I want to preach on the subject of the four gospels. Of course, we just read Matthew chapter
1, which is the beginning of the gospel according to Matthew. But before I get into the subject
of the four gospels, I want to talk a little bit about what the word gospel means. If you
would, turn back in your Bible to Isaiah 61. Isaiah chapter number 61. And in Isaiah 61
1, we find a famous verse that's actually quoted by Jesus Christ in Luke chapter 4.
If you look at Isaiah 61 1, I'll read for you from Luke 4 18. The Bible reads in Luke
4 18, the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to
the poor. And then if we look at what Jesus is quoting here in Isaiah 61 1, it says the
spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings
unto the meek. And notice, good tidings unto the meek there in Isaiah 61 1, when Jesus
preached that in Luke 4 18, he preaches it as the gospel to the poor, because he's taken
it, you know, from the Greek language versus the Hebrew language. So that shows us right
there that the word gospel is equivalent to the term glad tidings, or good news would
probably be the way that we would say that in our modern vernacular. So the gospel means
the glad tidings. Flip back if you would to Isaiah 52, just a few pages back to the left
in your Bible. And you know, it's interesting when we compare Old Testament quotes in the
New Testament to their Old Testament source, it can actually help us learn what words mean.
Like for example, in Matthew chapter 1, when it said, we just read it, Brother Romero read
it, it said, Behold, a virgin shall be with child. Well, if we go back to where that quote
came from in Isaiah 7 14, it says, Behold, a virgin shall conceive. You know what that
tells me is that conceive is a child. You know, tell that to this abortion pro-choice
crowd that tells you, oh, you know, conception is not when life begins. Well, the Bible teaches
that conception is a child. So whenever we look at these quotes, we can compare them
and figure out what words mean. Look at Isaiah 52 7, it says, How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace. Well, this is quoted
in Romans 10 15, and how should they preach except they be sent as it is written, going
back to Isaiah, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace that
bring glad tidings of good things. So according to the Bible, the word gospel means glad tidings
or good news. Go to first Corinthians 15. The gospel is good news. You say, well, why
is the gospel good news? You know, what is so good about what's so glad of a message
about the gospel? Well, the great news is that Jesus Christ died for our sins because
we are condemned, we are guilty, we have sin in our lives, every single one of us. The
Bible says as it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one for all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God. Obviously there's a punishment associated with that.
There's a condemnation associated with that, but the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ came
and died on the cross for our sins. He paid our punishment for us so that if we would
just believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we'd be saved. He died. He was buried and rose
again. Look at first Corinthians 15 verse one. It says, moreover, brethren, I declare
unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also you have received and wherein
you stand by which also you are saved. If you keep in memory what I preached unto you
unless you believed in vain for I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received
how that Christ died for our sins. And this is exactly what it said in Matthew chapter
one, thou shall call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins. It
says that he died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried and
that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. So according to first Corinthians
15, the gospel of Christ is specifically the message that Jesus Christ died for our sins
and that he was buried and that he rose again. That's the gospel. So gospel in general means
good news or glad tidings. Specifically when we're talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ,
it is the fact that he died for our sins. That he was our substitute. That he took our
place. He took our punishment. He is our propitiation. We just believe on him and all our sins are
forgiven the Bible says through faith in his blood. And so that's the good news or the
gospel of Jesus Christ. So when we're talking about the four gospels, we're talking about
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And the reason why these books are called the four gospels
and why at the beginning of the book, Matthew for example, turn to Matthew if you would,
chapter one, it says, you know, the gospel according to Saint Matthew. Okay, because
basically this is the story culminating in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
That's why all four of the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, death, burial, and resurrection
of Christ. And it's from four different perspectives or four different angles. Okay, that's what
it says in Matthew chapter one that he'll save his people from their sins. That's the
gospel and then of course that's how the story ends. Now, you say, well why are there four
gospels? Why not just give us one gospel? Well, the four gospels give us four different
perspectives and they emphasize different things about Jesus Christ. Okay, now if you
would, turn over to Revelation chapter four. Revelation chapter number four, and let me
show you something interesting. There's some interesting symbolism in the Bible because
as you read the four gospels, you'll notice that they're very different from one another.
Even though they tell the same story, even though they cover a lot of the same events,
a lot of the same preaching that Jesus did, and there's definitely a lot of overlap between
the four gospels and we can compare things and see a lot of things that are almost identical,
but there are also a lot of differences, especially in what's emphasized. And when
we look at these four gospels, we can get four different perspectives of the life of
Christ that emphasize four things about Christ. Now what's interesting, in Revelation chapter
four, we see a description of these four beasts. Okay, and these four beasts are known as the
Seraphims. Okay, and the Bible says in Revelation 4.6, before the throne there was a sea of
glass likened to crystal, and in the midst of the throne and round about the throne were
four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the
second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast
was like a flying eagle. So up in heaven, the Bible's describing God sitting on his
throne in Revelation chapter four, and there's a sea of glass, there are seven lamps of fire
burning before the throne, the twenty-four elders are there, there's a great heavenly
host that's there, and the Bible talks about these four beasts that are there, and these
four beasts have six wings and they have all these eyes, and one of them has a face like
a lion, one has a face like a calf, one has a face like a man, and one has a face like
a flying eagle. Go back to Ezekiel chapter one, Ezekiel chapter number one. See there's
a significance in these four beasts. Now in the Old Testament, these beasts, quote unquote,
are called the living creatures. Okay, in the New Testament they're called the beasts,
in the Old Testament they're called the living creatures. And these living creatures in the
book of Ezekiel are very similar, except that instead of having six wings, they have four
wings. And not only that, but instead of having each a different face, they each have four
faces. Look if you would at Ezekiel chapter one, and for the sake of time we'll just look
at verse number ten. These are these winged living creatures that Ezekiel sees. And in
verse ten it says, as for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man
and the face of a lion on the right side, and they four had the face of an ox on the
left side, they four also had the face of an eagle. Now isn't it interesting that these
faces are the same? Whether we're in Ezekiel or whether we're in Revelation, we see the
same four creatures mentioned. In Ezekiel we see the lion, we see the ox, and then we
see a man, and then we see an eagle. Well in Revelation we saw pretty much the same
thing. We saw a lion and instead of an ox it says a calf, but we know a calf is the
same animal as an ox, and then we see a man and we have an eagle. Now what's significant
about that is that that is symbolic, I believe, of the four gospels. Because the four gospels
portray Jesus Christ in these four different ways. And in fact, even in the same order
as what they're given in Revelation, because it goes lion, ox, or calf, man, and then eagle.
So if we looked at the four gospels we got Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Okay so let's
start out by talking about the book of Matthew. What is it that Matthew emphasizes about the
Lord Jesus Christ? Well the book of Matthew emphasizes that Jesus Christ is the King of
the Jews. Now this is proven by the fact that right away in Matthew chapter 1, we're given
his kingly or royal genealogy. In chapter 1 he gives a genealogy, he starts out in verse
number 1 by saying, the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, and then he says, the son
of David, the son of Abraham, showing that he's the king of the Jews. David was the king.
He descends through the kingly line of David, making him in succession to be the king of
the Jews, and of course he descends from Abraham showing that he is a Jew. So that is what
is emphasized in the book of Matthew, that Jesus Christ is the king of the Jews. Now
when we get to the book of Mark, there's a different emphasis. At the beginning of the
book of Mark there is no genealogy. At the beginning of Matthew we have the genealogy
showing that he's in line to be the king, and that's through his father, not his father,
but who was supposedly his father, right? The Bible says Joseph, and the Bible's always
careful to make that distinction, isn't it? Because it says that it was Joseph, the husband
of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. So the Bible's very careful to tell
us, look, Joseph was not really Jesus' father. He was just the husband of Mary, because notice
all the way you go down there, you know, it's like Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac begat
Jacob, and Jacob begat Judas and his brother, and Judas begat Pharaohs and Zareph, Tamar,
all the way down, but when it gets to Joseph, it doesn't say Joseph begat Jesus, does it?
No, it says Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
But as the adopted son of Joseph, basically, you know, he's in that royal lineage, Joseph
was in that royal lineage of the succession of the kings of Judah, to sit on that throne
of David. That's what's emphasized, but then when we get to Mark, there's no genealogy.
