Lessons on Jesus

8/13/2019 Lessons on Jesus

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KJVKing James Bible Study Correspondence Course

An Outreach of Highway Evangelistic Ministries5311 Windridge lane ~ Lockhart, Florida 32810 ~ USA

Copyright kjbscc 2004 JESUS His Preexistence Lesson 1 07/22/2005 11:08 AM

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JESUS

His Preexistence Lesson 1return pages 4 & 5 only

Something for You to Study

The most important teaching of the Bible centers about the Lord Jesus Christ

who He is and what He does. In studying about Him, it is necessary to go back

beyond the usual beginning of the natural human life. The Bible is the only authentic

source book for a biography of Jesus Christ. Any material found elsewhere is purely

imaginary unless it is based on the biblical account. The gospels are the record of the

life of Christ on earth: Matthew and Luke begin with His birth in Bethlehem; Mark

begins his account with the start of Jesus' public ministry when He was about thirty

years of age, and the gospel of John emphasizes particularly the fact of the eternity of

Christ, that is, His preexistence. The term means exactly what it says: pre- (before)exist(to be)Christ lived before He lived on earth. We know this because it is stated

in the Bible. Many places in both the Old and New Testaments speak of His

preexistence. Micah 5:2 tells the place where He would be born and then speaks of

His having been "from of old, from everlasting." Isaiah gives his experience when he

saw "the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up." Isaiah lived seven hundred

years before Christ was born in Bethlehem, but John referred to this event and said

that Isaiah was speaking of Christ (John 12:41).

John 1:1-2 says positively, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with

God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." This is aconclusive statement of Christ's preexistence. He was not only with God, but He was

God from before the creation of the world. He is a member of the Trinity, equal with

God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Himself made the clear claim to His preexistence in His prayer in John

17:5: "And now, 0 Father, glorify thou me ... with the glory which I had with thee

before the world was." He said to the Jewish leaders, "Before Abraham was, I am"

(John 8:58). Abraham's life is recorded in Genesis 11-25. Historically he lived about

2000 years before Christ. Yet, in using the particular verb tenses that He did, Jesus

was saying that He had lived before His birth into the world, since He was before

Abraham. The Jews recognized that He was claiming to be eternal, which was a claimto be God.

In Hebrews 13:8, Jesus is described as "the same yesterday, and to day, and for

ever." He is eternal. This is the point at which there must be a clear understanding

about the preexistence of Christ. If He is not eternalthat is, if He did not preexist

then He came into being at a certain fixed time in history. If this were true. He could

not be God, for a god who is not eternal cannot possibly be God. On the human side,

Jesus had a beginning; He was born in Bethlehem. Isaiah 9:6 says, "Unto us a child is

born." On the divine side, Christ had no beginning; He was the son given (Isaiah 9:6),

who existed from all eternity.


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OLD TESTAMENT EVIDENCE

Scripture shows that Christ's existence was distinct and personal throughout the

Old Testament age. Appearances in the Old Testament, called theophanies, areevidence that Christ existed prior to His birth in Bethlehem. A theophany is an

appearance of Christ in the form of a man or an angel. "It is safe to assume that every

visible manifestation of God in bodily form in the Old Testament is to be identified

with the Lord Jesus Christ."* The principal ones are: (1) as the "angel of the LORD" to

Hagar in Genesis 16:7-13; 21:17-19; to Abraham in Genesis 22:11-18; to Moses in

Exodus 3:2; to Gideon in Judges 6; to Samson's parents in Judges 13; (2) as a man to

Abraham in Genesis 18; to Jacob in Genesis 32:24-32. The "angel of the LORD" does

not appear in the New Testament, for He became the incarnate Christ.

NEW TESTAMENT EVIDENCE

There are clear statements that in His preexistence Christ was active.

In creation.John 1:3 says, "All things were made by him; and without him was not

any thing made that was made." Colossians 1:16 and Hebrews 2:10 reveal that

everything, including the unseen principalities and powers as well as the visible

universe, were not only made by Him but for Him.

As controller.Hebrews 1:3 says that it is Christ who is "upholding all things by the

word of his power." When Christ lived on the earth, He had control over the elements

of nature. He could command a storm to stop (Mark 4:39), walk on water (John 6:19-

20), multiply bread (John 6), and raise the dead (John 11). Since only God has suchpower and Godto be Godmust be eternal, it follows that Jesus Christ is God and

therefore existed from eternity.

In salvation.Many Scriptures speak of God's purpose to redeem mankind. They begin

with the first general reference in Genesis 3:15 of one who would come to "bruise"

Satan and go on to more specific prophecies, such as the one in Isaiah 9:6-7, to the

coming of Christ in the New Testament. God's purpose to send a Redeemer was clear

through the ages from the creation to the incarnation. But Ephesians 1:4 adds the

further revelation that this purpose was from "before the foundation of the world" and

that it was "according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus"

(Ephesians 3:11). Further, God's grace was "given us in Christ Jesus before the world

began" (2 Timothy 1:9). Since the divine plan of salvation was settled before the

foundation of the world and was centered in Jesus Christ, we have added proof of His

preexistence.

Any denial of this truth must be a denial of Scripture as the inerrant Word of

God. This would also be a denial of God who is the author of Scripture. An

acceptance of Jesus Christ must rest upon the basis of His preexistence.


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A Further Word

The means by which the infinite God was able to reveal Himself to finite,

sinful men involved the humble stooping down of the divine majesty. An entity of

our universe of discourse was chosen to represent an element of God's. Revelationmakes sacramental use of our universe in order that genuine communication might

take place. Revelation thus enters into the human orbit authentically, clothing itself in

the linguistic and cultural garb of that time. . . . Mankind is enmeshed in the finite and

the contingent, and cannot look on the face of God. It is imperative that revelation be

cosmically mediated that we might receive it. In the face of Jesus Christ, the divinely

accredited Emissary, we can see the reflected glory of God (Heb 1:3).

Notes


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Find Out for Yours el f

Name __________________________________

1. What is the significance of Jesus' use of the present tense in His statement

"Before Abraham was, I am"?

2. Why did He not say, "Before Abraham was, I was"?

3. How does the fact that Jesus is God prove His preexistence?

4. Read Isaiah 42:8. What is the significance of God's words,

"My glory will 1 not give to another" in relation to Christ's

prayer in John 17:5?

5. What does the use of the pronouns usand ourin Genesis 1:26 and Isaiah 6:8

indicate about the person of God?_________________________

5a. How does this relate to Christ's preexistence?

6. Read 2 Corinthians 8:9. What words refer to Christ's preexistence?

7. List in the correct time order the three appearances of Christ given in Hebrews9:24-28

a.

b.

c.

Check Your Memo ry

1. The wordpreexistencemeans .

2. is the Old Testament reference to Christ's

birthplace.

3. Abraham lived about years before Christ was born on earth.

4. Appearances of Christ in the Old Testament are called_______________.


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5. Genesis 1:26 and John 1:1-3 speak of Christ's part in_________________.

6. Matthew and Luke record Christ's ;

7. Mark begins with His .

8. John tells of His___________.

7. God's plan of salvation was fixed before the .

Scripture memorizat ion

(wri te i t on the back page three t imes)

1 Tim 1:17

17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be

honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

(KJV)


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Copyright kjbscc 2004 JESUS His Deity Lesson 2 07/22/2005 11:05 AM

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JESUSHIS Deity Lesson 2

return pages 3 & 4 only


It is impossible to separate the fact of Christ's preexistence from the equally

tremendous fact of His deity. Christ is not simply likeGod. He isGod. It is not that

He is Godlike; He is God in the full and absolute sense of the term. Colossians 2:9

says of Christ that in Him dwells "all the fullness of the Godhead" in human form.

