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May 10, 2025

Baptist Faith and Message

Filed under: Old and New Testament — Adam Osborne @ 1:03 pm

Year 2000 version

BAPTIST FAITH AND MESSAGE

(2000 edition)

I Scriptures

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.

  • Exodus 24:4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early the next morning and set up an altar and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel at the base of the mountain.
  • Deuteronomy 4:1-2 “Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live, enter, and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, so that you may keep the commands of the Lord your God I am giving you.
  • Deuteronomy 17:19 It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to observe all the words of this instruction, and to do these statutes.
  • Joshua 8:34 Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law—the blessings as well as the curses—according to all that is written in the book of the law.
  • Psalms 19:7-10 The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous. 10 They are more desirable than gold—than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb.
  • Psalms 119:11 I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.
  • Psalms 119: 89 Give me life in accordance with your faithful love, and I will obey the decree you have spoken.
  • Psalms 119: 105 Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.
  • Psalms 119:140 Your word is completely pure, and your servant loves it.
  • Isaiah 34:16 Search and read the scroll of the Lord: Not one of them will be missing, none will be lacking its mate, because he has ordered it by my mouth, and he will gather them by his Spirit.
  • Isaiah 40:8  The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever.”
  • Jeremiah 15:16 16 Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became a delight to me and the joy of my heart, for I bear your name, Lord God of Armies.
  • Jeremiah 36:1-32  In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Take a scroll, and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah, and all the nations from the time I first spoke to you during Josiah’s reign until today. Perhaps when the house of Judah hears about all the disaster I am planning to bring on them, each one of them will turn from his evil way. Then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.” So Jeremiah summoned Baruch son of Neriah. At Jeremiah’s dictation, Baruch wrote on a scroll all the words the Lord had spoken to Jeremiah. Then Jeremiah commanded Baruch, “I am restricted; I cannot enter the temple of the Lord, so you must go and read from the scroll—which you wrote at my dictation—the words of the Lord in the hearing of the people at the temple of the Lord on a day of fasting. Read his words in the hearing of all the Judeans who are coming from their cities. Perhaps their petition will come before the Lord, and each one will turn from his evil way, for the anger and fury that the Lord has pronounced against this people are intense.” So Baruch son of Neriah did everything the prophet Jeremiah had commanded him. At the Lord’s temple he read the Lord’s words from the scroll. In the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people of Jerusalem and all those coming in from Judah’s cities into Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the Lord. 10 Then at the Lord’s temple, in the chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper courtyard at the opening of the New Gate of the Lord’s temple, in the hearing of all the people, Baruch read Jeremiah’s words from the scroll. 11 When Micaiah son of Gemariah, son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the Lord from the scroll, 12 he went down to the scribe’s chamber in the king’s palace. All the officials were sitting there—Elishama the scribe, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials. 13 Micaiah reported to them all the words he had heard when Baruch read from the scroll in the hearing of the people. 14 Then all the officials sent word to Baruch through Jehudi son of Nethaniah, son of Shelemiah, son of Cushi, saying, “Bring the scroll that you read in the hearing of the people, and come.” So Baruch son of Neriah took the scroll and went to them. 15 They said to him, “Sit down and read it in our hearing.” So Baruch read it in their hearing. 16 When they had heard all the words, they turned to each other in fear and said to Baruch, “We must surely tell the king all these things.” 17 Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, how did you write all these words? At his dictation?” 18 Baruch said to them, “At his dictation. He recited all these words to me while I was writing on the scroll in ink.” 19 The officials said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah must hide and tell no one where you are.” 20 Then, after depositing the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, the officials came to the king at the courtyard and reported everything in the hearing of the king. 21 The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the scribe. Jehudi then read it in the hearing of the king and all the officials who were standing by the king. 22 Since it was the ninth month, the king was sitting in his winter quarters with a fire burning in front of him. 23 As soon as Jehudi would read three or four columns, Jehoiakim would cut the scroll with a scribe’s knife and throw the columns into the fire in the hearth until the entire scroll was consumed by the fire in the hearth. 24 As they heard all these words, the king and all his servants did not become terrified or tear their clothes. 25 Even though Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah had urged the king not to burn the scroll, he did not listen to them. 26 Then the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to seize the scribe Baruch and the prophet Jeremiah, but the Lord hid them. 27 After the king had burned the scroll and the words Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 28 “Take another scroll, and once again write on it the original words that were on the original scroll that King Jehoiakim of Judah burned. 29 You are to proclaim concerning King Jehoiakim of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have burned the scroll, asking, “Why have you written on it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land and cause it to be without people or animals?” 30 Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning King Jehoiakim of Judah: He will have no one to sit on David’s throne, and his corpse will be thrown out to be exposed to the heat of day and the frost of night. 31 I will punish him, his descendants, and his officers for their iniquity. I will bring on them, on the residents of Jerusalem, and on the people of Judah all the disaster, which I warned them about but they did not listen.’ ”32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch son of Neriah, the scribe, and he wrote on it at Jeremiah’s dictation all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim, Judah’s king, had burned in the fire. And many other words like them were added.
  • Matthew 5:17-18 “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished.
  • Matthew 22:29 Jesus answered them, “You are mistaken, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God.  
  • Luke 21:33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
  • Luke 24:44-46  He told them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 He also said to them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead the third day,
  • John 5:39  You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, and yet they testify about me.
  • John 16:13-15 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.
  • John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
  • Acts 2:16 And this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel
  • Acts 17:11 The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
  • Romans 15:4  For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.
  • Romans 16:25-26  Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation about Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept silent for long ages 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures, according to the command of the eternal God to advance the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles—
  • 2 Timothy 3:15-17 and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
  • Hebrews 1:1-2 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe, through him.
  • Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
  • 1 Peter 1:25  but the word of the Lord endures forever
  • 2 Peter 1:19-21 We also have the prophetic word strongly confirmed, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

