Dates And Events Of Persons In The Bible
God in His creation in the Cosmos wished to create mankind in His image. So, He said, let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness.So that they may rule over the fish in the sea, and the birds in the sky over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground so “God created mankind in this own image in the image of God,He created them male and female He created them “be fruitful” God blessed them and said to them and increased in member fill the earth subdue it, rule over the flesh in the sea and the birds in the sky, and over every living creation that moves on the ground. Then God said, I give you every seed, bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree has fruit with seed in it. God provided fruits to mankind as food, and He provided something to eat and live to birds and animals, fish in the water and for every living thing on the ground. Finally, He looked at everything He created and said to Himself “it was good” all these things He did on the fifth day. By seventh day, God had finished the work He planned, and took rest. He blessed the seventh day, and made it Holy because on that day He took rest from doing any work. Then the Lord God planted a Garden in the East in Eden, and the man He created in it. Then He put all kind of fruit trees in that garden, which were pleasing to the eye and good food. After this in the middle of the garden he put two trees, the tree of “life” and the tree of “knowledge of good and evil” The Lord God put that man in the Garden of Eden to work and take care of it. He commanded and told the man you are free to eat fruit from any tree, but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die. God formed out of the ground all wild animals, all flying birds in the sky. He brought all of them to this man and asked him to give names to all of them and Adam gave suitable names to all livestock. Again the Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him. But to Adam no suitable helper was found. So, he made the man to fall into a deep sleep and took one of his ribs and made a woman. With it, and brought her to Adam, Then Adam said “this is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh, and she shall be called woman for she was taken out of man.” He gave the name to that woman
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM also as Eve which means mother of all living. A woman became part and parcel of man, he leaves his father and mother, and stick on to his wife after marriage and become one flesh. It is also said in the Bible genesis 2 chapter 24th verse “Therefore, shall a man, leave his father and his mother and shall leave unto his wifeand they shall be one flesh” (genesis 2.24). This saying holds good to hear, but there are some disadvantages in this statement. The young men as soon as they marry, they cling to their wives and forget to take care of the parents in their old age. I know a couple of the old parents who became street beggars for want of food even though they have sons and daughters. Sons who love and honor their parents in their old age, shall have long and blessed life and we must give due respect to the Commandment. “Honour thy father and thy mother.” Both Adam and Eve were very happy with God in the Garden of Eden enjoying all fruits. But one day a serpent came and tempted Eve after a brief conversation to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. What is the background of this serpent? According to the Biblical history, Lucifer was one of the arch angels in heaven. One day, he rebelled against God by saying that he was equally good in everything with him. God got angry at the remarks of the serpent and pushed him down to the earth. When he was thrown down to the earth, one third of the angel population also came with him to the earth. Since that time, the Lucifer with the names Satan, Evil, Devil, Dragon and Serpent was trying to take revenge against God, and Adam and Eve, his first human creation, became the victims. Eve believed the tempting words of the Satan and ate the fruit of that forbidden tree. She gave some to Adam also and he too without any forethought ate it. God could know this and immediately called Adam. He said. Adam where are you? Did you eat the fruit of the forbidden tree? “while answering these questions, we don’t find any humbleness or repenting spirit in the tone of Adam. So, his answer was, the woman you provided me as a helper, gave me and I ate it. When God asked Eve she said” the serpent tempted me with her cunning words and I ate it and gave it to Adam. Adam blamed Eve for giving him that fruit but he did not accept his sin. And Eve blamed the serpent for convincing her with cunning words. By eating the forbidden fruit both Adam and Eve had already committed sin. But here, they did not accept it and blamed others. So doing something wrong, and
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM not accepting their fault but blame others is called the second sin here Adam and Eve committed second sin also. So, the three serpent, Adam and Eve involved in the four sin according to the Bible and they received due punishment for their unpardonable mistake. God understood the deceptive nature of the serpent, against the innocent Adam and Eve, God gave due punishment to the serpent. He said, cursed are you above all livestock, and all wild animals. You will crawl on your belly, and you will eat dust, all the days of your life, and i will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring’s and hers he will crush your head and you will strike his heel. This has become everlasting punishment to all snakes in the world. Then it was Eve first who committed the sin by eating the forbidden fruit. So, the punishment of God to her was. “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe with painful labor, you will give birth to your children. Your desire will be for your husband.” God punishment to Adam, was cursed is the ground because of you, through painful tail you will eat food from it all the days of your life. I will produce thorns and thirsts for you,” and ye shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow, you will eat your food. Until you return to the ground since from it you were taken from dust, you are and to dust you will.
Then God thought, it would be dangerous to keep Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden because they had the knowledge of good andevil as they ate that fruit. So He banished them out of that Garden. He kept them at the Eastern side of the garden. Since that time entrance was forbidden and for more security God kept Cherubim angel with flaming sward, to guard those two trees, which were kept in the middle of the Garden. After they were thrown out of the Garden, they lived according to the punishment outside of it. Adam loved his wife, and got two sons Cain and Abel. God loved Abel more than Cain, which caused Cain to kill his brother Abel. After them, we have no clear picture about the children whether Adam and Eve had further children and descendants.
