Messiah Before the Foundations - Part 7

[00:00:00] We are making our way through a series of teaching on Christology, on Messiah, Yeshua Messiah, Jesus Christ, Messiah. Whatever title we're going to use, it all falls under the umbrella of Christology, the study of the Messiah. [00:00:27] And this is our 6th week, all of. For anyone who has not been a part of it. And what we're talking about today is almost kind of like the culmination. It's almost the apex of this mountain of Christology. So coming in right now, of course, as I've said before, you might be a little confused if you only hear what I say today. So please, please make sure that if you hear today and have questions, first of all, I'm available to talk to you about them. But secondly, our app, and soon our website. But right now, our app has all of the teachings from this series the last five weeks. [00:01:14] The app is Nachamu Ami in Google or Android. So first question, a status check of sorts. [00:01:25] Are we getting anything out of this series? Is there anything good here that we're learning? Do you want me to continue? Because I'm thinking about doing it for the next 50 weeks. [00:01:37] No, we really are making it. But I've had some good feedback from people, and I feel that there is some growth and understanding. So I'm hoping that that is a yes for most people. [00:01:52] Last week, well, two weeks ago, right, we were on son of man, the title son of man, and I was going to jump directly to Son of God, but we had to stop somewhere, it turned out. Where did we stop? Between son of man and son of God? [00:02:09] A geographic location, but a massively spiritual location, the Jordan river and the incarnation, so to speak, of the Holy Spirit. So we went from son of man to the Jordan river, and now today, to the most intriguing and potentially confusing title in the history of religion, son of God. [00:02:34] Son of God. There have been brutal tortures and deaths throughout religious history over someone's misunderstanding of son of God. In other words, throughout religious history, if you don't believe this, you die. I say this, if you don't believe it, we burn you at the stake, so on and so forth. So when I say that what we're talking about is kind of controversial, there are many martyrs who would fully agree, having been boiled alive in oil and different things for their different opinions regarding Christology, specifically the son of God. And so, as I talk today, when I talk about a protestant or christian way of thinking that is in no way derogatory. It is not a slam toward Christianity. It is, however, a statement of distinction. [00:03:31] The protestant christian way of understanding Messiah and Christology is one thing. The messianic jewish way of understanding Christology is something else. So without being derogatory or defaming Christianity, I do have to draw a distinction. So please don't think that I'm being insensitive. Son of God. [00:03:56] In the christian way of thinking, this is the title for Messiah. Yeshua, son of God. This is what connects him to the Trinity developed by the early councils of the church. It is as son of God that he is worshipped as a divine being. It is the son of God who was sacrificed for the sins of the world. And there's a problem that emerges right away, which we have already discussed when talking about the son of man. It's not a term that Yeshua uses for himself. [00:04:30] He does use the term son. He definitely uses the term father and has this imagery that's very clear. Is he called the son of God in the Testament? Absolutely. [00:04:44] Absolutely. Nathaniel, John the Baptist, Peter, Messiah, you are the son of God. He absolutely has that title. [00:04:54] But we have to remember, by the way, though, I just need to make this one point. When we went through son of man, and I talked about son of man in its greek translation. Meaning what? Anyone remember greek translation? Son of man. Do you remember what it means in greek? Human being. Okay. And I used human being to talk about Yeshua's classification of himself more than any other. Son of man, the son of man. The son of man. The son of man. [00:05:26] I kind of glossed over, not to be deceptive in any way, but son of man is absolutely a very messianic title. As a matter of fact, son of man is understood to be more messianic in first century jewish understanding than son of God. Son of man comes from Daniel seven. I saw one who looked like the son of man. [00:05:56] It's also found in the apocryphal writings, first Enoch, where it is used as a description of Messiah, son of man, a divine human being. So I want to make sure, I don't think that. I don't know or don't walk out of here confused that son of man only means human being because in the terms of the New Testament, son of man had a messianic overtone. But most people think son of God is son of God, like divine God, God of God. Part