LESSON 1, HIS VIRGIN BIRTH:

I believe in the Virgin Birth of Jesus. Our Saviour is God's Son, not the child of Joseph, Mary's Husband. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke are quite clear on this subject.

However, the "enemies" of our Lord seemed to have never forgotten the "irregularities" of His Birth. Mary being pregnant before she and Joseph were "together!" And those often repeated stories of "angels" justifying this strange set of events! That "magnificat" account in Luke where Mary and relative Elisabeth talked about the "special" babies in their wombs, one "leaping" when hearing of his little Cousin's soon coming Birth!

Yes! Jesus lived His Whole Life, a Perfect Life I might add, sinless, under the "shadow" of accusations about His Birth!

Here's proof. One day in John 8 Jesus was talking to the Jews, particularly those who so violently opposed Him. They were bragging about being "Abraham's children," Israelites to the core! Jesus immediately told them that one's literal "blood line" would not guarantee Heaven as an eternal Home.

That's when they irreverently shot back: "Then said they to Him, We be not born of fornication." John 8:41

In other words they accused Jesus of being an illegitimate child!

Oh, what shame and gossip and mockery Jesus faced ... just to come and die on the Cross so sinners might be saved.

But He bore this "scandal" valiantly, no matter what they said. And to Calvary he did go! Bravely, successfully, dying for you and me.

This makes me love Him more than ever!

He was the Son of God.

He was God the Son.

Still is.

Praise His Name today.

                   --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 2, HIS "SINGLE" LIFE:

Among the ancient Jews a certain Old Testament Law prevailed, every bit as much as did the mandates of the "Ten Commandments" God gave Moses.

And the familiar words "Be fruitful and multiply," Genesis 1:22, constitute that commandment. Every Jewish young man was expected to get married ... and produce children. In all the writings of the old rabbis only one instance has been found of an unmarried young adult man!

Girls too, of course. They were almost always married by the age of thirteen. The nuclear family ... one of the Old Testament's greatest achievements.

In fact, the manners and customs of the Jews in Jesus' Day would have been suspicious of anyone not married!

Yet Jesus, the Son of God, lived His Life without ever taking a woman as His wife. He willingly faced the slander of His fellow countrymen ... dedicating Himself to the Work His Father had given Him.

He risked potential "scandal" ... to be our Saviour!

He gave up having a local family ... in order to have a world-wide family!

He denied Himself an earthly Bride ... that He might take the Church as His Bride!

Jesus, our Single Saviour.

Our unique Lord.

Our precious Redeemer!

--- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 3, HIS MIRACLES:

When Jesus walked this earth two thousand years ago, He worked miracle after miracle! More such "wonders" were enacted during our Lord's earthly Ministry than in all the other eras of Scripture combined.

The Gospels are indeed Records of Miracles! From Jesus' Virgin Birth to His literal Resurrection from the dead ... He was compassed with miracles.

Yet, and this is strange, the history books from that time minimize such things, miracles. There were so many fraudulent miracles claimed by so-called charismatic leaders that the general public scoffed at them all, at all their alleged "marvelous deeds."

When Josephus wrote his history of the Old Testament, to be more pleasing to the people to whom he spoke, he omitted most of that precious Book's miracles! Such accounts would have been offensive to his readership.

Even the Israelites felt this way too. When Philo, a Jew himself, wrote his commentary on the New Testament, he did not call the miracles "literal" events, rather he interpreted them "symbolically."

Furthermore, the Jewish political leaders, the Sadducees by name, did not believe in the supernatural at all, not in any kind of miracles!

In the minds of the overall population, miracles were a farce, nearly a scandal!

Yet here comes Jesus, performing His great miracles, dozens of them if not hundreds. Yes, He did many of them in private, maybe to keep down the criticism. And yes, He told many of the recipients of those great acts "to tell no one." And He never broadcast any of His great works, until His Resurrection anyway! Jesus nearly downplayed His miracles.

But He continued working them!

Why?

