To: 38,258 subscribers we pray God is making Temples of His spirit. 8/8/22, God’s 6^th month, Av 11, 5,782.

  Christendom is the combination of divided religions, claiming to be Jesus’ believers, it began with Roman and Orthodox Catholics, then trickling down through Protestantism. The vast majority turned from the Oracles of God, His calendar, commandments, and attributes that Jesus gave Israel for their benefit, to pagan Roman teaching and naming days of week for pagan gods.

  One would think Martin Luther would have had as much, ‘disdain’ for these wrongs as to the ‘one Pope error.’ Regarding Oracles of God, Jesus inspired His apostle Paul to pen, (Rom 3:1-4; Therefore, what advantage does the Jew have, or what is the value of circumcision? Actually there are many advantages, first of all, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What then? If some did not believe, does their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God?  Absolutely not! Let God be proven true, and every human being shown up as a liar, just as it is written: “so that you will be justified in your words and will prevail when you are judged.)

   Jesus knew entrusting the Jews with His Oracles would cause persecutions through the ages because doing so they’d not be able to conform to this worlds system of things. (Even in David’s time, groups persecuting Israel were named at Psalms 82:7-13; (In part their persecutors are the following groups: “Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, Philistia and the inhabitants of Tyre. Even Assyria has allied with them, lending its strength to the descendants of Lot. (Selah) Do to them as you did to Midian – as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River! They were destroyed at En Dor; their corpses were like manure on the ground. Maatke their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, and all their rulers like Zebah and Zalmunna, who said, “Let’s take over the pastures of God!” O my God, make them like dead thistles, like dead weeds blown away by the wind!”) Always read the whole, it doesn’t take much research to discover who these people groups are today.

   Oracles of God include His calendar, His holy seasons, weekly and annual Sabbaths. God’s 7^th month will be in a few weeks; in it are 4 of His 7 annual Sabbaths. Beginning on August 28 is God’s 7^th month, ‘Elul 1, 5,782’, it will be a new moon.

   At this point we need to consider how Jesus’ new covenant with His chosen is patterned after the old. The new covenant is spiritual, and the law magnified. (Two quick examples are Jesus saying, “I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matt 5:28.” and at Matt 15:19; “For out of the heart come evil ideas, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”)

   The new covenant’s chosen are called to obey out of loving respect for their Creator and gifted with a nature desiring to be at-One with Him, not for gain or thinking themselves worthy, but knowing it’s by grace that they are called and saved. The change? The old covenant was with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. The name ‘Israel’ meaning ‘God fights or fights for.’ Like Christians, God’s choosing Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had nothing to do with their deserving, but were chosen to be His people. So, Jesus’ new covenant is also with a predestined people with perpetual promises. With this in mind consider God’s oracles as being with a chosen physical nation and a chosen assembly of believers He makes His children; His Church of God.

   Paul wrote the Thessalonians’ with similar words, (2Thess 13-17; But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. He called you to this salvation through our gospel, so that you may possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold on to the traditions that we taught you, whether by speech or by letter. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good thing you do or say.)  

   All in God’s seventh month, through the 22^nd day. DAY OF TRUMPETS. Lev 23:24; On the first day of His seventh month is the day of Trumpets, you must have a complete rest, a memorial announced by loud horn blasts, a holy assembly. You must not do any regular work, but you must present a gift to the LORD. 

The Day of Atonement.

 The LORD spoke to Moses: “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It is to be a holy assembly for you, and you must humble yourselves and present a gift to the LORD. You must not do any work on this particular day, because it is a day of atonement to make atonement for yourselves before the LORD your God. Indeed, any person who does not behave with humility on this particular day will be cut off from his people. As for any person who does any work on this particular day, I will exterminate that person from the midst of his people! You must not do any work. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all the places where you live. It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must humble yourselves on the ninth day of the month in the evening, from evening until evening you must observe your Sabbath.” 

The Feast of Booths (Tabernacles)

  The LORD spoke to Moses: “Tell the Israelites, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Feast of Shelters for seven days to the LORD. On the first day is a holy assembly; you must do no regular work. For seven days you must present a gift to the LORD. On the eighth day there is to be a holy assembly for you, and you must present a gift to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly day; you must not do any regular work. “‘These are the appointed times of the LORD that you must proclaim as holy assemblies to present a gift to the LORD – burnt offering, grain offering, sacrifice, and drink offerings, each day according to its regulation, besides the Sabbaths of the LORD and all your gifts, votive offerings, and freewill offerings which you must give to the LORD. “‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you gather in the produce of the land, you must celebrate a pilgrim festival of the LORD for seven days. On the first day is a complete rest and on the eighth day is complete rest. On the first day you must take for yourselves branches from majestic trees – palm branches, branches of leafy trees, and willows of the brook – and you must rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. You must celebrate it as a pilgrim festival to the LORD for seven days in the year. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you must celebrate it in the seventh month. You must live in temporary shelters for seven days; every native citizen in Israel must live in shelters, so that your future generations may know that I made the Israelites live in shelters when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’” So Moses spoke to the Israelites about the appointed times of the LORD.) (Moses wrote about a circumcision of heart being what God looked for and Paul addressed the spiritual application.

   (Romans 2:28-29; For a person is not a Jew (Christian) who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something that is outward in the flesh, but someone is a Jew (Christian) who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit and not by the letter. This person’s praise is not from people but from God.)  

 To: 38,153 subscribers we pray ‘God is making Temples of His Spirit’, 8/5/22, God’s 6th month, Av, 8, 5,782, (Day 6 until sunset.)

    In the book of Psalms is the whole history of God’s chosen, past, present, and future, includes future deliverance and persecutors’ punishments. See   particularly book 4, it begins at Psalms 89 - 106, include 107 for additional overview.

   It was preplanned, (Creator Son of God Jesus) would be a fleshly human, learn from things He’d suffer, overcome temptations, die as the sacrificial Lamb of God, & be God The Father’s Christ. As the Testator, of the old covenant, His death would bring about the new. (Heb 9:11-14; teaches Christ came as the high priest of good things to come. A more perfect tent made without hands of this creation. He entered the most holy and secured with His own blood, eternal redemption for the believer. He offered Himself, without blemish to God the Father so those believing in Him could purify their conscience from dead works to serve the living God.)

   Heb 9:15-28; And so He is the Mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance He has promised, since He died to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant. For where there is a will, the death of the one who made it must be proven. For a will takes effect only at death, since it carries no force while the one who made it is alive. So even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood. For when Moses had spoken every command to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that God has commanded you to keep.” And both the tabernacle and all the utensils of worship he likewise sprinkled with blood. Indeed, according to the law almost everything was purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. So, it was necessary for the sketches of the things in heaven to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves required better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands – the representation of the true sanctuary – but into heaven itself, and He appears now in God’s presence for us. And He did not enter to offer Himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the sanctuary year after year with blood that is not his own, for then He would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the consummation of the ages to put away sin by His sacrifice. And just as people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment, so also, after Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, to those who eagerly await Him He will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to bring salvation.) (Consider that Jesus ‘the Son of God,’ is Re-Creator, Creator, Sustainer, Deliverer, Mediator and coming King of Kings, He shed His own blood so our sins could be remitted and we could inherit eternal life.) (Now back to Luke, it was still the 14^th day of Nisan about noon and darkness came over the whole land.)

   Luke 23:44-49; It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, because the sun’s light failed. The temple curtain was torn in two. (The curtain separating the holy of holiest.) Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit My spirit!” And after He said this, He breathed His last. “Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all those who knew Jesus stood at a distance, and the women who had followed Him from Galilee saw these things.)

Jesus’ Burial — Luke 23:50-56; “Now there was a man named Joseph who was a member of the council, a good and righteous man. (He had not consented to their plan and action.) He was from the Judean town of Arimathea and was looking forward to the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and placed it in a tomb cut out of the rock, where no one had yet been buried. It was the day of preparation, (Still the 14^th) and the Sabbath was beginning, (The 15^th of Nisan, God’s first annual Sabbath) was about to begin. (Days before weekly and annual Sabbaths are preparation days.) The women who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how His body was laid in it. Then they returned and prepared aromatic spices and perfumes.) (As commanded, ‘on the 15^th day of Nisan’, annual  Sabbath they rested.)

