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.

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

That You May Believe - 10

"THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE"
The Testimony For Jesus' Resurrection - Part 1

In this study we have noted that John seeks to produce faith in Jesus by recording the claims concerning Jesus We have looked at claims made by John in his prologue to the gospel and claims made by Jesus Himself throughout His ministry. By recording testimony to support such claims we read of the testimony of those who saw and heard Jesus and the testimony of the Father through signs and Scripture. Perhaps the strongest testimony provided by John is that of Jesus' resurrection. For if Jesus truly did rise from the dead He indeed is everything that both Jesus and John claimed!

What evidence is there for the resurrection of Jesus? In John's gospel, the testimony for Jesus' resurrection begins with Jesus' death; in other words, what is said about the crucifixion. Let’s look at the evidence. First there is the soldiers' observation that Jesus was dead - Jn 19:31-33 "After Jesus drank the wine, he said, "Everything is done!" He bowed his head and died. The next day would be both a Sabbath and the Passover. It was a special day for the Jewish people, and they did not want the bodies to stay on the crosses during that day. So they asked Pilate to break the men's legs and take their bodies down." Then we have blood and water coming from Jesus' pierced side - Jn 19:34-35 "One of the soldiers stuck his spear into Jesus' side, and blood and water came out. We know this is true, because it was told by someone who saw it happen. Now you can have faith too." Medical authorities have commented on this phenomenon as evidence that it proves Jesus died on the cross (not sometime later). "There remains, therefore, no supposition possible to explain the recorded phenomenon except the combination of the crucifixion and rupture of the heart." - Samuel Houghton, M.D. (physiologist from the University of Dublin). There is testimony of Tacitus, Roman historian (ca. 112 A.D.) - "Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberias."

The alternative view is that Jesus only swooned, to either die or be revived some time later. Postulated by many skeptics, trying to deny the resurrection of Jesus (e.g., The Passover Plot, by Hugh J. Schonfield)
Which is more likely becomes apparent as we consider the evidence of the empty tomb. The stone removed - 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." The first observation is by Mary Magdalene, on early Sunday morning. A stone that had been sealed and guarded by Roman soldiers - Mt 27:62-66 "On the next day, which was a Sabbath, the chief priests and the Pharisees went together to Pilate. They said, "Sir, we remember what that liar said while he was still alive. He claimed that in three days he would come back from death. So please order the tomb to be carefully guarded for three days. If you don't, his disciples may come and steal his body. They will tell the people that he has been raised to life, and this last lie will be worse than the first one." Pilate said to them, "All right, take some of your soldiers and guard the tomb as well as you know how." So they sealed it tight and placed soldiers there to guard it." The body gone - 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."' The tomb is empty! Mary supposes that the body has been removed, and runs to tell Peter. The grave clothes - Jn 20:3-9 "Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. They ran side by side, until the other disciple ran faster than Peter and got there first. He bent over and saw the strips of linen cloth lying inside the tomb, but he did not go in. When Simon Peter got there, he went into the tomb and saw the strips of cloth. He also saw the piece of cloth that had been used to cover Jesus' face. It was rolled up and in a place by itself. The disciple who got there first then went into the tomb, and when he saw it, he believed. At that time Peter and the other disciple did not know that the Scriptures said Jesus would rise to life." Peter and John see the head covering (napkin) lying neatly folded by itself indicating there had been no hurry to get away, or to steal the body (Hailey).

The alternative views and theories are the body was stolen. This theory says the disciples stole the body, then claimed He rose from the dead. This was the "official" theory offered from the very beginning - Mt 28:11-15 "While the women were on their way, some soldiers who had been guarding the tomb went into the city. They told the chief priests everything that had happened. So the chief priests met with the leaders and decided to bribe the soldiers with a lot of money. They said to the soldiers, "Tell everyone that Jesus' disciples came during the night and stole his body while you were asleep. If the governor hears about this, we will talk to him. You won't have anything to worry about." The soldiers took the money and did what they were told. The people of Judea still tell each other this story." There are difficulties with this described explaination. The explanation defies logic. If the soldiers were asleep how did they know it was the disciples who took the body? How could the large stone guarding the entrance be rolled away without awakening the soldiers? The soldiers guarding the tomb were Romans - Mt 27: 62-66. They were professional soldiers charged to guard the tomb with their lives. The punishment for falling asleep on duty was death. This would make those who testified they saw Jesus liars and frauds for they claimed empirical evidence - 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." Suppose just a few disciples stole the body, unknown by others, such as Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, or the women. Others still say they saw Jesus, ate and drank with Him. You have to explain why they were willing to lie and die knowing it was a lie.

Another alternative view or theory is the swoon hypothesis. The theory explained that Jesus did not actually die on the cross, He only swooned. Suffering from shock, pain, and loss of blood, He fainted (swooned) from exhaustion. Thinking that He was dead, the Roman soldiers took Him down and He was buried in the tomb. In the coolness of the tomb, Jesus revived. Somehow He left the tomb, and appeared to His disciples, then lived in obscurity to die years later. The difficulties here are that Jesus would have had to revive sufficiently enough to break through the burial garments that bound Him, including a hundred pounds of spices used in preparing His body for burial - Jn 19:38-40. He had to role away the large stone that sealed the tomb, fight off the Roman guards protecting the tomb, walk the seven miles to Emmaus where He was seen by the two disciples, then walk back to Jerusalem where He was seen by the apostles. All within the same day! Every effort was made to prove He was dead. The Roman soldiers at the cross pierced His side - Jn 19:31-34, Pilate made sure He was dead - Mk 15:43-45. When Joseph of Arimathea wanted the body the Roman centurion confirmed that Jesus was dead. Not only would this make the apostles liars and frauds, but Jesus also for allowing a lie to spread for years! Another alternative view or theory is the vision hypothesis. The theory explained all of Christ's post-resurrection appearances were only supposed appearances and those who claimed to see Jesus had hallucinations. The difficulties as described are the appearances were not just to individuals, one at a time. Ten apostles claimed to see Him - Jn 20:19-25. Jesus appeared to six disciples at the Sea of Galilee - Jn 21:1-14. He appeared to over 500 people at once as recorded in 1 Co 15:6. The theory contradicts laws and principles which psychiatrists say are essential to hallucinations. Only certain kinds of people have hallucinations. Usually high-strung, highly imaginative, and very nervous people, only paranoid or schizophrenic individuals have hallucinations, or someone on drugs. The appearances were not restricted to people of any particular psychological make up. Hallucinations are linked in an individual's subconscious. An individual may have an hallucination, but hallucinations do not appear to groups of people. They occur in people when there is a spirit of anticipation or hopeful expectation. The disciples had no such anticipation - Lk 24: 13-21. They were prone to disbelieve even after they were told of the resurrection - Jn 20:24-25. I would highly suggest the reader open their Bible and read the scriptures referenced in this last paragraph.

Having looked at these alternative views or theories we will continue our study in a lesson to follow looking at the greatest evidence of all, the witnesses.

