“The Christ”

 

Part 1                        The Prophecies

 

 

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise and tread your head under foot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel.                            Genesis 3:15, Luke 1:35.

 

He shall come as a Redeemer to Zion, and to those in Jacob (Israel) who turn from transgression, says the Lord. Isaiah 59:20 – Luke 2:38.

 

God, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the non-existent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed. Romans 4:17b.  Genesis 17:5.

 

Following the spiritual death of the first Adam, God in His great wisdom set forth a plan so incredible that even after it came to pass it still to this day causes man to marvel at its greatness and simplicity. It is called the plan of redemption.

 

At the very moment when the Father spoke to the serpent (Satan) and said, “He shall bruise and tread your head under foot,” the plan of redemption was finalized.

 

How do we know this?

 

So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth; it shall not return to me void (without producing any effect), but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.  Isaiah 55:11.

 

The same creative power that caused the universe to come into being would be the same power that would cause the Redeemer to also come into being, and because it was a man who gave up his dominion over the earth to God’s enemy then it had to be a Man who would eventually take back what Satan had stolen by deception.

 

Although the Redeemer was alive within the Fathers heart it would be many years and many prophecies spoken forth by God’s people before the physical manifestation would finally break through from the womb of a virgin in that little town of Bethlehem.                          Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1-2.

 

There are two things that make the Christian faith stand out from all the other religions known to man. They are His word and His power. We shall take a look at what came to pass when God the Father put them both to work on behalf of mankind just because of this one significant fact, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.

 

The prophecies concerning the Messiah had to have a beginning, and as we noted before, because Adam delivered the world over to Satan through his disobedience, then God had to bring forth a man (the Last Adam) who would legally take back what the first Adam gave up. So in order to bring it to pass, God first went searching for a man who would believe His word and act upon it.

 

We know the man he chose was Abram and this is the word that God spoke to him, “I will make of you a great nation, I will bless those who bless you and curse him who curses you, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12: 2-3, Acts 3:25.

 

Now that the word of God has been spoken forth, what will the man do with it? Well we know it took a while but Abram finally came around to God’s way of thinking and when he did it gave God the opportunity to move forward.

 

Concerning a child for Abram the word of the Lord came forth, “He who shall come from your own body shall be your heir.” “Look now toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

Genesis 15:4-5.

 

Now this is where the power comes in, and Abram believed, (trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to the Lord); and He counted it to him as righteousness [right standing with God]. Genesis 15:6

 

We as believers in Christ have got to get a revelation of the kind of faith that Abraham had in the word of God in order to fully comprehend this man we know of as the father of faith.

Romans 4:16.

 

Further on in Romans we see in Paul’s teaching that Abraham passed the point of doubt and unbelief and it says, he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God. Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised. That is why his faith was accredited to him as righteousness – right standing with God.

Romans 4: 20-22.

 

This is the kind of man that was needed to begin the process of calling things that be not as though they were, where the Redeemer is concerned. This is the reason that the prophets were raised up, so that the spoken word would keep going forth and eventually the Messiah would be manifest on the earth.

 

First, the word of God goes forth, second, the word is believed on by a man and thirdly, the power of God comes on the scene.

 

If Abraham had not trusted in, relied on, and remained steadfast to the Lord then there would not have been a miracle child born to him and Sarah, instead God would have had to search for another to be the father of faith. So now this should be our witness of how important it is for God’s people to have strong faith.

 

Then God began to speak to Isaac, “I will make your descendants to multiply as the stars of the heavens, and by your Offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,” or by Him bless themselves. For Abraham listened to and obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commands, My statutes and My laws. So (in obedience) Isaac stayed in Gerar. Genesis 26: 4-6.

 

The same spirit of faith that caused Abraham to be righteous in the eyes of God was now working in his son Isaac. It has got to be the God kind of faith or it will not work. What is it? I believe and therefore I have spoken.  2 Corinthians 4:13.

 

Our next step concerns the two sons of Isaac; Esau and Jacob. What a turn of events this turned out to be.

 

In verse 21 Isaac pleads with the Lord for a child, the Lord granted his plea and Rebekah his wife conceived. In verse 22 she was concerned about her pregnancy so she inquired of the Lord and He said, “Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.” Vs.23.

 

Now notice carefully these words of the Lord, “The older shall serve the younger.” Rebekah received these words into her heart.

 

The child Esau was born first and then Jacob. Notice verse 28, and Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. Why? Because she remembered the words of the Lord and she knew that He favored Jacob over Esau and likewise she favored him also.

 

In Genesis 27 we have the incident where Isaac was fooled into giving his younger son his blessing instead of his older son. Once the blessing was given it could not be annulled.

 

Jacob’s blessing: “Surely, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed.

Therefore may God give you of the dew of heaven, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine.

Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. And let your mother’s son’s bow down to you.

Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be those who bless you.” Genesis 27: 27-29.

 

What we have just witnessed is the plan of God in action. Now it may appear that deception was approved by God but remember He gave His word to Rebekah and she followed through the only way she knew. Because Isaac was operating in a natural carnal state, she knew what had to be done and she accomplished her task.

 

The next step was to preserve Jacob’s life, his mother says to him, “Your brother’s intention is to kill you, now therefore my son, obey my voice: arise, flee to my brother Laban in Haran.”  Vs.42-43.

 

On his journey the Lord spoke to him in a dream and said, “I am the Lord God of Abraham and Isaac, the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants, in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. I will keep you and bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”  Genesis 28: 13-15.

 

When Jacob awoke he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place,” then he made a vow saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will surely give a tenth to you.”

Vs. 16, 20-22.

 

At this very time and place Jacob had no idea how he would be blessed in the days to come but he trusted in the word of God and it was accounted to him as righteousness, just as his father and his father before him.

 

As our story continues we see Jacob arrives at Haran where he meets Rachel and is so emotionally overcome that the word say’s, he kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept.  Genesis 29:11.

 

It’s plain to see with Jacob that it was love at first sight for in verse 17 it says, Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance. Jacob loves her so much that he offers to work for her father for seven years if he can have her hand in marriage. The old man agrees and seven years pass but Laban has other plans for Jacob.

 

Verse 23, Now it came to pass in the evening that Laban took his older daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. The Amplified says clearly that he had intercourse with her. In the morning when Jacob learns the truth he says, “Why have you deceived me?” And Laban say’s, “It is not our custom to give the younger daughter first but serve me another seven years and you can have Rachel also.”

 

What was our boy to do? Because he loved Rachel so much he had to agree.

 

Here is where the wisdom of God comes in, Jacob devises a plan that will cause him to prosper and eventually overtake the wealth of his father in law.

 

The word says, Jacob became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys. Then Laban’s son says, “Jacob has taken away all that was our fathers, and from what was our father’s he has acquired all this wealth.” Genesis 30:43 – 31:1. Is this not Jacobs blessing from Isaac fulfilled?

 

Not only was he blessed with goods and servants but he also was blessed with twelve sons. Genesis 35: 23-26. It says, these were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Padan Aram.

 

But God was not through yet, there was one more very important thing that had to take place in order for His plan to move forward.

 

Then God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him. And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel. Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land.” Genesis 35: 9-12.

 

We have seen the word and the power of God come to pass in the lives of his chosen ones, Abram who by faith became Abraham, his son Isaac and Jacob who became Israel. We have seen that whatever word God spoke to them eventually came to pass because of the power that is behind His word.

 

Now we come to the first and surely not the last prophesy concerning the Messiah that would be spoken through the nation of Israel and would carry through until the day in Bethlehem when the Son of man would be born.

 

Jacob gathers his twelve sons together and proceeds to tell them what shall befall each of them in the last days. The prophecy we want to center in on is the one concerning Judah.

 

He says, “Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel your father, the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a law giver from between his feet, until Shiloh (Messiah) comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.”  Genesis 49: 2,10

 

The Lord said to King David, “He shall build me a house, and I will establish His throne forever. I will be His father and He shall be my Son, I will establish Him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and His throne shall be established forever.” 1 Chronicles 17:12-13.

 

Isaiah says, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9: 6.

 

Of whom is he talking about? The One who is to come, the Reason for a nation to rise up, a family into whom He will be born with one purpose in mind, and what purpose is that?  Exactly what Paul said to Timothy, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”  1Timothy 1:15. Amen.

 

Written by: R W Nagle 

                            “The Christ”

 

Part 2                         The Incarnation

 

 

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Immanuel. (God With Us))  Isaiah 7:14.

 

And she shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.  Matthew 1: 21.

 

The prophecies continued to be spoken, the children of Israel began to talk about Him, the book of Psalms is most definite in its references to Him, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You.” “But You are He who took Me out of the womb,” and “Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him Etc.”

 

Then we come to the time in the history of mankind when God Himself would be born into the very world that He had created, for a purpose that only He could have conceived of, and that would be to provide a sinless Lamb who would offer Himself as a one time sacrifice, that would set us free from the bondage of sin and lift us up to where His word says, “We are seated together with Him in heavenly places.”  Ephesians 2:6.

 

How are these things possible?

 

Because of His word and His power.

 

Look what happens every time an individual chooses to be obedient to the word of God.

 

These following scriptures are the most profound exchange of words that have ever been spoken in the earth since God Himself said, “Let there be light.”

 

In Luke chapter one it says, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David and the virgin’s name was Mary.  Luke 1: 26-27.

 

Then the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus (meaning God with us). He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”  Luke 1: 28-33.

 

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”  Luke 1: 34-35.

 

“Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1: 36-38.

 

This is the word of faith in action, the word is spoken, it is received in the inner man (spirit) and it is confessed with the mouth. For the word says, with the mouth confession is made unto, whatever we are believing for. Just as Paul taught in 2 Corinthians 4:13, but since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak.

 

I believe that Mary was prepared for this great historical event. She knew the prophecies concerning the One to come and once she heard the words of life she was ready to receive. And it was at that very moment when she said, “Let it be” that the incarnation of God came into existence.

 

Remember Jesus teaching in Mark chapter four when He expounded on the sower and the seed. He taught that the seed is the word of God and if this seed is received into fertile ground then it would produce a crop of thirtyfold, sixtyfold and sometimes a hundredfold.

Well the hundredfold happened to Mary because nine months later in the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger.  Luke 2: 7.

 

Never before or after has the birth of a single child affected the whole world as did this One from Bethlehem so many years ago.

 

It began with shepherds living out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night. An angel of the Lord said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”  Luke 2: 8-11.

 

Then it says the shepherds made haste and found the Babe and when they had seen Him they made widely known the saying, which was told them concerning this Child. And all who heard it were astounded and marveled at what the shepherds told them.

Luke 2: 16-18.

 

Here we have the very first witnesses for Christ the Lord.

 

Now that He was in the world legally we have the One that Paul referred to as the Last Adam. And so it is written, “The first Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”

1 Corinthians 15:45.

 

Here was a man born of a woman but conceived by the Holy Spirit, therefore the sinful life passed down by the first Adam had no effect on Him. His nature is the nature of His Father, which is why Paul could say, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”                           2 Corinthians 5:21.

 

This is part of the mystery kept hidden through the ages and concealed until now in [the mind of] God who created all things by Christ Jesus.  Ephesians 3:9.

 

The apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians makes an extreme contrast between the body of Christ (His Church) as to where our thought life should be concentrated and the mind of Christ that caused Him to set aside His Lordship with the Father and to humble Himself as a servant in the flesh and ultimately a human sacrifice.

 

Paul says, “Let this same attitude and purpose and mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus. – Let Him be your example in humility- who being one with God stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity] so as to assume the guise of a servant, in that He became like men and was born a human being.  Philippians 2: 5-7.