But we have one source of information According to Biblical history, some books in originalHebrew language were found in the “CumranCaves” near dead sea were found in 1947 by a Shepard by name Bedowine. He found “the book of Jubilus” and “the book of the Isaiah” ete. In the book of Jubilus, it is said Adam and Eve had 8 children both men and women and
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM married within the family and their genealogy was continued. After Adam and Eve the seventh generation was important because in that period, “Enoch” was the prophet of God. He prophesied. “Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints.” He lived just 365 years and directly went to God without seeing death. But his son lived 969 years the longest lived in the Bible. His name was Methuselah. Next comes Noah in the 10th generation. He was also a great builder of an arch and a prophet. During these 10 generations God completely understood the wickedness of man starting with Cain. God saw every point of their thinking was only evil all the time.
God regretted and repented for making human beings on the earth. His heart was deeply troubled. So, the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race have I created.” Unfortunately, for the decision of God all animals, birds, and other creatures on the earth became victims along with mankind and perished in the flood of Noah. If we study the genealogy of different people in the world today, they were all the descendants of the three sons of Noah. After the great builder and prophet Noah, the next great and important man in the Bible was Abraham. The historical back ground of Abraham tells us that he was the grandson of the first son Noah. It was shem, whose descendants were called Steamete tribe or Semite tribe from ‘ur’ the land of Chaldeans.
He was born in 2166 BC and his family members were heathens. His parents used to make idols and sold them for their livelihood. Abraham remained faraway from the idol worshippers, and looked at haven to know about the real God. So the people called him “Hebrew” that is Abraham the Hebrew, means a stranger. In such situation one day God called Abraham, to leave his place ur, and all his people, and to a new place called Canaan. God also told him, it was a promised land to his people, which was rich with milk and honey. So, he accepted the call of God and started his journey, leaving that place once and for all. Lot, his brothers son also followed him. He left ur in the year 2091 BC. That is, when he was 75 years old he left his native place. Then Isaac was born to him in 2066 BC. From his early days, Abraham used to look at heaven for God who was controlling everything, God also loved him most, and we know how he was blessed abundantly, God know that Abraham was very righteous and faithful toward Him still He wanted to test his faith. So one day God asked
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac. He did not say a word, but simply took his son and went to the Mount Mariah to sacrifice his only son who was born when Abraham was about 100 years old. This event took place in the year 2050 BC. God was very happy at the faith of Abraham, and showered on him countless blessings, and what kind of blessings Abraham received from God:? Abraham was called:
1)Father of Western science.
2)Father of western religion.
3)Father of Righteousness
4)Father of Faith.
5)Father of many nations.
6)Father of circumcision.
7)Father of monotheism. Isaac married Rebekah when he was about 40 years old. She gave birth to Jacob and Esave in 2006 BC after Abraham died in 1991 BC. Rachel wife of Jacob gave birth to Joseph in 1915 BC. Isaac also died in 1886 BC. Joseph was sold to some Egyptians by his brothers, as a slave 1898 BC. But God was with him and protected him in all stages. Finally God elevated him to the position of a deputy to Pharaoh. He liked Joseph very much and put the entire responsibility of the nation in his hands when famine came to the land, the father and other family members of Joseph came and settled at a good place called “Goshon” in 1820 BC, then in 1859 BC Jacob died. After the death of Joseph in 1805 BC the next Pharaoh’s did not know, who was Joseph or what he did not know, who was joseph or what he did to the nation, or his family members, but all the Israeliteswere treated as slaves. Added to that because of the promise to Abraham by God the Israelites were multiplied amazingly. They remained as slaves in Egypt for about 430 years and finally cried into God to save them from such condition. God heard the cry of His chosen people. He reacted and choose a man to liberate them from that bondage. It was Moses proposed by God for that noble task “Moses means “drawn from water” Moses was born in 1526 BC. God sent 10 plagues to change the mind of pharaoh. Finally in the year 1446 BC, they were forced to leave Egypt and go to their promised land Canaan. It is said
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM about 1.5 million people of all kinds joined together in their journey. They started during spring season in 1446 and then first halt after crossing the Red sea was at the foot of the Mount Sinai. Then God called Moses to the top of the Mount to give him some instructions. God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, the blue print of the Tabernacle, otherwise known as the Noble Temple of God, and some instructions, which were rather called the law of Moses or Torah, from the date of their leaving Egypt, their stay at the foot of Mount Sinai, and building of the Tabernacle.All these things completed in one year. So, the Israelites wanted to celebrate first anniversary function and they invited God also. God witnessed the function felt happy for meeting His chosen people, with the intention of meeting them.He introduced seven feasts or festivals. They are Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, the feast of frist fruit, the the feast of weeks, also called Pentecost, the feat of Trumpets, the feast of Atonement and the feast of the Tabernacle. God introduced these seven feasts of His Redemption plan. During their wilderness wanderings God sent “quails and Manna” as food for them God punished them for becoming idol worshippers and made them wander for 40 years to reach their promised land. Spices were sent to Canaan in 1443 to know the condition of the heathens living at that time. In the meantime Aaron head of the priest Lord died in 1406 BC.Then Israelites held their camp at the places of morah in 1406 trough they resisted. Moses the servant of God led Israelites up to now and died in 1406 BC at “Mount Nebo” Then God appointed Joshua to lead Israelites to reach the Promised Land. He continued it with battles. In all the battles of Joshua, his battle with Jerico a wicked Canaanites city is important. He sent spices to that city, who were helped by harlot. She helped them and encouraged them that they would certainly become victorious. For all her help and moral support, the Israelites treated her as a queen. Finally she became one of the leading heathen women in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, by marrying Salmon who had Messianic link.At last the Israelites reached Canaan in the year 1406 BC to 1375 BC and Joshua died in 1375 BC.
