In my last post, I delved into the meaning of the Lord’s statement “My hour has not yet come,” exploring the connection to the meaning of the miracle in John 2. I desire to study John’s Gospel both orderly & topically, therefore I desire to ponder further the fact that God has an appointed time for everything to occur.
Eccl. 3:1 To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:
Mark 1:14b-15 …Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the gospel."
Mark 13:31-37 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming-in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!" (& take heed)
Rom. 13:11-12 Knowing the time, that it is time for you to awake out of sleep, for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is far gone, and the day is near. Let’s therefore throw off the works of darkness, and let’s put on the armor of light.
John 7:2-5 Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world" For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
Jesus fleshly brothers demonstrate the fleshly nature of unbelief
John 7:6 Then Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always opportune.”
The time had not yet come for Jesus to go to Jerusalem & take up His cross, but He’s declaring here that His brothers’ time was “always opportune.” Opportune for what? For a trip into Jerusalem? No, Jesus is instead calling them to do as He states in Matt. 16:24-“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” The denial of our own depraved will & the reception of His perfect will is what it means to “take up (our) cross.” (Jesus’ cross is the cause of our salvation; this cross is the effect of our salvation.). Jesus was, in point of fact, saying thus:
“My time (to take up My cross) has not yet come, but your time (to take up your cross) is always opportune.”
After we understand what Jesus meant by “My time has not yet come” (see part 1), it becomes clear what he is insinuating: that it is time for them to deny themselves & do as He was doing; testifying to the depravity of man. Jesus suffered in a small way before He suffered in a large way. As a minimum, our cross amounts to following His example in our evangelical message to the world at large. All of Christ’s sermons had a common theme that stirred animosity among the masses- He told them the ugly truth of their sin against God & the punishment that such depravity demands. Many will tell us that we should express only the “love of Jesus” when we preach, reflecting their uninformed understanding of His ministry. They think of Jesus & imagine a benign individual who only blessed in benevolence. As they say this, they prove their ignorance of the record of His sermons. I once heard an English professor at secular college tell the tale of giving her students the Sermon on the Mount as an assignment to read & write about. She was surprised that it was wholly a polemic to her students- most wrote strongly against the words of Christ, while a minority wrote strongly in favor. However, no one was neutral. Jesus was not a politician. He was not concerned with strengthening His numbers as John 6 testifies. His miracles brought thousands in (John 6:2 & 26), & His sermons turned thousands away (John 6:66). The ugly truths of sin & punishment were offensive to majority of His audience in that day & the world is no different today. It surely gave the Lord no pleasure to grieve souls in that day, & I find no joy in doing today either. Still, we are to follow Christ & preach necessary unpleasantry to the masses as the Spirit would dictate. This is our cross to bear for Him- the cross of suffering rejection for the sake of the Gospel.
John 7:7 “The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.”
The world could not hate them because they were not yet following Him in deed & testifying of the base nature of man. For us to preach the grace of Christ, we must first convey the depravity of man, so man could perceive the depth & necessity of Christ’s grace.
John 7:8 "You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.”
There are other appointed times in God’s Kingdom as well.
Matt. 8:28-29 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?"
The demons have an appointed time to suffer their punishment.
Rev. 14:6-7 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth-to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water."
Christ will have an hour of judgment. Perhaps the demons in Mark 8 are referencing this same hour.
Luke 13:35 "See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say: 'Blessed is He (Jesus) who comes in the name of the Lord!'” (this last part is a statement of worship)
We are desolate & without hope until the point in time we recognize & worship the Lord Jesus Christ
John 4:20-24 "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
The Father desires true worship- that based in spirit & truth; worship founded upon the fleshly nature &/ or the fabricated falsehoods of our own intellect are as without meaning as “dust in the wind.”
Ecc. 3:1-2 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to harvest that which is planted.
There was, is, or will be:
A time for birth -for us (Ecc. 3:2) & the Christ (Gal. 4:4)
A time for death -for us (Heb. 9:27) & the Christ (John 17:1)
A time for spiritual re-birth -the planting of His seed within us unto new life (Matt 13)
A time for the harvest -the celebration of this new life as the Lord receives His own unto Himself
Mark 4:28-29 "For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest time has come."
May we continue to “ripen” as the harvest time approaches.
Rev. 14:14-16 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. (Jesus) And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." So He (Jesus) who sat on the cloud, thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.
The harvest of those who truly accept & worship Jesus Christ in spirit & in truth.
Rev. 14:17-20 Then an angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe." So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of two-hundred miles.
The harvest of those who do not accept & worship Jesus Christ in spirit & in truth.
1 Tim. 2:5-6 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
An Answer to Why Jesus Said to Mary- My Hour Has Not Yet Come (aka "Blood & Water")
In my last post on “The Glory of Jesus Christ”, I focused on the central theme of John 1- the deity of Jesus. This is fundamental to the acceptance of the Gospel, for if another man suffers God’s judgment as punishment for my sin, it would not cleanse me in God’s eyes. But if it is the Father’s perfect “Kinsman” who voluntarily becomes the surrogate & bears my due death sentence, then & only then would this act of penal substitution be effectual. If He wasn’t the Son of God, being hence God, then my punishment still awaits.
With the vital foundation of Jesus Christ’s deity firmly established by the Scripture presented in the previous post, I follow the Apostle’s narrative as he opens John 2. He tells of the Lord’s first miracle, & this miracle has far greater meaning than most perceive at first glance. It is much more than a simple miracle that begins His ministry. It illustrates the core necessity & purpose of His visitation.
All Scriptural quotations are the NASB, 1995 revision)
John 2:1-3 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; (2) and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. (3) When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."
Some "loose" translations (NIV), in an attempt to clarify the actual events of this passage, depart from the Greek & read in this manner: “When the wine was gone” & “they have no more wine." This seems less awkward to read, but it veils the larger picture the Holy Spirit was trying to portray.
John 2:4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come."
Some have opined that Mary was attempting to pressure Jesus to begin His ministry of miracles & Jesus, by this statement, was rebuking her. Nothing could be further from the truth. Such momentous times could only be ordained by God alone. But then what does Jesus speak of by this conundrum?
Jesus points to a future time throughout the Gospels when He states “My hour has not yet come.”
John 7:29-30 Jesus said of the Father: "I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent me." They sought therefore to take Him. No one laid a hand on Him, because His hour was not yet come.
John 8:20 Jesus spoke these words in the treasury, as He taught in the temple. No one took Him, because His hour had not yet come.
Notice the same references to a still future "hour" continue, though the "hour" of His ministry of teaching & healing has already come. So it is clear the reference in John 2 does not speak of such things. So what "hour" does He refer to? Read on as Gospel narratives move through Christ's ministry towards the appointed time of His death...
Mark 14:33-41 And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. (34) And He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch." (35) And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. (36) And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will." (37) And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? (38) Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (39) Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words. (40) And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. (41) And He came the third time, and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.”
John 12:23-24 And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. (24) Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
Jesus produced a bountiful harvest by His death. Had He not taken up the cross, He would have remained alone among those who have trod this Earth in both pure righteousness & intimacy with the Father; but through His death, we enter in with Him if our old self was crucified with Him (Rom 6:6).
John 17:1-3 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, (2) even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. (3) This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
Jesus’ death was no accident or unfortunate incident. No, He had “authority over all flesh,” He could have prohibited it- save for His loyalty to the Father's will & His love for His disciples- He did not.
John 12:27 "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour."
Jesus states the hour of His suffering is indeed the core "purpose" of His ministry. With this statement in John 2, He was beginning His ministry with His eyes fixed upon its end goal & purpose.
Now, with that fact established, let's return to John 2...
John 2:5-6 His mother *said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." (6) Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification(1), containing twenty or thirty gallons each.
These were no ordinary vessels; they were used only for the Jewish rite of ceremonial washing – a ritual purging of the unseen spiritual corruption one would inexorably become tainted with in the course of life; for example:
Leviticus 17:15-16 When any person eats an animal which dies or is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or an alien, he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and remain unclean until evening; then he will become clean. (16) But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, then he shall bear his guilt.
Jesus, in using these to contain the miraculous wine was making a prophetic statement: that He, & only He was capable of transforming the merely ritualistic & short-term cleansing of the Law into the genuine & everlasting cleansing of the blood (for the wine represents the blood in communion).
In light of this, let’s back up & re-examine John 2:3-
John 2:3 And when the wine ran out(2), the mother of Jesus *said to Him, "They have no(3) wine."
Mary was only a guest at the wedding & thus bore no liability for this provision, but perhaps she asked Jesus because she felt trapped in a social malaise- responsible for the shortage- given verse 2’s seeming expanded invitation- “And Jesus (also) was invited, and His disciples, to the wedding.” Also the assumption is often made that Mary said this so Jesus would remedy the lack of wine, but that is pure supposition. The text bears no information regarding Mary’s expectations. The idea of Mary’s supposed call for Christ to produce a miracle is in fact contradicted by Jesus’ response in v. 4; for as we have seen, the “hour” refers to the hour of His death, not the ministry of miracles. John Calvin postulated Mary might have foreseen no more than a rousing oratory from her son: “it is possible that, without expecting any remedy of this sort, she advised him to give some pious exhortations which would have the effect of preventing the guests from feeling uneasiness, and at the same time of relieving the shame of the bridegroom.”
But what also counters the idea that Mary had no spiritual insight or prescience was the narrator (God’s Spirit within John) has Mary using a very different word to describe what was lacking. It’s fascinating & important to note that Mary used the rudimentary Greek word “ouk”(3), for she only spoke of the shortage in wine quantity that she & her newly arrived party bore some responsibility for, but God’s Spirit narrated a much deeper lack- the lack of the merely ceremonial Jewish wine’s quality by choosing to use a much more complex word- “hustereo”(2) in His assessment of the wedding party’s deeper need for a spiritual wine. Studying this word & its Greek roots shows no foundation for using it to primarily speak of a failure of quantity. “Hustereo”(#5302) comes from “husteros” (#5306), which in turn comes from “hupo”(#5259); all of these words primarily connote something inferior in quality, not quantity.
Instead of “ran out”, the ASV, Bishops, Geneva, Douay-Rheims, Revised Version, Tyndale, Wycliffe, & Young’s Literal Translation use “failed”, Murdock’s & Weymouth’s uses “ran short”, the Vulgate & John Nelson Darby’s translation use “deficient” to translate this word. These older translations, untainted by modern “emergent church” seeker friendly philosophies that demand simplistic renderings of Scripture, much better express what I believe the Spirit was insinuating- that the earthly wine that man brings to the wedding feast is an utter failure because it is wholly deficient in nature..
Hebrews 9:8-26 The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing, (9) which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, (10) since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation. (11) But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; (12) and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. (13) For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, (14) how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (15) For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. (16) For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. (17) For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. (18) Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. (19) For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, (20) saying, "THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WHICH GOD COMMANDED YOU." (21) And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. (22) And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (23) Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. (24) For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; (25) nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. (26) Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Hebrews 10:4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Colossians 1:19-20 For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, (20) and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Back once again to our story in John 2...
John 2:7 Jesus *said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." So they filled them up to the brim.
The cup of Christ’s blood, & therefore His grace, overflows abundantly for the task of cleansing sin.
John 2:8-10 And He *said to them, "Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter." So they took it to him. (9) When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter *called the bridegroom, (10) and *said to him, "Every man serves the good(4) wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer(5) wine; but you have kept the good wine until now."
God commanded the Israelites to spill the blood of bulls & goats, the poorer wine which came first correspondingly. This lesser wine’s purpose was to simply hold place till the time for the truly good wine’s arrival.
John 2:11 This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
This sign was first both chronologically & in significance – the sign of the cross is pre-eminent throughout Christ‘s ministry. Just as it was not just mere happenstance that the event of the cross would come His way later, it was no simple coincidence that He was present at this event to prophesy, to those who can hear the Spirit’s witness, of His coming salvation. We know this because near the end of chapter 1 (v. 43) John tells us Jesus “purposed to go forth into Galilee” from Bethany’s baptismal. That statement indicates an aim in Galilee, & I believe the “beginning of His signs” was that aim. Before the fullness of Scripture was given, God often spoke to His people with signs; indeed, God hardened Pharaoh’s already proud, hard heart (Ex. 10:3) against God’s firstborn for the for the purpose of both sign & judgment:
Exodus 7:3-5 "But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. (4) When Pharaoh does not listen to you, then I will lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by great judgments. (5) The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst."
So, this is no marginal minor miracle, but a poignant prophetic “purposed” sign. The Son of God, being therefore God, “knew all things”; there were no happy (or unhappy) accidents in course of His ministry. Moses’ first public sign was turning water into blood- & this sign forebode the last sign- the death of the firstborn son for the cause of sin. The Egyptians suffered this sign for their own sin, but Christ “knew no sin”, yet at the cross was made “to be sin on our behalf”(1Cor 5:21). Moses’ people were saved by the blood of the sacrificial lamb, & so likewise for us in the present day. Christ’s first sign likewise foretold His last sign- the death of God’s one & only Son.
John tells us later in his first epistle that Christ has three signs that testify:
1 John 5:5-8 “Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (6) This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. (7) For there are three that testify: (8) the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.”
John’s clear desire in verse 6 to contrast the water & the blood with his Gnostic influenced audience speaks to the nature of these signs. The Gnostic perversion came through Greek philosophy at the end of the first century, countering the true disciples’ claim that Christ was both fully man & fully God. It is the false “gnosis” (knowledge) that Paul also rebukes in 1 Tim 6:20. The Gnostic could not accept that Jesus was simultaneously God & man, but John declared that he had witnessed Christ’s anthropologetic nature & weakness, His Godly character & authority, & His sufferings at Calvary. John is therefore stating his fitness to testify:
1) to the Spirit- for He was conceived not of a man’s will but of the Holy Spirit; Jesus was therefore the Son of God. The Spirit Himself additionally witnesses this through His Word & His presence.
2) to the water-the natural birth experience that speaks to His humanity that John was a three year witness of as he followed Christ. Jesus was therefore the Son of Man; the humble servant typified by Ezekiel (in Ezekiel 2ff) & envisioned by Daniel (Dan. 7:13-14).
3) to the blood- for John was a witness, indeed the closest witness to Christ’s sufferings at Calvary; Jesus was therefore born again (resurrected) through the testimony of the blood. This testimony, conjoined with the water & the Spirit’s testimony, testify to the certain need for sin’s judgment; for if so great a One as this would need to suffer for our sin, then how great is that sin?
The "beginning of His signs" was pointing towards His greatest sign- His defeat of death.
John 2:12-13 After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and His brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days. (13) The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
I think it is of no happenstance that He began His ministry at the time of the Passover, given the already stated comparisons with the other signs of the exodus.
Ecc 3:1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.
Romans 5:6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law
By using the term “woman”, Jesus was drawing a dividing distinction between His heretofore situation as a mere son of man & His coming revelation as the Son of God. He was speaking to Mary not in the earthly sense- as a son to his mother, but in the heavenly sense- as a loving Father (Is. 9:6) to His beloved daughter, leading her (& us) to perceive the deepest prophetic implications of the coming minor work’s true purpose- to foreshadow the major work of Christ’s cleansing blood. Indeed, the next time we see Jesus calling Mary “woman” is when He is on the cross giving responsibility for her care to John (John 19:26). Surely He was not being contentious with her there, was He? In first century Palestine, “woman” was a term of endearment & not the term of rebuke it is today. Witness John 20:13-15 to further verify this context.
W. E. Vine‘s definition of “woman” from “Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words”-
gune (G1135)- used of a "woman" unmarried or married, e.g., Matt.11:11; Matt.14:21; Luke 4:26, of a "widow"; Rom. 7:2; in the vocative case, used in addressing a "woman," it is a term not of reproof or severity, but of endearment or respect, Matt.15:28; John 2:4, where the Lord's words to His mother at the wedding in Cana, are neither rebuff nor rebuke. The question is, lit., "What to Me and to thee?" and the word "woman," the term of endearment, follows this.
Accepting the prophetic point illustrated by this miracle, that the natural, human works-based sanctification of the Law cannot satisfy the Father's demand for justice, His riddling response to Mary in John 2:4 becomes understandable. By saying “Woman, what does that have to do with us?” Jesus is deriding the minor issue of the wedding party’s momentary lack of the merely ceremonial physical wine, while the ensuing “My hour has not yet come” speaks to the major issue- it prophesies His propitious purpose in coming to earth. The Greek, translated directly, reads “What to me & to you, woman?” By this, Jesus was saying this physical need is so trivial compared to her real need to be inebriated in the spiritual wine of Christ. Jesus in verse 4 is speaking much more to what should be Mary’s actual concern- her & her peoples’ need for spiritual intoxication. She, like the Martha in Luke 10, seemed overly concerned with trifling temporal concerns of day-to-day life instead giving ear to the teaching of Christ. We know Christ surely felt this way about Mary when He disparagingly contrasted those devoted ones who were inside listening to Him, with His mother & brothers who were outside, obviously caring little for His teachings (Mark 3:32-35).
Mary’s myopic concern was like ours- fixed upon the wedding guests’ needs of the moment; conversely, Christ’s farseeing sagacious eyes were always fixed upon the “hour” of His death that would usher in the true wedding feast. The calices of Cana commissioned Christ’s Calvary cry.
We (the church) are Christ’s bride, & His truest concern was & is the real feast to come- at the wedding supper of the Lamb.
(1) “purification”- katharismos (kath-ar-is-mos'); Greek, Noun Masculine; Strong #: 2512
1) a cleansing, purification, a ritual purgation or washing
a. of the washing of the Jews before and after their meals
b. of levitical purification of women after childbirth
(2) “ran short”- hustereo (hoos-ter-eh'-o); ὑστερέω̄ : Greek, Verb; Strong #: 5302
1) behind
1a) to come late or too tardily
1a1) to be left behind in the race and so fail to reach the goal, to fall short of the end
1a2) metaphorically fail to become a partaker, fall back from
1b) to be inferior in power, influence and rank
1b1) of the person: to be inferior to
1c) to fail, be wanting
1d) to be in want of, lack
2) to suffer want, to be devoid of, to lack (be inferior) in excellence, worth
(3) “no”- ouk (ook); Greek, Particle; Strong #: 3756
no, not; in direct questions expecting an affirmative answer
With the vital foundation of Jesus Christ’s deity firmly established by the Scripture presented in the previous post, I follow the Apostle’s narrative as he opens John 2. He tells of the Lord’s first miracle, & this miracle has far greater meaning than most perceive at first glance. It is much more than a simple miracle that begins His ministry. It illustrates the core necessity & purpose of His visitation.
All Scriptural quotations are the NASB, 1995 revision)
John 2:1-3 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; (2) and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. (3) When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."
Some "loose" translations (NIV), in an attempt to clarify the actual events of this passage, depart from the Greek & read in this manner: “When the wine was gone” & “they have no more wine." This seems less awkward to read, but it veils the larger picture the Holy Spirit was trying to portray.
John 2:4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come."
Some have opined that Mary was attempting to pressure Jesus to begin His ministry of miracles & Jesus, by this statement, was rebuking her. Nothing could be further from the truth. Such momentous times could only be ordained by God alone. But then what does Jesus speak of by this conundrum?
Jesus points to a future time throughout the Gospels when He states “My hour has not yet come.”
John 7:29-30 Jesus said of the Father: "I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent me." They sought therefore to take Him. No one laid a hand on Him, because His hour was not yet come.
John 8:20 Jesus spoke these words in the treasury, as He taught in the temple. No one took Him, because His hour had not yet come.
Notice the same references to a still future "hour" continue, though the "hour" of His ministry of teaching & healing has already come. So it is clear the reference in John 2 does not speak of such things. So what "hour" does He refer to? Read on as Gospel narratives move through Christ's ministry towards the appointed time of His death...
Mark 14:33-41 And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. (34) And He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch." (35) And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. (36) And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will." (37) And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? (38) Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (39) Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words. (40) And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. (41) And He came the third time, and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.”
John 12:23-24 And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. (24) Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
Jesus produced a bountiful harvest by His death. Had He not taken up the cross, He would have remained alone among those who have trod this Earth in both pure righteousness & intimacy with the Father; but through His death, we enter in with Him if our old self was crucified with Him (Rom 6:6).
John 17:1-3 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, (2) even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. (3) This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
Jesus’ death was no accident or unfortunate incident. No, He had “authority over all flesh,” He could have prohibited it- save for His loyalty to the Father's will & His love for His disciples- He did not.
John 12:27 "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour."
Jesus states the hour of His suffering is indeed the core "purpose" of His ministry. With this statement in John 2, He was beginning His ministry with His eyes fixed upon its end goal & purpose.
Now, with that fact established, let's return to John 2...
John 2:5-6 His mother *said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." (6) Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification(1), containing twenty or thirty gallons each.
These were no ordinary vessels; they were used only for the Jewish rite of ceremonial washing – a ritual purging of the unseen spiritual corruption one would inexorably become tainted with in the course of life; for example:
Leviticus 17:15-16 When any person eats an animal which dies or is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or an alien, he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and remain unclean until evening; then he will become clean. (16) But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, then he shall bear his guilt.
Jesus, in using these to contain the miraculous wine was making a prophetic statement: that He, & only He was capable of transforming the merely ritualistic & short-term cleansing of the Law into the genuine & everlasting cleansing of the blood (for the wine represents the blood in communion).
In light of this, let’s back up & re-examine John 2:3-
John 2:3 And when the wine ran out(2), the mother of Jesus *said to Him, "They have no(3) wine."
Mary was only a guest at the wedding & thus bore no liability for this provision, but perhaps she asked Jesus because she felt trapped in a social malaise- responsible for the shortage- given verse 2’s seeming expanded invitation- “And Jesus (also) was invited, and His disciples, to the wedding.” Also the assumption is often made that Mary said this so Jesus would remedy the lack of wine, but that is pure supposition. The text bears no information regarding Mary’s expectations. The idea of Mary’s supposed call for Christ to produce a miracle is in fact contradicted by Jesus’ response in v. 4; for as we have seen, the “hour” refers to the hour of His death, not the ministry of miracles. John Calvin postulated Mary might have foreseen no more than a rousing oratory from her son: “it is possible that, without expecting any remedy of this sort, she advised him to give some pious exhortations which would have the effect of preventing the guests from feeling uneasiness, and at the same time of relieving the shame of the bridegroom.”
But what also counters the idea that Mary had no spiritual insight or prescience was the narrator (God’s Spirit within John) has Mary using a very different word to describe what was lacking. It’s fascinating & important to note that Mary used the rudimentary Greek word “ouk”(3), for she only spoke of the shortage in wine quantity that she & her newly arrived party bore some responsibility for, but God’s Spirit narrated a much deeper lack- the lack of the merely ceremonial Jewish wine’s quality by choosing to use a much more complex word- “hustereo”(2) in His assessment of the wedding party’s deeper need for a spiritual wine. Studying this word & its Greek roots shows no foundation for using it to primarily speak of a failure of quantity. “Hustereo”(#5302) comes from “husteros” (#5306), which in turn comes from “hupo”(#5259); all of these words primarily connote something inferior in quality, not quantity.
Instead of “ran out”, the ASV, Bishops, Geneva, Douay-Rheims, Revised Version, Tyndale, Wycliffe, & Young’s Literal Translation use “failed”, Murdock’s & Weymouth’s uses “ran short”, the Vulgate & John Nelson Darby’s translation use “deficient” to translate this word. These older translations, untainted by modern “emergent church” seeker friendly philosophies that demand simplistic renderings of Scripture, much better express what I believe the Spirit was insinuating- that the earthly wine that man brings to the wedding feast is an utter failure because it is wholly deficient in nature..
Hebrews 9:8-26 The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing, (9) which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, (10) since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation. (11) But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; (12) and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. (13) For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, (14) how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (15) For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. (16) For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. (17) For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. (18) Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. (19) For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, (20) saying, "THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WHICH GOD COMMANDED YOU." (21) And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. (22) And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (23) Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. (24) For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; (25) nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. (26) Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Hebrews 10:4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Colossians 1:19-20 For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, (20) and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Back once again to our story in John 2...
John 2:7 Jesus *said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." So they filled them up to the brim.
The cup of Christ’s blood, & therefore His grace, overflows abundantly for the task of cleansing sin.
John 2:8-10 And He *said to them, "Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter." So they took it to him. (9) When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter *called the bridegroom, (10) and *said to him, "Every man serves the good(4) wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer(5) wine; but you have kept the good wine until now."
God commanded the Israelites to spill the blood of bulls & goats, the poorer wine which came first correspondingly. This lesser wine’s purpose was to simply hold place till the time for the truly good wine’s arrival.
John 2:11 This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
This sign was first both chronologically & in significance – the sign of the cross is pre-eminent throughout Christ‘s ministry. Just as it was not just mere happenstance that the event of the cross would come His way later, it was no simple coincidence that He was present at this event to prophesy, to those who can hear the Spirit’s witness, of His coming salvation. We know this because near the end of chapter 1 (v. 43) John tells us Jesus “purposed to go forth into Galilee” from Bethany’s baptismal. That statement indicates an aim in Galilee, & I believe the “beginning of His signs” was that aim. Before the fullness of Scripture was given, God often spoke to His people with signs; indeed, God hardened Pharaoh’s already proud, hard heart (Ex. 10:3) against God’s firstborn for the for the purpose of both sign & judgment:
Exodus 7:3-5 "But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. (4) When Pharaoh does not listen to you, then I will lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by great judgments. (5) The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst."
So, this is no marginal minor miracle, but a poignant prophetic “purposed” sign. The Son of God, being therefore God, “knew all things”; there were no happy (or unhappy) accidents in course of His ministry. Moses’ first public sign was turning water into blood- & this sign forebode the last sign- the death of the firstborn son for the cause of sin. The Egyptians suffered this sign for their own sin, but Christ “knew no sin”, yet at the cross was made “to be sin on our behalf”(1Cor 5:21). Moses’ people were saved by the blood of the sacrificial lamb, & so likewise for us in the present day. Christ’s first sign likewise foretold His last sign- the death of God’s one & only Son.
John tells us later in his first epistle that Christ has three signs that testify:
1 John 5:5-8 “Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (6) This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. (7) For there are three that testify: (8) the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.”
John’s clear desire in verse 6 to contrast the water & the blood with his Gnostic influenced audience speaks to the nature of these signs. The Gnostic perversion came through Greek philosophy at the end of the first century, countering the true disciples’ claim that Christ was both fully man & fully God. It is the false “gnosis” (knowledge) that Paul also rebukes in 1 Tim 6:20. The Gnostic could not accept that Jesus was simultaneously God & man, but John declared that he had witnessed Christ’s anthropologetic nature & weakness, His Godly character & authority, & His sufferings at Calvary. John is therefore stating his fitness to testify:
1) to the Spirit- for He was conceived not of a man’s will but of the Holy Spirit; Jesus was therefore the Son of God. The Spirit Himself additionally witnesses this through His Word & His presence.
2) to the water-the natural birth experience that speaks to His humanity that John was a three year witness of as he followed Christ. Jesus was therefore the Son of Man; the humble servant typified by Ezekiel (in Ezekiel 2ff) & envisioned by Daniel (Dan. 7:13-14).
3) to the blood- for John was a witness, indeed the closest witness to Christ’s sufferings at Calvary; Jesus was therefore born again (resurrected) through the testimony of the blood. This testimony, conjoined with the water & the Spirit’s testimony, testify to the certain need for sin’s judgment; for if so great a One as this would need to suffer for our sin, then how great is that sin?
The "beginning of His signs" was pointing towards His greatest sign- His defeat of death.
John 2:12-13 After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and His brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days. (13) The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
I think it is of no happenstance that He began His ministry at the time of the Passover, given the already stated comparisons with the other signs of the exodus.
Ecc 3:1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.
Romans 5:6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law
By using the term “woman”, Jesus was drawing a dividing distinction between His heretofore situation as a mere son of man & His coming revelation as the Son of God. He was speaking to Mary not in the earthly sense- as a son to his mother, but in the heavenly sense- as a loving Father (Is. 9:6) to His beloved daughter, leading her (& us) to perceive the deepest prophetic implications of the coming minor work’s true purpose- to foreshadow the major work of Christ’s cleansing blood. Indeed, the next time we see Jesus calling Mary “woman” is when He is on the cross giving responsibility for her care to John (John 19:26). Surely He was not being contentious with her there, was He? In first century Palestine, “woman” was a term of endearment & not the term of rebuke it is today. Witness John 20:13-15 to further verify this context.
W. E. Vine‘s definition of “woman” from “Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words”-
gune (G1135)- used of a "woman" unmarried or married, e.g., Matt.11:11; Matt.14:21; Luke 4:26, of a "widow"; Rom. 7:2; in the vocative case, used in addressing a "woman," it is a term not of reproof or severity, but of endearment or respect, Matt.15:28; John 2:4, where the Lord's words to His mother at the wedding in Cana, are neither rebuff nor rebuke. The question is, lit., "What to Me and to thee?" and the word "woman," the term of endearment, follows this.
Accepting the prophetic point illustrated by this miracle, that the natural, human works-based sanctification of the Law cannot satisfy the Father's demand for justice, His riddling response to Mary in John 2:4 becomes understandable. By saying “Woman, what does that have to do with us?” Jesus is deriding the minor issue of the wedding party’s momentary lack of the merely ceremonial physical wine, while the ensuing “My hour has not yet come” speaks to the major issue- it prophesies His propitious purpose in coming to earth. The Greek, translated directly, reads “What to me & to you, woman?” By this, Jesus was saying this physical need is so trivial compared to her real need to be inebriated in the spiritual wine of Christ. Jesus in verse 4 is speaking much more to what should be Mary’s actual concern- her & her peoples’ need for spiritual intoxication. She, like the Martha in Luke 10, seemed overly concerned with trifling temporal concerns of day-to-day life instead giving ear to the teaching of Christ. We know Christ surely felt this way about Mary when He disparagingly contrasted those devoted ones who were inside listening to Him, with His mother & brothers who were outside, obviously caring little for His teachings (Mark 3:32-35).
Mary’s myopic concern was like ours- fixed upon the wedding guests’ needs of the moment; conversely, Christ’s farseeing sagacious eyes were always fixed upon the “hour” of His death that would usher in the true wedding feast. The calices of Cana commissioned Christ’s Calvary cry.
We (the church) are Christ’s bride, & His truest concern was & is the real feast to come- at the wedding supper of the Lamb.
(1) “purification”- katharismos (kath-ar-is-mos'); Greek, Noun Masculine; Strong #: 2512
1) a cleansing, purification, a ritual purgation or washing
a. of the washing of the Jews before and after their meals
b. of levitical purification of women after childbirth
(2) “ran short”- hustereo (hoos-ter-eh'-o); ὑστερέω̄ : Greek, Verb; Strong #: 5302
1) behind
1a) to come late or too tardily
1a1) to be left behind in the race and so fail to reach the goal, to fall short of the end
1a2) metaphorically fail to become a partaker, fall back from
1b) to be inferior in power, influence and rank
1b1) of the person: to be inferior to
1c) to fail, be wanting
1d) to be in want of, lack
2) to suffer want, to be devoid of, to lack (be inferior) in excellence, worth
(3) “no”- ouk (ook); Greek, Particle; Strong #: 3756
no, not; in direct questions expecting an affirmative answer
Monday, October 1, 2007
The Glory of Jesus Christ
Some years ago, I was working with a Muslim man who respected Jesus as a good man & a fine teacher & example, but could not receive His deistic status. This view parallels the view of many religious & secular persons alike; though what the religious fail to consider is that His consistent claims to a supernatural nature demand one of two reactions from them- either they must completely embrace & worship Him as God, or they must wholly dismiss Him & His teachings alike as the words of the greatest deceiver & blasphemer in the history of the world. Similarly, the secular must choose whether these are the words of a madman or a true visitation from Heaven's throne. It really is quite black & white. The religious cannot pronounce Him as good while saying His claims to be God were false & the secular cannot proclaim a megalomaniacal madman to be a fine teacher & example. The record of Jesus & His teachings demands an all or nothing approach.
