Awake Us Now

Week 4 of our Matthew study is all about John the Baptist and his message of repentance, a message that can be difficult for the religious to accept.

In our study of Matthew this week we look at chapters 2 and 3, with an emphasis on deliverance through Jesus the Messiah and the fulfillment of the New Covenant through Him as well.

This week our study of Matthew takes us into chapter 2 and the story of Jesus' birth focusing on the Magi, their interaction with Herod, and their interesting gifts to Jesus.

Join us as we dig deeper into the teaching on "What's the answer: What did Jesus tell them?", found in Luke 24:13-27 - the story of 2 men "On the Road to Emmaus."

Two men are on their way, walking to the town of Emmaus are joined by Jesus. Let's focus in on who these men were. For one of them we are given his name. Luke 24:18 " One of them, named Cleopas, asked Jesus, …"

Cleopas is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible, but there is another name very similar - Clopas - and this name is mentioned other places in the Bible. Over the centuries, many believers, scholars and teachers have considered that Cleopas and Clopas could be one and the same person.

John 19:25 "Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene."

Clopas sounds very much like Cleopas, a simple shortening of the name. So one of the men walking to Emmaus may have been the husband of one of the women who stood at the foot of the cross at Jesus crucifixion.

If Cleopas and Clopas as the same person - here's what we know from early Christian historians - Eusebius (c.260-339 AD) says, "They all discussed together who ought to succeed James, and all unanimously decided that Symeon, son of the Clopas mentioned in the Gospel, was worthy of the bishop's throne. It is said that he was the first cousin of the Savior, for Hegesippus relates that Clopas was the brother of Joseph." (Joseph was Jesus' step-father, making Clopas Jesus' uncle.)

Who was the other disciple on the road to Emmaus?

Some have thought maybe it was Cleopas' wife.

Others have thought it may have been one of Cleopas' sons.

Or maybe it was Luke. - the author of the Gospel of Luke. And writer of this story found in Luke 24.

Pastor ends with a recommendation for further study: Easter Enigma by John Wenham.

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The Gospel of Matthew emphasizes Jesus as Israel's long awaited Messiah. Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophetic promises in God's Word, the Deliverer, Savior and King. Matthew zeroes in on Jesus' call to discipleship. Will we heed this call today and commit fully to the King of Kings, the promised Savior of the world? Matthew chose to follow Jesus and Jesus changed Matthew's life. If we choose to follow Jesus, He will change our lives, too.

Why is the Gospel of Matthew Pastor Dodge's favorite? Why is this Gospel the first book of the New Testament? Jesus changed Matthew's life when Matthew chose to follow Jesus. Jesus still today is calling us to follow Him. If we choose to follow Jesus, He will change our lives just like He did Matthew's.

Luke 22:7-8 'Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.""

What we know about the Passover during the time of Jesus, is that the Passover meal had to be celebrated in Jerusalem itself. The lambs were killed at the Temple and the priests worked hours and hours to slaughter all the lambs needed for the meals - as many as a quarter million lambs were killed. The people came to the temple to pick up their lambs. This is where Jesus was sending Peter and John.

Let's take a closer look at what the slaughtered lambs were distributed.

Joseph Tabory, Ań Israeli scholar wrote in the "Jewish Quarterly Review 86:3-4" (1996): 395-406 and tells us this: "An examination of the rabbinic evidence…seems to show that in Jerusalem the Jewish paschal lamb was offered in a manner which resembled a crucifixion."

Justin Martyr, (lived in the early 100's) in "Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, 40: tells us this: "For the lamb, which is roasted, is roasted and dressed up in the form of a cross. For one spit is transfixed right through from the lower parts up to the head and one across the back..."

When the lambs were picked up they were handed out via the cross they were dressed on.

In the time of Jesus before the destruction of the temple in 70AD, the practice shows us that even the lambs were crucified. Even the smallest of details declare the glory and plan of God! Remarkable details that come to fulfillment in the life and death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God IS in the details and it all gives glory to HIM!

Worthy is the lamb that was slain, our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Happy Palm Sunday! Hosanna!

Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem: Palm Sunday - Passion Sunday - story is found in: Matthew 21 Mark 11 Luke 19 John 12

Many of us know the Palm Sunday story, but do we know the details? Today we will look at some of the most fascinating and intentional details of this story.

