Far too often the Christian believer forgets that we are in a war, a battle royale to the finish, between the forces of the Devil; and those of God our Father and His anointed, our Lord Jesus Christ. The terror which inaugurated “9-1-1” is nothing compared to that which had been waged since the beginning of time for the salvation of mankind as well as restoration to the original harmony between the Creator and the rest of creation. Souls are being lost while we tremble and cower before the seemingly unending onslaught from the satanic forces, and a relentless enemy who will stop at nothing to destroy us.
This should not be a cause of great despair or anxiety because of the encouragement found in I John 4: 4 says, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. Jesus says of His Church in Matthew 16: 18b: “And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” What we need are some reminders of what our privilege entitles us to, and to redirect and expand the focus of our mission. It is more than just the worship of praise, thankfulness, and offering supplication; but rather it is deadly serious. Although the Apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians 4: 20: For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power; but what good and benefit is all of that if we are ignorant of this great supernatural equipment for spiritual warfare or are afraid to use it?
Acts 3: 2, 6, 16
And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you: In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And His name, through faith in His name [‘Jesus’], has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness.
Acts 5: 17-20, 25, 27-28a
Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and they laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night, an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.” So one came and told them, saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this Name [‘Jesus’]?”
John 1: 12
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the “authority” to become children of God, to those who believe in His name [‘Jesus’].
John 14: 12-14
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do because I go to the Father. “And whatever you ask in My name [‘Jesus’], that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. “If you ask anything in My name [‘Jesus’], I will do it.”
Philippians 2: 9-11
Therefore God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and those under the earth [‘demons’??], and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Matthew 28: 18
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Acts 10: 35
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
NOTE: The name of ‘Jesus’ carries within itself all the prerogatives of deity as conveyed in (Gr. ‘dunastes’-great responsibility or high position, rank; ‘exousia’-right or authority; ‘dunamis’-great force, might, or power; ‘kratos’-the right of a ruler or sovereign; and ‘energes’-unbounded energy to accomplish something.
I John 3: 8b
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the
works [‘all’] of the devil.
Luke 10: 17
Then the ‘Seventy’ returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name [‘Jesus’].”
II Corinthians 10: 4-5
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal [‘physical’], but mighty [Gr. ‘dunamis’??] in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing [even] every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
Ephesians 6: 12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against (1) principalities, against
(2) powers, against (3) the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
(4) spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
May 26, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
These Signs shall Follow Those Who Believe
One area that is sorely underutilized in the Christian Church and of which augments the preaching of the Gospel, the neglected and badly needed ministry of exercising power over demons; to wit, healing any person suffering from any disease, sickness, or infirmity. This work is left for others in the medical profession, whether surgeons or psychiatrists, to treat or prescribe some kind of clinical therapy by either chemical substances or invasive and sometimes dangerous interventions. The thinking is that all maladies that humans suffer from have some sort of natural cause at the root; but is that always the case?
Perhaps one of the reasons that Christians as well as non-Christians have mixed feelings about this subject is the behavior of some ‘charlatan’ in the past who have misled people by claiming to be some kind of God-inspired “Faith-healer,” who as it turns out was nothing more than a self-serving, pseudo-religious snake oil salesman and ‘Flim-Flam-Man.’ On the other side of the coin are the Ecclesiastical Christian Church Fathers and Theologians who believe that these supernatural or supra-natural gifts ceased with the completion of the Biblical Canon or that Jesus, after His resurrection, cleansed the land [‘world’] of demons and unclean spirits.
If ever there was a need for this special ‘unction’ of Divine Grace, it is today. So many people are suffering and in constant pain and even the crimes that are reported on the television news and published in the newspapers are so shocking, depraved, and horrendous that it is hard to believe that a mere human being exercising their freewill without any external [‘subjective’] influence could commit such atrocities. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 6: 12: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Someone will say that sickness and contracting a virulent or dreaded disease is just the miserable lot in life that one experiences and is part of being ‘human;’ then why did Jesus heal everybody that was sent to Him? Before going into the matter with a lot more detail, it is perhaps prudent first to look at a passage in
Luke 13: 10-12, 14a, 15a-16:
Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a ‘spirit of infirmity’ eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way straighten herself. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Himself and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus healed on the Sabbath. The Lord answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?” So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound- think of it- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”
Matthew 4: 23-24
And Jesus went about in Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout Syria (??); and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.
I John 3: 8b
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy [‘all’] the works of the devil.
NOTE: The ‘works’ of the devil are not just limited to sin and death, but includes physical and mental infirmities [‘diseases’] as well.
