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He That Has Ears To Hear, Let Him Hear
(Matthew 11:15-30)
Challenging both secular wisdom and religious doctrines. - Will our descendants know moral virtue?
Easter
- He is Risen!
"He is not here. He has risen from the
dead as he said he would." Matthew 28:6
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Sir Lionel Luckhoo (1914-1997), was ambassador of Barbados and Guyana.
Knighted by the Queen of England, he was listed in The Guinness Book of World
Records as the world's most successful criminal attorney. Sir Lionel Luckhoo,
who spoke to presidents, kings, parliaments and the United Nations, stated:
"The
bones of Muhammad are in Medina, the bones of Confucius are in Shantung, the
cremated bones of Buddha are in Nepal. Thousands pay pilgrimages to worship at
their tombs which contain their bones. But in Jerusalem there is a cave cut into
the rock. This is the tomb of Jesus. IT IS EMPTY! YES, EMPTY! BECAUSE HE IS
RISEN! He died, physically and historically. He arose from the dead, and now
sits at the right hand of God."
Only one "prophet" claimed He was God. Only one
"prophet" rose from the dead.
He
is Risen! "Death is swallowed up in victory."
1 Corinthians 15:54 
"He is not here. He has risen from the dead as he said he would."
Matthew
28:6
"For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine
Holy One to see corruption." Psalms 16:10
(Click here for information concerning Easter and the calendar. Click Here to for a chart Of Easter, Passover and Pentecost Dates thru 2050)
Has Jesus Risen to the Throne of YOUR Life?
See also: Death & Judgment Day
He is Risen - Death is swallowed up in victory.
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Psalms 16:10
"And when they heard this they were pierced in their hearts."
Acts 2:29-40: “Men, brothers, allow me to say to you with confidence concerning the Patriarch David, that he died and was buried, and his tomb is among us until this day. Therefore since he was a prophet, and knew that God swore to him with an oath “He will cause One to sit on His throne from the fruit of David’s loins,” (2 Sam. 7:12, 13, Ps. 132:11) 31. since he saw beforehand, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah that ‘neither would He be forsaken in Hades nor’ His flesh ‘see corruption.’ (Ps. 16:10)
God resurrected this Y’shua, of which we all are witnesses: therefore since He has been raised to the right hand of God, and has taken the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He poured this out which also you are seeing and hearing. For David was not raised into the heavens, but he says, ‘The Lord said to My Lord, You must sit at My right hand, until I would have put Your enemies under Your feet.’ (Ps. 110:1) Therefore assuredly all the House of Israel must continually know that God also made Him Lord and Messiah, this Y’shua Whom you crucified.”
And when they heard this they were pierced in their hearts. They said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “What could we do, men, brothers?” And Peter said to them, “You must immediately repent, and each of you must immediately be immersed in the name of Y’shua Messiah, for forgiveness of your sins and you will take the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all those in far away places, whomever the Lord our God will call to Himself.” And he chargedthem in many other words and was urging them saying, “You must right now be rescued from this crooked generation.”
Luke 24:13-49 (BBE) - And then, two of them (Disciples), on that very day (of the resurrection of Jesus), were going to a little town named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking together about all those things which had taken place. And while they were talking and questioning together, Jesus himself came near and went with them. But their eyes were not open that they might have knowledge of him. And he said to them, What are you talking about together while you go?
Then stopping, and looking sadly at him, one of them, named Cleopas, said to him, Are you the only man living in Jerusalem who has not had news of the things which have taken place there at this time? And he said to them, What things? And they said, The things to do with Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, great in his acts and his words, before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers gave him up to be put to death on the cross. But we were hoping that he would be the Saviour of Israel.
In addition to all this He has now let three days go by from the time when these things took place; And certain women among us gave us cause for wonder, for they went early to the place where his body had been put, And it was not there; then they came saying that they had seen a vision of angels who said that He was living. And some of those who were with us went to the place, and saw that it was as the women had said, but Him they did not see.
And he said, O foolish men! how slow you are to give belief to what the prophets have said. Was it not necessary for the Christ to go through these things, and to come into his glory? And he made clear to them all the things in the Writings, from Moses and from all the prophets, which had to do with Himself.
And they came near the town to which they were going, and he seemed as if he was going on; But they kept him back, saying, Do not go, for evening is near, the day is almost gone. And he went in with them. And when he was seated with them at table, he took the bread, and said words of blessing and, making division of it, he gave it to them. And then their eyes were open, and they had knowledge of him, but he went from their view. And they said to one another, Were not our hearts burning in us while he was talking to us on the way, making clear to us the holy Writings?
