Life Matters

In the last chapter we traced the battle between the two seeds mentioned in Genesis 3:15. The seed of Christ which clung to the principles of life flowing forth from God, being maintained through a close and loving relationship in family structures, protected by the commandments, and written in the heart through the journey revealed in the Sanctuary service. The seed of Satan grew through the lie that life in inherent within us and that value comes through self power and achievement.

We have traced the sad history of Israel’s failure to preserve the channel of blessing, the scattering of their families and their captivity by Babylon. Israel was now firmly enslaved in both mind and body to the principles of the serpent’s lie.

a. Delivering the Captives

It was now time for the Seed of Christ to come in person, restore God’s family kingdom and set the captives free. The release from this captivity must begin in the mind and heart. There was no point making Israel free in body if their minds were still slaves to the inherent power system. The kingdom that Christ would establish would be a spiritual one that would free the heart from the lie of the serpent and reconnect humanity to the channel of blessing flowing from His Father.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of this work hundreds of years before Christ came:

Isa 40:3-5 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; 5 The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

Isa 41:15-18 "Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth; You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, And make the hills like chaff. 16 You shall winnow them, the wind shall carry them away, And the whirlwind shall scatter them; You shall rejoice in the Lord, And glory in the Holy One of Israel. 17 "The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the Lord, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. 18 I will open rivers in desolate heights, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water.

Isa 45:13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.

Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

The cutting of the channel of blessing turns the human heart into a wilderness of desolation. The water of God’s Spirit cannot penetrate it and everything dies spiritually. Mountains of pride and valleys of depression also block the path of the Spirit of God from reaching those enslaved.

We see from the passages in Isaiah that God would cut down these mountains and lift the valleys. He would cause a river of life to flow into the desert places. God would send His Son to proclaim or teach the principles of deliverance and release those held captive by the lie. What a wonderful gift from heaven! Without the coming of Christ, the human race would have remained enslaved to the seed of the serpent and we all would have perished. How precious are the teachings that Jesus brought to the world, much more important than many perceive. We will now briefly examine the process and teachings Jesus delivered to set the captives free.

b. Re-establishing the Channel of Blessing

We covered this process in Chapter 16, so we will only mention it briefly here as part of the process. To allow a river to flow in the desert regions of the human heart, Jesus had to reconnect us to the life giving channel of blessing.

Since the law of God was written in the heart of His Son and Jesus was fully submissive to His Father, He possessed the life giving channel. By becoming a human like us, Jesus was able to connect us to the channel. By being connected to Him, we could have access to the river of life that flowed through Him.

But Jesus also had to cut down the mountains and raise the valleys for the river to reach the desert. It was on the banks of the river that the world heard through Jesus that God was well pleased with His Son and loved Him dearly. Immersed in these words and still dripping with the waters of the Jordan, Jesus pressed into the desert (the symbol of the human heart held captive by Satan) to open the river of life to the desolated ones.

By clinging to His Sonship and remaining submitted to the Father, Christ broke the power of the serpent’s lie as a human being and therefore this victory was now flowing down the river of life to human hearts. At the baptism of Christ and in the wilderness of temptation, the channel of blessing was re-connected.

Now that the channel was established, the protective walls needed to be erected. These walls of course are the commandments of God. These commandments had been perverted and twisted by the lie of the serpent, but now Jesus would show us their true meaning from the family-relational kingdom.

c. Re-establishing the Law – The Channel Protector

Just as Moses went up on a mountain to receive the law of God, Jesus went up a mountain to proclaim the law of God in its true context. As Isaiah prophesied:

Isa 42:21 The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.

This work has been most clearly recorded in Matthew Chapter 5 to 7, called the Sermon on the Mount.[1] It is now accident that Jesus first speaks of blessing and how it is received.

Matt 5:1-11 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

These blessings only come through the life giving channel of blessing that Christ has established. If we read these verses with the serpent’s lie clouding our thinking, we are tempted to read that Jesus tells us we must be meek to inherit, we must hunger to be filled, but all these attributes come to those who receive Christ and are connected to the channel. We cannot be pure in heart and be peacemakers unless we are connected to the blessing of God.

