1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:08,760
Hello everyone, welcome to another episode of the Bible Prophecy Masterclass.

2
00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:13,440
In this prolonged series of studies, we will be examining the most critical aspect of any

3
00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:19,260
and all Bible prophecy namely, the man Jesus Christ, son of the living God.

4
00:00:19,260 --> 00:00:24,440
The text for this study will be titled The Mystery, Christ Jesus, Quantum Physics and

5
00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:26,360
the Morphing of God.

6
00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:31,460
The book is written by Alvin Mitchell. I am Erica, and I along with my colleague Carol

7
00:00:31,460 --> 00:00:35,160
and a number of others, will be your host throughout.

8
00:00:35,160 --> 00:00:40,240
As always, it is our sincere prayer that you will find this series to be helpful, spiritually

9
00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:42,920
stimulating and informative.

10
00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:49,120
Forward, in the New Testament, N.T., God is careful to introduce and highlight Jesus,

11
00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:56,240
His only begotten son, as, a unique and unusual son, one having, a prior, existence, one

12
00:00:56,240 --> 00:01:01,120
born or birthed, but not conceived, in the, usual, way.

13
00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:08,040
That is, this son, in a wardrobe of 100% flesh, blood and bones, has, roots, traceable to

14
00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:10,320
God, the creator of everything.

15
00:01:10,320 --> 00:01:12,680
John chapter 1 verse 3.

16
00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:16,240
Colossians chapter 1 verses 14 to 17.

17
00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:19,400
Ephesians chapter 3 verses 8, 9.

18
00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,880
Hebrews chapter 1 verses 1 to 3.

19
00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:28,860
This means, then, that he as such, being the Christ of the N.T., is nothing, if not also

20
00:01:28,860 --> 00:01:32,080
the God of the Old Testament, O.T.

21
00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:36,760
Hereupon hangs a truth that gives birth to and a never-ending enigma, as it prompts a

22
00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,400
series of nagging questions.

23
00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:43,560
It is these questions which, in a measure, are the focus of this book.

24
00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:49,560
Was he then as a man, trolling the roads of Galilee, God, at the same time?

25
00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:54,200
Understanding as we do that, he is alive now, two thousand years after his death, was he

26
00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:56,640
the same then as he is now?

27
00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:01,080
In light of the controversy surrounding this issue, one must most certainly agree that

28
00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:06,360
requisite to any satisfactory resolution, is a careful defining of terms.

29
00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:08,800
Hence, what is, God?

30
00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,700
What characterizes divinity or, God?

31
00:02:11,700 --> 00:02:15,300
What qualities quantify a, God, persona?

32
00:02:15,300 --> 00:02:21,440
If God defined is, in a nutshell, all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere present, is that

33
00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:25,520
the way Jesus Christ the Nazarene is defined in the Bible?

34
00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:31,160
Does God make any effort to portray him, Jesus, as literally, functionally, God, throughout

35
00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:33,720
or at any point in his earthly walk?

36
00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:39,640
That is, one who was equal, in every way, except the obvious, to the Father?

37
00:02:39,640 --> 00:02:45,080
The biggest names in evangelical fundamentalism argue vehemently, based squarely upon what

38
00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:50,560
they think, and his reaction to the words of the Pharisees, that he was born, lived,

39
00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:57,100
died, arose again, having existed as man, who was simultaneously, God?

40
00:02:57,100 --> 00:03:02,560
That is, he gave up nothing when he was born, having every attribute, all the power, and

41
00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:06,840
all the authority he ever had throughout his earthly walk?

42
00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:10,960
Realizing that most of these haven't a clue, as they cannot find and explain the one place

43
00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:15,840
in four gospels where he talks repeatedly about his limitations and handicaps, is that

44
00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,120
what he taught about himself?

45
00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:22,560
Did Jesus himself ever show aspirations such that he wished to be received or viewed as

46
00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,360
God, during his earthly sojourn?

47
00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:31,020
There, in the OT, God is often referred to by various names, all of which signify the

48
00:03:31,020 --> 00:03:36,220
character and quality of his involvement in the lives of his people, the Jews.

