LCOG Articles - Jesus Christ of the Bible

Isa 57:15 For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

God the Father is all powerful, all knowing, all ruling.

Jer 23:24 Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the LORD; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the LORD.

Rev 19:6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!

God the Father is the one, and only, true God.

Joh 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Jer 10:10 But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.

God the Father is the true saviour. [His plan for mankind includes the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.] Accepting Jesus Christ’s sacrifice is the only way to eternal life. This is part of God’s overall plan.

Isa 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD, And besides Me there is no savior.

This verse proves that God the Father is the only overall saviour.

1Jn 4:9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

We have a separate article on this site called God the Father Revealed about God the Father which explains His complete love of His creation, which includes mankind. The majority of His human creation has always rejected His way of life, so God; in His great love, and mercy, has worked out a plan so humans may repent, and be given eternal life. This plan required a sinless being to die for the sins of mankind. It is up to each individual, whether they want to be born into the kingdom of God, and live in happiness forever. Jesus Christ was the individual, who offered to lay down His life so that we may have life.

God the Father is unlimited in all things; we should not limit Him in any way.

Psa 78:41 Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel.

CHAPTER 2

THE BIRTH OF CHRIST

We had been taught in the Philadelphian era; that Jesus Christ has lived forever with God the Father. God let us believe that for that era, but new knowledge on the subject makes it look ridiculous. How would you like to have a twin for many years and all of a sudden that twin says he is now your father? The truth of Jesus Christ has been well hidden in the scriptures.

‘Beginning’ meant ‘forever’ in the Philadelphia era. It actually means beginning, or commencement. Christ is from the beginning, not from eternity. Christ is the Son of God; that is why He has eternal life: that is why He is God.

1Jn 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life;

1Jn 1:2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us;

The ‘beginning’ was the time of the original creation.

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Jesus Christ is not a created angel. Angels are created.

Heb 1:4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Heb 1:5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son”?

JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD FROM THE BEGINNING.

Notice what these scriptures are really saying. His Son made the worlds.

Heb 1:2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

Christ was the Son of God well before His physical birth of Mary.

Pro 30:4 Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, If you know?

Christ is the Son of God the Father, therefore He is a God: not an angel. [Christ is called an angel in some verses. The word means angel or messenger, and is also used for human church leaders.]

Heb 1:7 And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.”

Heb 1:8 But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom.

‘Everlasting’ in the next two verses means ‘from the beginning.’

Mic 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”

Pro 8:22 “The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old.

Pro 8:23 I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.

Just as a human birth brings a new life into existence: so a spiritual birth does also. Jesus Christ did not exist before He was born of God the Father. He is God, because He is the Son of God the Father, but He is not called a true God, because He has not existed eternally.

There is only one true God and that is God the Father, refer to Chapter 1 for proof within the words of God. There is no explanation at this stage of how the birth occurred, but there are plenty of accounts that it did occur.

Jesus Christ chose good over evil.

Heb 1:9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”

Jesus Christ knew from the beginning that He would have to die for the sins of mankind. He voluntarily laid down His life for mankind.

Rev 13:8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

CHAPTER 3

BEFORE PHYSICAL BIRTH

Jesus Christ has been busy, as a spiritual Son, before His physical birth.

God the Father used Christ to do the creating of the physical universe.

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Joh 1:2 He was in the beginning with God.

Joh 1:3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

God the Father created all things, by Jesus Christ. [Excluding Adam and Eve.]

Heb 1:2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

God the Father created Adam and Eve.

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Daniel 10 is talking about Jesus Christ. Look at the comparison of the two accounts.

Dan 10:5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz!

Dan 10:6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.

Rev 1:13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.

Rev 1:14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;

Rev 1:15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;

Jesus Christ had not yet qualified to be over all things at this stage. Michael, the Archangel had to help out. The Prince of Persia was more powerful than Christ. This may seem astounding to the reader, but none the less, the Bible states this very fact.

Dan 10:13 “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

God used Christ to set up, and bring down the ancient kingdoms. [With the help of Michael, when required.]

Dan 10:21 “But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.

Dan 11:1 “Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.)

God the Father sets up, and brings down kingdoms. Christ was the one who did this for the Father.

Dan 4:17 ‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.’

Christ was on Mt. Sinai when God the Father gave the Ten Commandments. The elders had a meal with Christ.

Exo 24:10 and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.

Exo 24:11 But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.

Christ can be looked upon: God the Father’s face cannot.

Exo 33:19 Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

Exo 33:20 But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”

Exo 33:21 And the LORD said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.

Exo 33:22 “So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.

Exo 33:23 “Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

At the creation, the Morning Stars sang for joy.

Job 38:4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.

Job 38:5 Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?

Job 38:6 To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone,

Job 38:7 When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Jesus Christ is a Morning Star.

Rev 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

Lucifer means Morning Star, and should have been translated as such. Morning Star, son of the Morning. Lucifer is the son of Jesus Christ, then Lucifer turned evil.

Isa 14:12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!

Jesus Christ was the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. There is no way to salvation, but by Christ.

Gen 3:22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”;

Rev 22:14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

Act 4:10 “let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.

Act 4:11 “This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’

Act 4:12 “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Jesus Christ is the bright and Morning Star: He is the only one born of the Father, and the first born of all creation.

Col 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Joh 1:14 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.

Joh 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.

‘Children’ in verse 6 can mean ‘close descendants.’ The following is about the evil sons of God.

Psa 82:1 God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods.

Psa 82:2 How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked? Selah

Psa 82:3 Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy.

Psa 82:4 Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked.

Psa 82:5 They do not know, nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are unstable.

Psa 82:6 I said, “You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High.

Psa 82:7 But you shall die like men, And fall like one of the princes.”

Psa 82:8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; For You shall inherit all nations.

There are evil Gods, as well as evil angels.

Jer 10:11 Thus you shall say to them: “The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens.”

2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

Jesus Christ is the only born of the Father; He chose righteousness, and willingly offered Himself to be born as a human being, and suffer a terrible death to pay for the sins of mankind. God the Father is extremely proud of His righteous Son.

2Pe 1:17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

CHAPTER 4

THE PHYSICAL BIRTH OF CHRIST

Before Christ was born of Mary He was already the Son of God.

He was the first born of all creation.

Col 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Christ was born before anything, or anybody else was.

As stated above He was the Son of God.

He has not always existed. He was born at a point of time called the beginning.

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Joh 1:2 He was in the beginning with God.

Joh 1:3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

Joh 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

So now we see that at a point of time called the beginning Christ was born the Son of God, and this time called the beginning was before anything else was born. Christ was the Son of God.

Now He was to become human and be born of a woman.

Php 2:6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,

Php 2:7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

Php 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Christ had glory with the Father before His human birth.

Joh 17:5 “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Mary became pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

Mat 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

Christ was born into the seed of David.

Rom 1:3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,

Our human spirit is our blue print, our character, our personality, our very nature, so this is possibly what happened with Christ. His spirit, His blue print was put into Mary by the Holy Spirit.

Luk 1:35 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.

