Lesson 1.21: The King Is God's Son (Part 2)

Loved one, WORK AT YOUR OWN PACE, and please be patient as you study. Reply with ONLY the 11 answers to the exam. The next lesson will then be sent with your corrected exam answers. A beautiful completion certificate will be sent to your email upon completion of all 36 lessons.

Pray for wisdom and understanding as you absorb this Spirit filled, faith building, knowledgeable material (John 8:32). If you would like to comment or ask a Bible question, please do. Lord willing, a Bible answer to your question will be provided.

To the good God of Heaven and Earth be the Glory as His Will is done (1 Corinthians 10:31). We love you with the love of the Lord (John 13:34-35; Ephesians 4:15). The Liberty NW church of Christ, meeting in Portland, Oregon, USA.

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572427827731

LESSON 1.21: THE KING IS GOD'S SON (Part 2)

The Word Of Jesus Is The Word Of God

Loved ones, Jesus said, "There is a judge for the person that refuses to believe in me and does not accept what I say. The message I have taught will judge that person on the last day. Why? Because the things I taught were not from myself. The Father who sent me told me what to say and what to teach" (John 12:48-49). Jesus was the prophet like Moses who told people everything that God commanded. His words were the very words of God.

Jesus Uses God's Name

Jesus said to those who did not believe in him, "You people are from here below. I am from above. You belong to this world, but I don't belong to this world. You will die in your sins if you don't believe that I AM (John 8:23-24). "You will lift up the Son of Man and kill him on a cross. Then you will know that I AM" (v. 28). God told Moses that His name was "I AM" (Exodus 3:14). By using God's name, Jesus claimed to be divine.

To those people who believed in Him, Jesus said, "If you continue to obey my teaching, then you are truly my followers. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. Every person who sins is a slave. Sin is his master. But if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:30-36).

Some of the Jews criticized Jesus for saying these things (vs. 46-59). Jesus said to them, "Can any of you prove that I am guilty of sin? If I tell you the truth, then why don't you believe me? Your father Abraham was happy that he would see the day when I came. He saw that day and was happy."

The Jews said to Jesus, "What? You have never seen Abraham! You are not even fifty years old!"

Jesus answered, "I tell you truth. Before Abraham was born, I AM." When Jesus said this, the people picked up rocks to throw at Him. But Jesus hid, and then He left the temple.

Again and again, Jesus used the divine name. He said, "I AM the good shepherd" (John 10:11). "I AM the way." "I AM the truth. I AM the life" (John 14:6). "I AM the vine and you are the branches" (John 15:5).

By using God's name, Jesus claimed to be the eternal One.

Jesus Proves That He Is Divine

In Galilee, Jesus fed more than 5,000 people with five loaves of barley bread and two small fish (Matthew 14:15-21). Later, He said, "I AM the bread that gives life. The person that comes to me will never hunger. The person who believes in me will never be thirsty" (John 6:35). Today, Jesus feeds our souls.

In Jerusalem, Jesus saw a man who had been blind since he was born. Jesus said to His followers, "I AM the light of the world." Then Jesus spat on the dirt, made some mud with it, and put the mud on the man's eyes. Jesus said, "Go and wash in the pool of Siloam." So the man went to the pool. He washed and came back. Now he was able to see (John 9:1-7). Jesus is to our minds what light is to our eyes. Jesus helps us understand the truth of God.

Jesus said to Martha, "I AM the resurrection. I AM the life. The person who believes in me will have life again after he dies. And the person that lives and believes in me will never really die" (John 11:25-26). Later, Jesus demonstrated His power over death by raising Lazarus from death (vs. 41-44).

In every way possible, Jesus said, "I AM divine." Then He backed up His claims by working miracles. (Miracles were amazing works that Jesus did by the power of God, the Holy Spirit.) Jesus healed sick people, drove out evil spirits, calmed storms, walked on water, and raised people from death. He demonstrated power over nature, power over disease, power over evil, and power over death. He was fully human, yet He was fully divine.

The Jewish Leaders Try To Arrest Jesus

The leading priests and the Pharisees sent some temple police to arrest Jesus. Jesus said to them, "I will be with you a little longer. Then I will go back to the One who sent me" (John 7:32-34). Then, Jesus stood up and said with a loud voice, "If a person is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. If a person believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out of his heart" (vs. 37-39). Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit who would later be given to those who believed in Him as the Christ.

When the people heard Jesus say these things, some of them said, "This man really is the Prophet [like Moses]." Other people said, "He is the Christ" (vs. 40-41).

