God - The Book Part V. Conclusion
Creation To Eternity
The Betrayal and Crucifixion Part 1.
After supper, Jesus walked to a garden called Gethsemane for a time of prayer. His disciples followed Him to this secluded place.
After His prayer, the chief priests and captains of the temple and the elders arrived there, looking for Jesus. Judas, who had just eaten with Him, was leading the group. Judas approached Jesus, greeting Him with a
kiss of betrayal.
Suddenly, Jesus identified himself to the mob by saying, "I AM."
The crowd went backwards and fell to the ground.
After that, Jesus allowed himself to be tied up and brought into the high priest's house.
The temple officers struck the blindfolded Jesus and then said, "Prophesy you holy man. Who hit you?" The temple officers who held Jesus ridiculed Him and spit in His face. And when they had blindfolded Him, they punched Him and slapped Him on the face, and then said, "Prophesy you holy man. Who hit you?"
Early the next morning, the crowd led Jesus to the Roman governor, Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow corrupting our Jewish nation."
But after questioning Jesus, Pilate told the chief priests, the rulers and the people; "He has done nothing worthy of death. I'll just order Him to be beaten and then release Him."
But they called out all at once, saying, "Get rid of this man. Crucify Him. Crucify Him."
Pilate, wanting to satisfy the people, had Jesus brutally whipped, and then turned Him over to be crucified.
The soldiers pushed a crown of thorns onto Jesus' head, and then put a purple robe on Him. Mocking Him, and beating Him with their fists.
The Roman soldiers braided a mock crown of thorns, placing it on His head, and they put a purple robe on Him. They said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they beat Him with their fists.
Afterwards they took Jesus and led Him away, making Him carry a wooden cross up to a place called Calvary, also known as Golgotha or the place of a skull.
The Betrayal and Crucifixion Part 2
There in the same area, where many years before God had told Abraham to sacrifice his only beloved son Isaac, they nailed Jesus, God's only beloved son, to the cross.
As they did this, Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; they don't know what they are doing."
While Jesus hung between two criminals who were also being executed, soldiers took His clothes, gambling for His robe, which fulfilled the prophetic words spoken by David.
For three hours, the people watched. The rulers with them mocked Jesus, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God ."
Then a darkness came on the land which stayed for three more hours as the prophet's words were fulfilled: "The Lord laid the sins of us all on Him."
Jesus then cried out with a loud voice, saying, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?"
Jesus, knowing that everything was now accomplished, fulfilled scripture when He said, "I thirst."
The soldiers ridiculed Jesus as they offered Him vinegar by saying, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."
Jesus tasted the vinegar, then called out, "It is finished. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." Then He bowed His head, and let His spirit go.
As He died, the sun darkened and the earth quaked, and the thick veil of the Temple ripped down the middle.
Now when the Roman captain in charge saw what happened, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God."
Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two thieves who were hanging on the crosses beside Jesus.
But when the soldiers saw that Jesus was already dead, they didn't break His legs. Instead, one of them pierced His side with a spear, allowing blood and water to pour out.
All of this happened so that the Scriptures would be fulfilled: "None of His bones will be broken," and "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."
Afterwards, two believers (Joseph and Nicodemus) took Jesus' body, wound it in linen grave clothes dipped in spices, and laid His body in a tomb. Then, as requested by the Jewish leaders, the tomb was sealed and guarded by Roman soldiers.
Resurrection to Eternity
Now, after three days, there was a great earthquake, and an angel of the Lord rolled back the stone from the tomb's door. In fright, the Roman soldiers trembled and then ran away. When followers of Jesus came to the tomb and saw the stone moved, they were confused.
Suddenly, two men stood by them in shining garments, saying, "Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here, He is risen. Remember how He told you before that He must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and the third day rise again?"
Then they remembered His words.
The same day in the evening, Jesus came to the disciples and stood among them and said, "Peace to you."
But they were terrified, thinking that they were seeing a spirit.
