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A Man Named Jesus:
Part 6
A Son Like No Other
Lesson
Text: Matthew 3:13-17
The Son of
God is truly a Son like no other son we can read about in Bible history or
history in general. One aspect of this Son includes the fact that His Father is
of a special character. His Father possesses all power, is the creator of the
universe, sees all things, hears all things and is everywhere at the same time.
He is holy, just and righteous. The Father of this special Son can accurately
be referred to as Yahweh, Elohim, Eloha, Adonai, Shaddai, 'El Shaddai, Yah, God
and Lord.
The
forgiving character of this almighty Father, known as God, is witnessed through
His first response to the sin of man. After Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden,
electing to eat of the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God
simply issued earthly consequences (Gen. 3:14-19), dressed them in appropriate
clothes (Gen. 3:21) and dismissed them from the garden (Gen. 3:24). God did not
kill, beat or harm them. The actions of Adam changed the world but God still
had compassion, knowing that he had a Son who could redeem the world.
When we
analyze this Son who is like no other son we see that the fruit did not fall
far from the tree. We see that this special Son takes after His Father. Every earthly
father, having a son has high expectations for him. Not only does he want him
to be like him he wants him to excel past him. Every father wants his son to
grow up to be a strong man spiritually, physically, emotionally,
psychologically and financially. He wants him to be able to take care of his
own family some day. Every earthly father also wants their son to get out of
their house on day as well. Every earthly father wants the world to know that,
with his son, the fruit has not fallen far from the tree. The role and
disposition of a righteous father is critical. "Pure religion and
undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows
in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world" (James
1:27). If fathers were not important James would not have stipulated the
necessity of visiting or taking care of the fatherless.
Boys are to
grow up to be men and this is generally done through the rearing of a father.
Often times the father makes or breaks the situation. Not all sons in the world
or in the Bible lived up to what a son should be. Not all sons could be
considered a son like no other in a positive fashion.
Cain must
have truly upset his father Adam after killing his brother Abel out of jealousy
(Genesis 4:8). The actions of Ham must have sorely disgusted and displeased his
father Noah when he looked upon his nakedness instead of covering him up
(Genesis 9:20-24). Isaac was truly vexed when he realized his son Jacob had
beguiled him into blessing him instead of his first-born son Esau (Genesis 27).
Aaron the high priest was truly saddened by the affairs of his two sons Nadab
and Abihu who offered strange fire unto God and were killed (Leviticus 10:1-2).
Samuel must have been embarrassed in his old age after he made his sons judges
over Israel and they acted corruptly, resulting in the people crying out for a
king like other nations (I Samuel 8:1-5). David suffered much over the fact
that his son Amnon raped his daughter Tamar (II Samuel 13:1-19). David was grieved
by the vicious death of his son Absalom who attempted to overthrow his kingship
(II Samuel 18:14, 31-33). Many of the disobedient kings of the nation of Israel
and the latter Israel and Judah would have displeased their fathers if it were
not for the fact that their fathers had been previously put to death for kingly
corruption.
Although we
speak of the sons like no other from a negative perspective there were many
sons in the Bible who walked uprightly and even recovered from their fathers'
evil. Abel was a righteous and obedient son not only to his mother and father
but also to His omnipotent God (Genesis 4:4). Enoch was the son of Jared on the
lineage side of Cain and he was so upright and obedient that he walked with God
and did not see death because God took him (Genesis 5:24). Lamech had a son
named Noah who was obedient to God and through him God allowed his creation
with the ability to reason and his creatures without the ability to reason to
be saved from total destruction through the building and floating of an ark
(Genesis 7, 8). Terah had a faithful son named Abram who God later changed to
Abraham (Genesis 17:5). He pleaded for a stay for the wicked city of Sodom but
none righteous were found (Genesis 18:16-33). Abraham had a son named Isaac who
even as a child allowed himself to be tied up and placed on the alter to be
offered as a burnt offering (Genesis 22:8-12).
