More than a Messiah? The Glory of Christ revealed in the Scriptures - Torah Portion: Shoftim

In the last few weeks, we've spoken of how God has chosen to speak to his people. Now we will speak of the clearest way he has spoken to us all. See, the nature of the one who holds this voice I speak of has been questioned, even among those who call themselves his followers. Let there be no more question. Let the scriptures speak of his glory clearly to you today. Not my words, brothers and sisters, but the words recorded in the scriptures that we all hold as holy. But you must be patient as I read them, for we have grown dull of hearing. The story begins when Moses prophesies of this voice that is to come. The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me, from among you, from your brothers. It is to him you shall listen, just as you desired of the Lord your God at horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, let me not hear again of this voice of the Lord my God, or see this great fire any more, lest I die. And the Lord said to me, they are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. See, Moses says that when God speaks and displays himself in his nature in raw form, his glory is truly terrifying. Revelation four two confirms this further, where it says, at once, I was in the spirit. And behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of Jasper and Carnelian. And around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. And around the throne were 24 thrones. And seated on the thrones were 24 elders, clothed in white garments with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and pearls of thunder. And before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne there was, as it were, a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind, the first living creature, like a lion. The second living creature, like an ox. The third living creature with the face of a man. And the fourth living creature, like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within and day and night, they never cease to say, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty who was, who is, and who is to come. And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor. And thanks to him who is seated on the throne who lives forever and ever. The 24 elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne saying, worthy are you, o Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things and bye your will. They existed and they were created. Who is this creator? Who is this glorious God seated on the throne by which all of these elders are falling down saying, worthy, worthy. And there's all these living creatures that you look. They are. They strike any man who looks at them with fear. They're full of eyes, front and back. And all of these are nothing compared to his glory. They bow down to his glory. How can such a glorious creator even make contact with us, speaking to us? Will his voice not even destroy us? See, in past times, he has spoken to us by prophets, special men chosen by goddess to speak on his behalf. But he also tells us of a time where he will speak to us by his son. Hebrews one. One long ago, at many times and in many ways, God has spoken to our fathers by the prophets. But in these last days, he's spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is. Listen to this. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. And he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. Why does God choose to speak to us by his son? Well, one reason is because of the problem that we are facing now. We cannot see God and live. Exodus 33 20 tells us, but he said, you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live. There are certain attributes of God, brothers and sisters, that have remained invisible to us, for our earthly bodies cannot survive witnessing his glory. But Yeshua, the messiah Jesus, clothed in the flesh, came down, being clothed in the same type of earthly body that we ourselves in becoming as us, coming among us, protecting us from perishing from God's glory that is within him, while himself still perfectly providing us the image of God. Colossians 115 tells us more about his nature, and it says that he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. Whether thrones, dominions, rulers or authorities, all things were created through him, and for him he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. That in everything he may be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. Let me say that again for those in the back. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. These are not the words of piety. These are the words in the scriptures. He goes on, he says, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood, his cross. Let us be clear. The scriptures themselves state that Yeshua was the creator of all things. That Yeshua was before all things. And the fullness of God dwells in Yeshua, the Messiah. And indeed, if he is the creator of all things, he is the one to whom all of the elders and all of the strange creatures bow down before and worship. He is the one we read about in the book of Revelation. Let's read on. John one confirms this to us in verse one. In the beginning was the word. We know who is the word, Yeshua. The Christ is the word. And the word was with God. And the word was God. He was in the beginning with God and all things. Say this with me. All things were made through him. And without him was not anything made that was made. Nothing was made without him making it. See, brothers and sisters, we have to get this because we must understand the one who is the voice above every voice if we want to say that we can recognize his voice. How can we recognize his voice if we don't even know who he is? If we don't even believe what the scriptures say about who he is? See, we have to recognize that when he came, everything changed. Even the temple that was on earth testified of his glory. In the temple, there was a veil that separated and protected mankind from the glory of God. That was in the inner room, in the secret place that is beyond the veil. And it is written that on the cross, as he breathed his last breath, the veil of the temple was tornado. Because God in that moment removed the separation that separated mankind from his glory. For his glory had been revealed in the Messiah. The messiah was the perfect image of his glory. And we crucified him for it. See, brother sisters, the veil testifies that Jesus is the way by which we are united. Back to the Father. And this is where many debates on the divinity of Christ miss the point completely. Christ is God. And how God has chosen to repair our broken relationship with the Father by taking sin out of the way. Because no one could do this. But the fullness of God himself no one could die for us but the fullness of God himself as it is written. For in him in Yeshua the messiah all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. There was no other way for your sin to be taken away. Now let's read more about what revelation says about the Messiah. Revelation 113 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white like white wool, like snow and his eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars and from his mouth came a sharp two edged sword and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead but he's laid his right hand on me saying, fear not. I am the first and the last and the living one I died and behold, I am alive forevermore and I have the keys of death and hades we must understand the consequences of what we have just read the one who says that I am the one who died and came alive again we know who that is Jesus Christ. He died and came alive again. Then he is known by his resurrection and he is the one who proclaims, I am the first and the last what does that statement mean? What does the Bible define the one as being the first and the last? Isaiah the prophet tells us in Isaiah 44 six thus says Yahweh the Lord, the king of Israel and his redeemer, the Lord of hosts I am the first and the last besides me there is a know God who is like me let him proclaim it let him declare and set it before me since I appointed an ancient people let them declare what is to come and what will happen fear not nor be afraid have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses is there a God besides me? There is no rock I no, not any. There is not many gods there is one true God Yahweh the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Yeshua the messiah who have come the first and the last this is what the scriptures state if you have a problem with it, you have a problem with it. But don't come and say that you believe in the scriptures yet deny what they speak. You say pd I still don't understand his nature. It sounds like a contradiction God never promised that you would understand his nature. He is God and you are not. His ways are above your ways. And if you are not even capable of understanding his ways, what is it to even say that we can understand his nature? God doesn't have to look like you. He doesn't have to be limited in the same ways that you are in time and space. The reality is, is you do not understand him because you are a mere dust, and to dust you will return. He is the almighty Elohim, who was before dust even existed. But even if you don't understand how he describes himself, you can still believe him for what he says and how he describes himself. So therefore, I will not divide over the technicalities of his nature. You can have a disagreement with me on the technicalities of his nature, but we must agree on this. The glory given to the Son, as confirmed by the scriptures we had just read. You will either voluntarily bow in worship today, or you will find that your knee is forced to bow lighter. Philippians two six. Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. But he emptied himself by taking the form of a servant. Being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, every knee. And every tongue confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father. In observing his life, if Christ ever seems to lack glory, it is only because he voluntarily emptied himself and humbled himself for our sake to live the life we should have lived, and died the death we should have died. But now, now is the time to live the life that you should have always lived. In the humility of Christ, after his example, humbling himself, even though he was the highest above all, and he is the name above every name, he humbled himself. What is your name? And who are you? And what does that mean for the humility that you ought to have? And then at the same time, he died the death that you should have died. And now you must die that death, crucifying your fleshly desires. And perhaps then, when you lay yourself down and you understand how lowly you truly are, that you are simply dust trying to understand the almighty creator. And when your understanding falls short, are you going to say the scriptures? I cannot take it at face value. I cannot believe it for what it says. I must change it. I must twist it to my own understanding? Or will I finally lay down what I want God to be and how I want God to be limited and recognize him for who he has revealed himself to be. And in this, brother, you will finally find your relationship with him being strengthened when you acknowledge and accept him for who he has said he is. And you can finally find yourself bowing the knee at Yeshua. Because see, brothers and sisters, there are some of you who struggle to bow the knee to Christ. It makes you uncomfortable because you've listened to a demonic voice that have said that that is wrong. Well, the reality is, and the father has proclaimed that he lifts Yeshua above every knight and that your knees must bow to him. And if you do not bow today, you will be forced later. And when you are forced to bow the knee later, you will be found in a place of judgment, not in a place of acceptance. Because you have therefore then denied him. Because every knee that today does not bow before him, by definition, refuses to bow and by definition, refuses to acknowledge the name that has been given to him. And acknowledge the power that has been given to him. Authority that's been given to him. And the reality of what the scriptures proclaim, that he is the maker of heaven and earth and that nothing was made in heaven and on earth that was not made through him. Do you accept that? Do you believe that? Because it is time for God's people to return to the simple reality of what the scriptures say of the Christ, and if he has come to die for us, indeed, the least we can do is believe in who he says he is. And if we can start believing him for who he says he is, perhaps then we can start believing him for who he says we are. The authority he's given us, the power of the Holy Spirit is entrusted to us. But see, we don't believe that because we don't even believe who he is anymore. God is restoring spirit and truth to us. But it means that it begins with knowing who is the worshipper of spirit and truth. Who is the first and the last. His name is Yeshua, the Messiah. Thank you for joining me here today. Consider sharing this far and wide so all may hear who he is. I want to say a special thank you to our partners for making this possible. And if you want to know more about him and recognizing his voice, check out this series we recently did on hearing the voice of God. I'll see you in the next one. Shalom.