Bible Course Ch. 2

by Rev. James McRobbie ©Pillar of Fire, International

"Christ freely gave Himself for us."

[What the Bible Teaches refers to numerous passages from the Bible. Your study will be greatly enhanced by looking up the verses as you go along. If you want to look up Bible verses online as you study, clicking here will open up "The Bible Gateway" in a new window. You may then use the title buttons on your browser screen to move back and forth between the Bible and this study. All quotations in What the Bible Teaches are from the King James Version [KJV] unless otherwise specified.]

Chapter 2: What the Bible Teaches ABOUT JESUS

"How can I choose but love Thee, God's dear Son, O Jesus, loveliest and most loving One? Were there no heaven to gain, no hell to flee, For what Thou art alone, I must love Thee." There is an indefinable charm in the name of Jesus. It is the "name" that "charms our fears," that "bids our sorrows cease." ["O for a Thousand Tongues"] There is "power" in Jesus' name. The evil agencies in the world know this and it is appalling how it has been wrested by the profane in their imprecations and obscenity.

The Sacred Name

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    The name of Jesus is God-given and angel-announced. To Joseph the angel-message was: "Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" [Matthew 1:21]. The name, Jesus, therefore, signifies Savior.
    Christ means "anointed," and is the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew word, Messiah [Daniel 9:25; John 1:41]. The use of the name in the Scriptures is often identified with the promises of the prophets in relation to the anointed One to come. It was the Jewish custom to anoint kings, prophets and priests at the initiation ceremony into each particular office. He himself said He was anointed [Luke 4:18], and typically [i.e., as a type or symbol] this took place at His baptism [Luke 3:21-22].
    The Son of God is also the Lord Jesus Christ. The word Lord, printed in small capitals in the Authorized Version [KJV], signifies Jehovah [Isaiah 40:3; cp. Matt. 3:3]. The Psalmist said, Thy name alone is Jehovah. As Lord of all, He has authority as universal Ruler and Master.
    Isaiah foretold the time when God would walk among men in human form and predicted His incarnation in the name "Immanuel" [Isaiah 7:14] -- God with us.
    To all who know Him, Jesus is the One "altogether lovely," the "rose of Sharon," the "lily of the valleys," and the "bright and morning star" [Song of Solomon 5:16; 2:1; Revelation 22:16].
    He Himself said He was the "good shepherd," the "door," the "vine," the true bread and the bread of life, the "light of the world," "the truth, the way, the life," "the resurrection," the "son of man," king, etc.
    The various aspects of His divine nature are seen in the declarations of the prophets, as "Sun of righteousness," "Shiloh," Son of David, and "Wonderful Counsellor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace," "Alpha and Omega," "Lion of the tribe of Judah," etc. These words are laden with deep meaning and afford a profitable and interesting study.

The Incarnation

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    Nothing is so cherished by the church as the fascinating story of the birth of Christ -- the journey from Nazareth to Jerusalem, crowded Bethlehem, the episode of the infant in the stable, the visit of the Shepherds and the Wise Men, Simeon and Anna in the temple, the slaying of the infants, and the flight to Egypt and return. Such is the synopsis of events that narrates the giving of that life in which the Son of God became the Son of man, when "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" [John 1:14].
Incarnation signifies a spirit or soul taking on flesh. In general, incarnation refers to the visible embodiment of Jesus Christ in human flesh. The story of the divine conception is very simple, though it has often been severely assailed, criticized, and called into question. It is carefully and adequately related by Luke [Luke 1:30-35]. In these remarkable verses we see that Jesus, though born of a Jewish virgin, was the Son of God. It was predicted that He would be born of a virgin [Isa. 7:14]. There is no reference here to an earthly father. We know that the name of a child is from the paternal side. Thus we read, "And shall call his name Immanuel." "El" is God; He was "God with man." The same thought is beautifully corroborated in the other well known Messianic prophecy of Isaiah's: "Unto us a child is born," having reference to the maternal side of His incarnation. It then adds: "Unto us a son is given." From His Father's side He is the "gift of God" [John 3:16] -- God's Son.
    Though He declared, "I am from God," He did not live as God but as man. Though omnipotent in power, still in His incarnation, He used this divine prerogative to vindicate His divine nature and Sonship only. He hungered, He wept, He became weary, He was tempted in every way as we are. As a youth He grew in wisdom and stature [Luke 2:52]. He entered into the joys and sorrows of human existence [John 2:1; 11:35]. He languished in death, in mortal pain, even as any one of us might in similar circumstances [Matt. 26:38; Luke 23:46; Philippians 2:8].
    Christ is humanity's "second Adam" -- not alone our spotless ideal, but our redemption and all creation's future hope -- human yet perfect, tempted yet unfallen, servant yet King of kings, in death like a criminal, yet Savior and Son of God.
    The proof of our Lord's divinity is established beyond all question.

