THE ORIGINS OF EASTER (Google Docs file link provided in comments and at the end for easy navigation of clickable Bible citations) Before we explore the “Origins of Easter”, let's briefly highlight what Christians ought to be celebrating in this season. In other words, let's clearly state what this season is all about. In summary, it is about God expressing His Love by sending His Son to die and pay for the sins of the world; and then three days after His death He was raised to life, i.e. resurrected; and this mission of redemption was patterned after the Passover, when God redeemed the Israelites from the land of slavery, Egypt. In other words, Jesus Christ came to FULFILL the Passover, which was why He had to be crucified on the day of the Passover. I'll briefly highlight the Scriptures to support these assertions: John 3:16 [16] For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall NOT perish but have eternal life. NIV John 1:29 [29] The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! NIV 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 [7] Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, OUR PASSOVER LAMB, has been sacrificed. [8] THEREFORE LET US KEEP THE FESTIVAL, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. NIV Speaking of Passover, the first day of Passover on 14 Nisan, 5786 (Lev 23:5), begins at sunset on March 31st and ends at sunset on April 1st, 2026, on the Gregorian calendar, which is today at the time of writing this. So in Hebrew I say to you, “Chag Pesach Sameach”, meaning “Happy Passover”. As Paul mentioned in the Passage above, Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb has already been sacrificed, so we can now KEEP the Festival from a new perspective (paraphrasing). Besides that, Jesus Christ inaugurated the Lord's Supper on Passover and commanded us to take Communion in remembrance of Him (Luke 22:15, 19-20), so it is also appropriate on this Passover day to KEEP the Festival by taking Communion and pondering the Lord's Passion, which affords us forgiveness and deliverance from the captivity of sin and death (1 Cor 11:24-26, Heb 2:14-15) As I do not want to stray too far from the topic I seek to address, I would like to refer you to some other posts and Free resources that adequately address what I've said in the paragraph preceding the quoted Passages above, with links provided at the end. With respect to Jesus Christ FULFILLING the Passover and the other Biblical Festivals, with particular attention to details, get the book “The Biblical Festivals of God”; and I strongly recommend reading the post, “Jesus Christ The Passover Lamb”, especially after we're done with the current post; and you could also check out the post, “How Can Jesus Pay for The Sins of Others”. The HEART of the PASSion Week was PASSover, pun intended. Interestingly, the Passover, which originated in the Old Testament, was combined with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and this was a week-long festival (Lev 23:5-8, 2 Chron 35:16-19, Ezek 45:21). So it is quite interesting that we also refer to the period of Jesus’ Crucifixion and Resurrection as the Passion Week, counting from the Triumphant Entry to Jerusalem. With regards to the Passover, Jesus Christ instituted the Lord's Supper on the Passover (Mark 14:12, 22-24); and He was crucified on the Passover (John 19:14 TPT). In the post, “Jesus Christ The Passover Lamb,” using Scripture, the Biblical reckoning of a day as being sunset to sunset, and the Jewish sects in Jesus’ day, it was demonstrated how plausible it was for the Lord's Supper and crucifixion to have occurred on the Passover as described by the Gospel accounts. The point I want to make however, is that the theme of the Passion Week was the Passover; and the festival of the Passover has its origins deeply rooted in Scripture, both the Old and New Testaments. The topic at hand however, is to deduce the origins of what Christians have come to celebrate as “Easter”. Unlike Passover, “Easter” has another origin story that most Christians are unaware of, or apathetic to; and its story is NOT rooted in Scripture, but rather in history and tradition. It is an uncomfortable truth from Church history, but a truth that needs to be addressed. There is no question about it, we as Christians are expected to commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, because Jesus Christ commanded it (Luke 22:19-20, 1 Cor 11:23-26). But there was a controversy in the 2nd century Church referred to as the “Quartodeciman controversy,” about when to commemorate Jesus’s death and Resurrection. “Quartodeciman” comes from the Latin “quartodecimus”, meaning “fourteenth.” It refers to Christians who celebrated the event on the 14th day of the Jewish month Nisan—the same time as the Passover, regardless of the day of the week (Lev 23:5). The Quartodecimans were mainly in Asia Minor (Eastern Church). And in Polycrates of Ephesus letter defending the Quartodecimans (referenced from the Church historian Eusebius of Caesarea), he claimed that the observance of Nisan 14 followed the Apostolic tradition passed down by Apostle Philip and John, both of whom were Jesus’s disciples. On the other hand, the Roman and Western Church always celebrated on the Sunday after Passover. Their emphasis was focused on Sunday, the first day of the week, because that was when Jesus Christ was first seen after His resurrection (Mark 16:9 TPT). Victor I, Bishop of Rome from 189-199AD, tried to excommunicate churches in Asia Minor for keeping Nisan 14, but like I said Polycrates of Ephesus defended the Quartodeciman practice in his letter to Victor I, saying they followed apostolic tradition. Furthermore, Irenaeus urged Victor I not to cut off whole churches since previous Bishops of Rome disagreed on the same matter but remained in peace. His position was that of tolerance and unity in the face of differences, a position confirmed by Scripture in matters that are not fundamental in the faith (Phil 3:15-16 NKJV). In the 4th century, Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, and this Quartodeciman controversy was part of the controversies that were addressed in that meeting. This time however, the idea of tolerance, or the fact that the Quartodecimans were following the Apostolic traditions, did not matter, all that mattered was trying to forge uniformity and distance the Church from anything Jewish. It can be deduced from Constantine's letter, that in the subject of “Easter” antisemitism was a deciding factor. Not only did he say vile things against the Jews, but he also argued that Christianity shouldn't have anything in common with the Jews, including the Passover. [note - emphasis through capitalization added by me] ... “AT this meeting the question concerning the most holy day of EASTER WAS DISCUSSED, and it was resolved by the united judgment of all present, that this feast ought to be kept by all and in every place on one and the same day. ... And first of all, it appeared an UNWORTHY thing that in the celebration of this most holy feast we should follow THE PRACTICE OF THE JEWS, who have impiously defiled their hands with enormous sin, and are, therefore, deservedly afflicted with blindness of soul. For we have it in our power, if we ABANDON THEIR CUSTOM, to prolong the due observance of this ordinance to future ages, by a truer order, which we have preserved from the very day of the passion until the present time. LET US THEN HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON WITH THE DETESTABLE JEWISH CROWD; for we have received from our Saviour a DIFFERENT WAY. … Note that even though the Jews were the ones practicing and celebrating Passover, it wasn't they that originated the Feast, it was God Himself; and Scripture refers to the festivals as “APPOINTED FESTIVALS OF THE LORD”, not Jewish festivals (Lev 23:1-2). So Constantine was wrong on this point of trying to distance the Church from the Jews (John 4:20-22, Rom 9:4-5), and also by regarding the Biblical Festival of Passover as a “Jewish custom”. Secondly, did Jesus Christ come to introduce such a “different way” that required the changing of the date on which He instituted Communion, and commanded us to do it in remembrance of Him? I don't think so. It is the antichrist's job to alter established Biblical dates, NOT Jesus Christ (Dan 7:25-26, 1 John 2:18-19). Just a reminder, Passover was to be celebrated on the 14th day of the first month, Aviv, aka Nisan (Lev 23:5). So the date CHOSEN to celebrate “Easter” was to be the first Sunday after the full moon, following the Spring Equinox. This was to divorce the Church from any connection to the Jewish calendar or the Biblical festival of Passover. So you can see that the foundational idea of “Easter” was to disconnect the Church from the Biblical Passover, so how is it that people still argue that “Easter” is Biblical? You may want it to be so, but its origins tell a different story, Constantine did NOT want the Church to have anything in common with the Jews, even at the expense of rejecting the Passover and weekly Sabbath. I'm not even going to waste any time dwelling on the name itself, “Easter,” which has connections to the pagan goddess “Ishtar” or “Ēostre”, same false deity with different names depending on the culture; or the fact that the symbols of this pagan goddess also match the symbols of “Easter”, speaking of the “Easter bunny” (a rodent), and “Easter eggs”, which have NO positive connection to Scripture. I mean the rabbit, Biblically speaking, is considered an unclean animal (Lev 11:6-8); Yet, for some reason, it is the mascot of the most sacred season of Christianity. Anything symbolizing a religion or religious activity must carry deep spiritual meanings related to that faith or practice. So, the question is: what are the deep spiritual connotations of the words “Easter,” the “Easter bunny,” or “Easter egg” in relation to Scripture and the Lord's Crucifixion and Resurrection? I'll say it again, apart from the theme of Jesus’s death and Resurrection, “Easter” has no connection to Scripture, it is man-made in everything else. It is quite a cocktail and mystery to me that everything else can be bad, except for one ingredient, but we're still willing to gulp it without asking any questions. I don't think God is okay with this kind of compromise and complacency, please carefully study Jesus’ letters to the churches in Revelation 2&3 (Rev 2:2-5, 14-16, 20-23, 3:1-3, 15-19). Think about it for a moment, hatred for a people group was an applauded reason that shaped the formation of a doctrine, NOT Scripture (2 Tim 3:16). God’s Word and the prophetic significance of Passover was set aside, because of the blind hatred of a people group by some persons. Moreover, we need to HONESTLY ask if there is room for such hatred in Christianity, given that Jesus Christ commanded us to Love our enemies and do good even to those who hate us (Luke 6:27-28, Matt 5:44-46, Rom 12:17, 20-21)? Also remember that Jesus Christ Himself forgave everyone involved in His crucifixion—including the Romans, among whom Constantine was later a Roman emperor (Luke 23:34, read also Acts 7:59-60). If—despite there being NO VALID Reason—Christians were to choose to HATE the Jews and everything associated with them, then, for the sake of consistency, they would also have to HATE the Romans and everything associated with Rome. After all, it was the Roman governor who held the authority to crucify Jesus Christ, and who ultimately ordered His scourging and crucifixion (John 18:31, 19:1-6, 10). So the hypocrisy is obvious if we're being honest. Also let's not forget that Jesus Christ and the early Apostles were ALL Jews. So hatred of the Jews is unjustifiable (Matt 25:40, Rom 15:26-27, Gal 6:6). It's already NOT looking good for the origin of “Easter”, but let's see if its unifying effort is justified. Some might argue that the controversy surrounding the subject threatened the unity of the Church, just as we saw Victor I trying to excommunicate certain churches. So they say for this reason “Easter” was a necessity to “unite” the Church. It is evident that during the lifetime of the Apostles, controversies did arise that threatened the Church; however, they were resolved in a manner fundamentally different from the process that later gave rise to what is now called “Easter”. Scripture was central in the Early Church for resolving controversies, as the Apostles appealed to the Word of God to establish truth and bring unity (2 Tim 3:16–17, Eph 4:11-16). For instance, it was highlighted in previous posts how the Council at Jerusalem resolved the circumcision issue, where proponents of circumcision tried to make it a necessity for salvation (Acts 15:1). Granted, Peter, Paul, and Barnabas argued vigorously against that idea (Acts 15:2-12), but the final decision was pinned on Scripture and the approval of the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:13-18, 28, Amos 9:11-12 NKJV). Again, there was the controversy of some people saying that the final resurrection had occurred (2 Tim 2:16-18). Even though there is no Biblical reference to a Church Council to address this controversy, Paul adequately dealt with it in his letters, addressing the false teachers and the subject of resurrection (1 Tim 1:20, 1 Cor 15:12, 35, 1 Thess 4:13-18). In his letter to the Thessalonians, he highlighted a key end-time event that must occur before the coming of Jesus Christ and the final resurrection (2 Thess 2:1-4). This referenced event of the antichrist desecrating the Temple and claiming to be God can be pinned to Scripture, specifically the prophecies of Daniel (Daniel 7:11, 26, 9:27, 11:31, 12:11), which Jesus Christ also referenced when He prophesied about the end-times (Matt 24:15). I'll also attach a two-part series titled, “Biblical Ciphers and Codes”, where part two covers a bunch of important things pertaining to the end-times. Controversies come and go, and at times divisions may be necessary (1 John 2:18-19, 1 Cor 11:19). The Apostles NEVER advocated unity at all costs, especially at the compromise of Truth (2 John 1:9-11, Rom 16:17-18, 1 Cor 5:11-13, 2 Cor 6:14-17, 2 Tim 3:1-5, 2 Thess 3:6, 14-15, Titus 3:10-11). So the appeal to foster “unity” is NOT sufficient justification to establish “Easter”, especially when doing so abrogates the Word of God and the commands of Jesus Christ. The fact is that the Church would always be faced with one controversy or the other, because the devil is actively fighting against Her (Eph 6:10-13, Rev 12:11-12, 17, 2:14-16, 24-25). There will be people inspired by demonic spirits propagating lies and confusion that CANNOT be anchored on Scripture, yet their ideas would be alluring (1 Tim 4:1-3, Matt 24:24-25). NOT IF, but WHEN we face such a situation, should we adopt the “Easter” model where we try by all means to accommodate or “unite” the Church as best we can at the expense of the Truth of Scripture, or would we stand by the Truth and uphold what Scripture says? I can tell you that the former is easy, comfortable, and WRONG, but the latter is harder, uncomfortable, but RIGHT. Siding with the crowd is easy and comfortable, but God calls us to side with the Truth, even when it goes against the crowd or political correctness (Ex 23:2-3, Lev 19:15). UNITY in the Church CANNOT be forged on man-made compromises. Rather, UNITY in the Church MUST be forged by the Spirit, on the premise of God's Word (Eph 4:3-6, 11-16, Phil 2:1-2, Rom 15:5-6, 1 Cor 1:10). Note that the “oneness of mind” being referred to in the cited Passages is NOT merely a matter of adopting a shared human consensus, but of embracing the mind of Christ through the Holy Spirit (**1 Cor 2:10-12, 16**, Gal 4:6). In other words, a group of people may reach agreement and share a single mind on a matter, but if their thinking is NOT aligned with the mind of Christ as revealed in Scripture and through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:16), then they CANNOT be truly united in Christ, even though they appear to have one mind. Unity in the Church requires that our minds be transformed (Rom 12:2), and this transformation is an essential part of our conformation to Christ (Rom 8:29, Gal 4:19, John 17:22-23, 26). We as humans must be honest and humble enough to admit that our thoughts are NOT ALWAYS best, even when our intentions are good (Prov 16:1-5, 25, 3:5-7, Isaiah 55:8–9). Therefore, it is impractical to establish lasting UNITY based on our own reasoning, or the adopted views of others. True and enduring UNITY—regardless of our differences and proclivities—can ONLY be achieved in God by adopting the mind of Christ through the Holy Spirit, thereby gaining God’s perspective (Isaiah 30:1, 1 Cor 2:10-12, 16, John 17:20-23, 26). In other words, unity should NOT be forged on the ideas and philosophies of men, but rather by the Spirit of Christ and His direction, as revealed in Scripture (Matt 28:19-20, John 16:13-15, 2 Peter 1:20-21). After all, it is the Church of Christ–NOT the church of man–therefore it stands to reason that the thoughts of Christ should shape and govern His Church. Paul played a crucial role in teaching the doctrines that guide the Church today (Eph 3:2-12, 1 Cor 2:1-5, 13-14), yet he understood that the focus must NOT be on himself or other leaders (1 Cor 1:12-13). This was reinforced in his own life to guard him against pride (2 Cor 12:6-10); and he taught that church leaders are merely servants, while God alone gives the growth (1 Cor 3:3-11, 21-23, 4:6-7). For this reason, he placed no confidence in himself, even while serving with sincerity (1 Cor 4:1-4, 2 Cor 1:12, 3:5). He also upheld the truth above himself, so that even in the unlikely event of his failure, others would not be led astray (Gal 1:8-9, 1 Cor 9:27). The point is that UNITY in the Church should NOT be founded on people, but SOLELY on the Person of Jesus Christ (Eph 4:13, 15-16, 1:22-23). The doctrines of men must NEVER supercede the doctrine of Christ. I have emphasized that in addressing controversies, it is essential to remain anchored in Scripture. I will now apply that same standard to demonstrate why the origin of “Easter” is unsound. Interestingly, a situation very similar to the “Easter” issue occurred in Scripture, I'm talking about the: redesignation of a God-instituted festival in favor of a man-made festival on a different date, while still claiming it was the same festival God had commanded. After Solomon’s reign, the nation of Israel divided into two kingdoms: Judah, with its capital in Jerusalem, and Israel, with its capital in Samaria. From the time of Moses, God had instructed that He would select a specific place in the Promised Land where all their sacrifices were to be brought (Deut 12:5, 11). No one was to offer sacrifices to God wherever they pleased, even if they lived far from the place God would choose. Those living at a distance were instructed to sell their produce, bring the money to the chosen place, and use it to buy what was required for their offerings (Deut 12:13-14, 14:24–26⁠). There was no exception. In the time of David, God chose Jerusalem as that place, and Solomon was commissioned to build the Temple there (2 Sam 7:12–13, 1 Kings 5:5, 6:37-38). When the kingdom split, Jeroboam, king of Israel, thought to himself that if he allowed the people to continue going to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple, they might return their allegiance to the king of Judah (1 Kings 12:26–27). So he decided to fashion two idols and present them as the same God who had brought the Israelites out of Egypt (1 Kings 12:28–30). So we see that he essentially “rebranded” God (1 Kings 12:28, Ex 20:2-5). Not only that, but in the name of convenience, he convinced the people that they could offer sacrifices to God anywhere (1 Kings 12:31, Deut 12:2-6). Those who knew Scripture, especially the Levites, recognized his lies and contradictions to God’s Word, so they did NOT stay but went to Jerusalem (2 Chron 11:13-16), while the majority of the people remained. Lastly, the king of Israel CHOSE his own date to mimic the Feast of Tabernacles (1 Kings 12:32–33, Lev 23:34-36, 39-42), so that those in his domain would not have to go to Jerusalem, since it was one of the three Festivals that required all Israel to gather there (Deut 16:16). His reason for doing all of this was to maintain “unity” in his kingdom. Sound familiar? Leviticus 23:34 [34] “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the FIFTEENTH DAY of the SEVENTH MONTH the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. NIV 1 Kings 12:32-33 [32] He instituted a festival on the FIFTEENTH DAY of the EIGHTH MONTH, LIKE the festival held in Judah… [33] On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, A MONTH OF HIS OWN CHOOSING, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites… NIV So in essence, Jeroboam addressed the “unity” issue by disregarding God’s Word and commands; by setting his own terms of worship—changing dates and making things “convenient” for the people; yet, in this cocktail mix of man-made definitions, he still claimed that it was the SAME God of Israel being worshipped, and that his festival was no different from the one in Jerusalem. The sin of Jeroboam plagued every generation of the kings of Israel after him. And after all those years, when God pronounced judgment against the kingdom of Israel (headquartered in Samaria), He declared that the people would mourn the removal of the very idols Jeroboam had made (Hosea 10:5-8). Consider that: they had become so attached to those false gods that losing them brought grief. In other words, they had embraced the lie so deeply that they were unwilling to let it go. It is quite striking when we consider their behavior and how they were able to follow the lie of Jeroboam for centuries. Yet it is not so surprising when we realize that we are no different when it comes to the “Easter” issue. Indeed, there is nothing new under the sun (Eccl 1:9). In comparison, the same appeal to “unity” was used as the basis for “Easter.” God’s appointed date of Nisan 14 was set aside, and the Passover disregarded, in favor of a “newly” defined observance with its own date. Yet, despite these changes, it is still claimed that “Good Friday” conveys the same meaning as the crucifixion of Jesus, which occurred at Passover (John 19:14 TPT). In reality, the entire sequence of the Passion, culminating in the resurrection, begins from the reference point of the Passover. “Easter,” on the other hand, fixes its focus on Sunday and works backward, without any real connection to Passover. If the reference point of Passover is removed, then—like Jeroboam—it CANNOT be claimed that it is still the same festival commanded by God, which Jesus Christ came to FULFILL. Scripture EXPLICITLY identifies Christ as our Passover Lamb, showing that Passover is the true reference point (1 Cor 5:7, John 1:29). Just to be clear, it should be understood that ordinarily an individual (Rom 14:5–6), or a group of people (Esther 9:20-32, Joel 2:15-19, 2 Chron 20:3-4, 13-15), can consecrate any day to the Lord, and it would be acceptable in God’s sight. However, the problem with “Easter” is that God Himself had already consecrated a specific day and called it Passover (Exod 12:14, Lev 23:5), and on that very Passover, Jesus Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper with His disciples and commanded that it be observed in remembrance of Him (Luke 22:19–20, 1 Cor 11:23–26). Therefore, it is inappropriate for human beings to alter what God has instituted by consecrating another day and assigning it the same significance as the one God originally ordained. Jesus Christ said He