Teaching Version - Available

Return to Home Page

Follow Me: A Journey with JesusThe Discipleship Making Process – Teaching Version
Mike Gibson

---

CLICK here to access the SERIES Companion Books

---

My purpose in writing this book is to help you become a more effective disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that by continually pointing the reader to Jesus and being careful to listen to what He says can accomplish this.

The goal of my writing is to let the Scriptures speak for themselves while providing the reader with a 1st century Christian mindset. Drawing upon the Old Testament themes, traditions, rituals, concepts and insights that Jesus’ original disciples would have understood develops this mindset.

At times my writing might appear as if I were indicating a return to Mosaic Law. Let me assure you, that is not the case! I believe that Christians are saved by the grace of God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, not by obeying the Law of Moses. However, I am also keenly aware that to many people the term, “saved by grace” has come to mean that they can live their lives in a manner they choose. This also is not the case! Christians are called to be a holy people, not to live lawless lives, this perverting the grace of God. Instead they are to live by the Law of the Spirit, which is to love God and man. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

The format of the book is designed for either personal use or within small groups. The book is not a scholarly work or a commentary on Scripture, but rather meant to be thought provoking and life changing. It was written for the joy and benefit of the average Christian, who trusts the Holy Spirit to lead and guide him into all truth.

My prayer is that this book will be a useful tool in helping you live a fruitful life in Christ.

- Mike Gibson

Devotional Version * SERIES Companion Book

Return to Home Page

What Kind of Seed are You Planting?

The Seed

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.

Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. “I have decided to choose one of you.” The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. “I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you.”

“I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.”

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began
to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.

Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.

By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.

Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back. “My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,” said the CEO. “Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!”

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, “The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!”

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, “Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!” Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.

“How could he be the new CEO?” the others said.

Then the CEO said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!”

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

In likeness, our Heavenly Father has given each one of His disciples (followers of Jesus) a seed (teaching – Matthew 28:18-20) to plant, water, and nurture, as demonstrated through Jesus’ own life, but like many of the young executives in the story above, they have replaced their seeds (Jesus’ teachings - Matthew 13:24-30, 1 Corinthians 3:5-9) with what they have deemed as more productive and fruitful seed (teachings), planting, watering, and nurturing their own seed (teachings - Galatians 6:7-9), claiming it to be from God, but in the end, discarding the very seed (teaching – Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23) that was given to them from the beginning, and replacing it with a false/imitation seed (teaching – Matthew 24:3-5, 10-12, 24-25, 26-27, 30-31) whereby the outcome/results have already been determined according to mans success, and no longer dependant on God’s promised results (Matthew 28:20, Acts 1:8, 2:42-47, 2 Corinthians 9:10).

Therefore, when the question is asked, “How does one disciple or What does discipleship look like?”, is the answer, baptizing and teaching everything Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:18-20), or something that looks like what Jesus modeled and commanded (Galatians 1:6-8, 1 Corinthians 15:2), but in the end the fruit is determined by mans own mission and results and not God’s. God desires our simple obedience and not our many sacrifices (Psalm 40:6-8, Hebrews 10:1-18).

(Must Read: James 4:7, Hebrews 12:9, Romans 12:1, John 13:34, John 14:15, 1 John 14:21, John 14:31, John 15:10, John 15:12, 1 John 2:3, 1 John 3:24, 1 John 5:3, 2 John 1:6, 1 John 2:4, Romans 6:16, Hebrews 13:15-16, Hebrews 11:6, Colossians 1:10, Titus 1:9, Titus 2:1, 2 Timothy 4:3)

What God Can Do!

