3. Jesus - fully human

That Jesus was a man is not really disputed. The primary documents about Him, found in the Bible, says that he was born of a woman which in itself tells us that at least in a prenatal state he was nurtured and formed as any other male baby was and is. His genealogical line is given and He grew into maturity as any young Jewish boy did. With his humanity, he exhibited normal human emotions such as love, weeping, sadness, anger and anguish. Jesus ate and drank. He had a body and a soul. Jesus grew tired. He slept & perspired. Jesus died just as all mortal people do. Religiously, he worshipped as a Jew. Not only these facts, but the 4 ‘biographies’ or gospels written about him acknowledge his humanity. He was human in every way that we are - physically, mentally and emotionally.

Jesus - fully God

How is it possible, you may well ask. If you take a pint of milk, and you pour the milk into a milk jug, the milk remains milk, although it is now in another container. In the same way, God inhabited a human body, thereby still being God, but also being human.

Jesus' Baptism

71. The Christian Disciple and Jesus’ Baptism

Luke writing in Luke 3v21-23: “When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."  Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.”

In the next few Podcasts, we will discuss certain events in the life of Jesus.  But today, we start with Jesus’ baptism as it also shows the commencement of Jesus’ public ministry.  Jesus is now about 30 years old.  John the Baptist precedes all Gospel accounts of the start of Jesus’ ministry, and this is because repentance before God is the key to starting a new life in God’s Kingdom.

Witness One – John the Baptist (Luke 3v1-20)

When John came (Lukev1-2) – When John the Baptist appeared on the scene, no prophetic voice had been heard within Israel for almost 400 years. His coming was part of God’s perfect timing, for everything that relates to God’s Son is always on time (Gal.4v4; Jn.2v4, 13v1)

How John came (Lukev3) – Dressed and acting like an Old Testament prophet Elijah, John came to the area near the River Jordan, preaching and baptizing. He announced the arrival of the kingdom of heaven (Mt.3v3) and urged the people to repent. John’s baptism looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, while Christian baptism looks back to the finished work of Christ in His death and resurrection.

Why John came (Lukevv4-20) – John the Baptist was a voice “crying in the wilderness” (Is.40v1-5; Luke 3v4; Jn.1v23). Spiritually speaking, the nation of Israel was living in a state of unbelief and twisted spiritual reality. The people desperately needed to hear a voice from God, and John was that faithful voice. It was John’s work to prepare the nation for the Messiah and then present the Messiah to them. John is also compared to a farmer who chops down useless chaff (Luke 3v17). Many Jews of the time, thought they were destined for heaven simply because they were descended from Abraham. In Luke 3v7, John depicts the Pharisees as snakes.
John the Baptist also was a teacher. He taught people to live their new faith (Luke 3v10-14). He told them not to be selfish, but to share their blessings with other people. Tax collectors were told by John to do their work honestly. Soldiers were to stop using their jobs for personal gain. John clearly stated that Jesus was “the Lord” (Luke 3v4) and the Son of God (Jn.1v34)

Witness Two and Three – The Father and the Spirit (Luke 3v21-23a)

Jesus comes to John the Baptist, and presents Himself for baptism. John at first refuses to do it (Mt.3v13-15). He knew that Jesus of Nazareth was the perfect Son of God who had no need to repent of sin.

Through His baptism, He identified with all sinners that He came to save.  We have seen already that it is the start of His public ministry (Acts 1v21-22, 10v37-38).  But why did Jesus get baptized?  In replying to John’s initial refusal to baptize him, Jesus said “…it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness” (Mt.3v15).  This looks forward to the cross, because it is only through the baptism of suffering that Jesus endured on the cross, that God is able to fulfil all righteousness. The “us” referred to means Father Son and Spirit. When Jesus came up from the water, the Father spoke from heaven and identified Him as the beloved Son of God, and the Spirit visibly came upon Jesus in the form of a dove.

Jesus as the Son of Man - The Genealogy Luke 3v23b-38

The genealogy here reminds us that the Son of God was also the Son of Man, born into the world, identifying with the needs and problems of mankind.  Through the genealogy, we see down through the generations Jesus’ link to Adam and ultimately God.  The phrase “the son of” generally means any remotely connected descendant or ancestor.  It is a reminder that Jesus, being Joseph’s legal son was part of a human family, tribe, race and nation.  Jesus’ line goes back through the Old Testament from Joseph to King David to Judah, Jacob, Isaac and Abraham, to Methuselah to Noah and Adam.  The genealogy with its link to David, shows Jesus’ right to ascend to David’s throne (Luke 1v32-33).  The genealogy shows Jesus’ total human-ness, and because he is linked to Adam, identifies with all humanity and not just Israel.  But there is one difference between Jesus and all other humans.  In that Luke doesn’t stop the genealogy at Adam, as he would have for all other humans.  Luke ultimately leads and links Jesus to being God’s Son.

Son of God (Luke 3v38) – Adam has come into the world bearing the true image of a son of God, for when Adam disobeyed God, that image was marred & scarred due to sin entering the world.  All that is, except Jesus.  The voice from God the Father ratified Jesus as the Son of God.  Not a son of God as some may claim, but the one and only Son of God.  This genealogy points to the unbroken relationship between Jesus and God.  Jesus is as Adam was before Adam’s disobedience.

