Arnie and Fred begin this episode by discussing the various questions that arose concerning who Jesus was in the first century. We note that these same questions are asked today. Jesus had asked the question of His apostles, "Who do men say that I am?" We look at the occasions that Matthew, Mark and Luke recorded what was said. John didn't record this particular occasion. But he did record a number of the miracles Jesus performed and who men recognized Jesus to be. John also referred to Jesus as the Nazarene and there is a short discussion of the significance of this term. Throughout this episode we talk about what John recorded. We note that Jesus' name was a common one in the first century and we look at a number of men who went by that name that we find in the Bible. Jesus used various expressions to refer to Himself as well. We begin to look at these but run out of time before completing our discussion. We will begin the next episode by looking at the terms Jesus used to refer to Himself. Take about 30-minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your Bible handy so you can verify what we are saying. There is a transcript of this Buzzsprout episode provided for your convenience.
Arnie and Fred begin this episode by discussing the various questions that arose concerning who Jesus was in the first century. We note that these same questions are asked today. Jesus had asked the question of His apostles, "Who do men say that I am?" We look at the occasions that Matthew, Mark and Luke recorded what was said. John didn't record this particular occasion. But he did record a number of the miracles Jesus performed and who men recognized Jesus to be. John also referred to Jesus as the Nazarene and there is a short discussion of the significance of this term. Throughout this episode we talk about what John recorded. We note that Jesus' name was a common one in the first century and we look at a number of men who went by that name that we find in the Bible. Jesus used various expressions to refer to Himself as well. We begin to look at these but run out of time before completing our discussion. We will begin the next episode by looking at the terms Jesus used to refer to Himself. Take about 30-minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your Bible handy so you can verify what we are saying. There is a transcript of this Buzzsprout episode provided for your convenience.
This is a presentation of the Woodland church of Christ meeting at 3370 Broad Street in Sumter, South Carolina. We meet for worship on Sunday at ten thirty am and five thirty pm. We meet for bible study at nine thirty am on Sunday, and seven pm on Wednesday. If you have questions or comments on this lesson, you may email them to Fred Gosnell at fgosnell@ftc-i.net Or to Arnie Granke at agranke440718@twc.com.
Arnie:Good afternoon. This is Arnie Granke and Fred Gosnell, this is what does the Bible say, brought to you by the church of Christ at Woodland, in Sumter, South Carolina. And if you happen to be in the Sumter area, perhaps in the military at Shaw Air Force Base for a while, we hope that you'll come and worship and study with us on the Lord's day and on Wednesdays. And if you just happen to be touring the area, we would welcome you as as well. Fred, I'm thinking in terms of some of the thoughts that people had in the New Testament about, about Jesus, who he was and what he did, and, and whatnot. Why don't we spend several sessions talking about that? And, you know, just who is this Jesus?
Fred Gosnell:Yes. Well, you know, ever since Jesus came on the scene, that was that was a question that a lot of people had, you know, who is Jesus? Who is this Jesus? Who is this
Arnie:Everybody from the chief priest down to the
Fred Gosnell:Who is this Son of God? So, and Jesus asked the question of his disciples in Matthew 16, and 13, through 20, beginning in verse 13, it says, When Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples saying, Who do men say that I, the Son of Man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elijah and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of living God. And Jesus answered and said, unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon bar Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto you, but my Father which is in heaven But I, and I say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it, and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Then charged his disciples that they should not should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. Course, the term Christ is is the Koine Greek term, meaning Messiah. In the Old Testament, Hebrew, Messiah would be another word, meaning same thing. So so. So Peter had had, and His apostles had witnessed that some of the some of the things that Jesus had had done, but Jesus tells Simon says, Well, my Father has revealed that to you. So that's an inspired statement that Peter made. And then he said, Well, don't tell anybody this yet. Because there was some more work that Jesus had to do. And of course, throughout the time Jesus was there, there were people that kept asking, well, who is this Jesus? Who is the Son of God? And, of course, we get the same thing today. Not much has changed, even though we have lots of evidence that tell us who he who he is, as they did in the first century, they had lots of evidence, miraculous things, and people still ask the question and still didn't believe He was who He said He was
