1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:08,800 Thank you, please be seated. 2 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:15,960 Would you open your Bible with me please to the Gospel of Luke as we look at a question 3 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:27,400 which Jesus asked his disciples. 4 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:33,600 In Luke 9 and verse 18 it says, and it came about that while he was praying alone, the 5 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:41,280 disciples were with him and he questioned them, saying, Who do the multitudes say that 6 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:43,880 I am? 7 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:49,440 And they answered and said, John the Baptist, and others say Elijah, but others that one 8 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:53,000 of the prophets of old has risen again. 9 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,760 And he said to them, but who do you say that I am? 10 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:02,400 And Peter answered and said, the Christ of God. 11 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:07,520 Let's pray. 12 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:15,640 Lord as we have focused in our singing tonight on your birth, we marvel with awe at the miracle 13 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,600 of the incarnation. 14 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:25,160 And tonight as we think about your person, as we seek to understand what the word teaches 15 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:27,560 about you, open our hearts. 16 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:35,920 Oh may the Spirit of the Lord be our teacher and draw us in even deeper worship of yourself. 17 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:39,960 Amen. 18 00:01:39,960 --> 00:01:44,800 Seems to me that this is an important question especially in the day in which we live. 19 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:47,320 Who is it? 20 00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:49,960 What the people say Jesus is. 21 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:55,440 You'll get a variety of answers to that question. 22 00:01:55,440 --> 00:02:03,160 I think it's important for us to understand who Jesus Christ is and to be able to prove 23 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:06,120 it. 24 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:11,560 Someone came to me after the message a few weeks ago when I spoke about my confrontation 25 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:17,760 with the Jehovah's Witness missionary and he said, you know I believe that Jesus Christ 26 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:23,040 is God but I don't know how to argue that. 27 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:26,640 I don't know how to prove that to somebody. 28 00:02:26,640 --> 00:02:30,220 Therefore I just stay away from Jehovah's Witnesses and people who might question the 29 00:02:30,220 --> 00:02:36,640 deity of Christ because I'm not sure how to answer someone who denies his deity. 30 00:02:36,640 --> 00:02:39,800 Well I'm not so sure that it's not good advice to stay away from those particular 31 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:47,520 missionaries because they are very clever in being able to wrap even a well grounded 32 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,640 Christian up in his own words. 33 00:02:50,640 --> 00:02:57,520 But nonetheless all of us need to be able to understand that Jesus Christ is God and 34 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:04,840 to prove to our own satisfaction and to others, if that be possible, that in fact Jesus Christ 35 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:07,280 is God incarnate. 36 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:10,080 There are of course theologians who deny that. 37 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:14,800 I referred some weeks ago to the Jesus Seminar that was held on a local seminary campus in 38 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:16,800 St. Paul. 39 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:22,520 A hundred plus scholars who gathered together and their main theme is that Jesus Christ 40 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:25,300 never claimed to be God. 41 00:03:25,300 --> 00:03:28,320 Is that so? 42 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:31,000 What does the Word of the Lord say? 43 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:35,920 No sensible person can deny the historicity of Christ. 44 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:40,440 Someone has said there is more evidence that Jesus Christ lived than there is that Augustus 45 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:41,920 Caesar lived. 46 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:50,320 I mean there is more documented evidence in the world that there was a man Jesus of Nazareth 47 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:54,200 than there was one of the greatest Caesars of the Roman Empire. 48 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:59,040 No sensible person can deny that he is a figure of history. 49 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:06,800 And no reasonable person can deny his unusual life and the influence that he has had. 50 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:13,280 In a day when people were widely scattered and not often brought together, he was able 51 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:25,160 to amass multitudes of thousands of people who wanted to come simply to hear him speak. 52 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:28,720 He changed the course of history. 53 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:35,680 Our very calendar is divided around the birth of this one. 54 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:37,200 But is he God incarnate? 55 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:39,200 That's another question. 56 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:40,200 Influential? 57 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:41,200 Historical? 58 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:46,120 But is he God come in the flesh? 59 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:52,340 Well tonight and for next Sunday and maybe a time after that as well, I want us to look 60 00:04:52,340 --> 00:04:59,680 at the evidences that Jesus Christ is in fact God come in the flesh. 