30th Post Jesus' Authority Con't -John 10: 34 - 38

This passage is hard to understand for us and for the Jews that first heard these words of Jesus. Jesus told them that in their Law God called them "gods". Notice the small "g" and not a capital "G". Not everyone living at the time of Jesus had access to written Scriptures, like we do now, so they could not run to their copies and check what Jesus said. When you hear something you can not always tell if the word is in capitals or not. What Jesus was telling them that in Genesis chapter 2 when God was deciding to make man, God said "Let us make man in our image". This means we would have similar characteristics of God, but we were not God. Genesis chapter 3 God makes the distinction between the seed of the serpent, and the seed of the woman. Those that did not have a heart for God, but did evil against man and God would be from the seed of the serpent. Those who had a heart for God and treated both man and God righteously would be from the seed of the woman. Notice that Jesus became human from Mary only, the seed of the woman. If Jesus would have been born of Joseph, Jesus would have inherited the sinful nature passed on to him from Adam. This is a very important point to understand. Mary gave Jesus His Humanly attributes, but without sin. This is how Jesus could be 100% God and 100% man and not have any sin. Women, you must understand that because you were not made a partner in the sin of Adam you seem to have gotten the bulk of the curses that God gave to Eve.
If you are honest with yourself, you would have to agree that God passed out punishment to man and woman equally. I have run out of post for this passage, but stay tuned for next post.

29th Post His Authority Con't - John10:25

This is a on going theme Jesus has been telling the people, He is sent from the Father God, and the Father allows Him to do miracles as proof of who He is and where He comes from. The people see the miracles but still don't believe Jesus is who He says He is. This is the exact same decision we have to make today. Is Jesus telling us a lie? Or is He telling us the truth? No one can answer these questions for you, you must come to your own conclusion. If you are a believer, the proof seems overwhelming, if you don't believe, your doubt seems insurmountable. This is why Jesus said He would become a stumbling block to people. If you are truly seeking the truth, God through His Holy Spirit will make the truth known to you. Ask God to reveal the truth to you and He will do it. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and heard Jesus teaching in the Temple. This was very early in Jesus' ministry, not all the disciples had been called by Jesus to follow Him. Jesus had performed miracles in the Sea of Galilee area which is about 50 miles or so from Jerusalem. Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night to ask Him further questions. Nicodemus proves that he believes that God is with Jesus, because he admits this to Jesus. Somehow, Nicodemus knows about the miracles and knows that no man could perform them without God being with Him. Nicodemus was confronted with Jesus Christ just like you and just like you he had to make a decision concerning Jesus. Was He God or a fraud? Like Nicodemus you must decide and no one can make that decision for you. The Story of Nicodemus is found in John chapter 3, check it out and decide for yourself.

28th Post His Authority Continued - John 8: 14 - 19

This passage seems to contradict what Jesus said in John 7: 28 - 29. What we found out in our study of prophecy was that God's Word, the Bible can not contradict itself; when we believe that the Bible does this, it is our understanding of the Bible that is the problem not God's Word. The same holds here. If you re-read my previous post, you will see that I opened the door for this line of thought. Jesus said that "you know where I came from..." I went on to say that not all that heard Jesus believed this. This is what Jesus is addressing here. Jesus went on to say that if I witness of myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. Jesus is trying to say, I know I came from Heaven and the Father, for this reason my testimony is true. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Jesus is saying that you are flesh (human), and as a human you will judge according to your human nature. Jesus said I do not judge. Jesus was making the point that you are human and not capable of understanding the things of God. This is why faith is required, you judge based on your human understanding and you do not know the ways of God. Jesus is saying that He being God would also judge according to God's understanding, and not man's. Jesus goes on to say that His judgment is true; for I am not alone. God the Father would back up His judgment. Then Jesus said it is also written in you law that the testimony of two men is true. Where did the Jews get their law from? It was given by God through Moses. You are still following this law, because you still believe in two witnesses. We will go into this in more detail during Jesus trial, that will come up much later in this study.

27th Post - Jesus Said about His Authority con't. John 7: 28-29

This passage as you find it in the New King James Version John 7: 28 - 29 is as follows:
You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.

Jesus is telling His audience that they know Jesus, and where He is from, Heaven and God the Father. Jesus did not come on His own, but came because He was sent by the Father, and His actions and words are true. God the Father you do not know.

Jesus is saying that the people have accepted His coming from Heaven. You would only believe this if you believe that Jesus is who He says He is. I don't think everyone listening to Him believed that Jesus came from Heaven. This is the same problem we have today, when faced with Jesus; we have to decide if Jesus is who He says He is or He is an imposter. If you agree that Jesus came from Heaven, then you have to accept that Jesus is not acting on His own but doing the work of His Father. You know the words and actions of the Father are true because you have learned about Him through the Bible. The Bible is the only way of knowing the Father, since He is Spirit and is invisible. Jesus is also telling you about the Father by doing the works of the Father.

26th Post - His Authority Con't - John 7: 16 - 18 Con't

I ran out of space explaining doctrine that I could not comment on the rest of this passage. Jesus has been explaining that He can not act on His own but does the will of His Father that sent Him. The proof of His obedience is shown in the miracles Jesus performs. Jesus says that if anyone wills to do His (the Father's) will, He shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on my own authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. This passage goes along with what I said in the previous post. God gave Moses and Jesus the exact same doctrine; the religious leaders should have recognized this and accepted Jesus. The leaders doctrine had not changed, it was their interpretation of the doctrine that changed; this is why they could not recognize Jesus as who He was. This happened when Jesus came the first time and it is happening again. How many Christians are going to miss Jesus when He comes again, because they are failing to read and understand the signs? The Bible prophesied that this would happen. Jesus said that you can separate the true from the false by seeing who gets the glory. If God is the focus of the glory than it is correct. If the person bringing the message is getting the glory, then the glory is for himself. Jesus said that the doctrine is the measuring stick. The doctrine is still the measuring stick and it is the Bible. If you hold to its teachings by reading it everyday and not depending on someone else to tell you what it says; you will be able to separate the good from the false.

25th Post - Jesus Authority Con't - John 7:16-18.

This passage starts out with the words my doctrine; what does the word doctrine mean? The definition is as follows, what is taught by a church the official governmental policy, what the people that hold to this teaching believe. It is interesting that Jesus would use this type of wording here. It seems He is telling the people that My Words and Teachings come from the same source as those taught in the Temple, but My doctrine is Mine; which opens the door for speculation that His doctrine maybe a little different on some points. How is this possible? The Temple teaches the Law handed down by God to Moses at Mount Sinai. Jesus has been saying that His teaching is not His, but the One who sent Him namely God the Father. Both messages originate from God, how can they be different? They should not be, however man being not perfect had changed the meaning of the Law to satisfy his ability to live according to the Law. The Sadducees and Pharisees should have been the first ones to recognize Jesus as the Messiah the Son of God, but they did not. Why not? They had grown comfortable in their interpretation of the Torah and in the day to day running of their lives. Just like the prophets of the Old Testament God raised up to put the people on the right track again. God sent Jesus, Jesus met the same resistance the prophets had incountered and ultimately paid the same price. However, Jesus' death was not the same. God had demanded justice for Adam's sin back in the Garden of Eden, when Adam brought sin into the world. Jesus being without sin, became sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corithians 5: 21). This is why God sent Jesus into the world, He had to be God to be strong enough to with stand the devil's temptation. Adam being totaly man could not stand up to satan, this is why the Messiah had to have two natures. Man and God, only one person fits this bill and that is Jesus Christ the Son of God. Only you can decide if Jesus is who He said He was, or was not.

24th Post - His Authority con't - John 5: 30 - 38.

This passage continues with Jesus saying that He can not do anything on His own but does the will of His Father that sent Him. Jesus does judge, His judgment is righteous because He does not seek His own will but the will of My Father who sent Me. The last several Bible passages were along this same line. Jesus is establishing the fact that Jesus does the will of His Father and the Father allows Jesus to perform miracles as proof that God is with Him; and that they are in agreement on everything Jesus does, because He (Jesus) is God's Son. Jesus is trying to tell the people that He is not like them and acts the way He does because He has to answer to His Father. Jesus goes on to say that if He bears witness to Himself (Jesus) His witness would not be true. There is another who bears witness to Me, and I know that the witness He says is True. Then Jesus says you (the people) sent to John (the Baptist), and he has borne witness to the truth. Here Jesus says that John the Baptist also declared witness to the truth. Jesus goes on to say yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you might be saved. Jesus is telling the people here that He has the power to forgive sins. The Jews believe that God alone has the power to forgive sins. For this to be true, Jesus would have to be God. They could not believe this. Jesus said if you can not believe Me, believe the works that I do, because I could not do them with out the help of God. The miracles are the proof of what I say. The people could not believe that Jesus was who He said he was and could not believe that the miracles He (Jesus) performed were done in the Will of God. They continued to live in their unbelief. Jesus tells them the truth and yet they do not believe it. How many of you are reading this and feel that Jesus is not who He said He is? This question is the same now as it was then. Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah), the Lord of Lords. Only you can answer this question.