King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34
Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Chapters: John 18-19
Message: The Eternal Soul
Hello My Friend,
Just about every Wednesday night and Sunday morning, I sing this song with my students in church, In My Fathers House. Part of it goes like this, “Everything’s all right, in My Father’s house, in My Father’s house, in My Father’s house. Everything’s all right, in My Father’s house, Where there’s joy, joy, joy. Come and go with me (up, up, up), to My Father’s house, to my Father’s house, to my Father’s house. Come and go with me (up, up, up), to My Father’s house, Where there’s joy, joy, joy.”
In between verses I ask questions. Well, this past Sunday when I asked the students how we get to our Father’s house, one blurted out, “We have to die to get to our Father’s house.” Well, that response was followed with a discussion of our soul, and what asking Jesus does for us besides save us from hell. As I thought about it, there are grown people with the same response, and we need to understand that our flesh body is just a shell, while it does die, our soul is eternal. Where it ends up spending eternity is determined by our faith in Jesus Christ. “And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” – Matthew 25:32-34,41.
“And before him shall be gathered all nations:” This is Jesus, and there will be two nations standing before Him, God’s People and Satan’s. And before you from, anyone who rejects Christ is a child of Satan (I John 3:8). Those who are saved are God’s people, they have eternal life through Christ. Those who are not saved are Satan’s, they have eternal death through their unbelief, rejection, rebellion as Satan will receive eternal death also (Revelation 21:5-8). The book of John goes into more detail of Jesus getting captured prior to His passion, and what took place when Judas showed up with an army to catch Him. “When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples. Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.” – John 18:18-5.
“stood with them.” You have to wonder what Judas was thinking at this point, after all, he spent three and a half years with Jesus, and Jesus treated him the same as the rest of them. And what about Jesus, how He must have felt, knowing that Judah basically stood with Satan. This is proof that God gives all a choice, even though Satan tempted Judas, he could have escaped, but God knew his heart, and therefore allowed Satan to us him to fulfill the prophecy. While Jesus was being captured, Peter and John followed where they took Him for a little while, as the other disciples scattered. “And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter. Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man’s disciples? He saith, I am not. And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.” – John 18:15-18.
“and so did another disciple:” John was very humble, rarely pointing himself out, the only time we see his name pointed out was when Jesus asks him to take care of His mother after He left the earth (John 19:27). “He saith, I am not.” Peter, very scared at this point, not only denies Jesus, He denies being one of His disciples. How often do we care to admit that fear distances us from Jesus? That is another act of Satan. Although he cannot get our soul once we accept Christ as our Saviour, he can still influence us, and entrap us with doubts and fears. Nevertheless, Jesus still knows who we are, which is why His grace is always there with open arms whenever we reach out to Him. Do not confuse this with being ashamed to confess your faith in Christ, we all have our own cross to bear, unless we never got saved, Jesus will always forgive us, and even use us. “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.” – II Corinthians 13:5-6.
After they captured Jesus, they immediately brought Him before the counsel, urging them to put Jesus to death quickly. Caiaphas had one motive in all this, to get rid of Jesus and be held as the one who put to death the man that caused such a division among the people for three and a half years. Since the Jews would not put someone to death as it was still the Passover, they sent Him to the Roman governor, Pilate.
“Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man? They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee. Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death: That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die. Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?” – John 18:28-34.
“but that they might eat the passover.” You see, they did not want to be the ones to actually kill Jesus. Do they actually think they are justified by God for what they were doing? These men are cowards, they were already defiled for rejecting Him. “If he were not a malefactor,” Malefactor; meaning one who commits a crime. They still did have not one thing to accuse Jesus of, and Pilate wanted nothing to do with it either. “or did others tell it thee of me?” This man had not idea who Jesus was, and yet he is asking Him if He is the King of the Jews? Ninety-nine percent of the news people get about Jesus is hearsay, never having actually read the Bible for themselves. Well, Pilate sent Jesus off to his men where they tortured Him, when they were done he had all intentions of releasing Jesus, but the more he insisted the Jews let Him go free the more they protested.
“Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.” – John 19:5-11.
“for I find no fault in him.” I grew up being taught that Pilate was the one who was the evil one. So much for religion, they condemn the innocent and pardon the guilty. “he was the more afraid;” Pilate may not have known who Jesus was, but He did know who God was, and to find out that He is the Son of God must have been terrifying to Him. “Thou couldest have no power at all against me,” From that moment, Pilate knew that Jesus truly is the Son of God, he even went as far as saying that he had the power to stop all this, but Jesus basically said, “Unless God has given you that power, it is not going to happen.” Jesus knew that Pilate did not want to deliver Him into their hands, He assures him that the ones who delivered Him would face the greater judgment. “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.” – Romans 13:1-2.
The second God creates a soul He sends that soul into its flesh from conception, and breathes the breath of life into that flesh, but the soul is not alive just yet, because it does not have God’s Spirit in it, which is the Holy Spirit. This has to do with the fall of man, Adam and Eve, God said if they ate from the only tree He told not to eat from then they would die. They did, and that is when God took His Spirit away from all mankind. Once we are born and are aware that we sin, we are accountable for our sin, that means we will be punished, and that punishment for sin is hell. However, God had a plan the second Adam and Eve took a bite from that fruit, and that was to give man a second birth, the birth of their soul. And that is where Jesus comes in, we must be born again, that means, we must believe in the Gospel, and accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour in order for our soul to come alive (John 3:5-8). Once we receive Christ as our Saviour we can stand before God as though we never sinned, all though our faith in Him alone. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” – Hebrews 9:27-28.
Today’s Prayer: God, There is nothing more powerful than Your Word, no matter how many people try to alter it or our perception of it, it is infallible. It is comforting to know that when You have a plan You stop at nothing for it to come to pass, including Your plan for me. Thank You, Lord, for loving me and not giving up on me, for waiting patiently for me to learn the truth about Your Son, and how important it is to have Him in my life. Thank You Jesus, for dying for me, for redeeming me, and for making me one of Your very own. Let me live my life according to Your will and give me Your grace to not only be able to handle everything You want me to go through, but get back on track if I step off. I love You Lord, and pray in your name, Jesus, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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