So I set out to show this Muslim that all of Scripture (he had a degree of respect for the Christian Bible) as well as Jesus Himself spoke of His everlasting divinity. We discussed several portions of God's Word, when I realized I had never seen an expansive analysis of the Biblical evidence pointing towards the Son's true holy nature. I would have liked to have given him such a study before I left that job but was not able; therefore afterwards I immediately set down to compose one & the next like opportunity I would be more prepared. As I had been studying John's Gospel at the time, I naturally began with those.
I know this piece is not exhaustive on all passages that point to Jesus' divine nature, so all are encouraged to add what they have found in the comment section.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
-Three statements are presented here in John 1:1:
1. Jesus existed before the Creation (therefore, He was not “created”)
2. Jesus was “with God” (therefore a distinct person Himself)
3. Jesus “was God” (therefore dichotomously equal with the Father in power & authority- as with a partial moon, there is a seen portion & an unseen portion; they can be spoken of individually & have different attributes, yet they are actually united in one accord).
2 He was in the beginning with God.
-Emphasizing the second point.
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
-Emphasizing the third point. Again, Jesus was not “created;” quite the opposite- He was a “Creator.”
4 In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
-And John 14:6 teaches His life continues to be our light & life today.
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
-The “valley of the shadow of death” is a dark & gloomy place, but in this place God helps His own to “comprehend” the light of Jesus Christ & therefore be saved out of that darkness..
6-18 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'") And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.
John 5:18-23 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
-Anti-trinitarians love to quote 5:19 (the words in green), but they prove themselves disingenuous by ignoring the revelation in the surrounding verses. They quote single verses to try to lend veracity to their "self-made religion" (Col 2:23), while the honest student studies & quotes passages to gain true context & true revelation. Jesus reveals deep truth in John 5:23 concerning Himself; it is up to us to accept or reject this unabashed statement as truth & worship the Son the same as the Father.
24-30 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth-those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."
John 6:28-29 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
John 6:62-69 What if you would see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? At this, many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Jesus said therefore to the twelve, "You don’t also want to go away, do you?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom would we go? You alone have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
John 8:16-19 Yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. "It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.” Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."
John 8:56-59 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it, and was glad." The Jews therefore said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I tell you, before Abraham was born, I Am." They took up stones therefore to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
-They took up stones to stone Him because He called Himself “I Am, a title reserved for God Almighty (I Am means “the self-existent one)-Ex 3:13-15 Then 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?" And God said to Moses, "I Am who I Am." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I Am has sent me to you.' " Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.'
John 10:30-33 I and My Father are one." Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?" The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."
John 10:17-18 Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again. "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. This command I have received from My Father."
-We all have the ability to lay down our own life; but who, among men, has the power to take it up again?
John 11:24-27 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."
John 12:44-45 Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.”
John 13:3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God…
13:31-32 So, when (Judas) had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. "If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately.
John 14:8-11 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves…
23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
John 16:13-15 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
John 17:5 Now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was…
20-26 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."
John 19:6-7 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him." The Jews answered him, We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God."
John 20:26-29 After eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being locked, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace be to you." Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my side. Don`t be faithless, but believing."
Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed."
Matt. 11:27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
Matt. 12:6-8 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. "But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. "For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
Matt. 17:1-6 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.
Matt. 27:43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, "I am the Son of God."
So I set out to show this Muslim that all of Scripture (he had a degree of respect for the Christian Bible) as well as Jesus Himself spoke of His everlasting divinity. We discussed several portions of God's Word, when I realized I had never seen an expansive analysis of the Biblical evidence pointing towards the Son's true holy nature. I would have liked to have given him such a study before I left that job but was not able; therefore afterwards I immediately set down to compose one & the next like opportunity I would be more prepared. As I had been studying John's Gospel at the time, I naturally began with those.
I know this piece is not exhaustive on all passages that point to Jesus' divine nature, so all are encouraged to add what they have found in the comment section.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
-Three statements are presented here in John 1:1:
1. Jesus existed before the Creation (therefore, He was not “created”)
2. Jesus was “with God” (therefore a distinct person Himself)
3. Jesus “was God” (therefore dichotomously equal with the Father in power & authority- as with a partial moon, there is a seen portion & an unseen portion; they can be spoken of individually & have different attributes, yet they are actually united in one accord).
2 He was in the beginning with God.
-Emphasizing the second point.
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
-Emphasizing the third point. Again, Jesus was not “created;” quite the opposite- He was a “Creator.”
4 In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
-And John 14:6 teaches His life continues to be our light & life today.
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
-The “valley of the shadow of death” is a dark & gloomy place, but in this place God helps His own to “comprehend” the light of Jesus Christ & therefore be saved out of that darkness..
6-18 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'") And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.
John 5:18-23 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
-Anti-trinitarians love to quote 5:19 (the words in green), but they prove themselves disingenuous by ignoring the revelation in the surrounding verses. They quote single verses to try to lend veracity to their "self-made religion" (Col 2:23), while the honest student studies & quotes passages to gain true context & true revelation. Jesus reveals deep truth in John 5:23 concerning Himself; it is up to us to accept or reject this unabashed statement as truth & worship the Son the same as the Father.
24-30 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth-those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."
John 6:28-29 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
John 6:62-69 What if you would see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? At this, many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Jesus said therefore to the twelve, "You don’t also want to go away, do you?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom would we go? You alone have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
John 8:16-19 Yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. "It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.” Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."
John 8:56-59 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it, and was glad." The Jews therefore said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I tell you, before Abraham was born, I Am." They took up stones therefore to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
-They took up stones to stone Him because He called Himself “I Am, a title reserved for God Almighty (I Am means “the self-existent one)-Ex 3:13-15 Then 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?" And God said to Moses, "I Am who I Am." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I Am has sent me to you.' " Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.'
