The Lord Jesus
Christ
- His Pre-existence.
- I AM what I was - GOD
- I was not what I am - MAN
- I am now called both - GOD and MAN.
- (Old Latin inscription)
- The importance of this truth
- Christ's birth did not mark His origin. He is unique
- There could be no Trinity without the pre-existent Son of
God.
- If Christ had no prior existence, He could not have come to
be a living revelation of God
- How this truth is taught in the New Testament.
- He is clearly said to be the Creator. John 1:1-3, Col
1:15-18.
- It is clearly taught that He was with the Father before the
world existed; that He was rich, and possessed glory. John 1:1,15,30, 6:62 8:57-58, 17:5,
2 Cor 8:9.
- He is clearly represented as the One Who came into the
world, having come down from heaven. John 3:13, 31, 13:3, 16:27-28, 1 Cor 15:47
- How this truth is taught in the Old Testament.
- Look at the following key passages :-
- Psalm 45, esp. 6-7 see also (Hebrews 1:8-9)
- Psalm 110, esp. 1 (Matthew 22:41-46)
- Isaiah 9:6-7 (Matthew 4:14-16)
- Micah 5:2 (Matthew 2:6, John 7:42)
- Malachi 3:1-2 (Mark 1:2)
- Zechariah 2:10-11
- Appearances of Christ in the Old Testament
- God sometimes appeared to ancient Israel. It could not have
been God the Father, because He has never been seen. (John 1:18, 6:46).
- The Jehovah Who appeared is also described as the One sent
by Jehovah (the Angel of the Lord). The Father is never sent. But the Son is. ( John 5:36
).
- In Old Testament times Christ came in the form of a man,
while at Bethlehem He became man. In the Old Testament He took human form only temporarily
and for a limited purpose; but at Bethlehem He became flesh perpetually.
- Such appearances are usually called 'theophanies'. Examples
are Genesis 16:7-13, 18:2-33, 32:24-32 (see Hosea 12:3-5), Exodus 3:2-6 (see 14:19, Isaiah
63:7-9). In each case the Angel sent by God is seen to be God Himself.
- Malachi 3:1 is decisive. The messenger or angel of the
covenant is declared to be the Lord. Mark 1:2 refers this verse to Christ
- "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent
forth his Son, MADE OF A WOMAN..." (Gal 4:4)
- His birth.
- Job complained "I cannot perceive.... behold..... see
him". Job 23~8-9
- Philip requested "Lord! show us the Father.. ! John
14:8
- Jesus declared "He that hath seen me hath seen the
Father". John 14:9, see 1:18.
- A mystery.
- we may not understand how He could be both perfectly divine
and fully human but this should not stumble our faith.
- God prepared the world for 4000 years before this event
took place. A sinless Man arrived amongst sinful men ! Could this have occurred in an
ordinary way ?
- it is easy to believe in the HOW of His birth when we
remember WHO was born.
- does not the pre-existence of Christ demand some miracle of
birth ?
- He did not come by natural generation - a man and a woman
- He did not come as Adam did - without a man and a woman
- He did not come as Eve did - a man without a woman
- He did not come as Isaac did - a man and a woman divinely
empowered
- He was born of a woman, without a man, having. been begotten
of the Holy Spirit Matt 1:20, Lk 1:35.
- A miracle.
- it was not a mere baby who was thus supernaturally
begotten, but the eternal Son of God with respect to His human nature. At no time was His
supernatural identity suspended.
- yet the conception, embryonic development and birth were as
for other children
- except that it was a virgin conception, and of such a
character to ensure sinlessness.
- such a birth was foreshadowed in the Old Testament
- "the seed of the woman" in Gen 3:15 is
remarkable. On every other occasion the phrase is used of the seed of the man.
- no language could be clearer than that of Isaiah 7:14,
quoted in Matthew 1:22-23
- The seriousness of rejecting this truth.
- If the virgin birth is untrue :-
- the New Testament is unreliable, and without authority
- Mary was unchaste, for Joseph was clear the child was not
his Matt 1:18-19
- Jesus was the natural child of sinful parents. He was thus
not pre-existent, and not the incarnate Son of God.
- there is no way to explain His peerless character and
sinless life
- He was not God manifest in the flesh, and had no power to
forgive sin, or to be an acceptable Substitute on the cross.
- there is no reason why we should stop at rejecting this
miracle. Why not reject them all?
- Some objections considered.
- Having one parent does not guarantee sinlessness.
- true - Psalm 51:5
- it was the special activity of the Holy Spirit in
protection and preservation and not just a supernatural begetting which guaranteed His
sinlessness. Luke 1:35.
- Both Matthew & Luke trace Jesus' ancestry through
Joseph.
- Luke's genealogy is that of Mary, who was apparently of the
same tribe & family of Joseph. Matthew gives Joseph's line to establish Christ's right
to the throne of David. Technical study bears this out.
- the men who compiled the tables were men who also recorded
the virgin birth. They would hardly have contradicted it, and in fact guarded the truth
jealously - see Matt 1:16, Lk 3,23.
- Many New Testament writers do not refer to the event at
all.
- but their silence proves nothing. except that they did not
mention it'
- they certainly say nothing whatever to contradict it
- and Paul in particular uses some unusual and significant
expressions when referring to the incarnation - Rom 8:3, Phil 2:7, Gal 4:4.
-
the Sinless One has come !
-
God was manifest in the flesh !
-
There is a Saviour for sinners !
- His childhood.
- "And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit,
filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him." Luke 2:40.
- Jesus began life as a perfect child, but as a CHILD
nonetheless
- The Saviour, Christ the Lord, was born ! How unlike pagan
deities !
- He passed through every experience we pass through -
without sin.
- we know of a few details of His infancy, such as His birth,
presentation in the Temple, visit from Wise Men, flight into Egypt, and arrival in
Nazareth. Matt 1:18-2:23, Lk 2:1-40.
- But nothing of His childhood up to the age of 12 is
recorded, except the verse above. No amazing incidents are recorded, because none
happened. He grew & developed as a normal child, not a prodigy, yet without sin - Heb
4:15.
- Nazareth,
- He was brought up in a small, rough, despised northern
village. Lk 4:16-30, John 1:45, 7:52
- the oldest of at least 8 children. Matt 13:55-56
- his supposed father was the village carpenter. Matt 13:55.
- the home was probably a typical Jewish home of the place and
period
- and He lived and grew there without sin.
- The child grew
- He experienced normal physical development.
indistinguishable from other boys, except for His sinlessness.
- the foundation of His later amazing physical endurance was
laid
- He played the games, and entered the occupations of other
children. Lk 7:31-32.
- His voice would give promise of its later power.
- Filled with wisdom.
- He advanced in mental attainment,
- He learned to speak; to read (Lk 4:17); and to write (Jn
8:6-8).
- from earliest days Mary would have taught Him Psalms, OT
history, parts of Law,
- from 3 Joseph would have given Him more thorough teaching,
in the Law, and the meaning of the festivals - and a trade !
- from 6-11 he would have attended the village school held in
the synagogue which He attended on Sabbaths, and learned the Law, by repetition.
- no stain of sin would have clouded His understanding of
spiritual things; and He would increasingly see that the Scriptures wrote of HIM !
- throughout this time He was observant, and probably asked
many questions He certainly recalled these things with ease and accuracy in later years
(e.g. weather; weddings; sower; reaper; shepherd; innkeeper; soldiers; Pharisees; tax men;
fishers; candles; leaven; vineyards; etc....)
- He also began that personal mastery of all branches of
education which would later make the rabbis gasp - Jn 7:15.
- at 12 He would have become a 'Son of the Law', and would
have been robed in the garments of a man
- And the grace of God was upon Him.
- He was totally unlike any other child in this respect.
- there was no flaw or defect in His personality.
- purity; kindness; meekness; goodness; truthfulness;
obedience to parents, etc...
- it was the perfect, all-rounded development of a sinless
child.
- "Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
" Luke 3:22.
- His youth and early manhood
- At the age of twelve
- Luke 2:41-52 alone breaks the silence concerning our Lord's
youth
- here we see His inmost mind as He approached adolescence
- at 12 Jesus would have become a 'son of the law'
- shortly afterwards He probably made His first journey to
Jerusalem
- an unforgettable experience! ( journey - pilgrims - city -
Temple!)
- Joseph & Mary were distressed to find He was not in the
returning company
- they at last found Him among the discussing rabbis
- Mary gently but firmly reproached Him' for His behaviour.
- our Lord's reply contains His first recorded words. Lk 2:49.
- they were not understood, but Mary treasured them up, &
told them later
- He had more reason to be surprised at their search than they
at His absence
- He tacitly disowned any human relationship with
Joseph
- and revealed His unique relationship with God - "my
'Father" is an expression without parallel He was under spiritual compulsion to
remain in the Temple
- It was the natural place for Him to be, it was His true home
- His identity was also revealed by His remarkable questions
and answers.
- the curtain falls On His boyhood as He returns to Nazareth.
Lk 2:51.
- there He continued as an exemplary and dutiful son
- He advanced intellectually, spiritually, physically,
socially. Lk 2:51.
- the last expression seems to suggest an attractiveness in
His personality.
- From twelve to thirty.
- About His Father's business?
- there follow 18 years of hidden discipline, of which only
one detail is told us.
- He continued as in 2:52, and to be "tempted in all
points like as we are, yet without sin" Heb 4:15.
- the solitary detail is that during this time He was a
carpenter I ( Mk 6:3).
- the Lord of glory chose this occupation !
- He spent six times as long at the carpenter's bench as in
public ministry
- He delighted to do His Father's will (Ps 40:8), and this
involved being "made like unto His brethren" Heb 2:17
- Joseph seems to have died, and Jesus supported the Nazar'eth
home and family. This says a great deal about domestic responsibility (1 Tim 5:8)
- He thus put a dignity upon manual work which has not been
put on any other form of work
- it was not beneath Him. He has given it nobility, not
inferiority.
- and shown there is no necessary connection between manual
work and poor intelligence and low spirituality
- He has known all the temptations of working men - without
sin!
- He has shown that true spirituality is not isolationism
- He has demonstrated that work which does not hit the
headlines can still be done to the glory of God.
- He has proved that there are means of education which no
institution or library can provide.
- He has also shown that God's preparation for our future work
is our present work.
- His carpentry would have been perfect ! Faithful in little,
He became faithful in much. True to God in His hidden life, He was entrusted with His
public ministry.
- From the carpenter's shop He derived many of the
illustrations He was to use in His later teaching
- It was also the school where were developed such personal
graces as patience, persistence, thoroughness etc...
- He also developed physical strength for the unrivalled
demands and unremitting strain of His public ministry.
- "And I saw, and bare record that this is
the Son of' God " John 1:34.
- Without clear views of Christ we Will drop out of the
spiritual race
- We are therefore looking at His Person and Work.
- We have studied His pre-existence; His birth; His childhood;
His youth and early manhood; and tonight we come to :-
- His baptism
- This is mentioned in all four Gospels.
- Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:99-11, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:29-34.
- The event.
- when He was 30 years old Jesus left His Nazareth home, and
took the long journey from Galilee to the River Jordan.
- Here John the Baptist was preaching and baptising
- Jesus waited until the rest were baptised, and then
presented Himself.
- John attempted to hinder Him, aghast that the spotless Lamb
of God should insist on a baptism intended for sinners.
- He recognised that Jesus needed no purification, but was
qualified to give it to those who did need it, including himself.
- Jesus said - "Permit it at this time; for in this way
it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness"
- John, recognising Christ's identity, yielded to higher
authority, and proceeded to baptise Him.
- the baptism was by immersion, in the River Jordan.
- Jesus went up out of the water immediately and was praying
as He did so.
- At that moment the heavens opened; and He witnessed it
- He saw the Spirit of God descending in bodily form, as a
dove, and settling on Him
- This symbolises purity, meekness? gentleness, peace, beauty.
- It remained and rested on Him, in fulfilment of Isaiah 11:2,
- This confirmed to John that he was indeed baptising the
promised Christ
- A voice. from heaven announced - "Thou art my beloved
Son? in whom I am well please
- Each Person of the Trinity was thus manifested at the event
- Immediately the Spirit led Him into the wilderness, to be
tempted of the Devil.
- Its significance.
- This baptism was a purifying rite for repentant sinners who
were confessing and abandoning their sins in order to prepare themselves for the coming of
the Messiah.
- Why, then? was the sinless Christ Himself baptised by John?
- It was a baptism for sinners. The Lord Jesus Christ had
come to identify Himself with sinners - to live, die, and rise again on their behalf. Such
identification was necessary for Him to fulfil all righteousness, and to secure it for
them. His baptism publicly marked His identification, pledged Him to the cross, and in
this sense was necessary "to fulfil all righteousness"
- The Old Testament priests were priests from birth, but
lived for 30 years as private persons. At 30 they stepped out of private life and assumed
their public responsibilities, and this was marked by a ceremony ( Num 4:3, Lev 8) Our
Lord's baptism had a similar significance (John 1:31). It was a rite which foreshadowed
His own priestly activity (Luke 12:50).
- The voice which Spoke from the rent heavens set the
Father's seal of approval on the silent years, and gave assurance that He who was now
formally instituted into Messiah's office was sinless, qualified to embark on His public
ministry, and indeed the One of which the Old Testament spoke (Psalm 2:7, 12, Isaiah 42:1)
- From His conception to Calvary, all that the Lord Jesus
Christ did was "through the eternal Spirit" (Heb 9:l4). Although He never had a
restricted measure of the Spirit (Jn 3:34), at His baptism He received that extraordinary
anointing of the Spirit which endued Him with the power and gifts necessary to discharge
His public ministry (Acts 10:38), and marked Him out for evermore as the One who Himself
baptises in the Holy Spirit (Jn 1:32-33).
- The baptism of our Lord is the first distinct revelation of
the doctrine of the Trinity. That this should take place at this public inauguration was a
demonstration that the work of redemption is the work of the whole Godhead. The Father
sent the Son who was led and upheld by the Spirit. It is in this threefold Name that we
ourselves are baptised (Matt 28:19)
- By this act our Lord established the way in which we are to
testify to our union with Him. He identified Himself with us, and signified the death,
burial and resurrection through which He was to pass for us. When we are baptised as
believers we signify our complete identification or union with Him in that death, burial
and resurrection. (Rom 6:3-5, Col 2:12). Thus it becometh us.
- Without clear views of Christ we will drop out of the
spiritual race.
- We are therefore looking at His Person and Work.
- We have studied His pre-existence; His birth; His
childhood; His youth and early manhood; His baptism; and tonight we come to:-
- His temptation
- His is recorded in Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke
4:1-13.
- When it came.
- after the approval of heaven comes the assault of hell;
after the dove, the devil.
- it lasted throughout a forty-day period, in which Jesus did
not eat
- the period ended with three particular temptations, recorded
in detail
- afterwards the devil "departed from him for a
season."
- this shows that our Lord was tempted again later; indeed,
throughout His life
- "he himself has suffered being tempted." (Heb
2:18).
- "in all points tempted like as we are, yet without
sin." (Heb 4:15).
- From whom it came.
- from a personal tempter, not from within - "in him was
no sin." (1 Jn 3:5).
- a struggle with an external adversary seeking to deflect Him
from His high purpose
- not in luxuriant Eden, but in the wastes of Jordan
- by three representative tests
- who can imagine their intensity !?
- Where it was aimed,
- On the physical plane - appetite: the desire to enjoy
things.
- "the lust of the flesh" (1 Jn 2:16).
- the desire for food is God-given, legitimate, and innocent
- if He was God's Son, why not use His unique powers to
satisfy His hunger ?
- the temptation was so crafty that none of us would have
recognised it as a Satanic attack.
- but Jesus was "made like unto his brethren" (Heb
2:17)
- the temptation was to call into service powers His brethren
could not employ
- to satisfy a legitimate craving in an illegitimate way
- He chose not to use His deity to minister to His humanity
- He chose to walk in His Father's will, and to await His word
and provision
- On mental plane - ambition: the desire to
achieve things.
- "the pride of life" (1 Jn 2:16).
- Satan took our Lord to the Temple's parapet, overlooking the
Kidron valley
- "anyone looking down would be giddy, while his sight
would not reach to such an immense depth" (Josephus)
- the temptation was enforced by a misquotation of Psalm
91:11-12
- the devil challenged Him to jump, and to put God's promise
to the test.
- but Jesus could distinguish faith from presumptuously
running into danger, and thus tempting God
- He avoided the peril of fanaticism
- and refused to dazzle people into faith.
- On the spiritual plane - avarice: the desire to
obtain things.
- "the lust of the eyes" (1 Jn 2:16).
- the temptation was to give to Satan the place which belongs
to God alone
- it was an offer of world dominion
- the crown was to be His without a cross, but by means of a
compromise with Satan.
- our Lord had indeed come to receive world dominion
- He was to receive it from the Father's hand, in the Father's
way, at the Father's time. The Father's way was a cross.
- This is the way our Lord chose.
- He would employ only spiritual and moral means to achieve
spiritual and moral ends.
- How it was met.
- our Lord did not argue with the devil, or spend time talking
things over
- He resorted to the Scriptures, which He knew, and in which
He had faith
- He listened to the Word of God, not the word of the tempter
- He brought God's Word to bear on the issue, and thus
resisted the devil, who fled.
- He maintained the same attitude throughout His life and
ministry.
- The devil seeks to attack us. Temptation is a certainty for
the Christian. 1 Peter 5:8.
- We should resist him just as our Lord did, and he will flee
from us. James 4:7-8a.
- We may also call upon our Lord who has not only resisted
but finally defeated, the devil. Heb 2:16-18, 4:14-16.
- We may be certain that we shall never once meet a
temptation which is too much for us. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13.
- His humanity.
- Our Lord Jesus Christ was, and is, a man.
- this has been denied in the past, and is still denied by
some
- we should not allow His humanity to fade away before the
majesty of His deity
- we should take heed to 1 John 4:2-3.
- Human ancestry.
- He was born of a virgin, Mary (Lk 1:31, 2:7), and was the
direct descendant of Abraham (Acts 3:25) and David (Acts 13:23, Rom 1:3). His genealogy is
fully recorded (Matt 1:1-17, Lk 3:23-38), and his brothers and sisters are referred to
(Matt 14:53-56).
- Human appearance,
- He was made "in the likeness of sinful flesh"
(Rom 8:3). There appeared to be nothing unusual about Him. Jn 4:9, 20:15, Lk 24:18, Jn
21:4-5.
- Human constitution,
- He had a truly human nature, but not a sinful nature. He
Himself refers to His body (Matt 26:12), His soul (Matt 26:38), and His spirit (Lk 23:46).
Even after His resurrection He appeals to the reality of His body as a basis for belief
(Lk 24:39).
- Human description
- The title "Son of Man" is used 80 times in the
Gospels. It is often found in close association with the title "Son of God",
thus stressing His unipersonality (Jn 1:49-51, Matt 26:63-64). He called Himself
"man", and was so called by others. (Jn 8:40, Acts 2:22, Rom 5:15, 1 Cor 15:21,
1 Tim 2:5) He is said to have become "flesh". This term denotes human nature.
(Jn 1:14, 1 Tim 3:16, 1 Jn 4:2-3).
- Human limitations.
- His manliness
- Our Lord has often been represented as somewhat effeminate,
and a trifle soft
- This is a diabolical perversion. He was a manly man. A Lion
and a Lamb.
- He was thought to be Elijah, or John the Baptist (Matt
16:14).
- He was manly
- Consider the unceasing labour of His public ministry. He
knew nothing of ease or leisure. It was 3.5 years of constant travel, milling crowds,
physical strain, and unabated demand on all His resources.
- Consider His sternness when aroused to moral indignation.
He was neither harsh and cruel, nor weakly sentimental; and knew the meaning of physical
courage (Jn 2:13-17, Lk 19:45-47).
- Consider the blistering denunciations with which He rebuked
the hollow hypocrisy of the religious leaders of the time. No soft effeminacy herd ( read
Matthew 23)
- Consider that He had courage to remain silent when it would
have been easier to speak. Consider also His self-control. He did not respond to
provocation. Nor did He engage in self-justification, or in getting His own back. (Matt
26:62-63, 27:12, Mk 15:4-5, Lk 23:9).
- Consider that He did not hesitate to speak right words,
when He knew they would bring on Him painful consequences. (Jn 18:20-21, 33-37, 19:11,
Matt 26:57-66).
- Consider how "he steadfastly set his face to go to
Jerusalem." (Lk 9:51). No-one shrank from death more than He did, yet He determined
to go ahead, and endured the unprecedented pain and shame of the Cross. (Jn 12:27-28, Matt
26:36-46, Lk 22:41-44).
- He expects His followers to be the same,
- He insists that there must be a counting of the cost before
a person follows Him (Lk 14:28-32). He refuses those who have not done it, and also
refuses the self-centred (Lk 9:57-62).
- He demands :-
- that self should be nothing. My own rights, wishes, desires,
pleasures, hopes, do not come into the picture - EVER AGAIN !
- that HE should be everything. The only consideration now is
"Lord, what wilt THOU have me to do?" (Acts 9:6)
- that this should be so, WHATEVER it costs.
- see Matt 10:37-39, 16:24-25, Mark 8:34-38, Lk 9:23-26,
14:25-27, 33.
- Apply these principles now to - what to do after the
service / where to work / how to use evenings / on what to spend money / holidays / where
to live / who to court and marry / what church to attend / what Christian work to engage
in / how to react to opposition / how to behave when observing Sin / family life / church
life / etc. etc. etc.
- "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that
hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." (John 12:25).
- His sinlessness,
- we know that our Lord Jesus Christ stands in a category by
Himself.
- His character was more wonderful than the greatest miracle.
- He was tempted to sin, yet the conflict left Him immaculate.
- What He Himself thought.
- on 3 occasions He stated directly that He was without sin.
John 8:1-11, 29, 46, 14:30
- His sinlessness was a fact so obvious to Him that it hardly
required emphasis. It was implied, rather than asserted. For example, consider His I AM's
- John 6:35, 8:12, 10:7,14, 11:25, 14:6, 15:1.
- He went through life free from all moral discontent, and
with a sense of; unclouded fellowship with God.
- if there had been any sin, His keen moral judgement would
have spotted it (Jn 2:25)
- such self-conscious purity is unlike the experiences of the
saintly, who constantly bemoan their worthlessness.
- "The fact that He never confessed sin implies, in His
case, that He never did sin" (T. C. Edwards).
- What His friends said.
- Their witness is especially valuable. They lived in close
intimacy with Him. They would not have attributed sinlessness easily, because of their Old
Testament background. Their witness is more credible because it is indirect.
- Their estimate can be read in Acts 3:14, 1 Pet 1:19, 2:22,
1 John 1:8-10, 3:5, 2 Cor 5:21, Heb 4:15, 7:26.
- What His enemies conceded.
- The demons recognised His character and identity. Mark
1:24.
- His enemies made many accusations - Mk 2:1 - 3:6 records.
accusations of blasphemy, evil company; frivolous religion; and Sabbath breaking
- But when He was on trial for His life, they had to resort
to false witnesses who could not agree amongst themselves (Mk 14:56). Finally the charges
had to be political, not moral. Meanwhile the testimony to His sinlessness kept flowing -
Matt 27:3-4, 19, 24, Lk 23:15, 41, 47.
- Could Christ have sinned?
- Two main views have been held:-
- He was able to sin, but didn't.
- but :-
- He was the God-Man. His divine and human natures were
indissoluble united in one Personality. If He could have sinned, then God could sin. This
is unthinkable.
- If He could have sinned then, He could sin now, for He is
"the same yesterday, and today, and for ever" (Heb 13:8). This also is
unthinkable.
- He was not able to sin.
- It is only because He was sinless that He is the Saviour !!
- We are saved on the basis of our union with Christ :-
- Our sins are reckoned to His account. If He had had sins of
His own to die for, He could not have been punished for ours. Isaiah 53:5-6, 2 Cor 5:21, 1
Pet 2:24, 3:18.
- His righteousness is reckoned to our account. If His life
had not been perfectly acceptable to God, we could not be accepted in this way. Rom
3:20-22, 5:12-21, 10:4, Eph 1:6.
- It is because Christ alone is sinless that Acts 4:12 is
true :-
- "Neither is there salvation in any other for there is
none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
- His prayer-life.
- our Lord's deity did not affect the reality of His human
nature.
- He was entirely dependent on His Father for all - and so He
prayed.
- In this, and in all else, He has left us a wondrous
example.
- The posture of His prayers.
- posture is not everything, but it is something
- we read that He prayed :- standing, Matt 14:19, Jn 11 41-42
- reclining, Jn 17:1, see 13:23
- kneeling, Lk 22:41
- and on His face, Matt 26:39.
- The place of His prayers.
- the solitary place - Matt 6:6, Mk 1:35, Lk 5:16, 6:12, Matt
14:23
- in company with others - Matt 19:13, Lk 9:28, 11:1, Jn 17.
- the solitary place in company with others ! - Lk 9:18.
- The occasion of His prayers.
- daily habits Mark 1:35, 6:46
- at great milestones - His baptism - Lk 3:21-22
- His choice of the Twelve - Lk 6:12-13
- His revelation of His cross - Lk 9:18, 21-22
- His transfiguration - Lk 9:28-36.
- before great accomplishments :- feeding miracles - Matt
15:36, Jn 6:11
- walking on the sea - Matt 14:23-33
- raising of Lazarus - Jn 11:41-42
- healing of demoniac boy - Mk 9:14-29
- after great accomplishments :- feeding of 5,000 - Matt 14:23
- preaching, exorcising, healing - Mk 1:32-35
- when exceptionally busy - Lk 5:15-16, 4:40-42, Jn 6:15
- at times of inward agony and sorrow - Jn 6:15, 11:41-42,
12:28, Matt. 26: 36-46
- at the moment of death - Lk 23:46.
- The character of His prayers.
- as a Son - Matt 11:25, 26:39, John 17:1,11,25
- with thanksgiving - Matt 11:25, 15:36, Lk 22:17,19, Jn 11:41
- never confessing a sin - Jn 8.29
- the emphasis was on communion with God - Jn 12:27-28,
chapter 17.
- there was some petition and supplication - Matt 26:39-44, Lk
22:31, 23:34, John 17:9, 15, 17, 20 24.
- and His prayers were always answered, - Jn 11:41-42, Matt
26:53, Heb 5:7.
- His prayerfulness made a deep impression on His disciples
- They did not ask Him to teach them to preach, or teach, or
heal
- but " LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY " ( Lk 11:1).
- His Deity
-
WHO
WAS JESUS?
- God? good? mad? or bad?
- the doctrine of Christ's deity is the foundation-stone of
Christianity
- through the centuries both unbelievers and believers have
applauded His unique character
- His deity is the historic doctrine of the churches, taught
in their creeds.
- but it is a truth being freshly attacked today
- WHAT DOES THE SCRIPTURE SAY ?
- Old Testament references to Jehovah are, in the New, applied
to Christ.
- this is inexplicable, if He be not Christ.
- compare :- Isaiah 40:3 with Matt 3:3
- Eccl 12:14 with 1 Cor 4:5
- Psalm 68:18 with Eph 4:7-8
- Psalm 45:6-7 with Heb 1:8
- Psalm 7:9 with Rev 2:23
- Divine attributes are ascribed to Christ.
- Eternity Jn 1:1-2, Rev 1:8,17-18, 22:13
- Omnipotence Matt 28:18, Phil 3:21
- Omniscience Jn 2:24, 4:29, 16:30, 21:17, Col 2:3
- Omnipresence Matt 28:19-20
- Self-existence Jn 1:4, 5:26, Rev 1:8,17, 22:13
- Immutability Heb 13:8.
- Divine acts are ascribed to Christ
- Creation Jn 1:3, Col 1:16, Heb 1:10
- Providence Heb 1:3, Col 1.17
- Resurrection Jn 5:27-28
- Judgement Jn 5:27, Matt 25:31
- Forgiveness of sin Col 3:13, Mk 2:7,10.
- Divine worship is ascribed to Christ.
- contrast Jn 2:28 with Rev 22:8-9
- see also Heb 1:6 and Rev 5:12-14.
- Divine identity is ascribed to Christ
- by :- John the Baptist Jn 1:34
- Peter Matt 16:16, 2 Pet 1:16-18
- Paul Acts 9:20, 20:28, Rom 9:5, Col 2:9, Tit 2:13
- all the apostles Jn 1:1,14, 1 John 1:1.
- Divine claims were made by Christ
- for examples of implied claims, see Matt 5:18,20,22, Lk
2:48-9, Jn 20:30-31
- for explicit claims, see Jn 8:56-59, 17:5, 18:4-6, Matt
26:63-64
- others who have made similar claims have been contradicted
by their lives
- but the character of Christ supports His claims in every
way.
- and His claims are proved by His resurrection.
MAY WE CALL IN OTHER WlTNESSES ?
- the witness of the spread of Christianity. This can only be
accounted for by the supernatural
- the witness of His transforming power. If He be not the Son
of God, how do you explain the fact that after 2,000 years there are millions who would
gladly surrender life itself, rather than deny Him ?
- We join with Peter to say :-
- "We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ,
- the Son of the living God." ( John 6:69).
- His two natures.
- "He was, and continues to be, God and man in two
distinct natures, and. one person, for ever." (Shorter Catechism),
- we must not affirm the deity of our Lord while omitting His
humanity
- we must not affirm the humanity of our Lord while omitting
His deity
- we call the doctrine summarised above - "the hypostatic
union".
- we are confronted with the fact that it is :-
- Mysterious
- 1 Timothy 3:16
- it is without analogy, anywhere
- but the mystery of the subject must not prevent us accepting
what God's Word says.
- must the doctrine be rejected simply because it is an
impenetrable mystery to finite minds ?
- Actual
- whatever it is to be God, Jesus is that, absolutely
- He was, and is, equally really man
- His humanity and deity were distinct and separate.
- each retained its normal attributes
- the divine did not penetrate the human
- the human was not absorbed in the divine
- yet the two natures were bound together so as to constitute
Him one Person
- the God-Man !!
- Demonstrable
- He did not act sometimes by one nature, and sometimes by the
other
- He acted in all things as a single Personality
- we can attribute to the one Person what is really
appropriate to only one of His two natures for example see 1 Cor 2:8
- we should not say that a certain act or saying of His was
divine, while another was merely human
- both proceed from the single Personality of Christ.
- we see this clearly in our Lord's words
- there is no interchange of "I" and
"Thou" between the two natures, such as is recorded of the 3 Persons of the
Trinity - Jn 17:23
- He never used the plural when speaking of Himself.
- yet He speaks of Himself as being in heaven and on earth at
the same time
- 2 natures were so united as to form a single Person see
Romans 1:3-4.
- Necessary
- had He been only man, His death would have been of no more
value than a martyr's
- had He been only God, He would have had no real link with
humanity, and His death could not have redeemed
- the union of His 2 natures ensures that His atonement avails
for men, and yet is infinite in its power.
- it also ensures that He is a proper Mediator between God and
man
- His two natures enable Him to lay hands on both
- His deity gives Him equal dignity with God. Phil 2:5-11.
- His humanity gives Him perfect sympathy with man. Heb
2:17-18, 4:14-16.
- assured of His human sympathy, we know He is willing to save
& help us.
- assured of His deity, we know He is able to save and help
us,
- He is thus by virtue of the hypostatic union, an ALL
SUFFICIENT SAVIOUR FOR SINNERS !
- Eternal
- the humanity which He has assumed is His for ever
- His incarnation is perpetual. He remains 'the Son of Man'.
Acts 7:56, Matt 25:31.
- in His ascension, humanity attained the throne of the
universe. Matt 28:18, Acts 9:4-6, Phil 2:9-11.
- He has a bodily form, such as was manifested to the
disciples after His resurrection. Jn 20:19-29, Acts 1:9-11
- It is a literal but glorified body, with all the essential
attributes of humanity, but not subject to the natural limitations of life on earth. See 1
Corinthians 15:35-58.
- although we are joint-heirs with Him, we shall never partake
of His deity. But we shall have a perfect humanity, receiving a body like His. Phil
3:20-21, 1 John 3:1-3.
- His miracles
- What is a miracle?
- Every event in this universe is, in the end, attributable
to God. Col 1:16-17, Eph 1:11b, Dan 4:34-35.
- God usually works in a certain way, and we mistakenly call
it 'the laws of nature
- sometimes He works in a different way :-
- it is still consistent with His character
- no 'laws' have been broken
- but it appears to be more mighty; and is for a reason
- we call these "miracles"
- a miracle is thus "an extraordinary act of
providence"
- when God Himself was among us, we are not surprised that He
worked such miracles.
- What miracles did our
Lord Jesus Christ perform ?
- He did them by His will, using His word, touch, or spittle.
He displayed a note of inherent authority (e.g., Mk 2:9-11), and yet also acted in
constant dependence on His Father (e.g. Jn 5:19).
- Apart from the miracles surrounding His birth, His passing
through a hostile crowd, the Calvary miracles, and the resurrection and appearances, there
are recorded 35 miracles. which Jesus worked :-
- 17 bodily cures
- nobleman's son; infirm man at Jerusalem; Peter's
mother-in-law; a leper; a paralytic; man with withered hand; centurion's servant; two
blind men; deaf & dumb man; blind man at Bethsaida; blind man at Jerusalem; woman with
18 years infirmity; woman with issue of blood; man with dropsy; ten lepers; blind
Bartimaeus; Malchus' ear
- 9 miracles over forces of 'nature'
- water to wine; draught of fishes; tempest stilled; 5000 fed
walking on water; 4000 fed; tax money; fig tree withered; another draught of fishes.
- 6 cures of demoniacs
- in Capernaum synagogue; blind & dumb demoniac; Gadarene
demoniacs; dumb demoniac; Syrophoenician daughter; demoniac boy
- 3 raised from the dead
- Jairus' daughter; widow's son at Nain; Lazarus at Bethany
- plus countless others
- read John 2:23, Matt 4:23-24, 9:35, 15:30-31, 19:1-2, Mark
1,32-34, 6:53-56, Luke 4:40, 6:17-19, John 21:25 !!
- What was the purpose of these miracles ?
- They were NOT mere wonders, intended simply to dazzle
people.
- the whole method of appealing to men by miracles Jesus had
rejected in His temptation. Matt 4:1-11.
- He refused to perform useless and spectacular wonders simply
to prove His claims. Matt 12:38-42, 16:1-4.
- frequently He told those He had helped to be quiet about a
miracle. Matt 8:4, Mk 8:6, Lk 8:56.
- the word 'wonder' is never used on its own of Jesus'
miracles.
- They were NOT just rewards for faith.
- Faith is not mentioned at all in connection with some of
the miracles. see Mk 1:29-31,32, 5:1-20, Lk 7:11-17, 13:10-17, Jn 5:1-9 etc..
- there is no place for it in the case of Malchus (Lk
22:50-51); the man at the pool did not have it, for he promptly betrayed Christ, (Jn 5:15)
and dead Lazarus could not have exercised it (Jn 11:43).
- They WERE acts of compassion.
- It is said so in the cases of the dumb demoniac (Matt
9:36), 5000 (14:14), 4000 (15:32), blind at Jericho (20:34), leper ( Mk 1:41), Gadarene
demoniac (Mk 5:19), demoniac boy (Mk 9:22), widow at Nain (Lk 7:13).
- all of our Lord's ministry should be interpreted in the
light of Matthew 8:16-17.
- They WERE signs.
- They pointed people to God. The people who saw them reacted
as in the presence of God. Mk 1:27, Matt 9:8, Lk 5:26, 7:16, 9:23.
- They demonstrated that Jesus was sent by God - indeed, that
He was God.
- the highest faith is that which believes without a sign. Jn
20:29.
- nonetheless, signs have a useful function in bearing witness
to Christ - Jn 2:11, 3:2, 9:30, 33.
- and sometimes Jesus appealed to them as proof of His claims
(though He rejected spectacular stunts, as we have seen, Jn 5:36, Lk 7:19-23, Mk 2:10-12,
Jn 14:11, 15:24.
- as did His apostles. Acts 2:22.
Continued....