II. God

There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.

A. God the Father

God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men.

Genesis 1:1In the beginning  God created the heavens and the earth.

Oz: later we learn that God includes the triune God….God the father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

Genesis 2:7 Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground t and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.

Oz:  Made differently than anything else that God made.  Man has a special place in God’s creation.

 Exodus 3:14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”

Oz: Moses enjoyed the blessing of talking directly to God. 

Exodus 6:2-3 Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, “I am Yahweh. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I did not reveal My name Yahweh to them

Oz:

Exodus 15:11ff. Lord, who is like You among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, 

revered with praises, performing wonders?

Oz:  No one, nothing, is like God.  Creator and ruler of all things.  All knowing, all powerful. 

Exodus 20:1ff. Then God spoke all these words:

 Leviticus 22:2 Tell Aaron and his sons to deal respectfully with the holy offerings of the Israelites that they have consecrated to Me, so they do not profane My holy name;  I am Yahweh.

 Deuteronomy 6:4 Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One.

Deuteronomy 32:6 Is this how you repay the Lord, you foolish and senseless people?

Isn’t He your Father and Creator? Didn’t He make you and sustain you?

 1 Chronicles 29:10Then David praised the Lord in the sight of all the assembly. David said,  May You be praised, Lord God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity.

 Psalm 19:1-3 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky u proclaims the work of His hands. Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge. There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard.

 Isaiah 43:3, 15 For I * Yahweh your God, the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior, give Egypt as a ransom for you, Cush and Seba in your place. (15) I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King

Isaiah 64:8Yet Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our potter; we all are the work of Your hands. u

 Jeremiah 10:10; But Yahweh is the true God; He is the living God a and eternal King. The earth quakes at His wrath, and the nations cannot endure His rage.

Jeremiah 17:13; Lord, the hope of Israel,all who abandon You will be put to shame. All who turn away from Me will be written in the dirt, for they have abandoned the Lord, the fountain of living water.

 Matthew 6:9ff.;  “Therefore, you should pray like this: s Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy. t 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. u 11 Give us today our daily bread. v 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. w 13 And do not bring us into x temptation, y but deliver us from the evil one. z a [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. * Amen.]

Matthew 7:11;  If you then, who are evil, o know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Matthew 23:9; Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven

Matthew 28:19Go, therefore, and make disciples h of i all nations, j baptizing k them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

 Mark 1:9-11;  In g those days Jesus came from Nazareth h in Galilee i and was baptized in the Jordan by John. 10 As soon as He came up out of the water, He saw the heavens j being torn open and the Spirit descending to Him like a dove. 11 And a voice k came from heaven: l

You are My beloved m Son; n I take delight o in You! p

 John 4:24; God is spirit, x and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

John 5:26; For just as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted to the Son s to have life in Himself.

