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Lesson 4

The Man Who Was God!

One day as the crew was painting the top of a lighthouse an accident occurred that would never be forgotten by those who saw it.
Suspended on a scaffold sixty feet above the ground, one of the painters stepped back too far and lost his balance. Before anyone could
catch him, he hurled through space to certain death on the rocks below.

The other workmen hurried down their ladders to the foot of the lighthouse. You can imagine their shock when a few moments later they
discovered a dazed, but apparently unharmed, painter lying on the ground! The reason for the miracle was soon discovered. A flock of sheep                had been grazing at the base of the lighthouse directly under the scaffold where the painters were working. The soft, woolly body of a large              sheep had broken the fall of the apparently doomed painter. Instead of being dead, the man was only stunned; but the sheep was dead!

That stricken worker represents you and me. The dead sheep portrays what Jesus, the Lamb of God, did to save us from certain death. Christ              broke our fall and died so that we might live eternally with a God of love, from whom we have too long been separated. Certain death faced                 all humanity when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were cut off from the tree of life. Genesis 3:22-24 tells us that God separated man from                the source of life after his sin so that he would not live forever. This was the punishment of which Adam was warned before he sinned.

 

The God of love shared with our parents the good news of salvation. At the gates of the garden of Eden, God told the serpent, "And I will put
enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Genesis 3:15).

 

God predicted that the conflict that began in heaven would continue. The serpent, the devil, would wound the seed of woman, who was
Christ. The wound would be painful but not fatal. In due time, Christ would crush the head of the serpent and restore man to the family of
God. The Lamb would be sacrificed, thus earning the right to destroy the devil and his works. From the beginning of the world the plan of
salvation was ready to ensure each of us a way to escape from eternal loss of existence, which is the penalty of sin. Let's look to God's
Word, the Bible and see how this beautiful plan can work in your life.

1. Who does the Bible says that Jesus is? Matthew 16:16 & John 6:69

There are about 50 Bible verses that tell us that Jesus was the only begotten Son of God! It also tells us about the wonderful reason for His coming.

2. What does the most known and popular Bible verse tell us? John 3:16

This greatest of Bible verses makes known to us the great love that our Heavenly Father has for our world! It also lets us know that Jesus was sent by His Heavenly Father!

3. Are there other similar passages that tell us this fact? John 16:28 & John 17:3, 8

The Bible tells us plainly that Jesus came forth from the Father, His Father, and that He was sent here on a very important mission!

4. Did Jesus exist before coming to this earth? John 17:5, 24

Not only did Jesus exist before coming to this earth, but he existed before this earth was even created. There is an important reason for this fact too, as we will see in the next questions!

5. What part did Christ have in the creation of this world? John 1:3 & Colossians 1:16

6. How does Paul describe the relationship of the Father and Son in creation?       Hebrews 1:2 & Ephesians 3:9

The Son existed with the Father from eternity. In perfect harmony they worked out the creation of this earth. The Son had a part in everything
that was created. This is very important for us to understand. It took the sacrifice of the Creator to atone for the sins of all creation.

7. How did Christ humble Himself in becoming our Saviour? Philippians 2:5-8

Jesus could not die in the form of God. Therefore He had to become a human being so He could suffer in our place the punishment of
death. Because Jesus did this, you and I can have eternal life!

"We marvel at the Saviour's sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven for the manger, and the companionship of adoring angels for the
beasts of the stall. Human pride and self-sufficiency stand rebuked in His presence. yet this was but the beginning of His wonderful
condescension. . . . God permitted His Son to come, a helpless babe, subject to the weakness of humanity. He permitted Him to meet life's
peril in common with every human soul, to fight the battle as every child of humanity must fight it, at the risk of failure and eternal loss" (The
Desire of Ages, pp. 48, 49).

8. Why did Christ leave the heavenly courts and come to this earth in human form?     1 Timothy 1:15 & Luke 19:10

"It was to redeem us that Jesus lived and suffered and died. 'He became a man of sorrows,' that we might be made partakers of
everlasting joy. God permitted His beloved Son, full of grace and truth, to come from a world of indescribable glory, to a world marred and
blighted with sin, darkened with the shadow of death and the curse. . . . Christ was the medium through which he could poor out His infinite love upon a fallen world. God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself." (Steps to Christ p. 13) See 2 Corinthians 5:19.

