Matthew26:17-19
26:17. Now on the first day of the Feastof the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?"
26:18 And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man,and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'"
26:19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.
THE PREPARATION OF PASSOVER.
Passover means the deliverance of us from sins up to the peak of sins.
The Passover feast will peak on the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Revelation19:9
19:9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed arethose who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'" And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
The marriage supper of the Lamb is our deliverance from sins and the world to meet Jesus in the glorious clouds, and we will be together with Him forever.
In Matthew 26:18, it is mentioned "a certain man". It means that everybodycan be set free from sins, until entering the marriage supper of the Lamb. The matter is whether we want or not.
If there are people who have to be left on Jesus' second coming, we should not blame God, since He has already given opportunity to everybody.
This morning, we are learning the preparation of Passover related to the God's time which is drawing near.
In Matthew 26, "My time is at hand" means Jesus' time to be crucified as the Lamb of Passover was drawing near, but later He was raised and lifted up to the Heaven, and He will come for the second time.
Now, "My time is at hand" means the time of Jesus' second coming is drawing near.
Revelation22:20
22:20. He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
"Surely I am coming quickly" denotes the readiness of Jesus to come for the second time in glory as King, as Heavenly Bridegroom, who has no more relations with sins.
"Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" denotes the readiness of blameless and perfect God's church to welcome Jesus' second coming.
If Jesus and the church are both ready, there will be a meeting in the air, that is the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Revelation22:21
22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ bewith you all. Amen.
The preparation of God's church to welcome Jesus' second coming is LIVING in GRACE.
Grace or mercy is God's gift to improper person.
The appearance of God's grace is the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
The uses of the grace of God are as follows:
26:17. Now on the first day of the Feastof the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?"
26:18 And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man,and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'"
26:19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.
THE PREPARATION OF PASSOVER.
Passover means the deliverance of us from sins up to the peak of sins.
The Passover feast will peak on the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Revelation19:9
19:9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed arethose who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'" And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
The marriage supper of the Lamb is our deliverance from sins and the world to meet Jesus in the glorious clouds, and we will be together with Him forever.
In Matthew 26:18, it is mentioned "a certain man". It means that everybodycan be set free from sins, until entering the marriage supper of the Lamb. The matter is whether we want or not.
If there are people who have to be left on Jesus' second coming, we should not blame God, since He has already given opportunity to everybody.
This morning, we are learning the preparation of Passover related to the God's time which is drawing near.
In Matthew 26, "My time is at hand" means Jesus' time to be crucified as the Lamb of Passover was drawing near, but later He was raised and lifted up to the Heaven, and He will come for the second time.
Now, "My time is at hand" means the time of Jesus' second coming is drawing near.
Revelation22:20
22:20. He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
"Surely I am coming quickly" denotes the readiness of Jesus to come for the second time in glory as King, as Heavenly Bridegroom, who has no more relations with sins.
"Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" denotes the readiness of blameless and perfect God's church to welcome Jesus' second coming.
If Jesus and the church are both ready, there will be a meeting in the air, that is the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Revelation22:21
22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ bewith you all. Amen.
The preparation of God's church to welcome Jesus' second coming is LIVING in GRACE.
Grace or mercy is God's gift to improper person.
The appearance of God's grace is the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
The uses of the grace of God are as follows:
- The grace of God saves sinful man.
Titus 2:11
2:11. For the grace of God that brings salvationhas appeared to all men,
Everything in this world (richness, smartness, position, etc.) cannot save sinful people. Also none in this world (including prophet, apostle, pastor, etc) is able to save sinful people.
ONLY the grace of God through the sacrifice of Christ is able to save sinful people, to REMOVE sinful people from the hell to the eternal Heaven.
The process of receiving salvation is as follows:- Believing Jesus through listening the Word of God.
We must listen to the Word solemnly until our heart is TROUBLED IN SPIRIT. It means until we believe Jesus and our lips confess the sins. The blood of Jesus will forgive our sins and set us free from the death.
In Tabernacle, this denotes the Gate. - Repentance, that is stop sinning and returning to God.
In Tabernacle, this denotes the Altar of Burnt Offerings. In the past, animals were sacrificed for the sin offering. Now, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross has erased our sins. - The right baptism.
In Tabernacle, this denotes the Brazen Laver.
Romans6:2-4
6:2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
6:3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
People who have died in sins must be buried with Jesus in water baptism, such that we are raised to get new life, that is Heavenly life.
Matthew3:6-8
3:6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
3:8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
This Heavenly life flees from coming God's wrath. - Holy Spirit baptism.
In Tabernacle, this denotes the door of Tabernacle.
Water baptism together with Holy Spirit baptism equal to being NEWLY BORN, which results Heavenly life, that is saved life.
Titus 2:12
2:12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
The proofs of being saved are as follows:- Living in truth.
- Being sober, knowing the limit, that is according to the truth of the Word.
- Being righteous, not taking side on anyone but only on God, only on the true teaching Word.
