(Study Outline sourced from “The System Bible Study” – “The Book of Life” [Zondervan])
(28) Christ’s Relationship To His Father Qualifying Him As Teacher
“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
“…Father, Lord of heaven and earth…” Jesus was always conscious of the fact that He was sent by His Father to accomplish His Father’s will during His earthly sojourn. Jesus also knew that it was His Father’s “good pleasure”that the mysteries of the kingdom were hidden from the “wise and learned”and revealed only to those who are willing to listen , and that He was sent to reveal His Father to those who are willing to submit to Him and learn of Him. “All things have been committed to me by my Father.” And as such, include:
1. His Eternal Dominion – Isa. 9:6-7
2. His Universal Dominion – Zech. 9:10
3. His Dominion over nature – Matt. 8:27
4. His Dominion over heavenly powers – 1 Pet. 3:22
5. His Dominion over all things – Eph. 1:22
“No one knows the Son except the Father” – because of their sinful hearts they failed to recognize Jesus as the Christ . “…no one knows the Father except the Son” – those who fail to recognize the Son will never know the Father, because they have failed to recognize the Father as God, and “Lord of heaven and earth” . “..to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” – there is no ground here for election to salvation for Jesus clarifies the statement by adding “Come to me, all you….” , “ALL” indicating any and all who wish to submit to His authority are welcomed and to such He will reveal the Father. Jesus’ call is to come to a place of freedom from the burdens of the Pharisaic teachings that only brought a burden of law-keeping to the people – “my yoke is easy and my burden is light” , and He calls us to:
- Come to a place of safety – Gen. 7:1
- Come to good fellowship – Num. 10:29
- Come for personal cleansing – Isa. 1:18
- Come for a soul-satisfying provision – Isa. 55:1
- Come for rest of soul – Matt. 11:28
- Come at the King’s invitation – Matt. 22:4
- Come at the three-fold call – Rev. 22:17
(29) Jesus’ Feet Anointed By A Sinful Woman In The House Of A Pharisee
“When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.”
Jesus had been invited by Simon the Pharisee “to have dinner with him”, and, while reclining at the table, an unidentified woman “who had lived a sinful life”, washed His feet with her tears and anointed them with perfume. The divine power of Jesus is again displayed when He expresses the thoughts of Simon who “said to himself” that if Jesus was a prophet He would know the character of the woman who was touching Him and would have demanded that she stop, as her actions would make Him unclean in the eyes of the Law. Jesus then teaches Simon by the use of an incident in which the debts of two men were cancelled by a “moneylender” asking Simon the question “Now which of them will love him more?”. Simon had not extended the minimal gesture of hospitality to Jesus – the washing of His feet – which was a courtesy offered to all guests in that region of the world and was also an expression of love for other believers as later seen in the N.T. . What was not obvious to Simon was the change that had taken place in the life of this woman, and that she was now demonstrating her love for Jesus in her act – she had been saved from her sins for Jesus said to her “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” , and He says to Simon “her many sins have been forgiven – for she loved much…” and this was the reason for her actions. The question introduced by the other guests at the dinner – “Who is this who even forgives sins?” – was obvious to all, as only God can forgive sins; and since Jesus Christ is God incarnate, He can, and has the authority to forgive sins.
(Continued….)