Group Notes | May 21
Not My Jesus: Who Did Jesus Say That He Is?
May 21, 2017
Pastor Jonathan Falwell
Open:
Many people are skeptical of facts presented to them unless they can see for them-selves they are hearing the truth. Can you give an example from your own life?
This week we continue to examine the truth that Jesus Christ was/is, indeed, God, come in the flesh to the earth. We have looked at the skepticism surrounding His being the only begotten Son of God, even when He declared that He was the Messiah. Let’s study what Jesus Himself said about His deity, to determine if He was a fraud, a prophet or whether “truly, this Man was (is) the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39).
Focal Passage: John 8:12-58
Discuss:
The Light of the World
- Read verse 12. What did Jesus claim in this verse? Where does this light lead?
- Read Isaiah 9:2. How did Jesus fulfill this prophecy? How does He dispel the darkness that is in one’s soul prior to salvation?
God Incarnate
- In verse 23, where was Jesus saying He was from?
- John 1:14 gives what fact?
- Read John 14:9-11. How much plainer could Jesus have spoken?
The Messiah
- Read verses 25-28. Jesus knew He was going to die because of His claims. Would He have made such statements if He were not the Christ? Why?
- Read John 4: 25, 26, and Matt. 8:28,29. Were these two accounts valid? Why?
- Why did the religious leaders want to kill Him?
The Word
- Read John 1:1-4. Who is being referred to in this verse, and how do we know?
- Read Col. 1:15-17: How do these verses about Jesus Christ back up His claims to have been the Creator God?
The Sent One
- Verse 42: What does Jesus state to the religious leaders here? Again, does He know His life is on the line with these statements?
Close:
One of the greatest debates in all of history is a simple question: was/is Jesus Christ who He claimed to be: the Son of the living God? If a person will read the Bible, making notes of the facts it presents, they will find that it states He was God manifest in flesh, who came to the earth fully God and fully man, healed every kind of disease, raised the dead, taught, lived a sinless life in order to pay the penalty for sin for any who would accept the free gift of grace, was crucified, buried and rose again; was seen by many witnesses after the resurrection, and returned to heaven to wait until it is time for Him to return for believers. That is a lot of facts to base rejection on! Especially so, considering there were witnesses to almost all of it. And yet, people want proof. As we learned early in this series, no true historian rejects the evidence that Jesus lived. But was He the Son of God, a good man, a prophet, or a fraud? The quandary usually comes when unbelievers reject Him because they cannot reconcile that He is love, and yet allows evil to exist. But proof—which is something that is seen—is not faith, and “without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6) In the final analysis of a study of Jesus, it comes down to a decision: will the reader believe that Jesus knows who He says He is—the great I AM—or will they reject Him because life has dealt some hard blows? The biggest proof there will ever be is watching a wretched soul turn their life over to Jesus, and then seeing the new life emerge. What more proof could anyone ask than the complete healing of a soul? Do His bidding: seek those who are lost and introduce them to the Savior!
Memory Verses: John 8:12: “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” through whom also He made the worlds.”
Study: Take some time at home to look up passages on “Light,” and find out how many times Jesus is spoken of as the light. Go to www.biblegateway.com or www.blueletterbible.org and find passages that will make the study on Jesus come alive for you! The deeper you go, the more you will want to learn!