For more to think about please do read Luke 4v1-30. Ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them.  Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.

Q1. What lesson can I learn from the ministry of John the Baptist?
Q2. What link is there between being tempted and doing the work God has give me to do?
Q3. What lessons can I learn Jesus’ rejection at Nazareth?

As ever, if you have any comments to make on this, please do contact me at partake(at)hotmail.co.uk.  Thank you.

Jesus’ Temptations

72. Christian Disciple and Jesus’ Temptations

Luke writing in Luke 4v1-2: “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.”

In Luke 3, we discovered that Jesus had started his public ministry at his baptism, and that He was revealed as God’s Son. However, not only was Jesus fully God, he was also human. In the other Gospel accounts of this event, Matthew (Matthew 4v1) and Mark (Mark 1v12) both tell us that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert. Luke alone tells us that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, and that he was led in the Spirit into the desert. Luke’s phrasing and terminology makes it clearer that Jesus’ temptation experiences in the desert were all part of God’s plan at the start of Jesus’ public ministry, in order that the type of Messiah Jesus was, would be revealed.

This temptations event reveals Jesus’ perfect and full humanity. Knowing Jesus to be both God and man, satan starts his plan of attack against Him. After forty days of fasting, prayer and wandering in the desert, Jesus is confronted by satan. In this event we have three temptations, and it reveals the way Christian Disciples are to handle temptations when confronted with them.

First temptation (Luke 4v3-4) - Note the way satan starts by saying “So you are the Son of God.” As if to say, “If you are really who those voices speaking at your baptism say you are, then prove it to me. You must surely be hungry by now, so why don’t you turn these stones into bread and feed yourself” (Luke 4v3). Satan wanted Jesus to disobey to God the Father’s will by using His powers for selfish purposes. He also wanted Jesus to doubt God the Father’s love and care. Jesus however is the beloved Son who always does the will of the Father (John 8v29). Luke 4v4 shows us that Jesus answered satan by using Scripture “'Man does not live on bread alone.” (Deuteronomy 8v3). This reveals that while physical food is necessary, it is more important to be sustained by the authority of Scripture. For Jesus, instead of relying on His own power to create food, it showed His trust in God the Father to take total care of Him.

Second temptation (Luke 4v5-8) – This is satan’s encouragement for Jesus to engage in false worship, challenging him as it does to break the commandment “You shall have no other gods but me” (Exodus 20v3). Satan says its all yours if you just bow the knee and worship me. Of course satan is as always telling a deceiving half-truth. Though satan has great power (John 12v31; 2 Corinthians 4v4), he has no authority to be able to offer Jesus everything he said he would give. He is also not worthy of worship as his power is always destructive and leads to wanton disobedience and unfaithfulness. This reflects satan’s self-delusion of grandeur. Jesus’ reply again is from Scripture, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only'" (Deuteronomy 6v13). Jesus here is saying that He will only serve one Master, and that is God the Father.

Third temptation (Luke 4v9-13) - Here, satan encourage Jesus to take God the Father up on His promised protection. “Throw yourself off the top of the temple. If God is faithful and true, God will catch you and protect you as you start off on this ministry of yours!” Satan also here quotes Scripture in order to make the temptation much more appealing (Psalm 91v11-12). However, this is a misquote, because he doesn’t add “in all your ways”. Jesus, however, being always wise, quotes Scripture back “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (Deuteronomy 6v16). In quoting Scripture back, Jesus gives balance to the total expression of God’s will and not just part of it. Jesus refused to acquiesce to the lures of satan, and his demands to test God the Father’s faithfulness on his own terms.

The first temptation is echoed within us, when we try to do things in our own strength and power instead of relying on God’s power and strength to achieve much more than we can hope for or imagine.
The second temptation here echoes James 1v14-15 where desires and lusts lure the Christian Disciple into sinning against and disobeying God.
The third temptation occurs for us when we test God. Christian Disciples who actively disobey God, subsequently fall into trouble and then expect God to rescue us are testing God. An example of this is in Exodus 17v1-7.

Jesus emerged from the desert experience, the victor, and to continue his ministry. Satan skulked off for his next opportunity. As Christian Disciples we need to be aware of the schemes of satan, and learn to fend him off, just as Jesus did in the wilderness and in all subsequent encounters during his earthly ministry.

How satan tempts the Christian Disciple

Accuse them (Rev 12v10)
Devour their testimony for Jesus Christ (1 Peter 5v8)
Deceive them (2 Corinthians 11v14)
Hinder their work (1 Thessalonians 2v18)

The Christian Disciples’ response to satan should be:

To recognise his power and deception (2 Corinthians 2v11; Ephesians 6v11)
Stay with the faith (1 Peter 5v9)
Wear the armour of God (Ephesians 6v10-17)
Resist him openly by submitting to God and he will flee (James 4v7)
Not to give him opportunities (Ephesians 4v27)

Probably the best way to oppose him is to grow as a Christian Disciple and submit all to God. We must remember that our love for God must always be stronger than our love for the world. If we love somebody, we do not want to hurt that person. When we go against God and sin, we are hurting our relationship with Him. He is a holy God and cannot abide any sin! Therefore, as we grow as Christian Disciples we grow more in love with God, and therefore our desire to sin grows less. By having faith & trust in God to provide needs and protection and worshipping and serving Him alone, the Christian Disciple grows in spiritual maturity and will also not succumb to temptation to sin and disobey God.

