July 30th 2017 Morning Service at longholme Methodist Church 10.30am
‘Jesus, the Son of the living God’. God revealed this to Peter one of the disciples of Jesus.
Romans 12: 1 – 8. Psalm 138. Isaiah 51: 1 – 6. Matthew 16: 13 – 20.
Visual Aid with Power Point. 
The orange represented Longholme Church
The children were asked to come and peel the orange taking off the outer layer to reveal the segments.
The segments of the orange the members of the church each person God using their best gifts, easily identified by their use.
The seed of faith is complete in Jesus, it contains all the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Paul in his letter to the Corinthians urged Christians to seek the best gifts
Psalm 138
King David looked to the greater attributes the distinct quality of God: His name and His Word.
God’s name greater than the creative work of His hands. His Word has created: the universe and the earth with its abundance of life.
King David his great attribute was that of his kingship, he led the people by his example he looked to God to deliver him from his enemies, he was dependent upon God. God’s right hand saved him, with the other it was stretched out against his enemies,
God allowed David to suffer in body, mind and spirit; but his suffering brought him closer to God. Verses 6,7.
“The Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar, and though I walk in the midst of trouble thou dost preserve my life.” The haughty God knows, his son Absalom sought to have his father’s throne.
King David’s son Absalom conspired against David. He stood at the entrance to Jerusalem and when men came to speak with the king for advice, Absalom took his father’s place and advised them. “He stole the hearts of the people” and persuaded them to unite behind him to overthrow his father. 2 Samuel 15 – 19
Lowly King David was warned, so instead of making a stand against his son, he left Jerusalem weeping, his head covered as he climbed the ascent of Mount Olives. On the road he met Shemei who threw stones at him accusing him of taking Saul’s throne.
Jesus on his decent on the same road to Jerusalem, the people took palm branches and cheered Jesus, shouting out, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.”The Pharisees told him to stop the people from praising him, Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.
Not stones thrown in rejection of Jesus, he meant the fulfilment of prophecy, the stones would witness that he was their King.
In Judaism stones were witnesses e.g. Joshua made a covenant with the people at Shechem, “And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak in the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said to the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it has heard all the words of the Lord which he spoke to us.” Psalm 118: 26. Luke 19: 39, 40. Joshua 24: 26, 27.
Later when King David and Absalom met in battle, David told his commanders to deal gently with his son, but we read one of David men found Absalom caught up in branches of an oak tree and killed him. King David wept over Absalom’s death, they said, ‘Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom. They couldn’t understand why he had turned his victory into mourning.
David had the heart and mind of God, therefore he had forgiven his son, and he loved him. In New Testament it’s the parable of the ‘The Prodigal Son.’
God had preserved his life from Absaloms failed conquest for his throne and from Shemei’s stones and on the battle field. He depended upon God, who delivered him from his enemies.
On occasions the Lord allows us to suffer, we can praise God for these times because we will draw closer him and be dependent upon him. That’s the key to be dependent upon God and that is faith and grace.
Readings: Isaiah 51: 1 – 6. Matthew 16: 13 – 20
A friend of mine, Harold Oldham was a great Christian man, he had a wonderful gift of a healing ministry, he was dependable, and his faith was as ‘solid as a rock.’
In our reading Isaiah sees God ‘as solid as a rock’ with another distinct quality, his faithfulness. You can count on God, He keeps his promises. Isaiah reminded and gave Israel assurance that God was faithful to keep his promise with Abraham and Sarah, from their offspring he would be a father of a great nation in whom all the families of the earth would be blessed.
Isaiah’s greatest attribute or hallmark, was his gift of prophecy. In the book of Isaiah he wrote chapters 1- 39. From these chapters his followers identified in later years after his death, the fulfilment of many of his prophesies. Chapters 40 – 55 covers prophecy that were substantiated when archaeologists discovered the Cyrus Cylinder. On the cylinder were chiselled messages about the return of the exiles Isaiah 2: 2-4 this prophecy fulfilled in part in 51: 1-6 God will deliver them from their enemies by releasing them from their exile. The arm of God would bring down Babylon for Israel’s sake, but for the people across the Babylonian Empire would benefit from God’s ruling in world affairs. Isaiah’s prophesies not just for Israel but for the world.
The defeat of the Babylonian Empire by the Persian King Cyrus
King Cyrus rule brought hope and freedom, he encouraged the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and re-build their temple, the book of Ezra contains the details also the archaeologists discovery of the ‘Cyrus stone Cylinder’ which has chiselled upon it the events of that era, confirming the accounts of events in the book of Isaiah.
Isaiah prophesied the birth of the Saviour, the holy seed.
”Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call his name Emmanuel.” Isaiah 6: 13. 7: 14
His Lordship, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. And the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called “Wonderful, Councillor Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, of the increase of his government there shall be no end. Upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom to establish it, Isaiah 9 : 6, 7.
These prophesies clearly have been fulfilled in Jesus, but they are as controversial now as they were in Jesus’ day.
Some denominations of Christians, Jews and Muslims contend with Christians who proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God and the Christ.
Their views can be found on the internet: www.religioustolerance.org An essay by Rabbi Allen Maller he quotes the Quran and the Torah, disputing Jesus as the Son of God and Messiah, but he does not mention Isaiah’s prophesies concerning the birth of the Christ.
Jesus’ greatest attributes: He is the Son of the living God and Israel’s Messiah, the Christ and he used the gifts of the Holy spirit.
There was great discussion among the people in Jesus’ day, some of the people addressed him as ‘the son of David.’
Matthew 9: 27, “Have mercy on us, son of David.”
