Matthew 26:57-68 is about WITNESS and TESTIMONY.
There are two kinds of witness and testimony as follows:
Matthew 26:67-68
26:67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Himwith the palms of their hands,
26:68 saying, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?”
If we do not want to become the true witness, we will become the false witness and insult Jesus, spit in Jesus’ face, until crucify Jesus.
Hebrews 6:4-6
6:4 For it isimpossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
6:5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6:6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Himto an open shame.
In the last days, if Christian’s life does not want to become the true witness, he will become the false witness and insult Jesus, crucify Jesus for the second time. It equals to falling away and being disobedient. Unfortunately, he will not be able to repent anymore, and will be perished forever.
The daily practices of falling away or being disobedient are as follows:
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4,7-8
2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not comeunless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do sountil He is taken out of the way.
2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
The falling away will become the same as antichrist who will be perished.
Antichrist is already here at this moment, but he is still restrained by the church of God who becomes the true witness.
Revelation 12:1,14
12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
12:14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
If the church of God keeps becoming the true witness until becoming the light of the world, the church of God will be given two wings of a great eagle, which will fly us into the wilderness far from the presence of the serpent for three years and a half. We will be protected and cared by God, when antichrist will reign over the world with the falling away. Afterwards, antichrist and the falling away will be perished forever.
Who becomes the falling away?
Hebrews 6:7-8
6:7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God;
6:8 but if it bears thorns and briers, it isrejected and near to being cursed, whose end isto be burned.
That is the earth which drinks in the rain, but it bears thorns and briers.
The earth denotes our life which is as the clay pot.
Deuteronomy 32:2
32:2 Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As raindrops on the tender herb, And as showers on the grass.
The rain is the true teaching Word, whose secret is revealed through one verse is explained by another verse.
The rain is repeated. The teaching Word which is repeated is the shepherding Word.
The earth which drinks in the rain but bears thorns and briers means life who hears the repeated teaching Word, but does not practice it because of stubbornness and preserving flesh desire.
At the end, thorns and briers will be useless and only mean to be burnt.
The example is Judas Iscariot.
Judas Iscariot has heard the repeated Word that he would betray Jesus. Judas even heard from Jesus Himself who is the perfect Shepherd. Judas kept being stubborn and preserved flesh desire (evil and unclean desire), and preserved ear desire (kept listening another teaching).
The consequence was Judas did not obey the Word, did not practice the Word, such that he was perished forever as burned grass.
Hebrews 6:7
6:7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God;
The right attitude is receiving the true teaching Word which is repeated, and practicing it whatever the risk, such that we can bear fruit.
The first fruit is repentance fruit, that is realizing sins and confessing them. Thus, Jesus’ blood will pull out the root of sins up to pull out the curse of sins. As long as we never realize sins, we will never be helped as Judas, although it is Jesus Himself who preaches the Word.
Life who repents and obeys the Word equals to life who honors God.
This kind of life will live in the strong hands of Great Shepherd.
John 10:27-28
10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
10:28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
The results are as follows:
There are two kinds of witness and testimony as follows:
- False or lying witness in verse 59-63a.
- True witness in verse 63-66.
Matthew 26:67-68
26:67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Himwith the palms of their hands,
26:68 saying, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?”
If we do not want to become the true witness, we will become the false witness and insult Jesus, spit in Jesus’ face, until crucify Jesus.
Hebrews 6:4-6
6:4 For it isimpossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
6:5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6:6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Himto an open shame.
In the last days, if Christian’s life does not want to become the true witness, he will become the false witness and insult Jesus, crucify Jesus for the second time. It equals to falling away and being disobedient. Unfortunately, he will not be able to repent anymore, and will be perished forever.
The daily practices of falling away or being disobedient are as follows:
- Leaving the true teaching Word and turning away to another teaching.
2 Timothy 4:3-4
4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, becausethey have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
4:4 and they will turn theirears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
In the last days, many God’s children and God’s servants will not stand to hear the true teaching Word. It happens since they preserve sins.
Since they do not stand to the true teaching Word, they will turn to another teaching in the forms of:- Fables that lull, knowledge, illustrations. Maybe the congregation will be happy physically, but they sleep spiritually, and they will be left on Jesus’ second coming.
- Smooth things and deceits that do not point the sins, that agree wrong things.