Return to Home Page

John Chen grew up to be a pastor like his father. And, like his father, John planted a new church and led 50 to 60 people to Christ every year. In 2000, after two decades of pastoring and church planting in Taiwan, John and his wife, Hope, answered God's call to become strategy coordinators in an urban center on the mainland. The district we‘ll call Nandong was a greater challenge than the Chens ever imagined. The city teamed with millions of men, women and children. Factories without number were choked with workers; every day thousands more poured in looking for jobs. Overwhelmed, John and Hope entered strategy coordinator training. There, they learned three principles that changed their lives, their ministry—and the country where they moved. First, they realized that they could not do the job alone. Second, they learned that training others to plant churches was better than planting a church. Third, they learned that it is better still to train trainers to train church planters to plant even more churches. John knew that not everyone is suited to be a church planter. At the same time, he knew that God could use anyone. But how could John tell who would or would not make an effective church planter? Simple. Train everybody. Those who do, are. Those who do not, are not. At first, John found only three towns in Nandong with any churches. And these churches had a total membership of 250 people.

John set an ambitious goal of planting a church in every town in the district 200 new churches!

Not surprisingly, when John shared his goal with a local pastor, the man shook his head and suggested that John go back home. But John persisted, and the pastor allowed him to teach a church-planting class to anyone in his congregation that was interested. Most were farmers, so classes were held at night. Thirty showed up the first week. John quickly discovered two obstacles that prevented these men from being effective evangelists. They didn‘t know what to say or who to tell.

So John had them make a list of all the lost people they knew and pick the five that God wanted them to share with first. Then he taught that each of them had a unique, three-part story to tell: 1) What they were like before Jesus, 2) How they met Jesus, and 3) What their life has been like since meeting Jesus. We don‘t even call it a testimony, John explained, A testimony is for Christians. Non-Christians don‘t know what a testimony is, so we call it our story. And he had each trainee write his story on a single sheet of paper. They were a little nervous at first, so John had them read it out loud five times, then share with one another. And soon the trainees were excited and confident.

In the weeks that followed, John taught them how to establish new converts in the fundamentals of the faith. Then it was time to send them out. Go this week and share your story with the five people at the top of your list. If you can‘t, go to the next five! When you return next week, we‘ll see what God has done. Only 17 did the assignment. But one farmer had shared with 11 people. As each trainee told the group about their experiences, they drew insights and encouragement from one another. After class, John said, If you choose not to share with anyone this week, you should not come to the class next week. This added accountability and focused the trainees on doing and not just hearing. The results surprised even the Chens.

After just two months, they had started 20 small groups that were becoming churches. Seven months later, there were 327 small groups, 4,000 newly-baptized believers, and churches in 17 towns. The first year ended with 908 house churches and more than 12,000 new Christians. Like Jesus‘ disciples, the trainees found that in every village God had prepared a person of peace. One was an old farmer who had never before planted a church. Within two months, he started a dozen house churches—110 in a year. His lifestyle was the key to his effectiveness. Every morning from 5 to 7, he prayed and read his Bible. Then he worked in the fields until 5 p.m., when he went home for dinner and family time. At 7 p.m., he went back out and worked in God‘s fields until midnight. That lifestyle is common in what has become the largest church planting movement in history.

In another town, one year after a 67-year-old woman became a Christian, she had led more than 60 families to Christ. I asked her to take me out and show me how she does it, John said. She tells people that she was weak and then Jesus saved her. Then she invites them to a Bible study at her house.

―We teach all the new believers how to have a Bible study and a daily quiet time, he explained, so they can do this forever. Then we teach them what a church is about and how to organize into a church so that they can grow together in Christ.

―Once, we lost track of a Christian factory worker we had trained. After six months, we found that he had been transferred to another large factory with 10,000 workers. During that time, he had started 70 small groups and had seen 10 generations of reproduction (churches planting churches).

If you ask John the secret of this powerful movement, he will pull up his pant legs and show you the calluses on his knees. He teaches trainees to pray for the Holy Spirit‘s anointing, to pray for the lost all around them, to pray as they go into each witnessing situation, and to pray for the blood of Jesus to protect them from everything Satan will throw against them.

Every morning after two hours of prayer, John goes into the harvest fields. Everyday he tells his simple story, looks for those God has called out, and trains others to do the same. You never know who God is going to use, he says with a smile, so we keep training everybody! Today, the movement is spreading across several districts and shows no sign of slowing.

