The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Chronicles 29:17-19, “Now they began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they entered the porch of the LORD. Then they consecrated the house of the LORD in eight days, and finished on the sixteenth day of the first month.

18 Then they went in to King Hezekiah and said, “We have cleansed the whole house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all of its utensils, and the table of showbread with all of its utensils.

19 “Moreover, all the utensils which King Ahaz had discarded during his reign in his unfaithfulness, we have prepared and consecrated; and behold, they are before the altar of the LORD.”

Men and women are vastly different in many ways. For one thing, men don’t see dust; women complain that they cannot see the furniture because of the dust. In recent months, a Christian lady has been coming to clean my house. It was the first time

in my life that I heard the term “deep cleaning.” If you wipe off the kitchen counter, it is clean. How do you “deep clean” a kitchen counter? So, I find myself in school again –as a student, learning what “deep cleaning” means when applied to “dust.”

Ahaz became King of Judah when he was 20 years old. To say that he did not understand “deep cleaning” is an understatement.

In fact, Ahaz became an admirer of pagan gods and really spread “dust” everywhere! The LORD’s House was ignored and the

people became followers of pagan gods and riled the LORD considerably! In time, Ahaz died and Hezekiah, his son, became king. Some kids just have it all together! Hezekiah saw the “dust” in the LORD’s House and immediately called for a “deep cleaning.” Don’t ever let anyone tell you that pastors and deacons don’t see “dust.” Hezekiah’s spiritual leaders saw it and moved immediately to thoroughly cleanse the LORD’s House. It took them eight days.

When the cleansing was completed, these Priests and Levites came to King Hezekiah and said, “We have cleansed (taher, purified) the whole house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all of its utensils…” Naming King Ahaz as the one who neglected the LORD’s House, they indicated the depth of their cleaning when they mentioned the utensils. These had been cleansed and consecrated to the LORD like everything else.

The utensils captured my attention. Who thinks about knives and forks and spoons when it comes to cleaning the house? The lady who periodically cleans my house has never washed my eating utensils. But when the LORD cleanses, He cleanses everything! We are His utensils. We don’t amount to as much as some larger things. We just hide in the drawers of the kitchen. But His cleansing of us is thorough, whether we’re on display or not. And when company comes, and we’re needed, no one has to ask if we’re clean. They can see us sparkle in His handiwork. Furthermore, we’re important to the company. Have you ever

cried to eat chocolate cake without a fork, or eat ice cream without a spoon?

You are important to God! He wants His company to see His love and concern for them. And His use of us is one way He does it.

He cleansed you from your sin. Keep clean, so others will see His handiwork and come to Him for cleansing, too. He does “deep cleaning”; but that only has to happen once! May God cleanse, bless, and use you abundantly is my prayer.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

2 Chronicles 26:3-5, 15b-16a, “Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in

Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jechiliah of Jerusalem.

4 And he did right in the sight of the LORD according to all that his father Amaziah had done.

5 And he continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he

sought the LORD, God prospered him,” and “…his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

16 But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the LORD his God…”

Not everyone, who starts out right finishes and wins the race. If 16 years old seems a bit too young to be anointed king, you and I are thinking along the same lines. But, it was the way of those in Old Testament times. Most of the time it had to do with lineage.

Yet, sometimes the one who proved his courage in winning a battle was sufficient for exaltation to the high office of king.

Not everyone who starts out well ends up the same way. The kid who was the last to be chosen for the sandlot ball team and ends up winning the game by hitting a three-run homer, is certain to be the first-chosen the next time the boys decided to play.

But a cranky attitude and a smug pride will ultimately sidelined him from all future games.

Uzziah was that 16-year-old boy who became king. He followed the footsteps of his father, Amaziah, and did right toward the LORD. The verse above tells us that “as long as he sought the LORD, God prospered him.” But it was then his heart became flooded with pride. He trusted his own instincts and overstepped his boundaries when he barged into the Temple of the LORD and behaved corruptly and unfaithfully toward the LORD. His ending was totally the opposite of his beginning.

That can happen to us! King Solomon wrote, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling” (Pro. 16:18).

Pride can occur right in the pulpit. Years ago, I witnessed a young preacher, who started his message with the credible appearance of true humility. Hardly into his message, he looked at the clock on the wall and said, “Wow, only 10 minutes gone! We’re really movin’ now.” In that instant, pride took over, and whatever message the LORD had given him, was replaced with the stuttering, mismanagement of words that pride itself had inserted. Be faithful to the LORD! Study and share only His Word with those who need Him. He will bless! He is faithful! And He tramples pride beneath His feet as He leads us into glorious paths of spiritual righteousness.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Matthew 28:1-7, “Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other

Mary came to look at the grave.

2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the

stone and sat upon it.

3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his garment as white as snow;

4 and the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

5 And the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has

been crucified.

