I. Introduction:
Good morning. We know that today we living under the New Covenant, but there is the same message that God is trying to teach us in both the New and the Old Covenants. Speaking of the new and old, last week we began a series on Christology, the study of Christ, we examined that Jesus was 100% man just like you and I. Today we will examine His presence in the Old Testament, and His reference to Himself during the Old Testament. The point of this short message today is to shown Jesus’ deity and that He was in fact God.
Let us pray.
II. Body:
The use of the term “deity” is significant. A question may arise as to why its employ in preference to the word “divinity.” The term “deity” indicates that Jesus Christ alone, in solitary dignity and lovely grandeur, the phenomenon of the ages, is indeed God in the flesh. While the word “divinity” carries with it the sense of the divine, it appears that some theologians use this term in a much lighter sense than the Church fathers understood it when applied to the Person of Jesus Christ. The word “divinity” should be used to express the fact that, in this instance, Jesus has the qualities of being divine, whereas the term “deity” identifies the state of being God as to His very nature. Therefore we opt for the word “deity” when speaking of Jesus Christ.
*Eternal existence is ascribed to Jesus Christ. Today the basic thing we are going to look at is Eternal Existence is Ascribed to Jesus Christ, both in the ld Testament and in the New.
In the Theophanies (a term simply used for the “appearance of God), perhaps more accurately the Christophanies (a term simply used for the “appearance of Christ), one finds the manifestations of Deity. From various Scriptures there were times when God appeared before human beings in the form of an angel, while at other times in the form of a man. In each instance, however, regardless of the form taken, the idea of a Presence overshadowed the mere idea of the appearance. Note the following:
He appeared to Abraham. [Genesis 12:7; 17:1; 18:1; 22:11-12]
“But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ So he said, ‘Here I am.” And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” – Genesis 22:11-12.
He appeared to Jacob. [Genesis 31:11-13; 32:24-32; 35:9-15; compare with Genesis 48:15-16]
Then nthe Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12 And He said, ‘Lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for oI have seen all that Laban is doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, pwhere you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.’ ” (Genesis 31:11-3)
He appeared to Moses. [Exodus 3:1-14] In the form of the burning bush.
He appeared to Joshua. [Joshua 5:13-15]
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” Then the Commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.
He appeared to Gideon. [Judges 6]
And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
He appeared to Manoah and his wife. [Judges 13]
[See also Isaiah 9:1-7; Micah 5:2]
[b] The New Testament: Jesus also appeared in the New Testament, believe it or not!
Jesus Christ Himself makes a number of references to His pre-existence, and existence before
His incarnation or birth to the Virgin Mary. Jesus Christ is not a Man who became God. He is
God who became Man. Note the following Scriptures:
“No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Manwho is in heaven.” [John 3:13]
“He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of theearth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” [John 3:31-36]
“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ Then they said to Him, ‘Lord, give us this bread always.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I say to you that
you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all he has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.’” [John 6:32-40]
“’This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.’” [John 6:50-51; see also John 6:58, 62]
“Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, ‘You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.’” [John 7:28-29]
“And He said to them, ‘You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” [John 8:23-24]
“Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’” [John 8:58]
“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself…” [John 13:3-4; this is the Scripture reference that is the record of Jesus washing of the Disciples’ feet.]
“In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.’” [John 16:26-28]
“’And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.’” [John 17:5-8]
Other New Testament references to His eternal existence are convincing:
• John, the Baptist [John 1:31; 3:31]
“He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.” (John 3:31)
• Paul, the Apostle [Philippians 2:6; Colossians 1:17]
“who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,” (Philippians 2:6)
• John, the Apostle [John 1:1-4; 14; 1 John 1:1]
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life” – (1 John 1:1)
• The Writer of the Letter to the Hebrews [Hebrews 1:1-3]
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
Conclusion:
The Bible gives us accounts time and time again when our God appeared to man. We believe that Jesus Christ was 100% God, we know that God never began to exist, He just always has. That is something beyond our finite minds, outside of our ability to comprehend. But that fact alone is one thing that makes God so great! Jesus has always been, He even appeared in the Old Testament before He became a man and gave us the first Christmas. Our God is bigger and greater than time! He transcends time and defies it. I leave you with the thought of the Angelic choruses in heaven:
Revelation 4:8, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
