The Great Intersection: The Incarnation

The Great Intersection: The Incarnation!

1. Introduction:

God in the Storm vs. God in the flesh

Temporary vs. Forever

Impressive vs. Unimpressive

Hidden-yet-revealed vs. Revealed-yet-hidden

Different vs. Solidarity

Phil 2: Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Heb 1: God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they...But of the Son He says, "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever.

John 1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being...And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth...No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him

Jesus as God (theos):
John 20.28: Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

Romans 9.5: whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever

Titus 1.3-4: in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior; 4 to Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Tit 2.13: looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds

2 Peter 1.1: Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ

Jesus as human (aner, anthropos, sarx)
Acts 2.22: Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know

Rom 5.15: But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

1 Tim 2.5: For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all

Rom 9.5: whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen

1 Peter 4.1: Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh

1 John 4.2: By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God

2. The Promise and the Expectation: "God will dwell among men"

Intro: The "physics" of the Incarnation

Omnipresence vs. pantheism

It is He who sits above the vault of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. (Is 40.22) cf. with "Thou has been our dwelling for all generations" (Ps 90)

What was IN the Glory-Cloud?

And the Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. (Ex 13.21,22)

And the angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night. (Ex 14.19f)

"Where" exactly IS the human spirit, anyway?

What does "Presence of God" really, really mean?

'Holy ground' (a different level of ethical or anti-chaos expectations)
Take off your shoes (Ex 3.5; Josh 5.15) and have an 'out-house' (Deut 23.11).

The "breach against Uzzah" (2 Sam 6)

Epicenter of forces producing life, freedom, novelty, "true reality", and confrontation with depth.
The Ark in Dagon's temple (I Sam 5)!
Now the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. 3 When the Ashdodites arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again. 4 But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. 5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor all who enter Dagon's house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day. 6Now the hand of the Lord was heavy on the Ashdodites, and He ravaged them and smote them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territories. 7 When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god."

Blessing on those in its vicinity (2 Sam 6: Obed-Edom the Gittite)
Thus the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

A "place" of transformation (the old "means of grace")
And it came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses' hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. 30 So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them. 32 And afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them to do everything that the Lord had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, 35 the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him (Ex 34.29ff)

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Cor 3.17)

The Promise that God would come to dwell on earth...

The passages are many...
Is 4.4-6: When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, 5 then the Lord will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy.

Is 24.23: Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, For the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, And His glory will be before His elders.

Is 25.9: And it will be said in that day, "Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation."

Is 35.3-6: Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. 4 Say to those with anxious heart, "Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you." 5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. 6 Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb will shout for joy...

IS 40.3-5, 9-11: A voice is calling, "Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. 4 "Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; 5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."... Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, Lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; Lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!" 10 Behold, the Lord God will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him, And His recompense before Him. 11 Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs, And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

IS 59.15-21: Now the Lord saw, And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice. 16 And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him; And His righteousness upheld Him. 17 And He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle. 18 According to their deeds, so He will repay, Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; To the coastlands He will make recompense. 19 So they will fear the name of the Lord from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun, For He will come like a rushing stream, Which the wind of the Lord drives. 20 "And a Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," declares the Lord.

Is 62.10-11: Go through, go through the gates; Clear the way for the people; Build up, build up the highway; Remove the stones, lift up a standard over the peoples. 11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth, Say to the daughter of Zion, "Lo, your salvation comes; Behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him."

Is 63.1-5: Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? "It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." 2 Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? 3 "I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger, And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment. 4 "For the day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come. 5 "And I looked, and there was no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me; And My wrath upheld Me.

Is 66.18: For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory.

Ezek 43.7-9: And He said to me, "Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever. And the house of Israel will not again defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their harlotry and by the corpses of their kings when they die, 8 by setting their threshold by My threshold, and their door post beside My door post, with only the wall between Me and them. And they have defiled My holy name by their abominations which they have committed. So I have consumed them in My anger. 9 "Now let them put away their harlotry and the corpses of their kings far from Me; and I will dwell among them forever.

Zech 2.4-5: and said to him, "Run, speak to that young man, saying, 'Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls, because of the multitude of men and cattle within it. 5 'For I,' declares the Lord, 'will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.'"