After the Israelites settled peacefully in different places, judges began to rule them. They continued for about 325 years. That is from 1375-1050 BC. The important judges that ruled were Deborah from 1209-1169 BC for
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM 40 years.Gideon from 1142-1122 for about 20 years. During this time a Jewish lady from Bethlehem happened to go to Moab due to famine in Bethlehem. She stayed there for 10 years and lost her husband and two sons, then she returned with her daughter in-law Ruth. She was also a Moab heathen woman, and married a rich Jewish farmer Boag. She played most important role in the genealogy of Jesus Christ and became great grand other of king David.
Samuel was born in 1105 BC. He grew up and began to minister under the prophet Eli. At that time, the Israelites were disgusted with the ruling of judges and asked Samuel for a king as they had seen in the neighboring countries ruled by kings. So, Samuel proposed the name of Saul as the first king of Israel, but he became a selfish man, even God was not happy with him. Anyhow, he ruled for 40 years and died His regime was between 1050-1010. Saul tried to kill David as and when he got chance, became he thought David would be a hindrance to his rule.As he would be the next king after the death of Saul God protected him from all dangerous situations.
David was anointed by Samuel as the next king of Israel. He rose to that position from an ordinary shepherd boy to the status of the king of his chosen people in 1025 BC as a shepherd boy, he happened to kill Goliath a philistine leader with the help of sling and small stones. It is said, his height was about 9 .5 feet only after the death of Saul in 1010 BC. Daniel ruled Israel from 1010-970 BC Though the blessings of God was with him. David forgot them and committedadultery with a woman who was the wife of a military officer by name Uriah. David somehow managed to get the officer killed and married his wife whose name was Bathsheba.King David had a son Solomon through Bathsheba. After David Solomon became the king of Israel and ruled from 970-930...for 40 years like his father.
God blessed Solomon abundantly and made him the richest and wisest manof his time, but he forgot God and misused his blessings. He took many heathen women as wives and even built heathen temples to please them at a place called ball beck,” It is said he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. In addition to that he took Queen Sheba also as his wife and got a son through her. Though he built the temple of God, he took only 7 years to complete it, where as he took 13 years for the construction of the royal palace for his
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM wife, the daughter of Egyptian Pharaoh. He built the temple of God between 966-959 BC, just seven years. His adulterous way of life made God angry and cursed king Solomon by dividing the kingdom of Israel into two parts in 930 BC as the northern Kingdom of Israel with 10 tribes and its capital was Samaria. Then the Southern Kingdom of Judah with two tribes named Judah and Benjamin and the capital was Jerusalem. This division became regular only after the death of king Solomon.
