Are You Assuming? or Do You Know Jesus?

By Doudly Odilon

People want to be sure of everything they do in life, but when it comes to the Word of God, many people do not have any problem making assumptions. As a believer in God, you are responsible for the lives of many. You must be sure that you know Jesus, because you lead a lot of people, and their lives depend on your teachings.

Because it was impossible for the blood of animals to take away humanity’s sin, God formed a plan to redeem the world he created through a sacrifice that would last forever. But his nature as Spirit made that impossible—flesh had to be offered for the sin of humankind, and only a sinless person could go against the devil and the gates of hell and take authority away from Satan.

Accordingly, God put himself in flesh to provide that sacrifice. As a citizen of earth, he was Jesus, a name before which every knee must bow in worship. Jesus has the authority with the spirit that dwelled inside of him, bearing the same titles: God, Eternal Father, and Savior.

This theological study seeks to help those who want to know Jesus examine all the assumptions they have made and build up their faith with the truth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664218031

Doudly Odilon

Doudly Odilon was born in Carrefour, Haiti, and dedicated his life to Jesus Christ as a young man. He has served as a pastor for more than a decade. He and his wife, Josuee Anne, have two sons and one daughter and live in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

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Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International

Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc.

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ISBN: 978-1-6642-1802-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-1804-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-1803-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020925964

WestBow Press rev. date: 01/13/2020

Matthew 16: 13–19

Are You Assuming? Or Do You Know Jesus?

CONTENTS

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Chapter 1     Why Do You Assume to Know Jesus? Jesus Wants You to Know Him.

Chapter 2     Knowing Yourself

Chapter 3     Why Did Jesus Take His Disciples Caesarea of Philippi?

Chapter 4     Jesus’s Two Witnesses

Chapter 5     Jesus Christ Is None of Them

Chapter 6     Start With Prophesy; Make Jesus Look Like a Man Only

Chapter 7     Understand These Four Titles of Jehovah

Chapter 8     The Attribution of the Father Is the Attribution of the Son

Chapter 9     The Titles used for God Vary According to the Circumstance We Face

Chapter 10   Conclusion

CHAPTER 1

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WHY DO YOU ASSUME TO

KNOW JESUS? JESUS WANTS

YOU TO KNOW HIM.

P eople take life on earth very seriously. This is why a lot of us take time to study every area in our lives to be sure of every single decision we make is a good one. We have one objective: success! We are not assured of the person we are going to get married to. Some people wait for years to get married because they want to be sure of the person they are going to spend the rest of their lives with. We study character and emotions. Some people are very smart, and they provoke their partners to see how they will react. We do things like that because if we assume something is wrong, it could be very painful later on.

Let’s say you are on board a plane and the pilot makes the following announcement: We are clear to take off, but I am not so sure about the landing because the brakes of the plane are damaged. I guarantee that, before you know it, the plane will be empty. Pilots cannot assume everything is okay before takeoff; they must be sure that everything is working perfectly before even turning the engines on because they are responsible for the lives of many people. Also, doctors cannot make assumptions about the treatment of their patients, especially with medication administration. If a doctor gives an incorrect dose, it does not matter how sorry he or she is. The dose could kill the patient! Because doctors don’t want to make assumptions, there are seven steps they follow before they administer any medication.

People want to be sure of everything they do in life, but when it comes to the Word of God, many people do not have any problem making assumptions.

It would be chaotic to have a disciple who could not represent his or her master correctly and who assumed everything. This sort of disciple would misrepresent his or her master. That sort of behavior would get a person fired from a workplace. As a believer in God, you are his pilot or doctor. Many lives depend on you. You must be sure that you know Jesus, because you lead a lot of people, and their lives depend on your teachings.

When was the last time you checked on yourself? When did you compare what you teach with the scripture, what the prophets prophesized, and what Jesus preached to the apostles to see if you are assuming anything? Also, if they were here, would they preach the same thing you are preaching no? Serving God is not like being a doctor who keeps prescribing medications and never tastes them. Look at what God told Ezekiel:

And he said to me, Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.

Then he said to me, Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it. So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

He then said to me: Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language, but to the people of Israel—not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate. But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people. (Ezekiel 3:1–9 NIV)

Therefore, God did not let Ezekiel assume anything; this is why he told him to eat the scripture first. You do not want to assume. You need to have it inside first before you even make an attempt to give it away. Ezekiel did not give a full description of the scroll or the scripture’s application, but the apostle John did. John’s words are extremely easy, but the application of the scripture is very difficult.

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.

Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.

Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.

So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’ I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings. (Revelation 10:1–11 NIV)

A doctor must know that there is a time to study and a time to taste the medication. If you do not want to make assumptions about Jesus, follow his advice:

You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (John 5:39–40 NIV)

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28–30 NIV)

Jesus did not want his disciples to assume anything about him in the same way that the priests thought that they knew him. It is a good thing for your enemies not to know who you are, but it is very painful and dangerous for your inner circle of friends to assume they know who you are.

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say the Son of Man is?

They replied, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

But what about you? he asked. Who do you say I am?

Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

Jesus replied, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. (Matthew 16:13–19 NIV)

Good readers should ask themselves these five questions before even attempting to go any further in this scripture.

1. Who?

2. Why?

3. Where?

4. When?

5. How?

These five questions are not applicable at all times, but three of them are applicable most of the time.

CHAPTER 2

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KNOWING YOURSELF

B efore you go out there to ask people about yourself,