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but unable to save himself from
imprisonment for the theft. In
compassion for bis friend, the son
pays the multimillion-dollar debt
out of bis own money. His guilty
friend's debt is paid in full. His
guilt-his tremendous obligation–
no longer hangs over him-he is
freed from that obligation and its
heavy penalties!
All humanity had followed
father Adam- had brought over it
the supreme death penalty. Before
Jesus (the "Word"), now the Son
of God, could found his Church,
those called out of the world
into
that Church must be freed from
the supreme death penalty, so that
they might inherit eterna! life!
One of the purposes for which
Jesus carne as a human to earth was
to pay that penalty-that supreme
death penalty-for those called into
bis Church not only, but ultimately
to free
ALL HUMANITY
each in his
due time!
But since that death penalty he
would pay for sinning humanity
would end bis human life, paying it
was reserved as bis final human act
after all other purposes of bis
human life had been finished.
Nevertheless this gives the read–
er a grasp of
how great
is the Jesus
who carne to found the Church of
God!
Continually bear in mind that,
although bis earthly ministry began
when he was barely 30 years old (in
bis human life) yet he was the ever–
living- the Eternal- who had al–
ways existed. How
GREAT
was that
30-year-old human life!
And this Jesus, who had grown
up in the town of Nazareth, had
since human birth resisted and
overcome Satan-had rejected Sa–
tan's self-centered way of "get,"
and in the final titanic confronta–
tion had qualified to restore the
government of God and to establish
on earth the kingdom of God, to
rule that government! Where the
first Adam had failed to do this,
Jesus the second Adam succeeded.
"Peter," a Title Designatlng
Leadership
Immediately after the decisive bat–
tle to overcome Satan, two of the
disciples of John the Baptist saw,
with John, Jesus. Jesus asked them
to follow him to bis borne. One of
18
these was Andrew, son of Jona. He
called bis brother, Simon bar–
Jona.
Jesus looked on Simon, and said
to him, "Thou art Simon the son of
Jona: thou shalt be caBed Cephas
[in Greek,
Peter],"
meaning a
stone (John l :42).
In Mark 3:14, 16, we read: "And
he [Jesus] ordained twelve, that
they should be with him, and that
he might send them forth to
preach .. . And Simon he sur–
named Peter." A surname is,
according to Webster, "an added
name derived from occupation."
Tbe surname Peter had for cen–
turies been a surname or title,
designating a religious leader, head
or headquarters. Peter was the first
and chief apostle. An apostle is
"one sent forth to proclaim or
preach."
So, at the very beginning of his
earthly ministry, preparing tbe
foundation · for the Church, Jesus
Christ chose bis chief human apos–
tle and the other original 1l. They,
with the prophets whose writings
were preserved from the days of
God's first chosen Congregation
(and nation), Israel , were to form
the very foundation of God's
Church. Jesus himself was to be
not only Founder but Head, and
chief "corner stone" of the Church
(Eph. 2:19-21;
5:23).
lmportance of a Firm Foundation
Prior to age 30, Jesus had been a
carpenter-also building with stone
as well as witb wood. He well knew
the foundation sbould be laid first,
befare the structure itself.
But J esus had himself chosen bis
apostles. He said to them later,
"Y
e
have not chosen me, but
I
have
chosen you ..." (John 15:16; see
also verse 19).
Now Jesus began proclaiming
the gospel message God the Father
had sent into the world by him as
God's Messenger (Mal. 3:1).
We read of it in Mark, chapter 1:
"The beginning of the gospel of
Jesus Christ, the Son of God .. ..
Jesus carne into Galilee, preaching
[proclaiming, teaching] the gospel
of the kingdom of God, and saying,
The time is fulfilled, and the king–
dom of God is at hand: repent ye,
and believe the gospel" (Mark
1:1, 14-15).
And, from Matthew, "And Jesus
went about all Galilee, teaching in
tbeir synagogues, and preaching
the gospel of the kingdom ..."
(Matt. 4:23) .
This prophetic message (gospel)
of the kingdom of God will be
explained in detail in chapter seven.
It was the good news of the future
establishment on earth of the gov–
ernment of God, . restored and
administered by the divine God
family-the kingdom of God, to
replace the present evil world of
Satan.
Jesus' proclaiming of this amaz–
ing future news-combined with
bis miracles of healing, turning
water into wine, and others–
caused great excitement. lmmense
crowds followed him and bis disci–
ples. He was teaching bis disciples
to become the future apostles,
while he preached this message to
the public.
Why Pharisees Opposed Jesus
The news proclamation had spread
to Jerusalem. There the Pharisees,
scribes and Sadducees became
alarmed by it. The Pharisees were
a J ewish religious sect sorne of
whom occupied minor- yet to
them important- government of–
fices. The Roman Empire then
ruled over Palestine. The Romans
sent a district king and a limited
occupation army to supervise rule
in Judea. But the Romans set
sorne of the Jewish Pharisees in
offices of Jower civil rule, under
the Roman kíng. These were well–
paying political jobs, and these
Pharisees did not want to lose their
jobs or their power over the
people. These Jewish rulers and
their chief priests completely mis–
understood Jesus' gospel message.
They knew he proclaimed a gov–
ernment that would take over and
rule all nations of the earth. What
they MISunderstood was the
TIME
and
NATURE
of that kingdom of
God. And a professing "Christian–
ity" still misunderstands it today.
The religious leaders of that day
assumed Jesus was a subversive,
intending himself, immediately in
bis human lifetime, to overthrow
the Roman Empire and set up bis
own kingdom.
Immediately they feared being
accused of sedition and disloyalty,
The
PLAIN TRUTH