BEHIND JESUS
TEXT: Acts 18:28
SUPPORTING TEXTS: John 1:1–14; John 4:8, 24; Philippians 3:3
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this teaching, participants should be able to:
1. Understand that God is Spirit and that He has revealed Himself to humanity through Jesus Christ.
2. Recognize the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ, and understand why God manifested Himself in the flesh.
3. Explain why Jesus is the only way to salvation and why human religion, morality, or religious tradition cannot save man.
4. Defend the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and God manifested in the flesh, using Scripture.
INTRODUCTION
Acts 18:28 (KJV):
“For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.”
The subject of Jesus Christ goes beyond what can be seen physically. To understand Jesus, we must look behind Jesus—behind His humanity, His earthly appearance, His birth, His ministry, His death and resurrection—to discover who He truly is.
The Bible teaches that God is Spirit:
John 4:24 (KJV):
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
God is also love:
1 John 4:8:
“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
Love cannot be seen with the physical eyes, and the Spirit cannot be seen with the physical eyes. Yet both are real.
QUESTION
Have you ever physically seen love? Have you ever physically seen a spirit?
Although you cannot see love itself, you can see the manifestation of love through actions. Likewise, God, who is Spirit, made Himself known to humanity through Jesus Christ.
John 1:14 (KJV):
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…”
Jesus is therefore the visible manifestation of the invisible God.
Colossians 1:15:
“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.”
1. GOD MANIFESTED HIMSELF THROUGH MAN
God revealed Himself through the human life of Jesus Christ so that humanity could know, believe, and receive Him.
John 1:14:
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…”
Jesus did not merely come to teach people about God. He came as God manifested in the flesh.
1 Timothy 3:16:
“God was manifest in the flesh…”
Jesus showed mankind what God is like through His character, words, works, compassion, holiness, power and love.
2. THE BREATH OF MAN IS LIMITED
Man's physical life is temporary. The breath of man is dependent upon God.
Isaiah 2:22:
“Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?”
James 4:14:
“For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
Man's life is limited, but God's life is eternal.
3. THE LIFE OF GOD IS ETERNAL
God does not depend upon another source for His existence. He is the eternal God.
John 1:4:
“In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”
John 11:25:
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life…”
1 John 5:11:
“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”
The eternal life of God is revealed to humanity through Jesus Christ.
4. THE CHARACTER OF MAN IS CORRUPTED BY SIN
Humanity, because of sin, cannot become its own saviour.
Jeremiah 17:9:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…”
Romans 3:23:
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
Man therefore needs salvation from outside himself.
5. THE CHARACTER OF GOD IS GOOD
God is holy, righteous, loving and good.
Psalm 100:5:
“For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”
Psalm 145:9:
“The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.”
Jesus demonstrated the goodness and character of God among humanity.
Acts 10:38:
“…who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
6. MAN CANNOT SAVE HIMSELF — JESUS SAVES
Religion cannot save man. Human wisdom cannot save man. Good works, by themselves, cannot save man.
Ephesians 2:8–9:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith… Not of works…”
Salvation is found in Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:12:
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
The God whom humanity could not physically see came near to humanity in Jesus Christ—and Jesus saves.
THE REASON GOD MANIFESTED HIMSELF IN THE FLESH
1. SO THAT WE COULD SEE HIM
God became visible through Jesus Christ.
John 14:9:
“He that hath seen me hath seen the Father…”
Jesus is the revelation of the invisible God.
Colossians 2:9:
“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
2. SO THAT WE COULD TOUCH HIM AND KNOW HIM
John testified that Jesus was physically real.
1 John 1:1:
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes… and our hands have handled…”
The apostles did not proclaim an imaginary person. They witnessed, heard and physically encountered Jesus Christ.
3. SO THAT WE COULD FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM
Jesus did not merely appear to humanity from a distance. He lived among people.
1 John 1:3:
“…that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us…”»l
Jesus also fellowshiped with His disciples.
Matthew 26:30:
“And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.”
He ate with them, walked with them, taught them and fellowshipped with them.
4. TO REVEAL THE POWER OF GOD THROUGH THE FLESH
Jesus demonstrated God's power through miracles, healing, deliverance and authority.
John 2:11:
“This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory…”
Acts 2:22:
“Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs…”
His works revealed what was behind the humanity—the divine nature and power of God.
5. TO EXPERIENCE HUMANITY AND IDENTIFY WITH US
Jesus experienced hunger, thirst, weariness, sorrow, rejection and temptation, yet without sin.
Hebrews 4:15:
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities…”
Hebrews 2:17:
“Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren…”
He understands what humanity experiences.
6. TO SHED HIS BLOOD FOR OUR SALVATION
The ultimate reason for His manifestation was redemption.
Matthew 26:28:
“For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
1 Peter 1:18–19:
“…ye were not redeemed with corruptible things… But with the precious blood of Christ…”
Jesus came to die for the sins of humanity and rise again.
1 Corinthians 15:3–4:
“Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day…”
YOU CANNOT GET GOD CHEAPLY
Gold does not usually lie openly on the surface. It must be sought, discovered and refined.
In the same way, we must look beyond the outward appearance of Jesus to understand who He truly is.
Jeremiah 29:13:
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
Behind the soil, there may be gold.
Behind the humanity of Jesus, there is the revelation of God.
Jesus appeared as a man, but He was more than merely a man.
John 10:30:
“I and my Father are one.”
John 20:28:
“And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.”
The Messiah was hidden behind the humanity of Jesus until He was revealed to those who believed.
ANY SPIRIT THAT DENIES JESUS CAME IN THE FLESH
The Bible gives a serious warning concerning any teaching that denies the incarnation.
1 John 4:2–3:
“Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God…”
Jesus truly came in the flesh.
He was not merely a spiritual appearance. He was genuinely human while being divine.
WHY ACTS 18:28 IS IMPORTANT
Acts 18:28:
“For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.”
Apollos and the early Christian preachers had to convince the Jews from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah.
Many Jews expected the Messiah to establish an earthly political kingdom and deliver them from their enemies. They struggled to understand the manner in which the Messiah would first come.
Jesus did not come first as an earthly political ruler. He came as the suffering Servant who would deal with the deeper problem of humanity sin.
Isaiah 53:5:
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities…”
His kingdom is ultimately spiritual and eternal.
John 18:36:
“My kingdom is not of this world…”
Luke 1:32–33:
“…the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever…”
Therefore, Jesus did not fit the people's expectation of what the Messiah should look like, but the Scriptures testified concerning Him.
PRACTICAL EXAMPLE: WHY PEOPLE STILL REJECT JESUS
Even today, many people reject Jesus because they do not understand what is behind the Gospel.
Some see religious hypocrisy, fanaticism, scandals, poor leadership or people who claim Christianity but do not demonstrate Christ-like character.
But the failure of people does not invalidate Jesus.
We must distinguish between Jesus Christ and the imperfections of people who claim to represent Him.
Hebrews 12:2:
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…”
Our faith must ultimately be placed in Christ, not in imperfect human beings.
Some people look to God for survival, prosperity, longevity or protection but do not truly know Him.
They may place their hope in religious traditions, human philosophies or personal beliefs while rejecting God's saving grace.
But the Gospel points us back to Jesus.
THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO GOD
Jesus made this clear:
John 14:6:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Peter also declared:
Acts 4:12:
“Neither is there salvation in any other…”
Jesus did not merely claim to know the way. He declared Himself to be the Way.
His resurrection became one of the greatest proofs of His identity.
Romans 1:4:
“And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”
The Christian faith is therefore not founded merely on human philosophy but on the person, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION: WHO IS BEHIND JESUS?
Behind the humanity of Jesus is the divine revelation of God.
Jesus is the Word who became flesh.
John 1:1–3:
“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. All things were made by him…”
And then:
John 1:14:
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…”
Jesus is the image of the invisible God.
Colossians 1:15:
“Who is the image of the invisible God…”
The fullness of God dwells in Him.
Colossians 2:9:
“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
He existed before Abraham.
John 8:58:
“Before Abraham was, I am.”
He is one with the Father.
John 10:30:
“I and my Father are one.”
Thomas called Him God.
John 20:28:
“My Lord and my God.”
And the Father Himself speaks concerning the Son:
Hebrews 1:8:
“But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever…”
Therefore, when we look at Jesus, we must look beyond the physical appearance of the man and understand the divine truth revealed through Him.
Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh.
Jesus Christ is the revelation of God.
Jesus Christ is the Messiah.
Jesus Christ is the Saviour.
Jesus Christ is the Way to the Father.
And in Him is eternal life.
FINAL CHALLENGE
Do not stop at what you see on the surface.
Look behind Jesus.
Look beyond His humanity and discover His divine identity through the Scriptures.
John 20:31:
“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
The goal is not merely to know about Jesus. The goal is to know Jesus, believe in Him, and receive the salvation and eternal life that are found in Him.
BEHIND JESUS
TEXT: Acts 18:28
SUPPORTING TEXTS: John 1:1–14; John 4:8, 24; Philippians 3:3
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this teaching, participants should be able to:
1. Understand that God is Spirit and that He has revealed Himself to humanity through Jesus Christ.
2. Recognize the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ, and understand why God manifested Himself in the flesh.
3. Explain why Jesus is the only way to salvation and why human religion, morality, or religious tradition cannot save man.
4. Defend the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and God manifested in the flesh, using Scripture.
INTRODUCTION
Acts 18:28 (KJV):
“For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.”
The subject of Jesus Christ goes beyond what can be seen physically. To understand Jesus, we must look behind Jesus—behind His humanity, His earthly appearance, His birth, His ministry, His death and resurrection—to discover who He truly is.
The Bible teaches that God is Spirit:
John 4:24 (KJV):
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
God is also love:
1 John 4:8:
“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
Love cannot be seen with the physical eyes, and the Spirit cannot be seen with the physical eyes. Yet both are real.
QUESTION
Have you ever physically seen love? Have you ever physically seen a spirit?
Although you cannot see love itself, you can see the manifestation of love through actions. Likewise, God, who is Spirit, made Himself known to humanity through Jesus Christ.
John 1:14 (KJV):
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…”
Jesus is therefore the visible manifestation of the invisible God.
Colossians 1:15:
“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.”
1. GOD MANIFESTED HIMSELF THROUGH MAN
God revealed Himself through the human life of Jesus Christ so that humanity could know, believe, and receive Him.
John 1:14:
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…”
Jesus did not merely come to teach people about God. He came as God manifested in the flesh.
1 Timothy 3:16:
“God was manifest in the flesh…”
Jesus showed mankind what God is like through His character, words, works, compassion, holiness, power and love.
2. THE BREATH OF MAN IS LIMITED
Man's physical life is temporary. The breath of man is dependent upon God.
Isaiah 2:22:
“Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?”
James 4:14:
“For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
Man's life is limited, but God's life is eternal.
3. THE LIFE OF GOD IS ETERNAL
God does not depend upon another source for His existence. He is the eternal God.
John 1:4:
“In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”
John 11:25:
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life…”
1 John 5:11:
“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”
The eternal life of God is revealed to humanity through Jesus Christ.
4. THE CHARACTER OF MAN IS CORRUPTED BY SIN
Humanity, because of sin, cannot become its own saviour.
Jeremiah 17:9:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…”
Romans 3:23:
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
Man therefore needs salvation from outside himself.
5. THE CHARACTER OF GOD IS GOOD
God is holy, righteous, loving and good.
Psalm 100:5:
“For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”
Psalm 145:9:
“The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.”
Jesus demonstrated the goodness and character of God among humanity.
Acts 10:38:
“…who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
6. MAN CANNOT SAVE HIMSELF — JESUS SAVES
Religion cannot save man. Human wisdom cannot save man. Good works, by themselves, cannot save man.
Ephesians 2:8–9:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith… Not of works…”
Salvation is found in Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:12:
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
The God whom humanity could not physically see came near to humanity in Jesus Christ—and Jesus saves.
THE REASON GOD MANIFESTED HIMSELF IN THE FLESH
1. SO THAT WE COULD SEE HIM
God became visible through Jesus Christ.
John 14:9:
“He that hath seen me hath seen the Father…”
Jesus is the revelation of the invisible God.
Colossians 2:9:
“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
2. SO THAT WE COULD TOUCH HIM AND KNOW HIM
John testified that Jesus was physically real.
1 John 1:1:
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes… and our hands have handled…”
The apostles did not proclaim an imaginary person. They witnessed, heard and physically encountered Jesus Christ.
3. SO THAT WE COULD FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM
Jesus did not merely appear to humanity from a distance. He lived among people.
1 John 1:3:
“…that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us…”»l
Jesus also fellowshiped with His disciples.
Matthew 26:30:
“And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.”
He ate with them, walked with them, taught them and fellowshipped with them.
4. TO REVEAL THE POWER OF GOD THROUGH THE FLESH
Jesus demonstrated God's power through miracles, healing, deliverance and authority.
John 2:11:
“This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory…”
Acts 2:22:
“Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs…”
His works revealed what was behind the humanity—the divine nature and power of God.
5. TO EXPERIENCE HUMANITY AND IDENTIFY WITH US
Jesus experienced hunger, thirst, weariness, sorrow, rejection and temptation, yet without sin.
