Strikingly, In spite of people’s eagerness for close ups, disciples’ lack of interest in Jesus’ description about the completion of His redeeming task categorized them among the unregenerate (Luke 18: 31-34). Even though the twelve followed Jesus for the whole three years and appeared to be most zealous people that ever lived on the face of the earth before Jesus, He perceived them to be spiritually impaired as a blind man (Luke 18: 35-43).So, Jesus prescribed a persistent reliance on him as the son of David which would be the cure to their spiritual ignorance.

But why was Christ’s suffering at Jerusalem so crucial to the disciples?

First, Christ’s suffering is the key that unfolds the entire Old Testament’s writings concerning His independent power on offering Himself as a complete sacrifice (Luke 18: 31-32).

“Jesus took the twelve aside and told them, ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again. ”

 According to Luke’s presentation, no one takes charge on Christ’s death except Himself. The Voice Luke used in verse 32(with statements such as, “He will be handed, will be mocked, mistreated, and spit upon”) is passive. By this the point Luke tried to communicate is that not even a single person has any right to claim authority on Jesus’ sufferings and death other than Christ alone. Jesus affirms this in John 10: 17-18 in a more clear way.

“The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Second, Christ’s suffering is the God ordained plan which holds the entire mankind accountable (Luke 18: 33).“…and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him…”

  As the phrase, “which are written through the prophets,” (verse 31), unveils it, Christ’s death on the cross is God’s predetermined plan (Luke 24:46, Rev. 13:8). But, that is only partial truth of the gospel accounts. Luke along with other Biblical witnesses testifies that Jews and Gentiles without separation take the blame for shedding the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s son. Is God responsible for causing people to kill Jesus? By no means! In fact, none of the scriptures support this assumption. Instead, the Bible conveys that the whole human race contributed for the assassination of Jesus due to their slavery under sin and strong attachment to the devil (John 8: 34- 47). Thus Luke presents the simultaneousness of God’s sovereignty and the responsibility of sinful humanity in Acts 2: 23 quoting peters preaching.

“This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men put him to death by nailing him to the cross.”

 Third, Christ’s suffering is the means through which Christ demonstrates His absolute triumph over His foes. “…and the third day He will rise again” (Luke 18: 23). As the first part of the statement indicates, Christ’s resurrection is an antithesis to the suffering and death inflicted to Jesus through sinful people. In this case Jesus’ resurrection was not only a display of His power to demolish sin and death but also to unveil the vanity of evil people to kill the prince of life (Acts 3: 13-15).

Christ’s suffering narratives, even now, deserve Christians’ full attention. Themes like Sacrificial systems, God’s control, man’s accountability, and Christ’s victory over His enemies are considerable portions of the Bible reading portrayed clearly in Christ’s suffering.  Additionally, The Old Testament significantly anticipated Christ’s suffering while the New Testament celebrates it. So, if partaking in God’s redemptive History is essential it can never happen apart from understanding the suffering of Jesus Christ. Thus, To give no focus to Christ’s suffering is to be blind for God’s overall purpose and work; to give less attention to the crucified Lord is to grasp insignificant amount from God’s wisdom; but, to devout ones whole being to understand the cross is to obtain spiritual sight that enables to walk rightly in the ways of God. Let us return to the cross!

Christian faith’s pinnacle requires more steps to go than becoming content with ability to discern. In fact, unlike its usefulness to the church abilities to straighten the church’s teaching up well, it may involve excess criticism and destroy believers in place of building them up. Ephesus was one of the best churches in Asia Minor in discriminating false teachers. Looking at the church’s strong effort to expel false apostles, Jesus commends the church for relentless refutation of dreadful dithers (Rev. 2:2-4). Nevertheless, He discredits its discernment stamina by what it lacks.

