OUR AVENGER of BLOOD, The LION of JUDAH: JESUS: Part 2 of 2 - OUR KINSMAN REDEEMER, the LAMB of GOD

This article is intended as a kind of Part II of JESUS: OUR KINSMAN REDEEMER, the LAMB of GOD Part I: written by yours truly. This second part - JESUS: OUR AVENGER of BLOOD (which is the same Person as The Kinsman Redeemer), The LION of JUDAH is written . . . 

by Lambert Dolphin

(Note To Readers: Due to the extraordinary length of this article I have divided it into Two Sections)

SECTION ONE:

Jesus, The Avenger of Blood

Will The Real Jesus Please Appear?
Back in the days of the Jesus Movement which followed the Hippie Movement in the late '60's many in the younger generation were disenfranchised with the Establishment. There was a great desire to set up a counter-culture fresh new approach to Christian life. The following cartoon appeared in 1967 in the Los Angeles Free Press in 1967 questioning the world's stereotypical misconceptions of Jesus. 

UNPACKING JOHN 3:16

To watch the Facebook video of this teaching, go here (presented at Eternal Living Word Church FEB of 2018).

We all know JOHN 3:16 – we could all probably recite it by heart, but what we are going to do today is exegete this verse word by word. What does “exegete” mean?

“Exegesis is the exposition or explanation of a text based on a careful, objective analysis of ontological and quantifiable truth. 

The word exegesis literally means “to lead out of.” That means that the interpreter is led to their conclusions by following the text of Holy Scripture.”

Eisegesis however, is readings something into the text that is not there and this can lead to all sorts of misconceptions, misunderstandings, false doctrines, even heresies.

In proper Bible study there are three primary steps: three things that you must do for proper Bible study:

1) Find out what the Bible actually says: observation.

2) As a result of proper and accurate observation, find out what the Bible actually means: interpretation.

3) As a result of understanding what the Bible means, find out how to actually apply what the Bible says and means to our lives: application.

JEWELS From The GOSPEL of JOHN: Like Father, Like Son - JOHN 5:17-23

The following is a series of short exhortations, brief commentary and writings to convey thoughtful meditation on God's Word. 

I have chosen the Gospel of John as the subject. These articles will not run contiguously on this blog but peppered throughout and in the midst of other articles (though some might be posted consecutively). I pray that these will be a blessing and an edification for the saints.

The GREATEST OF THESE . . . PART 3 of 3: LOVE

1 CORINTHIANS 13:12-13 
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Let's go over this basic outline that we developed in Part One one last time.
The three pillars of Christian virtue, derived from the Holy Spirit that brings such fruit into and through our lives are faith, hope and love ("charity" in KJV).

The GREATEST OF THESE . . . PART 2 of 3: HOPE

1 CORINTHIANS 13:12-13 
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Let's go over this basic outline that we developed in Part One once again.
The three pillars of Christian virtue, derived from the Holy Spirit that brings such fruit into and through our lives are faith, hope and love ("charity" in KJV).

The GREATEST OF THESE . . . PART 1 of 3: FAITH

1 CORINTHIANS 13:12-13 
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

The three pillars of Christian virtue, derived from the Holy Spirit that brings such fruit into and through our lives are faith, hope and love ("charity" in KJV).

JEWELS From The GOSPEL of JOHN: Religious Restrictions - JOHN 5:8-16

The following is a series of short exhortations, brief commentary and writings to convey thoughtful meditation on God's Word. 

I have chosen the Gospel of John as the subject. These articles will not run contiguously on this blog but peppered throughout and in the midst of other articles (though some might be posted consecutively). I pray that these will be a blessing and an edification for the saints.

JEWELS From The GOSPEL of JOHN: Standing On The Commandment of Christ - JOHN 5:1-9

The following is a series of short exhortations, brief commentary and writings to convey thoughtful meditation on God's Word. 

I have chosen the Gospel of John as the subject. These articles will not run contiguously on this blog but peppered throughout and in the midst of other articles (though some might be posted consecutively). I pray that these will be a blessing and an edification for the saints.

JOHN 5:1-9
After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

STIRRED NOT SHAKEN – 2 PETER 1:1-10 And Other Passages

Any one who has seen a James Bond movie – that’s “Bond, James Bond” – knows how he likes his vodka martinis: “shaken, not stirred”.

We are going to look at two spiritual truths for the Christian disciple: How we are to be ‘stirred, not shaken’. That is, that we are to be stirred up in the things of God, not settled, stale, stodgy, complacent – but stirred up, alive, having love, zeal and fervency for the LORD and His people!

Likewise, we are not to be shaken – we are not to be influenced or infiltrated, compromised or corrupted, distracted or diverted by this fallen world, by our carnal flesh, by the enemy of the church – Satan, but firmly established by the LORD, on the firm foundation of the ROCK that is Himself.

