[3a.1] "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My BRETHREN, ye have done it unto ME… Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to ME" (Matt. 26:40b & 45b).[3a.2] "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning HIMSELF" (Luke 24:27).
[3a.3] "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to FULFILL" (Matt. 5:17).
[3a.4] "I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took Me not: but the Scriptures MUST BE FULFILLED" (mark 14:49).
[3a.5] "After this, Jesus knowing that ALL THINGS were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be FULFILLED, said, I thirst" (John 19:28).
[3a.6] "Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into DEATH: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so WE also should walk in newness of life… I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ LIVES IN ME: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me" (Rom. 6:4 & Gal. 2:20).
[3a.7] "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also… Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He IS, SO ARE WE IN THE WORLD…" (John 15:20 & I John 4:17).
Contained in these few Scriptures is the reason why the Church has not a clue as to what the plan and purpose of God is, or how the Scriptures are applied to the working out of that purpose. How did Jesus "fulfill" the Scriptures? What Christ did could not be put into books—the whole world could not contain it.
Jesus did not fulfill the sacrificed sin offering only. Jesus was not merely one offering, but the many offerings, burnt offerings, the meat offering, the peace offerings, the trespass offering, and the sin offering. Jesus also prefigured the priest doing the offering, the meaning of each offering, the compartments and furniture of the tabernacle, the bread, the candles, the curtain, the ark of the covenant, the tabernacle itself, and the whole nation of Israel—Jesus prefigures all and FULFILLED ALL.
No one could comprehend every verse in the Old Testament Scriptures that represented Jesus, but they could learn the PRINCIPLE by which Jesus fulfilled all the law and all the prophets. And that is how the apostles and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus had their understanding of the Scriptures opened in just a very short time. When the Scriptures speak of Israel they speak of Jesus, and when they speak of Jesus they speak of us, for "…as Jesus is, so are we in the world" (I John 4:17).
And that is the simple explanation of this marvelous truth. The Scriptures speak of far more than just the prophesies of Jesus coming as the Messiah. We are all in Adam. We do all that Adam did. We believe in the Spirit what Israel lived in the flesh. All Israel was baptized in the Red Sea. We are all baptized into Christ’s death. And now the last Adam lives His life in us (Gal. 2:20), but not until we repent of the first Adam of the flesh living his life in us.
"Then opened He their UNDERSTANDING, that they might UNDERSTAND the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45);
"Then opened He their UNDERSTANDING, that they might UNDERSTAND the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45);
"Consider what I say: and the Lord give you UNDERSTANDING in all things" (II Tim. 2:7).
"And we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an UNDERSTANDING, that we may know Him that is True…" (I John 5:20).
"And we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an UNDERSTANDING, that we may know Him that is True…" (I John 5:20).
"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make [future] you free" (John 8:32)
For three and one-half years Jesus promised that some day His apostles would know the truth. But clear to the end of three and one-half years of learning at the feet of Jesus, the Apostles did not yet understand His teaching, purpose or plan. One day they were blind to these truths, and the next they understood. How is that possible?
For three and one-half years Jesus promised that some day His apostles would know the truth. But clear to the end of three and one-half years of learning at the feet of Jesus, the Apostles did not yet understand His teaching, purpose or plan. One day they were blind to these truths, and the next they understood. How is that possible?
We have clearly seen that Jesus kept the real meaning and truths of His teaching from the masses, the church leaders, His disciples and even His apostles. Late in Christ’s ministry, we are told that:
"And they understood NONE OF THESE THINGS: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the THINGS WHICH WERE SPOKEN" (Luke 18:34).
"THEN opened He their understanding, that they might understand THE SCRIPTURES: (Luke 24:45).
"THEN opened He their understanding, that they might understand THE SCRIPTURES: (Luke 24:45).
Maybe, TODAY, will be the day that God begins to "open your understanding of the Scriptures." Jesus said to His disciples:
"…ALL THINGS must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, CONCERNING ME. Then opened He their understanding…" (Luke 24:44-45).
"…ALL THINGS must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, CONCERNING ME. Then opened He their understanding…" (Luke 24:44-45).
In the first section, the Law of Moses, gives four entries of things Jesus fulfilled from these five books:
"…her Seed" (Gen. 3:15);
"In you [Abraham] all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Gen. 12:3);
"…with him [Isaac] for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him" (Gen. 17:19);
"…her Seed" (Gen. 3:15);
"In you [Abraham] all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Gen. 12:3);
"…with him [Isaac] for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him" (Gen. 17:19);
"…a Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel…" (Num. 24:17). And that’s it.
Why they don’t even mention the fact that there was to come a Prophet like unto Moses:
"The Lord thy God will raise up unto you a Prophet from the midst of you, of your brethren, like unto me unto Him ye shall hearken" (Deut. 18:15 & Acts 7:22).
Why they don’t even mention the fact that there was to come a Prophet like unto Moses:
"The Lord thy God will raise up unto you a Prophet from the midst of you, of your brethren, like unto me unto Him ye shall hearken" (Deut. 18:15 & Acts 7:22).
If they missed that one, just imagine how many of hundreds of smaller prophecies regarding Christ they missed. Understand that what is recorded for us in the gospels is but a very tiny portion of what actually was taught and happened in Christ’s life and ministry:
"And with MANY such parables spoke He the word unto them…" (Mark 4:33; Matt. 13:3; Mark 4:2).
"And with MANY such parables spoke He the word unto them…" (Mark 4:33; Matt. 13:3; Mark 4:2).
"And MANY other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciple, which are not written in this book" (John 20:30).
"And there were also MANY other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written everyone, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen" (John 21:25).
"And there were also MANY other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written everyone, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen" (John 21:25).
It wasn’t that Jesus was "holding back" on His disciples, so that they didn’t quite "get it," but rather they just didn’t have the spiritual mind to "get it," until Jesus gave them His very Own mind in the form of His Holy Spirit. Notice Jesus’ words:
"But take heed, behold, I have foretold you ALL things" (Mark 13:23). Yes, Jesus told them "ALL things," but, "they understood NONE OF THESE THINGS" (Luke 18:34)!
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