58~More About “God Essence”

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BACKGROUND FOR THIS EPISODE

(In Order of Appearance)

NEW TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE:

• Luke 22:8 – Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us to eat.”
• Luke 22:24-30 – Later, the apostles began to argue about which one of them was the most important. ²⁵But Jesus said to them, “The kings of the nations rule over their people. Men who exert authority over other people call themselves ‘benefactors.’^{i 26}But you must not think that way. The greatest person among you should be like a younger person. Leaders should be like servants. ²⁷Who is more important? A man who is sitting at the table or the one who is serving him? You may think it is the one sitting at the table, but I am like a servant among you! ²⁸“You have stayed with me through my many struggles. ²⁹My Father has given me a kingdom. I also give you authority to rule with me. ³⁰In my kingdom, you will eat and drink at my table. You will sit on thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.”
• The Passover Feast was not to be held until the next day [Nisan 14].  The Jews who arrested Jesus and took him to the Romans the next morning “wanted to be able to eat the Passover” [John 18:28] which was due to be eaten the night of Jesus’ crucifixion [Thursday].
• John 1:29 – The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him. John said, “Look, God’s Lamb who will take away the world’s sin! 
• John 13:1-2 – Just before the Passover Festival,^a Jesus knew that his time had come. He must pass from this world to the Father. Jesus loved his own people in the world; he loved them to the very end. ²It was time for the evening meal. The Devil had already put it in Judas’ heart to turn against Jesus. (Judas Iscariot was the son of Simon.) 
• Luke 22:15-16 – Jesus said to them, “I wanted very much to eat this Passover meal with you before I die. ¹⁶I tell you, I will never eat another Passover meal until it is given its true meaning in the kingdom of God.”
• John 13:4-5 – Jesus got up from the evening meal and laid his clothes aside. He took a towel and wrapped it around his waist. ⁵Then Jesus put water into a pan. He began to wash his followers’ feet. He dried their feet with the towel which was around his waist. 
• John 13:10-17 – Jesus said to him, “The person who has already had a bath needs only to wash his feet when they get dirty; his whole body is clean. You are clean—but not all of you!” ¹¹(Jesus knew who was turning against him. That is why Jesus said, “Not all of you are clean!”) ¹²After Jesus had washed their feet, he put on his clothes and sat down at the table again. He asked them, “Do you know what I have just done to you? ¹³You call me ‘The Teacher’ and ‘The Lord.’ You are right, because I am. ¹⁴Since I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵I have given you an example. You should do things for others as I have done for you. ¹⁶I am telling you the truth: A slave is not more important than his master. A messenger is not more important than the one who sent him. ¹⁷Since you know these things, you will be happy if you practice them. 
• Mark 14:18 – While they were sitting down and eating, Jesus said, “I am telling you the truth: One of you will turn against me. He is eating with me!” 
• John 13I:21-25 – After Jesus said these things, he was very troubled in his spirit. He told them openly, “I am telling you the truth: One of you will turn against me!”  ²²Jesus’ followers began looking at one another. They were wondering which one he was talking about. ²³One of his followers, the one whom Jesus loved,^b was sitting very close to Jesus. ²⁴Simon Peter signaled to this follower. Peter wanted him to ask Jesus, “Which one are you talking about?” ²⁵So, that follower moved even closer to Jesus and whispered to him, “Lord, who is it?”
• Matthew 13:55 – Isn’t [present tense] it true that he is the son of Joseph, the woodworker, and that his mother’s name is Mary!? His brothers are James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. 
• Mark 14:20-21 – Jesus answered them, “It is one of the twelve men who dipped his hand in the same dinner bowl with me. ²¹I^h will die, just as it is written about me. However, how horrible it will be for that man who turned against me. It would be better if that man had never been born!”
• John 13:26-35 – Jesus answered, “After I dip this piece of bread in the sauce, I will give it to that person.” Then Jesus took a piece of bread and dipped it into the sauce and gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. ²⁷When this happened, Satan got into Judas. Then Jesus said to him, “Do what you plan to do quickly!” ²⁸None of the guests knew why Jesus said this to him. ²⁹Since Judas kept the group’s bag of money, some were thinking that Jesus meant: “Buy what we need for the feast.” or “Give something to the poor people.” ³⁰So, Judas took the piece of bread and went out immediately. And it was night. ³¹After Judas left, Jesus said, “Now I^c am given glory and, in me,^d God is given glory. ³²Since God is given glory in me, God will give me glory for myself.^e And, He will do that immediately. ³³Little children, I am still with you a little while longer. Just as I said to the Jewish leaders, ‘You will look for me, but where I am going you cannot come.’ I am saying the same thing to you now. ³⁴I am giving to you a new command—love one another. You must love one another, just as I loved you. ³⁵You must have love for one another. That is how everyone will know that you are my followers.”
• John 18:28 – Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to the Roman fortress. It was early in the morning. They didn’t go into the fortress, because they didn’t want to be made unclean. If so, they would not be permitted to eat the Passover lamb.^d 
• John 13:36-38 – Simon Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “I am going where you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.” ³⁷Peter said to him, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I would give up my life for you!” ³⁸Jesus answered, “Would you give up your life for me!? I am telling you the truth: Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will say that you don’t even know me. You will do it three different times!”
• John 14:1-3 – “Don’t let your heart be troubled. You trust in God; trust in me, too. ²There are many rooms in my Father’s House. I would have told you, if that were not true. I am taking a trip to prepare a place for you. ³Since I am leaving to prepare a place for you, you can be sure that I will come back and take you with me, so that you will be where I am. 
• John 14:5-9 – Thomas said to Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶Jesus said to him, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life! The only way anyone can come to the Father is through me! ⁷If you had known me, you would have known my Father. But even now, you do know Him and you have seen Him.” ⁸Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father; that would be enough for us.” ⁹Jesus asked him, “Philip, have I been with you such a long time and you have not known me? The person who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, ‘Show us the Father.’? 
• Colossians 2:9 – The totality of divinity lives embodied in Christ. ¹⁰You are completed in Christ. He is above^a every ruler and authority.
• I Corinthians 5:7 – Clean out the old yeast of sin, so that you may become a new batch of dough. Then you will be pure.^b Christ, our Passover lamb, was sacrificed. 
• Hebrews 10:4-5, 10 – Goat’s blood or bull’s blood could never take away sin. ⁵So, when Christ came into the world, this is what he said: “You did not want a sacrifice or an offering, but You prepared a body for me. ⁶You were not pleased with whole burnt-offerings or sin-offerings. ⁷Then I said, ‘Look! I have come to do what You want, O God!’ This is written about me in the first part of the scroll.” (Psalms 40:6-8)
• Matthew 26:26 – While they were eating, Jesus took bread and gave thanks. He broke off some of the bread and gave it to his followers. He said, “Take it and eat it. This bread is^f my body.” 
• John 6:52-53 – The Jewish leaders started arguing strongly with each other, “How can Jesus give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “I am telling you the truth: If you don’t eat my^c flesh and you don’t drink my blood, you do not have life in you! 
• I Corinthians 11:24 – Then he thanked God for it and broke off some of it. Jesus said, “This bread is^d my body which I am giving for you. Eat this to remember me.” 
• Romans 6:23 – The pay you get for sinning is death, but God’s gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
• Romans 3:23-25 – because everyone has sinned and is far away from God’s glory.
• Matthew 26:27-28 – Then he took a cup. He gave thanks to God for it and gave it to them. He said, “All of you, drink from it. ²⁸This is my blood which I am pouring out for many people for the forgiveness of sins. It shows the new covenant which God has made with man. 
• I Corinthians 11:25 – After supper, Jesus took a cup in the same way. He said, “This cup is the new covenant with God in my blood. Drink this to remember me. Every time you drink this, you will be remembering me.”
• I Corinthians 15:36, 43 – You are foolish! What you plant does not live, unless it dies first…⁴³A dead body will be buried with sadness, but it will be raised from death with splendor. A dead body is buried in weakness, but it will be raised with power. 
• Hebrews 9:15-17 – This is why Christ can make a new covenant between God and man. The people broke God’s law while they were living under the first covenant. But the death of Christ was the price to set them free from sin. Now those people who have been called by God may receive the eternal inheritance that God promised. ¹⁶When a person wants his property to go to others after he dies, he makes a will. That will is worthless, unless someone can prove that a person died, ¹⁷because a will is not in effect until someone dies. The will does not take effect during the life of the person who made the will. 
• Matthew 26:30 – Then they sang a song of praise and went out to Olive Mountain.
• Acts 20:7a – On Sunday,^c we all met together to eat the supper of the Lord.

