The Gospel of John, chapter one. We're going to ask you to turn into a copy of the New King James, we're going to read this together again this morning. So if you have another version, that's fine. Consider yourself forgiven for the New King James out of a few there and we'll read together. John, chapter one, very familiar passage, we'll read verses one down to and including Verse 18. It's so important when we read to pay attention to what we're reading. And this is the Word of God for us. So John chapter 1, let's begin together on verse 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made. In him was light, and the light was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the light that all through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me. And of his fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. Amen. May God help us to understand and appreciate and love and put into practice His Word. Probably better manuscripts have the only begotten God. And that would be just one other text that demonstrates to us that Jesus Christ is God of very God. That's the subject we're going to be looking at this morning. Between now and the end of the year, we're going to be studying the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's pray. The Bible's in turn to the Gospel of John, the passage that we read together. I'm going to begin there and look at a variety of other texts. John chapter 1. Perhaps you love American history, and if you do, you probably are an admirer of Thomas Jefferson. Quite an extraordinary man. And his input into the formation of the nation and the writing of the Constitution was unique and really unparalleled. But he was a problem in other ways. One writer says Jefferson took a pair of scissors to the King James Bible 200 years ago and he cut out the virgin birth. and all the miracles. He literally took a scissors to it and made his own Bible, cut out the miraculous portions, the portions that talked about the supernatural, talked about the deity of Christ. And he boasted that he had extracted, quote, the diamonds from the dunghill to reveal the true teaching of Jesus for what it was. And, of course, the Lord Jesus was not God, and the supernatural was to be excised from the Scriptures. It's been a bit of an historical tradition to deny the deity of Christ down through the ages. People generally have done this. Arius did it in the 300s A.D. was a group called the Socinians who denied the deity of Christ during the time of the Reformation. Unitarians, of course, deny the deity of Christ. Unitarians like Ralph Waldo Emerson or Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the Battle Hymn of the Republic, denied the deity of Christ. the Lord Jesus Christ. You know that the Jehovah's Witnesses in our own day, they deny the deity of Christ, and you know that the Mormons teach that Jesus was simply one of God's many spiritual children. It's quite shocking to listen to what modern men have to say, what people in our own day have to say. I listened to and watched and listened to a video on YouTube a couple of years ago. There was somebody who went around asking people, just asking people on the street, who they thought Jesus was. You know, our day is a day in which people feel that their opinion is really the great arbiter of truth. And every opinion is valid. And so people feel very free to share what their view is and feel that it is, because it's their opinion, quite legitimate. Listen to these kinds of things they said. Who do you think Jesus is? Well, he's all about love. Or he's a person who accepted all people. He's a good guy. And then listen to this, he got crucified for our beliefs. Well, not quite. He preached love and compassion and wanted to spread that word. And then this, I see Jesus, and as you know, in our day, that's a key phrase, I see or I think, and that that's so essential, isn't it? I see Jesus as more of a teacher. Like a lot of other great teachers showing us how to live. And then this. He's a pretty spiritual, peaceful, centered guy. They try to look at the higher principles of looking at good things and trusted that there'd be a ripple effect. Not entirely sure what it means, but she said it with a sort of a seraphic look on her face. And it sounded at first blush quite spiritual. But of course, it's nonsensical. And then, I like him even though I haven't met him. And that is sad. I haven't met him. Of course, Jesus is not to be defined according to our opinions and our subjective views. And contrary to what people think today, not every personal opinion is valid. Your personal opinion, well, you're entitled to it, but it can be quite wrong. And so the Lord Jesus is not to be defined according to our personal opinion, the Lord Jesus is not to be trifled with in that way. Rather, we must ask, what does the Bible say about Jesus? And when you ask, what does the Bible say? And when you really listen to what the Bible has to say about who Jesus is, you will come up with answers like this as to who Jesus is. The Nicene Creed. We believe, they said, in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father, of the essence of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made in heaven and on earth, and who for us men and for our salvation came down and was incarnate and was made man. He suffered, and on the third day He rose again, ascended into heaven. From whence He will come to judge the living and the dead." So who is Jesus? Well, He is God of very God. Absolutely no question about that from a biblical perspective. Listen to Him. C.S. Lewis. Lewis is arguing, and perhaps you've heard this quotation, he's arguing that that the Lord Jesus is either Lord or he lied about himself or he was a lunatic in terms of what he claimed. Lewis says, I'm trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say. And actually, I quoted that from this this video. But they say, I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I do not accept his claim to be God. Lewis says that is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic on the level of a man who says he is a poached egg, or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. You can shut him up for a fool. You can spit at him and kill him as a demon. Or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. So you can't just say, well, I think he's he's a fine fellow. He's a great guy. He's really centered. Well, no, he's not really centered if he was just a regular man who said he was God. And he's crazy. Well, we want to look at what the Bible says today about the Lord Jesus and particularly about what it says with regard to his deity. We're going to look, first of all, at the biblical evidence that Jesus is God and then the appropriate response to the fact that Jesus is God. Now, the biblical evidence. Let me say that there is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the biblical teaching about who Jesus is, and an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the question of his deity. Everywhere in the New Testament, it is so unequivocally clear that the Lord Jesus is God. God of very God. So you don't have to be troubled. when you see those two people coming up your driveway to talk to you. You don't have to be nervous. You don't have to think, well, what am I going to say to them? Because you have all the information that you need in the Bible. And so when the Jehovah's Witnesses come to your door, you can invite them in. You can look forward to the next time they come. And you invite them in. You say, well, now, I'm so glad you came. Let me tell you about the Lord Jesus. Let me explain to you from the Bible. I have all kinds of verses here I wrote down in that sermon the other day. And then you teach them. You proclaim the Lord Christ to them. As I say, there is an embarrassment of riches. F.F. Bruce says that the belief in the deity of Christ is derived directly from statements concerning him in the Bible. The references are so many. and their meaning so plain that Christians of every shade of opinion have always regarded its affirmation as an absolute and indispensable requisite of their faith. But it is everywhere in the New Testament. It is all over the scriptures. And it's an exciting thing to begin to look at what the Bible says about the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. We're going to look at four things, four areas of evidence, four streams of evidence concerning the deity of Christ, divine names attributed to him, divine qualities ascribed to him, divine works accomplished by him, and then divine claims made by him and about him. First of all, divine names ascribe to Jesus. Did the Lord Jesus ever say, just come out and say, I am God? Well, no, he never said that. And furthermore, in the New Testament, when you find the word God, as you read through the New Testament, as I'm sure you do, you come across the word God. And most of the time it's in reference to God, the father. But there are times when it is clearly and unequivocally in reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. We read one of those passages earlier here in John chapter one. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. Now, there are several things that we learn here. The first thing we learn is that Jesus is eternal. He was before Bethlehem. In fact, John says he simply was. In the beginning, he simply was there. This refers to his continued and continuing existence. One writer says this is a word appropriate to eternal, unchanging being. You imagine, think about that. This word speaks of eternal and unchanging being. John is telling us. that Jesus was there, and He simply was existing before the creation of the world. Remember Micah 5, 2 says that His goings forth were from everlasting, so Jesus is eternal. What's more, He is in relationship with God, because in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. It means he accompanied him and it means he was in relationship with the Father. There are clearly two persons here. You know that there is a third person in the Trinity. Two of those persons are made reference to in verse one. And so there are two distinguishable persons here. And the Word, who was later described to be Jesus of Nazareth, the Word was with God. He was there, present with Him, and in personal and intimate relationship with Him. So the Lord Jesus was, before the foundation of the world, in personal relationship with the Father. And so Jesus is God. When the Jehovah's Witnesses say, well, we want to translate it, the Word was our God. Well, there's no grammatical basis for that. In fact, everything dictates against that. They're just plain wrong, and you can get into all of the ins and outs of that if you