 |  |
What Happened Then?
By permission of the Author: the late A. J. Harrop
(1)
At Bethlehem.
(2)
At Matthew 13.
(3)
At Calvary.
(4)
At Pentecost.
(5)
At Acts 10.
(6)
At Acts 28:28.
(7)
Then!
In order to sustain the interest of the reader in this article, it has
been divided into seven parts as above.
(1)
Bethlehem
The children of Israel had been for some hundreds of years under a
foreign yoke, always under the domineering control of Babylon, Rome or
someone else. Such was the unhappy condition of God's ancient people. Some
of them no doubt -- possibly many -- were wistfully looking forward to the
fulfilment of the prophecies which they had read so often. When would it be
true: `Unto us a Child is born, a Son is given, and the government shall be
upon His shoulder'? When would they be able to throw open wide the gate and
sing `Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts He is the King of Glory'.
Eventually something did happen. Two babies were born in the Land of
Palestine. Nothing extraordinary in that. But one was the Forerunner, the
other The King. At His birth the Angels praised Him, the shepherds adored
Him and many marvelled at what had happened at Bethlehem.
(2)
Matthew 13
Of course the Child grew. He `waxed strong in spirit and filled with
wisdom'. As a King among His subjects He proclaimed from His Mountain Throne
the Regulations of the Kingdom. Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7. `Moses saith
unto you ... but I say unto you'. `It was said by them of old time ... but I
say unto you'. `Ye have heard that it hath been said ... but I say unto you
... `. The people declared `He speaks as one having authority'. Of course
He did! He spake as the King. He showed them the signs of the Kingdom as
had been prophesied. `The blind received their sight, the lame walked, the
lepers were cleansed, and the poor had the Gospel preached to them'. He set
aside their traditions. He broke their Sabbath regulations. He showed up
the Pharisees in their hypocrisy. He drove the money -dealers from the
temple courts. (His Father's house needed cleansing). He thus stirred up
their opposition and they rejected Him. They rejected Him as Prophet (Matt.
12:41). They rejected Him as Priest (Matt. 12:6). They rejected Him as King
(Matt. 12:42).