1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,120 In the name of the glorious Trinity, Father and Son and Holy 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:06,840 Spirit, forever Amen. Glory be to the everlasting 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:10,720 mercies which sent you to us, O Christ, the light of the world 4 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,480 and the life of all. Give us wisdom by your law and 5 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:16,480 enlighten our impulses by Your knowledge. 6 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:20,560 Sanctify our souls by Your truth and grant that we may be 7 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:24,040 obedient to Your words and may fulfil Your commandments at 8 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:27,320 every hour. O You who enlightens the 9 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:31,480 rational with the knowledge of Your greatness, do enlight, O my 10 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:35,320 Lord, our thoughts, that we may meditate upon Your holy and 11 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:39,680 divine Scriptures at all times. O Lord of all, Father and Son 12 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:42,400 and Holy Spirit, forever. Amen. 13 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:08,360 We're going to go straight to Acts chapter 13. 14 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:13,120 We'll pick it up from verse 26, but a brief recap we for the 15 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:19,400 first time we read off Saint Paul's sermon preaching not his 16 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,360 first words that he spoke, but his actual sermon. 17 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:27,400 And we noticed that he begins from the captivity, takes the 18 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:31,480 the those who are in the synagogue and takes them back to 19 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:34,000 the captivity. And he works his way until John 20 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:35,920 the Baptist. And we said, and we ascertained 21 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:40,120 to remind them that using history that they were quite 22 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:44,080 familiar with, to remind them what God had prepared, what God 23 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:47,640 had promised, and that now he's going to tell him that it was 24 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:50,600 fulfilled in Jesus Christ. And we learned from that, that 25 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:54,720 when we want to speak about a specific biblical topic, a 26 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:58,120 specific sacrament or anything pertaining to faith and 27 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:02,680 religion, and most importantly the Christian religion about 28 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,880 Jesus Christ, Oh God, we can't just pick one verse and say, 29 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:08,080 there it is. And we, we brought some 30 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:09,639 examples. We used some examples. 31 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:13,600 You can't just tell me baptism is Mark chapter 16, verse 16, 32 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:17,160 for example. So we need to go back to what 33 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:20,000 was a shadow of the things to come, which was the Old 34 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,240 Testament, and what is now the shadow of the things to come 35 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:26,080 when the Lord returns, which is the New Testament. 36 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:31,520 I'll read from verse 26 to 28, and that's Acts of the Apostles 37 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:36,840 chapter 13. Saint Paul continues to say, O 38 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,520 men and brethren, descendants of the family of Abraham, that is 39 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:44,160 the Jews, and whosoever among you reverences God. 40 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:49,280 So whoever that believes in the law, in the God Elohim and who 41 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:53,520 obeys the law, he's referencing referencing them as well to you 42 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:58,680 is the word of salvation sent. There's the first word of 43 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:01,040 salvation. Salvation from what? 44 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:04,560 From the law and the prophets. The bondage of the law and the 45 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:10,200 bondage of the prophets. What of Moses for in as much as 46 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:15,200 the inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders did not understand 47 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,680 him. That is Jesus, nor the books of 48 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,960 the prophets which are read every Sabbath day. 49 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:26,880 Remember we spoke about this, that when Jesus was resurrected 50 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:30,960 and assented and send it into heaven, the apostles would 51 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:34,800 continue to go on the Sabbath to the synagogue to listen to the 52 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:37,000 readings of the law and the prophets. 53 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:40,400 But then they would preach Jesus Christ, or they would. 54 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:47,120 They would then use the prophets and the laws to then emphasize 55 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:49,960 that they have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. 56 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:54,920 Praise be to His name every Sabbath day they condemned him, 57 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:59,920 but all the things which were written have been fulfilled. 58 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:04,840 And though they found no cause for his death, they asked Pilate 59 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,720 that they might kill him. Now he's talking about, you 60 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:11,480 know, those fathers, those that were there during Christ time 61 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:13,480 and what they actually did to Jesus Christ. 