Curse of God

Matthew 27 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.  -kjv Acts 1 18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.  -kjv Observation and comments:

1. Acts was written by Luke and has a different account of how Judas Iscariot died as written by Matthew.

2. The passages can be easily harmonized by the event in Matthew 27:5 occurring first, followed by Acts 1, meaning Judas hanged himself first (that was how he died) and then probably the branch of the tree broke and he fell headlong and his bowels gushed out.

3. Matthew was writing to the Jews. To the Jewish person, cursed is the one who is hanged on the tree. This showed to the Jews that Judas was cursed. Luke was writing to the Greco-Roman world. To them, suicide was not a curse but defacing the body (the Greco-Roman people elevated the body) showed it to them that Judas was under a curse. Each author had a purpose for the way they presented it to help their audience see that Judas was under a curse. Learned this from openline, moody radio, on October 17, 2015

The verse that Muslim apologist commonly use

Numbers 23 19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?  -kjv 19 God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?  -niv 19 God is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes His mind. Does He speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?  -hcsb Observations and Comments

1. Numbers 23:19 is a verse that Muslim apologist commonly use to argue against the incarnation, that God became a man.

2. The verse is not saying that Jesus cannot become a man but that God is not like humanity, men and women, who lie. The idea is taken out of context by Muslim apologists legalistically too.

3. This verse is proclaimed by Balaam. Balaam is a true prophet and Moses included Balaam's word as truth. Learned this from open line, moody radio broadcast of June 27, 2015

Significance of the title "Son of man"

One of the strongest ways Jesus claimed deity was by calling himself the "Son of man". "Son of man" is understood in Judaism to be equivalent to deity. At the trial before the high priest, Matthew 26 63 But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.  -kjv Jesus combines Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13 in Matthew 26:64. The high priest understands Jesus' implication that he is claiming deity and hence rents his clothes and accuse Jesus of blasphemy. Psalms 110 1The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.  -kjv Daniel 7 13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.  -kjv In Daniel 7 9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.  -kjv The word thrones - plural shows that Jesus was sitting on one throne while God the Father - the Ancient of days sit on the other throne. Learned this from openline moody radio on 10 Oct 2015.