Actually Christ's deity has already been proven in the discussion of His preexistence,

for only God can be eternal.

Sometimes people speak of Christ's divinity and imply by it that all men are in

some sense divine. Because of this misuse of the word divinity, deity is a more

accurate word to use when referring to Christ.Christ has the nature of deity.This means that all the qualities that belong to God*

are true of the Lord Jesus also In His nature He is infinite, eternal, self-existing, and

immutable. The essence of God belongs to Him. The One who existed from all

eternity is the One who came to earth for, period of time and is the One who is

glorified now in heaven.Christ has the attributes of deity. God isomniscient (all knowing, John 2:25; 16:30;

21:17; 1 Corinthians 1:30) GOD is omnipotent (all-powerful, Matthew 9:6; 28:18;

Luke 8:25) GOD is and omnipresent (present everywhere, Matthew 28:20; John

14:18, 20). These are characteristics of God that cannot be given to anyone else. Yetthese Scriptures show that they belonged to the Lord Jesus. His omniscience, for

instance, is seen in His conversation with the woman at the well in John 4. Jesus

knew her whole life though He had never met her. He had power over nature, as

Matthew 8 illustrates. One of the names given to Him in the prophecy in Isaiah 9:6-7

was "The mighty God."

Christ has the names of deity.He is called God (John 1:1; 20:28; Titus 2:13; 1 John

5:20), the Son of God (Matthew 16:16-17; Mark l: l; Luke 1:35; John 1:18), and Lord

(Acts 4:33). John 12:41 refers Isaiah's vision of the Lord "high and lifted up" to

Christ. John the Baptist had confirmation from God the Father that the man Jesus

whom he baptized was God in the flesh (John 1:32-34).Christ does the works of deity.Both before and after His coming to earth, Christ

did the works that are ascribed to God and recognized as being those that only God

could do. The first lesson indicated that He had a part in creation. As Creator, He

Himself must be uncreated. He is the One who upholds and sustains all things

(Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3). While on earth He controlled nature, raised the dead,

and healed the blind and diseased. In the future He will be the Judge of all men (John

5:22; Acts 17:31; 2 Timothy 4:1).

Christ is worshiped as deity.The Bible is clear in its teaching that there is only one

God and that He alone is to be worshiped. The first of the Ten Commandments is


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unequivocal in its statement that no one is to receive worship but God alone (Exodus

20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7-8). Yet it is the Bible which records instances of Christ being

worshiped (Matthew 14:33; Luke 5:8; 24:52; John 20:28). In spite of repeated

warnings that "there is no God else beside me ... I am God, and there is none else"(Isaiah 45:21-22), the Bible gives Jesus' words, "I and the Father are one" (John

10:30).

It would be sacrilegious idolatry for Christ to accept the worship of men if He were

not God. The Bible gives instance of men who recoiled in horror at the thought of

being worshiped (Peter in Acts 10:25-26 and Paul in Acts 14:11-18) and examples of

the punishment given those who did accept worship (Herod in Acts 12:22-23). Yet

over and over, Jesus accepted worship from men.

Those who do not believe that Jesus is God nevertheless usually speak of Him as a

good man, as one whose example others should follow. Actually He could not

possibly be good and claim to be God if He were not.

But God the Father Himself commands men to worship Jesus Christ His Son (John

5:22-23; Philippians 2:9-10). On three occasions, God spoke to give testimony that

Jesus Christ was His Son. They were: Jesus' baptism, Matthew 3:13-17; Luke 3:22

The transfiguration, Matthew 17:5; Luke 9:35 The Passover, John 12:27-28

Christ claimed equality with God."I and my Father are one" (John 10:30) is

one of the many statements Jesus made about the fact that He was God. The Jews

of His day understood His claims of equality with God (John 5:17-18) and His

words "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). In fact, they

charged Him with blasphemy because of this claim and gave it as the reason Heshould be put to death.

NECESSITY FOR CHRIST TO BE GOD

If the Lord Jesus were not God, He could never have been the Saviour of the

world. No human being can save another human being. Only God can do this. A great

teacher or an ideal example is not sufficient to provide salvation from sin. The Bible

presents one who can save because of who He isJesus Christ the Son of God and

the Saviour of the world.

A Fur ther Word

The significance of the work of creation as ascribed to Christ is that it reveals His

eternity, power, wisdom and omnipresence. As the Creator He is specifically "before

all things" (Col. 1:17), and therefore eternal. The nature of creation reveals His

power, wisdom and presence in creation. The telescopic wonder of the heavens as

well as the microscopic wonders of the world too small for human eyes to see

combine in their witness to His power. It is such a God who became the Saviour.

Notes


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F ind Out for Yourself

Name______________________________________

1. Read Zechariah 12:10. God is speaking, but it is Jesus Christ who is described.

What words show this?

2. Why must Jesus Christ be God, to be the Saviour? Read Romans 3:9-12, 23

and compare it with 2 Corinthians 5:21 as you think through the answer.

Explain_________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

3. What attributes of deity does Jesus claim for Himself in Matthew 28:18-20?

4. Read Luke 5:18-26. What reason did Jesus give for His healing the paralyzed

man?

4a. Why should this have proved that He was God?

5. Read Acts 12:20-23. Jot down the reason for Herod's death.

6. Compare Luke 19:37-40. Why didn't God punish Jesus for receiving worship?

7. Read Mark 1:23 -25 and 5:2-8. Why did devils recognize Jesus as God when

many people did not? As you answer, think of Satan's temptation of Christ in

Luke 4:1-13. Does Satan's expression "If thou be the Son of God" express

doubt?

7a. What word could you substitute for if?

8. State in your own words why Jesus could not be a good man if His claims were

not true.

9. How do John the Baptist's words in John 1:32-34 proveChrist's deity?

Check Your Memory

1. The word deitymeans__________________.


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2. What are the three words which describe Christ's knowledge, presence, and

might?

a.

b.c.

3. List three other words which describe Christ's nature.

a.

b.

c.

4. Name two miracles Jesus did which showed that He was God.

a.

b.

5. The Jews called Jesus' claim to be God_______________________?

6. Romans 3:23 says that all men have __________________________?

7. If Jesus Christ were not ____________, He could not have been the

____________________ of the world.

Scripture memorization(write it on the back page 3 times)

John 1:1-5

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the

Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing

made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it

not.

(KJV)


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Copyright kjbscc 2004 JESUS His incarnation Lesson 3 07/22/2005 11:06 AM

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JESUS

His Incarnation Lesson 3return pages 4 & 5 only

Somethi ng for You to Study

A basic fact of Christianity is that Jesus Christ who was fully God, who was with

God "before the world was" (John 17:5) became man. The eternal Son of God took a

human nature and by so doing became God in the flesh. No laws of heredity can

account for this. God by a creative act brought about the virgin birth of Jesus Christ at

a fixed time in history, at the right time according to Galatians 4:4.

