Wings of Faith

Life & Ministry of Jesus

Fountainhead of N.T. and Fulfillment of O.T. Col. 1:16-17

--it’s a reservoir—all revelations flow in

--as a fountain—all revelations flow out

--Paul said—"for in Him all things were created, He is before all things and all things are held together by Him"

--Jesus is the focal point of all history—he split Time BC to AD

fullfillment of OT hopes and source of NT expectations

To Read the Gospels is to walk with Jesus in His earthly ministry

--"walking where Jesus walked" trips to the holy land, the theme park, also can be acomplished by reading the Gospel writers

is it fiction or documentary, we say the latter—get the sense that it is real

God in human flesh John 1:14-18 Col. 2:9

  • Joh 1:14 The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him all the kindness and all the truth of God have come down to us.

    Joh 1:15 John spoke about him and shouted, "This is the one I told you would come! He is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born."

    Joh 1:16 Because of all that the Son is, we have been given one blessing after another.

    Joh 1:17 The Law was given by Moses, but Jesus Christ brought us undeserved kindness and truth.

    Joh 1:18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like.

    • Col 2:9 God lives fully in Christ.

    --OT man could not use graven image to represent God—why?—the image could not fully show God , his perfection, his majesty. He was worshipped based on His words and works. Now we can worship God in the person of Jesus His Son, the only acceptable image of God to God. Jesus is full disclosure of God, no blemish, no distortion, no sin, perfect!

     

     

    We meet the real Jesus John 14:6

    --we have many Jesus’ today:

    from one willing to accept a casual commit of your live to Him

    to one willing to accept that you believe in him—Demons do that

    (I want to get above demon status)

    the gentle Jesus—turn the other cheek, even to the abuse of others

    the humanitarian Jesus—relieve the world of misery—to battle suffering pain and misery

    then there is Jesus the revolutionary—anti establishment, rocked the boat of the status quo, overthrow the unjust and corrupt

    the broad minded Jesus—whose love permits or tolerates sin, he is more tolerant

    ---there may be elements of truth in each but each by itself is incomplete

    Jesus must be seen as the whole person more than the sum of the parts

    --the real Jesus is the Christ of the Gospels full diety in human flesh, to dwell among us, he is "the way the truth and the life" Jn 14:6

    Indecision and neutrality forbidden

    --can’t be patronized— his life demands a decision--he was either God or not, if not he messiah then a deceiver and self deluded—either willing to die for Him or kill him

    --as did a study some may say that this Jesus is claiming to be God—keep that in mind as we study-------I am not to convince you only guide you and present the truths as I know them thru Gods Spirit

    --can’t straddle the fence-----have to fall off on one side or the other---either go full throttle as some may call fanatical or continue to seek and deny Jesus

    --can either strive with His help to do as He says – or not

    Learn Gods pattern for our Christian experience

      1. what does God offer to man
      2. what does God require of man------the answer to both the life of Christ
    1. Jesus is God’s provison for man’s sin—man was seperated by sin from God—Jesus died on our place—God is just—the penalty was death so to be just, Jesus is our substitute for God’s wrath for all who believe. 2Co 5:21 Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God.

    Rom 3:21-26 Now we see how God does make us acceptable to him. The Law and the Prophets tell how we become acceptable, and it isn't by obeying the Law of Moses. (22) God treats everyone alike. He accepts people only because they have faith in Jesus Christ. (23) All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. (24) But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins. (25) God sent Christ to be our sacrifice. Christ offered his life's blood, so that by faith in him we could come to God. And God did this to show that in the past he was right to be patient and forgive sinners. This also shows that God is right when he accepts people who have faith in Jesus. (26) (SEE 3:25)

    Heb 4:15 Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin!

    1Pe 2:21 After all, God chose you to suffer as you follow in the footsteps of Christ, who set an example by suffering for you.

    ---What does that mean—how do we suffer—what has to take less precedence in order to put Jesus as Number 1?????????????

    --Jesus is the standard of righteousness AND the source of achieving it

    --His death saved us from past sins and His life delivers us from sin.

    Teaches us how to live---want to obey the Laws as worship

    --We hear much of the death of Jesus and not enough of the life of Jesus as the pattern and provision for Christian living

  • The Life of Christ 2Cor 5:21 Rom 3:21-26 Heb 4:15 1Pet 2:21
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    Explains Gods program for Israel in OT and for Gentiles in the NT

    Ps 22 Isa 52:13, 53:12 9:6-7 Luke 4 Dan 7:13-14

    --OT incomplete, the promise to Israel has not occurred, earthly kingdom and stuff—can realize a mini-kingdom here to show others

    --NT some think promise to be fulfilled thru the church—that is the people—not buildings—is a spiritual kingdom

    only part rue, the promise is on hold

    --th OT talks of 2 comings of the Christ—one to Israel as the messiah to fulfill prophecies of Isaiah : Isa 61:1-2 The Spirit of the LORD God has taken control of me! The LORD has chosen and sent me to tell the oppressed the good news, to heal the brokenhearted, and to announce freedom for prisoners and captives. (2) This is the year when the LORD God will show kindness to us and punish our enemies. The LORD has sent me to comfort those who mourn,

    --who are the prisioners----us the Gentiles the non Jew

    --he validated His power and authority to claim He was God and His teachings tell of His kingdom

    --all part of Gods plan to save ALL

    --the Jew must enter by way of the Gentile—by faith in Jesus as the Christ

    --therefore let us, the Gentile, make no mistake that there is nothing for us to do, we are to obey Him, in order to do that we must know him and then see what He has told us to do!

    Jesus is determining factor of Life & Death and Heaven and Hell

    --Jesus is unique as He makes claim to be Gods own provision to eternal life

    Joh 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life!" Jesus answered. "Without me, no one can go to the Father.

    Peter resounds this in Acts: Act 4:12 And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved.

    And John agrees with Peter: Joh 3:18 No one who has faith in God's Son will be condemned. But everyone who doesn't have faith in him has already been condemned for not having faith in God's only Son.

    How do we obey, what do we obey—John gives a clue: 1Jo 3:13-18 My friends, don't be surprised if the people of this world hate you. (14) Our love for each other proves that we have gone from death to life. But if you don't love each other, you are still under the power of death. (15) If you hate each other, you are murderers, and we know that murderers do not have eternal life. (16) We know what love is because Jesus gave his life for us. That's why we must give our lives for each other. (17) If we have all we need and see one of our own people in need, we must have pity on that person, or else we cannot say we love God. (18) Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it.