Study With Robert

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"WE PRAY THAT YOU RETURN"
Study With Robert
 Contents

If God Should Go On Strike                                                                     
What The Bible Contains                                                                         

Straight Talk                                                                                              
Road To King James                                                                                 
Helpful Thoughts
Life Begins With Christ
God Speaks through Nature
The Nation Of The Missiah
The Family Of The Missiah
Jews Expected An Earthly King

If God Should Go On Strike
By Walt Huntley

How good is it that God has never gone on strike,

Because He was not treated fair in things He didn't like

If only once, He'd given up and said, "That's it, I'm through! 
I've had enough of those on earth, so this is what I'll do:
I'll give my orders to the sun cut off the heat supply!
And the moon-give no more light, and run the oceans dry.
Then just to make things really tough and put the pressure on,
Turn off the vital oxygen till every breath is gone!
You know He would be justified, if fairness was the game,
For no one has been more abused or met with more disdain
Than God, and yet He carries on, supplying you and me
With all the favors of His grace, and everything for free.
Men say they want a better deal, and so on strike they go,
But what a deal we've given God to whom all things we owe.
We don't care whom we hurt to gain the things we like;
But what a mess we'd all be in, if God would go on strike.



What The Bible Contains

  The mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, doom of sinners, and happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you and comfort to cheer you. It is the travelers map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilots compass, the soldiers sword and the Christian's charter. Here Paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ Is Its Grand Subject, our good is design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be open at the Judgment and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor, and condemns all who trifle with its holy content. 

Straight Talk

        What do we mean when we say that the Bible is "an inspired" Book! Without going into any philosophical definition of the word "inspired." It is enough to say that by "inspired" we mean that the prophets and apostles, in what they said and wrote, were guided by the holy Spirit in a manner higher than any man of their time.
         We must remember that these men wrote in times when all the world  there was idolatry, and polytheism everywhere. Before the birth of  Christ when the Old Testament the prophets spoke and wrote, all the world except the Jews were polytheistic (ie) worshiped many Gods. Men would worshiped beast and creeping things, sun, moon and stars.
         When Jesus was born, and through all the times of the apostles, Greeks and Romans worshiped, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and a host of false divinities. When under these circumstances we find one set of men uniformly preaching the truth of one God, and His Spirit, We must believe that the speech and writings were not made up. The only conclusion is, It was by The Holy Spirit.  An influence

higher than any human being. 

Road To King James

        The Geneva Bible was the first English Bible divided into verses and the first to print in italics the words not found in the originals. Bishop's Bible appeared in 1568, It was called the Rheims New Testament (Roman Catholic) in 1582. 
        Early in the reign of King James 1 (1603-1625) he appointed fifty four of the most learned Biblical scholars of England to produce a new a better translation of the Bible. They formed themselves into six companies,two at which met at Westminster; two at Oxford, and two at Cambridge.
        After several years of careful work they produced the Authorized; 1611 King James Version of the Bible. It is the best know of all the English translations. In the following 250 years or more the publication of the Authorized Version, scholars found a large number of very valuable manuscripts of the Bible, older and nearer to lost originals than any previously know. With this came a desire for a new translation in the light of the better Hebrew and Greek texts now in hand.
        At the Convocation of Canterbury, May 6, 1870, a committee was appointed, and these, with a committee from America, after ten years of conscientious and careful work, in 1881 gave us the Revised New Testament, and four years later, in 1885, the Old Testament , a translation based on the best manuscripts then and now know to the scholarly world. In less than six months more than four million copies were issued. The American Revision Committee, less conservative than the British Committee in the use of old English term, phrases, etc, carefully revised this work, and, and 1901, issued the Bible Know as the American Standard Revised Version                                                    

Helpful Thoughts

1. Read regularly. Have a certain time each day when you can read without hurrying.

2. Read prayerfully. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law (Ps. 119:18)

3. Read Studiously. When you read something you don't fully understand, stop and obtain light upon it from a standard commentary, or Bible dictionary. 
4. Read sympathetically. Ask when, where, by whom and for what purpose, each book that you read was written. In this way get the standpoint of the sacred writer and put yourself in sympathy with him.
5. Read it, noting its perspectives. Observe the dates of vents by the aid of the bible margin, and keep them in your mind at the proper relative distance from each other; for example, although Abraham appears in Gen.12, he is halfway between Adam and Christ.
6. Read topically by the aid of a concordance and Bible text book. See what is declared upon Faith, Love, Justification, etc.
7. Read in spirit of obedience; seek for direction. Make the precepts the rule of your life.
8. Read in faith. Take the Bible as God's word to yourself. Look upon its promises as your own.
9. The Word of God assures us of salvation, and we may know we are saved because God says so.