49
00:03:36,220 --> 00:03:41,160
This being the case, one of these names by which this Jesus of Nazareth, as God of the

50
00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:47,000
Old Testament, is lovingly invoked is Jehovah-Jireh, God who is my Provider.

51
00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:52,120
In light of the aforementioned designation of God as, Provider, knowing its significance,

52
00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:56,800
it might be argued quite definitively that wherever there is a skeptic of any substance,

53
00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:02,040
there is one who, furthermore, has greater cause to sing the praises of, Jehovah-Jireh,

54
00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:04,440
than any Christian.

55
00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:09,080
Confession of and denial of the biblical record, in any of its different aspects, is nothing

56
00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:10,760
new.

57
00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:15,200
Skeptics and their arguments never get any better, more certain, more accurate or more

58
00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:16,800
convincing.

59
00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:21,560
There is simply no historical or scientific evidence to add plausibility to any modern

60
00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:23,900
biblical skepticism.

61
00:04:23,900 --> 00:04:26,340
It is always the same in any era.

62
00:04:26,340 --> 00:04:31,320
Just ill-grounded, ill-conceived trampling underfoot of the claims of El Shaddai, God

63
00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:34,480
the Almighty One, Christ of the NT.

64
00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:40,080
Therefore, by way of reiteration, when the band strikes up, and the praises start, the

65
00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:44,880
skeptic of any genre should be first to chime in and sing loudest given that, as evidenced

66
00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:49,160
by the weight of greater than two thousand years of his relentless, fruitless scrutiny

67
00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:54,480
and criticism, his presence looms as large and as strong as if he were here, showing

68
00:04:54,480 --> 00:05:00,920
no real sign of degeneration, thus providing, for certain, select ones among them, a very

69
00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:02,720
fine living.

70
00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:07,600
It is said by the so-called scholars of the new book Jesus, then and now, that many books

71
00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:12,720
are, have been and doubtless will be written, many conferences convened, all against some

72
00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:16,720
aspect or the other of the book of books and yet there is no good reason to expect that

73
00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:20,800
the writers and attendees of these will ever do more in their effort to tarnish its record

74
00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:25,080
by their incessant objections than prosper, financially.

75
00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:29,160
All this then, begs another volley of questions and observations.

76
00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:34,400
In the ceaseless quest to establish the, who, of Jesus Christ, and in the obvious absence

77
00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:40,240
of any other reliable record of substance, who then, is best qualified to define Jesus,

78
00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:42,120
men or, God?

79
00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:46,940
Why is it that, in this unending quest for the historical Jesus, none seems resigned

80
00:05:46,940 --> 00:05:52,840
to submit to the one historical record, which has weathered both time and criticism?

81
00:05:52,840 --> 00:05:58,320
Observe that there appears to be no, nor, it seems, has there ever been any real, lasting

82
00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:03,040
consensus among the multitudes of voices which clamour for recognition and opposition to

83
00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:05,200
God and His Christ.

84
00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:09,600
In fact, whatever the quantity of dissenters, it might well be argued that the strength

85
00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:14,440
of any of their criticisms rests chiefly in the solidarity and reliability of the biblical

86
00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:15,920
record.

87
00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:20,520
Were this not true, would they then, not be, unemployed?

88
00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:24,860
Observe that there were many key criticisms levied against the Word of God, based upon

89
00:06:24,860 --> 00:06:30,040
which all, higher critics, swore that God was a myth, at a time when no theologian or

90
00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:35,320
biblical apologist could ever possibly have mounted a successful challenge, only to have

91
00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:39,880
the nineteenth century give way to the twentieth as it ushered in a flood of evidences from

92
00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:44,720
archaeology, history and science, physics that prove the Bible to be utterly reliable

93
00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:46,040
and sound.

94
00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:49,920
This is a topic that will be dealt with in the books Prelude to the Apocalypse of Jesus

95
00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:53,520
Christ, and the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ.

96
00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:58,920
Its footing thus being established, exposed as having been firmly laid, what furthermore

97
00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:03,120
can we have in the Book of Books then, if not an unshakable foundation upholding the

98
00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:05,800
mystery of God's Christ?

