By Amir Tsarfati
Shalom, everyone again. I would love to share with you the teaching that I prepared just a few days ago. I never imagined that I will share it, not from a church pulpit, but actually from a resort town called Eilat, by the Red Sea. But actually, it makes sense to do it right by the Red Sea, because definitely, God was with the people of Israel when they crossed the Red Sea. There is nothing but an amazing symbolism to share this message, right here.
Let's go back to the words of Jesus from Luke 24 in verse 44. Jesus said to the disciples prior to his departure. He said, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the Psalms concerning me."
Jesus said all things concerning him that were written, not in the New Testament as he actually, didn't have the New Testament. He said that in the Old Testament by the prophets, the Psalms, and Moses concerning him, all of them, must be fulfilled. Not some of them, could be, all of them must be.
I think it's amazing because, in Isaiah 7:14, the prophet Isaiah was given an amazing sign, an amazing symbol, an amazing revelation of something that was about to happen. He says, "Behold, the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
Isn't that interesting that the Bible is telling us, in the book of the Prophet Isaiah, that there will be a virgin. This is a woman that has never, ever, slept with anyone. Nobody "knew" her in the biblical language. She was a virgin yet she conceived while still being a virgin, and she will bear a son.
By the way, the gender is very clear here. And then, not only that we know that he is going to be a son, but "you shall call His name, Immanuel." In other words, that son will have a name that will basically describe him, Immanuel. In the Hebrew language it is very clear: "Emmanu", "with us"; "El" is "God". God is with us.
In other words, the virgin has nothing to do with God. The virgin shall conceive and bear a son who is God with us, Immanuel. You have to understand, it's not a representative of God, but it is God, with us, Emmanu-El. It is not "like God"; it is God. Pay attention, folks, because the virgin here is not God. Therefore, she is not to be worshiped or prayed to, but will give birth to God in the flesh. This means the emphasis, the one we need to worship, the one we need to pray to; it is the one she is going to give birth to. That's it!
It's very interesting because this is one of the most amazing ways today to test any religion or cult, if they are really in line with the word of God or not, is when it comes to Jesus. I must tell you something and the number is mind-boggling. That 95% of the world population, (maybe even more but 95% I would say is a conservative number) is actually, ladies and gentlemen, not of the mindset that Jesus is God.
I know that some of you are raising an eyebrow and saying, what do you mean 95%? Orthodox Judaism, of course, does not believe that and that's exactly why they blamed Jesus for blasphemy for equating himself with God. They do not believe the Messiah is God. Therefore, if Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, he could not have been God. If he claimed to be God, and no one can be God but God, then obviously, it is blasphemy. Orthodox Judaism is definitely, a religion that does not believe in the deity of Jesus.
Muslims believe that Jesus is, of course, just a prophet. They do not believe that he was God. Although the name of Jesus appears more often in the Quran than Muhammad, yet still he is not. The Mormons, of course, believe that Jesus, and Lucifer, and Satan are actually brothers. He is not God. Jehovah's Witnesses believe he is an archangel. Hindus and Buddhists believe that he's a nice man.
Catholics, ladies, and gentlemen, when they pray to Mary and worship Mary, then Mary and Jesus are worshiped. That actually says they do not believe that Jesus is God, part of the Godhead that only has the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That means that their understanding of the deity of Jesus is less if Mary can be worshiped and prayed to at the same time.
If that is not enough, there are all the New Age adherents that actually believe that we are gods. So, if we are gods, or Jesus is not super (pointing to heaven) all the way but is God just like Mary, or if he's just a good man with good teachings, or if he is just an archangel, or if he is just a brother of Satan, or if he is just a prophet, or if he is just a good man that took the wrong way.
All of that, but they do not believe in the deity of Jesus and the fact that Jesus, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit are one. It's very interesting, the Jewish people pray, "Sh'ma Yisrael," "Hear O Israel", The Lord, our God, the Lord is one. The word "one", "Echad", is a complex unity. The word "Yachid" is single. So, when God says, "This is my only begotten Son", the word in Hebrew is "Yachid". But when "Hear O Israel, listen Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is one", then ladies and gentlemen, that means that God is a complex unity. Very interesting.
