October 1, 2017
taught by Ken McGarvey
First Baptist Church of Tellico Village, Tennessee
First, let’s talk about his claim to be Messiah. Messiah means “anointed one” or “chosen one.” To anoint is to smear with oil or grease, and it was done to objects and people ceremonially. In Judaism, worship items in the Tabernacle were anointed with holy oil, consecrating them to the service of the Lord. Then Aaron was anointed as priest. When Saul was chosen to be the king of Israel, the prophet Samuel anointed him with oil, dedicating him to the kingship.
The Israelites were taught by the prophets that there was a coming Messiah, who would deliver the nation from their current struggles. This Messiah was anointed by God for the purpose of providing to the nation that deliverance. When talking with the woman at the well, Jesus claimed Messiahship. The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will explain everything to us.” “I am ⌊He⌋,” Jesus told her, “the One speaking to you.” (John 4:25–26) But I don’t think they at any time believed he would be deity.
I want to concentrate on Jesus’ claims to be God. In the Gospel of John we read several times of his divinity, from both John’s words and those of Jesus himself. He begins right at the beginning of the book, verses 1 through 14. The Word was in the beginning, he was with God and he was God. He made all things. Then the Word became flesh and lived among us. The Word, of course, was Jesus.
Jesus claimed to be the only way to the Father (John 14:6) He said he is the door, the gate, the only way into God’s flock. He claimed the ability to give water that would allow one to never thirst again. He claimed to be the Bread (sustenance) of life. He accepted worship from people. When Thomas addressed him as “my Lord and my God,” he accepted it. Probably the most powerful claim (and the most offensive to his enemies) was in John 8:58, when he said, “Before Abraham was, I Am.” He was not only claiming to be older than Abraham, but he used the name of God given at the burning bush, when God said to Moses, “I am. Tell the Israelites that ‘I am’ has sent me to you.”
Many people think Jesus did not claim to be God in the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke); however, though it wasn’t as direct, it is still there. All of them record Jesus healing the paralyzed man (Matthew 9:2–8). He first announced that the man’s sins were forgiven. Then, he said he knew what they were thinking, he healed him in order to show that he has the power to forgive sins. Since only God can do that, it was a claim to be God.
All of them also record the baptism of Jesus, when God the Father speaks aloud, proclaiming Jesus as his son (Mark 1:9–11). Also at the transfiguration, when Jesus took Peter, James and John up on a mountain and was transfigured in front of them, and Moses and Elijah joined them (Luke 9:28–36). God said to them, “This is my beloved son; listen to him.” That’s pretty direct.
Was Jesus always the Son of God? Was he the “son” before he was born on earth?
Two recent books (When Jesus Became God, Richard Rubenstein, 2000 and How Jesus Became God, Bart Ehrman, 2014) simply cover what many have always believed — that Jesus was a man whose followers exalted him after his death until he became a legend, and they finally believed that he was God. Some have asked, “How old was Jesus when he first realized he was God?”
God didn’t find a good man on earth and make him into God, a savior. God sent the second person of the Godhead into the world to become a man and become the savior of mankind. When we speak of the Incarnation we mean God becoming man — Jesus was God incarnate. The word comes from the Latin carnalis, meaning “flesh.” The incarnation means God became flesh. The Son was always God. He created the world and everything in it. A doubter asked a believer, “Jesus was a carpenter? Is there anything he made that’s still here?” The believer replied, “Is there anything here that he didn’t make?” John 1:3 says, All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.
Although many of the unbelieving critics tell us that it was long after his life on earth that people began to deify Jesus, two of the Gospels were written by members of Jesus’ inner group, and the others were early followers of him shortly after his resurrection. And, while the Gospels weren’t written until likely the early 60s, the oral traditions were significant in their contribution to the knowledge of the writers.
For information on the dates and trustworthiness of these writings, I recommend The Case for Christ, by Lee Strobel, 1998. Or watch the movie by the same name, which came out last year.
Matthew and John were among Jesus’ 12 disciples/apostles. Mark was very close to Peter, and Luke was very close to Paul. Hence all were extremely knowledgeable of Jesus’ life and teachings.
For many years Christians were persecuted both officially by the Roman government and by people in various places where the Church grew, for various reasons. During those nearly 200 years of persecution the church leaders didn’t have the time or the means to try to get together from locations hundreds, or even thousands of miles apart. When Constantine made Christianity legal, and eventually the official religion of the empire, Christian leaders finally had time to get together and settle some important issues.
Why were Christians persecuted? Because it seems to be human nature to not trust anything different from us, or from what we always believed or practiced. The Romans believed in many gods. Because the Christians rejected the Roman gods, they were considered atheists. Because their group grew quickly, the local Romans felt threatened. And for two thousand years, Christians persecuted those who claimed to be Christian but believed and or practiced differently from those in power.
A man named Arius had been teaching his followers that Jesus was created by the Father at a point in time; that he is more than a man, but less than God. Many church leaders disputed that idea, so a council was called of church leaders to settle the controversy. In 325 they met at Nicea, a city in present day Turkey. They determined after much study and discussion that Arianism was wrong, and came up with a statement. Another church council, held in 381, clarified and expanded a little on the first statement. Many churches regularly recite the Nicene Creed, which is as follows:
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds (æons), Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; he was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; from thence he shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spake by the prophets. In one holy catholic and apostolic Church; we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Historically, Baptists have considered themselves to be a “non-creedal” people. We believe the Bible, but every church is sovereign, and answers to God on how they understand the Bible and follow it in their lives. However, most evangelical Baptist churches would have no problem with the Nicene Creed, and pastors occasionally refer to it in their preaching.