(Lev. 16:3-4) Aaron had to wash his flesh before he could begin the duties of high priest. (Matt. 3:1-17 esp. V.15) Jesus told John, to baptize Him to fulfill all righteousness (Lev. 16:4) because that act (the washing of Jesus) completed the law of preparation (Heb. 4:14) for when the great High Priest would be installed in His office. (2nd SUPERNATURAL EVENT; again, remember the second part of the OVERSHADOW definition) the Spirit of God descends upon Jesus and the promised seed is endowed with authority.
(Luke 4:1-13) After His baptism Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness and fasts forty days while He is tempted by the devil. Then on the 40th day they had the final confrontation which Jesus won by using God’s word (V.13 keywords: for a season defined: an occasion, always, opportunity, a while) and Satan departed for a season at the end of the 40th day but he would be back. Forty is a time of teaching and testing (example: Israel wandering in the wilderness forty years).
(Luke 4:16) Upon His return from Galilee to His hometown of Nazareth (Luke 4:16-22) Jesus stands up in the synagogue, (Jewish Temple) reads from the book of Isaiah (Isa. 61:1-2), and announces His anointing to preach. (Luke 3:23) With that announcement Jesus fulfills Jewish Law (Numbers 4:3, 23, 30, 35, 39, 43, & 47) because a priest must be thirty years old before he can serve.
(Luke 4:25-26) Jesus then preached His first sermon by referring to a time when the Nation of Israel was so immersed in sin under the rule of Ahab and Jezebel God withheld the rain for three and one-half years. (1Kings 17:9-24) During that time only one woman; who was a nameless widow living in Zarephath which is the Hebrew name for (Luke 4:26 keyword Sa-rep’ta) Sarepta (a Greek name), a city in Sidon. Both names mean (a place of refinement).
This nameless Jewish widow had the FAITH to help Elijah the prophet of God and she was blessed with plenty to eat during that time of famine. (Acts 2:1-47 esp. V.47 keywords: added to the church) Jesus had spoken a prophesy of the coming Church which would be founded by obedient Jews who accepted Jesus through FAITH and would start the Church according to Jesus’ words and through the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.
(Luke 4:27) In His sermon Jesus refers to another time (2Kings 5:1-19) when Naaman, a Syrian who was a gentile, had the FAITH to obey God and humble himself before men. God healed Naaman, the Gentile, of leprosy through Elisha the prophet but God refused to heal the lepers in Israel!
NOTE: (Mark 1:40-41 esp. V.41 keywords: be thou clean) Leprosy is sometimes used as a metaphor for sin. (2Ki. 5:1-15) (V.1) Naaman had leprosy. (V.2-3) One of God’s people (a witness), a slave in their occupation and society, told them God was the solution to the problem; “Go to God’s man”. (V.5-7) Politics and/or government cannot cleanse a person of sin. (V.8-9) Naaman was told to go where God’s power was (the house). (V.10) A messenger (God’s word bearer) was sent to tell Naaman what he had to do.
(V.11-12) Naaman expected the one who had the power to make a big fuss over him because he was famous and powerful. Naaman’s thinking and pride kept him unclean. (V.13-15) Naaman listened to someone besides himself, swallowed his pride, humbly did what he was told to do without ever seeing the person with the power and was cleansed of his leprosy. (V.16) and God’s healing is not for sale, it is free. In reality it is a physical living prophesy of the spiritual salvation event Jesus offers through the activities of the (John 3:3-8 then 14-19, Acts 2:14-41, Rom. 10:8-13 then Rom.8:6-17) church in the far future (Acts 2:1-47 esp. V.47 keyword: church) that started in Jerusalem (Acts 1:8) and became the worldwide church (Eph. 2:11-21 esp. V.11 keyword: Gentiles) also containing Gentiles. END OF NOTE.
The Jews Jesus was preaching to in the synagogue understand Jesus is comparing their present generation of Israelites, Roman subjected because of sin, with past generations of Israelites who were proud, filled with disbelief and had sinned to such a magnitude God had turned His back on them.
(Acts 10:1-48 and 22:5-21 and 28 other places in Acts) Jesus had spoken a prophesy of the coming Gentile Church that would be carried on by obedient Gentiles who accepted Jesus through FAITH according to Jesus’ words and through the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit.
