "Talitha kum!" (which translated means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). 5:42  Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded. 

5:43  And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that something should be given her to eat. 

This is the miraculous story of Jairus’ daughter being raised from the dead. Again, only Peter, James, and John were present.

Matthew 26:17  Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?" 26:18  And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'" 

26:19  The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover. 26:20  Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. 

This last meal between Jesus and the twelve is recorded in all four gospels. During this meal, Jesus revealed some very marvelous truths, initiated a remembrance of His fast approaching death, and prayed for all of them. Within a few hours, He would be arrested, charged, and brought before Pilate. Mary was not there and not mentioned.

Mark 14:32  They *came to a place named Gethsemane; and He *said to His disciples, "Sit here until I have prayed." 14:33  And He *took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. 

14:34  And He *said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch." 14:35  And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. 

14:36  And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will." 14:37  And He *came and *found them sleeping, and *said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 14:38  "Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." 

14:39  Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words. 14:40  And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. 14:41  And He *came the third time, and *said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 

14:42  "Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!" 

Luke 22:41  And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, 22:42  saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." 

22:43  Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. 22:44  And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. 

All four gospels include Jesus in the garden. Only Peter, James, and John were invited to be with Him. In Luke, we read just how troubled Jesus was about what He would soon endure. The Church of Rome insists that Mary suffered as much as Jesus did, but she was not present at this very trying and troubling hour.

We will study the last event next week, as it deserves all of our attention.

More next Saturday.

The Biblical Mary-5

To what extent did Joseph and Mary truly know the life Jesus would lead once he matured into adulthood? It seems that they did not have complete knowledge and would have to slowly understand Him as He grew up before them. We now start when according to the Law, He was brought to the Temple to be circumcised.

Luek 2:21  And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. 

2:22  And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 2:23  (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "EVERY firstborn MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD"), 2:24  and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, "A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS." 

What can we learn from this passage? First, Joseph and Mary followed the Law in bringing Him to the Temple, offering a sacrifice, and having Him circumcised. The days of purification pertain to Mary only. What does the Law actually state?

Leviticus 12:6  'When the days of her purification are completed, for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the doorway of the tent of meeting a one year old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. 

12:7  'Then he shall offer it before the LORD and make atonement for her, and she shall be cleansed from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, whether a male or a female. 

12:8  'But if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, the one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.'" 

It is Mary’s purification. The sacrifice is for a burnt offering and a sin offering. If Mary was indeed sinless, she would not have to offer a sin offering for her own atonement. The two birds signified a household that was poor and couldn’t provide a lamb. Although, He was and is the Lamb of GOD.

2:25  And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 2:26  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 

Simeon was waiting all his life for this very moment. He lived for it and was to be a gift to him before he died.

2:27  And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 2:28  then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, 2:29  "Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; 2:30  For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 2:31  Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 2:32  A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel." 

GOD revealed to him that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. He would bring salvation to all who would believe in Him. Interesting, the people of Israel were not the only ones blessed by salvation as the Gentiles would also be offered this great salvation.

2:33  And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. 2:34  And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— 2:35  and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed." 

Joseph and Mary received this important information together from Simeon. Jesus would divide the nation. Men’s hearts would be revealed to be godly or ungodly.

2:36  And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 2:37  and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. 2:38  At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. 

First, Anna gave thanks, which should be first on our list as well. Secondly, everyone needs redeeming or redemption. That is why Jesus came and only Jesus could offer this redemption. Mary could not.

2:39  When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth.

Being obedient to the Law of the LORD is required of all of us who are truly saved/redeemed. Mary was not exempted from giving thanks, obeying the Law, or letting GOD use her for His glory.

More next Saturday.

The Biblical Mary-4

My prayer is that you may know some who are within the Church of Rome and trapped in their dogmas that contradict scripture. You may be able to use some of this teaching as a way to help them see what they currently are unable to see. Mary had one visit by an angel or a vision. She did not receive any more revelations directly, but God instead communicated through and to Joseph. But, first God warned the Magi.

Matthew 2:11  After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

2:12  And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way. 

The next people to be given a vision/dream from God were these magi from a pagan/foreign land. Perhaps they had heard about a future king from Daniel’s messages that were passed down through the last 500 years. We do not know, but God did not warn them through Mary. In fact, we have no record of them even telling Mary of their dream.

Matthew 2:13  Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him." 2:14  So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. 2:15  He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON." 

Now Joseph was given a message from God through an angel and a dream. This is a very dire and disturbing message of Herod’s evil plans to kill this baby, Jesus incarnate in the flesh. Joseph did not wait till morning, but left under the cover of darkness. He was long gone before anyone knew they had left. No one seemed to know they were gone or where they had gone. Mary did not receive this message. Why? One reason could be is now she is a married woman under the protection of her husband. Joseph is now the head of Mary and of the household/family. He was the one to lead the family to safety and therefore he was the one to receive this dream.

Matthew 2:19  But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, 2:20  "Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child's life are dead."  2:21  So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 

2:22  But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, 2:23  and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: "He shall be called a Nazarene." 

This second and last dream to Joseph began like the first dream. The angel of the Lord told him to ‘get up’. This is an imperative/command. Joseph obeyed and returned to the land of Judah. But, he was right to fear the son of Herod, so to perhaps unknowingly fulfill prophecy, he went to Nazareth. Again we should note, only Joseph received the last two recorded messages from God. Mary would not and did not receive any other direct contact from God that is recorded.

So Joseph is the head of his family just as every other men in Judah. There was no special revelations on how Mary should be treated, honored, referenced, or consulted. She was to be Joseph’s wife as all other wives. God’s commands to fill the earth would not exempt Mary. To Joseph, Mary would now become his wife as he had originally thought. Mary was not given any exemption from God’s commands either.