That You May Believe - 9

THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE"
The Father's Testimony Through Scripture
Part Two

Jesus was rejected as a teacher. Prophecies related to this are Isa 53:1; 6:9,10, in which many would not receive the Messiah because of dull hearts. John made reference to these passages - Jn 12:37-41"He had worked a lot of miracles among the people, but they were still not willing to have faith in him. This happened so that what the prophet Isaiah had said would come true, "Lord, who has believed our message? And who has seen your mighty strength?" The people could not have faith in Jesus, because Isaiah had also said, "The Lord has blinded the eyes of the people, and he has made the people stubborn. He did this so that they could not see or understand, and so that they would not turn to the Lord and be healed." Isaiah said this, because he saw the glory of Jesus and spoke about him." The Jews' rejection of Jesus and His teachings thus fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy

The King’s entrance is recorded in Zech 9:9 "Everyone in Jerusalem, celebrate and shout! Your king has won a victory, and he is coming to you. He is humble and rides on a donkey; he comes on the colt of a donkey." Israel's king would come to Jerusalem riding on a donkey. John records Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem - Jn 12: 12-16 "The next day a large crowd was in Jerusalem for Passover. When they heard that Jesus was coming for the festival, they took palm branches and went out to greet him. They shouted, "Hooray! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord! God bless the King of Israel!" Jesus found a donkey and rode on it, just as the Scriptures say, "People of Jerusalem, don't be afraid! Your King is now coming, and he is riding on a donkey." At first, Jesus' disciples did not understand. But after he had been given his glory, they remembered all this. Everything had happened exactly as the Scriptures said it would." Later, His disciples would understand how this fulfilled what was written of the Messiah
Reference to the crucifixion of the Messiah is made in Zech 12:10 "I, the LORD, will make the descendants of David and the people of Jerusalem feel deep sorrow and pray when they see the one they pierced with a spear. They will mourn and weep for him, as parents weep over the death of their only child or their first-born." Reference to his burial is found in Isa 53:9 "He wasn't dishonest or violent, but he was buried in a tomb of cruel and rich people." John describes the crucifixion in detail, and refers to Zechariah's prophecy in Jn 19:37 "and, "They will see the one in whose side they stuck a spear."" He also refers to Isaiah's prophecy regarding His burial in Jn 19:38-42 "Joseph from Arimathea was one of Jesus' disciples. He had kept it secret though, because he was afraid of the Jewish leaders. But now he asked Pilate to let him have Jesus' body. Pilate gave him permission, and Joseph took it down from the cross. Nicodemus also came with about seventy-five pounds of spices made from myrrh and aloes. This was the same Nicodemus who had visited Jesus one night. The two men wrapped the body in a linen cloth, together with the spices, which was how the Jewish people buried their dead. In the place where Jesus had been nailed to a cross, there was a garden with a tomb that had never been used. The tomb was nearby, and since it was the time to prepare for the Sabbath, they were in a hurry to put Jesus' body there."

The Father's testimony through Scripture was not limited to prophecies found in the writings of Moses and the Prophets. Let's briefly note how John also makes several references to prophecies in the Psalms. The zeal of Jesus is recorded in Psa 69:9 My love for your house burns in me like a fire, and when others insulted you, they insulted me as well." This is mentioned by John in regards to Jesus cleansing the temple - Jn 2:13-17 "Not long before the Jewish festival of Passover, Jesus went to Jerusalem. There he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves in the temple. He also saw moneychangers sitting at their tables. So he took some rope and made a whip. Then he chased everyone out of the temple, together with their sheep and cattle. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and scattered their coins. Jesus said to the people who had been selling doves, "Get those doves out of here! Don't make my Father's house a marketplace." The disciples then remembered that the Scriptures say, "My love for your house burns in me like a fire."" His betrayal by His familiar friend is recorded in Psa 41:9 "My most trusted friend has turned against me, though he ate at my table." This is mentioned by Jesus in regards to the betrayal by Judas - Jn 13:18 "I am not talking about all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But what the Scriptures say must come true. And they say, "The man who ate with me has turned against me!"" Jesus being hated without cause is recorded in Psa 35:19 "Don't let my brutal enemies be glad because of me. They hate me for no reason. Don't let them wink behind my back.."; 69:4 "There are more people who hate me for no reason than there are hairs on my head. Many terrible enemies want to destroy me, God. Am I supposed to give back something I didn't steal?" Jesus explained that the Jews' rejection of Him fulfilled these passages - Jn 15:24-25 "I have done things that no one else has ever done. If they had not seen me do these things, they would not be guilty. But they did see me do these things, and they still hate me and my Father too. That is why the Scriptures are true when they say, "People hated me for no reason."'

The parting of His garments is recorded in Psa 22:18 "They took my clothes and gambled for them." John explains this was fulfilled by the solders during the crucifixion - Jn 19:24 "The soldiers said to each other, "Let's not rip it apart. We will gamble to see who gets it." This happened so that the Scriptures would come true, which say, "They divided up my clothes and gambled for my garments." The soldiers then did what they had decided." The offering of gall and vinegar while on the cross is recorded in Psa 69:21 "Enemies poisoned my food, and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar." 2. This was fulfilled by Jesus while on the cross - Jn 19:28-30 "Jesus knew that he had now finished his work. And in order to make the Scriptures come true, he said, "I am thirsty!" A jar of cheap wine was there. Someone then soaked a sponge with the wine and held it up to Jesus' mouth on the stem of a hyssop plant. After Jesus drank the wine, he said, "Everything is done!" He bowed his head and died."

Through the writings of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms, the Father was bearing testimony. Preparing Israel for the coming of the Messiah. He was providing a way for them to be able to recognize the Messiah, proving that Jesus was everything that He claimed to be regarding the Messiah. We should not underestimate the force of such testimony from the Father. It has been estimated that over 300 prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. The likelihood that anyone coincidentally or purposefully fulfilled all these prophecies is mathematically implausible. The apostles' depended heavily upon the testimony by the Father through Scriptures to convince people that Jesus was the Christ (cf. Ac 3:24; 17:2-3). Are we willing to accept the Father's testimony concerning His Son given through the Scriptures? Will we allow the Scriptures to produce faith in our hearts? Ro 10:17 "No one can have faith without hearing the message about Christ."

That You May Believe - 8

"THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE"
The Father's Testimony Through Scripture
Part One

We saw where Jesus appealed to His Father's testimony through signs. Miracles and wonders that Jesus did (e.g., turning water to wine, healing the nobleman's son, healing the lame man, etc.), in which the Father bore witness to Jesus as being sent by God - cf. Jn 5:36. Jesus also appealed to His Father's testimony through scripture, the same Scriptures many looked to for eternal life - Jn 5:39a "You search the Scriptures, because you think you will find eternal life in them.". Scriptures which themselves bore witness to Jesus - cf. Jn 5:39b "The Scriptures tell about me," From Lk 24:44, "Jesus said to them, "While I was still with you, I told you that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Books of the Prophets, and in the Psalms had to happen."", we can assume that Jesus had in mind the following scriptures in The Law of Moses, The Psalms and The Prophets, when He said ""The Scriptures tell about me,". Note Jesus' words in Jn 5:45-47 "Don't think that I will be the one to accuse you to the Father. You have put your hope in Moses, yet he is the very one who will accuse you. Moses wrote about me, and if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me. But if you don't believe what Moses wrote, how can you believe what I say?". In these scriptures were many prophecies concerning the Messiah.

In John's gospel, he records how many of these prophecies bore witness to Jesus as the Messiah. In the writings of Moses the first prophecy is recorded in Gen 3:15 "You and this woman will hate each other; your descendants and hers will always be enemies. One of hers will strike you on the head, and you will strike him on the heel."" depicting the conflict that would exist between Satan and Christ. This conflict was referred to by Jesus in Jn 12:31-33 "This world's people are now being judged, and the ruler of this world is already being thrown out! If I am lifted up above the earth, I will make everyone want to come to me." Jesus was talking about the way he would be put to death."; 14:30 "I cannot speak with you much longer, because the ruler of this world is coming. But he has no power over me." Jesus' resurrection proved Him to be the fulfillment of this conflict - cf. He 2:14-15 "We are people of flesh and blood. That is why Jesus became one of us. He died to destroy the devil, who had power over death. But he also died to rescue all of us who live each day in fear of dying."

The seed of Abraham is recorded in Gen 12:1-3 "The LORD said to Abram: Leave your country, your family, and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you. I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others. I will bless anyone who blesses you, but I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. Everyone on earth will be blessed because of you."; 22:18 "You have obeyed me, and so you and your descendants will be a blessing to all nations on earth."" That in his seed (Christ) all the nations would be blessed. Jesus made reference to the promise made to Abraham - Jn 8:56 "Your father Abraham was really glad to see me."" In their gospels, Matthew and Mark reveal Jesus' genealogy from Abraham .