OLD TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE:

• Leviticus 16:32 – “So, the anointed^bb priest will perform the rituals for making things ready for Me. He is ordained to take his father’s place. That priest must put on the holy linen clothes. 
• I Kings 1:34 – Then the king said to them, “Take my officers with you and put my son Solomon on my own mule.^s Take Solomon down to the Gihon Spring.^{t  34}Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet pour olive oil [anoint] on Solomon there and make him king over Israel. Then blow the trumpet and shout: ‘May King Solomon live long!’ ³⁵Then come back up here, following him. He will sit on my throne and rule in my place. I have chosen him to be the ruler over Israel and Judah.”
• Exodus 12:3,6 – Speak to the whole community of Israel. Say this: ‘On the 10th day of this month [regardless of what day of the week], every person must get a lamb^c for himself and his family—one lamb per home…⁶Keep it until the 14th day of the same month [not necessarily Saturday]. Then the whole gathering of the community of Israel must kill each animal just before twilight.^d 
• Exodus 1:14 – The Egyptians made their lives miserable. As slaves, they had to work very hard with clay and bricks, in all kinds of field work. Whatever it was, the Egyptians forced them to labor at it. The Egyptians were ruthless.
• Exodus 12:8– It must be roasted and served with bread which contains no yeast.^f They must eat the meat during that night.^g And, they must eat it with bitter herbs.^h 
• Psalm 41:9  PREDICTED 1000 YEARS BEFORE JESUS]- My most-trusted, best friend ate at my table. Now even he has turned against me.
• Deuteronomy 16:2-3 – ^{b 2}And, you must offer a Passover sacrifice to the Always-Present One, your God. It should be an animal from the flock or from the herd. Offer it at the place which the Always-Present One will choose as a dwelling-place for His Name. ³Do not eat it with bread that has been made with yeast. Instead, for seven days, eat bread made without yeast. This is the bread of suffering, because you left the land of Egypt in a hurry. So, all during your life, you must remember the time that you left the land of Egypt. 
• Exodus 12:26-27 – And when your sons ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ ²⁷Then you will answer: ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the Always-Present One. He passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He struck down the Egyptians, but He spared our homes.’ ”
• Isaiah 54:11-12 – “O you battered city,^t storms have hurt you, and you have not been comforted. However, behold, I will rebuild you, using turquoise stones. I will build your foundations with sapphires. ¹²I will use rubies to build your towers. I will use sparkling stones for your gates. I will build all of your outer walls from precious jewels.
• Psalm 10:7 – The evil people have a proud look. They do not look for God. Every single one of their schemes is futile. They think that there is no God!^b
• Psalm 119:32 – I will eagerly obey Your commands, because You have made me happy.
• Isaiah 35:8 – A road will be there.^k This highway will be called “The Road to Being Holy.”^l Unclean^m people will not be allowed to walk on that road. (Only good people will walk on that road.) No foolsⁿ will stray onto it.
• Numbers 11:6-9 – But now we have lost our appetite. We never see anything except this manna!” ⁷(The manna was like small coriander seeds. It looked like resin gum.) ⁸The people would go out to collect it. Then they ground it up in handmills. Or, they crushed it between stones. They cooked it in a pot and made it into cakes. It tasted like bread baked with olive oil. ⁹When the dew fell on the camp each night, so did the manna.
• Leviticus 17:10-11 – “ ‘I will be against anyone who eats blood!^d It doesn’t matter whether he is a citizen of Israel or a foreigner who lives among you. If he eats any blood, then I will separate that person from his people. ¹¹This is because the life of the body is in the blood.^e And, I have given you special rules for pouring that blood on the altar to cancel your sins. Why? Because it is the blood that cancels the sins! 
• Zechariah 12:10 [PREDICTED 500 YEARS BEFORE JESUS] – ¹⁰“And, I will pour out^x a spirit of kindness and mercy^y upon David’s household and the inhabitants in Jerusalem. They will look at Me,^z the One they have pierced.^aa And, they will mourn^bb like someone weeping over the death of an only child. They will be as sad as someone who has lost a firstborn son.^cc
• Zechariah 13:1 – God says: “At that time,^a a fountain^b will be opened for David’s descendants^c and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.^d It will cleanse them of sin and of impurity.”^e
• Psalm 16:5-11 – Yahweh is all I need; He takes care of me. ⁶My share in life has been wonderful. Yes, my portion has been beautiful. ⁷I praise Yahweh because He guides me. Even at night, I think about His instruction.^b 8I always keep Yahweh before me.^c Because He is close by my side,^d I will not be hurt. ⁹So, I’m glad, and I rejoice.^eEven my body has hope.^f  10This is because You will not leave me in the grave.^g You will not allow Your Holy One^h to experienceⁱ corruption.^j 11You will show me^k the pathway to life.^l Being with You will fill me with joy. At Your right hand,^m I will find pleasure forever.ⁿ

