1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,720 Father, we thank you, Lord, for tonight and the opportunity you 2 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:05,560 give us to study Your word. Truly, Lord, it is a great 3 00:00:05,560 --> 00:00:09,480 blessing to be able to examine the text of Scripture and to 4 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:13,200 realize that You have spoken very clearly, without any 5 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:18,320 confusion, without any kind of mishaps. 6 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:20,520 It's all the truth of the living God. 7 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,360 And because of that, Lord, we can take it for what it is at 8 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:29,120 face value, that it's a holy word of God and therefore it 9 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:32,520 speaks to every aspect of our lives and it moves us on to 10 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:34,960 maturity because it does a great work in those who believe. 11 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:38,400 So we're asking that tonight, Lord, as we study it, you do a 12 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:41,480 great work in all of us that truly we would come to 13 00:00:41,480 --> 00:00:45,240 understand the beauty of your character and that we would 14 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:48,880 truly be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ as we understand 15 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:52,600 what Christianity is all about. So we thank you, Lord, in Jesus 16 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:57,760 name, Amen. The question is, what is a 17 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:03,720 Christian? What is a Christian? 18 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,840 That's the question and the answer has been seen over the 19 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:12,840 last couple of weeks by looking at the Christian's decision. 20 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:19,960 That's Luke Chapter 9 verse #23 that is that he decides to 21 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:24,040 follow Christ, to take up his cross and deny himself. 22 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:30,280 And then we saw what a Christian is by looking at the definition 23 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:34,000 of a Christian. That's Philippians chapter 3 24 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:39,280 verse #3 that the marked one, the true believer, is one who 25 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:43,600 worships God in spirit, who glory is only in Christ Jesus, 26 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:48,120 and takes no confidence in his flesh. 27 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:53,400 And then we looked at the Christian and his description. 28 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:58,040 That was last week, 2nd Corinthians 521, that if any man 29 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:03,880 be in Christ, he is a new creation, old things that passed 30 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:05,480 away. Behold all things that become 31 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:10,080 new. So the description of a believer 32 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:15,160 is that he is in Christ and Christ is in him. 33 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:18,880 Tonight we're going to look at the Christian from the 34 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:24,640 perspective of his declaration. In other words, all true 35 00:02:24,640 --> 00:02:27,760 believers declare the same thing. 36 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:34,160 That is, they declare the identity of the Messiah and they 37 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:38,160 declare the ministry of the Messiah. 38 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:43,840 In other words, they understand who he is and they understand 39 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:49,000 what he did. In other words, they make a 40 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:53,040 declaration without any reservation, without any 41 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:56,480 hesitation, and without any question. 42 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:04,640 And they make that declaration with true conviction, passion, 43 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:08,960 and resolution. In other words, they know 44 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:13,680 exactly who Christ is, and they know exactly what Christ came to 45 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:16,240 do. So Christian is known not just 46 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:20,560 by his decision, not just by his definition and description, but 47 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:26,400 by his declaration. To understand that, turn with me 48 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:31,000 in your Bible to the Luke's Gospel, the 9th chapter, Luke 49 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:38,000 Chapter 9, and in the narrative of Luke Chapter 9, Christ is 50 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:42,880 going to ask a question, and that question centers around his 51 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:46,200 identity. And then he's going to give some 52 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:49,920 instruction, and that instruction centers around his 53 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:54,240 ministry. Everything about the Christ 54 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:58,880 focuses in on who he is and what he did. 55 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,760 And all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who truly and 56 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:09,320 genuinely know who he is have the same declaration about his 57 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:14,880 identity and his ministry. So it's a very familiar 58 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:18,920 narrative to us, but I think that will it will open your eyes 59 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:22,720 to many things this evening. In fact, we're going to help you 60 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:27,760 understand why is it those who are closest to you are the 61 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:32,760 furthest from the Kingdom. We're going to help you 62 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:36,960 understand why your father or your mother, your brother or 63 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:42,240 your sister, your aunt or your uncle, your son or your daughter 64 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:47,680 refuse to believe the things that you believe in spite of 65 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:51,680 overwhelming evidence, in spite of the very clear indicators of 66 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:55,520 Scripture. What is it that keeps them from 67 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,040 embracing Christ as their Messiah? 68 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:03,960 What is it that that keeps them from understanding the things 69 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:05,920 that you understanding you understand? 70 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:10,280 What keeps them from grip gripping that the glorious 71 00:05:10,280 --> 00:05:16,360 gospel of Christ that you have completely and totally absorbed 72 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,080 yourself in. We're going to answer that 73 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:23,800 question for you this evening. But first Luke Chapter 9 verse 74 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:28,200 #18 says and it happened that while he was praying alone, the 75 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:31,960 disciples were with him and he questioned them saying, who do 76 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:38,640 the people say that I am? They answered and said, John the 77 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:45,160 Baptist and others say Elijah, but others, that one of the 78 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:52,600 prophets of old has risen again. And he said to them, But who do 79 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:57,440 you say that I am? And Peter answered and said, The 80 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:03,760 Christ or the Messiah of God? But he warned them and 81 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:08,960 instructed them not to tell this to anyone, saying the Son of Man 82 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:14,840 must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief 83 00:06:14,840 --> 00:06:21,080 priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up. 84 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:30,160 On the third day. Christ asked the most valuable 85 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:35,520 question ever, the most important question that could 86 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:42,280 ever be asked. Who do you say that I am? 87 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:51,080 If you answer it correctly, then your soul will live in delight. 88 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:57,640 If you answer it incorrectly, your soul will be damned 89 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:01,560 forever. So you must answer the question 90 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:05,360 correctly because it deals with the identity of who Christ is. 91 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:12,000 Once you understand who He is, then you can begin to understand 92 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:18,200 what it is he does or what it is that he did. 93 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:22,720 Now Luke's gospel, it's important to realize where 94 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:26,600 you're at, what's happening here in the gospel. 