Battle of the Gods

June 21, 2017

Wednesday Bible Study

Isaiah 41:1-7

Title: Battle of the Gods - The Lord recalls the history of Abraham to put forth why He Himself alone is God.

Opening Prayer

Intro: The Lord continues to both rebuke and comfort His people.  However, He is agitated.

1. Listen to me in silence, Two cannot talk at one time.  Stop talking with each other and listen to Me for a change.   O coastlands; these are the people.  The Israelites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (also known as the Great Sea).  let the peoples renew their strength The imagery is changing from one set of clothing to another.  Put on strength.  Let us together draw near for judgment.  Let us have a contest.  Put forth your argument and I will put forth Mine.\

2. Who stirred up from the east  This is speaking about Abraham who came from the Babylonian area to Judea.  A righteous man Abraham was previously wicked and an idolater/pagan.  He called him to travel from his homeland through dangerous territory, trusting God alone.  (Psalm 105:13)  Abraham is the only one called out from the Babylonian worship of Hur (which means fire - they worshipped god before the fire).  Abraham’s parents did not give up the worship of Hur.  This is the first miracle.  Abraham actually left his homeland.  Many friends and family would certainly argue against such a thing.  But, his wife and many servants/helpers willingly follow.  At every step.  God led Abraham every step.  This is a Hebrew idiom understood as every dangerous step.  Abraham then had many enemies.  He gives up nations before him.  This is the second miracle.  Abraham was never harmed.  Genesis 14.  Four kings pursue five kings during which Lot is captured.  Abraham allies with three kings to make four kings.  Lot is rescued.  The five mightier kings/emperors are defeated.  No harm to Abraham or Lot.  Luther, thinking according to the flesh, calls Abraham a simpleton.  But look at God does and what Abraham receives by faith.  He tramples kings under foot  Luther says: “See how exceedingly powerful his faith and word were and made the opposing kings afraid. This is so because faith consoles the godly and terrifies the ungodly to such an extent that they think they are surrounded by enemies on all sides.”

4. I am the God of the first and the last. Luther: “Noah was the first in relation to those who came after him but the last in relation to Adam. So we are the last in view of our ancestors and the first in the view of our descendants. This God has established the limits of kingdoms and rulers for all, as Acts 17:28 says, “In Him we have our being.” Just as all kingdoms have their boundaries, they will not go one thread beyond them.”

5.  They are afraid  They are not afraid of God but they are afraid of being defeated.

6. Each one helps his neighbor.  The enemies gather together and support each other against the truth and against changing their ways.  Take courage!  Stand strong against the Creator and those who speak His word faithfully.

7. The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer him who strikes the anvil.  They work hard to make idols and then hammer Scripture to fit their understanding of their own gods.  Saying of the soldering: It is good.  and then hammer Scripture to fit it to their understanding of their gods rather than follow God.  Even Christian false teachers do this such as Enthusiasts (those who separate the Holy Spirit from Holy Scripture and therefore think of God’s Word needs to be defended and made effective by God’s people) or Anabaptists (those who place reason above Scripture and therefore reject of the power of God - ie. good confession of a person before baptism, Holy Communion as a Christian gathering but without the forgiveness of sins)  He has fastened it with nails  Luther; “he has tacked it down, because that wretched god is so impotent that he must be nailed down so that he may appear to stand.”  For us, God’s Word stands on its own; God’s Word endures forever on its own.  God has promises.  Let us trust Him by being faithful to His strong and enduring Word.

Some Questions:

1. How was Abraham made righteous?  Genesis 15:6

2. Was this before or after the war?

3. How are the faithful warred against today in our setting?

4. What protects the Word of God from being destroyed?

5. What promises has God given in the Book of Isaiah that are important?  Is. 7:14; 40:31;...

6. What is the key to Abraham’s righteousness and your righteousness?

First Sunday after Holy Trinity

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First Sunday after Holy Trinity Sunday                                                                     June 18, 2017 

Title: I am your shield - Holy Scripture is the Inerrant Word of God by which God works in you saving faith.

