Bible Study -Encounter (5) - JESUS Died for Me - April 2, 2023

 

Bible Study – Encounter (5) -JESUS Died for Me – April 2, 2023

This is lesson five (5) from our series entitled, “My Encounter with JESUS.”

Our focus scripture is John 19:16-19, 28-30 and 38-42.

JESUS’S death on the cross made forgiveness possible for me.

Why did JESUS have to die? It is to remind all people that HE was 100% human, yet 100% GOD. As a human, JESUS, had to remain sinless in order to be the perfect sacrifice, required by GOD, to atone for all sin. HE was tempted in all ways as humans are tempted, yet without sin. HIS sinless blood had to be shed to fulfill the Law. Why? We read in Hebrews 9:22 - ²² According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (For sin)

It all began in the Garden of Eden. GOD gave Adam specific instructions about living in the Garden. There was only one tree in the Garden that Adam or his wife must not eat its fruit, as we read in Genesis 2:15-17: ¹⁵ The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. ¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” 

GOD made the man to be responsible and accountable for watching over the Garden and all that went on in it. Later, GOD made woman from a body part of Adam, thus both were made to live eternally as long as they obeyed GOD’S instructions by not eating the forbidden fruit. GOD made them with the freedom to choose. GOD did not make them robots. They both disobeyed GOD by eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and true to GOD’S Word, “for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”  There were other fruit bearing trees to eat from. Do you think the forbidden tree was put there to test Adam and Eve?

GOD made the first Adam and Eve. GOD instructed them to be fruitful and multiply. Thus, Adam’s union with Eve was the beginning of the human race upon earth.

JESUS, the SON of GOD and part of the Holy Trinity, willingly left HIS home in Glory and HIS Glory, to come to earth, to be born the flesh and blood son of the Virgin Mary and live a sinless human life. Why?

Because GOD is all knowing, HE knew that HIS creation would fail the test and would have to be redeemed from losing eternal life and having eternal life restored through faith in JESUS.

But GOD is GOD and HE had a plan. In order for mankind to be fully redeemed from the consequence of sin which is eternal death, GOD required a perfect, sinless sacrifice. This perfect sacrifice had to be fully human with flesh, blood, bones, freedom to choose, sinless but fully capable of sinning.

The scripture reveals that JESUS was tested in all ways that humans are tested, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15: ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.

Here, I pause to tell you of a precious incident I had when teaching vacation Bible school (VBS) in Poland. I had a translator. There was a group of teens from a school for gifted students. This was a week-long VBS and I told them at the beginning of the week, they could ask me a Bible question each day. We got to the last day and there was a group of these students, all girls, in the back of the room that were giggling. I thought to myself, they are going to have a tough question for me today and they did.

So, I asked them for their question. Their question was, “why didn’t GOD send a woman to redeem the human race from sin rather than a man?” WOW! I had not pondered such a question. At that moment, I went into my closet, so-to-speak. It was me and GOD and I asked for HIS help and help came. It was direct and straight forward and straight out of Genesis 2:15-17: ¹⁵ The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. ¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” 

YES, GOD had made Adam responsible for the garden and what went on in the Garden. Adam was accountable to GOD. Adam had the responsibility and authority to stop Eve from eating the forbidden fruit. But for whatever reason, he just stood beside his wife and let her take a bite and Adam in turn took a bit. When they took a bite, they both realized that they were naked. Sin had entered the world and they lost their eternal life for themselves and their off spring. That is why GOD sent HIS only SON, JESUS, a male, to redeem all who will place their faith in JESUS.

They said, we accept that. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Adam was standing next to Eve and rather than stopping her, he joined her. Judgement came to both of them and the human race lost eternal life. So, GOD sent HIS only SON to redeem all who will place their faith in HIM from eternal death and to receive eternal life, while still in a human body.

Those who have been born-again by the Spirit will never be found naked before GOD but will eternally be clothed.

JESUS willingly left HIS home in Heaven to come to earth to be that perfect sacrifice. Just for you. Now that is personal How do you know that? Simply, GOD’S redemptive plan covers all who place their faith in JESUS and trust in HIM. If you were the only person to ever receive JESUS as your Savior, He would have given HIS sinless life just for you. That simple action triggers the miracle of a person being Spiritually born into GOD’S Family, never to be Spiritually unborn.

GOD’S redemptive plan had to be executed because of Adam and Eve’s original sin of disobedience. Accepting JESUS as your Savior restores eternal life and makes you an eternal Child of GOD.  

