The Dark Side of the Character of Jesus of Nazareth
By Wm. F. Henness
Chapter
Jesus Defiled 1
Jesus' Third Passover 2
Building the Prophet's Tombs 3
You Fool! 4
Fear Not To Die 5
A Historical Lie 6
"I Am... The Truth" 7
False Prophecies 8
Then Shall the End Come 9
But I Say Unto You! 10
Some Will See Him Coming 11
This Generation 12
The Mustard Seed 13
"Slay Them Before Me" 14
Practice What You Preach 15
A Friend of Jesus 16
Jesus Said Nothing In Secret 17
Two or Three Witnesses 18
"Then My Servants Would Fight To Defend Me" 19
Destroyed Private Property 20
Who Will Send The Comforter? 21
Who Raised Jesus From the Dead? 22
Jesus Broke the Sabbath 23
Jesus Unclean! 24
Follow Another God 25
Chapter 1 Jesus Defiled
"Which of you convinceth me of sin?" (John 8:46a)
This was spoken by Jesus, who was undoubtedly ceremonially unclean much of the time. I will deal with only three areas: touching a leper, touching a dead body, and being touched by an unclean person. First some scriptures about the uncleanness of leprosy.
"And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp
every leper, and everyone that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead. Both male and female
shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof
I dwell." (Num. 5:1-3)
"Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it is wherewith a man shall be defiled, and
it be hidden from him, when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty..., And it shall be, when he shall be
guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing." (Lev. 5:3,5)
These scriptures are pretty clear that a person with leprosy was unclean or defiled, and that if anyone touched a person who was unclean, if and when he knew it, he was guilty of sin. He then had to offer an animal sacrifice, etc., for this cleansing (see Lev. 5:6-13). Now consider Jesus of Nazareth.
"And, behold, there came a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy
was cleansed." (Matt. 8:2,3)
Second; a person who touched a dead body became unclean or defiled.
"He who toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days." (Num. 19:11)
Now consider Jesus.
"While he spoke these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshiped him, saying,
My daughter is even now dead; but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live... But when the
people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose." (Matt. 9:18,25)
Third; whoever was touched by an unclean person, was defiled by being touched.
"And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days;
and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the evening." (Lev. 15:19) (see also v.v. 20-27)
So, whoever happened to be touched by an unclean woman, themselves became defiled until the evening. Consider Jesus.
"And a woman, having an issue of blood twelve years,... came behind him and touched the border of
his garment; and immediately her issue of blood stanched... And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me;
for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me." (Luke 8:43,44,46)
The reason the woman was afraid, and trembling, is because she had caused him to be defiled or unclean, by touching him.
Perhaps the reason Jesus spent so many nights outside Jerusalem, was because he was ceremonially unclean much of the time, by touching the unclean. Look back at the words of Lev. 5:3 again please.
"... whatsoever uncleanness it is wherewith a man shall be defiled,..."
This simply means, if a person touched any kind of uncleanness, it made them defiled, and when, or if, they knew it, they became guilty. Then verse 5 says:
"And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned
in that thing."
Then he was to bring his trespass offering, for his sin, which he had sinned, which was a lamb, or a kid goat, or two turtle-doves, or two pigeons, or one tenth ephed of flour.
"And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these,
and it shall be forgiven him,..." (v. 13)
Jesus intentionally touched many unclean people, so did he sin? Was he guilty? Did he bring a trespass offering? Was he forgiven?
Here is the stinger for those who will say that Jesus didn't have to keep these laws because he was the son of God, and thereby not bound to the laws of God. He said,
"And he that sent me is with me. The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." (John 8:29)
I suppose that includes touching lepers, dead bodies, changing, by adding to and taking from the law, destroying private property, etc.
Chapter 2 Jesus' Third Passover
In the Bible, under the law of Moses, there were three festivals that ALL males were required to attend.
"Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. Thou shalt keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread
(Passover)... And the Feast of Harvest,... and the Feast of Ingathering,... three times in the year all thy males
shall appear before the LORD God." (Ex. 23:14-17)
There were several stipulations that must be observed. One, they must not keep it at their homes but it must be kept at Jerusalem.
"Thou mayest not sacrifice the Passover within any of thy gates,... But at the place which the LORD thy God
shall choose to place his name in,..." (Deut. 16:5,6)
This place was Jerusalem, and they also must go there and give money.
"...; and they must not appear before the LORD thy God empty. Every man shall give as he is able, according
to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee." (Deut. 16:16,17)
Also, they must not refuse to go and attend the Passover.
"But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth (refuses) to keep the Passover, even the
same soul shall be cut off from among his people; because he brought not the offering of the LORD in it's
appointed season, that man shall bear his sin." (Num. 9:13)
To summarize, all males must go to Jerusalem to give an offering, and if they refused to go and keep the Passover, they were cut off from the people and they bore their sin of it.
Now, if this is clear to you, you now have a big problem. In a book written by a defender of the faith, entitled, "Baker's Harmony of the Gospels", edited by Benjamin Dacies, on page 67, part V, concerning the third Passover during Jesus' ministry, he says in a foot note; "This Passover was not celebrated by our Lord in Jerusalem because the rulers were seeking to kill him, and his time had not yet come (John 7:1 comp. with Luke 9:51); see note z on # 64."
"After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for he would not walk in Judaea, because the Jews sought to kill him." (John 7:1)
However, on the fourth Passover;
"And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go
to Jerusalem." (Luke 9:51)
This was nearing the fourth Passover, but he did not attend the third Passover for fear of the Jews. Now, do you realize the magnitude of this? Jesus refused to go to a Passover feast. You may say as also said the gospel writer, "his time was not yet come", and that sounds noble, but according to John 7:1, he was afraid to go to Judaea, and under the law, he sinned by refusing to go where he was required to go. There was nothing in the law allowing for absence because of hear.
I want to reinforce the fact of Jesus not attending this third Passover. Concerning this time of the third Passover;
"After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias... And the Passover, a feast of
the Jews, was nigh." (John 6:1)
"And he took them and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida." (Luke 9:10)
"... and entering into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum." (John 6:17)
Then the next day he had a lengthy discourse with the people in (6:22-71). Then we come to John 7:1 where it says,
"After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judaea, because the Jews sought to kill him." (John 7:1)
Now a little geography. Bethsaida is at the north end of the sea of Galilee and Capernaum is on the northwest coast of that sea. Both cities are about 80 air miles from Jerusalem where the Passover was to take place shortly ('was nigh'). A good day's journey on foot would be about 20 miles a day. That would be something like a five day journey, even if he had left immediately, but he didn't. Notice John 7:1 again, this is after a couple of days have elapsed after it says, "the feast of the Jews was nigh."
He didn't go.
Chapter 3 Building the Prophet's tombs
"Woe unto you! For ye build the sepulchers of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness
that ye allow the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchers." (Luke 11:47,48)
Building a tomb for someone whom your ancestors have killed certainly does not mean you approve of the killing. That would be like a group of people who built Lincoln's tomb, but that does not mean they approved of John Wilkes Booth killing him. One has absolutely nothing to do with the other. Logic must not have been among Jesus' strong points. Another thing, what prophets did the Jews kill?
Chapter 4 You fool!
"...; but whosoever shall say, thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." (Matt. 5:22c)
This very strong judgment was given by Jesus no less. First, the meaning of the Greek word "fool."
In Strong's Gr. Lex. # 3474; mo-ras'; dull or stupid. Here in Matt. Jesus is telling us that if anyone calls someone a fool, they are in danger of going to hell. This may be good advice, but Jesus himself should have practiced what he preached.
"Ye fools and blind; for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?" (Matt. 23:17)
"Ye fools, and blind, for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?" (v. 19)
Here Jesus is calling the scribes and Pharisees, fools. The word "fools", in these two verses is the exact same word he used in Matt. 5:22, where he said the name caller is in danger of hell's fire.
He called people fool in other places also, however, he used a different and much stronger word in those places, but it was translated fools, in English just the same.
"Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?" (Luke 11:40)
This word "fools" is # 878; mindless, as in stupid, ignorant, etc.
"But god said unto him, thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee;..." (Luke 12:20)
This verse says Jesus said that the rich man was a fool. This "fool" is # 876; froth, as in slaver. The word slaver means, to slobber, to let saliva run or dribble, or drool. In other words, someone who is so retarded or stupid as to slobber and doesn't even have enough sense to swallow his saliva.
He used another word for fool, which is # 453; unintelligent.
"then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!" (Luke 24:25)
In conclusion, Jesus called individuals fools, but we must not. So, apparently Jesus was immune from this condemnation. Did this warning apply to everyone except himself?
Chapter 5 Fear not to Die
Jesus taught to don't fear those who may kill you.
"Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do." (Luke 12:4)
However, he hid, fled and avoided death when necessary.
