Jesus Part 1

This study is about relationship. Don’t think of this as a study of someone who walked this earth 2018 years ago. Any study of Jesus is a relationship building study.

Share short testimony

Your Testimoney

My life Before Christ

How I came to know Christ

My life since I’ve come to know Jesus

Goal tonight - Get to know Jesus better

Why is this important?

1. Knowing Jesus is life’s continuing PRIORITY.

Philippians 3:8 The Living Bible

8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have put aside all else, counting it worth less than nothing, in order that I can have Christ,

Worthless compared to knowing Jesus...

Once a year. Christie's auction house in New York City offers a free appraisal weekend. People bring in items from the back of their closet or a corner of their attic hoping to learn they have had an undiscovered treasure right under their roof. Often the items are of little value, but one appraiser still remembers the woman who brought in an 11 .4-carat ruby that a jeweler had told her was costume jewelry. According to Christie's president Kathleen Guzman, "We were able to confirm that it was made in 1904 by Tiffany and Co. They sti II had the original drawing for the piece, and, consequently, sold at auction to them for $385.000. But this was a lady who kept it in the back of her closet in her grandmother's costume jewelry box, along with everything else. and was convinced that this was fake."1 She kept a piece of jewelry of great value in a costume jewelry box!

Lord help us to always treat our relationship with you as valuable… not common.

2. Knowing Jesus is the Believer’s continuing CHALLENGE.

2 Peter 1:3 The Living Bible

3 For as you know him better, he will give you, through his great power, everything you need for living a truly good life: he even shares his own glory and his own goodness with us!

Suppose you meet someone new tomorrow. You don’t know it but they will become your best friend. How does that happen?

First you learn their name.

How many people do you know at this level - thousands...

Second, You learn some details of their life

You learn where they grew up, went to school, hobbies, work, family.

What names come to mind that you know at this level?

Third, you begin to know and like who they are

You like their personality, interests, their heart...

You begin to count that person as a friend.

Same with Jesus.

Do you just know his name?

Do you just know some historical facts about him?

Do you Him personally and count him as a friend?

Each of these levels are important.

Names of Jesus

184 different names for Jesus in the Bible.

The preacher Billy Sunday counted even more and said,

"There are two hundred and fifty-six names given in the Bible for the Lord Jesus Christ, and I suppose this was because he was infinitely beyond all that any one name could express.

Names help you to identify someone. The names of Jesus help you to know who he is as well.

In the bible, names had more significance than the names we have today. That’s why often times, when people would encounter God, he would change their names.

If a little boy was given a name that meant "strong in battle," that name pointed to his reason for living, to his position in society, and to future promise.

That’s why Jesus had so many names. His life is filled with purpose.

Luke 1:31 NLT

31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

Joshua (Aramaic) salvation of God

In Jesus day, that name was common… kind of like Boudreaux or Thibidoux...

Luke 2:11 NKJV

11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Savior: Showing Jesus PURPOSE.

Jesus came to save you and I from a life seperated from God for all of eterntity.

Messiah / Christ: Showing Jesus PROMISE.

Christ was not Jesus last name. It meant “promised one from God.”

A lot of people carried the name Jesus, but only one was the Messiah.

Lord: Showing Jesus POSITION.

Even at his birth, Jesus was recognized as the Lord of the Universe. Jesus is both our Lord and our friend. We can draw close to him as a friend even though he has such great power.

If you don’t have a personal relationship with Him, now is a good time to do so. You may know him by reputation, but he wants you to know him personally.

You can begin a relationship with him right now.

Jesus Christ, today I want to begin a relationship with you. I don't want to just know about you; l want to know you personally. I ask you to forgive me for the wrong things I've done. I want to learn from you how to live. I choose today to begin to live by your direction and guidance. I don't even know all that that will mean, but I'm trusting you to show me the way. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Certain names have power. Think about names in our world that have authority or power or clout. Trump, Putin, Xi, Bill Gates, MLK, Einstein,

You could add up all the clout in our combined lists and they do not even approach the purpose, promise and power in the name of Jesus.

1. Jesus Name is above all other names.

Philippians 2:9–11 NLT

9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

2. As Believers, we live in His name.

We are anointed

James 5:14 NLT

14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.

We are forgiven

1 John 2:12 NLT

12 I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.

We are Baptized

Acts 10:48 NLT

48 So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.

We are justified in Jesus name

1 Corinthians 6:11 NLT

11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

We assemble in his name

1 Corinthians 5:4 NLT

4 in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus.

We bear his name

1 Peter 4:16 NLT

16 But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!

We believe in his name.

John 1:12 NLT

12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

We call on his name

1 Corinthians 1:2 NLT

2 I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.

In his name we give thanks

Ephesians 5:20 NLT

20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

have life

John 20:31 NLT

31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

preach

Acts 8:12 NLT

12 But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized.

speak

Acts 9:28 NLT

28 So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.

Suffer

Acts 21:13 NLT

13 But he said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.”

1 Peter 4:16 NLT

16 But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!

We do everything in his name.

Colossians 3:17 NLT

17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Poss ending

The Details of Jesus Life

Suppose you are sitting across from Jesus at Starbucks … trying to get to know him. What would you talk about? How would you get to know him better? At some point, you would probably ask about his life… where he was born… about his family...

What do you know about his life before he was born? After his resurrection?

Jesus' life did not begin with his birth and it did not end with his death. We're going to look at Jesus' life before, during, and after his time on this earth. Jesus life here on earth was a exclamation point in the middle of eternity.

We see it as the larger part, and its the most significant part for us, but it’s the shortest part of Jesus existence.

What did Jesus do before He was born?

