God's Promises Sunday

Jesus Teachings Were Familiar

Matthew 13:34, Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable He told them nothing.

Matthew 25:13, Keep awake therefore for you know neither the day nor the hour.

When we read the Bible, most of us cannot imagine how anyone understood the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. The people in the time of Jesus understood quite a bit of what He was teaching because of their traditions.

Parables are short made-up stories to illustrate the familiar to help understand unfamiliar concepts.

Matthew 24:35-36, Heaven and Earth will pass away but My words will not pass away. But about that day and hour no one knows either the angels of Heaven or the Son but only the Father.

In order to explain this to the people Jesus used something they were all familiar with, a wedding. In this case, however, I have shortened the description because it would take a long time and cover a lot of territory in order to give all the details. But here it is in a nutshell, and it will give you the idea.

John 14:3, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again so that where I am you may be also.

After the couple became what we would call engaged the groom went to his father’s house to prepare a place to bring his bride. At the same time the bride went about taking care of all the preparation she was responsible for. She had to be ready all the time because she did not know the wedding date.

At this time of the betrothal only the groom’s father determined the date based on when he felt it was appropriate. The point is no one knew when the wedding would take place.

Believers everywhere are called the body of Christ. As a group they are called the bride of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the groom.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive who are left until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord himself with a cry of command with the archangels call and with the sound of God’s trumpet will descend from Heaven and the dead in Christ will rise first. And we who are alive who are left will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air and so we will be with the Lord forever.

Jewish people often thought of Noah’s flood as a sign of the day of judgment. So, as you can see from these verses and the brief descriptions I gave, people at the time would probably have a very good idea of what Jesus was teaching, If you want to know the whole story about the traditions connected with marriage in Bible times just Google wedding traditions in Bible times and you’ll get a total description of what it was all about. God bless you and your family. Paise The Lord!

Remember Jesus loves you.

Prayer of Salvation

Lord Jesus Christ I am a sinner. I know you suffered and died on the cross and rose again in order to wash away my sins and to save me. I acknowledge my sins and I Repent of those sins, and I ask you to come into my heart as my personal savior. I believe and I receive the gift of Salvation. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen. 

Praise The Lord!