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PROPHETS, PROPHECY, AND MIRACLES
BRAND NEW QUIZZES
NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
The "Bible Quizzes" section of our Website continues to be one of the most popular sections of the site, attracting thousands of visitors each month. In this edition of our newsletter, we are proud to announce the addition of an entirely new division to the Bible Quizzes portion of our Website: Prophets, Prophecy, and Miracles. We have posted "easy, moderate, and difficult" quizzes, and will be adding more quizzes in the future. For now, however, we invite you to try your hand with the first three new Bible prophecy quizzes, which are available on our Website at www.thegospelofchrist.com/quiz.
ANNOUNCING LESSONS SEVEN AND EIGHT
IN TGOC'S NEWLY REVISED
N.T. SERIES ON MATTHEW
In our last newsletter, we announced the availability of lessons six and seven ("The Life and Teaching of the King—Part 1" and "The Life and Teaching of the King—Part 2") in our newly revised New Testament Series on the Book of Matthew. In this newsletter, we are pleased to announce the availability of lessons seven and eight ("The Life and Teaching of the King—Part 3" and "The King on a Cross"), which brings the series to a close.
In "The Life and Teaching of the King—Part 3," Ben Bailey examines chapters 21-25 of the Book of Matthew, which begin by discussing Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Not only does this triumphal entry verify Christ as King and Messiah, but it also is a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. In Matthew 21:4-5, Matthew recorded, "All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying…." Matthew then quoted (Mt. 21:9) Zechariah 9:9 and Psalm 118:26. From Luke 24:27 we learn that Jesus had fulfilled everything that had been written by Moses and the Prophets concerning the Messiah.
In Matthew 21:23-27, the religious leaders of the day asked Christ, "By what authority and power are You doing these things?" Jesus said in return, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?" The religious leaders thought to themselves, "If we say that John's baptism was from God, then Jesus will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet." So the religious leaders said, "We do not know." Jesus then said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." Here, Jesus taught that there are only two possible places whence authority can come—from Heaven or from men. By His teaching, He proved that heavenly authority is the only true authority.
In Matthew 22:36-40, a lawyer asked Jesus a penetrating question ("Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?") that likely was designed to test Him. Notice what Jesus said to him in verses 37-39: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." In John 14:15, Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." If we love God, it means that we will serve and obey Him, and that we will give our lives to Him.
In Matthew 24 we see the disciples asking Jesus three important questions. In Matthew 24:1-4, Jesus had spoken about the temple being destroyed. The disciples then asked Jesus when this would happen, and what the signs of Jesus' coming (that is to say, the Lord's judgment on Jerusalem and the Jewish nation) would be. And, they asked when the end of the world would occur. Unfortunately, many people try to apply the events of Matthew 24:1-33 to our times today. But verse 34 shows that is incorrect. Jesus Himself said, "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." Jesus said that the people to whom He was speaking would see the things of which He spoke. And, indeed, those things were fulfilled during their lifetimes, since Jesus was speaking about the destruction of Jerusalem (which occurred at the hand of the Roman Empire in A.D. 70).
Then, beginning in Matthew 24:36, Jesus addressed the disciples' third question—about His Second Coming. He said, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only." Many today try to point their finger at the Bible and say, "Aha! Jesus must be coming back now (or soon)." But no one has known, or ever will know, when Jesus is coming back. That is something that has not been revealed to us.
In his lesson, "The King on a Cross," Ben focuses on chapters 26 through 28 of Matthew. In Matthew 26:14-16, we find one of Christ's apostles, Judas, going to the chief priests to offer to betray the Lord. Judas asked, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" The text then says, "And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him." This was the beginning of the events that would result in Jesus' crucifixion on the cross.
In Matthew 26:39 we see the type of attitude that Jesus possessed concerning these events. "He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.' " While Jesus did not want to have to endure the suffering of the cross, His attitude was, "It is not My will that is important, Father, but Your will." That is what made Jesus such a strong Man of faith.
In Matthew 26:69-76 we also read of Peter's denial of the Lord, and Jesus' response to that denial. In Matthew 27, we find Jesus being seized by the scribes and Pharisees. His hands are bound, and He is taken away to be put on trial and ultimately crucified. He is scourged. He is spit upon. He has a crown of thorns imbedded in His head. And He is clothed temporarily with a purple robe so soldiers can mock Him, saying "Behold, the King of the Jews!"
In Matthew 27:50, the Bible records for us Christ's death: "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit." This represented the ultimate fulfillment of God's eternal plan. From before time began (2 Tim. 1:8-10) God had planned for Jesus to come to this world and die for all people. At the moment of His death, then, He was literally fulfilling God's amazing scheme of redemption. Jesus died as a perfect, sinless sacrifice (1 Pet. 2:22). And because of His death (and resurrection), salvation would be available to all people everywhere. As Ben went on to note:
- "We cannot read the story of the crucifixion of Christ without being impressed with the love of God. God loved His own creation so much that, even though He knew that people would ultimately crucify His Son, He still sent Jesus to die for those people. Even though each one of us has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23), Jesus loved us so much that He was willing to die on our behalf (John 3:16).... This teaches us just how much Jesus was willing to suffer so that we could have the hope of eternal life. And it ought to impress upon our minds the seriousness of becoming a Christian. When we study Matthew 26-28, and when we think of all that Jesus went through for us, it should help us understand just how serious a thing it is to become a child of God."
Indeed! Both of these lessons are now available on our Website, where you will find them in video, audio, and written transcript formats. We invite you to examine them for yourself, and to share them with others.
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