The prophet to come is recorded in Deu 18:15 "Instead, he will choose one of your own people to be a prophet just like me, and you must do what that prophet says.", 17-19 "Then the LORD told me: Moses, they have said the right thing. So when I want to speak to them, I will choose one of them to be a prophet like you. I will give my message to that prophet, who will tell the people exactly what I have said. Since the message comes from me, anyone who doesn't obey the message will have to answer to me.". The prophet was to be like Moses whom they were to heed. Jesus claimed to be such a spokesman (prophet) from God - Jn 12:48-49 "But everyone who rejects me and my teachings will be judged on the last day by what I have said. I don't speak on my own. I say only what the Father who sent me has told me to say." His apostles later declared Jesus to be this prophet - cf. Ac 3:22-26 "Moses said, "The Lord your God will choose one of your own people to be a prophet, just as he chose me. Listen to everything he tells you. No one who disobeys that prophet will be one of God's people any longer." Samuel and all the other prophets who came later also spoke about what is now happening. You are really the ones God told his prophets to speak to. And you were given the promise that God made to your ancestors. He said to Abraham, "All nations on earth will be blessed because of someone from your family." God sent his chosen Son to you first, because God wanted to bless you and make each one of you turn away from your sins."

From the prophecies of Moses, we turn now to the prophecies recorded by the prophets after Moses. The coming of a forerunner is recorded in Isa 40:3 "Someone is shouting: "Clear a path in the desert! Make a straight road for the LORD our God.". A reference to one who would prepare people for the coming of the Lord. John the Baptist makes reference to this prophecy - Jn 1:19-23 "The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and temple helpers to ask John who he was. He told them plainly, "I am not the Messiah." Then when they asked him if he were Elijah, he said, "No, I am not!" And when they asked if he were the Prophet, he also said "No!" Finally, they said, "Who are you then? We have to give an answer to the ones who sent us. Tell us who you are!" John answered in the words of the prophet Isaiah, "I am only someone shouting in the desert, 'Get the road ready for the Lord!' "" Thus the work and testimony of John the Baptist fulfilled this prophecy.

Several prophecies found in Isa 11:2; 42:1; 61:1 2. In which the Spirit was to come upon the Messiah. A fulfillment to which both John the Baptist and Jesus referis recorded in Jn 1:32-33 "I was there and saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven. And the Spirit stayed on him. Before this I didn't know who he was. But the one who sent me to baptize with water had told me, "You will see the Spirit come down and stay on someone. Then you will know that he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.""; 3:34 "I saw this happen, and I tell you that he is the Son of God." Luke also records how Jesus fulfilled such prophecies - cf. Lk 4:16-21 "Jesus went back to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and as usual he went to the meeting place on the Sabbath. When he stood up to read from the Scriptures, he was given the book of Isaiah the prophet. He opened it and read, "The Lord's Spirit has come to me, because he has chosen me to tell the good news to the poor. The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers, and to say, 'This is the year the Lord has chosen.' " Jesus closed the book, then handed it back to the man in charge and sat down. Everyone in the meeting place looked straight at Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, "What you have just heard me read has come true today."’

We will continue this lesson in another section looking at the prophecies concerning the rejection of Jesus as a teacher, His entrance into Jerusalem and references to His crucifixion.

That You May Believe - 7

"THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE"
The Father's Testimony Through Signs
In our last lesson, we considered the human testimony recorded in John's gospel, such as that offered by John the Baptist, the early disciples and others who believed. But also the testimony by the masses, including many who did not believe. As noted, human testimony alone does not prove Jesus to be the Son of God. Jesus Himself did not depend upon human testimony alone as evidence - cf. Jn 5:33-37 "You sent messengers to John, and he told them the truth. I don't depend on what people say about me, but I tell you these things so that you may be saved. John was a lamp that gave a lot of light, and you were glad to enjoy his light for a while. But something more important than John speaks for me. I mean the things that the Father has given me to do! All of these speak for me and prove that the Father sent me. The Father who sent me also speaks for me, but you have never heard his voice or seen him face to face.". He recognized human testimony, such as that offered by John the Baptist. Yet He appealed to a "greater witness", that of His Father's testimony! -- Jesus encouraged people to consider the Father's testimony as evidenced by the works which He did. In this lesson we shall define the purpose of the works or "signs" Jesus did, and note how they serve as evidence to sustain the claims Jesus made.

The definition "sign" is a Greek word, semeion. It is used "of miracles and wonders by which God authenticates the men sent by Him, or by which men prove that the cause they are pleading is God's." - Thayer. This word is used by John almost exclusively in his gospel (as opposed to miracle or wonder). Jesus claimed that the works, miracles or wonders He performed "bear witness of Me" - Jn 5:36 The Father bore witness through these "signs" to the validity of His claims (such as the claim "the Father has sent Me"). What were these "signs" in which the Father bore testimony concerning Jesus? John says there were many (Jn 20:30), too many to record them all (Jn 21:25). In his gospel, John records at least seven.
Turning water to wine is the first sign and was done in Cana of Galilee - Jn 2:1-11. Jesus demonstrated His power over creation, proving the claim made in the prologue ("All things came into being by Him") - Jn 1:3. For example, He is the Creator! The next sign we read of is the healing of the nobleman’s son which was also done in Cana of Galilee - Jn 4:46-54. Jesus demonstrated His power over physical disease, supporting His claim to provide salvation from spiritual disease - cf. Jn 8:34-36 for example, He is the Savior! In Jn 5:1-9 we read of the healing of the lame man done in Jerusalem, at the pool of Bethesda. Jesus demonstrated His power over birth defects used to show His equality with God - Jn 5:17-21. For example, He is Deity, and capable of giving life! In Jn 6:1-14 we find the feeding of the five thousand done near Bethsaida of Galilee. Jesus showed His power over food supply proving His claim to provide man with his spiritual needs - Jn 6:35 "Jesus replied: I am the bread that gives life! No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who has faith in me will ever be thirsty.", He is the Bread of Life! In walking on the water on the Sea of Galilee Jesus showed His power over nature - Jn 6:16-21 Once again this confirms the claim made by John in the prologue - Jn 1:3, He is the Creator! F. In healing the blind man in Jerusalem who was blind from birth - Jn 9:1-12, Jesus showed His power over blindness confirming His claim to be "the light of the world" - Jn 8:12, He is the Light! When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead as He done at Bethany - Jn 11:39-44, Jesus shows His power over death, proving His claim to be "the resurrection and the life" - Jn 11:25, He is the Life! Through such signs as these seven, the Father bore testimony concerning Jesus of Nazareth they were designed to impact those who saw them and indeed they did.

We have the testimony by witness such as Nicodemus saying to Jesus, "You are a teacher come from God" - Jn 3:2a, "No one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him" - Jn 3:2b There is also the testimony of the multitude, "When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?", prompting many to believe in Him - Jn 7:31 We also have the testimony of His enemies. "What shall we do? For this Man works many signs." - Jn 11:47. They could not deny the signs, though they refused to accept their implications. John stated his purpose in recording these "signs" of Jesus, including the one in which He showed Himself alive to doubting Thomas (cf. Jn 20:26-29), That we might believe in Jesus as the Son of God, and that we have life in His name - Jn 20:30-31. Jesus said these "signs" served as testimony from the Father - Jn 5:36. That the Father sent Him and that He is everything He claimed to be. The question we face is this: Do we ignore these signs, attested to even by the enemies of Jesus? Or do we accept them as testimony from the Father, that the claims of Jesus are true? The blessing of eternal life hangs in the balance.

"THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE" - 6

"THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE"
The Human Testimony

In our study so far we have considered claims made by John about Jesus in his prologue - Jn 1:1-18 Claims made by Jesus concerning Himself throughout the gospel of John in relation to God, in relation to the Messianic hope and in relation to human needs. The nature of these claims prevent Jesus from being simply a great man. He must be what He claimed to be (the Son of God) or He was either a deceiver (liar) or a deranged man (lunatic). We now begin to consider the evidence presented to sustain these claims starting with the human testimony recorded by John. Being careful to properly define and declare the value of such testimony.

First lets define and look at the testimony of human impressions made on the witnesses by their contact with Jesus" - Homer Hailey, That You Might Believe, p. 88. "The testimony of and within itself does not prove any claim made by Jesus" (ibid.). "The evidence is circumstantial and incidental, but it is worthy of a candid and fair consideration" (ibid.)

