Israel is in the news at center and forefront as we await the Chief Counsel to meet, (the elders, High Priest, scribes) a turnaround to declare and accept Jesus Christ as Messiah! Iran, China, Ukraine, Russia, immigration, storms, tornadoes, floods, rampant violence, disease, hunger, plagues and pestilences are all in the news!!!!
Jesus had heard that John the Baptist had been delivered up into prison. John had publicly criticized Herod because of his unlawful marriage between kinfolk. Mark 6:18-20 (about 27 A.D.) For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife!” 19) So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she had been unable, 20) because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John’s words, he was greatly perplexed; yet he listened to him gladly.
Jesus departed into Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, speaking with authority as none before … healing all kinds of diseases and sickness. While in prison, John the Baptist had heard of the works of Christ. (Matthew 4:12, 13).
Jesus continues His travels and unrelenting teaching the gospel message. He goes to those who “sat in darkness,” but now see “great light.” Jesus has and the disciples have been traveling and preaching the gospel of good news.
Not all hearers accept the message and do not accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Most importantly, the leadership, chief priests, and elders rejected the freedom of living the gospel. Even until this day (as you know), the nation of Israel does not accept Jesus as the Messiah.
Jesus praises John as “no greater prophet has risen or born of women than John.” What might have happened if John the Baptist was recognized as Elijah? The scriptures inform us that even though John the Baptist was figuratively Elijah, but not recognized and acknowledged.
Because of John’s righteousness, he couldn’t hold it within himself to give a pass to Herod about his unlawful, immoral behavior! Their solution was to kill John, thinking they would be freed from their awful deeds.
Herodias, the flagrantly evil woman, plotted a way to get rid of John by tricking Herod into consenting to John’s beheading. She shamed him and dared him in the presence of all. Her mother used her beautiful daughter to perform a sexual, enrapturing dance to seduce Herod into this vicious act!
John the Baptist is beheaded in prison and his head brought on a charger to Herod. It’s beyond imagination. Herod had this terrible matter of John’s beheading on his conscience.
Jesus said that this “generation” that rejected the Messiah (Matthew 11:16) is evil and adulterous, faithless and perverse (among other adjectives). The kingdom of heaven has been rejected as announced by John (John 3:1, 2 – “Now, there was a man of the Pharisees and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.’”).
They saw the miracles, but refused to accept Jesus as the Messiah, by Christ (Matthew 4:17) and by Peter (Acts 2:38; 3:19-26). The final rejection (Acts 28:25, 26) is postponed and is now in abeyance.
Now, we are in a holding mode waiting for the renewal. In Acts 28:17; 23, Paul is a prisoner and calls for the “chief of the Jewish nation together.” Disciples asked the question, ”Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first and restore all things?” Jesus said, “Elijah came and this generation murdered him just like they will kill me too and didn’t and won’t accept the kingdom already prepared.”
So, “what if?” What if things would have been restored in the way that God Almighty had intended? But now, we suffer through because of the rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We go through these terrible times as the kingdom is rejected, postponed, is held in abeyance until such time that only Jesus Christ knows and until the nation of Israel repents.
They did not repent even with all the miracles and announcements. The leadership would not repent and the kingdom is in abeyance. Wait. Thanks for reading!
Jeanette Grattan Parker is founder-superintendent Today’s Fresh Start Charter School 4514 Crenshaw Boulevard, LA 90043 323-293-9826 www.todaysfreshstart.org (Ask Dr. Jeanette TM) Inquiring Minds Want To Know-All articles are copyright. All rights reserved © References: Berean Bible. The Holy Bible. Errors? Let me know. Dial in Sundays for music & message: 11:30am {1-712-775-8971—code 266751}
