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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021516A
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00:33 >>GOOD EVENING, FRIENDS. AND WELCOME AGAIN TO 00:35 SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:37 I'D LIKE TO WELCOME THOSE JOINING US ACROSS THE COUNTRY 00:38 AND AROUND THE WORLD TO THIS INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDY. 00:42 THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF OUR STUDY TOGETHER. 00:44 I'D ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME OUR CHURCH MEMBERS HERE - MEMBERS OF 00:47 THE GRANITE BAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. 00:49 THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AGAIN. THIS IS OUR FINAL STUDY TOGETHER 00:52 HERE IN THE AMAZING FACTS STUDIOS. 00:54 STARTING THIS COMING WEEK, WE'RE GOING TO BE MEETING FOR 00:57 SABBATH SCHOOL OVER IN THE CHURCH. 00:59 SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING OUR STUDY IN THE 01:00 GOSPEL OF LUKE AS WE MEET FROM WEEK TO WEEK. 01:04 NOW, BEFORE WE GET INTO THE LESSON TODAY, WE HAVE A FREE 01:08 OFFER THAT WE'D LIKE TO LET OUR FRIENDS WHO ARE WATCHING KNOW 01:10 ABOUT THE FREE OFFER. IT'S A BOOK WRITTEN BY JOE CREWS 01:14 ENTITLED CHRIST'S HUMAN NATURE AND IT GOES ALONG WITH OUR STUDY 01:17 FOR TODAY. AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THIS 01:19 TO YOU FOR FREE. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS JUST CALL 01:21 OUR RESOURCE LINE AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #703. 01:26 THE NUMBER TO CALL IS 866-788-3966. AGAIN, ASK FOR 01:32 OFFER #703 - THAT'S 866-STUDY-MORE - 788-3966. 01:38 YOU CAN ALSO READ THIS BOOK FOR FREE ONLINE AT THE AMAZING FACTS 01:42 WEBSITE. IF YOU DON'T HAVE TODAY'S LESSON 01:44 - LESSON #3 - ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD TODAY'S 01:49 LESSON AT THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE. 01:51 JUST CLICK ON SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR , DOWNLOAD THE LESSON, 01:54 AND FOLLOW ALONG WITH US. WELL, BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR STUDY, 01:58 LET'S JUST BOW OUR HEADS AND ASK GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT TO GUIDE US. 02:01 DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO 02:03 GATHER TOGETHER TO STUDY YOUR WORD. AND AS WE TAKE A LOOK AT 02:08 THIS VERY IMPORTANT SUBJECT - AS WE TALK ABOUT JESUS - LORD, WE 02:12 NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT TO GUIDE OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS. 02:15 AND, LIKE MOSES, WE NEED TO APPROACH THE SUBJECT HUMBLY. 02:19 WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH THE DIVINE AND WE 02:23 JUST ASK, IN A SPECIAL WAY, THAT YOU'D BLESS OUR TIME TOGETHER, 02:26 FOR WE ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 02:28 >>AMEN. 02:29 >>OUR LESSON TODAY - LESSON #3 - ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE, IS 02:32 ENTITLED WHO IS JESUS CHRIST? IT'S A FANTASTIC STUDY - JUST A 02:39 LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE WANT TO BE SHARING. 02:41 WE HAVE A MEMORY TEXT, IT'S LUKE CHAPTER 9 AND VERSE 20 - LUKE 02:46 CHAPTER 9, VERSE 20, "HE SAID UNTO THEM, 'BUT WHOM DO YOU SAY 02:51 THAT I AM?'" - THIS IS JESUS SPEAKING - 02:53 "PETER ANSWERED AND SAID, 'THE CHRIST OF GOD.'" NOW PEOPLE 02:59 MIGHT ADMIRE THE WORKS OF CHRIST. 03:02 THEY MIGHT BE READY TO ACCEPT JESUS AS A GOOD MAN WHO TRIED TO 03:06 SET THINGS RIGHT, TO INFUSE FAIRNESS WHERE THERE WAS 03:10 INJUSTICE, TO OFFER HEALING WHERE THERE WAS SICKNESS, AND TO 03:13 BRING COMFORT WHERE THERE WAS ONLY MISERY, BUT NONE OF THESE 03:17 THINGS, HOWEVER, COME NEAR TO ANSWERING THE ALL-IMPORTANT 03:20 QUESTION THAT WE WISH TO CONSIDER TODAY AND THAT QUESTION 03:24 IS A QUESTION JESUS ASKED HIS DISCIPLES: 'WHOM DO YOU SAY THAT 03:28 I AM?' WHO IS JESUS? 03:32 NOW I DON'T THINK THERE'S TOO MUCH CONTROVERSY AS TO THE 03:35 HISTORICAL PERSON OF JESUS. ALL OF THE MAJOR RELIGIONS OF 03:39 THE WORLD, IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, RECOGNIZE THAT THERE 03:42 WAS A PERSON BY THE NAME OF JESUS. 03:45 THERE'S AN INTERESTING QUOTE THAT YOU FIND IN THE JEWISH 03:49 ANTIQUITIES, WRITTEN BY JOSEPHUS, WHO WAS A JEWISH 03:52 HISTORIAN. HE LIVED FROM 37 AD TO 100 AD. HE WAS ACTUALLY 03:57 PRESENT AT THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM IN 70 AD. 04:00 BUT HE HAD THIS TO SAY, WITH REFERENCE TO JESUS - AND I QUOTE 04:05 - IT SAYS, "ABOUT THIS TIME THERE LIVED JESUS, A WISE MAN, 04:08 IF INDEED ONE OUGHT TO CALL HIM A MAN, FOR HE IS ONE WHO 04:12 PERFORMS SURPRISING DEEDS AND WAS A TEACHER OF SUCH PEOPLE AS 04:16 ACCEPTED THE TRUTH GLADLY. HE WON OVER MANY JEWS AND MANY 04:20 OF THE GREEKS. HE WAS THE MESSIAH. 04:23 AND WHEN, UPON ACCUSATIONS OF THE PRINCIPLE MEN AMONG US, 04:26 PILATE HAD CONDEMNED HIM TO THE CROSS. 04:28 THOSE, WHO AT FIRST HAD COME TO LOVE HIM, DID NOT CEASE. 04:32 HE APPEARED TO THEM, SPENDING A THIRD DAY RESTORED TO LIFE, FOR 04:36 THE PROPHETS OF GOD HAD FORETOLD THESE THINGS AND A THOUSAND 04:39 OTHER MARVELS ABOUT HIM AND THE TRIBE OF CHRISTIANS, SO CALLED 04:43 AFTER HIM, HAS STILL, TO THIS DAY, NOT DISAPPEARED." 04:47 NOW THERE ARE SOME SCHOLARS THAT FEEL THAT MAYBE WHAT JOSEPHUS 04:51 HAD TO SAY ABOUT JESUS WAS ADDED TO BY THE CHURCH DURING THE DARK 04:55 AGES, BUT ALMOST ALL OF THE SCHOLARS RECOGNIZE THAT 04:58 JOSEPHUS DOES MENTION JESUS. 05:00 HE ALSO, BY THE WAY, SPEAKS ABOUT JOHN THE BAPTIST AND SOME 05:03 OF THE THINGS THAT WERE TAKING PLACE AROUND THAT TIME. 05:06 SO, YES, JESUS IS A HISTORICAL FIGURE. 05:08 EVEN IN THE KORAN, YOU CAN READ ABOUT JESUS. 05:11 OF COURSE, HE IS NOT PRESENTED AS THE MESSIAH, OR THE SON OF 05:14 GOD, BUT HE'S PRESENTED AS A GOOD MAN. 05:17 SO WE KNOW JESUS EXISTED - NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT - BUT WHO WAS 05:21 HE? WHAT DID HE CLAIM TO BE? 05:25 NOW, WHEN JESUS SAID THAT HE WAS THE SON OF GOD, IT CREATED QUITE 05:30 A RESPONSE FROM THE PEOPLE THAT HE WAS TALKING TO. IN THE NEW 05:34 TESTAMENT THESE INCREDIBLE CLAIMS ARE MADE, NOT ONLY ABOUT 05:38 WHAT JESUS DID BUT, EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, ABOUT WHO HE WAS. 05:42 JESUS CLAIMED THAT HE WAS GOD, THAT HE WAS THE REDEEMER, THAT 05:47 HE ALONE WAS THE WAY TO ETERNAL LIFE. AND, OF COURSE, THESE 05:51 CLAIMS DEMAND OUR ATTENTION BECAUSE THEY ARE FULL OF 05:54 IMPLICATIONS THAT HAVE ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES FOR EVERY PERSON 05:57 TODAY. SO LET'S BEGIN BY TAKING A LOOK 06:01 AT AN EXPERIENCE THAT HAPPENED TO JESUS IN HIS HOMETOWN. 06:05 YOU FIND THIS STORY RECORDED IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE - LUKE 06:08 CHAPTER 4 AND WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN READING HERE IN VERSE 16. 06:13 SO YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG WITH YOUR BIBLES - LUKE CHAPTER 4 AND 06:16 WE'RE GOING TO START READING HERE IN VERSE 16. 06:20 THIS IS A FAMILIAR STORY. IT SAYS, "SO HE CAME TO 06:23 NAZARETH, WHERE HE HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP. 06:26 AND AS HIS CUSTOM WAS, HE WENT INTO THE SYNAGOGUE ON THE 06:29 SABBATH DAY, AND STOOD UP TO READ." 06:33 NOW, IF YOU WERE TO GO VISIT THE TOWN OF NAZARETH BEFORE CHRIST'S 06:37 PUBLIC MINISTRY BEGAN, AND YOU WERE TO GO THERE DURING ONE OF 06:41 THE DAYS OF THE WEEK - YOU WALK THROUGH THOSE COBBLESTONES AND 06:44 YOU ASK SOMEBODY, 'I'M LOOKING FOR THE CARPENTER'S SHOP - 06:47 JOSEPH'S SHOP - OR HIS SON JESUS' SHOP - THEY WOULD DIRECT 06:51 YOU AND YOU WOULD GO FIND THIS LITTLE SHOP AND INSIDE YOU'D SEE 06:54 JESUS WORKING OR MAYBE JOSEPH WORKING THERE IN THE CARPENTER'S 06:58 SHOP BUT, IF YOU HAPPEN TO VISIT ON THE SABBATH AND YOU WENT BY 07:03 THIS CARPENTER'S SHOP, YOU'D NOTICE THE DOOR WOULD BE CLOSED. 07:06 MAYBE IF YOU PEEKED THROUGH THE WINDOWS YOU'D SEE EVERYTHING 07:08 PACKED NEATLY AWAY, AND IF YOU ASKED SOMEBODY, 'SAY, WHERE IS 07:12 JESUS?' THEY WOULD PROBABLY SAY, 'WELL, IT'S THE SABBATH. 