| About 2,000 years
ago God's Son became flesh. He was the firstborn child of a poor
family and lived only about 33 years in our world. Yet no other
has had the impact He has had upon our world! As bad as things
sometimes get, things would be far worse if not for Jesus!
Jesus once asked
His apostles, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
They told Jesus of the opinions held about Him and then Jesus
asked another question, "But who do you say that I am? And
Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of
the living God"(Matthew 16:13-16)
What is your
opinion of Jesus? Why does His name invoke such love in some
while exciting such hatred in others? The fact is this: Jesus
was much more than a simple Galilean carpenter.
THE
PROMISED ONE
The prophets had
foretold of a Messiah. He would undertake the most important
rescue mission of all; to secure redemption from sin. There were
over 300 prophecies made about Him hundreds of years before His
birth. All of these prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Not a
single one failed.
It had been
prophecied that He would enter our world by a miraculous birth,
having no human father. This event would take place in a small
village called Bethlehem.
(Isaiah 7:14)
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a
virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name
Immanuel.
(Micah 5:2) But
thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the
thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me
that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from
of old, from everlasting.
(Matthew
1:22-25) Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a
virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and
they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is,
God with us. 24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the
angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25
And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son:
and he called his name JESUS.
(Matthew 2:1-6)
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of
Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to
Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?
for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship
him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was
troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered
all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he
demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said
unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the
prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the
least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a
Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
He would be a
descendant of Jesse, the father of David. There is much
prophecied about His ministry, but perhaps it is all best summed
up by the prophet Isaiah.
(Isaiah 11:1-5)
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a
Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the LORD
shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the
spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the
fear of the LORD; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in
the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of
his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4 But
with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with
equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth
with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall
he slay the wicked. 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of
his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
This Mighty King
and Humble Servant would be slain for the people. Even as He
suffered they would mock Him as they cast lots for His clothing,
not knowing that it was for them He was giving His life!
(Psalms
22:11-18) Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is
none to help. 12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of
Bashan have beset me round. 13 They gaped upon me with their
mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. 14 I am poured out
like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like
wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 15 My strength is
dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and
thou hast brought me into the dust of death. 16 For dogs have
compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they
pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I may tell all my bones: they
look and stare upon me. 18 They part my garments among them, and
cast lots upon my vesture.
(Isaiah 53:1-8)
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. 6 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. 7 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. 8 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.
(John 19:23-24)
Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his
garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also
his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top
throughout. 24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not
rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the
scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my
raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These
things therefore the soldiers did.
But death would
not be the end. He would prosper and receive glory and power. He
would live again!
(Psalms 16:8-11)
I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right
hand, I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my
glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. 10 For thou
wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine
Holy One to see corruption. 11 Thou wilt show me the path of
life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there
are pleasures for evermore.
(Isaiah
53:10-12) 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. 11 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. 12 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.
(Luke 24:4-8)
And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout,
behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 5 And as they
were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said
unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not
here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was
yet in Galilee, 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into
the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day
rise again. 8 And they remembered his words,
Jesus is the
fulfillment of God's promises. There simply is no provision for
redemption apart from God's Anointed One.
JESUS'
CLAIMS
Jesus never
intended for you to think of Him simply as a great philosopher.
He made claims concerning Himself that leave us with only two
options: either He was an insane liar or He is who He claimed to
be. We believe that His claims are true.
Jesus claimed to
have existed before His conception and birth. He claimed to be
eternal and equal with God.
(John 5:16-18)
And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay
him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. 17 But
Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. 18
Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not
only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his
Father, making himself equal with God.
(John 8:57-59)
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. 59 Then took
they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went
out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so
passed by.
(John 10:30-33)
I and my Father are one. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again
to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I
showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone
me? 33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone
thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man,
makest thyself God.
(John 17:5) And
now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the
glory which I had with thee before the world was.
He taught that
He was the only way to God as the light of the world and that He
had the power to forgive sins.
(John 8:12) Then
spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the
world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but
shall have the light of life.
(John 14:6)
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no
man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
(Luke 5:24) But
that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to
forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto
thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
He claimed to
have been given all authority by God and that one day He would
judge every person who had ever lived. He said that even the
angels were subject to Him.
