The Book of Luke

Who Is Jesus Christ?

Lesson #3 for April 18, 2015

Scriptures: [Luke 4:16-30; 6:5; 9:18-27; Ephesians 1:3-5; 2 Peter 1:16-18][i].

1.    The question “Who is Jesus Christ?” must be answered by every human being living on planet earth in one way or another. Some respond to that question by refusing to answer it.

2.    People have said many wonderful things about Jesus.

People can admire the works of Jesus, honor His words, extol His patience, advocate His nonviolence, acclaim His decisiveness, praise His selflessness, and stand speechless at the cruel end of His life. Many may even be ready to accept Jesus as a good man who tried to set things right-to infuse fairness where there was injustice, to offer healing where there was sickness, and to bring comfort where there was only misery. (Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide for Sabbath afternoon, April 11.)

3.    Anyone who reads the Gospels must have questions raised in his mind. Jesus is described as “the Son of Man” and also as “the Son of God.” Could a real, live human being living on planet earth be fully God and fully man at the same time?

4.    Read [Luke 4:16-30 and compare John 3:19]ii. Jesus demonstrated that He understood Aramaic and Hebrew, and He probably knew Greek, and possibly Latin as well! Why did Jesus’s hometown people want to kill Him? They could not accept the idea that God might have preferred a Gentile over a Jew. If one believes he is going to be saved because he is descended from Abraham, he cannot accept the idea that God might prefer Gentiles!

5.    Read [Luke 7:17-23; and compare Matthew 11:2-19]iii. John the Baptist was languishing in prison. He had accused Herod of taking his brother’s wife. But, like the rest of the Jews, he looked forward to Jesus setting up an earthly kingdom. He could not understand why Jesus did not find some way to release him from prison. So, he sent two of his disciples to inquire about Jesus. Jesus did not immediately answer their questions. The two watched all day long as He taught, preached, and healed people of many diseases, cleansed the lepers, even raised the dead. Then, Jesus told them to go back and tell John what they had seen. This is an excellent example of the fact that trust or faith is based on evidence. (Steps to Christ 105.2) Try to imagine yourself as one of those messengers. What would you have said to John? How do you think John the Baptist responded when they reported back to him?

6.    What is implied by the name, Son of Man? Of course, the question implies that He had a human parent. But, He is also God. Read Luke 1:31-32,35; 2:11iv. To the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem, He was called “Christ the Lord.” But, to Mary in vision He was called the “Son of the most high God.”

7.    Aren’t all human beings children of our heavenly Father? What is the difference between our relationship with God and that of Christ Jesus? The New Testament makes it clear that Jesus Christ is the second Person of the Godhead, our Creator and Redeemer. He maintained the closest possible relationship with His divine Father in heaven. Born of a woman, He was human. Born of a virgin, He was God.

Jesus says, “My Father which is in heaven,” as reminding His disciples that while by His humanity He is linked with them, a sharer in their trials, and sympathizing with them in their sufferings, by His divinity He is connected with the throne of the Infinite.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 442.3.

8.    Why did God leave the joy, peace, and comfort of heaven to become a human being-especially a helpless baby Boy? He was born of a woman to prove His humanity.

9.    Jesus’s favorite title for Himself was Son of Man. That term appears more than eighty times in the Gospels. Twenty-five of those occurrences are in Luke. He is also called the Son of Man in Daniel 7:13[v], in Stephen’s speech recorded in Acts 7:56vi, and in Revelation 1:13 and 14:14vii.

10.    Jesus has identified Himself forever with the human race as noted in the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide for Tuesday, April 14.

“The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us. It is the golden chain that binds our souls to Christ, and through Christ to God. This is to be our study.

Christ was a real man; He gave proof of His humility in becoming a man. Yet He was God in the flesh.”—Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 244.

The use of “Son of man” in Luke provides various insights into the nature, mission, and destiny of the Incarnate Jesus.

First, the title identifies Him as a human (Luke 7:34), with no worldly address or security (Luke 9:58).

Second, Luke uses the title to assert Christ’s divine nature and status: for the “ ‘Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath’ ” (Luke 6:5, NKJV). Therefore, He is also the Creator, with the power to forgive sins (Luke 5:24).