John 14:6-13;  Jesus told him, “I am z the way, a the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.  “If you know Me, you will also know b My Father. c From now on you do know Him d and have seen Him.” “Lord,” said Philip, e “show us the Father, and that’s enough for us.”  Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time without your knowing Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father. f How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? g The words I speak to you I do not speak on My own. h The Father who lives in Me does His works. i 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Otherwise, believe j because of the works themselves.  * I assure you: The one who believes in Me l will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified o in the Son.

John 17:1-8; Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you gave him authority over all people,, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ. I have glorified you on the earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with that glory I had with you before the world existed.

JESUS PRAYS FOR HIS DISCIPLES

“I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you, because I have given them the words you gave me. They have received them and have known for certain that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me.

Acts 1:7; He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority.

 Romans 8:14-15;  All those led by God’s Spirit c are God’s sons. d 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, e but you received the Spirit of adoption, f by whom we cry out, “* Abba, Father!” g

 1 Corinthians 8:6; yet for us there is one God, the Father.All things are from Him, q and we exist for Him. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things are through Him, and we exist through Him. r

 Galatians 4:6; And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son v into our w hearts, crying, “* Abba, x Father!

 Ephesians 4:6; one God y and Father z of all, who is above all and through all and in all

 Colossians 1:15; He is the image of the invisible God, f the firstborn over all creation.

 1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King k eternal, l immortal, m invisible, the only n God, o be honor p and glory q forever and ever. * Amen.

 Hebrews 11:6; Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.

Hebrews 12:9; Furthermore, we had natural fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? e

 1 Peter 1:17; And if you address as Father the One who judges impartially a based on each one’s work, b you are to conduct yourselves in fear c during the time of your temporary residence.

 1 John 5:7. For there are three that testify:

B. God the Son

Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ, He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.

Genesis 18:1ff.; Then the Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre d while he was sitting in the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day.

 Psalms 2:7ff.; I will declare the Lord’s decree: He said to Me, “You are My Son; d today I have become Your e Father.

Psalms 110:1ff  This is the declaration of the Lord to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool.

 Isaiah 7:14;  Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a a sign: The virgin will conceive, b have a son, and name him Immanuel

Isaiah 53  Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at him, no appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn’t value him. Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth. He was taken away because of oppression and judgment, and who considered his fate? For he was cut off from the land of the living; he was struck because of my people’s rebellion. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, but he was with a rich man at his death, because he had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully. 10 Yet the Lord was pleased to crush him severely., When you make him a guilt offering, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and by his hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished. 11 After his anguish, he will see light and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will carry their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him the many as a portion, and he will receive the mighty as spoil, because he willingly submitted to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet he bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.

Matthew 1:18-23; The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been * engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. w 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, x and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. y 20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. z 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, a b because He will save His people from their sins.” c 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, d which is translated “God is with us.” e

Matthew 3:17; And there came a voice from heaven: This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!

Matthew 8:29; Suddenly they shouted, “What do You have to do with us, t u Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?

Matthew 11:27; All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows r the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires s to reveal Him

Matthew 14:33; Then those in the boat worshiped Him and said, “Truly You are the Son of God

Matthew 16:16, Simon Peter answered, “You are the * Messiah, the Son of the living God

Matthew 16: 27; For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, i and then He will reward each according to what he has done.

 Matthew 17:5; While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered q them, and a voice from the cloud said: This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him. Listen to Him! r

Matthew 17: 27; But, so we won’t * offend them, go to the sea, cast in a fishhook, and take the first fish that you catch. When you open its mouth you’ll find a coin. z Take it and give it to them for Me and you.”

Matthew 28:1-6, After the Sabbath, p as the first day of the week was dawning, * Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. q His appearance was like lightning, and his robe was as white as snow. r The guards were so shaken from fear of him that they became like dead men. But the angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. s He is not here! For He has been resurrected, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. t

Matthew 28: 19; Go, therefore, and make disciples h of i all nations, j baptizing k them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

 Mark 1:1; The beginning a of the gospel b of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark 3:11; Whenever the * unclean k spirits l saw Him, those possessed fell down m before Him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!”

Luke 1::35; “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, a and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.

Luke 4:41; Also, demons were coming out of many, shouting and saying, “You are the Son of God!” But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the * Messiah.

Luke 22:70; They all asked, “Are You, then, the Son of God?” And He said to them, “You say that I am.”

Luke 24:46; He also said to them, “This is what is written: n The Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead the third day,

John 1:1-18 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life,, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.,

10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him and exclaimed, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘The one coming after me ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ ”) 16 Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness, 17 for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—he has revealed him.

John 1:29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

John 10:30, I and the Father are one.”

John  10:38; But if I am doing them and you don’t believe me, believe the works. This way you will know and understand that the Father is in me and I in the Father.”

John 11:25-27; Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. 26 Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who comes into the world.”

John 12:44-50; Jesus cried out, “The one who believes in me believes not in me, but in him who sent me. 45 And the one who sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me would not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and doesn’t keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and doesn’t receive my sayings has this as his judge: The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a command to say everything I have said. 50 I know that his command is eternal life. So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told me.”

John 14:7-11; If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”“Lord,” said Philip, “show us the Father, and that’s enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time and you do not know me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who lives in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Otherwise, believe because of the works themselves.

John 16:15-16,28; 15 Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you. 16 “In a little while, you will no longer see me; again in a little while, you will see me.” 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

John 17:1-5, Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you gave him authority over all people,, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ. I have glorified you on the earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with that glory I had with you before the world existed.

John 17:21-22; May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one.

John 20:1-20,28; On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she went running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, “They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him!”

At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then, following him, Simon Peter also came. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. The wrapping that had been on his head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then also went in, saw, and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to the place where they were staying.

MARY MAGDALENE SEES THE RISEN LORD

11 But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 She saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’s body had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“Because they’ve taken away my Lord,” she told them, “and I don’t know where they’ve put him.”

14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know it was Jesus. 15 “Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying? Who is it that you’re seeking?”

Supposing he was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you’ve carried him away, tell me where you’ve put him, and I will take him away.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

Turning around, she said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!”—which means “Teacher.”

17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus told her, “since I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”

18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what he had said to her.

THE DISCIPLES COMMISSIONED

19 When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 28 Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Acts 1:9 After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

Acts 2:22-24 “Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. 23 Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. 24 God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death.

Acts 7:55-56 Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 He said, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!

Acts 9:4-5, Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul said. “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting,” he replied.

Acts 9:20 Immediately he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues: “He is the Son of God.”

 Romans 1:3-4 concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David, according to the flesh and was appointed to be the powerful Son of God according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection of the dead.

Romans 3:23-26 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as the mercy seat, by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 5:6-21 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.

DEATH THROUGH ADAM AND LIFE THROUGH CHRIST

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned. 13 In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not charged to a person’s account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a type of the Coming One.

15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass the many died, how much more have the grace of God and the gift which comes through the grace of the one man Jesus Christ overflowed to the many. 16 And the gift is not like the one man’s sin, because from one sin came the judgment, resulting in condemnation, but from many trespasses came the gift, resulting in justification. 17 If by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

18 So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is justification leading to life for everyone. 19 For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 8:1-3 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering,,

Romans 8:34 Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.

Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes,

1 Corinthians 1:30 It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption

1 Corinthians  2:2 I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

1 Corinthians 8:6 yet for us there is one God, the Father. All things are from him, and we exist for him. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things are through him, and we exist through him.

1 Corinthians 15:1-8 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time,, he also appeared to me.

1 Corinthians 15:24-28 24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he abolishes all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he puts all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be abolished is death. 27 For God has put everything under his feet., Now when it says “everything” is put under him, it is obvious that he who puts everything under him is the exception. 28 When everything is subject to Christ, then the Son himself will also be subject to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

 2 Corinthians 5:19-21  19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” 21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

Galatians 4:4-5 When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, s born of a woman, t born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Ephesians 1:20 He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens

Ephesians 3:11 This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 4:7-10Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. For it says: When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to people., But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth?, 10 The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things.

Philippians 2:5-11 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Colossians 1:13-22 13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. 14 In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

THE CENTRALITY OF CHRIST

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross., 21 Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds as expressed in your evil actions. 22 But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before him—

Colossians 2:9 For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ,

 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For we say this to you by a word from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout,, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Timothy 2:5-6 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.

1 Timothy 3:16 And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

Titus 2:13-14 while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14 He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works.

Hebrews 1:1-3 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe, through him. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Hebrews 4:14-15  Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 7:14-28 14 Now it is evident that our Lord came from Judah, and Moses said nothing about that tribe concerning priests.

15 And this becomes clearer if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 who did not become a priest based on a legal regulation about physical descent but based on the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it has been testified:

You are a priest forever

according to the order of Melchizedek.,

18 So the previous command is annulled because it was weak and unprofitable 19 (for the law perfected nothing), but a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

20 None of this happened without an oath. For others became priests without an oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath made by the one who said to him:

The Lord has sworn

and will not change his mind,

“You are a priest forever.”,

22 Because of this oath, Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant.

23 Now many have become Levitical priests, since they are prevented by death from remaining in office. 24 But because he remains forever, he holds his priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them.

