3
Chapter 3
Christ's Moral Character
Devotion
So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
Luke 4:16
And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, he found the place where it was written: - -17
Prays
And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on a mountain by Himself to pray. And when evening had come, He was alone there.
Matthew 14:23
Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there." - 26:36
So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. - -44
Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. Mark 1:35
And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. - -36
And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. - -46
Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray."
- 14:32
Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. - -39
So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. Luke 5:16
Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to GOD.
- 6:12
And it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. - 9:28
When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. - 22:45
His Prayers
He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." Matthew 26:39
He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done." - -42
He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. Mark 14:35
And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will." Mark 14:36
And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, Luke 22:41
Saying, "Father, if it is Your will, remove this cup from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours be done." - -42
"Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I pray? `Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour." John 12:27
Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You." - 17:1
Remarks Thereon
Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of godly fear. Hebrews 5:7
Christ's Humility
"He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him." John 7:18
"And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges." - 8:50
Rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. - 13:4
After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. - -5
Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, "LORD are You washing my feet?" - -6
Meekness Foretold
He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. Isaiah 42:2
A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. - -3
"Hear, you deaf; and look, you blind, that you may see. - -18
Who is blind but My servant, or deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is blind as he who is perfect, and blind as the LORD's servant? - -19
Seeing many things, but you do not observe; opening the ears, but he does not hear." - -20
Fulfilled
"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29
"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." - -30
He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. - 12:19
A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory. - -20
Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.
1 Peter 2:23
Compassion
But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
Matthew 9:36
When the LORD saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." Luke 7:13
Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. John 11:33
And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "LORD, come and see." - -34
Jesus wept. - -35
Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!" - -36
Inferences
For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. Hebrews 2:18
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. - 4:15
Perfection
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Hebrews 2:10
Who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. - 3:2
For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; - 7:26
Who does not need daily, as those high priest, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. - -27
For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever. - -28
"Who committed no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth." 1 Peter 2:22
And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 1 John 3:5
Sinless
Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your GOD." John 8:54
"Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, `I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word." - -55
Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?" - 10:32
Zeal Predicted
Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
Psalm 69:9
He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him: And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
Isaiah 59:16
For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. - -17
According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay, fury to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; The coastlands He will fully repay. - -18
So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the
LORD will lift up a standard against him. - -19
Application
Then His disciples remembered that it was written' "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up." John 2:17
Attestations from GOD
Then Jesus, when He had been baptized, came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of GOD descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. Matthew 3:16
And suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." - -17
(See Note 5 pg. 126)
And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Mark 1:10
Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." - -11
Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. Luke 3:21
And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." - -22
"And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form." John 5:37
"Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again." - 12:28
Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to Him." - -29
Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake." - -30
Reflection
For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our LORD Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 2Peter 1:16
For He received from GOD the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." - -17
And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. - -18
Self-Testimony
The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true." John 8:13
Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going." - -14
"I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me." - -18
John the Baptist's Evidence
And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him." John 1:32
"I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, `Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." - -33
"And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of GOD." - -34
Attestation of Works
"But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish- the very works that I do- bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me." John 5:36
Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me." - 10:25
"If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; - -37
"But if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him." - -38
Attestation of Devils
When he had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. Matthew 8:28
And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of GOD? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" - -29
Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, Mark 1:23
Saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do withYou, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are- the Holy One of GOD!" - -24
And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of GOD." - 3:11
But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known. - -12
But when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. - 5:6
And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High GOD? I implore You by GOD that You do not torment me." - -7
And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of GOD!" And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ. Luke 4:41
Criterion
"If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from GOD or whether I speak on My own authority." John 7:17
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