Episode Description

What does it mean to be justified before God? Can a person truly be sure they are right with Him? Is justification based on what I do — or on what Christ has done? And how does justification by faith bring peace, security, and assurance to the Christian?

In this episode, Pastor Josh examines justification as the legal declaration by God Himself that a sinner has been made righteous — not on the basis of his own works, but on the merit of Jesus Christ. He walks through the law as the mirror that exposes sin, Abraham as the Old Testament pattern of faith counted for righteousness, and imputation as the mechanism by which Christ’s righteousness is credited to the believer. Justification is not a process. It is a declaration. And because it rests on Christ’s finished work and not our own, it can never be lost, undone, or reversed.

Key Scriptures

Romans 1:16–17 — The Righteousness of God Revealed

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Romans 3:19–20 — By the Law Is the Knowledge of Sin

Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Romans 3:23–25 — Justified Freely by His Grace

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.

Galatians 2:16 — Not Justified by the Works of the Law

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Genesis 15:6 — Counted Unto Him for Righteousness

And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Romans 4:3–5 — Abraham’s Faith Imputed

For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Romans 4:24–25 — Delivered for Our Offenses, Raised for Our Justification

But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Romans 5:12, 19 — The Two One-Men

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned... For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

2 Corinthians 5:21 — Made Sin for Us

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Isaiah 53:6 — The LORD Hath Laid On Him

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Romans 5:1 — Peace with God

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Titus 3:5–7 — Not by Works of Righteousness

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Romans 8:33–34 — It Is God That Justifieth

Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Episode Outline

1. A Legal Declaration — Justification defined as God’s verdict that the sinner is righteous in His sight

2. Why We Need It — Sin entered through Adam, and all are guilty before God

3. The Mirror of the Law — Why the law condemns rather than justifies

4. The Great Physician — Christ came for the sick, not those who think themselves whole

5. Abraham Believed God — Faith counted for righteousness before circumcision and before the law

6. Christ Delivered and Raised — The ground of justification (Romans 4:25)

7. Imputation Explained — How Adam’s sin and Christ’s righteousness are credited

8. The Two One-Men — Born in Adam, made righteous in Christ

9. Faith Receives What Grace Provides — Not a process, but a declaration

10. Permanent and Secure — You can never become “unjustified”

11. The Gavel Has Sounded — Case closed; believe today

Questions Discussed

1. What does it mean to be justified before God?

2. Can a person truly be sure they are right with God?

3. Is justification based on what I do — or on what Christ has done?

4. How does justification by faith bring peace, security, and assurance to the Christian?

5. How can man be just with God? (Job’s ancient question)

6. Why did God allow the law to make sin abound rather than save us from it?

7. If Christ is the provision of justification, how does that provision actually become mine?

8. Can a justified believer ever lose their salvation or become “unjustified”?

9. Are you trying to work for a salvation Christ has already finished?

Episode Description

What does it mean that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins? Why did Jesus have to die such a brutal death — wasn’t God loving enough to forgive without it? And how can God be both perfectly just and abundantly gracious at the same time? Propitiation is a word Christianity often neglects, softens, or replaces — and yet it stands at the very center of how the cross works.

In this episode, Pastor Josh examines propitiation as the satisfaction and appeasement of God’s wrath against sin. He walks through the Old Testament types — the mercy seat, the Day of Atonement, the prophetic words of Ezekiel and Isaiah 53 — and shows how each pointed forward to the one true and final propitiation in Jesus Christ. God did not throw justice out the window. He poured out His wrath upon His own Son, so that those who believe in Jesus could have not a false peace, but true, lasting peace with God.

Key Scriptures

Romans 1:18 — The Wrath of God Revealed

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.

Nahum 1:6 — Who Can Stand Before His Indignation

Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.

Habakkuk 1:13 — Of Purer Eyes Than to Behold Evil

Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

Ezekiel 16:63 — When I Am Pacified Toward Thee

That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.

Isaiah 53:10–11 — He Shall See and Be Satisfied

Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Romans 3:25 — Set Forth to Be a Propitiation

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.

1 John 2:2 — He Is the Propitiation

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 4:10 — Here Is Love

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Romans 5:1 — Peace with God

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:1 — No Condemnation

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Episode Outline

1. A Word Often Neglected — What propitiation means and why it matters

2. Provision and Application — How the work is provided and then imputed to the believer by faith

3. God’s Wrath Is Righteous, Not Impulsive — His holiness demands justice

4. Old Testament Allusions — The mercy seat, the Day of Atonement, and the High Priest’s work

5. The Prophetic Word — Ezekiel 16:63 and Isaiah 53 on God being pacified and satisfied

6. God Did Not Overlook Sin — He judged it 100% perfectly, eternally, in His Son

7. Love and Justice Together — How the cross reveals both at the same time

8. The New Testament Declarations — Romans 3:25, 1 John 2:2 and 4:10

9. True Peace with God — Not a facade, but the law of His court satisfied

10. Rest in the Finished Work — The call to stop trying to appease and start believing

Questions Discussed

1. What does it mean that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins?

2. Why did Jesus have to die such a brutal death?

3. Wasn’t God loving enough to forgive without it?

4. How is God’s justice and His love reconciled at the cross?

5. Why does propitiation matter for my salvation and assurance?

6. If you are not a Christian — do you really need to appease God yourself?

7. If you are a believer — are you still trying to earn peace with God that Christ has already secured?

Episode Description

What does it mean to be redeemed? Why is redemption necessary? And what does it cost? Redemption is one of the major themes of all of scripture — a thread that runs from Genesis through Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, through Boaz and Ruth, and finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, our nearest kinsman, both willing and able to pay the price without compromise.

In this episode, Pastor Josh walks through the three key ideas of biblical redemption — the bondage, the price, and the deliverance. He examines the Old Testament pictures of the kinsman redeemer and the Passover lamb, exposes man’s bondage to sin and the law, and shows why no riches, wit, lineage, or sorrow of our own can pay the wages of our sin debt. There is redemption — but it is only and exclusively in Jesus Christ, through His blood, offered freely by His grace.

Key Scriptures

Leviticus 25:25 — The Law of the Kinsman Redeemer

If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.

Exodus 6:6 — Redeemed with a Stretched Out Arm

Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments.

Exodus 15:13 — Led Forth in Mercy

Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.

Ruth 4:14 — A Kinsman to Redeem

And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.

2 Corinthians 5:21 — Made Sin for Us

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Romans 3:23–24 — Justified Freely Through Redemption

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:17 — Servants of Sin

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Galatians 4:3–5 — Sent Forth to Redeem

Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Ephesians 1:7 — Redemption Through His Blood

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

1 Peter 1:18–19 — Not with Corruptible Things

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

Galatians 3:13 — Redeemed from the Curse of the Law

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.

Titus 2:14 — Who Gave Himself for Us

Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Colossians 1:13–14 — Translated into the Kingdom

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Romans 8:23 — The Future Redemption of the Body

And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Episode Outline

1. A Transaction, Not a Concept — What redemption actually means: to purchase back by paying a ransom

2. Three Key Ideas — The bondage, the price, and the deliverance

3. Old Testament Pictures — Israel redeemed from Egypt and the blood of the Passover lamb

4. The Kinsman Redeemer — Boaz and Ruth as a type of Christ

5. Willing and Able — Why Christ alone could redeem without compromise (2 Corinthians 5:21)

6. Man’s Bondage — Servants of sin, condemned by the law

7. The Price Is His Blood — Ephesians 1:7 and 1 Peter 1:18–19

8. Redemption Only in Christ — Not in riches, wit, lineage, or sorrow

9. Present and Future — Redemption of the soul now, redemption of the body to come

10. Have You Been Redeemed? — The call to trust your nearest kinsman

Questions Discussed

1. What does it mean to be redeemed?

2. Why is redemption necessary?

3. And what does it cost?

4. Have you ever considered that you need to be purchased — rescued from something you cannot escape?

5. If the law of God is good, why is it the means by which we are condemned rather than saved?

6. How can you both live and die — except in the Lord Jesus Christ?

7. Have you been redeemed? Have you trusted the blood of Christ as your only hope?

Episode Description

Have you ever wondered if you are doing enough to please God? Quietly hoped your good deeds might outweigh the bad on some kind of scale? That kind of thinking is everywhere — inside Christianity and outside it — and it is the very thing the Apostle Paul made the battleground of the gospel itself in Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians.

In this episode, Pastor Josh examines the grace of God in contrast to works. Grace is not unmerited favor as merely a human concept — it begins in the character of God Himself, declared from Exodus 34 onward as merciful, gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness. The deeper question follows: how can a holy God be both just and gracious at the same time? The answer is found in Romans 3 — God is just and the justifier of him that believes in Jesus. Grace and works are opposites; they do not mix. And the grace that saves the sinner is the same grace that teaches the believer to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.

Key Scriptures

Exodus 34:6 — The Lord Proclaims His Own Name

And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

Psalm 86:15 — A God Full of Compassion

But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

Psalm 103:8–10 — He Hath Not Dealt with Us After Our Sins

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

1 Peter 5:10 — The God of All Grace

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

Romans 3:24–26 — Just and the Justifier

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

John 1:16–17 — Grace and Truth Came by Jesus Christ

And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:23 — All Have Sinned

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

Romans 11:6 — Grace and Works Cannot Mix

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

Ephesians 2:8–9 — Saved by Grace through Faith

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Titus 2:11–12 — Grace Teaches the Believer

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.

2 Corinthians 12:9 — Grace Sufficient in Weakness

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Episode Outline

1. Am I Doing Enough? — The common scale-of-deeds thinking that gets in the way of the gospel

2. Grace Begins with God — Exodus 34 and the name the Lord proclaims of Himself

3. The God of All Grace — Why one word “grace” is not enough (1 Peter 5:10)

4. Defining Grace — Unmerited favor; God’s riches at Christ’s expense

5. Just and the Justifier — How God satisfies His wrath against sin and still forgives (Romans 3:26)

6. Grace Comes Only by Jesus Christ — Not by Moses, Adam, or Abraham (John 1:17)

7. Grace versus Works — Why they are opposites and cannot mix (Romans 11:6)

8. The Spiritual Hamster Wheel — Why no amount of works can ever measure up

9. Grace for the Believer Too — Sufficient in weakness, teaching us to live godly (Titus 2)

Questions Discussed

1. Have you ever wondered, am I doing enough to please God?

2. Is salvation something we earn by doing good — or a gift received by faith apart from our works?

3. What role, if any, do works play in the Christian life?

4. How can God be both just and gracious at the same time?

5. How is He able to pour out His wrath upon sin and yet extend grace?

6. Do you know the grace of God?

7. Do you understand the difference between grace and works?

Episode Description

The gospel has been declared — Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. But what response is God looking for? Is it faith? Is it repentance? Is it both? And what exactly does repentance mean — turning from sin, cleaning up your life, mustering up strength to be worthy?