Rehoboam son of king Solomon became king to the Southern kingdom of Judah and ruled between 930-913 BC. For the northern kingdom Jeroboam became the king and changed it into a heathen nation by not allowing Israelites to go to Jerusalem and to visit it the temple of God. Instead of that he built heathen temples everywhere, and forced them to worship the idols only.Gradually the Israelites forgot the God of their forefather and even mixed with heathen marriages and so on. After Jeroboam a creul man Ahab became the king of Israel between 874-857. In this connection we can remember the most crooked woman Jezebel the wife of Ahab. Then for the kingdom of Judah Jehoshaphat became the king between 872-848 BC. Now God saw how the 10 tribes of Israel had forgotten Him completely. He became exceedingly unhappy about it, and began to send messengers to that nation one after the other. Accordingly the first messenger was Elijah Prophet. He went and started his ministry during 875-848. The second person was Elisha and he did his ministry during 848- 797 BC. The third person was Amos “an uneducated shepherd boy, but God called him for his work between 710-750 BC. The fourth person was Hosea. He started his ministry between 750-715 BC. All these were prophets of course. During the reign of Ahab, his wife Jezebel tried to kill the prophet Elijah, but he escaped from her somehow. The kingdom of Israel finally fell into the hands of Assyrians the heathen rulers in 722 BC. They waged war against them and took many Israelites as captives to Assyria in the same year. According to historical back ground these Assyrians were to the descendants of Abraham. At that time prophet Isaiah began his ministry in Judah during 740-681 BC and Hezekiah was ruling Judah at that time between 715-686 BC. Then Manasseh reigned during 697-642 BC. Ammon reigned between 642-640 BC just two years only.Then Josiah reigned between 640-609 BC prophets also changed one
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM worshippers.” So, prophet Jeremiah began his ministry in Judah in during 620-585 BC. Jehoeakim ruled between 609-598 BC and Zedekiah was the last of Davidic Dynastic rulers, and in his time Judah had completely gone into the rule of heathens called Babylonians. When he tried to escape with his family members, he was caught and taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. His two sons were killed brutally and Zedekeah’s eyes were removed. He was kept in the prison permanently and he died there only. The king of Babylon did all this in his third attack on Jerusalem and the temple, which he ruined totally in 586 BC. So, the first heathen rule started with Assyrians. They were defeated by Babylonians who were the second heathen rulers over Israel and Judah. Many Jews were taken as captives in three stages and Ezekiel was one of then to the third stage. He began his ministry to the exiled Jews in Babylon. These captive Jews remained in Babylon for seventy years as a punishment, from God. So, prophet, Ezekiel continued his ministry during 593-571 BC. Daniel was also taken as captive in the first stage in 606 BC along with his friendly Sheldrak, Meshach and Abednego, and Daniel started his ministry during 606-536 BC. Nebuchadnezzar reigned between 606-562 BC. But Daniel, by virtue of his wisdom and understanding was elevated to the highest position after the king. Added to that God was with Daniel, whom God called His beloved prophet. Then Babylon was conquered by Medo-Persians in 539 BC. These persons were kind enough to release and send back all the Jews to their native land. Accordingly in 538 BC the first batch of Jews from Babylon returned to Jerusalem.Simultaneously, Haggai and Zechariah continued their ministry between 520-480 BC. King Xeraesreigned in Persia between 485-465 BC. In the year 479 BC, the Queen of beauty Esther became the Queen of Persia. She in her capacity solved the most complicated issue concerning her own people the Jews. She punished Haman, who hatched a murderous plot of eliminating all Jews from that kingdom. That day of freedom the Jews have been enjoying even today as the festival of —purim is just in memory of her. The second batch of exiled Jews returned to Jerusalem in 458 BC under the leadership of EZRA and the third and final batch returned the Jerusalem in 445 BCwith the guidance of Nehemiah.
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM CHAPTER -6
Christ and His Crucification
We have some knowledge of how Christ was crucified brutally and also remember some of the comments of the onlookers at that time. They said,”you, whowould destroy the temple and laid it in three days save yourself.” if you are the son of God, come down from the cross. The chief priest with the elders mocked at him and said among themselves, He saved others but He could not save Himself. He is the king of the Jews and we will believe in him. He trusts in God, let God deliver Him now if he desired him for He said” I am the son of God” and the robbers were crucified along with Him also revealed Him” (Mark 15:29-32).
The spectators with different comments gathered around the cross and watched how Christ was bleeding. He was fighting the battle with ungodly people, somehow or other but now it was in climax. Let us examine clearly the echoing of the public on the spot. If you are the son of God, come down from the cross.” As a matter of fact these voices were not the voices of the bystanders, but they were the words of Satan, who was the prime accuser and the tempter.” On curtain occasions prior to this Jesus happened to go to the river Jordan and took Baptism from John the Baptist. At that time, Jesus heard the voice from heaven. “you are my beloved son, I am will pleased.” Then the Holy Spirit immediately took Him into the wilderness. Just at that Jesus heard the similar voice of Satan saying, If you are the son of God command those stones to be made bread”. “If you are the son of God, cast yourself down and the Angles would look after you.” These words were the cunning voice of Satan, but they were really difficult to recognize him.
The Jews at the time of Jesus Christ were in discontent and look for God to come down into their midst and into history. They wanted God to lead them to triumph against the most cruel Roman rulers, who had been oppressing them for generators. They wanted to enjoy at least some freedom, which they really enjoyed when they were liberated from the bondage of Egypt under the able leadership of prophet Moses. Open the Israelites celebrated that happy day of liberation as the day of “Passover” even today. They wanted to small again the scent of the victory that God had given to them over the ‘tyrant ruler Antiochus Epiphanies two hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ. This wonderful achievement, the Israelites have been celebrating as the festival of “Hanukkah.”
These incidents promoted Israelites to have a longing hope that God would one day send a Messiah, who must be like king David, who was a
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM powerful warrior and who would fight against the new Goliath. The personal enemies to Israelites were the Roman rulers. But Jesus Christ came to this world for different purpose. He did not come to liberate Israel from the oppression of the Romans. when they understood the mind of Jesus, their mends were shattered and became revengeful in their attitude. Actually God sent Jesus, to fulfill there important things. They are, to heal at sick people of all diseases to spread the word of God throughout the world and to die on the cross to redeem the sinners of the world.
When the Jews understood Jesus did not come to liberate them, they rebelled against Him. They tried even to harm Him as and when they get the chances. They finally found the occasion. They caught him and led Him to the cross, with false allegations. Now, we have to understand the story behind the cross. The cross was first invented by Phoenician tribe long time ago, but it was used much during the reign of Romans. Now, we have a big question’ what is the meaning of the cross, for the Jews for the gospel writers and the readers like us whether Jesus was a failed Messiah on the cross, or a successful one, whether the cross was an unfortunate and missing interval between His successful life, and His triumphant resurrection. There are actually many more questions in this regard.
What is the importance of the cross? It is the embodiment of one man two wooden poles, three long nails, four wonderful gospels, five wounds, six hours and seven words. It is a symbol of peace, It is the symbol of salvation. Most important of all, it is the symbol of forgiveness and redemption. But for the crowd that gathered there, the Messiah was a failure. The crowd also understood, that it was not the voice of the Satan Thewriters of the gospels must have felt, it was through the death of the Christ, through His apparent failure, through His abandonment, God has worked out His own purpose which ran deeper than the crowds, or the disciples or even Jesus Himself.
The parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem every year on the eve of the feast of Passover. So as usual, when Jesus was twelve years old, they happened to go with Him. While returning to Nazareth after the festival, they did not find Jesus with them. They were confused and disappointed. They went back to Jerusalem in search of Him. They at last found Him in the Temple of God, after three days search. They saw Him sitting with teachers and listening to them and also questioning them people that gathered in the temple wondered at His extraordinary intelligence. His parents also astonished at His knowledge. Then His mother anxiously said that she and His father
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM desperately searching for Him. For that He replied, How is that you taught were? “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house.” The parent really did not understand what He spoke about, but are went home peacefully.
It was not only the Jews in agony and despair on that “Good Friday” but also the disciples. They too hoped Jesus would redeem Israel. The disciples made Him walk on the dusty roads of Galilee, and Judah, but they could not understand, what He was teaching about Mary, the mother of the God, was to take upon herself the labor pains of the new age, not only Bethlehem but also in Jerusalem, during “Passover” time, not one but twice, at the climatic point of her whole life we do not have any authentic information that Mary said anything as she stood at the foot of the Cross. But we are told Jesus had handed over His mother to His beloved disciple John Jesus asked John to take care of His mother till the end of her life. She had to observe the agony of the death of her son for three more days measuring the ends of Israelites at their better future. We are called to be the believers of God, in Christ, we do not yet understand and seeking Him in our own sorrow ready to search for our young Lord, wherever He maybe.
Here, we see the impressions of the two criminals. who were hanging along with Christ. One of them asked Christ, whether He was not the Messiah If so, he requested Him to save Himself and save them. The other criminal questioned Him whether He was not afraid of God, as He was in such harsh punishment. The two thieves accepted the punishment, as they deserved it, but they commented, this man had done nothing wrong. Then one of them said, Jesus remember me when you came in your Kingdom.” And Christ said unto him. “Truly, I say unto you, today you will be with me in paradise.” The main purpose of putting Him on the cross was to make people understand that He was Messiah. At the same time, the purpose of crucifying Him between the two thieves was to say that Christ was also this type of man.
The dying thief put his finger on the point and said. This man had done nothing wrong. “He is answering us, He appeared as if He was a cursed man as we are cursed even clean as we are unclean.” But something appeared strange in this contest. Jesus hanging on the cross was Jesus the coming Messiah. (King) and Jesus on the cross was Jesus the saving king. But we see the son of God was dying as a criminal He died the death of a failed rebel against Rome He appeared to have failed in His attempt, but in reality, He succeeded in the task, He has been set The Jewish leaders framed there alligators against Him. They were, He was leading people astray. He
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM was forbidding people to pay the tax to Cesar and He was posing Himself as the Messiah, the savior and king. As a matter of fact, Jesus has not done any one of them. He had come on His father’s business to extent His love to those who bodily needed it Jesus was really an innocent person and had done nothing wrong. He had come to do something to Israel, and the world, which cannot be achieved either by Israel or by the world. He came to die the death of the world, so that the world would be saved through Him.
Who was the real enemy then? It was not Rome, it was only political enemy of the people of God. The real enemy was Satan sin and death, which were called the unseen spiritual enemies. Satan with the face of a foe tried all means to distract but in vain. At the appropriate time Satan the rebel of all people has been trying to attack the innocent Jesus Christ, who is the king and who is going to establish His New Kingdom called the thousand years Millinnied Kingdom and rule victioursly from the cross. Any way the high priest, and the other leaders, influenced double tongued mob to shout their Jesus must be crucified. So, they took Him with His own cross, bearing Himself to the place called, the place of skull and in Hebrew it was “Golgotha.” The Pilot also wrote a title as “Isee ...isu nazaranus rex Judariam” which mean, Jesus of Nazareth King of Jesus.
