Does being born in the USA automatically confer U.S. citizenship upon the child? Yes? Not so fast. The 14th Amendment of the Constitution includes a qualifier that changes everything.
Christ Makes a Grand Entrance
Formerly, we followed Jesus’ last journey to Jerusalem with the apostles. Along the way, He strengthened them, so that they could carry on their evangelic mandate to spread His Gospel after He would ascend to heaven. (See Jesus is the Guiding Light Drawing People into Heaven.)
Continuing their journey, the apostles became fearful over the unknowns that would manifest in Jerusalem. As Jesus perceived this, He illuminates the coming sequence of events:
“Listen carefully: we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that have been written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled and completed.” Lk. 18:31 AMP
“Listen carefully: we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), and they will [judicially] condemn Him and sentence Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles (Roman authorities) to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and He will be raised [to life] on the third day.” Mt. 20:18, 19. AMP
Jesus is telling them that the culmination of all the Messianic prophesies of the Old Testament will now come to pass – from Moses’ time to His imminent death and resurrection. Taking all this into account, we should be overwhelmed with gratitude for the love of Jesus Christ for God’s children:
(Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].
Just consider and meditate on Him who endured from sinners such bitter hostility against Himself [consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Heb. 12:1-3. AMP)
How did the apostles receive all this revelation? Didn’t understand a word.
Moreover, (remember that Jesus just recently taught them about the importance of humility[1]), John and James approach Him and asked for the privilege of sitting next to Him to receive honor in heaven. Christ responds:
“You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?” Mk. 10:38 NLT
So, Jesus is warning them here, about them about the magnitude of the suffering that He must suffer, before and during His death.
These same two apostles have the temerity to say that they would be able to handle it. Jesus replies that that fate will certainly befall them.[2]
(Indeed, James would be the first apostle to be martyred, and John would be persecuted and exiled.)
Jesus answers them again:
“…to sit on My right and on My left this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.” Mt. 20:23 AMP
At this point, the other apostles overhear this exchange, and they turn their anger towards James and John. Jesus steps in the middle of this opposition:
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles have absolute power and lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them [tyrannizing them]. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your [willing and humble] slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many [paying the price to set them free from the penalty of sin].” Mt. 20:25 – 28. AMP
Again, He is driving home the importance of being humble and having a servant’s heart, as a prerequisite for entering the Kingdom of God, which is best done by emulating Him.
Traveling on towards Jerusalem, they are pass through the city of Jericho, whereupon they begin to walk past a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, sitting on the side of the road. The blind man shouts:
“Jesus, Son of David (Messiah), have mercy on me!” Mk. 10:47 AMP
Jesus heals him on the spot, saying:
“Go; your faith [and confident trust in My power] has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Jesus on the road. Mk. 10:52 AMP
A crowd gathers and follows Jesus et.al., when He sees a man in a tree, trying to get a glimpse of Him. The man was named Zacchaeus, a tax collector (at the bottom of the social stratum in Jewish culture). Christ calls him by name and tells him to go prepare his house, because He will be His guest this very day.[3]
Zacchaeus was thrilled at the prospect; but the crowd frowned upon Jesus’ decision to consort with a ‘sinner’. He looks at Jesus and says (loud enough for the crowd to hear), that he was going to give half of everything he had to the poor. And, Zacchaeus said that if he had cheated anyone, that he would restore their losses fourfold. So, what he is doing is demonstrating genuine repentance.
This doesn’t slip by Jesus, who addresses the crowd:
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this household, because he, too, is a [[spiritual] son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Lk. 19:9, 10. AMP
(…all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do. Acts 26:20 NLT)
All Jews were descendants of Abraham. Jesus was telling the crowd that it was sinners He came to save – those with a true repentant heart.
Then, Christ began to see that many in the crowd had an inner hope / delusion, that He was the Messiah that the Jews wanted – a military man who would come to overthrow the oppression of the occupying Roman army in Jerusalem. They also hoped that He arrived to set up a physical kingdom of God in the here and now.
To dispel their errors in thinking, He teaches them the ‘parable of the Minas’[4] (being a physical measure of money.) It begins with a nobleman who is going to travel to a foreign country to redeem a kingship to rule over the subjects within.
Before he journeys off, he gives his 10 servants 10 minas each, telling them to invest it wisely. Upon his return, he assesses his servants’ obedience. One managed to multiply his allotment tenfold; another fivefold. But the third servant told his master that he hid his allocation, telling him that he was an ‘exacting man’, so much so, that he was afraid he might lose some of it and be punished.