came to FULFILL the Scriptures (Matt 5:17), and after His resurrection, two of His followers had the privilege of hearing Him demonstrate this directly from the Scriptures (Luke 24:25–27, 44–49). Even today, many teach from Scripture—especially the Old Testament—uncovering profound truths that point to Christ. Passover itself is one of those Scriptures pointing to Him; therefore, it CANNOT be set aside, along with its rich prophetic significance, in order to embrace “Easter,” whose origin is NOT rooted in Scripture, but rather in a misguided attempt to foster “unity,” while at the same time expressing hostility toward the Jews. Yet Scripture makes it clear that Jesus Christ came to UNITE both Jew and Gentile as ONE (1 John 4:20-21, Isaiah 49:5-6, [John 10:14-16, Acts 2:38-39], Rom 11:1-2, 11-29, Eph 2:14–22, Gal 3:26-29). I've skipped several details, but I believe it is clear enough to see that the origin of “Easter” is NOT Biblical. While it may feel comfortable to keep, it rests on man-made foundations, which are certain to collapse (Ps 127:1-2, Matt 7:24–27). Its name, symbols, and the reasons for its creation form a house of cards that will surely fall. God Himself uproots whatever He has not planted (Gen 11:3-9, Matt 15:13, Heb 12:26-27). And you may be wondering why God hasn’t taken decisive action concerning this, seeing that it has continued for so long. Perhaps it is because He is merciful, giving people an opportunity to repent (2 Peter 3:3-4, 8-9). In the past, people have often assumed that God’s apparent silence on a matter meant what they did was acceptable in His sight (Ps 73:1-28, 94:7-15, 50:16-23, Isaiah 42:14, 57:10-13, **Jer 44:15-28**). But that is not the case—God always sends warnings before judgment (Amos 3:7, 2 Chron 36:15-16). I believe He is sending a warning to the Church now, because judgment will come upon ALL, and it must begin with the Church before extending to the world (1 Peter 4:17-18). I know this may be an uncomfortable truth, and I can relate to the discomfort I felt when the Holy Spirit first brought it to my attention, particularly through the writing of “Early Steps in Christianity” (first and second editions). In fact, the main updates in the second edition focused on Chapter Six, which covers Communion—the Lord’s Supper. I have openly acknowledged the challenge this revelation brought, and the journey of repentance it has led me on personally. Yet I cannot fully express the peace, joy, and comfort I have received from the Lord as a result, which reassures me that this is indeed the right path. What I’ve presented in this study may be troubling to some. Please know that it is not my intention to cause distress, but if this is what it takes to bring the truth to you, then it will be worth it in the end (2 Cor 7:8–10). For others, it may take time to fully embrace what I’ve shared, but I trust God to make things clear as we continue to hold fast to the fundamental truths of Scripture (Phil 3:15–16). All I ask is that you reflect on this, pray about it, and remain open to hear from God on the matter. I also pray that He grants you the grace to act on what He reveals. That said, I hope you are awakened to the Passover and come to understand its New Testament significance. Once again, I encourage you to access the FREE book, “The Biblical Festivals of God”, and go through the two-part series, which I have combined into a single document titled “Jesus Christ the Passover Lamb”. Thank you for the privilege of your time. I hope this study has been helpful. God bless you, and Shalom! Google Docs link for current post: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_ORIGINS_OF_EASTER/ Full Series of “JESUS CHRIST THE PASSOVER LAMB”: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/JESUS_CHRIST_THE_PASSOVER_LAMB-FULL_SERIES/ Other posts you might be interested in: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/HOW_CAN_JESUS_PAY_FOR_THE_SINS_OF_OTHERS/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_OLD_TESTAMENT_IS_THE_SHADOW_OF_THE_NEW_COVENANT/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/What_Paul_Meant_by-The_Law_of_Sin_and_Death-Rom_7and8/ For the Free PDF of "Early Steps in Christianity" (E.S.C): https://selar.com/EarlyStepsInChristianity For Paperback or Hardcover copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKW4H91N For the Free PDF of "The Biblical Festivals of God" (TBFG): https://selar.com/TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod For Paperback copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKPP5N6J Follow-up Post to the book, TBFG: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/BIBLICAL_CIPHERS_AND_CODES-FULL_SERIES/ I'd like to also encourage you to go through the following resources: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/TO_BE_LIKE_JESUS_FULL_SERIES/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/The_Premise_of_Christianity/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Jesus_The_Redeemer/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Building_on_Legacy/ #Jesus #JesusChrist #Theology #Christianity #BibleStudyWithDanielOlatunji #BibleStudy #TheBible #Scripture #TheLivingWord #Truth #Free #FreeBooks #EarlyStepsInChristianity #TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod #Passover #Easter #ChurchHistory #Repent #Repentance #Obedience

WHAT PAUL MEANT BY - THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH (Google doc file link provided in comments and at the end for easy navigation of clickable Bible citations) Paul taught prolifically about Grace and the Law. John simply stated that the Law came through Moses, but Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17). But it was Paul who deeply expounded on the subject of Grace and the Law, especially in the book of Romans. It helps to examine the sum of all he said in ALL his letters to get a clearer picture of his teaching. Isolating bits and pieces of his words would surely lead to misunderstanding him, just as Peter said (2 Peter 3:15-16). Our study is going to be based on the two Passages below, to help us better understand what Paul was referring to as “the law of sin”. Romans 7:11-12, 14-15, 21-25 [11] For sin, SEIZING the opportunity afforded by the commandment, DECEIVED me, and through the commandment put me to death. [12] So then, THE LAW IS HOLY, and the commandment is HOLY, RIGHTEOUS and GOOD. … [14] We know that the Law is SPIRITUAL; but I am UNSPIRITUAL, sold as a slave to sin. [15] I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. … [21] So I find this law at work: Although I WANT to do GOOD, evil is right there with me. [22] For in my INNER BEING I DELIGHT in God’s Law; [23] but I see ANOTHER LAW at work in me, WAGING WAR AGAINST the Law of my mind and making me a PRISONER OF THE LAW OF SIN at work WITHIN me. [24] What a wretched man I am! Who will RESCUE me from THIS BODY that is SUBJECT to death? [25] Thanks be to God, Who DELIVERS me THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I MYSELF IN MY MIND AM A SLAVE TO GOD’S LAW, BUT in MY SINFUL NATURE a slave to THE LAW OF SIN. NIV Romans 8:1-4 [1] Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, [2] because THROUGH Christ Jesus THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT Who gives life has set you FREE FROM THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH. [3] For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened BY THE FLESH, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in the flesh, [4] in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be FULLY MET IN US, who do NOT live according to THE FLESH but according to THE SPIRIT. NIV In Rom 7:22&23 above, we clearly see that Paul is referring to two laws: the first being God's Law, and the other, “the law of sin” that's operating within us. This “law of sin” is the driving principle of the flesh, and as a result anything done by the flesh is always going to be contrary to the Law of God, regardless of how outwardly “good” it may be (Rom 8:6-8, Isaiah 64:6). This is why Paul vehemently opposed any operation that was by the flesh, because no matter how “righteous” it appeared, it was fueled by that which is contrary to God's Law, i.e. by the principle of “the law of sin”. A simple distinguishing factor is that acts of the flesh ALWAYS have a self-centered motive, while acts of the Spirit are LOVE-based, and these ALWAYS overflow to the benefit of others. I discovered this distinction in the course of writing the book, “Early Steps in Christianity”; in chapter seven, where I was led to examine the miracles of Jesus Christ, I observed that He never did a miracle with selfish intent, I mean like to satisfy His hunger or desires; ALL His miracles were outflowing in keeping with the Principles of LOVE (1 Cor 13:4-7). This was an eye-opening discovery in understanding acts of the Spirit in contrast to acts of the flesh, or the sin nature. I'd really love to share more on that, as this discovery still excites me, especially in its practicality, but I'll encourage you to grab a Free PDF copy of the book via the link provided at the end to fully explore the subject. Before we move on to further address the topic at hand, I feel the need to make something clear using the distinguishing principles I just stated. It should be noted that from God's perspective, as revealed by Scripture, NO GOOD can come out of the flesh (Rom 7:18, 8:6-8). The flesh, aka the sin nature, is governed by the “law of sin”, and because of that it is utterly corrupt (2 Peter 2:10). Every attempt to do “good” by the flesh and its principles would ALWAYS be self-centered. It would never be LOVE-driven, and as such it would amount to NOTHING in the sight of God (1 Cor 13:1-3). For instance, is it good to fast and be charitable? By all indications yes, when judged solely from a human perspective, which only views things from the outward appearances. But God views things from the heart and internal motives, so what may qualify as “good” and admirable in the sight of men, may turn out to be reprehensible in God's sight, because He evaluates the HEART by the principle of LOVE, i.e. LOVE for Him and fellow mankind (1 Sam 16:6-7, Luke 16:15, Matt 6:1-6, 16-18, Isaiah 58:2-11, [Matt 22:36-39, 1 John 4:20-21, 3:11-15]). This is where other religions largely differ from Christianity. Generally, in other religions, it is believed that in doing “good” works one gains the favor and mercy of God, and this would guarantee salvation from God's judgment and punishment. From the New Testament perspective, this kind of “good” works is by the principle of the flesh, because the motive is ultimately SELF-CENTERED. The “good” being done is carried out with the selfish aim of obtaining favor from God or people, hence it's not by the principle of LOVE, which does good mainly for the benefit of others and because it is the right thing to do (1 Cor 10:24, Phil 2:3-4, Titus 3:8, Rom 12:9-18). In Christianity however, God ONLY accepts works that are done in the Spirit of LOVE. In other words, service to Him must be carried out by the enablement of His Spirit in the expression of LOVE and faith (John 4:24, 1 Peter 4:11, 1 Cor 15:10, 1 Thess 1:3-6), NOT the flesh (Acts 17:24-25, Rom 8:8). It is for this reason that Jesus Christ came, to make it possible for us to be cleansed of sin so that the Holy Spirit can have a holy habitation within us (Luke 1:74-75). It is only when an individual believes, receives forgiveness of sins, and cleansing by the Blood of Jesus Christ, that they are then able to receive the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:47-49, John 7:38-39, 16:7 NKJV); and as a result, ACCEPTABLY serve God and do what's GOOD in His sight (Heb 12:28 NKJV). But an unbeliever from God's perspective is a sinner. Even we, as Christians, were once sinners before we came to believe in Jesus Christ to receive forgiveness and reconciliation to God (Eph 2:1-3, Rom 5:6-8, 1 Cor 6:9-11, 1 John 5:18, 2 Cor 5:17-21). So while we were sinners every “good” work we did was still of the flesh, and as such it fell short of God's righteous standards (Rom 3:23). So if God were to require GOOD works for salvation, none of us would EVER be able to be saved, because our “good” works by the flesh always falls short of God's standards (Isaiah 64:6). Only the works of the Spirit meet God's standard of GOODNESS, so we need the Spirit of God to guide us in that which is GOOD in God's sight (Mark 10:18, Ps 143:10, Neh 9:20). And since we only gain access to the Holy Spirit after salvation we're stuck with the IMPOSSIBILITY of attaining salvation by GOOD works (*Matt 19:25-26*). God intentionally made it impossible for anyone, apart from Jesus Christ, to reach the standards of GOODNESS as expressed in the Law (Isaiah 42:21, Rom 8:3-4). The reason is so that everyone would be held accountable to Him; and it could never be said that He would owe anyone anything that they should boast before Him (Rom 3:19-20, Eph 2:8-9, 1 Cor 1:29-31); Not even Abraham can boast before God (Rom 4:1-5). This way ONLY God could provide the ransom for life, and everyone ransomed would be ETERNALLY INDEBTED to Him (Ps 49:7-8, 15, Job 17:3). So no one can ever be saved because of “good” works, because our definition of “good” doesn't measure up to God's definition, which accounts for the hidden motives of the heart (Prov 21:2, *24:11-12*, 2 Cor 5:10-12, Heb 4:12-13). God's overall evaluation of the human heart is that it tends to wickedness (Gen 6:5, Jer 17:9-10). Without His help and guidance, we would ALL stray towards perversity. So salvation all together is the working of God that simply requires our faith and commitment to allow Him continue with His work in us (Eph 2:8-9, Phil 2:13). It is God that woos a person to come to Christ to be saved (John 6:44, 1 Cor 3:6-9); it is still God that convicts and makes a person realize that they need to REPENT (2 Tim 2:25, Acts 11:18, [2 Sam 12:1-13, Ps 51:1-13], 2 Cor 7:10); and even the faith that one uses to believe in Jesus Christ in other to be saved is a gift FROM God often conveyed by the Message of Truth (Rom 10:17, 12:2-3 NKJV). So one CANNOT “work” their way to salvation by doing “good” deeds. This would produce pride in the person and a sense of self-achievement or entitlement. God would NOT allow a proud individual to stand before Him (Daniel 4:29-32, 34, 37, 1 Peter 5:5-6, Matt 23:12); pride is the hallmark of the devil, whom God BANISHED from His presence (Ezek 28:16-17, Isaiah 14:12-15); so again I say, God would NOT allow a proud individual in His presence. But one who recognizes his brokenness will receive Salvation when they HUMBLY receive the FREE GIFT FROM God (2 Sam 22:28), namely: Repentance, Faith, the GIFT of salvation through the Person of Jesus Christ (Eph 2:8, Rom 6:23), and the GIFT of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5, 2:38). HUMILITY is a prerequisite to have a relationship with God (Num 12:3, 6-8, Ps 25:9-10, 14-18, Matt 11:29-30, James 4:6-10). So salvation by faith is a sign of HUMILITY, and this same faith was the humble expression of Abraham that made him recognized as God's friend (James 3:23, Rom 4:2-8, 16-17). But an attempt to attain salvation by “good works” is a sign of pride and dependence on one's ability instead of on God (Prov 3:5-7). In Christianity, we are commanded to do good works, and indeed God does reward such works (Eph 2:10, Gal 6:7-10, Matt 10:41-42). Nevertheless, our motivation to obey this command is NOT for SELF benefit, but rather out of LOVE for God and fellow mankind (John 14:15, 15:9-14, 1 John 3:16, 5:2-3, Gal 6:2, 1 Thess 4:9-10). For my Christian brethren reading this, please always search your heart to be sure that whatever good you do is prompted by the Holy Spirit, and it is done in LOVE (1 Cor 13:1-7). Don't do your good deeds to gain the approval or admiration of people, or for selfish gain, so that you get something in return from people (Matt 6:1-6, 16-18, 23:5-7, 27-28, Luke 18:10-14, 1 Cor 4:5). Do good because it is the right thing to do, and because you LOVE God and ALL people, even if those people are NOT good to you (Matt 5:43-48, Rom 12:17-21). Do good to bring God glory, and NOT for self-aggrandizement (John 7:17-18, Matt 5:16, 2 Cor 9:12-15, 1 Peter 2:12, 3:16-17). If you do good solely for what you can get in return from God or people, then unfortunately you would be acting by the principle of the flesh. Again, God does promise to reward our good acts (Gal 6:7-10, Matt 10:41-42). But if you do those good acts solely for the sake of the rewards, and not from the overflow of LOVE and the Holy Spirit, then chances are you may get a feeling of entitlement, and that in turn produces PRIDE; and when you feel your expectations are not met, your heart may begin to rage against God (Prov 19:3, Ezek 18:29, Isaiah 58:3-6, Mal 3:13-18). God does NOT owe anyone anything, but we on the other hand owe Him EVERYTHING. Hence, even our good acts do NOT compel Him to do anything further for us (Luke 17:7-10, Rom 11:34-36). I believe when you adopt this mindset you'd be better aligned to serve in the Spirit of LOVE and HUMILITY, which are the virtues that God desires from us (Micah 6:8, Gal 5:22-23). I've spent more time than I anticipated on this detour, but I felt strongly that it needed to be addressed. In relation to our study, the purpose of the detour was to highlight the two possible principles, or laws, that are operational in the heart of an individual: the Law of the Spirit and LOVE (Rom 8:2, 7:6, 2 Cor 3:3&6), and the law of sin and death (Rom 7:21-25, 8:2). Every individual is born with the operating system of “the law of sin and death” (Gen 8:21, Ps 51:5, Job 25:4, Rom 5:12, 18-19). Once a person is Saved through faith in Jesus Christ, they get born again by the Spirit (John 1:12-13, 3:5-6, Titus 3:5); and the Spirit introduces His Law, which is the New operating system called Grace (John 1:17); this Grace is an internalized version of God's Law with the Holy Spirit Personally teaching and guiding us (Jer 31:31-34, John 14:26, 16:13, 1 John 2:27, Titus 2:11-14); and this achieves the core intent of the Old Covenant Law through the principle of LOVE (Gal 5:14, 22-23, Rom 13:8-10). I've discussed this a bit more in the two previous posts, links will be provided at the end. Now here's the tricky part that most Believers are unaware of, and it is the fact that two operating systems seek to find expression in them, that is: the flesh, which operates by “the law of sin”, and the Spirit, Who operates by the Law of Grace, which is also ENABLEMENT/HELP from God (John 14:16-17, 26 NKJV). So a Christian still has flesh, i.e. the sin nature, like every other human, and this nature is in constant opposition to the Spirit (Gal 5:16-17, 1 Peter 2:11); But we, as believers, have been commanded to CRUCIFY the flesh/sin nature, so that its “law of sin” does NOT find expression in us (Gal 5:24-25, Rom 6:6-7, 11-18, 20-23). Every believer needs to understand this contention within them, so that they can better navigate the Christian lifestyle they've been called to (Eph 4:1, 17-24, Col 1:9-14). It is for this reason that we're trying to demystify this other law within an individual that Paul spoke about, i.e. “the law of sin” (Rom 7:23-25, 8:1-2). Believers need to understand this so as to make sense of the grief and disappointment they feel when they fall short by sinning. This is because of the war within, and that displeasure is the expression of the Holy Spirit to lead you to REPENTANCE (1 John 1:8-9, 2:1-2), NOT to condemn or disqualify you (John 3:17-18, 2 Cor 7:10). When you understand this internal conflict you're in a better position to be sensitive to the desires of the Spirit, and to ADAMANTLY RESIST the desires of the flesh that STILL beckon to you (1 Cor 9:27, 1 Peter 2:11, 12:1-2). Please read Prov 9:1-6,9-11 & Prov 9:13-18, to see an illustration of the two voices calling at each individual: WISDOM, representative of the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:17, Col 1:9-10), and FOLLY, representative of the flesh/sin nature, respectively. ONLY when living by the Spirit can one escape the lure and operations of this contrary “law of sin and death” that influences the flesh (Gal 5:16-18, Rom 8:2-8). As I said, we were all born with the sin nature and the operating system of “the law of sin” driving our fleshly/carnal desires. It is POSSIBLE to resist these desires, but they are always going to be lurking in the dark seeking opportunities for expression. The act of RESISTING these desires that may be pleasing or comforting to the flesh is what we refer to as OVERCOMING TEMPTATION. As long as we have human flesh, temptations will always be sent our way, but we have a RESPONSIBILITY to RESIST them, especially with the HELP of the Holy Spirit when we YIELD to Him. The Holy Spirit was with Jesus Christ, and I believe it was with His HELP that Jesus Christ OVERCAME the temptations that the devil brought (Matt 4:1). Note that Jesus Christ was FULLY Human, thus having flesh like us (Rom 8:3, Gal 4:4-5, Phil 2:7-8, Heb 2:14). If He wasn't FULLY Human, it would be impossible for Him to be tempted in His Divine state (James 1:13 Heb 2:17-18, 4:15). At the same time He was FULLY God, and that's because, even though He laid aside His Divinity before coming to earth (Phil 2:6-7, John 17:5), He was FULLY endowed with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35, Matt 3:16, Isaiah 11:2-3, John 3:34), Who is Himself God by the understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity. So Jesus Christ was FULLY Human, and at the same time FULLY Divine, because of the Holy Spirit; in like manner we are fully human, but by the Holy Spirit we've been invited to participate in the Divine Nature, and for this reason we also have the capacity, like Jesus Christ, to RESIST temptation and sin (2 Peter 1:3-4). Jesus Christ was tempted like us in every way, BUT HE NEVER sinned (Heb 2:18, 4:15). The sin nature is NOT sin itself, it is just the operating system that causes one to be prone to sin. But as we've just highlighted, Jesus Christ took on our very same flesh, thus possessing the sin nature of the flesh (Rom 8:3), BUT He NEVER allowed that nature to find expression despite the various times He was tempted. Even when it came to His final assignment to suffer and die, He was once again tempted to disobey what God sent Him to accomplish on earth, but He didn't yield to it. This temptation first came through Peter (Matt 16:21-23, John 14:30-31); and secondly, when Jesus was overwhelmed by anguish in His Flesh, while He was praying at Gethsemane just before His arrest and crucifixion (Matt 26:37-39). Even though the sin nature has an overwhelming capacity to get people to act in certain ways, it does NOT have ABSOLUTE control to define one's actions. This is a truth that many people need to understand. We live in an addictive society where it seems as though people are “programmed” to be addicted to one thing or the other, whether it is addiction to mobile devices & screens, or addiction to substances, or behavioral patterns. We're then made to believe that we have no CHOICE but to embrace this addictive nature. The truth however is that this sin nature can be subdued through Jesus Christ, and that is what Paul was teaching (Rom 7:14-25). Addictions have the compulsive force of “law” to cause people to act in a certain pattern, and it feels as though they wouldn't be able to break free from its clutches. But in Christ, one is FREED from the guilt and condemnation (Gal 5:1, 13, Heb 10:21-23); and a New Law is enforced, the Law of the Spirit, to liberate us from the other “law of sin” (Rom 8:1-2). It is by SUBMITTING to this New Law of the Spirit that one gets liberated from “the law of sin” (Rom 6:4-22). In the past, i.e. Old Testament, it was still POSSIBLE to RESIST the call of the sin nature, but it was much harder, and often unsuccessful (Gen 4:6-8). But now it is much easier with the HELP of the Holy Spirit, provided we YIELD to Him. If we SUBMIT to the will of God as expressed by the Holy Spirit (Col 1:9, 1 John 2:17, 24-27, 1 Peter 4:1-2), then we would be just like Jesus Christ (John 4:34), and in so doing we would live above the influence of the sin nature in our flesh (Gal 5:16-18). Speaking of being like Jesus Christ, I did a short three-part series on that topic. I'll add the links at the end as well if you're interested in that subject. When Paul taught on “the law of sin” he wasn't trying to say that God's Law was sinful. He was showing that within us another “law” was operational that was contradictory to God’s Good Law (Rom 7:12, 14, 21-23). This other “law” caused us to REBEL against God's Law. Seeing this helpless state, the appeal was made to God, Who brings about deliverance from “the law of sin” through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, Who in turn makes God's Law ACCESSIBLE and APPLICABLE (Rom 7:24-25, 8:1-4). Furthermore, Paul showed that this other “law” was responsible for the acts of the flesh, which could NOT submit to God's Law, i.e. REBELLIOUS against God's Law (Rom 8:7-8). Since the flesh CANNOT truly submit to God's Law, it means that every attempt of the flesh to keep God's commands would amount to EMPTY WORK. This is something that Paul kept on emphasizing in all His letters. He wasn't against God’s Law, as some people misunderstand (Rom 3:31, *1 Tim 1:8*); he was against trying to keep God's Law by way of the flesh, and doing so by interpretations of human “wisdom” (1 Cor 2:13-14, James 3:13-17). For instance, some argued that circumcision was necessary for salvation (Acts 15:1). I believe this was the cause for Paul's references to the issue of circumcision in his letters (Titus 1:10-11). Paul opposed this vehemently, because doing circumcision to be saved, or to receive anything from God, would be a work of the flesh, and something to cause people to boast, as we've previously explained (Phil 3:2-3). He however emphasized that what truly counts is faith and Love, which are expressions of the Spirit, NOT the flesh (Gal 5:6, 6:13-15, 1 Cor 7:19, Rom 2:26-29, Col 2:11). He didn't have a problem circumcising Timothy, who was a half-Jew (Acts 16:1-3); but the act in itself wasn't a necessity for ministry, but to ease the conscience of the people who knew that Timothy was partly Greek (1 Cor 8:11-13, 10:31-33). So where Paul fights vigorously, is when people try by way of the flesh to make spiritual advances (Gal 3:2-5). Sadly, a lot of people by straining in the flesh do EMPTY WORK thinking that they would be counted as righteous for it (Rom 9:30-32). But God was introducing a righteousness that was by FAITH. This FAITH was connected to the New Legal System administered by the Holy Spirit via LOVE. Romans 3:25, 27 [25] God presented Christ as a sacrifice of ATONEMENT, through the shedding of His Blood—to be RECEIVED BY FAITH. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— … [27] Where, then, is BOASTING? It is EXCLUDED. Because of what law? The law that requires works? NO, because of THE LAW THAT REQUIRES FAITH. NIV Living by this New System of faith, means living in obedience to the teachings of Jesus Christ and Scripture, which is God's Word for our guidance (Matt 28:19-20, 2 Tim 3:16-17). There is no promise that obedience to God would be easy and comfortable to the flesh. On the contrary, with respect to the flesh it is going to be quite uncomfortable (2 Tim 3:10-12); but even then, by the Spirit, we are promised peace and comfort in the face of hardships (1 Thess 1:6, John 16:33, 2 Cor 1:3-7, 10). This peace is priceless, and makes practically no sense in the natural, given the circumstances (John 14:27, Phil 4:7, [Matt 5:10-12, Acts 5:40-41]); but to the Christian living by the Spirit, this peace and joy are everything (1 Peter 1:5-9). However, there is a problem for the Christian who ignorantly focuses on the flesh, and loses sight of the Spirit and God's Word (Luke 8:11, 13-14). We all need to be made aware that as Christians we still have the flesh, which is prone to weakness and temptation (Matt 26:41, 1 Cor 10:13). And that knowledge is to gear us to actively CHOOSE to crucify the flesh, thus DENYING its desires, while at the same time choosing to do that which is pleasing to the Spirit. I believe this was why Paul did his exposition on: the flesh/sin nature; its operations via “the law of sin”; God's Law; the role of the Holy Spirit; and the practicality of Grace. I believe that as we get to fully comprehend these truths, we'll mature in our Christian walk of faith. An infant has little to no mastery over his flesh, and an extremely low threshold of endurance or pain/hardship tolerance. But a mature individual has CONTROL over his flesh, and a higher threshold to endure pain and difficulties (Heb 5:12-14, 10:32-39, James 1:2-4, 2 Cor 6:4-10…). And as a matter of fact, SELF-CONTROL is part of the administration of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-23, 2 Tim 1:7, 1 Thess 4:4). A Christian who is unaware of the presence of his flesh and the need to SUBDUE its desires, would find it confusing when old habits, that they detest, come back to haunt them, even after they have tasted the goodness of salvation and the Christian life (Rom 6:20-22, 2 Peter 2:18-22). It is for the sake of this struggle that Paul said we should be careful not to just do WHATEVER we want (Gal 5:16-17, 1 Cor 6:12). Whenever, one does whatever they want, without consulting with the Holy Spirit, they are walking by the flesh, and “the law of sin” would quickly find occasion to try to express itself in one way or the other. But when one is mindful of the presence of the flesh, then they can shut down every operation of the flesh; even the ones that appear “good”, because they know fully well that whatever is produced via “the law of sin”, or flesh, would NEVER be pleasing to God (Rom 8:8). This is a pathway to maturity that Christians need to pay a little more attention to. Many Christians have fallen away because they didn't understand, or recognize the contention within, or what to do about it. A little pressure and they snap. They don't practically understand Jesus’s call to DENY one's self and daily take up one's cross (Luke 9:23-26); neither do they understand Paul's teachings for one to CRUCIFY the desires of the flesh (Gal 5:24-25). They left their responsibilities undone, therefore sin once again sprang up and choked them out of the faith. So it is high time we understand these things so that individually we would be able to stand (Gal 6:3-5). And having withstood the pull to fall (2 Peter 3:17-18), we're then in a better position to help our brothers and sisters who have stumbled for lack of understanding (Hosea 4:6, Gal 6:1-2, Matt 7:5, James 5:19-20, 1 Peter 4:7-8). There are quite a few more things that I'd have loved to share on this subject, but I believe I should leave it at this for now. Again, this and more is covered in the book, “Early Steps in Christianity”, for which I'd provide the link for the Free PDF. I hope this study has blessed you in some way; and I'm hopeful that you'd in turn be a blessing to others through what you've learnt. Thanks for the privilege of your time and God bless. Shalom! Google Doc link for current post: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/What_Paul_Meant_by-The_Law_of_Sin_and_Death-Rom_7and8/ Links for the previous two posts: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_OLD_TESTAMENT_IS_THE_SHADOW_OF_THE_NEW_COVENANT/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/HOW_CAN_JESUS_PAY_FOR_THE_SINS_OF_OTHERS/ “To Be Like Jesus” series: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/To_Be_Like_Jesus_Full_Series/ For the Free PDF of "Early Steps in Christianity" (E.S.C): https://selar.com/EarlyStepsInChristianity For Paperback or Hardcover copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKW4H91N For the Free PDF of "The Biblical Festivals of God" (TBFG): https://selar.com/TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod For Paperback copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKPP5N6J Follow-up Posts to the book, TBFG: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Biblical_Ciphers_Part_One/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Biblical_Ciphers_Part_Two/ "Biblical Ciphers and Codes - Update": https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Biblical_Ciphers_Update/ #Jesus #JesusChrist #Theology #Christianity #BibleStudyWithDanielOlatunji #BibleStudy #TheBible #Scripture #TheLivingWord #Truth #Free #FreeBooks #EarlyStepsInChristianity #TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod #HolySpirit #Faith #Grace #TheLaw #ApostlePaul #SinAndDeath #OvercomingTemptation #VictoriousLife

THE OLD TESTAMENT IS THE SHADOW OF THE NEW COVENANT - (WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?) Hebrews 10:1 NIV THE LAW IS ONLY A SHADOW of the good things that are coming—NOT THE REALITIES THEMSELVES. For this reason it can NEVER, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Hebrews 8:5-6 [5] They serve at a sanctuary that is A COPY and SHADOW of what is IN HEAVEN. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you MAKE EVERYTHING ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN shown you on the mountain.” [6] But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as SUPERIOR to theirs as THE COVENANT OF WHICH HE IS MEDIATOR IS SUPERIOR to the old one, since THE NEW COVENANT IS ESTABLISHED ON BETTER PROMISES. NIV 2 Corinthians 1:20 [20] For no matter how many promises God has MADE, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so THROUGH HIM the “Amen” is spoken by us to the Glory of God. NIV So what do we know from the Passages above? Well, simply that: the Old Testament (OT) is the shadow of the New Testament (NT), and the NT is far better and superior to the OT, case closed. Then what are we supposed to do with the OT Scriptures? Some have expressed the opinion that it's irrelevant and should be discarded. Others say, keep it around for the stories and history, but it is not relevant in forming doctrine; in other words, quoting from the OT in matters of doctrine is irrelevant, only the NT Scriptures can be used in that regard. And lastly, there are those who advocate that both the OT and NT Scriptures are relevant in matters of doctrine. Before we address this question, let's take a step back to further understand what the quoted Passages above mean. We'll begin by trying to understand the saying that the OT is a SHADOW and a copy of the NT. Imagine standing outside on a sunny day, with the sun casting a shadow of you. The shadow is basically a representation of you. It would show one head, two hands, two legs, a torso, and its proportions would be similar to yours. Of course, the shadow would not convey the details of your features like your eyes, nose, lips, smile, or the vibrant colors of your clothing. The shadow just shows a black representation letting us know the bounds of the person from which it was cast. Your shadow would not have three hands when you have two, I think you get the picture. In like manner, the Old Covenant Law (OCL) is a SHADOW of the New Covenant (NC). It only reflects the form and template representing the NC; but of itself it doesn't portray the full vibrant glory and beauty of the NC. Now a good question to ask is, why do we need the shadowy black representation when the full HD representation is available (Heb 10:1)? I mean, who wants to be watching a movie in black and white when you can have crisp 4K resolution? Ideally, we would choose the latter. But the fact, according to Scripture, is that the choice is not entirely up to us. Even though we've been shown a lot in the NT Scriptures, we have still not been given the full picture, I mean not until that final day when we behold Christ face to face (1 Cor 13:9-12). But God hasn't left us to grope in the dark, He has directed us to be able to glean wisdom from the OT, and He has given us His Spirit to provide the missing “color pigments” so that we're not pulled into the discouraging or depressing dark tones of the OT. So to answer the initial question of what we are supposed to do with the OT Scriptures, I'm of the third opinion, which opines that both the Old and New Testament Scriptures are useful for defining sound Christian doctrine. And I believe the Scriptures below support this opinion: Romans 15:4-6 [4] For EVERYTHING that was WRITTEN IN THE PAST WAS WRITTEN TO TEACH US, so that through the endurance TAUGHT in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have HOPE. [5] May the God Who gives endurance and encouragement give you the SAME attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, [6] so that with ONE MIND and ONE VOICE you may Glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. NIV Note: When Paul refers to Scripture in this Passage and the one below, he was referring to the OT Scriptures, because during his time the collection of books that we have today as the NT were not yet put together. 2 Timothy 3:15-17 [15] and how from infancy you have known THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, which are able to make you WISE for salvation THROUGH faith in Christ Jesus. [16] ALL SCRIPTURE IS GOD-BREATHED and is USEFUL for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, [17] so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. NIV Note: v15 shows that there is wisdom in the OT that can help build our faith in our Salvation through Jesus Christ. Later, I'd highlight how we can find this encouraging wisdom through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. In my book, “The Biblical Festivals of God” there are many illustrations through the OT festivals that vividly show the significance of aspects of the festivals and how Jesus Christ FULFILLED them. Now if you may be thinking that you don't need the wisdom found in the OT to frame your salvation and faith in Jesus Christ, being that you're ALREADY a Christian, i.e. a believer, please notice that Paul was addressing Timothy, a Christian, when he was writing this Passage. Timothy was probably a Christian from childhood, being guided by his mother and grandmother (2 Tim 1:5), and the above Passage says he was brought up in the knowledge of Scripture from infancy; yet Paul thought it necessary that he still ought to glean from the wisdom of the OT. I'd encourage you to read from v10 of the above Passage to possibly understand why Paul was giving this directive, and link it to the previous Passage above, Rom 15:4-6. It was to provide teaching and encouragement, even in the face of hardships and persecution, which we're all sure to encounter in the course of our Christian walk (2 Tim 3:12, John 15:20, 16:33). Lastly, notice that v16&17 show that ALL SCRIPTURE, meaning both Old and New Testaments, is USEFUL for the shaping of doctrine. I believe this clearly confirms the opinion I stated earlier. Let me quote one more Passage to show part of the USEFULNESS of the OT. 1 Corinthians 10:6-12 [6] Now these things occurred as EXAMPLES to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. [7] Do NOT be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” [8] We should NOT commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. [9] We should NOT test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes [please also read Num 21:6-9 & John 3:14]. [10] And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. [11] These things happened to them as EXAMPLES and were WRITTEN DOWN AS WARNINGS FOR US, on whom the CULMINATION of the ages has come. [12] So, if you think you are standing firm, BE CAREFUL THAT YOU DON’T FALL! NIV Take note of v9, that Paul was saying that in the events of the OT, it was CHRIST that they were testing. You'll find something similar in Hebrews 11 where it superimposes Christ in the midst of the OT, specifically the life of Moses (Heb 11:24-26, 1 Cor 10:1-4). And even Jesus Christ superimposed Himself in the OT when He claimed to be the Creator of mankind (Matt 13:37-38, John 1:1-3, Heb 1:2-3, Prov 30:4), and being present even in the time of Abraham (John 8:56-58). So clearly, the OT is relevant with regard to the NT, because it is a representation from which we can trace the realities of the NT. However, here is the issue, if anyone reading all this, thus far, gets encouraged to crack open the OT, they may be disappointed or discouraged trying to make sense of everything. And the reason for this is because the OT is STILL a SHADOW in itself and NOT the full picture. The ONLY WAY it can become profitable for a believer in the NC is if it is read through the HELP of the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:14-18 [14] But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the Old Covenant is read. It has not been removed, because ONLY IN CHRIST IS IT TAKEN AWAY. [15] Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their HEARTS. [16] BUT WHENEVER ANYONE TURNS TO THE LORD, THE VEIL IS TAKEN AWAY. [17] Now THE LORD IS THE SPIRIT, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. [18] And WE ALL, who with UNVEILED FACES contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being TRANSFORMED into His Image with ever-increasing glory, which COMES FROM the Lord, Who is the Spirit. NIV Without the Holy Spirit, you could read ALL Scripture, and things would still be a mystery (John 5:39-40, 1 Cor 2:7-8, 13-14). And it should be noted that God's Word, and in fact the idea of the NC, is that He seeks to find residency for Himself and His Word in people's HEARTS, and not just their minds (Ps 119:10-11, Luke 8:11, 15, John 14:21, 23). If the Word only goes through your ears and ends in your mind, it would be meaningless and unproductive. It needs to find space to take root in the heart for it to be meaningful (Luke 6:45-49, James 1:22). It is for this reason that an unrepentant heart will be unable to comprehend or accept the Word of God (Luke 7:29-30, John 8:37). But a softened repentant heart, is a conducive space for the Holy Spirit, and He in turn will reveal ALL things, including that which pertains to Scripture (John 14:26, 16:13). Let's proceed in our study, but first let's highlight what we've discovered so far. So the OCL is a SHADOW of the NC. The OT is however not to be discarded, because NT Scripture still points us back to it. Nevertheless, the OT can only be useful with the HELP of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that transforms the shadowy OT to a vivid, Glorious portrait of Jesus Christ and the Will of God, the Father. So now let's explore how people in the New Testament, I mean people filled with the Holy Spirit, and how they were able to paint and portray aspects of the OT in a New Light. For obvious reasons, we have to begin with Jesus Christ. It is without debate that Jesus Christ was full of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35, John 3:34). Let's now explore what He had to say about the OCL and OT in general. The first notable thing that Jesus Christ said continuously was that He came to fulfill the Law and Prophets (Matt 5:17), or simply that He came to fulfill Scripture (Matt 26:24, 31, 54, 56…). The cited Passages sufficiently address this point, but I'd like us to briefly explore what it means for us that Jesus Christ “FULFILLED” the Old Testament requirements. This is necessary because due to an inadequate understanding of this, some people have concluded that fulfillment of the OT means it is no longer relevant and as such should be discarded. But this view doesn't quite line up with NT Scripture as we've already seen earlier, which still pointed us back to the OT. The OCL was full of promises, but these promises came with several requirements along the lines of obedience and sacrifices. So it was like a ball and chain affair, i.e. the promises being anchored to weighty requirements. That's the summary of the OCL. As best as people tried, both in the past and present, no one could perfectly live up to the requirements so as to receive the fullness of the promises. I've intentionally added “present”, because till date no one trying to live by the Law can perfectly fulfill its requirements. But then Jesus Christ came on the scene, and He perfectly FULFILLED the requirements, and to Him was given ALL the promises. His FULFILLMENT of the requirements is what now gives us access to the promises God made (2 Cor 1:20). When Scripture says that the NC is founded on better promises than the OC, I don't think it necessarily means DIFFERENT promises (Heb 8:6). I believe what distinguishes them is that the promises in the NC are founded on the EASY requirement of faith and obedience to Jesus Christ and His teachings (Matt 11:28-30, 28:19-20, John 6:28-29, Gal 3:14), which by far are NOT as burdensome as the requirements of the OT (1 John 5:3), which came with incessant sacrifices and rituals (Heb 10:3). In other words, it can be proven through Scripture that the promises from the OT are quite similar to the NT. I wouldn't extensively elaborate on that here, as part of my previous post covers this idea, but I'd highlight a few illustrations here. If there is a need for further elaboration, please let me know, and by God's Grace, we'd do that. So for starters we know that one of the key promises in the OC was that God wanted to give Abraham and his descendants the LAND of Canaan, referred to as the Promised Land (Gen 15:18). That promise was a SHADOW of God's intention to establish us in His Eternal Kingdom (Heb 11:8-10, 16, 39-40, John 14:2-3, Col 1:12-14). In other words, the Land of Canaan with its capital in Jerusalem was a SHADOW of God's intention to bring us into the NEW JERUSALEM, which is His Eternal Kingdom (Rev 21:2-4, 7). Another example was how in the OCL God expressed His intent to make the Israelites a Kingdom of priests if they would OBEY Him (Exo 19:5-6). But then in the NC, after Jesus Christ FULFILLED everything, He was inaugurated as High Priest (Heb 5:5-6, 7:21-26), and He as well made us priests (1 Peter 2:5, 9), thus fulfilling God's original intent of having a Kingdom of Priests (Rev 5:9-10). Notice that in the OCL, with respect to the promise of priesthood, they had to meet the REQUIREMENT of OBEDIENCE to ALL the Law in order to enjoy the promise God made to have them as priests (Exo 19:5-6). But in the NC we have access to this same promise SIMPLY by believing in Jesus Christ. So the OCL is a SHADOW of the NC, and the promises are quite similar. The difference is that in the NC these promises are much more accessible because of how Jesus Christ FULFILLED the OT (Rom 8:2-4). Some Christians don't even know that they are priests, or even the fact that Jesus Christ is referred to as the High Priest (Heb 6:20). And since they do not recognize or understand this aspect of their ordination, they do not take advantage of their priestly privileges, or carry out the responsibilities of their priesthood in the NC. I'd cite one privilege, and then I'd move on. Did you know that according to Scripture it was only the priest who had the privilege to approach God in the intimacy of the Most Holy Place (Lev 16:1-5, 32-33, Exo 30:10, Heb 9:7)? Well, Jesus Christ has assumed the role of High Priest, thus gaining access to the Father (Heb 9:11-14, 24). And THROUGH Him we've been made priests, hence