Did Iesus make himself equal to God?

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Passage for Today

8 For this cause therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God. 19 Jesus therefore answered them, “Most certainly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father doing. For whatever things he does, these the Son also does likewise. 20 For the Father has affection for the Son, and shows him all things that he himself does. He will show him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he desires. 22 For the Father judges no one, but he has given all judgement to the Son, 23 that all may honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He who doesn’t honour the Son doesn’t honour the Father who sent him.

24 “Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgement, but has passed out of death into life. 25 Most certainly I tell you, the hour comes, and now is, when the dead will hear the Son of God’s voice; and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself. 27 He also gave him authority to execute judgement, because he is a son of man. 28 Don’t marvel at this, for the hour comes in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgement. 30 I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and my judgement is righteous, because I don’t seek my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me.

John 5:18 - 30

 

World English Bible

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My thoughts for today —

A brief look into the accusations by the Jews against the Lord Jesus and our Lord's reply and explanation recorded in John 5:18 - 30 WEB :

In verse 18 we read that the Jews sought to kill the Lord Jesus not only because he broke the sabbath, but also because he called God his Father, making himself equal with God.

Our Lord took pains to explain in his reply to them that calling God his Father did NOT make him equal with God. (v19 Jesus THEREFORE answered them . . .)

When we look through verses 19 to 30 of this passage today, we can point out a number of things that our Lord says about himself in relation to God his Father in Heaven.

Firstly, our Lord tells the Jews that he can do nothing by himself (v19, 30). Instead, it is the Father who shows him all the things that he does (v 20).

Secondly, of all the many things our Lord is doing among the Jews, one thing in particular shown by the Father for our Lord to do is the giving of life to man. Just as the Father "raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he will." (v31).

Thirdly, we read that that besides the giving of life, the Father has also given our Lord the authority to execute judgment (v22, 27)

Fourthly, we see in verse 26 that just as the Father has life in Himself, He has also given our Lord to have life in himself.

Finally, in verse 30, our Lord reiterates that he can do nothing by himself, and that he does not seek his own will but the will of God, the Father who has sent him.

Besides the four points we have observed from verses 18 to 30 above, we also read in verse 36 and 37 that God has given our Lord works to accomplish, that those very works testify that God has sent our Lord Iesus.

This is all summed up in one verse further down in John chapter 5:43a

I have come in my Father's name . . .

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A related post that I wrote about sixteen years ago.

• Jesus the Son of God (21Feb2010)

Three days and three nights, or the third day?

Passage for today

15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:
16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

Esther 4:15, 16

 

New International Version

On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance

Esther 5:1

 

New International Version

Some people argue that the Lord Iesus could not have been crucified, died and buried on a Friday to be resurrected on Sunday. This is because our Lord said in Matthew 12:40,

"As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth".

To die on Friday and be resurrected on Sunday does not fulfill the three days and three nights prophecy. Yet surprisingly, we read towards the end of the Gospel of Matthew that after the Lord was buried, the chief priests and the Pharisees requested from Pontius Pilate in Matthew 27:63,64 saying

". . . we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day.

The request of the chief priests and Pharisees was for the tomb of our Lord to be sealed and guarded until the third day instead of until the fourth day. It did not include the third night. It seems to contradict what the Lord Iesus has said earlier in Matthew 12:40.

This apparent contradiction is also seen in my reading of the book of Esther this morning. In Esther 4:16, Esther asked her cousin Mordecai to gather all their fellow Jews to fast for three days and nights. Yet in the next chapter we read that Esther went to seek an audience with King Xerxes on the third day, before the three days and three nights were completed.

Is "three days and three nights" a figure of speech in Hebrew? Are the words of Esther 4:16 analogous to those of our Lord in Matthew 12:40?

Just as Esther's audience with the King on the third day fulfills her own "three days and three nights" instruction, I am persuaded that our Lord's resurrection on the third day likewise fulfills his own prophecy that he will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. As it is written in 1 Corinthians 15:3,4

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

Conclusion:

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, Let us remember the Crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord Iesus throughout the coming Holy Week leading to Easter next Sunday 05Mar2026.

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John's vision of the Throne of God

Passage for today

1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.
3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.
4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.
5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits[a] of God.
6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

Revelation 4:1 – 6

 

New International Version

Sunday 07Sep2025, Wesley Methodist Church Kampar.
Notes written from my observations of the Vision of the Apostle John recorded in Revelations chapters Four and Five.

John was in the Spirit when he saw a vision of the Throne of God in Heaven (Rev 4:22).

