258 The Red Letter Answers 8 Part 1

In this episode we explore the statements of Jesus that show his supremacy over all other prophets and teachers. He is greater than Jonah, Solomon, Moses and Elijah, David, John the Baptist, all creation and has all-encompassing authority. Only Jesus revealed God's unfailing love and faithfulness.

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SHOW NOTES

The Red-Letter Answers. part 1

Jesus’ Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s).

In some bibles Jesus’ words are in red. These are then the Red-Letter answers to FAQs.

Why focus on Jesus’ answers? Because Jesus is the Creator and the Maintainer of the

Universe. He is the exact representation of his father (John 14:6-10), and the only

eyewitness who is close to the father’s heart (John 1:18).

9. The Supremacy of Jesus Christ over all other prophets and teachers.

If any angel or human made the claims about themselves that Jesus made about

himself, they would be arrogant, megalomaniac, self-deluded, narcissistic and most

certainly suPering from a mental health disorder. As C.S. Lewis quipped, Jesus was

either LORD, liar or a lunatic. In this presentation we consider the extraordinary claims

that Jesus made for himself.

1. Jesus is greater than Jonah.

Matthew 12:41 NLT “The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on

judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of

Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.

2. Jesus is greater than Solomon.

Matthew 12:42 NLT The queen of Sheba[a] will also stand up against this generation

on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the

wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse

to listen.

3. Jesus is superior to Moses and Elijah the heroes of Israel who appeared on the

Mountain of Transfiguration with him.

Matthew 17:5 NLT But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a

voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen

to him.”

This was astonishing to Peter who saw Moses, Elijah and Jesus on the same level. He

wanted to memorialize all three of them on the mountain but the voice from the cloud

corrects his misunderstanding. Jesus us the One who they must pay attention to.

Luke 16:16-17 NLT “Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages of the

prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached,

and everyone is eager to get in. 17 But that doesn’t mean that the law has lost its force. It

is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest point of God’s law to

be overturned.

Jesus is the ultimate guide. Moses and the prophets were your guides but now Jesus has

appeared. He does not replace Moses and the prophets but he supersedes them. Mosesand the Prophets were primarily about “thou shalt not,” Jesus us about “thou shalt.”

Neither Moses or the prophets ever imagined a God who would lay down his life for sinful

human beings, yet this is exactly what Jesus did. God’s love supersedes God’s law. Law is

necessary for those who have not experienced love.

4. Jesus is greater than David.

Matthew 22:41-46 NLT Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a

question: 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

They replied, “He is the son of David.”

43 Jesus responded, “Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the

Spirit, call the Messiah ‘my Lord’? For David said,

44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord,

Sit in the place of honor at my right hand

until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’

45 Since David called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?”

46 No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more

questions.

5. Jesus has all-encompassing authority

Matthew 28:18-20 NLT Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all

authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the

nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy

Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And

be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Jesus’ claim of all-encompassing authority is focused on his ability to unilaterally forgive

sin. This is the unique ability of Jesus Christ. He reveals this ability by forgiving the woman

taken in adultery (John 8:11), by forgiving the paralytic let down through the roof (Matthew

9:2), by forgiving the woman’s sins who anointed him at Simon’s feast (Luke 7:47), by

shedding his blood for the sins of many (Matthew 26:28), by forgiving his executioners who did not desire forgiveness (Luke 23:34).

6. Jesus is greater than John the Baptist. (Mark 1:7)

Jesus said that John the Baptist was “more than a prophet” and “there is no one greater

than John” (Luke 7:26, 28). Indeed, John was the final prophet of the Old Testament age, he fulfilled Malachi 3:1, and he evinced a power akin to Elijah’s (Luke 1:17). But how did John view Jesus? His prediction shows who is greater: “One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals” (Mark 1:7). In other words, John was not even in the same category as Jesus. John baptized with water, but Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:8).

7. Jesus is supreme over all creation because he is the Creator (John 1:1-3).

He calmed the raging storm (Mark 4:39). He multiplied the loaves and fish (Mark 8:6-9). He gave sightto the blind (Mark 8:22-25). He walked on water (Mark 6:48). He resurrected Lazarus (John 11:43-44) from death and decay which demonstrated superior power to creating Adam out of clean clay.

8. Only Jesus revealed God’s unfailing love and faithfulness

John 1:17-18 NLT For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and

faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique

One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

Jesus revealed God’s unfailing love and faithfulness which did not come through Moses.

We had to wait for Jesus to reveal God in this way. “No one has ever seen God,” while

including the literal meaning is focused on how we never understood God this way before Jesus.

John 5:22 In addition the Father judges no one, instead he has given the Son absolute

authority to judge.

Judge can be a synonym for condemnation or justification or guilty or innocent. In Jesus’

case it means to justify or declare innocent, which is far, far better than forgiveness or

pardon. The way in which God and Jesus judge is revealed by John as follows

John 3:17 NLT God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the

world through him.

Part two to come.