The temple police were amazed at Jesus' teachings. Instead of arresting Jesus, they went back to the leading priests and the Pharisees without Him. The priests and the Pharisees asked, "Why did you not bring Jesus?"

The temple police answered, "The things he says are greater than the words of any man!" (vs. 45-46). These temple police realized that Jesus was more than a man.

God's Son Can Forgive Sins

Jesus left Jerusalem and returned to Capernaum in Galilee. There, many people gathered to hear Him preach. The house was full. There was no place to stand, not even outside the door.

While Jesus was instructing the people, four men tried to bring a paralyzed man to Jesus. But they could not bring the man to Him because the house was full of people. So the four men went up on the roof above Jesus and made a hole in the roof.

Then they lowered the bed with the paralyzed man on it. Jesus saw that these men had much faith. So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "Young man, your sins are forgiven" (Mark 2:1-5).

Some of the teachers of the Jewish law were sitting there. They heard what Jesus said and they said to themselves, "Why does this man say things like that? He is saying things that are against God. Only God can forgive sins."

Jesus knew that these teachers of the law were thinking these things about Him. So Jesus said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to tell this crippled man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to tell him, 'Stand up. Take your bed and walk'? But I will prove to you that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins."

So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, stand up. Take your bed and go home." The paralyzed man stood up. He took his bed and walked out of the room. All the people could see him. The people were amazed and praised God. They said, "This is the most amazing thing we have ever seen!" (vs. 6-12).

God's Son Can Give Us A New Birth

There was a man named Nicodemus who lived in Jerusalem. Nicodemus was a member of the Pharisee Party, a religious group that carefully followed the Jewish laws and customs. Nicodemus was an especially important Jewish leader (John 3:1-7).

One night Nicodemus came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, we know that you are a teacher sent from God. No person can do these miracles that you do without God's help."

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth. A person must be born again. If a person is not born again, that person cannot be in God's kingdom."

Nicodemus asked, "How can a man who is already old be born again? Can he go back into his mother's womb and be born a second time?"

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth. A person must be born from the water and the Spirit. If a person is not born from the water and the Spirit, he cannot enter God's kingdom."

Nicodemus asked, "How can all this be possible?"

Jesus said, "You are an important teacher of Israel, but you still don't understand these things?" (vs. 9-10).

Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus was saying about the new birth. Jesus was talking about the spiritual changes that take place when a person believes that Jesus is the Son of God, turns away from sin, is baptized in water, and thus receives the Holy Spirit as a gift from God. We enter the kingdom by being born again of water and the Spirit. Therefore, Jesus told him that he MUST be born again (v. 7).

Conclusion Of Parts One And Two

Friends, Jesus is Eve's descendant who crushed Satan's head (Genesis 3:15). He is the descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through whom all nations are blessed (Genesis 12:3; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14). He is the prophet like Moses through whom God speaks today (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18; Hebrews 1:2). He is the true king from the family of Judah and David (Genesis 49:10; 2 Samuel 7:12-13).

The life and teachings of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, have been confirmed by the testimony of good and honest men. These men saw Jesus' miracles with their own eyes. They heard His teaching with their own ears. Then inspired (guided) by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17), they wrote down what they had seen and heard. Their testimony would stand up in any court of law. The Bible is not a book of fairy tales. It is a book of truth (the whole truth and nothing but the truth – John 17:17). It is a record of events that really happened. The words of Jesus and His apostles (the Bible) are the words of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

It is never too late to start life again. No matter how many bad things we have done, we can put those bad things behind us and make a fresh start (READ again John 3:3-7). Nicodemus did not understand how a man could be born again when he is old. Today, people still have a hard time understanding what Jesus meant by the new birth. Jesus meant that all our past sins can be forgiven. All our past mistakes and failures can be buried and forgotten by God. The guilt of our past life can be taken away. We can be born again spiritually and start life over.

We can be made free from the power of sin. When does this happen? It happens when a believing penitent person is buried with Jesus in baptism (READ Romans 6:2-7). A person opens his or her heart to the Spirit, believes that Jesus is the Son of God, turns away from sin, allows the old sinful person to be buried in water into Christ (Galatians 3:27), and rises up to begin a new SAVED life of purity and goodness in Christ (2 Timothy 2:10). Jesus adds that saved person to His church (Acts 2:47). In this manner, we can put the past behind us and start again. Lord willing, you will learn more about the new birth as you continue this Bible course.