Redemption was and is a process which cost JESUS an agonizing death upon the cross and HIS blood shed to pay for sin in full. Some may say, well “if sin is paid in full, then all people are saved!” NO! Each person must accept JESUS as his or her Savior by asking JESUS to come into his or her heart to be Spiritually born into GOD’S Family.

What did JESUS tell Nicodemus in John 3:1-3:

There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ² This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.”

³ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again,^[a] he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Let’s read John 19:12-19:

¹² From that moment Pilate kept trying^[b] to release him. But the Jews shouted, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Anyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar!”

¹³ When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside. He sat down on the judge’s seat in a place called the Stone Pavement (but in Aramaic,^[c] Gabbatha). ¹⁴ It was the preparation day for the Passover, and it was about noon.^[d] Then he told the Jews, “Here is your king!”

¹⁵ They shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

Pilate said to them, “Should I crucify your king?”

“We have no king but Caesar!” the chief priests answered.

¹⁶ Then he handed him over to be crucified.

The Crucifixion – Only the Romans had the authority to crucify.

Then they took Jesus away.^[e] 17 Carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called Place of the Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. ¹⁸ There they crucified him and two others with him, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. ¹⁹ Pilate also had a sign made and put on the cross. It said: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. 

²⁰ Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. ²¹ So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The king of the Jews,’ but that he said, ‘I am the king of the Jews.’”

²² Pilate replied, “What I have written, I have written.”

I have thought that Pilate saw JESUS as the Messiah.

²³ When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier. They also took the tunic, which was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. ²⁴ So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it, to see who gets it.” This happened that the Scripture might be fulfilled that says: They divided my clothes among themselves, and they cast lots for my clothing.^[f] This is what the soldiers did.

JESUS’ Provision for His Mother

²⁵ Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved (John) standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” ²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

Let’s read John 19:28-30:

The Finished Work of Jesus

²⁸ After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now finished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, he said, “I’m thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar full of sour wine was sitting there; so, they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it up to his mouth.

³⁰ When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.

JESUS endured agony until HE knew “it is finished.” JESUS knew what had to be accomplished for GOD to restore eternal life to all people who place their faith in HIM from the consequence of sin.

Notice - HE gave up His spirit. JESUS had to trust HIS FATHER, GOD and HE did. In Acts 2: ³² “God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. 

JESUS took no short cuts! HE trusted HIS FATHER to resurrect HIM. We, in-turn, can trust both GOD our FATHER and JESUS our SAVIOR.

There is no other way to be redeemed from Hell, except by placing one’s faith in JESUS.

Was JESUS really dead? Let’s read on ----

Let’s read John 19:31-42:

Jesus’s Side Pierced

³¹ Since it was the preparation day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a special^[g] day). They requested that Pilate have the men’s legs broken and that their bodies be taken away. ³² So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other one who had been crucified with him. ³³ When they came to Jesus, they did not break his legs since they saw that he was already dead. ³⁴ But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. ³⁵ He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows he is telling the truth. ³⁶ For these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: Not one of his bones will be broken.^[h] 37 Also, another Scripture says: They will look at the one they pierced.^[i]

Jesus’s Burial

³⁸ After this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus—but secretly because of his fear of the Jews—asked Pilate that he might remove Jesus’s body. Pilate gave him permission; so, he came and took his body away. ³⁹ Nicodemus (who had previously come to him at night) also came, bringing a mixture of about seventy-five pounds^[j] of myrrh and aloes. ⁴⁰ They took Jesus’s body and wrapped it in linen cloths with the fragrant spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews. ⁴¹ There was a garden in the place where he was crucified. A new tomb was in the garden; no one had yet been placed in it. ⁴² They placed Jesus there because of the Jewish day of preparation and since the tomb was nearby.

JESUS, GOD’S only SON, willingly left HIS home in Heaven and came to earth to redeem all who place their faith in HIM from eternal death and be Spirit-born into the family of GOD. He did this just for you. Will you accept JESUS as your Savior now? The decision is yours to make and it is eternal.

Dear JESUS, I ask YOU to forgive me for all my sins. I believe YOU gave YOUR sinless life upon the cross to pay for my sins in full. I ask YOU, JESUS to come into my heart so that I may be Spirit-born and become an eternal Child of GOD. Amen and Thank YOU

If you prayed this prayer or something like it, then, welcome into the Family of GOD.

2 Corinthians 5:21: ²¹ He (GOD) made the one who did not know sin (JESUS) to be sin^[e] for us, so that in him (JESUS) we might become the righteousness of God.

GOD is GOD and HE declares all who place their faith in JESUS to be righteous and to be Spiritually and eternally born into HIS Family.

Plus, those Spirit-born have a special calling as we read in 2 Corinthians 20: ²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” Through faith in JESUS!!! Blessings!!!

