Spotlight on The Father and The Way to The Father Through The Son, Jesus Christ the Lord
Where did JESUS PUT THE SPOTLIGHT?
May we learn from Jesus Himself: (This verbatim account from The Message (MSG) version with highlights of Jesus speaking: Jesus words put in bold letters
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John 8:48-59 The Message (MSG)
The Jews then said, “That clinches it. We were right all along when we called you a Samaritan and said you were crazy—demon-possessed!”
Jesus said, “I’m not crazy. I simply honor my Father, while you dishonor me. I am not trying to get anything for myself. God intends something gloriously grand here and is making the decisions that will bring it about. I say this with absolute confidence. If you practice what I’m telling you, you’ll never have to look death in the face.
”At this point the Jews said, “Now we know you’re crazy. Abraham died. The prophets died. And you show up saying, ‘If you practice what I’m telling you, you’ll never have to face death, not even a taste.’ Are you greater than Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you think you are!”
Jesus said, “If I turned the spotlight on myself, it wouldn’t amount to anything. But my Father, the same One you say is your Father, put me here at this time and place of splendor. You haven’t recognized him in this. But I have. If I, in false modesty, said I didn’t know what was going on, I would be as much of a liar as you are. But I do know, and I am doing what he says. Abraham—your ‘father’—with jubilant faith looked down the corridors of history and saw my day coming. He saw it and cheered.”
The Jews said, “You’re not even fifty years old—and Abraham saw you?
”“Believe me,” said Jesus, “I am who I am long before Abraham was anything.
”That did it—pushed them over the edge. They picked up rocks to throw at him.
But Jesus slipped away, getting out of the Temple."
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May we put the spotlight on The Father and the Way to the Father through Jesus His Son who The Father sent to be Savior of the world to save His People from their sins!
The Father put the "Spotlight on JESUS", for JESUS IS THE LIGHT of the World!
When the spotlight is completely on Christ as GOD, The Son of God come in the flesh to be the atoning sacrifice for sin by His work on the cross and the resurrection on behalf of all who will believe, The Gospel is preached. The doctrine of Christ matters!
In the Message Bible in John chapter 8 again let's read a portion of what Jesus himself said "if I turned the spotlight on myself, it wouldn't amount to anything." (John 8:54-56) .
Again in context: John 8:54-56:Jesus said, “If I turned the spotlight on myself, it wouldn’t amount to anything. But my Father, the same One you say is your Father, put me here at this time and place of splendor. You haven’t recognized him in this. But I have. If I, in false modesty, said I didn’t know what was going on, I would be as much of a liar as you are. But I do know, and I am doing what he says. Abraham—your ‘father’—with jubilant faith looked down the corridors of history and saw my day coming. He saw it and cheered.”
Jesus did not say if others turn the spotlight on me as a man alone...because if they did that they still miss who He is. Many know about Jesus and believe Jesus lived but not that He was and is God! Right here in this passage above, Jesus makes it clear HE IS THE GREAT I AM!
The religious did not hear it then and do not hear it now! Sadly.
BUT MY FATHER....Jesus knows His Father ....( The Father sent the Son for the Cross...put him here to do the Father's Will and all men who look on the Son lifted up will be saved...) The Father glorifies the Son...
If OTHERS TURN THE SPOTLIGHT ON JESUS only as a man, it means nothing.
The Father did turn the spotlight on JESUS AS GOD, and we are to do so too.
Jesus is The I AM, and the Way the Father made for us to go to The Father!
Now that is the spotlight JESUS came to be and shine. He is The Spotlight and He is IN the Spotlight as the WAY, TRUTH, LIFE, The Light of the World... Jesus came to die to make The Way available, to be The Way:
The spotlight on Jesus as God and One with the Father is The Light of the World Jesus came to be and shine and make us shine as the Light of the World in us!. It is what Jesus came to do, show and be the way to the Father and make us One with the Father through Himself! John 17.
This really helped me see that in our humanity apart from God we really are nothing of eternal importance but with God, through Christ,living to have joy in pleasing The Father and doing the Will of the Father ... that puts the spotlight on the Father!
Jesus showed us the doctrine of Christ to follow: follow the Will of the Father. Christ the Way to The Father is to be our spotlight: His completed work on cross (Jesus is the Great I am, Son of God, who gave up all rights but those of Sonship til He was forsaken for our sins) and because of Christ's resurrection and through Christ being the Resurrection and the Life, God can do great things!
The LORD raises the dead and is Living Hope!
Where did Jesus put the spotlight? 1. In the first embolden paragraph Jesus states: He is simply honoring His Father. Giving of Himself, NOT trying to get anything for himself. Jesus did not try to get anything selfishly. He was self-less. His Desire was for others not to face eternal death! He knew the Father's plan was gloriously grand and would mean his death. He would face death so others would not have to face death if they practiced what He taught and believed him and what he told them!
2. In the second section where Jesus speaks, “If I turned the spotlight on myself, it wouldn’t amount to anything. But my Father, ....
Jesus is not turning the spotlight on himself "as a man only". He knows that His Father put Him here at this time and place of splendor (to bring salvation, as God who gives Himself for mankind, John 3:16). Jesus puts the spotlight on doing what His Father says for him to do. Jesus acknowledges that this time for Him was foreknown and planned through the ages.
3. ”“Believe me,” said Jesus, “I am who I am long before Abraham was anything. WOW: JESUS states HIS TRUE NATURE AS THE ETERNAL CREATOR, Elohim: Yahweh: LORD: Covenant to Man: God's Mission and Kingdom Come.... The "I Am" of Exodus 3:13-15!!!!
(for more on this see below desiringgod message)
Here is the spotlight: JESUS IS GOD and Man: One with the Father.
The religious missed Jesus for who Jesus said He was and who The Father confirmed by many proofs and said He was and proved He was through Christ's Resurrection and declarations of Resurrection and Life.
Yet they did not want Jesus ruining their "religious platforms"
https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/i-am-who-i-am
Religious spotlights were counterfeit lights:
Here is the place they wanted to kill Jesus because they denied Him as God! They had already heard and many of them saw Jesus raise Lazarus after 4 days.
Again the religious missed Jesus. They did not want Jesus ruining their "religious platforms"
They were plotting to not only kill Jesus, but to kill Lazarus too!
See John 12. Yet in Acts 2-4 many of the Jews, the very ones that called for Jesus crucifixion repented and came to be believers!
GRACE UPON GRACE is our GOD!
Psalm 145:1-3 I will exalt you, My God and King and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless your name and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised. His greatness is unsearchable.