For more to think about please do read 1 Corinthians 10v1-13. Ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.

Q1. How can these examples given by Paul help me not to disobey God?
Q2. In what areas do I think I am standing firm and do I always recognize the way of escaping temptation?
Q3. What does Jesus’ experiences of temptation, tell me about his humanity and how I too can stand up when tempted?

As ever, if you have any comments to make on this, please do contact me at partake(at)hotmail.co.uk. Thank you.

Jesus' Mission

73. The Christian Disciple and Jesus’ Mission
Luke writes in Luke 4v42-44: “At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.”
Jesus’ public ministry on earth has begun! These verses at the end of Luke 4 tell us that His mission is to preach God’s Kingdom. A reluctant John the Baptist baptized him and the crowds heard God the Father speaking to Him. He underwent temptations by the arch-seducer, satan and emerged victorious from that ordeal. Now Jesus, led by the Holy Spirit, has returned home to Galilee (Luke 4v14).
1. Jesus at home (Luke 4v14-30)
Jesus is back in home territory and because of the power of His teaching, He is becoming known as a great teacher (Luke 4v15). Jesus spent some time in Galilee, become known and arousing the interest, curiosity and excitement of people.
a. Worshipping (Luke 4v14-18) – It was Jesus’ habit to attend public worship wherever he was.
A typical synagogue service · Opened with a prayer for God’s blessing · Traditional Hebrew confession of faith (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21) · Prayer and readings from the Law and the Prophets · Brief sermon given by one of the men or a visiting rabbi (Acts 13:14-16) · Benediction or prayer
Because of His growing renown as a teacher, it is no surprise that he should be asked to read the Scripture and give a short teaching session regarding it. Here in Nazareth, Jesus declared that the day for demonstrating God’s salvation had arrived and the day the prophets looked forward to, was going to be fulfilled in Jesus Himself (Luke 4v20). He was the Servant Isaiah had talked about long ago (Isaiah 61v1-2). His ministry was divinely directed; it was a ministry of hope for all people and a ministry to free the spiritually oppressed (Luke 4v18).
Acceptable Year of the Lord (Luke 4:19)
When Jesus said in Luke 4v19 “to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour”, Jesus was referring to the “Year of Jubilee” (Leviticus 25). Every fiftieth year, this special year was the balancing of the economic system. · Slaves were set free and returned to their families · Property that was sold back to the original owners · All debts were cancelled · Lands lay bare to rest and rejoice in the Lord
The local reaction was at first one of astonishment (Luke 4v22) and telling each other he was the son of Joseph! But Jesus was not the son of Joseph, but rather the Son of God, the new Adam and the founder of a new humanity as he goes on to explain.
b. Rejected (Luke 4:20-30)
They saw Him as the son of Joseph. Admiration turned to anger, because Jesus began to remind them of God’s goodness to the Gentiles.
· The prophet Elijah bypassed all the Jewish widows and helped a Gentile widow in Sidon (1 Kings 17:8-16) · Elisha healed a Gentile leper from Syria (2 Kings 5:1-15)
Whilst those in Nazareth could only see Jesus in the local setting, He told them His mission was for all Israel! And if Israel rejected this message of Good News, then the Gentiles would be blessed by it (Luke 4v25-27). Upon hearing this, the astonished admiration turned to furious anger (Luke 4v28-30)! Salvation is no longer restricted to Israel but for every child of Adam – every human. Jesus’ mission was not to be Israel’s saviour but the world’s saviour. When Jesus quoted the proverb “no prophet is accepted in his hometown”, he revealed his knowledge of Old Testament history. He knew that God’s messengers often were rejected, and even as God’s Son, he was rejected as well.
2. Jesus away from home (Luke 4v31-44)
Now Jesus walked through the rioting mob and went to Capernaum and here he engaged in public ministry:
a. Preaching (Luke 4v31-32) – Jesus sets up headquarters in Capernaum (Matthew 4:13-16) and started teaching in the Synagogue. People were astonished that He taught with such authority. b. Rebuking (Luke 4v33-37, 41) – Our Lord did not want the demons to bear witness to Himself and His identity (Luke 4:34,41). Again people were astonished at Jesus power and authority. c. Healing (Luke 4v:39-40) – People bought their sick and asked Jesus to help them. d. Praying (Luke 4v42-44) – He was up early the next morning to pray (Mark 1:35). It was in prayer that He found his strength and power for service, and so must we.
During this period:
· No new teaching – He has God’s authority to do what He is doing – preaching healing and releasing. · God desires humility – Jesus is looking for people to acknowledge their spiritual blindness and poverty, so that Jesus may liberate them. · God’s Word is important – In the previous verses, Jesus counters the devil by using God’s Word, and he continues to do this throughout His ministry. He teaches and preaches in the synagogues (Luke 4v32, 44); rebukes demons (Luke 4v35, 41) and heals diseases (Luke 4v39) all with the authority of His word.
Jesus’ mission was to be the saviour of the world as God’s Son (John 3v16) and the Servant of the Lord. His mission was to give a message of hope for the spiritually poor and spiritually oppressed people. People not only in his hometown, nor only in Israel, but rather for the whole world. People have two choices when faced with this fact: accept or reject. There is no other option. That is why as Christian Disciples we are to be actively engaged in evangelism, to tell people of this news about Jesus Christ.
For more to think about please do read Luke 4v1-44. Ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.
Q1. How does knowing Jesus’ mission help me in my life as a Christian Disciple? Q2. Where does the authority for my ministry come from? Q3. What encouragement can I take from Jesus’ behaviour to those who rejected His message?
As ever, if you have any comments to make on this, please do contact me at partake(at)hotmail.co.uk. Thank you.