62 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:18,440 You'll see that during Paul's sermons and you know his, his 63 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:23,040 writings on, on all of the occasions when he's addressing 64 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:27,640 the Jews, the people of the promise, we find that he's 65 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:33,600 making a a point to show them that the blessing is also 66 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:38,200 theirs. Yes, what they did was wicked 67 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:43,280 because of the stiff neckedness. Stiff neckedness because of 68 00:04:43,280 --> 00:04:45,920 their pride, because of their blindness. 69 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:50,800 What they did was break a wicked but they cannot flee from Jesus 70 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,560 Christ because he is God, praise be to his name. 71 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:57,600 So he's sort of a little bit maybe apologizing on their 72 00:04:57,600 --> 00:04:59,680 behalf. You know, they they thought for 73 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:01,360 themselves that we have nothing to do. 74 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:03,280 We crucified him. That's it. 75 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:09,960 But what Saint Paul wants to do is to give them hope, to bring 76 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:15,640 them to the hope, to show them that listen, you did not 77 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:20,800 crucify, you did not kill, you did not put to death the one and 78 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:22,920 only true Son of God. No, no, no. 79 00:05:23,280 --> 00:05:29,080 God had foreordained this. And so Jesus voluntarily 80 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:34,960 submitted himself to death. You know, as I was saying, if 81 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:39,800 we, if we role play, this is as though Jesus said, come death, 82 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:43,200 come on, OK, you're going to, you're going to affect me now. 83 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:46,360 Yes, take over. You're going to you're going to 84 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:51,880 actually you're going to have an effect on my body, but but be 85 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:56,160 careful and wait for a crushing because I'm going to destroy 86 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:59,040 you. So I'm going to allow you to do 87 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,400 this so that I can come back and destroy you. 88 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:07,040 Oh, death, you're not having an effect on me because you are 89 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:10,800 overcoming me because you are stronger than me, because you're 90 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:13,840 overwhelming me. No, no, no, no, I submit myself. 91 00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:17,360 That's why Jesus says the Son of man, I have authority to lay 92 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:21,360 down my life myself and to one more time resurrected. 93 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:25,640 So as we've said in many other episodes, you know, death did 94 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:31,160 not overcome, death did not win, death did not affect Jesus gave 95 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:35,480 himself up and admitted to himself in obedience to death so 96 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:39,120 that he could overcome death for you and I, beloved, in his 97 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:42,040 flesh. What a beautiful, you know, you, 98 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:44,760 you tell me, you message me, you call me, you do whatever you 99 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:46,720 want to do. Tell me in the history of the 100 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:51,960 world that someone has done such a gracious act of love and mercy 101 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:56,440 and kindness that you and I have benefited from. 102 00:06:56,440 --> 00:07:00,400 No, no, yes, the holy Saints who devoted themselves to the Lord, 103 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:03,680 those who devoted them their lives to the Lord, they did it 104 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:07,000 through Jesus Christ. But Christ did it himself for 105 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,200 you and I. No one, no author of any 106 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,400 ridiculous faith can claim this. No, no, no, they can't claim it. 107 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:15,080 If they do, they're liars. They are deceivers. 108 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:20,400 There is nothing that anyone could do for mankind that would 109 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:22,720 bring the blessing that we received from Jesus Christ 110 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:26,640 voluntarily giving himself up. You know what is it The the 111 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:29,880 prophecy says that as a as a sheep that is taken to the 112 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:31,600 slaughter. He did not open his mouth. 113 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:32,520 He could have. He's God. 114 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:35,400 He could have, as he said to Simon, put away your sword. 115 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:38,640 I can ask for legions. That is 10 thousands of 10 116 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:42,240 thousands, trillions. Gazillions of angels can come 117 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:45,760 down now and fight on my behalf. And again, angels are not little 118 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:48,320 kids fondling themselves as they are being predicted. 