JESUS IS THE AMEN

 JESUS IS THE AMEN OF GOD

TEXT: “The words of the Amen of God, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.”  Revelation 3:14

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament words says the meaning of the word “amen” is closely associated with truth. When God says amen , it means that “it is and it shall be so” while affirming the absolute truth and reliability of the truth conveyed! When man says “amen” it is simply affirming that he acquiesces to the truths being conveyed.

Jesus often began His statements with the word “amen,” followed by “I say to you.” You are familiar with the words verily, verily or truly truly, right? The word “amen” means that exactly. Jesus spoke with absolute authority and truth and reliability. You could trust His words for His words were reliable and trustworthy. John 3:3; 5:25-30; and 6:26-27 are great examples.

In our text Jesus is called the Amen of God.

• He is the ultimate truth. 

• He is the very essence of truth. 

• He taught the truth. 

• He embodied the truth.

• He is the fountainhead of all truth.

• He is the faithful and true witness.

• We have full assurance that His words are true and trustworthy.

• He is the definitive truth. 

He is the truth about God, salvation, life, judgment and eternity.

And to Him, we simply respond and say “Amen - so let it be.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYQ1wVkwhsIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYQ1wVkwhsI 

JESUS THE APOSTLE

 JESUS THE APOSTLE

TEXT: “Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.”  Hebrews 3:1 

Doesn’t sound quite right when we refer to Jesus as the Apostle, does it? Yet the Bible in Hebrews 3:1 calls Him just that. We are used to referring to the Apostle Paul or Peter as an apostle but not Jesus. And this is the only place in the entire Bible where he is referred to as an apostle.

The word Apostle literally means three things:

• One who has been sent by someone else.

• One who is on a particular mission.

• One who is sent with sufficient power and authority to accomplish his mission.

Does Jesus fit that description? He fits it perfectly!

• He was sent by the Father in heaven.

• He was sent to die for the sins of His people.

• He was sent with all authority and power and resources to accomplish His mission.

He fulfilled all three characteristics nicely!

Thank God for the Apostleship of Jesus Christ!

The Martins - You'll Never Walk Alone (Live In Columbia, TN/2020) 

JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

TEXT: “Again Jesus spoke to them saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of light.”   John 8:12

Jesus made this profound statement just after the encounter with the woman caught in adultery. She was living in darkness and had been caught in the very act of adultery. The Pharisees and religious leaders who had exposed her wanted to stone her for her dark deeds. Jesus stood up to them and looked them squarely in the eye and said, “he that is without sin in his life, he who has not walked in darkness, he who is not a sinner --- let him cast the first stone.”

Do you know what happened? They looked at their own life, their own darkness and one by one they each walked away! All people who live in the darkness of sin, of life without God, without Christ, need light. Spiritual light! Spiritual truth. And that light is Christ Himself!

After all her accusers left, Jesus turned to the woman and asked her, “where are all your accusers? Where are all those who wanted to stone you?” She said surprisingly, “they are all gone.” They walked away because the Light exposed their darkness as well.

Has Jesus ever exposed your darkness?

Tired of living in spiritual darkness?

Did you walk away?

Or did you turn to Him in faith and accepted the light He offers?

You need to be more concerned about your own sins than you are the sins of others!

The Light of the World Is Jesus  

JESUS IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD

 THE GOOD SHEPHERD

TEXT: “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep.”

John 10:11

Good shepherds in the days of Jesus were hard to come by. The reasons are many but shepherding a flock of sheep was and is hard work. Sheep are stubborn and fickle. They easily wander off. They are always straggling as they move. They are unable to defend themselves. They need the constant care and attention of a good shepherd.

A good shepherd cannot be afraid of hard and constant labor.

He cannot be a clock watcher.

He must be willing to lead and feed his sheep. He must care for the wounded.He must go find the lost, wandering sheep and return it to the fold. He must protect the sheep from all kinds of dangers.It required long, long hours.  And the pay was minimal, at best.

The reputation of shepherds was not great.

There was a high turnover rate in shepherding.

But there was one Good Shepherd and His name was Jesus and He cares for His sheep.

