OCTOBER 18 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#29-4 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” (Matthew 22:42)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

OCTOBER  18  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   JQ#29-4 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”  (Matthew 22:42) 

365 Prayers to JESUS 

Jesus, You are the Master Teacher, You use every circumstance in our lives to reveal the Father in Heaven to us and You demonstrate the Love of God because of Your concern for our daily lives. Lord, I pray that I will be open to the guiding of Your Holy Spirit that has been given the specific task to “teach us all things of God” through the divine appointments that You arrange daily for us. So Lord Jesus, my prayer is that I “listen” with all my heart, mind, and soul — for every lesson that I fail to learn is another glimpse of the kingdom that  I missed because I let the darkness of this world blind me to seeing Your Glory. Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, Loving Father, Praise to the Holy Trinity and Your Mercy and Grace renewed daily that we may grow in Spirit and in Truth. Forgive me of those moments of blindness when my spirit is clouded with self-pity for my circumstance and I am looking at the world instead of seeing the circumstance as an opportunity to see Your Silver Lining and learn Your Intended Lesson — give me this day, my Daily Bread (of LIFE)!!!     AMEN

The Jesus Questions

OCTOBER  18    JQ#29-4 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”  (Matthew 22:42)   Jesus addressed the Pharisees “…while [they] were gathered together…” and when He had finished addressing them “…from that day on [no one] dared question Him anymore…” Jesus was able to return to teaching the multitudes and His disciples in these last days before His crucifixion now that Jesus was giving His final lessons on “True Power and Authority”. This was a very serious issue for Jesus now turns to the multitudes and expresses in direct terms “why” this is a major problem — mainly that if it is not corrected that many will be deceived and will miss the “True Path” to the kingdom of God! (Matthew 22:41-46) Jesus begins outlining the problem to “…the multitudes and to His disciples, saying, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore what ever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for the say and do not do.’” (Matthew 23:1-3)  Jesus always uses the Holy Scriptures to teach His Master Lessons and one of the Truths of God Jesus teaches us by using Holy Scripture to make His Points is that God has already addressed that problem before, God has demonstrated that He is the Unchanging Living God and that His Word WILL STAND! When Jesus states that “the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat” He is making reference to a passage from the prophet Ezra and is very significant to this lesson for all Israel was familiar with the fact that God had called Moses and that the Law of Moses was in reality the Law of God given through Moses. Another relevant fact is that through Moses, God also had established the office of priests and had placed great responsibility on them to use their “God-given wisdom” to teach and to judge God’s chosen people according to God’s commands! The passage from Ezra has special relevance in this instance for Ezra could trace his lineage all the way back to Aaron for the Holy Scriptures record that Ezra’s lineage was through “…the son of Abishua, the son of Phineas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest —this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given.” (Ezra 7:1-6) So this reference to the “seat of Moses” used by Jesus connected His Lesson all the way back to the Exodus, God giving the Law to Moses, and also the Israelites release from the Babylonians. Jesus also makes reference to what the problem is when He refers to Ezra through this reference as the scriptures record, “And you Ezra, according to your God-given wisdom, set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people … who know the “Laws of God” and teach those that do not know them…Whoever will not observe the [Law of God] … let judgement be executed speedily on him…” (Ezra 7:25-26) This is exactly what Jesus is saying to the scribes and Pharisees with the reference to “Moses’ seat” — “Your office and duties to teach and judge the people according to God’s Law was given to you by God Himself and because you have not faithfully executed the responsibility of your office according to the command of God, your judgement will be executed speedily” Ezra was a contemporary with Nehemiah and Esther 500 years before this lesson Jesus is teaching in Jerusalem on Passover week which sends the clear message that God is the Supreme Source of  All Power and Authority and that being the Eternal Almighty God that His Commands will never be void! God is serious about us following His commands because of His Great Love for us — all His Commands are the Path to Eternal Life and God’s Heart is for His people as He continually directs us to “Repentance” for that Path leads to “Remission of Sin, Salvation, and Life Everlasting!” All those are very good reasons for following God instead of our selfish desires that lead to destruction, don’t you think?!?!?!?