The Bible is very clear about the fact that the Lord Jesus was born into the world

of a human mother without a human father. This was prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 and

fulfilled in Matthew 1:18-25 (see also Luke 2:6-7). Luke 1:34-35 is God's answer to

critics, for it specifies that Christ was virgin born. Matthew 1 records Joseph'sacceptance of the fact that the baby to be born of Mary was supernaturally conceived.

The doctrine of the virgin birth of Christ is one of the fundamental doctrines of

the Christian faith. It ought not to be difficult to accept, because the God who created

the reproductive process can certainly set it aside if HE so chooses. The angel

reminded Mary in his announcement to her that "with God nothing shall be

impossible" (Luke 1:37). Some profess to believe that Jesus Christ is who He

claimed to be, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, but do not believe the Word

of God that He was virgin born. This is impossible. If Jesus were not virgin born, He

would have had a sinful human nature and could not have died for sinful man.His person and His work are inseparable. Someone has said, "A Saviour not

quite God is a bridge too short at the other end."

A clear understanding of the incarnation is essential, for we must know who

Christ is before we can fully understand what He did. The fact that He had no human

father marks Him as different from all other men and is a witness to His deity. The

Lord Jesus Christ is the visible representation of God, because He is God in the flesh,

the God-man. It is not simply that God became man in the incarnation, but that it

happened in a miraculous way through the virgin birth.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THEINCARNATIONThe first prophecy is in Genesis 3:15, where God told Eve that herseed would

be separated from the linage of man. Among the many prophecies throughout the Old

Testament are 2 Samuel 7:12-16, which states that He would be from the family of

David; Isaiah 7:14, that He would be virgin born and would be "God with us"; Daniel

9:25, which indicates the time of His coming; and Micah 5:2, the place of His birth.

These prophecies were fulfilled in the New Testament in exact detail. The one

who does not accept the virgin birth sets aside the clear testimony of the Old

Testament, reiterated in the New Testament, that "God sent forth his Son, made of a

woman" (Galatians 4:4).


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REASONS FOR THE INCARNATION

To reveal God.Jesus Christ is God's answer to the question, What is God like?

When we speak about God, we mention His holiness and majesty and power. We

describe Him as the Creator and Ruler of the universe and think of His sovereigntyover everything. The Scripture urges men to have an awesome fear of God, a

reverential worship of one who is far beyond our understanding. Proverbs 9:10

speaks of the "fear of the LORD" as the "beginning of wisdom." At Mount Sinai in

Exodus 19:16, the people trembled before the majesty and power of God. When Job

was given a revelation of God's glory, his reply was, "I abhor myself, and repent in

dust and ashes" (Job 42:6).

When the Lord Jesus came, He revealed the further truth that God is love. This

was not something new; it was not a change in God's character from the Old

Testament to the New, for God cannot change. Immutability is inherent in His being.

God's love was always present in His dealings with His people from the creation of

the world. But the Lord Jesus was the demonstration, the evidence of this

characteristic of God (1 John 4:10). In Matthew 11:27 Jesus said His purpose was to

reveal the Father. The one who refuses to see God in Christ cannot see God at all, for

Jesus said, "No man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).

To fully understand our nature.God knows us completely. He is the one who

determined our constituent parts and made us the psychological beings that we are.

Our nature did not happen by chance, for we are creations of God. But God never

becomes hungry or tired or discouraged. He could not be the eternal, omnipotent God

if He were less than perfect. The Lord Jesus as a man was tired; He became hungry.He knew sorrow.

GOD is absolutely holy. Therefore HE cannot be tempted to sin. The Lord

Jesus as a man was tempted so that He is able to understand when we are tempted.

The difference is that He never gave in to the temptation as we do. Hebrews 4:15-16

says that because Jesus Christ understands our weaknesses, we can come to Him

without fear and ask His help.

To confirm God's promises. The Old Testament prophecies of Christ were

promises from God that HEwould send His Son to be the Saviour and a future Ruler

over the world. The incarnation was the fulfillment of the promise. When the infant

Jesus was presented in the temple. He was recognized as the one prepared and sent by

GOD (Luke 2:25-38).

To be the Saviour.This is the supreme reason for His coming. Jesus Christ was

born to die. He said, "For this cause came I unto this hour" (John 12:27). The purpose

of the incarnation is summed up in John 3:16.

To destroy the devil.There is a clear statement in Hebrews 2:14-15 that one

reason Jesus became a man was to destroy the devil, who had the power of death over

mankind. This power came from Satan's successful tempting of Adam and Eve

(Genesis 3). Those who accept Christ as Saviour have freedom now from the rule of


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Satan. In addition there will come a day when Satan's power over all creation will be

completely broken, as Revelation 20:10 and 21:3-5 indicate. All this will happen

because the Son of God became man.

SUMMARY FACTS OF THEINCARNATION

By the incarnation, Jesus Christ who is God, became man. He had a human

ancestry. Matthew 1 gives His legal descent showing Him to be from David's lineage,

while Luke traces His lineage back through Mary to Adam. He lived and died and

rose again in a body. He had human emotions and senses and the ordinary

development of every human being (Luke 2:52).

We do not know what Jesus looked like, though His appearance was obviously

that of a man. Every picture of Him is done entirely by the artist's imagination. Many

pictures of Christ are based on those which were done in the Middle Ages by artists

who portrayed Him as men of that time appeared. Since His human mother was

Jewish, it is logical to assume that He had the Jewish features of the time in which He

lived. Christ's incarnation brought Him ultimately to the fulfillment of the prophecy

in Isaiah 53 which pictures Him as having "no beauty" as a result of His suffering.

A Fur ther Word

This Lord Jesus is the indispensable Revealer of God, He is the Forgiver of sins,

and He is the final Judge. The alternative to these claims is undeniable and clear.

There is no logical alternative to the truth as the Lord spoke it, other than that He was

demented or an impostor. Both these alternatives are unthinkable. But the bite is here.You cannot accept some of His teachings and dismiss others, and still call Him a

good Man, an honest Teacher and a worthy Example. Can you know God apart from

Him? If you answer yes, you are on the opposite side from the Lord Jesus ChristHe

said you cannot. . . . To know Him is to know the Father, for He and the Father are

one.

Notes


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Name_____________________________________________

1. Explain why the virgin birth of Christ is an essential fact of the Christian faith.

Use such Scriptures as Luke 1:30-35; John 8:46; Romans 3:23; 1 Peter 2:21-24

and others.

2. Read Psalm 96. What should be your attitude toward God on the basis of the

psalm?

2a. Compare it with Isaiah 63:7-9 and Jeremiah 31:3. Name the chief characteristic

of God in those verses.

3. How would you use Micah 5:2 to strengthen someone's faith in the Bible as

God's Word?

4. How would you explain the expression, "The God of Sinai is also the God of

Golgotha"?

5. Read Luke 2:52. List the four ways (in one word each)in which Jesus Christ

grew:

a.

b.

c.

d.

Check Your Memory

1. The incarnation cannot be explained by any laws of __________________.

2. Jesus had a human________________but not a human___________________.

3. The two words ______;________ mean that God became man.

4. The virgin birth of Christ is an evidence of His__________________.

5. The ________ and _______ of Christ cannot be separated.


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6. The supreme reason for the incarnation is that Christ would _____________.

7. ____________ is a prophecy of the death of Christ.

Scripture Memori zation

wri te i t on th e back page three t imes

Luke 2:10-12

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of

great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the

Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling

clothes, lying in a manger.

