Category Archives: Old Testament Studies

Sermon Shorts from Spurgeon — Sermon 17: Joseph Attacked by the Archers

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Why does one of God’s ministers preach the gospel powerfully? Because God gives him assistance. Why does Joseph stand against temptation? Because God gives him aid. The strength of a Christian is divine strength. My brethren, I am more and more persuaded every day that the sinner has no power of himself, except that which is given him from above. I know that if I were to stand with my foot upon the golden threshold of heaven’s portal, if I could put this thumb upon the latch, I could not open that door, after having gone so far towards heaven, unless I had still supernatural power communicated to me in that moment. If I had a stone to lift, to work my own salvation, without God’s help to do that, I must be lost, even though it were so little. There is naught that we can do without the power of God. All true strength is divine. As the light cometh from the sun, as the shower from heaven; so doth spiritual strength come from the Father lights, with whom there is neither variableness nor shadow of a turning.

From the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 1, Sermon 17 by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Sermon Shorts from Spurgeon — Sermon 15: The Bible

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If this be the Word of God, what will become of some of you who have not read it for the last month? “Month, sir! I have not read it for this year.” Ay, there are some of you who have not read it at all. Most people treat the Bible very politely . They have a small pocket volume, neatly bound; they put a white pocket-handkerchief round it and carry it to their places of worship; when they get home, they lay it up in a drawer till next Sunday morning; then it comes out again for a little bit of a treat, and goes to chapel; that is all the poor Bible gets in the way of an airing. That is your style of entertaining this heavenly messenger. There is dust enough on some of your Bibles to write “damnation” with your fingers.

From the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 1, Sermon 15 by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

The Image of the Invisible God

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The doctrine of Jesus’ divinity is not limited to just the Gospels. The Apostle Paul also affirms Jesus’ divine nature. Here is one such passage which demonstrates this.

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Colossians 1:12-17)

Here Jesus is the One through Whom redemption comes. (vs. 14) Then in verse 15, we see why–Jesus is “the image of the invisible God”. Only the God-man can provide redemption through His blood, because His blood alone is pure–untouched by sin. As 1 John 3:5 states, “And ye know that he [Jesus] was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.” Jesus’ blood was “precious blood” because He was “a lamb without blemish and without spot”. (1 Peter 1:19)

The word translated “image” is the Greek word from which we get the term “icon”. It communicates that Jesus is the physical form of God who is “invisible” (vs. 15) As John 4:24 states, “God is a spirit”. We cannot see him physically, but Jesus is the physical representation of God. He is truly God in the flesh.

Jesus’ divinity is further supported by verse 16, where He is identified as the Creator of “all things”. Genesis 1:1 is clear that “God created the heavens and the earth” which is certainly included in “all things”. So it logically follows that if God is the Creator and Jesus is the Creator, then Jesus is God.

Verse 17 also speaks to Jesus’ divine nature. Jesus is “before all things”. He is not created. He simply exists. He is the great I AM–the self-existent One, Who we call “God the Son.”

They Shall Call His Name Emmanuel

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In the first chapter of Matthew, Joseph the carpenter is visited by an angel who gives him an important message. Joseph had been thinking about what he should do because Mary was pregnant–and he knew the child was not his.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matthew 1:20-23)

There are three critical points regarding the divine nature of Jesus in these verses. First, Mary conceived a child “of the Holy Ghost”. This pregnancy was unusual to say the least. There was no human father who impregnated her. Rather, Jesus was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit. The fact that Mary was a virgin is well established in Scripture, both in Matthew 1:23 and in the prophecy Matthew quotes.

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

In addition, Mary herself admits this fact.

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? (Luke 1:31, 34)

So the Holy Spirit, Who is also divine, brought about Mary’s miraculous conception of Jesus. So the sin nature of mankind was not passed down to Jesus. (Romans 5:12; Hebrews 4:15) This is vital to the doctrine of Jesus’ divinity.

Second, the child’s name is “Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) Only God can forgive sin. (Jeremiah 31:34; Mark 2:7; Luke 5:21; Romans 3:25) And that is exactly what Jesus did. He removed our sin from us and nailed it to His cross. (Colossians 2:14) Jesus’ name means “Jehovah is salvation”. That’s Who He is. He is Jehovah. He is salvation. He is the One Who saves us from our sins.

Third, Jesus is called “Emmanuel”. As Matthew 1:23 states, this name means “God with us”. Jesus was the personification of God Himself. This is consistent with John 14:9 where Jesus tells Philip, “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” The angel revealed to Joseph that the child in Mary is God in the flesh.

Before Abraham Was, I Am

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Jesus had several interactions with the religious leaders of the Jews. They hated Him because He challenged their authority and often taught contrary to their own teachings. Sometimes, Jesus said things which they thought were simply blasphemous. The passage below is one of these instances.

Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? 54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 59 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. (John 8:52-59)

To understand what made the Jews so angry that they wanted to stone Jesus, we need to look to the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament). When Moses was called by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses basically asked God who He was.

And Moses said unto God, 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? 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. (Exodus 3:13-14)

So when Jesus, in John 8:58, stated “Before Abraham was, I am”, the Jews knew exactly what He was saying. Jesus was stating, in no uncertain terms, that He is the same God who spoke to Moses–the great I AM. This infuriated the Jews because they understood that as blasphemy and deserving of death. This was further reinforced by Jesus’ conveying that He existed before Abraham.

Jesus was very clear. He is God because He is the I AM.