“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring?“ (Psalm 22:1). King David wrote those words, and centuries later our Lord Jesus Christ cried out these very words as He hung on the cross. As we read through the 22nd Psalm, it’s clear that David wrote these words of prophecy as if he had been transported into the future to stand at the foot of the cross himself. He writes of bones being out of joint and exposed so they are able to be counted, hands and feet being pierced, and casting lots for garments. All this describes Jesus’ torture and crucifixion, but His cry to God the Father is heart-wrenching.

“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with aloud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?“ (Mark 15:34).

Those words break my heart. The anguish in His voice echoes throughout the ages. At that moment in time, God the Father could not look upon God the Son. In all of eternity that had ever happened, Jesus was sinless, but God the Father could not look upon Him because He had become sin in our place.

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him“ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Never think that you, by your own merit, are worthy of salvation. What Jesus did on the cross was something only He could do. Fully God and fully man, He took our sin and willingly allowed Himself to be the once-for-all sacrifice for our redemption. At the moment He cried out those words, do you think that Jesus thought He had made a mistake? No. He chose the cross because He loved those people standing there, and He loves you and me.

It’s important to study Biblical prophecy. It tells us what will come to pass, but it also confirms that God’s word is true, because many prophecies have already been fulfilled. Over 300 prophecies foretold of Jesus’ first coming, including some extremely graphic ones that described His death. Isaiah chapter 53 contains details of the Messiah that are quite descriptive of Jesus.

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not“ (Isaiah 53:3).

The Messiah was rejected by the Jewish leaders on behalf of the nation as a whole, but some individuals recognized Him. Peter was one who had followed Him for three years, but ran and hid in fear when Jesus was arrested and crucified. Many Christians today still try to hide from Him. We accept His sacrifice, but then knowingly embrace sin. Then we stop reading His word or fellowshipping with fellow Christians. We reject Him and don’t esteem Him or His sacrifice. Shame on us.

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him: and with his stripes we are healed“ (Isaiah 53:4-5).

Transgressions (pesha’ in Hebrew) is rebellion and iniquities; (‘avon in Hebrew) is perversity and depravity. Even the best of humans will willingly follow the path of sin that leads to destruction. Little white lies are as much a sin as the big, ugly ones. Jesus was beaten to a bloody pulp and whipped until His bones were exposed because of our transgressions and iniquities. In spite of knowing what He would face, He still chose the cross and bore our griefs and sorrows.

Once a person realizes the price that Jesus paid on the cross, their desire should be to follow Him closely. Unfortunately, we tend to go our own way.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all“ (Isaiah 53:6).

Sheep are followers, but they don’t always follow the wisest path. That’s why they need a shepherd to guide and protect them. Sheep tend to stray into danger, and we are like them. That’s why we need Jesus.

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep“ (John 10:11).

We all follow someone or some thing, and Satan wants us to follow him. That’s when our path becomes dangerous. When we follow Satan, we sin and follow the path that leads to destruction. Every sin that you or I has ever committed, or ever will commit, was laid upon Jesus as He hung on the cross. He took our sins willingly. He cried “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” because of our wrong choice to follow the path of Satan and the world. Why do I continue to sin when I know how much grief I’ve caused Jesus? I’m so sorry, my Lord. Please forgive me.

Death had been introduced into the world through Adam’s sin. That separated humans from God, and sin ruled men’s hearts. We were under the curse of death because of Adam’s choice. God wanted people to understand that sin separates us from Him, and showed what sin is through Jewish Law. God’s standards are so much higher than ours, but the Law was only the instructor and not the cure. Some sins required capital punishment, but stoning was the method of putting a criminal to death, not crucifixion. Blasphemy (claiming to be God) was one of those capital crimes.

“And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance“ (Deuteronomy 21:22-23).

It’s odd that we find reference to someone being put to death and hanged on a tree. The Apostle Paul talked about this in his letter to the Galatians.

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith“ (Galatians 3:13-14).

Jesus became sin for us, and His death, burial, and resurrection opened the door to the Gentiles, by faith, to also find salvation. Jesus was accursed and hung on the cross, and He took the punishment for our sins upon Himself. Christ fulfilled the Law, and only through Him can we find redemption. We owe everything to Jesus, and when we accept what He did we need to allow changes in our lives that move us from a sin-filled life to one that honors Him.

During His time on earth, Jesus had done many things to upset the Pharisees. He healed people on the Sabbath and gathered food on the Sabbath, but did He claim to be God? Yes, He did. He was God in the flesh, but the religious leaders were blind to the truth.

After one heated debate, Jesus said “I and my Father are one“ (John 10:30).

That doesn’t translate well into English, but the Pharisees understood.

“Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God“ (John 10:31-33).

Blasphemy (claiming to be God) was the reason the Pharisees wanted Jesus killed, and they were able to convince the Romans to crucify Him. If the Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah’s death were false, the prophet would have described Jewish stoning and not crucifixion as the way He would be killed.