(KJV)


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Copyright kjbscc 2004 JESUS His Humanity Lesson 4 07/22/2005 11:06 AM

1

JESUSHis Humanity Lesson 4



One of the greatest of all mysteries is how the Lord Jesus could be both God

and man. When Christ became man, He did not stop being God. He put aside

temporarily the glory of His pre-incarnate state but not His deity. The prophecy of

His coming is clear that He was to be the Son given and the child born (Isaiah 9:6),

both God and man.

Jesus Christ has the nature of God and the nature of man in His one person.

This hypostatic or personal union of the two natures of Christ is given in such

scripture passages as John 1:1-14, Philippians 2:6-11, 1 Timothy 3:16, and

1 John 1:1-3. This union is not a meshing of deity and humanity, for each natureremains separate and distinct from the other. The deity remains undiminished deity

and the humanity remains genuine humanity. The two natures are eternally and

inseparably united in the one person so that there is no thought of a dual personality

in Christ. It is not correct to speak of His divine-human consciousness. Rather, He

had a divine consciousness and a human consciousness. "Christ is therefore both

God and Man, no less God because of His humanity and no less human because of

His deity."

The union of the two natures in Christ is not at all similar to the union of a

believer with Christ. The Lord Jesus is not a man filled with God; He is God. While

we cannot understand this, we can accept the statement of 1 Timothy 3:16 that in

Christ. "God was manifest in the flesh."

The Bible teaches that Christ's humanity is permanent. The body He received

at the incarnation is the body He died in, was buried in, and rose in. His resurrected

body was glorified and changed, but it was nonetheless His body. The disciples

recognized Him (John 20:20). He ascended in His body (Acts 1:9). He is in heaven

now in His body (Philippians 3:20-21). He will return in His body (Acts 1:11).

Christ died as man, not God. His death on the cross would not have been real if

He were not man. But the victory of His death lay in the fact that He was God. The

death would not have been sufficient if He were not God.Because of the personal union of the two natures, what is true of either nature

is true of the person. That is why Christ on earth was both weak and omnipotent,

increasing in knowledge while remaining omniscient. The gospels given by

inspiration of God do not reveal specific details of Christ's growing years. His

supernatural birth, a brief glimpse of His divine consciousness at the age of twelve

(Luke 2:46-47), and His willing obedience in His home (Luke 2:51) are a background

for the work He came to do.


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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LORD JESUS

Omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence are those attributes of deity

which the Lord Jesus retained when He became man. He could not give them up, for

then He would have ceased to be God, an impossibility. God cannot stop beingGod. But while He was man, He deliberately and voluntarily limited Himself in the

use of these attributes. His deity was within Him in all its power, but He did not use it

on His own behalf. Christ made Himself obedient to the physical limitations of a

human being. That is, when He was hungry, He did not miraculously provide food for

Himselfthough He could have. His self-limitation is seen in His temptation. He

could have turned the stones to bread, but He chose not to, lest He

seem to be obeying Satan. His self-limitation is a further evidence of His deity. All of

this is a matter of faith on man's part rather than of understanding.

However, in John 6, Jesus took a lunch sufficient for one person and fed more

than five thousand. He eluded the mob who wanted to kill Him (Luke 4:29-30) and

those who tried to stone Him (John 8:59), because it was not time for Him to die, but

later allowed Himself to be taken and crucified (John 18:4-11).

His holiness.Jesus is the only baby who was born holy. Other babies are sweet

or pretty but not holy, for each one is born with a sin nature. Jesus as God and man

did not have a sin nature. Any temptation that came to Him came from without, not

from within. It is clear from Scripture that He was tempted (Hebrews 4:15). His

human nature can be tempted; His divine nature cannot. Could He be tempted when

there was no possibility of sinning? Yes, for to be tempted does not imply a yielding

to the temptation.Some might question whether Christ's temptations were real. The answer is

found in Satan's tempting of Him. To turn stones to bread is no temptation to one who

can't do itbut Christ could.

Christ's human will was constantly subject to His divine will. This is clear in

Gethsemane as He prayed, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless,

not as I will, but as thou wilt" (Matthew 26:39). On the divine side there was equality

with God; on the human side, submission to God.

The theological term that explains Christ's sinlessness is impeccability.It is not

merely that Christ chose not to sin but that He could not sin. This truth can be

summarized in this way:

God cannot be tempted and God cannot sin. See (James 1:13).

Man can be tempted and man can sin. See (Romans 3:23).

The Lord Jesus could be tempted because He is man. See (Matthew 4:3-10).

The Lord Jesus could not sin because He is God. See (Luke 4:12; 1 Peter 2:22).

His sinlessness is an essential part of His work as the Saviour. As man. He

could die; as God, His death had infinite value.


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3

His love.This is a characteristic which does not need proof, for He Himself is

the proof. His love for mankind was demonstrated irrefutably in His death on the

cross (Romans 5:6-8).

His compassion."He was moved with compassion" (Matthew 9:36) are wordsthat describe the Lord Jesus. It means that He suffered with people, as man, He could

understand when they were hungry and sick and sad. As God, He could do something

about it. So He fed the hungry (Mark 8:1-9), healed the sick (Mark 1:30-34), helped

the sad (Luke 7:11-15).

His humility.The Lord Jesus is the supreme example of humility. He left the

glory and wonder of heaven to be tired and hungry on earth. He could have been

served by angels, but on earth He refused to use His power for His own protection.

He who created life allowed Himself to be put to death by men whom He had made.

A Fur ther Word

At this point we are confronted with the strongest contrasts between the Deity

and the humanity of Christ. He was weary; yet He called the weary to Himself for

rest. He was hungry; yet He was "the bread of life." ... He "grew, and waxed strong in

spirit"; yet He was from all eternity. He was tempted, yet. He, as God, could not be

tempted. He was self-limited in knowledge; yet He was the wisdom of God. ... He

said, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"; yet it was that very God to

whom He cried who was "in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself." He prayed

which is always human; yet He Himself answered prayer. He dies; yet He is eternal

life.Notes


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4


Name __________________________________

1. Read Luke 24:13-31. What factors in this account show the humanity of Jesus?

1a. How does verse 27 indicate His deity?

2. Read Isaiah 9:6. Write the words that speak of Christ's humanity:

2a. His deity:

3. How could Christ grow in knowledge (Luke 2:52), when

He had the attribute of omniscience?

4. How can you explain Jesus' death, since God cannot die?

5. Use Philippians 2:6-7 to explain the hypostatic union.

6. Why does Romans 7:15-23 not apply to Christ?

7. How does Hebrews 13:8 prove that Jesus Christ could not sin?

8. What words in Revelation 5:12-14 show Christ's humanity?

His deity?

Check Your Memo ry

1. Jesus did not give up His deity when He became a man. explain:

2. The fact that Jesus is all-powerful is known as His________________.

3. The word _______________means all-knowing.

4. Christ's inability to sin is called ______________________.

5. While on earth, Christ voluntarily _________________ the use of His

attributes.

.


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5

6. Philippians 2 says Christ became ___________unto death.

7. The Bible teaches that Christ's _______________is permanent.

Scripture Memorizat ion

(wri te on the back page three t imes)

Phil 2:5-85 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal

with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a

servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and

became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

(KJV)


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Copyright kjbscc 2004 JESUS His Death Lesson 5 07/22/2005 11:07 AM

1

JESUS

His Death Lesson 5return pages 4 & 5 only

Somethi ng for You to Study

The death of the Lord Jesus Christ makes the Christian faith different from all

religions. Christianity is not a system of ethics or one of many good religions. It is the

only way of salvation. It is the death of the Lord Jesus that provides salvation. This is

the distinctive element in Christianity. As has been said, Christianity is Christ.