95 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:29,600 Why is the question asked at this time? 96 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:37,240 Luke is is building toward this crescendo of who is Christ? 97 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:43,360 What is his identity? Everything about the Gospels 98 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:45,840 centers around the identity of Christ. 99 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:51,720 John's gospel talks to us about his deity, that Jesus is God in 100 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:54,880 the flesh. Matthew's gospel talks to us 101 00:07:54,880 --> 00:08:00,240 about his royalty, that he's the king of Israel, the king of the 102 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:03,440 universe, and he has a Kingdom that he presents. 103 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:08,680 Mark's gospel talks to us about his humility, that he's a great 104 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:12,120 and wonderful servant. And then of course, Luke's 105 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:18,080 gospel talks to us about his humanity, that he's God in human 106 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:21,880 flesh. And yet all the gospels point to 107 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:25,000 the identity of Christ. In fact, this is how John sums 108 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:29,400 it up in John chapter 20. He says therefore many other 109 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:33,520 signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, 110 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:37,120 which are not written in this book, but these have been 111 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:41,840 written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the 112 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:45,720 Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. 113 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:50,400 John says there are so many other miracles that Christ did 114 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:54,720 that are not recorded here, but these have been recorded, that 115 00:08:54,720 --> 00:09:01,080 you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, and 116 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:05,840 that believing the fact that he is the Messiah, you will have 117 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:09,800 life in his name. You see, it's absolutely 118 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:14,320 essential that you understand that Jesus is the Messiah. 119 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:19,720 Can one be saved and not believe that Jesus is the Messiah? 120 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:23,000 Answer no. John just told you these things 121 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:25,960 are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the 122 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:32,000 Christ, the Son of God, and that believing that fact, you have 123 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,560 life in his name. You cannot be a Christian and 124 00:09:34,560 --> 00:09:37,280 not believe that Jesus is the Messiah. 125 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:41,800 To be a Christian means, I declare the fact that Jesus 126 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:47,800 Christ is God's Messiah. That's very, very important to 127 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:51,440 understand that, you see, because he really is truly God's 128 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:54,000 Messiah. He is not Israel's Messiah, and 129 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:57,920 he's not your Messiah, He's God's Messiah. 130 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:00,560 That's Peter's confession in Luke 9. 131 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:05,240 You are the Christ of God. You are the anointed of God. 132 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:09,520 You are the Messiah of God. Simeon says the same thing in 133 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:13,760 Luke chapter 2. I have seen the Lord's Christ. 134 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:20,000 I have seen the Lord's Messiah. Same thing Peter says in Acts 135 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:23,600 chapter 3 when he says that God announced beforehand by the 136 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:29,000 mouth of all the prophets, that his, that is God's Christ, God's 137 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:33,840 Messiah, would suffer and he has thus fulfilled that. 138 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:36,800 You see, the Messiah is God's Messiah. 139 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:39,720 You didn't anoint him, God anointed him. 140 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:42,520 You didn't appoint him. God appointed him. 141 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:48,120 He is God's Messiah. He is God's anointed. 142 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:52,640 Very important to realize that because you cannot become a 143 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:57,320 Christian unless you understand who Jesus Christ is. 144 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:04,440 It's all about his identity. He is the Messiah of God. 145 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:09,760 He's God's Messiah. So in the context of Luke 146 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:14,040 Chapter 9, Christ asks the question, what is the popular 147 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:20,960 opinion of who I am? Matthew's account says what do 148 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:24,960 people say or who do people say the Son of Man is? 149 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:30,280 Then say that in Luke's Gospel. But in Matthews it does very 150 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:34,880 important to understanding the question, what is the popular 151 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:39,360 opinion of who I am? And then he says, But who do you 152 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:43,400 say that I am? What is the personal opinion? 153 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:46,400 Because you see, the popular opinion is wrong. 154 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:50,280 Well, some say you are Elijah, but no one is saying that you 155 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:55,160 are the eternal one. Some say you are John the 156 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:58,800 Baptist, but no one is saying you are Jehovah God. 157 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:04,640 Some say you are one of the prophets, but no one is saying 158 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:08,400 that you are the prophet that was prophesied in the book of 159 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:11,640 Deuteronomy. Everybody's saying that you're 160 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:13,640 great, but nobody's saying you're God. 161 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:19,400 That's the popular opinion. So Christ says, but who do you 162 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:23,920 say that I am? Because when you stand before 163 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:29,840 Christ, your parents won't be with you, the crowds won't be 164 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:36,080 with you. It'll be you and the Lord, and 165 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:40,760 you have to give an account for who you say the Son of Man is, 166 00:12:41,680 --> 00:12:46,560 and does that account match with the Bible says about Jesus 167 00:12:46,560 --> 00:12:50,800 Christ our Lord? Now, this is very important 168 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:56,400 because Luke is building toward this question, building toward 169 00:12:56,560 --> 00:13:01,080 this scenario. When Christ asks, who do men say 170 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:03,440 that I am? This is life's most important 171 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:09,760 question because you can't ask what must I do to be saved 172 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:13,840 unless you ask who is the Son of Man? 173 00:13:14,680 --> 00:13:19,200 One flow flows out of the other. So Christ asked the question. 174 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:21,680 But Luke has been building through this because every 175 00:13:21,680 --> 00:13:25,840 chapter leading up to Luke Chapter 9 speaks to us about the 176 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:30,920 identity of Christ, who He is. That is just so important to 177 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:34,320 understand. In fact, it says in Luke 1 when 178 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:37,160 the Angel Gabriel came to Zacharias, he told him in verse 179 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:41,280 #17 it is he who will go as a forerunner, speaking to 180 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:44,680 Zacharias about his son John the Baptist. 181 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:46,960 He will be the forerunner to the Messiah. 182 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:51,640 So in chapter 1 of Luke, we have the announcement about the 183 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:54,640 forerunner is going to come before the Lord. 184 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:58,440 And then you have Gabriel's encounter with Mary. 185 00:13:59,560 --> 00:14:02,680 He tells Mary that you will conceive in your room bear a 186 00:14:02,680 --> 00:14:06,040 son, and you shall name, name him Jesus. 187 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:08,960 He will be great. He will be called the Son of the 188 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:13,280 Most High God. So everything is about the 189 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:16,880 identity of the Messiah. Then Mary writes this song and 190 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:20,240 Zacharias writes this song under the inspiration of the Scripture 191 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:24,720 to talk to us about the Messiah, his identity and his ministry. 192 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:29,840 Then you move into Luke chapter 2, and then the angels come to 193 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:34,320 the shepherds, and they declare very loudly the identity of the 194 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:37,440 Messiah. For unto you this day in the 195 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:41,000 city of David has been born a Savior who is Christ the Lord. 196 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:44,800 They understand that the Savior's been born. 197 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:47,440 The Messiah is here. So they go to Mary and they 198 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:50,320 proclaim the same thing. They declare the same message to 199 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:52,880 Mary. And then you have the encounter 200 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:56,000 with Simeon, and Simeon recognizes that this is the 201 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,360 Lord's Messiah. Again, he is identified by 202 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:00,280 Simeon. And then you come to Anna. 203 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:04,200 She identifies him by proclaiming to everybody who he 204 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:06,400 is the Messiah. And then you come to that 205 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:10,800 encounter in Luke chapter 2 at the end of Luke the 2nd chapter, 206 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:14,520 where Christ himself is now 12 years of age. 207 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:22,600 And it's the only encounter we have of Christ between his birth 208 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:27,920 and when he's 30, and that is at the age of 12. 209 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:35,520 And he's going to speak. And what Christ says is the most 210 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:38,280 important statement he ever makes. 211 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:43,600 What Christ says in Luke chapter 2 is the most important 212 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:50,040 statement that He will ever make as the Messiah on this planet. 213 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:53,360 Remember, He's lost. When He's not lost, His parents 214 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:56,280 leave Jerusalem without him. They come back to find him. 215 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:58,840 He's in the temple. He's having this encounter with 216 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:01,520 the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the scribes. 217 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:04,480 He's asking them questions. They're asking Him questions. 218 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:06,920 And they come and find Him and they say, where have you been? 219 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:08,360 We've been looking all over for you. 220 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:14,240 And what does Jesus say? Don't you know I must be about 221 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:20,560 my Father's business? This is the most important 222 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:26,080 statement that Christ ever makes, and he does it at age 12. 223 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:32,160 And the Bible says that Mary is confused, and so is Joseph 224 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:36,240 because he's making this declaration about his identity. 225 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:41,000 I'm not your son, Mary. I'm not Joseph's son. 226 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:49,240 I am my father's son. I am the Son of God. 227 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:54,920 He makes it very clear. You see, they know he's virgin 228 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:58,240 born, they know he's the Son of the Most High. 229 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:04,440 They know his whole life of perfection up to this point, but 230 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:07,359 they are still confused about the identity of the Messiah. 231 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:13,000 As he says, I must be about my Father's excuse me, business. 232 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:23,359 That's very important because you see, 151 times Christ refers 233 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:30,040 to the God of heaven as his Father 151 times. 234 00:17:31,360 --> 00:17:33,960 That's very, very important. Why? 235 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:38,600 Because there are 39 books in the Old Testament, and of those 236 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:42,680 39 books in the Old Testament, there is only two times that the 237 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:49,080 God of heaven is referred to as Father only twice, but not in a 238 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:53,160 personal sense, only in a national sense that He is the 239 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:59,880 Father nationally over Israel. There are 15 other times in 240 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:05,480 those 39 books that is referred to as a Father indirectly, but 241 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:13,000 never would a Jew refer to the God of heaven as his personal 242 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:19,960 father. Jesus is the first to do so 243 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:25,920 because he recognizes and understands that his Father in 244 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:31,160 heaven He is one with. That's very, very important. 245 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:36,520 So if you go with me over to John chapter 5, all this is the 246 00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:40,040 is, is defined for you. Remember in John 5 there at the, 247 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:42,960 the pool of Bethesda, the House of Mercy. 248 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:48,280 And at this pool, there's this, there's this belief that if an 249 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:51,560 Angel comes and, and stirs the water, the very first sick 250 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:57,720 person in the pool is healed. OK, now I that's not true. 251 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:01,680 It's just what they believed. But we know that Jesus is the 252 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:06,320 ultimate healer. He's called Jehovah Rapha in 253 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:09,880 Exodus chapter 15, the Lord my healer. 254 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:13,800 So we know that God's a healer. And there's a man that's been 255 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:17,200 paralyzed for 38 years, 38 years. 256 00:19:17,360 --> 00:19:20,440 And Christ asked him, do you want to be made well? 257 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:23,120 Do you want to be healed well? Of course he does. 258 00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:25,560 He tells them to take up his palate and walk. 259 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:29,960 The problem is it's on the Sabbath day in the Pharisees, 260 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:32,840 they go crazy over this. They go bonkers. 261 00:19:33,360 --> 00:19:37,000 Not the fact that the guy's healed, but that he's walking 262 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:41,400 with his palate on the Sabbath day and they're incensed. 263 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:43,600 And so they ask him, who healed you? 264 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:49,200 He says, Jesus healed me. And so when you pick up the 265 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:56,000 narrative in verse #17 it says, or Jesus answered them, that is 266 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,480 the Jews. Now in John's gospel, the Jews 267 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:00,720 are always the leadership of Israel. 268 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:04,560 They're not the nation itself. The Jews in John's gospel are 269 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:07,880 always referred to as the leaders, the Pharisees, the 270 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:12,240 Sadducees, the scribes. So he says these words. 271 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:18,640 My Father is working until now, and I myself am working. 272 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:23,320 Great statement. Now this is what it says. 273 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:26,880 Verse 18 For this reason, therefore, the Jews were seeking 274 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:31,800 all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking 275 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:35,680 the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, 276 00:20:36,360 --> 00:20:46,040 making Himself equal to God. When Jesus says that He is the 277 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:50,720 Son of God, when Jesus says that the God of heaven is my Father, 278 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:54,280 He is making Himself equal with God. 279 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:57,920 And every Jew knew that. That's why they wanted to kill 280 00:20:57,920 --> 00:20:59,360 Him. In fact, if you go over to John 281 00:20:59,360 --> 00:21:04,400 chapter 10 and John 10, it says this in verse #30I and the 282 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:07,920 Father are one. The Jews picked up stones again 283 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:10,560 to stone Him. Jesus answered them. 284 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:13,760 I showed you many good works from the Father. 285 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:16,200 For which of them are you stoning me? 286 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:18,920 The Jews answered him for a good work. 287 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:23,080 We do not stone you, but for blasphemy, and because you, 288 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:28,440 being a man, make yourself out to be God. 289 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:33,440 See, the Jews knew that when Christ claimed that the God of 290 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:39,360 heaven was His Father, He was claiming equality with God. 291 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:44,880 No Jew in the history of Judaism would ever call the God of 292 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:48,600 heaven their Father because they are not equal in nature to God. 293 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:52,720 But Jesus is. That's very important. 294 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:55,120 That's why he's called the Son of God. 295 00:21:55,120 --> 00:21:58,160 In fact, the confession that Peter makes in Matthew's account 296 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:02,000 of what Luke is talking about, Luke 9, is Thou art the Christ, 297 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:06,640 the Son of the living God. Very, very important to realize 298 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:08,920 that. Now remember in the Old 299 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:12,840 Testament there are there there's a phrase sons of God. 300 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:17,160 In the Old Testament, the sons of God are always angels. 301 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:21,440 In the New Testament, the phrase sons of God is Jews also. 302 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:24,880 That's always referring to believing Jews or believing 303 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:29,600 Gentiles. But the Son of God is a title 304 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:32,840 reserved only for the Messiah of Israel. 305 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:38,080 And when it says that Jesus is the Son of God, the word for son 306 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:43,560 is we OS very important because we OS never refers to the origin 307 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:47,720 of an individual. We OS always refers to equality 308 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:53,280 of nature and position. Jesus is never called the little 309 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:56,280 born one of God. That would be the word brief OS. 310 00:22:57,320 --> 00:22:58,960 He's never called the little child of God. 311 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:02,960 That would be Tecnon. But he's called the Son of God. 312 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:07,400 And the word for Son is we OS, and it never refers to the 313 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:11,960 origin of anything. It only refers to equality of 314 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:14,560 nature. It refers to the position of 315 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:17,600 privilege. That's very important. 316 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:21,920 So not only is Jesus called the Son of God, he's also called the 317 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:25,320 only begotten, right, the monogenes. 318 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:31,920 But that doesn't mean that he is begotten of God in terms of 319 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:36,360 being born or created. No, He's called the monoganase, 320 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:39,640 and that is a word that deals with preeminence or the son of 321 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:43,240 choice. It's like it's like Isaac was 322 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:46,720 the monoganase. He was the only begotten of 323 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:49,240 Abraham, but he wasn't the only son of Abraham. 324 00:23:49,360 --> 00:23:51,280 He wasn't even the oldest son of Abraham. 325 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:54,560 Ishmael was. But Isaac was the only begotten 326 00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:56,440 son. He was a son of choice. 327 00:23:56,560 --> 00:24:00,440 He was a son of privilege. He was the select one, the 328 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:03,560 unique one. That's what monoganase means. 329 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:07,880 Jesus is always called also called the first born of 330 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:11,360 creation, the pro total cost. That doesn't mean he was the 331 00:24:11,360 --> 00:24:13,600 first one ever created, because he wasn't. 332 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:19,920 He was never created. He's the eternal God, but He is 333 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:23,720 the prototocost, meaning he is the the of all those ever 334 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:25,720 created. He is the preeminent. 1 335 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:29,440 Revelation 1/5 says He is the first born of all those who are 336 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:31,320 resurrected. That doesn't mean he was the 337 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:34,440 first one resurrected. It means that of all the people 338 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:37,440 that will ever be resurrected, He is the preeminent one. 339 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:40,360 That's what prototocost means. These are things you need to 340 00:24:40,360 --> 00:24:43,000 know when you talk to Jews or when you talk to Jehovah's 341 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,920 Witnesses, because they can't refute that, they can't defend 342 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:47,560 that. They don't know what to say when 343 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:50,400 you begin to talk, to talk to them like that, because they 344 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:54,080 can't answer those questions. But you see, it all goes to the, 345 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:57,600 to the, to the grammar that describes the identity of 346 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:02,920 Christ, that he is the Son of the living God. 347 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:07,480 So Christ comes and asks the question, who do men say that I 348 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:09,560 am? And, and this is so important 349 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:13,000 because as you go through the, the gospel of Luke, he's always 350 00:25:13,120 --> 00:25:17,280 declaring his identity. In fact, if you, if you go back 351 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:21,800 to, to Luke chapter 3, in Luke chapter 3, you have the ministry 352 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:25,560 of John the Baptist and John the Baptist calls him the expected 353 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:27,520 one. And that was a title from Psalm 354 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:30,880 118 and Psalm 40 to talk about the coming Messiah. 355 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:34,360 And so he identifies him as the expected one. 356 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:38,360 And his baptism in Luke chapter 3, it says. 357 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:41,200 And the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a 358 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:43,320 dove, and a voice came out of heaven. 359 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:48,200 You are my beloved Son, and you I am well pleased. 360 00:25:48,360 --> 00:25:53,640 So again, his Father in heaven identifies him as his beloved 361 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:56,680 Son. As you go on to chapter 4, 362 00:25:56,680 --> 00:26:00,040 listen, even the devil knows the identity of Jesus. 363 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:04,560 It says in verse #3 And the devil said to him, since you are 364 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:10,000 the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread. 365 00:26:11,120 --> 00:26:17,160 So the testimony of the devil affirms the identity of the 366 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:21,760 Messiah. They truly is the Son of God. 367 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:27,880 And then you go to verse #34 of chapter 4 and listen to what the 368 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:30,520 demons say. Let us alone. 369 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:33,720 What business do we have with each other? 370 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:38,280 Jesus of Nazareth, have you come to destroy us? 371 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:44,120 I know who you are. You are the Holy One of God. 372 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:49,760 So again, there's a declaration of the identity of the Messiah 373 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:55,800 by the devil, by the demons, by John the Baptist, by Mary, by 374 00:26:55,800 --> 00:27:00,680 Anna, by Simeon, by Zacharias. It just keeps coming over and 375 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:05,040 over and over again. Even even Peter in Luke chapter 376 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:10,880 5 says go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man. 377 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:17,280 And then even over in chapter Chapter 7, at the healing of the 378 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:21,560 widow's son at Name, they understand that God has visited 379 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:25,360 his people when the widow's son at Name was resurrected. 380 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:27,960 And then of course, John the Baptist again calls him the 381 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:32,520 expected one. All these things are happening 382 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:38,160 all the while during Jesus's ministry, and yet still people 383 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:42,160 don't understand who He is. And the question comes, how do 384 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:45,920 they not get it? How do not grasp it? 385 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:52,960 In fact, if you if you go back to Luke chapter chapter 5, the 386 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:59,560 Pharisees ask this question, who is this man who speaks 387 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:07,280 blasphemies, who can forgive sins, but God alone? 388 00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:15,080 And then you come over to chapter Chapter 7 and they asked 389 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:19,240 the same question again. Who is this man who forgives 390 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:22,920 sins? And then even the disciples 391 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:32,600 chapter 8, who then is this that he commands even the winds and 392 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:39,800 the water to obey him? Even Herod in the 9th chapter of 393 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:45,760 Luke, who is this man about whom I hear such things? 394 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:51,080 See, that's the question. That's why Jesus asked, who do 395 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:55,120 men say that I am? Because all throughout his 396 00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:59,080 ministry people are asking, who is this guy? 397 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:03,240 Who is this Nazarene? Who is this one claiming to 398 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:05,760 forgive sins? Who is this one? 399 00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:08,800 Satan knows who he is. The demons know who he is. 400 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:12,320 But the people around Israel, they have no idea who Jesus is. 401 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:15,800 In spite of all the miracles, in spite of all the messages, they 402 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:21,880 still don't grasp the fact that Jesus is the Son of the living 403 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:24,120 God. They still don't grasp the 404 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:28,720 identity of the Messiah. And you cannot be saved unless 405 00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:33,280 you know who he is. You cannot, and that's so 406 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:35,720 important. That's why every Christian has 407 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:39,000 the same declaration. They declare his identity, that 408 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:42,280 he is a son of the living God, and they declare his ministry 409 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:44,520 that he came to die for the sins of man. 410 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:49,320 They understand that and they declare it loudly without any 411 00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:54,920 reservation. The Old Testament is filled with 412 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:59,360 the arrival of the coming Messiah and who he would be. 413 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:02,760 There was no excuse for Israel to miss it. 414 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:06,720 You can go all the way back to the prophet Isaiah who says 415 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:08,760 these words. For a child will be born to us, 416 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:11,120 a son will be given, and the government will rest on his 417 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:13,880 shoulders, and his name will be called. 418 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:17,280 Wonderful counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of 419 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:20,920 Peace. This is what his name is called. 420 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:26,000 Remember, God doesn't have names plural. 421 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:29,320 Jesus doesn't have names, plural. 422 00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:35,160 He only has one name, and it manifests itself in different 423 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:39,440 attributes. It manifests itself in a 424 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:43,280 multitude of character references, but it doesn't have 425 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:46,400 names. His name will be called 426 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:48,960 Wonderful. His name will be called 427 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:52,320 Counselor. His name will be called the 428 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:57,200 Mighty God, the El Gabor. So the son given is God El 429 00:30:57,200 --> 00:30:59,920 Gabor. He's also the Father of eternity 430 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:03,960 or the Everlasting Father, or the originator of eternity. 431 00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:07,760 To be the father of something would mean to be the originator 432 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,080 of something. And so he's called the Father of 433 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:12,000 eternity. He is the originator of 434 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:14,400 eternity. The only one who can be the 435 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:17,120 originator of eternity is somebody who is eternal. 436 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:20,200 So he is the eternal God. He is the El Gabor. 437 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:25,360 He is the Son that's given. So it's unmistakable in the Old 438 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:28,200 Testament. In fact, it says over in Isaiah 439 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:35,800 44 verse #6 these words, Isaiah 44 verse #6 thus says the Lord. 440 00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:43,800 Thus says Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the 441 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:47,520 Lord of hosts, or Jehovah Sabiath. 442 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:50,360 Wait a minute, you have two Jehovahs. 443 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:58,040 How can you have two Jehovahs? There's only one, unless the 2 444 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:02,280 are one. That's very important because he 445 00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:07,000 says, look, thus says Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his 446 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:15,720 Redeemer, Jehovah of armies. I am the 1st and I am the last, 447 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:19,480 and there is no God beside me. So there's only one God, but he 448 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:23,200 manifests himself as Redeemer, the Lord of hosts. 449 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:27,840 He manifests himself as the King of Israel because that's who 450 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:30,640 Jehovah is. That's very important. 451 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:34,320 And so it's unmistakable that there is a Redeemer. 452 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:37,440 That Redeemer is the first and the last. 453 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:41,600 That Redeemer is God in the flesh. 454 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:46,760 Same thing is true over in Zechariah chapter 12, when God 455 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:50,480 says I will pour out on the House of David and on the 456 00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:54,200 heavens of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication, so 457 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:58,320 that they will look on me whom they have pierced. 458 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:03,800 That's a great question. How do you look upon a God who 459 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:06,480 is a spirit who has been pierced? 460 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:11,880 Because every Jew knows that God is a spirit and Jehovah God is 461 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:15,720 speaking. So he says, I will pour out on 462 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:18,880 the House of David the spirit of grace and suffocation, and they 463 00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:22,720 will look on me. This is Jehovah speaking whom 464 00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:26,320 they have pierced. So you ask a Jew, when was the 465 00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:31,560 God of heaven pierced? That's a great question. 466 00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:38,160 How will they answer that? It says, and they will mourn for 467 00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:40,240 him. Well, who's the hymn? 468 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:43,080 I thought it was, You're going to mourn for me, the one who was 469 00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:46,000 pierced, but you're going to mourn for him. 470 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:50,080 Who is the Him? It's the Messiah, the Messiah of 471 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:52,920 Israel. You will mourn for him as one 472 00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:56,640 mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over him. 473 00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:02,200 You see, the triune nature of God is explicitly identified all 474 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:05,280 throughout the Old Testament. In fact, it says down in chapter 475 00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:09,679 13 verse #7 Awake, O sword against my shepherd. 476 00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:11,719 Why? Because the shepherds of Israel 477 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:14,000 led the nation into Pagan idolatry. 478 00:34:14,639 --> 00:34:16,199 They LED them away from the Lord. 479 00:34:16,639 --> 00:34:18,560 So God says, I'm going to send my shepherd. 480 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:23,520 And so he says, awake, O sword against my shepherd and against 481 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:26,520 the man. Now the phrase the man is not an 482 00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:29,560 ordinary man. He is a supernatural man. 483 00:34:29,639 --> 00:34:34,639 He is a unique kind of man. It says my associate in Hebrew. 484 00:34:34,639 --> 00:34:39,679 It means my equal awake, O sword against my shepherd, the man who 485 00:34:39,679 --> 00:34:42,280 is my equal. Well, who was that? 486 00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:45,679 That's the Messiah. And it says this declares the 487 00:34:45,679 --> 00:34:48,400 Lord of hosts strike the shepherd, that the sheep may 488 00:34:48,400 --> 00:34:50,679 scattered. It speaks of the death of the 489 00:34:50,679 --> 00:34:53,719 shepherd, the death of the man, the death who was one who was 490 00:34:53,719 --> 00:34:58,040 equal with the God, who was speaking Jehovah himself. 491 00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:01,520 So all throughout the Old Testament, everything pointed to 492 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:04,840 the identity of the coming Redeemer, the Messiah of Israel. 493 00:35:05,720 --> 00:35:08,280 So you come to the New Testament and you read through, for 494 00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:10,920 instance, the Gospel of Luke, and everybody in the chapters 495 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:14,760 are pointing towards the identity of this Messiah who is 496 00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:18,640 the Redeemer, the Son of God, the Holy One of Israel, the Most 497 00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:21,280 High God. And that's the same guy spoken 498 00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:25,120 of in the Old Testament. But the question still arises, 499 00:35:25,240 --> 00:35:27,920 who is this man? Why don't they get it? 500 00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:31,360 Why don't they understand it? Why can't they digest it? 501 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:33,240 Why can't they wrap their arms around it? 502 00:35:33,320 --> 00:35:37,440 How do they miss it? How do your friends miss it? 503 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:42,800 How does your family miss it? When you explain it to him so 504 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:50,960 clearly and you know who Jesus is, How come they don't grasp 505 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:56,720 the identity of the Messiah? So Christ asked the question, 506 00:35:56,720 --> 00:36:01,320 who do men say that I am? And there's a responding by 507 00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:06,200 saying, look, you're not normal, you're abnormal. 508 00:36:07,400 --> 00:36:09,360 Why? Because you're like one of the 509 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:11,240 prophets who has risen from the dead. 510 00:36:11,240 --> 00:36:15,960 That's what it says in Luke 9. Remember, Elijah's dead, 511 00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:21,360 Jeremiah's dead. John the Baptist is dead. 512 00:36:23,240 --> 00:36:26,520 You're Elijah, you're John the Baptist, you're Jeremiah, or 513 00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:29,000 you're one of the prophets who've died and you've risen 514 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:33,120 again because what you're doing is not normal. 515 00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:35,360 You're raising people from the dead. 516 00:36:35,480 --> 00:36:38,080 You're causing the blind to see. The lame can walk. 517 00:36:38,360 --> 00:36:40,400 You're causing food to be multiplied. 518 00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:43,040 You're feeding thousands upon thousands of people. 519 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:46,440 Everything you do is miraculous. It's amazing. 520 00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:52,160 So you must be supernatural. But no one's saying you're the 521 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:56,160 Messiah of Israel. No one is saying you're the God 522 00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:57,960 of Israel. No one is saying that you're the 523 00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:01,520 Son of God. Why not? 524 00:37:03,480 --> 00:37:04,960 How come they're not saying that? 525 00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:12,160 Well, the answer lies in the 12th chapter of John's Gospel. 526 00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:20,000 So turn to John chapter 12 and you will know the answer as to 527 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:24,280 why those children of yours who were raised in a Christian home 528 00:37:25,240 --> 00:37:28,200 don't embrace Jesus as their Lord and Savior. 529 00:37:29,560 --> 00:37:31,240 You want to know why the neighbor that you've been 530 00:37:31,240 --> 00:37:34,360 witnessing to for years and years and years doesn't become a 531 00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:38,480 Christian? You you want to know why you 532 00:37:38,480 --> 00:37:41,880 have witnessed to your parents for years and they have yet to 533 00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:47,160 embrace Christ as their Messiah. How could that possibly be? 534 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:51,200 When you explain to them over and over again the overwhelming 535 00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:54,640 evidence that Jesus is exactly who he says He is in the 536 00:37:54,640 --> 00:38:00,680 Scriptures and you read it in the Gospels, but yet they still 537 00:38:01,280 --> 00:38:06,920 still do not believe. How does that possibly happen? 538 00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:14,160 When you come to John chapter 12, you're on Tuesday of Passion 539 00:38:14,160 --> 00:38:18,760 week. In John chapter 12, earlier on 540 00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:22,360 Monday, he arrives into Jerusalem on the backside of a 541 00:38:22,360 --> 00:38:24,360 donkey. That's called the triumphal 542 00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:26,160 entry. If you've been with us for a 543 00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:28,120 long time, you know it's on Monday, not Sunday. 544 00:38:28,960 --> 00:38:31,160 It's very important to realize what the text says. 545 00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:34,760 It's on Monday. He rides into Jerusalem on the 546 00:38:34,760 --> 00:38:39,360 backside of the donkey, and they praise him as the son of David. 547 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:43,240 They praise him as the king of Israel. 548 00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:48,720 Hosanna save now they're all ecstatic and excited about Jesus 549 00:38:49,720 --> 00:38:53,040 coming into Jerusalem. That's earlier in chapter 12. 550 00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:59,080 But then as you read on and Christ begins to foretell His 551 00:38:59,080 --> 00:39:02,560 death, because you see, not only is His identity important, but 552 00:39:02,560 --> 00:39:04,960 His ministry is important. Why? 553 00:39:05,080 --> 00:39:07,160 Because His ministry flows from His identity. 554 00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:12,960 Only one person can die for your sins. 555 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:16,000 I can die. I can shed My blood, but My 556 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:20,000 blood does nothing for you. My blood is only good for me. 557 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:25,800 My blood is no good for you. But when Jesus dies and sheds 558 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:30,360 his blood, He provides forgiveness for all those who 559 00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:32,880 believe in him. That's very important to 560 00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:37,120 understand that. And so it says in verse #34 John 561 00:39:37,120 --> 00:39:39,400 12. The crowd answered him. 562 00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:43,040 We have heard out of the law that the Christ, the Messiah is 563 00:39:43,040 --> 00:39:46,640 to remain forever. The Messiah is going to live 564 00:39:46,640 --> 00:39:48,440 forever. Why? 565 00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:51,400 Isaiah 96? He's the everlasting Father. 566 00:39:51,480 --> 00:39:53,280 He is the originator of eternity. 567 00:39:53,360 --> 00:39:56,280 He is eternal. All throughout the Old 568 00:39:56,280 --> 00:39:59,280 Testament, it points to the eternality of the Messiah. 569 00:40:01,280 --> 00:40:04,800 So they say to Jesus, we have heard that the Messiah is going 570 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:07,080 to live forever. You're talking to us about 571 00:40:07,160 --> 00:40:08,800 dying. You're saying that you're the 572 00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:11,520 Messiah. But how can that possibly be? 573 00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:15,520 You're going to die or the Messiah is not going to die. 574 00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:22,840 He's going to live forever. How can you say the Son of Man 575 00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:28,680 must be lifted up? How can you say that Now? 576 00:40:28,960 --> 00:40:33,920 That's important because the phrase Son of Man used 80 plus 577 00:40:33,920 --> 00:40:41,000 times by Jesus to define who he is because it would reference 578 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:47,480 Daniel 713 and 14 and every Jew knows about the vision that 579 00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:52,800 Daniel had of the coming Messiah in the flesh one like a son of 580 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:58,200 man descending from heaven. So Jesus would always use the 581 00:40:58,200 --> 00:41:02,480 phrase the Son of man to identify with Daniel 7 because 582 00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:04,800 he really is a son of man descending from heaven. 583 00:41:04,920 --> 00:41:09,040 That's who he is. And so now they come back to 584 00:41:09,040 --> 00:41:14,320 them and say, wait a minute, the Son of Man is the Messiah, and 585 00:41:14,320 --> 00:41:18,360 he's supposed to live forever. But you're telling us that 586 00:41:18,360 --> 00:41:20,320 you're the Son of Man and you're going to be lifted up, you're 587 00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:22,680 going to die, you're going to be crucified. 588 00:41:25,240 --> 00:41:33,040 So here comes the question. Who is this Son of Man? 589 00:41:33,160 --> 00:41:36,840 Same question. It's the same question over and 590 00:41:36,840 --> 00:41:39,280 over and over again all throughout the Gospels. 591 00:41:39,480 --> 00:41:42,400 Who is Jesus? That's why Christ asked the 592 00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:45,160 question. Who do men say that I am? 593 00:41:45,160 --> 00:41:49,600 It is the most important question ever asked and ever 594 00:41:49,600 --> 00:41:52,600 answered. Answered correctly, it delights 595 00:41:52,600 --> 00:41:55,480 your soul. Answered incorrectly, it dams 596 00:41:55,600 --> 00:41:58,840 your soul. It is life's most important 597 00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:03,120 question, and they're still asking it three days before they 598 00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:08,160 crucify Him. Who is this Son of man? 599 00:42:08,160 --> 00:42:11,240 They still don't get it. They still don't know who He is. 600 00:42:12,600 --> 00:42:17,400 So read on. So Jesus said to them for a 601 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:19,880 little while longer, the light is among you. 602 00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:24,200 Walk while you have the light so that darkness will not overtake 603 00:42:24,200 --> 00:42:27,800 you. He walks in the darkness, does 604 00:42:27,800 --> 00:42:32,040 not know where He goes. While you have the light, 605 00:42:32,920 --> 00:42:40,880 believe in the light so that you may become sons of the lights. 606 00:42:42,680 --> 00:42:47,360 Christ says that he's the light of the world in John chapter 1. 607 00:42:47,520 --> 00:42:51,480 He's the light that enlightens every man in the world. 608 00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:58,800 So Christ says, while the light is among you for a little while 609 00:42:58,800 --> 00:43:05,520 longer, three more days, believe the light why you can, because 610 00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:08,360 there's coming today where the light will no longer shine, and 611 00:43:08,360 --> 00:43:14,200 you'll be in darkness. So believe in the light, because 612 00:43:14,200 --> 00:43:16,520 the Son of Man is the light of the world. 613 00:43:18,560 --> 00:43:21,440 And so it says in verse #36 the latter portion. 614 00:43:22,040 --> 00:43:30,240 These things Jesus spoke and he went away and hid himself from 615 00:43:31,520 --> 00:43:36,120 them. That's a very dangerous place to 616 00:43:36,120 --> 00:43:44,160 be when Jesus, the light of the world, hides himself from you. 617 00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:50,240 Why would he do that redone? But though he had performed so 618 00:43:50,240 --> 00:43:57,960 many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. 619 00:43:59,840 --> 00:44:01,880 He had done everything for three years. 620 00:44:03,080 --> 00:44:07,240 There is no doubt who he is, but they're still asking the same 621 00:44:07,240 --> 00:44:12,760 question, who is the Son of man? And so while he did all these 622 00:44:12,760 --> 00:44:17,960 things in front of him and then they still were not believing in 623 00:44:19,120 --> 00:44:24,320 him. This was to fulfill the word of 624 00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:26,480 Isaiah the prophet, which he spoke. 625 00:44:27,160 --> 00:44:31,200 Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm 626 00:44:31,200 --> 00:44:37,920 of the Lord been revealed? For this reason they could not 627 00:44:39,200 --> 00:44:43,520 believe. Notice they would not believe. 628 00:44:45,120 --> 00:44:50,720 Now they cannot believe. Their willful rejection of the 629 00:44:50,720 --> 00:45:01,120 Messiah led to their judicial rejection by the Messiah because 630 00:45:01,120 --> 00:45:06,880 they willfully rejected him as Son of God, Son of Man, Son of 631 00:45:06,880 --> 00:45:11,840 David, Messiah of Israel, God's Messiah because they willfully 632 00:45:11,840 --> 00:45:16,520 rejected Him. Now they are judicially in a 633 00:45:16,520 --> 00:45:23,760 state of rejection forever, for God has turned out the lights on 634 00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:27,280 them because they would not believe. 635 00:45:28,840 --> 00:45:35,280 Now they cannot believe. That's what Jesus says. 636 00:45:36,560 --> 00:45:42,680 So redone for Isaiah said again, he has blinded their eyes, that 637 00:45:42,680 --> 00:45:45,560 he has hardened their hearts that they would not see with 638 00:45:45,560 --> 00:45:49,800 their eyes and perceive with their heart and be converted and 639 00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:53,320 I heal them. These things Isaiah said because 640 00:45:53,600 --> 00:45:56,640 he saw his glory and he spoke of Him. 641 00:45:57,760 --> 00:46:07,680 Nevertheless, many even of the rulers believed in him, but big 642 00:46:07,680 --> 00:46:14,760 but because the Pharisees, they were not confessing him for fear 643 00:46:14,760 --> 00:46:18,600 that they would be put out of the synagogue. 644 00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:25,520 So here comes the answer as to why the people you witness to, 645 00:46:26,040 --> 00:46:33,600 family, friends, relatives do not believe next verse for they 646 00:46:33,600 --> 00:46:40,520 loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God. 647 00:46:42,920 --> 00:46:49,240 That's why your friends and family do not believe they love 648 00:46:49,240 --> 00:46:58,080 the approval of man more than they love the approval of God. 649 00:47:01,040 --> 00:47:09,840 Put it this way, the affirmation of a false system is more 650 00:47:09,840 --> 00:47:18,240 valuable to them than the transformation by a true Savior. 651 00:47:20,600 --> 00:47:28,480 The affirmation of a false system is more valuable to them 652 00:47:29,440 --> 00:47:35,280 than the transformation by a true Savior. 653 00:47:36,720 --> 00:47:43,840 They love the approval of men. They love the recognition that 654 00:47:43,840 --> 00:47:48,040 they receive. They love to be accepted by men. 655 00:47:49,640 --> 00:47:53,000 See, unbelievers love the the the praise of man. 656 00:47:53,160 --> 00:47:55,840 Unbelievers love the acceptance by man. 657 00:47:56,040 --> 00:47:58,400 The unbelievers love the approval of man. 658 00:47:58,480 --> 00:48:00,200 They love the affirmation of man. 659 00:48:00,280 --> 00:48:01,880 They love the recognition of man. 660 00:48:01,880 --> 00:48:04,000 They love that. That's the characteristic of the 661 00:48:04,000 --> 00:48:06,040 unbeliever. The believer doesn't care about 662 00:48:06,040 --> 00:48:08,240 that. He just cares about being 663 00:48:08,240 --> 00:48:15,040 approved by God, pleasing God. Let me illustrate this for you 664 00:48:15,040 --> 00:48:16,760 further. Turn to John Chapter 9. 665 00:48:18,600 --> 00:48:22,640 Go back a couple of pages, John Chapter 9. 666 00:48:25,800 --> 00:48:30,400 In John Chapter 9, you have a man who's been blind from birth, 667 00:48:31,840 --> 00:48:36,160 who is healed by the Lord, who can now see. 668 00:48:37,680 --> 00:48:43,000 The problem is Jesus healed them on the Sabbath. 669 00:48:44,360 --> 00:48:47,320 Again, the Jews. The religious establishment is 670 00:48:47,320 --> 00:48:51,720 furious, Instead of praising God that a man who's been blind from 671 00:48:51,720 --> 00:48:57,640 birth can now see, they're angry at the fact that this man was 672 00:48:57,640 --> 00:49:02,520 healed on the Sabbath, and they want to know who did this. 673 00:49:04,840 --> 00:49:16,680 So explain to them who did this. And so it says in verse #18 The 674 00:49:16,680 --> 00:49:20,600 Jews then did not believe it, for believe it of him that he 675 00:49:20,600 --> 00:49:23,720 had been blind and had to receive sight, until they called 676 00:49:23,720 --> 00:49:27,840 the parents of the very one who had received his sight and 677 00:49:27,840 --> 00:49:32,080 questioned him, saying, Is this your son who you say was born 678 00:49:32,080 --> 00:49:38,480 blind? Then how does he now see? 679 00:49:39,560 --> 00:49:42,480 Verse 20? His parents answered them and 680 00:49:42,480 --> 00:49:48,160 said We know that this is our son and we know that our son was 681 00:49:48,160 --> 00:49:51,280 born blind. We know that for certain. 682 00:49:52,400 --> 00:49:57,960 But how he now sees we do not know or who opened his eyes we 683 00:49:57,960 --> 00:50:03,520 do not know. Ask him, he is of age, he will 684 00:50:03,520 --> 00:50:08,720 speak for himself. These are the guys parents and 685 00:50:08,720 --> 00:50:11,840 your parents love you. They want to protect you. 686 00:50:13,400 --> 00:50:15,640 They want, they want to make sure they speak for you. 687 00:50:17,480 --> 00:50:19,960 And so the Jews say this is your son. 688 00:50:20,320 --> 00:50:22,640 Was he born blind? Yes, he was. 689 00:50:23,800 --> 00:50:26,120 So now how can he see? We don't know. 690 00:50:27,160 --> 00:50:29,080 Ask him. Why would they say that? 691 00:50:30,520 --> 00:50:34,360 We don't. His parents said this because 692 00:50:34,360 --> 00:50:39,520 they were afraid of the Jews. For the Jews had already agreed 693 00:50:39,520 --> 00:50:44,120 that if anyone confessed him to be Christ, the Messiah, he was 694 00:50:44,120 --> 00:50:50,240 to be put out of the synagogue. For this reason, his parents 695 00:50:50,240 --> 00:50:54,520 said he is of age. Ask him. 696 00:50:56,360 --> 00:51:03,600 The approval or the affirmation of a fault system was more 697 00:51:03,600 --> 00:51:10,360 important to them than the transformation by a true Savior. 698 00:51:11,640 --> 00:51:19,000 That is the only biblical reason given as to why people do not 699 00:51:19,160 --> 00:51:23,560 believe. They would not believe. 700 00:51:25,160 --> 00:51:29,120 So now they cannot believe. Very important. 701 00:51:30,920 --> 00:51:34,000 And because they cannot believe there's been a judicial 702 00:51:34,000 --> 00:51:37,040 rejection and they didn't have belief in the very beginning. 703 00:51:37,040 --> 00:51:42,720 Why is because they did not want to receive any kind of rejection 704 00:51:42,840 --> 00:51:46,240 from their friends or from their relatives or from those who are 705 00:51:46,240 --> 00:51:49,960 higher up. They loved the approval of the 706 00:51:49,960 --> 00:51:53,080 world. They love the approval of man. 707 00:51:53,640 --> 00:51:56,040 They love the recognition they received from man. 708 00:51:56,200 --> 00:52:00,480 They don't want to give that up. So therefore they will not 709 00:52:01,040 --> 00:52:10,200 capitulate to the Christ. Matthew's account says these 710 00:52:10,200 --> 00:52:16,360 words. Who do you say that I am? 711 00:52:17,040 --> 00:52:21,960 Peter says, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 712 00:52:23,280 --> 00:52:28,800 Now listen carefully. Jesus says, Blessed are you, 713 00:52:28,800 --> 00:52:32,960 Simon Barjona, you are blessed. Why? 714 00:52:34,760 --> 00:52:41,840 Because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my 715 00:52:41,840 --> 00:52:47,440 Father who is in heaven revealed this to you. 716 00:52:49,880 --> 00:52:55,400 Monumental statement. You cannot convince somebody 717 00:52:56,160 --> 00:52:58,600 that Jesus is the Son of the living God. 718 00:52:59,080 --> 00:53:02,520 No matter how hard you try, no matter how great your argument 719 00:53:03,280 --> 00:53:07,200 know how well versed you are in Scripture, you cannot convince 720 00:53:07,200 --> 00:53:11,400 them. Peter made the great confession, 721 00:53:11,400 --> 00:53:14,400 this great declaration about the identity of Christ. 722 00:53:14,560 --> 00:53:16,720 Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 723 00:53:17,000 --> 00:53:20,160 And the only way he could do that was not because somebody in 724 00:53:20,160 --> 00:53:23,840 human flesh convinced him that Jesus was the Son of God. 725 00:53:24,880 --> 00:53:28,160 Jesus made that statement. Flesh and blood did not reveal 726 00:53:28,160 --> 00:53:30,560 this to you. Nobody of a human nature 727 00:53:30,600 --> 00:53:34,680 revealed this to you, Peter. But my Father, who is in heaven, 728 00:53:34,840 --> 00:53:39,520 he revealed it to you. Wow. 729 00:53:41,240 --> 00:53:46,560 Nobody can confess Christ as Lord unless the Father reveals 730 00:53:47,360 --> 00:53:52,400 Christ as Lord to them. The Father must do that. 731 00:53:54,400 --> 00:53:58,000 If someone does not believe in the deity of Christ, you're not 732 00:53:58,000 --> 00:54:00,600 going to convince them that Christ is God in the flesh. 733 00:54:02,040 --> 00:54:05,120 You can't. God has to work in their heart. 734 00:54:05,280 --> 00:54:08,960 God has to reveal it to them. That's why salvation is the work 735 00:54:08,960 --> 00:54:12,120 of God and not a work of man. Yes, we preach the gospel and 736 00:54:12,120 --> 00:54:15,960 yes, God uses His word in the lives of people to open their 737 00:54:15,960 --> 00:54:18,160 hearts. But God does all that. 738 00:54:19,320 --> 00:54:23,920 We do not. We are vessels, we are 739 00:54:23,920 --> 00:54:31,800 spokespeople, we are preachers of the good news, but does not 740 00:54:31,800 --> 00:54:35,720 depend upon me in order for you to be saved. 741 00:54:37,560 --> 00:54:43,400 That's God's work, and only God can reveal to you his identity. 742 00:54:45,080 --> 00:54:49,760 Life's most important question, Who do men say that I am without 743 00:54:49,760 --> 00:54:51,200 the Christ? It's none of the living God. 744 00:54:53,160 --> 00:55:01,800 Note this Matthew Chapter 11 verse 25. 745 00:55:01,800 --> 00:55:04,080 At that time Jesus said, I praise you Father, Lord of 746 00:55:04,080 --> 00:55:06,360 heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the 747 00:55:06,360 --> 00:55:09,640 wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants, to 748 00:55:09,640 --> 00:55:14,440 babes. Yes Father, for this way was 749 00:55:14,440 --> 00:55:19,040 well pleasing in your sight. Why did God reveal Himself to 750 00:55:19,040 --> 00:55:23,480 some and not to all? Because this was His good 751 00:55:23,480 --> 00:55:26,600 pleasure. That's why. 752 00:55:28,480 --> 00:55:30,720 Verse 27. All things have been handed over 753 00:55:30,720 --> 00:55:36,840 to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, 754 00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:42,400 nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to 755 00:55:42,400 --> 00:55:45,200 whom the Son wills to reveal him. 756 00:55:46,600 --> 00:55:51,720 Wow, what a statement. The only people who come to know 757 00:55:51,720 --> 00:55:54,040 Christ are the ones to whom God reveals himself to them. 758 00:55:55,560 --> 00:55:59,920 That's it. But the question still remains, 759 00:56:00,960 --> 00:56:05,480 who do you say that I am? Why? 760 00:56:05,880 --> 00:56:10,800 Because look, He goes right in to verse 28. 761 00:56:12,120 --> 00:56:16,360 From divine election to human volition. 762 00:56:17,800 --> 00:56:22,200 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will 763 00:56:22,200 --> 00:56:27,440 give you a rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn 764 00:56:27,440 --> 00:56:31,600 from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will 765 00:56:31,600 --> 00:56:35,280 find a rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my 766 00:56:35,280 --> 00:56:40,800 burden is light. God gives an invitation to all 767 00:56:42,160 --> 00:56:47,240 come, come to me all year that our labor, labor and are heavy 768 00:56:47,240 --> 00:56:50,280 laden. I'll give you rest, but you 769 00:56:50,280 --> 00:56:55,560 can't come or you won't come unless the Father has revealed 770 00:56:55,560 --> 00:56:59,920 himself to you. So therefore the Christian's 771 00:56:59,920 --> 00:57:05,920 declaration is this. Jesus Christ is God's Messiah. 772 00:57:07,080 --> 00:57:15,880 He is the Son of the living God. Every believer declares that 773 00:57:15,880 --> 00:57:21,120 loudly and clearly, without reservation, because they know. 774 00:57:23,640 --> 00:57:29,440 And not only that, they also declare the ministry of the 775 00:57:29,440 --> 00:57:32,880 Messiah. For back in Luke Chapter 9, 776 00:57:34,080 --> 00:57:38,600 Jesus says this. He warned them and instructed 777 00:57:38,600 --> 00:57:41,760 them not to tell this to anyone. Why? 778 00:57:42,640 --> 00:57:46,600 Why not tell everybody that Jesus is the Messiah, the 779 00:57:46,600 --> 00:57:49,320 Messiah of God? He says. 780 00:57:49,320 --> 00:57:51,760 Don't tell him that. Why? 781 00:57:52,080 --> 00:57:54,840 Because they have a misconstrued idea of who the Messiah is. 782 00:57:56,560 --> 00:58:00,640 Instead, tell him this. The Son of Man must suffer many 783 00:58:00,640 --> 00:58:04,480 things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and 784 00:58:04,480 --> 00:58:08,240 scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day. 785 00:58:10,200 --> 00:58:13,960 Every believer declares the centrality of the cross. 786 00:58:15,000 --> 00:58:17,680 They'll speak first of all about the necessity of the cross. 787 00:58:18,960 --> 00:58:21,840 He must suffer. Then they'll talk about the 788 00:58:21,840 --> 00:58:26,400 certainty of the cross, because it is going to happen. 789 00:58:26,400 --> 00:58:30,800 Then they talk about the brutality of the cross, because 790 00:58:30,800 --> 00:58:36,000 He will be scourged, He will be mocked, He will be beaten, He 791 00:58:36,000 --> 00:58:41,400 will be killed, and then they always talk about the victory of 792 00:58:41,400 --> 00:58:45,400 the cross. He will rise again on the third 793 00:58:46,040 --> 00:58:53,240 day. The identity and ministry of the 794 00:58:53,240 --> 00:58:58,640 Son of God is a declaration that every believer makes without 795 00:58:58,640 --> 00:59:01,840 reservation, without hesitation, and without question. 796 00:59:04,080 --> 00:59:06,440 Why? Because it is their absolute 797 00:59:06,440 --> 00:59:13,360 conviction of who Jesus is. And that conviction becomes 798 00:59:13,360 --> 00:59:15,240 their confession and declaration. 799 00:59:16,920 --> 00:59:18,520 And that's why they proclaim it loudly. 800 00:59:19,600 --> 00:59:23,280 That's the gospel. That's the message that we have. 801 00:59:24,600 --> 00:59:27,360 And every believer declares that not only does he make a decision 802 00:59:28,480 --> 00:59:33,640 to follow Christ, not only does he defy is he defined by those 803 00:59:33,640 --> 00:59:37,440 who worship God in spirit, those who take no confidence in the 804 00:59:37,440 --> 00:59:39,920 flesh and glory only in Christ Jesus. 805 00:59:41,680 --> 00:59:44,480 And not only they described as being in Christ and Christ being 806 00:59:44,480 --> 00:59:50,560 in them, but they make this declaration publicly and loudly 807 00:59:51,440 --> 00:59:56,360 that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and He is the 808 00:59:56,360 --> 00:59:59,080 only one who could die for your sins. 809 00:59:59,080 --> 01:00:04,360 He did it at Calvary and he rose again the third day because he's 810 01:00:04,360 --> 01:00:08,320 the victorious warrior over sin, death and Satan. 811 01:00:09,400 --> 01:00:12,520 On top of that, he's coming again. 812 01:00:13,800 --> 01:00:16,000 Let's pray. Father, we thank you for today, 813 01:00:16,000 --> 01:00:18,680 and we thank you for the opportunity you give us to study 814 01:00:18,680 --> 01:00:21,440 Your word. Pray, Lord, that we would all 815 01:00:21,440 --> 01:00:26,920 understand the Great Declaration of Peter and the Apostles and 816 01:00:26,920 --> 01:00:30,400 come to realize who You are and what You've done, and that we 817 01:00:30,400 --> 01:00:32,760 live in the light of Your glorious Kingdom. 818 01:00:34,160 --> 01:00:38,160 And our prayer, Father, is that we would truly honor You as you 819 01:00:38,160 --> 01:00:41,080 live each day. Thank you for your word. 820 01:00:41,880 --> 01:00:45,040 Thank you for its clarity. Thank you that when we read it, 821 01:00:45,040 --> 01:00:47,160 we can understand it because we're children of the living 822 01:00:47,160 --> 01:00:49,360 God. You've opened their hearts. 823 01:00:50,280 --> 01:00:51,720 You've helped us to see who you are. 824 01:00:51,880 --> 01:00:55,800 We grasp your identity. And our prayer, Father, is for 825 01:00:55,800 --> 01:01:00,280 those close to us, our family, our friends, our work 826 01:01:00,280 --> 01:01:06,520 associates, our teammates, our classmates that as we speak 827 01:01:06,520 --> 01:01:11,440 forth the gospel, they would come to understand who you are 828 01:01:13,160 --> 01:01:19,840 and what you did for the glory of your Kingdom in Jesus name, 829 01:01:20,200 --> 01:01:20,480 Amen.