Review: Read (Gen. 17:1-20 esp. V.7, 13 and 19 keyword: everlasting: defined: #1) eternal, always, perpetual and #2 something concealed, to veil) (V.8) #1) is the whole land of Canaan (Gen. 15:18) from the river of Egypt (Nile) to the river Euphrates is given (Gen. 18:19 Isaac- Israel) to Abraham’s seed. #2 is not revealed. (Ex. 19:5, Deut. 14:5 & 26:18) God was establishing a peculiar race of people (Hebrews) (1Cor. 3:8) and the unveiling would be revealed when Jesus came.
(Gen. 22:7-11) “My father?” “What, my son?” “We’ve got the fire and the wood but where’s the lamb to be sacrificed.” “God will provide a lamb for the burnt offering.” and they went on up. Isaac watched Abraham build an altar, lay the wood in order, he bound the silent, unresisting Isaac, laid him on the wood, then, with iron resolve, his heart pounding and his tears flowing, Abraham stretched high the glittering blade that would kill his precious son Isaac. At the exact instant Abraham tightened his muscles to drive the blade into Isaac’s tender flesh the angel (messenger) of the Lord spoke to him from heaven; “Abraham, Abraham!”
(Gen. 22:12) “And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know thou fearest (reverence, fearful) God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.”
(Gen. 22:13-14) “And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. (V.14) And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: (the Lord will provide) as it is said to this day, In the mount (Moriah) of the Lord it shall be seen.“<–Abraham and Isaac had already finished their burnt offering of the ram so something similar was going to happen in the same place sometime in the future. Is this a prophesy? (Psa. 22:1-31, Isa. 52:14 thru 53:12 and John 1:29) It sure is!
A Brief History of God’s Everlasting Covenant
(Gen. 15:1-18 & 17:7-13 esp. V.7) God made a covenant with Abraham and his seed after him in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto Abraham and his seed (progeny), (V.18) He gave (“given”) them the land of Canaan “from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:” and (Gen. 17:10-13) the token of the covenant throughout their generations was the circumcision of their foreskins, made by cutting by passing between flesh. (Gen.22:16-18 keywords: By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord— And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.) SO:
Because Abraham had obeyed God’s voice (Gen. 22:1-16) and had not withheld his only son Isaac, (Heb. 6:13) “For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,” to continue the covenant with Abraham’s descendants! (Gen. 17:19-21 & 26:2-6) God renewed His covenant with Abraham’s son Isaac, (Gen. 28:12-15 & 1Chron. 16:13-18) then God renewed the covenant with Isaac’s son Jacob (Gen. 32:24-30) whom He renamed Israel, (Deut. 34:1-4 & Josh. 1:1-7) thus making it inclusive of Israel the future nation.
(Ex. 1: 1-14) Just like Abraham had done, Jacob/Israel ran to Egypt to escape a famine because of fear and unbelief and Jacob/Israel’s descendants were made slaves. (Ex. 1:15-22) In their 400 years of bondage Israel’s population grew until they became a threat to Egypt. In the process of time God delivered Israel by the hand of Moses.
(Ex. 34:6-11) God renewed His covenant with Israel, a nation without a homeland, through Moses on Mount Sinai. (Num. 13:1-33) Israel refused to take their promised land because of fear and unbelief and God sent them to wander in the wilderness 40 years. (Josh. 1:1-4 & 5:2-10) God renewed His covenant with Israel through Moses’ successor Joshua.
A Brief History of Israel
(Gen.24:1-67) Isaac married a woman named Rebekah who was the granddaughter of Abraham’s brother Nahor. (Gen. 25:21-23) Their twin sons were named Esau, who was firstborn, and Jacob whom, even though he was second born, was the son of covenant because God said (prophesied) Esau, the elder son, would serve Jacob, the younger son, and that was completely contrary to the custom of the time. (Gen. 29:12-28) Jacob married two sisters. (Gen. 35:9-15) God reminded Jacob his name had been changed to Israel which means (he will rule as God).
(Gen. 29:29 thru 30:25 & 35:16-19) Israel was the father of twelve sons of covenant by his two wives and their two female servants. (Gen. 37:17-36 & 39:1 thru 41:44) Israel’s son Joseph became a power in Egypt. (Gen. 42:1 thru 46:27) Israel’s family left their home in Canaan and come to Egypt to escape a famine.