Third, to accomplish this redemptive mission ordained by the Godhead before the foundations of the world (Eph. 1:3-5), the Son of man came to seek and save the lost (Luke 9:56, 19:10). But redemption itself cannot be completed until “ ‘the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected . . . and be killed, and be raised the third day’ ” (Luke 9:22, NKJV). This self-awareness of the Son of man about the path He had to tread, and the price He had to pay for the Redemption of humankind from sin, reveals not only the divine origin of the plan of Redemption but also Christ’s submission in His humanity to that plan.

Fourth, note how complete a picture of the suffering Messiah that Luke portrays in the following passages: His foreknowledge of the Cross (Luke 18:31-33); His betrayal (Luke 9:44); His death as a fulfillment of prophecy (Luke 22:22); His Crucifixion and Resurrection (Luke 24:7; compare with Luke 11:30); and His role as the Mediator before the Father (Luke 12:8).

Fifth, Luke sees the Son of man in last-day terms as the One who returns to earth to reward His saints and to wrap up the great controversy (Luke 9:26; 12:4; 17:24, 26, 30; 21:36; 22:69)viii.

In short, the title “Son of man” incorporates the multifaceted aspect not only of who Christ was but of what He came to do and what He has accomplished and will accomplish for us in the plan of salvation.

11.    Read Luke 9:18-27ix. Compare [Matthew 16:13-28 and Mark 8:27-9:1][x]. Jesus had taken His disciples away from Judah and Galilee because the authorities there were looking for Him and wanted to arrest Him. They traveled together to Tyre and Sidon and then up to Caesarea Philippi, far from Judea and Galilee. At that time, Caesarea Philippi was full of pagan temples set up to honor all sorts of Roman, Greek, and other pagan gods. As the disciples looked upon those temples, they must have wondered what they were all about. It was a good opportunity for Jesus to question them about His own identity. So, what are we saying about Jesus and His identity by the lives we live in 2015?

12.    Jesus had recently revealed His authority over nature (Luke 8:22-25xi), His power over demons (Luke 8:26-35), His might over diseases (Luke 5:12-15; 8:43-48)xii, and His ability to feed about 20,000 people using only five tiny loaves and two fish (Luke 9:13-17xiii). He had even demonstrated His power over death itself. (Luke 8:51-56xiv) So, why did Jesus ask them who they thought He was? What power do you think they thought He had?

Our knowledge of Jesus must never be at second hand. We might know every verdict ever passed on Jesus; we might know every Christology that human minds have ever thought out; we might be able to give a competent summary of the teaching about Jesus of every great thinker and theologian- and still not be Christians. Christianity never consists in knowing about Jesus; it always consists in knowing Jesus. Jesus Christ demands a personal verdict. He did not ask only Peter, he asks every one of us: “You-what do you think of me?”-William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, (Bangalore: Theological Publications in India, 2009), vol. 2, p. 161.

13.    Read all three accounts of the transfiguration as recorded in [Luke 9:27-36; Matthew 17:1-9; and Mark 9:2-8]xv. Compare Peter’s account in 2 Peter 1:16-18xvi. Jesus had led three of His disciples-Peter, James, and John-up a difficult path to the top of a mountain. He knew what was coming in the near future, but they did not. He wanted to give them an assurance that He was in full harmony with His heavenly Father and that what was going to happen to Him was a part of God’s plan. At first, they all prayed together; but soon, the disciples fell asleep while Jesus continued praying. Suddenly, they were awakened by a bright light; and looking up, they saw Jesus transfigured by the brilliant light and beside Him were Moses and Elijah talking together with Him. Peter wanted to build three tents at the place to celebrate the occasion. But soon, the brilliant light engulfed them in a cloud, and they fell face down on the ground. When the cloud dispersed, all that was left was the human Jesus.

They believe that Elijah has come to announce the Messiah’s reign, and that the kingdom of Christ is about to be set up on the earth. . . The disciples are confident that Moses and Elijah have been sent to protect their Master, and to establish His authority as king.—Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages 422.1.

