It is interesting to note that the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven was first given to Peter and later on extended to the Church of Jesus Christ. But that does not necessary mean that Peter was the first Pope, as the Roman Catholic Church believed.
The power of "binding and loosing" given to Peter
In the Gospel according to Matthew, Pete made a great confession before Jesus: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:16, NKJV).
Jesus answered: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not revail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matt. 16:17 - 19, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. The Church of Jesus Christ is built on the divine revelation of Jesus, the Messiah (Son of the Living God), given by the Father. In other words, the Chuch is built upon the solid foundation of this revelation. And so the gates of Hades (hell) shall not prevail against the Church.
2. Notice that Jesus didn't say, "Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven." He said, "Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven." There is a difference here. If you had the keys to a hotel, you could get in the lobby, restaurants, function-rooms and other public areas, but not into any guest room. If you have the keys of the hotel, you could unlock every room in the building. That means Peter could unlock the entire heaven!
3. The keys of the Kingdom of Heaven were given, on this occasion, to Peter alone, solely for the reelation that he received. With these keys Peter had the privilege of "binding and loosing" on earth.
4. Later on, we shall see, in Matthew 18 that power of "binding and loosing" was given to the Church - the Body of Christ, to unlock the entire Kingdom of Heaven, without restriction.
5. The only pre-eminence, that Peter had, was the hornor of first opening the doors of the gospel to the world.
The power of "binding and loosing" given to the Church
Let us move on to Matthew 18:
Jesus said to His disciples: "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My namc, I am there in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:18 - 20).
When Jesus made the above statement, He was teaching His disciples how to deal with a sinning brother in the Church - (read Matthew 18:15 - 17). Therefore, in the context, the power of "binding and loosing" was given to the Church. Apparently, Jesus did no intend to give Peter any supremacy or exclusive right to regulate the discipline of His disciples. This is logical because after Peter died, the Holy Spirit will dwell in the midst of the Church congregations.
When did Jesus come into His Kingdom?
This is an interesting question. To get the answer let us go back to Matthew 16:
Jesus said to His disciples: "Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the son of Man coming in His Kingdom" (Matt. 16:28).
Mark 9:1 recorded almost the same: ".... some standing here will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power."
When I first read this verse, years ago, I wondered how Jesus could say the Church was going to be raptured before some of His disciples died. Bible Commentaries are of no help either - they give many confusing interpretations. Check it out yourself.
Let us think a little. Jesus said: "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20, 21, emphasis added).
Jesus was saying something very different from what most of us have thought. Even His closest disciples asked, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom of Israel" (Acts 1:6)?
Jesus was talking about the coming of the Holy Spirit whom God would send after Jesus had come forth from the grave and seated at the Right Hand of God the Father. When a Christian is born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God would come into his heart - Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, dwells in his heart. Remember what I shared in my previous messages that Jesus was the firsborn among many brethren, and He came into His Kingdom? Therefore, Jesus said that some of His disciples would still be alive after they have witnessed His resurrection. Jesus came into His Kingdom after His resurrection!
Never let "religious thinking" and "taking Scriptures out of context" to confuse you and put you under bondage of interpretation error. Always divide the Word of Truth righly!
Binding and loosing
Let us look at Matthew 16:19 again using the Amplified Bible:
Jesus said: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind - that is, declare to be improper and unlawful - on earth must be already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth - declare lawful - must be what is already loosed in heaven."
In other words, Jesus was asying: "I will give believers authority and power to loose things on earth that are allowed in heaven and to bind things on earth that are not allowed in heaven."
What things are not allowed in heaven? The answer is - there is no stress, no sickness or disease in heaven, nor is there poverty. And so these are the things not allowed in heaven. There is no evil, no lack of any kind. Heaven is a healthy, happy place.
And so Jesus was actually saying: "You have authority to bind evil forces upon the earth that cause sickness, disease, poverty and sin of any kind."
What things are allowed in heaven? The answere is - life, health, abundance, happiness, joy, and peace. These are the things we should loose on earth, because they are already loosed in heaven.
That is the reason why Jesus called the power of binding and loosing the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven!
Thy Kingdom has already come
When Jesus was teaching His disciples some principles of prayer, He said: "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heave, Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:9, 10, KJV).
It is important to understand that this is a prayer under the Old Covenant. It was called "The Lord's Prayer." No one was born-again during that time. Jesus asked the disciples: "Pray that the Kingdom will come." Well, it has already come. The Kingdom is with born-again believer. It is not going to come when we get to heaven, it's already here.
When the Pharisees asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said: "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21, 22).
Jesus told His disciples to pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Whose will be done? God's will be done. It is God's will that is to be done in earth as it is in heaven. We need to ask ourselves: "How is it in heaven?" There is no sickness in heaven, no disease, no poverty, no pain and no sorrow - so that is God's will for this earth. It must be His will for He told the disciples to pray that way.
We, as believers, have the God-given right and ability to bind things that are bound in heaven. We have authority to come against these things. We have delegated authority to loose on earth all things that are loosed in heaven. Whatsoever we can bind on earth is what is bound in heaven. It is something we must do.
God's blessings belong to you now
Paul said: "And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3:29, NKJV).
Therefore, the blessings of God for the children of Israel, who are obedient, are also for you if you are also obedient:
"And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God" (Deut. 28:1, 2, KJV, emphasis added).
In other words, you can't run fast enough to get away from all the blessings if you'll hearken diligently to the voice of the Lord thy God. They will come behind you and overtake you.
To find out what are the blessings let us read on:
"Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shall thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shall thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shall thou be when thou goest out. The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways" (Deut. 28:3 - 7, KJV).
People read this and say, "Yes, but that was to Israel." Yes, it was. It was to the children of Israel. But if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. You have been restored to your rightful godliness.
You need to understand that all these blessings belong to you now and not until you get to heaven. What would you do with them in heaven? There will be no demons there, no battles, no evil and no sickness. You won't need it then. You need it now!
Blessings of God are not for all
These blessings God has promised are for those who have God's Word in their mouth. These are His people - the obedient children of Israel and the born-again believers.
"It is not in heaven, that thou shouldes say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it" (Deut. 30:12 - 14, KJV, emphasis added).
Notice, the Word gets in your mouth first, then it gets unto your heart.
This is in line with what Paul said: "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved" (Romans 10:8, 9, KJV).