Second, in evaluating human testimony we need to look at, "The force of human testimony depends upon three things...". "First, the honesty of the witnesses". "Second, their competency". "Third, their number" -- J. W. McGarvey, Evidences Of Christianity, Book II, p. 146 2. McGarvey goes on to explain: "We ascertain whether they are honest, by considering their general character and their motives in the particular case...". "Competency is determined by considering the opportunities of the witness to obtain knowledge of that to which he testifies, and his mental capacity to observe and remember the facts.". "The requisite number varies with the degree of probability attached to the facts." -- (ibid.)

With this brief introduction to the meaning and value of human testimony, let's now take a look at the human testimony offered by John and the friends of Jesus. John the Baptist - Jn 1:29-34 "The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said: Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I told you about when I said, "Someone else will come. He is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born." I didn't know who he was. But I came to baptize you with water, so that everyone in Israel would see him. I was there and saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven. And the Spirit stayed on him. Before this I didn't know who he was. But the one who sent me to baptize with water had told me, "You will see the Spirit come down and stay on someone. Then you will know that he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit." I saw this happen, and I tell you that he is the Son of God.". As a cousin of Jesus he had been told how to identify the Messiah. He declared Jesus to be the Lamb of God, the Son of God. The early disciples - Jn 1:40-49 "One of the two men who had heard John and had gone with Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother and tell him, "We have found the Messiah!" The Hebrew word "Messiah" means the same as the Greek word "Christ." Andrew brought his brother to Jesus. And when Jesus saw him, he said, "Simon son of John, you will be called Cephas." This name oftlinecan be translated as "Peter." The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. There he met Philip, who was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. Jesus said to Philip, "Come with me." Philip then found Nathanael and said, "We have found the one that Moses and the Prophets wrote about. He is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael asked, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip answered, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said, "Here is a true descendant of our ancestor Israel. And he isn't deceitful." "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael said, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God and the King of Israel!"". Andrew declared Him to be the Messiah. Philip said He was the One of whom Moses and the prophets wrote. Nathanael confessed him to be the Son of God, King of Israel. Peter - Jn 6:67-69 "Jesus then asked his twelve disciples if they were going to leave him. Simon Peter answered, "Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life. We have faith in you, and we are sure that you are God's Holy One."". Peter believed Jesus to have the words of eternal life and declared Jesus as the Holy One of God. Martha - Jn 11:27 ""Yes, Lord!" she replied. "I believe that you are Christ, the Son of God. You are the one we hoped would come into the world.". She believed Jesus to be the Christ and believed Jesus to be the Son of God. The disciples at the last supper - Jn 16:30 "At last we know that you understand everything, and we don't have any more questions. Now we believe that you truly have come from God."". They believed that He knew all things and believed that He came from God. Thomas - Jn 20:24-28 "Although Thomas the Twin was one of the twelve disciples, he wasn't with the others when Jesus appeared to them. 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!" 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!"" . Skeptical of the other apostles' testimony Thomas was convinced by empirical evidence that Jesus was Lord and God.Such testimony did not come without a price; one must wonder what their motive was to lie (if such was the case)

Now let’s look at some of the testimony offered by the masses. Nicodemus - Jn 3:1-2 "There was a man named Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and a Jewish leader. One night he went to Jesus and said, "Sir, we know that God has sent you to teach us. You could not work these miracles, unless God were with you."". Nicodemus was an official of the Sanhedrin council - cf. Jn 7:50-51 "Nicodemus was there at the time. He was a member of the council, and was the same one who had earlier come to see Jesus. He said, "Our Law doesn't let us condemn people before we hear what they have to say. We cannot judge them before we know what they have done."". He confessed Jesus to be a teacher from God. The Samaritans - Jn 4:19 "The woman said, "Sir, I can see that you are a prophet." , 42 "They told the woman, "We no longer have faith in Jesus just because of what you told us. We have heard him ourselves, and we are certain that he is the Savior of the world!"" . The woman at the well confessed Him to be a prophet. The villagers were convinced that He was the Christ, the savior of the world. n The multitude (offering a divided opinion). "He is a good man" vs. "He leads the multitude away" - Jn 7:12 "The crowds even got into an argument about him. Some were saying, "Jesus is a good man," while others were saying, "He is lying to everyone."". "The Prophet" or "the Christ" vs. doubt concerning Him - 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.". "The King of Israel" vs. "Crucify Him!" - cf. Jn 12:12-13 "The next day a large crowd was in Jerusalem for Passover. When they heard that Jesus was coming for the festival, they took palm branches and went out to greet him. They shouted, "Hooray! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord! God bless the King of Israel!""; 19:15 ""Kill him! Kill him!" they yelled. "Nail him to a cross!" "So you want me to nail your king to a cross?" Pilate asked. The chief priests replied, "The Emperor is our king!"". The Jews (also divided) - Jn 10:19-21 "The people took sides because of what Jesus had told them. Many of them said, "He has a demon in him! He is crazy! Why listen to him?" But others said, "How could anyone with a demon in him say these things? No one like that could give sight to a blind person!"". "He has a demon and is mad!". "Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?". The man born blind - Jn 9:17 "they asked the man, "What do you say about this one who healed your eyes?" "He is a prophet!" the man told them." , 25 "The man replied, "I don't know if he is a sinner or not. All I know is that I used to be blind, but now I can see!"". "He is a prophet". "One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." Pilate - Jn 18:38 "Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?" Pilate went back out and said, "I don't find this man guilty of anything!"; 19:4 "Once again Pilate went out. This time he said, "I will have Jesus brought out to you again. Then you can see for yourselves that I have not found him guilty."", 6 "When the chief priests and the temple police saw him, they yelled, "Nail him to a cross! Nail him to a cross!" Pilate told them, "You take him and nail him to a cross! I don't find him guilty of anything."". The Roman governor who interrogated Jesus stated three times: "I find no fault in Him." The testimony of these human witnesses varies, but is seems that the closer one got to Jesus, the more convinced they became that He was who He claimed to be.

Finally let’s look at the testimony of His enemies. The officers, sent to arrest Him - Jn 7:45-46 "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!"". Sent by the chief priests and Pharisees to arrest Jesus they were so moved by Jesus, they could not arrest Him ("No man ever spoke like this Man!"). The Pharisees - Jn 11:47-48 "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. If we don't stop him now, everyone will put their faith in him. Then the Romans will come and destroy our temple and our nation."". They acknowledged that Jesus worked many signs and was aware of His great influence. They may have tried to deny who He claimed to be, but they did not try to deny what He did.

I will close our lesson with some thoughts concerning the human testimony recorded by John. For one seeking to produce faith in Jesus, John demonstrates remarkable objectivity. He does not gloss over the fact that many did not believe in Jesus. He presents a fair representation of the human testimony concerning Jesus. Some believed in Jesus, others did not; but note carefully, those who knew Him best, believed in Him. Those who were ignorant of the facts, were quick to deny Him. Even His enemies could not deny the force of His teachings and the power of His miracles. They could only try to attribute His power to the devil. As a last resort, they felt they had to kill Him. What about us today? What will we do with Jesus? Will we make the effort to learn more about Him? Will we be like many who were quick to draw conclusions before they had all the facts? Jesus made a powerful impression upon those who saw and heard Him. Those who knew Him best were even more impressed. Hopefully, their testimony will encourage us to consider what further testimony John presents in His gospel about Jesus, the Son of God.

That You May Believe - 5

"THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE"
Jesus' Claims In Relation To Human Needs

We have considered claims made by Jesus in relation to God,and in relation to the Messianic hope. These claims indeed, are great and awesome claims! Jesus made claims that were not only great, but relate to basic personal needs common to all. In this study we shall consider these claims to human needs and the claims Jesus made in relation to them.

