(06/11/2015) Did Jesus Want Popularity?

Celebrity, fame, popularity, showing-off, and vainglory come into view, today, as I respond to a writer using the ID “Anonymous” (no other information shared) who posted the following at “Yahoo! Answers UK & Ireland”:


Jesus got a lot of attention from the crowds, but did he enjoy it?
did he crave it in a way like a celebrity would?

I will update this soon, to say more.

Update: Would it be fair to say he was modest about it.

He wanted to be away from the crowds at times, but they found him and he relented, to help them. It wasn't some ego trip for him.

Update 2: Anyway, that is kind of why I think that he wouldn't want the attention and hype at Christmas time. And not all of it is honorable, but excessive.


THE GOLDEN ARROW:  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth:  he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.  He was taken from prison and from judgment:  and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.  And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.  Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief:  when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied:  by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.  Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death:  and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.  (Isaiah 53:  6-12, KJV)


THE DOUBLE DAGGER:   Prayer in Public? (02/24/2015); A “Good” Verse? (05/09/2014); What GOD Demands (05/10/2014); The Body of Moses (05/11/2014); Jesus, A Party Animal? (05/03/2013); Jesus Lives! (05/04/2013); Christian Modesty (10/15/2012); The Meek Will Inherit (10/16/2012)


“Anonymous”, the holy writings are intended to reveal divine consciousness of life throughout the universe; the correct attitudes, behaviors and operations for exchange and interaction with Deity (e.g., confession, obedience, praise, prayer, sacrifice, and sanctification); and the peculiar elements that establish fruitful personal relationship to the Creator (such as acknowledgment, discernment, obedience, mercy, reverence, and worship).   The priority is to demonstrate and expose the character, makeup, nature, and eternal purposes of Divinity to created beings and living creatures using events that appear within thousands of lives, over the course of thousands of years.  With this in view, there is no detailed discussion of divine temporal feelings, sentiments, material and social expectations, or desires and lusts.  Believers are to become vessels who contain the same spirit that resided within Jesus Christ, and that he displayed when discharging the grave duty and privilege of a consecrated minister, and heir to Deity.  Consider again the following:

(1.)  Jesus appeared in order to affirm, complete and fulfill divine judgments, proclamations, promises, and prophecies.  With John the Baptist, Jesus restored the office of prophet that had been denied to Israel for more than 400 years.  Thus, the Anointed One also appears as a circuit-rider, a nomad, and a wanderer (like Abraham, Moses, Isaiah and David), while also the elder and head over a school-of-the-prophets and the sons-of-the-prophets through his apostles and disciples (like Samuel, Elijah and Elisha).

(2.)  Isaiah 42:  1-3, King James Version (KJV):  1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him:  he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.  2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.  3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench:  he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

(3.)  Isaiah 53:  1-5, KJV:  1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?  2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground:  he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.  3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:  and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:  yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:  the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

(4.)  John 7:  16-18, KJV:  16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.  17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.  18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory:  but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

(5.)  Matthew 6:  1-2, KJV:  6 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them:  otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.  2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

There is far more to be said, correctly understood, and internalized as aspects of the Spirit from GOD.  (For example, (6.)  Hebrews 12:  1-4, KJV:  1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.  4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.)  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith and spiritual maturity.

THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC