Using the Revised Standard Version (RSV) Bible.
Visual Aids are used in this talk.
A Cross is made of textile material large enough to accommodate items on the following list.
Adam & Eve (small dolls)
Picture Wilderness
Bible (small Bible)
Picture Jesus on the Cross
Picture Resurrected Jesus
Picture Two Trees
Girl (small doll)
Picture Jerusalem at the time of Jesus
Picture Whale
Material large enough to accommodate the largest object.
A piece of cloth is cut to form two crosses and then sewn together along the dotted lines.
Leave open the four ends to enable the objects to be placed inside the cross and pulled out at the appropriate time.
Objects are placed inside the cross.
Each one is pulled out in turn and its significance explained.
The verses of scripture can be handed out and read at the appropriate time.
The cross a place of change, a cross roads.
Life is often described as a journey and at some point we may be challenged to take a step of faith in the direction of Jesus.
Faith
Helicopter Pilot
An example of having faith has been explained to me by a Helicopter pilot when landing a helicopter at night on a Rig in the North Sea.
The pilot should not use his own judgement, he has to put his faith in the instruments to safely land on the Rig Helipad at night.
Having faith is part of our freedom to choose and it’s hard to put our faith into something that we can not see, like the pilots instruments making calculations of height, distance and speed for him.
The Bible describes faith “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11: 1
The Bible is like the instruments, we take from it the promises of God that has been given to us by Jesus to direct our walk in life. We focus not on ourselves but on Jesus the light of the world.
The writer of Genesis was inspired by God to write the account about the creation.
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were told by God not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Eve was tempted to eat from it, by the old serpent, the Devil, Satan. Adam also was tempted to become like God himself knowing good and evil, both fell to his temptation. As a result they were separated from God.
Adam in succumbing to the temptation gave the devil power over mankind’s heart and soul which changed our nature we became self centred, self ruled. Sin, death, pain, sickness and disease entered into the world.
Adam was created in the likeness of God. Adam’s son was born in the likeness of his father Adam and not in the likeness of God. Adam’s fallen nature became hereditary. Genesis 5: 1, 3
God gave to human beings a promise that he would send a saviour to save us, from the power of the devil and renew our fellowship with God. Genesis 3:15 This promise was realised in Jesus and it’s through faith in him we discover that it is true.
Wilderness Temptations
Mary the mother of Jesus gave Jesus his humanity. God the Father of Jesus gave him his divinity as the Son of God.
Jesus the Son of man was the one who God used to restore our relationship with God that the first man Adam lost.
Romans 5 verse 19 puts it this way “For just as though the disobedience of one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man many will be made righteous.”
Where Adam fell into temptation, Jesus didn’t although he was severely tempted by the devil in the wilderness. The devil attempted to undermine Jesus’ role as the Son of man.
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry.” Matthew 4: 1, 2.
Three Temptations
1/ The devil suggested to him, “If you are the Son of God command these stones to become bread.” No human being can change stones into bread. But Jesus could have done so because he had the power of God as the Son of God.
If Jesus had responded as the Son of God and changed stones into bread to feed his hunger He would have gone from being like us, to being like God.
It would have disqualified him from claiming victory over Adam’s fall. Jesus could only save us by being one of us, having flesh and blood.
The writer of the letter to the Hebrews confirms this view.
“Since the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has power over death that is the devil.” Hebrews 2: 14
“For because he himself suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.” Hebrews 2:18
“Jesus is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15
Thankfully Jesus didn’t respond as the Son of God, but as the Son of man. He said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
Like us Jesus needed food for his physical body and like us he needed to be strengthened by the word of God.
2/ The devil took Jesus to the highest point of the temple at Jerusalem. Using verses of scripture the devil suggested to him that if he jumped off the pinnacle God’s angels would prevent him injuring himself.
Jesus as the Son of God knew that he had to suffer and die on the cross at Jerusalem.
Jesus’ response as the Son of man, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.”
When we are tempted to test God for the purposes of safeguarding our own interests not to do so.
3/The devil fraudulently offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if he would bow down and worship him.
Jesus as the Son of God could have disputed the devils ownership of the kingdoms of the world.
Jesus the Son of man said, “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.” God is sovereign over all the kingdoms of the world and the universe.
Jesus was one of us.
Jesus in his humanity was full of the Holy Spirit which enabled him to face the full force of the devil and his scheming. Jesus’ prayer and fasting kept him focused on his spiritual battle against the devil.
Bible
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour, and the day of vengeance of our God; and to comfort all who mourn.” Isaiah 61: 1, 2.In the synagogue at Nazareth Jesus stood and read from Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18, 19Jesus doesn’t complete the last sentence; and the day of vengeance of our God; and to comfort all who mourn, instead he closed the book and sat down.