26 For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do—first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all time when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the promise of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son, who has been perfected forever.

Hebrews 9:12-15 12 he entered the most holy place once for all time, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God? 15 Therefore, he is the mediator of a new covenant,, so that those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance, because a death has taken place for redemption from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

Hebrews 9:24-28 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands (only a model of the true one) but into heaven itself, so that he might now appear in the presence of God for us. 25 He did not do this to offer himself many times, as the high priest enters the sanctuary yearly with the blood of another. 26 Otherwise, he would have had to suffer many times since the foundation of the world. But now he has appeared one time, at the end of the ages, for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment—28 so also Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Hebrews 12:2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever

1 Peter 2:21-25  For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth;, 23 when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds, you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray,, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls

1 Peter 3:22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

 1 John 1:7-9 If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 3:2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is. 3

1 John 4:14-15 And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son as the world’s Savior. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God—God remains in him and he in God.

1 John 5:9 If we accept human testimony, God’s testimony is greater, because it is God’s testimony that he has given about his Son.  

2 John 7-9 Many deceivers have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves so that you don’t lose what we have worked for, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who does not remain in Christ’s teaching but goes beyond it does not have God. The one who remains in that teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son.

Revelation 1:13-16 and among the lampstands was one like the Son of Man,, dressed in a robe and with a golden sash wrapped around his chest. 14 The hair of his head was white as wool—white as snow—and his eyes like a fiery flame. 15 His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of cascading waters. 16 He had seven stars in his right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from his mouth, and his face was shining like the sun at full strength.  

Revelation 5:9-14 And they sang a new song:

You are worthy to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

because you were slaughtered,

and you purchased people

for God by your blood

from every tribe and language

and people and nation.

10 You made them a kingdom

and priests to our God,

and they will reign on the earth.

11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands. 12 They said with a loud voice,

Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered

to receive power and riches

and wisdom and strength

and honor and glory and blessing!

13 I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say,

Blessing and honor and glory and power

be to the one seated on the throne,

and to the Lamb, forever and ever!

14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Revelation 12:10-11 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have now come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been thrown down. 11 They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; for they did not love their lives to the point of death.

Revelation 13:8 All those who live on the earth will worship it, everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered

Revelation 19:16 And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

C. God the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

Genesis 1:2;Now the earth was d formless and empty, e darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

 Judges 14:6; the Spirit of the Lord took control of him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

 Job 26:13; By His breath the heavens gained their beauty; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

 Psalms 51:11;  Do not banish me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Psalm 139:7 Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?

 Isaiah 61:1-3; The Spirit of the Lord God is on Me,because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal q the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort u all who mourn,  to provide for those who mourn in * Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the Lord to glorify Him.

Joel 2:28-32 After this I will pour out My Spirit m on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions. 29 I will even pour out My Spirit on the male and female slaves in those days. 30 I will display wonders in the heavens and on the earth: blood, fire, and columns of smoke. 31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and awe-inspiring Day of the Lord comes. Then everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved, for there will be an escape for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, as the Lord promised, among the survivors the Lord calls.

 Matthew 1:18; The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been * engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 3:16; After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens e suddenly opened for Him, f and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him.

Matthew 4:1; Then i Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil

Matthew 12:28-32;  If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. e 29 How can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions unless he first ties up f the strong man? Then he can rob his house. 30 Anyone who is not with Me is against Me, g and anyone who does not gather with Me scatters. 31 Because of this, h I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy, i but the blasphemy against j the Spirit will not be forgiven. k 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, l it will be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the one to come.

Matthew 28:19; Go, therefore, and make disciples h of i all nations, j baptizing k them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

 Mark 1:10,12; As soon as He came up out of the water, He saw the heavens j being torn open and the Spirit descending to Him like a dove.

Immediately q the Spirit r drove s Him into the wilderness.

 Luke 1:35; The angel replied to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.

Luke 4:1,18-19; Then Jesus a returned from the Jordan, b full of the Holy Spirit, c and was led by the Spirit d in the wilderness

18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me d to proclaim freedom e to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

Luke 11:13; 13 If you then, who are evil, o know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father p give q the Holy Spirit r to those who ask Him?”

Luke 12:12; For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what must be said.”