Genesis 1:27  God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 1:28  God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." 

After the flood, this command was repeated to Noah.

Genesis 9:1  And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.

More next Saturday.

The Biblical Mary-3

The Church of Rome has created a Mary that doesn’t appear anywhere in the Bible. She was created by inference not by evidence. I will provide some of their decisions as they gradually created Mary into a goddess.

We first begin to know about the real Mary in the gospel of Luke, when she is visited by the angel Gabriel. It is from this one chapter upon which the Church of Rome bases the majority of its dogma on Mary. Remember, the Church of Rome dogmas on Mary are not based on the clear teaching of Scripture. What do the Church of Rome dogmas on Mary include?

Perpetual virginity

This belief maintains that Mary was not only a virgin when visited by Gabriel, but remained a virgin throughout her entire earthly life. It even goes as far as maintaining that her womb was not damaged, corrupted, or altered by giving birth. This belief finds its origin in the apocryphal book, called the Gospel of James, around 120 AD.

Mother of God

Since Jesus is God the Son, this belief ascribes to Mary the recognition as being the Mother of God. Jesus, as God the Son, has no beginning and no end, as He has always existed. Therefore, as God, He had no mother, but He and the Father are one. This designation was affirmed at the Council of Ephesus 431 AD.

Sinless life

This dogma is based on the precept that since Jesus was sinless, Mary had to be sinless. St. Augustine (354-430) brought this to the forefront, but it wasn’t until the Council of Trent in 1546, that it was formally and finally confirmed by a majority vote.

Co-Redemptrix

While still maintaining the Jesus is the redeemer of all of sinful mankind, the Church of Rome also maintains that Mary shares in the execution of this divine redemption. This shared responsibility states that all must first go through Mary before they can come to Christ. While this false belief began in the 14th century, it could not be officially confirmed until the Second Vatican Council 1962-1965.

Immaculate conception

If Mary was indeed sinless in life, she had to be born sinless or so the Church of Rome maintains. Therefore, this belief in her ‘Christ-like’ birth was formally declared to be dogma by Pope Pius lX on December 8, 1854.

Queen of Heaven

This title is loosely based on the mistaken premise that, since Jesus is King, His mother must be Queen or the Queen Mother. While it had been debated from the 4th century, as well as at the Council of Ephesus in 431 (but never getting enough votes to become a majority opinion), it did not reach the status of dogma until Pope Pius XLL on May 13, 1946.

Co-Mediatrix

As the mediator of graces, reconciling man to God, Mary also received the recognition as co-Mediatrix officially at the Second Vatican Council 1962-1965. This title falsely recognizes her as the treasurer of all graces for all of mankind.

Assumption

The Church of Rome also maintains that Mary was taken up directly into Heaven when she died. She was buried but her tomb is empty, as God took her body directly into Heaven without decay. While maintaining and promoting this belief as beginning with the apostles, which has no Scriptural support, it did not become the official dogma of the Church of Rome until declared by Pope Pius Xll on November 11, 1950.

Mother of the Church

This title is now contained in the official catechism of the Church of Rome. The dogma was officially recognized by Pope Paul Vl at the Second Vatican Council on November 11, 1964.

“Following the 1981 assassination attempt on his life, Pope John Paul ll ordered the installation of a mosaic of Mary, Mother of the Church on a building overlooking St. Peter’s Square, partially as tribute to her intercession in saving his life. In 1987, he repeated this title Mother of the Church in his encyclical Redemptoris Mater and at a general audience on September 17, 1987.” (Wikipedia under Mother of the Church)

It is revealing that the veneration of Mary has grown and increased gradually over 2000 years. Why would Jesus not have affirmed any of this, if it was true? Why was not all this declared in the first century? Could it be that they would have been denounced as heresies and lies by the early church? While the above dogmas are central to the Church of Rome beliefs of Mary, they are not the only ways Mary is venerated or worshiped. The Marian dogmas have spawned feast days, the rosary, prayers, and a plethora of holy sites and shrines.

The truth of Mary is only contained in Scripture, God’s Holy Bible. Any other belief about Mary is an affront to the very nature of God. If Mary is anyone more than the simple surrogate mother of the incarnate Lord, then God would have made it very clear and easily understood. God is not a God of confusion.

More next Saturday

The Biblical Mary-2

We were called out of town for 10 days and are now back home. As stated last time, the Bible doesn’t give us much on Mary, but the Church of Rome has created a cult-following fable of immensity that is the central element of their false worship. We will carefully consider all the times Mary is merely mentioned as being in attendance, all the time she speaks, and every time Jesus addressed her. You will see that she is not Co-Redeemer or Co-Meadatric either.

First, Mary words are actually recorded in just a few verses.

Second, she is mentioned in only 14 verses.

Third, Jesus talks to her or about her in just 3 occasions.

Today, we will study every word that is recorded that Mary spoke.

Lue 1:26  Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 1:27  to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 

1:28  And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." 1:29  But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 1:30  The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 1:31  "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 1:32  "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 1:33  and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." 

The angel Gabriel came to Mary to tell her all that would soon be happening to her and its immense importance. All of his message could be confirmed by biblical prophecy.

1:34  Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" 1:35  The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. Luk 1:36  "And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 1:37  "For nothing will be impossible with God." 

Her first words were to have an understanding how all this was to occur, especailly how was she to have a child?

1:38  And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. 

Mary now understood all she needed to know and offerred her willingness to be used by GOD.

1:39  Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 1:40  and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 1:41  When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 1:42  And she cried out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  1:43  "And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 1:44  "For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 1:45  "And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord." 

Elizabeth was able to come to the realization that Mary would bear the Messiah. John, while still in Elizabeth’s womb leaped in worship to this news. Now we can read Mary’s response to all of this.

