How Did God Do That?

Fred R. Coulter—April 2, 2016

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Greetings, everyone! Welcome to Sabbath services!

Let's talk about the Passover. Let's talk about what God did. We know in Rev. 13:8 that it says, 'The Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world.' Meaning—it was planned.

Follow through carefully: First of all, day four God set the appointed times. We find in Gal. 4 that at the fulfilling of the times Jesus was born. Everything concerning the life of Jesus Christ, and the Passover, and the plan of God, is revealed through the Holy Days. But the Passover is the key, the center, or the hub.

The Gospel, which is all about the life of Jesus Christ, that is the fourth division of the Bible. {request A Harmony of the Gospels}

• The Law
• The Prophets
• The Psalms
• The Gospel and Acts
• The General Epistles
• Epistles of Paul
• Book of Revelation

Whenever you have seven, four is the middle number.

When Jesus began His ministry, there were quite a few things at work. First, it was a Jubilee year—50th year. That begins on the Day of Atonement. That Day of Atonement was the 4th day of the week. So, you see how God stacks all of this together.

Let me just say that the fourth book of the Gospels—the Gospel of John—tells us more about God the Father than anything else in the Bible. That's going to take a special sermon to do that, maybe two.

• Jesus was crucified on the 4th day of the week—Wednesday
• He was in the tomb 3 days and 3 nights
• He first ascended to the Father on the 4th day, then came back
• at the beginning of Jesus' ministry, you have 40 days temptation
• at the end of it, you have 40 days of special instruction to the apostles, before His final ascension

All of this has to do with the Passover, because that is the most important thing. A testimony to how important it is, is how many hundred of arguments there are to not keep it, or to reject it, or to change it.

Here's a great principle we need to learn. No man can abrogate or change God's laws. But if there is a change, then God will make the change and raise it to a higher spiritual level.

How did God do it? The Gospel of John, tells us a great deal of it. I've been reading and studying through the whole Gospel of John again. You might want to do that.

The value of studying and re-studying and repetition is that every time you do it, you learn more. Sometimes you will find that when you're reading it, and you haven't read it for a long time, and you come in with all of the knowledge that you have up to that point, and are reading it, it's almost like you have never read it. Have you ever experienced that?

Here is the profound place to begin; this is the beginning of how God did it. John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." There's a great argument over this verse.

When you get into the Greek, "…the Word was with God…" and it is theGod—with theGod. So therefore some people say, 'Jesus is a lesser God,' because when you have the word was God, there is no definite article the. There are two reasons:

• the God, Who is the Father, was already mentioned
• If you say the God, are you putting them both together?

The definite article is not there, but the Jehovah Witnesses don't understand that, so they make a small 'g' and say, 'And the Word was 'a god' (lower case).' How are you going to be a lower case God? Think of it! Either you're God or you're not God.

The truth is, without the definite article this is attributing equal status of God to the Word, which is the definite article—'ho Logos.' And He has all the attributes of the God.

How do we know from this verse that there are two Who are God? The phrase: "…and the Word was with God." Very interesting phrase in the Greek—'pros'—with and toward. He was with God, but facing toward God. The Greek word for face is 'pros open.'

If you're going to speak face-to-face, it is 'pros open, pros open'—equal. There's an awful lot here. Satan doesn't want people to understand this and what God is doing, so therefore, he clouds every issue he can.

Verse 2: "He was in the beginning with God." What do we have in Gen. 1? 'In the beginning was God'—Hebrew 'Elohim'—plural; not 'eloah'—singular. This is clarifying what was going on at creation.

Verse 3 explains it even more: "All things came into being through Him, and not even one thing that was created came into being without Him."

Stop and think about this in your own life. What is it that you have of yourself, everything concerning the physical goods that you have, everything concerning the essentials for living—air, water, food—God has created all of it.

That's why Paul writes that 'in God,' whether you know it or not—even atheists—'you live and move and have your being.'

• you eat the food He created
• you breathe the air He created
• you drink the water He created
• your bodily processes that are working in your body is what He created in you

The power of independent free moral agency (IFMA) is so powerful, and yet, God has given it to every human being that you can even deny God and He won't force you to change your mind—until you're in trouble. It's amazing how many atheists become converted in foxholes.

Let's see what Paul writes concerning this. Speaking of Jesus, Colossians 1:14: "In Whom we have redemption through His own blood… [that comes with the Passover] …even the remission of sins; Who is the image of the invisible God… [here's another little tricky verse that people like to say, 'Jesus was just a human being…'] …the firstborn of all creation" (vs 14-15). '…so therefore, Jesus was created.'