After 2 months: 20 small groups were started

After 6 months: 327 house churches, with 4,000 baptized

After one year: 908 house churches, with 12,000 baptized

The following year: 3,535 new churches, with more than 53,430 baptisms

First six months of the third year: 9,320 new churches and 104,542 baptisms

End of 3rd year: 15,000 new churches and more than 160,000 baptized believers

The secret is not found in techniques or a new curriculum. It is hidden in the vision, training, passion, co-laborers and accountability. Vision prevents confusion. Training yields confidence. Passion drives momentum. A steady supply of trained co-laborers enables your team to freely embrace every new opportunity. And accountability produces consistent results.

This true story is adapted from David Garrison‘s book Church Planting Movements. You can buy a copy of this book online at www.churchplantingmovements.com.

Return to Home Page

Top

Hearing God’s Voice

A true story was told to me from the man himself, about a young Bucking horse he had bought, with aspirations to take her out of the harsh sport of Bucking, and turn her into a gentle and compatible riding horse. From the beginning he was told that one could never take the bucking out of a Bucking horse, which over the course of a year he learned the hard way.

It was this final bucking off experience with his young horse that the man cried out to God, saying:

“God, I thought you were in my decision to take this horse out of the sport of Bucking, but it appears that I was wrong. Though Lord, before I make the decision to sell this horse, I want to hear your voice if that is the right decision or not. Now Lord, you know I am a simple man who needs to hear your voice plainly, clearly, and without confusion, so I ask that you would do that for me today. Please Father; give me the wisdom to know what I should do.”

It was later that morning that the man headed to church, where he experienced one of the longest and worst sermons ever preached. In fact, so bad that even the pastor apologized for it. But it was not what was said during the sermon that affected that man that day, but rather the words that followed, when his pastor told the congregation that, “if you guys hear nothing else today, I want you to hear this one word, but first, if you have a pen and a piece of paper, I want for you to write this down: Never Get Rid Of Hope.”

Upon hearing this spontaneous word, the man stood up and asked the pastor to say those words again, which in response the pastor replied, “Never Get Rid of Hope!” The man was so overjoyed with those words that he began to run around the sanctuary crying out, “Say that again Pastor!”

The pastor was so moved by the response of this man that after the service he and his wife went up to the man to find out what made him respond so charismatically. The man replied:
“Pastor, my horse’s name is Hope!”
It was from that day forward that the man never again was bucked from his horse Hope, receiving ultimately his heart’s desire, a gentle and compatible riding horse.

James 1:5 – Matthew 7:7-8 – Proverbs 13:12

True Story – 7/2009

Top

---

“The Story of the Israelites Who Came Out of Egypt”

Lets be reminded of the parallels:

• The Israelites were in bondage while living in Egypt.
  • Christians were in bondage to sin while living in the world.
• On the night of their deliverance the Israelites applied the blood of an unblemished lamb to the lintel and doorposts of their homes. Then they entered through the door and were spared by the death angel when he recognized the blood on their doorways (Exodus 12).
  • Jesus Christ is the unblemished Lamb of God. His blood was smeared on the cross of Calvary in the same pattern as the Israelites applied it. The lintel is where the crown of thorns caused the blood to flow from His head and doorposts are where the nails pierced His hands (John 10:9).
• The Israelites were all under the cloud (the specific cloud that is being talked about is called the Sh’khinah: the cloud of glory) and all passed through The Red Sea. And all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea (1 Corinthians 10:1-2).
  • Christians are all baptized into Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit and in water (1 John 5:7-8).
• The Israelites received the Law of Moses written on tablets of stone at Mt Sinai.
  • Christians received the Law of Christ written on their hearts at Mt Zion (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 8:1-13).
• The Israelites all ate the same spiritual food … manna, the bread from heaven.
  • Christians all eat the same spiritual food … communion bread, which is the body of Christ.
• The Israelites all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from the spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.
  • Christians all drink the same spiritual drink … communion wine, which is the blood of Christ.
• God was not pleased with most of the Israelites and they died in the wilderness. These people 1) craved evil things, 2) were idolaters, 3) acted immorally, 4) tried the Lord, and 5) grumbled against Him. They did not enter the Promised Land because of their unbelief (lack of faith).
  • Christians are cautioned against doing these things.
• The Israelites never lacked for food, clothing or shelter on their journey.
  • Christians will not lack for food, clothing or shelter in their life.
• When the Israelites engaged in battle they always won.
  • When Christians engage in spiritual warfare they always win.
• The Israelites had their sins forgiven when they confessed them while laying their hands upon the head of a lamb.
  • Christians have their sins forgiven when they confess them to Jesus, the Lamb of God.
• The Israelites were healed of their afflictions when by faith they looked to the bronze serpent on the staff.
  • Christians are healed when they look to Jesus Christ who was crucified on the cross.
• The Israelites entered the Promised Land following Joshua.
  • Christians will enter the Promised Land (Heaven) following Joshua.
    The reason I used the name Joshua here is to make the point that Jesus’ name in Hebrew is Yawshua (Joshua), which means, “I AM SALVATION”. You should be reminded that Moses could not take the Israelites into the Promised Land because of his disobedience. This occurred when he struck the Rock, which was Christ, a second time to bring forth water. God had told Moses to speak to the Rock and it would bring forth water. The effect of this was that Moses gave a false prophetic sign: saying the Christ would be struck twice. However God only permitted His Son, Jesus, the Christ to be struck once: on the Lord’s Passover . . . at His trials, beatings and crucifixion. Moses also told the Israelites, “God shall raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren.” The book of Numbers 27:12-23, indicates that it was Joshua whom God chose and it was he who led the Israelites into the Promised Land. Jewish people today have never made this connection concerning Jesus (Yawshua or Joshua) Christ as the one prophet who will lead the people to the Promised Land (Heaven).

Jesus’ Final Week

Biblical Prophecy Fulfilled

Timeline of Events

Return to Home Page - Return to Lesson 50

THE KING IS COMING

1 Chronicles 17:11-14

31 AD, April 17, Thursday, Abib 8 daytime - (5th day of the week)

• Jesus tells His disciples they are going to Jerusalem.
• James and John ask to sit at Jesus’ right and left hand in the kingdom.
• Jesus heals a blind man on the way to Jericho.

Thursday, Abib 9 nighttime - (6th day of the week)

• Jesus spends the night at Zaccheus’ house.

Friday, Abib 9 daytime - (6th day of the week)

• Jesus leaves Zaccheus’ house in Jericho, after spending the night.
• Jesus heals blind Bartamaeus on His way out of Jericho.
• Jesus walks approximately 20 miles from Jericho to Bethany.
  • Jesus went up to Jerusalem with a large group of people who were also making the pilgrimage to the Feast of Unleavened Bread. They walked uphill from the Jordan River valley to the heights of Jerusalem and sang the “Songs of Assent (Psalms 120–134) as they went.
• Jesus arrives at the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha in Bethany before sundown.
  • According to John 12:1, Jesus arrived six days before the Passover of the Jews, which began on Abib 15.

Friday, Abib 10 nighttime - (7th day of the week)

• The weekly Sabbath (Rest) begins.
• Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with perfume.
  • Anointing someone indicated that they were being dedicated to God and being set apart for a special work. By pouring perfume upon His feet Mary was behaving prophetically when we consider the passage in Isaiah 52.
• Jesus spends the night at Lazarus’s house.

Saturday, Abib 10 daytime - (7th day of the week)