Grace and mercy to you from God our Father and the Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

It is written in Luke 16 - 29 Abraham said to the rich man being tormented in hell, ‘Your brothers have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And the damned man said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”  

Thus far the text.  Let us pray.  Heavenly Father, whose Holy Spirit wrote your inerrant Holy Scriptures through the prophets and apostles, grant us to so ….. Read, hear, learn and inwardly digest them so that… through You Son Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Summary: Holy Scripture (Moses & the prophets) is inerrant because it is inspired by God.  Therefore, Holy Scripture is God’s Word.  The difference between the rich man and Lazarus is not their outward appearance but their inward unbelief or faith.  The rich man is not an immoral man but highly respected by the world.  Yet he shows forth no fruits of faith or love.  His daily delight is in his expensive clothes and fine food, rather than the Word of God.  A fruit of this unbelief is his lack of love for his neighbor.  An example of rich men today are those who teach that Holy Scripture is errant or that only the Gospel is inerrant.  Lazarus is despised by the world. No one desires to be like him.  Yet he clings to the inerrant Holy Scripture which has the power to save him.  He would show love to his neighbor but has no opportunity.  And yet, he is teaching us the faith to this day.  Let us cling to Moses and the prophets like Lazarus.   

God is the author.  Therefore, Moses and the prophets are without error.  God’s Holy Scripture is beautiful because He is beautiful  God’s Holy Scripture is inerrant because God does not err.

Isn’t that fabulous.  You have in your hands the Book that God wrote. His thoughts and His ways are not hidden.  Open His Book and you hear God.  Open it here at church.  Open it at home.  Open it in your car.  Open it during a break at work.  Memorize beauty and truth as God writes to you.

Unfortunately, few Christians believe this.  I know the scoffer dismisses an inerrant Holy Scripture.  God hates scoffers.  But, Christians are following the fad.  Christians are denying what Holy Scripture says about itself.  Let them hear Holy Scripture again.  

For “All Scripture is God breathed and useful for rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).  

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21).

“Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me/Jesus” (John 5:39).

Now some say the Gospel is inerrant. They would say that has the power to save from sin.  However, these Christians would claim that only the Gospel is inerrant.  But also, the history has errors.  And also, the culture has changed. These Christians would also say that the Bible is full of errors and contradictions.

For example, this Christian who holds to an error free Gospel will believe that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, but will deny that God created everything in six days.  Another example, this Christian who holds to an error free Gospel will believe that God instituted marriage, but will deny that a wife should subordinate herself to her husband as the church subordinates itself to the Lord.   This denies the inerrancy of Scripture.  If you believe in the Gospel but reject an inerrant Holy Scripture, you have found your repentance for this morning.  Repent from your unbelief but rather believe that the Holy Lord could write clearly to you on any topic he chose.

The rich man and Lazarus show us the difference between unbelief and faith. Let’s take a closer look at these men to help illustrate a current crisis in the Christian church today.  But let us not look at outward appearances.  Let us instead look at their faith and love.

First, rich man.  The rich man is not an immoral man.  He is not an adulterer or thief.  He is a hard working and upright man.  He is the kind of man we would like to be.  He wears expensive clothes.  He enjoys fine food.  He invites many people to his parties.  He is respected by his many guests and members of the community.  There is nothing wrong with that.  Abraham, Job, and David were men of great wealth and fame.  So what makes these men different from the rich man?  

Abraham sought his wealth in the promises of God.  He refused to take any war plunder from other kings.  Abraham did not want anyone think he received his wealth from anyone but God.  He gave a tenth of all he had to Melchizedek. Abraham would give up his wealth to remain faithful to the Holy Scriptures and its God.  The rich man in our text loved his wealth more than God.

Job lost his wealth.  In Job’s poverty we see his faith.  Job mourns the death of his children and servants.  Job mourns the loss of his health.  However, Job remain faithful to the Holy Scriptures and its God.  The rich man didn’t mourn until he was in hell.  But that was too late.

King David would have preferred to remain a private citizen.  He would have preferred to remain a shepherd of sheep rather than king of a nation.  David would have gladly given up the kingship except God wanted David to serve His people that way.  So, David served the nation.  The rich man delighted daily in his public reputation.  He had no desire to become an unknown, private citizen.

 The rich man shows us the nature of unbelief.  Unbelief has no regard for Holy Scripture or its God.  And the only way God wishes to be regarded is through His commands and promises. And these God has put into writing through Moses and the prophets.  Holy Scripture is God’s Word.

Today, who are the rich men?  One example, seminary and college professors who teach that Holy Scripture is not to be trusted.  They teach that Holy Scripture contains errors.  They don’t agree what the errors are.  They argue that you need their knowledge to figure this out.  And who do they teach?  A second example, future pastors who sit at the feet of these unbelieving rich men.  And who do the pastors  teach? A final example, the mom’s and dad’s who are doing their best to hand the living Word of God to their children.

Every seminary in the U.S. has  gone through this controversy.  Is Holy Scripture God’s inerrant Word or not?  In each case except two, Christian seminaries have concluded the Holy Scripture has errors.  The two exceptions are the Southern Baptist Convention and the two seminaries of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.  The Missouri seminaries continued to believe, teach, and confess the Holy Scripture is God’s inerrant Word.  The bad news is the controversy continues.

The rich man delighted daily in his worldly wealth and reputation.  Teachers experience the same temptation.  However, to hold to the inerrancy of Holy Scripture is to be looked on as a poor beggar in the academic community and to be covered in unsightly sores in a local congregation.  The two indications that a teacher does not hold to an inerrant Scripture is:

First, the refusal to teach a six day creation.  Each day being one evening and morning.  They argue that there are multiple uses for the word - day.  No, one day is one evening and morning cycle.  Regarding a description of God’s patience versus man’s, Scripture says that one day of man’s patience is like a thousand years of God’s patience.  God is more patient than you.  But errancy teachers have greater respect for man’s science of evolution than God’s inerrant and Holy Scripture.  

Second, the refusal to teach subordination is a Christian family.  Husband and wife are to subordinate themselves under God.  God promises to provide for both.  And also, the wife is to subordinate herself to her husband.  God promises to provide for both.  And finally, the man, subordinated to God, promises to care for his wife.  It’s not an excuse to be mean just as there is no excuse to teach against Holy Scripture.  God will provide His Word to strengthen the man in his subordination to God and his headship to his wife.  And God will provide His Word to strengthen the wife in her Godly subordination to both God and husband.  But errancy teachers have greater respect for man’s philosophy of feminism that God’s inerrant and Holy Scripture.

This is our repentance for today.  Repent of our unbelief.  Teach the inerrancy of Holy Scripture whether you are a seminary professor, or pastor, or a mom or dad.  

And you do.  This congregation has much in common with Lazarus.  You trust Holy Scripture is God’s Word.  You trust God created you.  You trust God to continue to provide for you.  

You also carry the sores of Lazarus.  You are accused of being old-fashioned because you love God’s Holy Scripture.  You are accused of being strict because you practice what God’s Holy Scripture teaches.  You are accused of foolishness because you trust God created you and provides for you in every time of need.

But there is nothing wrong with these sores.  The Lord has said you will not receive your good things here and now.  You, like Lazarus, will one day receive only good things.  Come quickly Lord Jesus.  It is written in Genesis, the Lord said to Abraham “I am your Shield.”  Abraham believed this.  God counted this faith as Abraham’s righteousness.

The world sees your sores.  They see a building that is not so worldly beautiful as to be a daily delight.  They see a congregation that is placed at the front gate of worldly success, but goes unnoticed by the rich men.  You feel the worldly poorness that is a result of holding to Holy Scripture alone.

You know the affliction of Lazarus.  Your delight is in your heavenly Father.  You interact with Him in the only way He has promised to come to you in grace and mercy.  You interact with God by hearing Holy Scripture.  Your faith comes by hearing.

And Jesus carries your sores in His crucified body.  All Holy Scripture is about Jesus. And Jesus is the Word of God made flesh.  One day, Gabriel the archangel came and spoke to the Virgin Mary.  Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in that speaking on that day.  Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary on another day, the day of Jesus’ birth.  Jesus suffered many sores on the day of Pontius Pilate and on that same day was crucified and died.  On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead.  Forty days after that Jesus ascended to the Father.  Fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus gave the promised Holy Spirit just as He promised according to the written Words of Moses and the prophets. Jesus is the Lord of His church.  He governs all creation according to the commands and promises written by Moses and the prophets.  Jesus governs heaven and earth according to His Holy Scripture.  

The scientific method cannot give comfort in the face of sin and death.  Hear today that Jesus died for you in accordance with the Scriptures.  He gives His life to the weak so that they might not die eternally.

Feminism cannot give comfort in the face of sin and death.  Hear today that Jesus subordinated Himself to the will of the Father.  For “when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to be the atoning sacrifice for them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Galatians 4).  

It makes no difference whether you are strong or weak; male or female.  By faith in Christ, you are now first born sons of God; in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The peace of God which passes understanding, protect and keep you in Jesus Christ our Savior.  Amen.

Isaiah 40:31 They Shall Renew Their Strength

                                    Isaiah 40:31  They Shall Renew Their Strength

Isaiah 40:31  They Shall Renew Their Strength

Morning Prayer  

40:27 Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: “My way is hidden from the Lord, And my just claim is passed over by my God”? This is the complaint of the despairing.  They believe the Lord does not notice them and has passed on by.  The Lord is puzzled at the complaint because none of it is true.  He has not passed by the claims of His people.

 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?  The everlasting God, the Lord... Let us keep in mind who is speaking.  It is God Himself.  This is difficult.  If a friend speaks a word about anything.  That is one thing.  But when God speaks His Word then my sinful flesh wakes up.  If I believe “your sins are forgiven you” and “this is My body” why should I despair and whom should I fear?  No one, because I know this is the Word of God.  Luther says, “I am the infinite God, I set My Word against hell, death, and devil, because I am the infinite God who prevails over them all. I endure forever, and My Word will flourish under foolishness and the guise of weakness, although this does not seem to be the case, yes, the opposite seems to be the case.” Therefore He sends us His Word so that we may be consoled when view and appearance are hostile, as if to say: “Cling to Me. Although for a time I shall seem weak, it will not really be so, but believe that I am the everlasting God.”

 The Creator of the ends of the earth Luther “I have made all these things, they are My creatures, they are under My control, they cannot touch the least hair of your head. Do not be afraid.” The flesh says: “The opposite is true. You are barely God in a flea and in a nook.”

Summary: What we lack He has in ample supply. Therefore you must not lose heart when appearance is to the contrary, when you see the loftiness, greatness, and strength of the nations lifted up to heaven. Cling to the Word, not to your reason. Then you will not despair before them.

 Neither faints nor is weary.  God is describing Himself according to our reason and our reason can’t imagine anyone never losing strength as much as our reason can’t imagine that something is impossible to eventually understand.  That is unbelief.  You get tired of Satan’s tricks but you have a God that does not get tired.  How beautiful is that! Luther Here God consoles those who labor and are wearied: ‘I will not become weary. I have always been active, I am fresh and new. I can help you.’ A certain nun by the name of Mechtild 24 kept repelling the onslaughts of Satan with one word: “I am a Christian.” So I, too, must say: “I am dead, but Christ lives; I am a sinner, but Christ is righteous, because I believe in Jesus Christ and am baptized in His name.