1:46  And Mary said: "My soul exalts the Lord, 1:47  And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 1:48  "For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. 

Her first words speak volumes as she acknowledges herself as a bondslave to GOD, not a co-equal with GOD. She also knows that GOD is her Savior, as all of mankind needs a Savior, Mary included. She was not born sinless and never became sinless. In fact, she was just as sinful as Elizabeth, who would bear a son to herald in the Messiah. She did not elevate herself in any way.

1:49  "For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. 1:50  "AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. 1:51  "He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. 1:52  "He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. 1:53  "HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; And sent away the rich empty-handed. 1:54  "He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, 1:55  As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever." 

This prayer is wonderful as it truly summarizes GOD as the one who gives blessings and chooses those who will be used by Him. She was not ignorant of the history of the patriarchs and how GOD used them either.

1:56  And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home. 

There is only one more time that Mary speaks and that is some 30 years later at the wedding in Cana.

John 2:1  On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; 2:2  and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 

2:3  When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus *said to Him, "They have no wine." 2:4  And Jesus *said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come." 2:5  His mother *said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." 

Mary addressed Jesus with a simple statement, but an expectation. Jesus addressed her as merely, woman. These all the verses that record words spoken by Mary. Any other references to what someone tells you are from Mary are false. From these few verses, what do you now know about Mary?

More next Saturday.

The Biblcial Mary-1

Many of you know or have friends who are trapped in the deceitfulness of the Church of Rome. Maybe some of you once were also so deceived. This Satanic deception has created a cult of Mary worship that is unbiblical and only supported by hundreds of years of councils and papal declarations. Let us study just what the Bible says about Mary. Mary and Jesus impending birth are first announced in Matthew.

Matthew 1:18  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 

1:19  And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. 1:20  But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 

In Luke, which we will study later, Mary is already pregnant and an angel appears now to Joseph. He knows the Law and accordingly Mary should now be stoned. But, he decided to just not let this be known and send her away. Their marriage is now over, that is there engagement is now over.

So Jehovah sent an angel/messenger to let him know that this pregnancy is the product of the Holy Spirit and all part of Jehovah’s great plan of redemption.

1:21  "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." 

Jehovah reminds Joseph of His great promise to King David and that He will be the long awaited Messiah that comes to save people from their sins.

Mat 1:22  Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 

Mat 1:23  "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US." 

1:24  And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 1:25  but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus. 

Everyone in Israel knew or should have known about this prophecy and looking for the coming of the Messiah. Sadly, few were in fact truly waiting, who we will identify in later studies.

So Joseph obeyed this angelic message and went forward in actually marrying Mary. So far, we have no words from Mary in Matthew’s summary of the birth of Jesus.

More next Saturday.

Correction to last week

Last week I switched two words around, leavened and unleavened bread.

Unleavened in Greek is azumos G740 and found in 79 verses in the gospels. Leavened bread in Greek is artos and found in just 7 verses, which all only pertain to the name of the feast.

Unleavened bread is azumos but it is only found in 7 verses, artos is leavened and is used 79 times in the gospels.

Sorry for any confusion.

Easter Lamb or Passover Lamb-4

There is one last confirmation on the last meal Jesus ate with His disciples. As we studied in Leviticus 23, this Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread began in Egypt. One very important element of this feast is contained in its name, the feast of Unleavened Bread. Unleavened bread refers only to bread made without yeast.

Leviticus 23:5  'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover. 23:6  'Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 

Exodus 12:14  'Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. 

12:15  'Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses; for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 

12:16  'On the first day you shall have a holy assembly, and another holy assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them, except what must be eaten by every person, that alone may be prepared by you. 

12:17  'You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent ordinance. 

12:18  'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 

12:19  'Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is an alien or a native of the land. 

12:20  'You shall not eat anything leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.'" 

Once again we see Jehovah’s commands regarding yeast, bread, and this feast. If leaven/yeast is found in your house during this feast, you will be cut off from the congregation. This seems harsh and hard to truly understand. However, it is clear that you can only eat bread during this time that is made without leaven. Since this is the command of Jehovah, Jesus would never have violated it. Here we come to the rest of this story.

Matthew 26:26  While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." 26:27  And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; 

26:28  for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. 26:29  "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." 

This supper is mentioned in Luke 22 and Mark 14 as well.

Unleavened in Greek is azumos G740 and found in 79 verses in the gospels. Leavened bread in Greek is artos and found in just 7 verses, which all only pertain to the name of the feast. All the references to Jesus breaking bread are from artos, or leavened bread. Also, all the other gospel mentions of bread are artos.

So what does this mean?

First, Jesus broke artos bread, which clearly confirms that this is not unleavened and therefore not a Passover meal.

Second, this meal was not during the feast, but before the feast. This is the day of preparation.

Third, this suggests that someone inserted the word Passover for the meal, even though it could not have been the Passover.

Knowing that the Church of Rome created Easter to draw people away from observing the true last meal. Easter also created a totally different time for remembrance. The Church of Rome will never let their ‘Lord’s Supper’ fall on a Passover date.

All of this can easily be confirmed by your own research. So Satan wants all worship to be directed to him. Any worship directed from Jehovah, by default goes to him. This would appear to be the reason for this problem in the gospels. Satan deceives the ‘Church’ from the inside not just the outside. This is a monumental deception that has been going on since the early days of the Church of Rome. Because all of the ‘reformers’ were educated, served, and brought up in the dogmas of the Church of Rome, no one challenged this.

Jehovah has reminded us to not worship Him in the same manner as the world worships Satan.

More next Saturday.

Easter Lamb or Passover Lamb-3

How or why is the Gospel of John so different from the other three gospels as it pertains to the last meal Jesus had with His disciples? We now have to come to some understanding of how subsequent translations of the original manuscripts were copied and maintained.

First, there are no originals of any of the books of the Bible. Second, we are told that the oldest available manuscript fragments are from the fourth and fifth centuries. While the dead sea scrolls were older, they only contained the Old Testament and for the most part were only fragments or partials manuscripts. Wikipedia is as good as any source to find this out as it lists many references and an extensive bibliography. Here is a reference on the manuscript history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_manuscript

Generally, not only are the subsequent copies in a variety of conditions, but also few are truly complete in any one book. While many copies exist, the vast majority of the New Testament copies come from the 4th to the 10th centuries.

So let us consider the Latin Vulgate, also referenced in detail at Wikipedia. Jerome in around 382 A.D. was commissioned by Pope Damasus I to produce one complete translation of the four gospels in Latin. Up to this time, there were many separate copies of a single gospel but none had dates, authors, or histories that could be verified. Jerome took many and cleaned them up enough to produce one readable Latin summation of all four gospels. He generally took the Latin copies and incorporated all the variations into one version.

Fast forward to the times of Wycliffe in 1382, when he translated the Latin Vulgate into English. By this time, Jerome’s work had been updated by others. Since the Church of Rome controlled all of these translations and revisions, we need to be wary of what they may have added or subtracted.

Interesting, that Wycliffe who was educated in Catholic Universities, used the Latin Vulgate as his source document. The later King James Version borrowed heavily from Wycliffe’s Bible. So we need to consider this fact that the Latin Vulgate, commissioned by the pope, found its way into the KJV!

Satan doesn’t need to change every word or doctrine to add to confusion in the Bible. You may have heard or even thought yourself, why are there ‘contradictions’ in the Bible? Creating doubt and confusion are just a few of the schemes of Satan.

So what can we conclude? By adding a few word like Passover meal the whole issue of the last meal Jesus had with His disciples becomes one of confusion. They all cannot be right. Which one do we believe? This then adds confusion among the many denominations and seminaries.

With that being said, I haven’t discovered another topic with these problems within the rest of the New Testament. But, sowing seeds of doubt can be used by Satan to divide the Bride of Christ.

More next Saturday.

Easter Lamb or Passover Lamb-2

We will now look at the gospel of John as it also informs us of the last meal Jesus ate with His disciples. It is less confusing and very revealing. It does not mention any Passover meal.

John 13:1  Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 

This first verse tells a lot. This meal is before the Feast of the Passover, that is it is not yet the first day of Unleavened Bread. Since we remember that Jehovah created His calendar in which each new day begins at sundown. The ‘day’ before the feast begins is a preparation day. Also, it is on this day that the Passover Lamb is slain by late afternoon and roasted so it could be eaten after sundown or on the first day of the feast. This meal is at night. Actually it is the very night Judas betrayed Jesus and He was arrested. This is almost 20+ hours before the Passover lambs would be killed.

13:2  During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, 13:3  Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, 13:4  *got up from supper, and *laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. 13:5  Then He *poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 

John gives us tremendous insight into this last meal. He devotes Chapter 13-18 to help us understand all that Jesus told His disciples. There is wonderful truth in these 6 chapters and you should take some time to read thru them on your own. A few of the many important truths would include;

1. Jesus oneness with the Father John 14:10.

2. The gift of the Holy Spirit 14:17, 26 & 16:7.

3. His leaving but returning 14:19-29 & 16:16.

4. Loving Him 14:21-24 & 15:10

5. Abiding in Him Chapter 15.

6. His high priestly prayer Chapter 17.

7. The garden Chapter 18.

13:21  When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me." 13:22  The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking.

I have included these two verses to remind us just how cunning Satan’s servants can be. Not one of the disciples knew who would betray Jesus. In fact, they looked at each other rather than at Judas. He was so good at deception, that he was not accused by any of them.

19:12  As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, "If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar." 19:13  Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 

We have now gone from the supper, to the garden, to the false witnesses and trial, to Pilate. This is still the Day of Preparation. The lambs would all be killed by 3 pm and ready to be eaten right after sundown, the first day of Unleavened Bread.

19:14  Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he *said to the Jews, "Behold, your King!" 19:15  So they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!" Pilate *said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." 

So in contrast with the first three gospels, which all referred to the Passover meal, John clearly states that all this occurred on the Day of Preparation. This means that they could not have eaten a Passover meal with the real Passover Lamb. So how can we come to understand these contradictions? I will attempt to lay this all out next Saturday as it takes some time to present it. But, as Jude reminds us, Satan enters and destroys the ‘church’ from the inside not from only the outside.

Jude 1:3  Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.  1:4  For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. 

More next Saturday.

Easter Lamb or Passover Lamb-1

This is really where our search for truth leads us. Jesus died as our Passover Lamb. The original Passover was created by Jehovah when leading His people out of Israel. This is the shadow or precursor of our annual celebration of His sacrificial death for our sins. We need to make sure we have the biblical perspective and practice He has provided us.

John 1:29  The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 

John 1:34  "I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God." 

The Lamb of God is the Son of God. This Lamb is now on His throne as the glorified Son of God.

Revelation 5:11  Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, 5:12  saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." 

5:13  And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." 

5:14  And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped. 

He is worthy of our worship, our praise, and our absolute obedience. Now let us look at the third gospel and the meal Jesus ate with His disciples.

Luke22:7  Then came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 22:8  And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it." 

22:9  They said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare it?" 22:10  And He said to them, "When you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house that he enters. 22:11  "And you shall say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"' 22:12  "And he will show you a large, furnished upper room; prepare it there." 

22:13  And they left and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover. 

Again we have almost the exact same story as we studied in Matthew and Mark. Many will say that is to be expected as they are all telling the same exact event. Many times the exact same event is retold in Scripture, but different authors often have different stories that add to the complete story. Jehovah is not a GOD of confusion and would not deceive us, but translations of the Bible have been under the worldly control of the Church of Rome and Satan for over 1600 years. In fact, Satan has not stopped deceiving the ‘church’ and never will until he is thrown into the bottomless pit for eternity.

A few things to contemplate.

First, only Matthew was an apostle of Jesus. Mark and Luke were not apostles, but disciples of apostles.

Second, many ‘theologians’ speculate that Mark wrote his version first and that Matthew and Luke just copied it. This doesn’t sound like divine inspiration.

Third, there are other ‘theologians’ who speculate that a person only identified as ‘Q’ wrote the original version and all three copied it. Again, this doesn’t sound like divine inspiration.

Fourth, as we will study next Saturday, the gospel of John contradicts all three. Since we all believe that Jehovah inspired all the writers in the Bible, something doesn’t make sense, that is if you don’t take into consideration that there have been many years for Satan to inject small changes that create confusion and doubt.

Fifth, this isn’t a gospel or salvation issue, but if you can create a false celebration, a different date, some confusion, and introduce the traditions of the Church of Rome, you can lead people to doubt.

More next Saturday.

Passover or the Lord's Supper-3

We all know that Jehovah inspired every word of His message through His prophets and apostles. However, we have over 1500 years of the Church of Rome in total control of the ‘translations’ of the ‘oldest’ of both the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. We have no original manuscripts only copies. Now with being said, we can be sure that most of our Bibles are true to the originals, but there are a few New Testament passages that create confusion and doubt. We should never forget that Satan schemes to detract worship from Jehovah and direct it to himself through the enormous amount of false religions, false prophets, and the traditions that have carried on for thousands of years. Just like the religious leaders in the time of Jesus, they followed their traditions and their laws while forsaking the commandments of Jehovah.

Let us continue with our study of real Passover with our eternal Passover Lamb of GOD.

We will have to keep a few things in focus as we continue. First, Satan doesn’t have to rewrite the entire Bible to deceive us.

Second, there are few real concerns over the Old Testament. Could this be due to the gospel is the most critical truth that Satan desires to destroy or hide?

Third, we must also remember that Satan destroys the ‘church’ from the inside. While we normally believe this to be through false preachers and teachers, we must also look at the Bible we hold in our hands. The subtle challenges are only visible to true students of the Bible, as most just carry on with ‘church’ traditions that they have grown up with and never challenge.

Leviticus 23:4  'These are the appointed times of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them. 

23:5  'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover. 23:6  'Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 

23:7  'On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. 23:8  'But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.'" 

Because this may be complicated to easily understand we will make sure we take one element at a time and not gloss over those elements which are vital to our understanding. That is why we must once again understand the Feast of Unleavened Bread and its timing. While this is in total agreement with the study on Exodus 12, we need to see what more can we learn.

First, the Passover begins with the killing of the Passover Lamb.

Second, it must be killed by twilight as the next day begins at sundown.

Third, the lamb will be ready to eat after sundown which is the beginning of the feast.

Fourth, the feast requires that only unleavened bread be eaten for the entire 7 days. Also, no leaven or yeast is to be found in the house.

Fifth, the first and last day of the feast are holy days or Sabbaths. No work, no buying or selling either.

Sixth, trying to understand the cultural elements of the times brings us to the Day of Preparation. This day precedes every Sabbath, the weekly and the Sabbaths set apart in the feasts.

Mark 14:12  On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples *said to Him, "Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?" 

Here again is our first challenge. If it is already the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, then the Passover meal would have been eaten the night before which is the same day!

14:13  And He *sent two of His disciples and *said to them, "Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him; 14:14  and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"' 14:15  "And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepare for us there." 

This is a very exact and specific retelling. Again, the emphasis is where to eat the Passover.

14:16  The disciples went out and came to the city, and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover. 14:17  When it was evening He *came with the twelve. 

Here is the second challenge. If this is indeed evening, then it is another day or the second day of the feast! Clearly, this cannot be the case. Since Jesus is our Passover Lamb, He needs to die on the day before the feast begins at sundown.

Why is this important you may think?

First, a careful reading of both Matthew and Mark reveals concerns and questions. We can just ignore them and go on with our traditions, much like they did in Jesus day. We can think that Jehovah made a mistake somewhere between Exodus, Leviticus, and the gospels. May that not be true!

Second, this calls into question how and when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper and His death and resurrection.

Homework for next week for those who have the time. Do your own research on Jerome and the Latin Vulgate. I will begin to introduce my findings next week on this important time in history.

More next Saturday.

Passover or the Lord's Supper-2

Last week we reviewed the Lord’s requirements for remembering both the coming out of Egyptian slavery and into His Promised Land and what He is now establishing for remembering Him. He is the true Passover Lamb who came to take away sins and offer forgiveness to all who surrender to Him as their High Priest and King. We will begin in Matthew.

Matthew 26:1  When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, 26:2  "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion." 

We are within two days of His illegal trial and death on a cross.

26:3  Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas; 26:4  and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him. 26:5  But they were saying, "Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people." 

As we have studied previously, the people feared the leaders even as the leaders feared them. The leaders feared being found out for who they truly were. They presented themselves as godly men who knew their Bible very well and made sure everyone followed what they taught. As Jesus taught, they taught their truth while denying GOD’s truth.

Mark 7:5  The Pharisees and the scribes *asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?" 7:6  And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 7:7  'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.' 

7:8  "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." 7:9  He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. 

Matthew 26:17  Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?" 

Remember, the Passover lamb would be killed in the late afternoon, but not be eaten until after sundown, which is now the next day.

26:18  And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'" 26:19  The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover. 26:20  Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. 

Clearly, Jesus in this passage has told His disciples to prepare the Passover meal and where it was to be held.

26:47  While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. 26:48  Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him." 26:49  Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and kissed Him. 