   (So called, good Friday, Easter Sunday practices are to accommodate sun god worshipers, the god of fertility and other paganism. Perhaps the 16^th day of Nisan fell on the first day of week that year: if so it would have been only two days after burial.)

   (Luke 24:1-12; Now on the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking the aromatic spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood beside them in dazzling attire. The women were terribly frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here but has been raised! Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” Then the women remembered His words, and when they returned from the tomb, they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles. But these words seemed like pure nonsense to them, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. He bent down and saw only the strips of linen cloth; then He went home, wondering what had happened.)

  (Belief IN and understanding of the scriptures had not yet been gifted to the apostles, Jesus would soon make that gift a reality.) (Luke 24:13-43; Now that very day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking to each other about all the things that had happened. While they were talking and debating these things, Jesus Himself approached and began to accompany them (but their eyes were kept from recognizing Him). Then He said to them, “What are these matters you are discussing so intently as you walk along?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that have happened there in these days?”  Jesus said to them, “What things?” “The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied, “a man who, with His powerful deeds and words, proved to be a prophet before God and all the people; and how our chief priests and rulers handed Him over to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we had hoped that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel. Not only this, but it is now the third day since these things happened. Furthermore, some women of our group amazed us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find His body, they came back and said they had seen a vision of angels, who said He was alive. Then some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Him.” So He said to them, “You foolish people – how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them the things written about Himself in all the scriptures. So, they approached the village where they were going. He acted as though He wanted to go farther, but they urged him, “Stay with us, because it is getting toward evening and the day is almost done.” So, He went in to stay with them.” — “When He had taken His place at the table with them, He took the bread, blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. At this point their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. Then He vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us while He was speaking with us on the road, while He was explaining the scriptures to us?” So, they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem.

  They found the eleven and those with them, gathered together and saying, “The Lord has really risen, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how they recognized Him when He broke the bread. – “While they were saying these things, Jesus Himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified, thinking they saw a ghost. Then He said to them, “Why are you frightened and why do doubt arise in your hearts? Look at My hands and My feet; it’s Me. Touch Me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones like you see I have.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. And while they still could not believe it (because of their joy) and were amazed, He said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” So, they gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and He took it and ate it in front of them.”) —-  Jesus’ Final Commission.

(Luke 24:44-53; “Then He said to them, “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures and said to them, “Thus it stands written that the Christ would suffer and would rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. But stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.) (Some 50 days later at Pentecost, Jesus’ apostles were expecting Jesus’ promise. — Then Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands, He blessed them. Now during the blessing, He departed and was taken up into heaven. So, they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple courts blessing God.) (Luke gives us more of his account in, “Acts of the Apostles” writing to Theophilus as he does in his gospel account. Remember Luke isn’t an apostle, but a believer who primarily accompanied Peter and Paul in their travels and teaching.

To: 38,121 subscribers we pray ‘God is making Temples of His Spirit’, 8/3/22, God’s 6th month Av 6, 5,782.

     The night of that Passover was exhausting for Jesus, His apostles and persecutors. (It was still the 14^th day of God’s 1^st month Nisan. Characteristically having things in common binds people.

    (Luke 23:13-25; “Then Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. When I examined Him before you, I did not find this man guilty of anything you accused Him of doing. Neither did Herod, for he sent Him back to us. Look, He has done nothing deserving death. I will therefore have Him flogged and release Him. But they all shouted out together, “Take this man away! Release Barabbas for us!” (Now this man was a robber who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city, and for murder.)

    Pilate addressed them once again because he wanted to release Jesus. But they kept on shouting, “Crucify, crucify Him!” A third time Pilate said to them, “Why? What wrong has He done? I have found Him guilty of no crime deserving death. I will therefore flog Him and release Him.” But they were insistent, demanding with loud shouts that He be crucified. And their shouts prevailed. So, Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. He released the man they asked for, who had been thrown in prison for insurrection and murder. But he handed Jesus over to their will.”)