You will see how that is defined, v 18: "And He is the Head of the Body, the Church; Who is the Beginning, the Firstborn from among the dead…" He is the Firstborn of all that are going to be created through the process of salvation! Tie that in with 'Firstborn from among the dead' (Rev. 1:5[transcriber's correction]).

Verse 16: "Because by Him were all things created, the things in heaven and the things on earth…" If He is the Firstborn of all creation, and you reject the explanation of v 18, then another question comes up:

Did Jesus create Himself? If all things were created by Him, and there was nothing that was created that He didn't create. How then did He create Himself and God the Father just stood by and watched Him create Himself?
"…the visible and the invisible, whether they be thrones, or lordships, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him. And He is before all, and by Him all things subsist" (vs 16-17).

Let's see how Paul also explains this. Hebrews 1:1: "God Who spoke to the fathers at different times in the past and in many ways by the prophets, has spoken to us in these last days by His Son, Whom He has appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the ages; Who, being the brightness of His glory and the exact image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His own power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high" (vs 1-3). So, He upholds all things!

We are going to see, as we go through this, I want you to keep in mind how great is the love of God. All of this revolves around the love of God. But let's get some of the other details first.

John 1:4: "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." Then it talks about John the Baptist, and so forth.

Verse 14: "And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us… [dwelt temporarily] …(and we ourselves beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten with the Father), full of grace and truth."

How did God do that? The Catholics say that first of all Mary was better, because she was born without what they call 'original sin,' which the Bible calls the 'law of sin and death.' If that were the case, she would have to be goddess in the flesh.

How did God do this? He even told in the Prophets that it was going to happen. I want you to think about this. What does it say of God? God is Spirit!

• He's composed of Spirit
• He has life-eternal
• He is immortal

Isa. 9:6 has a lot of elements in it that when you first read it, you don't really grasp it, because you've got to understand the full plan of God.

Isaiah 9:6: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulders…" This is why they were looking for the Messiah to come as a human being and join the forces of the Jewish authorities to get rid of the Romans. But God's plan was greater than that. God is going to save the whole world.

"…and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God…" (v 6). How do you call a physical man the Mighty God? Nimrod thought he was, but he died. He said, 'I'm in place of God.'

"…The Everlasting Father…" (v 6). When is Christ going to be a father? You've got God the Father, but this can't be referring to God the Father, because we saw there are two different beings. When will Jesus be an Everlasting Father?

During the Millennium, after the Church is resurrected and you have Christ and the Bride and all who come into the Kingdom of God through the Millennium are the children of Jesus Christ, who then is an Everlasting Father, because He lives forever. Without the New Testament, how do you understand it? You don't!

"…The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and over His kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with righteousness from henceforth, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this" (vs 6-7).

That contains a lot there, too. "…over His kingdom…" David is dead. His kingdom was little, but what is this going to be? The Kingdom of God! When is He going to order and establish it? He will start when He returns!

Let's see a little more about this. John 17:1: "Jesus spoke these words, and lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify Your own Son, so that Your Son may also glorify You; since You have given Him authority over all flesh, in order that He may give eternal life to all whom You have given Him." (vs 1-2). Eternal life comes from the Father as well.

Verse 3: "For this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom You did send."

Therefore, they turn to that and say, 'God the Father is the only true God.' Why would Jesus say that? Because He was in the flesh and He had to have human nature. He had to live a life having human nature—the 'law of sin and death'—and never sin.

Verse 4: "I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work that You gave Me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me with Your own self, with the glory that I had with You before the world existed" (vs 4-5). He's going to return to be God in full glory.

If He had glory before He became a human being, how did God do that? How did Jesus do that? All planned out!

You'll be surprised how much the book of John tells us about God and the Father. Remember how we saw it was written in a book or a scroll concerning the sacrifice. Remember that the last verse in Dan.10, it was written in the Scripture of Truth! The angel was saying that Scripture of Truth was in heaven.

What was Old Testament Scripture written on? Was it a book like we have? or Was it a scroll? A scroll! All of this was written in heaven beforehand. God the Father and Jesus Christ had a covenant agreement.

John 10:14: "I am the good Shepherd, and I know those who are Mine, and am known of those who are Mine. Just as the Father knows Me, I also know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring those also, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd" (vs 14-16).

How do you hear the voice of God? Through the Word of God and by the Spirit of God leading you to understand it.

