The scribes and Pharisees just couldn't figure out why publicans and sinners were drawn to Christ. What they didn't realize was that the explanation to their perplexity about Jesus lay in the very words that they themselves had uttered--"This man receiveth sinners."
Unlike the religious leaders, the souls that came to Jesus felt that there was hope, that even they might escape from the pit of sin. While the Pharisees had only condemnation for them, Jesus greeted them as children who had become alienated from God, but not forgotten by the Father.
All the teachers and leaders of Israel might have known the proper attitude to have toward publicans and sinners had they but studied the Old Testament scriptures--the answers are there, aren't they? But instead of pointing this out, Jesus chose to tell them another one of His despised stories.
Beside the rabbis there were men in the company of Jesus who were shepherds, and also those who had invested money in flocks and herds-- and so, everyone present could appreciate His illustration.
"And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?" Luke 15:3, 4.
Jesus was trying to teach the "teachers" that these poor souls that they despised, were God's property and valuable in His sight. As the shepherd loves his sheep and can't rest if even one is missing--so God loves every outcast soul. Some may deny His love, some may wander far from Him, and others may willingly even choose another master, yet they still belong to God and He longs to recover His own.
"For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. . . . I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment." Ezek. 34:11, 12, 15, 16.
In the parable of Luke 15, the shepherd goes out to search for how many sheep? One! - the very least that can be numbered. Just so, if there had been but one lost soul--Christ would have died for that one. You are that one, friend--and I am that one.
Do you understand sheep? Sheep have been known to drown without so much as a struggle. Whole flocks have burned to death because they didn't have enough sense to walk through the open barn door to escape. Sheep are about the most helpless of all God's creatures. They must be searched for by the shepherd because they can't find their way back on their own!
And isn't that the way it is with us human beings? Those who have wandered away from God are as helpless as sheep. Unless divine love had come to their rescue they would never find their way back to God.
Even though we know that not all sheep will be brought back to the fold safely, I'm thankful that God does not present to our imagination the picture of a sorrowful shepherd returning without his sheep, aren't you? This parable speaks of success not failure. Everyone that wants to be found will be found! Everyone who will submit to be ransomed, Christ will rescue from sin.
Because of this parable we can take courage, even though we have all done wickedly!
Don't even let it cross your mind that God will not pardon you or not allow you into His presence, because He is the One who has taken the first step to find you. Why would He go looking if He didn't want you back?
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8.
"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6.
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:" 1 Peter 3:18.
"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:9, 10.
Have you ever wondered why the religious teachers of Jesus' day would say with anger and astonishment, "This man receiveth sinners"? It was because the Jews taught that before God's love is offered to the sinner, he must first repent. In their view, repentance was the work of man by which he could find favor with heaven. That's why they could not allow anyone to approach them who had not first repented. That's why they pulled their ecclesiastical robes around themselves for fear of contamination from sinners.
But in the parable of the lost sheep, Christ taught that salvation does not come through our seeking God! It comes through God's seeking us.
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Romans 3:10-12.
"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" Romans 2:4.
"We do not repent in order that God may love us, but He reveals to us His love in order that we may repent." Christ's Object Lessons, p. 189
Back to Luke 15:5-7 "And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."
"The rabbis had a saying that there is rejoicing in heaven when one who has sinned against God is destroyed." Christ's Object Lessons, p. 190.
But the scriptures teach that to God the work of destruction is a strange work, a strange act, says the prophet in Isaiah 28:21.
"This man (Jesus) receiveth sinners" and He will receive you today. If you've been out there in the wilderness of sin, Jesus will hear your faintest whimper. And He will run (not walk) to your rescue.
Jesus is not only the Good Shepherd, but He is the Good Samaritan. He will not pass you by--but will bind up your wounds and bring you safely to the inn, where you will find the things necessary for full recovery.
The finishing of the mystery of God is the completion of the great plan of salvation in connection with Christ's ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. In the type the yearly round of service was finished on the tenth day of the seventh month. In the antitype Christ entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary at the end of the 2300 days, to finish the great plan of salvation. The mystery of God was to be finished, as he had declared by his servants, the prophets; and the cleansing of the sanctuary spoken of by the prophet Daniel, is only another expression signifying the same thing as the finishing of the mystery of God. Hence the seventh angel began to sound at the close of the 2300 days, in 1844, when the cleansing of the sanctuary, or the finishing of the mystery of God, commenced.
A series of events to occur under the sounding of the seventh angel is mentioned in chapter xi (Revelation). After the announcement, in verses 15-17, of his sounding, during which period all earthly kingdoms are to pass into the hands of the King of kings, an event which interests both earth and Heaven, and calls for the grateful thanks of the good of both worlds, this series is given as follows:
1. "And the nations were angry." This is supposed to have reference to the political commotions and wars of the nations, which the prophets of God have described as marking the closing hours of probation.
2. "And thy wrath is come." This has reference to the seven last plagues, which will be poured out immediately following the ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary.
3. "And the time of the dead, that they should be judged." This is not the investigative Judgment of the righteous. That closes with the ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. It is the Judgment of the wicked dead. We are therefore carried forward in this third event to the time of Christ's appearing in the clouds of heaven, and the resurrection of the just, when he and they will sit in Judgment on the cases of the wicked during the one thousand years.