The Bible
tells the whole story, the perfect, the good, the bad and the ugly. It talks
about the sons who walked according to godly order and those who walked
according to diabolic disorder. Through all the triumphant and not so
triumphant stories of the Bible there is one Son and one Man which reigns
supreme, the Son of God.
Matthew 3:13 Then cometh
Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of
him. 14 But John forbad
him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou
to me?15 And Jesus
answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh
us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 16
And Jesus, when he was baptized,
went up straightway out of the
water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he
saw the Spirit of God descending
like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice
from heaven, saying, This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Jesus was
obedient to His Father. Because His Father commanded baptism he was baptized.
Not only in obedience to His Father but
to provide the physical world with a divine example. Because of the disposition
of the Son to His Father God said publicly through His Holy Spirit that He was
well pleased with His dear Son.
Based on the
text it is evident that there was a gathering of people at the Jordan river
because many had been recently baptized (Matthew 3:4-6). Therefore the
statement of the Holy Spirit was not only a confirmation of the deity of Christ
but a public expression of love from the Father of creation to His obedient
Son. When a father has a son that he believes is like no other he wants the
world to know it. Almighty God, the Father of the Son of God and all
Christians, wants the world to know that His Son is like no other. He wants the
world to distinctively know that he has given His Son all power in heaven and
in earth. God does not want anyone to confuse or make a mistake as to whom His
Son is. He wants no one to confuse His power with the power of natural man. He
wants no one to confuse the church that His Son has purchased with His own
blood with a Church that a man or woman has established (Acts 20:28).
Jesus Christ
is a Son like no other because he was obedient to the will of His Father even
when the price was embarrassment, discomfort, pain, agony, anxiety, despair,
humiliation and even death. Peter professed three times that he would never
leave the side of Christ. He attempted to persuade the Son of God with all his
heart that he would go with him into prison or even death if it came down to
that (Luke 22:23). When the chips were down and the Son of God was in trouble,
apprehended by the Sanhedrin Council, Peter denied knowing him three times and
left him for dead. I do not know who Peter's father was but I know he would
have not been happy about that if he really knew whom the Son of God was and
what he could do.
On the other
hand the Son of God was about His
father's business at a very tender age:
Luke 2:46 And it came to
pass, that after three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and
asking them questions. 47
And all that heard him were
astonished at his understanding and answers. 48 And
when they saw him, they were
amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast
thou thus dealt with us? behold,
thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49 And
he said unto them, How is it that
ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my
Father's business? 50 And
they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
51
And
he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them:
52
but his mother kept all these sayings in her
heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom
53
and
stature, and in favour with God and man.
Jesus was
about exalting His Father and He was not going to do anything to tarnish His
Family name. He began at an early age establishing His earthly influence
because he knew that through gaining influence He would be able to give glory
to His Father. He said, "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I
judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will
of the Father which hath sent me" (John 5:30).
When a son
is in trouble, in need of critical advice, support or guidance he turns to his
father. Regardless of the age of the son if his father is still living when he
needs those special words and that extra boost to conquer the world he seeks
the solace and motivating words of his father. The son that has been done right
by his father thinks daddy is the best and greatest man alive. So when Jesus,
God's Son, was in trouble he consulted with his Father. He sought His Father
for comfort and strength. When he began to agonize over going to the cross speaking
to His Father one time was not enough. He had to check in with Him three times
while at Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46). Luke recorded the following:
Luke 22:39 ¶And he came
out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives;
and his disciples also followed him. 40 And when he was at
the place, he said
unto them, Pray that ye enter not
into temptation. 41 And he was withdrawn from
them about a stone's cast, and
kneeled down, and prayed, 42 Saying, Father, if thou
be willing, remove this cup from
me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
43
And
there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And
44
being in an agony he prayed more earnestly:
and his sweat was as it were great
45
drops
of blood falling down to the ground.
Jesus Christ
is a Son like no other because while on earth He glorified His father and when
His flesh was tried he Talked to his Father. He was a Son like no other because
the Bible says:
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and
the Word was God. 2 The same was
in the beginning with God. 3 All things
were made by him; and without him
was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the
life was the light of men.
John 1:14 And the Word was
made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld
his glory, the glory as of the
only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
He was a Son
like no other and began selecting men to change the world (John 1:35-51). He
performed His first miracle turning water into wine to prove to the people he
was special and not just any Son (John 2:1-12). He told Nicodemus that he must
be born again of water and the Spirit if he wanted to see and enter the Kingdom
of God (John 3:1-6). He was obedient to His Father and convinced that Samaritan
woman to go tell the people in her city to "Come see a Man" (John
4:28-30). He is a Son like no other because He started breaking down the
traditions of that Old Law and healed a man on the Sabbath day (John 5:1-18).
He is a Son like no other because after he healed the man on the Sabbath day
the Jews wanted to kill Him so He began to tell them about His relationship
with His Father (John 5:19-47). He is a Son like no other because he could walk
on water (John 6:19). He is a Son like no other because He is the bread of
Life: He said "...I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall
never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst" (John 6:35).
He is a Son like no other because he sought not His own glory (John 8:50). He
is a Son like no other because he brought vision to the spiritually blind (John
9:39-41). He is a Son like no other because He is the good Shepard (John
10:1-18). He is a Son like no other because he can raise the dead (John
11:43-44). He is a Son like no other because He came not to speak his own words
but the words of his Father (John 12:49). He is a Son like no other because He
humbled himself and washed His disciples feet (John 13:4-5). He is a Son like
no other because He promised to send His Holy Spirit (John 14:15-31). He is a
Son like no other because he loves like his Father loves (John 15:9). He is a
Son like no other because He anticipated going back to see His Father (John
16:28). He is a Son like no other because He prayed for God's divine plan, men
and Kingdom (John 17).
This special
Son named Jesus Christ is not to be confused or ignored He is to be obeyed. We
should all be striving to see God in heaven but the only way to get to Him is
through His Son: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and
the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). And
if a person has a problem with the deity of the Son they have a problem with
God the Father: "For the Father
judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men
should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not
the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him" (John 5:22-23).
This special Son has been given the power to give eternal life: "The
Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that
believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall
not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 5:35-36).
This Son has
purchased the only church salvation can be found in. He is not a servant in His
house as was Moses he is a Son over His house: "And Moses verily was
faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which
were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house
are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto
the end" (Hebrews 3:5-6).
Jesus is the
Son that tells us how to act and conduct ourselves in His house. He gave His
disciples and apostles the Holy Spirit that enabled them to speak God’s truth.
We cannot be saved under any name other than Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). The
story of Noah’s ark was an Old Testament shadow or type that pointed to the New
Testament church of Christ (Genesis 6,7,8). In the Old Testament Noah and his
family were saved by water and in the New Testament Christians are saved by
water (I Peter 3:20-21). The ark
represented the church just as the body of Christ is the church today (I
Corinthians 12:13).
There is no
use of instrumental music in the worship of God’s church because it is not
authorized. In Old Testament scripture the use of mechanical instruments were
commanded by God (II Chronicles 29:25-29). In the new Testament no such command
was given by the disciples and Christ prayed that we would believe on Him
through their word (John 17:20). All New Testament scriptures point to singing
without the accompaniment of instruments (Matthew 26:30; Ephesians 5:19;
Colossians 3:16). Many men and women have departed from the instructions of the
Son and are now teaching their own thing (I Timothy 4:1-4).
Jesus Christ
was a Son like no other to the point of death. He remained obedient until
death. He followed the words of His Father to the letter. Will you do the
same and crucify that old self in baptism and walk in newness of life (Romans
6:4)?
Amen
Presented by Ammar Saheli