Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Bible Studies in Matthew's Gospel
THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST Study 1 THE GLORY OF HIS PERSON
Hebrews 1:1-14; 2:9-18 Matthew 22:42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose Son is He?” Matthew 27:22, Pilate asked them, “What should I do then with Jesus, who is called Messiah?” What we do with Him will determine what He does with us – Revelation 20:11-15.
The glory of His Person and the greatness of His Work:
He is glorious as the eternal, unchanging One – Hebrews 13:8 and Revelation 22:13.
He is glorious in the names and titles which are ascribed to Him – Isaiah 9:6.
He is glorious in His relationship in the Godhead – John 1:18 and 15:26.
He is glorious in the claims which He made for Himself – John 4:25-26; 5:22; 10:9 and 14:6.
He is glorious in the experience of His people – He is their Saviour, Shepherd, Friend and Lord.
He is glorious in the perfection of His redeeming work – John 19:30 and Jude 24.
He is glorious in the place of glory which He now occupies, and ever will occupy –Hebrews 1:3; Jude 25 and Revelation 19:16.
The Lord Jesus Christ is at the same time perfectly human and absolutely divine. “He holds within Himself the two natures in perfect poise and balance, and each in full completeness.” He is very God and very Man.–1 Timothy 3:16 And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great: He (God) was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
1. THE PERFECT HUMANITY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
John 1:1,14, Galatians 4:4 and Philippians 2:6-8.
Luke 2:40,52; Luke 2:46.
Mark 15:34; Luke 24:32; John 4:9; John 20:15 and John 21:4-5. He was subject to the frailties of human nature (apart from sin): hunger – Matthew 4:2; Mark 11:12 and John 19:28;
weariness – Mark 4:38 and John 4:6; pain – John 19:3 and 28-30; temptation – Luke 4:13;
and death –John 19:30. But He was the perfect Man – altogether without sin: Luke 23:41,47; John 8:46 and 19:4; Hebrews 4:15 and 7:26; and 1 Peter 2:21-22.
He has been down into death, He has risen again in a perfect human body – Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:13-34; John 20:14-16 and John 21:1-14, and He has taken His humanity up to the throne of God – Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 2:5 and Hebrews 9:24.
2. THE ABSOLUTE DEITY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
Jesus did not become God. In the fulness of time, and in order to become our Redeemer, He became man – Galatians 4:4; but He always was God, one with the Father and the Spirit. Colossians 2:9 For in Him the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily,[
Isaiah 9:6 that while the ‘child’ was born, the ‘Son’ was given. The Son ever was the Son, but at Bethlehem the Son was given in the form of a child – Luke 1:35. Repeatedly in the New Testament He is spoken of (by Himself and by others) as the Son of God – Matthew 3:17; 27:40-43; Mark 14:61-62; Luke 22:70; John 5:25; 10:36 and 11:4; and five times as ‘the only begotten Son’ – John 1:14, 18 and 3:16. Micah 5:2 Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; One will come from you to be ruler over Israel for Me.His origin is from antiquity, from eternity.[
John 8:57-58 The Jews replied, “You aren’t 50 years old yet, and You’ve seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am.”[
Revelation 1: When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. He laid His right hand on me, and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last, 18 and the Living One. I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and • Hades.
At Caesarea Philippi, Peter made his great confession, which our Lord stated had been given by divine inspiration – He allowed Peter to acknowledge Him as ‘the Christ, the Son of the living God’ – Matthew 16:13-17.
Think of His ‘I AM’s’ in John’s Gospel; look them up – 6:35; 8:12; 10:9; 10:14; 11:25; 14:6 and 15:1. What do these mean if He is not God? Think of His miracles – signs that attested His deity. He turned the water into wine – John 2:1-11; healed a son – John 4:46-54; made a man whole – John 5:1-16; fed a multitude – John 6:1-14; stilled a storm – Mark 4:35-41; gave sight to the blind – John 9:1-38; and raised the dead – John 11:1-46 – all of which demonstrate that He was Lord over time, distance, disease, growth, gravitation, nature’s defects and death. John 20:30-31. Do you not want to say – John 20:28? He is Creator – John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16; the Upholder of all things – Colossians 1:17; the Forgiver of sin – Mark 2:5-10. Surely you will agree that all this testimony to His deity is overwhelming?
THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST Study 2 John The Baptist
How were the prophecies concerning the Forerunner of the Messiah fulfilled in John the Baptist?
Malachi 4
Isaiah 40:1-11
How was John’s greatness foreshadowed in the events surrounding his birth?
Luke 1:5-25, 57-80
How did John’s life in the desert prepare him for his ministry?
Matthew 3:1-12
What was John’s message and how did the different groups receive it?
In what ways may John’s message be fruitful in our day?
What qualities were the hallmarks of John’s character?
What character qualities in John impress you the most?
THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST Study 3 The Baptism Of Jesus
1. In what ways was Jesus Identified as the Messiah in Matthew 3:
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to stop Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?” 15 Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him [to be baptized]. 16 After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him. 17 And there came a voice from heaven: This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!
2. What was John’s purpose in baptising? John 1:24 -34
3. How did Jesus’ baptism identify Himself with sinful humanity?
Matthew 3: 11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but the One who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to take off His sandals. He Himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing shovel is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn. But the chaff He will burn up with fire that never goes out.”
4. What did Jesus’ baptism say of His call, commission and cross?
Isa 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
Psalm 2: 1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. 7 I will declare the Lord’s decree: He said to Me, “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.
5. Why should baptism be important for you?
Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was a very devout Roman Catholic evangelist. One of the stories that grew out of his ministry concerns a time when he was baptizing new converts in a river. He would wade out waist-deep into the water and call out for new Christians to come to him, one by one, to receive the sacrament. Once he baptized a mountain chieftain. Saint Patrick was holding a staff in his hands as the new converts made their way into the water. Unfortunately, as he was lowering the chief down under the water three times, he also pressed his staff down into the river bottom. Afterwards the people on the riverbank noticed their chief limp back to shore. Someone explained to Patrick that, as he pressed the wooden staff into the riverbed, he must have also bruised the foot of the chief. Patrick went to the chief at once and asked, “Why did you not cry out when I stuck you in the foot?” Surprised, the chief answered, “I remembered you telling us about the nails in the cross, and I thought my pain was part of my baptism.”
How is this significant for you today?
1. My life, my love I give to Thee, Thou Lamb of God who died for me;
O may I ever faithful be, My Saviour and my God!
Chorus I’ll live for Him who died for me, How happy then my life shall be!
I’ll live for Him who died for me, My Saviour and my God