The Jews completely miss the spiritual significance that one half of the sermon is about an obedient Jew and the other half is about an obedient Gentile and they both received God’s blessing which signifies (Rom. 11:11-15) the Gentiles and the Jews will have an equal share of salvation.
(Luke 4:28-30) The Jews in the synagogue are outraged, they reject Jesus’ accusation and attempt to kill Him by throwing Him off a cliff but He walks through the middle of them and goes His way and that is the (3rd SUPERNATURAL EVENT; again, remember the third part of the OVERSHADOW definition); and the promised seed is installed in office.
Jesus had announced His anointing to preach, preached His short sermon, a whole synagogue full of people tried to kill Him and He simply walks through them because God’s supernatural power protects Jesus when He is installed in office. The three definitions of overshadow, in their numerical order, are now complete and it has taken thirty years.
It is a shame they rejected Jesus because He had read from the scriptures (Isaiah Ch. 61 & Ch. 62) that prophesied of their coming Deliverer, the promised seed. The Jews had missed the point the first time when the promised seed, their Deliverer, was born and now they miss the point the second time when their Deliverer starts His duties. REMEMBER: three is the number of completion so the Jews will miss the point one more time!
Jesus has fulfilled all righteousness and has performed everything the law requires of Him and then (Matt. 5:17) Jesus announces He has not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. The basic tenant of the Jewish Law was and is that sin is cleansed by blood sacrifice. (Heb. 10:1-4) Since animal blood sacrifice brought only a remembrance of sin but could not cleanse a person of sin Jesus had to fulfill the law of blood sacrifice at Calvary/Golgotha (The Hill of the Skull) on Mount Moriah.
(Luke 4:16) Jesus can read but there is no evidence He wrote anything with His own hand. His teachings are verbal and His disciples write down His words and present them in the four gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Why are there four gospels? Matthew is filled with records, facts, genealogy, names and times and is a book that appeals to the scholarly type. Mark is a short, blunt, hard hitting book that gets right to the heart of events and appeals to the impatient, no frills, blunt type.
Luke is a loving, scholarly, poetic, gracefully worded book of promise that appeals to the poetic type. John is an emotional, fiery, spiritual book that pinpoints those who disputed Jesus and appeals to the emotional type who lives on the personal relationship aspect of a love relationship with Jesus. One or the other of these four gospels will be the “favorite” and another will be the “least favorite” of every individual who reads them. BUT: All four gospels bear witness of their love relationship with Jesus.
Think about this for a minute before you continue. Every individual testimony you hear in this age about Christian salvation is different yet they are always the same. That is because the same thing happened to different people of different intellectual prowess, different upbringing and teaching, different emotional makeup and their different lived lives.
Consider the “witness” aspect of the four gospels. Suppose you are serving on a jury and four witnesses tell the same, word for word, exact story? Of course you would be suspicious and doubtful. But if four witnesses tell the same basic story but are four individuals, just like us, whose testimony, even though empowered by the Holy Spirit, is according to the intellectual and emotional type of person they are, their individual power of observation and what events, statements, times and actions attract them, you would be convinced by their testimony and you would find Jesus guilty of being the Son of God our Saviour.
What one leaves out, one of the other three records, (John 21:25) and even then the writers of the four gospels feel their ability to record Jesus’ works is insignificant because of the sheer variety, shock, excitement and magnitude of Jesus’ works in His short ministry.
There is no Biblical evidence Jesus ever leaves the original borders of Israel during His ministry. (Matt. 13:55-56) Jesus has several half-brothers and half-sisters and His brothers are named James, Joses, Simon, and Judas but His sister’s names are not recorded. (Matt. 8:20) Jesus owns no possessions except the clothes on His back and He owns no property. (John 7:46) There is no mention that Jesus is handsome, exceptionally strong or well-built but He is an extraordinary speaker (Luke 4:32) who speaks with power (Matt. 7:29) and with authority.
Jesus always speaks against pride, greed, lies, arrogance, self-righteousness, selfishness and man judging man. Jesus has a profound effect on everyone He encounters. There is no place in the four gospels where people ignore Jesus; they are either drawn to Him or repelled by Him and many people either love Him or hate Him.
