Jesus Christ is Lord

[JLB]

Another aspect of the doctrine of Christ, is Who He claimed to be.

What is taught about Who He is in the New Testament.

The doctrine of (from) Christ, concerning Who He is.

Jesus Christ is Lord.


Words of Christ in red.


Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?”
Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. John 8:52-59

• “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

The reason they picked up stones to stone Him, was He was saying to them that He was I AM, the Lord, YHWH, The Lord God of the Old Testament.


The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.


Moses records this account -


Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”
So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. Exodus 3:1-6


When Moses asks Him to tell him His name, He answered with this —


Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.’ ” Exodus 3:13-14





JLB

 

[JLB]

Here’s a couple from Paul —


And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 1 Timothy 3:16


again


Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of
the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Titus 2:13




JLB

 

[JLB]

Zechariah says it this way —


Behold, the day of the Lord is coming,
And your spoil will be divided in your midst.
For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;
The city shall be taken,
The houses rifled,
And the women ravished.
Half of the city shall go into captivity,
But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Then the Lord will go forth
And fight against those nations,
As He fights in the day of battle.
And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
Which faces Jerusalem on the east.
And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,
From east to west,
Making a very large valley;
Half of the mountain shall move toward the north
And half of it toward the south.
Then you shall flee through My mountain valley,
For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal.
Yes, you shall flee
As you fled from the earthquake
In the days of Uzziah king of Judah.
Thus the Lord my God will come,
And all the saints with You.
Zechariah 14:1-5


Key Verse:

• Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with You.

There is much to discuss from Zechariah, about the Lord.

The main thing here is to see that it’s YHWH the Lord God who is coming with the saints on the Day of the Lord.

Clearly Jesus Christ is returning with the saints, at the end of the age, on that Day.

This is clearly taught in the New Testament.


Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” Jude 14-15


again


But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17





It’s interesting to note that it was from this passage in Zechariah that Jesus taught His disciples about His coming and the end of the age, at the Oliver Discourse, found in Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13.





JLB

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

The concepts of the Trinity have always been a difficult topic for me to grasp. Things like "Jesus is Lord" is compared to Jesus is God," but somehow Jesus isn't the Father or the Holy Spirit. The distinction between Jesus and the Father are in the bible in a few places. Such as before going to the cross when Jesus prayed He made talked to God in a personal way like a Son to His Father. Then while on the cross Jesus cried out to God "why have you forsaken me."

With that in mind I have a few verses to contribute.

On Jesus and God being one. One of the apstoles asks to see The Father in Heaven.
_______________________________
John 14:1-11
14 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”
9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.
_____________________________________
In this verse Jesus tells them that if they've seen Jesus they've seen God. God in Jesus and Jesus in God is part of the concept of Jesus and God being the same. But in this verse it also gives a distinction between Jesus and God. They are not His words but the Father who lives in Jesus and does His work through Jesus. From these verses it supports a concept of the Trinity that by looking at Jesus you also see God, and that the way to God is through Jesus. Yet it also gives a distinction between Jesus and the Father in Heaven.

The chapter in John 14 continues on which add to the concept of the Trinity where the Holy Spirit is added as an advocate that Jesus sends to us, where if we ask in Jesus's name He will answer it to give glory to His Father, and then one more challenge to the normal ideas of the Trinity, not just the three as one. But also with us as well. Just As God is in Jesus, and Jesus is in God. This next promise is for those that love Jesus and obey His commands will have Jesus in them and that they will be in Jesus. Possibly like the example Jesus gave that He obeys His Father and He is in the Father and God the Father is in Jesus. So love Jesus and obey His direction and Jesus will be in us and we will be in Jesus....
_______________________________
John 14:12-21
12 I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
____________________________
These are a few of the thoughts I've had concerning the Trinity. And part of an explanation that my stance seems to be a persistent "I don't know" when considering the Trinity. Nonetheless, even if the concepts of the Trinity are hard to understand, or if they are in error, there is one thing that is worth mentioning. On a practical level even if God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are different individuals, on a practical approach if you find one of them you will find all three. The Holy Spirit will guide us with what Jesus gives Him (gives to the Holy Spirit), and what Jesus us given is from God the Father. On a practical approach treating the Trinity as true reaches the practical truth of finding God, Finding Jesus, and finding the Holy Spirit.

 

[JLB]

The concepts of the Trinity have always been a difficult topic for me to grasp. Things like "Jesus is Lord" is compared to Jesus is God," but somehow Jesus isn't the Father or the Holy Spirit. The distinction between Jesus and the Father are in the bible in a few places. Such as before going to the cross when Jesus prayed He made talked to God in a personal way like a Son to His Father. Then while on the cross Jesus cried out to God "why have you forsaken me."

With that in mind I have a few verses to contribute.

On Jesus and God being one. One of the apstoles asks to see The Father in Heaven.
_______________________________
John 14:1-11
14 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”
9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.
_____________________________________
In this verse Jesus tells them that if they've seen Jesus they've seen God. God in Jesus and Jesus in God is part of the concept of Jesus and God being the same. But in this verse it also gives a distinction between Jesus and God. They are not His words but the Father who lives in Jesus and does His work through Jesus. From these verses it supports a concept of the Trinity that by looking at Jesus you also see God, and that the way to God is through Jesus. Yet it also gives a distinction between Jesus and the Father in Heaven.

The chapter in John 14 continues on which add to the concept of the Trinity where the Holy Spirit is added as an advocate that Jesus sends to us, where if we ask in Jesus's name He will answer it to give glory to His Father, and then one more challenge to the normal ideas of the Trinity, not just the three as one. But also with us as well. Just As God is in Jesus, and Jesus is in God. This next promise is for those that love Jesus and obey His commands will have Jesus in them and that they will be in Jesus. Possibly like the example Jesus gave that He obeys His Father and He is in the Father and God the Father is in Jesus. So love Jesus and obey His direction and Jesus will be in us and we will be in Jesus....
_______________________________
John 14:12-21
12 I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
____________________________
These are a few of the thoughts I've had concerning the Trinity. And part of an explanation that my stance seems to be a persistent "I don't know" when considering the Trinity. Nonetheless, even if the concepts of the Trinity are hard to understand, or if they are in error, there is one thing that is worth mentioning. On a practical level even if God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are different individuals, on a practical approach if you find one of them you will find all three. The Holy Spirit will guide us with what Jesus gives Him (gives to the Holy Spirit), and what Jesus us given is from God the Father. On a practical approach treating the Trinity as true reaches the practical truth of finding God, Finding Jesus, and finding the Holy Spirit.

If we discuss this subject anthropomorphically, we may better understand.

This is the assigning of human attributes to the divine to better understand.


In the statement the two shall become one flesh, we see this analogy.

The way a man and a women become one flesh is the child that is produced from their union.

Both the attributes of the father and the mother are seen in the son.

So the father, the mother and the son are one;

They are all human in nature, as kind begets after its own kind, yet each are separate and distinct individuals, yet they are one family.


JLB

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

I love how God represents Himself in the bible. And He explains it in ways we can understand.

God is the potter, we are the pots.

God is the master, the Lord of the household

God is the Father, as well as sometimes described as the husband, whereas we are described as either loyal or rebellious children; or that we are a pure and clean bride, or an adulterous wife (One of the prophets described Israel in this way being an adulterous wife).

And finally God is the Good Shepard (or is that only Jesus? I ask because I don't know), and we are the sheep.

Through these discriptions God tells us of His love, and His authority. And He lets us understand it better from the relationships we have in our lives. To know what it means to be a good Shepard, a good Farher, and be a good husband. These relationships help us understand the love God has for us. As well as understand our relationship to God.

 

[JLB]

Peter testifies about Jesus -


Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2 Peter 1:1


again



Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
1 Peter 1:10-11

• the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them

Peter proclaims a very dynamic thing here, as he says by the Spirit, that the Spirit that was in the Old Testament prophets was the Spirit of Christ, which is the Spirit of YHWH, the Lord God.


Zechariah says —

The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: Zechariah 12:1


The Spirit of Christ, The Spirit of the Lord, YHWH, was speaking through Zechariah proclaiming His work in creation.


“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. Zechariah 12:10


The book of Hebrews confirms that it was the Son of God who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundation of the earth.


But to the Son He says:
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
And:
“You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
Hebrews 1:8-10



The Spirit of Christ, was in the Old Testament prophets, indicating His Omnipresence of being in all places and in all the prophets.


For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
Isaiah 43:3




JLB

 

[atpollard]

After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove [and] lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." [Matthew 3:16-17 NASB]

I find this to be one of the best pictures of the triune (3 person in one) God available in Scripture. God the Father, whose absolute power and holiness is unapproachable by anything even remotely imperfect longs to be reunited with the creation that He loves. This is the being whom a prophet saw in a vision and cried out “woe is me, for I am undone. I am a man of unclean lips from a people of unclean lips” ... that was just a VISION of the absolute unapproachable perfection of God the Father ... here we have the reality seated in heaven surrounded by cherubim. God the father had sent God the Son to be incarnated and live among men as a man, and now proclaims from heaven just how BELOVED the Son is and how PLEASED the Father is.

God the Son is here, having set aside his absolute Divine Glory for the opportunity to walk among men, whom God the Son loved as deeply as God the Father, just as the Godhead once walked with man in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day. To the Son was granted the right to step through the veil that divided the Holy of Holies from His beloved creation. As a man, Christ had an opportunity to teach mankind God as a loving father and demonstrate how a man properly submits to the Lordship of GOD.

The Holy Spirit, forever the invisible breeze (spirit means breath or wind), that is the hand of God directing the affairs of men, briefly becomes visible to all as God bridging the gap between the unapproachable Father and mankind by doing what God the Spirit has always done ... drawing the attention of men to the one true path from sin back to GOD. The Spirit appears as a dove (just like the dove that told Noah of the promise delivered) and points men to God the Son (as the Holy Spirit still does).

Three distinct (Father - Son - Spirit) with one heart and one mind and one purpose ... one GOD come to claim their creation (man) for themselves as Children of the Promise, Children of Faith and Children of God. Just as THEY (GOD) always intended.