12/10/2023 - SUMMARY OF THE PLAN

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And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. Mark 8.31

Jesus briefly showed His disciples God’s plan for the redemption of mankind. Christ stood firm in His purpose, walking to the end, in order to rescue us from the kingdom of darkness. Today, we are free, ready to go up with Him on His return to earth. On that occasion, He will snatch us out of the madness that goes on around here and transport us to the Kingdom of happiness. Regardless of whether you have always been good or very bad, Jesus has already paid the price of your ransom (Isaiah 53.4-6).

Christ knew that it mattered that He suffered greatly, for His goal was to redeem us from Adam’s fall. The Savior was able to complete the plan; now we have to preach the Good News to the four corners of the Earth, because there is salvation only in the Lord. The day will come when the last trumpet will be sounded, and Jesus will descend in the clouds to take us with Him (1 Thessalonians 4.14-18). We are the target of the work done on Calvary, which has delivered us from the regions of death. Hallelujah! 

The Israelite elders despised the Lord and His proposal, shutting the doors of God’s Kingdom to millions of people. But at the same time, these doors were opened for us to enter eternal Glory. So, after we accept Jesus and repent of our errors, there is no condemnation for us (Romans 8.1). We are – and always will be – with the Lord in His Kingdom of glory and majesty. Praise the Most High!

The chief priests did not examine the Scriptures, as Jesus instructed them to do. Therefore, their mistake of rejecting Him and preventing people from receiving salvation is unjustifiable: You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me (John 5.39). Those who examine the biblical writings with an open heart soon come to follow Jesus. But those who do not meditate on them will be lost!

The scribes wrote every letter of the Scriptures, but they did not have the wisdom to interpret them, because they lacked anointing. They erred in not knowing that they were writing about Jesus. To them the plan of God that was manifested in Christ was incomprehensible, but they got the justice they deserved! 

The Lamb of God had to be slain, and it happened in front of thousands of people in Jerusalem. Jesus was scourged and spat upon, without ever having said anything wrong, but His blood cleanses us from all the filth that sin produces in us, because He took it upon himself for us. Christ was the target of the mockery of the religious, but He remained mute. The Messiah’s prayer was that his evildoers would be forgiven, because they knew not what they did (Luke 23.34).

Jesus said He would rise again, so His tomb in Jerusalem was only used for three days by His body. In this period, He stripped the devil of the power he had stolen from man during the temptation in the garden of Eden. Those who now receive the Lord as their Savior are saved forever!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares