Rabbi Jesus

“Beware of men.” — Matthew 10:17

Reflection:

Beware of me. Test everything I write here on Substack. Don’t let me “pontificate” too highly, nor tickle your ears. Hold me accountable to the REAL teacher and Rabbi - Jesus. If anything I write goes against something our Savior has spoken and taught in the Bible, then reject it outright and let me know about it. That action will prove that you love me as a brother.

We don’t need scholarly interpreters of the Bible to tell us what the Bible means - “beware of men”.

We don’t need self-proclaimed prophets telling us what to believe - “beware of men.”

We don’t need highfalutin “philosophers” in their respective “Sanhedrins” spouting vanities and threats so that we seek them rather than Jesus’ words - “beware of men.”

And you don’t need me to tell you this - “beware of men”.

“As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.”

— 1 John 2:27

Our teacher is God.

“It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.” — John 6:45

“But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.” — Matthew 23:8-10

Our God became flesh and dwelt among us. When He was here on earth, He clearly taught us how we are to to read and interpret the Bible.

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me.” — John 5:39

“These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” — Luke 24:44-45

Jesus opens our minds to understand what the Bible means. This means that we don’t interpret the Scripture, the Scripture interprets us! That is, if we submit to it. Or rather submit to Jesus.

Of course, Jesus will raise up pastors and teachers to teach and guide us before He returns. But good pastors and teachers will only teach what Rabbi Jesus already taught.

“Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm.” — 2 Corinthians 1:24

Sit at the feet of Jesus in the Gospels. Listen to Him. What is He saying to us about His mission? How are we “interpreted” by Jesus and His work on earth?

“Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

— Luke 24:46-47

Rabbi Jesus has explained the entire Bible to us. He came to take the place of condemnation for our sins.

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—

— Galatians 3:13

And Jesus rose again from the dead for our justification. Rabbi Jesus’ student Paul has explained this further:

“He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.”

— Romans 4:25

And because Rabbi Jesus has risen from the dead in a new, turbo charged body, sitting in sabbath enthronement in the hyper-dimension of heaven next to His Father as “the Son of Man”, we can be assured of everything He has spoken will come to pass. Because He is alive and rules all things, He has personally assured us that His words are true by making the Bible - which has almost 400 detailed prophecies of His coming - the number one best selling book of all time. As Jesus’ selected “messenger to the nations” once said:

“For this has not been done in a corner.”

— Acts 26:26

It is public knowledge. It is not some kind of “secret gnosis” that only the properly initiated can understand. God punished humanity objectively, and in public, for our wickedness and rebellion against His Kingdom - “in” and “through” His Son Jesus Christ - when Jesus willingly went to the cross to bear the curses of the Covenant for us, as our King. Just as in the days of old, the people today still “quarrel” with God over the way He had to do it. The Tree of pronouncing Judgements autonomously is still a delicious fruit…..

So, again, “beware of men.”

And again, beware of me. Hold me accountable to our Rabbi. “Critically examine everything I write (and sing), and hold fast to the good.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:21

“What do (I) have that (I) did not receive? And if (I) did receive it, why do (I) boast as if (I) had not received it? — 1 Corinthians 4:7

“Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.” — Jude 3

The truth has been “once and for all handed down” to us. It cannot be added to or subtracted from with doing violence to it.

And one sure fire way to tell the difference that you are listening to Rabbi Jesus rather than to “men” is that Rabbi Jesus’ teaching will set you free.

“If you continue in My word….., you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

— John 8:31-32

The words of men do not set us free. They imprison us to ourselves, turning us inward on ourselves, making us slaves of ourselves and “the men” who like to “lord it over our faith”. But, Rabbi Jesus’ student and bondslave Paul clearly teaches us:

“I know that nothing good dwells in me.”— Romans 7:18

So why “look inside of yourself” when “nothing good dwells inside of you”!

Rabbi Jesus teaches us instead to “look outside of ourselves” to Him. It is like balancing a pole on your hand. If your eyes are riveted to the top of the pole, it will remained perfectly balanced. But, the minute you get your eyes off of “the top” of the pole and on what you are “doing”, all hell will break loose, and you will lose “the balance”, the “shalom”, the “freedom”.

And this is justification by faith.

By looking OUTSIDE of ourselves - to Jesus, “the Righteous One” - and giving up our lives to Him entirely, we in turn receive all that is His; His condemnation on the cross is ours, as well as His justification in His glorious resurrection from the dead - - - all ours! Simply by giving our lives to Him by faith. He has “placed the cookies on the bottom shelf”, but for some reason, “men” like to take the cookies and place them on the highest shelf which nobody can reach!

Here is the “crap detector” for us.

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

— Galatians 5:1

Turning inward on yourself, and your performance, for assurance of salvation, rather than to the objective, absolving Word of the cross and to the objective (authorized) sacraments given “for you” by the King, will “subject you” to “men” who want to lord it over your faith and freedom. This “subjected slavery” to your performance of balancing “the pole” will wear you out quick, and “the pole” will fall from your hand every time.

So……

“learn not to exceed what is written.” — 1 Corinthians 4:6

Keep your eyes (and ears) fixed on Rabbi Jesus, and His cross and resurrection.

In short. “Beware of men.”