In this episode, Pastor Josh distinguishes faith from works, shows why grace and faith are compatible while grace and works are not, and clears up one of the most common sources of confusion in Christianity — the proper definition of repentance. Faith is the God-ordained, non-meritorious response that trusts in the merit of Jesus Christ alone. Repentance is the change of mind that leads the heart to that faith. Confuse the two, and the gospel collapses into another religion of human effort.

Key Scriptures

Ephesians 2:8–9 — Grace and Faith

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Romans 4:4–5 — Faith Counted for Righteousness

Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Romans 4:24–25 — Believing on Him Who Raised Jesus

But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Galatians 3:5, 12 — The Hearing of Faith, Not the Works of the Law

He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? … And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

Romans 3:27 — The Law of Faith

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

Romans 11:6 — Grace and Works Cannot Mix

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

Isaiah 66:2 — The Heart God Looks Upon

For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Romans 6:17 — Obedience from the Heart

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Romans 2:4–5 — The Goodness of God Leads to Repentance

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.

Romans 5:8 — Christ Died for Sinners

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Episode Outline

1. The Question Before Us — What response is God looking for from the unbeliever?

2. Defining Faith — Trusting in someone or something to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves

3. Faith vs. Works — Galatians 3, the chair illustration, and why they are like water and oil

4. Grace and Faith Are Compatible — Romans 4 and 11 on why grace requires faith, not works

5. The Law of Faith — Romans 3:27 and the God-ordained response that excludes all boasting

6. Faith Comes from the Heart — Isaiah 66:2 and Romans 6:17 on the contrite spirit

7. Where Does Repentance Fit In? — Why “turning from sin” muddies the waters

8. Repentance Properly Defined — A change of mind, a penitent heart, agreeing with God

9. Faith Alone Saves — Believe today and be saved

Questions Discussed

1. What does it mean to truly believe the gospel — and how is that different from just knowing facts about Jesus?

2. If salvation is by grace through faith, what role does repentance play — and is it something we do to be saved?

3. How is faith different from a work?

4. Why are grace and faith compatible, but grace and works are not?

5. Can the ungodly have faith?

6. Where does repentance fit in if it is not part of the law of faith?

7. Does repentance mean turning from sin — or something else?

8. Have you responded to the gospel in the God-ordained law of faith?

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Lesson Overview

This is the final lesson of the Who Is Jesus Christ? course, and it answers the question that follows from everything that has come before. If Jesus is God — and the previous four lessons have established that He is — then why did He come to this earth? Why was the eternal Son of God born a man? Why did He live, die, and rise again?

Pastor Josh structures the lesson around three of Christ’s own teachings, followed by the lesson’s climax. He begins with Jesus’s teaching on sin, drawn from John 8:21-24 and Luke 5:17-26. The Lord declares that men will die in their sins unless they believe — and the man with palsy at Capernaum demonstrates that Christ has the very authority of God Himself to forgive sin. He moves to Jesus’s teaching on judgment from John 5:22-30 and Romans 2:16: the Father has committed all judgment to the Son, and the day is coming when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ.

Then comes the heart of the lesson and the heart of the gospel. Why did Christ have to die? Pastor Josh uses the illustration of an earthly judge: if a judge simply forgave a murderer out of love, that would not be love — it would be injustice toward the one wronged. God is both perfectly just and perfectly loving, and the cross is where those two perfections meet. Christ did not merely die physically; He bore the eternal wrath of Almighty God against sin. Only God could bear an eternal punishment, which is precisely why the One who paid the price had to be God Himself.

The lesson lands on 2 Corinthians 9:8 and 5:21. Christ is sufficient — not only to give eternal life, but to make all grace abound toward you, that you, “always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” The series closes where it began: with the call to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ this very moment, and to find in Him the sufficiency for every need of body and soul, in time and for eternity.

Lesson Outline

I. The Two Possible Answers

• Either Jesus is God, or He is not. There is no middle ground.

• If He is not God, He is egotistical and out of touch with reality.

• If He is God, He is God — and His teaching, His death, and His resurrection all matter eternally.

II. Jesus’s Teaching on Sin

• John 8:21, 24 — “Ye shall die in your sins… for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

• All men are sinners, all men will die — the question is, will you die in your sins?

• Luke 5:17-26 — The man with palsy. “Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.”

• The scribes recognize the claim: “Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”

• Christ’s authority to forgive sin is manifested in the visible miracle of healing.

III. Jesus’s Teaching on Judgment

• John 5:22 — “The Father… hath committed all judgment unto the Son.”

• John 5:27 — “Hath given him authority to execute judgment also.”

• John 5:30 — “I can of mine own self do nothing… my judgment is just.”

• Romans 2:16 — “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ.”

• To die in your sins is to face that judgment without a Saviour.

IV. Why Christ Had to Die

• John 3:14-18 — “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.”

• The judge-and-murderer illustration: love without justice is injustice toward the one wronged.

• God is both perfectly just and perfectly loving — the cross is where both perfections meet.

• Christ bore the eternal wrath of God; only God could bear an eternal punishment.

• Romans 3:23-26 — “A propitiation… that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

V. The Sufficiency of Christ

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 — “He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

• 2 Corinthians 9:8 — “All sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”

• Christ is sufficient not only for eternal life, but for every grace needed for every good work in this life.

• “Sufficient” means equal to the end proposed — and the end of our sins is eternal damnation. Christ’s sufficiency is great.

VI. The Closing Appeal

• Trust Christ as God who bore your penalty on the cross and rose again from the dead.

• Salvation is a free gift, received by faith and faith alone.

• In the moment you believe from the heart, God forgives your sin and credits Christ’s righteousness to your account.

Key Scriptures

John 8:21

Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.

John 8:24

I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

Luke 5:18-21

And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

Luke 5:24

But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.

John 5:22-23

For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

John 5:26-27

For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

John 5:30

I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Romans 2:16

In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

John 3:14-16

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:17-18

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Romans 3:23-26

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:21

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

2 Corinthians 9:8

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

Written Summary

The Who Is Jesus Christ? course closes with the question that has been waiting in the background since Lesson 1: if Jesus is God — and He is — why did He come to die? Pastor Josh structures the answer around three of Christ’s own teachings and one foundational truth about the character of God.

First, Jesus taught that men are sinners. Pastor Josh begins in John 8:21-24, where the Lord tells His hearers, “Ye shall die in your sins… for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” All men sin. All men will die. But the issue is not whether you will die — it is how. Will you die in your sins, or will you die forgiven?

To establish that He has the authority to forgive sins, Pastor Josh moves to Luke 5:17-26 — the man with palsy lowered through the roof. Christ’s first words to him are not, “Rise and walk” but, “Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.” The scribes immediately understand the claim: “Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” And the Lord, knowing their thoughts, performs the visible miracle to demonstrate the invisible authority. The healed man walks home; sin is forgiven; Christ has shown that He is God.

Second, Jesus taught that the Father has committed all judgment to the Son. John 5:22, 27, and 30 establish the principle: the Father judges no man, but has given all authority to judge to His Son, and the Son’s judgment is just. Romans 2:16 confirms the appointment: “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ.” To die in your sins is to face that judgment without a Saviour, and the Scripture warns plainly that the alternative to eternal life is the danger of hellfire.

Then comes the heart of the gospel. If Jesus has the authority to forgive sin, why did He have to die at all? Pastor Josh answers with an illustration. Imagine an earthly judge faced with a murderer. The judge stands and announces, “In my love, I will forgive the murderer.” The sinner benefits, but the victim is denied justice. The courtroom riots. That is not love — it is injustice. God is perfectly just, and He is perfectly loving, and the two cannot be separated. Sin must be punished. The cross is where God’s justice and God’s love meet without compromise — Christ bore the punishment so that the Father could be both “just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).

And here Pastor Josh draws the conclusion that ties the entire series together. Christ did not merely die physically. He bore the eternal wrath of Almighty God — the very wrath that would otherwise be poured out on the sinner for all eternity. Only God could bear an eternal punishment in a finite span of time. This is precisely why the One who died on the cross had to be God Himself. The sufficiency of the cross rests entirely on the deity of the Christ who hung there.

The lesson closes with 2 Corinthians 9:8. Christ is sufficient. He is the ransom price for sin. He is the propitiation that satisfies justice. He is the righteousness imputed to every believer. And He is, “always,” in “all things,” sufficient for “every good work” you will ever be called to. The series began with the question, who is Jesus Christ? It ends with the answer Pastor Josh has labored across five lessons to establish: He is God in the flesh, who came and died for you so that you could have eternal life. Believe in Him today and be saved.

Study Questions

For reflection and personal application. Good for individuals, couples, and small groups.

1. Pastor Josh insists there is no middle ground: either Jesus is God, or He is not. Why is the popular notion of Jesus as “a great moral teacher but not God” not actually a third option, and why does it collapse on its own?

2. In John 8:24, Jesus says “if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” What does it mean to die in your sins, and how does that one phrase reframe the urgency of the gospel for you and for those you love?

3. In Luke 5, Christ forgave the man’s sins before He healed his body. Why does the order of those two acts matter, and what does it teach you about Christ’s priorities for those who come to Him?

4. Pastor Josh’s illustration of the judge who simply forgives the murderer is meant to expose what goes wrong with a “loving God” who does not punish sin. Why is justice a non-negotiable part of love, and how does the cross resolve the tension?

5. Why did the One who paid for sin have to be God? Why could no creature, no matter how good, bear the eternal wrath that sin deserves?

6. Romans 3:26 says that at the cross God is shown to be both “just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” What does it mean to you that the gospel does not require God to compromise on either His justice or His love?

7. 2 Corinthians 9:8 promises “all sufficiency in all things.” Where in your life right now do you most need to remember that Christ’s sufficiency extends beyond eternal life into the practical work He has called you to today?

Review Questions

Question 1: In Luke 5, when Jesus said to the man with palsy, “Thy sins are forgiven thee,” how did the scribes and Pharisees respond?

• A. They rejoiced that a sinner had been forgiven.

• B. They asked Jesus to do the same for them.

• C. They reasoned that He spoke blasphemy, asking, “Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”

• D. They quietly walked away in confusion.

Question 2: According to John 5:22, who has the Father committed all judgment to?

• A. The angels of heaven.

• B. The Son.

• C. The Holy Spirit.

• D. The apostles, when they sit on twelve thrones.

Question 3: According to Pastor Josh’s teaching, why did the One who died for sin have to be God?

• A. Because only God’s death would attract enough attention.

• B. Because God promised to die personally for His people.

• C. Because only God could bear an eternal punishment in our place.

• D. Because human sacrifices were forbidden in the Old Testament.

Answer Key

1. C — They reasoned that He spoke blasphemy. The scribes understood Christ’s claim perfectly — only God can forgive sins — and Jesus then proved His authority to do exactly that by healing the man visibly, demonstrating that He is God.

2. B — The Son. John 5:22 states that the Father judges no man but has committed all judgment to the Son; the One who came to save will also be the One who judges, which makes the call to trust Him now absolutely urgent.

3. C — Only God could bear an eternal punishment in our place. The wages of sin is eternal death; no creature could bear an infinite penalty in a finite span, so the One who paid had to be infinite — that is, God Himself, which is precisely why Jesus is God.

Going Deeper

— Romans 5:6-11 — Paul’s exposition of why Christ’s death was for us “while we were yet sinners,” and the unbreakable logic of how the cross both demonstrates and accomplishes God’s love. A perfect companion to this lesson’s judge-and-murderer illustration.

— Hebrews 9:11-15 and 10:10-14 — The writer of Hebrews on why Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice is sufficient where the Old Testament sacrifices were not. The same theme of sufficiency, expanded into the doctrinal heart of the new testament.

— Philippians 4:13, 19 — “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me… My God shall supply all your need.” Two of the most quoted verses in the New Testament, and both are concrete applications of 2 Corinthians 9:8 — Christ’s sufficiency made personal.

Coming Up Next

This is the final lesson of the Who Is Jesus Christ? course. The question has been asked and answered: Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, the eternal second member of the triune Godhead, who came to die and rise again so that everyone who believes might receive eternal life. Pastor Josh’s closing appeal stands: trust the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ this very moment. If you have any questions, please contact us — we would love to help you. Until our next course… look up.

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Lesson Overview

Lessons 2 and 3 examined the authority and the claims of Jesus Christ — what He does and what He says about Himself. Lesson 4 turns to the response side of the question: how did real men in history actually react when they were confronted by Christ? Pastor Josh walks the student through six accounts in Scripture, each one a different kind of encounter, and each one yielding the same essential conclusion.

Nathanael was confronted at the start of Christ’s earthly ministry and immediately confessed, “Thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel.” Thomas, the doubter, was confronted by the risen Christ and answered, “My Lord and my God.” The writer of Hebrews, looking back, saw Jesus as the One the Father addresses with “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.” Peter, on his third major encounter with the Lord, fell at His knees and said, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” John, in the apocalyptic vision of Revelation 1, fell at His feet as dead. And Paul — the persecutor of the church — was confronted on the road to Damascus and “straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.”

The lesson closes with an unmistakable challenge: every reader of the Gospels stands in the same position as these six men. The witness has been given. The confessions are on record. Pastor Josh’s appeal lands directly: Jesus Christ is not one whom you can ignore. If you ignore Him now, you will not be able to ignore Him later, for every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Believe in Him today and be saved.

Lesson Outline

I. Nathanael — “Thou Art the Son of God”

• John 1:43-51 — Philip brings Nathanael to Jesus.

• Nathanael’s skepticism: “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

• Jesus’s knowledge of him under the fig tree: “Before that Philip called thee… I saw thee.”

• Nathanael’s immediate confession: “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.”

II. Thomas — “My Lord and My God”

• John 20:24-29 — The risen Christ appears to the disciples; Thomas is absent.

• Thomas’s demand: unless he sees the print of the nails and thrusts his hand into the side, he will not believe.

• Eight days later, Christ appears again and addresses Thomas’s exact words.

• Thomas’s confession: “My Lord and my God.” — and Christ’s blessing on those who have not seen yet have believed.

III. The Writer of Hebrews — “Thy Throne, O God”

• Hebrews 1:1-8 — God spoke in time past by the prophets; in these last days by His Son.

• The Son: heir of all things, by whom He made the worlds, the brightness of His glory, the express image of His person.

• To the Son the Father says: “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.”

IV. Peter — “I Am a Sinful Man, O Lord”

• Luke 5:1-11 — The miraculous catch of fish after a fruitless night.

• Peter’s response: he fell at Jesus’s knees, recognizing his own sinfulness in the presence of the holy Christ.

• “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

V. John — The Vision of the Risen Christ

• Revelation 1:17-18 — John, who walked with Christ, sees Him in glory and falls at His feet as dead.

• “I am the first and the last.”

• “I am he that liveth, and was dead… and have the keys of hell and of death.”

VI. Paul — From Persecutor to Proclaimer

• Acts 9:1-20 — Saul, on the road to Damascus to persecute the church, is confronted by the risen Lord.

• Trembling and astonished: “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”

• Verse 20: “And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.”

VII. The Inescapable Conclusion

• There is no man in history more perplexing, compelling, or commanding than Jesus Christ — because no other man is also God.

• Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

• He is the only mediator between God and man, for He is truly God and truly man. Believe and be saved.

Key Scriptures

John 1:43-51

The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

John 20:24-29

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Hebrews 1:1-3

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Hebrews 1:8

But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

Luke 5:1-11

And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret… And when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

Revelation 1:17-18

And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Acts 9:3-6

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Acts 9:18-20

And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

1 John 5:20

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

Philippians 2:10-11

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Written Summary

Pastor Josh opens this lesson with a single aim: to bring the student to the right conclusion about Jesus Christ. To do that, he walks through six accounts in Scripture where real men were confronted by Jesus, and lets their confessions speak for themselves.

Nathanael was the first. Philip brought him to Jesus, and Nathanael — skeptical that anything good could come out of Nazareth — was met with a single statement that pierced him through. “Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.” There was no doubt left in Nathanael’s mind. He answered immediately: “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.” Christ’s response was a promise — Nathanael would see greater things still.

Thomas was different. He had believed Jesus was the Christ. He had seen the crucifixion. And when his fellow disciples claimed they had seen the risen Lord, Thomas refused — unless he could see the print of the nails and thrust his hand into the side. Eight days later, Christ appeared in the room with the doors shut and addressed Thomas’s exact words. The doubter’s response is one of the great confessions in all of Scripture: “My Lord and my God.” Christ’s answer is the one that reaches the modern reader: “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

The writer of Hebrews — whose identity Scripture does not name — was confronted by Christ through the prophets and their fulfillment. He looked back across the Old Testament and saw Jesus everywhere: the heir of all things, the brightness of God’s glory, the express image of His person, the One upholding all things by the word of His power. And he records the Father’s own address to the Son: “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.”

Peter’s confrontation came at the lake of Gennesaret. After a fruitless night of fishing, Jesus told him to launch out and let down the nets one more time. The catch was so great that two ships began to sink. Peter’s response was not pride or excitement — it was collapse. He fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” That is what every honest soul says in the presence of the holy Christ.

John’s confrontation came twice. The first time, John walked beside Him for three years. The second time, John saw Him glorified — and fell at His feet as dead. The voice that spoke was unmistakable: “I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

Paul’s confrontation was the most violent. He was on the road to Damascus to drag followers of Jesus back in chains. The risen Christ struck him to the ground with a single question: “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” Three days blind, baptized, and then verse 20: “Straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.” The persecutor became the proclaimer.

Six men. Six confrontations. One conclusion. Pastor Josh closes with the appeal that has run through every lesson of this course: there is no man in history more perplexing, compelling, or commanding than the Lord Jesus Christ — because no other man is also God. You cannot ignore Him. If you do not bow before Him now in faith, you will bow before Him later in judgment, for every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. He is the only mediator between God and man. Believe in Him today and be saved.

Study Questions

For reflection and personal application. Good for individuals, couples, and small groups.

1. Nathanael was skeptical until a single statement from Jesus convinced him completely. What does it tell you about Christ that He pierces through skepticism not with arguments, but with personal knowledge of who you are?

2. Thomas demanded physical evidence and refused to believe without it. Christ met him where he was — but then blessed those “that have not seen, and yet have believed.” Where do you fit in that distinction, and what is the basis of your faith if not sight?

3. The writer of Hebrews looked back at the Old Testament and saw Christ everywhere. How does the witness of the Old Testament prophets to Jesus strengthen your confidence that He is who He claims to be?

4. Peter’s response to the miraculous catch was not “Lord, you’re amazing” but “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Why is the right response to encountering the holiness of Christ a recognition of one’s own sinfulness, and have you ever responded that way?

5. John walked with Jesus for three years — and yet when he saw Him in glory in Revelation 1, he fell at His feet as dead. What does this teach you about how much of Christ’s glory was veiled during His earthly ministry, and what awaits every believer?

6. Paul went from being a persecutor of Christ’s church to its most influential apostle in a matter of days. What does that radical reversal say about the power of being confronted by the risen Lord, and where in your life is that same power needed?

7. Pastor Josh closes the lesson with the warning that you cannot ignore Jesus Christ — if you ignore Him now, you will not be able to ignore Him later. Why is honest engagement with Christ the only safe response, and what does that engagement look like.

Review Questions

Question 1: When the risen Christ appeared to the disciples a second time and addressed Thomas, what was Thomas’s response in John 20:28?

• A. “I always knew you would rise.”

• B. “My Lord and my God.”

• C. “Forgive my unbelief, Master.”

• D. “Truly thou art the Christ of God.”

Question 2: After the miraculous catch of fish in Luke 5, what was Peter’s reaction?

• A. He immediately asked Jesus to make him a fisher of men.

• B. He proclaimed Jesus to the crowd on the shore.

• C. He fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

• D. He silently followed Jesus, too astonished to speak.

Question 3: In Acts 9, after Saul’s confrontation with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus, what did he do straightway upon receiving his sight?

• A. He returned to Jerusalem to apologize to the disciples.

• B. He preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

• C. He went into the wilderness for forty days of fasting.

• D. He destroyed the letters he had received from the high priest.

