CHAPTER 18 THE WORD MADE FLESH

Transcription

1 CHAPTER 18 THE WORD MADE FLESH

2 Read John 1:1-18 By the 'me the Gospels appeared, it was at the end of the first century. Jesus had been dead about 70 years and had not returned as expected. Jerusalem and the Temple had been destroyed. Sacrificial Judaism had been replaced by Rabbinical Judaism and the Pharisees were now the power group.

3 This new religion, which we now call Chris'anity, had its beginnings as a Jewish sect (The Way). Paul had expanded it to be inclusive of the Gen'les. There was not just one group, but several groups in this new religion, each with its own beliefs. One of the major differences was the iden'ty of Jesus.

4 This war of words went on for another 200 years, un'l one group won out and defined Chris'anity as we know it today. They defined the orthodoxy (right thinking). Only orthodox books were allowed in the canon of our Bible. All other groups were branded as here'cs. Their wri'ngs were destroyed or not passed down.

5 Let s look at the iden'ty of Jesus. If someone asked you is (was) Jesus, how would you answer?

6 Paul and his followers had major disagreements with the followers in the church in Jerusalem led by Peter, John, and James (Jesus brother) over a lot of things including the iden'ty of Jesus. Why?

7 The Jerusalem group were probably the forerunners to the Ebionites. To join, one had to convert to Judaism. Thy only accepted the book of MaShew (without the first 2 chapters) and the Old Testament. They rejected all of Paul s wri'ngs. They rejected the virgin birth, the divinity of Jesus, His atoning death, and His resurrec'on.

8 As to the iden'ty of Jesus, the Ebionites said He was only human. The Marcions said He was only divine Paul s followers and later said He was both human and and divine. This is what won out and became orthodoxy. How do you feel about these views?

9 When you see Jesus name in the Bible, He was first referred to as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus the son of Joseph. Christ was not a part of His name. Christ was originally a 'tle meaning anointed one. It later changed where Jesus was the human name and Christ was the divine name. Both were used to indicate Jesus was both human and divine.

10 One of the jus'fica'ons that Jesus is divine was that He is the Son of God. How was Jesus the Son of God?

11 Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. We know Mark was the earliest Gospel and it begins with the bap'sm of Jesus. We know that both authors of MaShew and Luke use Mark as a source. Both add the birth narra've to Mark.

12 Why do only MaNhew and Luke have the birth narraove and why did they add it to Mark? The author of Luke was wri'ng for gen'le converts to the new religion. They were pagans and were used to their gods coming down and impregna'ng women. So it was an easy way for them to iden'fy with this new religion and Jesus as special.

13 When MaShew was wrisen, the early Jewish sect was in a basle with Rabbinical Judaism. One of the author of MaShew s main purposes was to convince Jews that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah. So a lot of his book 'es back into Old Testament prophecies. The idea of the virgin birth 'es back into Isaiah. The two main ques'ons deal with the meaning of the Greek and Hebrew words and whether or not this was a dual prophecy.

14 In Isaiah, when the kingdom of Judah was threatened by a confedera'on of enemies from the north, King Ahaz was terrified. God sent the prophet Isaiah to calm the king. The prophet declared that the evil forces would not prevail. Ahaz was encouraged to ask for a sign documen'ng this word of consola'on, but the stubborn king refused, bit was given one anyway. Read Isaiah 7:14 Do you believe that this is a dual prophecy also prophesying the birth of Jesus?

15 Re- read Isaiah 7:14 The Hebrew word "almah, meaning a young woman of childbearing age who has not yet had a child, and who may be an unmarried virgin or a married young woman. The Hebrew word almah, was translated into Greek in the Septuagint as parthenos or 'virgin.' Had the Hebrew meant to say virgin it would have used bethulah, which means specifically a virgin. Are you OK with using the word virgin here?

16 How else might Jesus be considered the Son of God? Adop'onism is a nontrinitarian theological teaching that Jesus was adopted as God s son at either His bap'sm, His resurrec'on, or His ascension. Jesus was born merely human and that he became divine adopted as God's son later in his life. By these accounts, Jesus earned the 'tle Christ through his sinless devo'on to the will of God.

17 Adop'onism was declared heresy at the end of the 2 nd century and rejected by the Council of Nicea which defined the orthodox theology of the trinity. What is your opinion of adopoonism? I didn t find any clear cut verses on the ascension.

18 Bap'sm verses Read Luke 3:21-22 These verses do not say that He was not God s son before bap'sm. How might you idenofy with these verses in terms of becoming a child of God?

19 Another 'me Jesus was declared to be the Son of God was at the resurrec'on, as the firstborn. Read Romans 1:1-4 Jesus came from David as to his human nature, but was also declared to be the Son of God, by the Divine power which raised him from the dead. How do you feel about Jesus being human and then being declared divine axer His resurrecoon?

20 What is your preference on how Jesus came to be divine and called God s son and why?

21 John describes Jesus as The Word which spoke to both Jews and gen'les. For the Jews, the word of God was communicated through the Old Testament. For the gen'les, Greeks had formed a concept of the Word (logos) as the crea've and sustaining spirit of God in the world. What does using the Word to describe Jesus say to you?

22 Some people reject the existence of God. They say where is the proof. How would you respond to this?

23 Some people believe in God but create a god that offers maximum benefits with minimum obliga'ons for example. How do you feel about this type of God?

24 Non believers make another point. The ask if God is really the loving God that Jesus revealed to us, why are we leb with so many ques'ons? How would you respond to that quesoon?

25 Unbelievers ask, why aber 2000 years there is lisle to show for it except his promise that one day the Kingdom of God will come on earth as in heaven. What else do we have to show for it?

26 The author says that whenever we find the truth difficult to accept, it is because we are blind to everything except for our own self interest. How you you feel about this comment?