Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Question 9 - Did the thieves, who were crucified both sides of Christ, blaspheme the Lord or not?



Mark 15:32 NKJV – “… Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him."
Matthew 27:44 NKJV - "Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing."
Luke 23:39-40 NKJV - "Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?"
Answer:
                As in Mark 15:22-32, Pilate handed over Jesus to Jews at 9’0 clock. The Lord Christ was crucified at midday 12’0 clock. They were alive in 3 hours on the cross. Starting the crucifixion in early hours, those who went near the cross, were the scribes, Pharisees, and also the thieves, who were crucified right and left of Jesus, etc., were blasphemed, ridiculed and mocked at Him.
                The agony of death on the cross was terrible long lasting, and intolerable one. No one can tolerate. In such stage, the thieves, who were in agony, would have reviled Him. In this, is there any astonishment?
                But, in the proximity of the Lord one of the criminals who were hanged and blasphemed the Lord Christ, changed his mind, repented, rebuked him (thief) and said, “Do you not ever fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?”
                “And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong!”
                Here, the thief, who was the right of Jesus, knew that the people, who did good deeds, could inherit the kingdom of heaven. So, he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You came into Your kingdom”. In this way, the thief on the right pleaded the Lord Christ.
                Even though the thief, who was crucified at the right to the Lord Christ, mocked and blasphemed Jesus, the 3 hour time on the cross gave him the chance to repent. The criminal got repentance during such long gap. So, the thief uttered with the same mouth, which mocked at the Lord Jesus, said, “And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong”. Matthew 24:40-42, “Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.”  Just as the above sentence goes, among the two criminals, who were crucified right and left to the Lord Christ, one thief got repentance for his sins and pleaded the Lord Christ, to remember him, when Jesus comes into his kingdom. So, both the criminals who were crucified either side of the Lord Christ, were in agony. But, one would be taken and other left.

Question 8 - Centurions or elders, who came to Jesus?



Matthew 8:5 NKJV - "Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him"
Luke 7:3, 6 NKJV - "So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant. ... Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof."
Answer:
                A centurion himself came to the Lord Jesus in the matter of dreadfully tormented paralyzed servant. When another centurion’s servant was sick and ready to die, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, these two incidents are not one. They are different, because there were so many centurions in those days.
                If we imagine that there was only one centurion, he came to Jesus, one time for paralyzed servant and another time for the servant who was sick and ready to die. Or if there was only one centurion, first, he sent his servants and elders.
                Thereafter, he would have come near Jesus according to his enthusiasm and hasty nature.

Question 7 - Oh, the Disciples of Christ were the unbelievers!



Matthew 17:18-20 NKJV - "And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."
Mark 9:28-29 NKJV - "And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.""
Answer:
                Why could the disciple of Christ not cast him out? Were the Disciples of Christ unbelievers?
                When the tempest came on the sea, the Disciples of Christ were afraid even they were near the Lord Christ, is it not the unbelief?
                The disciples were in training of the Lord Christ. As in Romans 12:12 and James 5:15, if the hope, patient and prayer, all are united as the one. No one can get anything from the proximity of the Lord. When the disciple of the Lord Christ changed as the Apostle by strengthening in the gospel service, prayer, and faith, there were uncountable deeds, which they achieved.
                So, if we want to get help from the proximity of the Lord, the hope, patience, and prayer must be united as the one. The hope, patience and prayer must be united as the one. The inner meaning in the words of the Lord informs us that it is not useful without prayer, good belief, and deficit in faith.

Question 6 - Christ’s favor – disciples’ unbelief?



Luke 9:1 NKJV - "Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases."
Matthew 10:1, 8 NKJV - "And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. ... "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."
Matthew 17:18-20 NKJV - "And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."
Answer:
They were not in a rightful position to get the power and authority. So, they could not drive them out to cure him. Because of their disbelief, they could not get the boon given by Him. Why did Peter not walk on the water after he walked half a distance? Is it not the disbelief! Or is it not the deficit of complete faith in us!

Question 5 - To whom the Disciples of Christ obey?



1 Peter 2:13 NKJV - "Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme"
Romans 13:1-2 NKJV - "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves."
Acts 5:29 NKJV - "But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men."

Answer:
                According to the Roman 13:1-2, all authorities, who were formed by the human being and commandments of the rules of the kingdom, were from the Lord only. Judges were appointed for the sake of salvation of the people. Refer Exodus 18:25.
                As in John 14:30, some people mingled with the rulers of the world and do the things which were against the commandments and divine rules. So, Peter and the other apostles answered and said in the Acts of the Apostles: “We ought to obey God rather than men”. From this, we know that we must yield to the authorities, who go according to the commandments and rules of the Lord. If you obey to the authorities, who does according to the commandments of rules of the Lord, is it not yielding to the Lord?
                The one, who appointed Moses as the ruler, was the Lord God only. The one who appointed the head of Christians of the world is also the Lord God only. So, it is not the meaning in this that you must yield to the authorities, who take bribe must practices the authority in wrong way. The persons, who practiced the authorities, which came from Lord, in wrong way, were Saul, Ahab, Herod, etc kings.
                So, they became the reason to get their own catastrophe.