99
00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:11,040
Consider who among sceptics, doubters and scoffers, groping arrogantly, in the dark

100
00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:16,160
of their own blindness, like blind men out to assess the, whatness, of an elephant,

101
00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:21,160
having never seen, actually object through understanding, having mastered the biblical

102
00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:24,360
narrative, and therefore they disbelieve.

103
00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:27,400
Should such a one not rather be considered a fool?

104
00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:31,920
Would it even matter if sceptics were thoroughly grounded in the Word of God?

105
00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:36,860
Does it matter to God, what or how one sees Jesus Christ the Nazarene?

106
00:07:36,860 --> 00:07:40,640
As we have said, rejection and denial are nothing new.

107
00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:45,080
It matters very much to God how His only born Son is perceived.

108
00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:49,680
It matters because the Christian's eternal destiny hangs upon his perception.

109
00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:54,680
That perception is shaped by, as well as an evidence of, the amount of time actually devoted

110
00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:59,660
to walking with God, sitting at His feet, learning all that God has to offer relative

111
00:07:59,660 --> 00:08:01,960
to the nature of His Son.

112
00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:07,140
The longer one lives, the more one is expected to grow in his knowledge and understanding,

113
00:08:07,140 --> 00:08:11,340
as this is to serve as the substance, the heart of the message the mature saint delivers

114
00:08:11,340 --> 00:08:14,220
to unbelievers and new converts.

115
00:08:14,220 --> 00:08:18,200
To do less or otherwise is to teach presumptuously.

116
00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,960
This teaching is tantamount to lying.

117
00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:25,780
Teaching falsehoods about the man from Galilee is on a par with idolatry.

118
00:08:25,780 --> 00:08:29,920
God cannot stomach, nor will He tolerate idolatrous worship.

119
00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:34,360
It is my sincere prayer and hope then, that multitudes will after reading and studying

120
00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:39,400
prayerfully the pages of this book, come to see the real Jesus, as God portrays Him in

121
00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:40,880
His Word.

122
00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:42,040
Preface.

123
00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:47,840
Although studied widely, written about profusely, debated richly amongst critics, scoffers,

124
00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:53,180
ideologians, and skeptics but never debunked, as the myths some wish Him to be, history

125
00:08:53,180 --> 00:08:55,620
per se has no knowledge of Him.

126
00:08:55,620 --> 00:09:00,240
It is as if God sought and or procured exclusive rights to the reporting and proclamation of

127
00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:02,000
His life and times.

128
00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:04,360
Josephus, notwithstanding.

129
00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:08,720
Literarily, He does not exist apart from the biblical narrative.

130
00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:14,840
Yet, for all of this, what single, historical figure, past or present, can boast a name

131
00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:18,040
greater, more widely circulated and recognizable?

132
00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:21,720
i.e., who has greater name recognition?

133
00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:27,080
What name has greater worth where the good and benefit to all humanity is concerned?

134
00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:32,720
More bizarre still, amid all the discussion surrounding Him, who actually knows Him?

135
00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:33,780
Does anyone?

136
00:09:33,780 --> 00:09:35,240
His churches do not.

137
00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:37,360
Oh, woe be gone!

138
00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:43,340
Although they brandish His name weekly, even daily via the media, in all its various forms.

139
00:09:43,340 --> 00:09:48,120
They are absolutely clueless, in spite of opportunity and a relatively easy access to

140
00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:52,480
the source book of all knowledge concerning Him that is relatively unparalleled, in any

141
00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:54,580
past generation.

142
00:09:54,580 --> 00:09:57,400
The plight of the unbeliever is understandable.

143
00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:01,360
The grand ignorance of the Christian is utterly inexcusable.

144
00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:07,000
Gentle though it is, take my yoke upon you, and, learn of me, is not a suggestion to the

145
00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:09,320
saints, it is a command.

146
00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:14,480
Adding to, no, the Savior, as He monitors and knows intimately each and every Christian,

147
00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:19,680
is not an option, as much as it is a duty, a Christian responsibility.

