Masterpiece 62
Why did God Smite
Adam and Christ?
April 30th, 2006
Pastor, Brian Kocourek
This evening we will read from the Masterpiece and
this will be number 62 in our series. This evening we will first read from
paragraph 106 and then we shall break down what is being said here line by line
and thought by thought.
THE
MASTERPIECE 64-0705 106
His life matched all the people's. It
pleased God to smite Him. And now, why did He smite Him? For the same cause He
had to smite Adam. Now we see Him stricken and smitten of God and afflicted,
the perfect Lamb for sinners slain, a perfect Masterpiece.
Notice brother Branham begins in this paragraph by
saying, 106 His life matched all the people's. In this paragraph we see brother Branham mention that
Jesus Christ’s Life matched all the people’s life. Throughout this sermon
brother Branham continually goes back and forth between Christ and the
prophets, Christ and the Old Testament Saints. Therefore what he is telling us
here is that what we saw in the life of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, then Joseph
and Moses, and Elijah, and David, and Samuel, In all these old testament
saints, what we saw was the Word of God Manifested in their day, through that
life that was in them. Then don’t tell me that the Old Testament prophets did
not have the Holy Spirit in them.
People that say that the Old Testament saints did not have
the Holy Spirit don’t understand what the Holy Spirit is? Jesus said in John 6:63, “My words
are spirit and they are life.” “In the
Beginning was the Word and the Word was God,” And God is Spirit
and He is holy, therefore God who is the Word, is the Holy Spirit. 1 John 1:4
1 John 1:
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled,
of the Word of life; 2(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it,
and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the
Father, and was manifested unto us 3 That which we have seen and heard
declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our
fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Some even say that the Bride is only New Testament
saints. I’d like to know where do they get that from?
In Matthew 27:50 we read, Jesus, when he had cried again
with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was
rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the
rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out
of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
So we see their souls were awakened by the Loud Voice
but their bodies did not come out of the grave, in other words, there was no
resurrection until Jesus arose three days later.
Then we must ask who were those people then that rose
up from the dead when Jesus rose from the dead? The Bible called them Saints,
which means those who are sanctified and set apart for service. They were Old Testament
Saints. The Apostle Paul told us that if
The Spirit that was in Christ be in us, It will raise us up also as it did Him?
Then what spirit was in them to raise
them up? What spirit was in them to quicken their mortal bodies? I tell you it was the same Spirit that raised
up Jesus from the dead.
Romans 8:
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead
dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your
mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
And if the measure of
the Spirit is the measure of the Word, then what measure should we have today
when we have the fullness of the Word made manifest in this hour?
David said in Psalms 51: 11 Cast me not away
from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Now, why
would he pray for God to not take His Spirit from Him if he didn’t have it?
And in Isaiah 63: 11 we read Then he remembered the days of old, Moses,
and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with
the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his Holy Spirit within him?
So either these men had the
Holy Spirit or they did not. And if they did not then why did Brother Branham
tells us that the Spirit of Christ was in these men? But notice, the Holy Spirit
was in them by measure, whereas it was in Jesus Christ in Fullness.
John the Baptizer was born before Jesus by six months and
we are told when he was born he was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall
drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he
shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
And not only was
John filled with the Holy Ghost before the day of Pentecost, but his mother and
father were also filled with the Holy Ghost 33 years before the day of
Pentecost.
Luke 1: 41 And
it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe
leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was
filled with the Holy Ghost:
Luke 1: 67 And
his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
And then there was Simeon
on which the Holy Ghost dwelt upon him.
Luke 2: 25 And,
behold, there was a man in
And what about Mary? Luke 1: 35 And
the angel answered and said unto her, The
Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also
that holy thing which shall be born
of thee shall be called the Son of God.
And we even hear Jesus in Mark 12: 36 tell
us that the Holy Ghost spoke through David, For David himself said by the
Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make
thine enemies thy footstool.
Now, the reason many believe that the Holy Ghost was not in the Old Testament
saints is because of one verse of Scripture that we see in the book of John.
John 7: 39
But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him
should receive: for the Holy Ghost was
not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.
Now, the word given is not even in the original, so it says “the Holy Ghost was
not yet”. Not yet what? We are told that the Holy Ghost was not yet.
We know the Holy Ghost was spoken of in the Old Testament, and we see the
evidence that it was already indwelling certain individuals, but it had not yet
come in a way that it was available for whomsoever will. And yet Pentecost has
set themselves up thinking that because they have received the baptism of the
Holy Ghost that they have the Holy Ghost Himself. But Brother Branham said in
the sermon Oneness…
Oneness
62-0211 P:102 What is it? You've got to get with the
Word, get yourself killed out. I'm persuaded that many of us, friends, have
received the Holy Ghost, but we just receive enough Holy Ghost in us to make us
to a place where we don't want to lie, we don't want to steal, we don't want to
do anything. But God wants to fill every fiber of His church; He wants to fill
your thinking; He wants to fill your mind. He wants to fill every bit of you,
just make you completely, totally dead to yourself or to your thinking, just so
surrendered in God till His Word's just living right through you. You don't
know nothing else but God's Word; just stay right with His Word; It is Life. "My Words are Life," said Jesus.