119 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:52,520 No, no, no, no, no, Angels are huge, 10 thousands I can bring 120 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,720 down, but no, no, no, it's time I'm voluntarily doing this. 121 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:59,560 That's why I came. That's why God loves so for this 122 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:03,720 reason, God loved, so loved the world that he gave himself. 123 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:08,240 He, he presented his son and he did not rescue his son from 124 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:10,760 death. So he's trying to tell him 125 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:13,640 subliminally, yes, you did it because of your wickedness. 126 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:18,360 You were wicked, but it was to be fulfilled. 127 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:23,960 Someone had to die. Many died but could not bring 128 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,520 atonement through the blood, could not appease God. 129 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:31,440 But the Son of God, the only one and only begotten Son of God, 130 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:33,000 praise be to his name, Jesus Christ. 131 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:37,240 For as much as the inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders 132 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:41,679 did not understand him, they did not understand they didn't know 133 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:45,120 Him. So the sin again, he's trying to 134 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:48,000 tell them that what happened, was it ignorance. 135 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:50,480 They thought they were doing something great. 136 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:52,760 Just like Saint Paul himself, Saul. 137 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:56,360 Saul thought he's a hero, he's the man of the match. 138 00:08:56,360 --> 00:09:01,680 He's going to be held a hero because he is so learned of the 139 00:09:01,680 --> 00:09:06,360 law. But that's why Christ caused him 140 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:09,240 to be blind. You know, showing that you know 141 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:12,760 nothing, soul, you know nothing. He thought he was doing 142 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,840 something great. Those who are following the way, 143 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,760 the people of the way, not Christians, they weren't called 144 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:20,520 Christians. They were called the people of 145 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:22,360 the way. And Jesus is the way, praise be 146 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:24,240 to his name. He would go and capture them and 147 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:26,000 bring them to the Romans. They would feed them to the 148 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:29,040 lions, right? Or they would, they would be 149 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:32,840 persecuted, put to death. OK, so the same thing with these 150 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:36,680 people because their sin was in ignorance. 151 00:09:36,680 --> 00:09:40,520 They didn't read, they didn't understand that this was to 152 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:45,680 happen. See how he is gently making 153 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:49,600 again an apology on their behalf of the crucifies? 154 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:52,200 Like, OK, you've done this. You know this. 155 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:56,720 This gives, gives me personally a lot of courage and a lot of 156 00:09:56,720 --> 00:10:01,200 heart, beloved. Yeah, sometimes we're foolish. 157 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:05,600 Sometimes we do things. Sometimes, at times we sin, we 158 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:09,960 drop the ball. We, we transgress the transgress 159 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:13,960 against the law, you know, sometimes knowingly and at times 160 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:16,920 not knowing. That's why the priest says 161 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:20,080 absolve my sins. And that's those that I know and 162 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:24,720 those which I do not know by your grace and mercies, at times 163 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:28,760 we do things and we, we feel so bad, so down and out, and we 164 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:31,960 withdraw ourselves from Christ as though I cannot have a 165 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:35,080 relationship with Jesus Christ because of where I am. 166 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:38,080 But hey, that's Satan. That's the enemy. 167 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:40,960 You know, this is, this is great encouragement. 168 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:45,400 You know, it's, it's don't ride yourself off from Jesus Christ 169 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:49,800 and the love, the grace of Jesus Christ come back to the Lord 170 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:54,240 regardless of what you have done knowingly or unknowingly. 171 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:59,360 And not only this beloved, but he adds also that that this 172 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:01,320 needed to be happen. It was written. 173 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:04,520 Let me read it again. For in as much as the 174 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:07,640 inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders did not understand 175 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:10,720 him nor the books of the prophets which are read every 176 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:15,160 Sabbath day, they condemned him. But all these things which were 177 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:18,680 written have been fulfilled. They were written, they were 178 00:11:18,680 --> 00:11:24,920 prophesied, they were already in God's perfect plan for the 179 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:27,960 salvation, the word of salvation, which is Jesus 180 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:31,120 Christ. And though they found no cause 181 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:34,400 for the death, they asked Pilate that they might kill him. 182 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:40,000 You know, again being stiff necked, stubborn, prideful, 183 00:11:40,560 --> 00:11:46,280 there was no reason his his trial was illegal. 