"After these things Jesus walked in Galilee, for he would not walk in Judaea, because the Jews sought to kill him." (John 7:1)
"Then took they up stones to cast at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the
midst of them, and so passed by." (John 8:59)
"Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it,
he withdrew himself from there;..." (Matt. 12:14,15)
"Then from that day forth they took counsel together to put him to death. Jesus, therefore, walked no more openly
among the Jews, but went from there unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there
continued with his disciples." (John 11:53,54)
"Therefore, they sought again to take him; but he escaped out of their hand,..." (John 10:39)
Then again, in the garden, he prayed to God three times that "this cup" (this fate) may pass from him, nevertheless, not his will. And finally on the cross, he cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
So, it's nice to say don't fear those who may kill you, but it's another thing when they really want to do it.
Chapter 6 A Historical Lie
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works
than these shall he do, because I go unto my father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do,
that the father may be glorified in the son. If ye ask anything in my name, I will do it." (John 14:12-14)
When has anyone performed a miracle equal to what Jesus supposedly did? Such as walking on water, healing the blind, healing withered arms, stilling a storm, multiplying food, raising the dead? Much less doing "greater works" than these.
Also, what things that are asked in his name are done? He said "whatsoever" things. That means anything or everything. He said, "that will I do". In other words, whatsoever anyone asks for he will give it to them. Then he strengthened it by adding, "if you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." No questions about it, he will do it. Is this promise true? I have never seen it done.
Chapter 7 "I am... the Truth"
Did Jesus lie when he said,
"..., the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." (Matt. 8:20)
The disciples asked him,
"..., where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode
with him that day." (John 1:38,39)
In Strong's Gr. Lex., for the two words, "dwelt", and "dwellest", the same word is used, which is # 3306; men'-c; to stay (in a given place, state, relation, or expectancy) abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry. So, did Jesus lie when he said he had no place to lay his head?
Did Jesus tell the truth about Lazarus?
"When Jesus heard that, he said, this sickness is not unto death,..." (John 11:4)
"Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead." (v. 19)
Chapter 8 False Prophecies
In Matt. 16, Jesus is foretelling of his coming death in verse 21, then Peter rebukes him. Next Jesus tells of the cost of following him. In verse 27, he tells of the return of the Son of man.
"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man
according to his works." (Matt. 16:27)
This verse is clearly referring to the second advent of Jesus when he comes back to earth after the seven years of tribulation, which follows the rapture of the church.
"Verily, I say unto you, there are some standing here, who shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man
coming in his kingdom." (v. 28)
It has been nearly 2,000 years and the rapture has not occurred, much less the tribulation and the second advent of Jesus' coming.
Jesus said concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple;
"...; and they shall not leave in thee (Jerusalem) one stone upon another,..."(Luke 19:44b)
And when his disciples mentioned the temple, he said the same,
"Verily, I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." (Matt. 24:2)
Today, nearly 2,000 years after this, there is, what is called the wailing wall, or the west wall, which is supposed to be the west wall of the temple's outer court, still standing, with each stone still upon another. It is said that the wailing wall is the only part of the ancient temple still standing.
"Nevertheless, I must walk today, and tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet perish
out of Jerusalem." (Luke 13:33)
Now, we all know the historical account of Jesus being condemned in Jerusalem and crucified out of the city. The truth is, a prophet did indeed perish out of Jerusalem.
When Peter asked Jesus what reward the twelve apostles could expect for forsaking all to follow him, Jesus said;
"Verily, I say unto you that ye who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the son of man shall sit on
the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matt. 19:28)
Jusas was one of those twelve who was there when Jesus said this. Surely, Judas was not going to be sitting on a throne, judging one of the tribes of Israel! If Jesus was all knowing he would have known Judas would betray him and would die by his own hand, lost.
Jesus here gives the only sign of his messiahhood.
"For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so shall the son of man be
three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matt. 12:40)
If Jesus was crucified on Friday, as we are told, and buried quickly before sundown on that Friday, and arose early on Sunday morning, before daybreak, or Saturday night; there is no way one can get three days and three nights out of that. For if we count backward from Sunday morning, three full days and three full nights, you cannot arrive a Friday sundown.
Supposedly, on Palm Sunday, when Jesus entered Jerusalem,
"And the multitude that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna, to the son of David! Blessed is he that
cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" (Matt. 21:9)
Then, just a couple of days later, Jesus laments over Jerusalem, and says;
"For I say unto you (Jerusalem), ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the
name of the Lord." (Matt. 23:39)
Besides the people of Jerusalem saying that phrase just two days before this prediction, the next time the people of Jerusalem saw Jesus, they did not say the blessing, but rather, "crucify him".
Jesus gave a promise to his followers, to encourage them, no doubt, that, if they wanted to be his disciples and leave everything and follow him, they will be repaid 100% in this life.
"Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I
say unto you, there is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children,
or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's , but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time, houses, and brethren,
and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." (Mark 10:28-30)
First, Jesus promised this to all, and it is to apply in this life. This promise is to anyone who will leave his house or lands for Jesus or the gospel, of gaining 100 more houses or 100 more lands, in this life. How many young people have left their families, houses, or lands, to become pastors, missionaries, and evangelists, etc., then lived their lives and died without gaining 100 houses or 100 more lands, as they were promised by Jesus. The only conclusion we can come to is, the promise was a lie. They did their part by faith, but Jesus did not do his part.
Here is a prophecy by Jesus that hasn't been fulfilled in 2,000 years.
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die." (John 12:32,33)
He was, apparently, lifted up (crucified), but it is also evident from history, that "all men" have not been drawn to him. There have been millions who have lived and died and have not even heard or known of someone called Jesus who was crucified. They were not drawn to Jesus as he said he will draw all men unto him.
In Deut. 18:22, is the means of determining whether a prophet is a true prophet of God, or a false prophet.
"When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing
which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously; thou shalt not be afraid
of him." (Deut. 18:22)
Jesus, who made these prophecies, obviously said them presumptuously as a false prophet, so, we need not fear him.
Chapter 9 Then Shall the End Come
Jesus made a profound statement about the end of the world.
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall
the end come." (Matt. 24:14)
When the gospel has been preached in all the world for a witness to all nations, then shall the end come. What would you think about this if you suddenly found out the gospel has already been preached in all the world? Even 2,000 years ago? What would that do to your faith in this promise of the end coming? Read and weep!
"..., of which ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which is come unto you, as it is in all the world,
and bringeth forth fruit,..." (Col. 1:5,6)
"If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have
heard, and which was preached to every creature that is under heaven,..." (Col. 1:23)
"But I say, have they not heard? Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of
the world." (Rom. 10:18)
There you have it. Did Jesus' prophecy come to pass as he said it, or not? If these three scriptures are true, when did the end come? But, if these three scriptures are not true, why are they in the HOLY BIBLE?
Chapter 10 But I Say Unto You
Three places in the O.T., God instructed man to not add anything to his laws, or take anything away from them. This is what God the Father said.
"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may
keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you." (Deut. 4:2)
"Whatsoever thing I command you, observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." (Deut. 12:32)
"Every word of God is pure; he is a shield unto those who put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words,
lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." (Prov. 30:5,6)
From these verses it is pretty clear we are not to add or subtract anything from the law or the words of God. If anyone does, he is reproved and is a liar. Right? This is pretty serious stuff, because if you will be open-minded enough to read farther, you will see that Jesus of Nazareth did just what those verses say not to do. Observe what he said.
"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old, thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger
of judgment; But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger
of judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever
shall say, thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." (Matt. 5:21,22)
"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old, thou shalt not commit adultery; but I say unto you that
whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (v.v 27,28)
"It hath been said, whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement; but I say
unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife, except for the cause of fornication, causeth her to
commit adultery; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery." (v.v.31,32)
"Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old, thou shalt not forswear (perjure) thyself,
but shalt perform unto the LORD thine oaths; but I say unto you, swear not at all,... but let your
communication be, yea, yea; nay, nay; for what ever is more than these cometh of evil.: (v.v.33,34a, 37)
In the law a person was permitted by God to swear an oath, but they must perform it. Jesus adds to this law by saying we cannot do it. He canceled God's law.
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; but I say unto you
that ye resist not evil,..." (v.v.38,39)
"They say unto him Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law,
commanded us that such should be stoned; but what sayest thou?...(Jesus said) He that is without sin
among you, let him first cast a stone at her... Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more." (John 8:4,5,7,11)
In the law, the common people were to do the stoning, which was Israel's governmental means of execution. If they waited until they could find a sinless person to administer capital punishment, there wouldn't have been any. Also, if God(the father) condemned adultery, why wouldn't Jesus(the son), who was supposed to be one with the father, do the same?
"It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself,
and the father that sent me beareth witness of me." (John 8:17,18)
The law did require the witness of two men to be true, but that was two other people. Even when God in heaven witnessed the crime, he did not testify. He wanted two other people besides the victim to testify.
Remember what God said?
"But the prophet, who shall presume to speak a word in my name, with I have not commanded him to speak,
or who shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die." (Deut. 18:20)
"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish anything from it, that ye may
keep the commandments of the LORD your god which I command you." (Deut. 4:2)
Jesus did add to and diminish from the law, and even canceled some of them. He also died young.
Chapter 11 Some Will See Him Coming
Matthew, Mark and Luke record a prophecy made by Jesus concerning the second Advent or when he comes back to earth to judge the world.
"For the son of man shall come in the glory of his father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man
according to his works. Verily, I say unto you, there are some standing here, who shall not taste of death,
till they see the son of man coming in his kingdom." (Matt. 16:27,28)
"..., there be some of them that stand here, who shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom
of God come with power." (Mark 9:1)
"But I tell you the truth, there are some standing here, who shall not taste of death, till they see the
kingdom of god." (Luke 9:27)
Here we have a false prophecy by Jesus. He said there were some people who were there at that time (about 30 A.D.) who would see the son of man (Jesus) coming with power in his kingdom, before they died. It has been nearly 2,000 years now, and he still hasn't come.
Chapter 12 This Generation
Jesus is predicting the future events that will come to pass. He is talking of the great tribulation in Matt. 24:21-28.
"For then shall be great tribulation,..." (v.21)
then he speaks of after the great tribulation, etc.
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days..." (v.29)
"And then shall appear the sign of the son of man in heaven;..." (v.v.30-32)
Then he said;
"So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily, I say unto you,
this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." (v.v.33,34)
All these things, are -- sun, moon and stars are darkened, heaven shaken(v.29) -- sign of son of man in heaven, all the earth mourn, see the son of man coming with power and great glory(v.30)-- sending of angels to gather the elect(v.31) -- parable of fig tree(v.32) -- then the two verses in question. That generation did pass away, and many, many more, and all these things still have not happened.
Chapter 13 The Mustard Seed
One well known scientific blunder by Jesus is found in Matt. 13.
"... the kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard see, which a man took, and sowed in his field; which,
indeed, is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree,
so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches of it." (Matt. 13:31,32)
I would think that someone who is not knowledgeable of botany, would not speak on the subject, for three reasons. One, a mustard seed is not the least or smallest of all seeds, for the orchid seed is smaller, and a few others; two, when grown it is not the greatest or largest of all herbs; three, a mustard seed does not grow up and become a tree.
Now, if this statement is not true, then Jesus lied, or, if he did not lie on purpose, hen he lacked knowledge and was not Divine God.
The importance of Jesus' statement as a problem is stated by Charles Ryrie, in his book, 'Inerrance', page 94, where he said, "In his parable of the mustard seed the Lord said that the mustard seed was the smallest of all seeds. Is that plainly an erroneous statement, since botanically the mustard seed is not the smallest? Before jumping to that conclusion, remember that it was stated by Jesus Christ. If he spoke a lie, how could he have been sinless? This is not simply a small factual discrepancy; if the statement is not true, then it proves something about the one who made it, and that becomes a serious doctrinal matter. You cannot separate this history from it's doctrinal ramification."
Chapter 14 "Slay Them Before Me"
In Luke 19, there is a parable spoken by Jesus, and dealing only with the citizens, it says:
"He said, therefore, a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, we will not have this man to reign over us.
And it came to pass that, when he was returned, having received the kingdom,... But those mine enemies,
who would not that I should reign over them, bring here, and slay them before me." (Luke 19:12,14,15,27)
Now, since Jesus is supposed to be the nobleman, and he went away, and is supposed to return, and judge; isn't his judgment a little harsh? It is out of character with other verses that supposedly describe Jesus, such as;
"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy; but I say unto you,
love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,... for if ye love them who love you,
what reward have ye? Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as your father, who is in heaven, is perfect." (Matt. 5:43,44,46,48)
If Jesus was such a "nobleman," who taught others to "forgive," and to "love your enemies," and "do good to them that hate you," and to be "perfect"; why, pray tell, did he liken himself to the nobleman who was hated by the citizens who did not want him to reign over them, and then called them before him and had them killed? Is that practicing what you preach, or not?
Chapter 15 Practice What You Preach
Sometimes Jesus taught one thing and practiced the opposite. Here are some examples.
"But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him
the other also." (Matt. 5:39)
However, when evil seemed to be dominant, Jesus acted differently, such as;
"And he found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money, sitting.
And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the
oxen; and poured out the changer's money, and overthrew the tables;..." (John 2:14,15)
He taught to love your enemies, to bless them, to do good to them.
"But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray
for them who despitefully use you, and persecute you." (Matt. 5:44)
But when it came to practicing this good teaching he called his enemies, hypocrites seven times (Matt. 23:13-15,23,25,27,29), blind five times (v.16,17,19,14,16), fools twice(v.17,19), white washed tombs (v.27), snakes and vipers (v.33), killers (v.34,35). That doesn't sound to me like what he said we should do for our enemies, does it?
Jesus taught us to respect others, to serve others, and to honor others, but that isn't the way he reacted to the high priest.
"The High Priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spoke openly
to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, where the Jews always resort; and in secret
have I said nothing. Why asketh thou me? Ask them who heard me, what I have said unto them; behold,
they know what I said. And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with
the palm of his hand, saying, Answereth thou the High Priest so? Jesus answered him, If I have spoken
evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou me?" (John 18:19-25)
This little debate doesn't sound like Jesus' teachings. He was obviously argumentative and defensive.
Jesus then proceeds to answer Pilate in an argumentative and defensive manner also.
"Pilate... called Jesus and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews" Jesus answered him, Sayest thou
this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?" (John 18:33,34)
"Pilate, therefore, said unto him, Art thou King then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a King. To this
end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone
that is of the truth heareth my voice." (v.37)
Pilate asked Jesus if he was the king of the Jews and he replied in our modern speech; Did you ask this on your own or did others prompt you? Pilate then asked him again, are you then a king? Jesus replied, you say I'm a king, that's what I was born to be, and why I'm here, that I should confirm truth and all who know the truth hear me.
You see, Pilate asked him a simple question, twice, but Jesus didn't answer the simple question, but was elusive and argumentative.
Chapter 16 A Friend of Jesus
The author of the book of John has recorded that Jesus made this conditional statement. Then in the next verse he said what he will do for his friends.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends,
if ye do whatever I command you." (John 15:13,14)
So, according to these two statements, Jesus laid down his life for you, if you are his friend, and you are his friend only if you do whatever he commands you to do. Now we need to see what all he commands you to do.
First, he commands the Great Commission found in Matt. 28:19,20. Then Jesus gives a "new commandment", even though this loving one another was already commanded in the law. (see Lev. 19:18,34) It is referred to several times in the N.T., as in 1 John 2:7; 11 John 5. Lastly, there are several other commands, such as what to do to be his disciple, i.e. forsaking everything you have to follow him, to believe on him, etc.
So, you are Jesus' friend, on one condition; you must do whatever he commands you. And according to John 15:13,14, he died only for his friends. So, are you saved? Do you do all he commands?
Chapter 17 Jesus Said Nothing in Secret
"Jesus answered him, I spoke openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple; where the
Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing." (John 18:20)
It seems to me that if he ever taught a few private individuals, that would constitute teaching in secret or privately. In only Matthew's gospel alone, somewhere around one-fourth is private teachings.
Matt. 10-11:1, he is teaching the twelve about how to evangelize, how to handle persecution. He even admitted to teaching in secret.
"What I tell you in darkness, that speak in light, and what ye hear in the ear, that preach upon the house tops." (v.27)
Then he teaches them more about how to evangelize. In Matt. 13:10-23, his disciples came to him privately and asked the meaning of a parable. In verse 36-52, he explains more about parables to the twelve privately. In 16:13-20, he taught the twelve about who he was and told them, "... that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ." (v.20)
In verse 24-28, he taught only his disciples about discipleship. In 18:1-35, he taught them privately about childlike faith, another parable and offences, and about forgiveness. In 19:10-12, about eunuchs. In 19:23-20:19, he taught doctrine privately to the twelve concerning the rich, another parable, and then verse 17 says;
And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside along the way, and said unto them." (v.17)
Matt. 24,25, and up to 26:2, is more private or secret teaching to the twelve. In 26:20-46, is more teaching in private to the twelve at the last supper. John goes into lengthy detail as to just what he taught them in secret. These verses are only from Matthew's gospel. And for him to say, "and in secret have I said nothing.", is simply a lie, or to put it more tactfully, its not a truthful statement.
There is a classic example but it is in John's gospel.
"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; the same came to Jesus by night,
and said unto him,..." (John 3:1,2)
The words, "by night", makes it in secret, because Nicodemus was ashamed to be seen with Jesus. Jesus then proceeds to teach several things, secretly, one on one, to one man. First, about being born again, then about Nicodemus being a teacher of Israel and not understanding, but Jesus spoke of what he knew. Then he spoke of his coming down from heaven and his being in heaven. Then of Moses' serpent, of how to obtain eternal life, and finally of light and darkness and truth.
The twelve disciples apparently were absent on this occasion, or else Peter would have said something.
So, in light of only this one incident, how could Jesus later say; "..., and in secret have I said nothing." --?