(Luke 12:51) Jesus says He has not come to give peace on earth but to bring division. (Matt. 12:30) There can be no neutral posture concerning Jesus because each person is either for Him or against Him. (John 5:26-30) Jesus states all judgment belongs to Him and (Matt. 12:36-37) each person will give an account for even their words which makes perfect sense because selfishness, greed, lies, man judging man, pride, arrogance and self-righteousness are always expressed in words and acts that bring pain to other people. Of course many other things besides these seven will be judged.
(Matt.10:1-4) Jesus chooses an inner circle of twelve disciples (pupils). (Acts 2:37) After the Holy Spirit is given they will be called apostles (sent ones). (Luke 6:17-49) Jesus teaches life is more than riches or accomplishments; (Matt. Ch. 5, 6, & 7) that men should be kind, merciful and love each other; men should judge themselves first instead of others; and those who obey Jesus will reign with Him. Jesus also instructs His chosen twelve in private (Matt. 13:10-11; 13:36; 15:15; & 16:24-29) concerning what will become Church doctrine though they do not understand its purpose at the time.
Jesus defines the Royal Law with blinding clarity when He sums up (Ex. 20:3-15) the Ten Commandments (Deut. 6:5 & Matt. 22:34-40) into two simple love commandments; “to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, and mind and thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.” Jesus taught these two commandments clarify God’s intention (Rom. 13:8-14 esp. V.10) that the Ten Commandments direct a Christian to a kind, understanding, loving way of life based on an emotional, personal and intellectual relationship between God and man AND between man and man instead of being ten cold ‘thou shalt do’ and ‘thou shalt not do’ based on fear and intimidation.
Loving? Emotional? Personal? Intellectual? Relationship? How? Who? What? Why? Where? When? These questions and many more are addressed in the two commentaries The Holy Spirit & You and Sin in Church. Both commentaries contain true stories this writer was involved in and some of them will cause you tears and/or chill bumps.
(John 4:24) God is a Spirit. (Gen. 1:1-3) God is an eternal supernatural being who is the essence of life. (Gen. 2:4) God creates (Gen. 3:8-19) and communicates. (Gen. 2:7) God is the possessor and giver of the breath (spirit) of life which many men choose to call the spark of life. (1John 4:8) God is love.
(Isa. 7:14) Isaiah prophesied Immanuel, which means, in Hebrew, (with us is God) would be a Son born of a virgin and (Matt. 1:23) Matthew calls Jesus Emmanuel which means, in Greek, (God with us). (John 9:35-37) Jesus states He is the Son of God, (John 10:30) He is equal with God (John 14:15-23) and Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God are one.
(Rom. 1:20) The Godhead (Supreme Divinity) is one who is composed of three who are totally and completely one in power, purpose and will. God’s presentation of Himself to man is God-spirit of life, life itself, -Creator, Jesus-physical body-Saviour, and Holy Spirit-God’s soul-Comforter.
(Col. 2:2-15 esp. V.9) Jesus represents the Godhead bodily and the result of their unified work is a Church composed of many congregations of people around the world who choose Jesus as Saviour, obey the Holy Spirit within the guidelines of the Holy Bible and accept God’s salvation (born again) to (Rev. 22:1-4) eternal life in paradise with Jesus, the Godhead, in Person. Don’t forget: (1Thess. 5:23) Man is composed of spirit, soul and body and (Gen. 1:26) man is made in God’s image; spirit, soul and body.
And remember: The spirit is the eternal life given to Adam when he became a living soul in Eden before he started breathing and we all, you and me, have that eternal life. You will be you forever and the only variable is where each of us, you and me, choose where we will stay in eternity. (Rev. 20:10-15 esp. V.14-15) Heaven with Jesus or hell and then the lake of fire with (John 8:44) that murderer and liar, Satan, the devil.
(John 5:26-27) Jesus states God has given Him the authority to execute judgment because He is the Son of man. Why would being “the Son of man” make any difference? (Jas. 1:13) God cannot be tempted with evil, nor does He tempt any man; (Heb. 4:14-16) but Jesus is tempted in all points like men because He was physically born and grew into a man. Jesus has all the emotions, hormones, cravings and desires of a man.
He faces all the temptations and motivations of a man and thoroughly understands how hard it is to resist sin. Jesus will execute a righteous judgment because He is the Son of man and He knows how it is with us because He lived it just like us. JESUS DOES NOT SIN because (John 3:34-35) He has full Holy Spirit power and that makes Jesus strong enough to resist the desires of the flesh because (Phil. 2:6-8) Jesus was obedient even unto death.