Many Jews happened to read it, but the Christ priest objected and told Pilot not to write like that. but the Pilot replied, there he was the king of the Jesus and what he has written he has written pontius pilote was not noted for his tact. The Jewish historian Josephus recorded many instances of his blunt offensive and inipet handling of Jews. Actually such a man pilot should be kept only, at the back of the corrected persons, the same type of pilot was put on the head of Jesus, to tell the onlooker the nature of crime the man committed. That is, if a slave has stolen anything from the master, he would be labeled as runaway slave or thief. But in the case of Jesus the crime was summed up in the ironic words. The king of the Jews and sometimes on four INRI, really for pilot this is another way of mocking at the Jews. As far as pilot was concerned Jesus was a political Messiah and a failed one in their matter. Jesus stood up for the kingdom of God, but the kingdom of Caesar had come down upon him clavery. He had given what was due to God on the cross and He rendered to Caesar what was due to him. Behind, Caesar and his rivals and behind the Jewish nationalism too, we heard of sinitir claim made by an old acquaintance in the wilderness.
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM
“To you I will give all authority and its glory for it has been delivered to me and I give it to whom i will.” The claim of Satan is that human beings have allowed him to rule over them, instead of God allowing God to be their supreme. So, when they worshipped Caesar it means they worshipped Satan. But the intention of God was different. He wanted rulers of the world to be obedient to Him and put all their energies to serve His purpose, of life and creativity. Those rulers forgot God, and ruled their nations according to their __ and fancies. Added to that sometimes they felt themselves as Gods when Jesus died as a failed non-political or political Messiah, pilot emboded for a while apparent triumph of Satan over Jesus. He told that it was the time of soldiers their howr and power of darkness. Let us remember how Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world on one condition. That He should fall down and worship him. When he refused to do so, cross was the result of his refusal. Not only the Romans Empire or officials of Judaism, but also the entire world rejected Him and finally killed Him. Here, the cross was not a defeat, but a wonderful victory. It is a dramatic resurrection of the fact that Gods love is sovereign. He Therules of the world, did not have the last word, that the kingdom of God defeated the kingdom of Satan. So, the final result of all this, is that the kingdom of the world have become in principles the kingdoms of our Lord, and the Messiah and He would rule our them for ever and ever.
The nations plotted against God and His anointed one, but God from heaven saw and laughed at them for their foolishness, and utter failure he further replied, “yet I have set my kingdom upon my holy hill.” But the holy hill is in question not now Zion the temple mount. The joy of the whole world. It is the ugly little hill about a mile further Jerusalem just outside the wall of the old city This is the place, the king of the Jews is enthroned his west still smarting with the crown of thorns, His cross is a sign of God’s victory over the world.
Jesus was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth like a lamb that was taken to the slaughter house. But oppression and false judgmentHe was taken away, he was put on the cross like a wicked man and finally in the grave. God called the Israel to be the mean for dealing with the sin of the world. If we appreciate God who called Abraham to remove the sin of Adam, there must be truth in it, God believed in Israel as true humanity, and so He wanted to fulfill the purpose of this world. His humankind is created in His own image before the world of rule the representative of God
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM God expected from the race of Israel? King David and his son king Solomon could do something.King Solomon as the wises and the richest king of his time, proved himself as worthy. But the rulers after him forgot God and diverted from the path of virtue. They became even idol worshippers because of the influence of their wives. The result of all their disobedience was they God punished them and they were taken as exile for seventy years. God wanted to condemn them with this kind of punishment. The sin of the world had to he heaped upon Israel, and since Israel could not bear, the entire weight of the sin of the world, their representative Jesus the king of the Jews had to bear that heap. The Messiah has come to rule the world as a nationalist king a rival to Caesar. He has come to rule the world as God always intended to have His kingdom ruled with love and if it necessary die for that. He had came to bear the pain of the world by carrying the heavy loaded cross on His shoulders and by keeping to the crown of thorns on his head. Then there long nails were brutally pierced into His hands and feet. Added to them were the Roman justice and the anger of frustrated hopes of the Jews God seemed to have decided that the death of one man would suffice to forgive sin of the whole world. In addition to the above said reasons, the Biblical scheme of thought is richer and very simple, which exhibited in five points.
1).The world and the human beings are the good creation of the wise and
loving God.
2).Since the human beings rebelled against the creator they were kept as
slaves to the dark powers that ruled the world.
3).God had a plan by which He could heal and restore the humans and the
entire cosmos and His plan involved the calling of Israel as a nation and
it should share it plight of humanity.
4).God promised that He would implement the act of salvation by sending
his own spirit to complete the healing and removal of humankind and its
whole cosmos.
5).God made a promise to send one who can bear the task of Israel and
who will save Israel and the world by dying on their behalf. The ultimate
result of the promise was He Himself had come to fulfill it.