Chapter 18 Two or Three Witnesses
In the law it is written:
"One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth;
at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established." (Deut. 19"15)
In the gospel of John, Jesus supposedly said concerning this law;
"It is written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true." (John 8:17)
Notice the words underlined, "your law", and "two men". Jesus here is defending himself before the Pharisees. He says the law is their law, implying he is not bound by it. He also says the witness of two men are required to verify truth in a matter. Then he continues on to name the two men that verify him as truth.
"I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me." (v. 18)
Jesus here is saying that he is one that bears witness of himself, and God is the other one. But God is not a man as the law said was necessary. And, the one in question could not be considered one of those who bear witness either. It must be two other people. The Pharisees understood this about this law, that is why they asked him, in the next verse, where his father was.
"Then said they unto him, where is thy father?..." (v.19a)
Then Jesus proceeds to tell them why they did not know his father whom they naturally assumed was his natural father. Was Jesus above the law, and didn't have to abide by it? Did he make his own rules?
Chapter 19 "Then My Servants Would Fight to Defend Me."
When Jesus was before Pilate in judgment, he made an untruthful statement.
"Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants
fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from here." (John 18:36)
Here he said that, since his kingdom was not of this world, his servants would not fight to defend him, but if his kingdom was of this world, then his servants would fight to defend him. If his kingdom was not of this world, why did he command his disciples to sell their garments and buy swords?
"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I come not to send peace, but a sword." (Matt. 10:34)
"..., and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one." (Luke 22:36)
"And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords, and he said unto them, it is enough." (v.38)
Then just a few hours before Jesus made this untruthful statement, Peter had used his sword defending Jesus when he was arrested.
"Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear." (John 18:10)
So, since Jesus said he had come to send a sword, and sell your garments and buy one, and he had just seen Peter try to defend him; why did he then say, "my kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from here."? If his kingdom was of this world, and his servants would fight, then he lied when he said, "but now is my kingdom not from here". If his kingdom was not of this world, why did he say he was come to send a sword, and commanded his disciples to buy one? If he knew in advance, that Peter would fight, why did he say they would not? If he did not know what he would do, did he have all knowledge? And if he was not of this world, why did he resort to physical violence when he overturned the money changer's tables and drove them out of the temple with a scourge? (John 2:14,15)
Modern day example is: a religious/political leader tells the judge before whom he has been brought on charges of dissension, that if his kingdom was of this world, his servants would fight to defend him, but his kingdom is not of this world. He makes this statement shortly after he told his followers to sell their clothes, if necessary, and buy AK-47's. When a couple of them were shown, along with many rounds of ammo, he said that was enough. Earlier that day, one of his followers shot and wounded one of the cops that had come to arrest him. In light of what he told his followers, and the shooting, did he lie to the judge?
Chapter 20 Destroyed Private Property
In the law it was forbidden to destroy fruit trees.
"Only the trees which thou knowest that they are not trees for food, thou shalt destroy...? (Deut. 20:20)
Now Jesus surely knew this law, however, he disregarded it.
"And when he saw a fig tree along the way, he came to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only, and said
unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth forever. And presently the fig tree withered away." (Matt. 21:19)
"...; for the time of figs was not yet." (Mark 11:13)
The law said that if anyone killed a beast that belonged to someone else, he must make it good or restore it to the owner.
"And he who killeth a beast shall make it good, beast for beast." (Lev. 24:18)
"And he who killeth a beast, he shall restore it." (v.21)
"...; for I am the LORD thy God." (v.22)
Jesus, on the other hand, told demons to go into a herd of 2,000 pigs, which,if he had all knowledge, knew would run into the sea and drown. (see Mark 5:11-13)
Question. Did Jesus keep the law, as he said he did, and restored all those 2,000 pigs to their owners? Or, did he not? Was he above keeping the law? Why would he destroy the fig tree of someone else? Why would he expect figs on it when it was not the time for figs? Was he having a bad day? Did he restore all the value of the pigs to the owner, as the law commanded?
Chapter 21 Who Will Send the Comforter?
Either John or Jesus made a flat out contradictory statement, all in the same book, one chapter apart.
"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the father, even the spirit of truth, who
proceedeth from the father, he shall testify of me." (John 15:26)
Notice the one who will send the Comforter is Jesus himself. Now drop back exactly one chapter and read who is the sender.
"But the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, whom the father will send in my name, he will teach you all things,
and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said unto you." (John 14:26)
Who then will send the Comforter? Can you believe what Jesus said? If you can, who will the sender be?
Chapter 22 Who Raised Jesus From the Dead?
I will give only two verses for each side of this controversy. The first one are the verses that are in the salvation formula.
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Rom. 10:9)
"Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you
whole." (Acts 4:10)
There are other verses that say that it was God Th Father who raised Jesus the Son from the dead, nevertheless, here are only two verses that tell us, it was not God the Father at all but Jesus the Son, himself who raised himself from the dead.
"Jesus answered, and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:19)
"No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to
take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." (John 10:16) (see verse 17 also)
So, who raised him up, God the father, or Jesus himself, the Son? Or both? If God did it, then Jesus lied when he said he would raise himself, if he raised himself, then Luke and Paul lied by saying God would do it. Either way you look at it, someone lied. Who deceived whom?
Chapter 23 Jesus Broke the Sabbath
The Pharisees really were right in accusing Jesus of breaking the law of the Sabbath. Let's lay a little groundwork first. First, God supposedly rested on the Sabbath day.
"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all
his work which he had made." (Gen. 2:2)
In Exodus, God reinforced the law of rest in the fourth commandment.
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work." (Ex. 20:8,9)
Then he gives the reason for the Sabbath day.
"For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day;
wherefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." (v.11)
Now, according to the law, no work at all was to be done on the Sabbath days, not even good works. This brings us to the N.T.
"And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he dad done these things on
the Sabbath (namely healed a man and told him to carry his bed).
But Jesus answered them, "My father worketh hitherto, and I work." (John 5:16,17) The word "hitherto", is # 2193 & 737; when together they are, "until now".
Here Jesus admits that God has worked on the Sabbath day, for he explains what he did by saying:
"Then answered Jesus, and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, the son can do nothing of himself,
but what he seeth the father do; for whatever things he doeth, these also doeth the son in the same manner." (v.19)
So, Jesus is saying, what God does in the form of works, so he does the same also. He is saying, since God is healing on the Sabbath, he will also heal on the Sabbath, and whatever other works God does on the Sabbath, he also will do the same. (read v.v.20,21)
In conclusion, Jesus admitted to working and breaking the Sabbath, but he does it because God is doing the same. It looks like God didn't stop working on the Sabbath, if the way Jesus understands it is correct.
Chapter 24 Jesus Unclean !
The Bible repeatedly says that nothing pure can come from a woman.
"Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one." (Job 14:4)
"How then can man be justified with God? Or, how can he be clean that is born of a woman?" (Job 25:4)
Anyone touching a woman within seven days after she has menstruated (bled) is impure, according Lev. 15:19, which says:
"And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days;
and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the evening." (Lev. 15:19)
Baby Jesus must have touched his mother every day during those seven days, which made him unclean until the evening each day for seven days. Mary was also unclean another 33 more days.
"And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing
(not even baby Jesus?), nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled." (Lev. 12:4)
Mary was unclean all this time, from Jesus' birth for the next forty days. Notice:
"... then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons, the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a
sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean." (Lev. 12:8)
Mary must have been impure or unclean when she resumed menstruation, and since it is difficult to see how she could have avoided touching Jesus, such as changing his diapers, nursing him, etc., Jesus must have been unclean at the same time also. Even after the 40 days, at each of Mary's periods and for seven days after, Jesus was also unclean. I realize it wasn't the baby's fault, but he wasn't as pure as people like to think he was.
Remember Job? "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one." and "Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?" We're told by those who know, that Jesus was, "untouched by sin or impurity, the pure son of God", however, this just could not have been the case.
Maybe Mary contaminated Jesus so much that is why he spoke almost disrespectful of her, saying, "Woman, what have I to do with you?". (John 2:4), calling her woman several times. Once his mother wanted to speak with him and he said, "Who is my mother?" (Matt. 12:46-50). He said to be his disciples you must hate your mother. (Luke 14:26) He cared so little for his mother that when he was twelve years old and in Jerusalem, he stayed back there for two days without asking, however, after that incident he subjected himself to her authority. (see Luke 2:41,51) Perhaps he got a good thrashing?
Chapter 25 Follow Another God
"If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign
or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast
not known, and let us serve them, thou shalt not harken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of
dreams; for the LORD your God testeth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart
and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments,
and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams,
shall ye put to death, because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you
out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which
the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee." (Deut. 13:1-5)
Did Jesus of Nazareth try to draw people to someone else other than Jehovah, with signs and wonders?
"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If any man thirst, let him come
unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of
living water." (John 7:37,38)
"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28)
Even though Jehovah said he would give rest. (Ex. 33:14)
So, if a prophet, who can do signs and wonders, and if he seeks to turn people from Jehovah, the LORD, Israel's God, and to someone else, or another god, then, that prophet should die according to Jehovah's law.
Donated by Bill Henness
Chapter
Jesus Defiled 1
Jesus' Third Passover 2
Building the Prophet's Tombs 3
You Fool! 4
Fear Not To Die 5
A Historical Lie 6
"I Am... The Truth" 7
False Prophecies 8
Then Shall the End Come 9
But I Say Unto You! 10
Some Will See Him Coming 11
This Generation 12
The Mustard Seed 13
"Slay Them Before Me" 14
Practice What You Preach 15
A Friend of Jesus 16
Jesus Said Nothing In Secret 17
Two or Three Witnesses 18
"Then My Servants Would Fight To Defend Me" 19
Destroyed Private Property 20
Who Will Send The Comforter? 21
Who Raised Jesus From the Dead? 22
Jesus Broke the Sabbath 23
Jesus Unclean! 24
Follow Another God 25
Chapter 1 Jesus Defiled
"Which of you convinceth me of sin?" (John 8:46a)
This was spoken by Jesus, who was undoubtedly ceremonially unclean much of the time. I will deal with only three areas: touching a leper, touching a dead body, and being touched by an unclean person. First some scriptures about the uncleanness of leprosy.
"And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp
every leper, and everyone that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead. Both male and female
shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof
I dwell." (Num. 5:1-3)
"Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it is wherewith a man shall be defiled, and
it be hidden from him, when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty..., And it shall be, when he shall be
guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing." (Lev. 5:3,5)
These scriptures are pretty clear that a person with leprosy was unclean or defiled, and that if anyone touched a person who was unclean, if and when he knew it, he was guilty of sin. He then had to offer an animal sacrifice, etc., for this cleansing (see Lev. 5:6-13). Now consider Jesus of Nazareth.
"And, behold, there came a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy
was cleansed." (Matt. 8:2,3)
Second; a person who touched a dead body became unclean or defiled.
"He who toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days." (Num. 19:11)
Now consider Jesus.
"While he spoke these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshiped him, saying,
My daughter is even now dead; but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live... But when the
people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose." (Matt. 9:18,25)
Third; whoever was touched by an unclean person, was defiled by being touched.
"And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days;
and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the evening." (Lev. 15:19) (see also v.v. 20-27)
So, whoever happened to be touched by an unclean woman, themselves became defiled until the evening. Consider Jesus.
"And a woman, having an issue of blood twelve years,... came behind him and touched the border of
his garment; and immediately her issue of blood stanched... And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me;
for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me." (Luke 8:43,44,46)
The reason the woman was afraid, and trembling, is because she had caused him to be defiled or unclean, by touching him.
Perhaps the reason Jesus spent so many nights outside Jerusalem, was because he was ceremonially unclean much of the time, by touching the unclean. Look back at the words of Lev. 5:3 again please.
"... whatsoever uncleanness it is wherewith a man shall be defiled,..."
This simply means, if a person touched any kind of uncleanness, it made them defiled, and when, or if, they knew it, they became guilty. Then verse 5 says:
"And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned
in that thing."
Then he was to bring his trespass offering, for his sin, which he had sinned, which was a lamb, or a kid goat, or two turtle-doves, or two pigeons, or one tenth ephed of flour.
"And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these,
and it shall be forgiven him,..." (v. 13)
Jesus intentionally touched many unclean people, so did he sin? Was he guilty? Did he bring a trespass offering? Was he forgiven?
Here is the stinger for those who will say that Jesus didn't have to keep these laws because he was the son of God, and thereby not bound to the laws of God. He said,
"And he that sent me is with me. The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." (John 8:29)
I suppose that includes touching lepers, dead bodies, changing, by adding to and taking from the law, destroying private property, etc.
Chapter 2 Jesus' Third Passover
In the Bible, under the law of Moses, there were three festivals that ALL males were required to attend.
"Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. Thou shalt keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread
(Passover)... And the Feast of Harvest,... and the Feast of Ingathering,... three times in the year all thy males
shall appear before the LORD God." (Ex. 23:14-17)
There were several stipulations that must be observed. One, they must not keep it at their homes but it must be kept at Jerusalem.
"Thou mayest not sacrifice the Passover within any of thy gates,... But at the place which the LORD thy God
shall choose to place his name in,..." (Deut. 16:5,6)
This place was Jerusalem, and they also must go there and give money.
"...; and they must not appear before the LORD thy God empty. Every man shall give as he is able, according
to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee." (Deut. 16:16,17)
Also, they must not refuse to go and attend the Passover.
"But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth (refuses) to keep the Passover, even the
same soul shall be cut off from among his people; because he brought not the offering of the LORD in it's
appointed season, that man shall bear his sin." (Num. 9:13)
To summarize, all males must go to Jerusalem to give an offering, and if they refused to go and keep the Passover, they were cut off from the people and they bore their sin of it.
Now, if this is clear to you, you now have a big problem. In a book written by a defender of the faith, entitled, "Baker's Harmony of the Gospels", edited by Benjamin Dacies, on page 67, part V, concerning the third Passover during Jesus' ministry, he says in a foot note; "This Passover was not celebrated by our Lord in Jerusalem because the rulers were seeking to kill him, and his time had not yet come (John 7:1 comp. with Luke 9:51); see note z on # 64."
"After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for he would not walk in Judaea, because the Jews sought to kill him." (John 7:1)
However, on the fourth Passover;
"And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go
to Jerusalem." (Luke 9:51)
This was nearing the fourth Passover, but he did not attend the third Passover for fear of the Jews. Now, do you realize the magnitude of this? Jesus refused to go to a Passover feast. You may say as also said the gospel writer, "his time was not yet come", and that sounds noble, but according to John 7:1, he was afraid to go to Judaea, and under the law, he sinned by refusing to go where he was required to go. There was nothing in the law allowing for absence because of hear.
I want to reinforce the fact of Jesus not attending this third Passover. Concerning this time of the third Passover;
"After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias... And the Passover, a feast of
the Jews, was nigh." (John 6:1)
"And he took them and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida." (Luke 9:10)
"... and entering into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum." (John 6:17)
Then the next day he had a lengthy discourse with the people in (6:22-71). Then we come to John 7:1 where it says,
"After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judaea, because the Jews sought to kill him." (John 7:1)
Now a little geography. Bethsaida is at the north end of the sea of Galilee and Capernaum is on the northwest coast of that sea. Both cities are about 80 air miles from Jerusalem where the Passover was to take place shortly ('was nigh'). A good day's journey on foot would be about 20 miles a day. That would be something like a five day journey, even if he had left immediately, but he didn't. Notice John 7:1 again, this is after a couple of days have elapsed after it says, "the feast of the Jews was nigh."
He didn't go.
Chapter 3 Building the Prophet's tombs
"Woe unto you! For ye build the sepulchers of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness
that ye allow the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchers." (Luke 11:47,48)
Building a tomb for someone whom your ancestors have killed certainly does not mean you approve of the killing. That would be like a group of people who built Lincoln's tomb, but that does not mean they approved of John Wilkes Booth killing him. One has absolutely nothing to do with the other. Logic must not have been among Jesus' strong points. Another thing, what prophets did the Jews kill?
Chapter 4 You fool!
"...; but whosoever shall say, thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." (Matt. 5:22c)
This very strong judgment was given by Jesus no less. First, the meaning of the Greek word "fool."
In Strong's Gr. Lex. # 3474; mo-ras'; dull or stupid. Here in Matt. Jesus is telling us that if anyone calls someone a fool, they are in danger of going to hell. This may be good advice, but Jesus himself should have practiced what he preached.
"Ye fools and blind; for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?" (Matt. 23:17)
"Ye fools, and blind, for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?" (v. 19)
Here Jesus is calling the scribes and Pharisees, fools. The word "fools", in these two verses is the exact same word he used in Matt. 5:22, where he said the name caller is in danger of hell's fire.
He called people fool in other places also, however, he used a different and much stronger word in those places, but it was translated fools, in English just the same.
"Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?" (Luke 11:40)
This word "fools" is # 878; mindless, as in stupid, ignorant, etc.
"But god said unto him, thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee;..." (Luke 12:20)
This verse says Jesus said that the rich man was a fool. This "fool" is # 876; froth, as in slaver. The word slaver means, to slobber, to let saliva run or dribble, or drool. In other words, someone who is so retarded or stupid as to slobber and doesn't even have enough sense to swallow his saliva.
He used another word for fool, which is # 453; unintelligent.
"then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!" (Luke 24:25)
In conclusion, Jesus called individuals fools, but we must not. So, apparently Jesus was immune from this condemnation. Did this warning apply to everyone except himself?
Chapter 5 Fear not to Die
Jesus taught to don't fear those who may kill you.
"Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do." (Luke 12:4)
However, he hid, fled and avoided death when necessary.