A human is begotten when the seed of man comes in contact with the ova, or egg of a woman. This begets a physical being. A human receives eternal life when he, or she, is begotten of God. When a human receives eternal life, in the form of God’s Spirit; that human can still sin; which requires repentance, or he can blaspheme the Holy Spirit, which cannot be forgiven. The Holy Spirit of God is given in two stages, the first is the earnest of the Spirit, usually given at baptism, and the second is the Spirit of power, which God gives when we believe, accept, love and obey the knowledge of eternal life.

Christ was begotten by God’s seed uniting with Mary’s ova. This means that Christ was born a human with the seed of eternal life. Christ could have sinned, but He chose not to.

Soon after Mary became pregnant she visited Elizabeth.

Luk 1:41 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.

Luk 1:42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

Luk 1:43 “But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

Luk 1:44 “For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

Luk 1:45 “Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

Luk 1:46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,

Luk 1:47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

Luk 1:48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

Luk 1:49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.

Christ grew.

Luk 2:40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

By the age of 12 He was amazing the people with His knowledge.

Luk 2:46 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.

Luk 2:47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.

Luk 2:48 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.”

Luk 2:49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

Luk 2:50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

Luk 2:51 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.

Luk 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Jesus was baptised at about 30 years.

Luk 3:21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.

Luk 3:22 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.”

Luk 3:23 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,

In His physical family He had brothers and sisters.

Mat 13:55 “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?

Mat 13:56 “And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?”

It would appear that Christ was a carpenter; the above verse says He was the carpenter’s Son, but the following verse suggests that He Himself was a carpenter.

Mar 6:3 “Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” And they were offended at Him.

He had His own home other than that shared with His family. More than likely He did this for a few reasons, He spent a great deal of His time in Galilee, and His brothers, did not believe in His ways.

Mar 2:1 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.

Mar 2:15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.

Joh 7:5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

Later on, Jesus may not have had a house.

Mat 8:20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

It is interesting to note that the original Joseph who was married to Mary at the time of Christ’s birth, probably died when Christ was quite young. The last mention of him is when the family went to Jerusalem for the Passover.

Luk 2:43 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;

A close examination of the scriptures shows that there was possibly a second Joseph married to Mary, so we can only assume that the first Joseph died, some time after Christ was 12 years old and that Mary married again to a man called Joseph.

Notice that both of them came from David but one was from Solomon and the other from Nathan. The reader can refer to the scriptures in Luke 3 and Matthew 1 for the compete genealogy.

The following Joseph is from the line of Nathan and was the original Joseph, notice also that Luke says this Joseph was supposed to be the father of Jesus. This denotes that he was married to Mary at the time of Christ’s birth.

Luk 3:23 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,

Luk 3:24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph,

Luk 3:25 the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,

Notice this was from the line of Nathan.

Luk 3:31 the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

The following Joseph is from the line of Solomon and was the second Joseph. There is no mention of the second Joseph being the father of Christ only that he was the husband of Mary.

Notice that this is the line of Solomon.

Mat 1:6 and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.

Mat 1:16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

CHAPTER 5

SINS OF MANKIND…PAID

It is common knowledge that Christ died for the sins of mankind, but we need to know why His death covered these sins. Sin is the transgression of God’s law: the Ten Commandments.

1Jn 3:4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

The wages of sin is eternal death.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let’s use these scriptures to think about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Sinning brings eternal death, and every human has sinned.

Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned;

Jesus Christ was tempted to sin, just as we are, but He did not sin.

Heb 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus Christ is the co-creator with the Father, and therefore has supremacy over His creation. Because of this, His life is worth more than His creation.

Heb 3:1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,

Heb 3:2 who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.

Heb 3:3 For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house.

Heb 3:4 For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.

Heb 3:5 And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward,

Heb 3:6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

God the Father has exalted Jesus above every being.

Php 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Php 2:9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

Php 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

Consider the love showed by God the Father, and Jesus Christ. The following scripture should make every human tremble to their very core. God the Father is the absolute pinnacle of the universe. What He says is what will happen.

Joh 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.

CHAPTER 6

THE BETRAYAL OF CHRIST

The following chapters will show just how much Christ suffered for humanity.

The account of the betrayal of Christ seems to be full of inconsistencies, but this is not possible as there are no lies in the Bible. A close examination of the relevant scriptures will reveal some astounding surprises.

Judas Iscariot is one of the twelve.

Mat 26:14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests

Judas Iscariot betrayed Christ, as many verses show.

Mat 10:4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

Mat 26:14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests

Mat 26:15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.

Mat 26:16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

Joh 13:2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him,

Joh 13:21 When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”

Joh 13:25 Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?”

Joh 13:26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.

Joh 13:27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”

Notice the following verse; Jesus knew that Judas Iscariot would betray Him.

Joh 13:11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”

Judas Iscariot: one of the twelve Apostles, betrayed Christ, and Christ knew it was going to happen.

Judas Iscariot was a thief. Jesus Christ knew this.

Joh 12:4 Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said,

Joh 12:5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”

Joh 12:6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

Be prepared for some astounding knowledge. God the Father had not given the true meaning of Psalm 41 to Jesus Christ. I have to repeat that statement: God the Father had not given the true meaning of Psalm 41 to Jesus Christ.

The scriptures show clearly that Christ knew that Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him. Christ applied Psalm 41 to Judas Iscariot; but consider carefully: Christ never trusted Iscariot, because Iscariot was a thief, and Iscariot was a betrayer. Christ applied Psalm 41 v 9 to Judas Iscariot: The true meaning applies to a familiar friend.

Psa 41:9 Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.

Joh 13:18 “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’

The big question is: Who is the familiar friend? The quoted verses above show that the betrayer that Christ knew about is called ‘Judas Iscariot’, or ‘Judas; one of the twelve’, or ‘one of the twelve’. The familiar friend is a different betrayer.

Jesus knew that He was about to be betrayed, all the scriptures show that He was expecting Judas Iscariot.

Mat 26:45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Judas Iscariot came with a great multitude.

Mat 26:47 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.

Verse 48 is not talking about Iscariot: look at the reaction of Christ in verse 50.

Mat 26:48 Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.”

Mat 26:49 Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

Jesus said; ‘Friend, why are you here’ He was expecting Judas Iscariot, He was not expecting a friend [clansman or comrade.] {Read Psalm 41 again; it quotes a friend.}

Mat 26:50 But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.

Mark’s version is similar; verse 43 is about Judas Iscariot.

Mar 14:43 And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

Verse 44 is about the other betrayer.

Mar 14:44 Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely.”

Mar 14:45 As soon as He had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, “Rabbi, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

Mar 14:46 Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.

Luke’s account is about Iscariot: Notice that Jesus knew that Judas was there to betray Him. Christ did not know why the other betrayer kissed Him [Mat. 26 v 50.] Judas Iscariot went before the multitude. Judas Iscariot drew near to kiss Jesus, but Christ spoke to Iscariot and he may not have actually kissed Christ.

Luk 22:47 And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.

Luk 22:48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

Notice there are two men called Judas; one went before the mob, and the other went with the mob. In verse 5: Judas who also betrayed Him stood with them. [The word ‘also’ infers that there were two betrayers.]

Joh 18:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered.

Joh 18:2 And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples.

Joh 18:3 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.

Joh 18:4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”

Joh 18:5 They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them.