Arnie:lots lots of lots of passages in the New Testament about him and there's a good bit that doesn't name him in the Old Testament, prophecies and and so forth. But when people want to know who that is, and just evidence that they haven't been studying the Bible very, very much there. So the fact of the business is that Jesus' question, Who do men say that I am?; is recorded in all three of the Synoptic Gospels? Let me just you mentioned a term here. synoptic is a term that is often used with regard to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, because they generally write about the same, the same things with regard to Christ. They're not all the identical. Each one offers information that the other two don't include And so, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tend to be more biographical with regard to Christ; gives you from, from the beginning of his life to the end of his life here on on Earth, and then a little bit beyond that. And, and it's sort of a biography. John is different, because John tells you a number of, of events that that Jesus performed or things that occurred to him, that that proved him to be the Son of God. John starts out by saying, In the beginning was the Word and Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. And and I take that to be the statement that he uses, that he's going to spend the rest of the book of John, proving that, showing you from evidence, who Jesus is. Let me just go to Mark chapter eight there and and tell you a little bit about what what Mark has, has said there and with regard to Christ beginning in verse 27, Jesus went out and his disciples into the towns of Caesarea Philippi. So Caesarea Philippi, is not a city itself. It's a sort of a, a county, more of a county with a number of villages, and, and so forth in it. And, by the way, he asked his disciples saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? And they answered John the Baptist, but some say Elijah, and others one of the prophets. And he saith to them, But whom say ye than I am? And Peter answered and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. And I think you're exactly right, that he needed to show more evidence before people were ready to accept him as being the
Fred Gosnell:Yes. And Luke, has an account there in Luke chapter Christ. nine, verses 18, through through 21. Now here, Luke says, beginning verse 18, And it came to pass, as he was alone, praying, His disciples were with him. And he asked him saying, Whom say the people that I am? They answering said, John the Baptist, but some say Elijah and others, that one of the old prophets has risen again. And he said unto them, But whom say ye that I am, Peter answering said, The Christ of God. And he straightway charged them and commanded them to tell no man that thing. And of course, Peter said, said the same thing, based on the evidence that he had seen, and based on what the Father, as Jesus said, told him. So Peter made an inspired statement, Jesus was the was the Messiah promised of the Old Testament. But he said, now don't tell anybody that that fact. And of course, later on, as he performed, the miracles that he performed throughout his life, then the evidence was that he was in fact, what he said he was. Course the final proof was, when he was resurrected. Of course, the His resurrection, confirmed everything that he ever said to be true. But they were not to specify that yet.
Arnie:And I think John, of course, gives his reader about as good a rundown, I think, of who men recognized Jesus to be. There were some that didn't, that would deny that. The high priest, for example, many of the Pharisees and so forth, denied everything that was obvious about about Christ. They just wanted him to be a common individual and not, and not the Messiah, because that would put them out of business. And they wanted to be in charge. Some people really love having having power over over other people, and I think that was part of their motivation there. But John tells us, you know, that there were men that recognized who Jesus in fact was, and a John tells you as much about that as any of the of the three three biographical writers, it surprises people, I think, to find out that the name of Jesus which in Greek is is Yeasus. If you'd like to look it up. It's number 2424. In Young's numerical system there, and that was a common name in in first century Israel much like Joe or Bob or Jim would be in in America, as first names. Probably one of the one of the top first first names in Israel. And there are several men by that name, that are mentioned in in the New Testament, for example, Joshua, the Old Testament military leader, is one of them. I'm looking at, at Steven being being in, in in the book of Acts, being in the, and I'm looking for my passage here. Now. I've got it. Being before the Sanhedrin Council, and he's speaking and beginning in verse 44, he said, Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen, which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus, into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David, who found favor before God and desired to find a tabernacle, for the God of Jacob. Well, that Jesus is, that's an Old Testament individual. And that's just another term for, for Joshua there in in the Old Testament. So don't get the idea that Jesus was in operation there during the Old Testament times. His arrival on the scene, his birth, began the New Testament era.
Fred Gosnell:Yes, and the Hebrew writer in the King James translation, the name Jesus is translated there, but it's not talking about Jesus, the Son of God. In Hebrews four verse eight, the Hebrew writer says, For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. And of course, that's talking about Joshua there ,the Old Testament, Joshua, not not the New Testament, Jesus. And, of course, that when we go to Joshua 1, 14, through 16, there we have the we have the record, Joshua writes, he says, Your wives, your little ones, your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of Jordan, but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valor, and help them, until the Lord hath given you, your brethren rest as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them. Then you shall return unto the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord's servant gave you on this side of Jordan toward the sunrising. And they answered Joshua saying, All that thou commandest us, we will do and whithersoever thou sendest us, us, we will go. And we will go, that's the end of the statement. Sorry,
Arnie:There's a period after that.
Fred Gosnell:But that's the that's the occasion that the Hebrew writer is talking about. So I'm not sure what the newer translations do there. Haven't haven't looked at that, but hopefully, they will have translated that Joshua. Instead of instead of Jesus,
Arnie:The apostle Paul had a an associate, who's whose name was Justus. And he's spoken of with with the name Jesus as well in in the Colossian letter Colossians chapter four. And verse 10. Aristarchus my fellow prisoner saluteth you. And Marcus sisters son to Barnabas, touching whom he received commandments, if he come unto you receive Him. And Jesus, which is called Justus. So we're not talking about the same Jesus, not Jesus, the Nazarene there, but but a man by the name of Justus, Who are of the circumcision. So that means that they were Jewish individuals, when you see a reference like that, they were there were Jewish individuals they weren't, they weren't Greek or Roman or anything of that sort. These only are my fellow workers unto the kingdom of God. which have been a comfort unto me.
Fred Gosnell:Yes. And of course, I think it's Paul was on the island of Cyprus, and there was a Jewish false prophet there. And the father of that false prophet was, his name was was Justus, I think, is in Acts 13. Verse six, says, When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was BarJesus or son of son of Jesus, son of Joshua, really, and that, that being the translation. It should be Bar Joshua would be a better translation. And that way people wouldn't wouldn't become confused. Sometimes our translators don't, don't do us a lot of favors in what they have to say,
Arnie:Kind of put us in a in a jam sometimes. So, by the way, you mentioned that Bar has to do with son of, and the people generally didn't have a surname like we have. You know, Jones, Smith, Williams, or whatever, whatever, Gosnell or Granke there. So they were they were recognized by who their father was. And and so the Bar, the Bar Gosnell for example, would would indicate that, that that, that boy was your son. You didn't have a son, but we'll give you one here in this conversation there. And in let me see here I'm looking at looking at John chapter, chapter one, and verse, verse 45. Philip had, had spent some time watching and listening to John the Baptist. And in beginning in verse 45 of John, John one, Philip finds Nathaniel, I don't know if Nathaniel was his brother, or a friend, we're not told I don't think, And saith unto him, We have found Him of whom Moses in the law and prophets did write Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathaniel said unto him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Phillip saith unto him, Come and see. We said, I said Jesus of Nazareth, the King James Version usually says, Jesus, the Nazarene there. But it's not telling you that he's, what the name of the the fact that he's a Nazarene. Ist' telling you that He's from Nazareth. And the interesting thing about that is that there are several Old Testament prophecies with regard to The Branch. And Isaiah, Jeremiah Malachi, have those have those prophecies in them. And the name of the city of Nazareth is from a Hebrew word that means The Branch. This is telling you, Jesus is The Branch and people miss that because of the miss-wording in the King James Version.
Fred Gosnell:Yes. And of course, John, John uses the word, the word Jesus, also in John chapter, chapter 18, verses four through nine. And so again, even though this is a common name, John is talking about an individual who is who is an uncommon individual. Of course, Jesus was, was one of a kind, you might say, But in John 18, beginning oin verse four, Jesus therefore knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth, then there's that word again. Arnie, Jesus, the Nazarene, Jesus the Nazarene,. Jesus saith unto them, I am he, and Judas also which betrayed him stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, and I believe that's I am is the, the he is not in the text. They went backward and fell to the ground. Then asked he them again, Whom Seek ye? And they said, Jesus, the Nazarene, of Nazareth, Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he. If therefore you seek me, let these go their way that the saying might be fulfilled which he spake of them which thou gavest me Have I lost none. And of course, again, the the name Jesus used in this sense is not just every other individual named Jesus, this is the only one uncommon individual Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Arnie:On of the ironies you know about Jesus' crucifixion is that the high priests wanted Jesus dead, they they had spoken. say in John chapter 12, for example, they had they had talked about, we got to kill this guy, and if we don't kill this guy, the the Romans are going to come and, and put us out of office and we're not going to be able to boss people around like we've been doing, probably the gist of of what they were, they were saying. And so they insisted that that Pontius Pilate crucify Jesus. They wouldn't put Him to death. They want to Pontius Pilate to do that. And finally, to avoid a riot, that was about to occur and probably had already started. Pontius Pilate went ahead and in his own best interest, ordered Jesus to be to be crucified. But Pilate wrote a title in John chapter 19, verse 19, to put on a on on the cross. And the writing was Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. Boy did that ever irk the the high priests and the and and the Pharisees and all that bunch. They wanted him to take it down. And he said, What I've written I've written, that was the end of the issue of the issue. Yes, so Well, I guess my point, my point here is that Jesus, that it's very possible that Pilate recognized who Jesus was.
Fred Gosnell:And and he specified on the cross in those words. Of course, he had said several times, that he found no, nothing that Jesus was guilty of, that He would be crucified of. And so what he wrote, he said, what I have written, I have written. And, of course, Jesus, he used various expressions to refer to himself. And again, we're talking about who is Jesus and and when we read the text of what occurred in the first century that witnesses saw and heard, and witnesses wrote about. So this is something that we need to pay attention to today. So John especially noticed what Jesus referenced himself as, and especially his his unique Father and Son relationship with God. And of course, Jesus called himself the Son of God, a number of times. John 10, 36, through 38, for instance, Jesus says, Say, ye of him, whom the Father hast sanctified and sent into the world, thou blasphemest because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though you believe not me, believe the works that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me and I in him. Of course, Jesus had told the apostles not to tell anybody that I'm the Messiah. And of course, the reason was he had, he had to provide the, the evidence here and in this case, he said, Well, I am the Son of God. So if you don't believe what I say, that's one thing, but believe it, believe the Father is in Me, based on the miracles that I performed. Of course, they had a problem was they couldn't deny the miracles that Jesus performed.
Arnie:Well, and very often people were persuaded without Jesus ever saying a word about who his identity was. People saw the miracles and they made the conclusion and I think that was the reason why he had told the apostles that it was not time yet to tell anybody about that. John nine is another place that does that, Fred. John nine is where Jesus had healed the blind man, you remember he'd made the mud with, with some dust in the hands and spit and He healed him there in Jerusalem. And it when the man came back able to see and he had made pretty much the right conclusions as to who Jesus really was, the priests didn't like that. And as a matter of fact, they threw him out. That they excommunicated him so to speak from from coming into the temple and from going into their, their synagogues. John nine beginning in verse 35, Jesus heard that they cast him out. And when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost I believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he Lord, that I might believe on him? Interesting that he calls him, Lord, there, I think he just just wants Jesus to say it. And Jesus said unto him, Thou has both seen him, and it is he that taketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe, and he worshiped him. Yes, I'd say, that was that was evidence that was incontrovertible. Didn't have to say a word, the man began to realize who he was.
Fred Gosnell:Yes. And of course, sometimes Jesus referred to him self as the Son of Man. Matter of fact, he used that phrase, 12 times. Now, one of the times, John records it in John 3, 12, through 15. Jesus said, If I have told you earthly things, and you believe not, how shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven, and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life. Of course, in that short, those short statements, Jesus claimed to have been in heaven with the Father, and came down from heaven. He referred to himself as the Son of man, and then he refers to himself as one that will be lifted up. And of course, he then says, whosoever believes in Him should not be not perish, but have everlasting life. So Jesus is talking about himself. And in this case, being being the Son of Man.
Arnie:Jesu sometimes just doesn't say, the Son of God or the son of man, he just says the Son. And, in fact, there were about 19 times that he used that expression, John five is is one of those places, and John five beginning and in verse 19. He was in the temple, after he had healed this blind man that we were talking about a minute ago. And let me let me think here, it was after he had healed the blind man in at Bethesda at the pool there. And so those pools were sort of mikvah's, places where people could, could bathe because they were unpure. And they were getting ready to go into the temple and they had to be purified. And that's what the pools were for; wasn't just a swimming pool wherever he was doing laps or something along that, that line. But in John chapter five, beginning in verse 19, Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself. But what he seeth the Father do, for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son, likewise. So he just speaks up Himself as the Son. And then he said, For the Father, loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth, and he will show you, He will show you greater, show him greater works than these that you may marvel, for as a Father, raiseth up the dead, the quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth, whom he will. For the father judgment, no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father which hath sent Him. Verily, verily or Truly, Truly I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on me that on him that set me hath everlasting life. Verily, verily I say unto you the hour is coming, and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, they that hear shall live. Now, I don't think he's talking about just audibly hearing, hearing in the sense of, of responding to that and obey. obeying him. Verse 27. I'm sorry, verse 26, For as the Father hath life in Himself, So hath he given to the Son to have life in himself, and hath given him authority to execute judgment, to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of Man. Well, Fred, we're out of time. Let's, let's stop here at this point. Let's talk a little bit more about some of the terms that Jesus spoke with himself as, next Lord's day and we hope that you all will be listening to us and we hope you have a good week.