Christian faith’s height goes farther miles than reflecting God’s sentiment against those whom he hate. The church of Ephesus, unlike Pergamum, not only had no room for the Nicolaitans’ philosophy, a sect whose characteristics are unidentified, but also disgust it (Rev. 2:6). Yet even though God conferred upon them some credit for their emotional coalition towards His enemies, by His immediate call for repentance He indicated that their hatred towards God’s enemies is not the most important thing He thirsts for.
The height of Christian faith, then, can never be understood in any less term than loving God with undivided heart. When Jesus, who manifested Himself by His ever indwelling presence among all His believing group of people (Eph.2:1; Mt. 28: 20), continues to address the church of Ephesus He articulated, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Rev.2: 5). Then, by expanding the terrible condition of the church He asserted,”remember from where you have fallen,” (Rev. 2:5). Even though “from where,” is the actual translation of the preposition in the original language, the word” fallen” with its connotative meaning of downward motion gives freedom for the NIV Bible to translate it as “Remember the height from which you have fallen.” Thus our translation bids us see the love God as the height of Christian faith.
New Testament argues that loving God is to be the determining factor of Christians, beginning from Christ’s corroboration of loving God with ones entirety as the most essential practice of the Christian community (Mt. 22: 37), His followers derived similar principles for diverse audience at various occasions. Thus, John stated Christian life style as two dimensional response (I.e. love for God and love for believers) for the manifestation of the divine love (1John 4: 19). Even Paul said, “If any one does not love the Lord is to be accursed (1cor.16: 22).

Do you want to experience the height of Christian faith? Then, Love God! Offer Him your affectionate heart! And value Him more than commandments, even the Ten Commandments. Re-adjust your main concern and make the love of God your priority over “knowledge,” ministry and other religious activities. Then everything will fit together from the main source, which is your love for Jesus Christ.

As October thirty-first passes, cleaning up starts at the stores and homes. The process of normalization finally affects each individual, forcing them to shed their costumes. Yet, when the outfit is removed the dream of pretending to be a famous person also vanishes away, and one is left with the depressing reality of being himself.

In order to reverse this downer the Bible instructs to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (Romans 13: 14).

But how does a person clothe himself with Jesus Christ?

One wraps himself with Jesus Christ when he understands wickedness is diminishing and Salvation is conquering. The Bible declares in Romans 13: 11 that God’s people must shed carousing, drunkenness, sexual immorality, and sensuality. The motivation behind paying the price of removing sinfulness is the immanence of salvation. Verse 12 asserts that this age of iniquity is coming to an end and encourages Christians to wage war against wickedness.

If good is about to prevail why do we experience evil with such great intensity?  The Bible unveils that the author of evil having full awareness that his end is near still acts wildly to secure his survival (Revelation 12: 12). The question is not whether evil prevails, instead it is how much it struggled enough before succumbing to Jesus Christ.

Since normal people want to be in the winning party, donning with Jesus Christ, who is “the armor of light,” and girding up to fight the power of darkness is an astute decision. Therefore, let everybody remove the evil costume which the devil’s fans put on, such as carousing, drunkenness, sexual immorality, and sensuality. Let all start to hate the sins which those who do not have a positive future commit, and learn about Christ. Let everyone embrace Christ’s battle strategy to eradicate the surrounding evil beginning with the love of self, and obey Him as ever-living victorious Lord.

Why do Christians Invite people to join them?  Apostle John gives us two reasons in his first letter to all believers.   

 1 John 1: 1-4 reads, “That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life ^2(and the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us);^[1]” ^that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ: ^4and these things we write, that our joy may be made full. ^[2]”

Christians invite people to their friendliness because the life they have experienced inflames them to share Him with others. Just like a person who attained promotion or one who won the lottery cannot hold back his extreme joy, so Christians cannot keep from declaring their joy about the eternal life they found. John testifies that he and other followers of Christ saw and touched Jesus Christ who is life absolute. They experienced Jesus the life in seeing, hearing His words, and touching Him. Because the life Christians find in relating to Jesus is more than one can ever think they invite people to their assembly and teach about the ever overflowing life that emanates from Jesus. Christians attract anyone they can to reflect the limitless life they obtained because they find nothing that makes them joyful as speaking about Jesus, the everlasting life that breathed upon them(1John 1: 4; Luke 10:17).

Christians invite people into their community because there is God found. The entire New Testament unveils the impracticality of relating to Christ apart from Christ centered Christians. In fact, experiencing Jesus Christ is necessarily explained in relation to corresponding with Christians. John affirms the same concept stating, “that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ” The same John testifies that people who refused to welcome Christians do not associate with true believers and ultimately God (1John 3: 19; 3John 9-10). According to John who ever rejects true Christians are characterized by going out of the Christians Fellowship or contesting Christians out of their society( Jn. 9: ). Nevertheless, neither John nor other inspired authors of the Holy Scripture affirm any possibility of communing with God apart from associating with believers who believe and mainly preach about the God-man Jesus Christ.

Are you a Believer?  Then it is your job to find true believers and be included in their love bond. Are you trying to follow Christ without other Believers? That is abnormal kind of Christianity; you better test what kind of Christianity you have.

^[2] American Standard Version. Oak Harbor, WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995, S. 1 Jn 1:3

Since true faith rests on its object anything less should automatically be treated as a false belief. Defining God other than His real character is corrupting His true personality. But, given that God is a Holy God who does not allow corruption, whoever attempt to communicate God with a persistent omission of some of His characteristics deserves God’s judgment (Exodus 20: 7).

People disassociate God from the teaching of hell because they misunderstand the God of the Bible. Jesus in one of His parables implied that God intended Hell to the Devil and his followers (Mt. 25:41). Yet He also emphatically cautioned his followers with great love and care that multitudes will go to hell(Mt.7: 13-14). You still may ask why many people head to the sphere of damnation? Is that because God is cruel God? Second Peter 3:9 argues the opposite, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

What then, did Christians, such as Baptist preachers; fabricate a non- Biblical teaching of Hell? The clear teachings of Jesus throughout the gospels along with the teachings of the apostles who directly commissioned by Jesus reflect that the doctrine of Hell is a sound Biblical teaching (2^nd Peter 2:1-22; Judah 5-16). Moreover, God’s dealing with the Old Testament people, that is, the blessings for keeping the covenant and the curses for breaking it, bids us think God will continue to deal with humankind through justification and damnation.

So, why do people go to hell? People experience hell because they are evil and hate the good God. Even though God is loving and merciful people exasperate him so that He would have no choice but send them to Hell. Apostle John states the same fact as follows; “And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil.”(Jn.3: 19).

Reader, you are left with two options, change your lifestyle and enjoy the love and mercy of God or pervert the doctrine of hell and anticipate the just judgment of God that fits your evil response to Him.

                ነብዩ ኢሳይያስ፤ ጎስቋላው አገልጋይ(the Suffering Servant) እየተባለ የሚጠራውን  ምእራፍ፤ (ኢሳ. 53) የመስማትን አስፈላጊነት በማውሳት ይጀምራል። “የሰማነውን ነገር” የሚለው ሐረግ፤ እስራኤላውያን የሰሙትን ወይም በነብያት አማካይነት የተነገራቸውን መልእክት ሲያመለክት፤ የአቀራረቡ ድምጸት የነብዩን ቁጭት፤ በተጣማጅም የእስራኤላውያንን ውድቀት ይጠቁማል።

        ለመሆኑ እስራኤላውያን በነብያት አማካይነት የተነገረውን የእግዚአብሔርን መልእክት መስማት ለምን አስፈለጋቸው? ምክንያቱም ፤ እግዚአብሔር  የፈቃዱ ማጠቃለያ አድርጎ ለእስራኤላውያን የሰጣቸው መመሪያ “ስማ” ከሚለው አንክሮአዊ ቃል ጋር ከመያያዙም በላይ  በእስራኤላዊያን የአምልኮ ስርአት ላይ ትልቅ ቦታ የሚሰጠው፤ እንዲሁም ለአቅመ አዳም የደረሰ ወንድ ሁሉ በቃሉ የሚያነበንበው የእስራኤላው ያን አንዱ የ ኅይማኖት ምሰሶ ነው(ዘዳ. 6:4፤ ማር. 12:28-34)።

