Encounter Church
Wednesday Night SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY 08.12.26
Matthew 5.17-18NKJV
Matthew 5.19NKJV
Matthew 5.20NKJV
John 7.21-22NKJV
John 7.23NKJV
Genesis 2.1-2NKJV
Genesis 1.27NKJV
Genesis 2.17NKJV
Genesis 3.3NKJV
Genesis 3.4NKJV
- Bible Study: Why Jesus MattersThe Centrality of Christ, the Only Mediator, and the Scandal of ExclusivityThemeChristianity is not fundamentally built around a moral system, a philosophy, or even a collection of religious practices. Christianity stands or falls on the person of Jesus Christ. Remove Christ from the center and Christianity becomes something other than Christianity.The New Testament does not present Jesus as one helpful voice among many. He is the cornerstone, the Mediator, the way to the Father, the fulfillment of Scripture, and the One in whom salvation is found.I. Lexical Deep Dive: μεσίτης — MesitēsBefore talking about Jesus as the bridge between God and humanity, we need to understand the New Testament word translated mediator.Greekμεσίτης — mesitēsPronounced roughly: meh-SEE-taceIt comes from the idea of being in the middle. In Greek usage, mesitēs refers to someone who stands between two parties—a mediator, intermediary, go-between, or one who intervenes to establish agreement or reconciliation. Lexical resources describe it as one who acts between two parties and can function as a medium of communication or reconciliation.The word occurs six times in the New Testament, including Galatians 3:19–20; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 8:6; 9:15; and 12:24. In Hebrews especially, Christ is identified as the Mediator of the new covenant.Key Text: 1 Timothy 2:5–6Paul declares that there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, who gives Himself as a ransom. The logic is powerful: one God, one estranged humanity, and one uniquely qualified Mediator.Christ does not merely deliver a message between God and humanity.He Himself is the meeting place.Why?Because the Mediator must somehow genuinely represent both sides.Jesus is:Fully divine — He truly represents God.Fully human — He truly represents humanity.This is where Christology and salvation become inseparable.The hypostatic union is not an abstract doctrine that theologians invented because they enjoy technical language. If Jesus is not truly God and truly man, His mediatorial role collapses.Think about thisA prophet can bring God's message to us.A priest can represent people before God.But Jesus does something greater than either.He brings God to humanity and humanity to God in His own person.Hebrews therefore describes Him not merely as someone who once mediated, but as the Mediator of the new covenant whose saving ministry continues.Discussion QuestionsWhy must the Mediator be able to represent both God and humanity?How does the incarnation make Jesus uniquely qualified to be the Mediator?What is the difference between Jesusand Jesus Himself? telling us how to reach God bringing us to GodWhy does 1 Timothy say there isMediator rather than many? oneWhat happens to the gospel if Jesus is reduced to merely a prophet?II. Christ Is Not an Addition to Christianity — He Is Its CenterOne danger in modern Christianity is turning Jesus into a supporting character in His own religion.We can preach:better marriages,financial wisdom,morality,emotional health,purpose,leadership,relationships,social responsibility,and still gradually move Christ away from the center.Those subjects have value, but Christianity does not begin with:"Here are principles for improving your life."It begins with:Jesus Christ is Lord.Paul's preaching was deliberately Christ-centered.
1 Corinthians 2:2 NKJV 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."Paul knew much more than one subject. His point is that Christ governed everything else he taught.Colossians goes even further:Colossians 1:16–17 NKJV 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.Everything was created through Him and for Him, and everything holds together in Him.Notice the movement:Through Christ.For Christ.Held together by Christ.Christianity is therefore not merely about receiving benefits from Jesus.Christianity is fundamentally about Jesus Himself.III. Jesus the CornerstoneOne of the richest biblical images for Christ's centrality is the cornerstone.Isaiah 28:16Isaiah 28:16 NKJV 16 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.God promises:"Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone..."The New Testament repeatedly applies this imagery to Christ.Ephesians 2:19–22The church is pictured as a building constructed on the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.Ephesians 2:19–22 NKJV 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.1 Peter 2:4–7Peter identifies Jesus as the living stone rejected by people but chosen and precious to God.1 Peter 2:4–7 NKJV 4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,”What did a cornerstone do?In ancient construction, the cornerstone was not simply decorative.Its placement helped determine the alignment of the structure.Everything else had to relate correctly to it.That produces a powerful spiritual principle:Jesus does not adjust Himself to fit our lives. Our lives must be aligned to Him.Modern Christianity sometimes reverses this.We ask:"How does Jesus fit into my plans?"Biblical discipleship asks:How must my plans be reordered around Jesus?Discussion