That Life Is The Light

LESSON TWO

PART I

A: THE WORD OF LIFE

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

I John 1:1

We can read the word “beginning” and think of the time the apostles first met Jesus and that was the beginning for them. John was a spiritual writer and did not deal much in the natural. In his gospel, he took his account beyond just meeting Christ.

If we parallel this to his gospel, John says that which was from the beginning he saw it with his own eyes and handled it. He also calls that thing which was from the beginning the Word of life. John saw the Word and that Word was the Word of life. It was that thing that was present when God said, “Let there be . . .” It was that thing which was from the beginning. That Word that came from the Father and formed the heavens and the earth. John and the apostles handled, saw and interacted with it. They found out that this Word was LIFE.

For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;

I John 1:2

Listen to what John is telling us. That life that was with the Father was manifested unto us. That life that was with the Father from the beginning is the same life that testified that all things were created by Him and for Him.

I John 1:1-3

Amplified Bible

1 [We are writing] about the Word of Life [in] Him Who existed from the beginning, Whom we have heard, Whom we have seen with our [own] eyes, Whom we have gazed upon [for ourselves] and have touched with our [own] hands.

2 And the Life [an aspect of His being] was revealed (made manifest, demonstrated), and we saw [as eye-witnesses] and are testifying to and declare to you the Life, the eternal Life [in Him] Who already existed with the Father and Who [actually ] was made visible (was revealed) to us [His followers].

3 What we have seen and [ourselves] heard, we are also telling you, so that you too may realize and enjoy fellowship as partners and partakers with us. And [this]fellowship that we have [which is a distinguishing mark of Christians] is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

The Word of God is the Word of Life. Now that life has gone back to glory, back to the Father. However, the apostles have come to show that same life unto us. That same life that was here from the beginning, the disciples now desire to show us. This is why the apostles were here, to make manifest to us that same life that spoke the world into existence.

John, Peter, Paul and all the disciples came to manifest (reveal) that same life that spoke the world into existence. The only way we will know that this life exists is that it can do the same thing now that it did then. It was not about their personage, it was about the life. They came to show us the power of that life.

B: JESUS: APPOINTED AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHISEDEC

My question to God was this, “Was that the first time anyone saw the life of the Father?” The gospel of John says:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

St. John 1:1-2

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

St. John 1:14

The Word that was made flesh and dwelt among us was that life that was in the Father.

All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.

St. John 1:3

ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY THE WORD OF GOD. THIS WAS JESUS. Colossians says all things were not only made by Him but for Him. It was Jesus who made all things and made them for Himself. Jesus was a manifestation of the life of God. God called Him, Son. Was this the first time that anyone interacted with God? Was this the first time that life, we now call Jesus, was manifested?

1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.

2 He was present originally with God.

St. John 1:1-2

Amplified Bible

And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth.

St. John 1:14

Amplified Bible

8 Although He was a Son, He learned [active, special] obedience through what He suffered

9 And, [His completed experience] making Him perfectly [equipped], He became the Author and Source of eternal salvation to all those who give heed and obey Him,

10 Being designated and recognized and saluted by God as High Priest after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 5:8-10

Amplified Bible

10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

Hebrews 5:8-10

Though Jesus was the begotten of God, He still learned obedience by the things He suffered. Being made perfect, being brought to maturity, being brought into a place of total righteousness, where God could be pleased with Him. He became the author of eternal salvation. He was called by God to be a high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

The word order means God-given nature and divinely appointed character. He was called to be a high priest after the nature and character of Melchisedec. Why did God choose Melchisedec? After all, we say that the Old Testament is our schoolmaster and the only priesthood we see in the Old Covenant is the Levitical Priesthood. However, that is not who God styled us after. This priest, called Jesus, is appointed after the order of Melchisedec. He is supposed to be in the nature and divine character of Melchisedec.

I. WHO WAS MELCHISEDEC

Let us find out who Melchisedec was…

1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;

2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

Hebrews 7:1-2

Melchisedec was the King of Salem and priest of the Most High God who met Abraham and blessed him. Abraham began paying tithes to Melchisedec.

Melchisedec was:

• King of Salem
• Priest of the most High God
• King of Righteousness
• King of Peace
• God Himself

King means to be the head of something. Melchisedec’s name means that He is the king of righteousness, which means He is the head of righteousness and the head of all peace. How many people can boast of being the origin of righteousness and peace?

Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

Hebrews 7:3

God is trying to take us back to understand His heart and mind. Melchisedec was God Himself. He was the Father who had no beginning, no mother, no father and no children. Abraham saw Him and paid tithes to Him. Melchisedec had no beginning of days and there is no end to His life. His life cannot end. Here is a priest with eternal life. He was made like the Son of God, in other words, He was made like Jesus and abideth continually. Is this not God?

God stepped out of heaven and walked into an office as a priest and Jesus came out of Mary’s womb into the office of a high priest. This Jesus, the Son of God is just like Melchisedec and Melchisedec is just like Jesus.

The scripture says that Melchisedec abides a priest continually. This means there is no end to His priestly office. But how can it continue if He has no children?

4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

Hebrews 7:4-5

There is no end to Melchisedec’s Priestly Office.Those who are called to the Levitical priesthood are commanded to take tithes from the people, their brethren, to live. God ordered this to care for His priests who managed His house.

