The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #329
Description
Ministry to “poor,” the believing remnant
Old Testament Prophecy
Zechariah 11:7
So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep.
New Testament Fulfillment
Matt 9:35-36
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studies the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.
I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. I found that the format I used for the parable posts were useful to keep me on track, and will continue to use them for this series, with some minor tweaks. With that said, let’s take a look at
Jesus Provides a Catch of Fish Again
John 21:4-11
Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn.
General Observations
First off, I don’t know why there was 153 fish. Why spend the time counting when the Lord is in the vicinity, calling His disciples to Himself? It is a detail that kinda befuddles me, but it isn’t something that should become a focus for our time together. We got bigger fish to fry (bad pun!).
It is good to remember that this isn’t the first time the disciples were visited by the resurrected Christ. There must have been times of absence of the Lord (preparing them for the ascension?) that were punctuated with visits such as the one we read of here. Prior to the upper room experience, these disciples had seen the Lord at least twice (once for Thomas), but had not experienced the filling of the Spirit of God in their lives.
Questions to Consider
Who were the audience?
Seven of the disciples were present for this visit from the Lord. Peter, John, James, Thomas, Nathanael, and two other unnamed disciples, maybe Andrew and Phillip.
So why were only a portion of the disciples gathered together? Had the group started to fracture already? It seems Simon had informed the group that he was going fishing, and six of the disciples joined him. I have often thought this was an act of rebellion on Peters part, for the Lord, after His resurrection commanded His disciples to stay in Jerusalem. (I don’t recall any lake in Jerusalem large enough to go fishing in!)
Luke 24:49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
How this all works out, I cannot be sure, for I am not sure if this command came before or after our visit from the Lord and this miracle. Nevertheless, whether Peter’s stubborn streak got ahold of him or if he innocently left the City to fish, he did pull half the group with him. He was influential!
As with all the miracles we have considered in the past few months, the Lord’s purpose may be very evident, or I may have had to resort to His general message, that is of communicating the truth of His person being on earth. Each of multitude of the miracles He performed, whether they are recorded or not in the Word, were never intended to simply amaze the crowds or draw a crowd as an end. His miracles were intended to communicate to God’s people , (and the world) that the Messiah had arrived.
Of course some of the miracles were obviously pointed to specific people for specific purposes also, as we see in this final act of remembrance for Peter. This miracle is very reminiscent of the calling of Peter in Luke 5 (See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus #6 – Jesus Provides a Catch of Fish).
Might Jesus be using this occasion to remind Peter of this commitment, of his history with Jesus?
What was the message for the original audience?
There were a number of “minor” miracles that we should consider prior to the large catch of fish.
Bread & Fish Prepared
Notice that the Lord came prepared for His meeting with His men. Early in the morning, He had a fire going, with broiled fish, and bread available for His tired disciples. Of course He knew they were frustrated with the lack of any catch for the night, and He got their attention with a massive catch, but we shall chat about that in a moment. The fact that He prepared a meal for His men speaks volumes, for He is always the One to lead, and He leads by setting the example of service. And yet He instructs them to follow in supplying the needs around them by having them bring some of the fish they had just caught for the meal also. This cooperative work of God and man reminds me of 2 Corinthians 6:1, where the apostle speaks of the “Divine Human Cooperative”
2 Corinthians 6:1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
This verse, when I understood some of the ramifications of “working together” with God, shook me a wee bit. I mean, we are to be considered servants, and that is true, and yet He allows us to enter into the work “with” Him and not simply “for” Him.
Consider this truth as you seek to serve Him.
Super Strong Net
So many fish! (We are not going to mention that number!)
When Jesus performs a mighty work, He leaves no doubt about the miraculous nature of the act. Oh, He could have had them pull in ten or twenty big fish, after a night of no fish, and gotten the attention of the disciples. But no – He created a situation that potentially would have broke the nets. And yet the nets withstood the pressure, the strain, the load!
Are you under some God ordained pressure that in your normal state of affairs could not handle. Yet you are still walking (strained and stressed) and surviving, possibly thriving because of the focus on God this stress guides you into? At times, God’s hand adds pressure to our lives, in an act of mercy towards us, so that you (and I) can experience something beyond a simple explanation, beyond our weakness and foolishness.
Super Strong Peter
I don’t know the mass of the multitude of large fish caught that day, nor the coefficient of friction the many fish had with the bottom of the sea, but the text states that Peter dragged the the net full of large fish ashore. Incredible feat of strength! An act of obedience on Peter’s part. Even though the Lord requested “some” of the fish, Peter would not be satisfied with simply bringing a few fish – He hauled all the fish onto the shore. Now whether Jesus was simply telling his men to “bring some fish” over to the cooking area , and possibly to release many of the fish is hard to discern. But Peter drug the entire net full onto the shore!
Bunch of Fish
The message of second catch of fish was meant for the disciples, or at least for the disciples who decided to leave the City and venture out into “normal” life again.
I can’t help but think that this decision of Peter to go fishing was either out of boredom, or out of frustration. We have seen that Peter was a man of action, a man that was happy doing something, anything. Patience , waiting and being quiet might not have been Peter’s strong suit. We often see him taking a leader’s role in activating some decision, moving forward, getting people to follow through on some action. In the seeming vacuum of activities that they were living in since the crucifixion and resurrection, (prior to the day of Pentecost), Peter had to sit on his hands, so to speak.
