Jesus often gave examples of what was going on in the daily lives of people and their surroundings to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. Maybe he had heard or seen at first hand the result of someone being the victim of their enemy’s handiwork, when the wheat seeds began to show they found black seeds appearing on the husks. Someone had sown in amongst the wheat Zewan seeds, which is a plant that when it is growing has the appearance of wheat until the seeds show through which are black and poisonous. Dakes Bible Concordance.
Jesus was making the distiction between good and evil, good things come from God like the wheat seeds that we grind to make flour and bread and kindness when people are kind towards one another.
The things that are not good for us like the Zewan seeds, if we ate those seeds they would make us very poorly and when people are nasty to each other it makes us feel bad.
Some times we describe a person as being the salt of the earth meaning: a good person with integrity. Jesus described himself as a seed, a grain of wheat.
The good wheat seed sown by the Son of man – A title of the Messiah
Jesus first had to die to bring forth the new seed in the likeness of himself; the seeds of eternal life.
Jesus said, “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies; it bears much fruit.” John 12: 24
A seed of wheat has first to die before germination begins. In the garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was arrested his disciples fled, he was left on his own. On the cross he cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Jesus died alone and was buried in the darkness of a tomb. God brought the lifeless body of Jesus back to life, giving him new life, eternal life.
Those who have faith in Jesus receive the eternal seed through the combined action of the Word, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God the Father. God’s love touches the seed that has been planted in our heart and mind and it begins to grow in the knowledge of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We recognise that our sin separates us from God, we ask the Lord for forgiveness and receive the Jesus into our heart and the Holy Spirit acts upon our faith in Jesus God our Father raises us to new life, to know him.
The good news sown by the children of God We read in the Acts of the Apostles were Paul and his companions were taking the good news into the world. Paul had been working with twelve disciples at Ephesus establishing the church there. Lots of people became Christians and the Church flourished as God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul. He prayed over handkerchiefs or aprons and they were taken to the sick and they were healed.
The church founded upon the Rock, the true God overthrew the false god, Artemis or Diana the fertility god.
Ephesus was the main centre for the worship of Artemis; the temple at Ephesus was regarded as one of the seven wonders of the known world. This would make it a very busy place with tourists and worshippers.
Paul’s ministry impacted the silversmith’s trade of making idols of Diana. The discerning Christians did not want to buy their idols.
The seeds of discord were sown in the field at Ephesus. The silversmith Demetrius decided to act against the church, by sowing seeds of discord, he brought the silversmiths together inciting them to riot as he quoted what Paul had said, “That gods made by hands are not gods and that the temple of the goddess would count for nothing.”
Paul had taken the teaching from Isaiah, “All who make idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit; their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. Who fashions a god or casts an image, that is profitable for nothing? Isaiah 44: 9,10.
The silversmiths were angry and went in number to demonstrate and taking hold of Christians Gaius and Aristarchus they dragged them into the theatre. There action caused confusion, and those who found themselves caught up in their protest did not know why they were there.
The Town Clerk questioned some of the people, and then he spoke to the crowd and defused the situation. He said that the silversmiths should settle the matter in court/Assembly. Acts 19: 23-41.
We can see that Demetrius was looking after his business interests rather than the consequences of a starting a riot. Underlying this action the devil was trying to antagonise the people against the church.
In recent times the seeds of violence sown in the field of Ireland. Those who wanted to see a united Ireland incited violence over many years through the religious divide to achieve their aims.
We give thanks for the peace process in Ireland that has brought an end to the hostility. Our prayer is that in Ireland, its people will continue to live in peace with each other.
Signs of Jesus’ return The Apostles and followers of the first century church were expecting Jesus to return within their lifetime. Jesus had said “If, it is my will that he remains until I come, what is that to you.” referring to the disciple John. John 21: 22
For the first time at Pentecost the apostles proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ.
The return of the Christ was a possibility soon after Pentecost.
“The Messiah’s Secret” page 108
“God was calling his people to repentance. Peter had told them that the rulers and people had acted in ignorance when they crucified Jesus; he had to die to accomplish the plan of Salvation for the Jews and for the world. If they would repent and acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus would return. The times of refreshing, after his coming he would restore the throne of King David, an everlasting throne and Kingdom, and the restoration of the land given to Abraham by God for an eternal possession. Those who were expecting, waiting would see the Kingdom come with power. Jesus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”
The crowd were gathered in Solomon’s Portico around Peter and John. Peter said to them, “And now brethren I know that you acted in ignorance as did your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all his prophets, that the Christ should suffer he has thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus.” Acts 3: 17-21
This was a national calling for the people to repent so that the sin of Israel against God would be forgiven and as a result God would send the appointed Christ, who was Jesus. The leaders did not recognise Jesus as the Christ, Caiaphas who was the high priest that year, he was a Sadducee. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead and with the Roman's defiling Jesus through his death on a cross. It would seem that Caiaphas was unable to overcome these things and accept Jesus as the Christ on behalf of the nation.
