JANUARY 19 THE JESUS QUESTIONS Introduction-19: Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#33

JANUARY  19  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   Introduction-19: Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#33  (Matthew 1:1 thru 3:17)

JANUARY  19   LIVING FOR JESUS   Daily Prayer

Jesus, as I continue on my Spiritual Journey to TRUTH down this path that is taking me “deeper still” into Your Holy Word, my prayer today is for the Holy Spirit to illuminate the path and to reveal that You are “Teaching these Lessons” and “Giving these Examples” of Your “Lifestyle” in order to reveal God the Father and His Ultimate TRUTH to us and to bring the “Light” of understanding through our study of these Holy Scriptures to the “Will of God” — I pray for the Holy Spirit to guide the Words written in this “Introduction” to “The JESUS Questions” that they will be a Glory and Honor to the Blessed Trinity that in the reading of the Word that Your TRUTH will Reveal the Father, Glorify the Son, and Honor the Holy Spirit in such a Way that our lives will be transformed and that we will “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33) Lord Jesus, thank You for showing us to Trust God and His Mighty Provisions, which God Freely Bestows on us even though we are such undeserving sinners, and He does not give His Grace because of anything we have done, but simply because of God’s Holy Character and His Infinite Love for His Creation!      AMEN

JANUARY  19   LIVING FOR JESUS   THE JESUS QUESTIONS

Jesus started His earthly public Ministry Teaching the same TRUTH that Jesus Himself is Teaching today to lead us to a clear understanding of God the Father!  Jesus with His Words, His Lifestyle, and Lessons is directing us towards a point that is a “crossroads” or “turning point” in each individual’s Spiritual Journey. Everyone will find themselves at this “Spiritual Crossroads” which is a “point” on our individual “Spiritual Journey” that is a critical time in our “Spiritual Life” — a time when when we see the “Spiritual need” in our search for “TRUTH” to enter into God’s Purpose and to yield control of our desires for the world and to embrace God’s Desire for our life — and at that “Point of TRUTH”, we can confidently follow the example of Jesus! Jesus begins directing us to that “Point of TRUTH” as Matthew records that Jesus started His public ministry by setting the Perfect Example of being obedient to God and following the Will of God. Matthew in Chapter 3 sets the scene for us: “In those days John the Baptist [the forerunner of the Messiah] came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” (Matthew 3:1) Matthew connected John the Baptist to prophecy and the Holy Scriptures through the prophet Isaiah as Matthew declares that John the Baptist was the fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah who had written 800 years earlier that the “forerunner” of the expected Messiah would be one that was “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight’” (Isaiah 40:3 as quoted in Matthew 3:3). When the people of Judea and the areas surrounding Jerusalem heard there was “[a voice] crying in the wilderness” preaching “[Repent] for the kingdom of heaven was at hand” and declaring that they should be “baptized”, it was at that “Point of TRUTH” in their spiritual lives that the Holy Scriptures came alive for them and they could see the prophecies of old being fulfilled!  “Then in Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to [John the Baptist] and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.” (Matthew 3:5-6) Therefore all Israel was now thinking in terms of fulfillment of prophecy and if John the Baptist was the foretold “forerunner” of the Messiah then surely the Messiah would be coming on the scene very soon! This line of thinking was also confirmed by John’s words “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2) Matthew also introduces the upcoming conflict Jesus would address regarding the religious rulers in Jerusalem, the Pharisees and Sadducees, as Matthew records that the Pharisees and Sadducees came out to John the Baptist at the Jordan where he was baptizing and John declared them to be a “Brood of vipers!” and warned them to change their ways and “flee from the wrath to come” and told them plainly “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:7-8) And when John had Israel’s attention John further set the scene for Jesus to appear as John declared “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11) Therefore when “Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized” (Matthew 3:13) it was to fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah regarding the forerunner of the Messiah (Isaiah 40:3) and of the restoration of the Davidic kingdom by Christ (See Isaiah 11:1-10). Jesus “allowed” Himself to be baptized by John as Matthew records “why” Jesus “allowed” Himself to be “Baptized” by John in the Jordan River as Matthew quotes Jesus saying to John: “Permit [My Baptism] to be so now, for thus it is fitting for [the forerunner and the Christ] to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15) This first statement of Jesus as recorded by Matthew was the perfect “Example” by Jesus and “pointed” us to His Purpose.  Jesus started His earthly ministry by associating Himself with and by teaching “repentance, confession of sin, and baptism” and directed us clearly at this “Spiritual Crossroads Point of TRUTH” down the “path of the LORD” — Jesus clearly stated later that on our “Spiritual Journey” that we are to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33) so it is fitting that Jesus is encouraging us to “to fulfill all righteousness”. Matthew also in this passage establishes another part of the mission of Christ — the Messiah will address the problem of the religious rulers who have defiled the temple of God and have led the nation Israel away from following God and His Commandments — John not only called them a “Brood of vipers!” but he warned them that Christ would “baptize [them] with the Holy Spirit and fire” and that Christ had “His winnowing fan in His hand, and He will throughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:7-12) Thereby Matthew uses John the Baptist and the prophet Isaiah to introduce the Work of the Messiah — then Jesus steps on the scene and fulfills prophecy to begin His earthy ministry and sets the “Perfect Example” for all that would follow Jesus Christ by walking down the “Holy Path” that is so clearly “illuminated” by the Holy Scriptures — repent, and seek God and His Righteousness. It is reassuring to know that there is a “Light” in the midst of the darkness, especially when we come to that “Spiritual Crossroads” on our journey and we find ourselves trying to decide which “path” to take? The “TRUTH” is that there is a wrong path leading to death and destruction but there IS a right path leading to “Eternal Life” — still, it’s your journey and you have to make your choice — just remember “JESUS IS THE LIGHT, THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE”!!! Truly this is “GOOD NEWS” when you find yourself at your“Point of TRUTH at your Spiritual Crossroads” in life and you find “CHRIST HIMSELF” has marked the path and left the “LIGHT” on for you!