12: 23 “Can this be the son of David?”
John the disciple recorded the people’s confusion over Jesus
“When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This is really the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” So there was a division among the people over him.” John 7: 40-44
Jesus answered their questioning with a question
“But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I make thy enemies a stool for thy feet.’ David thus calls him Lord; so how is he his son?” Luke 20: 41 – 44.
Jesus had quoted from Psalm 110: 1
In it David had discerned two persons: “The Lord said to my Lord,’ In just in a few words he had spiritually discerned that both were superior to David, and neither were the son of David.
Jesus was separating the Lordship of the Christ from being David’s son, a man. Jesus is the virgin’s son Emmanuel. ‘God with us’
God called Jesus His Son
“A voice came from heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.” Mark 1: 11
In the first century, the writer of Hebrews confirms that Jesus is the Son of God from the Hebrew Scriptures. He makes the distinction between the rank of angels and that of the Son of God. Hebrews 1: 2 – 13.
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 5 For to what angel did God ever say, “Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee”? Psalm 2: 7 Or again,“I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? 2 Samuel 7: 14. 6 And again, when he brings the first-born into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” Deuteronomy 32: 43. 7 Of the angels he says,“Who makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire.” 8 But of the Son he says, “Thy throne, O God,[a] is for ever and ever, the righteous sceptre is the sceptre of thy[b] kingdom. 9 Thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, thy God, has anointed thee with the oil of gladness beyond thy comrades.” Psalm 45: 6,7. Isaiah 61:1, 3. 10 And,“Thou, Lord, didst found the earth in the beginning,
and the heavens are the work of thy hands;
11 they will perish, but thou remains;
they will all grow old like a garment,
12 like a mantle thou wilt roll them up,
and they will be changed.[c]
But thou art the same,
and thy years will never end.”
13 But to what angel has he ever said,
“Sit at my right hand
till I make thy enemies
a stool for thy feet”?
“I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son These words came alive recently when I was reading Nathan’s prophecy to King David, I realised that Jesus is the Son of God.
My husband said, “But you already believe that Jesus is the Son of God!” “Yes, I said, but now God has added substance to my belief.”
Matthew 16: 13 – 20.
Matthew records Jesus asking his disciples “Who do the people say the Son of man is?” The response was to give names of deceased prophets and Elijah who was translated into heaven on a whirlwind. Peter’s response “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” God had whispered into Peter’s inner ear, and Jesus said that God his Father had revealed this to him. God had revealed to Peter that Jesus was His Son..
Also we learn from Peter’s answer Jesus’ question: 3 titles ‘the Son of man, the Son of God and the Christ belong to the same person.
When we pray, in Jesus’ name, we are praying in the authority of those 3 titles.
in verse 20 they were not to tell anybody that he was the Christ. Why were they not to tell anyone? The answer is in the next verse: “Then he strictly charged his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.”
Jesus went on to say that he was going to be killed and rise from the dead, Peter then said, “God forbid that this should happen to you.” Why did he say that? The answer is because the Jews were taught from the law that the Christ when he came would remain forever. “The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?” John 12: 34
But God did not give them understanding of his words concerning his death, we read that they couldn’t grasp it. “But they understood none of these things; this saying was hid from them, and they did not grasp what was said.” Luke 18: 34
After Jesus had been crucified someone shouted up to him on the cross, “If you are the Son of God come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes, and elders mocked him saying, “He saved others but he can’t save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come now down from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him; for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.” Matthew 27: 40-43
From their mocking it couldn’t be clearer that they didn’t believe that he was the Son of God, and also the Christ would not come and die.
Another of Jesus’ greatest attribute: sacrificial love the writer of Hebrews wrote quoting Jesus’ words as he quoted from scripture, ‘A body you have prepared’ Jesus knew that he would be sacrifice for sin and for that reason he was prepared to be born as one of us, “My frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance.” Hebrews 10:5. Psalm 40: 6-8. 139: 15.
Mary gave Jesus his flesh, in order to take our place and die for our sin, and God raised him from the dead and after he won the victory over the devil who held the power over death, God raised Jesus from the dead. Hebrews 2: 14.
Being one of us in his humanity the Son of God he made it possible for us to be in our resurrected humanity, the bride of Christ.
Jesus is risen, the Christ, the living Son of God. On the evening of the day of Jesus resurrection when he came into the room and stood among his disciples, he breathed upon them the Holy Spirit and he opened up their minds to understand the scriptures that prophesied his suffering, death and resurrection. Luke 24: 44-48
After his ascension at Pentecost Peter proclaimed publicly for the first time that Jesus was the Christ. In Acts 3: 17 – 21 Peter tells them that they acted in ignorance the people and rulers when they crucified Jesus it was God’s plan and if they repented their sins would be blotted out and God would send in the times of refreshing and the appointed Christ Jesus.
The times of refreshing: the restoration of the throne of King David and the land given to Abraham for an eternal possession.
How is this relevant for today: If you go on to Jewish websites like myjewishlearning.com “What do the Jews believe About Jesus” by Ben Harris you will find one of his headings, ”Did the Jews kill Jesus?” This is still an open wound and needs healing.
All Christians and Jews, I believe need to understand that the Jews and Romans crucified Jesus in ignorance, that Pentecost was the time for the Jewish leaders, to recognise and accept Jesus as their Christ, it was a national calling. Isaiah called for the nation to be prepared for the coming of the Saviour of the world, but they missed the moment, Jesus hoped to return within their life time. “Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” Jesus also said, that only his Father knew the exact time of his return. Mark 9: 1.13: 32.