Bible Study - Enounter (4) - JESUS Opened My Eyes to the Truth - John 9 - March 26, 2023

 

Bible study – Encounter (4) – JESUS opened My Eyes to the Truth – March 26, 2023

This is our fourth lesson in our series entitled, “My Encounter with JESUS.”

Our focus scripture is John 9:1-41.

JESUS led me to see increasingly who HE is.

JESUS was all about teaching HIS disciples and revealing to them WHO HE was. GOD arranges teachable instances along life’s journey. When we follow JESUS, there are no such things as coincidences.

As we journey with our LORD JESUS, we may have to ask HIM to open our eyes to see what HE desires for us to see and our minds to comprehend what HE desires for us to learn.

Let’s read John 9:1-

The Sixth Sign: Healing a Man Born Blind

9 As he was passing by, he (JESUS) saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

When we journey with JESUS what do we see and have questions about? When we do, do we ask questions? GOD loves to teach us. When we ask questions, it reveals where we are Spiritually.

In Bible times, various illnesses and handicaps were associated with sin. So, the disciples asked a good question.

We need to keep in mind that JESUS only did what GOD, HIS FATHER, told or showed HIM to do. There was a purpose in why JESUS spit in dirt and rubbed the mixture onto the blind man’s eyes. This event led HIS disciples to ask a very important question about sin, as we read on----

³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus answered. “This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him. ⁴ We^[a] must do the works of him who sent me^[b] while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

JESUS told HIS disciples “Neither this man nor his parents sinned.” Often, we have to be released from false notions that can come from many sources, including clergy, well-meaning friends and teachers.

JESUS defined the purpose of the moment, “so that God’s works might be displayed in him.” JESUS continued, “We^[a] must do the works of him who sent me^[b] while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Temporary darkness came when JESUS gave up HIS physical life when HE was upon the cross. GOD resurrected JESUS from the physically dead on the third day, to live eternally with GOD. The resurrection is an example and proof that GOD has the power to give eternal life to all who place their faith in JESUS and have been redeemed from eternal death.

JESUS said that “HE is the light of the world. JESUS is still the light of the world and will be until the end.

JESUS desires for all, who have been Spiritually-born into GOD’S Family to work in GOD’S vineyard, earth, while HE is still the light.

⁶ After he said these things he spit on the ground, made some mud from the saliva, and spread the mud on his eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So, he left, washed, and came back seeing.

This seems gross but in ancient times, spit was thought to have healing properties to the eyes.

⁸ His neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar said, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit begging?” ⁹ Some said, “He’s the one.” Others were saying, “No, but he looks like him.”

He kept saying, “I’m the one.”

It is hard for some people to accept miracles. They want a human explanation.

¹⁰ So they asked him, “Then how were your eyes opened?”

How do you explain a miracle? You simply state the facts. That is all one can do.

The LORD allowed me to see a Heavenly event many years ago of a lady and JESUS walking down what appeared as a red dirt path lined with greenery on each side. That moment is still very clear in my head, along with the voice, “Mrs. Green has just passed away but she is walking with the LORD.” I would have not known who had passed except for the voice telling me and then I knew. It was a co-worker’s mother. Our LORD is always teaching and HE taught me much through that event. (If you care to read about this event in more details go to actsclass.blogspot.com and search for Mrs. Green – upper left-hand corner.)

¹¹ He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So, when I went and washed, I received my sight.”

¹² “Where is he?” they asked.

“I don’t know,” he said.

It was important for the man to know who healed him. So, “they” kept digging. Why? It was because they also needed to know that it was JESUS. Isaiah 29:18 reveals this is a sign of the promised Messiah.

Why JESUS? In Isaiah 29:18: On that day the deaf will hear
the words of a document,
and out of a deep darkness
the eyes of the blind will see.

If they acknowledged that JESUS did heal this man of blindness, they would have to also acknowledge HIM as the promised Messiah.

The Healed Man’s Testimony

¹³ They brought the man who used to be blind to the Pharisees. ¹⁴ The day that Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes was a Sabbath. ¹⁵ Then the Pharisees asked him again how he received his sight.

“He put mud on my eyes,” he told them. “I washed and I can see.”

¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a sinful man perform such signs?” And there was a division among them.

¹⁷ Again they asked the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he opened your eyes?”

“He’s a prophet,” he said.

The man knew that HE was a man of GOD!

¹⁸ The Jews did not believe this about him—that he was blind and received sight—until they summoned the parents of the one who had received his sight.