4. "And that thou shouldst give reward unto thy servants, the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great." It is true that all these receive immortality at the second coming of Christ, at the commencement of this great Judgment period; but their reward embraces the promised inheritance, the new earth, which will not appear till the close of the one thousand years. "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth." Then, at the close of the one thousand years, will the prophets, the saints, and all who fear the name of God, both small and great, re-ceive their full reward.
5. "And shouldst destroy them which destroy the earth." This is also the period of the final destruction of God's enemies, who have taken part in destroying (corrupting, margin,) the earth. And here closes the sounding of the seventh angel, or the third woe. The prophet still continues:
"And the voice which I heard from Heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go, and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey; and as soon as I had eaten it my belly was bitter." Verses 8-10.
In this highly-figurative portion of the prophecy, John, in receiving the little book from the hand of the angel, represents those who received the doctrine of the coming and kingdom of Christ, as proclaimed in connection with the time, based upon the prophecy of Daniel. His eating the little book, and enjoying its sweetness, represents the holy delight with which they feasted upon the gospel of the coming kingdom. In the symbol, the little book in the mouth of John was as sweet as honey. "What is sweeter than honey?" And what could feast the consecrated soul, imbued with the love of Jesus, as the news of his soon return in glory, with all the holy angels, to redeem those who loved and looked for his appearing?
But in the symbol there is a change from the sweetness of honey to bitterness. This represents the change from the joy of bright hope to the painful sadness of disappointment, experienced by believers at the passing of the time. The hope and faith had been to them an anchor in the storm, a shield in the fight, and their exceeding joy all the day long; and as they drew near the point of expectation, their hopes grew brighter, their faith stronger, and their joys were complete. The time passed; and only those who felt it can form any idea of the bitterness of that disappointment. Probably there never has been a time since the crucifixion, that the high expectations and bright hopes of the disciples of Jesus, have been so completely crushed as at the passing of the time in 1844. And the feelings of the many thousands of disappointed ones were like those expressed by Mary: "They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him."
A good degree of relief, however, very soon came in the well-defined position that there was a time of waiting for the Lord, and trial of faith, after just such a dis-appointment as believers had experienced. And with it came also the general impression that our work, in bearing testimony to the world, was finished. The solemn announcement of the hour of God's Judgment, in the first message of Rev. xiv, had been made. The stirring testimony in reference to the condition of those who rejected this message, and still clung to a corrupted Christianity, symbolized by the second message, had been borne. Everywhere among believers had been heard the solemn cry, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen." "Come out of her my people." And these messages were clearly seen to be in the past.
But when was the third message to be given? This is one of the series, all of which are to be given in the history of God's people in this mortal state. This is as distinctly marked in the prophetic sketch of Rev. xiv, as the first and second messages are. And although the disappointed ones felt for a time that their work in warning the world was done, yet God designed to roll upon them again the burden of his work, and they go forth and proclaim the third message. This work, dear reader, is most clearly pointed out in the remaining verse of the chapter upon which I have been commenting: "And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples and nations and tongues and kings."
To prophesy sometimes means simply to teach, as in 1 Cor. xi, 4, 5;
xiv, 3, 24; Matt. vii, 22. In the first and second messages the
prophecies had been opened to the people, and they had been taught
the solemn and stirring truths relating to the Judgment. Believers
had come up to the time of expectation with a testimony for the people,
and the burden of the work upon them. The time passed, and with it
also passed from them the burden of the work, and they suddenly found
themselves destitute of any message for the people. They felt that
their work was done for the world. In that position they should have
waited until the great truths connected with the third message were
seen by the light of the heavenly sanctuary, and the Spirit of God
impressed them with the new work before them, to proclaim the third
message, expressed by the prophetic words, "Thou must prophesy [teach
the people] again." This brings me to consider briefly the three
messages of Rev. xiv.
--to be continued
Greetings Jack--
I received the long
sought after book entitled America in Prophecy. Thank you
tremendously for promptly answering my request--you have provided me
with an unprecedented piece of written work that truly stands
unrivaled among spiritual wisdom and insight concerning the word of
God. There is an enormous amount of information, speculations,
opinions, observations, and deceptions circulating in print today;
enough to blow a fuse in a man's head were he to indulge his mind in
such things. But I've found the writings and teaching of E.G. White
to be the most comprehensive and thorough research on church history
truly amazing; she was indeed an "End Time Prophet"(ess). Thank God
for mercy. I've read numerous of her works, and they all speak loudly
of wisdom that only God can give. Today I'm a much improved human
being because of the kindness shown me through various ministries who
have directed my mind to the truth of God's word. Above and beyond
all else, I've come to espouse the reality of our obligation to obey
implicitly the laws of God, and particularly, the fourth commandment--
"Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy."
Jack, I can imagine that
you are a busy man, but I only wanted to take a minute and try to
express my sincere gratitude toward you and the ministry for your
benevolence in getting the truth of God's word into dark places. God
bless you all!
Sincerely WFJ Texas
Keep these prisoners in your prayers.
In His Service,
Jack and Cindy Jones