The Suffering Messiah 1
Welcome to Straight 2 the Heart’s new blog as we move more and more into the 21st century! We’ll be posting weekly, inviting your response, along with encouraging you to share the blessings you’ve received on our Facebook page. We also have plans to add a news/updates tab in order to inform our friends of important news regarding our ministry.
For those who are not familiar with our ministry, permit me to share with you who we are: Straight 2 the Heart is a ministry dedicated to preparing people for God’s kingdom through a:
- Christ-centered
- Cross-centered
- World-centered
- Prayer-centered discipleship process
Our passion is to see broken hearts healed and captives set free from addictions, abuse, broken relationships, fear, guilt and shame, by connecting them to Christ our “Wonderful Counselor.”
For the first series of blogs, we will be sharing the foundation of Straight 2 the Heart’s message: the “Suffering Messiah.”
Look at the chart below and ask yourself, “What was a key focus for the disciples during their 10 days of praying together in the upper room: (though it was not the only focus)
- Based on Jesus’ testimony to His disciples before and after His crucifixion
- Based on the disciples testimony after they spent 10 days praying together
- Based on their transformation from cowards to fearless witnesses for Jesus
- Based on the testimony of their enemies that they ‘had been with Jesus’?
Before the Cross
Jesus’ identified Himself as the “Suffering Messiah” who fulfilled all the prophecies
After the Cross
Jesus’ identified Himself as the “Suffering Messiah” who fulfilled all the prophecies
10 Days/Pentecost
What was a key focus of prayer in the upper room?
After Pentecost
Jesus’ Disciples identified Him as the “Suffering Messiah” who fulfilled all the prophecies
Jesus’ Disciples Share the Same Message About His Suffering AFTER the Resurrection and AFTER Pentecost In Acts 3 etc.
“This is how God fulfilled what He had foretold through ALL the prophets, saying His Messiah would SUFFER….as He promised long ago through His holy prophets.” (Acts 3:18, 21)
The Apostle Paul Sharing the Message of Christ’s Suffering In Acts:
“As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to SUFFER and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he said.” (Acts 17:2-3)
Why did Jesus and His disciples focus so much on His identify as the “Suffering Messiah?”
And how does His suffering help:
- our understanding of the gospel?
- our experiences with suffering?
- our ability to receive help from our ‘Suffering Messiah’ (Hebrews 2:18)?
Next week we will look at how the “Suffering Messiah” answers these questions in our lives and the lives of those we love and care about. And we will find a “Rubber-Meets-the-Road-Savior” who is able to help us in all our struggles and suffering.
With prayers that HIS suffering, death and resurrection will speak to your hearts and minds, bringing His healing, His peace and His truth to your hearts,
Paul Coneff
Director: Straight 2 the Heart, Inc.
“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him
crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2