---------------News-------------

A couple of issues ago I did an article on AIDS and why it is increasing even though we know how to prevent it. I read a UPI article that stated that 75,000 New York City residents carry the HIV virus. That is scary.

The article I wrote concerning death inspired me to add a web page to my site called Life After Death. I simply elaborated on what I wrote about in the last issue of Sight Unseen.

---------The Passion Of Christ-------------

Last night, Mel Gibson's movie opened to the public. Since the movie deals with the last 12 hours of Christ's life and the enormity of the penalty Christ paid for our sin in graphic detail, I predict it will be one of the most successful and profitable movies ever made.

Since the gospel (Christ died so that we might live) is being broadcast to the world, I guarantee you that the present ruler of this world will not sit idly by. This will be the most controversial movie ever made. Since Satan controls the media, this movie will be attacked from every front.

How is Satan attacking this movie now? The articles that I have read claim that this movie is Anti-Semitic because it puts the blame of Christ's crucifixion on the Jews. That is a gross misunderstanding. Christ was crucified because of sin. Jew and Gentile were equally responsible for Christ going to the cross.

Satan will use this movie to stir up anti-semitism because Satan's goal is to wipe the Jewish race off of the face of this planet. He is currently using the surrounding Arab countries in what will prove to be a futile effort in wiping out the Jewish race. The Jews have been persecuted for centuries. Why?

It goes back to the Passion of Christ. Christ was and is the Jewish Messiah. Matthew tells us why the Jews have suffered so much in Chapter 27. 21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. 22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. 23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. 24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. 25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

The Jewish people verbally took the blame for Christ's crucifixion. This illustrates the power of words. The world was created simply because God spoke. Israel had rejected their Messiah and as a result Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D. and the Jews were scattered among the nations. This is called the diaspora. The diaspora is over as the Jews are now back in their homeland of Israel. Their Messiah is coming back. This time they will accept Him.

The movie, the Passion of Christ, depicts in graphic detail what Christ had to go through to pay the penalty for our sin. Romans 6:23 states For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ paid the penalty for us and Mel Gibson's movie shows what Christ had to endure.

Just from memory, I know that Christ received 39 lashes. The 39 lash rule is that 40 lashes would kill a man. This means that Christ was whipped to within an inch of what would kill an ordinary man. Christ had a crown of thorns placed on His head after this. Those long, razor sharp thorns piercing into His head added to the agony he was already suffering. Then they made Him carry the cross up to the hill where He was to be crucified. That cross was made of wood. It was also very heavy as it had to be bigger than a man and able to bear the weight of a man.

Once upon the hill, Christ was nailed to the cross. The nails used were not from Ace Hardware. These were long, thick pieces of metal that were nailed through the wrists of Christ so they would support His weight while he was hanging on the cross. If they had been nailed through His hands, His body weight would have caused the flesh and ligaments to come apart in His hands and He would have fallen off of the cross. They also nailed his feet.

While hanging on the cross, a Roman soldier thrust his spear into Jesus's side, causing blood and water to spring forth. The Creator of the universe was suffering complete humiliation because a sin debt had to be paid. All of these things Christ gladly endured. What Christ couldn't bear was the fact that His father (God) had turned his back on Him. While Christ was bearing all of mankind's sin for all of eternity, He became separated from God (remember Christ is God in the flesh). This was too much for Christ to bear and at that moment He willingly gave up His spirit and died. No one took Christ's life...He voluntarily gave it.

After the Pope had viewed The Passion of Christ, he simply stated, "It is as it was".

-------------Bible Quiz------------

1. Fertility was very important if the blessing was to be passed down from generation to generation, yet most of the women in Genesis were initially barren. Who was not barren? A. Rachel B. Sarah C. Tamar D. Rebekah

2. In revealing himself to Moses and the Israelites, God said his name was: A. Father B. Yahweh C. Jealous D. The All-Merciful

3. Although Abraham is considered the founder of monotheism, it is clear in the Pentateuch that many non-Hebrews worshipped the one, true God. Pick the person who seem notto have believed in God. A. Melchizedek B. Jethro C. Abimelech D. Bera

4. Who buried Moses? A. Aaron B. God C. Joshua D. The elders

5. Adam's excuse for eating of the tree of knowledge was: A. The serpent had tricked him into it. B. The woman gave him the fruit. C. He wanted wisdom to understand God's word. D. He didn't know he wasn't supposed to.