I would like to touch on 2 'Emmanuel moments' that I always share, for many years, with anyone that comes to Israel with me. So, you understand how much people realized when they came in those encounters with Jesus that there is no doubt God is there.
First of all, in Mark chapter 4:35-41, "On the same day, when evening had come, Jesus said to the disciples, 'Let us cross over to the other side.' And when they had left the multitude, they took him along in the boat even as he was and other little boats were also with him. And a great wind storm arose and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But he was in the stern asleep on a pillow. They awoke him and said to him, 'Teacher, (Bear in mind they only think he's a teacher) do you not care that we are perishing?'"
They see someone sleeping, sound asleep on a pillow, not even afraid of anything. Yet they fret and they think they are about to perish. They cannot understand how come they do not have that same peace that he has. It is very interesting what came right after. The Bible said, "He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Peace! Be still,' and the wind ceased and there was a great calm."
By the way, just so you know, the Sea of Galilee sometimes has clashes of winds from the Syrian African Rift Valley. So, the winds come in from the north or from the south, from the breeze of the Mediterranean coming from the west, and the desert eastern winds coming from the east. We are talking about the clash of so many winds that many times causes waves up to almost 8 to 10 feet high. I remember days when the sea was so stormy, we could not take off. I know that up until today some of us are still looking for fishermen that were lost in some of the storms there.
"And Jesus said, 'Peace, be still.'" Isn't that interesting the Bible says in verse 40, "But He said to them, 'Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?'" Now, you don't have faith in a boat. Faith is in something much greater. "And then they feared exceedingly." They were afraid when the storm started. But the Bible says that after he calmed the storm, they feared exceedingly.
I want to take you back; in those days nobody owned a Bible. In those days, the Bible was not a book, it was a collection of scrolls of different writers. Of course, all inspired by the Holy Spirit, but it was not in the shape of a printed book. Nobody, not even the richest man in those days, owned a Bible. It was something that would only be in the Temple in Jerusalem or in a synagogue, but not a private thing. You understand that people would go to the synagogue and they would not read. They would read-only if they were the person who reads to everyone. But it was not like they showed up in the synagogue with their own Bible.
That's why the Bible says faith comes by hearing, not by reading. Because they would come and they would hear. They would believe if they only listened and took heed of those words.
The Bible says that it was their custom in those days to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, just as Jesus went in the synagogue in Nazareth. Isn't that interesting that they did not have a Bible, yet how do you meditate on the word of God day and night if you don't have it? You memorize it. And what is the easiest book to memorize?
The easiest book to memorize is, of course, the book of Psalms. More songs are from psalms than probably any other book in the Bible, and you can sing the book of Psalms. Up until today, most of the Messianic songs in Hebrew are from the book of Psalms.
If there is one book, most Jews in those days could memorize and did memorize, is the book of Psalms. It's very interesting because when you read Psalm 89:8-9 the Bible says, "Lord God of hosts, Lord God of hosts, who is mighty like you O Lord, your faithfulness also surrounds you? You rule the raging of the sea and when its waves rise, you still them." Every Jew in those days knew one thing: the only person, who could ever calm the raging of the sea, and the waves, and still, them is Lord God of hosts.
So, when they saw Jesus doing that, they actually asked themselves, who can this be that even the wind and the sea obey him? And that may explain to you why they feared exceedingly. They may have started realizing, it may have been an 'Immanuel moment', that this is not just a teacher. It is God with them, Emmanu-El.
Very interesting because the Bible says in Luke chapter 5:1-8, "So, it was as the multitudes pressed upon him to hear the word of God." Isn't that interesting? Jesus never walked with a Bible. They say that it was that the multitudes pressed about him to hear the word of God. This, whoever he is, he is the word of God, for he gives the word of God, and they want to hear the word of God from him. They don't want to hear the words of the rabbis. They don't want to hear the word of a teacher. They don't want to hear a commentary. They don't want to hear some explanation. The Bible says they pressed about him to hear the word of God. They knew, from him, we will hear the word of God. Why? Because he is the word of God.
