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The Story of the Lamb of God

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Title: The Story of the Lamb of God


1
The Story of the Lamb of God
  • The Symphony Is Finished

2
Introduction
  • A clear focus is needed to become acquainted with
    the Lamb of God.
  • The Old Testament ends as an unfinished symphony.
  • Ceremonies of worship are unexplained.
  • Purposes were expressed that are not achieved.

3
  • For much of this material I am indebted to J.
    Sidlow Baxter, Explore The Book, (Zondervan
    Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1964
    printing), Volume Five.

4
  • Purposes were expressed that are not achieved.
  • Longings among the Hebrews are unanswered.
  • Predictions are unfulfilled.
  • Promises are unclaimed.

5
  • The four Gospels have a dominant theme of
    fulfillment.
  • These four books give the answers to the Old
    Testament that are needed.
  • Else, the Old Testament is like a river lost in
    the sand.

6
Jesus is the answer to all these needs.
  • He came to be on the throne Luke 131-33. He
    shall be great, and shall be called the Son of
    the Most High and the Lord God shall give unto
    him the throne of his father David and he shall
    reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of
    his kingdom there shall be no end.

7
  • He is the Lamb who takes away sins John 129.
  • On the morrow he seeth Jesus coming unto him,
    and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh
    away the sin of the world!

8
  • Is this a reference to Isa. 537?
  • He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he
    opened not his mouth as a lamb that is led to
    the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its
    shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.

9
  • Why a lamb?
  • Lambs offered every day
  • Symbol of meekness, gentleness
  • Symbol of innocence
  • Reminder of Egypt
  • Jesus our Passover (1 Cor. 57)

10
  • Why the lamb of God?
  • Provided by God
  • Atonement in reality
  • Sinless suffering One
  • World, not just the Jews

11
  • He is the Savior Matt. 121
  • The name Jesus (Old Testament similarity to
    Joshua) /Ihsouj means the same as Savior,
    being derived from the verb to save.

12
  • Jesus saves from sin
  • Power of sin
  • Pollution of sin
  • Guilt of sin
  • Note it is from sin, not in sin!

13
  • He is the way, truth, and life John 146
    (Notice here that one learns the way by knowing
    the truth, which in turn leads to life.)
  • He claimed that all things about him were
    fulfilled Luke 2444.
  • Therefore, Jesus invites all to come and take his
    yoke Matt. 1128-30.

14
There are seven crises in the life of Jesus.
  • Birth from a virgin
  • Baptism by John and the coming of the Spirit
  • Temptations
  • Transfiguration

15
  • Crucifixion
  • Resurrection
  • Ascension and coronation

16
The four gospels reveal all that is needed about
the Lamb
  • Matthew, Mark, and Luke present the facts of his
    life.
  • Two of the writers were apostles and the other
    two were companions of the apostles.

17
  • John, along with some of these facts, presents
    the doctrinal import.
  • His birth is not mentioned.
  • His baptism is not recorded.
  • His temptations are not included.
  • His transfiguration is not told.

18
  • His ascension is not described.
  • Perhaps the key verse is 112.
  • He came to his own people, the Hebrews, as it was
    promised.
  • The Hebrews generally did not receive him.
  • Some Hebrews did receive him.

19
  • Those who received him were given a right
    (e)cousi/an).
  • That right had to be exercised.
  • When exercised, that right made them spiritual
    sons of God.
  • This right was given to even to them that
    believe on his name.

20
  • Therefore to receive him is the same as to
    believe in him.
  • A necessary conclusion is that a believer is not
    yet a son of God, but must exercise the right
    given to him to become a son of God.

21
  • William F. Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A
    Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and
    Other Early Christian Literature, (The University
    of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, Sixteenth
    Impression, 1974), p. 277 defines this use as to
    indicate the thing that one is able to do. This
    shows that the right given must be exercised.

22
  • There is something in addition to believing that
    makes one a son of God!
  • The believer must still respond.

23
  • John 1 has many key words and concepts
  • Word,
  • life,
  • light,
  • Son,

24
  • Lamb,
  • Messiah,
  • Son of Man,
  • King.