really want to. But they're wrong. And what John is saying is that the Lord Jesus is equal with God. What's more, turn to John chapter 28. So in John one, the word God is used in reference to the Lord Jesus Christ in John 20 and 28. You know the context, you know, Thomas is doubting. And, you know, the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ and you remember the Lord Jesus saying, reach your finger here and look at my hands and reach your hand and put it in my side. And Thomas's response is, my Lord and my God. And not so long ago, I had Jehovah's Witnesses in my house and they say, well, that's just an exclamation. It's like, oh, my. Well, that's ridiculous. It's ridiculous to think that a reverend New Testament Jew is going to use God's name in vain like that. What's more, we don't say, oh, my and oh, my dear. We don't say things like that. You don't put a little conjunction there. No, he says this to Jesus. This is worshipful. This is reverent. This is an awestruck man. And he says, my Lord. And my God, to no rebuke, we need to notice. The Lord Jesus doesn't stand back and aghast, say, how dare you say something like that? No, he he accepts it. The Lord Jesus is God turned to Titus chapter two and verse 13. Titus chapter two. And verse 13. Paul says that we are those who are looking for the blessed hope. and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. You need to read God and Savior the way I read it. We are looking for the appearing of our great God and Savior. It's not the appearing of our God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, as if it were two people, no, it's our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. The New Testament never talks really about the appearing of God the Father. No, it's the appearing of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus is the one who will make this grand and glorious appearing at the end. And so he's talking about the Lord Jesus when he says, the appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Turn to Romans, chapter nine, and again, we'll see that the word God is used in reference to the Lord Jesus. Romans, chapter nine and verse five. Romans nine and verse five, let's go back to verse one. Why don't we? I tell you the truth in Christ, I'm not lying. My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart, for I could wish that I myself were a curse from Christ, from my brethren, my countrymen, according to the flesh. who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises, of whom are the fathers, and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all the eternally blessed God. Who is Christ? The one who came in the flesh. Who is he really? He's also not simply, according to the flesh, the son of David, but he is the eternally blessed God. You say, yes, he walked the earth. Yes, he's the God-man. We'll talk about the humanity of Christ next week. One person, divine and human. Absolutely stunning. But he is divine. He is God, the very God. First Peter chapter, second Peter chapter one in verse one, second Peter one in verse one, Simon Peter, a bond servant and apostle of Jesus Christ to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. The old King James said the righteousness of Our God and our Savior. And seem to differentiate between the two, but the New King James says it right, as do others, that this is a phrase that is ascribed to the Lord Jesus. He is our God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. So the word God is used of the Lord Jesus. And then, of course, the title Lord is ascribed to him. The title Lord is ascribed to him in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, and I'm sure you know this. The word Lord is used. The Greek word Lord is used almost seven thousand times to translate the name of God in the Old Testament. And so when a New Testament Jew hears the word Lord. And depending upon the context, because in some context, he's talking about some human who's in some position of authority, but in the context in which we see them in the scriptures. And a Jewish person hears the word Lord ascribed to someone like Jesus. Well, this is clearly an ascription of a title that has divine connotations and divine implications. So go over to Luke chapter two in verse 11. And here you see where the word is used with clear, divine connotations. Luke chapter 2 and verse 11. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And angels announce the birth of Christ The Lord, it has divine implications. And what about chapter one in verse 43? Why is this granted to me, says Elizabeth, that the mother of my Lord? Should come to me. Extraordinary ascription of this title, Lord, to now the unborn Jesus, astounding. Another title that is given to him, the holy one. Turn to Acts chapter three and verse 14. Jesus is described as the holy one. Acts chapter three and verse 14. Peter says, you denied the Holy One and the just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Prince of Life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. Well, what have you done with the Lord Jesus? Who is that One whom you crucified? Well, He is none other than the Holy One. And again, if you have the Old Testament behind you, And you have all the Old Testament languages, this part of the fabric of your being. The Holy One is a reference to God. And in Isaiah, the