Hebrews 4:15:
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities…”
Hebrews 2:17:
“Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren…”
He understands what humanity experiences.
6. TO SHED HIS BLOOD FOR OUR SALVATION
The ultimate reason for His manifestation was redemption.
Matthew 26:28:
“For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
1 Peter 1:18–19:
“…ye were not redeemed with corruptible things… But with the precious blood of Christ…”
Jesus came to die for the sins of humanity and rise again.
1 Corinthians 15:3–4:
“Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day…”
YOU CANNOT GET GOD CHEAPLY
Gold does not usually lie openly on the surface. It must be sought, discovered and refined.
In the same way, we must look beyond the outward appearance of Jesus to understand who He truly is.
Jeremiah 29:13:
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
Behind the soil, there may be gold.
Behind the humanity of Jesus, there is the revelation of God.
Jesus appeared as a man, but He was more than merely a man.
John 10:30:
“I and my Father are one.”
John 20:28:
“And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.”
The Messiah was hidden behind the humanity of Jesus until He was revealed to those who believed.
ANY SPIRIT THAT DENIES JESUS CAME IN THE FLESH
The Bible gives a serious warning concerning any teaching that denies the incarnation.
1 John 4:2–3:
“Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God…”
Jesus truly came in the flesh.
He was not merely a spiritual appearance. He was genuinely human while being divine.
WHY ACTS 18:28 IS IMPORTANT
Acts 18:28:
“For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.”
Apollos and the early Christian preachers had to convince the Jews from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah.
Many Jews expected the Messiah to establish an earthly political kingdom and deliver them from their enemies. They struggled to understand the manner in which the Messiah would first come.
Jesus did not come first as an earthly political ruler. He came as the suffering Servant who would deal with the deeper problem of humanity sin.
Isaiah 53:5:
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities…”
His kingdom is ultimately spiritual and eternal.
John 18:36:
“My kingdom is not of this world…”
Luke 1:32–33:
“…the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever…”
Therefore, Jesus did not fit the people's expectation of what the Messiah should look like, but the Scriptures testified concerning Him.
PRACTICAL EXAMPLE: WHY PEOPLE STILL REJECT JESUS
Even today, many people reject Jesus because they do not understand what is behind the Gospel.
Some see religious hypocrisy, fanaticism, scandals, poor leadership or people who claim Christianity but do not demonstrate Christ-like character.
But the failure of people does not invalidate Jesus.
We must distinguish between Jesus Christ and the imperfections of people who claim to represent Him.
Hebrews 12:2:
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…”
Our faith must ultimately be placed in Christ, not in imperfect human beings.
Some people look to God for survival, prosperity, longevity or protection but do not truly know Him.
They may place their hope in religious traditions, human philosophies or personal beliefs while rejecting God's saving grace.
But the Gospel points us back to Jesus.
THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO GOD
Jesus made this clear:
John 14:6:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Peter also declared:
Acts 4:12:
“Neither is there salvation in any other…”
Jesus did not merely claim to know the way. He declared Himself to be the Way.
His resurrection became one of the greatest proofs of His identity.
Romans 1:4:
“And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”
The Christian faith is therefore not founded merely on human philosophy but on the person, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION: WHO IS BEHIND JESUS?
Behind the humanity of Jesus is the divine revelation of God.
Jesus is the Word who became flesh.
John 1:1–3:
“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. All things were made by him…”
And then:
John 1:14:
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…”
Jesus is the image of the invisible God.
Colossians 1:15:
“Who is the image of the invisible God…”
The fullness of God dwells in Him.
Colossians 2:9:
“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
He existed before Abraham.
John 8:58:
“Before Abraham was, I am.”
He is one with the Father.
John 10:30:
“I and my Father are one.”
Thomas called Him God.
John 20:28:
“My Lord and my God.”
And the Father Himself speaks concerning the Son:
Hebrews 1:8:
“But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever…”
Therefore, when we look at Jesus, we must look beyond the physical appearance of the man and understand the divine truth revealed through Him.
Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh.
Jesus Christ is the revelation of God.
Jesus Christ is the Messiah.
Jesus Christ is the Saviour.
Jesus Christ is the Way to the Father.
And in Him is eternal life.
FINAL CHALLENGE
Do not stop at what you see on the surface.
Look behind Jesus.
Look beyond His humanity and discover His divine identity through the Scriptures.
John 20:31:
“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
The goal is not merely to know about Jesus. The goal is to know Jesus, believe in Him, and receive the salvation and eternal life that are found in Him.
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