Jesus, The Way
Introducing Jesus As The Way - Part One
Note: This study is based upon an excellent Bible correspondence course program
entitled "Jesus, The Way", by Sewell Hall. I have slightly altered the order and
expanded the content.
As we begin this series of studies, I would like to start by having you ask yourself several questions:
Do you have problems?
Are you confused in things pertaining to life itself?
Do you feel lost, with a sense of despair?
If you do, don’t feel like you are alone. About the time of Abraham, a person who was experiencing a great deal of suffering said:
"Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue." (Job 14:1-2)
These words, spoken nearly four thousands years ago, express the sentiments of millions today. Now, however, there is a way out: Jesus Christ! As He Himself said:
"I am the way, the truth, and the life..." (John 14:6)
Yes, to everything that is truly good, both in this life and the one to come, Jesus Christ is the way!
In this study, I want to introduce several areas in which Jesus is truly "The Way". Succeeding lessons will expand upon these themes, but in this lesson I simply wish to whet your appetite.
For example, Jesus is...THE WAY TO A BETTER LIFE
On one occasion, Jesus stated His purpose in coming to this earth:
"...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) This "abundant life" Jesus offers is more than simply life in the "hereafter". Though He does not promise wealth or luxury, He does assure us of:
A loving Father in Heaven, who cares for His children. As Jesus taught in His "Sermon on the
Mount":
"Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:31-33)
A more than sufficient provision for those who are willing to follow Him as "The Way". As we read on another occasion:
So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundred fold now in this time; houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life." (Mark 10:29-30)
Therefore, it is not surprising to find that the happiest people in the world are those who have most completely committed themselves to following Jesus as "The Way". As the apostle Paul wrote, even though he was under house arrest at the time:
"Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:11-13)
And when the apostle Peter wrote to Christians undergoing extreme forms of persecution, he could honestly say:
"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory," (1 Peter 1:6-8)
Jesus is also...THE WAY TO FORGIVENESS OF SINS
He is the only solution to a very serious problem. The most serious threat to our well-being that we face: Sin! This is because everyone of us is guilty of sin:
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Romans 3:23)
And sin is not without its consequences! Often physical, but always spiritual! Unless the problem of sin is resolved, the ultimate consequence is eternity in hell!
But through Jesus Christ, God has made provision for the forgiveness of our sins! Out of love, God offered Jesus as the "propitiation" for our sins:
"In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:9-10)
Through His blood shed on the cross, Jesus provides forgiveness for our sins:
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. (Ephesians 1:7)
After His sacrificial death for us, Jesus explained how those lost in sin could be saved; it involves repentance on our part.
Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke 24:47-48)
It also involves faith and baptism.
"He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mk 16:16)
This lesson will be continued in Part Two in which we will note that Jesus is the way to God and the way out of religious confusion.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Sunday, September 18, 2005
That You May Believe - 13
"THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE"
They Did Not Believe In Him Part Two
We continue our lesson on why many did not believe in Jesus and why many today reject Him. We will look at two additional problems that people have for not believing in Jesus, a hardened and prejudice heart and intellectual pride.
There is also the problem of the hardened and prejudiced heart. Many were blinded by prejudice. The Pharisees were hardened by their traditions, making them blind to the miracle Jesus performed - Jn 9:13-16 "The day when Jesus made the mud and healed the man was a Sabbath. So the people took the man to the Pharisees. They asked him how he was able to see, and he answered, "Jesus made some mud and smeared it on my eyes. Then after I washed it off, I could see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man Jesus doesn't come from God. If he did, he would not break the law of the Sabbath." Others asked, "How could someone who is a sinner work such a miracle?" Since the Pharisees could not agree among themselves," They were so hardened by their prejudices they were willing to kill Jesus despite His signs - Jn 11: 46-47 "Others went to the Pharisees and told what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, "What should we do? This man is working a lot of miracles." , 53 "From that day on, the council started making plans to put Jesus to death." They even were willing to kill Lazarus - Jn 12:9-11 "A lot of people came when they heard that Jesus was there. They also wanted to see Lazarus, because Jesus had raised him from death. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus. He was the reason that many of the Jewish people were turning from them and putting their faith in Jesus."
Many are hardened by their prejudice today. Their prejudice for their traditions, creeds, denominations, etc. Their prejudice for their beliefs (e.g., evolution, humanism) which justify their lifestyles. Making them unwilling to study the Bible, to see whether their cherished beliefs are true. Yet Jesus warned about the dangers of hard hearts and blind eyes - Mt 13:15 "All of them have stubborn minds! Their ears are stopped up, and their eyes are covered. They cannot see or hear or understand. If they could, they would turn to me, and I would heal them.""
Perhaps contributing to such prejudice and hardening of the heart is another reason why many did not believe because of intellectual pride. Some were afraid of being thought of as foolish. A tactic used to persuade the soldiers not to believe - cf. Jn 7:45-48 "When the temple police returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, they were asked, "Why didn't you bring Jesus here?" They answered, "No one has ever spoken like that man!" The Pharisees said to them, "Have you also been fooled? Not one of the chief priests or the Pharisees has faith in him." Thus an appeal was made to the "wisdom" of the rulers.
Many today are hindered by intellectual pride. They don't want to be thought foolish by their professors in school. They are impressed by the many "wise" and "mighty" people who do not believe in Jesus, especially the elite media or the secular left. -- Yet God has purposely chosen foolish things to save man, to confound the arrogant and proud "scholars" of the world - 1 Co 1:18-21 "The message about the cross doesn't make any sense to lost people. But for those of us who are being saved, it is God's power at work. As God says in the Scriptures, "I will destroy the wisdom of all who claim to be wise. I will confuse those who think they know so much." What happened to those wise people? What happened to those experts in the Scriptures? What happened to the ones who think they have all the answers? Didn't God show that the wisdom of this world is foolish? God was wise and decided not to let the people of this world use their wisdom to learn about him. Instead, God chose to save only those who believe the foolish message we preach.", 26-31 "My dear friends, remember what you were when God chose you. The people of this world didn't think that many of you were wise. Only a few of you were in places of power, and not many of you came from important families. But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of this world to put the powerful to shame. What the world thinks is worthless, useless, and nothing at all is what God has used to destroy what the world considers important. God did all this to keep anyone from bragging to him. You are God's children. He sent Christ Jesus to save us and to make us wise, acceptable, and holy. So if you want to brag, do what the Scriptures say and brag about the Lord."
Many of the same people who reject Jesus out of intellectual pride are often guilty of rejecting Him for a reason that many people do, ignorance! They were ignorant of the facts, leading to wrong conclusions - Jn 7:40-43 "When the crowd heard Jesus say this, some of them said, "He must be the Prophet!" Others said, "He is the Messiah!" Others even said, "Can the Messiah come from Galilee? The Scriptures say that the Messiah will come from the family of King David. Doesn't this mean that he will be born in David's hometown of Bethlehem?" The people started taking sides against each other because of Jesus." They thought Jesus was born in Nazareth, not Bethlehem. There are many today rejecting Christ out of ignorance. They have not read the New Testament. They have not consider evidences for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They have listened to what religious leaders have taught or what a creed or doctrinal book has taught them. They have rejected misconceptions or caricatures of Jesus Christ and His church -- Unlike the noble Bereans, they make little effort to get all the facts - Ac 17:11 "The people in Berea were much nicer than those in Thessalonica, and they gladly accepted the message. Day after day they studied the Scriptures to see if these things were true."