The blessings of God are for those who have the keys of the Kingdom of heaven!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
First-Begotten of the Dead
By rightly dividing the Word of truth we will have better understanding of the Scripture, both the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is interesting to discover that although the Bible is written by many authors, it is totally consistent and free from any error. This message concerns a facet of truth of the life and death of our Lord Jesus, prophesied in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament.
"Today I have begotten You"
The psalmist said: "Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.' He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: 'Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, You are My Son, today I have begotten You'" (Ps. 2:1 - 7, NKJV, emphasis added).
What was God talking about when He said, ".... Today I have begotten You?" Was He talking about when Jesus was born in a manger? Let us find the answer in Acts 13:
Paul, stood up in the synagogue at Antioch, said: "But God raised Him from the dead. He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galileee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings - that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: 'You are My son, today I have begotten You,' And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: 'I will give you the sure mercies of David.'" (Acts 13:30 - 34, emphasis added).
Here again, Psalm 2 is mentioned.
To know what Paul was talking about, let us go to Hebrews:
"... whom (Jesus) He (God) has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 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, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 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'" (Heb. 1:2 - 5).
The writer of Hebrews began to unfold a hidden mystery of God's redemptive plan.
"But one testified in a certain place, saying: 'What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels: You have crowned him with glory and honor, ands set him over the works of your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.' For in that He put all in subjection under him. He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone" (Heb. 2:6 - 9, emphasis added).
Notice Jesus tasted death for everyone. But, what kind of death (physical or spiritual) was Paul talking about? Let us think a little. I believe it must be spiritual death. If Paul was speaking of physical death, then no one would ever have to die physically! That means those who believe in Jesus never need to taste death! You know very well this can't be true.
Reversing the condition of spiritual death
The fact is that, because Jesus' suffering spiritual separation (from God the Father), the sinner can be redeemed from spiritual death. Never again will there have to be spiritual death. You can die spiritually if you reject Jesus as your Lord and Savior, but you don't have to. It will be an act of your will if you do. Jesus died for the sinner. He tasted death so that the sinner could be redeemed.
The sinner is not going to heaven just because Jesus died for him. He has to be born again. He is born as a child of the Devil. But Jesus has already swallowed up that punishment and man's sins are forgiven. If the sinner will repent and believe and confess Jesus as his Lord and Savior, he will be saved - spiritually made alive.
The writer of Hebrews said: "For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: 'I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.' And again: 'I will put My trust in Him.' And again: 'Here am I the children who God has given Me.' Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, ...." (Heb. 2:11 - 14, emphasis added).
"So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You" (Heb. 5:5).
As we look at the Scriptural reference concerning Jesus' dying for us spiritual, we'll have greater area of faith and understanding concerning what Jesus did to bring about our salvation - to become His brethren.
To fully appreciate what Jesus did for us, we need to know He went to hell and received punishment for our sin, and obtained eternal redemption for us.
You cannot receive eternal redemption by physical sacrifices. That is the reason why the old law would not work; why the old law would not redeem man from sin. The old law merely covered sin.
Jesus - the Firstborn among many
Paul said: "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethern" (Romans 8:29, emphasis added).
Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren. He is the first to be born from spiritual death to spiritual life. The phrase, "For whom He foreknew," means Jesus was with God the Father from the beginning.
Let us think a little here. There is a twofold meaning here. Paul was not saying that people are predestined either to be saved or not saved. He was saying that everyone who receives Jesus is born again and just as Jesus was the first to be born again. That is the meaning of , "Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren." When Jesus was raised from the dead, He was born again of the Spirit of God. There isn't going to be just one born from spiritual death of life, but many born just as He was!
That was bad news to Satan. Satan had his hands full with Jesus here on this earth. Satan was making people sick, and Jesus was healing them. Satan killed Lazarus with sickness; Jesus came along, raised him from the dead, and healed him.
On the day of Pentecost in the upper room, 120 were born again, just like Jesus. Then, before the day was over 3,000 more were born again. That was bad news for Satan: 3,120 - just like Jesus.
It is interesting to note that Jesus was called, "The only begotten Son" until the day He was raised from the dead. Then in every reference to Jesus after that, as pertaining to the time after His resurrection, He was never called, "The only begotten."
Jesus will build His Church
The Angel of the Lord said to Abraham: "By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing (offering of Isaac), and have not withheld your son, your only son - blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your discendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your discendants shall possess the gate of their enemies" (Gen. 22:16, 17, emphasis added).
Jesus said: "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18, emphasis added).
Paul said: "Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham" (Gal. 3:7, emphasis added).
The phrase, "those who are of faith" means, "Christian believers."
Putting the above three passages of Scripture together, only genuine Christians are children of Abraham. And Jesus will build His Church through the children of Abraham. And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
So, we see, Jesus will only build His Church for true Christians and He Himself will be the Head of His Church - the Body of Christ.
Paul said: "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit" (Eph. 2:19 - 22, emphasis added).
Furthermore, the true Church of Jesus Christ is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. The true Church is a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. In other words, the foundation of the true Church is grounded on the doctrines of divine revelation whether communicated by the prophets or the apostles. It is not grounded on human philosophy or tradition or on human wisdom or on human laws.
Look around you and you will find many so-called Christians, including pastors, have turned themselves away from the Word and are preaching a social or man-pleasing gospel in the churches they themselves built. These churches are going to wither and fade away, The Holy Spirit has left these churches and they don't even know it! Worse till, the Holy Spirit was never with them in the first place.
Jesus restores man
"John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 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, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father,..." (Rev. 1:4 - 6, emphasis added).
Jesus is the "Ruler over the kings" and we kings and priests in the sight of God the Father. Now let us compare what Paul said about believers as kings:
Paul said: "For if, because of one man's trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive (God's) overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness (putting them into right standing with Himself) reign as kings in life through the One, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One" (Romans 5:17, The Amplified Bible, emphasis added).
Notice that, as kings, we are restored to our rightful place - our authority is restored, because Jesus was the first begotten of the dead.
Paul also said: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'), that the blessing of abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man's covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ" (Gal. 3:13 - 16, NKJV, emphasis added).
Clearly, Paul was referring to Christ (the Seed), Who shall possess the gate of His enemies. We are heirs according to the promise, restored to our rightful godliness, with authority in this earth. We are born of the Spirit of God, quickened according to the Word of God - men under authority on earth - and we will possess the gate of our enemies.