So He said, "Look at my hands and my feet, it is really Me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn't have flesh and bones, like you see I have. Everything happened as I told you it would because all the writings that described me in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, had to be fulfilled."
Then He opened their understanding, saying, "It is written in the Scriptures that Christ must suffer and rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name
among all nations. And you have seen these things."
Jesus continued appearing to many people, showing them that He was alive, which gave infallible proof of His resurrection. And He instructed His disciples, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel."
At the end of forty days, Jesus announced to His disciples, "You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall tell others about Me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth."
As they watched, Jesus was taken up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. Two men in white clothing said, "Why are you standing there staring up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was just taken up into heaven, shall come back again in the same manner as you saw Him go."
Resurrection to Eternity Part 2
So the followers of Jesus went throughout the land, preaching and baptizing, telling everyone that Christ the Savior was risen from the dead. They showed in the Scriptures how by Adam came sin and death, but by Jesus Christ came forgiveness and the resurrection of the dead.
Christians, dead or alive, will one day be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
They told how one day all the new bodies of those who have trusted God and believed in Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be raised from the dead and, together with those who are alive, will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
God's book also says that Heaven will open, and Jesus will return to earth as the conquering King and righteous Judge.
And the name written on his clothes will be KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. And the armies which are in heaven will follow him upon white horses.
Jesus will stand on the Mount of Olives (just as the prophet Zechariah said), and the mountain will divide. And Christ will reign over all the earth. But when a thousand years expire, Satan will once more go out to deceive the nations, but fire will come down from God and devour those who follow Satan.
Then finally, Satan, the deceiver, will be thrown into the lake of fire and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
And then, in front of a great white throne, the dead, both small and great, will stand before God; and who ever is not found written in the Book of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire.
We will all stand before God, the great white throne judgment; and who ever is not found written in the Book of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire.
But in a new heaven and a new earth, God will be with His people. And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away. And there shall be no night and no need for candles, nor light from the sun; because the glory of God and the lamb will be the light; and They shall reign for ever and ever.
And the Tree of Life will be there and the curse on mankind will be gone.
Jesus says, "Let those who are thirsty come. Let them freely drink the water of life. Behold, I come quickly; blessed are they who obey My words.
He that hears My word, and believes on Him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not be condemned; but is passed from death unto life."
This is God's Story for You.
This is God's Story for Them.
You know this story; have known it most all of your life. But what about those people that don't know it?
I fully admit that I am not the door to door kind of person. It's really not in my nature to go out and ring a stranger's doorbell and say: Can I share something with you? Two thumbs up for those that can but it just isn't me.
Still; opportunities come up everyday for each of us to share this Story ... in Part or in Whole.
Facing an Non-Believer is a difficult task at best.
Coming from a scientific background and through the trials of a lifetime I have found that, at least for me, it is much easier to reach out to some people on a Scientific level than it is to try and reach them on a Religious level.
I want you to look at this Questionaire that I will be including in the final segment.
In fact I encourage you and want you! to feel completely comfortable to print it out in several copies and keep them on hand. The next time you are confronted with a Non-Believer just give it to them to look over at their leisure and reach their own conclusions.
At the very least you will be setting them up to do a little investigative work on their own. Supernaturally you are setting them up for the Holy Spirit to minister to them as they study these questions.
You may never know if you have reached them on some level- but you can take great comfort in knowing that you tried. Which is all that God really expects of us.
To know God's Story
To Believe it
To try and live a good life
To Share it with others.
It is my hope that while reading this you will have come to better understand Your place in the Kingdom of God. You are Important and You Matter greatly in the furtherment of spreading the Word of God.
Let our hearts join with the Heart of Jesus Christ that no man be left behind. That we will feel the pain that He feels when one leaves this planet unsaved.
Until we each, in our appointed time, unite with Our Saviour, I wish you a life filled with the Peace that surpasses all understanding!
Dr. Angel Koerner Ph.D