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Jesus’s Olivet Discourse: Part Two

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Scripture Used to Create the Splice Series “Jesus’s Olivet Discourse”

Matthew 24:3-25:46 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Matthew 24:3)

Mark 13:3-37 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Mark 13:3)

Luke 21:7-36 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Luke 21:7)

 

Need to catch up first? To read the Splice “Jesus’s Olivet Discourse: Part One”, click here.

 

Revelation 19:16
And He has a name written on His robe
and on His thigh: KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

 

THE SPLICE

Whenever, then, you see Jerusalem surrounded by 1military encampments, then know that the desolation of her has drawn near. But when you see the 2 ‘abomination of the desolation’, that was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it should not, standing in the holy place—3 the one reading, let them understand—then those in 4 Judea, let them escape to the mountains and those in the middle of the city, let them depart and those in the 5 countries, don’t let them enter into the city. The one on the 6 housetop, don’t let him go down to remove anything out of his house, and the one in the field, don’t let him return back to take his cloak. For these are the days of 7 vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. 8 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those nursing babies in those days! Moreover, 9 pray that your escape will not happen in winter nor on a Sabbath. For there will be in those days 10great tribulation , the kind never seen from the 11beginning of the world, the beginning of creation , until now and never to be seen again. There will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the 12sword and be led captive into all the 13nations and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the13Gentiles , until the times of the 13Gentiles are fulfilled. And, if the Lord had not cut short those days, there would not have been anybody saved. But for the sake of the 14elect , whom He chose, He has shortened those days.

And then if anyone says to you ‘15behold , here is the Christ!’ or ‘15behold , there He is!’ do not believe it.  For there will arise 16false Christs and false prophets and they will give great signs and wonders so as to 17mislead, if possible, even the elect . But you take heed; see, I have told you everything beforehand. If, therefore, they say to you, ‘See, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or ‘Look, in the inner rooms’ do not believe it. For just as the lightning comes forth from the east and is visible as far as the west, so will be the return of the Son of Man. 18Wherever there is a carcass, there the 19eagles will be gathered.

But immediately then in those days, after the tribulation, there will be 26 signs in the sun and moon and stars: 20the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light and the 21 stars will be falling from the sky, and on the earth: 22distress among the nations with 23confusion by the 24roaring of the sea and the 25rolling surge. Men will faint from fear and (the) anticipation over what is coming upon the earth, 26and/because the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. And then will appear the 27sign of the 28Son of Man in heaven and then all the tribes of the earth will 29mourn, and then they will see the Son of Man coming 30in a cloud/on (in) the clouds of heaven with great power and glory. And He will send His angels with a 31great trumpet call, and 32they will gather His elect 33from the four winds, from the ends of the heavens to the ends of them; from end of earth to end of heaven. Beginning when these things happen, look up and lift up your heads because your 34redemption draws near.”

 

 

Want to continue reading? To read the Splice “Jesus’s Olivet Discourse: Part Three”, click here.

 

NOTES

1  military encampments: These military encampments are ready to strike. Many believe that this surrounding of Jerusalem happened when Rome surrounded Jerusalem in 70 AD; therefore they believe that this prophesy has already been fulfilled. This does not seem likely. When reading Matthew 24:15-18, Mark 13:14-16 and Luke 21:20-22 together with Daniel 11:31, we can link the desolation of Jerusalem to the abomination of desolation; Luke’s usage of the word tote, meaning “at that time” and Daniel’s vivid descriptions in chapter 11 particularly 11:15, 31 help support this idea. Daniel 9:26-27, makes it clear that Jerusalem will be destroyed and the abomination of desolation will occur. Revelation makes no mention of Jerusalem being surrounded by armies or destroyed by armies, so we only have the information that Jesus gave in the gospel accounts and Daniel’s account. (BACK)

2 ‘abomination of the desolation’: The prophet Daniel also talks about this idea of abomination and desolation in Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11. What is the ‘abomination of the desolation’? By looking at 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 we can see that the ‘man of lawlessness’ seats himself in the temple of God, and displays himself as God. The Greek word for abomination is bdelugma, which means “abomination, detestable”. Bdelugma is any act that is hated by God; the word bdelugma is also described as a nauseating and repulsive stench. Idolatry is particularly indicated by God in Deuteronomy 7:25-26 as an abomination (Using the Hebrew word toebah). By using 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 and Deuteronomy 7:25-26, we can draw a logical conclusion that the abomination of the desolation meant here in Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14 (and comparing to the activity of Revelation 13) is the man of lawlessness presenting himself as God right within God’s own temple. It is interesting to note that the temple will be restored at this future date and sacrifices will resume for the Jewish people (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11). (BACK)

3 the one reading: The one reading from the prophet Daniel’s book, not Matthew’s  or Mark’s books. Matthew and Mark had not written their gospel books yet. (BACK)

4 Judea: Judea (a.k.a Judah) was the region of Israel that contained Jerusalem and Bethlehem. It’s territory ran East-West from the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and North-South from Joppa to Beersheba (roughly) in Jesus’s time. Samaria was the region that separated Galilee (Jesus’s home region) from Judea. Today, the mountains in Judea are collectively called the Judean Mountains. (BACK)

5 countries: From Luke 21:21. The Greek word used for country is chóra and it means “country, regions, land”. It refers to wide open spaces or the countryside; not within the city limits. In Luke 21:21, the word chóra is plural. (BACK)

6 housetop: From Matthew 24:17. Back in Jesus’s day, housetops or roofs, were treated like another room in the house. Some Scripture that features roofs: Joshua 2:6; 1 Samuel 9:25-26; 2 Samuel 11:2; Matthew 10:27; Luke 5:19; 12:3; Acts 10:9. (BACK)

7 vengeance: From Luke 21:22. This is Holy vengeance or God’s punishment. God does not sanction human vengeance. See Romans 12:19. For more regarding the vengeance/wrath of God, a.k.a the day of the Lord, see Isaiah 13:6-13; Isaiah 63:2-6; Zephaniah 1:7-18; Malachi 4:1, 5; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3; 2 Peter 3:7, 10; Revelation 6:12-17; 8:7-12; 9:1-21; 16:1-12, 17-21. (BACK)

8 Woe: From Matthew 24:19; Mark 13:17; Luke 21:23. The Greek word used for woe is ouai, and it means “woe” which expresses grief, sorrow, or even rebuke.  And why would Jesus express sorrow for only pregnant women and nursing mothers and not all mothers? Wouldn’t a mother have difficulty in running from calamity, whether her child were 7 years old, or an infant? Wouldn’t a mother fear for her children, no matter their age? The answer is undoubtedly ‘yes’. What would the other reason be? In running from the immense calamity that will be taking place, people will be hiding to escape death (Luke 21:24). Pregnant women and women with nursing infants pose a very real risk to those they may be hiding with: noise. Hiding requires silence and therefore people will see pregnant women and babies as liabilities to their own safety. Pregnant women cry and scream when they are giving birth and infants will cry for a multitude of reasons. Pregnant women and those with babies will be on their own, in a time of great distress and wrath (Luke 21:23). It brings to mind the TV show “M*A*S*H” and its episode with the smothered baby. (BACK)

9 pray that your escape: The mountains, where Jesus is telling people to run to, can get snow in the winter and nighttime can get cold. Otherwise, the climate in Judea is rather mild in winter albeit the rainy season. During the winter months, the Kidron Valley can flood, with flash flooding included, making for very dangerous conditions in escape attempts. On the Sabbath (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown), many of Israel’s shops, public transport, and other businesses are closed. Therefore, if someone is trying to take transportation out of the cities of Judea (in order to get out fast), it would be very difficult. You might think that because the shops are closed, people also wouldn’t be able to get supplies. This wouldn’t matter, because in distressing times people will loot stores. Also remember, people of this time are trying to get out of the cities of Judea so fast that they shouldn’t even stop to grab necessities out of their homes (Matthew 24:17, Mark 13:15) or even go back into the city (if they’ve been out in the countryside) to get something like a coat (Matthew 24:18; Mark 13:16; Luke 21:21). (BACK)

10 great tribulation: See Matthew 24:21; Mark 13:19. The Greek word for great is megas and means “large, great, big”. It has a very wide application, as is seen when comparing its usage in Matthew 27:46 to Mark 14:15. The Greek word for tribulation is thlipsis and it means “tribulation, affliction, persecution.” The word is meant to describe anguish, hardship or even torment and agony. We do not know exactly what this great tribulation will be like, but Revelation 6 tells us that the tribulation will have war, famine and death.  (BACK)

11 beginning of the world, the beginning of creation: Matthew 24:21 says world (kosmos), Mark 13:19 says creation (ktisis). Also see Daniel 12:1. To read about the beginning of  the world/creation, see Genesis 1-2.  (BACK)

12 sword: From Luke 21:24. The Greek word used for sword is machaira which describes a short sword or dagger. This is the same word that was used to describe the sword that Peter used to cut off Malchus’s ear in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:51; Mark 14:47; Luke 22:50; John 18:10). To read the splice containing Peter’s erroneous maiming of Malchus and Jesus’s subsequent healing, click here.  (BACK)

13 nations: From Luke 21:24. The Greek word for nations is ethnos and it means “nation, Gentile”. The word refers to any nation, religion or ethnic group that is not Israel, i.e. Gentile nations. According to Revelation 11:2, the Gentiles will trample down Jerusalem for 42 months.  (BACK)

14 elect: It is in Matthew 24:22 and Mark 13:20 where we learn that God cut short the time of tribulation for the sake of the elect. The Greek word for elect is eklektos and it means “elect, chosen”. Scripture is very clear: God chose/elected those whom He would save before the foundation of the world was set (Ephesians 1:4-5). The elected people are written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 13:8; 21:27). Many are called, but few are chosen, as the parable in Matthew 22:1-14 shows us. This is in line with John 3:16, that whomever will trust/believe in Jesus will be saved. Who will believe? All who were appointed to be saved (Acts 13:48), as elected by God, before we were even born (2 Timothy 1:9). The proof of our election is in our God-gifted faith and not by our works or a faith/belief conjured by ourselves (Ephesians 2:8-9). Also, we receive the pledge of the Holy Spirit; that promise and that presence in our hearts (which is our minds) that tells us, without doubt, we are God’s by the blood and resurrection of Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). It must be understood: it isn’t enough to just believe that God exists or that Jesus exists (James 2:19). The God-gifted faith is a loving trust in the Savior, a trust that transcends your own understanding, your own eyesight, your own wisdom (Proverbs 3:5-7). God-gifted faith is not a human-inspired trust, such as how one might have “faith” in a justice system or “belief” in another person’s ability to perform a task. And we can be sure that God, who began this amazing work within us, will be faithful to complete it and bring us to glory in Him (Romans 8:28-39; Philippians 1:6). In addition, we cannot lose our salvation (John 6:37-40; 10:28-30; Romans 11:29). (BACK)

15 behold: Matthew 24:23; Mark 13:21. The Greek word for behold is horaó and it means, in its literal sense, “to stare at”. Its broad meaning is “see clearly, perceive, look at, behold”. (BACK)

16 false Christs and false prophets: In Jeremiah 29:8, God warns that not everyone who says that their prophesies are from God are actually from God. How do we tell who is from God and who isn’t?  1 John 4:1-3 tells us to test the spirits. How? Blatant false prophets/false Christs are easy to spot: they claim to be God/Jesus or tell you to worship someone other than God (usually themselves). But we must always be testing people who claim to be pastors, evangelists, shepherds of God, prophets etc. even when they look and sound the part because it is easy to pepper one’s words with cherry-picked verses, ideas twisted just enough to fit and omitting a few things to sound better. True elect people of God will maintain clearly that Jesus was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:27-35), crediting the conception to the Holy Spirit’s work, as described in Luke 1:35. A true person of God will also state clearly that Jesus is equal with God (John 1:1; John 8:58; Colossians 1:15-17), has redeemed the elect by His death on the cross (Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 2:24), was raised from the dead by God (Ephesians 1:20) on the third day after His crucifixion (Matthew 12:40; Acts 10:40). The elect person will not mince words or tell you there are grey areas in the Bible: there are no grey areas in the Bible. There are things we do not know yet for they are future events or things we just can’t be sure of because the Bible is silent on those things. But the Bible is clear on sin (Romans 1:22-32, 3:23; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 John 3:4-15) and without the saving blood of Jesus the sin-filled person will end up eternally in hell (Romans 6:21-23; Revelation 20:11-15). The Bible is also very clear that no human being can justify themselves with God (Romans 3:24) nor can they conjure up their faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9). The faith, the justification and place in heaven are all God’s work, His doing alone and was decided long before any of us were born (Ephesians 1:4-12). (BACK)

17 mislead, if possible, even the elect: Not possible, please see Note 14 above. (BACK)

18 Wherever… gathered: From Matthew 24:28. With Jesus using this phrase, we can understand that He is saying: without a doubt, His return will happen and we should watch for the signs He has given us. It is in line with the fig tree parable that Jesus uses in Matthew 24:32-33; Mark 13:28-29; Luke 21:29-31. (BACK)

19 eagles: From Matthew 24:28. The Greek word used for eagles is aetos and it means “eagle“. Almost every English translation of the Bible use the word “vultures” in the place of ‘eagles‘ but aetos does not mean “vulture” (see Revelation 4:7 where the word is used properly). This is important because we should never try to ‘fix’ the Bible by replacing words with a substitute word that isn’t in the original text. We should use the word that is there and leave it at that; after all, if Jesus can handle the creation of all things (Colossians 1:16), and handle removing our sins (1 John 1:9), He certainly handled choosing the right word to use in His Word. Eagles it is. (BACK)

