By John Larkins
Soon we will be recalling the most important event in human history – The Way the gates of Heaven were re-opened after the sin of Adam and Eve.
As the Roman governor was questioning Jesus in preparation for His crucifixion, Our Lord said, “I am The Way, the truth and the life.” Between the end of Adam and Eve’s stay in Paradise and Jesus’ s birth stretched an enormous time, perhaps thirty thousand years. It is somewhat easier to gauge the time from Moses to Jesus’ s birth at perhaps one thousand years and note that this period encompassed much of what we call the Old Testament. Prophets wrote often of a Savior who would restore the Kingdom of the Jews. What is fundamental to this promise is that the “restoration” would entail conversion of the Jews to what Jesus called “A new and everlasting covenant.” That is certainly not likely be the prevalent expectation among the Israelites, especially the priestly group.
In about 6 A.D., this Savior was indeed born to establish His Church. Because The Way was God’s plan for opening the gates of heaven by teaching the solution to Man’s sin was made possible by an incredible sacrifice – the trial of the Son of God, when He became as dual-natured
“Son of Man” and died. This is just as Jesus later commanded His Church to convert the existing world of about 33 anno dominus (AD) into submission of all people, now and future, to be members of His Church. When Jesus initiated the Kingdom of God in about 30 AD, He declared, “This is the beginning of the New and Everlasting Kingdom.”
He emphasized that one “cannot put new wine in an old wine skin” (His new covenant would not fit into Moses’ Israelite religion). Even though the fact that Moses’ words were God’s words (quite a bit of strictly human elements had been added over the years). The new and electrifying doctrine that was added by Jesus to His New Church included a somewhat clarified “Ten Commandments” and the authority of priests to forgive sins. He recruited and began training His new Church leaders right away.
Who was going to be happy with the New Covenant? All of us who are sinners! Why would we be happy? Because we now had a process for showing God that we wish to submit to him – confession of our sins, baptism (a lot easier on mid-life converts than is circumcision) and a revolutionary sacrament for sharing in Jesus’s grace ( communion, eating His body and drinking His blood) and entering Heaven.
Who is going to hate this New Covenant? The temple priests and administrators who were going to lose their power and their material support. The gravy train had pulled into the station. That issue – job loss – continues today in the continuing mission to covert the world, although it should not, for there are at least 100 years or more of missionary work to be done.
Are you helping Jesus convert the world? (John 20-21)
“Peace be unto you: as my Father sent me, even so I send you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them and saith unto them,Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose sins ye shall remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose so ever sins ye retain, they are retained.”(John 20: 21-23)
John Larkins was born in Oklahoma to an U.S. Army family. His education was in the Catholic Church and teaching in the United Methodist Church for 10 years. After 50 years of various positions in federal service at home and in Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, John and his wife Carol live in Gadsden. His formal education includes a BS certified for science teaching, an MBA from the University of Missouri and an MPA from Jacksonville State University. For the past 15 years, John evangelized on the street, door-to-door, in tent revivals, and church situations. Contact him at johnlarkins@bellsouth.net.