​

​https://fb.watch/nxuVz4wELH/



ISRAEL IS UNDER ATTACK!



THIS VIDEO WAS FILMED

BY

ONE OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS


FROM HER WINDOW

IN A

CITY IN THE SOUTH!




A few hours ago

​a coordinated

attack on Israel was initiated,

including

missiles and terrorists

penetrating ​the country


There are many sirens

all over the country,

including in


Jerusalem.


Terrorists are roaming our city streets

firing

at civilians and engaging

in firefights

with our security forces.

​
This of course


affects millions of people

in Israel.



This is the last day

of the



Feast of Tabernacles,


which is traditionally

celebrated in great joy


(completing reading the Torah

and

starting over for another year)


​So the timing is very symbolic.


Please be in prayer with us

for the nation,

​the

leaders, our military
​

Many believers

are serving

in the

​IDF or Reserves,



and many are called back to their units.


We at One For Israel

have

several employees in

the reserves.



Behold,
​

he who keeps Israel

will neither

​slumber nor sleep.

​
​GOLDA MEIR AND

THE MIRACLES OF THE

YOM KIPPUR WAR



ONE FOR ISRAEL 


Golda Meir almost committed suicide when she realized the gravity of the situation. They needed a miracle. On 6th October, 1973, a coalition of Arab armies pounced upon Israel in a surprise attack. Total annihilation of the world’s only Jewish state looked inevitable. 

President Richard Nixon was not famous for his love of Jewish people, but remarkably, he had been prepared for this hour since his childhood. He agreed to help with an enthusiasm few could understand.

When recalling what happened, Nixon said “news of the imminent attack on Israel took us completely by surprise,” and that “as recently as the day before, the CIA had reported that war in the Middle East was unlikely.” Mistakes were made and the intelligence given to Golda Meir was sorely lacking. There were rumblings and rumors of war as it was evident that Egypt in particular wanted to take back ground lost in previous incursions, but still, they didn’t see it coming.

It was Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and the whole country had shut up shop, stopped to fast and pray, and were quietly gathering in synagogues. Strategically, Israel’s enemies (led by Egypt and Syria) could not have chosen a better moment for their attempt to recover land and dignity but also to upend the Jewish homeland, which had only just been reestablished after a 2000 year exile. But God was not about to allow His handiwork to be undone. On this 50th anniversary, we reflect on the jubilee deliverance of the Yom Kippur miracle, and how God saved the day.

GRAVE MISTAKES WERE MADEIsrael was still basking in the glory of the remarkable victory the Six Day War in 1967. Back then, multiple Arab armies had joined forces against Israel, and the survival of the Jewish state has been largely chalked up to miracles. Israel had decided to act quickly to take out the Egyptian air force, which proved a significant factor in getting the upper hand, but their preemptive strike was roundly criticized by the international community. Just six years later, Golda Meir was not willing to push Israel’s luck by trying preemptive action again. While the attacks of 1948 and 1967 had seen all the surrounding armies allied against Israel, this time Jordan had nothing to do with it. Jordan’s King Hussein even reportedly met with Prime Minister Golda Meir on September 25, 1973 to warn her of an imminent attack. Israel began to prepare for battle on October 5 but the truth is that there was a great deal of scepticism about the likelihood of war from both US and Israeli intelligence officials. 

A measly 189 Israeli tanks faced more than seven times their number, with 1400 tanks supplied by the Soviets bearing down on them from Syria. They were ridiculously outnumbered in the south as well. The situation was catastrophic. With Soviet resources backing the Arab forces all hope was lost if Israel were unable to match the strength of the armies coming against them. Saudi Arabia was threatening an oil embargo on anyone who helped Israel, which is why cries for help to the European nations also fell on deaf ears. In desperation, she called the private line of the president of the United States of America, pleading for military aid and armaments. 

It was the middle of the night that President Nixon received Golda’s call. His advisors were not in favor of providing the assistance Meir was asking for, fearing the inevitable energy crisis that would follow a Saudi embargo, but Nixon remembered what his mother had said to him when he was a child…
“I could almost hear my mother’s voice. She would tell me stories and read to me from the Old Testament, the heroes of the Bible. And one afternoon, she said, 

‘Richard, someday you’re going to be in a position where you can help save the Jewish people. And when that day comes, you must do everything in your power.’”

Nixon’s mother, Hannah Milhous Nixon, was a devout believer. Her Christian faith had a profound influence on her son, who called her a “saint” 2. Despite the great cost of helping Israel, and against the recommendation of his Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, the CIA Director Vernon Walters, recalls Nixon acted with urgency saying, “You get the stuff to Israel. Now. Now!”
SAVED BY GRACEOperation Nickel Grass was launched by the Nixon administration to replace Israel’s depleted munitions. According to the Richard Nixon foundation, “Planeload after planeload of supplies literally allowed munitions and materiel to seemingly re-spawn for the Israeli counter effort. 567 missions were flown throughout the airlift, dropping over 22,000 tons of supplies. An additional 90,000 tons of materiel were delivered by sea.”3
Mordechai Gazit, then director general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office, marveled at the American decision: “The airlift was decided not because we asked for it. Our relations with the United States were not at a point where we could have asked for an airlift; this was beyond our imagination.”

In other words, GRACE. Amazing grace.

Bewildered as to why Nixon would jeopardize the US economy for the sake of Israel, some wondered whether Golda Meir had some dirt on Nixon to move him to action against all apparent sense, but the rescue was the grace of God. Working through the life of Hannah Nixon who taught her son to stand with Israel, God had saved the day, even while Nixon was a young boy.
“For generations to come, all will be told of the miracle of the immense planes from the United States bringing in the materiel that meant life to our people.” ~ Golda Meir.

The US economy predictably suffered the consequences of the Saudi embargo and endured a crippling oil crisis as a result. It would be some time before it would be righted again, but Israel was saved.


​

YOM KIPPUR: A FESTIVAL OF GRACE

​We all need grace. It is fitting that the military aid came as it did, as a matter of grace rather than expectation, to a powerless people at the time of Yom Kippur—a day of grace covering the sin we cannot remove ourselves. It is a festival of grace. Today on Yom Kippur we fastin response to the command to “afflict ourselves” (Leviticus 16:29), but the word translated as “afflict” can also mean to humble ourselves. The command to do nothing deals with our pride—we can’t do anything about our sin.  The high priest had to do it all—the community could only stand and watch.


God graciously saved the day for Golda Meir and the people of Israel through Nixon’s obedience to his mother’s exhortation. After the dust settled in 1973, Israel was still standing, in awe and gratitude. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.

In the first chapter of John, the apostle introduces his readers to Jesus, the Son of God. John writes that Jesus is the pre-existent and co-eternal Word of God who became flesh (John 1:1 and 14), the creator of the universe (verses 3 and 10), the life and true light of men (verses 4, 5, and 9), the only begotten Son of God “full of grace and truth” (verse 14), superior to Moses (verse 17), and the only one who has seen the Father (verse 18). As the Gospel of John unfolds, readers are repeatedly prompted to “come and see” who Jesus is and engage with Him.

In John 1:36, John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God. When two of his own disciples hear this, they immediately begin to follow Jesus (verse 37). One of the disciples was Andrew, Simon’s Peter’s brother (John 1:40). The other, unnamed disciple could be John the apostle (“the disciple whom Jesus loved,” see John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20). Jesus turns to both of John’s disciples and asks a simple yet profound question: “What are you seeking?” (John 1:38). The you here is directed at the two men, but it has universal application, as does the same word in John 3:3 and John 3:5. That is, Jesus’ question extends beyond Andrew and the unnamed disciple. Jesus wants to know whether we seek after Him for superficial reasons, such as fame or curiosity, or if we earnestly desire to have our sins forgiven and become genuine disciples. This question challenges everyone who claims to be a disciple of Christ. What are we really seeking?

Jesus knows our thoughts (John 2:24–25), yet He still wants us to articulate what is on our minds. John’s two disciples cannot answer the question, so they reply with a question of their own, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” (John 1:38). The word staying means “abiding,” which is how the ASV renders it. In a gentle manner, Jesus says to them, “Come . . . and you will see” (verse 38). It is not an accident that the word come precedes see. We must first come to Jesus before we can fully understand who He is. And the longer we abide (or remain) with Him, the more He reveals Himself to us (verse 41). The disciples come, “and they spent that day with him” (verse 39). They did not delay, and neither should we. Tomorrow is promised to no one (James 4:14). So, if we wish to see Jesus, we must do so today.

“The next day,” Jesus finds Philip and says to him, “Follow me” (John 1:43). Philip then finds Nathanael and says to 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” (verse 45). Did Philip come to this conclusion on his own? No, it was revealed to him from heaven (Matthew 16:17). Nathanael skeptically asks, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46, ESV). Philip knows that the best remedy for preconceived opinions and doubt is for people to “come and see” the Messiah for themselves (see also John 4:29–30), and that’s what he invites Nathanael to do. Nathanael comes to Jesus and is rid of false presumptions (John 1:48–51).

In John 11:34, Jesus asks where His friend Lazarus is buried. “Come and see, Lord,” they respond. Before Jesus arrives at the tomb, He weeps (verse 35). He wept because He sympathized with those who were suffering (verse 33; Lamentations 3:33; Hebrews 4:15). He wept because He is grieved over sin and death. He wept because He is distressed about His coming crucifixion (Luke 12:50; 22:44). He wept because He dreaded the unimaginable wrath that would be poured upon Him for the sins of everyone (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42). And He wept because He knew that raising Lazarus to life would prompt the religious leaders to finally put Him to death (John 11:45, 53). Burdened as He was, Jesus still went to Lazarus’ tomb and called him out of the grave (verse 43), and “the dead man came out” (verse 44). As Jesus had told Mary, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25, ESV). He has the same message for everyone today.

Do we believe that Jesus is the Lamb of God? Do we believe that He is the Messiah, the Christ? Do we believe that He is the resurrection and the life? If so, then let us “come and see” the risen Savior that we may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).

The apostle John opens his Gospel with a systematic, 18-verse introduction to the Lord Jesus Christ. A key aspect of Christ’s nature that John highlights is that He is the bearer of light. Jesus brings the revelation of God’s life and light into a dark world (verses 4–5). In John 1:6–9, the apostle explains that John the Baptist was merely a witness to the light, but Jesus is the true light: “There was a man sent from God whose name was John [the Baptist]. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.”

John the Baptist’s message was illuminating, but he was not the true light. Jesus is the true light, the real thing, the genuine article—God in the flesh. He alone reveals God’s glory in the world because He is God incarnate who “became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14; see also 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 John 1:1–2; 4:2).

By stating that Jesus is the true light coming into the world, John directly connects Him to Israel’s Messiah as the prophets foretold: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2; see also Isaiah 49:6; 60:1–2; Malachi 4:2).

Jesus is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (Hebrews 1:3). He beams forth the light, truth, and life of God to the world and into the hearts of men and women. Jesus Himself declared, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12; see also John 9:5). At Christ’s transfiguration, Peter, James, and John caught a glimpse of the true light as Jesus’ “face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light” (Matthew 17:2). In the book of Revelation, John describes Jesus’ face “like the sun shining in all its brilliance” (Revelation 1:16). He is the “bright Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16).

Jesus is the true light of God for those who partake of His salvation. When we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, He makes God’s “light shine in our hearts” so we can “know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). Those who trust in Jesus and “believe in the light” become “children of light” (John 12:35–36, 46). As children of the light, we are called to bring His “salvation to the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:47). Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Several elements are necessary to sustain human life: light, air, water, and food are among the most critical. Jesus is the true light means He is our essential source of life. Without light, it is impossible to sustain life of any kind on earth. If the sun ceases to shine, everything will die. Not only is Jesus our light, but He is also the spiritual air we breathe. By His Holy Spirit, He breathes on us the “breath of life” (John 3:8; 20:22). Jesus is also the “living water” who, by His Holy Spirit, becomes in us “a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:10–14; 7:37–39).

Jesus declared Himself to be “the true bread from heaven” (John 6:32). He is the genuine “bread of life” (John 6:35). He is our life-giving, life-sustaining source. He fully meets all our needs and perfectly satisfies our souls. In John 15:1–17, Jesus revealed that He is “the true vine,” and His Father owns the garden. Christ’s followers are described as fruit-bearing branches. They are the true believers who “abide in the vine.” Jesus is everything we need for life because He is God, “the fountain of life” (Psalm 36:9).

Jesus is the true light is John’s unequivocal way of stating that Jesus Christ is the ultimate, one and only, genuine self-disclosure of God to man. The Word of God became flesh and blood, and Jesus Christ is “the light of the world.” In Him, there is “no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). His light is our “light and our salvation” (Psalm 27:1). Jesus Christ is the true light of God sent into the world to pierce through the darkness. Through His life, ministry, and message, Jesus brought the light and life of God to bear on everyone He encountered. That light continues to shine on earth through His Church (Ephesians 5:8; Philippians 2:15).


FOR FURTHER STUDY
John: Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament by Edward W. Klink III
​

THE

“DISCIPLE WHOM JESUS LOVED”


While the Gospel of John does not explicitly identify its author, when we investigate it for clues regarding its authorship, we find several important internal pieces of information. To begin with, we notice several references to a person called “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” He is first mentioned in the account of the upper room, where we read that “one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’s side” (13:23). Later, the same disciple reappears at the high priest’s courtyard after Jesus’ arrest (18:15–16), at the scene of the crucifixion (19:35), and at the empty tomb (20:2, 8–9). In these passages this disciple is referred to as “another disciple” (18:15), “he who saw this” (19:35), “the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved” (20:2), and “the other disciple” (20:8).

So, the internal evidence from the Gospel itself indicates that it was

written by a disciple

(1) who was at Jesus’ side at the Last Supper (and hence was one of the Twelve);

(2) who was at the scene of Jesus’ arrest and trial; and

(3) who witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion and saw Jesus following his resurrection.


What an incredible claim the

Gospel stakes

regarding its author!


The seats on either side of

Jesus at the Last Supper


would have been

places of high honor

reserved for Jesus

’ two closest associates—and the

author of this

Gospel

was seated in one of them.

