Lesson 19 Doctrines of Jesus Christ 1

 Lesson 9

Doctrines of Jesus Christ (I)

Reading Portion : Mat Ch 5- 7 ; Luke Ch 6

Memory Verse : Mat. 5 : 19

Jesus The Prophet  :

What are the official positions of Christ in relation to the kingdom of God? The scripture says that he is prophet, priest and king. As a prophet he revealed God's plan to us faithfully. As a priest he sacrificed himself and is pleading before God for us, and as a king he has set his kingdom in our hearts, and he is going to be the everlasting king. The doctrines Jesus has given to this world as a prophet are our subject to study.

Specialties 

1. The doctrines of Jesus were not spoken on his own. As we see in John 7: 16,  15:15 

 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. 17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. John 7: 16, 17

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

Jesus spoke the words of the Heavenly father. But His words were different and more authoritative than the other prophets. The old testament prophets used to address, " Jehovah says..." while Jesus said "I say into thee". People were surprised by the authority of Christ's words 

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. Mathew 7: 28,29

2. The Pharisees and Scribes who were the teachers of the people gave importance to the earthly laws and weakened God's commands. But Jesus was confirming the everlasting nature of the laws of God. 

3. Jesus criticized  strongly the hypocrisy and traditions of the Pharisees

 13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. 

15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!

Matthew 23: 13-36

The method Jesus used to teaching 

 Jesus didn't teach the spiritual doctrines as pure theology. He used parables, similitudes and allegories. He used parables, similitudes and allegories so that even a lay man could understand his teachings. He cited examples from the nature and day to day aspects in ones life.

 Examples 

Parable : Parable o the sower ( Matthew 13: 1-23)

Similitude : You are the salt of the earth ( Matthew 5:13)

Allegories : I am the good shepherd ( John 10:11) 

The Main Doctrines 

The main content of His teaching was the "kingdom of God". The Jews believed that the Messaiah will come and free them from their bonds and establish and earthly kingdom of God. But God's plan was to establish His kingdom in the hearts of mankind, and create a hope and longingness for the establishment of the literal kingdom of God. So Jesus taught both the spiritual and literal aspects of the kingdom. 

Spiritual Aspect. 

Luke 17:21 says, the Kingdom of God is within you. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. When one accepts Jesus as his personal savior, he is born again into the word and spirit, and he is in the kingdom of God and the Kingdom is in him. Such people should live according to the requirements of the Kingdom 

Literal Aspect 

Jesus will establish His Kingdom on this earth, when He comes again to this earth in His glory as king. There are a number of old testament prophecies about this Kingdom. After the millennium rule there will be the final judgement day. And after that New Jerusalem, the holy city will come down to the purified New earth and the people of God will reign the Earth forever. 

Three Important Sermons 

We can see the doctrines of Jesus in several passages of the gospels. But it is in the sermon of the mount, the sermon on the mount Olivet and Sermon after Passover that we see most of His doctrines. 

1. Sermon on the Mount 

                The sermon on the mount is recorded in Mathew Chapters 5 to 7. It is believed that it was delivered at the "Horns of Hattin" situated between Mount Tabor and Capernaum. It is a comprehended form of more than two Sermons. We can see the concept of the Sermon on the Mount throughout the Gospel of Luke. There are practical concepts that every man of God should follow. God gives importance to the internal state of a man rather that his external deeds or appearances. 

Jesus starts the Sermon with a descriptive nature of blessed people. Those considered unworthy by the world was considered blessed by Jesus. Jesus teaches about the spiritual humility, purity in heart, thirst and hunger, mercy, and peace. 

2. Sermon Mount Olive

                Jesus talked about the future aspects related the Kingdom of God to his disciples, on the mount of Olive. Jesus will come again for the establishment of His Kingdom. Before that the Temple of Jerusalem should be destroyed and the Jews should be persecuted. But later the Jews will prosper and Christ will come and take his Church. For the next seven years Anti Christ will rule the earth. It is during this period that the Jews will go through the Great Tribulation. Then Jesus will come down to the earth in His Glory. He will rule the earth with righteousness on the throne of David. Thus he will establish the literal kingdom of God. 

 3. The Sermon After The Passover

        This Sermon was delivered after his last supper. The aim of this Sermon was to pacify the disciples and to make them aware of the spiritual and literal aspects of the Kingdom

                            Apart from these 3 Sermons, we can see the conversations with Nicodemos and the woman from Samaria and the other teachings manifest the spiritual gifts that a man can get. 

Let the unique teachings of Christ lead us throughout our lives.