The Bible says, "He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret and he saw two boats standing by the lake. But the fishermen had gone from them and they were washing their nets." If you ever come with me to Israel, I'll show you exactly where it happened. We found that place. "He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's and he asked him to put out a little from the land; and he sat down."
Every time Jesus sits down, he's about to teach. "And he sat down, and taught the multitudes from the boat. When he had stopped speaking." It is very interesting because the Bible does not tell us that they listened very carefully or that they were amazed at every word that came out of his mouth. Maybe they were actually waiting for some miracles. Because Jesus rebuked them many times that they were only looking for miracles. It is an adulterous generation that is looking always for signs, wonders, and miracles.
The Bible says that he had stopped speaking and said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." It's very interesting, because Simon at that time, was not yet fully engaged in Jesus' mind-set and ministry. He respected him as a teacher, he respected him as maybe a rabbi.
But Simon was afraid that Jesus is now going to embarrass himself. He actually said this, Master, we are the fishermen. We toiled here all night, and caught nothing. But then comes this Jewish accent, nevertheless at your word I will let down the net. He kind of said, listen, there's nothing here, but if you say then I am going to do it. It's very interesting because they had done this, the Bible says, "they caught a great number of fish and their net was breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat, to come help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink."
Now those boats don't sink easily unless it's a huge weight. Listen, these fishermen never, ever in their life had caught that many fish in such a short time, in one specific place. It was no doubt an act of God. The Bible says, "When Simon Peter saw it." Look at what happened. "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees saying, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.'" When you come into the presence of God, two things happen. First, you understand how sinful you are and then, you cannot withstand the holiness of the Lord. Depart from me. It's amazing because, If you really think about it, Isaiah, the prophet in chapter 6:1-5, had almost the same experience.
When he was brought before the presence of the Lord, "In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphims each one had 6 wings; with 2 he covered his face, and with 2 he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another, saying, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of glory.'"
There is no doubt that Isaiah came into the presence of God, "And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So, I said, 'Woe is me! for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.'"
You know that Jesus is the only one people can see. Nobody could see the Father and live. We know that because God, the Father, said that to Moses. Here it says, "For my eyes have seen the King". Jesus is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
It's beautiful that in the presence of the Lord you can see that Isaiah had almost the same reaction as Peter had. Woe, I am too sinful. I cannot withstand. Woe to me. I am an unclean man of unclean lips. It's amazing how you see that.
In Exodus 33, and I said that before, in Exodus 33:9-11, "It came to pass when Moses entered the tabernacle, the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle; and the Lord talked with Moses. And all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door; And all the people rose and worshiped, each man at his tent door.
So, the Lord, (watch this) the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend and he would return to the camp. but his servant, Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle." Isn't that interesting, the Lord spoke to him face to face.
In Luke chapter 2, Simeon, the old man in Jerusalem, had an amazing encounter. The Bible says, "After three days they found him." (Luke 2:45-50) "Later on they found Jesus in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. All who heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed, and his mother said unto him, 'Son, why have you done this to us? Look, your father and I have sought you anxiously.'
And then he said to them," Look, it's his parents in this world. "But he said to them, ‘Why do you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father's business?'" Now, she just said, look, your father and I, but Jesus is not talking to them, about them. I am the Son, my Father which is in heaven, and I am about my Father's business. But they did not understand the statement which he spoke to them. They did not understand. It is very interesting.
The Bible says that when Moses in Exodus chapter 33:18, "Moses said, 'Please, show me your glory.' God said, 'I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.' But he said, 'You cannot see my face for no man shall see me and live.'"
Obviously, if you see the Lord, if you see the Lord, and live, that is not the Father. It is, of course, Jesus. Jesus said, if you see me, you have seen the Father. "The Lord said, 'Here is a place by me, and you shall stand on the rock. So, it shall be while my glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand while l pass by: And then I will take away my hand and you shall see my back: but my face shall not be seen.'" Amazing.
Luke 2:25-32, "Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ."
Isn't that interesting. The man worships God. The Holy Spirit tells him that he is going to see the Messiah, who is the Son. "So he came by the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child, Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms, and blessed God.
