DECEMBER 24 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#1-33 SUMMARY-10 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#1-33 The Gospel of Matthew: A Study of the Life, Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER 24  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#1-33 SUMMARY-10  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#1-33  The Gospel of Matthew: A Study of the Life, Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ 

DECEMBER 24

[POSTED BY LANNY LEWIS]

Daily Prayer to JESUS    

Jesus, today my first thoughts towards You are thoughts of “Thankfulness” that You were OBEDIENT TO THE FATHER and have done those things the Father asked You to do so that sinners such as I would have a way to fellowship with God through the Miracle of Grace — a Miracle that was bought with a Heavenly Price and yet given UNCONDITIONALLY with a LOVE that can never be reproduced but is freely poured out on everyone that calls on the Precious Name of Jesus. Lord, there is no way for us with our limited intellect to understand the Heavenly Dynamics that provides Grace to wretched souls because of the Holy Blood You Shed on the Cross, nor why a Sacrificial Lamb could be slain before the foundation of the world and how the Blood of the Lamb of God that is applied to our hearts today brings about the Miracle of Salvation — or why God Almighty would even consider the possibility of Forgiveness of the guilty at such GREAT SACRIFICE AND SUCH GREAT COST to THE FATHER AND HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON!?!?!?!? Lord Jesus, Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit our hearts overflow with one word “THANKS” for being the Great God You ARE — AND GIVING SO TOTALLY OF YOUR HOLY SELF FOR OUR SAKES!!!    AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER 24  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#1-33 SUMMARY-10  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#1-33  The Gospel of Matthew: A Study of the Life, Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ   Jesus comes on the scene in the 3rd Chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew after He is announced by the Star Witness of God, John the Baptist, but it is interesting to note that Matthew documents the fact that before Jesus came to be baptized by John that John the Baptist was already “preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’” (Matthew 3:1)  Matthew was Jewish and was a well educated Jewish scholar and very familiar with the Jewish Holy Scriptures and there had been 400 years of silence since Malachi the last prophet wrote God’s declaration in the Old Testament that spoke of the coming of the forerunner of the Messiah, “BEHOLD, I send My messenger, and He will prepare the way before Me.” (Malachi 3:1a) Matthew sensed through that same Holy Spirit that the LORD was again speaking to Israel through His latest prophet, John the Baptist, who like the Messiah was also foretold by the prophet Isaiah as the forerunner of the Messiah. Matthew wrote about John the Baptist, “For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD…’” (Matthew 3:3 and Isaiah 40:3)  The impact of John on the nation Israel can be seen by the simple statement of Matthew: “Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to [John the Baptist]” (Matthew 3:5) and the reason they were going out into the wilderness was to hear John preaching “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” is also described when Matthew finishes his report on John the Baptist that those going out to the wilderness to hear John preach about the kingdom of heaven “were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.” (Matthew 3:6) Matthew with these statements makes it clear that John the Baptist is not trying to build a church or establish a congregation because no one would build a church in the desert wilderness where John the Baptist was preaching — therefore one must concentrate not on their surroundings but on the message and that message was clearly “Repent” and the results of the Spirit-Filled-Message was that people were “Confessing their sins”! The success of John’s message to Israel was also noted by Matthew for John became so well known in the wilderness that he caught the attention of even the Pharisees and Sadducees who were “coming to” John to be baptized in the Jordan. (Matthew 3:7a) John’s reaction to the Pharisees and Sadducees must be viewed from the context that the Holy Spirit was leading John and when John calls the Pharisees and Sadducees a “Brood of Vipers” (Matthew 3:7b) we can anticipate that when the Messiah comes upon the scene that the Messiah, being led also by the Holy Spirit, will address the problem of having a “Brood of Vipers” ruling the temple, all temple worship in Jerusalem, and additionally this “Brood of Vipers” was responsible for the religious doctrines of the entire nation of Israel and Israel’s worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that had brought them out of their bondage in Egypt and into the Promised Land! So Matthew has now established that Jesus has fulfilled prophecy by His Birth, and now John who has fulfilled the prophecy that there would be a “forerunner” to the Messiah is about to see Jesus face to face for the first time! Did you ever stop in your Spiritual Journey and consider that even though you believe and know who Jesus is, that there will come that moment when you will stand in His Presence for the first time!?!?!?!?      Now is a good time to stop and think about that “moment” for it is a “moment” in your “future” and your reaction will uncover the TRUTH of what you believe about Jesus in the secret parts of your heart and soul, and “now” is the only time available to get that “moment” settled between you and your “future!”!! The TRUTH of GOD is that one day “your moment in His Presence” will arrive and what you truly believe will be revealed — and after the “moment” arrives it is already to late —— you must be prepared “BEFORE the Moment arrives”—— and the time to think about “who Jesus really IS — IS NOW”!!!