• Shabbat Hagadol
  • Shabbat Hagadol means “the great Sabbath” or “Sabbath of greatness”. It is the Sabbath, which immediately precedes Passover and is so named because it was historically the day when the King of Israel entered Jerusalem for the Feast. The last king of Israel, Zedekiah had died more than 600 years before.
• Jesus leaves Bethany, which is about 2 miles from Jerusalem.
  • A Sabbath’s days journey was considered to be about one mile however the Rabbinic ruling states that Bethany is within the environs of Jerusalem, therefore it was permissible for someone to travel from Bethany to Jerusalem for the purpose of going to Temple and not break the prohibition against traveling on the Sabbath.
• At Bethphage (House of Figs) Jesus mounts a donkey and rides the rest of the way into Jerusalem.
  • Even though by rabbinic ruling Jesus was permitted to walk to Jerusalem, as if to fulfill the Law of Moses completely, He walked only one mile to Bethphage where He mounted a donkey and rode the rest of the way: Zechariah 9:9
• The triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
  • If Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem were on Palm Sunday according to “Christian” tradition, it would mean that He made His journey from Jericho to Bethany (20 miles) on the Sabbath (Rest), definitely a violation of Mosaic Law. Jesus did not break the Law but fulfilled it completely.
• Each family chooses a Passover lamb.
  • According to Exodus 12:3, each family was to select its Passover lamb on the 10th of Abib, then it was subjected to inspection for blemishes by the priests for four days. If the lamb were without defect it would be killed on the 14th of Abib, the Lord’s Passover. Jesus, the true Lamb of God was continuously examined by different groups of people from the time of His entry into Jerusalem on the 10th of Abib until His crucifixion four days later on the 14th of Abib, the Lord’s Passover. These groups included priests, scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, Sanhedrim, the current and previous High Priests, the Jewish governor, the Roman governor and the multitudes themselves.
• Palm branches.
  • Palm branches were a symbol of triumph and victory in pre-Christian days. For Jewish people they are connected to the concept of salvation and represent peace and plenty. Compare this to Revelation 7:9-10.
• Hosannas.
  • The word Hosanna means, “Save, please” or “Please, deliver us”.
• Stones crying out.
  • As Jesus began His descent of the Mount of Olives some Pharisees approached Him demanding that He silence the multitudes that were praising Him. Jesus replied, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out,” Luke 19:40. Jesus was not talking about the rocks lying on the ground being able to speak but something entirely different. The more than a mile-long Mount of Olives is covered with the tombstones of Israelites who believed that when the Messiah came He would descend on the Mount of Olives and they would be the first to be resurrected from the dead. In essence Jesus was telling the Pharisees that if His disciples didn’t praise Him that those who were buried on the Mount of Olives would rise up out of their graves and give Him praise.
• Jesus spends the entire day in Jerusalem.

Top

SPOTLESS LAMB OF GOD

They shall be without defect – Numbers 28:31

Saturday, Abib 11 nighttime - (1st day of the week)

• Jesus returns to Bethany for the night.

Sunday, Abib 11 daytime - (1st day of the week)

• Jesus returns to Jerusalem the second time and curses the fig tree.
  • The season for figs is the beginning of summer yet springtime had just arrived. Jesus used the illustration of the fig tree in His Olivet discourse on the following day concerning the future. Therefore, He cursed the fig tree because it was giving a false and misleading sign. It was prematurely putting forth leaves, which would indicate that it was about to bear fruit. This issue will be covered in a future lesson.
• He drives the moneychangers out of the Temple for the second time.

Sunday, Abib 12 nighttime - (2nd day of the week)

• Jesus spends the night in Bethany.

Monday, Abib 12 daytime - (2nd day of the week)

• Jesus returns to Jerusalem the third time.
• The fig tree has withered.
• The Pharisees examine Jesus.
• The widow’s mites.
• Jesus answers two of the disciple’s questions about the future as they leave the Temple Mount area.
• Jesus answers three more of the disciple’s questions about the future while seated on the Mount of Olives (Olivet Discourse - Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21).
• The high priest, Caiaphas and the leaders plot together to seize Jesus before the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which began at evening on the 15th of Abib.

Monday, Abib 13 nighttime - (3rd day of the week)

• Jesus returns to Bethany and spends the night at Simon, the Leper’s home.
• A woman anoints Jesus’ head with perfume and Judas become indignant.

Tuesday, Abib 13 daytime - (3rd day of the week)

• Judas consorts with the Jewish leaders and is paid thirty pieces of silver.
  • Thirty shekels. This amount is equivalent to 120 day’s wages. The prophecy concerning this payment and its use is found at Zechariah 11:12-13.
• Jesus spends the day with His disciples but does not return to Jerusalem.

Top

OUR PASSOVER LAMB

Exodus 12:21-22

Tuesday, Abib 14 nighttime - (4th day of the week) - The Lord's Passover

• According to Leviticus 23:5 the 14th day of Abib is the Lord’s Passover (Peh-sakh). It should not be confused with the Passover of the Jews, which commences immediately following the Lord’s Passover.
• The Lord’s Passover is also known as the Day of Preparation for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which begins the following evening. At the start of 14th (6:00 pm) Jewish people remove all the leaven from their homes. A search is conducted with a candle to check all the nooks and crannies where leaven might exist so that it can be removed. The day concludes the following afternoon when the Passover lambs are slain. The people then commence the celebration of the Feast by eating their Passover lamb and unleavened bread after sundown (6:00 pm) at the start of Abib 15.
  • The Feast (“appointed time”) of Unleavened Bread (Mats-tsaw Lekn-em) commences on Abib 15 and lasts for seven days during which time Jewish people eat nothing that contains leaven. The first and seventh days of the feast are Sabbath days. The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is called Passover.
  • The use of the term Passover confuses many Christians since there are two Passovers, so I’ll try to explain it here:
    1. The Lord’s Passover is on the 14th of Abib. It is also called the “day of preparation” as Jewish people remove all leaven from their houses (hence the term “the first day of unleavened bread”) and it is the day on which Passover lambs are slain (Exodus 12:3-11). It is not a Sabbath day.
    
    2. The 1st day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasts for seven days, is on the 15th day of Abib. It is referred to as Passover or the Passover of the Jews. On this day Jewish people eat the Passover lamb and unleavened bread in commemoration of the death angel passing over their houses and their deliverance from Egypt. It is a Sabbath day.
  
  
• Go and prepare the Passover. Peter and John did not go and prepare the Passover meal as many think, as the Passover lambs had not yet been slain. Instead, they went to make arrangements to secure the place where the Passover meal would be eaten. They made sure that all the leaven was removed from the house and brought in a provision of unleavened bread for the meal.
• The Last supper.
  • Jesus eats the Lord’s Passover with His disciples. The events surrounding the meal indicate that it follows the pattern of a typical Passover Seder, although it needn’t have. The implications of the events concerning this meal will be discussed in future lessons.
• In the Garden of Gethsemane.
  • Gethsemane means, “Oil press”. The garden itself lies at the foot of the Mount of Olives directly across the Kidron Valley from the Eastern (Golden) Gate of the Temple.
• Judas betrays Jesus.
• Jesus tried before Annas.
• Peter begins his denials of Christ.
• The cock crows the first time.
  • The third of the Roman night watches known as “cockcrowing” ended at 3:00 am.
• Jesus is tried before Caiaphas.
• Peter denies the Lord the third time.
• The cock crows the second time.
  • This was generally reckoned to be around 4:30 am.
• Jesus is tried before the Sanhedrin.

Wednesday, Abib 14 daytime - (4th day of the week)

• Judas hangs himself.
• Jesus is tried before Pilate.
• Jesus is tried before Herod Antipas.
• Pilate sentences Jesus.
• Jesus is crucified at 9:00 am.
  • The image of Jesus hanging on the cross should evoke memories of the first Passover. God through Moses commanded the Israelites to smear the blood of the Passover lamb on the lintel and doorposts of their homes. After this the Israelites were to enter through that doorway into their homes were they would be spared by the death angel that went through the land of Egypt that night killing all the first-born. As Christ hung on the cross we can clearly see the blood caused from the crown of thorns as the blood on the lintel. The blood flowing from his outstretched nail –pierced hands would have marked the doorposts. Jesus referred to this image in John 10:9.
• Darkness comes over the land at noon.
• Being the true Lamb of God, Jesus dies at 3:00 pm on Golgotha just as the Passover lambs are being slain.
  • The term Golgotha means the “Place of the Skull”. The place is also called Calvary from the Latin word “calvaria” which also means “bare skull”. It was so named for the shape of the hill, which resembles a skull.
• Women prepare the spices before the Sabbath (Luke 23:50-56).

