Lesson 4 - Confronted by Jesus Christ
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.
Memory Verse
And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
— John 20:28
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.
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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
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.
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.
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?
