Only God could establish Feasts 1,500 years in advance
to be Divinely timed with Jesus' death, burial and resurrection.
It's a documented historical fact that Jesus died on a
Roman cross as The Passover Lamb on Passover Day around 3:00 in the afternoon; the
time the Passover lambs were being slain.
He lay buried on the Feast of Unleavened Bread
symbolizing His sinless body.
He rose on the Feast of First Fruits. Leading the way
for all who follow Him to also be resurrected to Eternal Life
1
Corinthians 15:20-21, But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the
firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by
Man also came the resurrection of the dead.
We’ve followed the chronology of the last week of
Christ. Starting with the Triumphal Entry on
Palm Sunday, to the Donkey
Ride to the Empty Tomb.
Today as we follow Jesus from His last breath on the
cross through Resurrection Day, we will see how “It is finished” is just
the beginning.
What happened when He died?
What was Jesus doing while His body lay in the tomb?
What did He do His first day out of the grave?
What we’re looking at is Truth. Highly
documented, historically accurate Truth.
The Life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is
documented with undeniable proofs above and beyond any other person in HIStory.
Not just in the Bible, but by secular historians as
well.
What we’re looking at is Truth.
Let’s go back about 1,993 years to AD 32, in Jerusalem,
on Passover.
The city is overflowing with visitors there to
celebrate Passover.
The sounds and smells of lambs are everywhere.
It’s only three o’clock in the afternoon but it’s been
dark as night for about three hours. Matt. 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44.
Jesus, and two others are hanging on Roman crosses.
Just when the little spotless Passover lambs are about
to be slain, Jesus cries out for the whole world to hear, Tetelestai, (John
19:30).
Meaning, it is finished.
Making a statement that only He understood. The debt
of sin is paid in full. There’s no more need for sacrifices. I AM your
Passover Lamb.
And then, for His Father to hear, He said, Into Thy
hands I commit My Spirit. Having said this, He breathed His last. Luke
23:46.
51 Then,
behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; (like
they ripped Jesus flesh with their whips) and the earth quaked, and the
rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened;
and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and
coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy
city and appeared to many.
54 So
when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the
earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly,
saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!” Matthew 27:51-54
The veil? What’s
that? Why’d it rip in two?
The veil in the temple was huge. Made of blue, purple
and scarlet finely twisted linen cords. Reportedly it was about 4” thick 30’
wide by 60’ high. Herod increased the original height from 45’ to 60’ (30
cubits to 40. A cubit is about 18”).
Behind the veil was the Holy of Holies, where the Ark
of the Covenant sat, and the Presence of God dwelt.
Only the high priest was permitted behind the veil
once a year (Exodus 30:10; Hebrews 9:7) to go before God and make atonement for
their sins (Leviticus 16).
The veil represented the divorce decree separating God
and man, because of sin.
Isaiah 59:1-2,
Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear
heavy, that it cannot hear. 2 But your iniquities have
separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His
face from you, so that He will not hear.
But now, the moment God’s been waiting for finally
arrives. He rips that despised divorce decree asunder.
Now, because Jesus paid it all with His own innocent
blood, He declares null and void the eviction notice written way back in the
Garden of Eden.
Now He says, come. The veil's gone, the door's open,
come as you are, no need to bring lambs, and sacrifices, the debt’s been paid,
don't be afraid, come...
Let us therefore come boldly to the
throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time
of need.” Hebrews 4:16.
Come
to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest. Matthew 11:28.
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18.
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”
And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come.
Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Rev. 22:17.
At that moment, God moved out of the temple, because
He wanted to move back in with you. He never wanted to dwell in a temple made
of stone, but one of flesh and bone.
If you are Christ’s you’re bought with a price, you’re
not your own, but a temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, honor God with, in
and through, your body. 1 Cor. 6:19-20.
God was done with the temple religious system. It was left
desolate and destroyed (AD 70) with not one stone upon another just as Jesus
prophesied. Luke 13:35, 19:43-44.
In AD 70 the Romans used olive oil to ignite the
temple, it burned so hot that it melted the gold into the cracks of the stones.
The soldiers tore up the stones to dig out gold; leaving not one stone upon
another.
Under that old religious system, the only way to the Holy
of Holies was through the veil.
Now, the only way to
the Father is through Jesus.
I AM, the Way,
the Truth, the Life, no one comes to the Father, but by Me. John 14:6.
You see, all the Old Testament Law, prophets, religious
rituals, were a shadow of better things to come.
Jesus is the substance to the shadow.
Paradise.
Okay back to our chronology.
The veil is rent, the darkness is fading, the earthquake
has settled, but what about the Creator of Life?
What’s Jesus doing?
Surely, He’s not just, dead until Resurrection Day, is
He?
No, not at all.
The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible and Jesus
told His new friend, the thief on the cross, “today, you’ll be with
Me, in Paradise.” Luke 23:43.
His body died. He didn’t.
Same as you. You’ll never die. Your body will.
Unless it’s “caught up” before then. 1 Thessalonians 4:17, 1 Cor. 15:51-52.
