Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem

Jesus' Last Week in Jerusalem

Sun Myung Moon

`We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "anti the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise." Mark 10:33-34

Not to be served, but to serve

Jesus called them together and said, "Thu know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must he your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave just as the Son of Man did not come to he served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.," Matthew 20:25-28

When you become a God-centered person through giving sacrificial service, you receive glory and service. The Bible even records that Jesus said, "The Son of man came not to be served but to serve." (Matt. 20:28)

Is sacrificial service good? Is it easy to do? It is inevitable, almost like a test at school. No one likes tests, but at exam time students work hard, burning the midnight oil in order to prepare for the exam the following day. Even though they dislike it, people go through it because there is no choice. In a similar way, you have to go through sacrificial service. It is not easy.

From the speech of Sun Myung Moon: The Road of God's Will May 30, 1982

One thing Satan cannot do is become humble, for then he would no longer he Satan. Instead he is boastful and arrogant, trying to put himself up higher. Satan's barriers are those of self-centeredness, but going down low, in the other direction, requires the opposite qualities. Where a person puts himself in the humble position, Satan cannot defeat him. In the world of self-centeredness you cannot find the truth or true things. Truth comes from the other direction, where Satan has no defense, and that is where we go.

The Bible always taught this truth. This is why Jesus said that those who try to make themselves higher will go lower, and why he who loses his life for Jesus' sake will find it. It shows there are two ways of achieving the goal. The powers and principalities of the secular world lie in one direction, and because you cannot penetrate them, you have to go the other way. Once you know the secret, however, going down low is actually the easiest way.

From the speech of Sun Myung Moon: Let Us Set the Record October 12, 1980

Cleansing the temple

Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer but you are making it a den of robbers." Matthew 21:12-13

In the city of Jerusalem, Jesus was sometimes angered at the immoral behavior of the people. He even overturned the moneychangers' tables in a moment of violence. By normal standards he should have been arrested, and no civil court would have vindicated him. But under the law of God Jesus had not committed any sin. Civil law is not heavenly law. Do you want to become a person who will be judged in God's court, or become a person who can even rise above the court of God? What kind of person should you become to rise above God's judgment? Become a savior by adopting the savor's way of life as your way of life. You can be a person who can give salvation to the world and who can say, "I will be responsible for the world and all of humanity; I will give my entire life and soul and energy for that purpose." Then you are indeed walking side by side with the Messiah.

From the speech of Sun Myung Moon: The Age of Judgment and Ourselves November 21, 1976

If a soldier kills many of the enemy on the battlefield, he may be given the Medal of Honor. However, if that same soldier even accidentally kills someone during peacetime, then he is called a criminal. Both are acts of murder. Why do people applaud one act but punish the other? Only one thing makes his actions different: the soldier is not motivated by personal benefit to kill in combat. When his action is a public one for the defense of his nation then he is honored, but if he kills at home for his own selfish reasons then he is condemned.

In light of this, how can we define what law is? Law is a regulation or criterion to control or contain the actions of selfish people. Laws are a necessity if selfish people are to live together. Whether for an individual, group, or nation, the law sets limits and prohibits people from violating their minimal social responsibility. On the other hand, no laws are needed between people who naturally live their lives for the sake of others in a totally unselfish and devoted way. Have you ever heard of a law regulating people who are sincerely devoted to service? Humanity is supposed to be liberated from the law eventually. You must become people who do not require laws on the levels of the individual, group, nation, and even the world.

To live above the law you must become an unselfish person; then your outlook is not limited by your own selfish purpose. When you become a person who is determined to live for the highest cause, for the sake of the world, then you will be liberated from the need for all levels of law below that cause. When you become the type of person about whom people can say, "He does not live for himself. He lives for God," then you are indeed a great and fearless person.

From the speech of Sun Myung Moon: Let Us Think Once More June 12, 1977

Prophecies of the Second Coming

"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other" Matthew 24:30-31

"However; when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8. 

What will Jesus do when he comes? Will he come to wipe out the world? The word "judgment" is frequently misunderstood to mean that God will wipe out everything in anger. That is not the purpose of the Messiah's coming a second time. The whole purpose is to fulfill the mission that was left undone 2,000 years ago, to work for individual, family, social, national, and world perfection. Judgment is the constructive work of God to see the fulfillment of the kingdom of God here on earth.

Because the work of God is realistic and physical, the Messiah's coming on literal clouds in the sky does not make sense. By interpreting the Bible literally many Christians anticipate Jesus appearance in the sky, but that could not be so. People perceive God as being supernatural, someone who could perform even the miracle of bringing Jesus on the clouds. In that case, why would Christianity be necessary? Why would faith be necessary? Why didn't God use supernatural power to build up the kingdom of God in the first place? Why has he waited for 6,000 years to accomplish it?

