- At the time of Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist, what was declared
about Jesus?
Matthew 3:17: "And lo a voice from heaven, saying,
This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased."
- What is Jesus' special mission to the world?
Matthew 1:21: "And she shall bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their
sins."
1 Timothy 1:15: "This is a faithful saying, and
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; .
. ."
[Further Study]
Isaiah 53 (prophecy about Jesus):
"1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the
LORD revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root
out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there
is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and
acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and
we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we
did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are
healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to
his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his
mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is
dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare
his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression
of my people was he stricken.
9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his
death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou
shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his
days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his
knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the
spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was
numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for
the transgressors."
John 1:29 "The next day John seeth Jesus coming
unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life."
Acts 4:10 & 12 "Be it known unto you all, and
to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye
crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before
you whole. . . . Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other
name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
Matthew 18:11 "For the Son of man is come to
save that which was lost."
"Only begotten" means unique, one of a kind. No other individual was begotten
like Jesus was.
- What does the Bible say regarding Abraham and Isaac?
Hebrews 11:17: "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and
he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son."
Isaac was not Abraham's only son (Genesis 16:1-6), but the only son through
whom the promise would come (Genesis 15:1-5; Genesis 18:10; Galatians
4:22-23; Hebrews 11:17-18).
Genesis 16:1-6 "Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him
no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai
said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee,
go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened
to the voice of Sarai. And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian,
after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband
Abram to be his wife. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she
saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. And Sarai said
unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she
saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and
thee. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it
pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face."
Genesis 15:1-5 "After these things the word of
the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and
thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing
I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram
said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine
heir. And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be
thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars,
if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be."
Genesis 18:10 "And he said, I will certainly
return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a
son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him."
Galatians 4:22-23 "For it is written, that
Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who
was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by
promise."
Hebrews 11:17-18 "By faith Abraham, when he
was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his
only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:"
- Who did the disciples recognize Jesus to be?
Matthew 14:33: "Then they that were in the ship
came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God."
- Why is it important for us to declare Jesus as the Son of God?
1 John 4:15: "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus
is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God."
1 John 5:5: "Who is he that overcometh the
world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"
[Further Study]
Matthew 10:32 "Whosoever therefore shall
confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."
Romans 10:10 "For with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
- What names do God the Father and His Son share?
Isaiah 9:6: "For unto us a child is born, unto
us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall
be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince
of Peace."
- Shortly after Jesus was conceived within Mary, an angel explained His birth to
Joseph in a dream and said He would be called Emmanuel. What does Emmanuel mean?
Matthew 1:23: "Behold, a virgin shall be with
child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which
being interpreted is, God with us."
[Further Study]
Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord himself shall
give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his
name Immanuel."
- What did Jesus say to the Jews regarding His relationship with His Father?
John 10:30: "I and my Father are one."
- How did the Pharisees (Jews) feel about Jesus "making Himself equal with God"?
John 5:18: "Therefore the Jews sought the more
to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was
his Father, making himself equal with God."
Jesus did not break the fourth commandment, but rather the traditions of the
Jews.
John 10:33: "The Jews answered him, saying, For
a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man,
makest thyself God."
- What did the apostle Paul have to say regarding Jesus being equal with God?
Philippians 2:5-6: "Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not
robbery to be equal with God:"
[Further Study]
Micah 5:2 (prophecy) "But thou, Beth-lehem
Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall
he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been
from of old, from everlasting."
John 17:5 "And now, O Father, glorify thou me
with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."
Titus 2:13 "Looking for that blessed hope, and
the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;"
Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ the same yesterday,
and to day, and for ever."
- How many persons make up the Godhead?
Matthew 3:16-17: "And Jesus, when he was
baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened
unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon
him: and lo a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased."
Matthew 28:19: "Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost."
1 John 5:7: "For there are three that bear
record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."
- Who is the WORD?
John 1:1, 14: "In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us, . . ."
- What role does Jesus occupy in the Godhead?
Colossians 2:9: "For in him (Christ) dwelleth
all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."
- Besides being God, what other nature did Jesus possess?
Romans 1:3: "Concerning his Son Jesus Christ
our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh."
Romans 8:3: "For what the law could not do, in
that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh."
- Why is it important to believe Christ possessed both the divine and the
human natures?
1 John 4:2-3: "Hereby know ye the Spirit of
God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not
of God: and this is the spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should
come; and even now already is in the world."
The word flesh in the original Greek means, human nature with its frailties and
passions; fleshly or carnal. Jesus took upon Him our fallen sinful nature, thus
making Himself not only our substitute, but our example for living the
victorious Christian life. Later in this series we will devote an entire lesson to this
very important subject.
- Who is the Creator of our world?
Colossians 1:16: "For by him (Christ) were all
things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things
were created by him, and for him."
[Further Study]
John 1:1-3, 14 "In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with
God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was
made. . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his
glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
Hebrews 1:2 "Hath in these last days spoken
unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made
the worlds;"
- Where was Jesus before the world was created?
John 17:5: "And now, O Father, glorify thou me
with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."
John 8:58: "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."
The Jews understood that Jesus was claiming to be the great God of the Old
Testament (Exodus 3:13-14), that is why they tried to stone Him (John 8:59).
Exodus 3:13-14 "And Moses said unto God, Behold,
when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your
fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall
I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt
thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."
John 8:59 "Then took they up stones to cast at
him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of
them, and so passed by."
[Further Study]
Colossians 1:17 "And he is before all things,
and by him all things consist."
- How did Jesus create the world?
Psalms 33:6, 9: "By the word of the Lord were
the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. . . . For he
spake and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast."
- Besides creating this physical world and everything in it, what can
Jesus create in us today? And for what purpose?
Ezekiel 36:26-27: "A new hearat also will I
give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony
heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my
spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my
judgments, and do them."
Ephesians 2:10: "For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we
should walk in them."
Prayerfully consider how Jesus can recreate your heart. Pray David's prayer in
Psalms 51:10-12. "Create in me a clean
heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy
presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy
salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit."
God is still transforming characters today.
Romans 8:1-4, 13-14 "There is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but
after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me
free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was
weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and
for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be
fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. . . . For if
ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the
deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they
are the sons of God."
Romans 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world:
but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Titus 3:5 "Not by works of righteousness which
we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration,
and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
"'His name shall be called Emmanuel, . . . God with us.' 'The light of the knowledge
of the glory of God' is seen 'in the face of Jesus Christ'. From the days of eternity the
Lord Jesus Christ was one with the Father; He was 'the image of God', the image of
His greatness and majesty, 'the outshining of his glory'. It was to manifest this glory
that He came to our world. To this sin-darkened earth He came to reveal the light of
God's love,--to be 'God with us'. Therefore it was prophesied of Him, 'His name shall
be called Immanuel'.
"By coming to dwell with us, Jesus was to reveal God both to men and to angels. He
was the Word of God,--God's thought made audible.... Here, where the Son of God
tabernacled in humanity; where the King of glory lived and suffered and died,--here,
when He shall make all things new, the tabernacle of God shall be with men, 'and He
shall dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God Himself shall be with them,
and be their God'. All through endless ages as the redeemed walk in the light of the
Lord, they will praise Him for His unspeakable gift,--Immanuel, 'God with us'." The
Desire of Ages, pages 19, 26.