Matthew 10: 1
And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power
[Gr. ‘Dunamis’], over unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.
Matthew 17: 14-15, 18-19, 20a, 21
And when they had come to the multitudes, a man came to Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an ‘epileptic’ and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and the water. And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “However, this kind [‘demon’??] does not go out [from a person??] except by “prayer and fasting.”
NOTE: Two other Gospel narratives mention about Jesus granting the ‘Twelve’ this extraordinary authority (Cp. Mark 3: 14-15; 6: 7; Luke 9: 11). Curiously, JOHN doesn’t mention in his narrative anything about Jesus casting out demons or unclean spirits at all.
Now it is time to look at another incident regarding the ‘Twelve’ and the issue of the empowerment which was granted to them as portrayed in Mark 9: 38-40:
Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow [‘with’??] us.” But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. “For he who is not against us is on our side.”
Jesus says in Mark 16: 17-18:
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name (1) they shall cast out demons; (2) they will speak with new tongues, (3) they will take up serpents; and (4) if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; (5) they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.
COMMENTARY:
Besides the Lord Jesus casting out demons and unclean spirits the Scriptures are silent on whether the ‘Twelve’ ever did. In Luke 10: 1, 17, 18a, 19, it states:
After these things the Lord appointed seventy [‘seventy-two??] others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where he Himself was about to go. Then the ‘Seventy’ returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “Behold, I give you the authority to (3) trample on serpents, scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and (4) nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Cp. Mark 16: 17-18)
In the book of Acts (19: 11-13, 15-16), it reads:
Now God worked unusual miracles by the hand of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We solemnly command you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” And the evil spirit(s) answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man [‘men??] in whom was the evil spirit(s) leaped on them, overpowered them and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of the house naked and wounded. Of course, here too, it does not mention at this point whether the Apostle Paul did drive the evil spirit(s) out, but in all likelihood he probably did at a later point.
Now what does all of these things that happened two millennia ago in the Middle East have to do with modern times; much in every respect. If the Christian Church wants to distinguish itself as the ‘Truth,’ then it will have to manifest something which will authenticate or give witness to the theology. It is not enough merely to revere a sacred book and participate in a variety of liturgical rites or faith practices because that is common in just about all religions. Indeed, I Corinthians 4: 20 says: For the kingdom of God is not in word [‘only’] but in power [Gr. ‘Dunamis’]. And lastly, the Apostle Paul admonished his son in the Gospel about those believers in the body of Christ who appear on the surface to be righteous, but as he mentions in II Timothy 3: 5: Having a [‘outward’??] form of godliness, but denying the power [Gr. ‘Dunamis’] thereof: from such turn away.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
May 20, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Perhaps one of the reasons that Christians as well as non-Christians have mixed feelings about this subject is the behavior of some ‘charlatan’ in the past who have misled people by claiming to be some kind of God-inspired “Faith-healer,” who as it turns out was nothing more than a self-serving, pseudo-religious snake oil salesman and ‘Flim-Flam-Man.’ On the other side of the coin are the Ecclesiastical Christian Church Fathers and Theologians who believe that these supernatural or supra-natural gifts ceased with the completion of the Biblical Canon or that Jesus, after His resurrection, cleansed the land [‘world’] of demons and unclean spirits.
If ever there was a need for this special ‘unction’ of Divine Grace, it is today. So many people are suffering and in constant pain and even the crimes that are reported on the television news and published in the newspapers are so shocking, depraved, and horrendous that it is hard to believe that a mere human being exercising their freewill without any external [‘subjective’] influence could commit such atrocities. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 6: 12: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Someone will say that sickness and contracting a virulent or dreaded disease is just the miserable lot in life that one experiences and is part of being ‘human;’ then why did Jesus heal everybody that was sent to Him? Before going into the matter with a lot more detail, it is perhaps prudent first to look at a passage in
Luke 13: 10-12, 14a, 15a-16:
Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a ‘spirit of infirmity’ eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way straighten herself. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Himself and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus healed on the Sabbath. The Lord answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?” So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound- think of it- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”
Matthew 4: 23-24
And Jesus went about in Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout Syria (??); and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.
I John 3: 8b
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy [‘all’] the works of the devil.
NOTE: The ‘works’ of the devil are not just limited to sin and death, but includes physical and mental infirmities [‘diseases’] as well.
Matthew 10: 1
And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power
[Gr. ‘Dunamis’], over unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.
Matthew 17: 14-15, 18-19, 20a, 21
And when they had come to the multitudes, a man came to Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an ‘epileptic’ and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and the water. And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “However, this kind [‘demon’??] does not go out [from a person??] except by “prayer and fasting.”
