First the Question: When we, by Faith in Christ, meet God at Calvary, we become the sons of God, a relationship which is established once and for all. True or False?
Please take a moment to respond at the LLM Question of the Day
And now the answer to the LLM Question of 10-1-2011
Question: In the Gospel of John it is NOT recorded that Satan met the LORD Jesus Christ in the wilderness to tempt Him. True or False?
Answer: TRUE! In John’s Gospel it is NOT recorded that Satan met Christ in the wilderness to tempt Him. This temptation is mentioned in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. But NOT John! Now, on this question, out of 723 responses, 72.7% of you got it RIGHT! Therefore,
Today let us consider, THE GOSPEL OF JOHN....THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, pt. 16 of 24
NEVER MAN SPAKE LIKE THIS MAN
In John 7:44-48 we learn that the religious enemies of Christ were sorely displeased because Jesus, the Messiah, had NOT been apprehended. It is recorded in these verses, “some of them would have taken Him: but no man laid hands on Him.” “The chief priests and the Pharisees said unto them, Why have ye not brought Him?” “The officers answered, “Never man spake like this Man.” John 7:46.
If you will carefully and prayerfully read, in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, about 50 times that the Lord Jesus said, “verily, I say unto you,” and follow through with what He said, you too will join with those who said, “they were astonished at His doctrine; for he taught them as ONE having ‘AUTHORITY’, and not as the scribes.” (Matthew 7:29).
Then the religious rulers challenged His authority when He said unto the palsied victim, “thy sins be forgiven thee.” He proved His authority by saying, “that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, He saith to the sick of the palsy, take up thy bed, and immediately he arose.” (Mark 2:5-12).
A little later when the great storm at sea filled the boat of His disciples and they were sore afraid, Christ arose and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, “Peace! Be still”, “the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:36-39). Compare ‘great storm’ and ‘great calm’ and then say with those who saw the great miracle, “what manner of Man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” (Mark 4:41).
Then note a very sudden great change in Luke 4:22-29. First, they ‘‘wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth”. Second, the religious rulers were filled with indignation and tried their utmost to kill Jesus. He escaped their murderous attack and reached Capernaum where His hearers were AGAIN “astonished at His doctrine; for His word was with power.” (Luke 4:31-32).
If you will carefully study the words of the Lord Jesus, in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, in the verses where He said, “verily, I say unto you,” you will say, “never man spake like this Man.” (John 6:47).
After you have finished this little assignment then note that, in John’s Record, we read more than 100 times these words, “Jesus saith”, “Jesus said”, “Jesus answered.” About 30 times it is recorded in John, “He saith”, “He said,” the ‘HE’ referring to Jesus. Then as we find, in John’s Record, that of the 28 times the LORD Jesus said, “I say” or “I said,” it is most interesting and significant to note that 25 times He emphasized the truth and authority with which He spake, by using the double ‘Verily’. “Verily, verily, I say unto you.”
“Verily” is the Greek word elsewhere translated ‘Amen’.
In John 7:43 we read concerning Christ, “there was a division among the people because of Him.” Yes, “there was much murmuring among the people concerning Him: for some said, He is a GOOD MAN. Others said, Nay, but He deceiveth the people.” (John 7:12). The division and murmuring are still going on today.
However, if people are deceived concerning Christ, it is not Christ who has deceived them, but His great enemy, Satan, who hates Christ with a vicious hatred. If Christ said He had Glory with the Father before the world was, that He had power on earth to forgive sins, if He claimed unity and equality with God, if He permitted His disciple to worship Him as ‘my LORD and My God’ (John 20:28 ), then, He was either God, or a crazy person deceiving the people.
If Christ deceived the people, He was NOT a GOOD MAN. Christ was both GOOD and GOD, or, He was neither GOOD nor GOD. Only the GOD-MAN could say, “I have power to lay, down My life; and have power to take it up again”, and do it. (John 10:17-19). Only the GOD-MAN could truthfully say, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:58). He also said, “If ye believe NOT that I AM, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24). Read each one of Christ’s more than twenty “I AM’S” in John’s Record, and you will agree with the Jews of His time who said, “Never man spake like This MAN.” (John 7:46). Christ claimed to be the ONE and ONLY way to God and eternal life and heaven. (John 14:6, John 11:25-26, John 14:3). In the wonderful prayer of the High Priest, recorded in John 17, we read Christ’s words in John 17:24, “I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am: that they may behold My glory.” With this prayer read Christ’s statement in another prayer to His Father, in John 11:42, “I knowest that Thou hearest Me ‘ALWAYS’.”
As we read these prayers of the LORD Jesus, we think of Colossians 3:4, “When Christ, Who is our LIFE, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.”
The Father spoke from heaven concerning His Son, saying, “This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him.” (Matthew 17:5). This is the Son Who said, “the dead shall hear the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” (John 5:25). This is the Son Who said, referring to His bodily resurrection, “destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19). “Verily, verily, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” (John 1:51).
With the more than twenty “I AM’s” in the twenty one chapters of John, it is interesting to visit John on the Isle of Patmos in the first few chapters of The Book of Revelation and learn, in the closing verses of Revelation 4, that everything was created by the LORD Jesus and for His pleasure. After seeing Him as the great Creator in Revelation 4, then see Him in the closing verses of Revelation 5 as the Great Redeemer, “for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” (Revelation 5:9). Little wonder then that the RISEN Christ said to John, “I AM Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the LORD, Which is, and Which was, and Which is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:11). This testimony of Christ includes all the “I AM’s” of John’s Record. Note His “I AM” in John 11:25-26 and compare with His “I AM” of Revelation 1:18, “I AM the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.”, AND, “I AM He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I AM alive forever more, Amen: and have the keys of hades and of death.”
Now note John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His Glory, the Glory of the only Begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth.” The Word became flesh that He should, by the Grace of God, taste death for every man (Hebrews 2:9); that He might, through death, destroy him who had the power of death, the devil. (Hebrews 2:14-15).
The LORD of Glory, in the shadow of the cross, said, “now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” (John 12:31). Then the LORD added that the Holy Spirit would reprove the world of judgment, “because the prince of this world is judged.” (John 16:11). In John 14:30 the LORD said, “the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me.” In Matthew 12:24 Beelzebub is called “the prince of demons”; but for some reason, in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Satan is NOT called the prince of the world. However Satan does claim to have authority over the kingdoms of this world in Luke 4:5-7. In John’s Gospel it is not recorded that Satan met Christ in the wilderness to tempt Him. This temptation is mentioned in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
In John 1:9 the LORD Jesus is called “the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” We learn in John 3:19-20 and throughout John’s Record that Israel would not come to the Light, to Jesus, Who called Himself, “The Light of the World.” (John 1:12). We find ‘LIGHT’ in John 23 times.
In the twenty one chapters of John the LORD Jesus, in referring to Himself, used the first person pronoun “I” and “ME” about 550 times. “MY”, ”MINE”, ”MYSELF,” about 110 times. Then adding the number of times He spoke of Himself in the third person pronoun and by various titles He referred to Himself well over 700 times.
Surely the eternal, Divine, self existent, omnipotent, omniscient, Christ spake as never man spake, testifying that He had Glory with the Father before the world began (John 17:5); that He came down from heaven (John 6:38); that he always pleased His Father (John 8:29); that He had power to lay down His life and take it up again. (John 10:17-19). If you will carefully and prayerfully list all the sayings of Christ in John’s Record, you will join Thomas in, “my LORD and my God.” (John 20:28).
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” Acts 16:31, while there is still time!
So There You Have it!
Spread this message to everyone you know, far and wide. The time is short
Grace be to you and peace, from God: our Father, and The LORD Jesus Christ.
In The LORD Jesus Christ,
The Lion and Lamb Ministry
Pastor David Picos, D.D.
Minister and Ambassador for Christ in the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-20)
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