Words of Jesus Podcast - A Heavenly Conference Call

Episode Date: August 25, 2023

Elijah (John the Baptist) came unnoticed and misunderstood. The religious leadership had the same trouble with Jesus and his authority. They often said, "We will not have this man, Jesus, to reign over us." They preferred their traditions and their authority. The law and the prophets could be manipulated. We have the same problems today. Tradition, false doctrines and mistaken objectives prevented Jesus' acceptance as Messiah. The miracles were not enough. Jesus told his disciples "Things have changed... I'm gonna die."***Ch 49: Jesus Is Questioned Regarding ElijahMatthew 17:9-13; Mark 9:9-13AS THEY came down from the mountain, Jesus said to the three disciples:            “Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.”           The three were greatly perplexed and asked among themselves what “risen from the dead” meant.            Then they went to Jesus and asked him:            “Why say the scribes that Elijah must first come?”            Jesus replied:            “Elijah truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you that Elijah is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.”         The disciples knew that Jesus spoke of John the Baptist.***Ch 50: Jesus Heals The Convulsed ChildMatthew 17:41-21; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-42WHEN JESUS came to the rest of his disciples, he found a great crowd gathered about them and they were being questioned by scribes. When people saw Jesus, they ran to him and greeted him.            Jesus addressed the scribes, asking:            “What question ye with them?”            A man came out of the multitude and, kneeling before Jesus, said:            “Lord, have mercy on my son; for he is epileptic, and suffereth grievously. For ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.”            Jesus replied:            “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him hither to me.”            When the child was brought before Jesus, the dumb spirit tore him. He fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.            Jesus asked the father:             “How long is it ago since this came unto him?”            The father replied:            “Of a child; but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.”            To the father Jesus said:            “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”            The father of the child cried...

Think Red Ink Ministries presents the Words of Jesus series. Don Harris here and we're going to go through more red ink today. This is chapter 49 of our book, Jesus is Questioned, regarding Elijah. As they came down from the mountain, Jesus said to the disciples, Tell the vision to no man until the Son of Man be risen from the dead. He was telling them that this transfiguration vision that we talked about in the last show, he says, I don't want this to be noised abroad until after I've risen from the dead. Why is that?

Well, because he says, if I go go not away the comforter cannot come you remember that he's gonna have to go away for this to be a fact we don't want to pull people off of the of the scriptures and turn them to me if i'm not there to uh to deal with the communication so he's gonna have to be risen from the dead for all that to be activated uh the three were greatly perplexed among themselves saying what this means being risen from the dead then they went to jesus and asked him now this book actually i think it's got a couple of ideas mixed up here um because if we go to the next chapter it starts out talking about when jesus came to the rest of his disciples he found a great crowd gathered about them and they were being questioned by the scribes when they saw jesus they ran to him and

greeted him jesus addressed the scribes and said what question you with them now he doesn't like people messing with his disciples didn't like them messing with their heads and uh it turns out that these scribes were saying that this man you're following around jesus can't be jesus because elijah has not come well these three disciples that just saw this transfiguration were pretty much convinced that by golly, he did come. We just saw him. And you'll also notice that Elijah and Moses and Jesus were having a conference on that mountain.

They were telling him and talking to him about the things that were going on in Jerusalem and what were to go on. I think that this is the time that the plan of the redemption of mankind was being changed and being discussed. And we can talk about that another time. However, the disciples were saying, see, this was sometime around the Feast of Tabernacles,

and they were excited about Moses and Elijah, and, of course, Jesus there as well. He says, we need to make booths, tabernacles, for all these men, and they can keep tabernacles with us. Well, that got interrupted by the Lord, or at least our Father, speaking from heaven, saying, now wait a minute. Don't jump ahead of what I'm trying to show you here. That I want Jesus to be your teacher, and he's the only one that needs to be that teacher.

And they were kind of excited about having seen Elijah, and I can see them saying to Jesus, I can easily hear them saying, is this of elijah that we just happened to see is that the coming of elijah that's supposed to pre be the precursor to your arrival and jesus is making it clear to him that um no no um the the coming of el Elijah has already happened. And it went unnoticed. Just because the scribes don't know about it, doesn't mean it didn't happen. And so,

then what happens is, that the three were greatly perplexed about Jesus saying, being risen from the dead and um and he said uh and and so jesus is going to try to explain this to them and then they ask him why did the scribe say that elijah must first come and jesus replied el Elijah truly shall first come and restore all things. But I say unto you that Elijah has come already. And they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed or whatever they wanted to do. Likewise also the Son of Man shall suffer of them.

Now this was, I believe, What Moses and Elijah were discussing. With Jesus on that mountain. And he's saying that. Just as they missed Elijah. They're going to miss me too. Because these people are. They're just highly. Highly educated men.

And they think they've got this all figured out. But the truth is. They didn't recognize him. And they're not recognizing me this all figured out, but the truth is they didn't recognize him, and they're not recognizing me now. The disciples knew that Jesus spoke of John the Baptist when he said that Elijah had come already. This was John the Baptist. We're going to jump to chapter, well, not jump.

We're going to go into chapter 50, and this is where i found the scripture that says that the scribes were questioning the other disciples and it was it was the scribes questions that they gave to jesus that caused him to talk about uh elijah actually being incarnate in in john the baptist didn't he go on to tell the story a man came out of the multitude and kneeling before jesus said lord have mercy on my son for he is an epileptic and suffereth grievously for oft times he falleth into the fire and often to the water and i brought him to thy disciples and they could not cure him jesus replied oh

faithless and perverse generation how long shall i be with you how long shall i suffer you bring him hither to me when the child was was brought before jesus the dumb spirit tore him fell on the ground and wallowed foaming at the mouth jesus asked the father how long has it been since this came unto him the father replied of a child but if thou canst do anything have compassion on us and help us the father jesus said if thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believe it the father the child cried out and said tearfully lord i believe but help thou mine unbelief the people all came running to jesus who rebuked the foul spirit saying thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him and enter no more into him. The spirit cried out and caused the child to writhe in pain, but came out of him.

The child lay quietly on the ground, causing many to say, he's dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, lifted him up, and he arose. All were amazed with the mighty power of God. The disciples came to Jesus, saying of the dumb and deaf spirit, Why couldn't we cast him out? Jesus replied, Because of your unbelief. For verily I say unto you,

If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou moved and moved to yonder place, and it should remove, and nothing shall be impossible to you, howbeit this kind goeth not out, but by prayer and fasting. We covered a lot of this last time

we were talking about fasting. And I think that this story is particularly curious for a lot of reasons there's a lot of things in here that simply don't allow us to continue to believe what we've always believed one of which uh perhaps the least of which but to some people this is a great big deal and that is that jesus didn't know everything people like to believe that jesus was a mind reader that he was a telepathic that he just knew everything because he was god on the earth and here you have jesus asking his father how long has his spirit been a problem for your son well why doesn't he know that why is he asking the father such a question is that

well because he wanted to know that's why and obviously the father god did not tell him so he asked the father how long has it been and he said it's happened since he was a child and so jesus armed with that understanding was able to cast this demon out somehow i happen to believe that when he says that this kind this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting this kind jesus i believe was determining what kind of spirit this little guy had. And somehow it had something to do with when it came on him. I don't understand all these things, but hey, guess what? We don't have to.

We don't have to. Because when Jesus empowered the 70, and Jesus came to this earth for what purpose? To bind all the power of the enemy these are things that we do not have to concern ourselves with we just simply do not have to concern ourselves with this this the this uh warfare between demons and jesus christ that's between the demons and Jesus Christ. Nowhere did he tell us to, you know, to, you know, bandy about swords and brandish our armor

and all this stuff that we talk about today of all these demons and stuff that are bothering people and such as that. You'd do a lot better to seek some other way or at least seek another understanding of these kinds of things. I know that goes do a lot better to uh seek some other way or at least seek another understanding of these kinds of things i know it goes against a whole lot of what people believe and and people want to believe that and unfortunately people who don't believe that who believe like i do don't seem to have guts enough to say it in the pulpit so it kind of leaves people there you know just

wondering what in the world should we do well i'm telling you what you ought to do you ought to put your trust and your faith in jesus christ you ought to use common sense you ought to use you know what what the lord gave you to understand you ought to uh spend time every day before the lord and receive revelation for him from him you know you're really it might just be the case it very well could be the case that something in your life is causing these problems. How are you going to know that? Is the Bible going to tell you that? I don't think so.

The Father may. He's not going to leave you hopeless. He's not going to leave you helpless. We need to have some kind of relationship, some kind of communication with him so that we can understand these things look if he tells you that it's a spirit that's different but if old brother hayseed brother zoot suit or hairdo any of those guys tell you that it's a demon you know what that Absolutely nothing. Absolutely nothing. I remember reading an article that C.S. Lewis was answering an objection that somebody had

when he wrote screw tape letters. They were saying, you know, C.S. Lewis must have a demon. He just knows way too much about the way demons operate and what demons think and what they say. He just knows way too much about that to be a true Christian. And, you know, his answer to that was, how do you know so much about what the devil thinks? How is it that you can make that judgment at all

unless you indeed are familiar with him and know his ways and know that what i'm saying is accurate you see we just play with these ideas in order to downplay somebody else to uplift somebody else to continue to do what we have always done and get a different result it's it's just it's just silly it's time we move christianity out of the silly and the inane and the insane in some cases and put it into real life nothing's going to do you better than to live righteously to do the right thing every time for the right reasons in the right way there's nothing will improve your life better than that. All those things can be all wrapped in one big package.