Levi was Abraham’s great-great grandson. When the priesthood began with the sons of Levi, they were commanded to live from the tithes the people paid. God did not give the tribe of Levi an inheritance from the land. Their inheritance came from whatever the land produced, as the people were to bring the Levitical priesthood one-tenth of it. Then the Levitical priesthood took one-tenth of whatever the people gave and gave that to the High Priest.

But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.

Hebrews 7:6

Melchisedec is not counted from the Levitical priesthood, yet He received tithes from Abraham and Melchisedec blessed Abraham. This makes Melchisedec greater than Levi. And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.

Hebrews 7:7

The one who did the blessing is greater than the one who received the blessing.

And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

Hebrews 7:8

Under the Levitical priesthood, men who were born, received tithes and died. Melchisedec received tithes from Abraham yet there are witnesses that say Melchisedec still lives. There are witnesses that “that life” is still alive.

9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.

10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

Hebrews 7:9-10

Before Levi was born, God considered that his tithes had already been paid by Abraham.

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?

58 Jesus said unto them, Verily,verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

St. John 8:56-58

Abraham saw “that life” and was glad. If the Pharisees and Sadducees had been from Abraham, they would have also recognized “that life” when they entertained Jesus. God is making a distinction now between that which is holy and what is unholy. When we see “that life” now we, too, should be glad.

When we begin to bring forth “that life,” it will provoke evil from those who do not love the truth. That is what it did to the Scribes and Pharisees, and this is what it is doing in the church today.

Let us remember that Melchisedec did not have any children, but Jesus was made a High Priest after the divine nature and character of Melchisedec. We need to see Jesus’ whole purpose for coming. All we have seen is His coming for redemption for our sins. But the Father was on a mission, so God planted His Seed, the Word, in Mary’s womb and she provided the Word a body.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Ephesians 1:3-4

God has blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places. The blessings are in accordance with the purpose He chose for us. God blessed Israel according to the purpose He chose for them as well. They were a natural people and were blessed with natural things and had a purpose to maintain their existence to bring forth that righteous seed promised to Abraham.

That righteous seed has already come forth. We are in a new dispensation, the seed now has produced offspring. Verse four speaks to us of God’s heart. He wants someone to love Him. His nature is love and He wants love in return. We are unable to love the Father, unless we are like Him, and whosoever is going to love the Father has to have His nature living on the inside. WE MUST BE BORN OF HIS SPIRIT.

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Ephesians 1:5

In other words, this was something that the Father wanted to do and used Jesus Christ to create a race of people worthy to be adopted by Him to be His children. The only reason He called us adopted was because we once belonged to another, Satan. Jesus came so God could have some descendents, and this is why He calls us His inheritance.

We are God’s heritage and whosoever Jesus presents to His Father must be holy and without blame. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. Those branches in Christ who do not bring forth righteous fruit the Father will cut off, the angels will gather and throw those branches into the fire.

He also desired to be able to embrace His children. He therefore needed bodies that could express the heart and mind, and God needed a body so He could express His heart and mind. His nature is one of love, so He needed a body to be able to express Himself.

II. A CONTINUOUS PRIESTHOOD

The Old Covenant went from Genesis, where we first encounter Melchisedec, to Malachi. Jesus comes on the scene in Matthew in the New Covenant and since the Bible says that Melchisedec’s priesthood is a continuous one, we have to see it in the New Testament. It was Jesus who provided Melchisedec with a priesthood that is continuous.

9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.

St. Mark 16:9-11

When Mary Magdalene told the apostles what she had seen and what Jesus told her to tell them, they did not believe her. In St. John 20:14-17, Mary Magdalene talks to Jesus but does not recognize Him. She thinks He is the gardener.

After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.

St. Mark 16:12

Jesus appeared in another form to two more of them who also told the others and they believed not.

Mary Magdalene saw Jesus in one form, two others saw Him in another form, we saw Him last night in Apostle Michael Thomas and we see Him when we look in the mirror. He is in all these different forms. JESUS IS ALIVE. “That life” is alive and it will never die. It is continuous . . . forever and ever. Amen.

God bless you,

Apostle Mary Banks

THE FAITH LIBRARY

SELF-EVALUATION

THAT LIFE IS THE LIGHT

LESSON TWO

The purpose of the Self-Evaluation is to help you examine yourself with the principles taught in this lesson. You must always examine your response to every circumstance, situation and relationship with which you are faced, no matter how small or insignificant it seems.

In Summary, we must remember the following:

1. The Word of God is the Word of Life.

2. The disciples heard, saw and handled the Word of Life, which was Christ.

3. Jesus is the author of eternal salvation.

4. Jesus is a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek.

5. Jesus provided God with a priesthood that is continuous.

Explain in your own words how the life of Christ has been manifested (revealed, proven) in your life.

To be born of God means to take on His nature. Do you see the evidence in your life of a changed nature?

[ ] Yes.

[ ] No, however, I know I am a born again believer.

[ ] I have not been born of God’s Spirit.

LESSON TWO

SUMMARY

REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

OLD TESTAMENT

NEW TESTAMENT

GLOSSARY

NOTE: These glossary terms have been taken from The Banks’ Expository and have been added to this study guide. Some of the terms have been derived to govern an in-depth understanding of this teaching. Others have been adopted from various sources and are used in confirmation of revelations received from God.