After this Jesus explains how those who are connected are to be channels also. As Jesus allows the blessing to flow through Him, we are to allow it to flow through us.

Matt 5:13-16 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

The symbols of salt and light are healing and preserving agents that are a blessing. As we live in submission to the channel of blessing, others will be exposed to the waters flowing through us and be blessed. Jesus now speaks of the protection of this blessing channel.

Matt 5:17-19 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus speaks of the vital role of the law and his role to fulfil the law in its proper context. The Jewish people had tried to keep the law from the context of the serpent’s lie. They tried to keep it to gain acceptance with God, but now Jesus is speaking about the law in a completely different kingdom context. This causes the Jewish leaders to think that He is trying to destroy the law. Jesus clearly tells them this is not the case and then goes on to explain the relational nature of the law and how it cuts far deeper than the Jews had imagined.

Matt 5:21-22 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Matt 5:27-28 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Matt 5:43-45 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

The Jews taught people to avoid the act of killing, but Jesus spoke against the relational violation of hating. The Jews spoke against the act of adultery, but Jesus spoke against the relational violation of thinking of a woman simply as a sexual object. The Jews spoke of displaying love to your neighbour, but Jesus spoke of displaying love to your enemy. Loving your neighbour who loves you does not reveal whether the principle of love is active. Only when we love our enemies can we tell that love abides in the heart.

Jesus explained the law in a relational way, not as a means of gaining merit with God, but as a means of keeping relationships together and most notably our relationship with God.

d. Re-establishing the True God as Father

Jesus then turns our attention to the primary way we should perceive God. In Matthew’s progression of thought, Jesus first mentions God as a Father in Matt 5:16 where Jesus is discussing being a channel of blessing. He then mentions it again in Matt 5:45 where the true attributes of love are revealed when we love our enemies and then Jesus finishes Chapter 5 with the often misunderstand statement

Matt 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Reading this statement in the context of the serpent’s lie, leaves us with the impression that we must perform in order to be like God and win His favour. But in the kingdom of God, this statement is a further expression of let your light shine before men which was mentioned previously. If we are in the channel of blessing, then God’s perfect love will flow through us and we will be perfectly reflecting the channel as is God’s desire.

In Chapter 6, Jesus teaches us how to pray. He tell us to call God “Our Father”:

Matt 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

It is so vitally important to see God as a Father that loves us and cherishes us and cares for our needs. To see Him simply as the King of the universe, does not allow us to see His heart and desire for us. The reference to ‘Father’ is a wonderful invitation to come and talk to Him.

Once we see God as our Father who loves us, we can be released from the fear and worry of trying to provide for ourselves. We no longer need to focus on possessions and worry about them. By seeing God as our Father we are freed from these enslaving concerns.

Matt 6:31-33 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

The lie of the serpent causes people to rely on their inherent power to provide their needs and protect themselves. This preoccupation can consume a person’s entire throught process and leave no room for spiritual consideration. But when we see God as a Father, we trust that He will provide for us, so that we can focus on staying connected to Him.

e. Re-establishing the Correct View of the Sabbath

As we have discussed previously, the Sabbath is a vital reminder of where life comes from and along with the command to obey our parents, sits at the very centre of the commandments. The Jewish leaders had turned the Sabbath into a burden through the lens of the serpent’s lie. The list of rules to be kept on this day was sickening. But that Sabbath was meant to represent the source of life; it is a memorial of freedom and rest in our heavenly Father. It was designed to be the best day of the week.

As a means of restoring the true meaning of the Sabbath, Jesus would heal people physically; a symbol of the spiritual healing that comes when we acknowledge God as the source of life.

John 5:5-11 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? 7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. 10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. 11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

Jesus also challenged the leaders of Israel on their perception of working on the Sabbath. The Jewish leaders’ perception was to display their efforts to refrain from working, but this concept is influenced by the lie of the serpent and the display of inherent power. Jesus showed clearly that the Sabbath was made for man’s benefit and enjoyment with his Creator.

