(1 Timothy 3:16) Today we examine one of the great summary verses of the Bible. A verse that is about the great theme of God’s Word – the Lord Jesus Christ. As we walk through all of Scripture we find Jesus on every page. (0944250218) —-more—-
A One-Verse Summary About Jesus
There are certain verses of Scripture that are great summary verses. I mean by that, they encapsulate so much doctrine in a concentrated way in just a few words. 1 Timothy 3:16 is one of those verses. Would you hear it with your heart today? 1 Timothy 3:16 says, “And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
The Person and Work of Jesus Christ
What is 1 Timothy 3:16 about? It’s all about the person and work of Jesus Christ. Literally, it summarizes in one verse the whole message of Christ in the Bible.
From Genesis to Revelation. From creation to His glorification. It’s God was manifest in the flesh. So the creator God of the universe God came to earth. Then He was justified in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit was evident through His life and ministry, His words and His works. He was seen of angels at different points all through His life and ministry. He was then preached unto the Gentiles. He’s been believed on in the world, and now where is he? He’s received up into glory, where he’s sitting on the right hand of the Heavenly Father, praying for us, preparing heaven for us, and yes, coming again. I want to say to you today that you find Jesus on every page of the Bible. Someone has said that you can take your text from anywhere. And you can find some path that leads from that place to the person of Jesus Christ. I do believe that.
Jesus in the Old Testament
Our study of Christ does not begin in the New Testament because He did not begin at Bethlehem. Earlier in this study, we began in Genesis 3, verse 15, with the first promise of Messiah. But I want to tell you, He was there in Genesis 1, 1, in the beginning God. Because He is the eternal Son of God. As you walk through the Old Testament, Jesus. I believe that He appeared many times. He appeared to Hagar, to Abraham, to Jacob, and Moses. Joshua saw him as the captain of the host. Manoah saw him, Isaiah saw him, lifted up, Zechariah did, and Gideon. He was manifested to many different people at many different times all through the Old Testament. As you read and study the Old Testament scriptures, there are over 300 prophecies concerning Christ. Think of that, over 300 of them. Many of the psalms are messianic psalms. There are lots of pictures of Christ in the Old Testament. Some people, like Joseph, is a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. But many objects point to Him. Noah’s Ark is a picture of Christ, the brazen serpent, the tabernacle, the rock flowing with that living water, the Passover land, the cities of refuge, on and on throughout the Old Testament, Jesus.
Jesus in the New Testament
Then when you come to the New Testament, He’s revealed as he is, as he’s taking on human flesh, his incarnation. God became a man without ceasing to be God. That’s powerful. He did not lay aside his deity, he just robed it, clothed it in humanity. Someone says, was he a man or was he God? Yes. And He wasn’t 50-50. He was 100 percent man and 100 percent God and He was the perfection of both. He’s the only sinless man who ever lived, and yet He is the perfect son of God. We see his humanity all through the gospel records. He hungered. He thirsted. He slept. He grew. He suffered. He had a body, a soul, and a spirit. He even referred to himself as the son of man. That was His favorite title for himself. Think of that. He had every right to call himself everyday Son of God, but He loved to refer to himself as Son of man. Why? Because He was connecting with us. Aren’t you glad that we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin? Not only do we see His humanity, we see His deity. He is the Son of God, the Eternal Son of God. He claimed to be God all through his life He claimed to be the same things as Jehovah of the Old Testament claimed to be. He claimed to be the shepherd, the judge, the light, the first and the last, the I am. He claimed to have power to forgive sins. He raised dead people. He quoted Old Testament messianic passages and applied them to Himself. He placed His Word on the same level as God’s Word. He received worship. He told men to pray in His name. Why would He do such things? Because He’s not just the Son of Mary, He’s the Son of God.
All man – all God. We see Him in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, and then His death, His burial, and His resurrection from the dead. What makes the Christian faith distinct? We have a living Savior. For the record, I know He’s alive because I’ve talked to Him today. And He’s spoken to me today. He lives in my heart. When you read the Old Testament and Jehovah God, and then you read the New Testament and Jesus Christ, I want you to know they are one in the same. And the Old Testament is just a big pointer. It’s all pointing to someone that’s coming. The final fulfillment and revelation of God, it’s pointing to the person of Jesus Christ.
Think about this. You have all these prophecies in the Old Testament leading up to Christ. Did you know that for only 16 prophecies to come true in Jesus lifetime, the mathematical odds are 1 in 10 to the 45th power? Translation, impossible. The mathematical odds are staggering. And yet when you come to the New Testament, he fulfills everything that was foretold about his first coming. And while I’m on it, let me just tell you, if he fulfilled everything that related to his first coming, he’s going to fulfill everything he promised for his second coming. He who has come and has gone away is coming again to get us away. I’m looking forward to that day. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He died for your sins, He was buried, He rose from the dead. Praise God for that. And now He’s ascended to the right hand of the Heavenly Father. The Bible says that He ever liveth making intercession for us.
The Continuing Work of Christ
The work of Christ did not end when he left this world. No, his work continues at this present moment. As a matter of fact, the book of Acts, chapter 1, verse number 1, tells us about his continuing work. Some people want to limit his work to while he was here on earth, but listen to Acts 1:1, “The former treaties have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach.” He just began. He set it in motion, but He continues.
At this present moment. He’s working in heaven right now. He is our priest. He’s praying for us. He’s interceding for you. Let me encourage you today. Jesus is praying for you at this moment. And He’s still at work here on earth. Through believers, through His church, He’s at work to draw all people to Himself. Yes, He’s at work. He is the perfect prophet, always speaking the truth. He is the perfect priest, always speaking of holiness. He is the perfect king, always speaking of His power.
Knowing Jesus Personally
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and I’m glad to report to you today, he’s my Savior. I hope He’s your Savior too. And I hope today that no matter where you’re reading and studying in Scripture, on every page of Scripture, you’ll meet Jesus there. And as you journey through the Word of God and meet Jesus along the way, you’ll come to know Him. In a more deeply, personal, and intimate way. The Apostle Paul, after he’d been saved for more than 30 years, wrote that I may know him. And the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death. This study of the doctrine of Christ is not just for us to know something, it’s to know someone. I hope you’ll make the application of it to your life today. I hope you’ll make it deeply personal and intimate. I hope you’ll determine a day by the grace of God to truly know the Lord Jesus Christ and to seek Him on every page of the Word of God. Repeating what other people have said about the Bible is not enough. We must know the biblical reason behind what we believe.
Outro and Resources
We hope you will visit us at etj.bible to access our library of Bible teaching resources, including book-by-book studies of Scripture. You’ll also find studies to watch, listen to, or read. We are so grateful for those who pray for us, who share the Biblical content, and for those who invest to help us advance this ministry worldwide. Again, thank you for listening, and we hope you’ll join us next time on Enjoying the Journey.