But on that particular night He was betrayed after He took bread and wine. He maintained the word of “Passover” survice. This Jewish covenant festival became a reference to the forth coming death of Jesus Christ. Finally Jesus as the representative of Jews was put on the cross. He was facing the
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM last which was supposed to be done by Israelites that if they did not repent God would judge them by sending to the king of Babylon as a punishment by attacking Jerusalem Jesus also warmed them, to repent otherwise God would use Rome as the instrument of wrath against them for their disobedience.
Let us think of David for a while who was a man after the heart of God. He went to meet Goliath with five smooth stones and defeated him in the name of the God of Israel. If we think of Adam who was driven away from the Garden of Eden according to Jewish and early Christian legends there was a temple in Jerusalem area and when Adam died, he was buried on the very spot, where Jesus was crucified. That must be the reason why in paintings and stained glasses windows, we see Adams skull at the foot of cross.
Jesus was hanging on the cross and it was six o’clock time in the evening and getting dark. Then at the ninth hour He cried desperately with a loud noise “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani,” which means.” My God, My God why have you forsaken me” but some people who were standing near the cross, thought Christ was calling for “Elijah” prophet to come and save Him. And with that final shout he yielded up his spirit. Some of the onlookers were really interested to see if Elijah would come and save Jesus. From the very early times, there has been a tradition that Prophet Elijah would come both to deliver the people of God or to prepare the way for the messianic delivering Himself.
The Jews even keep cup of wine on the “Passover” night and keep the door open. The Jews during time of Jesus believed that Elijah would come and set right the Israel nation before the establishment of God’s kingdom. They were longing for God to act and save them from the oppression of the Roman rule. They also expected Elijah would come during Passover week to save Israelites. then who was this Elijah, the Jews adored so much and longing his presence. He was the man of fire. It was he who called fire to burn up the troosps sent by the wicked king Ahaziah.
As a matter of fact, Jesus did not call for Elijah, It was misunderstood by the crowd. Jesus mentioned the word Eli only, which means my God. Jesus as an innocent one drew himself on to the holy wrath of God against human sin in general. So that human sinners like us can look at the cross. The load of sin and the guilt we have been carrying all the time is taken away from us and took it on himself The sins have been properly death with and we need not worry anymore. This is one of the reason why “Easter” followed
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM “Good Friday” after the death of Christ, that Friday was called black Friday for two centuries then it became God’s Friday and finally became “Good Friday.” The sin of the world that caused the death of Jesus, has been properly death with, and death could hold Him no more.
We have another question to answer in this connection, that is when Jesus was on the cross, we have to enlighten the public, whether He was a failure Messiah or a successful one. The crowd mocked at Him and said. “If you are the Messiah come down from the cross and we will believe in you.” Because He was the Messiah, he had to stay on the cross. He was doing what He could do. He was the sole, unique innocent patiently bearing the pain, shame and guilt of the world. If he were to come down at that crucial moment it would show His disobedience to His unique purpose had He done so, the game would be over and the Satan would have won the game. The result of the game must be, the world would never be redeemed God thought, the sin of humankind has become a universal problem, and so He said, He would come and rescue Him. First God tried to interest the task of redeeming Israel by themselves, and when it became impossible for them, God took the whole responsibility of not only redeeming of Israel but also the entire cosmos. GOD CALLED PEOPLE FOR HIS OWN PURPOSE: God called Abraham and said, go from your country and from your kindred and from your father’s house to the land that I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your nation great, so that you will be blessing I will bless those who will bless you and the one who curses you I will curse and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (genesis 1501-5). Jesus also while passing through galilee called Simon and his brother Andrew he told them “follow me I will make you fisherman of people.” After some time James and John followed Him. During the Biblical days t here was a standard tradition of calling of God so. Abraham took it as the voice of God, and continued his journey. From that incident onwards, honored and he followed word of God and believed in Him strongly. We have some more example like Isaiah, Samuel, Paul, peter, James, John etc. Above all the call of Abraham was more important. God thought, the arrogance, chaos, rebillium despair and beautifully created world itself were all out of order, because the keeper its steward had abandoned his task. So God called Abraham to take the responsibility, which Adam vacated by committing sin. God wanted Abraham to work for the unity of the family which was scattered (ed) and which was unique. So, the call of Abraham and the promised land, had become the sign of the whole
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM out the old Testament when God called a man, he called him to come and burn-burn with a new love a new desire, that would take all mixed desires and ambition and burn till it was completely refined. People had to undergo this treatment when God called with some purpose.
That was the destiny of whom God called to be consumed by fire. He wanted us to be were and gentle in all our relationship. He would us to be forgiving creative and sustaining for his word, His human children, His church and finally he would call us to follow him in his word his human children his church and finally he would call us to healing His battered and beautiful world. It we say we are the children of God we must also say we are the heirs to His kingdom, rather join him with the Messiah if we suffer with him.
