Jesus Earthly Lineage Proves Him a King

From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend.  Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”  When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.  Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”  But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!”  Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?”  The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”  Then he delivered Him to be crucified.  So they took Jesus and led Him away. (John 19:12-16)

 

As believers we realize there is a definite link between Jesus the Jewish people, and a connection to the throne of David.  However, many of us really don’t take the time to ponder it and give it a deeper study. The link between Jesus and the Davidic dynasty lies at the heart of the biblical understanding of Jesus’ messiahship.  Sadly, many of us don’t appreciate the importance of the roots of David’s dynasty found in the book of Genesis.  What begins in Genesis leads to David, and from David to the Christ.  For this reason, Matthew takes the time in the beginning of his gospel to reveal the genealogy of Jesus Christ.  As we take time to study the family tree of Jesus we can clearly see the hand of God at work in preserving the line.  Although it is not immediately obvious, the unique family line in Genesis is closely aligned with royal expectations.  Nowhere is this more obvious than in the Joseph story where his dreams are interpreted by his brothers as signifying kingship, Geneses 37:8a.  “Are you indeed to reign over us?  Or are you indeed to rule over us?”  By itself, this might not seem very significant, but Joseph’s dreams come in the light of a family tradition that has regal expectations.  Abraham having rubbed shoulders with kings (Pharaoh, Melchizedek, Abimelech), was promised by God that kings would come from him, Genesis 17:6.   I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.  The Lie Whisperer’s efforts to keep Jesus off the throne were thwarted when Joseph obeyed God and married Mary.  The royal line came through Joseph (which could no longer sit on the throne, Jeremiah 22:28-30) and the legal line came from Mary who was the daughter of Heli.  In Luke 3:23, Joseph is identified as the “son of Heli,” who was actually Mary’s father and Joseph’s father-in-law, because fathers-in-law were called “fathers and sons-in-law, sons.  Also, “as was supposed,” would have been more accurately translated “according to law,” thus revealing Jesus as the legal heir of Joseph.  Our Creator Jesus truly is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, no one else is worthy of this title.  

 

 

 

Dale LaFrance                (please look up Genesis 49:8-10)

Guilty But Delivered From Death

“But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover.  Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”  Then they all cried again, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!”  Now Barabbas was a robber.  (John 18:39-40)

Barabbas was a thief who was on death row, having already been sentenced; he was, as we would say today, “one of the walking dead.”  After speaking to Jesus, Pilate could find no reason to have Him put to death, and yet, he did not want to anger the Jewish people.  So, he remembered that they had a custom, not a law, which could have possibly been introduced to ingratiate themselves into the affections of the people; and being repeated once and again, was now looked for during the Passover.  It seems Pilate was also looking for a way to not be held responsible for condemning an innocent man to death, and of the three men that were to die, Barabbas was the worst, and so Pilate offers the people to make the choice, Barabbas or Jesus, Matthew 27:17.  So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”

Barabbas is sitting shackled in his cell knowing this was his last day, when suddenly the Roman guards come in with keys and a message that he was a free man, another has taken his place.  As he is released and goes to the streets bewildered by this sudden turn of events he drawn by the angry crowd yelling, “crucify Him! Crucify Him!”  He soon finds out that it is the man called Jesus, whom he has heard about, that they want crucified, and it is He that has taken his place.  His mind is racing; he stands in the angry crowd trying to comprehend why they would want to kill this man in his place.  He had heard about all the good things this man had been doing in the region, feeding the hungry, healing the lame and sick, even raising someone called Lazarus from the dead, and teaching about God.  Unlike himself who truly was guilty of committing crimes, he could think of no reason why this man would die, and especially take his place.

Whether you choose to believe it or not we all are sitting on death row, only ours is a spiritual death (unless you have already believed and received the gift of life through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus).  Just as Jesus took Barabbas’ place that day, He also took ours.  We are all sinners, deserving of death, Romans 3:23.  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.  However, Jesus has taken our place and has offered life eternal (not just physical like Barabbas received).  The choice is yours, you can receive the gift of life and be set free like Barabbas, or you can reject it and remain in your cell awaiting your eternal death sentence.  Your debt has been paid!  However, you must accept it in order to receive it, the cell door is open; the only thing keeping you there is yourself.  Today is the day of salvation, you may not have tomorrow!

Dale LaFrance                (please look up Leviticus 16:5-10)

A Priestly Prayer

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come.  Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.  And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.  I have glorified You on the earth.  I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.  And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.  (John 17:1-5)

 

Jesus as our high priest offers up this prayer shortly before being taken captive and put on trial.  This is the only place in scripture where our Lord gives Himself the compound name Jesus Christ, which afterwards is so current in the apostolic preaching and writings.  We see that Jesus is ready to offer Himself up and through His solemn prayer He consecrates Himself to God the Father as a sacrifice, and us together with Himself.  Amazingly this prayer was from the beginning and until the end of the world the foundation and ground of the Church of God.

 

As always, Jesus, even in His prayer is seeking that the Father be glorified even through His, the Sons death, for all mankind.  He is asking the Father to bless the work in which He has finished, recognizing that He has been given authority over all flesh.  And that He would also have the power to grant eternal life to all that the Father has given Him.  We must take note of the emphatic statement in His prayer that He calls the Father the only true God which sets Him against all false gods, then He includes Himself and the Holy Spirit as He is accustomed to doing which places the whole Godhead in the person of the Father.  Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever.  Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17) 

 

As Jesus walked on the earth He always pointed to the Father, giving Him the glory for all things.  Now in this final priestly prayer as He prays for Himself, the disciples, and then for all believers who would follow, He prays to the Father to be glorified together with Him just as it was before the world was.  As I read this prayer I feel the immense love that Jesus had first for the Father then for each one of us.  I am overwhelmed that Jesus would leave His place of glory, beside the Father, come down to earth in the form of a man, then offer Himself up as an atoning sacrifice for my sin so that I may be able to one day join them, whose image I was made in, to live in constant unbroken fellowship for eternity.  All because the Father first loved us and then sent His Son to die for us!  There is no greater love ever recorded in history then this, Jesus laid down His life so that all who would believe and receive His gift of salvation will spend eternity with Him.

 

 

 

 

Dale LaFrance                (please look up Romans 16:25-27)

The Holy Spirit Glorifies Jesus

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.  All things that the Father has are Mine.  Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. (John 16:13-15)

 

Some believers throughout history (and even today) put more emphasis on the Holy Spirit then they do Jesus. Sadly, this has brought some contention and division into the body, which is exactly what the Lie Whisperer revels in.  Jesus clearly states that the Spirit will guide us in truth and will never speak on His own authority. The Holy Spirit will always glorify Jesus.  Further, the Spirit is not drawing attention to Himself but always pointing to Jesus, guiding and directing us to do the same.  We must remember that the Holy Spirit is sent as an instructor from the Son, as the Son is sent as a Redeemer from the Father, nothing more nothing less.  As we come to understand this and the workings of the Holy Spirit we then have a wonderful glimpse into the inner relations of the Godhead. 

 

We must always remember it was Jesus who came in obedience to the Fathers plan, always seeking to give glory unto the Father and revealing how we should live in obedience to all He commanded.  The Holy Spirit brings no new doctrine, but teaches that which was uttered by Christ’s own mouth, and imprints it in our minds, John 14:26.  “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you,” 

 

Therefore, the Holy Spirit is our guide, pointing us to Jesus and the redemptive work of the Cross.  He goes before, leads the way, removes obstructions, opens the understanding, makes things plain and clear, teaches to the point, and leads in the way men should go, without turning to the right hand or left, which, without such a guide, they would be apt to do.  The Spirit of God glorifies Christ in the experience of all true believers, by leading them to Him for righteousness, peace, and pardon, for grace, and fresh supplies of it, as well as for wisdom and strength beyond measure.  It is because of the Holy Spirit we can continue to live on in faith as we set our eyes on the prize before us running the race to the finish line.   Remember, as we live in obedience to Christ, the Holy Spirit will fill us and empower us to do all that He commands so that He may receive the glory and then in turn present us to the Father, so that the Father may be glorified.

 

 

 

 

Dale LaFrance                (please look up John 14:15-17)