01.082. THE GOSPEL FACTS ABOUT JESUS OF NAZARETH
Lesson Sixty-nine THE GOSPEL FACTS ABOUT JESUS OF NAZARETH Scripture Reading: Acts 2:22-36; Acts 10:34-43; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8.
Scripture to Memorize: “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 would not contain the books that should be written” (John 21:25).
22. Q. What briefly are the facts presented in the New Testament writings respecting Jesus of Nazareth?
A. The facts presented in the New Testament writings about Jesus of Nazareth, may be summarized as follows:
1. That He is the Eternal Word of God, who became flesh and dwelt among men (John 1:1-18, Php 2:6-8, Hebrews 2:14-15, 1 Timothy 3:16). 2. That He was begotten by God the Father, through the agency of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-37). 3. That He was born of the Virgin Mary, in Bethlehem of Judea (Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:1-7). 4. That He was reared in Nazareth (Matthew 2:19-23, Luke 2:39-40). 5. That He was baptized when about thirty years old, by John the Baptizer, in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:1-11, Luke 3:21-23, John 1:19-34). 6. That, when He came up out of the water, the Heavenly Father vocally acknowledged Him as His beloved Son, and anointed Him with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16-17, Mark 1:10-11, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:29-34). 7. That immediately thereafter He was tempted by Satan, and withstood the Temptation (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13). 8. That, following His baptism and temptation, He entered upon His ministry of service (Matthew 4:12-17, Luke 4:14-15, etc.). 9. That He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him (Acts 10:38). 10. That He wrought many wondrous and varied miracles (John 20:30-31, Acts 2:22). 11. That he called and trained twelve men to carry on His work, to act as His witnesses and ambassadors unto the uttermost parts of the earth (Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:13-19, Luke 6:12-16, Acts 1:1-8). 12. That He taught the people by precept and parable and narrative, as one having Authority (Matthew 7:29, Mark 1:22). 13. That the people, influenced by their ecclesiastical leaders, gradually turned against Him, especially when He began to teach the abrogation of the Mosaic System (John 6:22-71; John 8:21-59, Luke 11:37-54, Matthew 23:1-39). 14. That He was finally betrayed by one of His own disciples, and denied by another (Matthew 26:47-56; Matthew 26:69-75, etc.). 15. That His own nation rejected Him and demanded His death (John 1:11, Matthew 27:25). 16. That He was subjected to a series of so-called trials before the ecclesiastical (Jewish) and civil (Roman) authorities, all of which were characterized by gross illegalities (John 18:13-23; Mark 14:53-65; Luke 22:66-71; Luke 23:6-12; Matthew 26:57-67; Matthew 27:11-26). 17. That Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, though convinced of Jesus’ innocence, lacked the moral strength to act according to his conscience, and was constrained by his fear of the people’s fanaticism (Mark 15:15, Luke 23:24), and of the emperor’s disfavor (John 19:12), to deliver Him to be crucified (John 18:28-40; John 19:1-16; Matthew 27:11-26, etc.). 18. That He was crucified between two ordinary criminals (Luke 23:33). 19. That He died on the Cross, and was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, a rich friend (Luke 23:5-56, John 19:31-42). 20. That He was raised up on the third day and presented on different occasions, in His resurrection body, to His chosen witnesses and ambassadors (Luke 24:36-43, John 20:19-29, Acts 1:1-8); and later to Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road, in His glorified body (Acts 9:1-19; Acts 22:3-21; Acts 26:1-23). 21. That He spent the next forty days with His Apostles, instructing them in the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:1-8). 22. That on the fortieth day He was received up into heaven, given a seat at the right hand of the Father, crowned with glory and honor and immortality, and vested with sovereignty over all created things (Acts 1:9-11; Acts 2:22-36; Ephesians 1:15-23; 1 Timothy 6:13-16). 23. That on the fiftieth day, the day of Pentecost, He set up the church of Christ on earth, beginning from Jerusalem, through the agency of the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven, and through the instrumentality of the Apostles, His qualified witnesses and ambassadors (Luke 24:45-49; Acts 1:1-8; Acts 2:1-47). 24. That He thus inaugurated His reign, the dispensation of Christian evangelism and conquest, which continues to our day and will continue to the end of the present era (Matthew 28:1-20; Matthew 18:1-35, Matthew 19:1-30, Matthew 20:1-34, Mark 16:15-16, Matthew 24:14). 25. That, at the end of the present Dispensation, He will come again, to complete the redemption of His people, to consummate the conquest of Satan and his evil works, to judge the living and the dead, and to triumphantly consummate God’s eternal purpose and plan (Matthew 24:29-44; Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 17:22-37; Acts 1:10-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Acts 10:42; 1 Corinthians 15:20-28; Php 2:5-11; 2 Peter 3:8-13; Revelation 20:1-15; Revelation 21:1-8).
23. Q. What three fundamental facts, of all this array of facts presented in the New Testament writings respecting Jesus of Nazareth, have been divinely constituted the essential facts of the Gospel message?
A. The three fundamental facts respecting Jesus of Nazareth which have been divinely constituted the essential facts of the Gospel message, are: 1. that Jesus died for our sins; 2. that He was buried; and 3. that He was raised up the third day.
(1) 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, “Now I make known unto you, brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, by which ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures.” Note that the Apostle Paul here states expressly, that to preach these facts, viz., the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, is to preach the Gospel, the good news about Jesus, the glad tidings of salvation in His name. Cf. 1 Corinthians 2:2—“For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (2) Note that these essential facts were proclaimed by the Apostle Peter, on the day of Pentecost, in the first Gospel sermon addressed to Jews (Acts 2:22-32). (3) Note also that these essential facts were pro-claimed by the Apostle Peter, to Cornelius and his household, in the first Gospel sermon addressed to Gentiles (Acts 10:39-41). (4) In short, these essential facts were proclaimed wherever the Gospel was preached in apostolic times. See Acts 3:14-21; Acts 17:29-32; Acts 26:22-23, etc. Cf. Romans 10:9-10—“because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved; for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness: and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (5) Note, in the last place, the close correspondence between Peter and Paul, in fact between all the Apostles, in their presentation of the essential facts of the Gospel message; a correspondence to be expected, however, in view of the fact that they were all inspired by the same Holy Spirit.
REVIEW EXAMINATION OVER LESSON SIXTY-NINE
22. What briefly are the facts presented in the New Testament writings respecting Jesus of Nazareth?
23. What three fundamental facts, of all this array of facts presented in the New Testament writings respecting Jesus of Nazareth, have been divinely constituted the essential facts of the Gospel message?