Life Begins

With Christ

        Have you discovered the keys of your success? When you enter Christ, God makes you "a new creation." In this new creation His Spirit works freely and powerfully. By Him, you "put to death the misdeeds of the body." He lives in you to "strengthen you with power."  More power for change than you ever thought possible.

       You are not alone in your fight against sins and bad habits. You have the Almighty Helper. He grows His good fruit in you as you rely on Him and follow Him (Galatians 5:22-25). This practical, day-by-day changing makes you more like your heavenly Father.

    "[You] have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator" (Colossians 3:10).

       According to Colossians 2, your new life begins by being raised with Christ in baptism. Then, according to Colossians 3, this new life continues as you let God keep on renewing your new self.  

 What About My Faults?

      What if our living is not perfect? What if we slip and fall because of sin? In fact, all of us have many faults. But Satan's real goal is for us to give up and to stop trying.

      But we do not have to be defeated, do we? Look at a baby trying to walk. When he falls, does he stay down forever? He gets up and tries again... and again... becoming stronger with each attempt. In the same way, God's Spirit gives us increasing power for "being renewed." We are honest about our faults. We keep coming back to the Lord for forgiveness and more strength (1 John 2:12-13; 3:8-9; 4:4).

      "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:7-9).

       Did you notice the continual cleansing we enjoy? "The blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). How much of our failure is wiped away? "All sin." Even as we struggle with our sins and confess (admit) them, He forgives "all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). While we "walk in the light" - while we stay open to Jesus and follow Him - He keeps washing us clean.

     "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).

      "Now He [God] has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation - if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the Gospel" (Colossians 1:22-23).

       Satan may win some battles along the way. But that is not the same as winning the war. In Christ we have won the war already! While we stay with Jesus, His blood covers us and His Father sees nothing that condemns us, or even accuses us. Instead, we are "holy in His sight." That is not because of any goodness in us (Titus 3:5). Rather, this holiness and purity are wonderful gifts of grace. Since we believe that God keeps forgiving us, we enjoy clear consciences (Hebrews 9:14; 10:22).

       Don't you find that amazing? Humans lack that kind of patience and kindness. But God is different. His love never fails. Through His Son, He forgives us completely. In all of Jesus' life, then at His cross and in His grave, He defeated Satan for us. Through each struggle we get stronger because we learn to rely on the Lord. Those who believe and obey the Gospel join a victory march that will not stop until it reaches heaven.

 Let's Start From 

The Beginning

God  Speaks Through Nature

 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth"(Genesis 1:1).

         With these words the Bible opens the history of our world. It does not try to prove that God exists. From the very beginning God already is, and He is already active. The writers of the Bible never doubt or question God's existence. Nor do they go into long arguments to show to others that God is real. Why is this? 

 God's Presence Is Well Known

        "No one has ever seen God" (John 1:18). The fact that God is not directly seen does not have to lead to doubt. Though God is invisible, we know He is there because of the results of His powerful work. The world around us, called "nature," is one of those results (Genesis 1:1). With other results of God's work, nature speaks clearly of its Creator.

        People through the ages, and all over the world, have come to the same conclusion: Creation points to an amazing Creator.

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        The apostle Paul speaks of those who try to hide the truth about God. He shows why God is angry with them:  

"Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:19-20). 

        Realities about God can be "clearly seen!" How? "Being understood from what has been made." Looking at creation helps us to know about God!

        We know of the wind's presence by its effects as it moves dust and leaves. In a far greater way, we know things about God by the effect of His work around us. God has made it clear. That is why people have "no excuse" when they twist the truth about God.

Creation By Accident! Don't Think So!

        Some want to live as if there is no God to whom they must answer. To avoid the need for God they teach that all we see came into being by accident. Over the ages, small bits of matter gradually changed by accident and formed humans who have no spirit and no real purpose. From a long line of accidents, we are an accident on its way to its final accident!

        Does such a picture make sense? How could so many accidents result in such order? What would happen if you caused a great explosion to scatter a pile of rocks and wood? Even if you repeated this many times over, would the millions of pieces ever have the chance of coming together in such a way as to form a normal house? Would the heavier rocks happen to come down first to make a perfect foundation? Would smaller pieces fall in by chance to make straight walls on all sides, with doors and windows all in place? Would other pieces finally fall in such order as to make a roof that keeps rain out?

Every House Has A Builder

        No one would dare say that a house came about by accident. Its order and design show beyond a doubt that it had a builder. Notice the simple force of Hebrews 3:4,

"For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything."

        Look closely at the simplest leaf in nature. It is far better planned than a house. It has tiny openings for the flow of gases. Its green coloring catches sunlight and uses it for energy. Its veins carry watery food from the soil. It is more like a highly ordered city!
        And that is just one leaf. We have not considered jungles and forests full of different plants. We have not pointed out the many, many kinds of land and sea animals, nor all that it takes to provide them life.  