6. Cain murdered Abel because: A. He was jealous of Adam's affection for his younger brother. B. He was jealous when God chose Abel's sacrifice over his. C. He was envious of Abel's cattle and sheep since he had none. D. He was lured into a rage by Abel's tauntings.

7. The Lord made a covenant with Abraham in his 99th year, and as a token ordered Abraham to: A. Sacrifice his son Ishmael B. Give a tithe to the priest Melchizedek. C. Destroy all his household gods. D. Circumcise himself and all his men.

8. The angel who was about to destroy Sodom kept hurrying Lot to flee, even taking him by the arm when he hesitated, because: A. Otherwise Lot and his family would be killed in the conflagration. B. He couldn't destroy the town until Lot was safe. C. The townspeople were about to assault his daughters. D. He was afraid Lot was about to warn the townspeople.

9. God destroyed Sodom because of its rampant: A. Homosexuality B. Greed C. Contempt D. Inhospitality

10. Sarah told Abraham to cast out his concubine Hagar and her son, Ishamel, because: A. She didn't want Ishmael to share in the inheritance with her son Isaac. B. She was afraid he loved Hagar more than her. C. Abraham spent more time with Hagar than with Sarah. D. Hagar hoarded all the best things for herself and her son.

-----------Answers To Previous Bible Quiz-------------

1. When the pagan soothsayer Balaam went up on the mountain to curse the Israelites, he saw their great numbers and exclaimed: A. What hath God wrought!

2. According to Genesis, the entire human race flowed from Adam. But not everyone was a part of this direct descent. Who was not a part of the direct line? B. Cain

3. When he sent Cain into exile, the Lord placed a mark on his forehead so all would know he was: B. protected

4. Since it is the story of Creation, Genesis contains a lot of firsts. Match the first with the approximate person (with so few people an so many firsts there can be multiple answers)

a. First city builder - Cain 5:17

b. First hunter - Nimrod 10:9

c. First shepherd - Abel 4:2

d. First farmer - Cain 4:2

e. First shepherdess - Rachel 29:9

f. First priest - Melchezidek 14:18

g. First altar builder - Noah 8:20

h. First drunk - Noah 9:21

i. First polygamist - Lamech 4:23

j. First daughter mentioned - Naamah 4:22

k. First prophet - Abraham 20:7

l. First craftsman - Tubalcain 4:22

m. First bargainer - Abraham 18:13

n. First to commit incest - Lot (verified by the Bible) 19:33 Cain (but not verified by the Bible)

o. First to be assumed into heaven - Enoch 5:24

p. First rapist - Shechem 34:2

5. When Sarah overheard the Lord tell Abraham that she would soon conceive a child, she: C. laughed

6. Laban pursued Jacob after he left his territory because he believed Jacob had stolen: C. his household gods

7. Jacob spent the night before he was to confront his brother, Esau, and his "welcome-home" committed of 400 armed men: D. wrestling with an assailant

8. Laban was not entirely innocent himself. He had tricked Jacob into marrying his daughter: B. Leah

9. Tricks abound in Genesis. Match the trickster with the person tricked: (There can be multiple answers)

1. Abraham tricked Pharoah and Abimelech (Gen 12:11-20; 20)

2. Jacob fooled Isaac (Gen. 27)

3. Rachel tricked Laban (Gen. 31:33-35)

4. Joseph tricked Benjamin (Gen. 44:2-13)

5. Simeon deceived Shechem and his father (Gen. 34)

6. Tamar deceived Judah (Gen. 38)

10. The Covenant was originally made with one family, to be passed as a blessing from father to son. Which of these Patriarchs was not in the line of inheritance? D. Judah

Copyright 2003 by Gary Goodworth