Responsibility. Live responsibly. Be responsible for what goes on in your life. Stand up. Speak up. Do something. These things are important. And you know, you think that you're going to be in trouble with God

because you doubt these things? Friend, you know, I forget who said it. I guess I don't have to quote somebody. I'll tell you what I say. I would much rather sit and listen to 30 minutes of somebody's honest doubting than two minutes of somebody's fake faith. I really, really, really grow tired of it.

And you know one thing that really sets me on fire is when somebody is hurting. They're really hurting. They really need an answer. They really need help. And the only thing they're getting from you is, well, you just got to believe. Or the reason it didn't happen is because you didn't have faith. Or somehow blaming them,

somehow, spiritually, in some way that they don't even understand. Well, you must have some secret sin in your life. Man, you want to set me on fire, just try that in front of me. It'll be all I can do to just keep from pushing you out of the way. Because it's a real aggravation to me. People need to be taught to live righteously.

Do the right thing for the right reason every time. That's all that's required of us. What's required of you, the Bible says? That you do justly, that you love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. I don't see demon fighting going on in there. Frankly, I think any demon could whip any guy in the world if he wanted to if he could well i mean i think we see here that he was sure given this poor little guy fits pushing people around i mean i don't know that i don't even think you ought to play with those kind of things

all right uh chapter 51 here jesus again predicts his death and resurrection jesus and his disciples were passing through galilee jesus said to them the son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men and they shall kill him and on the third day he shall be raised again the disciples were very sorrowful and did not understand but they were afraid to ask jesus to explain the meaning i think here again we're seeing a big dividing line in jesus's life um i i taught a seminar downtown several years ago now about what did jesus know and when did he know it um and and as i say i i don't have any trouble at all believing that the plan that he came here with he found to be thwarted by wicked and evil men and they were the men unfortunately they were the men to whom he was called to save and this is why the

jew was essentially rejected this is why the gentiles were invited to sit into their seats and attend the feast and become part of god's family because his his plan of redemption was messed up from one end to the other and the dividing line as far as i can see in in developing some kind of timeline as to when jesus was talking about you know we're the you know you will not have gone over all the cities till the son of man become there should be some standing here that will see the kingdom of god you know and my life is mine no man take it from me he used to talk that way now he's saying since that since the transfiguration you're going to find jesus saying this is all coming apart guys i'm going to be delivered into the hands of men they're going

to torture me they're going to destroy me they're going to murder me this is why peter peter would never have have said to the lord you know if the lord were to say i'm going to give my life a ransom for the world peter would not say we will not let this happen to you he wouldn't have said that at all but when jesus was saying i'm going to be murdered all of a sudden peter got his ire up he started sharpening his sword and by the way he ended up using that sword and we'll see that when they come to get him in the garden of Gethsemane but there was a change that took place

and I believe that that Mount of Transfiguration was that fulcrum where the balance changed from one to the other because he just started talking differently after that he started he started talking differently and he became very very concerned and he became somber even sad and if you've sat and wrung your hands over the the garden of gethsemane prayer where he sat and cried and and and sweat as it were great drops of blood and you know father let this cup pass from me and if the thoughts ever come through your mind gee whiz what's the matter what are you so upset about I thought I thought

you you knew exactly what you were getting into when you came here the song says he left the splendor of heaven knowing his destiny that's what the song says well friend that's a song that's not the reality jesus expected to come here and be king he expected to come he's expected to come here and be a high priest of all israel and as high priest i believe he have eventually, in some way that we don't know, offered his blood to save all of Israel, and indeed the entire world. But he would have done so as king of Israel,

and done so as the high priest of Israel. Not be murdered on an old rugged pole out there in the middle of the escarpment outside of a nasty old gate of jerusalem just behind the bus station there you can see it it's still there he didn't come to die there he came to die in that temple that's what he came to do and and i don't know you're you're gonna have to think about this stuff for yourself and and i'll be glad to discuss it with you and perhaps we'll do the seminar again

that talks about you know what did jesus know and when did he know it but you know there's a beautiful story here that the lord pulled all this out even though it was all falling apart and he came up with a a stopgap plan he came up with a with a a measure that was going to make it all work anyway and uh it's it's really a beautiful story and i i love to tell it because it shows number one that uh our lord can think on his feet for one thing uh our our god is just incredibly intelligent. He can make things happen, and he can make a way where there doesn't seem to be any kind of a way at all.