184 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:49,800 There's an illegal trial. You cannot judge a man and 185 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:54,440 condemned to death in that 1 / 1 overnight, overnight he was 186 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:56,760 condemned to death. They didn't find anything that 187 00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:59,480 that, that, you know, warranted his death. 188 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:05,200 That's what Pilot said. But they in haste lied and 189 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:07,440 made-up stories and they crucified. 190 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,280 But again, what Saint Paul's saying this was all written. 191 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:12,920 This was written and it had to happen. 192 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:18,400 But you again not justifying what they did, but it had to 193 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:22,240 happen and you were the fools and the sinners who did it. 194 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:28,600 Many of the priests and the you know who was it Nicodemus and 195 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:31,720 all those learned of many accepted Jesus Christ. 196 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:35,960 They accepted, they repented, but those who didn't, Paul is 197 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:40,280 addressing them. But God raised him from the 198 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:42,480 dead. God raised him. 199 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:49,400 Didn't Jesus claim in John chapter 2 verse 19 that talking 200 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:52,840 about the temple, he said destroy this temple and I will 201 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:57,400 raise it up. I will I there is that I factor 202 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:00,800 that I am the I factor I will raise it up. 203 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:04,520 But Saint Paul says God raised Jesus. 204 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:07,040 Well, Jesus is God. You know, one of the fathers 205 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:11,720 writes that Jesus divinity raised his his humanity from the 206 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:15,000 dead. John chapter 8 before Abraham 207 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,840 was I am Matthew chapter 5. It has been written. 208 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:24,400 It has been said in the old but I say to you I so when Saint 209 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:26,760 Paul is saying that God raised him from the dead. 210 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:31,000 Yeah, the divinity and it is the body of the Son that has been 211 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:35,000 raised from the dead, not the not I'm sorry, the the the 212 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:38,960 humanity, the body that is being of the Son that has been risen 213 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:41,600 and resurrected from the dead, not the divinity. 214 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:47,160 Here he is referring to the person of the Son, the human 215 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:51,960 nature, the human pneuma or hypostasis of the Son that God 216 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:56,800 resurrected. Just as when Jesus said in John 217 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:01,240 chapter 5 verse 26, the Father gave life to the Son. 218 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:05,720 What life gave life to the flesh? 219 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:08,880 Yes, the Father gave life to the flesh. 220 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:12,040 Why? Because if Jesus himself is 221 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:17,240 life, I am the life, right? John chapter 14 verse 6, I am 222 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:20,720 life. How can life receive life? 223 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:24,120 No, but in the flesh, in his humanity. 224 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:28,160 Hence we say the holy feast of the birth of our Lord and our 225 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:32,600 Savior Jesus Christ in the flesh, in His humanity, because 226 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:37,320 in His divinity He is pre existent, always existed. 227 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:40,080 And let me pose this question to you. 228 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:46,440 I did it in the Syrian segment. Who in the history of mankind 229 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:50,960 can claim this? Who in the history of mankind 230 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:55,600 can claim the pre existence of their nature? 231 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:59,720 Who? No one, no leader of all these 232 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:02,520 the some of the ridiculous faiths that are out there. 233 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:06,000 No, they never claimed. They did not dare to claim the 234 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:09,120 scriptures didn't say that about that's not the scriptures. 235 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:14,160 I'm sorry their books don't claim that about their leaders. 236 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:17,880 But the scriptures claim he is pre existent. 237 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:21,360 He's pre existent. He was resurrected. 238 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:25,400 His body, his flesh was resurrected and who rose it? 239 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:31,120 His divinity rose, resurrected his humanity. 240 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:37,360 Verse 31 And for many days he was seen by them who had come up 241 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:40,000 with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. 