“God covers the sky with clouds; He supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.  He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call” (Psalm 147:8-9).

Creation Tells The Story Of God
 

        What about the order of the stars and planets? Israel's great king, David, sang this song:

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands" (Psalm 19:1).

         King David was right. If our sun (just one of billions of stars) is so powerful, how much more powerful is the One who made all suns! He is called "the Father of lights" (James 1:17)!

Yet the sun's strength is strictly controlled. If the sun changed its course even a little, all life on our planet would soon end. Everything is in perfect place for life to exist on this earth. Such careful design in every detail must have a Builder! But we have not yet mentioned the man and woman, with their children, who live in this amazing home.

        The brain of even the smallest child has many more active parts than all the stars the eye sees at night! Our minds work with great thoughts. Our eyes see beauty in living colors. The human spirit has power to choose and to love. Our hearts reach high in worship. King David, when he thought of his own body and soul, was moved to sing to God,

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well" (Psalm 139:14).

        The person who pretends there is no God and no soul is like a mouse eating bread in the dark. With its mouth full, the mouse announces, "I do not believe there is a baker. I do not believe there is such a thing as grain for making bread, for I have never seen these things." We stand on the evidence! The proof is all around us and within us! The Bible describes those who refuse to see it:

"For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:21-22). 

Give Glory And Thanks To God

        Notice that Paul, in Romans 1:21, shows that it is only right that we should give to our Maker glory and thanks. The air we breathe is GOD'S air - its gases mixed in just the right parts to give life and not death. When you eat, remember that the food and drink you enjoy are God's good provisions for you.

"God has not left himself without testimony; He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy" (Acts 14:17).

        That we exist and live at all is itself a wonderful gift. The truth is that we owe all that we are and have to our Maker! When we truly understand that, it is not hard to give to God the praise due to His name. It is not hard to give back in service to Him the life that He first gave to us. It is the right thing to do. And our lives are far better in every way when we respect, worship and serve our Creator.
         Such service takes time and effort. Yet isn't that time actually the time HE is giving to us? "Our" time on earth can and will end someday. Since it is really HIS gift of time, we can afford to take time for Him. Believing in God goes beyond simply knowing facts about God. It leads us to praise God and to seek Him.
        Even those who do not yet know how to come to God can begin to seek Him. A Roman soldier named Cornelius was one such person (Acts 10). Because he was truly seeking God, his prayers were heard.

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        God does not need to prove that He exists for it is already obvious. Just look around you! Look in the mirror at how you are put together! You know that this life and universe are far too orderly to be accidents. That means that behind all this there is a very wise, powerful Creator.
         God's work also shows that He really cares about what He made. It's time we cared enough to thank Him for the life He gave us.

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          Hebrews 3:4  "For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything."

 Psalm 139:14  "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

        Romans 1:21-22  "For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools."

Acts 14:17 "God has not left himself without testimony; He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."

The Nation of the Messiah

         Moses, in about 1500 B.C., was the opening writer of the Old Testament. He recorded God's first promise of hope for the sinful human family. God said to the snake:

"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel" (Genesis 3:15).

         From the beginning, the prophecies pointed to a male "offspring," a male child. He would crush or destroy the snake, Satan (note Revelation 12:9). Satan would also give Him much pain. Later, God spoke again of an "offspring" or "seed." God chose Abraham, and God promised him,

"Through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed Me" (Genesis 22:18).

         God repeated this promise to Abraham's son Isaac (Genesis 21:12; 26:4).

God then repeated the promise to Isaac's son Jacob (Genesis 28:14). Jacob was also called Israel, as we can read in Genesis 32:24-28. Israel had twelve sons.

         Which one of these twelve would God choose to carry on the promise of the blessing? Just before his death, Israel gave God's blessings to each of his sons. Israel said to his son Judah:

"The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until He comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is His" (Genesis 49:10).

         Israel's son, Judah, would be the family line that would have the "scepter," the stick of royal authority. Kings would come from the line of Judah. Many years after Genesis had been written, this prophecy came true. The kings of Israel did come from the tribe of Judah. Yet there was more to the prophecy. "He would come" -- the One to whom that ruler's rod really belongs. He would be more than just Israel's King, for He would be over "the nations."

• 1. [Genesis 22:18] Through Abraham's offspring God would bless all nations Jews non-Jews
• 2. Genesis 49:10 shows that Israel's kings would come from Joseph.