NOTE: Two other Gospel narratives mention about Jesus granting the ‘Twelve’ this extraordinary authority (Cp. Mark 3: 14-15; 6: 7; Luke 9: 11). Curiously, JOHN doesn’t mention in his narrative anything about Jesus casting out demons or unclean spirits at all.
Now it is time to look at another incident regarding the ‘Twelve’ and the issue of the empowerment which was granted to them as portrayed in Mark 9: 38-40:
Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow [‘with’??] us.” But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. “For he who is not against us is on our side.”
Jesus says in Mark 16: 17-18:
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name (1) they shall cast out demons; (2) they will speak with new tongues, (3) they will take up serpents; and (4) if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; (5) they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.
COMMENTARY:
Besides the Lord Jesus casting out demons and unclean spirits the Scriptures are silent on whether the ‘Twelve’ ever did. In Luke 10: 1, 17, 18a, 19, it states:
After these things the Lord appointed seventy [‘seventy-two??] others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where he Himself was about to go. Then the ‘Seventy’ returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “Behold, I give you the authority to (3) trample on serpents, scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and (4) nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Cp. Mark 16: 17-18)
In the book of Acts (19: 11-13, 15-16), it reads:
Now God worked unusual miracles by the hand of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We solemnly command you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” And the evil spirit(s) answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man [‘men??] in whom was the evil spirit(s) leaped on them, overpowered them and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of the house naked and wounded. Of course, here too, it does not mention at this point whether the Apostle Paul did drive the evil spirit(s) out, but in all likelihood he probably did at a later point.
Now what does all of these things that happened two millennia ago in the Middle East have to do with modern times; much in every respect. If the Christian Church wants to distinguish itself as the ‘Truth,’ then it will have to manifest something which will authenticate or give witness to the theology. It is not enough merely to revere a sacred book and participate in a variety of liturgical rites or faith practices because that is common in just about all religions. Indeed, I Corinthians 4: 20 says: For the kingdom of God is not in word [‘only’] but in power [Gr. ‘Dunamis’]. And lastly, the Apostle Paul admonished his son in the Gospel about those believers in the body of Christ who appear on the surface to be righteous, but as he mentions in II Timothy 3: 5: Having a [‘outward’??] form of godliness, but denying the power [Gr. ‘Dunamis’] thereof: from such turn away.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
May 20, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Friday, May 1, 2009
INRI: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews
These four letters are probably the most recognizable ‘acronym’ throughout the entire Western Hemisphere and many parts of the entire planet Earth, especially where Christianity has been carried into. The ‘specialness’ and recognition ascribed to these four characters of the English/Latin alphabet isn’t unlike that of the “Tetragramatton”(‘YHVH’), the sacred and unpronounceable Name of the Lord God of Israel, revered by all the Jews.
Each of the Gospel narratives present a slightly differing account of exactly what was written and by whom on a sign placed above the head of Jesus as He lay outstretched with His hands and feet driven through with spikes, lifted up and hanging on the wooden cross at Golgotha Hill on Mount Calvary. The question is why there is such variation in an event that was observed by eyewitnesses, and to what purpose would there be to leave out certain details of the crucifixion?
Matthew 27:37
GREEK (“This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”)
ουτος εστιν ιησους ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
houtos esti Iesous basileus Ioudaios
HEBREW
זה זה את ישו המלך של היהודים
Yeshūa' ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm
LATIN
is est Iesvs Rex Ivdaeorvm
COMMENTARY:
Matthew’s version mentions ‘they’ [presumably the Roman soldiers] wrote this inscription as charge against Jesus and placed the sign above His head, and this would most probably have been written in Latin or Greek. The word “Nazareth” is omitted.
Mark 15:26
GREEK (“The King of the Jews”)
ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
basileus Ioudaios
HEBREW
המלך של היהודים
ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm
LATIN
Rex Ivdaeorvm
COMMENTARY:
Mark’s account simply says, “The king of the Jews” without any additional qualifiers such as Jesus’ name or where He was from.
Luke 23:38
GREEK (“This is the King of the Jews”)
ουτος εστιν ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
houtos esti basileus Ioudaios
also sometimes given as:
outos estin o basileus twn ioudaiwn
LATIN
is est Rex Ivdaeorvm
HEBREW
זה זה המלך של היהודים
ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm
COMMENTARY:
Luke uses the same title as Mark but he adds that the ‘inscription’ was in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. None of the other authors mention anything about letters of the alphabet or a particular script or type, which may possibly mean that the source possibly didn’t know how to translate the lines of characters which was written on the sign.
