Words of Jesus Podcast Don C. Harris (AP)

After the escape from Herod as a young child, the Scriptures are silent about the life of Jesus, though we can deduce from Luke that is was the custom of his family to keep the Feasts of the LORD. At the age of 12, Jesus had his bar mitzvah - moving him to the authority of his Father.
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Jesus as a Boy of Twelve in the Temple
WHEN JESUS was twelve years old he went to Jerusalem with his parents for the Feast of Passover, as was their custom.
           Their religious duties completed, the parents went a day’s journey on their return to Nazareth before they discovered that Jesus was not in the company traveling with them.
           They returned to Jerusalem seeking him and, after three days, found him in the temple. He was sitting in the midst of the temple teachers, both hearing and asking them questions. All that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
           His parents were amazed and Mary asked:
           “Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.”
           And Jesus replied:
           “How is it that ye sought me? Know ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?”
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The Passover Feast: (Exodus 12:14-28; Numbers 28:16-25; Deuteronomy 16:1-8)
These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

The ministry of John the Baptist was to usher in the Messianic King so long anticipated by the people of Israel. John was an outsider whom the people recognized as a Prophet. No word had been heard from the mouth of a prophet for 400 years. The message of John was "Repent." This is a religious word which many think means be sorry for your sins. No, that's not it. To repent is to regret your way enough to do something different. Real repentance is change.
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The Baptism of Jesus by John (Part 1)
WHEN JESUS was thirty years of age, John the Baptist was preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. The people of Judea and Jerusalem went to him and were baptized in the waters of the Jordan River.
           From Nazareth Jesus went to John to be baptized. John hesitated, saying:
           “I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?”
           Jesus replied:
           “Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.”
So John baptized Him and straightway as Jesus went out of the water the Heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him. He heard a voice from Heaven, saying,:
“THOU ART MY BELOVED SON; IN THEE I AM WELL PLEASED.”
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CHAPTER 2 SCRIPTURES (KJV)
MATTHEW 3:13-17
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
MARK 1:9-11
And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
LUKE 3:21, 22
Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
JOHN 1:29-34
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is...

Jesus called John the Baptist (his cousin) the Greatest Prophet. Jesus did not engage in frivolous talk or marketing propaganda. Jesus came to speak truth, so we know this characterization is not a case of favoritism or nepotism. What made John the Baptist the greatest prophet? Not his style, not his diet, it was his message.
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The Baptism of Jesus by John (Part 2)
WHEN JESUS was thirty years of age, John the Baptist was preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. The people of Judea and Jerusalem went to him and were baptized in the waters of the Jordan River.
           From Nazareth Jesus went to John to be baptized. John hesitated, saying:
           “I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?”
           Jesus replied:
           “Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” 
So John baptized Him and straightway as Jesus went out of the water the Heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him. He heard a voice from Heaven, saying,:
“THOU ART MY BELOVED SON; IN THEE I AM WELL PLEASED.”
***
CHAPTER 2 SCRIPTURES (KJV)
MATTHEW 3:13-17
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
MARK 1:9-11
And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
LUKE 3:21, 22
Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
 
JOHN 1:29-34 (NOT REFERENCED IN THE PUBLISHED BOOK)
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

Modern evangelism preaches "instantaneous salvation" and "Jesus loves you just as you are." This was not the message of John. As he baptized in the river of Jordan, religious men came to see this prophet and to be baptized. John rejected them, calling them out as vipers. He admonished them to obtain fruit, to show their repentance by works. One must begin their walk with Messiah "just as we are"... but, immediately the changes begin. Jesus came to make dead men live!
John did not expect Jesus to be on the riverbank that day.
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The Baptism of Jesus by John (Part 3)
WHEN JESUS was thirty years of age, John the Baptist was preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. The people of Judea and Jerusalem went to him and were baptized in the waters of the Jordan River.
           From Nazareth Jesus went to John to be baptized. John hesitated, saying:
           “I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?”
           Jesus replied:
           “Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” 
So John baptized Him and straightway as Jesus went out of the water the Heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him. He heard a voice from Heaven, saying,:
“THOU ART MY BELOVED SON; IN THEE I AM WELL PLEASED.”
***
CHAPTER 2 SCRIPTURES (KJV)
MATTHEW 3:13-17
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
MARK 1:9-11
And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
LUKE 3:21, 22
Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
 
JOHN 1:29-34 (NOT REFERENCED IN THE PUBLISHED BOOK)
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said...

Baptism is a common and contentious religious practice. Scripture is relatively quiet regarding method. But, is it essential, yes? One baptism; the baptism in the Spirit. In our day, Christians tack "in Jesus name" verbiage at the end of every prayer. Does saying it make it so? The ministry of Jesus introduces a new element, baptism in the Spirit, Jesus enters the waters, lays down his life and rises from the water ready to begin his ministry.
Over and over the Scriptures convey the actions of Jesus being the result of "obeying His Father." We must also enter into a life of obedience to obtain baptism in the [nature of Jesus Christ] Spirit.
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The Baptism of Jesus by John (Part 4)
WHEN JESUS was thirty years of age, John the Baptist was preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. The people of Judea and Jerusalem went to him and were baptized in the waters of the Jordan River.
           From Nazareth Jesus went to John to be baptized. John hesitated, saying:
           “I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?”
           Jesus replied:
           “Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.”
So John baptized Him and straightway as Jesus went out of the water the Heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him. He heard a voice from Heaven, saying,:
“THOU ART MY BELOVED SON; IN THEE I AM WELL PLEASED.”
***
Related Material: "What is sin?... Sin, Salvation & Law"
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CHAPTER 2 SCRIPTURES (KJV)
MATTHEW 3:13-17
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
MARK 1:9-11
And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
LUKE 3:21, 22
Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
JOHN 1:29-34 (NOT REFERENCED IN THE PUBLISHED BOOK)
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred...

In the Garden of Eden, Eve succumbed to the temptation of Satan to be "like god" through the act of disobeying the one commandment they had been given. This temptation occurred on three levels; the lust of the eye (the fruit looked good), the lust of the flesh (the fruit was good for food), and the pride of life (ego) (a tree to be desired to make one wise). Our Savior was tempted in these same areas as He began his ministry in the earth.
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The Temptation of Jesus (Part 1)
IMMEDIATELY after he had been baptized the Spirit of God led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of Satan. After fasting for forty days and nights he was hungry.
           Satan came to him, saying:
           “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.”
           Jesus replied:
           “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’”
           Then Satan took him into the holy city and thence to a pinnacle of the temple and said:
           “If thou aret the Son of God, sast thyself down; for it is written, ‘He shall give his angels charge concerning thee; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.’”
           Jesus replied:
           “It is written again, ‘Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.’”
 Then Satan took Jesus to the top of a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, saying:
           “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.”
           Jesus repulsed Satan with these words:
           “Get thee hense, Satan; for it is written, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.’”
           The temptation overcome, angels came and ministered unto him.
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CHAPTER 3 SCRIPTURES (KJV):
MATTHEW 4:1-11
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
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