Foundations of the Faith

Lesson 3 – The Nature and Ministry of Jesus Christ

Introduction

• Understanding what the Bible teaches about the unique nature of Jesus is essential to understanding and appreciating His ministry and why He alone could accomplish the work of salvation.

The Nature of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is God

• In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…and the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

– John 1:1, 14

Jesus Christ is God

• Jesus existed from eternity past

• He was with God in the beginning

• He is God

• Revealed Himself in the flesh as Jesus Christ

– Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.” Matthew 1:22-23

• He had power over nature

– Matthew 8:26-27

He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

• He had power over sickness

– Luke 4:40

While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them.

• He had power over demons

– Luke 4:33-37

In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, . . . . . . Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm. And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, “What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out.”

• He had power over death

– John 11:43-44

When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

• Other evidences

– Isaiah 9:6 -- the Messiah would be called “the mighty God, the eternal Father.”

– Isaiah 43:3,11 -- and 2 Peter 2:20 -- Both God and Jesus are called “Savior,” and there's only one Savior.

– Isaiah 6:1-3 and John 12:41 -- John identifies Jesus as the one Isaiah saw when Isaiah saw the thrice holy Lord.

• Other evidences

– John 20:28 -- Thomas called Jesus “my Lord and my God.”

– Exodus 3:14 and John 8:58 -- Jesus used God's title “I AM” to refer to Himself. He also claimed to be God in John 10:30, 37, 38, and John 12:45.

– Jesus is worshipped, and yet we are commanded to worship God only. (Matthew 2:11, 14:33, John 12:13, Revelation 5:8-14, Philippians 2:10-11, Hebrews 1:6)

Jesus Christ is Man

• Jesus was born of a virgin in fulfillment of prophecy.

– Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. (See also Isaiah 9:6-7)

– Luke 1:26-35 (34-35 shown) Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”

• Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:4-7)

• Jesus had human needs and responses

– Luke 4:2 He was hungry when He fasted

– John 4:6 He was tired after a journey

– Mark 4:38 He slept when He tired

– John 11:35 He wept when He grieved

Jesus Christ is the Perfect God-Man

• Jesus experienced temptation like every other man, but since He was God, he never sinned.

– Hebrews 4:15-16 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin.

NLT

Jesus Christ is the Perfect God-Man

• God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. and He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature , and upholds all things by the word of His power. Hebrews 1:1-3a

• At no time in His ministry did He cease being either God or man. His deity and humanity are blended together to become one person.

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The Ministry of Jesus Christ

Jesus is the Only Way

• John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

• The work of Christ which could only be accomplished through the life, death and resurrection of the one and only perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.

His Earthly Mission

• Jesus came to:

– Seek and save that which is lost (Luke 19:10)

– Save sinners (I Timothy 1:15)

– Give life (John 10:10)

– To serve and give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28)

The Problem

• Man is sinful

– Romans 3:23

• Man is in slavery to sin

– Romans 6:17a

• The payment required for sin is death

– Romans 6:23a

• Sinful man is the object of God’s wrath

– Romans 5:9

The Payment for Sin

• Man without Christ is a sinner worthy of death. God is holy and righteous and, consistent with His perfect nature, must judge sin. Sin had to be paid for.

• Forgiveness requires the shedding of blood

– Hebrews 9:22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

• Animal sacrifices did not pay for sin. They covered sin until the final payment could be made.

– Hebrews 10:4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

• Old Testament sacrifices were an image or a fore-shadowing of what was to come. The animals had to be "without spot of blemish.”

• Jesus, the perfect God-Man, was the perfect sacrifice.

– 1 Peter 1:18-19 . . . knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. (also Rev 5:6,9,12)

• Jesus became the perfect sacrifice man needed so desperately.

– John 1:29 John the Baptist “saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”

– 2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

– 1 John 3:5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.

The Nature of Christ’s Sacrifice

• Propitiatory – satisfying God’s wrath and requirement for payment for sin

– Romans 3:25 God displayed [Jesus] publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.

• Substitutionary

– 2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

• Once for All

– Hebrews 9:12-13 . . . through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

– 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

• Planned and Executed by God

– Isaiah 53:10a But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief;

– Acts 2:23-24 . . . this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

• Witnessed by Many

– 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.

• Accomplished by the Power of God

– Acts 2:24 But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

• Guarantees the Resurrection of Believers

– 1 Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

• Guarantees the Exaltation of Believers

– Ephesians 2:4-7 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ ( by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

• Confirmed Validity of Christ’s Sacrifice

– Ephesians 1:19-21 . . . and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Conclusion

• Jesus Christ was the perfect, sinless “Lamb of God” who came into this world to pay the debt owed to God for our sins, a debt that we could never satisfy. Romans 5:6 says, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” He has saved us, redeemed us (bought us back), reconciled us to God, forgiven us our sins, and given us eternal life if we have placed our full faith and trust in the risen Lord Jesus Christ.