07:15 HE'S NOT WORKING IN THE CARPENTER'S SHOP, HE'S OVER AT 07:18 THE SYNAGOGUE.' AND IF YOU FOLLOW THE CROWD TO THE 07:21 SYNAGOGUE AND YOU WALKED IN, IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE THAT YOU 07:23 COULD SEE JESUS STANDING UP TO READ FROM THE SCRIPTURES. 07:29 NOW CHRIST, BY THIS TIME, HAD BEGUN HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY. 07:32 HE HAD GONE AROUND THE AREA OF GALILEE PREACHING AND TEACHING 07:35 AND THE RUMORS HAD COME BACK TO THE INHABITANTS OF NAZARETH THAT 07:40 JESUS, ONE OF THEIR HOMETOWN BOYS, WAS DOING MIRACLES AND 07:44 PREACHING GREAT THINGS. NOW JESUS CAME BACK TO NAZARETH 07:48 AND YOU CAN IMAGINE THE EXCITEMENT. 07:50 IT'S THE SABBATH, SO JESUS COMES TO THE SYNAGOGUE AND HE IS 07:53 ABOUT TO READ FROM THE SCRIPTURES. 07:56 TAKE A LOOK AT VERSE 17 - LUKE CHAPTER 4, VERSE 17 - IT SAYS, 08:00 "AND HE WAS HANDED THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 08:03 AND WHEN HE HAD OPENED THE BOOK, HE FOUND THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS 08:06 WRITTEN:" - NOW JESUS QUOTES FROM ISAIAH CHAPTER 61, AND HERE 08:10 HE'S QUOTING FROM VERSE 1 AND VERSE 2. 08:13 AND JESUS SAYS, "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE 08:18 HAS ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR; HE HAS SENT 08:21 ME TO HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED, TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES 08:26 AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET AT LIBERTY THOSE 08:30 WHO ARE OPPRESSED; TO PROCLAIM THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE 08:34 LORD." NOW YOU CAN JUST IMAGINE HERE, 08:37 JESUS STANDS UP AND HE OPENS UP THE SCROLL OF ISAIAH AND HE 08:40 BEGINS TO READ SOME VERY FAMILIAR WORDS TO THE PEOPLE. 08:42 THEY'RE ALL NODDING - THEY'RE SMILING - AND MAYBE EVEN THEY'RE 08:45 QUOTING ALONG WITH JESUS AS HE READS FROM THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 08:50 AND THEN, IF YOU READ THE NEXT VERSE, "THEN HE CLOSED THE BOOK, 08:54 AND GAVE IT BACK TO THE ATTENDANT AND SAT DOWN. AND 08:59 THE EYES OF ALL WHO WERE IN THE SYNAGOGUE WERE FIXED ON HIM." 09:04 SO IT WAS CUSTOMARY FOR THE RABBI TO READ A PASSAGE OF 09:08 SCRIPTURE, HAND THE SCROLL BACK AND IT WOULD BE PUT AWAY, AND 09:12 THEN HE WOULD TAKE HIS SEAT IN THE FRONT AND HE WOULD EXPLAIN 09:15 THE SCRIPTURES. SO JESUS READ FROM ISAIAH, GAVE 09:18 IT BACK, AND IT WAS PUT AWAY. AND THEN CHRIST TOOK HIS SEAT 09:20 AND EVERYBODY'S WATCHING TO SEE WHAT JESUS IS GOING TO SAY. 09:23 UP TO THIS POINT, EVERYBODY'S IN AGREEMENT. GREAT PASSAGE - 09:27 THEY UNDERSTOOD THIS TO BE A MESSIANIC PASSAGE - TO SPEAK 09:31 ABOUT THE MESSIAH - AND THEN JESUS SAYS, IN VERSE 21, "AND 09:35 HE BEGAN TO SAY TO THEM, 'TODAY THIS SCRIPTURE IS FULFILLED IN 09:38 YOUR HEARING.'" AND AT FIRST, THERE'S NOT MUCH RESPONSE. 09:43 JUST IMAGINE THE PEOPLE ARE SITTING THERE AND SUDDENLY IT 09:47 BEGINS TO DAWN ON THEM WHAT JESUS IS ACTUALLY SAYING. 09:50 THEY UNDERSTOOD THIS PASSAGE TO BE MESSIANIC - TALK ABOUT THE 09:53 MESSIAH - NOW JESUS SAYS, 'TODAY THIS SCRIPTURE IS FULFILLED IN 09:56 YOUR HEARING.' AND THEY BEGIN TO WONDER, 'IS HE TALKING ABOUT 09:59 HIMSELF? IS HE SAYING THAT HE'S THE MESSIAH?' 10:04 TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEXT VERSE THAT SAYS - VERSE 22 - "SO ALL 10:09 BORE WITNESS TO HIM, AND MARVELED AT THE GRACIOUS WORDS 10:12 WHICH PROCEEDED OUT OF HIS MOUTH. 10:14 AND THEY SAID, 'IS THIS NOT JOSEPH'S SON?'" 10:19 SOME WOULD SAY, 'WELL, WAIT A MINUTE. 10:21 HE'S NOT THE MESSIAH, HE'S JOSEPH'S SON. 10:24 WE KNOW THE FAMILY. THEY'VE BEEN IN NAZARETH. 10:26 HE IS NOT THE MESSIAH.' AND THEN VERSE 23, "HE SAID UNTO THEM, 10:32 'YOU WILL SURELY SAY THIS PROVERB TO ME, 'PHYSICIAN, HEAL 10:35 YOURSELF!'" - NOW, BY THE WAY, THAT IS A 10:37 REFERENCE TO WHAT THE PEOPLE SAID TO JESUS WHEN HE WAS ON THE 10:39 CROSS - AND YOU CAN READ THAT IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 27, VERSE 42 10:43 WHERE THEY SAID, 'HE HEALED OTHERS - HE SAVED OTHERS - HE 10:46 CAN'T SAVE HIMSELF.' SO CHRIST IS REFERRING TO THAT EVENT THAT 10:49 WAS TO COME. AND THEN VERSE 23 CONTINUES: "WHATEVER WE HAVE 10:55 HEARD DOWN IN CAPERNAUM, DO ALSO HERE IN YOUR COUNTRY." - 10:59 VERSE 24 - "THEN HE SAID" - JESUS STILL SPEAKING TO THE 11:02 PEOPLE - "'ASSUREDLY, I SAY UNTO YOU, NO PROPHET IS ACCEPTED IN 11:05 HIS OWN COUNTRY.'" - VERSE 25 - "BUT I TELL YOU TRULY, MANY 11:10 WIDOWS WERE IN ISRAEL IN THE DAYS OF ELIJAH, WHEN THE HEAVEN 11:14 WAS SHUT UP THREE YEARS AND SIX MONTHS, AND THERE WAS A GREAT 11:18 FAMINE THROUGHOUT ALL THE LAND; BUT TO NONE OF THOSE WAS ELIJAH 11:23 SENT EXCEPT TO ZAREPHATH, IN THE REGION OF SIDON, TO A WOMAN WHO 11:28 WAS A WIDOW.'" SO NOW JESUS SAYS A PROPHET IS NEVER RECEIVED IN 11:32 HIS OWN COUNTRY, AND THEN HE GOES BACK AND HE REFERS TO A 11:36 HISTORICAL RECORD THAT THE JEWS WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH - THE 11:39 STORY OF ELIJAH WHEN IT DIDN'T RAIN FOR THREE AND A HALF YEARS 11:42 AND HE WENT AND MINISTERED TO THE NEEDS OF THIS WIDOW WHO WAS 11:46 NOT EVEN A JEW, AND HELPED PROVIDE FOR HER NEEDS. 11:49 NOW, OF COURSE, JESUS IS EMPHASIZING THE FACT THAT THE 11:52 GOSPEL WAS NOT EXCLUSIVE FOR THE JEWS, BUT THE WORK OF ISRAEL WAS 11:57 TO PREPARE PEOPLE TO PREPARE THE WORLD FOR THE FIRST COMING OF 12:01 CHRIST. THEY WOULD HAVE PREACHED THE GOSPEL TO EVERYONE. 12:04 HOWEVER, THEY KIND OF FELT THAT THE GOSPEL WAS THEIRS OR 12:07 THAT THEY WERE PRIVILEGED ABOVE ALL OF THE OTHER NATIONS AROUND 12:10 THEM, AND JESUS IS TRYING TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR 12:13 MISSION IS TO PREPARE PEOPLE FOR THE FIRST COMING OF THE MESSIAH. 12:17 OF COURSE, OUR MISSION TODAY IS TO PREPARE THE WORLD FOR THE 12:20 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE THREE 12:22 ANGELS' MESSAGES THAT HAVE TO GO TO EVERY NATION, KINDRED, 12:25 TONGUE, AND PEOPLE. NOW, A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT 12:27 THIS ILLUSTRATION THAT JESUS USES HERE ABOUT ELIJAH IN VERSE 12:31 25 - IT SAYS IT DIDN'T RAIN FOR THREE AND A HALF YEARS. 12:36 NOW THAT'S AN INTERESTING TIME PERIOD. 12:38 THREE AND A HALF IS THE TIME PERIOD THAT YOU SEE REFERRED TO 12:40 SEVERAL TIMES IN SCRIPTURE. THERE IS A PROPHETIC ELEMENT TO 12:44 THIS THREE AND A HALF YEAR PERIOD. 12:46 THE LAST WEEK OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS OF DANIEL CHAPTER 9 IS 12:50 DIVIDED - SEVEN - SEVEN YEARS - IT'S DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS: 12:55 THREE AND A HALF AND THREE AND A HALF. THE FIRST THREE AND A 12:57 HALF HAS TO DO WITH CHRIST'S PUBLIC MINISTRY. 13:00 IN THE MIDST OF THE WEEK, JESUS PUT AN END TO SACRIFICE AND 13:03 OFFERINGS WHEN HE DIED ON THE CROSS. 13:05 AND THEN, FOR ANOTHER THREE AND A HALF YEARS, THE DISCIPLES GAVE 13:08 WITNESS OF CHRIST UNTIL THE STONING OF STEPHEN IN 34 AD. 13:13 THEN YOU FIND PERSECUTION COMING UPON THE CHRISTIANS IN JERUSALEM 13:16 AND THEY SPREAD OUT INTO THE GENTILE WORLD AND NOW THE 13:19 GOSPEL GOES OUT TO THE GENTILE WORLD. 13:21 IT'S FURTHER THEN - IT'S NOT JUST FOR THE JEWS, BUT NOW 13:23 EVERYONE'S RECEIVING THE MESSAGE. 13:25 THERE WAS ALSO ANOTHER THREE AND A HALF-YEAR TIME PERIOD IN 13:28 REVELATION CHAPTER 12 THAT IS REFERRED TO AS 42 MONTHS OR 1260 13:33 DAYS. THIS REPRESENTS A TIME PERIOD OF 13:36 PAPAL SUPREMACY FROM 538 UNTIL 1798. IT SAYS, IN THE DAYS OF 13:43 ELIJAH, IT DIDN'T RAIN FOR THIS THREE AND A HALF-YEAR PERIOD. 13:46 WHEN THE CHURCH LEFT THE TRUTHS OF GOD'S WORD, THERE WAS A 13:51 CORRESPONDING DRYING UP OF THE SPIRIT AND THE MANIFESTATIONS OF 13:55 THE SPIRIT IN THE CHURCH, BECAUSE IF YOU SET ASIDE GOD'S 13:57 LAW AND YOU SET ASIDE THE PRINCIPLES OF SCRIPTURE, THERE 14:01 IS A DRYING UP, SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING, AND THAT TIME PERIOD, 14:05 OF COURSE, 538 ALL THE WAY TO 1798. AND DURING THAT TIME 14:09 PERIOD THERE WAS PERSECUTION THAT CAME UPON THOSE WHO WANTED 14:12 TO STICK TO THE TRUTHS OF THE BIBLE. WE'RE STILL WANTING TO 14:16 FOLLOW THE TRUTHS AS REVEALED IN SCRIPTURE. 