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Post 71 Jesus is Lord! Part – 3
Remember each of the Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were recounting the life of Jesus and in particular the ministry of Jesus on earth. Each Gospel writer was writing from a different perspective and to a slightly different audience. The first three Gospels cover approximately the same materials and are referred to as the Synoptic Gospels. The word synopsis means a summary. John’s Gospel is unique in that it is not so much a summary of Jesus’ life and ministry but is a clear look at Jesus as God incarnate. In other words that Jesus is God!
John focuses his writing on the miracles of Jesus not as events but as a sign of Jesus’ power and authority over nature and life. All of the signs point to the fact that Jesus must be God in the flesh.
Now we will continue to look at the miracles of Jesus. I discussed the first four miracles in the last post. I will continue with the next three.
Miracle Five – John 6 Jesus Walks on the Sea
Jesus showed that He had control over the physical laws of nature by walking on water.
15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.
16 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18 Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. 19 So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. 20 But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediatelythe boat was at the land where they were going.
Miracle Six – John 9 A Man Born Blind Receives Sight
Jesus demonstrated His authority over congenital defects, by healing the man who was blind from birth.
1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.
Miracle Seven – John 11 Lazarus Raised from the Dead
The greatest miracle was shown by Jesus’ authority over death itself.
38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”
Conclusion
- Jesus showed that He had control over the physical laws of nature by walking on water.
- Jesus demonstrated His authority over congenital defects, by healing the man who was blind from birth.
- The greatest miracle was shown by Jesus’ authority over death itself.
What is very true of our God is that nothing is impossible with Him and that everything seen, and unseen was created by Him. Link that with the fact that God loves you and you have a God that will move Heaven and earth for you!
John 21:25 “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen”.
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Post 70 Jesus is Lord (God)! Part 2
Seven Miracles found in the Gospel of John
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Miracle One – John 2, Water Turned to Wine.
Jesus demonstrated his power over time by instantly changing water into wine.
1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” 4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
6 Now there were set there six water pots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the water pots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!” 11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.Miracle Two – John 4, A Nobleman’s Son Healed.
Jesus showed his control of space by healing the nobleman’s son from a distance of several miles away.
46 So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.”
49 The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!”
52 Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household.
54This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.Miracle Three – John 5, A Man Healed at the Pool of Bethesda.
The Lord’s authority over infirmity was shown by the cure of the man at the pool of Bethesda.
1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. 5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” (Dependence on man and not God!)
8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.Miracle Four – John 6, Feeding the Five Thousand.
Jesus demonstrated His authority over lack by feeding the 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fishes.
1 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.
4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.
7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”
8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”
10 Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” 13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”Conclusion
- Jesus demonstrated his power over time by instantly changing water into wine.
- Jesus showed his control of space by healing the nobleman’s son from a distance of several miles away.
- The Lord’s authority over infirmity was shown by the cure of the man at the pool of Bethesda.
- Jesus demonstrated His authority over lack by feeding the 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fishes.
Whatever your need is, Jesus is willing and able to show Himself strong on your behalf. Just trust Him and walk by faith and not by sight. Don’t listen to those around you who try to put doubt and fear in your mind.
That’s all we have time for today. I will continue with the other three miracles found in John’s Gospel next time.
Until then may God Bless you abundantly…
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Post 69 Jesus is Lord (God)!
THE GOSPEL RECORD
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John provide the most accurate record of who Jesus is. Each of the Gospel writers was present during the life of Jesus. Matthew, Mark, and John were three of the twelve Apostles. Luke was a companion of the Apostle Paul and must have known the other Apostles as well. They wrote first-hand accounts of Jesus’ ministry on earth. While each of them wrote from different perspectives, as you would expect from four different witnesses, all of them left no doubt that Jesus was God in the flesh.
I’m going to take a brief look at each of the Gospels before we focus on the miracles of Jesus in the Gospel of John
GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
The Gospel of Matthew was written by a Jew to a Jewish audience who knew the Old Testament scriptures. Matthew wanted to show that Jesus was the promised Messiah of the Old Testament. That Jesus was the fulfillment of time-awaited prophecy. As a result, Matthew uses the expression, “that it might be fulfilled”, meaning that Jesus fulfilled the prophecies. He quotes more from the Old Testament than any of the other Gospel writers.
Matthew emphasizes the teaching nature of Jesus and the theme of the “kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God” as a means of describing Jesus’ rule on the earth and in the human heart. Matthew left no doubt about the deity of Jesus.
GOSPEL OF MARK
The Gospel of Mark was probably the first Gospel written. Many theologians believe that Matthew and Luke may have used Mark’s Gospel as a source of information. Mark’s Gospel is the shortest of the Gospels and written to a Gentile (non-Jewish) audience, probably to those who were Romans.
Mark focuses on Jesus as the suffering servant who ministers to the physical and spiritual needs of those He was sent to.
The message of Mark’s Gospel is that Jesus was a man of action and His message was urgent and important. Mark demonstrates to the Roman mind, that Jesus was the son of God. He even uses a Roman soldier’s words at Jesus’ crucifixion, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39).