On the Throne

One seated on the throne

having the appearance of jasper and carnelian (Rev 4:3)

Encircling the Throne

a rainbow

resembling emerald (Rev 4:36)

Surrounding the Throne

24 other thrones

24 Elders seated on those thrones

each wearing white clothes and a gold crown (Rev 4:4)

Coming from the Throne

flashes of lightning

rumbling and peals of thunder (Rev 4:5)

Before the Throne

7 Lamps, blazing (Rev 4:5b)

they are the 7 Spirits of God

a crystal clear Sea of Glass (Rev 4:6)

Around the Throne

in the centre (inner circle) (Rev 4:6b)

4 Living Creatures

covered with eyes, front and back

resembling Lion, Ox, Man's face, Eagle

each having 6 wings, covered by eyes

the 4 Creatures constantly say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come" (Rev 4:8)

each time followed by the 24 Elders who fall down and worship the One sitting on the Throne (Rev 4:9-11)

In the Hands of the One who sits on the Throne

a Scroll written on both sides, sealed with 7 Seals (Rev 5:1)

no one could break the Seals, nor look into the Scroll (Rev 5:4)

Standing in the Centre of the Throne

(innermost circle)

encircled by the 4 Living Creatures, and by the 24 Elders

is the Lamb that had been slain

having 7 Horns and 7 Eyes (Rev 5:6)

Encircling the Throne, the 4 Living Creratures, and 24 Elders

(outermmost circle)

a Host of Angels, thousands upon thousands, ten thousands upon ten thousands (Rev 5:11)

Beyond all these

every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth,

and upon the sea, and all things in them (Rev 5:13, 14)

saying, "To him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb, blessing, and honour, and glory, and might, to the ages of ages"

at which the 4 Living Creatures said, "Amen"

and the 24 Elders fell down and worshipped.

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Please visit the following links for my thoughts about the worship of God Almighty who sits on the Throne, written over the past eleven years:

• Thou art worthy to take the Book and open its seals (2022.03.15)
• The Lamb took the Scroll from the Right Hand of God (2021.09.19)
• Let us draw near to the Throne of Grace (2021.12.20)
• Worship Him who sits on the Throne (2014.08.04)
• The Throne of Sapphire (2021.09.05)

A different Gospel?

Passage for today

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel
— which is really no gospel at all.

Galatians 1:6 - 7

 

New International Version

When we read through Galatians 1:1 - 7, we see that the Apostle Paul preached the following Gospel of the Lord Iesus:

• God the Father raised Iesus from the dead (v1b)
• Grace and peace comes from both God our Father and from our Lord Iesus the Anointed (v3)
• God is our Father, and to Him belongs Glory forever (v4b, 5)
• the Lord Iesus gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age (v4) — according to the will of our God and our Father (v4)

Sadly, we read in verses 6 and7 that the Galatian Christians have deserted God and have turned to a different gospel (v6).

Question:

What Gospel are we believing today?

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Taking the Lord's Supper

Passage for today

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

1 Corinthians 11:23 - 26

 

New International Version

Sun 31Aug2025 Wesley Methodist Church Kampar

In what manner should we take the Lord's Supper?

(A) We should avoid the Unworthy Manner

When we look closer into the short passage from verse 18 to verse22, and comparing them with verse 22, we see that taking the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner can be characterised by the following behaviour in the Assembly of believers

• showing divisions in the assembly (v18), having differences with one another (v19)
• not waiting for one another to take the supper together (v21)
• some believers take too much, and get drunk, while others remain hungry because they do not get their share of the bread and wine (v21b)
• such a manner of taking the Lord's Supper despise the Assembly of God and humiliates those who have no food to eat (v22)
• those who do so have sinned against the body and blood of the Lord Iesus (v27)

(B) We should adopt the Worthy Manner

Verses 23 to 25 of today's passage go on to tell us about the worthy manner in which all believers should partake of the Lord's Supper in the Assembly:

• take it in the same manner as shown and as given by the Lord Iesus (v23 - 25)
• compare with Luke 22:19 - 20; Mark 14:22 - 25; Matthew 26:26 - 29
• the proper manner or order of taking the Lord's Supper was received from the Lord and was passed on to the believers in the Corinthian Assembly (v23), as follows:
  1. Take bread, give thanks, and break it (v23, 24)
  2. Recount the words of the Lord Iesus, "This is my body, which is for you, do this in remembrance of me" (v24)
  3. After taking the bread, take the cup in the same way i.e. give thanks, then distribute the wine to everyone (v25a)
  4. Recount the words of the Lord, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me" (v25)

Why is it necessary to take the Lord's Supper in a Worthy Manner?

We read in today's passage that both the bread and the cup is to be taken for one solemn purpose — to do it in remembrance of the Lord Iesus (v24b, v25b).

Each time we take the Lord's Supper together, eating the bread and drinking the cup, we are taking no ordinary bread and wine. Instead, we are proclaiming the death of our Lord Iesus.

Conclusion

The Lord's Supper is no ordinary supper. It is to be taken in the same manner as first given by the Lord Iesus to His disciples.

Each time we take it together, we do so in remembrance of our Lord. We proclaim His death.

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The following are my thoughts on related topics, written over the last eleven years on this blog:

• A Final Commandment (2022.07.30)
• King of Righteousness, King of Peace (2021.09.06)
• Melchizedek, Priest of Most High God (2014.08.02)

The Anointed Iesus made Himself nothing

2024-07-07 Iesus made himself nothing.