14:19 JUST LIKE THE JEWS PERSECUTED THOSE WHO HELD TO THE TRUTHS OF 14:24 THE BIBLE - THE TRUTHS OF THE SCRIPTURES, SO, DURING THE DARK 14:28 AGES, THERE WAS PERSECUTION THAT CAME AGAINST THOSE WHO WERE 14:30 HOLDING TO THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS. 14:33 NOW THERE'S ANOTHER ILLUSTRATION THAT JESUS USES OVER HERE IN 14:36 VERSE 27. READING ON IT SAYS, "AND MANY 14:41 LEPERS WERE IN ISRAEL IN THE TIME OF ELISHA THE PROPHET, AND 14:45 NONE OF THEM WAS CLEANSED EXCEPT NAAMAN THE SYRIAN." 14:48 VERSE 28 "SO ALL THOSE IN THE SYNAGOGUE, WHEN THEY HEARD THESE 14:52 THINGS, WERE FILLED WITH WRATH," - SO AT FIRST THEY'RE ALL HAPPY 14:57 THAT JESUS IS READING FROM THE SCRIPTURES AND THEY'RE AMAZED AT 15:00 THE WISDOM. AND THEN WHEN HE BEGINS TO DEAL 15:04 A LITTLE BIT WITH THEIR PRIDE, SUDDENLY THEY BECOME VERY ANGRY. 15:08 THEY BECOME SO ANGRY, IF YOU LOOK IN VERSE 29, IT SAYS "AND 15:11 ROSE UP AND THRUST HIM OUT OF THE CITY; AND THE LED HIM TO THE 15:14 BROW OF THE HILL ON WHICH THEIR CITY WAS BUILT, THAT THEY MIGHT 15:17 THROW HIM DOWN OVER THE CLIFF." - THEY WANTED TO KILL JESUS - 15:22 "THEN PASSING THROUGH THE MIDST OF THEM, HE WENT HIS WAY." 15:26 SO NOT EVERYONE, EVEN OF HIS OWN PEOPLE - EVEN OF HIS OWN CITY - 15:31 THEY WEREN'T WILLING TO RECEIVE THE MESSAGE THAT JESUS IS THE 15:35 CHRIST. HOW TRUE THAT IS TODAY. THERE ARE SO MANY TODAY WHO 15:40 WON'T RECEIVE THE FACT THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST. 15:43 THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ACKNOWLEDGE JESUS AS BEING A 15:45 GOOD MAN, EVEN SOME THAT HE IS A PROPHET. 15:51 BUT IS HE REALLY THE CHRIST - THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD? 15:55 YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY WAS IT THE ENEMIES OF JESUS THAT QUESTIONED 15:58 SOME OF THE THINGS JESUS SAID. EVEN SOME OF HIS FRIENDS, AT 16:03 TIMES, QUESTIONED THE THINGS CHRIST SAID. 16:06 ONE OF CHRIST'S CLOSEST FRIENDS, WHEN HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY BEGAN, 16:09 WHO PREPARED THE WAY FOR JESUS, WAS, OF COURSE, JOHN THE 16:12 BAPTIST. DID JOHN THE BAPTIST EVER 16:15 QUESTION WHETHER CHRIST - WHETHER JESUS WAS THE MESSIAH? 16:19 WELL LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT LUKE CHAPTER 7 - LUKE CHAPTER 7 AND 16:24 WE BEGIN OVER HERE IN VERSE 18 - LUKE CHAPTER 7 AND VERSE 18. 16:31 IT SAYS, "THEN THE DISCIPLES OF JOHN REPORTED TO HIM CONCERNING 16:36 ALL THESE THINGS." NOW THOSE THINGS, IF YOU LOOK A 16:39 LITTLE HIGHER, IT WAS THE RESURRECTION OF THE WIDOW'S SON 16:42 AND SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT JESUS HAD DONE. 16:45 BY THIS TIME, JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS IN PRISON BECAUSE HE HAD 16:48 BEEN PUT THERE BY HEROD AND NOW HE HEARS ABOUT JESUS BUT HE 16:53 BEGINS TO WONDER 'IS HE REALLY THE CHRIST?' 16:56 LOOK AT VERSE 19, "AND JOHN, CALLING TWO OF HIS DISCIPLES TO 16:59 HIM, SENT THEM TO JESUS, SAYING, 'ARE YOU THE COMING ONE, OR 17:03 DO WE LOOK FOR ANOTHER?" 17:05 NOW THAT'S ALWAYS STRANGE THAT HERE YOU HAVE JOHN THE BAPTIST 17:09 WHO, JUST A SHORT TIME BEFORE THIS, HAD POINTED TO JESUS WHEN 17:12 JESUS CAME TO HIM AT THE JORDAN AND SAID, 'BEHOLD THE LAMB OF 17:16 GOD THAT TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD.' AND NOW HE'S IN 17:19 PRISON AND HE'S WONDERING, 'WELL, IS HE REALLY THE CHRIST? 17:22 WELL PART OF THE REASON WHY JOHN WAS ASKING THIS QUESTION IS 17:26 PERHAPS HE DIDN'T HAVE A FULL PICTURE, AT LEAST AT THAT POINT, 17:29 AS TO WHAT THE MISSION OF THE CHRIST WAS - 17:32 WHAT THE MISSION OF THE MESSIAH WAS. 17:34 JOHN, ALONG WITH MANY OF THE OTHERS IN ISRAEL, LOOKED AT THE 17:37 COMING OF THE MESSIAH AS BEING, NOT ONLY REDEMPTIVE FROM SIN, 17:41 BUT ALSO HE SHARED THE HOPES THAT THE CHRIST OR MESSIAH WOULD 17:45 ESTABLISH ISRAEL AS A GREAT NATION, FULFILLING THE OLD 17:51 TESTAMENT PROPHECIES ABOUT ISRAEL AND GIVING THEM THEIR 17:55 PROPER POSITION AND STATUS AMONGST THE OTHER NATIONS. 17:58 NOW AS JOHN HEARD OF JESUS AND HEARD ABOUT THE MIRACLES THAT 18:03 JESUS PERFORMED, HERE JOHN IS IN PRISON - MAYBE HE IS WONDERING, 18:07 'WELL, IF JESUS IS THE CHRIST, WHY DOES HE ALLOW ME TO STAY IN 18:11 PRISON AND TO SUFFER? WHY DOESN'T HE COME RESCUE ME OR 18:14 COME VISIT ME?' AND NOTHING'S HAPPENING AND AS 18:17 HE'S SITTING THERE IN HIS DARK DUNGEON HE BEGINS TO WONDER, 'IS 18:20 HE REALLY THE CHRIST.' SO HE CALLS TWO OF HIS DISCIPLES AND 18:23 HE SAYS, 'GO ASK.' AND SO THEY GO. 18:25 TAKE A LOOK AT VERSE 20 - IT SAYS, "WHEN THE MEN HAD COME TO 18:28 HIM, THEY SAID, 'JOHN THE BAPTIST HAS SENT US TO YOU, 18:32 SAYING, 'ARE YOU THE COMING ONE, OR DO WE LOOK FOR ANOTHER?''" 18:36 VERSE 21 - IT SAYS, "AND THAT VERY HOUR HE CURED MANY OF 18:40 INFIRMITIES, AFFLICTIONS, AND EVIL SPIRITS; AND TO MANY BLIND 18:45 HE GAVE SIGHT." SO JESUS DOESN'T ANSWER THEIR 18:48 QUESTION RIGHT AWAY, INSTEAD HE SAYS, 'WELL JUST WAIT AROUND.' 18:52 AND THEY WATCH WHAT JESUS DOES - HE HEALS THE SICK. 18:55 HE OPENS THE EYES OF THE BLIND. HE PREACHES THE GOSPEL. 18:58 VERSE 22, "JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID TO THEM, 'GO AND TELL JOHN 19:01 THE THINGS YOU HAVE SEEN AND HEARD: THAT THE BLIND SEE, THE 19:06 LAME WALK, THE LEPERS ARE CLEANSED, THE DEAF HEAR, THE 19:10 DEAD ARE RAISED, THE POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM." 19:14 - NOW IT'S VERY INTERESTING WHAT JESUS SAYS IN VERSE 22. 19:17 AGAIN, CHRIST QUOTES FROM THE PROPHET ISAIAH - HE'S ACTUALLY 19:21 QUOTING FROM ISAIAH 35, VERSE 5, WHICH WAS ALSO A MESSIANIC 19:25 PASSAGE WHICH HELPED TO IDENTIFY THE WORK OF THE MESSIAH - 19:29 WHAT THE MESSIAH WOULD DO. 19:30 AND SO, AT FIRST, WHEN THE DISCIPLES OF JOHN COME TO JESUS, 19:33 HE DOESN'T GIVE THEM AN ANSWER RIGHT AWAY. 19:35 BUT HE SAYS, 'WATCH.' AND THEY OBSERVE WHAT JESUS DOES AND THEN 19:39 HE SAYS, 'NOW GO TELL JOHN.' AND THEN HE QUOTES FROM ISAIAH. 19:42 NOW JOHN WAS FAMILIAR WITH THIS PASSAGE IN ISAIAH, SO WHEN THE 19:46 DISCIPLES WENT BACK AND THEY TOLD JOHN WHAT JESUS HAD SAID, 19:50 JOHN REALIZED WHAT THE TRUE MISSION OF THE MESSIAH REALLY 19:54 WAS - THAT IT WASN'T TO ESTABLISH A NATION ON EARTH, BUT 19:58 RATHER THE WORK OF THE MESSIAH WAS TO COME AND PROVIDE 20:00 SALVATION AND TO PREACH THE GOSPEL AND TO SET AT LIBERTY 20:04 THOSE WHO ARE HELD CAPTIVE BY SIN. 20:06 AND THEN IT SAYS IN VERSE 23 - JESUS SAYS, "AND BLESSED IS HE 20:11 WHO IS NOT OFFENDED BECAUSE OF ME." VERSE 24, "WHEN THE 20:15 MESSENGERS OF JOHN HAD DEPARTED, HE BEGAN TO SPEAK TO THE 20:17 MULTITUDES CONCERNING JOHN:" NOW THIS IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PASSAGE 20:22 FROM VERSE 24 ON TO VERSE 27. CAN YOU IMAGINE? 20:25 HERE THE DISCIPLES ARE LEAVING AND AS THEY'RE WALKING AWAY FROM 20:28 JESUS, JESUS TURNS TO THE CROWD AND SAYS, "'WHAT DID YOU GO OUT 20:31 INTO THE WILDERNESS TO SEE? A REED SHAKEN BY THE WIND? 20:35 BUT WHAT DID YOU GO OUT TO SEE? A MAN CLOTHED IN SOFT 20:38 GARMENTS?'" JESUS SAYS THOSE DRESSED IN 20:41 FINE APPAREL, THEY BELONG IN THE PALACES OF KINGS. 20:44 "BUT WHAT DID YOU GO OUT TO SEE? A PROPHET? 20:46 YES, I SAY TO YOU, AND MORE THAN PROPHET... 20:50 "FOR I SAY TO YOU, AMONG THOSE BORN OF WOMEN THERE IS NOT A 20:53 GREATER PROPHET THAN JOHN THE BAPTIST." 20:56 NOW MAYBE, WE DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THE DISCIPLES, AS THEY WALKED 21:00 AWAY, THEY CAUGHT A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT JESUS SAID. 21:04 AND AS THEY WENT BACK TO JOHN THE BAPTIST AND THEY TOLD OF THE 21:06 GREAT THINGS THAT JESUS HAD DONE AND THEY TOLD WHAT JESUS HAD 21:10 TOLD THEM TO TELL JOHN, AND MAYBE THEY EVEN CAUGHT A LITTLE 21:13 BIT OF WHAT JESUS SAID TO THE CROWD CONCERNING JOHN AND THEY 21:17 SHARED THESE THINGS, JOHN'S FAITH WAS REVIVED AND 21:19 STRENGTHENED AND HE SAID, 'NO, HE IS THE CHRIST. 21:23 HE IS THE MESSIAH.' AND HE STOOD FAITHFUL TO THE TRUTH EVEN TO 21:27 THE POINT OF DEATH. SO WHAT WE FIND JESUS DOING IN 21:31 THIS PASSAGE IS DIRECTING JOHN'S ATTENTION BACK TO THE OLD 21:35 TESTAMENT AS A VALIDATION OF HIS MISSION AND HIS WORK. 21:39 SO WHEN IT COMES TO US CONSIDERING WHO JESUS IS, JESUS 21:43 HIMSELF DIRECTS US TO THE SCRIPTURES. 21:46 JESUS SAID, 'IT IS THE SCRIPTURES THAT TESTIFY OF ME. 21:50 NOW THERE WAS ANOTHER OCCASION WHERE, NOT ONLY DID THE CROWD 21:55 QUESTION WHAT JESUS HAD TO SAY, BUT EVEN HIS DISCIPLES - THE 22:00 TWELVE - QUESTIONED WHAT JESUS SAID. 22:02 LET'S GO TO JOHN CHAPTER 6 AND WE'RE GOING TO LOOK HERE IN 22:04 VERSE 53 - JOHN CHAPTER 6 AND LET'S LOOK AT VERSE 53. 22:11 JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT EATING HIS FLESH AND DRINKING HIS BLOOD 22:16 AND THIS CAUSED SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE DISCIPLES. 22:19 STARTING IN VERSE 53 - JOHN 6:53 - IT SAYS, "THEN JESUS SAID TO 22:22 THEM, 'MOST ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, UNLESS YOU EAT THE FLESH OF 22:26 THE SON OF MAN AND DRINK HIS BLOOD, YOU HAVE NO LIFE IN YOU. 22:30 WHOEVER EATS MY FLESH AND DRINKS MY BLOOD HAS ETERNAL LIFE, AND I 22:35 WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY. 22:37 FOR MY FLESH IS FOOD INDEED, AND MY BLOOD IS DRINK INDEED." 22:41 NOW IF YOU DROP DOWN TO VERSE 60 IT SAYS, "THEREFORE MANY OF HIS 22:44 DISCIPLES, WHEN THEY HEARD THIS, SAID, 'THIS IS A HARD SAYING; 22:49 WHO CAN UNDERSTAND IT?'" VERSE 61, "WHEN JESUS KNEW IN 22:53 HIMSELF THAT HIS DISCIPLES COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS, HE SAID 22:57 TO THEM, 'DOES THIS OFFEND YOU?' " - AND THEN HE EXPLAINS 23:00 WHAT HE MEANS IN VERSE 63. HE SAID, "IT IS THE SPIRIT WHO 23:04 GIVES LIFE; THE FLESH PROFITS NOTHING. 23:07 THE WORDS THAT I SPEAK TO YOU ARE SPIRIT, AND THEY ARE LIFE." 23:11 BUT NOT ALL OF THOSE WHO FOLLOW JESUS RECEIVED THE MESSAGE. 23:15 IF YOU LOOK IN VERSE 66 IT SAYS, "FROM THAT TIME MANY OF HIS 23:19 DISCIPLES WENT BACK AND WALKED WITH HIM NO MORE." 23:23 - SO EVEN SOME OF THE CROWD THAT WITNESSED THE MIRACLES THAT 23:26 JESUS PERFORMED, THEY HAD A HARD TIME RECEIVING THE THINGS THAT 23:30 JESUS HAD TO SAY. VERSE 67, "THEN JESUS SAID TO 23:34 THE TWELVE, 'DO YOU ALSO WANT TO GO AWAY?' 23:37 BUT SIMON PETER ANSWERED HIM, 'LORD, TO WHOM SHALL WE GO? 23:41 YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE. 23:44 ALSO WE HAVE COME TO BELIEVE AND KNOW THAT YOU ARE THE CHRIST, 23:48 THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.'" SO EVEN JESUS, WITH THE MIRACLES 23:53 THAT HE PERFORMED, THE CROWD AROUND HIM WOULD NOT RECEIVE WHO 23:58 HE SAID HE WAS. IT'S THE SAME TODAY. 24:01 NOW, ON MONDAY'S LESSON WE'RE INTRODUCED HERE TO THE THEME OF 24:05 JESUS BEING THE SON OF GOD. THE SON OF GOD AND THE SON OF 24:10 MAN ARE TWO NAMES THAT ARE USED IN THE GOSPELS WITH REFERENCE TO 24:14 JESUS. LUKE CHAPTER 1, VERSES 31 AND 32 24:18 EMPHASIZES THE IDEA OF JESUS BEING THE SON OF GOD. 24:21 IT SAYS, "AND BEHOLD, YOU WILL CONCEIVE IN YOUR WOMB AND BRING 24:25 FORTH A SON, AND SHALL CALL HIS NAME JESUS." 24:28 VERSE 32 - LUKE 1:32 - "HE WILL BE GREAT AND WILL BE CALLED THE 24:32 SON OF THE HIGHEST;" - JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD - "AND THE LORD 24:37 WILL GIVE HIM THE THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID. 24:40 SO HERE, WITH REFERENCE TO CHRIST, THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE 24:43 BIRTH OF JESUS TO MARY, JESUS IS SAID TO BE THE SON OF THE 24:47 HIGHEST AND HE'S ALSO SAID TO RECEIVE THE THRONE OF HIS 24:50 FATHER, DAVID. NOW YOU'LL RECALL THE PROPHECY 24:53 IN DANIEL CHAPTER 2, WHEN NEBUCHADNEZZAR, KING OF BABYLON, 24:56 HAD A DREAM AND IN THE DREAM HE SAW THIS GREAT STATUE - THE HEAD 25:00 OF THE STATUE MADE OF GOLD, CHEST AND ARMS OF SILVER, BELLY 25:03 AND THIGHS MADE OF BRASS, LEGS OF IRON, FEET OF IRON AND CLAY 25:05 REPRESENTING THE DIFFERENT EMPIRES FROM THE TIME OF BABYLON 25:09 ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 25:11 AND THEN IN THE DREAM THERE WAS A STONE, CUT OUT WITHOUT HANDS, 25:15 THAT CAME AND STRUCK THE IMAGE UPON ITS FEET AND THEN THE STONE 25:19 GREW AND BECAME A GREAT MOUNTAIN AND FILLED THE WHOLE EARTH. 25:22 NOW DANIEL, EXPLAINING THE DREAM TO NEBUCHADNEZZAR, SAYS 'THE 25:26 HEAD OF GOLD, THAT'S YOU - THAT'S BABYLON. 25:28 CHEST AND ARMS OF SILVER IS THE NEXT KINGDOM - WE KNOW THAT TO 25:30 BE MEDO-PERSIA AND THEN GREECE AND THEN ROME AND THEN WESTERN 25:33 EUROPE DIVIDED UP AS WE HAVE NOW. THE STONE THAT STRUCK THE 25:37 IMAGE REPRESENTS THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 25:39 BUT THE STONE GROWING AND BECOMING A GREAT MOUNTAIN AND 25:43 FILLING THE EARTH, REPRESENTS CHRIST'S KINGDOM BEING 25:48 ESTABLISHED. NOW, THERE'S DIFFERENT PARTS TO 25:51 CHRIST'S KINGDOM AND THIS IS WHAT THE JEWS AT THE TIME OF 25:54 CHRIST GOT MIXED UP ON. THERE IS WHAT WILL BE CALLED THE 25:57 KINGDOM OF GRACE AND THE KINGDOM OF GLORY. 26:01 WHEN JESUS CAME AND HE BEGAN PREACHING 'REPENT, FOR THE 26:05 KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND,' JESUS WAS INTRODUCING WHAT WE 26:08 CALL THE KINGDOM OF GRACE - THAT IS TO RECEIVE JESUS AS OUR 26:12 SAVIOR - AS OUR LORD - THAT IS TO EAT HIS FLESH AND DRINK HIS 26:17 BLOOD. JESUS SAYS, 'IF YOU'LL RECEIVE 26:18 ME - IF YOU BELIEVE ON ME, YOU HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. 26:21 THAT IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF GRACE. 26:24 BUT THERE IS A KINGDOM OF GLORY THAT THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF THAT IS 26:27 SOON TO COME AND THAT IS WHEN JESUS COMES AS KING OF KINGS AND 26:31 LORD OF LORDS, JUST DESCRIBED THERE IN DANIEL CHAPTER 2, THE 26:35 STONE THAT STRIKES THE IMAGE THAT GROWS AND BECOMES A GREAT 26:38 MOUNTAIN AND FILLS THE WHOLE EARTH. 26:40 MATTER OF FACT, JESUS, SPEAKING OF HIMSELF SAYS, 'WHOEVER FALLS 26:43 UPON THIS STONE WILL BE BROKEN' - SPEAKING OF HIMSELF - 'BUT WOE 26:48 UNTO THE ONE ON WHOM IT FALLS, FOR IT WILL GRIND HIM TO 26:52 POWDER.' THAT IS A DIRECT REFERENCE, BY JESUS, TO DANIEL 26:56 CHAPTER 2 AND THE STONE THAT STRUCK THE IMAGE. 26:59 NOW, IN LUKE CHAPTER 2, VERSES 10 AND 11, WE HAVE ANOTHER 27:04 REFERENCE HERE TO JESUS BEING THE SON OF GOD. 27:08 LUKE CHAPTER 2 AND BEGINNING IN VERSE 10, "THEN THE ANGEL SAID 27:13 TO THEM," - THIS IS THE ANGEL ANNOUNCING THE BIRTH OF JESUS TO 27:15 THE SHEPHERDS ON THE HILLS SURROUNDING BETHLEHEM, "'DO NOT 27:19 BE AFRAID, FOR BEHOLD, I BRING YOU GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY 27:23 WHICH WILL BE TO ALL PEOPLE. FOR THERE IS BORN TO YOU THIS 27:27 DAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID A SAVIOR, WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD." 27:32 SO HERE JESUS IS REFERRED TO AS THE SAVIOR . 27:36 JESUS IS ALSO REFERRED TO AS THE CHRIST . 27:39 NOW IF YOU NOTICE THERE IN VERSE 10, THE ANGEL SAYS, 'BEHOLD I 27:43 BRING YOU GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY.' THE TWO WORDS THERE, 27:48 TRANSLATED 'GOOD TIDINGS' IN THE ENGLISH, COME FROM THE SINGLE 27:53 GREEK WORD WHICH ELSEWHERE IS TRANSLATED AS 'GOSPEL.' IN OTHER 27:57 WORDS, YOU CAN READ 'DO NOT BE AFRAID FOR I BRING YOU THE 27:59 GOSPEL OF GREAT JOY AND IT IS FOR ALL PEOPLE.' 28:05 THE GOSPEL CONCERNS JESUS AS THE CHRIST AND JESUS AS THE SAVIOR. 28:12 SO JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD. 28:15 THIS AFFIRMS CHRIST'S POSITION IN THE GODHEAD. 28:18 JESUS, AS THE SON OF GOD, IS ALSO THE CREATOR. 28:22 NOW THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT POINT THAT WE FIND EMPHASIZED, 28:26 ESPECIALLY IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, SO GO WITH ME TO JOHN 28:29 CHAPTER 1 - JESUS AS THE SON OF GOD IS ALSO THE CREATOR. 28:35 NOW WE'RE GOING TO SEE WHY THAT'S SO IMPORTANT AS IT 28:37 RELATES TO REDEMPTION A LITTLE LATER IN OUR STUDY. 