If the link fails, try pasting the url below into your browser.
https://secretpath108.blogspot.com/2021/01/table-of-content.html
One day, the Jesus team was on Lake Galilee when the disciples noticed they had forgotten to bring enough bread for the trip.
On noticing their concern, Jesus told them, "Watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."
Leaven, or yeast, makes bread expand into a fluffy comestible. Crackers are made from unleavened bread.
The men began to ask each other what the rabbi might mean. What does lack of bread have to do with leaven? they wondered.
"Why are you thinking about lack of bread?" Jesus asked. "Are you still lacking in understanding? What makes you so dense? You have eyes and you have ears, but apparently something's wrong with your memory.
"When I broke the bread for the big crowd back in the pastureland, how many baskets of leftovers were there?"
Twelve, they replied.
"So then, why would you think I was talking about actual bread?"
At that, the disciples realized he had been speaking of the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, a political group closely aligned with the ruthless Herod clan.
When they arrived back in Bethsaida, someone brought a blind man to Jesus and asked that he receive a healing touch.
Jesus led the blind fellow by the hand outside the fishing town to a private place. Once there, Jesus spat on the man's eyes and laid hands on him.
"Do you see anything?" Jesus asked.
"I can see men," the man replied. "They look like trees moving around."
Jesus then laid hands on the man's eyes. This time, the man could level a penetrating gaze. He saw everything clearly.
Jesus told him to go home but to stay out of Bethsaida. "Don't even set foot in the town," Jesus told him.
From Bethsaida, the Jesus team journeyed north, past Lake Hula, all the way up to the headwaters of the Jordan at Caesarea Philippi. At that location was what the Greeks thought to be the cave of the god Pan, where mountain water gushed forth to feed the beginning of the Jordan. A local ruler had built a shrine there, and named the city for a Roman emperor. In Jesus' day, the water came from a deep, seemingly bottomless pit inside the cave. Locals called the pit the Gates of Hades. (The term "gates" referred to the gates on a walled city.)
When Jesus and his men arrived in the vicinity, the rabbi posed a question to his students.
"Who do people think I am?"
Various answers were John (the Dunker), or the prophets Elijah or Jeremiah, or some other prophet.
"What about you?" asked Jesus. "Who do you think I am?"
"You are the messiah!" said Peter.
"You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah," Jesus said. "You didn't get that from human understanding. The Father revealed that to you."
Jesus added, "I am calling you Peter [Greek for Rock], and on this rock I will build my church. And the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
"I will give you the keys to the kingdom, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you free on earth will be freed in heaven."
Jesus admonished his disciples not to reveal his true identity to anyone.
(That disclosure must come later.)
Once his true identity had been revealed to his men, he began filling them in on the harsh reality that was coming. He would be rejected by government and religious authorities and then killed. On the third day, he said, he would be "raised up." Though he said that plainly, his disciples were not sure what he meant.
On hearing this sort of talk, Peter drew him aside and upbraided him. "Don't even think about that," Peter said. "Nothing like that will ever happen."
But Jesus replied, "Back off, Satan! You are in my way. You aren't thinking in God's way but in a human way."
He then called everybody near and reminded them of his teaching:
"Whoever wants to follow me must deny himself, pick up his cross and start following.
"Whoever would save his life will lose it.
"And whoever loses his life for my sake and for the sake of my message will gain it.
"What use is it to gain the whole world but lose one's soul?
"Anyone who is ashamed of me and my message in this evil and adulterous generation will find that the son of man is ashamed of him when he comes in the Father's glory, accompanied by holy angels."
Jesus told them, "I am very serious when I tell you that some standing here will in no way taste death before they see the kingdom come with power."
About a week after this, the men arrived at a high mountain. Jesus hiked up with three disciples – Simon the Rock and the brothers James and John, the Sons of Thunder.
Once the four reached their destination, Jesus' whole appearance was transformed right in front of the disciples. His face shone with brilliant light and his clothing blazed with an extraordinary white light.
Then two men appeared and began to speak with Jesus. They were Moses and Elijah. They talked about Jesus' upcoming trip to Jerusalem and the fact that he must die there.
Simon the Rock (Peter) and the two brothers could not understand the conversation at the time because they were terrified.
Peter blurted out, "Rabbi, it would be a good idea for us to make a shelter for you and also one for Moses and another for Elijah."
But he was shaking so much with fear that he really had no clue what he was saying.
Suddenly, on a clear day, a cloud came out of nowhere and threw a shadow over them.
"This is my very precious son," came a Voice. "Listen to him."
Shortly, the disciples became aware that the two heavenly visitors were no longer present. Only Jesus was with them now.
Jesus told them to keep what they had seen secret until after his return from the dead. They were perplexed, though. "What is he talking about: 'rising from the dead'?"
The students also inquired about why the Bible scholars insisted that Elijah must precede the messiah.
Jesus replied, "That's correct. Elijah comes first and makes everything right. But what about the Scripture that says that the son of man must endure many sufferings and be made into a nothing?"
That description is found in Isaiah (chapter 53).
"But I am telling you that Elijah has already come, and they had no idea who he was and treated him like a no-account.
"Similarly, the son of man must also receive that kind of treatment."
Then the three students realized that Jesus had been referring to John, the Dunker.
NEXT PAGE:
A very tough case
https://secretpath191.blogspot.com/2020/11/a-very-tough-case.html
On noticing their concern, Jesus told them, "Watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."
Leaven, or yeast, makes bread expand into a fluffy comestible. Crackers are made from unleavened bread.
The men began to ask each other what the rabbi might mean. What does lack of bread have to do with leaven? they wondered.
"Why are you thinking about lack of bread?" Jesus asked. "Are you still lacking in understanding? What makes you so dense? You have eyes and you have ears, but apparently something's wrong with your memory.
"When I broke the bread for the big crowd back in the pastureland, how many baskets of leftovers were there?"
Twelve, they replied.
"So then, why would you think I was talking about actual bread?"
At that, the disciples realized he had been speaking of the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, a political group closely aligned with the ruthless Herod clan.
When they arrived back in Bethsaida, someone brought a blind man to Jesus and asked that he receive a healing touch.
Jesus led the blind fellow by the hand outside the fishing town to a private place. Once there, Jesus spat on the man's eyes and laid hands on him.
"Do you see anything?" Jesus asked.
"I can see men," the man replied. "They look like trees moving around."
Jesus then laid hands on the man's eyes. This time, the man could level a penetrating gaze. He saw everything clearly.
Jesus told him to go home but to stay out of Bethsaida. "Don't even set foot in the town," Jesus told him.
Again, Jesus' use of his spit might have been construed by his opponents as impermissible magic. [wdy1] Thus, we may conjecture, Jesus desired privacy. But again, anything emanating from this sinless man would have been holy.
It seems as though the blind man had once had sight, because he used the word "tree" to describe how Jesus' disciples looked to him as they milled about.
We cannot be sure why the man was forbidden to even set foot in Bethsaida.
Was the town the place where he had met his downfall? Though not every physical disorder is a result of a person's sin, the connection often does hold. (As a simple example, consider those with lung cancer who would not quit smoking tobacco.)
Another possibility is that Jesus did not want the townspeople to make a big fuss over him. If they did not hear of the miracle, he would be able to move on without a commotion. The fact that he had performed some healings there in the past does not mean the townspeople, in general, thought he was still active.
It seems as though the blind man had once had sight, because he used the word "tree" to describe how Jesus' disciples looked to him as they milled about.
We cannot be sure why the man was forbidden to even set foot in Bethsaida.
Was the town the place where he had met his downfall? Though not every physical disorder is a result of a person's sin, the connection often does hold. (As a simple example, consider those with lung cancer who would not quit smoking tobacco.)
Another possibility is that Jesus did not want the townspeople to make a big fuss over him. If they did not hear of the miracle, he would be able to move on without a commotion. The fact that he had performed some healings there in the past does not mean the townspeople, in general, thought he was still active.
From Bethsaida, the Jesus team journeyed north, past Lake Hula, all the way up to the headwaters of the Jordan at Caesarea Philippi. At that location was what the Greeks thought to be the cave of the god Pan, where mountain water gushed forth to feed the beginning of the Jordan. A local ruler had built a shrine there, and named the city for a Roman emperor. In Jesus' day, the water came from a deep, seemingly bottomless pit inside the cave. Locals called the pit the Gates of Hades. (The term "gates" referred to the gates on a walled city.)
When Jesus and his men arrived in the vicinity, the rabbi posed a question to his students.
"Who do people think I am?"
Various answers were John (the Dunker), or the prophets Elijah or Jeremiah, or some other prophet.
"What about you?" asked Jesus. "Who do you think I am?"
"You are the messiah!" said Peter.
"You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah," Jesus said. "You didn't get that from human understanding. The Father revealed that to you."
Jesus added, "I am calling you Peter [Greek for Rock], and on this rock I will build my church. And the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
"I will give you the keys to the kingdom, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you free on earth will be freed in heaven."
Jesus admonished his disciples not to reveal his true identity to anyone.