Passage for today

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:5 – 8

 

Revised Standard Version

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9 – 11

 

Revised Standard Version

Our Lord Iesus the Anointed One was in the beginning with God. He was the Word of God from the beginning (ref John 1:1). Today we read from the above passage in Philippians chapter 2 that the Anointed One was originally in the form of God.

However, our Lord did not count his equality with God something to be grasped (Philippians 2:6 RSV). He did not hold on tightly to his position. Instead he was willing to let go and make himself nothing. Verse 7 tells us that our Lord "emptied himself".

Let us take a closer look what our Lord Iesus the Anointed One had to go through in the process of emptying himself, of making himself nothing:

• He took the form of a servant (v.7)
• He took the form of a human servant (v.7, 8)
• He took the form of a humble human servant (v.8a)
• He took the form of a humble obedient human servant who was obedient to God even to death (v.8b)
• He took the form of a humble obedient human servant who was obedient to God even to a cruel death on the cross. (v.8c)

It was because our Lord had gone through this painful process of emptying himself, from being in the form of God to becoming in the form of man, a humble slave who went to his death on the cross, that God has exalted him highly and has given to him the Name above every name (Philippians 2:9).

So high is the name of the Lord Iesus, the Anointed One, that at the Name of Iesus, every knee — in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, — will bow. And every tongue will confess that Iesus is Lord.

Finally, verse 11b tells us that all this will be done to the glory of God the Father.

In summary, we can say :

1. Iesus did not come to dictate the people around him. Instead he came to die for them
2. Iesus did not come to subjugate the world. Instead he came to sacrifice himself.
3. Iesus did not come to orchestrate a new earthly kingdom. Instead he came to obey God.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us also humble ourselves before God. Like our Lord Iesus, let us be humble obedient servants in His Kingdom so that God will also exalt us and make us sit with Him in the heavenly places.

But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:4 – 7

 

Revised Standard Version

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Today I am reminded of the following devotional messages which I have posted in my blog over the past fifteen years:

• 2020-04-06 The Heavenly Realm of the Son of God
• 2013-02-25 Whom shall we glorify?
• 2009-07-09 A name above every name

The Parable of Trust

2024-05-05 The Parable of Trust

14 For it is like a man, going into another country, who called his own servants, and delivered his goods to them.
15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his own ability, and he went on his journey.

Matthew 25:14 – 15

 

World English Bible

12 So He said to them, 'A man of noble family travelled to a distant country to obtain the rank of king, and to return.
13 And he called ten of his servants and gave each of them a pound, instructing them to trade with the money during his absence

Luke 19:12 – 13

 

Weymouth New Testament

Wesley Methodist Church Kampar, Sunday Service, Matthew 25:14 – 30

This morning, for the first time after having read this passage numerous times over the last forty years, I realised that the Parable of the Talents, a name commonly given to the parable narrated by our Lord in Matthew chapter 25, is actually not a parable about how many talents are increased or multiplied by each of the three servants, but rather how trustworthy the servants have been in carrying out the work entrusted to them by their master.

My meditation on this parable brought to mind three observations about the Trust that the master showed to his servants and the kind of Trustworthiness shown by the servants as Trusteess, in taking care of the business entrusted to them. My observations are as follows:

Firstly, the Commitment of the Trust

The master was a businessman. He was from a noble family. When he wanted to travel to a distant country, he had to find some way to ensure his business continues to go on without disruption. He decided to entrust his money to his servants.

The account in Matthew chapter 25 tells us that he gave different amounts of money (or "goods" as mentioned in Matt 25:14, WEB) to each servant "according to his own ability" (Matt 25:15 WEB). In contrast, the account in Luke chapter 19 says that the master gave the same amount of money — one pound — to each servant (Luke 19:13 WNT).

Regardless of the amount of money given to each servant, the master had one purpose in mind — he wanted to entrust his servants with his business. He committed his goods, or money, into their hands to continue running his business while he was away on a long journey to a distant land. Luke 19:13b WNT tells us that he instructed the servants to "trade with the money" during his absence.

It was a commitment of trust.

Secondly, the Conduct of the Trusteees

We can see from the parable that the servants conducted themselves in two different ways.

Some of them conducted themselves in a trustworthy way. They carried out their duty to their master, to trade with the money entrusted to them. Regardless whether they were given much or little, these servants used their money to make gains by trading.

In Matthew 25:20, we read that the servant who was entrusted with five talents had gained five more. Further on in verse 22, we are told that the servant who was entrusted with two talents gained two more. They had proven themselves worthy of trust, when in the long absence of their master they had diligently carried on with doing the master's business with the money put into their hands.

Such was the conduct of the trustworthy servants.

In contrast, some servants conducted themselves in an untrustworthy way. They refused to carry out the duty of doing their master's business while he was away. They did not trade with the money given to them. They did not make any gains at all. The master's business came to a standstill at the hands of these untrustworthy servants.