1. Did you know that donkeys around the world have a similar dark marking on their backs that runs along the spine and across their shoulders? It is a cross. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a beast with a cross emblazoned on its back. 2. Why haven't I heard this before - meaning why didn't I know about this and other details before? Join us as we talk a look at the Palm Sunday story with a Jewish view of the story to see some amazing and significant pieces of the story.

PASSOVER - Pastor reviews the story of the Passover and the 10th plague. By placing lamb's blood on their door posts, the angel of death would pass over their homes. Passover was celebrated annually. In Exodus we read about God telling Moses how to annually celebrate the Passover event, "This month (Nissan) is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household."

Jewish Passover Schedule: Nissan 10 - the lamb was chosen and set apart and we read in Exodus 12:6 "take care of them (lambs) until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight." Nissan 14 - the lamb was killed as the sun was setting. Nissan 15 - the Passover lamb was eaten.

A closer look using several verses from the Bible, we see: ⁃ Nissan 9 - John 11:1 we read "Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead." ⁃ Nissan 10 - Palm Sunday - John 12:12-13 "The next day (the day after Nissan 9) the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the king of Israel!"" ⁃ Reminder - Nissan 10 is the day the Passover lambs were herded into Jerusalem and set aside for sacrifice and it is at this very time that Jesus, the Lamb of God sets Himself apart as the sacrifice for all Israel and all the world as He comes into Jerusalem with all the other lambs. ⁃ Nissan 14 - Luke 22:7-8 "Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover."" The Jewish people had all come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. As many as a quarter-million lambs would be needed and slaughtered. Then at sunset the next day starts - so that evening it is Nissan 15 - the day the Passover meal is eaten.

Our God is a God with a plan! He's sets all pieces of the story in line for the coming of the Messiah. The prophetic pieces all fit together as we look through the scriptures.

Jesus is our Passover Lamb who sets us free. 1 Corinthians 5:7 "For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed." And because of His sacrifice we willingly surrender our lives over to Him for He alone is worthy. Revelation 5:12 tells us, "In a loud voice they were saying: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise."

Every piece fits together - God's plan and purpose AND His deep love for each of us is revealed. His love is a love that caused the Lamb of God to lay down His life for us. It is a love that culminates at the cross where the Son of God was killed by man. God's love knows no limits and His faithfulness knows no bounds.

It's at the cross that he shows us the magnitude of His love. And it's in the empty tomb that He shows us the victory. And that changes everything and is why our lives can no longer be the same. Because He loves us that much - now our lives are never the same once we see the fulfillment of the scriptures in Jesus our Messiah.

John 3:16 " For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Palm Sunday isn't Jewish, but when we look at the event of that day with Jewish eyes the significance of God's plan and His love cannot be missed.

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The past Sunday Pastor taught on "What's the Answer - Are the Gospels believable?" This teaching is a follow up to that message.

Pastor takes us to the story of the Feeding of the 5000 BUT it's not about the feeding!! So what is this teaching about if it isn't about the miracle of Jesus feeding 5000 men (plus all the women and children) from 5 small barley loaves and 2 little fish, then what's this teaching about? Why even bother looking at the story if we're not going to look at the miracle of Jesus?

Well, come along and find out what Pastor is going to show us today!

The story of the Feeding of the 5000 is found in all 4 Gospels and Pastor shares a small detail that has great impact on exposing the truth of the Gospels.

Feeding of the 5000 in all 4 Gospels ⁃ Matthew 14:13-21 ⁃ Mark 6:30-44 ⁃ Luke 9:10-17 ⁃ John 6:1-14

Feeding of the 5,000 ⁃ Mark talks about "the green grass" - Mark 6:39 ⁃ John tells us there was "plenty of grass" - John 6:10 ⁃ This is important because it shows that the 4 Gospels compliment one another and together give us insights we might otherwise miss. It is a testimony to their reliability and that they are written by eyewitnesses and people who know the eyewitnesses. ⁃ John 6:4 we read "The Jewish Passover Festival was near," ⁃ Mark 6:31-32 tells us the "so many people were coming and going" that Jesus and His disciples "went away by themselves." ⁃ Then we read from Luke 9:10 "they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida." ⁃ Then in Mark 6:34 Jesus "saw a large crowd"…. And He "began teaching them". With this being the time of the Passover there would be many in Jerusalem and the surrounding area. ⁃ Then in John 6:5 we read that Jesus said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" (Philip was from the town of Bethsaida) ⁃ Next Andrew speaks up in John 6:8-9, "Here is a boy with 5 small barley loaves and 2 small fish…" (Andrew was also one of the disciples from Bethsaida) ⁃ Why is "barley" significant? It's because the Passover follows the Barley harvest. (Late March or early April) ⁃ The feeding of the 5000 is happening during Passover and barley harvest times, which means the rainy season is over, and the season moves into drier hotter weather - the harvest time. The rains from the previous months during growing season would have left the hill sides full of "green grass" as Mark tell us in chapter 6 verse 39 and there was "plenty of grass" as John says in John 6:10

This is a small thing to prove, but these small details testify to an even greater truth and that is that we can trust the Word from God!