Why? Because in Mark, Jesus Christ is emphasized as being a servant and as a minister. As we
go through the book of Mark, one thing you'll notice about the book of Mark that's very
different from the other four gospels is that it contains the least preaching of Jesus,
it contains the most works of Jesus. I mean, when you're reading the book of Mark, Jesus
is very busy in the book. I mean, it's constantly talking about him missing sleep, skipping
meals, I mean, he's just working and working, and the words that you see over and over again
in the book of Mark are immediately and straightway, and you'll see it emphasized how Jesus is
just going about doing good, he's working, he's performing miracles, I mean, Mark has
more stories about Jesus than actual preaching of Jesus. Now look, obviously, you know, Mark
has preaching of Jesus, obviously the other scriptures also show him as a servant, but
this is just what's emphasized in each book. You know, when you're reading the book of
Matthew, you're getting more Old Testament quotes than the other gospels, because Matthew
is emphasizing the fact that Jesus is the King of the Jews, you're constantly quoting
the Old Testament. I mean, when you're in chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, it's just
as it is written, it's written by the prophet, it's spoken by the prophet, it's fulfilled
what was spoken. I mean, it's like every chapter is making that very clear, talking a lot about
the Old Testament, talking a lot about his kingdom, the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom
of heaven, over and over again, because it's emphasizing him as the King of the Jews. Then
you get to Mark, and the emphasis is on his works, it's on his miracles, it's on his service
that he did, and his ministry. Now, why does it have no genealogy? Because the Bible says
in Philippians 2, if you would turn there, Philippians chapter 2, Philippians chapter
2 talks about this, and you say, well what does being the King of the Jews have to do
with a lion? Well, because the lion is the king of the jungle, number one. But number
two, Jesus is called the lion of the tribe of Judah, right? So for emphasizing the fact
that Jesus is the king of the Jews, what better animal to symbolize that than a lion? When
the Bible says, you know, behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, speaking of the Lord
Jesus Christ in Revelation 5, and you know, it is the king among beasts, the lion. Then
when we get to Mark, we have the symbolism of Jesus being a servant. Now, because he's
a servant, you say, well why would an ox represent that? Because an ox is a beast of
burden, it is a beast that serves. And when we study every time the word ox is mentioned
in the Bible, you'll notice that it talks a lot about work. It's an animal that you
use to do work, you know, you use it to plow a field, it's a hard working animal that pulls
the plow and so forth. Not only that, but the Bible also uses an ox as a metaphor for
a preacher. Because when the Bible talks about preachers in the New Testament, he says, thou
shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. About preachers in the New Testament.
And specifically it's about the work that preachers, it's talking about the fact that
preachers should get paid. He says, the laborer is worthy of his hire, the laborer is worthy
of his reward. Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. So he uses an
ox as a symbol of a preacher, but specifically about the labor or work that a preacher is
doing. So when we read the book of Mark, we see Jesus doing a lot of work. We see him
serving, we see him working very hard and doing a lot of preaching, yes, preaching the
Gospel, preaching in the towns and villages. But look at Philippians 2, this is why Mark
has no genealogy. In fact, it just starts out with Jesus as an adult. I mean, when we
start reading in Mark 1, Jesus is already 30 years old. Just out of nowhere, 30 year
old man. Why? Because it says in Philippians 2, 5, let this mind be in you which was also
in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God, but made himself of no reputation. And it says, and took upon him the form of a servant
and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. So we see here that Jesus as
a servant made himself of no reputation. So that's why there's no genealogy, just where
did he come from? He's just a servant, okay? So that's why in Matthew we see the kingly
line through Joseph. In Mark we see no genealogy, no reputation, because we see him as the servant,
okay? Then when we get to Luke, go if you would to, turn if you would to Luke chapter
3, Luke chapter number 3, we see Jesus Christ represented as the son of man. Now of course
Jesus is called the son of man in all four gospels. In fact that's one of the most common
ways that Jesus referred to himself while he was on this earth, was the son of man.
But in Luke we just see more of an emphasis on the fact that Jesus Christ was the son
of man. So we're seeing an emphasis on the humanity of Christ, the fact that Jesus Christ
was human, he was a man. Now you say, Pastor Anderson, I don't understand how can you compare
Jesus to an animal like a lion, that's blasphemous. But Jesus is often compared to, for example
he's called the lamb of God. For example it's spoken of as him being brought as a sheep
to the slaughter, or the fact that he's the lion of the tribe of Judah. So he is compared
to a lion as the king of the Jews. He is compared to an ox as a servant. And then in Luke we
have that face of a man on the cherubim, or the seraphim, representing the fact that
Jesus Christ was the son of man, the humanity of Christ. Now when we see the genealogy in
Luke chapter 3, it doesn't go back to David and stop. It doesn't go back to Abraham and
stop. Now we're not emphasizing in Luke the fact that Jesus Christ is the king of the
Jews. Now we do see David show up in the genealogy, but David's son Solomon is who
God chose to sit on the throne. And then of course he was followed by Rehoboam, Abijah,
Asa, Josaphat, Joram, all the way down the line. But we see that Jesus' genealogy in
Luke chapter 3 goes through a different son of David, Nathan, just a son that was not
in line to be king. And notice that the genealogy in Luke chapter 3 doesn't stop with David
or stop with Abraham, but it actually goes all the way back to Adam. So we're not emphasizing
the fact in Luke chapter 3 that Jesus is a Jew or that Jesus is the son of David or that
he's of the tribe of Judah, but we see in verse number 38 it says, which was the son
of Enos at the end of the long genealogy, which was the son of Enos, which was the son
of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. So it goes all the way
back to Adam who ultimately was created by God. Now notice the difference here between
Matthew 1 and Luke 3. In Matthew 1 it said begat over and over again, right? It said
Abraham begat Isaac, Isaac begat Jacob, Jacob begat Judas and his brother. Now begat is
a word that really is clearly saying this is a physical child that's being brought into
the world. You know, this is, you know, Abraham begat Isaac, I mean that's his physical son.