The Lord Jesus knew from the beginning of time, from "before the foundation of

the world" as 1 Peter 1:18-20 and Revelation 13:8 indicate, that He would come to

the world for the specific purpose of dying for man's sin. Other religions are

remembered for the teaching of their founders. While what Jesus said was important,

it is His death and resurrection that prove what He taught.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES

The Old Testament prophets were themselves puzzled by the apparent

contradictions in their prophecies of the "sufferings of Christ, and the glory that

should follow" (1 Peter 1:11). Two of the outstanding prophecies of the death of

Christ are found in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. The former has been called the psalm of

the cross. It begins with the words spoken by the Lord Jesus on the cross, "My God,

my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). The psalm, containing many

details which were fulfilled in the crucifixion, was written about a thousand yearsbefore the crucifixion took place.

The book of Isaiah is referred to many times in the New Testament. Acts 8:32-

35 connects the prophecy of Isaiah 53 with Christ. All the New Testament references

to Christ as the Lamb are either directly or indirectly connected with this passage in

Isaiah.

OLD TESTAMENT TYPES

A type is a God-given symbol which would be fulfilled at a later time. There

are many types of Christ in the Old Testament, some of which refer to His death.

Hebrews in the New Testament shows that the sacrifices of the Old Testament weretypes of Christ. Hebrews 10 refers to the major offerings of the book of Leviticus and

shows Christ as the fulfillment of them. The Passover (Exodus 12) is a type or picture

of the death of Christ. First Corinthians 5:7 specifically calls Him "Our Passover."

NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES

1. In the gospels the importance of the events connected with Christ's death is

seen in the amount of space given to them. Out of twenty-eight chapters of

Matthew, eight are about the last week of His earthly life; six out of sixteen

chapters of Mark; five and one-half out of twenty-four chapters of Luke; nine


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out of twenty-one chapters of John. This material forms the historical

background for the doctrinal teaching of the epistles.

2. In the book of Acts, the early believers emphasize the death of Christ.

3. The epistles give the doctrinal meaning of His death.4. The book of Revelation presents Christ in glory as the "Lamb as it had been

slain" (Revelation 5:6). His death will be remembered throughout eternity as

the basis for our salvation.

REASONS FOR CHRIST'S DEATH

Man's sinfulness There was no other way the sin problem of the human race could

be settled. Romans 3:23, Galatians 3:21-24, and Hebrews 9:22 make this clear. No

man is good enough in himself to meet a holy God.

God's character. God's most important characteristic is holiness, which makes it

impossible for Him to tolerate sin. Because of His righteous character, He cannot

overlook sin or excuse it. But God is also love, and so He sent the Lord Jesus to take

the punishment men deserved. The sovereign ruler of the universe showed His love to

sinful humanity by the death of His Son. It was a divine work of God the Father. It is

important to remember that Christ's death was voluntary.Some will claim that God

was unfair to judge the innocent for the guilty. But Christ was not an unwilling

victim. He was not a martyr dragged to the cross but a substitute giving Himself

willingly. The one who fixed the penalty for sin also paid the penalty. Galatians 1:4

says that He "gave himself for our sins."

Christ's death was also vicarious.He did not die for Himself. Scripture makesit clear that God "made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin" (2 Corinthians 5:21).

The reality of this is seen in Christ's cry on the cross, "My God, my God, why hast

thou forsaken me?" God turned from His Son because His eyes are too pure to behold

evil (Habakkuk 1:13).

RESULTS OF CHRIST'S DEATH

Redemption. A redeemer is one who buys back something which already

belongs to him. So God, to whom man belonged by right of creation, had to buy him

back from slavery to sin. This is what Jesus did by His death (1 Corinthians 7:23;

Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; 2 Peter 2:1). Hebrews 9:12 calls it an eternal

redemption. Accepting Christ frees the believer from slavery to sin and enters him

into a relationship with Christ which carries with it an obligation to serve Christ

(1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Propitiation. This may be explained by the word satisfaction.

The death of Christ fully satisfied the demands of a righteous God that sin be

punished. Christ's death is the basis on which a righteous God can justify sinners

without compromising His holiness. Now when the holy God looks at sinful men, He


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sees their sin covered by the death of Christ. Romans 3:24-26 is the answer to the

problem of how sinful men may be accepted by a holy God. The cross of Christ is the

absolute essential in God's plan of redemption.

Propitiation does not mean the satisfying of a vengeful, wrathful God. Thereare many examples in the Bible of God's wrath, but it is always directed against sin.

His wrath is divine indignation against sin, not implacable anger against the sinner.

Propitiation is the willing satisfaction of a holy, righteous God who Himself provided

the means by which He could be satisfied. It is a once-for-all satisfaction (Hebrews

9:24-28).

Reconciliation. This is Christ's work for man which reconciles him to God.

Man can never do this for himself, for he is by nature the enemy of God (Romans

5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18). It is true that the death of Christ was for the whole world

(2 Corinthians 5:14-19). The familiar John 3:16 reminds that God loves the world.

But even though Christ died for all, everyone will not automatically be saved. The

reconciliation becomes actual only for those who accept Christ as personal Saviour

(Romans 5:10-11; 2 Corinthians 5:20). Reconciliation is provided for all, but it is

applied only to those who believe.

Christ's death affects the physical universe also. Romans 8:21-23 indicates that

because of Christ's reconciling work, the entire universe will one day be renewed.

All of thisredemption, propitiation, reconciliationis freely provided to all

men by the death of Christ, but it must be accepted personally to be effective.

A FurtherWordNo event of time or eternity compares with the transcending significance of the

death of Christ on the cross. Other important undertakings of God such as the creation

of the world, the incarnation of Christ, His resurrection, the second coming, and the

creation of the new heavens and the new earth become meaningless if Christ did not

die. ... In His death Christ supremely revealed the holiness and righteousness of God

as well as the love of God which prompted the sacrifice. In a similar way the infinite

wisdom of God is revealed as no human mind would ever have devised such a way of

salvation, and only an infinite God would be willing to sacrifice His Son.

notes


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4


Name ______________________________________

1. How does Galatians 4:4-5 show that Christ's death was not an accident?

2. Read Exodus 12:3-13. Why does the New Testament speak of Christ as "Our

Passover"?

3. Read John 10:17-18. How did Christ prove the truth of this claim?

4. On the basis of all the previous lessons, give evidence to show that Christ did

not die for His own sins.

5. Explain the fallacy of this statement: Since Christ died for all men so all men

will be saved.

Check Your Memory

1. Christianity is___________________.

2. Two important prophecies of the death of Christ are ?

a.

b.

3. A type is a ___________________________.

4. Oneexample of a type is the_____________________.

5. Two reasons for Christ's death are _________________and God's __________.

6. The epistles give the ________________________ meaning of Christ's death.

7. Christ's death was ________________and _________________________.

8. Propitiation means_____________________________.

9. Reconciliation means_________________________________.

10. Redemption means ___________________________________.


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5

Scripture Memorization

(wr i te on the back p age three times)

Isa 53:5-6

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our

iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his

stripes we are healed.6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his

own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

(KJV)


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Copyright kjbscc 2004 JESUS His resurrection Lesson 6 07/22/2005 11:07 AM

1

JESUSHis Resurrection Lesson 6



The resurrection is essential to the gospel. First Corinthians 15 rests the whole

case for Christianity on the fact that Christ rose from the dead. It was not sufficient

that He died; He had to rise again. The resurrection was a part of the plan of

redemption that God had from all eternity.

