August 4, 2024: Isaiah 49:7- God has Chosen Jesus

“Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.” - Isaiah 49:7

God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to His people, the nation of Israel, the people whom long ago God set apart from all the other nations, to reveal to them that they cannot save themselves. He sent Jesus to them to show them that their hearts had turned against Him and that they needed to return to Him. He sent Jesus to show them that they needed their Savior, their prophesied Messiah.

The prophet Isaiah was given a burdensome vision from God to tell it to his fellow Jews. God’s people, who had once been unified, had become divided into two kingdoms - the northern kingdom of Israel that was comprised of ten of the twelve tribes of Israel, and the southern kingdom of Judah, that had only the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin. It was God who was the One who had divided the kingdom. God had told King Solomon that He would do this after Solomon died because of Solomon’s sins against Him when he worshipped and sacrificed to the false gods of his many pagan wives (1 Kings 11:7-13). God did exactly as He said He would do:

“And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only. And when Rehoboam [King Solomon’s son] was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.” (1 Kings 12:20-21).

Israel was still a divided nation when Isaiah prophesied to the kingdom of Judah during the reign of four kings. While Isaiah’s vision, which was given in a single, long vision and is written across 66 chapters, is burdensome, the message of the vision would end with words of hope. Let us read of the words God gave to Isaiah that told the Jews why calamity and sorrow would come upon them:

“The vision of Isaiah the son of Amor, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified [soothed] with ointment. Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. And the daughter of Zion [Jerusalem] is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread [trample] my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with [endure]; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.” (Isaiah 1:1-15)

God was the One who had given them His law and His commandments to follow, which included sacrifices and offerings. However, here He is saying He doesn’t want their many sacrifices and offerings as they meant nothing to Him because they meant nothing to His people. Instead of following God with their heart, they were just sticking to tradition and not letting God’s law change them from the inside out. They were rotten to the core, and God could see that because He created them. He knew them, though they did not know Him. They ignored His warnings to them about the judgment that would come upon them if they continued in their sinful ways. They didn’t listen to Him when He said, “Woe unto them” four separate times:

“Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: that say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it! Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: which justify the wicked for reward [a bribe], and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 5:20-24)

Merriam-webster.com defines “woe” as “a condition of deep suffering from misfortune, affliction, or grief.” In this case, their woe is a direct result of their sin against God. Because God gave us free will and a brain of our own to think with, He won't stop us from sinning, and He will let us experience the consequences, oftentimes which are devastating, that come when we sin against Him. This is true for all of us, including for the Jews. It is during these dark times of going through the consequences of our own sin that we may realize our need for Him and turn to Him, and that has happened repeatedly with the Jews.

The book of Isaiah not only speaks of the prophesied judgments that would come - and did come - upon the southern kingdom of Judah, but it also contains many prophecies of the then-first coming and the yet-future second coming of Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah. It is in Jesus alone that salvation can be found; it is He who is the true light and the only One who can provide true peace. Let us read some of these prophecies:

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God With Us].” (Isaiah 7:14)

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

There are also prophecies that extend way out into future times, the times that God in Isaiah chapter 2 refers to as “the last days.”

“The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.” (Isaiah 2:1-5)

Many of these prophecies have not yet been fulfilled, but will be, for the word of God is true. It is during the last days that Jesus Christ will come to earth a second time at the end of the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, also known as the tribulation period. Jesus’ second coming will be very different from His first coming. When He first came to earth, He came as the suffering servant of God, whereas at His second coming, He will come as KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS and will rightfully and righteously destroy all people who will choose to reject His free gift of salvation and instead will choose to follow the final demonic antichrist. The final antichrist is Satan’s man of sin who, with the false prophet, will lead all who rejected Christ into hell. At His second coming, Jesus will cast the antichrist and the false prophet into the eternal lake of fire. Jesus will then reign on earth with a rod of iron for 1,000 years:

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture [robe] dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite [strike] the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond [slave], both small and great. And I saw the beast [antichrist], and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant [rest] were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” (Revelation 19:11-21)