The family numbered seventy people who were blood kin to Israel, plus his son’s wives. (Ex. 1:8-14) A later Pharaoh enslaved the Israelites and they remained slaves four hundred years. (Ex 1:1-22) Israel’s twelve sons founded the twelve covenant tribes of Israel while they were in bondage in Egypt. These twelve tribes were called the Children of Israel and were actually a nation without a true homeland.
(Ex. 12:40-41) Israel the nation had lived thirty years in Egypt while Joseph was in power, they were in bondage four hundred years, (Num.13:1 thru14:38) they refused to enter Canaan (Josh. 5:6) and then they had wandered in the wilderness forty years; so four hundred and seventy years had passed from the time these covenant people, Israel the nation, had left their Promised Land of Canaan because of a famine until they returned to Canaan (Gen. 15:4-18 esp. V.4 & 13-18) to take their promised land away from the Canaanites (V.16) because of the Amorites’ iniquity.
(Ex. 2:1 thru 3:10) God directed Moses to lead the covenant Children of Israel back to Canaan the “Promised Land”. And while Israel made the trip they received (Ex. 24:12) the Ten Commandments, (Ex. 25:1-22) the Ark of the Covenant, (Ex. 25:23 thru 27:21) the tabernacle, (Lev. 1:1 through 8:5) the law of blood sacrifice from God (Ex. 28:1-43) and established the Levitical priesthood which brought forth the Jewish religion.
Moses died before they entered the Promised land and, (Josh. 1:1-9) at God’s direction, Joshua led the Israelites, the “covenant” people, to begin taking the “Promised” Land away, (Deut. 7:17-26 esp. V.22) little by little, from the various Canaanite nations who lived there. The Canaanite tribes were defending their homeland and they refused to acknowledge God’s covenant with Israel.
In the rest of the Old Testament the Israelites partially conquered the Promised Land which became the country (homeland) called Israel and they lived under various judges, prophets, and kings and these “covenant” people of God failed because they asserted their free will and disobeyed God. Many people think King David “conquered” all the Promised Land and he almost did but he did it the wrong way!
(Num. 33:51-56) The original commandment from God was to drive out all the inhabitants of the Promised Land. In other words; “You and the Israelites do it through My power and blessing!” All through the books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles are instances where King David made peace deals with the inhabitants of the Promised Land and enlisted them as allies thus permitting them to stay in Israel which went against what God had instructed. EXAMPLE: (2Sam. 11:3 thru 12:2) Please note that Bathsheba’s husband was Uriah the Hittite (a Canaanite) who was a captain in King David’s army.
During these centuries of waiting; Israel, because of sin, was very nearly destroyed by (2 Kings 18:11-12) the Assyrians, (Dan. 1:1-2) the Babylonians, (Dan. 5:31 to 6:28) the Medes/Persians, (Dan. 8:21) the Greeks and was finally subjected by (Luke 3:1) the Roman Empire.
(Psa. 106: 40-47) Millions of Israelites had been killed and disbursed as slaves throughout various nations by these five conquering nations and, at the time of Jesus, only a remnant of the Israelites still lived in Israel and they were under Roman dominion. Wherever they lived (Dan. 3:12-18 & Acts 2:5) the Israelites held tenaciously and desperately to their Jewish Law, custom, and tradition and they waited for deliverance by the promised seed.
(the Gen. 22:8-18 prophesy) God Provides the Grace Covenant Lamb
(Luke 1:27) Mary is a virgin engaged to be married to a man named Joseph. They both live in Nazareth, a city in the province of Galilee. (Luke 3:1) Israel is under Roman subjection when the angel Gabriel brings the long awaited message to the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-35) that the Holy Spirit of God will come upon her, the power of God will overshadow her, she will conceive and bring forth a son, she will name him Jesus, and He will be called the Son of God.
(Psa. 126:1-6) The Holy Spirit of God goes forth weeping, bearing precious seed, (Gal. 3:16) one seed, which is Christ, a male, (Gen 3:15 & Isa. 52:14 thru 53:12) as was prophesied, to turn the captivity of Zion. The Holy Spirit is weeping because only God understands the terrible purpose His beloved Son, the promised seed, will serve. (part of Gabriel’s message to the virgin Mary: Luke 1:26-56 esp. V.35 keywords: “therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God”: thing is defined: Strong’s w #40: sacred, morally blameless, most holy) The Virgin Mary is overshadowed and the (1st supernatural event) Holy Seed is planted in her in a way that is beyond the normal course of nature in a manner that is beyond human knowledge or experience because Mary is left a virgin.