Peter had to be called back into the original call Jesus had for Him. Peter was critical for the future Body of Christ, and Jesus, in His inimitable ways, established an environment reminiscent of Peter’s first call. He established an environment to assault Peter’s memories with their past, in order to prepare Peter for the famous three questions for Peter. It is a passage that has multiple nuances for Peter to navigate and Peter was being prepared for this discussion through this miracle.
Thankfully Peter was a man that couldn’t resist the love of God and would admit his own weakness and rebellion in order to follow the Lord.
What is the message for us today?
For us today, I believe Jesus also establishes conditions or environments that we find ourselves in to direct us to the greatest possible obedience to our call. Our neighborhood, our employment, our church body, our health, our social level, our family condition – all of our lives are being guided , at least passively by the Lord.
Passively I say, since we do have the option to refuse to work with Him in the tasks of each day. The good news though is that His hand in our lives can become more evident, more specific, and more active as we actively seek His will in even the smallest of decisions.
We also need to watch for His hand in the events of our lives, understanding and interpreting them through the lens of the gospel, and His love for us. Accidents, sickness and “bad news” needs to be seen in light of the gospel, for faith demands this response. This miracle though, lends itself to our understanding that great windfalls, or blessings such as multitudinous fish in a net, as a message to be understood properly also.
His hand is active in our lives, in our environment and condition, and we would profit greatly if we learned to see with the eyes of faith, seeking to understand His will. He prepared Peter for a difficult discussion, and He is possibly preparing us also for difficult discussions. He is very skillful in preparing His people for His messages, but let me ask – Are you watching for His hand while you are toiling away in your “normal” life?
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #328
Description
Rejected in favor of another king
Old Testament Prophecy
Zechariah 11:4-6c
Thus said the Lord my God: “Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, I have become rich,’ and their own shepherds have no pity on them. For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the Lord. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand.”
New Testament Fulfillment
John 19:13-15
So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha.
Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”
They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
2:11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
In our last post we discussed the free and willing “knee bowing” of all creation, suggesting that Paul may be including the motivation of all of creation bowing the knee, and not simply the act of bowing the knee.
Philippians 2:11 may provide additional considerations supporting this thinking. In this passage, the verb for confess halted me. A short time back, I reviewed a book called “Jesus Undefeated” by Keith Giles and he brought to my attention the Greek term for confess in this passage. I will not regurgitate my findings in this post (See Book Look – Jesus Undefeated – Passage 6 for discussion) other than that term used for confess in this verse includes the idea of joy. The term implies a joyful confession, even a celebration of confession.
This strikes at the heart of my original thinking regarding the eventual confession of those in punishment! This passage does not seem to allow for a begrudging reluctant confession, a confession of requirement and obligation. Not only does He deserve the confession of, and bowing to His identity, He shall receive this to the glory of God.
Yet the rebels confession, if from a thankful heart, would it not provide greater glory than a reluctant and forced confession?
Don’t get me wrong. I understand punishment will be dealt out, and judgment will be just for all. Although Philippians does not address the punishment aspect of those who are in rebellion against the Savior, many may think this teaching of worship after death removes all punishment. I am not suggesting that, but only that I don’t understand the passage describing any punishment, but addressing the eventual (after punishment?) submission and confession of His Person by all.
Is this difficult to consider?
Is the possibility of Jesus bringing together both those who followed and those who rebelled into one “group” distressing for you? Consider some in the early church, and their reluctance to accept those sinners, those dirty Gentiles, into the Body of Christ. I think they were continually surprised by the working of God in the Body of Christ!
As I consider the Word as I get older, I am becoming more and more convinced that God is bigger than I imagine, that His grace is much greater than I can grasp, and that maybe, just maybe, He will surprise us all!
No matter – It is up to God to perform His will, and we are to be thankful participants in this ride we call Christianity!
Thank Him for the adventure, for He is looking for those who will have thankful hearts in worship!
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 50:22-23
22 “Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver! 23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”
Two short verses to finish our time in the 50th Psalm
God is delivering His final judgement, and that is of a coming discipline, a coming trial. God speaks of a tearing apart. This term is often used in the Old Testament of the fate of one at the hand of a ravenous animal.
Exodus 22:13 If it is torn by beasts, let him bring it as evidence. He shall not make restitution for what has been torn. Job 16:9 He has torn me in his wrath and hated me; he has gnashed his teeth at me; my adversary sharpens his eyes against me. Psalm 7:2 lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver. Psalm 22:13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. Jeremiah 5:6 Therefore a lion from the forest shall strike them down; a wolf from the desert shall devastate them. A leopard is watching their cities; everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, their apostasies are great.
The tearing apart is that of one being consumed, of being a true victim, of the end of a life. God does not mince words here, for there have been previous times where the nation or people of God were destined to be torn apart, but for the deliverance of God in their lives.
When God is tearing, there are none to deliver. How could there be, for the Lord is delivering His verdict, His judgement upon a thankless people, to a people who do not consider His guidance to be of any worth.
Even in His judgements, God offers hope. Offer thanksgiving for the privilege of knowing the eternal One. If you are not of a thankful spirit, it may be wise to examine yourself, to see if you are in the faith. How could one know God and be thankless? Bow the knee to Him, confess your rejection of His love and provision, seek to know Him through intentional acts, such as reading the Word, praying to the Father, fellowshipping with saints, and sharing what you find with other’s.