Do you believe in Jesus? If not, why not? Could it be a lack of spiritual perception? Could it be out of fear or moral cowardice? Could it be a misplaced love? Could it be a prejudiced or hardened heart? Could it be out of intellectual pride? Could it be simply out of ignorance? Don't you want to believe in Jesus? Remember what He offers you Fellowship with God ("No one comes to the Father except through Me.") Salvation from sin ("If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."). Guidance throughout life ("He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness."). Spiritual sustenance ("He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."). The abundant life ("I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."). Immortality ("I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.") Let the Word of God, in particular the Gospel of John, give you the evidence necessary to believe in Jesus, that you might have life through His name! So then faith [comes] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. - Ro 10:17 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. - Jn 20:30-31
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies/join
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They Did Not Believe In Him Part Two
We continue our lesson on why many did not believe in Jesus and why many today reject Him. We will look at two additional problems that people have for not believing in Jesus, a hardened and prejudice heart and intellectual pride.
There is also the problem of the hardened and prejudiced heart. Many were blinded by prejudice. The Pharisees were hardened by their traditions, making them blind to the miracle Jesus performed - Jn 9:13-16 "The day when Jesus made the mud and healed the man was a Sabbath. So the people took the man to the Pharisees. They asked him how he was able to see, and he answered, "Jesus made some mud and smeared it on my eyes. Then after I washed it off, I could see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man Jesus doesn't come from God. If he did, he would not break the law of the Sabbath." Others asked, "How could someone who is a sinner work such a miracle?" Since the Pharisees could not agree among themselves," They were so hardened by their prejudices they were willing to kill Jesus despite His signs - Jn 11: 46-47 "Others went to the Pharisees and told what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, "What should we do? This man is working a lot of miracles." , 53 "From that day on, the council started making plans to put Jesus to death." They even were willing to kill Lazarus - Jn 12:9-11 "A lot of people came when they heard that Jesus was there. They also wanted to see Lazarus, because Jesus had raised him from death. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus. He was the reason that many of the Jewish people were turning from them and putting their faith in Jesus."
Many are hardened by their prejudice today. Their prejudice for their traditions, creeds, denominations, etc. Their prejudice for their beliefs (e.g., evolution, humanism) which justify their lifestyles. Making them unwilling to study the Bible, to see whether their cherished beliefs are true. Yet Jesus warned about the dangers of hard hearts and blind eyes - Mt 13:15 "All of them have stubborn minds! Their ears are stopped up, and their eyes are covered. They cannot see or hear or understand. If they could, they would turn to me, and I would heal them.""
Perhaps contributing to such prejudice and hardening of the heart is another reason why many did not believe because of intellectual pride. Some were afraid of being thought of as foolish. A tactic used to persuade the soldiers not to believe - cf. Jn 7:45-48 "When the temple police returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, they were asked, "Why didn't you bring Jesus here?" They answered, "No one has ever spoken like that man!" The Pharisees said to them, "Have you also been fooled? Not one of the chief priests or the Pharisees has faith in him." Thus an appeal was made to the "wisdom" of the rulers.
Many today are hindered by intellectual pride. They don't want to be thought foolish by their professors in school. They are impressed by the many "wise" and "mighty" people who do not believe in Jesus, especially the elite media or the secular left. -- Yet God has purposely chosen foolish things to save man, to confound the arrogant and proud "scholars" of the world - 1 Co 1:18-21 "The message about the cross doesn't make any sense to lost people. But for those of us who are being saved, it is God's power at work. As God says in the Scriptures, "I will destroy the wisdom of all who claim to be wise. I will confuse those who think they know so much." What happened to those wise people? What happened to those experts in the Scriptures? What happened to the ones who think they have all the answers? Didn't God show that the wisdom of this world is foolish? God was wise and decided not to let the people of this world use their wisdom to learn about him. Instead, God chose to save only those who believe the foolish message we preach.", 26-31 "My dear friends, remember what you were when God chose you. The people of this world didn't think that many of you were wise. Only a few of you were in places of power, and not many of you came from important families. But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of this world to put the powerful to shame. What the world thinks is worthless, useless, and nothing at all is what God has used to destroy what the world considers important. God did all this to keep anyone from bragging to him. You are God's children. He sent Christ Jesus to save us and to make us wise, acceptable, and holy. So if you want to brag, do what the Scriptures say and brag about the Lord."
