Сергей Ильичев - JESUS CHRIST. 100 and 1 quotes

THE FIRST REVELATION

The very first public words of Jesus were spoken by the lad of twelve on the verge of the Temple in Jerusalem. And even though they are not of explicitly aphoristic nature, with them we begin to cite the main sayings, commandments and parables of Jesus Christ. It is important that for the first time in these words, Jesus Himself lifts to us the veil of his future Messianic mission.

1. “Why were you searching for me?” He asked: “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”(Lk. 2:49)

THE BAPTIZING OF JESUS

When Jesus humbly doused into the waters of the Jordan, he only obeyed the rite established by John the Baptist.

As we know, the “baptizm” means in translation from Greek “to put into water”, so the word itself defines the following set of actions.

2. “…for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.”(Mt. 3:15)

The importance of this rite is proved also by the fact, that the God Himself claimed that Jesus is His beloved Son at that moment.

Another interesting fact is that in this rite is not “not the removal of dirt from the flesh, – as the Apostle Peter says, but an appeal to God for a good conscience” (1 Pet. 3.21). That is, when being baptized, everyone of us voluntarily puts his own cross on his shoulders, and gives a commitment to live according to his conscience and the willingness to bear the cross along with Jesus.

We should also notice that Jesus Christ, performing the rite of baptism, showed all sinners an example of repentance and obedience to the Law, which is still imputed to this day, as a precondition for everyone to be able to enter the kingdom of God.

3. “…truly, I tell you emphatically, unless a person is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”(Jn. 3:5)

THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS BY SATAN

Recalling the meeting of Jesus with Satan, we can understand that the very moment has come for Jesus to face the first and terrible hour of real external struggle not only “against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” still being fearsome for us, whispering about the temptations of sinful pleasures and at the same time wreaking suffering and human disasters in the world.

Jesus’ answers to Satan are concise and plain, but at the same time instructive. Judge by yourselves.

4. “One must not live on bread alone, but on every word coming out of the mouth of God.”(Mt. 4:4)

I hesitate to affirm, but I think that, except Jesus, there is hardly a man on the Earth who has not turned out to be under the power of false idols and heroes of their time throughout his life, and of all that we call evil spirits, lies and cruelty, arrogance and deceit…

The whole history of mankind, proudly wishing to become gods – is it no the history of nations, who have been already conquered by the power of Satan?

However, someone who wants to obey the handsel, should seek it in Christ, and that one, who is eager to defeat the evil, may receive required and desired assistance from Christ. We can fight, as He did, but we must also remember that we can win only by His name.

That is, by worshiping Him, and serving only Him.

5. “Go away, Satan! Because it is written, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”(Mt. 4:10)

As you know, the spirit of evil couldn’t find a way into the heart of Jesus and went away from him forever. But their personal struggle for our souls has not ended to this day.

FIRST LESSONS OF TRUTH

The words of Jesus were forever ingrained in the memory of his first disciples, as well as the first miracles, presented to them personally. Moreover, they see that everything their teacher touches, acquires a new meaning and a new life in Christ already.

6. “Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, you will see heaven standing open and the angels of God going up and coming down to the Son of Man.”(Jn. 1:51)

7. “Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, whoever hears what I say and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged, but has passed from death to life.”(Jn. 5:24)

These prophetic words of young Jesus did not fit into the concepts of the Jews, who were kept, as they say, on a short leash, by the scribes and Pharisees, that were strongly precipitating the inquiring minds and enslaving religious feelings of their people. People who were being torn by a variety of parties, oppressed by the Romans and discouraged, because, generally speaking, the Jews no longer hoped to see the fulfillment of predictions of their prophets about the appearing of the Messiah.

8. “The light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light because their actions were evil;

Everyone who practices wickedness hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his actions may not be exposed; But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may become evident that his actions have God’s approval.”(Jn. 3:19–21)

And then comes a stranger named Jesus, who dares to say that he is the Lord of the world and there will rule not another king and not even Israel itself, but God himself, and that His mercy will be given to all His creatures. These words evoke worship not only among his disciples, but also among ordinary people. Jesus becomes for them not so much the ideal of holiness and a paragon of virtue, as the good genius, sent them by Providence. And now His word are being passed from mouth to mouth.

9.“ As long as I’m in the world, I’m the light of the world.”(Jn. 9:5)

10. “You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right because that is what I am.”(Jn. 13:13).

ABOUT CHILDREN

Children are a gift of God, and little children – aren’t they a model of humility, purity, innocence and weakness? When young children were brought to Him, Jesus embraced them, laid His hands on them and blessed. Jesus puts children as an example to His disciples. And if children, for one reason or another, are taught to turn away from the teaching of the Savior, what itself is a sin, then, as a result, as they get older, the whole humanity is inevitably affected by metastases of ignorance, cruelty and superstition.

11. “Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”(Mt. 18:4–6)

12. “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”(Mt. 19:14)

ABOUT THE SOUL

The soul of each of us is valued by Jesus Christ more than the whole world.

Do you want to know the price of a soul? No, it can’t be estimated in gold and jewels from all over the world, and not in everything it has. He Himself and His precious life – that was the price of redemption and salvation for all of us.

13. “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”(Mt. 16:26)

And as food is daily required for the life of the body, so the soul daily requires spiritual food, enclosed in every word of God. This is what Jesus is saying, when He appeals to us.

14. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”(Mt. 6:25–34).

It is believed that the soul of the people consists of a total of individual souls of residents of some country. And if one of them suddenly indurates or gets concerned of covetousness, for example, then the metastasis of one mental illness cover over time the souls of all the people. And that is why Jesus appeals to that Jewish people must first of all beware of everything that could destroy their souls.

15. “So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”(Mt. 10:26–28) .

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