AUGUST 07 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#24 “Is the power and authority of baptism from heaven or from men?”” (Matthew 21:25)

AUGUST 07  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   JQ#24  “Is the power and authority of baptism from heaven or from men?””  (Matthew 21:25)

LIVING FOR JESUS Daily Prayer   

JESUS, Your WORD is TRUTH and if we but listen and apply Your WORD to how we live then we will know the WAY to Eternal Life, the Way You have shown us by the LIFE you lived in the flesh that we may know the Father. It is only by knowing the Father that we can know MERCY, FORGIVENESS, and GRACE, for GOD IS LOVE! The Gift of God is HIS LOVE, Graciously Bestowed on all that BELIEVE that “God so Loved the world that He GAVE His ONLY Begotten Son that whoever BELIEVES in Him shall NOT perish but HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE”!!! Give me this day, my daily bread and teach me Your Truth that I may know the Father’s LOVE!!!   AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

Jesus has been addressing the problem with living our lives based on the doctrines of men instead of developing a personal relationship with our Creator — Jesus has been Teaching all along that God has a Plan for each individual and that God desires a personal relationship with us. Early Lessons have been to help us understand that each individual has “spiritual value” (JQ#10) and that we should review our “spiritual expectations” (JQ#11) which Jesus then tied into the very important issue of letting the doctrines of men dictate our perception of God as Jesus asked “Who decides what is legal, God or man?” (JQ#12) Jesus has made it very clear that our personal responsibility to God is to know and understand God and specifically our obligations to God when Jesus asked “Why do you transgress the Commandment of God because of your traditions?” (JQ#16) The question of listening to those in our generation who claim to know what God “really” means has been addressed specifically with JQ#22 “Is it not lawful for [God] to do what [He] desires with [His Creation]” All the while Jesus has been living His own life as an example for us as He time and time again confronts the “legalists” of His time on earth called the “scribes and the Pharisees” as they try to prove that what they believe about God is the Truth and what Jesus is claiming about God is blasphemy — and now that Jesus is coming to the end of His time on earth and is approaching the final Passover in Jerusalem, He is Teaching the Final Lessons at places that are most significant in understanding that it is the “commands of God” and not the “doctrines of men” that should be our guide for living our daily lives and for worshipping God Himself in Spirit and in Truth. JQ#24 starts with Jesus sending two of His disciples “into the village opposite to you” and there they would “find a donkey tied, and a colt with her.” (Matthew 21:2) and the disciples were instructed to take them to Jesus. Jesus gave the disciples instructions that if “anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘the LORD has need of them’, and immediately he will send them.” (Matthew 21:3)  These actions and instructions are one of the most revealing Lessons on the Truth of God that Jesus will teach but to understand what that Truth of God is, we must know the significance of not only what Jesus is doing but the location as well, for when these circumstances, actions, and location are put together they are monumental in all the Lessons Jesus has been teaching His disciples thus far in His earthly ministry and  this Lesson reveals the main problem existing in the Jewish religion at that time! That same problem is now prevalent in our current generation, a problem that Jesus not only addresses with His actions but then Jesus pronounces Judgement and a curse on the Sanhedrin who was the root of the problem when Jesus pronounced His curse on their “authority”. The first important location is the village that Jesus sent the disciples to for the donkey, the village named “Bethphage”, a walled village built by the Sanhedrin located just east of the western summit of the Mount of Olives. The Sanhedrin built the walled village of Bethphage at this location close the entry of the East Gates of Jerusalem because of its historic religious relevance in the area known as  the Mount of Olives which was one of the most important religious centers of that time and still holds religious significance today. The Sanhedrin had two main locations, one inside Jerusalem and the second was in the walled village of Bethphage — the Bethphage location was reserved for specific decisions of the Sanhedrin such as death sentences for rebellious leaders of the nation. After Jesus was tried by the Sanhedrin and taken to Pilate to obtain Roman permission, He was then taken to the Mount of Olives to await the final sentence of death which was handed down by the Sanhedrin at Bethphage! So once the significance of Bethphage is understood and when the long and valid history of holiness associated with the Mount of Olives is added to the equation then the scriptures themselves will throw additional light on why Jesus, as He “drew near to Jerusalem” sent His disciples into Bethphage to get a donkey.  JQ#24 starts taking on great significance as we consider that the Question addresses the origin of True Authority and Power for spiritual matters and spiritual doctrines and the Question is quickly bringing into focus the Truth of God that we must consider all our “choices” as being either from “heaven or from men”. Food-for-thought about JQ#24 ———“If our automobiles aren’t running and not taking us where we need to go, we don’t call a plumber  TO GET US BACK ON THE ROAD — so why should we consider learning about ‘heavenly’ things from ‘earthly’ resources — especially worldly  resources that insist abortion is legal because of a decision of 7 men?”