20 the sun will be darkened: Mentioned in Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24-25; Luke 21:25. There are many verses that speak of the wrath of God on what is called The Day of the Lord, a day that is still in the future (with specific verses speaking of the sun and moon’s condition): Isaiah 13:6-16 (13:10); Isaiah 24:1-23 (24:23); Joel 2:1-11, 30-32, 3:1-17 (2:10, 31; 3:15)/Acts 2:16-21 (2:20); 2 Peter 3:7-12 (3:10, 12); Rev 6:12-17 (6:12-13), 8:12. (BACK)

21 stars will be falling from the sky : There are mentions of stars going dark (Isaiah 13:10; Joel 2:10, 3:15; Revelation 8:12) and mentions of stars falling from the sky (Isaiah 34:4; Daniel 8:10; Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:25; Revelation 6:13) for this eschatological event. We have two examples of stars who fall from the sky and have further action in the events. In Revelation 8:10-11 we learn that the great burning star, Wormwood, falls upon a third of the rivers and on the springs of water; Wormwood makes the water bitter and the water becomes lethal. In Revelation 9:1 another star that fell to the earth is given the key to the bottomless pit in order to open it. Out of the pit comes smoke and torturous locusts (Revelation 9:2-3). In Revelation 12:4 the red dragon uses his tail to sweep a third of the stars of heaven to earth. It is likely that we are seeing both figurative usage of the word “star” and literal usage of the word “star”. The figurative usage of the word star could be reference to fallen angels, meteors, even bombs dropping from the sky. We really don’t know and can only speculate: these are future events and not yet fully revealed. (BACK)

22 distress: From Luke 21:25. The Greek word used for distress is sunoché and it means “anguish, distress”.  Anguish is extreme and profound emotional pain. It isn’t disappointment, stress, depression or feeling sad. Here is an example of anguish in art. The best example I’ve ever seen of real human anguish was during a news clip of Jeannine Boulanger at the airport, waiting for her daughter’s flight to come in. She was then told/found out that the plane had crashed. It is ghoulish to record such a private moment of shattering, but someone did so at the time. Jeannine is mother to Nicole Boulanger, one of 270 people who died due to the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. (BACK)

23 confusion: From Luke 21:25. The Greek word used for confusion is aporia and means “perplexity, confusion”. This kind of confusion nullifies any plausible way towards conclusions. A person with this kind of perplexity simply cannot find a way with their understanding to become ‘unconfused’ and therefore is kept in this state. (BACK)

24 roaring: From Luke 21:25. The Greek word used for roaring is échos and it means “sound, noise”. However, this noise is not ordinary. The word concentrates on the effect of the noise: this noise inspires amazement because of how sonorous it is or how fierce it is. To be clear: this word does not denote speech. (BACK)

25 rolling surge: From Luke 21:25. The Greek word used for rolling wave is salos and it means “wave, surge”. This is an intense wave such as from a hurricane. (BACK)

26 and/because: The Greek word used in Matthew 24:29 and Mark 13:25 say and, however the Greek word used in Luke 21:26 says because. (BACK)

27 sign: Matthew 24:30 and Luke 21:25. The Greek word used for sign is sémeion and it means “miracle, sign”. The sun, moon and stars will display miraculous manifestations (Isaiah 13:10, 13; Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15; Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:25; Revelation 6:12-13). Also, Jesus’s arrival with the clouds of the sky (Daniel 7:13; Matthew 24:30; Acts 1:9-11) is a sign (a miraculous sign and a sign in the sense of clear evidence) of His power and glory. (BACK)

28 Son of Man: Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27. Why does Jesus refer to Himself as the Son of Man? Daniel also uses the phrase in Daniel 7:13. Jesus’s usage of the phrase definitely points a person back to Daniel 7:13-14, identifying Him as the Savior and approved of by God. We might also find a clue in Isaiah 50:4-6 or perhaps even in the birth of Jesus, the temptation of Jesus or even in His crucifixion. These events all point to the human experiences of Jesus; they are the display of His humanity and the phrase ‘Son of Man’ definitely paints a picture of humanness. (BACK)

29 mourn: Matthew 24:30.  The Greek word used for mourn is koptó and it means “to mourn, to cut”. Why will people mourn? Revelation 1:7 tells us the mourning will be because of Jesus. People will see the Savior that they have denied and realize that they chose to believe and do the  wrong things. It is also probable that they will mourn due to the wrath they are about to endure. Also see Isaiah 13:6-8; Joel 2:6. In accompaniment, Luke 21:26 says that at this time people will be fainting from fear. Isaiah 13:8 mentions the fear as well. (BACK)

30 in a cloud/on (in) the clouds: Matthew 24:30 says ‘on the clouds’, Mark 13:26 says ‘in clouds’ and Luke 21:27 says ‘in a cloud’. These particular clouds are also mentioned in Daniel 7:13; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation 1:7 (which is a reaffirmation of Daniel 7:13). In 1 Thessalonians 4:17, it mentions that those who are still alive at the end of the tribulation will be caught up to join Jesus in the clouds (see Revelation 14:14-16 to see another view of Jesus upon the cloud)  that He has incorporated to accompany His return. We are told that the tribulation has been cut short on account of these elect who are still alive (Matthew 24:22; Mark 13:20).  The Bible is very clear as to when Jesus will gather His elect that are still alive upon the earth or what is commonly referred to as “the rapture”. The gathering of the elect will happen immediately after the tribulation, when Jesus is seen arriving with these clouds (Matthew 24:29-30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27),  Jesus will then send forth His angels to gather the elect (Matthew 24:31; Mark 13:27; also see Revelation 19:7-9). It is important to understand that the tribulation and God’s wrath are not the same things. God’s people will not face the wrath of God (1 Thessalonians 5:9), but they will be subjected to the tribulation (Revelation 7:9-14). For more regarding the gathering of the elect, see Note 31.  (BACK)

31 great trumpet call The mention of God using this great trumpet sound that announces the Lord’s descent from heaven and the gathering of God’s people is also spoken about in 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16. There are 7 trumpets mentioned in Revelation (Revelation 8:1-9:21; 11:15-19). The 7th trumpet is mentioned in Revelation 11:15, when the twenty-four elders in heaven worship God with a doxology surrounding the return of Jesus (Revelation 11:16-18). (BACK)

32  they will gather: The gathering of the elect, mentioned in Matthew 24:31 and Mark 13:27 (as well as 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16) is what people colloquially refer to as “the rapture”. This event isn’t particularly mentioned by name in Revelation, meaning there is no verse that we can point to in Revelation and say “the gathering of the elect happens HERE”. Some might argue that Revelation 7:9-17; 11:15-19; 14:14-16 or even 19:1-15 are descriptions of the gathering of the elect, but none of these verses say that; 14:14-16 comes the closest. The book of Daniel, a good side-by-side to Revelation (particularly Daniel 7-12), mentions the gathering of the elect in Daniel 12:1-3 (compare to 1 Thessalonians 4:16). Daniel says in 12:1 that at the time of the tribulation, the elect will be rescued (malat). Jesus pointedly says ‘immediately (eutheós) after (meta) the tribulation’ in Matthew 24:29. We know that some of the elect are murdered during the tribulation because of Matthew 24:9; Mark 13:12. The sections of Revelation that do mention the elect are 6:9-11; 7:4-17; 11:18; 14:1-5; 19:8-9; 20:4, 6; 21:3-4, 7. Any or all of these verses could be describing the event or the results from the event (except Revelation 6:9-11, due to the fact that there are more ‘brothers’ to be killed) of the gathering of God’s people to Jesus at the time of the Parousia of Christ. For more on the elect see Note 14. (BACK)

33  from… heaven: “From the four winds” is used in both Matthew 24:31 and Mark 13:27. This phrase is similar to our idiom “four corners of the earth”. It means from everywhere. Matthew 24:31 says “from ends of the heavens to the ends of them” meaning “from one end the heavens/skies to the other end of the heavens/skies” which means from everywhere. Mark 13:27 says “from end of earth to end of heaven” meaning from everywhere. It is well-covered between these two verses that no elect will be left out or forgotten; no elect person belonging to God is too far way or in too obscure a place to be gathered by the angels, as directed by our Lord. (BACK)

34 redemption: From Luke 21:28. The Greek word used for redemption is apolutrósis and it means “redemption”. Redemption means to buy/take something back that was lost to you. In the purport of Godly redemption, the *something* is the elect of God from their sins (Titus 2:14). Who are the elect? See Note 14. Sins left to the sinner to pay for himself equals death for eternity (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8). Godly redemption was/is/will be accomplished using the currency of Jesus’s blood through His death on the cross (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:13-14; 1 Peter 1:18-19). (BACK)

 

English Bible translation used: Berean Standard Bible

Jesus’s Olivet Discourse: Part One

by

Scripture Used to Create the Splice Series “Jesus’s Olivet Discourse”

Matthew 24:3-25:46 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Matthew 24:3)

Mark 13:3-37 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Mark 13:3)

Luke 21:7-36 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Luke 21:7)

 

Revelation 19:16
And He has a name written on His robe
and on His thigh: KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

 

THE SPLICE

 

And now, while Jesus was sitting on the 1 Mount of Olives, 2 opposite of the temple , the disciples 3 Peter, James, John and Andrew approached Him and now asked Him in private, saying  “4 Teacher, tell us, when then will 5 these things happen, and what will be the sign when these things are about to happen? And what will be the 6 sign when all of  these things are going to be completed? And what is the sign of 7 Your arrival and the 8 end of the age?” And answering, Jesus began to say to them, “9 See to it , lest anyone deceives you, 10 lest you be deceived.  For many will come in My 11 name saying, ’I am the 12 Christ ’ and ‘the time is drawn near’ and they will deceive many. Do not go after them. You will begin then to hear of wars and reports of wars. When, then, you hear of wars and reports of wars and 13 disorder , “See, do not be disturbed, do not be terrified. It is necessary for these things to happen first, “14 but not yet , not immediately is the end.

Then He was saying to them, ““15 For nation will rise up against nation , and kingdom against kingdom. Also, there will be “16 great earthquakes throughout places and among places there will be 17 famines and 18 pestilences; 19 terrorizing sights also, and there will be 20 great signs from heaven .  These are the beginning of 21 birth pains .

22 But be on your guard; before all these things happen, they will lay their hands on you. At that time, they will deliver you to persecution, they will deliver you to 23 councils, prisons and the synagogues , leading you away to kings and leaders, on account of My name. You will be beaten, and will stand before leaders and kings because of Me, for a testimony to them. 24 It will result in a testimony for you.

But first, to all the 25 nations , it is necessary to 26 proclaim the gospel . And whenever they might lead you away, delivering you up, 27 do not be anxious beforehand about what you should say, but speak whatever is given to you in that hour; for you are not the one speaking but the 28 Holy Spirit . Set, therefore, in your 29 minds not to prepare beforehand to 30 premeditate a defense . For I will give you 31 speech and wisdom, which all those opposing you will not be able to stand against nor speak against.

At that time, many will 32 stumble, and they will betray one another and will 33 hate each other. And many 34 false prophets will raise up and will lead astray many. And because 35 lawlessness is to multiply, the 36 love of many will grow cold.  Brother will betray brother to death, and a father, his child; and children will rise up against parents, and will put them to death. And you will be hated by all the nations on account of My name.  And no, 37 not a hair on your head will perish.  But the one 38 having endured to the end will be saved. By your endurance, you will gain your 39 souls. 40 And there will be be proclaimed this gospel of the kingdom in all the earth for a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will arrive.

 

Want to continue reading? To read the Splice “Jesus’s Olivet Discourse: Part Two”, click here.