One basic need of man is to have fellowship with God. Concerning this need many may deny they have this need. Yet a simple look at the history of mankind reveals otherwise. Every civilization bears record of man's search for God. While concepts of God may vary, man is united in the need to know God. Paul explained that this "need" is innate with man. Ac 17: 24-28 "This God made the world and everything in it. He is Lord of heaven and earth, and he doesn't live in temples built by human hands. He doesn't need help from anyone. He gives life, breath, and everything else to all people. From one person God made all nations who live on earth, and he decided when and where every nation would be. God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him. He isn't far from any of us, and he gives us the power to live, to move, and to be who we are. "We are his children," just as some of your poets have said.". God created man with an inner desire to seek the Lord. Though often suppressed, this desire prompts one to "grope for Him". Those who deny this need go through life never finding full satisfaction. Like Solomon in his search for meaning, they explore material things (riches, fame, drugs, sex, etc.). If permitted enough time to exhaust their search, like Solomon they often conclude as did he: "All is vanity and grasping for wind" Ecc 1:12-14 "I said these things when I lived in Jerusalem as king of Israel. With all my wisdom I tried to understand everything that happens here on earth. And God has made this so hard for us humans to do. I have seen it all, and everything is just as senseless as chasing the wind." It is only when we come to have fellowship with God that life can be complete. Material things alone do not satisfy this longing. Solomon concluded that man's purpose is to fear God and keep His commandments - Ecc 12:13-14 "Everything you were taught can be put into a few words: Respect and obey God! This is what life is all about. God will judge everything we do, even what is done in secret, whether good or bad.". Jesus said that "man does not live by bread alone" - Mt 4:4 "Jesus answered, "The Scriptures say: 'No one can live only on food. People need every word that God has spoken.' ""

Jesus claims to fulfill this need as being the complete revelation of God - Jn 14:7-9 "If you had known me, you would have known the Father. But from now on, you do know him, and you have seen him." Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need." Jesus replied: Philip, I have been with you for a long time. Don't you know who I am? If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. How can you ask me to show you the Father?" . Jesus claims to fulfill this need by providing only avenue for fellowship with Him - Jn 14:6 ""I am the way, the truth, and the life!" Jesus answered. "Without me, no one can go to the Father."

Closely aligned with this need to know God and have fellowship with Him is the need for salvation from sin. Concerning this need, again, many may deny this need. But the sins of mankind are obvious - cf. 2 Ti 3:1-4 "You can be certain that in the last days there will be some very hard times. People will love only themselves and money. They will be proud, stuck-up, rude, and disobedient to their parents. They will also be ungrateful, godless, heartless, and hateful. Their words will be cruel, and they will have no self-control or pity. These people will hate everything that is good. They will be sneaky, reckless, and puffed up with pride. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure.". The problem lies within man himself/herself - Mk 7:21-23 "Out of your heart come evil thoughts, vulgar deeds, stealing, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, greed, meanness, deceit, indecency, envy, insults, pride, and foolishness. All of these come from your heart, and they are what make you unfit to worship God." . Thus man cannot save himself. He is therefore in need of salvation from the consequences of sin, the guilt of sin, and the power of sin. Fulfilling this need directly affects our being able to satisfy the need to have fellowship with God - Isa 59:1-2 "The LORD hasn't lost his powerful strength; he can still hear and answer prayers. Your sins are the roadblock between you and your God. That's why he doesn't answer your prayers or let you see his face.". Our sins separate us from God. Our sins prevent us from being heard by God. Jesus claims to provide the solution. He offers to set one free from sin - Jn 8:30-36 "After Jesus said this, many of the people put their faith in him. Jesus told the people who had faith in him, "If you keep on obeying what I have said, you truly are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." They answered, "We are Abraham's children! We have never been anyone's slaves. How can you say we will be set free?" Jesus replied: I tell you for certain that anyone who sins is a slave of sin! And slaves don't stay in the family forever, though the Son will always remain in the family. If the Son gives you freedom, you are free!". Free from the guilt of sin. Free from the slavery of sin. This He does in two ways. Through His death on the cross, which deals with the guilt of sin - Jn 3:14-18 "And the Son of Man must be lifted up, just as that metal snake was lifted up by Moses in the desert. Then everyone who has faith in the Son of Man will have eternal life. God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them! No one who has faith in God's Son will be condemned. But everyone who doesn't have faith in him has already been condemned for not having faith in God's only Son." . Through the sending of the Spirit, which addresses the power of sin - Jn 7:37-39 "On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted, "If you are thirsty, come to me and drink! Have faith in me, and you will have life-giving water flowing from deep inside you, just as the Scriptures say." Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit, who would be given to everyone that had faith in him. The Spirit had not yet been given to anyone, since Jesus had not yet been given his full glory."; also in Ro 8:11-13 "Yet God raised Jesus to life! God's Spirit now lives in you, and he will raise you to life by his Spirit. My dear friends, we must not live to satisfy our desires. If you do, you will die. But you will live, if by the help of God's Spirit you say "No" to your desires."

In addition to claiming to provide the way to fellowship with God and salvation from sin, we see that Jesus also claims to fulfill the need for guidance in life. Concerning this need that man has such a need is clearly taught in the Scriptures. It is not in man to direct his steps - Jer 10:23 "O Jehovah, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." (ASV). What seems right to man can lead to death - Pro 16:25 "Sometimes what seems right is really a road to death.". Evidence is seen in societies which forget God. Moral chaos is often the result - e.g., Ro 1:28-32 "Since these people refused even to think about God, he let their useless minds rule over them. That's why they do all sorts of indecent things. They are evil, wicked, and greedy, as well as mean in every possible way. They want what others have, and they murder, argue, cheat, and are hard to get along with. They gossip, say cruel things about others, and hate God. They are proud, conceited, and boastful, always thinking up new ways to do evil. These people don't respect their parents. They are stupid, unreliable, and don't have any love or pity for others. They know God has said that anyone who acts this way deserves to die. But they keep on doing evil things, and they even encourage others to do them.". Where chaos in societies (and individual lives) does not exist, it is only because such are guided by God-given principles of justice and righteousness, established previously when people did seek God for guidance. Jesus claims to provide this guidance. He offers Himself as "the light of the world" - Jn 8:12 "Once again Jesus spoke to the people. This time he said, "I am the light for the world! Follow me, and you won't be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life."". He offers Himself as "the good Shepherd" - Jn 10:11 "I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep.". He claims to be "the king" - Jn 18:37 ""So you are a king," Pilate replied. "You are saying that I am a king," Jesus told him. "I was born into this world to tell about the truth. And everyone who belongs to the truth knows my voice."" As our king, shepherd, and light, Jesus claims to guide us safely through a dark and difficult world.

He also claims to fulfill the need for spiritual sustenance. Concerning this need man is both a physical and spiritual being. We have seen that a purely materialistic world does not truly satisfy. The spiritual side of man must also be fulfilled. Jesus claims to provide siritual sustenance. He offers "the water of life" - Jn 4:13-14 "Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again. But no one who drinks the water I give will ever be thirsty again. The water I give is like a flowing fountain that gives eternal life."". He claims to be "the bread of life" - Jn 6:35 "Jesus replied: I am the bread that gives life! No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who has faith in me will ever be thirsty." He offers "fullness of joy" - Jn 15:11 "I have told you this to make you as completely happy as I am" . He offers "peace". A peace the world cannot give - Jn 14:27 "I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn't like the peace that this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid.". A peace that overcomes tribulation - Jn 16:33 "I have told you this, so that you might have peace in your hearts because of me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But cheer up! I have defeated the world.". He offers "abundant life" - Jn 10:10 "A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest."

Finally, we note how Jesus claimed to fulfill The need for immortality. Concerning this need history records mankind's search and longing for immortality (e.g., the pyramids). Today, we express this need through our desire to prolong life along with our fear of death and dying. Jesus claims to offer immortality by claiming to one day raise the dead - Jn 5:26-29 "The Father has the power to give life, and he has given that same power to the Son. And he has given his Son the right to judge everyone, because he is the Son of Man. Don't be surprised! The time will come when all of the dead will hear the voice of the Son of Man, and they will come out of their graves. Everyone who has done good things will rise to life, but everyone who has done evil things will rise and be condemned.". By claiming to be "the resurrection and the life" - Jn 11:25-26 "Jesus then said, "I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die. And everyone who lives because of faith in me will never really die. Do you believe this?""

We have now considered the claims of Jesus in relation to deity, in relation to the Messianic hope snd in relation to human needs. Whoever would make claims like these cannot be "just" a good man. He is either a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord! Which do you think Jesus is? Our next three lessons shall review the evidence John presents in his gospel designed to produce faith in Jesus as Lord.