 His understanding is unsearchable.  Luther It is as if He were saying: “Let them be as wise and acute as they wish. I will be more than a match for them and be wise. Just stay with Me. Look at Me as you would at a mirror. In you there is death, sin, despair, destruction. In Me there is life, righteousness, consolation, and deliverance. Since My Word is everlasting, cling to it. Do not dwell on your own thoughts.”

 29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.  Today, power is desired more than wisdom.  Most talk, arguments, and conflicts are a struggle for power.  The powerless seek power.  God does not give power to the powerful but to the powerless.  Reason hears and understands power but it doesn’t want to be weak or worn out.   Luther So all the self-righteous willingly receive strength from God, but they do not want to be faint, as if God would not give strength to the weary. What need is there for the secure to receive strength? But God gives strength to the weary, the oppressed, and the troubled. The emphasis lies on the word “faint,” but we look for the stress on the word “power.”

 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, The argument is from weakness and not strength.  The youth are all who rely on their own strength.

Luther: Thus if I should say today that the most vigorous youth is nothing against the Turk, the flesh would not believe it. The illustration of Abraham in the next chapter will show how Abraham hardly had the strength to chase away the flies, and yet he conquered four kings.

 31 But those who wait on the Lord; those who look to their God in the midst of weakness and impotence and in faith wait against all enemies.

 They shall renew their strength, that is, they will be adorned with a heavenly victory against the resources of the world. The prophet reviews three kinds of strength:

 They shall mount up with wings, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.. Depicted is the consolation of all who are afflicted because of the Word and work of God. These, I say, in the midst of the darkness of the Word lay hold of Christ, who is wealthy, strong. As our adversaries are moved to complain about us, so let us become fit for the divine consolation.

John 2:12-25 Jesus Cleanses The Temple

                                 John 2:12-25  Jesus Cleanses The Temple

Jesus Cleanses The Temple

Sunday Bible Study Pastor Pautz

John 2:12-25      Title: Whipping Fair Trade & Broken Buildings - Your Holy Temple

 Invocation & Opening Prayer

Study Notes

2:12 After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.  A little bit of Christ’s biography.  Matthew tells us He lived in Nazareth from the time He returned from Egypt until entering office.  Joseph probably passed during His time in Nazareth (Matthew 2:21-23).  After entering His office, He moved to Capernaum (Matthew 4:13).  Lots of speculation (Ruth 3:10f), however, I consider Jesus’ brothers to be His cousins but correct or not it does not add or subtract from the faith.  Capernaum was Jesus’ home to which He returned after travelling throughout Galilee.  He labored as a pastor with God’s Word.  The summary of His work is given in Acts 10:37-38.

2:13 And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, 14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: So after His first miracle to reveal His divinity at the Wedding in Cana and moving from Nazareth to Capernaum where Jesus used as a home parish from which He preached and taught for three years until He entered Jerusalem Palm Sunday for His Passion.  And we know what caused Jesus’ reaction to what He saw in the temple.  In the Old Testament, God gave guidelines for the care of the temple priests and beyond that the people gave many voluntary gifts to the priests.  However, by this time, all that generosity was not enough.  They started selling sacrificial animals for profit and then make the sacrifice on the people’s behalf for a price.  This is similar to Roman indulgences.  This is similar for unbecoming synod salaries and expensive programs while not supporting seminarians and teachers and missionaries.  Then what about our congregation?  The greatest expense is support for me and my family for which I am thankful.  I have been presenting to you several articles from Rev. Heath Curtis.  I agree with his presentation of Biblical stewardship and encourage you to read them and pray concerning them.  First, it is geared toward families starting with the Law and then the Gospel to become more generous.  Second, it offers a Gospel approach to establishing a congregational budget.  To summarize, the people would be asked to pledge an estimated offering for the budget year.  The pledges would be given to the Board of Finance (who already discretely count and record all offerings).  This would establish the total budget number for the new year.  This number would then be based on the generosity of the people. The Board of Stewardship would submit a line line item budget in consultation with the various church boards.  The Church Council would edit and recommend it to the voters for approval.  There would be no follow up with pledges.  No one can know what will happen in the new year.  Some will keep their pledge and other won’t.  Some will give more than their pledge and other would give less.  That is ok.  So, the Board of Finance would ask for a pledge but they would not keep track of whether the pledges were kept or not.

