In education there’s lots of ologies; biology, psychology… Does that mean our Bible Study is: Bible-ology? (my apology).
In Bible college we have:
Theology: Study of God
Pneumatology: Study of Holy Spirit
Christology: Study of Jesus Christ
Today we have the honor of hearing Jesus
give His own Christology.
16 For
this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him,
because He had done these things on the Sabbath.
The word, persecuted, is
in the present imperfect tense. They persecuted and kept on persecuting
Him.
This is the turning point. From this
moment, the religious establishment wages a full-fledged war against Jesus;
with one goal—kill Him
Notice, it says they sought to
kill Him because He had done these things on the Sabbath.
You see they charged Him with breaking
the Sabbath, which carried the death penalty according to Jewish law. However,
it was unenforceable in that day, since Roman law dictated, that Jews were not
allowed to legally put anyone to death.
Just to be clear, Jesus did not
break the Sabbath according to God; only according to manmade oral additions,
religious traditions (as discussed last week, Jesus
demands decision, not religion).
God simply said to remember the
Sabbath, keep it holy, don’t work. The word for, work, in the original
text is melakah, and means: occupation, work. Exodus 20:8-10. Remember
the Sabbath, take the day off, don’t do customary work; rest.
Jesus teaches, Sabbath was made for
man, not man for the Sabbath. Mark 2:27.
(FYI: Sabbath is Saturday—not Sunday.
Christians meet on Sundays, referred to as “The Lord’s Day” because He rose
from the grave on Sunday.)
Romans 14:5. Some distinguish one day above another. Others see them all alike. Each should make up their own mind.
The Jews charged Jesus with an
unenforceable offense. But with the very next sentence, Jesus raises the stakes
and turns the trajectory of His life on earth toward His Divine Destiny...the
cross.
17 But
Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working
until now, and I have been working.”
They didn’t know it, but Jesus just
gave them the weapon they needed to reach their goal of killing Him. And His goal,
of offering Himself, the Son of God, as the Lamb of God, the perfect Sinless
Sacrifice, that takes away the sins of the world.
The Jews didn’t have authority to put
Jesus to death, but Rome did (sort of, it was only given to them by God, of
course). Rome would never condemn Jesus for breaking some Jewish law; however, they
may consider condemning someone claiming to be King.
Jesus was telling the religious
leaders: My Father and I don’t walk by your clock. We work by Kairos, not
Chronos, time. Heaven’s Divine timing, not man’s calendar.
They clearly understood what Jesus was
saying:
18 Therefore
the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke
the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making
Himself equal with God.
They sought all the more to kill Him.
At first, they just had Him on charges of breaking the
Sabbath; but now, after Jesus said that, they were enraged by what they
deemed as blasphemy. This Man claims to be equal with God!
Some folks (Islam, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses) claim, Jesus never said He was God. But,
that’s simply not true. He said it clear and often. His enemies heard it and
were so triggered by it, they finally killed Him for it.
After this, it appeared to go from bad to worse. But
the Truth is that Jesus was simply stirring up the water, like the pool of
Bethesda
As God’s Divine Eternal Purpose unfolds in our day, it may appear
as if all is falling apart, but the Truth is, HIStory is falling into place.
The trajectory of the planet has rounded the bend into its last straightaway and
final destination. Rapture. Return. Revelation. Redemption.
Are you ready to cross the finish line? It's approaching sooner than you think. Romans 13:12-14.
19 Then
Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly,
I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees
the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in
like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows
Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater
works than these, that you may marvel.
Now that He’s stirred the water, Jesus tells them plainly that He is One with the Father.
If you have a red-letter edition, from here to the end
of the chapter is a sea of red.
Like a Divinely orchestrated symphony, He
weaves the words, Son, and Father, together fourteen times, in perfect harmony
as He reveals four ways, He is One with the Father, and follows up with four
witnesses to prove it.
His first revelation is that He and the Father are one
in Divine Eternal Purpose. Their wills are One, thus, His actions
mirror His Father’s.
Do yours?
ONE WITH FATHER:
1. Purpose
– Divine Eternal Purpose
We all have a God given Divine Eternal Purpose, an
internal, eternal, clock and compass that leads to, Thy will be done on earth as
it is in heaven.
The question is: will we follow it?
21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even
so the Son gives life to whom He will.
Now Jesus says that He and the Father have power over
life and death. He is not only one with the Father in Purpose, but also
in Power.
ONE WITH FATHER:
1. Purpose
– Divine Eternal Purpose
2. Power – Life giving power
John 10:18, No one
takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it
down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received
from My Father.
22 For the Father judges no one, but has
committed all judgment to the Son,
Jesus is King of kings, Lord of lords, and Judge of judges.
Jesus is one with the Father, in Purpose, Power, and, Prosecution – judgement.
ONE WITH FATHER:
1. Purpose
– Divine Eternal Purpose
2. Power
– Life giving power
3. Prosecution
– Judgement
James 4:12, There’s only One Judge, One
Lawgiver…even Christ.
23 that all should honor the Son just as
they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does
not honor the Father who sent Him.
The fourth way in which Jesus is one with the Father
is in honor.
ONE WITH FATHER:
1. Purpose
– Divine Eternal Purpose
2. Power
– Life giving power
3. Prosecution
– Judgement
4. Praise
– Honor
Philippians 2:8-11, And being found in
appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death
on a cross Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the
name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, in heaven and on earth and under the
earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of God the Father.
Revelation 5:12, “Worthy is the Lamb, who
was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and
glory and blessing.”
24 “Most
assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent
Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed
from death into life.
25 Most assuredly,
I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the
dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will
live.
The is the definite article
in front of the word, dead. That means, He’s not just talking about any,
old dead, but the dead. The spiritually dead, who hear the Word of God,
and Live.
Whoever has ears, let them hear… Matthew 11:15, Mark 4:9, 23, Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13,22.
Today if you hear His voice harden not
your hearts… Hebrews 3:15.
Psalm 19:1-4, The heavens declare the
glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day after day they
pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. Without speech or
language, without a sound to be heard, their voice has gone out into all the
earth, their words to the ends of the world.
Romans 1:20, For since the creation of the
world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been
clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without
excuse.
26 For as
the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to
have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him
authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son
of Man.
Son of Man
is the Kingpin connecting the four ways and the four witnesses which follow. It’s
also the Rock on which this discourse is built. Jesus is referred to as “Son
of Man” eighty-eight times in the New Testament.
When the Jews heard the words, Son of Man, in this context, they heard the
Messianic prophecy from Daniel, echo loud and clear in their ears.
“I
was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed.”
Daniel 7:13-14.
Jesus was making sure, beyond the shadow of a doubt,
so that even the dullest of hearing, could hear, and understand what He was
saying. I AM, the Son of Man, the Messiah spoken about by all the
prophets. I AM Who you’ve been waiting for, praying to, reading about, all your
lives.
28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is
coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and
come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who
have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
Everybody
faces judgement.
Christians: There
is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1.
As a Christian, our judgement took place 2,000 years ago on an old rugged
cross. We will however, appear before the judgement seat of Christ, not to
determine salvation, but an examination of our deeds. 2 Corinthians 5:10, Revelation 22:12.
Non-Christians: You
will stand before the Great White Throne Judgement, be pronounced guilty,
and sentenced to the lake of fire, for eternity, with no chance of parole. Revelation 20:11-15, Matthew 25:41.
Next Jesus introduces four witnesses to provide
evidence to confirm His words.
Lord willing, we’ll meet them next week.
For now, let’s pray.
Holy Father, thank You for sending. Lord Jesus, thank
You for coming. Holy Spirit, thank You for staying.
We give You all Praise.
We submit to Your just Prosecution.
We bow before Your Almighty Power.
We thank You for completing Your Divine Purpose.
We pray You’ll help us, complete ours.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
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