THROUGH Him, and Him ALONE, we can also APPROACH the Father, as only a priest can (John 14:6, Eph 3:11-12, Heb 10:19-22). So the lingo used in the NT to describe our freedom to confidently APPROACH God is what was used to describe the privilege of the priest in the OT (Eph 3:11-12, Num 3:10, Exo 19:22). But unlike the OT priest, who could only approach God ONCE a year after performing several cleansing and sacrificial rituals (Heb 9:7), we as NC priests can approach God as often as we please, because THROUGH Christ our cleansing has been FULFILLED (Heb 9:13-15), hence we can go right ahead to enjoy the promise of fellowship with God. So again the OCL has been proved to be a SHADOW of the NC, and Christ’s FULFILLMENT of the OCL was not to change the Promise given in the OT, but to reveal its glorious perfection and make it accessible to all through faith (Gal 3:14). If the promises in the OCL bore no resemblance to the NC, then how could it be a SHADOW of the NC? I mean if you're about to turn a corner, and you notice the shadow of a man on the ground approaching from the other end of the corner, wouldn't it be strange if you see a chicken when you finally arrive at the corner? In other words, a chicken cannot cast the shadow of a man, because they bear no resemblance in stature or form. In like manner, it stands to reason that the promises of the OCL should bear some resemblance to the promises in the NC because it is a SHADOW of it. The major difference is that Jesus Christ has FULFILLED the hard requirements of the Law, and THROUGH His Spirit He has given us access to FREELY enjoy the Promises (Gal 4:6-7). That, I believe, expresses the true meaning of Christ FULFILLING the OT as far as it concerns or relates to us. Romans 8:1-4 [1] Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, [2] because THROUGH Christ Jesus THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT Who gives life has set you FREE from the law of sin and death. [3] For what the law was powerless to do because it was WEAKENED by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in the flesh, [4] IN ORDER THAT THE RIGHTEOUS REQUIREMENT OF THE LAW MIGHT BE FULLY MET IN US, who do NOT live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. NIV 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 [20] For no matter how MANY PROMISES God has made, THEY ARE “YES” IN CHRIST. And so through Him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. [21] Now it is God Who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. HE ANOINTED US, [22] set His seal of ownership on us, AND PUT HIS SPIRIT IN OUR HEARTS as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. NIV So we've seen that Jesus Christ clearly said that He FULFILLED the Law and the Prophets (Matt 5:17), and I believe we now understand what that means, especially for us. Now what other noteworthy thing did Jesus Christ say about the OCL? Interestingly, it would appear that Jesus Christ Himself commanded people to teach the Law and not discard it. I don't know if I'm saying it right, so please pardon me, and let me just quote what I'm referring to: Matthew 5:18-19 [18] For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, NOT the smallest letter, NOT the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear FROM THE LAW until EVERYTHING is ACCOMPLISHED. [19] Therefore anyone who SETS ASIDE one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called LEAST in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and TEACHES these commands will be called GREAT in the kingdom of heaven. NIV And Jesus Christ did not stop there. He called us to a higher standard than the Pharisees and teachers of the Law of His day: Matthew 5:20 [20] For I tell you that UNLESS your RIGHTEOUSNESS SURPASSES that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the LAW, you will certainly NOT enter the Kingdom of Heaven. NIV If we used Paul's former way of life as a yardstick to assume the standards of the Pharisees, then with respect to the Law they might have been viewed as flawless (Phil 3:5-6). But in the Passage above, Jesus was stating that we had to surpass them. At first glance, it sounds impossible, and one might argue that didn't we just state that Jesus Christ fulfilled the requirements of the OCL and made things “EASIER” for us, but this doesn't sound “EASY”. In reality what Jesus Christ was saying was not only POSSIBLE, but also EASY because of the Holy Spirit, or I should say GRACE. Again, I better covered this in the previous post showing the connection between the Holy Spirit and GRACE, how this is a key distinguishing factor between the Old and New Covenants, and how GRACE was the NT legal system that replaced the OCL. I'd leave a link to that post at the end, so that you can better explore the subject. Note that you can't surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees by trying to obey and keep the Law by your own ability. That would make you no different from them. But rather you'll surpass their righteousness when you walk by faith and obedience to the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 5:7, Gal 5:16, 24-25). The Holy Spirit/Grace would teach you everything you need to do (John 16:13, Titus 2:11-12). And for all this to work you'll need to obey one of Jesus’s commands that is often overlooked, which is to deny yourself and to take up your cross and follow Him (Matt 16:24). In simple terms, He is asking that you die to self or crucify the flesh, thus denying its desires that war against the Holy Spirit in you (Gal 5:17, 1 Peter 2:11, Rom 6:11-14, 8:5-9). Another VERY important key that distinguishes the OCL and the NC, is the matter of the HEART. God clearly expressed His intent in the OCL that He was after the hearts of the people (Deut 6:4-5, 11:1). God demanded to be LOVED WHOLEHEARTEDLY. But the people could not do this satisfactorily (Num 32:11-12, Deut 10:14-16, 30:1-3, 6, 10, 14-18); moreover they found ways of “fulfilling” the outward requirements of the Law, but their hearts were far from God ([1 Sam 15:22-23, Hosea 6:6, Micah 6:6-8], Isaiah 1:11-13, 29:13, Ezek 33:31). That's why the Pharisees could flawlessly obey the Law, but yet be called hypocrites by Jesus Christ, because their hearts were callous (Matt 23:23-28). Jesus Christ did not have a problem with them teaching the Law of Moses, but He told His disciples not to copy their actions because their hearts were not right (Matt 23:2-3). In the NC however, Jesus Christ corrected the heart issue so that God's intent in the OCL to produce loving people would be finally FULFILLED or REALIZED. We Love because He first Loved us (1 John 4:19). And the Holy Spirit in us produces the fruit of LOVE, among other things: Galatians 5:22-23 [22] But THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. AGAINST SUCH THINGS THERE IS NO LAW. NIV I believe it can be said that the Law of the New Covenant is LOVE, Love for God and fellow man (1 John 4:20-21). That's what Jesus Christ summarized the whole of the OT to be about (Matt 22:37-40), and that's the command He left for us to live by (John 13:34-35). If you live by TRUE LOVE in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you would surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees by miles, because LOVE fulfills the Law (Gal 5:14, Rom 13:9-10), and goes beyond it in demonstrating goodness and righteousness (Col 3:12-17, Eph 5:8-9). The young rich man who came to Jesus Christ was faithful in obeying the Law when Jesus quizzed him, and Jesus Loved him for this. Yet when he was asked to give all his wealth to the poor and FOLLOW Jesus, the man couldn't bring himself to do that (Mark 10:19-22). It wasn't that he didn't LOVE God, but that he loved God AND his money (Luke 16:13). He wasn't WHOLEHEARTEDLY committed to God. When Jesus Christ commands people to give, it's not because of a want for resources, but rather He seeks to gain their hearts. He knows that naturally our hearts are intertwined with our treasures (Luke 12:34). So willingness to sacrifice our treasures for His sake is a sign that we treasure Him above everything else, and as such He has our heart (Matt 13:44-46). We as humans naturally tend to invest our treasures in whatever we deem to have intrinsic value. So we sacrifice our time and resources on leisure or things that bring a return in value. So when we consider the Kingdom of God, Jesus Christ expects that our valuation of it will far outweigh whatever else we consider valuable (Matt 13:44-46). And in that way, it is evident that He has your heart. And for clarity’s sake, God does NOT need anything that you or I can ever give, because in the first place EVERYTHING comes from Him (Ps 24:1, 50:9-15, Rom 11:35-36). So it has to be absolutely clear that it is the HEART that God is after (1 Chron 29:14, 16-19). And speaking of treasures, I'd highlight one last thing that Jesus Christ spoke concerning the OCL in connection to the NC. Jesus Christ referenced a teacher of the Law, meaning one instructed in the OCL, and that if this person becomes a disciple of the Kingdom, meaning the NC, they are like someone having treasures from both the New and Old. In other words, this shows that both the OT and NT possess valuable treasures as Jesus Christ acknowledges below: Matthew 13:52 [52] He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has BECOME A DISCIPLE IN THE KINGDOM of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom NEW TREASURES AS WELL AS OLD.” NIV I've presented three illustrations using Jesus’s Words to show that He still considered the OT useful for our development. He didn't mean the OCL in its raw state, but rather refined by the paradigm of the Holy Spirit, to produce the transformative HEART results that God originally intended. And Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit, through the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matt 5,6&7), showed a snippet of how He came to refine the OCL. Note that even though in the mainstream some people tend to use some aspects of the Sermon on the Mount for evangelical purposes to SHOW unbelievers their sinfulness in the sight of God, and their need for forgiveness, but that is not quite what the Sermon on the Mount was for. The OCL of itself has that precise assignment of SHOWING or PROVING people as being sinful before God (Rom 3:20, 7:7, 13). The Sermon on the Mount on the other hand serves another purpose. The refinements that Jesus Christ brought in contrast to the OCL were matters that pertained to the HEART. Hence, Jesus Christ was showing through the Sermon on the Mount that God was now focused on evaluating each person's heart. So actions of piety were not going to give you a pass with God if your heart wasn't right with Him (1 Cor 13:1-3, Heb 4:12-13). The OCL simply governed outward conduct, but Jesus Christ addressed the internal state of people's hearts (please read Matt 5:21-48). That's why in the NC you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in your heart; and sin is now defined as simply knowing what ought to be done but refusing to do it (James 4:17); and this could apply to things where there isn't even a written command to enforce the restriction or decree to do something (Rom 14:22-23). The NC is on another level. If you're simply living in the grey areas of what may or may not be permissible by Scripture, then in practice you're no different than the Pharisees. In the NC, even in the mere appearance of something being wrong we're expected to avoid that thing (1 These 5:22 KJV, 1 Tim 6:11, 2 Tim 2:22). It is not merely about what is written, but rather what the Holy Spirit is prompting in your heart. But to be clear this does NOT give a grant to transgress or go beyond what is written in Scripture (1 Cor 4:6, Jude 1:4). The Holy Spirit will NOT go against the Word of God in His dealings; so if ever you hear something that clearly violates Scripture, then know for certain that it was not the Holy Spirit that spoke that. It might have been your inner desires, or the devil masquerading himself (James 1:13-15, 2 Cor 11:14, 1 Tim 4:1-2). So the Holy Spirit might prompt you to do something, like for instance to talk to someone or give something; refusal to do such a thing according to the OCL would not be accounted as sin because there is no written mandate on such things. But in the NC you would have grieved the Holy Spirit, the One through Whom you've been sealed for redemption (Eph 4:30, Isaiah 63:10), and that would be a sin you'd have to repent of. Annanias and Sapphira wanted to do an apparently “good” thing by giving. But they chose to mix a “little lie” into the “good” that they wanted to do, and this lie before the Holy Spirit cost them their lives (Acts 5:1-10). This goes to show that in the NC one is not just evaluated by their external actions, but their hearts are weighed as well. You might think that the Holy Spirit was too drastic against them, but based on their internal/heart evaluation, Peter charged them with having allowed satan into their very hearts, the same heart which ought to exclusively be the residence of the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3, [John 14:23, 1 John 3:23-24, Rom 5:5]). Elsewhere, Paul taught that greed is a form of idolatry (Eph 5:5). Annanias and Sapphira could have simply said that they were going to keep part of the money for themselves, and it wouldn't be a problem (Acts 5:4). But they chose to use a lie to mask their greed and that was the problem. And an example on the other side is that the Holy Spirit might restrain you from doing something, and that thing may not be sin in itself if you had done it according to the OCL. For instance, John the Baptist and Jesus Christ were both filled with the Holy Spirit right from the womb (Luke 1:15, 35). However, John was led to maintain a lifestyle of a strict diet (Matt 3:4), while Jesus was free from that restriction. Nevertheless, both of them were still righteous despite their different lifestyles (Matt 11:18-19). So in certain areas where there aren't clear stipulations from Scripture regarding what may be forbidden or permissible, the NT believer is guided by the Holy Spirit and conscience, and violation of either would be considered sinning. And a NT believer by extension is also responsible NOT to push or violate the conscience of their fellow believer, even if what they advocate isn't sinful in itself (1 Cor 8:9-12, 10:23-32). This is a responsibility that is unique to the NT, where believers are expected to take responsibility for each other (Gal 6:1-2, James 5:19-20), and unlike Cain, we're to be our brother's keeper (Gen 4:9). We've explored what Jesus Christ had to say about the OT Law and Prophets; now, let's see what the Apostles had to say. I believe this is where there is a bit of confusion that needs clarification, with the major figure in this debate being Paul. So what's Paul's general evaluation of the Law? He states that the Law is spiritual, but we are of flesh, and as such incapable of truly obeying the OCL (Rom 7:14, [7:25, 8:1-8]). And the heart of his case was to vigorously contend against attempting to keep the OCL by way of the flesh (Rom 8:7). This was something he was all too familiar with given his background as a Pharisee, thus explaining his contention against the flesh (Phil 3:3-9). But even as he made this contention, he was always careful NOT to discredit the Law (Rom 3:31, 7:7, 12, 14, 16, 22, 1 Tim 1:8-11). Ideally, a believer ought NOT to live by their fleshly desires (Rom 6:1-2, 6-8, 11-12, 15-16, 7:1, 1 Peter 4:1-2); ideally, if a believer lived by the Spirit, AND crucified their flesh (Gal 5:16, 24-25), they would under no circumstance be found wanting by the Law (Gal 5:22-23). So in this regard, the regulations of the Law would have no effect over the believer, because they are living by a standard that surpasses the Law, i.e. living by the Spirit (1 Cor 2:10-11, 15-16). But in the NOT so ideal case, when believers did allow their flesh to come back alive, he still had to give guidance to the people by using concepts from the OCL, like excerpts from the Ten Commandments, commands to avoid idolatry and sexual immorality etc., to show them what was expected of them (Rom 13:9-10, [Lev 18:8, 1 Cor 5:1-2, 2 Cor 2:5-10, 7:9-10], [Exo 20:3-6, Ps 106:36-38, 1 Cor 10:7, 14, 20-22], [1 Cor 10:8, 6:15-20]). Dying to self is NOT a one-time thing, it is a daily process (Luke 9:23, Rom 12:1-2). By the Spirit, both Paul and Jesus Christ showed that the essence of the Ten Commandments was still applicable in the NT, and was to be FULFILLED THROUGH LOVE, NOT the flesh. Galatians 5:13-14 [13] You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be FREE. BUT DO NOT USE YOUR FREEDOM TO INDULGE THE FLESH; rather, SERVE one another humbly in LOVE. [14] For THE ENTIRE LAW IS FULFILLED in keeping this ONE command: “LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” NIV Romans 13:8-10 [8] Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to LOVE ONE ANOTHER, for whoever LOVES others has FULFILLED the law. [9] The commandments, “You shall NOT commit adultery,” “You shall NOT murder,” “You shall NOT steal,” “You shall NOT covet,” AND WHATEVER OTHER COMMAND there may be, are SUMMED up in this ONE command: “LOVE your neighbor as yourself.” [10] LOVE does NO harm to a neighbor. Therefore LOVE is the FULFILLMENT of the Law. NIV Ephesians 6:1-3 [1] Children, OBEY your parents in the Lord, for this is right. [2] “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first COMMANDMENT with a promise— [3] “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” NIV [Exo 20:12] Basically, Paul was contextualizing the OCL for the NT believer. He was showing that the OT was still relevant in shaping our doctrine and thought in the NT. In so many ways the OT Scriptures were used in the NT. So application-wise, we can say that the OT Scriptures are still relevant for us today. When Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil, ALL His responses were grounded in Scriptures from the OCL (Matt 4:4, 7, 10, Deut 8:3, 6:16, 13 respectively). We as well in the NC can find comfort, guidance, and assurances from God's promises in the OT (Heb 13:5-6, Deut 31:6, Ps 118:6-7), because God is still the same Faithful One (Num 23:19, Mal 3:6 NKJV, Heb 13:8), and His promises are ALL yes in Christ (2 Cor 1:20). So I'll keep emphasizing it, that the OT was a SHADOW of the NT, but that doesn't mean it is irrelevant; it still holds truths that are representative of Jesus Christ, Who Himself is the Truth according to the NT (John 14:6); and these truths can be revealed through the Holy Spirit, Who is Himself also Truth Personified (John 14:17, 16:13, 1 John 5:6). Jesus Christ clearly said that Scripture, even Moses spoke about Him (John 5:39, Luke 24:44-46). So I think that knowledge held in the OT is still profitable to help us, who haven't seen the Lord (John 20:29, [1 Peter 1:8-12, 2 Peter 1:16-21]); and this knowledge could help us to discern certain things about Him. One may still argue that it is not necessary, and that we have sufficient information in the NT about Jesus Christ, so we don't need the OT. I wouldn't stress too much on that to revisit what we've already discussed. But I'd like to ask a simple question: if we don't need the OT to reveal certain profound things about Jesus Christ, since He has FULFILLED them, how about regarding things to come wherein there are still prophecies in the OT yet to be FULFILLED? The OT is still a reference point in that regard. Jesus Christ Himself, while prophesying about the end, pointed us to the prophecy of Daniel for context (Matt 24:15-16). And through Daniel's prophecy, we have a good idea of the signs to identify the antichrist, and the prudence to know when we have to take flight, in the words of Jesus Christ (Matt 24:16), or to endure the times according to the book of Revelation (Rev 14:9-13). I mean Daniel’s prophecy frames the 3¹/² years of the antichrist reign (Daniel 12:11-12), which is a recurring theme in NT prophecies; Daniel also spoke of the third Temple, which is a necessary sign revealing the antichrist, who would desecrate that Temple (Daniel 9:27, 11:31-32, 12:11-12, 2 Thess 2:3-4); and we know it is the third Temple because he spoke of the destruction of the second Temple in the preceding verse, which was the Temple of Jesus’s day that the Romans destroyed in 70AD (Daniel 9:26); moreso, his prophecies cover other useful details of the end times. In my book “The Biblical Festivals of God” and the follow-up posts tagged “Biblical Ciphers and Codes - Part 1&2” I believe we clearly proved the relevance of the OT even for NT believers, especially in contextualizing the times we live in. I mean who would have thought that the cashless society of today was long prophesied about; and also a lot of the things happening today in politics, culture, science, and tech, all seem to be vividly portrayed in both the New and Old Testament prophecies. Some people may still stick to the idea that the OT is irrelevant in addressing contemporary issues, but certainly the Early Church did not think that way. The Early Church used the OT to navigate difficult situations with the help of the Holy Spirit. You can remember the circumcision scandal (Gal 2:11-16, Acts 15:1-2). It wasn't by popular vote, or eloquent debating skills to support an opinion that they arrived at a decision. They sought the OT Scriptures and received guidance from the Holy Spirit to deliver the final verdict. We have their approach as a blueprint to help us navigate contemporary issues. By the Holy Spirit and His inspiration of Scripture, there is nothing that we can't resolve. Acts 15:13-21, 28 [13] When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. [14] Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for His Name from the Gentiles. [15] THE WORDS OF THE PROPHETS ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THIS, AS IT IS WRITTEN: [16] “ ‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, [17] THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, EVEN ALL THE GENTILES WHO BEAR MY NAME, says the Lord, Who does these things’— [18] things known from long ago. (Amos 9:11-12) [19] “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should NOT make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. [20] Instead we should write to them, telling them to ABSTAIN from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. [21] For the Law of Moses has been PREACHED in every city FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES and is read in the synagogues on EVERY Sabbath.” … [28] IT SEEMED GOOD TO THE HOLY SPIRIT and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: NIV Out of curiosity, when last did you hear a sermon quoting from Amos 9:11-12? Chances are quite slim. But here the Early Church used those two verses to solve a problem that threatened to split the Church. And I'm sure it was the Holy Spirit that helped, or brought to their remembrance that Passage of Scripture (John 14:26, 2 Peter 1:21). And just to clarify on the subject of circumcision, God also demonstrated that His intent in the OCL was for the people to be circumcised in HEART, and not just in the flesh (Deut 10:16, 30:6, Jer 4:4, 9:25-26). Paul focused on the emphasis of God's intention instead of the physical act of circumcision itself. Hence, in the NT he emphasized that Gentiles need not be circumcised in the flesh, because THROUGH Jesus Christ they had received the circumcision of the HEART, which is by the Holy Spirit (Col 2:10-11, Rom 2:25-29, 1 Cor 7:19). This is the same heart transformation that God promised in the OT to enable people to obey