If we were to compare the Gospel of John to a biography of a U.S. president, it wouldn’t be something written by a journalist who knows about events in the figure’s life only through secondhand accounts or hearsay; it would be written by the president’s chief of staff, closest confidant, or another trusted advisor—someone who was by his side at all the major junctures of his presidency.



THE “DISCIPLE WHOM JESUS LOVED”

AND PETER

There are a few other interesting pieces of information

we can gain from the internal evidence.

One fascinating datum relates to the numerous passages in

John’s Gospel

where the

“disciple whom Jesus loved”

appears in close conjunction with Peter.

Virtually every time where the

“disciple whom Jesus loved”

is mentioned in the

second half of John’s Gospel,

Peter is mentioned as

well.

• Both are present in the upper room when Peter asks the “disciple whom Jesus loved” to ask about the identity of the betrayer (13:23–24).
• Both are there in the high priest’s courtyard; in fact, the “disciple whom Jesus loved” gives Peter access to this courtyard because he is acquainted with the high priest (18:15–16).
• Both visit the empty tomb following Jesus’ resurrection; in fact, they run there together. The “disciple whom Jesus loved” (who apparently was the younger of the two) outruns Peter but then respectfully waits for Peter and allows him to peer into the tomb first before he, too, looks inside and sees that the tomb is empty (20:2–9).
• Both are there at the Sea of Galilee, where they see the risen Jesus at the shore. It is only when the “disciple whom Jesus loved” exclaims, “It is the Lord!” that Peter jumps into the lake and swims excitedly toward Jesus (21:7).
• Finally, Jesus speaks with Peter and the “disciple whom Jesus loved” at the very end of the Gospel (21:20–23).

Why do we see this consistent parallel characterization of Peter and the “disciple Jesus loved”? And who is the person who best fits this description historically? According to the witness of the other Gospels, the book of Acts, and even Paul’s writings,

the person who is most closely

connected to Peter is the apostle John.


John and Peter, together with John’s brother James,

make up the inner circle of three

who alone witness

the raising of Jairus’ daughter

(Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51),

accompany Jesus on the mount of transfiguration

(Matt 17:1; Mark 9:2; Luke 9:28),

and are taken with him to the

garden of Gethsemane

(Matt 26:37; Mark 14:33).



WHY

“DISCIPLE WHOM JESUS LOVED”?


But why does the

apostle John

use the unusual phrase

“the disciple whom Jesus loved”

to identify himself in the

Gospel?

There are probably multiple reasons. It is likely that he

does so to avoid confusion, since there is another person

named John featured in this Gospel:

John the Baptist. By calling himself simply

“the disciple whom Jesus loved,”

the author reserves the name John for John the Baptist.

Thus, when the author first introduces

John the Baptist in the Gospel,

he simply writes,

“There was a man sent from God,

whose name was John.


He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light …”


(1:6).

In addition, the phrase


“the disciple whom Jesus loved”


expresses the important

truth

that John knew himself

to be deeply loved by Jesus.


This aligns with his theology and

ethic of love,

which we can see

not only at the footwashing

(13:1–20)

but also in John’s signature verse, John 3:16:


“God so loved the world, that he

gave his one and

only Son,

that whoever believes in him

should not perish but have

eternal life.”


The most important

truth

John believed was that he

was an undeserving

recipient of


Jesus’ redeeming love
​

According to the Bible,

Jesus healed a man who was

blind from birth by putting

mud made from his saliva

on the man's eyes

and telling him to wash in the 

Pool of Siloam


 Jesus explained that the man's blindness was not caused by sin,

but rather so that the

​works of God might be displayed in him

 There are different interpretations of why Jesus used

mud and saliva

​to heal the man, including recreating the

​person's sight using mud as a symbol

​ of the original creation of man from the



​ "dust of the earth"


Jesus explains that a

person

cannot be redeemed

unless they are

"born again"


The Greek phrase can also mean "born from above." Nicodemus doesn't fully understand this. People frequently misinterpreted Jesus' spiritual teachings in overly physical ways. The question Nicodemus asks in verse 4 about re-entering a mother's womb proves that he knows physical birth is not what Jesus means. He is asking Jesus to further explain the idea.

This concept of rebirth is critical for understanding the gospel. Children inherit the attributes of their parents: to be a "child of God" is no small thing! This also implies the associations of change, and pain, involved in childbirth. The change is mostly on the part of the child, but the pain is mostly on the part of the parent. In this case, the pain suffered by God, in the form of Jesus on a cross, produces rebirth and change in those who turn to Him for salvation.


DID JESUS GET UPSET WITH NICODEMUS FOR

COMING TO SEE HIM AT NIGHT?

No, He didn’t. So please don’t ever think that anyone is ever going to get upset with you for wanting to know more about Jesus. This congregation is filled with godly men and women who would be more than happy to talk to you about Jesus any time of the day or night.
So Nicodemus comes to Jesus and says.

“Rabbi we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” John 3:2“I tell you the truth unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3

NOW, DO YOU NOTICE SOMETHING STRANGE

ABOUT THESE VERSES?

These verses are amazing to me because Nicodemus didn’t ask, ‘How do I see God’s kingdom’? He just told Jesus he thought Jesus was a teacher from God.
Nicodemus was a ruler of Israel, kind of like a politician except he ruled religious matters, as well as civil. He was part of the same council that, three years later, would condemn Jesus to death. And again because Nicodemus snuck out at night to see Jesus, it seems things weren’t looking very good for Jesus politically, even then.

Nicodemus and a few friends were probably part of the minority on this council, believing Jesus was “from God.” Still, Nicodemus didn’t ask the crucial question. But Jesus answered it!

Time and time again in the gospel we see Jesus not answering things that are asked, and answering things that were never asked.

BUT WHY? WHY DOES HE DO THAT?

Well quite simply because He’s God. He knows what’s really on our minds. Jesus speaks to our needs, not to our wants.
“Lord, you have examined me and you know me. You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts. You see me, whether I am working or resting; you know all my actions. Even before I speak, you already know what I will say.” Psalm 139:1-4I believe Jesus knew Nicodemus was sincere and gave him what he needed.

AND WHAT DID HE NEED?

He needed to know how to get into the kingdom of God. Jesus said it takes nothing physical, but a spiritual birth is required. As we’re going to see in a minute even though Nicodemus didn’t understand what ‘born again’ meant, he must have had the question nagging at his insides.

And I know that all of us have those nagging questions inside. When we’re teaching the kids in KBC, I know that all of you have those nagging questions inside because you ask them. But the ultimate question which should be on the mind of all non-Christians is the question ‘How do I get to heaven?’
It’s like, the most important question we could ever ask.

In our lifetime we ask millions of questions but so often it’s

the wrong question. But guys you need to know that choosing the

wrong question has eternal consequences.

And getting answers which you want to hear

instead of the truth

is going to have eternal consequences.

Let me ask you if you had only one question to

ask God’s Son when you met Him,

what would it be?

Surely you wouldn’t ask,

“Hey Jesus how did you do that virgin birth trick?” Surely you wouldn’t ask,

“Hey Jesus how did you turn that

water into wine

at that wedding you attended?”

Surely you wouldn’t ask,

“Hey Jesus how did you do that walking on water thing?”

Now, these are important questions but surely if you

had one question to ask Jesus, you would ask,

‘Jesus, how can I spend eternity with you?

How do I get into heaven where you are?


So Jesus gives Nicodemus the answer to a question

he had deep within his heart

but Nicodemus doesn’t understand.

“What do you mean? How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” John 3:4He says to Jesus, ‘What do you mean?

Now it’s amazing to me how one simple question can cause so much confusion in the religious world. One question with thousands of answers, some contradicting others, each claiming to be the answer! This is one of the most frustrating things we’ve seen in all of Christianity. If you talk to more than one religious person, you’ll get more than one answer to the question.

If you are seeking God, how are you to know what to do? How is the religious world ever going to know how to get into heaven? Who is the author of confusion, anyway? I’ll give you a hint, it isn’t God! The question is how is a person born again and how do they ensure a place in heaven for eternity?
You see Nicodemus thought to himself, ‘wow how on earth can I go back into my mother’s womb?’ And maybe some of you guys are thinking ‘wow, how am I supposed to get back inside my mother’s womb?

Now not only would that be too painful for your mothers, but it’s also impossible. But thankfully as always, Jesus has the answer.

“I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit”. “Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.” John 3:5Jesus says that you need to be born of water and spirit if you want to enter the kingdom of God. The only way to be born of water and spirit is by being baptized in water which is when and only when a person receives the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Now we can see

this idea coming together in Acts.

“Each one of you must turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive God’s gift, the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38Now that’s simple enough to understand, isn’t it? Jesus is talking about becoming a new person after being baptized.
“You were baptized into union with Christ, and now you are clothed, so to speak, with the life of Christ himself.” Galatians 3:27

You see guys before baptism, a person is to repent (change) and when he is baptised, his sins are forgiven him and he is like a new person who has been born again. And when you hear someone say “I’m a born again Christian”, you should know what they mean. Because let me tell you loved ones, there is no such thing as a Christian who hasn’t been born again.

Now being born again is more than just changing clothes. In fact, when you are born again your outward appearance does not change at all. What changes is what is inside of you, your heart. When you are born again, you no longer belong to this world, you belong to Jesus.

And this new life is not temporary like our bodies, it is everlasting. And what is the source of this new life? Jesus of course. We know this because we read it in the Word of God and it’s the Word of God, the Bible which is our source for new life.

Now I know this is difficult to understand for some people, well you should take some comfort from Nicodemus because he as an educated man found it difficult to understand too. He asks Jesus.

“How are these things possible?” John 3:9“As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life”. John 3:14-15Now if anyone should know what Jesus meant here it should be our kids because we talked about this a few weeks ago. But you remember the events of the book of Numbers 21, don’t you?
The people are grumbling against God and Moses and saying, ‘we’re sick and tired of having nothing to drink, we’re sick and tired of eating this same old boring food every day.’ ‘God can we not just back to Egypt at least we would die in decent surroundings instead of this desert?’

So God sent thousands of venomous snakes among them because of their grumbling and many people were bitten and died.

“The people came to Moses and said,

“We sinned when we spoke

against the Lord and against you.

Now pray to the

Lord to take these snakes away.”

So Moses prayed for the people. Then the Lord told Moses to make a metal snake and put it on a pole so that anyone who was bitten could look at it and be healed. So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole. Anyone who had been bitten would look at the bronze snake and be healed.”

Numbers 21:7-9



DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE CONNECTION HERE

WITH JESUS’ WORDS?

Jesus says just the bronze snake had to be lifted up, He too needs to be lifted up which is Bible language for crucifixion. He’s saying just as the people had to look up towards the snake to be healed and be saved,

people today need to look up to

Jesus on the cross to be

healed of their sin and be saved.

Listen guys this world cannot heal your sins; this world hasn’t got the power to forgive your sins. And since Jesus is the only one who has that kind of power we should not only look to Him for salvation, we need to listen to His words.


“Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain, where they were alone. As they looked on, a change came over Jesus, and his clothes became shining white—whiter than anyone in the world could wash them. Then the three disciples saw Elijah and Moses talking with Jesus. Peter spoke up and said to Jesus, “Teacher, how good it is that we are here! We will make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He and the others were so frightened that he did not know what to say. Then a cloud appeared and covered them with its shadow, and a voice came from the cloud, “This is my own dear Son—listen to him!” They took a quick look around but did not see anyone else; only Jesus was with them.” Mark 9:2-8They are up a mountain and the disciples see Moses representing the Law which governed the Israelite’s lives and Elijah representing the prophets who were God’s spokespeople.

They disappear and who’s left? Jesus. And what does God say?

Listen to Him. So let me ask you guys when it comes to getting into heaven who should you listen to for the answer? Jesus.

And so Jesus says.

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16Shortly after the Korean War, a hungry orphan wandered the darkened streets trying to find shelter from the bitter cold of winter. A night watchman noticed his plight and said, “GoMa (child), go to yonder house and say to the one who answers the gate, ‘John 3:16.’ ” “But I do not know what John 3:16 is,” replied the lad.

Nevertheless, desperation took him to the gate and brought that strange expression to his lips. He did not understand, but he whispered, “John 3:16.” The lady smiled and took him into her warm home. The lad was puzzled as he thought, “I do not know what this John 3:16 is, but it sure makes a cold Korean boy warm.”

Seeing his gaunt cheeks, the lady soon had him seated before a steaming bowl of soup. As he ate, the lad thought again, “I do not know what this John 3:16 is, but it sure makes a hungry Korean boy full.” After a bath, he lay there on the warm bed with tears flowing down his cheeks, “I do not know what this John 3:16 is,” he thought, “but it must be the most wonderful thing in the whole world. It makes a strange lady love a lonely Korean boy.”

You see loved ones I don’t care who you are or what you’ve done in the past; you need to know that God loves you. He loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for you and God says if you look up to Jesus He will give you eternal life.

You know many people enjoy boating, fishing, sailing, and canoeing on lakes, rivers, and streams. Have you ever gone out in a boat? If so, I am sure that you know what this is. It is a life jacket.

You know that it is very important to put on a life jacket any time you go out in a boat. You never know when an accident might happen or when a storm might come up. If you are thrown from the boat, a life jacket can save your life.

I remember a true story about some men and boys who went fishing on a lake. Before they got into the boat, they began to put on their life jackets. One of the men refused to put on a life jacket.

Perhaps he thought it made him look like a sissy, or maybe he thought, “I know how to swim. If anything happens I can save myself.”

They had only been on the lake for a short time when a sudden storm came up. The wind blew and the waves became so high that they turned the boat over.

The ones who were wearing life jackets made it to shore and were saved. The man who was not wearing a life jacket drowned because he had refused to take the one thing that could have saved him.

The Bible tells us that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Jesus wants to save us and take us to Heaven to be with him, but there are some people who think they might look like a sissy if they admit that they need Jesus.

They think that they can take care of themselves without him. When the storms of life come up, they are thrown overboard and are lost forever because they refused to take hold of the one thing that could save them, Jesus.
It is foolish to go out onto the water without a life jacket, but it is even more foolish to try to sail the sea of life without Jesus! Now you might be thinking ‘well I believe in Jesus and that’s enough!’

Loved ones keep the text in its context. Jesus is still speaking with Nicodemus and he’s just finished telling him that he needs to be baptised to enter the kingdom of heaven.


WAS NICODEMUS EVER BAPTISED? DID HE OBEY JESUS’ WORDS?

Well according to John 7:50 he was the one who argued for Jesus to have a fair trial. In John 19:39 Nicodemus brought spices, myrrh and aloes to help with the burial of Jesus. The Bible doesn’t tell us any more about him and that could be a question we ask Jesus when we see Him.

But the most important question you need to ask yourself, now that you know how to get to heaven is, are you willing to listen to Jesus and obey His commands?
​

The greatest person in the kingdom will of course be Jesus. After that, ranking the greatest is full of surprises. Matthew 18:1–5 records, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ [Jesus] called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me’” (see also Mark 9:35–37; Luke 9:46–48).

This incident occurred after the Transfiguration and after Jesus’ second prediction of His death. Jesus had also just spoken about paying temple taxes, essentially claiming exemption as the Son of God yet miraculously providing for both Peter’s tax and His own so as not to cause offense. Too, Jesus had healed a demon-possessed boy whom His disciples were unable to heal (Matthew 17:14–21). Jesus’ power was evident, and the disciples recognized Him as Messiah and King. Evidently, they were interested in what their roles would be in Jesus’ kingdom. Rather than provide qualifications for the greatest or talk about a hierarchical structure, Jesus said those who became like children—humble—were the greatest (Matthew 18:4).

Interestingly, after Jesus talks about the greatest being like a child, John tells Jesus that he had tried to stop others who were casting out demons in Jesus’ name (Mark 9:38; Luke 9:49).

Apparently, the lesson had not quite sunken in,

or perhaps John was convicted by Jesus’ words and chose to confess his mistake. Jesus explained that what mattered was not who was doing the works but the Name in which the works were being done.

It is God who deserves

the glory,

not an elite group of His followers.

We also see in Matthew 20 and Mark 10 a request from John and James to sit with Jesus in His kingdom. Jesus replied by asking them if they were able to suffer as He was going to suffer. He then said, “To sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father” (Matthew 20:23).

Being great in God’s kingdom is not about prestige or privilege.

Rather, it involves

responsibility and sacrifice.

Jesus told His disciples,

“Whoever wants to be

my disciple must deny themselves

and take up their cross and follow me.

For whoever wants to save their life

will lose it,

but whoever loses their life

for me will find it.

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world,

yet forfeit their soul?

Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done” (Matthew 16:24–27). To be great is to serve self-sacrificially. Being great in God’s kingdom is about giving oneself for the sake of God’s glory and for the benefit of others.

Luke 22 tells about another dispute among the disciples about

who was the greatest, this time during

the Last Supper.


Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:25–27). This is the same night Jesus performed the service of the lowest of servants by washing His disciples’ feet. John 13 tells us Jesus did this because of His love for the disciples and also fully knowing His own relationship with the Father. Again, we see that the greatest is not the one with power or prestige, but the one who is secure in the Father’s love and willing to serve.

Consistent in Jesus’ teaching is that His kingdom is not like the kingdoms of this world. Humans tend to be concerned with social status, political clout, and pecking order. We tend to rank people according to how things look to us in this world, but Jesus warned that using earthly criteria will never give us an accurate picture of rank in God’s kingdom. Human judgment will give way to God’s some day: “Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first” (Matthew 19:30).

Rather than strive to be the greatest in this world, we should simply trust in Jesus and serve others, thereby serving Him. Positions of power are meant to be positions of service. Rather than lord power over others, we are to use any influence or resources we have to serve others. The greatest in the kingdom are those who have the humility of a child and the meekness of Jesus. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).


What is valued in God’s kingdom is loving the way

He loved us—selflessly.


“Today the Virgin gives birth to the One who surpasses all created essences, and the earth offers a cave to the Inaccessible One.  Angels sing his glory together with the shepherds; the wise men journey with the star.  For to us in born an infant Child: God eternal.”  In this hymn from the Byzantine Liturgy of the Nativity of Christ, the basic theological truths concerning the Incarnation of the Son of God are contained: the Virgin Birth, the humanity (“infant child”) and divinity (“God eternal”) of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Several historical elements described in the Gospels are also there: the angels, the shepherds, the magi.  All of this is communicated in the icon of the Nativity—not with words, as in the hymn, but in images which speak even more profoundly than words.

The icon is a proclamation of the Gospel in color and form.  The grace of the various mysteries of our salvation is communicated to us as we contemplate the visual representation of the word of God revealed through Scripture and Tradition.  So much is an icon meant to announce the message of the Gospel, that an icon is traditionally said to be written, not painted, by the iconographer. In the icon of the Nativity there are treasures for the study of theology and the practice of prayer, if we will seek to understand its symbols and to surrender to the attractive power of its silent proclamation.

As we have already implied, the presentation of the figures and events depicted in icons is primarily theological and symbolic, not only historical.  Still less is it sentimental, as Christmas art often tends to be.  The transcendent always permeates the historical, lifting it into the sphere of divine realities.  Thus an icon can speak a deeper truth, which proceeds from faith, than can a journalistic report of the same event.  Since God has taken flesh, entering into our time and space, all things carry the potential for a divine transfiguration. 


Thus the birth of a child

in a humble cave

is shown to be an event which is

felt by the ends of the universe,

and which forever transforms

human life and history.


The central image

of the icon is the divine Incarnation,

the kenosis or

“self-emptying” of God

(see Phil. 2:7). 


Therefore we have Jesus lying in a

manger in swaddling clothes. 

His Mother is near Him, for

God the Son was

“born of a woman”


(Gal. 4:4). 

In the cave are an ox and ass, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy:

“An ox knows its owner,

and an ass it’s master’s manger”

(Is. 1:3). 

The cave is dark, a symbol of this world,

whose people have dwelled in darkness

until Christ,

the great Light,

has shone upon them (see Mt. 4:16). 


From Heaven a light

comes down into the cave to direct

our attention to Him

who is the

Light of the world. 


The light itself

symbolizes the descent of God

into our world.


When you see something in an icon that strikes you as unusual, you can be sure that there is more than meets the eye, that a mystery is about to be revealed.  One might expect that Mary would be holding her newborn Son, or at least looking at Him!  But her face is turned away from Him.  What we have here is a theological statement based on an Old Testament belief: man cannot see God and live, so overwhelming is his glory (see Ex. 33:20; Is. 6:5).  Now we know, of course, that Mary did look at Jesus, that she held Him, nursed Him, etc., as any good mother would do for her child. 

But the icon uses images and symbols to

speak more profound

truths. 

The icon is here saying: Jesus is God.

This central image is surrounded by the figures from the Gospels: the magi and the shepherds who come to worship the newborn King and Savior, and the angels who both announce the good news to the shepherds and sing the glory of God.  It is not unusual for an icon to depict several events at once, in order to present more fully the mystery.  Sometimes we can even find the same person more than once in a particular icon.

In the lower right corner of the Nativity icon, Jesus is depicted again, this time being bathed by Hebrew midwives.  This image is meant to communicate the truth that Jesus is fully man as well as fully God.  The washing of the infant Jesus immediately after birth shows that He truly came into the world through the womb of the Virgin Mary.

Although Mary’s virginity was

miraculously preserved,

this icon tells us that the

Lord embraced fully our human condition. 

He entered the world in a most

humble fashion,

not merely appearing human but

being truly so.

No nativity scene is complete without St Joseph, yet in the icon he, like Mary, is not quite where one would expect him to be—again, for the sake of revealing a divine mystery.  We find him in the lower left corner of the icon, looking a bit sad or perplexed, and there is a bent old man talking to him.  That old man is the devil, reminding St Joseph that there is his wife and her baby, that he had no relations with her, and there’s only one way that babies come into the world!  We know from the Gospel of Matthew that St Joseph did struggle with the fact that his betrothed became pregnant without him.  He was later enlightened by an angel, but what the icon is symbolically revealing is: Jesus was conceived and born of a Virgin.

If St Joseph is wondering how it all came to pass, then we know that he is not the natural father of the Child. 


God alone

is the Father of the

Son of Mary

On another level, St Joseph here represents all of us.  As Leonid Ouspensky writes, “In the person of Joseph the icon discloses not only his personal drama, but the drama of all mankind—the difficulty of accepting that which is ‘beyond words or reason’—the Incarnation of God”

(from The Meaning of Icons).

So, as we contemplate the icon of the Nativity, we may bring to God our own struggles and wonderings, as well as our reverence, faith, and love.  With the shepherds we hasten to see what the angels have announced; with the magi we bow in adoration, offering the gift of our hearts.  With all of creation we stand in awe before the mystery of the divinity and humanity of Christ, and of the Virgin Birth.

Another element, not directly communicated by the icon but brought to light by the prayer and practice of the Byzantine Churches, is the relation of the Incarnation to the Eucharist.  Christ has come into the world not only as its Light, but also as the Bread from Heaven.  The Nativity icon is traditionally placed in the sanctuary over the table at which the bread and wine are ritually prepared for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.  Jesus “takes flesh” anew, as it were, by transforming the bread and wine into his own Body and Blood, which He received from the Virgin Mary.

The helpless little Child in the manger reminds us, in this Eucharistic context, of the Lamb of God, who went forth to sacrifice meekly and without opening his mouth (see Is. 53:7).  The main host is called the “Lamb,” and prophecies of Isaiah are prayed as it is cut and prepared. 

As the golden “asteriskos” is placed over the

bread on the diskos (paten), the priest says:



“And the star

came and stood

over the place where the

Child was.”

Thus the kenosis of

God manifested in his Incarnation

is linked with that of his

sacrificial death on the Cross.

As you meditate this Christmas season on the

mystery of God becoming man,

allow the icon to

guide your mind and heart

to a prayerful contemplation of

Emmanuel and the

Virgin Mother. 

Never think that you can exhaust the


riches of this mystery. 


This little Child “

is the

image of the invisible God,

the

first-born of all creation…


all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:15-17). 


Glory to God in the highest!

 
       “[Mary] is eternally

the Mother of the members of Christ:

Mother of their divine life,

a mother who never ceases

to beget them to this divine life;

a mother who never ceases to watch over them,

carry them, feed them, sustain them,

educate them and direct them toward the

Heart of Jesus and toward the Father while

teaching them to be completely

docile to the inspiration of the

Holy Spirit.


            “With a perfect knowledge of our souls—a knowledge she has received from Christ, since all the secrets of our hearts are revealed to her—she gives and communicates to us this divine life as adopted sons of the Father (adopted yet real) and as members of Jesus.  She knows us and calls us by our name; she has received this knowledge from the Good Shepherd Himself.
            “This knowledge is a practical, loving, and efficacious knowledge.  It is a mother’s knowledge concerning her children, one which binds the mother’s heart and intelligence to her children’s heart and intelligence.  We have here as it were a very intimate communication of life, within a loving knowledge.  Mary, as mother, is completely given to our souls, through Christ and the Father.  And it is in this very gift that she is Mother and that she begets us.  This gift has a maternal modality that cannot be separated from the gift we are given by Christ and the entire Holy Trinity. 

She can give herself as Mother to our souls,

giving birth to divine life in us,

only through the will of the

Son and of the Father, under the shadow of

the Holy Spirit.

“In His wisdom, God willed to fully establish Mary as Mother of His Son so that she might fully be Mother of His members, in order that she might eternally play this role as Mother of our divine life.  That is why the gift of this divine life which she gives to her children is realized in this particular modality of maternity.  She is the vital milieu where their divine life can blossom.  She is the one who carries and envelops their Christian life, who disposes their souls to the action of the Holy Spirit and who, in a very intimate and delicate way, completes in them this action of the Holy Spirit so that God’s graces may be completely efficacious.

            “This helps us to understand the manner in which she is present to each of her children in the intimacy of their divine life, their Christian life.  It helps us to understand how there is a kind of special mode to our grace that connaturalizes us with Mary’s grace and spontaneously inclines us toward her and enables us to live in unison with her divine life.  It is in this sense that we must clearly understand that her motherhood for those still on earth is on another level, beyond, as it were, the instrumental action of the sacraments.
            “We should point out that for those who are still living on earth, Mary’s presence in the intimacy of their divine life is a supernatural presence that remains hidden and veiled and is the source of our highest aspirations and our most ardent desires.  Although hidden, this presence is efficacious and real; it is the presence of someone who maternally acts in us, who gives us God’s life and who never ceases to prepare us and make us docile to the motion of the Holy Spirit.


            “Of course, the Holy Spirit can give us the divine experience of Mary’s motherhood of choice and preference with respect to our souls.   He can make us consciously live from this invisible and maternal presence of Mary in the intimacy of our divine life.  He can teach us to say “Mother” while looking at Mary, just as He teaches us to say “Father” while looking at our Creator.  He can unveil for us and help us experience the unfathomable depths of this motherhood; He can lead us to understand the divine quality of her love.  At the Cross, Mary accepted separation from Jesus in order to become the Mother of John’s divine life.  Jesus asked her for this sacrifice so that she might become our Mother, and Mary accepted it with love.  Thus she preferred the divine life of her son John to the joy of her Son’s physical presence, to her Son’s earthly life.  This choice is eternal.  It is with this ‘quality’ of love that we are loved.
            “The Holy Spirit can bury us and experimentally hide us in the depths of the maternal mercy of Mary’s Heart and ask that we remain there, as though in seclusion, like a little child in sinu Mariae [in the bosom of Mary].  The Holy Spirit can ask us to choose her as a Mother in a very special way, with a choice that seeks to match the divine quality of her own choice.  He can require from us an attitude similar to John’s: to choose her as a Mother in order to obey an imperative order from Christ, in order to obey his last will and take her ‘into our home,’ intimately into our life, as he did, to live exclusively with and by her.  It is a divine dwelling that is very hidden, very solitary, and very silent in which the Holy Spirit can establish us.  We have here a very special covenant of love between our hearts and Mary’s Heart.  Each one of us lives in this covenant, but we are not all divinely aware of it.
      