John 19:19
GREEK (“Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews”)
Ιησους ουσ.ναζαρέτ ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
Iesous Nazoraios basileus Ioudaios
LATIN
Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm
HEBREW
ישו של נָצְרַת המלך של היהודים
yeshūa' Natz'rat ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm
COMMENTARY:
John states that Pilate wrote the inscription that was to be placed over the head of Jesus as He was to be hung on the Cross of Crucifixion, and the writing was in first, Hebrew, then Greek, and lastly, in Latin. It is interesting that the Roman Governor of Judea would give primacy to the Hebrew Language over Latin or Greek, because he certainly didn’t seem to have any particular love or respect for the Jewish people.
To sum it all up then, for whatever reasons, the sources used by Mark and Luke chose not to reveal Jesus’ identity or hometown; perhaps as a deliberate attempt to protect His family and loved ones, or for some unknown purpose that the Scriptures do not reveal. No doubt there have been many individuals who have claimed the mantle as the promised Messiah/Delivered and King of the Jews who have met a similar fate of martyrdom; and for some, this latest person is just “another unnamed one” in the long line of unsuccessful revolutionaries, soon to be forgotten in the dust of the earth; or so they thought! In John’s version, not only is Jesus’ name mentioned but also where He was from, and it is this bold declaration, “Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews” or Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm, that we derive the letters ‘INRI;’ which will be cherished from henceforth, and throughout time immemorial.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 27, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Each of the Gospel narratives present a slightly differing account of exactly what was written and by whom on a sign placed above the head of Jesus as He lay outstretched with His hands and feet driven through with spikes, lifted up and hanging on the wooden cross at Golgotha Hill on Mount Calvary. The question is why there is such variation in an event that was observed by eyewitnesses, and to what purpose would there be to leave out certain details of the crucifixion?
Matthew 27:37
GREEK (“This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”)
ουτος εστιν ιησους ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
houtos esti Iesous basileus Ioudaios
HEBREW
זה זה את ישו המלך של היהודים
Yeshūa' ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm
LATIN
is est Iesvs Rex Ivdaeorvm
COMMENTARY:
Matthew’s version mentions ‘they’ [presumably the Roman soldiers] wrote this inscription as charge against Jesus and placed the sign above His head, and this would most probably have been written in Latin or Greek. The word “Nazareth” is omitted.
Mark 15:26
GREEK (“The King of the Jews”)
ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
basileus Ioudaios
HEBREW
המלך של היהודים
ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm
LATIN
Rex Ivdaeorvm
COMMENTARY:
Mark’s account simply says, “The king of the Jews” without any additional qualifiers such as Jesus’ name or where He was from.
Luke 23:38
GREEK (“This is the King of the Jews”)
ουτος εστιν ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
houtos esti basileus Ioudaios
also sometimes given as:
outos estin o basileus twn ioudaiwn
LATIN
is est Rex Ivdaeorvm
HEBREW
זה זה המלך של היהודים
ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm
COMMENTARY:
Luke uses the same title as Mark but he adds that the ‘inscription’ was in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. None of the other authors mention anything about letters of the alphabet or a particular script or type, which may possibly mean that the source possibly didn’t know how to translate the lines of characters which was written on the sign.
John 19:19
GREEK (“Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews”)
Ιησους ουσ.ναζαρέτ ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
Iesous Nazoraios basileus Ioudaios
LATIN
Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm
HEBREW
ישו של נָצְרַת המלך של היהודים
yeshūa' Natz'rat ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm
COMMENTARY:
John states that Pilate wrote the inscription that was to be placed over the head of Jesus as He was to be hung on the Cross of Crucifixion, and the writing was in first, Hebrew, then Greek, and lastly, in Latin. It is interesting that the Roman Governor of Judea would give primacy to the Hebrew Language over Latin or Greek, because he certainly didn’t seem to have any particular love or respect for the Jewish people.
To sum it all up then, for whatever reasons, the sources used by Mark and Luke chose not to reveal Jesus’ identity or hometown; perhaps as a deliberate attempt to protect His family and loved ones, or for some unknown purpose that the Scriptures do not reveal. No doubt there have been many individuals who have claimed the mantle as the promised Messiah/Delivered and King of the Jews who have met a similar fate of martyrdom; and for some, this latest person is just “another unnamed one” in the long line of unsuccessful revolutionaries, soon to be forgotten in the dust of the earth; or so they thought! In John’s version, not only is Jesus’ name mentioned but also where He was from, and it is this bold declaration, “Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews” or Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm, that we derive the letters ‘INRI;’ which will be cherished from henceforth, and throughout time immemorial.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 27, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
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