The Family of the Messiah

         The first king from Judah's line was David, in about 1000 B.C. God made amazing promises to King David (2 Samuel 7:8-29; Psalm 89:3-37; Psalm 132). These promises were repeated by the prophets (Isaiah 11:1; Amos 9: 11; Ezekiel 37:24-28). Jeremiah, for example, foretold,

"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land" (Jeremiah 23:5).

         The New Testament was written over 600 years after Jeremiah. The book of Matthew begins:

"A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham" (Matthew 1:1).

         It is due to the fact that Israel's laws about owning property that caused Jews to keep strict records of each genealogy. Therefore it was well-known among the Jews that Jesus was from David's family (Matthew 9:27; 15:22; Acts 2:22-36). Was it just by chance that Jesus came into that one nation, that one tribe, and that single family that had been predicted by God?

        And what about the birthplace of Jesus? The number of places in the world is beyond counting. Who could foretell the exact place of the Messiah's birth? Yet the prophet Micah made an amazing promise: The great Ruler would come from the home village (1 Samuel 16) of His forefather David.

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me One who will be Ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times" (Micah 5:2).

        The mother of Jesus lived in Nazareth. Government rules forced her to travel many miles to Bethlehem. Her male child was born there, in the very village marked 500 years earlier by Micah (Matthew 2; Luke 2; John 7:42). Did this also happen by chance?

Andrew and Philip knew that only God could foretell and fulfill in such exact ways. They understood enough of the prophecies to be able to say, "We have found the Messiah."

However, some prophecies were more difficult to understand and accept.

Many Jews Expected
 an Earthly King

         Many Jews thought that the Messiah would be like other kings. They reasoned that if the Messiah would rule all nations, He would do so by armed force. So they looked for One to lead them in battle against their nation's enemy, Rome (Acts 5:36-37). Seeing the great powers of Jesus, they wanted to force Jesus to become their king (John 6:15). They expected earthly Jerusalem to be His capital city. Later, when Jesus came to Jerusalem, large crowds shouted their greetings:

"Hosanna to the Son of David" (Matthew 21:9).

"Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David" (Mark 11:10).

"Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord" (Luke 19:38).

         The crowds were soon disappointed. Instead of joining in their happiness, Jesus wept over the city (Luke 19:43-44). He warned that Jerusalem would soon be destroyed by the Romans (Luke 21:5-24). Instead of marching against the Roman rulers, Jesus came before them as an accused criminal on trial (Luke 23). Many who had welcomed Him began to call for His death. Nails were driven into His hands and feet to hold him onto the raised wood of the cross. There He was left to die slowly, in great pain.

Neither the followers of Jesus, nor His enemies, expected that the Messiah would suffer in such ways. Great kings are supposed to be accepted by their people; Jesus was rejected by His people. Great kings have honor and respect; Jesus died in shame. Great kings defeat their enemies; Jesus was crucified by His enemies. His friends were confused and sad. They said,

"But we had hoped that He was the One who was going to redeem Israel" (Luke 24:21).

         If they had looked more closely at the Old Testament prophecies, they would have realized that it foretold that the Messiah would be rejected. Before He died, Jesus often predicted that He would be killed by the Jewish and Roman leaders (Luke 17:25; 18:31-33; 20:9-15).

         In proof of this He quoted Psalm 118:22, which spoke of Israel's leaders rejecting God's chosen One. The prophet Isaiah (53:3) had also shown that God's chosen One would be "despised and rejected."

How the Messiah Would 
Suffer and Rise

         The Old Testament prophecies did not stop there. They went on to show exact ways in which the Messiah would be hurt.

Here are a few, linked with passages in the New Testament:

• A close friend would turn against Him, betraying Him to His enemies (Psalm 41:9; Luke 22:47-48).
• The price to be paid for this betrayal was thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12-13; Matthew 26:14-15).
• His own followers would scatter, leaving Him alone (Zechariah 13:7; Mark 14:49-50).
• People would strike Him and spit on Him (Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 26:67).
• While treated in the most shameful way, He would endure it in silence (Isaiah 53:7; Mark 14:61; 15:5).
• He would be falsely judged and punished with criminals (Psalm 35:19; Isaiah 53:8,12; John 15:24-25; 19:18).
• He would be pierced, even in His hands and feet (Psalm 22:16; Zechariah 12:10; John 19:18, 37; 20:27).
• Those who pierced Him would also gamble for his clothes (Psalm 22:18; John 19:23-24).
• He would be killed -- "cut off from the land of the living" (Isaiah 53:8; John 19:25-37).
• His death would be the "guilt offering" for removing the sins of us all (Isaiah 53:10-12; 1 Peter 2:24).

        Old Testament laws allowed only animals to be used as "guilt offerings." Isaiah wrote in about 700 B.C. and he followed those laws. How then could Isaiah speak of this Human as the "guilt offering"? Isaiah 53 said other surprising things. It showed that after His suffering He would enjoy great satisfaction as a result of that suffering. It showed that after His death He would again "see the light of life" (Isaiah 53:10-11).