      “Moreover, Mary cooperates in Christ’s governance upon us, a governance that consists in directing us toward the Father, in leading us through love toward the paternal home.  This governance, which comes from God’s wisdom, is both forceful and gentle, fortiter et suaviter. Mary’s maternal rule over us primarily concerns the blossoming of our Christian life, the perfection of our life of faith, hope, and love.  Mary always hastens the Hour of Christ, as at Cana… She acts ‘forcefully,’ demanding a great deal from us, like a loving mother who has great ambitions for her sons whom she loves so much.  But she acts gently, with infinite delicacy, from within, so to speak, as though we were acting on our own.  She steps aside to leave room for our own initiatives.  She is present in our life of silent prayer to help us live more divinely in Him…
            “This governance especially intervenes in the realm of our human imagination, our memories, our ‘psychological selves.’  This is in fact where most of the battles and struggles are fought, where the majority of temptations occur.  Mary pacifies, calms, simplifies, gets rid of our psychological complexes; she unties them with her maternal and delicate love. 

She also acts in our sensibilities and in our physical strength,

enveloping everything in her maternal grace.


            “Thanks to this action of maternal mercy, her presence, which is realized first of all in the depths of our divine life at its very source, can take hold of our entire human, imaginative, intellectual, affective and sensitive life, according to God’s gracious will.  This maternal action can take hold of everything.  Since Mary possesses her glorious body in heaven, her maternal action can even include more extraordinary modalities: with more sensible or imaginative forms; as also happens for the presence of Christ’s glorious body with respect to His members who are still here on earth.  Mary can visibly appear to her children exiled on earth to comfort them, encourage them and to remind them of the demands of their Christian life…

            “In heaven, for the elect, Mary’s presence is lived in full light, and all its potentials are made perfectly explicit.  Mary still performs this merciful yet forceful maternal role with respect to the elect.  She illuminates each of the elect and gives herself to each one in particular.

            “With respect to the angels, she exercises a queenship and not an intimate motherhood.  She enlightens and illuminates them, but does not give herself to them as a mother.  Thus her children enjoy an intimacy with her that the angels cannot enjoy.”

Since the Garden of Eden, Satan’s major focus has been to divert human hearts away from worship of the true God (Genesis 3:1). He entices humans with the suggestions of power, self-realization, and spiritual enlightenment apart from submission to the Lord God. Witchcraft is merely another branch of that enticement. To become involved in witchcraft in any way is to enter Satan’s realm. Seemingly “harmless” modern entanglements with witchcraft can include horoscopes, Ouija boards, Eastern meditation rituals, and some video and role-playing games. Any practice that dabbles in a power source other than the Lord Jesus Christ is witchcraft. Revelation 22:15 includes witches in a list of those who will not inherit eternal life: “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”

We don’t need to fear Satan’s power, but we should

respect it and stay away from it. First John 4:4 says,

“Greater is He who is in you,

than he who is in the world.”

Satan can create much havoc, harm, and destruction, even in the lives of believers (1 Thessalonians 2:18; Job 1:12–18; 1 Corinthians 5:5). However, if we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no power that can ultimately defeat us (Isaiah 54:17). We are overcomers (1 John 5:4) as we “put on the whole armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11). When we give our lives to Christ, we must repent. This repentance should include renouncing any involvement with witchcraft, following the example of the early believers in Acts 19:19.

Isaiah 8:19 says, “When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?” When we follow those words to their logical conclusion, we could also ask, “Why seek any power apart from the source of all real power? Why seek spirits who are not the Holy Spirit?” Witchcraft and its many counterparts promise spirituality but lead only to emptiness and death (Micah 5:12; Galatians 5:19–21). Only Jesus has the words of life (John 6:68).

“Wilderness wandering” refers to the plight of the Israelites due to their disobedience and unbelief. Nearly 3,500 years ago, the Lord delivered His people from Egyptian bondage as described in Exodus, chapters 1–12. They were to take possession of the land God had promised their forefathers, a land “flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8). Prior to entry, however, they became convinced they could not oust the current inhabitants of the land, even though God told them they could. Their lack of belief in God’s word and promises brought forth the wrath of God. He cursed them with forty years of wilderness wandering until the unbelieving generation died off, never stepping foot in the Promised Land.

A seven-year famine was responsible for God’s chosen people ending up in Egypt. Initially, they flourished under the leadership of Joseph, number two in charge of the country after Pharaoh. “Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt” (Exodus 1:8), and soon, “the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites” (Exodus 1:12). For the next several centuries the Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians who “worked them ruthlessly” (Exodus 1:13). Eventually, God heard their cries (Exodus 2:23-25) and sent Moses and Aaron to rescue them. After enduring the last of the ten plagues—the death of the firstborn males—Pharaoh finally agreed to release the Israelites.

Upon their arrival at Kadesh Barnea, which bordered the Promised Land of Canaan, they sent out twelve spies to survey the land and its people (Numbers 13:18-25). They returned after forty days of exploration. Ten of the spies had a bad report: “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are…All the people we saw were of great size…We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes” (Numbers 13:31-33). Only Joshua and Caleb dissented (Numbers 14:6-7). Believing the report of the ten doubters, the people lost heart and rebelled. They “raised their voices and wept aloud,” grumbling against Moses and Aaron, saying, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?” (Numbers 14:1-2, emphasis added).

Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them? I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them” (Numbers 14:11). However, Moses once again interceded for his people and turned away the wrath of God (Numbers 14:13-20). Although God did forgive them, He decided that “not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it” (Numbers 14:23). Rather, they would suffer by wandering in the wilderness for forty years, one year for each of the forty days they explored the land (Numbers 14:34). Furthermore, God would give them what they asked for: “I will do the very things I heard you say: In this desert your bodies will fall, every one of you twenty years old or more” (Numbers 14:28-29). Additionally, the ten men who had given the bad report were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord (Numbers 14:37). Only Joshua and Caleb survived, the two faithful spies who believed God’s promise to give the land over to them.

God had promised them victory. The land He commanded them to go in and take was already theirs; they simply had to trust and obey, but this they did not do. God will never lead us where His grace cannot provide for us or His power cannot protect us. Indeed, the Israelites had seen the powerful hand of God at work during the plagues and miracles of the Exodus. Yet, like many people, they walked by sight and not by faith, and their unbelief displeased God. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). Their failure to believe in God’s word kept them from entering the Promised Land. This truth has never changed.


In the chapters leading up to Daniel 11, God reveals that Israel will be restored; however, He also tells Daniel of a time of great trouble for Israel. The time predicted in Daniel 11 took place during what is known as the Intertestamental Period—the roughly 400 years between the close of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New. There were no canonical books written during this period, but the apocryphal books of 1 and 2 Maccabees record the history of the time period. The information in Daniel 11 is so accurate that secular scholars insist that it must be prophecy ex eventu, that is, prophecy “after the fact,” which is not really prophecy at all. Indeed, apart from God’s omniscience and His ability to reveal the future to His prophets, this would be the only rational conclusion.

Daniel 11 starts with a mighty Greek king whose kingdom will be scattered to the four winds. All agree that this is Alexander the Great. He died in 323 BC during the prime of life, and his empire was divided among his generals who claimed parts for themselves. One of these generals, Ptolemy, took an area to the south of Israel that included Egypt. Another general, Seleucis, took control of an area to the north of Israel that included Syria. Daniel 11 covers hundreds of years, so the kings of the north and south are not single individuals, but rather the rulers of the Ptolemaic dynasty (headquartered in Egypt) and the Seleucid dynasty (headquartered in Syria). These two dynasties were hostile toward each other, and Israel was literally caught in the middle. The king of the South is the Greek king of Egypt, of the Ptolemaic dynasty.

We pick up the story in Daniel 11:5–6: “The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last. In those days she will be handed over, together with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her.”

Fulfillment: At first, the Seleucid king in Syria had been a subject of Ptolemy in Egypt, but in time he actually became more powerful. Therefore, the king of the South proposed a marriage alliance to unite kingdoms. Princess Berenice from the South married the Seleucid king, and a child was born. However, the king died suddenly, and the wife and child were murdered in 246 BC. Instead of sealing an alliance, this started a war.

Daniel 11:7–10: “One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious. He will also seize their gods, their metal images and their valuable articles of silver and gold and carry them off to Egypt. For some years, he will leave the king of the North alone. Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South but will retreat to his own country. His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress.”

Fulfillment: Princess Berenice’s brother, the king in Egypt, carried out a successful campaign against the North in 245—241 BC. Later, the Syrian kingdom tried to retaliate—and even attempted to invade Egypt.

Daniel 11:11–13: “Then the king of the South will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated. When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant. For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped.”

Fulfillment: Syria was defeated by Egypt in 217 BC; the Greek-Egyptian king of the South slaughtered about 20 percent of the Syrian force, but the victory was short-lived as Syria invaded again with a bigger force and was successful.

Daniel 11:14–16: “In those times many will rise against the king of the South. The violent men among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success. Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will be powerless to resist; even their best troops will not have the strength to stand. The invader will do as he pleases; no one will be able to stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land and will have the power to destroy it.”

Fulfillment: Israel was initially under the more tolerant rule of the Ptolemaic kings of the South. But with the Syrian victory, Israel passed under the control of the Seleucid king of the North in 200 BC. Some in Israel, thinking that they were being oppressed by the Ptolemies, supported the Seleucids against the Ptolemies. There were divisions and factions within Israel as people took different sides. Jerusalem, the “fortified city,” had Egyptian (southern) troops stationed there, and they were defeated by the king of the North.

Daniel 11:17–29: “He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans will not succeed or help him. Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and will take many of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and will turn his insolence back upon him. After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own country but will stumble and fall, to be seen no more.”

Fulfillment: There was another try at a marriage alliance. The daughter of the Seleucid king (of the North) married the Ptolemaic king (of the South) in 193 BC. The plan was not truly to build an alliance but to undermine the king of the South, for the daughter was to be an agent of her father. However, after marriage, she sided with her husband instead. Since the subterfuge did not work, the Seleucid king of the North attacked a number of Greek islands and part of Asia Minor. He had been warned by the Romans to stay out of Greece, but he ignored the warning and the Romans attacked and defeated him at Thermopylae in 191 BC. He was humiliated and had to start paying tribute to Rome.

Daniel 11:20: “His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle.”

Fulfillment: The Seleucid successor was preoccupied with getting money to keep Rome at bay. He was unsuccessful in an attempt to loot the temple in Jerusalem to get tribute money. This king had a short and inconsequential reign.

This brings us to Antiochus IV Ephiphanes, one of the most notorious and brutal kings of the North.

Daniel 11:21–24 seems to be a summary of the reign of Antiochus IV, and verse 25 begins to give specifics, but not necessarily in chronological order.

Daniel 11:21–24: “He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue. Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed. After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power. When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot and wealth among his followers. He will plot the overthrow of fortresses—but only for a time.”

Fulfillment: Antiochus Epiphanes was not a legitimate heir to the throne but was able to acquire an army and take the throne by force in 187 BC. He seemed to have a special vendetta against Jerusalem. He was behind the murder of the high priest. He was a thug and a madman. Although he took the name Epiphanes (“God manifest”), some, no doubt behind his back, called him “Epimanes” (“madman”).

Daniel 11:25–28: “With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him. Those who eat from the king’s provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time. The king of the North will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it and then return to his own country.”

Fulfillment: Antiochus invaded Egypt in 169 BC. The king of Egypt was young and inexperienced, relying on advisors who did not serve him well, and he was defeated. In negotiations, neither king was honorable. Antiochus left Egypt the victor. On his way home, he looted the temple in Jerusalem and stationed a garrison there. He also defiled the temple by sacrificing unclean animals there.

Daniel 11:29–30): “At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. Ships of the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.”

Fulfillment: After returning home, Antiochus decided to invade the South again. He was met by the Romans, who told him to “cease and desist.” He had no choice but to comply, but the incident left him completely humiliated, which seemed to make him more intent on violence elsewhere.

Daniel 11:31–32: “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.”

Fulfillment: In his second attempt to loot the temple, Antiochus tried to buy off Jewish officials, and he stopped the daily sacrifices, but this time he was met by Jewish resistance. The Maccabean Revolt ensued in 167 BC.

Daniel 11:33–35: “Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.”

Fulfillment: The revolt met with mixed success and mixed support among the Jewish populace with some help from Rome—which later became an occupying power.

Daniel 11:36–39 seems to recapitulate Antiochus’ reign: “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price.”

Fulfillment: Antiochus did whatever he wanted. He even proclaimed himself to be a god by taking the title Epiphanes. He chose the Sabbath as a day to worship him. He went far beyond his predecessors in arrogance. He did not rely on the pagan gods but on his own financial and military might.

Daniel 11:40–45 has been a bit of a problem. These verses do not follow what we know of Antiochus. The skeptical solution is that the author of Daniel was alive during the reign of Antiochus (writing pseudo-prophecy after the events took place) so he was able to get everything right up to a point, and the final verses are only his prediction of things to come, and he got them wrong. However, for those who take the Bible to be the authoritative Word of God, this view is unacceptable.

Daniel 11:40–45: “At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians in submission. But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.”

Fulfillment: There is no doubt that the focus of chapter 11 is Antiochus Epiphanes, but he is only one king of the North among many. After his time, there was still a king of the South and a king of the North, and it is common with prophecy to telescope events, hitting only the high points. Many believe this final paragraph refers to a final king of the North who will outdo even Antiochus in his pride and blasphemy. He will be the final Antichrist at the end of history (“at the time of the end”). In this scenario, the specific identity of the two kings is yet to be revealed.

Others see the events recorded in Daniel 11:40–45 as referring to Antiochus’s successor (Antiochus V) and the end of the Greek Empire. The Romans who conquered Syria became the new “king of the North” and then went on to defeat the Greek king in Egypt (the king of the South) and the rest of the Mediterranean world, ultimately destroying the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70. Yet even the mighty Roman Empire fell and could not be helped. Still others see a dual fulfillment: the prophecy refers to both the events in the years before Christ and to events at the end of time before His second coming.

