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| Matthew 16:21 |
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Lesson # Matt. 16:21 Study Material - Matt. 16:21 You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth. Matt. 16:21 21 From [apo] that time forth [tote] began [archomai] Jesus [Iesous] to shew [deiknuo] unto his [autos] disciples [mathetes] , how that [hoti] he [autos] must [dei] go [aperchomai] unto [eis] Jerusalem [Hierosoluma] , and [kai] suffer [pascho] many things [polus] of [apo] the elders [presbuteros] and [kai] chief priests [archiereus] and [kai] scribes [grammateus] , and [kai] be killed [apokteino] , and [kai] be raised again [egeiro] the third [tritos] day [hemera] . KJV-Interlinear Matt. 16:21 21 From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. NAS In this world there are two opinions - Gods and mans. In this world there are two plans - Gods and mans. Guess which of these will reign over the other! God has a plan. Much of that plan is flexible - mans volition - mans right to choose for himself. The fundamental framework of Gods plan is not flexible and is not open for modification or change. Jesus says to His disciples these things 'must' happen. There are no if, and, or but's. The plan for salvation 'must' occur otherwise there is no future for any of us. God is perfect and only the perfect can associate with God. The imperfect cannot make itself perfect. Only the perfect can administer whatever is necessary to cleanse the imperfect and make it perfect, and such is the plan for human history, for you and me and everyone who accepts Gods plan. Jesus must go to Jerusalem, must be rejected, must die, and must raise up again to life. That is the basis for salvation. Mans existence is totally dependent on God. God gives life and sustains it. God is gracious and allows free choice to all to either continue in a life with God, or to turn away from God. Those who turn away are granted their desire and are totally cut off from God. Of course no one can sustain their own life let alone their environment, so turning away from the one who sustains life, means total chaos, total terror, total misery forever. God has a plan. Man has a plan, or so he would think. The two never cross. The Bible continually contrasts Gods view with that of man. 'My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts,' Isa 55:8-9 So Gods plan, the basic structure of it, 'must' occur as it was laid out in the Divine Decrees in eternity past. You might wish to revisit our study in John chapter 5. Jerusalem is the city of peace, or sometimes it is referred to as the 'foundation of peace.' This is of course symbolic because the city has been anything but peaceful. But then again there is a tremendous amount of prophecy pertaining to this city. It is located about 30 miles east of the Mediterranean and a little over 10 miles west of the Dead Sea. It is on an elevated plateau between the two sea's. When first introduced to the city, its leader was Melchizedek - the king/priest after whom the pattern of Jesus Christ's title was defined. The name of the city then was Salem. Just outside of Salem is a mount named Mount Moriah where Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his first born son. The same place where God was to sacrifice His first born Son - Jesus Christ, some 2000 years later. Over the centuries the city was over run, captured as one would expect Satan's plan would be in order to destroy the location of the very place where Christ was to win our salvation. The city never lost its identity nor was ever forgotten, 'If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget her skill. May my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy,' Psa. 137:5-6. Once Gods plan for salvation had been accomplished, that aspect of His plan no longer needed the city. The need for the old ways, the sacrifices and feasts, was fulfilled. In 70 A.. Rome was used by God to put down the rebellion in Judea and Jerusalem was destroyed not to be under Jewish rule for another 1878 years or until 1948. But even that too is irrelevant for Jerusalem will not become significant in history until the Second Advent, ' ... it will come about in that day that living waters will flow out of Jerusalem .... it will rise and remain on its site from Benjamin's Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's wine presses. And people will live in it, and there will be no more curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security,' Zech 14:8,10-11. Jesus states, 'I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem,' Luke 13:33. Jerusalem is significant in history and in prophecy with respect to Gods plan for salvation. Jesus was not to lead an army on the battle field. He was not to be stoned to death prematurely, thus He traveled in and out of Judea when the need arose so that the Pharisees and such would cool their heals so to speak, and tempers and a premature death would not get in the way of Gods plan for our benefit. The plan was laid out for hundreds of years and Satan knew it and tried to derail Gods plan, but he failed. The victory? God set forth a plan and executed it perfectly and without flaw, despite all of the opposition thrown at Him. No only was the city of Christ's crucifixion made known, but the date was made known as well since the time of Moses and the exodus. The Crucifixion was to take place on the afternoon immediately preceding Passover. Who among us can plan out our life in such detail? 
Now is the time to post a prayer. End Of Lesson Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth. |