Paul said further: "... even when we were dead in trespasse, (God) made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:5, 6).
Notice that the reason why God raised Jesus from the dead is because, as first-begotten of the dead, He wanted to raise you from spiritual death to spiritual life. As far as God is concerned, he sees you seated on the right hand of the Father, with Jesus, in authority and power!
"Today I have begotten You"
The psalmist said: "Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.' He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: 'Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, You are My Son, today I have begotten You'" (Ps. 2:1 - 7, NKJV, emphasis added).
What was God talking about when He said, ".... Today I have begotten You?" Was He talking about when Jesus was born in a manger? Let us find the answer in Acts 13:
Paul, stood up in the synagogue at Antioch, said: "But God raised Him from the dead. He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galileee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings - that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: 'You are My son, today I have begotten You,' And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: 'I will give you the sure mercies of David.'" (Acts 13:30 - 34, emphasis added).
Here again, Psalm 2 is mentioned.
To know what Paul was talking about, let us go to Hebrews:
"... whom (Jesus) He (God) has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 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, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 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'" (Heb. 1:2 - 5).
The writer of Hebrews began to unfold a hidden mystery of God's redemptive plan.
"But one testified in a certain place, saying: 'What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels: You have crowned him with glory and honor, ands set him over the works of your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.' For in that He put all in subjection under him. He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone" (Heb. 2:6 - 9, emphasis added).
Notice Jesus tasted death for everyone. But, what kind of death (physical or spiritual) was Paul talking about? Let us think a little. I believe it must be spiritual death. If Paul was speaking of physical death, then no one would ever have to die physically! That means those who believe in Jesus never need to taste death! You know very well this can't be true.
Reversing the condition of spiritual death
The fact is that, because Jesus' suffering spiritual separation (from God the Father), the sinner can be redeemed from spiritual death. Never again will there have to be spiritual death. You can die spiritually if you reject Jesus as your Lord and Savior, but you don't have to. It will be an act of your will if you do. Jesus died for the sinner. He tasted death so that the sinner could be redeemed.
The sinner is not going to heaven just because Jesus died for him. He has to be born again. He is born as a child of the Devil. But Jesus has already swallowed up that punishment and man's sins are forgiven. If the sinner will repent and believe and confess Jesus as his Lord and Savior, he will be saved - spiritually made alive.
The writer of Hebrews said: "For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: 'I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.' And again: 'I will put My trust in Him.' And again: 'Here am I the children who God has given Me.' Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, ...." (Heb. 2:11 - 14, emphasis added).
"So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You" (Heb. 5:5).
As we look at the Scriptural reference concerning Jesus' dying for us spiritual, we'll have greater area of faith and understanding concerning what Jesus did to bring about our salvation - to become His brethren.
To fully appreciate what Jesus did for us, we need to know He went to hell and received punishment for our sin, and obtained eternal redemption for us.
You cannot receive eternal redemption by physical sacrifices. That is the reason why the old law would not work; why the old law would not redeem man from sin. The old law merely covered sin.
Jesus - the Firstborn among many
Paul said: "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethern" (Romans 8:29, emphasis added).
Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren. He is the first to be born from spiritual death to spiritual life. The phrase, "For whom He foreknew," means Jesus was with God the Father from the beginning.
Let us think a little here. There is a twofold meaning here. Paul was not saying that people are predestined either to be saved or not saved. He was saying that everyone who receives Jesus is born again and just as Jesus was the first to be born again. That is the meaning of , "Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren." When Jesus was raised from the dead, He was born again of the Spirit of God. There isn't going to be just one born from spiritual death of life, but many born just as He was!
That was bad news to Satan. Satan had his hands full with Jesus here on this earth. Satan was making people sick, and Jesus was healing them. Satan killed Lazarus with sickness; Jesus came along, raised him from the dead, and healed him.
On the day of Pentecost in the upper room, 120 were born again, just like Jesus. Then, before the day was over 3,000 more were born again. That was bad news for Satan: 3,120 - just like Jesus.
It is interesting to note that Jesus was called, "The only begotten Son" until the day He was raised from the dead. Then in every reference to Jesus after that, as pertaining to the time after His resurrection, He was never called, "The only begotten."
Jesus will build His Church
The Angel of the Lord said to Abraham: "By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing (offering of Isaac), and have not withheld your son, your only son - blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your discendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your discendants shall possess the gate of their enemies" (Gen. 22:16, 17, emphasis added).
Jesus said: "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18, emphasis added).
Paul said: "Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham" (Gal. 3:7, emphasis added).
The phrase, "those who are of faith" means, "Christian believers."
Putting the above three passages of Scripture together, only genuine Christians are children of Abraham. And Jesus will build His Church through the children of Abraham. And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
So, we see, Jesus will only build His Church for true Christians and He Himself will be the Head of His Church - the Body of Christ.
Paul said: "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit" (Eph. 2:19 - 22, emphasis added).
Furthermore, the true Church of Jesus Christ is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. The true Church is a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. In other words, the foundation of the true Church is grounded on the doctrines of divine revelation whether communicated by the prophets or the apostles. It is not grounded on human philosophy or tradition or on human wisdom or on human laws.
Look around you and you will find many so-called Christians, including pastors, have turned themselves away from the Word and are preaching a social or man-pleasing gospel in the churches they themselves built. These churches are going to wither and fade away, The Holy Spirit has left these churches and they don't even know it! Worse till, the Holy Spirit was never with them in the first place.
Jesus restores man
"John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 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, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father,..." (Rev. 1:4 - 6, emphasis added).
Jesus is the "Ruler over the kings" and we kings and priests in the sight of God the Father. Now let us compare what Paul said about believers as kings:
Paul said: "For if, because of one man's trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive (God's) overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness (putting them into right standing with Himself) reign as kings in life through the One, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One" (Romans 5:17, The Amplified Bible, emphasis added).
Notice that, as kings, we are restored to our rightful place - our authority is restored, because Jesus was the first begotten of the dead.
Paul also said: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'), that the blessing of abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man's covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ" (Gal. 3:13 - 16, NKJV, emphasis added).
Clearly, Paul was referring to Christ (the Seed), Who shall possess the gate of His enemies. We are heirs according to the promise, restored to our rightful godliness, with authority in this earth. We are born of the Spirit of God, quickened according to the Word of God - men under authority on earth - and we will possess the gate of our enemies.
