Christ Revealed in His Own Word #90

“The Law of Jealousy #2”

Sunday, March 30, 1997

Brian Kocourek, Pastor Grace Fellowship

Last night we spoke from paragraph 104 of Christ Revealed in His Own Word, where brother Branham spoke about Predestination. We focused our thoughts on this subject and showed how that pre-destination is the will of God placed into effect or into manifestation. In other words, you can not speak of pre-destination apart from the purpose and will of God.

We further examined the pre-destiny of Christ, and examined the scriptures pertaining to what actually needed to take place in order for the will of God to be done. We also looked at the way in which Jesus provoked the religious leaders of His day knowing full well how they would react to His provocation. Now, to think that Jesus did not know what He was doing is to be completely ni-eve. He knew full well what He was doing and why He was doing it. Remember, It was He that told us not to cast our pearls before swine. And why did He tell us that? Because He knew what the outcome would be.

[Matt 7:6] “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” Jesus, knew what He was saying here, then why did he cast forth so many pearls before the swine in His day? Do you think He was ignorant of who was swine and who wasn’t? Don’t you think He knew what He was doing? Don’t you think He knew His destiny and purpose in Life? Don’t you think He knew exactly how to get those serpent seed all stirred up so that they would perform that which they were ordained to perform? And bring forth His crucifixion? And what about Rome being on the Scene? Who do you think arranged that?

Those people who do not believe in predestination, don’t even have a clue when it comes to the Scripture. Those who do not understand the sovereignty of God, haven’t a chance when it comes to salvation. For how could you ever believe in the Grace of God if you do not understand that God is sovereign and answers to no one, and that it is by His choice and His alone that you are saved. So, therefore, we know that Jesus knew how to tweak these guys into fulfilling what God said that they would do.

Look, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus was not a fluke. It wasn’t by accident that Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried, and on the third day He arose. Every thing about Him was pre-destined by God. We read in the Book of Revelations that He was the Lamb who was slain before the foundations of the world.

[Rev 13:8] Now, what this means when it says the Lamb was slain before the foundations of the world is that, God had already thought it out, and laid out the plan for it to happen, and once He set forth His Word into manifestation, there is nothing in heaven or earth that can stop it from coming to pass. We also see that there is a people who were ordained to never have their names written in the Lambs book of Life. And it is interesting that these two things are mentioned in the same verse of scripture, because God used those people whose names never appear in the Lambs Book of Life to actually bring about the slaying of the Lamb.

In [Psalms 22] we even hear David through the Inspiration of God prophecy the following things that would actually take place in the Life of Jesus Christ, God’s Son and Messiah. [22: 1, 22:7-8, 22:15 = I Thirst, 22:16-19] etc.

Notice, David prophesied about the crucifixion. “They pierced my hands and my feet.” When David prophesied this it was about 1045 BC The earliest settlers to Rome did not arrive for another 45 years and those who settled around the area we now call Rome were just shepherds and simple people. we have references to the Cross in Deuteronomy and The Book of Joshua, but it was the Roman cross that David was speaking of because it was only the Romans who scourged the victim before crucifixion.

There are many others scriptures that foretold exactly what was to take place. [Isaiah 53:1-12]

Now, the thing of it is this, that Jesus knew by the Scriptures, and because He did not bypass His Theophany, therefore He knew what was to happen to Him, and yet He still placed God’s own will above His own. Even when He was in the garden of Gethsemane, and just a few hours before He was to have to go through the ordeal of crucifixion, He still surrendered His will to His Fathers. [Luke 22:39-43] And believe me, He needed strengthening just knowing what was about to come upon Him in crucifixion.

Now, for the next few minutes, I want to tell you about this crucifixion that Jesus knew He was ordained to suffer for you and I. In [Isaiah 53:12] where we read, and he bare the sin of many, the word bare means “to be lifted up and carried.” And that is exactly what happened to our sin and guilt. He lifted it up when He had to carry that cross with the weight of the world upon it. He carried our sins upon His back, and then He was nailed to them. And our sins still hang there this morning. Now, I am not just speaking poetically here this morning. If you really understood what Jesus had to go through to bear your sin for you, you would never want to sin again.