What did Jesus, the pre-incarnate Christ do before the incarnation.

He has always existed: he is eternal

Micah 5:2 NLT

2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.

John 8:57–58 NLT

57 The people said, “You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!”

He was doing more than just waiting on his incarnation day...

He CREATED the universe.

Colossians 1:16 NLT

16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.

He MINISTERED to people.

Jesus didn’t just wait until he was born in Bethlehem to minister to people.

Jesus ministered to Hagar

Genesis 16:7 NLT

7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur.

Genesis 16:9–10 NLT

9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” 10 Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.”

Jesus ministered to Moses

Exodus 3:2–4 NLT

2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. 3 “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.” 4 When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied.

Jesus ministered to Abraham

Genesis 18:1–2 NLT

1 The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. 2 He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.

Genesis 22:11–12 NLT

11 At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!” 12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

Angel of the Lord is Jesus

Jesus Life on Earth

Although Jesus is eternal, he was born and lived here on earth.

Jesus was born and was a growing boy in our world

Beginning

Matt 1-2; Luke 1:1-2:38;

Ending

Jesus in the temple

Luke 2:41–50 NLT

41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. 43 After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, 44 because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. 46 Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.” 49 “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they didn’t understand what he meant.

Significant Events

Jesus Dedication at the Temple Luke 2:22-39

Luke 2:22–39 NLT

22 Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” 24 So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” 25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, 29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. 30 I have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared for all people. 32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” 33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.” 36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem. 39 When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee.

Fleeing to Egypt

Matthew 2:13–23 NLT

13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.” 16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. 17 Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A cry was heard in Ramah— weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.” 19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20 “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.” 21 So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. 22 But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. 23 So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Visit to the Temple at 12 Luke 2:41-50

Luke 2:41–50 NLT

The Silent Years of Jesus Life

The Bible doesn’t tell us anything about Jesus life from being a baby and the event when he was 12 at the temple.

Then it’s silent from 12 to 30.

Jesus grew as any child should grow

Luke 2:52 NLT

52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

His mother, Mary, was with him at birth and death and at Pentecost

Luke 2:7 NLT

7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

John 19:25 NLT

25 Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene.

Acts 1:14 NLT

14 They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.

Acts 2:1 NLT

1 On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place.

Mary gave birth to the Savior, watched him grow in her home, begin his ministry, saw crowds flock to him, saw him die, rise from the dead and go up in the sky. Pretty incredible!

His Father, Joseph, probably died sometime after Jesus visit to the temple in Jerusalem and before his public ministry began.

Joseph is never mentioned after the experience in the temple, although Mary is with Jesus many times. It would have been unusual from Mary to have been traveling in those days without her husband.

Since Joseph died, Mary was a single mom. Jesus grew up in a single parent home.

As the oldest son, he probably had to take care of his family. If Jesus took the time to take care of his family, we should do the same.

Jesus spent most of his time preparing for ministry than he spent in public ministry.

There were at least 7 children in Jesus family: Jesus; 4 half brothers, and at least 2 half sisters.

Matthew 13:55–56 NLT

55 Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. 56 All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?”

Imagine what it must have been like to have been one of Jesus brothers or sisters...

Actually, Jesus own family struggled to have faith in him, but it did not stay that way.

His brother Judas wrote the book of Jude

His brother James wrote the book of James.

James and Judas were skeptics until they met with Jesus after the resurrection.

2. The Beginning of Jesus Ministry.

Four significant events mark the beginning of Jesus ministry.

The ministry of John the Baptist. Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-18

Jesus Baptism. Matt 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11

Jesus Temptation in the wilderness. Luke 4:1-13; Matt 4:1-11

Jesus turning the water into wine. John 2:1-11.

3. Jesus’ ministry in JUDEA.

Judea is the southern half of Israel. Jerusalem was at the center of much of Jesus ministry.

Cleansing the Temple John 2:13 - ff

Conversation with woman at the well. John 4:1-42.

Conversation with Nicodemus John 3

4. Jesus ministry in GALILEE.

Healing of the nobleman’s son at Capernaum. John 4:46-53

Peter’s statement of trust. Matt 16:13ff

Jesus’ transfiguration. Matt 17:1; Luke 9:28ff

Sermon on the Mount. Matt 5-7

Calling of the disciples. Luke 5:1-11; Mark 2:13-14; Luke 6:12-16

Feeding of the 5,000. Matt 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44

5. Jesus journey to JERUSALEM.

He resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

Luke 9:51 NLT

51 As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

He clashes with Pharisees. Luke 14; Luke 16:1ff

He Raises Lazarus from the dead. John 11:1ff

He has a dinner with Zacchaeus in Jericho. Luke 19:1

Mary anoints his body for burial. John 12:1ff; Matt 26:6-13

6. Jesus Death, burial, and resurrection.

Triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Matt 21:1-11

Cleansing of the Temple, the garden of Gethsemane, trials. Luke 19:45-46; John 17-18.

Jesus dies on the cross. Matt 27:31-50; Luke 23:26-46.

Jesus is buried in a tomb. Mark 15:42-47; John 19:38-42

Jesus is alive. Matt 28:2-15; Mark 16:1-17; Luke 24:1-7; John 20:1-18

The ascension into heaven. Luke 24:50-51

The Eternally Existent Christ

He ascended into heaven in bodily form. Acts 1:9

Acts 1:9 NLT

9 After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him.

He will return in bodily form. Acts 1:11

Acts 1:11 NLT

11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”

Stephen saw him in bodily form in heaven. Acts 7:55-56

Acts 7:55–56 NLT

55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 56 And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”

Paul indicated Jesus now has a glorious body. Phil 3:21.

Philippians 3:21 NLT

21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.