28:41 JOHN CHAPTER 1, VERSE 1 THROUGH TO VERSE 5 - FAMILIAR WORDS - 28:47 JOHN CHAPTER 1 BEGINNING IN VERSE 1, "IN THE BEGINNING WAS 28:50 THE WORD," - IT SAYS - "AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD, AND THE WORD 28:54 WAS GOD." - WHO'S THE WORD? THE WORD IS JESUS. 28:58 NOTICE THAT JESUS IS CALLED THE WORD . WHAT ARE OUR WORDS? 29:03 WELL, OUR WORDS ARE OUR THOUGHTS EXPRESSED. 29:07 JESUS IS THE EXPRESSION OF GOD'S THOUGHTS. IN THE BOOK OF 29:11 REVELATION, JESUS IS DESCRIBED AS THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA. 29:15 THE ALPHA IS THE FIRST LETTER OF THE GREEK ALPHABET, OMEGA IS THE 29:20 LAST LETTER OF THE GREEK ALPHABET. 29:22 JESUS IS THE A AND THE Z, SO TO SPEAK. 29:26 AND, OF COURSE, WE TAKE THE LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET AND WE 29:28 ARRANGE THEM DIFFERENTLY TO PRODUCE WORDS. 29:31 OUR WORDS ARE OUR THOUGHTS EXPRESSED. 29:33 SO JESUS IS THE WORD OF GOD - GOD'S THOUGHTS REVEALED. 29:36 JESUS SAID, 'I HAVE COME TO REVEAL THE FATHER. 29:39 JESUS SAID TO PHILIP, 'IF YOU'VE SEEN ME, YOU'VE SEEN THE FATHER. 29:42 VERSE 2 - IT SAYS, "HE WAS IN THE BEGINNING WITH GOD." 29:45 - SO CHRIST AND THE FATHER WERE ONE. 29:48 THEY WERE TOGETHER IN THE BEGINNING - ALL THINGS WERE MADE 29:50 THROUGH HIM," - THAT IS THE WORD, CHRIST - "AND WITHOUT HIM 29:53 NOTHING WAS MADE THAT WAS MADE. IN HIM WAS LIFE, AND THE LIFE 29:58 WAS THE LIGHT OF MEN." - VERSE 5 SAYS, "AND THE LIGHT 30:03 SHINES IN THE DARKNESS, AND THE DARKNESS DID NOT COMPREHEND IT." 30:07 NOW, WHEN YOU READ FROM VERSE 1 THROUGH TO VERSE 5, THERE IS A 30:11 PARALLEL WITH AN OLD TESTAMENT PASSAGE. 30:14 WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU READ ABOUT 'IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE 30:17 WORD' AND TALKS ABOUT LIGHT SHINING IN DARKNESS. 30:20 WHAT PASSAGE COMES TO MIND? GENESIS CHAPTER 1. 30:24 NOW, OF COURSE, THERE IS A CLEAR LINK HERE, AND JOHN DOES THIS ON 30:26 PURPOSE, WHERE HE TALKS ABOUT JESUS BEING IN THE BEGINNING 30:30 WITH THE FATHER AND THAT ALL THINGS WERE MADE THROUGH CHRIST. 30:34 EVEN THE REFERENCE HERE TO LIGHT - LIGHT SHINING IN THE DARKNESS 30:37 - GENESIS CHAPTER 1 SPEAKS ABOUT GOD SAYING, 30:39 'LET THERE BE LIGHT.' AND THERE WAS LIGHT. 30:42 NOW WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR US TO RECOGNIZE THAT JESUS IS THE 30:46 CREATOR? BECAUSE IT'S THE CREATOR AND HIS 30:49 CREATIVE POWER THAT IS NEEDED FOR OUR REDEMPTION. 30:54 THE PSALMIST SAYS, 'CREATE IN ME A' - WHAT? - 'CLEAN HEART AND 30:59 RENEW A RIGHT SPIRIT WITHIN ME.' ONLY THE CREATOR CAN CREATE 31:03 WITHIN US A CLEAN HEART. THAT'S THE WORK OF 31:05 SANCTIFICATION. SO GOD'S CREATIVE POWER IS USED 31:10 IN OUR REDEMPTION. SO THE FACT THAT JESUS IS THE 31:13 SON OF GOD - IT'S EMPHASIZING THAT HE IS THE CREATOR - THAT 31:17 HIS CREATIVE POWER IS USED FOR MAN'S REDEMPTION. 31:21 IN THE BOOK DESIRE OF AGES WE HAVE THE STATEMENT TALKING ABOUT 31:24 JESUS BEING THE SON OF GOD AND, I QUOTE, "JESUS SAYS, 'MY FATHER 31:30 WHICH IS IN HEAVEN' AS REMINDING HIS DISCIPLES THAT WHILE, BY HIS 31:34 HUMANITY, HE IS LINKED WITH THEM A SHARE OF THEIR TRIALS AND 31:38 SYMPATHIZING WITH THEM IN THEIR SUFFERINGS BY HIS DIVING NATURE, 31:44 HE IS CONNECTED WITH THE THRONE OF INFINITE." 31:48 SO WITH CHRIST'S HUMANITY, HE COMES CLOSE TO MANKIND. 31:52 BUT WITH HIS DIVINITY, HE CONNECTS US TO THE FATHER. 31:56 THAT'S WHY JESUS SAID, 'I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. 31:59 NO MAN COMETH TO THE FATHER BUT BY ME.' BECAUSE THROUGH HIS 32:02 HUMANITY CHRIST EMBRACES HUMANITY AND WITH HIS DIVINITY 32:06 HE LIFTS US UP TO THE THRONE OF GOD. 32:08 THAT'S WHY THERE IS SALVATION ONLY IN JESUS - BECAUSE HE IS 32:12 BOTH THE SON OF GOD AND HE IS THE SON OF MAN. 32:15 WELL, ON TUESDAY, WE TALK ABOUT THE SON OF MAN. 32:20 WE SPOKE ABOUT THE SON OF GOD - THE EMPHASIS THERE HIS CREATIVE 32:22 POWER - TUESDAY'S LESSON TALKS ABOUT THE SON OF MAN. 32:25 AND THIS IS A GREAT STUDY HERE. THE PHRASE SON OF MAN WAS 32:31 CHRIST'S FAVORITE NAME THAT HE USES FOR HIMSELF. 32:35 ACTUALLY, IT'S MENTIONED 80 TIMES IN THE GOSPELS - 25 TIMES 32:40 IN LUKE ALONE, WHERE JESUS SPEAKS OF HIMSELF AS BEING THE 32:44 SON OF MAN. NOW OUTSIDE OF THE GOSPELS, THERE ARE FOUR 32:49 REFERENCES TO THE SON OF MAN, AS IT RELATES TO JESUS. 32:53 THE FIRST ONE YOU FIND IN DANIEL CHAPTER 7, VERSE 13. 32:57 SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT ALL FOUR OF THESE. 32:59 DANIEL CHAPTER 7 AND VERSE 14 TALKS ABOUT THE SON OF MAN. 33:05 DANIEL 7 - WELL, ACTUALLY, I'M GOING TO BEGIN OVER HERE IN 33:09 VERSE 9, JUST TO GET THE CONTEXT. 33:11 DANIEL CHAPTER 7, BEGINNING HERE IN VERSE 9, DANIEL WRITES, "I 33:18 WATCHED TILL THRONES WERE PUT IN PLACE, AND THE ANCIENT OF DAYS 33:21 WAS SEATED; HIS GARMENT WAS WHITE AS SNOW, AND THE HAIR OF 33:25 HIS HEAD WAS LIKE PURE WOOL. HIS THRONE WAS A FIERY FLAME, 33:28 ITS WHEELS A BURNING FIRE;" NOW IN VERSE 9 WE'RE INTRODUCED TO 33:33 SOMEBODY CALLED THE ANCIENT OF DAYS . WHO DO YOU SUPPOSE THE 33:36 ANCIENT OF DAYS IS? >>GOD THE FATHER. 33:38 >>THAT'S GOD THE FATHER. YOU'LL SEE THAT AS YOU READ ON. 33:41 VERSE 10 SAYS, "A FIERY STREAM ISSUED AND CAME FORTH FROM 33:44 BEFORE HIM. A THOUSAND THOUSANDS MINISTERED 33:46 TO HIM; TEN THOUSAND TIMES TEN THOUSAND STOOD BEFORE HIM. 33:49 THE COURT WAS SEATED AND THE BOOKS WERE OPENED." 33:53 SO HERE WE'RE INTRODUCED TO A JUDGMENT-TYPE SCENE IN HEAVEN. 33:57 THE ANCIENT OF DAYS, GOD THE FATHER, IS SEATED AND IT SAYS 34:00 'THE COURT WAS SET AND THE BOOKS WERE OPENED.' NOW, IF YOU TAKE A 34:03 LOOK AT VERSE 13, HERE WE HAVE A REFERENCE TO THE SON OF MAN. 34:08 VERSE 13, "I WAS WATCHING IN THE NIGHT VISIONS, AND BEHOLD, ONE 34:12 LIKE THE SON OF MAN, COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN!" 34:16 - WHO'S THAT? >>JESUS. 34:18 >>THAT'S JESUS. OF COURSE, JESUS IS OFTEN 34:20 REFERRED TO AS COMING WITH CLOUDS OF HEAVEN. 34:22 NOW, AT FIRST READING, YOU MIGHT THINK, 'WELL, THIS IS THE SECOND 34:25 COMING OF CHRIST.' BUT KEEP READING: VERSE 13 SAYS, "COMING 34:28 WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN! HE CAME TO THE ANCIENT OF DAYS, 34:31 AND THEY BROUGHT HIM NEAR BEFORE HIM." - SO THIS IS NOT JESUS 34:35 COMING TO THE EARTH WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN. 34:38 THOSE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN CAN REPRESENT ANGELS. 34:41 BUT HERE IT IS, RATHER, JESUS, ENTERING IN BEFORE THE ANCIENT 34:44 OF DAYS. SO THE COURT IS SET. A JUDGMENT IS TO TAKE PLACE IN 34:49 HEAVEN AND NOW JESUS ENTERS IN BEFORE THE FATHER. 34:52 LOOK AT VERSE 14: IT SAYS, "THEN TO HIM" - THAT IS, CHRIST - "WAS 34:57 GIVEN DOMINION AND GLORY AND A KINGDOM, THAT ALL PEOPLES, 35:02 NATIONS, AND LANGUAGES SHOULD SERVE HIM. 35:04 HIS DOMINION IS AN EVERLASTING DOMINION, WHICH SHALL NOT PASS 35:07 AWAY, AND HIS KINGDOM THE ONE WHICH SHALL NOT BE DESTROYED." 35:11 NOW, REMEMBER WE MENTIONED A LITTLE EARLIER THAT IN DANIEL 35:13 CHAPTER 2, THE STONE THAT STRUCK THE IMAGE REPRESENTS THE SECOND 35:16 COMING OF CHRIST AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF 35:19 GOD HERE ON EARTH. SO IN DANIEL 7 YOU HAVE A 35:22 PICTURE OF THE JUDGMENT SCENE IN HEAVEN THAT IS FOLLOWED BY THE 35:26 ESTABLISHMENT OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM. 35:28 JESUS COMES AGAIN; HIS KINGDOM IS ESTABLISHED HERE ON EARTH. 35:32 BUT HERE IN DANIEL, CHRIST IS REFERRED TO AS THE SON OF MAN. 35:36 SO THE KINSHIP OF CHRIST IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE FACT 35:40 THAT HE IS THE SON OF MAN. HIS CREATORSHIP THAT HE IS THE 35:44 SON OF GOD. NOW THERE'S ANOTHER REFERENCE TO 35:46 JESUS AS THE SON OF MAN AND YOU'LL FIND THIS IN ACTS CHAPTER 35:49 7, VERSE 56 - ACTS CHAPTER 7 AND VERSE 56 - AND THIS IS 36:03 DESCRIBING THE STONING OF STEPHEN AND, AS STEPHEN WAS 36:07 BROUGHT BEFORE THE COUNCIL - VERSE 56 - "AND SAID, 'LOOK! 36:11 I SEE THE HEAVENS OPENED AND THE SON OF MAN STANDING AT THE 36:15 RIGHT HAND OF GOD!'" SO THE SON OF MAN, HERE, IS 36:19 CLEARLY REFERRING TO JESUS. JOHN - OR NOT, RATHER, JOHN, 36:23 SORRY - STEPHEN, HERE IN THIS PASSAGE, AS IS READY TO FACE 36:27 DEATH. HE LOOKS UP AND HE SEES JESUS 36:30 STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER. 36:33 NOW, YOU CAN JUST IMAGINE WHAT'S GOING ON AS THIS RAUCOUS CROWD, 36:38 THEY GRAB STEPHEN AND THEY BEGIN TO DRAG HIM OUT OF JERUSALEM AND 36:42 THEY BEGIN TO PICK UP STONES AND THEY'RE ABOUT READY TO STONE HIM 36:44 AND STEPHEN LOOKS UP AND HE SEES JESUS STANDING. 