Knowing Christ through the Scriptures

Good afternoon to everyone. First of all, I would like to thank the Assembly for their hospitality. I think it's pretty evident how much conferences are appreciated.

With all the precautions that were taken in the year gone by and the suspension of conferences, we know what the saying is, you don't know what you had until you've lost it. So hopefully we have a greater appreciation for the possibility to gather like this. I'd like to read in the book of John to begin with this afternoon.

We'll read in John chapter 5, please. Book of John in chapter 5. We'll read verse 39, a verse that should be memorized by everyone here. John chapter 5, verse 39.

This is the Lord Jesus speaking. He says, search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they which testify concerning me. Elder Avery was speaking to us yesterday that our Christian life is a relationship with the Lord Jesus and with God.

It is a relationship that ought to grow and develop over time. John 17, verse 3 says, this is life eternal, that you might know the true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. And that word to know is not just to know about, but that is speaking of an intimate relationship between.

That is knowing God and growing in our knowledge of the person of the Lord Jesus. And how are we going to do that? The Lord Jesus tells us, search the Scriptures. And there were those that would search the Scriptures because they were seeking for eternal life as the Lord Jesus speaks to these religious people.

But you cannot search the Scriptures and not see Jesus unless you are blind. And unfortunately, so many of them were. Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me.

And recently we did challenge the young people in regards to this, to searching out the Scriptures for the person of the Lord Jesus. You'll notice that in Luke chapter 24, as the Lord Jesus is resurrected and speaking with those that he would appear to, they were confounded and confused regarding the death of the Lord Jesus, his crucifixion, and then his resurrection. But he told them that those things had already been written, that the Scriptures had already declared that he was going to suffer, that he was going to raise again the third day.

He would speak of the writings of Moses. He would speak of the writings of the prophets. He would speak of the psalmist as they would write concerning him.

Of course, we understand that these people would only have the Old Testament, the Scriptures, and even the apostles that would preach in the days, the book of the Acts, they only had the Scriptures, but it was enough. It was enough to preach Christ from what they had in the Old Testament. Just think of the preaching of Paul, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried and raised again the third day according to the Scriptures, what was written in the Old Testament, in Moses, in the prophets, in the psalms.

Do we see Christ in all the Scriptures? That ought to be our purpose is to know him, how blessed we are to have the New Testament that speaks of his birth, that speaks of his life, his death, his resurrection, the works that he did. But you know, we're not limited to the New Testament, the whole of the Scriptures. The Lord Jesus says, they testify concerning me.

And we were appreciating in Guanavolo a few weeks ago, the very first promise that is given regarding the coming of the Lord Jesus, the one who would undo the works of Satan. Remember in chapter 3, his sin has come into the world, that God is speaking to the serpent and pronounces a curse upon him. And he speaks to the woman of the sorrow that she was going to know in her childbearing.

And he curses the earth that Adam was going to have to work until the day of his death. But right in the middle of that, Genesis 3 verse 15, as God speaks to the serpent, I will put enmity between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head and thou shall bruise his heel.

Is that not a picture of the grace of God? In the midst of pronouncing curse and judgment upon those that had disobeyed and rebelled against him? Even the working of Satan in this world by the promise of one who was going to crush the serpent's head, though he was going to be bruised in his heel. And we understand that the death of the Lord Jesus might have been seen as a great victory by Satan to see the Son of God crucified, to be put to death. But we know that the death of the Lord Jesus was that mortal blow that was given to Satan.

The one who had the power of death. The one who had men in bondage all their lifetime by fear of death. And as we said, just as David would take Goliath's own sword to chop off his head.

Is that not what the Lord Jesus did through death, defeating death and sin in Satan? From the very beginning of our Bible, our promise is given. 4,000 years before the Lord Jesus comes into this world, the one who was going to crush the serpent in his head, the one who was going to be bruised in the heel. What I'd like to do is consider another promise.

Let's go over to the book of Deuteronomy. We'll read in chapter 18. Deuteronomy, of course, is Moses speaking to the second generation of those that came out of Egypt.

Before they go into the promised land, their parents had been given the word of God at Mount Sinai. And their parents, though they had promised to obey all that the Lord had said, didn't. And the Bible tells us, in their unbelief, they died in the wilderness.