He who orders his way rightly will see the salvation of God.
Be thankful and order your lives according to His Word. And see the salvation of God in your life.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #327
Description
Rejection causes God to remove His protection
Old Testament Prophecy
Zechariah 11:4-6b
Thus said the Lord my God: “Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, I have become rich,’ and their own shepherds have no pity on them. For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the Lord. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand.”
New Testament Fulfillment
Luke 19:41-44
And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,
saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side
and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
As we come close to the end of our series on Old Testament Messianic Prophesies, where we have reviewed Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah, I have been drawn to those instances in the Old Testament that point to Jesus in a somewhat veiled way.
It began with just a few examples of shadows of Christ in the Old Testament, but as I have considered this added facet of Jesus and His pre-eminence in the Old Testament, these pictures of Christ are began occurring with greater and greater frequency.
Examples of these shadows or types or pictures of Jesus in the Old Testament are sometimes very obvious, and referred to in the New Testament. A very recognizable picture is that of Jonah and the whale, prefiguring Christ’s resurrection. Some shadows or pictures or types are a bit more veiled and are the “Easter Eggs” I love to find. Some that I suggest may be somewhat vague in connection with the Lord Jesus. I will leave that to my readers discernment.
Throughout this series, I will be providing posts with a table similar to the Old Testament Messianic Prophecies series, with the following format.
SEEING JESUS IN
CHARACTER/ANIMAL/EVENT/PLACE/THING
SHADOW/TYPE/FIGURE
OLD TESTAMENT PASSAGE OR REFERENCE
NEW TESTAMENT PASSAGE
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament. Some of them, quite frankly are surprising, some may be obvious, and some may be somewhat unconventional. Nevertheless, as one thinks on a particular aspect or likeness in the subject in reflecting our Savior, the picture of Christ becomes one bit larger, better and fuller.
Although it is common to consider specific Old Testament saints as the method used to typify Christ, I have found that God does not restrict His telling of His Son’s character to a reflection of mere people, but also uses animals, buildings, places, events or things that prefigure the Lord in the Old Testament.
I have developed a spreadsheet with five of the Greek terms used in the New Testament, referring to Old Testament types or figures that may be of interest to some of my readers. Please feel free to download this spreadsheet for your records and use.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #326
Description
At His coming, Israel to have unfit leaders
Old Testament Prophecy
Zechariah 11:4-6a
Thus said the Lord my God: “Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, I have become rich,’ and their own shepherds have no pity on them. For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the Lord. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand.”
New Testament Fulfillment
Matt 23:1-4
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat,
so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studies the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.
I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. I found that the format I used for the parable posts were useful to keep me on track, and will continue to use them for this series, with some minor tweaks. With that said, let’s take a look at
Jesus Heals a Servant’s Severed Ear
Luke 22:50-51
And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him.
General Observations
The only gospel that speaks of this miracle is Luke. The remaining three gospels speak of the Peter’s sword fight with the servants ear, but do not inform of any healing. Some pertinent information may be culled from the other gospels though.
John 18:10, 11 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
First off – John tells us that Peter was the swordster!
Mark 14:47 – 48 But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me?
Secondly, Mark records Jesus response to those who were arresting Him. Jesus’ question on their methods of capture speaks volumes to the chief priests understanding of who He was. When did He show any resistance (physically) to the requests of any?
Was He leading a band of sword toting hooligans, just itching for a fight? Just hours earlier, the disciples had requested about having swords, implying that this was a new option for them. They had not bore swords before, and it seems that Jesus’ response was somewhat confusing, when He said “It is enough!” Was He saying that two swords were enough, or that it was enough of this type of question.
When a sword was used (on the poor servant’s ear), Jesus reversed the damaged it caused, so it seems a bit much to consider two swords as something Jesus required, or even advocated. He may simply be responding to their request out of frustration with His disciples faith in swords.
Matthew 26:51 -54 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”
Finally, Jesus gives the famous quote of taking the sword and dying by the sword. Of course we do not want to go literal here, for we know of many who have never used a 9 mm pistol and yet died from that weapon. He speaks of the nature of those who resort to weapons as a way of life and that this way of life will typically result in the manner of death.
Questions to Consider
Who were the audience?
This was a busy goup
Malchus, the healed servant.
Eleven disciples.
a great crowd with swords and clubs. (I assume this is different than the soldiers!)
a band of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees.
Judas.
Quite a crowd, yet it was in the dark, in a wooded garden with torches surrounding the Savior. Quite a time of terror!
Two groups were controlled by fear. The guards were intimidated by Jesus, for they fell at His feet. The disciples were intimidated, for some started chopping with a sword.
Two men were not controlled by fear. Of course the Savior was in control of the situation, even to the point of determining who the guards would arrest. The other man not controlled by fear? Judas. He had all earthly authority supporting him, and even the encouragement from the Savior to “do what you came to do”. This courage would soon evaporate!
As hinted at above, the Master was a man of peace, a Teacher that brought non violence to the nation of Israel, a Man that taught us to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us. He was (and is) a healer, so when His people miss the message and go about hacking at the enemy, His response is to reach out to those hurt and to heal, drawing them to His side, even in the midst of His darkest moment of betrayal.
What was the message for the original audience?
The original audience packed with friends and foes had a message delivered to them, if they wanted to see it. A simple touch by a peaceful man, reversing the effects of a sword hacking fearful follower. (How often I see myself in Peter, trying to defend the Master!)