         Some might ask, "Did Christians later write into Isaiah 53 their own ideas about the Christ?" No, this did not come from Christians. Remember that all the Old Testament was translated into the Greek language in about 250 B.C. Long before Jesus' birth Isaiah 53 was already being read in many lands.

         The oldest known Hebrew copy of Isaiah is one of the "Dead Sea Scrolls." It was found in 1947 at Qumran near the Dead Sea, and has been kept in Jerusalem. Scientists have examined this Isaiah scroll. They date this scroll as having been penned over 100 years before the coming of Jesus. Yet this very ancient Isaiah scroll says the same thing in Isaiah 53 as your Bible says today. There is no doubt at all -- Isaiah's description of One dying for the sins of others, and then living again, was written long before Christianity began.

Robert Lail; "Jesus was killed and cut off from the land of the living". (Isaiah 53:8)

Jesus Claimed to 
fulfill the Prophecy

         None of us chooses our own family line and place of birth. None of us can choose to return to life after dying. Yet Jesus boldly claimed to fulfill all Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. To His own followers Jesus said,

"'How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself... He said to them, 'This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms'" (Luke 24:25-27, 44).

To the leading Jews He said,

"These are the Scriptures that testify about Me... If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me" (John 5:39, 46).

        The message that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies about the Messiah continued to be the message of the early Christians:

"Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days" (Acts 3:24). (See also Acts 10:43; 13:32; 26:22-23.)

        Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead.

"This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said (Acts 17:2-3).  Knowing that Jesus is the Christ is not a matter of wishful guessing. It can be explained, reasoned and proved from the Old Testament Scriptures (Acts 17:2-3).
 

         Jesus matched the prophetic picture perfectly. Yes, He even fit the parts that seemed impossible!

         Peter, an eyewitness who saw the prophecies coming true, assured us that the message of the prophets was "certain" (2 Peter 1:19).
How can we be so sure? 

        Because God alone could accurately foretell everything about His coming Messiah. And only God's true Messiah could fulfill all that God had foretold about Him. 

         John 1:40-41,45 - "Andrew Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, 'We have found the Messiah (that is, the Christ)'... Philip found Nathanael and told him, 'We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.'"

• Genesis 22:18 - "Through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed Me."
• Matthew 1:1 - "A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham."
• Micah 5:2 - "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me One who will be Ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."
• John 5:39,46 - "These are the Scriptures that testify about Me... If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me."
• Acts 17:2-3 - "'This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,' he said."

You are Yahweh, the I AM.

You are always present.

You see all that has been, all that is, and all that will be. All is under your control.

Therefore true prophecy can only come from You. True fulfillment can only come from You.

Thank You for giving such sure ways to recognize the Christ whom You promised to send...

 

Knowing Jesus Through His Witness

"The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, 'Look, the Lamb of God!' When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

"Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, 'What do you want?'

"They said, 'Rabbi' (which means Teacher), 'where are You staying?'

"'Come,' He replied, 'and you will see.' So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour" (John 1:34-39).

A "witness" is one who tells what he sees and knows to be true. When he gives his report of the truth, he TESTIFIES or gives TESTIMONY. John the Baptizer was such a witness (John 1:7). "'I have seen,' he said, 'and I testify that this is the Son of God'" (John 1:34).

John, when he saw Jesus, told the people, "Look!" Thus they too became eyewitnesses. Two of John's followers wanted to know Jesus more fully. They were faced with the same problem that any ordinary person has. How does a common person come into the presence of a King?

Come and See

        Since these two were followers of John, they knew John's great respect for the coming King. John was their leader, yet even he was not worthy to carry the shoes of the King (Matthew 3:11). Now, John had pointed to JESUS as that King. How could two ordinary men get close to this King? How could they come to know the high, exalted One of whom John spoke? (After all, have you ever met your nation's highest ruler?)

       When they spoke to Jesus, He invited them to come to His place! "Come," He said, "and you will see." The memory of that invitation was so bright that they remembered exactly when it took place -- the tenth hour. (If counted in the Jewish way this was at 4:00 P.M., and evening was coming.) So they spent the rest of that day with Jesus. This King wanted to talk with them. More than that, He was willing to let them stay with Him!

The Openness of Jesus

        The first lesson the two disciples learned from Jesus was His openness. They were free to KNOW Him personally. He welcomed them. They could see Him, talk with Him, and be close to Him.

John the Baptizer was right about the high honor owed to Jesus. Yet Jesus' greatness did not isolate Him from His people. In this, He was different from most kings. He made Himself poor in earthly things (2 Corinthians 8:9). Sometimes He had no proper place to sleep (Luke 9:58). He was among the ordinary people. He welcomed all, whether great or small. Even children felt very welcome.

