Here are Cobbey Crisler insights on some citations for “Christ Jesus"
(the Christian Science Bible Lesson for March 4, 2018)
To download a poem by Ken Cooper on "Christ Jesus" go to the
online version and click on the file in upper right.]
Warren’s (W’s) PS#1—Cobbey Crisler on John 15:16 (Golden Text)
“In chapter 15, notice verse 16, the continuing emphasis on “go bring forth fruit.” The works, the Comforter, the fruit from the Comforter are all highlighted in what Jesus is saying.”
Book of John, A Walk with the Beloved Disciple, by B. Cobbey Crisler**
W’s PS#2—Cobbey Crisler on Isaiah 29:18: [CedarS in] “Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field…” in “a very little while”!
“You will see what else is included in prophesy. For in Isaiah’s well-known phrase, “in that day.” “In that day shall the deaf hear,” what? “The words of the book,” a book that has prophetic place in healing. “The deaf will hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of the darkness.”
“Heal the Sick”: A Scriptural Record, by B. Cobbey Crisler
W’s PS#3—Cobbey Crisler on Acts 10:38 (B4) in context of Acts 10:34-44
“Acts 10, verse 34, begins a lecture or sermon to the first group of Gentiles. And the opening statement that Peter makes is one that could be well considered by every denomination of Christianity today… Here Peter expressed his new view of God, that God is no respecter of persons, that God speaks to receptivity.
Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
This new view of God, of course, leads to this next question: Should man as well be no respecter of persons? This is a tradition-shattering concept.
And Acts 10, verse 35, Peter summarizes it by saying “in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” …
Then he begins to explain to Cornelius and the friends and acquaintances of Cornelius, the history of early Christianity. “The beginning of Christianity is traced from Galilee after John’s baptism, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth.” … Of course that word “anointed” immediately identifies Jesus as the Messiah. This is a point that Peter is obviously going to get across to this Gentile audience that would need some instruction in this. (See below, paraphrased)
Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
And you find in Acts 10, verse 43, he does that by stating that “all the prophets had given witness to the Messiah, namely Jesus.”…
As soon as Peter gets into this “Walked to Emmaus” approach, in other words the comprehension of Jesus’ role in the earlier scripture, we find in Acts 10, verse 44 that “the Holy Ghost falls on all the listeners.” …
It wasn’t Peter’s idea that this should happen; it’s at the Holy Ghost’s initiative. This is disturbing to some of those that came with Peter: Jewish Christians.
And we will find it becomes even more disturbing to other elements in the church later on, for this is a departure. The question underlying this event is “Should the church be parochial or universal?” Is it simply a sect of Judaism or an outcome of Judaism, or is it the fulfillment of God’s will as expressed in prophecy with its ultimate mission to embrace universal humanity?”
“After the Master What? – The Book of Acts” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
W’s PS#4—Cobbey Crisler on John 2:2-13 (B6)
“According to the Gospel of John, we have the first so-called miracle occurring "in Cana of Galilee. 
”
| John 2:2. "At a marriage." The symbolism of marriage is one that you see throughout the gospels. It seems to be something that suggests a higher concept of a unity of male and female than we would normally consider at an average-day event. It may be that John has this symbolism somewhat in mind when he introduces this and gives it such a prominent place. |
John 2:3. Here is an encounter with "his mother." Here, Jesus says unto her, "Woman." That has often sounded to many very abrupt. But it has a generic context. Jesus is the only one in ancient literature, so far recovered, that ever addresses women in this way. It's almost as if he has a sense of womanhood behind him. Not, "What have I do with thee?" John 2:4, which is not a literal translation. It really is, "What is it to Me and to thee, Woman?" Perhaps these are trappings of an earthly concept of marriage. Is there something higher? We find that a ritualistic approach to this concept of marriage.
Even in John 1:6, where we find part of the institutionalized celebration, we have "waterpots" sitting there with water. And now a new and higher meaning symbolically is being given to this whole event. The water apparently transformed into wine.
What we find in the next chapter or two is a series of giving up the old way of doing things for a new way. It's interesting to take an overview here. Not just to understand, which is a Latin concept, but to "over stand," which is a Greek concept. To look down at, over, and study the total picture that we have. In other words, the marriage of Cana is part of a series of things that all bring out the same thing.
We must give up the old and put on the new. Don't be hidebound in traditionalism, Ecclesiasticism, ritualism, and things like this.
For instance, in John 2:13 you find the second sign. This word "sign," translated "miracle" in the Bible, does not mean "miracle." The Greek word is "semeion" often translated "miracle." Here is what Dodd says about this,
"Semeion" is not in essence a miraculous act, but a significant one, which for the seeing eye and the understanding mind, symbolizes eternal reality. It is the sign that one is often identified by. For Jesus it was the sign of works, results, not theory but results. Results follow what he said.”
Book of John, A Walk with the Beloved Disciple, by B. Cobbey Crisler**
W’s PS#5 – Cobbey Crisler on Mark 1:14-15 (B8) Four foundational points for Jesus:
“Mark 1, Verse 14. We have "John put in prison." He has already disappeared from the scene.