He did not need the weapon, and Peter’s efforts actually frustrated Jesus plans, for He was going to the cross. He was going to show us much more than a simple healing of an ear. His death would bring healing to any one who would hear His message of peace, understand who this Man of peace actually is and follow after Him.
What is the message for us today?
Of all the miracles He has performed, I see this miracle as one that comes from His nature of peace, from One whose character is rooted in gentleness and non-retaliation, a man who sought good for others, no matter their allegiance. He led His followers by example, and even as they go off on their own, He is constantly leading, teaching, being the Savior of those who need saving.
As you go about your day today, understand that a life of peacemaking is the life of the believer.
Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Strife, jealousy and a continual arguing with those you work with or associate with are signs you may need to consider as warnings. Be at peace with God, and out of that peace, be at peace with those around you. Be the one who seeks peace, not merely maintain a lack of hostility. We are to be the instigators of peace! Put your sword down, seek the peace of your enemy, and be at peace with God.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #325
Description
The cornerstone
Old Testament Prophecy
Zechariah 10:4
From him shall come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler—all of them together.
New Testament Fulfillment
Eph 2:20
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
2:10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
This verse (along with the next verse) brings to mind the eventual destiny of all of creation!
Prior to delving into this verse, I would be remiss to not discuss my understanding of the Christian faith in a general manner. It is important to remember that you own your faith and that the Christian faith is an amazingly broad and wonderous faith. Based on an faith that the Savior is the Second Person of the God head, and that the Bible is the revelation of the only true God, the Christian faith allows for many diverse points of view in various secondary teachings. Teachings such as the end times for example, vary in approach and in details, but all who take the Word seriously believe in a judgement/punishment period in the end.
In understanding this verse, I would like to consider not only the action but the motivation of all of creation in the bowing of the knee to Jesus as Lord. As 99% of modern day Christianity sees this verse, the action of bowing and confessing is what Paul is addressing and not necessarily the motivation. I too have understood that those who do not worship willingly while on earth, will worship after death, and that this post death “adoration” of the Son will be reluctant, forced and demanded.
Should or Shall?
Our passage speaks of bowing the knee in homage to the Christ, and that all creatures should bow, those in heaven, those on earth and those under the earth. When Paul says “should”, does he mean “ought to” but may not, or “shall bow” – it is inevitable! Consider the passage Paul is quoting from.
Isaiah 45:23 By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’
It seems clear that the action of bowing the knee shall/will occur, if I understand Isaiah. All of creation shall bend the knee to the name of Jesus, and this should not be a surprising statement for believers to accept, since our faith declares that He is Lord of all.
All of creation will bow the knee!
So let’s consider what it means to “bow”. The verb for bow is κάμπτωkámptō, and has the primary meaning of worship, being found in the New Testament four times. Besides the verse we are considering, and Romans 14:11, which is as repetition of Isaiah 45:23, both of the remaining times this verb is used, it refers to willing worship.
Romans 11:4 But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” Romans 14:11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
Might Paul be speaking of a time when all of creation freely and willingly worships the Son? I readily admit that the previous consideration is not convincing on it’s own, and for additional support we will address this theme in the next verse, yet is it not an interesting thought that all of creation would freely and willingly worship the Savior, not due to an eternal punishment received from the Savior, but due to His overflowing grace, kindness and forgiveness from the cross? How could we not rejoice if this is a possible outcome for all of creation?
Of course this impacts the teaching of man’s free will. How can we maintain man’s free will and yet have some freely and willingly bend the knee to the Master, even after death? If Paul is referring to bowing the knee due to the passing of punishment on the soul, this implies a forced submission, and that the suffering soul admits (reluctantly?) to the truth of the Saviors existence and dominance. This forced action, in my opinion, seems somewhat hollow and empty, somewhat unexpected if we only consider the Savior we find in the gospels. Yet there are passages that may support this forced submission.
But I have to ask – Does not the action of worship include the free will offering of oneself to the One worshipped, not out of compulsion or threatening, but out of love?
No matter how you slice it, this passage and the next impacts our thinking on free will, and of the final destiny of all souls.
How do you understand it my friend? Are you convinced of a forced submission of multitudes after judgement as the answer to our verse we are looking at today? Will this forced submission of multitudes of suffering souls satisfy the character of the Messiah, or may He be seeking the free and willing worship of all of creation?
However you see it, nothing stands in the way of freely and willingly worshipping Him today. He is worthy, He is mighty, He is wise and loving!
And He may be doing greater works than you or I could even imagine!
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 50:16-21
16 But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips? 17 For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you. 18 If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers. 19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. 20 You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son. 21 These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.
In our last post, God spoke to Israel, to His people. He corrected them in the sacrificial service, not in the actions but in the attitudes they were to live in.
This portion of Psalm 50 speaks to the wicked. OK, the problem with introducing the wicked is whether they are of the people of God also or a separate group outside of the nation of Israel? Let me explain my conundrum.
Is the nation of Israel the people of God, even in the Old Testament? Although I have previously understood the entire physical nation of Israel, (that is every person with Jewish blood coursing through their veins) to be of the people of God, I fear this passage does not support that thinking.
God is addressing two groups within the physical nation. His people, as in our previous post, where God gives direction to be thankful and pay their vows, and this group, designated as wicked. As we see in verse 16, when describing the wicked, God brings to our attention that they recite His statutes and take His covenant on their lips. The nations did not have His statutes or covenant. The only people that had his covenant and statutes were the physical nation of Israel, which requires us to understand the wicked were of the nation of Israel.
