Lesson 775

(Lesson 775)(10-09-13) This lesson is taken from Matthew 9:14-17;

"Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved."

This lesson clearly establishes that the Church was established long before the day of Pentecost, and was NOT established by the ministry, nor baptisms, of John the Baptist. The Church started when Jesus selected Peter and James as His first Apostles. They were the first members of His Church.

(NOTE: There is NO scriptural evidence that any of the original twelve Apostles were EVER baptized in water.)

We should note that, in today's lesson, reference is made to "the disciples of John". This establishes that the followers of John (Those who awaited the coming of Christ and practiced Judaism, the Jewish religion.) were a separate group from the disciples of Christ.

There are many today who believe that John's disciples and the disciples of Christ were the same group and that one's baptism must be traced to John the Baptist in order to be a legitimate water baptism. As we can see herein, the water baptism that John administered, had NOTHING to do with the Church that Jesus established. John's water baptism pertained to a totally different group of disciples.

John amassed his Jewish disciples by ceremonially baptizing them in water as per the Law of Moses, thereby preparing them for the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

Just as John himself said, "I indeed baptize you with water UNTO REPENTANCE: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:"

The following statement also makes a clear distinction between the disciples of John and the disciples of Christ. "Why do WE and the Pharisees fast oft, but THY DISCIPLES fast not?" This shows that, in that statement, there is an US and a THEM.

Jesus said, in essence, that where there is no sin, there is no need of redemption. John's disciples believed they were redeemed by the law. The purpose of Jesus' coming was to be a redeemer to those who believed they needed to be redeemed. He went on to explain, by using metaphors, how salvation by grace, could not be reconciled with the rules of the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses and salvation by grace through faith, are two completely different doctrines. If we, as the early Jews tried to, mix the two doctrines, both become worthless. Therefore Jesus fulfilled the law for those of us who believe in Him, and established His new law of grace.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)