That You May Believe - 4

"THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE"
Jesus' Claims In Relation To The Messianic Hope

Who was Jesus? What did He claim to be? In our previous study, we noticed how Jesus claimed that He came from God, that He alone has seen God, that He knows God, that He reveals God, and that He is equal to God. These claims all pertain to His relation to God. Jesus also made claims in relation to the Messianic hope. A hope cherished by many Jews at that time. A hope Jesus claimed to have fulfilled - cf. Jn 4:25-26 "The woman said, "I know that the Messiah will come. He is the one we call Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." "I am that one," Jesus told her, "and I am speaking to you now."". In this lesson our purpose is to look closer at the Old Testament concept of the Messiah and notice how Jesus claimed to the fulfillment of the Messianic hope.

In the Old Testament we find promises concerning the coming of a Messiah. Let's consider the Old Testament concept of the Messiah. The term "Messiah" defined in the Hebrew language, means "anointed one" The Greek counterpart to "Messiah" is "Christ. In the Old Testament, it is used as an adjective in regards to the priests ("the anointed priest") who were anointed with oil when consecrated - cf. Lev 4:3; 8:12. A noun in regards to kings ("the LORD's anointed") who likewise were anointed with oil - cf. 1 Sam 24:6; 2 Sam 2:4

The Messianic concept development began with Moses. He said God would raise up a prophet - cf. Deu 18:15,17-19. In Jesus' day, people were anticipating a prophet - cf. Jn 1:19-21 "The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and temple helpers to ask John who he was. He told them plainly, "I am not the Messiah." Then when they asked him if he were Elijah, he said, "No, I am not!" And when they asked if he were the Prophet, he also said "No!". The Messianic concept continued with David who spoke of "the anointed one" as God and an everlasting king - Psa 45:6-7 "You are God, and you will rule forever as king. Your royal power brings about justice. You love justice and hate evil. And so, your God chose you and made you happier than any of your friends.". He spoke of One who would be both king and priest - Psa 110:1-4 "The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at my right side, until I make your enemies into a footstool for you." The LORD will let your power reach out from Zion, and you will rule over your enemies. Your glorious power will be seen on the day you begin to rule. You will wear the sacred robes and shine like the morning sun in all of your strength. The LORD has made a promise that will never be broken: "You will be a priest forever, just like Melchizedek."" . It was expounded upon by the prophets. Isaiah spoke of One who would be Mighty God, and a king forever - Isa 9:6-7 "A child has been born for us. We have been given a son who will be our ruler. His names will be Wonderful Advisor and Mighty God, Eternal Father and Prince of Peace. His power will never end; peace will last forever. He will rule David's kingdom and make it grow strong. He will always rule with honesty and justice. The LORD All-Powerful will make certain that all of this is done.". Micah wrote of One who would be a preexistent king and shepherd - Mic 5:2-4 "Bethlehem Ephrath, you are one of the smallest towns in the nation of Judah. But the LORD will choose one of your people to rule the nation-- someone whose family goes back to ancient times. The LORD will abandon Israel only until this ruler is born, and the rest of his family returns to Israel. Like a shepherd taking care of his sheep, this ruler will lead and care for his people by the power and glorious name of the LORD his God. His people will live securely, and the whole earth will know his true greatness,". Jeremiah foretold of One who would be a king and savior - Jer 23:5-6 "Someday I will appoint an honest king from the family of David, a king who will be wise and rule with justice. As long as he is king, Israel will have peace, and Judah will be safe. The name of this king will be "The LORD Gives Justice."". Zechariah told of One who be a priest on His throne - Zec 6:12 "Tell him that I, the LORD All-Powerful, say, "Someone will reach out from here like a branch and build a temple for me. I will name him 'Branch,' and he will rule with royal honors. A priest will stand beside his throne, and the two of them will be good friends." With great expectation, the people of Jesus' day were looking for the coming of this "Messiah" (cf. Jn 4:25). As revealed in Jn 4:26, Jesus did not hesitate to claim to be the Messiah.

Jesus claimed to be a "Prophet", a spokesman for the Father - Jn 8:26 "There is a lot more I could say to condemn you. But the one who sent me is truthful, and I tell the people of this world only what I have heard from him."", 28 "Jesus went on to say, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, you will know who I am. You will also know that I don't do anything on my own. I say only what my Father taught me." . One who speaks only the things of the Father - Jn 12:49-50 "I don't speak on my own. I say only what the Father who sent me has told me to say. I know that his commands will bring eternal life. That is why I tell you exactly what the Father has told me." Fulfilling the anticipation sparked by Moses He claimed to "God"as examined in our previous lesson. For example, recall Jn 5:18 "Now the leaders wanted to kill Jesus for two reasons. First, he had broken the law of the Sabbath. But even worse, he had said that God was his Father, which made him equal with God."; 10:33 "They answered, "We are not stoning you because of any good thing you did. We are stoning you because you did a terrible thing. You are just a man, and here you are claiming to be God!"". Fulfilling the anticipation sparked by David and Isaiah He claimed to be "King". When questioned by Pilate - Jn 18:37 ""So you are a king," Pilate replied. "You are saying that I am a king," Jesus told him. "I was born into this world to tell about the truth. And everyone who belongs to the truth knows my voice."" . Whose kingdom was not of this world - Jn 18:36 "Jesus answered, "My kingdom doesn't belong to this world. If it did, my followers would have fought to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. No, my kingdom doesn't belong to this world."" Fulfilling the anticipation sparked by David, Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, and Zechariah He claimed to be the "shepherd". The good shepherd who gives His life for His sheep - Jn 10:11 "I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep." . The good shepherd who knows His sheep - Jn 10:14 "I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and they know me." . Fulfilling the anticipation sparked by Micah He claimed to be the "Savior" in one of His last public speeches - Jn 12:44-47 "In a loud voice Jesus said: Everyone who has faith in me also has faith in the one who sent me. And everyone who has seen me has seen the one who sent me. I am the light that has come into the world. No one who has faith in me will stay in the dark. I am not the one who will judge those who refuse to obey my teachings. I came to save the people of this world, not to be their judge." Also recorded in the other gospels - Mt 18:11; Lk 9:56; 19:10 Fulfilling the anticipation sparked by Jeremiah He claimed to function as a "priest" in saying that one must go through Him to go to the Father - Jn 14:6 ""I am the way, the truth, and the life!" Jesus answered. "Without me, no one can go to the Father." Also later taught by His disciples - cf. He 4:14-16

In this way Jesus claimed to fulfill the Messianic expectations. Later we shall consider the evidence John presents to sustain such claims. They were claims that certainly prompted the people to wonder - cf. Jn 7:26. But a closing thought for those of us who profess Jesus to be the Messiah: Do we demonstrate by our lives that we really believe Jesus is our Messiah? As our Prophet...to whom we are to listen as God's spokesman and obey? As our God...to whom we are to humbly submit and reverently worship? As our King...to whom we grant absolute authority and rule in our lives? As our Shepherd...in whom we place our complete trust and find our greatest source of comfort? As our Savior...in whom we depend for the salvation of our souls? As our Priest...through whom we approach our Heavenly Father in prayer? Unless we allow Jesus to be all these things in our lives, can we really say that we believe Him to be the Christ, the Messiah, God's anointed one?