His master rips into him, telling him that he should have at least put it in the bank to gain interest. So, he gave the fearful servant’s money to the one who made the tenfold increase.
What is Jesus trying to convey to the crowd? First, that He will ascend to heaven to receive His kingship. And second, when He returns, He will judge each of God’s children according to what they did with the inner gifts that God gave each of them to advance His kingdom.
(For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.2 Co. 5:10 NLT)
Passover is approaching; and all of Jerusalem is abuzz about whether Jesus would show up. The priests and Pharisees have spies everywhere, so that they might arrest Him.
It is now Sunday, (‘Palm Sunday’ as it would come to be known) – the beginning of the week before Christ’s heavenly transformation. He has reached the town of Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, just outside of Jerusalem. Christ is ready to make His grand entrance!
First however, He sends two of the apostles to a nearby village, where there will be a colt tied to a post, that has never been ridden. And that’s exactly how it happened!
Much to the apostles’ surprise, Jesus mounts the colt, (fulfilling an Old Testament messianic prophecy)[5], and rides into Jerusalem – publicly proclaiming Himself as the Messiah!
A crowd gathers, laying clothes and palm branches on the path before Him, shouting as He passes by:
“Hosanna to the Son of David (Messiah); Blessed [praised, glorified] is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest [heaven]!” Mt. 21:9 AMP
“Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!” Lk. 19:38 NLT
(‘Hosanna’ means ‘save now’).
As you would expect, the crowd’s reaction brings the ire of the Pharisees, who tell Jesus that He must quiet the crowd. Jesus retorts that if He did that, the rocks themselves would cry out with praise – He’s legitimizing their praises and exhortations.
Yet, as Christ approaches the city proper, He is struck with grief over the Jews who still reject Him:
“If [only] you had known on this day [of salvation], even you, the things which make for peace [and on which peace depends]! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.
For a time [of siege] is coming when your enemies will put up a barricade [with pointed stakes] against you, and surround you [with armies] and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground, you [Jerusalem] and your children within you. They will not leave in you one stone on another, all because you did not [come progressively to] recognize [from observation and personal experience] the time of your visitation [when God was gracious toward you and offered you salvation].” Lk. 19:42 – 44. AMP
Heavy words. God has given the Jews countless opportunities to return to Him through His Son. But they rejected Jesus, thus rejecting the Father who sent Him. They had their chance, but they blew it in a catastrophic way.
Jesus was also prophesying about the total annihilation of the Temple in Jerusalem, which would occur in 70 A.D. at the hands of the Roman general Titus.
At the end of the day, Jesus and the apostles returned to Bethany. So, it begins…
Goodnight and God bless.
[1] Lk. 18:14
[2] Mk. 10:39
[3] Lk. 19:5
[4] Lk. 19:11-25.
[5] Zec. 9:9
Building Better Americans 193
A very timely re-visit to a truth that all of the ignorant antisemitic college students in America should take to heart.
Jesus is the Guiding Light Drawing People into Heaven
Previously, we saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead, how the Pharisees began to plot for His demise because of that miracle, His revelation to them over when the Kingdom of God would come, warn the apostles about false Christs that would appear before that, the state of humanity at the time of His return, and what the end of time has in store. (See The Last Chance Requires Respect for Time).
Jesus is still fortifying His apostles for His departure, knowing that they will need that strength to carry on the Gospel.
He tells them a parable that demonstrates the necessity of persistent prayer:
“In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and had no respect for man. There was a [desperate] widow in that city and she kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice and legal protection from my adversary.’ For a time he would not; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will give her justice and legal protection; otherwise by continually coming she [will be an intolerable annoyance and she] will wear me out.’” Lk. 18:2-5. AMP
What we have here is a judge who cares nothing for humanity or God. The widow is a woman (lower class in that era) and doesn’t appear to have money to bribe him. She is asking for legal protection from an ‘adversary’. The judge cares nothing for her plight. Still, she keeps coming back until he grants her request, just to be rid of her.
Now, Jesus compares this unjust atheist judge to God – the ultimate ‘Just Judge’:
“Listen to what the unjust judge says! And will not [our just] God defend and avenge His elect [His chosen ones] who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay [in providing justice] on their behalf? I tell you that He will defend and avenge them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?” Lk. 18: 6 – 8. AMP*
“[Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.” Mt. 7:7 AMP
*We see in Lk. 18:8 above that Jesus is inferring that when He returns, there will be many who have given up their faith and hope.