GOSPEL OF LUKE
Luke was a Gentile and wrote to a Gentile audience. He starts with Jesus’ birth and because Luke also wrote the Book of Acts, you could say, the birth of the Church. In Luke, there are many parables that are not recorded in the other Gospels. Jesus is portrayed as the compassionate Savior of the world. It is important to know that the words Savior, Messiah, and Christ have the same meaning but in different languages. Savior is English, Messiah is Hebrew, and Christ is Greek. All of these terms are used to describe the nature of Jesus- to rescue the lost. Which is the nature of God!
The Gospel of Luke is universal in appeal in that he is all-inclusive. Luke’s Gospel is for all people, Jew or Gentile, male or female, rich or poor, slave or free, and noble or outcast!
Luke emphasizes the work of the Holy Spirit and the importance of prayer in Jesus’ life and ministry. This is of course to meant to be an example to us all… the work of the Holy Spirit and prayer!
GOSPEL OF JOHN
John’s Gospel is the most theological of the Gospels with its focus on who Jesus is rather than what He did. The purpose of John’s Gospel message is found in John 20:31, “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you have life in His name”.
John’s Gospel is the divine gospel in that it clearly demonstrates through seven miracles and seven statements that Jesus is God! The number 7 is considered to be God’s number, the number of perfection or completion.
THE NUMBER SEVEN
Before we look at the seven miracles found in the Gospel of John lets turn our attention to the number seven.
While the Bible does not explicitly say that the number seven is a holy number, Christiansand Jews consider seven to be a holy number.
Genesis says that God completed or perfected creation in six days. Then God rested on the seventh day. The Hebrew word for the seventh day is Shabbat or Sabbath. Since God rested on the Sabbath that is God’s day and is known as the seventh day.
Since man was created on the sixth day, the number six represents man a creation, not a creator; less than God!
As a side note, the early Hebrews and Greeks did not have a number system. The Arabic number system we use today was not created until the 6thor 7thcentury by the Hindu’s in India.
Because God completed His work and rested on the seventh day, that’s the reason for the observance of the Hebrew Sabbathon the last day of the week. Remember Sabbath means the seventh day.
For Christians the triple 7 as in 777 represents the threefold perfection of the Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit each a seven.
Most people know that the number 666 represents the number of the “beast”. Revelation 13:18 says, “Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666”.
Remember, 6 is less than 7. I heard someone say that the 666 means, “not God, not God, not God”! It makes perfect sense to me.
THE SEVEN SIGNS IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
Signs and wonders, or miracles, are indicators or point to something. Just as a street sign points to a direction or name of the street. In the same way, God’s miracles point to the divinity of Jesus and the following:
- That Jesus is God
- That Jesus is the healer
- That Jesus is the provider
- That Jesus has conquered death
- That we can trust in Jesus
Next time we will look at the seven Miracles found in John’s Gospel.
- Cana Wedding; water into wine… 2:1
- Jesus heals the nobleman’s son… 4:46
- Jesus heals the paralytic… 5:1
- Jesus feeds the 5000… 6:1
- Jesus walks on water… 6:15
- Jesus heals the blind man… 9:1
- Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead… 11:1
CONCLUSION – JESUS IS GOD AND HE IS AT WORK… IN US!
- John 14:12“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father”.
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Post 68 – The Armor of God!
God has not left us helpless and hopeless but has given us weapons and armor to confront the Devil and his attacks upon our minds.
What putting on the armor of God and spiritual warfare is NOT!
- Spiritual warfare is not about empty actions that make us feel like we are accomplishing something when in fact nothing has changed.
- Putting on the armor of God is not some superstitious ritual we do to protect us from the devil. I’ve known individuals that put on the armor of God each morning. They recite the verses and imagine the putting on of the armor. That may be well-intentioned, but if they have to do it every day the question is, “when did they take the armor off?”.
What it means to put on the Armor of God.
Putting on the armor of God IS about taking seriously all that Jesus has provided for you. His salvation, His security, His Holy Spirit and His Word, the Bible. It is about becoming a warrior for Jesus! A warrior understands training, discipline, hardship, sacrifice, and victory. We are called to be soldiers for the Lord!
The Whole Armor of God
Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”.
Verse 12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places”.
Verse 13 “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand”.
- You just can’t choose the armor you like or want, you need the whole armor of God for the armor to be effective.
Verse 14 “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth
- Jesus is God in the flesh (Phil 2:5-7).
- Jesus came to save (John 3:17).
- There is no other way to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).
Verse 14b having put on the breastplate of righteousness“,
- Righteousness has to do with doing what is right in God’s eyes, not in your eyes.
- It is living by the spirit of the Ten Commandments. Not the letter of the law but the spirit of the law.
- It is loving unconditionally all people because God has created them.
- It is represented by manifesting the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22)
Verse 15 “and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace“;
- It means to be ready in season and out to present the testimony that Jesus has given you. That testimony is about what He has done for you. He has saved you, healed you and restored you
Verse 16 “above all, taking the shield of faith with which,
- Faith is seeing the invisible, the spiritual realm.
- Faith has to do with actions and not just words
- Faith is believing what God has said in the Bible even when we don’t understand it.
