by Gary L. Evans
(revised 7/28/2023)
The Blood of Christ — Part 8
Joh 2:1-3 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
Our Lord’s mother told Jesus that they were out of wine for the marriage feast, implying that He should do something to provide more wine.
Joh 2:4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
Mary was requesting that Jesus perform a miracle at this wedding feast. But He complained that “His hour had not yet come.” What hour? This term represents a “set time” for Christ to do this very thing, to Turn The Water into The Blood of Grapes. Recall this prophesy:
Gen 49:11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:
This was the beginning of our Lord’s ministry, but it was not the “set time” for Him to perform this miracle. His mother had insisted that He perform a miracle prematurely, because by doing so it would be convenient for the guests of this wedding feast.
Joh 2:5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
Mary ignored her Son’s resistance, knowing that He would obey her, since she was His mother, and told the attendants to just do whatever Jesus told them to do.
Joh 2:6-8 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
So they filled six large pots full of water and then miraculously started drawing out wine from them to serve to the host of the party, probably the father of the bride.
Joh 2:9-10 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
Not knowing that a miracle had been done, he assumed that the bridegroom had planned the party this way, serving the best wine late in the evening near the end of the festival.
Joh 2:11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
The word “glory” is from the Greek “dox’-ah” which means “glory (as very apparent).” It is derived from “dok-eh’-o” which means “to think.”
So our Lord’s glory is perceived or experienced within the mind of the observer. It gets our attention about something very special, and in this case led the disciples to believe on Jesus.
Isa 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Our Lord calls us to come to The Waters, and buy wine and milk without any money. It is offered for free to everyone who comes.
Isa 55:2-3 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Come, listen, eat bread and drink wine, and Live Forever, and enter into The Eternal Covenant that our Lord offers to us.
Isa 55:4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
Christ is that “witness to the people,” because He testified of The Father and The Son and The Holy Spirit.
Isa 55:5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.
Our Lord is The Holy One of Israel.
Isa 55:6-8 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Our Lord’s thoughts are very different from our fleshy, worldly thoughts, and His ways are very different from ours.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Just as the stars of the heavens are higher than the surface of the earth, so are our Lord’s ways and thoughts far above ours.
Isa 55:10-11 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
God’s Word comes with power to accomplish His Will.
Isa 55:12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
When we answer His calling and come to Him, we will be filled with joy and peaceful calmness. It will be a time of celebration.
Isa 55:13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
After Adam’s fall, things became very difficult, thorns and thistles, and much trouble in this world, as Adam would struggle to grow food to sustain his life.
But after we answer The Calling by repentance and our hearts turning back to God, when The Lord returns, all will become perfect again, and this will be to The Lord’s glory and for an Eternal Miracle that will never end.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.
The Blood of Christ — Part 9
Joh 4:5-6 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
It was about noontime, and Jesus was tired and thirsty from His journey.
Joh 4:7-8 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
Jesus asked the woman to draw some water for Him to drink.
Joh 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
After the ten northern tribes of Israel had been taken into slavery by the Assyrians, gentiles migrated into their lands and possessed their houses and took ownership of their farms. These people were called Samaritans. When they were eventually freed from slavery two hundred years later, the Israelites had no homes to go back to, so they migrated north over the Caucasus mountains into southern Russia and south eastern Europe, and then north and west as far as the British Isles. The indigenous tribes of those lands called them Caucasians, because they had come over the Caucasus mountains.
Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
The “Gift of God” is The New Covenant which would soon be established in His Own Blood, and just for the asking we are offered to drink “Living Water.”
Joh 4:11-14 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
When we drink of The Living Water, we will never suffer spiritual thirst again, and out of our bellies will flow “a well of water springing up into Eternal Life.” The Living Water will then flow out of us.
Joh 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
This was the end of The Feast of Tabernacles.
Joh 7:38-39 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Those Living Waters that would soon begin to flow out of our Lord’s disciples was The Holy Spirit, The Comforter, that would be sent to them after His ascension.
Luk 22:14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
This was the evening before The Passover, which would be the fourteenth day of Abib. Jesus and His disciples met together in a large room for the last supper before His crucifixion that would occur the next day. But instead of serving His disciples roasted meat or fish, Jesus served Bread and Wine.
Luk 22:15-19 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Recall that Jesus always taught the public using Parables, or Dark Sayings, and His commandment to “eat His flesh and drink His blood in order to receive Eternal Life” was His last Parable before being crucified. And now, as was His custom, He has taken His disciples to a private place and is teaching them the meaning of the Parable. Our Lord commanded us to eat His body, and the “bread” which He broke and passed to each of His disciples to eat symbolized His flesh so that they could obey Him.
Luk 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
The “wine” which they had divided among themselves symbolized The Blood of Christ which our Lord commanded us to drink. The wine made it possible for them to obey Him. His body and blood would be the Holy Sacrifice to Seal The New Covenant.