25
Four Faces of the Lamb
  • Why are the gospels in the order that is found in
    the New Testament?
  • Why not place in this order Luke, Mark, John and
    Matthew?
  • Is there any cogent reason for the order one sees
    in our New Testaments?

26
  • Matthew is placed first because of the links with
    the Old Testament.
  • The phrase, that it might be fulfilled, is used
    12 times.
  • He is obviously writing to the Jews who were
    expecting a Messiah.

27
  • This book bridges 400 years of silence.
  • This book serves to show the credentials of the
    promised Messiah.

28
  • Mark writes to the Roman world.
  • He gives no genealogy since his readers would
    neither need nor understand it.
  • He uses fulfilled only twice.
  • He emphasizes that Jesus was a worker of wonders.

29
LUKE
  • Luke, as a Gentile himself, sends his letter out
    to the Gentile world.
  • He emphasizes the humanity of the Lamb.
  • He uses Son of Man more than the others.

30
JOHN
  • John writes at the end of the century to the
    churches.
  • He shows the deity of the Lamb.
  • He portrays the Lamb as Jehovah, Messiah, and
    true God.

31
LAST WITNESS
  • Long after the other 3 gospels have circulated
    John writes as the last living witness of the
    Lamb and his work.
  • John puts the finale to the symphony of the life
    of our Lord.

32
Endings to the books in this order seem to be
significant.
  • Matthew ends with the resurrection.
  • Mark ends with the ascension.
  • Luke ends with the promise of the Spirit.
  • John ends with the promise of the 2nd coming,
    tarry till I come.

33
Each book has distinctive characteristics.
  • Matthew was a tax collector writing to the Jews.
  • He proved that the Lamb is the promised Messiah
    he gave the most links to the Old Testament,
    there are over 50 quotations from the Old
    Testament, 35 times he alone used Kingdom of
    heaven,

34
MATTHEW
  • 9 times he used son of David, and he detailed
    20 miracles.
  • Only the Jews would have understood all these.
  • He provided answers to the promise to Abraham and
    his seed

35
  • -he gave encouragement to the Jews to receive the
    Lamb, so that the new spiritual Israel could
    arise out of the ashes of the old physical
    Israel.

36
  • His genealogy recorded fulfillment of promises
    made to Abraham (Gen. 121-4),
  • to King David (2 Sam. 712-13 1 Chron.
    1711-12),
  • and to King Ahaz of a birth from a virgin (Isa.
    714 Matt. 118ff).

37
MARK
  • Mark was the son of Mary (Acts 1212),
  • kinsman to Barnabas (Col. 410),
  • and was a co-worker with Peter (1 Pet. 513).

38
  • His 683 verses were written to a Roman audience
  • he explained Jewish traditions (72-4),
  • conditions in Palestine (1113),
  • and the coinage of the Jews (1242).

39
  • He has the shortest book but records the most
    number of miracles percentage wise (18).
  • He related only one sermon (133-37), but
    detailed the deeds of the Lamb, portraying him as
    a wonder-worker.

40
LUKE
  • Luke was a Gentile physician (Col. 414) and
    his 1152 verses emphasize the Lambs humanity.
  • His genealogy followed the blood line of Mary
    and goes back through Abraham to Seth and Adam
    (Matthews account starts with Abraham).

41
  • He gave special emphasis to the birth from a
    virgin, using 132 verses (2 chapters) to record
    it. As a trained scientist with a medical
    education, the proofs of the virgin birth must
    have been overwhelming for Luke to accept them.

42
  • He is the one who recorded the Lamb weeping
    (1941) and sweating (2244).
  • He recorded 11 of the 14 recorded prayers that
    the Lamb prayed while on earth.

43
--
  • He mentioned 20 of the miracles that most list as
    a total of 34.
  • He also introduced the Lamb as having
    cross-racial and international purposes (210,
    32), and his is the only account of the helpful
    Samaritan (1025-37).

