JESUS - THE LAMB OF GOD

When John the Baptizer saw Jesus coming toward him, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The next day, he said it again (John 1:36).

It is virtually impossible for us to understand the impact these words had on the Jews who heard them. Most of the people in John’s audience were expecting the Messiah to be the Lion of the tribe of Judah –a second David who would lead the armies of Israel in battle and drive out the Romans. They certainly did not expect the Messiah to be a Lamb.

Lions are symbols of military strength, but not lambs. Lions kill; lambs die. Lambs were sacrificed at the temple every morning and evening to cleanse people from sin. In fact, lambs have been killed and offered to God in worship since the time of Adam and Eve (Genesis 4).

Passover Lambs

But there was a special time each year when numerous lambs were sacrificed at the temple in Jerusalem. On the fourteenth day of the Jewish month of Nisan (in early spring), many people from far and near celebrated the Passover Festival in Jerusalem. This festival commemorated Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage –the premier act of salvation in the Old Testament.

The Passover season was near at hand when John pointed to Jesus as “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 36). And it was during the Passover season that Jesus died. He died at 3:00 p.m. (Mark 15:34-37) on “the day of Preparation” (John 19:30-31). Jesus died at the exact time when Passover lambs were being slaughtered in preparation for the Passover Festival.

The apostle Paul recognized the link between Jesus and the Passover lamb when he said, “For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed” (1Corinthians 5:7b). As the blood of the Passover lamb saved the Israelites from death in Egypt (Exodus 12), so the blood of Jesus Christ saves us from eternal death today.

Why Did Jesus Die?

When Adam and Eve sinned, they died spiritually, and eventually, they died physically. Their sin separated them from God because God and sin cannot coexist. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins by dying physically and spiritually on the cross. While hanging on the cross, he cried out, “My God, my God; why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Spiritual death is being separated from God.

Jesus died because all of us have sinned (Romans 3:23), and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Jesus died as our Passover Lamb to save us from death. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

The Prophecy of Abraham

Portraying Jesus as the Passover Lamb, however, only partially describes what Jesus accomplished by His death. The practice of sacrificing lambs is rooted in Old Testament history.

Perhaps the best-known case of animal sacrifice in the Old Testament is found in Genesis 22. God put Abraham’s faith to the test by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac. God was not endorsing human sacrifice. He was anticipating the time when He would offer His own Son as a sacrifice for all humanity.

Abraham obeyed God’s command and took Isaac to Mount Moriah (Genesis 22:2). On the way up the mountain, Isaac said to his father, “The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” (Genesis 22:7). Abraham replied, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:8). This prophecy was partially fulfilled when God provided a ram for Abraham. The prophecy was ultimately fulfilled by Jesus Christ.

When Abraham and Isaac arrived at the place of sacrifice, Abraham built an altar and prepared to offer his son to the Lord. Abraham believed God was able to raise Isaac from death (Genesis 22:5; Hebrews 11:17-19). As Abraham took the knife to slay his son, the angel of the Lord called to him, “Abraham! Abraham! Do not lay a hand on the boy. . . Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son” (Genesis 22:10-12).

Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. So he “took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son” (Genesis 22:13). One life was substituted for another. The ram died in the place of Isaac. Mount Moriah came to be known as “the mountain of the Lord” (Genesis 22:14). Later, King David purchased the top of this mountain from Araunah the Jebusite (1 Chronicles 21:18-26). It was there that Solomon built the temple (1 Chronicles 22:1; 2 Chronicles 3:1). And it was there, near the crest of Mount Moriah, that Jesus died as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”.

During His ministry, Jesus said, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). The Greek word that is translated “for” is anti, meaning “in place of”. As the ram was substituted for Isaac, so Jesus was substituted for us. He died in our place.

The Prophecy of David

One thousand years before Jesus was born, King David described the crucifixion of Jesus in these words: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1). “All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: ‘He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him’” (Psalm 22:7-8). “My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. . . a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing” (Psalm 22:15-18).

A millennium later, these prophecies were all fulfilled. Soldiers pierced Jesus’ hands and feet with nails (John 20:25, 27). They stripped Him naked, and everyone could count His ribs. The soldiers at the foot of the cross divided His clothes among them by casting lots (Matthew 27:35; John 19:23-24). On the cross, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Those who passed by hurled insults at Him, shaking their heads (Matthew 27:39). The chief priests, teachers of the law, and elders mocked Him saying, “He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him” (Matthew 27:43). Jesus was thirsty, so His tongue stuck to the roof of His mouth (John 19:28). Every detail of David’s prophecy was fulfilled.

The Prophecy of Isaiah

Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah described the purpose of Jesus’ death. Isaiah said,

• “He was pierced for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5a).
• “He was crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5b).
• “The punishment that brought us peace was upon him” (53:5c).
• “By his wounds, we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5d).
• “The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).
• “He was led like a lamb to the slaughter” (Isaiah 53:7).
• “He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken” (Isaiah 53:8).
• “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death” (Isaiah 53:9).
• “The Lord makes his life a guilt offering” (Isaiah 53:10).
• “After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied” (Isaiah 53:11a).
• “My righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:11b).
• “Therefore, I will give him a portion among the great, . . . because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).
• “For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).

Jesus fulfilled ALL of these prophecies. For our transgressions, He was pierced by nails and a spear. By His punishment, He brought us peace and healing. He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. He was crucified between two thieves and buried in the tomb of a rich man. God made His life a guilt-offering that took away our sins. After Jesus suffered, He saw the light of life when He was raised from death. He has borne our sins and is now making intercession for us.

Peter said, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins . . . by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

The Prophecies of Jesus

1. At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus began explaining to His disciples that “he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Matthew 16:21). This prediction is also recorded in Mark 8:31 and Luke 9:22.

2. Later, Jesus took the twelve apostles aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him. On the third day, he will rise again” (Luke 18:3133). This prophecy is also recorded in Matthew 20:17-19 and Mark 10:32-34.

The Jewish high court fulfilled these prophecies when they spat in Jesus’ face, struck him with their fists, and slapped Him (Matthew 26:67). The Romans fulfilled them when they flogged Him, mocked Him, placed a crown of thorns on His head, spat on Him, and struck Him on the head with a staff again and again (Matthew 27:26-30; Mark 15:1620). Yet, Jesus remained silent like a lamb. He graciously took our punishment for us. We are redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19).

All Spiritual Blessings Are in Christ

All spiritual blessings are in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). “In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7-8).

How do we get into Christ?

1. We must believe in Him (John 8:24).

2. We must repent of our sins (Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38).

3. When we experience points 1 & 2, then we receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). We are cleansed by His blood (Romans 5:9; 6:3-5; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; 2:12-13; Revelation 5:9; 7:14). We arise to live a new life, and Jesus’ blood “purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

4. Then we must be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Mathew 28:19). Baptism is a symbol of our experience described in point 3.

JESUS - THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

At the temple in Jerusalem, 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).

What did Jesus mean by that? In what way is Jesus the light of the world? And what does it mean to walk in darkness?

Light and Darkness in the New Testament

In the New Testament, “light” symbolizes spiritual illumination, and “darkness” symbolizes ignorance, evil, and spiritual blindness.

Jesus said, “Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God” (John 3:19-21).

Jesus is an example of true enlightenment. He received His spiritual light from God, not from meditation. Those who love truth and pursue it are quick to accept the light. Those who love evil, hate the light of Jesus because they dislike having their evil lifestyle exposed for what it is.

Toward the end of His ministry, Jesus said to his disciples, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light” (John 12:35-36). Then, Jesus said, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness” (John 12:46).

The point is, Jesus would soon be leaving his followers, and He urged them to walk with Him in the light while they could. After He was gone, the Holy Spirit would come into them, and they would become lights shining in the midst of darkness (Philippians 2:14-15). In His sermon on the mount, Jesus told His followers, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Now, He is challenging us to “walk in the light as he is in the light” (1 John 1:7a).

Paul said something similar to the Ephesians, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness” (Ephesians 5:8-11).