Jesus' 12 Disciples

74. The Christian Disciple and Jesus’ Disciples

Matthew writing in Matthew 4v18-22: “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”


Who were Jesus’ Disciples?

There are three main lists of disciples (Matthew 10:1-4, Mark 3:13-19, Luke 6:12-16) who were chosen near the start of Jesus ministry. The Gospel of John offers no comprehensive list but does refer to them as “The Twelve” (John 6v67, John 6v70, and John 6v71)

Andrew: he was a fisherman from Bethsaida (Matthew 4v18). It was he who introduced his brother, Simon Peter, to Jesus (John 1v40-42). He was a disciple of John the Baptist.
Barthomew: he was the son of Talemai and possibly was also called Nathaniel (John 1v45-1v51)
3. James: he was the son of Aphaeus. He is also know as James the Less (Mark 15v40) or James the Just. He would later be the leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts)

James & John: the sons of Zebedee. Both were fisherman (Matthew 4v21; Luke 5v1-11) and Jesus called them the sons of Boanerges or sons of thunder (Mark 3v17)! John is known as the “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13v23, John 19v26, John 21v7 & 20)
Judas Iscariot (Luke 6v13, 16): he was the son of Simon (John 6v71 & John 13v26). He was the disciple who betrayed Jesus (Matthew 26v14-16; Mark 14v10-11) and was replaced after the Resurrection by Matthias (Acts 1v26).
Matthew: he was a tax collector (Matthew 9v9) and the son of Alphaeus (Mark 2v14. He also authored the gospel by the same name (Matthew 1v1)
Philip : from Bethsaida (John 1v44; John 12v21). Notable it was he who introduced Greeks to Jesus (John 12v20-22)
8. Simon: also known as Simon the zealot (Matthew 10v4) and possibly from Jerusalem.

Simon : brother of Andrew and also an uneducated fisherman from Bethsaida (Matthew 4v18; Acts 4v13). Later, he was renamed Peter by Jesus (John 1v42) and would later lead the disciples (Acts 1v15-26). He wrote 2 of the books of the New Testament known as 1 Peter and 2 Peter.
Thaddeus: listed as a disciple in Mark 3v18 and also known as Lebbaeus (Matthew 10v3) and Judas brother of James (Luke 6v16)
Thomas also known as Judas Thomas Didymus. (John 11v16, John 20v24, John 21v2)

How were they chosen?

In the time of the New Testament, it was usual practice for a disciple to take the initiative and choose his master and then voluntarily join that school. However, in reverse of this practise, Jesus Himself chose those who were to follow Him by issuing a command to “Come, follow me.” (Matthew 4v18-22; Matthew 16v24; Matthew 19v21; Mark 1v17; Mark 8v34; Mark 10v21; Luke 9v23; Luke 18v22). Jesus chose them after a night of prayer and were given to Him by God (John 17v9). The reason that God gave them to Him as His disciples was so that they would produce fruit for God’s Kingdom (John 15v16). Jesus also placed some demands on those who wanted to follow Him. For some these demands proved too much so they went away, like the rich young ruler (Matthew 19v16-22). Others who initially attracted to Jesus left saying “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it? (John 6v60).
What were they chosen for?
As we read the Gospels, we know that they often got things wrong. Jesus often rebuked them, such as when the storm hit when they were in the boat. He rebuked them for panicking (Mark 4v38) and for fearing and lacking faith (Mark 4v40). This in spite of having seen Jesus do the things He had done. In Matthew’s Gospel the disciples mistake Him for a ‘ghost’ as He walked to them on the water (Matthew 14v22-36) and Jesus rebukes Peter for lacking faith as Peter looked at the storm (Matthew 14v30) rather than to Jesus Himself. When Peter tried to dissuade Jesus from going to the cross Jesus’ subsequent rebuke was meant for all the disciples and not just Peter (Mark 8v33). They did not yet understand the relationship between suffering and glory. By the time Peter had written 1 Peter, he did (1Peter 1v6-8, 1 Peter4v13-5:10).
In calling them to Himself, Jesus called them into a common discipleship of which they are to “love one another” (John 15v17). The reason for this is so that people will know they are His disciples by their love for one another (John 13v34, John 15v16) and this will produce the desired fruit for God’s kingdom and an effective prayer life (John 15v16).

Take up your cross: In Matthew 16v24, Jesus called his disciples to take up their cross, just as He was going to be taking up His cross at Calvary. By this he meant that His disciples must be prepared to sacrifice and be willing to suffer and die.

Called to a life of repentance: Symbolic of this is Peter who when first encountered by Jesus in Luke 5v1-11 declared of Jesus "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"
Called to a life of obedience: Jesus called for obedience of God (Matthew 7v21, Luke 6v46). This obedience means to follow Him in all areas of life.
Called to a life of service: When they were sent out in Matthew 10, the disciples were to: Tell the Good News’; heal the sick; raise the dead; drive out demons and freely give.
Called regardless of background: The disciples were from a broad cross-section of society. Some as we have seen were fishermen, another a tax collector (who were thought of as traitors to Israel!), others zealots or sons of zealots.