Whereas when we see here in Luke chapter 3 it doesn't use the word begat like it does
in most genealogies. This is a very different genealogy because it uses the term who was
the son of, okay? Now go if you would to verse 23, it says Jesus himself began to be about
30 years of age being, and then look at the parentheses, as was supposed the son of Joseph.
So again the Bible is always very clear to tell us that Joseph was not Jesus' father
and that he was not really the son of Joseph. Of course if you have an NIV, one of these
false modern Bible versions, in Luke 2.33 the Bible calls Joseph Jesus' father. Whereas
in the King James Version it says it was Joseph. It says in the NIV it was the child's
father. Well we know Joseph was not his father and God's always careful to make that distinction
like here when it says that Jesus himself began to be about 30 years of age being as
was supposed, meaning that's what people thought, but he was not really the son of Joseph. It
says Jesus himself began to be about 30 years of age being as was supposed the son of Joseph,
which was the son of Heli, which was the son of Matthad. And you say wait a minute
Pastor Anderson. Whoa there. I thought that we already got Joseph's genealogy back in
Matthew 1. Why do we all of a sudden have a different genealogy of Joseph? You know
why are we looking at a genealogy here that's completely different than the other one? I
mean these names are not the same. Heli, Levi, Janna, Nagi, Maath. I mean these are guys
totally different than what we saw in Matthew 1. Simply because this is Mary's genealogy.
Now the reason why Mary's not mentioned is because basically when you go through genealogies
you list the men. I mean that's who you list through here. And when it says that Joseph
was the son of Heli, it's not saying that Heli begat Joseph. That's not what it says.
Now in the other one it says that you know Matthan begat Jacob and that Jacob begat Joseph.
I mean that's his actual dad. Joseph's dad was Jacob. His name was Jacob. But this genealogy
just says that Joseph was the son of Heli and what that simply means is that he is the
son-in-law of Heli. And that term is used throughout the Bible sometimes, calling someone
a son. My father-in-law said that I'm a son to him and he calls me son. So basically that's
what we see here. And you say well how do you know that this is Mary's genealogy? Well
number one, because it's not possible for Jacob to have two completely different dads.
So common sense tells us that they can't both be Jacob's genealogy. And if one of them says
begat and one of them says the son of, which is a looser term in the Bible than the term
begat, we can assume that this is Mary's genealogy. And not only that, if we're emphasizing the
humanity of Christ, isn't Mary Jesus' human side? I mean that is where he derives his
humanity because his father was God, not Joseph. Okay? Legally though, you know legally on
paper that Joseph was filling that role in that kingly succession, but when it comes
to his humanity, going back to Adam, showing that he's the son of man, the son of Adam,
that's going on Mary's side. So I believe simply that Heli is the name of Mary's father.
So this emphasizes the humanity of Christ. You say why is the humanity of Christ important?
Because it helps us to understand who Jesus Christ was. The Bible says that Jesus Christ
was tempted in all points, like as we are, yet without sin. And you know there's something
amazing about the humanity of Christ, and I think it's really the most amazing thing
about Jesus Christ, is the fact that he was man. Because when we look at the Bible we
see okay God is God, I mean he's all powerful, he's all knowing, he's all present. He created
the entire world. He knows the end from the beginning. I mean he has need of nothing.
And when we think of the greatness and power of God, it's amazing and mind-boggling to
think that God could become a human being. Now some people just refuse to believe it,
because it's so amazing. Because it's such a phenomenal thing they look at that and say
well that can't be true. There's no way Jesus Christ was really God in the flesh. But the
Bible is very clear in so many places that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh. For example
2 Timothy 3.16 the Bible says, and without controversy great is the mystery of God. God
was manifest in the flesh. God was manifest in the flesh. And the Bible tells us that
in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the
Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory. The glory is of the only
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 1.8,
but unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness
is a scepter of thy kingdom. Jesus Christ was God, but the amazing thing is that how
can God become man? And when he became man, he actually took upon himself the limitations
of man in many ways. In the sense that he was hungry, he was thirsty, he was tired,
and he was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. I mean think about this,
he was born as a baby. Okay? And look if you would at Luke chapter 1. Luke chapter number
1. Because remember, what is the book of Luke emphasizing? The humanity of Christ. Jesus
as the Son of Man. Look what it says in Luke chapter 1 verse 80. This is speaking of John
the Baptist. It says of John the Baptist, and the child grew, this is John the Baptist,
the child grew and waxed strong in spirit and was in the deserts till the day of his
showing unto Israel. That's John the Baptist who was the forerunner of Jesus Christ, but
instead of Jesus Christ, the Bible says something very similar in the last verse of chapter
2. Look at Luke chapter 2 verse 52. It says, and Jesus increased in what? What did Jesus
increase in? Wisdom. Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.
Now you say, well how in the world could Jesus increase in wisdom if he's God and he knows
everything? Because the amazing thing is that when Jesus Christ became a man, he put
upon himself basically the limitations of man in the sense that when he was a baby,
he did not know everything. I mean he wasn't just born just talking. Think about that.
Isn't that amazing? God became a human being totally without sin, but yet he went through
life growing, learning, growing up as a baby, growing up as a child, being a teenager, being
an adult and to prove that Jesus did not know everything while he was on this earth. Aside
from the fact that the Bible says he increased in wisdom, that shows a learning process.
But not only that, it tells us in Mark 13 for example, you don't have to turn there,
but in Mark 13 he talked about the day and hour of his second coming, and he said but
of that day and hour knoweth no man, know not the angels in heaven. He said, neither
the Son, but the Father only. So he said that when he was on this earth, as he was speaking,
the Son of God did not know the day or the hour of his return while he said those words.
Now I'm not saying that he doesn't know it now, up in heaven at the right hand of the
Father, but at the time did he know it? No. So that shows that he did not have total omniscience
while he was on this earth. There was at least one thing he didn't know. He didn't know the
day or the hour that he would return. Here we see him as a child growing up, learning,
growing in wisdom. I mean he went through the real experience, because a lot of times
we just think about it as, oh yeah, of course, you know, God became a human being and he
lived a sinless life. Well yeah, of course he was sinless, he's God. Easy for him to
do. Well yeah, he's perfect, he's God, that's easy. But you know what? He had to go through
all the difficulty just like us. It's not like he just went through it and it was just
kind of like, okay, he's just going through the motions. Okay, I'm going to come to this
earth, go through the motion for 33 years, just okay, just so I can say I lived amongst
men and then I'm going to die for your sins. No, no, no. He went through a real experience.
I mean he grew up. He went through childhood. He went through, and he didn't just know everything
and just have completely all of his, you know, abilities that he had as God. I mean he basically
became man. He became human. He hungered. He thirsted. He was tired. And look, you even
see emotional struggle in Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane. And when he's at the Garden
of Gethsemane, he's sweating. He's in agony. He's just thinking about going to the cross
and it's not something that he wants to do. I mean, when you see Jesus in the Garden of
Gethsemane, you see a human being. You see a man. I mean, you don't just see, okay, he's
just going through the motions, he's God, he has all power, this is a piece of cake
for him. No, it was difficult for him. Because he was going through it and he's sweating
great drops of sweat and he's saying to the Father, you know, if there's any way possible,
let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. I mean, he didn't
want to do it. The Bible says he endured the cross, despising the shame. He did it for
the joy that was set before him. But he went through suffering and agony and all the human
feelings that you would feel if you had to go through something like that, if you had
to be beaten and made fun of and spat on and tortured and hung on the ground. I mean, if
you're going to go through that, he felt the same way the day before, the night before.
He was in agony. He went through that suffering. So what's emphasized in the book of Luke is
his humanity. That's why the genealogy is the genealogy of Mary going all the way back
to Adam, showing that Jesus descends from Adam. Then, when we get to the fourth gospel,
which is the Gospel of John, what we see emphasized is the fact that Jesus Christ is basically
the Son of God and it's emphasized the fact that he came down from heaven. Basically,
that he came from heaven. So when we see in Matthew chapter 1, we see, okay, he's descended
from the line of the King of the Jews through Joseph, who's not really his father, but that's
the husband of Mary of whom he's born. We see him in that succession. In Mark, we see
no genealogy. He's a servant. No reputation. In Luke, we see his humanity. Genealogy going
back to Adam. And then look at John 1-1, if you would. Look at the quote-unquote genealogy
of Jesus Christ in John chapter 1. Where did he come from? It says here, in the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God, and it says in verse 14, and the Word was made 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. So basically, John really emphasizes the deity of Christ. Luke emphasized the humanity
of Christ, and obviously, look, yes, there's crossover. All four gospels let us know that
Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and that he was God in the flesh. All four gospels
show him as a servant. All four gospels say that he's the King of the Jews. But what we're
talking about is the emphasis. What is the emphasis? What is the main thing that's being
given in these gospels? And we see in the Gospel of John that the deity of Christ, the
fact that he's the Son of God, and notably, the fact that he came down from heaven, those
are the things that are emphasized. Let me show you some scriptures on that. It says
in John 3.13, and no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven,
even the Son of Man which is in heaven. And so what we see is that a lot of people think,
oh, Jesus Christ had his origin in Bethlehem's manger. Wrong. Because Jesus Christ is from
the beginning. He's from everlasting. He was in the beginning with God. He was God.