UNDERSTAND THIS: (James 1:13) “God cannot be tempted with evil” (Matt. 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-37, 2Cor. 5:21 & 1John 3:5) Jesus was born without the fallen, carnal nature that came to all of mankind from the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden SO: Jesus did not need the (Titus 3:5) regeneration of the (John 3:3 & 1Pet. 1:23) born again salvation event (2Cor 5:17 keyword: creature: defined: creation) to become a new creation. (Matt. 3:13-17) (V.15) Jesus was baptized by John to fulfill the righteousness of the Jewish Law (law of Moses) because a priest had to be washed (baptized) to start his duties. (V.16-17) God Himself anointed Jesus to show Israel Jesus was a special Man with a special mission.
Jesus could be tempted just like man because He had a man’s body. (Luke 4:1-13) Jesus was born sinless but it was up to Him to remain sinless in His lifetime! (read Heb. 4:14-16) That’s why Jesus is our great High Priest! HE KNOWS HOW IT IS WITH US! HE UNDERSTANDS OUR WEAKNESSES! Jesus did not sin but He knows and He sits on the throne of grace “where we can come boldly that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
(Note #4) The seed is a single cell that has entered the other end of the fallopian tube and it also contains twenty three pairs of chromosomes with the genes which carry genetic information from the father distributed along these chromosomes. Prior to fertilization the chemistry within the fallopian tube causes each of the two cells to divide its chromosome pairs and expel twenty three chromosomes out of both the egg and seed cells and these expelled chromosomes are absorbed by the fluid in the fallopian tube.
Now each cell contains twenty three single chromosomes. The two cells meet in the fallopian tube, the seed penetrates the egg and the two merge to form one complete cell that once again contains twenty three pairs of chromosomes containing one half of each pair from the mother (Matt. 8:20 keywords: Son of man) and the other half of each pair from the father (Matt. 3:17 & Mark 1:1-11 keywords: Son of God) and (Matt. 1:20) He is conceived (union).
(Note 4) Mary’s egg is now fertilized and is identified as male because in any fertilized cell one pair of chromosomes is strictly dedicated to the growth of sexual organs and the sex is always determined by the father’s one half of the sex chromosome pair. This scientific medical information makes it apparent that gender confusion is a state of mind (soul) and not an ordinary physical product of birth. Even though He is only one tiny cell; the Son of God, who is the promised seed, is complete because nutrients and oxygen for development are all He needs.
(Matt. 3:13-17) (V.15) Jesus was baptized by John to fulfill the righteousness of the Jewish (law of Moses) law because a priest had to be washed (baptized) to start his duties. (V.16-17) God Himself anointed Jesus to show Israel Jesus was a special Man with a special mission. Jesus could be tempted just like man because He had a man’s body. (Luke 4:1-13) Jesus was born sinless but it was up to Him to remain sinless in His lifetime! (Ex. 29:4, 40:12-13 & Lev. 16:4 then Matt. 3:13-17) (V.15) Jesus was baptized by John to fulfill the righteousness of the Jewish (law of Moses) law because a priest had to be washed (baptized) to start his duties. (V.16-17) God Himself anointed Jesus to show Israel Jesus was a special Man with a special mission. Jesus could be tempted just like man because He had a man’s body. (Luke 4:1-13) Jesus was born sinless but it was up to Him to remain sinless in His lifetime!
This definition and its sequence of numbers are 3 supernatural events which are very significant as will be shown: OVERSHADOW: defined: (#1) to envelop in a haze of brilliancy in a manner beyond the normal course of nature that is beyond human knowledge or experience; (#2) to endow with authority; and (#3) to install in office by a supernatural influence. As you will see it will take “about” thirty years (Luke 1:26-35) for Gabriel’s message “from God” to the Virgin Mary concerning the “overshadow” to be fulfilled!