He loved people.

He had compassion on them. "So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him." Matthew 20:34

Truly, He did raise the dead!

He did cure blinded eyes and deaf ears!

He did provide food for the hungry!

He was that caring!

I'd like to say today that I thank God for our Saviour. That He was willing to go "against the grain" to swim "against the tide" ... in order to help hurting men and women!

Just a statement of fact. He risked scandal ... in order to be a miracle-working Lord!

Don't you love Him today?

By the way, one of His greatest miracles of all was the day He saved your lost soul! And mine!

And He will do so again today, many times. Save some sorrowful sinner who trusts Him for forgiveness!

               --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 4, HIS LOVE FOR LITTLE CHILDREN:

When Jesus walked the pebble strewn pathways of ancient Israel ... the old saying was stronger than ever. "Children were to be seen, not heard!" The value of little boys and girls was just not appreciated. They were practically ignored ... until they reached adulthood. Which, by the way, was for a girl somewhere around twelve or thirteen years of age. Their parents then gave them in marriage to the best available prospect.

Even Matthew's Gospel seldom mentions Jesus by name when our Lord was a child. But eight times the first Gospel calls Jesus simply "the child." Young folks carried little weight in Jewish culture.

Jewish children, women too for that matter, could not lead in prayer, not even at home. They were too insignificant. Or so say some of the older historical sources.

But then came Jesus, the Son of God, and at the very outset of his Public Ministry He seemed to just love the little boys and girls!

Listen to our Lord here. "Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence." Matthew 19:13-15

The parallel account is even more distinct. "And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them." Mark 10:13-16, with Luke later adding that some of these were just "infants."

Wow!

Jesus went against the prevailing attitude about these little ones! He loved them and accepted them and blessed them.

In fact, I am going to say this. I believe God can save little children. Those who have come to an age at which they understand the truths of the Gospel! At least that's when He saved me. At age six ... in a little Sunday School Class. And I remember the day it happened!

Let's thank God today that He loves everyone! Even the children! And He died on the Cross to redeem all who would believe.

That little chorus we learned years ago is still true, folks. "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world."

Amen!

                --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 5, HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS:

When Jesus was crucified, in order to make the event even more embarrassing, the Romans scheduled it as a public spectacle!

No form of punishment was more brutal and humiliating than death by hanging on a cross. We get a Scriptural "feel" for this type treatment from Paul in Philippians chapter 2.:5-8. "Christ Jesus Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

See it? "Even the death of the cross." In Roman society only the most despicable of all people, of all criminals, were put to death in this horrible fashion.

Yet our Saviour underwent such a thing, so dying though He was innocent of any charge that could have been leveled against Him.

Why did He expose himself to such ignominy?

He died there, that Day long ago, not for His sins ... but for yours and mine! He, in the words of Hebrews 12:2, "Endured the Cross, despising the shame!" That we might be born-again!

There's "no telling" all that happened when Jesus died that vicarious, substitutionary Death! All He accomplished. But this much we do know, He did everything necessary to save our lost souls!

He Himself, from Calvary, uttered this sentence, "It is finished!"

Amen!

In ancient Rome, Israel too, one did not even "talk" about such executions. They were off-limits. Too low-down. Unmentionable. But what has the Bible done? What has Christianity done? What have we Christians done?

We have taken that Cross and recognized it as the means God used to bring about our salvation! It was the tool Jesus used on which to shed His precious, eternal Blood, to wash away our sins.

Paul even went this far, Galatians 6:14. "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." This great Apostle literally bragged about the Cross! Everywhere He went!

Has anyone reading here today been to Calvary?

Does anyone love and worship the One Who died there?

Oh the glory of "The Old Rugged Cross." And it is all because of Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

                --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 6, HIS BODILY RESURRECTION:

The ancient world, as a whole, did NOT believe in the concept of a physical, literal resurrection of the dead. Oh yes, their gods and goddesses possessed a plethora of folklore about death and rebirth, but that was only in the spirit world.

