In our series before Easter we have heard Who Jesus is, the Evidence for Jesus and Why did Jesus come. Today we are looking at What Jesus Taught. Scriptures that show us Jesus' teachings include the 4 Gospels, part of Revelations and the Epistles, which are commentaries on His teaching.
Matt. 22: 36-40 "'Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?' And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.'"
These two commandments are the foundation of the rest of Christ's teaching.
I. Jesus taught us about God
God is transcendent, he is all things, he is infinite. God reveals himself- self revelation. God also hides himself. The Old Testament was the self revelation and when Jesus came he teaches us more about God and the New Testament expands on the self revelation John 1:18
Jesus has made him known. Who is God?
1. Jesus gave us verbal lessons by what he said.
2. Jesus gave us a visual model, how God would act if human, because he was God. We see who God is by how Jesus lived, how he acted, how he responded.
So you want to know about God? What are you options to find out who God is?
1.Figure it out in your own mind. You make things up. When you do this you create God in your own image.
2. Ask others who are not biblically trained. You will get a distorted picture of who God is.
3. Seek out information from the current culture (Hollywood). This will give you wrong images of God.
4. Go to Theologians a bunch of letters behind their names who "know more" than Jesus and disciples.
5. Or you can go directly to the Scriptures and see what Jesus taught and did we will learn who God is. We will not understand everything about God.
Jesus came to reveal God to us.
II Jesus taught us about us (me, you, mankind)
We were created in God's image, but we are a seriously flawed image because of sin. We are condemned and yet we are worth dying for.
John 3:16-18/36 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."
So you want to know more about who you are? Here are your options.
1. Develop your own opinions. "I am a good person" "I don't need God, I can do it on my own"
2. Ask others opinion of who you are. What the "experts" say
3. Follow what atheist scientist say.
4. You can consult sociologists.
5. Or you can look in the Scriptures and see what the Word of the one who created you, the one who knows you, the one who is willing to redeem you, says about who you are. In the scriptures you can see the words of Christ and the Epistles say about who mankind is.
III Jesus taught about Himself
7 "I am" Statements
1. "I am the bread of life" John 6:35/41/48/51
2. "I am the light of the world" John 8:12 If you follow Jesus he will help you see the truth about God.
3. "I am the door of the sheepfold." John 10:7/9 He is our protection....He is the way in and out.
4. "I am the resurrection and the life." Joh/n 11:25 He gives us eternal life
5. "I am the good shepherd" John 10:11/14 He leads and protects
6. "I am the way, the truth and the life" John 14:6
7. "I am the true vine" John 15:1/5 If your "branch" is not connected to him you will not bear fruit.
Jesus is the promised one John 4:25-26, 7:28-29, 8:56-58
John's summary of who Jesus was John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
Peter's summary 1 Peter 2:24 "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed."
"Bridge Illustration"
The objection that Christianity is so "exclusive" He is the only way? Really? The answer is the truth is not always pleasant.
John 8:23-24 "He said to them, 'You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.'"
So you want to know about who Jesus is? You know what your options are.
Jesus taught us how to obtain forgiveness, redemption and eternal life.
IV. He tautht us how we should live (while we are here)
Matt. 22:34-40 "But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 'Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?' And he said to him,'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and girst commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and Prophets."
All of the laws and commandments depend on these 2 commandments. These are the foundation of our beliefs.
Love is a sentiment/a feeling, but in these verses we see love is an action. It is a "lifestyle" . An example of this is the parable of the "Good Samaritan" Luke 10:36-37. Jesus teaches us to "go and do likewise."
Ephesians 4:1 "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called" Paul is encouraging us to live practical/active lifestyle based on the truths of Jesus' teachings.
So you want to know how to live in the here and now? Study...
1. The words of Jesus
2. The actions of Jesus
3. The commentaries of His Apostles
V. Jesus taught that HE is Lord
Jesus displayed His authority with miracles, with power over sickness, diseases, nature, demons and even death! He summarizes this in Matt. 28:18 "And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.'"
We have 3 scenarios
1. Your are the captain of your life. You run your life
2. You invite Jesus into your heart, but He doesn't rule or run your life. He is only there as "fire insurance".
3. You invite Jesus into your heart and give Him all authority over your life. He is in control of your life. He is Lord.
Granted some of Jesus' teachings are difficult to understand. But the fundamental teachings, the Primary teachings, the most important teachings are....
1. easily discovered in His word
2. easily understood
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