6 “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.

7 “And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going before you into Galilee, there

you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

On the eve of this Resurrection Sunday, it seemed appropriate that I should send you some fundamental–

PROOFS OF

THE RESURRECTION

OF JESUS CHRIST

Once again Resurrection Sunday is upon us. Of all the precious doctrines encompassed by the Holy Scripture, none is more vital than the Resurrection of our LORD Jesus Christ.

When it became necessary for our LORD Jesus to state in unequivocal terms precisely why He had come to Earth, He said, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

The Apostle Paul explained yet more precisely how the LORD’s salvation was to work, he wrote, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved” (Romans 10:9). The apostle further supports his thesis with evidence cited in First Corinthians 15, the “resurrection chapter.”

Someone in more modern times stated that “the most incontrovertible fact in human history is the resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ from the dead.” Quite evidently, it is so because with the passing of some 2,000 years, the fact of Jesus’ Resurrection has suffered no refutation.

Considering everything, we can offer the following spiritually logical truths in support of Jesus’ literal, physical, bodily resurrection from the grave:

I. First, Jesus’ body was not stolen!

1. Jesus’ enemies would not have stolen His body because that would have propagated the very prediction that

He would rise from the dead.

2. Jesus’ disciples could not have stolen His body because Pilate established Roman guards to stand watch over

the tomb lest His body be stolen.

(1) Ironically, many of Jesus’ disciples were not fully convinced of His Resurrection itself until His

post-resurrection appearances.

(2) The very character and the later history of the disciples compels us to believe that they neither

stole nor secretly carried away the body of Jesus.

II. In nearly 20 centuries, no body –except the Resurrected body of Jesus Christ– was ever found. Thus, the evidence needed

to disprove Christ’s prophecy is missing.

III. The mathematical probability of anyone being able to perpetrate any hoax –especially concerning Christ’s Resurrection–

over 20 centuries is astronomically negative!

IV. The prophecy prediction record of the Old Testament is 100 percent accurate!

V. Notice that the chief priests and the elders never questioned whether the tomb was empty. There is no record anywhere

that they even questioned whether the guards’ report were true. They knew is was true!

VI. Notice that the soldiers were told to say that Jesus’ disciples came and stole the body away while they (the soldiers) were

asleep! How could they have known what was going on if they were asleep?

VII. The leaders of Judaism in Jerusalem, who had put the LORD Jesus to death, had nothing to offer to contradict these

disciples as they continued to preach Jesus and His Resurrection– because all Jerusalem knew the tomb was empty. If

there had been trickery involved, sooner or later it would have been suspected, then proven.

VIII. Had fraud occurred, surely one of the disciples, even most of them, would have confessed it under the horrendous

persecution they underwent. It may be possible to live a lie, but men seldom die for a lie –and most of these men died

for what they believed.

IX. The result ultimately would have been that the message that Christ had risen would have suffered the fate of all such

unfounded stories– it would have lost its power. Instead, this truth has swept the world, closed pagan temples, won

millions of disciples, brought hope to a despairing humanity, was the very foundation truth of the early Church, and is

as freshly glorious as ever!

X. But not only did Jesus come alive again, He did not disappear to leave the disciples speculating through all the subsequent

days as to what had happened to Him. Instead, He appeared to them literally, visibly, frequently and in bodily form –to

more than 500 believers following His Resurrection from the dead.

After more than 60 years in the Christian ministry, it has been my observation that those who persist in denying the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, are in the grip of some personal sin, which they are unwilling to surrender in order to lay hold of Christ. As with physical survival, it is in the nature of man to embrace hope, not to disparage or deny it. Thus, when men engage in unmitigated attacks upon the only One who offers true hope to all mankind, it is undeniable proof both of man’s own decadence and of his love of sin (GLJ).

You just might want to hold on to these proofs, as you witness of our LORD Jesus. If you have yet to accept Him as your LORD,

please consider these proofs. To whom else could they be applied except Him? Don’t wait! Trust Him right now!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

John 19:36-37, “For these things came to pass, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, ‘Not a bone of Him shall be broken.’ 37 And again another Scripture says, ‘They shall look on Him whom they pierced.’”

Tomorrow is Resurrection Sunday! (I don’t recommend the use of the term “Easter,” as it comes from a pagan goddess.) But, before the Resurrection of our LORD Jesus, it was necessary that He die on a cross. Why was that necessary? It is because the Father so willed it that our sins might be forgiven.

WHAT IS CRUCIFIXION?

The Romans learned crucifixion from the Carthaginians in North Africa. It is yet the most inhumane form of execution known to man. Here, a medical doctor provides a physical description:

The cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted man is quickly thrown backwards with his shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist deep into the wood. Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flex and movement. The cross is then lifted into place. The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed.

The victim is now crucified.

