And once again, in the book of
1 John 5, and I would like to start by reading where we've
been in a couple more verses, starting with verse 5 of 1 John
5. It says, Who is he that overcometh
the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ,
not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit
that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there
are three that bear witness in record in heaven, the Father,
the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. And
there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the
water, and the blood, and these three agree in one. If we receive
the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. For this is
the witness of God, which he hath testified of his Son. He
that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.
He that believeth not God hath made him a liar. because he believeth
not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record
that God hath given to us, eternal life, and this life is in his
Son. He that hath the Son hath life,
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." And I
would, by way of comment on this, of here where it says that, The witness of God is greater
than witness of men. It is the witness of God which
he hath testified of his son, verse 9, and he that believeth
not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the
record that God gave of his son. And the record that we have of
God gave of His Son is that which we hold in our hands, the Scripture.
And there are those that surmise things that we've heard in recent
years that do not parallel with what the Scripture has to say.
And a person can't say, well, God gave me witness about something. If it is not from the scripture
is the spirit bears that witness to us through the scripture and
not through some other means or just independently of that.
And anything that man bear witness by, if it doesn't stand up to
what the scripture has to say, there's a problem there. And
it's not, and as we saw before, these things are not independently,
The Word that we have was given by God to His people by His Spirit,
and it is His Word in our hands. And that is the record that we
have, and that is the witness we have. It's according to that,
and that witness is always about, as we saw, it's of the Son, it's
of Christ. And any other ideas or thoughts
that come from conjecture or surmising, If it's not what the
scripture said, that's all it is is surmising or conjecture.
And it's not, we can't build on that. We can't, we can't use
that for, for a true witness. So this portion I'd like to call
today, the true witness part two, uh, goes along with what
we looked at last, last week here. And, um, that we looked
at the sacrifice that in the Old Testament of blood, and water
and blood cleansing, and for the remission of sins, it said
that it requires blood sacrifice, and that those animal sacrifices
pointed to the true sacrifice, to the Lord Himself. true Lamb
of God. And that's the only sacrifice. In those pictures we saw in the
Old Testament, and we see in the Old Testament, that sacrifice
had to be perfect. It had to be outwardly as perfect
as they could-the Lamb had to be observed, and it had to be
had to be adequate for the picture, had to be an adequate picture
of the Lord himself and of that. And so the Lord himself had to
be a perfect sacrifice for his people. And the Lord in heaven as a spirit,
in himself as light in the spirit, He required a body, required
blood sacrifice. And as a spirit, of course, it
didn't have that. So he had to become, as the scriptures
say, the Messiah. The foretelling of the Messiah
coming was for that purpose, for redeeming his people. and
redeeming His people with the true sacrifice, blood sacrifice.
So we're going to look at some of the Scriptures that speak
to Him coming in the flesh, and coming as that sacrifice, and
as that only true sacrifice for sin for His people. I'd like to read, first of all,
in the book of Job, Turn to the book of Job. Job chapter 9 in
the book of Job. And here, there's quite a reply that Job
answered one of the acquaintances he had. And he's recalling the
difference and the gulf there is between man and God and how
great God is of his position and of what man's position is.
And he says here in Job chapter 9, starting at verse 33, Let's start with verse 32, Job
9. It says, For he, speaking of
God, is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should
come together in judgment. Neither is there any daysman
betwixt us that might lay his hand upon us both. Let him take
this, his rod, away from me, and let not his fear terrify
me. Then would I speak and not fear
him, but it is not so with me." And up here, verse 33, before
that, he said, how can I answer God, or how can I speak to God,
or how can we, it says, how can we, how should I answer him that
we could come together in judgment? I'm man, he's God. There's a
problem here. There's no, who's to go between
us? Who's to go between? And the
daisman is a mediator or go-between, as the word is used, the old
word, between us that he might lay his hand upon us both. So
the daisman was one that would come between two ones that were
at odds over or what it over issue might be and Had that in
common with both parties and could it could address? from
that from both sides and could be a go-between and and an adequate
one and in the picture is there also of of the church and God
himself that had to be a go-between, had to be a daysman that could
do that. And the only one that could do
that, was fit for that, was as the Son in eternity past, when
that position of God as the Son was determined that He would
be that mediator. He would be that one not only
just to go between, but he would be that sacrifice needed to redeem
his people. And he's that daysman to his
people. The picture also in Ruth of the
one that could redeem that had interest in both parties and
could actually redeem the property or a person to make them, restore
them whole again. And another wonderful picture
that we see in the book of Ruth there of the Lord himself being
that to his people. The sacrifice that we spoke of
earlier as we looked at the Old Testament sacrifices must meet
the requirements, and the requirements of this daysman must meet and
must fulfill those requirements. Must be sinless, perfect in all
ways, not tainted by sin, and have that physical body. Had
to have the body to not only suffer death, but for the blood,
the blood sacrifice. And as pure spirit and light
as God in His essence didn't have the life and blood needed
for the ransom price of the church. So we have the holy God and we
have man. And clear back in Genesis, it
tells of one that's going to come to take care of that issue
and be that daisemon. And I firmly believe that when
Cain was born and Eve says, I have a man from God, that she had
an eye that that possibly could be the one that was promised,
the promised one. And I think all the godly women
probably for a long time had that thought that it could be
that way and could be the one that was spoken of. In 1 Timothy, and we're gonna
look to some passages that speak to Christ coming in the flesh
and the need for that and what the scripture is witness of that
and what it says here. In 1 Timothy chapter two, And this is quite a lot, this
is very familiar, but it deals directly to the need for the
days when the sacrifice and that it is done right. And one that's
able in 1 Timothy chapter two, starting with verse five, five
and six, it says, for there is one God and one mediator between
God and men. the man Christ Jesus, who gave
himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time." And that
one God, one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
he had to come in that capacity to be able to mediate. As it says here, there's one
mediator, and he's the only one that's capable and was fit to
do that and was put in that position to bring that about. In the book
of Galatians, chapter 4, Galatians chapter 4, it says, But when the fullness of time
was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under
the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might
have received the adoption of sons. And then here, it's in
the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman,
made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law.