When the Romans occupied Jerusalem, stoning was outlawed and crucifixion was the way a criminal was executed. Jesus was not a criminal, but prophecy is clear that Messiah would not be stoned; He would be crucified. In fact, the prophet Zechariah gave prophetic words regarding a still future time when the nation of Israel will understand who Jesus was.

“And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn“ (Zechariah 12:10).

One day the nation of Israel will understand that Jesus is the Messiah and that He was crucified, not stoned, for their sins and the sins of the entire world.

When the events of the day of crucifixion had come to an end, Jesus gave up His life. Those who had stood at the foot of the cross watched as He suffered, and had seen the Roman soldiers cast lots for His robe; they heard Him ask that the Father would forgive those who had abused Him and pounded the nails into His hands and feet; they heard Him promise the criminal next to Him that, because he had recognized who Jesus was, he would be in Paradise that day. Jesus gave the care of His mortal mother Mary to John, and at last all was finished, and He gave up the Ghost.

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished; and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost“ (John 19:30).

Those who were gathered around heard His final words, and they saw Him die. They had no way of knowing that the victory had been won! Joseph of Arimathaea asked for the body and He was put into the tomb, which was sealed and guarded by Roman soldiers. What did His mother and friends think? They had hoped that Jesus was the longed-for Messiah, but now He was dead. The cross had claimed another life. We can look back and know that their grief would soon turn to joy! The day of First Fruits was coming. Hallelujah, Christ is risen!

When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He wasn’t talking about the limited hopes of  a handful of people. Jesus meant that the battle was finished and Satan lost.

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?“ (1 Corinthians 15:55).

He won our fight. He chose the cross and He won! Death is no longer the end of life for anyone who has accepted the shed blood of Jesus as the final sacrifice for sin. Jesus said, “It is finished,” and He meant it. There is nothing more that needs to be done. Why, then, do we insult Him by adding anything to His victory?

Baptism? It’s obedience and a way to honor Him, but only His shed blood brings salvation. Looking to Mary for “help” in salvation is blasphemy. There is no other path that leads to salvation, so if you think that you can blaze your own trail to Heaven, you’re very deceived. Look to Jesus…look to the cross.

The battle is won because Jesus chose the cross.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

 

What do you celebrate, Easter or the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?

God was very specific as to when the Passover took place, and we know by faith that it was a picture of Jesus and the Cross. According to God’s directions given to Moses and recorded in Exodus chapter 12, a lamb without blemish was to be selected on the tenth day of the first month (Nisan) and sacrificed on the fourteenth day of that month. Its blood was to be sprinkled upon the doorposts, and that act of faith protected the firstborn of that house from death.

The protection from death that the lamb’s blood provided was a temporary protection for that night. The protection was for anyone, and if the Egyptians had put blood upon their doorposts, they would also have been protected. Had the children of Israel not followed God’s instructions, they would have faced death. This is what prompted Pharaoh to release the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt. After the exodus from Egypt, God gave Moses directions about keeping the Passover.

“In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S passover“ (Leviticus 23:5).

This had nothing to do with the pagan rituals which we celebrate today, but everything to do with the future Messiah, whose blood was shed to purchase the salvation of anyone who believes in His death, burial, and resurrection. In addition to Passover, God gave directions to Moses as to a subsequent feast, called First Fruits.

“And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it“ (Leviticus 23:11).

The Sabbath is from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, so the day following the Sabbath would be Sunday. These dates were important to God, and He was very specific as to when these feasts were to be celebrated. We need to pay attention.

Let’s take a look at some Jewish/Christian history and see what difference it makes. At one time there was no separation between people groups. Adam was the first man and Eve was the first woman. They had a very close relationship with God until sin broke that relationship. God covered their sin with coats of skin. Sacrifice was understood as a part of life, but when Cain took his sacrifice lightly, God refused it.

“And in the process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and his offering: but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell“ (Genesis 4:3-5).

Cain had disregarded God’s directions, but Abel sacrificed a lamb which was the proper offering. God’s rejection of his offering angered Cain, and in his anger he killed his brother. I have to wonder if following pagan traditions is more like Cain’s offering or more like Abel’s.

Things went from bad to worse as people became more and more corrupt. The “sons of God,” ben ‘elohiym, took wives of the daughters of men, and children were born of this unholy union. “Sons of God” is a term only used for angels. Many people refuse to believe that angels and humans can produce children, but that’s what Scripture says happened. You have to decide for yourself at what point you begin to believe God.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness“ (2 Timothy 3:16).  

My faith in God’s word begins with Genesis 1:1 and continues through Revelation 22:21.

Because of these fallen angels, all of creation was corrupted. The idea that God destroyed all of creation because Cain’s sons married Seth’s daughters cannot explain why plants and animals also had to be destroyed.

“And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them“ (Genesis 6:7).