After the meal, Jesus took His disciples to the Mount of Olives where He prayed alone, as the disciples slept. Knowing exactly when He would be arrested, He went out to greet this large crowd. It is now close to midnight and the ‘people’ the leaders feared were all in bed.

26:50  And Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you have come for." Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him. 

Jesus would be tried and convicted by dawn in an illegal trial. Trials aren’t held in the middle of the night. He would be brought to Pilate at dawn and be on the cross by 9 am. He would give up His Spirit at the 9th hour or 3 pm.

27:57  When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 27:58  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 27:59  And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 27:60  and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. 

Here the Gospels don’t all agree on every detail. We will study this in the next study, but what is clear is that the day of His death was the Day of Preparation.

27:61  And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave. 27:62  Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, 27:63  and said, "Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I am to rise again.' 

So the ‘next’ day was the day after the Day of Preparation or a Sabbath. Every day, before a ‘Sabbath’ day whether at week end or surrounding a feast,was a day to prepare to rest from your work on the Sabbath. Since according to the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins after sundown following the killing of the Lamb, then Jesus was also killed on the Day of Preparation before the Feast began at sundown.

With all that being said, Jesus could not have eaten a Passover meal as described in Matthew. The Passover Meal is eaten after sundown. Jesus was in the tomb by sundown, which will be clearer in the other gospels.

Passover or Lord's Supper-1

The first three gospels all clearly state that Jesus desired to eat the Passover with His disciples before He was arrested. But, in John it is also clearly stated that He ate an evening meal a day before the Passover meal was to be eaten. Which one is right? We will read thru these passages and come to a conclusion based on the Bible not on what we may have been taught over the years. First, what are the Passover laws as stated by Jehovah?

Exodus 12:1 Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 12:2 "This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. 

12:3 "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers' households, a lamb for each household. 

This is quite clear. First, Jehovah is now creating the monthly calendar for His chosen people. The year doesn’t start in January but sometime in March/April. The span of time is due to the Jewish accounting for new moons and the beginning of a month. Since this is purely a lunar based calendar, there is no moon for leap years, as 29 1/2 days times 12 leaves days off for accounting for a full 365+ day year that we now use. Regardless, the year starts in the spring not in January. We will discuss how this happened in future studies in this series.

12:4  'Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb. 

Every family is to have a lamb or share a lamb. All are required to participate.

12:5  'Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 

An unblemished male that is between 12-23 months old, as this still is a year old lamb.

12:6  'You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight. 12:7  'Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 12:8  'They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 

On the 14th of Nisan, before sundown the lamb must be killed and cleaned so it can be roasted and eaten after sundown. Jehovah begins and ends each day at sundown.

12:9 'Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails. 12:10 'And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire. 

Nothing will be left as they will be on their way out of Egypt in the morning.

12:11 'Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste—it is the LORD'S Passover. 12:12 'For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the LORD. 

If it is cooked after sundown and then eaten, this may bring you to 9-11 pm in the evening, which is now the 15th day of Nisan.

12:13  'The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 12:14  'Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. 

We are all prone to forget things, especially commandments of Jehovah. We always remember to do the things we love to do. The blood over the door is symbolic of being in Christ, as we enter or become on in Christ through His blood. We cannot nor should not ever forget this.

12:15  'Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses; for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 

All New Testament believers understand that the leaven is really sin. Jehovah doesn’t hate yeast, but it represents sin then and now. The key to our study is this requirement to eat only unleavened bread.

:16 'On the first day you shall have a holy assembly, and another holy assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them, except what must be eaten by every person, that alone may be prepared by you. 12:17  'You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent ordinance. 

As you see, there are more than 52 Sabbaths (days of rest and no work) in a year. Feasts usually begin and end with a holy day, a Sabbath.

12:18  'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 2:19  'Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is an alien or a native of the land. 12:20  'You shall not eat anything leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.'" 

No leaven in the houses and no leaven in any of the bread for a whole week.

12:21  Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go and take for yourselves lambs according to your families, and slay the Passover lamb. 12:22  "You shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning. 

If you are ‘in’ Christ, you don’t have to worry either. But, they were to stay inside until morning. Why? Because there is death outside and if you want to live you must obey.

12:23  "For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite you. 

Obedience is always required. Jehovah’s promises and blessings are tied to obedience.

12:24  "And you shall observe this event as an ordinance for you and your children forever. 12:25  "When you enter the land which the LORD will give you, as He has promised, you shall observe this rite. 12:26  "And when your children say to you, 'What does this rite mean to you?' 12:27  you shall say, 'It is a Passover sacrifice to the LORD who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes.'" And the people bowed low and worshiped. 

The best way to remember is to renew our memories in a celebration and a meal. We do this for birthdays and anniversaries. We need to do this for Jehovah as well.

12:28 Then the sons of Israel went and did so; just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. 

After experiencing Jehovah’s wrath upon Egypt, they were ready to obey. We need the same desire to obey.

More next Saturday.

Schemes of Satan-17

Sorry for last week as we had to bring my aging mother-in-law to VA. This is the second to the last study on the schemes of Satan, as next week should be the last. We will then study the contradictions, confusion, and challenges in the gospels as they pertain to Jesus last few days before the cross.

John 13:21  When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me." 13:22  The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking. 

The first challenge is that none of the disciples suspected any other disciple, but were concerned that it might be them! This is clearer in Mark.

Mark 14:18  As they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, "Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me—one who is eating with Me." 14:19  They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, "Surely not I?" 

13:23  There was reclining on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 13:24  So Simon Peter *gestured to him, and *said to him, "Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking." 13:25  He, leaning back thus on Jesus' bosom, *said to Him, "Lord, who is it?" 

Neither Peter or John had a clue. What does this mean? First, Satan’s slaves, much like their evil master, are very good at deception. Even those who had been together with Jesus did not know who He was talking about.