36:47 JESUS IS NOT SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER, AT LEAST NOT 36:51 IN THIS PICTURE, BUT JESUS IS STANDING. 36:54 WHY IS JESUS STANDING? HE'S STANDING BECAUSE ONE OF HIS 36:56 FOLLOWERS IS STANDING UP FOR HIM. WHEN WE STAND FOR JESUS, 37:01 JESUS STANDS FOR US. SO IN DANIEL CHAPTER 7, THE SON OF MAN 37:07 - CHRIST - IS PICTURED AS OUR ADVOCATE BEFORE THE FATHER IN 37:11 THE JUDGMENT. HERE IN ACTS, JESUS IS PICTURED AS OUR 37:16 DEFENDER - AS ONE WHO COMES TO BRING HOPE - TO BRING 37:20 DELIVERANCE. AND, OF COURSE, THAT ULTIMATE DELIVERANCE COMES 37:22 WHEN JESUS COMES THE SECOND TIME. 37:25 ANOTHER REFERENCE TO JESUS AS THE SON OF MAN IS FOUND IN 37:28 REVELATION CHAPTER 1, VERSE 13, SO LET'S GO THERE - REVELATION 37:32 CHAPTER 1, VERSE 13 - AND NOTICE HOW JESUS IS DESCRIBED HERE - 37:38 REVELATION CHAPTER 1, BEGINNING IN VERSE 13 IT SAYS, "AND IN THE 37:43 MIDST OF THE SEVEN LAMP STANDS ONE LIKE THE SON OF MAN, CLOTHED 37:47 WITH A GARMENT DOWN TO THE FEET AND GIRDED ABOUT THE CHEST WITH 37:50 A GOLDEN BAND." NOW JESUS IS DESCRIBED IN THIS 37:55 PASSAGE AS STANDING AMONGST THE SEVEN BRANCHED CANDLESTICKS. 37:58 WHERE IN THE BIBLE DO YOU READ ABOUT THE SEVEN BRANCHED 38:02 CANDLESTICKS OR THE LAMP STANDS - THE SEVEN LAMP STANDS? 38:06 IT COMES FROM SANCTUARY IMAGERY. ALSO NOTICE WHAT JESUS IS 38:09 WEARING HERE IN REVELATION CHAPTER 1. 38:12 HE'S GIRDED, IT SAYS, WITH HIS GOLDEN GIRDLE AROUND HIS CHEST 38:15 AND HE'S DRESSED IN A LONG WHITE ROBE. 38:17 THAT'S REALLY THE DRESS OF THE HIGH PRIEST. 38:19 SO HERE IN REVELATION CHAPTER 1, JESUS IS DESCRIBED, OR PICTURED, 38:23 AS OUR HIGH PRIEST INTERCEDING FOR US. 38:26 OF COURSE, WE KNOW THAT'S WHAT JESUS IS DOING FOR US NOW. 38:29 SO JESUS IS DESCRIBED, NOT ONLY AS OUR INTERCESSOR, OUR 38:32 DEFENDER, BUT ALSO HERE, AS OUR HIGH PRIEST MINISTERING FOR US 38:36 IN THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY. 38:38 AND THEN THE FINAL REFERENCE TO JESUS AS THE SON OF MAN OUTSIDE 38:41 THE GOSPELS, WE FIND IN REVELATION CHAPTER 14 AND VERSE 38:46 14 - REVELATION CHAPTER 14, VERSE 14 - AND NOTICE HOW JESUS 38:52 IS DESCRIBED HERE: IT SAYS, "THEN I LOOKED, AND BEHOLD, A 38:55 WHITE CLOUD, AND ON THE CLOUD SAT ONE LIKE THE SON OF MAN, 39:00 HAVING ON HIS HEAD A GOLDEN CROWN, AND IN HIS HAND A SHARP 39:05 SICKLE. AND ANOTHER ANGEL CAME OUT OF 39:07 THE TEMPLE, CRYING WITH A LOUD VOICE TO HIM WHO SAT ON THE 39:10 CLOUD, 'THRUST IN YOUR SICKLE AND REAP, FOR THE TIME HAS COME 39:14 FOR YOU TO REAP, FOR THE HARVEST OF THE EARTH IS RIPE." 39:18 SO HERE YOU HAVE A DESCRIPTION OF THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS 39:21 AND HERE HE ISN'T DRESSED AS A HIGH PRIEST BUT HE'S WEARING A 39:25 CROWN AND COMING BACK AS KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 39:29 SO THE FOUR REFERENCES THAT WE HAVE OF JESUS BEING THE SON OF 39:33 MAN - IT EMPHASIZES THAT HE IS OUR INTERCESSOR, THAT HE IS OUR 39:36 DEFENDER, THAT HE IS OUR HIGH PRIEST, AND THAT HE IS COMING AS 39:40 OUR KING - KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 39:44 IN THE BOOK SELECTED MESSAGES PAGE 244, WE HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL 39:48 QUOTE. IT SAYS, "THE HUMANITY OF THE 39:51 SON OF GOD IS EVERYTHING TO US. IT IS THE GOLDEN CHAIN THAT 39:55 BINDS OUR SOULS TO CHRIST AND, THROUGH CHRIST, TO GOD. 39:59 THIS IS TO BE OUR STUDY. CHRIST WAS A REAL MAN. 40:03 HE GAVE PROOF OF HIS HUMANITY IN BECOMING A MAN, YET HE WAS GOD 40:08 IN THE FLESH." SO THROUGH CHRIST'S HUMANITY, HE 40:11 EMBRACES THE HUMAN FAMILY. BUT BY HIS DIVINITY, HE PULLS US 40:16 UP INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD. ALSO, THE TITLE, SON OF MAN 40:21 EMPHASIZES FIVE ASPECTS OF CHRIST'S MINISTRY. THE FIRST, 40:27 IT IDENTIFIES HIM AS BEING ONE WITH HUMANITY. LUKE CHAPTER 7:34 40:33 AND LUKE 9, VERSE 58 TALK ABOUT JESUS AS A HUMAN BEING, 40:37 WHERE HE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A PLACE TO CALL HIS OWN. 40:39 HE SAYS, 'FOXES HAVE HOLES, AND THE BIRDS HAVE NESTS BUT THE SON 40:44 OF MAN HAS NOWHERE TO LAY HIS HEAD. 40:46 SO JESUS IDENTIFIES HIMSELF WITH HUMANITY. 40:50 EVEN THOUGH HE IS THE SON OF GOD, HE BECOMES ONE WITH 40:53 MANKIND. 'THE WORD BECAME FLESH,' THE 40:57 BIBLE SAYS, 'AND DWELT AMONG US.' SECONDLY, THE TITLE SON OF 41:02 MAN ALSO CONNECTS JESUS AS THE LORD OF THE SABBATH. 41:06 NOW THIS IS AN INTERESTING CONNECTION EMPHASIZING THE FACT 41:09 THAT JESUS IS THE CREATOR. AND THE VERSE THERE IS LUKE 41:13 CHAPTER 6, VERSE 5, WHERE JESUS SAID, "AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, 41:17 'THE SON OF MAN IS ALSO LORD OF THE SABBATH." 41:21 NOW, OF COURSE, THE SABBATH THAT YOU READ ABOUT IN GENESIS 41:23 CHAPTER 2, IT IS THE CELEBRATION OR THE MEMORIAL OF GOD'S 41:28 CREATIVE WORK. JESUS, HERE, IS THE LORD OF THE 41:31 SABBATH AND, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE 41:34 THAT THE SON OF MAN - THE SON OF GOD - IS ALSO THE CREATOR FOR 41:38 CREATIVE POWER IS NEEDED FOR MAN'S REDEMPTION. 41:42 THIRDLY, THE SON OF MAN IS ALSO CONNECTED WITH THE WORK THAT 41:46 JESUS CAME TO DO. JESUS SAID OF HIMSELF, IN LUKE 41:49 CHAPTER 19, VERSE 10, "FOR THE SON OF MAN HAS COME TO SEEK AND 41:53 TO SAVE THAT WHICH WAS LOST." JESUS IS OUR SAVIOR. 41:56 HE IS OUR REDEEMER. HE CAME TO SAVE US. 41:59 IN LUKE CHAPTER 15 WE FIND THREE PARABLES WITH REFERENCE TO 42:04 SOMETHING THAT WAS LOST AND THEN IT WAS FOUND. 42:07 THE FIRST IS THE PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP. 42:10 JESUS TOLD THE STORY ABOUT A SHEPHERD THAT HAD A HUNDRED 42:13 SHEEP AND ONE WAS LOST AND HE LEFT NINETY AND NINE SAFE IN THE 42:18 FOLD AND HE WENT IN SEARCH OF THE ONE THAT WAS LOST. 42:21 AND WHEN HE HAD FOUND THE ONE THAT WAS LOST, HE PUT THE SHEEP 42:24 ON HIS SHOULDERS AND HE CAME BACK AND THERE WAS GREAT 42:26 REJOICING. JESUS LEFT THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN 42:30 - LEFT THE OTHER WORLDS AND HE CAME TO THIS SIN-POLLUTED PLANET 42:35 TO SEEK AND SAVE THE LOST. THIS WAS THE LITTLE SHEEP THAT 42:39 HAD STRAYED AWAY. JESUS CAME TO US. 42:42 THE SECOND STORY ABOUT SOMETHING LOST THAT YOU READ ABOUT THERE 42:45 IN LUKE CHAPTER 15 IS A LOST COIN. 42:49 JESUS TELLS THE STORY ABOUT A WOMAN THAT HAD TEN COINS AND SHE 42:53 LOST ONE OF THE COINS AND SO SHE LIT A LAMP AND SHE SWEPT OUT HER 42:58 HOUSE AND SHE SEARCHED FOR THE ONE THAT WAS LOST AND WHEN SHE 43:00 FOUND IT, SHE REJOICED AND SHE TOLD HER FRIENDS ABOUT IT. 43:04 NOW, IN THE BIBLE, WHAT DOES A WOMAN REPRESENT? 43:06 >>A CHURCH >>REPRESENTS A CHURCH. 43:08 IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE READ ABOUT IN THE BIBLE THAT COMES IN 43:13 TEN? WHAT'S THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THING IN SCRIPTURE ASSOCIATED 43:17 WITH TEN? THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. NOW DID THE CHURCH, DURING THE 43:22 DARK AGES, LOSE SIGHT OF ONE OF THOSE TEN COMMANDMENTS? 43:25 YES, INDEED. THE ONE, IN PARTICULAR, THAT 43:28 WE'RE REFERRING TO IS THE FOURTH - THE SABBATH. 43:30 BUT WHEN PEOPLE OPEN THE SCRIPTURES THEY LIT THE LAMP AND 43:34 THEY STARTED STUDYING AND THEN THEY DISCOVERED THE TRUTH OF THE 43:38 ONE THAT WAS LOST AND THEN THEY WANTED TO TELL ALL THEIR FRIENDS 43:41 ABOUT IT. THEN THE THIRD STORY THAT YOU 43:44 HAVE OF SOMETHING THAT IS LOST IS, OF COURSE, THE PARABLE OF 43:46 THE PRODIGAL SON OR THE LOST SON AND THAT REFERS, INDIVIDUALLY, 43:50 TO JESUS WANTING TO SAVE EACH OF US. BUT IN ORDER FOR US TO BE 43:55 SAVED, WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE OUR NEED OF A SAVIOR. 