Zech 2: 10-12[!]:"Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst," declares the Lord. 11 "And many nations will join themselves to the Lord in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. 12 "And the Lord will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.

Zech 8.3: Thus says the Lord, 'I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.'

Zech 14.4-8,16: And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. 5 And you will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him! 6 And it will come about in that day that there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. 7 For it will be a unique day which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light. 8 And it will come about in that day that living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter...Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.

Mal 3.1: Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming," says the Lord of hosts.

Ps 96.12-13 (and 98.9): Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy 13 Before the Lord, for He is coming; For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, And the peoples in His faithfulness.

And the Jew of Jesus' day (and later) still saw this as future...
I Enoch 1.3-4, 9:
"The god of the universe, the holy great one will come forth from his dwelling. And from there he will march upon mount Sinai and appear in his camp emerging from heaven with a mighty power...Behold, he will arrive with ten million of the holy ones in order to execute judgment upon all."
Testament of Moses 10.1, 3, 7; 12.13:
"This his kingdom will appear throughout his whole creation...For the heavenly one will arise from his kingly throne. Yea, he will go forth from his holy habitation with indignation and wrath on behalf of his sons...For god most high will surge forth, the eternal one alone. In full view will he come to work vengeance on the nations. Yea, all their idols will he destroy...For God, who has foreseen all things in the world, will go forth, and his covenant which was established.
Jubilees 1.26-28:
"'I shall descend and dwell with them in all the ages of eternity.' And he said to the angel of the presence, 'Write for Moses from the first creation until my sanctuary is built in their midst for ever and ever. And the LORD will appear in the sight of all. And everyone will know that I am the God of Israel and the father of all the children of Jacob and king upon Mount Zion for ever and ever. And Zion and Jerusalem will be holy.
(Dead Sea Scrolls) 11Q19 29.3-9:
"In the house above which I shall make my name reside [they shall offer] the holocausts...continually, from the children of Israel, besides their freewill offerings...They shall be for me a people and I will be for them for ever and I shall establish them for ever and always. I shall sanctify my temple with my glory, for I shall make my glory reside over it until the day of creation, when I shall create my temple, establishing it for myself for ever, in accordance with the covenant with I made with Jacob at Bethel.
Pesiqta Rabbati 146-147, 9th century AD:
And the Holy One, blessed be He, will stand on top of it [The Mount of Olives], and it will split open, and they [the exiles] will come up from it...
Even though YHWH would also 'visit' His people in the person of the deliverers, most of the above passages refer to YHWH Himself.

The problem of plurality in Jewish thought (the Angel of YHWH and the Son of Man)

I kept looking until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow, And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire. 10 "A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him;

I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14 "And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.

The LXX translated "came to the Ancient of Days" as "came as the Ancient of Days"

The Similitudes of Enoch [2nd century BC-1 AD] portray the same (I Enoch 62.1-5 and 51.1f):

"Thus the Lord commanded the kings and the mighty and the exalted, and those who dwell upon the earth, and said, 'Open your eyes, and raise your horns, if you are able to acknowledge the Chosen One. And the Lord of Spirits sat on the throne of his glory, and the spirit of righteousness was poured out on him, and the word of his mouth kills all the sinners and all the lawless, and they are destroyed before him. And on that day all the kings and the mighty and the exalted and those who possess the earth, will stand up; and they will see and recognize how he sits on the throne of his glory, and the righteous are judged in righteousness before him, and no idle word is spoken before him. And pain will come upon them as upon a woman in labour...And pain will take hold of them, when they see that Son of Man sitting on the throne of his glory." [Notice the blending of Ps 110, Daniel 7, and maybe Zech 12.10 here.]

"In those days, Sheol will return all the deposits which she had received and hell will give back all that which it owes. And he shall choose the righteous and the holy ones from among the risen dead, for the day when they shall be selected and saved has arrived. And In those days, the Elect One shall sit on my throne, and form the conscience of his mouth shall come out all the secrets of wisdom, for the Lord of the Spirits has given them to him and glorified him. In those days, mountains shall dance like rams; and the hills shall leap like kids satiated with milk. And the faces of all the angels in heaven shall glow with joy, because on that day the Elect One has arisen. And the earth shall rejoice; and the righteous ones shall dwell upon her and the elect ones shall walk upon her.

