{"id":17039,"date":"2025-06-11T15:08:23","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T06:08:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myuchisoto.org\/en\/?post_type=manga&p=17039"},"modified":"2025-06-12T14:24:26","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T05:24:26","slug":"my-uchi-soto-lesson-7-manga","status":"publish","type":"manga","link":"https:\/\/myuchisoto.org\/en\/manga\/my-uchi-soto-lesson-7-manga\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 7: The Cross"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Iino\u2019s older sister:<\/strong> Iino! Are you off to that study group at church again?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iino:<\/strong> Yup! It\u2019s not exactly \u201cstudy\u201d. It\u2019s more like\u2026 thinking about the meaning of life. It\u2019s really interesting. Do you want to come?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iino\u2019s older sister:<\/strong> It\u2019s not my scene. See you later!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doc:<\/strong> We\u2019ll start today with some more questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever met someone very important? How did you behave towards them?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Iino: <\/strong>I saw the Prime Minister when he came to make a speech. I can\u2019t exactly say I \u201cmet\u201d him, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yoshiya:<\/strong> Me too. I got a selfie with him!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

G\u014d: <\/strong>Wow! I\u2019ve never met anybody important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If God came into our world as a human being, how would you receive him?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

G\u014d: <\/strong>I reckon I\u2019d bow down in awe, like \u201cWhoa!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yoshiya: <\/strong>It depends what he looked like. If he opened his arms wide to receive me I\u2019d run towards him, but if he looked angry I\u2019d probably run away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Iino: <\/strong>It makes all the difference whether it\u2019s obvious that he\u2019s really God, I suppose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doc: <\/strong>Okay. Last time we saw how God fulfilled his promise to solve the problem of sin by sending his Son into the world. The eternal God, God the Son, took a human nature to defeat the devil and his works. And this \u201cincarnate God\u201d was\u2026?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iino: <\/strong>Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Doc: <\/strong>Yes! Today we\u2019re going to see what happened to Jesus Christ when he left the joy of uchi <\/em>fellowship of heaven to come into the world of sinful human beings. Did the people of Jesus\u2019 day say \u201cWhoa!\u201d and bow down in awe? Let\u2019s open the Bible to find out. When Jesus taught people, he often used a \u201cparable\u201d. Have you ever heard of that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yoshiya: <\/strong>It\u2019s when you don\u2019t say your point directly, but you make a comparison with something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doc: <\/strong>Yes. There\u2019s a sort of \u201chidden\u201d meaning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Let\u2019s read one of Jesus\u2019 parables together. Pay close attention, because this parable actually describes what happened to Jesus. G\u014d, would you read it for us? In these verses, Jesus himself is speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cHear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, \u2018They will respect my son.\u2019 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, \u2018This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.\u2019 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?\u201d They said to him, \u201cHe will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.\u201d <\/p>\nNew Testament, Matthew 21:33-41<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Who is the \u201cmaster of the house (uchi<\/em>)\u201d? [In Japanese, the kanji<\/em> for \u201chouse\u201d\uff08\u5bb6\uff09is normally read ie<\/em> but can also be read uchi<\/em>.] The tenants? The servants? The son?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Iino:<\/strong> Um, the \u201cmaster of the house\u201d must be God. The tenants are human beings. Are the servants the Holy Spirit? And the son \u2013 is that God the Son?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doc: <\/strong>Okay, I agree that the \u201cmaster of the house\u201d is God the Father. I think you\u2019re right that the tenants are human beings too, but can we be a bit more precise?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

G\u014d: <\/strong>Human beings who don\u2019t believe the Bible?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doc: <\/strong>Right. They don\u2019t seem to have faith. Can we say anything more?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yoshiya: <\/strong>Are they Jews?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Doc: <\/strong>That\u2019s right. When Jesus told this parable in the Temple, he was speaking to a group of priests and elders. So they were Jews. And they were religious leaders. G\u014d suggested that they didn\u2019t believe the Bible, but these leaders were Bible-teachers and they thought they knew the Bible very well. Yet at the end of the day their hearts were far from God. They didn\u2019t have the kind of \u201cfaith\u201d the Bible commends. Now, you suggested that the servants represent God the Holy Spirit, Iino. What do we all think about that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yoshiya:<\/strong> \u201cServants\u201d is plural, so it would be strange if that was a reference to the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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G\u014d:<\/strong> It says that the tenants took the servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. That doesn\u2019t sound like the tenants are the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iino:<\/strong> So the tenants are human beings too\u2026 people sent by the master?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