(That disclosure must come later.)
The Father chose Peter to see who Jesus actually was and is. Even today, no one can receive Jesus as Lord without first being called by the Father. The recognition that Jesus really does save people is the solid rock on which Jesus builds his true church. That realization is the first step to becoming born again. Everyone who believes – the way Peter truly believed – that Jesus is the Savior is on his or her way to being saved. The other crucial step is to humble oneself before God and before Jesus and to seek forgiveness for one's problematical choices and behavior.
Once a person is forgiven and saved, he is a family member in God's house – his kingdom in fact – and has the rights of a family member. A born-again person is given great power, here on earth, because of his or her direct line to God's throne through Jesus.
Once a person is forgiven and saved, he is a family member in God's house – his kingdom in fact – and has the rights of a family member. A born-again person is given great power, here on earth, because of his or her direct line to God's throne through Jesus.
Once his true identity had been revealed to his men, he began filling them in on the harsh reality that was coming. He would be rejected by government and religious authorities and then killed. On the third day, he said, he would be "raised up." Though he said that plainly, his disciples were not sure what he meant.
On hearing this sort of talk, Peter drew him aside and upbraided him. "Don't even think about that," Peter said. "Nothing like that will ever happen."
But Jesus replied, "Back off, Satan! You are in my way. You aren't thinking in God's way but in a human way."
He then called everybody near and reminded them of his teaching:
"Whoever wants to follow me must deny himself, pick up his cross and start following.
"Whoever would save his life will lose it.
"And whoever loses his life for my sake and for the sake of my message will gain it.
"What use is it to gain the whole world but lose one's soul?
"Anyone who is ashamed of me and my message in this evil and adulterous generation will find that the son of man is ashamed of him when he comes in the Father's glory, accompanied by holy angels."
This last statement evoked for his hearers the image of the son of man and messiah spoken of in Daniel (at 7:13).
Jesus told them, "I am very serious when I tell you that some standing here will in no way taste death before they see the kingdom come with power."
Mark followed by Matthew and Luke now place the transfiguration event right after these discussions near Caesar Philippi, which seems logical, now that Jesus' true identity was known to his close associates. Yet, over time, many have wondered whether Jesus might have thought his return in power would happen within the lifetime of some of his disciples – but was sadly mistaken, given that he still hasn't returned with his angels.
I suggest that the transfiguration event is sufficient to confirm his words, with Moses and Elijah being the angels (and recall that angel can mean son of God, which as his devoted servants they certainly were). But prophecies need not be fulfilled only once. A prophecy in fact may be partly fulfilled at one time and partly fulfilled at another and utterly fulfilled still later.
In any case, Jesus certainly returned in power at the Feast of Pentecost some weeks after his resurrection. For more on this topic, please see:
Concerning God's kingdom
https://zioncallingyou.blogspot.com/2020/02/appendix-b-concerning-kingdom-of-heaven.html
I suggest that the transfiguration event is sufficient to confirm his words, with Moses and Elijah being the angels (and recall that angel can mean son of God, which as his devoted servants they certainly were). But prophecies need not be fulfilled only once. A prophecy in fact may be partly fulfilled at one time and partly fulfilled at another and utterly fulfilled still later.
In any case, Jesus certainly returned in power at the Feast of Pentecost some weeks after his resurrection. For more on this topic, please see:
Concerning God's kingdom
https://zioncallingyou.blogspot.com/2020/02/appendix-b-concerning-kingdom-of-heaven.html
About a week after this, the men arrived at a high mountain. Jesus hiked up with three disciples – Simon the Rock and the brothers James and John, the Sons of Thunder.
Caesarea Philippi was located at the foot of the highest peak in Syria, the 9,232-foot Mount Hermon,[wdy2] though the evangelists do not specify which peak was meant nor do they say what went on during the six to eight days between reaching the city and climbing the mountain. It is worth noting that the three-pronged Mount Hermon is near Dan, which was the northernmost part of the land of Israel under Solomon, and is mentioned in the Old Testament as belonging to Israel after Joshua (or Jesus) conquered the region.
Once the four reached their destination, Jesus' whole appearance was transformed right in front of the disciples. His face shone with brilliant light and his clothing blazed with an extraordinary white light.
Then two men appeared and began to speak with Jesus. They were Moses and Elijah. They talked about Jesus' upcoming trip to Jerusalem and the fact that he must die there.
Simon the Rock (Peter) and the two brothers could not understand the conversation at the time because they were terrified.
Peter blurted out, "Rabbi, it would be a good idea for us to make a shelter for you and also one for Moses and another for Elijah."
But he was shaking so much with fear that he really had no clue what he was saying.
Suddenly, on a clear day, a cloud came out of nowhere and threw a shadow over them.
"This is my very precious son," came a Voice. "Listen to him."
Shortly, the disciples became aware that the two heavenly visitors were no longer present. Only Jesus was with them now.
Jesus told them to keep what they had seen secret until after his return from the dead. They were perplexed, though. "What is he talking about: 'rising from the dead'?"
The students also inquired about why the Bible scholars insisted that Elijah must precede the messiah.
Jesus replied, "That's correct. Elijah comes first and makes everything right. But what about the Scripture that says that the son of man must endure many sufferings and be made into a nothing?"
That description is found in Isaiah (chapter 53).
"But I am telling you that Elijah has already come, and they had no idea who he was and treated him like a no-account.
"Similarly, the son of man must also receive that kind of treatment."
Then the three students realized that Jesus had been referring to John, the Dunker.
Divinely inspired human events often carry layers of symbolic meaning. For example, the choice of the name Jesus for the Nazarene is highly significant, as it means "Jehovah saves" or "Yah is salvation." As Jesus is God's firstborn son and chosen messiah, that turns out to be a very accurate description. Yet, Jesus (Joshua is a form of that name) was such a common name among Jews of the era that there is humility in its use by God's anointed man.
So the transfiguration is a divine event in human affairs. Heaven comes to earth. And we should see in this event the shift from the Old Era to the New Era, as embodied in Jesus.
Simon, as the Rock, represents the new belief, what we often call faith. James and John, the Sons of Thunder, represent the gospel, the message of salvation going out to, on the one hand, the Jews and, on the other, the Gentiles. Further, we see that poetically Jesus here is the lightning and the Father's voice is the thunder. So the three apostles are poetically linked to the real, super-powered thunder and lightning.
Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets, or in other words the Jewish system up to that time. The Law and the Prophets was a phrase used to indicate the Torah (five books of Moses) and the prophetic books. These were considered authoritative, whereas the remaining scriptures were to be consulted mainly for edification.
Once God announced Jesus as the main authority, the the Law and the Prophets – symbolized by Moses and Elijah – vanished. Jesus' word fulfills and supersedes the teachings in the old Jewish Bible.
As Christians, we must heed Jesus. The Old Testament writings are very helpful for edification. But Jesus has and is the word. For example, some Christians believe that God has imposed the 10 commandments on his church. But Christians are actually set free from spiritual legal codes. As Paul the apostle says, laws are impossible to obey exactly. Yet someone with the love of Jesus Christ in him or her would not willingly commit any heinous act, whether it's codified in the Old Testament or not.
So this transfiguration event signifies a completely new world that was coming to be. The old world of Jewish thought was passing away as Jews and Gentiles were to be transformed into a new type of human being: one filled with God's Spirit and able to be more than either what Adam or Eve had been before the Big Crash.
So the transfiguration is a divine event in human affairs. Heaven comes to earth. And we should see in this event the shift from the Old Era to the New Era, as embodied in Jesus.
Simon, as the Rock, represents the new belief, what we often call faith. James and John, the Sons of Thunder, represent the gospel, the message of salvation going out to, on the one hand, the Jews and, on the other, the Gentiles. Further, we see that poetically Jesus here is the lightning and the Father's voice is the thunder. So the three apostles are poetically linked to the real, super-powered thunder and lightning.
Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets, or in other words the Jewish system up to that time. The Law and the Prophets was a phrase used to indicate the Torah (five books of Moses) and the prophetic books. These were considered authoritative, whereas the remaining scriptures were to be consulted mainly for edification.
Once God announced Jesus as the main authority, the the Law and the Prophets – symbolized by Moses and Elijah – vanished. Jesus' word fulfills and supersedes the teachings in the old Jewish Bible.
As Christians, we must heed Jesus. The Old Testament writings are very helpful for edification. But Jesus has and is the word. For example, some Christians believe that God has imposed the 10 commandments on his church. But Christians are actually set free from spiritual legal codes. As Paul the apostle says, laws are impossible to obey exactly. Yet someone with the love of Jesus Christ in him or her would not willingly commit any heinous act, whether it's codified in the Old Testament or not.
So this transfiguration event signifies a completely new world that was coming to be. The old world of Jewish thought was passing away as Jews and Gentiles were to be transformed into a new type of human being: one filled with God's Spirit and able to be more than either what Adam or Eve had been before the Big Crash.
NEXT PAGE:
A very tough case
https://secretpath191.blogspot.com/2020/11/a-very-tough-case.html
No comments:
Post a Comment