44
JOHN
  • John was in the inner circle of the apostles
    who saw the transfiguration and was the brother
    of another apostle, James.
  • Writing at the end of the century, he looks back
    across the century to encourage the church to
    stand steadfast.

45
  • He re-emphasizes the deity of the Lamb (11-3
    1030 2030-31) lest the early church falter
    amid all the terrible Roman persecutions.

46
  • John recorded the 7 times Jesus proclaimed I
    am, such claims as could refer only to his
    deity
  • bread (635),
  • light (812),
  • door (107),

47
  • good shepherd (1014),
  • resurrection and the life (1125),
  • way, truth, and life (146),
  • and the vine (151).

48
  • He gave proofs of such deity by recording only 7
    representative signs.
  • Power over time turning water to wine (21-11)
  • Power over space healing the noblemans son in
    absentia (446-54).

49
  • Power over infirmity the man at the pool
    (51-18.
  • Power over matter feeding the loaves and fish
    (61-14).
  • Power over gravity walking on the water
    (616-21).

50
  • Power over nature, congenital defects man born
    blind (91-41).
  • Power over death raising of Lazarus (111-44).

51
There is cogency to the order.
  • Matthew wrote to the Jews about the Fulfiller.
  • Mark wrote to the Romans about the Wonder-worker.
  • Luke wrote to the Gentiles about the Man.
  • John wrote to the church about Jesus as God.

52
  • The Four Gospels are like the Arc de Triomphe in
    Paris, France.
  • That structure memorializes the triumphs of
    Napoleons conquests.
  • It was built 1806-1836, 160 feet high.
  • At the foot of the Arc de Triomphe is the Tomb of
    the Unknown Soldier from WW I.

53
  • Mark
  • Matthew Luke
  • John

54
  • Matthew on the left side.
  • Mark at the top.
  • Luke on the right side.
  • John at the bottom.

55
  • Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell the historical
    events.
  • John serves as the foundation of all of Jesus
    life, for He is true Deity.

56
  • Mark
  • Matthew Luke
  • John

57
  • Put them all together and believers have a
    triumphal Arch of Truth.
  • This Arch has
  • an empty tomb,
  • but a Living Savior!

58
Facts of Life for Faith
  • Major Divisions in the life of Jesus Christ
  • 1. The Thirty Years of Private Life From the
    birth of Jesus until the coming of John the
    Baptist.

59
  • The outlines and events listed here are from Wm.
    Arnold Stevens and Ernest Dewitt Burton, A
    Harmony of the Gospels For Historical Study,
    (Charles Scribners Sons, New York, New York,
    1904). This material was originally published in
    the Handbook of the Life of Christ, which is no
    longer in print.

60
  • 2. The Opening Events of Christs Ministry From
    the coming of John the Baptist until the public
    appearance of Jesus in Jerusalem.

61
  • 3. The Early Judean Ministry From the public
    appearance of Jesus in Jerusalem until his return
    to Galilee.

62
  • 4. First Period of the Galilean Ministry From
    the return to Galilee until the choosing of the
    twelve.
  • 5. Second Period of the Galilean Ministry From
    the choosing of the twelve until the withdrawal
    into northern Galilee.

63
  • 6. Third Period of the Galilean Ministry From
    the withdrawal into northern Galilee until the
    final departure for Jerusalem.
  • 7. The Perean Ministry From the final departure
    for Jerusalem until the final arrival in
    Jerusalem.

64
  • 8. The Passion Week From the final arrival in
    Jerusalem until the resurrection.
  • 9. The Forty Days From the resurrection until
    the ascension.

65
The Thirty Years of Private Life
  • Birth of Jesus
  • The angels and the shepherds visit
  • Circumcision and presentation in the temple
  • Wise men from the east.