Many of the same people who reject Jesus out of intellectual pride are often guilty of rejecting Him for a reason that many people do, ignorance! They were ignorant of the facts, leading to wrong conclusions - Jn 7:40-43 "When the crowd heard Jesus say this, some of them said, "He must be the Prophet!" Others said, "He is the Messiah!" Others even said, "Can the Messiah come from Galilee? The Scriptures say that the Messiah will come from the family of King David. Doesn't this mean that he will be born in David's hometown of Bethlehem?" The people started taking sides against each other because of Jesus." They thought Jesus was born in Nazareth, not Bethlehem. There are many today rejecting Christ out of ignorance. They have not read the New Testament. They have not consider evidences for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They have listened to what religious leaders have taught or what a creed or doctrinal book has taught them. They have rejected misconceptions or caricatures of Jesus Christ and His church -- Unlike the noble Bereans, they make little effort to get all the facts - Ac 17:11 "The people in Berea were much nicer than those in Thessalonica, and they gladly accepted the message. Day after day they studied the Scriptures to see if these things were true."
Do you believe in Jesus? If not, why not? Could it be a lack of spiritual perception? Could it be out of fear or moral cowardice? Could it be a misplaced love? Could it be a prejudiced or hardened heart? Could it be out of intellectual pride? Could it be simply out of ignorance? Don't you want to believe in Jesus? Remember what He offers you Fellowship with God ("No one comes to the Father except through Me.") Salvation from sin ("If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."). Guidance throughout life ("He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness."). Spiritual sustenance ("He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."). The abundant life ("I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."). Immortality ("I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.") Let the Word of God, in particular the Gospel of John, give you the evidence necessary to believe in Jesus, that you might have life through His name! So then faith [comes] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. - Ro 10:17 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. - Jn 20:30-31
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies/join
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday, September 11, 2005
That You May Believe - 12
"THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE"
They Did Not Believe In Him Part One
Despite evidence to substantiate the claims of Jesus, such as the testimony of the Father through signs and the testimony of the Father through Scripture John records that many did not believe in Jesus, Jn 12:37 "He had worked a lot of miracles among the people, but they were still not willing to have faith in him." In all fairness, those to whom John refers did not have the fullness of evidence presented in the gospel itself. They may have seen some of the signs, but not all of them. Some may have been ignorant of the Scriptures and their testimony concerning Jesus because they had yet to be given the witness of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. But even with the fullness of evidence provided in the gospel of John many still did not believe in Jesus in those days. Many do not believe in Jesus today. Why? The reasons are many and varied. John mentions several in the course of his gospel which may help us understand why many people do not believe today.
For example, one reason many failed to believe in Jesus was their lack spiritual perception. In other words, their focus was on material or physical things. They were impressed by His feeding of the 5000 - Jn 6:14-15. They wanted to make Him their king or they saw in Him someone who could meet their material needs. But His discourse on the Bread of Life caused many to leave - Jn 6:60 "Many of Jesus' disciples heard him and said, "This is too hard for anyone to understand."", 66 "Because of what Jesus said, many of his disciples turned their backs on him and stopped following him." For He told them to work for the food which endures to everlasting life - Jn 6:27 "Don't work for food that spoils. Work for food that gives eternal life. The Son of Man will give you this food, because God the Father has given him the right to do so."" For He spoke of Himself as the true Bread of Life.
Many today lack the same spiritual perception. They are looking for material things. They want the church to provide for their physical needs. They want the church to entertain them or their children. If a church offers only the Word of God, to make them disciples, which is the primary mission of the church - cf. 1 Ti 3:15; Mt 28:19-20, they look elsewhere, seeking to find "the church of their choice." Yet Jesus taught His disciples where to place their focus in Mt 6:33 "And the bread that God gives is the one who came down from heaven to give life to the world." Not content with the spiritual nature of the kingdom ( Ro 14:17 "God's kingdom isn't about eating and drinking. It is about pleasing God, about living in peace, and about true happiness. All this comes from the Holy Spirit."), they are unwilling to accept the true demands of faith in Jesus.