15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables Why does the Lord use force in this situation when beforehand He has only used on word of mouth?  Jesus connects all that is in the Old Testament to all that is in the New Testament.  In the Old Testament, acting as a prophet, Jesus should have used more than drive them out with His fists and a whip, He should have stoned the money changers (Leviticus 20:2).  Jesus is the Lord of the Sabaoth.  Sometimes He follows the Law of Moses very closely but never as one oppressed by it.  Jesus did not have to go to the Jerusalem Temple the three specified times per year, but when He did, He went willingly and gladly.  So, here, Jesus is acting as a disciple of Moses but this is not an action to be copied.  The violence and force that is to be exercised in the church today is the sword of Jesus’ mouth (it is a sword that never entered His mouth but comes out of His mouth which is His Word) Revelation 1:16; 11:4; 19:20-21.  However, the fisted sword should remain with the state and the worded sword should remain with the state.  Today, as in times past, the church wants to use both swords.  The church properly uses the worded-sword when it speaks God’s Word to give and strengthen faith in Jesus.  However, it wants to use the fisted-sword by compelling people to give more money for purposes other the Word and Sacrament.  Also, the state wants to use both swords.  The state properly uses the fisted-sword when it stops evil in accordance with natural law.  However, it wants to also use the worded-sword by compelling the church what to believe and how to practice that belief in the public square.  Both church and state need our prayers.

17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.”  This is evidence that the people knew the Holy Scripture well.  There were many synagogues where especially the Psalms were being taught, sung and heard.  Luther, “We know, of course, what type of people Christ’s disciples were—not learned men, not high priests, Pharisees, and scribes, but poor beggars and fishermen, lowly folk, Peter, Andrew, and Bartholomew. But still they were able to learn the Psalter; they heard it read, sung, and preached. Simply by listening to Holy Scripture they familiarized themselves with it; and they learned it so well that they remembered the words and pondered them.”  We do too.  Let us continue.

18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? If someone came to Our Savior and insisted he was the new pastor and also dismissed the Church Council because he was going to take care of things, especially the redesign of the sanctuary, it would be ok to ask the same thing the Jews asked Jesus.

19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.  Jesus will die for this comment.  Luther “In Matt. 21:23–27 we find a more detailed account of this happening. When the Lord, on the eve of His suffering and after His entry into Jerusalem, created such a sensation that the chief priests and elders came to Him with the query: “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” Jesus answered them: “I also will ask you a question; and if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. The Baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven or from men?” And now as they also request a sign from Him, He asks them again, thereby perplexing and confusing them so that they are at a loss for a reply. For “they argued with one another: If we say: From heaven, He will say to us: Why, then, did you not believe him? But if we say: From men, we are afraid of the multitude; for all hold that John was a prophet. So they answered Jesus: We do not know. And He said to them: Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. If you had listened to the word and preaching of John, you would know by what authority and power I do this.”  Jesus cornered in the Matthew account.

20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body.  21 But he spake of the temple of his body. These men are under Isaiah’s 6:9-10 curse.  Seeing they do not see, hearing they do not hear.

22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.  What did they believe?  The scripture.  The writings.  They believed the Word of Jesus which the Holy Spirit recorded for them.  Ie. The Holy Bible.

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. 24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.   Summary: Jesus is God.

Closing Prayer - The Lord’s Prayer.