So He began to speak in parables because `This people's heart is waxed

gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed;

lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears,

and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should

heal them' (Matt. 13:15).

Thus the Kingdom went underground.

That happened at Matthew 13.

They brought Him to judgment.  `What accusation bring ye against this

man?'  They answered, `If He were not a malefactor we would not have

delivered Him up unto thee'.  H'm so that was the case for the prosecution.

What a terrible crime!  What a malevolent criminal!

`Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!'  Anyhow, they declared Him innocent.  Of

course they did.  They could not do anything else.  Pilate said, `I am

innocent of the blood of this just man'.  His wife declared Him innocent, she

sent a message: `Have thou nothing to do with this just man'.  The centurion

declared Him innocent, he said `Truly this was the Son of God'.  The

malefactor who was crucified with Him declared Him innocent.  He said, `This

man hath done nothing amiss'.  So as He was innocent they spat upon Him!

They bound Him!  Beat Him!  Cursed Him!  Mocked Him!  Crowned and crucified

`Is there diadem as monarch that His brow adorns?

Yea a Crown in very surety, but of thorns'.

Pilate wrote His accusation and he wouldn't alter it.

`What I have

written I have written!'

`This is the King of the Jews'.

And thus `He bore our sins in His own body on the tree'.

Don't blame

the Jews.  The Gentiles lent a hand.  We were all in it.

That happened at Calvary.

For you -- for me.

Did you say that Pentecost was the beginning of the Church as we know

it today?  Nonsense!  Oh! but all the denominations say it was.  Sorry, but

they were all Jews at Pentecost.  No Gentiles converted there.  `Ye men of

Israel', said Peter.  Yes, but what about all those Parthians, Medes,

Elamites, dwellers in Mesopotamia, Egypt, part of Libya, about Cyrene,

strangers of Rome, etc.?  Yes, but don't stop there, it says `Jews and

proselytes'.  Jews or naturalized Jews.  Besides, Peter did not say it was

the beginning of the Church, he said, `This is that'.  He couldn't speak much

plainer.  Oh! but Peter could not be speaking to Israel, not after the

Crucifixion surely!  Ah! but he was though!  It was just God's boundless

mercy, God's forgiving grace.  Give them another chance perhaps this time.

`Repent', said Peter, `and Jesus Christ will come again' (Acts 3:20).  Again

there are signs of the Kingdom at hand.  The lame walk, prison doors are

opened, the sick are healed.  The Kingdom of Heaven was at hand.  Things

which were to happen in the last days -- according to Joel's prophecy -- were

taking place around them.  `Repent' said Peter.  Many did repent -- maybe