Our-Time-Dispensations---Part-2

Auxano Ministry

By the grace of God I am what I am:

1 Cor. 15:10a

Our Time Scope IV

Dispensations, Administrations, Ages

Part 2

4 – Christ Administration

Some have wondered why God waited so long to bring the "seed of the woman." As if it was His choice! One hypothesis I encountered stated that God delayed so that mankind could develop intellectually and spiritually. If this were accurate, we still would need more time and more development, for our spiritual anemia knows no bounds. I read through a number of these theories and they all come short of the love God has for all humanity. God is the One who desires all men to be saved and come unto a True Knowledge. He did not keep humanity in the dark to prove some point.

The simple key to understanding God’s timing is believing. Yes, there are certain things that will occur in God’s timing regardless of how people believe. However, the “seed of the woman” is not one of those things.

Adam and Eve did not fail because of God’s timing. They failed because they did not believe God. If Abel could hear and believe God’s words in Genesis chapter 4, then so could have Cain. The “seed of the woman” was four thousand years in the making as God waited for the heart of a woman like Mary. A woman who would take God at His Word as proclaimed by the angel. There were more than a few women between Eve and Mary, any one of them could have moved with Mary’s heart of believing.

So, now it is all the fault of a woman!

Let’s not pick up those stones just yet.

Remember, it was Adam, without even facing the Adversary, that deliberately disobeyed God. Men carry no bragging rights in God’s Word.

God does not place blame. God has demonstrated, every time humanity found something to believe other than God, that He is merciful, compassionate, forgiving, and longsuffering; consider God’s statement in Romans.

Romans 2:3-4

And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

God is not looking for who He can point a finger at and say, “This is all your fault!”

God does reprove and correct, not one but both. A good parent will tell his child when he is wrong in thought or deed, but that good parent will also tell his child the correct way of thinking and acting. God is not a good parent; He is THE most excellent parent. Always encouraging His children to do the right thing, always encouraging His children to believe Him.

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Perhaps in another teaching I will break Hebrews 11:1 down for you word by word. For now, I will simply give you the expanded literal translation we wrote when we studied this passage.

Hebrews 11:1

The right way of believing is the firm assurance of things confidently expected (because God made a promise); refuting things that are visible and contrary to the unseen promise.

Expanded Literal Translation by Auxano Ministry

God wants humanity to believe what He has said.

Adam and Eve were fully informed and equipped to believe what God had said.

Cain was fully informed and equipped to believe what God had said.

The population, before the flood, was fully informed and equipped to believe God’s Word.

All of humanity has been fully informed and equipped to believe what God has said.

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith [pistis = believing] it is impossible [adynatos = unable, without ability] to please [euaresteo = to be well pleasing to] him [God]: for he [all of humanity] that cometh to God must believe [pisteuo = verb, believe] that he [God] is, and that he is a rewarder [misthapodotes = middle voice, present tense = becomes a rewarder] of them that diligently [ekzeteo = seek out, require, crave] seek him.

Without believing a person is without the ability to be pleasing to God. Any person that comes to God must first believe that He exists and that He becomes a rewarder to those who crave Him, require Him in their life. Seek and you shall, absolutely, find.

Mary was such a person. Look at her response to God when the angel Gabriel brings her a message from her Heavenly Father.

Luke 1:26-33

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

This is the virgin birth, the “seed of the woman” of which natural man had no part. The soul life of man is passed on in the blood, thus all men had corruption in their blood from Adam (Genesis 5:1-3). All of humanity carry Adam’s mindset of rebellion. The perfect sacrifice needed to be without spot and without blemish, that includes his blood (Matthew 27:3-4, 1 Peter 1:18-20, Colossians 1:20). Like the first Adam, the last Adam had to start with perfect, pure blood.

But the angel’s declaration brings up a question in Mary’s mind.

Luke 1:34

Then said Mary unto the angel, how shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

Mary only understood one way for a woman to become pregnant. So, God, through the angel, answers Mary’s question.