Daniel 12 continues to telescope events to the very end of history and the resurrection and final judgment.

Once again, the king of the South is the ruling king in Egypt, whoever he was at the time, not a specific individual. If the final verses of the chapter refer to the yet future “end times,” then the identity of this king is yet to be revealed and his territory may or may not include Egypt.

The term born of God is found primarily in the book of 1 John. First John 5:1 says, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.” Other references are found in 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; and 5:4, 18.

The term born of God closely mirrors Jesus’ words in John 3:3 when He told Nicodemus that he must be “born again” or, in some translations, “born from above.” Nicodemus responded the way anyone would. He asked, “How can someone be born when they are old?” (verse 4) Jesus’ answer was even more puzzling. He said, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (verse 8).

Why did Jesus begin talking about the wind in relation to being born again? The Greek word for “wind” is pneuma, the same word used for “spirit.” When wind blows, we cannot see it, but we see where it has been. Tree leaves move, plants bend, and we feel the wind touch our faces. Yet no one can catch it or restrain it. When wind blows, it changes everything it touches. So it is with the Spirit. Spiritual birth is an act of the Holy Spirit. He is invisible, yet whenever He moves, there are definite changes. Neither persuasive words nor intellectual agreements have the power to make someone “born of God.” Only the Holy Spirit can perform that transformation in a repentant heart (Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38).

So how does one become born again, or born of God? Jesus used an earthly metaphor to explain a spiritual idea. When a baby is born, a new life emerges that did not previously exist. The baby is a brand-new being who begins to grow to look like the parents. A puppy grows up to look like a dog. A calf grows to look like a cow. An infant grows to look like an adult human. So it is with those born of God. Second Corinthians 5:17 says that, if anyone is in Christ, he is a “new creature.” Later on in John 3, Jesus explains how to become born of God: “Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life” (verse 16). When we are born into the family of God (John 1:12), we grow to look more like our Father.

First John 3:9 describes a person who has been born of God: “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning because they have been born of God.” God our Father is holy, and He desires that His children become holy like He is (1 Peter 1:15–16). When we are born of God, we have a new heart, one that wants to please God (Ezekiel 36:26; 2 Corinthians 5:9; Colossians 1:10). This does not come about by good intentions or white-knuckled effort. We please our new Father by surrendering to His Holy Spirit who lives within us. We allow Him to change our desires, our goals, and our will to conform to His (Romans 8:29; Philippians 2:13). As a baby grows to look like the parents to whom it was born, so do we grow to be more like our heavenly Father when we are born of God (Philippians 3:10; Romans 6:1–2).

Several elements are required to sustain life. Among the top are food, water, air, and light. In Scripture, Jesus is the source of each of these. He is the “bread of life” (John 6:48), the supplier of “living water” (John 4:10), and the One who fills every creature with the “breath of life” (Genesis 2:7; John 3:8; 20:22). John’s Gospel says, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4, ESV).

Jesus Christ came into the world to bring life. He is equal to God the Father, who “has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son” (John 5:26, NLT). The Greek term translated as “life” in John 1:4 is zōē. It means “life source; the inherent capacity for producing (and maintaining) living beings.” This “zoe-life” is an overarching theme in John’s Gospel. As the Creator (John 1:3) and Sustainer of all life (John 5:21; 6:40, 57; 14:6), Jesus offers physical, spiritual, and eternal life to humanity. The life source that is in Him, John reveals, has become “the light of men” (John 1: 4, ESV), “the light of all mankind” (NIV), or “light to everyone” (NLT).

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men means that the life and light of salvation now extend beyond the chosen people of Israel to the whole world. John calls Jesus the “true light that gives light to everyone” (John 1:9), echoing Isaiah’s prophecy that the coming Messiah would “do more than restore the people of Israel” and become “a light to the Gentiles” and bring “salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6, NLT).

Jesus left no doubt regarding this aspect of His identity. He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). While restoring sight to a blind man, Jesus stated, “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). And again, Jesus emphasized that He had come to save the whole world: “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness” (John 12:46).

In the Bible, darkness is often a symbol of sin and its effects (John 3:19–20; Matthew 6:23; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 4:18). Jesus is the light that pierces all the darkness of this world with the brilliance of His truth (John 1:5). In Him “there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Those who put their faith in Jesus Christ “believe in the light” and become “children of light” (John 12:35–36).

As the light of men, Jesus calls believers “out of the darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9, NLT), just as Isaiah foretold: “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine” (Isaiah 9:2, NLT). Shortly after His blinding-light conversion experience, the apostle Paul testified that, according to the prophets, Israel’s Messiah would bring the message of salvation—“the message of light”—both to Jews and Gentiles (Acts 26:23; cf. Isaiah 42:6–7; 51:4; 53:11). Later Paul wrote, “For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ’” (2 Corinthians 4:6, NLT).

The message of salvation is that Jesus Christ—the “one who is life itself”—is the source of eternal life for all people (1 John 1:2, NLT). Salvation and everlasting life are found only in Him (1 John 5:11). Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25).

As Christians, our life is Jesus (Colossians 3:4). Everything we need comes from Him, in whom “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). The life that is the light of men continues to shine in this dark world through believers who “live as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8–14; see also 1 John 1:7; 2:8–10; 1 Thessalonians 5:5–6). Jesus taught His followers, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14–16).


There are several different schools of thought on what Jesus was referring to in saying it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to gain eternal life (Matthew 19:24; Mark 10:25; Luke 18:25). The Persians expressed the concept of the impossible by saying it would be easier to put an elephant through the eye of a needle. The camel was a Jewish adaptation (the largest animal in Israel was a camel).

Some theorize that the needle Jesus was speaking of was the Needle Gate, supposedly a low and narrow after-hours entrance found in the wall surrounding Jerusalem. It was purposely small for security reasons, and a camel could only go through it by stripping off any saddles or packs and crawling through on its knees. The problem with this theory is there is no evidence such a gate ever existed. Beyond that, what sane camel driver would go through such contortions when larger gates were easily accessible?

Others claim that the word translated “camel” (Greek: kamelos) should actually be “cable” (Greek: kamilos). Then the verse would read that it is easier for a cable (or rope) to go through the eye of a needle. To believe this, however, brings up more problems than it solves, namely casting doubt on the inerrancy and inspiration of Scripture.

The most likely explanation is that Jesus was using hyperbole, a figure of speech that exaggerates for emphasis. Jesus used this technique at other times, referring to a “plank” in one’s eye (Matthew 7:3-5) and swallowing a camel (Matthew 23:24).

Jesus’ message is clear—it is impossible for anyone to be saved on his own merits. Since wealth was seen as proof of God’s approval, it was commonly taught by the rabbis that rich people were blessed by God and were, therefore, the most likely candidates for heaven. Jesus destroyed that notion, and along with it, the idea that anyone can earn eternal life. The disciples had the appropriate response to this startling statement. They were utterly amazed and asked, “Who then can be saved?” in the next verse. If the wealthy among them, which included the super-spiritual Pharisees and scribes, were unworthy of heaven, what hope was there for a poor man?

Jesus’ answer is the basis of the gospel: "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God" (Matthew 19:26). Men are saved through God’s gifts of grace, mercy, and faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Nothing we do earns salvation for us. It is the poor in spirit who inherit the kingdom of God (Matthew 5:3), those who recognize their spiritual poverty and their utter inability to do anything to justify themselves to a holy God. The rich man so often is blind to his spiritual poverty because he is proud of his accomplishments and has contented himself with his wealth. He is as likely to humble himself before God as a camel is to crawl through the eye of a needle.

The story of the walls of Jericho falling down, recorded in Joshua 6:1–27, is one that vividly demonstrates the miraculous power of God. But more than that, the utter destruction of Jericho teaches us several grand truths regarding God’s grace and our salvation.

The people of Israel had just crossed over the Jordan River into the land of Canaan (Joshua 3:14–17). This was the land of milk and honey God had promised to Abraham over 500 years earlier (Deuteronomy 6:3, 32:49). After spending forty difficult years wandering in the desert of Sinai, the people of Israel were now on the eastern banks of the Jordan. Their challenge: take the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. However, their first obstacle was the city of Jericho (Joshua 6:1), an unconquerable, walled city. Excavations there reveal that its fortifications featured a stone wall 11 feet high and 14 feet wide. At its top was a smooth stone slope, angling upward at 35 degrees for 35 feet, where it joined massive stone walls that towered even higher. It was virtually impregnable.

In ancient warfare such cities were either taken by assault or surrounded and the people starved into submission. Its invaders might try to weaken the stone walls with fire or by tunneling, or they might simply heap up a mountain of earth to serve as a ramp. Each of these methods of assault took weeks or months, and the attacking force usually suffered heavy losses. However, the strategy to conquer the city of Jericho was unique in two ways. First, the strategy was laid out by God Himself, and, second, the strategy was a seemingly foolish plan. God simply told Joshua to have the people to march silently around Jericho for six days, and then, after seven circuits on the seventh day, to shout.

Though it seemed foolish, Joshua followed God’s instructions to the letter. When the people did finally shout, the massive walls collapsed instantly, and Israel won an easy victory. In fact, God had given the city of Jericho to them before they even began to march around its walls (Joshua 6:2, 16). It was when the people of God, by faith, followed the commands of God that the walls of Jericho fell down (Joshua 6:20).

The apostle Paul assures us, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4). The description of the complete obliteration of Jericho was recorded in Scripture in order to teach us several lessons. Most important is that obedience, even when God’s commands seem foolish, brings victory. When we are faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, we must learn that our Jericho victories are won only when our faithful obedience to God is complete (Hebrews 5:9; 1 John 2:3; 5:3).

There are other key lessons we should learn from this story. First, there is a vast difference between God’s way and the way of man (Isaiah 55:8–9). Though militarily it was irrational to assault Jericho in the manner it was done, we must never question God’s purpose or instructions. We must have faith that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do (Hebrews 10:23; 11:1).

Second, the power of God is supernatural, beyond our comprehension (Psalm 18:13–15; Daniel 4:35; Job 38:4–6). The walls of Jericho fell, and they fell instantly. The walls collapsed by the sheer power of God.

Third, there is an uncompromising relationship between the grace of God and our faith and obedience to Him. Scripture says, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days” (Hebrews 11:30). Although their faith had frequently failed in the past, in this instance the children of Israel believed and trusted God and His promises. As they were saved by faith, so we are today saved by faith (Romans 5:1; John 3:16–18). Yet faith must be evidenced by obedience. The children of Israel had faith, they obeyed, and the walls of Jericho fell “by faith” after they were circled for seven straight days. Saving faith impels us to obey God (Matthew 7:24–29; Hebrews 5:8–9; 1 John 2:3–5).

In addition, the story tells us that God keeps His promises (Joshua 6:2, 20). The walls of Jericho fell because God said they would. God’s promises to us today are just as certain. They are just as unswerving. They are exceedingly great and wonderfully precious (Hebrews 6:11–18; 10:36; Colossians 3:24).

Finally, we should learn that faith without works is dead (James 2:26). It is not enough to say, “I believe God,” and then live in an ungodly manner. If we truly believe God, our desire is to obey God. Our faith is put to work. We make every effort to do exactly what God says and keep His commandments. Joshua and the Israelites carried out the commands of God and conquered Jericho. God gave them victory over an enemy that was trying to keep them out of the Promised Land. So it is with us today: if we have true faith, we are compelled to obey God, and God gives us victory over the enemies that we face throughout life. Obedience is the clear evidence of faith. Our faith is the evidence to others that we truly believe in Him. We can conquer and be victorious through life by faith, a faith that obeys the God who gives us that faith as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8–9).

After the Lord God gave the city of Jericho into the hands of Joshua and the people of Israel, Joshua pronounced a curse on the city: “Cursed before the Lord be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates” (Joshua 6:26).

Prior to the battle, the Lord had declared Jericho, the first city to fall to Israel’s conquest of Canaan, to be wholly dedicated to Him: “The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury” (Joshua 6:17–19). The facts that everything in Jericho belonged to the Lord and that the collapse of the city walls was wholly the Lord’s work probably factored into Joshua’s warning not to rebuild the city.

First Kings 16:34 reveals that Joshua’s curse did come true during the time of King Ahab: “Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.”

Several important details must be noted. First, Joshua did not promise Jericho would never be rebuilt. Instead, he said the person who rebuilt it would be judged by the loss of his firstborn son and youngest son.

Second, God confirmed His word through Joshua, taking the lives of Hiel’s sons Abiram and Segub. At the beginning of the work (the laying of the foundation), the first son died; at the end of the work (the hanging of the gates), the youngest son died. This proved God’s faithfulness and revealed the consequences of sin that often affect one’s family members. Though the sin was Hiel’s, the consequence included the deaths of two sons.

Third, Hiel’s rebuilding of Jericho is included as part of a longer passage describing the evil that took place during King Ahab’s reign in Israel. Ahab took a pagan, non-Jewish wife named Jezebel and even worshiped her god, Baal. Further, Ahab had a temple of Baal built in the capital city of Samaria and erected an Asherah pole. The conclusion of this account is that “Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him” (1 Kings 16:33). During this wicked time, Hiel disregarded Joshua’s curse and rebuilt Jericho.

This moral low point in Israel’s history was also the point at which God raised up the prophet Elijah to fight against Baal, revive the hearts of the Israelites, and turn many people back to the Lord. After a three-year drought during Ahab’s reign, Elijah defeated the priests of Baal and helped begin a spiritual revival among the Israelites.

Paul returns again to his theme of grace in this classic verse. Salvation's source is grace; the means of salvation is faith. We believe by faith to be saved (Romans 10:9), but would never choose to believe apart from the grace of God operating in our lives. That salvation would never be available, other than as a result of the grace of God. Both parts are important in the discussion of salvation.