We also read that many refused to confess Jesus because of fear and moral cowardice. They were afraid of what others might think. The multitude was afraid of what the Jews might think - Jn 7:13 "But the people were afraid of their leaders, and none of them talked in public about him." So were the parents of the man born blind - Jn 9:20-22 "The man's parents answered, "We are certain that he is our son, and we know that he was born blind. But we don't know how he got his sight or who gave it to him. Ask him! He is old enough to speak for himself." The man's parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. The leaders had already agreed that no one was to have anything to do with anyone who said Jesus was the Messiah." Some of the rulers were afraid of the Pharisees - Jn 12:42-43 "Even then, many of the leaders put their faith in Jesus, but they did not tell anyone about it. The Pharisees had already given orders for the people not to have anything to do with anyone who had faith in Jesus. And besides, the leaders liked praise from others more than they liked praise from God." Pilate was fearful of what Caesar might hear - Jn 19:12-13 "Then Pilate wanted to set Jesus free. But the crowd again yelled, "If you set this man free, you are no friend of the Emperor! Anyone who claims to be a king is an enemy of the Emperor." When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out. Then he sat down on the judge's bench at the place known as "The Stone Pavement." In Aramaic this pavement is called "Gabbatha."'
Even today many fear what others might think. They are afraid that their peers at school might ridicule them. They are afraid that their coworkers might ostracize them. They are afraid of persecution for being "politically incorrect" or "religiously intolerant" -- Yet Jesus taught His disciples whom they should fear - Mt 10:28 "Don't be afraid of people. They can kill you, but they cannot harm your soul. Instead, you should fear God who can destroy both your body and your soul in hell." Fearful of losing acceptance, and being outcast, has made many unwilling to believe in Jesus.
Then there were those who had. a misplaced love. Their love was for the wrong things. They did not have a love for God - Jn 5:41-43 "I don't care about human praise, but I do know that none of you love God. I have come with my Father's authority, and you have not welcomed me. But you will welcome people who come on their own." Instead, their love was in such things as the things of darkness (evil), which they did not want to give up - Jn 3:19-20 "The light has come into the world, and people who do evil things are judged guilty because they love the dark more than the light. People who do evil hate the light and won't come to the light, because it clearly shows what they have done." They loved the glory of men, wanting to be praised by them - Jn 12: 42-43 "Even then, many of the leaders put their faith in Jesus, but they did not tell anyone about it. The Pharisees had already given orders for the people not to have anything to do with anyone who had faith in Jesus. And besides, the leaders liked praise from others more than they liked praise from God." They loved self and material things, as in the case of Judas - Jn 12:6 "Judas did not really care about the poor. He asked this because he carried the moneybag and sometimes would steal from it."
There many today that have the same misplaced love. A love for family, popularity among friends, for wealth, and hobbies They have a love for immoral lifestyles which they don’t want to give up -- Yet Jesus taught His disciples whom they should love and serve - Mt 22:37 "Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind."; 6:24 "You cannot be the slave of two masters! You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money." Misplaced love often blinds one to the evidence that is capable of producing faith.
In the next portion of this lesson we will look at two additional problems that people have for not believing in Jesus, a hardened and prejudice heart and intellectual pride.
They Did Not Believe In Him Part One
Despite evidence to substantiate the claims of Jesus, such as the testimony of the Father through signs and the testimony of the Father through Scripture John records that many did not believe in Jesus, Jn 12:37 "He had worked a lot of miracles among the people, but they were still not willing to have faith in him." In all fairness, those to whom John refers did not have the fullness of evidence presented in the gospel itself. They may have seen some of the signs, but not all of them. Some may have been ignorant of the Scriptures and their testimony concerning Jesus because they had yet to be given the witness of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. But even with the fullness of evidence provided in the gospel of John many still did not believe in Jesus in those days. Many do not believe in Jesus today. Why? The reasons are many and varied. John mentions several in the course of his gospel which may help us understand why many people do not believe today.