At Jesus’ second coming, He will finally take His reign on earth and will rule righteously with a rod of iron for a period of 1,00 years, a time period known as the Millennial Kingdom. At the beginning of His reign, He will bind and cast Satan into the bottomless pit for the 1,000 years. The Millennial Kingdom is different than the eternal state, when all believers in Christ will receive their new and glorified bodies and will be without sin. In the Millennial Kingdom, people who were not saved prior to the start of the tribulation period but turned to Christ during it and survived the tribulation period, will live on earth and will still sin. However, sin will not be tolerated as it is today; Jesus will stop it immediately, for as the Scripture above says, “he shall rule them with a rod of iron.” There will be no more war, and it will be a time of peace, as God intended for the world to have but has not known since before the fall of Adam and Eve. During the millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ, there will be people who die, but they will die at a much older age, as described in the Scripture below. In addition, people will work and will enjoy the fruits of their labor instead of working for someone else who enjoys the rewards of their hard work:

“There shall be no more thence an infant of days [live but a few days], nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 65:20-25)

At the end of His Millennial reign, Jesus will release Satan from the bottomless pit. The people who will have lived on earth during the 1,000-year period with Jesus reigning as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS will now have a choice to make: are they with Jesus or against Him? Do they want to follow Him or follow Satan? Not surprisingly, there will be people who follow Satan. This shows us that no matter how “good” the world could be, with Satan not being there to tempt people into sinning, sin will still exist in the hearts of those alive at the time of the Millennial Kingdom. At that point, God will destroy every person who will choose to align themselves with Satan and against God. God will then cast Satan into the eternal lake of fire and brimstone, where his evil coparts, the antichrist and false prophet will already be, and they will remain there forever.

“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:7-10)

Jesus will then resurrect to life and judge every single person who ever lived and who died in their sins because they rejected His free gift of salvation. At His great white throne judgment, Jesus will judge them based on their works, the things that they did when they lived. Jesus will find all of them guilty because, as the apostle Peter wrote of in the Scripture below, nothing else can save us from our sins but being washed in the blood of Jesus Christ when we believe in Him as our Redeemer. Only those saved in Him will have their names written in the book of life. Having been found guilty of their sins, Jesus will then cast all unbelievers into the lake of eternal fire:

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.” (1 Peter 1:18-21)

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:10-15)

This will include all the people who will be here on earth during the 7-year tribulation period and who will take the mark of the beast (antichrist) and worship him, for they will hate Jesus and will love antichrist and Satan, also known as the dragon. Are we not already seeing the set up for this in our world today, with a growing number of people in the world embracing Satanism and technology speeding towards the marking of people in order for people to live their lives, to buy and sell?

“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8)

Next, Jesus will destroy the current heavens and earth by fire:

“For this they willingly are ignorant of [forget], that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word kept in store, reserved unto fire against [until] the day of judgment and perdition [destruction] of ungodly men.” (2 Peter 3:5-7)

Just as in the days of Noah, the people of the world were deep in their sin and thought the world would just continue on as it always was. They were willfully ignorant of the word of God, likely mocking Noah when he built the ark that would safely house him and his seven family members and all the animals that God sent to him to be saved from the flood. The sinners were unsuspecting when He destroyed all but Noah and his family when God sent the great flood. So shall it be when God will destroy the heavens and the earth by fire. God will then create a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem. All believers in Christ will live on that new earth, and it is at that time that death and sorrow will be no more. Let us read of this from the book of Revelation:

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)

God sent Jesus, knowing He would be despised and rejected of men, but God sent Him anyway:

“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm [the power] of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness [splendour]; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of [struck down by] God, and afflicted.” (Isaiah 53:1-3)

At His first coming to earth when He began teaching, Jesus spoke to the scribes and Pharisees of their hypocrisy. Instead of listening to Him and realizing that they had been hypocritical in their teachings and their own actions, His words angered them. Jesus called them out for not doing what they preached to others. Jesus was despised and rejected by His own, just as the prophets long ago prophesied would happen:

“Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms [place of honour] at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased [humbled]; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted [lifted up].” (Matthew 23:1-12)

Jesus told those who were listening to Him that they were to do what the scribes and Pharisees said they should do but they should not do as the scribes and Pharisees did because they were not practicing what they preached. The scribes and Pharisees had the best of everything, and yet did not follow God’s commandments to them. Jesus told them that if the scribes and Pharisees were great among them, then they would serve the people, but they did not. Instead, they exalted themselves above the people, and they also exalted themselves above and looked down upon Jesus Christ. Oh, how Jesus’ words must have stung the scribes and Pharisees who heard him speak! Seven times Jesus said, “Woe unto you!” Of all people, these religious leaders should have known better, and yet, they were leaving their flocks, their sheep, without a shepherd. This is even prophesied in the book of Ezekiel:

“And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to [food for] all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.” (Ezekiel 34:1-6)

As prophesied in the book of Isaiah, God would send One who IS the good shepherd and who would take care of the sheep:

“Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” (Isaiah 40:10-11)

When Jesus was speaking specifically to the scribes and Pharisees, He pronounced seven woes to them, and an eighth woe when He addressed them as blind guides. He pronounced these woes because they had not taken care of the sheep, the people who were looking to them for guidance and leading. The scribes and the Pharisees were not being good shepherds to the people and were only serving themselves, while pretending to be something they were not. Let us read this in its entirety to truly get a sense of what Jesus had to say to them:

“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make a long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass [travel] sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted [neglected] the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess [self-indulgence]. Thou blind Pharisees, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers [whitewashed tombs], which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity [lawlessness]. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure [measure of guilt] of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 23:13-39)

Jesus did not sugarcoat His words: He spoke the truth in order to get to the heart of the matter: the scribes and the Pharisees worshipped God only with their mouths and not with their hearts. They wanted all the blessings of God but did want to be obedient to Him. They served only themselves and neither God nor the people, and they had damned themselves to hell. They were blindly leading people straight to hell because they refused to obey God’s commandments to them while expecting people “lower” than themselves to obey God. Jesus then told them that they would persecute and kill the prophets that Jesus would send to them, and that the righteous blood of the prophets would be on their hands. And that is exactly what happened then and is still happening today at an increasing rate around the world. Just as the prophets of old that God sent before Jesus came the first time were persecuted, so too the prophets who came after His death and resurrection would be persecuted.

Below are just two examples of the persecution of Christians at the hand of the Jews, the first example being the apostle Peter. After the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, and after the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter was with the apostle John. Peter had healed a lame man, and the man was then able to walk. Let us read the words of Peter. You can feel his appeal to his fellow Jewish brothers, trying to get them to see that it was not by any power of him or John that the lame man was healed and made able to walk but by his faith in Jesus Christ. Peter told them of their sins against God by their rejection of His Son, Jesus Christ, and he urged them to repent of their sins and turn to Jesus. But they did not repent. Sadly, most Jews today still reject their Messiah.

“And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering. And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had shewed by [foretold by] the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution [restoration] of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first, God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, being grieved [greatly disturbed] that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold [custody] unto the next day: for it was now eventide [evening]. Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of men was about five thousand.” (Acts 3:11-4:4)

Peter and John were put into custody because they spoke the truth of Jesus Christ. Nothing has changed in nearly 2,000 years as we still see Christians being imprisoned for speaking the truth of Jesus Christ. Praise God that after Peter had spoken, that 5,000 men were saved by believing in Jesus Christ! Let us continue reading what happened after Peter and John were put into custody:

“And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred [family] of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined [are judged] of the good deed done to the impotent [helpless] man, by what means he is made whole; be it known unto all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at naught of [rejected by] you builders, which is become the head of the corner [chief cornerstone]. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned [uneducated] and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them [realized that], that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest [known] to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly [severely] threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they call them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to heaven unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.” (Acts 4:5-21)

Did you catch what the Jewish leaders said? They acknowledged that in fact a miracle had been performed and that all the people in Jerusalem had seen that miracle. They then prohibited Peter and John from telling others about the saving power of Jesus. These leaders KNEW the power of Jesus Christ, for they had seen it with their own eyes and yet denied Peter and John from speaking of it. They were threatened by the power of Jesus Christ and did not want it to spread. If there is no power in His name, then why are people then and now so threatened by it? It is because there IS power in His name. Did Peter and John cower down to the leaders and agree to their threats? No, they said they must obey God first and cannot but speak about the things they had seen and heard from Jesus. Peter and John knew there would be consequences that would come by obeying God, but they trusted in God and were obedient to Him when the rulers commanded something that was in defiance of God’s commandments to them. This strength they had was given to them by the Holy Spirit that was now residing in them, just as the Holy Spirit resides in all who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation.