So Moses is speaking to this second generation of their entering in. I'd just like to notice something that Moses mentions. Deuteronomy 18, verse 15.

It says, The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thy brethren, like unto me. Unto him you shall hearken, according to all that thou desirest of the Lord thy God, in Horeb, in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. And the Lord said unto me, They have spoken well, in that they have spoken.

I will raise up, I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth, and he will speak unto them all that I shall command him. So this is a promise that is given. As Moses had been the spokesman to the people on behalf of God, Moses would speak of another prophet who would come in a future day.

So let's go over to the book of John again, this time in chapter 1. In John chapter 1, we've considered already this morning, verse 14, John 1 and 14 says, And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Let's just drop down here a little bit and consider verse 19. Verse 19 says, This is the record of John, that when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? He confessed and confessed, I am not the Christ.

And they asked him, What then, art thou Elias? Because we know that the Christ was promised from the Old Testament, and he says, I am not. We also know that Elias or Elijah was promised that he would come. And John says, I am not, though actually he was the one that was referred to.

But notice, the same verse, it says, Art thou that prophet? Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. So I take it that there was an expectation based on the promise given by Moses of this singular prophet that would come, that was going to be raised up of God among the people. And here is John who appears on the scene.

After God has not spoken to his people for 400 years, here is a man that is speaking. And the question, are you the Christ? He said, I am not. Are you Elijah? He said, I am not.

Are you then that prophet? And he answered, No. But drop down, we'll read the words here, Philip to Nathanael, verse 45. And Philip findeth Nathanael, and said unto him, Notice, we have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

Philip along with Nathanael, they were awaiting the coming of the one that Moses wrote about. The one that God had promised would come so long ago. And they could say the moment has come and he is here, the very one that Moses and the prophets wrote about.

Come over then, we'll read in chapter 4. Chapter 4, notice verse 25. This is, of course, the Lord Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman near Sychar. The woman said unto him, chapter 4, verse 25.

The woman said unto him, I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ, when he has come, he will tell us all things. And Jesus said unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. Come over to chapter 6. Chapter 6, this, of course, has to do with the feeding of the 5,000.

We'll read here in chapter 6, verse 14. It says when those men, then when those men, sorry, then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did said, this is of a truth, that prophet that should come into the world. Go over to Acts chapter 2 now, please.

Acts chapter 2. This is now Peter preaching. Acts chapter 2, notice verse 22. Acts 2, 22.

Ye men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know. Turn over to chapter 3 in verse 22.

Different occasion, but Peter speaking. Notice what it says. 322 for Moses.

Truly said unto the fathers, a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me. Him shall ye hear in all things. Whatsoever he shall say unto you, and it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people.

Is it not interesting that Moses could write 1400 years before the coming of the Lord Jesus of one whom God would raise up among the people? One who would speak the word of God to them even as Moses had done. It's interesting when you notice there is a relationship between Moses and the Lord Jesus. You can see that as you come over to chapter seven as well as Stephen is speaking.

One who was raised up of God to deliver his people, but one who was rejected by the people. Is that not the sad reality of the coming of the Lord Jesus as we have read? Not just as a prophet, but the prophet that was promised to come raised up among the very same people, the nation of Israel, but one who was going to communicate the word of God to the people of God. As we have already read, not just so much a messenger to convey, but the word of God himself would come, that the word was made flesh and he dwelt among us.

We understand that Moses had such an awesome privilege to speak to God. The Bible tells us face to face, but how much more the Lord Jesus is the one who dwelt in the bosom of the father. The one who can say that my doctrine is not mine, but the one, the doctrine of the one who sent me.

And of course we read of the signs of Moses. Those signs were given for the unbelief of the people. As God would speak to him there at the burning bush, you remember? God was telling him, I am calling you to go.

And he says, what if the people will not believe that I am the one that you have sent? And you remember the three signs that were given as he would throw his rod on the ground and it would turn into a serpent. He would put his hand into his bosom and become leprous. And if they still will not believe, pour water onto the ground and it will be converted into blood.

And then of course the signs that were given to the Egyptians as the plagues would come, as Moses would work. Why all this? So that they would understand that this was the man that was sent to God, of God, to deliver the people? But not only was he the one that was sent to deliver the people, he was also the one that was going to speak the word of God to the people. He was going to receive the message of God on Sinai, the one who was going to go into the presence of God when all the people were so fearful to do so.

Isn't that not the purpose of John in his writing? To prove that indeed this was the prophet of God that was promised to come. The one who would speak the word of God. Direct communication, direct revelation from God to the people.

You come to the end of John's gospel and you notice how it's linked together? Now brother reminded us of the eight signs that are recorded there. You notice what John, his conclusion is this? The Lord Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples but these, these are enough to prove that he is who he said he was. That he is the Christ, the Son of God.

That you might believe on his name and might believe and have life. That's a word that John uses just as we have read here in the book of Acts that the Lord Jesus was a man who was marked out, approved by God among you by miracles, wonders, and signs. See, this was really to validate him as a messenger of God.

To prove that he was who he said. But that wasn't the end in itself. Just to create wonder and to bless physically those who had need.

But it was to prove that he was the messenger that was sent by God. Remember the words of Nicodemus? Nicodemus as he could say, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God. How did Nicodemus know? Because no man can do these signs that thou doest but God be with him.

You see, there is a purpose in it. We read here in the book of Acts that this was a sign to the nation just as Moses, the one who would perform the signs so the people would know that this is the man of God. How much more the Lord Jesus? And the signs that he performs so that the people might understand this is him whom God promised.

This is the Redeemer. This is the Savior. This is the Messiah.

This is the prophet. This is the one that was going to speak with authority the word of God. Again, John tells us that the law came by Moses but grace and truth by Jesus Christ.

The message of salvation that was preached by the Lord Jesus. Isn't that interesting that in John's Gospel you read at least 25 times these words of the Lord Jesus? Barely, barely. He didn't speak as one of the scribes because he spoke as one having authority.

With the authority of heaven itself as the heaven sent messenger into this world as that prophet that would come. He could say, Barely, barely. I say unto you.

So sad it was that there were those that would not recognize his person as the one who had come from God as a son of God. Because they did not recognize him as a son of God they would not receive his words. John chapter 5 tells us Barely, barely.

I say unto you. He that hears my words and believes him that sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life. Is it any wonder that they would have to say of him never men speak like this man? He was a prophet that God had promised.

The one that God would raise up from among his brethren. A man that would speak the word of God to the people with the authority of God. But how sad it is that not all that heard him were willing to believe.

And again Peter preaches that to them that the Lord Jesus indeed was that prophet that God would raise up. It says that every soul that will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people. The Lord Jesus spoke with absolute authority.

Hebrews chapter 1 tells us that God in a day gone by he spoke to the fathers by the prophets. But these last times he has spoken to us in son. Chapter 2 tells us that the word that was delivered by angels was steadfast.

That every transgression received is just recompense of reward. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which began to be spoken by the Lord. The divine messenger that came to preach the gospel to make known the mind of God to humanity.

One of those that reject his word, his message, his person. The Bible tells us that they shall be destroyed from among the people. Search the scriptures.

For in them you think you have eternal life and they are they which testify concerning me. Brothers and sisters, our purpose in reading and studying the Bible is not just to fill our heads with knowledge. Yes, there are doctrines that are precious and things that we ought to learn and appreciate in our lives.

But our purpose ought to be to know Christ. Christ is the fuel to the fire. He is the one that is going to motivate us in our Christian lives.

He is the one that we need to know. He is the one that we need to know in a far greater way than we do. Because if we begin to appreciate him for who he is, what is that going to produce? It is going to produce worship.

You come over to Revelation chapter 5 and there are those who understand who he is. And what do we read that they're doing? They are worshiping, they are saying he is worthy because of who he is. And then we begin to appreciate what he has done.

The sacrifice that he has made for us is what is going to motivate us to serve him in a greater way. And we understand that he is the head of all things. We are going to have a perfect dependency upon him as our head.

Everything revolves around him. That is why we need to learn him. That is why we need to be in love with him.

That is why we need to appreciate his person. And if Christ has his place in our lives, then everything else will fall into its place. Our human relationships, our assembly relationships, our assembly activities, our outreach in the gospel.

If Christ has his place, if he is recognized for who he truly is, he will be worshipped as he deserves. He will be served as he deserves. May God help us to search the Scriptures.

Why? Because they speak of him. Because they speak of Christ. We ought to be diligent then in how great it is to trace through the whole of the Scriptures the person of the Lord Jesus and learn of him.