For more to think about please do read John 15v18-24. Ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.

Q1. Looking back on my life, how did Jesus choose me to be His disciple and why?
Q2. As I continue my life as a Christian Disciple, what things are holding me back from total obedience and service to Him?
Q3. Do I truly show love towards others in my life as a Christian Disciple?

As ever, if you have any comments to make on this, please do contact me at partake(at)hotmail.co.uk. Thank you.

Jesus' Identity

75. The Christian Disciple and Jesus’ Identity

Mark writing in Mark 8v27-33: Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ. Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

This section of the Bible contains the verse, which divulges Jesus’ identity, when Peter calls Him the Christ or Messiah or Saviour (Mark 8v29). In the preceding few verses Jesus and the disciples were in Bethsaida and there is the incident where Jesus healed the blind man.

1. See who Jesus is – (Mark 8v22) reveals that the faith of others apart from the blind man was also involved

There are two very obvious questions that come out of this.

Why did Jesus touch the blind man twice to heal him? We don’t know for sure, but we do know that Jesus kept on until the man could see clearly. Two things to remember though. Firstly that Jesus was unable to do miracles because of people’s lack of faith and we also need to remember that God does things in His own time and for His own purposes, but also acts in order to tell us of His love for us.

Why does Jesus tell the man not to tell anybody? Jesus didn’t want to be seen as only a healer and miracle worker.

2. Confess who Jesus is

Now we come to a climactic part of the Gospels when Jesus asks His disciples: “Who do people say that I am?

John the Baptist
· Jesus and John had been seen together in public and they were different in personality and ministry
· John came ‘in the spirit and power of Elijah’ (Luke 1v17), in a ministry of judgement, whereas Jesus came in a spirit of meekness and service.
· John performed no miracles (John 10v41), but Jesus was a miracle worker.
· John even dressed like the Prophet Elijah (2 Kings 1v8; Mark 1v6)


Jeremiah (Matthew 16v14)
· Jeremiah was the ‘weeping prophet’, and Jesus was the ‘man of sorrows’
· Jeremiah called the people to true repentance from the heart, and so did Jesus.
· Both men were misunderstood and rejected by their own people.
· Both men condemned the false religious leaders and the hypocritical worship in the temple.
· Those in authority persecuted both men.

In both His works and words, Jesus gave evidence to the people that He was the Son of God, the Messiah, and yet they did not get the message.

a Why did Jesus tell the disciples to keep quiet about Him?

Disciples had much to learn about Him and what it meant to follow Him.
The Jews were expecting a victorious Messiah (Isaiah 11v1-5). But they had forgotten that the Messiah must suffer and die (Isaiah 53v1-12; Luke 24v26). The Jewish people thought that the Messiah would set up an earthly political kingdom, but Jesus came to set up a spiritual kingdom that would last forever (Isaiah 9v7; Daniel 7v13-14; Luke 1v33; Revelation 11v15)

b What was the purpose of the Messiah? (Mk10v45)

Jesus’ mission was to be the Servant of the Lord, and therefore, the saviour of the world as God’s Son (John 3v16). His purpose as the Messiah was neither that He be served nor that He will lead a political overthrow of the Roman government as some had hoped. Rather, His purpose as the Messiah was to be God’s servant and give a message of hope for the spiritually poor and spiritually oppressed people.

3. Follow who Jesus is

When Jesus rebuked Peter, he was also telling off the other disciples (Mark 8v33). Remember that they did not yet understand the relationship between suffering and glory. By the time Peter had written his epistle 1 Peter, he did (1 Peter1v6-8, 1 Peter 4v13-5v10).

Some Jewish leaders taught of 2 Messiahs – one to suffer and one who would reign (1Peter 1v10-12)

Price to pay for true followers
· We must surrender completely to Him.
· We must identify with Him in His suffering and death.
· We must follow Him obediently, wherever He leads.

What is the reward for the true disciple of Jesus?
· Satan promises glory now, but in the end suffering comes.
· God promises suffering now, but the suffering turns to glory.

Spiritually, at this time, the disciples were still blind to who Jesus was, just as the man who was physically blind.
Our confession of Jesus is a matter of life and death (John 8v21;1 John 4v1-3). Confession of Jesus as Lord is necessary for salvation (1 Corinthians 12v1-3), when that confession is from the heart (Romans 10v9-10). Christians are called to follow Jesus, to take up their cross and this could mean nothing less than being ready to suffer and die for Jesus. If we are ashamed of Him on earth, He will be ashamed of us when the end of the world has come. He will reward those deserving the reward, and deny those who deny Him.


For more to think about please do read 1 Peter 1v1-12. Ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.

Q1. What does Jesus’ revealed identity as Saviour offer me as a Christian Disciple?
Q2. How does knowing Jesus’ identity help me as I undergo trials, suffering and bad times?
Q3. What part does each member of the Trinity play in my life as a Christian Disciple?

As ever, if you have any comments to make on this, please do contact me at partake(at)hotmail.co.uk. Thank you.

Jesus' Teaching

76. Christian Disciple and Jesus’ Teaching
Luke records in Luke 4v31-32: “Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.”
This event in Capernaum was not a one off occurrence. Frequently the writers of the gospel remark how people viewed Jesus’ teaching as authoritative. But what was it that made His teaching authoritative?

1. How he taught with authority:

Jesus’ manner of teaching shared much in common with other teachers of 1st century Palestine. His teachings frequently included Old Testament texts; exaggerate hyperbole, telling of parables, rhythmic poetry aiding memorisation and the predicting of future events were common teaching practise at the time in both religious and secular circles. Most of the teaching we have in the Gospels did not arise out of formal settings but rather through personal encounters, engaging with the religious leaders and the inherent need to teach His disciples. However it is not so much his manner of teaching that created the air of authority about him, but rather what He taught that did (Matthew 7v28-29).

2. What did he teach?

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus appeals to the Old Testament scriptures in every facet of His teaching. Founded on Old Testament texts, were His moral and legal teachings (Matthew 5v17-48), the historical stories (Matthew 24v27-29) and in His debates with the religious leaders, Jesus frequently used Old Testament Scripture (Mark 7v6-13).

Quite possibly, the supreme example of His teaching can be found in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5v1-7v29). Whilst mainly speaking to His disciples, he allowed the crowds to listen. In this discourse, all of Jesus’ teachings are exhibited. Key themes from the Sermon on the Mount include: a Christian Disciple’s character, influence, righteousness, religion, devotional life, ambition and relationships.

The Kingdom of God

Jesus preached that entrance to the kingdom of God was through repentance (Matthew 3v2) and this repentance led to a spiritual rebirth (John 3v1-8). He calls all Christian Disciples to seek it first (Matthew 6v33) and to pray for it (Matthew 6v10). But what is the Kingdom of God? The Kingdom of God as taught by Jesus, was not a political uprising against the Romans, as thought by James and John (Mark 10v35-45) and nor is it the church. The kingdom of God was and is both a personal inner spiritual relationship with God as ruler over the life of the Christian Disciple, but also the Christian Disciple exhibiting this relationship with God in a visible new society (Matthew 25v34; Luke 13v29). Parable such as the corn and weeds (Matthew 13v24-30) and the mustard seed (Mark 4v3-32) typify Jesus teaching on this.

Regarding Himself

Whilst Jesus never directly claimed to be God, He did things only God could do. He claimed authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9v1-7). He also claimed that He, and He alone, was the only way to the Father when he said in John 14v6: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” His claim to be the Messiah, or Son of Man, is an appeal to Old Testament texts and their subsequent fulfilment and completion in Him (Mark 8v29-33). Primarily His teaching that the Messiah must suffer and be glorified was also an appellation to Old Testament scripture (Luke 9v31; Luke 12v50; John 10v11-15).

3. The prime method He used was with parables:

Throughout the Gospels, we see that Jesus spoke a lot in parable form. A parable is an allegories or picture story. He did this in order to get His message across completely. The parables as recorded in the Gospels mainly fall into four categories:

Society and its God – an example of this would be the parable of the sheep (Luke 15v1-7) whereby God is seen as a God of grace.

Society and the individual – an example of this would be the parable involving the rich fool who thought his wealth would make God love him more (Luke 12v13-21).

Society and the community – an example here would be the parable of the Good Samaritan whereby everyone is to show love, even for their enemies (Luke 10v25-37).

Society and the future – an example here would be the parable of the great feast whereby the future climax of the kingdom is seen (Matthew 25v31-33).

4. Who did He teach?

The Gospel writers attributed Jesus as a teacher (Mark 5v35; John 7v15) despite his lacking the formal requirements usually attained by rabbis. The Gospel writers also refer to him as a prophet (Luke 7v16; John 6v14), and he was recognized as such by people (Mark 6v15; Mark 8v28). There were three main groups of people that Jesus interacted with and taught. There were large crowds, his twelve disciples and the religious leaders.

The Crowds- Sermon on the Mount

When Jesus taught large gathering of people, it was always based on evidential facts and it was always as Luke described “good news” (Luke 4v18), because God gave it to Jesus. Crowds recognized that Jesus had a confident manner of speaking (Mark 1v22). It must be noted that in the presence of crowds, Jesus didn’t actively reveal who he was (Mark 1v44; Mark 3v11-12; Mark 9v9).

The Disciples

Many of Jesus’ recorded teachings were to His disciples, but in the midst of crowds, such as the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5v1; Matthew 7v28). However on more precise requirements of discipleship, or about Himself or the future of God’s Kingdom, Jesus usually only taught His disciples concerning His true identity, even though they failed to grasp it (Mark 8v27-33).

The religious leaders

Because of Jesus’ popularity and the activities He was involved with, the religious leaders soon took notice of him. Jesus respected the Law of Moses and Moses authority (Mark 1v22). He gave his own unique interpretation and as such attracted the opposition of the religious leaders who had taught a different interpretation. An example of this is in Jesus interpretation of the Sabbath (Mark 2v23-38); the healings He performed (John 5v1-18); fasting and ritual cleanliness (Mark 7v1-5) and for consorting with sinners (Luke 7v34). Jesus criticised the religious leaders for amongst other things: their lack of compassion and the weighty burdens they placed upon others (Matthew 23; Mark 12v38-40; Luke 11v37-54).

For more to think about please do ask your self the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.

Q1. Read Matthew 5v13. How can I as a Christian Disciple be salt and light to my community?
Q2. Read Mark 4v10-20. How does Jesus speak to me as a Christian Disciple and how does the Holy Spirit help me to interpret what Scripture says?
Q3.? Read Matthew 7v24-27. In what ways am I as a Christian Disciple sometimes like the wise builder and at other times like the foolish builder?

As ever, if you have any comments to make on this, please do contact me at partake(at)hotmail.co.uk. Thank you.

Jesus I AM 1

77. Christian Disciple and Jesus’ I AM statements (1)

Exodus 3v13-14: Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'
Isaiah 41v4: “Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD -with the first of them and with the last—I am he”
John 8v58: “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “Before Abraham was, I AM”.

On seven other occasions in John’s Gospel, John records statements where Jesus said “I AM”. These are unique to John and are not recorded in the three other Gospels. For this Podcast we will look briefly at four of them and the next Podcast will discuss the remaining three. Here Jesus is reinforcing His claims to be God because when he says “I AM”, he is referring back to the time when God revealed Himself to Moses in Exodus 3v14 and through the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 41v4 That’s why in John 8v59, they picked up stones in order to kill Him for blasphemy. This was in accordance, so they thought, with Deuteronomy 13, which dictates that anyone who tries to turn people away from the living God is to be stoned to death. They knew Jesus was claiming to the very God they thought they worshipped.
John 6v35, 48, and 51: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; this bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

Three times in this passage, Jesus refers to Himself as the living bread. By this He meant that He was the only one who could satiate the appetite and yearning of every person’s spirit. For those He was speaking to, bread was a basic staple food for living, just as it is for millions of people today. Jesus indicates when saying He is the bread of life, that He will supply all needs! Just as He said to the woman at the well in John 4v4, that whoever drinks His living water, shall never again go spiritually thirsty. When Jesus referred to the manna in the desert (John 6v49) he talked of it being merely temporary despite being a gift from God. He however as the true bread of life would give permanent satisfaction and life everlasting to all those who believe and follow Him (John 6v51)! But this bread He offers, has to be eaten; has to be taken up by the person wanting spiritual life! Note the inference to His impending sacrifice on the cross at the end of John 6v51!

John 8v12: Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I AM the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles! One of the great symbols of that Feast was Light! At the end of the feast, when the lights are extinguished, Jesus said that he was the light of the world! Throughout the Old Testament, light is an important symbol. There is the pillar of fire and cloud leading the nation of Israel on their journey (Exodus 13). In Psalm 27v1, the Psalmist describes God as “my light”. The nation of Israel was to be God’s light to all the world (Isaiah 49v6) so that God would be the world’s light (Isaiah 60v19-22). So by referring to Himself as the light of the world, Jesus is saying it is He who shines light into peoples spiritual eyes and gives them understanding which in turn leads to them seeing their need of God and His ability to satisfy their spiritual needs.

John 10v7-11 and 14-15: Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I AM the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Throughout the Old Testament, God is seen as a shepherd and His people are the sheep of is keeping. The sheep are always God’s even though He temporarily entrusted them to people such as Moses to care and tender them. Therefore Moses and others like him such as the true prophets, were forerunners to Jesus. Here Jesus proclaims that He is the door or gate to salvation! It is through Jesus that salvation is found and through Him alone as the door or gate, people are led safe and sound into spiritual freedom, spiritual light and spiritual sustenance. Unlike others who come only to steal, kill and destroy, Jesus offers spiritual safety & nourishment. Jesus does not just offer a way out, but also a way in! The security offered by Jesus is because He is always in close proximity to those who follow Him. Jesus calls all those who follow Him by name (John 10v3) and they know each other.

Jesus is the great shepherd only through the sacrifice he must make for His sheep. Here Jesus is looking ahead to the sacrifice He makes on the Cross. His love for all of humanity compels Him to make the ultimate sacrifice. Just as all shepherds will endanger themselves for the safety of their sheep, so too will Jesus endure the pain and suffering of the Cross, so that people can be led into safety of God’s kingdom. It is in this role of shepherd, that Jesus exhibits true leadership, which is self-less and sacrificial. Ezekiel 34v11 tells of God searching out for his sheep among all nations, and this is fulfilled through Jesus. Through His perfect, obedient and voluntary sacrifice on the Cross, not only will salvation be available to the Jews but also to those of other nations (John 10v16).

For more to think about please do read XXXXX. Ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.

Q1. Read John 6v25-59. How does Jesus being the bread of life encapsulate His whole message?
Q2. Read 1 John 1. If Jesus is the light of the world, how am I to live as His follower?
Q3. Read John 10v1-21. As a Christian Disciple, what benefits does Jesus as the shepherd offer me?

As ever, if you have any comments to make on this, please do contact me at partake(at)hotmail.co.uk. Thank you.

Thank you for stopping by! Read and download what ever you like... A new feature is that I have been asked by some if they can donate for the upkeep of this site as they know I have no regular income/wages/salary at the moment, and that is why the Paypal Donate button is above... Paypal is totally secure and is operated by the same people as eBay. There is absolutely no obligation to do so if you desire not to... God bless you and may you continue to be transformed into the very image of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ... Dave

Jesus I AM 2

78. Christian Disciple and Jesus’ I AM statements 2
The prophet Isaiah writing in Isaiah 5v1-7
I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. "Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it." The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.