The Virgin Mary does not have her period, her menstrual flow, at its scheduled time and with that physical phenomenon she is sure she is pregnant. She is engaged to Joseph and is supposed to be a virgin. (Deut. 22:13-21) Women are closely supervised by their family according to Jewish Law and Custom. Mary’s missed period is immediately noticed and, though no males will dare come near her (Lev. 15:19) due to the possibility she might suddenly become menstruous and they will become unclean; her alarmed female family members examine her and (Matt. 1:18) she is found with child.
The hymen, the tissue membrane that covers the external vaginal orifice and signifies her virginity, is still intact but she is definitely pregnant and Joseph, her betrothed, is notified. Joseph has a choice to make because, according to Jewish Law, (Deut. 22:21) he can have her stoned to death or (Deut. 24:1) he can marry her and immediately write her a bill of divorcement and put her out of his house.
(Matt. 1:19-25) Joseph is considering what step to take when the angel of the Lord appears to him in a dream and explains what has happened then the angel instructs Joseph to marry her but to refrain from sexual relations with his wife until after the birth of Jesus, the promised seed. That is exactly what Joseph does.
(Gen. 35:17, 38:28; & Ex. 1:15-21) It is Jewish custom and tradition to use midwives to deliver babies. (Luke 2:1-7) It is time to pay taxes; Joseph and Mary leave Nazareth in the province of Galilee and travel to Bethlehem in the province of Judaea to be taxed because Joseph is from the tribe of Judah of the house and lineage of David.
Judaea (Judea) is the place where the tribe of Judah, Israel’s fourth son (Josh. 15:1-12), had settled so when they get there Joseph is among relatives, friends, and acquaintances, BUT: every place is full and because (Luke 2:7) Bethlehem is so crowded they are obviously forced to stay in a stable. (Luke 2:5) It is near the end of Mary’s pregnancy because she is great with child.
(Lev. 12:2-4) No Jewish man, including a husband, can assist with the birth because a pregnant woman is unclean according to Jewish Law. Mary is in pain and frightened because she has never given birth to a baby. About two weeks after the midwives in Nazareth told the Virgin Mary approximately when her child would be born Mary discharges the column of mucous that has plugged her cervical canal and the midwives in Bethlehem know labor is imminent.
The midwives do not know what triggers the perfect timing of the beautifully synchronized chain of events that accompanies every birth; they simply believe that once again they are privileged to witness the miracle of human birth.
Suddenly the baby’s head tears open the hymen that has been such a source of wonder to the midwives because they cannot comprehend how a virgin could have been impregnated while her hymen remained intact. When that veil of flesh is rent in twain the promised seed, the Son of God, slides out into the old midwife’s waiting hands in a gush of blood and water and (Matt. 1:16) He is born (to be delivered of). Another midwife ties off and cuts the umbilical cord and the old midwife quickly moves away and starts cleaning the squalling baby.
(Psa. 2:1-12 esp. V.7 & 12) The vast majority of the Jews do not know, do not understand, or simply do not care the Virgin Mary has given birth to the Son of God, their promised Seed, (Luke 2:7) in Bethlehem, the city of David; has wrapped the Saviour in swaddling clothes and laid Christ the Lord in a manger.
At this time in Israel’s history 10 tribes had disappeared but a relatively few survivors were mixed in with the remaining population. Intermarriage between tribes was common all through Israel’s history. (Luke 1:34-36) Mary’s cousin Elisabeth (Luke 1:5) was of the daughters of Aaron thus she was from the tribe of Levi and so was Mary. (Luke 1:26-32) The angel Gabriel said the Lord God would give Jesus the throne of his father David. David was of the tribe of Judah so Mary also had the bloodline of the tribe of Judah.
Obviously she was a product of a mixed Marriage between 2 people from the tribes of Judah and Levi. So Mary and Joseph had the same bloodline and the scripture did not lie! (Luke 3:23-38 esp. V.23 keywords: as was supposed) Luke carefully traces the lineage of Jesus, using Joseph’s name but Mary’s bloodline with the clarification that people supposed Joseph was Jesus’ Father, back through seventy five generations to show the bloodline lineage was unbroken all the way back to Adam.
So Jesus was of the same lineage (Luke 20:41-44) as David the *King from the tribe of Judah and also the same lineage (Num. 18:1-32 esp. V.1-7) as Aaron the first *High Priest from the tribe of Levi and those two prophetic physical offices will be spiritually fulfilled by Jesus as stated in (Matt. 2:1-3 & Heb. 4:14-16).
