I love to search out, to consider, to untwist (untwizzel) the meaning of scriptures which have, over time, been TWISTED (twizzeled) by our Christian tradition…contrary to the Word.
Doctrine sometimes gets TWISTED.
Pontious Pilate Condemned Christ: Twizzeled: tradition says, ‘Pilate killed Christ.’ Untwizzled Truth: God revealed Christ’s innocence to Pilate by way of a dream to Pilate’s wife (When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him. Matt 27:19).
Matt 27:19). Pilate persisted in giving Christ opportunity to defend himself (Matt 27:11-14, Luke 23:4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man). Pilate persisted in giving the Jews ample opportunity to save their King (Matt 27:17,20). Pilate sent Christ to be heard by Herod who was DELIGHTED to see Him ( And when Herod saw Jesus, he was EXCEEDING GLAD: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him Luke 23:8).
But the chief priests and scribes stood and VEHEMENTLY accused him (Luke 23:10). So now Herod and Pilate get together and discuss the matter. Pilate AGAIN goes before the Jews and pronounces Christ ‘NO FAULT IN THIS MAN.’
When Pilate realized the multitude of chief priests and scribes were insisting on the death of Jesus…and remembering the warning from his wife about her dream…Pilate walked out on his veranda high above the people…washed his hands in a pan of water and said ‘ Matt 27:24 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. Pilate did not condemn Christ.
Judgement was passed on Israel’s blinded remnant of Isaiah 6:10 who knew the prophecy of Elias coming before Messiah but who could not recognize him in John the Baptist -Mt 11:14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 15. He who hath ears to hear, let him hear.’But they were truly ‘blind’ to the reality that Jesus was the Son of God…their Messiah. (Isaiah 6:10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. 11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, 12 And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. 13 But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.)
The deaf/blind remnant of Israel was looking for Elias first to come before Messiah Christ even TOLD them that John the Baptist was Elias…but they could NOT ‘hear’. (‘For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee Matt 11:10) And of ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come Matt 11:14). The blinded and deafened remnant could not ‘RECEIVE’ it…could not RECOGNIZE Elias and, therefore, could not RECOGNIZE/SEE Messiah. Christ who was the wisdom of God…knew their plight according to Isaiah’s prophecy…and concluded the matter by affirming ‘They know not what they do.’ Wow! Huge! Thus, It was GOD through the hands of the ‘blinded’ remnant of Israel who condemned Christ…and not Pilate. The ‘lamb slain from the foundation of the world’ came to give Himself for the sins of the world. And from the Cross these words were heard, “ ’Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. ‘Luke 23:34 Christ said, ‘They know not what they do’…and He does not lie!!! The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world was perfectly orchestrated by God and was never left to the wiles of man. And the blinded of Israel who cried, ‘Give us Barabas’ …who could not know Christ was Messiah…will recognize Elias the forerunner when he returns to preceed the Second Coming of Christ…and will know Christ is Messiah. During the prophecying of the two witnesses (Moses and Elias) in Revelations 11:3-13 … the blinders come off their eyes and as their ears open. Now, they receive Christ as Messiah and give glory to God as the earth is shaking and the heavens are opening at His return.
Untwizzeled Truth: Luke 11:30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.
God prepared Jonah as a ‘type’ of Christ. The whole Jonah and the Whale thing is a picture of the coming death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. As a ‘type’ of Christ Jonas finds himself on a ship where all on board are fallen men…unbelievers. God sends a raging storm which will destroy all aboard unless someone ‘gives’ himself to save the shipmates. As a ‘type’ of Christ… Jonah willingly gave himself to save all on board. After Jonas drowned in the raging sea waters, his body was imprisoned by deatht for three days and nights inside a living thing which carried it to the bottom of the sea. Jonah’s soul cried out to God from his prison of death. His words confirmed that he was cast out from God’s sight. His words affirmed the horrible and desolate travail of a soul separated from God. And in death Jonas trusted God to deliver him from the belly of hell. As a ‘type’ of Christ, after three days, Jonah was Resurrected.
Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. 3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. 4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. 5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. 6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. 7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. 8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. 9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. 10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
Now Jonas knows of death, of burial, of resurrection, of forgiveness, and of restoration for those who believe. God is not stupid!! He makes no mistakes….ev-er! God prepared Jonas for Ninevah. God empowered Jonas for Ninevah. These many generations later, I can hear Jonas as he preached the Gospel of the Kingdom to a fallen and dying Ninevah. They repented!!!
The foreknowledge of God knew EXACTLY what direction Jonas would head and, therefore, foreordained the events involving Jonas and the great fish. The event is the natural to reveal the spiritual. The event is the closest we can come to understanding the sufferings of Christ as He gave Himself for we aboard the ship of Life. It is the closest we can come to knowing the suffering of Christ’s soul imprisoned in Death..separated from all Life. Thus Jesus spoke the following, Matthew 12:39 :But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.Luke 11:32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
I love this post! I worship in a United Methodist Church but I take my beliefs directly from the gospel. I love your terms “twizzled” and “untwizzeled.” Looking forward to reading more. Sandy
Thanks for visiting. the ‘twizzle’ term just seemed to fit ..lol. Doctrine and tradition can sometimes twist the Gospel in confusing ways. And sometimes I just have to vent a little on some of the more obvious ones. Also, I am a Baptist/United Methodist blend. And like you I take my beliefs directly from the Gospel.
Again, thanks for the visit and comment.