Immediately following this declaration, Paul repeats and clarifies it. Paul does not want anyone to think salvation is based on something they had done, or could ever do. No action is good enough to provide our own salvation. No good deeds can undo the sins we have committed. Salvation is a gift. Further, it is a gift only God can provide. No matter how much we desire to give salvation to another person, we cannot. Only God can offer the gift of eternal life. Instead, we are called to proclaim the gospel, live it, share it, pray for the salvation of others, and help people grow in the grace of God. The Lord must be the one to provide salvation and does so as He chooses.

In Ephesians 4:22, Paul references putting off or laying aside the old man: “Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (NKJV). The old man, or the old self, is a common phrase that biblical writers utilize in other contexts as well (Colossians 3:9–10; Romans 6:6; Hebrews 12:1–3). In Ephesians, Paul explains truths in chapters 1—3 and then explains how one should live in light of such truths in chapters 4—6.

In order to understand the logical conclusion of putting off the old man, one must understand the truths found in the first three chapters, focusing mainly on chapter 2:1–10. Ephesians 1 provides a summary of the roles of the Trinity in the redemption of mankind. Chapter 1 concludes with Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians, which mainly focuses on a true knowledge for the Ephesians. Chapter 2 begins with explaining the effect of the gospel on the believer. Chapter 3 explores the community effect of the gospel, namely, the unity of the Gentile and Jew through Christ.

Ephesians 2:1–10 is particularly important when exploring the imperative in Ephesians 4:22. Paul explains that by nature everyone is a child of wrath, dead in trespasses and sins, hostile to God, and destined to experience the wrath of God (Ephesians 2:1–3). In Ephesians 2:4 is one of the most meaningful conjunctions found in Scripture: “but because of His great love for us.” All humanity is by nature children of wrath, but God provided a way to become children of God by grace, through faith. Ephesians 2:10 shows that those who believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ are created anew; they are God’s handiwork with the purpose of doing good works.

In this section of Ephesians, the old man and new man are clearly distinguishable. The old man is found in Ephesians 2:1–3 while the new man is explained in Ephesians 2:4–10. Paul’s imperative in Ephesians 4:22 is based upon these truths. An example of the old self is provided also in Ephesians 4:17–19, and an example of the new self is provided in Ephesians 4:24.

Ephesians 4:17 begins the discussion of the Christian walk, or how the Christian ought to live. Paul asserts in Ephesians 4:20 that the Christian should not live like those mentioned in verses 17–19 but should live according to truth found in Jesus Christ. To do this, one must put off the old man. The NASB translates the word for “put off” as “lay aside.” It shows the idea of doing away with something, taking it off and putting it down. A proper image may be when one changes clothes in the morning. One puts off or lays aside the old clothes and puts on the new clothes.

Paul commands the Ephesians to stop living as the old man and instead put on the new man. He points to the means for putting on the new self in Ephesians 4:23, namely, that one be renewed in the spirit of the mind. Similar language is utilized in Romans 12:1–2 as Paul commands the church in Rome to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind.” This renewal is in direct opposition to being conformed to this world.

God created the new self “in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Ephesians 4:24, NASB). It is by truth and a pursuit of righteousness that one must renew the mind. The Bible is that source of truth (Proverbs 2:6; 2 Timothy 3:16–17). As one renews the mind in truth, one is equipped to put off the old self, put on the new self, and “live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1).

The coupling of grace and truth is found in numerous places in the Bible, including Colossians 1:6 and 2 John 1:3 in the New Testament, and 2 Samuel 15:20 and Psalm 86:15 in the Old Testament. Then there is John 1:14, 17, which says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. . . . For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

There is a strong possibility that John is referencing the Hebrew terms hesed (“mercy” or “lovingkindness”) and emet (“truth” or “faithfulness”), found together in Exodus 34:6: “Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.’” Note that the attributes of God in the Old Testament are applied to Christ in the New. At the beginning of his gospel, John is making a subtle statement regarding the divinity of Jesus. The rest of John’s gospel will expound on that truth.

It is important for grace and truth to work in tandem. An emphasis on grace alone can dissipate into a shallow and sentimental foundation where justice or truth is discarded. However, a focus only on truth can devolve into a cold, hardened dogma. Jesus’ character demonstrates the perfect balance of both grace and truth. He is “full” of both.

Grace and truth meld together in the gospel message to form a key distinction of Christianity over other religions. In all other religions, grace and truth are never balanced. Instead, the deity being worshiped either dispenses justice at the expense of grace or dispenses grace at the expense of justice and truth. Christianity is unique in that God delivers grace through His justice and truth.

The truth is, everyone has fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and deserves God’s justice. However, God’s justice is satisfied, and His truth upheld, through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. That act delivers God’s grace to those who will accept it by faith.

In this way, Christianity stands alone as an ontological faith—one that is fully dependent on a person—Jesus Christ—who perfectly balances and embodies both grace and truth in His very being.

The phrase unsearchable riches of Christ comes from Ephesians 3:8–9: “To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things” (ESV). The Greek for “unsearchable riches” is translated “boundless riches” in the NIV.

The Greek word translated “unsearchable” describes something that cannot be fully comprehended or explored. In other words, there is no limit to the riches of Christ; they are past finding out. Try as we might, we can never plumb the depths of Christ’s worth. Paul delineates some of these riches in Ephesians 1:7–14: redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, the knowledge of the mystery of His will, the message of truth, the sealing of the Holy Spirit, and the guarantee of our inheritance. These are spiritual riches with eternal benefits, and we cannot fully comprehend them.

Jesus taught two short parables that emphasize the value of eternal life and the kingdom of God: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:44–46). Like a hidden treasure or a pearl of great price, admission to the kingdom is of incalculable worth—and it is Jesus Christ who grants the admission. The unsearchable riches of Christ are on display in every believer’s heart.

The unsearchable riches of Christ cannot be fully traced out. “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9), so the riches of Christ include all that God is. The unsearchable riches of Christ are the Glory of God, the Truth of God, the Wisdom of God, the Life of God, and the Love of God. In Christ, God “has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing” (Ephesians 1:3). In Christ are hidden “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). In Christ, God “has given us everything we need for a godly life” (2 Peter 1:3).

In Ephesians 3:8 Paul refers to himself as “less than the least of all the Lord’s people.” This humble statement is then contrasted with “the boundless riches of Christ.” Paul describes himself as the lowest of believers while lifting Jesus up as the greatest of all. Every believer, in like humility, acknowledges the all-surpassing goodness and grace of God: “The LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Psalm 84:11).

Christ’s riches that He makes available to us are not material but spiritual. The unsearchable riches of Christ provide salvation to everyone who believes (John 3:16; Romans 1:16). We may be the worst of sinners, yet Jesus can forgive us and transform our lives (Romans 12:1–2). It is the gift that truly keeps on giving, as we are changed, by God’s Spirit, into “loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled” people (Galatians 5:22–23, CEV).

King Solomon was a man of great riches and wisdom, and his fame spread throughout the known world. Dignitaries from other countries came to hear his wisdom and see his lavish display of wealth (1 Kings 10:24). Scripture says that Solomon had no equal in the earth at that time: “King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth” (verse 23). Yet, for all that, Solomon’s riches were not unsearchable. They could be quantified; the gold bars could be counted, and he had no inexhaustible supply of silver. Besides that, Solomon’s riches were only the temporal treasures of this world. Jesus is “greater than Solomon” (Luke 11:31). The treasures of Christ are inexhaustible, they are unsearchable, and they are forever.

These parables, found in Mark 2:18-22, begin with a statement that the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist were fasting. The twice-weekly fast was a tradition adopted by the legalistic Pharisees at the time, even though the Mosaic Law prescribed only one fast on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29, 31). Some people came to Jesus and asked Him why His disciples did not fast like the Pharisees and those of John’s disciples who had remained loyal to the Pharisaic traditions. Jesus’ response is given in three short parables.

The first one is a parable of a bridegroom with his groomsmen at a wedding feast. Jesus’ point is that fasting during the wedding feast is pointless. In this story Jesus is the Bridegroom, and while He is present in this world, it is a time of celebration because He is the fulfillment of their Messianic prophecies. Jesus Himself said that He came to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17). To continue fasting with Jesus present is akin to fasting and being mournful during a wedding celebration in which the groom is present.

The other two parables, which are similar, make the same point. The first one says you don’t put a new patch on an old garment, and the second says you don’t put new wine into an old wineskin. In the first parable, if you put a new patch on an old garment, when the new patch shrinks due to washing, it will tear away from the older garment, making the tear worse. Similarly, new wine needs a new wineskin because as the new wine expands during the fermentation process, it stretches the wineskin. An old wineskin will burst under the pressure of new wine.

These two parables illustrate the fact that you can’t mix old religious rituals with new faith in Jesus. Jesus’ disciples were not fasting along with the Pharisees and John’s disciples because they were now under the new covenant of grace and faith in Christ. As mentioned earlier, Jesus fulfilled the law; therefore, there is no longer any need to continue with the old rituals. Jesus cannot be added to a works-based religion. In the case of the Pharisees, they were consumed with their own self-righteousness, and faith in Jesus cannot be combined with self-righteous rituals.

Jesus told the Parable of the Fig Tree--Luke 13:6-9—immediately after reminding His listeners of a tower over the pool of Siloam (John 9:7) which unexpectedly fell and killed eighteen people. The moral of that story is found in Luke 13:3: “Unless you repent, you will likewise perish.” To reiterate this moral, Jesus tells the story of the fig tree, the vineyard owner, and the gardener who took care of the vineyard.

The three entities in the story all have clear symbolic significance. The vineyard owner represents God, the one who rightly expects to see fruit on His tree and who justly decides to destroy it when He finds none. The gardener, or vineyard keeper who cares for the trees, watering and fertilizing them to bring them to their peak of fruitfulness, represents Jesus, who feeds His people and gives them living water. The tree itself has two symbolic meanings: the nation of Israel and the individual.

As the story unfolds, we see the vineyard owner expressing his disappointment at the fruitless tree. He has looked for fruit for three years from this tree, but has found none. The three-year period is significant because for three years John the Baptist and Jesus had been preaching the message of repentance throughout Israel. But the fruits of repentance were not forthcoming. John the Baptist warned the people about the Messiah coming and told them to bring forth fruits fit for repentance because the ax was already laid at the root of the tree (Luke 3:8-9). But the Jews were offended by the idea they needed to repent, and they rejected their Messiah because He demanded repentance from them. After all, they had the revelation of God, the prophets, the Scriptures, the covenants, and the adoption (Romans 9:4-5). They had it all, but they were already apostate. They had departed from the true faith and the true and living God and created a system of works-righteousness that was an abomination to God. He, as the vineyard owner, was perfectly justified in tearing down the tree that had no fruit. The Lord’s ax was already poised over the root of the tree, and it was ready to fall.

However, we see the gardener pleading here for a little more time. There were a few months before the crucifixion, and more miracles to come, especially the incredible miracle of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, which would astound many and perhaps cause the Jews to repent. As it turned out, Israel as a nation still did not believe, but individuals certainly did (John 12:10-11). The compassionate gardener intercedes for more time to water and fertilize the fruitless tree, and the gracious Lord of the vineyard responds in patience.

The lesson for the individual is that borrowed time is not permanent. God’s patience has a limit. In the parable, the vineyard owner grants another year of life to the tree. In the same way, God in His mercy grants us another day, another hour, another breath. Christ stands at the door of each man’s heart knocking and seeking to gain entrance and requiring repentance from sin. But if there is no fruit, no repentance, His patience will come to an end, and the fruitless, unrepentant individual will be cut down. We all live on borrowed time; judgment is near. That is why the prophet Isaiah wrote, "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon" (Isaiah 55:6-7).


Regeneration is the act of God by which a spiritually dead person becomes spiritually alive. Regeneration is the “born again” experience mentioned in John 3:3. The question is when regeneration occurs. Is regeneration a result of salvation or does regeneration result in salvation?

At first glance, this issue might seem to be inconsequential. But it is actually one of the key disagreements in the Calvinism vs. Arminianism debate. For a Calvinist, if God does not first regenerate people before they trust in Christ as Savior, that faith is something people produced on their own, making salvation dependent on them instead of on God. For an Arminian, if God must regenerate people in order for them to believe, there is no genuine free will, and the call to believe is pointless.

For the Calvinist, Ephesians 2:1 is key: “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” Without Christ, people are spiritually dead. Dead people cannot do anything. A spiritually dead person can no more do anything to remedy that situation than a physically dead person can climb out of a grave. Therefore, God must regenerate people, making them spiritually alive, before they can trust in Christ as Savior (John 3:8).

For the Arminian, all of the biblical calls to believe in Christ as Savior are key (e.g., John 3:16; Acts 16:31). If people are unable to believe without God first regenerating them, the biblical calls to believe are pointless. God does not command people to do what they are incapable of doing. Calling people to believe in Christ when they are incapable of doing so on their own, and then judging them for their lack of faith, would be unfair and unjust. Further, if God must regenerate people in order for them to have faith, essentially “installing” faith in people, God would essentially be forcing people into salvation.

So, does regeneration come before faith? John 6:44 says, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.” Second Corinthians 4:4 declares, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” It is undeniable that God must do something to enable people to believe. At the very least, God must draw people to Christ and open their eyes.

The question still remains, however, must God regenerate people, i.e., save them, before they can believe? Is it possible that God could enable people to believe without regenerating them? Could God draw people, unblind their eyes, soften their hearts, and open their minds, making it possible for them to believe, without actually regenerating them? For the Arminian, the answer is yes, and this “spiritual awakening” is known as prevenient grace.

Again, for the Calvinist, Ephesians 2:1 is the deciding factor. It is impossible to draw, unblind, soften, or open the minds of dead people. God must make people alive, regenerate them, before they can believe. 


Camels Spit

Near Decapolis, some people brought Jesus a deaf man who could hardly talk. Jesus healed the man, of course, but in an interesting manner: “Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue” (Mark 7:33). Later, in the town of Bethsaida, Jesus healed a blind man. Again, the miracle was preceded by spitting: “He . . . spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him” (Mark 8:23). To heal a man born blind, Jesus “spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes” (John 9:6).

Certainly, Jesus, the divine Son of God, does not need physical props to work miracles. In many cases, Jesus merely spoke, and healing followed (e.g., Matthew 15:28; Luke 17:12-14). Yet, in three cases, Jesus used His spittle in the process of healing.

