Chapter 13: Who Is Jesus: God? Or Just a Great Moral Teacher? There are none who are as deaf as those who do not want to hear.

Transcription

1 Chapter 13: Who Is Jesus: God? Or Just a Great Moral Teacher? There are none who are as deaf as those who do not want to hear. -Barry Leventhal

2 The Suffering Servant Isaiah 52:13-53:12 He is elected by the Lord, anointed by the Spirit, and promised success in his endeavor (42:1, 4) Justice is a prime concern of his ministry (42:1, 4) His ministry has an international scope (42:1, 6) God predestined him to his calling (49:1) He is a gifted teacher (49:2) He experiences discouragement in his ministry (49:4)

3 The Suffering Servant His ministry extends to the Gentiles (49:6) The Servant encounters strong opposition and resistance to his teaching, even of a physically violent nature (50:4-6) He is determined to finish what God called him to do (50:7) The Servant has humble origins with little outward prospects for success (53:1-2) He experiences suffering and affliction (53:3) The Servant accepts vicarious and substitutionary suffering on behalf of his people (53:4-6, 12)

4 The Suffering Servant He is put to death after being condemned (53:7-9) Incredibly, he comes back to life and is exalted above all rulers (53:10-12; 52:13-15) He is also sinless (53:9).

5 Three fatal flaws with Israel as the Suffering Servant. Unlike Israel, the Servant is sinless. Unlike Israel, the Suffering Servant is a lamb who submits without any resistance. Unlike Israel, the Suffering Servant dies as a substitutionary atonement for the sins of others.

6 Other Old Testament Passages Fulfilled By Jesus is from the seed of a woman (Genesis 3:15) from the seed of Abraham (Genesis 12:3, 7) from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10) from the line of David (Jeremiah 23:5-6) was both God and man (Isaiah 9:6-7) was born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) was preceded by a messenger, and visited the Jerusalem temple before it was destroyed in AD 70 (Malachi 3:1) died in AD 33 (Daniel 9:25-26) rose from the dead (Isaiah 53:10-12)

7 The Box Top to Prophecy Psalm 22 Begins with his cry from the cross My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Ps. 22:1; Matt. 27:46) The scorn, mocking, and insults of his accusers (v. 6-7); His thirst (v. 15); His pierced hands and feet (v. 16); His unbroken bones (v. 17); His divided garments (v. 18); His ultimate rescue by the Lord (v. 19); His public praise of God to his fellow Israelites after his rescue (v. 22).

8 The Box Top to Prophecy Psalm 22 Just like the box top to a puzzle, Jesus life serves as the box top for many pieces of the prophetic puzzle found throughout the Old Testament. There are 71 Old Testament messianic prophecies fulfilled by Christ, some of which are illuminated by the light of Christ s life.

9 Is Jesus God? John says the word was God and the Word became flesh (John 1:1, 14). Paul says that Christ is God over all (Romans 9:5), and in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). Peter declares that believers receive righteousness from Our God and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1). Matthew applies deity to Jesus when he quotes Isaiah 7:14: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel --- which means, God with us (Matthew 1:23). The writer of Hebrews says, The Son is the radiance of God s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word (Hebrews 1:3). He also quotes Psalm 45:6 in claiming that God says of the Son, Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever (Hebrews 1:8). Even the demons acknowledged that Jesus was God (Matthew 8:29; Luke 4:34, 41).

10 Direct Claims to Be God Jesus response to Caiaphas in Mark 14: In John 8:56-59 Jesus claims deity by answering I am.

11 Indirect Claims to Be God Jesus prayed, And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was (John 17:5). He declared, I am the first and the last (Revelation 1:17) the words used by God of Himself in Isaiah 44:6. He said, I am the good shepherd (John 10:11); the Old Testament says, The Lord is my shepherd (Psalm 23:1). Jesus claimed to be the judge of all people (Matthew 25:31; John 5:27); but Joel quotes God as saying, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side (Joel 3:12).

12 Indirect Claims to Be God Jesus said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12). The psalmist declares, The LORD is my light (Ps. 27:1). Jesus declared, For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it (John 5:21). The Old Testament clearly taught that only God was the giver of life (Deut. 32:39; I Sam. 2:6) and the one to raise the dead (Isaiah 16:19; Daniel 12:2; Job 19:25), and the only judge (Deut. 32:35; Joel 3:12). Jesus insisted, No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6).

13 Divine Actions He forgave the sins of the paralytic (Mark 2:5-11). He declared, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me and then gave a new commandment, Therefore go and make disciples (Matthew 28:18-19). God had given the Ten Commandments to Moses, but Jesus said, A new commandment I give you: Love one another (John 13:34). He requested prayer in his name (John 14:13-14; 15:7). Despite the fact that both the Old Testament and New Testament forbid worshiping anyone other than God (Ex. 20:1-4; Deut. 5:6-9; Acts 14:15; Rev. 22:8-9), Jesus accepted worship on at least nine occasions (Matthew 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; Mark 5:6; John 9:38; Matthew 28:17; John 20:28).

14 Proofs That Jesus Is God He fulfilled numerous messianic prophecies written hundreds of years in advance. He lived a sinless life and performed miraculous deeds. He predicted and then accomplished his own resurrection from the dead.

15 Objections to the Deity of Christ Why Wasn t Jesus More Overt? He did not want interference from the Jews. Jesus could not be our supreme human example if he pulled rank every time he got in trouble. Jesus had to be very careful about when and where he revealed his deity so that he could accomplish his mission of sacrificial atonement. The religious context in which Jesus lived and taught.

16 Objections to the Deity of Christ Indirect Denials of Deity Matthew 19:17, where the rich young ruler calls Jesus good. Jesus appears to deny his deity by responding, No one is good but One, that is, God. However, Jesus is not denying his deity. He is affirming his deity by prompting the man to consider the implications of his statement.

17 Objections to the Deity of Christ Indirect Denials of Deity Jesus being subordinate to the Father and limited in knowledge. In John 14:28, Jesus clearly subordinates himself to God by admitting, The Father is greater than I. And in Matthew 24:36, Jesus claims he doesn t know the date of his own return when he declares, No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

18 The Trinity The Trinity is not three Gods, three modes of one God, or three divine essences. The Trinity is three persons in one divine essence. In other words, there are three persons Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who share one divine nature. The Trinity is like a triangle: a triangle has three corners but it is still one triangle.

19 The Trinity Jesus shares in the one divine nature, but he also has a distinct human nature. Athanasium, one of the early church fathers, said the Incarnation was not the subtraction of deity; it was the addition of humanity. Indeed, when Jesus was conceived, he did not cease being God. He simply added a human nature.

20 The Trinity The Father and Son are equal in essence but different in function. For example, an earthly father is equally human with his son, but the father holds a higher office. Likewise, Jesus and the Father have different offices but are both equally God. When Jesus added humanity, he voluntarily subordinated himself to the Father and accepted the limitations inherent with humanity (this is exactly what Paul explain in his letter to the Philippians 2:5-11). But Jesus never lost his divine nature or ceased being God.

21 Objections to the Trinity Trinity is illogical or against reason. No finite being can completely comprehend an infinite God. The Trinity is too complex. If Christianity was made up, wouldn t it be easier? Trinity is a later invention of the church. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all referred to as God in the Scriptures.