Isaiah 30:9-10
30:9 That this isa rebellious people, Lying children, Children who will not hear the law of the Lord;
30:10 Who say to the seers, “Do not see,” And to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. - Doctrines of demons.
1 Timothy 4:1
4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
Every teaching has its own spirit. If we study the doctrines of demons, the spirit of Satan will enter. We must be careful.
- Fables that lull, knowledge, illustrations. Maybe the congregation will be happy physically, but they sleep spiritually, and they will be left on Jesus’ second coming.
- Being disappointed and discouraged, until not believing Jesus anymore, due to the heavy temptation and pressure in life.
John 6:66
6:66 From that timemany of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
When we are being disappointed and discouraged, also when we are getting proud, we are already close to departing from faith. - Being unfaithful, even leaving the ministry.
Hebrews 10:25-27
10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as isthe manner of some, but exhorting one another,and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
10:26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
10:27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. - Not providing for the parents, which means not remembering the others especially the members of the household, either physical house of spiritual house.
1 Timothy 5:8
5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. - Living in sins up to the peak of sins, that is eating-drinking sins and marrying and being given in marriage sins.
We also should not agree the others who do sins.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4,7-8
2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not comeunless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do sountil He is taken out of the way.
2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
The falling away will become the same as antichrist who will be perished.
Antichrist is already here at this moment, but he is still restrained by the church of God who becomes the true witness.
Revelation 12:1,14
12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
12:14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
If the church of God keeps becoming the true witness until becoming the light of the world, the church of God will be given two wings of a great eagle, which will fly us into the wilderness far from the presence of the serpent for three years and a half. We will be protected and cared by God, when antichrist will reign over the world with the falling away. Afterwards, antichrist and the falling away will be perished forever.
Who becomes the falling away?
Hebrews 6:7-8
6:7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God;
6:8 but if it bears thorns and briers, it isrejected and near to being cursed, whose end isto be burned.
That is the earth which drinks in the rain, but it bears thorns and briers.
The earth denotes our life which is as the clay pot.
Deuteronomy 32:2
32:2 Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As raindrops on the tender herb, And as showers on the grass.
The rain is the true teaching Word, whose secret is revealed through one verse is explained by another verse.
The rain is repeated. The teaching Word which is repeated is the shepherding Word.
The earth which drinks in the rain but bears thorns and briers means life who hears the repeated teaching Word, but does not practice it because of stubbornness and preserving flesh desire.
At the end, thorns and briers will be useless and only mean to be burnt.
The example is Judas Iscariot.
Judas Iscariot has heard the repeated Word that he would betray Jesus. Judas even heard from Jesus Himself who is the perfect Shepherd. Judas kept being stubborn and preserved flesh desire (evil and unclean desire), and preserved ear desire (kept listening another teaching).
The consequence was Judas did not obey the Word, did not practice the Word, such that he was perished forever as burned grass.
Hebrews 6:7
6:7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God;
The right attitude is receiving the true teaching Word which is repeated, and practicing it whatever the risk, such that we can bear fruit.
The first fruit is repentance fruit, that is realizing sins and confessing them. Thus, Jesus’ blood will pull out the root of sins up to pull out the curse of sins. As long as we never realize sins, we will never be helped as Judas, although it is Jesus Himself who preaches the Word.
Life who repents and obeys the Word equals to life who honors God.
This kind of life will live in the strong hands of Great Shepherd.
John 10:27-28
10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
10:28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
The results are as follows:
- The right hand of God gives certain guarantee to care our life now in the world, up to eternal life.
- Victory powers over Satan the trinity.
Philippians 2:8-10
2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point ofdeath, even the death of the cross.
2:9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
It means that all problems are solved, even the impossible one.
When there is wrong thing preserved, it means that we are already apart from God’s hands, and it means we are in the hands of Satan. - Lifting power.
The right hand of God gives certain guarantee to lift up our life physically, from failure to success, from badness to glory. Spiritually, God lifts us up, God uses us and renews us.
Philippians 2:11
2:11 and thatevery tongue should confess that Jesus Christ isLord, to the glory of God the Father.
Renewal of life starts from tongue used only to bear witness, to worship God. We are renewed until we become as glorious as God, only worship “Alleluia” and we are with God forever.