And the Bible tells us that he came down from heaven to this earth. Look at verse 31 of
the same chapter. He that cometh from above, you see the same thing there, is above all.
He that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth. He that cometh from heaven is
above all, saying Jesus came down from heaven. Look at John chapter 6. I mean, this is a
big emphasis. John chapter 6 verse 33. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from
heaven and giveth life unto the world. This proves more the deity of Christ. I mean, there's
so many scriptures on the deity of Christ, but the fact that he did not originate on
the earth. It's not just the Holy Ghost and Mary and this child is produced. No, no, no.
He came down from heaven. He existed in heaven with God in the beginning and all the way
up until that point. It says in verse 38, for I came down from heaven, not to do mine
own will, but the will of him that sent me. Verse 41, the Jews then murmured at him because
he said I'm the bread which came down from heaven. Verse 42, and they said, is not this
Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? Of course they didn't know
his father. How is it then that he saith I came down from heaven? Verse 50, this is
the bread which cometh down from heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the
living bread which came down from heaven. I mean, how many times did he say it? Have
you figured out where he came from yet? Did I mention that he came from heaven? I mean,
he's just saying it over and over and over again. In what book? The book of John. So
what emphasizes the deity of Christ, so the quote unquote genealogy is just that you know
what? He was in the beginning with God and he was God. He goes all the way back. I mean,
he's God in the flesh. That's cleared up right away in the first couple verses of the book
of John. Now you say, well what does that have to do with an eagle? You know, because
we look at the symbolism, right? We've got the lion, the ox, the man, and the eagle.
Now the first three lined up perfectly, didn't they? Because we saw, you know, the lion of
the tribe of Judah. The king of the jungle, you know, is the lion and that's a perfect
picture of what a king is like, a lion. The Bible says in Proverbs 30, for there are three
things that go well, yea, for which are comely in going. A lion which is strongest among
beasts and turneth not away for any. A greyhound, a he-goat also, and a king against whom there
is no rising up. So notice, the lion is the first thing mentioned, the king is last. And
I just wanted to quote that verse because we saw a greyhound out soul winning and I
told the lady that greyhounds were in the Bible. But anyway, that was the only reason
that I included that in the sermon. It really had no other meaning. But anyway, so the lion,
the king of the Jews, the lion of the tribe of Judah, and then the ox, the servant, the
worker. I mean, you know, you look at an ox, is it a glamorous animal? But is it a hard
worker? Does it get the job done? There is much increase by the strength of the ox, the
Bible says. But it's not about the ox. It's about the work that he produces. Okay. The
lion is one that we admire, right? We go to the zoo, I mean, when was the last time you
went to the zoo and just spent a long time looking at the ox? You know, you spend a long
time looking at the lion, right? It's the king of beasts. And then we see the ox, and
then the man, of course, the son of man, the humanity of Christ, the genealogy going
back to Adam. Then you look at John and you say, well, the eagle. What's going on with
the eagle? You know, how does the eagle symbolize the book of John? Or what does the eagle have
to do with the book of John? So I looked up every time that the eagle is mentioned in
the Bible. And there were a few things that kind of kept coming up about the eagle. One
of the main things is obviously the fact that an eagle, you know, flies up toward heaven
and it soaring through the heavens and, you know, flying around. And then the Bible also
emphasized the speed of the eagle, you know, the fact that it's very swift and oftentimes
when he wants to talk about how fast things are, he'll talk about them being as swift
as an eagle or swifter than the eagles. But here's what I think God is getting at when
he talks about the eagle. Go back to Exodus chapter 19. Exodus chapter 19. Let me show
you some things about the eagle that I think can tie in with the book of John. Why God
chose that particular creature to symbolize the book of John. You know, I mean, he had
an easy choice with the lion symbolizing Matthew. You know, the ox is a perfect symbol of Mark.