John 10:30-33 I and My Father are one." Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?" The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."
John 10:17-18 Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again. "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. This command I have received from My Father."
-We all have the ability to lay down our own life; but who, among men, has the power to take it up again?
John 11:24-27 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."
John 12:44-45 Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.”
John 13:3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God…
13:31-32 So, when (Judas) had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. "If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately.
John 14:8-11 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves…
23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
John 16:13-15 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
John 17:5 Now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was…
20-26 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."
John 19:6-7 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him." The Jews answered him, We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God."
John 20:26-29 After eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being locked, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace be to you." Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my side. Don`t be faithless, but believing."
Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed."
Matt. 11:27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
Matt. 12:6-8 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. "But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. "For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
Matt. 17:1-6 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.
Matt. 27:43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, "I am the Son of God."
Mark 1:23-24 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are-the Holy One of God!"
Mark 2:3-12 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'? "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"-He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"
Mark 14:61-64 He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" Jesus said, "I Am. (see prior note on John 8:56) You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?"You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.
Psalms 110:1 The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."
Mark 12:35-37 Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool." 'Therefore if David himself calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?" And the common people heard Him with gladness.
-Jesus not only existed in David’s time, but was Lord in David’s time.
Mark 2:3-12 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'? "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"-He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"
Mark 14:61-64 He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" Jesus said, "I Am. (see prior note on John 8:56) You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?"You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.
Psalms 110:1 The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."
Mark 12:35-37 Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool." 'Therefore if David himself calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?" And the common people heard Him with gladness.
-Jesus not only existed in David’s time, but was Lord in David’s time.
Romans 9:4-5 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
Acts 10:35 In every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
-The Greek word used here is “phobeo” (fob-eh'-o); it’s defined:
a. to fear, be afraid
b. to be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm
c. to fear, be afraid of one
d. to fear (i.e. hesitate) to do something (for fear of harm)
e. to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience
The KJV translates this word 62 times as “fear,” 28 times as ”be afraid,” only once as “reverence.” If Jesus was or is a mere man, why would we be called to fear Him as such? If neither Jesus nor the Father had wrath for men, if God were only love, why would such fear be required?
10:36-43 "The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ-He is Lord of all. That word you know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins."
Acts 2:22-23 You men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as you yourselves know, for David says concerning him, `I saw the Lord always before my face, For he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.
Acts 3:12-15 When Peter saw it, he answered to the people, "You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up, and denied before the face of Pilate, when he had determined to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses.
Acts 7:53-60 "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it." Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
1 Cor. 10:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
-Jewish legend of the day claimed a physical rock miraculously followed the Jews in the desert, since on two occasions (Ex. 17:6, Num. 20:11) Moses produced water from a rock; but we see here the rock following them was spiritual not physical.
Phil. 2:5-11 Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient [even] unto death, yea, the death of the cross. Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven, on earth and under the earth, that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
-In the next life all will bow before Him, & every tongue will confess, even the obstinate atheist's.
12-13 So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.
Col. 1:13-19 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom (Christ is a person, not an idea or concept) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him 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 by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell.
Col. 2:9-10 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Col. 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
-Only an equal can sit beside the Father (read Phil 2:6 above); those who are subordinate must bow before Him- Psalms 22:29 “All the fat ones of the earth shall eat and worship: All they that go down to the dust shall bow before him, he who cannot keep his soul alive.”
2-3 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
1 Tim. 3:16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
Heb. 1:1-13 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say: "You are My Son, Today I have begotten You"? And again: "I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son"? But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: "Let all the angels of God worship Him." And of the angels He says: "Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire." But to the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions." And: "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail." But to which of the angels has He ever said: "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool?"
1John 1:1-3 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life- the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us- that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ
-The Apostle opens his epistle in the same manner he opens his Gospel- with a strong declaration of Jesus Christ's divinity.
1 John 2:21-25 I have not sent you this letter because you have no knowledge of what is true, but because you have knowledge, and because that which is false has nothing in common with that which is true. Who is false but he who says that Jesus is not the Christ? He is the Antichrist who has no belief in the Father or the Son. He who has no belief in the Son has not the Father: he who makes clear his belief in the Son has the Father. But as for you, keep in your hearts the things which were made clear to you from the first. If you keep these things in your hearts you will be kept in the Father and the Son. And this is the hope which he gave you, even eternal life.
I John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him…7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
2 Peter 1:1-3 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and virtue.
James 1:1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings
James 2:1 My brothers, don't hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with respect of persons.
Jude 1:1 Jude, the bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ… 25 To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, let us give glory and honor and authority and power, before all time and now and for ever. Amen.
-Jude & James were Jesus’ earthly brothers, yet they speak of Him only as Lord, & of themselves only as His bondservants, not making any claims based on common bloodlines.
Revelation 1:4-8 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
Revelation 19:11-16 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. 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 22:13-16 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. I Jesus, have sent my angel to testify these things to you for the assemblies. I am the root and the offspring of David; the Bright and Morning Star."
The following comprise some of the Old Testament evidence of the plurality of the Triune God.
Gen. 1:26 And God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.'
27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.
-These verses both speak of the creation of mankind, one in the present tense & one in the future tense., but also one highlights the plurality of the Godhead, while one speaks to His singular nature & purpose. The words of John 1:1-3 are confirmed by Gen. 1:26.
Gen. 3: 22-23 Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever-" therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.
Gen. 11:6-7 And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech."
Is. 6:8-9 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'"
-These are neither "typos" nor cases where the Hebrew was corrupted by the beliefs of Christian translators. To prove my point, I have used the Jewish Publication Society's translation for the above eight verses. The fact that orthodox Jews, who of course deny the Trinity, would translate these verses this way demonstrates two points:
1. That the Hebrew obviously demands such pronoun usage.
2. That Jews have traditionally given great diligence to copying & translating Scripture verbatim, thus they have been worthy caretakers of OT Scripture. (Gives further confidence for the veracity of NT Scripture as well, for many first century Christians were Jewish & surely passed along the serious nature of being custodian over God's Word.
Also, there are no capital letters in the Hebrew alphabet. When translated to other languages that do have uppercase letters, the translator chooses to use them as the original diction & understood context would direct. Thus the orthodox Jew would choose to capitalize "God," "Lord" & the singular pronouns in the above passages; whilst his denial of the plurality of God would naturally preclude his capitalization of the plural pronouns.
