WHO IS JESUS?

Jesus had gathered His disciples at Caeserea Philippi and asked them, “Who do men say I am?”  Popular answers were shared: one of the prophets like Elijah or Jeremiah, maybe even John the Baptist risen from the dead.

Then, Jesus asked this pointed question, “But who do you say I am?”  Peter’s Spirit-inspired answer was, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

Now, the critical question is, “Who do you say Jesus is?”  How you answer that may be the difference between heaven and hell.  If you get it wrong about Jesus, then it doesn’t matter if you get everything else right.

Theologian, C.S. Lewis said it well:

"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg—or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.”

There are only three options open concerning Jesus.

He was a liar.  He claimed to be the Son of God when He knew He was not.

He was a lunatic. He really was deluded and believed Himself to be the Son of God when He was not.

He was and is the Lord. He is the Son of God.

Now, of those options, which is the only one that is compelling?  The character Jesus displayed rules out that He was a deceiver. The wisdom Jesus expressed rules out that He was deranged. All about His ministry, His messages, and His miracles unite with Peter’s testimony, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

What do you say?

GOD THE SON PROCLAIMED

The Bible is sacred history—history being His story. In the Old Testament, you have God the Son prophesied as through types, symbols, and prophecies the Scriptures say, “Jesus is coming!”  The Gospels and Acts feature God the Son presented through His messages, model, ministry, and miracles, all declaring, “Jesus has come!”  Then the rest of the New Testament is God the Son proclaimed alerting us that, “Jesus is coming again!”  How then should we prepare to meet Him?  What kind of life should we live?

From Romans to Revelation, you find the implications of the incarnation. Jesus is explained and proclaimed.  Look at two texts, Romans 1:1-5 and Revelation 1:1-2.  

“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ.....” (Rom.1:1-5). From the first epistle of Paul, you see Jesus proclaimed.  He will be in the spotlight of all the epistles.

As we come to the close of the New Testament, we see that John is directing our attention to Jesus.

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.” (Rev.1:1-2). 

The message of the early church focused on Jesus.  Paul would say, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1 Cor.2:2).  That is still our message today, whether our text is from the Old Testament or New Testament.  Jesus is the hero of holy history.

How will history conclude?  “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’  Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus!  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.  Amen.” (Rev.22:20-21).

I agree with John Newton, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” I am so glad someone told me about Jesus!  He has changed my direction on earth and my destination in eternity!

GOD THE SON PRESENTED

Four Gospel writers present four portraits of Jesus.

Mark declares Jesus is more than man—that He is the Son of God—and shows Jesus engaged in actions that only God could do.  “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”  (Mark‬ ‭1:1‬)

Matthew seeks to show to the Jews that Jesus is the promised Messiah.  “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, ‘God with us.’” (Matt.‭1:21-23‬). As such He appeals—as here—to the Old Testament.

Luke did meticulous research interviewing eyewitnesses in compiling his account. “Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.” (Luke‬ ‭1:1-4‬). What Jesus said and what He did are preserved for us with historical accuracy.  How can anyone read them and dispute that the early church believed in the Deity of Christ?

John wrote last and his Gospel was theological and evangelical.  “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” (John‬ ‭20:30-31).

He presents seven signs—specific miracles—as evidence that Jesus is the Son of God.  He records Jesus making seven “I AM” statements:

"I am the bread of life" (John 6:35,48,51).
"I am the light of the world" (John 8:12).
"I am the door of the sheep"(John 10:7,9).
"I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11,14).
"I am the resurrection, and the life" (John 11:25).
"I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).
"I am the true vine" (John 15:1,5).

We know that “I AM” is the name Yahweh—the Old Covenant name of God.  Jesus was claiming to be God. “‘Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.’ Then the Jews said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’ Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.” (John‬ ‭8:56-59‬).  His enemies understood more than many so-called modern scholars who deny Jesus claimed Deity. They didn’t believe Him and so were ready to kill Him for blasphemy, but they clearly understood His claim.

Consider the Old Testament promise and the New Testament fulfillment:

“Hear O Israel: Yahweh our God, Yahweh is one. (Deut. 6:4). ”For us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ , through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” (1 Cor. 8:6).

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh shall be saved.” (Joel 2:32). “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved … For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” (Rom. 10:9, 13).

“For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’” (Isa. 45:22–23). “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord , to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:9–11). Many more might be offered, but just these few are remarkable.

The Book of Acts is Volume Two of Luke’s work. “The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:1-3).  Volume One was all that Jesus began to do while He was in His physical body on earth; Volume two is what Jesus continued to do through His spiritual body, the church.

There is a Savior and His name is Jesus!

GOD THE SON PROPHESIED

“Then He said to them, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.’” (Luke‬ ‭24:44‬)

The reason Jesus could teach these texts concerning Himself is because from the first book of Moses, Genesis, and on through the last of the Prophets, Malachi, you have Jesus on page after page—in types, symbols, and prophecies.

The first prophecy of a Savior to come was made as soon as the need for a Savior arose :

“And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” (Gen.3:15).

The last prophecy of a Savior who would come is found in Malachi 4:2:

“But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.”
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In every Old Testament Book we see Jesus.

The late Adrian Rogers said this:
• Christ is the Seed of woman and in Genesis 3:15 we are told He will one day crush Satan.
• In Exodus we find the story of the Passover Lamb, and Christ is the sacrificial Lamb given for us.
• In Leviticus we read of the high priests making sacrifices for the people, and Christ has become our High Priest, making the perfect sacrifice to atone for our sins.
• In Deuteronomy Moses prophesied of a prophet who would come that would be greater than Himself. Jesus is that Great Prophet.
• In the book of Joshua, Joshua met the Captain of the Lord's host. That man is Jesus Christ.
• In Judges, the leaders were judges who delivered God's people, each of them typifying the Lord Jesus.
• Boaz, the kinsman who redeemed Ruth's inheritance, is a picture of Christ.
• David, the anointed one, pictures Jesus and Jesus is described as being the Son of David.
• In 2 Samuel when the king is being enthroned, the entire scene is descriptive of the Lord Jesus.
• The books of Kings speak of the glory of God filling the temple and the Chronicles describe the glorious coming king, both referring to Jesus, the King of Kings.
• Ezra depicts Jesus as the Lord of our fathers.
• Job says clearly that the Redeemer is coming!
• Esther offers a picture of Christ interceding for His people.
• Christ appears time after time in the Psalms, including when David describes Him as "the Shepherd."
• Isaiah details His glorious birth.
• Jeremiah reveals that He will be acquainted with sorrows.
• Joel describes Him as the Hope of His people.
• Amos tells us that Jesus is the judge of all nations.
• Obadiah warns of the coming eternal kingdom.
• Jonah offers a picture of Jesus being dead for three days, then coming back to life to preach repentance.
• Zephaniah says that He will be the king over Israel.
• Zachariah is the prophet who speaks of Jesus riding on a colt.
• Malachi is the one who calls Him the Son of Righteousness

If you can read the Old Testament and not see Jesus, you need to go back and look more closely. Standing somewhere in the shadows, you will find Him.

THE GOD YOU SHOULD KNOW: God the Son

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John‬ ‭1:1, 14‬)

His life divides history—it is measured as B.C.—before Christ, and A.D.—Anno Domini, the Latin term for “the year of our Lord.”  No life has made such an impact on history.  No mere man—not even the greatest of men could have accomplished what He did.  Jesus was and is more than man—He is the Son of God.  

Shakespeare had Juliet say, “What’s in a name?  A rose by any other name would smell as sweet?”  What’s in a name? Everything—if that name is “Immanuel.” 

In Isaiah 7:14, the coming of Christ was foretold, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”  That prophecy foretold was fulfilled according to Matt.1:23 in the Virgin Mary conceiving and bearing Jesus where the name Immanuel is translated, “God with us.” 

John announces in John 1:1,14 that Jesus came as the communication of God as the Living Word, and the manifestation of the glory of God to man. The Bible is sacred history. It is His Story—God’s story—and specifically a record of His revelation in His Son, Jesus Christ. The Old Testament said, “He is coming!”  The Gospels and Acts state, “He has come!”  The Epistles shout, “This is what it means: get ready for He is coming again!”

The Son of God became the Son of Man that the sons of men might become the sons of God.

GOD THE FATHER: The Leader of His Household

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. ... “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.” (Proverbs 3:5-6,11-12)

God has designated me to be the leader of my household.  That’s a father’s job.  Too many men fail in that role.

I assure you, God the Father, never fails.  He leads His dear children along (Prov.3:5-6).  It doesn’t mean the path will always be easy.  It will always be best.  We may not understand the ways God leads us—but we are told not to lean on our own understanding.  What are we to do when we don’t understand with our head?  Trust Him with all our heart!

The Father’s leadership isn’t just in direction, but in discipline (Prov.3:11-12).  He is not a permissive parent.  The man who decides to be his son’s friend rather than his father, allowing him to pursue his own path, may think that he is being loving, but is actually being cruel.  Children need discipline. God the Father sets the pattern. He corrects us with compassion and disciplines us because He delights in us.  Our response determines whether the pain makes us better or bitter.

GOD THE FATHER: The Lover of His Family

“O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:25-26)

Human fathers are not perfect fathers. Some are horrible—they may abandon their children; they may be mean and abusive.  Don’t let that color your view of God the Father, if that was your misfortune.  He is nothing like such wicked men.

A good father is one that loves us—it is heard in his words and seen in his works.  In this, the Heavenly Father is the ultimate.  He’s a good, good Father—the best. God our Father is perfect love.

Jesus speaks in this text of the intimate love relationship He had with His Father and that every believer is invited to experience.

There are two evidences of love I think of when I think of God the Father.

God loves us as OUR PROVIDER.

“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matt.6:26)

If God feeds the fowls of the air, will He not feed His children?  If He clothes the flowers of the field, will He not clothe His children?  We need not worry.  Earthly fathers provide for their family—yet, they may be limited in what they can do.  Not so with God!

God loves us as OUR PROTECTOR.

“And he said: ‘The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.’” (2 Sam.22:2-4)

David testifies to God’s protection. He had protected him when lions attacked the flock he shepherded.  God stood by him when he fought the giant Goliath.  When Saul chased him like a hound after a fox, all over the Judean wilderness, the Lord preserved David.  As King, leading his troops into battle after battle God shielded him.  God will take care of you! I know as a father I will do all I can to keep my family safe.  How much more the good and great Father in heaven who is both willing and able to do so!

GOD THE FATHER: The Life-giver of His Children

“You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” (John‬ ‭8:41-44‬)

Fathers are fathers because they produce children.  God gives spiritual life to all those who are His spiritual children.

There is the mistaken notion that everyone is a child of God.  In the limited sense of God being the Creator, and all humans being made in His image, that is so.  But, specifically, Jesus says here that not all have God as their spiritual father.  He says that the devil was the father of the Pharisees.

By virtue of our first physical birth we are sinners—lost and under the wrath of God.  Our spiritual daddy is the Devil—sinful and hellbound. What we must have is a second spiritual birth that makes us sons of God—saved and heavenbound.  We will abide at home with our father forever. Whose your daddy?

Have you had that new birth?  It comes as we turn from our sins and trust in the Savior. We respond to the gracious activity of God and the drawing of the Spirit.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
‭‭(John‬ ‭1:12-13‬)

God the Father is the life-giver of His children.

THE GOD YOU SHOULD KNOW: God Our Father

“one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:6)

Most, if not all, of my children’s first words were, “Da-da.”  That was because I worked so hard to teach them to say it.

You may imagine a Hebrew toddler reaching up to his father and saying, “Abba.”  That was a term Jesus used frequently.

When you think of God, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?  We know what it was with Jesus—the word, “Father.”  In the next few devotions this week, we want to examine the first person of the Trinity—God our Father.  We can call Him, “Abba,” too!  What does this mean for God to be our Father?  It is such a precious description of God that conveys His love for us.

Memorize Ephesians 4:6 and meditate on that reality today.

GOD IS PERSONAL

Let’s do some movie trivia.  Tell me what movie series this statement comes from, “May the force be with you.”

That’s right—Star Wars.  Thinking of God as some impersonal cosmic force would come from a movie—it certainly doesn’t come from the Bible.  Star Wars may be good entertainment, but it is bad theology.

God may be above and beyond our highest thoughts, but He is not aloof from us—we are made in His image so we may as persons relate to this personal God.

Whereas, we might consider verses throughout Scripture, we will look in just one book—Psalms—and see some evidences of God’s personality:

• God Thinks.

“He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.” (147:4-5). God is a rational Being.
 
• God Feels.

“The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity.” (5:5)

“God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day.”  (7:11)

“The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming.” (37:13)

“How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert!” (78:40)
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“For the LORD will judge His people, And He will have compassion on His servants.” (135:14)

Hate, anger, laughter, grief, and compassion are among the emotions God feels.  God is an emotional Being.

• God Wills.

“For the LORD will judge His people, And He will have compassion on His servants.” (115:3).  God is a volitional Being.

Because God is rational, emotional, and volitional, He is also relational. This is the God you should know—and you can know Him through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Jesus said, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)

GOD IN THREE PERSONS

In the baptism of Christ, we see the Triune God—The Father speaking, the Son being baptized, and the Holy Spirit descending upon Him. “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.  And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”(Matthew‬ ‭3:16‬,17).

At the end of His Christ’s earthly ministry we hear Him allude to the Trinity in the Great Commission mandate for baptism, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew‬ ‭28:19‬).

We could note many other New Testament references, but here is one more:
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” (II Corinthians‬ ‭13:14‬).

How can there be only One God and yet that God be three persons?  Now, I can illustrate this: my being is one, and yet I am a father, and a son, and a husband all at once.  Water is still water whether it is a solid—below 32 degrees, or a liquid from 32-211, and at 212 a gas.  One egg—you have a shell, the white and the yolk.  Still, these cannot convey the meaning adequately.  The Trinity isn’t about the One God in three different roles like me; or One God in three different forms like water; or the One God in three different parts like an egg.

The fact is that the Trinity cannot be fully explained—and that is wonderful!  God is “other than” anything or anyone else—and as we have noted in previous studies, cannot be compared to anything or anyone.  He is far above all our thoughts and imagination.  If you can conceive all that God is then God can be a concept of a human mind.  The reality is that no one would come up with the doctrine of the Trinity.  It had to be revealed by God. John Wesley said, “Bring me a worm that can comprehend a man, and then I will show you a man that can comprehend the triune God.”

But we can have a relationship with the Father through the Son and by the Spirit!

GOD IS TRIUNE

Although the word, “Trinity,” is never found in Scripture, the concept of God as Triune is found throughout.  The first Hebrew word used for God in Gen.1:1 is Elohim and it is a plural word.  “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
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This doctrine of the Trinity is seen in the opening chapters of Genesis—with God speaking the world into existence and the Holy Spirit hovering over the face of the waters—as a mother hen would nest and hatch out her chicks.  “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (v.2).‬

The New Testament writers add that Christ was also part of that creative process—as much as the Father and the Spirit:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” (John‬ ‭1:1-3‬).

Thus, we have the one God speaking as three Persons who says, “Let US make man in OUR image” (Gen.1:26a, emphasis added).

Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6 are Old Testament messianic prophecies where Jesus is presented as God—just as much as God the Father.  “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”(7:14‬). The name, “Immanuel,” means, “God with us.”  Then in 9:6, we read, “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  Jesus is called, “Mighty God.”

Tomorrow, our intention is to examine some of the New Testament teaching concerning the Trinity.

GOD IS ONE

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭6:4‬)

“Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,” (Isaiah‬ ‭46:9‬)

We are monotheists.   We do not believe in three gods. The Bible teaches there is one God.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 is known as the Shema (the Hebrew word “hear”).  This truth was to become a conviction and to be taught in conversation:

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (v.6-9‬)

It was to be a matter of the heart as well as the head, and result in love for God with every fiber of ones being.

 So, how can we believe that God is One and believe in the Trinity?

Look at Isaiah 46:9. Consider carefully the words the Holy Spirit chose to put in the Scripture. God testifies that there is none like Him. The problem we have with the Trinity is that we fail to recognize that God is not like anyone or anything—so it shouldn’t surprise us that He would be other than anything we might try to wrap our minds around.

I want to remind you that the Hebrew word for “one” in Deut.6:4-5 does not mean “single” (one apart) but “unity” (one together).  As noted in a previous study, it is the same word for when Adam and Eve became “one flesh” in Gen.2:24.

The unity of the One God is a Tri-unity—a Trinity.  What a awe-inspiring doctrine that should lead to a life-altering decision to love our glorious God with all our being!

THE GOD YOU SHOULD KNOW: The Personality of God—One God in Three Persons

 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭6:4-5‬)

There are a number of teachings that separate Christianity from every other belief system in the world.  One distinct doctrine is that of the Trinity—One God in Three Persons. The great confessions and creeds throughout Church history have affirmed this.

Here is the 2000 statement from the Baptist Faith and Message—which the Southern Baptist Convention, of which I am a part—declared concerning God:

“There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.”

A God who is three in person, and yet not three gods, but One in Being is not a contradiction to Deuteronomy 6:4-5. The word for “one,” in the Hebrew is used to describe a plural unity, such as one cluster of grapes.  The word is “echad,” and is used in Genesis 2:24 where it says Adam and Eve became “one flesh.”  Again, this does not illustrate the Trinity as Adam and Eve were not only one in union, and two in person, but two different beings, as well.  I am just showing that the Hebrew term for “one,” can have a plural connotation. So, does the word “Elohim,” as one of God’s names. We will examine this crucial doctrine in the next few days, God willing.

THE PATHWAY TO KNOWING GOD

Read Exodus 34:5-8.

  Moses had met God on Mt. Sinai some forty years prior to the events recorded in our text, (see Ex.3:1-15).  Last week we considered the name of God, “Elohim,” the all-powerful and ever-faithful One, and now we hear Him called, “Yahweh,” I AM WHO I AM.  It speaks of underived existence.  No human, angel, or demon can make that claim.  There was a time when I was not, but there was never a time when God could not say, “I AM,” and always will be.

What did Moses do to find God?  Nothing—God revealed Himself to Moses or he could not have known Him.  But God wants us to know Him.  God reveals Himself to us in basically four ways:

• THE SKIES.  Psalm. 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God.”  We know the Creator through the creation.  “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.”

• THE SOUL.  His law is written on our heart—the sense of right and wrong.  Romans 2:15 speaks of those, “who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness... .” We are born with an innate awareness of God’s existence.

• THE SCRIPTURE. This Book is about God.  Psalm 119:15 states, “I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways.”  The ways of God are found in the Word of God. Jesus taught how all the Old Covenant testifies of Him, Luke 24:27,44. The New Testament text has been breathed out by God (2 Tim.3:15-17) and instructs us in salvation and sanctification.

• THE SON.  The Incarnate Word (John 1:1-3). Jesus said, “Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matt.11:27).

The pursuit of God becomes the passion of the Christian who comes to know Him through Christ.  We are commanded to know the unknowable (Col.1:9-10).  Paul practiced what he preached (Phil.3:7-10).  Also see Jer.9:23-24.  Even better—God knows us! (Ex.33:17).  Moses’ response and ours should be worship (Ex.34:8).

THE PROBLEM IN KNOWING GOD

Read Exodus 33:19-23.

What Moses wanted could not be done.  He could know God’s attributes,  “Then He said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’” (v.19). He could see the afterglow of His glory,  “And the LORD said, ‘Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.’”(v.21-23). But, to see the face of God in full glory would dissolve Moses like a snowflake in a blast furnace,  “But He said, ‘You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.’” (v.20).

Why?  Here is the problem in knowing God: Moses was a man and God is not.  God is holy and Moses was a sinner.  It is still true for us in this mortal frame.  This is quite a dilemma.

How would this problem be solved?  God provided a refuge and covering.  That is what Jesus has done for us.

“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified....Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
‭‭(Hebrews‬ ‭10:12-14, 19-23‬)

The Old Testament priests could not enter behind the curtain into the Holy of holies where the glory of God dwelt. Only one man—the high priest—only one day a year—the Day of Atonement—could enter after first offering sacrifice for his sins. He did so with fear and trembling!  All that changed when Jesus died to atone for our sins once and for all. The veil in the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom (Matt.27:51).  Now, we have bold access to God, and are being changed into His likeness, (2 Cor.3:18), someday to see Him face to face and be transformed fully into His image, (1 John 3:2)!

A PASSION FOR THE UNKNOWN GOD

“And he said, ‘Please, show me Your glory.’”
‭‭(Exodus‬ ‭33:18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Moses’ desire to see and know God is a common trait of the human race to some degree or another.  We are born with an understanding that there is something—someone—above and beyond us.

This is because humans were made in the image of God, and thus, created to experience communion with God.  Of all created things, man alone has the capacity to walk in fellowship with God.  Even though sin has marred that image and misdirected our desire, it remains a fact that we crave God. There is a God-shaped vacuum in our soul that only He can fill.  Consider Paul’s encounter with the pagan culture of Athens.

“Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’” (Acts 17:22-28).

Yet, our search leads down a detour to a dead end because of sin.  We grope along in darkness to find God and when we can’t we make a god in our image.  The warped deities of the Greeks—and other religions—were full of jealousy, anger, violence, and immorality.  Failing to find God who made us in His image, we make a god in our own.

Let us seek to know the True and Living God who will reveal Himself to us, and will fill that God-sized hole in our soul.

THE GOD YOU SHOULD KNOW: Knowing the Unknowable

Read Exodus 33: 18-23; 34:5-8.

What is God like?  Here is a definition: “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.” (Westminster Shorter Catechism) That is a good answer, insofar as it goes—the trouble is that it doesn’t go far enough.

In fact, we cannot fully describe the indescribable.  When we ask, “What is God like?” the reality is that He is not like anything or anyone.  “‘To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? ... To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?’ says the Holy One.” (Isaiah‬ ‭40:18, 25‬).  God is in a category all by Himself.

God is so far beyond what our finite minds can conceive, or human terms can describe, that while we can describe something of His nature, character, and attributes, we are still unable to grasp all that God is.  "Can you by searching find out God?" (Job 11:7)

Yet, God has revealed much to us that can be known, and this we ought to contemplate with awe. Eternity will be required to explore the boundless wonder of an infinite Being!  Let’s begin this great adventure today by praying as Moses did, “Please, show me Your glory.”

THE GOD WHO OWNS EVERYTHING

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"In the beginning God created THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH” (emphasis added).

Creation testifies of the Creator. “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” (Ps.19:1‬). All creation is designed to give God glory.  Isaiah wrote, “The whole earth is full of His glory” (6:3b).

The creation narrative strikes against the idolatry of the times in which Moses, the author of Genesis, wrote—the worship of the sun, the moon, the animals. The material universe is seen as God’s creation and the Creator deserves exclusive worship.  A.W. Tozer declared, “The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him.”

The Maker owns His creation and has the right to dictate its proper use.  Man has been placed as a steward of God's creation and is himself owned by God (Gen.2:7, 15-17).  If He made it, it belongs to Him. God calls humans, who are the pinnacle of His creation—those made in His image—to account for the use of our time, talent, and treasure.  This is His world. We belong to Him.  All we are and all we have is God’s and meant for His glory.

Is that how we are living?  What are we doing with God’s stuff?

THE GOD WHO IS ETERNAL

"In the beginning God CREATED the heavens and the earth” (emphasis added).

God is before all things. When the beginning began, God already was. If He created all things, then He Himself is eternal and uncreated.  There has never been a time when God was not and will never be a time when He will not be. This deals with the false doctrine of naturalism—that creation essentially created itself.

God is above and beyond all things.  He is transcendent.  Although He is involved with His creation and present throughout His creation, as the Creator He is not in the creation in the sense of being in the rocks, the trees, the skies, the seas, even though there is no place you may go where He is not present.  This is a great paradox. This deals with the false doctrine of pantheism—that deity is one with the creation.

The Eternal God is the only one who can give eternal life, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3).  Knowing about God isn’t enough, although we must know about Him. From the knowledge about Him, we must come to know Him, personally.  We can through Jesus. When we could not get to Him, He came to us.  This deals with the false doctrine of deism—that God is aloof from creation.

Now, have you come to Him by faith in Christ?

THE GOD WHO EXISTS

"In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1, emphasis added).

The Bible never argues for the existence of God.  It assumes that anyone with reasonable intelligence knows that all we see did not come from nothing.  Those who would deny that are branded like this: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Ps.14:1)  The word doesn’t mean mentally deficient, but morally depraved (see Rom.1:18-22).  The one who denies there is a God does not do so because of intelligence but iniquity—a problem not in their head, but their heart.

Thomas Nagel, professor of philosophy and law at New York University said: “It isn’t just that I don’t believe in God and, naturally, hope that I’m right in my belief.  It’s that I hope that there is no God!  I don’t want there to be a God; I don’t want the universe to be like that.”

Reason and revelation tell us otherwise. The world we see and the Word we read testify to Him. So, we are immediately introduced to the God who exists in Genesis 1:1.

His name here is Elohim.  The names of God are many—each conveying a different dimension of His character.  Think of a diamond with many different facets—every one giving beauty and clarity.  We will hope to explore these in days to come.  This name is a composite: El—meaning limitless power and Alah—speaking of absolute faithfulness. So, we are introduced to a God who is utterly capable and committed to do all He wills.  He is infinitely powerful and utterly faithful.

What an adventure we embark upon when we study the existence of God!

THE GOD YOU SHOULD KNOW: First Things First

Read Genesis 1:1.

Theology—it is the study of God. That is what we find as we examine His Word—a Book devoted to revealing God to us.   That is a journey, we commence today.

Can you imagine being a little league baseball player facing a major league pitcher and being expected to hit a home run?  Or being asked to swim across the Atlantic Ocean?  Maybe jumping across the Grand Canyon?  It would be more likely that I could do all of those, then to fully explain God.  He is beyond all comparison, greater than human imagination can dream or vocabulary describe.  My assignment is to explain the unexplainable so you can comprehend the incomprehensible.

I feel like a man on the beach who must count every grain of sand or one given a thimble with which to empty the ocean.  All I can do is ask God for a miracle as I open this Book with fear and trembling, trusting that the Holy Spirit will teach us more than we could imagine.

How important is this?  "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."  (A.W. Tozer). What comes into your mind when you think about God?  Let me begin with a few thoughts—and what better place to begin than in the beginning!

So, this week we will consider Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

DIRECTION, DESIRE, AND DISCIPLINE: Household Salvation

Read Acts 16:22-34.

This week we have been looking at parental responsibility to lead their children to Christ, by giving them direction from God’s Word, fueling a desire for Christ, and disciplining them toward repentance. God can save an entire household!  In our text today, we see an example.

The way of salvation was made clear.  In answer to the question, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Paul and Silas responded, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and YOUR HOUSEHOLD” [emphasis added]. God has children, but no grandchildren—father, mother, sons, daughters—each one must personally receive Christ by faith.  It is not a matter of biology, but theology. Yet, the parent is seen to be the key to bringing Christ to the whole family.

The word of salvation was proclaimed. “Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and TO ALL WHO WERE IN HIS HOUSE” [emphasis added]. Since faith in Christ alone can save us, where can faith be generated in our household?  Paul wrote in Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  Think of the Gospel as seed being sown in the soil of our children. As we direct them with the Word to know who Jesus is, hear and see in us joy in Jesus feeding a desire in their hearts for him, and through discipline show them their sinful state and need for repentance, we cultivate their hearts as fertile soil to bear fruit to eternal life.

Their faith was professed through baptism. “And immediately he and ALL HIS FAMILY were baptized” [emphasis added]. What a worship celebration they had in that home that night!  We read, “he rejoiced, having believed in God WITH ALL HIS HOUSEHOLD” [emphasis added]. Daddy was used to direct his entire family to Christ.  That can happen to your family as well!

DIRECTION, DESIRE, AND DISCIPLINE: The Promise to Our Children

Read Acts 2:38-41.

The promise of salvation is offered to all who repent and receive God’s Word.  As Peter proclaimed at Pentecost, “the promise is to you and to your children,” and so our great task as Christian parents is to lead our children to Christ.

We evangelize and disciple them by directing them with truth.  This is why we share the Gospel with them.  Those who were converted at Pentecost are those of whom it is said, “gladly received his word.”

As we give them this direction toward Christ, we pray they will develop a desire for Christ. If you read the entirety of Peter’s sermon that day, you see that it focuses on Jesus.  He is the only Savior. This is how God calls us, and draws our children to Himself through the activity of the Spirit.

The discipline we administer has both a positive and negative dimension to reinforce this truth—a blessing in following Christ and warning of the curse of disobedience. Our children will not be saved until they understand they are sinners who cannot save themselves. They must repent if they would have their sins remitted. Thus, the Holy Spirit will convict them.  Where is the Spirit? He is in the life of the Christian father and mother, and He speaks through them and is seen in their own repentance.

As Peter did, we testify and exhort them, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”  Our prayer is that they will receive the word and as a testimony be baptized and added to the church.