Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ Jesus,
Have I ever mentioned how much I love The Living Word of God? Studying and meditating God’s Word is absolutely the best thing in daily life. Yes, I love my wife, my children, and my grandchildren. But the reason I love them as much as I do is because God and Jesus love me, and I love The Living Word of God, Jesus Christ, more. Jesus is love. It is not a characteristic or an attribute. It is Who He is. He is love, He is light, and He is life.
In the years of my study of God’s Word, I’ve come to understand that every Word is truly inspired by and breathed by God (II Timothy 3:16-17) with a significant purpose. If The Scripture tells me, “a rock is red,” The Holy Spirit has trained me to ask Him “why a rock and why is the rock red?” In previous messages, I’ve spoken to the Truth God showed me about The Word. It is multidimensional and multilayered. There are deeper revelations and deeper Truths than lies on the surface of The Word. We’re about to go on a short journey detailing just one instance demonstrating the deeper revelation and Truth found in God’s Word through an inspired desire to “search out The Word as if seeking hid treasure” (Proverbs 2:4-5).
Matthew 3:13-15
“13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
14 But John forbad Him, saying, I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?
15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered Him.”
We’ve read these verses many times, right? Several years back, Jesus’ reply to John in Matthew 3:15 caused wonder in me – “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.” What was Jesus saying to John? “Suffer” what, and how does it fulfill righteousness? I believe we’ll find the deeper revelation and Truth to be amazing. Our Father, God, is so complicated, yet so simple. God’s prescription for finding the deeper revelation and deeper Truth is found in Proverbs 8:17. Can it be any plainer?
Proverbs 8:17
“I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me.”
The “suffer it to be so now” statement from Jesus can be further translated to “allow it.” John’s reaction is not unexpected. John knows this is The Messiah, the sinless One and of greater authority. This is why John, in the flesh, reacts the way he does to Jesus asking John to baptize Him. John’s thinking is “how can I, a man of sin, baptize The Messiah, He Who is without sin and The Son of God?” I think we would all think the same thing if we were in John’s place at this exchange with Jesus. Jesus’ baptism was necessary to “fulfill all righteousness” – that is, to identify with humanity, inaugurate His public ministry, and foreshadow His death and resurrection. This is all Truth. But there are much deeper revelations and deeper Truths.
John the Baptist’s father and mother were Zacharias and Elizabeth. Zacharias and Elizabeth were both from priestly lines of birth. Zacharias was of Abijah’s line, and Elizabeth was of Aaron’s line. Therefore, John was descended from priests on both sides of his lineage. John was also a prophet, prophesied, appointed, and anointed by God. Jesus, Himself, spoke of John as a prophet in Matthew 11:9, Matthew 21:26; and Luke 7:26-27. Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1, and Malachi 4:5–6 all prophesy of John’s ministry as the divinely appointed herald of The Messiah. Ok, why is all this so important? John is the last prophet of the Old Covenant and, symbolically, the last priest of the Old Covenant. So? This means what? Hold on to that thought.
Luke 1:5
“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.”
Notice in Luke 1:5 that John the Baptist’s father, Zacharias, is “of the course of Abia.” What does this mean? 1 Chronicles 24 describes how King David, with the help of Zadok and Ahimelech, divided the descendants of Aaron into 24 courses to serve in the Temple. A course was a scheduled rotation or division of priests serving in the Temple for a set period. Each course served one week, twice a year, plus during major festivals when all priests were required to serve. Abijah (Abia) was the eighth course in this rotation of the 24 priestly divisions established by King David (see 1 Chronicles 24:10). The name means “Yah is my father.” Yah is a contraction of YHWH, the Tetragrammaton, the most sacred name of God in the Hebrew language and Bible. This detail is not incidental – it situates John’s birth within the priestly lineage, highlighting his role as a prophetic bridge between the Old Covenant priesthood and the New Covenant ministry of Christ.
Though born into priestly lineage, John did not serve in the temple. Instead, he ministered in the wilderness, calling Israel to repentance and preparing the way for Christ. This contrast underscores that John’s mission was prophetic, not ritualistic – he was the last prophet of the Old Covenant, pointing to the coming High Priest, Jesus. John’s priestly roots gave legitimacy to his ministry, but his wilderness calling showed that the old priestly system was giving way to something greater.
Now, let’s contrast Jesus’ lineage. Joseph, Jesus’ earthly and legal father, and Mary, Jesus’ mother, were both descendants of the lineage of King David. Joseph’s lineage came through Solomon, David’s son, and Mary’s lineage came through Nathan, David’s son. This is important. Jesus, being a descendant of David’s through Solomon has a legal right or claim to the Throne of David and establishes Jesus as of the royal bloodline. Being a descendant of David’s through Nathan established a biological descent. Both genealogies confirm that Jesus is the promised Son of David (2 Samuel 7:12–16; Isaiah 11:1) fulfilling prophecy. Mary was also of priestly descent (a cousin to Elizabeth, who was of Aaron’s line, Luke 1:5). This shows Jesus unites royalty (Judah) and priesthood (Levi) in Himself, ultimately fulfilled in His eternal priesthood after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:17).