 

NOTES

 

1  Mount of Olives: The Mount of Olives is mentioned many times in the Bible, making it a significant landmark that people visit today. Zechariah 14:4 says that in the future, the Lord will stand upon Mount Olive. King David walked up the Mount in sorrow as he departed Jerusalem to run from Absalom (2 Samuel 15:30). Also, Jesus’s last moments of freedom before the cross were spent in the Garden of Gethsemane, located at the base of Mount Olive (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46). To read the Splice about Jesus’s night in the Garden of Gethsemane, click here. (BACK)

2  opposite the temple: By the wording in Mark 13:3, it would seem that Jesus was sitting in direct view of the temple. The Greek word used for opposite is katenanti and it means “Before/in the presence of/directly opposite”. It was no coincidence that Jesus is montaged with the temple in Mark’s account; God is not arbitrary. Perhaps Jesus, the mediator of the New Covenant, was contemplating the Old Covenant (see Hebrews 8-9) . Perhaps Jesus, the ‘once and for all sacrifice’ was considering the building of Atonement, and it’s imperfect and repeated sacrifices (Hebrews 10:1-18). God is the perfect poet. All of this is surmising, however, because the Bible makes no mention of what Jesus was thinking about. (BACK)

3 Peter, James, John and Andrew: Certain evangelists like to call Peter, James and John “Jesus’s inner circle” with the proof being the order in which the names of the disciples are listed in Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16 and because Peter, James and John were present for the Transfiguration and were separated out in the Garden of Gethsemane. The order of disciples’ names in Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19 and Luke 6:14-16 may have much to do with their leadership after Jesus’s ministry, because the gospels were written some time after Jesus’s resurrection. There is nothing in the Bible stating that Jesus had an ‘inner circle’ (click here and then go to NOTE 3). We must be careful not to make the Bible say things it doesn’t say. (BACK)

4 Teacher: The Greek word used for teacher in Luke 21:7 is didaskalos and it means “teacher/master”. It is fascinating that the disciples decided to use this word. In using didaskalos, the disciples are acknowledging Jesus’s mastery of Scripture and theology. As a side note, no human being or angel or demon can predict the end of this age nor the Parousia of Jesus Christ. Only God the Father has the answer to that (Matthew 24:36). (BACK)

5 these things: Jesus had just finished telling His disciples that someday the temple would be destroyed (Matthew 24:1-2; Mark 13:1-2; Luke 21:5-6). Before the group’s arrival to the Mount of Olives, Jesus and the disciples had been in the temple. While in the temple, Jesus had some exchanges with the Sadducees, scribes, Pharisees/Pharisaic disciples/spies, and there were some Herodians in attendance, for good measure. Also that day, He taught the large crowds, who enjoyed listening to His teaching (and, no doubt, enjoyed the entertainment of seeing the religious leaders mentioned above get their “noses out of joint” by Jesus’s answers to them). Jesus also observed the rich and poor alike offering their money to the temple treasury and then listened to the disciples extol the temple’s exquisite architecture and assorted accoutrements. Jesus’s answer to the admiration of the temple’s beauty was with a simple message: some day the temple would be destroyed. See Matthew 22:16-24:2; Mark 12:13-13:2; Luke 20:21-21:6. (BACK)

6 sign: The Greek word used for sign in all three Gospel accounts (Matthew 24:3; Mark 13:4; Luke 21:7) is sémeion and it means “miracle/sign/wonder/token”.  (BACK)

7 Your arrival: The term used in Matthew 24:3 for Jesus’s return to earth a second time is the Greek word parousia and it means “to be present; arrival”. When the New Testament speaks of Jesus’s return to earth at the end of our age (as described in Revelation 19:11-16), parousia is the word used.  (BACK)

8 end of the age: The disciples are asking “when will this current world order end?” The Greek word used for age in Matthew 24:3 is aión and it means “a cycle of time”. It can also mean “eternity/forever”. We know that aión is used here to express an era of time with a definite ending because of the usage of the word sunteleia, meaning “consummation/ ending/complete” right before it. The end of the age that the disciples are referring to is the era we live in right at this very moment. (BACK)

9 See to it: Matthew 24:4; Mark 13:5; Luke 21:8. Some English translations say “take heed” or “watch”. The Greek word used in all three gospel accounts for see is blepó. This word can also be translated as “behold”. Blepó means to “perceive, see, understand”, not only with your physical eyes, but it applies to mental or spiritual perception as well. (BACK)

10 lest: Matthew 24:4; Mark 13:5; Luke 21:8. The Greek word used for lest is mé and it means “not, never, lest”. It negates a verb. For example if the verb is mislead or planaó, using mé with planaó now means, in essence, “don’t mislead”. (BACK)

11 name: Matthew 24:5; Mark 13:6; Luke 21:8. The Greek word for name is onoma and it means “name”. Names were synonymous with a person’s character in Israel, and therefore names were chosen with the utmost of care to meaning. Doing anything in someone else’s name means in their character, in align with their reputation and with their authority. Some examples of names and their meanings in the Bible would be Ichabod (1 Samuel 4:19-22), Moses (Exodus 2:10), and Jesus (Matthew 1:21). (BACK)

12 Christ: The Greek word used for Christ in Matthew 24:5 is Christos and it means “Christ/Messiah/Anointed One”. Because the word Christ is a descriptor, the proper understanding of Jesus’s name would be: Jesus the Christ or Jesus the Messiah. Surnames did not really exist for the Hebrew people, at least not in the way we understand them. However, people were identified through many measures, such as by their region (Simon of Cyrene in Mark 15:21), notoriety (Simon the Zealot in Acts 1:13) and even by parentage (examples also present in Acts 1:13). When using parentage as an identifier, people were identified by their father’s name, such as “Simon, son of John” (John 1:42). People who knew Jesus while He was growing up, probably identified Him as “Jesus, son of Joseph” (see Matthew 13:55 where Nazarenes identify Jesus as “the carpenter’s son”). But Peter (eventually) knew better (Matthew 16:16), as do we. (BACK)

13 disorder: From Luke 21:9. The Greek word used for disorder is akatastasia and it means “disorder/tumult/upheaval”. It is important to understand that although the word disorder in English sounds mild, this word akatastasia is not. Akatastasia refers to anarchy, revolutions and instability in society/moral norms. (BACK)

14 but not yet, not immediately: All three accounts have this statement to some extent (Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:7; Luke 21:9). It means that the wars, rumors of wars and the disorder is not when the age is finished. (BACK)

15 For nation will rise up against nation: We get a mention of this time of war (delivered by the rider on the red horse) in Revelation, after Jesus breaks the second seal of the book that only He can open (see Revelation 6:3-4). (BACK)

16 great earthquakes: We have experienced earthquakes throughout the ages. So far, the greatest earthquake (in intensity) that we have seen occurred in Chile on May 22, 1960. Will these earthquakes that Jesus is referring to be larger in intensity than the 9.5 earthquake in Chile or does the word great used in Luke 21:11 refer to the quantity of earthquakes? The Greek word used for great is megas, and it has a broad definition; it can refer to great in number or great in intensity. There are some great earthquakes mentioned in Revelation 6:12, 11:13, 16:18. These earthquakes are great in intensity. (BACK)

17 famines:  Revelation 6:5-6 has been interpreted as the blueprint for a famine: around a quart of wheat for a denarius and three quarts of barley for a denarius.  A denarius is the fair, agreed-upon wage for vineyard laborers working 12 hours (and for those working 1 hour, speaking to the generosity of God) in Matthew 20:2. Most historians agree that the worst famine in history (so far) was the Great Chinese Famine (roughly 1959-1961) due to (in large part) the Great Leap Forward and the policies associated with it.

There is a second part to Revelation 6:6 that says oil and wine should not be injured by the rider and his black horse. Note that the verse doesn’t say that the olives/olive trees nor the grapes/grapevines should remain unharmed. The refined and processed products, oil and wine, are to be kept safe. In today’s world, olive oil and wine are products that people with money-to-spare will purchase. If you have a super-tight budget these days you can get vegetable oil for much cheaper than olive oil. If you go to the food pantry, they are not giving out olive oil or wine. It could be, as some believe, God is allowing for some provisions since oil and wine were daily necessities back in Jesus’s day. However, oil and wine cannot make anything on their own and to make a basic foodstuff like bread in Revelation 6:6’s era you must have a day’s wages to buy the wheat or barley (which could be eaten on its own in a pinch) to mix with the oil! (BACK)

18 pestilences: Luke 21:11 alone mentions the disease. The Greek word used for pestilence is loimos and it means “pestilence/plague”.  The disease mentioned by Jesus seems to be the natural progression of wars and famines. It must be understood that this word loimos means that the disease will be severe, as the purpose of this bout of disease is to deliver divine judgment, ordained by God. Death, who is the rider on the ashen horse in Revelation 6:8, along with Hades, shall be fulfilling his name through: disease, war, famine, and wild beasts. One quarter of the earth’s population is to die. If these judgments were to be brought by God today, at the time of this writing, that would mean approximately 2.05 billion people would die by severe disease, starving to death, war with its bombs and guns, and being torn apart by/poisoned by/infected by wild animals. (BACK)

19 terrorizing sights: Mentioned in Luke 21:11 alone. If we think about Note 18 above, it is easy to imagine the terrorizing sights to be viewed. The Greek word used for terrorizing is phobétron and it means “terrible sight/cause of fear”. The book of Revelation has recordings of some pretty terrorizing sights to be seen, see Revelation 6:12-15; 8:7-12; 9:3-10; 11:8-13; 16:1-21. (BACK)

20 great signs from heaven: From Luke 21:11  .  The Greek word for signs is sémeion and it means “sign/miracle”. Jesus is speaking about miraculous signs, not natural objects such as the Hale-Bopp comet. The book of Revelation tells of these great signs from heaven in Revelation 6:12-14. (BACK)

21 birth pains: Both Matthew and Mark tell us that when all these things mentioned (wars, rumors of wars, chaos, famine, earthquakes, plagues, terrorizing sights, miraculous signs from heaven) happen, they are just the beginning of the pain and suffering. The Greek word used for birth pains is ódin and it means “birth pain/agony/sorrow”. The suffering of human beings during the aforementioned events will be tremendous, but alas, it is only the beginning of the affliction. (BACK)

22 But be on your guard: The warning comes from Mark 13:9. The Greek sentence actually reads as βλέπετε δὲ ὑμεῖς ἑαυτούς which transliterally means: “Perceive but you to yourselves”. The Greek word used for perceive is blepó and is the word that is often translated into English as “behold”. Blepó means “see” or “perceive” or in other words: take notice and understand. I chose to use the Berean Standard Bible’s translation of “be on your guard” and replaced their usage of the word “so” with “but”  because “but” is more closely related to the original word used. I have used BSB’s entire phrase “be on your guard” because it expresses the intent of the passage and is easy to understand. (BACK)

23 councils, prisons and the synagogues:  From Mark 13:9 and Luke 21:12. The Greek word used for councils in Mark 13:9 is sunedrion and it means “council/assembly” but the word was specifically used for the Sanhedrin. Prisons and synagogues are mentioned in Luke 21:12. Prison  was just a holding place before trial or before execution. Synagogues  were the local places of worship and community for the Jews. There have been fascinating archaeological finds in recent years regarding the ancient synagogues of Israel.  As far as the councils, prisons and synagogues go, this wasn’t the first time that the disciples heard about the troubles that they would face in following Jesus (see Matthew 10:16-25). (BACK)

24 It will result in a testimony: We see in Acts where arrest and accusation before the rulers resulted in testimony for the 12 apostles, such as in Acts 4:1-12 and Acts 5:17-32. We even see some disciples of Jesus who were not of the 12 have the same opportunity, such as Stephen (Acts 6:8-7:60) and Paul (Acts 16:19-33). Paul also reports that his circumstances resulted in progress for the testimony of the gospel (Philippians 1:12-14). (BACK)

25 nations: From Mark 13:10 (also used in Matthew 24:14). The Greek word used for nations is ethnos meaning “nation/Gentile/heathen”. It particularly applies to non-Jews. (BACK)

26 proclaim the gospel: From Mark 13:10. The Greek word for proclaim is kérussó and it means “proclaim/preach/herald”, with an emphasis on the preacher’s conviction that the message they bring is truth. The Greek word for gospel is euaggelion and it means “gospel/good news”. This mandate of preaching to the nations will occur in Revelation 14:6-7. Even so, has the good news regarding Jesus Christ been preached (with conviction) to all the non-Jewish nations, as of today? It seems so. Even countries that have a low Christian population still have some sort of population that believes (at least nominally) in Jesus as the Messiah, meaning they’ve had the gospel preached to them.  (BACK)

27 do not be anxious beforehand: Anxiety/worry has a connection to fear. Usually (it seems) fear acts as the bus ride to anxiety. There are many places in the Bible which tell us not to be anxious; for Jesus’s teaching on anxiety see Matthew 6:25-34. If you can trust Christ to save you from the pits of hell (John 3:16), you can trust Him with every other aspect of your life (Proverbs 3:5). He does not stop caring about you (1 Peter 5:7), He does not stop providing for you (Philippians 4:19), He does not stop interceding for you (Hebrews 7:25). (BACK)

28 Holy Spirit: From Mark 13:11 and also told to the disciples earlier in Jesus’s ministry in Luke 12:12. The Greek word used for Holy is hagios and it means “holy/sacred/set apart”. The Greek word used for Spirit is pneuma and it means “spirit/breath/wind”. There are a few English translations that substitute the word ghost for spirit. This is not correct and inappropriate at best! The Holy Spirit should never be referred to as a ghost. The Greek word used for ghost is phantasma, meaning “ghost/apparition”. Although we sometimes, in the English language, use the words ghost or spirit interchangeably, this cannot be the case for the Holy Spirit; using the word ghost in place of spirit for the Holy Spirit borders on blasphemous. (BACK)

29 minds: From Luke 21:14. The Greek word for minds is kardia and it means “heart/mind”. It’s literal sense refers to the physical heart that beats in the chest and pumps blood throughout the body. In kardia’s figurative sense, it refers to the emotional seat of the person: their feelings. But it must be understood that feelings begin in the brain, the thought center, and are not separated from intellect, as Jesus points out in Matthew 9:4, using “thinking” and “hearts” together. It seems that we have become a society that separates reasoning from feelings and encourages “following your heart” without thinking things through first! The Bible never advocates this kind of emotional volatility and instability. (BACK)

30 premeditate a defense:  From Luke 21:14. The Greek word for premeditate is promeletaó and it means “premeditate/rehearse/prepare beforehand”. The Greek word for defense is apologeomai and it means “defend oneself/to make a plea”.  Jesus gives this piece of information to His disciples earlier in His ministry as well, in Luke 12:11. 1 Peter 3:15 says to always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you about your faith. There is a difference between defending your faith in general and defending yourself in court. In Luke 12:11 and Luke 21:14, Jesus is preparing His disciples for the horrors of arrest and for standing before the courts in order to receive the terrifying consequences for their faith in Him. Jesus didn’t mean that the disciples shouldn’t know what God’s word means or that they shouldn’t have an answer to questions such as why Jesus is God. Jesus means that He, through the Holy Spirit, will give the disciples the exact words to use. These court testimonies will be the undeniable witness of His sovereignty and truth, so that anyone listening in on these extreme testimonial opportunities (in a court of law) will not be able to refute those words. (BACK)