43:58 WE NEED TO TURN AND HEAD ON BACK HOME. WE NEED TO COME TO GOD. 44:02 THE STORY TELLS US THAT THE FATHER WAS WAITING FOR HIS SON 44:06 AND THAT'S THE RECEPTION THAT WE HAVE FROM GOD. 44:09 WHEN WE COME TO HIM WITH HUMILITY, WE RECOGNIZE OUR NEED 44:12 OF A SAVIOR. GOD WILL EMBRACE US AND LIFT US 44:14 UP AND SAVE US. FOURTHLY, THE PHRASE SON OF MAN 44:17 REFERS TO JESUS IN HIS SUFFERING. 44:20 JESUS, IN LUKE CHAPTER 18, VERSE 31, SPOKE OF THE SON OF MAN THAT 44:25 WAS TO SUFFER AND DIE AND THEN HE WOULD RISE AGAIN. 44:30 IN OTHER WORDS, THE SON OF MAN - THE PHRASE THE SON OF MAN 44:34 EMPHASIZES THE HUMAN SUFFERINGS OF JESUS. 44:37 HEBREWS CHAPTER 4, VERSE 15 SAYS, "FOR WE DO NOT HAVE A HIGH 44:40 PRIEST WHO CANNOT SYMPATHIZE WITH OUR WEAKNESSES, BUT WAS IN 44:45 ALL POINTS TEMPTED AS WE ARE, YET WITHOUT SIN." 44:49 SO, BECAUSE JESUS TOOK UPON HIMSELF HUMANITY AND BECAME ONE 44:52 WITH US, HE UNDERSTANDS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE HUMAN. 44:55 HE KNOWS OUR TRIALS - OUR DIFFICULTIES - HE KNOWS WHAT 44:57 IT'S LIKE TO BE TEMPTED. SO WE CAN COME TO HIM IN OUR 44:59 TIME OF NEED AND SAY, 'LORD, PLEASE HELP.' AND HE CAN HELP US 45:02 BECAUSE HE IS ONE WITH US. HE IS THE SON OF MAN. 45:06 AND THEN FIFTHLY, THE PHRASE SON OF MAN IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH 45:10 JESUS COMING AS OUR KING AND AS OUR REDEEMER. THERE ARE MANY 45:15 REFERENCES TO THE SON OF MAN COMING THE SECOND TIME. 45:18 LUKE CHAPTER 9:26 AND LUKE 12:4 AND SO ON, TALKS ABOUT JESUS 45:23 COMING - THE SON OF MAN COMING TO BRING DELIVERANCE. NOW, ON 45:27 WEDNESDAY, THE LESSON TALKS ABOUT JESUS BEING THE CHRIST. 45:31 AND THE PRINCIPLE PASSAGE THERE ON WEDNESDAY'S STUDY WAS LUKE 45:35 CHAPTER 9, BUT I WANT TO GO AND READ THIS SAME OCCURRENCE IN 45:38 MATTHEW CHAPTER 16, SO TURN WITH ME TO MATTHEW CHAPTER 16. 45:42 NOW I'M GOING TO BE LOOKING AT VERSE 13 - MATTHEW CHAPTER 16 45:46 AND BEGIN IN VERSE 13. MATTHEW 16, VERSE 13 - IT SAYS, 45:56 "WHEN JESUS CAME INTO THE REGION OF CAESAREA PHILIPPI, HE ASKED 45:59 HIS DISCIPLES, SAYING, 'WHO DO MEN SAY THAT I, THE SON OF MAN, 46:03 AM?" NOW, WHY DO YOU SUPPOSE JESUS 46:06 ASKED HIS DISCIPLES THAT QUESTION? 46:08 DID JESUS KNOW WHAT THE PEOPLE THOUGHT OF HIM? YES, BUT JESUS 46:13 WANTED THE DISCIPLES TO THINK ABOUT IT SO HE SAID, 'WHO DO 46:16 THE PEOPLE SAY THAT I AM?' AND THE DISCIPLES ANSWER IN VERSE 46:20 14, "SO THEY SAID, 'SOME SAY JOHN THE BAPTIST..." 46:24 WELL, BY THIS TIME, JOHN THE BAPTIST HAD BEEN BEHEADED BY 46:28 HEROD AND PEOPLE LOOKED AT JESUS AND THE WORK THAT JESUS WAS 46:32 DOING AND THE MESSAGE THAT JESUS WAS PREACHING AND THEY SAID, 46:34 'BOY, THIS IS JOHN THE BAPTIST RESURRECTED FROM THE DEAD. 46:38 'SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT YOU'RE JOHN THE BAPTIST.' AND THEN THEY 46:40 SAID, 'SOME SAY THAT YOU'RE ELIJAH.' NOW THE REASON THE 46:43 PEOPLE SAID THAT JESUS WAS ELIJAH IS BECAUSE OF THE 46:46 PROPHECY THAT YOU FIND IN THE LAST BOOK OF THE OLD TESTAMENT - 46:49 THE BOOK OF MALACHI - THAT SAYS, 'BEHOLD, I SEND YOU ELIJAH THE 46:52 PROPHET BEFORE THE COMING OF THE GREAT AND DREADFUL DAY OF THE 46:55 LORD, AND HE'LL TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE 46:58 CHILDREN AND THE HEARTS OF THE CHILDREN BACK TO THE FATHERS, 47:01 LEST I COME AND SMITE THE EARTH WITH A CURSE.' AND SO PEOPLE 47:04 LOOKED AT JESUS AND THEY SAID, 'THIS IS ELIJAH COME DOWN FROM 47:07 HEAVEN. AND THEN, READING ON, SOME OF 47:10 THE PEOPLE SAID, 'WELL, HE'S ELIJAH.' OTHERS SAID, 'NO, HE IS 47:12 JEREMIAH OR ONE OF THE PROPHETS.' NOW I'VE ALWAYS 47:15 WONDERED WHY, SPECIFICALLY, JEREMIAH. 47:17 IF YOU READ THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH, IT TALKS ABOUT 47:21 THE NEED FOR REPENTANCE IN ISRAEL. 47:25 SOMETIMES JEREMIAH IS REFERRED TO AS THE WEEPING PROPHET. 47:28 IT TALKS A LOT ABOUT 'WOE IS THIS' AND 'WOE IS THAT' AND 47:31 MAYBE WHEN PEOPLE HEARD JESUS, THEY KIND OF GOT THE IDEA THAT, 47:34 'WELL, THERE IS A NEED FOR REPENTANCE.' AND THEY SAID, 'HE 47:36 SOUNDS LIKE JEREMIAH.' THEY SAID CHRIST IS JEREMIAH. 47:39 SOME SAID, 'NO, NO, HE'S NOT JEREMIAH, HE'S JUST ONE OF THE 47:41 PROPHETS THAT IS COME. AND THEN IF YOU LOOK OVER HERE 47:45 IN VERSE 15, "HE SAID TO THEM, "BUT WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?" 47:50 IN OTHER WORDS, JESUS SAID, 'I KNOW WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE SAYING 47:52 ABOUT ME, BUT WHO DO YOU THINK I AM? 47:55 IN VERSE 16, "SIMON PETER ANSWERED AND SAID, 'YOU ARE THE 47:58 CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD." 48:03 NOW, OF COURSE, TODAY, WHEN WE THINK OF JESUS, WE THINK OF 48:06 CHRIST AND RIGHTFULLY SO, BUT TO THE JEW, JESUS WAS NOT 48:10 NECESSARILY THE CHRIST. TO THE JEW, THE CHRIST WAS THE 48:13 ANOINTED ONE, THE PROMISED MESSIAH, THE ONE THAT WOULD COME 48:16 AND SET ISRAEL FREE FROM THEIR ENEMIES. 48:19 THE CHRIST WOULD RULE ON THE THRONE OF DAVID. 48:22 EVERY GOOD JEWISH MOTHER WOULD LOOK INTO THE FACE OF HER 48:25 NEWBORN SON AND SECRETLY HOPE THAT HE WOULD BE THE CHRIST. 48:30 BUT PETER SAID, 'YOU ARE THE CHRIST. 48:32 YOU ARE THE FULFILLMENT OF ALL OF THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES. 48:35 YOU ARE OUR DELIVERER. YOU ARE OUR LORD. 48:38 YOU ARE OUR SAVIOR. YOU ARE OUR KING. YOU ARE THE CHRIST. 48:43 THEN JESUS WENT ON TO SAY THIS - VERSE 17 - "JESUS ANSWERED AND 48:50 SAID UNTO HIM, 'BLESSED ART THOU, SIMON BAR JONAH: FOR FLESH 48:53 AND BLOOD HATH NOT REVEALED THIS UNTO THEE, BUT MY FATHER WHICH 48:56 IS IN HEAVEN." IN ORDER FOR A PERSON TO COME TO 48:59 A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF WHO JESUS REALLY IS - IT'S MORE THAN 49:04 JUST SIMPLY ACCEPTING A SET OF HISTORICAL FACTS. 49:08 ITS' MORE THAN SAYING, 'YEAH, JESUS CAME AND EVEN HE WAS THE 49:11 SON OF GOD.' TO REALLY KNOW JESUS AS THE CHRIST, IT IS THE 49:16 MOVING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT UPON THE HEART. 49:19 JESUS SAID TO NICODEMUS, 'EXCEPT YE BE BORN AGAIN, YOU CANNOT SEE 49:24 THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.' IT IS THAT CONVERSION EXPERIENCE - 49:27 THAT NEW-BIRTH EXPERIENCE - IT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT MOVING UPON 49:30 THE HEART OF THE PERSON. THAT'S WHY JESUS SAID, 'FLESH 49:33 AND BLOOD HAS NOT REVEALED THIS TO YOU. 49:35 YOU HAVEN'T HEARD THIS FROM SOMEBODY ELSE, IT'S MY FATHER IN 49:38 HEAVEN THAT'S REVEALED THIS TO YOU.' THAT'S THE MOVING OF THE 49:41 HOLY SPIRIT UPON THE HEART OF SOMEONE. 49:43 THAT'S THE KIND OF EXPERIENCE THAT WE WANT - THAT CONTINUAL 49:47 MOVING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT UPON OUR HEARTS AND OUR LIVES SO THAT 49:50 WE CAN COME TO UNDERSTAND WHO JESUS REALLY IS - THAT HE IS OUR 49:55 CHRIST, PERSONALLY. HE IS OUR SAVIOR. 49:58 HE IS OUR DELIVERER. HE IS OUR LORD. HE IS OUR KING. 50:02 IT'S THE MOVING OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD UPON THE HEARTS AND THE 50:05 LIVES OF PEOPLE. THAT'S THE SECRET TO LIVING A 50:08 VICTORIOUS SPIRITUAL LIFE - IT'S UNDERSTANDING WHO JESUS IS. 50:12 IT'S KNOWING JESUS AS OUR PERSONAL CHRIST, AS OUR SAVIOR, 50:17 AS OUR LORD AND THAT'S WHAT THE SPIRIT WANTS TO DO IN US. 50:21 JESUS EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT. 50:24 THEN JESUS GOES ON AND SAYS HERE IN VERSE 18, AS WE FINISH UP 50:29 HERE, "AND I ALSO SAY TO YOU THAT YOU ARE PETER, AND ON THIS 50:32 ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, AND THE GATES OF HADES SHALL NOT 50:36 PREVAIL AGAINST IT." NOW, I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR 50:38 THAT PETER IS NOT THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH THE CHURCH IS BUILT. 50:42 THE WORD 'PETER' HERE MEANS A PEBBLE OR A STONE, BUT THE 50:46 DECLARATION THAT PETER HAD JUST MADE - THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST 50:49 - THAT'S THE FOUNDATION - THAT'S THE ROCK UPON WHICH THE CHURCH 50:55 IS BUILT. PETER NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED HIMSELF 50:58 TO BE THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH. HE SAID, 51:00 'JESUS IS THE CORNERSTONE. JESUS IS THE FOUNDATION.' JESUS 51:04 IS THE ROCK UPON WHICH THE CHURCH IS BUILT. 