Jesus, the Enlightened Teacher

As a teacher, Jesus was a source of light. He taught on the roads, by the seaside, in houses, in synagogues, and in the temple. Jesus is addressed as “Teacher” thirty-one times in the gospels.

Jesus, the master teacher, fulfilled the prophecies of Isaiah who wrote, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse [the father of David]; from his roots, a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him–the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:1-3). The Spirit of God came upon Jesus and gave Him wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, and reverence–all signs of enlightenment.

As a teacher of morality, Jesus remains unmatched. He demonstrated the truths He taught by the way He lived and died. He was the embodiment of truth. He, alone, could truthfully say, “I am . . . the truth” (John 14:6). Throughout His life, Jesus maintained His integrity and taught by example. He was the light of the world.

Jesus’ Methods of Teaching

In addition to teaching by example, Jesus used various methods of teaching to enlighten others.

1) He asked penetrating questions that caused people to think, to search their hearts, and to discover things within themselves they had never seen before. His questions led to enlightenment.

2) Jesus used short, memorable proverbs that gave insights into human nature and divine truth. These proverbs enlightened His followers and influenced their behavior.

3) Jesus taught in parables using things well-known to His listeners as object lessons. He drew illustrations from birds, flowers, salt, light, water, old and new clothing, bread dough, old wine-skins, mustard seeds, fig trees, wedding feasts, farming, fishing, shepherding, and building houses on a solid foundation. Jesus spoke in parables to reveal truth to His followers and to conceal the truth from those who were trying to entrap Him.

4) To receptive listeners, Jesus also taught truth and shed light in straightforward teaching.

Enlightenment on True Greatness

Jesus revealed that worldly standards are often upside down. The world thinks that a great person is someone who has power and authority over others, or someone who is rich and famous.

One day, a dispute arose among Jesus’ disciples as to which one of them was the greatest. Jesus said to them, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave” (Matthew 20:25-27).

Jesus reveals to us that true greatness consists not of power, or military might, or autocratic authority, but of humble service. To illustrate this truth, Jesus washed His apostles’ feet. He said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). True greatness is loving people and humbly serving them.

Enlightenment on True Riches

Untold millions of people in the world today dream of getting rich. They spend most of their time making money and spending it. Their goal in life is to build up their bank account and a big retirement fund. They think that a new car, a new house, a new boat, a new wardrobe, or a new thrill will make them happy. But they eventually learn that wealth alone does not satisfy. Many of the world’s richest people have died in misery.

Jesus saw through the folly of chasing material wealth. He said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?”(Matthew 16:26). Our material wealth will do us no good when we die. We can’t take it with us when we die.

A man said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:13,15).

Then, Jesus told a story to illustrate the point. The ground of a rich farmer produced a huge crop –so big his barns would not hold it. Instead of sharing his abundance with the poor, he decided to tear down his old barns and build larger ones. He said to himself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry” (Luke 12:19).

But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (Luke 12:20).

Earthly riches can be snatched away in a moment –by a flood, tornado, hurricane or typhoon, a tsunami, economic depression, or by death. What then? Have we invested in eternity? Our treasure in heaven will not perish. It can neither be stolen nor destroyed. Enlightened people lay-up treasures in heaven.

Enlightenment on the Primacy of Love

A lawyer stood up to test Jesus. He said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25). Jesus replied, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” The lawyer answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus replied, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live” (Luke 10:26-28). In an effort to justify himself, the lawyer asked, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29).

In response, Jesus told a story about a man who was traveling between Jerusalem and Jericho when a band of robbers stripped him, beat him, and left him half dead. A priest and a Levite happened to be traveling on the same road, and both of them passed by on the other side to avoid having to deal with the wounded man.

But a Samaritan came by, saw the man, and had pity on him. He bandaged his wounds and poured oil and wine on them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn. There, he took care of him through the night. The next morning, he gave two silver coins to the innkeeper and said, “Look after him, and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have” (Luke 10:30-35).

Jesus asked the lawyer, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”  The lawyer replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus said, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37).