In all of this, the teaching of the remnant throughout the Word has become clearer and clearer to me as I stumble through my studies. Within the physical nation of Israel, there were two groups. The possessors and the professors. The same condition exists within the church.
To the wicked, God brings a stinging rebuke. Unless you are going to walk the walk, don’t talk the talk.
Do not take the name of the Lord in vain, use His law as a (religious convenience), refuse His direction and reject His counsel. The wicked literally cast His words behind them. The term cast in this passage refers to something hurled down, or thrown down. It is the picture of rejection as of something thrown out.
This is not ignorance but rebellion on the part of the wicked. This does not describe the believer, the one who has faith in God. A believer cannot simply toss His words behind him, reject the counsel He gives. Struggle with it, wrestle with it? Yes. Reject it as one who throws litter on the ground? This does not make sense to me.
Does this passage apply to you? Do you reject His counsel, His teaching, His direction? God is looking for those who would seek His deliverance. As believers, we need to accept discipline (vs17), rebuke thieves and adulterers (vs 18), keep our mouths free of evil (vs 19), and speak well of our brothers (vs 20).
All these actions are the hallmarks of a believer. Those who reject His counsel automatically fall into the opposing actions as described above.
Trust God and do good. Do good according to His directions, counsel and guidance, not according to your understanding!
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #324
Description
Presented to Jerusalem riding on a donkey
Old Testament Prophecy
Zechariah 9:9f
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
New Testament Fulfillment
Matt 21:6-9
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.
They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them.
Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
Driving home on a Saturday, after picking up a 2 x 8 pressure treated board for my fence job, I end up behind a little red Pontiac. Nothing of anything that stood out, except for a bumper sticker.
First thing I think, since I have been studying in the gospels lately, is that verse speaks of the truly anointed One, Jesus Christ. He is the Messiah, the fullest and only completely true expression of the term “Anointed” found in this verse.
As a matter of fact, the verse is found twice in the Scriptures.
1 Chronicles 16:22 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!”
Psalm 105:15 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!”
And yet when I research the verse a wee bit, and look at other translations, the term “anointed one” is sometimes translated in the plural. A little further research takes me to the context of the verse in 1 Chronicles. The passage is speaking of the protection God provided to Abraham and his immediate family.
They were few in number, of little account and sojourners in the land God promised to them, yet it was only a promise. No wars had been fought, no victories by bloodshed and sword. This promise was given to a man and his immediate family, while in the midst of a land they didn’t originate from, amongst people they were not related to.
Can we as believers in this age claim this promise? Is there anything in the New Testament that might help me see that this promise extends to all believers, or at least to those who claim a calling of God on their lives for ministry?
As many of you may know, I am a Canadian by birth, but we emigrated to Texas in the late 90’s, to a small town in the Panhandle. We were a family that were in a somewhat strange land (when compared with Canada) and amongst those to whom we were not related to or had any background with.
At one point, I remember some teenagers driving by our home, yelling for us to “go back where we came from”. Teenagers! So much energy, and so much desire! No matter, we stayed amongst the townsfolk, found some friends and tried to live the Christian life.
I’m telling the story only to try to understand the situation Abraham found himself in. Amongst strangers, he was vulnerable to the slightest rumor floating through the tribes nearby. Jealous tribal leaders , or power hungry men may see Abraham as one to be taken out, to be dominated over. He truly was a sojourner in a strange land, without any visible support.
How precious it must have been for Abraham to know of the Lord’s protection, of God rebuking kings in his favor. (see Genesis 12:17) How often he must have recalled this promise, and placed his trust in the One who said it, Who gave His word.
And yet the Anointed One was touched. He was not only touched, but whipped, scourged and crucified. This promise was not one that He referred to, for He knew His mission, and it wasn’t to be protected, but to rescue, to save others, to be the One who would be touched (by death) in order that others might escape.
Let’s give Him thanks for His focused love today, for His constant care over His body, for protecting those who were vulnerable, and for providing an example for us to follow.
So one last question for my gentle reader – Do we need the promise given to Abraham, or should we rely on the One who gave it? My friends, there is a difference!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #323
Description
The Messiah would be humble
Old Testament Prophecy
Zechariah 9:9e
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
New Testament Fulfillment
Matt 11:29
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
In the mid nineties, I had a little red Buick and a big ol’ bass box in the trunk, and would listen to “Christian Rock”, cranked to 11.
(What did you say? Huh? Can you say that again, I didn’t hear you….)
I have gotten away from that genre for many reasons, the least of which may be a loss of hearing, but some songs have stuck with me over the decades.
The artist’s I listened to sought to reflect Scriptural teaching for the most part. They ranged from “preaching” pop culture religion to significant theological teaching. As I listened to the lyrics, I found some to be quite challenging.
To be honest, I listened because I could justify the rock beat with “sanctified lyrics”.
Occasionally I will post a song, supply the lyrics and make a comment or two. If you decide to listen to the tune, turn the speaker down unless you are already deaf. Some of the songs tend to have a certain “volume” about them!
This post will consider the song, by a group that didn’t last long enough. For some reason they only put out two CD’s and both were great, IMHO. Using the prophets name and circumstances, Grammatrain wrote a song that speaks of the believer that has walked too far away for God and now fears there is no help. Yet though he thinks he is drowning, he still hears Him call his name. A great song!
