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JESUS'
SINLESS HUMANITY

Lecture Objectives:
In this presentation
we want to show that Jesus, because He showed control and authority over
nature and all life, was indeed who he claimed to be.
References:
Luke 5.20-21; Mark
4.41; Luke 7.4-9; Luke 9.9; John 14.1; John 11.25-26; John 6.14; 9.11,17,33
Questions For Focus:
- Are people
characteristically the same the world over?
- If a man makes a
serious claim, should proof be asked for the claim?
- What one question
was repeatedly askedabout Jesus?
- Jesus' most
startling revelation was what, didwe say?
- What do we mean
when we say "Jesus dramatized His claims"?
- Can you name the
three miracles that dramatized His claims?
- If such things were
done in your neighborhood today, would the person doing them warrant
investigation?

I. SHOULD PEOPLE WHO
MAKE CLAIMS BE ABOVE INVESTIGATION?
- What if
there was a man who lived in your town who could:
- Speak to a
storm and make it calm?
- Cause a
paralytic man to walk by telling him to do so?
- Tell a
prostitute that she was forgiven by God for her sinful behavior?
- Speak to a dead
man already in a tomb 4 days and he comes to life again?
- Would such
a man go unnoticed, or would your fellow citizens be prone to ask "Who
is this man?"
- In this lesson we
want to show that Jesus, because He did such things, was the Divine Son of
God and was therefore who He claimed to be.
- Observation: In
what ways are people the same, characteristically, the world over?
- Discussion:
- Are
people inquisitive?
- Do people
investigate claims made by fellow citizens?
- Do people
ask for evidence or proof or can anyone make any claim without
question?
- Modern day
example: In the U.S., March, 1993, a man called David
Koresh,
who lived in Waco, Texas, claimed "I am the Messiah." He
saw himself above the law. He began to stockpile military type
weapons to kill of "all unbelievers". At present, 10
people are now dead. also, it has been learned, he had eighteen
wives.
- Important
questions to be answered:
- Should
proof be demanded for his claims?
- Discussion:
What kind of proof should David Koresh be asked for?
- What
are some "proof questions" you would ask him?
II. WHAT JESUS SAID
AND DID WAS QUESTIONED BY HIS PEERS.
- Read Luke
5.20-21.
- What question
did they ask about His person?
- What had He
said?
- Read Mark 4.41.
- What question
did they ask about His person?
- What had He
done?
- Read Luke 7.4-9.
- What question
did they ask about His person?
- What had He
done?
- Read Luke 9.9.
- What did Herod
the King ask about His person?
- What did Herod
try to do?
- Complete the
sentence: "If such things were done in my neighborhood today I would
III. JESUS' MOST
STARTLING REVELATION WAS HIMSELF
(Quote from H.P.
Liddon, Chancellor of St. Paul's Cathedral, London).
- Most men
speak aware of their limitations.
- How did Jesus
speak?
- Read John 14.1.
- Most teachers say:
"This is the truth as best I understand it"
- How did Jesus
speak?
- Read John 14.6.
- What did he claim
about Himself in the following texts? Read and complete.
- John 6.35
- John 8.12
- John 11.25-26
- Read John 6.32ff.
- What claim did
He make in...
- verse
35?
- verse 40?
- verse 58?
- No ordinary
person could make such claims.
- Do "good
men" make such statements about themselves?
IV. JESUS ALSO
DRAMATIZED HIS CLAIMS.
- In
Scripture they are called by 3 terms. Can you explain each?
- "Miracles"
- "Signs"
- "Wonders"
- If a man today
could feed 5,000, what might be His motive for doing so?
- For fame?
- For special
mention by the world's newspapers?
- Mention 3 people
who have been given special recognition in our modern world:
- Jesus' motives were
pure.
- He never
performed miracles selfishly.
- He never
performed miracles senselessly.
- He never
performed miracles apart from a love for people.
- If His motives
were wrong, can you think of one yourself?
- They are NOT
- Mere
demonstrations of physical power.
- But they ARE
actions which visually exhibit His claims.
- List for me 3
miracles from religious history you have heard that Jesus did.
- Notice 3 miracles
which dramatized His claims
- The woman at
the well - John 4.
- Read
verses 16-18.
- What was
the woman's reaction?
- Read verse
19.
- Why would
the woman make this particular response?
- Feeding the
5,000 - John 6
- Read
verses 5-8.
- Is it
logical to expect to feed 5,000 from 5 small loaves and 2 small
fish?
- From this
incident, what did Jesus claim for himself?
- Read verse
35.
- What were
the conclusions of the eyewitness concerning Jesus?
- Read verse
14.
- Causing a man
to see for the first time - John 9.
- Read
John 8.12.
- Read John
9.1-9.
- In what way
does the miracle change the man's convictions?
- Consider the
following evidence from history:
- What did the
healed person call Jesus in verse 11?
- What did the
healed person call Jesus in verse 17?
- What did the
healed person call Jesus in verse 33?
- What conclusion
did the healed person come to in verse 38?
- Have you understood
that all these evidences recorded by John come from reliable eye witnesses?
- What was the
historian's purpose for recording these events?
- The answer is
found in John 20.30-31. "That you might that Jesus is the of
God."
V. CONCLUSIONS
- Answer the
following questions.
- If a man lived
in your town who could do the miracles, signs and wonders Jesus did,
would he go unnoticed?
- Were people
gullible in Jesus' day or did they make inquiry about Jesus?
- List
2 people who did.
- Remember, you
were asked to complete the sentence "If such things were done in my
neighborhood today, I would..."
- Go
back and read what you wrote.
- Why would
people die for these claims if they knew them to be false?
- What conclusion
did the eyewitnesses reach who saw and heard Him exhibit His claims?
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