If you can believe that God was mad at Cain’s sons so He destroyed everything, then you don’t know God. God is love and not subject to mood swings.

There were a few people who rejected the corruption that was prevalent, and they were descendants of Adam’s son Seth.

“These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God“ (Genesis 6:9).

The Hebrew word tamiym is translated “perfect.” It doesn’t mean without sin, but means not genetically tainted. Noah wasn’t genetically tainted by the corruption around him. It’s also the same word translated “without blemish” when referring to the Passover lamb. Noah was just a human with a sin nature but made his choices based on his love for God and not pagan lifestyles, which is how we should make our choices today.

When he and his family stepped off of the Ark, they found a world that had been drastically changed. Because their blood hadn’t been tainted, Noah’s family were the ones who would repopulate the world.

As the population grew, people once again began to turn away from God’s ways and embraced sin and corruption. Instead of worshipping and honoring the one true God, demon worship was accepted. Animal sacrifices wouldn’t satisfy these demons, and human sacrifice became a common practice, especially the sacrifice of children, which God Almighty abhors.

Pagan ways were established in Babylon; and that’s where the worship of Ishtar, a fertility goddess, began. Rabbits and eggs symbolized fertility, so they were adopted into the sexually perverse rituals of Ishtar worship. Ishtar is known by other names in other cultures, including Isis, Ashtaroth, the Queen of Heaven, et al. Eventually God called a man to separate himself from idolatry. This man was Abram (Abraham), a descendant of Noah’s son, Shem.

Sometimes it seems as if God moves very slowly, but His timing is perfect.

Abraham was told to leave the idols behind and move to a place that God had planned for him, and the future nation of Israel. Abraham left the idols behind, and so should we.

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon“ (Matthew 6:24).

There is only one true God, and it’s Him we need to honor.

Abraham took his wife and his nephew with him, along with servants and livestock. God blessed Abraham in many ways; and after many years he and Sarah had a son named Isaac, who in turn had a son named Jacob. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, and his twelve sons became the patriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel.

From the very beginning, God knew that Adam would sin; but He knew that the plan He put into motion would ultimately lead to the birth of the Messiah, who would become the perfect Sacrificial Lamb for sin. Jesus was born from the tribe of Judah through the lineage of King David.

There are a few descriptions of Heaven throughout the Bible, but our human minds cannot come close to understanding the perfection found there. Yet, God loved us enough to leave Heaven and step into this fallen world to offer us eternal life.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved“ (John 3:16-17).

That’s perfect love. Jesus wasn’t forced to become human, but he chose to become one of us to offer us salvation through faith. He knew that He would face ridicule, disbelief, and rejection; but He loved us enough to enter His creation as one of us. He knew that He would be illegally arrested and beaten beyond recognition. He knew that when the soldiers pounded those spikes into His hands and feet He could have called out, and angels would have stopped the murder right then and there. He also knew that He was the Lamb of God that takes away sin instead of just covering it.

Only His death on the cross could offer life to people who are in desperate need of a Saviour. That’s you and me.

He called us out of the pagan world around us to be separate, just as Abraham was called away from the pagan idol worshippers around him. There is no other way to eternal life than through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Based on the Jewish calendar, we know when His death occurred and when the resurrection took place.

We’ve come to the time of year that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Why do we celebrate that life-changing event based on a pagan ritual day – the first Sunday after the first full moon, after the Vernal Equinox?

In order to answer that question, ask yourself what you’re celebrating. Colored eggs and bunnies have nothing to do with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

The vast majority of people who color eggs see it as having fun with family and enjoying time together. There’s nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, there isn’t a single Scripture that associates the rituals of Ishtar with the resurrection of our Saviour, but there are many verses that specifically tell us when Jesus was crucified and conquered death for us.

After His resurrection, Jesus entered the locked room where His disciples were meeting. He shared some fish with them.

“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me“ (Luke 24:44).

Passover and First Fruits are two of the many, many laws and prophecies that Jesus fulfilled. God went out of His way to let us know that Jesus arose from the dead on the first day of the week after Passover. We need to honor God on His terms and not go the way of Cain by worshipping God on our own terms. Jesus gave His life for us, and that’s worth properly worshipping Him for.

Jesus fulfilled Passover when He shed His blood, and fulfilled First Fruits when He was resurrected on the first day of the week.

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept“ (1 Corinthians 15:20).

To be biblically correct, we should celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on the Sunday following Nisan 14 (Passover) instead of Easter. Isn’t that a statement about most of our Christian life?

If we have a choice of identifying with the world or separating ourselves to God, the world usually wins.

Jesus was the Perfect Lamb of God and the ultimate sacrifice. The protection from death that His blood provides is eternal. Occasionally Easter and First Fruits coincide, but it isn’t Easter we should celebrate.

What will you celebrate this year? The pagan holiday of Easter or the resurrection of the King of kings and the Lord of lords? I choose to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.