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Lesson 4
LONG AGO IN ETERNITY PAST...
Before there was space,
Before there was matter,
Before there was a universe,
-> God has always existed. He is eternal: "...from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." PSALM 90:2 -> He is dependent on nothing other than Himself: "And God said...I AM THAT I AM:" EXODUS 3:14 -> He is perfect, never changing: "For I am the LORD, I change not..." MALACHI 3:6 -> He is forever existing as a triune (3 in 1) God. He is a Trinity - one God manifested in three Persons:
Upon the Earth, God placed various creatures (Genesis 1:1-31) including one with the ability to have a personal relationship with Him. This unique creature was man, the crowning act of creation, conceived in the mind of a TRIUNE God. For on the sixth day the TRINITY said:
With that command, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost...
Therefore man, made in the image and likeness of his Creator, became a living SOUL with the ability to think, feel and choose. However, a soul by itself cannot interact with the world. That is why God gave him a BODY with five senses that act as 'windows' to the soul, enabling him to know the world around him. But even a soul inside a body cannot have a complete personal relationship with God because...
Thus, man was also given a SPIRIT to enable him to know God: to perceive the spiritual realm in much the same way that his body enabled him to perceive the physical world. Man was a complete being, consisting of body, soul, and spirit (I Thessalonians 5:23). Now everything was in place for a perfect relationship between a triune God and His creation... man.
The first man Adam and his wife Eve rebelled against God and 'died' spiritually, therefore losing their 'spiritual connection' with God (Genesis 3:1-24). This spiritual death has been passed down to every generation (Genesis 5:3; Romans 5:12), causing mankind to 'grope around' in spiritual blindness searching for God. Men have started many religions attempting to find their way back to God. Men have worshipped statues, idols, ceremonies, and even human intellect (Humanism and Rationalism). Despite all these 'religious efforts', man is still a soul trapped in the physical realm in need of a 'spiritual reconnection' with his Creator.
Fortunately God, wishing to restore His relationship with man (II Peter 3:9; I Timothy 2:3-6), promised Adam and Eve He would provide a Saviour (Genesis 3:15). Consequently, He had a plan that involved the second member of the Trinity - THE WORD:
The plan required THE WORD to leave His heavenly throne and embark upon a mission to...
Therefore, the "...the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us...." JOHN 1:14
Thus begins the story of the greatest life ever lived by the greatest person ever to walk upon the Earth: a man who became the central figure of all history, the most significant individual of all time. He was a man greatly loved yet greatly hated, powerful yet meek, great yet humble. Never has there been a man for whom so many have lived, and for whom so many have died. Never has there been a man that has changed the face of the Earth like this man...
THE SETTING: A missionary is in a small
obscure European town where most of the inhabitants practice a certain
non-mainstream religion. He has just knocked on somebody's door
when...
Hello sir. We've started a new church in town and I'd like to
invite you to one of our...
__Before you continue I must tell you I already have my own
religion. I am not interested. Good Day!
Well, may I at least leave you a BIBLE?
__Listen my fine man, keep your literature, my family has practiced
the same religion for generations. In fact, I'll have you know that
my great, great, great-grandfather personally knew the religion's
founder himself.
Hmm, that's interesting. I personally know my religion's founder
also.
__You don't say? I have always said one could tell a lot about a
religion by its founder. Perhaps you care to tell me about him.
I'd be glad to. To begin with, He was born of peasants - in an
animal shelter.
__An animal shelter? Surely, sir you jest! What sort of religion
could possibly come from a man with such meager beginnings? Unless of
course, he obtained his wealth later in life. Was he self-made?
Actually, He never owned a thing, except the clothes on His
back.
__Only his clothes? Surely, he owned more than that! Did he
possess a formal education?
He never attended school.
__My fine man, I find this ridiculously amusing. Tell me, was he
well traveled?
He never traveled more than 200 miles from home.
__Was he greatly loved and admired?
Not really. Only a few people loved Him, and even they abandoned
Him in His hour of need.
__Pity. Did he raise a large family?
No, He never even married.
__How large was his church? What was the duration of his
ministry?
Oniy twelve members in three years.
__Incredible! How long did he live?
He died young, at age thirty-three.
__Sir, really! I find your claims to be quite fascinating. But
I'm afraid that it sounds like your religion does not have much to
offer. Not when it was founded by, shall we say, such a 'unique and
colorful' person.