31 speech and wisdom: From Luke 21:15. The Greek word for speech is stoma and it means “mouth”. The Greek word for wisdom is sophia and it means “wisdom”. Wisdom isn’t just a gathering of information or facts. Wisdom includes the insight and discernment to correctly apply the information to produce the desired outcome. Wisdom is not used in a negative scenario, e.g. we never say that a thief had the wisdom to navigate a bank heist (except, possibly, for sarcasm’s sake)! (BACK)

32 stumble: Matthew 24:10. The Greek word used for stumble is skandalizó and it means “stumble/entrap/ensnare” and means, in its figurative sense, to cause to sin. (BACK)

33 hate: Matthew 24:10; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17. The Greek word used for hate is miseó and it means “to detest/hate/love less”. Hatred can be righteous and it can be a sin. Hatred of sin/wickedness is an example of righteous hate (Psalm 97:10). Hatred against people, on the other hand, is a sin (Leviticus 19:17-18; 1 John 3:15). (BACK)

34 false prophets: From Matthew 24:11. The Greek word for false prophet is pseudoprophétés and it means “false prophet” or an untrue diviner of truth, propelled by self and not by God. Who is a false prophet? Anyone who preaches anything other than what is in the Bible. This includes the twisting of Scripture, omitting/adding to Scripture or giving one’s own interpretation of  Scripture. This can be a famous person or someone you know personally. Be cautious of anyone who tells you that they have “a word from God” for you. If God has anything to say to you, He’ll say to you personally and He’ll say it through the Bible or possibly, through your own prayer time with Him in the form of conviction (and it will line up with the Bible!). (BACK)

35 lawlessness: The Greek word for lawlessness is anomia and it means “lawlessness/iniquity/transgression”. In Matthew 24:12, this idea portrays not just breaking a secular law here and there, but the complete disregard of God’s moral Law as having authority over one’s existence at all. While this may include breaking the laws set by secular government, God’s moral Law is exponentially more expansive (think of what is a sin to God vs. what is a law in society), because His Laws include the attitudes/intentions behind the Law-breaking, which secular law rarely ever does. Even when a secular law does take into account “intent”, such as with murder, still, it’s not illegal to think about murdering someone, by society’s rule book. With God, thinking of murdering people is a sin: it is against His moral Law to even hate someone (see Matthew 5:21-22; 1 John 3:15). God looks within the person, into their thoughts/heart and that is where Law-breaking begins (see 1 Samuel 16:7; Matthew 15:18-20). (BACK)

36 love: From Matthew 24:12. The Greek word used in Matthew 24:12 for love is agapé and it means “love”. The whole Law of God is summed up in this kind of love (Matthew 22:36-40; 7:12 fits nicely along with this). This kind of love originates from God. Agapé love manifests in believers through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5; Galatians 5:22), first towards God and also, for others (see Matthew 22:36-40; Galatians 5:14; 1 John 4:7-21). Click here to understand how to love, agapé style! (BACK)

37 not a hair on your head will perish: Jesus had just got done telling the disciples that some of them were going to be put to death (Luke 21:16), so He is not speaking of physical harm or physical perishing. Plus, we know for sure that at least James and Peter died as martyrs (Acts 12:2; John 21:18-19). Therefore, Jesus is talking about eternal perishing, the death that is both to body and to soul (Matthew 10:28). This eternal perishing is what Revelation calls the “second death” (Revelation 20:6; 21:8). We know that we all deserve this second death (reading all these together: Romans 3:10, 11, 23, 6:23). However, those trusting in Jesus for their salvation from this second death, live eternally with Christ (John 3:15-18). Our trust for salvation in Christ is a gift from God and not something we can conjure up on our own (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is important to understand that “belief” in Jesus is not enough (James 2:19). The faith and trust gifted by God is exponentially larger than just “belief” and comes with an undeniable pledge from the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:22) that leaves you in complete security about your salvation (John 10:28-29; Romans 8:28-39). (BACK)

38 having endured to the end will be saved: From Matthew 24:13 and Mark 13:13, and echoed in James 1:12. The Greek word for endure is hupomenó and it means “to persevere/steadfast/endure”. This kind of endurance doesn’t just grit its teeth and wait for everything to be over while wallowing in misery or even in a silent resignation. This kind of endurance is hope-filled and even voluntary. The one having endured to the end does not perform this feat on his or her own. It is through the work of God that a person can endure endless hardships, prison, beatings, etc. for the name of Jesus (See Acts 16:23-25 for example). Why does God allow this kind of suffering to produce endurance? Romans 5:3-5 gives its explanation. So does James 1:2-4. We can see that this kind of endurance is actually tied to our faith, which is God-gifted (Ephesians 2:8-9).  (BACK)

39 souls: From Luke 21:19. The Greek word used for soul is psuché and it means “soul/breath/inner being”. Psuché refers to the living and breathing person, attributing thoughts, emotions, and desires. Psuché can also mean the soul of the person that lives on after death (see Revelation 6:9) and can even be applied to living animals, as far as the fact that they are living (Revelation 8:9). Psuché is not the same as the Greek word pneuma, which means spirit. Pneuma is the immortal spirit of a person and is even used of the Holy Spirit. Pneuma is not used of living, breathing people, and is never applied to animals. Psuché also differs from the Greek word zóé. Zóé, which means “life” can be applied to plants, animals or people, regardless of sentience. Zóé is used in John 3:16, but with the qualifier word eternal (aiónios). It is interesting to note that in  1 Thessalonians 5:23 and Hebrews 4:12, spirit, soul and body (poetically, joints and marrows in Hebrews 4:12) are used to describe the complete person. (BACK)

40 And there will be…: From Matthew 24:14. Revelation tells us about these events. In Revelation 14:6-7 we learn about the angel who preaches the gospel to all the nations and tribes of the earth, and ‘the end’ is described in Revelation 15:1-20:3. (BACK)

 

English Bible translation used: Berean Standard Bible

The Conception and Birth of Christ: Part Three

by

Scripture Used to Create the Splice Series “The Conception and Birth of Christ”

 

Matthew 1:18-25 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Matthew 1:18)

Luke 1:26-56 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Luke 1:26)

Luke 2:1-20 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Luke 2:1)

 

Need to catch up first? To read the Splice “The Conception and Birth of Jesus: Part Two”, click here.

 

Galatians 4:4-5
4 But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.

 

THE SPLICE

Now in those days 1 a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a 2 census should be taken of the 3 whole empire. This was the first census to take place while 4 Quirinius was governing in Syria. And everyone went to his own town to register. So 5 Joseph also went up from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called 6 Bethlehem, since he was from the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was 7 pledged to him in marriage and was 8 expecting a child.

9 While they were there in Bethlehem, the time came for her Child to be born. And 10 she gave birth to her firstborn Son. Joseph called His name Jesus. Mary wrapped Him in 11swaddling cloths and laid Him in a 12 manger, because there was 13 no room for them in the inn.

And there were 14 shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Just then 15 an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for 16 all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord! And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying a manger.

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a 17great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!”

When the angels had left them and 18 gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby, who was lying in the manger. After they had seen the Child, they spread the message they had received about Him. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

The shepherds 20 returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, which was just as the angel had told them.

 

NOTES

 

1 a decree went out: Caesar Augustus sent out more than one decree for taking censuses during his time as emperor of Rome, and we don’t know about each and every one. Unfortunately, this decree mentioned in Luke 2:1 does not give us the information needed to pinpoint Jesus’s birthday. Caesar Augustus was a prolific and pivotal figure in ancient Rome. You can read about him here. (Back)

2 census: The Greek word used in Luke 2:1 for census is apographé and means “enrollment or registration”. It can be extended to imply “taxation” and often does, but it didn’t always mean this. (Back)

 

3 whole empire: Meaning the Roman Empire, which existed from 27 BC to 476 AD (before that, it the Roman Republic). The Roman Empire stretched beyond Rome. It included parts of Europe, Asia and Africa as well. Your local library probably holds a wealth of books that expand on the Roman Empire, if you are interested. (Back)

 

4 Quirinius was governor of Syria: This information is taken from Luke 2:2. There has been a lot of argument on whether or not Quirinius was governor of Syria two different times in his life. The facts are not exhaustive on Quirinius, therefore this possibility must be taken into account. We have no idea who was governor of Syria between 4BC and 1 AD. This is where the idea that Quirinius could have been governor twice, along with the tombstone inscription information. It should also be taken into account that in Luke 2:2, the Greek word used for  first, which is prótos is also translated as the word “before”. Just because our English translators chose to use the word first doesn’t mean they should have. (Back)

 

5 Joseph: Joseph is a bit of a mystery, as he isn’t mentioned directly throughout Jesus’s ministry. Here is what we know: His father’s name was Jacob (Matthew 1:16) and he was descended from King David through Solomon (Matthew 1:6). He was a carpenter (Matthew 13:55) and had his own children with Mary, after Jesus’s birth (Matthew 1:25; Matthew 13:55-56; Mark 6:3). We know that he was a righteous man, meaning justified by God and he was considerate of Mary, where others might not have been (Matthew 1:19). We know that God included Joseph in on plans regarding Jesus and entrusted him with Jesus’s care (Matthew 1:20-25; 2:13-15; 2:19-23). Also, he was still alive when Jesus was twelve (Luke 2:41-51). Some might say that because of the present tense of is (in Greek: eimi) in Matthew 13:55, that Joseph was still alive for at least part of Jesus’s ministry, but we can’t be sure. It is highly probable that Joseph was dead by the time of Jesus’s death on the cross, because Jesus gives John the disciple the responsibility for caring for Mary, from that time on (John 19:26-27). (Back)

 

6 Bethlehem: Bethlehem is prophesied to be the birthplace of Jesus in Micah 5:2-5. The name Bethlehem means “house/place of bread” in Greek/Hebrew. Every year at Christmas time, current day Bethlehem has all sorts of festivities and celebrations.  It is important to remember, however, that no matter what any tourist agency tells you, we don’t know when Jesus was born and we don’t know the exact spot of His birth. (Back)

 

7 pledged to him in marriage: When people became engaged in ancient Israel, they were as good as married and would require a legal divorce to separate. However, they were not married yet, and therefore not living together. To read about the betrothal and marriage practices of ancient Israel, click here. (Back)

 

8 expecting a child: It is popular to depict Mary as 9 months pregnant for this journey to Bethlehem. In truth, we have no idea how far along she was in the pregnancy when they started on their trip. Mary and Joseph could have left for Bethlehem anytime between Mary’s third month of pregnancy, when Mary returned from Elizabeth’s house (Luke 1:56), up to the week of the birth of Jesus. Current day Bethlehem and Nazareth are around 90 miles apart, but this does not take into account the common traveling routes of the era or if the Biblical Bethlehem and Nazareth are in the exact same places. But roughly, if Joseph and Mary walked 20 miles a day (the normal amount of walking for travel at that time), the trip took them between 3-5 days. It is highly doubtful that Joseph and Mary walked by themselves. They were probably amongst a caravan of people, as it would have been imprudent in those days to travel alone. See Luke 2:43-45 for an example of the caravan (Greek word: sunodia) idea, also including Mary and Joseph with their relatives and friends. (Back)

 

9 While they were there in Bethlehem: We do not know how long Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem before Jesus was born. We do not know how long they stayed in Bethlehem after His birth. It’s important to establish what we don’t know as well as what we do know, because there has been much legend and folklore that has developed around Jesus and Christmas. It’s not wrong to celebrate the birth of Christ, but it is important to recognize that it wasn’t given the same attention in the Bible that His death and resurrection was given. All four gospels talk about Jesus’s death and resurrection. Only Luke and Matthew talk about His birth. We know exactly when to commemorate Jesus’s death and celebrate His resurrection. We have no indication as to when Jesus was born. And, although we can celebrate the birth of Jesus as the happy time when the Savior was born into the world to begin His work in the Salvation plan, the date of December 25 can’t be insisted on as a fact around Jesus’s birth. Celebrate His birth how you choose to, when you choose to, if you choose to. (Back)

 

10 she gave birth to her firstborn Son: There has been much speculation as to when Jesus was born. The two biggest clues we are given are in Matthew 2:1 , Luke 1:5 and then in Matthew 2:22. Using Matthew 2:22’s mentioning of Archelaus as the son of Herod and Herod’s death (the death also recorded in Matthew 2:19), we can confirm that the Herod that was king when Jesus was born was Herod the Great. Herod the Great’s date of death is in question, usually thought to have been either in 4 BC or 1 BC. We might look to Luke’s information, in Luke 2:1-2, and take into consideration the date of the census ordered by Caesar Augustus and also when Quirinius governed in Syria. However, that information also can’t be verified, see Notes 1 and 4. There is only one conclusion that we can arrive at: we do not know the day, the month, nor the year of Christ’s birth. (Back)

 

11 swaddling cloths: The practice of wrapping babies in swaddling cloths had a long tradition in Israel, also being mentioned in Ezekiel 16:4. To learn more about modern day swaddling practices, see this YouTube video or read this article. (Back)

 

12 manger: A manger is a feeding trough for cattle. This is why people associate Jesus’s birth with a stable. However, the Bible never mentions a stable.  There is lore on where the manger was located, but we have no confirmation on the location of it or on the structure it was housed in. In current day Bethlehem, the Church of the Nativity has a “traditional” location for Jesus’s birth place. The church is several centuries old and has an interesting history. (Back)

 