"The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the most conclusive proof of His divinity."

(1) By the Scriptures. We who believe in the Holy Bible need no other proof than the opening verses of the fourth Gospel: "The Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God" [John 1:1-2]. In His prayer for the unity of His church He spoke of the "glory" He had "before the world was" [John 17:5]. In the Apocalypse He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending [Rev. 1:8]. The Bible attributes creatorship to Him: "The world was made by him" [John 1:10]. "By him were all things created" [Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2]. Though Creator, yet He Himself was uncreated; He was with God in the beginning. The world owes its continual existence to Him [Heb. 1:3]. Note what Jesus always so confidently claimed to be [John 10:30]. Was it robbery for him to claim this distinction? [See Phil. 2:6-8, R.V.] He who saw Christ saw whom? [John 14:9-10]. Though He was the Son of God, the Messiah of the Hebrew race, the Savior of the world, He was also Himself God.
Jesus constantly claimed the prerogatives of the heavenly Father -- the Light of the world, the Bread of life, etc. He said that those who did not believe in Him would die in their sins [John 8:24], and also, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life," and, "If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink." To all who labor and are heavy laden, He said, "I will give you rest." He did not hesitate to assert that all prophecy was fulfilled in Him [Luke 4:17-19]. What a tremendous assertion He made to Martha: "I am the resurrection and the life"! He not only revealed His omnipotence by raising the dead, but also asserted that He was the resurrection itself. He verified this challenge by His own resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the most conclusive proof of His divinity. [See Romans 4:25.]
(2) By His works. This was the basis of His appeal to Philip: "Believe me for the very works' sake' [John 14:11]. It was His miracles that convinced Nicodemus that He "came from God." Many of the prophets performed miracles in order to establish their divine commission, and it was but natural to expect much more of the Son of God. The restoration of Lazarus after being dead three days stands out conspicuously amongst His miracles and was done with a specific purpose in view [John 11:45]. One of the post phenomenal of His miracles was stilling the wild tempest: "Even the wind and the sea obey Him," said the disciples. All of Christ's miracles were performed with the utmost ease; He would but speak a word or stretch forth His hand and the leper was cleansed, blind eyes were opened, the dead were restored. Even in His death, when the natural life-forces were abating, the Roman soldier on guard said: "Truly this is the Son of God." His works therefore gave testimony.
(3) His holy life. Christ's life on earth during those thirty-three years proved His divinity. He was sinless [Heb. 4:15]. There were no symptoms of depravity in His heart. Though tempted, yet He did not sin. The devil found nothing in our Savior that belonged to him [John 14:30]. "Which of you convinceth me of sin?" was His open challenge to the Pharisees -- a challenge that was never debated. Although our Lord became sin for us, yet He "knew no sin."

Pre-existence

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    In John 1:1-4 we see that Jesus was "in the beginning," Creator, and co-equal with God the Father. The Elohim of Genesis 1:26 is a plural noun and denotes the Trinity: "Let us make man in OUR image." The Jews of our Lord's time denied the claim of His pre-existence. In John 8:57 they interrogated Him: "Thou art not yet fifty years old, and has thou seen Abraham?" The reply was, "Before Abraham was, I am." Here is a convincing statement of His pre-existence -- that He as truly existed in and before Abraham's time as He did then. It was Christ, the Jehovah angel of the Old Testament, who visited Abraham [Genesis 18:1, 13, 17]. The Old Testament prophet Micah announced His pre-incarnation activities in these words: "Whose goings forth have been from old," and adds: "from the days of eternity" [Micah 5:2, Margin].
    His pre-existence was glorious [John 17:5]. He was one with the Father -- the Father's glory was also His glory.
    Christ is enthroned in glory now. With His resurrected, glorified body, He lives in eternal glory [Heb. 7:25]. "Behold, I am alive for evermore." He lives in the presence of God the Father and was seen by Stephen standing at His right hand [Acts 7:56].

