Who is “The Word”? How can the personality and life of Jesus Christ help us to know the Eternal God?
Many people have had their lives changed by encountering Jesus Christ, the rich, the poor, the famous, the unknown, the proud, the humble, people like you and me. For over two thousand years, the teaching and truth of His words continue to influence and change lives around the world. In fact His words have even become part of the everyday speech of people who do not even acknowledge He existed. Many know the sayings but not the truth behind them. Faith Service Worship Vision There may be times when you find it difficult to reconcile God’s truth to your own opinion or worldview, God’s truth is eternal, it does not change, our understanding of the truth does change as we allow God to work in our hearts and minds. These sessions are not about opinion, they are about learning truth, the truth contained in the Bible, together we are going to focus on how we apply God’s truth, black & white in a grey world. To set godly priorities, grow in Christian character and live according to God’s standards so that we are a living witness to others.
Who you believe: Session 3
Ashingdon Elim Bible Study 2 February 2010
Can you think of any of Jesus sayings that have become part of everyday speech? For example, A baptism of fire (Luke 3:16) or the
blind leading the blind (Matthew 15:14),
John 1:1-18 The Word Became Flesh
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ “ 16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known. 1
Jesus teachings touch the world today
In the last session we looked at the fact that the coming of Jesus Christ is the centre of history. His birth split time into two. One simple birth, in a stable of all places, changed the world. People around the world use calendars and diaries with dates based on the number of years that have passed since the birth of Jesus Christ - even atheists and agnostics! Every year millions of people around the world celebrate Christmas with only a passing acknowledgement to it being the time to remember the birth of Jesus Christ. 1
In a short earthly life of just thirty-three years Jesus impacted many lives. For only three years He preached and taught His disciples and crowds of people the truth. One gospel writer said “The large crowd listened to Him with delight” (Mark 12:37).
“He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village and worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty. Then for just three years he was an itinerant preacher. “He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put his foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He never did any of the things that we normally associate with greatness. He had no credentials but himself. “While he was still a young man the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves and his executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth, and that was his coat. When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. “Two thousand years have come and gone and today he is the central figure of the human race and the leader of the column of progress. “All the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever sailed, and all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as has that one solitary life.” James Allen Francis
His 12 disciples were ordinary men, common people, fishermen, outcasts (even then the people disliked the taxman). He spoke to the rejected, the despised, the sick, the broken and people were changed. His words were scrutinised by the intellectual, the religious leaders and the proud.
Are there specific teachings of Jesus that have a special meaning to you? At His birth He was given the name Jesus which means “Saviour”, to express the special office He would fulfil: “He will save His people from their sins” Matthew 1:21. His title is Christ means “Anointed One”, someone who is appointed to a special position or service. The Apostle Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” Matthew 16:16. The title Messiah carries the same meaning and is used in both the Old and New Testaments.
Jesus, God incarnate
If I said to you, “If you know me, you know God”, your response may be that I need some serious medical help. You probably would not take my statement seriously. When Jesus said “If you know me, you know God”, why did people take Him seriously?
Jesus the Flawless one
Jesus made many statements regarding who He was, “I and the Father [God] are one” John 10:30. “If you knew me, you would also know my Father” John 8:19. “To see me is to see the Father” John 14:9 (The Message). “I am the way and the truth and the life” John 14:6.
“He did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth” 1 Peter 2:22. “He knew no sin” 2 Corinthians 5:21. “In Christ there is no sin” 1 John 3:5. Pilate the acting Roman governor said, “I find no fault in him” Luke 23:4. Pilate’s wife stated, “This was an innocent man”
Jesus had a life, character and behaviour without flaw. It is written that:
Matthew 27:19. Judas said, “I have betrayed innocent blood” Matthew 27:4. The Roman centurion who watched Jesus being crucified said, “Surely he was the Son of God!” Matthew 27:54 When Jesus asked “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?” (John 8:46), no one replied, for there was no evidence against Him.
The Apostle Thomas, on seeing Jesus alive, with scars on His hands from the execution declared Him “my Lord and my God” John 20:28. The Apostle Paul stated that through Jesus, “all things in Heaven and on earth were created” Colossians 1:16 and refers to Him as “the image of the invisible God” Colossians 1:15. “He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being” Hebrews 1:3. 2
Jesus the Miracle worker
Jesus the fulfiller of prophecy
Jesus went to the synagogue on a regular basis. There was one occasion when He attended the synagogue in Nazareth and one of the attendants in charge of looking after the scrolls handed Jesus the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus opened the scroll and read aloud Isaiah 61:1-2: “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God.”
This was no ordinary man, can you describe some of the miracles He performed? At a wedding Jesus turned water into wine. He fed over five thousand people with a borrowed packed lunch - only five loaves of bread and two fish. He spoke and calmed a storm that was so violent even professional fishermen were scared and thought they would die. To a man blind from birth, He gave sight by spiting in some mud and rubbing it in his eyes. (John 9) He raised his friend from the dead. He healed the demon possessed.
Jesus giver of forgiveness
Jesus then rolled up the scroll handed it back to the attendant and sat down. Every eye in the place was fixed on Jesus, no one moved, everyone waited to see what Jesus would do next. Jesus stood up and said to the people: “Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).
Have you ever broken someone’s roof? What would you be willing to do to bring a friend to Jesus? On one occasion recorded in the Gospel of Mark 2:1-12, Jesus was teaching in a small house. The place was packed. People packed the place to listen to His teaching. People eager to listen to His words blocked the doorways and windows. There were four men who carried their paralysed friend to see Jesus, but they were unable to get in. The men were determined that their friend would see Jesus. They climbed up onto the roof, pulled away the roof above where Jesus stood in the house below and then lowered their friend down through the hole they had made. They wanted Jesus to heal their friend.
This was a prophecy that had been written 800 years earlier. The reaction of the people was one of wonder, as Luke wrote all were “amazed at the gracious words that came from His lips” (Luke 4:22). Everyone could see this was no ordinary man. The verses fitted what they had already seen in His life, there was a power in His words, there was a power in His presence. There was a restrained reverence that would soon turn to them demanding He perform miracles for them.
When Jesus saw the sick man and the faith of his friends, Jesus simply said to the man “your sins are forgiven”. The religious experts that were there got angry – only God has the power to forgive sins. Jesus just told the sick man to get up, roll up his bed and walk. The Bible records that immediately, “He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all.”
In His thirty-three earthly years, over sixty Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled making precise details of His life impossible to ignore. Most of the prophecies about Jesus were written more than 700 years before His birth. This would be the same as us predicting where a person born in 2710 would be born and what he would do. Fifteen specific details about the death of Jesus appear in Isaiah 53:3-12: His suffering; His rejection by people; His silence before His accusers; His taking our sins upon Himself; His being treated unjustly and buried with rich people; His being raised from the dead. The probability of just eight prophecies being fulfilled in exact detail in one person is calculated as 1 in 10 to the 17th power – that is 1/100,000,000,000,000,000 – odds which defy imagination.
The man that was healed had been paralysed all of his life! Jesus proved that He had the power to forgive sins. Jesus offers the good news of forgiveness to anyone that will trust Him. The enemies of Jesus called Him “a friend of sinners” (Matthew 11:19), Jesus answer to them was “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick?... I’m after mercy, not religion. I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders” Matthew 9:12 (The Message). The truth is Jesus was like a magnet to hurting people, His compassion drew hurting people to Him. 3
For personal reflection
Three example OT prophecies fulfiled in the NT OT Prophecy NT Fulfilment Born in Bethlehem Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) 700BC (Matthew 2:1-6) 4BC Pierced for our One of the soldiers transgressions, crushed pierced Jesus’ side with a for our iniquities (Isaiah spear, bringing a sudden 53:5) 800BC flow of blood and water (John 19:34) 29AD Payment of thirty pieces Judas was paid thirty of silver thrown into the silver coins. He threw the house of the Lord, given money into the temple. to the potter (Zechariah The religious leaders 11:12-13) 500BC decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field (Matthew 26:15;27:5,7) 29AD
Which of the characteristics of Jesus are most helpful to you as you consider the idea that Jesus is God?
Jesus the bringer of change For more than two thousand years Jesus has continued to impact and change the lives of people. Today, Jesus continues to connect with people, Jesus is still changing and healing and encountering people who need Him. Jesus power has not diminished. His love and compassion have not grown cold, He offers peace to the weary, healing to the suffering, joy to the broken hearted.
“When the final history of the world is told, the names of great and small are listed, many with superb records of great deeds and accomplishments, we will salute them. Many deserve our attribution. Towering over all, alone on the stage of history will stand One, not just a fine, good man, but the only One who is God incarnate; the exact representation of God in Human form, begotten of God. The Deliverer and Saviour” Helmut Thielicke
“The Word [Jesus] became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” John 1:14
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His attitude toward people
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His power over nature, disease, demons, death
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His moral character
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His self-description as God
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His followers eloquent descriptions
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Fulfilled prophecy
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His good news of forgiveness
Some sayings of Jesus used in everyday speech A baptism of fire
Counting the cost
The blind leading the blind
A crown of thorns
Someone is said to go through “a baptism of fire” if they’re launched into a new job or a new situation in a very abrupt way. To change the metaphor, they’re thrown in at the deep end. So where does the original baptism of fire come from? John the Baptist was a fiery preacher who was active right at the start of Jesus’ public ministry. He baptized people in the River Jordan, and famously predicted that someone even more fiery than him was about to arrive on the scene… “I am just baptizing with water. But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Luke 3:16
Counting the cost is all about good planning. You work out how much you’ll need to pay and whether you have the money on you before you get into the taxi. Otherwise, things could get awkward at the other end of the journey. Here’s how Jesus put it. He was telling people to count the cost before deciding to become his follower, because it was going to be personally costly… For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it – lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, “This man began to build and was not able to finish”? Luke 14:28-30
“It’s like the blind leading the blind…” is a rather un-PC comment about receiving guidance that is less expert than you were hoping for. Like the teacher who can’t spell. Or the parachute course instructor who suffers from vertigo. Jesus made this saying famous when he rather bitingly attacked the Pharisees, a religious group of his time which Jesus characterised as keeping the letter of the law, but not its spirit… “Stay away from those Pharisees! T hey are like blind people leading other blind people, and all of them will fall into a ditch.” Matthew 15:14
Wearing a crown is normally a sign of great honour and prestige – unless it’s a crown of thorns, of course. This phrase is normally used to talk about someone who has inherited undeserved suffering and shame. When Jesus was arrested and put on trial, one of the charges against him was that he claimed to be the king of the Jewish people. The Roman governor who tried him, Pontius Pilate, had him crowned with thorns as a sick joke… The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Mark 15:16-18
Casting your pearls before swine
What pearls and what swine are we talking about here? The pearls are your pearls of wisdom, of course – whether it’s a brilliant joke or a sage piece of advice falling from your lips. And the swine, the pigs, are the ungrateful and unappreciative people you’re offering them to. The people who don’t laugh at your jokes or who yawn as you’re offering your great thoughts to them. Jesus was the master of sayings that were colourful and shocking, and this blunt saying of his has caught people’s imaginations for centuries. This is how he said it (in the old King James version of the Bible)... “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” Matthew 7:6
A den of thieves
Wall Street, tax offices, RBS and other corrupt businesses have all been called dens of thieves. It’s not flattering, of course, to have your business compared to a hangout for criminals and thugs. The phrase owes its popularity to a colourful attack by Jesus on the street-sellers who crowded the streets close to the temple in Jerusalem. Expecting to find the temple a place of prayer, Jesus was scandalised to see hucksters ripping off the pilgrims with overpriced goods. He made some powerful enemies when he overturned the sellers’ tables and told them… Is it not written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations”? But you have made it a den of thieves.” Mark 11:17 5
Do unto others
Jewish people in Jesus’ time lived under occupation – their country was under the control of the Roman army. Jesus talked about responding to evil with love and generosity, a message which is as radical and relevant today as it ever was… If someone sues you for your shirt, give up your coat as well. If a soldier forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two miles. When people ask you for something, give it to them. When they want to borrow money, lend it to them. Matthew 5:40-42
This saying is a definition of empathy: treat other people as you want them to treat you. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes. How would you like it if you were treated like that? Jesus spoke these words as part of a very demanding piece of teaching, which called his followers to love their enemies and not seek revenge when they were mistreated. The teaching, known as The Sermon on the Mount, has had a profound influence on people such as Francis of Assisi, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King… Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:27-31
A good samaritan
You’ve broken down by the side of the road, and someone kind stops and helps fix your car. Or you’re at the supermarket checkout and find you’re just short of having the right money, and the person behind offers to make it up to the right amount. They’re both good Samaritans, people who help out and maybe even rescue you, when you’re having a hard time. The phrase goes back to a story Jesus told about a Jewish man who was robbed and beaten up, and then helped by a passing Samaritan. The story was shocking, because for Jewish people of the time, Samaritans were foreigners who were hated and distrusted. In Jesus’ story, the people you think would be bound to help don’t, and it’s the despised foreigner who comes to the rescue… A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said, “and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.” Luke 10:30-35
Doubting Thomas
A doubting Thomas is someone who won’t take what you say on trust. He or she has to see it for themselves before they believe what you’re saying. But why a doubting Thomas? Why not a doubting Ian, or a doubting Beyoncé? Thomas was the name of one of Jesus’ 12 disciples. According to the story, when Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to all his disciples… except for Thomas, who was out at the time. When Thomas came back, the disciples told him in great excitement that they had seen Jesus, but Thomas (unsurprisingly) wasn’t convinced. He wanted to see for himself, and so he has gone down in history as the epitome of doubt… A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:26-28
Going the extra mile
Going the extra mile” is when you’ve done something good, and then go out of your way to add something even better. You do something more, and maybe even surprise yourself. An important part of the teaching of Jesus was about responding to violence and coercion in a non-violent way. The
Having a cross to bear
An illness that won’t go away… losing a succession of jobs… when things just keeping going wrong, one after another… you might call it bad luck, or you might call it “the cross you have to bear”. 6
Man cannot live by bread alone
Where does this phrase come from? After he had been condemned to death, Jesus was cruelly made to carry his own cross to the place of execution. But he also told his disciples, long before he was crucified, that they would need to carry their own cross in life and be prepared to suffer for his sake. Here are his words… If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it. Mark 8:34-35
Without food we cannot live at all, of course. But we also need other things for a truly satisfying life, including shelter, clothing, a sense of belonging, freedom, justice, friendship, giving and receiving love… That’s what this saying is getting at. It originates from the Old Testament, and was quoted by Jesus in an episode in the Gospels where he encounters the devil. In the story, Jesus went into the desert where he was tempted by the evil one during 40 days of fasting. Here’s the temptation about food… The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.” Luke 4:3-4
Hiding your light under a bushel
Don’t hide your light under a bushel!” is the sort of thing you might say to someone who’s being a bit bashful about their obvious talents. The saying goes back to a rather comical word-picture of Jesus, where he pictures someone lighting a candle and then sticking it under a big measuring jar, and hoping it will still light up a dark room. He said it to encourage his followers to let their light shine out, so that other people could find the way back to God. Here are his original words, in the old King James version of the Bible… Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16
A millstone around your neck
You might use this phrase today to talk about the annoying thing which stops you achieving what you need to do. Or to talk about a person who is wrecking your life in some way. “He’s like a millstone around her neck!” It’s a powerful image, and it comes from a short saying of Jesus, where he says, basically, that you’d be better off dead rather than causing other people to sin. Jesus often used quite extreme words to make a strong point, and this is one of his unforgettable images… If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. Mark 9:42
Moving mountains
Left hand doesn’t know what right hand is doing
Moving a mountain is obviously a very big thing to do, so to say, “I’d move mountains for you” is the same as saying, “I’d do anything for you”. That’s the sense in which Jesus used the phrase, when he told his followers about the power of faith. Even a tiny amount of faith can achieve huge things, he said… I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20
You ordered spaghetti, but you were served steak and fries. You’re not impressed with the restaurant. The left hand clearly doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. The same is true for any organization where communication is poor. This saying has a positive side to it, though, which is how Jesus used it. He said that when we do good things, we should keep it to ourselves, rather than letting other people admire us. Here’s how he put it… When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:3-4
On the straight and narrow
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Keeping on the straight and narrow is about resisting the temptation to do something wrong, or making sure you don’t fall into bad habits. The saying is a slight mistranslation from the words of Jesus as they appeared in the old King James version of
the Bible (first published in 1611). There, Jesus says, “strait is the gate and narrow the way” which leads to life. “Strait” is an old English word which means “narrow”, but it’s become “straight” in the modern saying. Here’s the full saying of Jesus from the King James Bible… Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:13-14
sayings, and has had a huge influence, right down to our time. Mahatma Gandhi was inspired by it in his peaceful resistance to British colonialism in India in the 1930s and 40s, and Martin Luther King taught his followers to repay racist police violence with peaceful protest during the civil rights era in the 1950s and 60s. Here is the teaching of Jesus… You know that you have been taught, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I tell you not to try to get even with a person who has done something to you. When someone slaps your right cheek, turn and let that person slap your other cheek. If someone sues you for your shirt, give up your coat as well. Matthew 5:38-40
The salt of the earth
“He’s the salt of the earth,” as the saying goes. It’s like saying that someone is good, reliable and absolutely genuine. Jesus paid this compliment to his disciples. Since salt was used at the time to purify food and bring out its flavour, he seems to be saying that his followers do something invaluable in the world they live in. Here’s how he put it… You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. Matthew 5:13
Until kingdom come
“You can keep arguing until kindom come, for all I care, but I’m not changing my mind!” In modern speech, this phrase is a colourful way of saying “until the end of time”, or “until the end of the world”, or simply, “for ever”. “Kingdom come” is a phrase from the opening words of the Lord’s Prayer – the prayer which Jesus taught his followers to pray. Jesus talked a lot about the kingdom of God, which he said had already arrived, and which was also to come in a powerful way in the future. He seems to have been talking about the life-giving reign of God in our hearts and lives, and in our communities and our world, too. “May your kingdom come” is a plea for God to be with us now, and also a prayer of longing for God to put right all that is unjust and oppressive in our world… Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9-10
Sweating blood
If sweating is a sign of hard work, then sweating blood is colossally hard work. “I’ve sweated blood to finish that job!” is a way of talking about how much something has cost you to do. The saying comes from a scene near the end of Jesus’ life, just before he was arrested and then put to death. Jesus knew what was coming, and he prayed on his own, in a state of extreme anguish, in a place called the Garden of Gethsemane. Here’s how his experience is described… And being in anguish, Jesus prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. Luke 22:44-45
A wolf in sheep’s clothing
It’s that person in the chat room who isn’t all that he seems. Or that person with the innocent-looking backpack on a crowded train. There are wolves in our world who mean to cause real harm to others, and disguised as sheep they are even more deadly. Jesus used this chilling image to talk about religious leaders who spread false teaching. His words are as fresh and relevant today as they were 2,000 years ago… Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. Matthew 7:15
Turning the other cheek
Someone insults you, but you refuse to insult them back. It’s a risky strategy, as it can be interpreted as weakness, but this is the essence of “turning the other cheek”. This call to non-violence, which Jesus exemplified in his life, is one of his best-known
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