Top

HE IS ALIVE

Leviticus 23:10-11

Wednesday, Abib 15 nighttime - (5th day of the week)

• The first day of Feast of Unleavened Bread begins (Passover of the Jews).
• The Passover lambs are eaten.
• The Sabbath day begins.
• Jesus spends His first night in the grave.

Thursday, Abib 15 daytime - (5th day of the week)

• The first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread continues.
• It is still the Sabbath day.
• Jesus spends His first day in the grave.

Thursday, Abib 16 nighttime - (6th day of the week)

• Jesus spends His second night in the grave.

Friday, Abib 16 daytime - (6th day of the week)

• The women prepare the spices after the Sabbath (Mark 16:1).
• Jesus spends His second day in the grave.

Friday, Abib 17 nighttime - (7th day of the week)

• The weekly Sabbath begins.
• Jesus spends His third night in the grave.

Saturday, Abib 17 daytime - (7th day of the week)

• The weekly Sabbath continues.
• Jesus spends His third day in the grave.
  • This is to fulfill Jesus prophecies: Matthew 12:40 - Matthew 27:63. If Jesus had been crucified on Friday as tradition holds He could not have fulfilled the prophecies accurately.

Saturday, Abib 18 nighttime - (1st day of the week)

• The first day of the week begins.
• The Feast of First Fruits begins.
  • It is the Feast of First Fruits, the day on which Christ was raised from the dead that Christians celebrate and call Easter Sunday. According to Leviticus 23:11 this feast day always fell on the first day of the week following Passover.
• The priests cut down the first sheaves of grain harvested from the fields and make a wave offering of it before God.
• During the night the sheaves of the grain offering are ground into fine flour for the wave offering of “the Omer” the next morning.
• An earthquake occurs during the night, when the angel rolls away the stone from Jesus’ tomb (Matthew 28:2-4). Jesus rises from the dead.

Sunday, Abib 18 daytime - (1st day of the week)

• The women arrive at the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with the spices they had purchased after the Sabbath but He is not there . . . the tomb is empty.
• Peter and John go to the empty tomb.
• Mary encounters Jesus at the tomb but thinks he is the gardener until He speaks to her.
• At about 9:00 am in the Temple the priests are making the wave offering of “the Omer” of flour to God. This is the offering of the First Fruits. Up to this point in time no one in Israel is allowed to eat anything made out of grains.
• Wave offering of the unleavened bread.
• That afternoon Jesus walks with two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus. One of them is Jesus’ uncle Clopas, the brother of Joseph. Neither of the disciples recognizes Jesus until He breaks bread with them.

Top

MYSTERY OF THE THREE IN ONE

One of the great mysteries of Christianity is the concept of the Trinity. In other words, how can God who is one, also be distinguishable as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Yet this mystery is unveiled in the Feast of First Fruits and Jesus demonstrated it perfectly.

During the Feast of First Fruits, the priests made three separate wave offerings to God:

1. During the early evening hours of First Fruits, the Sanhedrim went out to a pre-selected barley field and cut down the sheaves of barley within three pre-selected areas of that field. Then they took the sheaves of barley back to the Temple where the priests made a wave offering of them to God.
2. Next, the heads of the barley sheaves were beaten with canes to remove the grain, which was then roasted with fire and ground into extremely fine flour. From the flour that was produced, one omer (equivalent to about five pints) was set aside in a container as an offering to God. At the morning service (The morning Temple service was conducted at the third hour or about 9:00 am) of First Fruits, the priests made a wave offering to God of the flour in its container. No Israelite could partake of any food made from grains before the wave offering of the omer was completed.
3. Later that day, the priests would make a wave offering of unleavened bread made from the flour.

From the wave offerings of the: 1) sheaves, 2) flour, and 3) unleavened bread we see can see the concept of the trinity portrayed. All of them were of one substance (barley) but appear in different forms.

