Second Lesson of a Seven Lesson Series
Following Jesus as the Way means following His example and teaching. He said:
"... If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine." - John 8:31
Jesus chided the people of His day who claimed to accept Him as Lord, but disregarded His teaching.
"And why do you call me 'Lord, Lord', and do not do what I say?" - Luke 6:46
The life and teaching of Jesus are found in the first four books of the New Testament - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Other books of the New Testament are also the teaching of Jesus, for He revealed it by the Holy Spirit through men like Peter and Paul. Paul wrote:
"If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment." - 1 Corinthians 14:37
The Bible is the only dependable source of information about Jesus. Producers of films and authors of novels take many liberties in dealing with stories about Him. Many parents and acquaintances who talk to us about Jesus have never made a serious study of the Bible. Often preachers and teachers who have studied the Bible for years add so many of their own opinions and philosophies that we can scarcely know what is from the Bible and what is not; the fact that they differ so widely is proof that many are mistaken. It is essential, therefore, that each of us make our own study of the original source of truth concerning Jesus.
The Bible is divided into two major parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. the writing of the Old Testament was completed 400 years before Jesus was born, yet it contains many things about Him. The Old Testament provides glimpses of Jesus in a pre-fleshly state. When God was creating man, He said to another divine being:
"Let Us make man in Our image." - Gen 1:26
The New Testament identifies this divine being as "the Word."
"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 came into being by Him, and apart from him nothing came into being..." - John 1:1-3
The Old Testament predicts His birth of a virgin.
"Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel." - Isaiah 7:14
The name Immanuel means "God with us" (Matthew 1:23). The Old Testament even predicts the place of His birth in Micah 5:2.
The New Testament records the fulfillment of the Old Testament predictions. John testifies:
"IAnd the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." - John 1:14
Four writers give accounts of His life. These accounts are commonly called the Gospels, a word that means "good news." Each of the writers seems to emphasize something different about Jesus.
Though different, the gospels give a perfectly harmonious description of one person, the greatest of history.
No one can know JESUS, THE WAY who has not read these records carefully. Reading them, we may well be surprised to find how far the real Jesus differs from the imaginary one who has been created in our minds by the misinformation so commonly circulated among us.
The gospels do not contain all the teaching of Jesus. They report only the teaching that He did while on earth. This had to be limited to what His disciples could comprehend in the shor time He was with them. Before He left them, He told them of the arrangement by which He would continue to speak to them:
"I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you." - John 16:12-14
The Holy Spirit came upon them soon after Jesus returned to Heaven.
"And they were all filled with the Holy Sprit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance." - Acts 2:4
This means that the preaching and writing of the inspired apostles, which we find in the remainder of the New Testament, are as much the teaching of Jesus as what we read in the gospels. The apostle Paul wrote:
"If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment." - 1 Corinthians 14:37
The revelation of Jesus and His teaching in the New Testament is complete. The writers warned:
"But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed." - Galatians 1:8
The writer of the last book of the New Testament gives warning:
"I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book." - Revelation 22:18
Though many things about Jesus are foretold and foreshadowed in the Old Testament, it is in the New that god speaks to us through Him.
". . .God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world." - Hebrews 1:1-2
This means that we mus not go back to the Old Testament to learn how to follow Jesus, the Way. The law was intended simply to bring us to Jesus.
"Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor." - Galatians 3:24-25
Questions?
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