Blog of Paul Henderson
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October 17, 2009
What did you learn about Jesus` background that stands out or surprises you?

As my knowledge of this period is sparse, there is much that surprises me. I did not know that relative religious and political freedom was permitted by the Romans. 

I understand from the infamous nativity, of the evil nature of Herod, but underestimated the extent of such. Surely, he was virtually insane or so infected by demonic influence so as to be incapable of basic human compassion. 

I am also surprised at the relative freedom enjoyed by the Jewish people under Roman rule. Their customs were tolerated by the Romans (save for Roman idols in their temples). I can understand the Jewish desire for the 'messiah' to be a military leader and to recover the fortune and glory of David. They had been subjugated for a long time.  

I understand from this lesson and other perusals that Israel and the surrounding area was a dangerous place to live in those turbulent times. The political climate was very unstable and there were numerous ruthless and evil dictators

By: Paul Henderson - October 17, 2009 - Public
Category: First Century Context and History
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October 14, 2009
My summary of Jesus

Jesus is named by John as the Word and the bible tells us the Word  was with God from the beginning. Moreover, he was co-creator of the universe. This assures us of the sovereignty of Jesus. 

The incarnation of Jesus into human form could be attributed to numerous reasons. The old testament tells us that animal sacrifices were utilised partly, to sanctify people after sin (I believe). Jesus was to be the final sacrifice to replace these old customs and to atone for the sin of mankind; the sacrificial lamb of God. He was a bridge between life and death, without which we would surely have perished.  He also gave us a living example of how we should live and provided us with a precise and detailed instruction book  to assist us on the path to life. Moreover, he introduced us to a living guide; the Holy Spirit, to empower us in the fight against sin and temptation.

We are in a very real battle between the opposing forces of Jesus and Satan. Jesus willingly died as a result of this war for our sake. Jesus loves all of us and fervently desires each and every one of us survive this conflict. If one falls and is captured by the enemy and a veil of sin is cast over them, do we turn the other cheek or do we reach down and lend a hand like our Lord did. 

I find the love Jesus has for us incomprehensible.

He suffered horrendously at the hands of man. He suffered extreme physical and emotional trauma, degradation, and agony we cannot comprehend. However, I believe this is little compared to the pain he would have felt whilst dying on the cross when wave after wave of human sin washed over him thus separating him from God; a father from whom he had never been apart before. The bible tells us of his anguished cry of being forsaken by God.

God's very nature of love and purity could not tolerate such iniquity and as such, God turned his face from his son. And yet...he still loves us. 


By: Paul Henderson - October 14, 2009 - Public
Category: Brief Life Summaries
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October 14, 2009
My summary of Jesus
The sovereignty of Jesus is assured through the depiction of him as the Word' who was with God in the beginning and was co-creator.  

By: Paul Henderson - October 14, 2009 - Public
Category: Brief Life Summaries
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October 14, 2009
I am a little confused with the concept of the forgiveness of sin and promised eternal life. Jesus says that if we accept him as our Saviour, we will have eternal life. However, as we are all guilty of sin, even after acknowledgment of Jesus as our Saviour and attempted obedience, does this invalidate our claim to eternal life. As a relatively new Christian I struggle with sin and stumble time and time again. "The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father." (Matthew 13:41-43)

By: Paul Henderson - October 14, 2009 - Public
Category: Jesus States Reality of Judgment to Heaven or Hell
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October 14, 2009
I find the story of Jesus's betrayal a paradox. Judas betrayed the son of God, but this betrayal was a key element in the death of Jesus, without which we would not be in the privileged but unworthy position of forgiveness and promised of eternal life. Sorry for sidetracking but an interesting point I happened upon recently threw a fresh perspective on the betrayal. It was suggested that the motivation for Judas was not money. Judas sought to provoke Jesus to revolutionary action against roman tyranny and to restore the former glory enjoyed by the jews under the reign of David. This concept was also forwarded on another site but linked to the pharisees expectation of the messiah; son of David.

By: Paul Henderson - October 14, 2009 - Public
Category: Brief Life Summaries
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