One possible reason for Jesus’ use of His saliva has to do with the beliefs of His contemporary culture. Several Roman writers and Jewish rabbis considered saliva to be a valid treatment for blindness. Since the people of that day had a high view of saliva’s healing properties, Jesus used spit to communicate His intention to heal. Those being healed would have naturally interpreted Jesus’ spitting as a sign that they would soon be cured.

The greater need of each of those healed was the need for increased faith. Jesus recognized this spiritual need and offered a physical action as a means of raising their expectations and focusing their faith on Himself. Thus, in Mark 8, the man’s spiritual sight was strengthened even as physical sight was imparted to him.

It is possible that Jesus’ use of mud in John 9 was meant to parallel God’s original creation of man: “The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground” (Genesis 2:7). In other words, Jesus showed His power as the Creator by imitating the original creation of man: He used the “dust of the ground” to give the man born blind new sight. The creative power of Jesus’ miracle was not lost on the man who was healed: “Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing” (John 9:32-33, NKJV).

Jesus healed many people in His ministry; in fact, there was no sickness or infirmity that He could not heal (Matthew 4:23). Significantly, the details of each miracle vary slightly. Jesus never healed the same way twice. The variety of methods used by the Lord eliminates confidence in any one technique or modus operandi. Healing is not the product of any talisman, amulet, spell, or process. Healing comes from the power of God.

When Jesus healed, with or without spit, the response was usually something like this: “This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’” (Mark 2:12).

In His great Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ sometimes employed a literary tool known as hyperbole to make a point. In one such example, Jesus asked, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3–5).

Jesus drew a brilliant word picture of someone struggling with the sensitive business of extracting a tiny speck of sawdust from a friend’s eye. In contrast, a sizable plank of wood in that person’s own eye completely obstructed his vision. Such a feat would be impossible. It’s evident that Jesus was not speaking literally here. Instead, He used exaggeration to drive home the truth that people are often blind to their own faults while keenly focused on weaknesses in others. This segment of Christ’s sermon addressed the natural human tendency to see shortcomings in others and to be judgmental of their sin while ignoring, minimizing, or excusing our own sin.

When the woman caught in adultery was brought before Jesus, He confronted the same issue by telling the scribes and Pharisees, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7, ESV). Jesus wasn’t excusing the woman’s sin but instead pointing out the need for consistency, honesty, and humility when passing judgment.

The Lord would have us remember that the blade of judgment cuts both ways. When we judge others, we condemn ourselves as well. If we are not willing to evaluate ourselves honestly and accurately, we’ll undermine our right to scrutinize the lives of others. Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged” (Matthew 7:1–2; see also Luke 6:37–42). Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 11:31, “If we were properly judging ourselves, we would not be judged” (CSB).

Sadly, Christ’s instruction to “take the plank out of your own eye” is often misinterpreted as a general prohibition against all judgment. We can’t overlook the fact that Jesus said both the speck and the plank were to be removed. Believers are indeed called to help other Christians who become entangled in sin. Paul said, “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path” (Galatians 6:1, NLT). But before we can help a fellow brother or sister onto the right path—before we can remove the speck from another’s eye—we must first deal honestly with our own sin.

In the Lord’s illustration, the fact that there is a “plank” in our eye, but only a “speck” in our brother’s eye, exposes the hypocrisy, self-righteousness, and pride at the heart of the matter. Somehow, we can’t discern that our own sins are more glaringly serious than those we concentrate on in others. We criticize others while absolving ourselves. Yet, often, those faults we pass judgment on in others are the very same flaws we can’t bear to admit in ourselves.

The Lord’s choice of an illustration involving the eye also ties in with a person’s overall spiritual condition: “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22–23).

The Lord calls all believers to live holy, godly lives (1 Peter 1:14–16). To do that, we must never forget our propensity to overlook our own faults while arrogantly locking on to those same faults in others. All ungodliness is cause for concern, whether it be in ourselves or in others. If we hope to help and restore someone else, we must honestly face up to our own sins and confess them—we must first take the plank out of our own eye.

King David discovered a key to experiencing joy amid the most challenging times of life by remembering God’s past deliverance from trouble. We don’t know the exact details of David’s ordeal in Psalm 40, but he compares it to being stuck in a horrifying pit filled with mud and mire:
“I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps” (Psalm 40:1–2, NKJV).

If you’ve ever been stuck in quicksand or stood on the soft ocean shore as your feet sank deeper into the sand with each wave, you know the feeling of being caught in the staggering helplessness of miry clay. Mire is deep, soft mud in water or slush, like wet loam or potter’s clay. The Hebrew term in Psalm 40:2 is translated as “miry bog” (ESV), “mud and mire” (NIV), and “muddy clay” (CSB).

David wants to convey the idea of being desperately trapped in abysmally dark circumstances. David’s metaphor reminds us of Jeremiah’s actual imprisonment in a muddy cistern (Jeremiah 38:7–13) and Joseph’s entrapment by his brothers in a pit (Genesis 37:18–22). On his own, David is powerless to escape. The only thing he can do is wait patiently for the Lord to rescue him. David may have been speaking of the same excruciating episode in Psalm 69:2: “Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can’t find a foothold. I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me” (NLT).

David’s pit of miry clay could be symbolic of any number of distressing times he endured. Perhaps it was the crater of depression and rejection he experienced due to King Saul’s murderous jealously and hatred (1 Samuel 18:10–17; 23:15–29). Maybe it was the time his son Absolom led a conspiracy and rebellion against him (2 Samuel 15:1—18:33). It might have been the pit David dug for himself through his sinful affair with Bethsheba and then the slaying of her husband (2 Samuel 11:1–27).

Whatever the pit may have been, David has learned in times of trouble to cry out to the Lord: “Rescue me from the miry mud; don’t let me sink. Let me be rescued from those who hate me and from the deep water” (Psalm 69:14, CSB). As he trusts in the Lord and calls on God for help, David’s Redeemer hears and answers (Psalm 56:9–11; 121:1–2).

“He brought me out of the miry clay,” testifies David. The Lord delivers him by pulling him up and out of his horrible ordeal. “You brought me up from the grave, O LORD,” utters David in Psalm 30:3, “You kept me from falling into the pit of death” (NLT). “He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me,” declares David in Psalm 18:19. What David cannot do for himself, the Lord accomplishes (see Ephesians 3:20; Luke 18:27). God sets David’s feet on a solid, secure rock and establishes his steps (Psalm 27:5; 37:23; 62:2).

He brought me out of the miry clay is also a picture of Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection and the resulting salvation believers experience through Him. When Jesus Christ died, He was buried in the grave. Crucifixion was a truly “horrible pit” as the spotless Lamb of God took all the transgressions of humankind on His sinless body (Isaiah 53:4–5; 1 John 3:5).

But, thanks be to God, our Savior did not stay in the pit. “God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” (Acts 2:24; see also Hebrews 5:7). He was brought “out of the miry clay.” Christ is alive now and lives forever. The apostle Peter explains, “He suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18, NLT).

Jesus Christ was raised to life, never to die again. His work of redemption is complete. We were destined to die, but through His marvelous salvation, He brought us out of the miry clay. He set our feet upon a rock, and like David, He put a new song of praise to God in our mouths (Psalm 96:1; 149:1).

The Pool of Siloam, also called the Pool of Shiloah (Isaiah 8:6), has a rich and storied history, which involves an ancient king of Judah, a famous sermon, and one of Christ’s great miracles. The word Siloam means “Sent” (John 9:7). Several rabbinic traditions identified the Pool of Siloam as the Messiah’s Pool. It was the only source of fresh water within the walls of ancient Jerusalem.

The Pool of Siloam was built by King Hezekiah in the 8th century BC (2 Kings 20:20) in order to provide water to Jerusalem, even in the event that the city were besieged. The pool was fed by a tunnel Hezekiah cut through almost 2,000 feet of solid rock from the Gihon Spring, also called the Virgin’s Spring. The spring, which produced a flow of water about twice a day, was located on the east side of Jerusalem, outside of the wall and on a slope leading down to the Kidron Valley. Hezekiah’s Tunnel channeled the water from Gihon to the pool, located in the southeast part of the city in the Tyropoeon Valley. The original Pool of Siloam was about 53 feet long, 18 feet wide, and 19 feet deep and was made of part hewn rock and part masonry.

Jerusalem and the Pool of Siloam were destroyed by the Babylonians about 600 BC. Seventy years later, Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, and part of the job was to repair the Pool of Siloam: “[Shallun son of Kol-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah] also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King’s Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David” (Nehemiah 3:15).

During the reign of Herod the Great, improvements were made to the Pool of Siloam. The pool itself was enlarged, and a large arcade (a set of arches) was built around the pool. Another arcade divided the pool, probably to create separate areas for men and women. During this time, the poor and sick people would often come to the Pool of Siloam to bathe.

But it is during the time of Christ that the Pool of Siloam finds its true significance. Because the pool was near the temple, its water was used for a special ceremony during the Feast of Tabernacles. Every morning during that joyful feast, a priest would take a golden vessel to the Pool of Siloam, fill it with water from the pool, and bring it back to the altar amid the shouts of the people. Then, as the crowd chanted the Hallel (Psalms 113—118), that priest poured out the water on the west side of the altar, and another priest poured a drink offering of wine on the east side of the altar. This ritual was probably to illustrate Isaiah 12:3, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”

However, on the eighth and final day of the feast, the ritual was not repeated. And that is exactly when Jesus chose to make a startling announcement: “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them’” (John 7:37–38). On the one day of the feast when no water was poured, Jesus stood up and filled the gap. The “water” He offers (the Holy Spirit, verse 39) is better than the waters of Siloam. In offering the water of life, Jesus identified Himself with the rock in the wilderness that gave water to the Hebrews (see 1 Corinthians 10:4).

In John 9, Jesus meets a man born blind. To show that He is indeed the “light of the world” (John 9:5), Jesus heals the man. But it is interesting how Jesus chose to heal him: “He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ‘Go,’ he told him, ‘wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (this word means ‘Sent’). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing” (John 9:6–7). So, the blind man was sent to a pool called “Sent” by the One who was Himself sent by God into the world (John 3:17; 10:36).

The site of the original Pool of Siloam has been excavated, and there is still a pool there, but it is hardly the splendid place that it once was. Still, we have the biblical record of the Pool of Siloam, a place that was used by kings and priests and by the Messiah Himself. The One sent by God to be our Savior used the Pool of “Sent” to prove that He is the Light of the World and to offer the living water available only through Him. The invitation to drink of Him is still open: “Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life” (Revelation 22:17).



Mud Pies and New Eyes

Having said these things, John continues, He spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then He anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. — John 9:6-7

In case you are wondering if this is some long-lost treatment for blindness, caking mud in a man’s eyes is not the normal protocol for healing a blind person.

The context and setting of this miracle brings additional understanding to this incredible account. John 7:11 to John 10:21 records events in chronological order. Jesus travels to Jerusalem in John 7 to celebrate the Feast of Booths. As He is performing miracles in the two chapters before healing the blind man, He is joined by thousands of people who were in Jerusalem to celebrate with the rest of their Israelite brothers and sisters. Why is this significant? Because the worst possible time to send a blind man to the pool of Siloam would have been in the midst of the festival.

For one, the city was crawling with people, packed with worshipers. Add to this the fact that the journey was roughly half a mile through the main thoroughfare. A blind man would be bumping into people along the way while simultaneously traversing a steep hill descending to the pool. The man would have fallen numerous times, all while walking with his eyes caked in mud, looking like a scene from a horror film with the damp concoction dripping down his cheeks.

But Jesus purposely directed the blind man to the pool, even in the midst of the festival. He served as a walking billboard of His grace.

The Interrogation of the Man

Because so many people would have witnessed this miracle, it immediately caught the attention of the interrogating religious leaders, who were dumbfounded by the man’s healing. No one born blind had ever been healed before. The sages had reserved this miracle for the coming Messiah. Several messianic passages pointed to his coming and associated it with the healing of the blind:
The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. — Psalm 146:7-8, emphasis added
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. — Isaiah 35:1-6, emphasis added
John didn’t want us to miss the importance of this particular miracle either, so he mentions the word “blind” thirteen times in this chapter. Five of those times he notes that the man was “blind from birth” (see John 9:1, John 9:2, John 9:19, John 9:20, and John 9:32). Jesus had clearly performed something that only the Messiah was believed able to perform.
In an attempt to downplay the significance of what Jesus had done, the Pharisees responded, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” “Such signs,” as the others said, refer to the three miracles we have just examined: the messianic miracles. This put the Pharisees in a precarious spot. They were intent on believing that Jesus was not the Messiah and was, instead, a blasphemer — a false prophet. Since it would have been ludicrous to argue that Jesus hadn’t healed a blind man, they turned their interrogation to the one who was healed. They tried to prove that this man had not been born blind, but that he had acquired blindness sometime after birth. They turned to the man’s parents with questions, as John wrote:
The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” — John 9:18-23
*
Having Eyes That Do Not SeeThe Pharisees had allowed their pride and pursuit of power to impede their understanding of the miracle and its implications. Where the man who was healed had been born physically blind, the Pharisees proved repeatedly that they were spiritually blind.
Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains” (John 9:35-41).
The blind man was physically blind, but was able to see both physically and spiritually after the miracle. On the other hand, while the Pharisees could see physically, they were spiritually blinded by their own denial of the messianic claims of Jesus.
There is one last point I have always found a bit puzzling. The blind man’s answer to Jesus’s question strikes me as odd. After all, how could he not know who had healed him? But if we look back at his day, it makes sense. His day had begun like any other — he probably stood at the same spot to beg for money at the same time every single day. Because of its proximity to the temple and the influx of visitors for the Feast of Booths, his begging cup may have been fuller than usual, but other than that, it was a normal day.
Then, over the sound of the crowd outside, he may have heard Jesus preaching in the temple,
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
Shortly after hearing these words, a Man kneels beside him and spits in the dirt. Sounds of mud caked together in a ball penetrated his ears before feeling the moist mud pressed into his eye sockets. The silence is broken with the words,
Go wash in the pool of Siloam.
His heart is pounding as his blood pressure rises. Although he is unable to visualize the face, he recognizes that voice — the Man from the temple. This is the Nazarene’s voice. The blind man is presented with a choice. Will he trust and obey Him? Obeying this strange command would be laborious because of the thousands who had crowded the narrow streets of Jerusalem. But he takes a risk and embarks on the long journey down to the pool of Siloam without an escort. He repeatedly apologizes as the pilgrims he bumps into form a path for him to follow.