(1Cor. 2:7-8) This tricked the devil because the devil knew Joseph was not Jesus’ blood father so the devil thought Jesus was an illegitimate imposter. The devil was completely blindsided by the spiritual aspect (Gen. 3:15) this was the promised seed who would bruise his “head” (Heb. 2:9-14) which means (to break the spiritual hold the devil had on mankind through death) (John 19:23) and the devil would bruise his “heel” which means (to break the Promised Seed’s hold on physical life: think crucify- represented by a nail in the heel).
Satan could not comprehend that God was swinging the physical earthly “family fight” between Israel and the Canaanites back into a spiritual realm that would include the gentiles (non-Jews) through the Church. THIS IS IMPORTANT: (Rom. 16:25) This “mystery” was kept because (1Cor. 2:6-8) if the devil had understood spiritual salvation, by the Grace Covenant, was through Jesus’ atoning blood sacrifice he would not have let the princes of this world crucify Jesus.
Satan finally figured out Jesus really was the Messiah (Acts 1:6 keywords: the kingdom) but he thought Jesus was going to lead physical Israel to physical world dominance, (John 13:1-2) so he “killed” Jesus and that event brought spiritual salvation under the “Grace Covenant” to anyone in the whole world who chooses it. Don’t forget: Since the time of Joshua the fight between God and the devil had been centered on the physical “family fight” (the progeny of Ham, Shem, Japheth, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob/Israel and Esau) in the Middle East.
This one special baby, who is the Son of God, has fulfilled all the Old Testament (verbal) prophesies that: (Isa. 7:14) a Virgin would conceive and bear a Son named Immanuel (Isaiah 9:6) and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace. (Mic. 5:1-2) The Ruler of Israel would come from Bethlehem, (Genesis 3:15) from the promised seed, and (Job 19:25-27) He would be called the Redeemer (Job 33:24) who is a Ransom for many.
(Luke 3:23-31) King David lived forty generations before Jesus and wrote (Psalms 22:1-18) the prophecy (V.1) of the exact words Jesus would speak while He was on the cross, (V.7) they would laugh and mock Jesus, (V.14-16) what Jesus would feel during His crucifixion, and (V.18) they would gamble for His clothes. These seven prophesies and dozens and dozens more were given hundreds and even thousands of years before the birth of the Christ Child in Bethlehem.
There are dozens and dozens of physical (objective) prophecies in the Old Testament in which Jesus Christ is typified by objects such as these seven; (Gen. 7:7) the ark of salvation that Noah built, (Gen. 22:13) the substitute sacrifice, (Ex. 16:4) manna, the bread of life that came from Heaven (Ex. 17:1-6) the rock of Meribah from which flowed the water of life when Moses the Jew smote it, (Ex. 25:21-22) the mercy seat in the tabernacle, (Num. 21:8) the serpent on the pole and (Judg.14:8) the Judean lion in whose body was found honey (salvation) after it was slain by Sampson the Jew.
The Jews had sacrificed “by bringing forth blood by cutting, by passing between flesh”, millions upon millions of animals on their alters throughout the centuries to atone for their sins, were still doing it and each one of those animals typified the coming sacrifice of Jesus, the promised Savior on the cross at Calvary by cutting with whip (back), thorns (head) nails (both hands & both feet= 4) and spear (side); seven, the Biblical number of perfection.
In the Old Testament physical (living) prophesies Jesus is portrayed by dozens of men who delivered Israel from the hands of oppressors and these seven deliverers are examples: #1) (Judg. 3:9-10) Othniel delivered Israel from Chushan-rish-a-thaim, king of Mesopotamia; #2) (Judg. 3:15) Ehud delivered Israel from Eglin, king of Moab; #3) (Judg. 4:21-24) Barak delivered Israel from Jabin, king of Canaan; #4) (Judg. 7:1-25) Gideon delivered Israel from Ore and Zee, the princes of Median; #5) (Judg. 11:29-33) Jephthah delivered Israel from Ammon; #6) (Judg. 20:28) Phinehas delivered Israel from the Belial worshipping, rebellious tribe of Benjamin; AND:
#7) (Ruth 2:1 thru 4:15) Boaz (a type of Christ) purchased Ruth the gentile (a type of church) by purchasing a parcel of land (a type of grave) and with that act Boaz raised up the name of the dead (a type that the gentiles had no way to heaven bound resurrection until Jesus paid with His life for His parcel of ground in a borrowed tomb) so the name of the dead would not be cut off from among the brethren (a type that the gentiles would have the opportunity to be saved) (Eph. 2:11-22 esp. V.12) and be grace covenant brethren to blood covenant Israel and spiritually join the commonwealth (citizenship in a free community) of Israel.
