Lesson-4

"LET THERE BE LIGHT" Ministries

Lesson 4

JESUS--OUR BEST FRIEND

Introduction: The whole Bible is about Jesus, but in this lesson we will study especially about Jesus, what He is, what He means to us, and what He will do for us. We will never be able to understand fully about Him, and His wonderful love and compassion toward us, but we can learn to know Him better and love Him more and more.

1. Did Jesus exist before the world was formed? John 17:4,5; Col. 1:17; Micah 5:2 (margin);Ps. 90:2. Note: The word “everlasting” in Micah 5:2, KJV, is defined in the margin as, “ the days of eternity.”

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2. How did God the Father regard Him? Heb. 1:8;(Ps. 45:6); John 1:1,14; Heb. 1:3; Eph. 1:20-22. Note: But while God’s Word speaks of the humanity of Christ when upon this earth, it also speaks decidedly regarding His pre-existence. The Word (Christ) existed as a divine being, even as the eternal Son of God, in union and oneness with His Father. From everlasting He was the Mediator of the covenant, the one in whom all nations of the earth, both Jews and Gentiles, if they accepted Him, were to be blessed.

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3. Who created the world and man? Heb. 1:1,2; Col. 1:16; John 1:1-3,14; Rev. 4:11. Note: In the beginning God was revealed in the works of creation. It was Christ that spread the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth. It was His hands that hung the worlds in space, and fashioned the flowers of the field. “His strength setteth fast the mountains,” “The sea was His, and He made it.” Ps. 65:6; 95:5. It was He that filled the earth with beauty, and the air with song. Upon all things in earth, and sea, and sky, He wrote the message of the Father’s love.

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4. What happened in the Garden of Eden shortly after Creation? Read chapter 3 of Genesis.

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5. What was the result? Romans 6:23; 5:12. Note: In Genesis 3:15 we find God’s solution to the death sentence. Even though Adam and Eve disobeyed and sinned, God did not immediately condemn them to death. He gave them hope--a way out, a Saviour. What a loving Father! What a loving Son!

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6. Because of man’s fall, what did Jesus become? John 3:16; Romans 5:8,9; Isa. 43:1; 54:5; Luke 19:10. Note: God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency. So great was His love for this world, that He covenanted to give His only-begotten Son, “ that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

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7. How did Jesus become our Saviour, our Redeemer? What did He have to do? Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 1:3. Note: The Son of God, heaven’s glorious Commander, was touched with pity for the fallen race. His heart was moved with infinite compassion as the woes of the lost world rose up before Him. But divine love had conceived a plan whereby man might be redeemed. The broken law of God demanded the life of the sinner. In all all the universe there was but one who could, in behalf of man, satisfy its claims. Since the divine law is as sacred as God Himself, only one equal with God could make atonement for its transgression. None but Christ could redeem man from the curse of the law and bring him again into harmony with heaven. Christ could take upon Himself the guilt and shame of sin--sin so offensive to a holy God, that it must separate the Father and His Son. Christ would reach the depths of misery to rescue the ruined race.

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8. After Jesus lived and died for us, where did He go, and what is He doing there? Acts 1:9-11; Heb. 4:14-16; 2:17,18; 7:25; 8:1,2. Note: The Shekinah* had departed from the sanctuary, but in the Child of Bethlehem was veiled the glory before which angels bow. This unconscious Babe was the Promised Seed, to whom the first altar at the gate of Eden pointed. This was Shiloh, the peace giver. It was He who declared Himself to Moses as the I AM. It was He who in the pillar of cloud and of fire had been the guide of Israel. This was He whom seers had long foretold. He was the Desire of all nations, the Root and Offspring of David, and the Bright and Morning Star. The name of that helpless little babe, inscribed in the roll of Israel, declaring Him our brother, was the hope of fallen humanity. The child for whom the redemption money had been paid was He who was to pay the ransom for the sins of the whole world. He was the true ‘high priest over the house of God,’ the head of ‘an unchangeable priesthood,’ the intercessor at the ‘right hand of the Majesty on high.’ Heb. 10:21; 7:24; 1:3.

*(The Hebrew name for the symbol of the divine presence which rested in the shape of a cloud or visible light over the mercy seat [in the sanctuary]. Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary Unabridged--1943 edition.)

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Christ has pledged Himself to be our substitute and surety, and He neglects no one. There is an inexhaustible fund of perfect obedience accruing from His obedience. In heaven His merits, His self-denial and self-sacrifice, are treasured as incense to be offered up with the prayers of His people. As the sinner’s sincere, humble prayers ascend to the throne of God, Christ mingles with them the merits of His own life of perfect obedience. Our prayers are made fragrant by this incense. Christ has pledged Himself to intercede in our behalf, and the Father always hears the Son.

This is the mystery of godliness. That Christ should take human nature, and by a life of humiliation, elevate man in the scale of moral worth with God: that He should carry His adopted nature to the throne of God, and there present His children to the Father, to have conferred upon them an honor exceeding that conferred upon the angels,---this is the marvel of the heavenly universe, the mystery into which the angels desire to look. This is love that melts the sinner’s heart.


	"LET THERE BE LIGHT" Ministries home \| Bible Studies Lesson 4 JESUS--OUR BEST FRIEND Introduction: The whole Bible is about Jesus, but in this lesson we will study especially about Jesus, what He is, what He means to us, and what He will do for us. We will never be able to understand fully about Him, and His wonderful love and compassion toward us, but we can learn to know Him better and love Him more and more. 1. Did Jesus exist before the world was formed? John 17:4,5; Col. 1:17; Micah 5:2 (margin);Ps. 90:2. Note: The word “everlasting” in Micah 5:2, KJV, is defined in the margin as, “ the days of eternity.” ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 2. How did God the Father regard Him? Heb. 1:8;(Ps. 45:6); John 1:1,14; Heb. 1:3; Eph. 1:20-22. Note: But while God’s Word speaks of the humanity of Christ when upon this earth, it also speaks decidedly regarding His pre-existence. The Word (Christ) existed as a divine being, even as the eternal Son of God, in union and oneness with His Father. From everlasting He was the Mediator of the covenant, the one in whom all nations of the earth, both Jews and Gentiles, if they accepted Him, were to be blessed. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 3. Who created the world and man? Heb. 1:1,2; Col. 1:16; John 1:1-3,14; Rev. 4:11. Note: In the beginning God was revealed in the works of creation. It was Christ that spread the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth. It was His hands that hung the worlds in space, and fashioned the flowers of the field. “His strength setteth fast the mountains,” “The sea was His, and He made it.” Ps. 65:6; 95:5. It was He that filled the earth with beauty, and the air with song. Upon all things in earth, and sea, and sky, He wrote the message of the Father’s love. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 4. What happened in the Garden of Eden shortly after Creation? Read chapter 3 of Genesis. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 5. What was the result? Romans 6:23; 5:12. Note: In Genesis 3:15 we find God’s solution to the death sentence. Even though Adam and Eve disobeyed and sinned, God did not immediately condemn them to death. He gave them hope--a way out, a Saviour. What a loving Father! What a loving Son! ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 6. Because of man’s fall, what did Jesus become? John 3:16; Romans 5:8,9; Isa. 43:1; 54:5; Luke 19:10. Note: God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency. So great was His love for this world, that He covenanted to give His only-begotten Son, “ that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 7. How did Jesus become our Saviour, our Redeemer? What did He have to do? Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 1:3. Note: The Son of God, heaven’s glorious Commander, was touched with pity for the fallen race. His heart was moved with infinite compassion as the woes of the lost world rose up before Him. But divine love had conceived a plan whereby man might be redeemed. The broken law of God demanded the life of the sinner. In all all the universe there was but one who could, in behalf of man, satisfy its claims. Since the divine law is as sacred as God Himself, only one equal with God could make atonement for its transgression. None but Christ could redeem man from the curse of the law and bring him again into harmony with heaven. Christ could take upon Himself the guilt and shame of sin--sin so offensive to a holy God, that it must separate the Father and His Son. Christ would reach the depths of misery to rescue the ruined race. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 8. After Jesus lived and died for us, where did He go, and what is He doing there? Acts 1:9-11; Heb. 4:14-16; 2:17,18; 7:25; 8:1,2. Note: The Shekinah* had departed from the sanctuary, but in the Child of Bethlehem was veiled the glory before which angels bow. This unconscious Babe was the Promised Seed, to whom the first altar at the gate of Eden pointed. This was Shiloh, the peace giver. It was He who declared Himself to Moses as the I AM. It was He who in the pillar of cloud and of fire had been the guide of Israel. This was He whom seers had long foretold. He was the Desire of all nations, the Root and Offspring of David, and the Bright and Morning Star. The name of that helpless little babe, inscribed in the roll of Israel, declaring Him our brother, was the hope of fallen humanity. The child for whom the redemption money had been paid was He who was to pay the ransom for the sins of the whole world. He was the true ‘high priest over the house of God,’ the head of ‘an unchangeable priesthood,’ the intercessor at the ‘right hand of the Majesty on high.’ Heb. 10:21; 7:24; 1:3. *(The Hebrew name for the symbol of the divine presence which rested in the shape of a cloud or visible light over the mercy seat [in the sanctuary]. Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary Unabridged--1943 edition.) ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Christ has pledged Himself to be our substitute and surety, and He neglects no one. There is an inexhaustible fund of perfect obedience accruing from His obedience. In heaven His merits, His self-denial and self-sacrifice, are treasured as incense to be offered up with the prayers of His people. As the sinner’s sincere, humble prayers ascend to the throne of God, Christ mingles with them the merits of His own life of perfect obedience. Our prayers are made fragrant by this incense. Christ has pledged Himself to intercede in our behalf, and the Father always hears the Son. This is the mystery of godliness. That Christ should take human nature, and by a life of humiliation, elevate man in the scale of moral worth with God: that He should carry His adopted nature to the throne of God, and there present His children to the Father, to have conferred upon them an honor exceeding that conferred upon the angels,---this is the marvel of the heavenly universe, the mystery into which the angels desire to look. This is love that melts the sinner’s heart.