 

Then Paul says, “He abased and humbled Himself and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross.” And because of this, “God has highly exalted Him and has bestowed on Him the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:8-9) which is Jesus the Christ.”

 

So we see an attitude and a mindset on equal terms with the Creator who never has and never will stray from His word for to do so would then nullify the mystery and cause the power to cease where the spoken word is concerned.

 

Remember we saw before that once the word has gone forth it cannot return void but it must accomplish that act for which it was sent to perform. The second person of the trinity, whom John referred to as the Word of God, was compelled to carry out that which was spoken by the Father and the prophets if indeed the mystery hidden in God was to ever come to pass.

 

It is interesting to note that Satan has some knowledge of the word of God but it is also plain in the word that he does not know or have any revelation of its true meaning.

 

Satan uses the word as a temptation and as a way to deceive those who are not born of God, and even at times to deceive those who have received regeneration but have not as yet had their mind renewed, where they have come to the place in faith, where they have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.      Hebrews 5:14.

 

In the fifth chapter of Hebrews Paul was making a direct contrast between babes in Christ and those who had reached maturity or who have stepped up to the higher things of God in the area of spiritual discernment.

 

Look at the Amplified version, “But solid food (steak as opposed to milk) is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law.”  Hebrews 5:14.

 

This is a place that Satan and his followers, either demons or unregenerate man can never enter into no matter how many cults or false religions they may have introduced to the world. They can only teach and practice death because Satan is the author of death and the reality is just the same today as when Jesus spoke these words to the ungodly in His day, “You are of your father the devil; and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him; for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false.”       John 8:44.

 

This in reality is where the world stood in Jesus day and where it stands today. Man is in need of a Savior and that is exactly what God the Father has provided through the incarnation of the living word, Who became flesh and dwelt among us.  John 1:14.

 

John (the Baptist) also bore witness of Him and cried out, “This is He of whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me. And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”  John 1: 15-18.

 

A declaration, a great announcement has gone forth in the earth, an angel spoke it, Mary received it, the shepherds heard it and told it to others and now that they see Him the witnesses begin to multiply.

 

There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.  Luke 2: 25-26.

 

So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he (Simeon) took Him up in his arms and said: “Lord, now You are letting your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your Salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A Light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.”  Luke 2: 27-32.

 

This corresponds with John chapter one that says, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John (the Baptist). This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through Him might believe. He (John) was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light (or illumination) to every man who comes into the world.”  John 1: 6-9.

 

So the Light that gives illumination to everyone who believes is now encompassed in flesh and is about to embark on the greatest adventure that no other man born of a woman could ever undertake.

 

The word goes on to tell us that when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.  Luke 2: 39-40.

 

At the age of twelve Jesus accompanied His parents to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When they were leaving they looked for Him but could not find Him. When they found Him his mother said to Him, “Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” And He said to them, “Did you not know that I must be about My Fathers business?”

 

The word says they did not understand His statement but that He returned with them to Nazareth and was subject to them. And the Amplified says, Jesus increased in wisdom (in broad and full understanding), and in stature and years, and in favor with God and man.

 

We understand that Jesus of Nazareth has a calling on His life, and as we have seen from these scriptures even as a boy of twelve He had some knowledge of His life and purpose, but it also says He grew and became strong in spirit which means that He had to be obedient to the word of God, which if applied to the spirit, causes faith to rise up in the heart of man.                                                                                   

 

The word also teaches that He increased in wisdom and stature which shows us that the whole Man (spirit, soul and body) was definitely affected just as we as believers today can also be partakers of the same if we are obedient to the scripture that says, so then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.  Romans 10:17.

 

But let us not forget that He was in the flesh and He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Hebrews 4:15.

 

Which was no doubt the reason why He was able to mature much faster than any man, which enabled Him, at the age of twelve, to minister at Jerusalem and bring astonishment to those who heard Him with His understanding and answers.   Luke 2:47.

 

 

Written by: R W Nagle.  

                                  “The Christ”               

 

Part 3                   The Ministry

 

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.  John 5: 26-27.

 

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.  Matthew 9:35.

 

From studying the word of God we see that Jesus was born in Bethlehem according to Bible prophecy, then he traveled for a time into Egypt with his parents and eventually back to Nazareth where he grew up, which was also spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”  

Matthew 2:23.

 

We noted in part two that Jesus of Nazareth had a calling on His life, we saw at the age of twelve that He had some knowledge of His life’s purpose and that He grew and became strong in spirit which means that He had to be obedient to the word of God, which if applied to the spirit causes faith to rise up in the heart of man.

 

The word tells us that He increased in wisdom and stature which shows us that the whole man (spirit, soul and body) was definitely affected just as we as believers today can also be partakers of the same if we are obedient to the scripture that says, “So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”  Romans 10:17. 

 

Concerning His ministry there is something of interest in John chapter two. There was a wedding in Cana, Jesus, His mother and disciples were there as guests. They were getting low on wine so the mother of Jesus turned to Him and said, “They have no wine.” He replied and said, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”  John 2: 1- 4.

 

This tells me that Jesus could have begun His ministry any time because of the miracle that He performed, but by His statement to His mother He is telling us that there is an appointed time and hour that the Father has set before Him, and it was definitely not at that particular time.

 

Can we know from the word when that certain hour might have been?  

 

Luke 3:23 tells us that Jesus Himself began His ministry at approximately thirty years of age. But this does not give us that certain hour that he emphatically referred to in John chapter two.

 

I believe we can find the answer in Matthew chapter three.

 

John the Baptist is proclaiming the One who is to come. He says, “I baptize you with the baptism of repentance but He who is coming after me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”      Matthew 3:11.

 

Then when Jesus stood in front of him John said, “It is I who have need to be baptized by You.” Then Jesus replied to him, “Permit it just now, for this is the fitting way for [both of] us to fulfill all righteousness – that is, to perform completely whatever is right.” Vs.15.

 

Now we know that being righteous is being right with God. When an unbeliever receives salvation through Christ he immediately becomes right with God the Father or he becomes righteous. It’s not something that he has to work for; it is a gift from God. Since Jesus was born of God then He was always a righteous man. So what does He mean when He says to John the Baptist, “This is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness?”

 

Well the main thrust of Jesus ministry is to set an example for His disciples to follow, and to show them the power that will be available to them once He has ascended, and in turn sends the Holy Spirit for them to receive.

 

Now look at the example that we have in Matthew chapter three of the triune Godhead manifested before our very eyes.

 

And when Jesus was baptized, He went up at once out of the water, and behold, the heavens were opened, and he [John] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him; and lo, a voice from heaven said, “This is My Son, My Beloved, in whom I delight.” Matthew 3: 16-17.

 

Here we have the Son of God fulfilling the will of His Father by first of all being baptized (immersed) in water, which is a type of His death, burial and resurrection, and then we see Him being filled with the Spirit as an example for His followers to do likewise (Acts 2:4), and then we have the Fathers voice putting His stamp of approval on all that has just taken place. The spoken word.

 

This my friends is what I believe, is the exact time He was referring to when He said, “My hour has not yet come.” Once He had fulfilled all righteousness and received the stamp of approval from the Father, then and only then could He begin the greatest ministry that mankind could ever hope to witness.

 

Immediately following His baptism He is led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The Amplified says, He was tempted, tested and tried by the devil. The next verse says He went without food and water for forty days and later He was hungry. Matthew 4: 1-2.

 

Now this next verse (three) is really something to stop and meditate on. Remember that Paul teaches that Jesus is the last Adam, or Adam made over. Well Satan is trying the very same temptation on Jesus that he pulled on Adam and Eve. But this time the last Adam is ready for him. This One is filled with the Spirit and the word of the living God.