Luke 24:49; And look, I am sending you u what My Father promised. v As for you, stay in the city w until you are empowered x y from on high.”

 John 4:24; God is spirit, x and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

Luke 14:16-17,  And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another * Counselor w to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit x of truth. y The * world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be z in you.

Luke 14:26; But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit l—the Father will send m Him in My name—will teach you all things n and remind you of everything I have told you.

Luke 15:26; “When the * Counselor k comes, the One I will send to you from the Father l—the Spirit of truth m who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.

Luke 16:7-14; Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. v It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the * Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you. w When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: About sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father x and you will no longer see Me; 11 and about judgment, y because the ruler of this * world z has been judged. a

12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. b 13 When the Spirit of truth c comes, He will guide you into all the truth. d For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you.

Luke Acts 1:8; But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends h of the earth.”

Luke 2:1-4,38; When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. f Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind g came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. h And tongues, like flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled i with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different * languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech.

38 “Repent,” w Peter said to them, “and be baptized, x each of you, in the name y of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 4:31; When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God’s message with boldness.

Luke 5:3          He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.

Luke 6:3  He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.

Luke 7:55 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Luke 8:17,39; For nothing is concealed that won’t be revealed, and nothing hidden that won’t be made known and brought to light. 39 “Go back to your home, and tell all that God has done for you.” And off he went, proclaiming throughout the town how much Jesus had done for him.

Luke 19:1-6 He entered Jericho and was passing through. There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man. So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since he was about to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today it is necessary for me to stay at your house.” So he quickly came down and welcomed him joyfully.

 Romans 8:9-11 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. 10 Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you. 

 1 Corinthians 2:10-14  Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except his spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God. 13 We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. 14 But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.

1 Corinthians 3:16  Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God lives in you?

1 Corinthians 12:3-11,13; Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person. A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good: to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues, to another, interpretation of tongues. 11 One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink.

 Galatians 4:6 And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!

 Ephesians 1:13-14 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 4:30  And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption.

Ephesians 5:18  And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit:

 1 Thessalonians 5:19  Don’t stifle the Spirit.

 1 Timothy 3:16  And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great:  He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

1 Timothy 4:1  Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,

 2 Timothy 1:14  Guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

1 Timothy 3:16  All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,

 Hebrews 9:8,14  The Holy Spirit was making it clear that the way into the most holy place had not yet been disclosed while the first tabernacle was still standing. 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God?

 2 Peter 1:21  because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

 1 John 4:13  This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.

1 John 5:6-7 Jesus Christ—he is the one who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water and by blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify:,

 Revelation 1:10 10 I was in the Spirit, on the Lord’s day, and I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet

Revelation 22:17 Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let anyone who hears, say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.

Contact Adam

Last edit 05.20.25

April 27, 2025

Jesus: Prophet, Priest, and King

Filed under: Old and New Testament — Adam Osborne @ 3:14 pm

A bible study by Adam Osborne, JR.

04.27.25

1. Jesus as a Prophet

A prophet speaks God’s word to the people, calling them to repentance and revealing God’s will.

• Old Testament Prophecy – Moses predicted that God would raise up a prophet like himself:

Deuteronomy 18:15 – “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.”

• Jesus Fulfills This Role –

• He taught with divine authority – Matthew 7:28-29. And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes

• He performed miracles to confirm His message – John 6:14  When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” 

• He foretold future events, including His death and resurrection – Mark 8:31  And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.

• People recognized Him as “a great prophet” –

Luke 7:16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!

John 4:19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.

Jesus is the ultimate prophet because He is not just a messenger of God’s word—He is the Word made flesh – John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth
.

2. Jesus as a Priest

A priest mediates between God and people, offering sacrifices for sin and interceding on behalf of the people.

• Old Testament Priesthood – The Levitical priests offered sacrifices to atone for sin, but their sacrifices were temporary.

• Jesus Fulfills This Role –

• He offered Himself as the perfect and final sacrifice – Hebrews 9:11-14 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

• He serves as our High Priest forever in the order of Melchizedek –

Psalm 110:4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” 

Hebrews 7:17  For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 

• He continually intercedes for believers before the Father – Hebrews 7:25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them

Jesus is the perfect High Priest because He offered Himself as the ultimate sacrifice and continues to intercede for us.

3. Jesus as a King

A king rules with authority, ensuring justice and leading His people.