148
00:10:19,680 --> 00:10:24,240
As the only reliable source of information regarding His person and being, the Bible

149
00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:26,400
has much to say about Him.

150
00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:31,200
But, what does the Bible actually teach, and how do the insights it gives square with the

151
00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:36,240
many and varied beliefs, thoughts and ideas of the many and varied churches, denominations

152
00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:38,280
which espouse them?

153
00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:39,520
Was He a man?

154
00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:40,580
Was He God?

155
00:10:40,580 --> 00:10:43,440
Was He God and man, at the same time?

156
00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:48,160
What was His view, or what did He have to say about Himself, in terms of His humanity,

157
00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:50,840
deity, and relationship to God?

158
00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:56,440
Moreover, in the midst of unavoidable conflict, whose word prevails, His, or the beliefs and

159
00:10:56,440 --> 00:11:01,440
normally ill-grounded opinions of His many different churches and denominations.

160
00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:05,680
If He were a man, could He as such sin like all other men?

161
00:11:05,680 --> 00:11:10,400
Seeing as we do that all cannot possibly be right, which church or denomination of churches

162
00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:13,000
has dibs on Him?

163
00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:19,860
Many have come to our website at www.biblestudyour.net looking for and seeking knowledge about this,

164
00:11:19,860 --> 00:11:25,120
for some, enigmatic but no less most fascinating of all historical figures.

165
00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:29,400
It was their queries and concerns which lay the foundation for the topics and other issues

166
00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:34,040
of significance, relative to the man from Galilee, which will be discussed in the pages

167
00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:35,760
of this booklet.

168
00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:39,400
Note, the aforementioned site no longer exists.

169
00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:43,960
Whereas the contents of this work can only be troubling to some, one can only pray that

170
00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:48,160
it will be a source of comfort, strength, and encouragement to the few who truly wish

171
00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:53,760
to know and see Jesus as God portrays Him in the pages of His Word, the Bible, as opposed

172
00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:59,560
to the way He is portrayed in the media, by the churches, and the evangelical world view.

173
00:11:59,560 --> 00:12:04,520
A synopsis of the arguments and concerns entertained by the aforementioned teacher, along with

174
00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:10,120
a few more insights, can be found in Appendix B, which was originally intended to be a proposal

175
00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:12,520
or pitch to some major publisher.

176
00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:17,360
These, in the main form the basis and the impetus for this work.

177
00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:22,020
While much has been added, the platform, one might say, for the body of the book is a letter

178
00:12:22,020 --> 00:12:26,000
written shortly after the broadcasts of the topics at hand.

179
00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:29,960
I have chosen to leave it in the style of the original letter, although the parts have

180
00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:34,560
been reshuffled, and I had begun to remove the name of the broadcast or the name of its

181
00:12:34,560 --> 00:12:38,760
host, but in the end elected to leave whatever remains, in.

182
00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:41,960
The first names, however, of the callers will be left in.

183
00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:48,600
Another, bone of contention, also delivered by that same teacher, earlier this year, on

184
00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:53,640
January 8th, has to do with the topic of the unpardonable sin.

185
00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:54,640
What is it?

186
00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:55,640
Who can commit it?

187
00:12:55,640 --> 00:13:01,000
Again, his understanding was biblically unsound, yet I am confident that by God's grace all

188
00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:06,080
issues and concerns surrounding this, sin, canon will be resolved satisfactorily and

189
00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:09,000
biblically within the pages of this book.

190
00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:13,840
I pray now that the Almighty, all-wise God of all the heavens and of the earth will bless

191
00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:18,160
mightily, the pinning and reading of this book, to the saving of many souls that are

192
00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:23,240
unsaved and to the enlightenment, strengthening, and stability of many who are saved but not

193
00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:28,680
secure in their understanding of these, and other, issues of concern and importance.

194
00:13:28,680 --> 00:13:32,880
In accordance with the will and mind of our Lord and Savior Jesus.

195
00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:33,880
Amen.

196
00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:35,280
Introduction.

197
00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:39,680
God is justly pleased and thrilled with the whole of His creation.