    For many years afterward, gentile Romans particularly, used politics and unscrupulous leaders to blame and persecute Jews for Jesus’ death. Even before World War 2 Catholics in Germany were silent partners to Hitler’s persecution of Jews. In part because the Jews could not be converted to Catholicism’s pagan practices. (All sinners are guilty of killing Jesus with our lawlessness, by living according to what seemed right to our intellect.) It was preplanned that the Son of God die for the remission of the world’s sins! No one took Jesus’ life, He gave it! The Son of God died so Believers IN Him could have their sins remitted and inherit eternal life!

   Temple authorities, Sadducees and Pharisees wanted Jesus killed. This also fulfilled Jesus’ parable about the land owner who finally sent his son to redeem his portion of the land’s production. (See Matt 21:33-46)

   (Luke 23:26-31; “As they led Jesus away, they seized Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country. They placed the cross on his back and made him carry it behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed Jesus, among them women who were mourning and wailing for Him. But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For this is certain: The days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore children, and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ For if such things are done when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”)

   Jesus could have explained; “If these unbelieving people persecute to this degree, think how severe they will persecute ‘believers IN’ at the end of this age, when Satan knows his time is about up.” Jesus was thinking about the future times He described in Matthew 24: “days just prior to His return, when Satan, ‘knowing his end is near’ will become more ruthless and go after followers of Jesus.” (Jesus said, “except those days be shortened, no flesh would be saved alive, but for the Elect sake, those days will be shortened.) (My words, see Matthew 24::22)

    (Luke 23:32-38; Two other criminals were also led away to be executed with Jesus. So, when they came to the place that is called “The Skull,” they crucified Jesus there, along with the criminals, one on Jesus’ right and one on His left. But Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Then they threw dice to divide His clothes. The people also stood there watching, but the rulers ridiculed Jesus, saying, “He saved others, let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, His chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked Jesus, coming up and offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If You are the king of the Jews, save Yourself!” There was also an inscription over Him, “This is the king of the Jews.”) 

  What love, to have the attitude, “forgive them.” I think of deacon Stephen, who was stoned to death while the apostle Paul held the coats of his murderers. Stephen died saying, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” (study Acts 7

   (Luke 23:39-43; “One of the criminals who was hanging there railed at Jesus, saying, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth today, you’ll be with Me in paradise.”) I moved the comma in that sentence as it should be. Translators inserting punctuations according to what seems right to themselves. (Believing that people are born to live forever someplace is a demonic doctrine.) All worldly religions adapted some form of this demonic deception. (Study Gen. 3:) Jesus and His apostles taught “immortality is gifted through Believing IN Jesus.” (Satan and his followers are calling God a liar when they teach, “people are born to live forever someplace.” (Study - see 2Corinthians 11:11-15 & let’s review.

    (After Satan questioned Eve about what God said about not eating certain fruit, Eve responded, (“We may eat of the fruit from the trees of the orchard; but concerning the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the orchard, God said, ‘You must not eat from it, and you must not touch it, or else you will die.’” Satan replied, “Surely you will not die, for God knows when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like divine beings who know good and evil.” Genesis 3:3-5) Worldly religions teach, “people as fleshly divine beings know the good go up and the bad go down.” The fact is, we humans don’t naturally know from within our fleshly nature, “what’s right, wrong, good and evil.” Such is our Creator’s prerogative.)

     Our Lord’s brother, “James” penned; (James 1:14-15; “But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.”) The devil was able to appeal to Adam & Eve’s fleshly instinctive desires, but Jesus revealed His truth through His apostle Paul.

   (Romans 5:12-17; “So then, just as sin entered the world through one man “Adam” and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned – for before the law was given, sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin when there is no law. (God’s law is “don’t disobey.”) Yet death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam (who is a type of the coming One) transgressed. But the gracious gift is not like the transgression. For if the many died through the transgression of the one man, “Adam” how much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the One-man Jesus Christ multiply to the many! And the gift is not like the one who sinned. For judgment, resulting from the one transgression, (eating the forbidden) led to condemnation, but the gracious gift from the many failures led to justification. For if, by the transgression of the one man, death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ!) Then Jesus’ apostle John was inspired to write Jesus’ own words.