 

Now the tempter thinks he is smart because he knows a little scripture, “If You are the Son of God, turn this stone into bread,” but Jesus turns the tables when He answers with the living word backed by the power of God. “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Vs. 4.

 

Here is another example of Christ fulfilling all righteousness, He allows Himself to be tempted three times before He gives Satan the boot. Remember these temptations were just as real as any others that are common to man but this One walked in total obedience to His Father therefore He was without sin.

 

Since the devil was completely rejected the word says he departed from Jesus and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

 

During this time Jesus began to gather around Him the men who would come to be known as the twelve apostles. This does include the one who would betray Him but who would later be replaced after the resurrection, for Peter says in Acts 1:21-22, “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to the day He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.

 

In Luke chapter four there is a heading in my Bible over verse 14 that reads, “Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry”. Which could be noted as a proclamation of His ministry.

 

He came to Nazareth and as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read. He opened the book of Isaiah and found where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”  Luke 4: 16-19.

 

Now that He had their attention and the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him He proceeds to make a statement that causes confusion among the people for He says, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”  Vs. 21.

 

Now everything seems fine at first but when He continues to identify Himself as the prophet from these scriptures, then they become greatly offended and the word says, all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city.

 

Everything is fine until the self righteous become offended and then we see the true colors of those who refuse to hear the truth.

 

Because it was not His time to be taken the word says, He passed through the midst of them and went on His way.  Vs. 30.

 

At this time His ministry is well under way. He has been anointed by the Holy Spirit, He has declared who He is, He has assembled His immediate followers and just as our foundation scripture says, He is teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Matthew 9:35.

 

Throughout His earthly ministry it was not Satan or his kingdom that gave Jesus of Nazareth the most trouble it was the religious leaders of the day who were greatly offended by His words and actions.

 

Our other foundation scripture tells us that the Father 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.

 

Let’s look at an example from Luke chapter thirteen. As usual Jesus was having problems trying to make the religious leaders understand His purpose and His actions.

 

This is a perfect example of how the religious mind works and how new life in Christ causes them to stumble every time. Didn’t He say I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly?

 

The scripture says, and behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years, when Jesus saw her He called to her and said, “Woman you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.   Luke 13: 11-13.

 

But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”

 

The Lord answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? “So ought not this woman, whom Satan has bound – think of it – for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”

 

And when He had said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.  Luke 13: 14-17.

 

Every incident of this kind throughout the word of God is an example of the word and power that was available to the One who answered the call of God on his life, and knew at an early age that His sole purpose on earth was to be about His Fathers business.

 

From reading this one scripture, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free,” tells me that the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth was the most important part of His ministry by far.

 

Why do I say this?

 

Because faith in the word of God will lead a man from bondage into freedom every time that he makes a choice to follow through with corresponding actions.

 

Look at the early church, they took the words of the Master literally when He said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved (delivered) but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

 

“And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”         Mark 16: 15- 18.

 

Do I believe that the Disciples of Christ were set free? I certainly do.

 

In John fourteen Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”  John 14: 26. 

 

Once they were filled with the Spirit, He began to bring the words of Christ alive within them and they began to do the very things that He said they would do with absolutely no fear of man or devil.

 

This ministry of the man from Galilee was the turning point in the history of mankind. The effects of His life have been seen and heard throughout the whole world in the last 2000 years, more than any other minister, world leader, president or king.

 

And to this day His words ring with truth just as they did the day that they were spoken, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned.”  Mark 16:16. 

 

Written by: R W Nagle.        

 

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

                           “The Christ”

 

 

Part 4               The Crucifixion

 

So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.  Numbers 21:9.

 

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.  John 3:14.

 

And when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

Matthew 27:26b.

 

The man, Jesus of Nazareth was born to die for the sins of the world, not just for His people, the Jews, but for every person living and dead.

 

When He spoke to His disciples concerning his death, burial and resurrection He knew even before He spoke that not a single thing He said would be understood.