242 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:43,520 Because remember he said to his disciples, we're going to go to 243 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:46,720 Jerusalem from Galilee. The Son of Man will be captured 244 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:51,280 and he will be, you know, deceitfully condemned. 245 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:54,280 And he would be handed over to the men and they will beat him 246 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:56,520 and they will crucify him. But on the third day he will be 247 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,400 resurrected. You know, this is evident. 248 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:03,920 This is true because he appeared to many. 249 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:08,920 That's what he's going to say. And for many days he was seen by 250 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:11,320 them who came up with it for many days. 251 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:13,960 Yeah. For 40 days, 40 days, his 252 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:18,360 disciples busked in Jesus presence, the resurrected Lord 253 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:21,120 Jesus, the glorified Lord Jesus Christ. 254 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:25,040 And it was true. Jesus was seen alive, beloved. 255 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:31,640 Not, not in a dream, not according to a ridiculous myth, 256 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:38,960 not according to psychics, fortune tellers, tariff card 257 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:43,400 readers. No, he was seen in the flesh. 258 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:48,000 He was gazed at. Saint John writes they heard 259 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:51,880 him, they touched him. Thomas touched the Lord Jesus 260 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:54,160 Christ. Yes, the Scriptures don't say 261 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:57,480 that he did, but Jesus says come and touch. 262 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:01,600 And I believe when the and the Father's right that yeah, he 263 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:03,800 touched because Jesus commanded him. 264 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:07,400 We don't read that, Thomas said, Oh no, Lord, I'm not worthy to 265 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:10,160 touch you. No, he must have touched the 266 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:13,680 places of the nails and then proclaimed that Jesus is his 267 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:16,240 Lord and his God. Come on, get it right. 268 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:21,800 You know, it disappoints me. It annoys me that when those who 269 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:24,720 don't accept Jesus Christ haven't believed in Jesus 270 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:27,520 Christ, but they believe and they they give up their life to 271 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:31,200 someone who is dead and gone and decayed and corrupted, right. 272 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:37,560 Show me in the Bible where Jesus got Thomas claims that he is his 273 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:41,240 Lord and his God and Jesus didn't you know? 274 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:43,640 Someone was saying show me in the Bible where Jesus is I'm 275 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:45,360 God. He doesn't say I am God. 276 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:49,400 He didn't need to say I am God, I am God. 277 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:56,680 Yeah, verbatim I am God is not. But Rohalla is God, Kalamalla is 278 00:17:56,680 --> 00:18:01,520 God and when Thomas proclaims you are my Lord and my God and 279 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:05,080 Jesus did not say don't no, no, no, no, no, Thomas, you can't 280 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:08,520 say that I'm not your no, no, he said, now that you've seen and 281 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:11,120 touched, you know, I added the touch, yes, I know no, that 282 00:18:11,120 --> 00:18:13,480 you've seen you believe. No, no, no, blessed are those 283 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:16,360 who don't have not seen and have believed. 284 00:18:19,360 --> 00:18:22,240 And verse 32 to 32, three he goes on. 285 00:18:22,360 --> 00:18:29,080 And behold, we also preach to you that very promise which was 286 00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:33,720 made to our fathers. Behold, God has fulfilled it to 287 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:37,840 us, their children, for he has raised up Jesus. 288 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:41,840 Just that as it is written in the second Psalm, You are my 289 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:44,600 son. This day I have begotten you. 290 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:50,880 The promises that were given to the fathers was fulfilled to the 291 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:53,960 children which was them. One of the fathers writes it 292 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:57,440 beautifully. God fulfilled his promise given 293 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:01,600 through the prophets of Israel who were not frauds, you know, 294 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:03,400 some people. And now, now let's bring it 295 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:04,760 home. It annoys me. 296 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:06,640 Yeah. It really annoys me when you 297 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:10,320 have Christians who make a mockery of the prophets of God. 298 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:11,840 Why? Because they're not your tribe 299 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:15,920 and they're not your, your same nationality. 300 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:18,480 No, no, We have a Syrians who, you know, our brothers and 301 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:22,040 sisters, our Syrian brothers who mock Moses, who mock the 302 00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:25,760 prophets of God. They actually don't even want to 303 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:28,080 have anything to do with the prophets of God. 304 00:19:28,120 --> 00:19:31,480 Well, let me tell you something. If you proclaim that you know 305 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:35,040 Jesus and you love Jesus and you are obedient to Christ, well, 306 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:37,240 Christ himself spoke of Moses and the prophet. 