And that very hour they got up and went back to Jerusalem, where the eleven and the others had come together. And they said to them, The Lord has truly come back to life again, and Simon has seen Him. And they gave an account of the things which had taken place on the way, and how, when He gave them bread, they had knowledge of Him. And while they were saying these things, He himself was among them, and said to them, Peace be with you! But they were full of fear, being of the opinion that they were seeing a spirit.
And He said to them, Why are you troubled, and why are your hearts full of doubt? See; my hands and my feet: it is I myself; put your hands on me and make certain; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have. And when He had said this, He let them see His hands and His feet. And because, for joy and wonder, they were still in doubt, He said to them, Have you any food here? And they gave Him a bit of cooked fish. And before their eyes He took a meal.
And He said to them, These are the words which I said to you when I was still with you, how it was necessary for all the things which are in the writings of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms about Me, to be put into effect. Then He made the holy Writings clear to their minds.
And He said to them, So it is in the Writings that the Christ would
undergo death, and come back to life again on the third day; And
that teaching about a change of heart and forgiveness of sins is to
be given to Jerusalem first and to all nations in his name. You are
witnesses of these things.
And now I will send to you what my father has undertaken to give
you, but do not go from the town, till the power from heaven comes
to you.
1 Corinthians 15:49-58 -
And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we
shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren,
that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth
corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery; We
shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall
sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this
mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have
put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality,
then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is
swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where
is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin
is the law. But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye
steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
John 11:25: I am the resurrection, and the life:
he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever
lives and believes in me shall never die. Believe you this?
Romans 8:11 - But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the
dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also
quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you.
1 Corinthians 15:11-22
- Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach,
and so you believed. Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the
dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the
dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ
not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain,
and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses
of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ:
whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the
dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not
raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins. Then they also
which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only
we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is
Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that
slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the
resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ
shall all be made alive.
2 Corinthians 5:1-7 -
For we
know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we
have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the
heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon
with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we
shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do
groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but
clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he
that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath
given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always
confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are
absent from the Lord: (For
we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and
willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the
Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 - For the love of Christ constrains us; because we thus
judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died
for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto
themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
Romans 8:24-25 - For we are saved by hope:
but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man sees, why does he yet hope
for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for
it.
Hebrews 11:7 - By faith
Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear,
prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned
the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Would Noah otherwise have built an ark on a
mountain with no water in sight, after being warned about things not yet
seen? What would reason have us do?
1 Corinthians 1:17-31 - For Christ sent me
not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest
the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of
the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved
it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of
the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this
world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that
in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by
the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews
require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ
crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks
foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ
the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is
wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see
your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not
many mighty, not many noble, are called:
But God hath chosen
the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath
chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are
mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath
God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that
are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in
Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that
glories, let him glory in the Lord.
Was Jesus in the Grave for ‘Three Days and Three Nights’? -
By Gary DeMar -
...So even if Jesus was crucified on Friday and raised on Saturday, we are still
missing a third night (first night, Friday, second night, Saturday). Attempts to
resolve this apparent contradiction center on the mistaken assumption that
“heart of the earth” is a reference to the time Jesus spent in the grave. Does
“heart of the earth” mean the grave?: Award-Winning Christian Company Produces New 'Lost Secrets' Easter Video
- THOMSON, Ill., April 5, 2017 /Christian
Newswire/ -- The executive producer of an award-winning Christian audio
adventure series has produced an Easter video that can be used for free in
churches and small groups. Bill Heid, executive producer of Heirloom Audio
Productions, said he originally made the video for those close to him, but
decided to make it public when he received encouraging requests and
responses. The video is called The Lost Secrets of Easter.
The Eyewitness Testimony That’ll Make You Never Doubt the Resurrection
Again – By Paul Strand - Christianity's core belief is that the Son
of God took on human form, died for our sins and then rose from the dead to give
us eternal life. But if Jesus Christ didn't come back to life, it undoes His
claim to be the all-powerful, eternal Son of God, Savior and Messiah. So,
Christianity hangs on the Resurrection. (See the evidence and videos at link.)
….
Jesus Resurrection – Proof that Death is a Failure - By
Michael Bresciani - … The resurrection of Christ isn’t merely about Easter
religious observances, spring, flowers, bunnies and Easter bonnets, it is the
single most important event in the history of mankind. It is the pivotal point
upon which every man and woman’s final destiny rests. Perhaps no one in recent
history has described this immutable truth better than Mr. Timothy Keller. “If
Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn’t
rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which
everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching, but whether or not
he rose from the dead.” - Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age
of Skepticism.