Sir, can I ask you a question?
__Yes, by all means.
What was your religion's founder like?
__He was a great nobleman: well educated and well traveled. Quite
the intellectual, I might add. He authored many books and was
considered one of the greatest minds of his time. His accomplishments
are guite numerous...!
Did he die for your sins?
__Why no, he taught that each man was to be personally responsible
for his own offences committed against the creator.
You mean your founder was not willing to take your guilt and
punishment and die in your place?
__Why, of course not. Who would do such a thing?
My founder did. He said, "Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13
__I must admit, that is somewhat impressive.
One more thing...where is your founder now?
__Why, he has long been dead. We pay honor to his place of burial.
Why do you ask?
Because, my founder rose again from the grave. His tomb in
Jerusalem has long been empty. He conquered death for all who would
come to Him. Did the founder of your religion accomplish that?
GOD'S PROMISE that He would provide a Saviour, was originally given to Adam and Eve shortly after they had sinned (Genesis 3:15). Throughout Jewish history "the promise" was passed down from generation to generation. Prophet after prophet reminded the Jews of the coming Saviour, the Messiah. He would be the One who would save them from their sins and set up an earthly kingdom, a kingdom ruled by God Himself. Isaiah was one of those prophets who predicted the BIRTH of the Messiah:
The prophecies continued for thousands of years, until one day there were no more prophets, and...
During those 400 years, the world saw one empire after another. Alexander the Great conquered the world and gave it his contribution; a one world language called Koine Greek. After drinking himself to death at the age of 33, Alexander's empire divided, preparing the way for Antiochus Epiphanes, the Syrian king. To the Jews, Antiochus was the Devil himself. Like those before him, he too made his "contribution": persecution. Antiochus Epiphanes persecuted the Jews to no end, going as far as to defile God's Temple by sacrificing swine upon its Holy Altar. These were hard, silent years for the Jews with no hope of Messiah in sight. Eventually, the mighty Roman empire displaced Antiochus, only to place the Jews under Rome's occupation. By now Rome owned the world. Their contributions were the famous 'Roman roads,' and an infamous method of execution called crucifixion.
| SIDE NOTE: While there were no new
revelations from God during these 400
years, the events which took place were actually predicted years before by the prophet Daniel (Daniel 11). |
GOD had chosen the vessel through which He would come into the world, and nine months later the Messiah arrived!
Q. WHO WERE THE WISE MEN WHO FOLLOWED |
It is not every day that God takes on flesh and is born
into the very world that He created. You would expect His birth to be
a very special event, and it certainly was. He was conceived by the
Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. His birth was announced and
anticipated thousands of years before it took place. Angels
proclaimed the actual birth to shepherds. A special star led the wise
men to Him. To this day His birthday is acknowledged every time
someone dates a check. What other birth can claim to be 'the event'
which the world's calendar system revolves around (B.C.=before
Christ). In fact, the central message of the whole BIBLE (all
sixty-six books), is tied into the birth and life of this one Man.
How ironic it is, that so much attention has been given to a birth
that took place in a manger, in the little town of Bethlehem.
(Bethlehem was approximately the size of a football field in the days
of Christ). Only God could produce such irony. The world finally had
its Saviour, and those who knew of His arrival wanted to see Him.
Among them:
THE WISE MEN "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him." MATTHEW 2:1-2
THE SHEPHERDS "...the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger." LUKE 2:15-16
KING HEROD also wanted to see Him, but unfortunately for a different reason:
Like any evil king, King Herod was not about to give up his throne to anyone: not even to the Messiah. So, he commanded the wise men to come back with the child's identity. However, God, in a dream, told the wise men not to return to Herod (Matthew 2:7-15). This did not sit well with the king:
Herod thought that by killing all the male children in Bethlehem, he would eliminate the Messiah. But God was already one step ahead of him because...
The child Jesus had escaped Herod's sword. Now all his parents had to do was wait in Egypt and...
While living in Nazareth, "...the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him." LUKE 2:40
Q. DID JESUS HAVE OTHER BROTHERS AND SISTERS? |
SEVERAL YEARS LATER...