We have already seen that Jesus is the bread of life, the light of the world, the gate and the shepherd – all the things the nation of Israel was to be but failed to do so. This passage in Isaiah starts out as a love song between God and His chosen people, Israel. Israel was to be a vineyard, and despite all the love God had given tending to her, she had only produced bitter, sour fruit. This bitter sour fruit is described in Isaiah 5v8-25. Therefore, God will abandon her. So if this vineyard is abandoned, will God raise a new vineyard? What of the other of Jesus’ “I AM” statements.

Our next one is
John 11v25: Jesus said to her, "I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

This exclamation by Jesus is highlight of this passage of Scripture. Lazarus has died (John 11v15) and will be raised back to life again (John 11v43-44). Why does Jesus say that He is the resurrection and the life? He is the giver of life itself. He gives eternal life to all who will believe in him. Resurrection and life are inextricably tied together. Resurrection and life harmonize each other because resurrection precedes life and the new life of a Christian disciple is the result of resurrection. Remember Jesus mission was to go to his death on the cross and be resurrected three days later. Not a resurrection like that of Lazarus, who would later physically die again. No, Jesus’ resurrection as we will look at in a later study is one where death is ultimately conquered and Jesus has a glorious new body. Those who choose to be Christian Disciples by faith in the risen Christ, only have new life because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after His death on the Cross. That is why Jesus can exclaim with authority “I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11v25). Moreover, this resurrected life is not just for the future but it is also for the present, and only through the risen Jesus Christ.

John 14v6: Jesus said to him, "I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

When Jesus issued this statement, the stress of the sentence automatically falls on the words “the way”. This is because Jesus is answering a question posed by Thomas (John 14v5). Jesus Christ has exposed the barrier of sin and death, which prevents a person from entering God’s presence. He explodes this same barrier when a person entrusts in Him for their eternal salvation. He is as he claims in Matthew 7v14 “the road that leads to life”. Not only is He the way, but He is also the truth and the life. All of God’s truth is embodied in Jesus Christ who as both fully God and fully human was also the ever-living God. Nobody can claim access to God the Father, except through Jesus Himself. Other religions and other so-called paths to God may contain some element of truth about God, but there is no other way to God but through Jesus Christ. He is the means of access to God for all people of all cultures and all backgrounds. Jesus welcomes all, so that in His singular exclusive claims is an inclusive embrace of all. As Jesus goes on to say in John 14v7, because we know Him we also know God the Father.


John 15v1: "I AM the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was to be a vine or vineyard (Isaiah 5v1-7, Ezekiel 15v1-6). Juxtaposed against Israel’s failure to be a vine, Jesus states that he is the true vine. Jesus was the reality, whereas Israel was the symbol. As the purpose of a vine is to produce fruit, the focal point is on what it takes to produce fruit (John 15v2). As Christian Disciples, we are to bear fruit by remaining close to Jesus, as He is the vine and we are the branches. And why is the Christian Disciple to bear fruit? As a means of bringing glory to God the Father (John 15v8) and thereby proving their Discipleship. As part of the ultimate mission of Jesus to glorify God the Father (John 12v28, John 17v4), it is imperative that Jesus’ disciples be fruit-bearers. This means that all Christian Disciple are to be His witnesses and therefore a commitment to mission and evangelisation is necessary. That is why the Christian Disciple prays in the Lord’s Prayer “your kingdom come” (Matthew 6v10)

So there are the seven “I AM” statements. As well as equating Himself as God with the “I AM”, Jesus is also promoting his exclusivity as the only Saviour. He does not say I am a true vine; a way, a truth and a life. Nor does He say I am a resurrection and a life. He does not say I am a door to life, just as He does not say I am a shepherd, a door, a light or a bread of life. No – Jesus is the only way, the only truth and the only life. Jesus is the one great shepherd and the only door to life. Jesus is the only light of the world and the only true bread of life. As His disciples currently in the Western world, we get shouted at and criticized for holding such exclusive views. But if Jesus was not God and He was only one path to God, would Jesus have needed to go through the agony of the cross, as payment for the sins of the world? Of course he wouldn’t have needed to. That He did shows that He is the only path and only means of access to God. It is only through the resurrected Jesus that salvation can be assured and then only by a childlike faith and not by any other means. That is why we should not capitulate to current trends to unite all religions, which says that all paths lead to God. Jesus Christ Himself as we have seen has said that He and He alone is the way to God and salvation is only through His work on the cross for all those who trust and believe in Him.
For more to think about please do read John 15v1-27. Ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.

Q1. How is my inward relationship with Jesus reflected and shown to those who do not know Him?
Q2. How do I as a Christian Disciple, stay close to Jesus as my Master and my King?
Q3. Is there any correlation between Jesus’ exclusive claims and why the world hates His disciples?
As ever, if you have any comments to make on this, please do contact me at partakes(at) googlemail.com. Thank you.
Thank you for stopping by! Read and download what ever you like... The Paypal Donate button above is a new feature as I have no regular income/wages/salary at the moment, and any donations will help keep my sites running and providing these resources... Paypal is totally secure and is operated by the same people as eBay. There is absolutely no obligation to do so if you desire not to... God bless you and may you continue to be transformed into the very image of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ...