Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Told You Before It Comes To Pass (LS31)

           'Last Sermon of Jesus'

John 14:25, 29  "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.... And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe."
      Our Lord Jesus always told His disciples the events beforehand so that when these events came to pass they might believe Him and His prophecies. Their faith in Him would definitely increase causing them to wait patiently and joyfully for the fulfilment of the next prophecy.

Mat 16:21  From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
    Our Lord told His disciples repeatedly about His impending sufferings in the hands of the elders and the chief priests, His death and finally His resurrection on the third day.

Mark 10:33-34  "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again."
    This prophecy described in great detail the chronology of events leading up to His death and resurrection. It accurately pointed out His betrayal, death sentence, delivered to Pontius Pilate, humiliation, torture and death inflicted by the Roman soldiers.
    When the disciples witnessed His sufferings and death, they should be rejoicing! Instead, the fear of being caught blinded them so much so that they completely forgotten about His prophecy.

John 19:26  When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!"
    John was the only disciple who was at the foot of the cross during His crucifixion along with His mother Mary and a few women. The rest of the disciples were fearful and witnessed from a distance. He was not fearful of being caught or killed because of his faith and love for Jesus.

1John 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
      Because John loved Jesus, so our Lord Jesus was very pleased to fulfill His promise by loving John [ he who loves Me...I will love him - John  14:21  ]. He wants us to realise that He is faithful to His words, and He will also love us if we love Him. Therefore, He kept declaring consistently in the bible that John was the disciple whom Jesus loved.

the third day He will rise again

John 20:8-10  Then the other disciple (John, the one Jesus loved), who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.
      Although He told His disciples beforehand He would be resurrected; none of them believed Him! They did not understand His resurrection except for John (the one Jesus loved), who received the revelation from our Lord.

Brethren, when we love Jesus by keeping His words, He will love us and give us another Helper, the Spirit of truth, who will guide us into all truth so that we are free of worries, doubts, and fear. Then, being led by the Spirit, we can serve Him joyfully with truth and understanding.