Verse 17: "On account of this, the Father loves Me: because I lay down My life, that I may receive it back again." This was agreed when it was decided that Jesus would become the sacrifice for all human beings. He had to do it because He was the Creator of all human beings. Only His death as a human being would be able to cover the sins of all human beings. Nothing else could do it!

Verse 18: "'No one takes it from Me… [that's why Jesus said, 'Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do'] …but I lay it down of Myself. I have authority… [from the Father and the covenant agreement they had between them] …to lay it down and authority to receive it back again. This commandment I received from My Father."

• What did He have to do?
• How did God figure this out?
• Should Jesus just all of a sudden appear on the scene as a full-grown man?

Walk around and say, 'Who are you? never seen you before?' Well, I came from heaven. 'Really?' What did He have to do?

This is quite something that He had to do. It took an awful lot of love, great amount of love for this to happen. It also tells us one of the goals we are to strive for in growing and overcoming spiritually.

Sidebar: Coming in this next mailing you're going to receive two CDs. We have there the five segments on Passover Preparation covering John 14-17. You will see that this New Testament covenant is a covenant of absolute Godly love. Let's think about what is it that we gave up when we were called.

• What did Jesus give up to make it all possible?
• How much humility does God have?
• How much love does God have?

Remember there in John 15 He said, 'You are to love one another as I love you and if you keep My commandments My Father will love you and I will love you.'

All of this is prefaced with love up to v 5: Philippians 2:1: "Now then, if there be any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any deep inner affections and compassions."

• How are we to love God? With all our heart, mind, soul and being! Love our neighbors as ourselves!
• How much does God love us? Greater than that!

Verse 2: "Fulfill my joy that you be of the same mind, having the same love, being joined together in soul, minding the one thing." Attaining to eternal life and the Kingdom of God.

Verse 3: "Let nothing be done through contention or vainglory, but in humility, each esteeming the others above himself."

• How much humility does God have in the person of Christ?
• What did He give up?
  • He had the authority
  • there was the covenant
  • there was the agreement

Here's what He did, we'll see it here:

Verse 4: "Let each one look not only after his own things, but let each one also consider the things of others." That's what God was doing: considering all of humankind!

Verse 5: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." That comes with the words of God registering in our mind, being written in our heart and mind.

• the Truth of God
• the Spirit of God
• all of this together

Verse 6: "Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself…" (vs 6-7). That's quite an interesting thing. We saw where Jesus said, 'And Father, glorify Me with the glory that I had with You before the world existed.' He emptied Himself of all of that. Entrusted Himself in the hands and power of God the Father.

Verse 7: "But emptied Himself, and was made in the likeness of men…" Every bodily function and everything of being human being Jesus had. Went further, from being God and Creator:

"…and took the form of a servant…. [or slave] …and being found in the manner of man…" (vs 7-8).

• Did Jesus get tired? Yes!
• Did Jesus sleep? Yes!
• Did Jesus eat? Yes!

All of those things

"…He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (v 8). That's the whole purpose of the Passover and all of this was planned. Imagine that. Just think on that. There are some things we need to keep in mind just so that we don't let our human nature and vanity exalt us. Compared to what Christ has done, we need to be thankful for it.

Let's see what had to happen. That's why we have in the book From a Speck of Dust to a Son of God: Why Were You Born? how human life is conceived. Actually when we begin we can't even be seen unless you were able to look at a sequence of it under great magnification. That's how small we are.

God created the vastness of the heavens and earth and the universe, and everything that is there, and all human beings, whom He made in His image. Remember in Gen. 1 it says, 'Let Us—God the Father and Christ—make man in Our image, after Our likeness.'

The angel Gabriel came to Mary, and some of the things that are written here about Mary and these encounters, and so forth, these had to be written down and preserved by Mary. Remember it says she kept these things in her heart. This is astonishing! Think of it now. Here you are, probably 18-20 years old, engaged to be married to Joseph. All of a sudden here's an angel of God right there in your room. She was perplexed!

Luke 1:28: "And after coming to her, the angel said, 'Hail, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you; blessed are you among women.' But when she saw him, she was greatly perplexed at his message… [What is this?] …and was considering what kind of salutation this might be. Then the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found grace with God; and behold, you shall conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus'" (vs 28-31).

All planned, fulfillment of the time (Gal. 4). Jesus had to be reduced to just a pinpoint of life. Since all human beings are that small, what can God contain in a small pinpoint of something we cannot see? That's a fantastic thing! Sometimes it's good to contemplate these things, how great God is.