Crucifixion is nothing to take lightly. It is the most cruel and painful death ever devised by man. Among the Romans, crucifixion was preceded by scourging, undoubtedly to hasten the impending death. The victim then bore his own cross to the place of the execution. If he was tied to the cross, nothing further was done and he was left to die from starvation. This was the plight of the two thieves who were crucified alongside of Jesus. But as David Prophesied of the Messiah’s death, He was nailed through his hands and his feet. [Psalms 22:16] “They pierced my hands and my feet.” When the victim was nailed to the cross in Judea, a stupefying drink was usually given him to deaden the agony. But remember, when they put it to His lips, Jesus refused it. A tablet, on which the feet or on which the body was partly supported, was a part of the cross that was used to keep the wounds from tearing through the transfixed members. The suffering of death by crucifixion was intense, especially in hot climates. Severe local inflammation, coupled with the bleeding of the jagged wounds, produced traumatic fever, this fever was aggravated by exposure to the heat of the sun, the strained position of the body, and insufferable thirst. The wounds swelled about the rough nails and the torn and lacerated tendons and nerves caused excruciating agony. The arteries of the head and stomach were overloaded with blood and a terrific throbbing headache ensued. The mind became confused and filled with anxiety and foreboding extreme fear took over. The victim of crucifixion literally died a thousand deaths. Tetanus created an additional stress upon the body, and the rigors of attending convulsions would tear at the wounds and add pain upon pain, till at last the bodily forces were exhausted and the victims sank into unconsciousness and death. The sufferings were so frightful that “even among the raging passions of war, pity was sometimes emotionally aroused”. Death was sometimes hastened by breaking the legs of the victims and by a hard blow delivered under the armpit before crucifixion. The length of the agony of crucifixion was wholly determined by the constitution of the victim, but death rarely ensued before thirty six hours had elapsed. Instances are on record of victims of the cross who survived their terrible injuries when taken down from the cross after many hours of suspension. The sudden death of Christ evidently was a matter of astonishment. [John 19:32-34] & [Mark 15:43-44].

Now, last night we examined what caused the Pharisees and members of the Sanhedrin council, the religious leaders of that day, to hate Jesus so much that they wanted to destroy Him.

Now, as I said, last night, people don’t just go around putting other people to death just to get their kicks. especially if those people have a position of stature in life. especially when it comes to a crucifixion. This form of death was so sever that even those who used it, would sometimes have petty on the victim just out of shear discomfort with watching the person suffer. Therefore, there had to be something that really pressed them to want Jesus put to death so much so that they were willing to have Him crucified. And we found out last night that this thing which so aroused the passions of the religious leaders against Jesus was envy. Simple, green every day envy and jealousy.

[Mark 15:6-13] Notice how it was the priests that moved or stirred up the people to reject Christ. Why?

Envy! It was envy pure and simple that caused them to reject Jesus. And according to Webster, ENVY is “ to feel ill will, jealousy, or discontent toward another due to their possession of something that one keenly desires to have or achieve for oneself. Barabbas was no threat to the Religious leaders, but Jesus was. They wanted the multitudes to follow them as they were following Jesus. If Jesus had come and had no following at all, they would have just considered Him to be a misfit and they would have paid no attention to Him. But the whole city was stirred up by the things He did and taught. And they knew that it had to be God because one of the Sanhedrin, named Nicodemus came to Jesus and said,

[John 3:1-2] We know that thou art a teacher come from God: For no man can do these miracles that thou doest , except God be with Him.” Now, I would like to ask you, who was the we that he spoke of? We suggests that there is more than just one that is involved here. And we are told he was a ruler of the Jews, one of the Sanhedrin council which were the leaders of the people. We know thou art a teacher come from God and God is with Thee, for no man could do these miracles, except that God was with him.

Sounds to me like what all the Pentecostal leaders have said about Brother Branham. They said, God was with Him when He discerned and did the miracles, but he certainly didn’t know Doctrine. The same thing that the Sanhedrin said. Why? because they didn’t know the Doctrine. But notice that it was jealousy. He had the crowds and they didn’t. That’s what made them so mad and angry with Him.

[Matt 20:29-21:16] Now, I want you to notice here the way in which Jesus handled this situation. He did not hide Himself from the people. He did not dis-acknowledge what the people were doing. He did not seek to avoid a confrontation with the Church leaders, but He went straight to their head quarters which was in the Temple and He took the battle to them. What He actually did was to put the pressure on them, to show them up for what they really were. Then when they questioned Jesus and said, Do you know what these people are saying about you? Jesus said, “Out of the mouth of Babes, praise is perfected!” In other words, in twentieth century Americanese, He said, “Yeah! I know what they’re saying, isn’t that great?”

Now, why would Jesus do that? Why didn’t He just be super humble and say, “O cut it out, you people shouldn’t do that!” I’ll tell you why Jesus specifically did what He did. It was to provoke them to jealousy. He purposely provoked them to jealousy, to test them for their reaction, and to get the events moving in the right direction in order to fulfill the Word of the Lord.

[Romans 10:13-19] they were provoked to jealousy. They were so stirred up that their true inner desires became manifested openly. That’s what God was doing. Showing who is who by the reaction they took toward His blessings upon His Own Son. What was it that God used to get Joseph down to Egypt that he might save the Seed of God from the famine that was coming? The same thing, Envy! God uses man’s envy to fulfill His own Word.

[Acts 7:9] envy is what God used to stir Joseph’s brother’s into selling him out to Egypt. God uses man’s envy to bring on the betrayal, that brings the Word into focus and fulfillment.