Mark 2:23-28 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. 24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? 25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? 26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? 27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

The Sabbath is a wonderful memorial when understood correctly. Sadly, many Christians see the Sabbath as an attempt to please God by your efforts. They recognize that the Jewish leaders were wrong and seek for the freedom that comes from the good news that Jesus brought, but because many do not understand the life source correctly and belief in the immortal soul, they struggle to be able to see the Sabbath as it was intended. Such Christians are not helped by many Sabbath keepers today who still focus on a list of rules to be obeyed to show that you are doing the right thing.

When you love your Father in heaven, the list is not the focus. The focus is on being connected to the life giver and communing with Him and resting in His love. I am so glad that Jesus taught the correct understanding of the Sabbath. It is a vital part of the restoration of God’s family kingdom.

f. Re-establishing Submission Principles

The most critical thing that Jesus came to demonstrate was submission to the Father. As expressed in an earlier chapter, the Son of God is the divine example of submission to the Father and therefore is the best qualified to demonstrate it.

In the wilderness of temptation, we observe the submission of Jesus in all its power:

Matt 4:3-4 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Jesus refused to be drawn away from the will of the Father. Notice the following expressions of this submission:

John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

John 8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

But it is on the eve of His death that we see submission at a level never seen nor comprehended before:

Matt 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

What incredible faith! Jesus was willing to trust His very life to the Father and trust that He knows best; its awe inspiring to contemplate. The submission of Jesus to the Father, cemented in His human nature a willingness to submit to the Father and trust Him at any cost. This victory now flows to us through the channel of blessing. We can now trust God completely because Jesus did it for us and now can do it through us by His Spirit.

g. Re-establishing the True Purpose of the Sanctuary

The Sanctuary system was designed by God to write the protective law of God in the hearts of people. The Jewish people, influenced by the serpent’s lie had turned the Sanctuary temple into a national icon, a symbol of pride, a possession that made them feel good about themselves. On top of this was added the greed, selfishness and desire for gain from the money changers at the temple who sold sacrificial animals for profit. The Sanctuary system like everything else had been twisted and perverted by the serpent’s lie.

Jesus signaled his intentions to restore a correct view of the Sanctuary by cleansing it.

John 2:13-18 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, 14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; 16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. 17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

By cleansing the temple, Jesus pointed to its real purpose, a place for people to approach God and worship. Jesus cleansed the temple again at the close of his ministry. It was vital for Jesus to restore a correct view of the Sanctuary for as we noted it is God’s appointed method of returning us to the family kingdom.

h. Re-establishing the Truth about Death and Life Only in Christ

After spending many years in captivity, some of the Israelites became influenced by the teachings on immortality that come from the serpent. To break this lie and reaffirm our total dependence on God for life, Jesus taught that life comes through Him and Him alone. It does not reside in anyone else of itself.

The Old Testament is very clear on what man is and what happens to man when he dies.

Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Man was made from the dust and to the dust he will return. There is no life retained or a soul that remains alive in any form.

Eccl 3:19-20 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. 20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

When man dies, he does not rise again until the resurrection at the end of the world.

Job 14:12-14 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. 13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! 14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

Jesus made it very clear in His teaching that life only comes from His Father and through Himself and that we can only have life as we are connected to Him.

John 6:31-33 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

John 6:46-48 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life.

When a friend of Jesus, Lazarus had died, He spoke of the state that Lazarus was in.

John 11:11-14 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. 12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

Jesus called death a sleep. During, sleep a person is completely unaware of their surroundings, they are not active in any way, nor participate in any activities. They rest in sleep, waiting for the morning when they arise. This is exactly what death is like. Notice what Jesus says:

John 11:25-26 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Only those who believe in Jesus will be resurrected to eternal life. And the life that we have now is a gift to every person, allowing them time to decide for God’s kingdom or Satan’s kingdom. Those who choose Satan’s kingdom will be disconnected from the life source and cease to exist.

Obad 1:16 For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.

Those that have drunk of the wine of the serpent’s lie and continually drink from it will in the end cease to be.

This understanding of death will raise questions for some. It is not the purpose of this book to give an exhaustive study on the subject, but to reaffirm the point that we can only have life when we are connected to the life source. Outside that life source there is no life at all. As the apostle John puts it.

1John 5:11-12 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Understanding this truth is vital to aid the breaking of the serpent’s lie of inherent life and power.

i. Re-establishing the True Nature and Purpose of Prayer

One of the clearest evidences of a belief that life and blessing exist outside of you is personal prayer: Prayer that expresses the need for strength; prayer that expresses the need for communion and connection. This is how Jesus lived.

Matt 14:23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

The disciples of Jesus were devout followers and had forsaken everything to follow Him, but when they heard Jesus pray, they asked:

Luke 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

There was something in the prayers of Jesus that made the disciples feel they were lacking something. Prayer for the Israelites had degenerated through the serpent’s lie to a form or a ritual that needed to be performed in order to be worthy. Jesus exposed this when He said:

Matt 6:5-8 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

When we know we are God’s children by faith through Christ, we have confidence in prayer and we speak to Him in love and joy. We bring our cares and sorrows to Him and we open our heart to Him. In God’s kingdom, prayer is the outworking of a real relationship, it is relational. Prayer is not a deed to be performed to be seen to be holy or accepted by God.

The example of Jesus in prayer was another vital piece in bringing the human family back to the family kingdom. If Jesus felt His need of prayer as a human, how much more should we feel that need?

j. Re-establishing the Dignity of Women

In God’s family kingdom, the role of a woman is vital in the family. A wife and mother establishes the authority of her husband and through the principles of submission teaches her children vital lessons regarding submission to headship.

Satan has ever tried to make the lives of women difficult and cause them to resist the submissive role or be crushed beneath an indifferent or hostile husband. The Jewish leaders had placed women in a very difficult position. For instance a man could divorce his wife for the most trifling of reasons and leave a woman feeling extremely insecure and consequently compliant if she wanted to maintain respect in the community.

In cases of adultery, women were usually blamed as the cause of the adultery. Jesus addressed these issues directly and we see a breath taking defense of a woman who had been taken advantage of by the Jewish leaders in the following passage:

John 8:3-11 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Jesus defended this woman against the callous and uncaring Pharisees. He did not condone her part in the sin, but He made her feel worth something by defending her and saving her life. He did not condemn her sin but offered her the hope of a new life.

On another occasion, some mothers brought their children to Jesus to be blessed by Him. These women drawn by the Spirit of God, sensed something in Jesus that their children needed and that Jesus could provide that by blessing them.

Mark 10:13-16 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

The disciples of Jesus saw this event as an intrusion to more important matters. To show the seriousness of this situation, the Bible indicates that Jesus was “much displeased” or more directly, quite angry about the mother’s request being denied. There are few times that Jesus is recorded as being angry, this was one of them. Through this act, Jesus showed that he understood the cares and toils of a mother and He did what He could to lighten that load.

It is interesting to note that it was the defense of a woman that ultimately led to the death of Christ. Notice this passage:

Matt 26:6-16 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. 8 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? 9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. 10 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. 11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. 12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. 13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. 14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

When Mary came to wipe the feet of Jesus, the disciples, led by Judas, scorned her as wasteful. Jesus immediately defended her actions and rebuked the disciples for their hard heartedness towards her and then gave the pronouncement that wherever the gospel is preached, the story of Mary should be told. How encouraging this must have been for Mary. Mary demonstrated perfectly the true position of a repentant sinner and displayed the joy of forgiveness. Jesus wanted the world to know, that what she had done was the most appropriate response to His work.

After Judas was rebuked by Jesus, he went straight to the priests to cut a deal to betray Jesus. This story shows how much Jesus was willing to sacrifice to raise the dignity of women.

This work was vital for helping restore true family relationships and the vital role of a wife and mother in the family.

All of these teachings that Jesus re-established are referred to in the book of Revelation as the ‘faith of Jesus’. The ‘faith of Jesus’ is the set of principles both taught and lived by Jesus. This faith, as we will discover later on, would survive till the end of time under fierce attack from Satan. But the seed of the woman will triumph and God’s family kingdom will finally rule the universe. So it can be said “here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Rev 14:12