Joh 18:6 Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

SO FAR.

One Judas went before a multitude; this was Judas Iscariot. He was to betray Christ with a kiss, but was probably stopped from doing so. Christ knew He was being betrayed.

One Judas went with a different multitude, and betrayed Christ with a kiss. Christ asked this Judas, why have you come? He did not know that this Judas was betraying Him. When this Judas kissed Christ, the multitude came and took Him. This Judas was a friend [clansman] of Christ.

The betrayer’s fate.

It was not Judas Iscariot who hung himself; it was the other Judas, the other betrayer. The Judas quoted below hung himself. The other Judas did not want Christ to be killed, he only wanted Him to be put in prison or some such fete, when he realised what was happening to Christ he repented and tried to undo what had been done.

Mat 27:3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

Mat 27:4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”

Mat 27:5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Mat 27:6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.”

Mat 27:7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.

Mat 27:8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.

Judas Iscariot, identified below, fell headlong into his field called Akel Dama, the field of blood and died. He did not return the 30 pieces of silver, he bought a field with the money. This field called Akel Dama was different to the one which the chief priests bought, the field they bought was called the potter’s field.

Act 1:16 “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus;

Act 1:17 “for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.”

Act 1:18 (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out.

Act 1:19 And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.)

Judas Iscariot did not repent.

There is no account of the following verses in the book of Jeremiah; this is because Jeremiah spoke the words; the words are not necessarily printed. The potter’s field was bought with the money given to Judas [not Iscariot.]

Mat 27:9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced,

Mat 27:10 “and gave them for the potter’s field, as the LORD directed me.”

Judas Iscariot fell that he might go to his own place. Judas Iscariot was a devil, and as such went to Hades on his physical death.

Joh 6:70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?”

Act 1:25 “to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.”

Let’s look at the scripture that Jesus had ascribed to Judas Iscariot. It is obvious that the betrayer, other than Iscariot, was Jesus’ own brother.

Psa 41:9 Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.

Mat 13:55 “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?

Jesus Christ knew that Judas Iscariot would betray Him; He did not know that His own brother would also betray Him. This would explain why Christ waited till He was crucified to arrange for His mother, Mary, to live with John.

Joh 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!”

Joh 19:27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

According to scripture, Jesus’ brothers did not believe Him.

Joh 7:5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

Judas was the brother that Jesus obviously trusted.

Psa 41:9 Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.

What a shock for Christ, a brother He trusted betrayed Him, and then hung himself. That is why Christ did not arrange for His mother to live with John before His betrayal; there was no need to, since He assumed Judas was there to look after her.

The question arises; why did God the Father let Jesus be surprised by His brothers’ betrayal? Christ had to be tempted in all points.

Heb 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Heb 5:8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

What absolute breathtaking knowledge; Christ learned obedience by suffering. Once again as we learn more about Christ and God the Father, we realise that Christ suffered more than we ever believed, and He did it for us weak gutted human beings.

Falling backwards.

Joh 18:4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”

Joh 18:5 They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them.

The band of men fell backwards. This seems to be a fulfilment of Psalm 40 v 14. The words ‘I am’ refer to Jesus telling them that He was God; this is most likely why they fell backwards.

Joh 18:6 Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

Psa 40:14 Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion Who seek to destroy my life; Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor Who wish me evil.

Jesus was concerned for His disciples.

Joh 18:7 Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

Joh 18:8 Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,”

Joh 18:9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”

It may seem incredulous that Christ did not know the ultimate meaning of the prophecy, which pointed to Christ’s brother: but Christ did not know that God was going to forsake Him for a time on the cross; and Christ does not know the time of His return to this earth.

CHAPTER 7

GET BEHIND ME SATAN

Christ had just told Peter that God the Father had revealed who He, [Christ] was. This was a tremendous uplifting thing to happen to Peter.

Mat 16:16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Mat 16:17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

In the same chapter, Christ calls Peter Satan.

Mat 16:22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”

Mat 16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Also mentioned in Mark.

Mar 8:32 He spoke this word openly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.

Mar 8:33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Satan knew that Peter would be in charge, after Christ’s death; so he [Satan] tried to get him, and sift him like wheat. ‘Sift’ means to treat like a sieve, so the meaning of ‘sift’ is probably ‘completely confuse’. There is a teaching of massive importance in verse 32.

Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.

In the following verse: Christ prayed for Peter’s faith: He did not pray to keep Satan away from Peter. Notice that even though the disciples had been baptised, and received the earnest of the Spirit, they were not yet converted. In this verse: Christ also put Peter in charge.

Luk 22:32 “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

There is a massive lesson for every person who wants to obey God. We must resist Satan.

Jas 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Satan is the prince of the power of the air, he sends out anti Christ messages into people’s minds.

Eph 2:2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

Let’s look at the scripture, once again, where Christ calls Peter: Satan. The words of Peter are absolutely Satanic. Just imagine if Christ had not been crucified, and put to death. Peter thought he was doing the right thing by Christ, but he was actually trying to stop Jesus Christ from being the saviour of mankind.

There would be no saviour for mankind.

Mat 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

Mat 16:22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”

Remember that the disciples were quite happy to lop off ears with the swords. Peter was the decision maker: just suppose he got a group together to stop the crucifixion. The following words from Christ; made sure that Peter would not intervene.

Mat 16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Christ snapped at Peter to make the point clear. This was, pretty well, His last words to Peter before His cruel death. Imagine if Peter had tried to stop the crucifixion, and succeeded.

Satan knew that Christ had to die for mankind, so he tried to use Peter to stop the crucifixion. Satan was quite happy to have Iscariot betray Christ. Satan entered into Iscariot to make sure of the betrayal.

Imagine the dilemma that God the Father had regarding the crucifixion of Christ. God had to make sure that those who loved Christ, but did not understand God’s plan, did not stop His cruel death; and God had to make sure that those who hated Christ did not stop Him becoming saviour of the world. The Pharisees and chief Priests were so full of jealousy, and hate; that they never realised that they were helping to fulfil God’s plan regarding the crucifixion.

When Peter received the Holy Spirit of life on the day of Pentecost; he spoke clearly, and bluntly: he strengthened the brethren with his boldness, and proper conversion. His faith kept Satan at bay. Christ actually preferred John to Peter, as a friend, but Peter was the best man for the job of being in charge of the church at that time.

CHAPTER 8

THE NAKED RUNNER

There is a remarkable lesson to be learned from the young man who ran naked from the angry crowd who captured Christ.

The young man was clothed in linen.

Mar 14:51 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him,

Mar 14:52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

Linen is a sign of righteousness.

Rev 19:8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

The young man who fled is, almost certainly, the young man mentioned as wanting eternal life.

Mat 19:16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

Mat 19:17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Mat 19:18 He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’

Mat 19:19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

Jesus quoted the five commandments that show love to mankind; He wrapped up this statement with [you shall love your neighbour as yourself.]

Christ then changed the direction. It’s easy to appear good, and even do good, when the cost of it comes out of your excess money. Christ was actually testing the young man to see if he would keep the other unquoted commandments.

Mat 19:20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”

Mat 19:21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

Mat 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

This young man put money before God, and thus was covetous: therefore he broke the commandments that show love to God. Very few people on this earth will put God before money.