Apostle Paul said in this contest that the hole creation is in bondage and the tribulation is the glory of God’s children. In the same way the future glory of the church is simply not going to shine like an . There is a long Christian tradition which is stressing this point more to say briefly the glory of the church is the glory which Adam lost at his fall., Apostle Paul here using exodus language as a reference to the whole world. According to Paul there was a chain or exodus within the purpose of God, the coming Israel of Egypt, the coming of Jesus out of His grave by conquering death, the church being born again, with baptism, as said in Romans to the chapter, and the present amazingly the whole cosmos.
The creation in this condition, because of the rebellious humankind, God and the world the is dying love of Jesus, the redeeming power of the Cross, resurrection, and the brokenness of human reach, and held together within our humaneness . So, Paul was reminding the church leaders and representatives to love through the process of the prayer of longing or grooming and then they must have creative attitude for the improvement of the church, so that God in heaven would ___ God would remain incognito in the midst of his people. This hidden presence is a major theme in St. Luke’s Gospel. After the earlier healing miracles of Christ people began to say “a great prophet has risen up among us and God has visited His people.”
The event of dwelling with His people, automatically reminds of Jewish temple. Actually the temple was the first and foremet place for God to remand Jews believe that the creator of the earth is their God and lived in their midst. The idea of God living in a temple was not at all a unique thing to Judaism temple used to have a shrine, with an image of some God of which was
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM reflexing in this world. The God of Israel was the creator of this world, are living among His people. God met sinful people and instead of burning them, He forgave and restored them as the members of his big family. Now Jesus came and declared God’s judgment on the temple because Israel made the temple a bring and God would come as a fire, as a hammer, and then break rock into pieces. GOD REMAINED WITH HIS PEOPLE : He remained with His people by preaching to them by healing and by forgiving their sins. Here God’s presence in Jesus is still secret. Jesus is the true and beautiful temple in Jerusalem when the human beings were remade in the church of God, they began to set one more in authority over the world. when the storm healed the lepers, and multiplied stilled the whole creation leaped into new line the torch of the incarnate of God. His splendour will one day fill the earth as the water covers the sea. Jesus was filled with the glory of God, that was revealed supremely on the cross, because it was the glory of love. Then the whole earth was to resound with the glory of God, as Jesus was answering to His father God.
When we worship humbly and obediently, “God the father in the person of His son and the power of His spirit,” would become for a while the symbol of bread and wine. And worshipping of those, two would not at all adulatory or some Christian form of paganism (or protestants always suspect cathories). It is the condemnation of an continuously at work and with the intersection of eternity. It is the presence of Jesus of Nazareth the crucified and the raised one as the new temple and also the first fruit. It is the presence of one to whom the angels say “Alleluia”non-stop it is the living presence of the living God, and the loving presence of the loving God. We can find some valuable information from the book. “The idea of a Christian society.” written by a famous English poet ‘“Ts Eliot,” God wants us to move the Christian society will not be one which is on the way. It is already in existence like a pilgrim age to the future age to come. And for its confirmation were must have the glance of the vision St. John saw in the book of revelation. I saw a new heaven and a new earth, but not the first heaven and the first earth for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away and the sea was no more. And I John saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem. coming from out of heaven, from God, prepared as a bride ............Behold I make all things new (Revelation 2.-5).
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM
The idea of the Christian society cannot be an idea of perfect condition of affairs. Itr cannot be started in a day or in a year with some minor adjustments. But a Christian society mars continue ever and forever. When we are talking about a Christian. We must keep in mind two things. First the vision of the new heaven and the earth will be opened by God himself, because we cannot build such endomus structures, But only pray second point is we must look for a society which is not longing and praying, but what is seeking obedience to that vision. Therefore, the idea of a Christian society must be always paradoxical over our citizenship is in heaven,” but that is the model and type for your citizenship upon earth .Ts Eliot in one of his popular poems used the image of a wonderful surgeon. The surgeon who was operating on the wounded person himself wounded and suffering that is the image of Christ, stark and shocking. The church does not have a blue print for Christian society in this pocket to hand down to the later generations with a patronizing smile. It has a different type of print to offer the print of the nails in its hands and feet, the marks of the wounds.
The church does not wave a magic hand to abolish all evil from the society but it holds up the cross of Jesus. The answer the church an have is the answer God himself gave on Calvary. The idea of a Christian society is a vision party realized in which the love of God is expressed and their healings for their benefits and the transformation of the society around them. Then a country finally the word can be purified and transformed by the fire of God’s wounded love. So, according to Ts Eliot, the vision of Jerusalem is not a blue print in our brief case, nor simply a priest’s charter nor something that bears us as Christians in our division. We may put a question what made Jesus to go to Jerusalem? It was to draw together only what we sang on Christmas day the hopes and fears of all the years, but also the pains and tears of all the years. With the cross as the underlying step of our lives by the resurrection and then implemented by the fire of the Holy Spirit. We can have to confidence to take on the world with the sovereign love of God, Jesus said in the world “you have truebelievers, but be of cheerful and good I have over come the world.”
SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM CHAPTER -7