66
  • Flight to Egypt and return to Nazareth
  • Childhood in Nazareth, visit to the temple at age
    twelve

67
The Opening Events of Christs Ministry
  • Preparation of John the immerser
  • Baptism of Jesus
  • Temptations in the wilderness

68
  • Johns testimony before the priests and Levites,
    Jesus the Lamb of God
  • The first three disciples, then Philip and
    Nathaniel
  • First miracle water made into wine
  • Sojourn in Capernaum

69
The Early Judean Ministry
  • First cleansing of the temple
  • Discourse with Nicodemus
  • Baptizing in Judea

70
  • Johns testimony to Christ at Aenon
  • Departure from Judea, discourse with the woman of
    Samaria
  • The gospel in Sychar

71
First Period of the Galilean Ministry
  • Beginning of the ministry, the noblemans son
  • First rejection at Nazareth and removal to
    Capernaum
  • Call of the four disciples
  • Miracles at Capernaum

72
  • First preaching tour of Galilee
  • The paralytic carried by four
  • Call of Matthew, question of fasting at his house

73
  • Infirm man at Bethesda
  • The disciples plucking grain
  • The man with the withered hand

74
Second Period of the Galilean Ministry
  • Fame spreads widely, choosing of the twelve
  • Sermon on the mountain
  • The centurions servant
  • John the Baptists last message
  • Anointing of Jesus at the house of Simon

75
  • Warnings to scribes and Pharisees blasphemy of
    the Holy Spirit
  • True kin of Christ and parables by the sea
  • Stilling of the tempest
  • Demoniacs in Gadara

76
  • Raising of the daughter of Jairus
  • Two blind men and the dumb demoniac
  • Second rejection at Nazareth
  • Mission of the twelve

77
  • Death of John the Baptist
  • Feeding of the five thousand
  • Walking on the water
  • Discourse of the bread of life and eating with
    unwashed hands

78
Third Period of the Galilean Ministry
  • Journey toward Tyre and Sidon, the daughter of
    the Syrophoenician woman
  • Return through Decapolis, many miracles of
    healing
  • Feeding of the four thousand
  • Pharisees and Sadducees demand signs from heaven

79
  • Blind man at Bethsaida healed
  • Peters great confession, Christ foretells his
    death and resurrection
  • The transfiguration
  • The demoniac boy

80
  • Further telling of his death and resurrection
  • Paying taxes with the shekel from the mouth of
    the fish
  • Discourse on humility and forgiveness

81
  • Jesus visits Jerusalem at the Feast of
    Tabernacles
  • The problem of the woman taken in adultery
  • Discourse on the light of the world, spiritual
    freedom

82
The Perean Ministry
  • Final departure from Galilee
  • The mission of the seventy
  • The good Samaritan
  • Visit to Martha and Mary
  • Healing of the man born blind
  • The Good Shepherd

83
  • At the feast of dedication
  • Discourse on prayer
  • Warnings against the Pharisees
  • Discourse on trust in God and the coming judgment
  • Galileans slain by Pilate

84
  • A woman healed on the sabbath
  • Warning against Herod
  • Discourses at the table of the Pharisee
  • Three parables of grace for the lost, parables of
    warning, teachings on forgiveness and grave

85
  • Raising of Lazarus and withdrawal to Ephraim
  • The ten lepers
  • The Pharisee and the publican
  • Concerning divorce and remarriage
  • Christ blesses little children

86
  • The rich young ruler
  • Ambition of James and John
  • Blind men near Jericho
  • Visit with Zacchaeus
  • Anointing by Mary in Bethany

87
The Passion Week
  • Triumphal entry into Jerusalem
  • Cursing of the fig tree
  • Second cleansing of the temple
  • Confrontations with the Jews, parables of
    warning, an unanswerable question

88
  • The widows two mites
  • Gentiles seek Jesus, Jews reject him
  • The destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the
    world
  • Conspiracy of the chief priests and Judas

89
  • The last supper, farewell discourses,
    intercessory prayer
  • The agony in Gethsemane, betrayal and arrest
  • Trials before Jewish authorities and Pilate
  • The crucifixion and burial
  • The watch at the sepulchre

90
The Forty Days
  • The resurrection morning
  • Report of the watch
  • Two on the road to Emmaus
  • Appearance by Jesus to disciples in Jerusalem,
    Thomas being absent

91
  • Appearance to disciples with Thomas present
  • Appearance to seven disciples by the Sea of
    Galilee
  • Appearance to the eleven disciples on mountain in
    Galilee
  • Final appearance and ascension

92
The Force of This Person
  • Jesus Christ is the one subject that fills the
    four gospels, and his deeds are the basis for all
    the rest of the New Testament.