- Being faithful in the ministry to God.
Life who frequently leaves the ministry is reducing his salvation until it ends.
- Living in truth.
- Believing Jesus through listening the Word of God.
- The grace of God purifies our whole life, until we are holy as Jesus is holy.
1 Peter1:13-16
1:13. Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest yourhope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1:14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, asin your ignorance;
1:15 but as He who called you isholy, you also be holy in all yourconduct,
1:16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."
Where are we purified? In the Holy Place. That is the shepherding pen, where there are three equipments which denote the perseverance in three main services, i.e. :- Golden Candlestick -->perseverance in General Service,
- Table of Showbread -->perseverance in Bible Study Service and Holy Communion,
- The Golden Altar of Incense -->perseverance in Prayer Service.
Our sacrifice to be able to persevere in three main services will never be comparable to the sacrifice of Christ.
The results of perseverance in the shepherding are as follows:- God's care and protectionover our lives from any distresses and accidents, from God's judgments. Also there is protection such that we do not fall into sins and protection from false teachings.
Thus, we will FIRM on the shepherding. - Purification of our whole life = purification of body, spirit, and soul by God the Trinity.
We need three main services since we are one person with three individuals. Jesus is also one person with three individuals.- Purification by the Son of God.
John15:3
15:3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
Matthew15:19
15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
These seven evil and unclean desires inside the heart will quench the lamp.
If the heart is dark, eyes will become dark and he will live blindly.
But if we want to persevere in the shepherding, our heart will be purified from evil and unclean desires such that our heart and eyes are in light. We live in light and will result in the fruit of light.
Ephesians5:8-9
5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you arelight in the Lord. Walk as children of light
5:9 for the fruit of the Spiritisin all goodness, righteousness, and truth,
The fruit of light is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.
Righteousness means not taking side on someone, but only on God.
Good deeds and words are at least not harming the others, until being able to respond wickedness with goodness. - Purification by God the Holy Spirit.
1 Peter1:2
1:2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
It is the purification of our character, that is being OBEDIENT until the flesh does not sound anymore. Being obedient is the opening key of every door.
Also ENDURANCE character, being hardy in facing anything. - Purification by God the Father.
1 Thessalonians5:23
5:23. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Purification until we become blameless, being holy as Jesus is holy.
- Purification by the Son of God.
- Golden Candlestick -->perseverance in General Service,
- The grace of the Lord will perfect us.
1 Peter5:10
5:10. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while,perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
In Tabernacle, this denotes the Holy of holiest.
Perfection is only gotten through suffering with Jesus (sprinkling of blood) which is only for a while. The example is suffering to be able to do the ministry, fasting.
Suffering with Jesus for a while:- As the suffering of a woman in labor.
John16:21,19-20
16:21 A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
16:19 Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, "Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'?
16:20 Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.
The suffering of laboring will increase from day to day, until we cannot bear it anymore. 'A little while' is the time for God to help.
'A little while' is the MOST DESICIVE time.If we become disappointed and reject Jesus, we will be destroyed. But if we surrender to God, that is God's time to help us. - Suffering with Jesus to experience renewal from flesh man to become spiritual man, until God's image is formed in us, and we become as glorious as Jesus.
Galatians4:19
4:19. My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,
The proof of lives who have the image of Jesus is being as newborn babes.
The mouth of baby only desires pure milk of his mother, that is always desires to be able to receive the shepherding Word and being obedient to the shepherding Word.
1 Peter2:2
2:2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
From baby's lip there is only praise and worship. Lip only praises God, only to testify.
Baby only cries, only worships God.
Song of Solomon8:5-7
8:5. Who isthis coming up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? I awakened you under the apple tree. There your mother brought you forth; There she whobore you brought youforth.
8:6 Set me as a seal upon your heart, As a seal upon your arm; For love isasstrong as death, Jealousy ascruel as the grave;Its flames areflames of fire, A most vehement flame.
8:7 Many waters cannot quench love, Nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love All the wealth of his house, It would be utterly despised.
The position of baby is in the embracing hand of God. We will experience love as strong as death,that is:- Great love of Jesus who has sacrificed on the cross to defeat the death.
- God's love never changes as the sun which always rises, as the river which always flows and never becomes dry.
In suffering, let us learn to become as baby, only being obedient and worshiping God.
The results are as follows:- God's love is able to care and protect our lives until the era of antichrist.
- God's love gives us extra power such that we can survive in facing anything, not being desperate nor disappointed, not leaving God.
Romans8:35-37
8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shalltribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
8:36 As it is written: " For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. - The love which is as strong as death will replace us to face every problem, and make us more than the winner.
- God's love makes spiritual miracle (renewal of life) and physical miracle, up to the last miracle on Jesus' second coming, that is we will be renewed as glorious as Him.
Zephaniah3:17-18
3:17 The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet youwith His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
3:18 " I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, Who are among you, To whomits reproach is a burden.
- Great love of Jesus who has sacrificed on the cross to defeat the death.
- As the suffering of a woman in labor.