So, watch this: it's how the whole Trinity is in this picture. The Holy Spirit is telling him that, he is blessing God and saying, "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all people. A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people, Israel."
Isn't that interesting? He could see Jesus; he could see God; he could see our salvation, Yeshua. He prays to the Father, the Holy Spirit told him that he is going to hold the Son, and that is how you can see God. It's amazing.
What does the Bible say about the deity? John chapter 10:30, "I and my Father are one." Jesus is making this very, very clear. It's not two, we are one. I and my Father are one. It's very simple. Philippians 2:5- 6, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God." Because he is equal to God. It's very simple.
John 17:21, "That they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you sent me. We are one." John 1:18, "No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him." Isn't that amazing? It cannot be clearer than this.
If that's not enough, Colossians chapter 2:9-10, "For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in him who is the head of all principality and power." Wow. Jesus himself claimed to be God. It's not like he wanted people to guess. It is not that he left it open.
For John 10:33 says, "The Jews answered him saying, 'For a good work, we do not stone you but for blasphemy and because you, being a man, make yourself God. You say you are God. That's why we're going to stone you.'" John 5:18, "Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath but also said that God was his Father, making himself equal with God." Isn't that amazing?
The Word, the Bible says, He is the Word. John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Later on, in John 1:14, the same chapter verse 14, "And the Word became flesh, (The Word was God, and the Word became flesh) and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." Wow. Jesus also said that he is the only way to heaven. In 1 John 5:20, "And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life." He is eternal Life.
Romans 10:12-13, "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." It is the same Lord, they speak of Jesus, whoever calls upon the name of the Lord God, shall be saved. Jesus said, "I Am He."
In John 8:57-58, it says, "Then the Jews said to him, 'You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?' Jesus said unto them, 'Most assuredly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.'" I am, is the name of God, if you remember, that he told Moses. John 8:22-24, "Then the Jews said, 'Will he kill himself? Because he said, Where I go, you cannot come?' And he said to them, 'You are from beneath; I am from above: you are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore, I said to you that you will die in your sins: for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.'" It is very simple.
John 13:18-19, "I do not speak concerning all of you: I know whom I have chosen; but that scripture may be fulfilled, he who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me. Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He." That's what he said, of course, about Judas at the Last Supper.
Jesus is the first and the last, as Isaiah 44:6 says, "Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel and His redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last. Beside me there is no God." Look at the verse, and look at the language.
First of all, there is no God, yet I am the first and I am the last. I am the King of Israel, and His Redeemer. Isn't that interesting? He is the Redeemer of Israel and he is the King of Israel. This is exactly the things that were claimed by Jesus and were claimed by those who saw him when he was here.
1 Corinthians chapter 8:6, "Yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and through whom we live." It is the same, one God, one Lord Jesus, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. Amen!
Look at this, Revelation 2:8 says, "To the angel of the church of Smyrna write, 'These things says the first and the last, (same language as Isaiah) who was dead and came to life.'" Revelation 1:17-18, "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead; but he laid his right hand on me, and said to me, 'Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last: I am He who lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for ever more, Amen; and I have the keys of hades and of death.'"
The Bible says that only God can be worshiped, ladies and gentlemen, and Jesus was indeed worshiped. In Matthew 2:1-2, "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod, the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, 'Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him.'" Only God can be worshiped and they came to worship him who was just born."
Matthew 28:8-9, "And they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy; and ran to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, 'Rejoice.' And they came and held him by the feet and worshiped him." He was worshiped. Only God can be worshiped, and He is God.
Not only can God be worshiped, but also can be prayed to. Now I have a lot of things to say about prayer because Jesus taught us how to pray. But pay attention to what Acts chapter 7:59-60 is saying, "They stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' And then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not charge them with this sin.' When he had said this, he fell asleep." Wow. Wow. Not only that he was worshiped but he was even prayed to by Stephen upon his stoning, upon his martyrdom.
What about the Trinity? Matthew 28:19, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of (what?) the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." There is a Trinity. He is part of the Godhead. He is God. 2 Corinthians 13:14, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen." There is no doubt of his deity.