93
  • Everything written in the Old Testament prior to
    him pointed forward to him everything written
    after his death pointed backward to him, his
    deeds, his promises, his teachings, and the
    effect that his death and resurrection had upon
    the entire scope of humanity.

94
Just who is this person?
  • Consider
  • His names
  • His uniqueness
  • His teachings
  • His solitary stance

95
Look at a few of his names
  • Son of Man. This is the name used most often by
    the Lord himself. In ordinary usage, it simply
    means the man. In the use that Jesus employed
    it meant much more.

96
  • Herbert F. Stevenson, Titles of the Triune God,
    (Fleming H. Revell Company, Westwood, New Jersey,
    1956), pp. 95-96

97
  • He often used it as a substitute for the pronoun
    I (Luke 733-34).
  • He used it to emphasize his human suffering (Mark
    831 912 1421).

98
  • He used this name to portray himself as a person
    completely involved in humanity (Luke 958).
  • He used it to show exceptional authority, the
    only man who was given such.

99
  • He has authority to forgive sins (Mark 210).
  • He has authority over Gods laws (Mark 228).
  • He has authority in the coming judgment (Mark
    1326 1462).

100
  • It obviously refers to deity since Stephen saw
    the Son of Man at the right hand of God
    (Acts756).
  • Jesus was not merely a man, but representative
    man, the last Adam (1 Cor. 1545).

101
  • Messiah.
  • His genealogy records that he was the Christ,
    Messiah (Matt. 116).
  • When he was asked by the high priest about being
    the Christ, he answered I am (Mark 1461-62),
    or Thou hast said (Matt. 2664).

102
  • Peter confessed that he was the Christ, the New
    Testament Greek word (xristo\j), is a counterpart
    of the Hebrew word Messiah (Matt. 1616).
    Jesus accepted this, said it was revealed from
    heaven, but he wanted the apostles to delay
    teaching it at that time.

103
  • He accepted Andrews use of the name (John 1
    41), and directly declared to the woman at the
    well that he was the Messiah (John 425-26).
  • Peter declared that he was made to be Christ, the
    New Testament word for Messiah (Acts 236).

104
  • Jesus never called himself the Christ, but he
    accepted the name.

105
  • Lord
  • The word lord (ku/rioj) has numerous meanings.
  • Title of courtesy
  • Owner of slaves or property

106
  • Respect toward a superior
  • Simply a master
  • In regard to Jesus it refers to his divine title.

107
  • The Septuagint uses the Greek ku/rioj, Lord,
    to translate two divine names Adonai and
    Jehovah.
  • An angel announced to the shepherds that the babe
    was the Lord (Luke 211).

108
  • Do you know import of LORD vs. Lord in KJV?
  • It tells when the sacred name, JHVH (usually
    pronounced Yahweh) is used in the Old
    Testament.
  • The ASV uses Jehovah.

109
  • John preached the coming of the Lord (Luke 34).
  • Jesus claimed to be Lord of the Sabbath (Mark
    228).
  • He implied that he was Davids Lord (Matt.
    2241-46).
  • He directly told his disciples he was their Lord
    (John 1313).

110
  • Thomas worshipped him as my Lord and my God
    (John 2028).
  • Truly this use of Lord included all the
    significance of Jehovah.
  • For in the last day all will confess him as Lord
    (Phil. 211).

111
  • Son of God
  • Gabriel announced the babe was to be Son of the
    Most HighSon of God (Luke 132, 35).
  • At his baptism the testimony came from heaven
    (Mark 111).

112
  • The devil chided and challenged his Sonship (Luke
    43, 9).
  • At the transfiguration the disciples heard the
    truth that he was the Son of God (Mark 97).
  • He used Father in a special sense even at age
    12 (Luke 249).