Mat 19:23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 19:24 “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Mat 19:25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

Mat 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

The Apostles of Christ had put God first.

Mat 19:27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

Mat 19:28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Mat 19:29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.

During the time of the betrayal of Christ; this young man appeared to be righteous, and looked righteous; but he had not put God first, and was found wanting when a serious test of his conversion came.

This young man is a type of the Laodicean church. He appeared righteous with his linen clothes, but ran naked when tested. Read verse 17 below carefully.

Rev 3:14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:

Rev 3:15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.

Rev 3:16 “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

Rev 3:17 “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’; and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked;

Rev 3:18 “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

Rev 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.

Rev 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Rev 3:21 “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Rev 3:22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Seeming to be righteous, is not good enough, we must actually be fair dinkum in our quest for eternal life. Putting money before God is a definite no no. The young man appeared righteous in his white robe, but he put money ahead of Christ. He was found wanting, when trouble came.

CHAPTER 9

THE TWO SWORDS

The two swords seem to be out of character with Jesus Christ.

Luk 22:38 So they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

Like all scripture, these scriptures need to be read carefully. The disciples had earlier obeyed Christ, and lacked nothing. Christ is now insisting that they do the opposite of verse 35. Christ is arming, at least two of the disciples.

Luk 22:35 And He said to them, “When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?” So they said, “Nothing.”

Luk 22:36 Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.

Luk 22:38 So they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

The following verse is the reason that Christ insists on the swords. The quote from Isaiah must be accomplished. Christ had turned two disciples into transgressors.

Luk 22:37 “For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For the things concerning Me have an end.”

The prophecy of Jesus Christ being numbered with the transgressors had to be fulfilled.

Isa 53:12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Look at Christ’s reaction to the ear lopping. When Simon Peter smote the ear: Jesus’ words showed that he was transgressing. Jesus had made sure that His disciples were armed, and now He tells them that it is wrong to use a sword.

Mat 26:51 And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

Mat 26:52 But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

No comment from Christ.

Mar 14:47 And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

Notice that Jesus did not answer until the deed was done. Jesus then said ‘no more of this’ as one translation has it.

Luk 22:49 When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”

Luk 22:50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.

Luk 22:51 But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.

The above three accounts are seemingly discussing the same ear. Simon mutilated the ear of Malchus.

Joh 18:10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.

Joh 18:11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”

In all four accounts: not once did Jesus try and stop the ear lopping. This was because Jesus had to have transgressors with Him, so He could be numbered with them.

Three times Christ was numbered with Peter who had transgressed by smiting with the sword.

Mat 26:69 Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”

Mat 26:70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”

Mat 26:71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

Mat 26:72 But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”

Mat 26:73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”

Mat 26:74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed.

The numbering with the transgressors was now fulfilled. Christ also fulfilled the last prophecy of Is. 53 v 12.

Christ makes intercession for the disciples who had been transgressors.

Joh 18:8 Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,”

Joh 18:9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”

It seems strange that Christ would encourage His disciples to be transgressors [wicked or lawless] but they were not yet converted, and scripture had to be fulfilled. Christ had to be numbered with transgressors, but He also emphasised that transgressing was not the correct way to live. Christ had earlier sent the disciples to the lost sheep of Israel with no armaments, or money. They lacked nothing.

Mat 10:6 “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Mat 10:7 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

Mat 10:8 “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Mat 10:9 “Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts,

Mat 10:10 “nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.

Christ was showing the disciples the incorrect way to live, by arming them.

Mat 26:52 But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

Mark used the two thieves to fulfil prophecy; this was part fulfilment, as Christ did not make intercession for the crooks, and Christ said that the two swords were required to fulfil prophecy.

Mar 15:27 With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left.

Mar 15:28 So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.”

Luk 22:36 Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.

Luk 22:37 “For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For the things concerning Me have an end.”

Luk 22:38 So they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

By allowing the disciples to be transgressors, Christ was letting them compare the two different ways of life, and He showed them that the best way to live is not to live by the sword.

CHAPTER 10

JUDAS ISCARIOT

There has been a lot of talk about how unfair it is for Judas Iscariot to be called to failure, without a chance for redemption.

Mar 14:21 “The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.”

Joh 17:12 “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

Judas Iscariot was, and is, a devil.

Joh 6:70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?”

Joh 6:71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

Judas Iscariot is the son of perdition, which means son of destruction.

The son of perdition arises in the end time.

2Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

Judas Iscariot had a physical father, but is of the ‘evil one’ as was Cain. This is how devils are manifested as humans. When ‘children of the devil’ die; they go to hell, where they are still conscious. Iscariot is alive, and well in hell; waiting to come up as ‘the man of sin.’

Judas Iscariot has already blasphemed the Holy Spirit, in his state as a son of God, so he was condemned before he was born to Simon. Iscariot was not called to failure, he had already failed, and will be punished accordingly. God used him to betray Jesus Christ, and made sure he physically died shortly after.

Act 1:16 “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus;

Act 1:17 “for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.”

Act 1:18 (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out.

Iscariot went to his own place which is hell.

Act 1:25 “to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.”

God the Father always remains in charge, and uses whom He will to get His plans carried out.

CHAPTER 11

THE CRUCIFIXION

In the 24 hours leading up to the death of Christ, many events occurred, Christ was arrested, taken before Annas, then He was tried before Caiaphas, He was beaten and taken before the Council, Christ was then taken to Pilate in the Praetorium……now let’s take up the story……

Christ was crucified twice, first at the 3^rd hour or 9 am and secondly before the 9^th hour or 3 pm. Christ died at approximately 3 pm or the 9^th hour.

So we will look at the events of each one.

Christ appeared before Annas first.

Then His trial before Caiaphas.

Then when it was day He appeared before the council {aka the Sanhedrin.}

Then to the Hall of Judgement before Pilate.

The scripture cannot be broken, there must be an explanation for this.

The following article unravels the mystery of Christ’s crucifixion.

When Christ was arrested He was taken to Annas first.

Joh 18:12 Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him.

Joh 18:13 And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year.

Jesus was asked some questions on His teachings, hit and sent to Caiaphas.

Joh 18:19 The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.

Joh 18:20 Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing.

Joh 18:21 “Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.”

Joh 18:22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”

Joh 18:23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”

Joh 18:24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

The following is a very important scripture as it gives the correct day for keeping the Passover. It should be kept on the night of the 14^th the start of the 15^th, which the Jews were going to do, the night of Christ’s death.

Joh 18:28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.

This was possibly about 7.30 am when He appeared before Pilate.

At this time Judas the brother of Christ, saw what was going to happen to Christ {we do not believe that Judas thought they would kill Christ but that maybe they would put Him in prison} and Judas had remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. He then went out and hung himself.

Mat 27:3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

Mat 27:4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”

Mat 27:5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Then the chief priests took the silver and bought the potter’s field.

Mat 27:6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.”

Mat 27:7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.

Mat 27:8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.

This is the first time that Jesus is confronted by Pilate and notice that He utters but a few words to Pilate.

Mat 27:11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” So Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.”

Mat 27:12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.

Mat 27:13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?”