(Luke 4:5-8) The Devil offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and the devil could have given it because (John 12:31) Jesus calls him the prince of this world and (2Cor. 4:4) Paul calls the devil the god of this world. Yes, God has all power and the earth is His footstool. But just look around, read the newspapers and watch the news on TV. Read some history. Study your Bible. The earth and its people are the “physical battleground” of the “spiritual fight” between God and Satan for the soul of each person and each person on Earth is either on one side or the other because (Luke 11:23) Jesus said; “He that is not with me is against me.”
God has given mankind the freedom to choose good or evil AND life or death just like He did Adam and Eve. The first man and woman chose death when they disobeyed God and (2Tim. 3:13) mankind has grown worse and worse ever since; just like God said they would.
(Jas.1:12-15) Jesus does not let the temptation (testing) turn into lust and (Mark 8:36-37) He asks what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what shall a man give for his soul; with the implication being, when it comes time to die and face the judgment earthly possessions lose all value and significance because possessions cannot prevent death and wealth cannot buy mercy. Have you ever seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul trailer behind it so the deceased can take his/her possessions with him?
(Matt.15:21-28) Jesus states He is sent only to the Israelites in Israel but does not refuse a Canaanite (Gentile- a non-Jew) when she comes into Israel from a Gentile country to ask Jesus for a miracle the proper way. (Matt. 8:5-13 & John 4:7-43-> see 2Ki. 17:5-33 esp. V.18 “there was none left” for verification that the Assyrians had removed all ten tribes,1Ki. 12:1-20 calling themselves Israel, V.24 and replaced them with Gentiles) There were also other Gentiles (a Roman Centurion and the Samaritans) that came to Jesus and received what they asked for. (John 4:1-43 esp. V.40-43) the Samaritans (Gentiles- non-Jewish bloodline) recognized and accepted Jesus as the Saviour of the world!
(Matt. 23:1-39) Jesus exposes the Jewish religion as a failure and (John 8:2) teaches in the main temple in Jerusalem (John 8:24) that the Jews who won’t accept Him will die in their sins. (John 8:39-47) Jesus tells them their father is the devil, they are liars and murderers just like the devil and that is prophetic (Matt. 26:59-64) because the Jews will lie so they can force the Romans to murder Jesus.
(Luke 17:25) Jesus tells the disciples the Jews will reject Him; (Luke 18:31-34) the Jews will deliver Him to the Romans to be killed; and He will rise again the third day. (John 10:17-18) Then Jesus states no one has the power to kill Him but (1John 2:2) He will give His life, not only for Israel, but for the whole world. (Matt. 20:28) He states His life is a ransom, (John 10:18) that only He has the power to lay His life down and the power to take it up again. (John 11:25-26) Jesus states He, and only He, JESUS, is the resurrection. BUT:
(John 5:24-30 esp. V.29) Jesus clarified that statement to mean in the judgment those (V.24) who have believed on Him and His words will be resurrected to eternal life to live with Him forever AND (V.29) those who do not believe on Him and His words are evil and they will be resurrected unto eternal damnation (Rev. 20:10-15) to live forever in the lake of fire with (Heb. 2:14) the devil, Satan, the god of death because (V.24) they did not accept Jesus so they could pass from death unto life.
(Matt. 4:23-24) Jesus heals the sick of all types of diseases, torments, (Matt. 12:22) demon possession, lunacy, sickness and (John 9:1-7 esp. V.2) birth defects. (Matt. 8:28-32 esp. V.29 keywords: Jesus, thou Son of God) Even the devils recognized Jesus and they besought (implore, beseech) a favor. (John 11:21) No one dies in His presence and (John 12:1-2) Jesus ate supper with Lazarus after He raised Lazarus from the dead which is prophetic of (Rev. 19:9) the marriage supper of the Lamb.
It seems insane (John 9:18-34; 11:43-46; & 12:37) but in many instances those who witness Jesus’ miracles refuse to accept what they see and the Jewish leaders are so jealous and filled with hatred, (John 12:10-11) they even plot to kill Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead because they despise the fact Lazarus is a living testimony to Jesus’ power.