Again, nobody believed in resurrection!

Here's a Bible example. Once when Paul was preaching in the glorious city of Athens, even on Mars' Hill, the "Aeropagus" in the King James Bible, he clearly declared the great truths of the Word of God, beginning with the fact that our Lord created the world and its inhabitants.

The Apostle had just seen a nearby idol dedicated to "the unknown god." Paul capitalized on that and said that He would tell them about this God, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. The God Who sent His Son into the world to die for sinners!

Now here's Acts 17:31, the exact pulpit words of Paul. "Because God hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that Man (Jesus) whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he (God) hath raised him (Jesus) from the dead."

Look! A clear statement that God raised Jesus from the dead! And that this miraculous resurrection is "proof" that Jesus is God's Son, the very "core" of our faith! Our very "assurance!"

And then it happened. The very second Paul used that word, "resurrection," in Greek "anastasia," the crowd erupted! They stopped Paul. They laughed and mocked. Most dismissed his speech summarily. Here's the next verse: "And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter." And as far as anyone knows Paul never preached there again.

Luke later reports that of all that crowd, the academia of that day, only two people were saved.

They would not accept the fact of Jesus' Resurrection! They did not believe, not at all.

Anyone claiming such a thing, a dead man brought back to life, was belittled and ridiculed no end.

Yet, in the face of such public denial, that's exactly what God did for the crucified Jesus. He raised Him from the dead. Literally, supernaturally, visibly, "with many infallible proofs," Luke's very words from Acts 1:3.

Resurrection?

A scandal to the Greeks and Romans!

But the power of God unto salvation to those who accept it!

Jesus changed mankind's thoughts about all the major issues of life, including victory over the grave.

I'd like to say today, even though multitudes still deny and doubt it, that I believe Jesus Christ died on the Cross for our sins. Was buried according to the Scriptures. And raised again the third day by the Power of God!

Contrary to the opinions of His day!

He's alive!

                  --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 8, MARY MAGDALENE:

The Lord faced one problem after another during His earthly ministry, issues "hurled" at Him by His many enemies. One such situation deals with a woman named Mary Magdalene.

We Scripturally know very little about her, expect that she was fully devoted to Jesus. One line about her background though proves extremely helpful.

It seems there followed our Lord ... "Certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils ...." Luke 8:3

Wow!

Let's think a minute about the expression "seven devils!" These, Bible students have believed for centuries, are just "demons." Emissaries of Satan, who had inhabited and possessed and vexed this woman for years. But in the minds of the locals, the general population, such people were also "crazy!" Extremely mentally ill! They did incoherent things! They had to be ostracized, quarantined, from the public! And no one wanted to be around them, dangerous as they were.

Yet here comes Jesus!

And what does our Lord do for this "rejected" woman?

He saves her. He delivers her from these demons. He gives her a new life and lets her follow His Ministry!

She has become a new creature!

She believed in Jesus, and was born-again as she trusted in Him.

Look at this!

Jesus risks great criticism, violates social norms, perhaps even subjects Himself to danger ... just to save this once wretched sinner!

Demon possessed, mentally ill, lost and on her way to hell!

Then she came to the Lord! Or the Lord came to her. And what a meeting that was. Salvation came to this wayward, but precious to Jesus, soul!

Folks, let's never give up.

Jesus is still saving the lost. Even the "hard" cases! Including that loved one you so want to be redeemed!

Praise His Name today.

                    --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 9, THE DISCIPLES:

In Jesus' Day, the years of His earthly ministry around two thousand years ago, Jewish "teachers" almost always had a group of followers. They often were called "disciples."

And Jesus, though He was and still is the Son of God, literally, was considered by His countrymen such a "teacher," a "rabbi." A "master" in Israel.

The ancient belief was that a "rabbi" could be judged by the quality of his followers. Many a Greek and Roman and Jewish record of history names those venerable leaders ... and their students grew to be men of renown! They were always chosen from the "best," the "upper layer" of society.