61 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:04,600 There is undeniable evidence that he is deity. 62 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:11,160 Tonight I'd like for you to think with me regarding the claims that he himself made. 63 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:16,780 Now I hope that you will take notes on this because some of us are going to have opportunities 64 00:05:16,780 --> 00:05:21,340 to speak with people who are not sure about the deity of Christ. 65 00:05:21,340 --> 00:05:27,040 And I hope that what I'm able to share with you in this brief series will give you some 66 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:34,200 evidence to use so that you can show someone what the Scriptures say regarding Jesus Christ. 67 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:36,360 Say, well, what if they don't believe the Bible? 68 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:37,840 Then that's another problem. 69 00:05:37,840 --> 00:05:43,720 But we're going to make the assumption tonight that the Bible tells us accurately and truthfully 70 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:47,040 regarding Jesus Christ. 71 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:49,640 What are the evidences of his deity? 72 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:55,120 Well let's think first regarding the claims that he himself made. 73 00:05:55,120 --> 00:06:03,440 Let's begin here in the Gospel of Luke by turning back to chapter 2 and verse 49. 74 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:10,640 Jesus is speaking here to Joseph and Mary in that incident when he was left behind in 75 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:14,000 Jerusalem and they found him eventually in the temple. 76 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:19,960 And his statement in verse 49 says, why is it that you are looking for me? 77 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:25,040 Did you not know that I had to be in my Father's house? 78 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:31,720 You will notice the word house is in italics or things should be in italics if that is 79 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:38,120 your translation, about my Father's things, my Father's business. 80 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:42,800 The point is here Jesus is saying, didn't you know that my priorities are those of my 81 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:43,800 Father? 82 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,480 That's really what he's saying to Mary and Joseph. 83 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:53,240 Now the thing that I want to point out is that Jesus claimed, number one, that God was 84 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:56,920 his Father. 85 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:02,640 Jesus made the claim that God was his Father. 86 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:06,880 I'd like you to turn over to the Gospel of John in the fifth chapter where we see some 87 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:11,920 more words regarding our Lord about this matter. 88 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:17,360 In fact there are many, many verses here where Jesus refers to God as his Father. 89 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:19,640 But let's look at verse 17. 90 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:28,080 But he answered them, John 5 17, my Father is working until now and I myself am working. 91 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:32,280 So once again Jesus asserts that God is his Father. 92 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:35,800 You say, well so what? 93 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:38,120 Well it makes a big difference. 94 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:43,880 It may not come through to us 2,000 years later as clearly as it did in that day. 95 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:48,640 But notice in verse 18 what the response of the crowd was. 96 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:54,960 For this cause therefore the Jews, here's the Jewish leaders, the Jews were seeking 97 00:07:54,960 --> 00:08:02,980 all the more to kill him because he not only was breaking the Sabbath but also was calling 98 00:08:02,980 --> 00:08:10,320 God his own Father, making himself equal with God. 99 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:16,480 You see the Jews of that day understood that when Jesus asserted that God was his Father 100 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:21,880 it was a claim to be equal with God. 101 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:26,080 Now if people want to argue with you about what it really means for him to call God his 102 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:31,160 Father all you have to do is point them to the crowd of that day. 103 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:36,960 If people today are confused about it be sure that the Jews in that day were not confused. 104 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:42,520 They understood exactly what Jesus was claiming, equality with God. 105 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:49,880 Now someone may say yes but you know Jesus said we could all call God our Father. 106 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:57,800 Well it is true that Jesus said that when we pray we may say our Father. 107 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:05,280 It's important as you read the New Testament to see that Jesus distinguishes between the 108 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:14,880 way you and I can call God Father and the way in which he called God Father. 109 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:22,100 Indeed when he said when you pray say our Father he was not saying your Father in mine. 110 00:09:22,100 --> 00:09:27,000 When he said you may pray by saying our Father it's your Father and your Father and your 111 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:31,760 Father and your Father in that sense. 112 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:38,360 An example is found here in the Gospel of John in the twentieth chapter in verse seventeen. 113 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:44,900 Here we see it seems to me a clear example of where Jesus is drawing the line between 114 00:09:44,900 --> 00:09:50,960 calling God his Father in one sense and others calling God Father in another sense. 