9. What did the angel tell Mary to call her newborn child? Luke 1:35

"The Saviour's coming was foretold in Eden (Genesis 3:15). . . . The promise was repeated through patriarchs and prophets. . . . Yet He
came not. . . . Century after century passed away; the voices of the prophets ceased. . . . But like the stars in the vast circuit of their
appointed path, God's purposes know no haste and no delay. . . . In heaven's council the hour for the coming of Christ had been
determined. ["But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son," (Galatians 4:4)] When the great clock of time pointed to
that hour, Jesus was born in Bethlehem" (The Desire of Ages, pp. 31, 32). "He came to this world in human form, to live a man amongst
men. . . . In His humanity He was a partaker of the divine nature. In His incarnation He gained in a new sense the title the Son of God. . . .
While the Son of a human being, He became the Son of God in a new sense. thus He stood in our world -- the Son of God, yet allied by birth
to the human race" (Signs of the Times, August 2, 1905).

10. How did Jesus spend the days of His ministry? Matthew 4:23

"Our Lord Jesus Christ came to this world as the unwearied servant of man's necessity. . . .

"Varied were the circumstances and needs of those who besought His aid, and none who came to Him went away unhelped. From Him
flowed a stream of healing power, and in body and mind and soul men were made whole.

 

"The Saviour's work was not restricted to any time or place, His compassion knew no limit. . . .

 

"His life was one of constant self - sacrifice. . . .

 

"Christ recognized no distinction of nationality or rank or creed. . . . He came to show that His gift of mercy and love is as unconfined as the
air, the light, or the showers of rain that refresh the earth. . . .

 

"He passed by no human being as worthless, but sought to apply healing remedy to every soul" (The Ministry of Healing, pp. 17-25).

11. How did Peter summarize the life of Jesus? Acts 10:38

Christ's work gave evidence of His divine anointing (Luke 4:18). We have only a short summary of the ministry of Christ: "And there are also
many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the
books that should be written. Amen." (John 21:25)

12. When asked to show them the Father, what did Jesus tell the disciples?                  John 14:8-10

Christ is called "the Word." He was the revelation of God's love in the flesh. God tried to tell man of His love, but they would not believe.                   He finally sent His Son to demonstrate this love in His life. The life of Jesus was one of great lesson of divine love from the beginning to               the end. As you learn fully of His life you will better understand the love of God.

13. What kind of life did Christ live on earth? 1 Peter 2:22, 23

His was a perfect life of righteousness. Not once did Christ break one of God's laws. He was sinless in every way. He was a perfect sacrifice,        without spot or blemish. This does not mean, however, that Jesus is insensitive to our needs, for we read: "We have not an high priest which     cannot be touched with the felling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).

14. How are we reconciled to God? Romans 5:10

It is the life of obedience that Christ lived while on this earth, credited to our account, that permits God to be just and still give us eternal life.
While Christ takes the blame for our sins, He gives us credit for His perfect life.

"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was
wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we
are healed" (Isaiah 53:4, 5).

15. When God demonstrated His love toward us by the death of Christ, what  condition were we in? Romans 5:8

Many people believe that they must prove themselves or clean up their lives before God can love them. "If you see your sinfulness, do not
wait to make yourself better. How many there are who think they are not good enough to come to Christ. Do you expect to become better
through your own efforts? "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to
do evil." (Jeremiah 13:23). There is help for us only in God. We must not wait for stronger persuasions, for better opportunities, or for holier
tempers. We can do nothing of ourselves. We must come to Christ just as we are" (Steps to Christ, p. 31).

16. What was the reason that Christ died? 1 Corinthians 15:3

17. Where is our only hope of salvation found? Acts 4:10, 12

18. What promise has Jesus made to each lost sinner? John 12:32

Christ has promised to reach out and draw all men to Him. The sinner may resist this love, may refuse to be drawn to Christ. But if he does
not resist, he will be drawn to Jesus. A knowledge of the plan of salvation will lead him to the foot of the cross.

19. What exalted position will lost man attain through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ? 1 John 3:1

"What a value this places upon man! Through transgression the sons of man become subjects of Satan. Through faith in the atoning
sacrifice of Christ, the sons of Adam may become the sons of God. By assuming human nature, Christ elevates humanity. Fallen men are
placed where, through connection with Christ, they may indeed become worthy of the name 'sons of God.'

"Such love is without parallel. Children of the heavenly King! Precious promise! Theme for the most profound meditation! The matchless
love of God for a world that did not love Him!" (Steps to Christ p. 15).

20. After your study of the life and sacrifice of Christ, what is your response                to His love for you?

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