The Divine Seed

By William Dewberry

The story of the Divine Seed is a harmony of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and the book gives the reader a day-by-day account of the events in His life. Jesus Christ was the most important person that ever lived or will live and His story is the greatest story ever told. The Divine Seed tells His story in a way that shows the human side of the Son of God as well as His divine nature. The author has written the book in a way that will appeal to Bible students of all ages as well as those who teach Bible classes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481747578

William Dewberry

William E. Dewberry is a retired data communications technician who lives with his wife, Uvonne, in the small community of Crowley, Texas. He is the proud father of three beautiful daughters and five wonderful grandchildren. He has a passion for gardening, loves to travel, and sometimes does volunteer work. His family and his faith mean everything in his life, and each has given him the inspiration to leave this legacy of love called Tribulations.

Book preview

The

Divine

Seed

William Dewberry

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AuthorHouse™

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© 2013 by William Dewberry. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 04/26/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-4758-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-4757-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013907634

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Introduction

The story begins with the universal problem of sin among mankind.

New Testament Story of the Divine Seed

Announcing the Birth of John the Baptist

The Birth of Christ

Passover Feast

John the Baptist begins Teaching and Baptizing

Jesus is Baptized by John

Jesus is tempted by Satan

Jesus Begins His Ministry and Selects Disciples

Jesus Family Lives in Capernaum

Passover feast in Jerusalem

Jesus and the Disciples baptize People

Jesus and the Disciples go to Samaria

Jesus goes to Nazareth

Jesus and the disciples go through Galilee to Capernaum

The Twelve Disciples become Apostles

Jesus chooses Matthew for an Apostle

Jesus goes to Jerusalem for the Passover

Jesus heals in a Jewish synagogue

Jesus preaches the Sermon on the Mount

Jesus leaves the Mountain and begins to Travel

Jesus Eats at the House of a Pharisee

Jesus leaves Capernaum

Jesus Teaches in Parables

Jesus and the disciples cross the Sea of Galilee

The 12 are sent out to Preach

Five Thousand are Fed

Jesus goes to Capernaum

Jesus goes Secretly to the Feast of Booths

Jesus Goes Back to Capernaum then leaves for Tyre

Jesus Miraculously Feeds Four Thousand

Jesus and His Disciples go to Dalmanutha

Jesus travels Again

Jesus Reveals His Suffering and Death

Mount of Transfiguration

Jesus and the Disciples go back to Capernaum

Jesus tells a Parable about Lost Sheep

Jesus goes to Jerusalem

Jesus in the Temple

Christ Heals a Blind Man

Jesus Selects Seventy Disciples and Sent Them out to Teach

Jesus and the Disciples Continue to Travel

Jesus Sends a Warning to be Ready For The Day He Returns

Jesus Travels Again

Jesus Teaches the Pharisees and Lawyers

Jesus Goes to Bethany to Raise Lazarus

The Second Coming

Jesus goes to Judea

The Rich Young Ruler

Jesus and the Disciples go to Jerusalem

Jesus and the Disciples go to Jericho

The Triumphal entry into Jerusalem

Jesus teaches in Parables

Disciples Ask Questions About The Temple

Jesus Predicts His Second Coming

Jesus Talks Directly to the Jews

The Passover Meal-The Lord’s Supper

A New Commandment

Jesus Predicts Peters Denial and The coming conflict

Time For Jesus To Be Glorified

Garden of Gethsemane

The Arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane

The Sanhedrin tries Jesus

The Burial of Jesus

Jesus Resurrection

Acts of the Apostles

Jesus Promised the Power of The Holy Spirit to the Apostles

The Disciples Meet in Jerusalem

The Holy Spirit Guides the Apostles as They Lead the Church

The Kingdom of God Increases and is Formally Recognized

The church continues to grow into a larger kingdom

As the Church grows it Suffers Persecution

Introduction

God is the creator and owner of all things including the life of all people. As the creator and owner, God establishes the rules and principles of life and the consequences for failing to live within the controlling influence of His law. Soon after the creation God told Adam and Eve, the first man and first woman, the rules of His law in order to have a peaceful and orderly society of people to serve Him as sons and daughters. The laws were not so much for the satisfaction of God but for the good of people so they could live together in peace and harmony.

God’s law was revealed to Adam and Eve, but they ignored it, thereby setting a pattern for every generation after them. People living together in societies usually establish laws for their community, and they assess penalties for those who transgress those laws. God has also set penalties for the transgression of His law. The word used to describe a transgression of God’s law is sin and transgression leads to death.

God Himself is the source of life and death, which includes both spiritual and eternal life. Whoever hears the gospel message of Jesus and has faith in Him has eternal life. The Apostle Paul said, The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God. If you are a Christian, you are a child of God, not a stranger or orphan even though at times you may feel that way. God the heavenly father loves you and accepts you as one of his Children.