(Matthew 25:34)
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world:
(Matthew 25:41)
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from
me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and
his angels:
(Matthew 25:46)
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the
righteous into life eternal.
(Matthew
26:53-54) Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and
he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it
must be?
(Matthew
28:18-20) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power
is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with
you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
He referred to
Himself as the Resurrection and the Life. His proof would be
that He would rise from His own tomb on the third day.
(John 11:25)
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he
that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
(Mark 9:31) For
he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is
delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and
after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
Obviously we are
not talking about someone who was simply a good human being and
nothing more. The only choices are to either dismiss Jesus as a
deceiver or to accept Him as God's Son. He left us no middle
ground between the two.
JESUS'
MISSION
Jesus came to
fulfill God's plan to redeem humanity. He knew exactly what
would happen and how He would be slain. In this we see the
supreme example of love.
(2 Corinthians
8:9) For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that,
though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye
through his poverty might be rich.
(Philippians
2:5-9) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be
equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took
upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of
men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name
which is above every name:
Jesus said that
He came down out of heaven to do His Father's will. Jesus was
faithful in this, even when God's will meant yielding His own.
(John 6:38) For
I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will
of him that sent me.
(Matthew 26:39)
And he went a little farther, 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.
Jesus came to
seek and save the lost. He knew our need and came to bring hope
(Luke 19:10) For
the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
The Lord was
born into our world to be a King, though He makes it quite clear
that His kingdom is not physical, but spiritual.
(John 18:33-37)
Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called
Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? 34
Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did
others tell it thee of me? 35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine
own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me:
what hast thou done? 36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of
this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my
servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but
now is my kingdom not from hence. 37 Pilate therefore said unto
him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am
a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into
the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one
that is of the truth heareth my voice.
The Son of God
came to die for the world. As He approached the time of His
crucifixion He would not avoid it because it was for this
purpose that He came
(John 12:27-28)
Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me
from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. 28
Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven,
saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
DEATH,
BURIAL AND RESURRECTION
The central fact of
the gospel is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and on
the third day following rose from the dead.
(1 Corinthians
15:1-4) Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which
I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye
stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I
preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I
delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how
that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And
that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures:
Since this is
such a crucial point in our study, perhaps it would be best to
just open your Bible and read thoughtfully the following
passages:
DEATH
OF JESUS (MARK 15:22-39)
HIS
BURIAL (MARK 15:46,47)
RESURRECTION!
(MARK 16:1-8)
God has said
that our sins demand death. He is absolutely holy and righteous
and He cannot merely ignore our sins by pretending that they
never happened. But He could substitute His own willing,
righteous Son to pay our debt with His own death. Now that this
has been accomplished, each one of us has a decision to make:
either to accept this great gift of God and the responsibilities
and rewards which accompany it, or reject it and face eternal
death ourselves which is what we deserved to begin with.
(Romans 3:26) To
declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be
just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
(Romans 6:23)
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
LORD
AND SAVIOR!
Jesus is presented
to us as both Lord and Savior. There is no indication in the
Bible that He will be a person's savior who has not accepted His
lordship over his or her life. This means that we must obey
Jesus as Lord as we trust Him to save. Jesus Himself has gone on
record on this very point. Accepting Jesus' lordship means that
we obey Him.
(Luke 6:46) And
why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
(John 12:26) If
any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall
also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father
honour.
(John 14:15) If
ye love me, keep my commandments.
(John 14:21) He
that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that
loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father,
and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Accepting Jesus
as savior means we have hope in Him.
(Matthew 1:21)
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
(Philippians
3:20-21) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we
look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change
our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious
body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue
all things unto himself.
CONCLUSION
Jesus saves those
that obey Him.
(Hebrews 5:9)
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal
salvation unto all them that obey him;
Jesus is the
hope of the world. He is much more than a simple Galilean
carpenter/preacher and none of us are ready to leave this world
until we have accepted that fact and acted upon it.
LESSON #5 is
entitled "ETERNITY AND MAN". We will examine the
differences between temporal, material things and eternal,
spiritual things. We will see why it is such a mistake to ignore
our spiritual needs and we will look at the judgment to come.
CAN
YOU ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?
Using this
lesson and your Bible, please look up the passages cited, then
answer the following questions.
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Last revised:
February 22, 2007 . |
