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Israel Wayne wrote, Questions Jesus Asks, in which he explores twenty topics that originate from questions that Jesus asks during His personal ministry.  The twenty topics covered are:  Christology, Virgin Birth, Family, Discipleship, Money, Healing, Counseling, Fear, Demonology, Servanthood, Government, Forgiveness, Apologetics, Lordship, Prayer, Suffering, Love, Persecution, Hell and Resurrection.  The author explores the omniscience of Jesus and the reason Jesus asks questions.  He also explores the nature of Jesus and the communicable perfections of God in special studies.
Jesus asks 307 questions in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  The diligent Bible student would want to explore this special study of a specific aspect of the teaching methods of Jesus.  Questions make us think and focus on the answers to important issues facing every person.  The knowledge obtained is spiritual and affects our eternal destiny.  A book review of this work has been posted on my Book Reviews page.

Matthew records Jesus’ conversation with a woman of Canaan (Matt. 15:21-28).  Jesus enters the coasts of Tyre and Sidon and is met by a woman with a special request.  The woman is a Gentile.  This is the first time that Matthew reports a woman as addressing Jesus.  The woman’s daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.  She comes to Jesus because she knows and believes that He can heal her daughter.
Faith’s Request
She says, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.”  She knows who Jesus is.  She addresses Him as Lord and as the Son of David (a reference that indicates knowledge that Jesus is the Messiah).  Faith is based upon knowledge.  Knowledge of the truth is a solid foundation for faith.  The request is not for herself, but in behalf of her daughter who is suffering and whom she loves.  Faith in the Lord and love for her daughter motivate her to make this plea for help.
Jesus’ First Response
Jesus answers her not a word.  Jesus’ silence tests the strength of her faith.  Jesus is not indifferent to her request.  Will she persist?  Delay tests the authenticity of her faith in Jesus and the love she has for her daughter.
Faith Rebuffed
Jesus’ disciples desire to have her dismissed.  They tell Jesus to “send her away.”  The disciples seem somewhat annoyed by her constant crying out after Jesus.  She was persistent and undaunted by the move to dismiss her request.  Her faith was resilient.
Jesus’ Second Response
Jesus states His mission:  “I am sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  The focus of Jesus’ ministry was among the Jews at this time.  The gospel went to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles.  However, there are times in Jesus’ public ministry where He opened the door of His mercy to the Gentiles indicating that God’s grace is available to all people.
Faith’s Resurgence
The woman worshipped Jesus and said, “Lord, help me.”  This is the second time she addresses Jesus as Lord.  Her faith is fixed on His position and power.  She manifests great pathos.  Her emotions support her faith.
Jesus’ Third Response
Jesus said to her, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs.”  The response of Jesus points out the priority of His mission.  Children are superior to dogs.  The use of the term dogs is not meant to offend her, but to establish the distinction between God’s chosen people and the other nations under the Old Testament.  However, this distinction is about to change under a new dispensation of the gospel of Jesus Christ (the New Testament).
Faith Unrelenting
The woman replies to Jesus, “Truth Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fell from their master’s table.”  For the third time she refers to Him as Lord.  Her request comes from an acknowledged position of humility.  She does not possess the rights of the children.  She knows she deserves nothing, but still, she comes seeking a special blessing, indeed, a miracle.
Faith Rewarded
Jesus says to her, “O woman, great is thy faith…”  She knows who Jesus is and that He has the power to help her.  Her knowledge is the basis of her faith.  Her faith underlies her plea.  Her plea is relentless because her faith is great.  Her plea is answered/rewarded by mercy–the very mercy she came seeking.  Jesus said, “Be it unto thee even as thou wilt” (Matt. 15:28).  “And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”  Mercy was obtained and God’s heart was revealed.  Great faith can be found in unexpected hearts!

The virgin birth of Jesus is affirmed in the Scriptures.  Matthew 1:18-23 fulfilled Isaiah 7:14.  Luke writes, “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.  Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:31-35).  Mary was with child of the Holy Spirit (a miracle).
Mary was Espoused to Joseph
The espousal between Mary and Joseph was a binding covenant/contract.  The contract could only be broken by adultery.  Generally, a year elapsed between initiating the contract and the marriage ceremony.  The couple lived with parents during this time and saw each other under the watchful eye of a chaperone. Jesus was conceived during the time of the betrothal.  The conception was the result of a miracle wrought by God.  No adultery was committed.  If a woman committed adultery, the man was to denounce her before the Jewish council.  The officiating priest would conduct an interrogation.  If the evidence confirmed sin, the woman was to be stoned.  The offended lover would cast the first stone.  Mary knows the law.  Does Mary conceal her pregnancy?  No, she goes to visit Elizabeth.  Elizabeth is married to Zecharaiah, the officiating priest. Mary goes to the fountain head of the law and judgment to announce her pregnancy.  She shows no signs of guilt or shame.
The Law of Illegitimacy (Deuteronomy 23)
An illegitimate child could not become a member of the congregation of Israel.  It took ten generations to purify an illegitimate offspring.  Jesus, if illegitimate, would have violated this law.  But, Jesus never shows any signs of guilt or shame.  The family of Jesus follows the law regarding presenting Him to the LORD (Luke 2:22).  The first male child would be called “holy to the LORD.”  This simply would not have been possible without the greatest violation of the conscience by both Joseph and Mary if Jesus were illegitimate.
Mary’s Song (Luke 1:46-55)
In ten verses, Mary cites 23 separate Old Testament Scriptures (portions therefrom).  She says, “My soul doth magnify the LORD.”  She refers to herself as the “handmaid” of the LORD (Luke 1:38). Does this sound like a woman who had violated the laws of God?
Consider Joseph a Righteous Man
Joseph discovered Mary’s pregnancy and determined to put her away privately.  His actions show that he had no part in her pregnancy.  Joseph continues his relationship with Mary and marries her only after an angel of the LORD spoke with him and informed him as to the means of Mary’s pregnancy.  He is convinced that Mary is pure and does not hesitate to take her as his wife (Matt. 1:18-25).
Mary at the Cross
Jesus was humiliated, mocked, beaten, made to carry His own cross, nailed by His hands and feet to the cross and lifted up between heaven and earth to die.  The sight would have been unbelievably horrifying to anyone standing near by.  Mary was present at the cross.  The chief reason that Jesus was crucified was for blasphemy because “He made Himself the Son of God” (John 10:33 and Matt. 26:65-66).  Mary knew that her son was the Son of God.  If not, she is the most despicable woman in human history. Why?  Mary stood with her mouth shut and allowed her son to be beaten and crucified when she could have saved him by naming His father.  Mary’s silence at the foot of the cross speaks to the truth of Jesus’ identity.  Truly, He was the Son of God!

Father, Son and Spirit–The Trinity and John’s Gospel is written by Andreas J. Kostenberger and Scott R. Swain. The book is part of the series, New Studies in Biblical Theology edited by D. A. Carson and published by InterVarsity Press in 2008. This book is a special study of a special topic. The authors give a thorough analysis and study of the words, God (theos), Father, Son and Spirit in the Gospel of John. They consider each term in the various parts of John’s Gospel: the Prologue, the Book of Signs and the Book of Glory. Then, they draw some theological conclusions based upon their analysis of the passages. I have completed a review of this book and added it to my Book Reviews page on my blog. Why not take a moment to read it?

The focus of the Gospel of John is to answer the question, “Who Is Jesus?” The answer to this question gives insight into another question, “Who Is God?” In the opening eighteen verses of this Gospel, John uses several descriptive terms to identify Jesus. They are: Word, Creator, Life and Light, Only begotten Son, and Christ.
Jesus the Word
“In the beginning was the Word…” (John 1:1). John is the only New Testament writer to use the term, Word, to describe Jesus. The Greek word logos is translated by the English term, Word. John is referring to the fact that Jesus is the full and complete revelation of God (deity) to the world. Jesus declares the Father (John 1:18). Every characteristic of deity was possessed by Jesus (John 14:9, Col. 2:9). He is the express image of the Father (Heb. 1:3). To affirm that Jesus is deity is to give insight into the godhead. Clearly, in John 1:1, the Word was with God (distinct from God the Father, but present with Him in the beginning-Gen. 1:1) as part of the godhead. The Word was God (God is from the Greek word theos indicating the nature of His essential being–or deity). The Word is an agent of Creation. Creative power belongs to God alone and Jesus is creator (John 1:3). Therefore, Jesus is God (deity). God (the Triune God) is an eternal, self-existing, all-powerful spiritual being manifested in three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Each of these persons share together in one divine essence to form one essential being–the Triune God. This understanding of the godhead is further developed in the Gospel of John. It emphatically refutes atheism.
Jesus the Creator
“All things were made by him…” (John 1:3). “All things…” refers to each item individually considered. Each minute part of the creation is included in the creative power manifested by the Word. “Made” means “came into being.” This refutes the concept of the eternality of matter. Every material thing that exists in the universe had a beginning. “By” indicates agency. Jesus was with God the Father at the beginning of all things (Gen. 1:1, Col. 1:16). Jesus possessed and demonstrated full creative powers–a characteristic of deity. If we deny creation, we deny the true identity of Jesus Christ. If we deny Jesus as creator, we must also deny Him as savior of the world!
Jesus the Life and Light
“In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). Jesus is the source of all life-physical, spiritual and eternal-because He is the creator of all things. All life comes from Him who is the source of life. Consequently, belief in Jesus requires that we reject the notion of spontaneous generation. Spontaneous generation, the notion that non-living things can produce living organisms has never been proven scientifically. Yet, this concept is an important aspect of organic evolution. Not only is Jesus the life (John 14:6), but, He is the light. The word light refers to truth and moral uprightness (John 14:6). Light is in conflict with darkness (error and moral corruption). But, light dispels the darkness (John 3:21). Men love darkness rather than light because the truth rebukes their sinful deeds. The only hope men have to win over sin and death is to come to the light.
Jesus the Only Begotten Son
Twice in the prologue to John’s Gospel Jesus is referred to as “the only begotten Son” (John 1:14, 18). In John 1:14, the affirmation is made that the Word was made flesh. This refers to the Virgin Birth of Jesus. The conception of Jesus was a miracle. Luke describes it in these words, “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb…Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall these things be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:31-35). Jesus was (eternally existed) but He was made or became flesh (at a certain point in history) (John 1:1, 14). Jesus is the Second Person of the godhead who took human form and was made in the likeness of a servant for the purpose of suffering the death on the cross and securing our eternal redemption (Phil. 2:5-11).
Jesus the Christ
“…but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). The word Christ refers to the Messiah. Jesus is the anointed one. He was anointed with the Holy Spirit at His baptism (Matt. 3:16-17, Acts 10:38). John the baptist was an eyewitness to this event (John 1:32-34). John’s testimony validates Jesus’ claim to be the hope of Israel and the hope of the world. Jesus Christ gives us grace and truth. Grace is the unmerited favor of God and reveals God’s goodness toward us in the unspeakable gift of His Son (John 3:16; II Cor. 9:15). Truth is the very words proceeding forth from God (the Triune God). The words of Jesus (His teaching, especially His commands) will judge us in the last day (John 12:48).
The revelation of Jesus Christ by John is convincing and faith producing. It is only by believing in Jesus Christ that we can have eternal life (John 20:30-31). Authentic faith in Jesus involves trusting Him and obeying Him (John 3:36). Do you know Jesus? Have you obeyed Him?

In a recent article in the Christian Courier, Wayne Jackson presented material concerning Jesus and Moses (Christian Courier, April, 2014, p. 15). I would like to expand on that material.
Unbelievable Quotes
T. K. Cheyne (1899) wrote that the books of Moses were written almost a thousand years after Moses and therefore, could not have been written by Moses (Encyclopedia Biblica, vol. 2, p. 2055). According to Cheyne, Moses could not have written anything about Jesus.
John Willis (2009) in the Transforming Word, (Abilene Christian University Press) said, “There is no unequivocal specific prediction of the coming of Jesus Christ and/or the church in the Old Testament.” Willis does not believe that there is any Messianic prophecy in the Old Testament.
Both of these statements betray the liberal theology of the men who wrote them.
The Statement of Jesus
In John 5:46-47, Jesus stated, “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words.” Jesus believed that Moses wrote of Him. Jesus believed that Moses’ writings were Scripture (John 5:39). Jesus connected belief in Moses’ words with belief in His own words. Jesus words are also Scripture.
What Moses Wrote About Jesus
Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament (Luke 24:44). Consider the following passages that Moses wrote about Jesus.
First, Gen. 3:15 was written by Moses. “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” This is the first Messianic prophecy in Scripture. The prophecy relates to the “seed of woman” who would destroy the works of Satan (Heb. 2:14; I John 3:8). This is the beginning of the seed promise. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law” (Gal. 4:4). God promised Abraham that through his seed all nations of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 22:18). Paul applies this promise to Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:16). The seed promise was also made to David (II Sam. 7:11-17). In Matthew 1:1, the word of God declares that Jesus was the son of David, the son of Abraham. This connects Jesus with the seed promise. Moses wrote concerning the physical line of descent that would be the means by which Jesus was brought into the world.
Second, in Gen. 49:10, Moses wrote, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” The sceptre denotes rule. Shiloh would be a descendent of Judah and would rule with authority and might. Shiloh would also be a lawgiver. Jesus was a lawgiver (Heb. 1:1-2). The word Shiloh means “rest-giver.” Jesus brought rest and peace (Matt. 11:28; John 16:33). John refers to Jesus as the “lion of the tribe of Judah” (Rev. 5:5). Jesus is the Shiloh mentioned in this text and this text was written by Moses!
Third, Moses wrote the book of Exodus. In Exodus 12:1-14, the details of the Passover are given to us. The Old Testament foreshadows the New Testament (Heb. 10:1). “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” The Old Testament forshadows or typifies things that were to come. The New Testament contains the antitype or substance (reality). The Passover lamb was a type of which Jesus is the antitype. Paul writes, “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” (I Cor. 5:7). Jesus is the lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Moses wrote of our redemption through Jesus Christ by giving us the type of which Jesus is the antitype. This feature of the link between the Old Testament and the New Testament is just as important as prophecy and its fulfillment.
Fourth, the various sacrifices offered under the Old Testament foreshadowed the supreme sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of mankind. In Leviticus 1-7, Moses writes concerning the various sacrifices that comprised the sacriicial system under the law of Moses. One of these sacrifices was the burnt offering which was made in order to obtain atonement. However, the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin (Heb. 10:4). Only the blood of Jesus purges the conscience from dead works (Heb. 9:14-15). Consequently, the atonement for sins committed under the Old Testament was secured by the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross. Only the blood of Jesus remits/forgives sin. Jesus is a superior sacrifice for sin (Heb. 10:4). Once again, Moses foreshadows the utimate sacrifice for sin.
Fifth, in Numbers 21:4-9, we read that the Israelites were discouraged during their journey from Mount Hor to the land of Edom. They murmured against God. God sent “fiery serpents” (poisonous snakes) among them and many were bitten and died. God instructs Moses to make a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole. When the people looked upon it, they would be healed. In John 3:14-15, Jesus applies this historical event to His own death. “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Mosess lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” Jesus also said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32). Jesus referenced His death upon the cross. Through His death, many would be healed spiritually (forgiven of their sins). Through type and antitype, Moses wrote of Jesus.
Finally, consider the prediction that Moses made in Deut. 18:18-20, “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.” In Acts 3:22-23, Peter, an apostle of the Lord, said, “For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.” Peter states that Moses wrote about Jesus! Moses pointed to Jesus as a spokesman for God that all people must obey.
In every book that Moses wrote, i.e. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, he said something about Jesus! Jesus said Moses wrote of Him. Peter said that Moses wrote of Jesus. You simply cannot appeal to a higher authority to prove this fact. In light of the unbelievable statements given above, we must affirm, “let God be true and every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4).

The headlines read, “Ancient papyrus fragment refers to Jesus’ ‘wife.'”  Karen King, a Christian scholar at the Harvard Divinity School, presented a papyrus fragment from the fourth century that contains a phrase in which Jesus refers to “My wife.”  The fragment consists of eight lines of black ink, written in Coptic, which include the phrase, “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife…'”  Several observations need to be made concerning this “find.”
First, the authenticity of the fragment has not been proved.  Roger Bagnell, director of the Institute for the Study of Ancient World in New York said that it is likely authentic.  The provenance of the fragment is a mystery.  Its owner has asked to remain anonymous.  Only a small circle of experts have concluded it is not likely a forgery.  The final verdict has not been given.  AnneMarie Luijendijk, who co-authored the paper with King said the fragment’s poor condition suggests it was found in a garbage heap.
Second, the fragment does not prove that Jesus was married.  We already know of this controversy through Gnostic writings in the second century.  This was a topic of discussion a few years ago when The Da Vinci Code was published. The Da Vinci Code was written by Dan Brown.  It is a fictional novel.  In it, Brown claims that the Gnostic Gospels (such as the Gospel of Philip and the Gospel of Mary) are the earliest Gospels and that they have been suppressed by church councils (Da Vinci Code, p. 231).  The Gnostic Gospels are a group of books discovered in 1945 at Nag Hammadi, Egypt.  Fifty-two texts were recovered, dating from approximately AD 350 (first published in English in 1981).  Neither the Gospel of Philip nor the Gospel of Mary existed during the time the New Testament Gospels were written.
Gnosticism refers to a body of related teachings, both ancient and modern, stressing the acquisition of gnosis (Greek for knowledge), or secret, inner, esoteric knowledge.  The knowledge sought is not strictly intellectual, but mystical.  This gnosis is the knowledge of ultimate reality particulary one’s divine essence and origin (New Dictionary of Christian Apologetics, p. 288).  Gnostics deny that Jesus Christ died on the cross to atone for sin.  They teach that Jesus was resurrected, but not physically.  Gnosticism is a form of mysticism.
Brown appealed to the Gospel of Philip as a source of information about Jesus being married.  The Gospel of Philip states, “And the companion of the (…) Mary Magdalene (…loved) her more than (all) the disciples (and used to) kiss her (often) on her (…)”  The relevant portion of this book has many gaps.  The bracketed portions reflect gaps in the manuscripts.  The use of this text in an attempt to prove that Jesus was married is completely false.
The New Testament books: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John do not mention that Jesus was married or that He fathered any children.  The historical account of Jesus’ life is truth–historical truth!  The false view of Gnosticism cannot overthrow the truth.