So, that day when Jesus died, He went to paradise, so
did His new friend.
Where’s Paradise?
Paradise is used three
times in the New Testament. The other two clearly refer to heaven. 2 Cor. 12:4,
Rev. 2:7.
So, they were in heaven?
Maybe.
Jesus told of the Rich Man and Lazarus.
This is a true story. He does not say,
the kingdom of heaven is like, or any language indicating the
story is a parable.
This is an actual True story that really happened.
Luke 16:19-31.
19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and
fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a
certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21
desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table.
Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the
beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom.
The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments
in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus
in his bosom.
24
“Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus
that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am
tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that
in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil
things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 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.’
27
“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my
father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to
them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said
to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30
And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they
will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and
the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ” Luke
16:19-31.
Lazarus died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man died and went to a terrible tormenting place called Hades. Somehow, from place to place they could see and talk to each other.
Now add to that 1 Peter 3:18-20
which states that when Jesus was put to death in the flesh He went and preached
to spirits in prison (under guard, watch, custody).
(Note from https://biblehub.com/greek/5438.htm:
In the ancient Greco-Roman world, prisons were not typically used for long-term
punishment but rather for holding individuals awaiting trial or
execution. Guards were stationed to ensure the security of prisoners.
The concept of watchfulness was also significant in Jewish and early
Christian thought, emphasizing spiritual alertness and readiness for the
coming of the Lord.).
Also add Ephesians 4:8 “When Jesus ascended
on high, He led a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men.”
Thus, many believe there was a place, Abraham’s bosom,
for the righteous dead to wait for Christ to pay for their Salvation, and then,
be led by Him to Heaven.
Now, while acknowledging there are multiple schools of
thought, and without spending an hour dissecting all of this, we agree without
a doubt that Jesus was very much alive after the death of His body.
Abraham and Lazarus and all the righteous who died
before Jesus’ death, may have been waiting for this very moment. So, they could
officially accept the preaching of the Passover Lamb and be led by Him
in a gift giving procession into their Eternal Heavenly Home, with an open door
to the Holy of Holies, the very Presence of God.
As a Christian, no matter your thoughts on those
couple verses, we are confident of this one thing, that to be absent from the
body is to be present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8.
Then, Sunday morning came, He rose from the grave, and
the world was never the same!
Hallelujah! He is risen!
Then, for the next forty days He got busy visiting
folks. We’ll just look at Resurrection Day.
Five Resurrection Day appearances
1) Mary
Magdalene, John 20:11-17.
2) Other
women, Matthew 28:9-10.
3) Two
disciples on the road to Emmaus, Luke 24:13-16.
4) Peter,
Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5.
5) Ten disciples (minus Judas and Thomas), John 20:19-24.
1) Mary
Magdalene, John 20:11-17.
Mary was early and in a hurry. She headed to the tomb
while it was still dark. She was first to notice the stone was rolled. She told
the disciples. They came and looked and left.
She stayed. Weeping. Who’s forgiven much, loves much.
Jesus looks for the saddest person in the room, sits
down beside them, hugs them, carries them to the front of the class.
Jesus gave Mary the unmatchable honor of being the
first one to see Him after His resurrection.
It just took one word. “Mary”
Of all the sermons she’d ever heard, that one word was
best of all. That one word, explained everything, made all the difference, for
eternity.
Don’t miss the message.
Mary, a woman.
Mary from Magdala, the town of harlots.
Mary, the woman, from the town of harlots, who had
been demon possessed.
Mary, the woman Jesus chose for His grand appearance,
out of the tomb.
Then, He chose Mary as the first missionary of
His resurrection.
“Go tell My brethren.”
This is the first time we hear Jesus call them, brethren.
Now that He’s paid in full the penalty of sin and death; the divorce decree
that separated them has been torn asunder. Now the family can be
reunited, so now, He calls them, brethren.
“I am ascending to My Father.” He entrusts Mary to carry His travel plans to His brethren.
This
triggers the memory of Him saying, He’s going to His Father’s house to prepare
a place for them; and then, return to receive them. John 14:1-3.
2) Other
women, Matthew 28:9-10.
Jesus chose to appear first to women.
Back then, the testimony of women wasn’t recognized in
the court of law. Yet, Jesus chooses them first to testify of the most
important event in HIStory.
Jesus doesn’t operate by the law of man, but the law
of Love.
He cares about people.
Not institutions.
3) Two
disciples on the road to Emmaus, Luke 24:13-16.
Finally, Jesus appears to a couple of disciples.
Peter, right?
Nope.
James?
Nope.
John?
Nope. Cleopas, and somebody else, maybe his wife, we
don’t know for sure.
Oh? I never would’ve guessed them.
They left town, perhaps throwing in the towel.
Jesus shows up.
They don’t recognize Him.
He asks why they’re so sad, (as if He didn’t know).
They tell Jesus about Jesus. They let Him know they’ve
given up hope. We thought He was the One to redeem us, but guess not, He’s
dead.
Jesus finds the saddest person in the room, sits by them,
hugs them, carries them...
Then, starting at Moses and all the Prophets Jesus
tells them all about Himself from the Scriptures. Luke 24:27. I pray it was
recorded so we can watch a replay when we get to heaven.
His words burned within them. He sat with them and took
bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then, their eyes were opened,
and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. Luke 24:30-32.
4) Peter,
Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5.
Finally, Jesus gets around to meeting with one of the
big guns.
Later, at the end of John, on the shores of the Galilee,
we see and hear an intimate conversation between Jesus and Peter.
But for now, the meeting with Peter isn’t recorded, at
all, just a slight mention in passing.
Perhaps Jesus told Peter to get the guys together
because, the very next meeting, Peter is together with ten of the original twelve.
Thomas is a no show, and Judas of course is gone.
5) Ten
disciples (minus Judas and Thomas), John 20:19-24.
In the evening Jesus makes His final Resurrection Day
appearance.
The ten disciples are behind locked doors, hiding, for
fear.
But Jesus knows where they’re hiding, and He comes
looking.
Just like in the beginning when God came in the cool
of the day, looking for those who were afraid, and hiding. Gen. 3:8.
He said, “Peace be with you” and showed them the scars
on His hands and side. John 20:20.
He didn’t hide His scars, He exposed them, showed
them.
When they saw the scars, they knew it was Him.
Fear and sorrow fled.
The writings of old came alive like front page news.
“He was wounded for our transgressions, He
was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of
us all.” Isaiah 53:4-6.
Jesus chose to wear, His scars, not in shame, but
honor.
Scars may identify us, but they don’t
define us.
The only manmade thing in heaven, are the scars we
gave Jesus.
He kept them as a badge of honor, of His great,
amazing, unending, Love.
We all have scars. Own them, don’t be owned by them.
Jesus said a second time, “Peace to you.” This was
more than a greeting it was an impartation.
He was driving home, the newest Truth. For the first
time since the fall of man, there could truly be peace between God and man.
Tetelestai.
Sin debt, paid in full. Death, defeated.
Without pausing He added, “As the Father has sent
Me, I also send you.”
In other words: Welcome to the family, now help Me
with chores.
His plan is not to do everything for
us—but through us.
In a way, we’re back to the beginning when He said, be
fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, Genesis 1:28.
Only this time it sounds like: “Go into all the
world and preach the gospel.” Mark 16:15.
Then, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the
Holy Spirit.” John 20:22.
He commissioned them, then equipped them with His Holy Spirit.
Speaking of the Holy Spirit, He says in Luke 24:49; Behold,
I send the Promise (Holy Spirit) of My Father upon you; but tarry in
Jerusalem until you are endued (clothed) with Power from on high.”
Once again, He weaves us back to the
beginning.
By breathing on them and saying “Receive the
Holy Spirit” we see Him in Eden, breathing the breath of life into Adam,
and clothing him from the inside out with His Spirit. Genesis 2:7.
In the beginning God came walking in the cool of the
day asking, “Where are you?” Because He knew they were lost, separated from
Him. Gen. 3:8-9.
However now, Jesus walks in and twice says, “Peace
to you” because finally we’re united again.
Jesus is restoring what Adam lost.
Adam took what hung on the cursed tree and we all
became naked, and ashamed.
Jesus became naked and shamed and hung on the cursed
tree, so we could be clothed, and unashamed.
Then, Jesus made what seemed to be a puzzling
statement.
John 20:23, If you forgive the sins of
any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Only God can forgive sins. Period. No pope. No priest.
No people. God only. Jesus is God.
Context is king when interpreting Scripture, and this
verse must be viewed in context with the prior two verses.
In context with the prior two verses, and the original
grammatical structure, this verse is saying:
As we are sent
(21As the Father sent Me, I also send you) by the Holy
Spirit, (22Receive the Holy Spirit) we will have the honor of
leading some to repentance.
Their sins will indeed be forgiven them.
On the other hand, others will reject the Holy
Spirit’s offer (through you) to have their sins forgiven.
Their sins will indeed not be forgiven them. Their
sins will be retained.
So, when you pray with someone to receive Jesus, you
can say with authority, “Your sins have been forgiven.”
On the other hand, if a person rejects Jesus, you can
say with authority, “Your sins have not been forgiven.”
We pray for much of the former and none of the latter.
Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, You know the heart of every
reader. We pray in agreement with You that we all repent, turn to You and
accept Your Salvation, that our sins may be forgiven. And when we see You we
will hear You say, “Well done.”
We pray not only for our own salvation,
but for all those You’ve given us. We ask You to use us, and flow through us,
so of all You’ve given us, none are lost.
Thank You, Lord.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
Prayer Requests:
Call or text: 612-554-2522
Email: pray4measap@aol.com
Facebook: Church at WPV
Books: amazon.com/author/dougspurling
Watch online:
Facebook: “It is Finished” Is the
Beginning
You Tube: “It is Finished” Is the
Beginning
This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you
to sow.
Thank you for sharing.
No comments:
Post a Comment