Who Do You Say Jesus Is? (Part 2)

Notes
Transcript
Handout

Intro

Text - Matthew 16.13-16; 2 Peter 3.18; Ephesians 4.13;
Matthew 16:13–16 NKJV
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
2 Peter 3:18 NKJV
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
Ephesians 4:13 NKJV
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
Title - Growing in the Knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ
Series - Who Do You Say Jesus Is? (Part 2)

Background

Why I decided to make this a series -
I came to recognize the significance of having the right knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ
I am growing in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ
My first sermon on this title needed more substance -
I focused on how true knowledge defines our relationship with God and our actions as Christians
My goal from here on is to give more substance to our understanding of the Deity of Jesus Christ.
Our knowledge of the Son of God should be growing
if you are a new or young Christian
even if you are a mature Christian

Importance of growing in the knowledge of Christ

1.) Our knowledge of Christ is the foundation of our relationship with God
better - “mutual knowledge” - He knows us, and we know Him
John 10:14 NKJV
14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
2.) Growth in knowledge means growth in relationship
Philippians 3:12 NKJV
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
Philippians 3:12 NIV
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Philippians 3:12 NLT
12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.

Key Questions

Is our knowledge of Jesus Christ growing?
How do we know whether our recent knowledge about Jesus Christ is really “growth”?

The right and wrong ways of measuring this growth

The wrong way
growth means more knowledge
growth means new understanding
The Right Way - Growth is progress
Progress in one’s understanding of Christ
from mere human, to MORE than human
2 Corinthians 5:16 NKJV
16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.
Progress in one’s estimation of Christ
John 16:13–14 NKJV
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
the Holy Spirit will “grlorify” Christ

Biblical Growth in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ

Is our knowledge of Jesus Christ growing?

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God

Matthew 16:16 NKJV
16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Note - this was a direct revelation from God
What did the Jesus believed about the Messiah?
The Christ was the Son of David
Matthew 22:41–46 NKJV
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying: 44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” ’? 45 If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” 46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.
but did David call Him “Lord”?
The Christ was called the Son of David because -
He was to come through the lineage of Judah
He will ascend the throne which God gave to David
The Christ will be the Son of God!
Hence, the Father revealed this to Peter
To receive Him is the Christ is to acknowledge Him as the Son of God.

Jesus is the Son of God

What does the title “Son of God” mean?
Son of God means “He came from God”
The Jews reject Jesus’ testimony of Himself
John 8:13–14 NKJV
13 The Pharisees therefore said to Him, “You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.” 14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.
The Jews ask who His Father was
John 8:18–19 NKJV
18 I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.” 19 Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”
John 8:21–24 NKJV
21 Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews said, “Will He kill Himself, because He says, ‘Where I go you cannot come’?” 23 And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
“I AM FROM ABOVE”
except you believe that I am [from above]...”
Jesus esblished His Sonship
He “proceeded forth” and “came from” God
John 8:41–42 NKJV
41 You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.” 42 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.
proceeded - to go out; exit
Jesus affirmed the disciples’ faith
John 16:27–28 NKJV
27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. 28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”
Son of God means He was “equal with God”
The Jews could not accept Jesus’ claim that God was His Father
John 5:17–18 NKJV
17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” 18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
Son of God means “equal with God”
equal - does not mean another person of God
equal - means having the same quality, value or measure as another
John 10:30–37 NKJV
30 I and My Father are one.” 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’? 35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;
I am and My Father are One
you make yourself God
I am the Son of God
Son of God means He was the Logos
Note:
Matthew - Jesus, the Son of David, Sonf of Abraham
Mark - Son of God
Luke - Son of Man
John - the Logos, the Son of God
John’s account = from beginning to present
John 1:1–4 NKJV
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
John 1:14 NKJV
14 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.
Paul’s account - from the present back to the beginning
Colossians 1:13–17 NKJV
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
That Jesus is the Son of God means He is ALSO the Logos from the beginning.
John’s and Paul’s revelations “match”
John 1:14 NKJV
14 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.
the word “mas made” flesh
grk. GINOMAI
Philippians 2:5–7 NKJV
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
from the form of God (logos) to the form of man (flesh)
“coming” in the likeness of man
grk. GINOMAI

Conclusion

True growth in the knowledge of Jesus Christ is PROGRESS in understanding of His person
True growth in the knowledge of Jesus Christ leads to unity of understanding among true believers
Ephesians 4:12–13 NKJV
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
the 5-fold ministry will not divide, but UNITE the saints in their knowledge of the Son of God
Song - Knowing You Jesus
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