"People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them" (Mark 10:13-16).

        Sinful people found Jesus friendly. He had no sin (John 8:46; Hebrews 4:15; 7:26). He taught them to "repent," to turn away from sin (Luke 13:3). Yet He made it very clear that He truly cared for them. He ate and drank with people known for their corrupt lives. He did the same for the government's tax officials, whom most people treated as enemies. Jesus became known as the "friend of tax-collectors and 'sinners'" (Luke 7:34). Jesus was among the people because of His concern and love for them. This explains why He spent so much time helping each one who came. He helped them, regardless of how great their problems. He helped them even when he was very busy with other important matters (Mark 1:21-34; 2:1-13; 5:21-43; 7:24-30; 10:46-52).

To Be With Him

       There is another important reason why Jesus worked so openly. The Christian faith would begin as a matter of public knowledge and public record. Since Jesus worked among the people, there were often many eyewitnesses to what He said and did. He had nothing to hide. As He said at His trial,

"I have spoken openly to the world... I said nothing in secret. Why question Me? Ask those who heard Me. Surely they know what I said" (John 18:20-21).

        When the apostle Paul was later tried in a royal court, he said,

"The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner" (Acts 26:26).

        In this Christianity is different from other faiths based on claims of hidden events, and personal ideas or feelings. Such faiths have no way to prove to others that they are true. From the beginning Christianity was a matter of public and historical record, and could be fully examined. Today one can still find out whether it is true or false. Indeed, it demands such study. Christians invite people to check for themselves, to examine the facts. "Come and you will see!"

        One of the two disciples who met Jesus on that memorable day was named Andrew (John 1:40-42). He was the brother of Simon Peter. Their partners in the fishing business were Zebedee's sons, James and John (Luke 5:7-10). Jesus chose these four, and eight others, to serve as His special messengers or APOSTLES (Luke 6:12-16). One of the main duties of the apostles was to be WITH Jesus.

"He appointed twelve -- designating them apostles -- that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach" (Mark 3:14).

        Being "with Him" meant that they could watch him closely in good times and bad, happy times and sad, crowded times and lonely. They could see how He met every new challenge and trial. Many people are afraid to let others get close. Why? Closeness reveals one's faults. Yet Jesus invited others to be near. By watching, listening and sharing in His life, the apostles could KNOW His true character. They could also learn how to become like Him. With the help of the Holy Spirit, they would carry on Jesus' work after He left. They would be the Spirit's way for others to come to know Jesus. Jesus made this clear in one of His prayers for the apostles.

"My prayer is not for them alone (the first disciples). I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one..." (John 17:20-21).

Witnesses for Christ

         How would people in later years believe in Christ?

"Through their message" (John 17:20).

        That is, through the report of those first disciples, especially the apostles. ("Apostle" is like the word "ambassador." It means one who is sent with a special authority to pass on his leader's message.) Jesus gave to them the task of being witnesses, to testify to the truth about Him (Luke 24:48; Acts 10:39-41). Just before He sent them into the world, Jesus said,

"...You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

        However, at the time when this was said (the first chapter of Acts), one of the twelve was missing. Judas had betrayed Jesus, and then had killed himself. Another had to be chosen to take his place. The importance of finding a real witness was shown by Simon Peter's words,

"Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection" (Acts 1:21-22).

        Yes, Jesus wanted the apostles to be "with Him" so that they could be true WITNESSES. They were in the best place to see and know the truth about Jesus. They were the kind of witnesses that any good court of law would welcome.

Jesus' witnesses were from ordinary positions in life. They had normal questions and doubts when they first heard about Jesus. Yet what they saw for themselves removed doubts and fears. The witnesses were many, coming from different backgrounds and interests. Like all witnesses, they stated their testimonies in different ways. Each spoke from his own viewpoint. When carefully compared these testimonies agree. There is nothing muddled or lacking. The apostles, and those closest to them, gave a full and clear report. They remained united, and true to this report, all of their lives. The collection of their reports and letters is called the New Testament.

Not False

        As the apostles spread the Good News about Jesus, they reminded the people that they were true witnesses (Acts 2:32; 3:15; 4:33; 5:32; 10:39, 41; 13:31). They were not ashamed to speak in the presence of others who had been there. When Peter re-told the facts about Jesus, he added, "...as you yourselves know" (Acts 2:22). Thousands in Jerusalem proved that they agreed with Peter (Acts 2:41; 4:4; 5:14). From the very beginning, the rapid spread of Christianity showed how many found the testimony to be true. Peter's enemies did not show faults in his testimony. All they could do was to try to stop him by threats (Acts 4, 5,12). Peter later wrote,

"We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty" (2 Peter 1:16).