Earthly Life and Ministry

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    One of the most remarkable features of Christ's earthly life was His habit of spending much time in secret prayer. Sixteen times in the New Testament we have the specific record of His prayers. This would serve to teach us that as the Son of man He continually relied upon the Father in heaven for moral fortitude, spiritual guidance and physical endurance. He watched for the opportunity for prayer and would often be found by His disciples alone in communion with the Father. He spent long seasons in prayer [Luke 6:12]. He wrestled in prayer [Heb. 5:7]. He exhorted to prayer [Luke 11:1-13]. He gave an outline of a model prayer [Matt. 6:9-13]. He began His ministry with prayer [Luke 3:21], and ended it with the same [Luke 23:42]. The church, of which He is the head, is a church of prayer [Acts 12:5]. If Christ, with all His perfection of character, incessantly gave Himself to prayer, what sort of persons should we be?
    Christ's earthly life was characterized by intense activity: He was always occupied and yet we have but a meager record of all that He did [John 21:25]. He made long preaching tours, journeying by foot. He was so poor that He did not even have a transport donkey to aid Him in that country of hills. Wherever He went He was thronged by the crowds, and He preached to them, sometimes fed them, and miraculously healed the sick. His work was threefold. It was benevolent -- administering to the physical and spiritual needs of the masses. Spiritual -- forgiving sins, giving evidences of His divinity, explaining the mysteries of the kingdom. Ethical -- He was always instructing His disciples and the masses, usually through a medium of parables [Matt. 13:34]. Why? He had a purpose for it [Matt. 13:13]. Many of our Lord's great discourses were spoken out of doors [see Matt. 5:1; 13:1; 24:3; John 4:6]. The New Testament record shows that Jesus uttered thirty-five parables and performed thirty-five miracles. In the light of this we should consider the amazing statement in John 21:25.
    Christ aligned Himself with the common people and chose illiterate men as His immediate followers, even though they were to be the pioneers of a great world movement. He mingled among the lowly [Matt. 9:11]; He ministered to them [Matt. 11:5]; He loved them [1 John 3:1], and for them He died [John 3:16].
    We see in Him who was perfect God and perfect man, a unique paradoxical character:

(1) Though a King yet lowly. He constantly claimed Kingship, was always talking about His coming kingdom of which He ever claimed to be the head. He spoke with the Imperative tone of kingly authority [MAtt. 25:34]. The Wise Men sought a King [Matt. 2:2]. He confessed it to Pilate [Luke 23:3], yet He had no scepter, no palace, no chariots, no armies. Is He really and literally the world's true King? [Rev. 19:16].
(2) Though mighty yet weak. He could have called legions of angels to His aid. He who had power to call forth the dead and to still the tempest by a word, was not bankrupt of power [Matt. 28:18]. Yet in weakness, the Creator, like a lamb to the slaughter, submitted to the creature.
(3) Though tempted yet sinless. He knew no sin [2 Corinthians 5:21]. He was holy, harmless, and undefiled [Heb. 7:26] yet His soul was laid open to the tempter [Luke 4:1-13]. He might have fallen from His high estate of purity and divinity, for His temptation must imply this [Heb. 4:15].
(4) Though bold yet meek. While the Jews were threatening Him with death, He stood openly in the temple and taught. They said, "Lo, he speaketh boldly" [John 7:26]. He did not flinch when rebuking the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy, yet He was gracious and gentle; He blest the infants and was as a lamb before His accusers.

Suffering and Decease

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    What chapter in the Old Testament towers above all others in providing a description of the sufferings and decease of Christ? His sufferings were vicarious [Isa. 53:6]. He took the sinner's place [Rom. 5:8]. He was the divine substitute who fulfilled all God's holy requirements [John 17:4], thus fully qualifying Himself as the great High Priest and Mediator of the New Covenant [Heb. 8:6; 12:24]. That hateful thing sin must be punished how? [Genesis 3:3; Rom. 6:23.] What did Christ become for us? [Galatians 3:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21.] Christ came not only to deal with outward transgressions but to do what? [Heb. 13:12.] Why? [Heb. 12:14.]
    Christ freely gave Himself for us [Gal. 2:20]. The Father freely gave the Son [1 John 4:9]. What was the great motive actuating this? [John 3:16] What is God? [1 John 4:8, 16]. What one thing especially should impel us to yield fully to God now and forever? [1 John 4:19]. Many scriptures might be given.
    The unspeakably painful and shameful death that our Savior endured on the cross -- the death administered to slaves and criminals -- reveals how serious and awful a thing sin is; and does it not teach us what the impenitent sinner must bear through the eternal ages?