Gen. 22 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you." So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together. Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am." And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide (lit. JEHOVAH-JIREH); as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of The Lord it shall be provided." Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: "By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son. Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."
Gal. 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He doesn’t say, "To seeds," as of many, but as of one, "To your seed," which is Christ.
-Gen 22 tells of a bewildering test of Abraham's faith that raises all sorts of perplexing questions to the orthodox Jew. Only in the light of Christ's work on the cross are all these questions answered. God clearly portrayed all the essential elements of His Son's magnificent work as far back as Abraham's day. To paraphrase: "Now we know that God loves us, since He has not withheld His Son, His only Son, from suffering for our sin."
27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.
-These verses both speak of the creation of mankind, one in the present tense & one in the future tense., but also one highlights the plurality of the Godhead, while one speaks to His singular nature & purpose. The words of John 1:1-3 are confirmed by Gen. 1:26.
Gen. 3: 22-23 Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever-" therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.
Gen. 11:6-7 And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech."
Is. 6:8-9 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'"
-These are neither "typos" nor cases where the Hebrew was corrupted by the beliefs of Christian translators. To prove my point, I have used the Jewish Publication Society's translation for the above eight verses. The fact that orthodox Jews, who of course deny the Trinity, would translate these verses this way demonstrates two points:
1. That the Hebrew obviously demands such pronoun usage.
2. That Jews have traditionally given great diligence to copying & translating Scripture verbatim, thus they have been worthy caretakers of OT Scripture. (Gives further confidence for the veracity of NT Scripture as well, for many first century Christians were Jewish & surely passed along the serious nature of being custodian over God's Word.
Also, there are no capital letters in the Hebrew alphabet. When translated to other languages that do have uppercase letters, the translator chooses to use them as the original diction & understood context would direct. Thus the orthodox Jew would choose to capitalize "God," "Lord" & the singular pronouns in the above passages; whilst his denial of the plurality of God would naturally preclude his capitalization of the plural pronouns.
Gen. 22 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you." So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together. Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am." And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide (lit. JEHOVAH-JIREH); as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of The Lord it shall be provided." Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: "By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son. Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."
Gal. 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He doesn’t say, "To seeds," as of many, but as of one, "To your seed," which is Christ.
-Gen 22 tells of a bewildering test of Abraham's faith that raises all sorts of perplexing questions to the orthodox Jew. Only in the light of Christ's work on the cross are all these questions answered. God clearly portrayed all the essential elements of His Son's magnificent work as far back as Abraham's day. To paraphrase: "Now we know that God loves us, since He has not withheld His Son, His only Son, from suffering for our sin."
Gen. 18:1 Then JEHOVAH appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day…22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before JEHOVAH…27 Then Abraham answered and said, "Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to JEHOVAH.
Gen. 32:24-30 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed." Then Jacob asked, saying, "Tell me Your name, I pray." And He said, "Why is it that you ask about My name?" And He blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
Judges 13:2-11 Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, "Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. So the woman came and told her husband, saying, "A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name. Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, and said, "O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born." And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, "Look, the Man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me!" So Manoah arose and followed his wife… When he came to the Man, he said to Him, "Are You the Man who spoke to this woman?" And He said, "I Am."
17-23 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, "What is Your name, that when Your words come to pass we may honor You?" And the Angel of the Lord said to him, "Why do you ask My name, seeing it is Wonderful?" (Isaiah 9:6). So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it upon the rock to the Lord. And He did a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on- it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar- the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. When the Angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew that He was the Angel of the Lord. And Manoah said to his wife, "We shall surely die, because we have seen God!" But his wife said to him, "If the Lord had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have told us such things as these at this time."
Gen. 32:24-30 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed." Then Jacob asked, saying, "Tell me Your name, I pray." And He said, "Why is it that you ask about My name?" And He blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
Judges 13:2-11 Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, "Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. So the woman came and told her husband, saying, "A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name. Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, and said, "O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born." And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, "Look, the Man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me!" So Manoah arose and followed his wife… When he came to the Man, he said to Him, "Are You the Man who spoke to this woman?" And He said, "I Am."
17-23 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, "What is Your name, that when Your words come to pass we may honor You?" And the Angel of the Lord said to him, "Why do you ask My name, seeing it is Wonderful?" (Isaiah 9:6). So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it upon the rock to the Lord. And He did a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on- it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar- the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. When the Angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew that He was the Angel of the Lord. And Manoah said to his wife, "We shall surely die, because we have seen God!" But his wife said to him, "If the Lord had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have told us such things as these at this time."
-Notice the prophecy of the barren woman bearing a son, tremendous as it was, becomes secondary to the magnificence of the Prophet. The Messenger proves greater than the message in this case. Nowhere in Scripture does man build altars & offer sacrifice to mere angels- these are for God Himself alone.
As stated previously, John 1:18 says “no one has seen God at any time,” yet Adam, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, & Manoah not only saw Him, but conversed with Him face to face. The understanding the New Testament conveys regarding this seeming paradox is that no carnal man can see the Father’s glory & survive, but the Son is apparently capable of transfiguring His glory to allow sinful man to gaze upon Him. This ability would be an absolute necessity if the Son were to fulfill His role as mediator between sinful man & the Holy & perfect Father in Heaven through His 33 year visitation- "He is the image of the invisible God..." Col. 1:15
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (God with us).
Isaiah 9:1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
God made it glorious by dwelling there in the flesh & walking among them.
9:2-7 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 11:10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples--of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. As many were astonished at you- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind- so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand. Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
-The most explicit of Old Testament prophecies.
Daniel 7:13-14 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. (14) And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
The "son of man" is the subject of this passage, but verse 14 makes clear this is no ordinary man. "Son of man" refers to a human & was Jesus' favorite self-title in the course of His ministry, but "all peoples ...serving him" can only refer to God alone. Thus, the dual nature of the Christ in O.T. prophecy.
Micah 5:2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
One is walking in sinking sand who does not accept the overt testimony of Jesus & all eight recorders of New Testament Scriptures- Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, James, Peter, & Jude (in addition to prophecy of the Old Testament) as they declare Jesus to be much more than a mere man. This Jesus existed before all things ( John 1:1) & will continue to exist after all creation disappears (the Alpha & Omega, the Beginning & the End). His purpose was to come to earth of His own volition to suffer & die (read John 12:27) in our stead, for our sins, in order to provide a means for the cleansing of sin from the record of our lives. Who else but God Himself (in the Person of Jesus Christ) can forgive sins? (Mark 2:7)
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