"After these things Jesus walked in Galilee, for he would not walk in Judaea, because the Jews sought to kill him." (John 7:1)
"Then took they up stones to cast at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the
midst of them, and so passed by." (John 8:59)
"Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it,
he withdrew himself from there;..." (Matt. 12:14,15)
"Then from that day forth they took counsel together to put him to death. Jesus, therefore, walked no more openly
among the Jews, but went from there unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there
continued with his disciples." (John 11:53,54)
"Therefore, they sought again to take him; but he escaped out of their hand,..." (John 10:39)
Then again, in the garden, he prayed to God three times that "this cup" (this fate) may pass from him, nevertheless, not his will. And finally on the cross, he cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
So, it's nice to say don't fear those who may kill you, but it's another thing when they really want to do it.
Chapter 6 A Historical Lie
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works
than these shall he do, because I go unto my father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do,
that the father may be glorified in the son. If ye ask anything in my name, I will do it." (John 14:12-14)
When has anyone performed a miracle equal to what Jesus supposedly did? Such as walking on water, healing the blind, healing withered arms, stilling a storm, multiplying food, raising the dead? Much less doing "greater works" than these.
Also, what things that are asked in his name are done? He said "whatsoever" things. That means anything or everything. He said, "that will I do". In other words, whatsoever anyone asks for he will give it to them. Then he strengthened it by adding, "if you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." No questions about it, he will do it. Is this promise true? I have never seen it done.
Chapter 7 "I am... the Truth"
Did Jesus lie when he said,
"..., the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." (Matt. 8:20)
The disciples asked him,
"..., where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode
with him that day." (John 1:38,39)
In Strong's Gr. Lex., for the two words, "dwelt", and "dwellest", the same word is used, which is # 3306; men'-c; to stay (in a given place, state, relation, or expectancy) abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry. So, did Jesus lie when he said he had no place to lay his head?
Did Jesus tell the truth about Lazarus?
"When Jesus heard that, he said, this sickness is not unto death,..." (John 11:4)
"Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead." (v. 19)
Chapter 8 False Prophecies
In Matt. 16, Jesus is foretelling of his coming death in verse 21, then Peter rebukes him. Next Jesus tells of the cost of following him. In verse 27, he tells of the return of the Son of man.
"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man
according to his works." (Matt. 16:27)
This verse is clearly referring to the second advent of Jesus when he comes back to earth after the seven years of tribulation, which follows the rapture of the church.
"Verily, I say unto you, there are some standing here, who shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man
coming in his kingdom." (v. 28)
It has been nearly 2,000 years and the rapture has not occurred, much less the tribulation and the second advent of Jesus' coming.
Jesus said concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple;
"...; and they shall not leave in thee (Jerusalem) one stone upon another,..."(Luke 19:44b)
And when his disciples mentioned the temple, he said the same,
"Verily, I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." (Matt. 24:2)
Today, nearly 2,000 years after this, there is, what is called the wailing wall, or the west wall, which is supposed to be the west wall of the temple's outer court, still standing, with each stone still upon another. It is said that the wailing wall is the only part of the ancient temple still standing.
"Nevertheless, I must walk today, and tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet perish
out of Jerusalem." (Luke 13:33)
Now, we all know the historical account of Jesus being condemned in Jerusalem and crucified out of the city. The truth is, a prophet did indeed perish out of Jerusalem.
When Peter asked Jesus what reward the twelve apostles could expect for forsaking all to follow him, Jesus said;
"Verily, I say unto you that ye who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the son of man shall sit on
the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matt. 19:28)
Jusas was one of those twelve who was there when Jesus said this. Surely, Judas was not going to be sitting on a throne, judging one of the tribes of Israel! If Jesus was all knowing he would have known Judas would betray him and would die by his own hand, lost.
Jesus here gives the only sign of his messiahhood.
"For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so shall the son of man be
three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matt. 12:40)
If Jesus was crucified on Friday, as we are told, and buried quickly before sundown on that Friday, and arose early on Sunday morning, before daybreak, or Saturday night; there is no way one can get three days and three nights out of that. For if we count backward from Sunday morning, three full days and three full nights, you cannot arrive a Friday sundown.
Supposedly, on Palm Sunday, when Jesus entered Jerusalem,
"And the multitude that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna, to the son of David! Blessed is he that
cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" (Matt. 21:9)
Then, just a couple of days later, Jesus laments over Jerusalem, and says;
"For I say unto you (Jerusalem), ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the
name of the Lord." (Matt. 23:39)
Besides the people of Jerusalem saying that phrase just two days before this prediction, the next time the people of Jerusalem saw Jesus, they did not say the blessing, but rather, "crucify him".
Jesus gave a promise to his followers, to encourage them, no doubt, that, if they wanted to be his disciples and leave everything and follow him, they will be repaid 100% in this life.
"Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I
say unto you, there is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children,
or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's , but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time, houses, and brethren,
and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." (Mark 10:28-30)
First, Jesus promised this to all, and it is to apply in this life. This promise is to anyone who will leave his house or lands for Jesus or the gospel, of gaining 100 more houses or 100 more lands, in this life. How many young people have left their families, houses, or lands, to become pastors, missionaries, and evangelists, etc., then lived their lives and died without gaining 100 houses or 100 more lands, as they were promised by Jesus. The only conclusion we can come to is, the promise was a lie. They did their part by faith, but Jesus did not do his part.
Here is a prophecy by Jesus that hasn't been fulfilled in 2,000 years.
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die." (John 12:32,33)
He was, apparently, lifted up (crucified), but it is also evident from history, that "all men" have not been drawn to him. There have been millions who have lived and died and have not even heard or known of someone called Jesus who was crucified. They were not drawn to Jesus as he said he will draw all men unto him.
In Deut. 18:22, is the means of determining whether a prophet is a true prophet of God, or a false prophet.
"When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing
which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously; thou shalt not be afraid
of him." (Deut. 18:22)
Jesus, who made these prophecies, obviously said them presumptuously as a false prophet, so, we need not fear him.
Chapter 9 Then Shall the End Come
Jesus made a profound statement about the end of the world.
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall
the end come." (Matt. 24:14)
When the gospel has been preached in all the world for a witness to all nations, then shall the end come. What would you think about this if you suddenly found out the gospel has already been preached in all the world? Even 2,000 years ago? What would that do to your faith in this promise of the end coming? Read and weep!
"..., of which ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which is come unto you, as it is in all the world,
and bringeth forth fruit,..." (Col. 1:5,6)
"If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have
heard, and which was preached to every creature that is under heaven,..." (Col. 1:23)
"But I say, have they not heard? Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of
the world." (Rom. 10:18)
There you have it. Did Jesus' prophecy come to pass as he said it, or not? If these three scriptures are true, when did the end come? But, if these three scriptures are not true, why are they in the HOLY BIBLE?
Chapter 10 But I Say Unto You
Three places in the O.T., God instructed man to not add anything to his laws, or take anything away from them. This is what God the Father said.
"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may
keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you." (Deut. 4:2)
"Whatsoever thing I command you, observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." (Deut. 12:32)
"Every word of God is pure; he is a shield unto those who put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words,
lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." (Prov. 30:5,6)
From these verses it is pretty clear we are not to add or subtract anything from the law or the words of God. If anyone does, he is reproved and is a liar. Right? This is pretty serious stuff, because if you will be open-minded enough to read farther, you will see that Jesus of Nazareth did just what those verses say not to do. Observe what he said.
"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old, thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger
of judgment; But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger
of judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever
shall say, thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." (Matt. 5:21,22)
"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old, thou shalt not commit adultery; but I say unto you that
whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (v.v 27,28)
"It hath been said, whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement; but I say
unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife, except for the cause of fornication, causeth her to
commit adultery; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery." (v.v.31,32)
"Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old, thou shalt not forswear (perjure) thyself,
but shalt perform unto the LORD thine oaths; but I say unto you, swear not at all,... but let your
communication be, yea, yea; nay, nay; for what ever is more than these cometh of evil.: (v.v.33,34a, 37)
In the law a person was permitted by God to swear an oath, but they must perform it. Jesus adds to this law by saying we cannot do it. He canceled God's law.
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; but I say unto you
that ye resist not evil,..." (v.v.38,39)
"They say unto him Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law,
commanded us that such should be stoned; but what sayest thou?...(Jesus said) He that is without sin
among you, let him first cast a stone at her... Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more." (John 8:4,5,7,11)
In the law, the common people were to do the stoning, which was Israel's governmental means of execution. If they waited until they could find a sinless person to administer capital punishment, there wouldn't have been any. Also, if God(the father) condemned adultery, why wouldn't Jesus(the son), who was supposed to be one with the father, do the same?
"It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself,
and the father that sent me beareth witness of me." (John 8:17,18)
The law did require the witness of two men to be true, but that was two other people. Even when God in heaven witnessed the crime, he did not testify. He wanted two other people besides the victim to testify.
Remember what God said?
"But the prophet, who shall presume to speak a word in my name, with I have not commanded him to speak,
or who shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die." (Deut. 18:20)
"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish anything from it, that ye may
keep the commandments of the LORD your god which I command you." (Deut. 4:2)
Jesus did add to and diminish from the law, and even canceled some of them. He also died young.