When Jesus was twelve years old, His parents went to Jerusalem to participate in the feast of the PASSOVER. On the way home, His parents lost track of Him and went back to Jerusalem to try find Him. Searching diligently, they finally found Him in the Temple sitting among the Jewish teachers, asking and answering questions about the Jewish religion: "And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers" LUKE 2:47. His parents then asked Jesus why He had strayed away, causing them to search for Him:
At the age of twelve Jesus knew His Father's business was to reach a lost world. Did Jesus realize that it required His death on a cross? Perhaps the writer of the Psalms was prophetically referring to Jesus when he said:
Q. WHY DID JESUS COME IN |
The BIBLE gives no information about Jesus Christ from age twelve (Luke 2:42) through age thirty (Luke 3:23). What can we assume took place during this 18-year period?
We know that Mary and Joseph, being devout and faithful Jews would have continued to make the 75-mile journey every year from Nazareth to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. There, the young Jesus would have witnessed the blood shedding and sacrifice of the spotless male lamb upon the altar in the Temple. The innocent lamb was sacrificed for the sins of the guilty. What must have gone through the mind of the young Saviour to be, knowing that the lamb was a picture of Him ("the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" John 1:29)? One day He would shed His blood on the cross as the innocent dying for the guilty.
During those eighteen years it is believed that Jesus' 'stepfather' died. Though Mary is mentioned often later, her husband never is. He was perhaps much older than Mary. It was the tradition for the oldest son to learn the trade of his father, and take over the family business. Joseph was a carpenter (Matthew 13:55) and so was Jesus (Mark 6:3).
Before the days of electricity and power tools, carpentry was a rugged profession requiring much skill and strength. He who had simply spoken the world into existence with His mouth, had now humbled Himself to work with His hands to fashion wooden objects. Jesus would no doubt have had to support His family, and was known in the community as the carpenter (Luke 4:16-24). Though He was instructed in the Scriptures and would have learned the religious law from the local synagogue, the BIBLE says that He never had the opportunity to attend school and be formally educated (John 7:15).
AT THE AGE OF 30...
Jesus put aside His handsaw, set His wood plane on the shelf, laid down His carpenter's apron, wiped off the saw dust, and left behind His earthly trade, never to return to it again. His real ministry, which would last three years, had now begun. The world would never be the same. He left Nazareth of Galilee and went on a 60-mile journey, which took Him to a place near the Jordan river. There He was baptized by John the Baptist. John had been "the voice of one crying in the wilderness". His message was that of the coming Messiah. Upon seeing the Messiah face to face, John cried out:
He who came to the river as "the carpenter" ascended the bank as Messiah, and the voice of God from Heaven proclaimed Him as His beloved Son. He was the Lamb of God, the Word, the Son of God. And He came to Earth to do His Father's business:
God the Son had taken on flesh and become a physical representation of God the Father. Jesus said:
All that was in God the Father: His love of righteousness, His hatred of sin, His compassion, His justice, His mercy and every other aspect of His character, could be seen by simply looking at God the Son - Jesus Christ.
Q. WHY DID JESUS GET BAPTIZED? |
HIS MESSAGE was forgiveness of sins for all those who in repentance wanted to be forgiven (Mark 1:15).
Man had rebelled against God and died spiritually. God in His love was taking the initiative by offering forgiveness of sins and reconnecting man spiritually to Himself. The restoration of the broken fellowship between God and man would have a price - the death of His Son. That was Jesus' message, and He went about gathering twelve messengers beginning with two brothers:
SIDE NOTE: Christ means Messiah. Jesus means Saviour. Jesus Christ means Saviour Messiah.
JESUS CONTINUED to gather His disciples and eventually He had twelve that He would personally train for the next three years. These were the twelve apostles that would initially take Jesus' message, the Gospel, and preach it throughout the world (Matthew 10:7).
AS TIME WENT ON, Jesus taught His apostles. They were amazed at His knowledge and wisdom...
Jesus Christ, their teacher, was God. Yet He was also a man, feeling and experiencing everything His apostles did. The BIBLE says He...
Q. WHAT DID JESUS ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE? |
TO MOST people, compassion is 'skin deep', affecting only the emotions. With Jesus, compassion resulted in action. Compassion toward a lost world caused Him to leave His heavenly throne and take on the form of a lowly man. That same compassion had been motivating Him throughout His earthly life, including the day it moved Him to touch, of all things - A LEPER!:
Leprosy is a highly contagious disease that eats away at the flesh. Its poor victim would be forced to live alone outside the city, and cry out "Unclean, unclean[!]" whenever approaching others (Numbers 5:1-4). No other person was more despised, rejected or feared than the leper. The bravest man would cower like a frightened child upon seeing one. So wretched was the life of a leper that many dreaded the loneliness and rejection more than the disease itself.