‘I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty. (2nd Corinthians 6:17-18). How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1st John 3:1). As a child of God and a member of His family, God sees you as saved And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Acts 2:21) ‘For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:9)

When a Christian dies, they have assurance that the death of the body is not a loss but a new beginning of a life with Christ in a new body a new heaven and new earth. (Revelation 21,22)

If the requirement of God’s law in Christ is obeyed, God is faithful to bless, provide for, and reward the people He created. A failure to obey is sin, and the consequence of sin separates the sinner from the grace of God and results in punishment of the sinner. Sin simply means a person has missed the mark God set for his life, and the ultimate punishment is death. Sin entered into the world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve and death passed to all people, because all people are guilty of sin. Sin originates in a person’s heart and leads to unlawful actions that can separate one from God. The complete record of a person’s life is known by God–He knows our every thought and actions.

Our moral debt to God and the society in which we live can be understood only by a careful examination of the scriptures. God has not left us without the knowledge of sin or a hope of avoiding punishment for the guilt of our sin, but He has provided a way for people to be freed from the guilt of their sin through faith in Jesus Christ who sacrificed His life to take away our guilt.

God’s Son came to earth to live as the Divine Seed. He was born to a virgin woman by the seed of God – making Him both God and human. He lived on earth as a human and died as a human, thereby becoming a sacrifice for the guilt of sin. God’s Son Jesus lived approximately 33 years on earth. The story of Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, burial and resurrection is documented in the four gospel books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. This document The Divine Seed tells the story of Jesus of Nazareth and His life and ministry but makes no claim to tell every detail of the life and ministry of everything Jesus said or did. This story is about some of the events in Jesus life and ministry. I have attempted to present the story of Jesus in chronological order, but I do not claim my listing of events to be in exact chronological order due to the difficulty of following the writings of four different authors (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) telling their view of the same story. Each author told part of the story but not the complete story.

The story begins with the universal problem of sin among mankind.

Romans 3:23-26 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

God sent His Son to be a propitiation or payment for all sin by being sacrificed on the cross. God has promised forgiveness to all people who have faith in Christ. The sacrifice of Christ is sufficient for the forgiveness of sin for all people of faith from Adam to the end of time. Paul reveals the righteousness of God and the sinfulness of all people.

Romans 3:21-26 But now the righteousness of God apart from the Law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

God’s righteousness exceeds or goes beyond His Law. The Law was given to teach people what sin is and the consequences of failing to obey God’s Law that carries with it the penalty of spiritual death. Spiritual death means being separated from the family of God, His promises, blessings and protection, plus the penalty for our sins. All people commit sin therefore all people need to seek forgiveness from sin. The blessing of faith and obedience is eternal life in a new heaven and new earth with God and Christ.

The promise to send the Divine Seed is revealed in Genesis then by promise and prophecy throughout the rest of the Old Testament. This book, The Divine Seed, is the story of the unfolding of the final years of God’s plan to send His only Son to the earth to redeem mankind. The redeemer is Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God and Mary. He is the Messiah, the Anointed of God. Jesus Christ the Redeemer came through David’s line of the Jewish people of Israel in the first century. God promised to send a prophet ahead of the birth of Christ to prepare the people of Israel to receive Him. Malachi was the last of the Old Testament prophets, and Malachi prophesied about the coming of a Jewish prophet named John the Baptist who would come ahead of Christ to prepare the minds of the people to accept Christ.

Malachi 4:1-6 For behold the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all Who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, That will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear my name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this, says the Lord of hosts. Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, which I commanded Him for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments, behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse."

Jesus Christ the Divine Seed was a descendant of King David, and He came to become a spiritual King in the line of David. Jesus is the Son of righteousness. Throughout the years following King David’s reign, the days of the Kingdom of Christ had been drawing nearer and nearer to being fulfilled each year. When the messenger came in the first century the Messiah whom the Jews were seeking would also come to bring judgment against sinners and a way to be redeemed from the guilt of sin for those who would have faith in Him. The prophet Malachi 3:1-4 states that the Lord promised to send his messenger to prepare the way for Jesus Christ the Divine Seed. The messenger was John the Baptist who would come with power like the prophet Elijah. John the Baptist was the messenger that Malachi prophesied about who would come to prepare the way for Christ. John was sent to baptize the people who were willing to repent of their sins and accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah.

In the first century, the Jewish people, as a small nation, were under the power of the Roman Empire and were subject to Roman law. They were allowed to have their own king, but the king was appointed or approved by the Romans who had power over them. In 37 BC, Herod Antipater governed the Jews by the authority of Rome. The Jewish people were obligated in their religion to continue to keep the Law of Moses until the Messiah came. The Pharisees were a major religious party from the 2nd century BC to the second century AD. Their rival party was the Saducees. These two religious parties had different views about obeying the Law of Moses. The scribes were writers, copyists and the interpreters of the Law. The scribes served as priests and teachers of the Law and were usually associated with the Pharisees. Some scribes became members of the Sanhedrin, a legal administrative body in the Jewish population.

New Testament Story of the Divine Seed

There was a period of approximately 400 years after Malachi’s ministry before the first New Testament prophet John the Baptist appeared. There was prophetic silence during the years between the time of Malachi and John. Before Christ came everyone bore the guilt of sin for there was no way under the Law of Moses to gain forgiveness.

Christ came to earth and became a sacrifice for sin by dying on a Roman cross. Since the death of Christ, people have access to the forgiveness of sin through faith in Christ and