198
00:13:39,680 --> 00:13:44,920
Everything He has done was, in its original state, good in every sense of the word.

199
00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:49,880
There are those aspects of the created order, however, which stand out as pinnacles, head

200
00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:53,960
and shoulders above the rest, even in His holy mind.

201
00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:58,840
It was not intended that everything should be either the same or on the same level.

202
00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:04,840
Strangely, in a universe that virtually, smells, and smacks of a certain, sameness, our God

203
00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:07,240
does in fact savor diversity.

204
00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:13,200
Hence, we see the protective cherub of Ezekiel, now the rebel Satan, created originally the

205
00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:18,340
capstone of all the angelic spirit beings and others of the, heavenly host.

206
00:14:18,340 --> 00:14:19,720
Then came man.

207
00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:24,040
Although on a rung in the chain of command slightly lower than that of the angels, he

208
00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:29,680
was, being fashioned in the image, of his Maker, no less marvelous and, therefore, the

209
00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:33,320
capstone of all God's earthbound, physical creatures.

210
00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:39,000
Then, there came that juncture, where God merged eternity and time so as to present,

211
00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:44,660
for all to behold, a capstone which was to be, and remains, as it will ever remain, pinnacle

212
00:14:44,660 --> 00:14:46,600
to all capstones.

213
00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:53,720
Human, fully, yet through procreation not birthed, converted, or, morphed, transformed,

214
00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:55,260
he was not created.

215
00:14:55,260 --> 00:15:00,320
The mystery of all ages was guided to fruition, as God, became man.

216
00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:03,320
But, does anyone really understand this?

217
00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:08,720
Does anybody out there know, perceive, and appreciate this, capstone, the way God presents

218
00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:10,800
him in His written Word?

219
00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:16,240
The scriptures show this to be a matter uppermost, paramount in the mind of God.

220
00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:21,320
While many write, preach, teach and or speak on the subjects of God or the Holy Spirit,

221
00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:26,380
when it comes to the Christ, most, if not all, even among those who justifiably might

222
00:15:26,380 --> 00:15:30,960
be considered the best and brightest, seem to have missed the point.

223
00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:35,400
Anyone grappling with the subject of Jesus and His humanity, tend to do so in general

224
00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:41,600
from the point of view of someone else, the so-called, evangelical world-view, for instance,

225
00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:47,120
who himself or themselves ultimately may well have been clueless, or he is just plain wrong,

226
00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:51,640
regardless of how he draws his conclusions, thereby indicating that perhaps his walk with

227
00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:55,860
the Lord must, at best, have been, from some distance.

228
00:15:55,860 --> 00:16:00,580
In terms of the whole, far too many of today's preachers and teachers operate on a plateau

229
00:16:00,580 --> 00:16:06,120
not much higher than that of, in some cases, celebrated and distinguished, problems in

230
00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:07,120
God's solution.

231
00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:10,840
They are like the proverbial flies, in His ointment.

232
00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:15,320
The mystery of all the ages is to them just that, a mystery.

233
00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:19,960
Few are truly prepared, or concerned, to lead their congregations in circles indicative

234
00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:23,880
of everything God wishes His people to know on the subject.

235
00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:28,160
Their respective denominations have set themselves up and are looked to as authorities for the

236
00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:33,060
people within them, but, for the most part, all indicators suggest they too are altogether

237
00:16:33,060 --> 00:16:35,520
careless and clueless.

238
00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:40,080
Short-sighted Bible studies and or Sunday school programs leave new converts virtually

239
00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:45,560
as blind and backwards, theologically, as before their professions of faith.

240
00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:50,960
The chief stumbling block for most folks seems to be a willingness, or, a determination,

241
00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:57,000
to see the Christ, during His earthly days, as a mix, i.e., a God, man.

242
00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:01,400
They simply cannot, or will not, envision Him as all man.

243
00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:06,640
This fact really came home, to Roost, earlier this year, while listening to a well-known,

244
00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:11,960
popular author and host of a widely circulated, Christian talk show, as he tackled a question

245
00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:16,760
having to do in general with the humanity of the Messiah, as presented to him by a caller

246
00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:18,600
from New Jersey.