14.    Moses and Elijah had been chosen over any of the angels in heaven because they had suffered through various kinds of problems while living on this earth and could better provide solace and comfort to Jesus. What do we know about the death, burial, and resurrection of Moses? (Deuteronomy 34:5-12; Jude 9)xvii

15.    How are we to relate to the question of the humanity and the divinity of Jesus Christ?

Avoid every question in relation to the humanity of Christ which is liable to be misunderstood. T ruth lies close to the track of presumption. In treating upon the humanity of Christ, you need to guard strenuously every assertion, lest your words be taken to mean more than they imply, and thus you lose or dim the clear perceptions of His humanity as combined with divinity. His birth was a miracle of God. . . . Never, in any way, leave the slightest impression upon human minds that a taint of, or inclination to, corruption rested upon Christ, or that He in any way yielded to corruption. He was tempted in all points like as man is tempted, yet He is called “that holy thing.” [Luke 1:35] It is a mystery that is left unexplained to mortals that Christ could be tempted in all points like as we are, and yet be without sin. The incarnation of Christ has ever been, and will ever remain, a mystery.—Letter 8, 1895. (Written to Brother and Sister [W.L.H.] Baker, North American workers in Australia, probably from Sunnyside, Cooranbong, N.S.W.) Ellen G. White comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, pp. 1128.5-1129.0; 13MR 18.1-19.2. [Content in brackets is added.]

16.    Does it really matter if we believe that Jesus was fully God? If Jesus was not God, then we do not have the answers about God that we need in the great controversy between God and Satan over God’s character and government. If Jesus was not fully human, He could not be a full and complete Example for us living here on this earth.

17.    If someone asked you to prove from the Bible that Jesus was fully God, how would you respond? He arose from the dead by His Own divine power. (DA 785.2; Hebrews 2:14-15; John 8:12-58)xviii Jesus destroyed the Devil, the father of lies, by revealing the truth in contrast to the Devil’s lies. Ellen White was asked a similar question and she responded:

Was the human nature of the Son of Mary changed into the divine nature of the Son of God? No; the two natures were mysteriously blended in one person-the man Christ Jesus.—Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1113.2; UL 260.2; 21Manuscript Releases 418.5.

Jesus was in all things made like unto His brethren. He became flesh, even as we are. He was hungry and thirsty and weary. He was sustained by food and refreshed by sleep. He shared the lot of man; yet He was the blameless Son of God. He was God in the flesh. His character is to be ours.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 311.4.

18.    Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a former president of India and a noted philosopher, is reported to have said that Christians are ordinary people making extraordinary claims. One such claim is the assertion that Christ is verily God and verily man.

19.    What would have happened if Jesus had been a sinner when God’s presence glorified Him on the mount of transfiguration? Would it not have consumed Him? What does that mean?

20.    In writing his Gospel, Luke called Jesus “the Son of the Highest,” “the Holy One,” and “the Son of God.” (Luke 1:31-35)xix Jesus is called the son of God because:

Christ . . . was one with the eternal Father-one in nature, in character, in purpose-the only being that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God.—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 34.1.

21.    In Daniel 7 Jesus appears as the Majesty of Heaven but is called the Son of Man. In Luke 9:58xx, He said about Himself that He had nowhere to lay His head! What do these two contrasting comments teach us about Him? Why was the King of heaven laid in a manger?

22.    In answer to our original question, God is waiting for completely honest and heart-searching answers to this question. Do you really believe that:

Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense He was with God from all eternity, God over all, blessed forevermore. The Lord Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, existed from eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the Father. He was the surpassing glory of heaven. He was the commander of the heavenly intelligences.—Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, April 5, 1906 par. 6; Selected Messages, book 1, p. 247.3-4; FLB 46.5; LHU 16.3-4; 5SDABC 1126.4-5; TMK 11.4.

When we want a deep problem to study, let us fix our minds on the most marvelous thing that ever took place in earth or heaven-the incarnation of the Son of God. God gave His Son to die for sinful human beings a death of ignominy and shame. . . . He humbled Himself to suffer with the race, to be afflicted in all their afflictions.—Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 904.6; TMK 25.2. Compare DA 83.4.