 

Then why bother to expound upon what had already been prophesied?

 

Because this was not only God’s Deliverer but He was also operating as the last prophet under the old covenant, there would be no other to follow Him. And just as the others before Him, He too would speak words of life, filled with faith and power, planting seeds within the hearts and minds of those who heard Him as He ministered day to day.

 

You see it wasn’t just the prophets who spoke the word but it was the everyday actions of those who chose to believe the word of God and to continually call things that be not as though they were. It started with Abraham (Romans 4:17) and it continued up until the One was fully manifested and as we have noted He in turn carried on with the Fathers word even to the day He died.

 

An example can be found in John chapter three, a ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus came to Jesus seeking answers but the things that Jesus shared with him were of a spiritual nature and because no one had as yet been born again, including Nicodemus, there was no way for revelation to be imparted to them.

 

His words brought nothing but confusion to the unregenerate man.

 

Jesus said, “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”

 

He goes on to say, “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have ever lasting life.”

 

Here He was speaking spiritual truths to one of the most knowledgeable men of His time but as we say today, “It went in one ear and out the other.”

 

Let us understand exactly what the Lord was doing. The words that He spoke were life and truth and they had a two-fold meaning. The prophetic words that He spoke concerning His purpose in the world were once again going forth ahead of Him in order to bring about His Fathers plan of redemption. The words that He spoke concerning righteous living and obedience were meant to be heard and recorded by His church for use in the body after His ascension.

 

I would like to share my thoughts on the kind of Man we are talking about and the power that He possessed from the moment that He was conceived until the day He gave up His spirit. I believe there was a supernatural hedge built around Him that was His protector and His guide all the days of His natural life.

 

How can we know this?

 

Think of it this way, once the seed of the Fathers plan had taken root within the virgin there was no one but God Himself who knew exactly what was about to be propagated upon the world scene. Therefore He was not about to let any devil or any man interfere with what had been legally appropriated and in turn beneficial to the complete redemption of mankind.

 

When Herod tried to take His life he didn’t even come close. When the crowd tried to take Him, He walked right through the midst of them. Even when they came for Him at Gethsemane the word says this, “then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches and weapons. Jesus therefore knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Who are you seeking?” They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Then when He said to them, “I am He,” – they drew back and fell to the ground.

 

Can’t you just hear the disciples talking among themselves a few days after His ascension, “Talk about untouchable, did you see how powerful He was in the Garden, there’s no way they could have taken Him if He did not allow it.”

 

So we know for a fact that whatever was to happen to Him would only happen once He turned His complete will over to the Father and became the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

 

He continued throughout His earthly ministry to speak of things that be not as though they were.

 

In teaching His disciples He says, “Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.”  John 16:32.

 

Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.”  John 7:33

 

Again He said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.”  John 8:28.

 

Fulfilling Old Testament prophecies was a prerequisite for the One who came to set the captives free.

 

From the Garden to the cross would be the most difficult hours that He would spend on this earth. Even though He knew all things that He must suffer in the natural, it would be nothing compared to what He would suffer in the spirit.

 

We must understand who we are as human beings in order to comprehend exactly what this Redeemer was about to go through on our behalf.

 

We have noted before that we are a spirit being, we have a soul and we live or are housed in a natural physical body. No man before or after knew the human make up better than the Word of God Himself because He was the instrument of creation.  John 1:1

 

He was fully aware of human suffering because He witnessed it first hand during His earthly existence and as a man He was tempted in all points just as we are, yet without sin.  Hebrews 4:15.

 

The anguish that began in the garden of Gethsemane began in His soul which consists of the intellect, emotions and His will. We can see from the word that He was going through something that He had never experienced before. It says, and being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  Luke 22: 44.

 

The Amplified says this, and being in agony of [mind], He prayed [all the] more earnestly and intently, and His sweat became like great clots of blood dropping down upon the ground.

 

Webster defines agony as, intense pain of mind or body, a violent struggle. Well we know that He was not as yet suffering in His body so we must agree that this current struggle was in His soul.

