Articles
Knowing the Real Jesus
If one truly knows a subject when he is able to teach it to others in very simple terms, and the core of our existence is Jesus, then we should know Him so well that we can easily explain Him to others. Some had been followers of Jesus long enough to be teachers but needed to relearn the basics; needing milk instead of meat (Heb. 5:12-14). If we can’t tell others much about Jesus (I Pet. 3:15) then we need to spend some time getting to know the real Jesus.
People learn to identify counterfeit money by learning every detail of the real. The world constantly presents counterfeit versions of Jesus. We must get to know the real Jesus to see and expose the false versions (Gal. 1:6-10).
Another reason, and perhaps the most important, for getting to know the real Jesus is so we can become like Him. Paul urges us to look at His Glory so much that we are transformed into His image (II Cor. 3:17-18) and can be brought home in glory as one of God’s sons.
Those are just a few of the reasons we have chosen Knowing the Real Jesus as our theme for 2014. Our primary text will be Matthew 16:13-16. We hope that by the end of 2014 we will know Him so well that we can teach others in simple terms, be able to dispel all false concepts with the clear truth of His word, and reflect the Glory of Jesus in our lives
In January we will see that Jesus is The Christ (Matt. 16:13-16). As the cross loomed closer Jesus began opening up more to the twelve about His purpose and destiny. On one occasion He asked them if they knew His real identity. Peter’s bold answer was “You are the Christ”. The response of Jesus not only acknowledged that to be true, but also declared it to be the church’s one foundation (Matt. 16:17-18). At the end of the very first New Testament Gospel sermon Peter declared in his grand conclusion that Jesus is “both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). The impact of that declaration may not be as profound to us 21st century Christians as it was to a 1st century Jew, but it is just as important for us to know Jesus as The Christ. Let’s learn the meaning of that name and wear it gladly.
The second half of Peter’s answer; “You are the Son of the Living God” will be our study for February. This idea started being revealed early in the OT, but was stated most clearly in God’s great promise to David in II Samuel 7. David wanted to build a house for God but was told no. While being told no he was promised that God would build David’s house (dynasty) and his son would be God’s Son. While Solomon was the initial fulfillment, ultimately it pointed to Jesus (Matt. 26:63-64; Heb. 1:1-5). The High Priest tore his cloak when Jesus agreed. We should tear our hearts open for The Son of God to live in us.
In His answer to the High Priest (Matt. 26:64), Jesus referred to Daniel 7:13-14 where one like a Son of Man came to the Ancient of Days and received an eternal kingdom. While this was a bold declaration of His own power and position, which the High Priest did not miss (Matt 26:65), Jesus had frequently called Himself Son of Man to emphasize His humanity. He was born of a virgin (Is. 7:14, Matt. 1:18-25), raised in the lowly Nazareth (Jn. 1:45-46), walking, talking, eating and sleeping with His fellow humans (Heb. 2:9-18, 1 Jn. 1:1)). In March we will learn to appreciate what He took on for us as the Son of Man.
When John began bearing witness to Jesus he was asked if he was “The Prophet” (Jn. 1:21). He rejected that title because it belonged to Jesus. At the end of his life Moses said that God would raise up a prophet like him that must be obeyed (Dt. 18:15-18). While He was alive the people began to realize Jesus was “The Prophet” because of His words and signs (Jn. 6:14; 7:40). After His death Peter boldly declared it (Acts 3:22-24). April will be spent hearing what The Prophet says to us. We must listen to Him as if our very lives depend on it. They do!
In the grand conclusion of Peter’s Pentecost sermon he declares that God made Jesus “both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). As 21st century Americans we do not ap- preciate the significance of the title Lord. In fact, we struggle mightily with the sugges- tion that someone else is our master, even Jesus. But at the heart of the word Lord is the idea of a master, someone with the right to command and expect obedience. Further, while we may grasp the idea of Jesus as our Master, though we have a hard time submit- ting, there is an even deeper meaning. The Greek word for Lord is Kurios, which is the word used for Jehovah in Greek translations of the OT. Let’s spend May learning what it means to submit and obey Jesus as our Lord Jehovah
In June we will look at Jesus as our King. In His promise to David, God declared that He would establish an eternal throne for His Son (II Sam. 7:13, 16). David spoke of it in Psalm 2 when he stated that The Christ (v. 2) would be Jehovah’s King (v. 6). He also said that the Lord would sit at the right hand of God as King (Ps. 110:1). God revealed the everlasting King and Kingdom to Daniel in a dream (Dan. 7:1-14). Jesus referred to those in His answer to the High Priest (Matt. 26:64) and Peter quoted it in Acts 2 as apply- ing to Jesus (vs. 34-35). Let’s learn to bow before our King and let Him reign in us.
In July we will learn about Jesus as our High Priest. The High Priest brings offer- ings to God for the sins of man (Heb. 4:14 – 5:10). The OT made it clear that priests came from the lineage of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi (Ex. 28:1). The only way Jesus could be a priest was for the law to change (Heb. 7:12-14). David and Zechariah spoke of a new priesthood that combined the office of King and Priest (Ps. 110:1-4; Zech. 6:12-13). Our High Priest offered Himself for us so we must offer our lives to Him as a spiritual sacrifice (Rom. 12:1).
The account of the Passover is an amaz- ing statement about the power and grace of God. His people had been oppressed by Egypt and the Pharaoh refused to let them go. God punished them for the death of His sons (Ex. 1:16) by the death of their firstborn (Ex. 11:5). God saved the firstborn of Israel through the blood of the Passover lamb (Ex. 12:3-13). God also established the sacrifice of two male lambs every day; morning and evening (Ex. 29:38-44). Jesus is The Lamb of God (John 1:29) who died on the cross during the Passover week at the same time the daily afternoon lamb was slain (Matt. 27:46- 50). In August we’ll learn what it means to be washed in the blood of The Lamb.
The story of Harry Potter was a pale copy of the real work of our God through Jesus. In that series Harry had to go through great suffering and eventually offer his life for his friends. In September we will see Jesus as the real Suffering Servant who offered His life for real salvation (Is. 53). The idea that God would take on flesh (Jn. 1:1-2, 14) and give Himself up to take the punishment for our sins is not easy for anyone to accept. Je- sus dying on the cross for our sins trips up the Jew and is foolishness to the Gentile, but to the saved it is the power of God (I Cor. 1:23-24). This supreme sacrifice should drive us to our knees before Him.
October will open us to Jesus as Word, Life and Light. John 1 describes Him as the Word that was with God and was God. That Word spoke the creation into existence. We are told nine times that “God said” in Genesis 1, and each time the creative power of God brought something into being that had not existed before. John 1 also says that this word brought life and in Genesis 2 God breathed into man the breath of life (Gen. 2:7). Jesus spoke words of life (John 6:63) with authority (Matt. 7:28-29) and that Word of Life is also the Light of the world (Jn. 1:4-5). Peter is correct that we have nowhere else to go (John 6:68),
David was called from tending sheep to be anointed king by Samuel (I Sam. 16:11- 13) and it seemed he always had a soft spot
for the idea of being a shepherd (Ps. 23). The prophets spoke of God as a Shepherd (Is. 40:11; Ez. 34) and the NT points to Jesus as the good and great Shepherd (John 10:11; Heb. 13:20). The OT also revealed that the Shepherd would be killed (Zech. 13:7). In November we will learn about our Chief Shepherd who died on the cross for us. We must hear His voice and follow Him.
We will end the year in December by looking at Jesus in relation to the church. As the people of God we are called a body and Jesus is the head by whom we are fed and led (Rom. 12:4-5; I Cor. 12:12-31). We are also called the bride of Christ who, as our husband, freely gives of himself for our care even to the point of death (Eph. 5:23- 27). As the true head of the body and family of God, Jesus deserves the church’s full and complete surrender. Will we submit to our head, to our spiritual husband?
We know that this is just the start of get- ting to know the Real Jesus. Knowing Him is a lifelong process of daily taking up our cross to follow Him (Matt. 16:24). Let’s pick it up and get started.
