Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.
July 2016 - Page 2 of 3 - GraceAndWorks
Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your tabernacle. Then I will go to the altar of God. To my God exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise you, O God, my God.
We here cries in today’s society of, “I want justice”, “Give me/us justice” or “I/we can’t get any justice.” My question is–what is justice? Is it what YOU want or what the law says is right. If it’s not good for “Me”, then it can’t be justice. That seems to be the attitude today. What I want to take a look at here is the total injustice of Jesus’s trial before going to the cross to die for you and me.
Leviticus 19:15-19
A) You shall do no injustice in judgement
B) Jews had centuries to perfect their judicial system
This founded upon Deuteronomy 16:18-20
A) You shall appoint Judges and Officers in all your towns
B) Judge with righteous Judgement
C) Never pervert or distort justice
D) No practicing of partiality
E) Never accepting a bribe
F) Administer justice and only justice.
The application here is: Be fair in justice so you may live and inherit the land which the Lord your God gives you.
The Sanhedrin at all levels guaranteed:
Deuteronomy 19:15-21
A) A fair trial
B) The right of disputing charges
C) No conviction without evidence of 2 or more witnesses to the accusation
John 18:15-24
A) Jesus before Annas, son-in-law of Caiaphus, the High Priest–“Jewish Council”
B) Annas was looking to legitimize the charges to Roman Officials
C) He asked Jesus about his work and followers
D) Protocol demanded that 2 or more witnesses already exist
E) Jesus challenges Annas–“Call your witnesses”
F) Unsuccessful, Annas sent an unindicted Jesus to Caiaphus
Now occurring during the trial and making the trial contrary to Biblical principals of Justice and Jewish Law.
A) No formal charges were made, no formal basis existed for Jesus’s arrest and there had to be at least two witnesses.
B) There was no investigation by the Court to determine the merits of any accusation–Deuteronomy 19:16-18
C) Arrest took place at night in order to hide the evil that was happening, Matthew 26:14-16,20,30,47-50
D) You shall not pervert justice–Deuteronomy 16:19
John 18:28
A) Trial was at night–Jewish law only permitted proceedings that took place during daylight hours.
B) Trial began before morning sacrifice at Temple–Illegal based on Jewish Law.
C) Trial held before one of God’s annual Feast Days.–Illegal based on on Jewish Law because it began on a day before a High Holy Day (First day of Unleavened Bread–John:18:28)
D) Trial was too short (Approximately 3 hours)–It minimized the chances of the of the Council to have advocated Him and witnesses couldn’t be notified in time. Trial is one day and if death sentence is pronounced, the trial couldn’t be concluded until the next day according to Jewish Law.
E) The trial was not held before impartial Judges. The Judges at the trial hated the accused and Jewish Law forbids a person from Judging a case if they are negatively biased.
F) False witnesses were allowed to testify
G) Condemnation charge was false–charged with blasphemy when He was telling the truth.
H) Death penalty was unanimously agreed–Illegal in Jewish Law to unanimously condemn a person to death if no one testified as a witness.
I) Sentence announced in an unlawful place. The final sentence was pronounced in the High Priest’s Palace (House/home). It was illegal to sentence someone to die in any location other than the Great Sanhedrin’s appointed place, which was a chamber in Jerusalem’s Temple known as the Chamber of Hewn Stones.
J) The Court changed the charge after the trial. After the trial, the Sanhedrin again changed the charges, this time from blasphemy to treason. They changed the charges to a Roman crime so they could improve their chances of having the Romans (And not them) do the dirty job of murdering Him.
K) The rest of the story is Pontius Pilate determined He was innocent, but still turned Him over to the soldiers for crucifixion to appease the crowd.
There was absolutely nothing right with what happened–a total INJUSTICE. Today we would liken this to a Kangaroo Court.
Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the reeds flourish without water? While it is yet green and not cut down, it withers before any other plant. So are the paths of all who forget God; and the hype of the hypocrite shall perish, whose confidence shall be cut off, and whose trust is a spider’s web. He leans on his house, but it does not stand. He holds it fast, but it does not endure. He grows green in the sun, and his branches spread out in his garden. His roots wrap around the rock heap, and look for a place in stones. If he is destroyed from his place, then it will deny him, saying, “I have not seen you.”
Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby good will come to you. Receive, please, instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; you will remove iniquity far from your tents.
I WAITED patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth–Praise to our God. Many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
You are wearied in the length of your way: yet you did not say, there is no hope. You have found the life of your hand; therefore you were not grieved.
This study was set up by my sister, Connie Willoughby and myself. God says, “Keep my commands and I’ll prepare for you a place.” That in itself infers all commands. This will be a study for some and a review for others.
Sin is a transgression of God’s law. 1st John 3:4. Knowing between right and wrong Romans 3:23 and punishment for sin is death Romans 6:23
There are 5 steps to the road of salvation:
Hear–Romans 10:17
Believe–Matthew 16:16, John 8:23, Acts 16:30-31 and Mark16:16
Repent–Acts 17:30-31, 2nd Corinthians 7:10, Acts 2:37-38 and 1st Thessalonians 1:9
Confess–Mathew 16:16, Matthew 10:32-33 and Acts 8:35-38
Baptized–Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38
Burial in Water–Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:12 and Acts 22:16
Obedience is part of the path of salvation.
Obedience is our assurance that we truly know God (1st John 2:3) God wants us to be sanctified or set apart (1st Thessalonians 4:3).
Obedience proves our love for God. 1st John 5:2-3, John 14:15-24
Obedience demonstrates faithfulness. 1st John 2:3-6
Obedience glorifies God to the world. 1st Peter 2:12 and Matthew 5:16
Obedience opens avenues of blessings. John 13:17
Blessed are those who fear the Lord AND obey Him. James 1:22-23,
Matthew 7:21 and Psalm 128:1
One of the many acts of obedience that the scriptures address is the assembling of the saints or church. Hebrews 10:24-26. With the command to assemble with the saints there are scriptures telling us our work must be done “steadfastly.” Colossians 1:23, Acts 2:42 and Revelation 2:10.
Coming together as a congregation of saints on the 1st day of the week also will provide us the opportunity to Worship our God. Included in Worship service is: Preaching, Praying, Singing, Giving, Fellowship and Communing with the Lord (Acts 20:7).
Love one another–John 13:34-35, Matthew 22:37-39, Romans 12:10, John 4:7-8, Matthew 5:44-45, John 15:12-13 and Romans 12:8.
The fruit of the Holy Spirit sums up 9 attributes of a Christian life according to Paul in his letter to the Ephesians. All are important elements in successful interactions with others.
1) Love
2) Joy
3) Peace
4) Forbearance
5) Kindness
6) Goodness
7) Faithfulness
8) Gentleness
9) Self Control
God established His church on the Day of Pentecost. According to Ephesians 4:4-6 there is only ONE body, One Spirit, One hope, ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ONE God and Father of all, and through all, and in you all. Many will be called and few will be chosen. Are you doing what God wants and will you be one of the chosen?
Have a good study!!
The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.
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