QuestionsWhat happens to a building when its foundational alignment is wrong?What happens to Christianity when Christ is displaced from the center?Can someone embrace Christian morality while rejecting the lordship of Christ?What areas of our churches could unintentionally function as though Jesus were optional?What areas of your own life need to be realigned to the Cornerstone?IV. Why We Cannot Bridge the Gap OurselvesThe Bible describes humanity's problem as much deeper than ignorance.If ignorance were our primary problem, we would only need a teacher.If lack of motivation were our problem, we would only need an inspirational leader.If political oppression were our ultimate problem, we would only need a liberator.If psychological pain were our ultimate problem, we would only need a counselor.But Scripture diagnoses our fundamental problem as sin and alienation from God.Romans 3:23All have sinned.Romans 3:23 NKJV 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,Romans 6:23Sin earns death.Romans 6:23 NKJV 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.Isaiah 59:2Isaiah 59:2 NKJV 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.Sin creates separation between humanity and God.This means humanity cannot simply construct a spiritual bridge upward.Religion often becomes humanity's attempt to reach God.Good works.Ritual.Philosophy.Morality.Religious discipline.Self-improvement.But Christianity announces something radically different:God came down to us.John 1:14 NKJV 14 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.John 14:6 NKJV 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.John 1:14 says the Word became flesh.The gospel is not the story of humanity climbing upward.It is the story of God descending.V. Jesus: The Only BridgeThink of two cliffs.On one side:Holy GodOn the other:Sinful humanityBetween them lies a chasm that human goodness cannot cross.We often attempt to build bridges from our side:Morality"I'm a good person."Religion"I go to church."Sincerity"I really mean well."Comparison"I'm better than that person."Philosophy"I believe all religions basically teach the same thing."But none solves the underlying problem of guilt and separation.Then Christ comes.Because He is God, He reaches the divine side.Because He is man, He stands with humanity.Because He dies for sin, He deals with what separated us.Because He rises again, He brings us into life.Jesus does not merely show us the bridge.Jesus is the bridge.That is the force behind His declaration in John 14:6:"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."Notice what Jesus does not say."I know the way.""I teach the way.""I have discovered the truth.""I can point you toward life."Instead:I AM the way.I AM the truth.I AM the life.Christianity's claim is therefore fundamentally personal before it is philosophical.VI. Jesus Is a Person, Not Merely a PhilosophyThis is one of the most important distinctions you can make in the lesson.Christianity certainly contains doctrine.Christianity has ethics.Christianity gives us a worldview.Christianity gives us philosophical answers.But salvation is not ultimately accepting a worldview.It is being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.Jesus does not merely say:"Believe my teaching."Repeatedly He says:"Believe in Me."John 11:25John 11:25 NKJV 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.Jesus does not merely promise resurrection.He says:"I am the resurrection and the life."John 8:12John 8:12 NKJV 12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”He does not simply teach enlightenment.He says:"I am the light of the world."John 6:35 NKJV 35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.John 6:35He does not merely tell hungry people where spiritual food exists.He says:"I am the bread of life."The repeated pattern is striking:Christ makes Himself central to the answer.That would be arrogance from an ordinary religious teacher.But if He truly is the incarnate Son of God, then it is simply truth.Discussion QuestionWhy would Jesus be morally problematic if He made these claims while being merely a human teacher?VII. Cultural Pluralism: "Don't All Roads Lead to God?"Modern Western culture often values pluralism.It is important to distinguish two meanings.Social pluralismPeople of differing beliefs live together peacefully and possess freedom of conscience.Christians can affirm this.We should not coerce conversion.We should love our neighbors.We should treat people of other religions with dignity.But there is another idea:Religious pluralismThis goes beyond peaceful coexistence and argues that multiple contradictory religions are ultimately valid roads to the same divine reality.This produces statements such as:"All roads lead to God.""We're all climbing the same mountain.""Religions are simply different expressions of the same truth."There is a logical problem.Different religions do not merely give different names to the same ideas.They make contradictory truth claims.Consider only Jesus.Christianity says:Jesus is the Son of God.Islam rejects divine Sonship.Christianity says:Jesus was crucified and resurrected.Traditional Islamic teaching rejects the crucifixion.Christianity says:Jesus is worthy of worship.Judaism rejects worship of Jesus.Those claims cannot all simultaneously describe reality in the same sense.Tolerance means:"You are free to disagree with me."Tolerance does not