The man is a perfect symbol of Luke. You know, we get to John, it's like, why did he choose
the eagle? What's the reason? Well, let me read for you a verse. You're going to Exodus
19. But Obadiah verse 4 says, Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thy
set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, sayeth the Lord. So it's
interesting because in Obadiah verse 4, he talks about the eagle's nest and he exaggeratingly
says that the eagle's nest is among the stars. And of course we know that God's throne the
Bible talks about it being above the stars of God and him being exalted up very high.
So we see kind of a symbolism of a really high eagle's nest because the Bible talks
about how eagles make their nest very high. And they fly very high. So basically the eagle's
nest being very high is symbolic of heaven being very high. But look if you would at
Exodus 19.4, it says, Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bear you
on eagles' wings and brought you unto myself. So he says, I bear you on eagles' wings and
brought you unto myself. In Deuteronomy 32 verse 11, you don't have to turn there, but
it says, As an eagle stirreth up her nest, floodereth over her young, spreadeth abroad
her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings. So here we see again that an eagle
will carry these other eagles on her wings. And here basically in Exodus he's saying,
I bear you on eagle wings and brought you unto myself. What's interesting is that when
you then go to the New Testament and read about the rapture, it says in Luke 17 for
example verse 34, I tell you in that night there shall be two men in one bed. The one
shall be taken, the other left. Two women shall be grinding together. The one shall
be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field. The one shall be taken, and
the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? Saying, Where are they
going to be taken to? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the
eagles be gathered together. So notice he talks about the rapture and he talks about
it as the eagles being gathered together. Then in Exodus 19.4, he talks about I bear
them on eagle's wings and brought them unto himself. And then what does the book of John
teach us? You just memorized it in chapter 14. And he says, And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye
may be also. And where is he? In heaven. And where is he going to take us to? Heaven. So
when the rapture takes place, when Jesus Christ comes in the clouds and the trumpet sounds,
the Bible teaches, obviously he said, In my Father's house are many mansions, I go to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive
you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. When we are caught up together
with him, when he comes again, when he returns, he's bringing us to the Father's house. He's
bringing us to be with him, that where he is, there we may be also. And that's why in
Revelation chapter 7, when we see the rapture in Revelation 7, the multitude appearing in
heaven, it says that they go with the Lamb wherever he goes, whithersoever he goeth.
They're with the Lamb. So what we see symbolized by the eagle of the book of John, it's actually
a perfect symbol of the book of John, because it's about Jesus coming down from heaven,
and bearing us up on eagle's wings, he's going to take us all to heaven. That's why John
is the book that tells you how to what? How to be saved. Go to John 20. It's a perfect
symbol. Because at first I was like, man, the lion is such a great symbol for Matthew.
The ox is such a great symbol for Mark. Luke, the man, it's a perfect fit. And I'm just
thinking like, the eagle? Why the eagle? You know, it wasn't really quite clicking
with me, but look what the Bible says in John 20. Because look, these books, they all tell
certain stories but they all leave out other stories that the other gospels cover. So it's
like, okay, well why does this gospel cover this and why does this one leave it out? Well
look what it says in John 20 verse 30. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence
of his disciples which are not written in this book. Now aren't some of those things
in the book of Mark? Some are in Matthew. Some are in Luke. So why did he pick the specific
material for John that he put in the book of John? It says, but these are written that
you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you might
have life through his name. Honestly, the book of John is the only book in the Bible
that claims to be a book to tell you how to get saved. I mean the book of John says, look,
this is a book that is written to tell you how to get saved. It's a book that's written
so that you'll believe and that through believing you're going to have eternal life. And that's
why over and over again John has the greatest salvation verses. I mean when you're soul
winning, the book of John, you're like a kid in a candy store to just show people all the
times where it says that if they believe they'll be saved. You're looking at John 1 12, but
as many as received him, to them gave you power to become the sons of God, even in the
belief on his name. And then of course John 3 16, the most famous salvation verse in the
whole Bible, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. I mean just John 3 alone
has 4 or 5 great salvation verses. John 4, great salvation passage. John 5, great salvation
scripture in verse 24. John 6 47, I mean John 7 says whosoever believeth. John chapter 10,
John chapter 11. I mean there's so much great material in getting saved. Look, John is the
book that talks about how Jesus Christ came down from heaven to give eternal life and
that he will come again and receive us unto himself and that he will bear us on eagle's
wings back to heaven. You know the picture is of an eagle swooping down and gathering
up the eagles and so forth. And so we see that it's a perfect fit of the eagle when
we look at the book of John. So let me conclude by saying this. 1 Peter chapter 2 21 tells
us for even here unto were you called because Christ also suffered for us, listen now, leaving
us an example that we should follow in his steps. So the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ
left us an example that we should follow in his steps, meaning that we should live our
lives patterned after the Lord Jesus Christ. You know we should be like Christ. We should
be Christ-like. We should follow his example that he left us. 1 Peter 2 is specifically
talking about his suffering. The fact that he suffered, the fact that he was obedient
and so forth. So what can we learn from each of the 4 gospels how to be like Christ?