But what about Jesus?

Did He "measure up" in this area? Were His "men" culled from the higher levels of Jewish culture?

No!

Our Lord selected disciples who were ... virtually unknown! Common fishermen, a hated tax collector! A political anarchist! A man who was a pessimist supreme! And some so insignificant we know little if anything about them!

Wow!

Jesus, going against the trends of his fellow countrymen, against the wisdom of the world, made disciples of a bunch of "nobodies!"

How amazing!

Yet these men, once trained by our Lord, once empowered by the Holy Spirit ... "turned the world upside down" ... for Jesus! These are the exact words of Luke the historian in Acts 17:6.

Is anyone today glad God loves nobodies?

That Jesus died for everyone, including the lowest of the low?

That Jesus had time for the "common people?"

Oh, what a Saviour we have. What a Lord we serve. What a salvation we enjoy. Quoting, gladly, Luke 15:2, "This Man receiveth sinners."

Praise His Name.

                  --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 10, THE SICK AND WEAK AND DEFORMED:

When Jesus walked the earth the Jews universally believed that "sickness" was due to some sort of "sin" in a person's life. One history book says that back then folks believed "jaundice" was due to "hating someone." And "asthma" was the result of "not paying tithes." And "bodily swelling" was an indication of "hypocrisy!"

Wow!

Many religious groups would not allow a person to join who had any visible physical defect. Such as a missing limb, blindness, deafness, and at times, even ugliness!

Then comes Jesus!

He taught that men's or women's frailties, bodily defects, physical weaknesses ... were not always due to sin! In fact, based on John chapter nine, that such things might even be used to the glory of God. Paul's "thorn in the flesh" certainly was!

Instead of shunning people with such sickness or deformity, Jesus loved them, accepted them! He sought them and saved them too!

People like little "short" Zacchaeus!

Like the Ethiopian eunuch!

Like the women who had bled for twelve years!

Like the man born blind!

Ands spiritually speaking, like you and me! For we also, in the eyes of a Holy God, are morally and socially blighted! Isaiah says we were sick with a putrefying disease. From head to toe infected. Until Jesus found us and healed us and saved us!

No longer sin-sick!

Praise the Lord!

                   --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 11, HELL:

Most Jews in Jesus' Day, two thousand years ago, believed that all of Abraham's children would go to Heaven. In other words, they themselves were "safe" for eternity! It's those wicked old gentiles who would burn in the flames of God's wrath. This is what history records of their doctrine on hell, anyway. "Granted," they thought, "all Jews will not enjoy the same 'honor, reward' in Heaven. But they will all be there nonetheless."

Then Jesus comes!

And He confronts and refutes and replaces their teaching about hell ... with the Truth! Maybe this is one reason why Jesus said so very much about hell, much more than any rabbi, teacher of His time. Our Lord mentions the place, directly or indirectly, dozens of times. One little manual says forty-five times, counting the entire New Testament.

Our Lord even taught parables about that terrible place. Except in Jesus' parables, hell was inhabited by Jews as well as gentiles!

What a scandal this would have caused!

Listen to Jesus, talking to Israelites now. He is talking about hell, calling it a place where there's "weeping and gnashing of teeth." Our Lord continues, "When ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out." Luke 13:28, Jews not in Heaven!

Jesus again, talking this time to a crowd of hypocritical, religious Jews, "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" Matthew 23:33

Our Lord believed all sinners would go to hell, regardless of racial identity! Only "saved" people, those trusting Himself as the Son of God, would be eternal citizens of heaven!

Furthermore, the religious machine of Jesus' era taught that even for wicked people who did go to hell, punishment would be temporary, annihilation would eventually result.

Jesus reversed those wrong thoughts too! Talking about punishment for the disobedient, the lost: "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." Our Lord, in Matthew 25:45.

Jesus was a great Preacher!

One Who proclaimed the Truth!

Including God-ordained facts about hell.

Are you saved today?