OTHER JESUS QUOTES IN THIS EPISODE

F. LAGARD SMITH:

• DAILY BIBLE IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, NIV: Jesus was crucified on the Day of Preparation and the Day of Passover was a “special Sabbath” (a special Day of Rest), not on Saturday.

RABBI SOLOMON GANZEFRIED:

• CODE OF JEWISH LAW, VOL. II, Ch. 119, pg. 48 – After that the person conducting the ceremony should wash his hands without saying the benediction, dry them, and cut the karpas for himself and the members of his household.  Each dips his portion in salt water and says the benediction.
• CODE OF JEWISH LAW, VOL. II, p. 51 – After that he takes two pieces of the lower matzah about the size of an olive,and places between them bitter herbs about the size of an olive which should be dipped in the haroset and then shaken off.
• CODE OF JEWISH LAW, VOL. II, pg. 50 – At the conclusion of the feast, the half-matzah put away by the seat of the one conducting the ceremony) is eaten in remembrance of the paschal lamb that was eaten at the end of the meal.
• CODE OF JEWISH LAW, VOL. II, pp. 50-51 – After eating the afikoman, one is forbidden to eat any kind of food.  The third cup for the Grace is then filled….It is customary that the master of the house should lead in saying Grace.  After the Grace, a benediction is said over the third cup of wine.
• CODE OF JEWISH LAW, VOL. II, pg. 51 – The cup is filled for the fourth time.  The door is opened according to custom to signify that this is a night of vigil and nothing is to be feared.  Because of this belief, our righteous Messiah will come.

MERRILL F. UNGER:

• UNGER’S BIBLE DICTIONARY, “FESTIVALS-PASSOVER AND FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD: PASCHAL SUPPER” – The paschal supper commenced by the head of the ‘company’ pronouncing a benediction over the first cup of wine, which had been filled for each person.  It was then drunk.
• UNGER’S BIBLE DICTIONARY, “FESTIVALS-PASSOVER AND FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD:  PASCHAL SUPPER” – [The wine] was then drunk, and a basin of water and a towel were handed round or the guests got up to wash their hands.
• UNGER’S BIBLE DICTIONARY, “FESTIVALS-PASSOVER AND FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD: PASCHAL SUPPER” – The second cup of wine was then drunk, and hands were washed a second time, with the same prayer as before, and one of the two unleavened cakes broken and “thanks given.”  Pieces of the broken cake, with “bitter herbs” between them, and “dipped”…were next handed to each of the company.
• UNGER’S BIBLE DICTIONARY, “FESTIVALS-PASSOVER AND FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD: PASCHAL SUPPER” – The second cup of wine was filled….The head of the house related the whole national history, commencing with Terah, Abraham’s father, Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, the giving of the law; and the more fully he explained it all the better.
• UNGER’S BIBLE DICTIONARY, “FESTIVALS-PASSOVER AND FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD: PASCHAL SUPPER” – Since the cessation of the paschal sacrifice [after the Temple was destroyed a few years later] the Jews conclude the supper with a piece of unleavened cake….the third cup was filled.

HAYYIM SCHAUSS:

• GUIDE TO JEWISH HOLY DAYS, pg. 55 – And when he starts to sing Hallel, they all join in loudly.

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Season 2, Hearts Afire, “Unlikely Crew”

OTHER JESUS QUOTES IN THIS EPISODE