Luke 5:21
Pharisees and Teachers of the Law Reject Jesus
21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Mark 14:60-62
Jesus Tells Us He is the Son of the Blessed One
60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" 61 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.
Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"
62 "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
John 15:1-17
Parable of the Vine
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
What if Jesus ran an ad when He was first starting His ministry that said: Looking for disciples, apostles, and followers...Want men and women to be My followers who will a difficult journey...They will take up my cross and continue my word...They will receive little or no wages, persecution probable, long hours, travel a must and often, must always be truthful...Your current religion will change and the way you look at life will dramatically be affected...They should be willing to meet others friends, family, and enemies alike, and love them all...The current religious officials will reject you, just as they will in the end wind up rejecting Me...This will be not only a journey for three years, but for your entire life, and into eternity...Your three year journey with Me shall be a treacherous one with the leading High Priest, the powerful Sanhedrin, Pharisees, teachers of the law, and the scribes -all looking to always cause you problems and troubles...But this journey will be an experience of your lifetime...I will teach you the commandments and Scripture and the way they are to be interpreted...Expect sufferings, persecutions, and hardships to happen along the way...But you must persevere...And then it will be a life's experience you will never forget...You will after these three years look at life, much differently than you do now...But in the end you will be comforted, find a peace that is not of this world, and your joy in this life will become complete...You will change so much and you will get closer to the One I call My Father...