And with that act Boaz also restored Naomi the Jew (typifying the Jews) who will be (Rom. 11:24) graffed (grafted) back into God’s grace. The story of Ruth is an exact physical prophecy of the relationship between Jesus, the Gentile Church and the Jews. If you want to read about this please read (Rom. 11:11-26).
There are so many prophesies, atoning blood sacrifices, names, signs, types and exact quotes from so many different people, in so many different locations, at so many different times in history it is impossible for the circumstances, location, time and names involved in Jesus’ birth to have been coincidence.
The Old Testament verbal prophesies concerning the promised seed had been studied, discussed and preached about by every generation of Jews since they were written. The Jews intimately knew the situations in which the physical prophesies typified the Redeemer. The Jews deeply admired their Jewish hero deliverers whose lives prophesied a Saviour was coming.
The Jews had all these events, miracles, history, prophesies and the law from God for hundreds and even thousands of years (Gen. 3:15) even from the beginning of time YET, except for a relatively few individuals, they as a nation missed the birth of their promised seed, the Messiah, the Redeemer, the Savior, the Son of the living God, Jesus the Christ (Messiah).
(Matt. 2:11) The gifts brought to Baby Jesus by the wise men are a prophecy in themselves because (Rev. 9:13) gold denotes kinghood and (John 12:12-16) Jesus is a *King; (Lev. 2:1-2) frankincense denotes priesthood and (Heb.4:14) Jesus is our great *High Priest; (John 19:38-40) myrrh is a spice used to pack around a dead body when it is wrapped in grave clothes and (Rom. 8:34) Jesus, our Redeemer, died for our sins.
Please remember these two days because they will be repeated. (Luke 2:21) Jesus is circumcised and officially given his name on the eighth day (Luke 1:57-63) according to Jewish Law: it is the day of naming. (Lev. 12:1- 4: V. 2–> 7 days & V. 4–> shall continue 33 days so 7+33=40 days) Mary’s purification takes forty days and on the fortieth day (Luke 2:22-24 esp. V.23) Jesus is brought to Jerusalem, shown to the priests, and presented to God by His parents according to Jewish Law: it is the day of showing and presentation.
Internet info: (Matt. 2:1-23) In the Bible there are actually five different men named Herod who were rulers in Israel; (Matt. 2:16-18 #1) Herod the Great was a king; (Matt. 2:22) his son #2) Herod Archelaus in charge of Judaea, Samaria, and Idumea; (Mark 6:17-29) #3) Herod Antipas tetrarch of Galilee and Perea beheaded John the Baptist (Luke. 13:31-33 & Matt. 14:1-12) and later wonders if Jesus is John the Baptist come back from the dead; (Acts 12:21-23) #4) Herod Agrippa the first, Grandson of Herod the king and also took the name King Herod, God smote him and he was eaten by worms; (Acts 26:28-32) Agrippa the second the last of the Herodians to rule (V.28) “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”
All five Roman appointed rulers were not of the Jewish bloodline. (Matt. 2:1-18) King Herod the Great, or King Herod the First heard about the coming King of the Jews. He was not about to let anyone “take” his crown and he made every effort to kill Jesus.
King Herod the Great failed and seven prophesies were fulfilled: #1) (Micah 5:2 & Matt. 2:6) “Out of Bethlehem shall come a Ruler in Israel”; #2) (Jer. 31:15 & Matt. 2:16-18) “Rachel (representation of the Jews in this use) weeping for her children”; #3) (Hosea 11:1 & Matt. 2:13-15) “I called my son out of Egypt”; #4) (Zech. 9:9 & John 12:12-16) “shout, O daughter of Jerusalem thy King cometh unto thee—lowly and riding upon a colt the foal of an ass” and #5) (Job 19:25, Luke 2:25-32 & Matt. 3:16-17) “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:”
#6) (Isa. 53:1-12 & John 1:10-14) “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisements of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” #7) (Psa. 22:1 & Matt. 27:46) “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Seven is the Biblical number of perfection.