Jonah – by Grammatrain
Take a listen!
Jonah – by Grammtrain
I lost myself Or rather images I had of me did tell How different from truth they were
I think I’m drowning and the ocean is raging My smile is frowning and my insides are praying And I’ve swallowed all my yesterdays Killed my past to follow the way I think I’m drowning and the ocean screams to me my name
I’ve fallen in Or did I jump headfirst into this ocean All I know is I cannot swim
I think I’m drowning and the ocean is raging My smile is frowning and my insides are praying And I’ve swallowed all my yesterdays Killed my past to follow the way I think I’m drowning and the ocean screams to me my name
I know that you’ll dry all my tears I know you’re beyond all my fears I know when I call out your name My soul you save
I lost myself Or rather images I had of me did tell How different from truth they were
I think I’m drowning and the ocean is raging My smile is frowning and my insides are praying And I’ve swallowed all my yesterdays Killed my past to follow the way I think I’m drowning but I hear You calling out my name
Let me know what you think of the lyrics, and of the tunes!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #322
Description
The Messiah would bring salvation
Old Testament Prophecy
Zechariah 9:9d
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
New Testament Fulfillment
Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
2:9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
In our previous post on verse 8, we saw that Jesus went beyond the ordinary existence of a man on this fallen planet, that we are all destined for. He entered into death, though not deserving of the judgement, and beyond that, choose the type of death He would experience. A death that would be through extreme suffering, shame, humiliation, and terror. His death on the cross was a form of extreme cruelty, yet He directed the course of events to experience this horror!
Out of this complete and utter self humiliation, the Father has highly exalted Him.
Consider – He is the Son of God, who abandoned His glory for the sake of His mission. Was this abandonment of His glory a permanent abandonment, not of His person, but of His glory prior to entering the human race? Is the exaltation Paul speaks of regarding Jesus the attainment of a glory that was not His previously in His co-existence with the Father and Spirit.
I am treading on issues I freely admit my ignorance of, but the exaltation of Jesus is being addressed in this verse and it causes me to consider what Paul is revealing to us.
His self humiliation has provided the opportunity for God to declare Him as the One whose name is above every other name. The acts of the Son are being rewarded here, and not His character. The act of the Savior in His “stooping down” to our level, and continuing into even deeper humiliation that are on display here, and for which He has been exalted. These acts of humiliation are sourced out of His character, His spotless being.
But Paul is associating this exaltation with actions. In other words, He is exalted for what He did, not who He is.
Paul is looking for similar acts from us. And so is God. Acts of stooping down to others, to provide assistance to others for their sake.
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 50:7-15
7 “Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. 8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me. 9 I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds. 10 For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. 12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine. 13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, 15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
God identifies Himself in the courtroom, and brings the general testimony against the defendant. God is presenting His case against Israel, and in the midst of this presentation, seeks to clearly define the case He has against Israel. His first clarification is regarding the sacrifices Israels brings to Him. The fact of the sacrificial system being performed is not the issue. The nation has continually performed the action of sacrifice on the altars as prescribed in the Law of Moses.
Yet God speaks of not accepting the offerings being dutifully placed before Him, by His people. The actions were being performed and God provides no rebuke of the religious ceremony being followed.
The issue that becomes apparent is that the people of God had an incorrect understanding of the sacrificial observance, in that they began to consider the offerings something that God required. This is often a shortsightedness of God’s people, thinking that whatever we are directed to do will add something to God, provide Him some service that is necessary for Him.
He is the self existent eternal God.
Prior to our arrival on the scene, He existed with no lack. Upon our creation (which we had no part in), we were totally dependent upon Him for our breath and life. During our time on earth, He provides our necessities, not the other way around. He supplies our needs (and many of our wants), even in our rebellion. If at some point we become aware of His existence, we default to thinking He needs something we have, or something we can do. How does that occur?
I would suggest this is a core principle of religion.
God does not need anything we could provide. He provides for us, and the natural response from a receiving people should be a thankful heart.
We so often consider our God someone we are to serve and obey, and rightly so, yet we also become confused in our understanding of Who we are relating to. He is not a god who demands sacrifice in order to be satiated, or draws us into some agreement to our destruction and enslavement. He is in need of nothing, and provides all to a needy people.
As the psalmist comes to a conclusion in this portion, two actions are directed to the people of God. Two actions as a result of this judgement brought against the people of God.
Offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving
Pay thy vows unto the Most High.
Thankfulness
Funny, even in judgement, God is demanding not only that which is right, but that is also to our benefit, releasing us from a spirit of duty into a spirit of thankfulness. As we practice this spirit of thankfulness, I am sure you will find that it is most pleasurable, that the benefit of offering thanks to God for His many blessings is a blessing in itself. But that is the type of Savior we have – One who is a blessing to us, even in the midst of a time of judgement.
Paying Vows
Thankfulness is not the only judgement handed down. In your thankfulness, pay the vows you have declared to Him. Be faithful to those promises you have made to Him. The removal of required duty, replaced with a thankful service to the God who has delivered us is the message we need to hear from this psalm.
If you are sensing an drudgery of obligation in your relationship with the Father, if in your service unto the Savior is not surrounded and infused with a thankful spirit, beware! This psalm is addressing this very concern, but have no fear, for the Lord immediately encourages us to call upon Him, even in the day of trouble.