Verse 16b you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one“.
- Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world (1John 4:4).
- He has not given you the spirit of fear (2Tim 1:7)
- You are bold for Jesus
Verse 17 “And take the helmet of salvation,
- Always remembering that you were bought with a price and you are no longer your own
- Mindful of Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me”.
Verse 17b and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God“;
- The Word of God will stop the enemy of our souls in his tracks. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Luke 4). Jesus responded with the scriptures from the Word of God!
Verse 18 “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”.
- We pray not only with our minds, but perhaps more importantly in the Spirit (Tongues). The spirit always prays perfectly for our needs because the Spirit knows what to pray for. Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God”.
Misguided Spiritual Warfare
One of the church’s greatest challenges is to distinguish between the spiritual struggle and other social, personal, and political struggles. Some believers and even groups become easily distracted, “wrestling” with human adversaries instead of warring against the invisible works of the Devil in the spiritual realm.
Conclusion
2 Timothy, “1 You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 You, therefore, must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier”.
- In other words, you can’t be a part-time Christian. Jesus gave all for you and our Lord expects all from you!
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Post 67 – Relationship or Religion?
Knowing the Living Jesus Christ versus the practice of religion.
My hope in presenting the last several posts is to point out that “Spiritual Warfare” is not about yelling into the atmosphere and binding Satan in Jesus’ name. Satan has no power other than that which we give him. Remember Satan is all about deception, he will try to imitate God and then try to distort the truth into a lie. In other words, Satan offers us a counterfeit of the genuine promises found in Jesus Christ. A partial lie is the same as a total lie; Remember, a drop of poison into a cup of pure water poisons the whole cup!
Recall 2 Corinthians 10:3, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds (those things we hold strongly to in our minds), 5 casting down arguments (Satan’s lies) and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (when you focus on self instead of Christ), bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (transformation)”.
There is a lot of superstition in Christianity.
What I mean is that there are many practices and rituals that have no real power over the enemy. God does not respond to rituals and the traditions of men but responds to genuine prayer and a mind that is being transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ. Faith, prayer, and righteousness are what moves God.
The Apostle Paul had seen all of the foolishness of rituals and traditions of men before he turned to Jesus. He had grown up as a devout Hebrew and Pharisee. He was exposed to the surrounding heathen practices of the Gentiles of the time. However, when he met Jesus his life was turned around and He saw the true power, authority, and majesty of his King- Jesus! He went from having a purely religious point of view as a Pharisee to a vibrant relationship with the King of kings and the Lord of lords!
The key is relationship not religion.
Religion has to do with how we worship God. Being born-again means you are a son or daughter of God (Galatians 3:26 -4:7)! There is a big difference between relationship and religion.
As I’ve said before Jesus is looking for a relationship which means two-way communication. First, you must be born-again, then you talk to Jesus in a personal way. His Holy Spirit dwells in you so that you can hear His voice, to discern the truth, empowering you to follow Him and to resist the enemy- the Devil.
Relationship vs. Religion in 1 Kings 18:1-40
A good example of this difference between relationship and religion is found in 1 Kings 18:1-40. This is the account of Elijah the man of God and the Baal Priests of Ahab and Jezebel.
The nation of Israel had fallen far from the true worship of one God. Because of the evil King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, Israel had fallen into the worship of other gods. That is why the Prophet Elijah said in 1 Kings 18:21, “And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word”.
What Elijah was saying is that you can’t serve two masters or two Gods. You need to make a decision. If you are going to follow Jesus, you must abandon all the other practices of religion. In Elijah’s time, the people of Israel were giving sacrifices and offerings to Jehovah God, and also to Baal and Asherah. Baal and Asherah were heathen gods that demanded defiled worship as well as human sacrifice.
Elijah’s challenge to false gods.
I am sure you remember the story of Elijah’s challenge to the prophets of Baal. He challenged them to a duel or competition to see whose god would respond with fire. Elijah and the prophets of Baal each were given a bull to sacrifice and wood to place the bull on. However, neither Elijah nor the prophets of Baal were to light the fire. Each would call on their God for the fire.
The Baal worshipers set up their animal sacrifice first. 1 Kings 18:26-29 says, “So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made”.
27 “And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”
28 “So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. 29 And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention”.
Now it is Elijah’s turn.
The first thing he did was to restore the altar of the one true God, Jehovah, or Yahweh as He was known to the Israelites. Then he set up the wood and placed the cut-up pieces of the sacrificial bull on top of the wood. Then he does something amazing, he floods the wood with water, the sacrifice with water, and the trench around the altar with water.
Then beginning in 1 Kings 18:36 “And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”
Pay special attention to the language of Elijah’s prayer. He doesn’t bring attention to himself but gives all attention, glory and praise to God. He speaks of someone who knows his God and therefore does great exploits (Daniel 11:32b “but the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits”.
Elijah can ask great things because he knows, on a personal level, how great his God is.
If you want to see great things and do great exploits for God build your relationship with Him. He wants to be known and He wants to know you. Not in a ritualistic or traditional way, but in a personal way! Then you will go from knowing about your God to knowing Him and hearing His voice.