of God is God, son of God. [00:06:37] But son of God in jewish understanding was more of an earthly title, actually. Right. [00:06:47] Kings, kings of Israel were sons of God. David was called a son of God. Solomon was called a son of God. They were adoption. It was adoption literature adoption title psalm two. Today you have become my son. [00:07:06] And he talks in psalm two, which is a messianic psalm. But he also says, today I have begotten you. What is this? Psalm two. This is messianic. This is Yeshua. It points to Yeshua. But it's a coronation psalm. It's a literal psalm over a king who has been anointed king. And today, God, I have begotten you means today as king of Israel, you have become my son. Son of God. Angels were called sons of God, right? You know this. You remember this? [00:07:40] So it's the anointing of an earthly king by a prophet, David, Samuel. Yehu was another one. Jehu, as it says in your english translations, the anointing of a king by a prophet. And last week, we talked about the baptism at the Jordan, that it was a pseudo anointing. [00:08:03] Was oil involved? Did John go and pour oil over Yeshua's head and anoint him as messiah? No, he didn't. [00:08:11] There was a sort of anointing that took place. The anointing of Yeshua. We've not seen it yet. It comes later. Well, she rubbed oil on his. [00:08:22] I'm talking about Yeshua. As king of kings and lord of lords, he will be anointed on the throne in Jerusalem. We've not seen that yet. But there was a sort of anointing of this son of God that we discussed extensively as the Holy Spirit last week. [00:08:42] The Holy Spirit descended as a sign and seal. And our conclusion, you allowing me to think freely and share my thoughts with you last week was. It was an awakening of the true divine missions essence. Everything that God had put into Yeshua was awakened at the Jordan river. And that, my friends, is a recap of last week and kind of what we've done up to this point. You with me? But we left with a question last week. If the spirit. [00:09:17] If the spirit of God, the Holy Spirit was given in such power and fullness that Yeshua could do all these miracles, why the logos? [00:09:28] Why the logos? Why this John one language, the word becoming flesh. The word was God. The word was with God, so on and so forth. If he's just another anointed king of Israel, a king who possessed the Holy Spirit, David had that David was a king of Israel who was filled with the Holy Spirit. Look at the book of psalms and how God used the spirit to speak through David. What do we do with the logos? [00:09:54] Clearly we know that John one speaks of Yeshua. The disciples recognized him not only as Messiah, but as son of God, the divine essence, the divinity, the fullness of divinity that hebrews tells us dwelt within him. The fullness, the son of man filled to overflowing with the ruach Hakodesh. And it stayed on him. John 133 the voice from heaven speaking to John says, look for the one the Holy Spirit descends on and does what stays on. And it did. So here's this yeshua, but I want to look. [00:10:36] That's all good stuff. [00:10:39] Why even have the logos? What is the significance of this existence before time? If he lived out a large part of his humanity without awareness, so to speak, of this divinity, why did he need it? If it's all about the son of man, why the Son of God? [00:10:57] We've made such a big deal so far about kind of his humanity. [00:11:04] How do we get to the divine part? How does this reconcile? [00:11:10] Because we've already said that to be the son of God was not exactly like just a fact of divine conception. There was more to it. [00:11:21] There was more to it. And for that we need to look. If you have your bibles, please open to Philippians two, because we're going to spend a lot of time here. I have a lot of notes, I have a lot of scripture, and I have a lot to say. And so we're going to move relatively quickly. But I do not want these points to get missed. Okay? So if I see a look of confusion on the whole room's face, I'm going to slow down. Philippians two, I think we have a slide. Do we have a slide? [00:11:53] Probably very slow. I mean, very small. I want the one that's in paragraph form. Okay. [00:12:05] It's okay. We'll skip it. Philippians two, I want you to go to the other one, the paragraph. [00:12:15] I'm not going to worry about it. Have this in mind among yourselves. Which is yours in Messiah Yeshua, who. There are some key phrases here. Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped? If you can't read this, I know it's hard to listen, but. It's hard to listen and process this, but just do your best. Did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed upon him the name that is above every name, so that the name of Yeshua every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Yeshua the messiah is Lord to the glory of God the father. We sung a song today about every knee will bow and every tongue confess. And what was the name of that song? Adonai. Right. [00:13:19] Adonai. We sung today, talking about knees bowing and knees bending and people bowing in the form of God. It says in Philippians two, he is the radiance, Hebrews says, of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. What is this? What does that mean? What is this? [00:13:42] We've already said this, that from conception, he possessed the Memra, the logos, the spirit of Messiah, the pre existent spirit of Messiah. [00:13:54] Born in the likeness of men, it says, found in human form, absolutely human, fully capable of sin. Whether you like that or not. It could be no other way. We discussed that already, how God cannot sin. Yeshua, if he is going to be like us, had the ability to do that. But within this ancient hymn of Philippians two is the answer. We're looking for the son of God. The revealing of the mystery. As Paul loves to use the word mystery, we can use it, right? [00:14:30] But back to Philippians just ten. Just verse ten and eleven. [00:14:37] So that at the name of Yeshua, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Yeshua the Messiah, is lord. [00:14:48] I've purposely withheld some important details from that to make this point. From that text, most protestant christology infers or states outright, Yeshua has become God. [00:15:05] He becomes virtually the sole object of worship. Prayers are directed to Jesus, not in his name, not to the father. All teaching centers on Jesus, because Jesus is Lord. Or in other words, Jesus is God is the conclusion that's drawn from this text. [00:15:27] Is that what's happening here? [00:15:34] So it's kind of a trick question, but you're used to me asking them, are God and Jesus the same? [00:15:48] We have discussed this, actually to the max already. So you're thinking, why is he going to go back to this again? Are God and Jesus the same? Well, the obvious answer, seemingly, is no God, son of God. [00:16:08] Duh. [00:16:09] Different caveman theology, right? [00:16:15] But the scripture could have us think different. John 14, seven. To Thomas. If you only knew me, you would also know my father. [00:16:25] To Philip. He who has seen me has seen the father. Verse eleven in John 14. I am in my father, and my father is in me. 1523. He who hates me will also hate my father. On the other hand. [00:16:39] On the other hand, John five truly truly, I say to you, the son of God can do nothing himself unless it is something he sees the father doing. For whatever the Father does these things, the son also does in like manner. 1528 in the book of John I have come forth from my father and come to the world once again, I will depart from the world and go to my father. So which is it? [00:17:06] The same or different? [00:17:11] The answer is a subtle yet important distinction, which I think I'll credit Daniel Lancaster for his phrasing, which is so very, very valuable. Committed to memory, they are one. One in heart, one in mind, one in essence. [00:17:29] But oneness is not sameness. [00:17:34] Oneness is not sameness. John 17 this is eternal life. Yeshua speaking 17 three. This is eternal life. To know you that you alone are God, and Yeshua the Messiah, whom you have sent. [00:17:59] In other words, if we add little thing in parentheses, this is eternal life. To know that you alone are God and parentheses. To know Yeshua, the Messiah whom you have sent, eternal life is available, where only in both. [00:18:13] Only in both you cannot separate their oneness. Because oneness is not sameness, but oneness is inseparable. Is that confusing enough? [00:18:26] Oneness is not sameness, but their oneness is inseparable. [00:18:33] I will make this make sense. [00:18:36] I think I will anyway. You tell me there is not one without the other. It has always been this way. Always been this way. [00:18:50] And to a part of that oneness, it requires. I mean, to be a part of the oneness. To know God, to have eternal life is to know the one whom he sent. [00:19:09] Right? This is basic. There is nothing confusing here. This can be summed up in the scripture that says, no one comes to the father except through me. We reach the father God through the son, the son of God. Right? [00:19:27] It's not confusing. That doesn't help. [00:19:31] Someone says, that doesn't help me make these distinctions. This son of God thing, I mean, sent one shaliach connections. Oneness, sameness, the son of God. It's still confusing. I'm going to go back to just the basic thing. I'm going to go back to what I grew up with. Because you're confusing me. It doesn't make sense. Hang tight. [00:19:55] Do you remember? [00:19:58] Well, there is one most significant reason. [00:20:08] If we go back to the question I asked at the beginning of this teaching, which may seem like an hour ago, why the logos? [00:20:16] Why