And, ‘‘Jesus comes into Galilee, and his work begins."
Verse 15. There are four foundational aspects to the gospel we need to study. Normally, an architect might refer to just one cornerstone in a building. But let's remember that all four of the corners have cornerstones. To that degree, let's ask ourselves if this is not a clue to understanding Mark. We have a foursquare gospel, and at each corner we have a particular point. If this is true, you should be able to compile the information that follows in the gospel under one of the following four headings.
(1) The announcement that, "the time is fulfilled." What does this mean? Prophecy. The time for the fulfillment of prophesy has arrived. So, everything is just brimming in the gospel of Mark with this great news. All of the expectation is over for the Messianic prophecy: We have a fulfillment now. ‘What could be more exciting than to be living in an era of fulfilled prophecy? Nothing, apparently, because this is what impels the gospel writers to pick up their pens….
Study Mark as if it were a textbook, filled with data that Jesus needed us to know in order to follow him. It is a handbook, so to speak, a textbook where we can find data that can be applied. Those four foundational points, under "the time is fulfilled," you will see over and over again, explicit or implicit, in the text.
(2) The second one, “the kingdom of God is at no distance.” It is right here. Even that idea is radical to Christendom today often because the kingdom of God, or often heaven, is considered to be so far away from any of us now. It is out of reach, and we’re not really behaving ourselves sufficiently to get there. It takes Palomar’s 200 inch reflecting telescope to even get a glimpse of it. But we find the founder of Christianity saying, ''Not so." His theology is based on the fact that "the kingdom of God is at hand."
Do we act like it is? We moan and we groan most of the time. We wouldn't if our state of mind was the “kingdom-of-God-is-at-hand" and the “prophecies-are-fulfilled." But those are only two of the cornerstones.
(3) The third one is “Repent!" That means to change your concept. Now, we’re going very deeply to the roots of what is required of us to get 
anywhere spiritually. The problem is mental or he never would have stated it in this way.
It would be cruelly misleading if he laid down as one of the four important aspects of his theology the fact that we had to change our concepts of things. The implication is that every human ill, physical, moral, mental, all can be changed mentally. Otherwise, repenting wouldn’t make any. Changing one's concept wouldn't make any difference.
This might be where maybe we temporarily get off the train leading to Jesus' theology. We may say to ourselves, if our bodies are riddled with cancer, of what avail would it be to change our concept? How would that affect the body? The implication is that this is the panacea. Repent ye. Change your concept about things
Do you realize what kind of a religion that suggests? It's very revolutionary in this respect: nothing is incurable from the point of view of Jesus ' theology. If you can change your concept, then everything is curable. That's some good news of victory that has yet to hit the human race with any impact like Mark, the hammer.
(4) The fourth and final cornerstone is to "believe the gospel," That "believe" is not just to hold an opinion that waves in the breeze. This is a conviction on and a trust in the pronouncements of the gospel of the kingdom of God, and that "kingdom of God is at hand."
With that structure of the gospel in mind, we can do this kind of work together. As a matter of fact, the reward comes from doing this work individually and meeting each other that way. It affects the world's climate by doing this kind of deep research. In your own individual study, try those four columns.
The time is fulfilled,
The kingdom of God is at hand,
Repent ye,
Believe the gospel,
and see how you can outline the whole gospel in that way.
We may just discover that Peter becomes one of the most polished orators of all time. Yet he is regarded as a rather simplistic fisherman who probably stumbled in Greek and was more at home in his Aramaic.”
“What Mark Recorded” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
W’s PS#6—Cobbey Crisler on Luke 4:14 (B10)
“Luke indicates that he understands this [Jesus’ period of temptations in the wilderness] has been a power test for Jesus because in Verse 14 he uses that word, "Jesus returned" not in any form of power that Satan had tried to impose upon him [“to To take personal power, political power, and priestly power”]. But rather, "in the power of the Spirit into Galilee"—[“in the law that relates man directly to God, the source of the only power there is. (CC)]
“Luke the Researcher” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
W’s PS#7—Cobbey Crisler on Luke 6: 12-18 (B11)
“Jesus may have been a discoverer in the highest sense the world has ever known. He may be dealing here with a panacea, a remedy, for all human ills, never leaving the realm of thought. It's exciting to con template. But if Jesus wanted contemplators to follow him, he would not have said in Luke 10:37, "Go and do likewise."
He appoints his first group of students, disciples, beginning in Luke 6, Verse 14. We have the twelve.
Again, it isn't interpreting to just simply get the Word as it's uttered, and given to us. The logic of it requires us to see that if Jesus appointed twelve to go out and do what he is doing, then his work is not uniquely his as far as healing is concerned. He obviously expected others to be able to do his mission of healing and preach ing. He held a class in healing, the first one recorded in the history of mankind. And as you know, after great training and preparation, he sends them out to bring back results.
In the meantime, Verse 17 gives another reason why disciples were needed.