If not, and the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart, here's how to be born-again. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." Jesus' very words, from John 5:24.

Be saved, hell must be a terrible place.

               --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 12, THE HARLOTS:

One thing Jesus did long ago, still does it really, is love lost people. The spiritually unsaved! He created many a scandal when on earth, just by reaching out to the lowest of mankind. Among these "worthless" individuals, according to the Jews of Jesus' day, were the women often merely classified as "sinners!"

But in reality they would be called "prostitutes" these days. Listen to Jesus, talking to the Pharisees who were the religious elite of those days. "For John the Baptist came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him." Matthew 21:32, apparently a number of "harlots" were saved during Jesus' ministry!

These Pharisees simple stated, were not saved! They would not believe on Jesus as God's Son. But the "harlots" did! Again Matthew writes, Jesus talking to the religious leaders: "The publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you." They got saved!

I'd like to thank God today that Jesus did not shun or, even worse, hate those "ladies of the night." Derisively, "streetwalkers."

No, He loved everybody!

Notice that the "harlots" in both our two verses above are coupled with "publicans," spelled "telones" in Greek and meaning "tax collectors." Jews who have "sold out" to the enemy, to the Romans. Turn-coats, traitors! These men were wealthy, of course, often being paid a share of the monies they amassed for Rome. They often had lavish parties too, with plenty of food and "entertainment."

Folks, the history books are "loaded" with data about this aspect of society in first-century Greek-Roman life. The meals came first. Plenty to eat ... and an abundance of drink! They came the entertainment. Excuse me for being plain, the "girls." The demand for prostitutes grew exponentially when foreign soldiers arrived and their government began to exact taxes, using these "publicans."

A prostitute got saved one night in Luke chapter seven, at such a meal, one who was present probably to "work." Lewd dancing, then physical contact, plying her trade! Again just a prostitute!

But again I say ... this one got saved!

Jesus forgave her of all her sins! Erased her past, guilt lifted!

She worshipped Him too, with all her heart!

And she left that party an ex-prostitute!

Luke 7:48, Jesus to the repenting harlot: "Thy sins are forgiven." Luke 7:48, our Lord's very words!

I'm ready to shout again, Praise the Lord!"

He saves sinners, from the highest to the lowest levels of society! He came "to seek and to save that which was lost," Luke 19:10

Including you!

Including me!

And including prostitutes!

Hallelujah!

           --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 13, NATURAL DISASTERS AND OTHER TROUBLES:

Another mindset Jesus "reversed" two thousand years ago concerned humanity's attitude toward "natural catastrophes."

As is clearly evident way back in the Old Testament Book of Job, one of the earliest Portions of Scripture, people believed that "troubles" were the result of flagrant "sins!" If a man was suffering ... he had greatly displeased God at some point!

Jesus rather had compassion on the hurting, the maimed, the not-so-blessed of His fellow citizens.

Listen to our Lord one day as He preached, addressing this very issue. "There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Luke 13:1-5

Death, martyrdom apparently, but not because these victims were worse sinners than their peers! Then death, this time accidentally, but not because these innocent souls had been morally worse than anyone else!

Jesus is telling us that anytime we see a person with trials and heartaches and multiple problems ... be careful! Do not pre-judge them! Call them not hypocrites or violent God-offenders!

God just might be using their heartaches for some other purpose, with a different goal in mind.

Paul's "troubles" helped keep him humble.

The Psalmist's "troubles" kept him "in" the Word of God, learning Scripture.

Job's "troubles" really brought him further "spiritual maturity."

Every Christian's "troubles," those difficulties of life, brings him or her, according to Hebrews 12:11, the "peaceable fruit of righteousness."

Amen!

God is bigger than we are. And infinitely wiser. We must not speak too quickly when others are hurting. In fact, it's best just to love and encourage each other ... when hard times come!

Let's be careful with our attitudes!

               --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

Oh yes, God can and does judge wrongdoing! And He is fully capable of using any "tool" he chooses! But every heartache is not the result of God's chastening Hand.

LESSON 14, MONEY AND ITS USE:

I once heard a Preacher say, "God's blessings in the Old Testament were largely material. But God's blessings in the New Testament are largely spiritual." He is right.

Ancient Israel was promised, for their obedience to God, things like plenty of rainfall, abundant crops, good health, victory over her enemies, truly things of earth. But the Church today, Christ's body of believers, is promised love and joy and peace and longsuffering and gentleness and goodness and faith and meekness, all qualities of the spirit.

And our Lord Himself, when on earth long ago, did NOT claim for His Own use lavish material goods. He often had no where to lay His head, Matthew 8:20. He didn't even have a reasonably small coin to pay the annual "Temple Tax" in Matthew 17:24-27. And Paul said of Jesus "For our sakes He became poor," Second Corinthians 8:9.

Jesus was not a "Health and Wealth" Preacher!

When He did talk about money, He nick-named it "mammon," a term that has an Aramaic background and means "confidence" in money! Trusting money to solve all one's problems, extreme "love" of money! Here's Matthew 6:24, Jesus preaching, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

The Lord's Disciples, as far as we know all of them, were poor!

And instead of promising earthly wealth for serving God, instead of encouraging us to amass great sums of money ... Jesus suggested another way to use our financial resources.

Not gold.

Not the stock market.

Not luxurious lifestyles.

Rather, invest it in HEAVEN!

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal." Matthew 6:19-20

Apparently, in our Lord's Eyes anyway, eternal dividends are better than earthly wealth!

Enjoy the spiritual blessings we have today ... through the indwelling Holy Spirit and the Word of God ... and materially invest in the things of eternity!

That's Jesus' emphasis!

Why so? In Matthew 6:21 Jesus adds to the above quoted Scripture, "For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also."

Amen.

Give to the cause of Christ ... anything that advances the Gospel and matures the saints ... and God will be your investment Banker! He will pay handsome dividends for all the ages to come!

                  --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

Today we've seen yet another way Jesus changed the "worldview" of His contemporaries, except this shift dealt with money. Jesus, the Son of God, the greatest Life to ever grace planet earth!

LESSON 15, LOVE AND MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE:

Under the law of Moses the husband-wife relationship was addressed several times. None is more typical than that of Exodus 21:10-11, where the three basic requirements of a husband are listed. "If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish. And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money."

The first obligation was "food." Then came "clothing." And lastly was the conjugal duty of "loving her physically," with the hopes of bearing children no doubt.

But the people of Israel, beginning with their leaders, tampered with these laws and soon were allowing divorce for a number of less significant reason, a "burnt" meal being one example!

But when Jesus came, and those teachers and preachers who followed Him, breathing His Spirit ... the marriage relationship developed beautiful new dimensions.

The husband-wife unit was compared to that which exists between Christ and the Church! Jesus the Bridegroom, and the Church His Bride!

Husbands were taught to be willing to "die" for their wives! To "nourish" and "cherish" them! To "sanctify" and "cleanse" them, using the Word of God to accomplish such worthy goals!

And divorce? No longer for trivial matters, not at all. In fact, it is never commanded by our Lord, only allowed in cases of fornication, adultery, for example.

What am I saying?

Jesus wants us to live "in love" as family entities. Caring for each other, highly valuing each other, building the character of Christ into each other in cooperation with God the Holy Spirit!

Yes, Jesus once again went against the stream of public opinion, and placed love and respect and honor at the apex of human bonding.

Ladies, gentlemen too, we ... because of Christ our Lord ... can enjoy living with our mates more than ever before.

Trying diligently to serve one another in love.

                 --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

JESUS WAS INDEED A TREND-SETTER, NOT FOLLOWING THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE IN HIS DAY! OF COURSE HE IS TOO THE LITERAL SON OF GOD, GOD COME TO EARTH IN FLESH ... TO DIE ON THE CROSS FOR LOST HUMANITY!

We trust you have enjoyed this series of lessons!