For example, one reason many failed to believe in Jesus was their lack spiritual perception. In other words, their focus was on material or physical things. They were impressed by His feeding of the 5000 - Jn 6:14-15. They wanted to make Him their king or they saw in Him someone who could meet their material needs. But His discourse on the Bread of Life caused many to leave - Jn 6:60 "Many of Jesus' disciples heard him and said, "This is too hard for anyone to understand."", 66 "Because of what Jesus said, many of his disciples turned their backs on him and stopped following him." For He told them to work for the food which endures to everlasting life - Jn 6:27 "Don't work for food that spoils. Work for food that gives eternal life. The Son of Man will give you this food, because God the Father has given him the right to do so."" For He spoke of Himself as the true Bread of Life.
Many today lack the same spiritual perception. They are looking for material things. They want the church to provide for their physical needs. They want the church to entertain them or their children. If a church offers only the Word of God, to make them disciples, which is the primary mission of the church - cf. 1 Ti 3:15; Mt 28:19-20, they look elsewhere, seeking to find "the church of their choice." Yet Jesus taught His disciples where to place their focus in Mt 6:33 "And the bread that God gives is the one who came down from heaven to give life to the world." Not content with the spiritual nature of the kingdom ( Ro 14:17 "God's kingdom isn't about eating and drinking. It is about pleasing God, about living in peace, and about true happiness. All this comes from the Holy Spirit."), they are unwilling to accept the true demands of faith in Jesus.
We also read that many refused to confess Jesus because of fear and moral cowardice. They were afraid of what others might think. The multitude was afraid of what the Jews might think - Jn 7:13 "But the people were afraid of their leaders, and none of them talked in public about him." So were the parents of the man born blind - Jn 9:20-22 "The man's parents answered, "We are certain that he is our son, and we know that he was born blind. But we don't know how he got his sight or who gave it to him. Ask him! He is old enough to speak for himself." The man's parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. The leaders had already agreed that no one was to have anything to do with anyone who said Jesus was the Messiah." Some of the rulers were afraid of the Pharisees - Jn 12:42-43 "Even then, many of the leaders put their faith in Jesus, but they did not tell anyone about it. The Pharisees had already given orders for the people not to have anything to do with anyone who had faith in Jesus. And besides, the leaders liked praise from others more than they liked praise from God." Pilate was fearful of what Caesar might hear - Jn 19:12-13 "Then Pilate wanted to set Jesus free. But the crowd again yelled, "If you set this man free, you are no friend of the Emperor! Anyone who claims to be a king is an enemy of the Emperor." When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out. Then he sat down on the judge's bench at the place known as "The Stone Pavement." In Aramaic this pavement is called "Gabbatha."'
Even today many fear what others might think. They are afraid that their peers at school might ridicule them. They are afraid that their coworkers might ostracize them. They are afraid of persecution for being "politically incorrect" or "religiously intolerant" -- Yet Jesus taught His disciples whom they should fear - Mt 10:28 "Don't be afraid of people. They can kill you, but they cannot harm your soul. Instead, you should fear God who can destroy both your body and your soul in hell." Fearful of losing acceptance, and being outcast, has made many unwilling to believe in Jesus.
Then there were those who had. a misplaced love. Their love was for the wrong things. They did not have a love for God - Jn 5:41-43 "I don't care about human praise, but I do know that none of you love God. I have come with my Father's authority, and you have not welcomed me. But you will welcome people who come on their own." Instead, their love was in such things as the things of darkness (evil), which they did not want to give up - Jn 3:19-20 "The light has come into the world, and people who do evil things are judged guilty because they love the dark more than the light. People who do evil hate the light and won't come to the light, because it clearly shows what they have done." They loved the glory of men, wanting to be praised by them - Jn 12: 42-43 "Even then, many of the leaders put their faith in Jesus, but they did not tell anyone about it. The Pharisees had already given orders for the people not to have anything to do with anyone who had faith in Jesus. And besides, the leaders liked praise from others more than they liked praise from God." They loved self and material things, as in the case of Judas - Jn 12:6 "Judas did not really care about the poor. He asked this because he carried the moneybag and sometimes would steal from it."