Mat 27:14 But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

Then there was a murderer called Barabbas, note carefully that he was a murderer.

Mar 15:6 Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.

Mar 15:7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.

Pilate then released the murderer Barabbas and sent Jesus to be scourged and crucified.

Mar 15:15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.

During this scourging Christ suffered unspeakable injuries and was horribly mutilated.

Mar 15:16 Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison.

Mar 15:17 And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head,

Mar 15:18 and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

Mar 15:19 Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.

Mar 15:20 And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

Now for the first crucifixion.

The cross of Christ was carried by Simon of Cyrene.

Luk 23:26 Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.

Luk 23:27 And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him.

Luk 23:28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

Luk 23:29 “For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’

Luk 23:30 “Then they will begin ‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’

Luk 23:31 “For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?”

Luk 23:32 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death.

Notice the place where Jesus was crucified the first time was at Calvary. This place may not have been near a road, as people passing by are not mentioned.

Luk 23:33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.

These people were present at the first crucifixion: rulers and people watching.

Luk 23:35 And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.”

There were two malefactors crucified with Christ at the first crucifixion and one of these repented.

Luk 23:39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

Luk 23:40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?

Luk 23:41 “And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”

Luk 23:42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

Luk 23:43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

They also gave Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not drink it.

Mar 15:23 Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it.

At approximately 9 am Wednesday morning the Passover day 14^th Nisan, Jesus was nailed to the cross.

Mar 15:25 Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.

The four gospels give four different interpretations of what was written above the head of Jesus.

Matthew Mark and Luke give three different words because it was written in three different dialects:

Greek, Latin and Hebrew.

John has different words because they were written by Pilate.

Mat 27:37 And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Mar 15:26 And the inscription of His accusation was written above: THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Luk 23:38 And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

The words written above Jesus were as follows:

THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

THE KING OF THE JEWS.

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Possibly around 10 am Jesus was taken off the cross and returned to Pilate. Pilate desperately wanted to release Jesus and was afraid to kill Him. He had been warned by his wife, and there were many other pressures on him.

Act 3:13 “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go.

He tried to get the Jews to take care of the matter, but they would not do it.

Joh 18:31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,”

Joh 18:32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.

Pilate was overjoyed to hear Christ was a Galilean, so he then sent Him to Herod.

Luk 23:3 Then Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered him and said, “It is as you say.”

Luk 23:4 So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no fault in this Man.”

Luk 23:5 But they were the more fierce, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.”

Luk 23:6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean.

Luk 23:7 And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.

Luk 23:8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him.

Herod questioned Jesus at length and then returned Him to Pilate.

Luk 23:9 Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing.

Luk 23:10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him.

Luk 23:11 Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.

Pilate gathers the people.

Luk 23:13 Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people,

Luk 23:14 said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him;

Luk 23:15 “no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him.

Luk 23:16 “I will therefore chastise Him and release Him”

Pilate now talks to Jesus, remember earlier how Christ would not answer his questions, but now He does answer Pilate.

Joh 18:33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

Joh 18:34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”

Joh 18:35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”

Joh 18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

Joh 18:37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

Joh 18:38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.

Notice that this is a different man to the original Barabbas, the first one was a murderer, but this Barabbas was a robber.

Joh 18:39 “But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

Joh 18:40 Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

Again Jesus is flogged.

Joh 19:1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.

Joh 19:2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.

Joh 19:3 Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.

Joh 19:4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”

Joh 19:5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!”

Joh 19:6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”

Joh 19:7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”

Joh 19:8 Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid,

Pilate was afraid to be responsible for the death of Christ and he tried very hard to free Him.

Joh 19:9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.

Pilate explains that he can get Christ released.

Joh 19:10 Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”

Christ corrects him.

Joh 19:11 Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

Joh 19:12 From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”

This is the first time that Christ has been to this place called the Pavement or Gabbatha.

Joh 19:13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

Now notice very carefully the time. It is the sixth hour 12:00 midday.

Joh 19:14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”

Joh 19:15 But 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!”

Joh 19:16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away.

Now notice another very important scripture. Jesus carried His own cross, this is for those people who will not carry their own cross, and eventually suffer the second death. Notice also that He went to Golgotha. In the first crucifixion He went to Calvary.

Joh 19:17 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha,

Joh 19:18 where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.

Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross.

Joh 19:19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

In this crucifixion notice there are two robbers not malefactors.

Mar 15:27 With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left.

Neither one of these robbers repented. In the first crucifixion one of the malefactors repented.

Mar 15:32 “Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

At the second crucifixion, Pilate wrote above the head of Christ.

Joh 19:19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Also note that Pilate was present at the cross, there was no mention of him being there at the first crucifixion.

Joh 19:21 Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.” ’ ”

Joh 19:22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

Note that Golgotha was near or on a road, as people were passing by where Jesus was on the cross. Note this also that what Pilate wrote was different to what was written at the first crucifixion. In the first crucifixion there was three different things written in three languages, Hebrew, Greek and Latin. At the second crucifixion there was only one writing mentioned but written in three different languages, as above, Hebrew, Greek and Latin.

Joh 19:20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

The clothes of Jesus were divided up amongst the soldiers.

Joh 19:23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece.

Joh 19:24 They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.

The following scripture is very interesting. Jesus would never have left the welfare of His mother till this moment. He more than likely would have left His mother in the care of His brother, Judas, however the fact that Judas His own brother betrayed Him was totally unexpected by Christ. We have already shown earlier, Judas the brother of Christ, hung himself. Therefore Jesus arranged for John to care for His mother. Possibly Joseph was dead at this time.

Joh 19:25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

Joh 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!”

Joh 19:27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

Jesus died.

Mat 27:45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.

Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Mat 27:47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!”

Mat 27:48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.

Mat 27:49 The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

Mat 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

Then a soldier pierced His side.

Joh 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

Joh 19:35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.

Joh 19:36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.”

Joh 19:37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”

Now we will look at the fate of the other betrayer of Jesus, Judas Iscariot.

Judas Iscariot bought a piece of land called Aceldama with his 30 pieces of silver. He fell, landed on his head and burst apart.

Act 1:16 “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus;

Act 1:17 “for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.”

Act 1:18 (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out.

Act 1:19 And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.)

The reason for the two crucifixions is because of those people who have received the Holy Spirit of power, which is eternal life inherent and then turn away from the truth.

Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,

Heb 6:5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,

Heb 6:6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

May God grant us the wisdom to understand the truth of the two crucifixions and the strength and courage to endure to the end.

CHAPTER 12

BURIAL OF CHRIST

Jesus Christ was twice betrayed, twice crucified, and then He died on the cross. This article gives a biblical account of what happened during the time of Christ’s burial.

Christ was buried just before sundown as the holy day was about to begin.

Joh 19:41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.

Joh 19:42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.

Joh 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Joh 19:31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

The spirit of Jesus went to the Father.

Luk 23:46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.

The soul of Jesus was poured out on the cross.

Php 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

The body of Jesus was disfigured more than any man.

Isa 52:14 Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men;

On the cross; Jesus’ spirit went to the Father, His soul was poured out to death, and His physical body marred beyond recognition.

Jesus was buried by sunset, and was resurrected to life sometime Thursday morning. On Thursday morning the first day of Unleavened Bread, early in the morning He descended to hell (heart of the earth), or Hades.