Chapter 11 Some Will See Him Coming
Matthew, Mark and Luke record a prophecy made by Jesus concerning the second Advent or when he comes back to earth to judge the world.
"For the son of man shall come in the glory of his father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man
according to his works. Verily, I say unto you, there are some standing here, who shall not taste of death,
till they see the son of man coming in his kingdom." (Matt. 16:27,28)
"..., there be some of them that stand here, who shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom
of God come with power." (Mark 9:1)
"But I tell you the truth, there are some standing here, who shall not taste of death, till they see the
kingdom of god." (Luke 9:27)
Here we have a false prophecy by Jesus. He said there were some people who were there at that time (about 30 A.D.) who would see the son of man (Jesus) coming with power in his kingdom, before they died. It has been nearly 2,000 years now, and he still hasn't come.
Chapter 12 This Generation
Jesus is predicting the future events that will come to pass. He is talking of the great tribulation in Matt. 24:21-28.
"For then shall be great tribulation,..." (v.21)
then he speaks of after the great tribulation, etc.
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days..." (v.29)
"And then shall appear the sign of the son of man in heaven;..." (v.v.30-32)
Then he said;
"So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily, I say unto you,
this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." (v.v.33,34)
All these things, are -- sun, moon and stars are darkened, heaven shaken(v.29) -- sign of son of man in heaven, all the earth mourn, see the son of man coming with power and great glory(v.30)-- sending of angels to gather the elect(v.31) -- parable of fig tree(v.32) -- then the two verses in question. That generation did pass away, and many, many more, and all these things still have not happened.
Chapter 13 The Mustard Seed
One well known scientific blunder by Jesus is found in Matt. 13.
"... the kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard see, which a man took, and sowed in his field; which,
indeed, is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree,
so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches of it." (Matt. 13:31,32)
I would think that someone who is not knowledgeable of botany, would not speak on the subject, for three reasons. One, a mustard seed is not the least or smallest of all seeds, for the orchid seed is smaller, and a few others; two, when grown it is not the greatest or largest of all herbs; three, a mustard seed does not grow up and become a tree.
Now, if this statement is not true, then Jesus lied, or, if he did not lie on purpose, hen he lacked knowledge and was not Divine God.
The importance of Jesus' statement as a problem is stated by Charles Ryrie, in his book, 'Inerrance', page 94, where he said, "In his parable of the mustard seed the Lord said that the mustard seed was the smallest of all seeds. Is that plainly an erroneous statement, since botanically the mustard seed is not the smallest? Before jumping to that conclusion, remember that it was stated by Jesus Christ. If he spoke a lie, how could he have been sinless? This is not simply a small factual discrepancy; if the statement is not true, then it proves something about the one who made it, and that becomes a serious doctrinal matter. You cannot separate this history from it's doctrinal ramification."
Chapter 14 "Slay Them Before Me"
In Luke 19, there is a parable spoken by Jesus, and dealing only with the citizens, it says:
"He said, therefore, a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, we will not have this man to reign over us.
And it came to pass that, when he was returned, having received the kingdom,... But those mine enemies,
who would not that I should reign over them, bring here, and slay them before me." (Luke 19:12,14,15,27)
Now, since Jesus is supposed to be the nobleman, and he went away, and is supposed to return, and judge; isn't his judgment a little harsh? It is out of character with other verses that supposedly describe Jesus, such as;
"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy; but I say unto you,
love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,... for if ye love them who love you,
what reward have ye? Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as your father, who is in heaven, is perfect." (Matt. 5:43,44,46,48)
If Jesus was such a "nobleman," who taught others to "forgive," and to "love your enemies," and "do good to them that hate you," and to be "perfect"; why, pray tell, did he liken himself to the nobleman who was hated by the citizens who did not want him to reign over them, and then called them before him and had them killed? Is that practicing what you preach, or not?
Chapter 15 Practice What You Preach
Sometimes Jesus taught one thing and practiced the opposite. Here are some examples.
"But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him
the other also." (Matt. 5:39)
However, when evil seemed to be dominant, Jesus acted differently, such as;
"And he found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money, sitting.
And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the
oxen; and poured out the changer's money, and overthrew the tables;..." (John 2:14,15)
He taught to love your enemies, to bless them, to do good to them.
"But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray
for them who despitefully use you, and persecute you." (Matt. 5:44)
But when it came to practicing this good teaching he called his enemies, hypocrites seven times (Matt. 23:13-15,23,25,27,29), blind five times (v.16,17,19,14,16), fools twice(v.17,19), white washed tombs (v.27), snakes and vipers (v.33), killers (v.34,35). That doesn't sound to me like what he said we should do for our enemies, does it?
Jesus taught us to respect others, to serve others, and to honor others, but that isn't the way he reacted to the high priest.
"The High Priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spoke openly
to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, where the Jews always resort; and in secret
have I said nothing. Why asketh thou me? Ask them who heard me, what I have said unto them; behold,
they know what I said. And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with
the palm of his hand, saying, Answereth thou the High Priest so? Jesus answered him, If I have spoken
evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou me?" (John 18:19-25)
This little debate doesn't sound like Jesus' teachings. He was obviously argumentative and defensive.
Jesus then proceeds to answer Pilate in an argumentative and defensive manner also.
"Pilate... called Jesus and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews" Jesus answered him, Sayest thou
this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?" (John 18:33,34)
"Pilate, therefore, said unto him, Art thou King then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a King. To this
end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone
that is of the truth heareth my voice." (v.37)
Pilate asked Jesus if he was the king of the Jews and he replied in our modern speech; Did you ask this on your own or did others prompt you? Pilate then asked him again, are you then a king? Jesus replied, you say I'm a king, that's what I was born to be, and why I'm here, that I should confirm truth and all who know the truth hear me.
You see, Pilate asked him a simple question, twice, but Jesus didn't answer the simple question, but was elusive and argumentative.
Chapter 16 A Friend of Jesus
The author of the book of John has recorded that Jesus made this conditional statement. Then in the next verse he said what he will do for his friends.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends,
if ye do whatever I command you." (John 15:13,14)
So, according to these two statements, Jesus laid down his life for you, if you are his friend, and you are his friend only if you do whatever he commands you to do. Now we need to see what all he commands you to do.
First, he commands the Great Commission found in Matt. 28:19,20. Then Jesus gives a "new commandment", even though this loving one another was already commanded in the law. (see Lev. 19:18,34) It is referred to several times in the N.T., as in 1 John 2:7; 11 John 5. Lastly, there are several other commands, such as what to do to be his disciple, i.e. forsaking everything you have to follow him, to believe on him, etc.
So, you are Jesus' friend, on one condition; you must do whatever he commands you. And according to John 15:13,14, he died only for his friends. So, are you saved? Do you do all he commands?
Chapter 17 Jesus Said Nothing in Secret
"Jesus answered him, I spoke openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple; where the
Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing." (John 18:20)
It seems to me that if he ever taught a few private individuals, that would constitute teaching in secret or privately. In only Matthew's gospel alone, somewhere around one-fourth is private teachings.
Matt. 10-11:1, he is teaching the twelve about how to evangelize, how to handle persecution. He even admitted to teaching in secret.
"What I tell you in darkness, that speak in light, and what ye hear in the ear, that preach upon the house tops." (v.27)
Then he teaches them more about how to evangelize. In Matt. 13:10-23, his disciples came to him privately and asked the meaning of a parable. In verse 36-52, he explains more about parables to the twelve privately. In 16:13-20, he taught the twelve about who he was and told them, "... that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ." (v.20)
In verse 24-28, he taught only his disciples about discipleship. In 18:1-35, he taught them privately about childlike faith, another parable and offences, and about forgiveness. In 19:10-12, about eunuchs. In 19:23-20:19, he taught doctrine privately to the twelve concerning the rich, another parable, and then verse 17 says;
And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside along the way, and said unto them." (v.17)
Matt. 24,25, and up to 26:2, is more private or secret teaching to the twelve. In 26:20-46, is more teaching in private to the twelve at the last supper. John goes into lengthy detail as to just what he taught them in secret. These verses are only from Matthew's gospel. And for him to say, "and in secret have I said nothing.", is simply a lie, or to put it more tactfully, its not a truthful statement.
There is a classic example but it is in John's gospel.
"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; the same came to Jesus by night,
and said unto him,..." (John 3:1,2)
The words, "by night", makes it in secret, because Nicodemus was ashamed to be seen with Jesus. Jesus then proceeds to teach several things, secretly, one on one, to one man. First, about being born again, then about Nicodemus being a teacher of Israel and not understanding, but Jesus spoke of what he knew. Then he spoke of his coming down from heaven and his being in heaven. Then of Moses' serpent, of how to obtain eternal life, and finally of light and darkness and truth.
The twelve disciples apparently were absent on this occasion, or else Peter would have said something.
So, in light of only this one incident, how could Jesus later say; "..., and in secret have I said nothing." --?
Chapter 18 Two or Three Witnesses
In the law it is written:
"One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth;
at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established." (Deut. 19"15)
In the gospel of John, Jesus supposedly said concerning this law;
"It is written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true." (John 8:17)
Notice the words underlined, "your law", and "two men". Jesus here is defending himself before the Pharisees. He says the law is their law, implying he is not bound by it. He also says the witness of two men are required to verify truth in a matter. Then he continues on to name the two men that verify him as truth.
"I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me." (v. 18)
Jesus here is saying that he is one that bears witness of himself, and God is the other one. But God is not a man as the law said was necessary. And, the one in question could not be considered one of those who bear witness either. It must be two other people. The Pharisees understood this about this law, that is why they asked him, in the next verse, where his father was.
"Then said they unto him, where is thy father?..." (v.19a)
Then Jesus proceeds to tell them why they did not know his father whom they naturally assumed was his natural father. Was Jesus above the law, and didn't have to abide by it? Did he make his own rules?
Chapter 19 "Then My Servants Would Fight to Defend Me."
When Jesus was before Pilate in judgment, he made an untruthful statement.
"Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants
fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from here." (John 18:36)
Here he said that, since his kingdom was not of this world, his servants would not fight to defend him, but if his kingdom was of this world, then his servants would fight to defend him. If his kingdom was not of this world, why did he command his disciples to sell their garments and buy swords?
"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I come not to send peace, but a sword." (Matt. 10:34)
"..., and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one." (Luke 22:36)
"And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords, and he said unto them, it is enough." (v.38)
Then just a few hours before Jesus made this untruthful statement, Peter had used his sword defending Jesus when he was arrested.
"Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear." (John 18:10)
So, since Jesus said he had come to send a sword, and sell your garments and buy one, and he had just seen Peter try to defend him; why did he then say, "my kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from here."? If his kingdom was of this world, and his servants would fight, then he lied when he said, "but now is my kingdom not from here". If his kingdom was not of this world, why did he say he was come to send a sword, and commanded his disciples to buy one? If he knew in advance, that Peter would fight, why did he say they would not? If he did not know what he would do, did he have all knowledge? And if he was not of this world, why did he resort to physical violence when he overturned the money changer's tables and drove them out of the temple with a scourge? (John 2:14,15)
Modern day example is: a religious/political leader tells the judge before whom he has been brought on charges of dissension, that if his kingdom was of this world, his servants would fight to defend him, but his kingdom is not of this world. He makes this statement shortly after he told his followers to sell their clothes, if necessary, and buy AK-47's. When a couple of them were shown, along with many rounds of ammo, he said that was enough. Earlier that day, one of his followers shot and wounded one of the cops that had come to arrest him. In light of what he told his followers, and the shooting, did he lie to the judge?
Chapter 20 Destroyed Private Property
In the law it was forbidden to destroy fruit trees.
"Only the trees which thou knowest that they are not trees for food, thou shalt destroy...? (Deut. 20:20)
Now Jesus surely knew this law, however, he disregarded it.
"And when he saw a fig tree along the way, he came to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only, and said
unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth forever. And presently the fig tree withered away." (Matt. 21:19)
"...; for the time of figs was not yet." (Mark 11:13)
The law said that if anyone killed a beast that belonged to someone else, he must make it good or restore it to the owner.
"And he who killeth a beast shall make it good, beast for beast." (Lev. 24:18)
"And he who killeth a beast, he shall restore it." (v.21)
"...; for I am the LORD thy God." (v.22)
Jesus, on the other hand, told demons to go into a herd of 2,000 pigs, which,if he had all knowledge, knew would run into the sea and drown. (see Mark 5:11-13)
Question. Did Jesus keep the law, as he said he did, and restored all those 2,000 pigs to their owners? Or, did he not? Was he above keeping the law? Why would he destroy the fig tree of someone else? Why would he expect figs on it when it was not the time for figs? Was he having a bad day? Did he restore all the value of the pigs to the owner, as the law commanded?
Chapter 21 Who Will Send the Comforter?
Either John or Jesus made a flat out contradictory statement, all in the same book, one chapter apart.
"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the father, even the spirit of truth, who
proceedeth from the father, he shall testify of me." (John 15:26)
Notice the one who will send the Comforter is Jesus himself. Now drop back exactly one chapter and read who is the sender.
"But the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, whom the father will send in my name, he will teach you all things,
and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said unto you." (John 14:26)
Who then will send the Comforter? Can you believe what Jesus said? If you can, who will the sender be?
Chapter 22 Who Raised Jesus From the Dead?
I will give only two verses for each side of this controversy. The first one are the verses that are in the salvation formula.
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Rom. 10:9)
"Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you
whole." (Acts 4:10)
There are other verses that say that it was God Th Father who raised Jesus the Son from the dead, nevertheless, here are only two verses that tell us, it was not God the Father at all but Jesus the Son, himself who raised himself from the dead.
"Jesus answered, and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:19)
"No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to
take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." (John 10:16) (see verse 17 also)
So, who raised him up, God the father, or Jesus himself, the Son? Or both? If God did it, then Jesus lied when he said he would raise himself, if he raised himself, then Luke and Paul lied by saying God would do it. Either way you look at it, someone lied. Who deceived whom?
Chapter 23 Jesus Broke the Sabbath
The Pharisees really were right in accusing Jesus of breaking the law of the Sabbath. Let's lay a little groundwork first. First, God supposedly rested on the Sabbath day.
"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all
his work which he had made." (Gen. 2:2)
In Exodus, God reinforced the law of rest in the fourth commandment.
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work." (Ex. 20:8,9)
Then he gives the reason for the Sabbath day.
"For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day;
wherefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." (v.11)
Now, according to the law, no work at all was to be done on the Sabbath days, not even good works. This brings us to the N.T.
"And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he dad done these things on
the Sabbath (namely healed a man and told him to carry his bed).
But Jesus answered them, "My father worketh hitherto, and I work." (John 5:16,17) The word "hitherto", is # 2193 & 737; when together they are, "until now".
Here Jesus admits that God has worked on the Sabbath day, for he explains what he did by saying:
"Then answered Jesus, and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, the son can do nothing of himself,
but what he seeth the father do; for whatever things he doeth, these also doeth the son in the same manner." (v.19)
So, Jesus is saying, what God does in the form of works, so he does the same also. He is saying, since God is healing on the Sabbath, he will also heal on the Sabbath, and whatever other works God does on the Sabbath, he also will do the same. (read v.v.20,21)
In conclusion, Jesus admitted to working and breaking the Sabbath, but he does it because God is doing the same. It looks like God didn't stop working on the Sabbath, if the way Jesus understands it is correct.
Chapter 24 Jesus Unclean !
The Bible repeatedly says that nothing pure can come from a woman.
"Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one." (Job 14:4)
"How then can man be justified with God? Or, how can he be clean that is born of a woman?" (Job 25:4)
Anyone touching a woman within seven days after she has menstruated (bled) is impure, according Lev. 15:19, which says:
"And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days;
and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the evening." (Lev. 15:19)
Baby Jesus must have touched his mother every day during those seven days, which made him unclean until the evening each day for seven days. Mary was also unclean another 33 more days.
"And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing
(not even baby Jesus?), nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled." (Lev. 12:4)
Mary was unclean all this time, from Jesus' birth for the next forty days. Notice:
"... then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons, the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a
sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean." (Lev. 12:8)
Mary must have been impure or unclean when she resumed menstruation, and since it is difficult to see how she could have avoided touching Jesus, such as changing his diapers, nursing him, etc., Jesus must have been unclean at the same time also. Even after the 40 days, at each of Mary's periods and for seven days after, Jesus was also unclean. I realize it wasn't the baby's fault, but he wasn't as pure as people like to think he was.
Remember Job? "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one." and "Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?" We're told by those who know, that Jesus was, "untouched by sin or impurity, the pure son of God", however, this just could not have been the case.
Maybe Mary contaminated Jesus so much that is why he spoke almost disrespectful of her, saying, "Woman, what have I to do with you?". (John 2:4), calling her woman several times. Once his mother wanted to speak with him and he said, "Who is my mother?" (Matt. 12:46-50). He said to be his disciples you must hate your mother. (Luke 14:26) He cared so little for his mother that when he was twelve years old and in Jerusalem, he stayed back there for two days without asking, however, after that incident he subjected himself to her authority. (see Luke 2:41,51) Perhaps he got a good thrashing?
Chapter 25 Follow Another God
"If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign
or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast
not known, and let us serve them, thou shalt not harken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of
dreams; for the LORD your God testeth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart
and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments,
and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams,
shall ye put to death, because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you
out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which
the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee." (Deut. 13:1-5)
Did Jesus of Nazareth try to draw people to someone else other than Jehovah, with signs and wonders?
"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If any man thirst, let him come
unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of
living water." (John 7:37,38)
"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28)
Even though Jehovah said he would give rest. (Ex. 33:14)
So, if a prophet, who can do signs and wonders, and if he seeks to turn people from Jehovah, the LORD, Israel's God, and to someone else, or another god, then, that prophet should die according to Jehovah's law.
Donated by Bill Henness
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