Paul said further: "... even when we were dead in trespasse, (God) made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:5, 6).
Notice that the reason why God raised Jesus from the dead is because, as first-begotten of the dead, He wanted to raise you from spiritual death to spiritual life. As far as God is concerned, he sees you seated on the right hand of the Father, with Jesus, in authority and power!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Old Testament Types of Jesus
A Type is a picture or a shadow of a future fulfillment. The picture can be a thing, living or non-living, or a person. When we say that someone is a type of Christ, we are saying that there are certain aspects in the person's life that portray the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, we must remember that we are only focusing on the portion of the man's life that typifies Christ. We are not proposing that every facet of the person's life is a picture of our Savior. This is logical as all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, unlike our Lord Jesus, who is both holy and without blemish.
You can find a type of Jesus in every Book in the Bible. Even beginning with Genesis, we get some previews of what God is about to do in the earth to redeem mankind from a life of destruction. Some of the greatest truths in the Bible are found in the Old Testament types. In this message we consider four Old Testament types of Christ - one in Isaiah, one in Exodus, one in Numbers and one in Genesis.
The Rod out of the stem of Jesse
"There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of the Lord, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, or decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist" (Isaiah 11:1 - 5, NKJV, emphasis added).
Jesus is called the Rod from the stem of Jesse. Why? Jesse was the father of David and Jesus come from the ancestry of David (read the Gospels of Matthew and Luke). God promised David a kingdom that would have no end (Isaiah 9:7; Luke 1:33). Jesus was called the Son of David (Matt. 21:9).
This prophecy (Striking the earth with the rod of His mouth) was fulfilled in Jesus who came to establish the Kingdom of God. Isaiah talked about God striking the earth with the Rod of His mouth. Jesus was the Word of God (John 1:1, 2) and the Word spoken out of His mouth would strike the earth.
Jesus became sin to swallow up sin
With the above in mind, let us go to Exodus, Chapter 7, and look at an Old Testament type of Jesus taking sin and doing away with it. Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh to ask him to let Israel go.
The Lord said: "When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ' Show a miracle for yourself,' then you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.'" (Exodus 7:9).
"So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the Lord commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it become a serpent" (Exodus 7:10).
Now remember, the rod is a type of Jesus. When Aaron cast down the rod before Pharaoh, it turned into a serpent, which is representative of sin or evil. God had given Pharaoh and the Devil a preview of what was about to happen in the earth. But Satan wasn't smart enough to figure it out; neither was pharaoh.
Pharaoh then called for his magicians to cast down their rods and they turned into serpents also (Exodus 7:11). But Aaron's rod swallowed up their serpents. Aaron's rod turned into a king snake, and the king snake ate up other snakes.
The serpents speaks of sin and evil. Therefore, here is a type of Jesus becoming sin. He became sin that He might swallow up sin and do away with it.
This was the beginning of the plan of God to redeem mankind. God showed it to Pharaoh, the Devil, and the world. It was a preview of what was about to take place. But they couldn't figure out what in the world was going on.
A fiery serpent - a type of Jesus
Let us go to Numbers 21. It was recorded that the Lord commanded Mose to make a fiery serpent which was a type of Jesus.
"And the people spoke against God and against Moses: 'Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.' So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, 'We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.' So Moses prayed for the people. Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.' So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived" (Numbers 21:5 - 9, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. The fiery serpent on the pole was a type of Jesus - Jesus, the Healer! Today medical doctors use the symbol of a serpent on a pole as a symbol of healing. That ought to tell us something. Jesus bore our sicknesses to bring healing to us (Matt. 8:17; Isaiah 53:4).
2. The pole is symbolic of the cross - a place of execution. The serpent on the pole is symbolic of Jesus becoming sin after the Sin Offering was made. It is also symbolic of divine judgment upon that old serpent, Satan.
3. Jesus said: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up" (John 3:12).
Jesus also said: "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself" (John 12:32).
Jesus willingly gave Himself to the cross and to death. He became the Sin Offering. Once the Sin Offering was received, God made Him (Jesus) to become sin for us. He, Who knew no sin became sin. The sinless Son of God became as a serpent that He might swallow up all evil.
4. Jesus dealt a deth blow to Satan on the cross. Divine judgment rendered Satan harmless and ineffective against the new creation that was to come by Jesus' victorious resurrection.
If you will behold what happened when the sin offering was made and the fact that Jesus became a serpent upon the pole, it will change your life. Satan, that old serpent, cannot afflict you in any manner. If you will behold what happened on the cross, you will live (eternally) also! The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has mad you free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).
5. Bronze (or brass) is symbolic of divine judgment. A brass serpent can't hurt you because it has no life. That's what Jesus came to do: "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8).
Serpent on the pole
The serpent on the pole has twofold meaning. It is what we would call: "The law of double reference." Jesus became the serpent, but the brass is symbolic of divine judgment. Divine judgment was poured out upon Jesus to destroy the power of the serpent (Satan). Since that has taken place, the serpent is powerless. Jesus destroyed his ability; his power is gone.
Paul said: "Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of the, triumphing over them in it" (Col. 2:15).
Jesus rendered Satan powerless
No one is afraid of a brass serpent because it is harmless; it can't bite anyone. Satan has been rendered powerless by the death-dealing blow of Jesus. The seed of the woman bruised his head. Divine judgment rendered that old serpent harmless and ineffective. If you behold what Jesus did, you will see that old serpent, the Devil, as a brass serpent, rendered harmless by divine judgment.
The writer of Hebrews said: "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of the flesh and blood, He Himself likwise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:14, 15, emphasis added).
The word "destroy," translated from the Greek word "katargeo," means "rendered powerless or harmless or made void." Jesus rendered powerless or made void the Devil who had the power of death. Jesus also released or delivered us from the fear of death-dealing blow of Satan. In fact Christians should not fear death. We don't have to fear the brass serpent as he has been rendered harmless and ineffective by divine judgment.
Joseph, a type of Jesus (Genesis 37 - 48)
Joseph is and Old Testament type of Jesus. Even though his own family didn't believe in him, in the end they bowed to him.
Listed below is a comparison between the life of Joseph and the life of Jesus:
1. God gave Joseph revelation of things to come, but his family didn't receive it. His brothers cast him in a well and sold him into slavery in Egypt (Gen. 37:28). Jesus came to earth saying what His Father said, but His own people cast Him out (Luke 4:24). God put our iniquities on Him:
Isaiah said: "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 53:6).
2. Joseph ascended from the bottom of a well to a place of authority because the Spirit of God was with him:
"And Pharaoh said to his servants, 'Can we find such a one as this, a man (Joseph) in whom is the Spirit of God?' Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you" (Gen. 41:38, 39).
Jesus ascended from the pit of the damned to the right hand of the Father, far above all principality and power (Eph. 1:21).
Paul said: "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ....." (Phil. 2:9).
3. Joseph bought all the land in time of famine - "Then Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh's" (Gen.47:20).
Jesus purchased all the world with His blood - "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
4. The brothers of Joseph delivered him up for evil, but God turned it for good to save all who would come to Him - "But as for you (his brothers), you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive" (Gen. 50:20).
Jesus was delivered up to death by evil men, but God used it to save all who would come to Him - "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Cor. 2:7, 8).
"For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17).
5. Joseph was punished for the things he did not do - "Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison" (Gen. 39:20).
Jesus took punishment that belonged to us - "But 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 53:5, 6).
6. Joseph became a slave that he might make Israel rich - "Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. and they took Joseph to Egypt" (Gen 37:28).
Jesus became poor so that you might be rich - "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Cor. 8:9).
7. All of Egypt bowed before Joseph. Egypt is a type of the world and sin. All sin bowed to Jesus.
You can find a type of Jesus in every Book in the Bible. Even beginning with Genesis, we get some previews of what God is about to do in the earth to redeem mankind from a life of destruction. Some of the greatest truths in the Bible are found in the Old Testament types. In this message we consider four Old Testament types of Christ - one in Isaiah, one in Exodus, one in Numbers and one in Genesis.
The Rod out of the stem of Jesse
"There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of the Lord, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, or decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist" (Isaiah 11:1 - 5, NKJV, emphasis added).
Jesus is called the Rod from the stem of Jesse. Why? Jesse was the father of David and Jesus come from the ancestry of David (read the Gospels of Matthew and Luke). God promised David a kingdom that would have no end (Isaiah 9:7; Luke 1:33). Jesus was called the Son of David (Matt. 21:9).
This prophecy (Striking the earth with the rod of His mouth) was fulfilled in Jesus who came to establish the Kingdom of God. Isaiah talked about God striking the earth with the Rod of His mouth. Jesus was the Word of God (John 1:1, 2) and the Word spoken out of His mouth would strike the earth.
Jesus became sin to swallow up sin
With the above in mind, let us go to Exodus, Chapter 7, and look at an Old Testament type of Jesus taking sin and doing away with it. Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh to ask him to let Israel go.
The Lord said: "When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ' Show a miracle for yourself,' then you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.'" (Exodus 7:9).
"So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the Lord commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it become a serpent" (Exodus 7:10).
Now remember, the rod is a type of Jesus. When Aaron cast down the rod before Pharaoh, it turned into a serpent, which is representative of sin or evil. God had given Pharaoh and the Devil a preview of what was about to happen in the earth. But Satan wasn't smart enough to figure it out; neither was pharaoh.
Pharaoh then called for his magicians to cast down their rods and they turned into serpents also (Exodus 7:11). But Aaron's rod swallowed up their serpents. Aaron's rod turned into a king snake, and the king snake ate up other snakes.
The serpents speaks of sin and evil. Therefore, here is a type of Jesus becoming sin. He became sin that He might swallow up sin and do away with it.
This was the beginning of the plan of God to redeem mankind. God showed it to Pharaoh, the Devil, and the world. It was a preview of what was about to take place. But they couldn't figure out what in the world was going on.
A fiery serpent - a type of Jesus
Let us go to Numbers 21. It was recorded that the Lord commanded Mose to make a fiery serpent which was a type of Jesus.
"And the people spoke against God and against Moses: 'Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.' So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, 'We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.' So Moses prayed for the people. Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.' So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived" (Numbers 21:5 - 9, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. The fiery serpent on the pole was a type of Jesus - Jesus, the Healer! Today medical doctors use the symbol of a serpent on a pole as a symbol of healing. That ought to tell us something. Jesus bore our sicknesses to bring healing to us (Matt. 8:17; Isaiah 53:4).
2. The pole is symbolic of the cross - a place of execution. The serpent on the pole is symbolic of Jesus becoming sin after the Sin Offering was made. It is also symbolic of divine judgment upon that old serpent, Satan.
3. Jesus said: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up" (John 3:12).
Jesus also said: "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself" (John 12:32).
Jesus willingly gave Himself to the cross and to death. He became the Sin Offering. Once the Sin Offering was received, God made Him (Jesus) to become sin for us. He, Who knew no sin became sin. The sinless Son of God became as a serpent that He might swallow up all evil.
4. Jesus dealt a deth blow to Satan on the cross. Divine judgment rendered Satan harmless and ineffective against the new creation that was to come by Jesus' victorious resurrection.
If you will behold what happened when the sin offering was made and the fact that Jesus became a serpent upon the pole, it will change your life. Satan, that old serpent, cannot afflict you in any manner. If you will behold what happened on the cross, you will live (eternally) also! The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has mad you free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).
5. Bronze (or brass) is symbolic of divine judgment. A brass serpent can't hurt you because it has no life. That's what Jesus came to do: "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8).
Serpent on the pole
The serpent on the pole has twofold meaning. It is what we would call: "The law of double reference." Jesus became the serpent, but the brass is symbolic of divine judgment. Divine judgment was poured out upon Jesus to destroy the power of the serpent (Satan). Since that has taken place, the serpent is powerless. Jesus destroyed his ability; his power is gone.
Paul said: "Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of the, triumphing over them in it" (Col. 2:15).
Jesus rendered Satan powerless
No one is afraid of a brass serpent because it is harmless; it can't bite anyone. Satan has been rendered powerless by the death-dealing blow of Jesus. The seed of the woman bruised his head. Divine judgment rendered that old serpent harmless and ineffective. If you behold what Jesus did, you will see that old serpent, the Devil, as a brass serpent, rendered harmless by divine judgment.
The writer of Hebrews said: "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of the flesh and blood, He Himself likwise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:14, 15, emphasis added).