As he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain – the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, he places the full weight on the nail through his feet. Again, he feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of his feet.

As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through his muscles, knotting them deep relentless, and throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath.

Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subsided. Spasmodically, he is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen.

Hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-renting cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up and down against rough timber. Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.

It is now almost over. The loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level. The compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues. The tortured lungs are making frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air He can feel the chill of death creeping through his tissues.

Finally, as He allows His body to die, He yields up His Spirit to the Father and cries, “It is finished! Into Thy hands I commit my Spirit.”

What wondrous love is this! He loved us that we might love Him and love one another. Have you committed your life to Him? My prayer is that you will trust Him as you read this Letter. Then, die to yourself, and live your life to His glory!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Did Jesus Receive a Fair Trial?

by Ralph Mawdsley, Ph.D., J.D.

The concept of procedural due process, or fair treatment, is essentially a biblical concept. What is considered to be fair treatment for a person accused of a crime varies greatly among governing units, but at the very least due process includes an opportunity for an accused to present his side of a controversy before an impartial tribunal (cf. Deut. 17:6; 19:15; Num. 35:24). But where a governmental unit has added specific due process requirements to those mentioned in Scripture, that government’s fairness in handling an accused must be evaluated in light of those additional requirements.

Jesus had been accused of misleading those easily misled (probably the young and elderly, Luke 23:2), uttering treasonous statements regarding taxes (Luke 23:2), and encouraging Jews to rebel against Rome (Luke 23:5). The Sanhedrin, as part of Rome’s accommodation to various groups within its empire, was permitted to exercise broad authority over civil and religious areas involving controversies among Jews. Over the years, the Sanhedrin had devised an elaborate set of procedures to ensure fairness to an accused. Among such procedures were the following:

* Judicial meetings at night or the day before a Sabbath were forbidden.

* No member of the Sanhedrin could be an arresting officer, and arrests could not be made after sundown.

* The Sanhedrin was required to be impartial as a hearing tribunal.

* The initial interrogation of an accused was to be before an examining board (three to seven members) of the Sanhedrin or the entire Sanhedrin, never an individual member.

* Witnesses were to be interrogated before the accused, and the accused was never required to incriminate himself.

* An accomplice in a crime was not considered credible to testify, and an accused had a right of cross-examination.

* The High Priest was never to express his opinion until all others had spoken, and physical violence toward an accused was forbidden.

* A record of the proceedings was required to be kept.

* At least two votes among Sanhedrin had to be cast on behalf of the accused before there could be a conviction, and at least one witness had to appear on the accused’s behalf.

* Sentencing could not be done on the same day as conviction.

* Witnesses were to be the first to lay hands on the accused at an execution (executions possible only with Roman consent).

Even a cursory reading of Scripture will reveal that none of the above requirements were met. The Sanhedrin met at night (Luke 22:66; John 18:28), as well as on the day before the Sabbath (Mark 15:42). A member of the Sanhedrin was apparently one of the arresting officers (Matt. 26:55), and Christ’s arrest occurred after sundown (John 18:3). The Sanhedrin as a body plotted against Jesus early in His ministry and thus denied its status as an impartial tribunal (cf. Mark 11:18, 14:1-2). Christ’s first interrogation occurred separately before two members of the Sanhedrin (John 18:13,19-24). Christ was placed under oath without prior witness testimony and in spite of protection against self-examination (Matt. 26:63; Deut. 17:6; Mark 14:60-62). Contradictory testimony of accusing witnesses was never challenged by cross-examination (Mark 14:55-57). The High Priest led the way in condemning Jesus and permitted acts of physical violence by other members of the Sanhedrin (John 18:13,24; Mark 14:63,65, cf. Lev. 21:10). No written record of the proceedings appeared to have been kept by the Sanhedrin, as evidenced by the rush from conviction to sentencing on the same day (Mark 14:53-15:15).

The Romans who could have negated the Sanhedrin’s hue and cry for Christ’s death nonetheless ignored their own rules of fair treatment. Jesus was denied a public trial and appeared only privately before Pilate and Herod (John 18:28-38; Luke 23:6-12). The Roman assurance of an impartial tribunal became acquiescence in the verdict of an accusing mob (cf. John 18:38 with 19:4-6). The Roman protection against double jeopardy was ignored when Christ was first acquitted by Pilate, then put in jeopardy before Herod, then again acquitted by Pilate, only to be turned over for crucifixion by the same governor.

Even though Christ’s death had been planned within the council of the Godhead from eternity past, there is no question that Jesus was taken “and by wicked hands” was crucified and slain (Acts 2:23).

Ralph Mawdsley is Administrative Counsel and Professor of Educational Law at Liberty Baptist College, Lynchburg, Virginia. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and a J.D. from the University of Illinois. April 1984

Praise the LORD in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”