Easter - The
Prerequisite to Pentecost
"One thing is needful"
-
The Promise, The Comforter, The Teacher
Luke 17:20-21 - And when he
was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he
answered them and said,
"The kingdom of God comes not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo
here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 - Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and
that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him
shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
Are not many Christians still occupied with an
external Christ? Do they keep Him on the Cross? Have they raised Him to
heaven but left Him there?
Why couldn't the disciples "bear them now?" They
walked beside Jesus for three years, but Jesus was
not dwelling in them until the Day of Pentecost. John 14
- Let not
your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's
house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told
you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there
you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.
Thomas said unto him, Lord, we don't know where you
are going; so how can we know the way? Jesus said unto him,
I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man
comes unto the Father, but by me. If you had known me, you should have known
my Father also: and from henceforth you know him, and have seen him. Philip said unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it will suffice. Jesus
said unto him, Have I been so long time with
you, and yet you have not known me, Philip? he that has seen me has seen
the Father; and how do you say, Show us the Father? Believe you not that I am
in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak
not of myself: but the Father that dwells in me, he does the works. Believe me
that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me
for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believes on
me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these
shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever you shall ask in my
name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If
you shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If you love me, keep
my commandments.
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another
Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of
truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows
him: but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you. I will not
leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world
sees me no more; but you see me: because I live, you shall live also. At that
day you shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he
that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will
manifest myself to him. Judas said unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it
that you will manifest yourself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus
answered and said unto him, If a man
love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come
unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loves me not keeps not my
sayings: and the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent
me. These things have I spoken
unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is
the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all
things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto
you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world
gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid. You have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again
unto you. If you loved me, you would rejoice, because I said, I go unto
the Father: for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it
come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, you might believe. Hereafter I
will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world comes, and has
nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the
Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
Luke 24:49
-
"And, behold, I send the promise of my
Father upon you: but tarry you in the city of Jerusalem, until you be endued
with power from on high."
John 15:4-5 -
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear
fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide
in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him,
the same brings forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
John 16:7-14 -
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient
for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto
you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will
reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin,
because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father,
and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is
judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all
truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that
shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for
he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.
John 20:19-22 - Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the
doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came
Jesus and stood in the midst, and says unto them, Peace
be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his
hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then
said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my
Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and says unto them,
Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
Acts 1:4-8 - And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that
they should
not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, says
he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with
water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt
thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them,
It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put
in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is
come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Acts 10:44-48 -
While Peter yet spoke these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which
heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were
astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was
poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues,
and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these
should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And
he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him
to tarry certain days. Acts 11:15-17
- And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on
us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he
said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be
baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like
gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I,
that I could withstand God?
Acts 15:7-9 - And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and
said unto them, Men and brethren, you know how that a good while ago God made
choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the
gospel, and believe. And God, which knows the hearts, bare them witness,
giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference
between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. AActs
19:2-7 - nd it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul
having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain
disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye
believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether
there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye
baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily
baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they
should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And
when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they
spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve. See also the following Scriptures concerning the
Spirit. -
Romans 8:1-17,
1 Corinthians 15:35-58,
Galatians 5:16-26,
Galatians 6:8 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the
which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which
he has purchased with his own blood. Acts 20:28 Ephesians 1:17-23 -
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give
unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The
eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the
hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in
the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who
believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in
Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in
the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and
dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in
that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to
be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fullness of
him that fills all in all. What is
the Kingdom of God that Christ presented? It is one thing to
see
the kingdom (John 3:3,
it is another to
enter into the
kingdom. (John 3:5)
Luke 11:52 -
Woe unto you,
lawyers! for you have taken away the key of knowledge: you entered not in
yourselves, and them that were entering in you hindered.
The law and
the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached,
and every man presses into it. Luke 16:16 Jesus did not preach miracles and wonders. He
preached the Kingdom of God. Signs and wonders were just signs that followed,
signs that are of the Kingdom of God. He that believes on
me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water. (But this spoke he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him
should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not
yet glorified.) John 7:38-39 Proverbs 20:27 - The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all
the inward parts of the belly. Ecclesiastes 3:21 -
Who knows the spirit of man that goes upward, and the spirit of the beast
that goes downward to the earth? Zechariah 12:1 - The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, says the LORD, which
stretches forth the heavens, and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms
the spirit of man within him.
1 Corinthians 2:11 - For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man
which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God. John 6:63 - It is the Spirit that quickens, the
flesh profits nothing. Romans 14:17:
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but
righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Jesus - John 8:24b: "...for if ye believe not that
I am he, ye shall die in your sins."
