WHEN JESUS HAD FINISHED
Matthew 26:1 ¶ And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, 2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. 3 Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. 5 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.
The “when” in verse one brings forth the “then” in verse three. For Satan cannot raise up to accomplish his wicked plans until the voice of the powerful gospel is silenced. Jesus must ”finish all these sayings,” before Satan can go forth to carry out his betrayal and death! And the published gospel, referred to as “the mystery of God,” shall one day reach its final purpose on this earth! Revelation 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. And only then can Satan rise up to fulfill God’s final purpose for him! Revelation 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
Not physically kill them, but to kill out their testimony and its effect among men! Mark 4:4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
We find in the Prophet Isaiah’s day a time of the word of God being removed from public proclamation. And what was the conduct of the true believers in such a day? Consider these verses: Isaiah 8:12 Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. 13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
Isaiah 8:16 ¶ Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. 17 And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
They were told not to continue to rely on safety in binding together with other Israelites, for that would tend to cause them to adopt a false group assurance. It would cause them to only adhere to that group’s fear instead of a personal, reverential fear of the Lord! They were to sanctify the awareness of the Lord God within their immediate hearts. For it is always a personal faith that keeps one proper related to a personal Saviour! (If you carefully consider the eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews you will readily see that this was the case in every person of faith listed therein.)
And the testimony of the Prophet Isaiah was that he would keep the revealed word readily available to those “children” the Lord had assigned to his care. And the final word was his personal testimony of having patience in doing so, no matter what the pressures to do otherwise were from self-righteous, religious Israel! Luke 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls. Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
It was a day for each individual to choose whether they would seek the ‘comfortable’ broad way, which leadeth unto destruction, or to exercise personal, godly faith and be despised by carnal religion in the soul-warfare of the narrow way which leadeth unto life! Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
For when the gospel has finished its public proclamation, it is time for true believers to be misunderstood and hated of all men. Mark 13:13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
Hopefully, in all our soul-exercising trials we have developed a discerning mind and spirit. For it is the Lord who sends the “strong delusion” upon the earth! Many will, to their own eternal destruction, falsely identify God’s work in this as being that of the devils! 2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Only the elect will not be deceived. Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Remember that Satan poses himself to the religious community as “the angel of light!” 2 Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
And no gospel benefit shall be eternally left remaining in the hearts and minds of unbelievers! Matthew 25:28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. John 6:12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
And we clearly see that the forces of darkness speak forth from the father of lies, the devil (John 8:44), the exact opposite from the instructions of the Person of Truth, our Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6). For our Lord states that in two days from his statement, both the passover and his crucifixion would simultaneously occur. And it did! But the workers of Satan intend that his death would occur, “Not on the feast day!”
Consider these verses wherein the Lord explicitly reveals his appointed time of death. Luke 13:31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. 32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. 33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
For the Lord Jesus is sovereign over Judas, Satan, the Jews, Rome, and the time before appointed! For when Satan enters into Judas, the Lord commands them both to go and quickly betray him in order to get his crucifixion in motion to fulfill his appointed will at its appointed time! Luke 22:3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. John 13:27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. 30 He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.
For even before the Lord Jesus went into heaven all angelic and demonic forces were already subject unto him! 1 Peter 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Therefore his command to “do quickly” was not just to the human Judas, but also to the demonic Satan who was within him! Daniel 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
And as it was the blood of the lamb applied on the doorpost of the Israelites in Egypt that caused God’s death angel to “pass over,” them, not allowing their first born to be killed; so the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ – the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29) – is our Passover, preventing us from the eternal death of the wicked! 1 Corinthians 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Dear Reader, if you intend not to be cast out of the glorious presence of the Lord God into eternal darkness, remember that the gathering angels shall be seeking for the effect of the blood of the Lamb of God upon your soul. They shall be looking for those whose holiness resembles their glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For how else shall they discern who are the redeemed and who are the damned? For you shall not have a bar code stamped upon your forehead! And seeing those who have the appearance of the Lord Jesus, they shall not bring a single unbeliever into heaven, nor leave one single believer to fall into the pit of darkness! Matthew 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. Colossians 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
And since we do not know the day, nor the hour the Lord shall come, if I were you I’d be most sincerely trying to look as much like the Lord Jesus regarding true holiness as I could! For your never ending, eternal life depends upon it!
May the Lord God have mercy on our souls! Acts 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
May our merciful Lord grant us the true “hidden wisdom” which none of the religionists who are only wise in their own eyes possessed! 1 Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Judas never got to deposit that money into his bank account! Matthew 27:3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
Acts 1:16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. 17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. 18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. 20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.
May God have mercy on religious America!
Pastor Gene Breed
May 5, 2022