Christ looked past the rotting flesh, ignoring the danger to Himself. He only knew that trapped within that disease- ridden body was a soul crying out for help. A soul who had resolved that Jesus was his last and only hope:
Jesus had healed a leper, but His compassion did not stop there. Everyday, multitudes came to see the one-time wood worker now work miracles. And always:
And with the same care that He once fashioned wood, He now put lives back together. The flow of people toward Jesus never ended. Everywhere He and His apostles went, there were the masses. Everywhere, people in physical and emotional pain were yearning for a miracle: desiring to be made whole. Many had their desires fulfilled as they were touched by the human hand of God. Yes, Jesus was moved with compassion and was sympathetic toward His fellow human beings. He was 'flesh and blood' and understood the human condition first hand. He was God who had taken on the form of a man. The BIBLE says that Christ:
Jesus Christ, the Word, temporarily emptied Himself of qualities which He possessed in Heaven in eternity past, before becoming a man. He laid aside the royal, regal robe which He wore in Heaven, and came down to this Earth to live as a man, temporarily putting aside the use of some divine qualities. That is why, while on this Earth, Jesus admitted to being inferior in some ways to God the Father (Mark 13:32; John 14:28), while still being God Himself. He was still GOD THE SON, the visible representative of the Trinity!
Because He was God, He would not have had to subject Himself to hunger, thirst, pain and fatigue. Yet He labored, sweat, and grew weary under the heat of the very sun which He had created. The BIBLE says:
THERE was no doubt that Jesus was human. His humanity was obvious. His claim to be God, however, was a different matter. It was often met with skepticism and outright hostilities. Such was the case the day He healed one sick of the palsy. Four others had carried their paralyzed friend upon his bed to Jesus (Mark 2:1-4). The bed-ridden man had come for a miracle: to walk again. What he got instead, surprised everyone because:
It was one thing to heal a body, and make it whole. It was quite another thing to make a soul 'right with God'. Forgiveness of sins was something reserved only for God. What Jesus had done was "blasphemous", and the scribes were not about to tolerate it. Their problem was that any open opposition to Jesus might bring upon them a riot from His faithful followers. So they carefully hid their hateful accusation of blasphemy within the sanctuary of their hearts, not realizing that nothing is hid from God:
Only God had the right to forgive sins and the ability to read minds. Yet here was a carpenter from Nazareth claiming these attributes as His own. To the self-righteous religious leaders He was blasphemous, worthy of stoning. To those whose lives had been changed He was their Saviour: the Messiah, the Son of God who had come down from Heaven. These were titles that Jesus Himself was not denying:
THIS was not the only time Jesus had made a claim that caused those around Him to take notice. On one other occasion, He boldly claimed to have power over His own life and death!
Statements like these were soon too much for some Jews. His claims were adding up to one thing: JESUS WAS CLAIMING TO BE GOD HIMSELF! This was a definite violation of Jewish law. Unlike the nations around them, the Jews were monotheistic. They worshipped one God. The law had clearly stated..."Thou shalt have no other gods before me." EXODUS 20:3
Needless to say, Jesus was becoming more and more controversial as time passed!!
NEVER has there been a man to whom there has been such an extreme difference of opinion. Jesus was either an outright lunatic with delusions of grandeur or He was Almighty God. He was either worthy of stoning or worthy of worship. Was He who He said He was, or was He a total imposter?
To this day the name Jesus Christ divides the masses into two groups. There are those who accept Him as Saviour and those who reject Him. Even the ever popular state of 'neutrality,' where a person says 'I neither accept Him nor reject Him,' places the person in the group that rejects Him...
Sometimes people will say: 'Well, I believe Jesus Christ was a good, moral man who taught love and truthfulness, but I do not believe He was God or the Son of God.'
Yet Jesus could not have been a good, moral man who taught love and truthfulness while going around lying, claiming to be God. A person simply cannot be both. He was either a liar with poor morals, or He was telling the truth and was genuinely God. Again, there is no 'middle ground' when it comes to Jesus, especially since the BIBLE reveals much that proves Jesus Christ was God.