        Peter said this when he knew he would soon be killed (2 Peter 1:14; John 21:17-19). What reward could there have been in dying for lies? If Peter was not telling the truth of what he saw, what did he think he could gain? The apostles did not become rich (Acts 3:6; 1 Corinthians 4:11; 2 Corinthians 6:10). Instead of becoming famous they became infamous -- they were hated by the world. They suffered great losses and hardships for their message (2 Corinthians 1:9; 6:1-10; 11:23-31). Paul wrote,

"It seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe... Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world" (1 Corinthians 4:9,13)
.

        No, the apostles received no reward from this world, but only shame and pain. Why then did they keep telling the same story? For the simplest and best reason: They KNEW it was true. They had SEEN it with their own eyes. Their lives matched the honesty of their report. When threatened, they had to reply, "We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20).

If Jesus was the great King, why did He live among the ordinary people, both good and evil?

Because He loved all people, and He wanted all to know Him.

Many watched Jesus' life and work. Those closest to Him were His apostles. They gave their eyewitness testimony about Jesus. Even today, their reliable reports invite us to look into the truth about Jesus. "Come and you will see!"

 
• John 18:20-21 - "I have spoken openly to the world... I said nothing in secret. Why question Me? Ask those who heard Me. Surely they know what I said.'
• Mark 3:14 - "He appointed twelve -- designating them apostles -- that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach."
• John 17:20-21 - "My prayer is not for them alone (the first disciples). I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one..."
• Acts 1:8 - "...You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

        All praise to You, Most High. You rule from heaven. Yet You see to our every need on earth. You know our need for knowledge, for certainty. For truth we often depend on reports from witnesses. You have given such witnesses. Help us to care enough about truth to "come and see" the facts concerning Jesus.
Knowing Jesus through Through His Messenger
 "See, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple; the Messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,' says the LORD Almighty" (Malachi 3:1).

The prophet Malachi gave God's final promises of the Old Testament. One of the greatest of these promises is found in Malachi chapter three, verse one. God assured His people that He would send a messenger. This messenger would have a special task -- "to prepare the way." For whom? He "will prepare the way before ME," said the LORD.
Voice in the Desert

        Also in the book of Malachi (4:5) God promised to send a prophet, "Elijah." Elijah had lived in dry, desert places. An earlier prophet, Isaiah, had foretold the coming of a voice in the desert.

        "A voice of one calling: 'In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God... And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken'" (Isaiah 40:3-5).
        For over a thousand years, from Moses to Malachi, God had spoken often. He had sent many prophets to Israel. Their work had resulted in the Old Testament. But after the prophet Malachi there were about 400 years of silence -- no recognized prophets spoke from God. There were no new writers from God for the Old Testament. God's people wondered when God would fulfill His promises. When would the messenger come to make preparation? When would God's glory be revealed?
The Years of Silence
        During those long years more and more people were hearing about God's promises. New rulers captured the land of Israel. While some Israelites (by then called Jews) stayed in their homeland, others were scattered far and wide. In distant countries they told others of the one true God. They were able to use Greek, the language that many peoples shared at that time. About 150 years after Malachi the full Old Testament was translated from the Hebrew language into the Greek language. During the following 250 years, trained workers made copies of this Greek Bible. The copies were carried to many places. In their weekly meetings, Jews read the Old Testament aloud (Acts 15:21). Even some non-Jews came to believe in God's promises. More and more people looked forward to the Lord's coming.
God Speaks Again
        Then people in Israel began to hear of amazing events. A child named John was born to a couple named Zechariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-24, 57-80). Yet Elizabeth was well beyond the age for giving birth! An angel, using words from Malachi 4:5-6, had announced,

"He (John) will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous -- to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17).
John's father, Zechariah, had also used words from Malachi 3:1. By God's Spirit Zechariah prophesied:

"And you, my child (John), will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him" (Luke 1:76).

        God's promises, made through Malachi 400 years earlier, were coming true! God was ending His long silence! He was speaking again. Just as He promised, He was speaking through an "Elijah."
The New Elijah
        John was not the Elijah of the past (John 1:21; Luke 9:30). But John was like that ancient prophet in many ways. Those who knew the Old Testament could recognize John, not only as a true prophet, but as a new "Elijah" (Matthew 11:7-14; 21:26).
• Elijah spent much time in the wilderness -- 1 Kings 17-19
• John spent much time in the wilderness -- Luke 1:80; Matthew 3:1
• Elijah dressed in rough clothes -- 2 Kings 1:8
• Like Elijah, John dressed in rough clothes -- Matthew 3:4
      
        Like Elijah, John's preaching was full of courage. He had "the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17). He spoke out against all sin, even the king's sin (Luke 3; Matthew 14). John commanded the people of Israel to prepare for the Lord's coming. John himself quoted from the prophet Isaiah (40:30),
"I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord'" (John 1:23).
How could they make the way straight? How could they prepare for the King?


