Biblical Evangelism

Part 2 - How the plan works

Now it is time to look at how many of these requirements Jesus met in order to redeem us. Firstly, it is clearly stated that the child born of Mary was conceived by The Holy Spirit, God Himself. It was the seed of Eve (the woman) who nurtured and gave birth to Him.

Matthew chapter 1 v 16 gives the ancestry of Jesus through Joseph, the man chosen to be like a father to Jesus on earth, and Luke chapter 3 verses 13 - 28 gives the ancestry of Jesus on Mary's side. Both agree that the ancestry of Jesus goes back to the tribe of Judah since God demonstrated that out of the Tribe of Judah the promised Messiah would come.

This is shown by the fact that The Tribe of Judah camped directly in front of the only way in to the presence of God through the Tabernacle. Having said all this, we must go forward now to see how Jesus acted as our high priest, sacrificial lamb and scapegoat so that we could escape the wrath of God.

All that the High Priest had to wear to minister at the Day of Atonement and what he had to do can be seen in detail in Leviticus chapter 16 and the reason for the Feast of the Passover in Exodus chapter 12. If you read these chapters in conjunction with the New Testament verses quoted below you will find that Jesus fulfilled everything necessary for the completion of these festivals.

Before ministering as high priest of the whole community, the high priest was instructed to bathe and put on linen clothing. Through reading what Jesus did with His disciples on the night of His last supper with them, we can clearly see that Jesus did bathe and put on linen clothing (John chapter 15 v 1 - 15).

Later Jesus was brought before Pilate on false charges, and led out of the city to be crucified. Like the scapegoat He had to be led outside the camp, and Jesus was taken outside the city wall (John chapter 19 verse 17). Then He had rammed on His head a crown of thorns.

At this time He would have without doubt been confessing the sin of Israel and the sin of the whole community and indeed the whole world (Matthew chapter 27 v 27 and John chapter 19 verses 22 - 24).

Since it was an outrage to leave a body on a cross over the Sabbath and to make sure that He was really dead at this time, they broke the legs of the two criminals being crucified with Jesus but when they came to Jesus they found Him already dead, so there was no need to break His legs (John chapter 19 v 31).

Moments before three o'clock in the afternoon, the Jewish ninth hour, between the two evenings, Jesus cried out from the cross "It is finished" (John chapter 19 v 30). He said this because at that time He had accomplished everything on earth necessary for the salvation of all mankind, throughout the ages.

To make sure He was dead, a Roman soldier pierced Jesus side and out came blood and water. Jesus was presenting His life, Himself and His blood as a substitute before God so that we could be forgiven (John chapter 19 v 31 - 37). The Sunday following, was the day He rose from the dead. Not for our salvation, He had already accomplished that for us.

But just as the people of the community of Israel knew the sacrifice for their sin had been accepted when the high priest came out alive from the presence of God, so Jesus rose from the dead that day to prove to us that God had accepted His sacrifice, and our sins were now atoned for if only we believe and trust in Him.

This way we are made members of the community. Now the community is much bigger than the community of the Israelites, it's the community of all believers who will ever live. This sacrifice was so precious to God, the forgiveness and redemption it secured is not just for one year, but for all eternity. Thanks be to God.

Many may have wondered why it was that Jesus had to go into the wilderness and be tempted by the devil after Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist in the River Jordon. The answer is that when Adam and Eve sinned they lost their authority over the earth to the devil. Jesus won it back for us by winning over temptation as a man.

Therefore the authority and responsibility for what goes on around the world rests once again with mankind collectively. After His resurrection from the grave Jesus told His disciples that as He is in The Father so mysteriously shall all believers be in Christ. Therefore in and through Him we have this power and authority also.

Speaking to His disciples after His resurrection Jesus told them "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

The Greek word used here for "power" is the same word as is used for the word "authority" the implications of this and other parts of scripture are that Jesus has been given all power and authority in heaven and on earth.

John chapter 15 verse 5 reads as follows; "I am the vine, y are the branches: He who abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing." If you abide in Jesus and He abides in you not only shall you produce much fruit but you will have the same power and authority over the works of darkness that Jesus had when He walked the earth as a man.

This is made clear by a verse in John chapter 14 which is repeated for emphasis by Jesus Himself. Again speaking to His disciples Jesus tells them in verse 12 of this chapter; Truly I say unto you, He who believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Therefore the same power and authority that Jesus won back for mankind on earth is available to us today, not when we act on presumption but only when we act on command by The Father as Jesus did. We can see this when we look at John chapter 5 which is the story of the man who had been sitting at the pool of Bethesda for more than 30 years.

In verse 19 of John chapter 5 Jesus makes it clear how He is able to do such great miracles. "Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do: for what things He does the Son does likewise."

This simple but very important lesson is nothing new, it is something God has been trying to teach His people since the time of Moses when he set up the tabernacle in the wilderness. Exodus chapter 40 reminds us of God's command about moving the tent of meeting or leaving it where it is for the time being.

Verses 38 to 40 inclusive of this chapter read: "When the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: but if the cloud was not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. The cloud of The Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys"

The simple lesson to God's people is very clear God is saying to them if you want to see great miracles happening all around you and in your midst, "you do not move until I do" or to put it another way "Stay where you are until you see me moving, then you move and walk in harmony with me doing only those things that I tell you."

How do we know what God is telling us to do? The same way as Jesus did, through His relationship with Father built up on earth doing only those things that any man could do if they walked an upright life before God. The way to establish the kind of relationship Jesus had with His father on earth is the subject of our next study.

read part 3...