115 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:58,000 In John twenty we have the record of his resurrection from the dead. 116 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:03,960 Notice in verse nineteen that it says, excuse me back up to verse sixteen where it says 117 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:09,680 Jesus said to her Mary and she turned and said to him in Hebrew rabboni which means 118 00:10:09,680 --> 00:10:17,120 teacher Jesus said to her stop clinging to me for I have not yet ascended to the Father 119 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:29,440 but go to my brethren and say to them I ascend to my Father and your Father and my God and 120 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:31,580 your God. 121 00:10:31,580 --> 00:10:38,820 Notice he does not say I am ascending to our Father and our God but he draws the distinction 122 00:10:38,820 --> 00:10:42,720 your Father my Father your God my God. 123 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:45,480 You say what's the point here? 124 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:52,480 The point is that you and I today can indeed address God with this wonderful term Father 125 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:57,160 because he has caused us to be born again. 126 00:10:57,160 --> 00:11:04,960 We find the source of our spiritual life in him and so we may rightly call him our Father. 127 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:10,080 He is corporately our Father, the Father of all believers. 128 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:14,920 But when that term is used of the Lord Jesus Christ it does not mean that the Son finds 129 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:19,440 his source in the Father. 130 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:26,360 The term Father and Son when applied to the first and second persons of the Godhead are 131 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:33,220 terms which describe their eternal relationship. 132 00:11:33,220 --> 00:11:42,260 It is a term that describes the equality of God as Father, as Son, and as the Holy Spirit. 133 00:11:42,260 --> 00:11:47,240 But it does not mean that the Son somehow finds his source in the Father. 134 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:53,600 Indeed he is equal with the Father, co-equal with the Father, and of the same substance 135 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:57,040 and essence he is God. 136 00:11:57,040 --> 00:12:03,640 And this term Father clearly says that as the Jews of that day understood. 137 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:06,080 So he claimed God as his Father. 138 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:10,480 That's one thing you can point out to someone and show them that it was understood in that 139 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:15,680 day that when he made that claim he was claiming to be equal with God. 140 00:12:15,680 --> 00:12:20,320 A second claim, Jesus claimed to be sinless. 141 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:23,080 We're in the Gospel of John. 142 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:32,160 Go back to the eighth chapter and look at verse 29. 143 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:41,440 John 8 and verse 29 where Jesus says, and he who sent me is with me, and he has not 144 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:49,440 left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him. 145 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:53,560 Now we would like to be able to make that statement, wouldn't we? 146 00:12:53,560 --> 00:13:00,060 We long as God's born again children to be able to say I always do the things that please 147 00:13:00,060 --> 00:13:02,840 God but none of us can say that. 148 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:07,960 Not the most saintly of us can say that we always do the things that please God because 149 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:11,120 we don't always. 150 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:18,480 But the Lord Jesus was able to say accurately of himself, I always do those things that 151 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:20,640 please God. 152 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:27,440 Not once in all of his life did he do one thing that displeased the Lord. 153 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:31,680 Here is a clear claim to sinlessness. 154 00:13:31,680 --> 00:13:39,800 Now this is made even more clear in verse 46 where he says to this crowd, which of you 155 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:43,920 convicts me of sin? 156 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:46,240 Now what is he saying? 157 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:48,680 Well in one sense it's a rhetorical question. 158 00:13:48,680 --> 00:13:55,080 He knew that there was no answer to it but he is challenging anyone there to be able 159 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:58,240 to prove some sin in his life. 160 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:02,400 He says which of you is able to convince me of sin? 161 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:06,200 The Lord Jesus Christ had no sin within him. 162 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:11,040 Now the point is that only God is sinless. 163 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:13,840 Only he has no sin. 164 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:22,240 Now turn back a few more pages in the Gospel of John to the fourteenth chapter. 165 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:31,920 And notice another claim our Lord makes along this same line in verse 30. 166 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:38,320 John 14.30, I will not speak much more with you for the ruler of this world is coming. 167 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:40,640 Who is that? 168 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:42,840 That's right, it's Satan. 169 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:48,080 Satan was coming in the people who were coming to arrest Jesus. 