Even as judgement may be touching your life in regards to your very relationship with Him, He is available to call upon for help, for He will deliver us.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #321
Description
The Messiah would be just
Old Testament Prophecy
Zechariah 9:9c
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
New Testament Fulfillment
John 5:30
“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
In our last post on Matthew 24, we looked at the previous two verses, describing the effects persecution has on some (many) believers. Many believers upon experiencing persecution / tribulation will fall away, betray one another and hate one another. I suggested this is not the character of one who follows after the Savior.
In this passage, we are not considering how believers react to persecution, but how believers react to lies.
False prophets were on the rise in the first century (how much more so in our day!) and Jesus spoke of “many” led astray. (In the previous set of verse, the “many” fell away) As an aside, I find it interesting that lawlesness is associated with false prophets, that lawlessness is a result of false prohets dragging off believers into lies. May the root cause of a societies rot be the result of believers listening to false prophets?
Jesus mentions that many will experience a love that grows cold, but the exception is the one who endures to the end, he is the one who will experience a salvation. The implication, as I understand it is that due to lawlessness, a believers love may grow cold. My question for my reader is this.
The one who endures, is he amongst those whose love has grown cold?
No matter where the enduring one finds himself, it is a matter of endurance, not a high pitched, emotional experience of love that results in salvation. The theme of endurance for the sake of a reward, whether it be eternal salvation, physical deliverance or winnning in a marathon, is throughout the Word. Emotional experience doesn’t make the difference, for many may read this reference to “love grown cold” and automatically think of the emotional feeling of love. I am not convinced that is the intent of the warning.
Might a believer experience a cooling of love and yet still endure in the faith, seeking to follow Jesus, though with less passion than before? Out of personal experience, (which is a poor way of judging truth), I will confess my love toward Jesus and our Father has waned and weakened, even cooled at times, yet I knew He was caring for me, watching over me, guiding me through dark periods.
An emotional love tends to vary from peaks to pits, and we ride the rollercoaster out of necessity. Endurance is a choice, and He has provided us the opportunity to follow Him whatever emotional experience we are in the midst of. Of course, it is so much the better when the emotion feeling is peaking, but we need to go through the valleys with Him to truly know His hand of guidance, comfort and wisdom.
Endure my brother and sister, hang on to the faith once delivered to the saints, looking unto Jesus who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame….
His endurance made our lives possible. Do not give up the faith, for there is a life to be gained as we follow Him.
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The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #320
Description
Beheld as King
Old Testament Prophecy
Zechariah 9:9b
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
New Testament Fulfillment
John 12:12-13
The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.
So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studies the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.
I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. I found that the format I used for the parable posts were useful to keep me on track, and will continue to use them for this series, with some minor tweaks. With that said, let’s take a look at
Jesus Withers the Fig Tree
Matthew 21:18-22
18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. 20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
Mark 11:12-14, 20-24
12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. … 20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
General Observations
This miracle seems to be out of place in the grand scheme of things.
First off, it involves a curse, whereas all the other miracles are, to say the least, blessings on the recipient. This miracle seemed to be fueled due to the fig tree failing to produce sustenance for the Savior. This sure seems unexpected (and petty) since He has went many days without eating previously, as in the 40 day fast, the time with the Samaritan woman, etc. I would suggest this miracle is not communicating a need to satisfy Jesus’ temporal hunger.
If hunger was truly fueling this miracle, would it not be expected that He would command the tree to produce figs, as opposed to cursing it? Something about this miracle is not communicating what it seems to be communicating.
Also, Mark tells us that it was not the season for figs, so for Jesus to curse the tree for something it was not expected to do seems out of place. Notice that the entire tree withered, whereas the curse was simply for this tree to never produce figs again. Seems extreme. Again, I would suggest this miracle is not communicating unjust punishment on a fig tree.
Questions to Consider
Who were the audience?
The only audience the text speaks of witnessing this miracle are the disciples.
This is one of the last miracles Jesus performs as He enters His passion week, as He enters Jerusalem, the City of Peace, where in just a very short time, He would be hailed as the Messiah and then scourged and crucified as a revolutionary.
As mentioned in the opening discussion, this miracle is out of character with all the other miracles in a number of ways.
Unjust Cursing?
First, let’s consider the cursing of the fig tree even though the text specifically states it was not the season of figs. It seems when Mark is speaking of the season of figs, he is referring to a time in Israel where the harvesting of figs is performed. Prior to this “season of figs”, the trees produce leaves to signify it will be producing full mature delicious figs during the fig season. Until then, the tree would be in process of producing fruit, growing figs from nibs to the full fruit.
This young fruit would often be consumed by travelers, much before the tree would produce the mature fruit, and would provide sustenance for those walking by. If this is the situation we find on the day Jesus approached the tree, the leaves on the tree were signaling to those passers by that young fruit was available.
No Fruit?
Given that the tree is leafing out, it may be assumed that nibs, or pre-figs would be available. Yet when Jesus gets closer, He states there is no fruit, not even “baby” figs. This tree was all leaf!
Given that fact, consider the location of the fig tree in relation to it’s leafyness. (Is that a word?) It is commonly understood that a fig tree with unlimited space will expend all it’s energy on leafing out and produce no fruit. Just uncontrolled, unbridled leaf growth. Since this tree was off in the distance (Mk 11:13), it may be a lone tree, and without any trees near it that would provide restrictions to the growth.