Act 2:27 FOR YOU WILL NOT LEAVE MY SOUL IN HADES, NOR WILL YOU ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO SEE CORRUPTION.

The burial clothes were folded. [Jesus was three days, and three nights in Hades; there is no other time He could have been resurrected.]

Joh 20:5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in.

Joh 20:6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there,

Joh 20:7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.

Jesus then descended to the heart of the earth. He was not left in the tomb. Notice that He was in the heart of the earth three days, and three nights. He was not in the heart of the earth on the first night of His burial. Jonah was the only sign that Christ gave.

Mat 12:39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Mat 12:40 “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Joh 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Read Mat. 12 v 40 again: Jesus Christ was three twelve hour days, and three twelve hour nights in the heart of the earth, not in the tomb.

Jonah regarded the fish’s belly as hell or Sheol.

Jon 2:2 And he said: “I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction, And He answered me. “Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice.

Jon 2:3 For You cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; All Your billows and Your waves passed over me.

Jon 2:4 Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’

Jon 2:5 The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; The deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head.

Jonah was trapped at the bottom of the earth.

Jon 2:6 I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD, my God.

Christ’s physical body and soul went to hell; His original physical body dies on the cross. But His resurrected body went to hell. Acts 2 v 31 shows His soul and flesh.

Act 2:27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

Joh 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Christ’s soul was not destroyed in hell: He died once. [On the cross.]

The spirit of Jesus was with God the Father; but He regained His spirit when He was resurrected. The body of Jesus, His soul and His spirit were taken to Hades. Jesus Christ spent the first night in the tomb. He then descended to hell for three days and three nights. Thursday Friday and Saturday, days, then Thursday Friday and Saturday nights.

This needs to be read carefully: Jesus was raised up three days, and three nights after He descended to hell or Sheol. In the following verse the word “in” three days can also mean “after” three days.

Joh 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Act 2:31 “he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.

Act 2:32 “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.

Christ was in the lower parts of the earth.

Eph 4:9 (Now this, “He ascended”; what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?

Christ was resurrected. [This happened in the tomb sometime Thursday morning]. He was raised up from the dead, after three days, and three nights in Hades.

Rom 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Rom 6:9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.

Christ died once for sin, this was on the cross.

Rom 6:10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

There are several different chambers in the underground.

Pro 7:27 Her house is the way to hell, Descending to the chambers of death.

The soul [life] of Christ was in Sheol [Hades] for three days and three nights it was not destroyed.

Our human bodies consist of three different categories.

1Th 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Soul and spirit are very closely connected, but are not the same.

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Christ’s life [soul] was poured out on the cross.

Joh 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

Lev 17:14 “for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.’

Lev 17:11 ‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’

Christ died once, on the cross; He was then buried, and was made alive [resurrected] sometime in the morning, He then descended to Hades. His soul was brought up from Hades, and His body was physical. Christ was raised from the dead {Sheol or Hades} early Sunday morning after spending three days and three nights in hell.

Jesus was alive and well in hell, where He preached to the spirits, which were kept there in prison. Notice that He did this in the spirit.

1Pe 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

1Pe 3:19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,

Jesus Christ was not brought back to the tomb, He was not there when the stone was rolled back.

Mat 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

Mat 28:2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

Mat 28:3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.

Mat 28:4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

Mat 28:5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

Mat 28:6 “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

God the Father resurrected Christ back to life in the tomb. Christ descended to Hades. God the Father and Christ raised His physical body.

Joh 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Joh 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

Notice that the stone was rolled back in the morning. Christ was not raised at sunset; He was raised in the early morning, which makes His time from burial to rising up from hell; three and a half, 24 hour, days.

Mat 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

Mat 28:2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

Mat 28:6 “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Luk 24:5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?

Luk 24:6 “He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee,

Daniel 10 shows that there were more powerful beings than Christ in the universe, but Christ was given power over all, by God the Father, at His resurrection.

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

Christ preached to the disobedient spirits in prison; when He descended to hell after His resurrection. This was probably the first time that He was capable of doing so, because God the Father had given Him all power at His resurrection.

1Pe 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

1Pe 3:19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,

1Pe 3:20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

Read this carefully.

1Pe 3:22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

The original Passover backs up the three and a half days that Christ was in the heart of the earth. There are three days from the end of the 14^th Nisan [the time of Christ’s burial] to where the Red Sea begins to part. The Israelites prepared the Passover on the 14^th, and on the 15^th, they ate the Passover, while being prepared to leave Egypt. The death angel passed over at midnight, and the Israelites then left early morning.

Exo 12:29 And it came to pass at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock.

Exo 12:30 So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

Exo 12:31 Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the LORD as you have said.

The first night after the preparation was when the Israelites were ready to leave Egypt: this coincides with Christ being in the grave for the first night of His death. The Israelites then travelled for three days, and two nights, and reached the Red Sea. The red sea opened all that night, and the Israelites crossed to where the Promised Land was available. The crossing of the Red Sea coincided with the raising up from Hades of Jesus Christ. Eternal life is now available because of Christ having lived a sinless life, being put to death, and being resurrected and raised.

The events of Christ’s burial were as follows.

Christ was buried by sunset, He was resurrected sometime Thursday morning, and went to Hades. He spent three days, and three nights in Hades, and was raised up. Christ had His soul, physical body and spirit with Him in Hades, Christ had His physical body, after the Father had raised up His soul [life] from the dead {Sheol or Hades}.

The soul is the life of a person, and is connected with the blood.

Joh 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

God resurrected Christ, and three days and three nights later God the Father and Christ raised Him from the dead. This is a place, the dead are in Hades. Christ was raised from Hades or Sheol which is a place, this place has evil spirits in it, being kept in prison there awaiting judgment. They are dead spiritually.

Act 3:15 “and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.

CHAPTER 13

MARY MAGDALENE

If scripture can’t be broken, and God cannot lie; then why is Mary Magdalene such a complicated subject? The answer is amazingly simple, even though it took me six months of frustrating study to reach the simple answer.

There were many women who followed Christ from Galilee.

Mat 27:55 And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar,

Mat 27:56 among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

Mar 15:40 There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome,

Mar 15:41 who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

‘Magdalene’ is an inhabitant of Magdala. The town of Magdala is on the Sea of Galilee. Many women followed Christ from Galilee.

Each of the four gospels give a different time of going to Christ’s tomb; also different accounts of each group.

This was the first group to go to the sepulchre. We’ll call her MMA.[Mary Magdalene A} MMA was there when the stone rolled away. She saw the angel sitting on the stone, and then the angel took them into the tomb.

Mat 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

Mat 28:2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

Mat 28:6 “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

As they went to tell the disciples, Jesus met them and they held Him.

Mat 28:8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

Mat 28:9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.

MMA was the first Magdalene to see Christ after He went to the Father, and returned. She was not the first Magdalene to see Christ after He was raised back to life. ‘Rose’ in the next verse does not mean resurrected.

Mar 16:9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

Now to MMB she is also very early, possibly a minute or two after MMA. There is no record of MMB hearing the earthquake, or seeing, or hearing the angel. MMB is by herself.

Joh 20:1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

Joh 20:2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”

MMB saw two angels; there was only one for MMA.

Joh 20:11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb.

Joh 20:12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

MMB was not allowed to touch Christ because He had not yet gone to the Father.

Joh 20:16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).

Joh 20:17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”

MMA was the first to see Christ after He went to the Father.

MMB was the first to see Christ after He was raised up from Hades.

Mar 16:9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

MMC came at the rising of the sun; remember the first Magdalene had seen the stone roll back: The second Magdalene or MMB came very shortly after the angel rolled the stone away, but did not witness this event. But she was there while it was still dark, this was before sunrise.

MMC did not know that the stone had been rolled away. MMC arrived at the rising of the sun.

Mar 16:1 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.

Mar 16:2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

Mar 16:3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”

MMC told no one: The first two had gone to tell the disciples.

Mar 16:8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

MMD came at dawn, and saw two men.

Luk 24:1 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.

Luk 24:2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.

Luk 24:4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.

MMD told the disciples, and told all the rest.

Luk 24:9 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.

Luk 24:10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.

Luk 24:11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.

There were four Mary Magdalenes, or four Marys from Magdala. There were also two ‘Mary mother of James.’

There are two reasons for making these scriptures difficult to work out. They show that Christ went up to the Father early, and they test the truth of the Bible. The wave sheaf ceremony pictures Christ ascending to the Father on our behalf.

The first Mary of Magdala to visit the tomb; saw the angel descend, roll back the stone, and sit on the stone. She ran to tell the disciples, and saw Jesus, after He had ascended to heaven. She would not have been able to touch Him before He ascended.

The second Mary of Magdala was the first to see the risen Christ. She was not allowed to touch Him, because He had not ascended to the Father.

The third Mary of Magdala did not tell anyone. She and those with her were terrified and ran away.

The fourth Mary of Magdala, and those with her told the eleven disciples and told all the rest.

CHAPTER 14

AFTER THE RISING OF CHRIST

What happened after Christ was risen from Hades or Sheol?

We know that He appeared to some women, and the disciples.

Mar 16:9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

Mar 16:12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.

Mar 16:14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

After Christ was raised He spoke to the disciples for 40 days teaching them things regarding the kingdom of God.

Act 1:3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Act 1:4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;

Jesus then returned to heaven.

Act 1:9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

Act 1:10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,

Act 1:11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Before coming to earth in a physical form Jesus had glory with the Father, He was returning to that glory and much more.

Joh 17:5 “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Christ has been exalted.

Php 2:9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

Php 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

Php 2:11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Christ is king of kings and Lord of Lords.

Rev 17:14 “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

1Pe 3:22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

Christ is second in charge over everything only the Father is above Him.

1Co 15:27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted.

When Christ lived a sinless life He did what no one has ever done before. He achieved something that no man could achieve, His precious life was given firstly in the spiritual form so as He could become human, this in itself is such a loving selfless act.

Then He lived His life serving the Father, doing what the Father wanted Him to do, and lived sinlessly.

After He gave His physical life for all mankind, He was given power that He did not have previously to that time, even in His spiritual state.

This may sound absolutely unbelievable, but let’s look at what the scriptures say on this subject, and be prepared for more new knowledge about Christ. Remember knowledge of God the Father and Jesus Christ is revealed from God.

Eph 1:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

Notice the scripture in Daniel, which clearly shows Christ could not withstand the Prince of Persia on His own and had to call on Michael to help Him.

Dan 10:20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come.

Dan 10:21 “But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.

The above scripture shows clearly that Christ did not have the full power He now has.

Rev 5:12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

Notice the scripture above states that Christ was given power, among other things after He was raised.

Act 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,

Act 7:56 and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

Because Christ was physical, and has experienced life as we do, He can understand our weaknesses and our temptations, and the difficulties we face as humans and now He is in the role of High Priest and He intercedes for us.

Rom 8:34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Heb 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Notice this next scripture, this exalted position belongs to Christ alone, no one else has qualified for this position except Him.

Heb 1:13 But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?

Christ is the only one who is worthy to remove the seals of the book of Revelation and therefore it is impossible to understand the book unless Christ reveals it.

Rev 5:2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?”

Rev 5:3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.

Rev 5:4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.

Rev 5:5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”

Rev 5:6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

Rev 5:7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

Rev 5:8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Rev 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

Rev 5:10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

Rev 5:11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,

Rev 5:12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

Rev 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

Rev 5:14 Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.

One of the roles that Christ has now is that of High Priest. Remember that His sojourn on earth taught Him about the physical life and how humans are tested and tempted and how difficult it is for humans.

Heb 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Heb 5:8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

It is comforting to know that Christ understands how we feel about everything, because He was tempted in all things.

Christ is a High Priest in the priestly order of Melchizedek.

Heb 5:6 As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek”;

This above verse has caused many to ponder on its meaning. The correct meaning of the verse is that Christ is in a priestly order, He is in the order of the Melchizedek priesthood.

Just as we have the physical Levitical priesthood on earth, there is a spiritual priesthood order called the Melchizedek order.

Christ is in that order of Priests, He is the High Priest. Christ is above Melchizedek.

To help explain this a little further, there is an account in the Bible, which also talks about a priestly order.

That of Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, he belonged to the priestly order of Abijah, or Abia.

Luk 1:5 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.

Within this order of priests, each priest was given certain tasks to perform, this is one of the meanings of a priestly order.

Luk 1:8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,

Luk 1:9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

CHAPTER 15

THE CROSS OF CHRIST

This chapter should make people tremble at the phenomenal love that Jesus Christ showed for good and evil beings.

During the first crucifixion; the cross, that Jesus was to be crucified on, was carried by Simon of Cyrene.

Mat 27:32 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross.

Simon followed Christ.

Luk 23:26 Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.

This crucifixion is for those who take up their cross, and follow Christ: so they may have eternal life.

Mat 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Mar 10:21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

There is a great deal to be learned from the man who carried the cross for Christ. Simon carried the cross for the first crucifixion, and Christ carried the cross Himself for the second crucifixion.

Mat 27:32 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross.

Mar 15:25 Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.

Notice Christ carried His own cross to the second crucifixion.

Joh 19:16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away.

Joh 19:17 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha,

Jesus Christ suffered terribly, and died a cruel death, so that we may have eternal life: but we will not be in God’s Kingdom; just by accepting Christ. We have our own cross to bear.

Simon of Cyrene was a type of humans following Christ correctly. Simon followed Christ.

Luk 23:26 Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.

A person who follows Christ does not necessarily have to suffer beatings, although a lot of them do.

A person who follows Christ does not necessarily have to die for God, although we might have to. This is up to God.

If we follow Christ we must bear our own cross. The complete chapter 10 should be read and understood, as it shows that we may well be put to death, or suffer terribly. To bear our cross is to put God the Father and Christ above everything, regardless of the physical outcome. To bear our cross is to face our calling whatever that calls for us to do, for example give our lives for our calling.

Mat 10:38 “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

Luk 14:27 “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

Mat 10:37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

2Ti 3:12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

Comment

If we follow Christ; we must put Christ first. We have to run the race set before us. Christ suffered and died that we may live. It should be no surprise that we will be hated, and persecuted, but nothing must come between a Christian and God.