require saying:"Our contradictory beliefs are all equally true."VIII. The Scandal of ExclusivityHere is where Christianity becomes culturally uncomfortable.Christianity does make an exclusive claim.But we must describe that exclusivity accurately.It is not:"Christians are better than everyone else."It is:No one is good enough, so everyone needs Christ.Christian exclusivity is simultaneously radically inclusive in invitation and exclusive in means.The invitation is universal."Whoever believes.""All nations.""Every tribe and tongue."The Mediator is singular.One Savior.One gospel.One Mediator.One way to the Father.That distinction matters.IX. Why Christians Say Jesus Is the Only WayWe do not begin with:"Our religion is better than yours."We begin with:What did Jesus say about Himself?1. Jesus explicitly claims exclusive access to the Father.John 14:6No one comes to the Father except through Him.2. The apostles preach salvation exclusively through Christ.Acts 4:12 NKJV 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”Acts 4:12Peter says salvation is found in no one else.3. There is one Mediator.1 Timothy 2:5 NKJV 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,1 Timothy 2:5One God.One Mediator.Christ Jesus.4. Jesus claims authority to give eternal life.John 10:27–28 NKJV 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.John 10:27–28He gives eternal life to His sheep.5. Eternal life is explicitly connected to knowing Christ.John 17:3 NKJV 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.6. Rejection of Christ has eternal significance.John 3:18 NKJV 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.7. The Son reveals the Father.Matthew 11:27 NKJV 27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.Matthew 11:27The exclusive claim therefore does not originate in later church arrogance.It arises directly from Christ's identity and claims.X. Why Exclusivity Is Not Automatically ArroganceSuppose a doctor discovers that one treatment will cure a deadly illness.Would it be arrogant for the doctor to say:"This treatment works and these others do not"?Not necessarily.The question is not:"Is the claim exclusive?"The question is:"Is the claim true?"Truth is inherently exclusive.If Jesus rose from the dead and is truly the incarnate Son of God, then His uniqueness follows from reality.The Christian must therefore avoid two opposite errors.Error #1 — Arrogant exclusivism"We have the truth because we're smarter and better than everyone."No.We are saved by grace.Error #2 — Embarrassed pluralism"Jesus is important to me, but every religion is equally valid."That does not honor Jesus' own claims.Biblical Christianity instead says:Jesus is the only Savior, and His invitation is offered to everyone.XI. The Scandal Is Actually GraceThink carefully about this objection:"It seems unfair that salvation is only through Jesus."The gospel actually says something even more offensive to human pride.It says:Nobody can save themselves.The moral person cannot.The religious person cannot.The intelligent person cannot.The wealthy person cannot.The poor person cannot.The Christian family cannot.The pastor cannot.The theologian cannot.Everyone comes the same way.By grace through Christ.Therefore the exclusivity of Christ destroys spiritual elitism.There is only one door because everyone is invited through the same door.XII. All Scripture Points Toward ChristNow we move from systematic theology to biblical theology.Jesus did not appear disconnected from everything before Him.The entire Old Testament creates categories that ultimately converge upon Him.After the resurrection, Jesus meets two disciples on the Emmaus road.They are confused because the Messiah has been crucified.Jesus corrects their reading of Scripture.Luke 24:25–27Luke 24:25–27 NKJV 25 Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.Beginning with Moses and the Prophets, Jesus interprets the Scriptures concerning Himself.Later in the chapter, Jesus says that everything written about Him in:the Law of Mosesthe Prophetsthe Psalmsmust be fulfilled.That encompasses the major divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures.Jesus is teaching them to read the Bible Christologically.Not by artificially forcing Jesus into every verse, but by seeing the great biblical patterns culminate in Him.XIII. How the Old Testament Points to JesusAdamAdam represents humanity and falls.Christ comes as the last Adam and succeeds where Adam failed.Romans 5:12–21 NKJV 12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.1 Corinthians 15:45 NKJV 45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.IsaacThe beloved son travels toward sacrifice.Genesis 22Ultimately another Father truly gives His beloved Son.Passover LambBlood protects God's people from judgment.Exodus 12Paul later calls Christ:"our Passover lamb."1 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.MosesMoses mediates covenant revelation.But another Mediator comes who is greater than Moses.MannaGod gives bread from heaven.Jesus says:"I am the bread of life."John 6Bronze SerpentThose dying look upon God's provision and live.Jesus explicitly applies the imagery to His crucifixion.Numbers 21John 3:14–15 NKJV 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.DavidGod promises a royal descendant whose kingdom will endure.2 Samuel 7Jesus is proclaimed:Son of David.TempleThe temple represents God's dwelling among His