If Jesus is God,
and you believe with your understanding that He is the God-Man, and you
have truly, purposefully, by an act of decision committed your life to
Him as Lord and Savior, then everything is settled forever. But if Jesus
is not God, then nothing is settled, and we are lost in sin, without
hope.
Now the question is, do we have biblical evidence that Jesus is the God-Man, God in the flesh? The answer is a joyful yes! Throughout Christ’s ministry His enemies made every effort to disprove His messianic claims and expose Him as a deceiver. They failed completely.
On one occasion the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians, who had nothing in common but a religious hatred for Jesus, came to Him with questions designed to entangle Him in His teaching and to expose Him as a fraud (Matthew 22:15-40). The omniscient God-Man, Jesus, answered all their questions without getting caught in their web of deceit. Then He asked the Pharisees a question, in order to give them evidence from the Scriptures the He was the Messiah. His question was, “What do you think about the Christ [Messiah]? Whose Son is He?” They answered, “The Son of David.” Their reply was correct, but they were not ready for the next question. Jesus continued, “‘How then does David in the Spirit call Him “Lord,” saying: “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool’ “? If David then calls him “Lord,” how is He his Son?’ ” (Matthew 22:41-46; cf. Psalm 110:1). They had no answer to this profound question because they did not know, or would not accept, the biblical teaching about the Messiah.
How could King David refer to his own Son as his Lord? Was it illogical? Not in this case. Jesus is David’s Son according to the flesh (Romans 1:3), as attested by the genealogies of Matthew and Luke. He is also David’s Lord according to His God deity. He is the God-Man, “the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Jesus is unique in that He is both David’s Son and David’s God. His humanity began with His conception by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, but His deity is from all eternity. Jesus is God manifested in the flesh (Romans 8:3).
Jesus, as God, is David’s Lord. Jesus, as man, is David’s Son. Again Jesus said, “I am the Root and the Offspring of David” (Revelation 22:16). Jesus was saying, as it were, “Since I am David’s God, I am His Root; he is My son spiritually. But in the flesh I am David’s offspring. David is My son, and I am David’s Son.” He is the God-Man.
7-1 Jesus Is the “I AM” of the Old Testament
(Exodus 3:13-15)
Moses led his father-in-law’s flock to the “back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God” (vv. 1-6). There he saw an unusual sight, a desert bush enveloped in flames but not consumed. In his curiosity he turned aside to see this phenomenon; “and the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush” (v. 2), saying, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet. For the place where you stand is holy ground” (v. 5). Then the Angel of the Lord revealed His identity: “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (v. 6). In John 8:58, Jesus looked back in time to this event and identified Himself as the great “I AM.” Jesus did not say, Before Abraham was, I was.” He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” When Jesus said, “I AM,” He made the following claims:
1) He claimed more than prior existence to Abraham; He declared Himself to be the eternally self-existing One.
2) He claimed to antedate everything that had a beginning. He antedates the multiplied thousands of galaxies that make up the universe.
3) He claimed to be the Creator of everything in God’s universe. “For by Him [the I AM] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16).
Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, the God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” Then God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM…say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you’ ” (vv, 13, 14). What is the meaning of “I AM WHO I AM”? God is saying, I am self-existent, eternal Jehovah God. I am immutable; I do not change (Malachi 3:6). There are only two ways to change—for better or for worse, God cannot do either, because this would be inconsistent with His absolutely perfect character. He is infallible; He errs not; He is incapable of sin (James 1:13). He is the great I AM.
7-2 Jesus Is the “I AM” of the New Testament
(John 8:56-59)
Jesus fully disclosed His deity (i.e., that He was the God-Man) when He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” In response, the Jews prepared to stone Him (vv. 58, 59). On another occasion Jesus said, “I and My Father are one.” When the Jews again took up stones to stone Him, Jesus asked, “For which of these works to you stone Me?” They answered, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God” (John 10:30-39). Had they only known that He was indeed the God-Man, they would have believed in Him and worshiped him. But they did not know, because the god of this age (Satan) had blinded their minds (2 Corinthians 4:3, 4). Satan continues to blind the minds of unbelievers to the glorious fact that Jesus is God.
Now think on this awesome question. If Jesus is not God, then who is He? He is either the Deity or demonic! (Mark 3:22). Either He is the truth, or He is the chief of all liars (John 14:6; cf. 8:44). Either He is God, or He is the world’s greatest blasphemer (Matthew 9:1-13). If Jesus is not the God-Man, He is not a good man: he is a hopelessly lost soul.
Let us look at the “I AMS” in the Gospel of John, where He declared that He is Jehovah God.
1) “I AM the bread of life” (6:32-35).
2) “I AM the light of the world” (8:12-20).
3) “I AM the door of the sheep” (10:7-10).
4) “I AM the good shepherd” (10:11-16).
5) “I AM the resurrection and the life” (11:25-27, 38-44).
6) “I AM the way, the truth, and the life (14:6).
7) “I AM the vine” (15:1-8).
7-3 Jesus is Immanuel
(Isaiah 7:14-16)
As we study the prophecies of the Old Testament, we discover that some have a dual fulfillment. The first event is often close at hand, and its greatest value is in its typology, that is, in tits typifying a greater, future event or truth. The second event might be hundreds—even thousands—of years in the future.
God spoke to the house of David saying, “Before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread [Syria and Israel] will be forsaken by both her kings” (v. 16, cf. Isaiah 7:1-7). So the child in verse 16 is not the virgin-born Immanuel. He is a type of Immanuel. He is the son that was to be born to Isaiah and to the unnamed virgin he would marry (his second wife). This virgin is a type of the Virgin Mary who would give birth to Immanuel.
At the time God gave this prophecy to the house of David, Isaiah’s betrothed was a virgin (Isaiah 8:3, 4). When Isaiah’s son became old enough to refuse evil and choose good, the Lord said, “The land that you dread [Syria and Israel] will be forsaken by both her kings” (v. 16). Soon after, Syria and Israel were indeed defeated by Assyria. The defeat was the fulfillment of an impending event; but the definitive fulfillment of this wonderful prophecy would not occur for seven hundred years.
Read how Immanuel was born of the Virgin Mary, and fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. “So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet [Isaiah], saying: ‘behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’ Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus” (Matthew 1:18-25). The virgin-born Jesus, our Lord and Savior, is Immanuel, GOD WITH US.
7-4 Jesus Is the Father’s Gift to Us
(Isaiah 9:6-7)
“For unto us a child is born” (v. 6). The “us” is the Hebrew nation and all believers of all nations. John tells us, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him [individuals, Jews or Gentiles], to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:11, 12).
“Unto us a Son is given” (v. 6). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). Jesus, “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24) is God the Father’s gift to us. This portion of the prophecy was fulfilled when the Virgin Mary “brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger” (Luke 2:1-7).
The rest of the prophecy (vv. 6, 7) will not come to pass until Jesus the Messiah returns to earth (Acts 1:9-11; cf. Matthew 24:44).
1) When He comes again, “the government will be upon His shoulder” (v. 6). What a great day that will be when He carries the government upon His all-powerful shoulders! Only then will the world know righteous government (Hebrews 1:8).
2) When He comes again, His kingdom name (not names) will be “Wonderful, Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (v. 6).
a) “Wonderful.” Before the days of His flesh, when Christ manifested Himself as “the Angel of the Lord” announcing the birth of Samson to Manoah and his wife, Manoah asked, “What is Your name?” Christ answered, “Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?” (Judges 13:17, 18).
b) “Counselor. “ Jesus is the perfect counselor. Therefore, He never sought or needed counseling from any man (Romans 11:33, 34).
c) “Mighty God.” In the kingdom, Jesus is “the great God, mighty and awesome” (Deuteronomy 10:17). When Jesus, the “Mighty God,” sits on the throne of His glory in His kingdom, all nations will come before Him to be judged. He will separate the righteous from the unrighteous. The unrighteous will learn what it means to stand in judgment before God (Matthew 25:31-46).
d) “Everlasting Father.” Jesus is the Father Eternal who watches over His own. He said, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). Jesus did not say that the Son and the Father are one person; they are two persons in one substance. When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, God His Father spoke from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father.”Jesus answered Philip, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father…Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?” (John 14:7-11). The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one God in three persons.
e) “Prince of Peace. “ Until the everlasting kingdom is established, there will be no lasting world peace (Matthew 24:4-8, cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3). But Paul tells us that, in the midst of a world in which there is no peace, we can have “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). ,
3) When He comes again, there will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace (v. 7). His government will not become stagnant; there will be no end to its growth, and we will continue to grow in grace and knowledge with it (2 Peter 3:18).
4) When He comes again, He will sit on the throne of David. David’s throne will be an actual throne. He is not on David’s throne now, but when He comes He will rule the world in righteousness. He is now seated with His father on His Father’s throne (Revelation 3:21), and He will remain on the Father’s throne until His bride, the church, is ready (2 Corinthians 11:2).
Verses 6 and 7 cover both the first and second coming of Jesus. It is one of the clearest and most revealing messianic prophecies in the Old Testament.
7-5 Jesus Is God, According to God the Father
(Psalm 45:6-7)
“Your throne, O God” (v. 6). In the New Testament we learn that this is a messianic psalm, that Jesus is God the Messiah. “But to the Son He [God the Father] says: ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever’ ” (Hebrews 1:8, 9). Only the spiritually blind (2 Corinthians 4:3, 4) can read God’s Word and fail to see that Jesus is God (Colossians 2:9, 10).
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever” (v. 6). The throne of the Lord Jesus Christ. is forever and ever; it will never terminate. Jesus is no usurper; the kingdom throne is His according to God the Father. The Son and the father are inseparable in essence, in attributes, in eternity, and in authority (John 10:30).
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom” (v. 6; cf. Hebrews 1:8). A scepter is a rod or a staff used by a sovereign to symbolize his royal authority. According to God, the scepter of King Jesus is a righteous scepter. Do not think that righteousness is weakness. It never is. When Jesus returns to this earth He will come as King of kings and Lord of lords, to war against the wicked, and His righteous scepter will be as strong as iron (Revelation 19:11-16).
When the King of righteousness comes, He will continue to love righteousness and hate wickedness. His righteous kingdom is one of everlasting joy unspeakable and full of glory (1 Peter 1:7, 8).
7-6 Jesus Is the God-Man
(John 1:14)
“And the Word became flesh” (v. 14). But who is the Word? John the Baptist provides the answer: “This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me” (v. 15). Jesus Christ is the Word. The apostle John confirms this in the Revelation: “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True…and His name is called the Word of God…He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:11-16). In this Scripture Jesus is called “Faithful and True,” ”The Word of God,” “Almighty God,” and “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” The Word is the Lord Jesus Christ, the God-Man.
In John 1:1-18 we have eternal truth embodied in the Word. The Word is “God…manifested in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16), a visible manifestation of the invisible God who cannot be seen in His essence, but was revealed to us when “the Word became flesh” (v. 14). John said four things about the Word:
1) “In the beginning was the Word” (v. 1)—the fact of His timeless existence.
2) “The Word was with God” (v. 1)—the fact of His timeless relationship with (literally “face to face with”) God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
3) “The Word was God” (v. 1)—the fact of His absolute deity.
4) “The Word became flesh” (v. 14)—the fact of His incarnation. When He became flesh, He did not begin as a new person, but continued His timeless existence, relationship, and deity. When “the Word became flesh” in human form, He revealed God to man. Jesus is the God-Man.
7-7 Jesus Is Sovereign
(Luke 4:31, 32)
When Jesus was rejected in Nazareth, “He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority” (vv. 31, 32). Throughout His ministry, all that He did and taught was with total authority.