Purposes of Christ's Earthly Mission

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Christ's earthly mission was at least threefold:

(1) In order that the Messianic promises might be fulfilled. The first promise of a Savior is found where? [Gen. 3:15]. The hope of all Israel was this coming One. All the sacrifices, feasts, and fasting were in anticipation of that event. Consider St. Paul's defense to Argil: "And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly [that is, earnestly] serving God day and night, hope to come" [Acts 26:6-7.] What faith did the woman of Samara have with respect to the promised Messiah? [John 4:25].

The promised Savior came in the "fulness of the time" [Galatians 4:4], signifying the fulness of preparation, when Israel as a nation was fully established, when prophecy was fulfilled, when the language was ready, when the Romans had prepared highways throughout the known world for the Christian missionary, and when pagan philosophy, having reached its zenith, had utterly failed to lift man out of his sin and helplessness.

He came in accordance with the promise. Bethlehem [Micah 5:2]; virgin [Isa. 7:14]; David [Jeremiah 33:15]; time [Dan. 9:26]; Immanuel -- God with us [Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23]. If Israel rejected their promised Messiah who had so literally fulfilled the prophecies, then they could look for no other.

(2) Christ's mission was to bring in the kingdom as announced both by Jesus and by John the Baptist. As the kingdom which Jesus came to establish failed because of the unbelief of the Jews, it was temporarily put in abeyance and superseded by the dispensation of the church, during which period He sets up His kingdom in the hearts of all who voluntarily surrender to Him.
(3) The third phase of His mission to this earth was to bring redemption. He was the great antitype [that is, fulfillment of a prophetic "type"] who had been prefigured by millions of sacrificial offerings -- beginning with Abel's "more excellent sacrifice" [cf. Gen. 4:3-5]. He was prefigured by Moses' brazen serpent [John 3:14-15]. The Messianic prophet revealed Him as the great sin-bearer. "The Lord hat laid on him the iniquity of us all [Isa. 53:6].

Christ brought universal redemption -- a redemption that was delivered once for all [Jude 3, R.V.] -- for all time, for all people. Christ also brought a redemption that saves to the uttermost, sanctifies, brings perfection, preserves blameless, and keeps from falling. He came to "destroy the works of the devil" [1 John 3:8], to forgive sins and to give soul rest [[1 John 1:9]. In the purpose of God, the redemption of Christ is to include all fallen creation (to take in both the animal and the vegetable kingdoms) which is eagerly looking for and waiting for that time [Rom. 8:19-24].

Redemption is a free gift -- the "gift of God." It is given to "whosoever" will partake of it. There is no difference. Remember Galatians 3:28.

Jesus Revealed

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    The book of Revelation, by symbol and metaphor, shows us how Jesus, the coming One, is to be revealed; how His enemies are to be judged; how He is to occupy the throne of David, and reign in righteousness for a thousand years.
    It is not difficult to see that we are now in the "last days" of the Laodicean church period [Rev. 3:14-22]. It has been pointed out that there is no mention of the church between chapters 3 and 19. In these intervening chapters we see how Christ is to redeem this earth in judgment, how it will be wrested from the control of the evil one. This is presented to us under different symbols: seals, horsemen, trumpets, beasts, etc. Severe though this judgment will be, it is seen to be intermingled with grace, as in chapters 7, 11, 14. Even in the great tribulation there will be some who will be "faithful unto death," and who will seal their faith with their blood [Rev. 20:4].
    Christ will return clothed in majesty, power, and glory. "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him" [Rev. 1:7]. "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire" [2 Thessalonians 1:7-8]. "This same Jesus, . . . shall so come" [Acts 1:11]. The Patmos Seer [see Rev. 1:9-11] saw the heavens opened and the returning One appearing as "King of kings and Lord of lords," escorted with saints and angels, to take His rightful place as world ruler. For a thousand years He will sit upon the throne of His glory, at the close of which time He will deliver up the kingdom to the Father [1 Cor. 15:24]. Then will follow the Great White Throne Judgment, when the sea will give up the dead, when death and Hades will deliver up the dead which are in them, and when Christ will sit on the throne of judgment [Acts 17:31]. Sentence will then be passed, all will bow the knee to Christ, and He will be exalted over all --        "GOD BLESSED FOR EVER."

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