He had to come in that way, and as He came, and as He was on
earth up until He was crucified, and in that physical way sacrifice
for his people and redeemed his people. He was, as it says here,
he came in the flesh, had to be born of a virgin for no sin,
that's the only way that that was going to take place, and
made under the law, had to come under the same He couldn't be
a daisman if he didn't have that part. And there's one of the many things that we
hold to, that God is witness of, that we believe without comprehending
how it can be so. How can God be 100% man and 100%
God? It's hard to comprehend, but
the scriptures bring that out and say that. He causes us or gives us His
faith to believe that is so. And so that He had to come in
that way to be that, and it says, in the fullness of time. And
all of the Old Testament that speaks of Him coming is pointing
towards when the fullness of time would come, when that time
would be, and that when He would actually come in that way. And turn to Ephesians, just around
the corner here, to the first chapter of Ephesians, speaks to the same thing. First,
a chapter of Ephesians 1, and a lot of times people kind of
skip to chapter 2 to see what they might think is there or
believe that's there. But chapter 1 is kind of the
foundation for heading into chapter 2. And I'd like to read the first
ten verses of Ephesians 1. It says, Paul, an apostle of
Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to the saints which are
at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace be to
you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
in Christ, according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him in love. having predestinated us under
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according
to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of
his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved, in
whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath
abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known
unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure
which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the
fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even
in Him." And that speaks to the bringing, making whole, bringing
together the work that the mediator and that, by way of being the
sacrifice, could bring about. to gather together in one all
things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are in
earth." And up here it speaks about the redemption through
His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches
of His grace. And by that By that doing there,
we're going to see that that sacrifice not only was the proper
sacrifice, but it was the accepted. It was accomplished and did that which it was purposed
to do and bring about. In the book of Philippians, And before we look at that Philippians,
let me follow my arrow back over to the paragraph that we're going
to look at in between, that there is only one Mediator, the man
Christ Jesus. And we must look to the record
we have in Scriptures to learn of this, and the Holy Spirit
alone can give us faith to believe it. Let's see what some of the
record we have shows us." And we saw that there in Timothy
and Galatians and Ephesians, and that it says, the thought
here, the Holy Spirit alone can give us the faith to believe
it. That's always the truth. The record is always true. The
record we hold is true. only He can cause us to believe
it as true. And there's a difference between
academically saying, yes, I believe it because it says it there,
and Him causing us to truly believe what it says there, and not without
exception and without-it doesn't say that we're going to comprehend
or understand all those things, but He does cause us to believe
those things. the important things that only
He can reveal to us by His Word. And then in Philippians 2, starting
with verse 5, It starts up above there, and
it says, if there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of
love, fellowship of the Spirit, any bowels and mercies, then
it goes on and speaks several things. But I'd like to start
with reading verse 5, Philippians 2. It says, Let this mind be
in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form
of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. but made
himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven,
and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of the Father." And here, in here, verse 7, made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men, and came as man, came the same way as we
come, without sin." didn't have an earthly father to pass that
down. And as we've spoken before, every time an earthly father
is involved with that, with a conception and a birth, it comes after its
own kind. Sinful. That's the only things
can reproduce. That's all they can reproduce
after their kind. And so the Lord Himself had to
be of the Spirit to not be sinful. We needed a sacrifice that was
like that lamb that was set aside. It couldn't have a black spot
on it or a bad hoof or anything. It couldn't have any problems
with it. And if there was any hint of Christ having the smell
of the smoke of sin about him, it wouldn't work. It couldn't
be the proper sacrifice. And it would not be in the Old Testament
that the picture had to be perfect, as perfect as they could make
it, to picture that perfect Lamb of God, Christ himself. There
are those that come up with their own ideas that Christ had to
atone for his own sin. If that's the case, it would
not have worked. It would not have atoned for
our sin. And as a sinful man, we can't atone for our own sin,
let alone anybody else's. It just would not work. It wouldn't
take care of the problem. The problem would still be there.
And if we had a sacrifice that had the same problem we have,
He couldn't be a daisman. In that picture, it couldn't
be a daisman and could not be a true sacrifice because It just
not only doesn't fulfill the picture, it doesn't fulfill the
actuality of the need of it. And so he had to be perfect.
And so those that come up with thinking that he had any... he
wasn't even... it said he was tempted as we are, but without sin. The temptations were put in front
of him, but they weren't... he wasn't... He wasn't tempted to
do things in that way that we are tempted. And we are tempted
and fail when a lot of things are put in front of us. We're
tempted in that way, and by nature we can fail. It was placed in,
those things were placed, he was subject to those things,
but he sure did not have a second, there was no thought about it.
He was still the holy, Son of God that came in the flesh. And
so those that come up and think that, I don't know what they
do for their salvation, because their sacrifice is not going
to-if that be the case, we're worse off than we started. And
so that's a case of people not believing the record and saying,
here's the alternative of what I think is correct. That's a
dangerous spot to contemplate and to be in. So that can't be
so. And he said he humbled himself
to become obedient to death, even the death of the cross,
as that only one that could do that for his people, for the
people. In the book of Hebrews, in the book of Hebrews, chapter
2, the book of Hebrews speaks a lot about sacrifices and the
Old Testament religious duties and different ceremonies and
things that went on, and those all being pictured to what the
true sacrifice and what the true need was for the people. in animal
pictures, but in the reality. In chapter 2 of Hebrews, starting
with verse 9, and read the... you can read the
start of this at a different time, but I'd like to pick up
in verse 9 of Hebrews 2. It says, But we see Jesus, who
is made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death,
crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God should
taste death for everyone, every man or his own. For it became
him, verse 10, it became him for whom are all things and by
whom are all things in bringing many sons unto glory to make
the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For
both he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of
one. for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst
of the church while I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will
put my trust in him. And again, behold, I and the
children which God hath given me. For as much then as the children
are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took
part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that
had power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver them who
through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him
the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Wherefore, in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his
brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliations for the sins of the people, for
in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to
succor them that are tempted. But up here particularly, that he took on not the nature
of angels, but the seed of Abraham. Wherefore, in all things that
behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might
be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to
God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." he was needful for him to be
made like unto his brethren. And it says that he thirsted,
he hungered. He had those things that were
very common to the flesh that he had, but again, without sin.
And he had to be in that form, in that manner, so that he could
be a merciful, it says, and faithful high priest to offer the true
sacrifice to God for the redemption of His people, and very needed
to us. And then in the next chapter,
not in the next chapter, but also in Hebrews chapter 10, turn to chapter 10. Hebrews 10,
starting with verse five, It talks about above here of
the shadows again, of the shadows and types of the sacrifices,
and bulls and goats couldn't take...they were a picture. They
could do nothing in regard to sin. But verse 5 says, Wherefore,
when he cometh into the world, speaking of the Lord, he saith,
Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared
me. in burnt offerings and sacrifice
for sin thou hast had no pleasure. For said I, then said I, Lo,
I come, in the volume of the book it is written of me, to
do thy will, O God. And above, when he said, Sacrifice
and offering and burnt offering and offerings for sin thou wouldest
not, neither hast thou pleasure therein which are offered by
the law. Then said he, Lo, I come to do
thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that
he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
And it goes on and speaks about the, more about the earthly sacrifice
and the earthly priesthood. But here, as it said here, in verse five speaks to this,
cometh in the world, he's sacrificed an offering thou wouldest not,
but a body hast thou prepared me. And that speaks to the physical
body that God was determined that it was going to, was needful
for that. And he said, prepared that. And
he said here that sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not. That
isn't the cure to the problem. Those were pictures of the Lord
himself, as it says here, that he was, and that's the only way
that it could come about, offered one sacrifice for sins forever,
set down on the right hand of God, verse 12 there of the same
chapter. And he alone was able to taste
death in that way that was needful,
sacrificed that blood. And we're going to see that that's,
of course, not the end of the story. Back one chapter in Hebrews to
chapter 9, Chapter 9, starting with verse
22, goes just before the part we read, but you'll see it speaks again. It was talking
about sacrifice, and Christ sacrificed once for all. But in chapter
9 of Hebrews, starting with verse 22, it says, And almost all things
are by the law purged with blood. and without shedding of blood
is no remission. It was therefore necessary that
the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with
these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices
than these. For Christ is not entered into
the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the
true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for us. nor yet that he should offer
himself often as the high priest entered into the holy place every
year with the blood of others. For then must he often have suffered
since the foundation of the world, but now once in the end of the
world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself. And as it is appointed unto men
once to die, but after this the judgment, so Christ was once
offered to bear the sins of many, unto them that look for him shall
he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." And here,
speaking of that And it says the priest could not, those things
didn't purge anything. They were pictures once again
of a prick. And he says, he's entered into
the holy place as our high priest, not with blood of others, but
his own blood one time. And as we saw in that other part,
in the fullness of time that God had determined and had pointed
from the foundation of the world, this in time would take place. And this speaks to that. And
then just a couple of other thoughts. In Luke, chapter 9 of Luke, starting with This is on the Mount of Transfiguration. And remember that Peter said,
it's good for us to be here. Let's build three tabernacles
here. This is Moses and Elijah and
the Lord. Boy, this is pretty big stuff
here. And they said, let's And it says,
not knowing what he said. And starting with verse 34, just
a couple of verses here, it says, while he thus spake, there came
a cloud and overshadowed them, and they feared as they entered
into the cloud. And there came a voice out of
the clouds saying, this is my beloved son, hear him. And when the voice was passed,
Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close and told
no man in those days, any of these things which they had seen.
And not just a picture, but the true
happening of them being there. And then the cloud said, This
is my beloved Son, hear ye Him. And it said, When the cloud dissipated,
they saw Jesus only. And we heard a message a number
of years back entitled, Jesus Only, that was there. And the
point being, these were those that testified of Him. of the
Lord, the law and the prophets testified of Him. And Hebrews
starts out, in time past you had these witnesses, hear Him.
And that's what they're saying is here, hear ye Him. He is, this is the one that that
all this other pointed to, all this since the creation and the
fall, and there in early in Genesis, the promise was given. He is
the one that the witness was to, and none other, and that's
what this is speaking to here. And then in John 19, and we're just taking snapshots
of some of these thoughts that fit together with what we're
looking at as him being the true sacrifice and the spirit witnessing
of him as being that true sacrifice. In John 19, let's read just a couple of verses
starting with verse 28. This is there at the cross, and
it says, After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished,
that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, I thirst. Now there was
set a vessel of vinegar, and they filled a sponge with vinegar
and put it on hyssop and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore
had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished. And he
bowed his head and gave up the ghost. that it was all was accomplished,
that was set out to do. And another passage where he
says, the father, I have come to do thy will, and I've done
all that there was to do, I've accomplished all. And that it
wasn't just there, that wasn't the end of the story, that was
just the sacrifice that was pointed to, it had come. And then, in Matthew 28. Two spots here
in Matthew 28. Matthew 28.6. And they went to the tomb to see take care of business and see
Him. In verse 6 it says, Angel said, He is not here, for He
is risen. As He said, Come, see the place
where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples
that He is risen from the dead. And behold, He goeth before you
into Galilee. There you shall see Him, lo,
I have told you. And they departed quickly from
the sepulcher with fear and great joy, and did run to tell His
disciples. And then the same chapter, starting
with verse 16 and reading down the end of that, it says, Then
the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain,
where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw Him, they worshipped
Him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke unto
them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and earth.
Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching
them to observe all things whichever I have commanded you, And lo,
I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. And this
is after he rose and said all things were accomplished, all
things were done that was necessary and was needed for his people.
And then in the book of Hebrews, again,
in the first chapter, just for a thought, just for a thought,
that the sacrifice was accepted, and as it says, back to the Father. Hebrews chapter 1, The first three verses, as the
book of Hebrews starts out, it says, God, who at sundry times
and in diverse manners spake in time passed unto the fathers
by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his
Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he
made the worlds, who, being the brightness of his glory and the
express image of his person, am holding all things by the
word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat
down on the right hand of the majesty on high." In then, chapter 2, the first
few verses say of Hebrews, Therefore we ought to give them more earnest
heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we let
them slip. For if the word spoken by angels
was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just
recompense of reward, How shall we escape if we neglect so great
a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord
and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him? God also
bearing them witnessed both with signs and wonders and with diverse
miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will."
And so then that is what the Spirit witnesses
to. These things that He, as our
mediator and as our sacrifice, came and did accomplish those
things, was accepted of God for His people, and it says these
are the things that we have to hang on to. And then, in closing,
in 1 John 5, just three verses, starting with
verse 10. It says, He that believeth on
the Son of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth
not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the
record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record that God
hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son
of God hath not life. And in this, again, the Spirit
is truth. The Spirit is the true witness
himself. And with that, once again, I'll
say be free in Him and we will look at the remaining portion
of John chapter 5 next time. Thank you very much for your
attention.