(Luke 2:41-52) When Jesus is twelve years old his family goes to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. It is Jewish Custom to celebrate a male child’s twelfth birthday with a ceremony called the bar-mitzvah that signifies his childhood is over, he is entering his thirteenth year and it is time to start learning to be a man. (Luke 2:46-47) That must have happened at this time because Jesus goes right to work “sitting in the midst of the doctors (instructors, master, teacher), both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard were astonished at his understanding and answers.“
All He needs to do right now is to eat and grow, to study and learn (Luke 2:51) and He is still under His family’s supervision just like any other Jewish teenager. (Mark 6:3) Just like other Jewish youth Jesus learns carpentry, His father’s trade, and works until He starts His ministry. (John 14:2) His physical work is spiritually prophetic that Jesus will go prepare (build) a place for His people.
(Lev. 16:3-4) Aaron had to wash his flesh in water before he could begin the duties of high priest. (Matt. 3:13-17) Just before Jesus starts to preach He is baptized to fulfill all righteousness because He is starting His office as the great High Priest, (2nd SUPERNATURAL EVENT; the 2nd 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) and Satan departed for a season at the end of the 40th day. 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 4:16-27) (V.16-22) Jesus stood up in the Jewish synagogue and started to read from the book of E-sa’ias (Isaiah 61:1-2) and declared His calling and anointing to preach the acceptable year of the Lord and that the scripture of that prophecy was now fulfilled in their ears. (V.22-23) Then Jesus told them their own disagreement with His words before they could express them.
*Then Jesus started preaching 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 expressed in the Greek (Luke 4:26 keyword: Sa-rep’ta) as Sarepta, a city in Sidon. Both names have the same definition: a place of refinement.
#1) This nameless Jewish widow had the FAITH to help Elijah (E-li’as in Greek) the prophet of God and she and her son were blessed with plenty to eat during that time of famine.
(Luke 4:27) *In this, His first 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 of leprosy through Elisha the prophet but God refused to heal the lepers in Israel!
#2) (read this and think->2Kings 5:1-19) (V.1) Naaman the gentile (non-Jewish bloodline) had a deadly, life destroying problem, (V2-5) an Israelite (Jewish) witness to what God could do, (V.6-8) the king of Israel misunderstood the message and could not help, (V.8-9) God called Naaman and Naaman came, (V.9-12) Naaman was not allowed to see where the power came from (invisible); all Naaman got was the messenger who told him what to do and Naaman resisted fiercely because he thought he was special (pride), (V.13) common sense took over because he had the same old disease and had not been healed.
(V.13 continued) Humility took over; “If this is what it takes, I’ll do it because I want cleansing more than anything in the world or this disease will destroy me.
(V.14) Can you imagine Naaman, (V.1) their commanding general, stripped naked in front of them all dipping himself in the Jordan River once, twice, thrice, four times-nothing, five times-nothing, six times-nothing but Naaman, the gentile, persevered; can you see him look around at his troop of soldiers looking upon his nakedness while he humiliated himself into humility? (V.14) SEVEN! When Naaman came up that time, “according to the saying of the man of God: his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” Now read (Matt. 18:3) and compare!
#1 The Jews as a nation and as a religion would not accept Jesus as the anointed one who would give them the spiritual kingdom of God. They expected an anointed one who would lead them to a physical kingdom like King David had. BUT: (Acts 2:1-47 esp. V.47 keywords: added to the church) Jesus had spoken a prophesy of the coming Church which would be started and organized by obedient Jews who accepted Jesus through FAITH according to Jesus’ words through the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.
#2) The Biblical story of Naaman, the Gentile, is an exact example (prophecy) of how the salvation event would happen to obedient Gentiles when they followed the directions given by the obedient Jews who started the New Testament, Holy Spirit empowered Church. (from above: 2Ki. 5:15-19) And we have to live in this sinful world but we will show our acceptance of Jesus as our Saviour by our actions and method of worship in our Gentile Churches.
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; the 3rd 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, Messiah. 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. 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.