13 no room for them in the inn: This information is from Luke 2:7. The Greek word for inn used here is kataluma and means “a lodging place” but doesn’t necessarily mean a “hotel” type dwelling, because that is a different word. Because of the way the Greek sentence reads, we can be sure that at the very least, Mary and Joseph were not given the customary room for lodging, and had to submit to less-than-desirable accommodation, probably in the courtyard with the animals (the most common place where domestic stock was kept) belonging to the host family. (Back)

 

14 shepherds residing in the fields nearby: Shepherds watched the flocks in their care at night because of the threat of wild animals and thieves (see 1 Samuel 17:34-37 for David’s account of protecting a flock). Shepherds were sometimes hired people, and usually not particularly rich or educated. Many times, the shepherds of a family were the younger children, like in David’s case (1 Samuel 16:11-13). It is in keeping with God’s amazing plan to reveal Himself to the not-so-valued in society instead of the “wise” persons of the world (Matthew 11:25). (Back)

 

15 an angel of the Lord stood before them: On Christmas cards, we usually see the angel depicted in the sky above the shepherds, but the Bible doesn’t say the angel is in the sky. The Greek text reads “And an angel of the LORD stood by them”. The Greek word used for stood in Luke 2:9 is ephistémi and it means “to set upon, stand upon, to be present”.  We can only be sure that the angel was presented to the shepherds. (Back)

 

16 all the people: The Greek used here for people is the word laos. This word is important because it is particular in that it means “God’s chosen people”. This wording should be understood in alignment with Matthew 22:14; John 6:44; Romans 8:28-29; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Peter 2:9-10, just as examples. (Back)

 

17 great multitude of the heavenly host: The Greek text for Luke 2:13 reads “And suddenly there came with the angel a multitude of host”. The Greek word for host used in this verse is stratia and it means “an army”. Here, it applies to the troops of heaven: the angels. It can also apply to any celestial body such as stars or constellations. (Back)

 

18 gone into heaven: The Greek text in Luke 2:15 says “And it came to pass, as were departing from them into the heaven, the angels, the shepherds were saying…”. The Greek word used for heaven is ouranos and it means the sky/the stars that we can see, as well as the invisible heaven that is God’s abode. It is possible that the angels went up into the sky (like Jesus did in Acts 1:9-11) in order to be taken to God’s heaven. We don’t have a clear indication on what is involved with  “departing into the heaven” and how it takes place. As a side note, the new Jerusalem comes down from heaven to the new earth in Revelation 21:1-2. (Back)

 

19 But Mary treasured up…: The Greek word used for treasured up in Luke 2:19 is suntéreó and it means to “keep close to, to remember, to preserve”. (Back)

 

20 returned, glorifying and praising God: We don’t know exactly where the shepherds “returned” to, but it is most likely that they went back to their flocks in the fields. (Back)

The Conception and Birth of Christ: Part Two

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Scripture Used to Create the Splice Series “The Conception and Birth of Christ”

English translation used: Berean Standard Bible

Matthew 1:18-25 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Matthew 1:18)

Luke 1:26-56 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Luke 1:26)

Luke 2:1-20 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Luke 2:1)

 

Need to catch up first? To read the Splice “The Conception and Birth of Jesus: Part One”, click here.

 

Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.

 

THE SPLICE

In those days Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the 1 hill country of Judah, where she entered the home of 2 Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby 3 leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was 4 filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord’s word to her will be fulfilled.”

Then 5 Mary said:
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For He has looked with favor on the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is His name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are 6 proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble. He has 7 filled the hungry with good things, but has 8 sent the rich away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful, as He promised to 9 our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.”
10 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

 

Want to keep reading? To read the Splice “The Conception and Birth of Christ: Part Three”, click here.

 

NOTES

 

1 hill country of Judah: The hill country of Judah contained a refuge city called Kiriath-arba, a.k.a. Hebron. Refuge cities were for “anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally”. A person who was an unintentional killer had this place in Hebron, and 5 other refuge cities, to run to. The person was then kept safe (until their trial before the assembly) from avengers of the dead person. It is unknown which town John the Baptist’s parents, Zacharias and Elizabeth, lived in, but these 6 refuge cities, as well as 42 other cities amongst the tribes, belonged to the Levites (Levites did not have their own tribal land in Israel but lived scattered throughout the other tribes); Zacharias was a Levite. See Numbers 35:6-28; Deuteronomy 4:41-43; 10:8-9; 18:1-8; 19:1-10; Joshua 20 and 21; Luke 1:5. (Back)

 

2 Zacharias and Elizabeth: You can read about Zacharias and Elizabeth in Luke 1:5-25; 57-80. (Back)

 

3 leaped in her womb: From Luke 1:41. The Greek word used here for leaped is skirtaó and it means to “leap for joy”. (Back)

 

4 filled with the Holy Spirit: Being filled with the Holy Spirit is something that all true believers in God and in His Christ have (Romans 8:9). Having the Helper (some English translations say Advocate), as Jesus calls Him in John 14:16, enables the person to actually believe the truths of God, as the Spirit teaches them (John 14:26; 16:13). He enables the believer to follow the truth and Laws of God (Ezekiel 36:26-27), which is completely against human nature (Galatians 5:17-25). He convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment through the believer (John 16:7-11), as displayed in Acts several times (Acts 2; Acts 9:17-28 as examples), speaking with boldness (Acts 4:31) about the things of God, and it even enables one to accept an unjust death on behalf of Christ (Acts 7:54-60). In short, being filled with the Holy Spirit is a gift of God to the believer (Acts 2:38) , and enables the person to do the things God wants them to do. The fruit of this gift of the Holy Spirit is described in Galatians 5:22-23. (Back)

 

5 Mary said: This beautiful declaration of the awesomeness of God brings to mind Hannah’s prayer to God after the birth of her son, Samuel, in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. (Back)

 

6 proud in the thoughts of their hearts: Pride is a sin and not of God. See Psalm 10:2-4; Proverbs 8:13; 21:4; 1 Peter 5:5; 1 John 2:16. (Back)

 

7 filled the hungry with good things: That is, righteousness (Matthew 5:6). Jesus is the fulfillment of this, see John 6:31-35. (Back)

 

8 sent the rich away empty: Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to be saved (Matthew 19:21-24; Mark 10:21-25). This is because the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:6-11). Evil is not of God (Psalm 107:1, Isaiah 5:20; 2 Timothy 4:18). In Luke 12:15-21 Jesus warns about accumulating worldly wealth and ignoring the wealth of God. (Back)

 

9 our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever: This promise was made over the prophesy of another miracle baby, Isaac, in Genesis 17:7-22. (Back)

 

10 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months: The Bible says that Mary went to Elizabeth, in a hurry (Luke 1:39), in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy (Luke 1:36); therefore, it seems that Mary stayed to help her out (Elizabeth was elderly, see Luke 1:7) for those last three months and probably left after Elizabeth had given birth. The Bible doesn’t state that Mary helped with the birth of John, so it’s conjecture. But what we do know is that Mary did stay for three months (Luke 1:56). That means Mary, who would now be 3 months pregnant when she went home to Nazareth, did not hide herself from her neighbors during the most showy parts of her pregnancy. The Bible doesn’t mention if Mary was bombarded with rumors and gossip, though. (Back)

The Conception and Birth of Christ: Part One

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Scripture Used to Create the Splice Series “The Conception and Birth of Christ”

English translation used: Berean Standard Bible

Matthew 1:18-25 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Matthew 1:18)

Luke 1:26-56 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Luke 1:26)

Luke 2:1-20 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Luke 2:1)

 

Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.

 

THE SPLICE

This is how the birth of 1 Jesus Christ came about:

In the 2 sixth month, God sent 3 the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin  4 pledged in marriage to a man named 5 Joseph, who was of the house of 6 David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will 7 give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. 8His kingdom will never end!”  “How can this be, ” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. Look, even 9 Elizabeth your relative has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is in her sixth month.  For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am 10the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

Now before Mary and Joseph were married, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because 11 Joseph her husband was 12 a righteous man and was unwilling to 13 disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly. But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him 14 in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name 15 Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

16 “Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).

When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and embraced Mary as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a Son.

 

Want to keep reading? To read the Splice “The Conception and Birth of Christ: Part Two”, click here.

 

NOTES

 

1 Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ means Jesus the Christ, because Christ is a title and not a surname. Christos is the Greek word for the Hebrew word Messiah. (Back)

 

2 sixth month: The sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy; she was miraculously pregnant with John the Baptist (see Luke 1:8-25). (Back)

 

3 the angel Gabriel: This is not the first time Gabriel has been sent by God to give messages to human beings. He was also sent to Daniel (Daniel 8:15-27; Daniel 9:20-27) and Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father (Luke 1:11-20). Gabriel‘s name is a combination of the Hebrew word El (“God”) and the Hebrew word geber (man) and means “man of God”. (Back)

 

4 pledged in marriage: When people became engaged in ancient Israel, they were as good as married and would require a legal divorce to separate. However, they were not married yet, and therefore not living together. To read about the betrothal and marriage practices of ancient Israel, click here. (Back)

 

5 Joseph: We don’t know much about Joseph. We know his father’s name was Jacob (Matthew 1:16). We know he was an obedient man of God (Matthew 1:19, 20, 21, 25, 39), at least when obedience involved Jesus. We know he was a descendant of David through the line of Solomon (Matthew 1:7), we know he was still alive when Jesus was twelve (Luke 2:41-42), and we know he was a carpenter by trade (Matthew 13:55). We know he had children of his own with Mary (Matthew 12:46-47, 13:55, Mark 3:31-32, John 7:3-5). And, we might assume that Joseph passed on his carpentry knowledge to Jesus (Jesus was a carpenter before His ministry, see Mark 6:3), but we can’t know that for sure. If Joseph died early on, one of his relatives or a family friend could have taught Jesus carpentry, or at least finished the education that Joseph had started. (Back)

 

6 David: King David. The name David, probably comes from the Hebrew word dod or dowd and means “well-beloved”. David’s history is recorded in Ruth 4:16-22; 1 Samuel 16:1 – 31:13; all of 2 Samuel, 1 Kings 1:1-2:11; 1 Chronicles 10:14 – 29:30. David was also the author of many of the Psalms in the Bible, the most recognizable being Psalm 23. (Back)

 

7 give Him the throne of His father David: See 2 Samuel 7:8-17  (and Isaiah 9:7 ) for this promise of God. (Back)

 

8 His kingdom will never end!: 2 Samuel 7:13, 16 specifically mentions this part of God’s promise to David. See Revelation 21:1-22:5 to understand this everlasting kingdom (as best as we humanly can, 1 Corinthians 2:9-11). (Back)

 

9 Elizabeth your relative: The name Elizabeth in Hebrew means “God is an oath”. You can read about Zacharias and Elizabeth in Luke 1:5-25, 39-80. (Back)

 

10 the Lord’s servant: The Greek word used here for the word servant is doulé and it means “female slave”. (Back)

 

11 Joseph her husband: See Note 4 regarding the marriage practices back then. (Back)

 

12 a righteous man: Righteousness isn’t something that a person accomplishes by themselves, for instance, by being a good person. The Bible says that no one is righteous on their own (Romans 3:10). Any righteousness that is attributed to a person is by God’s grace in granting them the God-given faith to receive it (Romans 1:17) ; it is the faith in Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:24). It is Jesus’s righteousness that is used in the place of the person’s sinful nature (1 Corinthians 1:30). (Back)

 

13 disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly: Deuteronomy 22:13-30 explains penalties for pre-marital or adulterous relations. Deuteronomy 24:1-4 gives the laws of divorce. Jesus makes clear in Matthew 5:32 that the indecency mentioned as grounds for divorce in Deuteronomy means sexual immorality. The Greek word used for sexual immorality is porneia and it applies to any sexual relations outside of marriage. (Back)

 

14 in a dream: The Greek word used in Matthew 1:20 for the word dream is onar and it means “a dream during sleep”. It wasn’t a vision like what many of the prophets experienced (such as Obadiah) or a visitation like what Mary experienced. Joseph’s information from God is delivered to him in dreams only, by an unidentified angel of the Lord (Matthew 1:20; 2:13, 19). The magi are also warned in a dream not to return to Herod after seeing Jesus (Matthew 2:12). (Back)

 

15 Jesus: The name Jesus is Iésous in Greek and Yehoshua in Hebrew. It means “Yahweh is salvation”. (Back)

 

16 Behold, the virgin will be with child: From Isaiah 7:14. (Back)

Jesus Calms the Storm on the Sea of Galilee

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Scripture Used to Create the Splice “Jesus Calms the Storm on the Sea of Galilee”

Matthew 8:23-27 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Matthew 8:23)

Mark 4:35-41 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Mark 4:35)

Luke 8:22-25 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Luke 8:22)

 

Psalm 107:29
He calmed the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed.