There many today that have the same misplaced love. A love for family, popularity among friends, for wealth, and hobbies They have a love for immoral lifestyles which they don’t want to give up -- Yet Jesus taught His disciples whom they should love and serve - Mt 22:37 "Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind."; 6:24 "You cannot be the slave of two masters! You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money." Misplaced love often blinds one to the evidence that is capable of producing faith.
In the next portion of this lesson we will look at two additional problems that people have for not believing in Jesus, a hardened and prejudice heart and intellectual pride.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
That You May Believe - 11
"THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE"
The Testimony For Jesus' Resurrection - Part 2
In our last lesson we looked at some alternative views or theories to the actual resurrection of Jesus from the dead and the lack of sound logic in them. Other theories have been offered, but like these three (the body was stolen, the swoon hypothesis, and the vision hypothesis) they fail in the face of perhaps the greatest evidence for the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the witness evidence.
Mary Magdalene was the first person to the empty tomb - Jn 20:1 "On Sunday morning while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance." She at first thought someone took the body - Jn 20:2 "She ran to Simon Peter and to Jesus' favorite disciple and said, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb! We don't know where they have put him."", 11-15 "Mary Magdalene stood crying outside the tomb. She was still weeping, when she stooped down and saw two angels inside. They were dressed in white and were sitting where Jesus' body had been. One was at the head and the other was at the foot. The angels asked Mary, "Why are you crying?" She answered, "They have taken away my Lord's body! I don't know where they have put him." As soon as Mary said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she did not know who he was. Jesus asked her, "Why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" She thought he was the gardener and said, "Sir, if you have taken his body away, please tell me, so I can go and get him."" But then believed when Jesus appeared to her - Jn 20:16-18 "Then Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him, "Rabboni." The Aramaic word "Rabboni" means "Teacher." Jesus told her, "Don't hold on to me! I have not yet gone to the Father. But tell my disciples that I am going to the one who is my Father and my God, as well as your Father and your God." Mary Magdalene then went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord. She also told them what he had said to her."
The disciples on the first day who were hiding for fear of the Jews - Jn 20:19a "The disciples were afraid of the Jewish leaders, and on the evening of that same Sunday they locked themselves in a room." Then Jesus appeared to them, showing His hands and His side - Jn 20:19b-20 "Suddenly, Jesus appeared in the middle of the group. He greeted them and showed them his hands and his side. When the disciples saw the Lord, they became very happy."
The disciples including Thomas whom had not been with the disciples previously - Jn 20:24 "Although Thomas the Twin was one of the twelve disciples, he wasn't with the others when Jesus appeared to them." Thomas doubted their testimony, refusing to believe - Jn 20:25 "So they told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But Thomas said, "First, I must see the nail scars in his hands and touch them with my finger. I must put my hand where the spear went into his side. I won't believe unless I do this!"" When Jesus appeared eight days later, Thomas was convinced - Jn 20:26-28 "A week later the disciples were together again. This time, Thomas was with them. Jesus came in while the doors were still locked and stood in the middle of the group. He greeted his disciples and said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and look at my hands! Put your hand into my side. Stop doubting and have faith!" Thomas replied, "You are my Lord and my God!""
The disciples were in Galilee by the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee) - Jn 21:1 "Jesus later appeared to his disciples along the shore of Lake Tiberias." Jesus showed Himself to Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel, James, John, and two others - Jn 21:2-14
John in particular who bore witness to the death of Jesus - Jn 19:35 "We know this is true, because it was told by someone who saw it happen. Now you can have faith too." and who bore witness to the resurrection of Jesus - Jn 21:24 "This disciple is the one who told all of this. He wrote it, and we know he is telling the truth."