Notice that it was a Samaritan (a man despised by the Jews) who was a good neighbor. Jesus was shedding light on the virtue of showing compassion for strangers and helping those in need regardless of their race, religion, or nationality. The question is not, “Who is my neighbor?” The real question is, “How can I love my neighbor as myself?”

Jesus said to his apostles, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). To walk in the light is to walk in the love of God (1 John 1:7; 2:9).

Enlightenment on the Importance of Forgiveness

It is human nature to resent people who insult us and do us harm. The natural tendency is to hold grudges and to take vengeance. But if we do not forgive, we become slaves to our own emotions. Negative emotions eat on us inside. They cause ulcers and other psychosomatic illnesses. But forgiveness sets us free.

Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus replied, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:21-22).

Then Jesus told a story about a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. One of his servants owed him millions of dollars and was not able to pay him. The king decided to sell the servant and his family to settle the debt.

The servant fell on his knees before the king and begged, “Be patient with me, and I will pay back everything.” The master took pity on his servant and canceled the debt.

Afterward, the servant went out and found a fellow-servant who owed him a few dollars. Grabbing him by the throat, he said, “Pay back what you owe me.”The fellow-servant begged, “Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.” But the unforgiving servant refused and had the man put in prison until he could pay the debt.

When the king heard about this, he summoned the servant and said, “You wicked servant. I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” In anger, the king reinstated the servant’s debt and punished him severely (Matthew 18:23-34).

Forgiveness is one of Jesus’ primary themes. In his Sermon on the Mount, he said, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:14).  Forgiveness involves giving up the right to be angry and resentful. Others will treat us badly, and we will need to forgive them in order to practice the golden rule (Matthew 7:12). We, ourselves, will inadvertently offend others, and we will need their forgiveness.

Think what a difference it would make if all of us would forgive those who dishonor us –if we loved our enemies, did good to those who hate us, and prayed for those who mistreat us (Luke 6:27-28).

While Jesus was hanging on the cross, he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Jesus shed light on the importance of forgiveness.

A Call for Change

There are many barriers to spiritual growth and enlightenment. Pride, self-righteousness, complacency, selfishness, resentment, bitterness, lust, greed, dishonesty, addictions, and hopelessness all prevent us from seeing the light.

These negative qualities must be unlearned before we can walk in the light. There must be a change of nature and disposition –a change that begins when we are born again of water and the Spirit (John 3:3-5) –a change that continues as we allow the Spirit of God to transform us into the likeness of Jesus, the light of the world (2 Corinthians 3:18).

JESUS - THE WONDER WORKER

Jesus was not divine because He performed miracles. He performed miracles because He was divine. The miracles of Jesus were an integral part of His ministry. He performed miracles to help people and to glorify God.

The Miracles of Jesus

As a wonder-worker, Jesus was in a class by Himself. Nobody ever performed signs and wonders like He did. His miracles were unique. Whereas, the miracles in the Old Testament were external in nature and demonstrated God’s power over the physical realm, the miracles of Jesus had an internal dimension and magnified God’s power over the spiritual realm as well.

By performing miracles, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah who wrote, “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy” (Isaiah 35:5-6). Isaiah wrote a series of “servant songs” that described the Messiah’s ministry of healings (Isaiah 42:1-7; 49:1-13; 50:4-11; 52:13-15; 53:1-12). When Jesus healed the man with a withered hand, Matthew said, “This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah” (Matthew 12:17).

John the Baptist sent messengers to ask Jesus if He was really the Messiah. Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor” (Matthew 11:3-5).

These miracles proved to John that Jesus was the Messiah who had been predicted by the prophet Isaiah. He was Immanuel, meaning “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). He was the divine Miracle Worker.

The Purpose of Jesus’ Miracles

What was the purpose of Christ’s miracles? Was it to display His supernatural power and to amaze people with startling signs from heaven? Did Jesus perform miracles to show off? No. Jesus refused to jump from the pinnacle of the temple when Satan tempted Him to display His divinity (Matthew 4:5-7). Jesus refused to perform a miracle for King Herod (Luke 23:8-9). Far from calling attention to His miracles, Jesus often asked people not to tell anyone about them.