Verses 24 and 25 of Matthew chapter 25 tells us that the servant who had been entrusted with one talent began making excuses when asked by his master to give an account of what he did with the money. He said he had buried his one talent in the ground while the master was away because he "knew" his master was a hard and demanding person who "reaped where he had not sown".

Such was the conduct of the untrustworthy servant.

Thirdly, the Consequence of Trustworthiness

The trustworthy servants were highly commended by the master. They were given a promotion to be entrusted with more wealth. (Matt 25:21, 23 NIV).

In both verses 21 and 23 of Matthew chapter 25 (NIV), the master told the trustworthy servants:

Come and share your master's happiness!

As a consequence of their trustworthiness, the servants became partakers of their master's happiness.

The opposite happened to the untrustworthy servant. His master called him "wicked and lazy" (Matt 25:26 NIV). The one talent that had been entrusted to him was taken away by his master and given to the most capable servant, the one who had shown his ability to use his ten talents to gain ten more.

Our Lord explained the taking back of the one talent from the untrustworthy servant with these words:

For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.

Matthew 25:29

 

New International Version

What does this mean? What kind of consequence does this verse imply for both the trustworthy and the untrustworthy servants?

I have been struggling with this teaching of our Lord, both in Matthew 25:29 as well as in Luke 19:26. In particular, I ask myself why does the Lord practise such unfairness, that those of us who already have much will be given even more whilst those among us who have "nothing" to start with, even whatever little we have will be taken away from us.

Doesn't this tell us that God appears to rob the poor to reward the rich? God forbid that I should think thus.

Today I have come to a new understanding of Matthew 25:29 — that everyone of us who are trustworthy will be entrusted with even more wealth in the kingdom of God. And anyone among us who are NOT trustworthy, whatever little wealth we have will be taken away from us in the kingdom of God.

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Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us ponder over the gifts, the "goods" or "talents", that our Lord Iesus has entrusted to us in this world to carry out His business.

Are we living as trustworthy servants?

Are we doing his business in the kingdom of God while he is away? Will our Lord find us trustworthy when he returns to receive us to be with him in heaven? Our Lord told his disciples in John chapter 4:

"My food," said Iesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work."

John 4:34

 

New International Version

Let us also have the same mind as our Lord Iesus. Let us make it our food to do the will of our Lord who has sent us into the world, with gifts that he has given us.

Let us do his will. Let us finish his work.

A Tale of Two Generations

Passage of the Day
Judges 2:6 – 10

8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Jehovah, died, being a hundred and ten years old. 9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill-country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash. 10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, that knew not Jehovah, nor yet the work which he had wrought for Israel.
Judges 2:8 – 10  American Standard Version

I wrote these notes towards the end of last year on 12Nov23, the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost in my church calendar.

In Judges chapter 2, we read that the children of Israel served Yehovah while Joshua was alive. They continued to serve Yehovah while the elders were alive after Joshua's death. These were the elders who had seen all the great things that Yehovah had done among them from the days when Joshua led them across the Jordan and brought down the walls of Jericho (verse 7).

Then another generation grew up.

This new generation of Israelites did not know Yehovah (verse 10). They did not know what Yehovah had done.

Soon they began to do evil in the sight of Yehovah (versesf 11 - 12). They served the baals. They forsook Yehovah, the God of their fathers. They worshipped various gods of the people around them.

They provoked Yehovah to anger (verse 12).

We can see a distinct difference between the old generation of the children of Israel and the new generation —

• The old generation of Israelites saw the great works of Yehovah under their leader Joshua and the elders who outlived him. And they believed in Yehovah.
• The new generation, however, only heard about the great works of Yehovah from the elders in their families. They had not witnessed the works of the LORD. Sadly, they stopped believing in Him.
• Eventually, they began to forsake Yehovah. They went to serve baals and various gods of the people around them.

One may say that the new generation of Israelites would not have turned away from Yehovah had they seen Him continue to work among them. Perhaps they would have held on to their faith in the LORD if they were taught by their elders to pray to Yehovah in times of need or trouble, and to see the hand of Yehovah working in answer to their prayers.

If they had done so, the new generation of Israelites would no longer be just a generation who merely heard about the works of Yehovah but, instead, would have seen Yehovah answer them when they cried out to Him in their prayers. They would have become a new generation of Israelites who saw God supply their needs and deliver them from evil.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us show, and lead and teach the next generation of believers among us to pray. Let us lead them to seek God our Father in Heaven, to depend on His Providence, and to experience Him answering their very own prayers.

Let us turn the next generation from merely hearing about God to actually seeing the Hand of God at work among them.

Fourteen years ago, I wrote about the patience of our Lord Iesus in teaching His disciples to open their eyes and see the work of the Father among them, link below.