 

THE SPLICE

1 On that day, now, during one of the days when Jesus had been teaching, when evening came, 2 Jesus got into the boat, and His disciples, following Him, got into the boat as well, and He said to them, 3 “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out, leaving the crowd, and they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and 4 other boats were with Him.  But as they were sailing along, Jesus fell asleep and He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And behold, there arose a great storm on 5 the sea; a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and the waves were breaking over the boat, covering the boat with waves, so that the  boat was already filling up with water. They began to be 6 swamped and to be in danger. The disciples came to Jesus, and woke Him up and 7 said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing? Save us, Lord; Master, Master, we are perishing!” He said to them, 8 “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the surging waves of the sea, saying “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down, and the waves stopped, and it became perfectly calm. And He said to the disciples, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith? Where is your faith?” And the disciples were very much afraid/fearful, as well as amazed, and were saying to one another, “Who then is this, what kind of a man is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

 

 

 

NOTES

1 On that day: Due to the nature of the English language, we would consider this phrase (as used in Mark 4:35), “On that day” to mean “on the day of the events that were just being discussed”. This Greek sentence simply means that “on the day of the sailing”.  It is most probable that Jesus was teaching the crowds and using the parables in Mark 4 (and possibly those in Luke 8) over several days’ time, there on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. See Mark 4:1-34 and Luke 8:4-18. (Back)

 

2 Jesus got into the boat: Matthew 8:18 tells us that Jesus ordered the departure to the other side of the Sea of Galilee due to the crowd that was surrounding Him, most likely due to its size (see Matthew 4:25, 8:1; Mark 4:1, 5:21, 24; Luke 8:4). Before He got into the boat and left, a scribe in the audience expressed a desire to go with Him and one of His disciples said that he wished to stay behind. To see Jesus’s answers to both of these people, see Matthew 8:19-22. (Back)

 

3 “Let us go over…”: Jesus and His disciples were sailing to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, but we are unsure of His departure point. The departure point could be Capernaum or Bethsaida due to Matthew 8:14-17 and Matthew 9:1. It is likely that they had been traveling all along the coast of the sea (see Mark 4:1). Because of Matthew 8:28 and Mark 5:1, we do know that they are traveling to the region of the Gadarenes/Gerasenes. Luke is a little clearer on the location, as he states that they sailed to the country(side) of the Gerasenes, opposite of the region of Galilee (Luke 8:26). The land mass was probably known as both the Gadarenes region and  the Gerasenes region, just like how today different people/cultures refer to the same places using different names. (Back)

 

4 other boats: We are not told who is in the other boats, but it makes sense that there were many people with Jesus and the Twelve, including women and (probably) children (see Matthew 18:2, 27:55; John 6:9). Luke 10:1 says that there were at least 72 disciples walking with Jesus at one point, although most of them fall away (see John 6:66) . (Back)

 

5 the sea: The Sea of Galilee. It is also known as the Sea of Tiberias (John 6:1), as well as the Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1). For some interesting facts about the Sea of Galilee, click here. And click here to read about the fascinating find of a 2,000 year old boat at the bottom of the Sea of Galilee, during an archaeological excavation in 1986. You can find the boat mentioned on page 6 of the newsletter.  (Back)

 

6 swamped: Many English Bible translations use the word swamped for Luke 8:23. The Greek word used here is sumpléroó which means “to fill up completely or to complete; fulfill; accomplish”. (Back)

 

7 said to Him:  The disciples were probably panicking and yelling, especially over the sound of the stormy gales of wind. The Greek word used for said in Matthew 8:25, Mark 4:38 and Luke 8:24 is the generic word legó, meaning “to say”. This word only indicates that speech is in progress, and does not provide an emotional state for the speaker. (Back)

 

8 “Why are you afraid…”: We never need to fear, not even death, when we have been called by God to be His own and He has given us that God-gifted faith in Christ. God promises that He works all things for the good of those who belong to Him and love Him (Romans 8:28). Please understand that God is most concerned with the good that affects our eternal state, and not necessarily the comfort of our temporal abode on this earth (see the horrors inflicted on Paul and others throughout the book of Acts). (Back)

Jesus Heals the Centurion’s Servant

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Scripture Used to Create the Splice “Jesus Heals the Centurion’s Servant”

Matthew 8:5-13 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Matthew 8:5)

Luke 7:1-10 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Luke 7:1)

 

2 Corinthians 5:7
for we walk by faith, not by sight

 

THE SPLICE

When He had completed all 1 His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to 2 Capernaum. And a 3 centurion’s 4 slave, who was 5 highly regarded by the centurion, was 6 sick and about to die. The centurion 7 heard about Jesus, and when Jesus entered Capernaum, the centurion came to Jesus by sending some 8 Jewish elders to Him. The centurion was imploring Him to come and 9 save the life of his 10 slave, saying, 11“Lord, my 12 servant is lying 13 paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.” The Jewish elders, earnestly implored Him on the centurion’s behalf, saying 14“He is worthy for You to grant this to him;  for he loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue.” Jesus said to the centurion through the Jewish elders, “I will come and 15 heal him.” Now Jesus started on His way with the Jewish elders; and when He was not far from the house, the 16 centurion sent friends to meet Jesus and said to Jesus through these friends he had sent to Him, “Lord do not trouble Yourself further, for 17 I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but 18 just say the word, and my servant will be 19 healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my 20 slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” Now when Jesus heard this, 21 He marveled at the centurion and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, “Truly I say to you I have not found such great 22 faith with anyone in Israel/not even in Israel have I found such great faith. I say to you that many will come from 23 east and west, and 24 recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the 25 sons of the kingdom will be 26 cast out into the 27 outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And Jesus said to the centurion’s friends as a message for the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have 28 believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment. When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in 29 good health.

 

NOTES

1 His discourse: Jesus had just finished giving the Sermon on the Mount, which included the Beatitudes (Matthew 5-7; Luke 6:20-49). He had also healed people, including a man with leprosy (Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45, Luke 5:12-15).  To read the Splice about the man with leprosy, click here. (Back)

 

2 Capernaum: Capernaum was Jesus’s base of operations. He had moved there from His hometown of Nazareth at the beginning of His ministry. Peter had a house in Capernaum, which seems to have been a suburb of or a part of Bethsaida. Peter’s brother Andrew also lived at Peter’s house. It could be logically assumed that James and John (the sons of Zebedee), who were fishing partners of Peter’s and Andrew’s, had their homes in Capernaum as well, but the Bible doesn’t mention where James or John lived. We do know that Jesus didn’t have a home of His own. See Matthew 4:13, 18-21, 8:20; Mark 1:16-19, 21-29, 2:1;  Luke 5:10,  9:58, John 1:44. (Back)

 

3 centurion: A centurion was a Roman army captain in charge of one hundred soldier subordinates. (Back)

 

4 slave: The slave belongs to a Roman, and not a Jew. It seems this Roman may be a Jewish proselyte of sorts, but the Bible doesn’t state that. God allowed slavery for the Israel of Old Testament times. It is important to understand the distinction of OT Israel only, and to understand that the Bible is not talking about the world of today; it isn’t even talking about the Romans and their slavery practices way back then. Today, slavery is a difficult topic to talk about because of the ugly and wrong justifications that were used by Europeans to kidnap people from Africa and sell them as property, which the Bible makes NO allowance for (Exodus 21:16). To get a basic understanding about what the Bible says about slavery for the Israelites of old, see Leviticus 25:35-55. (Back)

 

5 highly regarded: The Greek text says “valued highly” and the Greek word used in Luke 7:2 is entimos and it means “held precious, honored, honorable in rank”. (Back)

 

6 sick and about to die: The Greek word used for “sick” in Luke 7:2 is kakós and means “badly, grievously or diseased”. (Back)

 

7 heard about Jesus: It must be remembered that EVERYONE was hearing about Jesus, the Man who was preaching with authority about the kingdom of God and about repentance, healing people’s bodies of horrible ailments, and casting out demons (an unimaginable torture) and the crowds were amazed by it. Jesus was causing quite a stir in Israel. See Matthew 4:17, 23-25, 7:28-29, 8:16, 17, 28-33 for a sample of these events. (Back)

 

8 Jewish elders: The Sanhedrin (see Greek word presbuteros). The Sanhedrin was the group with all the power in Israel—under the authority of the Romans, that is. The Sanhedrin was headed up by the High Priest (Annas and Caiaphas at the time of Jesus’s ministry, see Matthew 26:57, Luke 3:2, John 18:13), and was comprised of scribes and the Pharisees, among others. The Sanhedrin will later be the group responsible (along with some input from the Herodians, see Mark 3:6 and Matthew 22:15-16) for demanding Jesus’s crucifixion, after an illegal arrest in the dark, and a fake trial with phony witnesses. See Matthew 26:3-5; 47-68, 27:11-26; Mark 14:1, 10-11, 43-65; 15:1-20; Luke 22:4-5, 47-53, 66-71; 23:1-25; John 11:47-57; John 18 and 19. Here’s a fair explanation about the Sanhedrin from Wikipedia and one from Britannica.com. (Back)

 

9 save the life: The Greek word used for save in Luke 7:3 is diasózó and means to “escape safely, perfectly whole” or “to save all the way across”. (Back)

 

10 slave: Luke 7:2, 3, 10 tells us that this person is an actual slave, a person owned by another person. The Greek word for slave used in the Luke verses is doulos and means “slave”. Many Bible translations like to use the word “bondservant” or simply “servant” and that is true, it does mean “servant/bondservant”. However, the English word servant gives the feeling of a person free to make their own choices or able to quit the job, if they don’t like the pay or the boss. The truth is, a bondservant/doulos, is a bondslave. A bondslave has no rights, no personal ownership or freedoms; a bondslave has no legal personhood. (Back)

 

11 Lord: The Greek word used for Lord in Matthew 8:6 is kurios and means “lord, master, sir” and gives the implication that the person being called “lord” is the owner of or master over the person using the word kurios. When you call Jesus “Lord”, you are saying He is the absolute owner of you, over any other authority including your own free will, just like the centurion was saying here. (Back)

 

12 servant: The centurion never calls the person that he owns (that is also dying) a “doulos” (slave). He uses a different word, pais, which means “a child, boy, youth” and implies a youthful slave, possibly still in training. We can tell from this word, which the centurion uses several times, that this slave is probably a child. Just to be clear, Luke never uses the word pais himself, even though he quotes the centurion as using it; Luke always refers to the ill person as “doulos”. Matthew does use the word pais apart from the centurion, in Matthew 8:13. Matthew does not use the word “doulos” in describing this ill person at all. (Back)

 

13 paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented: It is very difficult to watch someone that you love suffer in agony, even more so when that person is a child. The Greek word used in Matthew 8:6 for fearfully is deinós and means “vehemently, terribly, grievously”. The Greek word used in Matthew 8:6 for the word tormented is basanizó and means “to torture.” We don’t know what illness this young person had, but whatever it was it left him paralyzed, tormented and about to die. (Back)

 

14 He is worthy: It sounds like these Jewish elders felt like they had to qualify the Gentile centurion’s request, and this was because most Jews, especially religious Jews, didn’t like to associate with Gentiles. It’s actually surprising that these Sanhedrin members affiliated with this Roman guy at all. While it is true that Jesus was preaching to and healing the Israelites exclusively (He didn’t go to Rome or China to preach/heal, see Matthew 15:24), He clearly helped non-Jews as well, as this event shows, as does the story of the Canaanite woman (see Matthew 15:21-28). Jesus also tells the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37, after a lawyer asked Jesus to define who he should consider as a neighbor. (Back)

 

15 heal him: The Greek word for heal used in Matthew 8:7 is therapeuó and means to cure or heal, like a doctor’s healing. (Back)

 

16 centurion sent friends: Although the Bible does not mention it, we can safely assume that at least one of the Jewish elders (or a servant of one of the elders or of the centurion) ran back ahead of the others to let the centurion know that Jesus was on the way, going to this centurion’s house. How else would the centurion have known that Jesus would be on His way? The centurion’s knowledge is born from a natural event: someone told him! There is not one shred of evidence or Biblical back-up to state that this was some sort of a supernatural event, with the centurion displaying a “second sight” gift. (Back)

 

17 I am not worthy: The centurion is not alone, because none of us are worthy of Christ. The reason why we are not worthy of God is because of our sin and our sinful nature (Romans 3:9-20, 23). Our sin and sinful nature is something we can never hope to fix for ourselves, it is something only Jesus can fix (Romans 3:24-26; Ephesians 1:5-7, 2:1-9) . Realizing this and admitting it is a preliminary step towards salvation. (Back)

 

18 just say the word: One of the powers of God is the ability to simply speak things into existence, including wellness. See Genesis 1 for the most popularly known example of God’s usage of this ability. (Back)

 

19 healed: The centurion uses a different word for healed, than the word that Jesus used in Matthew 8:7. In both Matthew 8:8 and Luke 7:7, the centurion uses the Greek word iaomai, which means “to heal”, but it also does have spiritual implications. Perhaps the centurion was not asking so much for a physical healing but a spiritual healing for the child, since he was dying. Maybe the centurion was asking for both types of healing. We are all in need of spiritual healing (Romans 3:23), which is what salvation really is (Isaiah 53:5). (Back)

 

20 slave: The centurion does indeed use the Greek word for slave here, doulos meaning “slave”, when referring to the example slave he uses in his explanation to Jesus. He does not use this word when referring to the young, sick person whom he holds in high regard, even though Luke made it clear that this dying child is a slave in Luke 7:2-3. (Back)

 

21 He marveled: Jesus didn’t stand awe-struck by human beings very often. The Greek word used in Matthew 8:10 and Luke 7:9 for marveled is thaumazó and means “to wonder, marvel” and can also mean to “admire”. The only other time I can find that Jesus “marveled” at people would be in Mark 6:6, which also uses the Greek word thaumazó . In this scene, Jesus is amazed at the lack of faith in Nazareth. He still healed a few sick people, even though the town was offended by Him (see Mark 6:1-6). (Back)

 

22 faith: Faith in Jesus is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). It is granted to all of the elect of God (Romans 12:3), and it is through this faith that makes us children of God (Galatians 3:26-29). The Greek word for faith is pistis and means “faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness”. For examples on what this kind of faith can enable a person to see, experience and believe (where otherwise they wouldn’t), see Hebrews 11. (Back)

 

23 east and west: From Matthew 8:11. The Greek phrasing used here for “east and west” is anatolōn kai dysmōn and means “rising (of the sun) and setting (of the sun)” and therefore, east and west. (Back)

 

24 recline: Reclining to eat is almost an absurdity for modern diners. It involved leaning back, propped up on an arm, feet away from the table. Here’s a good explanation on eating in ancient Roman times. (Back)

 

25 sons of the kingdom: Jesus is speaking of the Jews, in a general sense. Jesus is underlining that faith is the requirement for salvation, faith in Him specifically, and not faith in one’s lineage. All people, whether Jew or Gentile are called to Christ individually, not as a nation or creed. Each person is responsible for their own reactions to God’s calling (Galatians 6:5, Philippians 2:12). See Galatians 3 to expand a little on Jesus’s statement. (Back)

 

26 cast out: The Greek word used for cast out in Matthew 8:12 is ekballo and means to “banish, cast out, expel, throw”. It has the feeling of driving someone out and away, with an aura of contempt. (Back)

 

27 outer darkness: The outer darkness is hell. It is the most extreme of all darkness, because the light of God, both physical light and moral light, does not shine there. See Matthew 22:13, 25:30, 2 Peter 2:4 for examples on the darkness representing hell. (Back)

 

28 believed: It is important to understand that “just as you believed” is not a call to positive thinking. The centurion’s faith was pistis faith, the God-gifted faith, and not a human-conjured faith. (Back)

 

29 good health: Matthew 8:13 says that the servant was healed that very moment. Luke 7:10 says the child was found in good health. Matthew uses the Greek word iaomai, which gives the healing from Jesus the supernatural credit it deserves, and Luke uses the Greek word hugiainó which tells us the slave was found totally healthy, sound and whole. (Back)

Jesus Cleanses A Man with Leprosy

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Scripture Used to Create the Splice “Jesus Cleanses a Man with Leprosy”

Matthew 8:1-4 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Matthew 8:1)

Mark 1:40-45 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Mark 1:40)

Luke 5:12-15 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Luke 5:12)

 

Leviticus 13:45-46
45 A diseased person must wear torn clothes and let his hair hang loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 As long as he has the infection, he remains unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp.

 

THE SPLICE

When Jesus came down from the 1 mountain, large crowds followed Him. While He was in one of the cities there was a man 2 covered with 3 leprosy, and when the man saw Him, he came to Him, and bowed down before Him, falling on his knees and to then to his face, beseeching and imploring Him, saying “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and 4 touched him, and said to him, “I am willing, be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left the man and he was cleansed of it. And Jesus 5 sternly warned and ordered him to tell no one, saying to him, “See that you tell no one, say nothing to anyone; but go and show yourself to the priest and 6 present the offering, that Moses commanded/make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” And Jesus immediately sent him away. But the formerly leprous man went out  and began to proclaim it freely and to  spread the news around, to such an extent that 7 Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but He stayed out in unpopulated areas; and people were coming to Him from everywhere.  The news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.

 

NOTES

1  mountain: Jesus had just finished teaching what we call “The Sermon on the Mount” and the inspiring Beatitudes. To read about The Sermon on the Mount and The Beatitudes, see Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6:20-49. (Back)

 

2  covered: The Greek word for covered used in Luke 5:12 is plérés and means “full, abounding in, complete, completely occupied with”. This tells us that the person who came to Jesus was in an advanced state of leprosy. (Back)

 

3  leprosy: The Greek word for leprosy is lepra and comes from the Greek word lepis which means “a scale (of a fish)”. The Hebrew priests had a procedure to follow, as ordered by God, in order to deem a person a leper. A person with leprosy amongst the Jews could expect an unhappy, humiliating, and lonely existence (Leviticus 13:45-46). If the person with leprosy happened to become cleansed or cured of the skin ailment, the priest performed a lengthy ceremony which deemed the formerly leprous person ceremonially clean and re-introduced them to social life, as commanded by God. Current-day leprosy, or Hansen’s Disease is rare and not easily transmitted. (Back)

 

4  touched him: This was a huge deal! This poor person had been cut off from all social aspects. No one touched him while he had leprosy and he had been saddled with it for a long time, since he was completely covered in it. (Back)

 

5  sternly: The Greek word used in Mark 1:43 for sternly is embrimaomai and means “to be moved with anger, to admonish sternly”. Jesus was not giving out gentle warnings to people, regarding keeping quiet about their encounters with Him. They rarely seemed to listen. (Back)

 

6  present the offering: See Leviticus 14. (Back)

 

7  Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city: Because of the formerly leprous man’s disobedience, Jesus couldn’t move around in the cities to actually go to the sick people who needed Him. The sick had to be traveled out to Him to be cured, making a miserable person even more so and putting an unneeded stress and strain on those who loved them/carried them out there. (Back)

The Transfiguration of Jesus and Leaving the Mountain

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Scripture Used in Creating “The Transfiguration of Jesus and Leaving the Mountain”

Matthew 17:1-13 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Matthew 17:1)

Mark 9:2-13 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Mark 9:2)

Luke 9:28-36 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Luke 9:28)

2 Peter 1:16-18
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”—18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

THE SPLICE

1 Six to eight days later 2 after these sayings, 3 Jesus took along with Him, 4 Peter, James and John (James’s brother), and led them up on a 5 high mountain by themselves. Jesus had gone up on the mountain to pray. While they were on the mountain and while Jesus was praying, 6 Peter, James and John had been overcome with sleep. But when they were 7fully awake from their sleep, and saw that while Jesus was continuing His prayer, He was 8 transfigured before them. In His glory, the appearance of His face became 9different, 10 shining like the sun. His garments became 11white as light, exceedingly white as no launderer on earth can whiten them, and His clothes were also 12 radiant and 13gleaming. And 14 behold, two men were standing with Him, talking with Him. The two men were 15 Moses and 16 Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking with Him regarding 17 His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

As Moses and Elijah were leaving Jesus, Peter said to Jesus, “18 Lord/Master/Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make three 19tabernacles; I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”. 20 Peter had not realized what he was saying, for he did not know what to 21 answer because the three disciples had become terrified. While Peter was still speaking, a 22bright cloud formed, and overshadowed them; and they were afraid as they were enveloped, entering in the cloud. And, behold, a voice came out of the cloud, and said, 23“This is My beloved Son, My Chosen One with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell face down on the ground and were terrified. After the voice had spoken, 24Jesus went to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.”  And lifting up their eyes, all at once they looked around, and they saw no one with them any more, except Jesus Himself alone. 25 The next day, as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, giving them orders, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the 26 Son of Man has risen from the dead.” They seized upon that statement, 27 discussing with one another what rising from the dead meant. And they asked Him, “Why is it then that the scribes say that 28 Elijah must come first?” And He answered and said to them, “Elijah does come first;29 Elijah is coming and will restore all things; yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I say to you that Elijah has indeed already come, and they did not recognized him, but 30 did to him whatever they wished 31just as it is written of him. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about 32 John the Baptist. And Peter, James and John kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.

 

NOTES

1 Six to eight days later: Matthew and Mark tell us it was six days, and Luke says it was about or around eight days. Most Biblical scholars agree that Matthew and Mark did not count the “half days”: the day of the discussion, or the day of the transfiguration itself. Luke did count those partial days in his time-figuring, and he was approximating by using the Greek word hósei, which means “nearly or about” when the word is placed before numbers.  Although I’ve seen that some scholars state that the use of half-days or not is due to cultural influence, I have not found any proof for culture playing a part in the counting of the days. I cite how the Jewish Gospel writers (Matthew, John and probably Mark), and especially Jesus Himself, describe Jesus’s three days in the grave, which include the partial days of Friday and Sunday. See Matthew 16:21, 17:22-23; 20:17-19; Mark 8:31,10:32-34; Luke 24:21; John 2:19-22.  (Back)

 

2 after these sayings: Jesus had been speaking to His disciples about the fact that He would have to suffer and die at the hands of the Jewish elders and He also mentioned the cost that the disciples would have to pay if they would follow Him. He then said that there were those who would not experience death without seeing Him in His kingdom or (also translated as) His royal power/splendor. See Matthew 16:21-28; Mark 8:31-9:1; Luke 9:22-27. (Back)

 

3 Jesus took along with Him: Peter, James and John are touted by many as “the inner circle” of Jesus, but the Bible never states that.  James, John and Peter are noted as “pillars” in Galatians 2:9, but this is not during their time with Jesus. During their time with Jesus, the Bible does say that Peter was the rock on which Christ would build His church (Matthew 16:18) and that He had given James and John a nickname together: Boanerges, see Mark 3:17. James and John also asked for special privileges/placement above everyone else, along with their mom’s request for the same preferment for them (Matthew 20:20-24; Mark 10:35-41). Peter and John are also the ones who prepared the last Passover for Jesus, see Luke 22:8. Jesus could have isolated other disciples to accompany Him on different occasions or to do special jobs for Him, but we just don’t know about because it isn’t recorded in the Bible. It is important to understand that not everything that Jesus did or said is recorded in the Bible, see John 21:25. The only two incidents where P, J & J collectively are mentioned with Jesus by themselves, are here at the transfiguration and in the Garden of Gethsemane (see Matthew 26:37; Mark 14:33) on the night that Jesus was betrayed. It also says that P, J, & J along with Andrew questioned Jesus on the Mount of Olives regarding the end of the current world order, ushering in the Parousia of Christ, see Mark 13:3. (Back)

 

4 Peter, James and John: James and John are the sons of Zebedee and former fishing partners of Peter and Peter’s brother Andrew, see Matthew 4:18-21; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:10. It is possible that Peter, Andrew, James and John were cousins. There is no Biblical or secular testimony to this idea, but the fact that they were partners in the fishing trade lend to the possibility of a family connection through their fathers, Zebedee and John (Peter’s and Andrew’s father was named John, see John 1:42), although it is equally possible that Zebedee and the mother of Peter and Andrew were somehow related. I found this article informative, as it describes ancient fishing practices around the Sea of Galilee; it also touches on the idea of relatives working together, as a guild of sorts, in order to sustain themselves economically. (Back)

 

5 high mountain: We know that Jesus and the disciples were somewhere between Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:13; Mark 8:27) and the region of Galilee (Matthew 17:22; Mark 9:30). Caesarea Philippi and Capernaum, as a straight shot (not using the current road system) are roughly 25 miles apart. There are several mountains that exist between all of Galilee and Caesarea Philippi, even today, so we don’t know which mountain they were visiting. (Back)

 

6 Peter, James and John had been overcome with sleep: These three are overcome with sleep again in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus is praying about His upcoming work on the cross, see Matthew 26:37-45; Mark 14:33-41. Luke also mentions the disciples sleeping in the Garden of Gethsemane, but not P, J & J specifically, see Luke 22:45-46. John does not mention the transfiguration at all in his Gospel, and he barely mentions the Garden of Gethsemane in John 18:1.  John, therefore, never mentions that he was one of the three who couldn’t stay awake for these events. (Back)

 

7 fully awake: The Greek transliteral says having awoken fully. The Greek word used for having awoken fully in Luke 9:32 is diagrégoreó and means “thoroughly awake”. Luke makes sure that since he mentioned that the disciples were asleep, we understand they weren’t dreaming, they were “thoroughly awake”. Matthew and Mark don’t mention the sleeping. (Back)

 

8 transfigured: The Greek word used for transfigured in Matthew 17:2 and Mark 9:2 is metamorphoó and means “to transform”. It is where we get the English word metamorphosis from. Luke doesn’t use the word at all in his account of the event. (Back)

 

9 different: The Greek word used here in Luke 9:29 for different is heteros and has a distinct meaning in “other”. It underlines that the other is “another of a different kind” and not “another of the same kind”. (Back)

 

10 shining like the sun: This description is reminiscent of when Moses saw the back of God’s glory and his face was shining. To read about this event, see Exodus 33:18-23; 34:5-9; 29-35(Back)

 

11 white as light: This description of “white” and/or “light” is also used in Scripture for angels, sometimes. See Matthew 28:2-3, Mark 16:5, Luke 24:4, John 20:12, Acts 1:10. There are other times where the description of the angel’s clothing is not mentioned at all, such as in Genesis 19:1, 32:1 or Luke 1:11. In Daniel 3:25, the angel is said to have an appearance like “a son of the gods”. In Luke 2:9, it says that an angel before the shepherds stood there with the glory of the Lord shining around them.  (Back)

 

12 radiant: Mark 9:3 uses the Greek word stilbó meaning “shining, glisten, flash, radiant”.(Back)

 

13 gleaming: Luke 9:29 uses the Greek word exastraptó meaning “flash like lightning, gleam like lightning, radiant”. Some translators also use the English word “dazzling” for the interpretation. (Back)

 

14 behold: The English word behold is old-fashioned, perhaps even silly sounding, to modern readers. The Greek word for behold is horaó and means “to see, look, perceive” and is often used metaphorically. When I read the word “behold”, I like to equate it to someone emphasizing their speech  with “Look” as in “Look, I told you not to max out your credit cards!” or even sometimes “wow!” depending on the sentence. (Back)

 

15 Moses: God gave Moses His Law on Mount Sinai, after leading Israel out of Egypt (see Exodus 19-20). The Law of God is given to us to show us we can’t be good enough nor can we keep the Law perfectly, as God requires, which is why we need a Savior, who is Jesus (see John 1:17, Romans 2-3). To read about Moses and his amazing experiences, see Exodus-Deuteronomy, which also includes the laws that God gave to Moses and the Israelites to follow. To specifically read about the Ten Commandments, see Exodus 20:1-17. (Back)