Upon arriving at the waters, he plunges his mud-covered face underneath. As the clay washes from his sockets, his darkness is pierced by a ray of hope. Penetrating eyes that had never until this point seen the light of day are now opened. When he emerges from the water, reality sets in. “I can see,” he says to himself. Then louder, “I can see.” Before long, the once blind man is yelling,

“I CAN SEE!

I was born blind, but now

I CAN SEE!”

The account of the man born blind serves several purposes. It provides historical evidence that Jesus truly is the Messiah — but it does even more. Jesus was a Jewish rabbi who taught in pictures, not just in proofs.
The healing of the man born blind is proof of who Jesus is, but it is also a picture of our salvation.

This man was born into darkness, like the rest of mankind,

but Jesus shined His light upon his darkened heart.

Although he benefited from the miracle,

it wasn’t intended only for him.


The man was healed and became a

walking billboard,

a trophy of God’s grace.


His pain would be

the platform upon which he would

preach the gospel.


His suffering was the means by which

God would draw others to Himself.

Aren’t you glad God does the same with us?

​
The Pool of Bethesda was renowned as a supposed place of healing in Jesus’ time. At this pool Jesus healed a man who had been lame for thirty-eight years. As Jesus healed him, He said, “Take up your bed and walk” (John 5:8, NKJV). This miracle reveals that Jesus is the ultimate Healer and that He is greater than any man-made rules, superstitions, and beliefs.


The Pool of Bethesda

(Aramaic for “House of Mercy”)

was a spring-fed pool just north of

the temple.

Near the water

“a great number of disabled people

used to lie--


the blind, the lame, the paralyzed”

(John 5:3).


These people would wait expectantly at the pool because they believed an angel would come down into the pool and “stir up the water.” Then, according to the superstition, “whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had” (John 5:4, NKJV). The man who was told to “take up your bed and walk” was one of these people who trusted that the water would provide healing.

What he really needed was Jesus.

On the day Jesus visited the Pool of Bethesda,

the invalid was there,

waiting

for the angel to do his magical work.

The man did not know Jesus

and thought the pool

was what he needed to be healed.


He complained to Jesus that there was

“no one to help me into the pool

when the water is stirred.

While I am trying to get in,

someone else goes down ahead of me”

(John 5:7).



Jesus swept aside all superstition and false belief with one command: “Rise! Take up your bed and walk!” (John 5:8, NKJV). The man was instantly cured, and “he picked up his mat and walked” (verse 9). The man never got wet. It was not the water the man needed but Jesus.

Through this third “sign” or miracle in the Gospel of John, Jesus shows He is the ultimate Healer, not just of physical maladies but of our hearts. After the healing, “Jesus found [the man] in the temple, and said to him, ‘See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you’” (John 5:14). Jesus revealed that the man’s physical healing was secondary to his need to be healed spiritually. Although the passage does not reveal the man’s conversion, it does teach that Jesus sees not only our physical maladies but our hearts as well. He is the only one who can provide the spiritual healing we need. While being physically ill for thirty-eight years is difficult, an eternity in hell is even worse (see Mark 9:47).


Jesus telling the man,

“Take up your bed and walk”

became an issue for the Jewish leaders
because the

healing took place on the Sabbath (John 5:9).

The fact that a paralytic was walking did not matter to them; they were furious. “For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath” (John 5:16). The Pharisees’ traditions forbade the carrying of one’s mat or bed on the Sabbath. Of course, Jesus had not violated the Sabbath law (see Matthew 5:17). It was only the pharisaical interpretation and addition to God’s laws that were being broken. The healing of the lame man exposed the Pharisees’ hard hearts and revealed that Jesus is greater than their man-made laws.

Jesus’ command,

“Take up your bed and walk,”

and its immediate result reveal that He is greater than any superstition, folklore, or man-made rule. Faith in anything other than Jesus is misplaced and leaves us wanting.

Yet Jesus can forgive anyone who will

turn to Him for salvation--

that is the ultimate healing we all need.


The gospels record several occasions when Jesus performed a healing on the Sabbath day. In most of those instances, the healing was followed by a confrontation with the religious leaders (Mark 3:1–6, Luke 6:6–10; 13:10–17; 14:1–6; John 5:1–18). In another passage, Luke 4:38–41, Jesus heals after teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath, but no confrontation is recorded, as the miracle was performed in a private home. Jesus knew the Pharisees’ rules regarding the Sabbath, so why did He choose to heal on that day?

It is important to note that Jesus was not violating the law of God when He healed on the Sabbath. He was surely acting against the Pharisaical interpretation of the law and against their particular rules. But the Holy One of God, who came to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17), did not violate the law. The basic reason that Jesus healed on the Sabbath was that people needed His help. Need knows no calendar.

Jesus healed on the Sabbath in order to reveal the hypocrisy of the Pharisees’ religion. In three passages where Jesus’ healing led to a confrontation, Jesus references how the Jews “worked” on the Sabbath by taking care of their animals, and that work was sanctioned by the Pharisees. In an agrarian society, animal care was a major part of a normal day. Jesus points out their willingness to work on the Sabbath to help an animal: “Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?” (Luke 13:15), and He rightly calls out their hypocrisy for denying aid to “a daughter of Abraham” (verse 16). If your religious rules allow for helping animals on the Sabbath, then it should definitely allow for helping people.

When Jesus healed on the Sabbath, He was also challenging the religious leaders with the question of doing good or evil on the Sabbath: “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” (Mark 3:4). The leaders remained silent and refused to answer. His healing gave them the answer. Doing good and saving life is lawful, even on the Sabbath. Using the Sabbath rule to do evil or to kill is an ungodly perversion of the law.

Let’s take a look at the law in question. The Torah is the law proper. But the Pharisees also added their traditions to the law God had given. The religious leaders’ traditions that they combined with the biblical law became as important to them as God’s actual Word. Jesus stood against such additions to the law, rebuking the teachers of the law for “teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7, ESV).

The Pharisees’ Sabbath restrictions forbade the following activities: writing, erasing, and tearing; conducting business transactions; shopping; cooking, baking, or kindling a fire; gardening; doing laundry; carrying anything for more than six feet in a public area; moving anything with your hand, even indirectly (with a broom): a broken bowl, flowers in a vase, candles on a table, raw food, a rock, a button that has fallen off (you could move things with your elbow or your breath, but not with your hand). And this is just a partial list.

Compare the complexity and micromanaging of the Pharisees’ rules with the original rule in God’s Word: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy” (Exodus 20:8–11). It was simply manmade traditions that defined Jesus’ healing as “work.” So when Jesus healed on the Sabbath, He was challenging the Pharisees’ beliefs as being from man and not from God.

Another reason Jesus healed on the Sabbath was to remind people of why God instituted the Sabbath day of rest. The Sabbath was meant to benefit people as much as to glorify God: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). The Sabbath helped people recuperate (mentally and physically) after a week of work and redirect their focus from the daily routine to God. Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath was therefore very much compatible with God’s purpose for the Sabbath.

Confronted with Jesus’ undeniable power to heal and restore, the religious leaders passed up their chance to reflect on the possibility that they were wrong. Instead, they dug in their heels and doubled down on their untenable position. Their stubbornness is a good reminder for us of our need to examine our beliefs and ensure they are biblical and in line with the Word of God.


Matthew 26:67
Verse ConceptsThen they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him,

John 9:6-7When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing.

Leviticus 15:8
Verse ConceptsOr if the man with the discharge spits on one who is clean, he too shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening.

Job 30:10
Verse Concepts“They abhor me and stand aloof from me,
And they do not refrain from spitting at my face.

Isaiah 50:6
Verse Concepts

I gave My back to those who strike Me,
And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard;
I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.

Matthew 27:30
Verse Concepts

They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head.

Numbers 12:14
Verse ConceptsBut the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut up for seven days outside the camp, and afterward she may be received again.”

Deuteronomy 25:9
Verse Conceptsthen his brother’s wife shall come to him in the sight of the elders, and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face; and she shall declare, ‘Thus it is done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.’

Mark 7:33
Verse ConceptsJesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva;

​Mark 8:23
Verse Concepts

Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him,

“Do you see anything?”


Then they spat in His face and beat Him

with their fists;

and others slapped Him,


Matthew 27:30

They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head.


Numbers 12:14

But the Lord said to Moses,

“If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut up for seven days outside the camp, and afterward she may be received again.”



then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the sight of the elders,

and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face;

and she shall declare,

‘Thus it is done to the man who does not

build up his brother’s house.’

 Most of the events of the Book of Numbers take place in the wilderness, primarily between the second and fortieth years of the wandering of the Israelites. The first 25 chapters of the book chronicle the experiences of the first generation of Israel in the wilderness, while the rest of the book describes

the experiences of the second generation.

The theme of

obedience and rebellion

followed by repentance and blessing

runs through the entire book, as well as the

entire Old Testament.


The theme of the holiness of God

is continued from the book of Leviticus into the book of Numbers,

which reveals God’s instruction and preparation

of His people to enter

the Promised Land of Canaan.

The importance of the Book of Numbers is indicated by its

being referred to in the

New Testament many times.


The Holy Spirit

called special attention

to Numbers in 1 Corinthians 10:1-12. The words

"all these things happened to them for examples"

refers to the sin of the


Israelites

and

God’s displeasure with them


In Romans 11:22, Paul speaks about the

"goodness and severity of God."


That, in a nutshell, is the message of Numbers.

The severity of God is seen in the

death of the

rebellious generation in the wilderness,

those who

never entered the Promised Land.

The goodness of God is realized in the new generation.
God protected, preserved, and provided for these people
until they possessed the land.

This reminds us of the

justice and love of God,

which are always in sovereign

harmony.


God’s demand for holiness

in His people is completely and

finally satisfied in Jesus Christ,

who came to fulfill the Law on

our behalf

(Matthew 5:17).



The concept of the

promised

Messiah pervades the book.


The story in chapter 19 of the

sacrifice of the red heifer


“without defect or blemish”


prefigures Christ, the Lamb of God without

spot or blemish who was sacrificed for our sins.


The image of the bronze snake
lifted up on the
pole to provide physical healing
(chapter 21) also prefigures the

lifting up of Christ,

either upon the cross, or in the

ministry of the Word,

that whoever looks to Him

by faith may have

spiritual healing.


In chapter 24, Balaam’s fourth

oracle speaks of the star

and the scepter who is to

rise out of Jacob.


Here is a prophecy of Christ who is

called the "morning star"

in Revelation 22:16 for

His glory, brightness, and splendor,

and for the light that comes by Him. He may also be

called a scepter, that is, a scepter bearer,

because of his royalty.

He not only has the name of a king,

but has a kingdom, and rules with a

scepter of grace, mercy, and righteousness.


A major theological theme developed in the

New Testament from Numbers

is that sin and unbelief,

especially rebellion, reap the judgment of God.


First Corinthians specifically says—and Hebrews 3:7— 4:13

 strongly implies--

that these events were written as examples

for believers to observe and avoid.

We are not to “set our hearts on evil things” (1 Corinthians 10:6),

or be sexually immoral (1 Corinthians 10:8)

or put God to the test (1 Corinthians 10:9)

or gripe and complain (1 Corinthians 10:10).



Just as the Israelites wandered in the

wilderness 40 years

because of their rebellion,

so too does God sometimes

allow us to wander away from Him

and suffer loneliness and lack of blessings

when we rebel against Him.



But God is

faithful and just,

and just as He restored the

Israelites to their rightful place in His heart,

He will always restore Christians to the

place of blessing and intimate

fellowship with Him

if we repent and return to Him


(1 John 1:9).
​

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came upon certain people

to empower them for service,

but then He would leave again. New Testament believers have a different experience, as the Spirit indwells us permanently.

The permanent indwelling of

the Holy Spirit

given to New Testament believers was a

“mystery”

to the Old Testament saints. After Jesus ascended to heaven,



He sent the Holy Spirit to live within us,

never to leave


(John 14:16–17; 16:7).


Jesus told His disciples,

“On that day you will realize that

I am in my Father . . . and I am in you”

(John 14:20).

The Holy Spirit seals us for the day of redemption

(Ephesians 4:30).


In other words, the Spirit’s presence

in our hearts

guarantees our ultimate salvation.


Though we are in this world,

we are not of it (John 17:16).

God will continue to work in us until

He is finished perfecting us


(see Philippians 1:6).


This forward-looking guarantee of perfection

is what is meant by

“Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

The J. B. Phillips translation of Colossians 1:27

 puts it this way:


“The secret is simply this:


Christ in you!


Yes, Christ in you bringing with him the

hope of

all glorious things to come.”


The hope of glory is the fulfillment of God’s promise

to restore us and all creation


(see Romans 8:19–21 and 1 Peter 5:10).


This hope is not

a wishful thought, but the

confident, expectant,

joyful knowledge

that we are being changed by God and will one day

see Christ face to face,

having been conformed to His image

(Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:2).

The hope of glory includes our resurrection:

“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you,

he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life

to your mortal bodies

because of his Spirit who lives in you”

(Romans 8:11).


It includes a heavenly inheritance:

“In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a

living hope through the

resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

and into an inheritance that can

never perish, spoil or fade.

This inheritance is kept in heaven for you”

(1 Peter 1:3–4).

The Spirit of Christ within us

is the “deposit guaranteeing our inheritance”

(Ephesians 1:14).


Christ’s presence in us

is the hope of glory, and

this truth is full of

“glorious riches.”

Our once dead, darkened spirits are made alive.

Christ is in our hearts, and we know that there is

life beyond this earthly existence--

a life that will be glorious beyond

all imagination.