 

Listen friends, Jesus of Nazareth knew exactly what the suffering Messiah was sent to earth for and He in Himself as a natural man was obviously looking for a way out.

 

How do we know this?

 

And He withdrew from them (His disciples) about a stone’s throw and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done.” And there appeared to Him an angel from heaven, strengthening Him in spirit.

Note: The cup of redemption.

 

This Man was at the place emotionally where He was ready to try anything else except what lay before Him, but because of the love for His Father and the world He would lay aside His own will and take upon Himself the will of His Father. For God so loved that He gave.

 

Now this was just the beginning of His sufferings, next came the physical side of redemption.

 

Our redeemer knew from the word what purpose the Father had in mind for us today, once His faith was propagated with corresponding actions and He walked towards death with supernatural strength (in spirit) never before seen in the life of a man.

 

Look at this, Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief and made Him sick. When You and He make His life an offering for sin [and He has risen from the dead, in time to come], He shall see His [spiritual] offspring, He shall prolong His days, and the will and pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.  Isaiah 53:10.

 

Now operating completely in the Fathers will, and looking far ahead at the end result of His actions, and how this would bring pleasure to the Lord, He gave Himself completely over to those whose only purpose was to destroy His life.

 

Therefore, Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword [back] into the sheath! The cup which My Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” So the troops and their captain and the guards of the Jews seized Jesus and bound Him.

 

When John the Baptist saw Jesus of Nazareth from afar he proclaimed to those around him, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” In essence what he was saying is this, “You see that man, He is the one sent from God to take our place, to be our substitute, to do for us what no other man could do, He has come to pay the price for our sin.”

 

In his letter to the Galatians Paul said this, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” Galatians 4: 4-5.

 

So now our Substitute is in the hands of His perpetrators, the ones who were destined to make history by trying and convicting an innocent man. But that’s okay because we who have become adopted sons aren’t angry but we are eternally grateful to the One who gave his life as a substitute for all.

 

Through the years certain individuals professing to be followers of Christ have focused their attention on those who arrested, convicted and put to death our sin substitute, failing to realize that they were just the instruments used by God to fulfill His word and to bring to pass the great plan of redemption.

 

But those whose focus is on the spiritual side of redemption see clearly what had to take place in order for restoration to be implemented by the Lord Himself.

 

We look at Isaiah 53 and we see what must happen to the suffering Messiah. We know that He had to be led as a lamb to the slaughter, we know He was stricken, smitten of God and afflicted, we know He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed.

 

We look into our new covenant and we see that we are new creatures in Christ Jesus; we know that the greater One has taken up residence within us and that He is so much greater than he who is in the world. We look into the perfect law of liberty and understand that we can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us.

 

Isn’t this what Peter came to the realization of on the day of Pentecost?

 

What was his discourse all about following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit? Acts 2.  Was it not about the fulfillment of Bible prophecy and what must happen to the Christ which they all had just witnessed a few days before and this also which was now taking place in their presence?

 

Take a look at the power behind the word of God when it is expounded upon by a man of faith, who believes what he is preaching and holds nothing back, not even for those who may be practicing political correctness.

 

Can’t you just hear Peter shouting, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36.

 

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, (Vs.37a) isn’t this interesting, look with me for a moment at another scripture, “For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12.

 

What is this saying to us today?

 

Simply this, when the word of God is preached, meaning the true gospel, it is full of life and it bypasses the flesh completely as it divides the soul and spirit of man and goes directly to the heart of the matter, leaving the hearer with a choice to make, do I accept this as truth and act upon it accordingly or do I continue to reject it and spend eternity with the damned?

 

Look what happened after Peter gave the first alter call, then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to the church. Acts 2:41. Peter brought light through the word and it caused illumination in the hearts of those who heard him and immediately recognized that their Messiah had indeed arrived and old covenant word had surely come to pass.

 

Written by: R W Nagle.