Season 4 Podcast 50 “The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 6: The Sermon on the Mount Pt III, The Lord’s Prayer, A.”

Season 4 Podcast 50 “The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 6: The Sermon on the Mount Pt III, The Lord’s Prayer, A.”We offer a daily podcast, Monday thru Friday. Each Friday we discuss the New Testament, King James’ Version. We are now on Matthew Chapter 6.  In last week’s podcast, Podcast 45, we discussed Hypocrisy. In this podcast we shall analyze the Lord’s Prayer and divide it into twelve concepts. Because of the length we divided the Lord’s Prayer into two Podcasts. In this Podcast, Pt A, we shall discuss concepts 1 – 3. In next Friday’s Podcast, Podcast 55, The Lord’s Prayer Pt B, we shall discuss concepts 4 – 12.  9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.It is a common belief among the majority of Christians that The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one and the same person; however, the Lord’s prayer suggests otherwise. I am a literalist. I find safety in literalness. It prevents me from imposing my opinion on the words of the apostles and prophets. Christ teaches us to pray directly to The Father. To me the greatest prayers ever given are the three prayers of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane where he takes upon himself the sins of the world. Are we to believe that he went into Gethsemane to pray to himself. Remember the moment when drops of blood like sweat were coming from every pore as recorded by the physician Luke:Luke 22: 44“And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”There is no other moment like it in the life of Christ. Christ spills his blood twice for us. First in the Garden of Gethsemane where he bleeds from every pore; and Second on the Cross where he is crucified for our sins. The cross, that great and magnificent symbol where Christ is seen by everyone being lifted up is only possible because of the Garden of Gethsemane. Before the Cross Christ has already paid for our sins. That occurred in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Cross, followed by the empty tomb symbolize another of the greatest gifts of God to man—death and the resurrection. Christ gave up his body willingly. The Romans had no power over the death of Christ, but the resurrection of mankind depended upon two things (1) the perfection of Christ and (2) The Garden of Gethsemane where he took upon himself our sins. He brought about our resurrection by dying on the cross and rising from the tomb.  Listen to the first prayer in Gethsemane and ask yourself, “is he praying to himself.”Matthew 26: 38-39“Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”If he were praying to himself, the prayer would be nothing but a philosophical debate with Christ taking both sides. It is far more logical to assume that he is actually talking to his Father in Heaven. Examine what Christ said to Mary Magdalene at the Garden tomb.JOHN 20: 17“Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”