307 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:40,000 So where do you stand with that? No, no, repent. 308 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:43,440 And that's where you stand. You stand at the at the at the 309 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:47,960 place of repentance. They predicted, predicted his 310 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:52,200 birthplace. They predicted that Emmanuel was 311 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:54,560 conceived by virgin rights, one of the fathers. 312 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:58,720 They predicted the signs and wonders performed, performed by 313 00:19:58,720 --> 00:19:59,800 him. How? 314 00:19:59,920 --> 00:20:01,520 How? Through God. 315 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:03,960 God worked through them. So if God worked through them, 316 00:20:04,120 --> 00:20:06,440 we got to be careful. You cannot tell God. 317 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:08,160 I love you, Lord. I love your son. 318 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:11,560 Oh, and I love some of your Saints and what have you. 319 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:12,960 But your prophets. No, no, no, no. 320 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:17,480 It's ridiculous. They predicted his word. 321 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:21,960 Would spread so speedily, they predicted the voice of the 322 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:24,960 apostles even went forth in all the earth. 323 00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:28,560 They predicted this. They predicted the suffering and 324 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:33,160 the condemnation by the Jews and they predicted his resurrection 325 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:35,200 from the dead. And that's what Saint Paul is 326 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:39,040 saying. However, the fulfilment, all of 327 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:44,800 the of all those predictions was with the children, which is they 328 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:48,800 themselves. The promise was to the fathers. 329 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:53,200 The reality of the promise was to them themselves. 330 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,880 Do you see how how beautifully Saint Paul is, but isn't This is 331 00:20:56,880 --> 00:20:59,640 the way we need to talk. As I said last time, about God, 332 00:20:59,960 --> 00:21:01,560 you know, not just take one verse. 333 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:05,400 Look at the the entire Scriptures and not only this, 334 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:10,760 don't, don't limit Christ and Christianity to a book. 335 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:14,360 We cannot limit Christ's power and strength and work to a book. 336 00:21:14,360 --> 00:21:17,960 No, go back to the early church fathers, go to the fathers, go 337 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:21,280 to the apostles. How did they understand this? 338 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:24,160 And we see Saint Paul, this is what he's doing. 339 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:28,760 He's expanding on this so that he can bring those to 340 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:31,520 repentance, those who crucify Jesus Christ. 341 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:34,240 And he says, listen, you know, you did it. 342 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:37,200 This was your sin, but you fulfilled what was written. 343 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:40,440 That's why Jesus, Saint Paul writes, I think it's in the in 344 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:45,320 the book of Corinthians, that if they too will stop from their 345 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:47,440 unbelief, the Lord can graft them back. 346 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:50,800 I think it's Hebrews or Hebrews. The Lord can, Lord can one more 347 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:53,120 time graft them into the vine again. 348 00:21:53,120 --> 00:21:55,200 And he's talking about those who crucified him, those who 349 00:21:55,200 --> 00:22:01,360 rejected him. And he says that, behold, we 350 00:22:01,360 --> 00:22:05,920 also preach to you that very promise which was made to our 351 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:10,560 fathers. God has fulfilled to us their 352 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:13,320 children, for He has raised him up. 353 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:15,760 That is Jesus, just. That is as it is, is. 354 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:19,080 It is just as it is written in the second Psalm. 355 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:22,640 You are my Son. This day I have begotten you, 356 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:27,200 You are my Son. This is the Father speaking to 357 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:30,560 the Son. That is his power and his 358 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:34,160 wisdom. Hence God raised him from the 359 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:38,040 dead, and Jesus is the power and the wisdom of God. 360 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:41,160 Jesus is God according to one Corinthians 124. 361 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:46,600 Since He is the Son by nature and by truth, He's shown forth 362 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:50,760 from the very essence of God. We say He's the reflection of 363 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:53,000 God. Praise be to His name. 364 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:57,440 He was made flesh. Yeah, the word that was with God 365 00:22:57,480 --> 00:22:59,680 and was God in the beginning became flesh. 366 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:04,840 John chapter one, verse 14. But we need to remember, beloved 367 00:23:05,360 --> 00:23:11,320 also, that He was before with the Father, He was before his, 368 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:15,480 his incarnation. He was with the Father before he 369 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:18,240 came became flesh. He was with the Father. 370 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:23,920 The Father knew him, The Father was He was with the Father, the 371 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:27,080 Father knew Him and the the Son knew the Father. 372 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:29,960 That's why the Son came and introduced us to the Father. 373 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:33,160 Who again, one more time, let's take it back. 374 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:38,120 Which prophet, which St. Which apostle has introduced us 375 00:23:38,120 --> 00:23:44,040 to the Father by Jesus Christ? Which other religious leader has 376 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:49,120 introduced us to the Father and said such statements that he who 377 00:23:49,120 --> 00:23:53,920 sees him sees the Father by Jesus Christ because he is God 378 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:59,000 Incarnate by nature, just as He is human by nature. 379 00:23:59,120 --> 00:24:01,760 He is God by nature. And this is what Paul is telling 380 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:06,560 them subliminally he's telling them you are my beloved son 381 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:10,160 today I have begun you Psalm chapter 2 verse 7. 382 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:13,560 You are not you were you will be. 383 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:17,360 You are being, you are. My Son existed before time. 384 00:24:17,360 --> 00:24:21,640 Actually, you know he was and he's not bound by time. 385 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:26,000 We cannot say to to the nature of the divinity, the divine 386 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:28,560 nature of Jesus Christ is not bound by time. 387 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:31,920 Just like God himself, God the Father, God, the Holy Spirit, 388 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:38,440 the Trinity is not bound by time, but the humanity of the 389 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:41,240 Lord Jesus Christ, the flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ. 390 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:46,200 Yes, yes, there was a time where it became flesh in the womb of 391 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:51,680 Mary, the blessed Mary, may her prayers be a beacon of high wall 392 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:55,760 of refuge to all of us, but was always with the Father. 393 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:58,160 And it's a mystery, beloved, it is a mystery. 394 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:01,680 But we see that through what Jesus did and what he spoke, 395 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:06,360 what the Scriptures are teaching us, that he is the Father, not a 396 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:09,240 God. He, he's not the Father. 397 00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:13,640 I'm sorry, He's not a God. He is not another God. 398 00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:19,960 He is the the definite article the God and then he adds that 399 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:25,360 today I have begotten you again. Again he is humanity. 400 00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:28,880 This is one of the fathers of writes about this that he has 401 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:32,400 begotten you that his final generation according to the 402 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:36,840 flesh that he voluntarily underwent in the womb of the 403 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:42,240 holy Virgin so that he was also God be called begotten of God 404 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:48,520 his flesh he was begotten his His flesh was begotten from Mary 405 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:53,840 and he is the only begotten of Christ which that means he is 406 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:59,720 the only one that is a perfect representation of our humanity 407 00:25:59,960 --> 00:26:04,920 before the Father. He took our flesh upon himself 408 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:11,320 made it perfect in him in him made it perfect, cleansed it, 409 00:26:11,360 --> 00:26:17,480 purified it and made it perfect, justified it and represented it 410 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:21,840 presented it to the Father and that is why we remain in our 411 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:25,800 Lord Jesus Christ. That is why, beloved, the word 412 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:32,480 of salvation is this, that prior to Jesus Christ, prior to Jesus 413 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:36,360 Christ, whatever was prior in the Old Testament, in the Old 414 00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:41,280 Covenant, all the, you know, commandments and the 600 more 415 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:46,520 commandments prior to that mankind was bound by, that was 416 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:49,560 under the jurisdiction of the law of Moses. 417 00:26:50,120 --> 00:26:54,840 Jesus Christ came by his death and resurrection, saved. 418 00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:58,120 He brought salvation of that jurisdiction. 419 00:26:58,360 --> 00:27:03,280 And then how we become adherents and partakers of that salvation 420 00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:06,800 is when we receive the Lord Jesus Christ, When we believe in 421 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:11,240 the Lord Jesus Christ, then we are baptized in his in his 422 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:15,520 burial, in baptism, we are put to death in baptism, in his 423 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:17,480 burial and resurrected one more time. 424 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:23,840 Then we have new lives in Jesus Christ for eternal life heading 425 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:29,240 for eternity. Not once we have been baptized 426 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:32,640 and been born in you and have been saved and that's it. 427 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:35,800 We're in the Kingdom of heaven. No, because we have a a great 428 00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:41,080 obligation to strive. Strive, not believe. 