   John 15:5-6; “I am the vine; you ‘Believers’ are the branches. The one who remains in Me – and I in him – bears much fruit, because apart from Me you ‘Believers’ can accomplish nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire and are burned up.”) As Jesus stated, “I can do nothing of My own initiative.” Neither can we believers IN Jesus, do anything of spiritual consequence except through Him.

    John 5:19-30; So, Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, the Son can do nothing on His own initiative, but only what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him everything He does, and will show Him greater deeds than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also the Son gives life to whomever He wishes. Furthermore, the Father does not judge anyone, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, so that all people will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. “I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears My message and believes the One who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned but has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the solemn truth, a time is coming – and is now here – when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, thus He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and He has granted the Son authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. “Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and will come out – the ones who have done what is good to the resurrection resulting in life, and the ones who have done what is evil to the resurrection resulting in condemnation. I can do nothing on My own initiative. Just as I hear, I judge, and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of the One who sent Me.”) We followers of Jesus have the same reverence toward Him, as He the Father, because we’re as One as they’re as One. We as branches of a vine are nourished by Jesus’ spirit in us, thus we can do nothing of ourselves.

To: 38,033 subscribers we pray ‘God is making Temples of His Spirit’, 8/1/22, God’s 5th month, Av, 4, 5,782, (Day 2 until sunset.)

   When Jesus first sent His disciples on missions, He commanded they take no provisions, He was present and protecting. (Luke 22:35-38; “Later Jesus said to them, “When I sent you out with no money bag, or traveler’s bag, or sandals, you didn’t lack anything, did you?” They replied, “Nothing.” He said to them, “But now, the one who has a money bag must take it and likewise a traveler’s bag too. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in Me, ‘And He was counted with the transgressors.’ (Quote from Isaiah 53:12) For what is written about Me is being fulfilled. So, they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” Then He told them, “It is enough.”) Jesus would die as a criminal, on a stake between two. When Jesus sent them out at first they were under His supernatural guidance and protection, but later as the likes of Jesus’ apostle Paul went out they had people’s help, we should go out prepared. Jesus’ principle of counting the cost applies in this age.

   (Luke 22:39-46; “Then Jesus went out and made His way, as He customarily did, to the Mount of Olives and the disciples followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He went away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me. Yet not My will but Yours be done.” (Then an angel from heaven appeared to Jesus and strengthened Him. And in Jesus’ anguish He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When Jesus got up from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, exhausted from grief. So, Jesus said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation!”) Twice in these verses Jesus said, “pray that you not fall into temptation.” That too should be our concerns. Temptations comes from two fronts. (1) Our own fleshly instinctive nature wants its own way, which is naturally the way of get. (2) Satan is always on the prowl, wanting to deceive and tempt us to succumb to his devices. (See 1Pet 5:8) and Paul explains our opposition in Galatians.

    (Gal 5:15-26; “However, if you continually bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desire, that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God! (Compare this Galatian verse to Rev 21:8 and  verses 22-26; But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, being jealous of one another.”) Now back to Luke.

   Remember it’s the 14^th day of God’s first month, likely before midnight. The next sunset begins God’s first annual Sabbath of the year. These times don’t fall on particular days of a week.

   (Luke 22:47-53; “While Jesus was still speaking, suddenly a crowd appeared and the man named Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He walked up to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” When those who were around Jesus saw what was about to happen, they said, “Lord, should we use our swords?” Then one of them struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus said, “Enough of this!” And He touched the man’s ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders who had come out to get Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs like you would against an outlaw? Day after day when I was with you in the temple courts, you did not arrest Me. But this is your hour, and that of the power of darkness!”)

   Imagine Jesus having the mind to heal at such an hour. (The chief priest and supporters could only see Jesus as a disruptive man on a mission to dilute their power over people. What we need to understand is that all these things were preplanned. Jesus the Creator and Son of God preplanned the shedding of His own blood for the remission of sin. Jesus’ apostle Paul was blessed to understand and share Jesus’ deity as John did, at John 1:1-5.)

   (Colossians 1:15-20; “Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created by Him – all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers – all things were created through Him and for Him. Jesus Himself is before all things and all things are held together in Him. He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that He Himself may become first in all things. For God (the Father) was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in the Son and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself by making peace through the blood of His cross – through Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”) Hebrews chapter 1: teaches the same and one day all the world will know this truth.)

    While Jesus was praying; “not Mine but His Father’s will be done” His apostles were tired and sleeping. It was the time of His Passover, the 14^th day of God’s first month. Earlier in the evening Jesus had set the new covenant precedent for honoring Him on His Passover. (He’s the Believer’s Passover. By His stripes we’re healed, by believing IN Him as He manifest Himself to be, we’re saved from eternal death to eternal life. (Study Isaiah 53, for this study’s purpose see verses 4-7.

   (“But He lifted up our illnesses, He carried our pain; even though we thought He was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something He had done. He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; He endured punishment that made us well; because of His wounds we have been healed. All of us had wandered off like sheep; each of us had strayed off on His own path, but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack Him. He was treated harshly and afflicted, but He did not even open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block, like a sheep silent before her shearers, He did not even open His mouth.”)

   Jesus’ apostle Peter knew Isaiah 53: and shares his understanding. (1Peter 2:20-25; “For what credit is it if you sin and are mistreated and endure it? But if you do good, suffer, and so endure, this finds favor with God. For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in His steps. He committed no sin nor was deceit found in His mouth. When He was maligned, He did not answer back; when He suffered, He threatened no retaliation, but committed Himself to God who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we may cease from sinning and live for righteousness. By His wounds you were healed. For you were going astray like sheep but now you, (followers of Jesus) have turned back to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”) Again, it was all preplanned.

   (Matthew 26:26-30; “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks He broke it, gave it to His disciples, and said, “Take, eat, this is My body.” And after taking the cup and giving thanks, Jesus gave it to them, saying, “Drink from, (this cup) all of you, for this is My blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you from now on I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”) (Keeping Jesus’ Passover represents belief IN Jesus’ Godly life, and shedding His blood for the remission of sin. It’s believing IN what Jesus accomplished by sacrificing His life blood; it’s only through Jesus’ sacrificing His life blood for many that sinners are saved from eternal death.)

   Jesus came back to Jerusalem for the purpose of keeping His Passover, “this particular 14^th day of His first month.” Jesus knew Judas was conspiring to aid the high priest in arresting Him.

   (Luke 22:54-62; “Then they arrested Jesus, led Him away, and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. When they had made a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. Then a slave girl, seeing Peter as he sat in the firelight, stared at him, and said, “This man was with Jesus too!” But Peter denied it: “Woman, I don’t know Him!” Then a little later someone else saw Peter and said, “You are one of them too.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” And after about an hour still another insisted, “Certainly this man was with Him, because he too is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” At that moment, while Peter was still speaking, a rooster crowed. Then the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before a rooster crows, today you will (have) denied Me three times.” And Peter went outside and wept bitterly.”) Remember, Peter was not yet a believer IN because Jesus had not yet opened his mind.

   (Luke 22:63-71; “Now the men who were holding Jesus under guard began to mock Him and beat Him. They blindfolded Him and asked Him repeatedly, “Prophesy! Who hit You?” They also said many other things against Him, reviling Him. (It’s after sunset the 14^th) When day came, the council of the elders of the people gathered together, both the chief priests and the experts in the law. Then they led Jesus away to their council and said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But Jesus said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” So, they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” He answered them, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “Why do we need further testimony? We have heard it ourselves from His own lips!”) (The 14^th of God’s 1^st month started before their Passover meal. The first annual Sabbath was coming up and Jesus would be entombed before that sunset beginning the 15^th and be in the tomb thorough the 17^th.