He's placed with them, teachers believing the Bible, prophets that say the
truth, that say, show the same prophecy that they've always did down through
the age. What's He done? He's showing Himself alive among them, confirming His
Word. His Word, the
And this same Prophet of God, vindicated by the very presence of God
Himself said in his sermon, Modern events made
clear by prophecy 65-1206 P:42 There's many people just
can't believe it, even Spirit-filled people. I'm going to give you one that'll
choke you. The baptism of the Holy Ghost don't mean you're going in, not at
all, not on that, don't have anything to do with your soul. That's the baptism.
See? Here's the inside soul in here, that has to come from God. But then on the
outside you have five senses, and five out--inlets to your contact your earthly
home. The inside, you have a spirit, and in there you have five outlets: your
conscience, and love, and so forth, five outlets to that spirit. Remember, in
that spirit you can be baptized with the genuine Spirit of God and still be
lost. It's the soul that lives; that was ordained of God. Didn't Jesus say, "Many
will come to Me in that day, and say, 'Lord, haven't I cast out devils, done
great and mighty works, prophesied, the great gifts of God?' He said, "Depart from me, you that work
iniquity, I never even knew you. Many will come in that day."
Now, we have been talking about how that the Life of
Christ was in this Old testament saints, at least in a measure. That is what
Brother Branham was talking about in paragraph 106
when he
said, His
life matched all the people's, but then he went on to say, It pleased God to
smite Him. And now, why did He smite Him? For the same cause He had to smite
Adam. Now we see Him stricken and smitten of God and afflicted, the perfect
Lamb for sinners slain, a perfect Masterpiece.
Now the other question
we have then tonight is why did He smite Jesus? And the answer is the same
reason He smote Adam. That is what brother Branham is telling us here. Then we
must ask ourselves why did God smite period?
And the answer is
because God in order to give Himself purpose of being had a plan which allowed
for the fall of man so that man could be redeemed back to Him and thus God
could express Himself as a Savior, Redeemer, etc.
Church
Age Book Chapter 3 - The Ephesian Church
Age P:104 Now the Word most definitely sets forth
that from BEFORE the foundation of the earth the purpose of God was to share
His Eternal Life with man. Ephesians 1:4-11, "According as He hath chosen
us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of
children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His
will, To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted
in the beloved. In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness
of sins, according to the riches of His grace; Wherein He hath abounded toward
us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of His
will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: That in
the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all
things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in
Him: In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His
own will." Revelation 13:8, "And all that dwell upon the earth shall
worship him (Satan) whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world." But that Life could not, and
would not, be shared in any other way than through the way of "God
manifest in the flesh." This was a part of His eternal and predestinated
purpose. This plan was to be to the praise of the glory of His grace. It was
the plan of Redemption. It was the plan of Salvation. Now listen closely.
"God being a Savior, it was necessary that He predestinate a man who would
require salvation in order to give Himself reason and purpose of being."
That is one hundred percent correct and multitudes of Scripture bear it out as
does the very pointed verse of Romans 11:36, "For of Him, and through Him,
and to Him, are ALL THINGS: to Whom be GLORY for ever. Amen." Man could
not directly come and partake of that Tree of Life in the midst of the garden.
That Eternal Life of the Tree had to become flesh first. But before God could
raise and save a sinner, He had to have a sinner to raise and save. Man had to
fall. The fall which would be caused by Satan, had to have flesh to make fall.
Satan had to come through flesh also. But Satan could not come through human
flesh to make the fall as would Christ come in human flesh to restore the
fallen. But there was an animal, the serpent, so close to man that Satan could
get to that beast and through that beast he could get to human flesh and cause
the fall, and inject himself thereby into the human race, even as Jesus would
one day come and inject Himself into the human race, into human bodies, even to
the extent of a resurrection wherein we would have bodies like unto His glorified
one. Thus what God worked out here in the garden was His predestinated plan.
And when Satan had brought about that which was necessary to the purpose of
God, then man could not get to the Tree Of Life in the garden. Certainly not.
It wasn't time. But an animal (animal had caused the fall had it not? let
animal life be shed) was taken and his blood shed and then God had communion
with man again. Then there was to come a day when God would appear in flesh,
and by means of His humiliation He would restore fallen man and make him a
partaker of that Life Eternal. Once you see this, you can understand the
serpent seed and know that it was no apple Eve ate. No, it was the degradation
of humanity by intermingling the seed.
Let us bow our hearts in prayer before the brethren
bring forth the Communion bred and wine and we change the order of service to
communion.