(Isa. 11:10) Isaiah prophesied the gentiles would seek Jesus; (Luke 2:32) Simeon prophesies Jesus will be a light to lighten the gentiles; and (Matt. 12:21) Matthew states the gentiles will trust Jesus. (John 10:16) Jesus says He has other people (the Gentiles), not of Israel, He will bring into His kingdom (Matt. 16:13-19) and He tells the disciples He will build His church on the rock ***of what Simon Peter said;*** “that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
(Mark 12:1-17) Jesus reveals the unthinkable to the Jews that God had planted Israel like a vineyard, He had sent His prophets to Israel and they had abused them, killed some of them, they refused God’s way and made their own Jewish Religion into a type of god. Then God will send His one Son, His Well-beloved, the Jews will kill Him and by their rejection Jesus will become (Matt. 21:42-44) the cornerstone (the rock which is the foundation anchor, center of level, and squareness guide) of the (Matt. 26:28 & Heb. 9:11-28 esp. V.15 keywords: new testament) New Testament Church (Eph. 2:11-22) comprised of Jews and Gentiles.
NOTE: Jewish history from the Jewish library in Tel Aviv tells us Jewish sages, scholars, rabbis and priests wrote opinions concerning what the Jewish law of behavior, religious activities and etc. from first five books of the Old Testament (the Jewish Torah) meant. Over time these literary works were collected into a book they named the Talmud and that is what the Jewish religious hierarchy used as their guide in their religious law in their worship of God and their daily lives and activities.
(Matt. 15:1-9 & Mark 7:1-13) That is what Jesus was referring to when He told them they worshipped God in vain through the commandments of men; (Matt. 15:6-8) “Thus have ye made the commandments of God of none effect by your tradition.” AND “Ye hypocrites (an actor under an assumed character, stage player, a dissembler–> defined: to disguise or conceal one’s true motives, feelings and/or beliefs), well did Esaias (Isaiah 29:13) prophesy of you saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honereth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” END OF NOTE.
(Ex. 12:1-14) The feast of Passover was and is a feast ordained by the ordinance of God that is to be kept forever and it commemorates God’s delivery of the Children of Israel from bondage in Egypt. (Ex. 12:6-8) A male lamb without blemish was killed (Ex. 12:3) for each Jewish house in Egypt and its blood was placed on the doorposts and lintel (the overhead door beam) of the Israelite homes in Egypt. (Exodus 12:23-33) The Lord passed through Egypt and the first born male of every man and beast died but He passed over those protected by the blood of the lamb, they all lived (Ex. 12:24-27) and the Jews were ordered to observe the (V.27) Lord’s Passover forever.
(Matt. 26:2) Jesus tells His disciples the Passover feast is in two days and He will be betrayed at that time and crucified. (Matt. 26:3-4) The chief priests, scribes and elders gather at the palace of Caiaphas the high priest and make plans how they might take Jesus and kill Him. (Matt. 26:14-16) Judas Iscariot, who is one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, goes to the chief priests and makes an agreement to reveal Jesus to them for thirty pieces of silver.
Jesus identifies Judas as the traitor then shows by example that JESUS HIMSELF IS THE PASSOVER when, (Luke 22:19-20) after the Passover supper, Jesus breaks bread and gives it unto the disciples, saying, this is my body which is given for you. (Ex. 16:4) Very soon the physical prophecy of manna, the bread of life from God, will be fulfilled; Likewise also the cup after supper; saying, “this is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”
(Ex. 12:23-33) Very soon the prophecy of the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and lintel will be fulfilled because (Heb. 9:16-17) a testament (New Testament, the Grace Covenant) is in effect only after the death of a testator.
For a comparison of the two covenants see The Holy Spirit and You commentary the segments COVENANT: The Holy Spirit Trains Soldiers for Spiritual Warfare.
(John 13:4-17) Then the Son of God humbly washes the disciple’s feet as an example of humility and He expects His people to be humble because (Prov.6:17) God hates a proud look. NOTE: (Heb. 9:1-28 keyword: better) This chapter explains how the first covenant was a foreshadowing pattern (actually a prophesy) of the better covenant that would come through the sacrificial death of Jesus. END OF NOTE.
Please think about this; (Lev. 4:13-20 & Heb. 9:7) only the high priest could offer up the sacrifice for all of Israel: (John 7:23) The law of Moses is not to be broken. (John 10:35) The scripture cannot be broken. (Matt. 5:17) Jesus came to fulfill the law.
(Ex. 39:1 through Lev. 2:11 then Heb. 9:1-12) The office of the priesthood was set up under the Law of Moses in the Old Testament and only the High Priest of the Jews could go into the Holiest of all places in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem once every year to offer up the sin offering for all the Jews. At that particular time, by unbreakable law, only the high priest, Caiaphas, could enter into the holiest place and offer up the supreme sacrifice for that particular year.
PLEASE READ THIS SCRIPTURE: (John 11:47-53) Think of that! Caiaphas was the one man in the whole world who could, according to the Jewish Law of Moses, offer up the Supreme Sacrifice, Jesus, for the sins of all of mankind. REMEMBER: (Matt. 5:17) Jesus said He had not come to destroy the law but to fulfill the law.
But Caiaphas also missed the point the very existence of Israel had pointed to for centuries! Caiaphas wanted to kill Jesus (V.48) so Rome would not think Israel was rebelling against Rome and cause Rome to destroy physical Israel as a nation.
Caiaphas actually (V.51-52) prophesied to that fact and he had no idea what he was saying. (V.48) Caiaphas was concerned about the continued existence of physical Israel and the Jews who were living in nations throughout the known world and he completely missed the momentous, marvelous fact (Heb. 9:11-17 esp. V.15) that a new testament (covenant), (Rom. 3:24 & Eph. 2:4-8 keyword in both; grace) commonly called THE GRACE COVENANT, was about to be ushered in by the death of Jesus.
(John 18:13 through 19:12) Caiaphas fought long and hard to have the Romans kill Jesus and finally inspired the Jews to blackmail Pilate into killing Jesus by threatening to “tell” Caesar Pilate had been a party to Jesus’ “supposed rebellion”. (John 19:13-22) Pilate bowed to political pressure and crucified Jesus. But God knows Pilate and the Romans were only the “spiritual knife” with which Caiaphas, the High Priest, killed the sacrifice, Jesus. An OT example how a person can use someone else to kill (2Sam. 11:14 thru 12:9) is that David killed Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, with the sword of the children of Ammon.
WHEN WAS THE GRACE COVENANT PUT INTO EFFECT
Rome had subjugated Israel the nation. The easiest way to control Israel was to take over its government and religion. Rome was an expert and they appointed their own counterfeit king and a counterfeit high priest. They appointed Herod, an Idumaen, to be King of Israel. The Idumaens were part of the Edomite nation which had been founded (Gen. 36:19) by Edom who was a son of Esau. Herod’s father, Antipater, had been forced to become a proselyte Jew or die during one of Israel’s countless wars and rebellions so Herod was actually a counterfeit Jew by inheritance from his father Antipater.
Rome appointed Annas as high priest from 6-15 C E, then the Roman procurator, Valerus Gratus removed him and appointed Caiaphas as high priest from 18-36 C E. Both priests were carnal politicians from powerful families and they held religious power over the Jews second only to Pilate’s, the political Roman prelate. (Acts 4:6) It is obvious the Jews still considered Annas their high priest but Caiaphas was in power and later they would both persecute the foundling church.
Rome was an expert at subjugation. During Jesus’ ministry Rome physically ruled Israel with military force, they spiritually ruled the Jews religion with their own counterfeit high priest and they ruled the Jew’s government with their own counterfeit king who was a counterfeit Jew. Men, governments and nations can be subjugated and ruled but God cannot be subjugated and ruled by anybody!
(Lev. 4:13-20 & Heb. 9:7) Only the high priest could offer up the sacrifice once each year for the sins of the Jews. (John 7:23) Jesus said the Law of Moses is not to be broken. (John 10:35) The scripture cannot be broken. (Matt. 5:17) Jesus came to fulfill the law. (Ex. 39:1 thru Lev. 2:10 then Heb. 9:1-12) The office of the priesthood was set up under the Law of Moses in the Old Testament and only the high priest of the Jews could go into the Holiest of all places in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem once every year to offer up the sin offering for all the Jews.
