"WHO IS THIS MAN CALLED JESUS AND WHY SHOULD WE WORSHIP HIM"
FORWARD
Someone might ask why is a book such as this necessary? The answer is that we have humanized JESUS, the Creator God of the universe. He (Jesus) was the Word of God in heaven in the beginning. John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:2 “The same was in the beginning with God.” John 1:3 “All things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made” John 1:10 “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.” Read all of chapter 1 of John to get the entire impact of what this is saying.
We know about Him, but we do not know Him in full truth. It is difficult for mankind to look with spiritual eyes. We are too familiar with looking with our physical eyes. He is the Truth He (Jesus) is not a man and never was a man. Jesus took on the form and flesh of man when He came to earth to save His creation. The Word of the Living God took on the form of man and the name of Jesus (which means Saviour) when He came to this earth to save us from sin, Satan, and ourselves. He rose from the grave to destroy death. You and I have eternal life given to us by Jesus when we are saved. He gave us a visual of that eternal life when He rose from the grave on the third day. We take on His righteousness and eternal life when we accept Him as our Savior. He (Jesus) was Emmanuel (God with us). I will attempt in this book to acquaint you with the true JESUS the Saviour of this world.
Remember that this is why there is an attack on the name of JESUS. The attack is not on the name God or the Holy Spirit. The name God is used in such a generic way that many religions use it as the name of their deity. They are not attacking the Holy Spirit, because there again they also use this term casually.
Let me put in Scripture here that will help us understand what we are dealing with. All Scriptures I quote are from the KJV Bible.
Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus:” Philippians 2:6 “Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God:”
Philippians 2:7 “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in likeness of men:” Philippians 2:8 “and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2 :9 “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:” Philippians 2:10 “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;” Philippians 2:11 “And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” We must understand there is a move in our world to bring Jesus down to the level of mankind. This attack is focused on the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. These same people would agree that a man named Jesus lived. Most of them will even agree that He was a great teacher, healer and prophet. Some believe that other prophets were equal with Jesus. That could not and can not be because Jesus was Creator and these other prophets were part of His creation.
Focusing on Jesus in this book does not in any way diminish the Father God or the Holy Ghost.. The Bible says in John 4:24 “God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. “ This is printed in red in the Bible which means that Jesus spoke these words.
In 1 John 5:7 speaks of the Father, Word, and Holy Ghost separately and then says they are one. 1 John 5:7 “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” I believe they are One in the Spirit. Each has a separate function. On a down to earth explanation we might say Father God had the plan, Jesus carried the plan out, and the Holy Ghost is our Comforter, Teacher, and Guide.
This is explained and covered fully in Colossians 2:8 “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” In verse 9 we see Father, Word and Holy Ghost operating in Jesus. Colossians 2:9 “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Notice Jesus represented all three in His body. Jesus’ stay on the earth to save mankind was a collective decision of Father, Son and Holy Ghost. His Spirit was housed in a body for His stay on earth. The Spirit within that body was Emmanuel (God with us). Matthew 1:23 “Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
If you were to open a chronological Bible, the very first verses would be John 1 verses 1 & 2 not Genesis chapter 1. John1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:2 “The same was in the beginning with God.”
You see, before the earth was, the One you and I call Jesus was in fact the Word of God. He was Creator God as we read in John1:3 “All things were made by Him; and without him was not anything made that was made.”
We can easily see from this why Jesus (Creator God) would come to this earth to save His creation.
Someone might ask, how do we know the Word is speaking of Jesus? The answer is in John 1:14 “And the Word was made 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.”
This Word is the same as the One we call Jesus. The Word became Jesus for His stay on the earth. Jesus means Savior. Jesus is called by 123 different names in the Bible. Each name He was called by was for the purpose of telling what He was doing at that time.
He (Jesus) was the Word at the beginning and at the ending as we read in Revelation19:13 “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called the Word of God.
In Revelation 22;13 we read of Jesus’ eternal life. Revelation 22:13 “I am alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”
There is absolutely no denying that the One you and I call Jesus was there at the planning of the universe and especially the earth. No one or nothing existed before the beginning , and Jesus says He is the beginning.
One of the names He is called by is I Am. I Am means the One who
eternally exists in the present tense. At the burning bush, Moses asked the
voice from the fire in the bush what his name was. The voice answered, I AM that
I AM. When Jesus was on the mount of
In Revelation 22:13 we read of Jesus’ eternal life. Revelation 22:13 “I am alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”
There is absolutely no denying that the One you and I call Jesus was there at the planning of the universe and especially the earth. No one or nothing existed before the beginning , and Jesus says He is the beginning.
OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES
FULFILLED IN JESUS
One of the reasons for the writing of this book is to remind everyone that Jesus is the answer to all of our problems. In the world around us we do not have any role models that we can look up to. If we do not have Jesus Christ as an example to live the kind of life He did, then you and I are going to fall into all the pitfalls and do all things that are not of God.
You see the religious world of our day would have us believe that Jesus was nothing more than a teacher or prophet. Some even believe Him to be a healer. Many religions of today say that Jesus was not born of a virgin, but my Bible says He was. The sad thing is that some “Christians?” are being swayed and beginning to doubt the virgin birth.
Some of the Oriental religions in
The thing that we have to decide is, what are we going to do with Jesus? Are we going to be like the world and bring Jesus down to the level of mankind?
Are we going to say that He was just a great Teacher? If He was just a Teacher and not God in the flesh of man, then you and I and everyone else are headed for hell. Jesus could not have been the perfect sacrifice for our sin, if He was not God in the flesh. The blood of an animal or of a natural man could not do away with sin. Only the spotless blood of God (the Lamb of God) the only begotten Son of the Father could do away with sin.
The very first promise of a Saviour to this world lets us know Jesus was born of a virgin. This verse tells us that Jesus did not have an earthly father, His Father was the God of heaven. In this verse God is speaking to the serpent. Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise his heel.” (Jesus was born of the Spirit of God and the flesh of the woman.)
The fulfillment of this Scripture is in Matthew 1:18”Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph , before they came together, she was found of child of the Holy Ghost.” You see, Jesus was the very Son of God, Himself.
Another prophecy on this hundreds of years before the birth is found in Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” In the New Testament we read the same thing. In Matthew 1:22 we read that this is to fulfill the prophecy in Isaiah. Matthew 1:22 “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,” Matthew 1:23 “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel which being interpreted is God with us.”
In Isaiah 9:6 we see a prophecy of not only His birth, but of the mighty tasks Jesus will accomplish. Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (This is Jesus)
Revelation 19:16 “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 21:6 “And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.”
Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;” Isaiah 61:2 “To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;”
The above 2 Scriptures are what Jesus turned to and read in the synagogue. The fulfillment of this is found in Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives , and recovering sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,” Luke 4:19 “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” If we skip down to verse 21 we see in Jesus’ own Words that this fulfills prophecy. Luke 4:21 “And he began to say unto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.”
In chapter 53 of Isaiah we see just what Jesus did for us being
prophesied hundreds of years before the actual fulfillment of this. Isaiah 53:1 “Who hath believed our report? and to
whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?” Isaiah 53:2 “For he shall grow up before
him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground: he hath no form nor
comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire
him.” Isaiah 53:3 “He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and
acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was
despised, and we esteemed him not.” Isaiah 53:4 “ Surely he hath borne our
griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God,
and afflicted.” Isaiah 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was
bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with
his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we
have turned every one to his own
way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:7 “He was
oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a
lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his
mouth.” Isaiah 53:8 “He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall
declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: for
the transgression of my people was he stricken.” Isaiah 53:9 “And he made his grave with
the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence,
neither was any deceit in his
mouth.” Isaiah 53:10 “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to
grief: when thou shalt make his
soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days and
the pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in his hand.” Isaiah 53:11 “He shall see the travail of his soul, and
shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many;
for he shall bear their iniquities.”
Isaiah 53:12 “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and
he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul
unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of
many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” This entire chapter 53 of Isaiah is
explaining ahead of time what Jesus would do for the believers. He did it all at
We read of Jesus triumphal entry into
The fulfillment is found in Matthew 21:5 “Tell ye the daughter of
There is even a prophecy in Zechariah that tells of the price Jesus was betrayed by Judas for. Zechariah 11:12 “And I said unto them, if ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.”
The fulfillment is in Matthew 26:15 “And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.”
Silver means redemption. Thirty is three times ten. The spiritual meaning of the price that was paid, means God (3) paid the world (10) for our redemption (silver).
The number three means God spiritually, The number 10 is dealing
with the world government (that is why there were 10 plagues in
Let us summarize what we have said with these last few Scriptures.
Matthew:16:13 “When Jesus came into
the coast of
What were other people saying about Jesus when He was born? The wise men came from afar to worship Him. The shepherds from the hillside came because the angels told them the Saviour of the world had been born. Even the gifts the wise men brought revealed this Jesus to be the Saviour. The gold they brought recognized Him as God in the flesh of man. The frankincense recognized Him as the perfect Lamb sacrifice and the myrrh recognized Him as the groom of the bride of Christ. (gold’s symbolic meaning is God), Frankincense accompanied the sacrifice for sin. (myrrh is sweet aloes for the wedding bed).