        አስገራሚው ክስተት ግን እስራኤላውያን እንደ እግዚአብሔር ህዝብ ልዩ የሚያደርጋቸውን ትእዛዝ በኅይማኖተኝነት ጭምብል ተሸብበው መተላለፋቸው ነው። በዚህም መንገድ እግዚአብሔር ስለመታዘዝ ሲናገር እስራኤላውያን ግን  መስዋዕትን ስለማቅረብ ያስቡ ነበር፤ ስለመስማት ሲሟገት እነርሱ ግን፤ አያሌ ክርስቲያን ነን ባዮች ቀኑን በሙሉ ያሻቸውን ሁሉ ሲያደርጉ ከዋሉ በኋላ ከመኝታ በፊት በሚያገርጉት “የንስሃ ጸሎት” እግዚአብሔርን ሊያሞኙት እንደሚሞክሩት ሁሉ፤በምርጥ እጅ መንሻ ትዕዛዙን መተላለፋቸውን ሊያስተባብሉ የተቻላቸውን በሙሉ ያደርጉ ነበር(1ኛ ሳሙ. 15፡ 22)።

         የእስራኤላውያን ያለመታዘዝ ሊወጡበት ወደማይችሉበት እመቀመቅ ውስጥ ከተታቸው። የመጀመርያው የእስራኤላውያን ያለመታዘዝ ጠንቅ የማዕረግ ዝቅጠት ሲሆን፤ ይህም እግዚአብሔርን የመስማት ችሎታን መነጠቃቸውን ያመለክታል። በዚህም ምክንያት እግዚአብሔር እስራኤላውያንን፤ ደንቆሮ ብሎ ጠራቸው(ኢሳይያስ 42: 18-22)። የእስራኤላውያን ጽኑ ዐመጽ እግዚአብሔርን፤ ለሰራተኞች የማይገባ መመሪያ ሰጥቶ ትክክለኛውን ውጤት የማያስረክቡትን ቅጥረኞች በመጥፎ ሁኔታ እንደሚቅጣ፤ ፍርደ ገምድል አልቃ አደረገው (ኢሳ. 6: 10-13)። በሌላ አነጋገር የእስራኤላውያን እምቢተኝነት እግዚአብሔርን እስራኤላውያንን ለማደነጋገርና በማዳን ፈንታ ወደ ፍርድ ለመምራትእንዲናገር አነሳሳው(ኢሳ. 28፡ 7-13)።

        ዛሬም ቢሆን የማይለወጠው የእግዚአብሔር ቃል፤ የእግዚአብሔርን ቃል ሰምቶ አለመታዘዝ መንፈሳዊ ሞትን እንደሚያስከትል ያስጠነቅቃል። ጌታ ኢየሱስ፤ “ላለው ይጨመርለታል፤ ይበዛለትማል፤ ከሌለው ግን ያ ያለው እንኳ ይወሰድበታል” ሲል ለተገለጠው የእግዚአብሔር መልእክት ፈጣን ምላሽ ያለመስጠት መዘዝ የህይወት ሁሉ ምንጭ ከሆነው ከእግዚአብሔር ለዘለዓለም መለየት እንደሆነ ያስጠነቅቃል(ማቴ. 13፡ 12-15)። የዕብራውያን ጸሐፊም፤ “የሚናገረውን እርሱን እምቢ እንዳትሉት ትጠንቀቁ።እነዚያ ከምድር ሆኖ ሲያስጠነቅቃቸው የነበረውን እምቢ ባሉ ጊዜ ካላመለጡ፤ እኛ ከሰማይ የመጣው ሲያስጠነቅቀን ከእርሱ ብንርቅ እንዴት ልናመልጥ እንችላለን?”(ዕብ.12፡ 25) ብሎ ያሰምርበታል።

        አንተስ እንዴት ነህ? ለተሰበከልህ የኢየሱስ አዳኝነትን መልእክት ተገቢውን ምላሽ ሰጥተሃል? ወይስ ለንስሃ ጸሎት አብቃኝ እያልክ ራስህን ታሞኛለህ? የእግዚአብሔር መልእክት በተደጋጋሚ ወደአንተ መምጣቱ የሚያሳየው የእግዚአብሔርን ስራ ፈትነት ሳይሆን እግዚአብሔር በቸርነቱ የማይገባህን እድል መስጠቱን ነው። የእግዚአብሔርን ቃል ብታጣጥል ግን ወደበለጠ ድንዛዜና ወደ ፍጹም ክህደት ውስጥ ትገባለህ፤ መጨረሻህም ጥፋት ይሆናል(ሮሜ. 1:28-32)።