Jesus gave His disciples Bread and Wine. The Lord had also given bread and wine to Abraham in the office of Melchizedek, King of The Just, who had no beginning of days nor end of days, meaning Melchizedek was The Eternal.
Gen 14:18-9 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
Paul teaches us that Jesus is Melchizedek, our High Priest.
Heb 7:1-3 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
Jesus told His disciples that they must eat His body and drink His blood in order to enter The Kingdom of Heaven. And then before His death He gave them the Bread and the Wine to represent His body and His blood, which would Seal God’s Promise in The New Covenant in His own blood. Jesus, The Messiah, was The Lamb of God.
Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
The New Covenant promises that God will write His Law in our hearts and minds, and He will be our God, and we will be His people.
Eze 36:24-28 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
The Blood of Christ established The New Covenant or Testament, which promised to give us a new heart and a new mind, the very Heart and Mind of Christ. And our Lord promised also that His Holy Spirit, The Living Water, would teach us God’s Law in our hearts and minds so that we would understand and be able to do it. We would be His people, and He would be our God.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.
The Blood of Christ — Part 10
Luk 22:21-23 But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.
The disciples questioned among themselves who it was that would betray The Lord. Judas Iscariot had been foreordained to this purpose.
Luk 22:24-26 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
Our Lord had just served His disciples the Bread and Wine that symbolized His Body and Blood that would be sacrificed to Seal The New Covenant with God for them to receive, and they are sitting around the table arguing among themselves about which one of them was more important. Does their self-centered behavior appear like most people today? Of course it does, because they had not yet been converted.
Our Lord’s assembly must never be ruled by men who exalt themselves above the congregation as the heathen did. With Christians, we must be as brothers and sisters, and those who teach us should consider themselves as servants, not masters.
Luk 22:27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
Our Lord broke the bread and passed it around to them and served the wine to them as a servant would do, while the disciples sat at the table being served by Him. Who was the greater?
Luk 22:28-30 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
When our Lord returns as promised, His disciples will sit as kings and priests over the twelve tribes of Israel in His Kingdom.
Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Jesus knew that Satan had set a mark on Peter. He wanted to tear him to pieces because of his faith in Jesus.
Luk 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Peter’s conversion would not be complete until after our Lord ascended.
Luk 22:33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
We must never swear an oath, because we cannot make one hair white or black or cause anything to happen the next day with certainty. We don’t even have control of our lives, and never know when they will end.
Luk 22:34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
So The Lord began to teach Peter a very hard lesson about swearing. We must never do any such thing.
Luk 22:54 Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off.
Jesus had been arrested and taken to the high priest.
Luk 22:55-56 And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him.
Peter was there but tried to keep a low profile. But a young woman recognized him.
Luk 22:57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.
When she confronted Peter, he denied even knowing that man called Jesus, The Christ. Were these words coming out of the mouth of the very man who was the first to testify that Jesus was The Messiah, The Only Begotten Son of The Living God? How was that possible?
Luk 22:58 And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.
Someone else at the house of the high priest also recognized Peter as being one of the disciples. But Peter argued saying that he was not one of the disciples. Whose words were coming out of the mouth of Peter? Note that our struggle is not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers in high places.
Luk 22:59-60 And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.
For the third time someone else recognized Peter as being one of the disciples. But Peter argued that he had no idea what the man was talking about. Again, who was speaking through Peter’s mouth?
Luk 22:61-62 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.
Peter was devastated by what he had done, and cried. So because Peter had sworn an oath, Jesus allowed Satan to “sift Peter as wheat,” meaning, “beat him to a pulp.” Of course, this was a “Mental Beating” that made Peter cry. This was a very hard lesson to learn. But he should have already learned this lesson by a previous conversation with Christ Jesus.
Mat 16:20-21 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Jesus fully explained to His disciples that He must be arrested and suffer punishment and be killed, but then afterward He would rise from the dead. He taught them this precept openly and plainly, because His resurrection was essential in God’s Plan of Salvation.
Mat 16:22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
But Peter, being very zealous in his love for The Lord, argued against the Words of Jesus, and declared that such a thing could never happen. Peter CONTRADICTED The Teaching of The Lord. But surely we can see that Peter meant well by this.
Mat 16:23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Jesus turned toward Peter and told him to get away from Him, even calling him Satan, the arch enemy of God Most High!
The name “Satan” is from the Greek “sat-an-as’” which means “the accuser, that is, the devil.”
Jesus had just praised Peter for his testimony that Jesus was The Messiah, The Only Begotten Son of God, and told him that his profession or confession would become the very foundation of the assembly of Christ. Now suddenly, Jesus accused Peter of being Satan!
Mat 12:36-37 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Twice Peter’s prophesies did not come to pass. And both times they contradicted The Words of Our Lord. And so both times Peter’s contradictions made him out to be a liar, because his words to not come to pass. Thus Peter shows us two examples of an antichrist and in each case we can see that Satan was influencing Peter to lie.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.