He is faithful. He keeps His Word and His Word is TRUE even when it comes to green grass that grows!

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The past Sunday Pastor taught on "What's the Answer - what is the unforgivable sin?" using Matthew 12:24-32. Today, Pastor digs deeper and takes a look at Mark 3:22-29 - which also talks about the "unforgivable sin."

In Mark 3:22-26 we read that the teachers of the law say that Jesus is possessed by the devil, doing healings in the devil's power and doing what the devil wants. But Jesus responds by sharing parables and asking how can Satan drive out Satan? A house divided cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand. Jesus explains how illogical their accusations are.

Jesus goes on in verse 27 saying that in fact no one can enter a strong man's house without first tying him up. Then his house can be plundered.

Jesus is not denying the devil is strong, but He's saying He is stronger! He is challenging these men to think things through, to think about what they are saying. Jesus is encouraging them to listen not to their prejudices, but to the Holy Spirit's testimony, that of what is spoken in scripture and the things that Jesus is doing and what the Spirit is revealing about who Jesus is.

In verses 28-29 Jesus continues, "Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin."

He doesn't say they have done that sin, but reminds them that is the path they are on. Jesus tells them that ALL and any sins and slander can be forgiven, except the persistent refusal to listen to the Holy Spirit. Meaning never letting the Spirit in or listening to Him. The Spirit will transform our lives, Jesus will heal us, forgive us, and bring us into His eternal kingdom.

Jesus' power and the Holy Spirit can deliver us from the bondage of the enemy and give us freedom through Jesus' saving power at the cross and resurrection because Jesus HAS bound the strong man!

Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.

View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class

For more check out the series, "What's the Answer" https://www.awakeusnow.com/whats-the-answer

Join us Sundays https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service

Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

Scripture: Revelation 12:11, Romans 9:10, Acts 21-26.

Pastor opens and closes today's teaching with Revelation 12:11 and everything in-between these bookends focuses on the goodness of God through Jesus and the power and impact of our testimonies. Here's Revelation 12:11, "They triumphed over him (the enemy) by the blood of the Lamb (Christ Jesus) and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death."

Testimony - What's your testimony? The Bible teaches if we confess Jesus is Lord with our mouth and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead we will be saved. (Romans 9:10)

Let's learn from Paul - Paul continually was sharing his testimony of what Jesus had done in his life.

In today's chapters of Acts we follow Paul as he gives his testimony to: An angry crowd at the temple in Jerusalem The Jewish high counsel in Jerusalem The Jewish high counsel in Caesarea The Roman governor Felix The Roman governor Festus The Jewish King Agrippa and his Sister Princess Bernice

Paul's testimony: He shares how he lived as a Pharisee and opposed the teaching of Jesus, and on the authority of the chief priests imprisoned those believing in Jesus and supported many being put to death. But then his story changes as he tells of being on the Damascus Road when a bright light blinded him and a voice from heaven spoke to him saying, "I am Jesus, who you are persecuting."

God broke into Paul's life and Jesus told him, "I am sending you to them (the Gentiles) to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' (Acts 26:17b-18)

As Paul goes on with his testimony he shares how God had helped him share the Gospel message of Jesus' suffering, death, resurrection, ascension and return. Jesus is the Light to all. In Him alone is life forever and forgiveness.

Paul's personal testimony shared over and over and over again is an encouraging example for us to do the same.

Personal Testimony - it is something we want to share - a declaration of what God has done in our own lives. Like Paul, our testimonies impact the lives of those we share it with.

Pastor Dodge shares his personal testimony.

If you have not ever written down your testimony or bullet pointed it we encourage you to do so! When we are prepared, it helps us share more confidently and boldly!

In closing, Pastor encourages us to be bold with our own testimonies and to watch what God can do as we overcome the enemy through the blood of the Lamb (Jesus Christ) and the word of our testimonies. (Revelation 12:11)

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