Luke 1:35

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore, also that holy thing [holy one] which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

This is our savior that came down from heaven, and this is how he came down from heaven. God placing the perfect embryo in Mary’s womb. Neither seed from man nor the egg of a woman, but the perfect embryo. This is the last Adam, a pure blood line, free of mental rebellion as was Adam in Genesis chapters 1 and 2. Free of Adam’s corruption as spoken of in Genesis 5.

Mary knows the Law of the Covenant, to be found with child while espoused to Joseph carries the penalty of death by stoning. Remember the woman caught in adultery in John chapter 8. The Pharisees and Sadducees were not very sharp in understanding the Law, but they were very quick in pronouncing judgments from the Law.

Notice Mary has no questions about getting around this penalty. This woman, a teenage girl, had no concern for her own life, her confidence and trust were in God. Mary literally took God at His Word. God said, “…which shall be born of thee…” therefore she had to be alive, he was to be “born of thee.” No stoning for Mary! Mary is so unconcerned about the judgment of the Law she goes to see Elizabeth; whose husband is a priest, sworn to carry out the Law!

The angel then tells Mary about Elizabeth and then adds one more statement.

Luke 1:37

For no word from God will ever fail.

New International Version

Mary’s response declares the trust and believing in her heart toward God.

Luke 1:38

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

This is the heart God had been waiting for all these years.

However, the Christ Administration does not begin with the birth of Jesus.

Galatians 4:4

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Most of his life, Jesus, lived under the Law Administration. For the Christ Administration does not officially begin until the transition between John and Jesus is completed. Jesus is baptized by John and receives God’s gift of holy spirit. Jesus immediately begins his ministry with a trip to the wilderness and a face to face with the Adversary.

On more than a few occasions God compares Adam and Jesus, the first and last Adam’s. Jesus could have no special advantage above Adam, or the comparison is false. However, Jesus did have a disadvantage, he was born into a world controlled by the Adversary, while Adam had authority over the world he was given.

We have already seen that the Law Administration ends with the ministry of John (Matthew 11:13). The transition from the Law Administration to the Christ Administration is John and Jesus both ministering at the same time.

John 3:30

He must increase, but I must decrease.

This is a simple principle that is applicable for each transition between administrations. One is decreasing, while the new means of edification is increasing. John baptized with water. Jesus will baptize with God’s gift of holy spirit. When the greater arrives, the lesser is replaced. We stopped using the horse for local travel when the car became available. We stopped using ships to cross the ocean when planes turned weeks into hours.

Baptism deals with identification, not being wet. Consider 1 Corinthians 10:1-3. It was the Egyptians that got wet and it did not bless them! The people of Israel were identified with, or in, Moses as they followed his direction. Baptism, in general, deals with your identification not water.

What is John’s ministry and how did it decrease?

John 1:1-2

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.

To have a full understanding of “The Word” in this verse and this context see Our Time…God’s Logos.

John 1:3-7

All things were made by him [God]; and without him [God] was not anything made that was made. In him [God] was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light [God] shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

John’s first witness is of the Light, God is light.

But I thought John was supposed to be a witness of the coming Messiah?

Luke 1:15-17

For he [John] shall be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias [Elijah], to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

This is what the angel Gabriel spoke to Zacharias concerning John’s ministry. Notice Gabriel said, “the Lord our God.” This was John’s first mission, to be a witness of God, who is Light.

Luke 1:76-79

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

This was the prophesy of Zacharias, his father, at the birth of John. John offered Israel remission of sin upon confession of sin and water baptism. That was the vehicle of John’s ministry.

This is the first way in which John prepares the way for the Messiah, he calls Israel back to God.

The last prophet before John the Baptist was Malachi around 450 B.C. Then John comes on the scene around 27 A.D. So, John is the first to speak God’s Word to Israel in about 480 years. That is almost five centuries Israel went without having a prophet from God. John is reintroducing Israel to God. This is John’s first responsibility in preparing the way for the Messiah, turn Israel back to God.

Second, John is a witness of the coming Messiah by his declarations concerning Jesus.

John 1:29

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

This was after John had baptized Jesus for the context bears that out.