Hoards of people were coming from all over. Would this happen today? What if, in a pocket of this country, there was suddenly a community convinced that this heal ing method was meant to be an on-going process? That it was adaptable now to the human scene and that God was actively working through them? "My father worketh hitherto " (John 5:17).
If that existed today, and they were individually and collectively filled with the Holy Ghost, and breathing in that air, don't you think that multitudes would suddenly find their way to that community?
Emerson spoke about building a better mousetrap. That's what happened to early Christianity. The world beat a path to its door, especially those in need that were ready for healing and receptive to it. There were those who fought it, resisted it, and tried to end the whole story right there and' nail the history of healing to a cross.
These disciples and their examples may sound quite human because they stum ble, they fail to heal cases, they doubt Jesus, they bawl him out, they try to correct what he tells them, and they run away. Does that sound familiar? Under the pres sure of such radical thinking, human nature does quail. Yet those disciples made it. They ended up with halos on their heads in Renaissance paintings, so maybe there's hope for us.”
Luke the Researcher, by B. Cobbey Crisler
PS#8 Matthew 9
(Verse 36). Looking around him after he disposes of the Pharisaical thought, "he sees multitudes needing help, moved with compassion. There they were as sheep. They were shepherdless."
(Verse 37). "He turned to his disciples then, and his disciples in future generations, and made the remark, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few." Does that imply he expect- ed his disciples to be out there solving human problems, healing.
(Verse 38). He even asks them to "Pray the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labour ers into his harvest."
We now come to Chapter 10. We've had so much evidence that Jesus was an effective healer, but we haven't yet had evidence that there could be healing via the instruction-route: that could be taught to heal1 sent out like apprentices in some human trade or rofession, and come back practicing the rules learned with results, namely, healed cases.
We find right after the prayer (Matthew 9:38) that God "would send forth more laborers into
his harvest," and what do we find? A mandate to heal.
(Verse 1). "He called his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, to heal" What? Only certain diseases? "All manner of disease and sickness."
W’s PS#9 on citation B15: Cobbey Crisler comments on Jesus & Peter walking on water… (See poem and note to Warren and you in PS#10 below.)
(Matthew 14:24-33) (See downloadable poem online as well)
… right after the famous loaves-and-fishes incident in which everyone is fed,” we have the walking-on-the-sea incident.
(Verse 27). The disciples, not knowing how to cope with that, get told what the palsied man had been told (in Matthew 9:2) “Be of good cheer.” You’ll notice that Jesus says this at times when apparently he senses the great need of encouragement and the defeat of fear in thought. “It is I,” he said, "be not afraid."
(Verse 28). Peter who (as usual) wants part of the action says, "That looks like fun, how about my coming out there and joining you?" Peter, not quite appreciating the consequences of his acts—fortunately for awhile—actually does it! He becomes the second one to walk on water.
(Verse 30). But then he begins to look where he is. "How did I get here?"
(Verse 31). At that point Jesus supports not only his own weight but also the weight of Peter in overcoming gravity, proving it is not a law of limitation for man. Man has dominion over gravity as well.
(Verse 32). Not only over gravity, but you will find that "the minute he gets into the boat, the wind ceases." In other gospel accounts (e.g., John 6:21), "immediately the boat is at the land." (They must have gone through the sound barrier and nobody was wearing helmets.)
So, even the so-called barriers to man's being where he needs to be, from a standpoint of transportation, communication, etc., were proven to be no barriers at all in the hands of one who comprehended with his eye single. His relationship to God had, within his infinitude, no such limitations.
(Verse 35). When he lands on the other side, "many come to be healed."
(Verse 36), "Many touch the hem of his garment." Apparently the word had gotten around about that woman (in Matthew 9:20 and Mark 5:25, (B20) from last week’s Lesson) who had done that, "and many were made perfectly whole." Think of how many unrecorded healings occurred, or at least healings that we have yet to discover a written record about.”
“Book of Matthew, Auditing the Master, A Tax-Collector’s Report” by B. Cobbey Crisler
W's PS#10–Insights from Ken Cooper about the poem and downloadable offered this week:
"Dear Warren
Please find attached a poem for "Christ Jesus".
It's one written many years ago, and it has stayed with me because of the last two lines: "For I will remember, undoubtedly, When I saw the Christ I walked on the sea."
I have updated the images, the third of which is taken from my You Tube reference. You may remember this is an audio-visual link, and you may like to include its link in any comment you may wish to make. Please see "You Tube Ken G Cooper": the specific reference is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqiwv8NCvsc. It includes the text:
"Most people when they talk about Peter walking on the water focus on his being rescued by Jesus, – the immediacy of his rescue, the impossibility of being held up while Jesus was still standing on the sea. Yet the real story is the simple truth that for a few marvellous moments Peter himself also walked on the water. When we wholeheartedly turn to the Christ, hear the command to "Come!" we too can achieve the extraordinary………."
With love, Ken
**FYI: You can buy your own transcripts [IN FULL!!] to most of Cobbey’s 28 inspiring Bible talks at a new website: www.crislerlibrary.co.uk Please email your order or inquiry to Janet Crisler at office@crislerlibrary.co.uk ]