From the speech of Sun Myung Moon: Gods Will and Christmas December 25, 1976

Another reason why Jesus was not believed was that the people expected the Messiah to arrive on the clouds of heaven. Daniel 7:13 reads, "I saw in the night visions, and behold, on the clouds of heaven...the son of man." In other words, Daniel is saying that the coming of Jesus, the Son of God, will take place on the clouds of heaven. The people expected his arrival on the clouds of heaven; so when Jesus appeared in the flesh, it was very difficult to accept him. So at that time, there were arguments among Jesus' disciples and the faithful of Israel: "Well, if your master, Jesus, is the Son of God, how could he appear as a man, in the flesh? Impossible! How could he be the Son of God? We know him. He is the son of Joseph, the son of Mary; the Son of God is supposed to come on the clouds of heaven."

Two thousand years ago, the situation was such that the people expected Elijah first; but Elijah did not come. They expected Elijah to come from the blue sky, but he did not appear in that manner. Again they expected the Son of God to come on the clouds of heaven; this also was not fulfilled. So how could they accept Jesus? On what grounds? Those who believed the letter of the Old Testament, not the spirit, missed the whole thing. They said, "He is a heretic," and to this day the Jewish faith hasn't recognized Christianity. Today, we need to know the truth, and the truth will make us free.

Then how will the Lord reappear in the Last Days? We are in a situation exactly parallel to that of the time of Jesus Christ. If we become slaves to the letter of the New Testament, instead of living by the spirit of the New Testament, we could commit the same transgression that the elders, scribes, and Pharisees committed 2,000 years ago. Two thousand years ago, God promised Elijah but God did not send him in a miraculous way. He sent him as John the Baptist. Two thousand years ago, God promised the Messiah but the Messiah did not come on the clouds of heaven. Today Christians are expecting the Second Advent to appear on the clouds of heaven. If we are slaves to the letter of the New Testament, we will be in a position to commit the same transgression as the Israelites.

From the speech of Sun Myung Moon: Christmas in Heart December 25, 1973

Contrary to the expectations of many faithful Jews who believed on biblical grounds that the Messiah would come on the clouds with signs and portents in the heavens, Jesus was born on the earth as a child in a lowly family. Hence, we should reexamine the Bible from the perspective that the Second Advent of Christ may not take place in a miraculous way. It may, in fact, take place in the same manner as the First Advent.

Jesus made a number of predictions foretelling what would happen to the Lord at his return. He said, "But first he must suffer many things and he rejected by this generation." (Luke 17:25) If Jesus were to return literally on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and with the trumpets of angels, would he not readily be accepted and honored, even by this sin-ridden world? Returning in such a manner, there is no way he would ever suffer persecution or rejection.

Jesus said, "I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8)

As the world enters the Last Days, increasing numbers of Christians are striving to develop stronger faith. How can they all fall into faithlessness at the Second Advent of the Lord if he literally comes on the clouds of heaven amidst the sounds of angels' trumpets and the glory of God? This prophecy also cannot be fulfilled if Christ returns in a supernatural manner.

What do the clouds actually symbolize? Clouds are formed by the evaporation of impure water from the earth. In the Bible, water often symbolizes fallen people. (Rev. 17:15; Ps. 144:7) We may deduce that clouds symbolize devout Christians whose hearts dwell in heaven and not on the earth because they have been reborn and raised from their fallen state. The Bible and other sacred scriptures also use the symbolism of clouds to indicate the multitudes. (Heb. 12:1).

We can conclude that Jesus' coming on the clouds signifies that he will emerge from among a group of reborn believers to become the leader of Christians, the Second Israel.

Recall that when Jesus was asked about the place of his return, he replied, "Where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together." (Luke 17:37) Jesus meant by this that he will return to the place where faithful believers have gathered, which basically signifies the same thing as the biblical prophecy that Christ will return on the clouds.

When we interpret the clouds metaphorically in this way, it is evident that at his First Coming Jesus himself symbolically came down from heaven on the clouds. It is written, "The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven" (1 Cor. 15:47), and "No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man." (John 3:13) Even though Jesus was born on the earth, from the standpoint of the providence and with regard to his true value, he indeed came from heaven. This is also the true meaning of the prophecy in Daniel 7:13 which foretold that Jesus would come on the clouds.

Exposition of the Divine Principle: Second Advent 2