Next, Jesus dives into another parable that warns against those who think their self-righteousness will grant them entrance into heaven:
“Two men went up into the temple [enclosure] to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood [ostentatiously] and began praying to himself [in a self-righteous way, saying]: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men—swindlers, unjust (dishonest), adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ Lk. 18:10 – 12. AMP
But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even raise his eyes toward heaven, but was striking his chest [in humility and repentance], saying, ‘God, be merciful and gracious to me, the [especially wicked] sinner [that I am]!’ Lk. 8:13 AMP
Jesus sums up the truth of the matter:
I tell you, this man went to his home justified [forgiven of the guilt of sin and placed in right standing with God] rather than the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself [forsaking self-righteous pride] will be exalted.” Lk. 18:14. AMP
Jesus turns His attention to a crowd that gathered around them. Some brought their children for Him to bless. The apostles tried to remove them, believing that they were a nuisance to Him. Instead, He rebukes the apostles:
“Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Mt. 10:14, 15. NLT
(Another lesson of the requirement of having the simple faith and humility of a child to be able to enter God’s Kingdom).
Christ and the apostles travel to revisit the region of Perea, in the eastern Jordan River Valley. While there, He is approached by a wealthy young ruler. He asks Jesus (calling Him ‘Good Teacher), what it is that he must do to earn eternal life. Jesus responds:
“Why are you asking Me about what is [essentially] good? There is only One who is [essentially] good; but if you wish to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments.” Mt. 19:17 AMP
There is a lot of confusion regarding this Scripture. Let’s clear it up, shall we? In the first sentence, the young ruler is approaching Jesus under the premise that He is just a gifted spiritual teacher. Knowing this, Jesus begins steering him towards the truth in that only God is the source of all goodness.
The Bible teaches us that the way that we can experience God’s goodness is through obedience to His precepts, which is the way we demonstrate our love for Him:
“If anyone [really] loves Me, he will keep My word (teaching); and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling place with him.” Jn. 14:23 AMP
This is Jesus talking. He is the mouth of God, His voice. (See also Lk. 11:28; 1 Jn. 2:3, 4; 1 Jn. 5:2, 3.)
The young ruler says that he keeps all the commandments. (Is that even possible?):
Indeed, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me. Ps. 51:5 CSB
There is certainly no one righteous on the earth who does good and never sins. Ec. 7:20 CSB
For we all stumble and sin in many ways. Jas. 3:2 AMP
So, Jesus knows the young ruler is lying – even if it is only to himself. Christ responds to his claim:
“If you wish to be perfect [that is, have the spiritual maturity that accompanies godly character with no moral or ethical deficiencies], go and sell what you have and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me [becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk].” Mt. 19:21 AMP
Not being able to part with his riches, the young ruler walked away.
(Note: Christ was not telling him to become a pauper. Rather, He was trying to get him to obey the 1st of the Ten Commandments by quit making an idol out of his wealth.) Jesus addresses His apostles:
“…it is difficult for a rich man [who clings to possessions and status as security] to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man [who places his faith in wealth and status] to enter the kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were completely [astonished and bewildered, saying, “Then who can be saved [from the wrath of God]?” Mt. 19:23 – 25. AMP
The apostles were perplexed because the cultural thinking in their era was that riches were a blessing – giving one an advantage towards attaining salvation. Jesus responds:
“With people [as far as it depends on them] it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Mt. 19:26 AMP
When you focus on God with regards to your stewardship of your abundance, your ticket to heaven is there for the taking.
The apostle Peter, in a most typically human way, declares that the apostles have given up everything for Him. Now he wants to know what’s in it for them.
Jesus answers that they will have the honor of sitting on the heavenly governing council with Him. Then He describes the magnanimity that all His followers will receive by putting Him first:
And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. Mt. 19:29, 30. NLT
Jesus is again speaking metaphorically. You don’t have to literally leave your home or family to be able to follow Him. Instead, you must make Jesus front and center in your life. (Note that the last sentence in the Scripture above was directed at Peter, to teach him to serve for the sake of serving and loving God.)
Jesus drives this message home to the apostles with one more parable – this one about a landowner who hires laborers in the morning to work in his vineyard. Throughout the day at different intervals, he hires more people. When the day’s work concludes, the landowner pays everyone the same wage.
The workers who started in the morning protested, thinking that they should be paid more than those who worked a shorter day. The landowner replies:
‘Am I not lawfully permitted to do what I choose with what is mine? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ Mt. 20:15 AMP
Jesus’ point is that one must place their faith in God for just recompense to their faith, without casting jealous, envious glares at the rewards God gives others. It’s not a contest. It’s about winning souls…
Goodnight and God bless.