FAITHFULNESS

The LORD is ever and always faithful to His saints. So much so, that we in turn desire to be faithful to Him, which is the reason we are sorrowful when we prove ourselves faithless from time to time.

What are the words that every Christian longs to hear when we will see the LORD face to Face on that day He brings us Home?

MATTHEW 25:21
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

JEWELS From The GOSPEL of JOHN: EMAILING A MIRACLE - JOHN 4:46-54

The following is a series of short exhortations, brief commentary and writings to convey thoughtful meditation on God's Word. 

I have chosen the Gospel of John as the subject. These articles will not run contiguously on this blog but peppered throughout and in the midst of other articles (though some might be posted consecutively). I pray that these will be a blessing and an edification for the saints.

Well, it certainly has been a long time since we've been here in the Gospel of JOHN, and I am heartily glad to be back! Let's dig in to the Word of the LORD!

JOHN 4:46-47
46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.

THIS STUMBLING STONE - Why Are Nations Against Israel?

 Several weeks ago Israel celebrated her 70th anniversary as a reborn nation, which came to pass on MAY 14th 1948.

Just as in antiquity, these last seventy years and more have known many nations coming against Israel and have tried to decimate her, or even simply disenfranchise her of the capital of the State, Jerusalem (ZECH 12:1-2). Why is this? Why should this tiny nation about the size of New Jersey, with no significant harbor, land mass, integral infrastructures or pertinent resource be the cause of such global angst and obsession?
The USA and a handful of nations only recently relocated their embassies to Jerusalem, whereas the vast remainder keeps theirs in Tel Aviv, the city that the world insists is the true capital of Israel).
Quite recently we have witnessed things heating up in the Middle East, and while things seem to be simmering down . . . somewhat at least in perception, the potential for major crisis of the militant warfare is still very present.

The PHILADELPHIAN PROMISE: The BLESSED HOPE of the RAPTURE of the CHURCH

When Paul the Apostle was called upon to defend himself before King Agrippa, answering the false accusations of the Jews who were set against him, he spoke of “…the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers…”

ACTS 26:6-8
6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God, unto our fathers: 7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.  8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

And can we even entertain the idea that the Creator of all life, both physical and spiritual, in raising the dead back to life again, as a thing impossible or unbelievable? Of course not! Consider these words from Job:

JOB 19:25-27
25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

None of the miraculous events of the Bible are unbelievable if you firstly believe:

GENESIS 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

God called into existence the entirety of heaven and earth, both in its spiritual and physical dimensions from nothing (Heb. barah) and is entirely believable if you believe in the God of the impossible!

CONCLUSION: SEVEN ‘FROM The HEART Of JESUS’ LOVE LETTERS To The SEVEN CHURCHES

The LORD instructs the apostle John to write concerning the things which were (those things which he had seen and recorded in Chapters 1 and 2); the things that are (in his day, the seven churches of Asia Minor as recorded in Chapters 3 and 4); and the things that shall be “hereafter” (which involves the remaining chapters 5 through 22). We focused on chapters 3 and 4, and prayerfully what I hope to do, LORD willing is to do a full study on the book of REVELATION on The TRUTH Under FIRE.

In summary, what have we learned (from the introduction of this series and) as the main lessons that the LORD is instructing these seven churches, and what must be done to correct the problems and issues that they faced? Let’s go over them briefly before we conclude this series with a brief treatment of the doctrine of the rapture of the church.

SEVEN ‘FROM The HEART of JESUS’ LOVE-LETTERS to the SEVEN CHURCHES of REVELATION - To The Church of LAODICEA REV 3:14-21

 Church #7 LAODICEA:

REVELATION 3:14-22
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

If the church at Philadelphia was given an "open door" (REV 3:8), individuals at Laodicea are told of another door, one that they must open themselves (this refutes the idea in Calvinism that we have no choice in the process of salvation, that God determines apart from us, who will and won’t be saved): “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me (REV 3:20)”. In pictures of Jesus "knocking at the heart's door" you will notice that there is no door knob on the outside. 
This is a door which can only be opened from within. 

What is wrong is that Jesus is standing outside the door, excluded from the banquet like a homeless stranger! The earnest plea, though directed first to the church at Laodicea, is strategically placed near the end of these Seven Love Letters from Christ's last appeal to any congregation that has shut him out. The beautiful "invitation" is at the same time a severe and scathing indictment of a church that is self-sufficient, independent of Christ, complacent where godliness is concerned and contented in the world – only marginally, barely recognizably Christian!!

JEWELS From The GOSPEL Of JOHN: ORIGINAL FAITH - JOHN 4:39-42

The following is a series of short exhortations, brief commentary and writings to convey thoughtful meditation on God's Word.
I have chosen the Gospel of John as the subject. These articles will not run contiguously on this blog but peppered throughout and in the midst of other articles (though some might be posted consecutively). I pray that these will be a blessing and an edification for the saints.

JOHN 4:39-42
39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
41 And many more believed because of his own word;
42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.