IMPORTANCE OF THE RESURRECTION

The resurrection proves all of the claims the Lord Jesus made about Himself.

He said He could forgive sin. He said He gaveHis life (John 10:18). He said if He

died He would rise again. He said He was God. Anyone could make such claims, butthe test would come in proving them. The resurrection proved Christ's claims. This

means His death is only half the story; His resurrection is the other half. The gospel

includes these facts: "That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and

that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures"

(1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The resurrection makes belief in other miracles possible, for

this was the greatest miracle of all.

If the resurrection were not true, all of Christianity would be untrue. The

apostle Paul said, "If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is

also vain" (1 Corinthians 15:14). The resurrection is the final proof of Christ's deity.

It proved that His death was voluntary, that He gave Himself willingly. The

resurrection proved also that His death was vicarious, for if He had died and not risen,

His death would have been of no value. The death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus

Christ cannot be separated.

EXPLANATIONS FOR THE RESURRECTION

Through the centuries, attempts have been made to suggest possibilities other

than an actual resurrection.

1. The body was stolen by the disciples.This is the oldest theory, first proposed

by Christ's enemies at the time of the resurrection (Matthew 28:11-15). But a readingof the gospels makes it very difficult to believe that the timid, fearful disciples, who

actually had not believed Christ's words that He would rise again, would confront

armed guards at the tomb to carry off the body and hide it.

2. Jesus did not really die.This incredible theory would have Jesus, weak from

loss of blood and the terrible treatment He had suffered, revive in the coolness of the

tomb; free Himself from the grave clothes that were wrapped securely around Him,

leaving them undisturbed; push aside the heavy stone at the entrance; slip unseen past

the armed guards, who were charged with His safekeeping at the price of their own

lives; and disappear.


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3. The disciples were victims of hallucination when they saw Him after His death.

If this were true, it would mean more than five hundred people had the same

hallucination at the same time (1 Corinthians 15:6). The very definition of

hallucination makes this an impossibility. Nor does it account for the tomb, whicheven His enemies admitted was empty.

4. The disciples were deliberately lying in preaching His resurrection.However

the disciples had not themselves expected the event (Matthew 28:17; Mark 16:11;

Luke 24:11). It would be most extraordinary for them to summon up courage from a

lie and risk death by preaching boldly of Christ to those who had put Him to death

(Acts 2:22-24).

It actually requires a great deal more credulity to believe such theories than to believe

what the Bible states as fact that Christ "rose again the third day"

(1 Corinthians 15:4).

EVIDENCES FOR THE RESURRECTION

The resurrection is one of the best-attested facts of the Christian faith. Luke

says the Lord Jesus showed Himself alive after His resurrection by many infallible

proofs (Acts 1:3).

1. He was seen at different times by different groups of people.

Briefly, they were:

Mary Magdalene, Mark 16:9-11; John 20:11 -17

the other women, Matthew 28:9-10Peter, Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5

two on the Emmaus road, Mark 16:12-13; Luke 24:13-35

ten disciples, Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-23eleven disciples, John 20:26-29

seven disciples, John 21:1-2

five hundred disciples, 1 Corinthians 15:6

James, His brother, 1 Corinthians 15:7

eleven disciples, Matthew 28:16-20

those at His ascension, Luke 24:44-53; Acts 1:3-9

First Corinthians gives a summary of some of these appearances.

2. The empty tomb shows that He rose from the dead. The tomb was not opened

to allow Christ to come out but to let others see that it was empty.

3. The actions of the soldiers and rulers proveHis resurrection.

4. The disciples were changed from frightened followers into bold witnesses who

fearlessly preached the resurrection.


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5. The results of the day of Pentecost prove the resurrection, for three thousand

people believed Peter's account of what had happened.

RESULTS OF THE RESURRECTIONIt proves the inspiration of the Bible. The Old Testament had prophesied the

death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus (Psalm 16:10; compare Acts 2:25-31). Paul's

message was that of Moses and the prophets who had foretold the event (Acts 26:23).

Only God could have known what was going to happen and tell of it centuries before

it took place. Thus His promise was fulfilled.

It gives power for Christian living. The resurrection shows what mighty power

God has which He uses to help the Christian. God works for the believer today

"according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he

raised him from the dead" (Ephesians 1:19-20). Victory in the Christian life doesn't

come by personal effort. It is through yielding to God's power which was shown in

the resurrection.

It gives assurance that believers also will be raised. The Bible makes it clear

that Jesus Christ rose from the dead in a body and it was the same body in which He

had been crucified. The nail prints remained in His hands and feet (John 20:25-29)

and the wound in His side (John 20:27). The fact of this identity is seen in His words

to His disciples, "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and

see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have" (Luke 24:39), He ate

food to show His disciples that He was not a spirit (Luke 24:41-43). He could be felt

(Matthew 28:9; Luke 24:39).However, while His body was the same in identityin the way He lookedit

was different in what it could do. He could go through locked doors (Luke 24:36;

John 20:19) and vanish from sight (Luke 24:31, 51) since He was free from time-and-

space limitations. He apparently did not need either food or sleep to sustain Him.

Our resurrection body will be like His, according to 1 John 3:2. God will raise

us even as He raised the Lord Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:14).

A Further Word

Christ has been raised; and we are risen too. But not to hover, eager and intent, Upon

earth's small affairs. The light breaks through, The clouds disperse and whither Jesus

went We, too, shall go. But let us not forget, Meanwhile, a world that does not know

Him yet.

Notes


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4


Name _____________________________________

1. State in your own words why the death of Christ is not complete without the

resurrection. Use your Bible if necessary to find supporting Scripture.

2. Read Luke 24:25-27. How does this prove the inspiration of the Bible?

3. How is the resurrection proof of Christ's deity?

4. Find in the gospels two clues that show Jesus' enemies remembered His words

and feared His disciples might take His body from the tomb.

a.

b.

5. How does attendance at church on Sunday give testimony to Christ's

resurrection?

6. Read Ephesians 1:19-20. What confidence should these verses give the

believer about God's power?

7. Throughout the Old Testament the crossing of the Red Sea, was given as the

supreme example of God's power. In the New Testament it is the resurrection

of Christ. Why are these two events chosen?

8. Read Ephesians 5:27, Philippians 3:21, and 1 John 3:2 List some words that

describe the kind of resurrection body the believer will have.

Check Your Memo ry

1. The resurrection is proof of Christ's __________________________.

2. The resurrection proves the ______________________ of the Bible.


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5

3. The ________ ________ is evidence that Christ rose.

4. Over __________________people saw Jesus at the same time after His

resurrection.

5. Two false theories of the resurrection are:

a.

b.

6. Jesus' resurrection guarantees_________________________.

Scripture M emorization(wri te on the back page three t imes)

I Jn 3:1-3

1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that

we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not,

because it knew him not.

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what

we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him;

for we shall see him as he is.

3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as

he is pure.