The tree was just leaf! No fruit. Deceptive, not offering even “baby” figs!
Hunger?
As I mentioned above, hunger of the Savior doesn’t make sense. Granted, the text says He was hungry, and well He may have been, but as we have ventured through the gospels, we have found that His miracles speak of greater things than what was apparent at the time. Remember the healing of the blind in our last post was identifying the blindness of those who could see, and was revealing the spiritual sight of those who were physically blind. (See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus #34 – Jesus Restores Sight to a Blind Man). How about the water to wine miracle, where Jesus supplied the truth of His identity to the meek and lowly servants, while the proud and haughty miss out. (See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus #1 – Jesus Turns Water into Wine)
His hunger may have been what initiated Him in approaching the fig tree, yet I suspect once seeing the “fruitless” condition of the tree, decided upon using it as a teaching time, an object lesson.
What was the message for the original audience?
Jesus cursed a fig tree and then taught on the importance of faith. Looking at this passage for the “first” time, that simply doesn’t connect for me.
Jesus seemingly is attributing faith in God with a withering of the fig tree. But He doesn’t stop there. He challenges the disciples that if they have faith, without doubting, if they…
say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
To what purpose? First off, the withering of the tree seems extreme, and what is the connection with a mountain in the sea? Why? And when He says “this” mountain, is He referring to a specific mountain? Remember that He is the prophet par excellent, and that prophets spoke a language that was full of symbology. This symbology may play in this miracle more that first suspected
Mountains
As the prophets declared God’s word to the people throughout the ages, certain phrases or terms came to represent different ideas within the Jewish culture. For the term mountain, the Old Testament is reference to a mountain actually describes a kingdom. Consider the following.
Psalm 2:6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
Isaiah 66:20 And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.
Joel 3:17 “So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it.
Although the previous three passages refer to the Lord’s Kingdom, earthly kingdoms are also referred to in the Old Testament. Jeremiah refers to Babylon as a destroying mountain.
Jeremiah 51:25 “Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, declares the LORD, which destroys the whole earth; I will stretch out my hand against you, and roll you down from the crags, and make you a burnt mountain.
Zechariah also questions a great mountain, referring to the Gentile nation.
Zechariah 4:7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”
Since Jesus referred to “this mountain” as He was coming out of Bethany, it seems possible that the City of Jerusalem, the seat of power in the nation of Israel, may be referred to. The distance from Bethany to Jerusalem is approx. 2 miles and Jerusalem is on the mountain to the west of Bethany. Jerusalem may be the “mountain” Jesus refers to for the disciples faith to be applied
Fig Tree
In the Word, Israel is referred to as an olive tree, a fig tree and a vine. We will consider the fig tree for this study, and it is a common thought that the fig tree symbolizes Israel’s national privileges. Hosea provides a passage likening Israel as the fig tree.
Hosea 9:10
Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season, I saw your fathers. But they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame, and became detestable like the thing they loved.
One parable spoken of by the Lord typifies this thinking
Luke 13:6-9
And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
As these themes are developed in our understanding, this mighty work of Jesus is saying much more that a simple picture of a hungry man cursing a guiltless tree.
Jesus is speaking to His disciples, speaking of their ministry as a ministry that includes the “mountain” of Israel being thrown into the sea.
Oh there is one more term that may help with this teaching. When Jesus speaks of “the sea” the message may be that Israel will be dispersed amongst the nations.
Woah Carl – Now you are way out there. Where did you get that? Consider another very common picture in the Old Testament is of Israel being “the land” and the nations being “the sea”. A few verses typifying the nations as the sea follow.
Isaiah 17
12 Ah, the thunder of many peoples; they thunder like the thundering of the sea! Ah, the roar of nations; they roar like the roaring of mighty waters! 13 The nations roar like the roaring of many waters, but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind and whirling dust before the storm.
Isaiah 57 20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt.
Jeremiah 6
23 They lay hold on bow and javelin; they are cruel and have no mercy; the sound of them is like the roaring sea; they ride on horses, set in array as a man for battle, against you, O daughter of Zion!”
What is the message for us today?
I suppose this is a difficult miracle to find application personally, for out of this miracle, the Lord was specifically instructing the disciples, (if I understand it correctly) to have faith in God to the extent that a nation would be destroyed, and not just any nation, but the nation of Israel. Of course, Israel was destroyed by the Roman army in the first century, and the disciples had to exercise this faith in God during their lives. In many ways, they had to walk away from any dependence on a national presence, on a national existence of a people called Israel, as a basis of support for the growing body of believers they would oversee. Jesus was not building the church by extending the national physical existence of Israel, but was and is developing an independent body of believers that is not associated with any particular national entity. This is the strength of the body of Christ, in so that as nations fall, the body of Christ continues, growing and maturing in the midst of disappointing kingdoms of men.
The message for us today? Have faith in God. Not in some political entity, or national power or governmental authority. One kingdom will continue, and is worthy of our loyalty, and that is the kingdom of God.
All the kingdoms of men will be dissolved and all men will come to serve Him. Other kingdoms shall pass away or be destroyed, but His is an everlasting kingdom.
Daniel 7:14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Trust in God, for He is good, all the time!
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The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #319
Description
Greeted with rejoicing in Jerusalem
Old Testament Prophecy
Zechariah 9:9a
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
New Testament Fulfillment
Matt 21:8-10
Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?”
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