The Dead Sea Scrolls sometimes speak of 'the throne of His glory' and sometimes of the 'thrones of His glory' (11Q17).

The Apocalyse of Abraham (1-2 century AD) has the Angel of YHWH (who carries the Name of YHWH within him) being addressed in this song of worship by Abraham (17.8ff):

"Eternal One, Mighty One, Holy El, God autocrat, self-originate, incorruptible, immaculate, unbegotten, spotless, immortal, self-perfected, self-devised, without mother, without father, ungenerated, exalted, fiery, just, lover of men, benevolent, compassionate, bountiful, jealous over me, patient one, most merciful, Eli, eternal, mighty one, holy, Sabaoth, most glorious El, El, El, El, Iaoil (the name of the Angel of YHWH in ethiopic), you are he my soul has loved, my protector."
The Angel of YHWH was called Metatron in latter Jewish writings, and controversies about His deity abounded in the literature--they frankly did not know what to do with this plurality!:
"A Sadducee said to R. Idith, 'It is written, 'And unto Moses He said, Come up unto the Lord'. It ought to have stated, 'Come up unto Me'! He replied, 'The speaker was Metatron, whose name is the same as his Master's, for it is written, 'My name is in him' 'In that case,' said the Sadducee, 'we ought to pray to him!' 'No,' was the Rabbi's answer, 'for the context declares.' Do not exchange (Me) for him.'" 'If that is so, why does the verse continue, 'For He will not pardon your transgression?'" "I assure you" the Rabbi answered, 'we did not accept him even as a forerunner, for it is written, 'If Thy (God's) presence go not with me, carry us up not hence'" (Sanh 38b)
The Testament of Abraham [1-2nd Century AD] has a man sitting on the throne of God [12.4ff]:
"And between the two gates there stood a terrifying throne with the appearance of terrifying crystal, flashing like fire. And upon it sat a wondrous man, bright as the sun, like unto a son of God...And the wondrous man who sat on the throne was the one who judged and sentenced the souls..."
The Rabbi's were always having to deal with the issue of 'Two Powers in Heaven"

Metatron is called "the lessor YHWH' in 4-5 century AD works [3 Enoch 12]:

"R. Ismael said: Metratron, Prince of the Divine Presence, said to me: Out of the love which he had for me, more than for all the denizens of the heights, the Holy One, blessed be he, fashioned for me a majestic robe, in which all kidns of luminaries were set, and he clothed me in it...He fashioned for me a kingly crown in which 49 refulgent sones were placed, each like the sun's ord, and its brillance shone into the four quaretes of the heaveon of Arabot, into the seven heavens, and into the four quarters of the world. He set it upon my head and he called me, 'The lesser YHWH' in the presence of his whole household in the height, as it is written, 'My name is in him'"
Philo of Alexandria, in Questions on Genesis [II.62] calls the Logos a 'second theos':
"Very appropriately and without any falsehood was this oracular sentence uttered by God, for no mortal thing could have been formed on the similitude of the supreme Father of the universe, but only after the pattern of the second deity, who is the Word of the supreme Being; since it is fitting that the rational soul of man should bear it the type of the divine Word; since in his first Word God is superior to the most rational possible nature."
One of the greatest Rabbi's in Israel's early history--Rabbi Akiba--believed at least for a while that a human figure would literally share the throne with YHWH [b. Sanh 38b]!:
"Till thrones were placed, and one that was ancient of days did sit' (Dan 7.9) Wy thrones? We have been taught; One for Himself and one for David. Such was the opinion of R. Akiva. R. Yose protested: Akiva, how long will you profane the Presence? One throne is for justice and the other for mercy. So R. Akiva accepted R. Yose;s interpretation..."

Shema

The Shema of Deut 6.4: Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! With I Cor 8.6: For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

Is 45.23: I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. With Philp 2.10-11: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

3. The Absolute Uniqueness of Jesus

Servants vs. Son:
Luke 20.9: And He began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to vine-growers, and went on a journey for a long time. 10 "And at the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order that they might give him some of the produce of the vineyard; but the vine-growers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 "And he proceeded to send another slave; and they beat him also and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 "And he proceeded to send a third; and this one also they wounded and cast out. 13 "And the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.' 14 "But when the vine-growers saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, 'This is the heir; let us kill him that the inheritance may be ours.' 15 "And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What, therefore, will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 "He will come and destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others." Abraham's hope:
John 8.56: Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." 57 The Jews therefore said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" 58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am." Jesus and Torah:
He specifically did not obey the laws of ritual cleanness (e.g., associating with lepers and the marginalized within Judaism) and was constantly under fire for His actions regarding the Sabbath. Never was it said "And the Word of the Lord came unto Jesus of Nazareth, saying.." He was constantly speaking with authority, without deriving it from Moses. He literally superceded a major chunk of the law by declaring all foods 'clean'. [Mark 7.17ff: And when leaving the multitude, He had entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. 18 And He *said to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him; 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.) 20 And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23 "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."].

The Jewish scholar Jacob Neusner goes so far as to say: "Here is a Torah-teacher who says in his own name what the Torah says in God's name...For what kind of torah is it that improves upon the teachings of the Torah without acknowledging the source--and it is God who is the Source--of those teachings? I am troubled not so much by the message, though I might take exception to this or that, as I am by the messenger...Sages...say things in their own names, but without claiming to improve upon the Torah. The prophet, Moses, speaks not in his own name but in God's name, saying what God has told him to say. Jesus speaks not as a sage nor as a prophet...So we find ourselves...with the difficulty of making sense, within the framework of the Torah, of a teacher who stands apart from, perhaps above, the Torah...We now recognize that at issue is the figure of Jesus, not the teachings at all." [A Rabbi Talks with Jesus, p.30f]

Another specialist in this field, E.P. Sanders, comments on Matt 8.21-22: "What is important here is to see the force of the negative thrust: Jesus consciously requires disobedience of a commandment understood by all Jews to have been given by God...At least once Jesus was willing to say that following him superseded the requirements of piety and the Torah. This may show that Jesus was prepared to challenge, if necessary, the adequacy of the Mosaic dispensation." [Jesus and Judaism, p.254f]

Jesus' exclusive knowledge:
John 6.46: Not that any man has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.

Matt 11.27: All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

John 17.25: O righteous Father, although the world has not known Thee, yet I have known Thee; and these have known that Thou didst send Me; 26 and I have made Thy name known to them, and will make it known; that the love wherewith Thou didst love Me may be in them, and I in them."

John 1.18 (NAS): No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

More than a Davidic King

His 'trap' for the Pharisees:
Matt 22.41: Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, "What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?" They *said to Him, "The son of David." 43 He *said to them, "Then how does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying, 44 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Until I put Thine enemies beneath Thy feet" '? 45 "If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his son?" 46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.
His legal exemption from the tax":
Matt 17.24: And when they had come to Capernaum, those who collected the two-drachma tax came to Peter, and said, "Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?" 25 He *said, "Yes." And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?" 26 And upon his saying, "From strangers," Jesus said to him, "Consequently the sons are exempt. 27 "But, lest we give them offense, go to the sea, and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a stater. Take that and give it to them for you and Me."
The REAL Son:
The Davidic Covenant in 2 Samuel 7:
When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 "He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 "I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, 15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 "And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever."
David hoped it would be Solomon, but it wasn't (1 Chron 28):
"Yet, the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever. For He has chosen Judah to be a leader; and in the house of Judah, my father's house, and among the sons of my father He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. 5 "And of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons), He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. 6 "And He said to me, 'Your son Solomon is the one who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be a son to Me, and I will be a father to him. 7 'And I will establish his kingdom forever, if he resolutely performs My commandments and My ordinances, as is done now.' 8 "So now, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek after all the commandments of the Lord your God in order that you may possess the good land and bequeath it to your sons after you forever. "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. 10 "Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary;
The 'only-begotten' Son (i.e., monogenas, "unique", "one of a kind")
I John 4.9: By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
The rightful heir:
Luke 20.14: "And the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.' 14 "But when the vine-growers saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, 'This is the heir; let us kill him that the inheritance may be ours.'

Heb 1.1-2: God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

More than Human Authority:

Matt 28.18: And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Matt 11.27: All things have been handed over to Me by My Father

Eph 1.20-22: which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.

More than a Levitical Priest

The assurance to Peter:
Luke 22.31: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."
The foot-washing in John 13.5ff:
Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 And so He *came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, "Lord, do You wash my feet?" 7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now, but you shall understand hereafter." 8 Peter said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." 9 Simon Peter *said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head." 10 Jesus *said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." 11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean."
The Lamb of God
John 1.29: The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him, and *said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

I Peter 1.18-19: knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

A greater Priesthood
Heb 8.1-6: "Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a minister in the sanctuary, and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; hence it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. 4 Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; 5 who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, "See," He says, "that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain." 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises."

Heb 9.11ff: But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

More than a new Moses

Jesus and the Law:
Beyond the issue of Torah (above), Jesus issued an additional 'new law', and He referred to 'his' commandments:
Mark 1.26: And they were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."

John 13.34: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Matthew 28.17ff: All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;

There actually was a strain of later Jewish thought that believed the Messianic age would be accompanied by a New Law (Gen. Rab. 98:9; Lev. Rab. 9.7; Eccl. Rab. 11.1, etc.]

Jesus and the New Covenant:

Jesus as covenant-initiator --Luke 22.20 (And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood) and Hebrews 9.15 (And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.)

Jesus pours out the Covenant blessing, the Holy Spirit -Act 2.33: Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.

Jesus as the Manna:
In John 6.13-14, the crowd assigned him the designation of the New/Second Moses-"The Prophet": "And so they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 When therefore the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, "This is of a truth the Prophet who is to come into the world." But in verses 32 and following, He points out His superiority as the Bread of Life: Jesus therefore said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 "For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world." 34 They said therefore to Him, "Lord, evermore give us this bread." 35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
The Book of Hebrews and the Superiority of Christ
Hebrews 3.1ff: Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. 2 He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. 3 For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. 5 Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; 6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house

Hebrews 10.28: Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

More than a Sage

"A greater than Solomon..."
Matthew 12.42: The Queen of the South shall rise up with this generation at the judgment and shall condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
"You will find rest..."
Matt 11.28-30: Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. 30 "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light." [Note: Wisdom personified offered 'rest' to Her students.]
"Never a man spake..."
John 7.45: The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, "Why did you not bring Him?" 46 The officers answered, "Never did a man speak the way this man speaks."

More than man...

Self-resurrection (John 10.17): For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 "No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.

Pre-existence (John 17.5): "And now, glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was...(John 17.24): for Thou didst love Me before the foundation of the world... [Also, the Jewish belief that the Messiah was present in Genesis 1:1]

"What manner of man is this?" (Matt 8.23ff): And when He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm in the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves; but He Himself was asleep. 25 And they came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing!" 26 And He *said to them, "Why are you timid, you men of little faith?" Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and it became perfectly calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, "What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

Response of the evil spirits (Matt 8.28): And when He had come to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs; they were so exceedingly violent that no one could pass by that road. 29 And behold, they cried out, saying, "What do we have to do with You, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?"

Response of the good angels (Heb1.6): Let all the angels of God worship Him.

The Tanakh/OT YHWH passages: There are many OT passages referring to YHWH, which are applied to Jesus in the New Testament.

"Whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord" (Romans 10.13 with Joel 2.32)

"Every tongue shall confess"-the Judgement Seat of Christ (Romans 9.10-11 with Is 45.23)

"Prepare the way for YHWH" (Matt 3.3 with Is 40.3)

"Stone of stumbling" (1 Peter 2.7,8 with Is 8.13.14)

"Look on Me whom they have pierced" (John 19.37 with Zech 12.10)

"Isaiah saw his glory..." (John 12.41 with Is 6.5)

4. The Self-Awareness of Jesus

John 8.58: Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am."

John 8.28: Jesus therefore said, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.

The Garden scene (John 18.5): They answered Him, "Jesus the Nazarene." He *said to them, "I am." And Judas also who was betraying Him, was standing with them. 6 When therefore He said to them, "I am," they drew back, and fell to the ground. 7 Again therefore He asked them, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus the Nazarene." 8 Jesus answered, "I told you that I am; if therefore you seek Me, let these go their way,"

theos

John 20.28: Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

John 9.35ff: Jesus heard that they had put him out; and finding him, He said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" 36 He answered and said, "And who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" 37 Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you." 38 And he said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped Him.

Knowledge of the Father (above)

Heirship (above)

The "Ridiculous if not God" statements!
John 16.15: All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said, that He takes of Mine, and will disclose it to you.

John 17.10: All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.

John 8.57: The Jews therefore said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" 58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am."

John 5.20: For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and greater works than these will He show Him, that you may marvel.

John 14.6: Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.

John 14.28: You heard that I said to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I.

John 15.5f: I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

Matt 12.1ff:At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath through the grainfields, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Behold, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.” 3 But He said to them,“Have you not read what David did, when he became hungry, he and his companions; 4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? 5 “Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath, and are innocent? 6 “But I say to you, that something greater than the temple is here.

David's Lord - the 'trap' for the Pharisees (above)

Greater than angels:

Mark 13.32: But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Self-based authority - the "I say unto you" passages (above)

He went after the true enemy--the Ruler of the Age

And the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." 18 And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. (Luke 10.17)

And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?" (Luke 13.16)

Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." (Luke 22.31)

Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out. (John 12.31)

But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. (John 16.7f)

But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 "Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. (Matt 12.28)

5. "Fully God and Fully Man"

Doceticism - he was ONLY God, not human. Cf. 2 John 7: "For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh."

Hunger (Mark 11.12: And on the next day, when they had departed from Bethany, He became hungry)

Thirst (John 19.28: After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, *said, "I am thirsty.")

Anguish (John 11.33: "When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her, also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit, and was troubled" and Mark 14.32: "And they *came to a place named Gethsemane; and He *said to His disciples, "Sit here until I have prayed." 33 And He *took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. 34 And He *said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.")

Fatigue (John 4.6: Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well)

Walking (Mark 10.32: And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them)

Blood (Matt 26.28: for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. )

Weeping (John 11.35: Jesus wept.)

Died (Matt 27.50: And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit...Luke 23.46: And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit." And having said this, He breathed His last.")

Mark 13.32: But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

(NAS) who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

What it IS - 'taking the form of a servant' (taking a specific role in history, the Suffering Servant)

Is 53.11ff: As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

John 17.5: "And now, glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was [Note: the veiling of His glory in time.]

2 Cor 8.9: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

Mark 10.42-45: And calling them to Himself, Jesus *said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 "But it is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. 45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Theologically: He gave up the right to independent use of His divine power and glory(for an agreed-upon time period)

The "neuro-biology/psychology" of the Incarnation
We don't know enough about agency and consciousness to really argue with this!

But...we DO know of implicit processes and the 'many selves' aspect

We can choose to suppress knowledge

6. The Result of the Great Intersection

regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom 1.3-5)

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all (1Tim 2.5:

Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. (Heb 10.11f)

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Heb 4.14)

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2.1)

Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear shall live. 26 "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, 29 and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. (John 5.25ff)

"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. (Acts 20.28)

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. (John 1.10-11)

If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. (John 15.18)

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant...(Philp 2.5)

And calling them to Himself, Jesus *said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 "But it is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. 45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mark 10.42-45)

Now the Lord saw, And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice. 16 And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him; And His righteousness upheld Him.17 And He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head...For He will come like a rushing stream, Which the wind of the Lord drives. 20 "And a Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," declares the Lord. (Is 59.16ff)

The Davidic Son had to be faithful...

The Lamb had to be spotless...

The blessings of Abraham could only come through covenant faithfulness...

If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." 8 Philip *said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." 9 Jesus *said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, 'Show us the Father'? (John 14.7)

And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me does not believe in Me, but in Him who sent Me. 45 "And he who beholds Me beholds the One who sent Me. (John 12.44)

And He is the image of the invisible God (Col 1.15)

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature (Heb 1.3)

No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.(John 1.18)

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1.14)

But the responses to this great Intersection were not all positive...But this was the One who can trade in 'Futures' for us...but that's the next bus stop...(smile)

[Back to the Series Index]

From: The Christian ThinkTank...[https://www.Christianthinktank.com] (Reference Abbreviations)