170 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:54,300 He says the prince or the ruler of this world is coming, and notice, and he has nothing 171 00:14:54,300 --> 00:14:56,840 in me. 172 00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:58,600 What does he mean? 173 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:03,840 He means that Satan has no claim on him. 174 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:13,300 There was nothing in the Lord Jesus Christ which Satan could use as an ally. 175 00:15:13,300 --> 00:15:19,280 There was no part of Jesus that would cooperate with Satan. 176 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:22,840 In other words, there was no sin in him. 177 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:28,440 Not only was there no sinful action that proceeded from his life, but there was nothing of sin 178 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:30,640 in his nature. 179 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:35,680 Satan, the ruler of this world, had nothing in him. 180 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:39,680 The Lord Jesus Christ claimed to be sinless. 181 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:46,360 And that can only be said of God of deity. 182 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:52,240 Now a third claim of the Lord Jesus, and again we stay in the Gospel of John. 183 00:15:52,240 --> 00:16:01,600 And we'll turn back to the fifth chapter. 184 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:07,940 I want you to notice with me that he claimed the worship of men. 185 00:16:07,940 --> 00:16:13,480 John 5 and verse 22. 186 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:22,160 For not even the Father judges anyone, but he has given all judgment to the Son, in order 187 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:26,520 that all may honor the Son. 188 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:31,920 To honor, to worship, adore, revere, that's what he is saying. 189 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:37,760 And then notice he says, even as they honor the Father. 190 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:40,000 Notice that he says that. 191 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,320 He is here claiming the worship of men. 192 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:48,320 And he is saying, I may be adored and worshiped, indeed I should be adored and worshiped and 193 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:54,800 revered and honored, just like God the Father. 194 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:58,080 Here he is claiming the worship of human beings. 195 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:01,720 You say, well did he actually receive that in his life? 196 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:03,320 Yes indeed he did. 197 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:08,680 Turn back to the ninth chapter of the Gospel of John and see an example of that. 198 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:11,160 Verse 35. 199 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:17,200 Here we have Jesus now coming back to the man who was blind and was healed. 200 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:27,360 He had been thrown out of the Jewish faith because of what had happened to him. 201 00:17:27,360 --> 00:17:31,440 And Jesus heard that they had put him out, it says in verse 35. 202 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:37,840 In finding him he said, do you believe in the Son of man? 203 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:43,080 Now perhaps next week we'll look at that title and show that that is a title of deity 204 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:45,960 as Jesus used it of himself. 205 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:46,960 That's what he means here. 206 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:51,940 Do you believe in me as the Son of man? 207 00:17:51,940 --> 00:17:57,400 And he answered and said, who is he Lord that I may believe in him? 208 00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:03,440 Jesus said to him, you have both seen him. 209 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:07,200 Now when was this man blinded? 210 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:08,880 From birth right? 211 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:12,720 Who was the first person he saw? 212 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:16,280 Whose was the first face that he saw? 213 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:23,600 Jesus says you have both seen him and he says, to make it even more clear, he is the one 214 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:28,160 who is talking with you. 215 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:30,800 And he said, Lord I believe. 216 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:33,140 And he worshiped him. 217 00:18:33,140 --> 00:18:39,600 And notice that Jesus does not rebuke him for worshiping him. 218 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:48,760 In the book of the Revelation there are occasions when John falls down before the angels and 219 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:50,680 he is rebuked. 220 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:54,160 The angels say worship God. 221 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:56,800 They do not want worship. 222 00:18:56,800 --> 00:19:05,740 If Jesus were but the angel Michael as the Jehovah's Witnesses teach, how inappropriate 223 00:19:05,740 --> 00:19:10,400 it would be for him as an angel then to receive worship. 224 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:14,920 But here the Lord Jesus Christ does not rebuke this man. 225 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:17,640 He does not say, oh no, no, please get up. 226 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:19,240 Don't worship me. 227 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:26,440 But rather he fully acknowledges that in fact he is the Son of Man and he receives the worship 228 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:30,520 of this man of himself. 229 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:35,900 He claimed the worship of men for himself as God. 230 00:19:35,900 --> 00:19:43,480 Another example of this is the familiar occasion when Thomas came back to that Sunday evening 231 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:44,480 service. 232 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:49,920 He missed the first Sunday evening service and came the second week. 233 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:53,520 That shows how important it is to make Sunday night services. 234 00:19:53,520 --> 00:20:00,800 The second week Jesus appeared again to Thomas and to the disciples. 235 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:05,360 And Jesus invited him to stretch forth his hands and touch him. 236 00:20:05,360 --> 00:20:13,680 Thomas fell on his face and he said, my Lord and my God. 237 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:16,200 But Jesus didn't rebuke him. 238 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:18,360 Jesus acknowledged, yes Thomas, you're right. 239 00:20:18,360 --> 00:20:23,800 You have seen and believe, but blessed are those that have never seen and yet believe 240 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:26,800 who know who I am and worship me. 241 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:32,800 A third claim, or rather a fourth claim of the Lord Jesus Christ showing his deity. 242 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:45,280 For this we have to go to the Gospel of Matthew and the twelfth chapter. 243 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:54,240 I want to show you that Jesus claimed absolute authority over the laws and the institutions 244 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:57,440 of God. 245 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:02,920 The fourth claim of the Lord Jesus Christ which proves his deity is that he claimed 246 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:09,560 absolute authority over the laws of God and the institutions of God. 247 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:17,760 Notice Matthew 12 verse 1, at that time Jesus went on the Sabbath through the grain fields 248 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:23,260 and his disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. 249 00:21:23,260 --> 00:21:28,360 And when the Pharisees saw it they said to him, behold your disciples do what is not 250 00:21:28,360 --> 00:21:32,520 lawful to do on the Sabbath. 251 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:37,040 And he said to them, have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his 252 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:41,680 companions, how he entered into the house of God. 253 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:47,840 And they ate the consecrated bread, that is the show bread, the bread of the presence 254 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:52,840 which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, but for the priests alone. 255 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:54,920 That is what the law states. 256 00:21:54,920 --> 00:22:02,000 But Jesus does not condemn David, indeed he approves what David did. 257 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:06,920 Or have you not read, he says, in the law that on the Sabbath the priests and the temple 258 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:10,920 break the Sabbath and are innocent? 259 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:19,680 On the Sabbath no one was to work, but the priests worked, they worked. 260 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:25,160 That's what Jesus is pointing out here, and yet they were declared innocent. 261 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:32,360 But I say to you that something or someone, is another possible understanding of this, 262 00:22:32,360 --> 00:22:38,880 although it's neuter, the word is not masculine, something or someone greater than the temple 263 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:41,020 is here. 264 00:22:41,020 --> 00:22:46,720 But if you had known what it means, what this means, I desire compassion and not sacrifice, 265 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:49,040 you would have not condemned the innocent. 266 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:54,320 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. 267 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:59,680 My friend, the temple, the tabernacle, the bread of the presence, the Sabbath with the 268 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:05,520 laws that were associated with it, those were the institutions of God, and Jesus Christ 269 00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:10,960 claims here to be the Lord of those things. 270 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:19,120 He says that he is the final authority in how those things are interpreted and applied. 271 00:23:19,120 --> 00:23:24,120 This is a strong assertion of who he is as God. 272 00:23:24,120 --> 00:23:29,520 He is the one who instituted these things, in other words, in the Old Testament. 273 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:35,440 And therefore he has the right to interpret them and to apply them. 274 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:43,960 And he does, and he calls himself, in the strongest terms, the Son of Man is Lord of 275 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:48,400 the Sabbath. 276 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:53,920 There are other examples of this, and I remind you just in passing of those occasions in 277 00:23:53,920 --> 00:24:01,400 Matthew chapter 5, where Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, you have heard it said, 278 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:04,240 but I say unto you. 279 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:06,160 You've heard those occasions, and he referred back to the law. 280 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:11,240 You've heard it said, you shall not kill, but I say to you. 281 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:12,240 What is he doing? 282 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:14,840 He is interpreting the law. 283 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:18,560 He is broadening the meaning of it. 284 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:24,440 And six or seven times, time after time, Jesus says, here's what the law says, but here's 285 00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:26,660 what I say. 286 00:24:26,660 --> 00:24:29,040 And he applies and interprets the law. 287 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:34,480 Another example of him being the Lord of the law, the one with the authority to say what 288 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:37,320 the law actually means. 289 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:40,400 He claims that for himself. 