Well you say well Matthew talks about how Jesus Christ is the King of the Jews. How
are we like that? Well you know the Bible tells in Revelation 1 6 that God had made
us kings. Did you know that? He'd made us kings and priests unto God and his Father
to him be glory forever and ever and dominion forever and ever amen. So we are kings according
to Revelation 1. He said in Revelation 5 10, and has made us unto our God kings and priests
and we shall reign on the earth. Look the Bible is telling us that we are made kings
in Christ. We will reign with Christ for a thousand years and we are kings and priests
unto God and his Father. So therefore we should behave ourselves as kings. We should behave
ourselves as royalty. And by the way it's not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes
strong drink, Proverbs 31, lest they drink and forget the law and pervert the judgment
of any of the afflicted. But here's another great emphasis on the lion, because Jesus
is the lion of the tribe of Judah. Here's a great scripture, the wicked flee when no
man pursueth but the righteous are as bold as a lion. Jesus was a bold preacher. And
you know some of Jesus's most bold preaching is in Matthew chapter 23. I mean that's probably
his boldest sermon right? I mean Matthew 23 is a bold sermon preached by Jesus. He was
like a lion. He was not fearful in his preaching. So we can look at the example of Christ and
say hey let's be kings. Let's behave ourselves as kings and let's be as bold as a lion. Then
we get to Mark and say what can we learn? Well we can have the mind in us that was in
Christ Jesus who made himself of no reputation, took upon himself the form of a servant, and
was made in the likeness of men. And here's one of the things that Jesus said in the book
of Mark chapter 10 verse 45, for even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto,
but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many. Jesus said I didn't come to be served,
I came to serve. And that ought to be our attitude. An attitude of hard work, labor,
service, ministry. These things should characterize our life. And not being so worried about what
people think of us, but being like Christ of no reputation. What can we learn from the
book of Luke, how to emulate Christ? We can resist temptation. He was tempted in all points
like as we are, yet without sin. We can look to the book of Luke for an example of resisting
temptation and living a sinless life. Obviously none of us is ever going to be perfect, but
we should strive to resist temptation and avoid sin. And then when we get to the book
of John, what can we apply from the book of John when it comes to the eagle? We can obviously
look at the fact that hey, we're going to heaven, we're going to be caught up together
with them in the clouds someday, we'll be carried on eagle's wings to be with the Lord
so to speak. But I did find this verse on eagles, it says, but they that wait upon the
Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall
run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. What we can learn from the eagle
is basically not quitting, going all the way to the finish line, having the strength of
an eagle, the speed of an eagle, you know, running with patience the race that's set
before us. He said, you know, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and
not faint. You know, when we have the finish line in view, that should give us enough strength
to keep going. And that's why the Bible says, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher
of our faith. You know, he said, set your affection on things above, not on things of
the earth. And so the book of John teaches us to be heavenly minded. Have our mind on
not the things of this world, but to set our affection on things above. To think about
heaven. The Bible says, for our conversation is in heaven. From whence also we look for
the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned
like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue
all things unto himself. See, the book of John is about Jesus coming down from heaven
and taking us to heaven. That's why it's the best salvation book. But not only that, John
is the one who emphasized the second coming of Christ the most. You say, I don't see much
of that in the book of John. Yeah, but John wrote another book. He didn't talk much about
it in the Gospel of John, because he wrote a whole other book. The book of Revelation,
22 chapters. So that's why the eagle is a perfect representation for John's Gospel as
being the heavenly Gospel. You know, coming down from heaven. He's going to take us to
heaven. I love the four Gospels. It's my favorite part of the Bible. It's the heart of the Bible.
It's the Gospels of Jesus Christ. You know, it gives us an example of how to follow in
his steps. And it gives us the salvation of our soul through the death, burial, and
resurrection of Christ. Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer. Father, we thank
you so much for the chance to be in your house. Thank you for your word and thank you for
the four Gospels. Help us to read them and study them and to marvel at them. And also
to apply these principles to our lives, how we can be more like Christ. In Jesus' name
we pray.