(KJV)


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Copyright kjbscc 2004 JESUS His Ascension Lesson 7 07/22/2005 11:08 AM

1

JESUSHis Ascension and Present Ministry Lesson 7



For forty days after Jesus' resurrection. He was seen by disciples (John 20:19),

ate with them (Luke 24:41-43), talked with them, and instructed them further (Luke

24:44-49; Acts 1:3). Then He left them to return to heaven.

The event is told simply in Acts 1:9-11. His ascension was not just a

disappearance from the sight of those watching. It, was a gradual, visible, bodily

return to heaven. It is interesting to note that the angels promised the disciples that He

would come back the same waythat is, from heaven, in a body, and visible to all.

Clouds received Him at His ascension, and clouds are mentioned in connection withHis return (Matthew 24:30; Matthew 26:64; Luke 21:27; Revelation 1:7). The

ascension was prophetic of the future time when He will return to reign supreme and

every knee will bow to Him (Philippians 2:9-11). After the ascension, Christ is only

seen in His glorified state" and then only to those who were given a special

revelation. The glory of His resurrection body was hidden from His disciples.

Stephen was the first to see the glorified Christ in heaven (Acts 7), then Paul (Acts 9),

and finally John (Revelation 1). It is such a resurrected and glorified body that

believers will ultimately have (1 John 3:2).

CHRIST'S PRESENT POSITION IN HEAVENChrist's work of redemption was completed with His death and resurrection.

He returned then to the glory of His pre-incarnate state with the added glory of having

been victorious over sin and death. Hebrews 10:12-13 emphasizes that the Lord Jesus

"sat down"; His work of redemption was finished. He now is seated at the right hand

of the Father in heaven (Hebrews 1:3). There He shares all glory, authority, and

honor with God. Though all authority belongs to Him now (Ephesians 1:20-23;

1 Peter 3:22), He is not now exercising it (Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 10:12-13). The day

is coming when He will take the power that is His and reign for ever

(Revelation 11:15). This future day is foretold in Psalm 2:8.

CHRIST'S PRESENT WORK IN HEAVEN

The Lord Jesus has a ministry now that began with His ascension, has

continued ever since, and will continue until His return. His ascension is the link

between what He did on earth and what He is doing in heaven. This heavenly work is

not a part of His finished redemptive work. It is a special ministry for those who have

accepted Him as personal Saviour, and includes preparing a place for His own John

14:1-2, acting as the believer's advocate 1 John 2:1, interceding for believers

Hebrews 7:25.


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In His work as Advocate, Christ reminds God the Father of His work of

redemption which provides forgiveness for sin. The believer's sin is not a rejection of

Christ, but the daily sins of anger, evil speaking, lying, and uncleanness, which break

his fellowship with God. Such sins cannot be excused or over-looked by the holyGod. Christ as advocate asks for forgiveness for us, reminding God that He has

already died for those sins. In this work He is "Jesus Christ the righteous"

(1 John 2:1). This should be an incentive to a Christian to live a holy life.

In His work as Intercessor, Christ is concerned with the weakness and

helplessness of believers who face the "fiery darts of the wicked" (Ephesians 6:16).

He tenderly prays for those who belong to Him (Hebrews 7:25). The pattern of His

intercession is given in John 17, which gives a glimpse of God the Son praying to

God the Father about believers. This is the realLord's Prayer. This intercession by

the Lord Jesus continues for the believer as long as he is on earth.

This work of Christ as Advocate and Intercessor is for the believer's eternal

security (Romans 8:38-39).

CHRIST'S PRESENT WORK ON EARTH

Christ's actual bodily presence is in heaven, where He is seated at God's right

hand. But since He is omnipresent, He is also personally present in the world and

lives, in a special sense, in those who believe in Him (John 14:23; Galatians 2:20). In

His present ministry, Christ is building the church (Matthew 16:16-18). This is seen

repeatedly in the book of Acts from the day of Pentecost on (Acts 2:41, 47; 4:32-33;

11:1). The epistles teach that the church is the body of Christ and that He is its livinghead (1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 2:19-22). Since He is its life, it is He who

directs its activity, and each member must submit to His authority (1 Corinthians

12:4-6). In His capacity as head of the church, He nourishes and cherishes (Ephesians

5:29) and strengthens believers (Philippians 4:13).

His presence within the body of believers gives them ability to overcome

temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13), human limitations (Philippians 4:13), and the

power of Satan and evil spirits (1 John 4:4). Christ's abiding presence is the believer's

hope for future blessings (Romans 8:20-23; Colossians 1:27; 1 John 3:2).

Christ's ministry also includes the giving of spiritual gifts. He did not leave His

work to be carried on haphazardly but continually gives His followers special abilities

(Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:28-31; Ephesians 4:7-16). Some scripture passages

speak of Christ's activity and others of the Holy Spirit's work in bestowing gifts on

believers. It is not wise to make too strong a distinction in this, for each Person of the

Godhead is associated with the other Persons. They are distinct persons but are never

completely separate.


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This ministry of Christ on earth for the believer will continue until the day that

He presents him "faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy"

(Jude 24).

A Further Word

Forty days after the resurrection He led His disciple to the Mount of Olives,

and while His hands were raised in blessing upon them, He was taken from them and

received up into heaven. And the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews says He is there

to appear before the face of God for us.

In the light of that, let us read Colossians 3:1-2.

Col 3:1-2

1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are

above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

(KJV)We should be heavenly minded people. That does not mean we are dreamers.

That in no way teaches that with idle hands and complacent hearts we should sit and

rock our way through the world. It means that down here we should live with

eternity's values in view.

Notes


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4


Name ________________________________________

1. On the basis of what has been presented in earlier lessons, why was the

ascension of Christ necessary?

2. How does Acts 1:11 refute the false teaching that Christ's return will be only as

an influence?

3. In what way is Christ's present work in heaven and on earth different from His

finished work?

4. What is the difference between Christ's work as Advocate and as Intercessor?

a.

b.

5. Which work does 1 John 2:1 refer to?

6. Which work does Hebrews 7:25 refer to?

7. Read Revelation 12:10.

a. Who is the accuser?

b. Whom does he accuse?

c. How active is he in his accusations?

8. Read Philippians 2:9-11.

a. What words show Christ's deity?

b. His present position?

c. His future reign?

9. Read Colossians 1:18.

a. What reference is made to His resurrection?

b. What inference can you draw from the use of the wordfirstborn?


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10. Read 1 Peter 2:9.

a. What does this verse give as a motive for holy living?

11. Read 1 Timothy 3:16. List the eight facts about Christ the verse refersto.

1. 2.

3. 4.

5. 6.

7. 8.

Check Your Memo ry

1. Jesus returned to heaven _________________days after the resurrection.

2. When Christ died on the cross. He finished His work of __________________.

3. ______________________________________contains the realLord's Prayer.

4. Three words which describe Christ's ascension are:

1.

2.

3.

5. Jesus' position in heaven is at .

6. In heaven Christ's ministry is as ________________and_________________.

7. Christ was seen in His glorified body by inActs 7, by

, in , and by John in

.8. Christ is present on earth in every .

Scripture Memorizat ion

(wri te on the back page three t imes)

John 14:1-3

1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would

have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and

receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

(KJV)


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Copyright kjbscc 2004 JESUS His return Lesson 8 07/22/2005 11:05 AM

1

JESUSHis Return Lesson 8



The Bible repeatedly declares that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back to

earth. The Old Testament has many prophecies of a coming kingdom on earth over

which the Messiah will reign. The New Testament adds a truth, previously hidden,

that the second coming will begin a period of time in where the Lord comes to set up

His kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven on planet Earth.