G\u014d: <\/strong>I wonder who God the Father sent?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yoshiya:<\/strong> The prophets?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doc: <\/strong>Yes. Because we\u2019ve jumped over most of the Old Testament, it\u2019s no surprise you don\u2019t know, but Yoshiya is right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Doc: <\/strong>The servants are prophets. They received God\u2019s word and spoke it to the people. They were less fore<\/em>-tellers and more forth<\/em>-tellers. [Note: In Japanese, yogensha<\/em> (prophet) can be written in two ways: one means a person who receives a word\uff08\u9810\u8a00\u8005\uff09and the other a person who predicts the future\uff08\u4e88\u8a00\u8005\uff09The Japanese Bible always uses the former word, but many Japanese are not familiar with the difference.] During the Old Testament period, God sent many prophets and they kept on urging the people to keep God\u2019s law. Their message was, \u201cYou guys think you know the Bible really well, but your hearts are far from God. You\u2019ve got to repent!\u201d But how do you think the people responded to that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

G\u014d:<\/strong> I bet they were really angry. So that\u2019s<\/em> why they killed and stoned the prophets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doc: <\/strong>Right. It was tough being a prophet. The prophets were often persecuted. And then at last comes the \u201cson\u201d. Iino, you were right: that\u2019s God the Son \u2013 Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What \u201cfruit\u201d do you think the master of the house expected?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

G\u014d: <\/strong>Faith?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yoshiya: <\/strong>Obedience?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doc: <\/strong>Yup. God wanted the people of Israel (the Jews) to obey his law. He wanted them to love one another, to worship him, and to show his glory to the other nations, extending the blessed \u201cvineyard\u201d around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What did the tenants do? Why did they behave as they did?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Iino:<\/strong> I think they killed the heir in order to keep the vineyard for themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doc: <\/strong>I agree. The heir is related to the master: he is his son. The tenants thought that if they could kill the son, they could be rid of their relationship to the master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What parallels do you see here with the garden of Eden in Genesis? [Note: In Japanese, the word for \u201cvineyard\u201d contains the kanji <\/em>for \u201cgarden\u201d.]<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yoshiya:<\/strong> Wanting control of the vineyard is like wanting to be God. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve wanted to be like God and decide for themselves what was good and what was evil, didn\u2019t they?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

G\u014d: <\/strong>Yeah, I can see other parallels. Adam and Eve were \u201cput\u201d in the Garden of Eden. Because God put them in paradise, they were able to enjoy all its good things. The tenants in the parable also had a vineyard garden just because their master lent it to them. They were enjoying God\u2019s blessings, but they didn\u2019t want God himself: they wanted to be God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doc:<\/strong> Yes. In the parable the son was taken and thrown out of the vineyard to be killed. And shortly after telling this parable, Jesus was also captured and killed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iino:<\/strong> On a cross, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Doc:<\/strong> That\u2019s right. Jesus was executed by crucifixion. The religious charge against him, from his own Jewish people, was blasphemy, because he claimed to be God. The occupying Romans put Jesus to death on a charge of sedition, which means inciting rebellion. However, the Bible is clear that Jesus was innocent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Doc:<\/strong> In fact, not only did Jesus commit no \u201ccrime\u201d, as the Son of God he lived a perfect life as a man, and never sinned, even in his heart. Yet he was taken out of the city of Jerusalem and killed. The Bible talks a lot about the death of Jesus. The next passage is one of many. Yoshiya, would you read it for us?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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…the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. <\/p>\nNew Testament, Hebrews 13:11-13<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

These verses describe Jesus\u2019 death in comparison with animal sacrifices for sin. Where have we seen this theme in the Bible before?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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G\u014d:<\/strong> The animal skins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iino: <\/strong>After Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree, it was God who sacrificed an animal to clothe them with skins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bible says Jesus\u2019 sacrifice is better than any animal sacrifice: in fact, it may be described as a \u201conce-for-all\u201d sacrifice. Why should Jesus\u2019 sacrifice be better in this way?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