Jesus personalised those words from Isaiah because they were about his ministry as the Messiah. He didn’t finish the second verse in Isaiah 61 and go on to proclaim the day of vengeance because he had to be killed and raised from the dead before the day of vengeance could happen.
The Nation of Israel was expecting the Christ, to bring in the Day of Vengeance, a day of Judgement. The Pharisees were expecting Jesus to make a judgement on the woman caught in adultery, but he didn’t, instead he asked if any of them were without sin to cast the first stone.
Jesus during his ministry had said, “I came not to cast a fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled. But I have a baptism to be baptised with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished.” Luke 12: 49, 50.
“The Messiah’s Secret” page 47“
Jesus was referring to the fire of the Day of Vengeance, the Day of the Lord. The fire not yet kindled, not until after he brought in the good news of the impending kingdom, gathering the nation together. A loving heavenly Father giving the people who had fallen away from his laws, the opportunity to receive salvation through Jesus. He taught salvation through the laws of Moses, (Zacchaeus) without the generations of added precepts, whereby the Jew was blameless through good works, deeds, feeding the hungry, giving to the poor, helping the widows, observance of the law, the Day of Atonement.
His Father was dwelling in the temple at Jerusalem where they were still under the law. He was preparing the nation for the judgement to come. In Mark 9: 43, 44 he says that if one of your members causes you to sin, it would be better to enter life maimed than go to hell, to the unquenchable fire, with two hands.
Jesus did not come as a judge to condemn the people. In Luke 12: 50 he says “For I have a baptism to be baptised with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished.” The baptism was of his death and resurrection. He was constrained to bring in the fire of judgement until his death, resurrection and ascension had been accomplished. His death was a secret; it was hidden from the Jews.”
The disciples and followers didn’t realise at the time that the Christ had to die at Jerusalem, even though at the Transfiguration he had spoken of his departure which he was to accomplish there.
Luke 9: 31
Cross
Jesus won the victory over the devil’s power and influence over us. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus was praying, he was deeply distressed in his soul because as a human being he was wrestling with his own will. Jesus knew that in order to save us he had to suffer and die by crucifixion. His choice was to call upon 20 legions of angels to his assistance to defend him against being arrested or to do his Father’s will and go through the process that would lead him to die a horrible death on a wooden cross. Peter or John who where there in the garden praying with Jesus, heard the words that Jesus prayed aloud. “ Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done.” Luke Chapter 22:42
Soon after, Jesus was arrested without any resistance and taken to the high priests house.
Jesus had died to his own will and was willing to do his Fathers’ will and go to the cross,
Jesus resisted temptation to self determine his own life.
Through Adam’s fall we prioritise. We have a basic instinct to look after self and self preservation.
It is as we recognise our separation from God is through our self centeredness that we come to Jesus to make us right with God, through the price paid for our transgression and his life laid down for the sin of Adam and Eve. We are baptised into his death and raised in the likeness of his resurrection. Set free from the power of the devil over our soul, our fallen nature, a new creation in Christ.
“The Messiah’s Secret” page 73
“No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up that who ever believes in him may have eternal life.” John 3: 14, 15
Moses had led the Nation of Israel out of slavery from Egypt. When they were making a detour around Edom through the wilderness the people complained to Moses because they had no food or water. A large number of deadly snakes came among them and many of the people died. They came to Moses Asking to be forgiven for complaining and asked if God would take away the snakes. Moses prayed to God and he was told by God to make a bronze snake and put it onto a pole, so that everyone who had been bitten should look at the snake on the pole and they would live.” Numbers 21: 4-9
Jesus used this incident, in the exodus from Egypt, to demonstrate his death and resurrection. As a result of the fall of the first man Adam sin and death came into the world. (Serpent representing death)The second man Jesus through his victory over sin and death won eternal life (the dead serpent lifted up on the pole representing forgiveness and healing).
“The Messiah’s Secret” page 138
Adam and Eve had their eyes were opened to good and evil, and as a result they felt the need to cover their bodies. God cursed the serpent and prophesied that through the seed of a woman the Messiah would bruise the head of the serpent, and the serpent would bruise the heel of the Messiah.
A curse was also placed upon the woman that in child bearing her pain would be great and her husband would rule over her. The curse that God put upon Adam, he would sweat and toil the ground for food all his life, the amount of weeds would increase the toil. After death he would return back to the ground, dust, from which he had been created.
The serpent lifted up on the pole represents life over death, Jesus the second Adam. The victory over the serpent’s power over death has been won by Jesus in his death and resurrection. Jesus as a result bruised the head of the serpent.
The serpent bruised Christ’s heel; this happened when Jesus suffered the agony of the wooden cross, the death by hanging on a tree, crucifixion. Deuteronomy 21: 23. Genesis 3: 15. John 19: 5. Romans 5: 17, 18.
The crown of thorns that was placed upon his head by the soldiers at his trial, redeemed the earth
and Adam from the curse God put upon him. Matthew 27: 29
Eve through the victory of the cross has been redeemed from the curse that God placed upon her. Matthew 23: 10. There is no marriage in heaven between believers. Luke 20: 35, 36.
Through faith in Jesus we are cleansed by his blood from the sin of Adam and Eve and all our past sins.
The Son of man had to die and be lifted up so that those who believe in him and follow him receive eternal life.”
“The Messiah’s Secret – Revealed”
As a human being Jesus had to die on the cross and be raised from the dead to save us from the fall of Adam and Eve before the nation of Israel and the peoples of the world could be reconciled back to God. The disciples of Jesus proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah for the first time at Pentecost.
Jesus is risen
We understand from Luke’s gospel that the disciples at first didn’t believe when they heard from the women that Jesus had been raised from the dead. Their words seemed to them like an idle tale, and they did not believe them. Luke 24: 11.
During his ministry Jesus prophesied his resurrection but the disciples didn’t understand until they went into the empty tomb and saw the linen cloths lying on the floor.
“The Messiah’s Secret – Revealed” page 105“
After the resurrection the man at the tomb dressed in a white robe told the women that Jesus would see them in Galilee. He had made a particular request for them to tell ‘the disciples and Peter,’ Peter had denied Jesus at his trial and he was probably feeling very upset. Peter hearing from the women, what the man at the tomb had said, ran to the tomb. Mark 16: 7
Peter’s name was particularly mentioned by the man at the tomb and this showed the Lord’s love for him, he and John ran to the tomb and although John out ran Peter he stepped back to allow Peter to enter the tomb before him.
John in his Gospel wrote that they believed when they saw the linen cloths lying and the napkin that had been on his head rolled up in a place by itself. He went on to say that at the time they did not know the scripture that he must rise from the dead.”
John 20: 9
Prophesies found in the Psalms about the resurrection:
“For thou dost not give me up to Sheol, or let thy godly one see the pit.” Psalm 16: 10.
“That he should continue to live for ever, and never see the Pit.” Psalm 49: 9
Abraham believed in the resurrection of the dead.
Hebrews 11: 17-19.
On the evening of the day of the resurrection.
Jesus came into the house where the disciples were gathered and said, ”Peace be with you.” He showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. He said again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them , and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus breathed new life into the disciples, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God.
John the Baptist said that the Messiah would baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Luke 3: 16
John’s word fulfilled on the evening of the day of the resurrection.
At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came into the world
Peter standing with the other disciples proclaimed that the prophesy of Joel had been fulfilled with the pouring out of the Holy Spirit . . . before the day of the Lord comes . . . And it shall be whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. “Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you shall receive the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and your children and all that are afar off.” Acts 2: 16 – 21, 38, 39.
2.000 years later and still these words prevail.
The Holy Spirit’s coming into the world is to reveal the truth concerning Jesus who has saved us from the power of eternal death held by the devil and to equip those who believe in Jesus with the love of God, the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Nine years after making my commitment to follow Christ, the Holy Spirit opened the eyes of my understanding to know Jesus as my Saviour. I was amazed to find that it all that I had read was true about him. I was filled with the presence of God, his love, and his word. I felt at one with creation and I had no longer a fear of death. I knew God as my Father and my creator. My life found purpose and fulfilment and a hope for the future, eternal life with Christ.
The Tree of Life.
The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
Verse 6. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
Jesus informs us what the word flesh means in Mark 7: 14-23. It is not what we eat that defiles a person, food coming into our bodies through our mouths, but it’s what comes out of our heart and mind that defile us thoughts of fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. Jesus bore these sins that defile a person’s heart for us on the cross.
The death and resurrection of Jesus has the power of the Spirit of God to create a new nature within us, transforming our hearts and minds, writing God’s commandments into our hearts. To feel how God feels about sin, to seek the ways of God, to find fulfilment for our lives.
Paul wrote about crucifying the flesh, meaning when wrong thoughts come into our thoughts to reject them. If we submit to them, it’s like us going and eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, instead of the tree of life which is Spirit.
“We have become partakers of the divine nature. For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly and sisterly affection and brotherly and sisterly affection with love. For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:4-8
Cross working from within the heart.
At some point on our Christian journey we will each come into some kind of suffering, God will allow this to happen as part of our growing in faith to become more dependant upon the Lord for his help and for our needs. Also it acts like a refining fire, where we are blameless in Christ, Jesus died for our sins and we have been raised to a new life in Christ, but we are not faultless.
Extracts from “The Story of Job” by Jessie Penn Lewis
(Welsh Rivival)
"It doesn’t matter when suffering comes if the person is truly yielded to Christ. The Holy Spirit will gather every thread of pain and weave it through his loom into a beautiful pattern of the life of Christ.
New Christians experience the joy and delights, emotional and many secret manifestations of God and mountain heights of uninterrupted union and communion with God.
They will also experience wilderness temptations, trails, conflict, dryness, inward and outward darkness and distress.
Separation from the world
A holy sorrow for sin, without any sense of guilt. An abiding sorrow for sin is a holy suffering, needful for spiritual progress. It maintains the believer the principle of perfect repentance, it deepens humility it kindles the feelings of gratitude. It keeps the heart in touch with the blood of Jesus. It worships the deity of God. It intercedes for others and thirsts for the perfect reign of God, when sin will pass away, like a tide going out.
The sorrow for past sins, is a blameless fruitful form of suffering, under the Holy Spirit and is free from despair, despondency or of bitterness.
The Holy Spirit will at times let a true, humble heart feel the malice of others, painful shootings through the heart. This is real inward suffering; this painful sense of being despised by our fellows, yielded to God in humble prayer will bring great tenderness and love."
Jerusalem at the time of Jesus
A word I was given on 30th May 1996 was that, “The disciples were setting up the kingdom in at the beginning of Acts.” It was as I understood to be in preparation for his return with the angels of God. Mark 8:38
Jesus during the 40 days after his resurrection spoke to the apostles about the kingdom of God. After Jesus’ ascension the apostles and followers of Jesus gathered in the upper room in the house where they were staying at Jerusalem. Jesus had told them to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father, the coming of the Holy Spirit in to the world.
“The Messiah’s Secret – Secret Revealed.” Part Eight page 169
At the beginning of the Acts of the apostles Luke recorded that there were 120 people present in the upper room, this was the number required to form a town according to the rules of the Mishna, one tenth being the officers. Matthias took Judas’ place to make up the number to twelve, one tenth. (Peake’s Commentary on the Bible. Before the Mishna came into being the Jews had the oral law which became both the Mishna and the Talmud.)
It’s no coincidence that the number gathered in the house were the exact number required to set up a community. The problem of being one short to make up the required number of officers was prophesied in the Psalm quoted by Peter. Acts 1: 20. Psalm 109: 8
Thousands of people became part of the community of believers after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
The Messiah's Secret - Revealed. The Apostles proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah for the first time at Pentecost. Jesus had to die and be raised up from the dead and ascend into heaven before the nation of Israel could receive Jesus as their Messiah. We read in Acts 7: 56 Stephen gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, was he standing in readiness to return with the angels of God?
Whale
The Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection, nor angels, nor spirit, but the Pharisees did believe in the resurrection of the dead. When Jesus was in conversation with the Sadducees and Pharisees he told them of his resurrection, he gave them a sign of the prophet Jonah.
“The Messiah’s Secret – Secret Revealed.” page 179- 181“
An evil an adulterous generation seeks for a sign; but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”
Matthew 12: 39
James Bartley found alive inside a whale. Dake’s Annoted Reference Bible page 1961
"The April 4th 1896 Literary Digest gave a story of a Mediterranean whale that demolished a harpoon boat. Two men were lost. One found alive in the whale’s belly a day and a half after it was killed. James Bartley lived with no after effects except that his skin was tanned by the gastric juices."
Jonah was in the body of a fish for three days and nights and lived. The people of Nineveh when they heard Jonah’s message from God they repented. When the King of Nineveh heard of God’s message he repented and made a proclamation that all the people of Nineveh should repent.
The leaders and people of Jerusalem, through the apostles had heard the kingdom message of repentance and forgiveness and had seen the signs of the resurrection and the pouring out of God’s Spirit in the last days. Thousands of people did accept the apostle’s message and repented and joined them, but the majority of the leaders of the Sanhedrin, rejected the apostles message that Jesus was the Christ they would not bring the nation to repentance.
“The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgement with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold something greater than Jonah is here.” Matthew 12: 41
Jesus saw how sinful the nation’s leaders were. They had not accepted the Baptism of John and they did not believe the Gospel of the kingdom and the prophesies concerning Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Jesus continued Jonah’s prophecy as explained in Matthew Chapter 12 verse 43 when he said, “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none.” He ends with the words, “And the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. So it shall be with this evil generation.”
Through the baptisms of both John and Jesus for the repentance of sin, the majority of the people of Israel had been cleansed from their sin. Through the rejection of Jesus as the Christ this prophecy in Matthew’s Gospel had been fulfilled. Within a short period of time the nation was brought to its knees. In AD 70 Jerusalem was destroyed and the people where scattered throughout the world.”