The second coming of Christ is the outstanding theme of prophecy in the Bible,

for it is the crowning event of all that has happened or will happen in God's universe.

The prophecies in the Old Testament did not clearly distinguish between the

two comings. The sufferings and the glory (1 Peter 1:10-11) were sometimes fused inthe same prophecy. The prophets themselves were puzzled at some of what God

revealed to them, for the present age between the two events was not clearly revealed.

It is as though one sees mountain peaks in the distance that seem to be one, when

actually there is a valley between. We stand in the valley of prophecy, so to speak,

looking back upon the "sufferings of Christ" and ahead to the "glory that should

follow."

THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH

A definite distinction is made in Scripture between the coming of Christ for

His own and His coming in power and glory to the earth to establish His kingdom.

The former event is called the rapture, from the word, which means to catch up. At

that time Christ will not actually touch the earth but will come in the clouds to take

believers away from the earth. Acts 1:9-11

This is a truth that could not be known to the Old Testament prophets, because

the church was not formed at that time. Paul calls the rapture a mystery 1 Corinthians

15:51-52. It could not be known before the birth of the church in Acts when the Holy

Spirit came at Pentecost.

One great fact that is clearly emphasized in Scripture is that the return of the

Lord for His own is imminent; that is, it may take place at any time. We are told to beawaiting Him expectantly (Philippians 3:20-21; Titus 2:13; 1 John 2:28); there is

nothing that needs to be fulfilled before the rapture takes place (Titus 2:12-13;

Revelation 3:3,10).

First Thessalonians 4:16-17 makes it clear that there will not be a general

resurrection of all the dead at one time. At this aspect of the return of the Lord,

believers who have died will first be raised. Then living believers will be caught up to

meet Him in the air. This will be possible because of the instantaneous change that

will take place in our bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). All believers will then stand

before the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:9-10). The


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judgment will not be for salvation, since only saved people will be there. It will be to

give rewards for faithful service (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Scripture indicates that not all

Christians have "fought a good fight" and will not be rewarded 1 Corinthians 3:11-

15).

EVENTS AFTER THE RAPTURE

There are certain signs given in Scripture to indicate nearness of the return of

the Lord to the earth. One of most important passages is Matthew 24:27-30. These

signs refer particularly to Christ's coming in glory to establish His kingdom on earth.

Trends are apparent in our day, which will develop more specifically as time goes on.

Some of these are the general departure from the faith in the professing church

1 Timothy 4:1, rampant unlawfulness and sinfulness 2 Timothy 3:1-5, the tendencies

among the nations toward a world government and a world religion. Along with the

return of Israel to its own land Jeremiah 42:12. By the way did not happen in 1967.

After the church is removed from the earth, the terrible events of the tribulation

period also known as the time of Jacob's trouble, Jeremiah 30:7, Daniels 70th week,

and the day of wrath will take place. This is described in many passages of Scripture,

particularly in the book of Revelation. At the close of the tribulation, the Lord Jesus

will personally appear and come to the earth in judgment (Zechariah 14:4; 2

Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 19). He will judge Israel (Ezekiel 20:33-44) and the

Gentile nations (Matthew 25:31-46) and will establish the kingdom that was

prophesied throughout the Old Testament. The duration of this kingdom is given in

Revelation 20 as a thousand years, from which we have the expression, the"millennium."

At the beginning of the millennium, Satan will be bound (Revelation 20:2-3)

and Christ will rule. The reign of Christ on earth will be a righteous rule and will

result in the establishment of world peace and prosperity (Isaiah 2; Micah 4). At the

close of the millennium, Satan will be loosed for a short time, and then mankind's

final revolt will occur.

The one great and solemn final scene before the ushering in of the eternal state is

the great white throne judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). This will take place at the

close of the millennium after Satan's last attempt to defeat Christ, when the lost are

raised, judged according to their works, and consigned to their final destiny in the

lake of fire with Satan and his hosts. Then will begin the glories of eternity described

in Revelation 21-22.

PERSONAL MEANING OF CHRIST'S RETURN

While we should be interested in the prophetic details of the second coming

doctrine our focus for this lesson is on the Lord Jesus Christ, our most important

concern should be the eager expectation of the Lord Himself. Paul spoke of reward

for those who "love his appearing" 2 Timothy 4:8, The "blessed hope" should be our


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incentive for holy living; as it was for the early Christians. Paul expressed a great

longing for the Lord's return but was completely given over to serving Him regardless

of the time of His return 2 Corinthians 5:6-9. We should live a holy life not from fear

of punishment at His return but because of a deep love for Him and longing for Hiscoming. We should "abide in him"; that, when He shall appear, we may have

confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at his coming" 1 John 2:28.

SUMMARY OFTHEEVENTS PRECEDING THE SECONDCOMING

Church Age, 2000 plus years beginning at Pentecost

The Rapture, or catching away of the Church

The Time of Jacob's Trouble, The great tribulation or 7 year tribulation

Rapture of the believing Jews that have died during the Tribulation, the

parable of the Ten Virgins The all at once moment when the remaining Jews see Him coming in the

clouds and believe.

Touch down of The LORD JESUS CHRIST on the Mount that is called

Olivet.

A Final Word

In conclusion, it is well to note that the subject of the Second Coming involves the

meaning and goal of history. Scripture indicates that history is built along redemptive

lines, moving to its final goal, it is a conflict of opposing forces heading toward a

crisis. To the end of time, a mixed condition will prevail; wheat and tares love andhate, peace and war, faith and apostasy, righteousness and iniquity. In the end,

however, God will prevail, for the final word of the conflict rests with Him, a word

that will be spoken in judgment through The LORD JESUS CHRIST. The immense

drama of human history, with its continuing conflict between good and evil, will not

go on forever.

In the end JESUS and HIS righteousness will triumph in victory.

Notes


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4

Find Out for Yourself

Name _____________________________________

1. Read 1 Peter 1:10-12. Compare with Isaiah 28:5-6 and Psalm 24:7-10.

Why was it difficult for the Jews to accept the idea that Christ must suffer?

2. Read: Matthew 24:44, Mark 13:32, and Luke 12:40.

Why is it wrong to set a date for the Lord's return?

3. What do 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 and 2 Corinthians 5:10 indicate about the

rewards of believers?

4. When will Romans 14:12 take place

for the believer?

for the unbeliever?

5. What should be the effect of the Lord's return on those whose saved loved ones

have died, according to 1 Thessalonians 4:18?

6. Read Isaiah 61:1-2.

Which verse refers to His first coming?

Which verse refers to His second coining?

7. Read Hebrews 9:24-28. What words refer to Christ's preexistence?

To His death?

To His finished work?

To His incarnation?

To His resurrection?

To His ascension?

To His return?


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5

Check Your Memo ry

1. The word imminentmeans________________________

2. Rapture refers to the _____________________________3. The church was born when the _____________________came.

4. The word millenniumrefers to the ___________________

5. When Christ comes, believers who are ___________will be caught up first.

6. Believers will be judged according to their_____________

Scripture memorizat ion

(wri te i t on the back page three t imes)

1Thes 4:16-18

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of

the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in

the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

(KJV)

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