John 1:32-34

And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me [That would be God] to baptize with water, the same said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

God gave John a sign to recognize the Messiah and when John saw that sign, he declared Jesus to be the one, the son of God. This is the second means by which John prepared the way for the Messiah (See also, John 3:23-36).

Notice John is speaking in the past tense when saying Jesus is the lamb of God. John baptized Jesus at least 40 days prior to this event. For Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days after he was baptized, and John is seeing Jesus upon his return from the wilderness.

Since it was God who sent John to baptize with water, we receive a clearer understanding of the conversation between John and Jesus when Jesus came to be baptized.

Matthew 3:13-15

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 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.

John indeed had need for the baptism Jesus would make available, but it was not available at that time. But Jesus had to fulfill all that God had said in the Law and to the prophets. The last prophet from God was John. He was sent to Israel to baptize with water and bring Light to a people in darkness. Jesus being a man of Israel required water baptism from God’s prophet.

The final way in which John prepared the way of the Messiah is in the form of disciples.

John 1:35-37

Again, the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

John 1:40-41

One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, we have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

John raised up disciples as he taught. At least one, Andrew, not only became a disciple of Jesus, but he also became an Apostle.

John prepared the way of the Messiah in these three ways:

Reintroducing the Nation of Israel to God who is Light.

Declaring Jesus to be the son of God and the lamb of God.

Raising up disciples that would follow Jesus.

John’s great declaration that Jesus was, “…the lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world.” should have brought Israel back to the Mosaic teaching concerning the Passover Lamb.

Exodus 12:5

Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

The Law was a shadow of the things to come.

Hebrews 10:1a

For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things…

Shadows mirror an image. This means Jesus needed to be a lamb of the first year, and a male, and he needed to be without spot or blemish. We have already seen the virgin birth, God placing within Mary’s womb a perfect embryo. Like the first Adam, a pure blood line, or as Judas called it, the “innocent blood” (Matthew 27:4).

I understand this presents a problem with Christian theology. Christian theology says the ministry of Jesus was three to three and a half years long. Your choice is to believe God’s Word or man’s tradition. A shadow matches an image precisely and accurately. The shadow was a lamb or goat of the first year, a male, and without spot or blemish.

We will look at all three of these conditions but first we need to be clear on the transition from the Law Administration to the Christ Administration.

I stated earlier that John and Jesus ministering at the same time is the point of transition between the Law Administration and the Christ Administration. The official opening of Jesus’ ministry is when he is baptized by John in the Jordan river. From this point on, John’s ministry will begin to decrease, and the ministry of Jesus will increase. This is demonstrated by disciples of John leaving John to following Jesus.

John’s ministry official ends when he is put into prison and beheaded. When John is put in prison the Law Administration closes (Matthew 11:13) and the Christ Administration begins. Jesus is teaching and ministering during this transition, thus this time of transition will make the ministry of Jesus longer than one year.

John 2:13

And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

This is what has confused traditional theology. He is at a Passover, his ministry had to be longer than a year. Theologians are correct, his ministry lasted longer than a year. What they missed was the transition from John to Jesus. Consider a conversation between Jesus and his mother that takes place during the transition. This conversation is at a wedding in Cana.

John 2:4

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

Jesus gives his mother this response because it is not yet time for him to begin his administration, “mine hour is not yet come.” Jesus has been baptized at this point. It is approximately 43 days after his baptism, but we are still in the period of transition.

The practical start of Jesus’ ministry, as well as the start of the Christ Administration is in Luke chapter 4.

Luke 4:16-19

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias [Isaiah]. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

This is the beginning of the Christ Administration and the beginning of the count for a lamb of the first year. But when did this take place?

John 5:1

After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

This is Pentecost, the feast that follows the Passover of John chapter 3. It is during this feast that Jesus speaks of John in the past tense (John 5:35), meaning John’s ministry and life has ended. In John chapter 4 Jesus passes through Samaria on his way to Galilee. He is on his way to Galilee to publicly open his ministry and the start of the Christ Administration.

This fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah chapter 9.