There are only two alternatives here. The witnesses were credible, honest, and truthful and their testimony is enhanced by the number of the witnesses. These witnesses are not just a few, isolated individuals, but many, including hundreds at a time. The testimony is enhanced by the character of the witnesses, not being gullible, but requiring proof (e.g., Thomas) - Jn 20:25 At first they were fearful, but something made them fearless - Jn 20:19; Ac 4:13 "The officials were amazed to see how brave Peter and John were, and they knew that these two apostles were only ordinary men and not well educated. The officials were certain that these men had been with Jesus.", 19-20 "Peter and John answered, "Do you think God wants us to obey you or to obey him? We cannot keep quiet about what we have seen and heard."" The disciples became men who spent their lives dedicated to truth, holiness, and love - 1 Jn 1:5 "Jesus told us that God is light and doesn't have any darkness in him. Now we are telling you.", 6 "If we say that we share in life with God and keep on living in the dark, we are lying and are not living by the truth."; 2:15-17 "Don't love the world or anything that belongs to the world. If you love the oftlineworld, you cannot love the Father. Our foolish pride comes from this world, and so do our selfish desires and our desire to have everything we see. None of this comes from the Father. The world and the desires it causes are disappearing. But if we obey God, we will live forever."; 4:11 "Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we must love each other." The testimony is enhanced by the suffering of the witnesses. They gladly suffered for their testimony - Ac 5:41 "The apostles left the council and were happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus." Even after losing loved ones, like John who lost his brother James - Ac 12:1-2 "At that time King Herod caused terrible suffering for some members of the church. He ordered soldiers to cut off the head of James, the brother of John."
The other alternative is to declare these witnesses liars, frauds and deceivers. This is the only alternative if the resurrection did not occur - cf. 1 Co 15:14-15 "And if Christ wasn't raised to life, our message is worthless, and so is your faith. If the dead won't be raised to life, we have told lies about God by saying that he raised Christ to life, when he really did not." The nature of their testimony does not permit being mistaken or misled. They claimed to have heard, seen, and touched Jesus following His resurrection. 1 Jn 1:1-4 "The Word that gives life was from the beginning, and this is the one our message is about. Our ears have heard, our own eyes have seen, and our hands touched this Word. The one who gives life appeared! We saw it happen, and we are witnesses to what we have seen. Now we are telling you about this eternal life that was with the Father and appeared to us. We are telling you what we have seen and heard, so that you may share in this life with us. And we share in it with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing to tell you these things, because this makes us truly happy."; Ac 10:39-41 "We all saw what Jesus did both in Israel and in the city of Jerusalem. Jesus was put to death on a cross. But three days later, God raised him to life and let him be seen. Not everyone saw him. He was seen only by us, who ate and drank with him after he was raised from death. We were the ones God chose to tell others about him." You cannot say that they were simply mistaken, or misled; you must proclaim them liars if Jesus was not risen from the dead! Are you willing to believe that those who wrote the New Testament were so corrupt?
The testimony for Jesus' resurrection is strong, enhanced by the evidence of the crucifixion, the evidence of the empty tomb, and the evidence of the witnesses. Alternative theories simply do not hold up in the face of such evidence. What is the significance of this evidence and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead? Jesus is everything that John and Jesus Himself claimed to be! He is the Son of God! He is the bread of life! He is the light of the world! He is the Good Shepherd! He is the resurrection and the life! Believe in Jesus, and you can have the right to become a child of God - Jn 1:12 "Yet some people accepted him and put their faith in him. So he gave them the right to be the children of God." Have life in His name! - Jn 20:31 "But these are written so that you will put your faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. If you have faith in him, you will have true life." Sadly, many people do not believe in Jesus. In our final lesson, we shall consider why such is the case, even as it was in John's day. But if you believe in Jesus as the Son of God, don't hesitate to obey the gospel of Christ.
If you have not responded to the gospel message as we have just examined, by all means please contact me directly at jnlnewsted@nts-online.net
This study is from The Executable Outlines Series, a collection of sermon outlines and Bible study lessons by Mark A. Copeland . These outlines were developed in the course of my ministry as a preacher of the gospel. Feel free to use them as they are, or adapt them to suit your own personal style. To God be the glory!
The Executable Outlines Series, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2001
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