STU:The Christ of the Bible in today's perspective

   More than 1900 years ago there as a Man born contrary to the laws of
life. This Man lived in poverty and was reared in obscurity. He did not
travel extensively. Only once did He cross the boundary of the country
in which He lived and that was during His exile in childhood.

   He possessed neither name, wealth, nor influence. His relatives were
inconspicuous, uninfluential, and had neither training nor education.

   In infancy He started a king; in childhood He puzzled the doctors;
in manhood He ruled the course of nature, walked upon billows as if
pavement, and hushed the sea to sleep.

   He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His
service.

   He never wrote a book, and yet all the libraries of the country
could not held the books that have been written about Him.

   He never wrote a song, and yet He has furnished the theme for more
songs than all the songwriters combined.

   He never founded a college, but all the schools put together cannot
boast of having as many students.

   He never practiced medicine, and yet He has healed more broken
hearts than all the doctors far and near.

   He never marshaled an army, nor drafted a soldier, nor fired a gun,
and yet no leader ever had more volunteers who have, under His orders,
made more rebels stack arms and surrender without a shot being fired.

   He is the Star of astronomy, the Rock of geology, the Lion and Lamb
of the zoological kingdom.

   He is the Revealer of the snares that lurk in the darkness; the
Rebuker of every evil thing that prowls by night; the Quickener of all
that is wholesome; the Adorner of all that is beautiful; the Reconciler
of all that is contradictory; and the Savior of all mankind.

   He fills the pages of theology and hymnology. Every prayer that goes
up to God goes up in His name and is asked to be granted for His sake.

   Every seventh day the wheels of commerce cease their turning and
multitudes wend their way to worshiping assemblies to pay homage and
respect to Him.

   The names of the past proud statesmen of Greece and Rome have come
and gone. The names of the past scientists, philosophers, and
theologians have come and gone; but the name of this Man abounds more
and more. Though time has spread 1900 years between the people of this
generation and the scene of His crucifixion, yet He still lives. Herod
could not kill Him. Satan could not seduce Him. Death could not hold
Him.

   He stands forth upon the highest pinnacle of heavenly glory,
proclaimed of God, acknowledged by angels, adored by saints, and feared
by devils, as the living, personal Christ.

   This Man, as you know, is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!

   A study of the Bible reveals Christ as its central subject and great
theme. What the hub is to the wheel, Christ is to the Bible. It
revolves around Him. All its types point to Him, all its truths
converge in Him, all its glories reflect Him, all its promises radiate
for Him, all its beauties are embodied by Him, all its demands are
exemplified by Him, and all is predictions are accepted by Him.

   Abel's lamb was a type of Christ. Abraham offering Isaac on Mount
Moriah was a type of God giving Christ. His only Son, on Mount Calvary.
The Passover lamb in Egypt was a type of Christ--He told Nicodemus so
Himself. The scapegoat typified Him bearing our sins. The scarlet
thread that the harlot Rahab hung in the window of her home in Jericho
typified Him. Joseph, pictured to us by the Bible without a flaw, was a
type of Christ. "Who did not sin, neither was guile found in his mouth."

   In the Old Testament He is spoken of as "the angel of the Lord, "
and as such He appeared unto men.

   He was with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He was with Abel in
his death. He walked with Enoch. He rode with Noah in the Ark. He ate
with Abraham in his desert tent. He pled with Lot to leave wicked Sodom.

   He watched Isaac reopen the wells that his father Abraham had dug.
He wrestled with Jacob at Peniel. He strengthened Joseph in his time of
temptation, protected him in prison, and exalted him to first place in
the kingdom. He watched over Moses in the ark of bulrushes, talked to
him from the burning bush, went down into Egypt with him, opened the
Red Sea for him, fed him on bread from heaven, protected him with a
pillar of fire by night, and after 120 years of such blessed
companionship that they left no marks of passing time upon Moses, led
him up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of
Pisgah, let him take one long, loving look at the Promised Land, and
then kissed him to sleep, folded Moses' hand over his breast, and
buried his body in an unmarked grave, to sleep in Jesus till the
morning of the great resurrection day.