At the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, “the people were astonished at His teaching.” Why were they so amazed? Because they heard the Messiah King deliver His kingdom manifesto. “He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:28. 29). He did not derive His authority from the high priest, the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees, or the ancient rabbis, as the scribes did. His authority came from Himself, from His own divine nature.
On another occasion, while He was teaching in the temple, the chief priest and the Pharisees sent temple officers to arrest Him. But they returned without Jesus, explaining, “No man ever spoke like this Man!” (John 7:40-46). Even the officers sent to arrest Jesus were captivated by His words, which were spoken with supreme authority.
His authority was based on. truth. Jesus is the embodiment of truth (John 8:32), declaring, “I am the way, they truth, and the life” (John 14:6). By contrast, Satan personifies all that is false and evil (John 8:44). No wonder that during His earthly ministry He impressed people with the profound validity of His teaching. It rang simply, but deeply, true—because He is true.
In His resurrected body He appeared to His disciples on a mountain in Galilee, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). This means that He has all authority, is over all authority, and is over all the universe; Jesus is sovereign. He has this supreme authority because He is
1) Omniscient. Peter said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You” (John 21:17). Paul said of Jesus, “In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3);
2) Omnipotent. The book of Hebrews describes Him as “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:1-3). This means that Jesus has ultimate power. He has all power in heaven and on earth. The word of His power sustains the universe (Colossians 1:16, 17);
3) Omnipresent. In His deity He fills the universe. He promised to be with all believers always; He said, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
Only the almighty God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament are filled with evidence for the deity of Christ.
Master Outline 7 – The deity of Christ: His Person
[1] If Jesus is not God, then nothing is _______________________ and we are lost in
_____________________ _ Without, ______________________________.
[2] Do we have Biblical evidence that Jesus is the God – Man? YES or NO.
[3] How could King David refer to his own Son as his Lord?
[4] Explain how Jesus, as God, is David’s Lord and also David’s Son.
[5] Is the Jesus that is the “I AM” of the Old Testament the same as the Jesus that is the “I AM” of the New Testament? YES or NO. Explain.
[6] Who was the Angel of the Lord that Moses encountered in the burning bush?
[7] Jesus did not say, “Before Abraham was, I was,” but He said “Before Abraham was,
______________________________________________________________________.
[8] What three (3) things did Jesus claim when he made that statement in question 7?
1.
2.
3.
[9] What was Moses’ great question to God, and what was God’s answer?
[10] There are only two (2) ways to change: For the better or for the worse. Explain why God can do neither?
[11] What was the Jews response to Jesus’ great statement, “Before Abraham was I am?”
[12] What does Satan blind the minds of unbelievers to?
[13] If Jesus is not God, than who is He?
[14] List the seven (7) “I AM’s” in the Gospel of John and references.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
[15] What does the word “typology” mean?
[16] How many years passed between the events of Isaiah’s prophecy and the birth of Jesus?
[17] What does the word “Immanuel” mean?
[18] Who is the “us: in Isaiah 9:6, “for unto us a child is born?”
[19] Explain the meaning of Isaiah 9:6, “Unto us a son is given.”
[20] When did or will the rest of the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6 and 7 come to pass?
[21] Explain the Kingdom Name’s given in Isaiah 9:6. (List 5 items)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
[22] What is the uniqueness of Isaiah 9:6 and 7?
[23] What do we learn in the New Testament about Psalms 45:6 and 7?
[24] Who are the only ones that can read God’s Word and fail to see that Jesus is God?
[25] The Son and the Father are inseparable in what four (4) attributes?
1.
2.
3.
4.
[26] When the King of righteousness comes, He will continue to love ______________________
And hate ___________________________________.
[27] In John 1:14 it states, “And the Word became Flesh,” but who is the Word?
[28] In John 1:1-14, what four (4) facts does it establish?
1.
2.
3.
4.
[29] At the conclusion of the “Sermon on the Mount”, why were the people amazed?