Let’s go back to Matthew 3:13-15. Now that we understand John the Baptist’s lineage and his role in prophecy and Jesus’s earthly lineage and role in prophecy, John baptizing Jesus will make more sense. The Old Covenant prophets and priesthood ended with John the Baptist. Jesus is the rightful King of Israel. When John baptized Jesus, the role of prophet and priest passed from the Old Covenant to Jesus as the representative of the New Covenant. Now, the role of prophet, priest, and king is united in one person – Jesus Christ. When was the last time the role of king and priest was found in one man? Yes, Melchizedek in Genesis 14. The entrance of the Old Covenant Law separated the role of king and priest until such time as the New Covenant came into effect. Now, the roles of king and priest are once again united in the person of Jesus Christ, after the order of Melchizedek. Amazing! But we are not done yet with revelation.
Another wonderful Truth from The Holy Spirit in Its detailing, through Luke 1:5, of “the course of Abia” is Jesus’ birth month. Most people, including many Believers, believe Jesus was born in December because Christmas, or “Christ mass,” is celebrated December 25th each year. However, we will see this to be another deception by satan and religion. The “course of Abia” was the eight in the 24 priestly divisions or rotations through the year. Zacharias, John the Baptist’s father, served in the “course of Abijah (Abia).” In the Temple calendar, the Abijah course traditionally occurred around June. The Scriptures tell us John was conceived just after the end of Zacharias’ course (Luke 1:23-24). This means John’s birth would have been in March, nine months later. The Scriptures also tell us Jesus’ conception was about six months after John’s conception placing it in December. This means Jesus’ birth month, nine months later, would be September. Why is this significant? Because it aligns with the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the fall festivals. Most scholars believe Jesus was born during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). What is the theological significance of this? Just as Israel lived in tents during the wilderness, Jesus’ birth during Tabernacles symbolizes God pitching His tent among humanity. It emphasizes Emmanuel: “God with us.” Sukkot is the most joyous feast in the Jewish calendar, a time of rejoicing before The Lord. The angelic proclamation of “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10) spoken by the angels to the shepherds in the field mirrors the festival’s theme of rejoicing in God’s provision. There is a message of universal inclusion of all men and all nations in Christ’s birth during the Feast of Tabernacles. The first message of Jesus’ birth was to ordinary, everyday men – shepherds in the field. Zechariah 14:6 prophesies that all nations will one day celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, pointing to its Messianic significance. Jesus’ birth was not random but divinely timed to God’s appointed festivals, reinforcing the unity of Old Testament prophecy and New Testament fulfillment.
We will now look at the significance of the “course of Abia” being the eighth course of a 24- course rotation. Remember, EVERY WORD, in The Word of God has deep significance to It. Let’s review the letter and the number eight (8) in the Hebrew alphabet. The letter is “chet,” and its meaning is often associated with life (chayim) and grace (chen). Its shape is formed by combining “Vav, 6th letter” and “Zayin, 7th letter”, suggesting a bridge between the Spiritual and physical realms. The number 8, “shemoneh,” has a root that is related to “fatness,” “abundance,” or “overflow.” It represents that which is beyond nature – a realm of miracle, renewal, and divine covenant. It is the number of the resurrection, of new creation, and of eternal promise.
God rested on the seventh day from His creation work. Everything that was planned, for all of eternity, was prophesied before God ever founded the earth and heavens. Everything. This is why the number seven in Hebrew signifies completion and rest. God rested from His completed work for all eternity. Jesus Christ’s resurrection signified the end of the old creation and the start of the new creation (II Corinthians 5:17). Christ resurrected on first day of the new week, or the eighth day, if we count inclusively from the previous Sabbath. This new creation, or new identity, was foreshadowed in the Old Testament by circumcision on the eighth day after birth (Genesis 17:12). This represented a new, covenantal identity. The eighth day (Shemini Atzeret) of the Feast of Tabernacles is a solemn assembly after the seven days of Sukkot, symbolizing eternity beyond time – a picture of resurrection life. Jesus’ resurrection also represents a new covenantal identity. Our Spirits bear a scar, like that of circumcision, which can be seen in the Spiritual realm. This identifies us as new covenant members. The Sabbath rest points to Jesus Christ, and the resurrection on the eighth day reveals that true rest is found in Him — not just cessation of work but transformation into eternal life.
In closing, Jesus, as the “eighth day,” means He is the new beginning — the resurrection life beyond the old creation, the fulfillment of covenant promises, and the eternal hope of renewal. His rising on the “eighth day” inaugurated the new creation, making Him the embodiment of God’s promise that all things are made new. Early Christians worshiped on Sunday (the “eighth day”), celebrating the resurrection and anticipating eternal life. Baptismal fonts were often built with eight sides to symbolize rebirth into Christ’s new creation (II Corinthians 5:17).
“We do not come to The Throne of Grace to beg for victory. We come to enforce the victory already won by Christ Jesus.”
Much love in Christ Jesus,
Larry