"...behold, I send unto you prophets..." MATTHEW 23:34
Only God could send prophets, yet Jesus was claiming that He could
send them also.
"...all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the
Father." JOHN 5:23
Jesus was saying that He deserved as much honour as was due God the
Father, making Himself as honourable as God.
"My kingdom is not of this world..." JOHN 18:36
Jesus was claiming to be ruler over a heavenly kingdom - God's
kingdom.
"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be
saved..." JOHN 10:9
Only God can save a hell bound soul, yet Jesus was claiming to be the
entrance by which a person gets into Heaven.
"...I am the light of the world..." JOHN 8:12
Jesus was claiming to be the light, one of many descriptions of God.
"God is light" (I John 1:5).
"...without me ye can do nothing." JOHN 15:5
Jesus was claiming to be the source of all power, wisdom, and purpose
in a person's life.
"I and my Father are one." JOHN 10:30
Jesus was claiming that He and God the Father were one and the same,
making Himself equal with God.
"ye believe in God, believe also in me." JOHN 14:1
Jesus was saying, all men should believe in Him as they do in God.
THE BIBLE shows a parallel between God and Jesus Christ. There are many verses that refer to God as well as Christ. When these verses are placed side by side, a person can see that God and Jesus Christ are one and the same. (Refer also to opposite [below] page)
R E F E R E N C E S T O G O D compared
1) "For the LORD most high is...King over all the earth." PSALM 47:2
2) "Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting [eternity past]." PSALM 93:2
3) "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." GENESIS 1:1-27
4) "...I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God." ISAIAH 44:6
5) "...I appeared unto Abraham...by the name of God Almighty," EXODUS 6:3
6) "...unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." ISAIAH 45:23
7) "For I know that my redeemer liveth..." JOB 19:25
8) "Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me." HOSEA 13:4
"I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour." ISAIAH 43:11
9) "The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory." PSALM 24:7,10
10) "...the LORD...cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness..." PSALM 96:13
11) "For I am the LORD, I change not..." MALACHI 3:6
12) "For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them..." JOHN 5:21
13) "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." EXODUS 3:14
14) "...ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock..." DEUTERONOMY 32:3-4
15) "...far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity." JOB 34:10
16) "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD [God], make straight in the desert a highway for our God." ISAIAH 40:3
with R E F E R E N C E S T O J E S U S
1) "...Lord of lords, and King of kings..." REVELATION 17:14
2) "...whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." MICAH 5:2
3) "For by him [Jesus] were all things created..." COLOSSIANS 1:16
4) "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." REVELATION 22:13
5) "...which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." REVELATION 1:8
6) "...at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord..." PHILIPPIANS 2:9- 11
7) "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" ROMANS 3:24
8) "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." ACTS 4:12
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." MATTHEW 1:21
9) "Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." I CORINTHIANS 2:8
10) "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:" JOHN 5:22
"...shall judge the quick [living] and the dead at his appearing..." II Timothy 4:1
11) "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." HEBREWS 13:8
12) "...even so the Son quickeneth [makes alive] whom he will." JOHN 5:21
13) "...Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." JOHN 8:55-58
14) "...they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." I CORINTHIANS 10:4
15) "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:" I PETER 2:22
16) "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord [Jesus], make his paths straight." MATTHEW 3:3
THE SCRIPTURES further reveal that Jesus has abilities that fall under the categories of omni-presence (everywhere at all times), omnipotence (all powerful), and omniscience (all knowing). These three 'omni's' are strictly attributes of God (Lesson 2), yet we see Jesus possessing them.
OMNIPRESENCE
> Christ was in Heaven while He was bodily present on the Earth. John
3:13
> Christ is on the Earth while He is presently in Heaven. Matthew
18:20; 29:20
> Christ fills all. Ephesians 1:23
OMNIPOTENCE
> Christ declared He was "the Almighty."
Revelation 1:8
> He had the power to do the things of
God. John 5:19
> He upholds the created universe with
His power. Hebrews 1:3
> He has "All power[.]" Matthew 28:18
> He had power over:
devils and evil spirits - Mark 5:11-15
disease - Luke 4:38-41
death - Matthew 9:25; Luke 7:14-15;
John 11:43-44
the elements - Matthew 8:26-27
nature - Matthew 21:19; John 2:11
OMNISCIENCE
> Christ knew all things. John 16:30
> He knew what was in man. John 2:24-25
> He saw Nathanael under the fig tree. John 1:47-49
> He knew the history of the Samaritan woman. John 4:29
> He knew the thoughts of men. Matthew 9:4; 27:18; Mark 2:6-8; Luke 6:8
> He knew the time and the manner of His departure from this world.