Holy One is used 30 times to speak about God. There's only God who is the Holy One. But now, Peter says, you crucify the Holy One. It is an extraordinary claim. What about the name Son of Man? It's another title that's ascribed to the Lord Jesus and a title which he takes to himself and uses more than any other. Look at Matthew 26. Matthew 26 and verse 62 and following. Matthew 26, and we'll start reading at verse 62. And the high priest arose and said to him, do you answer nothing? What is what is it these men testify? What is it these men testify against you? But Jesus kept silent and the high priest answered and said to him, I put you under oath by the living God. Tell us if you are the Christ, the son of God. And Jesus said to him, it is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you hereafter, you will see the son of man speaking about himself, obviously sitting at the right hand of the power. and coming on clouds of heaven. Well, he's not just saying, you know, I'm a human being when he says, son of man, when he takes that, he's not just saying, I'm a man. He is going back to Daniel, chapter seven, Daniel seven and verse 13. Turn there quickly. Daniel, chapter seven. And verse 13, and this is the vision that Daniel has. It's a vision of God and of someone else, some glorious personage whose name is the Son of Man. He says, Daniel says, I was watching in the night visions and behold, one like the Son of Man. coming with the clouds of heaven. He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory." Well, you see, when Jesus says, the Son of Man coming in clouds of glory, He knows this context. He knows these verses. The high priest knows these verses. He knows the import of what Jesus is saying. To him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples and nations and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away and his kingdom, one which shall not be destroyed. When Jesus takes that title and ascribes it to himself, he's saying, well, you know what? All of this is true of me. It's astounding. If you did that, they'd lock you up. But he takes it because it's true. Because this is who he is. No wonder, verse 65, he's spoken blasphemy. Because it's an extraordinary title that he ascribes to himself, so divine names And titles are ascribed to him. But furthermore, divine qualities are attributed to the Lord Jesus. Divine qualities. That is, he is self-existent. There's one. The Lord Jesus is self-existent. Imagine, here's a text that you know very well. I am the life. You ever think about that? We rattle that off, you know, John 14, 6, I'm the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me. And we use that. But think about it. I am the life. That's astounding. And John 1 says that in him, Jesus, in him was life. Now, there's no life except that it comes from him. And the reason you are living and breathing here today, you may not even be a Christian, but the fact that you're alive today is because of him. Because in him was life. Because he says, I am the life. And you're only alive today because of Jesus. In him was life. And then he says, later on in John 8, he says, before Abraham was, I am. Nobody gives me life. I don't depend on anybody for existence. I simply exist. I did not start at a certain point. It wasn't that Jehovah God created me. No, before Abraham was, I am. I simply exist. He's self-existent. That's only true of God. It's true of Jesus. He's not only self-existent, but he's omniscient. He knows everything. There are massive amounts of this universe about which we don't know, but you don't even have to look out there to realize what you don't know. You just have to look around you here. People are a mystery to us. We find we know a little bit about people, but there's so much about people that we do not know. In fact, Augustine said, man is a great deep. It's very difficult to understand people sometimes. And yet, look at what we read in John chapter 2 and verse 23. John 2. And verse 23, now, when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover during the feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself to them because he knew all men and he had no need that anyone should testify of man, for he knew what was in man. He knew what was in man, go over to John 16 and verse 30. John 16 and verse 30. Now, the disciples are speaking to the Lord Jesus, and they say, now, we are sure that you know all things and have no need that anyone should question you. By this, we believe that you came forth from God. Now, imagine if someone said to you, you know, I think you know all things. You say, well, I know a lot. Maybe not. Maybe not all things. There's some areas where, you know, I'm a little shaky. Why, you'd think that was ridiculous. They say to him, we think you know all things. And he doesn't rebuke them. He says, do you now believe? It's taken you this long to Understand who I am? He's omniscient. He's omnipotent. Jesus heals. Jesus raises the dead. And in John 2, Jesus turns water into wine. Now, when you come to ask, the disciples did all kinds of amazing things, but they always said this is the power of God. It's the finger of God, but in John two, when Jesus turned the water into wine, John says he was beginning to manifest his glory. So when Jesus reached out his hand and did something like that, he was showing his own power. So