Jesus Christ The Same
Yesterday, Today, Forever • Sermon • Submitted
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The historian's test of an individual's greatness is, "What did he leave to grow? Did he start men to thinking along fresh lines with a vigor that persisted after him? By this test Jesus stands first."
"You can gauge the size of a ship that has passed out of sight by the huge wake it leaves behind." And the wake of the Old Ship of Zion or Christ Jesus is still stirring the waters today.
He has been called and considered many things:
A 1st Century Rabbi or good teacher A Philosophical Genius A 1st Century Hippie A Grandfather Figure And on and on we can go. Even when Jesus walked the earth there were many rumors about who he was. Jesus wanted to nail this down for his disciples. One day as they were ministering to the towns of Caesarea Philippi Jesus asked them one day, it appears just out of the blue, in Mark 8:27-33 and Matthew 16:13-23 "Whom do men say that I am?" and the answers are as predictable as they are informative:
John the Baptist Elias One of the Prophets Jesus wanting to get down to the heart of the matter asks, "But whom say YE that I am?
Peter seems to be the only one who answered I assume he answered for the rest of the group, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God."
In these next few sessions I want to with God's help paint a word picture and Biblical foundation of who this "CHRIST, the Son of the LIVING GOD" is.
I picture in my mind's eye a watchman dutifully carrying out his orders. Strong and straight at his post he is watching on the south wall his appointed area when out of nowhere there comes this figure. Isaiah tells about this happening in Isaiah 63:1 and the question is called out by the watchman, "Who is this this that cometh from Edom with dyed garments from Bozrah? This that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength?
He's calling out, "WHO GOES THERE?" the answer that comes reverberating back to him is startling and frightening even to a well-trained experienced soldier, " I That speak in righteousness, mighty to save."
Now I know not everyone sees this like I do, although many Bible scholars and even The Early Church Fathers do. I think this was none other than Jesus Christ the Messiah coming to tread the winepress of wrath on Edom. That great troubler of Israel. Although the word Edom is very interesting in the Hebrew it's similar to Adam or "Man" so all nations could be put here. Here Comes Jesus to conquer and still to conquer.
But who is He? Is he just some blood thirsty tyrant? Just a good teacher? Just a nice person who went around doing good things? Well let's look at this person.
Who is Jesus
In a recent Barna Study Release 1 out of 10 Adults believe that Jesus was a real historical figure.
However that number drops to only 56% of all adults surveyed believe that Jesus was who he said he was, God.
That number drops even more significantly when asked if Jesus was able to live a sinless life . Or as they word it, " When He lived on earth, Jesus Christ was human and committed sins, like other people. Even though 62% of all adults surveyed believe they have trusted in him as Savior.
I think we need a biblically based answer to the question - "Who is Jesus?" I think it is crucial to growing spiritually,
in fact Peter in 2 Peter 3:18 put learning more about Jesus on par with growing in grace.
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
If we are going to develop a right relationship with someone we have to know some things about them, so it is with Jesus. The more we know about Him, the more we can develop our relationship with Him.
Now I will probably use the designations "Jesus and Christ" interchangeably throughout this study but the name "Christ" is actually a title
The title “Christ” comes from the Greek word “Christos” and is speaking of the role of “Messiah”. The word “christos” literally means “anointed one” and indicates that the Messiah will be in the ultimate sense God’s “anointed one.”
The Hebrew word for the Messiah is “Mashiah” which also means “anointed one.” We derive our English word “Messiah” from the Hebrew.
Peter properly identified Jesus as the promised Messiah by using the title “Christ.” He also properly identified Jesus as “the Son of the Living God” which speaks of His deity.
On the day of Pentecost when God poured out His Spirit upon the 120 in the upper room, Peter further identified Jesus during His sermon.
Acts 2:36 – “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
The title “Lord” (kurios) literally means “owner” or “master” and indicates the right to control one’s own property. When a sinner repents, and exercises faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, he becomes the property of Jesus (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Paul said in 1 Cor. 12:3 that “no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.” This means that the only person who can say that Jesus is Lord personally must be a born-again believer.
Jesus said in Luke 6:46, “Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?” indicating that only those who obey Him can truly call Him their Lord.
Therefore, the test to determine whether or not Jesus is the Lord of your life is the obedience factor.
If you are not fully obeying Jesus, He is not your Lord! For Jesus to be your Lord you must be walking in all the light God has given you (1 John 1:7). Christian Belief's Dr. Alan Brown
Our foundational passage Hebrews 13:8 begins abruptly, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever."
The writer of Hebrews is trying to tell us about the immutability or unchangeableness of Jesus.
The theological perspective behind this concise Christological formula has been developed well in the course of Hebrews.
The author asserts the Son’s role in creation (1:2, 10), certainly an aspect of “yesterday.”
Presently the Son sits in his exalted status as Lord of the universe, who intercedes for his people (1:3, 13; 7:26–28).