She knew the facts of life. The angel continued, v 32: "'He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give Him the throne of David, His forefather… [Isa. 9] … and He shall reign over the house of Jacob into the ages, and of His kingdom there shall be no end.' But Mary said to the angel… [Wouldn't you?] …'How shall this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?'" (vs 32-34).

I wonder how many girls would like to have this excuse? 'Wasn't me, mom!' Hey, hey, not so.

Verse 35: "And the angel answered and said to her, 'The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you; and for this reason, the Holy One being begotten in you shall be called the Son of God.'"

That is a literal translation, because it is a present-tense passive participle, 'being begotten,' right at the instant that the angel was talking to her. That is an amazing thing.

Think of what God the Father had to do, what Jesus had to do, I think it's really beyond our minds to grasp it. We can intellectually think about the possibilities of it, but when we understand how small that every new conception is. Think about what Jesus had to give up. Understand that this was planned from the foundation of the world. That is an amazing thing! Truly! Think about how God has dealt with the people who He has called. We are all part of that! Isn't that something?

We don't have any royalty here in our little midst. We don't have any presidents or potentates. We don't have any of that. As a matter of fact, you look at us today, and especially demographically, as we're getting older, we are truly weak. We truly are the weak of the world, but we are going to become the powerhouses of the world when we rule and reign with Christ. Think of that!

Then he makes another announcement. When God sets His hand to do something, and to do it to confound all human beings, He does a miracle. Was it a miracle that Sarah conceived and brought forth Isaac? Yes! That was a fore-type of this. Only God did it with old age. He did it also with Elizabeth and Zacharias in their old age. You can't do that when you're going to bring a brand-new infant in, who is going to be the Son of God. Imagine what kind of person that Mary had to be.

That also shows how great that women really are. Just think what the world would be like without any women. Some women like to think what it would be like without any men, but who knows. There would be no end to war and killing, none. God made man and said, 'It's not good he should be alone.' Why? Because he is prone to get in trouble!

God said, 'I'll make a help mate that will civilize him.' Hopefully. (Just a little humor here. We've got to have that.)

Verse 36: "'Now behold, Elizabeth your kinswoman… [actually her aunt, the sister of Mary's mother] …has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren.'" Nobody knew about this because Elizabeth stayed in the house. She didn't go out of the house for six months.

Elizabeth told Mary, 'You've got to keep this secret.' In order for this to really get carried through so that Joseph would be the foster-father, an angel had to tell Joseph, 'This is from God.' If Mary would have said, 'Joseph, I'm pregnant, this is from God.' Really?!! So, an angel had to tell him, 'This is from God.'

What did Mary do? She rose up and went over to her aunt's! Then you can read the rest of the account here in Luke 1. Mary stayed three months. She hid herself with Elizabeth for three months, just until it was about time for John to be born.

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What God has done and His plan is so great that He has provided the perfect sacrifice and the perfect judgment through Christ. Because His plan with humanity is so great, that God did it the way that He did.

We've covered part of Heb. 10 before, but this is what we need to cover. What is it that can pay for human sin? Look at all of the things in war. What can pay for that? What can overcome that?

Micah in Micah 3 said, 'What am I going to redeem myself with? The sacrifice of my firstborn? Ten thousand rivers of oil?' No! He wants everyone to be seeking God and being humble; that's our part. God's part is that He created us. He gave us independent free moral agency. He's given us instructions on what to do, beginning with Adam and Eve. He left it to their choice.

How much did God instruct Adam and Eve? We don't know! Did God tell them that 'if you eat of this, it's going to affect all of your descendants'? We don't know! But it was a knowing, deliberate sin. Because of the judgment of God against Adam and Eve, the 'law of sin and death' passed into all human beings.

We are born with the 'law of sin and death' in us. Someone would look at that and say, 'That's not fair! If you're born with it, you have no say-so.'

Romans 5:6: "For even when we were without strength… [without strength against sin] …at the appointed time Christ died for the ungodly…. [the set time, the Passover] …For rarely will anyone die for a righteous man… [Ask yourself: who would I be willing to die for? Even a good man. 'I give up my life for you?'] …although perhaps someone might have the courage even to die for a good man" (vs 6-7).

We see that with heroes in war where they get themselves blown up, rather than their fellow soldiers.

Verse 8: "But God commends His own love to us…" A lot of people don't believe in the love of God because of all the sins of the world, all the sins of human beings, especially concerning war, especially concerning things like the Holocaust.

