United In Christ

United

In

Christ

Lesson 1

Jesus – The Person

The environment in which Jesus was born was a closed society, a people who considered themselves superior to all other people. They took great pride in being the Children of Abraham, God’s chosen people. ‘Abraham is our father’ (John 8:38). They had an immense hatred of the Samaritans as they considered them to be halfbreeds, Jews who had forsaken the Law of Moses during the period of Babylonian captivity. Their hatred was so great they would go out of their way to keep from setting foot in the land of the Samaritans. Roman occupiers were no different and any Jew who associated with “those occupiers” was a “sinner;” e.g., Matthew, the tax collector.

The Jews were also legalistic to the highest degree. In order to earn God’s promises they believed they must fulfill the letter of the law, not necessarily the intent. For instance, Moses required them to tithe and give a tenth. To make certain they gave the tenth but no more, they counted the seeds of plants to give a tenth and only a tenth.

Rome required the Jews to carry a soldier’s load for one mile. So the Jews put down markers to make sure they went no farther. Remember Jesus stated that if someone forced you to go one mile; go with him two (Matthew 5:41).

Into this culture came the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ. The Jews believed that when the Messiah came He would restore the earthly kingdom of Israel to its ‘God-given right’ to power and honor. Their Messiah would be the King of the Jews and rule like David.

Jesus often addressed the arrogant, self-centered, and self-righteous Pharisees, the religious leaders of the Jews. On one occasion Jesus stated that He has sheep in other locations. Thus, it would appear Jesus was referring to the Gentiles, all non-Jews.

In John 10 Jesus stated “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep [those who chose to be His] and my sheep know me [have an intimate relationship with Him] — just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:14-16).

It is stated in Isaiah 56:7-8 “… my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, ‘I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered’ [undoubtedly a prophesy regarding the despised Samaritans and even the heathen Gentiles].”

With this attitude of superiority, could the Jewish people and their religious leaders possibly understand or even have a hint of what Jesus was teaching? Apparently, some degree of superiority prevailed even among His closest disciples. John and the other disciples could not consider the possibility of Jesus having other followers outside their clique, sect or small knit group.

“‘Master,’ said John, ‘we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.’ ‘Do not stop him,’ Jesus said, ‘for whoever is not against you is for you.’” (Luke 9:49-50)

But not everyone who does things in Jesus’ name is for him, for Jesus stated in Matthew 7:21-23:

“Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’ [evildoers]!

Knowing that His mission was to be the sacrifice for the sins of all people – Jews, Greeks, Romans, and those despised Samaritans - Jesus prayed:

“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from

• For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. … Sanctify [consecrate, make holy] them by the truth; your word is truth. … "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, [Good News], that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.

May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:6-10; 17; 20-23).