Let us read another example of persecution by the Jewish leaders towards the early believers in Jesus Christ. This second example is of Stephen, who was martyred for his faith in Jesus Christ:

“Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before [foretold] of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he [Stephen], being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling [as he was calling] upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep [died].” (Acts 7:52-60)

As we read earlier in Matthew 23, Jesus did not want His people, the Jews, to reject Him. He even told them that He longed for Jerusalem to come to Him and let Him gather them, as a mother hen gathers her chickens under wings, as a protector of her young. But that is not what they wanted Him to do, and they would not let Him do it. Instead, they chose to have Him crucified, thinking that would be the end of their problems with Him.

Sometime before He was crucified, Jesus told them that HE is the good shepherd of the sheep, that His sheep know His voice and that He knows them, and that He would give His life for His sheep:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter [doorkeeper] openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.. This commandment have I received of my Father.” (Jesus Christ; John 10:1-18)

What was the response of the Jews when they heard Him speak these words? Let us read it:

“There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. And many of them said, He hath a devil [demon], and is mad; why hear ye him? Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?” (John 10:19-21)

On another occasion, a man who was possessed by a demon was brought to Jesus to have it cast out of him. Let us read this account and the response of the Pharisees:

“As they went out, behold, they brought to him [Jesus] a dumb [mute] man possessed with a devil [demon]. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils. And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted [were weary], and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” (Matthew 9:32-36)

As attested to by their own people, Israel had never seen such a thing where the mute was made to speak, the blind made to see, and the lame made to walk; it was not the Pharisees that had done these things but only Jesus. This must have infuriated the Pharisees, and instead of giving God the glory for these healings, they accused Jesus of doing those things through the power of Satan. Their hearts were hardened as stone against Him because of their pride and their lust to retain their perceived power. Jesus was despised by His own, the ones for whom He came to save but who rejected Him as their prophesied Messiah. In the end, the scribes and the Pharisees appealed to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who ruled over them in Judea, to have Jesus crucified, and He was. As Jesus was hanging on the cross, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him, saying:

“He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.” (Matthew 27:42-43)

However, it wasn’t just the Jews who mocked and hated Him, for the Romans despised Him as well. After the Roman governor Pilate had given the Jews a choice of whether to release Jesus or a murderer named Barabbas, the Jews chose Barabbas. Let us read the Roman soldiers’ reactions to Jesus being crucified on that cross:

“But Pilate answered them saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for [because of] envy. But the chief priests moved [stirred up] the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out there exceedingly, Crucify him. And so Pilate, willing to content the people [wanting to gratify the crowd], released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band [cohort]. And they clothed him with purple, and platted [twisted] a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, and began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote [struck] him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him. And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. And when they had crucified him, they parted [divided] his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” (Mark 15:9-26)

To this day, people all over the world still mock Jesus, just as we have seen with the recent 33rd Olympics opening ceremony in Paris, France, where people blasphemously mocked the last supper, the last meal that Jesus had with His apostles before He was crucified. Nothing has changed in nearly 2,000 years; unbelievers - the unsaved - still mock Him, but there is coming a day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father:

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion [in appearance] as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)

Jesus Christ came to earth the first time to save His own, the Jews, but having rejected Him, as prophesied He turned His attention to the Gentiles, for a time, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in (Romans 11:25). The time is drawing oh-so-near when He will turn His attention back to the Jews during a 7-year period known as the time of Jacob’s trouble. At the end of it, a one-third remnant of the Jews will be saved by their faith in Him, to the glory of God the Father. Darkness will be turned to light, and believers in Christ will be gathered together in Zion (Jerusalem) to give praise and glory to God the Father:

“So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard [banner] against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD from henceforth and for ever. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.” (Isaiah 59:19-60:5)

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” (Romans 11:25-26)

There is coming a day when kings and princes who have been born again by believing in Jesus Christ will fall down before Him and serve Him, the KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS, when He takes His rightful reign for 1,000 years upon the earth and afterwards, when He creates a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem:

“In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.” (Psalm 72:7-11)

“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Revelation 21:22-27)

As the days grow darker and the world continues to embrace evil and wickedness and until we are gathered together with our beloved Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ, let us remember and hold onto the words of the apostle Peter:

“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile [deceit] found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again [in return]; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes [wounds] ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop [overseer] of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:21-25) ✝️