That You May Believe - 3

"THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE"
Jesus' Claims In Relation To God

In John's prologue (Jn 1:1-18), we noted the claims he made regarding Jesus; that in relation to Deity, Jesus is the essence of God. In relation to the physical world, Jesus is the creator. In relation to the moral world, Jesus is the life and the light. To darkness, Jesus is the challenger and the victor. In relation to Humanity, Jesus is the creator and the benefactor. In relation to the Father, Jesus is the revelation of the Father. In relation to Grace and truth, Jesus is the fulness. At this point in our study, we begin a closer look at claims made by Jesus Himself. In particular, His claims regarding His relationship to God which should help us appreciate John's claim: "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." - Jn 1:18

First we note that on at least two occasions Jesus claimed He came from God.. After feeding the five thousand He claimed to be "the bread of life" sent from the Father - Jn 6:32-35 "Jesus then told them, "I tell you for certain that Moses wasn't the one who gave you bread from heaven. My Father is the one who gives you the true bread from heaven. And the bread that God gives is the one who came down from heaven to give life to the world." The people said, "Lord, give us this bread and don't ever stop!" Jesus replied: I am the bread that gives life! No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who has faith in me will ever be thirsty." His claim is stated more clearly in - Jn 6:38 "I didn't come from heaven to do what I want! I came to do what the Father wants me to do. He sent me," In connection with this claim those who heard Him had problems with this claim - Jn 6:41-42 "The people started grumbling because Jesus had said he was the bread that had come down from heaven. They were asking each other, "Isn't he Jesus, the son of Joseph? Don't we know his father and mother? How can he say that he has come down from heaven?"' He said people must accept Him as "the bread sent from heaven" - Jn 6:57-58 "The living Father sent me, and I have life because of him. Now everyone who eats my flesh will live because of me. The bread that comes down from heaven isn't like what your ancestors ate. They died, but whoever eats this bread will live forever." Many found this hard to accept - cf. 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." In the temple, at the Feast of Tabernacles again He claims to have come from God - Jn 7:28-29 "As Jesus was teaching in the temple, he shouted, "Do you really think you know me and where I came from? I didn't come on my own! The one who sent me is truthful, and you don't know him. But I know the one who sent me, because I came from him."' Some to try to seize Him - Jn 7:30-32 "Some of the people wanted to arrest Jesus right then. But no one even laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. A lot of people in the crowd put their faith in him and said, "When the Messiah comes, he surely won't perform more miracles than this man has done!" When the Pharisees heard the crowd arguing about Jesus, they got together with the chief priests and sent some temple police to arrest him." Yet He continued to speak this way of Himself - Jn 8:23 "Jesus answered, "You are from below, but I am from above. You belong to this world, but I don't.", 42 "Jesus answered: If God were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and only from him. He sent me. I did not come on my own." If such a claim was difficult for some to accept then, imagine their difficulty as Jesus made another claim in relation to God.

He alone has seen the Father - cf. Jn 6:46 The same claim stated by John in Jn 1:18. What about references to those who saw God? For example, when the Lord appeared to,. Abraham - Gen 17:1, Isaac and Jacob - cf. Exo 6:3, Moses - cf. Num 12:8; Deu 34:10. Such "visions" of God explained the same Scriptures declared that one could not see God and live - cf. Exo 33:17-23. What they saw were representations of God. For example the Angel of His presence (whom some think was Jesus in pre-incarnate form) - cf. Exo 13:21; 14:19 2) The burning bush, the pillar of fire, cloud of smoke, bright glory, etc. Jesus' claim to have seen God is very unique, that He alone has seen God as He truly is! Closely connected to this claim is another one.

Jesus claimed that "He knows God" The Greek words for "know" are ginosko - "knowing which is the result of discernment and which may be enlarged" oida - "implies absolute knowledge: the knowledge of intuition and of satisfied conviction". Jesus used both to describe His knowledge of God. "I know (ginosko) the Father" - Jn 10:14-15 "I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and they know me. Just as the Father knows me, I know the Father, and I give up my life for my sheep." Knowledge which comes through experience by which we also can know the Father "I know (oida) Him" - Jn 7:29 "But I know the one who sent me, because I came from him." This is absolute knowledge which comes from having been with the Father, and having seen Him. This knowledge of God only Jesus can rightly claim to possess - cf. Jn 8:55 "even though you don't really know him. If I said I didn't know him, I would be a liar, just like all of you. But I know him, and I do what he says."

Having claimed to come from God, that He alone has seen God and truly knows God, we should not be surprised to note Jesus also claimed that reveals God in that He offers a complete revelation of God. As Jesus claimed on at least two separate occasions to the Pharisees in - Jn 12:44-45 "In a loud voice Jesus said: Everyone who has faith in me also has faith in the one who sent me. And everyone who has seen me has seen the one who sent me." And to His disciples in - Jn 14:7-10 "If you had known me, you would have known the Father. But from now on, you do know him, and you have seen him." Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need." Jesus replied: Philip, I have been with you for a long time. Don't you know who I am? If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. How can you ask me to show you the Father? Don't you believe that I am one with the Father and that the Father is one with me? What I say isn't said on my own. The Father who lives in me does these things." The implication of this claim means to reject Jesus is to reject the only full revelation of God made known to man! Thus to reject Jesus is to reject God! - cf. Jn 15:23 "Everyone who hates me also hates my Father."
Finally, we note the claim that caused great irritation among the Jews that He is equal to God. This claim irritated His Jewish brethren so much they tried to kill Him - e.g., Jn 5:16-18 "They started making a lot of trouble for Jesus because he did things like this on the Sabbath. But Jesus said, "My Father has never stopped working, and that is why I keep on working." Now the leaders wanted to kill Jesus for two reasons. First, he had broken the law of the Sabbath. But even worse, he had said that God was his Father, which made him equal with God." They viewed it as blasphemy - cf. Jn 10:30-33 "and I am one with the Father. Once again the Jewish leaders picked up stones in order to kill Jesus. But he said, "I have shown you many good things that my Father sent me to do. Which one are you going to stone me for?" They answered, "We are not stoning you because of any good thing you did. We are stoning you because you did a terrible thing. You are just a man, and here you are claiming to be God!"' Jesus even took upon Himself God’s special name, the Name revealed to Moses at the burning bush - cf. Exo 3: 13-14 "Moses answered, "I will tell the people of Israel that the God their ancestors worshiped has sent me to them. But what should I say, if they ask me your name?" God said to Moses: I am the eternal God. So tell them that the LORD, whose name is "I Am," has sent you. This is my name forever, and it is the name that people must use from now on." Calling Himself the "I AM" - cf. Jn 8:56-59 "Your father Abraham was really glad to see me." "You are not even fifty years old!" they said. "How could you have seen Abraham?" Jesus answered, "I tell you for certain that even before Abraham was, I was, and I am." The people picked up stones to kill Jesus, but he hid and left the temple." Teaching others that it was necessary to believe in Him as such - Jn 8:24 "That is why I said you will die with your sins unforgiven. If you don't have faith in me for who I am, you will die, and your sins will not be forgiven."

In relation to God, Jesus therefore claimed He came from God, that He alone has seen God, that He knows God. He reveals God and He is equal to God. Certainly these are claims difficult to accept from someone who was simply "a great man." Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic, or everything He claimed to be in the fullest revelation of God made known to man, and the only way to God - cf. Jn 14:6 ""I am the way, the truth, and the life!" Jesus answered. "Without me, no one can go to the Father." Before we consider the evidence John presents in his gospel to substantiate such claims, we want to look at even more claims made by Jesus in our next study...

"THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE" - 2

"THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE"
Introduction And Prologue

In our last lesson John describes Jesus’ relation to the physical world, John (and others) proclaim Jesus to be "the Creator". What an amazing claim! We left off with Jesus being present at the creation and John’s amazing claim. But the claims regarding Jesus continue.

In the relation of Jesus to the moral world Jesus is the giver of life. "in Him was life". In the moral or spiritual realm, Jesus came to offer life - cf. Jn 10:10 "A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest." Jesus is the source of light, "and the life was the light of men". As the giver of life, He is the source of "light" to men in a morally dark world - cf. Jn 8:12 "Once again Jesus spoke to the people. This time he said, "I am the light for the world! Follow me, and you won't be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life." In relation to the moral world, then, John proclaims Jesus to be "the life and the light". The impact of Jesus on the moral world is described even further.

In relation to Jesus to darkness, Jesus challenges moral darkness, "the light shines in the darkness". As true spiritual light, Jesus came to challenge the moral darkness in this world. Jesus was victorious over darkness, "the darkness did not comprehend it". That is, the darkness could not overpower the light. By believing in Jesus, those in darkness were able to escape - cf. Jn 12:46 "I am the light that has come into the world. No one who has faith in me will stay in the dark." Thus Jesus is the "true Light" who gives light to all - Jn 1:9 "The true light that shines on everyone was coming into the world." So in relation to darkness, John makes the claim that Jesus is "the challenger and victor".