Jesus is omnipotent. So divine qualities are attributed to him. And then thirdly, divine works are accomplished by him. Divine works are accomplished by him. When we got here, when I made the announcements, we looked around and we said, well, now, this is magnificent. What a country we have. What a beautiful day we're enjoying today. Lovely to drive to church today. See the sun and see the blue skies. It's magnificent. And Jesus did it. The Lord Jesus created all of this. Even the things that the people used to build this thing. Well, Jesus made those things as well. Any of the things that you put in your belly today before you came here, because breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I've been told again and again, everything you've been put in your belly today, Jesus made that. And in fact, your your belly itself and all the rest of you. Oh, Jesus made that. In fact, we read in John chapter one that he made everything and without him, nothing was made that was made. He created absolutely everything. What's more, we look around and the world isn't spinning out of control. It isn't falling off its axis. It isn't plunging into the sun for which we thank God. Everything is going along just the way it's supposed to for the most part. And we understand why that is. Colossians chapter 1 and verses 16 and 17. It's all because of the Lord Jesus Christ. The universe is functioning as it does because of the Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians 1 verse 16, for by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible were the thrones and dominions and principalities or powers. All things were created through him and for him, and he is before all things, he's preeminent, and in him all things consist. You picture a jigsaw puzzle and you put all the pieces in place, there, it's all together. Well, that's the idea of that phrase, all things consist, all the various pieces are put together and held together because of Him. With regards to the entire creation, the immense gargantuan universe, everything is together because Jesus keeps it that way. So these are divine works that are accomplished by him. He creates and he sustains. And then another divine work that he accomplishes that is of utmost importance to us is that he forgives. You read Mark, chapter two, verses three to seven. What does the Lord Jesus do there besides healing? He says, your sins are forgiven. And the religious leaders respond with, well, they're just appalled. Who can forgive sins but God alone? And the Lord Jesus again doesn't say, no, no, wait a minute, wait a minute. You don't understand. You misunderstood what I said. No, no, they got it. They understood exactly what he was talking about. He forgives. When only God can forgive. Because he's gone. And so divine works are accomplished by him, and then lastly, divine claims are made by him, divine claims are made by him. I want to read some of the claims that the Lord Jesus makes, and I won't give you the references because, well, for time's sake. But if you're really interested, if you're looking forward now to the next time that Jehovah's Witness fellow comes to your door and you want to explain to them the verses that you and you want these verses, you talk to me and I will get them to you. But these are the kinds of claims Jesus made. He claimed this to know him. Is to know God. To see him. is to see God. To receive him. Is to receive God. And this to honor him. Is to honor God. What's more, he claims these things, he claims that he is one with God. He claims that he is to be the object of saving faith. What's more, he is to be the object of devotion. He says, follow me. Peter, do you love me? And then he feels himself to be the rightful object of worship. These people can rightfully worship him. These are extraordinary claims. Look at another claim that maybe you haven't thought about, look at Matthew chapter 13, verse 41. Matthew 13, verse 41, this is something that you might ordinarily just read over and it might not strike you as in any way significant, but. But it's kind of a throwaway line that that is of enormous significance. Matthew 13 verse 41, the Son of Man will send out his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and all those who practice lawlessness. It's just a little phrase. The Son of Man, and of course, when he says Son of Man, he's talking about himself. The Son of Man will send out his angels. Who are the angels? These mighty beings. Multitudes, thousands and thousands and thousands. You know, one angel can kill a hundred thousand men. And God has thousands and thousands of angels. And the Bible talks about the angels of God. And Jesus says, the Son of Man, I will send out my angels. They're his angels. What's more, the Lord says that it's his kingdom. This is my kingdom. And these are my angels. Can you imagine a mere human being say that? Extraordinary claims. Then, of course, in John 10.30, the Lord Jesus says, I and the Father are one. Obviously, there are two persons there, but they're one in essence. I and the Father are one. So divine names are ascribed to him. Divine qualities are attributed to him. Divine works are accomplished by him and divine claims. made by him. And we just looked at just a sprinkling, just picked out a few verses and said, well, now here they are. You can read and read and read similar