247
00:17:18,600 --> 00:17:23,040
The most appalling thing about the teacher's approach to, the Jesus, question lay in how

248
00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:27,720
he spoke freely and eloquently, without giving the slightest deference to the Word of God

249
00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:30,380
in support of his conclusions.

250
00:17:30,380 --> 00:17:36,560
He showed no grasp, not even a simple awareness that the Bible, n.t., is replete with scriptures,

251
00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:41,000
which speak quite well to the issue of Jesus and His humanity from at least three points

252
00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:42,280
of view.

253
00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:43,280
1.

254
00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:44,280
Man's.

255
00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:48,520
What people in general and the apostles saw when they looked and considered Him.

256
00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:49,520
2.

257
00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:50,520
God's.

258
00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:53,400
How God defined the big picture, and.

259
00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:54,400
3.

260
00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:55,720
Christ's own view.

261
00:17:55,720 --> 00:18:00,720
What He knew, in spite of how He presented Himself and wished to be perceived by men.

262
00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:01,720
4.

263
00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:06,240
A bonus view, one might say, is that of the demonic world.

264
00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:12,200
For the first thirty years of his life, no one recognized Him, not even the demons.

265
00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:17,120
From the time he was indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God the Father, his humanity never seemed

266
00:18:17,120 --> 00:18:22,360
to hide the fact of his roots in deity, from the demons, wherever and whenever he encountered

267
00:18:22,360 --> 00:18:24,440
them, they immediately knew Him.

268
00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:28,260
The presence of the Holy Spirit within him was their beacon.

269
00:18:28,260 --> 00:18:33,440
As his desire was to remain anonymous, he always demanded that the demons keep quiet,

270
00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:37,280
in light of what they saw, so as to not make Him known.

271
00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:39,960
Neither of the above views is negligible.

272
00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:44,680
All are necessary to fully understand and appreciate Him and His mission.

273
00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:49,460
At no time should, nor can any good teacher under any circumstance afford to attempt to

274
00:18:49,460 --> 00:18:53,600
do justice to a discussion of the subject of our Lord's humanity without giving full

275
00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:57,480
consideration to these views and the scriptures surrounding them.

276
00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:03,800
Nonetheless, this well-respected teacher, whose ministry I have supported, did just that.

277
00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:07,960
So then, just what is one to make of this Jesus of Nazareth?

278
00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:09,000
Who was He?

279
00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:10,080
What was He?

280
00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:12,000
Part man, part God?

281
00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:13,000
All man?

282
00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:14,000
Perfect?

283
00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:19,080
Is it possible for a man, since the fall of Adam, to be flawless and thereby live a sinless

284
00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:20,640
existence?

285
00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:25,160
Did not his failure prove that the human design was defective?

286
00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:31,400
Was this Nazarene a Christ having, actively, as it were, if the evangelical, fundamentalist,

287
00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:37,720
world-view, holds water, a sort of dual or, split personality, a kind of, Clark Kent,

288
00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:41,340
by day, a cosmic Superman, by night?

289
00:19:41,340 --> 00:19:48,120
Was he a kind of divine, Dr. Jekyll, one minute, and a benign, Mr. Hyde, the next?

290
00:19:48,120 --> 00:19:53,040
These and related issues this study proposes to tackle and settle once and for all, the

291
00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:54,520
Lord willing.

292
00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:59,360
It is my solemn conviction that, given the fact that so many, often well-meaning, have

293
00:19:59,360 --> 00:20:04,360
fallen so far short of the mark in the treatment of the subject of Jesus and His humanity,

294
00:20:04,360 --> 00:20:09,640
God has therefore chosen to drop the mantle upon my lowly, humble shoulders, so that now,

295
00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:12,880
it is my turn and task to go the distance.

296
00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:18,060
Let us pray, then, that God will bless this undertaking to the edification and enlightenment

297
00:20:18,060 --> 00:20:20,440
of all who will read and hear.

298
00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:27,440
Amen.