• Old Testament Promise of a King –

• God promised David that his descendant would reign forever – 2 Samuel 7:12-13 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

• The Messiah was prophesied to be a King who rules with righteousness – Isaiah 9:6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this

• Jesus Fulfills This Role –

• He is the King of Kings – Revelation 19:16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords

• He inaugurated His Kingdom with His first coming – Luke 17:20-21 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

• He will return to establish His eternal reign – Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.

Jesus is the ultimate King because He reigns not just over Israel but over all creation, and His Kingdom will never end.

Summary

• As Prophet, Jesus reveals God’s truth.

• As Priest, He sacrifices Himself and intercedes for us.

• As King, He reigns over all.

No one else in history has ever perfectly fulfilled all three roles. Jesus is the complete and final Prophet, Priest, and King

April 20, 2025

Warrior King versus Suffering Servant

Filed under: Old and New Testament — Adam Osborne @ 2:27 pm

WARRIOR KING VERSUS SUFFERING SERVANT

WARRIOR KING:

The Jews were expecting the Messiah to be a “conquering, warrior King,” someone who would deliver Israel from foreign oppression, restore the kingdom, and rule with power and justice.

  Here are some of the scriptures that made them expect a warrior King:

  1. Psalm 2:6–9 ESV  “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

 Key idea: God installs His King on Zion, who will rule the nations with a rod of iron and crush opposition.

• Messianic theme: Royal power, divine authority, and conquest.

  • 2 Samuel 7:12–16 ESV 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”

• Key idea: God promises David that his offspring will establish an eternal kingdom.

• Messianic theme: A future Davidic king, ruling forever.

  • Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

• Key idea: A child is born who will reign on David’s throne with justice and righteousness forever.

• Messianic theme: A divine, righteous ruler, ushering in peace through strength.

  • Isaiah 11:1–10 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. 9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

• Key idea: A shoot from Jesse (David’s father) will judge the earth, strike the wicked, and bring peace.

• Messianic theme: A righteous warrior-king filled with the Spirit, destroying the wicked and restoring justice.

  • Jeremiah 23:5–6 ESV 5 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

 Key idea: A “righteous Branch” from David’s line will reign as king and save Judah.

• Messianic theme: Royal leadership, justice, and deliverance from enemies.

  • Daniel 7:13–14 13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

• Key idea: “One like a Son of Man” comes with the clouds and is given dominion, glory, and a kingdom.

• Messianic theme: A cosmic ruler with eternal power over all nations.

  • Micah 5:2–4            But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. 3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. 4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.

• Key idea: A ruler will come from Bethlehem to shepherd and rule Israel, bringing security and peace.

• Messianic theme: A strong shepherd-king with divine origins.

  • Zechariah 9:9–10 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

• Key idea: The king comes humbly, riding a donkey—but he will speak peace to the nations and rule to the ends of the earth.

• Messianic theme: A peaceful conqueror who nonetheless establishes dominion over the whole world.

  • Zechariah 12:8–10  On that day the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the Lord, going before them. And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.
  • Zechariah 14:3–9 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.

• Key idea: God will defend Jerusalem, destroy her enemies, and the Lord will be king over all the earth.

• Messianic theme: Apocalyptic imagery of God (and by extension, His Messiah) fighting Israel’s enemies.

Summary of Themes of WARRIOR KING:

• Line of David – a future king in David’s royal line

• Divine power and justice – Messiah executes justice, defeats enemies, rules over nations

• National deliverance – restoring Israel’s security and glory (Mic 5, Zech 9, 14)

• Global rule – not just a local king, but a universal ruler (Dan 7, Isa 11, Ps 2)

These passages built a very clear picture in many Jewish minds: the Messiah would be a powerful political and military leader, sent by God to overthrow oppressors (like the Romans) and restore Israel’s kingdom and independence.

SUFFERING SERVANT

Suffering Servant passages are important, though they were often overlooked or misunderstood by many in Jesus’ time because they didn’t fit the mold of a conquering king. Yet, Jesus and the early Church drew heavily on them to explain His mission, especially His suffering, death, and resurrection.

Here’s a list of the major Old Testament scriptures that describe the suffering, rejection, and ultimate vindication of God’s servant:

  1. Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12 13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. 14 As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— 15 so shall he sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand. 53 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors

Key ideas:

• The servant is despised and rejected, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.

• He bears our griefs and sins, is pierced for our transgressions.

• He suffers silently and willingly, like a lamb led to slaughter.

• He dies, is buried, but ultimately is vindicated and exalted.

• Fulfillment in Jesus: This is the clearest and most detailed prophetic picture of the suffering Messiah. The New Testament quotes or alludes to this passage more than any other when referring to Jesus’ death.

2. Psalm 22

22 To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. 10 On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. 11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. 12 Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; 15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— 17 I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; 18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. 19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! 21 Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen! 22 I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: 23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! 24 For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. 25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. 26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. 28 For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. 29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. 30 Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; 31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

• Key ideas:

• Begins: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

• Describes mocking, piercing of hands and feet, casting lots for clothing.

• Ends with a note of deliverance and future praise.

• Fulfillment in Jesus: Jesus quotes this from the cross (Matthew 27:46), and the details align remarkably with crucifixion—a method of execution unknown in David’s time.

3. Isaiah 49:1–7  49 Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name. He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away. And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” But I said, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my recompense with my God.” And now the Lord says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him— for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord, and my God has become my strength— he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

• Key ideas:

• The servant is called from the womb to be a light to the nations.

• He feels like his work is in vain, yet God honors him.

• He is despised by the nation but ultimately exalted.

• Fulfillment in Jesus: A blend of discouragement and divine assurance, this passage reflects Jesus’ rejection and ultimate mission to all nations.

4. Isaiah 50:4–9  The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward. I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord God helps me; who will declare me guilty? Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up.

• Key ideas:

• The servant suffers beatings, insults, and spit, but remains faithful.

• He sets his face “like flint” and trusts in God’s vindication.

• Fulfillment in Jesus: This parallels Jesus’ resolve to go to the cross, despite knowing the suffering it would bring.

5. Zechariah 12:10 10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

• Key idea:

• “They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him…”

• Fulfillment in Jesus: Quoted in John 19:37 at the crucifixion. This verse links piercing, mourning, and eventual recognition.

6. Daniel 9:26 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.

• Key idea:

• The “Anointed One” will be cut off and will have nothing.

• Fulfillment in Jesus: Seen as a reference to the Messiah being killed, unexpectedly, rather than reigning immediately.

Summary of Themes:

• Rejection and mockery

• Suffering in innocence

• Bearing the sins of others

• Piercing, wounding, death

• Ultimate vindication and exaltation

• Mission to the nations

Why These Were Overlooked:

Many Jews in the Second Temple period focused on the victorious, kingly Messiah (like from Psalm 2 or Isaiah 11) and didn’t expect the Messiah to suffer and die. The two pictures seemed contradictory—how could the conqueror also be the victim?

Jesus and His followers showed that both sets of prophecies had to be fulfilled—first the suffering, then the glory (Luke 24:26).

February 17, 2023

Privilege Brings Responsibility

Filed under: Old and New Testament — Adam Osborne @ 1:53 pm

Luke 12:48  But the one who did not know and did what deserved punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected 

Ephesians 1:3-5  Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him., He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 

John 15:16  16 You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you

1 Peter 2:4-5, 9  As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God—you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. But you are a chosen race,,, a royal priesthood,, a holy nation,, a people for his possession,, so that you may proclaim the praises,, of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Caring for the Poor

Filed under: Old and New Testament — Adam Osborne @ 1:45 pm

Amos 4:1  Listen to this message, you cows of Bashan who are on the hill of Samaria, women who oppress the poor and crush the needy, who say to their husbands, “Bring us something to drink.

Amos 5:11 Therefore, because you trample on the poor and exact a grain tax from him, you will never live in the houses of cut stone you have built; you will never drink the wine from the lush vineyards you have planted. 

Amos 8:6 We can buy the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and even sell the chaff!”

Deuteronomy 15:7-11 “If there is a poor person among you, one of your brothers within any of your city gates in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him enough for whatever need he has. Be careful that there isn’t this wicked thought in your heart, ‘The seventh year, the year of canceling debts, is near,’ and you are stingy toward your poor brother and give him nothing. He will cry out to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty. 10 Give to him, and don’t have a stingy heart when you give, and because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you do. 11 For there will never cease to be poor people in the land; that is why I am commanding you, ‘Open your hand willingly to your poor and needy brother in your land.’ 

Exodus 23:6-9 “You must not deny justice to a poor person among you in his lawsuit. Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent and the just, because I will not justify the guilty. You must not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and corrupts the words of the righteous. You must not oppress a resident alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be a resident alien because you were resident aliens in the land of Egypt. 

Proverbs 14:31 31 The one who oppresses the poor person insults his Maker, but one who is kind to the needy honors him. 

Last edit 05.08.25

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