The second time the Christians expected Jesus to return was around 70AD
Jesus prophesied the signs that would precede his coming are recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke, the gospels recounts Jesus’ words. The disciples were stood admiring the beauty of the temple.
Josephus wrote in his book, “The Wars of the Jews” Book 5
“The outward face of the temple in its front was covered all over with plates of gold of great weight, and at the first rising of the sun, reflected back a fiery splendour, and made those who forced themselves to look upon it to turn their eyes away, just as they would have done at the sun’s own rays.” The forty foot columns were of white marble each one was of a single block of stone.”
The disciples were proud of the magnificence of the buildings, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings.” Mark 13: 1.
Jesus responded by telling them that it would be levelled to the ground. How shocked the disciples must have been hearing this from Jesus.
The first century Christians saw the destruction of the temple as a sign of Jesus’ return.
Jesus went on to say as they marvelled at the splendour of the temple buildings, that false Messiah’s and prophets would arise and lead many astray. His disciples would face persecution as they took the gospel to the known world. There would be wars and famine, earthquakes. The heavens would be shaken and darkened along with the moon and the stars would fall from heaven.
All these things took place before and around 70AD. St Paul was involved with the persecution of the early church as a result the Jerusalem community were scattered. I’ve no doubt that false Messiah’s and prophets arose. There was a terrible famine during the reign of Claudius and a devastating earthquake at Laodicea.
Josephus and Tacitus the Roman historian wrote of strange happenings in the heavenlies. A comet appeared over Jerusalem for 12 months. A bright light for the space of half an hour, shone so bright in the night between the temple and the altar that it seemed as if it were noonday and a flaming sword was seen over Jerusalem.
Before and during the Roman move against Jerusalem with its army made up of various nationalities, many Christians left Jerusalem and fled to Pella where they found sanctuary. The Romans took Jerusalem and the temple was set on fire, afterwards they searched and removed the melted gold from the temple ruins, as a result it was demolished, just as Jesus had foretold.
Josephus wrote that gradually afterwards the Christians moved back to the outlying parts of Jerusalem. Zechariah 14: 1-4 After the onslaught of Jerusalem, the return of Jesus to the Mount of Olives.
The Christians were expecting Jesus to return but it wasn’t to be. The nations surviving leaders did not bring the people to repentance or recognise that Jesus was the Christ, (the time of his visitation Luke 19: 43, 44)
Today we are still expecting Jesus to return.
“But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Mark 12: 32.
This year 2011 Mr Camping was reported by the ‘Daily Mail’ of spending millions of dollars on Billboards across the US forecasting that the day of judgement was to come to fruition on Saturday May 21st 2011. However sincere he and his followers were, they were wrong, sowing seeds that have led many astray.
The question of the third temple I'll leave it for another time.
Israel will recognise Jesus as the crucified Christ. Zechariah prophesied the nations coming against Jerusalem and in that terrible situation the Jewish leaders will bring their nation to repentance as they recognise Jesus as their Christ.
“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and supplication, so that, when they look at him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weeps bitterly over him, as one weeps for the first-born.” Zechariah 12: 10
The Mount of Olives
Zechariah also prophesied that when the Christ comes he will stand on the Mount of Olives. As the apostles watched Jesus ascend into heaven, the man in white standing there with them told them that Jesus would return to the same place where they had seen him leave, the Mount of Olives. Acts 1: 11.
“Behold the day of the Lord is coming, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in the midst of you. For I will gather the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women ravished; half of the city shall go into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives which lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley; so that one half of the Mount shall withdraw northward, and the other half southward.” Zechariah 14: 1-4
Zechariah goes on to described in verse five that this splitting of the ground on the Mount of Olives as being like an earthquake, so when the Lord comes, the earth will shake. We have the example in Acts; the house shook when the Holy Spirit came and filled the followers as they rejoiced and gave thanks and prayed after the release from prison of the Apostles Peter and John. Acts 4: 31.
Christians return with Christ Zechariah informs us, “Then the Lord your God will come, and all the holy ones withy him.” 14: 5
He shows us that Jesus has two titles, he is the Lord and our God. The holy ones coming with him is generally thought to be the church made up of Christians.
John confirms this, “And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, followed him on white horses. From his mouth issues a sharp sword with which he will smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. . . On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” Revelation 19: 14-16
We pray for the Lord to come soon. Come, Jesus, come. Amen.
Note: The book "The Messiah's Secret" is available just for the cost of postage and packaging.
