Roland Muller: Ten O.T. Lessons for Discovering the Messiah

Ten Old Testament Lesson for
Discovering the Messiah

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Faith in the Promised One
Ten Old Testament Lessons to Introduce Jesus

Since the publication of the Discover Lessons in Tools for Muslim Evangelism, they have been made into an Arabic TV program that has been aired on satellite TV throughout the Middle East, and also made available in video format for individuals to use. English copies of the printed version of Discovery have been distributed in many countries and excited reports have come back to us from Albania to Afghanistan.

Now in this appendix we present a second set of lessons: Faith in the Promised One. This course does not replace Discovery, but it offers teachers another, more detailed option to use. It was developed by one of Abdullah’s students and is more in-depth than the original Discovery Lessons. It takes longer to go through it; a minimum of ten sittings, but you may decide to increase the number of studies as some of them are quite lengthy. This slow approach can be good for two reasons. Sometimes people are not in a hurry and second, it is often helpful if people spend more time in the Word of God before the truth exposes itself to their hearts.

These lessons concentrate on the book of Genesis, as the patriarchal section of the Bible was the original revelation to people living in the Middle East. In addition, most of this material is basically accepted in their paradigm of religion. So, the teacher who designed these lessons prefers to spend more time there and let Christ be revealed through this part of the Word of God.

As those who proclaim Christ, we need to continually pray for discernment of the person’s heart. The Spirit may move at any time with a conviction of sin and a confession of Christ. We simply need to head out on this road and see what happens.

Study #1
God, Man & Creation

Genesis 1:1-2:25

Introduction
God speaks to us through the writings of Moses in the Torah. Genesis is the first book of this Torah and it is the story of "beginnings." Today we will read about the beginning of the creation as we humans see it.

These are the words of God given to Moses to write down. It is not a book which details all the scientific facts, but it is a story which explains God, man and creation. The Bible (Torah) is the truth about the relationship between the Creator and the created, between God and man. Science, however, agrees with everything it says. And so does history and archeology.

Usually before we read this book, we pray that God will speak to us. This is a spiritual book and so we ask for God’s spirit to enlighten us. (Pray together.)

Verses 1-2 (Let’s read together.)

v.1 God always was and always will be. He is eternal, not bound by time or space. He is not dependent on anything and created everything. This is the "beginning" of the heaven and the earth as we (mankind) know it.
v. 2 Earth was -- Formless - Empty. But God does not leave it this way. Man could not exist in the environment of v. 1. So, God begins to prepare the heavens and earth for mankind. He accomplishes this in an orderly way. God first gives form to the heavens and earth (day 1-3). Then he fills the emptiness of the heavens and earth (day 4-6).
v. 2 Spirit of God "hovering" The Spirit of God was present and obeyed God.

Verses 3-5 (Day 1 -- Read)

v. 3 God creates light. Physical light is energy. But, God is all-Powerful; He is light. The Bible says "God is light, in Him is no darkness at all." (IJn1:5).
How did God create light? He said, "Let there be light," and there was light. Light was there at his very mention of it once. Everything is created in this way (look at vv. 3,6,9,14,20) (Qur’an "kun fyekuun" seems weaker than "Lyekun ...fakaan.") His Word accomplishes-creates-completes everything. His Word is creative power and it results in creation.
v.5 God separates light and darkness, day and night. He orders everything.

Verses 6-25 (Days 2-6 -- Read)

Verses 6-8. This "expanse" separated the waters below on the earth from the waters above in the sky (clouds). God called this space "heaven."

Verses 9-13. The Third Day

God names gives names to His creation ("day, night, light, sky, land, seas....) He is sovereign over all things.
"God saw that it was good." As we read, you will see this repeated after he created something (v 4, 12, 18, 25, 31) All His works are originally good
Everything that God made was originally good because He is Good (Psalm 100:5)
"According to its various kinds." Farmers tell me that you cannot graft a citrus tree with a sweet branch (i.e. apple branch into a grapefruit tree.) This is by God’s design.
Notice from now on that it is the land which will produce plants & trees. God put life into the land. The land has been bringing forth vegetation ever since.

Verses 14-19 The Fourth Day

These two great lights are to give light on the earth. For whom? For mankind, humans. God made the heavens so that we could exist on the earth. (critical numbers- distance of the earth to the moon, temperatures, etc.) This galaxy has been functioning "perfectly" ever since. "God saw that it was good"
According to this, it is impossible for a believer in God to worship the sun or moon or stars. These are signs of God’s greatness. They also serve mankind. God’s word set them in motion and they haven’t stopped since the beginning of time.

Verses 20-23 The Fifth Day

God fills the waters and the skies with living things.
Again, according to its kind. He did not have a cell evolve into a fish, then the fish into a frog, then the frog into a lizard, then the lizard into a crocodile, then the crocodile into a monkey, then the monkey into a human. No way.
The theory of complete evolution is impossible.
"God blessed them...." All blessings are from God; He continues to bless His creation.

Verses 24-25

God fills the land with living things as well.
There is now a life cycle. Animals eat plants which are grown by the sun’s energy from the land and the animals give fertilizer to the land (example of grizzly eating salmon). So by God’s word there is continuous life in the earth and heavens and seas. Praise God!

Verses 26-31 (Go a bit slower through this.)

Now the finale of His creation. The best for last. The pinnacle: Man & Woman; Both are in the image of God.
God loves mankind because God is Love.
Example of preparing new apartment with everything needed, then bringing the children.
Man was made in God’s image. How can this be since God does not have an appearance?
Answer: God made man TO RULE. This implies:

Man can think, make judgments,
communicate (as God spoke to His creation, man can speak to it as well)
Create useful things
Plan and Implement
Man is also in relationship with God, a spiritual being (animals aren’t)
Man is in relationship with other humans (especially marriage)...
Man is a moral being. Can discern right (God’s will) from wrong (Satan’s will).

Verses 28-30

God "blessed" them. God blessed his whole creation but especially mankind. God is the source of all blessings. Only He can bless humanity (Psalm 67)
God made all things good and then blessed all things. He is Good.

Verse 31

Now the whole picture of creation is "Perfect." With man in the picture, it is complete.
God designed the earth for man to be on it and rule. The creation is a small reflection of God - He is perfect.
God is to be praised for His creation. Read Psalm 8

Verses 2:1-3 The Seventh Day.

God "completed" his work of creation. He was not tired.
This was the first day for Adam and Eve (a vacation day!) God is gracious.
God blessed this day as a day of rest for us. As his children we should rest one day each week.
True "rest" is found in Christ. He said, "come to me...and I will give you rest." Mt.11:28

Verses 2:4-7 ( Read)

This is a focus on 6th day and the creation of man. It gives more details of God’s work.
There is close intimate contact by God ("God formed ...breathed into nostrils"). Of course, God does not have a body. But, he loved man and so took great care in creating him. There was contact-intimacy between the Creator and the Created (man).

Verses 2:8-15

Question: What kind of garden was it? Botanical. lots of water, plants, trees. Beautiful to behold with abundant provision for mankind.
Question: Was the garden of Eden in heaven or on earth? According to the text given as a map, the garden was on earth, to the East. Possibly in the region of southern Iraq.
Question: Why did God put man in the garden? To cultivate it and keep it. That is, to work. So, work itself is also good and noble for mankind. He designed mankind-us to accomplish something. Each person has a God-given role and responsibility.
Perhaps, man was to begin with Eden and then extend out to turn the whole earth into a garden.

Verses 2:16-17

This is the first negative command. It is the one restriction ("forbidden") for man. Although there were other positive commands. (Be fruitful, multiply, rule over..., guard, tend..., and eat)
"You are free to eat from any.." God is gracious and generous with mankind from the beginning. He permits much freedom and was not overly restrictive or harsh. God is love.
One restriction with one punishment for violation. God is clear in His justice.
Some ask: "Why did God command this if he knew Adam would fail the test?"
Answer: God knows all. Adam and Eve were given the freedom to choose obedience. When they disobeyed they lost this freedom and so they and we became slaves to sin and rebellion.

Verses 2:18-25 (optional for singles)

Adam exercised his authority over the animals by naming them - he was probably an expert veterinarian in addition to being an expert botanist.
He searched for a "suitable helper" but to no avail.
God solved his problem of loneliness. He put Adam to sleep and made a perfect woman for him. A wife is a gift from God to a man.
God made one wife for one man. Monogamous marriage is His perfect design.
The marriage was holy. There was a perfect relationship in body and soul.
They felt no shame... for their marriage or their bodies. They lived in God’s presence.

Summary
Life in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 1-2 was "PERFECT." Man was in a perfect state. His work was perfect. He had great knowledge and loved his work. His marriage and home were perfect (no problems, arguments, or sickness). He had a perfect relationship with God living in His presence. His surroundings were perfect. There was no sin, no pain, no disease or injury. Mankind enjoyed the perfect universe God made and enjoyed God’ perfect presence. It was a perfect life of enjoyment of the Creator. God was Holy and created man to be holy = set apart for God. This means that man was to be God’s perfect children. Enjoying their Creator Father forever.

Study #2
The Origin of Sin
Genesis 3
Introduction
Review last week’s lesson. We saw that God is all-powerful, creating everything by His Word. He is all- Good and created everything originally good. He is the One who Blesses and gave man the perfect life in the perfect garden. God is a Father to mankind and cares for them. The Scripture says, "God is Love."

He is also Just, giving the perfect Law. He let man and wife live before Him in a perfect condition, perfect environment, the absence of problems such as what we have now, and particularly his perfect relationship with God. Because He is Perfect (Holy), He demands obedience.

For a short while, man enjoyed this perfect life before the Perfect Father God. Then something happened. How did mankind go from that perfect life to what we live in today? There is evil, corruption, pain, and death -- what happened? If once man was perfectly related to God and today he is far from God -- what happened? The answer is given in the Holy Book as Moses recorded it for us.

First, let us pray that God would enlighten our eyes to understand His words.

Genesis 3:1-6: The Temptation (Read)

Question: Who was the serpent? It was an animal like other beasts of the field which the Lord God had made. But, it was the craftiest. But there is more to it than that. This serpent could speak! The one who used the serpent and spoke through it was Satan.

See Rev. 12:7-10 The Bible is One Complete Book given by God. We are reading of the Beginning of time in Genesis. The last book of the Bible gives a vision of the end of time through the disciple John. This is what He saw from the Holy Spirit of God for the end of time.... (Read)

There will be a war between Satan and Christ. And Satan, the serpent of old, will be thrown down! So, the serpent in Genesis 3 is really Satan.

God wants us to know what he is like. God revealed Himself to us. But, He also reveals to us who Satan is; it is helpful to know what Satan did so that we can beware; he is the same. Jesus said, "He is the Liar and the father of lies."

Question: What do we observe from the temptation to sin?

"Did God really say . . . .?" Satan casts doubt on God’s command.
"...You shall not eat from any tree in the garden?" Look at what God actually said in 2:16, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely..." Satan contradicts-diminishes God’s grace-blessing.
v.2 Eve adds, ". . . and you must not touch it . . . ." Satan confuses Eve. She exaggerates the restriction making God seem hard, oppressive.
". . . lest you die" whereas Genesis 2:17 is certain -- " . . . you will surely die."
v.4 "You surely shall not die!" Satan outright lies. He tries to make God out to be a liar too.

Genesis 2:16-17

God promised death as a result of disobedience, and this is what happened. We will see that there was:
Eternal, Spiritual death -- separation from God forever (2 Thess. 1:8-9)
Physical death -- separation from the land of the living. (Inevitable though not immediate)
Verse 6 What convinced Eve at the end to sin? Her own desires (for taste, sight, and wisdom). This is the same today. See James 1:13-15.
Both Adam and Eve were responsible. They both chose to disobey God and listen to Satan. This was rebellion against their loving Lord and Father.

Genesis 3:7-13 Effects of Sin (Read)

Sin always has consequences, even private sin. These consequences are immediate.

Shame v.7 In what way had their eyes been closed prior to their sin? They didn’t know what evil rebellion, disobeying God, really was. They had not "experienced" evil. Now they were imperfect and they were ashamed of one another, embarrassed, impure. Separation from other people. True today; there is little trust between people.
Fear v. 10 Before this Adam did not feel fear. He had total dominion over the plants and animals. Now he had surrendered some of that dominion to Satan, and he felt fear. Are there things that bring fear into your life?
Guilt v. 7 Their eyes were opened. They suddenly knew they had done wrong. Have you every experienced guilt? How did you know you had done wrong? Guilt is a very hard thing to explain, but everyone experiences it. Some people feel guilt easier than others. Some are more sensitive to fear, or shame.
2) Spiritual Death v.8-9 These are the saddest two verses in the Bible. Adam and Eve ran from God. This is Separation from God. This is the same reality today: Man is far from God and he continues to run from his Creator. Man wants to hide -- maintain the distance. But the heart of God is yearning for man. Do you see the love of God here? God came looking for man. God did everything for them -- He blessed and prospered them. Now He wants to restore them.
(Many will ask about God "walking." This is the term that Moses chose to explain God to us so that we could understand easily that God came to Adam and Eve, even though God does not have a body or legs or feet or hands. Other prophets use similar human terms to help us understand what God is like.) v. 11 God is compassionate andKind
Blame v. 12 Adam’s response: He blamed his wife, his life partner, his lover. He put himself above her. As a result, harmony was broken. Adam did not accept responsibility even though he felt guilty. He justified himself. He did not want to confess his sin.
Rebellion He even blamed God: "you put her here!" God gave woman to man out of love. Despite this, man turned God’s gift to him into something wicked -- he even tried to use it against God. Sin is rebellion against God. Adam chose to obey the enemy.

Genesis 3:14-19 Eternal Punishment

In addition to the immediate consequences, there is also eternal punishment. The punishment for sin is as God said = Death. Even this one sin resulted in death. So slowly, mankind began to die. First there were consequences of his sin. Eventually, he would die in body.

Read verses 14-15

Satan had taken the form of a snake. This curse is on Satan -- what will happen on earth against him. But, all creation was affected by this curse. All animals in a way are cursed -- "above all…"

Satan is cursed v14 This is poetic language that means Satan is now destined to lose. He will lose the race and be defeated. The crawling of real snakes symbolizes this. He will be defeated and cast down to Hell.
A Savior is promised v 15 But with all the bad news of sin, God shines a glimmer of hope. Hope is set in "him" who will come.
1. Who is the "seed of the woman?" Her offspring
2. What will "HE" do? Crush the head of the Serpent...
3. What does this mean? If someone is walking in the field and steps on a snakes head, what happens? The head is crushed and the snake dies!
4. So, some descendant of Eve would defeat Satan and put him to death.
5. At the same time, the snake would strike his heel. This person would be injured by the snake (but not a fatal blow).
6. Who in history ever defeated Satan? Only One – Christ
7. HOW? - Jesus had authority over demons; they submitted to Him. He cast out them out with a WORD.
Jesus overcame Satan’s temptations; did not submit to him. The Ultimate Defeat was When He died on the cross. He doomed Satan to Death. Christ was wounded and died himself. But after 3 days He rose proving His power over Satan’s power of evil-death.
This is the beginning of "The Promise" or "Covenant" (God’s promise to reverse the fall and to save man). God gave it to man the same day he committed the very first sin. God is all-merciful! Read again Rev. 12:7-12 (authority-victory of Christ vs. defeat of Satan)
Punishment for Woman v16
1. The woman’s special place of joy and dignity (her home) became a source of pain and dread. Childbearing and child-raising was now filled with pain and heartache for the woman. This is because of her sin.
2. And, her relationship with her husband (marriage) would not be much better. It would be upset by a domineering husband. This is harsh rule not kind leadership.
Punishment for Man vv. 17-19 Read.
1. Remember that man sinned with woman. Adam heard everything.
2. Man’s work would hereafter always be hard and unfulfilling. Originally, his work was holy and good (Gen. 2:15) Now, instead of a source of joy (delight), fulfillment and perfect provision, work becomes a source of toil, burden and fear. The ground was cursed now for mankind.
Physical Death v.19
1. Physical death and injury, disease, pain and suffering came into the world. All of this because of One Sin.
2. (Some will ask, "If God knew that man would do this, why didn’t he stop them?" This is important to answer. Answer: God knows all things because he created man. But, He created man-woman to be His obedient children. What happens if your children disobey you? Do you forget them? No, you punish them and out of your love wait for them to turn back to you in honor. When they disobeyed, they were still his children that He loved but He had to punish them.)
3. God’s Mercy Verses 20-21. God still loves man. Even though man is sinful, God chose to still provide for him. Man invented something to cover his shame. In place of man’s solution to sin = covering with fig leaves, God provides a better covering for sinful man = leather garments. These undoubtedly came from blood sacrifice! (We will see more later.)
Eternal Death Verses 22-23 God fulfills His word. Mankind must die because he sinned - disobeyed - God. God casts mankind out of the garden and takes from him eternal life. Man is finally cut off from God - His Creator.

Summary
We have seen that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-just. He is also all-loving. all-merciful. He punished Adam and Eve for their sin with eternal punishment. He also promises a Savior to come.
Sin, Fall, Curse, Death
From these results of Adam’s one sin, we see that the world would never be the same. Mankind now will experience problems from his birth to his death. In the home, in the marriage, in the society, between people, cultures and countries. These lead to disease, sickness, war, crime and every other evil that mankind knows. His fate-end will be physical death, followed by spiritual death-separation from God. This sin separated mankind from God forever. God is holy-pure; man is now unholy-impure-rebellious. So, it is impossible for man to remain in God’s presence for nothing unholy exists before Him. God is Just. God is also Merciful....

The rest of the Bible (after Genesis 3) is the story of God’s work of redemption and salvation. It is about the unfolding story of rescue, restoration, healing, and reconciliation.

Question: Do you see these things around you? Do you see it In your own life? Today you have seen where all the misery and evil in the world come from and why life as we know it is like it is.

Yes, this is a depressing study. But unless we understand sin, the fall, the curse and death, we cannot begin to understand God’s salvation in Christ.

Study #3
The Line of Faith
Gen. 4-9

Introduction
We saw before that Adam and Eve were created in God’s image. They lived a perfect life in God’s presence. But, because they chose to rebel against God by disobeying-sinning, they were cut off from His presence. All of life became a struggle (results of sin). All the struggle would end in physical and spiritual death. Because of God’s mercy, He promised that a Savior would come from the woman (her seed) and crush the head of Satan.

Today, we are going to look at the history of man, as recorded in the Torah, from Adam to Noah. This is all still before God sent His law to Moses. Could Eve’s children fulfill this promise?

Genesis 4 Abel’s Faith

vv 1-2 Eve recalls 3:15 the promise of her offspring. Perhaps she thinks that the first son, Cain will be that savior. Let’s see what happens.
vv 3-5 "The Lord looked with favor." Why? Abel was right - both he and his offering. What was the "right offering?" Perhaps God already showed them in the garden when he made "coverings of skin" = animal sacrifice.
Hebrew 11:1-4 (Read) Abel offered a better sacrifice BY FAITH. He was a RIGHTEOUS MAN.

Cain’s Sin

v. 5 "The Lord did not look with favor on Cain and his offering." If Abel acted out of faith, Cain didn’t. He chose to offer what he wanted (instead of God’s required offering.) His heart was hard. There is more rebellion here.
v. 6-7 Cain is angry. He is being tempted to sin. After Adam and Eve’s sin all mankind is subject to temptation.
There is enmity between the first two brothers.
v. 8-9 Cain decides to murder. He tries to hide his sin but cannot. (Like mom and dad).
Sin is now a part of human life.

Cain’s punishment vs 10-17

God puts him under a curse. This in addition to the general curse on the land (3:17).
Cain is driven further out of God’s presence. Further separation from God and people.
At the same time, God’s mercy and love are shown in the protection that He gives Cain by a special mark. (Remember God’s mercy in the covering of skin.)

All humankind descended from Adam and Eve and are sinful and under the curse of Death. All are in need of the Promised "Seed" =Savior.

But, humanity starts to divide into two lines:

Those who believe in God’s Promise (The Line of Faith)
Those who reject God’s Promise (The Line of Unbelief) Or, The Line of the Serpent & The Line of the Woman. There is enmity between the two.

The Unbelieving Line of Cain (Read 4:17-24)

Cain’s line is traced only until Lamech. Cain’s line is not focus of Torah.
Lamech was a murderer as his forefather. The whole line seems to be unbelieving (bad).

The Believing Line of Seth (Read 4:25-26).

Eve saw that Cain was not the offspring to fulfill 3:15. Abel was the good son; now he was dead. So, she seems to think that now Seth would take Abel’s place as the promised seed-savior.
In Seth’s time, "men began to call on the name of the Lord." So, Seth’s line (offspring) is The Line of Faith.

Read 5:1-22

The Torah and Prophets and Psalms all focus-trace the line of faith.
Years of their lives are recorded because each day is important.

Enoch vv. 21-24 2x’s "walked with God" . See Heb. 11:5-6. Only other man who did not die physically was Elijah! (2 Kings 2) Sign of Righteousness. All other prophets-men died ("and he died"). Scripture teaches that if someone is perfectly righteous (never sinned) then he will never die.
Noah vv 28-32. "He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord cursed." His faith brought "comfort" to his family. They were saved from death because Noah believed and obeyed.
? Was he the "promised seed" of 3:15???? Let’s see what happened.....

THE FLOOD

Man’s Sin Read 6:1-13

Big Wickedness! "Sons of God" = Line of Faith married "Daughters of Men" = Line of Unbelief.
(This is most likely interpretation. Though we aren’t given details, they seem to have had God’s requirements of marriage, etc. and were willfully breaching them. Again, man’s rebellion is seen both in the good line and bad)
Complete Sinfulness - "every...only evil all the time"
"The Lord was grieved, and his heart filled with pain" This describes the intimate relationship between God and man. God is the Loving Father (see previous comment about human attributes describing God.)
This wickedness of man was unacceptable to God because God is Holy. He created man and the earth to exist in His goodness and righteousness not violence and wickedness.

Noah’s Faith-Righteousness (Read 6:8-10 and 22)

"completely righteous..." = a man of faith in the line of faith
"...in his generations..." = well, he was a good man compared to everyone else
God chose Noah and his family as servants to build the ark. He saved them.
Noah did everything just as God commanded...down to each nail.

Clean and Unclean (Read 7:1-5)

God saved Noah’s family. He saved a pair of each animal. God wanted the family of faith and animals to continue living on earth.
The "clean" were for sacrifice. We see this when Noah gets out of the ark. God is making provision for Noah and his family to sacrifice (worship).

Narrate or Read 7:6-8:14

God Saved Mankind (Read 8:15-19)

This is a new start. A new beginning for mankind. All the wicked people were destroyed and Noah and his family could build a people of faith. Right???

Noah worshipped God (8:20-22)

Here is animal sacrifice! God is pleased with this faith, worship, and obedience.
Now we can understand:
1. the garments of skin God made was from animal sacrifice (Gen. 3:21). So, God "covered" the sinfulness of man with bloody skins.
2. the animal sacrifice of Abel was in obedience to God (Gen. 4:4); "By faith, Abel offered God a better sacrifice." (Heb. 11:4)
3. Here Noah obeys and worships God with a burnt animal sacrifice.

Therefore, Blood sacrifice was required for those who worshipped God from the beginning!

GOD MAKES COVENANT WITH NOAH-MANKIND

(Because of the "covenant" God made with Adam, Noah, Abram and Moses, we call this book "The Old Covenant". Jesus came and made a "New Covenant." God is the author of His covenant not man.)

Man’s Responsibility (9:1-7)

Like the charge to Adam. This is a new start for all mankind. God will bless mankind again. 1) Be fruitful and increase; 2) Eat animals and plants; 3) Don’t murder. God forbids murder because man is in the image of God. Therefore, man’s life-blood is valuable. God will enforce this.

Promise of Covenant (9:8-11)

Never again will all life be cut off by a flood

Sign of Covenant (9:12-17)

Rainbow.

Sin in Noah’s Tent (Read 9:18-29)

Remember, Noah was a man of faith. God chose to save only him and sons.
But, sinful mankind went into the ark. And, sinful mankind came out.
Whatever the specific act (probably sexual from phraseology) Ham sinned against his own father. The flood did not wash sin of man away.
Canaan, Ham’s son, is cursed - his descendants would be enslaved by others.

(Important: Canaan’s descendant settled by the sea. This land was then called "Canaan" and held many different peoples. The "Philistines" show up as descendants of Ham as well in 10:14. They settled in the land which later became known by their name. But, other peoples settled in "Philistine" as well. We cannot reliably equate this OT people with the modern "Palestinians" who dwell in the same land. At least partial fulfillment of this curse took place under Joshua.)

What Have We Learned So Far?

(Again, the NT explains-completes the OT as one book.)

I. All the sons of Adam sinned as he did and died.

Romans 5:12-14 (Read) . Even before the Law (of Moses) or any religion, all men sinned. And because of their sin, all men died. This is true of us today regardless of our religion. We are all sons of Adam= sinners.

II. Though all men sinned and died, there are those who also walked by faith (obedience to God’s commands).

Hebrews 11:1-7 (Read) This is the Good Line, or Line of Faith, or Line of the Woman (Gen.3:15) Adam, Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, and Sam.

FAITH = V. 1
Faith is still the only way to please God! =V.6 (As we learn what He promised, we must believe it to please Him and be acceptable to Him. If we don’t, it is rejecting Him - rebellion).

Noah was heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
He and the others in the "Line of Faith" believed in the promised savior of Gen. 3:15, who would bring righteousness, justification, deliverance from evil, Satan, sin, punishment.
Their faith in God’s Word made them acceptable to God. Though all of these men were forbears of that One, none of them was that One.
All these men (and women) had faith in the Promised Savior (Messiah)
We are called to believe in Him as well.
Blood sacrifice of clean animals pleased God.

Those of faith offered to God blood sacrifices of clean animals. The blood of animals must spill out on the ground as an acceptable offering to God. This blood offered in obedience to God, made man acceptable (pleasing) to God. (Man’s blood was precious because man was made in the image of God. Whoever murdered a man would be put to death.)

Study #4

THE RIGHTEOUS WRATH & JUDGMENT OF GOD

Romans 1-3, Revelations

Why this study is important:

Judgment is a critical part of the gospel (Rom. 1:16)
Most Muslims don’t realize their utter depravity before God.

Introduction
In the story that Moses wrote by the Spirit’s inspiration, we have seen that all mankind from Adam to Noah died (except for Enoch). There was a good line of men (who had faith) in each generation. They put their hope in the One whom God promised would defeat Satan, sin and death. But, even these men and women of faith lived outside of the garden and they all died (except for Enoch). Their death proved that they were all sons of Adam and Eve = they all sinned in disobedience and rebellion against God.

As we said, the whole of Scripture is one book. The ancient story Moses wrote is connected with that which the apostles of Jesus wrote. The Injil (New Covenant) explains the Torah for us. The Injil also explains the truth for all of mankind.

If these things were true for the first generations of mankind, what about us? Are we any different? We will look today at the message from God to Paul about all mankind. His message is found in the letter he wrote to the believers in Rome not many years after Jesus died.

GOD IS ANGRY AT THE WICKEDNESS OF MAN. (Romans 1:18-20)

JUST AS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH, SO HE IS NOW. GOD IS RIGHTEOUS BUT MANKIND IS SINFUL (Gen.8:21"The Lord said in his heart, ‘Never again will I curse the ground because of man BECAUSE every inclination of man’s heart is evil from his youth..." ) God is angry with man’s rebellion; He is as angry with man’s wickedness as He was in the days of Noah. But, he would not destroy the earth and man again by water. Man has not improved since then.

IS GOD RIGHT (Justified) TO BE ANGRY? Or, IS HE RIGHTEOUS?

YES, 2 part answer:

God revealed His eternal power (Rom.1:20) and divine nature to all men since the creation of the world through what has been made. Even today He reveals Himself to every person through the wonderful creation. The balance and enormity of our solar system is an example. All men know that there is a God and that He is eternally powerful!

How does God reveal His wrath NOW?

"God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts...."(v.24-5) Because of man’s rebellion, He gave them over to a depraved heart. God lets mankind follow the sinful desires of his heart. The heart leads man to worship and serve created things (even himself). Man desires things that degrade his own body.
"Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts (bodies)..."(v26-7) The next step in God’s wrath is that he lets men pervert their bodies. Their own rebellion leads them to abuse themselves and others. The evil that man desires, he does and this leads to further evil and depravity.
"Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done." (v28-32)
God’s wrath let mankind go so far that he cannot even think correctly and is filled with all kinds of evil deeds. Man continues to do these things and approves of them for others. At this point, man is no longer ashamed but wants others to be caught in sin.

(This could be seen as a progression. But, all of it is sin. As with Adam and Eve, rebellion against God begins in the heart. They turned from belief (and trust) in God and His Word to the lies of Satan. God let them listen and then follow him. All is rebellion shown in wrong acts, disobedience. God’s wrath in this life is that He lets us go so that we might realize our error and, by His grace, turn back to Him.)

To Whom is God’s Wrath Being Revealed? TO ALL MANKIND

To those who judge others (2:1-4) Remember that Adam was the first to blame another. Because those who judge others do the same things, they will be judged by God some day. Now, he is patient and kind waiting for sinners to repent.
To those who don’t repent completely (2:5-11) As mankind refuses to turn from his sin, he is refusing the kindness of God. Thereby, he is heaping up for himself judgment. This will take place on the day of God’s wrath. God will punish all sinners and reward all righteous (persistent=100%)
To all who sin (2: 12-16) Whether apart from the Law or under it all mankind will be judged in regard to sin.

What about the good, religious people like the men of faith?

They all sinned and died as a result (being punished eternally). (Rom. 5:12-14)

Aren’t we in a better position? Those of us who are "religious?" NO WAY!!!

Read 3:9-20 "There is no one righteous, not even one...."

"Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the Law..."

So, all mankind (past, present and future) is now under judgment (regardless of religion, nationality, etc.) And, no one will be declared righteous by observing the Law (being religious). But, God does not just punish mankind in this life; there will be a final judgment.

How will God reveal His wrath? Eternal Judgment!!!

(The "day of God’s wrath" when God will judge men’s secrets Rom. 2: 5 and 16)

II Thessalonians 1:5-10 "(God) will punish those who do not know God AND do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord..."

Those who have rejected the knowledge of God (turning away from the promise of God-gospel of Christ) will face EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION
All those who have believed the Word of God (turning toward the gospel of Christ) will be spared and find EVERLASTING LIFE= Jesus’ Message-Promise
II Peter 3:1-13 The first destruction (in Noah’s day) was by water. Now the earth with its ungodly (unbelieving) men is reserved for the second destruction by FIRE! But, the Lord is patient NOW wanting men to repent and believe in His promise in Christ.
Revelation 20:11-15 ---- 2 sets of books.

1) "the books" = record of all men’s deeds; basis for judgment!

2) "the book of life"="Lamb’s (Christ’s) Book of Life" (Rev21:21-27)

Basis for Salvation! Entrance into Eternal Paradise with God!

Names written in Lamb’s book of Life will not perish!

Everyone else who does not believe in the Lamb (Christ) will. Revelation 21:6-8 "The Alpha and Omega" is Christ who alone will save believing mankind from the second (eternal) fiery death.

Conclusion
All of mankind everywhere since the days of Adam have been under sin rebelling against God and following their own desires. All have sinned and all are under the current punishment of God’s wrath. Because men continue to sin in rebellion, God continues to "give them over" to greater depravity. But this is not all, all will stand before God at the Judgment Day. There, no one will be declared righteous by observing the Law. Man cannot save himself from God’s wrath neither from eternal destruction.

God is Righteous. He completes His Word. He judges sin-evil. He is also Merciful to those who believe and obey (as Abel, Seth, Enoch and Noah). As these men of old, we can be saved only by Faith in God’s Promised Savior (the seed of the woman = Jesus). He alone will save us from God’s eternal righteous wrath. This is only for those who believe (and follow) Christ. There is no other way to be saved! There is no excuse for unbelief in Christ!

(Some may ask, "What about those who have never heard about Christ?" Answer: 1) God is completely just. He will judge according to truth and justice. It is not our standard or sense of fairness that will determine his judgment. 2) Most Muslims have heard about Christ; you are now hearing more of him. )

Study #5
God’s Covenant with Abraham
Gen. 12, 15, 17 & 22


Introduction
From the beginning we saw how all mankind sinned and rebelled against God. God told Noah (Gen. 8:21), "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood." Even Noah and his sons sinned.

At the same time, the story God gave us traces the lives of many men of faith- those who believed in God’s promises. The story doesn’t trace the others. After the flood, mankind is still awaiting a savior who will crush the head of the serpent (Satan) and win complete victory for these men of faith. Now we come to the story of Abraham, the father of all who believe. Is he the one who will deliver mankind?

Abram’s origin (Genesis 11:10-32) He was descended from Shem. His fathers were from Ur of the Chaldaeans (region of the Garden of Eden it is said). His wife, Sara, was barren. They traveled from Ur to Harran where Terah (Ab’s father) died. Why did they leave?

God’s call to Abram (Read Genesis 12:1); "Leave and go to the land I will show you." Abram left his fatherland because he obeyed God’s command. This obedience showed his faith. He believed the promises and so obeyed God.
God’s Promises to Abram (Read Genesis 12:2-3)
What were God’s promises?

"I will make you into a great nation"
"I will bless you."
"I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing."
"I will bless those who bless you, and will curse those who curse you."
"(I will ) bless all peoples on earth through you."

Abram’s Faith (Genesis 12: 4-9)
Abram was a wanderer in the land God showed him. The promise of possession was for Abram’s "offspring." He believed and obeyed God even though he was 75 years old.

So Abram began his long journey. Wherever Abram settled, he built an altar. There he sacrificed an offering and called on the name of the Lord. He is a believer like Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah and Sam before him.

GOD CUTS THE COVENANT - Genesis 15 (Read)
vv. 1-3 Abram is concerned since he is now about 80 years old. The custom was that a designated servant would be the heir if a man had no children; Abram chose Eliezar his servant.

vv.4-7 The word of the Lord came to Abram.

- The heir - "seed" would come from his own body.

- His offspring "seed" would be too numerous to count.

- His offspring would take possession of that land.

v. 6 "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." Abram’s faith in the word of the Lord made him righteous in God’s sight.

"Made righteous" means without fault, holy, pure, clean, acceptable to God. Though Abram was a man made from the earth and sinful like Adam his forefather, he was considered as sinless-righteous before the Holy God by faith.

v. 8 So, Abram heard the words of the Lord and believed his promises. But, he now asks for a seal of this covenant. The Holy God allowed this man to speak with him because of faith.

( It was common in those days to seal agreements-covenants by both parties swearing by the blood of animals. They would slaughter the animals then walk between the halves of animals. This meant that if either party violated his part of the agreement that his blood would be on his own head; his punishment would be as that which fell on the animals. Abram probably was familiar with this custom)

God’s Seal of His covenant to Abram.
vv. 9-11 God calls for Abram to cut several animals in half and lay on the ground (Abram knew what to do according to the customs of the day).

vv. 12-16 God gives details of how his promise will be achieved. He foretold of the 400 enslavement of the Sons of Israel in Egypt. But then they would be delivered. God is proclaiming the covenant while Abram is asleep.

Question: So, what part did Abram play in setting the terms of the covenant? Answer: NO PART! The covenant of blessing was all God’s will and plan.

vv. 17-21 Now God’s presence (symbolized by the firepot and torch) pass between the pieces of slaughtered animals. Abram is still asleep. (Again by custom, both parties would pass between the pieces.) God alone is sealing the covenant. Question: What part then would Abram play in fulfilling the terms of the covenant? Answer: FAITH ALONE!

Therefore, God made-cut the covenant. He would fulfill the covenant by His power. Abram had simply to believe that He would do it. Abram did believe and God credited this to him as righteousness.

GOD GIVES ABRAM A SIGN OF THE COVENANT IN HIS BODY - Genesis 17

vv1-8

Now Abram is 99 years old.
God changes Abram’s name from Abram="father" to Abraham="father of many."
God promises that Abraham would be the father of many nations and kings.
The covenant would be between GOD and Abraham and his descendants.
He would be the God of Abraham’s offspring in the land of Canaan.

vv9-14

From now on, Abraham and all his descendants must be circumcised.
This would be the "sign of the covenant between me and you" v.11.
If any male was not circumcised he himself would be "cut off."
The sign of the covenant was given by God in Abram’s body before the promised son was born. God’s Word is True.

vv15-22

God reveals that the heir will be from Ab’s body and from Sarah’s.
Abraham had a son, Ishmael, by his maidservant Hagar 13 years before (when he was 86 years old). Though this son would be greatly blessed, he would not be the heir of Abraham’s estate or the covenant promises to Abraham.
God would give Abraham and Sarah a son who would become the father of many nations. And, he would be the ancestor of the Promised One who would defeat Satan and bring the people of faith to God’s eternal salvation.

vv23-27

Abraham again believed God and obeyed circumcising all the males in his household. Ishmael was 13 years old and the second to be circumcised under this covenant God made with Abraham. Ishmael went on to become the father of great nations and many of his descendants walked in the faith of Abraham in the East.

God’s Promise is Fulfilled - Genesis 21:1-7
God fulfilled His promise to Ibrahim (now 100 years old). It was God’s power, not Abraham’s, that accomplished this. Sarah laughed for joy and the boy was named Isaac="he laughs."

GOD PROVIDED THE SACRIFICE - Genesis 22
vv1-2
God "tested" Abraham’s faith. Mt Moriah is modern day mount of Al-Aqsa. The test: to take his only son-heir (through whom the Promised One would come) and sacrifice him. Wouldn’t this end the line of the Promised One??? But, Abraham trusted God’s Word and Power.
vv3-12
Abraham passed the test. The angel of the Lord said, "Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." (v 12)

vv13-14

"The Lord Will Provide" Just as Abraham had told his son Isaac, God provided a ram for the sacrifice. "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."
The Lord provided the perfect sacrifice for Abraham.
Abraham’s son was saved because of this substitutionary sacrifice. The ram’s blood was shed in place of Isaac’s.
This points forward to the Great Sacrifice which God himself would provide on the same mount!
The blood of that sacrifice would be enough to take the place of all people of faith. That is how all the nations would be blessed.
This points ahead in time to Jesus who was the "son of Abraham" (Mt. 1:1) who was offered on the same mount for the all nations.

vv15-19
Because of Abraham’s faith shown in complete obedience to the Lord, God swears by himself that He will surely Bless Abraham and his offspring.

SO, ABRAHAM WAS "RIGHTEOUS" BEFORE GOD BECAUSE OF HIS FAITH. ABRAHAM’S SEED RECEIVED THE PROMISED BLESSINGS OF GOD’S COVENANT BY FAITH. GOD WOULD BRING HIS PROMISES TO ALL MANKIND THROUGH THIS "SEED. THIS "SEED" CAME THROUGH ISAAC AND WAS JESUS CHRIST WHO BLESSES ALL NATIONS. JESUS WAS THE SON OF ABRAHAM AND THE SACRIFICE GOD PROVIDED ON THE SAME MOUNTAIN.

Study #6
The Faith of Abraham

We saw that the Word of God declares that no son of Adam, whether under the Law of Moses or not, is righteous (pure and acceptable to God). We saw that all men are under God’s wrath because of their rebellion in sin -- turning from the knowledge of God.

"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." Romans 3:20

Man cannot regain God’s favor or eternal life with Him through his own works under the Law (of Moses or any other law). But like Abraham, man is only made righteous by faith in God’s Promised One - Jesus. And like Abraham, faith must be evidenced by obedience.

ROMANS 3:21-26 (Read)

v.21
"Righteousness from God = not from man... "to which the Law and the Prophets testify." = God revealed how He would make man righteous This righteousness is revealed in the stories and prophecies of the Old Testament .

v22
"This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe."

Jesus is the "seed" of the woman God promised would "crush the head of the serpent (Satan)"
Jesus would bring righteousness to the line of faith,
Jesus is the "Seed" of Abraham God promised would bless all the nations.

v23
"There is no difference. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Everyone, including prophets sinned and are unrighteous because of it. All are cast out of God’s presence, because all have sinned.
All die because each man’s sin put him to death under God’s justice since Adam.

v24
"...and are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

Now, by God’s grace, Jesus takes away this death penalty.
This is the only way to be "justified", " made righteous" before God!

How does Jesus make believers righteous and justify them so that their sin is not held against them? Answer: God provided the sacrifice!

v25
"God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement..."

As the ram that God provided by which Abraham’s son was spared (redeemed), Jesus is the Supreme Sacrifice that God provided to take away all our sins.

"...through faith in his blood."

The only way to be made righteous and justified before God, is the same way that the prophets were justified and that is by faith in God’s covenant. They believed in the promises of the Seed and offered blood sacrifices. That Seed is Jesus and He became the Sacrifice!

So, we must have faith in Jesus in order to be justified by His Sacrifice!

Believe the covenant God made through the blood of Jesus.

vv25-6
" He did this to demonstrate His justice..."

Jesus was the Perfect Eternal Sacrifice who alone took God’s full punishment for man’s sin!

"because in His forenbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished..."

God will punish each man’s sins at the final judgment; He left the sins of those who lived before Christ unpunished until Christ came to take the death penalty.

"...he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."

God will justify all those who have faith in Jesus the Promised One

WHAT DID ABRAHAM DISCOVER ABOUT THIS? Romans 4

vv1-3
Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.

Abraham did not receive the promises by his own works. Before he had any children (his work) God gave him the promises. He believed the promises (his faith).

vv 4-8
This righteousness that God gave was a gift; it could not be earned (like a wage) by man. God does the work of justifying. Man need only believe and trust God to fulfill His promises. This gift of righteousness and forgiveness is blessing from God.

God loves mankind and does everything to save him.

vv9-12
"Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?"

Is it only for Muslims, Jews and circumcised Christians???
Abraham received the promise and believed it before he was circumcised.
So, he is the father of all uncircumcised who believe (regardless of religion, nationality, etc.)
And, he is the father of all who are circumcised and "walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised."
Abraham’s faith in God’s Promised One is the same as our faith in Christ.
This righteousness by faith is for all nations.

vv13-15
Abraham’s offspring received the promise and became heir of righteousness through faith. The promise cannot be realized through the law because the law brings wrath (it condemns only).

vv 16-17
"The promise comes by faith so that it may be by grace and guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring" All who believe like Abraham in the promise given to Abraham are guaranteed this gift of grace (righteousness, forgiveness, and restoration to God) "He is the father of us all." Those who believe in the promises of God in Christ are the offspring of Abraham. They are made righteous like him through faith.

So, we who believe in the Promised One of Abraham’s seed will receive the Promised blessings of righteousness and justification from God (even though we are outside of the Jewish law).

vv18-25
Abraham’s faith in God’s promises was real even though his body was "as good as dead" . We are called to have the same faith in God’s promises in Jesus. He is our hope as he was Abraham’s hope of justification and righteousness before God.

Believe that He was delivered over to death (on a cross) for our sins
Believe that He was raised to life for our justification.
Believe that we are made alive by the gift of Christ’s righteousness and thereby are blessed by God’s promise.
Believe that in Jesus we will be raised to live eternally with God for His glory.

God’s promise is that we are made righteous by the sacrifice of atonement Jesus made for us. This is the covenant God wants us to believe and live in. God will adopt all who believe in the sacrifice of atonement of Jesus as His children!

This promise to Abraham was fulfilled by God’s power. By this same power Jesus was raised from the dead. And by this same power, we who believe are made righteous and will live eternally in God’s presence.

Study #7
The Passover

(Note: The story of Abraham taught us that those with faith in God’s promises fulfilled in Christ are "blood heirs" of these promises. The story of Moses and the Passover shows how God will free believing mankind from the slavery to sin and death. A legal pardon. Though the rest of Genesis is worth going over together, perhaps you could become familiar with these highlights and narrate the story. It is worth the effort to polish the story for it is through the story that God introduced His Messiah. The telling of the story from Abraham to Moses could be separated from the study on the Passover.)

Introduction
Abraham was a man of faith and obedience. As God foretold Abraham (Gen. 15:5), his offspring would be more numerous than the stars in the skies. Through his "seed" all the nations on earth would be blessed. This promise would come about through his seed-son, Isaac, born to Sarah. It was not Isaac himself who would bless the whole world but he was the next in the line of faith through which the Messiah would come. The one man who would bless the whole world (and crush the head of Satan) was Jesus Christ. He was the "son-seed of Abraham" (Mt. 1:1). Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Isaac was born and became the heir of the promises that God gave to Ibrahim.

Isaac was the heir of the promise given to his father-- he was next in the line of faith. The "seed" and Promised One would come through him. Abraham was very wealthy and when he was a very old man he sent his chief servant to Haran where he had left his brother Nahor. The servant went and found Rebekah, who was the grandchild of Nahor. She came back with the servant and married Isaac. They had 2 sons - twins.

The firstborn was Esau; the second was Jacob who was crafty. He was called Jacob because when he was born he was clutching his brother’s "heel". He tricked his brother out of the birthright (inheritance-blessing) When Esau returned from the fields very hungry Jacob would only feed him if he gave up the blessing of the firstborn. Jacob later deceived his father Isaac in his old age. His father wanted to bless the firstborn and so asked for a meal of wild meat.

When Esau left to hunt, Jacob disguised himself and took a meal of lamb (with his mother’s help.) Isaac had weak eyesight and was deceived by the hair on Jacob’s neck. Isaac thus blessed Jacob instead of Esau. Thus, he received Isaac’s material inheritance and spiritual inheritance = blessing-promise. Jacob fled from his family’s tent to Haran because he feared Esau’s revenge.

There he went to a well and met shepherds who knew Laban (Nahor’s grandson and Rebekah’s brother); Laban’s daughter also came with his sheep. Isaac rolled the heavy stone from the well so she could water her sheep. He went back with her to Laban’s tent. Laban was also crafty and had Jacob work for 7 years in order to marry Rachel. But, on the wedding night he gave her sister Leah to him instead. Jacob worked another seven years and married Rachel too.

From these two sisters and their maidservants he fathered 12 sons and 1 daughter. His flocks increased more than Laban’s (tell story of trickery). He fled from there toward Palestine. Before crossing the Zarka River (Jabbok) he divided his entourage into two groups for fear that if Esau killed the first the second would escape. He divided the second into 3 groups each with hundreds of sheep and cattle as a gift for Esau. During the night a "man" was sent and wrestled with Jacob. Jacob called the place Peniel because he saw God face to face.

About daybreak, the "man" wanted to depart but Jacob demanded to be blessed. God changed Jacob’s name to "Israel" because he "struggled" with both God and man. So, Jacob-Israel was the grandson of Ibrahim. He was the "heir" of the covenant promises to Ibrahim. Jacob by faith was the one through whom the "seed" - the Messiah would come. Jacob’s eleven sons became the fathers of 11 tribes. His son Joseph had 2 sons and they became the fathers of 2 more tribes. There were 13 tribes of the "sons of Israel"; one tribe, Levi, were priests to God and did not receive any land.

While Joseph was young, his father Jacob-Israel loved him more than his brothers. His brothers were jealous and so they threw him in a well, tore his fancy cloak and sold Joseph to Ishmaelite-Arab traders; they lied to their father that he had been eaten by wolves. The traders took him to Egypt and sold him to Potipher, the captain of the guard of Pharaoh. This man’s wife falsely accused Joseph of "consorting" with her. Joseph was thrown in prison but the Lord was with him. (Tell story of cupbearer and baker). After he was released, his father, Israel, sent his brothers to Egypt to buy grain due to a widespread famine. Joseph tricked them forcing them to bring his father and younger brother. So, Jacob-Israel went down and settled in the land of Goshen in the north of Egypt that Pharaoh gave to them and grew into a large nation.

As the Lord had promised Abraham, the nation of his descendants was enslaved and mistreated by subsequent pharaohs. After 400 years of this oppression, just as God told Abraham (in Gen. 15:12-14), he chose a young man to deliver them. This man, Moses, was raised by the daughter of pharaoh (Tell story of slaying of Israelite children and Moses in a basket.)

Hebrews 11:24-27 says: "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time." He fled to Midian (the Arab peninsula) after he killed an Egyptian who was beating an Israelite.

There, he tended the flocks of Jethro (Shu’eib) and married his daughter. After 40 years in Midian, he went up on Mount Horeb in the desert. God spoke to him there through a burning bush. God is able to speak through anything. God spoke to Abraham and Moses. He speaks to those of faith today. God called Moses to return to Egypt and lead the sons of Israel (by now 2 million people) out of slavery. So, Moses obeyed God. He went back with his brother Aaron who spoke for him.

The Plague of the Firstborn- PASSOVER
Moses and Aaron obeyed God and did just as He told them; Aaron threw down his staff and it became a snake. Yet, Pharaoh would not listen to them. So the Lord sent plagues on Egypt. Before each plague, he instructed Moses and Aaron to tell pharaoh to "Let my people go, so that they may worship me."

Pharaoh’s heart was hardened each time so that the Lord sent another then another plague. There were blood, frogs, gnats, flies, death of cattle. Pharaoh’s heart was unyielding so God sent more plagues: boils, hail, locusts, darkness. Still, Pharaoh was unwilling to let them go.

If any household believed God’s word and obeyed, then this plague would "pass over" their household. (Read Exodus 12:1-13, 21-28)

Each household must sacrifice with no leftovers (enough for the very poor)
The blood from the sacrifice must be smeared on the top and sides of the doorframes
The Lord would come to strike down the firstborn
If the Lord saw the sign of the blood he would not permit the "destroyer" to enter that house and strike down the firstborn.

BLOOD = SIGN OF FAITH

IMPORTANT: "God did this to bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt" (12:12)
Loud wailing in Egypt.

So, the Lord SAVED the tribes of Israel from death by blood sacrifice! It was on this night that he FREED them from the hands of their oppressors.

More than this, after the people fled, Pharoah sent his armies after them. The Israelites were against the Red Sea. God told Moses to raise his staff. He obeyed and the Red Sea parted with a strong east wind. ALL the people crossed on dry land. When Pharaoh’s armies followed the waters closed over them and they drowned. God led Moses and the people to the same mountain where God had spoken to Moses from the burning bush.

The Passover (plague of the firstborn) was given by God to point forward to the Great Sacrifice He would send to be a Passover Lamb for us forever. The feast God gave Moses was repeated year after year (for 1400 years) until Jesus Christ came.

Lessons:

The Lord keeps His promises. What he said to Abraham 400 years before (Gen.15) he now did. (His great promise of the Messiah was fulfilled 2000 years after Abraham.)
The blood was shed from Israel’s faith and obedience.
The blood "protected" the household from the evil of the destroyer.
God displayed His wrath against all the gods of Egypt.

JESUS IS THE PASSOVER LAMB
These accounts were written for our instruction. God chose Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to reveal the Promised One to the nations of men. Abraham’s descendants through his grandson Jacob were brought out from enslavement under Pharaoh on the this night of Passover. The Passover feast continued to be celebrated by the sons of Israel until Jesus came.

Read Matthew 26:17-30

Jesus and his followers kept the feast of the Passover
It was during this last Passover Feast that Jesus prophesied his own death by Judas’ betrayal.
Jesus would die on a Roman cross, hung as a criminal. His blood would be shed by God’s will.
vv. 27-29 The New Covenant is by Jesus’ blood.

The blood of the lamb in Moses’ day provided temporary protection-redemption from death. The blood of Jesus the Passover Lamb of God will protect-redeem His followers from eternal death and punishment. By this blood his disciples (those who believed and followed Him) were guaranteed life again in the Father’s Kingdom (Paradise).

Read Matthew 26:31-35

Jesus prophesied his own resurrection and Peter’s sin.

Read Matthew 26:47-56

Jesus could have resisted arrest by the authority of God and His angels.
But, Jesus gave over himself (yielded himself to) death at the hands of wicked (unbelieving) men. Jesus has power and authority over men and angels but willingly and obediently did not use it.
Again, his death fulfilled the Scriptures (reread Isaiah 53:7-10)
Jesus came to fulfill all of the promises to mankind from God. Since God fulfills His word, Jesus himself did die on the cross.

So, God again foretold to Moses and all the people of the sons of Israel that He would send the Promised One to free them from the power of sin and death. He would be the Passover Lamb, sacrificed once and for all to redeem souls from eternal death and give them eternal life with God. Jesus was sacrificed as the Great Sacrifice during the Passover Feast. This Great Sacrifice was enough to turn away God’s wrath and complete the eternal punishment of those who believe in Him.


Study #8
THE ATONEMENT

As we saw last time, the stories in the Torah about the sons of Israel are for our instruction and benefit. So on the night of the Passover, God SAVED the tribes of Israel from death by blood sacrifice! It was on this night that he FREED them from the hands of their oppressors. It was on this night that God announced the Great Sacrifice of Jesus that would once and for all time free rebellious sinful man who believed in Him.

More than this, after the people fled, Pharaoh sent his armies after them. The Israelites were against the Red Sea. God told Moses to raise his staff - the same shepherd’s staff that he had when God spoke to him on Mt. Horeb and commanded him to lead the people - the one that became a snake, etc. He obeyed and the Red Sea parted with a strong east wind. ALL the people crossed on dry land. When Pharaoh’s armies followed, the waters closed over them and they drowned. (This probably happened at the Red Sea in southern Sinai). God led Moses and the people back to the same mountain where God had spoken to Moses from the burning bush.

God had given Moses a sign (Ex. 3:12) that it was God himself who was sending Moses to Pharoah to free his people: "....you will worship God on this mountain." This "sign" was fulfilled under the leadership of Jethro, Moses’ Midianite-Arab father-in-law.

Moses’ Midianite father-in-law worships. (Read Exodus 18:1-12)

Jethro praised God for the deliverance of Israel. This Arab was a man of faith.
He fulfilled the "sign" that God gave Moses in Ex. 3:12 that Moses would lead the people out of Egypt and come back to worship God on "this mountain."
He sacrificed many animals to God. Again, the men of faith sacrificed animals and offered burnt offerings to God before so-called "religion."
Note that God was worshipped by people of faith other than the sons of Israel. His promises were to be for all nations.

THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
On this same mountain, the Lord gave Moses THE LAW. He told him who could be priests - Aaron and his sons. And He gave them other laws.

But, Aarons’ sons disobeyed the rules for priests and were consumed by fire from the Lord (Read Leviticus 10:1-3)
Then God allowed the high priest to approach him once a year (Lev.16:1-2)
The Most Holy Place is where God would appear over the atonement cover

(Explain the ark, its contents and the atonement cover in the Most Holy Place - see Heb. 9:4-5 )

(SKETCH A PICTURE OF TEMPLE, ALTAR AND ANIMALS - bull, 2 male goats, 2 rams)

1) THE SIN OFFERING FOR AARON AND HIS HOUSEHOLD - THE BULL

Aaron must sacrifice the bull and enter the Most Holy Place BY ITS BLOOD behind the curtain alone to ATONE for his own sin and that of his household. (Lev. 16:11-14)
Entering by this blood with the smoke of incense, he would not die.
The blood was sprinkled around for Atonement
2) THE SIN OFFERING FOR THE PEOPLE - THE GOAT OF SIN
The blood of the 1st goat would ATONE for whatever sins the people committed the last year (Lev. 16:15-17)
The blood would also ATONE for the Most Holy Place and the Tent of Meeting and the altar because of the uncleanness of the Israelites who dwelt nearby. (vv 18-19)

3) THE SCAPEGOAT - THE LIVING GOAT

Finally, the scapegoat would "bear" the sins and carry them away to be forgotten. (Lev. 16:20-22) -- Aaron would literally place his hands and lean on the sheep, placing the "weight of sin" on its head.
This was to be a lasting ordinance (16:34) So, the sacrifices were repeated as sins increased year after year.

4) THE BURNT OFFERING - THE RAM

Aaron would offer this burnt offering for himself and the people (vv24-25)

Why is Blood Necessary to Make Atonement?

We have seen men of faith from Adam to Moses sacrificing animals to the Lord. Now with the Aaron and the priesthood, God gave specific instructions for the way this was to be done. The blood spilled out of these animals before the Lord. The sacrifice must be made on the altar and the blood could not be consumed by people.

The blood of the sacrifice was very significant. Why? (Read Lev. 17:10-12) "The life of the creature is in its blood, and I (the Lord) have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life."

Review sin and sacrifice.

Sin caused man to be cut off from God and die.
All men sin and therefore all will die as punishment. Death is both physical and eternal punishment - separation from God.
Good works done under the Law or outside of it will not save.
The only way that sins are atoned for is by the proper blood sacrifice to God. A living animal must give its life so that the sinner can go on living. The death of the animal of sacrifice represents the death that the sinner deserves.
This day of atonement was repeated once each year. It pointed to the Great Sacrifice of Atonement which God would provide.

JESUS THE MESSIAH WAS THE GREAT SACRIFICE

Read Matthew 26:57-67

The high priest (now Caiaphas) and the Sanhedrin brought Jesus to a religious trial.
They tried to falsely accuse him.
True charge (vv 63-64) was that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God. He confessed and did not resist their accusation, or abuse or punishment.
He came to give his life as the great sacrifice of atonement for our sins.
The Jews "decided" to put Jesus to death (Mt. 27:1-2) and handed him to Pilate the Roman.

Matthew 27:11-26

The Roman governor did not find any solid charge but let the people decide.
The people cried, "Crucify Him!"

Matthew 27:27-31

The Roman soldiers treated Jesus as a criminal, beating, mocking, spitting, torturing...

Matthew 27:32-44

The people were as sinful and rebellious against God as all mankind has always been. Just as Adam and Eve rejected the knowledge of God and broke His command so now the people Roman and Jew alike rejected the Promised One God sent to be the Atoning Sacrifice.
We are just like these people. We did the same thing. We are sinners.

Matthew 27:45-66

Jesus took the very wrath of His Father God. The wrath of punishment - eternal death - that sinful man deserves to suffer. Jesus, the Son of God, was cut off - completely separated from God the Father.
We cannot say that someone else was crucified instead of Jesus. Because:

The Jews made sure, according to their law, that the criminal was punished.
The Romans carried out the crucifixion and were experts at punishment.
All the people witnessed this in a public place.
Disciples and women who knew Jesus well, including his mother, were watching everything.
The identified corpse was placed in a sealed tomb under Roman guard.

The Sacrifice of Jesus Atoned for believing man:

The curtain (which separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in the temple from the ) was torn in two.
You see, since the days of Moses and Aaron, only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of the sacrifice. But this pointed ahead to the Great Day of Atonement when Jesus was sacrificed, according to the will of God, by the hands of sinful men. His blood tore the curtain open so that now all believers could approach God.
The ground itself shook so that rocks split and tombs broke open. "The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life." There were many witnesses who saw these people.
Jesus is the resurrection. Jesus alone can raise the dead, by the power of God.

So, the death of Jesus, the Son of God did take place to fulfill the prophesies and scriptures. The Promised One was crucified by the hands of sinful men and he died. He was "crushed" as God told Adam and Eve he would be. But only his heal was crushed - because He rose from the dead.

Read Matthew 28:1-10

Jesus rose on the third day as He said.
The women and then the disciples, over 500 people, say him and confirmed the event.
By his resurrection Jesus crushed the power of Satan - of death, evil and sin. He, the Promised One, is the only One who can atone for sinful man and redeem him to God. His blood makes sinful man righteous and acceptable to the Holy God.

No longer is animal blood sacrifice required; the old system of sacrifice pointed ahead to the death of Jesus on the cross. Though He was the strong "servant of God," he would quietly go to be crucified. For those who believe in God, the blood of the Messiah is sufficient to cleanse them from all their sins forever. Abraham, Moses and all the men of faith were looking forward to this Great Sacrifice from God. We look back on this and praise God that He defeated sin, death and Satan once and for all by sending His Son to be this Sacrifice of Atonement.

After the sons of Israel settled in the land that God promised Abraham, God let David’s son build a temple. It was like the tent of meeting but larger and of stone. The letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament explains the significance of worship in this temple under the "Old Covenant."

Read Hebrews 9:1 - 10:18

vv 1-5
The Temple held many things that would remind the worshippers of God’s deliverance of the sons of Israel from Egypt and His presence with them on their way to the land He promised to Abraham.

vv 6-7
The Day of Atonement only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of the lamb of atonement.

v 8
The Holy Spirit (of God) was in control of this worship. It meant that the greater worship had not yet come
.
vv9-10
Gifts-Sacrifices-Offerings were and are External Only. They cannot clear the conscience of the worshipper. They were repeated every year to point to the Great Sacrifice once and for all. This is true for sons of Israel and all people.

vv 11-14
Christ entered the "greater and more perfect tabernacle" (heaven) by his own blood. Just as the worshippers in Moses’ day were sprinkled by blood of bulls and goats to make them clean, the blood of Christ can completely cleanse the consciences of the worshippers so that they can serve the living God! True inner spiritual cleansing once and for all.

v 14
He cleanses 1) eternally 2) so that we may serve.

** True worship of God is only possible by the acceptance of the Great

Sacrifice that He provided for mankind. The blood of Jesus will cleanse the

worshippers (conscience=heart, entire being) from sin and filth making

him-her acceptable to God. All other worship is deficient to accomplish this.

v 15
The promised eternal inheritance is the promise of blessing God made known to Adam, Noah, Abraham and his descendants. It is freedom from slavery to sin, evil, darkness, and death. The "New Covenant" is brought through the promised seed, Christ.

vv 16-22 (Read)
The shedding of blood puts the will-covenant into effect. This is how it was with Abraham (Gen. 15); this was also the way the covenant under Moses worked.

vv23-25
Jesus entered heaven before God himself.

vv 26-28
Christ’s "once for all" sacrifice completely does away with sin and brings salvation. Those who are waiting for him will be saved eternally.

Read Hebrews 10:1-8

Study # 9
Jesus the Savior and Ruler

Introduction (Review )

God is holy and created everything "good." He created a wonderful universe for man to rule who was made in his own image.
Man rebelled against God, disobeying his command. Thus, mankind faced punishment and died physically and spiritually being separated from God.
Since Adam, all mankind has sinned and rebelled.
Therefore, the Just God is revealing His wrath by letting mankind go further into sin eventually to fiery hell.
Since the beginning, however, God foretold to mankind His Messiah who would come from the "line of the woman" and defeat Satan to free those who believe in Him.
The Old Testament is the story of those who believed God’s promises and waited for His salvation in this Messiah. (Adam, Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel), Joseph, Moses...)

Last time we saw that this Messiah would be presented as the Great Sacrifice of Atonement-- taking away all sin and guilt from those who believe and making peace with the Holy God so that they once again could live before His presence in righteousness.

Atonement = sacrifice, blood, and substitution

There is no other way for man to be made righteous and restored to God except through the Messiah.

The animal sacrifices in the Old Testament among the sons of Israel were temporary. They were merely a picture or symbol of something better -- the coming Messiah who would be the ultimate sacrifice (sacrifice, blood, substitution). He had been prophesied centuries before.

So who is Jesus? He is not a theological invention. He was a real person who came to earth. He lived among us. He was from heaven. He is Eternal. He is the Messiah. He is the fulfillment of all the prophecies. He was not just a mere human or even simply a great prophet. The whole Bible, points to or turns on the one person of Christ.

Just as the men of old believed the promises of His coming and salvation, we are called to believe in Him. He came to save men from all the tribes of men and make their peace with God, opening a way for them to once again enter paradise and live without shame in God’s presence. He alone would defeat Satan and free men from the sin that would kill them making them clean, holy, righteous and acceptable to God.

JESUS IS THE SAVIOR

Isaiah 53 The prophet Isaiah prophesied about the coming of the Messiah about 700 years before He came. (Read slowly) Go back over it and preach these points:

v.2 = the Messiah would look like a normal man (average family not royalty)
v.3 = He suffered at the hands of sinful men; nobody helped him.
v.4a = He healed countless people; he preached hope to the poor and helpless.
v.4b = At God’s will, men beat him, mocked and hung him on a cross to die.
v.5a = A soldier pierced his side; though innocent, he shed his blood to atone for our transgressions. He was "crushed" just as God promised that his heel would be (Gen 3:15)
v.5b = the punishment he bore brought us peace with God. Instead of now being under God’s wrath and subject to punishment by death, Jesus would take this wrath and punishment thus making peace for us!
v.6 = We had rebelled against God and were subject to his wrath. Messiah made peace by taking God’s wrath on himself. Just as the priest "leaned" on the second goat (scapegoat) confessing the sins of the people. Our sins were laid on Him. Being "on his head" they would be removed far away from us and forgotten.
v. 7 = Jesus was falsely accused, tried and then led away to be crucified. He did not object. As a matter of fact, he "submitted" himself to this death because it was God’s will. Jesus gave himself over to death - no one took his life from him. He was the sin offering (lamb of atonement).
v.8 = Because He, the Innocent One, took our sins, God subjected Him to full judgment = being cut off from the land of the living. He had no (human) descendants. Moreover, he was "cut off" from His Father.
v.9 = Jesus was completely innocent (no deceit, violence, sin...) Therefore, His blood was the only pure blood that could atone for all people of faith. Our sin caused him to die with the wicked (criminals)
v.10= This was all God’s will = Plan. The Lord makes his life a guilt offering (like the ram God provided for Abraham’s sacrifice)
10b = His offspring are those who believe in Him. They are made his children. Though he was "cut off" from natural lines, he has a spiritual progeny (those who believe) who will live forever. Because He was God’s son, His blood was the only eternal blood! Pure and eternal blood spilt for our complete and eternal atonement!!!!
11 b = "by knowledge of Him" Only by believing in Him can man be justified. John 5:24 = faith demonstrated by listening-obeying His word will save.
12 = God raised Jesus from the dead and gave him great authority over His kingdom. Jesus is Lord of the Kingdom of Heaven for eternity.

JESUS IS THE RULER

Daniel 7:13-14

Jesus was given sovereign authority and power by God over all nations and peoples. He will rule them forever in God’s kingdom.

This is what he repeated at his trial (Matthew 26:64). His word is the truth. He never lied or deceived men so we must believe his word. He rose from the dead as he said and he will rule heaven as God said.

The things He did on earth pointed to his sovereign authority. He defeated Satan and his evil spirits. He ruled nature by speaking a word (to the wind and waves for instance). He ruled over death by speaking a word to many dead bodies that rose back to life. At his death many dead believers rose again. He promises to raise all those who believe and obey him.

At the end times, He will judge the living and the dead. Jesus has authority over the Kingdom of God.

Read Psalm 2

The kings of the earth are at enmity with the Anointed One - Messiah

For the most part, mankind rejects Jesus as Lord and King.

But he is not elected. He is Ruler by decree of God.

God has established His Son the King
Jesus will rule with an iron scepter
The only way to avoid His wrath is to "kiss the Son"

This means believing in Jesus as the Lord and submitting to Him-giving Him l loyalty. The believer who follows Jesus will obey his words

John 5:24-27

Jesus words are the words of God. The believer who follows His words has "eternal life"- the promised life in God’s presence. The believer is made righteous and acceptable to dwell with God forever.
Jesus is the Judge. When he returns the second time. He will completely save the believers and completely judge the unbelievers in Him. They will be thrown into the eternal lake of burning fire.

Romans 10:9-10

"Jesus is Lord" This confession is the truth. The one who says it must submit to His Lordship.
"God raised Him from the dead" This faith is the only faith that will save. The one who believes this will be saved. The one who does not believe this will not be saved.

So, the Promised One came to save mankind from their sins. He is the Atoning Sacrifice and the One who can save. He calls for us to turn to him (repent) and believe in Him. This is shown by following His every Word. He is the Savior of the believers who rescues them from eternal death.

And, He is the Ruler of the Kingdom of Heaven. Only by following Him can we be saved and rescued from hell, sin, evil, and death.

Study#10
Nine Names of Jesus
John 1

We have seen that Jesus is the Promised One sent from God. He spoke the words of God and was the Atoning Sacrifice from God. He is the Savior and the Lord. He is to be obeyed and followed by those who believe. Only by Him can man escape God’s wrath and live in His presence eternally.

(Note to teacher: John 1 is very thick theologically. Try to simplify and state clearly what the text states about Jesus.

John 1:1-5 Read

Question: So, who is Jesus?

Answer #1 JESUS IS THE WORD OF GOD

Word = the very thoughts of God communicated to man; all the Truth that mankind knows (includes all logic, all knowledge, all wisdom) Jesus is the message-promised savior from God

THE WORD IS ETERNAL

From the beginning (even before the beginning and thus without beginning; from eternity past and future; JESUS is the Alpha and the Omega.

THE WORD WAS WITH GOD

THE WORD WAS GOD -- God’s Word cannot be separated from Him; the Word He gave is His and an expression of Him. (Poetry expresses the poet). Jesus is God. The Bible teaches there is only one God not three. Though difficult to understand, it is true.(illustration needed)

GOD CREATES BY HIS WORD (Jesus). When God spoke, His Word created life. The whole creation was made through Him.

Answer #2 JESUS IS LIFE

What kind of life? Remember that sinful mankind was judged to death eternal. Jesus defeated Satan and his power. He destroyed death and gives eternal life. He is life forever with God. Those who believe in Him will live forever in God’s Kingdom.

Answer #3 JESUS IS LIGHT

Without the light of Christ, man is without hope and continues to live in darkness, removed from God. The light-Jesus from God gives hope of eternal life, forgiveness of sins (righteousness). His light defeated darkness.

From these 5 verses only, can you see that Jesus is much more than a prophet or merely a man? Was He a created being? What is his origin (where is he from)? Who is He? (The Eternal Creative Word of God, The Life of God, The Light of God)

Verses 6-9 Explain John historically. He was the last in the long line of the prophets who foretold of the coming of the Messiah. He was Jesus’ cousin born just 6 months before him by an angelic promise to Zachariah in the temple. (he was the "seal" of the prophets).

If there is time, read Luke 1:5-17 and point out:

Verse 15 -- He was great in the sight of the Lord.
Verse 15 -- He was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Verse 16 -- He turned people back to the Lord.
Verse 17 -- He went before the Lord.
Verse 17 -- He made ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Question: What is the purpose of John’s ministry?

To witness concerning the Light by telling people that God’s light (Savior, Messiah) was coming into the world. But that wasn’t enough. He called people to turn back to God by repenting, seeking His forgiveness, believing in God and His Word. (Witness or testimony is very important to John and Muslims. John the Baptist was a very sound witness. He was the last prophet and great in God’s sight.)

Verses 10-13 (Read)

Question: What are your observations?

Verse 10 -- The whole world was made through Him but the world still did not know him. That the creation and mankind was made through Him but did not recognize Him is one of the saddest realities.

Verse 11-- The sons of Israel -- those who held the promises and the writings of the prophets, to whom He came (he was a Jew from the line of Abraham and David) did not receive him.

Verse 12 -- Just as in days of old, most of mankind did not receive or believe God’s promises. But, there were some who did - Men of Faith. These received the Messiah-Promised One.

Receive - believe. That’s what God wants you to do.

The Jews did not receive him, do you???
All humans are children of Adam but not all are children of God by faith.

Verse 14 (Read)

Answer #4: JESUS IS THE WORD BECAME FLESH

(Explain stages)

He was in heaven (He was with God and God) before He became man.
He came to earth for a period of time (human lifetime), took on a body and dwelt among men. Why? To show us what God is like.

If we want to know the grace and truth of God, we must listen to the Messiah. ( This is a mystery. God is Capable of anything. If He can speak to Moses through a burning bush and Abraham through a deep sleep and smoking firepot, He can send His Word to become a human body.)

He displayed the glory ( light of righteousness-same that appeared to Moses) of God.
He died as the only perfect sacrifice for sins of all men.
He rose from the dead by the power of God.
He ascended back to heaven (Acts 1).

(There are many references in the Qur’an to Jesus being the Word of God. They are extractions from the Biblical truth which precedes and supercedes them.)

Verses 15-18 (Read)

John testifies that Jesus was "before" Him - eternal

Especially verse 17 -- Moses brought the Law from God

-- Jesus brought grace and truth (complete forgiveness)

Answer #6 JESUS IS THE SAVIOR

The law cannot save but Jesus can -- He is the Savior. If we want to know the grace and truth of God, we need to look to Jesus ALONE.

Answer #7: JESUS IS GOD’S SON (also in verse 34)

Verses 19-34 JOHN’S TESTIMONY (Read)

Answer #8: JESUS IS THE LORD (verse 23 and 27 and 30)

John proclaimed and worshipped him even though Jesus was born after John Verse 28 Bethany is probably the Jordanian "magtas" site.

Answer #9: JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD

The prophet John confessed about Jesus:

That He was the Lord
That He was the Lamb of God - the Great Atoning Sacrifice - who would take away the sins of the world

Question: In verse 34, what does the phrase "Son of God" mean?

Not that God physically gave birth to a son
Not that God adopted a human as a son
He was born by virgin birth, conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:30-35)
This is a special title for this special divine Savior from heaven.

Conclusion #9: Jesus is Lord

John 9:35-38 -- First explain the story from Jn.9:1-34 (Jesus Heals a Man Born
Blind and The Pharisees Investigate the Healing). Read!
Worthy of worship (because He was not merely man but also God).
John 1:30 -- John worshipped him (because even though He was younger,
John knew and acknowledged He was greater).
Wise men worshipped him. He was worthy of obedience ("Lord")

Go over these 9 names-truths of Jesus, recall the promises (of Gen. 3:15, Gen, 12:1-3, Is. 53...)

When we receive Christ, we are taking him as the Promised Savior And, just as important, as the Promised Lord. This means that we are willing to obey him and follow him the rest of our lives. This means we don’t act as we think but rather as He taught and as He commanded us. Examples? Moral things, love, honesty, being right with others, eternal life, the kingdom of God.

From the beginning, there has been a line of men of faith who have waited for the Promised One to come. When He came, those who were waiting for him believed. They became the children of God by grace and will be restored to presence of God. Jesus will be their Savior and Ruler forever. Since God has sent Jesus to be the Lord of those who believe and save them from everlasting destruction, I urge you to turn to Him. Repent from sin and believe in Him. Listen to Him, follow Him and submit to His will. He is the Son of God who will come some day to Judge all people. Amen

(Note to the teacher: You have revealed Christ through His Word. You have done your best to present Christ from the OT and NT scriptures. If the hearer stays with you to this point, he is probably quite thirsty for the Living Water of Christ. Pray and watch carefully to discern what his heart response is. Look for repentance and faith as you move on to the next step.)

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