   He was the Captain of the Lord's host to Joshua, led him over the
swollen stream of Jordan in flood tide, around Jericho, in conquest of
Ai, helped him conquer Canaan, divide the land, and say good-bye to the
children of Israel. He was with Gideon and his famous 300. He was with
Samuel when he rebuked Saul. He was with David when he wrote the
twenty-third psalm. He was with Solomon when he built the first temple.
He was with good king Hezekiah when Sennacherib invaded the land. He
was with Josiah in his great reformation that brought the people back
to the law. He was with Ezekiel and Daniel in Babylon. He was with
Jeremiah in Egypt. He was with Ezra when he returned from Babylon, and
with Nehemiah when he rebuilt the wall. In fact, He was with all those
"who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained
promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire,
escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed
valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens."

   Abraham saw His day and rejoiced. Jacob called Him the "Lawgiver of
Judah." Moses called Him the "Prophet that was to come." Job call Him
"My Living Redeemer." Daniel called Him the "Ancient of Day." Jeremiah
called Him "The Lord our Righteousness." Isaiah called Him "Wonderful
Counselor, and Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."

   All of this in the Old Testament? Yes, and much more besides. "To
Him give all the prophets witness." Micah tells of the place of His
birth. Jonah tells of His death, burial, and resurrection. Amos tells
of His second coming to build again the tabernacles of David. Joel
describes the day of His wrath. Zechariah tells of His coming reign as
King over all the earth. Ezekiel gives us a picture of His millennial
temple.

   In fact, my friends, it matters little where we wander down the
aisles, avenues, byways, or highways of the Old Testament. Jesus walks
beside us as He walked beside the two disciples on that dusty road to
Emmaus on that glorious resurrection day long, long ago.

   Its types tell of Him, its sacrifices show Him, its symbols signify
Him, its histories are His-stories, its songs are His sentiments, its
prophecies are His pictures, its promises are His pledges; and our
hearts burn within us as we walk beside Him across its living pages! !

   When we open the New Testament, the Word which was in the beginning
with God becomes flesh and dwells among us, and we behold His glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and
truth.

   There are four personal histories of His earthly life written in the
New Testament. One is by Matthew, the redeemed publican, and signifies
His lineage; one is by Mark, the unknown servant, which magnifies His
service; one is by Luke, "the beloved physician," and tells of His
humanity; and one is by John, "whom Jesus loved," and it tells of His
deity. He is Christ the King in Matthew, the Servant in Mark, he Man in
Luke, and the Incarnate Word in John.

   Concerning His royal lineage we learn that He was born in Bethlehem,
the Seed of Abraham, the Son of David, the Son of Mary, the Son of God;
and was acknowledged as "King of the Jews, " "Christ the Lord, " "God's
Son," "The Savior of Men," by angels, demons, shepherds, and wise men;
and that He received tribute of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

   Concerning His service we learn we learn that He labored as a
carpenter, opened eyes of the blind, unstopped deaf ears, loosed dumb
tongues, cleansed leper, healed the sick, restored withered hands, fed
the hungry, sympathized with the sad, washed the disciples feet, wept
with Mary and Martha, preached the Gospel to the poor, went about doing
good, and gave His life as a ransom for you and for me.

   Concerning His humanity we learn that He was born of a woman, as a
little babe was wrapped in swaddling clothes, grew up and developed as
a child in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and men. He worked
with His hands, He grew weary, He hungered, He thirsted, He slept, He
felt the surge of anger; knew what it was to be sad, shed tears, sweat
drops of blood; was betrayed, went through the mockery of a criminal
trial, was scourged, had His hands and feet pierced; wore a crown of
thorns, was spit upon, was crucified, was wrapped in a winding sheet,
and was buried in a borrowed tomb behind a sealed stone, and was
guarded by Roman soldiers in His death.

   Concerning His deity we read that He was born of a virgin, lived a
sinless life, spoke matchless words, stilled storms, calmed waves,
rebuked winds, multiplied loaves, turned water to wine, raised the
dead, foretold the future, gave hearings to the deaf, sight to the
blind, speech to the dumb, cast out demons, healed diseases, forgave
sins, claimed equality with God, arose from the dead, possessed all
authority both in heaven and in earth.

   He was both God and Man; two individuals united in one personality.
"As a man, He thirsted; as God, He gave living water, As a man, He went
to a wedding; as God, He turned water into wine. As man, He slept in a
boat; as God, He stilled the storm. As man, He was tempted; as God, He
sinned not. As man, He wept; as God, He raised Lazarus from the dead.
As man, He prayed; as God, He makes intercession for all men."

   This is what Paul means when he writes, "Without controversy great
is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh, justified
in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on
in the world, received up into glory." He was made unto us wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. He is the Light of this
world, He is the Bread of Life. He is the True Vine. He is the Good
Shepherd. He is the Way. He is the Life, He is the only Door to Heaven.