[30] What was Jesus’ authority based on?
[31] What three (3) attributes establish Jesus supreme authority?
1.
2.
3.
Now the question is, do we have biblical evidence that Jesus is the God-Man, God in the flesh? The answer is a joyful yes! Throughout Christ’s ministry His enemies made every effort to disprove His messianic claims and expose Him as a deceiver. They failed completely.
On one occasion the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians, who had nothing in common but a religious hatred for Jesus, came to Him with questions designed to entangle Him in His teaching and to expose Him as a fraud (Matthew 22:15-40). The omniscient God-Man, Jesus, answered all their questions without getting caught in their web of deceit. Then He asked the Pharisees a question, in order to give them evidence from the Scriptures the He was the Messiah. His question was, “What do you think about the Christ [Messiah]? Whose Son is He?” They answered, “The Son of David.” Their reply was correct, but they were not ready for the next question. Jesus continued, “‘How then does David in the Spirit call Him “Lord,” saying: “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool’ “? If David then calls him “Lord,” how is He his Son?’ ” (Matthew 22:41-46; cf. Psalm 110:1). They had no answer to this profound question because they did not know, or would not accept, the biblical teaching about the Messiah.
How could King David refer to his own Son as his Lord? Was it illogical? Not in this case. Jesus is David’s Son according to the flesh (Romans 1:3), as attested by the genealogies of Matthew and Luke. He is also David’s Lord according to His God deity. He is the God-Man, “the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Jesus is unique in that He is both David’s Son and David’s God. His humanity began with His conception by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, but His deity is from all eternity. Jesus is God manifested in the flesh (Romans 8:3).
Jesus, as God, is David’s Lord. Jesus, as man, is David’s Son. Again Jesus said, “I am the Root and the Offspring of David” (Revelation 22:16). Jesus was saying, as it were, “Since I am David’s God, I am His Root; he is My son spiritually. But in the flesh I am David’s offspring. David is My son, and I am David’s Son.” He is the God-Man.
7-1 Jesus Is the “I AM” of the Old Testament
(Exodus 3:13-15)
Moses led his father-in-law’s flock to the “back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God” (vv. 1-6). There he saw an unusual sight, a desert bush enveloped in flames but not consumed. In his curiosity he turned aside to see this phenomenon; “and the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush” (v. 2), saying, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet. For the place where you stand is holy ground” (v. 5). Then the Angel of the Lord revealed His identity: “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (v. 6). In John 8:58, Jesus looked back in time to this event and identified Himself as the great “I AM.” Jesus did not say, Before Abraham was, I was.” He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” When Jesus said, “I AM,” He made the following claims:
1) He claimed more than prior existence to Abraham; He declared Himself to be the eternally self-existing One.
2) He claimed to antedate everything that had a beginning. He antedates the multiplied thousands of galaxies that make up the universe.
3) He claimed to be the Creator of everything in God’s universe. “For by Him [the I AM] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16).
Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, the God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” Then God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM…say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you’ ” (vv, 13, 14). What is the meaning of “I AM WHO I AM”? God is saying, I am self-existent, eternal Jehovah God. I am immutable; I do not change (Malachi 3:6). There are only two ways to change—for better or for worse, God cannot do either, because this would be inconsistent with His absolutely perfect character. He is infallible; He errs not; He is incapable of sin (James 1:13). He is the great I AM.
7-2 Jesus Is the “I AM” of the New Testament
(John 8:56-59)
Jesus fully disclosed His deity (i.e., that He was the God-Man) when He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” In response, the Jews prepared to stone Him (vv. 58, 59). On another occasion Jesus said, “I and My Father are one.” When the Jews again took up stones to stone Him, Jesus asked, “For which of these works to you stone Me?” They answered, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God” (John 10:30-39). Had they only known that He was indeed the God-Man, they would have believed in Him and worshiped him. But they did not know, because the god of this age (Satan) had blinded their minds (2 Corinthians 4:3, 4). Satan continues to blind the minds of unbelievers to the glorious fact that Jesus is God.