Acts 4:12: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none
other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?
Happy Easter, onto Pentecost....
CBN.com Easter
Special Section (2010) Explore the Garden Tomb, Biblical
Archaeologists Explore the Crucifixion,
Gordon Robertson Teaches on Jesus in Psalm 22 "Can you imagine, a
Psalmist a thousand years before it actually happened describing exactly
what people are going to be saying to Jesus as He's hanging on the cross?
It absolutely boggles your mind."
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There were times when Jesus spoke in parables so He would not be
understood by everyone: “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted…. Therefore I speak to
them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they
do not hear, nor do they understand” (Matt.
13:11, 13; see 13:34–35). The
Scribes and Pharisees had come to Jesus asking for a sign. Similar language and
context are used by Jesus in John 2:19:
“The Jews therefore answered and said to Him, ‘What sign do You show to us,
seeing that You do these things?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Destroy this
temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’”
Since Matthew 12:40 is the
only place in Scripture where “three days and three nights” and “heart of the
earth” are used, we can assume that it’s an idiomatic expression that takes some
deciphering using other Scripture passages.
If Jesus was buried in the “heart of the earth,” and “heart” is a metaphor for
“center” or “middle,” then Jesus was not buried in the literal heart (center) of
the earth. From what we know of Jesus’ burial, He was buried above ground (Matt.
28:2) in a rock-hewn grave (Mark 15:46)
that could be entered and exited easily.
Jerusalem was considered the “heart of the earth”: “Thus says the
Lord GOD, ‘This is Jerusalem; I have set her at the center of the nations, with
lands around her’” (Ezek. 5:5). Later in
Ezekiel, Jerusalem is said to be “the navel [center] of the world” (Ezek.
38:12). “Jesus does not simply use Jonah as a convenient analogy to express
the time span of three days. In fact, “three days and three nights in the heart
of the earth” is a strained analogy for the crucifixion. To make Jesus’s
experience cover three days and three nights, we must extend it to his time on
trial, so that the “heart of the earth” is Jerusalem and thus includes Jesus’s
trial by Jew, Edomite, and Roman. (Calling Jerusalem the “heart of the earth” is
not a novel reading; Ezekiel 38:12
refers to the “navel” of the land, and Ezekiel
5:5 describes Jerusalem as being in the “middle” of the nations.)”6
Jerusalem was the redemptive center of the world: “but you will
receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My
witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the
remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Today, it’s no longer physical Jerusalem but the “Jerusalem above” (Gal.
4:26) “the heavenly Jerusalem” that is the redemptive center (Heb.
12:22).
Jesus continually points to Jerusalem as the place where He would be betrayed
and crucified: “From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He
must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests
and scribes, and be killed, and be raised on the third day” (Matt.
16:21). When did the “suffer many things” begin?: “Behold, we are going up
to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered up to the chief priests and
scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will deliver Him up to the
Gentiles to mock and scourge Him, and on the third day He will be raised” (20:17–19).
From the time of His being “delivered up” on Thursday evening in
the Garden of Gethsemane to the day He “will be raised” constitutes “three days
and three nights” in the “heart of the land,” that is, in Jerusalem. The Greek
word often translated as “earth” is better translated as “land.”
There is no need to claim that there was a special Sabbath or even
to argue that exactly 72 hours was necessary for Jesus’ words to be true. “Heart
of the earth”– considered to be the center of the world–was Jerusalem.
"I really made this video for my family and friends," Heid said.
"But then people started asking me if they could use it in church, Sunday
school or if they could just forward it to others." A few people, he said,
even cried when watching it. The video retells the Easter story,
but it doesn't stop there. At 11 minutes, the video is slightly longer than
many Easter videos - which was on purpose, Heid said.
"If you end the story too early, which almost all Easter videos do,
then you're going to miss the lost secrets of Easter," Heid said. "Easter is
the single most important day of the year because it's the whole point of
all human history, but there's more, much more." The video -- which is ideal
for a church worship service, Sunday school, small group or even a church
Facebook page -- can be viewed or downloaded for free at
TheLostSecretsOfEaster.com. A license is not needed to show it in
churches.
Happy Easter - Time to Raise Jesus to
the Throne of YOUR Life
God's plan is
not for you to get into
heaven, God's plan is for Him to live in you.
John 16:12-13 - I have yet many things to say
unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of
truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of
himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show
you things to come.
What was the "promise" Jesus told His disciples to wait
for?
"Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?"