23.    So, have you resolved these issues in your own mind? How has it affected your life and your relationship not only with God but also with your fellow human beings?

© 2015, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged.

i-Luke 4:Jesus Is Rejected at Nazareth

16 Then Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath he went as usual to the synagogue. He stood up to read the Scriptures 17 and was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to set free the oppressed

19     and announce that the time has come

when the Lord will save his people.”

20 Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. All the people in the synagogue had their eyes fixed on him, 21 as he said to them, “This passage of scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read.”

22 They were all well impressed with him and marveled at the eloquent words that he spoke. They said, “Isn't he the son of Joseph?”

23 He said to them, “I am sure that you will quote this proverb to me, ‘Doctor, heal yourself.’ You will also tell me to do here in my hometown the same things you heard were done in Capernaum. 24 I tell you this,” Jesus added, “prophets are never welcomed in their hometown. 25 Listen to me: it is true that there were many widows in Israel during the time of Elijah, when there was no rain for three and a half years and a severe famine spread throughout the whole land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to anyone in Israel, but only to a widow living in Zarephath in the territory of Sidon. 27 And there were many people suffering from a dreaded skin disease who lived in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha; yet not one of them was healed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”

28 When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were filled with anger. 29 They rose up, dragged Jesus out of town, and took him to the top of the hill on which their town was built. They meant to throw him over the cliff, 30 but he walked through the middle of the crowd and went his way.

6:5 And Jesus concluded, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

9:Peter's Declaration about Jesus

18 One day when Jesus was praying alone, the disciples came to him. “Who do the crowds say I am?” he asked them.

19 “Some say that you are John the Baptist,” they answered. “Others say that you are Elijah, while others say that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”

20 “What about you?” he asked them. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are God's Messiah.”

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

21 Then Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell this to anyone. 22 He also told them, “The Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law. He will be put to death, but three days later he will be raised to life.”

23 And he said to them all, “If you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, take up your cross every day, and follow me. 24 For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it, but if you lose your life for my sake, you will save it. 25 Will you gain anything if you win the whole world but are yourself lost or defeated? Of course not! 26 If you are ashamed of me and of my teaching, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 I assure you that there are some here who will not die until they have seen the Kingdom of God.”

Ephesians 1:Spiritual Blessings in Christ

3 Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! For in our union with Christ he has blessed us by giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly world. 4 Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him.

Because of his love 5 God[a] had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his children—this was his pleasure and purpose.

2 Peter 1:Eyewitnesses of Christ's Glory

16 We have not depended on made-up stories in making known to you the mighty coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. With our own eyes we saw his greatness. 17 We were there when he was given honor and glory by God the Father, when the voice came to him from the Supreme Glory, saying, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased!” 18 We ourselves heard this voice coming from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain.

ii-Luke 4:Jesus Is Rejected at Nazareth

16 Then Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath he went as usual to the synagogue. He stood up to read the Scriptures 17 and was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to set free the oppressed

19     and announce that the time has come

when the Lord will save his people.”

20 Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. All the people in the synagogue had their eyes fixed on him, 21 as he said to them, “This passage of scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read.”

22 They were all well impressed with him and marveled at the eloquent words that he spoke. They said, “Isn't he the son of Joseph?”

23 He said to them, “I am sure that you will quote this proverb to me, ‘Doctor, heal yourself.’ You will also tell me to do here in my hometown the same things you heard were done in Capernaum. 24 I tell you this,” Jesus added, “prophets are never welcomed in their hometown. 25 Listen to me: it is true that there were many widows in Israel during the time of Elijah, when there was no rain for three and a half years and a severe famine spread throughout the whole land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to anyone in Israel, but only to a widow living in Zarephath in the territory of Sidon. 27 And there were many people suffering from a dreaded skin disease who lived in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha; yet not one of them was healed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”

28 When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were filled with anger. 29 They rose up, dragged Jesus out of town, and took him to the top of the hill on which their town was built. They meant to throw him over the cliff, 30 but he walked through the middle of the crowd and went his way.

John 3:19 This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil

iii-Luke 7:17 This news about Jesus went out through all the country and the surrounding territory.

The Messengers from John the Baptist

18 When John's disciples told him about all these things, he called two of them 19 and sent them to the Lord to ask him, “Are you the one John said was going to come, or should we expect someone else?”

20 When they came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask if you are the one he said was going to come, or should we expect someone else?”

21 At that very time Jesus healed many people from their sicknesses, diseases, and evil spirits, and gave sight to many blind people. 22 He answered John's messengers, “Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind can see, the lame can walk, those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases are made clean,[a] the deaf can hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor. 23 How happy are those who have no doubts about me!”

Matthew 11:2 When John the Baptist heard in prison about the things that Christ was doing, he sent some of his disciples to him. 3 “Tell us,” they asked Jesus, “are you the one John said was going to come, or should we expect someone else?”

4 Jesus answered, “Go back and tell John what you are hearing and seeing: 5 the blind can see, the lame can walk, those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases are made clean,[a] the deaf hear, the dead are brought back to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor. 6 How happy are those who have no doubts about me!”

7 While John's disciples were leaving, Jesus spoke about him to the crowds: “When you went out to John in the desert, what did you expect to see? A blade of grass bending in the wind? 8 What did you go out to see? A man dressed up in fancy clothes? People who dress like that live in palaces! 9 Tell me, what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes indeed, but you saw much more than a prophet. 10 For John is the one of whom the scripture says: ‘God said, I will send my messenger ahead of you to open the way for you.’ 11 I assure you that John the Baptist is greater than anyone who has ever lived. But the one who is least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than John. 12 From the time John preached his message until this very day the Kingdom of heaven has suffered violent attacks,[b] and violent men try to seize it. 13 Until the time of John all the prophets and the Law of Moses spoke about the Kingdom; 14 and if you are willing to believe their message, John is Elijah, whose coming was predicted. 15 Listen, then, if you have ears!

16 “Now, to what can I compare the people of this day? They are like children sitting in the marketplace. One group shouts to the other, 17 ‘We played wedding music for you, but you wouldn't dance! We sang funeral songs, but you wouldn't cry!’ 18 When John came, he fasted and drank no wine, and everyone said, ‘He has a demon in him!’ 19 When the Son of Man came, he ate and drank, and everyone said, ‘Look at this man! He is a glutton and wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors and other outcasts!’ God's wisdom, however, is shown to be true by its results.”

iv-Luke 1:31 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king, as his ancestor David was,

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God's power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God.

2:11 This very day in David's town your Savior was born—Christ the Lord!

v-Daniel 7:13 During this vision in the night, I saw what looked like a human being. He was approaching me, surrounded by clouds, and he went to the one who had been living forever and was presented to him.

vi-Acts 7:56 “Look!” he said. “I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!”

vii-Revelation 1:13 and among them there was what looked like a human being, wearing a robe that reached to his feet, and a gold band around his chest.

14:14 Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was what looked like a human being, with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.

viii-

Luke 9:26 If you are ashamed of me and of my teaching, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

12:4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot afterward do anything worse.

17:24 As the lightning flashes across the sky and lights it up from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.

17:26 As it was in the time of Noah so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man.

17:30 That is how it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

21:36 Be on watch and pray always that you will have the strength to go safely through all those things that will happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”

22:69 But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right side of Almighty God.”

ix-Luke 9:Peter's Declaration about Jesus

18 One day when Jesus was praying alone, the disciples came to him. “Who do the crowds say I am?” he asked them.

19 “Some say that you are John the Baptist,” they answered. “Others say that you are Elijah, while others say that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”

20 “What about you?” he asked them. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are God's Messiah.”

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

21 Then Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell this to anyone. 22 He also told them, “The Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law. He will be put to death, but three days later he will be raised to life.”

23 And he said to them all, “If you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, take up your cross every day, and follow me. 24 For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it, but if you lose your life for my sake, you will save it. 25 Will you gain anything if you win the whole world but are yourself lost or defeated? Of course not! 26 If you are ashamed of me and of my teaching, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 I assure you that there are some here who will not die until they have seen the Kingdom of God.”

x-Matthew 16:Peter's Declaration about Jesus

13 Jesus went to the territory near the town of Caesarea Philippi, where he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 “Some say John the Baptist,” they answered. “Others say Elijah, while others say Jeremiah or some other prophet.”

15 “What about you?” he asked them. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 “Good for you, Simon son of John!” answered Jesus. “For this truth did not come to you from any human being, but it was given to you directly by my Father in heaven. 18 And so I tell you, Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven; what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

20 Then Jesus ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

21 From that time on Jesus began to say plainly to his disciples, “I must go to Jerusalem and suffer much from the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law. I will be put to death, but three days later I will be raised to life.”

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “God forbid it, Lord!” he said. “That must never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned around and said to Peter, “Get away from me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my way, because these thoughts of yours don't come from God, but from human nature.”

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me. 25 For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake, you will find it. 26 Will you gain anything if you win the whole world but lose your life? Of course not! There is nothing you can give to regain your life. 27 For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each one according to his deeds. 28 I assure you that there are some here who will not die until they have seen the Son of Man come as King.”

Mark 8:Peter's Declaration about Jesus

27 Then Jesus and his disciples went away to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Tell me, who do people say I am?”

28 “Some say that you are John the Baptist,” they answered; “others say that you are Elijah, while others say that you are one of the prophets.”

29 “What about you?” he asked them. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”

30 Then Jesus ordered them, “Do not tell anyone about me.”

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

31 Then Jesus began to teach his disciples: “The Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law. He will be put to death, but three days later he will rise to life.” 32 He made this very clear to them. So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But Jesus turned around, looked at his disciples, and rebuked Peter. “Get away from me, Satan,” he said. “Your thoughts don't come from God but from human nature!”

34 Then Jesus called the crowd and his disciples to him. “If any of you want to come with me,” he told them, “you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me. 35 For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for me and for the gospel, you will save it. 36 Do you gain anything if you win the whole world but lose your life? Of course not! 37 There is nothing you can give to regain your life. 38 If you are ashamed of me and of my teaching in this godless and wicked day, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

9 And he went on to say, “I tell you, there are some here who will not die until they have seen the Kingdom of God come with power.”

xi-Luke 8:Jesus Calms a Storm

22 One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they started out. 23 As they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. Suddenly a strong wind blew down on the lake, and the boat began to fill with water, so that they were all in great danger. 24 The disciples went to Jesus and woke him up, saying, “Master, Master! We are about to die!”

Jesus got up and gave an order to the wind and to the stormy water; they quieted down, and there was a great calm. 25 Then he said to the disciples, “Where is your faith?”

But they were amazed and afraid, and said to one another, “Who is this man? He gives orders to the winds and waves, and they obey him!”

xii-Luke 5:Jesus Heals a Man

12 Once Jesus was in a town where there was a man who was suffering from a dreaded skin disease. When he saw Jesus, he threw himself down and begged him, “Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean!”[a]

13 Jesus reached out and touched him. “I do want to,” he answered. “Be clean!” At once the disease left the man. 14 Jesus ordered him, “Don't tell anyone, but go straight to the priest and let him examine you; then to prove to everyone that you are cured, offer the sacrifice as Moses ordered.”

15 But the news about Jesus spread all the more widely, and crowds of people came to hear him and be healed from their diseases.

8:43 Among them was a woman who had suffered from severe bleeding for twelve years; she had spent all she had on doctors,[a] but no one had been able to cure her. 44 She came up in the crowd behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak, and her bleeding stopped at once. 45 Jesus asked, “Who touched me?”

Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, the people are all around you and crowding in on you.”

46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I knew it when power went out of me.” 47 The woman saw that she had been found out, so she came trembling and threw herself at Jesus' feet. There in front of everybody, she told him why she had touched him and how she had been healed at once. 48 Jesus said to her, “My daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

xiii-Luke 9:13 But Jesus said to them, “You yourselves give them something to eat.”

They answered, “All we have are five loaves and two fish. Do you want us to go and buy food for this whole crowd?” 14 (There were about five thousand men there.)

Jesus said to his disciples, “Make the people sit down in groups of about fifty each.”

15 After the disciples had done so, 16 Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up to heaven, thanked God for them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17 They all ate and had enough, and the disciples took up twelve baskets of what was left over.

xiv-Luke 8:51 When he arrived at the house, he would not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, and James, and the child's father and mother. 52 Everyone there was crying and mourning for the child. Jesus said, “Don't cry; the child is not dead—she is only sleeping!”

53 They all made fun of him, because they knew that she was dead. 54 But Jesus took her by the hand and called out, “Get up, child!” 55 Her life returned, and she got up at once, and Jesus ordered them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astounded, but Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what had happened.

xv-Luke 9:27 I assure you that there are some here who will not die until they have seen the Kingdom of God.”

The Transfiguration

28 About a week after he had said these things, Jesus took Peter, John, and James with him and went up a hill to pray. 29 While he was praying, his face changed its appearance, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30 Suddenly two men were there talking with him. They were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in heavenly glory and talked with Jesus about the way in which he would soon fulfill God's purpose by dying in Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were sound asleep, but they woke up and saw Jesus' glory and the two men who were standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, how good it is that we are here! We will make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (He did not really know what he was saying.)

34 While he was still speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them with its shadow; and the disciples were afraid as the cloud came over them. 35 A voice said from the cloud, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen—listen to him!”

36 When the voice stopped, there was Jesus all alone. The disciples kept quiet about all this and told no one at that time anything they had seen.

Matthew 17:The Transfiguration

17 Six days later Jesus took with him Peter and the brothers James and John and led them up a high mountain where they were alone. 2 As they looked on, a change came over Jesus: his face was shining like the sun, and his clothes were dazzling white. 3 Then the three disciples saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. 4 So Peter spoke up and said to Jesus, “Lord, how good it is that we are here! If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was talking, a shining cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased—listen to him!”

6 When the disciples heard the voice, they were so terrified that they threw themselves face downward on the ground. 7 Jesus came to them and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don't be afraid!” 8 So they looked up and saw no one there but Jesus.

9 As they came down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Don't tell anyone about this vision you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from death.”

Mark 9:The Transfiguration

2 Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain, where they were alone. As they looked on, a change came over Jesus, 3 and his clothes became shining white—whiter than anyone in the world could wash them. 4 Then the three disciples saw Elijah and Moses talking with Jesus. 5 Peter spoke up and said to Jesus, “Teacher, how good it is that we are here! We will make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He and the others were so frightened that he did not know what to say.

7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them with its shadow, and a voice came from the cloud, “This is my own dear Son—listen to him!” 8 They took a quick look around but did not see anyone else; only Jesus was with them.

xvi-2 Peter 1:Eyewitnesses of Christ's Glory

16 We have not depended on made-up stories in making known to you the mighty coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. With our own eyes we saw his greatness. 17 We were there when he was given honor and glory by God the Father, when the voice came to him from the Supreme Glory, saying, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased!” 18 We ourselves heard this voice coming from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain.

xvii-Deuteronomy 34:5 So Moses, the LORD's servant, died there in the land of Moab, as the LORD had said he would. 6 The LORD buried him in a valley in Moab, opposite the town of Bethpeor, but to this day no one knows the exact place of his burial. 7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died; he was as strong as ever, and his eyesight was still good. 8 The people of Israel mourned for him for thirty days in the plains of Moab.

9 Joshua son of Nun was filled with wisdom, because Moses had appointed him to be his successor. The people of Israel obeyed Joshua and kept the commands that the LORD had given them through Moses.10 There has never been a prophet in Israel like Moses; the LORD spoke with him face-to-face. 11 No other prophet has ever done miracles and wonders like those that the LORD sent Moses to perform against the king of Egypt, his officials, and the entire country. 12 No other prophet has been able to do the great and terrifying things that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

Jude 9 Not even the chief angel Michael did this. In his quarrel with the Devil, when they argued about who would have the body of Moses, Michael did not dare condemn the Devil with insulting words, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

xviii-DA 785.2;

Hebrews 2:14 Since the children, as he calls them, are people of flesh and blood, Jesus himself became like them and shared their human nature. He did this so that through his death he might destroy the Devil, who has the power over death, 15 and in this way set free those who were slaves all their lives because of their fear of death.

John 8:Jesus the Light of the World

12 Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again. “I am the light of the world,” he said. “Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness.”

13 The Pharisees said to him, “Now you are testifying on your own behalf; what you say proves nothing.”

14 “No,” Jesus answered, “even though I do testify on my own behalf, what I say is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. You do not know where I came from or where I am going. 15 You make judgments in a purely human way; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I were to do so, my judgment would be true, because I am not alone in this; the Father who sent me is with me. 17 It is written in your Law that when two witnesses agree, what they say is true. 18 I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me also testifies on my behalf.”

19 “Where is your father?” they asked him.

“You know neither me nor my Father,” Jesus answered. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

20 Jesus said all this as he taught in the Temple, in the room where the offering boxes were placed. And no one arrested him, because his hour had not come.

You Cannot Go Where I Am Going

21 Again Jesus said to them, “I will go away; you will look for me, but you will die in your sins. You cannot go where I am going.”

22 So the Jewish authorities said, “He says that we cannot go where he is going. Does this mean that he will kill himself?”

23 Jesus answered, “You belong to this world here below, but I come from above. You are from this world, but I am not from this world. 24 That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. And you will die in your sins if you do not believe that ‘I Am Who I Am’.”

25 “Who are you?” they asked him.

Jesus answered, “What I have told you from the very beginning.[a] 26 I have much to say about you, much to condemn you for. The one who sent me, however, is truthful, and I tell the world only what I have heard from him.”

27 They did not understand that Jesus was talking to them about the Father. 28 So he said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, you will know that ‘I Am Who I Am’; then you will know that I do nothing on my own authority, but I say only what the Father has instructed me to say. 29 And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.”

30 Many who heard Jesus say these things believed in him.

The Truth Will Set You Free

31 So Jesus said to those who believed in him, “If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples; 32 you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

33 “We are the descendants of Abraham,” they answered, “and we have never been anybody's slaves. What do you mean, then, by saying, ‘You will be free’?”

34 Jesus said to them, “I am telling you the truth: everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave does not belong to a family permanently, but a son belongs there forever. 36 If the Son sets you free, then you will be really free. 37 I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are trying to kill me, because you will not accept my teaching. 38 I talk about what my Father has shown me, but you do what your father has told you.”

39 They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.”

“If you really were Abraham's children,” Jesus replied, “you would do[b] the same things that he did. 40 All I have ever done is to tell you the truth I heard from God, yet you are trying to kill me. Abraham did nothing like this! 41 You are doing what your father did.”

“God himself is the only Father we have,” they answered, “and we are his true children.”

42 Jesus said to them, “If God really were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own authority, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to listen to my message. 44 You are the children of your father, the Devil, and you want to follow your father's desires. From the very beginning he was a murderer and has never been on the side of truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him, because he is a liar and the father of all lies. 45 But I tell the truth, and that is why you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you can prove that I am guilty of sin? If I tell the truth, then why do you not believe me? 47 He who comes from God listens to God's words. You, however, are not from God, and that is why you will not listen.”

Jesus and Abraham

48 They asked Jesus, “Were we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon in you?”

49 “I have no demon,” Jesus answered. “I honor my Father, but you dishonor me. 50 I am not seeking honor for myself. But there is one who is seeking it and who judges in my favor. 51 I am telling you the truth: whoever obeys my teaching will never die.”

52 They said to him, “Now we know for sure that you have a demon! Abraham died, and the prophets died, yet you say that whoever obeys your teaching will never die. 53 Our father Abraham died; you do not claim to be greater than Abraham, do you? And the prophets also died. Who do you think you are?”

54 Jesus answered, “If I were to honor myself, that honor would be worth nothing. The one who honors me is my Father—the very one you say is your God. 55 You have never known him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see the time of my coming; he saw it and was glad.”

57 They said to him, “You are not even fifty years old—and you have seen Abraham?”[c]

58 “I am telling you the truth,” Jesus replied. “Before Abraham was born, ‘I Am’.”

xix-Luke 1:31 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king, as his ancestor David was, 33 and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end!”

34 Mary said to the angel, “I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God's power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God.

xx-Luke 9:58 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lie down and rest.”

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