 

16 Elijah: Elijah was a prophet of Israel who performed miracles and delivered the word of God to others, such as in 2 Chronicles 21:12-15. He is most remembered for his proof to Israel that Yahweh is God and Baal is not (1 Kings 18:19-40), turning the people back to God. To read about Elijah see 1 Kings 17-19, 21:17-29; 2 Kings 1:1-2:12. (Back)

 

17 His departure: His death on the cross. The Greek word used in Luke 9:31 for the English word departure is exodos and means “a departure or exodus” and also has the figurative meaning of “death”. To read about the Crucifixion of Jesus, see Matthew 27:33-56; Mark 15:22-41; Luke 23:33-49; John 19:16-30. To read the Splice about the Crucifixion, click here. (Back)

 

18 Lord/Master/Rabbi: Matthew 17:4 says Peter called Jesus “Lord”, Mark 9:5 says he called Jesus “Rabbi” and Luke 9:33 says he called Jesus “Master”. All three of these titles carry the meaning of “master”. Peter could have used any one of the words, or even all three, during the course of his speech.(Back)

See the Greek words: kurios (lord); rhabbi (rabbi); epistates (master)

 

19 tabernacles: The Greek word used for tabernacle is skéné and means “a tent, dwelling, abode”. Tabernacles were portable and made of cloth or skins and tree boughs. (Back)

 

20 Peter had not realize: The Greek word used in Luke 9:33 for realize is eidó and means “aware, consider, perceive”. Mark 9:6 tells us that Peter wasn’t aware of his words because the 3 disciples were terrified. (Back)

 

21 answer: Mark 9:6 tells us that Peter didn’t know what to answer. The Greek word used in Mark 9:6 for answer is apokrinomai and means “to take up the conversation, answer, reply”. It is possible that here is where Jesus told them that the two men were Elijah and Moses, and Peter simply did not know how to answer to that so he came up with the tabernacle idea. Luke 9:33 tells us that Elijah and Moses were in the process of leaving when Peter said this about the tabernacles. It is possible that Peter was trying to get them to stay, but the Bible is not exactly clear on this. It could have been that Peter didn’t realize the weight of what he was asking when asking them to stay or it could mean that Peter was so confused and terrified that he didn’t realize what words he was “babbling on” with, as if he was just trying to say something, anything, in response. (Back)

 

22 bright cloud: Matthew 17:5 tells us that the cloud was bright. The Greek word used for bright is phóteinos and means “bright, full of light”. This miraculous cloud was luminous, giving off a shining light. (Back)

 

23 This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased: 2 Peter 1:17-18 also mentions this event. God is also well-pleased with Jesus during His baptism. To read about the baptism of Jesus see Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22. John the Baptist’s witness to the event is recorded in John 1:32-34, although he does not specifically mention that he baptized Jesus. To read the Splice about Jesus’s baptism, click here. (Back)

 

24 Jesus went to them…Jesus Himself alone: This is a beautiful picture of what Christianity actually is. There are no other reassurances, no other eyes, no other love, no other comfort that you need except in Jesus alone. (Back)

 

25 The next day: We are told that Jesus, Peter, James and John come down from the mountain the next day in Luke 9:37. (Back)

 

26 Son of Man: Jesus refers to Himself as the “Son of Man” several times (for examples see Matthew 8:20; 9:6). He uses this sobriquet for Himself in reference to Daniel 7:13-14. (Back)

 

27 discussing with one another: Note that they didn’t ask Jesus what “rising from the dead” meant. Asking Jesus would have been more useful than just discussing it amongst themselves. (Back)

 

28 Elijah must come first: (See Malachi 4:5) Malachi 4 is the last chapter of the Old Testament. It speaks of the great and terrible day of the Lord which is the time that the book of Revelation reveals as the tribulation. To read about the tribulation that is to come, as well as the hope that is to come for the believers and followers of Christ, see Revelation 4-21. (Back)

 

29 Elijah is coming: Malachi 4:5 applies to John the Baptist and, I believe, the future witness in Revelation 11. I believe it does apply to the future witness, as well as John the Baptist, because Malachi 4:5 refers to the “great and terrible day of the Lord” which most Biblical scholars agree to be the Second Parousia of Jesus. Also, Jesus’s wording that “Elijah is coming…Elijah has already come” is indicative of two separate events. John the Baptist made ready the way for Christ’s First Parousia and at least one of the future witnesses (there are two – it is possible they are both considered to be Elijah, or “in the spirit of” Elijah) makes ready the way for the Second Parousia of Christ. It is important to understand that “Elijah” does not mean that the actual prophet Elijah was re-incarnated as John the Baptist nor are the future witnesses reincarnations of him, but rather that the message of Elijah, the power of Elijah and the spirit of Elijah’s ministry was brought back through John and the future person/people. See Luke 1:17 where the angel tells Zacharias (John’s father) that John is in the power and spirit of Elijah and see John 1:21 where John the Baptist stresses that he is not a re-incarnated Elijah. (Back)

 

30 did to him: Herod put John the Baptist in jail and had him beheaded, see Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29; Luke 9:9. (Back)

 

31 just as it is written of him: I’m not sure what this statement refers to. If it is in reference to Isaiah 40:3, there is no mention of anything being “done” to him. If it is in reference to what we understand now from the Gospels regarding John the Baptist’s death (see Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29; Luke 9:9), it hadn’t been written yet. John was dead by this time of the transfiguration, so perhaps there had been things written about him that were in circulation amongst the population. If there were current day writings about him, it’s possible that those records would be used to create the accounts of John’s death in the Gospels, but we don’t know this for sure. (Back)

 

32 John the Baptist: You can read about John the Baptist’s story/mentions of him in Matthew 3:1-17, 11:1-19, 14:1-13; Mark 1:1-9, 6:14-29; Luke 1:5-24, 41, 44,3:1-20, 7:18-34, 9:7-9; John 1:6-8, 19-37, 5:33-36. (Back)

NASB References to Messianic Mentions in the Law/Moses, Prophets and Psalms

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Luke 24:27

NASB: 27 Then beginning with a Moses and with all the b prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

Parallel Greek: καὶ ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ Μωϋσέως καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν προφητῶν διερμήνευσεν αὐτοῖς ἐν πάσαις ταῖς γραφαῖς τὰ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ.

Transliteral Greek: And having begun from Moses and from all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Cross References

a Gen 3:15; 12:3; Num 21:9 [John 3:14]; Deut 18:15 [John 1:45]; John 4:46

Genesis 3:15  And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Genesis 12:3  And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Numbers 21:9  And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.

John 3:14   “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;

Deuteronomy 18:15  “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.

John 1:45  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

John 4:46  Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum.

b 2 Sam 7:12-16; Is 7:14 [Mt 1:23]; Is 9:1f [Mt 4:15f]; Is 42:1 [Mt 12:18ff]; Is 53:4 [Mt 8:17; Lk 22:37]; Dan 7:13 [Mt 24:30]; Mic 5:2 [Mt 2:6]; Zech 9:9 [Mt 21:5]; Acts 13:27

2 Samuel 7:12-16  12 “When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, 15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”

Isaiah 7:14  “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sing: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

Matthew 1:23  “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.”

Isaiah 9:1,2  1 But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.

Matthew 4:15, 16 15 “THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES—16 THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON HTEM A LIGHT DAWNED.”

Isaiah 42:1 “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring froth justice to the nations.

Matthew 12:18-21 18 “BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL IS WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES. 19 HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. 20 A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY. 21 AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.” 

Isaiah 53:4 4 Surely our griefs (or sickness) He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. (I added verse 5 to finish the idea)

Matthew 8:17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES.”

Luke 22:37  “For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.”

Daniel 7:13 13 “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. 14 And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.  (I added verse 14 to finish the idea)

Matthew 24:30  30 “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET AND THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. (I added verse 31 to finish the idea)

Micah 5:2  2 “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity. 3 Therefore He will give them up until the time when she who is in labor has borne a child. The remainder of His brethren will return to the sons of Israel. 4 And He will arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will remain, because at that time He will be great to the ends of the earth 5 This One will be our peace. (I added verse 3-5 to finish the idea)

Matthew 2:6  ‘AND YOU BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.’”

Zechariah 9:9  9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the hose from Jerusalem; and the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; and His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River (the Euphrates) to the ends of the earth. (I added verse 10 to finish the idea)

Matthew 21:5 “SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, ‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.’ “

Acts 13:27  “For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him.

Luke 24:44

NASB: 44 Now He said to them, “a These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the b Law of Moses and the Prophets and c the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

Parallel Greek:  Εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς “Οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι μου οὓς ἐλάλησα πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἔτι ὢν σὺν ὑμῖν, ὅτι δεῖ πληρωθῆναι πάντα τὰ γεγραμμένα ἐν τῷ νόμῳ Μωϋσέως καὶ τοῖς προφήταις καὶ ψαλμοῖς περὶ ἐμοῦ.”

Transliteral Greek: He said now unto to them, These [are] the words of Me, which I spoke to you still being with you, that it behooves to be fulfilled all things – having been written in the law of Moses, and the Prophets and [the] Psalms concerning Me.

Cross References

a Luke 9:22, 44f; 18:31-34; 22:37

Luke 9:22  saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”

Luke 9:44, 45  44 “Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. 45 But they did not  understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.

Luke 18:31-34 31 Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and  mistreated and spit upon, 33 and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again.” 34 But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them and they did not comprehend the things that were said.

Luke 22:37 “For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.”

b Luke 24:27

Luke 24:27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

c Ps 2:7ff [Acts 13:33]; Ps 16:10 [Acts 2:27]; Ps 22:1-18 [Mt 27:34-46]; Ps 69:1-21 [Jn 19:28ff]; Ps 72; 110:1 [Mt 22:43f]; Ps 118:22f [Mt 21:42]

Psalm 2:7-9 7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’”

Acts 13:33 that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’

Psalm 16:10  For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. (or, decay can also be corruption)

Acts 2:27 BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.

Psalm 22:1-18 1 My God, My God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. 2 O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; and by night, but I have no rest. 3 Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. 4 In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them. 5 To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed. 6But I am a worm and not a man, a reproach of men and despised by the people. 7All who see me sneer at me; they separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying, 8 “Commit yourself to the LORD; let Him deliver him.” 9 Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb; You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts. 10 Upon You I was cast from birth; You have been my God from my mother’s womb. 11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help. 12 Many bulls have surrounded me; strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. 13 They open wide their mouth at me, as a ravening and a roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and You lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encompassed me; they pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; 18 They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

Matthew 27:33-46  33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, 34 they have Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink. 35 And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. 37 And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” 38 At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their head 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You re the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, 42 “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43 “HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words. 45 Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”

Psalm 69:1-21  1 Save me, O God, for the waters have threatened my life. 2 I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me. 3 I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; my eyes fail while I wait for my God. 4 Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; those who would destroy me are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies; what I did not steal, I then have to restore. 5 O God, it is You who knows my folly, and my wrongs are not hidden from You. 6 May those who wait for You not be ashamed through me, O Lord GOD of hosts; May those who seek You not be dishonored through me, O God of Israel, 7 because for Your sake I have borne reproach; dishonor has covered mt face. 8 I have become estranged from my brothers and an alien to my mother’s sons. 9 For zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me. 10 When I wept in my soul with fasting, it became my reproach. 11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them. 12 Those who sit in the gate talk about me, and I am the song of drunkards. 13 But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, at an acceptable time; O God , in the greatness of Your loving kindness, answer me with Your saving truth. 14 Deliver me from the mire and do not let me sink; may I be delivered from my foes and from the deep waters. 15 May the flood of water not overflow me nor the deep swallow me up, nor the pit shut its mouth on me. 16 Answer me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good; according to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me, 17 and do not hide Your face from Your servant, for I am in distress; answer me quickly. 18 Oh draw near to my soul and redeem it; ransom me because of my enemies! 19 You know my reproach and my shame and my dishonor; all  my adversaries are before You. 20 Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick. And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. 21 They also gave me gall for my food and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

John 19:28-30 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that al things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. 30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

Psalm 72  1 Give the king Your judgments, O God, and Your righteousness to the king’s son. 2 May he judge Your people with righteousness and Your afflicted with justice. 3 Let the mountains bring peace to the people, and the hills, in righteousness. 4 May he vindicate the afflicted of the people, save the children of the needy and crush the oppressor. 5 Let them fear You while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations. 6 May he come down like rain upon the mown grass, like showers that water the earth. 7 In his days may the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace till the moon is no more. 8 May he also rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. 9 Let the nomads of the desert bow before him, and his enemies lick the dust. 10 Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. 11 And let all kings bow down before him, all nations serve him. 12 For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help, the afflicted also, and him who has no helper. 13 He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and the lives of the needy he will save. 14 He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, and their blood will be precious in his sight; 15 So may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him; and let them pray for him continually; let them bless him all day long. 16 May there be abundance of grain in the earth on top of the mountains; its fruit will wave like the cedars of Lebanon; and may those from the city flourish like vegetation of the earth. 17 May his name endure forever; may his name increase as long as the sun shines; and let men bless themselves by him; let all nations call him blessed. 18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone works wonders. 19 And blessed be His glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen. 20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

Psalm 110:1 The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

Matthew 22:43, 44  43 He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying, 44 ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET” ‘?

Psalm 118:22, 23  22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone. 23 This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

Matthew 21:42 Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’?

 

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org