John the Baptizer
        John told them to prepare by repenting and being baptized.
"In those days John the Baptist came preaching... 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near'" (Matthew 3:1-2).
"...John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism for the forgiveness of sins" (Mark 1:4).

        "Repentance" is making up one's mind to leave sin and to live for God. By repenting the people promised to do right in the future. Yet that decision alone could not change their wrongs of the past. For the pure and holy King there had to be FULL preparation. Even past sins had to be removed, by forgiveness.
        Those who repented had to be baptized. John thus became known as "John the Baptizer," or "John the Baptist." (The word "baptize" comes from the Greek Language. In that language it means to immerse or plunge under water. That is why John baptized "in the Jordan River" and there was "much water," Mark 1:5; John 3:23).
        Through baptism John separated the people. Those who wanted to get ready for the Messiah confessed their sins and were baptized. But others, especially the religious leaders, were too proud. They would not admit how sinful they were. They refused to be humbled by being dipped under the water. Baptism required simple obedience to God's command. It meant trusting God for forgiveness. Their hard hearts had no room for such trust and obedience.

"All the people, even the tax collectors...acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John" (Luke 7:29-30).

One Greater than John
        The leaders should have listened to John. He was "a prophet...and more than a prophet," a truly great man (Matthew 11:9-11). Yet, as great as John was, the Coming One would be much greater. John himself said,

"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come One who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry.He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matthew 3:11).

         John hardly dared to touch the shoes of the Coming One. John used water for baptism; the Coming One could do something far greater -- he would baptize using God's Spirit! The Holy Spirit is part of God Himself. Who would be so high and exalted that He could use the Holy Spirit as John used water?
        Yet this Coming One looked like an ordinary man. So John, by himself, had no way to recognize Him. God told John to look for this sign: The Holy Spirit would take the shape of a dove and come down on the Coming One, the One about whom John preached (John 1:33).
The Baptism of Jesus
        While John was prophesying about the Coming One, Jesus was over 100 kilometers (62 miles) away, at the village of Nazareth. He was a humble carpenter, helping to care for his mother, brothers and sisters.
        Jesus then traveled to meet John and to be baptized by him. John knew of Jesus' goodness. He did not want to baptize Jesus. John said,
"...I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" (Matthew 3:14).
        Jesus had no sins to confess. He had no need of forgiveness. But He always fulfilled God's righteous will. He commanded John to baptize Him (Matthew 3:13-15). When Jesus was baptized, the Spirit of God came down and settled on Him. A voice from heaven said,
"You are My Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased" (Luke 3:21-22).
        John realized then that the Coming One was JESUS. The One for whom John had been looking had arrived!

"...John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the One I meant when I said, "A man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me." I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.' Then John gave this testimony: 'I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him. I would not have known Him, except that the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, "The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit." I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God'" (John 1:29-34).
Listening to John
        Isaiah and Malachi had drawn a picture of the special messenger who would prepare the way. John the Baptizer was the only one who fit that picture. John prepared for the Great One to come.
        For whom did he prepare? Jesus!
John led all the people toward Jesus (John 3:22-36). John's part is so important that it helps to begin each of the first four books of the New Testament -- Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Anyone who seeks to know the truth about Jesus should give careful thought to the report of John. For John too was a lover of truth.
        John spoke the truth so boldly that he was later killed by King Herod (Mark 6:14-29). He was an eyewitness of heaven's sign, which pointed to Jesus. Through John's testimony we can be sure that the Coming One promised by the Old Testament is JESUS. John helps us to see the Light.

"There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that Light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the Light; he came only as a witness to the Light" (John 1:6-7).

        God closed the Old Testament with wonderful promises. He would come to visit His temple.
A special messenger would prepare for His coming. 400 years passed.
Then God spoke again. The New Testament opened by telling of John the Baptizer, the new "Elijah." He was the preparing prophet predicted by Malachi and Isaiah. For whom did John prepare? John prepared for, and pointed to, JESUS.
• Malachi 3:1 - "'See, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple; the Messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,' says the LORD Almighty."
 
• Luke 1:17 - "He (John) will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous -- to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
• Matthew 3:11 - "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come One who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
• Matthew 3:14 - "...I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?"
• Luke 3:21-22 - "You are My Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased."
• John 1:6-7 - "There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that Light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the Light; he came only as a witness to the Light."
 
You, O God, are faithful, keeping every promise.
To You hundreds of years are just a short while. They do not cause You to forget.

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