the logos? Why does Yeshua have this? Why the logos? Why not just be a really good guy who didn't sin, who has the Holy Spirit and can do all kinds of great things. Why not that one word? [00:20:37] Authority. [00:20:41] Authority. [00:20:43] A component that must. [00:20:46] Must be present for Yeshua. To command the wind and the waves, to have demonic forces cower and beg for mercy, to forgive sins, to offer eternal life, to make a way to the father. Authority. [00:21:01] He must have authority that nothing or no one has ever had before revealed and fulfilled in a new way. The final way. But listen to me. Not to be God, but to be given the authority that only a true son might possess. Only this one son. Only this son of God. And after the. As the authors of Hebrew. As the author of Hebrews puts it, and we read it sometimes in the liturgy, God, after he spoke long ago to the fathers and the prophets, in many portions and in many ways in these last days, has spoken to us where? In his son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom he also made the world. And he is the radiance of his glory, the exact representation of his nature. He upholds all things by the word of his power. When he had made purifications of sin, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels. And he has inherited a better name than they. [00:22:13] I want you to hear this. Two things. Authority and dominion. And a name. [00:22:20] Authority, dominion. And a name. [00:22:25] Back to Philippians two. [00:22:28] That at the name of Yeshua. Remember Hebrews has just told us he has inherited a more excellent name than they. Philippians two. At the name of Yeshua, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue confess that Yeshua, the Messiah, is lord. [00:22:49] Gosh. You're not helping me, Damien. [00:22:52] You are throwing lord and names and subjection and sent ones. You're throwing things around. I read that before, but let's unpack it. Sent from Heaven. Sent from heaven. The divine authority. Sent from heaven. Taking up residence in a human frame. To do what? How many times does Yeshua talk about being the sent one? Do you remember our message about God working through history, through Shlihim? [00:23:23] Sent ones. Shaliak, a messenger. A sent one. Angels are Shaliak, the angel of the Lord. We talked about all this. How many times does Yeshua refer to himself? Well, a lot. Matthew ten. He who receives me receives him who sent me. I was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Luke, quoting Isaiah. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives. He who rejects me rejects the one who sent me. John. He whom God sent speaks the word of God. I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me the very works I do testify about me that the father has sent me. For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him. Can you guess who sent me? [00:24:07] The Shaliach. [00:24:09] The Shaliach. The messenger. The agent of God. David was a son of God, but not spotless. Moses was a representative, but not spotless. Elijah a messenger, but not without sin. Peter, not without failures. There is no question that something that has never taken place before has taken place here in this shaliach. But how? How? Because that Philippians text that I just quoted to you that says at the name of Yeshua every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue confess that Yeshua is the Lord. Let me back you up. That's Adonai's claim from Isaiah. Philippians says it about Yeshua. But that is Adonai language from Isaiah. [00:25:04] That is what the prophet Isaiah says in Isaiah 40. I can't remember where it is now. Maybe 45. 45. [00:25:14] He says this. Isaiah. So here's the question. Keep this in frame. This is saying this in Philippians about every knee bowing, every tongue confessing Yeshua is Lord. But here where that draws from Isaiah 45, it says this. For I am God and I have no peer. I solemnly make this oath. What I say is true and reliable. Surely every knee will bow to me. Every tongue will solemnly affirm that text belongs to God. How did it get to be Yeshua's? [00:25:51] John 316? [00:25:53] Has anyone ever heard this scripture? [00:25:59] God so loved the world that he gave sent his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [00:26:11] God had worked in the past through agents. So now Yeshua, filled with the logos, the full essence of God, the radiance of the glory and the exact imprint of his nature. Listen to me. His life, his human life of submission, sacrifice, surrender, obedience, humility has attained the exalted position of the ultimate representative of God to man. But remember, not a robot shell animated by God. He's not just cannot sin. The pretty girl walks by. He's not tempted. I know that sounds blasphemous, but listen to me, human being. He's a man, not a robot shell. Just constantly. But his mind was the mind of God. [00:26:58] He is the son of God, the word made flesh, one with the father. Because the father is in him and he is in the father and in him. God's merciful act of forgiveness of sin. Philippians tells us when we declare God has given him through this divine nature the ultimate authority. God has given Yeshua through the logos, through the spirit, through that which existed before time, that which has always been from before the foundations of the earth. He has given him the ultimate authority. And Yeshua. Yeshua has accepted it and fulfilled it. [00:27:46] There's a quote from a guy named Daniel Nessim who says this. His work of emptying and death is so in conjunction with the father and so rooted in heavenly origin, that the honor due the God of Israel will come to be given to the one through whom God worked. The honor due God will come to be given him through the one he sent for. God so loved the world that he sent his only son, that we could be reconciled to God through this agent and man. I know it's kind of like a college lecture right now. I know there's so much and it's a little moving around. But I pray to God that the spirit will reveal some power in this in order to represent God's name, which is, in essence, what Yeshua says does. Yeshua must possess his fullness. He must possess God's fullness. But to what end? And here we read the end of the Philippians, or the full Philippians text found in human form. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death. Even death on a cross. Therefore. [00:28:54] Therefore. [00:28:58] What does therefore mean? It means this thing happened. [00:29:03] And because of it, this thing happened because Yeshua offered up prayers and supplications, loud cries and tears to him, to. Was able to save him from death. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm reading hebrews now. Found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God. God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name. [00:29:30] Hear that? [00:29:31] Bestowed on him the name that is above every name. So that at the name of Yeshua, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue confess that Yeshua, Messiah is lord. Why? Why would every tongue confess that Yeshua the Messiah is the Lord? Read the last part of verse eleven. To the glory of God the father. [00:29:54] This is self evident, Damien. It's not. I know it's not. [00:30:00] Therefore, God has done the exalting. I will give him the name above every name. And here it comes, brothers and sisters, the part where you might want to tar and feather me. [00:30:16] Therefore, he has given him an exalted name. The name above every name. [00:30:23] What is that name? [00:30:28] I can sing you right now. At least five hymns. [00:30:33] One of which sounds like this. I am not ashamed of the name above all names, for it has the power to heal and to save. [00:30:45] It's Yeshua. [00:30:48] That's the hymn and other ones. The name above all names. [00:30:57] Wonderful. Yeshua. [00:30:59] The name above all names. [00:31:05] Is that what Yeshua said? [00:31:10] Did Yeshua ever say that his name was the name above all names or claim to be above? [00:31:22] What did he say? Because if we want to know Yeshua, if we want to understand Yeshua, if we want to build and develop our understanding, we should look at the texts that say what he said. [00:31:35] They are found in the gospels. What did he say? [00:31:39] I have manifested in John 17. I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world. John 1711. Holy Father, keep them in your name. The name which you have given me. That they may be one even as we are. While I was with them, I was keeping them in your name which you have given me. What is the name above all names? I love the hymns, but they're theologically inaccurate. That is not what he's saying. The name above all names is Yud Hey Vav. Heh. We don't even say it in Hebrew. We don't say it in Judaism because it is. Why don't we say it because it's the most exalted name above every single name. Nothing, nowhere did Yeshua ever march in with all of his authority and miracle working power ever and say, things change today. [00:32:42] Now, Jesus is the name above every name. He never did it. That sounds. I am not trying to be in any way like, bully ish. [00:32:57] And maybe that little illustration there was a little over the top. [00:33:05] The name above all names is the name above all names. [00:33:12] It is God's name. [00:33:15] And Yeshua owns that name. [00:33:20] Do you understand what I mean by that word? God gave him in the logos. [00:33:28] In the divine conception, from before the foundations of the world. Yeshua says, you have given me your name. [00:33:41] That is the power of the logos, the fullness. Do you understand what this means now? When the scripture says, in him, the fullness of deity dwells, he bears the name of Hashem. We can turn to revelation 19 and see all kinds of other names. He has too. Word of God. He's called the word of God. He's called Lord of Lord and king of kings. You know, he has all these names, but this is the name that he has been given as the son of God. [00:34:25] He has given him his holy name. [00:34:29] If God could be a man, the formless, transcendent, all powerful, unbelievable. If he could be. Here he is Yeshua, the son of God, possessing the fullness of God. And so much so that when one sees Yeshua, they see the father. [00:34:53] Do you remember Samson's dad, Manoah? You remember all the places where the servant of the Lord was? And people would bow down and they would want to worship the servant of Lord, and they got confused with God. And who is this? [00:35:09] Here's the real culmination of it. This is the one time where the shaliach. [00:35:18] When you see Yeshua, you see God. You see the father. [00:35:27] Making sense of oneness is not sameness, but their oneness is inseparable. Making sense of scriptures like anyone who has John 14 nine. Anyone who has seen me has seen the father. John 1030 I and the father are what one? John 17. I glorified you on the earth, having accomplished the work which you've given me to do. Now, Father, glorify me together with yourself with the glory which I had with you before the world was mark two, five and ten. The son of man has been given authority to forgive sins. [00:36:06] This should take you directly to Daniel seven. [00:36:10] Where did he get that authority? He got it as Daniel seven and Daniel sees in a vision. I kept looking in the night visions. And behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man was coming. And he came up. Where? To the ancient of days. And the ancient of days was presented before him. And to him the son of man was given dominion, glory and a kingdom. [00:36:40] Daniel has this vision. This is happening. Who knows when this is happening? Long before we could even know. Given to the son of man the very name of God. The authority, the glory, the dominion and the kingdom. God is in Yeshua. Yeshua's name. God's name is in Yeshua Yeshua's name is in God. From before the foundations. Inseparable oneness, but not sameness. And to what end? To what end? This is the end of Philippians, verse eleven. To the glory of God. [00:37:12] To the glory of the name above all names, the sacred name, the son of God. To the glory of God for the redemption of God's people. In the name of God and John one. And we are concluding this week. Anyway. [00:37:36] John one. [00:37:38] It's a long read, but listen. [00:37:41] This is the explanation for it all. [00:37:45] The word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we saw his glory. Glory as of the only begotten from the father, full of grace and truth. John testified about him and cried out, saying, this was he of whom I said, he comes after me. Has a higher rank than I. For he existed before me. For of his fullness we have all received and grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moshe. Grace and truth were realized through Yeshua Hamashiach. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the father, he has explained him. [00:38:25] The only begotten who is in the bosom of the Father, he has explained him. He has brought him near. [00:38:38] In mark three, when the impure spirits saw him, they fell before him, and they said, you are the son of God. [00:38:50] How did they know what was different? What could they see? [00:38:57] They could see what I'm telling you. And I forgot this very important text. [00:39:02] They could see what I'm telling you. They could see what Yeshua said about himself. John 627 for God, his father has sealed him with his insignia. [00:39:19] John 14 eight. The one who sees me sees the father. [00:39:24] He lived clinging to the father. [00:39:30] There's a hebrew word, a conceptical, hasidic concept, Devukut. [00:39:36] To cling. To cling so tightly that nothing can separate you. [00:39:42] He clung to his father, our father, in such close union with God. And this is George Bradford Kerrd's quote. Without any loss of identity, his human personality was taken up into the divine. The Messiah, the king of kings, the son of God. [00:40:03] The wind and the waves obeyed him. Why? [00:40:07] Because he held authority in his name, which is the name of his father. [00:40:15] When the unclean spirits, they knew who he truly was, they saw in the son of God, God himself. [00:40:26] For the son of God points only to the father. [00:40:32] And so, my friends, through the son of God, should we, Yeshua says, believe in God. [00:40:41] Believe also in me, the son of God. [00:40:51] Next week, a possible conclusion awaits us. [00:40:57] A possible conclusion as we look at the beginning to the end, which is really the beginning again, it's the way the story works. [00:41:09] Amen. [00:41:10] Shabbat Shalom.