When Joseph and Mary, following the laws of the Jews, took Jesus to the temple when He was 40 days old to present Him to God Simeon and Anna recognized Him as the promised Savior. This all is found in Luke 2:25-32. Read it all In Leviticus chapter 12 verses 1-4 tell us Jesus’ mother could not go to the temple until 40 days after His birth. He was named and circumcised on the 8th day and carried to the temple on the 40th day.
We have already mentioned in this book that on two separate occasions God spoke from heaven and called Jesus His beloved Son. The references are in Matthew 3:17 and in Luke 9:34-35.
There are many more Scriptures covering this, but I believe this to be sufficient.
JESUS-FOCAL POINT OF THE
BIBLE
In my study of the entire Bible it was very evident to me that every book in the Bible speaks directly or indirectly of the One you and I call Jesus. He used many names, but all of them meant the same as Jesus.
Even the first time God was mentioned in the Bible the root Word was Eloheem. It is a plural word which means Supreme God. It is interesting to me that a singular verb is used with this plural Word. When I see that I think of 1John 5:7 which speaks of God the Father, the Word of God and the Holy
Spirit as being One.
Let me share with you what I discovered in chapter 1 of Ezekiel.
In verse 1 it ends with (I saw visions of God). In verse 5 it speaks of four
living creatures. If we read on we will find that these creatures had the face
of a lion, the face of an ox, the face of a man, and the face of an eagle. These faces symbolize the four
gospels. The lion symbolizes
Matthew. The ox symbolizes Mark. The face of the man symbolizes Luke. The Eagle
symbolizes John. The genealogy in
the book of Matthew shows Jesus as the Lion of the tribe of
I have determined then, that Jesus is the focal point of the
entire Bible. This wheel inside the
wheel is the Spirit of the Living God. The voice that came from the middle of the wheel was
God’s voice.
JESUS IN KING JAMES
VERSION VERSUS NEW TRANSLATION
The King James version of the Bible has been my constant companion for all of my life since I was a small child. It has been a comfort to me in time of trouble. The cause of Christianity has benefited for hundreds of years through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and through the influence this particular translation of the Bible has had on society itself. Every situation we find ourselves in can be solved with the answers we find in its covers.
It has been called the roadmap for life. I would say that it is much more than even that. Without the beauty of this book, we would not have known there was a Saviour let alone how we could communicate with Him and even be saved by Him (Jesus).
In our generation (the age of human intelligence?) we have begun to attack the very source of our being. It started very subtly at first. The questioning if there was not a better way to understand the Scriptures started the problem.
Even though the KJV Bible teaches there is a literal heaven and a literal hell, the (intelligent?) people of our day have said that is untrue. We know this is true about them because they removed Lucifer from the Old Testament of the Bible. The KJV Isaiah 14:12 “How art thy fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thy cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” The NIV Isaiah 14:12 “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn? You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!” This leads us to believe that there is no evil one called the devil or Satan. Most people of our generation believe heaven and hell are a state of mind because of these changes. Much of the moral decay in our land can be traced to the attack on the Bible that led our fathers and grandfathers and even generations before even them to the knowledge of God.
One of the trick ways to stop Christianity is to stop evangelism of the world. In the book of Mark, the penman of the modern Bibles make a statement that suggest we should not read Mark 16 (9 thru 20). This is the great commission in Jesus’ own words that tells us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Satan would love for us to remove that part of our Bible. This could hinder millions of people from hearing about Jesus and the salvation He offers to whosoever will.
In the book of Acts Chapter 8 beginning with the 27th verse (read all of the rest of the chapter) we see an encounter of Philip with the Ethiopian eunuch. In it, Philip teaches him about Jesus. There is a blatant error in the new translations. The Ethiopian is not required to state his faith in Jesus before he is baptized. The plan of salvation is cleverly removed by omitting his confession of faith before he is baptized. Acts 8:36 “And as they went on their way, they came upon a certain water; and the eunuch said, See, here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized?” Acts 8:37 “And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Acts 8:38 “And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.” This is changed in the NIV to the following: Verse 36: “As they traveled long the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” Verse 37 is completely omitted. Verse 38: “And he ordered the chariot to stop. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.” The plan of salvation is cleverly removed by omitting his confession of faith before he is baptized.
Another very tragic removal of just one word (Jehovah) from the Old Testament in Exodus 6:3, Psalms 83:18, Isaiah12:2, and Isaiah 26:4 is trying to deny that Jesus (Jehovah Saviour) is in the Old Testament.
Another attack on Jesus as Deity is changing what is spoken of Jesus. The new translations speak of Jesus as Holy one of God. The King James Version calls Jesus “thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God”. KJV John 6:69 “And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” In the NIV John 6:69 “We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God. At a glance this seems to be a moot point, but Christ (which is left out) means Messiah (the one the Jewish people are awaiting). When you change Son of the living God, you are denying the virgin birth of Jesus.
In many instances the new translations change “the” to “a”. This seems so minor, but is it really? “A” means one of many. “The” is an explicit meaning the only one. This is especially damaging when it is referring to Jesus.
In Matthew 1:25 “first born Son” in the KJV is changed to “a” son
in the NIV. Every Christian is a son by adoption. Jesus is the firstborn, only
begotten Son of God.
In Matthew 8:29 “Jesus thou Son of God” in the KJV
is changed to omit Jesus in the NIV. It just says “Son of God.” The change
denies that Jesus is the Son of God.
In Matthew 13:51 “yea, Lord” in the KJV is just “yes” in the NIV. The word Lord is completely omitted.
In Matthew 16:20 “Jesus the Christ” in the KJV is changed omitting “Jesus” in the NIV. The new translators do not want Jesus to be Christ the Messiah.
In Mark 9:24 “Lord I believe” was changed and left Lord off and says “I do believe” in two of the new translations and in one it is changed to say “I have faith”.
I will give the entire verse in each translation in Mark 11:10 KJV “Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest” The NIV says “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest” It is obvious to me they are denying that Jesus is that fulfillment.
In Luke 4:41 “Thou art Christ the Son of God” in the KJV is changed in the NIV to “You are the Son of God” We see that Christ (which means Messiah) is omitted.
In Luke 7:31 “And the Lord said” in the KJV is Omitted in the NIV. The very same thing is left out in Luke 22:31.
In Luke 23:42 “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me” in the KJV was changed to “Jesus, remember me” in the NIV. Jesus and Lord together is a more powerful statement than just Jesus. It is as if the new translators deny Jesus is Lord.
A very blatant change from “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh” in 1 John 4:3 in the KJV is changed to “but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God” in the NIV. Again this denies Jesus as the Messiah when it leaves out Christ in connection with Jesus.
In Revelation 5:14 in the KJV “And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth forever and ever. The NIV changed this to “The four living creatures said, Amen” and the elders fell down and worshipped” leaving out the number 24 for the elders and omitted who they worshipped. These 24 elders many believe to be speaking of the 12 apostles and the 12 major prophets of the Old Testament. Whoever they are, are to be specifically mentioned because God gave a specific number. Twelve is a number which means a representative number of the whole. I believe twelve for the Old Testament and twelve for the New Testament representing all who believe whoever they are. It also left out “him that liveth forever and ever”. That denies His eternal existence.
Revelation 20:9 in the KJV says “and fire came down from God out of heaven, And devoured them” The NIV says “But fire came down from heaven and devoured them” God is left out.
In Revelation 21:24 KJV “And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it.” The NIV says, “The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.” This does not speak of those that are saved, as if everyone even without being saved are welcome there, and they are not.
There are direct denials in the NIV that Jesus Christ the Son of God should be together. Jesus means Jehovah Savior. Christ means Messiah or the anointed One. The Son of God means the only begotten Son of God.
Look with me on the attack on Jesus with these following changes. John 6:69 “Christ the Son of the living God” is changed to “Holy One of God” in the NIV. Again this change does not want Jesus to be Messiah-Christ, or God’s Son.
John 9:35 KJV “Dost thou believe on the Son of God” has been changed to “Do you believe in the Son of man” in the NIV.
In Acts 16:31 KJV “Lord Jesus Christ” is changed and leaves out Christ in the NIV. This again denies Jesus is Messiah.
Romans 1:16 KJV “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ” is changed to “I am not ashamed of the gospel” in the NIV leaving out Christ. Here again, this is denying Christ-Messiah.
1 Corinthians 15:47 KJV “The second man is the Lord from heaven” is changed to “the second man from heaven” in the NIV. Where is Lord?
1 Corinthians 16:23 KJV “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” is changed to “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you” Once again leaving out Christ- the Messiah.
In 2 Corinthians 4:6 and 5:18 “Jesus Christ” in the KJV is changed to “Christ” in the NIV. It appears the change denies Jesus is Messiah-Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:31 “Lord Jesus Christ” KJV is changed to leave out Christ connected with Lord Jesus in the NIV.
I believe one of the most blatant changes is in Ephesians 3:9 KJV “Who created all things by Jesus Christ” is changed in the NIV to “who created all things”, denying that Jesus Christ is Creator.
In Ephesians 3:14 KJV “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” has been changed in the NIV to “For this reason I kneel before the Father.” In this change, they deny Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God.
In Colossians 1:2 KJV “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse; Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” NIV “To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.” This leaves out Lord Jesus Christ which denies that Jesus should be worshipped.
On Colossians 1:28 “Christ Jesus” in the KJV is reduced to “Christ” in the NIV. This denies Jesus to be the Messiah.
In 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 3:11 and in 2 Thessalonians 1:8 “Lord Jesus Christ” in the KJV is just “Lord Jesus” in the NIV again leaving out Christ-Messiah connected to Jesus.
In 1 Timothy 2:7 “truth in Christ” in the KJV is changed to just “truth” in the NIV.
In Hebrews 3:1 “Christ Jesus” in the KJV is reduced to “Jesus” in the NIV. 1 Peter 5:10 “Christ Jesus” in the KJV is reduced to Jesus in the NIV. 1 John 1:7 “Jesus Christ” in the KJV is reduced again to “Jesus” in the NIV. It is so obvious that whoever did this is deliberately changing this to deny that Jesus is the Messiah-Christ.
In Colossians 1:14 in the KJV “In whom we have redemption through his blood,
even the forgiveness of sins:” is changed in the NIV to “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” It was the shed blood of Jesus that saved us. Why is the blood left out of this Scripture?
Revelation 1:13 NIV “and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet with a golden sash around his chest.” “a son” in the NIV is “the Son” in the KJV. The change takes away the deity of Jesus.
In Micah 5:2 The prophecy of Jesus’ birth “from everlasting” in the KJV is changed in the NIV to “ancient times” denying Jesus’ eternal existence.
In Isaiah 7:14 “virgin” in the KJV is changed in the Revised Standard Version to say “a young woman” which denies that God is the Father of Jesus and denies that Mary was a virgin.
Matthew 6:6 In Jesus’ own words, the KJV says ”But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” In the NIV “openly” is left out. It actually ruins the entire Scripture to remove “openly”.
Redemption by the blood of Jesus is another concern. It is not only downplayed in the new Bibles, but the blood is removed from many Christian song books. If the blood of Jesus was not shed for our sins, we could not be saved. The blood of just any man could not do away with our sins either. It had to be the blood of God the Son-Jesus to abolish our sins. The new Bibles seem to be trying to bring Jesus down to the level of man. Man cannot do away with sin, only God the Son can do that.
We must realize that Satan—Lucifer—the devil does not want us to be saved. The attack on Jesus is also an attack on our salvation.
These Scripture comparisons between the KJV and the NIV Bible versions are only a small portion of those which are throughout the Bible. There are literally hundreds more. We just gave a small sample of them here.
In 2 John we see a warning from John about deceivers in the church trying to persuade Christians that Jesus (Messiah) did not come to this earth in the flesh. This is the very thing I believe is being done with the new Bibles taking the deity of Christ away. Here is a Scripture that states very well what is happening. 2 John 1:7 “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. “
If you are innocently using the watered down Bibles, check these things out for yourself. I am sure you can easily see what I am saying here.
JESUS-
PREACHER
The greatest Sermon any preacher ever preached was the Sermon On
The Mount. It is also called the
Beatitudes. You can read the entire sermon in Matthew chapters 5,6, and 7 in
Jesus’ own Words. Even when Jesus
was 12 years old and went to the temple in
The first public message He gave in the synagogue was covered in the following Scriptures from Luke 4:17 “And there was delivered unto him the book of Esaias, and when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,” Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,” Luke 4:19 “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.“ Everyone who heard him was astonished at his wisdom, and knowledge.
There were so many sermons, but probably the most appreciated sermon was when Jesus went into hell itself and preached and brought out those with him who believed. 1Peter 3:19 “By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.“ We read in the next verse that these were people who had been disobedient in the days of Noah. Another Scripture which gives a little more insight into this is Ephesians 4:8 “Wherefore he saith, when he ascended upon high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” Ephesians 4:9 “(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?” Ephesians 4:10 “He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)” There is one more thing we can add to this to verify that Jesus brought the captives in hell out with Him. Matthew 27:51 “ And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;” Matthew 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,” Matthew 27:53 “And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city and appeared unto many.” You see, He had preached them out of hell.
The sermons that most impressed me were the parables that He taught.
PARABLES JESUS
PREACHED
A parable is a story that illustrates a moral lesson. Jesus used parables to drive a lesson home without directly accusing the listener. There are over 50 parables Jesus used to cause the person listening to examine himself and see where he has sinned or fallen short. One of my favorites is teaching not to judge others. Matthew Chapter 7 verse 1-5 “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be Measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye;
and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's
eye.” It is also found in Luke
6:37-43. In this instance it leads
to giving and receiving.
In a broad sense, the Bible itself is a parable. The messages in the Bible can be taken literally. The messages are fact. Even though that is true, there is always another message with very good moral lessons that even you and I today can benefit from.
It is so interesting to me that when we are praying for answers we are facing today, God will show us a Scripture that we can glean our answer from.
Some believe the Bible is just ancient writings, but I believe the Bible is more current than the morning newspaper.
It was written for all generations. I believe it is alive. It never gets old. When we read it I believe we are looking into the face of Jesus, because He is the written and the spoken Word of God.
The following is a short list of the parables He taught and a short explanation of what each teaches. Matthew 7:1-6 teaches of the mote and the beam in the eye of the one accusing someone. It teaches not to judge others.
Matthew 7:24-27 teaches about a person without a solid foundation building on shifting sand and a person building on a rock for a foundation which cannot be moved by trials and tribulations or storms of life.
Luke 7:41-43 is about two people who owed a debt. One owed 50 and the other 500. Jesus shows in this that the one who owed the largest amount and was forgiven loved most.
One of the greatest of the parables is about the sower and the seed in Matthew 13:3-23. We see the seed is the Word of God. Jesus is the Sower. It explains that the Word of God is the same. The difference is in the way it is received. In one instance, the person hearing did not understand and the devil took it away. Another (stony ground) received the Word but had no roots in himself when troubles came, he fell away. The one who received the Word among thorns was deceived by riches and fell away. There was one who received the Word and was steadfast in his belief and went out and won others, some 100, some 60, and some 30. There is nothing wrong with the Word of God. The results come from how we receive it.
In Matthew 18:23-25, “Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.” It tells of a king who is very forgiving. He forgives his servant who asks him, to a debt of 10,000 talents. This same servant does not forgive his fellow servant who owes him a hundred pence. He throws his fellow servant into prison until he can pay it all. The king hears of his unforgiveness and throws him in jail because of his unforgiveness.
You see, if we do not forgive, we cannot be forgiven. In the Lord’s Prayer it says forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
The parable of the Good Samaritan is found in Luke 10:30-37. It teaches “in as much as ye have done it to the least of thy brethren you have done it to Jesus.” When you help someone you will be blessed of God for it, because it is as if you are helping Jesus.
In Luke 15:4-7 we see the parable of the lost sheep. The Shepherd leaves the 99 to go and search for the one lost sheep. This to me is teaching that our great Shepherd is not willing that even one should be lost.
The Parable of the prodigal son shows that even when we make wrong choices in life, Jesus is still willing to save us if we will come to Him for help. Luke 15:11-32.
The Parable of the rich man and Lazarus shows that great wealth has nothing to do with salvation. God honors the humble heart. Luke 16:19-31
The teaching on the talents each is given and how they produce for the Lord with that talent is in Matthew 25:14-30 and in Luke 19:11-27. God rewards those who are not afraid to use the talent God has given them.
The parable of the ten virgins speaks to all believers. We must be ready when we wait for Jesus. He is coming in an hour when we think not. Matthew 25:1-12. There are so many more, but we have given enough examples to show how Jesus used the parables.
JESUS –LAMB SACRIFICE
–PASSOVER LAMB
The Lamb sacrifice in the Old Testament could not abolish sin. That sacrifice could not clear the conscience of the sinner. The blood of the natural lamb covered the sin for one year. At the end of the year the sinner would have to sacrifice for that same sin again. Hebrews 9:12 “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Hebrews 9:13 “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:” Hebrews 9:14 “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” Hebrews 9:15 “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”
We read exactly how we are freed from our sin in 1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
The first Passover was established the night in
When Jesus shed His blood for us on the cross, He became our eternal Passover Lamb. John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God in the following Scripture. John 1:29 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John the Baptist says this again in John 1:36 “And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!”
In Revelation no one can open the book but the Lamb of God (Jesus.) Revelation 5:6 “And I beheld , and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” Revelation 5:7 “And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne” Revelation 5:8 “And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints.” Revelation 5:9 “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by the blood out of every kindred and tongue, and people, and nation;” Revelation 5:10 “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
We see in this next verse how to overcome the devil by Jesus’ blood and the Word. Revelation 12:11 “ And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
To end this I will show you what Jesus, the Lamb of God, purchased
for all who dare to believe in Him. It is found in the 21st chapter
of Revelation. You should read the entire chapter. I will give a few verses here
to show what we have awaiting us if we believe in the Lamb of God, Jesus. Revelation 21:1 “And I saw a new heaven
and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and
there was no more sea.” Revelation
21:2 “And I John saw the holy city new
OMNIPRESENCE OF
JESUS
To get a worldly view of the word omnipresence we could look at the definition given by the Webster’s dictionary. It says the meaning is (find some quality of life to pose against-death). The Biblical meaning of omnipresence is (to not be contained in one single place).
One of the most beautiful promises in the Bible spoken by Jesus Himself is found in Matthew 28:20 “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
It is a beautiful thing that happens when a person is saved. Jesus takes up habitation in each of our hearts. Ephesians 2:22 “In whom ye also are builded up together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.”
We see a little clearer explanation in John14:16-20 in Jesus’ own Words. John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, That he may abide with you forever;” John 14:17 “ Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” John 14:18 “I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you.” John14:19 “Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.” John 14:20 “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”
Jesus can be in each of us all at the same time and can also be seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven at the same time. He is not controlled by time or space. He controls everything including time and space.
He makes us a promise that where we gather together He is with us. Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” He (Jesus) will never leave us or forsake us.
OMNIPOTENCE OF
JESUS
When we look at the Webster’s dictionary to find the meaning of omnipotence, it gives omnipotent, which means, Almighty. The meaning of omnipotent from the Strong’s concordance translated from the word (pantokrator) means the all ruling God. Another meaning is, God to the absolute. Two more meanings are Universal Sovereign, and Almighty omnipotent.
In chapter 19 of Revelation it is speaking of Jesus as the Omnipotent One. Revelation 19:6 “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Allelula: For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.”
Jesus came as a babe in a manger when He came to the earth to save us. When He comes to rule over the earth for 1000 years, He will come as King of kings and Lord of lords.
To show the magnitude of His authority over His (Jesus’) kingdom I will give some more verses from the 19th chapter of Revelation. We will start at Revelation 19:11 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.” Revelation 19:12 “His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.” Revelation 19:13 “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.” Revelation 19:14 “And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.” Revelation 19:15 “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: And he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” Revelation 19:16 “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
At judgment day, He (Jesus) is the Judge of all the earth. Hebrews 10:30 “For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.”
We see in the following Scriptures how He separates the people as He judges them. Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory;” Matthew 25:32 “And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:” Matthew 25:33 “And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.” Matthew 25:34 “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:” Matthew 25:35 “For I was hungered and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger and ye took me in: “ Matthew 25:36 “Naked and ye clothed me: I was sick and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.” Matthew 25:37 “Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?” Matthew 25:38 “When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?” Matthew 25:39 “Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?” Matthew 25:40 “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” Matthew 25:42 “For I was hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:” Matthew 25:43
“ I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.” Matthew 25:44 “Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?” Matthew 25:45 “Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.” Matthew 25:46 “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”
We cannot deny Jesus as Creator at the beginning and as Judge at the end. The evidence is overwhelming.
He saved the entire world who will accept Him when He gave His body to die on the cross. He healed the sick, opened blind eyes, raised the dead, calmed the raging sea, walked on the water. He forgave those guilty of sin.
He arose from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion. He established the church the 40 days He walked on the earth after His resurrection.
He promised to prepare us a place in heaven. He promised to come again and set up His kingdom on the earth for 1000 years.
What more proof do we need? At His baptism His Father spoke from heaven and said in Matthew 3:17 “And lo a voice came from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” At the transfiguration the Father spoke again about Jesus. Read Matthew 17 verses 1 through 8 to get the whole impact. I will give one verse here Matthew 17:5 “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”
JESUS AS
OMNISCIENCE
In Webster’s dictionary it says omniscience means infinite knowledge. From the Bible it means Wisdom to the utmost degree.
Wisdom is not something you study to get. True Wisdom is a gift from God. Knowledge is accumulated learning. Wisdom is received by prayer from God. We can read about this in James 1:5 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
In Matthew 13 verses 53 and 54 we see fantastic Wisdom operating through Jesus. Matthew 13:53 “And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.” Matthew 13:54 “And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?” Almost the same Scripture is in Mark 6:2. Luke 2:40 speaks of His great Wisdom even as a child. Luke2:40 “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.”
Some places in the Bible Wisdom is capitalized showing us it is of Jesus. In the book of James we see how wisdom manifests itself James 3:17 “ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”
In Matthew 12:42 we see an explanation of Jesus’ Wisdom being far greater than the most wise man who ever lived (Solomon). Matthew 12:42 “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here”. 2nd Chronicles 1:12 Speaks of the gifts God gives Solomon. 2nd Chronicles 1:12 “Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.”
There are numerous Scriptures where Jesus knows the thoughts of people. Matthew 9:4 “And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?” Matthew 12:25 is another example. I will give just the first line of. Matthew 12:25” And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, … “ Jesus looks into their hearts in Mark 2:8 “And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?” We read how Jesus knew all men in John 2:24 “But Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men,”
In John 1:48 Jesus tells Nathanael where he was before they told him of Jesus. John 1:48 “Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee” In John 4: Jesus tells the woman at the well of her past life. Read all of chapter 4 of John to get the full impact.
You see, Jesus is all Wisdom. He knows everything about everyone past, present and future.
In John 16:30 The apostles finally realize that Jesus knows everything. John 16:30
“Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.” It says it all in Colossians 2:3 “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
Every thing that Jesus spoke on this earth spoke of His Wisdom. The parables are a good example of His vast Wisdom. No other preacher has ever been able to compare their sermons to His. He is Wisdom to the utmost.
THE NAMES JESUS
USED
Bread
Jesus was born in
John 6:32 “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.” John 6:33 “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world.” John 6:34 “Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.” John 6:35 “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” John 6:48 “I am that bread of life.”
One of the most important feasts the followers of Jesus and the Jews celebrated was the Feast of Unleavened Bread which overlaps the Passover. Mark 14:1 “After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.” Matthew 26:26 “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.” Jesus says the same thing in Mark 14:22. Jesus was without sin. Leaven speaks of sin. The communion bread must be without leaven to represent the sinless body of Jesus. Luke 22:19 “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.”
A strange message Jesus gave to His closest followers that caused
many of them to turn away and follow Him no more is found in John 6:48-60. John
6:48 “I am that bread of life.” John 6:49 “Your fathers did eat manna in the
wilderness, and are dead.” John 6:50 “This is the bread which cometh down from
heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.” John 6:51 “I am the living
bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live
for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the
life of the world.” John 6:52 “The Jews therefore strove among themselves,
saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” John 6:53 “Then Jesus said
unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of
man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” John 6:54 “Whosoever eateth
my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at
the last day.” John 6:55 “For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink
indeed.” John 6:56 “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in
me, and I in him.” John 6:57 “As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by
the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” John 6:58 “This is
that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and
are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.” John 6:59 “These
things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in
I believe we have proven with these Scriptures that Jesus is the Unleavened (without sin) Bread. When we take communion, we are symbolically taking of the sinless body of Jesus.
The manna which fell from heaven was symbolic of the body of Jesus. Manna means “what is it”.
ROCK
1 Corinthians 10:3 “And did all eat the same spiritual meat;” 1 Corinthians 10:4 “And did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”
When the children of
The following is the reference for the smiting of the Rock: Exodus 17:6 “Behold, I will stand before
thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there
shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the
elders of
The following is the reference to speak to the Rock: Numbers 20:8 “Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.”
Not only does the Rock symbolize Jesus but so does the Water.
LIGHT
Jesus is not “a” Light. He is “the” Light. In Genesis, the Light was applied to the earth first so that the Light of Jesus could give all of the rest of His creation the power to exist. Genesis 1:3 “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” This Light is the source of all light.
We read in John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
Again in John 9:5 “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
In Matthew 4:16, we read of all believers receiving that Light. “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.”
In John 1:4, we read: “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”
We see in the next Scripture a time when we will not need the sun or moon for light. Revelation 21:23 “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” Verse 24 goes on to say “And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it:”
1 Peter 2:6 “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.” This is speaking of Jesus.
1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:” 1 Peter 2:10 “Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
It is this marvelous Light of Jesus that shows us our errors and causes us to repent. This same Light gives illumination to the path Jesus would have us take which leads to life eternal in heaven with Him.
SHEPHERD
To get the full impact of Jesus as Shepherd, it would be good to
read all of chapter 10 of
In Psalms chapter 23, we read who the Shepherd is. David wrote the 23rd Psalms. It begins: Psalms 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” Psalms 23:2 “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” Psalms 23:3 “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalms 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Psalms 23:5 “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” Psalms 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Jesus is the Shepherd and we, Christians, are His sheep. He saves us and secures our place in heaven for us.
SPOKEN AND WRITTEN
WORD