There is no Biblical evidence Jesus ever leaves the 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, 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 (Matt. 12:36-37) and each person will give an account for even their words which makes perfect sense because selfishness, 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 five 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 His disciples 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. 20:1-17) the Ten Commandments (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 the Ten Commandments direct a person to a kind, understanding, loving way of life based on an emotional and intellectual relationship between God and man AND between man and man instead of being ten cold do’s and don’ts based on fear and intimidation.
(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-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. (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.
(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.
THEN SATAN ATTACKED: (Luke 4:1-13) When the devil tempted (scrutinize, entice, examine, test) Jesus he first tempted (V.3) Jesus’ soul to see if pride was there by challenging Jesus to “show off” His power by changing a stone into bread which Jesus must have desperately craved since He had not eaten (V.2) in forty days.
(V.5-7) Second, the devil tempted Jesus’ human nature by offering to “buy” Jesus’ loyalty with earthly things. Can you imagine the gold, silver, precious jewels, harems of beautiful, scantily dressed women, sinful and pleasurable activities of people, cities, kingdoms, great armies and etc. the devil showed Jesus?
Third, the devil (V.9-11) tempted Jesus’ intellect by using God’s Holy Word drawn out of context. Satan had misquoted (Psa. 91:11-12) which says; (V.11) “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. (V.12) They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” But Satan said; (Luke 4:9-11 esp. V.10-11) “For it is written, He gave his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:“ Satan left out in all thy ways (V.11) “And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest Satan added at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.”
Satan’s incorrect quoting changed the whole meaning of the situation in that instead of God’s provision and protection it became an act of vanity which made it a challenge to God thus tempting God!
(V.13) “And when the devil had ended (to complete entirely) all temptation, he departed (withdraw) from him for a season (convenient, opportunity, a measure of time).” Can you imagine what Satan the devil said to Jesus while He was being tortured and crucified?
In each assault Jesus defeated the devil by using and obeying God’s Holy Word in the context of its true meaning and you and I can too (2Tim. 2:15) if we “STUDY TO SHOW THYSELF APPROVED UNTO GOD”. When a person starts rebelling against God’s Word through ignorance, laziness, neglect, not caring, ignoring, and etc. (John 8:44) the devil will be right there to help that person deceive himself through God’s Word taken out of context.
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.”
(Jas.1:12-15) Jesus does not let the temptation turn into lust (Mark 8:36-37) and 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. 15:24) Jesus states He is sent only to the Israelites in Israel BUT (Matt.8:5-13 then 15:21-28 and John 4:4-42) Jesus does not refuse gentiles (a non-Jew) when they come to ask Jesus for a miracle the proper way. (Matt. 23:1-39) Jesus exposes the Jewish religion as a failure (John 8:2) and teaches in the main temple in Jerusalem (John 8:24) the Jews who will not 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 (1John 2:2) but 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.
(John 5:24-30 esp. V.24 keyword: believeth which is defined: Strong’s Greek # 4100/4102 conviction of the truthfulness of God, to entrust one’s spiritual well being to Christ, to commit to Christ, reliance upon Christ for salvation) Jesus said in the judgment those (V.24) who believeth 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 the devil, Satan (Rev. 20:14) and death will be there with them. Think about it; always dying but never able to get it accomplished!
(Matt. 4:23-24 & 12:22) Jesus heals the sick of all types of diseases, torments, demon possession, lunacy, sickness (John 9:1-7 esp. V.2) and 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 11:1-4) 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; (Matt. 12:21) and 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 esp. V.10 keyword: stone) 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 (through the Talmud) 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 (Eph. 2:20) the cornerstone (the rock which is the foundation anchor, center of level, and squareness guide) of the Christian Church, including Gentiles.
(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. A male lamb without blemish was killed 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 12:12 & 29) God passed through Egypt and the first born of both 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 (V.27) to observe the 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. (Luke 22:3) Satan entered into Judas Iscariot AND (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.
At the Passover supper (John 13:4-17) 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: (please read this scripture: Heb. 9:1-28 esp. V.12, 22, & 24) This chapter explains how the first covenant was a foreshadowing pattern (actually a concealed prophesy) of the better covenant that would come through the sacrificial death of Jesus.
(Matt. 26:18-29 esp. V.25) 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.