As bad as the Holocaust was, that was nothing compared to what Stalin did in Russia. That was nothing compared to what Mao Tse-tung did in China. That's nothing compared to what Genghis Khan and his hordes did.

Dolores is reading the history. They had biological warfare back then. They had these catapults and they would take these people who died of the plague, put them on a catapult and heave them over the wall of a village or a city. Then just sit out there and wait for the plague to kill them; deliberate!

Think about planting bombs to blow up great portions of the earth, and the spirit behind it. And that mankind has been, because of the sin of Adam and Eve, put under the jurisdiction of Satan the devil, because that's whom they chose to follow.

Plus, we have the 'law of sin and death' in us by inheritance. That's a pretty hefty problem to overcome.

Anybody who deals with people who are trying to overcome addiction, overcome temper, overcome whatever problems may be, you get some pretty difficult things to work with. Sometimes it's pretty difficult to work with those people. Think about all of the best and all of the worst, all combined together.

Verse 8: "But God commends His own love to us because, when we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Here's a conundrum, the most quoted verse in the world, John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life." 'Okay, God:

• Why did You kill all the people before the Flood? They never heard of Jesus.
• How about all of those who have died, whether good or whether evil, all the way down to Christ? They died, they never had a chance.
• How can you say that everyone who believes in Him when they haven't had a chance?
• Don't they deserve a chance for eternal life?
• What makes you think you have a chance for eternal life, but they don't?
• Don't you think they want to live forever?
• Did God create them in vain?'

Like the Baptists say, 'If you don't believe tonight, you're going to burn in hell.' So let's think about this.

The broad answer is found in the Holy Days, because God has bound Himself to give an opportunity to salvation to every human being, past, present or future! That's why there's the second resurrection.

They lived a physical life. Christ hadn't even come. Even after He came, how much of the world knew about it? Very little!

When Columbus found all the Indians over here in Central America, did they know anything about Christ? No! Even the Catholic version is not of God. They came over and brought the white man's diseases. That's how they conquered them. They hardly had to throw a spear.

• Was God fair?
• Let them live in a jungle like that?
• Live the kind of life that they lived?
• What about all the child sacrifices that they had?
• What about even Israel that God chose, and they did all the sins that they did?

But they didn't know about Christ!.

• What is God going to do?

That's why you have the second resurrection!

Everyone means every one, all inclusive. But that's why we have the Holy Days. That's why God likens it to the agricultural seasons. There are some things that are ready for harvest first. That's called the first resurrection. There are some who are called first. We are called the Church of the Firstborn. That's everybody from Christ until now, and then some of the prophets going all the way back to Abel.

God's love is not limited the way that human love is. His love is all encompassing, but when men reject Him, what does God do when people don't believe? 'I speak to them in parables because in hearing they hear not; in seeing, they see not' (Matt. 13) In other words they don't obey!
God lets them be in spiritual blindness. Jesus made the statement. It's quite a statement, He said, 'Lest they should hear with their ears and see with their eyes and I should heal them.' That's an amazing statement. What He was saying, if they hear and don't believe, 'I want them unconverted and whatever their life is going to turn out to be, as long as they haven't committed the unpardonable sin, they're going to await to second resurrection.'

Romans 5:8: "But God commends His own love to us because, when we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more, therefore, having been justified now by His blood…" (vs 8-9).

That's what happens when you repent and you accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ; the blood of Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice, for all the sins of the world because through Christ all human beings came into existence. Their Maker died for them. Their Maker took the same human nature that they have, yet without sin. What a requirement! That was His judgment on Himself.

Why did God do that? Because the plan of God and eternal life is so fantastic, and so beyond what we comprehend, and so great that this is the only way that we will learn! God is not going to have any more rebellion like Satan the devil when the fullness of the Kingdom is accomplished with the new heavens and the new earth.

Verse 9: "Much more, therefore, having been justified now by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His own Son, much more then, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom we have now received the reconciliation" (vs 9-11).

Then he goes right back to how sin entered into the human world, v 12: "Therefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and by means of sin came death; and in this way death passed into all mankind; and it is for this reason that all have sinned."

In other words, with this human nature, which is called 'the law of sin and death' (Rom. 7), there is no way that you can save yourself. Therefore, God not wanting to lose any, what does He say? He desires that all repent and be saved! So He lets them go in their blindness, lets them lead their lives whatever it is, and He's going to take care of them later. That is a fantastic plan. Only God could conceive of it.

