FoF Lesson 4

The Person of Jesus Christ

Audio message for Lesson 4: Christ Above All
Listen | Read | Download High | Download Low

[Lesson 4: Sessions 7, 8] [Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

Notes on Session 7, Sunday, November 1st:

  1. First Session on Lesson 4
  2. Welcome to new members of the class
  3. Personal highlights from MacArthur’s message?
  4. Challenges in filling in Answers in Lesson 4?
  5. Questions to be addressed?
  6. Objectives: To present the person of Christ as God, as man, and as Lord and Savior.
  7. More references:
    1. Jesus’ Claims to Deity.
    2. Jesus: Truly God and Truly Human.
    3. Jesus’ Two Natures: God and Man.
    4. Christianity, The World’s Most Falsifiable Religion.
    5. Slides in IsHeGod.ppt /pdf
    6. Slides in Reality.ppt /pdf

Common Questions for Lesson 4:

  • How can Jesus be both 100 percent man and 100 percent God at the same time?
  • How can Jesus be the Son of God and yet equal God?
  • Was Jesus turned into a deity by the Roman Emperor Constantine in the 4th century AD?
  • What about the Jesus Seminar, The Da Vinci Code, the Zeitgeist Movie?
  • What distinguishes the cults from Christianity?
  • Do you have another question or issue to discuss?

Class Plan for Lesson 4:

  1. The Person of Christ
    1. Names and Titles of Christ
    2. The I AM’s of Christ
  2. The Incarnation and Humanity of Jesus
  3. The True Divinity of Jesus
  4. The Christ Who is Savior
  5. The King Who Comes to Rule
  6. Application of What We have Learned
  7. Addressing Alleged Contradictions/Errors

The Person of Christ:

Phil. 2:6-8, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Names and Titles of Lord Jesus Christ:
  • Lord: Title of honor; we are subject to Him:
    • 1 Pet. 1:18-19, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
    • Rom. 6:22-23, But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  • Jesus: Joshua, Savior:
    • Matt. 1:21, She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
    • John 1:29, The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
  • Christ: Anointed one; Messiah; Official title:
    • John 1:41, He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).

The I AM’s of Christ:

  • I am the Son of God, Matt. 27:43, For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’
  • I am with you always, Matt. 28:20, … And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
  • I am the bread of life, John 6:35, Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
  • I am the light of the world, John 8:12, Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
  • I am the door, John 10:9, I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
  • I am the good shepherd, John 10:11, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
  • I am the resurrection and the life, John 11:25-26, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
  • I am the way, the truth, and the life, John 14:6-7, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
  • I am the Alpha and the Omega/Almighty, Rev. 1:8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
  • I am coming quickly, Rev. 3:11, I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.
  • I AM, John 8:58, Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
  • Question:
    • How do these titles and the “I Am’s” of Christ relate to the titles of Deity? [Immanuel, Lord, I am]

The Incarnation and Humanity of Christ:

  • Christ existed in the form of God before His incarnation
  • Christ’s existence did not start at His human birth
  • He took on humanity, becoming 100 % God and 100% man, Luke 24:39, See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.
The Incarnation:
  • Phil. 2:6-7, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
  • Christ never ceased being deity, Col. 2:9, For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.
  • Christ added humanity to His deity. The transfiguration was a display of Christ (for a moment) unveiling His glory, Matt. 17:1-8, And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. … He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” … And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
  • Christ (voluntarily) set aside, or emptied, Himself of of the independent exercise of some of His divine attributes. Phil. 2:7, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
    • He set aside His glory, John 17:5, And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
    • He set aside the display of His divine attributes, Matt. 24:36, But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
    • Set aside His face-to-face relationship with the Father, Matt. 27:46, And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
  • Self-emptying implies Christ is not God?
    • John 5:30, “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.”
    • John 14:28, You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
  • The reality:
    • Christ had to be man to die in man’s place, Matt. 20:28, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
    • Christ had to be God [deity, sinless] to be the perfect sacrifice, Rom.3:23,  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Heb. 10:12,14, But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, … For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
  • Jesus’ Two Natures: God and Man
    • This chart shows the two natures of Jesus “in action”:
GOD MAN
He is worshiped (Matt. 2:2, 11, 14:33) He worshiped the Father (John 17)
He was called God (John 20:28, Heb. 1:8) He was called man (Mark 15:39, John 19:5)
He was called Son of God (Mark 1:1) He was called Son of Man (John 9:35-37)
He is prayed to (Acts 7:59) He prayed to the Father (John 17)
He is sinless (1 Pet. 2:22, Heb. 4:15) He was tempted (Matt. 4:1)
He knows all things (John 21:17) He grew in wisdom (Luke 2:52)
He gives eternal life (John 10:28) He died (Rom. 5:8)
All the fullness of deity dwells in Him (Col. 2:9) He has a body of flesh and bones (Luke 24:39)

Question:

    • How do you explain Christ’s dual nature?
The Humanity of Christ:
  • Born of a woman, Luke 2:6-7, And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
  • Jesus grew in strength and increased in wisdom, Luke 2:40-52, And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. … After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
  • Grew into a man, John 8:57, So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”
  • Jesus became tired; He slept, Mark 4:38, But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
  • He became hungry, Matt. 4:2, And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
  • Jesus grieved and wept John 11:35, Jesus wept.
  • Jesus was tempted to sin, Matt. 4:1-11, Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
  • Question:
    • What other human attributes did Christ exhibit?

The True Divinity of Jesus:

Demonstrated in His Attributes:
  • Sovereign, Matt. 28:18, And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
  • Eternal, 1 John 1:1-2, That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—
  • Immutable, Heb. 13:8, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
  • Omniscient, Col. 2:2-3, That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
  • Sinless, 2 Cor. 5:21, For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
  • Holy, Acts 3:14-15, But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
  • Truth, John 14:6, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
  • Christ demonstrated His power over Creation by calming the storm, over sickness and disease by healing, over demons, and over death.
  • Christ made another claim in Mark 2:3-12, to ________ ____. Who alone can do this? Mark 2:7.
  • Question:
    • What other divine attributes did Christ exhibit?
Demonstrated by His Titles:
  • Immanuel, Matt. 1:23, “God with us”
  • Lord, Phil. 2:10-11, “sovereign”
  • I am, John 8:58, “a title reserved for God [Ex. 3:14]”
  • Question:
    • How do Christ’s titles declare His deity?
Demonstrated by Statements of Deity:
  • Thomas’s testimony to Christ’s deity, John 20:28-29, Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
  • Christ as King of kings, 1 Tim. 6:14-16, … he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
  • Christ’s claim to be God, John 10:31-32, The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?”
  • Questions:
    • Why did the Jews want to kill Jesus? John 10:33.
    • What other specific claim did Jesus make that incensed the Jews? Mark 2:7.
Short Video Clips:

[Lesson 4: Sessions 7, 8] [Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

Notes on Session 8, Sunday, November 8th:

  1. Second Session on Lesson 4
  2. Welcome to new members of the class
  3. Personal highlights from MacArthur’s message?
  4. Challenges in filling in Answers in Lesson 4?
  5. Questions to be addressed?
  6. Objectives: To present the person of Christ as God, as man, and as Lord and Savior.
  7. More references:
    1. Jesus’ Claims to Deity.
    2. Jesus: Truly God and Truly Human.
    3. Jesus’ Two Natures: God and Man.
    4. Christianity, The World’s Most Falsifiable Religion.
    5. Slides in IsHeGod.ppt /pdf
    6. Slides in Reality.ppt /pdf

Common Questions for Lesson 4:

  • How can Jesus be both 100 percent man and 100 percent God at the same time?
  • How can Jesus be the Son of God and yet equal God?
  • Was Jesus turned into a deity by the Roman Emperor Constantine in the 4th century AD?
  • What about the Jesus Seminar, The Da Vinci Code, the Zeitgeist Movie?
  • What distinguishes the cults from Christianity?
  • Do you have another question or issue to discuss?

Class Plan for Lesson 4:

  1. The Person of Christ
  2. The Incarnation and Humanity of Jesus
  3. The True Divinity of Jesus
  4. The Christ Who is Savior
  5. The King Who Comes to Rule
  6. Application of What We have Learned
  7. Addressing Alleged Contradictions/Errors

The Christ Who Is Savior:

  • Jesus is the Savior of the world, John 3:17, For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
  • God’s saving grace is described here as:
    • Lamb of God, John 1:29, The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
    • Bread of Life, John 6:35, Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
    • The way, truth, life, John 14:6, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
  • Questions:
    • What is the difference between admitting that Jesus is the Savior, and claiming that Jesus is my Savior?
    • Based on what you have read, what does it mean to use the title Savior when talking about Jesus?

The King Who Comes to Rule:

  • In His first coming, Jesus preached the Gospel, was crucified, was buried, rose again, and ascended into Heaven.
  • In His second coming, Jesus will reign over all the earth:
    • Christ has been given dominion, glory, kingdom, Dan. 7:14, 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.
    • Jesus’ prophecy, Matt. 25:31-32, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”
    • Christ’s ascension, 40 days after His resurrection, Acts 1:11, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
    • Christ’s return, 2 Th. 1:7b-10, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
  • In His second coming, Jesus is exalted and comes in judgment:
    • Highly exalted, Phil. 2:9-10, Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
    • Comes in judgment, 2 Th. 1:7-10.
    • His glory is revealed, Matt. 24:30, Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
    • Comes with power, Rev. 19:11-16, Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. …

Application of What We Have Learned:

  • Know It! Live It! Share It!
  • Knowing that Christ is God, Lord, King, and Savior, how should we prepare for His second coming?

    • 2 Pet. 3:14, Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
  • What can we do today to acknowledge who Christ is?
    • Rev. 5:11-14, Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
  • Do we have reason to doubt Christ’s Deity?
  • Fear God, desire to know God, and proclaim God!
Short Video Clips:

Addressing Alleged Contradictions/Errors:

Short Video Clips:

[Lesson 4: Sessions 7, 8] [Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

Comments are closed.