• The Lord was patient with his disciples (May2010)

Iesus at the home of Simon the Pharisee

Passage of the Day

When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
Luke 7:36 – 38  New International Version

The account in Luke 7:36 – 50 about our Lord's having dinner in the household of a Pharisee named Simon, shows us at least two failures on the part of Simon when he saw the sinful woman weeping at our Lord's feet and said to himself,

If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is – that she is a sinner. (verse 39)

His failure to do

Simon the Pharisee failed to wash Iesus' feet with water whereas the sinful woman washed His feet with her tears

He failed to greet the Lord with a kiss whereas the woman kissed His feet unceasingly.

And he failed to anoint the Lord's head with oil whereas the woman anointed His feet with costly perfume.

His failure to see

Simon saw an ugly sinner when he looked at the woman weeping at the Lord's feet. He couldn't see a beautiful person loved by God.

He only saw the woman's sins. He didn't see her remorse and her penitence.

He saw her unholy hands touching the Lord's feet. He couldn't see God's holy hands touching the woman's heart.

Conclusion

In the end it was the woman, not Simon the Pharisee, who received forgiveness, salvation and peace from the Lord.

Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ (verse 48).
Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’ (verse 50).

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us look at people with compassion like our Lord did that day in the house of Simon the Pharisee. Let us see the beautiful person loved by God our Father. Let us pray for their hearts to be touched by the hand of God. Let us pray for sins to be forgiven. Amen.

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Two years ago I wrote a short comment on seeking forgiveness from God our Father, link below:

• If My people who are called by My Name

Do you believe this?

Passage of the Day
John 11: 1 – 44

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;
and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:25 – 26  New International Version

The followers of the Lord Iesus did not believe that the Lord could bring a dead person to life again.

In verse 11 of today's passage, having waited for two days after receiving news from Bethany that Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha, was sick, our Lord finally told his disciples that Lazarus had "fallen asleep" and that He was going to wake him up.

The disciples only thought that Lazarus was literally sleeping. (v.12)

The Lord Iesus then told them plainly that Lazarus had in fact died and He asked them to go with Him to visit Lazarus.

One of the disciples, Thomas (the Twin), could only think of the Lord's invitation as going to die with Lazarus. (v.16)

Upon arriving in Bethany, Lazarus had already been dead and buried for four days. Martha came out to meet the Lord outside the village (v.30). Our Lord told her that her brother would rise again.

Martha could only believe that Lazarus will rise again in the final resurrection at the end of the world (v24).

Martha went home to tell Mary about the Lord's arrival outside the village (v.30). Mary went out to meet the Lord and told Him,

Lord, if you had been here
my brother would not have died.

Mary could only believe that the Lord Iesus was able to heal her brother from his illness and to prevent him from dying.

None of the disciples in all the above account could imagine, much less believe, that Iesus could raise Lazarus from death and bring him back to life again.

When our Lord finally called out,

Lazarus! Come out!

— it was a sign, a glorious sign, that Iesus was indeed the Resurrection and the Life.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, do you believe this? Do you believe in the Lord Iesus the Anointed One?

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Nine years ago, I wrote about the verse from 1 Corinthians 15:19, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.", link below:

• If in this life only we have hope

The Son of Man was brought near to the Ancient of Days

Passages of the Day

13 I beheld in the night vision, and, lo, one coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of man, and he came on to the Ancient of days, and was brought near to him.
14 And to him was given the dominion, and the honor, and the kingdom; and all nations, tribes, and languages, shall serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.
Daniel 7:13 – 14  LXX Brenton Updated

The Father loves the Son and has placed all things under his authority
John 3:35  New English Translation

And Jesus came to them and said, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
Matthew 28:18  Bible in Basic English

He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly,
Ephesians 1:22  World English Bible

Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
1 Peter 3:22  King James Version

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, today let us remind ourselves that our Lord Iesus is given dominion and honour and the Kingdom by our God, the Ancient of Days. God has placed all things under the authority of our Lord Iesus, in heaven and on earth, and has made Iesus the head over all things in our Assembly.

Today, our Lord is seated at the right hand of God our Father in heaven. Angels and authorities and powers are being made subject to our Lord. Let us live under the authority and Lordship of Iesus the Son of God.

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The following are links to my observations about the Lord Iesus as the Son of God, posted on my devotional blog over a span of thirteen years:

• The Three Amens (May2009)
• Worship Him who sits on the Throne (Aug2014)
• Amen, Faithful, True Witness, Head of God's Creation (Nov2020)
• I will be their God, They shall be my people (May2022)

Our Lord iesus received the Holy Spirit from God

Passage of the Day

23 Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words. The word which you hear isn’t mine, but the Father’s who sent me.
John 14:23 – 24  World English Bible

23 This Jesus, God has raised to life -- a fact to which all of us testify.
33 'Being therefore lifted high by the mighty hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out this which you see and hear.
34 For David did not ascend into Heaven, but he says himself, ''The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand
35 until I make thy foes a footstool under thy feet.'
36 'Therefore let the whole House of Israel know beyond all doubt that God has made Him both LORD and CHRIST--this Jesus whom you crucified.'
Acts 2:32 – 36  Weymouth New Testament

We read from Acts chapter 2 the words of the Apostle Peter, speaking to the huge crowd of Jews from every part of the world (Acts 2:5, 9,10 WNT) telling them that God has raised "this Iesus" to life and that Iesus has received the promised Holy Spirit from God.

Particularly, in verse 33, Peter said that Iesus has poured out the Holy Spirit on all the 120 disciples together with him in the upper room on that Pentecost Day (Acts 1:15). As a result of that outpouring of the Spirit, the disciples spoke in various foreign languages — "which you see and hear" (Acts 2:33b) — a confirmation of the Holy Spirit.

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Iesus, like the Peter and the 120 believers in the upper room, let us also be full of the Holy Spirit. Let us walk in the Spirit as we also live in the Spirit. And let us seek the confirmation "which you see and hear" from the Lord.

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I wrote two blog posts on my devotional blog in 2013 about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit — oon the Jews in Jerusalem and on the Gentiles in Caesarea. And again last year, I wrote related observations in another two blog posts, all links below :

• The Promise that is for you, for your children and for all afar (May2013)
• So I knew (Sep2013)
• The Day of Shavuot (Feb2022)
• The day of outpouring of the Spirit upon the Gentiles (Feb2022)

The Son of Man must be lifted up

Passage of the Day

13 There is no one who has gone up to Heaven, but there is One who has come down from Heaven, namely the Son of Man whose home is in Heaven.
14 And just as Moses lifted high the serpent in the Desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 in order that every one who trusts in Him may have the Life of the Ages.
John 3:13 – 15  Weymouth New Testament

5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Jeremiah 23:5 – 6  King James Version

15 “In those days and at that time,
I will cause a Branch of righteousness to grow up to David.
He will execute justice and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved,
and Jerusalem will dwell safely.
This is the name by which she will be called:
The LORD our righteousness.”
Jeremiah 33:15 – 16  World English Bible

Brothers and Sisters our Lord Iesus is the promised righteous Branch, the King who shall reign and execute judgment and justice on earth. He is called "YHWH our Righteousness".

The Lord told Nicodemus in John chapter 3 that He had come down from Heaven, that His home is in Heaven, and that just as Moses lifted up the brass serpent on a pole in the wilderness so that the children of Israel who looked up at the serpent could be saved from their snake bites, our Lord Iesus "the Son of Man" must also be lifted up (meaning to be crucified) so that all who put their trust in Him may be saved from sin and have everlasting life.

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Over the last nine years, I have written my thoughts and observations about the expression "to be lifted up", as used by our Lord Iesus in the Gospels, in several blog posts, links below:

• I am He (Feb2023)
• If I am lifted up (Nov2022)
• Lift Jesus higher? (Mar2014)

In His Name the Gentiles will hope

1The LORD says,
“Here is my servant, whom I strengthen —
the one I have chosen, with whom I am pleased.
I have filled him with my Spirit,
and he will bring justice to every nation.
2He will not shout or raise his voice
or make loud speeches in the streets.
3He will not break off a bent reed
or put out a flickering lamp.
He will bring lasting justice to all.
4He will not lose hope or courage;
he will establish justice on the earth.
Distant lands eagerly wait for his teaching.”

5God created the heavens and stretched them out;
he fashioned the earth and all that lives there;
he gave life and breath to all its people.
And now the LORD God says to his servant,
6“I, the LORD, have called you and given you power
to see that justice is done on earth.
Through you I will make a covenant with all peoples;
through you I will bring light to the nations.
7You will open the eyes of the blind
and set free those who sit in dark prisons.
Isaiah 42:1 – 4; 5 – 7  Good News Bible

1 Jacob is *my servant, I will help him: Israel is my chosen, my soul has accepted him; I have put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up his voice, nor shall his voice be heard without. 3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench; but he shall bring forth judgment to truth. 4 He shall shine out, and shall not be †discouraged, until he have set judgment on the earth: and in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
Esaias 42: 1 – 4  Septuagint Brenton

15 Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all,
16 and charged them that they should not make him known:
17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
18 'Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; My beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit on him,
He will declare judgment to the Gentiles.
19 He will not strive, nor shout; Neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
20 He won't break a bruised reed, He won't quench a smoking flax, Until he sends forth judgment to victory.
21 In his name, the Gentiles will hope.'
Matthew 12:15 – 21  World English Bible

A long time ago, the prophet Isaiah had prophesied that the Anointed One, the Servant of God, will be filled with the Spirit of God and will come to bring justice to all Gentile nations.

In the LXX, Isaiah (Esaias) 42:4b records Isaiah's prophecy, " . . . in his name shall the Gentiles trust".

This is quoted in Matthew 12:21, "in his name, the Gentiles will hope".

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us always put our trust and hope in Iesus our Lord, the Anointed One of God.

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Back in 2013, I wrote my thoughts, based on the prophecy of Amos 9:11,12 quoted in Acts chapter 15, in a post entitled, "Gentiles who bear the Name of Yehovah" (link below).

In February last year, I wrote another two posts, one about how the Holy Spirit was first poured on the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius the Centurion in the city of Caesarea, and another about God waiting until the full number of Gentiles come into His Kingdom before the children of Israel is saved (all links below).

• Gentiles who bear the Name of God (Nov2013)
• Outpouring of the Spirit upon Gentiles (Feb2022)
• Until the fulness of Gentiles come (Feb2022)
• Gentiles called by God (Dec2022)

Understanding the fear of the LORD

This morning's passage brings to me a truth that I have missed through my 47 years of belief in the Lord Iesus the Anointed. This truth is found in the first five verses of Proverbs chapter 2, shown below:

1My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
2making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
3yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
4if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 2:1 – 5  Good News Bible

I have often heard people quote the verse that says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom . . ." (Proverbs 9:10). This verse makes me ask myself what the fear of the LORD means in my life.

This morning's passage answers my question by telling another side of this truth about the fear of the LORD — that if I seek wisdom from God, seeking it like silver, searching for it like for hidden treasures, virtually calling out and raising my voice for insight and for understanding, then I will understand the fear of the LORD.

Brothers and Sisters in Iesus the Anointed One, do you want to understand the fear of the LORD? Do you wish to find the knowledge of God? I urge you to seek wisdom and understanding from God. Seek wisdom. Search for it as for hidden treasure. Then you will understand the fear of the LORD.

Why was Jacob loved, and Esau hated?

Why was Jacob loved and Esau hated?

I first wrote these notes four years ago, on 18 August 2019 14:45 hrs GMT+8.

Today, I have decided to post them here as part of my devotional blog collection.

The following are references that I have gleaned from the books of Genesis and Numbers, as well as from some of the books of the Prophets, that I have grouped under two headings:

1. Notes about Jacob's obedience to his father Isaac, in remembering YeHoVaH.
2. Notes about Esau's disobedience to his father Isaac, in turning away from YeHoVaH

Jacob obeyed his father and remembered YHWH

Genesis 27:46
Jacob obeyed his father Isaac by going to Laban's house in Mesopotamia to marry one of Laban's daughters.

Genesis 28:20-22 (First visit to Bethel)
Jacob set up and dedicated a memorial stone at Bethel to YHWH and promised to take YHWH as his God if he returns safely from Mesopotamia.

Genesis 32:10-12 (cf Genesis 28:14)
Jacob crossed the River Jordan with only a walking stick but eventually returned from Laban's household with two large families. He remembered the promises of YHWH.

Genesis 33: 10-11
Jacob reconciled with Esau and did his best to regain Esau's favour.

Genesis 33:16,17
After Esau had returned to Edom, Jacob went on to Sukkot (lit. booths), where he built a booth (sukkah) for himself and for his cattle. He arrived safely in Shechem, bought a field from the descendants of Hamor for 100 silver, set up an altar and named it after El - the God of Israel.

Genesis 35: 1-4, 7 (Second visit to Bethel)
At the command of Elohim (v.7), Jacob returned to Bethel, built an altar there and told his family to remove all foreign Gods and purify themselves before going)

Genesis 35:14 (Third visit to Bethel?)
Jacob set up another memorial stone again at Bethel.

Esau disobeyed his father and turned away from YHWH

Genesis 25: 27-34
Esau sold his birthright, with a vow, in return for a mere bowl of lentils. He despised what YHWH has ordained for him.

Genesis 26: 34-35, 27:46
Esau married Hittite wives and became a heartache to his mother.

Numbers 20:14-21
His descendants - EDOM - refused safe passage to Israel who were sojourning in the wilderness on their way to Kadesh.

Amos 1:11-12
The Edomites sinned repeatedly and hunted down their Israelite brothers, showing no mercy, unrelenting and unlimited anger. God will destroy city of Teman and the fortress of Bozrah.

Isaiah 34:5-17
YHWH will strike Edom and destroy them with his sword, likened to a great sacrifice at the city of Bozrah - to rescue Zion and to take vengeance on her enemies. V.11 tells us that its land will be barren wasteland again like before creation!

Isaiah 63:1-6
YHWH will come dressed in red, in power and strength, trampling the Nations like one who tramples grapes - from Bozrah - to save His people and to punish His enemies.

Jeremiah 49: 7-22
Again, Bozrah city will become a horrifying sight, a desert, a permanent ruin at which all will shake their heads, comparable to Sodom and Gomorrah. Likewise the city of Teman (v.20)

Ezekiel 25:12-14
Edom had been cruel to Israel. Their guilt endures. Israel will take revenge on Edom - from Teman to Dedan. Edom will feel the fury of YHWH

(Note: Edom is located in a high mountainous area.)

Ezekiel 35: 1-5
Adonai YHWH declares himself an enemy of Edom. He will make Edom (on the mountains of Seir) a desolate wasteland and because Edom was Israel's constant enemy, they will pay for their anger, jealosy and hatred towards Israel.

Obadiah 1 - 14
YHWH will pull Edom down from its high mountain fortress. Teman will be terrified. v.15 - Edom will receive retribution for what she has done, a bitter cup of punishment.

Malachi 1: 2-5
Edom's attempts at rebuilding their towns will be futile. She has become a nation with whom YHWH is angry forever.

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Brothers and Sisters, let us remember the example of Jacob and be warned not to follow the footsteps of Esau and his descendants Edom.

Malachi 2: 1,2
This command is for you: you must honour Me (My Name) by what you do.

God our Father raised His Anointed Iesus from the dead

During my readings in the recent week, my attention is drawn to the words of the Apostles in the Book of Acts, reiterating their affirmation that God raised His Son Iesus from death.

I came away with the deep conviction that the Resurrection of Our Lord Iesus was the very act of God our Father in Heaven.

The Apostle Peter and the other Apostles told the High Priest and the Council in Acts 5:32 that they were witnesses of "these things" and that the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to all who obey Him, is also a witness too. See passages quoted below:

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22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
Acts 2:22 – 24  King James Version

This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Acts 2:32  King James Version

13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Acts 3:13 - 15  King James Version

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Acts 4:10  KJV

30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
Acts 5:30 - 32  KJV

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Between 2010 and 2013, I have written my observations and thoughts, in three separate blog posts, on the teaching that God raised His Anointed One from the dead. Links below

• Did the Messiah raise himself from the dead? (Jan2013)
• Implicit allusions vs Explicit Assertions (Dec2012)
• Reasons why you should not believe in the Trinity (Sep2010)

Each day at the temple, each night on the hill

Each day Iesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives,
and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple
Luke 21:37 – 38  New International Version

Our Lord Iesus showed us the necessity of spending much time alone in prayer with God each evening, even through each night, before he goes to teach in the temple each morning and through the day.

For each day he taught in the temple, he spent each night on the hill.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed Iesus, let us learn from our Lord how to find strength and wisdom from God by spending much time alone in prayer before we embark on doing His work.

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Last month I wrote briefly on similar observations from the Gospel of Luke chapters 5 and 6:

• Our Lord prayed alone (29Jan23)

Why did the LORD drive out the Canaanites?

In Leviticus chapter 18, the LORD commanded Moses to warn the children of Israel against following the ways of the Egyptians and the Canaanites, that Israel "must not do as they do in Egypt, . . . as they do in the land of Canaan".

A long list of those things that Israel must not do is given in verses 6 - 23, as shown below. A further list of things they must not do is given in Leviticus chapter 19, with their corresponding punishments spelt out in Leviticus 20.

Leviticus 18:1 – 23  New International Version

1The Lord said to Moses, 2“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God. 3You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. 4You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. 5Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord.

6“ ‘No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the Lord.
7“ ‘Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her.
8“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; that would dishonor your father.
9“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere.
10“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter; that would dishonor you.
11“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife, born to your father; she is your sister.
12“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister; she is your father’s close relative.
13“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister, because she is your mother’s close relative.
14“ ‘Do not dishonor your father’s brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt.
15“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife; do not have relations with her.
16“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would dishonor your brother.
17“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with either her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness.
18“ ‘Do not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.
19“ ‘Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period.
20“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife and defile yourself with her.
21“ ‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.
22“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.
23“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.

Two verses in particular, tell us how grave and abhorrent these practices are in the sight of the LORD God Almighty. In Leviticus 18:24 and again in Leviticus 20:23, the LORD told the children of Israel that it was because of such ungodly and highly immoral behaviour that the LORD was driving the Canaanite nations our of their land before the eyes of Israel.

Leviticus 18:24 – 25; 20:23  New International Version

18:24

Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled.

18:25

Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants

20:23

You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed Lord Iesous, let us beware, lest we fall into the sin of behaving like the the immoral nations around us. Let us be careful not to fall into the ungodly practices like those of the Canaanites described in today's passage.

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About three years ago, I made some observations about the commands of the LORD recorded in Leviticus chapter 19, reading from the LXX Brenton, link below:

• Looking deeper into the Ten Commandments (11Aug2020)

The Least in the Kingdom of God

In my reading from the Gospel according to St Luke today, I came across a saying of our Lord that I found difficult to understand.

In Luke 7:28, the Lord told his audience that, whilst John the Baptist was the greatest among all born into this world, the "least" in the kingdom of God is greater than John.

How can this be? Who is the "least" in the kingdom of God that our Lord was referring to?

I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John,
yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
Luke 7:28  New International Version

I found my answer in a verse two chapters later, in Luke 9:48.

In this verse, the Lord Iesus used an example of a little child to teach his disciples that the least among them (in the kingdom of God) is the greatest.

It is not surprising therefore, that such a person, the "least", will also be greater than a great person like John the Baptist.

Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me;
and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
For he who is least among you all — he is the greatest.”
Luke 9:48  New International Version

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us endeavour to be among the least in the kingdom of God.