NT Framework - Are you unique?

I am the only one of me, but does that make me unique? I am after all, a lot like my mom and dad both genetically and in personality; so does that allow me to be truly unique?

More information about Beyond the Walls, including additional resources can be found at www.beyondthewalls-ministry.com 

This series included graphics to illustrate what is being taught, if you would like to watch the teachings you can do so on Rumble (https://rumble.com/user/SpokaneBibleChurch) or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtV_KhFVZ_waBcnuywiRKIyEcDkiujRqP).

Jeremy Thomas is the pastor at Spokane Bible Church in Spokane, Washington and a professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. He has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years, always seeking to present its truths in a clear and understandable manner.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas and
our series on the New TestamentFramework.
Today a smaller, bite-sizedpiece from the larger lesson.
We hope you enjoy it.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
This is talking about the virgin birth, because it's
an incarnation passage, verse14,.
And the Word became flesh anddwelt among us.
I mean he's a true human rightand he dwelt among true humans.
And John says and we saw hisglory, glory as of the only
begotten from the Father, fullof grace and truth.

(00:33):
We saw his glory.
Now, who shares glory with theFather?
I don't share his glory, youdon't share his glory, nobody
shares his glory, but the LordJesus Christ shared glory with

(00:55):
the Father.
This is something unique.
It also says as the onlybegotten right, glory as of the
only begotten.
In other words, this is thereason he can actually share in
the glory of the Father isbecause he's the only begotten.
Now this is also used in John3.16, right For God so loved the

(01:17):
world that he gave his onlybegotten Son that whosoever
believes in him shall not perishbut have everlasting life.
That Greek word that I guess inour language to many people.
They think well, that means hewas born.
It's talking about the birth ofJesus, or something like that.
And therefore, as the Mormonsand Jehovah's Witnesses will say

(01:38):
, these verses prove that he'snot God, but he's less than God.
That's not what this word means.
This word is monogenes.
One word, monogenes.
The word means unique, one of akind.
That's why I would saysomething like the only begotten

(01:59):
, because it's only one, it's aone of a kind, he's a one of a
kind person.
What is it that makes him?
You know, you can justtranslate it, often translate it
unique.
I'll say John 3, 16.
That way.
I won't quote it with onlybegotten, because people start
thinking about babies and stuff.
It's not really talking abouthim being born or something like

(02:19):
that.
It's talking about his uniqueson.
For God so loved the world thathe gave his unique son the
unique one.
He's unique because he's Godand man in one person.
As the Old Testament predictedright, he shall be called
Emmanuel, which means God withus, and that's what John 1.14 is

(02:43):
saying.
The word became flesh and dweltamong us.
He dwelt with us, see, and wesaw His glory.
This was something totallyunique.
How does Hebrews chapter 1 begin?
Hebrews chapter 1, verses 1through 3, begins with a
statement about Christ.
I'm going to go back to John 1,so don't lose John 1.
But Hebrews chapter 1, which Ijust want to read God after he

(03:06):
spoke long ago to the fathersand the prophets.
So that's the Old Testament.
He spoke to them in manyportions and in many ways you
know, dreams, visions and soforth In these last days has
spoken to us in his Son, whom heappointed heir of all things.
Okay, so he's the heir of theworld.
Through whom also he made theworld?

(03:27):
So the Father, through the Son,the book of Genesis.
Whenever God said let there besomething, this is the Father
creating through the agency ofthe Son.
Okay, and that is why John 1.1begins with in the beginning was
the Word speech.
And the Word was with God andthe Word was God.

(03:47):
It's speaking of the first twomembers of the Trinity.
And God, the Father, as thesource of creation, did it
through the agent, the Son.
And he's spoken to us in HisSon, and verse 3 says he is the
radiance of His glory, and thisis a stunning phrase.
He is the exact representationof His nature.

(04:09):
He is the exact representationof His nature.
In other words, if you had beenhere on earth during the
ministry of the Lord JesusChrist and you saw Him standing
on the Sea of Galilee shore orsomething like that, ask you a

(04:30):
question Were you seeing God?
Yes, you are seeing god in theflesh.
Okay, he is the exactexpression, the exact
representation of god.
Now so back to john 1.
Okay, this uniqueness havingthe glory of the father.

(04:55):
Sharing this, in verse 15, johntestified about him and cried
out, saying this was he of whomI said.
He who comes after me has ahigher rank than I.
Why?
Because he existed before me.
The preexistence of the MessiahVerse 16,.
For of his fullness we have allreceived, and grace upon grace,

(05:15):
for the law was given throughMoses, grace and truth were
realized through Jesus Christ.
And then he says something elseinteresting no one has seen God
at any time, the only begottenGod who is in the bosom of the
Father, which means in the careof, in the lap, being taken care
of by the Father.
He has exegeted him.

(05:38):
That is the Greek word forexegete, exegeo, which we mean.
When you study the Bible.
We always say you are to readout.
Ex means out right, like exodus, exit.
There's a sign there that saysexit.
If you don't know where theexits are, here they are.
That's the way out if you don'tlike what I'm saying.

(05:59):
And exegel means to lead or todraw out.
So what do we do when we studythe Bible.
We lead or draw out what is inthe text.
We do not eisegete.
Eise means in, to lead or readin.
We don't want to read our ideainto the words of the Bible.

(06:21):
We want to draw out what isthere.
And so what this is saying aboutthe son is that he drew out who
the father was.
If we had been here, we wouldhave seen him, because if you
see me, he said, you have seenthe father.
I and the father are one.

(06:43):
And he goes on to say crazythings like I only do the will
of my father.
What human can say that they'veonly and always done the will
of God?
Again, these are uniqueexpressions.
They're saying that he is atotally unique and different
type of person, even though hewould have looked like a human

(07:06):
being.
John 8.29,.
Flip over there.
John 8.29.
John 8.29.
This is.
This is one of those statementsthat cs lewis is referring to.
I mean, you're either lying oryou're a total lunatic, or he's

(07:30):
lord of all.
Verse 29 he who sent me is withme.
He has not left me alone, for Ialways do the things that are
pleasing to him.
I mean, give me a break, really.
I mean, think if someone saidthat to you, you'd be like this
is the most arrogant person onthe planet, right?
Or they're actually who theyclaim to be and you have to make

(07:55):
a decision how you're going todeal with them.
So here's what Lewis actuallysaid in Mere Christianity.
I'm trying here to preventanyone saying the really foolish
thing that people often sayabout him that is Christ.
That quote.
I'm ready to accept Jesus as agreat moral teacher, but I don't
accept his claim to be God.
Lewis says.
That's one thing we must notsay.

(08:16):
A man who is merely a man andsaid the sort of things Jesus
said would not be a great moralteacher.
He would either be a lunatic onlevel with the man who says he
is a poached egg, or else he'dbe the devil of hell.
You must make your choice.
Either this man was and is theSon of God, or else he's a

(08:39):
madman or something worse.
You can shut him up for a fool.
That's what the Pharisees did.
They said he's insane.
You can spit at him and killhim as a demon, or you can fall
at his feet and call him Lordand God.
But let us not come up with anypatronizing nonsense about his

(09:00):
being a great human teacher.
He has not left that optionopen to us.
He did not intend to.

Speaker 1 (09:06):
Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Walls with
Jeremy Thomas.
If you would like to see thevisuals that went along with
today's sermon, you can findthose on Rumble and on YouTube
under Spokane Bible Church.
That is where Jeremy is thepastor and teacher.
We hope you found today'slesson productive and useful in

(09:26):
growing closer to God andwalking more obediently with Him
.
If you found this podcast to beuseful and helpful, then please
consider rating us in yourfavorite podcast app, and until
next time, we hope you have ablessed and wonderful day.