Matthew 16:21; John 12:33; 13:1
> He knew who would betray Him. John 6:64,70-71
> He knew the course of this present age. Matthew 24:25
Q. HAS JESUS CHRIST ALWAYS EXISTED? |
MANY incidents in the BIBLE prove Christ's deity and power, among them the following three:
† His disciples worshipped Him:
† Angels worshipped Him:
† A leper worshipped Him:
† A ruler worshipped Him:
† A blind man worshipped Him:
† His apostles worshipped Him:
(As a minister, Jesus never officiated at a funeral. He always broke up every funeral He came across.)
JESUS was the God-Man. He was all man and all God. As a man, Jesus Christ knew first hand about the problems facing mankind. As God, He knew the solutions. Such was the case with the Samaritan woman at the well:
The woman had come to the well because it provided a source of water. Water is essential for washing, bathing, and most importantly; sustaining life while satisfying one's thirst. So, referring to the well water, Jesus said:
The woman, being intrigued, said:
She was 'THIRSTY.' Her life had included five husbands and one immoral relationship. Yet she was not content. Something was missing. Apparently she was going from one relationship to another, searching for a permanent state of happiness, but never finding it (John 4:15-18).
| Man's spiritual death (see introduction) left him with a spiritual 'void' that he tries to fill with the things of the world. He will constantly change relationships, careers, and religion, always searching for happiness, joy, and peace of mind, but never finding it. Many will try fame, money, drugs, alcohol, materialism, or whatever it takes to fill that empty 'void'. Yet the result is always the same: they remain 'thirsty'. The only thing that will fill the 'void' and permanently quench that "thirst" is a real, working, personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. That is why nothing this world offers can give true meaning and purpose to a person's life. Man's problem is spiritual in nature; therefore, it requires a spiritual solution. |
Jesus said: "...I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." JOHN 6:35
Once Christ fills that 'void' and permanently quenches a person's "thirst", his search for fulfillment is over. He can finally rest and be at peace. Jesus said:
JESUS SPENT THREE YEARS WITH HIS APOSTLES while teaching and preaching to the masses...
His message was one of hope and restoration. He had come to...
Jesus further revealed His intentions when He proclaimed...
This included everyone, because in God's sight...
Never was a more selfless life lived than by Jesus Christ. His entire ministry revolved around helping people spiritually and physically. Not only did He live for others but He also died for others. He was the only sinless person to ever exist, and yet He had to die to pay for sin itself. The closer He got to the cross, the thinner the crowds became and the more He was "rejected of men" (Isaiah 53:3). The more abundantly He loved others, the less He was loved (II Corinthians 12:15).
Every where Jesus preached the Gospel, the result was the same: some trusted Him as Saviour and some did not, choosing instead to trust in their own self-righteousness or religion. Many rejected Him. None with more hostility than the scribes and the Pharisees (the religious leaders). Their hatred toward Jesus was so intense they began to formulate a plan by which He could be falsely accused and eventually crucified, even if it meant violating Jewish law.
After much scheming the plan was finally in place. But it still required one key element; finding someone willing to betray Him into their hands. So with eyes and ears wide open they patiently waited.
********** A Sneak Preview ************In this lesson we have looked at the greatest man ever born, and the greatest life ever lived. In our next lesson, we will deal with the greatest event in all history! Having dealt with the main person of the BIBLE, it is only fitting that we now examine the 'main event' of the BIBLE. To fully understand the significance behind everything God incorporated into His Word, we must completely understand the meaning of Calvary! Our next lesson promises to be the best yet, and will reveal answers to such questions as...
* Why couldn't Jesus have been strangled, drowned or suffocated?
* Can Mount Calvary still be located today?
* Why did the curtain in the Temple tear when Jesus died?
* Who actually killed Jesus?
* What does Moses and the Passover lamb have to do with Calvary?
* Why did Jesus die at age 33?
* Why couldn't God the Father even look at His Son on the cross?
* Why did Jesus have to die?
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