Simon bore Christ’s cross as an example for us to follow. The cross we bear is the cross, which Christ sets before us; He will not tempt us above our limits.

1Co 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

All mankind has sinned, and earned eternal death. The first crucifixion enabled people to follow Christ, and receive the gift of eternal life. This crucifixion enables mankind to go from eternal death to eternal life.

The second crucifixion occurred after Christ had carried His own cross to the site.

Joh 19:16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away.

Joh 19:17 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha,

Christ carried the cross for those who have had eternal life, and blasphemed it. These people will die the second death, which is death forever, because of the great love of Christ.

Mat 10:38 “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

Luk 14:27 “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

There is no darkness in God: outer darkness is the second death.

1Jn 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Mat 22:13 “Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Darkness at the second crucifixion.

Mat 27:45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.

Christ carried the cross for those among us who refuse to carry it. Such is the love of Christ, that He was crucified the second time, so those who refuse to carry it may be destroyed forever. The second crucifixion is so people who blaspheme the Holy Spirit of Power, can go from eternal life to eternal death.

All humanity have sinned, and earned eternal death. We can go from eternal death to eternal life, because Christ died for us. There is no other way to eternal life, other than following Christ.

If we have eternal life in the form of the Spirit of power {also called the Spirit of truth or life}, and we blaspheme it: eternal death will result because of Christ carrying the cross for these people.

The following verse is about eternal death, and eternal life.

Luk 16:26 ‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

CHAPTER 16

GENEALOGY OF CHRIST

There is a major difference in the genealogy of Christ; as mentioned in Matthew 1, and Luke 3. There are no mistakes in the correct translation of the Bible, so there must be something that we have not known.

In Matthew, the line comes from David through Solomon.

Mat 1:6 and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.

In Luke, the line comes through Nathan.

Luk 3:31 the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

The Solomon line produced the second Joseph who married Mary.

Mat 1:16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

The Nathan line produced the first Joseph that Mary married.

Luk 3:23 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,

The first Joseph is not mentioned as going to the marriage feast, so it seems that he was dead at this time.

Joh 2:1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.

Mary was obviously alone at the time of the crucifixion.

Joh 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!”

There is a possibility that Mary married twice, her first husband called Joseph, married her before the birth of Christ. {The Nathan line}.

The second husband of Mary was also called Joseph {the Solomon Line} and he married Mary sometime after the death of Christ. The genealogies suggest that fact.

There are 14 generations difference from Abraham to Christ between Matthew and Luke. It is quite possible that there is a lot more to learn about Christ. Whatever it is will be revealed by the Elijah to come. The following scripture has set at naught in the King James version which means despised.

Mar 9:12 Then He answered and told them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?

The mystery of God is finished at the sound of the seventh angel.

Rev 10:7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.

CHAPTER 17

THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST

Even though we do not know when Christ will return to earth, we have always thought that we would have an approximate time after a series of events. This is incorrect; even Jesus Christ does not know when He will return. The question from the disciples is: what is the sign of Christ’s coming.

Mat 24:3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

Christ seems to narrow the time down, but then He tells them that He does not know the time. Matthew and Mark seem very clear on when He returns. They are not as they seem.

Mar 13:32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Mat 24:44 “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Look at these verses.

Rev 14:1 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.

Christ has returned before the angel reaps.

Rev 14:14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.

Rev 14:15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”

Rev 14:16 So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

Christ comes on a white horse.

Rev 19:11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

Rev 19:12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.

Rev 19:13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

Rev 19:14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

Rev 19:15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Rev 19:16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Christ comes after God the Father.

Dan 7:13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.

This is John the Baptist: Not Jesus Christ.

Mal 3:1 “Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the LORD of hosts.

The Bible does not say when Christ returns; it says “WE DO NOT KNOW”. He may come and go once or twice; WE DO NOT KNOW”.

It may be that Jesus comes twice. Once when heaven opens, and once when He comes with clouds. It is not clear.

Rev 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,

Rev 1:6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Rev 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

We do not know when Christ returns.

Read this verse again. We must be ready for the return of Christ. It may be tomorrow.

Mat 24:44 “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

What a beautiful, and yet very sad at times, story. Jesus Christ is the bright, and Morning Star. He is the only born of God the Father: born in a time known as the beginning. He did the physical creating of the universe. He chose righteousness, and was much loved by His Father. Jesus Christ volunteered to be born as a human, so He could pay the penalty for the sins of mankind. He was cruelly put to death by the Roman soldiers with the church leaders egging them on, and was resurrected back to life by God the Father. Christ then descended to the heart of the earth [Hades] after His resurrection. He was then raised from the dead or Hades or Sheol. He was given power over all things, except God the Father, and He sits at the right hand of His Father. He will return. The story of Jesus Christ will go on forever.

CHAPTER 18

JESUS CHRIST SET AT NOUGHT

John the Baptist will come in the form of Elijah the prophet and restore God’s requirements. He will also tell of the suffering of Christ, and how Christ was set at nought. Set at nought means to be made nothing of, and utterly despised. The King James Version has “set at nought” in the following verse.

Jesus was utterly despised by the Romans.

Luk 23:11 Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.

Jesus was also utterly despised by the leaders of the church.

Act 4:11 “This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’

Jesus Christ was utterly despised by the Godless Romans, and He was utterly despised by the so-called religious leaders of that time.

The most righteous man ever born; was made to be nothing. He was utterly despised. He did this because of His love for mankind. He loved us before we ever loved Him, and was willing to be despised by most of mankind, so we could eventually live forever.

It almost defies belief; that Jesus Christ, who did miracles of healing, and casting out devils from people, and other acts of love: was completely set at nought by the people of that time. God the Father let this happen so Christ would suffer the perfect sacrifice. Jesus Christ has qualified to be in charge of everything forever: except, of course, God the Father.

John the Baptist will restore correct temple worship, and will tell of the suffering, and despising of Jesus Christ.

CHAPTER 19

FROM BEGINNING TO ETERNITY

A summary of Jesus Christ from beginning to eternity.

Jesus was born in the beginning, before the creation of the physical universe. He was born of God the Father. He was not created. He has not inhabited eternity. He had glory with the Father. Jesus Christ is not Melchisedec.

Jesus did the physical creating for God the Father. He was the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. He set up, and brought down kingdoms for God the Father. He did not have all power at this stage, as Michael had to help Him at times.

As a human being, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life as a human being to pay for the sins of mankind.

Jesus was twice betrayed. Firstly by Judas Iscariot, and secondly by His own brother Judas. He was twice crucified: once for humans who take up their cross and follow Him and attain eternal life. Once for humans who refuse to take up their cross and follow Him. They have blasphemed eternal life, so they may be able to die the second death.

Jesus was buried, and resurrected. He then descended into Hades for three days and three nights. God the Father raised Him from the dead [Hades] and He taught the disciples about the kingdom for forty days. He then went to heaven where He sits on a throne next to His Father. Jesus Christ [The Bright Morning Star] had glory before His ascension to heaven. After His cruel death on the cross He had glory and power.

Jesus Christ will live forever, being second in charge to God the Father over everything and every living being.