HOW DO WE FOLLOW JESUS?

[Doug]

[Matthew 15:22-23 KJV] 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, [thou] Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

The Lord Jesus did not respond to the woman of Canaan at first.

[Matthew 15:24 KJV] 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Jesus was not sent to the Gentiles, but only to the house of Israel.

[John 1:10-12 KJV] 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:

John reiterates that Jesus came unto his own, which is Israel.

[Matthew 15:25-26 KJV] 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast [it] to dogs.

The children in the above verse is Israel. The dogs are Gentiles.

[Luke 4:43-44 KJV] 43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. 44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

Jesus was sent to preach the kingdom of God. The kingdom that was being offered during Christ's earthly ministry was the prophetic kingdom on earth, in which, believing Israel will reign with Christ for a thousand years. The kingdom was being offered only to Israel at this time. That the Gentiles would enter the kingdom at his coming was not conveyed until Matthew 25:31-46. What was made known was that entrance to the kingdom hinged on how the Gentile nations treated Israel.

If you say we are to follow Jesus in his earthly ministry, you are ignoring the fact that Jesus said he was sent only to Israel.

If you say we are to follow Jesus in his earthly ministry, you are ignoring that Jesus called Gentiles dogs.

If you follow Jesus according to his earthly ministry, you are claiming for yourself all the teachings and commandments given to Israel.

[1Corinthians 11:1 KJV] 1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also [am] of Christ.

Israel was to follow Jesus, that is Biblical; for us to follow Jesus in his earthly ministry is Biblical , but not dispensational. In this dispensation we are to follow Jesus by following Paul.

[1Corinthians 1:17 KJV] 17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

Jesus was sent to Israel, Paul was sent to us.

 

[Zao is life]

[Matthew 15:22-23 KJV] 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, [thou] Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

The Lord Jesus did not respond to the woman of Canaan at first.

[Matthew 15:24 KJV] 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Jesus was not sent to the Gentiles, but only to the house of Israel.

[John 1:10-12 KJV] 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:

John reiterates that Jesus came unto his own, which is Israel.

[Matthew 15:25-26 KJV] 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast [it] to dogs.

The children in the above verse is Israel. The dogs are Gentiles.

[Luke 4:43-44 KJV] 43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. 44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

Jesus was sent to preach the kingdom of God. The kingdom that was being offered during Christ's earthly ministry was the prophetic kingdom on earth, in which, believing Israel will reign with Christ for a thousand years. The kingdom was being offered only to Israel at this time. That the Gentiles would enter the kingdom at his coming was not conveyed until Matthew 25:31-46. What was made known was that entrance to the kingdom hinged on how the Gentile nations treated Israel.

If you say we are to follow Jesus in his earthly ministry, you are ignoring the fact that Jesus said he was sent only to Israel.

If you say we are to follow Jesus in his earthly ministry, you are ignoring that Jesus called Gentiles dogs.

Whether regards the Jew or regards the Gentile, those who say we are to follow Jesus in His earthly ministry are talking about what happened before Jesus died and rose again, and because they are ignoring other pertinent words Jesus Himself also spoke, their view is unbalanced.

John 1
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and the world did not know Him.
11 He came to His own, and His own received Him not.

Verse 10: The whole world. Verse 11: Israel.

Verse 12: Anyone (not only those Jews who did receive Him):

12 But as many as received Him, He gave to them authority to become the children of God, to those who believe on His name,
13 who were born, not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but were born of God.

Matthew 22
8 Then he said to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they who were invited were not worthy.
9 Therefore go into the exits of the highways, and as many as you shall find, invite them to the marriage.
10 So the servants went out into the highways and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. And the wedding was filled with reclining guests.

Matthew 21
39 And taking him, they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 Therefore when the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?
41 They said to Him, Bad men! He will miserably destroy them and will rent out his vineyard to other vinedressers who will give him the fruits in their seasons.
42 Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the Scriptures, "The stone which the builders rejected, this One has become the head of the corner; this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?"
43 Therefore I say to you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing out its fruits.
44 And he who falls on this Stone shall be broken, but on whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they knew that He spoke of them.

 

[GRACE ambassador]

Israel was to follow Jesus, that is Biblical; for us to follow Jesus in his earthly ministry is Biblical , but not dispensational. In this dispensation we are to follow Jesus by following Paul.

Amen.

I have decided to follow Jesus?

And, Amen.