G\u014d: <\/strong>Animals are created by God, but Jesus is<\/em> God. Jesus is worth many times more than animals. That makes his sacrifice better!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doc: <\/strong>Indeed it does! In fact, the Bible says that the blood of animals doesn\u2019t really remove sin. However, the system of animal sacrifices in the Old Testament taught the principle that a person\u2019s sins could be forgiven by the shedding of the blood of a substitute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Doc: <\/strong>Until the day when a really effective sacrifice would be offered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is it important that Jesus suffered \u201coutside\u201d (soto<\/em>) the holy city?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

G\u014d: <\/strong>The reference to the \u201choly places\u201d suggests that only holy people can enter. But the Bible says that the people were sanctified [Note: the Japanese is clear that this means \u201cmade holy\u201d] by the blood of Jesus. I think this means that in order for the people to be allowed inside<\/em> the holy place, Jesus had to go outside<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doc: <\/strong>Absolutely! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Doc: <\/strong>Jesus alone was holy, without sin or blemish. But he bore the sins of the people and became sin. He became unclean, or more specifically, cursed. Jerusalem was a holy city, and the cursed were not welcome. Jesus was the only one qualified to enjoy uchi<\/em> fellowship, but he went to soto<\/em> so that those who had no holiness of their own could come inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the effect of the shed blood of Jesus in his death?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Iino: <\/strong>It really cleanses us from our sin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doc:<\/strong> Yes. The Bible sets up a contrast between Jesus and Adam. We see that in the next passage. Iino, would you read it for us?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. <\/p>\nNew Testament, 1 Corinthians 15:47<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Doc: <\/strong>The \u201cfirst man\u201d is Adam, and the \u201csecond man\u201d is Jesus. There were thousands of years and many, many generations of people between Jesus and Adam, but the Bible calls Jesus the \u201csecond man\u201d. You may remember that the original meaning of \u201cgospel\u201d is the proclamation of a victory. Next time we\u2019ll see that death was not the end for Jesus: there is a victorious climax to come! But you may be surprised to know that the Bible even describes Jesus\u2019 death itself in victorious terms, contrasting his victory with Adam\u2019s failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What contrasts can you identify between the \u201cfirst man\u201d (Adam) in the Garden of Eden, and the \u201csecond man\u201d (Jesus) in his death?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yoshiya: <\/strong>Adam was supposed to kill the serpent, but instead of doing so he was tempted by the serpent. Jesus crushed the serpent\u2019s head when he died on the cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iino: <\/strong>Adam did what he had been told he would surely have to die for, but thanks to the sacrifice of an animal, he was able to live. On the other hand, Jesus did nothing to deserve to die, but sacrificed himself and was killed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

G\u014d: <\/strong>Adam wanted to decide for himself what was right and wrong, and made himself the judge in the middle of paradise. Jesus was judged and suffered outside the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Doc: <\/strong>All great answers! The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is, in that sense, the judgment tree. Adam defied God\u2019s will under the Tree of Judgment. But Jesus hung on the Tree of Judgment according to God\u2019s will. By doing the opposite of what Adam did, Jesus reversed the curse on mankind brought about by Adam, you see?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why can Jesus\u2019 death be described as a triumph or victory?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

G\u014d:<\/strong> It\u2019s a victory over evil because by dying Jesus destroyed the serpent\u2019s plan to separate people from God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yoshiya:<\/strong> It\u2019s a victory because Jesus\u2019 death gives us eternal life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Doc: <\/strong>Remember our question earlier, \u201cIf God came into our world as a human being, how would you receive him?\u201d The people of Jesus\u2019 day didn\u2019t bow down in awe and they didn\u2019t try to take a selfie with him either! Instead, they drove Jesus out (soto<\/em>), did terrible things to him, and had him executed. But Jesus himself makes a gracious promise to those who come to him. It\u2019s the promise that\u2019s found in lesson 7 of the booklet<\/a>. Would you read it please, G\u014d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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…whoever comes to me I will never cast out. [soto<\/em>] <\/p>\nNew Testament, John 6:37<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Who would you say is responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Iino: <\/strong>Human beings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yoshiya:<\/strong> Each and every one of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you believe that Jesus can forgive your sin and bring you back into uchi<\/em> fellowship with God?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

G\u014d: <\/strong>Yes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doc: <\/strong>That\u2019s all for today. See you next time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
The ESV Bible<\/em>. Crossway, 2001, www.esv.org\/.<\/h5>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-17039","manga","type-manga","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myuchisoto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manga\/17039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myuchisoto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manga"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myuchisoto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/manga"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myuchisoto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}