The word "destroy," translated from the Greek word "katargeo," means "rendered powerless or harmless or made void." Jesus rendered powerless or made void the Devil who had the power of death. Jesus also released or delivered us from the fear of death-dealing blow of Satan. In fact Christians should not fear death. We don't have to fear the brass serpent as he has been rendered harmless and ineffective by divine judgment.
Joseph, a type of Jesus (Genesis 37 - 48)
Joseph is and Old Testament type of Jesus. Even though his own family didn't believe in him, in the end they bowed to him.
Listed below is a comparison between the life of Joseph and the life of Jesus:
1. God gave Joseph revelation of things to come, but his family didn't receive it. His brothers cast him in a well and sold him into slavery in Egypt (Gen. 37:28). Jesus came to earth saying what His Father said, but His own people cast Him out (Luke 4:24). God put our iniquities on Him:
Isaiah said: "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 53:6).
2. Joseph ascended from the bottom of a well to a place of authority because the Spirit of God was with him:
"And Pharaoh said to his servants, 'Can we find such a one as this, a man (Joseph) in whom is the Spirit of God?' Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you" (Gen. 41:38, 39).
Jesus ascended from the pit of the damned to the right hand of the Father, far above all principality and power (Eph. 1:21).
Paul said: "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ....." (Phil. 2:9).
3. Joseph bought all the land in time of famine - "Then Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh's" (Gen.47:20).
Jesus purchased all the world with His blood - "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
4. The brothers of Joseph delivered him up for evil, but God turned it for good to save all who would come to Him - "But as for you (his brothers), you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive" (Gen. 50:20).
Jesus was delivered up to death by evil men, but God used it to save all who would come to Him - "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Cor. 2:7, 8).
"For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17).
5. Joseph was punished for the things he did not do - "Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison" (Gen. 39:20).
Jesus took punishment that belonged to us - "But 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 53:5, 6).
6. Joseph became a slave that he might make Israel rich - "Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. and they took Joseph to Egypt" (Gen 37:28).
Jesus became poor so that you might be rich - "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Cor. 8:9).
7. All of Egypt bowed before Joseph. Egypt is a type of the world and sin. All sin bowed to Jesus.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
The Last Adam
Paul said: "And so it is written, 'The first man Adam became a living being,' The Last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man" (1 Cor. 15:45 - 49, NKJV, emphasis added).
The apostle Paul here compared the first Adam and the Last Adam. Jesus was called the Last Adam. He became a life-giving spirit. Adam was of the earth; Jesus is the Lord from heaven. Jesus, being spiritual, comes after Adam who was natural. This is a spiritual principle. Jesus was called "Last Adam" because there would be no other man after Him who would affect the destiny of the human race in the same way.
Significance and necessity of the Virgin birth
After the serpent had deceived Eve, the Lord God said to the serpent:
"Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel" (Genesis 3:14, 15, 16, emphasis added).
Notice that God was talking about the Seed of Eve (a woman). We all know that, biologically, a woman has no seed, the male carries the seed. Every person born after Adam is born in sin - a born sinner. He has the nature of his illegitimate stepfather - Satan.
Jesus had no earthly father. He was born of a woman. This is what makes the virgin birth a must - the bloodline follows the father. Medical science has found that under normal birth conditions not one droup of blood passes from the mother to the child. The mother does not furnish blood for the child. The blood is formed from the union of the child's father and mother.
The embryo formed in Mary's womb was the Word of God. Therefore, it produced pure blood, filled with life. God was the Father and Mary was the mother. Jesus was on earth, born of a virgin, with the blood of God in His veins. The Bible calls Him " the Last Adam." If He had an earthly father, He would have had death in His blood. Man is born with both life and death in him. But Jesus' blood was not polluted. Ther was no death in Him, You and I die because there is death in our blood.
Jesus, the willing supreme sacrifice
It is impossible for Jesus to die before the appointed time given by the Father. In the Gospel according to John, Jesus made several profound statements:
"No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father" (John 10:18).
"I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me" (John 14:30).
People tried to kill Jesus several times, but they could not (Luke 4:29, 30); He simple walk out from their midst. The anointing of God was on Jesus so strong that none could lay hold on Him. There was no death in Him. There was no sin in Him. He was filled with love!
Jesus was born of a woman, but God's blood flowed in His veins. It had to be so or He could not have been the supreme sacrifice. The sacrifice had to be a man (male) who was perfect - following the Old Testament sacrificial law. He had the life of God flowing in Him, and He gave it as a sin offering for the world.
If Jesus had not been born of a virgin, you would still be in your sins. It had to be so, or redemption could never have become a reality.
Jesus and His Anointing
Have you notice that Jesus was thirty years of age when He was baptized? Until that time, He had not healed one person. He had not raise anyone from the dead; He had not done a single miracle - not one! Surely He was as much the Son of God at age twenty-nine as He was at age thirty.
The real reason Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, and cast out demons was because He was anointed with the Holy Spirit to destroy the works of the Devil. He didn't heal the sick because of His divine power, because He was the Son of God, or because of His deity. He stripped Himself of His divine power. He didn't use any power inherent in Him as God's Son to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, or destroy other works of the Devil.
Notice that it was after the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the bodily form of a dove (Luke 3:22) that He began to heal the sick, cast out demons, and perform miracles (Luke 4:34 onward).
Peter said: "... how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him" (Acts 10:38).
The power Jesus used in His ministry was not something He brought from heaven with Him. It wasn't inherent in Him as being the Son of God. The Bible says God anointed Him.
Let us think a little. If Jesus healed the sick because of His divine power, why did God anoint Him? He was God manifested in the flesh. Jesus healed the sick and worked miracle because of the anointing of God!
The Son of Man; the Son of God
Jesus came to earth as a man. He did not take the nature of angels nor the nature of God in His divine power. He took on Him the nature of man. Jesus became a man. Jesus continually affirmed, "I am the Son of Man." The Bible says you will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven. He will still be the Son of Man when He comes back. Jesus identifies with man. Because He was in the earth as a man, He could legally destroy the works of the Devil.
Satan didn't know who Jesus was until the day the Holy Spirit came on Him. In fact, John the Baptist began to have doubts also. When John was put into prison, he sent two people to ask Jesus if He was the One to come or should they look for another. Jesus simply said: "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them" (Matt. 11:4 - 6, emphasis added).
Jesus came to preach the truth - the Good News which is the Gospel. He entered the earth legally because He was born here. He was born of a virgin; the blood of God flowed through His veins. He was the Son of Man; yet He was God manifested in the flesh and therefore, He was also the Son of God.