Now think on this awesome question. If Jesus is not God, then who is He? He is either the Deity or demonic! (Mark 3:22). Either He is the truth, or He is the chief of all liars (John 14:6; cf. 8:44). Either He is God, or He is the world’s greatest blasphemer (Matthew 9:1-13). If Jesus is not the God-Man, He is not a good man: he is a hopelessly lost soul.
Let us look at the “I AMS” in the Gospel of John, where He declared that He is Jehovah God.
1) “I AM the bread of life” (6:32-35).
2) “I AM the light of the world” (8:12-20).
3) “I AM the door of the sheep” (10:7-10).
4) “I AM the good shepherd” (10:11-16).
5) “I AM the resurrection and the life” (11:25-27, 38-44).
6) “I AM the way, the truth, and the life (14:6).
7) “I AM the vine” (15:1-8).
7-3 Jesus is Immanuel
(Isaiah 7:14-16)
As we study the prophecies of the Old Testament, we discover that some have a dual fulfillment. The first event is often close at hand, and its greatest value is in its typology, that is, in tits typifying a greater, future event or truth. The second event might be hundreds—even thousands—of years in the future.
God spoke to the house of David saying, “Before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread [Syria and Israel] will be forsaken by both her kings” (v. 16, cf. Isaiah 7:1-7). So the child in verse 16 is not the virgin-born Immanuel. He is a type of Immanuel. He is the son that was to be born to Isaiah and to the unnamed virgin he would marry (his second wife). This virgin is a type of the Virgin Mary who would give birth to Immanuel.
At the time God gave this prophecy to the house of David, Isaiah’s betrothed was a virgin (Isaiah 8:3, 4). When Isaiah’s son became old enough to refuse evil and choose good, the Lord said, “The land that you dread [Syria and Israel] will be forsaken by both her kings” (v. 16). Soon after, Syria and Israel were indeed defeated by Assyria. The defeat was the fulfillment of an impending event; but the definitive fulfillment of this wonderful prophecy would not occur for seven hundred years.
Read how Immanuel was born of the Virgin Mary, and fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. “So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet [Isaiah], saying: ‘behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’ Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus” (Matthew 1:18-25). The virgin-born Jesus, our Lord and Savior, is Immanuel, GOD WITH US.
7-4 Jesus Is the Father’s Gift to Us
(Isaiah 9:6-7)
“For unto us a child is born” (v. 6). The “us” is the Hebrew nation and all believers of all nations. John tells us, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him [individuals, Jews or Gentiles], to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:11, 12).
“Unto us a Son is given” (v. 6). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). Jesus, “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24) is God the Father’s gift to us. This portion of the prophecy was fulfilled when the Virgin Mary “brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger” (Luke 2:1-7).
The rest of the prophecy (vv. 6, 7) will not come to pass until Jesus the Messiah returns to earth (Acts 1:9-11; cf. Matthew 24:44).
1) When He comes again, “the government will be upon His shoulder” (v. 6). What a great day that will be when He carries the government upon His all-powerful shoulders! Only then will the world know righteous government (Hebrews 1:8).
2) When He comes again, His kingdom name (not names) will be “Wonderful, Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (v. 6).
a) “Wonderful.” Before the days of His flesh, when Christ manifested Himself as “the Angel of the Lord” announcing the birth of Samson to Manoah and his wife, Manoah asked, “What is Your name?” Christ answered, “Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?” (Judges 13:17, 18).
b) “Counselor. “ Jesus is the perfect counselor. Therefore, He never sought or needed counseling from any man (Romans 11:33, 34).
c) “Mighty God.” In the kingdom, Jesus is “the great God, mighty and awesome” (Deuteronomy 10:17). When Jesus, the “Mighty God,” sits on the throne of His glory in His kingdom, all nations will come before Him to be judged. He will separate the righteous from the unrighteous. The unrighteous will learn what it means to stand in judgment before God (Matthew 25:31-46).
