6th chapter of John this morning,
we want to deal with the subject matter, and I sort of want to
take this phrase that we're going to find out of its meaningful
context. As we read it here, you read
a word or a phrase, it depends on how you read it as to its
meaning. As I heard a man just read the 23rd Psalm, once that's
all he did, it took a while to read it, and I told you about
it. If you just read it, you say,
the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. But he read it, he
said, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. And I told
you, he read it the next time, he said, the Lord is my shepherd. And by the time he got done with
it, he had preached the message, just reading every word with
emphasis. So we read the Bible with certain emphasis and it
changes the meaning, or even takes it out of context. I want
to take it out of context here for just a moment in the 6th
chapter. of John, and the 42nd verse of
that chapter. I'll read verse 41, John 6, verse
41. The Jews, as usual, did some
murmuring concerning what ought to have been said. They murmured
a while, you see, they had heart murmurings. The Jews then murmured
to him because he said, I am the bread which came down from
heaven." Now, I'm not sympathetic. You can sympathize with a person,
and yet not justify a person, per se. But had we been living
in the days of the Lord Jesus Christ's earthly pilgrimage,
and his followers, as well as those who would oppose him, were
there in the little space called Palestine, And somebody, as it
were, came to your door, just knocked on your door, and you
see just a normal person as you look at that person, and he tells
you, he says, I'm Jesus Christ, I came down from heaven to do
my Father's will. I expect you to back up just
a little bit. You've got a strange person out here. So even at the
best, it's cataclysmic as to his coming among people, and
it is as he comes among us. And this is what they said. And
they said, is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father
and mother we know, whose father and mother we know? They asked
the question. How is it then that he said, I came down from
heaven? They got this problem right here
that I'm talking about. And you put this in his context, you
say, well, we're acquainted with Joseph. And his wife Mary, it
seems like just a more ordinary parley conversation, and they
say, it's our next-door neighbor, you might speak like that concerning
this person here that they have in focus. But, and they said,
is this not Jesus, son of Joseph? Now I want to read it like this. Is not this Jesus? Is not this Jesus? Let's get
her like that. Is not this Jesus, the son of
Joseph? Now, could they read it that
way? Certainly you could read it that way, because there were
many people named Jesus. Both in the Old Testament, me
and Joshua. But, they said, is it not Jesus, the Son of Joseph?
What they're saying is, is not this Jesus. Any way you want
to read that, I want to pick the phrase, this Jesus. For the
word Jesus, as we study the Word of God, has this meaning and
connotation. As for meaning, you'd say, the
angel gave the word meaning. He shall save his people from
their sin. That's what the word means. Jesus shall save his people
from their sin. But at the same time, it has one of those mudslinging
connotations that goes along with it. Now, they didn't say
that here. They're just doing this by contrast. It is not this Jesus, the son
of Joseph, whose mother and father were acquainted with, I would
say. But as we study the Word of God, I want to look at the
fact that this word, this Jesus, is used somewhat differently
throughout the entire New Testament, and that's where we'll be dealing
with the word study. So many times you could exchange for Jesus, for example, you could
exchange a fellow. We'll pick up some of those places,
at least one of them. This fellow. They spoke of him,
this fellow. Now, the last time I preached,
they said of him, that deceiver said it. See, now, they're not
saying, Christ Jesus the Lord, as you find the expression over
and over through the New Testament, possibly more so in the Gospel
of John, more of an occasion than anywhere, but they're not
saying that. They're saying, this fellow,
this deceiver, this blasphemer, as they would call him, and on
one occasion they said, he's a Samaritan, half a devil, you
remember, just things like that. But that word, Jesus, as they're
using it right there, it not only means fellow, but it means
from sarcastic language, if you'll take a concordance and study
it, it means this friend of ours, this comrade of ours, this neighbor
of ours, this companion of ours who did good to everybody, the
good boy, you see, this Jesus. That's the way it will be used
time and time again. through the Gospels and through
the book of Acts, for example. And Apostle Paul uses somewhat
different, as you get over to the book that the brother was
referring to, and that's the book of Hebrews. But I'll get
to all that. What I want to do now for a little
while is take more or less just an overview and turn the lens
here to a broad perspective for a little bit, and look at this
person that is spoken of as this Jesus, And then look at some
of the things that were said about him, and possibly come
back to preach on the subject of some of the things that he
said. Now, they're placed in the scripture where there are
things said about him that are not true. I'm sure you're aware
of that. And they are placed in the scripture where it is so, what
he said. So we'll look at some of these
together here for a little while. And then, as I say, come back.
Matthew 12, I believe it is, will give us one
year. If it doesn't, we'll get something
else that's familiar here. I'll take my time with this one, if
I can. Pardon me for thinking I do. Here's one that I referred
to, alluded to, so let's just pick it up. Matthew 12, verse
24. You have it? Now listen to what's going on
there. Verse 22, where this paragraph begins with this heading, "...when
then was brought unto him one possessed with the devil, blind
and dumb, and he healed him insomuch that the blind and the dumb both
spake and saw." Now I want to digress there for just a moment
to say something. We were talking, I won't forget the context. We
were speaking here Wednesday night, after the service over
on Wednesday night's place. And today, it's the same thing,
but it's a general thing. Wednesday night's more or less
a part of it. We mentioned a fact concerning our prayer life, how
strange it is to that of the New Testament, of the Apostles,
for example, the Book of Acts. Just strange. Most of the things
that we pray about, it seems to me, and I think that's your
testimony too, it seems like the heavens are rather black.
We don't get through too simple, and things just take place like
they did in the days of the pilgrimage of the Lord Jesus Christ and
our pilgrimage. I know God doesn't change, but
he progresses with us. He moves us from one pillar to
another as we move through this life. Now, this was a man, just
take for example here, here was a man who was brought unto him
possessed with the devil, blind and dumb, and he hid him in so
much that the blind and the dumb both spoke. We don't see that
happening. We don't see that happening. You've got to write
that into the context and weave it into the revelation of God
somehow and say, well, we're not to expect that now, or we
are to expect something contrary to that. We see things just contrary
to that. Those things that are taking place are not real. So
it's a study with me at this present time as to our nearness
to God. Is he a present tense elf? Is he some distant, forgotten
person, being? that we can't get in contact
with. I'm just saying there's something here for us to study.
I dropped that out to you. And all the people were amazed
and said, is not this the son of David? Well, was he the son of David?
Anything wrong about that? Is not this the same statement
I read just a few moments ago? Is not this Jesus, whose mother
and father we know, Joseph and so on and so forth, whose father
we know there? And he's saying the same thing, this is the Son
of David. As to his lineage, is this the Son of David? Yes,
this is the Son of David. But he declared to be the Son
of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, though he is the
Son of David according to the flesh. So there's nothing wrong
about that. But when the Pharisees heard
it, they said, look what they said, this fellow, now you possibly
show in your Bible there the word fellow is in italics. Somebody's
showing it in italics. Well, many times when you find
the word italics in the King James Version, most of the time,
you'll find that it's not in the concordance. Those words
are left out of this concordance that we follow right here, which
is pretty much authorized for us to follow. But in this particular
case, it is not left out. This word happens to have that
number that will lead us through to what I told you a few moments
ago, And that axis is saying, this comrade of ours, and they're
saying it sarcastically, you see, this neighbor of ours, and
possibly a neighbor in the sense of being next door to him, and
this friend, this companion of ours, now they say this person,
then, doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub, the prince
of the devil." And Jesus knew their thoughts, and he said unto
them, what I had to give them quite a little dissertation concerning
what they had said. Now that's a place where we're
finding this word to be used. None other than this Jesus. This
Jesus, who is supposed to be our neighbor, our friend, our
companion, doth cast out devils in the name of Beelzebub, so
this Jesus is a is a phrase you're giving to him which is far from
exalting him, you see, debasing him as you study the Word of
God. The reason I'm laying these down like that is to show you
that this word, Jesus, means something. It means something. And it means something to this
extent that, take the book of Hebrews over there, it is Jesus
who is the author and finisher of our faith. This word is picked
up many times and used, it looks like, by the inspired writers
to say, now this Jesus, whom you said this is a fellow who's
just a blasphemer and so on and so forth, God has made him versatile. We look at just both Lord and
Christ. This Jesus is picked up to defend
that title. That's why I'm using it as I
am this morning. So in this particular place, we see what we're talking
about concerning the mudslinging expression there. Well, let's see, while we're
in Matthew, turn to the 26th chapter of Matthew, and let's
look at the occasion again here where we might see something
that would be helpful. If you feel like you want to
comment, comment as we go along. And we've got the same word again.
I thought it was good in studying the word study. Well, I find
out as I say, and we'll get to it later, that this title, Jesus,
or this Jesus, or that Jesus, is defended throughout the entire
New Testament as somebody other than just a passing glance at
a person who visited and was gone when they tried to find
him. Brother, it winds up in the book of Revelation, in the
closing chapter of the book of Revelation. So we'll look at
that together here as we go through. But in this particular verse,
in the 26th chapter of Matthew, down at verse 57, and they said,
and they that had laid hold on Jesus, led him away to Caiaphas,
the high priest, were the scribes and the elders were assembled.
But Peter fought him afar off unto the high priest's palace,
and went in, and sat with the servant to see the end. Now, the chief priests and the
elders and all the council sought false witnesses against Jesus
to put him to death, but found none. Yea, though many false
witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false
witnesses, and they said, this fellow said, this fellow said,
this Jesus said, and again if you want to use the word, this
neighbor boy of ours said, this playmate, this companion of ours
said. That's the way they're using
it. He said, I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build
it in three days. Now, did he say that? Did he
say that? And the answer is, no, he didn't
say that. And what he said, if you go back and study the statement,
he didn't say that. But they said, this fellow said,
this Jesus said, that he had destroyed the temple of God,
that he would destroy it, didn't he? Yeah, I am able to destroy
the temple of God. and to build it again in three
days." So keep in mind that he didn't say that. But what did
he say? What did he say? He said some
things that are so, as we studied the Word of God, and others saying
the same thing concerning him. So it's sort of like this. I
find at least two men names used in the Old Testament, one man's
name used in the Old and the New, and another man is used
only in the New Testament to sound something like that, turn
back there to Exodus. And this is a sort of a contradictory
way of saying and doing things when you listen to these people.
For what these folks did, the very folk we have in this church
right here, the Pharisees and Sadducees, the religious crowd
of Jesus' day, They bragged on Moses and crucified Christ. They wanted to die, and it lured
to God's will to die in Egypt. What's wrong with dying right
where you are? Most people die where you are. I didn't know
anybody died somewhere else. They wanted something inconsistent
with what actually takes place in their life. So now they're
bragging on Moses, And they're saying Moses is dead, and we're
Moses' disciples, but this fellow, this Jesus, we turn to it, John
9, we don't know from whence he came or where he's going or
who he is. Now, listen to what they said about Moses. Verse 1 of the 32nd chapter of
Exodus. And when the people saw that
Moses was delayed to come down out of the mount, The people
gathered themselves together under Aaron and said unto him,
Ah, make us God which shall go before us. Here it is. They kept hatching out until
they got over to the New Testament and kept hatching out until they
wound up in the book of Revelation. For as for this Moses, now what
are they talking about? Are they simply putting him on
a pedestal they shouldn't have put him on? Or are they saying,
this fellow that has caused us all this grief, supposed to have
led us into a land of plenty, here we are going to die in the
wilderness and starve to death, and now we don't even know where
he's gone to? They say most preachers, they're
not administrators and leaders. They needed a man who was an
administrator. That's what you use. Tell a leader to use an
administrator. He's an administrator, you know.
He wasn't doing too much of a job of ministering. So they said,
up make us God that you go before us, whereas for this Moses, the
man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we want not
what has become of him. We don't know where he is, and
I'm telling you right now, we care less. So we're going to
petition Aaron, and poor Aaron, he really got in a bad mess. A man of God? from the priestly
tribe, acting in that capacity. So verse 8 of it or some more
will tell us what took place before we go further, but I don't
see it just now. They say again, this Moses, they
use it somewhere right there. But then as I don't see it there,
it turns to the 7th chapter of Acts, and let's see what Stephen
in preaching had to say about it. He didn't miss it. hoping to go suddenly there,
so turn to 7th chapter of Acts, and let's look at something here.
Here is a message that a man feels the Spirit of God. They
chose men who were full of the Spirit of God. So here is a man
who feels the Spirit of God preaching. Acts 7, how far do we go to get
there? Verse 35, I guess. Here is the
occasion coming down that far. concerning Moses and his experience
at the burning bush. And here is the voice of that
burning bush. Verse 33, Then said the Lord to him, Put off
thy shoes from thy feet, for the place where thou standest
is holy ground. I have seen the affliction of
my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning,
and I am come down to deliver them. And now come and I will
send thee into Egypt." Here it is. This Moses, see, Stephen
is using that phrase again. Instead of saying Moses, he picked
it up identically. This Moses, I'm just saying that
these statements are used by at least a couple of men by these
folks who spoke of the Lord Jesus the same way. This Moses, whom
they refused, saying..." And by the way, there is some relationship
here to what God did with Moses and what He did with the Son
of God Himself as a deliverer. You notice in that verse? "...This
Moses, whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge?"
What did those folks say of the Lord? That we will not have this
man to rule over us, this man Christ Jesus. They didn't say
that. This man to rule over us. Here are these folks saying the
same thing. Who may be a ruler and a judge? Well, watch what
the verse says. "...the same did God send to
be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared
to him in that bush." Brother, it's right there, just plain
as can be, isn't it? And as you move further, he picks up again
somewhere in that chapter, I remember, that he's going to drive it home
with him, dismose it, he used it again, in a quote there that's
similar. to that of other places where
we'll turn to. Now, while we're there, let's
see if we can pick up something by the Apostle Paul here in respect
to his preaching along that line. We're saying that, well, turn
to Acts 19 and let's see what he said about Paul. I didn't
want to get him there. If I try to move slow, it's like I stand
up and my mind sits down. That's not the case, if you know
what I mean. I can't keep up with what I want
to say. I'm getting old, too. Health problems and everything
else. But in the 19th chapter of Acts, let's see if we can't
get hold of something similar to what we're talking about.
This is this Jesus and this Paul and this Moses, as they spoke
of. Here it is in the 19th chapter
of the book of Acts, in the 26th verse. Now, here these people
come together over the...they're having a little problem with
business in that city there, because of the fact that Paul
coming in there preaching, and their idols are going down rather
fast. One in particular, Diana, who
brought no small gain to the Catholic. So, verse 26. Moreover,
you see and hear that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout
all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people,
saying that they be no gods which are made with hands. So that not only is this our
craft is in danger, to be said or not, but also that the temple
of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence
should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship."
This Paul is the man causing this trouble. Well, I wonder
how Paul would react if he had something to say. We're not hearing
him strike back there. We need to turn to the 17th chapter
of the Book of Acts. Turn to the 17th chapter and
let's look at what's going on there in respect to some of the
things that he has to say. Now, they're saying this Paul,
this Moses, and this Jesus, and sometimes I think the best way
to stop a person is to use the same token. A person says, well,
you can't do this. By the same token, you can't
say what you're saying or whatnot. So Paul just turned his language
around, and they're talking about this Paul, of course, this Moses,
and this Jesus he had heard about. Now listen to what he has to
say in the 17th chapter of Acts, and possibly just a few verses
there will give us something to read that will tell us. There it is in the 3rd verse,
we'll read three verses. And now when they had passed
through Amphilpolis, and Apollonium, they came to Thessalonica, where
there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul, as his manner
was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them
out of the Scriptures, out of the Old Testament. They had nothing
but the Old Testament. Well, opening and alleging that
Christ must need to have suffered and risen again from the dead,
and that this Jesus, here he He is defending that title, isn't
he? And that this Jesus, whom I preach
unto you, is the Christ. And by the way, he is. When you
read of the word Jesus, it is not some word to be set aside
and say, well, it has no meaning to it. This Jesus is the Christ.
The Apostle Paul is telling us to do that. But they use that
word like that, and then when folk would come back preaching
to defend that title, they would use the same word, this Jesus.
You might read it like this, opening and alleging that Christ
must need to have suffered and risen again from the dead, and
that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. This Jesus
is the person that they would speak of as somebody that was
a meaningful expression. But I'm telling you, it's Christ.
And some of them believed and consorted with Paul and Silas
and the great multitude and Chief Women, not a few, and on we go
there. But that's the expression used there, and used on that
particular occasion. Turn to the book of John, the
ninth chapter. Let's look at something here
while we've got that same word in the searchlight. Most of you acquainted with the
cave in john nine. Here's the blind man Receiving
his sight and of course the religious crowd took him on to ask him
who gave him his sight He answered their question that
he didn't know who the fellow was he just know that uh He made
him whole that he did the job. Well so further down in the chapter
there possibly, uh Now, here's what they said about
him, the same thing again. I love what he said, I love to
read this over and over and over again. He answered their questions
there in verse 27, he said, He answered them, I have told you
already, and you did not hear. Don't that sound like the Lord
Jesus Christ and John 10, wasn't it? How long thou makest us to doubt? I believe was the question to
ask. And he said, I told you one time and you didn't hear.
I'm not going to tell you again. And then he said, I'm going to
tell you why you don't hear. You're not on my sheep. He said, that's
rather hateful for you to speak like that to people. But that's
a mind that doesn't know, has no capacity to entertain that
word. So they answered like that in
the Word of God. We're not always sure who we're talking to. But
this is an inspired writer here, so an inspired occasion. And he said, I told you once.
I told you and you didn't hear. Wherefore would you hear if I
tell you again? Will you also be a disciple?
Oh, brother, when he said that, are you interested in being his
disciple? Listen to what they said. And they reviled him and
said, Thou art his disciple. But we are Moses' disciples. That Moses. This Moses, this
Moses, now, brother, they're putting it all on you, see? And
they've identified themselves with the same folk back there
that spoke of Moses, just like they're going to speak of this
fellow. Look at the messenger. Now, this Moses, we know that
God, of course, they accept him. We are Moses' disciples. We know that God is speaking
to Moses, as for this fellow, this Jesus, This so-called companion,
this physician around here, this pill peddler that can heal everybody
but himself, that's the kind of language they use. We know
that God spake unto Moses, as for this fellow, we know not
from whence he is. They sure told the truth, didn't
they, about one thing, that they didn't know from whence he is.
And I like what the man said. It's not in the context of the
message. The man answered and said unto them, Why, here is
a marvelous thing that you know not whence he is, and yet he
hath opened mine eyes. Since the world began, was it
not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born
blind? But I tell you what, he stirred up that religious crowd
with that kind of preaching, didn't he? This Jesus. This Jesus. Let's pick up another
one here of ours. not in the gospel of John. Let's
find something that's interesting concerning that word, this Jesus.
Again, in the 6th chapter of the book of Acts. Close a few moments. There's
another verse I want to get you. This is a comment on what was
said just a few moments ago when they found these folks disputing with Stephen
in verse 9 and verse 10 of the 6th chapter, and they were not
able to resist the wisdom and the spirit which he spake. Then they suborned men which
said, We have found him to speak blasphemous words against Moses
and against God. blasphemers, what they would
brand him here. And they stirred up the people and the elders
and the scribes and came upon him and caught him and brought
him into the council and set up false witnesses. It sounds
exactly like what you read in the Gospels. And set up false
witnesses which said, this man, this man, Jesus, this false teacher
here, this man ceases not to speak blasphemous words against
this holy place and the law. For we have heard him say that
this Jesus," here it is, he didn't say that,
but they said they heard him say, "'For we have heard him
say that this Jesus of Nazareth,' that's a title added to it, this
is a lowly place, can any good thing come out of Nazareth, "'For
we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy
this place and shall change the customs which Moses delivered
us.'" And all that is set in account shall look steadfast
on him, so as to say, as it did in the face of an angel." That's
Stephen that we're reading about right there. One of those places, again, that
are rather notable, is in the 5th chapter of the book of Acts,
while we're there. And look what's said here, what they blamed the
preaching of the Apostle Paul to bring Acts 5 and verse 28 of that chapter. Now, after these apostles were
preaching here, they attempted to stop them. And in verse 28 it is said, saying,
"...did not we straightly that they came before their the magistrates
again who were brought before him, they said to him, saying,
Did we not straightly command you that you should not teach
in this name?" What name? Now, if you think the name Jesus
throughout the word of God doesn't carry some weight for those folk
who were preaching, just follow me through. Saying, Did we not
straightly command you that you should not teach in this name?
And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend
to bring this man's blood upon us. intend to bring this man's
blood upon us." This is what Peter said. Then Peter and the
other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than
men. Now, that's not a matter, this
verse is interpreted sometimes to mean, well, we ought to do
the right thing. No, we have done what we ought
to do. That's what we've already done. So they said, we ought
to obey God. rather than men, that's exactly
what we have done, not what we should do, but what we have done
here. And they go ahead and say, the God of our fathers raised
up Jesus, whom ye soon hang on a tree. Him, listen to this, Him hath
God exalted with his right hand, who is this? It's this Jesus. I'll get you another passage
of scripture in just a few moments that will help me here. Him hath
God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior,
for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sin." This
is none other than this Jesus that I've been bringing to your
attention. And we are his witnesses of these things, and so is also
the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him. When they heard this, they were
cut to the heart and took counsel to slay him. Now back up to that
familiar passage in Acts 2, and let's see what we can find here.
I'm saying that this is that name that's so familiar to the
scriptures, and that's this Jesus. In Acts 2, verse 36, I guess, is the verse
we need to read on him. Let's look if we do. Verse 32, we'll pick it up. The writer here, and the testimony
of the preaching of the Apostle, is telling us that verse 29,
"...men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the
patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his suffrager
is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and
knowing that God hath sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit
of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ
to sit on his throne. He sang this before, speaking
of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul would not rest
in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption." Brother Lane
was teaching along this line Wednesday night, I guess it was.
And I'll ask a question or two there. That verse of Scripture
has always caused me to read twice when we speak of the soul
of Christ and the flesh of Christ. that his soul were not left in
hell, neither his flesh could see corruption. That's definitely
Christ. Boy, the place he's talking about
David here makes it clear that that's not David. Now, here it
goes. This Jesus, this Jesus, hath
God raised up, for we are all, we are all, we all are witnesses. Therefore, being by the right
hand of God exalted, and having received the Father, the promise
of the Holy Ghost, He has shed forth this which ye now see and
hear. For David is not ascended into heaven, but he saith himself,
The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until
I make thy foes thy footstool. Listen to this verse. Therefore
let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made
that same Jesus. This time he adds another word
which is very interesting to us as we look at the second coming.
Therefore, that all the house of Israel know assuredly that
God hath made that same Jesus, whom you have crucified, both
Lord and Christ." And this time, brethren, this kind of language,
this same Jesus that you've crucified, this same Jesus, is that Jesus
said, God made Lord and Savior. He also, while you rejected that
stone, that's the head to the corner, that's the corner, that's
the capstone, that's it regardless of that. This Jesus, therefore
in all the houses of the Lord surely, that God has made that
same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when
they heard this, they were fit to their hearts and said unto
Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall
we do? The answer comes again concerning this Jesus. But in
the closing portion of Matthew there, where they went out to
Mount Olive, that just comes to my mind here, where he said,
why stand ye here gazing into heaven? Is that it, in the closing
portion of Matthew? That same Jesus who you have
seen go into heaven? Is that the passage that you'd
want to add to that there? Read it, because he says that same
Jesus whom you have seen ascend into heaven, isn't that right? for that reason. See, brethren, this Jesus, this
Jesus, the language you use concerning him, this is the Jesus That is
Christ. This is the Jesus that God Almighty
himself has made both Lord and Savior. This Jesus whom you could
trust. This is the Jesus that's coming back. For if we believe
that we believe in the same person we were talking about this morning.
Take the book of Thessalonians for example. Jesus is the one
coming back. I'm going to close with one passage
of scripture. This happens to be something that I follow all
the way through. And if you turn over to the book
of Revelation in the 22nd chapter, we've got something to say concerning
Jesus. Revelation 22, verse 8, I believe
there. And I, John, saw these things
and heard them. And when I had heard and seen,
I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed
me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou
do it not, for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren
the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book.
And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of
this book, for the time is at hand. And on we go, till we come
down to verse 13, for the sake of time. I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are
they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the
tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
for without her dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers,
and idolaters, and whosoever loveth, and maketh a lie." Listen
to this now. I, Jesus, not I, John, but Jesus is the person
here who is coming into focus and signing this particular epitaph,
as it was, on the writings concerning John. I, Jesus, have sent my
angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am
the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning
star." Here we are. This same Jesus that I've been
preaching to you, this same Jesus that so many much slinging expression
were slung at, this same Jesus, the lowly Jesus of Nazareth,
is the same Jesus that is God. It is He, brother, who brings
to pass everything. And as I had already said, it
is God who has made this same Jesus, both Lord and Christ,
at whose knee everybody's going to bow. So we're closing off
by saying that this group of people that we've studied, by
contrast, those folk who will not have this fellow to reign
over us, and this Moses, and this fellow, and on we go. They're
still hatching out, brother. You take the average person today
who would oppose what we're speaking about, they will embrace The
writings of Calvin, for example, the Old and New Testament by
Calvin in my library, all those volumes. And I believe what Spurgeon
said on the go. But the truth of the matter is
those people are dead. They rejoice and the folk are
dead. If there's living that fight just like they do, you,
me, or anybody else preaching that truth, just like those folk
did. They bragged on Moses. Moses is dead and killed Jesus. this Moses, this Jesus, and this
Paul.