The primary purpose of Jesus’ miracles was to bring glory to God. Jesus never performed a miracle for His own benefit. He provided food for 5,000 men and their families, yet He refused to turn stones into bread to satisfy His own hunger (Luke 4:3-4). He never performed a miracle to convince unbelievers (Matthew 16:1-4). He could have called legions of angels to deliver Him from the cross, but He did not. That would not have glorified God.

Luke, a medical doctor, emphasized that Jesus performed miracles by the power of God. Luke says that “the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick” (Luke 5:17). When a large crowd of people came to be healed and to hear the teachings of Jesus, “the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all” (Luke 6:19).

Four Kinds of Miracles

The miracles of Jesus have been classified in four categories: (1) cures, (2) exorcisms, (3) resurrections, and (4) control of nature. Let us examine an example or two in each category.

Cures

Twenty of the thirty-six miracles recorded in the gospels involved cures. Jesus gave sight to the blind, cleansed lepers, made lame people walk and mutes talk, restored withered limbs, and healed men and women of various diseases.

Some of the diseases that Jesus cured were like death sentences in New Testament times. That was especially true of leprosy –a disease that caused fingers, toes, and other appendages to rot and fall off. People lived in fear of catching leprosy, so lepers were forced to live in colonies away from populated areas, to carry bells, and to cry, “Unclean!” when people approached them.

One time, Jesus healed ten lepers by simply telling them to go show themselves to the priests (Luke 17:14). Along the way, they were healed. One of the men saw that he was clean, and he came back praising God and thanking Jesus with a loud voice. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” (Luke 17:17). With this miracle, Jesus taught a lesson on gratitude. When God blesses us, we should praise Him.

In Jerusalem, Jesus saw a man who had been blind from birth. Jesus spat on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put the mud on the man’s eyes. He said to him, “Go...wash in the Pool of Siloam” (John 9:6-7). So the man went and washed, and when he came back, he could see.

Prior to giving sight to this blind man, Jesus had 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; John 9:5).  As Jesus gave sight to this blind man, He opens our eyes to spiritual truth. Jesus leads us out of spiritual darkness into the light of God’s wisdom and love.

Exorcisms

One day, Jesus and His apostles got into a boat and crossed the Sea of Galilee. When they landed in the country of the Gerasenes, a naked man full of demons came to meet them. This man lived in the tombs and was so wild no one could bind him, not even with chains. When people tried to bind him, he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his ankles. Night and day, he cried out in the hills and among the tombs and cut himself with sharp stones (Mark 5:1-5; Luke 8:26-27).

When the demon-possessed man saw Jesus, he fell on his knees in front of Him and shouted, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me” (Mark 5:7). Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” The man replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many” (Mark 5:9). Jesus ordered the demons to leave the man, and they entered a herd of pigs that were feeding on the hillside. The pigs ran down the bank into the lake and were drowned.

When the townspeople came to investigate, “they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind” (Luke 8:35). The man wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus said, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you” (Luke 8:39). So the man went away and told people in that region what Jesus had done for him, and the people were amazed.

There is a lesson for us in this miracle. When God drives out our spiritual demons and turns our lives around, we should not hesitate to tell others how much God has done for us.

Raising the Dead

On three occasions, Jesus raised someone from the dead: (1) the young man at Nain (Luke 7:11-16), (2) Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:49-56), and (3) Lazarus (John 11:1-46).

Jairus, a synagogue leader in Capernaum, came to Jesus and begged Him to come to his house and heal his twelve-year-old daughter who was dying. On their way to the house, a man came up to Jairus and said, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the teacher anymore” (Luke 8:49). Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed” (Luke 8:50).

When they arrived at the house, people were wailing and mourning. Jesus said to them, “Stop wailing. She is not dead but asleep” (Luke 8:52). The mourners laughed at Him because they knew she was dead. Jesus took Peter, James, and John and both parents into the room where the girl’s body lay. Jesus took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” (Luke 8:54). The girl’s spirit returned, and she stood up. Jesus told the parents to give her something to eat, and they were astonished.

The lesson in this miracle is found in the words, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe”. When tragedy strikes and things look hopeless, we should put our trust in God. He will see us through.

Power over Nature

The gospels include nine miracles in which Jesus demonstrated His power over nature (Matthew 8:23-27; 14:13-21, 22-33; 15:32-39; 17:24-27; 21:18-22; Luke 5:1-11; John 2:1-11; 21:1-14).

After Jesus had fed 5,000 men and their families with five small barley loaves and two fish (John 6:1-13), He made His apostles get into their boat and row to the other side of the lake. Then, Jesus dismissed the crowd and went up on the mountainside to pray.

Meanwhile, the apostles were rowing against a strong wind, and the waters were rough. At 3 o’clock in the morning, while they were still in the middle of the lake, they looked up and saw Jesus walking toward them on the water. They thought He was a ghost, and they were terrified.

Jesus said to them, “Take courage. It is I. Don’t be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).  Peter replied, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water”. Jesus said, “Come” (Matthew 14:28-29). So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind tossing the waves, he was afraid, and he began to sink. He cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30). Jesus reached out His hand and caught Peter. He said, “You of little faith. Why did you doubt?” (Matthew14:31).  When Jesus and Peter climbed into the boat, the winds died down, and the apostles worshiped Jesus saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33).

The lesson is clear: We must keep our eyes on Jesus during the storms of life. If we have faith, He will give us spiritual power. Even when we sink into despair, He will lift us up when we cry out to Him.

Conclusion

The miracles of Jesus were actual historical events that have been verified by eye-witnesses. Jesus’ hunger, thirst, weariness, and death are evidences of His humanity. His miracles are evidences of His divinity.

The thirty-six miracles that are recorded in the gospels are only a fraction of the miracles Jesus performed in the course of His ministry (John 20:30; 21:25).

Jesus would ask us, “Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father” (John10:36-38).

JESUS - THE SON OF GOD



In the Bible, God’s people are often called “sons of God”. Adam is called “the son of God” (Luke 3:38). God called Israel “my son” (Exodus 4:22-23; Hosea 11:1). He referred to Solomon as “my son” (2 Samuel 7:11-14; 1 Kings 6:1). People who accept Jesus and believe in Him are given the right to “become children of God” (John 1:12). Paul said, “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:14). John wrote, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1).

This is symbolic language. Virtually all language about God is symbolic. God uses earthly relationships to stir our imaginations in an effort to convey heavenly relationships to human minds. God did not actually sire Adam, Israel, Solomon, and the angels, but He loved them as a good earthly father loves his sons. God does not father us physically, but He adopts us into His spiritual family. Adam, angels, Israel, Solomon, followers of Jesus, and all Spirit-filled people are “sons of God” by adoption (Romans 8:15, 23; Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5). According to the Bible, it is not irreverent and blasphemous to call ourselves “children of God”.

Was Jesus Any Different?

Was Jesus “the Son of God” in the same sense we are? Or did He have a Father/Son relationship with God that nobody else has?

The Bible is clear that Jesus was the Son of God in a unique sense. The angel Gabriel told Mary that the Holy Spirit would come upon her, and that the Holy One born to her would be called “the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

The term “Son of God” is found forty-seven times in the New Testament, usually with reference to Jesus. What does this term mean when used with regard to Jesus? Does it mean that God had physical relations with Mary in order to have a child by her? No. A thousand times no. To say that God is a sexual being who cohabits with women would be blasphemous. Nowhere does the Bible say that God ever had physical relations with a woman to sire a son.

What, then, does the term “Son of God” mean? To answer this question, let us turn to the New Testament and listen to the words of Jesus.

Jesus Calls God “My Father”

Jesus taught that there is only one God. When a teacher of the law asked Jesus to identify the greatest commandment, Jesus replied, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:29b-30). Jesus upheld monotheism in His teachings.

Yet, Jesus refers to God as “my Father”. He said, “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).

Here, Jesus claims a special Father/Son relationship with God and promises to put in a good word for those who acknowledge Him.

Jesus Claims to Be “the Son of God”

One Sabbath day, at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, Jesus healed a lame man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When the Jews criticized Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, he said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working” (John 5:17).

When the Jews heard this, they tried to kill Him. They accused Jesus of blasphemy because He was “calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God” (John 5:18).

When Muslims say that it is blasphemous to call Jesus the Son of God, they are making the same mistake the Jews made.

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son. . . . 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. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. . . . I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God , and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself” (John 5:19-23, 25-26).

Nine times in nine sentences, Jesus refers to Himself as “the Son”. Eight times, He refers to God as “the Father”. In verse 25, Jesus refers to Himself as “the Son of God”.

Jesus said to them, “I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me” (John 5:30). Jesus was an obedient Son. Time and again, He declared that He had come not to do His own will, but the will of the Father who sent Him (John 4:34; 5:23, 30, 36-38; 6:38-40; 12:44). Jesus submitted to the authority of the Father and thus honored God.

Jesus Was God’s Unique Son

In His dialogue with Nicodemus, Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17). Notice that God sent His Son into the world. That means that the Son existed with the Father before He became human.

John continues, “Whoever believes in him [the Son] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:18). Jesus is the unique Son of God. At least nineteen times in the Greek New testament, Jesus is identified as “the Son of the God” (Luke 22:70; John 1:34, 39; 3:18; 5:25; 11:4; 20:31; Acts 9:20; Ephesians 4:13; Hebrews 4:14; 6:6; 7:3; 10:29; 1 John 3:8; 4:15; 5:5, 10, 12, 13, 20).

Jesus’ Farewell Address

In Jesus’ farewell address to his apostles on the night before His crucifixion, He told them that He was going to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house (John 14:1-4).

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us” (John 14:8).

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?” (John 14:9-10). God has revealed Himself to us through His Son, Jesus. When we look at Jesus, we see what God is like.

Jesus On Trial

When Jesus was arrested and put on trial, the high priest asked Him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” (Mark 14:61). Jesus replied, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62). Here, again, Jesus claimed to be the Son of God.

“The Word” and “the Son” Are the Same Person

In the Gospel of John, the titles “the Word” and “the Son” refer to the same Person. John wrote, “The Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The literal translation reads, “The Word was with the God, and the Word was God”. That is to say, the Word was with God Almighty, and the Word was divine. “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3). The Word was the agent through whom God created all things, and the Word became flesh when Jesus was born.

The apostle Paul said, “For by him [Jesus, in his pre-earthly state] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. . . all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17). In the beginning, God created all things through His eternal Word/Son.

John said, “God, the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” (John 1:18). Jesus, the divine Word/Son, is now at the Father’s side. He has made God known to humanity.

Peter’s Testimony

At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked His apostles, “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15). Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

Jesus did not rebuke Peter for making that statement. Instead, He praised him. He said, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 16:17). God, Himself, had revealed to Peter that Jesus is the Son of God.

Martha’s Testimony

Jesus said to Martha (the sister of Lazarus whom Jesus raised from death), “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).

Martha replied, “Yes Lord. I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God” (John 11:27).

John’s Testimony

The apostle John wrote, “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true–even in his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 5:20). We know God when we are in His Son, Jesus Christ.

God’s Testimony

At Jesus’ baptism, God spoke from heaven saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

When Jesus was with Peter, James, and John on a high mountain, a bright cloud appeared and enveloped them. A voice came from the cloud saying, “This is my Son whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5).

John says, “We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:9-12).

Six times in four verses, John declares that God Himself has testified that Jesus is His Son.

Conclusion

You have heard the testimony of Jesus about Himself. You have heard the testimony of others, and the testimony of God. What is your response?

Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice: I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (John 10:27-30). Do you hear His voice as you read these words?

The Son and the Father are one in essence, purpose, and character. Jesus came to show us the glory of the Father and to draw us into a loving relationship with Him. Once we are united with Jesus, nothing can separate us from the love of God or snatch us out of the Father’s hand.