Isaiah 9:1-2

Nevertheless, the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Nazareth of Galilee was first to see great light as they were the first to see the darkness of the Assyrian invasion that devastated the Nation of Israel. After Passover and closer to Pentecost, in 27 A.D., John the Baptist was arrested and put to death. Upon these events the transition was completed, and the Christ Administration began as Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah as recorded in Luke chapter 4.

From just before Pentecost, until the following Passover, when Jesus was the lamb of God that took away the sin of the world, Jesus had a ministry of just over 10 months, making him a lamb of the first year. The image of the shadow God had given to Israel in the Mosaic Law. Counting the time of transition, the ministry of Jesus was approximately 14 months, but his time in the Christ Administration makes him a lamb of the first year.

We have seen that he is a male and that he is a lamb of the first year. We have also seen that God placing in Mary a new and perfect embryo gave Jesus a beginning of blood without spot or blemish. But what about the life he lived?

John 4:34

Jesus saith unto them, my meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

John 5:30

I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father [the text reads - him who sent me] which hath sent me.

Jesus always made God’s will his will. In contrast to Adam who received God’s words parakoe, Jesus received God’s Word hupakoe, see Mechanics of the Mind, Manthano.

John 6:38

For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

John 8:29

And he that sent me is with me: The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

Jesus came to fulfill the Law given to Moses. Jesus heard and received God’s Word as one who was subordinate to the words of God he had received.

Luke 22:42

Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done.

The will of God, not his own will, was the core of the fiber of his heart and life.

When Jesus was arrested one of the Apostles reached forth with a sword and took off an ear of one of the soldiers.

Matthew 26:51

And behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear.

Matthew 26:53-54

Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

God never tells us in His Word how many angels are in a legion. The Romans, in the first century, had 5,000 men in a legion. Using that number, do you think 60,000 angels would have been capable of protecting the son of God? But the response of Jesus was, “…how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled…” All his actions were in subordination to the words of God.

Matthew 5:17-18

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

All the Law must be fulfilled. All the Law will be fulfilled.

Before the Passover lamb was offered in sacrifice he was to be tested for any blemish or failing. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day probed Jesus with questions, seeking a blemish, a fault, some problem they might lay at his feet. Unknowingly, the religious leaders confirm God’s Word of the Passover lamb, he had no blemishes.

Matthew 22:15-16

Then went the Pharisees and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.

Matthew 22:23

The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,

Matthew 22:35

Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

In one day, at the Temple, the religious leaders, the Pharisees, the Herodians, the Sadducees, the lawyers questioned Jesus looking to find a blemish just days before he was arrested. What was the result?

Matthew 22:46

And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

He was without spot and without blemish.

John 14:30

Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

Two thousand years ago the main responsibility of Jesus was to make known the invisible God.

John 1:18

No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

The Greek word translated “declared” is exegeomai and means to make known, or to reveal, to unfold.

What do men imagine of God?

Israel was camped at the Red Sea wondering why they were brought out there to die!

At the base of Mount Sinai Israel was afraid to speak with God or even hear His voice.

Adam thought he could not only hide his thoughts but also his whereabouts from God.

Nimrod knew he had outsmarted God.

Jonah hopped a ship to parts unknown…except to God!

Darwin says we use to be apes!

Insurance policies carry a clause for disasters as an “Act of God.”

In their imagination’s men see God as vengeful, harsh, deadly, uncaring, the bringer of famine, disease, and destruction. Many even declare Him to be non-existent.

Jesus was the Living Word to make known God to a spiritually ignorant world.

Jesus was the visible demonstration of our invisible God.

Jesus was God’s means of edification during the Christ Administration.

Read again those quoted verses from Isaiah that Jesus stated to open the Christ Administration.

How many blind, saw?

How many lame, walked?

How many were healed of all manner of diseases?

How many oppressed of the Devil were set free?

This is what the Living Word brought to the Nation of Israel.

2 Corinthians 5:21

For he [God] hath made him [Jesus] to be sin [a sin offering] for us, who [Jesus] knew no sin; that we [you and I] might be made the righteousness of God in him.

This ends Part 2 of Dispensations, Administrations, Ages.

Part 3 will be ready soon.

All verses quote in this teaching are from the King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

Our Time