So, death passed into all mankind. This is why animal sacrifices will never take away human sin to grant eternal life. God designed it with the temple that they were justified to the temple. They were forgiven, but that had nothing to do with eternal life.

Just like if you have a big family feud, you have nothing to do with the Church or God, and you finally say, 'Let's knock it off. I forgive you, you forgive me and everything is fine.' You all feel better with that. That's the kind of forgiveness that they had under the covenant with Israel.

A greater sacrifice and a greater thing was necessary for eternal life. So, God Who is Eternal, never lost His eternity, because He still had life when He became a pinpoint of life to be impregnated in the womb of the virgin Mary, lived as a human being with the spirit of man and the Spirit of God. And He had the 'law of sin and death' within Him but never sinned.

In God's love, He gave Himself to save His creation. That's why Paul writes what he does. Hebrews 10:1: "For the priestly law, having only a shadow of the good things that are coming, and not the image of those things… [not the real thing] … with the same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, is never able to make perfect those who come to worship."

What is our ultimate goal that Jesus stated, what we are to do now? Become perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect! That's the ultimate goal but that can't be done by human effort alone, or by the effort of a temple, or by the effort of a priesthood offering animal sacrifices. Eternal life can't come from that.

That's why he says here, v 2: "Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered? For once those who worship had been purified, they would no longer be conscious of sin. On the contrary, in offering these sacrifices year by year, there is a remembrance of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins…. [spiritually speaking] … For this reason, when He comes into the world, He says, 'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but You have prepared a body for Me'" (vs 2-5). Greater than all the animals in the world, greater than all human beings.

Verse 6: "You did not delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. Then said I, 'Lo, I come (as it is written of Me in the Scroll of the Book)… [Dan.10:21, the Scriptures of Truth in heaven] …to do Your will, O God'" (vs 6-7). We'll find out here in just a little bit, how Jesus did that.

Verse 8: "In the saying above, He said, 'Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin (which are offered according to the priestly law) You did not desire nor delight in.' Then He said, 'Lo, I come to do Your will, O God.' He takes away the first covenant in order that He may establish the second covenant" (vs 8-9). That's where we are right now.

Since we're still human beings and we still have the 'law of sin and death' and we're overcoming it, being delivered from it, through the power of God's Spirit, therefore we renew the covenant every year at Passover.

Verse 10: "By Whose will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Because:

• He's Creator
• He gave up His divine glory and humbled Himself to become that pinpoint of life

That's why when He was born, grew up, became a man, to do the will of God, never sinning, He would be the perfect sacrifice. Nothing else could do it.

Compared to the high priest, v 11: "Now, every high priest stands ministering day by day, offering the same sacrifices repeatedly, which are never able toremove sins… [spiritually] … but He, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time, He is waiting until His enemies are placed as a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has obtained eternal perfection for those who are sanctified" (vs 11-14). That's why we:

• grow
• overcome
• study
• pray
• learn
• repent

All of those things are the whole process of being perfected. Then he shows the perfection is going to come with the Holy Spirit:

Verse 15: "And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after He had previously said, '"This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days," says the Lord, "I will give My laws into their hearts, and I will inscribe them in their minds; and their sins and lawlessness I will not remember ever again."'" (vs 15-17). That's the whole purpose of why we go through what we go through.

Let's see what Jesus did. This also becomes important, very important from the point of view: remember this, when you read in the Old Testament, what did God tell the children of Israel concerning the laws and commandments of God? 'You're not to go to the right hand or the left hand of it. You are not to add to it or take away from it.'

When Jesus came, though He was the Son of God, He did absolutely nothing from His own will, absolutely nothing!

After healing the man, the religious authorities came to Him and said, 'You healed him on the Sabbath. You broke the Sabbath.' No, He didn't break the Sabbath, He just loosed it so the man could carry his bedroll. Do you break the Sabbath if you carry a bedroll that weighs say ten pounds? After all, the man had the infirmity for 38 years. Don't you think that's suffering enough?

John 5:17: "But Jesus answered them, 'My Father is working until now, and I work.'" Think about that for a minute concerning the Holy Spirit. What does the Holy Spirit in us consist of?

• Spirit from the Father as begettal
• Spirit from Christ for the mind of Christ

What we are doing in developing character is also the work of the Father and the work of Christ. This is an amazing thing and it's all done spiritually. He gives us the tools for it:

• His Word
• His Spirit
• His commandments
• His laws

We keep all of them in the way that He wants us to keep them. What is it that Jesus judges us? For our works (Rev. 2, 3)! If you do the works of God, are those your works? or God's works through you? They are God's works through you!