verses. To deny that the New Testament teaches that Jesus is God requires you to rip Out page after page after page, text after text, just like Jefferson did. But it's far better to submit to what the Bible says. And say, yes, he's God. But if you do that, there are appropriate responses. Which is the second point, and we'll deal with this very quickly. How should you respond to this today? What's the appropriate response? Because we're not here just to fill our heads up. We're here to hear the word of God and respond to it. What's the appropriate response? Well, first of all, you ought to believe in him. You ought to trust yourself to him. You want to come to him for life, go over to John, chapter 20, and you'll see that this is what John says is the point of the whole gospel of John, which he just wrote. John, chapter 20, and we'll start at verse 24, actually. John 20, and we'll start at verse 24. And you need to see the way it flows. And culminates in verse 29, or rather verse 28. And then John immediately talks about the whole point of the book. Thomas, called a twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, we've seen the Lord. So he said to them, unless I see in his hand the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days, his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. And Jesus came in the doors being shut, and he stood in the midst and said, Peace to you. And he said to Thomas, reach your finger here and look at my hand and reach your hand here and put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. Thomas said, My Lord and my God. Jesus said, Thomas, because you've seen me, you believe. Blessed are those who have not seen yet believe. And truly, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in his book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. So this glorious declaration, my Lord and my God. And John says, well, now, this is why I wrote this. so that people like you would come to that same point and bow before Christ and say, up until this moment I've been a rebel against you, but now I bow before you and now I believe and I trust my Lord and my God. And if you don't, turn to John 8, verse 21. John 8, 21. John 8, 21, Jesus said to them again, I'm going away and you will seek me and will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come. So the Jews said, will he kill himself? Because he says, where I go, you cannot come. And he said to them, you are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. Therefore, I said to you, you will die in your sin. For if you do not believe that I am he. You will die in your sin. If you don't believe the Lord Jesus, you'll die in your sin. You say, well, frankly, I don't believe. I don't believe anything you've said. I don't believe anything I've read here. I don't believe that he's God. Well, you know, I'd love to talk to you about that. I'd love to discuss that with you, but we can do that another time. I leave you with this. If you do not believe in Him, you will die in your sin. That's what Jesus said. You don't believe what Jesus said about Himself, you don't believe what the Bible says about Him, and you don't entrust yourself to Him, you will die in your sin and you will go to hell. Let me urge you to believe in Him. Let me urge you to trust in Him. Let me urge you to entrust yourself to Him, to come to Him for life, because there is no one else in the world. You are a sinner by nature and practice, and you need someone like the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is unique. Luther said, if Christ does not remain true, natural God, then we are lost. For what good would the suffering and death of the Lord Christ do me if he were merely a man such as you and I? Then he would not have been able to overcome the devil and death and sin. He would have been far too weak for them and could not have helped them. But the Lord Jesus is God. All we've been studying today is of enormous significance to sinful men and women like you and I, because He is the only one who is able to save. We need a man so that He can represent us, and we need God because He alone can save. And Jesus Christ is the God-Man. He's your only hope. Trust Him today. And if you're a Christian, How do we respond while we praise Him? We worship Him. We adore Him. You read those passages and read what it says about Him. I hope you've taken them down and reflect on them today. And look at Him from different angles and see how spectacularly beautiful and glorious and wonderful and majestic He is. And then you worship because your privilege is to know Him. So how do we respond? We respond with worship. How do we respond? We respond with trust, because if he's God, he does all things. If he's God, he's able to do all his holy will. That means that his people, you and I, Christians, we are safe and we are blessed. So trust him. Let's pray. Father, how we thank you for who the Lord Jesus is, no mere religious leader, no mere human teacher, but the God-man. How we thank you that he is God of very God. And we do bow before him. We do worship and adore. And we do pray that he will make bear his arm and draw sinners to himself this day so that they too might experience his saving power rather than his judging power. So bless our father and draw sinners to Christ and stir our love and our praise for him. We ask for Jesus sake. Amen.