Then we see that Christ will rule “for all time” into the eternal “tomorrow” (1:8a, 10–12): But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: …. … 10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
What we can draw from this is the same one who walked the dusty shores of Galilee, touched the sick, raised the dead, made the blind to see, is right now in his exalted state sitting at the right hand of God and will rule eternally as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Our circumstances and perspectives change, Jesus Christ and his gospel DO NOT!!! George H. Guthrie. Hebrews (Kindle Locations 9773-9787). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Oscar C. Eliason the Swedish Evangelist who passed away March 1st 1985 said it best when he wrote,
That name still lives and will live on forever,
While kings and kingdoms will forgotten be.
Through mist or rain, ’twill be beclouded never,
That name shall shine and shine eternally.
CHRISTOLOGY - Now we are going to do a study of CHRISTOLOGY - Now don't let the big word scare you Christology is the title theologians give to the study of Jesus the Christ.
Harper's Bible Dictionary I think gives the simplest concise definition, "Christology, the study of Jesus’ self-understanding and of the titles, concepts, and conceptual patterns in which the New Testament church expressed its faith in him. "
Achtemeier, Paul J. ; Harper & Row, Publishers ; Society of Biblical Literature: Harper's Bible Dictionary. 1st ed. San Francisco : Harper & Row, 1985, S. 163
While the majority of us here today are non-creedal in that the creeds, "Apostles, Nicene, etc are not binding. They were a way for the early church to make doctrinal statements concise and easier to memorize. I want to read just a portion of the Apostle's Creed to you this morning.
Apostles' Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord;
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
The third day he arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
DEITY OF JESUS - So today I want to deal with Jesus Christ the same in His Deity or in that He is God. Three things I want to emphasize 1.) His Eternal Existence 2.) His God Attributes 3.) His Names & Titles (Kingship)
ETERNAL EXISTENCE
I think one thing we need to understand before we go any further is that before the incarnation, or before the virgin birth of Christ, He existed. The Birth was not His beginning but rather a transition and we will deal a bit more with that tomorrow.
Jesus says himself in a passage in St. John's Gospel that before Abraham was, now you need to understand it had been 2000 years since Abraham had walked the hills and hollers of Canaan looking for a city whose builder and maker was God. And Jesus says, "Before Abraham was I AM"
Do you understand what he was saying, That at least 2000 years before this moment He existed. in eternity. (Now we will deal with the Names of Jesus in a moment but in using the "I AM" he is also saying, "I am the I AM."
The tense is again important to notice. Before Abraham was born, Christ was continuously existing. The statement “I am,” of course, is also a reference to His deity and a claim of equality with Yahweh. “I am” is a reference to Exodus 3:14, in which God identifies Himself as “I AM WHO I AM.” Moody Handbook of Theology You turn several more pages in your Bible and you find John the beloved in the first few verses of Chapter 1 writes John 1:1-3 (KJV) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. Flip over several more pages in your Bible and an interesting saying from the Apostle Paul in Colossians 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: So not only was Jesus existing before Abraham, he was existing before "In the beginning." and was active in creation. The point I'm trying to make here this morning - is as Vic Reasoner stated, "If Christ had a beginning point no matter where that point is he is then a created being." If Jesus was created he cannot be divinity He cannot be God. But according to the scripture we have looked at, he was not only active in creation but was responsible for it. In order for that to happen he would have to be eternal and attribute that only belongs to God. I conclude then that Jesus Christ is of the very nature of God.
Attributes of Jesus - Some Proofs of Jesus' Diety - Now I doubt there are many doubters of the fact that Jesus was both God and Man. Humanity or man has only 1 nature. That nature is either dead unto sin or Alive unto Christ. Jesus has two natures God (divinity) and Humanity. We will deal more with this tomorrow when we deal with the incarnation but I want to give some proofs of the deity of Christ. That Jesus was God.
He was omnipotent
over disease. Matt. 8:1-4; Luke 4:39 Over demons - Matt. 8:16-17, 28-32; Luke 4:35 Over Men - Matt. 9:9; John 17:2 Over Nature - Matt. 8:26 Over Sin - Matt. 9:1-8 Over Traditions - Matt. 9:10-17 Over Death - Luke 7:14-15; 8:54-56; John 11:4 He was omniscient,
knowing the whereabouts of Nathanael John 1:48 knowing the plot of Judas. - JOHN 6:70 Knowing the hearts of the Pharisees - Matt. 12:25; Luke 5:22; 6:8; 7:39-40 Knowing the thoughts of the scribes - Matt 9:3-4 Knowing the sincerity of one scribe - Mark 12:34 Knew the History of the Samaritan woman - John 4:24 Knew the problems of his disciples - Luke 9:46-47
He was Omnipresent - Matt. 18:20; 28:20; John 3:13; 14:20 He Was Worshipped As God -
As God by angels - Heb 1:6 As God by the shepherds - Luke 2:15 As God by the wise men - Matt. 2:2,11 By a leper - Matt. 8:2 By a ruler - Matt. 9:18 By a Canaanite Woman - Matt. 15:25 By a mother - Matt. 20:20 By a demoniac - Mark 5:6 By a man born blind - John 9:38 By Thomas - John 20:28 By some Greeks - John 12:20-21 By his apostles - Matt. 14:33;28:9 He Forgave Sins - Mark 2:5, 10-11 He Judges - John 5:22 He Saves - Matt 18:11; John 10:28 He was Called God -
Stephen - Acts 7:59 The Eunuch - Acts 8:37 Paul - Gal. 2:20; Col. 1:15-17; 2:9; 1 Tim. 3:16; Titus 2:13 Peter - 1 Pet. 3:22; 2 Pet. 1:17 Jude - Jude 25 James - James 2:1 John - 1 John 5:20; Rev. 1:18;19:16Willmington, H.L.: Willmington's Book of Bible Lists. Wheaton, IL : Tyndale, 1987, S. 166
Names and Titles of Jesus - There are many designations of Him throughout the scriptures - Were I to name them all it would take a long time. Way longer than what I have this morning. So I will condense it down to about 25 of my favorites.
