Tuesday 021825
Together, you and I, let’s open the Word and study what we’ve ALL been freely given. Use me to help you open up your Bible and search what God wants for us to hear. We’re only going to follow what we find written in the Word that pertains to us and hopefully from what we find, we will be able to use it in our lives, not only for ourselves but hopefully for those that we love also.
The verses we are going to study tonight:
John 3:16, 20:1-10; Matthew 16:21; Mark 8:31, 9:31, 10:32; Ephesians 2:8; Acts 9:15, 13:9; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Romans 11:25, 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:7, 15:51; Ephesians 3:3-7, 5:32, 6:19; Colossians 1:27; 1 Timothy 3:16.
I hope I do not lose any readers from doing this lesson this morning. Please let’s walk through together and if there are any questions, please send me your feedback.
John 3:16 ‘…For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
A powerful verse, but with that said, it was not written for us today in the 21st century. It was never written to a Gentile; it is a verse found in the Bible for a Jew.
John 20
vs1 ‘…Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already removed from the tomb…’
vs2 ‘…So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, they have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they have put Him…’
vs3 ‘…So Peter and the other disciple left, and they were going to the tomb…’
vs4 ‘…The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead, faster than Peter, and came to the tomb first…’
vs5 ‘…and he stooped to look in, and saw the linen wrappings lying there; however, he did not go in…’
vs6 ‘…So Simon Peter also came, following him, and he entered the tomb; and he looked at the linen wrappings lying there…’
vs7 ‘…and the facecloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings but folded up in a place by itself…’
vs8 ‘…So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb also entered then, and he saw and believed…’
vs9 ‘…For they did not yet understand the Scripture, that He must rise from the dead…’
vs10 ‘…So the disciples went away again to their own homes…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
In John’s writings, he never includes himself by name. In these verses (2, 3, 4 and 8), he refers to himself as ‘the other disciple.’
In verse 2, Mary Magdelene told Simon Peter and John that someone had taken the body of Jesus, and she didn’t know where His body was. John thought that the body of Jesus had been stolen by possibly grave robbers.
It wasn’t until verse 7 when John seen the folded facecloth before he realized Jesus’ body had not been stolen, because it was neatly folded.
It wasn’t until verse 8 when both disciples realized that Jesus had been resurrected from His tomb, just as Jesus told the disciples, as they were about to leave Caesarea Phillipi on their way into the city of Jerusalem where Jesus was to be turned over and crucified by the Romans.
Up until this time, the original apostles did not understand that Jesus was going to Die, be Buried and Rise again on the third day. Even though Jesus had tried telling the disciples of His upcoming Death, Burial and Resurrection, the apostles did not understand.
Matthew 16:21 ‘…From that time Jesus began to point out to His disciples that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem and to suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised up on the third day…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Mark 8:31 ‘…And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise from the dead…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Mark 9:31 ‘…For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Mark 10:32 ‘…Now they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again, He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
So, when John wrote the most famous verse found in the Bible, he had no idea about the Death, Burial and the Resurrection of Jesus. John knew nothing about the Gentiles being promised GRACE by God.
John 3:16, even though it is a beautiful verse, it was never meant for a Gentile believer. It is unfortunate that our churches today use it to teach our children.
A much nicer verse, meant for the Gentile believer in Jesus Christ can be found in Ephesians 2.
Ephesians 2:8 ‘…For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
This verse was written by the apostle Paul who was chosen by Jesus Himself to teach the Gentiles about God and the gift of grace He was going to give us.
This had all been kept secret by God since the beginning of time. There are many that do not believe the writings of Paul, the apostle.
It is so sad because today in the 21st century, it is only going to be through those writings that us Gentiles are going to be saved from and Everlasting Torment.
In Acts 9 we learn that Jesus called on Saul/Paul to be His chosen vessel.
Acts 9:15 ‘…But the Lord said unto him, go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
Acts 13:9
‘…But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, stared at him…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
There is so much UNBELIEF, especially from those that only believe what has been written in a particular version of the English Bible (which in itself, is a translation).
‘…Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
And then, next there is the MYSTERY.
Maybe we should first begin with the question, who says that God is unable to keep anything secret from us, ‘HIS CREATION,’ like a mystery? Who?
1 Corinthians 2:14 ‘…If someone does not believe in God, they cannot accept the message that comes from God’s Spirit. They think that God’s message is silly. They cannot even understand those things. Only God’s Spirit can explain them to people…’ EASY
So maybe, our first qualification must be that a person MUST believe in God.
‘…For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
‘…For I do not want you, brothers and sisters, to be uninformed of this mystery – so that you will not be wise in your own estimation – that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Romans 16:25
‘…Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
‘…Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
1 Corinthians 2:7
‘…but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
‘…but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
This next mystery is all about the Rapture and the changing into our heavenly bodies from our earthly bodies.
1 Corinthians 15:51
‘…Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
‘…Behold, I am telling you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed …’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Ephesians 3
vs3 ‘…how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words…’
vs4 ‘…whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) …’
vs5 ‘…which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit…’
vs6 ‘…that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel…’
vs7 ‘…whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power…’AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
vs3 ‘…that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before briefly…’
vs4 ‘…By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ…’
vs5 ‘…which in other generations was not made known to mankind, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit…’
vs6 ‘…to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel…’
vs7 ‘…of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Ephesians 5:32
‘…This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
‘…This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Ephesians 6:19
‘…and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
‘…and pray in my behalf, that speech may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Colossians 1:27
‘…to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
‘…to whom God willed to make known what the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is Christ in you, the hope of glory…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
1 Timothy 3:16
‘…And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
‘…Beyond question, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Keep your Bibles open and study more than what you have been told to read. Search through different versions, type questions into your search engines, study the Word in detail. Don’t just rely on me, don’t rely on your pastors, churches and their denominations. Study the Word and find out ALL that God wants you to hear.
I love every one of you. Stand up and be proud of who you are, a child of God.
Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen
InHIM. ><)))o>