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Christ, Greater Than & Superior To The Prophets, Hebrews 1:1-3
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Feb 19, 2025
I was looking for the next book to study and initially I wanted to continue my odyssey of the book of Exodus. I read chapter 3 and came across a few difficulties and decided to shift my attention to the book of Hebrews. I know it’s a hard book to read but I think it’s well worth it. I don’t know how long this journey is going to last but i’m not concerned with the length of it. My desire is to be transformed by the words of God in this book. I’m not just looking to fill my head with knowledge but I want to be transformed by what I read. Christ’s identity has the been the subject a lot of scrutiny not only in our era but even among his contemporaries. He was killed because He claimed to be the Son of God. In John 8:58, Jesus made a bold statement ( before Abraham was I am). In verses 1 through 3 of the Chapter 1 of the book of Hebrews, the author is going to authenticate the identity of Christ and prove His superiority over the prophets of old
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hello good afternoon this is taiva
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taves.com and
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uh today we're gonna embark on the new
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journey uh
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i guess last week we finished with the
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second book of john
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and i was going to go through third john
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but i decided to shift my
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attention a little bit and now and when
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i actually finished the book of first
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john i wanted to uh
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do the book of exodus because i started
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that like
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uh several several months ago but then i
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i went to chapter three and i ran into
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some difficulties
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in interpretation so i just wanted to
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pause for a second and then
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give my attention to the book of hebrews
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i believe
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the book of hebrews is a hard book it's
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not easy but i think it's well worth it
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because
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there's so much stuff there that we need
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to know as believers and i want to turn
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my attention to that book
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so i don't know how long this journey is
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going to last but i'm not concerned with
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the length
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you know i want to actually learn so my
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desire is to be transformed
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by the words of god in this book i'm not
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just going to
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i don't want to just fill my head with
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knowledge okay i want to be transformed
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by what i read so
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this is why i want to read on the book
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of hebrews i know it's probably going to
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take us maybe a year
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to go through it all but you know what
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it's not about how
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quick we can go through a book is about
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how much the book has transformed us
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and that's what i want really you know
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and uh
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in uh in the book of hebrews the author
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actually
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primarily primarily writes to the jews
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okay and
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christ's identity has been the subject
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of a lot of scrutiny
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okay it's not only in our era but even
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among his own contemporaries
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they always kind of scrutinize his
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identity
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and he was killed because he claimed to
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be the son of god
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in john 8 58 jesus made a bold statement
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he said before abraham was
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i am making himself equal to god
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so today we're going to start with
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verses 1 and 3 of the book of hebrew
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and in those two three verses alone the
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author is going to authenticate the
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identity of christ and he proves
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that christ is superior to the prophet
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of old
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so we're going to dive into that today
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and that's what i want to start with so
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let's go
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to hebrews chapter one we're gonna read
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verses one
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through three now the scripture says
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long ago at many times and in many ways
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god spoke to our fathers by the prophets
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but in these last days he has
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spoken to us by his son whom
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he appointed the heir of all things
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through whom also he created the world
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he is the radiance of the glory of god
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and the exact imprint of his nature
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and he upholds the universe by the word
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of his power
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after making purification for sins he
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sat
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down at the right hand of the majesty
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on high now i'm going to stop here and
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then we're going to dissect
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on these verses you're going to learn
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what
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you are being told now verse 1 the
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scripture says
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again long ago at many times and in many
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ways god spoke to us
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and to our fathers by the prophet so the
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author
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is referring to the fathers the man the
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man of old okay
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so the prophets of old were the
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mouthpieces of god
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to the people of god so god used the
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prophet as his uh
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mouthpiece to the people they spoke on
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behalf of god
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but what they gave was an incomplete
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message
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and those prophets were of great
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importance because they all spoke of the
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coming of the anointed one the messiah
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that's what
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their main purpose was to speak to the
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people about the coming messiah
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they also gave a lot of warnings so the
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prophets of all were of great importance
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they were
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respected they were really held in their
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highest honor
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and esteem but the spirit of christ
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in them gave the people a picture of the
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plan of god that was going to be
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accomplished by jesus
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now the prophet like i said they were
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held in the highest esteem by the jews
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and rightfully so because if you go to
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first peter
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1 verse 10 to 12 you're going to read
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something important about the prophet
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let's read this
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listen to what peter says in first peter
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1
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verse 10 to 13 concerning this salvation
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the prophets who prophesied about the
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grace that was to be yours
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searched and inquired carefully
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inquiring what person or time the spirit
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of christ
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in them was indicating when he predicted
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the sufferings of christ
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and the subsequent glories it was
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revealed
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to them that they were serving not
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themselves
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but you in the things of that have now
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been announced
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to you through those who preached the
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good news to you
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by the holy spirit sent from heaven
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things into which
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angels long to look so the prophets
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they were mainly used by god to give a
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warning to the people and to also talk
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about the coming of the
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anointed one the messiah this is why if
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you if you look at the prophets of old
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they always had this thing they always
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said
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thus says the lord and then they will
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give the word so they were
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god mouth they were used by god they
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were his mouth peace to the people
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so god used the prophet to give a
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message to the people
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and that main message was the coming of
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the messiah so they prophesied about it
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isaiah prophesied in isaiah 53 about the
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sufferings
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of christ all these prophets every
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single one of them was a prototype of
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jesus christ
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they gave an incomplete message it was
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fragmented
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it was fragmented it wasn't complete so
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they gave just a picture
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they gave bits and pieces so they were
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used by god for that very purpose
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now what do we read in verse two let's
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listen to what this
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the author says in verse two but in
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these last days
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god has spoken to us by his son whom
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he appointed the heir of all things
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through whom also
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he created the world now there's a
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difference there and the
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the author is making that known listen
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he's made he's creating a pattern
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he's trying to show a transition in the
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role
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and the importance of the prophet
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against jesus himself
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see the prophet they were god's
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messengers in the old testament
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but when jesus appeared in history
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excuse me when jesus appeared in history
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when the word became flesh
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and made his dwelling among the people
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god
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revealed himself fully he gave us
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himself
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through jesus christ his son now god
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in this last days spoke through his son
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so there's a difference there again
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first he was the prophet he used the
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prophet his mosque
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as his mouth of peace but now in this
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last days the days that we are living in
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from the days jesus left
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to these days now god spoke through his
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son when jesus appeared in history
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when he was when the word became flesh
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god now spoke through his son this term
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son in this phrase the term son means
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that jesus
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unlike the prophet isn't just a mere
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messenger a mere man
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no jesus wasn't just moved by the spirit
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of god
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son means that jesus is of the same
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essence
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the same substance as god the father
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okay the prophets were not of the same
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substance
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as god the father but jesus the son he
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is
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so god revealed himself by the coming of
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his son into the world
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so so when jesus spoke the very words of
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god
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he wasn't just gonna say thus says the
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lord because when jesus spoke
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he spoke as god himself because he is
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god
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in essence he is god in substance he's
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the same
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as the father so while the prophets were
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important
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while their ministry was very important
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they were moved by the spirit but god
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through jesus spoke okay jesus
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wasn't just a mere man he was the son of
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god because he was
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of the same essence as the father so
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when jesus spoke he spoke as a man
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uh given the authority
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by god in the sense that his authority
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wasn't just
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like the prophet's authority i want to
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make sure that that point is so clear
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because when jesus spoke
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he spoke as god himself so it wasn't
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like thus
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says the lord now when jesus spoke is
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this is these are my words
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okay you'll often hear him say when he
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compares
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when he talked about you've heard he was
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said do this but i say to you
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i say to you because jesus is the
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originator
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of all things so he spoke the words his
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very words because those words were
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actually his
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to speak because he is god incarnate
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okay
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unlike the the prophets okay jesus
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didn't have to say thus says the lord
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because he is god
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now jesus according to this scripture
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again he's the heir of all things
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the firstborn over all creation he has
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preeminence
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over all things because all things were
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made through him
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and without him was not anything made
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that was made okay
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if you go to colossians 1 verse 15 to 19
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we read
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on the following let's go to colossians
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1.
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he is the image of the invisible god the
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firstborn of all creation
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because for by him all things were
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created in heaven and on earth
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visible and invisible whether thrones or
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dominions
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or rulers or authorities all things were
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created through him and for him
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and he is before all things and in him
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all things hold
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together and he is the head of the body
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the church he is the beginning
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the first one from the dead that in
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everything he may he might be preeminent
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for in him all the fullness of god was
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dwelled
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to please was pleased to dwell and if
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you go to john 1 verse 1 to 3
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we read the following in the beginning
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was the word
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and the word was with god and the word
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was god
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he was in the beginning with god all
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things were made
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through him and without him was not
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anything made
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that was made now you can see
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jesus unlike the prophets isn't just
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a mere man okay see the prophets
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they were used as man and and god
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moved them through his spirit jesus is
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god incarnate
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god in the flesh so when the word became
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flesh god came and dwelled
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with us so at jesus baptism what do we
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learn
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god confirmed the status of jesus okay
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he what did he say this is my beloved
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son
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in whom i'm well pleased and in the holy
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spirit descends on jesus like a dove
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to confirm his identity and the voice of
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god is heard i just told you about it
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so john ball witnessed that so jesus as
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a result of
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his sonship as a result of who he is has
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been appointed the error for all things
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before because he's before all things
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as we read in colossians 1 verse 15 to
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19
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he created all things so therefore he
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has pre-eminence he has
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he he is the first one overall creation
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in the sense that
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all things exist because of him so
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therefore he has pre-eminence
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he has the reward of the firstborn
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because he is the author
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of all things god made all things
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through the word
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the word of god he is the word of god
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the word became flesh
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let's go to matthew 3 verse 13 to 17
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let's read about
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how jesus what what the scriptures tells
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us about jesus
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matthew 3 let's read that
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we're going to read here 13-17
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listen to the scripture then jesus came
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from galilee to the jordan to john to be
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baptized by him
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john would have prevented him saying i
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need to be baptized by you
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and do you come to me but jesus answered
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him let it be so now for thus it is
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fitting for us to fulfill
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all righteousness then he consented and
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when jesus was baptized
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immediately he went up from the water
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and behold the heavens were opened to
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him
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and he saw the spirit of god descending
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like a dove
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and coming to rest on him and behold a
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voice from heaven said
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this is my beloved son with whom i
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am well pleased you see okay
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it's showing us again the identity of
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jesus and we are going to also look at
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john 1
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verse 29 to 34 we're going to see what
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john says about jesus
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29 to 34. listen to the scripture the
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next day he saw
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jesus coming toward him this is john and
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said behold
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the lamb of god who takes away the sin
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of the world this is he of whom i said
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after me
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comes a man who ranks before me because
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he's
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he was before me i myself did not know
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him
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but for this for this purpose i came
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baptizing with water
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that he might be revealed to israel and
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john bore
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witness i saw the spirit descend from
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heaven like a dove
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and he remained on him i myself did not
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know him but he was sent me to baptize
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with water said to me
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he on whom you see the spirit descend
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and remain this is he
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who baptizes with the holy spirit and i
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have seen
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and are born witness that this is the
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son of god
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again when the jews people say the son
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of god
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they are basically saying he is co-equal
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with the father he is of the same
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substance of the with the father
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he is consubstantial he is of the same
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essence of the same
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stuff so jesus is god god
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very god a very god okay so that's what
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the scripture says when the scripture
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says he's the son of god
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that's basically making jesus equal with
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the father
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this is what we learn in verse two and
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then verse 3
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we learn the following he is the
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radiance of the glory of god and the
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exact imprint of his nature
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and he upholds the universe by the word
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of his power
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after making purification for sins he
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sat down at the right hand of the
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majesty
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on high so let's understand what's going
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on here
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again scripture says that the heavens
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declare the glory of the lord okay and
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creation indeed
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declares the majesty and the eternal
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power and divine nature of god
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but that's all creation can do okay
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that's all creation can do
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jesus on the other hand is the radiance
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of the glory of god
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the brightness of his glory jesus
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doesn't just declare the glory of god he
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is the glory of god concealed in the
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human flesh in the human body
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see god he tabernacled among men in
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jesus
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that's what god did he tabernacled he
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came and dwelt with man
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in jesus through jesus so in the old
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testament
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when the cloud stood above the
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tabernacle
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the glory of the the lord filled the
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place okay they should guard shekinah
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the shekinah glory
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filled the place and moses could not
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even enter because of the brightness
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because of the glory
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okay but in jesus the fullness of god
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dwelt in a bodily form
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concealed so that man could approach
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jesus man could approach god okay
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now number two jesus is the expressed
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image
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of god in a bodily form the exact
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imprint of his nature
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so we read that in john 12 45 let's
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let's go to john 12 45
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and read the following and whoever sees
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me
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sees him who sent me this is what jesus
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says about himself
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and in john 14 9 he says the same thing
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and jesus said to him