His commands (Ezek 36:26-27). So Paul wasn't against the act of circumcision, especially as it pertained to Jews, since it was part of their heritage (Gen 17:10-11); I believe that's why he circumcised Timothy, who was a half Jew (Acts 16:1-3), but he didn't subject Titus to circumcision, who was fully Greek (Gal 2:3); furthermore, he raised no objections to James’ demands regarding the Jews that had completed a vow (Acts 21:23-26). Nevertheless, in the context of SALVATION, which was the argument of that time (Acts 15:1-2), circumcision in accordance with the OCL was IRRELEVANT to SALVATION, since every believer in the NT receives the circumcision which is by Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit (Col 2:10-11, Rom 2:29). So once again the OT is shown to SHADOW the NT in revealing the intent of God and subsequent fulfillment through Jesus Christ. We see that Christ FULFILLED our circumcision, and has made us heirs to the promise of the Kingdom (Eph 3:6, Rom 4:16-17, 23-24, Col 1:12-13), just as circumcision made Abraham's descendants heirs to the Promised Land (Gen 17:7-11). Better than anyone of his time Paul understood this subject of circumcision and he communicated it to the NT Church. There are a host of other subjects where we find people in the NT pulling lessons from the OT and situating them in the NT context. Anyway, the point is that the Holy Spirit is still speaking through the OT which He authored ([2 Tim 3:16, Job 32:8], 2 Peter 1:20-21); but when we take a stance that the OT is not for us, we limit His vocabulary and tools of imagery to reach us (1 Thess 5:19-20). If we refuse Scripture, we refuse Him; and if we refuse Him, Who ought to be our teacher, how would we ever learn or truly know the Scriptures (1 John 2:27)? And if we're only comfortable with the elementary truths of the faith, how then would we ever mature? Our growth is primarily dependent on our WILLINGNESS: WILLINGNESS to absorb what is being poured into us (Luke 5:37-38, John 16:12-13, Matt 11:13-15, 13:9-17); and WILLINGNESS to allow ourselves to be pruned so that we can become more fruitful (John 15:1-2). Hebrews 5:11-14 [11] We have MUCH to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you BECAUSE YOU NO LONGER TRY TO UNDERSTAND. [12] In fact, though by this time you OUGHT to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the ELEMENTARY truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! [13] Anyone who lives on milk, being STILL AN INFANT, is NOT acquainted with THE TEACHING ABOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS. [14] But SOLID FOOD is for the MATURE, who by CONSTANT USE have TRAINED themselves to DISTINGUISH good from evil. NIV Note: what he was previously discussing was in connection to Jesus’s Priesthood and linking it to Melchizedek in reference to the Psalm of David (Ps 110:4). So he was making an exposition from the OT to bring a NT perspective, but his frustration was that his audience seemed uninterested in learning deeper things than what they already knew. His charge to them was to aim for maturity so that they could absorb “solid food” of this kind. I believe that, among other things, this study, as well as the immediate previous one, has helped to adequately DISTINGUISH between the OCL and the NC; and also show that the righteousness which is by faith in the NC is a product of the Holy Spirit (Rom 1:17, 3:21-22, Gal 5:5-6). And this faith is not some dead esoteric thing (James 2:17, 22, 24, 26), but practical expressions from the heart (1 Thess 1:3), that far surpasses the righteousness of the flesh that was obtainable in the OCL. Indeed, the surface context of the OT all too often does not apply to us in the NT. Nevertheless, there is a deeper content in God's Word, both OT and NT, through which the Holy Spirit communicates (John 6:63, 1 Cor 2:13-14). I believe I've said this before, but I'll say it once again, the OCL is STILL a SHADOW of the NC. So I'm not advocating that we as believers just pop open the OCL and do what it says according to our interpretation or understanding (Prov 3:5). What I'm saying, and I believe it also agrees with what Paul had said, is that the OT should be read through the lens of the Holy Spirit, and then we do what the Spirit says (2 Cor 3:13-18, 1 Thess 5:19, Rom 8:14, Rev 2:7). There is much more that I would have loved to include in this study, especially along the lines of elaborating on certain things to show their practicality in the NT, but I'm going to have to leave it at this. I hope this study has been insightful and a blessing to you. Thanks for the privilege of your time. God bless and Shalom! For Current Post: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_OLD_TESTAMENT_IS_THE_SHADOW_OF_THE_NEW_COVENANT/ The Previous Post: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/HOW_CAN_JESUS_PAY_FOR_THE_SINS_OF_OTHERS/ For the Free PDF of "Early Steps in Christianity" (E.S.C): https://selar.com/EarlyStepsInChristianity For Paperback or Hardcover copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKW4H91N For the Free PDF of "The Biblical Festivals of God" (TBFG): https://selar.com/TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod For Paperback copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKPP5N6J Follow-up Post to the book, TBFG: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/BIBLICAL_CIPHERS_AND_CODES-FULL_SERIES/ I'd like to also encourage you to go through the following resources: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_ORIGINS_OF_EASTER/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/JESUS_CHRIST_THE_PASSOVER_LAMB-FULL_SERIES/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/What_Paul_Meant_by-The_Law_of_Sin_and_Death-Rom_7and8/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/TO_BE_LIKE_JESUS_FULL_SERIES/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/The_Premise_of_Christianity/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Jesus_The_Redeemer/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Building_on_Legacy/ #God #Jesus #JesusChrist #Spirit #HolySpirit #Theology #Christianity #TheChurch #BibleStudyWithDanielOlatunji #BibleStudy #TheBible #Scripture #TheLivingWord #Truth #Free #FreeBooks #EarlyStepsInChristianity #TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod #NewTestament #NewCovenant #TheNewTestamentChurch #Grace #Love #OldTestament #Prophecy #Fulfilled #Priesthood #Priest #PriestsAndKings #UnderstandingScripture #LoveGod #LoveFellowMankind

HOW CAN JESUS PAY FOR THE SINS OF OTHERS? (AN HONEST QUESTION FROM JEWS AND MUSLIMS, AND A STUDY ON PRIESTHOOD) (Google Docs link provided at the end in the comment for clickable Bible citations to open Bible app to facilitate fluid study of the resource) On social media I had the privilege of debating with a Rabbinic Jew (he didn't believe that Jesus was the Messiah), from 2024/25; we debated on a number of subjects regarding Christianity, and the question above was one of his talking points. Similarly, I've come across some videos of Muslims posing this question as a challenge to the foundations of Christianity. The New Testament claims that Jesus Christ bore the sins and punishment of the world, and as a result, if anyone believed in Him and what He did then they would receive forgiveness and not have to pay for their sins. Rabbinic Jews and Muslims instead say that, “No! Everyone must pay for their own sins.” And they back it up with the following Scripture: Ezekiel 18:20 THE SOUL WHO SINS SHALL DIE. The son shall NOT bear the guilt of the father, NOR the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be UPON HIMSELF, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be UPON HIMSELF. NKJV The Passage above doesn't entirely negate the subject of someone bearing the sins of another. That may sound ludicrous, but if you give me a moment we'd obtain clarity from both the Old and New Testaments on this subject. On the subject of one person bearing the sins of another, there is a clear exception in Scripture that many people might not have noticed. And the exception is that a priest can indeed bear the sins of others. This was something that was SYMBOLICALLY true in the Old Covenant (Exo 28:38 NKJV, Ezekiel 4:4-6 - Note that Ezekiel was a priest - Ezekiel 1:3); but it became LITERALLY true in the New Covenant through Jesus Christ, with preceding testimony about this fact coming from the Old Testament (Isaiah 53:6-12). It should be noted that part of Jesus’s ordination is that of Priesthood (Ps 110:4, Heb 7:20-28, 9:11-12…); hence, He qualifies to do everything that a priest can do, and in this case that includes BEARING the sins of others. To make all these clearer we'd have to explore the foundations, commonalities, and differences between the Old and New Covenants; but first let’s quickly illustrate a case scenario where the priest, by his death, BORE or ATONED for the sins of others. The Law regarding the cities of refuge highlights the point that the priest can BEAR/ATONE for the one who accidentally kills someone (Num 35:11-12, 22-28, 32-33). Verse 33 clearly states that bloodshed can only be atoned for by the blood of the one who shed it, meaning that that person must die (v16-21, Gen 9:5-6). However, according to Verse 28, we see that such a person, who ought to have been killed if found outside the city of refuge (v26-27), would be allowed to return to their home and live out the rest of their life AFTER THE DEATH of the high priest. So the death of the high priest in a manner of speaking ATONES for the bloodshed by the refugee who accidentally killed someone; which is why they can then return home without polluting the land with the guilt of bloodshed (v33, Gen 4:10-12). So clearly the death of the high priest ATONED for the one who shed human blood, thus sparing him from the immediate consequences and judgment. Now let's pivot to discussing about the Old and New Covenants, from which we'll get a better understanding of why and how Jesus Christ can bear the sins of the WHOLE world. The groundwork for both the Old and New Covenants began with Abraham. The first significant distinguishing factor between the two covenants, as we examine Scripture, is a matter of scope. The scope of the Old Covenant revolved mainly around the LAND of Israel and those who would inhabit it. But the scope of the New Covenant included both the LAND and ALL other nations, in short THE WHOLE EARTH. Bear in mind this simple distinguishing factor as we now proceed to prove it through Scripture. In Gen. 15, God entered into a covenant with Abraham, and you'd notice that this covenant was basically promising that the descendants of Abraham would inherit the LAND: Genesis 15:18 On that day the Lord made a COVENANT with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give THIS LAND, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— NIV Similarly, the covenant of circumcision was also tied to the Promised LAND, and primarily the descendants of Abraham (Gen 17:1-14). So the covenant of circumcision is also connected to the Gen. 15 covenant above. The circumcision covenant did NOT include ALL the nations per se. If you read the cited Passage, it speaks of Abraham being the father of MANY nations and having kings come from him, but it is important to note that this does NOT imply ALL nations. Indeed many nations did come from Abraham like Israel (Jacob), Edom (Esau), Ishmael (Gen 21:13) etc, thus validating what the cited Passage said. However, the covenant of circumcision, in terms of scope was still limited to Abraham and his descendants; more so the covenant God made with Abraham when He called him, was specifically passed down through Isaac and subsequently Jacob (aka Israel) who would dwell in the LAND God promised to Abraham, and this is clearly shown in the subsequent verses in the circumcision covenant of Gen. 17 (Gen 12:7, **17:16-21**, 26:2-3, 28:3-4, 50:24). But now the scope of the other Covenant that God also made with Abraham included ALL other nations: Genesis 22:16-18 [16] and said, “I SWEAR BY MYSELF, DECLARES THE LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, YOUR ONLY SON, [17] I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, [18] and THROUGH YOUR OFFSPRING ALL NATIONS ON EARTH will be blessed, because you have OBEYED Me.” NIV The scope of the first covenant was limited to Abraham, his descendants, and the LAND God promised to them. But the second Covenant promised blessings for ALL nations on earth. The Law (i.e. the commands from Exodus - Deuteronomy), which covers all the precepts and dictates God gave through Moses, is anchored on the principles of the first covenant God made with Abraham. Hence, the Law of Moses, in scope, is limited to Abraham’s descendants and the LAND, and this constitutes the Old Covenant. The Law is the governing principle of the Israelites and ALL who live in the LAND, both Israelites and foreigners (Exo 12:49, Lev 16:29-30, 19:33-34, 24:22). It however holds NO promise of blessings for ALL the nations on earth. Again, the covenant of the Law of Moses is principally the Old Covenant, and it is INCAPABLE of fulfilling the second Covenant (Gen 22:18), which holds promise and blessing for ALL nations. David conveyed the same idea that the Old covenant was the promise of inheriting the LAND of Canaan (1 Chron 16:15-18). And with regards to the nations, he asks God to DELIVER Israel from them (1 Chron 16:35-36), instead of asking for Israel to be a BLESSING to ALL of them in accordance with the second covenant (Gen 22:18). I believe that further highlights the limitation of the first covenant. Now the second Covenant God made with Abraham was anchored on a Person, the Offspring of Abraham, THROUGH whom ALL the nations would be BLESSED (Gen 22:18). That Offspring certainly was NOT Moses, through whom the Law of the Old Covenant came, because as I've repeatedly said the Law in terms of scope did NOT hold any ACHIEVABLE promise or blessing for ALL the nations; it was limited to the Israelites and the inhabitants of the LAND. But God showed that He was going to raise up Someone other than Moses (Deut 18:18-19, Acts 3:18-23); and this Person would not only save the nation of Israel, but He would also save the Gentiles (i.e. ALL nations on earth), and all others would honor and bow before Him (Isaiah 49:5-7). Moreover, as I stated at the beginning of the previous paragraph, the second covenant was anchored on a Person, and God clearly showed that this Individual, Who would usher in this Covenant, would bring justice to the WHOLE earth, and the Gentiles (i.e. ALL other nations) would put their hope in Him. In other words, this Person of the Covenant would be a blessing to ALL nations. The Old Covenant Law of Moses did NOT bring justice and righteousness to the WHOLE earth, again it was limited in scope. But the New Covenant anchored on the Person of Jesus Christ has had a global effect. Isaiah 42:1-3, 6 [1] “Here is My Servant, Whom I uphold, My chosen One in Whom I delight; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT ON HIM, and HE WILL BRING JUSTICE TO THE NATIONS. [2] He will not shout or cry out, or raise His Voice in the streets. [3] A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out. IN FAITHFULNESS HE WILL BRING FORTH JUSTICE; [4] He will NOT falter or be discouraged TILL HE ESTABLISHES JUSTICE ON EARTH. IN HIS TEACHING THE ISLANDS WILL PUT THEIR HOPE.” … [6] “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness; I will take hold of Your Hand. I will keep you AND WILL MAKE YOU TO BE A COVENANT for the people AND A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, NIV Take note of the last verse; the Individual spoken about would Himself be MADE the Covenant for the people, and He would also influence the Gentiles. As I've emphatically said, the second Covenant in Gen 22:18 was anchored on an Individual and had influence over ALL the nations on earth. This is exactly what we see being illustrated by the Passage above. The Covenant of Moses was anchored on obedience to the Law and God’s dictates (Exo 24:7-8), but NOT on an individual; again, it was limited in scope. Even Moses was held liable when he disobeyed God's command (Num 20:7-12, 27:12-14). To fulfill all due diligence, let me briefly explain my statements in the preceding paragraphs, that the Law had NO “ACHIEVABLE” promise or blessing for ALL nations, and also why God had to raise Someone else like Moses. In all my study of the Law (i.e. the commands from Exodus - Deuteronomy), I can think of only ONE law or command where by implication God demonstrated intent for blessing ALL other nations; but it was anchored on the CONDITION that ALL the Israelites would OBEY His commandments. If they OBEYED, they, as a nation, would become priests for the rest of the nations (Exo 19:5-6). Note that even though the Passage doesn't explicitly say that they would be a kingdom of priests FOR ALL the nations, I'm drawing that implication because part of the expressed responsibilities of a priest is service or ministry to God, and a channel of blessing to people (Gen 14:18-19, Num 6:22-27). So we'd proceed with that interpretation of Exo 19:5-6 that their FULL OBEDIENCE would have made them a kingdom of priests for ALL the nations. However, they did NOT OBEY; and as a result, instead of being priests for others, they themselves required priests to mediate between them and God. And for this, the tribe of Levi was selected, and the family of Aaron, Moses’s brother, became the priesthood for the nation of Israel. What most people don't know is that the Levites and the priesthood of Aaron took on the responsibilities and obligations that were originally intended for all the Israelites (Num 3:6-8, 18:1-7). Thus showing that God’s intention was originally to have all of them as priests according to Exo 19:5-6, but now that obligation had been relegated to Aaron and the Levites. In all these, we've shown the foundations of the Old Covenant priesthood. So God expressed the intent for the nation of Israel to be a kingdom of priests for ALL the nations, but they failed at this (Exo 19:5-6). Hence, God raised up a New Priest, and as a consequence a New Covenant and Law (Hebrews 7:12), to address the limitations of the first (Jer 31:31-32, Rom 8:3-4). And as we highlighted earlier on, this New Priest, in the Person of Jesus Christ, would as well be ABLE to BEAR and ATONE for the sins of ALL nations on earth (Isaiah 53:10-12, Hebrews 7:21-25). In short, Jesus Christ came to inaugurate a New Covenant (Matt 26:28), a New Priesthood (Hebrews 5:5-6), and also a New LEGAL system (Hebrews 7:12, John 14:15, Matt 28:20, Rom 8:1-2, 7:6, 1 Cor 9:21). And just for emphasis's sake, the Covenant that was established through Jesus Christ finally fulfilled God's expressed intent of having a kingdom of priests (Exo 19:5-6, 1 Peter 2:4-5, Rev 5:9-10). Jesus Christ fulfilled all the responsibilities of a priest. For instance: Just like the Law for the city of refuge (Num 35:11-34), Jesus’s death as the High Priest is the reason why we have been freely given life even though we deserved death (2 Cor 5:15, Rom 5:6-10, Eph 2:3-6). Just as the priests, Aaron and Ezekiel, SYMBOLICALLY bore the sins of the Israelites (Exo 28:38 NKJV, Ezekiel 4:4-6), so also did Jesus Christ LITERALLY BEAR the sins of the WHOLE world as He died on the cross (Isaiah 53:10-12, 2 Cor 5:21, John 3:16). Just as the priests were responsible for teaching the people the ways of God (Lev 10:11, Ezra 7:12, 25-26), so also was Jesus Christ a Teacher (Isaiah 42:4, John 3:2). Also the priest had the responsibility to cleanse the people to make them CEREMONIALLY clean (Lev 16:17-19, 14:4-8), so also Jesus Christ offered ABSOLUTE cleansing (Heb 9:11-14, 10:10,19-22). And even in the matter of “desecrating” the Sabbath, Jesus’s illustration using the priests of the Old Covenant, was in a way alluding to His own Priestly ordination from God (Hebrews 5:5-6), and by extension Priestly rights and responsibilities, even over the Sabbath (Matt 12:5-8). We can go on and on to show how Jesus Christ mirrored and fulfilled the Priestly role as revealed through the Old Testament Scripture, but we'll leave it at this. As far as I know from the Quran, Muslims do not dispute that Jesus is the Messiah (Surah 3:45, 4:157…). I would not assume to know what the Muslim’s interpretation of this means, but I can illustrate through the Old Testament what the expectations for the Messiah were, and how it fits into this narrative of the Priesthood. It was long prophesied about the Messiah that He would somehow merge the offices of Kingship and Priesthood (Zech 6:11-13 TPT). And interestingly, it was no coincidence that a priest was used SYMBOLICALLY in this prophecy; but more so that his name was “Joshua” (Zech 3:8-9). This is no coincidence because the name “Joshua” or “Yeshua” or “Yehoshua” is the Hebrew form of the Name “Jesus”, which means “the Lord saves” (Matt 1:21 NIV - please read the footnote in the Passage). So in short, the Old Covenant had in place a priesthood that was limited in scope to the service of the Israelites and all who lived in the LAND, foreigners and native born. But the New Covenant has the Priesthood of Jesus Christ, which offers service for ALL mankind, something that the first covenant could NOT achieve. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 NIV [5] For there is ONE GOD and ONE MEDIATOR between God and mankind, the Man Christ Jesus, [6] Who gave Himself as a ransom FOR ALL PEOPLE... Having ironed out the Exo 19:5-6 issue, which could only be fulfilled in the second Covenant through Jesus Christ, let's continue to explore the two covenants that God began with Abraham, and their other distinguishing factors. Like the first covenant God made with Abraham, the Law was filled with conditionalities. Remember Abraham and his descendants had to submit to the CONDITION of circumcision in order to inherit the LAND (Gen 17:7-14). Likewise, the Law was based on several CONDITIONS, and failure to obey them ultimately meant that they would be kicked out of the LAND (Lev 26:14-15, 33-34, Deut 28:15, 21, 45, 63, 29:24-28…). In fact, the major threat in the Law was expulsion from the LAND on account of disobedience (Lev 18:26-28, Deut 4:25-27, 30:19-20…). The second covenant on the other hand required ONLY BELIEF in God. Abraham believed in the promise of God, that the covenant would pass on through his son by Sarah, i.e. Isaac (Gen 17:19). Hence, he had such an incredible faith that even the apparent sacrifice of his son, he believed, would NOT void the promise of God (Heb 11:17-19). So the second covenant basically required FAITH, which Abraham had (Gen 15:6, Rom 4:13-25); while God PROVIDED the necessary sacrifice (**Gen 22:12-14**). This kind of faith is the premise of Christianity (Rom 4:16-17, Gal 3:7-9, John 3:16-18). Christianity is the combination of faith and the sacrifice God PROVIDED by sending His Only Son (Eph 2:8, Rom 3:22-25, 5:1,6-10), just as He had asked Abraham to sacrifice his “only son” (Gen 22:2). In my conversations with the Rabbinic Jew, I asked him why God would refer to Isaac as the “only son” of Abraham, when God clearly knew about Ishmael (Gen 17:19-21). At face value it would appear as an “error”; and this is absolutely unacceptable for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike to ever attribute error to God (James 1:13). But when you approach the statement prophetically, it more appropriately serves as a testimony, especially to the Jews, for when Jesus Christ would come claiming to be the ONLY begotten Son of God that was to be sacrificed for the sins of ALL peoples, Jews and Gentiles (John 3:16, 10:34-37, Isaiah 49:5-7). And if you are still stuck on viewing this as an “error”, let me briefly highlight another instance in Scripture so that you can better understand God's perspective and way of communication. It was stated in 1 Kings 6:1 that it had been 480 years since the Exodus from Egypt, and the 4th year of Solomon's reign, when they began building the Temple. However, it is only if you calculate from Moses, Joshua, the Judges, and kings up till Solomon, i.e. the reign of Israelites over Israel, that you'd approximately get up to 466 years (note that the duration of the Judge Shamgar is a mystery Judges 3:31). So this can approximate to the aforementioned 480 years. Nevertheless, the cumulative of 111 years when Israel was disobedient and out of God’s will, and as a result they fell under foreign oppressive rule, was NOT reckoned to the 480 years, otherwise in addition to the 466 years, it would be a total of approximately 577 years since the Exodus. Similarly, God chose to reckon Isaac as Abraham’s “only son”, because this was the son born to Abraham by his WIFE, Sarah, who was a product of God's will, promise, and purpose. So there are layers of depth when exploring Scripture, especially when it pertains to prophecy. Things are hardly as they appear to be at face value. With regards to Jesus Christ, God ensured that, like the reference of “only Son”, there were numerous other prophetic testimonies, that in the context of the Old Testament Scripture may not make much sense, but when viewed in the paradigm of the New Testament it fits perfectly like a glove in hand without any reasonable doubt, even when scrutinized by extra-biblical sources. We'd explore a few of these prophetic testimonies from the Old Testament, just like the second covenant with Abraham that we're discussing. The first Covenant as we've shown could NOT encompass the scope that the second Covenant was meant to cover, i.e. the WHOLE world. Though Scope is one of the major distinctions, I must highlight that there are other significant distinguishing factors between the Old and New Covenants. One of such is that the Law of the Old Covenant was external, while that of the New Covenant was internalized. I'd explain more after the following Passage: Jeremiah 31:31-34 [31] “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I WILL MAKE A NEW COVENANT with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. [32] IT WILL NOT BE LIKE THE COVENANT I MADE WITH THEIR ANCESTORS when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because THEY BROKE My covenant, though I was a Husband to them,” declares the Lord. [33] “This is the COVENANT I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I WILL PUT MY LAW IN THEIR MINDS and WRITE IT ON THEIR HEARTS. I will be their God, and they will be My people. [34] No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will ALL know Me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins NO MORE.” NIV Just a quick note for my Christian brethren who have inadvertently mischaracterized the word “law”, especially in the “Grace/Law debate”. Notice that the New Covenant is NOT lawless, but rather God decided to internalize His Law in each individual’s heart and mind (v33); and this is made possible by the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 59:21, Ezekiel 36:26-29, 11:19-21, John 14:26, 1 John 2:27). Moses would have loved for ALL those in the Old Covenant to have the Holy Spirit, but that was not obtainable then (Num 11:29). The Law, in the Old Testament, was external and had to be studied, and learned (Deut 6:6-9, 20-24, 2 Chron 17:7-9, Neh 8:1-9 *v8*); otherwise, ignorance would prevail in the population and they would stray from God (Mal 2:7-8, Hosea 4:6). But in the New Covenant people would not necessarily need to be taught by others (Jer 31:33-34), but rather the Holy Spirit from God dwelling in each person would TEACH them to do what was right (Isaiah 59:21, 30:21, Ezekiel 36:26-29, 11:19-21, John 14:26, 1 John 2:27). In other words, God made Himself responsible for directly teaching each person by His Spirit, and ENABLING them to obey His commands. But note that after being taught and guided by the Holy Spirit, each individual would still have the responsibility to OBEY and do what's right. The Holy Spirit doesn't force anyone to do what's right, He only eliminates the ignorance of not knowing what's right and offers assistance to whoever is WILLING to do the right thing. Sadly, it is still possible to reject His counsel and choose to do the wrong thing (Gal 5:16-18, Eph 4:26-31, Heb 10:26-31). So, the testimony in the Old Testament regarding the New Covenant once again matches perfectly with the doctrines of Christianity. A Jew cannot prove by the tenets of the Law (Exodus - Deuteronomy) any of the promises that God presented in the New Covenant (Gen 22:18), even as we've seen regarding the internalization of the Law (Jer 31:33-34, Isaiah 59:21, Rom 7:6, 2 Cor 3:3). I know that you may be tired of hearing it, but I'd say it once more: the tenets of the Law were limited to the LAND and its inhabitants, but the second covenant involved the WHOLE world. For this reason, you can't find a command in the Old Covenant Law that directly BLESSES the WHOLE world, but on the contrary, you'll find a number of Jesus’s commands that do just that. For starters, Jesus Christ commanded His disciples to be salt and light to the WORLD; hence, the goodness they manifest would cause the people of the WORLD to praise God (Matt 5:13-16, 2 Cor 9:12-15). In other words, this goodness that Christians are commanded to manifest in the Name of Christ even in difficult circumstances (Col 3:23-24, Rom 12:14-21, 1 Peter 2:12), would be a BLESSING to the people; so by inference, through Jesus Christ, the One on Whose behalf Christians act (2 Cor 5:14-15, Heb 13:21, Phil 2:13, 1 Peter 4:10-11), ALL nations on earth would be BLESSED (Gen 22:18). In addition to that, Jesus Christ commanded that LOVE should be the identifier by which EVERYONE would know that a person was His disciple (John 13:34-34, 15:12-13, 17-18). And this LOVE was not just limited to believers, but also was to be extended to unbelievers (Gal 6:9-10), and even those who positioned themselves as enemies (Matt 5:43-48, Rom 12:20-21). Notice how in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5,6&7, Jesus Christ introduced His Legal System that superseded the requirements of the Old Legal System, and His was to impact the WHOLE world. His Legal System is called GRACE (John 1:17, Rom 6:14, [Note that violating the “Spirit of Grace” is more grievous than violating the Law - Heb 10:28-29, Matt 12:31-32]). The Holy Spirit is the Administrator of this New Legal System. In other words, NOT being UNDER the Law, but under Grace, means that that person is being led by the Holy Spirit, through Whom they are liberated from being UNDER the Law (Rom 6:14, 8:14, Gal 5:18). It is the Holy Spirit that would teach the individual HOW to OBEY the Laws of this New Legal System called GRACE (John 14:26, 16:13, Titus 2:11-14). Without the Holy Spirit, it would be IMPOSSIBLE to truly understand and APPLY this New Legal System of GRACE (1 Cor 2:10-14, Rom 8:5-14). And still on the GLOBAL agenda, Jesus Christ came to defeat the devil and his instrumentality of sin and death (1 John 3:8, [James 1:14-15, Heb 2:14-15]), which he had used to hold people captive (2 Tim 2:26, Acts 8:23), and to also exert a FALSE claim over the earth (Ps 24:1, Luke 4:5-6). The devil does NOT have a legitimate claim over the earth, because God Who is the OWNER gave the earth for the dominion of mankind (Gen 1:26-28, Ps 115:16). The devil enticed mankind to sin so as to hold influence over him, and as such indirectly over the earth (2 Tim 2:26); a person's God/god is the one they choose to serve and carryout their God’s/god’s will (Rom 6:16-18, [Matt 6:9-10, 7:21], Phil 3:18-19); unfortunately, sin is pervasive in the world, so those who choose the way of the world (i.e. sin) have the devil as their god and yield to do his will (1 John 3:7-10, John 8:44-47, [1 John 2:15-17, James 4:4]). So Biblical references to the devil being the “god/prince of this world/age” are indicative of the fact that the people of the world have adopted him to be their god by choosing to do his will, which is sin (2 Cor 4:4, Eph 2:1-3). It is at the same time possible to be in the world, but NOT subject to the apparent “god/prince of this world/age”, if you become set free from sin through Jesus Christ (John 14:30-31, 17:14-19, 8:34-36, 1 John 5:18-19). Remember, your God/god is the one you serve (Rom 6:16). So the devil being the “god/prince of this world/age” does NOT however mean that he has ownership of the world as some have erroneously used Scripture to imply. It simply means that those who have chosen the ways of the world have him as their god. But Jesus Christ came as a Man to rightfully gain authority over the earth, because it was to mankind that God gave rulership over the world (Heb 2:6-9); and Jesus chose to serve God and NOT the devil (Luke 4:7-8); hence, He defeated the devil and gained authority over the WHOLE world (Matt 28:18, [Col 2:15, 1 Cor 2:8], Eph 1:20-22). And lastly, as Jesus Christ was about to ascend into Heaven, He gave His disciples the final Command and Commission, which was to testify to the Good News (i.e. Gospel) to ALL the nations on earth, and teach them His commands, which essentially constitutes of LOVE, righteousness and faithfulness (Matt 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, Rom 1:16-17, [Eph 5:8-11, Col 3:12-17]). Clearly, you can see that everything Jesus Christ did matched with all that had been spoken in the Old Testament concerning the New Covenant. The New Covenant was to be anchored on a Person, and was to affect the WHOLE world (Gen 22:18); through this Person the teachings of justice and righteousness would fill the earth (Isaiah 42:1, 4, 6); and sin, which is the instrumentality of the devil, would be taken care of in this New Covenant (Jer 31:31&34, Isaiah 53:6, 8, 11-12, Zech 3:8-9, Daniel 9:24). Shortly, I'd expound on the prophecies concerning the last part about dealing with sin. Now Jesus Christ fulfilled all these conditions, but in contrast, the Old Covenant Law (Exodus - Deuteronomy) was incapable of fulfilling any of these. With all these, I believe you should be able to adequately delineate between the Old and New Covenants, and see exactly what sets them apart. As we move to conclude, let's once again address the question at hand, and view the prophetic Scriptures that give credence to ALL Jesus’s claims in the New Testament, especially with regards to BEARING the sins of the world. So the Law and Old Covenant held each person individually responsible for their sins (Ezekiel 18:20). This is a fact that I cannot debate against, and as a matter of fact I'm compelled to amplify it saying that, by the Law everyone is GUILTY before God (Lev 5:17, Romans 3:9-12, 19-20, 29-31, Isaiah 64:6). The Psalmist understood this reality, so he penned this prophetic Psalm acknowledging their sins, but at the same time asking God to let His Hand of judgment rest on the Man at His “right Hand”, so that they could return to worship God: Psalms 80:16-19 [16] Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; AT YOUR REBUKE YOUR PEOPLE PERISH. [17] Let Your Hand rest on the Man AT Your right Hand, the Son of Man You have raised up for Yourself. [18] THEN we will NOT turn away from You; revive us, and we will call on Your Name. [19] RESTORE US, Lord God Almighty; make Your Face shine on us, THAT WE MAY BE SAVED. NIV One thing of note is that this Psalm (v17) places a Human Being in close proximity to God; this is noteworthy especially if you start exploring the subject of the Sonship of the Messiah (Prov 30:4). Anyway, we can't afford to have that diversion here. V16 shows that they were already experiencing the Judgment/rebuke of God; but their prayer was that God would transfer that wrath from them and cause the Man at His right Hand to BEAR it on their behalf (v17). And only THEN, would they no longer be in FEAR to turn away from God (Gen 3:8-10), but rather be able to return to Him and enjoy His SALVATION and restoration (v18-19). Still along the themes of the Psalm above, the following Passage ALSO apparently shows that God had reserved an INNOCENT Individual Who would BEAR the sins of others and the brunt of punishment FROM God, and then afterwards God would reward Him for this: Isaiah 53:5-6, 8, 10-12 NIV [5] But He was pierced FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, He was crushed FOR OUR INIQUITIES; THE PUNISHMENT that brought us peace WAS ON HIM, and BY HIS WOUNDS we are healed. [6] We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and THE LORD HAS LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL. … [8] By oppression and judgment He was taken away. Yet who of His generation protested? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people HE WAS PUNISHED. … [10] YET IT WAS THE LORD’S WILL TO CRUSH HIM AND CAUSE HIM TO SUFFER, and though THE LORD MAKES HIS LIFE AN OFFERING FOR SIN, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and THE WILL OF THE LORD WILL PROSPER IN HIS HAND. [11] AFTER He has suffered, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by His knowledge My Righteous Servant will JUSTIFY many, and HE WILL BEAR THEIR INIQUITIES. [12] Therefore I WILL GIVE HIM A PORTION AMONG THE GREAT, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He poured out His life UNTO DEATH, and was numbered with the transgressors. FOR HE BORE THE SIN OF MANY, AND MADE INTERCESSION FOR THE TRANSGRESSORS. NIV I'd encourage you to read the above Passage again slowly, paying close attention to the emphasis highlighted. The above Passage more than adequately answers the question we set out to explore, and it also marries nicely with the previous Psalm. There is so much that we could highlight from the Passage, but I'd like to point out just two things. V10 shows that God MADE “His Life an offering for sin”; this connects to the fact that the Second Covenant was anchored on a Person (Isaiah 42:6, Gen 22:18, Mal 3:1). And secondly, v11 unequivocally states that “He BORE the sins of MANY”. Everyone else is practically incapable of bearing the sins of others because they themselves have their own burden of sins to carry. Moreover, sin separates people from God, and it is God Himself Who is in a position to initiate reconciliation through forgiveness (Isaiah 59:2, 2 Sam 14:14). So someone who has sin in them, even if it is a speck (James 2:10), they have no moral standing to approach the Holy God. Hence, such a person who lacks the moral standing to approach God on their own behalf, is also NOT qualified to approach God on behalf of other people. But the Man referenced in Isaiah 53 was found to be INNOCENT and BLAMELESS (v9), thus having no sin burden of His own, and as such freeing Him to carry the burden of others (John 14:30-31, Heb 4:15, [2:17-18, Matt 4:1], Matt 11:28). And because of His righteous standing, He affords the legitimate Channel through which people can approach God (John 14:6, Eph 2:18, 3:12, Heb 10:19-22). And if there was any doubt that Jesus Christ was the Person being referred to in Isaiah 53, the Person Who would BEAR the sins of others and bring about their JUSTIFICATION (v11-12), then let's highlight just one more prophecy before we conclude: Daniel 9:24-26 NIV [24] “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, TO PUT AN END TO SIN, TO ATONE FOR WICKEDNESS, TO BRING IN EVERLASTING RIGHTEOUSNESS, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place. [25] “Know and understand this: FROM THE TIME the word goes out TO RESTORE AND REBUILD JERUSALEM UNTIL the Anointed One, THE RULER, COMES, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, BUT IN TIMES OF TROUBLE. [26] After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ THE ANOINTED ONE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will DESTROY THE CITY AND THE SANCTUARY. The end will come like a flood: war will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. NIV One of the reasons why this prophecy is significant in identifying Jesus Christ as the Messiah is that it highlights the cryptic circumstances of His era. First of all, v24 makes some very bold assertions that in that era there will be an end to sin, atonement will be accomplished, and EVERLASTING RIGHTEOUSNESS will come to be. These assertions connect both to Isaiah 53 and the claims of the New Testament; I'd refrain from elaborating on this so that we don't get sidetracked. V25 Clearly shows that the time period for the coming of the Messiah was AFTER the command to rebuild Jerusalem was given. And as such the Messiah would come when the city had already been rebuilt. It is critical to point out that the Messiah was to come in the time period of the Second Temple according to this prophecy. And then lastly, v26 clearly highlights the death of the Messiah, just like Isaiah 53:8-9&12; and it also highlights the critical detail that both the city and the Temple would be destroyed afterwards. And this is exactly what happened in 70 AD, when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. Some Jews may not want to accept Jesus as the prophesied Messiah, but the Daniel prophecy affords them a limited choice; because if it's not Jesus, then they would have to find another person in that time era, who would at the same time fulfill the other prophecies associated with the Messiah. So Isaiah 53 showed that the Messiah would BEAR the sins of MANY, and His Life would be made an offering for sin (v10, 12). The Isaiah 42 prophecy showed that the Messiah Himself would be made a covenant for the people (v6); and this is corroborated by the Malachi prophecy, where the Messiah is referred to as the Messenger of the Covenant, and also as coming to His Temple, thus claiming that God’s Temple was His as well (Mal 3:1), a claim that only Jesus Christ has made (John 2:16, 10:30, 38, 16:15, 17:7&10). Furthermore, the Psalms and Daniel prophecy corroborate everything in Isaiah 53. The lines of connection keep going deeper as you explore more prophecies. The point is that the claims of Jesus Christ and the New Testament, even with regard to the question posed in this study, are not arbitrary, but rather DEEPLY ROOTED in the everlasting Word of God. I can only hope that this study has provided clarity in the subject we discussed, and other areas. And I pray that God would reveal His Truth to you and give you peace in your soul (Eph 1:17, Phil 4:6-7, 1 Tim 2:1-4). If you'd like to continue exploring more about Jesus Christ, Christianity, and Christian doctrines and practices, I'd encourage you to download my Free books below👇. Thanks for the privilege of your time. God bless and Shalom! For Current Post: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/HOW_CAN_JESUS_PAY_FOR_THE_SINS_OF_OTHERS/ For the Free PDF of "Early Steps in Christianity" (E.S.C): https://selar.com/EarlyStepsInChristianity For Paperback or Hardcover copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKW4H91N For the Free PDF of "The Biblical Festivals of God" (TBFG): https://selar.com/TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod For Paperback copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKPP5N6J Follow-up Post to the book, TBFG: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/BIBLICAL_CIPHERS_AND_CODES-FULL_SERIES/ I'd like to also encourage you to go through the following resources: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_ORIGINS_OF_EASTER/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/JESUS_CHRIST_THE_PASSOVER_LAMB-FULL_SERIES/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_OLD_TESTAMENT_IS_THE_SHADOW_OF_THE_NEW_COVENANT/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/What_Paul_Meant_by-The_Law_of_Sin_and_Death-Rom_7and8/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/TO_BE_LIKE_JESUS_FULL_SERIES/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/The_Premise_of_Christianity/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Jesus_The_Redeemer/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Building_on_Legacy/ #God #GodIsReal #Jesus #JesusChrist #Spirit #HolySpirit #TheLivingWord #Theology #BibleStudyWithDanielOlatunji #BibleStudy #TheBible #BibleSpeaks #Scripture #ScriptureTruth #BiblicalTruth #Truth #BiblicalTeaching #ChristianTeaching #ChristianApologetics #SoundDoctrine #TruthMatters #DefendTheFaith #KnowTheTruth #TheologyMatters #KingdomOfGod #GodsGrace #Christianity #ChristianContent #FaithExplained #ChristianFaith #TheChurch #Evangelism #ShareTheGospel #ShareTheTruth #GospelTruth #GoodNews #TheCross #HePaidItAll #FaithInChrist #FaithInJesus #FaithOverFear #RepentAndBelieve #ForgivenessOfSins #Forgiven #JesusChangesLives #BornAgain #Salvation #EternalLife #LightOfTheWorld #LightInDarkness #WordOfGod #ChristOurSavior #JesusSaves #JesusIsLord #ChristIsLord #JesusIsKing #Free #FreeBooks #EarlyStepsInChristianity #TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod #GodsPlan #NewCovenant #Atonement #Priesthood #TheCross #FinishedWork #SubstitutionaryAtonement #ChristAlone #GraceAlone #GraceWins #FaithAlone #SolaScriptura #SinAndSalvation #Redemption #EndTimesReady #KingdomMindset #SpiritualAwakening