Answer Key

1. B — “My Lord and my God”. Thomas the doubter became the one who delivered one of the most direct confessions of Christ’s deity in the Gospels — and Christ accepted that worship rather than correcting it, because He is in fact God.

2. C — He fell at Jesus’s knees acknowledging his sinfulness. The right response to the holiness of Christ is not admiration but conviction; Peter saw who Jesus was and saw simultaneously who he himself was, and that is the response of every soul honestly confronted by the Lord.

3. B — He preached Christ as the Son of God. The persecutor became the proclaimer almost immediately; once Saul saw the risen Christ, no further argument was needed, and Acts 9:20 shows the radical reversal that being confronted by Jesus produces.

Going Deeper

— Acts 26:9-20 — Paul’s own retelling of his Damascus road confrontation, given before King Agrippa years later. Reading the testimony in his own words, decades after the event, shows how completely the encounter remained the defining moment of his life.

— John 21:1-19 — Peter’s second great confrontation, this time with the risen Christ on the shore. After his denial, Christ restores him with three questions matching his three denials. Read it alongside Luke 5 to see how the Lord meets Peter at every stage of his journey.

— 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 — Paul’s summary of the resurrection appearances, listing himself last among those to whom Christ appeared “as of one born out of due time.” It places the Damascus road event in its proper place — as the final, climactic confrontation in the apostolic record.

Coming Up Next

Lesson 5 (final lesson) — If Jesus is who He claims to be, why did He come? We turn from the confrontations of Christ to the sufficiency of Christ — His teaching on sin, on judgment, and on the cross — and the question that ties the entire series together: why did God the Son come to die, and what does His sufficiency mean for you?

Final Lesson 5

Lesson 3 Printable Outline

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Lesson Overview

Lesson 2 examined the authority of Jesus Christ — what He does. Lesson 3 turns to the claims of Jesus Christ — what He says about Himself. Pastor Josh notes that Jesus is not merely a man born who claimed to be God; He is God who became man. That distinction is the key to everything that follows.

The lesson moves through four movements. First, at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus presses His disciples on the question that His earthly ministry kept provoking: “whom say ye that I am?” Peter answers, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” — and Jesus does not correct him; He blesses him. The title “Son of Man,” anchored in Daniel 7:13-14, is no humble denial of deity — it is a claim to receive an everlasting kingdom from the Ancient of Days.

Second, in John 5, the Sabbath controversy explodes precisely because the Jews understood His claim. They sought to kill Him because He “said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.” Third, the lesson walks through the “I AM” sayings spread across John’s Gospel — John 6:62, John 8:23-24, John 16:28, John 17:5, and the staggering moment in John 18:6 when the soldiers come to arrest Him, He says “I am he,” and they go backward and fall to the ground. Mark 14:61-62 closes the sequence: standing before the high priest, He confirms under oath that He is the Christ, the Son of the Blessed.

Fourth, the lesson lands where every honest reader must land. The claims of Jesus — “I and my Father are one,” “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father,” “before Abraham was, I am” — are exclusive, authoritative, and total. Either He is a self-deceived egomaniac, or He is God. The lesson refuses to permit any third option, and calls the student to trust Christ as Saviour today.

Lesson Outline

I. The Question at Caesarea Philippi — “Whom say ye that I am?”

• Matthew 16:13-20 — Jesus puts the question directly to His disciples.

• The world’s speculation: John the Baptist, Elijah (Malachi 4:5), Jeremiah, or in league with Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24).

• Peter’s confession: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

• Jesus does not correct Peter; He pronounces him blessed and builds the church on that confession.

II. The Son of Man — A Title of Deity, Not Humility

• Daniel 7:13-14 — One like the Son of Man comes to the Ancient of Days and receives an everlasting dominion.

• When Jesus calls Himself the Son of Man, He is claiming the kingdom and the authority of Daniel 7.

• “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it” — His kingdom is unstoppable.

III. Equal with the Father — John 5:17-18

• Jesus heals on the Sabbath and says, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”

• The Jews sought to kill Him because He was “making himself equal with God.”

• Their understanding of His claim was correct — and matches Philippians 2:6.

IV. The “I AM” and Pre-Existence Claims

• John 6:62 — “What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?”

• John 8:23-24 — “Ye are from beneath; I am from above… if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

• John 16:28 — “I came forth from the Father… I leave the world, and go to the Father.”

• John 17:5 — “the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”

• John 18:4-6 — At His arrest He says “I am he” and the soldiers go backward and fall to the ground.

• Mark 14:61-62 — Before the high priest: “I am: and ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power.”

V. Absolute Equality with the Father

• John 10:30 — “I and my Father are one.”

• John 12:45 — “He that seeth me seeth him that sent me.”

• John 14:9-10 — “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”

• The seven “I am” predicates of John’s Gospel restated: bread, light, door, shepherd, resurrection, way, vine.

VI. The Inescapable Conclusion

• Such bold, exclusive, authoritative claims reveal one of two things: an egomaniac, or the truth of who Jesus is.

• There is no third option. Trust Christ as your only and all-sufficient Saviour today.

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Key Scriptures

Matthew 16:13-17

When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 16:18

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Daniel 7:13-14

I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

John 5:17-18

But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Philippians 2:6

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.

John 6:62

What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

John 8:23-24

And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

John 16:28

I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

John 17:5

And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

John 18:4-6

Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.

Mark 14:61-62

But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

John 10:30

I and my Father are one.

John 12:45

And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

John 14:9-10

Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Written Summary

At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus pressed His disciples with the question that His entire earthly ministry kept provoking: “Whom say ye that I am?” The world had its theories — John the Baptist risen, Elijah returned per Malachi 4:5, Jeremiah back from the dead, or worse, an agent of Beelzebub. Peter, speaking for the twelve, gave the right answer: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus did not rebuke him. He blessed him, and declared that on the confession of His own divine identity He would build His church, and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it.

The title Jesus most often used of Himself — Son of Man — was no humble denial of deity. Pastor Josh takes us to Daniel 7:13-14, where one like the Son of Man comes with the clouds of heaven, approaches the Ancient of Days, and receives an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away. Every time Jesus called Himself the Son of Man, He was reaching back into Daniel’s vision and claiming the kingdom and the throne it described.

In John 5, the Sabbath controversy makes the claim explicit. Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath and answers His critics, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” The Jews understood Him perfectly. They sought to kill Him not for a healing they considered unlawful, but because He was “making himself equal with God.” Their reading of His words was correct, and Paul confirms it in Philippians 2:6 — Christ “thought it not robbery to be equal with God.”

Then come the great “I AM” claims. In John 6:62, He speaks of ascending “where he was before.” In John 8:23-24, He warns, “if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” In John 16:28, He came forth from the Father and goes back to the Father. In John 17:5, He prays to be glorified with the glory He had with the Father “before the world was.” In John 18, when the soldiers come to arrest Him in Gethsemane and He says, “I am he,” the entire arresting party goes backward and falls to the ground. And in Mark 14:61-62, before the high priest, He testifies under oath: “I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power.” That confession is exactly what gets Him condemned to die.

Beyond these, Jesus claimed absolute and total equality with the Father. “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). “He that seeth me seeth him that sent me” (John 12:45). “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). The seven “I am” predicates of John’s Gospel — bread, light, door, shepherd, resurrection, way, vine — are not the language of a humble teacher. They are the speech of God in the flesh.

Pastor Josh closes the lesson where every honest reader of the Gospels must close: such bold, exclusive, authoritative claims permit only two conclusions. Either Jesus is a self-deceived egomaniac whose words can be safely ignored — or He is who He says He is, the Son of God, equal with the Father, the great I AM. There is no middle ground, no third option, no comfortable place where He can be a “good teacher” but not God. The call of this lesson is unmistakable: trust Christ as your only and all-sufficient Saviour today.

Study Questions

For reflection and personal application. Good for individuals, couples, and small groups.

1. When Jesus asked His disciples, “Whom say ye that I am?”, He was not asking for their opinion — He was forcing a confession. If He were standing before you today and asked the same question, what would your honest answer be, and how does the rest of your life either confirm or contradict it?

2. Pastor Josh shows that “Son of Man” is not a humble title but a claim drawn from Daniel 7:13-14. How does that change the way you read the Gospels — particularly the moments where Jesus uses the title most often?

3. In John 5:18, the Jews understood Jesus’s claim better than many modern readers do — they tried to kill Him because He was “making himself equal with God.” Why is it impossible to keep Jesus as a “good teacher” while refusing His claim to deity?

4. Read John 18:4-6 slowly. When Jesus says “I am he,” the soldiers fall backward to the ground. What does that single moment tell you about the power present in Christ even as He willingly walked toward the cross?

5. In Mark 14:61-62, Jesus is asked under oath if He is the Christ, the Son of the Blessed. He says, “I am.” That confession is what condemns Him to die. Why is it significant that the cross was secured not by mistaken identity, but by His own truthful testimony?

6. Pastor Josh repeats throughout the lesson that there are only two possible conclusions: egomaniac or God. Why does this hard either/or matter so much, and where do you see modern attempts to invent a comfortable third option?

7. Of the seven “I am” predicates of John’s Gospel — bread, light, door, shepherd, resurrection, way, vine — which one most powerfully shapes the way you walk with Christ this week, and why?

Review Questions

Question 1: At Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:13-17), what was Peter’s confession of who Jesus is?

• A. A great prophet, on par with Elijah and Jeremiah.

• B. The Christ, the Son of the living God.

• C. A wise teacher sent from God to renew Israel.

• D. The Messiah, but not divine in nature.

Question 2: In John 5:18, why did the Jews seek even more earnestly to kill Jesus?

• A. Because He claimed to be a prophet greater than Moses.

• B. Because He healed too many people on the same day.

• C. Because He was making Himself equal with God.

• D. Because He criticized the temple authorities publicly.

Question 3: When Jesus said “I am he” to the soldiers in John 18:6, what happened?

• A. The soldiers immediately bound Him and took Him away.

• B. They went backward and fell to the ground.

• C. A great earthquake shook the garden.

• D. They asked Him to identify Himself a second time.

Answer Key

1. B — The Christ, the Son of the living God. Peter’s confession identifies Jesus not merely as a prophet or teacher but as the promised Messiah and the divine Son — and Jesus blessed him for the answer rather than correcting it.

2. C — He was making Himself equal with God. The Jews understood His claim in John 5:17 perfectly; calling God His own Father in that way was a direct claim to deity, which they considered blasphemy worthy of death.