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have i been with you so long and you
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still do not know me philip
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whoever has seen me
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has seen the father how can you say
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show us the father he's the exact
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imprint of his nature
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jesus himself says it and agrees to it
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okay he never denies it
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so none of the prophets could ever make
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such a bold statement because they were
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all flawed
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okay all the prophets had their own
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flaws so they could never say
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whoever has seen me has seen the father
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but jesus can't say that because he is
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the son of god
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meaning he is of the same substance as
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god he is co-equal with god
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because no other human face on the face
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of the earth can say that
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only except jesus because he is god
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incarnate so this is what set him apart
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from the prophet
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okay he's so so much different because
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jesus is holy he's set apart from
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anybody else that existed in in history
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okay and in him all things exist
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because he upholds he upholds and
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sustains
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all things by his powerful word he is
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the word of god
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he can make something from nothing jesus
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is the word of god that's his name the
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word of god so he can make something
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from nothing okay no prophets of old
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had any of these qualifiers they don't
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have they didn't have none of them
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had any of these qualifiers because
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jesus birth
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and three years ministry proved all of
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this he was born of a virgin
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okay and no other human in history was
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born of a virgin
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his supernatural work he walked on water
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he defied
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the laws of nature his healing ministry
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he healed the sick he raised the dead
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his word breathed life into people okay
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and after his suffering and resurrection
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which was proved by the way he sat down
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at the highest place of honor at the
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right hand of god
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the father the place only reserved for a
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person co-equal with god himself
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so he became the propitiation and
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expiation for our sins and no prophet
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ever did that
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they died after their ministry was ended
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and that was it
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but jesus blood has so much worth that
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it was sufficient to atone
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for the sins of the entire world you see
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like when you see jesus jesus
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superiority to the prophet is just
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it's not even comparable and the author
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of hebrews is giving us a picture of
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that in just these three verses
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okay we learn from this that number one
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god spoke
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in the uh in the old days to the prophet
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where in this last days he has spoken to
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us by his son
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meaning the person through whom he
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created all things
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okay and this man jesus upholds the
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universe
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by his powerful word because jesus is
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the only one that can make something
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from nothing he spoke things into
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existence
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and he defies it he defied the laws of
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nature okay he is god
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incarnate and this is what we learn from
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just these three verses it's just
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incredible
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okay and i don't know what else to say
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about these three verses maybe i've
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missed
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some things but you get the point in
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these last days
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god has spoken to us by his son whom he
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appointed the heir of all things and we
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know why jesus has preeminence because
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all things were made by him so therefore
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because all things were made by him he
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asked preeminence over everything
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and he's the radiance of the glory of
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god i read the commentary and the
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commentary says
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that jesus is to the father what the
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rays
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of the sun are to the sun and you cannot
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separate that because
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the rays of the sun out are of the same
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essence as the sun
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in the same way jesus is of the same
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essence as god the father so you can
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separate them you can make the
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distinction but you cannot separate them
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so i don't know if this is a great
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analogy but this is what i read in the
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commentary
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which i think is important because jesus
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is the radiance
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of the glory of god okay the radiance
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light sent by the light of the world
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and jesus in jesus the the fullness of
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god was pleased to dwell so he's not
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just like any other man
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okay he stands uh he stands holy
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among all other men we were all born
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with that sinful nature
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we were all flawed jesus is perfect the
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perfect
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human being okay god he is god incarnate
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he has a dual nature we say that he
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is god incarnate so he has the the
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divine nature and also the human nature
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he was truly man but also truly god
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because of all the summation of the
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attribute of god
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were present in jesus okay the glory of
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god
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the summation of all the attributes of
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god were present in jesus and when he
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walked on earth he displayed every
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single one of them
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with the things that he did with the
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words that he spoke and with how he
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lived his life
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and when he rose from the dead he again
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proved to be the son of god by his
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resurrection from the dead
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this is just incredible so jesus
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compared to the prophet
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jesus is way high up here and the
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prophets are way down here
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so the author is making sure that we
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understand that jesus has supremacy
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over the prophet and then next thing
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he's going to also talk about the angels
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because prophets the prophets were were
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very respected by
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by the jewish people okay moses was
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highly esteemed
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and abraham was highly esteemed isaiah
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the prophet was a highly esteemed
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jeremiah the prophet elijah
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all these prophets were highly esteemed
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but as highly esteemed as they were
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they don't compare to jesus because they
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served
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jesus because he is god okay they spoke
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on behalf of jesus
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in the old days but in these last days
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god spoke to us
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directly by jesus this is why his name
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is emmanuel
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god with us if you go to isaiah 7 14
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the scripture talks about that so jesus
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speaks as
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god he doesn't speak as a man sent by
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god yes he was sent by god but he is god
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himself
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all right so that's what we learned from
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just these three verses and then next
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week we're gonna continue with the
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rest of this uh chapter one of hebrews
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it's a great book like i said and we're
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going to learn a lot here
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all right thank you and have a wonderful
21:21
day