JESUS THE PASSOVER LAMB - CONCLUSION (Google Docs link at the end and in the comment for clickable Bible citations to easily open your Bible App) In the first part, we established that Jesus Christ was indeed the Passover Lamb (1 Cor 5:7, John 1:29). In the second part, we addressed the controversies of some of the sects in Jesus’s day and when they observed the Passover. We further established that Jesus Christ was crucified on the day of Passover in fulfillment of the Biblical requirements. And we began to further explore based on what we determined as the time of Jesus’ death and burial to show that in keeping with the three days and three nights He resurrected around the evening of the 7th/1st day of the week (i.e. Saturday evening/Sunday evening). In this part, we would conclude with an exhortation to the Church with respect to the Biblical festivals that God commanded. The Biblical festivals of God convey deep insights and meaning, especially for us New Testament believers. They not only show what Jesus Christ fulfilled, but they also point to what is to come. We as believers have a copious amount of reasons why we ought to continually commemorate the Biblical Festivals that God commanded in Leviticus 23, that is the: weekly Sabbath, Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Firstfruits, Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles. I address this in the book, “The Biblical Festivals of God”: it is helpful to understand that the first festival, which was the weekly Sabbath that was inaugurated after the six days of creation (Gen 2:2-3), ought to have been the only festival mankind would have needed. It was not only a time to rest from one's work, but also a time to fellowship with God. It was a memorial for which we were to praise God for His achievements in creation, and a memorial of whom we were created to be, i.e. sons and daughters made in the Image of God (Gen 1:26-27). That was the essence of the Sabbath for us after creation, it was to foster a relationship with God. The other festivals came as a result of the fall of mankind. So you'll find that from Passover to Day of Atonement God demonstrated His rescue plan for redeeming and reconciling mankind to Him; and the finale of the Feast of Tabernacles showed His plan for judgment and retribution for those who rejected Him, while offering restoration and eternal habitation for those who choose Him. But it is really fascinating, and worth emphasizing that His original plan and purpose for mankind did not change, hence the intent of the weekly Sabbath that was inaugurated after creation was still maintained as the first of all the festivals in the midst of the rescue plan (Lev 23:3). As a matter of fact the only portion of Scripture which God wrote with His own Hand was the Ten Commandments, among which the Sabbath was also commanded (Deut 9:10, Deut 5:12-15). What this says is that God's intention for fellowship with mankind is at the heart of everything. His covenant purpose is for us to enter into His Sabbath rest (Ex 31:13, 17, Heb 4:1-3, 9-11). Hence the weekly Sabbath stands as a memorial for us to build and maintain a relationship with God the Creator, Who made us in His Image (Gen 1:26-27). And even though the devil deceived mankind and caused us to adopt the image and nature of sin (Rom 5:12, 3:23), God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to take away the stain and reproach of sin (John 1:29, 1 Peter 1:18-21, 1 Cor 15:55-57), so that THROUGH Him we could once again bear the Image of God and be restored to fellowship with Him (Col 1:15, 19-20, Rom 8:29, 2 Cor 3:18, 1 John 3:2). So all the other festivals are really important and serve as a memorial to what Jesus Christ accomplished, and will accomplish when He returns; but the reason He did all that was to reconcile us back to the One Who created us (2 Cor 5:17-21). Hence the goal is the Sabbath, that we might truly enter into the REST of the Lord (Heb 4:1-3, 9-11). So when you observe the weekly Sabbath for starters, you are reminded of God the Creator: to give praise to Him, and to fellowship with Him because He is our Father; and that in turn reminds you of your identity as a child of God. One who is grounded in his true identity in God, just like Jesus Christ (Matt 4:3-11), would not easily be deceived by the devil, as Eve was, forgetting that she had been created in the Image of God hence the devil actually had NOTHING to offer her to make her more “like” God (Gen 1:27, 3:4-5). So, that for one, is plenty enough reason why we need to keep the festivals as memorials. Another reason is simply the fact that God commanded the festivals to be a lasting ordinance for all generations (Lev 23:2, 21, 31-32, 41, 16:29-31, Ex 12:14). Jesus said if you loved Him you should keep His commands (John 14:15, Luke 6:46, *1 John 5:3*). And He Himself commanded us to always observe the Lord's Supper, which was a Passover Seder (Luke 22:15, 19-20). Even Paul received from Christ the DIRECT revelation to keep the Lord's Supper in remembrance of Him (1 Cor 11:23-26, Gal 1:11-12). It is also worth highlighting that all the other Biblical festivals point to Christ, and I clearly show how each does this in the book, “The Biblical Festivals of God”. That being the case, it stands to reason that we ought to commemorate the Biblical Festivals, because all of them are Sabbaths/holy-convocations unto God, which are fulfilled in Christ Jesus. So just like the weekly Sabbaths, these are also days of rest (Sabbaths) which we are to spend before the Lord. Sadly in the Church, a lot of doctrine has crept in to deliberately redefine or annul that which God has spoken. And in the process introduce things that have little to no Biblical bearings. For instance, the “sanctification” of Sunday as a “holy day” was a man-made agenda driven by blind antisemitism. And that same agenda “desanctified” Saturday (the 7th day), and threatened people who dared to observe the Sabbath with the curse of “anathema”. Both Jesus and the early-century believers observed the Sabbath by doing good and teaching the Word of God to draw people to Him, among other things. So it is unjustifiable for people to rise up centuries later to pronounce curses on those who wanted to keep the Sabbath, and instead force on them a different “holy day”. In the book, “The Biblical Festivals of God”, I provide the necessary quotes and references to back up what I'm saying here. It is not only in the subject of replacing the weekly Sabbath with Sunday that the Church has taken preference for the teachings of men over the commands of God. We've done so with Passover as well, by replacing it with “Easter”. And just before you say that, no, they're the same thing, I need to emphatically say that that's a lie, they are NOT the same. Should we ignore that the word “Easter” is connected to the pagan goddess “Ēostre” or “Ishtar”? How about the fact that the date is determined by its own calculation as the first Sunday after the full moon of the spring equinox, and not Nisan 14th as God commanded in the Bible? “Easter” may try to mask itself as being connected to Jesus Christ, the Passover, and the resurrection, but NOTHING about it in its name, date, or symbols (i.e. the rabbit/rodent, and “Easter eggs”), has any connection whatsoever with Jesus Christ or Scripture. I hope this can serve as a wake-up call to the Church, galvanizing us to stand for truth and allow no compromise that has been enshrined in the name of tradition (Matt 15:8-9). And I also hope that this call will get believers once again grounded in the word of God, and encourage the commemoration of the Biblical festivals with a deep understanding of what they are, what/Whom they remind and point us to, i.e. Jesus Christ, and our identity and purpose expressed in them. My prayer is that this speaks to you, and that God would furnish you with the Grace needed to understand and know Him more as you walk with Him (Eph 1:17-18). Thanks for the privilege of your time. Shalom and God bless! Link for the Full Series: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/JESUS_CHRIST_THE_PASSOVER_LAMB-FULL_SERIES/ For the Individual Parts in this Series: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/JESUS-CHRIST-THE-PASSOVER-LAMB-PART-ONE/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/JESUS_CHRIST_THE_PASSOVER_LAMB-PART_TWO-THE_CRUCIFIXION_AND_DEATH/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/JESUS_CHRIST_THE_PASSOVER_LAMB-CONCLUSION/ For the Free PDF of "Early Steps in Christianity" (E.S.C): https://selar.com/EarlyStepsInChristianity For Paperback or Hardcover copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKW4H91N For the Free PDF of "The Biblical Festivals of God" (TBFG): https://selar.com/TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod For Paperback copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKPP5N6J Follow-up Post to the book, TBFG: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/BIBLICAL_CIPHERS_AND_CODES-FULL_SERIES/ I'd like to also encourage you to go through the following resources: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_ORIGINS_OF_EASTER/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/HOW_CAN_JESUS_PAY_FOR_THE_SINS_OF_OTHERS/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_OLD_TESTAMENT_IS_THE_SHADOW_OF_THE_NEW_COVENANT/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/What_Paul_Meant_by-The_Law_of_Sin_and_Death-Rom_7and8/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/TO_BE_LIKE_JESUS_FULL_SERIES/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/The_Premise_of_Christianity/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Jesus_The_Redeemer/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Building_on_Legacy/ #God #Jesus #JesusChrist #Spirit #HolySpirit #Theology #Christianity #TheChurch #BibleStudyWithDanielOlatunji #BibleStudy #TheBible #Scripture #TheLivingWord #Truth #Free #FreeBooks #EarlyStepsInChristianity #TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod #Passover #Easter #TheLordSupper #ProphecyFulfilled #Redemption

JESUS CHRIST THE PASSOVER LAMB - PART TWO - THE CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH (Google Docs link at the end and in the comment for clickable Bible citations to easily open your Bible App) Having established that Jesus Christ was the Passover Lamb, I'd like us to explore His death for the sins of the world. From the inauguration of Passover in the time of Moses, the Passover sacrifice was to occur “at twilight” of the 14th of Nisan/Aviv, the first month of the year (Ex 12:6, 23:15). With this, it ought to be straightforward to infer that the day of Christ’s crucifixion was “twilight” on the 14th of Nisan 30AD, since He came as the fulfillment of the Passover sacrifice. Even though this is absolutely true it gets a bit complicated reconciling Scripture, the Jewish context, and the various calendar systems to determine feast days in Jesus’s time. In the Jewish context first of all, it should be noted that right from Genesis, a day was reckoned to begin from the “evening” (Gen 1:5, 8…). This is a paradigm shift from our approach of midnight being the start of our calendar day. Another thing worth noting from the Biblical perspective is that, the term “at twilight” (Hebrew beyn ha’arbaim) in connection to Ex 12:6, more appropriately refers to “between the two evenings”, and that refers to the span of time from past noon to sunset when the shadow begins to go down. As a matter of fact, in the compiled oral traditions of the Jews (the Mishnah and Talmud), the “twilight” sacrifice of the Passover lamb was to occur between eight and a half hours (2:30pm), and nine and a half hours (3:30pm) - (see Mishnah Pesachim 5:1). Clearly this timeframe implies a different meaning from our typical understanding of “twilight”, which is the brief transitory moment of fading light between day and night. Also note that the morning and evening daily sacrifices, were offered around the third hour (9am), and ninth hour (3pm) respectively (Ex 29:38-39, Mishnah [Tamid 3:7, 4:1]). So we find that the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ exactly followed the Scriptural and Jewish contextual interpretations. First, Jesus was crucified at the time of the morning sacrifice, i.e. the third hour or 9am (Mark 15:25 NKJV/NIV). Secondly, He died around the ninth hour or 3pm (Mark 15:34-37 NKJV/NIV), which was the time for the evening sacrifice, and also the time for the twilight Passover sacrifice according to Mishnah Pesachim 5:1. So we see that even the timing of Jesus’s crucifixion and death was in direct fulfillment of Scripture. These details would have otherwise been missed without an appropriate understanding of the Jewish context. Having established the time of Jesus’s crucifixion and death, let's focus our attention on the day. Going by the evidence of other Scriptures that prove that Jesus Christ came in fulfillment of them all, we can stand on that premise to make the case that He had to have been crucified and died on the day and hour when the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed. Hence, we're referring to the twilight of the 14th of Nisan according to the Passover Law. However, the debate arises that if Jesus Christ was actually crucified on the day the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed, i.e. the day of preparation as John alludes (John 19:14, 31), then what about the “Last Supper”, which according to the other Gospels was apparently a Passover Seder (Matt 26:17, Mark 14:12, Luke 22:7-8). There are a number of positions that I've looked into to address this question, and I'd like to share my findings with a focus on alignment to Scripture. You may know this already that in Jesus’s day there were different religious and political sects: Sadducees, Pharisees, Herodians, Zealots, Samaritans, Essenes etc. Even though groups like the Sadducees, Pharisees, and Herodians often ganged up against Jesus, however, among themselves they had diverging religious views (Acts 23:6-8). On the subject of Passover, there were at least three major views on when to observe it. The Essenes followed a strict 364-day solar calendar (Qumran Calendar), and their Passover always fell on a Wednesday. In 30 AD, their Passover lamb was sacrificed on Tuesday, April 4, and the meal was eaten that evening. I'd get back to this shortly to reconcile the Wednesday part. I might also add that based on astronomical calculations many scholars have postulated that the 14th of Nisan fell on Thursday, April 6, 30AD. Keep these dates in mind as we'll use them shortly. The Pharisees and Sadducees followed a lunar-based calendar, which was dependent on literally watching to observe the new moon to mark the commencement of the month. They still used the fixed seven-day weekly cycle, but the number of days in the month was not fixed; it could be 29 or 30 days or whatever depending on when the witnesses sighted the new moon and confirmed it with the priest. Remember, they had to make sacrifices every new moon (Num 28:11-14). However, Biblically speaking the moon wasn't the only mechanism for telling times and seasons, the solar cycle was also relevant (Gen 1:14-16). The Biblical festivals aligned with the agricultural seasons, like the ripening of the firstfruits (Lev 23:10-11), the harvest at the feast of weeks, i.e. Pentecost (Lev 23:16-17, 22), and the final gathering of all the harvests at the feast of Tabernacles (Lev 23:39), and all these are more attuned to the solar cycle. The sun plays a significant role in the opening of crops. And as a matter of fact, some seeds would remain dormant in the ground if they do not experience the ideal conditions of moisture and heat. The lunar cycle for a 12-month year comes short of the number of days for the yearly solar cycle. Hence, what the religious rulers did to determine when the Passover was to begin was that after observing the lunar beginning of the month, they would also go to observe the fields planted with grain. If the stage of growth is acceptable then they will announce the beginning of the year, otherwise, it will be postponed. This is done so as to be able to offer the firstfruit offering, which was required within the week of the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:10-11). So the Sadducees and Pharisees observed Passover on the 14th of Nisan, the first month of the year, and the Passover can fall on any day of the week. Where both sects differ is in the interpretation of “twilight” (Ex 12:6). Remember the Biblical reckoning of a day begins at evening and ends at the following evening. Hence, the 14th day of Nisan would begin from the evening bordering 13th/14th to the evening of 14th/15th. I'll elaborate on this shortly. Either-way, both evenings technically can be defined as the “evening” of the 14th. So the Sadducees believed that the 13/14th of Nisan was the “twilight” time to sacrifice the Passover, hence by 3pm, the ninth hour, on the 13th the lamb was sacrificed and roasted in PREPARATION for the Passover meal later in the evening after sunset, which would then be the 14th. It should also be noted that the Sadducees were the ones in charge of the Temple. As a sidenote, the Samaritans observed the Passover in alignment with the Sadducees’ interpretation, only that they didn't sacrifice their Passover lamb in the Temple, but rather on Mount Gerizim. The Pharisees on the other hand subscribed to the evening between the 14/15th of Nisan; hence their PREPARATION begins at 3pm on the 14th, and the Passover meal was eaten after sunset on the 15th. So there is a 24hr difference between the two major sects in their observance of Passover. By the way, modern Rabbinic traditions follow the Pharisaical interpretation, hence they practically eat the Passover Seder on the 15th of Nisan. Let me briefly prove through Scripture why the 14th, or any other day for instance, starts its count from the evening of the previous day, i.e. the evening between 13/14th. The answer can be found when studying the festival called the Day of Atonement, which was commemorated on the 10th day of the seventh month (Lev 23:27). This is one of the most solemn festivals, and among other things, every Israelite must assemble before the Lord for this festival, and everyone MUST fast (i.e. deny themselves) on that day (Lev 23:29). God defined the 24hr period of fasting on this 10th day as beginning from the evening of the 9th to the following evening (*Lev 23:32*). Hence, this is the clearest indication of how a day is reckoned in the Biblical sense. Again bear in mind that you begin with the evening bordering the previous day (9/10), and conclude with the evening bordering the next day (10/11), and this defines the 24hr span of that day (10th). This is going to be helpful in our analysis. So when Jesus Christ was crucified, presumably in 30 AD, there were at least three different days when three notable sects, the Sadducees, Pharisees, and Essenes, would've observed the Passover meal. Some scholars believed that the Passover meal, or Lord’s Supper, which Jesus took with His disciples according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Matt 26:17, Mark 14:12, Luke 22:7-8), was the Passover Seder according to the Essenes. Since Passover for the Essenes always fell on Wednesday, i.e. the 4th day of the week; it meant that the Lord's Supper was prepared by Peter and John from 3pm on Tuesday, the 3rd day of the week, for the meal on the evening of the 4th day, which would start the count for Wednesday. Remember the analysis we did earlier. So Jesus’s Passover meal with His disciples could be referenced as the Passover of the Essenes. However, His crucifixion aligned with the Passover of the Sadducees, who were in charge of the Temple and followed the Mosaic Law of Sacrificing the Passover lamb on the 14th of Nisan. Again astronomical calculations for 30 AD place the 14th of Nisan to be on Thursday, April 6th. This means that by the interpretation of the Sadducees, the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed and prepared from Wednesday at 3pm, 13th of Nisan, for the Passover meal on the 14th of Nisan which would be considered as Thursday. And this was precisely when Jesus Christ was crucified as the Passover Lamb, it was the preparation day of the Passover (1 Cor 5:7). John 19:14 And it was now almost noon. And it was THE SAME DAY they were PREPARING to slay the Passover lambs. Then Pilate said to the Jewish officials, “Look! Here is your King!” TPT (The Passion Translation) The Pharisees used the evening bordering 14th/15th of Nisan, hence 3pm Thursday, as their preparation day for the Passover which was to be eaten on Friday night, the 15th of Nisan. Again, modern-day Rabbinic tradition follows the Pharisaical template. Anyway, the sum of evidence being presented is that the Lord’s Supper can be viewed as a Passover Seder, even as the Essenes celebrated it on that day. But ultimately, the preparation day referenced in the Gospel of John pointed to the time according to the Law and the Temple protocols of the Sadducees, when the Passover lamb was sacrificed (John 19:14 TPT quoted above ☝️). And it was on this day that Jesus Christ was crucified and died in fulfillment of the Scriptural requirements (Matt 5:17-19). Obviously, the differences in the days of observing the Passover show that the Jews of that day were not united. This is a fact that didn't escape the notice of the religious leaders. However, the high priest, Caiaphas, prophesied that the death of Jesus would unite the Jews as one (John 11:49-52). And I believe that is what Jesus Christ accomplished with the Passover. His Passover Seder, the Lord's Supper, was in accordance to the Essenes (Mark 14:12); His death as the Passover Lamb was in accordance to the day of the Sadducees and Samaritan Passover (John 19:14 TPT); and His burial included the Pharisees, because it was two Pharisees, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, that buried Him (John 19:38-41), thus forfeiting their interpretation of the Passover. In other words, they set aside their traditions to honor Jesus Christ and give Him a befitting burial. Their involvement as Pharisees is very noteworthy, because their mere contact with the Corpse of Jesus meant that they would be unable to celebrate the Passover that month due to ceremonial uncleanliness that would last for seven days (Num 9:6-11, 19:11). These are Pharisees who by their traditions would dare NOT eat with unwashed hands, considering them unclean (Mark 7:1-5), or even come in contact with living Samaritans, who were half Jews thus their kin; but here they boldly forfeited their chance to observe the Passover because of Jesus Christ. This open sacrifice of theirs was a big statement, saying that they profoundly acknowledged the Person of Jesus Christ, and that indeed He was from God (John 3:1-2, Mark 15:43). In other words, Jesus Christ was worth more than their interpretation and observance of the Passover. So I believe that the involvement of the Pharisees in the burial of Jesus Christ was a significant detail. So just as Caiaphas prophesied, Jesus Christ united the major Jewish sects through the Passover. His Passover Seder, crucifixion, and death at the time the Passover lamb was to be slain (John 19:14 TPT), and His burial by the two Pharisees, basically involved all the Jews in the Passover season. And just to add that the examination and cross-examination by Pilate, proving that Jesus Christ was blameless and innocent of anything deserving death (John 18:38), was just as the Passover lamb had to be inspected to ensure that it had no blemishes or defects before it was sacrificed (Ex 12:5-6); thus this involved the Gentile world, because Pilate was a representative of the Roman Emperor, who was essentially the global power of the world then. And as a member of the black race, which often gets overlooked, it is worth pointing out that Simon of Cyrene, who helped Jesus carry the cross, was an African (Mark 15:21). So we see that God involved all the Jews, Gentiles, and every race, in the sequence of events that led up to the Crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus Christ, the Passover Lamb of God, Who died for the sins of the world (John 1:29, John 3:16-17), to bring to God ALL peoples, nations, tribes and tongues (Rev 5:9). Now please permit me to briefly touch on the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ to address a significant issue before we conclude this part. For the sake of emphasis, Jesus Christ died around 3pm Wednesday, April 5th, 30AD, and He was BURIED just before sunset (Matt 27:57-60). When Jesus spoke about His resurrection, He said He would be in the grave for three days and three nights, just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights (Matt 12:40). So He was put in the grave or buried just before sunset (Mark 15:42 TPT). The count of the FULL three days and three nights from Wednesday sunset would amount to His resurrection being around Saturday sunset, the 7th day, just as it began to transition to the 1st day of the week, Sunday evening. This timeframe comfortably fulfills what Jesus Christ said about Himself regarding the three full days of being in the grave; and it beautifully complements the feast of firstfruits in so many ways: like how according to the Jewish traditions concerning firstfruits, the priests would be brought harvested sheaf of grain, and he would place it by the altar in the Temple overnight, and then in the morning it was waved and presented to the Lord; so also was Jesus Christ resurrected around the evening of the 7th/1st day, thus “harvested from the earth”, and then it was in the morning that He later ascended to be officially presented to the Father (John 20:17, Daniel 7:13-14). Note that the women went to the tomb WHILE it was still dark, before dawn, and Jesus wasn't in the tomb, meaning He had ALREADY resurrected prior to their coming (John 20:1). It is thus