God With Us
Posted: Fri May 28, 2021 12:54 pm
I prophet, Isaiah, wrote “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:..I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” Isaiah 14:12-14
Contrast this with what the apostle, Paul, wrote of Jesus that he “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:..” Philippians 2:6 & 7
Moses was born (about 1200 to 1400 years B.C.) to Hebrew parents in Egypt, was adopted by the the Pharaoh's daughter, was raised, first by his biological mother, then in the court of the Pharaoh (king), killed an Egyptian for beating one of the Hebrew slaves, and fled to Midian where he married one of daughters of the priest of Midian. (Exodus 1 & 2) As Moses was tending the flocks of his father-in-law, he saw a bush that appeared to be on fire. Instead of being consumed by the fire, it continued to appear to be on fire so Moses went closer to the bush where someone spoke to him. That someone claimed to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and told Moses, “I will send you to Pharaoh so you may bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
There is more to the conversation and you can read about it in Exodus 3. Moses said “Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?”
The reply was “I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.”
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made...And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,...” The Gospel of John chapter 1 verses 1-3 & 14
Jesus said “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:16 & 17 “...the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father:..” John 6:57; “...I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.” John 8:28; “...I seek not mine own glory:..” verse 50 “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.” verse 56
Then said the Jews (probably the officers of the Sanhedrin) unto him, “Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?” verse 57
Jesus said unto them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” verse 58
Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. Verse 59
There has been much debate about whether the words of Jesus as recorded in John 8 were a claim to be the God of Moses but the people to whom he was speaking picked up stones to throw at him almost certainly because they considered him to be making such a claim.
Other things Jesus said can be similarly understood:
“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” - Matthew 28:18
“I am the living bread which came down from heaven:...” John 6:51
“I am the good shepherd:...” John 10:11
“I am the way, the truth, and the life:..” John 14:6
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 “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 53:5
Jesus was treated as we deserve that we might be treated as he deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which he had no share, that we might be justified by his righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours that we might receive the life which is his.
The prophet, Isaiah, wrote “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (an anglicised version of the Hebrew word “Immanuwel” meaning with us [is] God) Isaiah 7:14
Matthew quoted Isaiah’s prophecy “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel” Then Matthew added “which being interpreted is, God with us.”
Contrast this with what the apostle, Paul, wrote of Jesus that he “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:..” Philippians 2:6 & 7
Moses was born (about 1200 to 1400 years B.C.) to Hebrew parents in Egypt, was adopted by the the Pharaoh's daughter, was raised, first by his biological mother, then in the court of the Pharaoh (king), killed an Egyptian for beating one of the Hebrew slaves, and fled to Midian where he married one of daughters of the priest of Midian. (Exodus 1 & 2) As Moses was tending the flocks of his father-in-law, he saw a bush that appeared to be on fire. Instead of being consumed by the fire, it continued to appear to be on fire so Moses went closer to the bush where someone spoke to him. That someone claimed to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and told Moses, “I will send you to Pharaoh so you may bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
There is more to the conversation and you can read about it in Exodus 3. Moses said “Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?”
The reply was “I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.”
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made...And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,...” The Gospel of John chapter 1 verses 1-3 & 14
Jesus said “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:16 & 17 “...the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father:..” John 6:57; “...I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.” John 8:28; “...I seek not mine own glory:..” verse 50 “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.” verse 56
Then said the Jews (probably the officers of the Sanhedrin) unto him, “Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?” verse 57
Jesus said unto them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” verse 58
Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. Verse 59
There has been much debate about whether the words of Jesus as recorded in John 8 were a claim to be the God of Moses but the people to whom he was speaking picked up stones to throw at him almost certainly because they considered him to be making such a claim.
Other things Jesus said can be similarly understood:
“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” - Matthew 28:18
“I am the living bread which came down from heaven:...” John 6:51
“I am the good shepherd:...” John 10:11
“I am the way, the truth, and the life:..” John 14:6
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 “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 53:5
Jesus was treated as we deserve that we might be treated as he deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which he had no share, that we might be justified by his righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours that we might receive the life which is his.
The prophet, Isaiah, wrote “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (an anglicised version of the Hebrew word “Immanuwel” meaning with us [is] God) Isaiah 7:14
Matthew quoted Isaiah’s prophecy “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel” Then Matthew added “which being interpreted is, God with us.”