Next, he describes the relationship of Jesus to humanity(10-13) Jesus was the creator, "world was made through Him". Here the "world" refers to humankind. Jesus was the benefactor. Who was "in the world...the world did not know Him". "He came to His own" - that is, to His own nation, people (Israel). "His own did not receive Him" - rejected by His nation, even members of His own family were skeptical (until after the resurrection) - cf. Jn 7:5; Mk 3:21; Ac 1:14. "But as many as received Him". I.e., "to those who believe in His name". "To them He gave the right to become children of God". They were blessed to be "born...of God" - cf. Jn 3:5-7 "Jesus answered: I tell you for certain that before you can get into God's kingdom, you must be born not only by water, but by the Spirit. Humans give life to their children. Yet only God's Spirit can change you into a child of God. Don't be surprised when I say that you must be born from above." Therefore in relation to humanity, Jesus is presented as "the creator and benefactor".

John then reveals the relation of Jesus to the father, Jesus became flesh. As the Word, Jesus "became flesh". He "dwelt among us". John and others "beheld His glory". He was "the only begotten of the Father". Jesus alone has seen and can reveal the Father. No one has seen God at any time - cf. Exo 33:20; Jn 6:46; 1 Jn 4:12. But "He has declared Him" - cf. Jn 14:9; Mt 11:27. In relation to the Father, Jesus is the ultimate "revelation" one can have of God in this life!
Finally, John makes mention of the relation of Jesus to grace and truth (14,16-17). Jesus was its fullness, "full of grace and truth" . Because His "glory as of the only begotten of the Father". Jesus gave its fullness, "of His fulness we have all received, and grace for grace". "Pleroma" (fullness) - "that which is completed, i.e., the complement, the full tale, the entire number or quantity, the plentitude, the perfection" - Lightfoot. In Jesus, then, is the fullness of God's grace and truth for mankind - cf. Jn 14:6 ""I am the way, the truth, and the life!" Jesus answered. "Without me, no one can go to the Father."; Co 1:19-22 "God himself was pleased to live fully in his Son. And God was pleased for him to make peace by sacrificing his blood on the cross, so that all beings in heaven and on earth would be brought back to God. You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things. But his Son became a human and died. So God made peace with you, and now he lets you stand in his presence as people who are holy and faultless and innocent."

Such are the claims made by John in the prologue of his gospel. In relation to deity, Jesus is the essence of God. In relation to the physical world, Jesus is the creator. In relation to the moral world, Jesus is the life and light. In relation to darkness, Jesus is challenger and victor. In relation to humanity, Jesus is creator and benefactor. In relation to the Father, Jesus is revelation. In relation to grace and truth, Jesus is fulness. In our next three lessons, we shall consider the claims made by Jesus Himself, involving His relation to God. His relation to the Messianic hope. His relation to human needs. Then, in three lessons we shall consider the evidence presented by John in his gospel intended to support these claims. Finally, a lesson to note why many did not believe in Jesus even when He lived among them In view of the magnitude of these claims, do we dare ignore them? If they are true, then we must believe on Him if we are to truly find eternal life...!

God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year

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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
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That You May Believe - 1

"THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE"
Introduction And Prologue

John's purpose in writing his gospel is clearly stated in Jn 20:30-31 "Jesus worked many other miracles for his disciples, and not all of them are written in this book. 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." His purpose was to create faith in Jesus and that we might have life in His name. How does John create faith in his gospel? First he stated claims about Jesus in his prologue - Jn 1:1-18. He surveys the life of Jesus, with emphasis on claims made by Jesus Himself. John presents evidence to sustain such claims. With this lesson we begin a series of studies on the gospel of John, with the goal to strengthen our own faith and to create faith in others who have yet to believe. In this lesson we shall consider the prologue and the claims made by John about Jesus. For those who already accept Jesus as the Christ, this should help increase our understanding and appreciation of Jesus. For those who may not yet believe in Him, this lesson should set the stage for studies to come. Let's begin by reading Jn 1:1-18.

Jesus is not mentioned by name until verse 17 "The Law was given by Moses, but Jesus Christ brought us undeserved kindness and truth." But it is clear that the "Word" is none other than Jesus Christ! Throughout this prologue, John makes several claims about Jesus. These claims illustrate Jesus' relation to various things. In verses 1-2 John’s first claim is to the relationship of Jesus to Deity and that Jesus existed before creation. "In the beginning was the Word" The word was suggests His being eternal. Jesus had a "face-to-face" relationship with God."the Word was with God". The word with implies a personal communion with God. Jesus possessed The fullness of Deity. "the Word was God". He possessed divine being, power, and attributes; i.e., Jesus was deity! When you sum up these attributes (eternal, personal, deity), then in relation to deity Jesus is "the essence of God", or "express image of God" (cf. He 1:3 "God's Son has all the brightness of God's own glory and is like him in every way. By his own mighty word, he holds the universe together. After the Son had washed away our sins, he sat down at the right side of the glorious God in heaven." ).
We next note The relation to Jesus to the physical world in verse 3. Jesus was the active agent in creation. "all things were made through Him". "without Him nothing was made that was made". "by Him all things were created..." - Co 1:16 "Everything was created by him, everything in heaven and on earth, everything seen and unseen, including all forces and powers, and all rulers and authorities. All things were created by God's Son, and everything was made for him.". - He 1:2 "But now at last, God sent his Son to bring his message to us. God created the universe by his Son, and everything will someday belong to the Son."
We have just read that Jesus Christ was the most active participant in the actual creation of all things that were made; but now we want to see what we can learn about the phrase "for Him". Does this mean that the creation was somehow meant to benefit Christ in some way? Does the phrase "FOR HIM" mean that all of the creation fulfills the purposes of Christ? Whatever the purposes of Jesus are, the creation, which includes everything in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, thrones, principalities, and powers all work the eternal divine fulfillment of His purposes. Our Lord is worthy to receive glory, honor, and power, as the scriptures reason for us that after all that He is the creator. I want to notice with you Revelation 4:11 that Jesus created all things for His pleasure.

Revelation 4:11 "Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. You created all things, and by your decision they are and were created."

This particular lesson does not exhaust the subject of the eternal purposes of God, but suffice it to say that the creation was for the fulfillment of those purposes. The creation is for Jesus. We notice that much of the scriptures center around the subject of the coming kingdom of the Christ; and then in the New Testament, we see the fulfillment of these prophecies in Jesus Christ, and how Jesus built His church. Our lives center on the pleasures of Christ, as we consider that all created things are for His pleasure. This word pleasure has a different connotation than what it means to the worldly man, who is in bondage to the pleasures of the flesh. The idea is that Jesus is the Master of all of His creation. Jesus has made His desires for mankind known in the scriptures by means of commandments. by His witness and by the Apostles’ doctrine.
Please note:
AV-will 62, desire 1, pleasure 1; 1) what one wishes or has determined shall be done;1a) of the purpose of God to bless mankind through Christ;1b) of what God wishes to be done by us;1b1) commands, precepts;2) will, choice, inclination, desire, pleasure. More could be learned on this subject alone and hopefully we will study this subject at a future date.

Let’s continue with John’s claims. In order to more fully comprehend all that John has written thus far we need to go back to the creation and look at some of the language there. Gen 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Here we read that "God" created. Is this a contradiction as to what we have already found in the NT. Note the original language from Strong’s Hebrew.
'ĕ?lo$?hi$?ym
el-o-heem'
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used )in the plural thus, especially with the article( of the supreme God;
Note the plural use where the singular is a noun 'elo$?ah or 'eloah
Although we see the word "God" which is Anglo Saxon in the singular the Hebrews knew that God was plural in nature, but one in intent and purpose. There is ample evidence that God the Father, God the Son or Word, and God the Holy Spirit were all involved in the creation of heaven and earth. Thus confirming what John wrote, in relation to the physical world, John (and others) proclaim Jesus to be "the Creator". What an amazing claim!

We will expand on this thought in our nest lesson