113
  • He taught repeatedly to the Jews about his Father
    (John 519-47).
  • As a result, since they understood the term Son
    and Father to mean deity, they wanted to kill
    him (John 1022-39).

114
  • The Pharisees, of course, realized the
    implications of it, and charged him with
    blasphemy, making Himself equal with God (John
    518).

115
  • This term referred not to his earthly birth, as
    he is the eternal Son of God.
  • God sent a son (John 316 Gal. 44). God did
    not send a person to become a son, He sent his
    own son in the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom.
    83).

116
  • Jesus used Father in a special sense.
  • How could there be an eternal Father if there
    were no eternal Son?
  • Was God not a father prior to the earthly birth
    of Jesus?

117
  • Then, the conception of Jesus was by the Holy
    Spirit, not the Father (Matt. 120 Luke 135).
  • This adds to the concept that Jesus did not
    become the Son due to his earthly conception.

118
  • The world was created by the Son (Heb. 12).
  • John used the term Word as the creator, and no
    one denies that refers to the eternal state prior
    to the existence of the world (John 11-3).

119
  • Why then deny the same for the writers use of
    Son in Hebrews 11-2?
  • God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers
    in the prophets by divers portions and in divers
    manners, hath at the end of these days spoken
    unto us in (his) Son, whom he appointed heir of
    all things, through whom also he made the
    worlds

120
  • According to flesh he was the seed of David, but
    according to eternity he was declared to be the
    Son of God (Rom. 13-4).
  • When Jesus asked what men were saying about the
    Son of Man, Peter replied that he was the Son
    of the living God (Matt. 16 13, 16).

121
  • Peter understood the transfiguration declaration
    to refer to special honor and glory as a Son (2
    Pet. 116-18).
  • It is interesting that the demons never referred
    to him as Christ, but they referred to him as
    the Son of God (Luke 441 828).

122
Consider the uniqueness of Jesus
  • He was unique in his birth.
  • And the Word become flesh and dwelt among us
    (John 114).
  • Mary was found with child of the Holy
    Spiritthat which is conceived in her is of the
    Holy Spirit (Matt. 118, 20).

123
  • In answer to Marys question, the angel Gabriel
    said, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and
    the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee
    (Luke 135).

124
  • The shepherds were told a babe was born in the
    city of David who would be a Saviour, and
    Christ the Lord (Luke 211-12).
  • Wise men from the east worshipped the baby they
    were looking for the King of the Jews (Matt.
    21-2, 11).

125
  • The Son of God shared flesh and blood with all
    mankind in order to defeat the powers of the
    devil (Heb. 214-15).
  • The Son of God emptied himself, taking the form
    of a servant, being made in likeness of men
    (Phil. 27).

126
  • This incarnation was God becoming man, not God
    entering a man.
  • Jesus did not have a mind of a man plus a Divine
    mind, he had one mind.
  • He was one person.
  • Yet he was the God-man.

127
  • He was unique in his life.
  • At age 12 he knew and stated his relation to
    heaven (Luke 249).
  • He did no sin, neither was guile found in his
    mouth (1 Pet. 222), and he was willing to
    challenge his questioners to find sin in him
    (John 846).

128
  • The one who knew no sin he made to be sin on our
    behalf (2 Cor. 521), even Pilate confessed he
    was a righteous man (Matt. 2724), and Judas
    admitted he had betrayed innocent blood (Matt.
    274).

129
  • He endured all the temptations of life (Luke
    41-13), such temptations as continued to be with
    him throughout his life.
  • In all his prayers he never confessed sin, though
    he taught the disciples to pray for forgiveness
    (Matt. 612).

130
  • Critics have never charged Jesus with teaching
    anything that was wrong.
  • Neither have the scholars of the world ever found
    anything good for mankind that Jesus omitted.

131
  • In a short 33 years of lifetime, his influence on
    all civilizations has been stupendous.
  • No one else has had the impact that Jesus has.
  • This fact alone confounds skeptics who deny his
    deity.