He is Known as -
Alpha & Omega
The Author and Finisher of our Faith The Son of Man The Son of God The Bread of Life The Light of the World The Way the Truth and the Life Resurrection and Life Redeemer Savior Lord Friend that sticketh closer than a brother Messiah Lamb of God Lion of the Tribe of Judah The Amen Immanuel Wonderful Counselor Prince of Peace Mighty God Everlasting Father Prophet Priest King in fact he is known as the King of Kings
Sometimes when I need to get fired up I will just dwell on these names and titles of the Man Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever.
When I really need fired up I will go and listen to S. M. Lockridge a black preacher of days gone by who is known for his piece of oratry on Jesus MY KING. I want to read it to you this morning. Now I can't do it like he does nor am I going to try, But I want you to listen to the words and let them bless you as you think about this Jesus MY KING!
That’s My King
The Bible says
He’s the King of the Jews
He’s the King of Israel
He’s the King of Righteousness
He’s the King of the Ages
He’s the King of Heaven
He’s the King of Glory
He’s the King of Kings
and He is the Lord of Lords
Now that’s my King!
David says
The Heavens declare the glory of God
And the firmament showeth His handiwork
No means of measure can define His limitless love
No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply
No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing
He’s enduringly strong
He’s entirely sincere
He’s eternally steadfast
He’s immortally graceful
He’s imperially powerful
He’s impartially merciful
That’s my King!
He’s God’s Son
He’s the sinners’ Savior
He’s the centerpiece of civilization
He stands alone in Himself
He’s august
He’s unique
He’s unparalleled
He’s unprecedented
He’s supreme
He’s pre-eminent
He’s the loftiest idea in literature
He’s the highest personality in philosophy
He’s the supreme problem in higher criticism
He’s the fundamental doctrine in true theology
He’s the cardinal necessity of spiritual religion
That’s my King!
He’s the miracle of the age
He’s the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him
He’s the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously
He supplies strength for the weak
He’s available for the tempted and the tried
He sympathizes and He saves
He guards and He guides
He heals the sick
He cleansed the lepers
He forgives sinners
He discharges debtors
He delivers the captives
He defends the feeble
He blesses the young
He serves the unfortunate
He regards the aged
He rewards the diligent
And He beautifies the meek
Do you know Him?
My King is the key of knowledge
He’s the wellspring of wisdom
He’s the doorway of deliverance
He’s the pathway of peace
He’s the roadway of righteousness
He’s the highway of holiness
He’s the gateway of glory
He’s the master of the mighty
He’s the captain of the conquerors
He’s the head of the heroes
He’s the leader of the legislators
He’s the overseer of the overcomers
He’s the governor of governors
He’s the prince of princes
He’s the King of Kings
And He’s the Lord of Lords
That’s my King
That’s my King!
His office is manifold
His promise is sure
His life is matchless
His goodness is limitless
His mercy is everlasting
His love never changes
His word is enough
His grace is sufficient
His reign is righteous
His yoke is easy
and His burden is light
I wish I could describe Him to you
He’s indescribable
He’s incomprehensible
He’s invincible
He’s irresistible
I’m trying to tell you
The heaven of heavens cannot contain Him
Let alone a man explain Him
You can’t get Him out of your mind
You can’t get Him off of your hands
You can’t outlive Him
And you can’t live without Him
The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him
but they found out they couldn’t stop Him
Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him
The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree
And Herod couldn’t kill Him
Death couldn’t handle Him
And the grave couldn’t hold Him
That’s my King!
He always has been
And He always will be
I’m talking about
He had no predecessor
and He’ll have no successor
There was nobody before Him
and there’ll be nobody after Him
You can’t impeach Him
and He’s not going to resign
That’s my King!
Praise the Lord
That’s my King
Thine is the Kingdom
And the power
And the glory
The glory is all His
Thine is the Kingdom
And the power
And the glory
For ever
And ever
And ever
And when you get through with all of the forevers
Then
Amen
From <https://thatsmyking.wordpress.com/words/>