290 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:42,600 He claims it. 291 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:48,960 And then finally, I'd like for you to turn to the Gospel of John once more and the eighth 292 00:24:48,960 --> 00:25:01,280 chapter. 293 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:12,640 We have here a dialogue between Jesus and the multitudes and Jesus and the Jewish leaders. 294 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:15,200 And we have a most amazing verse. 295 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:19,880 Rather than take the time to read more of the context, let me simply point to you what 296 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:22,920 verse 58 says of John 8. 297 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:35,320 Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, what? 298 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:38,920 I am. 299 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:47,640 Jesus is not merely claiming here to have existed before Abraham. 300 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:54,440 Now if he were an angel, as some of the cults say, he could have existed before Abraham. 301 00:25:54,440 --> 00:26:02,280 So it's not merely enough to say that he was alive or existed before Abraham was born. 302 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:06,280 But our Lord is making an astounding claim here. 303 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:18,040 By using those two words, I am, he is associating himself, I should say he is identifying himself 304 00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:25,760 as the Yahweh, Jehovah of the Old Testament, who identified himself to Moses. 305 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:28,440 I am. 306 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:31,040 Has sent you, Moses. 307 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:33,540 This is the name of God. 308 00:26:33,540 --> 00:26:39,320 And Jesus is here claiming to be the I am. 309 00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:43,840 And as you undoubtedly know, in the Gospel of John he elaborates on this. 310 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:45,880 I am the bread of life. 311 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:47,720 I am the way, the truth, and the life. 312 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,840 I am the resurrection and the life and so on. 313 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:56,720 But here he says to these Jews, I am. 314 00:26:56,720 --> 00:26:59,020 Did they understand that? 315 00:26:59,020 --> 00:27:05,200 Verse 59, therefore they picked up stones to throw at him. 316 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:06,840 Why? 317 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:12,760 Because in their unbelieving eyes he had just committed blasphemy, saying he was God. 318 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:15,880 And so once again if there are people who say to you, well this doesn't prove his 319 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:21,060 deity, simply point out to them that to his contemporaries, to the people who stood there 320 00:27:21,060 --> 00:27:28,200 in that day and heard him say these words, indeed he was claiming to be God. 321 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:29,960 And that is my fifth point. 322 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:38,800 Jesus Christ claimed to be God. 323 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:45,600 Another example of this is found just a page or two over in the tenth chapter where he 324 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:51,880 says in verse 30, I and the Father are one. 325 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:58,560 The Jews took up stones again to stone him. 326 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:02,640 Jesus answered them, I showed you many good works from the Father, for which of them are 327 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:04,940 you stoning me? 328 00:28:04,940 --> 00:28:10,720 The Jews answered him, for a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy, because 329 00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:15,000 you being a man make yourself out to be God. 330 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:17,560 They got the point. 331 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:22,320 They didn't believe it, they rejected it, but they understood exactly what Jesus meant 332 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:27,200 when he said, I and the Father are one. 333 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:31,360 It doesn't simply mean that they agree on what's happening. 334 00:28:31,360 --> 00:28:35,920 I and the Father are one of mind, no, no. 335 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:42,080 But Jesus is here saying the Father and I are of one essence. 336 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:43,700 We are one. 337 00:28:43,700 --> 00:28:48,480 There is an essential unity between us. 338 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:54,140 And they understood that he was claiming to be God. 339 00:28:54,140 --> 00:29:00,920 This could be asserted again and again from other texts. 340 00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:06,560 Let's just turn to one more here in the Gospel of John in the nineteenth chapter. 341 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:17,400 We're talking about the claims of Jesus Christ. 342 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:18,960 Well that's not really the one I wanted. 343 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:21,400 Let's go back to Mark 14. 344 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:23,000 I think it's clearer there. 345 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:29,040 It's the same occasion, but Mark records some additional language. 346 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:34,120 Mark 14, and look here at verse, yes, verse 61. 347 00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:41,920 You remember that Jesus was largely silent in the trials before his crucifixion? 348 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:46,600 In fact, verse 61 begins by saying, he kept silent and made no answer. 349 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:53,480 Again the high priest was questioning him and saying to him, are you the Christ, the 350 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:56,400 Son of the Blessed? 