132
  • He was unique in his death.
  • His death was not just a martyrs death, it was
  • vicarious,
  • redemptive,
  • and substitutionary.

133
  • The sinless Son of God took the weight of the
    worlds sins (2 Cor. 521).
  • He suffered through six trials, three each by the
    Jews and the Romans, and he died as an innocent
    man, un-convicted of any wrong.

134
  • He had often foretold his own death (John
    219-22) and he knew the proper time for it (John
    76 Matt. 2618).
  • He endured the cross for the joy that was set
    before him (Heb. 122).

135
  • He offered himself once for all, not for his own
    sins, but for the sins of the world (Heb. 727).
  • No one took his life from him, he laid down his
    life that he might take it again (John 1017-18).

136
  • He was unique in his resurrection.
  • The empty tomb stands through time as the rock
    against rationalism.
  • The angel said, He is not here for he is risen,
    even as he said, Come see the place where the
    Lord lay (Matt. 286).

137
  • The only ones denying the resurrection in the
    first century were those who were paid to lie
    about it (Matt. 2811-15).
  • Jesus was declared to be the Son of God by the
    resurrection from the dead (Rom. 14).

138
  • No other major religion in history makes such a
    bold claim, not the Hindus, Islam, or any other
    has any desire to try to prove a resurrection of
    their founder.

139
  • The prevailing problem in modern thought is to
    try to fit the disappearance and reappearance of
    Jesus into the scientific atmosphere of our day.

140
  • Such thought assumes that all things are shut up
    to the rigid and irrefutable rule of natural law.
  • Natural law, however, is not a body of rules that
    forces compliance, but it is simply the
    observation of how things have been known to
    occur in our time-space universe.

141
  • Natural law, as known accurately today, is merely
    the knowledge of events that can be observed.
  • Scientists are confined to observe known
    phenomena in the natural realm the truth of
    Jesus resurrection is in the spiritual realm.

142
  • His life, death, and resurrection span both time
    and eternity.
  • An adequate view of natural law does not preclude
    Divine intervention.

143
  • Too many proofs were offered by more than 500
    eyewitnesses that Jesus was alive after his
    crucifixion (1 Cor. 153-8).
  • Jesus was brought again from the dead with the
    blood of the eternal covenant (Heb. 1320).

144
  • The tomb is still empty!

145
  • He is unique in redemption.
  • Jesus stands alone in being an offering for the
    sins of the world (Tit. 211-14).
  • He freely offered up himself (Heb. 726-28
    911-12).

146
  • He alone could make purification for all sin
    (Heb. 13).
  • Not only does he serve as Prophet, Priest, and
    King, but he is the once-offered, complete, and
    final sin-bearer (2 Cor. 521 Heb. 1010-14).

147
  • He came that we might have life, and have it more
    abundantly (John 1010).

148
The teachings of Jesus stand alone as unique to
all of history.
  • The death, resurrection, ascension, and the
    bestowal of the Holy Spirit to the apostles
    unleashed the kingdom in all of its power and
    activity.
  • Peter and the apostles preached the kingdom and
    the coronation (Acts 2).

149
  • From this time onward, the kingdom was preached
    regularly by the apostles.
  • Peter continued to preach the kingdom (Acts
    314-15 411, 27 531 2 Pet. 111).
  • Paul preached the kingdom (Acts 1422 19.8
    2025 2823, 31).

150
  • John the Baptist preached the coming of the
    kingdom, as did also Jesus (Matt. 32 935 John
    35 41-2 Acts 13).
  • This recalled to the mind of the Jews the visions
    of Daniel (Dan. 244 713-14).

151
  • Jesus taught his disciples to pray for the
    fulfillment of Gods eternal purpose in the
    coming of the kingdom (Matt. 610).
  • Jesus taught that this kingdom would come during
    the lifetime of some of his hearers, and it would
    be with power (Mark 91).

152
  • He also taught that the power was to come when
    the apostles received the Holy Spirit (Acts 18).
  • Since the Holy Spirit came upon them on that
    first Pentecost following his ascension, they
    received power to accomplish the work of apostles
    (Acts 21-4).

