And this is, I'm calling this
Son of the Father, and it'll be very apparent why we call
this, look at it today, Son of the Father. And I'd like to start
by reading the first three verses, once again, of 2 John. It says, the elder unto the elect
lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not only I,
but also all they that have known the truth, for the truth's sake
which dwelleth in us and shall be with us forever. Grace be
with you, mercy and peace from God the Father and from the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father in truth and love. And
we looked at last time at some of the places that speak to us
of that. that grace and mercy from God
is a mouthful. Any of those thoughts expand
through all the scriptures so much. And we just hit a little
bit on the mercy of God that he set aside a people, gave the
Son a people, and the grace of Him in revealing Himself through
the Son to His people. And the peace that only can come
through the Lord Himself and what He has done for the for
the sheep, for the church, and that he is the only one that
in him we have peace, and he is our peace, as the scripture
said. So we're going to look a little bit this morning about,
John says, from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of the Father, in truth and love, and we're going to
look at the at the part there where it says, from the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. And
look up, spend some time on the, just on the title there. And
he has, The Lord has a lot of titles,
a lot of words that are ascribed to him that we know the Lord
Jesus Christ by, and a lot of those names that he has are attributes
of his and and how it connects with the redemption of the church,
of his people. And here he uses the Lord Jesus
Christ, the son of the father, which is quite a description
that he uses, not just as in a lot of places or in other places,
he'll use the Lord Jesus Christ or the Jesus the Lord or different
combinations of those words. But here he has, kind of the complete, in a sense,
of titles of who he is as God. And I'd like to look at some
passages today that deal with that. Before we do that, I've got a
little bit to read here that I put together. Grace and mercy and peace. It
says we have these if we have been given the new birth. We
have grace, mercy and peace. The everlasting covenant promises
to his own God's mercy and not demanding payment for sin of
themselves. His mercy is shown in giving
a people to the son. God's grace is shown in us by
there being a way of redemption and deliverance from sin. and
by calling each of his own in Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
the Son of the Father. By his mercy and grace and that
faith given to us, we can know peace with God that only comes
through Jesus the Son. By using his name, the Lord Jesus
Christ, and further, the Son of God, the Son of the Father,
we know that all things needed for our salvation and eternal
life were provided in his name and who he is. We're going to
look at the scriptures to see some of what it says about Jesus
Christ, Son of the Father. We're gonna look at a couple
of familiar passages that speak to the incarnation of the Lord,
and coming to earth, dwelling among men, and the purpose. He's said to be the beloved son.
He is said to be the promised one spoken of in Genesis 3. The very first, that speaks directly
to one coming to, take care of the problem, to bring peace,
to take care of the sin that is in us. The one from the beginning
that all of scripture is telling of, he's the one that it speaks
of. Isaiah 53, I don't know if we'll,
we may look at a couple of verses of that, but Isaiah 53 tells
of what the Lord Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Father, did to
redeem us, the only one who could satisfy all that's needed to
redeem a people. And then we're going to look
at some scriptures that speak to these thoughts. And like I say, Isaiah 53 is in Relatively few verses says an
awful lot about and says from start to finish what the Lord
had to do physically and spiritually and what he had to do and what
it took to pay for that sin of his people. So I'd like to start
by Turning to John chapter one,
and some of these are gonna be, all these are gonna be familiar
passages, but some of them, a thought, just a thought from them. In
John chapter one, starting at the first verse and
reading down a ways, it says, in the beginning was the word.
And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was
in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him,
and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was
life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth
in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. There was
a man sent from God whose name was John. The same came for a
witness, to bear witness of the light that all men through him
might believe. He was not that light, but was
sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light
which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was
in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew
him not. He came unto his own, and his
own received him not. But as many as received him,
to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them
that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor of
the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld
his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth." And here, as John starts out here in the
gospel given to him, speaking of the Lord himself, that was
in the beginning, and it says here, was the word, and the word
was with God, and the word was God. And the same was in the
beginning with God. And a lot of times I think that,
you know, in thinking or in bringing thoughts out of the scripture.
A lot of times, the thought that God is one kind
of gets set aside in a sense sometimes, and we don't always
realize or remember maybe that God, the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit are one and not three, separate entities or persons. And it's something we can't,
people have said it's like an egg or whatever. Well, those
fall apart, they don't. they don't give us the real sense of what
it is. And I think we have to go with
what it says. But he, indeed, as it says, he
was the creator, the one who created.
And from the beginning, with the dealing with men, with people,
or on Earth, He was the one that we have to deal with directly,
was the Lord himself. In the ways he came down to speak
to people, in the different incarnations, in the different ways that he
came and spoke to people directly, that was the Lord himself that
came down and spoke and dealt with his people. In the book
of Matthew, Back up just a little bit. And through this, I'd kind of
like to see how it shows and tells us about who he is and
not forgetting that over there in 1 John where it speaks about
the Lord Jesus Christ as being the Son, the Son of God, Son
of the Father. and how that relates to what
we're gonna see and look into here. In chapter one of Matthew,
a couple places in Matthew, but down in chapter one of Matthew,
and starting with verse 17. And all this above here is generations. It says, these are the generations
of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. And then
down in verse 17, Matthew chapter one, it says, so all the generations
from Abraham to David are 14 generations, and from David until
the carrying away into Babylon are 14 generations, and from
the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are 14 generations. Now the birth of Jesus Christ
was on this wise, when as his mother Mary was a spouse to Joseph
before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy
Ghost. Then Joseph, her husband, verse
19, being a just man and not willing to make her a public
example, was minded to put her away prevalently. But while he
thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared
unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear
not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived
in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son
that thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his
people from their sins. Now all this was done that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet,
saying, Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bring
forth a son. They shall call his name Emmanuel,
which being interpreted is God with us. Then Joseph being raised
from sleep, yet as the angel of the Lord had bidden him and
took unto him his wife, and knew her not till she had brought
forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus. And
according to the prophets, we're gonna look at a couple other
spots, but according to what the prophets had spoken of, and
this is speaking of the one that, clear back in Genesis chapter
three, is the one that's gonna take care of the problem. It
says there that he will bruise a serpent's head and his heel
will be bruised, but that he is the one that is spoken of
and he is the one that the scriptures give record of and give testimony
of is of him. And then down in chapter 3 of
Matthew also, starting with verse 13, Matthew
3, 13. It says, then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John
to be baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying,
I have need to be baptized of thee, and thou comest to me.
And Jesus answered, he said unto him, suffer it to be so now,
for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered
him. And Jesus, when he was baptized,
went up straightway out of the water, and lo, the heavens were
opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit. of God descending like
a dove and lighting upon him, and lo, a voice from heaven saying,
this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." And this
not only of the coming as promised in this record and others that
we're going to look at, but also that it says here that the as
a spirit, as a dove descending on him, his father saying, this
is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. And we're going
to look at a couple other spots that show of the father and his
acknowledging the son and that he is well pleased in him and
that he is the one that was spoken of and the one that is needed
for the redemption of his people. In the book of Mark, the book
of Mark, And this speaking about, and
it speaks about John preaching of one that has come,
the Messiah to come, and I'd like to read, oh, starting down verse nine. of Mark chapter one,
verse nine. It says, then it came to pass
in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and
was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out
of the water, he saw the heavens opened and the spirit like a
dove descending upon him. And there came a voice from heaven
saying, Thou art my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. And
immediately the spirit drive with him into the wilderness.
And he was there in the wilderness 40 days tempted of Satan and
was with the wild beasts and the angels ministered unto him.
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came unto Galilee
preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying, the time is
fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent ye and
believe the gospel. And here again, as he was baptized
and the spirit was seen as a dove, it says, descending upon him
and again, my beloved son, whom I'm well pleased. And then it
goes on, we have other comments on this account, or
thoughts on this account in scripture, where it says he was in the wilderness
40 days, tempted of Satan, and the wild beasts and the angels
ministered unto him. And then we have others that
he was tempted, but without sin. His nature, being he was God
with us, he was not partly God and partly
man, and that we've discussed that before or mentioned that
before, was 100%. man and his humanity and 100%
God and that's hard for us to reconcile. How can something
be 100% of two things that are so contrary to each other as
far as the nature of them? But that's so, that's the fact,
that's what he was. God with us and God in the flesh
and not some of God and we're gonna look at a couple verses
that address that too when he was here in the flesh. The book of Luke also, a couple
of places, and a lot that the book of Luke has to say about
the Lord himself pretty directly to us. In Luke, the first chapter
again, just a couple of thoughts here. It says, Luke chapter one, starting
with verse 30, it says, and the angel said unto her,
fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God, and behold,
thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son and shalt
call his name Jesus. And he shall be great and shall
be called the son of the highest. And the Lord God shall give unto
him the throne of his father, David, and he shall reign over
the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom. There shall be
no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, how shall these, this
be saying, I know not a man. And the angel answered and said
unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power
of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy
thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son
of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth,
she hath also conceived a son in her old age, And this is the
sixth month with her, who is called barren. For with God,
nothing shall be impossible. And here, Mary in the, it says
the angel here, speaking with her that this, it says, Thou
shalt conceive in thy womb and shall bring forth a son, shall
call his name Jesus. He shall be great, verse 32,
and shall be called the son of the highest, and the Lord God
shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And here
again, called his name Jesus, and the son of the highest, the
Lord God shall give him, to him the throne of David. And then
also in the book of Luke, down towards the end in verse 67 of Luke chapter one, it says, and his father Zacharias
was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesied saying, blessed
be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed
his people and hath raised up in horn of
salvation for us in the house of his servant David. As he spake
by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world
began, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the
hand of all that hate us, to perform the mercy promised to
our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. the oath which
he sware unto our father Abraham that he would grant unto us that
being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him
without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all
the days of our life. And thou, child, shalt be called
the prophet of the highest, for thou shalt go before the face
of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation
unto his people by the remission of their sins. through the tender
mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited
us to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow
of death to guide our feet in the way of peace. And the child
grew and waxed strong in spirit and was in the deserts till the
day of his showing unto Israel." And here speaking, as it says
here, one that was spoke of by the holy prophets, which have
been since the world began, that we should be saved from our enemies,
perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember
his holy covenant. And the covenant that's remembered,
often the covenant that is remembered is the one that we have a piece
of ground that we have, and that covenant is doesn't hold the
candle to this covenant being spoken of here. This is talking
about the everlasting covenant. That was the purpose of the one
that the prophets were speaking of from the very beginning. And
it said to perform the mercy promised and that he would, that
being, that we would be delivered out of the hand of our enemies
might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness
before him all the days of our life. And that isn't speaking
of a physical here, that's speaking of in holiness and righteousness
that is provided to us. In that, we worship and stand
in Him and not in our doing of it or that, and it was spoken
of. And in holiness and righteousness,
it says, before all the days of our life. We can't, that's
not something that's coming from us. That's something that has
been done for us and is imputed to us. That righteousness, and
people want to even get back to the law that was given as
a means of righteousness. That was just showing how dead
they And we are by nature that the law that was there that they
said we will keep it They they had no idea what they were saying
it when they did that because there was no way of keeping that
at all and all it ever was meant was and showed was by nature
the death that is there and the mount, it said, don't even come
near them now or we'd kill those animals or people that came to
the mount of that. And it wasn't, it was not to
show a way of getting closer to God is a way of showing how
big the gap is. The gulf was there between sinful
man and God, and only by the Redeemer that was prepared ahead
of time, but one that was foretold, it says, of old, since the world
began, that God was there. and through him, and John was
gonna give the knowledge of salvation of his people by the remission
of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the
dayspring on high hath visited us. And here speaking about,
it says, through the tender mercy of our God, not by, it's a goodness
of God that leads to repentance, not, the big stick, that the law never
brought anybody closer to God. And those that thought it did,
like Paul, in his day, or any in this day,
that It's worthless. Anything that we think we can
do is worthless. It's not righteousness that we
must have. It's not of that. But it's by
his mercy, it says, whereby the dayspring on high hath visited
us to give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow
of death, It says to guide our feet into the way of peace and
that grace and mercy and peace again from God the Father and
from the Lord. But here speaking of who the
one that was promised when he was coming, this is the promise
that was given all along is that he would provide that and be
that righteousness that we needed. It was never that he was coming
to see how good we're doing. He knew what man could do. He knew what man could do. And
so the Messiah was never promised to come to fix their outward
problems. That was not the promise at all
about the everlasting covenant and who he was, but that it was
solely for him to come and deal with that. And also in the book
of Luke, and not to pass over so much
that's in the book of Luke, but towards the end of it again,
and I have to bring this up at this spot, at least, in chapter
24 of the book of Luke. And we never mean by going to certain passages to
make light of the other scripture, but here it speaks
so plainly to the point of him coming and him being the promised
one and him being that son and that one that could deal with the sin of his
people. In chapter 24, just a couple
of spots, certainly verse 25, we know the
story of the two on the road to Emmaus that the Lord himself
met with, but here, down to verse 25, it says, then he said unto
them, O fools of slow heart to believe all that the prophets
have spoken! Ought not Christ to have suffered
these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses
and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures
the things concerning himself, and they drew nigh. and they drew nigh unto the village
where they went, and he made as though he would have gone
further, but they constrained him, saying, abide with us, for
it is toward evening, and the day's far spent, and he went
and tarried with him." But here, this is so appropriate to all times
from their time, and before the gospel is written here, to our
time, is this statement of the Lord's, O fools and slow of heart
to believe all that the prophets have spoken, ought not Christ
to have suffered these things and entered into his glory? And
the verse here, 25, all that they have spoken concerning him
and what he was gonna be to his people and what those, I think
from the very, beginning there in Genesis when that prophecy
was given to them, spoken of God, that they looked for that
from that day forward. That Messiah, they didn't have
a timeframe when it was given to them. It was gonna come, it
was gonna take place, and it was gonna happen. But I think
they looked forward to that as it could happen at any time.
to them that these are spoken. And what he's saying is because
they thought that he was gonna take care of the physical problems
and that is down to this day here. There are those that in
religion and in churches that if you believe this, all your
problems are taken care of. Well, you ask most people that
are believers, and a lot of the problems didn't start till then,
in a lot of ways, and important problems. We had physical problems
beforehand and whatnot, and we're gonna have, but there are those
that, boy, if you just come here and put a little bit in the plate
back there, things are gonna be okay. And then there's a lot
of people have been sorely disappointed that they went through all the
motions and nothing come of it, you know? Or maybe it did, but
that's not the point here. As it says here, you have to
believe what the prophets, what was spoken of and not just what...
they wanted it to be like, and wanted it to be. And the same
thing today, we have to remember what the prophets were speaking
of as concerning him, and as concerning him and being, you
know, the lamb slain before the foundation of the world, the
only one that could be that true sacrifice, all the scriptures
that point to him. And we're not going to get into
the verses today, but into the There in Isaiah 53, it goes through,
it sheds an awful lot of light on what he did to redeem his
people as well of the scripture. But that very chapter speaks
so much of that. We've heard messages and lessons
on that 53rd chapter in Isaiah before. In the Book of Acts, another
Book of Acts, chapter, oops, let me go the right way. Book of Acts, we're gonna be
in chapter three for just a minute. We've been through chapter three
fairly recently in the messages that Norm has brought
in the Book of Acts, and here in chapter three, Where do I want to start here?
Chapter three, in this, there's a layman that was healed. This is where we're looking into
some of this. Chapter three, verse 12. It says, and amazed that he was
healed, but in verse 12 it says, and when Peter saw it, he answered
unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Or why
look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness
we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, of Isaac,
and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son
Jesus. whom he livered up and denied
him in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let
him go. But he denied the Holy One and
the just, and desired a murder to be granted unto you, and killed
the Prince of Life, whom God hath raised from the dead, whereof
we are witnesses. And his name, through faith in
his name, hath made this man strong, whom you see and know.
Yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness
in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I walk that
through ignorance you did it as also did your rulers. But
those things which God had before shown by the mouth of all his
prophets that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Then it
says repent, but here it's in looking at this because of the
descriptors that it has of the Lord himself in this passage
here of the holy one and the just. The prince of life whom
God hath raised, it says, his name through faith in his name
hath made this man strong whom ye see and know. The faith which
is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence
of you all. He's not talking about the strong
faith this guy had because he was healed. This is talking about
the faith that was given to him. This was not his face, this was
the gift of God to this one. And here where it says, hath made
this man strong and whole, in another place it talks about,
hath raised him up. But here, the prince of life,
and indeed that title of not just the prince of life in creating,
physical life, but spiritual life, that true. The Prince of
Peace, the Prince of Life, He is that one. And He is that one
in Isaiah 53 that tells of what He went through in the name of
delivering His people. And the only way it could be
done, and the only one that could do that. And this is who is being
referred to there in Isaiah 53. in 2 John with those titles of
him. And while we're in Acts, go to
chapter four. Chapter four for just a couple
of verses. Again, speaking and keeping in
mind what John is saying there in 2 John. and he's referring
to grace and peace and mercy through God the Father and through
the Son. In chapter four and verses seven
and down just a little bit in Acts, it says, and when they
had set them in the midst, they asked, by what power or by what
name have you done this? Then Peter, we're still talking
about the lame man being, being taken care of. Then Peter, filled
with the Holy Ghost, said unto him, ye rulers of the people
and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed
done to that impotent man, by what means he is made whole,
be it known unto you all and to all the people of Israel that
by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified,
whom God raised from the dead, even by him does this man stand
here before you whole. This is the stone which was set
at nought of you builders, which has become the head of the corner.
Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none
other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved." And then this is, again, this is the one that John is
referring to and calling by title there in 2 John, and to the elect
lady, it says here, to God's people, this is the one he's
referring to and the one in whom we stand. And here, this verse
here that it says, Be it known unto you all, verse
10, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead,
even by him does this man stand here before you whole. This is
the same way that if we stand before him whole spiritually,
and can have that peace is because of the same action that God has
done and has done in his people and placed us in that spot. And one more spot in the book
of Acts, and we're gonna wrap it up, this thought for today,
and we're gonna pick up the rest of these scriptures that speak
to him and as it culminates in some of the
verses like in Hebrews where it says, looking to Jesus, the
author and finisher of our faith. But we'll get to there next time. But in Acts 13, chapter 13, starting
with verse 37, Speaking here of the Lord himself,
it says, but he whom God raised against saw no corruption. Be
it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through
this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. And
by him all that believe are justified from all things which he could
not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore, lest
that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets, Behold, ye
despisers in wonder and perish. For I work a work in your days,
a work which you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare
it unto you. And when the Jews were gone out
of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might
be preached to them the next Sabbath. And it goes on, and
many of them did. But here that it says here, Through
this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sin, and by
him all that believe are justified from all things which it could
not be justified by the law of Moses. And again, that was the
prophecy in Genesis. Genesis, back in Genesis chapter
three of one that was coming, and this is the same one that
is preached salvation, and this is the same one there in second
John that he's speaking of and reminding those, he's speaking
to the elect, reminding those of who and how these blessings
and grace and mercy and peace come to us. And then in, I'm
gonna, one, A quote by an old guy that's quoting some other
old guys. I don't know who the other ones are, but Brother Hawker
quoted the old ones, he says, that in the name of Jesus is
the whole gospel hid. And we're gonna look at some
more scriptures that expand on that thought, some in what 2
John says there. But in few words, that is a pretty
good thought, that in the name of Jesus is the whole gospel
hid and we will never come to the end of that. scriptures have
to say about that. So we're going to, we're going
to take a, we're going to conclude for today and we'll pick this
up again at our next opportunity. Thank you for your attention
today.