3. B — They went backward and fell to the ground. In John 18:6 the divine name “I AM” carried such inherent power that even at His arrest, the soldiers were physically driven back — a glimpse of the deity He willingly veiled to walk to the cross.

Going Deeper

— Daniel 7:9-14 — Read the entire vision, not just the verses Pastor Josh quoted. The Ancient of Days takes His seat, books are opened, and the Son of Man receives the kingdom. Every Gospel use of “Son of Man” reaches back to this scene.

— John 8:48-59 — The fullest “I AM” confrontation in the Gospels. It begins with the Jews accusing Jesus of being a Samaritan with a devil and ends with “Before Abraham was, I am” — and they take up stones. Read it alongside Exodus 3:14.

— Hebrews 1:1-3 and Colossians 1:15-20 — Two apostolic summaries of the same claim Jesus made about Himself. The Son is “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,” and “by him all things consist.” The apostolic witness fully agrees with the Lord’s own testimony.

Coming Up Next

Lesson 4 — If Jesus is who He claims to be, how did people actually respond when they encountered Him? We will turn from the claims of Christ to the confrontations of Christ — the individuals and crowds who met Him face to face, what they said about Him, and what their responses teach us about our own.

Lesson 4

Episode Description

Two thousand years ago, three events took place in the span of three days that have shaped every century since — the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But what makes these more than historical curiosities? Why does the Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15, define the gospel by these three specific facts and nothing else?

In this episode, Pastor Josh walks through the gospel as Paul presents it — Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day, according to the scriptures. Each piece carries weight that cannot be removed without losing the whole. The death is substitutionary. The burial is proof. The resurrection is victory. And the question that follows is not whether the gospel is true, but whether you have believed it.

Key Scriptures

1 Corinthians 15:1–4 — The Gospel Defined

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

Romans 5:8 — Christ Died for Sinners

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 6:23 — The Wages of Sin

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Isaiah 53:9 — His Burial Foretold

And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

1 Corinthians 15:54–57 — Death Swallowed Up in Victory

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 4:25 — Raised for Our Justification

Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

1 Thessalonians 1:9–10 — Turning to the Living God

For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Romans 1:16–18 — Not Ashamed of the Gospel

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.

Episode Outline

1. The Pivotal Message — Why the death, burial, and resurrection still matter today

2. Paul’s Definition of the Gospel — Not what we do, but what Christ has done (1 Corinthians 15:1–4)

3. Christ Died for Our Sins — Substitutionary atonement and the offense of the cross

4. He Was Buried — Why the burial is evidence, not detail

5. He Rose Again the Third Day — The resurrection as victory and acceptance of payment

6. A Living Savior, Not a Dead Teacher — Daily hope and present power

7. The Most Important Question — Have you received the gospel?

Questions Discussed

1. Could events that took place nearly 2,000 years ago still be the most important news for the world today?

2. What exactly is the gospel of Christ — and why does it center on His death, burial, and resurrection?

3. Do you know that you are a sinner — and that this is the very thing that separates you from God?

4. If Christ did not rise from the dead, where does that leave you and your sins?

5. Why does the burial matter — isn’t it just a detail between the cross and the empty tomb?

6. Do you serve a dead teacher or a living Savior?

7. Have you received the gospel? Have you believed the gospel?

Lesson 2 Printable Outline

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Lesson Overview

Lesson 1 established who the God of the Bible is. Lesson 2 now turns to the central question of the entire course — who is Jesus Christ? — and answers it with one Scripture-saturated claim: Jesus is God, the second member of the triune Godhead, possessing all the authority that belongs to God alone.

Pastor Josh walks through five lines of biblical evidence: passages that call Jesus God, passages in which Jesus calls Himself God, titles and attributes shared by the Father and the Son, works that only God can do (which Jesus does), and the manifestation of His authority over devils, over creation, and over sin and disease. By the end of this lesson, the student is confronted with the same question the disciples wrestled with in Matthew 14: “What manner of man is this?” — and the only honest answer the Scriptures permit is, “Of a truth thou art the Son of God.”

Lesson Outline

I. Scriptures That Call Jesus God

• Philippians 2:5-6 — Christ thought it not robbery to be equal with God.

• John 5:18 — The Jews understood Him to be making Himself equal with God.

• Colossians 2:9 — In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

• Romans 9:5 — Christ, who is over all, God blessed for ever.

• Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1 — The great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

• 1 John 5:20 — This is the true God, and eternal life.

II. Scriptures Where Jesus Calls Himself God

• The “I AM” of Exodus 3:14 — the divine name belongs to Christ.

• John 4:26 — “I that speak unto thee am he.”

• John 8:24 — “If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

• John 8:58 — “Before Abraham was, I am.”

• The seven “I am” predicates of John’s Gospel — bread, light, door, shepherd, resurrection, way, vine.

• John 12:41 — Isaiah saw the glory of Christ.

III. Titles and Attributes Shared by God and Jesus

• Shared titles: Shepherd, Judge, Holy One, First and Last, Pierced One, Mighty God, Redeemer, Alpha and Omega.

• Shared attributes: eternal, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, immutable.

IV. Works That Only God Can Do — and Jesus Does Them

• Creates (John 1:1-3), sustains creation, raises the dead, forgives sin, receives worship.

• Special focus on creation — John 1:1-3, three propositions: He was in the beginning; He was with God; He was God.

• “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

V. The Authority of Jesus Christ

• Authority over devils — Mark 1:21-27. The unclean spirit obeys His voice.

• Authority over creation — Matthew 14:22-33. The wind ceases; the disciples worship Him.

• Authority over sin and disease — Mark 2:1-12. He forgives sin and heals the paralytic.

Key Scriptures

Philippians 2:5-6

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.

John 5:17-18

But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Colossians 2:9

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

Romans 9:5

Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

Titus 2:13

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:1

Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

1 John 5:20

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

Exodus 3:14

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.

John 4:25-26

The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

John 8:24

I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

John 8:58

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

John 12:41

These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

John 1:1-3

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Mark 1:23-27

And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.

Matthew 14:32-33

And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

Mark 2:9-12

Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

Written Summary

The most important question any person can ask is, who is Jesus Christ? Lesson 2 of Who Is Jesus Christ? answers that question directly: Jesus is God. He is the second member of the triune Godhead, equal with the Father, eternally existent, and possessed of all the authority that belongs to God alone.

Pastor Josh builds the case from five angles. First, the Scriptures call Jesus God outright. Paul writes in Philippians 2:6 that Christ “thought it not robbery to be equal with God” — a claim no creature could ever make without robbing God of His glory. Yet Jesus made it without sin, because He is God. The Jews of John 5:18 understood this perfectly: they sought to kill Him because He was “making himself equal with God.” Colossians 2:9, Romans 9:5, Titus 2:13, 2 Peter 1:1, and 1 John 5:20 all bear the same witness — Jesus Christ is “the true God, and eternal life.”

Second, Jesus calls Himself God. The divine name revealed to Moses at the burning bush was “I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:14). In John’s Gospel, the Lord Jesus repeatedly takes that name to Himself — to the woman at the well (John 4:26), to the Pharisees (John 8:24), and most stunningly in John 8:58: “Before Abraham was, I am.” He is the eternal, self-existent One. He fills out that name with the seven “I am” predicates of John — bread, light, door, shepherd, resurrection, way, vine — each one a window into who He is.

Third, the same titles and attributes that belong uniquely to God belong also to Jesus Christ. He is the Shepherd, the Judge, the Holy One, the First and the Last, the Pierced One, the Mighty God, the Redeemer, the Alpha and Omega. He is eternal, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, immutable. These are not creaturely titles. They belong to God alone — and they belong to Jesus.

Fourth, Jesus does the works that only God can do. He creates (John 1:1-3), He sustains all things, He raises the dead, He forgives sin, He receives worship. The lesson focuses especially on creation: “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Not some things. All things. He is the Creator — self-existent, before all things, the One in whom all things consist.

Fifth and finally, His authority is manifested wherever He goes. The unclean spirit in Mark 1 obeys His voice. The wind and the sea in Matthew 14 fall silent at His word, and the disciples worship Him saying, “Of a truth thou art the Son of God.” The paralytic in Mark 2 is forgiven and healed in the same breath, because the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. He has authority over devils, over creation, and over sin and disease — because He is God.

The lesson closes where it began. This is the Christ. This is the One whose redemptive work — His death, burial, and resurrection — paid the debt and penalty of our sins so that we might have eternal life through faith in Him. There is no more important question, and there is no other answer.

Study Questions

1. Philippians 2:6 says Christ “thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” If you or I claimed equality with God, we would be robbing Him of His glory. Why was it not robbery for Christ to make that claim — and what does that one verse alone settle about His identity?

2. In John 8:58 Jesus says, “Before Abraham was, I am.” Why is that statement so significant in light of Exodus 3:14? Why did the Jews pick up stones immediately afterward?

3. Pastor Josh notes that the unclean spirit in Mark 1 recognized Jesus as “the Holy One of God” while the religious leaders of Israel did not. What does that tell you about the difference between knowing about Jesus and being willing to receive who He is?

4. The disciples in Matthew 14 worshipped Jesus after He calmed the wind, saying, “Of a truth thou art the Son of God.” When have the works of Christ in your own life pressed you toward that same confession?

5. Of the seven “I am” predicates in John’s Gospel — bread, light, door, shepherd, resurrection, way, vine — which one most clearly meets a need in your life right now? Why?

6. Pastor Josh repeatedly returns to the question, “What are you going to do with Jesus Christ?” If Jesus is who He claims to be, what does honest engagement with His authority look like in your daily walk?

7. How does this lesson change the way you read the Old Testament — particularly the passages where the great I AM speaks, judges, creates, and saves?

Review Questions

Question 1: In Philippians 2:6, Paul says Christ “thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” What does this teach us about Jesus?

• A. Jesus aspired to become equal with God but never quite reached it.

• B. Jesus was already equal with God, and claiming that equality took nothing away from the Father.

• C. Jesus rejected equality with God in favor of becoming a mere man.

• D. Jesus secretly stole His divine status from the Father.

Question 2: When Jesus said in John 8:58, “Before Abraham was, I am,” what was He claiming?

• A. That He was older than Abraham in human years.

• B. That He had been a prophet long before Abraham’s time.

• C. That He is the eternal, self-existent God of Exodus 3:14 — the great I AM.

• D. That He had merely studied Abraham’s life carefully.

Question 3: According to John 1:3, how much of creation was made by the Word (Jesus Christ)?

• A. Only the spiritual realm.

• B. Most of creation, but not all.

• C. All things — without Him was not any thing made that was made.

• D. Creation existed eternally and was not made by anyone.

Answer Key

1. B — Jesus was already equal with God. No creature can claim equality with God without robbing Him of His glory; Jesus made that claim without sin because He is God, the eternal second member of the triune Godhead.

2. C — He is the eternal I AM of Exodus 3:14. Jesus deliberately took to Himself the divine name God revealed to Moses at the burning bush — and the Jews understood Him so clearly that they immediately took up stones to kill Him for blasphemy.

3. C — All things — without Him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:3 leaves no room for exception; the Word created everything that exists, which means He Himself is uncreated, self-existent, and God.

Going Deeper

• Hebrews 1:1-3 — “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.” Pastor Josh referenced this in Lesson 1 and again here; it ties together the Father’s glory and the Son’s identity in a single sentence and is worth memorizing alongside John 1:1.

• Isaiah 6:1-5 — Isaiah’s vision of “the Lord, high and lifted up.” John 12:41 tells us this is the glory of Christ that Isaiah saw. Reading Isaiah 6 with that knowledge changes everything about the passage — and about who has been on the throne the whole time.

• Colossians 1:15-20 — Paul’s great Christological hymn. “By him were all things created… and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” A perfect companion passage to John 1:1-3 and to this entire lesson.

Coming Up Next

Lesson 3 — If Jesus is God, what was He doing as a man? We will turn from the authority of Christ to the humanity of Christ — why God the Son took on flesh, what He came to accomplish, and why both His full deity and His full humanity are essential to the gospel.

Lesson 3

Lesson 1 Printable Outline

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Lesson Overview

Before we can answer the question “Who is Jesus Christ?” we must first answer a more foundational one: Who is the God of the Bible? Lesson 1 establishes the framework. It surveys six defining characteristics of the God of Scripture — Creator, Triune, Holy, Good, Love, and Saving God — and demonstrates from the text that Jesus Christ is not a mere man, a prophet, or a moral teacher, but the eternal second member of the triune Godhead.

This lesson also introduces the scope and aim of the entire course: that you would know Jesus Christ clearly, believe in him, and understand the redemption found in him alone. How you respond to Jesus Christ determines your eternal destiny. There is no more important question.

Lesson Outline

Introduction — The Most Important Question

• Aim of the course: know, believe in, and understand the redemption in Christ alone

• False views of Jesus: mere creature, one of many divine entities, moral teacher, social activist, benevolent prophet

• Scripture declares: Jesus is the eternal second member of the triune Godhead

Part 1 — A Glimpse of the Result: Jesus Is God

Hebrews 1:1-4

• Appointed heir of all things; made the worlds

• Brightness of God’s glory; express image of His person

• Upholds all things by the word of His power

• Purged our sins by Himself; seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high

• Better than angels — obtained a more excellent name

Colossians 2:9

• All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ — bodily. Not partial. Not representative. Full.

John 1:1, 17-18

• “In the beginning was the Word” — He preceded the beginning; He is eternal

• “The Word was with God” — face to face, in relationship

• “The Word was God” — not merely divine, but God

• John 1:17 identifies the Word as Jesus Christ

Part 2 — Who Is the God of the Bible? Six Features

Feature 1: God Is the Creator

• Romans 1:19-20 — invisible things of God clearly seen in creation: eternal power and Godhead

• God is sourceful — the source of all life, substance, and light; not dependent on anything

• All other so-called gods are created beings who have rebelled; this God is the authority

Feature 2: God Is Triune

• Genesis 1:1-3 — God the Father, Spirit of God, and the Word (Christ) all present at creation

• Genesis 1:26 — “Let us make man in our image” — the us is the triune Godhead in context

• Deuteronomy 6:4 — one LORD: one in essence, three in persons

• No other religion presents a triune God — this distinguishes the God of the Bible

Feature 3: God Is Holy, Holy, Holy

• Isaiah 6:3 — “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory”

• Threefold holiness reflects and corresponds to His triune nature

Feature 4: God Is Good

• Exodus 34:6 — God proclaims Himself: “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth”

• Ephesians 5:9 — the fruit of the Spirit is goodness, righteousness, and truth — because God is good

Feature 5: God Is Love

• 1 John 4:8 — “God is love” — not that He generates love, but that He is love

• Only the triune God can make this claim — a singular god has no one to love before creation

• Love within the Godhead overflows to man; it is the remedy for man’s failure to meet His holiness

Feature 6: God Is a Saving God

• Romans 5:8 — “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”

• 1 Timothy 2:3-5 — one God, one mediator: Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all

• Salvation found only in Christ; received by faith alone, not works

Key Scriptures

Hebrews 1:1-4

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Colossians 2:9

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:17-18

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Romans 1:19-20

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.

Genesis 1:1-3

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Genesis 1:26

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

Deuteronomy 6:4

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.

Isaiah 6:3

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Exodus 34:6

And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

Ephesians 5:9

For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.

1 John 4:8

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Romans 5:8

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

1 Timothy 2:3-5

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Written Summary

The question that drives this entire course is stated plainly at the outset: Who is Jesus Christ? It is the most important question any person will ever face. How you respond to it determines your eternal destiny. This lesson does not answer the question in full — that is the work of the lessons to come — but it establishes the framework without which no answer is possible.

Before we can understand who Jesus Christ is, we must understand who the God of the Bible is. Not all gods are the same. The God of the Bible is distinguished from every other god claimed by every other religion by six defining characteristics.

He is the Creator. From Romans 1, the invisible things of God — His eternal power and Godhead — are clearly seen in what He made. He is not resourceful; He is the source. He is the origin of all life, substance, and light. Every other so-called god is a created being that has rebelled. This one is the source of all things.

He is Triune. This is what sets the God of the Bible apart from every other god in every other religion. In Genesis 1, God the Father, the Spirit of God, and the Word — who is Christ — are all present at creation. God says “Let us make man in our image.” The us is already established in the text. He is one in essence and three in persons. No singular god has rightful claim on this.

He is Holy, Holy, Holy. The threefold repetition in Isaiah 6 is not accidental. It corresponds to the triune nature of God. The seraphim cry it because He is the Creator of all the earth and its fullness belongs to His glory.

He is Good. Exodus 34 records God proclaiming His own name as He passes before Moses: merciful, gracious, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth. The fruit of the Spirit in Ephesians 5 is goodness — because God is good.

He is Love. First John 4:8 does not say that God generates love. It says that God is love. Only the triune God can make this claim in truth. A singular god, before creation and before any creature existed to love, has nothing to love. But within the Godhead there is relationship, selflessness, and love shared among the three persons — and it overflows to His creatures. It is that love that becomes the remedy for man’s failure to meet His holiness.

He is a Saving God. Romans 5:8 says that God commended His love in that Christ died for sinners. First Timothy 2 declares there is one God and one mediator — the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all. God saves through Himself, through His Son. Salvation is found only in Christ, received by faith alone.

This is the God of the Bible. And the claim of this course — and the claim of Scripture — is that Jesus Christ is the eternal second member of this Godhead. Not a moral teacher. Not a prophet. Not a creature. God. The brightness of His glory. The express image of His person. The one in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily.

Study Questions

• Before this lesson, how would you have answered “Who is Jesus Christ?” How has your answer changed or been sharpened?

• Pastor Josh says there is no more important question than “Who is Jesus Christ?” Do you agree? What makes it different from other important questions?

• Colossians 2:9 says all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ bodily. What does that mean for how we relate to Jesus? What does it rule out?

• What is the significance of the triune nature of God for the claim that “God is love”? Why can only the triune God make this claim truthfully?

• Romans 1:19-20 says the invisible things of God are clearly seen through what He created. What does creation reveal about God — and what does it not reveal?

• God is described here as Creator, Triune, Holy, Good, Love, and Saving. Which of these is most surprising to you, and why?

• If God is a saving God and salvation is only in Christ, what are the implications for how you think about other religions and other paths to God?

Review Questions

Question 1: According to Colossians 2:9, what dwells in Jesus Christ bodily?

• A. The wisdom of God

• B. All the fullness of the Godhead

• C. The Spirit of God alone

• D. The glory of the Father

Question 2: In Genesis 1:26, God says “Let us make man in our image.” Who does the “us” refer to?

• A. God and the angels

• B. God speaking to Himself in a literary device

• C. The triune God — Father, Spirit, and Word — already present in context

• D. God and the heavenly council

Question 3: According to John 1:1, which is true of “the Word”?

• A. The Word came into being at the beginning

• B. The Word was created before all things

• C. The Word was with God and was God — existing before the beginning

• D. The Word was a messenger sent from God

Question 4: Which passage records God proclaiming Himself as “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth”?

• A. Isaiah 6:3

• B. Romans 5:8

• C. 1 John 4:8

• D. Exodus 34:6

Question 5: Why can only the triune God rightfully claim to “be love”?

• A. Because God created love and therefore possesses it

• B. Because within the Godhead there is genuine relationship and selfless love shared among persons before any creature existed [CORRECT]

• C. Because God demonstrated love by creating the world

• D. Because love is an attribute added to God at creation

Answer Key

1. B — All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ bodily — not partially or representatively, but fully, confirming that Jesus Christ is God.

2. C — God, the Spirit of God, and the Word are already present in Genesis 1:1-3; “let us” reflects the triune Godhead involved in creation together.

3. C — “In the beginning was the Word” means He preceded the beginning — not created at the start but existing before it, both with God and God.

4. D — Exodus 34:6 is God’s own proclamation of His character as He passes before Moses — one of the most direct self-declarations of God’s goodness in Scripture.

5. B — A singular god has no one to love before creation; the triune God has always had genuine relationship and selfless love within the Godhead, making “God is love” a statement of His eternal nature.

Going Deeper

John 1:14

The Word became flesh — connects John 1:1 directly to the incarnation and is the next step in understanding how the eternal God entered human history.

Isaiah 43:10-11

“Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me” — God’s exclusive claim as the only God and the only Saviour.

Revelation 4:8-11

The living creatures cry “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty” and the elders worship Him as Creator — a New testament echo of Isaiah 6 tying creation, holiness, and worship together.

Coming Up Next

“In Lesson 2 we will move from who God is to who Jesus Christ specifically is — examining the names, titles, and offices Scripture assigns to Him, and what each one means for how we understand and relate to Him.”

Lesson 2

A five-lesson journey through the Scriptures’ own answer to the most important question ever asked — taught for those who would know Christ, believe in Him, and find in Him the sufficiency for time and eternity.

• 5 lessons · 35-45 minutes each

• Old Testament and New Testament

• Taught by Pastor Josh Strelecki

• Study guide and printable outline included with each lesson

“In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” — Colossians 2:9

Why This Question?

No question matters more. How a person answers it determines not only what they believe about a single historical figure, but where they will spend eternity. Pastor Josh Strelecki opens this course with the conviction that the world is full of false views of Jesus — that He was a great moral teacher, a benevolent prophet, a social reformer, one divine entity among many, a mere creature. Scripture permits none of those answers. The Bible’s testimony is singular and exclusive: Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, the eternal second member of the triune Godhead, who came to die and rise again so that everyone who believes might receive eternal life.

This course walks the question from the ground up. It begins by establishing who the God of the Bible is, because no one can rightly understand who Jesus is without first knowing what kind of God claims to have become a man. From there the course examines Jesus’ authority, His claims about Himself, the responses of those who met Him face to face, and finally the sufficiency of His death and resurrection. Each lesson builds on the one before it, and together they leave no honest reader with a third option.

The teaching is doctrinal but personal. It is not a survey of historical opinions about Jesus — it is the witness of Scripture concerning the One who said, “I and my Father are one,” and who said it to be either believed or denied. Pastor Josh’s appeal is the same in every lesson: trust the Lord Jesus Christ today.

Five Questions, One Christ

The course is built on five questions, each answered by a single lesson. They progress in order — foundation, demonstration, declaration, response, application. Together they form the full Scriptural case for who Jesus Christ is.

Question One — Who is the God of the Bible? (Lesson 1) Before the question of Jesus can be rightly asked, the question of God must be answered. Scripture reveals one God in three persons — Creator, triune, holy, good, love, and saving — and Jesus is the second member of that Godhead.

Question Two — What does Jesus do? (Lesson 2) The works of Christ testify to His identity. He has authority over devils, over creation, and over sin and disease — works that only God can do, performed by the One in whom all the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily.

Question Three — What does Jesus claim about Himself? (Lesson 3) From Caesarea Philippi to the high priest’s court, Jesus claims the divine name, equality with the Father, pre-existence, and absolute authority. His claims permit only two conclusions: He is an egomaniac, or He is God.

Question Four — How did people respond when they met Him? (Lesson 4) Six men were confronted by Jesus and were never the same — Nathanael, Thomas, the writer of Hebrews, Peter, John, and Paul. Their confessions form a witness to every reader who has not yet seen Him but is called to believe.

Question Five — Why did He come? (Lesson 5) If Jesus is God, why did He come to die? Because only God could bear the eternal punishment for sin. The cross is where God’s perfect justice and perfect love meet, and in Christ the believer finds all sufficiency in all things.

What You Will Learn

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• State the biblical case for the deity of Jesus Christ — from passages that call Him God, passages where He calls Himself God, titles and attributes shared by the Father and the Son, and works that only God can do.

• Trace the relationship between the God of the Bible and the Person of Christ — including the doctrine of the triune Godhead and how Jesus fits as the eternal second member.

• Recognize and answer the false views of Jesus — moral teacher, benevolent prophet, one of many divine beings, mere creature — and explain why Scripture itself rules out every middle position.

• Engage the major “I AM” claims of John’s Gospel and connect them to Exodus 3:14, the divine name first revealed to Moses at the burning bush.

• Read the Gospels with new eyes — alert to the moments where individuals confronted by Christ gave the response Scripture commends, and what their confessions teach about your own.

• Understand why the One who died on the cross had to be God — and why the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement rests entirely on the deity of the Christ who hung there.

• Articulate the gospel of Jesus Christ clearly — His death, burial, and resurrection — and the call to receive it by faith alone.

Lesson-by-Lesson Breakdown

Foundation

Lesson 1 — The God of the Bible: Who Is He?

Hebrews 1:1–4; Colossians 2:9; John 1:1; Genesis 1; Isaiah 6:3; 1 John 4:8; 1 Timothy 2:3–5

The course opens with the most important question reframed: before Jesus, who is the God of the Bible? Pastor Josh walks through six features of the God who has revealed Himself in Scripture — Creator, triune, holy, good, love, and saving. Hebrews 1, Colossians 2:9, and John 1:1 give a first glimpse of the result toward which the entire course points: Jesus is God, the express image of His person, the One in whom all the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily. The lesson sets the doctrinal floor on which everything that follows is built.

Demonstration

Lesson 2 — The Authority of Jesus Christ

Philippians 2:5–6; John 5:18; Colossians 2:9; John 1:1–3; Exodus 3:14; Mark 1:21–27; Matthew 14:22–33; Mark 2:1–12

Lesson 2 turns from the question of God to the works of Jesus. Five lines of biblical evidence are presented: passages that call Jesus God, passages where He calls Himself God, titles and attributes shared by the Father and the Son, works that only God can do, and the manifestation of His authority over devils, over creation, and over sin and disease. The disciples’ response in Matthew 14:33 — “Of a truth thou art the Son of God” — is the only honest answer Scripture permits.

Declaration

Lesson 3 — The Claims of Jesus Christ

Matthew 16:13–20; Daniel 7:13–14; John 5:17–18; John 8:23–58; John 17:5; John 18:4–6; Mark 14:61–62; John 10:30

The third lesson moves to the words of Christ Himself. At Caesarea Philippi He presses His disciples on the question of His identity. The title “Son of Man,” drawn from Daniel 7, is not a humble denial of deity but a claim to receive an everlasting kingdom from the Ancient of Days. Pastor Josh walks the great “I AM” claims of John’s Gospel and the climactic moment in John 18, where Christ’s “I am he” causes a Roman arresting party to fall backward to the ground. The lesson closes with the trilemma: egomaniac or God. There is no middle ground.

Response

Lesson 4 — Confronted by Jesus Christ

John 1:43–51; John 20:24–29; Hebrews 1:1–8; Luke 5:1–11; Revelation 1:17–18; Acts 9:1–20

Six men met Jesus face to face and were never the same. Nathanael confessed Him as the Son of God. Thomas, the doubter, confessed Him as “my Lord and my God.” The writer of Hebrews recorded the Father’s own address to the Son: “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.” Peter fell at His knees in conviction of his sin. John, in the apocalyptic vision, fell at His feet as dead. And Paul — the persecutor — became the proclaimer. Their confessions form a witness to every reader who has not seen Him but is called to believe.

Application

Lesson 5 — The Sufficiency of Jesus Christ

John 8:21–24; Luke 5:17–26; John 5:22–30; Romans 2:16; John 3:14–18; Romans 3:23–26; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 2 Corinthians 9:8

The final lesson answers the question that follows from everything that has come before: if Jesus is God, why did He come to die? Pastor Josh walks through Christ’s teaching on sin, His teaching on judgment, and the necessity of the cross. The judge-and-murderer illustration shows why love without justice is injustice — and why the cross is the only place where God’s perfect justice and perfect love meet without compromise. The series closes on 2 Corinthians 9:8: Christ is sufficient not only for eternal life, but for every grace needed for every good work in this life.

Who This Course Is For

The honest seeker who has heard many things about Jesus and wants to know what Scripture actually says. This course does not summarize cultural opinions — it walks the Bible’s own witness from start to finish and lets the reader weigh the evidence for themselves.

The new believer who needs to know who they have just trusted. If you have called on the name of Christ but feel uncertain about His identity, His claims, or why His death matters, this course will give you the doctrinal anchor every Christian life is meant to rest on.

The doubter who, like Thomas, finds it hard to believe without seeing. Pastor Josh takes the doubter seriously — and points to the One who said, “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

The teacher or evangelist who needs to articulate the deity, claims, and sufficiency of Christ clearly. Each lesson includes a full study guide with discussion questions, a lecture outline, a memory verse, and a printable outline for the student. The course is built to be taught as well as studied.

Begin the Course

“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” — 1 John 5:20

There is no more important question, and there is no other answer. Jesus Christ is God in the flesh — the One who claimed it, the One whose works testify to it, the One whose confessions across history confirm it, and the One whose cross secured it. Begin Lesson 1 today.

Start Course

Episode Description

What is God actually like? Not what we imagine Him to be, not what culture says He is -- but what does the Word of God declare about His nature? In this episode Pastor Josh Strelecki opens the Scripture to examine the attributes of God, dividing them into two categories: the communicable attributes that God shares with His image-bearers, and the incommunicable attributes that belong to God alone.

Simply beholding God in Christ changes us. That is the promise of 2 Corinthians 3:18 and the driving conviction of this episode. From omniscience to holiness, from the Trinity to God’s preeminence, this teaching surveys the divine nature and shows what it means to serve -- and be transformed by -- a God whose love is boundless and whose justice is sure.

Key Scriptures

2 Corinthians 3:18

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Acts 17:28

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Genesis 1:26

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

Matthew 28:19

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

2 Corinthians 13:14

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

Ephesians 1:11

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Psalm 103:19

The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

Isaiah 6:3

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Psalm 147:5

Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.

1 John 3:20

For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

Hebrews 1:3

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Jeremiah 32:17

Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.

Matthew 19:26

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Psalm 139:7-10

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

Jeremiah 23:24

Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

Psalm 90:2

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

1 John 4:8

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Deuteronomy 32:4

He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:8

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Episode Outline

Introduction -- Beholding Changes Us

• 2 Corinthians 3:18 -- simply beholding God in Christ changes us

• Acts 17:28 -- in Him we live and move and have our being; man is God’s offspring by creation

• The episode aim: behold the nature of God and understand how His attributes shape our view of life

The Two Categories of God’s Attributes

Communicable Attributes

• Characteristics or qualities of God that can be found to some degree in man, whom He made in His image

• God shares or communicates these to His creation, allowing man to reflect them in a finite way

• Examples: love, holiness, wisdom, justice and righteousness, mercy, goodness, patience

• True for believers and unbelievers alike -- any human being can mirror these divine qualities

• These are redeemed and found glorifying to God in Jesus Christ as we behold His image

Incommunicable Attributes

• Characteristics or qualities unique to God alone -- cannot be shared or possessed by humans

• Highlight the ways God’s nature is fundamentally different from and above His creation

• Examples: omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, eternality, immutability, aseity

• Aseity -- His self-existence and independence; He needs nothing outside Himself to exist

The Incommunicable Attributes -- Examined

The Trinity

• One being in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- each truly God

• Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:14 identify all three persons together

• Each person plays a unique role in creation and redemption

• The Trinity is a model for relationship and community -- God is relational by nature

• Because God is a Trinity, He is love -- and this defines how His creatures are to relate to one another

Preeminence

• God possesses ultimate authority and control over all creation

• Ephesians 1 -- He works all things according to the good pleasure of His will and His eternal purpose in Christ

• Psalm 103:19 -- His kingdom ruleth over all

• Romans 8:28 -- all things work together for good because He is preeminent

• He is preeminent by virtue of creation and by virtue of Christ being raised from the dead

• All authority in heaven and earth is given to Jesus Christ

Holiness

• Isaiah 6 and Revelation -- “Holy, holy, holy” -- nowhere else is God described with any other attribute tripled

• Holiness communicates purity, perfection, and absolute separation from all else

• He is holy in His love, holy in His justice, holy in His truth -- separate and above all

• His holiness towards creation is unlike anything else because He is separate in His love

Omniscience

• Complete and perfect knowledge of all things -- past, present, and future

• Psalm 147:5 -- His understanding is infinite

• 1 John 3:20 -- God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things

• He knows our thoughts and intentions and can search our hearts and minds

• Provides believers comfort -- God is never surprised or uninformed about our circumstances

Omnipotence

• Unlimited and unmatched power -- He is able to do anything in view of His nature and will

• Displayed in creation -- Hebrews 1:3, He upholds all things by the word of His power

• Jeremiah 32:17 -- “there is nothing too hard for thee”

• Matthew 19:26 -- “with God all things are possible”

• Empowers believers to be strong in the Lord, trust His promises, and understand His will

Omnipresence

• God is present everywhere at all times, transcending physical limitations

• Psalm 139:7-10 -- whether in heaven or hell, God is there

• Jeremiah 23:24 -- “Do not I fill heaven and earth?”

• God’s presence provides comfort and guidance; transcends limitations of space and time

Eternality

• He has no beginning and no end

• Therefore His purpose, His will, and His promises endure forever

• Psalm 90:2 -- from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God

Immutability

• Unchanging in His essence and character -- steadfast and faithful

• Hebrews 13:8 -- Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever

• Because He does not change, what He promises He will always bring to pass

The Communicable Attributes -- Examined

Love

• 1 John 4:8 -- God is love; not that He generates love but that He is love

• Profound, selfless, unconditional; commended in the sacrificial gift of His Son

• Descends to man offering grace to save from sin and constrains us to live unto the One who died for us

Justice and Righteousness

• God is just and righteous -- all actions align with His perfect morality

• His justice means sin is addressed appropriately

• His righteousness grants believers right standing through faith

• Deuteronomy 32:4 -- “just and right is he”

Conclusion -- What Beholding Produces

• Communicable attributes invite us to reflect His character in our daily lives

• Incommunicable attributes speak to His unrivaled preeminence and majesty -- inspiring awe and reverence

• Together they prompt us to live humbly and thankfully

• God is both intimately relatable in His love and infinitely greater than we can comprehend

• The goal: behold the image of God in the visible of Jesus Christ -- and be changed

Questions Discussed

1. Have you ever paused to wonder about the vastness of knowledge, power, and presence that God holds?

2. How does the eternal and unchanging nature of God influence every moment of your life?

3. What does it mean to serve a God whose love is boundless and whose justice is sure and unwavering?

4. What is the difference between the communicable and incommunicable attributes of God?

5. If God is omniscient and knows our every thought -- how does that change how you approach Him?

6. How does understanding God’s preeminence give you confidence that Romans 8:28 is actually true?

7. Are you beholding God in Christ -- and is that beholding changing you?

In a world overflowing with opinions, philosophies, and spiritual voices, one question stands above the rest: can an ancient book actually speak with authority into modern life? In this episode, Pastor Josh Strelecki opens the Word of God to examine what the Bible claims for itself — not from the outside looking in, but from within the text itself.

The Bible is not merely a religious tradition or a collection of spiritual wisdom. It is the inspired, preserved, eternal Word of God — and it makes that claim boldly. This episode surveys six foundational characteristics of Scripture and calls the listener to take up the Word of God as the final authority for truth, life, and salvation.

Key Scriptures

2 Timothy 3:16–17

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Timothy 3:16–17

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Peter 1:20–21

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of men: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

John 17:17

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Psalm 12:6–7

The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

Matthew 24:35

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Isaiah 40:8

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Psalm 138:2

I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Matthew 4:4

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

1 Peter 2:2

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.

Psalm 19:10

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

2 Peter 1:3

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.

1 Thessalonians 2:13

For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Episode Outline

Introduction — Can We Trust an Ancient Book?

• The central question: what makes the Bible different from other spiritual writings?

• The Bible examined from within — its own declarations prove its authority

Six Characteristics of Scripture

1. Scripture is inspired by God

• 2 Timothy 3:16–17 — all Scripture is God-breathed

• God uses human instruments without overcoming them — He breathes through them

• The Bible does not merely contain God’s Word — it is God’s Word

• Four purposes: doctrine (teaches truth), reproof (exposes error), correction (restores), instruction in righteousness (trains toward godliness)

2. Scripture is not man-made

• 2 Peter 1:20–21 — prophecy came not by the will of men

• Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost

• We examine the message of God, not the preferences of human authors

3. Scripture is truth

• John 17:17 — “Thy word is truth” — not merely true, but truth itself

• The only reliable source for truth about God, creation, self, marriage, culture, and eternity

4. Scripture is pure

• Psalm 12:6–7 — pure words, as silver tried in a furnace, purified seven times

• Untainted by man’s preferences and assumptions

• Pure and preserved — we can trust our Bible today

5. Scripture is eternal and unchanging

• Matthew 24:35 — heaven and earth shall pass away, but His words shall not

• Kingdoms rise and fall; cultures come and go; God’s Word endures forever

• Because it is unchanging, it is always relevant — it never goes out of style or effect

6. Scripture is living and discerning

• Hebrews 4:12 — quick (alive), powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword

• Its realm of usefulness is the inner man — the thoughts and intents of the heart

• It convicts, comforts, corrects, chastens, gives peace, communicates God’s love, and gives discernment

Call to the Word

• Isaiah 40:8 — the Word stands forever; it is the Christian’s foundation in a shifting world

• Psalm 138:2 — God magnifies His Word above all His name

• Matthew 4:4 — man shall not live by bread alone

• Psalm 19:10 — more to be desired than gold, sweeter than honey

• 1 Thessalonians 2:13 — receive it not as the word of men, but as the Word of God

• Get into the Bible reading habit. Read it. Believe it. Meditate upon it. Obey it.

Questions Discussed

This episode is a teaching, not a Q&A. The questions below are the rhetorical questions Pastor Josh poses throughout — they are the driving questions of the episode.

1. Can we really trust an ancient book to speak into modern life?

2. What makes the Bible different from other sacred texts or spiritual writings?

3. If there is evidence the Bible came from God, would you want to know about it?

4. You can't prove the Bible with the Bible — is that a fair objection?

5. What does "perfect" mean in 2 Timothy 3:17 — is it sinless perfection?

6. Where do you turn when you need truth about creation, yourself, God, or eternity?

7. Are you hungry for the Word of God? Is it sweet to you — or just a book on a shelf?

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Welcome to Beholding Christ.

If you have been part of Twin Cities Grace Fellowship for any length of time, you already know what this ministry is about — opening the Word of God, teaching it carefully, and trusting that the Scripture itself does the work. Beholding Christ is that same ministry, extended into a new place, for a wider audience.

If you are new here — welcome. You found this because you are looking for something. My hope is that what you find here is the Word of God, taught faithfully and without apology, and that it meets whatever brought you.

This platform exists for one reason: to help believers grow in their understanding of Scripture and their knowledge of Jesus Christ. Not inspiration content. Not Christian self-help. The Bible — opened, studied, and explained.

Here is what you will find.

What You Will Find

Bible Courses

Structured, step-by-step Bible studies built to take you through Scripture in an organized way. Courses include video lessons, teaching notes, study guides, transcripts, reflection questions, and review material. The goal is not just information — it is understanding. You should be able to finish a course knowing what the Scripture says, why it matters, and how it fits into the whole counsel of God.

Bible Q&A and Podcast Teachings

Audio and video teachings covering biblical topics, doctrine, Christian living, and practical instruction. If you have a question about Scripture, the answer is in here somewhere — and if it is not yet, keep watching. More is always coming.

Articles & Studies

Written biblical studies, expository pieces, and practical encouragement grounded in the text. Shorter than a course, longer than a social media post — the format for when you want to go deeper on a specific passage or topic.

Where Should You Start?

If You Are New to Bible Study

Begin with: Who Is Jesus Christ? (Coming Soon!)

This course walks through the foundational biblical truth of the identity of Jesus Christ — who He is, what He has done, and why it matters. Clear, accessible, and built for someone starting at the beginning.

Who Is Jesus Christ?

If You Want Deeper Doctrinal Study

Begin with: Romans Course

Romans is the fullest doctrinal statement in all of Scripture on the gospel of grace — justification, faith, righteousness, the election & calling of God, and life in Christ. This course works through the letter carefully and at length.

Romans Course

If You Prefer Shorter Teaching Content

Browse the podcast and the articles archive. The podcast covers a wide range of biblical and practical topics in a format you can take with you. The articles archive is searchable by topic.

Podcast (All Things For Good)

Articles Archive

Subscription Information

A free subscription gives you access to a wide range of resources and keeps you updated when new content is published. Everything comes directly to your inbox — no algorithm, no feed, no noise.

If you want to support the continued development of courses, teaching materials, and future content, a supporter subscription helps make that possible. It is never required, and it is always appreciated.

Subscribe now

Group discounts are available:

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A Final Word

My prayer is simple: that everything here — every course, every article, every teaching — would fix your attention on Jesus Christ through His Word. That is the name of this platform, and it is the only ambition behind it.

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

2 Corinthians 3:18

That word beholding is not a casual glance. It is a sustained, fixed gaze. That is what this is built for.

Thank you for being here. Welcome to Beholding Christ. Look Up.

—Josh Strelecki

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