¹⁹ They asked them, “Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

²⁰ “We know this is our son and that he was born blind,” his parents answered. ²¹ “But we don’t know how he now sees, and we don’t know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he’s of age. He will speak for himself.” ²² His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jews, since the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed him as the Messiah, he would be banned from the synagogue. ²³ This is why his parents said, “He’s of age; ask him.”

Did this poor formerly blind young man’s parent’s throw him under the bus so-to-speak? Yes. Why? Because the parents -- “they were afraid of the Jews, since the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed him as the Messiah, he would be banned from the synagogue.”

Fear causes many of us to do strange things. Fear of what friends and others may think of us, if we become a Christian. Please do not let any fear or what others may think about you, keep you from becoming a Spirit-born person. Life upon this earth will soon pass and only what you do for JESUS will last.

²⁴ So a second time they summoned the man who had been blind and told him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.”

Gee, rather than these Scripture scholars exploring the scripture and comparing the scripture to the promised coming Messiah, they were more concerned about JESUS healing this poor blind man on the Sabbath. The law is absent of grace.  

The formally blind man’s response is priceless, as we read on---

²⁵ He answered, “Whether or not he’s a sinner, I don’t know. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see!”

When we ask JESUS to forgive us for our sins and for HIM to come into our hearts, HE does. It is then that we know what this blind man experienced. We are Spiritually blind until JESUS comes into our hearts and then we are Spiritually born into GOD’S Family, never to be Spiritually unborn. We see as we have never seen before because the Holy Spirit indwells us and enlightens us to truth.

²⁶ Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

As previously stated, if they acknowledged that JESUS did give sight to this blind man, they had to acknowledge that JESUS was the promised Messiah. Oh No! That would never happen!

²⁷ “I already told you,” he said, “and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don’t want to become his disciples too, do you?”

²⁸ They ridiculed him: “You’re that man’s disciple, but we’re Moses’s disciples. ²⁹ We know that God has spoken to Moses. But this man—we don’t know where he’s from.”

³⁰ “This is an amazing thing!” the man told them. “You don’t know where he is from, and yet he opened my eyes. ³¹ We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does his will, he listens to him. ³² Throughout history^[c] no one has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of a person born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, he wouldn’t be able to do anything.”

WOW! This formally physically blind person presented truth to those who should have known truth. Stubbornness robs many of a genuine encounter with JESUS. Notice, the sceptics immediately turn their attention to discredit the formally blind man----

³⁴ “You were born entirely in sin,” they replied, “and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.

They were the big religious muckety-mucks and they showed this formally blind man their power.

Spiritual Blindness

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had thrown the man out, and when he found him, he asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”^[d]

JESUS searched for the man and JESUS still searches for all who seek HIM. JESUS asked the man, “Do you believe in the “Son of Man?”

³⁶ “Who is he, Sir, that I may believe in him?” he asked.

³⁷ Jesus answered, “You have seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

³⁸ “I believe, Lord!” he said, and he worshiped him.

Notice the progression of Spiritual enlightenment in this previously physically and Spiritually blind man: (Seek and you will find truth.)

John 9:11 - ¹¹ He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So, when I went and washed, I received my sight.”

John 9:17 - ¹⁷ Again they asked the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he opened your eyes?” “He’s a prophet,” he said.

John 9:33 - ³³ If this man were not from God, he wouldn’t be able to do anything.”

John 9:38 - ³⁸ “I believe, Lord!” he said, and he worshiped him.

WOW! Once we see in our mind’s eyes the truth, what a joy that floods our hearts. Not only could the formally blind man see physically, he could see Spiritually. The promised Messiah, The Son of Man, had come to him and healed him. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened. Check Revelation 3:20 - ²⁰ See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

³⁹ Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, in order that those who do not see will see and those who do see will become blind.”

⁴⁰ Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things and asked him, “We aren’t blind too, are we?”

⁴¹ “If you were blind,” Jesus told them, “you wouldn’t have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

Once you realize that you are a sinner, that is your cue to ask JESUS to forgive your sins and for HIM to come into your heart. JESUS is the only answer to salvation. HE gave HIS sinless life upon the cross, by the shedding of HIS sinless blood, to redeem all who place their faith and trust in HIM from their sins.

Have you placed your faith in JESUS and trusted HIM to redeem you from sin? Unless you are born-again by the Holy Spirit/Spirit-born, you will spend eternity in Hell. If you have not asked JESUS into your heart, do so now and after you do, thank HIM for saving you and making you whole. You were once Spiritually blind but now you see. You are grafted into the vine of JESUS, flourish and bear much Spiritual fruit.

Get involved in a Bible teaching church or fellowship.

Blessings!!!