What about John 20:27-28, "Then he said to Thomas, 'Reach your finger here and look at my hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into my side: and do not be unbelieving but believing.' And Thomas answered and said to him, 'My Lord, and my God.'" Wow. Thomas said, My Lord and my God, to whom? To Jesus.
How can the Jehovah's Witnesses say that he is not Lord? I don't understand. Bogus!
I will give you one more, Acts 20:28, "Therefore, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood." The church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. The blood of God is the blood of Jesus. Jesus is indeed God.
Romans 9:1, "I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart for I could wish that I, myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh," and then continuing Paul says, "Who are Israelites; to whom pertains the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers, and from whom according to the flesh Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen." Amen.
Amen. I want you to know that Jesus is: Yes, he is the Messiah; Yes. he is the Redeemer; Yes, he is the one who shows you the way. But he is not a guru; he is not just a rabbi; he is not just a prophet; he's not just a good man; he's not just maybe, as some say, an angel. Do you know why I'm laughing? He is God. God in the flesh.
I want to tell you something. If you want to identify a cult, the first thing you need to ask is, what do they think about the deity of Christ? I want to tell you that more, and more, and more people that I know today start departing from that truth that Jesus is God. It is so tempting when you want to appease the Jews, the only thing you need to do is deny the deity of God. When you want to appease the world, the only thing you need to do is deny the deity of God. When you want to look 'cool', because it doesn't make sense that God came in the form, in the flesh, of a man.
Then you will deny the deity of God. If you want to be new-agey, then you will say: yes, he is God; we are god; all of us are gods. If you want to look good in the eyes of all other religions, you will say that he was a good man.
But the truth of the matter is that he is God. Unless you understand that: you will never be able to worship him; and you will never be able to believe in him, and you will never be able to accept him; and you will never be able to have forgiveness of sins. Because only God can forgive sins.
Therefore, the teaching of the deity of Christ is under so much fire and under so much attack. I, myself, felt it recently, how people even tried to switch things and turn things around as if I don't even believe in him. This is probably the most important thing that I believe in, when it comes to Jesus. There is no doubt.
I know that it's hard for a Jew. It is super hard for a Jew to believe that Jesus is God. If you ever watch my testimony video, it was hard for me. But what could I do? It is the truth and either you believe in the truth or you deny it. But you cannot stay indifferent. Either you reject or embrace it, but you cannot sit on the fence.
In 1990, in the month of June, in the movie theater in Jerusalem when I watched the Jesus film of Campus Crusade, that night I realized there is no doubt. This is, not only the King of Israel, not only the Redeemer of Israel, he is God in the flesh. Now, because I believe in him, I can get God, the Holy Spirit, in me. He will never leave me nor forsake me. Trust me, I go through so much, yet I know that he is with me. Emmanuel, God is with us.
Father, I thank you so much for your word. This message was impregnated with scriptures. Because it's really not all about what we think, it's about what you say. It's not about our opinion, it's about your word.
Father, we bless you for making it so clear throughout both the Old and the New Testament that Jesus is Immanuel. He is God who is with us. From the day of creation, and from the moment he walked in the garden, from being the light of the world, all the way to resurrect, and never to die, because it's the power of endless life.
Father, I thank you, that although being equal to God, he stepped down and took upon himself the image of a servant, the person of a servant. "For God so loved the world that he sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him will never perish, but have eternal life."
The only thing that is left for us is to believe because you did all the rest. The only thing you want from us is faith. That is the only thing Jesus asked the disciples in the boat, why is it that they don't have it? Where is your faith?
Father, we ask that you will continue to strengthen our faith through Jesus. That you will continue to work in us, through us, and by us. You will continue to use us to make fruits, to bring, and make disciples.
Father, I pray that we will not be busy fighting with one other, but that we will be busy doing our Father's business. Making disciples, reaching the world, preaching the gospel that Jesus is Lord, that he is God, and God came in the form of a man to save the world. Thank you for this amazing truth. In Jesus's name. Amen. Amen.
Thank you, I love you, God bless you. And remember, he is Immanuel. God bless you. I love you. Shalom from Eilat.