He calls them by name.

He leads them. He feeds them.He protects them from all dangers.

He gave His life for His sheep!

Compare Psalm 23 with John 10:10-14.

Then --- thank God for the Good Shepherd!

Gentle Shepherd/Leaning On The Everlasting Arms (Medley) 

THE BELOVED OF GOD

 THE BELOVED OF GOD

TEXT: “And behold, a voice came from heaven and said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  Matthew 3:17

John the Baptist is called the forerunner of Christ. He was a cousin of Jesus and cared deeply for him. As Jesus began His public ministry He went to John and asked John the Baptist to baptize Him. Not because of His sins for He had none. Not because of any other reason than to inaugurate His ministry and set an example for all others to follow. In Matthew 3:15, Jesus said “suffer it to be so, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”

 Here we see that Jesus was the great King whose coming the Lord has called John to announce and prepare men for that arrival.  Here He was anointed for service and granted strength for ministry. It was a visible, confirming sign to John and to everyone else who witnessed that baptism that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah!

Jesus is called the beloved because of the Father’s great love for the Son. The Greek word is “agapetos” which connotes a deep, rich and profound relationship the Father had with the Son. No imperfection was found in Him or His ministry. God the Father looked down from heaven and was well pleased with His Son. The phrase is used again in Matthew 17:5 and John 12:28.

Jesus is the beloved of God who came into this world to save sinners such as myself. And God loved Him for it! Ephesians 1:6 says we are accepted in the beloved ---meaning in Christ alone!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11h8R6s35R0 

The Beloved was always in the arms of God!

THE COMPANION OF JESUS

 THE COMPANION OF JESUS

TEXT: “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my Chosen, in whom my soul delights; I will put my Spirit upon Him; and he will bring forth justice to the nations.”  Isaiah 42:1

As Jesus lived His life upon the earth, He had a constant companion, who was none other than the Holy Spirit. The prophet Isaiah spoke of the Messiah (anointed one) in several different places in his book: 11:2, 42:1, and 62:1). 

In the Gospel of John we find these words in 3:34 “For He whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.” Jesus was given the Spirit without measure and the Holy Spirit filled and directed His life every step of the way. Everything He did. Every word He spoke. Every ministry He performed. The Holy Spirit was by His side enabling and empowering.

We see this in the Incarnation in Luke 1:31-35. Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit. 

At His baptism, Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit. Mark 1:10 and that divine anointment sustained Him in all of His public ministry

The temptation of Christ in the wilderness? Led by the Spirit. Mark 1;12 and Luke 4:1

His preaching was accompanied by the Spirit: Luke 4:14-21; 28-29; John 7:46

Even in His death Jesus was accompanied by the Spirit. Hebrews 9:14 speaks of Christ “who through His eternal Spirit, offered Himself without blemish, to God.”

Question: Is the Holy Spirit of God your constant companion?

Are you led and enabled and empowered by the Holy Spirit?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BagH-zTfnsQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BagH-zTfnsQ 

THE FAITH OF JESUS

 THE FAITH OF JESUS

TEXT: “Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.”  Psalm 22:9

Psalm 22 is a Messianic psalm which speaks of the life and death of the Messiah. As a man Jesus walked and lived by faith. The gift of faith belonged preeminently to the Lord Jesus and His life and His example is the greatest example of believing faith.

The following quote is a tad long but well worth the contemplation. It was made by a Baptist preacher named J C Philpot (1802-1869):

“There is not a grace or fruit of the Spirit possessed by His people that the Lord Himself did not possess without measure.Jesus was a man of unusual faith;

Faith in all its actings

Hope in all its anchorings

Love in all its flowings

Patience in all its endurings

Humility in all its submittings

Prayer in all its supplications

Praise in all its adorings

Obedience in all its yieldings

Holiness in all its flames and 

Worship in all its fervor … all, all of these graces and fruits of the Spirit are seen shining forth as heavenly light in the personal experience of the Lord Jesus.”

Jesus was an obedient Son on this earth who walked totally by faith and not by sight!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6ZdC09e7MI