13:26  Jesus then *answered, "That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him." So when He had dipped the morsel, He *took and *gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 

Jesus gave a very clear sign, yet even then they did not seem to know.

13:27  After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus *said to him, "What you do, do quickly." 13:28  Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him. 

This was far too important for Satan to delegate it to one of his thousands of demons or evil spirits. Also, the other disciples still could not bring themselves to think ill of Judas.

13:29  For some were supposing, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, "Buy the things we have need of for the feast"; or else, that he should give something to the poor. 13:30  So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night. 

They even fashioned their own denial of the truth, much like many churchgoers who can’t come to the reality that their shepherd is a false shepherd.

Satan picked Judas. Satan inspired Judas to strike a deal with the ‘Jews’, and then he entered Judas to make sure it was down right.

We only see Satan taking on a person three times in Scriptures. Once when he attacked Job. Once when he tempted Jesus and now with Judas. You could say that Satan leaves nothing to chance.

Our final study on this next Saturday.

Schemes of Satan-16

Jesus last days on earth are quickly coming to a close. He is just days away from His cross. The ‘Jews’ are desperately trying to silence Him by killing Him. They fear the people but have no fear of GOD! Such is the state of religion in the world today.

John 12:12  On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 12:13  took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, "Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel." 

This is both a quote from Psalms but also a fulfillment of prophecy about Jesus being the true Messiah.

Psalms 118:26  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD; We have blessed you from the house of the LORD. 

12:14  Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, 12:15  "FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY'S COLT." 

This is another clear declaration of Jesus being the King and Messiah of Israel.

Zecariah 9:9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 

12:16  These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. 

His disciples did not understand. The ‘Jews’ refused to understand. The people were easily led from one way to another. This is the same today. Religion keeps people from the truth. They go from one extreme to another, always seeking yet never coming to the truth.

12:17  So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. 12:18  For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. 

Signs, miracles, and His teachings did not bring many into truly believing in Him as their King. Many people today will quickly say the Jesus is the Son of God, but live a life completely devoid of any true relationship with Him.

12:19  So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him." 

What will they do? In their minds, people following Jesus are not following them. This will not be tolerated. Religion keeps people from following Jesus. If you are not following Jesus, who are you following? Satan has created all the false beliefs, religions, and false teachers who deny Jesus but lead everyone to follow him. Most will fervrently deny that they are following Satan, but what is the only other choice?

More next Saturday.

Schemes of Satan-15

Jesus is preparing for His final days on earth as the Christ. He came in human form even as He remained fully GOD! He was in total control. He knew and knows the hearts and thoughts of every man/woman. What were on the minds of the Jews after He raised Lazarus? Since Bethany is only about 2 miles to Jerusalem, the word spread fast of this miraculous event.

John 12:1  Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 12:2  So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. 

The other gospels tell of Jesus being at the home of Simon the leper in Bethany. It is hard to know if there were two suppers or just one with both Simon and Lazarus present.

12:3  Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 12:4  But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, *said, 12:5  "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?" 

A denari is the wages for one day’s work. What would that be today? An annual year’s salary of just $48,000 would equate to around $200/day. That would put the cost of this rare and expensive nard at $60,000! It would appear that Lazarus was not a poor peasant but could afford such an expensive perfume. But, what is too expensive or rich for GOD?

12:6  Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it. 

Judas the betrayer was also a thief. He was so good at deception that none of the other disciples were even suspicious of him. Such are the servants of Satan who still deceive the world.

12:7  Therefore Jesus said, "Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. 2:8  "For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me." 

Once again Jesus made it very clear that He would soon die. But, who really believed this? Who really believed in Him?

12:9 The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. 12:10 But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; 12:11  because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus. 

The crowd wanted to see Lazarus and Jesus. This was quite the attraction. But, it was all superficial attraction, soon to turn against Jesus. Well, this created a new problem for the Jews! So they decided to kill Lazarus as well! What had Lazarus done to deserve death? Well, people were flocking to see him and not to see the Jews. The Jews feared that their power and positions were in jeopardy.

Satan doesn’t tolerate anyone getting in his way. He has no care,concern, or love for anyone but himself. Therefore, he would have Lazarus killed and not think twice about it. But, Satan cannot overcome the will and plans of Jehovah! We soon discover just how Satan treats those who serve him.

More next Saturday.

Schemes of Satan-14

How much does Satan hate Jesus? You can get a small glimpse of this through his servants, the ‘Jews’. By saying the ‘Jews’ I don’t mean all the Jewish people, but the leaders, the elders, the priests. We will see in this passage.

John 11:38  So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, *came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 1:39  Jesus *said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, *said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days." 11:40  Jesus *said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" 

What caused Jesus to be deeply moved? He had known that Lazarus had been sick and died. No mention of His being moved as He tarried 4 days. No real expressed sorrow to either Mary of Martha. I believe He was moved as He knew the hearts of everyone there and just how few would truly believe in Him fully.

11:41  So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 11:42  "I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me." 11:43  When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." 

Jesus wanted His Father to be glorified. He wanted everyone to finally and fully believe that He had been sent by God the Father.

11:44  The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

He called Lazarus by name, just as He will call us individually by name in the final resurrection. Imagine, four days and out walked Lazarus bound in grave linens, linens similar to what would soon by wrapped around Jesus.  

11:45  Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. 11:46  But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done. 11:47  Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, "What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. 11:48  "If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." 

Their place means their positions of power and money. It wasn’t their nation, it wasn’t their people, and it wasn’t their Temple.

11:49  But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, 11:50  nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish." 11:51  Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, 11:52  and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 

If God can make a donkey talk truth, He can make an evil high priest talk or foretell the truth as well. All priests must come from the family of Aaron. From within these men, one will be the high priest. All that had been lost as now it was an appointment by Herod. How do you get his favor?

