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About The Bible.
WHO IS JESUS -
CREATURE OR CREATOR? Part 1.
INTRODUCTION: I guess
the question has come up everywhere I have preached. “Where did
Jesus come from?” Most can understand that the Heavenly Father has
always existed. But what about Jesus? Many have a problem with the
Biblical truth that Jesus has always existed. In fact, the Bible
declares Jesus divine, just like the Father.
BODY
I. JESUS CLAIMED
DIVINITY (GODHOOD) FOR HIMSELF.
A. Jesus claimed
complete power over himself.
1. John 10:18 - "No man
taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay
it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I
received of my Father."
B. Jesus claimed that he
was Jehovah.
1. Exodus 3:14 - "And
God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou
say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto
you."
2. John 8:28, 58- "Then
said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then
shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as
my Father hath taught me, I speak these things."
3. John 8:58 "Jesus said
unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I
am."
C. Both enemies and
disciples acknowledged that he claimed this.
1. John 5:18 "Therefore
the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken
the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself
equal with God."
2. John 8:59 "Then took
they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out
of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed
by."
3. John 20:28 "And
Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my
God."
II. JESUS ACCEPTED
WORSHIP.
A. Worship is only
reserved for God.
1. Matthew
4:9,10
B. Men and Angels should
not be worshipped.
1. Acts 10:25-26 "And as
Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet,
and worshipped him. 26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I
myself also am a man."
2. Revelation 19:10 "And
I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do
it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the
testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the
spirit of prophecy."
3. Revelation 22:9 -
"Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy
fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which
keep the sayings of this book: worship God."
C. But Jesus never
rebuked anyone for worshipping Him.
1. Matthew 14:33 - "Then
they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a
truth thou art the Son of God."
2. Matthew 28:9 - "And
as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying,
All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped
him."
3. Luke 24:52 - "And
they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great
joy:"
4. Hebrews 1:6 - "And
again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he
saith, And let all the angels of God worship him."
III. INSPIRED WRITERS
ACCLAIMED HIS DIVINITY.
A. Jesus was spoken of
as being Divine by Isaiah.
1. Isaiah 7:14 -
"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin
shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name
Immanuel."
a. Matthew 1:23 "Behold,
a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they
shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with
us."
2. Isaiah 9:6 - "For
unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government
shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of
Peace."
B. John's
declaration.
1. John 1:1,2 - "In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God."
C. Paul's
testimony.
1. Colossians 1:15-17
"Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every
creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven,
and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were
created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by
him all things consist."
2. Hebrews 1:8 - "But
unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a
sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy
kingdom."
IV. PROBLEM PASSAGES
CONSIDERED.
A. John 8:28 - "Then
said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then
shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as
my Father hath taught me, I speak these things."
1. "I can do nothing of
myself..."
2. Speaking of his
humbled position on earth.
3. Philippians 2:5-8
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who,
being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form
of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found
in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross."
B. The use of the phrase
"Son of God."
1. This phrase is said
to denote an inferior position for Christ.
a. Supposidly shows that
Christ was created by His Father.
2. But the Jews
recognized the phrase as equivilent with equality with the
Father.
a. John 5:18 -
"Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only
had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father,
making himself equal with God."
3. Actually eastern
people understood the phrase as a title of high honour, and did not
denote inferior rank.
C. John 14:28 - "Ye have
heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye
loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father:
for my Father is greater than I."
D. Colossians 1:15 "Who
is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every
creature:"
1. "Firstborn of all
creation."
2. Doesn't mean that
Jesus was a created being.
a. Colossians 1:16-17
"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that
are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or
dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by
him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all
things consist."
3. Probably means that
Jesus is the first or pre-eminent in the universe.
E. Revelation 3:14 -
"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These
things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning
of the creation of God;"
1. "...the beginning of
the creation of God."
2. Beginning comes from
the greek word "Archa."
a. "That by which
anything begins to be, the origin, the active cause." - Thayer's
Greek Lexicon.
3. Harmonizes perfectly
with Colossians 1:16-17.
Conclusion: Ignatius,
"the Jesus whom I know as my redeemer cannot be less than
God."
Copyright 1999 by
Grady Scott may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes at no cost
to others.