And it's one of his characteristics. The other thing that I love about this story is that, wow, this almost didn't work. We almost were left without hope do you think another jesus would have come you think somebody that god would have put together some other life that the jews would have accepted or they would have liked that jesus failed in this mission or no no no no just forget those thoughts because when he got to his father his father said you did well you've done well here's your scepter here take this take this scepter of righteousness and rule your kingdom now therefore god even thy god hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness. You know, this day I've begotten thee.

You're a son to me. No, no, he was pleased with what Jesus did. Well, he ticked everybody off. The whole religious community hated him. You know, I can just hear the Lord say, well, so what? Every prophet I ever sent did that. Well, you know, this should, you know, this is my last effort. Well, I believe it would have been his last effort.

And I believe there was a good chance of us all losing on this deal. But he pulled it out of the fire at the last minute. It's a great story. I'll let you know if we put together the seminar okay now here we have uh jesus being able to deal with a situation by simply putting into the minds of his disciples exactly the way things are supposed to be, exactly the way that they're going to be. And then having the flexibility of being able to look at them and say,

now look, things are changing here. And here he's predicting his own death, and it doesn't sound good. It doesn't sound good at all. But I think that he's doing this because he wants that relationship that he was talking about with, you know, before now, you've been my servants.

And I appreciate you being my servants. But I'm not going to call you servants anymore.'m going to call you friends why is that well you see servants they just pretty much do what they're told and they're not being told on a daily basis exactly what the master is doing you i'm telling you everything that's going on therefore you can be my friends. What a neat position for us to be in. What a nice thing for him to offer us. And I think that that's exactly what happens here.

And we become essentially on the inside and can see his wonderful way and His will and everything's working out to be just fine. Everything's going to be just fine. If nothing else that you can get from the words of Jesus, you ought to understand that He can think on His feet. He can make things happen. He can do things for you.

But we're going to have to have communication with Him. I don't know how I can get this across to you i'm i'm not an enemy of necessarily an enemy of convention i understand it you know i've thought so many times that if i was waiting for some preacher that has all the answers some preacher that understands everything to come along to save my soul you know what haven't met him yet what does that mean that means i'm going to be in my 60s and losses a ball in high grass i thank god for the goofy little church that i found myself sitting in on their little wooden pews holding on to the back of them singing just as i am and him up there preaching my soul into hell and offering me heaven even though he didn't know what he was talking about he didn't understand anything but you know what we don't have to understand everything can i give you some hope today and it is that hey why don't you just be sincere, walk humbly with your God, do justly, love mercy, love one another,

honor God, keep his commandments. You know, really isn't that what this is all about? If you do, you're going to end up living in that kind of fire, that kind of power that can take a crusty old person like myself to slip myself out of that pew and get out there on that carpet and run up there to that altar and cry my eyes out as a 14-year-old boy

and say, I want to make peace with God. Do you think that preacher had to know everything? You don't have to know everything. Do you think that church had to have a perfect doctrine? Your church doesn't have to have a perfect doctrine. Do you think that church had to have a perfect doctrine? Your church doesn't have to have a perfect doctrine. Do you think that everything had to be in its place? Everything have a place and everything be in its place? And that everything be done according to a particular schedule or a particular way?

Everybody believe in the same thing? Articles of faith? Things that we believe? Things that we don't believe? Do you think all that stuff has to be in place for us to find our way before the lord no it doesn't it doesn't it's the condition of your heart my friend that's all you want to make peace with god you can do it this afternoon just as simple as you making a decision within yourself. I'm not going to go my way anymore. I'm going to go his way.

I'm going to trust him. I don't have to trust anybody else. All I have to do is trust him. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to keep the commandments. I'm going to go take a look at them. And I'm going to see, am I violating any of these commandments? As soon as you find one you're violating, stop it. I'm going to keep the commandments.

I'm going to do the right thing. According to Ezekiel, you just entered into an agreement with God. He says, the day you decide to do this, the day you decide to go my way and not yours, here's the deal i'll never remember anything you have ever done wrong isn't that what we want isn't it what isn't what we want what that rich ruler said to him master tell me what do i need to do to inherit eternal life? Is that the question in your mind? Well, let me answer it the way Jesus Christ answered that question.

You want to enter into life? Keep the commandments. This do. You've been listening to Don C. Harris of Think Red Ink Ministries. Email don at thinkredink.com. That's thinkredc.com. That's ThinkRedInc.com. ThinkRedInc, my friend. Bye-bye. Join us again for the next episode in the Words of Jesus series. you