V.  THE  JERUSALEM  MINISTRY  

The Messiah enters Jerusalem

When Jesus had said this he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. Now when he was near Bethphage and Bethany, close by the Mount of Olives as it is called, Jesus sent two of his disciples, telling them, 'Go off to the village opposite, and as you enter it you will find a tethered colt that no one has yet ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, "Why are you untying it?" you are to say this, "The Master needs it."'

The messengers went off and found everything just as Jesus told them. As they were untying the colt, its owner said, 'Why are you untying that colt?' and they answered, 'The Master needs it.'

So they took the colt to Jesus, and throwing their garments over its back they helped Jesus on to it. As he moved off, people spread their cloaks in the road, and now, as he approaching the downward slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole group of disciples joyfully began to praise God at the top of their voices for all the miracles they had seen. They cried out:

                                      'Blessings on the King who comes, 

                                      in the name of the Lord!
                                      Peace in heaven
                                      and glory in the highest heavens!' - Luke 19:28-38 -

Jesus defends his disciples for acclaiming him

Some Pharisees in the crowd said to him, 'Master, check your disciples, but Jesus answered, 'I tell you, if these keep silence the stones will cry out.' - Luke 19:39-40 -

Lament for Jerusalem

As Jesus drew near and came in sight of the city he shed tears over it and said, 'If you in turn had understood on this day the message of peace! [ The peace of the messianic age, cf. Isaiah 11:6+; Hosea 2:20+.] But, alas, it is hidden from your eyes! Yes, a time is coming when your enemies will raise fortifications all round you, when they will encircle you and hem you in every side; they will dash you and the children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave not one stone standing on another within you - and all because you did not recognise your opportunity when God offered it!'

...when God offered it!' [ This whole prophecy is made up of O.T. references (especially noticeable in the Greek text for v.43, cf. Is. 29:3, 37:33; Jer. 52:4-5; Ezek. 4:1-3; 21:27(22); for v. 44, cf. Hosea 10:14; Nahum 3:10; Psalms 137:9) and suggests the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. as much as, and more than that of 70 A.D. of whose distinctive features it says nothing. It cannot, therefore, be concluded from this text that the destruction of 70 A.D. had already taken place.] - Luke 19:41-44 -

The expulsion of the dealers from the Temple

Then Jesus went into the Temple and began driving out those who were selling. 'According to scripture,' Jesus said 'my house will be a house of prayer. But you have turned it into a robbers' den.' - Luke 19:45-46 -

Jesus teaches in the Temple

Jesus taught in the Temple everyday. The chief priests and the scribes, with the support of the leading citizens, tried to do away with him, but they did not see how they could carry this out because the people as a whole hung on his words. - Luke 19:47-48 -

The Jews question the authority of Jesus

[ Luke omits the symbolic episode of the withered fig tree. Mark 11:12-14, 20-25, for which he substitutes the parable of the barren fig tree, Luke 13:6-9; he also omits here the discussion on the first commandment of the Law, Mark 12:28-34, which he has already used, taking it from another source. Luke 10:25-28.] Now one day while Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple and proclaiming the Good News, the chief priests and the scribes came up, together with the elders, and spoke to him.

'Tell us' they said 'what authority have you for acting like this? Or who is it that gave you this authority?' 'And I' replied Jesus 'will ask you a question. Tell me: John's baptism: did it come from heaven, or from man?' And they argued it out this way among themselves, 'If we say from heaven, he will say, "Why did you refuse to believe him?"; and if we say from man, the people will all stone us, for they are convinced that John the Baptist was a prophet.' So they reply was that they did not know where it came from. And Jesus said to them, 'Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this.' - Luke 20:1-8 -

Parable of the wicked husbandmen

And Jesus went on to tell the people this parable: 'A man planted a vineyard and leased it to tenants, and went abroad for a long while. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get his share of the produce of the vineyard from them. But the tenants thrashed him, and sent him away empty-handed. But he persevered and sent a second servant; they thrashed him too and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed. He still persevered and sent a third; they wounded this one also, and threw him out.

Then the owner of the vineyard said, "What am I to do? I will send them my dear son. Perhaps, they will respect him." But when the tenants saw him they put their heads together. "This is the heir," they said "let us kill him so that the inheritance will be ours." So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

'Now what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and make an end of these tenants and give the vineyards to others.' Hearing this they said, 'God forbids!' But he looked hard at them and said, 'Then what does this text in the scriptures mean:

                                              It was the stone rejected by the builders
                                              that became the keystone?

Anyone who falls on that stone will be dashed to pieces; anyone it falls on will be crushed.'

But for their fear of the people, the scribes and the chief priests would have liked to lay hands on him that very moment, because they realised that this parable was aimed at them. - Luke 20:9-19 -

On tribute to Caesar

Sure they waited their opportunity and sent agents to pose as men devoted to the Law, and to fasten on something he might say and so enable them to hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor. They put to Jesus this question, 'Master, we know that you say and teach what is right; you favour no one, but teach the way of God in all honesty. Is it permissible for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?' But Jesus was aware of their cunning and said, 'Show me a denarius. Whose head and name are on it?' 'Caesar's' they said, 'well then,' Jesus said to them 'give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar - and to God what belongs to God.'

As a result, they were unable to find fault with anything Jesus had to say in public; his answer took them by surprise and they were silenced. - Luke 20:20-26 -

The resurrection of the dead
                                            

WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE/HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY.

The Lord Jesus Christ, promised to us that our mission on this earth is really and utmost important for our own salvation.

"I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, wife, brothers, parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not be given repayment many times over in this present time, in the world to come, Eternal Life." - Luke 18:28-30 -

'Why do you call Me, "Lord, Lord" and not do what I say?'

"Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and acts on them - I will show you what he/she is like. He is like a man who when he built his house dug, and dug deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built.

But the one who listens and does nothing is like the man who built his house on soil, with no foundations: as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!" - Luke 6:46-49 -

"NOW YOU TOGETHER ARE CHRIST'S BODY; BUT EACH OF YOU IS A DIFFERENT PART OF IT. IN THE CHURCH, GOD HAS GIVEN THE FIRST PLACE TO APOSTLES, THE SECOND TO PROPHETS, THE THIRD TO TEACHERS; AFTER THEM, MIRACLES, AND AFTER THEM THE GIFT OF HEALING; HELPERS, GOOD LEADERS, THOSE WITH MANY LANGUAGES." - 1 CORINTHIANS 12:27-28 -

HOW? AND IN WHAT WAY, WHEN IT COME TO UNDERSTANDING MATTERS: WHAT I WAS ALWAYS BEING TOLD IS: THERE ARE WAYS AND PREFERENCES TO COMPREHEND ALL MATTERS, WHETHER IT IS OF SPIRITUALITY AND OF UNSPIRITUALITY.

FIRSTLY, IN A LITERALLY MANNER: THAT IS, USED FOR EMPHASIS OR TO EXPRESS STRONG FEELING WHILE NOT BEING LITERALLY TRUE.

SECONDLY, IN A HUMANLY MANNER: THAT IS, FROM A HUMAN POINT OF VIEW, IN A HUMANLY MANNER, BY HUMAN MEANS; WITHIN ABILITY; WITH HUMAN FEELING OR KINDNESS.

THIRDLY, IN A SPIRITUALLY MANNER: THAT IS, IN A WAY THAT RELATES TO OR AFFECTS THE HUMAN SPIRIT OR, SOUL AS OPPOSED TO MATERIAL OR PHYSICAL THINGS.

FINALLY, IN AN UNSPIRITUAL MANNER: THAT IS, NOT SPIRITUAL. BUT SECULAR AND WORLDLY.

                                                                     Page 28

Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless. 

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -