The Supremacy of Christ

The Supremacy of Christ, Islam and Judaism

I.                   Islam

A.               General opinion:

1.                 Messiah called so by the Quran Surah 3:45

2.                 A Prophet called so by the Quran Quran 19:30

3.                 Word from God  Quran 3:45

B.               Major denial Son of God (you must understand this vital point!)

II.                Judaism

A.               General opinions

1.                 False Prophet , Great Rabbi, True Prophet

a.                 Early Talmudic writings written to justify the Sanhedrin

b.                 Rambam even called Jesus a prophet

c.                  Other Rabbis of old have called him a great Rabbi       

2.                 Jesus’ a major issue for the Jew (Christian must learn to relate this truth to the Jews)

B.               Hidden reflections of Messiah’s greatness

1.                 Talmud allusions

a.                 His preexistence

(1)             B’reshet Rabbati “It is taught : The Seven Things were created before the world began ,the Tora, Repentance, the Garden of Eden, Genhenna, The Throne of God, the Temple, and the name of Messiah.”

(2)             Peskita Rabba “You find at the beginning of the world King Messiah was born and that he emerged in the thought of God even before the world was created.” 

b.                 Coming in the clouds (The son of Man)

(1)             Targum to 1 Chron 3:24 “Anani is [he of the clouds] is King Messiah , who will in the future reveal himself”

III.             The Scriptural view of Messiah in The letter to the Hebrews

A.               God spoke

1.                 Through the Prophets - (the dative of instrumentality)

a.                 In times past - previously

b.                 In various ways and sundry time - partial

c.                  To the Fathers

B.               God has spoken

1.                 His Son the Superior Messenger (the dative of instrumentality)

a.                 Heir of all things

b.                 The Shekhiniah

(1)               Jesus was the Shekhiniah glory walking on earth see Jn 1;14

(2)             the history of the Shekhiniah

(a)              Gen 15:12-15

(b)             Ex 3:1-5

(c)              Ex 34:5-9

(d)             Eze 9:3

(e)              Eze 10:4,18-19

(f)               Eze 11:22-23

c.                  The upholder of the Universe “who upholding or bearing up - ferwn te ta panta

2.                 Greater than the Angels v.4-14

(1)             v. 5   κεκληρονόμηκεν is perfect tense he has inherited  and continues to inherit “Greater name in Verse 4 is “Son”

(2)             Did he ever say

Discuss the term “ Son” in relation to Angels and Israel

Look at Ex 4:20 Hos 1:10                                                      

(a)              Psalm 2                v. 5

i)                   regarded as referring to Messiah by the Jews 

a)                 The Targum of this Psalm

ii)                An odd quote for the LXX of Psa 97:7       v.6 See Neh 9:6

(b)             Another O.T. evidence of Messiah’s deity v.s 8-9                    Cf. Psalm 45:6-7

i)                   regarded as referring to Messiah by the Jews

a)                 The Targum of this Psalm

IV.            Application

A.               He is worthy of our obedience

B.               He is worthy of our worship (As A Jew I would be the worst blasphemer if Jesus was not God)

C.               He is worthy of our trust