11:53  So from that day on they planned together to kill Him. 11:54  Therefore Jesus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews, but went away from there to the country near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there He stayed with the disciples. 

It wasn’t His time. They were not in charge of His death, even as they continued to plan for His death. Satan is not omnitient, that is he does not know all things. He wanted Jesus dead that would in his mind, make him the king of the world.

11:55  Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover to purify themselves. 11:56  So they were seeking for Jesus, and were saying to one another as they stood in the temple, "What do you think; that He will not come to the feast at all?" 11:57  Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it, so that they might seize Him. 

The chief priests and the Pharisees were feared by the people. It was their power and threats that kept them in fear. However, they had lost all fear of God. By denying that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Christ, they thought they would just kill Him and get back to business as usual. Not once did they deny His miracles, which only made them more angry and envious.

Intimidating truth tellers, seizing truth tellers, and even killing truth tellers is just a few of their evil schemes. It has gone on for two thousand years and continues to this day. Religion and religous people hate GOD and all who believe in Jesus.

More next Saturday.

Schemes of Satan-13

Satan greatest scheme may be the fact that so many people don’t even consider him to be real or a real threat. Pastors don’t preach on his nature, character, and the depth of his hatred for Jehovah, Jesus, and all who are GOD’s children. Satan doesn’t even like his children as we will soon discover later in this series.

John 11:17  So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 11:18  Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off; 11:19  and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. 

By now, Mary and Martha may have even questioned whether Jesus would actually come. While waiting and hoping that Jesus would save their beloved brother, Lazarus died and was already buried.

11:20  Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house. 11:21  Martha then said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 11:22  "Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." 

Her belief was that Jesus could have healed him if He had only come sooner. “If you had been here…” Her belief and understanding of Jesus was incomplete, as was His disciples.

11:23  Jesus *said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 11:24  Martha *said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." 

11:25  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 11:26  and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" 

What was the depth of her belief? She, like Peter earlier, clearly stated that she believed He was the Messiah, the Son of GOD. But, what was her understanding of that profession. Many people today will acknowledge Jesus as the Son of GOD, yet scarcely give it much thought as to what they just declared.

11:27  She *said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world." 11:28  When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." 11:29  And when she heard it, she *got up quickly and was coming to Him. 11:30  Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him. 

11:31  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 11:32  Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." 

Now it was Mary’s turn to state the depth of her belief and understanding of the Son of GOD! Both believed He could heal, but neither believed He would raise him from the tomb.

11:33  When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, 11:34  and said, "Where have you laid him?" They *said to Him, "Lord, come and see." 11:35  Jesus wept. 

11:36  So the Jews were saying, "See how He loved him!" 

11:37  But some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?" 

All the miracles and all the teaching, yet to most Jesus was a teacher and maybe a prophet that had the ability to open a blind man’s eyes. They seemed to believe He could have healed him, as did his sisters.

What has this all to do with the schemes of Satan? Satan attacks the ‘church’ from the inside. When people quickly proclaim Jesus to be the Son of GOD, yet don’t really consider what they just declared, this pleases Satan. All the false teachers are his servants. Many teach that Jesus never really declared that He was the Son of GOD or equal to GOD. They trample on His name when they deny His eternal deity and oneness with the Father.

Hebrews 10:29  How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 10:30  For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE." 10:31  It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 

More next Saturday.

Schemes of Satan-12

Why is the ‘church’ silent on the evil in our day and how Satan is deceiving the world? We need to know our High Priest and King and also our enemies. Too many are truly ignorant of his schemes but also ignorant about his evil nature. More on the nature of Satan at some future time. We are now entering Jesus’ last days before His crucifixion. This account of Lazarus is very revealing or should be.

John 11:1  Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 11:2  It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 11:3  So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." 

Clearly, this family knew Jesus well. John even reveals a level of intimacy that suggests a very special relationship. Also, Mary and Martha knew where to find Jesus!

11:4  But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it." 11:5  Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 

Two things stand out! First, some sickness and all of His miracles are for the glory of God. Now they also relieve much pain and suffering, but that needs to be secondary to God’s glory. Second, once again we read of Jesus loving this family. No other family received this type of recognition.

11:6  So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. 

How merciful and compassionate is this? He stayed for another two days and then had to walk to Bethany! Was He not concerned about the suffering Mary and Martha were experiencing as their dear brother died?

11:7  Then after this He *said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." 11:8  The disciples *said to Him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?" 

Just a few verses earlier, the ‘Jews’ picked up stones to stone Jesus! The disciples were very aware to the danger to Jesus and to themselves. They did not realize that Jesus was totally in charge of His life and theirs.

11:9  Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 11:10  "But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." 

Jesus, as the the light of the world, was referring to Himself. He was emphasizing the importance of His remaining few days with them. Being in the dark is never a good thing. You can get lost, stumble and fall, run into dangerous animals or people or fall into a trap.

11:11  This He said, and after that He *said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep." 11:12  The disciples then said to Him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover." 11:13  Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. 11:14  So Jesus then said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 11:15  and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him." 

Jesus knew exactly when Lazarus died. He also knew that this soon coming miracle was needed by many, including His disciples. Jesus had raised people from the dead before, but His disciples still couldn’t quite understand what all of His miracles and teachings actually meant!

11:16  Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, so that we may die with Him." 

Thomas, as with all of the disciples, had an unrealistic view of their own faith. They easily said they would not desert Jesus, even if it meant their own death. But, what did they eventually in the garden, at His trial, at His death, and after His death. They fled and hid in fear!

In that way we may also suffer from the same false assumptions of our own faith. Many of us are actually more like these disciples and ,therefore, unprepared for perceution from the forces and schemes of Satan.

More next Saturday!