d) “Everlasting Father.” Jesus is the Father Eternal who watches over His own. He said, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). Jesus did not say that the Son and the Father are one person; they are two persons in one substance. When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, God His Father spoke from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father.”Jesus answered Philip, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father…Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?” (John 14:7-11). The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one God in three persons.
e) “Prince of Peace. “ Until the everlasting kingdom is established, there will be no lasting world peace (Matthew 24:4-8, cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3). But Paul tells us that, in the midst of a world in which there is no peace, we can have “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). ,
3) When He comes again, there will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace (v. 7). His government will not become stagnant; there will be no end to its growth, and we will continue to grow in grace and knowledge with it (2 Peter 3:18).
4) When He comes again, He will sit on the throne of David. David’s throne will be an actual throne. He is not on David’s throne now, but when He comes He will rule the world in righteousness. He is now seated with His father on His Father’s throne (Revelation 3:21), and He will remain on the Father’s throne until His bride, the church, is ready (2 Corinthians 11:2).
Verses 6 and 7 cover both the first and second coming of Jesus. It is one of the clearest and most revealing messianic prophecies in the Old Testament.
7-5 Jesus Is God, According to God the Father
(Psalm 45:6-7)
“Your throne, O God” (v. 6). In the New Testament we learn that this is a messianic psalm, that Jesus is God the Messiah. “But to the Son He [God the Father] says: ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever’ ” (Hebrews 1:8, 9). Only the spiritually blind (2 Corinthians 4:3, 4) can read God’s Word and fail to see that Jesus is God (Colossians 2:9, 10).
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever” (v. 6). The throne of the Lord Jesus Christ. is forever and ever; it will never terminate. Jesus is no usurper; the kingdom throne is His according to God the Father. The Son and the father are inseparable in essence, in attributes, in eternity, and in authority (John 10:30).
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom” (v. 6; cf. Hebrews 1:8). A scepter is a rod or a staff used by a sovereign to symbolize his royal authority. According to God, the scepter of King Jesus is a righteous scepter. Do not think that righteousness is weakness. It never is. When Jesus returns to this earth He will come as King of kings and Lord of lords, to war against the wicked, and His righteous scepter will be as strong as iron (Revelation 19:11-16).
When the King of righteousness comes, He will continue to love righteousness and hate wickedness. His righteous kingdom is one of everlasting joy unspeakable and full of glory (1 Peter 1:7, 8).
7-6 Jesus Is the God-Man
(John 1:14)
“And the Word became flesh” (v. 14). But who is the Word? John the Baptist provides the answer: “This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me” (v. 15). Jesus Christ is the Word. The apostle John confirms this in the Revelation: “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True…and His name is called the Word of God…He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:11-16). In this Scripture Jesus is called “Faithful and True,” ”The Word of God,” “Almighty God,” and “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” The Word is the Lord Jesus Christ, the God-Man.
In John 1:1-18 we have eternal truth embodied in the Word. The Word is “God…manifested in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16), a visible manifestation of the invisible God who cannot be seen in His essence, but was revealed to us when “the Word became flesh” (v. 14). John said four things about the Word:
1) “In the beginning was the Word” (v. 1)—the fact of His timeless existence.
2) “The Word was with God” (v. 1)—the fact of His timeless relationship with (literally “face to face with”) God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
3) “The Word was God” (v. 1)—the fact of His absolute deity.
4) “The Word became flesh” (v. 14)—the fact of His incarnation. When He became flesh, He did not begin as a new person, but continued His timeless existence, relationship, and deity. When “the Word became flesh” in human form, He revealed God to man. Jesus is the God-Man.
7-7 Jesus Is Sovereign
(Luke 4:31, 32)
When Jesus was rejected in Nazareth, “He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority” (vv. 31, 32). Throughout His ministry, all that He did and taught was with total authority.