51:08 IF WE COME TO KNOW JESUS AS OUR PERSONAL CHRIST, THAT WILL BE 51:14 THE FOUNDATION TO OUR LIVES. JESUS GOES ON TO SAY, "AND THE 51:19 GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT." 51:22 WHEN WE COME TO KNOW JESUS AS OUR PERSONAL CHRIST, AS OUR 51:26 SAVIOR, AS OUR LORD, AS OUR KIN, THE DEVIL CANNOT OVERCOME US 51:30 BECAUSE 'GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN US THAN HE THAT IS IN THE 51:34 WORLD.' THAT'S THE PROMISE OF JESUS. 51:35 JESUS HAS OVERCOME THE ENEMY AND AS WE RECEIVE HIM AS OUR CHRIST, 51:40 HE EMPOWERS US, BY HIS GRACE, TO OVERCOME THE ENEMY. 51:44 SO THERE'S SOME WONDERFUL PROMISES THAT JESUS MAKES WITH 51:47 REFERENCE TO RECEIVING HIM AS CHRIST. 51:49 BY THE WAY, THAT'S NOT JUST A ONE-TIME EXPERIENCE, BUT IT'S A 51:53 DAY-BY-DAY, MOMENT-BY-MOMENT EXPERIENCE. 51:56 THE APOSTLE PAUL SAYS, 'I DIE DAILY.' IT IS THAT DAY-BY-DAY 52:00 SURRENDERING OF OURSELVES TO CHRIST AND RECEIVING HIM AS OUR 52:04 PERSONAL SAVIOR. THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. 52:07 WELL, WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO GET TO THURSDAY'S LESSON, BUT 52:11 THURSDAY WE HAVE THE STORY OF THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION, 52:14 WHERE JESUS IS GLORIFIED AND THERE'S MOSES AND ELIJAH THAT 52:17 COME AND STAND WITH HIM. JUST ONE THING I WANT TO MENTION 52:21 QUICKLY ABOUT THAT IS YOU HAVE MOSES AND ELIJAH - MOSES 52:25 REPRESENTS THE LAW AND ELIJAH REPRESENTS THE PROPHETS. 52:28 THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS: THE LAW, THE 52:32 FIRST FIVE BOOKS WRITTEN BY MOSES, AND THEN THE PROPHETS. 52:35 THE PROPHETS WERE OFTEN REPRESENTED BY ELIJAH SO IT'S 52:38 INTERESTING THAT HERE JESUS, BEING THE SON OF GOD - BEING THE 52:42 CHRIST - HE IS BEING TESTIFIED BY THE LAW, REPRESENTED BY 52:47 MOSES, AND BY THE PROPHETS, REPRESENTED BY ELIJAH. 52:50 JESUS SAID, 'IN THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES, EVERYTHING 52:54 SHALL BE ESTABLISHED.' CHRIST WOULD OFTEN POINT PEOPLE BACK TO 52:57 THE SCRIPTURES AS EVIDENCE FOR WHO HE SAID HE WAS - THE LAW AND 53:02 THE PROPHETS. OUR CONFIDENCE FOR WHO JESUS IS 53:08 NEEDS TO BE ROOTED IN THE SCRIPTURES - IN THE LAW AND THE 53:12 PROPHETS. IT'S INTERESTING WHAT PETER HAS 53:14 TO SAY ABOUT THIS WHEN HE SPEAKS OF HIS EXPERIENCE. 53:18 LET'S GO TO THAT QUICKLY - 2 PETER CHAPTER 1, VERSE 16 - AND 53:22 WE'LL CLOSE UP WITH THIS - 2 PETER CHAPTER 1 AND VERSE 16. 53:26 NOTICE WHAT PETER SAYS - 2 PETER CHAPTER 1 AND VERSE 16. 53:32 PETER SAYS, "FOR WE DID NOT FOLLOWING CUNNINGLY DEVISED 53:36 FABLES WHEN WE MADE KNOWN TO YOU THE POWER AND COMING OF OUR LORD 53:40 JESUS CHRIST, BUT WERE EYEWITNESSES OF HIS MAJESTY." 53:44 VERSE 17 "FOR HE RECEIVED FROM GOD THE FATHER HONOR AND GLORY 53:48 WHEN SUCH A VOICE CAME TO HIM FROM THE EXCELLENT GLORY: 'THIS 53:51 IS MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.'" NOW, AT FIRST 53:54 READING, YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, 'WELL, THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE 53:56 BAPTISM OF JESUS.' AND, OF COURSE, WHEN JESUS WAS BAPTIZED, 54:00 THERE WAS A VOICE HEARD, 'THIS IS MY BELOVED SON.' BUT NOTICE 54:03 IN VERSE 18 HE SAYS, "AND WE HEARD THIS VOICE WHICH CAME FROM 54:07 HEAVEN WHEN WE WERE WITH HIM ON THE HOLY MOUNTAIN." 54:10 - TALKING ABOUT THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION. 54:12 THEN HE SAYS, IN VERSE 19, "AND SO WE HAVE THE PROPHETIC WORD 54:16 CONFIRMED, WHICH YOU DO WELL TO TAKE HEED AS A LIGHT THAT SHINES 54:21 IN A DARK PLACE, UNTIL THE DAY DAWNS AND THE MORNING STAR RISES 54:25 IN YOUR HEARTS; KNOW THIS FIRST, THAT NO PROPHECY OF SCRIPTURE 54:29 IS OF ANY PRIVATE INTERPRETATION." 54:31 SO PETER SAYS, 'WE'VE NOT FOLLOWED CUNNINGLY DEVISED 54:34 FABLES WHEN WE'VE TOLD YOU ABOUT THE POWER OF JESUS - THAT HE IS 54:39 THE CHRIST.' HE SAYS, 'WE WERE EYEWITNESSES OF HIS MAJESTY. 54:42 WE SAW IT. WE KNOW IT'S REAL. WE HEARD THE VOICE FROM HEAVEN. 54:46 IN ESSENCE, PETER IS SAYING, 'PLEASE BELIEVE. 54:49 BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST. 54:52 RECOGNIZE JESUS AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOR - AS YOUR KING - AS YOUR 54:56 LORD - THAT HE IS THE SON OF GOD AND HE IS ALSO THE SON OF MAN.' 55:00 IN RECOGNIZING JESUS AS THE CHRIST, WE HAVE DELIVERANCE. 55:05 WE HAVE FORGIVENESS. WE HAVE POWER. WE HAVE REDEMPTION. 55:09 SO THAT'S THE EMPHASIS OF THIS WEEK'S LESSON. 55:11 THERE'S SO MUCH MORE THERE, BUT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL STUDY. 55:14 IT'S REALLY THE HEART OF CHRISTIANITY - THE FACT THAT 55:17 JESUS IS THE CHRIST. HE IS OUR SAVIOR. HE IS OUR LORD. 55:20 THAT BRINGS HOPE. THAT BRINGS LIFE. THAT BRINGS STRENGTH. 55:24 I'D LIKE TO REMIND OUR FRIENDS OF OUR FREE OFFER. 55:26 IT'S CALLED CHRIST'S HUMAN NATURE . 55:28 WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THAT TO ANYBODY WHO CALLS AND ASKS. 55:30 THE NUMBER, AGAIN, IS 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR 55:36 OFFER #703. YOU CAN ALSO READ THE BOOK FOR 55:40 FREE ONLINE AT THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE. 55:43 JUST GO TO THE WEBSITE AND CLICK ON THE FREE LIBRARY AND YOU CAN 55:46 READ THE BOOK RIGHT AWAY. THANK YOU, AGAIN, FOR JOINING 55:49 US, FRIENDS. I TRUST THAT IT'S BEEN A BLESSING AS WE HAVE 55:52 STUDIED GOD'S WORD TOGETHER. LET'S CLOSE WITH PRAYER. 55:55 DEAR FATHER, WE THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN THAT WE HAVE THE 55:57 OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY TOGETHER AND WE JUST ASK THAT THIS VERY 56:01 IMPORTANT TRUTH - THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST - THAT WE WOULD ALLOW 56:04 THAT TO BURY ITSELF DEEP WITHIN OUR HEARTS - 56:07 THAT EVERY DAY WE WILL COME TO YOU AND RECEIVE YOU 56:10 AFRESH AS OUR LORD AND AS OUR SAVIOR. 56:13 THANK YOU, FATHER, FOR THE GREAT GIFT THAT WAS GIVEN IN JESUS. 56:16 WE PRAY THIS ALL IN HIS NAME, AMEN. 56:21 >>DID YOU KNOW THAT NOAH WAS PRESENT AT THE BIRTH OF ABRAHAM? 56:25 OKAY, MAYBE HE WASN'T IN THE ROOM, BUT HE WAS ALIVE AND 56:28 PROBABLY TELLING STORIES ABOUT HIS FLOATING ZOO. 56:32 FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO THE LAST-DAY EVENTS OF 56:35 REVELATION, BIBLEHISTORY.COM IS A FREE RESOURCE WHERE YOU CAN 56:39 EXPLORE MAJOR BIBLE EVENTS AND CHARACTERS. 56:42 ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE AND DRAW CLOSER TO GOD'S 56:45 WORD. GO DEEPER. VISIT 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM'. 56:52 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? YOU DON'T HAVE TO 56:56 WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING. 57:00 WATCH AMAZING FACTS TELEVISION BY VISITING 'AFTV.ORG'. 57:06 AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN VIEW AMAZING FACTS PROGRAMMING 24 57:11 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR COMPUTER OR 57:14 MOBILE DEVICE. WHY WAIT A WEEK? 57:17 VISIT 'AFTV.ORG' - IT'S THAT EASY. 57:22 >>I WAS HAVING SOME PROBLEMS IN MY LIFE I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW HOW 57:25 TO DEAL WITH. I JUST SAID TO MYSELF, I SAID, 57:28 'GOD, IF YOU'RE REAL, SHOW YOURSELF TO ME.' AND THEN, I 57:33 THINK, ONE DAY AT MY MOTHER'S HOUSE THEY WERE WATCHING THE 57:35 'FINAL EVENTS IN BIBLE PROPHECY'. 57:37 THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY THAT DOUG PREACHED 57:40 AND THINGS THAT I FELT THAT TOUCHED ME. 57:42 NO MATTER HOW BAD OF A SINNER YOU THINK YOU ARE, THE LORD 57:45 JESUS LOVES YOU NO MATTER WHAT YOU'VE DONE. 57:48 >>I AM SO THANKFUL TO GOD FOR AMAZING FACTS, FOR DOUG 57:54 BATCHELOR AND ESPECIALLY HIS BOOK 'THE RICHEST CAVEMAN'. 57:59 IF IT WASN'T FOR THESE, I WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY. 58:04 GOD WAS ABLE TO USE THESE TOOLS TO REACH THE UNREACHABLE. 58:12 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2015-05-08