The Messiah’s Secret -  Time and Seasons

 Evening  Lectionary: Joshua 3: 7-17. Matthew 10: 1-22

What  excitement there must of been among the people knowing that they were about to enter the Promised Land.

Caleb and Joshua were the only ones who witnessed the fulfilment of God’s promise when they crossed over the Jordan after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.                              

In order to enter the Promised Land. 
Joshua was guided by God to keep the laws that he had given to Moses and not to move to the left or to the right away from them.                                                                       

We read that Moses did not enter because of his disobedience.

 ^“ But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honour me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” Numbers 20: 12

The people were in expectation of the coming of the Messiah. Luke 3: 15

There must have been great excitement when the people heard the proclaimation that the ‘kingdom of Heaven’ was near. Jesus was fulfilling the law and embracing those lost to the law. God loved his people, they were precious to him.

Jesus fulfilled three types of laws in himself:

The ceremonial law Jesus fulfilled all the elements of the temple including the temple itself: He was the perpetual light, the vine, the living bread, the living water, the first fruits of the harvest, he was the high priest after the order of Melchizedek and he was the final offering for sin it was accepted by God.

The moral law: Jesus said to the people “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5. 20 Jesus fulfilled all righteousness. The proof: His body was not corrupted by death.

The judicial law: Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote in his book ‘Studies in the Sermon on the Mount’ Page 195. “ Israel is no longer the theocratic nation.” (a theocratic nation, under the divine sole sovereignty of God, and the laws of the realm as divine commands rather than human ordinances.)

Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues, “Jesus in his conversation with the Pharisees at the end of his ministry said “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to another nation to produce the fruit of it.” This is one of the most crucial and important statements in the whole of scripture with regard to prophecy. And the Apostle Peter wrote in his letter making it abundantly clear that the new nation is the church. There is no longer a theocratic nation, so the judicial law has likewise been fulfilled.” Matthew 21: 43. 1 Peter 2: 9, 10.

This is what Peter wrote, ^“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. ¹⁰ Once you were no people, but now you are God’s people.”  1 Peter 2: 9, 10.

The other nation the Gentiles, the church has for a long time been thought of as a Gentile church. 

Embraced through faith.
All people across the world, are able to enter the kingdom of God to bear the fruit of it, A Christ-like life, eternal life to all who believe in Jesus.

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, a disciples asked Jesus would he be restoring the kingdom to Israel? Jesus replied that it was not up to him, the times and the seasons of his return.

This indicates that the disciple had remembered what Jesus had said regarding another nation bearing the fruit of the Kingdom of God.
(Messiahs-secret-revealed. Part 7 Chapter 3)

The Messiah's Secret Revealed
The Apostles expected Jesus to return very soon after Pentecost after they publicly proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah for the first time. The Messiah's ministry was a national calling. Jesus had earlier said to the crowd, that there were some standing listening to him that would see his return with power and the holy angels. Mark 8: 38. 9: 1. Acts 3: 17-21. They expected him to bring in the 'Day of the Lord' the fire not yet kindled until he had accomplished his death and resurrection. Luke 12: 49, 50. God in his foreknowledge had prepared his disciples for their leaders rejection at and after Pentecost. 
When Jesus returns he will take up with the remnant of Israel.

The nation of Israel, the old season, followed by a new season, the church, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled and Jesus returns. Luke 21: 24

Are we looking for a new season in our lives for the lord to do something new?

Joshua and Caleb were not young men, and they were looking forward to this incredible journey of discovery going into the promised land.

In verses 16-22 Jesus prophesied that as a result of being his disciple persecution would arise.

Jesus went on to prophecy that after the coming of the Holy Spirit verse 20 his followers would suffer persecution for his names sake ‘Sheep in the midst of wolves.’

Two kinds of persecution: religious persecution and persecution for righteousness sake. Both are for bearing his name.

Religious Persecution. In recent years Christians across the world have been persecuted: churches burnt and ‘political correctness’  for example a Christian wearing a tiny cross on a fine chain at work.

Persecution for righteousness sake 1 Peter 2: 21-24. “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered he did not threaten; but he trusted to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.”

Peter based his teaching on his personal witness of the sufferings of Jesus,  “Do not return evil for evil, reviling for reviling, but on the contrary bless,” not to speak evil of anyone.                                                                                                          

 “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed,”

 “But rejoice in so far that you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”  1 Peter 2: 1. 3: 9, 16, 17. 4. 1, 13. 14                                                                         

Would Peter see this as part of bearing the fruit of the kingdom?

Chinese Christian Brother Yun, sent Christians into Sena Province, time and time again they were beaten and on numerous occasions arrested and put in jail, but Brother Yun wrote that after a year the people began to respond until the whole of the province became Christian. In many situations rejection and suffering go before conversion.

By the grace of God, we are lifted up, so that we can rejoice in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves in, as we have entered into the kingdom of God.


My Journey Times and Seasons: Autumn leaves below: woodcarving in the 1980's & 90's followed by pottery with Bible texts 1990's & 2000.  The Messiah's Secret 1996 to present day, church ministry.