[Acts 13:14-51, esp. 45] Notice that it wasn’t until the Jews saw the effect Paul was having and the size of the crowds that he was attracting, that got them stirred up through envy and jealousy. And then what happened? Paul had to move on. God knows how to keep His Word moving forward. And He uses the envy and jealousy of man to bring to pass the right atmosphere that causes the Word to flourish in the right setting. The stage had to be set for Paul to move on, so God allowed the envy of man to bring forth a squeeze that causes the Word to blossom forth. [Acts 17: 1-10]

It was envy and Jealousy that caused the first great battle in Heaven, and it will be the envy and jealousy that will cause the squeeze to come on as well.

[Gen 4:3-8]Cain was so incensed with envy and jealousy that he had to do away with the one God was blessing and accepting.

[241-190 QA Hebrews part 1 57-0925] Now, let's take back to Cain. Could you tell me where that spirit and that meanness come from? If Cain... Look, if Cain was the son of Adam, which was a son of God, where did that evil come from? The first thing when he was born, he hated; he was a murderer; he was jealous. And now, take the nature of his daddy, the very start in the beginning, Lucifer, and he was... In the beginning he was jealous of Michael, what started the whole trouble. How many knows that? And Cain was the nature of his father, which he was jealous of his brother and slew him. That pure... That nature could not come out of that pure seed. It come, had to come out of this perverted stream. And notice, Cain, as soon as he was borned... And then Abel was born after him, then she conceived by Adam, and he knew--knew her and she brought forth the son Abel. And Abel was a type of Christ; and when--when Abel was killed, Seth took his place: death, burial, and resurrection of Christ in type.

[E-21 Seal of God 61-0216] Now, we find out that because that Cain listened to the enemy, then what happened? He become the first murderer. He become the first one that had jealousy on earth. Tell me where that pure line from God to Adam... That's the only connection. Adam was the son of God. Bible said so. Then where did that jealousy come from? Where did that murderer come from? Where did all that kind of a spirit come from? Out of Adam? Couldn't have. Come from Satan. It's exactly where it come from. Now, we find out he was the first murderer. And he was the first one to have jealousy. And Lucifer got jealous of Michael, brought it right down to the earth and transferred it into man. And Satan... Cain by taking on this evil, took the first mark. God marked him. No one was to kill him. Let him alone. But you remember, as soon as He marked him, he went out from the Presence of God. Hold onto that now.

So, we see that Lucifer is the author of envy. He wanted what Michael had, and it was not just a matter of competition, but in order to have what Michael had, and even more than what Michael had, he had to try to destroy the works of Michael. And that is where we find the root of envy beginning. It is an attribute of Satan. Part of the iniquity that lay within him. [Romans 1:28-29] tells us where it comes from. And it leads to competing for gain, instead of satisfaction of the needs. [1 Tim 6: 3-7]

What was it that led Cain to kill Abel? Envy!

What was it that led Ishmael to make fun of Isaac? Envy!

What was it that made Esau want to kill Jacob? Envy!

What was it that caused Joseph’s brethren to sell him into bondage? Envy!

What was it that caused Haman to want to kill Esther, and Mordicai? Envy!

What was it that caused the presidents and princes to plot against Daniel? Envy!

What was it that caused Saul to persecute and hunt down David? Envy! The Spirit of Jealousy!

Therefore, if the crucifixion of Christ was a result of envy in the Alpha which is the Green Tree, how much more so shall it come in the dry tree. At the harvest time. [Luke 23:31] & [Hebrews 6:4-6]

And remember, in [Numbers 5:12-31] we hear the Law of the Jealousy, and basically this law can be summed up this way, “if the husband suspected his wife to have been unfaithful, he would take her to the priest and the priest would have her to drink of a potion, which would bless her if she were innocent, but would cause her belly to swell and her thighs to rot if she were guilty. The potion did not make her innocent or guilty, but it only revealed her true condition and brought into manifestation her true condition. Therefore, God uses the Law of jealousy to bring into manifestation the real and true nature of the seed. If they are of God, they will be happy for the blessed, and if they are not of God they will become jealous of what God has done for the one who is blessed. [1 Cor 13:4]= [Rom 12:9-21] [1 Cor 7:29-33]

[Acts 5:16-42] They had seen the example that Jesus had presented to them, and they were now determined to do the same, regardless of the envy it would cause.

Now this brings us to Jesus motive? Why would He provoke to jealousy those men whom He knew wanted Him dead. And why would He do so, in the face of impending suffering that is of such a degree that it is almost impossible to fully comprehend the depth and degree of pain that one would go through in a crucifixion? I’ll tell you why! Because without going through with the suffering and death, He could not have been raised from the dead, and the stinger of death would still be available to satan. But Jesus conquered death, hell, and the grave, and is ever living to make intercession for our confession. [Romans 6:9]

Jesus knew all the types and foreshadowing of what was in store for Him. He knew Isaac was a pre-shadow of His own death at the hand of His Father. Yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. [Phil 2:1-11]