But notice how cutoff they were, v 18: "So then, on account of this saying, the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, not only because He had loosed the Sabbath, but also because He had called God His own Father, making Himself equal with God."

There are still people who say that we're really not going to be the actual children of God the Father. If that's the case, why all that God has revealed to us, if that's not the case? That's the whole purpose for the book, From a Speck of Dust to a Son of God: Why Were You Born?

What is the ultimate that Paul wrote of that has to happen? 'For this mortal must put on immortality and this corruptible must put on incorruptibility and death is swallowed up in victory.' Jesus said, 'Behold I and the children the Father has given me.' (Heb. 2).

So, they didn't have a clue, not a clue. Notice what Jesus said, v 19: "Therefore, Jesus answered and said to them, 'Truly, truly I say to you, the Son has no power to do anything of Himself…" This is very interesting because of comes from Greek 'ek', from out within me.

Think about this: Someone comes along and they read the Bible and say, 'I have a good idea; let's do it this way.' Other people say, 'Yeah, that's a good thing to do.' What is it that you want to do? 'We've got to have more people, don't we? You know, all of these pagans worship on Sunday. If there's some way that we can just shift the day over, look at all the people we'll have.' That's what Constantine did.

Did they get a lot of people? Yes! How many converted? Zero! It's a spiritual work. Jesus was never to let His human nature, which He had, come up against God to do something that the Father doesn't want done.

"…'Truly, truly I say to you, the Son has no power to do anything of Himself, but only what He sees the Father do. For whatever He does, these things the Son also does in the same manner'" (v 19).

There was special communication between Jesus and God the Father. He could see the Father at any time that He needed to. Jesus was brought into this world like an ordinary human being, though impregnated spiritually by God the Father in the womb of the virgin Mary.

He had the Holy Spirit from birth. God the Father taught Jesus by waking Him up every morning. 'Morning by morning He awakens me and I was not rebellious (Isa. 50). {Note: See Appendix G in The Holy Bible In Its Original Order: Jesus Christ Was Taught Directly by God the Father} Do you think that God would have allowed Jesus to be taught by the lying rabbis and priests of His day? They write books about Jesus the Jewish rabbi. No! He was the Son of God the Father, taught by God the Father.

He could talk with God through prayer. I don't know how directly they would talk. Remember the night that He was out there praying all night, deciding which of the twelve would be the apostles. I don't know while He was praying there was actually kind of like we have today, Skype, that He could see the Father.

Of course, the Father could see Him and discuss it. 'What about this one, what about that one?' Let's make Peter, James, and John the leader and Peter the leader of them. 'He's got this problem. He's very impetuous and he wants to do things on his own.' We'll take care of that a little later.

How was the first time that Jesus took care of some of that? Remember when Peter said, 'I'll never leave You. I'll go to prison. I'll die with You.' Jesus looked at him and said, 'Today, in this very night, you're going to deny Me three times.' No, I'll never do that, Lord. Guess what he did? You're not going to do anything of yourself to improve on what God wants done!

Verse 20: "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him everything that He Himself is doing. And He will show Him greater works than these, so that you may be filled with wonder." Then He talks about raising the dead, and so forth.

I want you to think how great God is and how God actually began to deal in your life. There was a set day that consciousness came to you about it. There was a set of circumstances that put you in a 'drowning position,' being overwhelmed by everything that's going on—in your life and the people around you, and so forth, described in Eph. 2:1-3.

Ephesians 2:1: "Now you were dead in trespasses and sins." What did Jesus say to the man, when Jesus said, 'Follow Me,' and he said, 'I will, but I have to go bury my father'? Let the dead bury their dead! Try that today. 'You're unkind; you're uncouth.' However, if you don't have the Spirit of God, with the 'law of sin and death' in you, you're as good as dead anytime. You're dead in sins and trespasses.

Verse 2: "In which you walked in times past according to the course of this world… [like everybody in the world] …according to the prince of the power of the air…" Satan the devil who is deceiving the whole world and controlling everything that is going on. God has given him that power to do until the return of Christ.

Satan is going to make it appear so grand and glorious that when Jesus begins to return, the whole world's going to think that the aliens are invading—which is true. Jesus Christ is an alien to this world. The angels of God are aliens to people in this world. The demons that work with them palm themselves off as their friends, but they're actually enemies.

When the resurrection takes place, everything changes. That's what we're to keep in mind. That's why we have the Passover and all the days of Unleavened Bread. What's the first order of business when Christ and the saints put their feet on the earth after being on the Sea of Glass? Get rid of Satan the devil! As long as he is around, you're never, never going to stop people being dead in their sins and trespasses. He'll be right there; 'Satan on the spot.'

"…the spirit that is now working within the children of disobedience" (v 2).

Sidebar: Went into the bank the other day to make a deposit. The clerk, being very friendly, said, 'Did you have a happy Easter?' I said, 'Well, I don't observe it.' She had a great surprised look. She said, 'Why?' I said, 'Does a rabbit lay hard-boiled chicken eggs, died and tattooed?' No. 'If we tell the kiddies that, isn't that lying? So, why should we participate in something that is promulgating lies?' She accepted it, but it went over her head. In the 'do-goodiness' of what people do on those days they think they're doing good. It's 'always for the children'—is it not? Yes, yes. Indoctrinate them early.

Sidebar: In Florida, because the school district allowed them to pass out Biblical information in classes, Satan was 'Johnny-on-the-spot,' freedom of religion, instead of freedom of practicing Christianity. That would have been much better. They had no thought of all the pagan religions in the world. No thought that Satan would be so bold as to have his own people come into a school board meeting and say, 'Gotcha! 'You let the children have things from the Bible, we are the church of satanism. We are an accepted religion. We want our right to pass out our literature to the children.' Constitutionally, legally, they are correct. "…working within the children of disobedience."

Verse 3: "Among whom also we all once had our conduct in the lusts of our flesh, doing the things willed by the flesh and by the mind…"

Think about all the things they tell you to do. Zig Ziglar and his things: how to be a better salesman. One of the first things you do, you go stand in front of the mirror and tell yourself how good you are. That sounds like a good deal.

"…willed by the flesh and by the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as the rest of the world. But God, Who is rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us" (vs 3-4).

That comes right back to the Passover, the sacrifice of Christ, His coming in the flesh—all of that. Isn't that something? So there was a day when God began to deal with you.

• Can you remember that day?
• Can you remember what was happening in your life?
• Can you remember the difficulties you were going through?
• Yes, you can!

I can and you can and every human being can, because God began to deal with you. The reason you're different from anybody else in the world is because you responded to God.

Sometimes God has to take us down so deep into the pit of sin that we get absolutely helpless and desperate. God knows that. He lifts us out of it and provides forgiveness, through His mercy and through His love.

Here is a present tense thing, but a future prophecy, v 5: "Even when we were dead in our trespasses, has made us alive together with Christ. (For you have been saved by grace.)" God intervened and had pity and mercy on your helplessness.

Verse 6: "And He has raised us up together and has caused us to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages that are coming… [not yet. We won't be in those places until Christ returns] …He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this especially is not of your own selves; it is the gift of God, not of works so that no one may boast  (vs 6-9)—not your own works.

You go along and say, 'I discovered the Sabbath Day and I've been keeping the Sabbath since then. Aren't I good?' No! No! Not of your own works!

Verse 10: "For we are His workmanship…" Everything changes and this is the whole purpose of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

• God is working with us
• God is molding us

"For we are His workmanship being created in Christ Jesus… [an ongoing present tense affair that God has with us] …unto the good works that God ordained beforehand in order that we might walk in them" (v 10).

That tells it all! That's the whole story about the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread!

Scriptural References:

• John 1:1-3
• Colossians 1:14-15, 18, 16-17
• Hebrews 1:1-3
• John 1:4, 14
• Isaiah 9:6-7
• John 17:1-5
• John 10:14-18
• Philippians 2:1-8
• Luke 1:28-36
• Romans 5:6-8
• John 3:16
• Romans 5:8-12
• Hebrews 10:1-17
• John 5:17-20
• Ephesians 2:1-10

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Revelation 13:8
• Galatians 4
• Genesis 1
• Revelation 1:5
• John 15
• Micah 3
• Matthew 13
• Romans 7
• Daniel 10:21
• Revelation 2; 3
• Hebrews 2
• Isaiah 50

Also referenced:
Books:

• A Harmony of the Gospels by Fred R. Coulter
• From a Speck of Dust to a Son of God: Why Were Your Born? (coming soon)

From The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, Appendix G: Jesus Christ Was Taught Directly by God the Father

FRC:lp
Transcribed: 4-19-16
Formatted: bo—4/19/16

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