John said: "... For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8).
Jesus came to earth to get back everything Satan had stolen from Adam. Yes, Jesus was the Son of God. Yes, He was deity in this earth. But He did not operate in divine power. He performed miracles by the anointing of the Holy Spirit - the same Holy Spirit that is available to you and me today!
The legal aspect of being born in the earth
We need to understand that God only give authority to man who is born in the earth. This is of utmost importance.
Jesus said: "Most assuredly, I say to you he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other say, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep" (John 10:1, 2, NKJV).
The sheepfold is the earth. We who are in the earth, are the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 95:7). The door represents the legal entry. Any being coming into the earth by any other way than through the legal entry (door) is a thief and a robber. Now, what is the door? The door is Jesus - being born here in the earth of a woman. He that enters not into the earth by being born here, but by attaining entrance some other way, the same is a thief and a robber and he does not have legal authority on earth.
Satan is the one who is here illegally. He climbed up some other way - not being born here and therefore, has no right to be here. He is the thief and the robber! He comes to steal, and the kill and to destroy (John 10:10).
Out of His own mouth, Jesus revealed a great truth of the Bible: Only people born on earth have authority here. God delegated the first authority to Adam, but Adam turned it over to Satan who entered this earth illegally. But the Last Adam (Jesus) has come that we may have life. He has come to destroy and take away those things Satan perpetrated upon man. He came to restore man to his rightful authority.
When Adam became subordinate to Satan, he was born from life unto death. Jesus came to reverse the process and cause man to be born from death into life - the born-again experience. Jesus was the last Adam; there won't be another. He obtained eternal redemption for us!
The born-again experience
Jesus told Nicodemus: "You must be born again" (John 3:7). Even though man is legally born in the earth, he is a child of the Devil and he must be born again from the spiritual death to spiritual life.
Jesus, The Way
Jesus is the only way to heaven. It is not through a Church door. It is through Jesus - the Door. Jesus is the Way. Many religious systems claim to be "the way," but they are not. There is no other way except through Jesus. If you don't go through Jesus, you are not going to make it. You can't climb up the backstairs!
Demons and evil spirits came into the earth illegally by climbing up the back way, but you are not going to get into heaven any other way except through the Door, which is Jesus, He is the Door of the sheep.
Jesus became sin
Paul said: "For He made Him who know no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21).
God made Jesus to be sin. Jesus never sin but He became sin for us. The sin problem is cured. What about the sinner's problem? Yes, the sinner's problem is also taken care of.
The writer of Hebrews said: "For by one offering He ahs perfected forever those who are being sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, 'This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,' then He adds, 'Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.' Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holies by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh (the Sin Offering) ..." (Heb. 10:14 - 19).
Let us go back to Hebrews 9:
"Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption" (Heb. 9:12, emphasis added).
Eternal redemption is ours! He entered the Most Holy place (heaven) to obtain redemption for us. Let us read further:
"For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God" (Heb. 9:13, 14, emphasis added).
Jesus offered Himself to God through the eternal Spirit within Him. In other words, He opened His eternal Spirit to God once He died on the cross (Luke 23:46).
Adam and the Last Adam - contrast
In order to obtain eternal redemption, an eternal Spirit had to be sacrificed. Notice that Jesus' Spirit did not cease to exit. In fact spirits never cease to exist. Jesus' Spirit became spiritually dead so that our spirit can be spiritually alive.
Adam died spiritually when he ate of the fruit. Jesus died spiritually when He opened Himself to sin. He allowed it to come. God put it upon Him. The Holy Son of God didn't sin! He became sin for you and me. He became a spiritually dead man. He was separated from His Father - a spiritual separation.
Jesus came to undo what Satan had done. Adam committed sin and died spiritually. Adam's spiritual death produced physical death - for the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
See this contrast: Jesus became obedient to a physical death wheich was not due Him. He made the decision before He died to bear the sins and iniquities of the world. Also, He born the full penalty for those sins which was spiritual death or separation from God, to restor man to fellowship with God. Jesus reversed the process: Adam died spiritually, the physically. Jesus died physically, then spiritually.
Conclusion
Jesus made the decision to die while He was alive - to obtain eternal redemption for us. Men today must make the decision to live before they die - to receive eternal redemption!
The apostle Paul here compared the first Adam and the Last Adam. Jesus was called the Last Adam. He became a life-giving spirit. Adam was of the earth; Jesus is the Lord from heaven. Jesus, being spiritual, comes after Adam who was natural. This is a spiritual principle. Jesus was called "Last Adam" because there would be no other man after Him who would affect the destiny of the human race in the same way.
Significance and necessity of the Virgin birth
After the serpent had deceived Eve, the Lord God said to the serpent:
"Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel" (Genesis 3:14, 15, 16, emphasis added).
Notice that God was talking about the Seed of Eve (a woman). We all know that, biologically, a woman has no seed, the male carries the seed. Every person born after Adam is born in sin - a born sinner. He has the nature of his illegitimate stepfather - Satan.
Jesus had no earthly father. He was born of a woman. This is what makes the virgin birth a must - the bloodline follows the father. Medical science has found that under normal birth conditions not one droup of blood passes from the mother to the child. The mother does not furnish blood for the child. The blood is formed from the union of the child's father and mother.
The embryo formed in Mary's womb was the Word of God. Therefore, it produced pure blood, filled with life. God was the Father and Mary was the mother. Jesus was on earth, born of a virgin, with the blood of God in His veins. The Bible calls Him " the Last Adam." If He had an earthly father, He would have had death in His blood. Man is born with both life and death in him. But Jesus' blood was not polluted. Ther was no death in Him, You and I die because there is death in our blood.
Jesus, the willing supreme sacrifice
It is impossible for Jesus to die before the appointed time given by the Father. In the Gospel according to John, Jesus made several profound statements:
"No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father" (John 10:18).
"I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me" (John 14:30).
People tried to kill Jesus several times, but they could not (Luke 4:29, 30); He simple walk out from their midst. The anointing of God was on Jesus so strong that none could lay hold on Him. There was no death in Him. There was no sin in Him. He was filled with love!
Jesus was born of a woman, but God's blood flowed in His veins. It had to be so or He could not have been the supreme sacrifice. The sacrifice had to be a man (male) who was perfect - following the Old Testament sacrificial law. He had the life of God flowing in Him, and He gave it as a sin offering for the world.