Jesus Christ, the first fruits (1 Corinthians 15:20, Romans 11:16) also appeared in three different forms. 1) Before He died (was cut down) Jesus had one appearance (the sheaf). 2) After He had been raised from the dead he had another appearance. Mary Magdalene who knew Him well did not recognize Him at the garden tomb, thinking He was the gardener. She did not recognize Him until He spoke with her. He had appeared to her as the offering of the omer of flour. This is evidenced by the fact that Jesus told her not to cling to Him, as he had not yet ascended to the Father (The women had come to the tomb early in the day and the wave offering of the omer of flour had not taken place in the Temple yet). No one was permitted to partake of anything made of grain until the omer was offered. 3) Jesus appeared differently, this time as the offering of the unleavened bread, to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. One of those disciples was even Jesus’ Uncle Clopas who did not recognize Him until He broke bread with them.

Return to Home Page - Return to Lesson 50

Top

Overview of Jesus’ Relationship to His Disciples

Return to Home Page

1. James* (“Jacob”): brother of Jesus. Authored the New Testament epistle: “James”. (Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3)
   
   
2. Judas* (“Jude”): brother of Jesus. Authored the New Testament epistle: “Jude”. (Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3)
   
   
3. James, son of Zebedee* (“Jacob”): cousin of Jesus, son of The Virgin Mary’s sister, Salome (Mark 15:40, 16:1). Also known as “Boanerges” or one of the “sons of thunder”. (Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:14-20; Luke 5:1-11, Mark 3:17)
   
   
4. John* (“Jehohanan”): cousin of Jesus, son of The Virgin Mary’s sister, Salome (Mark 15:40, 16:1). Also known as “Boanerges”, one of the “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17), “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23, 19:26, 21:7, 21:20), and former disciple of John the Baptist. Authored the New Testament “Gospel of John”, “1 John”, “2 John”, “3 John”, and “Revelation”. (Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:14-20; Luke 5:1-11, Mark 3:17)
   
   
5. James, son of Alphaeus* (“Jacob”): cousin of Jesus, son of Joseph’s brother, Cleopas (Luke 24:13-35). (Cleopas’ wife was Mary (“Mariam”). She is also known as “the other Mary” at Jesus crucifixion and at the open tomb. – Matthew 27:61, 28:1, Luke 24:9-10). Also known as James the less or James son of Alphaeus (“Cleopas”). (Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:14-20; Luke 5:1-11)
   
   
6. Thaddeus*: cousin of Jesus, son of Joseph’s brother, Cleopas (Luke 24:13-35). (Cleopas’ wife was Mary (“Mariam”). She is also known as “the other Mary” at Jesus crucifixion and at the open tomb. – Matthew 27:61, 28:1, Luke 24:9-10). Also known as Judas the son of James or Judas not Iscariot.
   
   
7. Simon*: cousin of Jesus, son of Joseph’s brother, Cleopas (Luke 24:13-35). (Cleopas’ wife was Mary (“Mariam”). She is also known as “the other Mary” at Jesus crucifixion and at the open tomb. – Matthew 27:61, 28:1, Luke 24:9-10). Also known as the Zealot.
   
   
8. Simon* (renamed by Jesus to “Peter”/“Petros”/“Rock”): partners in a fishing business with Jesus’ two cousins James and John, sons of The Virgin Mary’s sister Salome, and brother to Andrew. Also known as Simon bar Jonah (Matthew 6:17). Authored the New Testament epistles: “1 Peter” and “2 Peter”. (Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:14-20; Luke 5:1-11)
   
   
9. Andrew*: partners in a fishing business with Jesus’ two cousins James and John, sons of The Virgin Mary’s sister Salome, brother to Simon (“Peter”), and former disciple of John the Baptist. (Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:14-20; Luke 5:1-11)
   
   
10. Matthew*: was the chief tax collector in Capernaum. He undoubtedly collected the taxes from the fishermen, including James, John, Peter and Andrew, when they brought in their catches to be sold at market. He may also have been the royal official from Capernaum, whose son Jesus healed. Also known as “Levi”. Authored the New Testament “Gospel of Matthew”. (Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32)

The remaining Disciples have no immediate recorded relationship to Jesus: Philip*, Bartholomew, son of Talemai*, Thomas*, and Judas Iscariot*.

* Matthew 10:1-4, Mark 3:13-19, Luke 6:12-16

Return to Home Page