At the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, “the people were astonished at His teaching.” Why were they so amazed? Because they heard the Messiah King deliver His kingdom manifesto. “He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:28. 29). He did not derive His authority from the high priest, the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees, or the ancient rabbis, as the scribes did. His authority came from Himself, from His own divine nature.
On another occasion, while He was teaching in the temple, the chief priest and the Pharisees sent temple officers to arrest Him. But they returned without Jesus, explaining, “No man ever spoke like this Man!” (John 7:40-46). Even the officers sent to arrest Jesus were captivated by His words, which were spoken with supreme authority.
His authority was based on. truth. Jesus is the embodiment of truth (John 8:32), declaring, “I am the way, they truth, and the life” (John 14:6). By contrast, Satan personifies all that is false and evil (John 8:44). No wonder that during His earthly ministry He impressed people with the profound validity of His teaching. It rang simply, but deeply, true—because He is true.
In His resurrected body He appeared to His disciples on a mountain in Galilee, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). This means that He has all authority, is over all authority, and is over all the universe; Jesus is sovereign. He has this supreme authority because He is
1) Omniscient. Peter said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You” (John 21:17). Paul said of Jesus, “In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3);
2) Omnipotent. The book of Hebrews describes Him as “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:1-3). This means that Jesus has ultimate power. He has all power in heaven and on earth. The word of His power sustains the universe (Colossians 1:16, 17);
3) Omnipresent. In His deity He fills the universe. He promised to be with all believers always; He said, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
Only the almighty God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament are filled with evidence for the deity of Christ.
Master Outline 7 – The deity of Christ: His Person
[1] If Jesus is not God, then nothing is _______________________ and we are lost in
_____________________ _ Without, ______________________________.
[2] Do we have Biblical evidence that Jesus is the God – Man? YES or NO.
[3] How could King David refer to his own Son as his Lord?
[4] Explain how Jesus, as God, is David’s Lord and also David’s Son.
[5] Is the Jesus that is the “I AM” of the Old Testament the same as the Jesus that is the “I AM” of the New Testament? YES or NO. Explain.
[6] Who was the Angel of the Lord that Moses encountered in the burning bush?
[7] Jesus did not say, “Before Abraham was, I was,” but He said “Before Abraham was,
______________________________________________________________________.
[8] What three (3) things did Jesus claim when he made that statement in question 7?
1.
2.
3.
[9] What was Moses’ great question to God, and what was God’s answer?
[10] There are only two (2) ways to change: For the better or for the worse. Explain why God can do neither?
[11] What was the Jews response to Jesus’ great statement, “Before Abraham was I am?”
[12] What does Satan blind the minds of unbelievers to?
[13] If Jesus is not God, than who is He?
[14] List the seven (7) “I AM’s” in the Gospel of John and references.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
[15] What does the word “typology” mean?
[16] How many years passed between the events of Isaiah’s prophecy and the birth of Jesus?
[17] What does the word “Immanuel” mean?
[18] Who is the “us: in Isaiah 9:6, “for unto us a child is born?”
[19] Explain the meaning of Isaiah 9:6, “Unto us a son is given.”
[20] When did or will the rest of the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6 and 7 come to pass?
[21] Explain the Kingdom Name’s given in Isaiah 9:6. (List 5 items)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
[22] What is the uniqueness of Isaiah 9:6 and 7?
[23] What do we learn in the New Testament about Psalms 45:6 and 7?
[24] Who are the only ones that can read God’s Word and fail to see that Jesus is God?
[25] The Son and the Father are inseparable in what four (4) attributes?
1.
2.
3.
4.
[26] When the King of righteousness comes, He will continue to love ______________________
And hate ___________________________________.
[27] In John 1:14 it states, “And the Word became Flesh,” but who is the Word?
[28] In John 1:1-14, what four (4) facts does it establish?
1.
2.
3.
4.
[29] At the conclusion of the “Sermon on the Mount”, why were the people amazed?
[30] What was Jesus’ authority based on?
[31] What three (3) attributes establish Jesus supreme authority?
1.
2.
3.
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