   He is the Faithful Witness, the First Begotten of the dead, the
Prince of the kings of the earth, the King of Kings, and the Lord of
Lords, Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the
ending, the Lord who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. "I
am He that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive forevermore,
and I have the keys of hell and of death."

   He is the themes of the Bible from the beginning to end: His is my
Savior, let Him be your Savior, too! !

   In Genesis He is the Seed of the Woman

   In Exodus He is the Passover Lamb

   In Leviticus He is our High Priest

   In Numbers He is the Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire
by night

   In Deuteronomy He is the Prophet like unto Moses

   In Joshua He is the Captain of our Salvation

   In Judges He is our Judge and Lawgiver

   In Ruth He is our Kinsman Redeemer

   In 1 and 2 Samuel He is our Trusted Prophet

   In Kings and Chronicles He is our Reigning King

   In Ezra He is the Rebuilder of the broken-down wall of human life

   In Ester He is our Mordecai

   And in Job He is our Ever-Living Redeemer, "For I know my redeemer
liveth."

   In Psalms He is our Shepherd

   In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes He is our Wisdom

   In the Song of Solomon He is our Lover and Bridegroom

   In Isaiah He is the Prince of Peace

   In Jeremiah He is the Righteous Branch

   In Lamentations He is our Weeping Prophet

   In Ezekiel He is the wonderful Four-Faced Man

   And in Daniel the Fourth Man in "Life's Fiery Furnaces."

   In Hosea He is the Faithful Husband, "Forever married to the
backslider."

   In Joel He is the Baptizer with the Holy Ghost and Fire

   In Amos He is our Burden-Bearer

   In Obadiah He is the Mighty to Save

   In Jonah He is our great Foreign Missionary

   In Micah He is the Messenger of Beautiful Feet

   In Nahum He is the Avenger of God's Elect

   In Habakkuk He is God's Evangelist, crying, "Revive thy work in the
midst of the years."

   In Zephaniah He is our Savior

   In Haggai He is the Restore of God's lost heritage

   In Zechariah He is the Fountain opened to the house of David for sin
and uncleanness

   In Malachi He is the Sun of Righteousness, rising with healing in
His wings

   In Matthew He is the Messiah

   In Mark He is the Wonder-Worker

   In Luke He is the Son of Man

   In John He is the Son of God

   In Acts He is the Holy Ghost

   In Romans He is our Justifier

   In 1 and 2 Corinthians He is our Sanctifier

   In Galatians He is our Redeemer from the curse of the law

   In Ephesians He is the Christ of unsearchable riches

   In Philippians He is the God who supplies all our needs

   In Colossians He is the fullness of the Godhead, bodily

   In 1 and 2 Thessalonians He is our Soon-Coming King

   In 1 and 2 Timothy He is our Mediator between God and man

   In Titus He is our Faithful Pastor

   In Philemon He is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother

   In Hebrews He is the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant

   In James He is our Great Physician, for "The prayer of faith shall
save the sick."

   In 1 and 2 Peter He is our Chief Shepherd, who soon shall appear
with a crown of unfading glory

   In, 1, 2 and 3 John He is Love

   In Jude He is the Lord coming with ten thousands of His saints

   And in Revelation He is the King of kings and Lord or lords! !

   He is abel's Sacrifice, Noah's Rainbow, Abraham's Ram, Isaac's
Wells, Jacob's Ladder, Issachar's Burdens, Jacob's Scepter, Balaam's
Shiloh, Moses' Rod, Joshua's Sun and Moon that stood still, Elijah's
Mantle, Elisha's Staff, Gideon's Fleece, Samuel's Horn of Oil, Daniel's
Visions, Amos' Burden, and Malachi's Sun of Righteousness.

   He is Peter's Shadow, Stephen's Signs and Wonders, Paul's
Handkerchief and Aprons, and John's Pearly White City.

   He is a Father to the Orphan, Husband to the Widow, to the traveler
in the night He is the Bright and Morning Star, to those who walk in
the Lonesome Valley He is the Lily of the Valley, the Rose of Sharon,
and Honey in the Rock.

   He is the Brightness of God's glory, the Express Image of His
Person, the King of Glory, the Pearl of Great Price, the Rock in a
Weary Land, the Cup that runneth over, the Rod and Staff that comfort,
and the Government of our life is upon His shoulders.

   He Is Jesus Of Nazareth, the Son if the living God! My Savior, my
Companion, my Lord and King!

   --Author unknown