429 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:44,200 Stand outside the gate and say I believe this is the gate. 430 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:48,760 No, no, no. Strive to enter the narrow gate, 431 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:54,120 produce fruits of repentance until the Lord returns. 432 00:27:54,880 --> 00:28:01,160 And when the Lord returns, those who have been a part of his 433 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:06,120 life, let's put it simply, those who have lived a pious life 434 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:11,880 struggled to live a pious life, struggled to produce fruits of 435 00:28:12,120 --> 00:28:18,440 repentance, struggled to produce virtues, to be obedient and 436 00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:22,560 continue communication and partaking with him through 437 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:26,680 prayer, fasting, the Holy Scriptures, the holy sacraments 438 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:33,040 of the Church, yet may be fallen and and and transgressed at 439 00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:36,560 times, but once again continued the fight. 440 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:44,640 And those who prior to entering this warfare and warhead prior 441 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:49,360 prior to entering this battle have been saved from the 442 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:54,120 requirements of the law. Then they will gain eternal 443 00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:56,320 life. They will hear by the grace of 444 00:28:56,320 --> 00:29:01,000 God, they will hear the words well done, good and faithful 445 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:04,160 servants. So that's what Paul is trying to 446 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:07,440 do. Beloved, this is how we too need 447 00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:12,240 to present Jesus Christ to those who have no relationship, those 448 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:15,360 who have had a relationship, those who have been already 449 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:19,920 saved from the requirements of the law, yet they have. 450 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:22,600 Then what is it? Backslide. 451 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:25,920 They have then walked away from Christ to bring them back one 452 00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:28,520 more time. There's no more sacrifice for 453 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:30,600 that. There's no you don't need to be 454 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:33,000 put to death. You only, you only die once 455 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:37,560 through Jesus Christ. There is that gracious gift of 456 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:45,960 confession and repentance and there are 10 tentacles, 457 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:52,400 confession, fasting, praying and repentance and the absolution 458 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:55,640 received from the church. And one more time they are 459 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:59,040 grafted back into the vine, just like the Jews, Jesus, Saint Paul 460 00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:01,680 says, if they stop from their unbelief, they believe in the 461 00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:04,680 Lord Jesus Christ, they receive the holy Bapt and they are also 462 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:06,520 baptized. They live in Christ. 463 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:10,760 They will be grafted and remain in Jesus Christ for they for 464 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:14,200 that amazing day when he returns to hear those blessed words. 465 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:17,160 Well done, good and faithful servants. 466 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:20,560 So again, Saint Paul, he's continues to continue. 467 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:24,960 He's continuing to speak to them of the old and, and to remind 468 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:27,040 them one more time because they were, they knew what he's 469 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:29,160 talking about. But still some of them would not 470 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:34,360 receive it, unfortunately. And you know, it's, it's sad to 471 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:38,040 say there will be people when the Lord returns that would not 472 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:42,360 have received Jesus Christ, regardless of how many, how much 473 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:45,840 preaching there is and how, how many times they introduced the 474 00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:48,400 truth of Jesus Christ. Some will not accept Jesus 475 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:51,000 Christ out of their free will, but we need to pray for those 476 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:54,160 people. We need to pray for the world, 477 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:56,480 beloved. We need to pray that just as 478 00:30:56,480 --> 00:31:00,520 Moses commands the Israelites in Numbers chapter 12, verse eight, 479 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:05,200 that let's not live according to our own thinking, how we think 480 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:06,880 it's right. Let's live according to the 481 00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:10,200 presets of God through His Son our Lord Jesus Christ, by the 482 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:13,040 power of His Holy Spirit, praising glory be to His name, 483 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:40,940 Amen. We hope you enjoyed this week's 484 00:31:40,940 --> 00:31:43,260 message. Please don't forget to rate and 485 00:31:43,260 --> 00:31:45,980 review this podcast and share with your friends and family. 486 00:31:46,260 --> 00:31:49,740 For any future topic suggestions or to give us detailed feedback, 487 00:31:49,980 --> 00:31:52,260 please visit our link in the show notes. 488 00:31:52,580 --> 00:31:56,980 Linktr dot EE forward slash double edged sword. 489 00:31:57,460 --> 00:31:59,180 Until next time, God bless you all.