At that particular time, by unbreakable law, only the counterfeit high priest, Rome appointed Caiaphas, could enter into the holiest place and offer up the supreme sacrifice for that particular year. (Matt. 3:13-17) But Jesus had already physically taken the office of High Priest when He was baptized by John. (John 10:17-18 esp. V.18 keywords: I lay it down myself & Heb. 7:22-28 esp. V.27 offered up himself) Jesus did not (Matt. 26:53) call for help, resist, run away, hide, nor quit when they came for Him; 5 the Biblical number of grace. (John 3:14-17) Jesus, the genuine High Priest, offered up Himself for the sins of the whole world!
(John 11:47-53) Think of that! Caiaphas, the political appointee, thought he was the one man in the whole world who could, according to the Jewish Law of Moses, offer up the sacrifice for the sins of Israel. (Matt. 5:17) Jesus said He had not come to destroy the law but to fulfill the law. But Caiaphas also missed the point the very existence of Israel had pointed to for centuries! Caiaphas wanted to kill Jesus (V.48) so Rome would not think Israel was rebelling against Rome and cause Rome to destroy physical Israel as a nation.
Caiaphas actually (V.51-52) prophesied to that fact and he had no idea what he was saying. (V.48) Caiaphas was concerned about the continued existence of physical Israel, his own position of power and the Jews who were living in nations throughout the known world and he completely missed the momentous, marvelous fact a new covenant concealed within God’s covenant through Abraham with their nation, THE CONCEALED GRACE COVENANT, was about to be ushered in by the death of Jesus. As many modern people do today Caiaphas lived and thought in physical terms and missed the spiritual significance of Jesus.
(John 18:13 through 19:12) Caiaphas fought long and hard to have the Romans kill Jesus and finally inspired the Jews to blackmail Pilate into killing Jesus by threatening to “tell” Caesar Pilate had been a party to Jesus’ “supposed rebellion”. (John 19:13-22) Pilate bowed to political pressure and crucified Jesus. But God knows Pilate and the Romans were only the “spiritual knife” with which Caiaphas, the counterfeit High Priest, killed the sacrifice, Jesus, the day before the official Jewish day of offering the sacrifice for all of Israel. (Heb. 8:13 keyword: old) That was when the old covenant (Heb. 8:13 keywords: better covenant) was spiritually superseded (before) by the grace covenant!
SO:
(Matt. 3:15-17) Jesus was baptized to fulfill all righteousness, the Holy Spirit came upon him and God voiced His approval (spiritual). (Mark 1:13-34) (V.13) Jesus resisted Satan’s attempts to tempt Jesus into sin. (V.34) Jesus healed the sick and cast devils out of people. (Mark 2:511) Then Jesus forgave a man of his sins. Jesus had become the genuine physical High Priest. BUT: The official physical high priest of Israel was a Roman appointed political high priest (non-spiritual).
(Matt. 15:22-28) Jesus said he was sent only to the Jews BUT a gentile woman approached Jesus the correct way and Jesus healed her daughter. That was a true event but it was also a living prophesy. Jesus did come to the Jews (Isa. 42:1-9, Acts 10:1-48 then 22:21 & Rom. 15:8-12) but it was Jews who established God’s grace covenant church. (John 10:18) Jesus said no man could take His life but that He would willingly lay His life down. Only the genuine High Priest could offer the sacrifice for the sins of Israel. AND (Acts Ch. 1 thru 28) The Jews were shocked beyond measure that the new Grace Covenant also included the Gentiles (non-Jews). See 6 paragraphs above.
Caiaphas killed the New Covenant sacrifice, Jesus, on Friday. (John 19:31-33) Jesus was already dead when the Roman soldiers broke the legs of the 2 malefactors who were crucified with Jesus so they would die faster so they wouldn’t profane the Jewish Sabbath starting Friday evening at 6PM and lasting until Saturday evening at 6PM. BUT:
(Luke 23:39-43) (V.42) One of the malefactors crucified with Jesus had accepted Jesus as Lord and had asked Jesus to remember him. (V.43) Jesus had said; “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Heb. 4:14) As soon as Jesus’ body died He became the real “great High Priest”. (Rev. 1:5) He (His soul) went straight to heaven into the heavenly holiest of holies and presented His blood atonement (sacrifice) for the sins of man and that brought the spiritual grace covenant into effect.
That was the only way Jesus could have fulfilled his promise to the malefactor that He would take the malefactor with Him to paradise.
Think of the irony of all this political maneuvering, physical concerns and pride that brought about the spiritual conclusion God wanted accomplished. Man always thinks he is a big something doesn’t he?