351 00:29:56,400 --> 00:30:00,640 And Jesus said, I am. 352 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:03,520 Notice that same construction we just looked at in the Gospel of John. 353 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:05,160 I am. 354 00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:10,720 And you, he says, shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming 355 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:12,800 with the clouds of heaven. 356 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:16,600 And tearing his clothes, the high priest said, what further need do we have of witnesses? 357 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:18,240 What did he mean? 358 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:21,920 He says, you've heard the blasphemy. 359 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:28,400 Tore his clothes because in the opinion of that unbelieving high priest, Jesus had just 360 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:32,640 committed blasphemy by claiming to be God. 361 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:35,120 And so the claims of Jesus Christ are these. 362 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:37,440 He claimed God as his Father. 363 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:39,520 He claimed to be sinless. 364 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:41,520 He claimed the worship of men. 365 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:45,880 He claimed absolute authority over the laws and the institutions of God. 366 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:53,160 And he claimed to be God come in the flesh. 367 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:59,100 Josh McDowell has rightly pointed out there can be only three possible explanations to 368 00:30:59,100 --> 00:31:02,400 what Jesus Christ is claiming. 369 00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:12,600 Either he is a liar, he is a lunatic, or he is Lord. 370 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:15,960 Those are the only options that we have. 371 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:23,280 Either Jesus Christ is absolutely a liar and is willfully deceiving us today as well as 372 00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:29,600 his followers in that day, or he's telling the truth and he's God. 373 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:38,200 Now the fact is if he was a liar and he is not worthy even to be what some claim him 374 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:42,000 to be only, that is a good moral teacher. 375 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:44,160 They say that's all he is. 376 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:50,680 But my friend, if he was not truthful in saying he was God, he's not a good moral teacher 377 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:54,280 or example for anybody. 378 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:57,720 Is he a lunatic? 379 00:31:57,720 --> 00:32:04,680 There's no evidence at all in the gospel record or in secular record, as little as there be, 380 00:32:04,680 --> 00:32:13,360 of any abnormality or imbalance regarding Jesus Christ. 381 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:22,000 You see in fact a man who is in complete control, not only of himself, but of his circumstances. 382 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:24,920 He is not crazy. 383 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:30,280 The only other conclusion is that he is in fact Lord. 384 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:36,960 William Beterwolf said, a man who can read the New Testament and not see that Christ 385 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:44,560 claims to be more than man can look all over the sky at high noon on a cloudless day and 386 00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:46,520 not see the sun. 387 00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:47,960 That's right. 388 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:52,760 Jesus Christ clearly claims to be God. 389 00:32:52,760 --> 00:32:58,520 And because he does, your life and mine can never be the same. 390 00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:03,480 If in fact he is God as he claims to be, he is worthy of all of our worship. 391 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:08,480 There is nothing that he can ask of us that is too great. 392 00:33:08,480 --> 00:33:23,760 Because he as God came into this world and went to a cross and sacrificed himself for 393 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:26,720 our sake. 394 00:33:26,720 --> 00:33:35,240 When you behold the love of this God come in the flesh, you cannot withhold anything 395 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:37,200 from him. 396 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:42,040 For he is worthy, he is worthy of all. 397 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:47,600 Let's bow together. 398 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:52,720 All hail the power of Jesus' name. 399 00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:56,240 Let angels prostrate fall. 400 00:33:56,240 --> 00:34:05,840 Bring forth the royal diadem and crown him Lord of all. 401 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:12,760 Our Savior, our Lord, and our God. 402 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:20,720 We acknowledge that what you claimed is true. 403 00:34:20,720 --> 00:34:27,880 And with Thomas of old we fall before you as it were on our faces and we exclaim, my 404 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:32,120 Lord and my God. 405 00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:40,320 With that blind man who was healed, we bow down and we worship you. 406 00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:45,800 And we would not withhold any area of life. 407 00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:53,560 We lay aside the fussing and the feuding and the grumbling and complaining of our circumstances. 408 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:59,960 And we acknowledge that because you are God, you are able to control all of our circumstances 409 00:34:59,960 --> 00:35:08,920 and where we are tonight in our lives is what you have ordained and what is best because 410 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:11,860 you are God. 411 00:35:11,860 --> 00:35:15,960 We yield ourselves to you afresh and we worship you. 412 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:30,520 Amen.