153
  • The only proper conclusion is that since the Holy
    Spirit came and brought the power, the kingdom
    must also have come.
  • This Pentecost day fits perfectly the claim of
    Jesus that such would happen during the lifetime
    of some of his hearers.

154
  • The ethical teaching of Jesus about the conduct
    of those in his kingdom was a major part of the
    Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7).

155
  • Jesus compared the kingdom to the sower, the
    tares, the mustard seed, leaven, a treasure, a
    pearl of great price, a net, and a householder
    (Matt. 13).

156
  • The great judgment teachings of Jesus (ten
    virgins, distribution of talents, and the
    judgment scene) portrayed truths about the
    kingdom (Matt. 25).

157
  • Thus the apostles could later preach and write
    about the kingdom (Rom. 1417 Col. 113 411 1
    Thess. 212 Heb. 1228 Rev. 16, 9).

158
  • The first recorded sermon of the Lord startled
    the Jewish world by its principles, and these
    principles continue to amaze all humanity.

159
  • Jesus taught that the meek will inherit the
    earth, that is, the meek will find the greatest
    fulfillment of all joy and happiness in this life
    (Matt. 55). The Jews expected that their
    Messiah to be a world conqueror, a mighty king
    waging triumphant warfare, and to make the Jews
    the rulers of the world.

160
  • How this must have upset the ones looking for a
    physical world conquest, and how this continues
    to be a counter-culture correct principle!

161
  • Jesus taught that mercy is the highest quality in
    ones relationships with other human beings
    (Matt. 57). Such concern for others and their
    mistakes startled a culture that was aggressive
    in revenge and the claim of ones rights.

162
  • Jesus taught purity in heart (Matt. 58). Rather
    than brooding on ugly things, feeding on filth,
    ranting on revenge, Jesus described the true
    inner person as being more and more like God.

163
  • Jesus taught that the better way is to be a
    peacemaker (Matt. 59). In a world torn apart by
    successive wars and conquests, Jesus announced
    the best way is to seek peace. In all the horrors
    of wars in our own lifetime, the principle is
    surely different even today.

164
  • Jesus taught the control of anger (Matt.
    522-26). The only way to cease growing the
    trees of adversity is to cut the root at the
    source.

165
  • Jesus reinforced Gods wish about morality vs.
    adultery in placing emphasis on lust in the heart
    (Matt. 528). He gave a new meaning to
    self-control, that of the inner man.

166
  • Jesus taught non-resistance (Matt. 538-40).
    Flight from violence only feeds the fires of the
    violent. If one turns the other cheek, the
    unprepared enemy is disarmed.

167
  • Crowning the teaching about treatment between
    persons, Jesus taught the love of enemies (Matt.
    543-45). This was unheard of prior to Jesus,
    and it still calls for the highest of motives and
    actions in persons seeking to do the will of God.

168
  • The crown of all his teachings is the fact that
    Jesus taught total trust in God (Matt. 625-34).
    If God cares for all of His creatures, He will
    surely care for those made in His image.

169
Jesus Christ stands alone in all the history of
the world.
  • There is no gospel without Jesus Christ.
  • The gospel centers in Christ.
  • The gospel is Christ.
  • No other person in all of history has had the
    impact and force of Jesus of Nazareth.

170
  • Without the humble man of Galilee Christianity is
    only an empty shell, a mere corpse overlaid with
    elaborate ritual and extravagant trappings, and
    spiritually meaningless.
  • Jesus Christ is the very heart and life of
    salvation.

171
  • His claim is unanswerable I am the way, and the
    truth, and the life no one cometh unto the
    Father, but by me (John 146).

172
  • Jesus has provided the way to heaven, he has
    revealed it in the truth of the gospel, and when
    men put those two things together, they can find
    life eternal.

173
  • There is a way,
  • there is the truth,
  • and eternal life can be the reward!

174
  • One stands is absolute awe!
  • One can only conclude with Thomas
  • My Lord and my God ! (John 2028)
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