Peace and grace in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28 refers to Shekinah glory or the light of glory.
There is the light of glory behind death or cross experience with Jesus.
While spreading the light of glory, there is infiltration of the spread of the darkness.
Matthew 28:11-15
28:11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.
28:12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
28:13 saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him awaywhile we slept.’
28:14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.”
28:15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
The spread of the darkness means the spread of false teaching that rejects the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Romans 4:25
4:25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.
Jesus dies to forgive us and set us free from sins. Jesus is raised to justify us.
The consequences of rejecting the death and resurrection of Jesus are as follows.
The starting point of renewal of life is water baptism. Water baptism is a great matter that determines the next renewal until we may reach the New Jerusalem. Therefore, God sends John the Baptist, the greatest man who has been born in this earth.
Luke 7:29-30
7:29 And when all the people heard Him,even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.
7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.
The Pharisees and lawyers do not want to be baptized by John the Baptist. It means rejecting the true baptism. It happens because they preserve the Law.
The true water baptism is the baptism according to the Bible and as the baptism of Jesus.
Matthew 3:15-16
3:15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be sonow, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.
3:16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
Actually there is no need for Jesus to be baptized, but He was baptized to obey the will of God and become an example to all of us about the true water baptism.
Romans 6:4
6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Colossians 2:12
2:12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Himthrough faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
The true water baptism is being buried in water. Otherwise, one has not been baptized yet.
Being unwilling to be baptized means rejecting the true water baptism and rejecting the will of God.
There are three wills of God in the building of the body of Christ as follows.
God blesses us.
Matthew 28 refers to Shekinah glory or the light of glory.
There is the light of glory behind death or cross experience with Jesus.
While spreading the light of glory, there is infiltration of the spread of the darkness.
Matthew 28:11-15
28:11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.
28:12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
28:13 saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him awaywhile we slept.’
28:14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.”
28:15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
The spread of the darkness means the spread of false teaching that rejects the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Romans 4:25
4:25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.
Jesus dies to forgive us and set us free from sins. Jesus is raised to justify us.
The consequences of rejecting the death and resurrection of Jesus are as follows.
- Man, the servants and children of God do not believe Jesus, so they keep living in sins. It means as follows.
- Being unwilling to confess sins, even blaming the others and God.
- Never regretting doing sins, even enjoying it.
- Falling and rising in sins up to the peak of sins, that is sins concerning eating-drinking (smoking, getting drunk, consuming drugs) and marrying-being given in marriage (sexuality sin with all its varieties, doing sex before a marriage, wrong marriage, mixed marriage, marriage after divorce).
- Being unwilling to confess sins, even blaming the others and God.
- Not experiencing renewal of life, keeping on being flesh man who will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. It means being destroyed in the lake of fire and brimstone.
The starting point of renewal of life is water baptism. Water baptism is a great matter that determines the next renewal until we may reach the New Jerusalem. Therefore, God sends John the Baptist, the greatest man who has been born in this earth.
Luke 7:29-30
7:29 And when all the people heard Him,even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.
7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.
The Pharisees and lawyers do not want to be baptized by John the Baptist. It means rejecting the true baptism. It happens because they preserve the Law.
The true water baptism is the baptism according to the Bible and as the baptism of Jesus.
Matthew 3:15-16
3:15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be sonow, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.
3:16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
Actually there is no need for Jesus to be baptized, but He was baptized to obey the will of God and become an example to all of us about the true water baptism.
Romans 6:4
6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Colossians 2:12
2:12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Himthrough faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
The true water baptism is being buried in water. Otherwise, one has not been baptized yet.
Being unwilling to be baptized means rejecting the true water baptism and rejecting the will of God.
There are three wills of God in the building of the body of Christ as follows.
- Being righteous as Jesus is righteous (the Court of Tabernacle).
1 John 3:7
3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
The steps are as follows.- Entering the Gate, that is believing or having faith on Jesus as the only Savior through listening the Word of God.
- The Altar of Burnt Offerings, meaning repentance, stopping sinning and returning to God.
- The Brazen Laver, meaning water baptism.
- Door of Tabernacle, that is Holy Spirit baptism.
Water baptism and Holy Spirit baptism mean being newly born of water and the Spirit, so we have relation with the opened Heaven.
John 3:5
3:5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
1 John 3:9
3:9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
We will receive new life, that is the Heavenly life, meaning we live in righteousness until we are righteous as He is. We do not do sin anymore and are being the instruments of righteousness. We serve Him.
Psalm 5:12
5:12For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as witha shield.
Righteous life will be surrounded by the blessing and grace of God, so the curse of this world cannot influence our life.
- Entering the Gate, that is believing or having faith on Jesus as the only Savior through listening the Word of God.
- Being holy as Jesus is holy (the Holy Place).
1 Peter 1:15-16
1:15 but as He who called you isholy, you also be holy in all yourconduct,
1:16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
John 15:1-4
15:1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
15:2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branchthat bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
15:3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
If our life is as a branch abides on the true vine, we will be purified.
It means we are shepherded on the true teaching Word and persevering in the sheepfold (the Holy Place). There are three types of equipment inside it as follows.- Golden Candlestick, which refers to perseverance in General Service, fellowship with God the Holy Spirit.
- Table of Showbread, which refers to perseverance in Bible Study Service and Holy Communion, fellowship with the Son of God.
- Golden Altar of Incense, which refers to perseverance in Prayer Service, fellowship with God the Father.
If we persevere in the true teaching Word, we will be sanctified intensively and continually. The sanctification is started from the sins of Judas, those are evil and unclean sins.
John 13:10
13:10 Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash hisfeet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”
Evil sin is the lust of money that causes stinginess and greediness. Stinginess means being unwilling to give. Greediness means taking the belonging of the others and God. Evil desire causes one to become thief, betrayer, and liar.
Evil desire is in one level with unclean desire, which directs to sins concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage.
If we are willing to be purified, we will bear sweet fruit since God is the vinedresser. - Golden Candlestick, which refers to perseverance in General Service, fellowship with God the Holy Spirit.
- Being perfect as Jesus is perfect (the Most Holy Place).
Matthew 5:48
5:48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Colossians 3:14
3:14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
The love of God the Father purifies and perfects us.
John 14:15
14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Love is the true teaching Word that is practiced. We obey the Word until the flesh does not sound anymore.
Being obedient means stretching out both our hands to God, surrendering all the things to God. Thus, God will also stretch out His hands to us. He always waits until we obey Him.
Romans 10:21
10:21 But to Israel he says: “All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people.”
Matthew 24:32
24:32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer isnear.
The result is miracle will happen, starting from spiritual miracle that is becoming tender. Thus, we can bear fruit, starting from words that become blessings to the others. Physical miracles will also happen, from impossible to become possible. The greatest miracle is we become as perfect as Jesus in His second coming.
God blesses us.