people.Jesus identifies His own body as the true temple.John 2:19–21 NKJV 19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.PriesthoodPriests stand between God and humanity.Jesus becomes our perfect High Priest.Hebrews 4–10Sacrificial systemAnimals die in place of worshipers.The sacrifices anticipate a greater sacrifice.Behold the Lamb of God.Suffering ServantIsaiah describes one who bears the sins of others.Isaiah 53The New Testament identifies this pattern with Jesus.XIV. Jesus Says the Scriptures Testify About HimJesus tells religious leaders:John 5:39 NKJV 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.John 5:39They search the Scriptures believing that eternal life is found there, yet those very Scriptures testify about Him.That is a remarkable warning.You can know Scripture and still miss the One Scripture is pointing toward.You can memorize verses.Know theology.Study prophecy.Understand biblical history.And still miss Jesus.The goal of Scripture is not merely biblical information.It is to bring us into knowledge of the God revealed supremely in Christ.XV. Jesus Is the KeystoneThink about an arch.The keystone holds the structure together.Remove it, and the arch collapses.Christ functions similarly in Christian theology.Remove Christ and:Creation loses its center.Everything was made through Him.Revelation loses its climax.God has spoken through His Son.Salvation loses its mediator.There is one Mediator.Forgiveness loses its foundation.Christ bears sin.Resurrection loses its guarantee.Christ is the firstfruits.Prayer loses its access.We approach the Father through Him.The church loses its Head.Christ is Head of the body.History loses its destination.Everything will ultimately be summed up in Christ.Christianity without Christ does not become a weaker Christianity.It ceases to be Christianity.XVI. A Person, Not Merely a SystemHere may be one of the strongest closing ideas for the lesson.Jesus did not ultimately come merely to give us:a better philosophya better moral systema better religionHe came to give us Himself.The gospel invitation is therefore:Not merely:"Accept these propositions."But:"Come to Me."Matthew 11:28 NKJV 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Matthew 11:28.Not merely:"Study this religious system."But:"Follow Me."Not merely:"Learn the truth."But:Know the One who says, "I am the Truth."Christianity is doctrinal because the Person must be known truthfully.But doctrine exists to tell us who Christ is so that we may trust Him, worship Him, obey Him, and know Him.Final Discussion: Digging DeeperIf Jesus were merely a moral teacher, which parts of Christianity would immediately collapse?Jesus says, "I am the truth." How is that different from saying, "I know the truth"?Why does modern culture often find Jesus' exclusivity more offensive than His teachings about love?Is it possible to affirm Jesus as a "great teacher" while rejecting His claims about Himself?How would you respond to someone who says, "All religions are basically the same"?Why does religious pluralism sound compassionate in modern culture?What is the difference between respecting another person's religious freedom and affirming that their religious claims are true?Why does Christianity's claim of one Savior not imply that Christians themselves are morally superior?If salvation could be reached through another road, what would that imply about the necessity of Christ's incarnation and cross?What does the wordteach us about the problem between humanity and God? mesitēsWhy can't moral behavior serve as our mediator?What is significant about Christ being both fully divine and fully human in His role as Mediator?What does Luke 24 teach us about the proper way to read the Old Testament?What is the danger of reading Scripture primarily for principles while failing to see Christ?How does Jesus function as the "cornerstone" of your theology—not just your salvation?Where are Christians most tempted today to make Jesus optional?What difference is there between asking Jesus to fit into your life and organizing your life around Jesus?How does the exclusivity of Christ actually destroy spiritual pride rather than encourage it?What would you say to the person who argues, "I believe Jesus is my way, but I would never say He's the only way"?If Jesus really is who the New Testament claims He is, what response does that demand from us?Closing ThoughtThe central question of Christianity is not simply:"What do you believe?"Ultimately it becomes Jesus' question:"Who do you say that I am?"Because if Jesus is merely one teacher among many, then His teachings can be weighed alongside others.But if Jesus is the eternal Son made flesh, the cornerstone, the Mediator, the Lamb, the risen Lord, and the only way to the Father, then He cannot simply occupy one compartment of our lives.Everything must be reordered around Him 1 Corinthians 2:2NIV2011
Colossians 1:16–17NIV2011
Isaiah 28:16NIV2011
Ephesians 2:19–22NIV2011
1 Peter 2:4–7NIV2011
Romans 3:23NIV2011
Romans 6:23NIV2011
Isaiah 59:2NIV2011
John 1:14NIV2011
John 14:6NIV2011
John 11:25NIV2011
John 8:12NIV2011
John 6:35NIV2011
Acts 4:12NIV2011
1 Timothy 2:5NIV2011
John 10:27–28NIV2011
John 17:3NIV2011
John 3:18NIV2011
Matthew 11:27NIV2011
Luke 24:25–27NIV2011
Romans 5:12–21NIV2011
1 Corinthians 15:45NIV2011
1 Corinthians 5:7NIV2011
John 3:14–15NIV2011
John 2:19–21NIV2011
John 5:39NIV2011
Matthew 11:28NIV2011