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From Heaven With Love
People Gathering to Jesus
In one of the earliest prophecies of Christ it is written, “The
scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between
his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the
people be.”
Genesis 49:10
. The people were gathering to Christ.
If the priests and rabbis had not interposed, His teaching would
have wrought such a reformation as this world has never witnessed.
But these leaders determined to break down the influence of Jesus.
Arraignment before the Sanhedrin and open condemnation would
aid in effecting this. Whoever dared to condemn the rabbinical
requirements was regarded as guilty of treason. On this ground the
rabbis hoped to excite suspicion of Christ as trying to overthrow
established customs, thus causing division among the people, and
preparing the way for complete subjugation by the Romans.
After Satan had failed to overcome Christ in the wilderness, he
combined his forces to oppose Christ and thwart His work. He
matured his plans to blind the minds of the Jewish people that they
might not recognize their Redeemer, imbuing their leaders with his
own enmity against the champion of truth. He would lead them
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to reject Christ and make His life as bitter as possible, hoping to
discourage Him in His mission.
Jesus had come to “magnify the law, and make it honorable.”
Isa-
iah 42:21
. He had come to free the Sabbath from those burdensome
requirements that had made it a curse instead of a blessing. For this
reason He had chosen the Sabbath for the healing at Bethesda. He
could have healed the sick man on any other day, or simply have
cured him without bidding him bear away his bed. But He selected
the worst case and told the man to carry his bed through the city to
publish the great work wrought on him. This would open the way
for Him to denounce the restrictions of the Jews in regard to the
Lord’s day and to declare their traditions void.
Jesus stated that the work of relieving the afflicted was in har-
mony with the Sabbath law. God’s angels are ever ministering to
suffering humanity. “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” All
the days are God’s, in which to carry out His plans for the human
race. If the Jews’ interpretation of the law was correct, then He who