If Jesus had not been born of a virgin, you would still be in your sins. It had to be so, or redemption could never have become a reality.
Jesus and His Anointing
Have you notice that Jesus was thirty years of age when He was baptized? Until that time, He had not healed one person. He had not raise anyone from the dead; He had not done a single miracle - not one! Surely He was as much the Son of God at age twenty-nine as He was at age thirty.
The real reason Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, and cast out demons was because He was anointed with the Holy Spirit to destroy the works of the Devil. He didn't heal the sick because of His divine power, because He was the Son of God, or because of His deity. He stripped Himself of His divine power. He didn't use any power inherent in Him as God's Son to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, or destroy other works of the Devil.
Notice that it was after the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the bodily form of a dove (Luke 3:22) that He began to heal the sick, cast out demons, and perform miracles (Luke 4:34 onward).
Peter said: "... how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him" (Acts 10:38).
The power Jesus used in His ministry was not something He brought from heaven with Him. It wasn't inherent in Him as being the Son of God. The Bible says God anointed Him.
Let us think a little. If Jesus healed the sick because of His divine power, why did God anoint Him? He was God manifested in the flesh. Jesus healed the sick and worked miracle because of the anointing of God!
The Son of Man; the Son of God
Jesus came to earth as a man. He did not take the nature of angels nor the nature of God in His divine power. He took on Him the nature of man. Jesus became a man. Jesus continually affirmed, "I am the Son of Man." The Bible says you will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven. He will still be the Son of Man when He comes back. Jesus identifies with man. Because He was in the earth as a man, He could legally destroy the works of the Devil.
Satan didn't know who Jesus was until the day the Holy Spirit came on Him. In fact, John the Baptist began to have doubts also. When John was put into prison, he sent two people to ask Jesus if He was the One to come or should they look for another. Jesus simply said: "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them" (Matt. 11:4 - 6, emphasis added).
Jesus came to preach the truth - the Good News which is the Gospel. He entered the earth legally because He was born here. He was born of a virgin; the blood of God flowed through His veins. He was the Son of Man; yet He was God manifested in the flesh and therefore, He was also the Son of God.
John said: "... For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8).
Jesus came to earth to get back everything Satan had stolen from Adam. Yes, Jesus was the Son of God. Yes, He was deity in this earth. But He did not operate in divine power. He performed miracles by the anointing of the Holy Spirit - the same Holy Spirit that is available to you and me today!
The legal aspect of being born in the earth
We need to understand that God only give authority to man who is born in the earth. This is of utmost importance.
Jesus said: "Most assuredly, I say to you he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other say, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep" (John 10:1, 2, NKJV).
The sheepfold is the earth. We who are in the earth, are the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 95:7). The door represents the legal entry. Any being coming into the earth by any other way than through the legal entry (door) is a thief and a robber. Now, what is the door? The door is Jesus - being born here in the earth of a woman. He that enters not into the earth by being born here, but by attaining entrance some other way, the same is a thief and a robber and he does not have legal authority on earth.
Satan is the one who is here illegally. He climbed up some other way - not being born here and therefore, has no right to be here. He is the thief and the robber! He comes to steal, and the kill and to destroy (John 10:10).
Out of His own mouth, Jesus revealed a great truth of the Bible: Only people born on earth have authority here. God delegated the first authority to Adam, but Adam turned it over to Satan who entered this earth illegally. But the Last Adam (Jesus) has come that we may have life. He has come to destroy and take away those things Satan perpetrated upon man. He came to restore man to his rightful authority.
When Adam became subordinate to Satan, he was born from life unto death. Jesus came to reverse the process and cause man to be born from death into life - the born-again experience. Jesus was the last Adam; there won't be another. He obtained eternal redemption for us!
The born-again experience
Jesus told Nicodemus: "You must be born again" (John 3:7). Even though man is legally born in the earth, he is a child of the Devil and he must be born again from the spiritual death to spiritual life.
Jesus, The Way
Jesus is the only way to heaven. It is not through a Church door. It is through Jesus - the Door. Jesus is the Way. Many religious systems claim to be "the way," but they are not. There is no other way except through Jesus. If you don't go through Jesus, you are not going to make it. You can't climb up the backstairs!
Demons and evil spirits came into the earth illegally by climbing up the back way, but you are not going to get into heaven any other way except through the Door, which is Jesus, He is the Door of the sheep.
Jesus became sin
Paul said: "For He made Him who know no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21).
God made Jesus to be sin. Jesus never sin but He became sin for us. The sin problem is cured. What about the sinner's problem? Yes, the sinner's problem is also taken care of.
The writer of Hebrews said: "For by one offering He ahs perfected forever those who are being sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, 'This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,' then He adds, 'Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.' Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holies by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh (the Sin Offering) ..." (Heb. 10:14 - 19).
Let us go back to Hebrews 9:
"Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption" (Heb. 9:12, emphasis added).
Eternal redemption is ours! He entered the Most Holy place (heaven) to obtain redemption for us. Let us read further:
"For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God" (Heb. 9:13, 14, emphasis added).
Jesus offered Himself to God through the eternal Spirit within Him. In other words, He opened His eternal Spirit to God once He died on the cross (Luke 23:46).
Adam and the Last Adam - contrast
In order to obtain eternal redemption, an eternal Spirit had to be sacrificed. Notice that Jesus' Spirit did not cease to exit. In fact spirits never cease to exist. Jesus' Spirit became spiritually dead so that our spirit can be spiritually alive.
Adam died spiritually when he ate of the fruit. Jesus died spiritually when He opened Himself to sin. He allowed it to come. God put it upon Him. The Holy Son of God didn't sin! He became sin for you and me. He became a spiritually dead man. He was separated from His Father - a spiritual separation.
Jesus came to undo what Satan had done. Adam committed sin and died spiritually. Adam's spiritual death produced physical death - for the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
See this contrast: Jesus became obedient to a physical death wheich was not due Him. He made the decision before He died to bear the sins and iniquities of the world. Also, He born the full penalty for those sins which was spiritual death or separation from God, to restor man to fellowship with God. Jesus reversed the process: Adam died spiritually, the physically. Jesus died physically, then spiritually.
Conclusion
Jesus made the decision to die while He was alive - to obtain eternal redemption for us. Men today must make the decision to live before they die - to receive eternal redemption!
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