an assumption to assert that Jesus Christ resurrected on Sunday morning. But rather, it was Sunday morning that He was first seen (please read Mark 16:9 TPT). One other fascinating connection that the feast of firstfruits has in relation to the resurrection regards part of the recitations from Scripture that those bringing the firstfruit would say. If I were to suggest a Passage from the Bible that would naturally tie into the firstfruit agricultural theme, I'd probably choose Proverbs 3:9-10. But when you contextually read one of the chosen Passages recited at the festival you'll find that its subsequent verses speak of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and probably what He would have been reciting or singing after escaping the grave. Bukkirim 3:4, of the Jewish tradition regarding firstfruits, has in it a quotation from Ps 30:1. Now I'd encourage you to read Psalms 30:1-5. Literally, this Passage has NOTHING to do with agriculture, but it thrives in the context of the resurrection, with Jesus Christ being the firstfruit from the grave (1 Cor 15:20, John 12:23-24, 32). There is much more we could address concerning this, but I'd have to refer you to Chapter Six of my book “Early Steps in Christianity”, and Chapter Three of the other book “The Biblical Festivals of God”, which uniquely explores the Feast of Firstfruits with the remarkable connections to the resurrection, as I've briefly discussed above. Join me in the last part as I conclude this series. Thanks for the privilege of your time. Shalom and God bless! Link for the Full Series: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/JESUS_CHRIST_THE_PASSOVER_LAMB-FULL_SERIES/ For the Individual Parts in this Series: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/JESUS-CHRIST-THE-PASSOVER-LAMB-PART-ONE/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/JESUS_CHRIST_THE_PASSOVER_LAMB-PART_TWO-THE_CRUCIFIXION_AND_DEATH/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/JESUS_CHRIST_THE_PASSOVER_LAMB-CONCLUSION/ For the Free PDF of "Early Steps in Christianity" (E.S.C): https://selar.com/EarlyStepsInChristianity For Paperback or Hardcover copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKW4H91N For the Free PDF of "The Biblical Festivals of God" (TBFG): https://selar.com/TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod For Paperback copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKPP5N6J Follow-up Post to the book, TBFG: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/BIBLICAL_CIPHERS_AND_CODES-FULL_SERIES/ I'd like to also encourage you to go through the following resources: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_ORIGINS_OF_EASTER/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/HOW_CAN_JESUS_PAY_FOR_THE_SINS_OF_OTHERS/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_OLD_TESTAMENT_IS_THE_SHADOW_OF_THE_NEW_COVENANT/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/What_Paul_Meant_by-The_Law_of_Sin_and_Death-Rom_7and8/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/TO_BE_LIKE_JESUS_FULL_SERIES/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/The_Premise_of_Christianity/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Jesus_The_Redeemer/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Building_on_Legacy/ #God #Jesus #JesusChrist #Spirit #HolySpirit #Theology #Christianity #TheChurch #BibleStudyWithDanielOlatunji #BibleStudy #TheBible #Scripture #TheLivingWord #Truth #Free #FreeBooks #EarlyStepsInChristianity #TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod #Passover #Easter #TheLordSupper #ProphecyFulfilled #Redemption

JESUS CHRIST THE PASSOVER LAMB - PART ONE (Google Docs link at the end and in the comment for clickable Bible citations to easily open your Bible App) 1 Cor 5:7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For CHRIST, OUR PASSOVER LAMB, has been sacrificed. NIV John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, THE LAMB OF GOD, Who takes away the sin of the world! NIV The Passover is the first and most significant festival among the seven annual Biblical festivals. The entire saga in Egypt and beyond is a type and shadow that beautifully mirrors the New Testament Gospel about Jesus Christ (Heb 10:1-10, 8:5-6). I would've loved to thoroughly elaborate on the detailed prophetic fulfillment of the Passover through Jesus Christ, but that would be revisiting things that I've better addressed in previous posts (the series “Biblical Ciphers and Codes”), and the book “The Biblical Festivals of God”. This post, however, is in response to some things I've recently learnt, and also to emphasize Biblical Truth over tradition. From the two opening Passages, I believe we can all agree that Jesus Christ is The Passover Lamb. In this light, we're saying He mirrors the Passover festival. To briefly draw some similarities: None of the bones of the Passover Lamb was to be broken (Ex 12:46, Ps 34:20); similarly, none of Jesus’ bones were broken, even though there was reason to, since the norm of crucifixion and accelerating death was to break the legs of the convicted, yet Jesus’s bones were NOT broken like the other two people crucified along with Him (John 19:31-36). Furthermore, the efficacy of the blood of the lamb applied on the doorpost of the Israelites to spare the firstborn from death wasn't based on the goodness or badness of the inhabitants. The judgment was simply that houses with the blood applied were passed over, but those without would experience the loss of the firstborn son. We can further infer that it wasn't based on the goodness of the Israelites, because subsequently throughout the journey in the wilderness they proved to be stubborn (Deut 9:6). Similarly, salvation by the Blood of Jesus is not dependent on one's goodness or badness (Eph 2:8-9, Matt 22:9-10), but rather the free acceptance of the Grace of God, and application of the Blood of Jesus Christ by faith for the remission of sin (Rom 3:23-25, Matt 26:28 NKJV, Rev 22:17). If we're all good with that, the next point I'd like to emphasize in keeping with the Passover theme is that Jesus Christ was crucified on the day of the Passover celebration. To properly establish this point for unanimous agreement we'd have to do some teaching. For this, I'd invite you to join me in part two where we'd explore the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ to establish that all these took place on the Passover day. We'd also address some of the controversies associated with identifying the day. Thanks for the privilege of your time. Shalom and God bless! Link for the Full Series: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/JESUS_CHRIST_THE_PASSOVER_LAMB-FULL_SERIES/ Biblical Ciphers and Codes - Full Series: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/BIBLICAL_CIPHERS_AND_CODES-FULL_SERIES/ For the Individual Parts in this Series: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/JESUS-CHRIST-THE-PASSOVER-LAMB-PART-ONE/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/JESUS_CHRIST_THE_PASSOVER_LAMB-PART_TWO-THE_CRUCIFIXION_AND_DEATH/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/JESUS_CHRIST_THE_PASSOVER_LAMB-CONCLUSION/ For the Free PDF of "Early Steps in Christianity" (E.S.C): https://selar.com/EarlyStepsInChristianity For Paperback or Hardcover copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKW4H91N For the Free PDF of "The Biblical Festivals of God" (TBFG): https://selar.com/TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod For Paperback copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKPP5N6J Follow-up Post to the book, TBFG: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/BIBLICAL_CIPHERS_AND_CODES-FULL_SERIES/ I'd like to also encourage you to go through the following resources: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_ORIGINS_OF_EASTER/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/HOW_CAN_JESUS_PAY_FOR_THE_SINS_OF_OTHERS/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_OLD_TESTAMENT_IS_THE_SHADOW_OF_THE_NEW_COVENANT/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/What_Paul_Meant_by-The_Law_of_Sin_and_Death-Rom_7and8/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/TO_BE_LIKE_JESUS_FULL_SERIES/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/The_Premise_of_Christianity/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Jesus_The_Redeemer/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Building_on_Legacy/ #God #Jesus #JesusChrist #Spirit #HolySpirit #Theology #Christianity #TheChurch #BibleStudyWithDanielOlatunji #BibleStudy #TheBible #Scripture #TheLivingWord #Truth #Free #FreeBooks #EarlyStepsInChristianity #TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod #Passover #Easter #TheLordSupper #ProphecyFulfilled #Redemption

The book Bible Doctrines Simply Explained, by British author Pastor B.A. Ramsbottom, translated into Urdu by Pastor Javed Naik, is being distributed free of charge in Pakistan. Mehwish Farhad, from Murree, a snowy mountainous region of Pakistan, expressed her thoughts about this book and said: After reading this book, she has learned a lot about Christianity. He said that this book has removed many of his concerns about Christian beliefs and that he has been greatly blessed by this book. #baramsbottom #freebooks

TO BE LIKE JESUS - PART 3B WHY GOD WANTS US TO BE LIKE JESUS (FRUITFULNESS, MULTIPLICATION, AND DOMINION MANDATE) (Google Docs link provided at the end and in the comment for clickable Bible citations to open your Bible App for a fluid study experience) In the previous section we explained that God conforming us to Christ fulfills the original Genesis mandate 👇: Gen 1:26-28 NIV 26 Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in OUR IMAGE, in OUR LIKENESS, so that they may RULE … over all the creatures …” 27 So God created mankind in His own Image… 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be FRUITFUL and INCREASE IN NUMBER; fill the earth and subdue it. RULE … over every living creature …” In that section, we saw how Jesus Christ restored us to the Image of God (Eph 4:12-15, 22-24). Now we’ll explore the final parts of fruitfulness, multiplication, and ruling (dominion). We ended the last post noting Christ’s ultimatum to the unfruitful (John 15:1-6). So what does fruitfulness mean here, and how are we made fruitful through Christ, without Whom we can do NOTHING☝️? In this context, fruitfulness refers to producing God’s righteous virtues. This was God’s expectation for mankind; but after Adam’s fall, humanity tended toward wickedness (Gen 6:5-6, Isaiah 5:1-4, 7, Luke 6:43-45). In other words, humanity couldn't bear God’s kind of fruit, nor truly meet His righteous standards. Now that we understand the meaning of fruitfulness in this context, we can understand how Christ-likeness makes us fruitful. It is twofold: the Holy Spirit produces the fruit, and we must OBEDIENTLY follow Christ’s commands. Now that we’ve seen the meaning of fruitfulness, we can better understand how Christ-likeness makes us fruitful. Fruitfulness in Christ is twofold: primarily the Holy Spirit produces the fruit, and then secondly, we must OBEDIENTLY follow Christ’s commands. Gal 5:22-23, 25 NIV ²² But THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT is Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. … ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Rom 7:4-6 NIV ⁴ So… you also died to the law through the Body of Christ, that you might belong to Another, to Him Who was raised from the dead, IN ORDER THAT WE MIGHT BEAR FRUIT FOR GOD.⁵ For when we were in the realm of the flesh, … we bore fruit for death. ⁶ But now … we have been released from the law SO THAT WE SERVE IN THE NEW WAY OF THE SPIRIT ... Col 1:9-10 NIV ⁹ … we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will THROUGH all the wisdom and understanding THAT THE SPIRIT GIVES, ¹⁰ so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and PLEASE HIM IN EVERY WAY: BEARING FRUIT IN EVERY GOOD WORK, growing in the knowledge of God, Eph 5:8-10, 17-18 NIV ⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹ (for THE FRUIT OF THE LIGHT consists in ALL goodness, RIGHTEOUSNESS and TRUTH) ¹⁰ and FIND OUT WHAT PLEASES THE LORD. … ¹⁷ … UNDERSTAND WHAT THE LORD’S WILL IS. ¹⁸ Do NOT get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, So the Genesis mandate of FRUITFULNESS is fulfilled ONLY through the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:5-9), Whom we receive as we OBEDIENTLY submit to Christ (Acts 5:32, John 16:13-15, Matt 28:19-20). How about multiplying? Did Jesus give a new mandate like the one in Genesis? Spiritually speaking, yes. This is captured in the Great Commission. I'll explain shortly. God originally wanted mankind's multiplication through marriage to produce Godly offspring (Mal 2:15 AMPC). But due to Adam’s fall, all his descendants were born into sin (Psa 51:5, Rom 5:19). However, Jesus Christ came and made it possible for people to be born again by the Spirit (John 3:3-8). This rebirth produced children of God, thus restoring God’s intention of having Godly offspring. After enabling the new birth, Jesus commanded ALL His followers to bring others into this new birth—this is the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20). By this Commission of making OBEDIENT disciples TO Christ, we fulfill the original multiplication mandate. And Christ did not omit the final part of the Genesis mandate: i.e. ruling. Those who choose to belong to Him will reign with Him forever (2 Tim 2:12, Rev 5:10, 22:5). If you think about it, the End of Days would actually mark the true beginning; God would finally have what He intended from creation. At that time He will make a new Heaven and Earth (Rev 21:1-7); we will bear Christ’s Glorified Body (1 John 3:2, Phil 3:20-21, 1 Cor 15:44, 49-53); we will be fully righteous and fruitful with no devil to deceive us (Rev 20:10); and God will reap full multiplication from the one “Seed,” Jesus (John 12:23-24, 32, Rev 5:9). And we will reign with Him forever. This wraps up the series. Hope you were blessed. Feel free to remark or ask questions in the comment section. And again, please get the Free book “Early Steps in Christianity”, which covers this and much more in eight chapters of Biblically grounded teachings. Thanks and God bless. Shalom! For the Full Series: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/TO_BE_LIKE_JESUS_FULL_SERIES/ The Current Post (3B): https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/To_Be_Like_Jesus_Part_3B/ ⏮️For Part 3A: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/To_Be_Like_Jesus_Part_3A/ ⏮️For Part One: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/To_Be_Like_Jesus_Part_One/ For the Free PDF of "Early Steps in Christianity" (E.S.C): https://selar.com/EarlyStepsInChristianity For Paperback or Hardcover copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKW4H91N For the Free PDF of "The Biblical Festivals of God" (TBFG): https://selar.com/TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod For Paperback copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKPP5N6J Follow-up Post to the book, TBFG: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/BIBLICAL_CIPHERS_AND_CODES-FULL_SERIES/ I'd like to also encourage you to go through the following resources: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_ORIGINS_OF_EASTER/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/JESUS_CHRIST_THE_PASSOVER_LAMB-FULL_SERIES/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/HOW_CAN_JESUS_PAY_FOR_THE_SINS_OF_OTHERS/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_OLD_TESTAMENT_IS_THE_SHADOW_OF_THE_NEW_COVENANT/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/What_Paul_Meant_by-The_Law_of_Sin_and_Death-Rom_7and8/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/The_Premise_of_Christianity/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Jesus_The_Redeemer/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Building_on_Legacy/ #BeLikeJesus #Christlikeness #ObedienceToGod #WalkInTheSpirit #YieldToTheSpirit #SpiritLedLife #Fruitfulness #GreatCommission #KingdomDominion #BibleStudyWithDanielOlatunji #FreeBooks #EarlyStepsInChristianity #TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod #God #Jesus #JesusChrist #HolySpirit #Theology #TheBible #Scripture #BiblicalTruth #ChristianTeaching #ChristianApologetics #SoundDoctrine #KingdomOfGod #Gospel #FaithInJesus #Salvation #EternalLife

TO BE LIKE JESUS - PART 3A WHY GOD WANTS US TO BE LIKE JESUS - (THE RESTORATION OF OUR IMAGE) (Google Docs link provided at the end and in the comment for clickable Bible citations to open your Bible App for a fluid study experience) Because of the scope of this subject, this section is in two parts (A & B). You may download the free book attached to this series for deeper explanations. In this concluding part, we’ll explore WHY God wants us to be like Jesus (Rom 8:29). In simple terms, being conformed to Christ is the only way God fulfills His purpose for creation in Genesis 1. God created all things for His pleasure, and His purpose must stand (Rev 4:11 KJV, Eph 1:5,9,11, Psa 135:6, Isaiah 46:10). Of all mankind, Jesus alone fully pleased Him (Matt 3:17, 17:5, Isaiah 42:1, John 5:30, 8:29), therefore God desires us to be like Him. Below is the Genesis mandate—the definition and purpose of mankind: Gen 1:26-28 NIV 26 Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in OUR IMAGE, in OUR LIKENESS, so that they may RULE … over all the creatures …” 27 So God created mankind in His own Image… 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be FRUITFUL and INCREASE IN NUMBER; fill the earth and subdue it. RULE … over every living creature …” Thus mankind was made in God’s Image, to be fruitful, multiply, and rule. But man sinned by obeying the devil (Gen 2:16-17, 3:1-7). Since one’s a servant of the one they obey (Rom 6:16-18), mankind effectively joined the devil’s rebellion submitting to his will ([Rom 3:23, 6:20, Eph 2:1-3, Titus 3:3], 2 Tim 2:26); thus adopting the sin nature that originated with Satan (John 8:42-44, 1 John 3:8-10). Adam and Eve passed this corrupted image to humanity (Gen 5:1-3, Rom 5:12, 18-19). Hence, humanity no longer reflected God’s PERFECT Image (Rom 3:23). This is the first point of deviation from the Genesis mandate. The sin nature makes perfection impossible (Rom 7:22-25). Therefore God sent His Son, Who took on the SAME weak flesh (Rom 8:3, Heb 2:14-15, 17, Phil 2:5-8); but by the Spirit’s enablement, and a surrendered will, He lived PERFECTLY without sin ([John 3:34, Heb 9:14], Heb 4:15), thus proving that Man can once again reflect God's PERFECT nature (Matt 5:48, Heb 10:14, 2 Cor 3:18, [1 John 2:6, 2 Tim 2:19]). We have no excuse, Jesus Christ was FULLY like us, and God was with Him as He is with us (John 8:29, Heb 13:5, John 14:16-18 NKJV). God's help does not totally eliminate pain, hardships, or temptation ([John 16:33, 1 Cor 15:10, 2 Cor 12:9-10], 1 Cor 10:12-13); neither does it override our will (Psa 19:13, Heb 10:26-27). Similarly, Jesus Christ had freewill (John 10:18), He faced EVERY hardship we do, and despite that chose to OBEY God. Hunger didn’t make Him sell His Birthright (Heb 12:16; Matt 4:2-4); neither did ego (1 Sam 15:22-30; Phil 2:5-11); nor shame and betrayal make Him turn against us (Rom 11:2-4, Jer 12:3-6, 18:18-23; Luke 22:31-34, 23:34, Heb 12:24). He fully experienced our pains, so we have no excuse (1 John 3:3). And if we fall short, we must simply repent and not make excuses to remain in sin (1 John 2:1-2). Jesus was fully Man (Heb 2:17), and fully Divine, but on incarnation He laid aside His Divinity (John 17:5, Phil 2:6-8). He became fully Divine due to the Holy Spirit (John 3:34, Col 1:19). He had to be fully Human, otherwise He couldn't be tempted as we are (Heb 4:15, James 1:13). He overcame temptation by the Spirit, and by surrendering His will to fulfill ALL that the Holy Spirit caused the prophets to write concerning Him (Matt 26:39, 5:17, 2 Peter 1:20-21). In other words, He kept in step with the Spirit (Gal 5:24-25). Jesus took our image so that we may take His through the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:9-10, 2 Peter 1:3-4). He identified with us as “the Son of Man” (Luke 5:20-24, Heb 2:11, 14-17); and now calls us to take His Image (1 Cor 15:45-50), through a surrendered life to the Holy Spirit. Bearing His Image restores the Genesis mandate, for Jesus is God’s express Image (Col 1:15, John 14:9), and through Him we put on God’s likeness (*Eph 4:12-15, 22-24*). Only through Christ do we become children of God and gain access to dwell with Him (John 1:12, 14:1-6). Understand that God can hear and speak with anyone or any spirit, good or bad (Num 22:9-12, Judges 7:13-15, Job 1:6-7); but only His Children have access to dwell in His Home eternally (John 14:1-3). The devil and everyone else who holds to the image of the sin nature have alternative accommodation in the eternal lake of fire (Rev 20:10, 14-15). God has chosen you to dwell with Him (John 3:16-18, 1 Tim 2:1-6); now the choice is yours (Deut 30:19-20, Josh 24:15). Accepting this invitation requires coming through Christ and allowing the Spirit to purge the sin nature; otherwise, one risks being cast out (Matt 22:9-14). God can easily graft you in, but if you refuse FRUITFULNESS, He can just as easily remove you (John 15:1-6, Rom 11:17-24, Heb 10:26-31). We’ll explore fruitfulness and the rest of the Genesis mandate in Part 3B. Thanks for the privilege of your time. God bless and Shalom! Link to Full Series: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/To_Be_Like_Jesus_Full_Series/ Link for current post (3A): https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/To_Be_Like_Jesus_Part_3A/ For Part 3B: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/To_Be_Like_Jesus_Part_3B/ For the Free PDF of "Early Steps in Christianity" (E.S.C): https://selar.com/EarlyStepsInChristianity For Paperback or Hardcover copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKW4H91N For the Free PDF of "The Biblical Festivals of God" (TBFG): https://selar.com/TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod For Paperback copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKPP5N6J I'd like to also encourage you to go through the following resources: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_ORIGINS_OF_EASTER/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/JESUS_CHRIST_THE_PASSOVER_LAMB-FULL_SERIES/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/HOW_CAN_JESUS_PAY_FOR_THE_SINS_OF_OTHERS/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/BIBLICAL_CIPHERS_AND_CODES-FULL_SERIES/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_OLD_TESTAMENT_IS_THE_SHADOW_OF_THE_NEW_COVENANT/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/What_Paul_Meant_by-The_Law_of_Sin_and_Death-Rom_7and8/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/The_Premise_of_Christianity/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Jesus_The_Redeemer/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Building_on_Legacy/ #BeLikeJesus #ImitateChrist #Christlikeness #ObedienceToGod #WalkInTheSpirit #SpiritLedLife #YieldToTheSpirit #TransformationInChrist #ConformToChrist #ChristianDiscipleship #SpiritualGrowth #BibleStudyWithDanielOlatunji #FreeBooks #EarlyStepsInChristianity #TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod #God #Jesus #JesusChrist #HolySpirit #TheLivingWord #Theology #TheBible #Scripture #BiblicalTruth #ChristianTeaching #ChristianApologetics #SoundDoctrine #KingdomOfGod #Gospel #FaithInJesus #Salvation #EternalLife