RUSSELL SANDERS

7-15-2024

WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?

LESSON 5

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As we continue to investigate scripture to verify Jesus’ identity as God, The Son, One with the Father, we will consider Jesus’ own statements about Himself.

Jesus often referred to Himself as “Son of Man.” We referred to this in Lesson Two. Jewish Leaders understood the term to mean Messiah, the Anointed One of the Father, the Christ. Thus, they called him a blasphemer for equating himself with Almighty God. For this, they determined to put him to death.

You can find the “Son of Man” statements of Jesus in the following passages [and more]:

Matthew 12:8

Matthew 18:11

Matthew 26:24

Mark 14:21

Mark 2:28

Luke 17:30

John 12:34

There are more such verses in the New Testament. This was not an exhaustive list. Do not confuse it with the same ‘son of man” [little s] found throughout the book of Ezekiel which applies this to the sons of ‘adam.

However, there is another remarkable term often used by Jesus to indicate or prove his deity, i.e., his position as God, and One with the Father [Jahh]. It is his “I Am” statements, which we shall see tomorrow as we conclude this series.

HELEN SANDERS

7-15-2024

THE SEPARATION

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John the Baptist spoke of the wheat and the chaff as he was preaching before the Pharisees and Sadducees. He had just called them a generation of vipers in Matthew 3:7 and went on to say that the ax was laid to the root. In verse 12 he said, [speaking of Jesus that would follow him] “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and father his wheat into the garner [barn] but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

In Matthew 13 Jesus speaks about the wheat and the tares. He said the good seed was wheat, and the tares were weeds sown by the enemy. The tares grew together until the day of harvest. At that time there would be a separation. The wheat would be gathered into “his” barn and the tares would be burned. (Matt. 13:30.)

These two stories show us that those that do the will of God are the wheat, and the tares or weeds are those that have resisted God and his offer of salvation. They have no life within them.

When wheat is threshed, it is pounded is beaten until the outer shell comes off. Then it is tossed into the air so that the outer shell or chaff blows away, separated from the wheat, and then the chaff is destroyed. 

As we get closer to the return of the Lord there has been much mention of a shaking going on. This shaking is absolutely necessary to get the chaff or weeds out of our lives so all that remains is the good wheat that Jesus will gather unto his barn.

Do not look at the shaking as a bad thing. Do not resist it. God is shaking EVERYTHING that can be shaken. All the little lies, the little gossip, the little rebellion, the little unforgiveness, the little things that we neglect to repent of my friends. They must go.  We must be separated from them.  If we do not let them go, chances are we are not fit for the “barn.” 

God did not give us these parables to amuse us or entertain us. They are given so we can see how important it is to have the “pure” wheat remain after the shaking. We may not understand everything happening to us to bring this about, but we can be sure it is for our good!