Did Moses Write About Jesus?

Tom:

We are going through the gospel of John and our emphasis now and has been for the past number of weeks/months—we’ve been in this for awhile, but it’s a good place to be in Dave, the gospel of John.What we are interested in doing is underscoring salvation.We’ve mentioned time and time again that if someone hasn’t read the Bible before, a good place to start is the gospel of John.

Dave:

Now Tom, in relation to what you were just saying about salvation—I don’t remember how long ago it is that we read this, but John tells us in John:20:31But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
See All... why he wrote this book.Well he was inspired of the Holy Spirit to write it, let me pick up with verse 30: “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: (And he goes on in the next chapter to tell you the world itself couldn’t contain all the books that would need to be written.) But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

Tom:

And we are encouraging everyone to read what has been written.We are going to pick up with verse 43.This is John:5:43I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
See All... and this is Jesus speaking, “I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.”Dave, is this prophetic?Does this have to do with the coming of the Antichrist?

Dave:

I believe so.Of course, this was a new thought for the rabbis [and] for the Jews.I don’t believe there are any references to God, his Father in the Old Testament.Now in Proverbs 30 it does say what is his name?You know the creator of the universe, “…what is his name and what is his son’s name…” giving and indication of a father.And in Psalm 2, “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry…” so for there to be a son there must be a father.And in Isaiah:9:6For 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.
See All..., “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given….”That’s the eternal Son of God.But Jesus is introducing a new thought.God as Father and he says he is my Father.And he comes representing his Father, and then he tells—we’ve already covered that in John 3—he tells Nicodemus how he can become a child of God through faith in Christ as the one who died for his sins and John:1:13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
See All... says, “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”And verse 12 says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name….”So this is a whole new idea, not just the people of God, but you could be the children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.So Jesus is saying look, I didn’t come in my own name, I’ve come representing my Father and you received me not.Another one will come in his own name, he’s going to be an egomaniac, and he will sit in the temple of God, 2 Thessalonians:2:4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
See All....He will sit in the temple of God showing himself that he is God, declaring he’s a self made god.This is the popular thing today.Jesus says I can of my own self do nothing.We’ve talked about that in the past, Father, Son and Holy Spirit work in partnership, well more than a partnership, we don’t understand it, they are one.Father, Son and Holy Spirit do not do anything on their own.Jesus is telling us, “I’ve come in my Father’s name.I’m declaring to you, who the true God is and you received me not.If another comes in his own name, him you will receive.”

Tom:

Dave in the Old Testament, did the rabbis regard the Messiah as the Son of God?

Dave:

No, they did not.

Tom:

Because this is Jesus’ claim here.“I come in my Father’s name and you received me not,” and the context here is the Messiah.

Dave:

Well when the rabbis have him crucified by Pilate, they didn’t have the authority to crucify.They said that, and in fact, they threw it up to Jesus, “By calling yourself the Son of God, you make yourself equal with God.”They understood that much.But they didn’t know that was the claim to be the Messiah, amazingly.But the Messiah had to be God himself and we dealt with that in the past.

Tom:

Sure.Isaiah:9:6For 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.
See All....

Dave:

Yahweh says he is the only Savior, so if Jesus is not Yahweh, he said I and my Father are one, if he is not one, if he is not God, then he can’t be the Savior.Well, it’s a tragedy, but come in his own name—see, he exalts himself above everything that is called God.This is 2 Thessalonians:2:4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
See All...—

Tom:

Right, this is the Antichrist you are referring to.

Dave:

Right—exalts himself above all that is worshipped or that is called God, so that he declares himself to be God.Now this is not THE creator of the universe, but this is the god of Hinduism, this is the god of the New Age, this is the self-realized god.If I could just look within and discover the potential within and recognize that I am god, you are god, everything is god.This is the religion of the Antichrist, it’s the religion of the New Age, it’s basically Hinduism.But Jesus says no, I’ve come in my Father’s name, the one whom you call God.He is my Father and I want to bring you into his family.I want to introduce you to the true God, but another will come in his own name and him you will receive. I have no doubt that’s the Antichrist that he is talking about.

Tom:

Verse 44: “How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that [cometh] from God only?”Dave, now we’ve discussed that in the past that we have a tendency to want to impress people, to want to receive kudos and honors from men.

Dave:

Well, let’s just say that the key, or if you underline or highlight in your Bible, the key word is “only.”Oh we like honor from God, but we like it from men too.Jesus said they have their reward.You do it to be seen of men?Okay, you’ve got your reward from men.You want a reward from God?Then seek honor from God only, alone.That’s pretty tough for us.Have you ever prayed and thought while you were praying publicly you know, out loud in a church, “I wonder if they realize what a great prayer this is!”That’s kind of the way we are.We have a tendency to do things to impress other and so okay Tom, we’ve mentioned that. But let us try to seek the honor that comes from God only.Then we won’t be seeking it from one another.

Tom:

And if we get a check in our spirit when we are doing something like that—the thing I love about Christianity, biblical Christianity, we can repent on a dime!You catch yourself doing something; you say Lord, help me.

Dave:

Amen.You don’t have to go to a priest—

Tom:

Or be absolved.

Dave:

You don’t have to through some ritual.

Tom:

Christ has paid for it all on the cross.

Dave:

That’s right.

Tom:

We just confess to it and admit where we are going awry.

Dave:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” on the basis of his having paid the penalty for our sins.That’s 1 I John:1:9That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
See All....

Tom:

Verse 45: “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is [one] that accuseth you, [even] Moses, in whom ye trust.”Boy, there was a lying it on the doorstep.Because they were of Moses and who was this interloper, so to speak?

Dave:

Well he goes on, he says, “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.”Ah, they followed Moses, they’re Moses’ disciples, this is what they kept saying.But Jesus must have shocked them when we get to chapter 8.He says, “You continue in my word-whoa, wait a minute!We thought we were following the Word of God.Who is this one?Then you will be my disciples.We’re Moses’ disciples.Who does he think he is, greater than Moses?And Jesus said you are trusting in Moses.But he wrote of me.

Tom:

Dave, that’s the thing that had to shock them.Who is this man?

Dave:

He claims that Moses wrote of him.

Tom:

Yes.

Dave:

Well, he’s God manifest in the flesh, our Savior.

Tom:

Wow!For he wrote of me.But Dave let’s finish off the chapter and we’ll come back to this next week.“But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?”