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Post by Admin on Jan 2, 2013 18:34:08 GMT -5
<< BACK: MalachiJan 071. Why did Jesus say that those who mourn would be happy? (Matt 5:4)
[w09 2/15 p. 6 par. 6][/i] “Those who mourn” are the same kind of people as “those conscious of their spiritual need.” They do not mourn in the sense of complaining about their lot in life. Their mourning is sadness over their own sinful state and the conditions existing because of human imperfection. Why are such mourners “happy”? Because they exercise faith in God and Christ and are comforted by having a good relationship with Jehovah.—John 3:36.[/ul] Jan 072. In the model prayer that Jesus taught his disciples, what did he mean when he said "do not bring us into temptation"? (Matt 6:13)[w04 2/01 p. 16 par. 13][/u][/ul] Jan 143. Why did Jesus say that his disciples would not complete their circuit of preaching "until the son of man arrives"? (Matt 10:23) [w10 9/15 p. 10 par. 12; w87 8/1 p. 8 par. 6][/b]"We recognize that the end could come at any time; Jehovah’s timing is not contingent on our giving a personal witness to every individual on the planet. (Matt. 10:23) Moreover, we receive good direction on how to carry out our preaching work effectively. In faith, we participate in this work to the best of our ability, using whatever resources are at our disposal. Will we always preach in the most productive territory? Really, how could we know in advance? (Read Ecclesiastes 11:5, 6.) Our job is to preach, trusting that Jehovah will give us his blessing. (1 Cor. 3:6, 7) We can be certain that he sees our strenuous efforts, and by means of his holy spirit, he will provide whatever specific direction we need.—Ps. 32:8. w87 8/1 p. 8 par. 6 So when saying that his disciples would not complete their circuit of preaching “until the Son of man arrives,” Jesus was prophetically telling us that his disciples would not complete the circuit of the entire inhabited earth with the preaching about God’s established Kingdom before the glorified King Jesus Christ would arrive as Jehovah’s executional officer at Armageddon.[/ul]
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Post by Admin on Jan 16, 2013 8:47:14 GMT -5
Jan 214. What two things does Jesus' illustration of the mustard grain highlight? (Matt 13: 31, 32) [w08 7/15 p. 17- 18 pars. 3 - 8][/u]Jesus said: “With what are we to liken the kingdom of God, or in what illustration shall we set it out? Like a mustard grain, which at the time it was sown in the ground was the tiniest of all the seeds that are on the earth—but when it has been sown, it comes up and becomes greater than all other vegetables and produces great branches, so that the birds of the heaven are able to find lodging under its shadow.”—Mark 4:30-32. 4 Here we find portrayed the growth of “the kingdom of God” as evidenced by the spread of the Kingdom message and the growth of the Christian congregation from Pentecost 33 C.E. onward. A mustard grain is a tiny seed that can represent something very small. (Compare Luke 17:6.) Eventually, though, a mustard plant may attain a height of from 10 to 15 feet [3-5 m] and have sturdy branches, thus virtually becoming a tree.— Matt. 13:31, 32.5 The growth of the Christian congregation started in a small way in 33 C.E. when about 120 disciples were anointed with holy spirit. Within a relatively short period of time, this tiny congregation of disciples came to include thousands of believers. (Read Acts 2:41; 4:4; 5:28; 6:7; 12:24; 19:20.) Within three decades, the number of harvest workers had expanded so much that the apostle Paul could say to the congregation in Colossae that the good news had already been “preached in all creation that is under heaven.” (Col. 1:23) What spectacular growth! 6 Since the establishment of God’s Kingdom in heaven in 1914, the branches of the mustard “tree” have expanded beyond expectations. God’s people have seen the literal fulfillment of the prophecy recorded by Isaiah: “The little one himself will become a thousand, and the small one a mighty nation.” (Isa. 60:22) The small group of anointed ones associated with the Kingdom work early in the 20th century had no way of knowing that by the year 2008, about seven million Witnesses would be engaging in this work in over 230 lands. Truly amazing growth, comparable to that of the mustard grain in Jesus’ illustration! 7 But does the growth stop there? No. The subjects of God’s Kingdom will eventually encompass the entire earth. All opposers will have been removed. This will not occur as a result of human efforts but because of the intervention of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah in earth’s affairs. (Read Daniel 2:34, 35.) We will then see the final fulfillment of another prophecy recorded by Isaiah: “The earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea.”—Isa. 11:9. 8 Jesus says that the birds of the heaven are able to find lodging under the shadow of this Kingdom. These birds do not represent enemies of the Kingdom who try to eat up the good seeds, as was true of the birds in the illustration of the man who scattered seed on different kinds of soil. (Mark 4:4) Rather, in this illustration the birds represent righthearted ones who seek protection within the confines of the Christian congregation. Even now, these ones are protected from the spiritually defiling habits and unclean practices of this wicked world. (Compare Isaiah 32:1, 2.) Jehovah similarly likened the Messianic Kingdom to a tree and stated prophetically: “On the mountain of the height of Israel I shall transplant it, and it will certainly bear boughs and produce fruit and become a majestic cedar. And under it there will actually reside all the birds of every wing; in the shadow of its foliage they will reside.”—Ezek. 17:23. [/ul]
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Post by Admin on Jan 20, 2013 7:05:15 GMT -5
Jan 285. What lesson was Jesus teaching when he said: "Unless you turn around and become as young children, you will by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens"? (Matt 18:3)[w07 2/1 p. 9, 10 pars. 3-4][/u](Galatians 5:26) In fact, these are the very traits that prompted Satan the Devil to rebel against God in the first place. No wonder Jehovah hates them!—Proverbs 8:13. True Christians seek to serve, not to exercise power. No matter how unpleasant the task or how lowly the recipient, true humility moves us to minister to others. Such humble service brings rich rewards. Says Jesus: “Whoever receives one of such young children on the basis of my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives, not me only, but also him that sent me forth.” (Mark 9:37) Cultivating a generous, humble, childlike spirit unites us with the highest Personage in the universe and his Son. (John 17:20, 21; 1 Peter 5:5) We will reap the happiness that comes from giving. (Acts 20:35) And we have the satisfaction of contributing to the peace and unity evident among God’s people.—Ephesians 4:1-3. [/ul] Feb 116. What is the meaning of Jesus' words "You yourself said it"? (Matt 26:63, 64)[w11 6/1 p. 18][/i]” was apparently a common Jewish idiom affirming that a statement was true. For example, the Jerusalem Talmud, a Jewish religious work compiled in the fourth century C.E., tells of a Jewish man who when asked if a rabbi had died, replied: “You said it.” This was taken as confirmation that the rabbi was, in fact, dead. Jesus recognized the high priest’s authority to put him under oath to state the facts. Moreover, to remain silent could have been construed as a denial that Jesus was the Christ. So Jesus’ response: “You yourself said it” was an affirmative reply to the high priest. In Mark’s parallel account, when directly challenged by Caiaphas to reveal if He was the Messiah, Jesus courageously replied: “I am.”—Mark 14:62; see also Matthew 26:25 and Mark 15:2.[/ul]
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