Live with Lon-Jesus' Baptism, the Trinity, and the Attributes of God

Well hello every body were so glad to have you back with us that live with mom and this morning were going to be continuing our series in the Gospels were going to be finishing up our look at John the Baptist and then going to move on from there and the you know I thought this week.

It's very interesting. With all that's going on around us with this virus. How much we need to pray for God's mercy to the human race.

I don't know why God is doing this I've heard all kinds of theories of whether it's to call people to repentance and punish our nation on the world for Susan or and who knows I can even begin to speculate on God's purposes, but I know that we need to pray and I know we need mercy from the Lord. And so on.

Not just for our family. But for the whole human race so let's do that before we begin today let's bow our heads together.

There were Jesus, I want to ask you for mercy for each of our families, our loved ones or protect us from this coronavirus according to your perfect will and plan for each one of our lives all God covers with your way and hide us under your feathers and keep the pestilence of the coronavirus by day and the terror of it by night away from us Lord. We also want to pray for your mercy to the entire human race. All God please not crazy.

Help us to find a vaccine quickly or medicine little work quickly against this virus and God stop this virus stay the hand of whatever being in the universe you entrusted with this virus and we ask you Lord to do this is the display of your power over father. We desperately need your mercy and I do pray that people who either get sick or even just here about will turn to you in the salvation faith that pray that those of us who are believers will turn to you in an attempt and a desire to purify our faith and our behavior and stop tempting you and playing games with you, Lord. Use this virus in a mighty way to bring back many people do you some for the first time. Some will need to come back to you and we pray this in Jesus name and commit our time in the word of God to you now a man in well here we are and we are continuing as I said in our present toss study of the Gospels and today I want to pick up in Matthew chapter 3 where we are and the story of the narrative about John the Baptist in Matthew chapter 3 and were going to look at what he says and then talk about it X positive expositional in exegetic lien then talk about. So what for our lives so let me just say before we dig in their will to be talking today about an area of theology, called theology proper. We have a bibliology which is the study of the Bible, we have from archaeology, which is the study of sin, we have eschatology, which is the study of the last thing you like the return of Christ we have ecclesiology study of the church. We have some materiality. The study of God's plan of salvation, but theology proper is a look at the nature and character of God is himself and I were to talk about that today because the Scripture that were going to look at points us directly after so… Look at John the Baptist here in Matthew chapter 3. Of course were using our King James version of new King James version of the Bible and so I want to direct your attention to chapter 3, beginning at verse 13. Here we go. Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Jesus saying I have need to be baptized by you and are you coming to me and Jesus answered and said permit tips to be so now, for thus it is full. It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness and then he John allowed him Jesus and Jesus, when he had been baptized, came up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to hear him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon him, and suddenly a voice came from heaven saying this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Now the thing about God and understanding God and theology proper is that God is inscrutable by that we mean that God, no one can understand God on their own. He is beyond our capacity to understand by ourselves and therefore the only information about God that we have as human beings is what God chooses to make known to us to reveal to laws in the word of God and so this passage reveals to us. God allows us to see something about that is very important and that is that there are three persons, three personalities if you will.

There's no perfect word for this, but historically the work persons has been use in the Godhead. We call this of course the Trinity and the Trinity simply means that we have one God, but he manifests himself he exists in three distinct persons or personalities or expressions now here in our passage we see. Let's look at it again. All three persons of the Godhead at the baptism of Jesus it wants. Verse 16 and when he had been baptized, Jesus came immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dog and alighting upon him. So there we have Spirit of God and suddenly a voice came from heaven saying this is my beloved son in whom I am well please.

There we have God the father.

So in this up this baptism that Jesus had in the Jordan by John we see God the father speaking from heaven.

We see God the son being baptized in the Jordan, and we see God the Holy Spirit alighting on Jesus like a dove. So all three persons of the Godhead appear at the same time. Now we also are told about these three persons of the Godhead in Matthew chapter 28. Let's look at that together. Verse 18 and Jesus came. This is after the resurrection, and spoke to them, saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth you we go go.

Therefore, he says, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name singular of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit. Now the reason Jesus didn't say, baptizing them in the name of God the father the son and the Holy Spirit is because God the father the son and the Holy Spirit are one be therefore he uses the singular, in the name of God the father the son and the Holy Spirit. And even though there is a tripartite, there is a Trinitarian manifestation of the Godhead in three persons of the Godhead is still one unified undivided indivisible Godhead 1B now I don't understand about the way, neither do you know human being completely understands because there is no human analogy anywhere in the universe. There is no analogy to a being like this you might say well, let's what about the strata illustrated by an AA. I meet a an egg has a shell and a white and 80 THREE individual pieces and yeah it's one day well but that doesn't work to to describe the Trinity, because yes it's one day but the shell, the yoke and the white are not the exact same substance there different is that all right will then vacuum illustrated with the a man he is at the very same time, a father, a son and a husband of but he still the very same man or woman is a mother and a daughter and a wife, but she still the same man will and that doesn't work either because the Bible is not talking about the Trinity in terms of roles that different part of the Godhead fulfill. He doesn't fulfill the role of God the son on the role of God the father role of God's Spirit at different points.

No, no. The Bible is telling us there is three distinct entities, supernatural spiritual entities, persons that are unique and make up the one Godhead, not just ways. God functions that sometimes but three legitimate individual personalities so the bottom line is folks. Nobody understands the Godhead, we simply accept the Trinity, the Godhead, because the Bible tells us this is who God is and this is how God exists in three persons in one God and so we don't understand it, we simply accepted and believe it because the Bible tells us it's true now that the Trinity is a real problem for some people it's a problem for Muslim people play in the Koran, the bar, the Koran says God has no son, and therefore they reject Christianity in large measure on that basis that God can have some in the Jewish faith Shema Yisrael almond oil he want to know where God Nero Israel the Lord your God, the Lord is one, and therefore they reject of the New Testament view of God because God is one God open. God doesn't mean one without any kind of persons.

It just means unity. God is a unity so that verse does not contradict what the Bible tells us about the nature and the person of God and by the way the Trinity even appears in the Old Testament.

Let me read to you. Let's go to the book of Genesis Genesis chapter 1 verse 26 says, then God said, let's us first person plural make man in our first person plural image, according to our first person plural likeness and so the Bible goes on to say in the likeness of God in the image of God. God made man now who is the, the God who was God talking to when he says let us make God in our make man rather in our image similes talking to the Angels know that can't be right because the Bible is very clear. We are not made in the image of angels we are made in the image of God himself so he's not talking to the Angels, and who is he talking to will he's talking with in the Godhead to the persons within the Godhead.

God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit are conversing and staying with us, make man in our image while I understand it, but I believe in you know this is a historical, traditional, and I would say this is the pure doctrine orthodox doctrine of the church from the very beginning when you read you the Nicene Creed 324 A.D., and by the way, look here for second of the Nicene Creed, which was codified at the city of Nicaea in northern Turkey on the black 324 A.D. Emperor Constantine the new Christian Roman Emperor called this conference of all bishops in the Roman Empire to codify doctrine to make sure that good doctrine was written down and that people who didn't agree with it were dealt with as heretics in the Christian church Dan Brown. You may remember, talked about the Council of Nicaea and up that the only thing he got right about the Council of Nicaea was the day for 324 A.D. everything else he said about his fall. They did not make up the deity of Jesus here no real friends all they did was get together to codify what the church agreed to from the very beginning, and here's what it says I read now quote I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance Homo OCS in the Greek with the father Lucius means your your your basic nature.

Your intrinsic substance and home.

Of course, means the same Homo OCS made out of the same substance as God the father goes on to say I believe in the Holy Spirit who with the father and the son together is to be worshiped and glorified in a little bit later the Athanasian Creed in 580 we worship one God intrinsic to watch neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance. This is so important. We don't mix and confounded mess up and can use the person we keep them separate and at the same time we don't defy the substance. But we recognize there all God equal.

This is very important. Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance in this Trinity. Nothing is greater or lesser, but all three persons are so eternal, while that's the Trinity folks. That's what the Bible teaches. That's what God reveals to us about his very character and nature, and that's what we believe and we see here at the baptism of the Lord Jesus. All three persons to gather in the Godhead at one time.

Now God also reveals to us in the Bible. His attribute, not just his character as a Trinitarian God, but also his attribute attributes. The attributes of God are very important and what is an attribute well let me read you a definition and attribute of God is not something God does. It's a description of what God is in his intrinsic nature.

Now why is that important to make that distinction well three very important and very clearly that this is why if an attribute of God was something he does his goodness. His mercy is benevolence is long-suffering. Whatever baby if it was something God does will than friends. God at any point could make up his mind not to do.

Not to be merciful not to be forgiving not to be loss of but if an attribute of God is something God is in his very intrinsic nature in his very being, then God cannot change that an attribute without stopping to be God, an attribute of God means if this is the way God is the way he will always be the way he always has been. It can and will never change and we can base our confidence we can base our assurance on his attributes because they're not going to change and this is what God says in the Bible. He says, Malachi chapter 3 verse six for I am the Lord. I do not change. Hebrews 13 eight Bible says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever. God's attributes never change because God can never stop eating totally for ever and eternally God or we understand that now there are probably more attributes of God that are revealed in the Bible. I don't know for sure that there are but I know there's nothing in the Bible it says God has revealed his every attribute, but he does reveal many of them probably depending on how you classifier nine to a dozen attributes of God.

God shows us about himself in the Bible. Now, if we were doing a full course on theology proper.

When I would do now is I would lead us through the attributes of God. Each one of them explain what they mean show you Scripture that reveals this and says this about God and we would really get a full picture of God in all of his output. I got the message. I love you know a little note or two from some people say Lon, you know, maybe you're preaching to Long Island to sort people to like it. You preach too long.

People don't like it. Hello. Welcome to the life of a pastor, but if I did that and went through all the attributes of God today, we would have come a long message so here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to only talk to you about one in our so what.

And then if you want to stick around for another 10 minutes or so I'll go through the attributes of God. For those of you who want to stick around here them and learn them about will do that after the people who don't want to do that or don't have the time to break away for her not so everybody's happy. I'll so now it's time to ask our our our most important question. Are you ready everybody come on now want to say great how Jackie Gleason used to say what he say house we it is okay now. The attribute of God. I do want talk to you about today is God's omniscience and let me define that his omniscience is simply means that God knows everything about everything within absolutely perfect knowledge. Everything about everything about every body within absolutely perfect. No.

In Luke chapter 12 verse six Jesus said, are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins, meaning they're not really worth that much. There very very common in everyday birds and yet not one of them is forgotten before God. God sees every single thing about every sparrow in the world why because, in his omniscience, God knows everything about every body perfectly and the Bible says this when it comes to us, people listen.

Psalm 139, oh Lord you have searched me and known me, you know my sitting down in my rising updated soon. You understand my thoughts of far-off you comprehend my path and my lying down and you are acquainted with all my ways looking verse four for there is not a word on my tongue, but behold all Lord you know with all together even before it comes out of my mouth.

David says you know what I'm going to say. He goes on to say such knowledge is too wonderful for me to amazing for me above my pay grade. By orders of magnitude. It is high and I cannot attain to act on. There's no way I can completely taken in that you have this kind of absolute knowledge, did you even know what I'm going to say before I say it. You know my very thoughts and and not just me but every human being in the world. How can that be. David said I can get my arms around that now. This means that God knows every job until about you that God knows every nook and cranny about you that he knows the flotsam in the jetsam about you that there is nothing hidden from his site whatsoever and here in the Bible goes on to say this.

The Bible says Hebrews 413, and there is no creature hidden from his site, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account. Psalm 90 says you have set our iniquities before you are secret sin in the light of your countenance.

Your you see the secret sins of our heart while guys we all have secrets to you know and we hide them from people and we think we got away with them.

Maybe it's jealousy maybe it's bitterness maybe it's hatred towards somebody. Maybe it's pornography maybe it's lusting, you know, trying to look and pretend like were not lusting but we are made. Maybe it's an unwillingness to forgive, but we paste on plastic and people think were all good in the secret recesses of our heart we have malice and we have hard feelings and on and on and the secret sins of our heart. But you see they're not secret because God knows him all every secret sin that no other human being in the world. Notes about you and how you feel, what you think in me to got noticeable.

While that's frightening. That's frightening. And look what the Bible says about the Hebrews for it says all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account friends, nobody is going to get away with anything. Were not going to get away with anything. Those secret sins are going to come to light. Jesus said the things that were whispered in the back rooms are going to be shouted from the housetops and the things that you didn't secret are going to be new made known in the light of progress. God's going to judge us in all those secret sins are going to come out. That's terrifying. You can't hide them from God is a yellow on it to think about. That is a little terrifying. Well I want to say. If you're not a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. My dear friend, you need to be scared. You should be scared of when you stand before God and not just the sense people can see the ones were all you thought you got away with that you thought nobody knew they're all coming out so how do you deal with that when the Bible is very clear.

We need to be covered with a spotless righteousness the righteousness of Jesus to protect us from the judgment of God go back and listen to my messages on the plan of salvation. First John 19 if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins, he will do that for you if you don't know Christ but friend you dear not go into the presence of God, you, dear, not stand before him in judgment without the blood of Christ covering you and without the death of Jesus, having paid for your sins. Secret sins and public appeal to you. Do this but for us were believers. I want to close with this thought, this is a so what you know we've all seen like a long war episode or whatever NCIS or whatever FBI where some of our woman love or man gets married to someone and they had a shady past that they didn't tell about the to the new marriage partner and they live in fear that someday that shady past is going to come out and somebody finds out about and then they blackmail Oro still tell their partner about this rightly sees the skeletons in the closet.

Yeah, and we all have skeletons in the closet and you know with a different God, we might say while I'm terrified that maybe one day he's going to find out about this for Easter. Find out about that folks. This is beautiful this is wonderful. Our God knew every skeleton in our closet are God. When Jesus died for us on the cross and he took us into his family and he made as his child. There wasn't one single secret that we had buried deep down in the recesses of parcel things we said things we've done things we thought. None of that the God didn't already know. Amazing. And yet he still rejoiced to take us as his children, we don't have to worry some skeletons going to come tumbling out the closet and God knows about them all. You know I often think that the Bible calls the devil, the accuser of the brethren and I could just see the God of the devil showing up in heaven, and Ceylon Solomon yeah hey I need to tell you got him.

I need to tell you about Ron Solomon. Did you know that he forced his girlfriend to have an abortion against her will of God says yeah knew that. Did you know that the dope he sold them and some of the things that he did yet knew about that. Did you know about the profane behavior that he had as a college student towards women and others.

Yet know all about that Satan says well have you know all about already, God's as you know what all and things that you still talking is your child, you still paper sins is donating part of your family through adoption by Jesus Christ.

Yeah, I did and I can see Satan just, so get away with his tail between his legs if he has tail and Sandra man I God out depressing is that he knew all about this guy and still took a my friends, this is the beauty of God's love for us. He knows it all. He knows deep stuff you may have forgotten about you not anxious to admit to yourself he knows every crummy dirty nasty piece of what's down inside you and me and he loves us anyway.

Listen Robert Murray McShane said, and I love this. He said none but God knows one of the this of corruption is in my heart he knows and covers all in the blood of the Lamb. And this is why the Bible says, Romans chapter 8 who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or some word or skeletons in the closet or things I did in my past or secret sins know the Bible sells for I am persuaded Paul writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that neither death nor life, nor angels, or principalities, or powers, nor things present, nor things to come by, nor depth, nor skeletons, nor your past nor any secret sins in your life, nor any other created thing covers it, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God love my friend forever eternal.

He knows all the junk he knows all the this stuff is the profane stuff inside.

He loves us anyway. He bought us anyway. He adopted us anyway. He covers us with the blood of Jesus. Anyway, nothing no accusation by the devil himself will ever ever change you are his and he is yours forever appraisal was prayer heavenly father, thank you that in your omniscience you knew little more. We think of even political appointees who suddenly have something in their past come to light and and it has to withdraw their name and Lord Jesus, I thank you we never have to withdraw our name from the role have we never even have to offer that because Lord you knew it all and you love this.

Anyway, you knew it all and you redeemed us anyway. You knew it all and you adopted us anyway. You knew it all and you made us cope errors with the Lord Jesus Christ. Anyway, thank you, Lord Jesus for this wonderful truth that nothing will ever separate us from the love of God and the Lord Jesus Christ may then give us hope may then give us encouragement this day in Jesus name we pray.

Amen. Now for those of you who want to stick around and let me go through the attributes of God very quickly with you because maybe nobody is ever done this or you're curious, are you wanting the deeper study than when we do that okay.

Remember what I said the attributes of God are not things God does.

There are things that God is in his basic intrinsic God had nature. He can't change these things because there there what it means to be God he can't stop being God. So here are the major ones in the Scripture, and there are few more in Scripture and probably more would never been told by God but here the major ones on the go through with your you read our number one number one is God's self existence and what we mean by that is the God alone is the eternally pre-existing being in the universe. He has no beginning and has no and he's the only being in the universe that has independent life in himself independent existence in himself. John chapter 1 verse four says in him was life, and John 526 for as the father has life in himself, so he is granted the son to have life in himself. Folks, we do not have life in ourselves. Jesus said in the John's Gospel that he gives life to whomever he wishes and God breathed the breath of life into the nostrils of Adam, but in the garden but we don't have life intrinsically in ourselves.

We have life because every day. The life-giving God of the universe grants us to have life that day were not alive every day because our heart beats were alive every day because the life-giving God the deed.

The eternal God of the universe. Three. The life into us that day and this is who God is, he is self existent. He has life in himself and no one else in the universe. The number two.

Do we have the eternal analogy of God which means that God lives totally outside and above time and space.

It means that God is not limited by time and space. Listen to Psalm 90 before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. That means this.

If we go all the way back before the universe was even created. God is there, and God is God. If we go all the way into the future until the universe and beyond. God is there, and God is God and if we look at today. God is here, and God is God, you say okay I understand that giveaway in a minute. There's more one with you what it means to say that God is not is eternal it is to say that not only is God. God was God. God at the beginning of the universe and at the end of the universe, will you be God and now he is God.

When minute to say God is eternal means that God is in all three of those places at once and is God. At the very same time that how can that be. I have no clue.

He is above time and space.

He doesn't live in time and space. He created time and space, but time and space have nothing to do with him. He is eternal eternally everywhere is universe of time as Scott. While number three God is omnipresent. Meeting God is everywhere in his creation. It wants with you what I just talk to you about an assault 139 verse seven where can I go from your spirit.

David says or where can I flee from your presence. If I send in the heaven. You're there if I make my bed in hell, we all your there.

David says that by going to the darkness.

Later in the song your you can see in the darkness, just like you can see in the light if I go out the desert. Your there God you're everywhere. No matter where I go and and and and we we need to however make sure that we don't confuse this with pantheists.

Pantheism says God is everything in the universe.

No, no, no, God is not everything in the universe. God is above everything in the universe. God is separate that everything in the universe. It's just that he is able to be everywhere in his created world at the same time, but the created world is not God.

God is above that world.

This is not pantheism.

Okay number four on number five of God is omnipotent, the omnipotence of God means that God can do whatever he wants whenever he wants. However, he wants to whomever he will. God is omnipotent and and I love Jeremiah $32 God. God says, behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh is anything too hard for me to answer no, I love what Gabriel said to Mary when she announced the virgin birth, he said, for with God nothing will be impossible. I love the God said this to Sarah when she left and when he predicted that they were going to have a son. The next year when when Abraham was on hundred and Sarah was 90. And God said to her, Sarah, you did last hey is anything too hard for the Lord Sarah and they had that baby friends we have an omnipotent God.

There is nothing our God can't do anything he wants to he can suspend the laws of time space in nature and do what ever he chooses. He is omnipotent, and therefore I love what I want. Quote I keep it in my Bible it says that the man show who understands his God is omnipotent should never despair if our God is omnipotent. There is never a reason for despair. Now let's move on number six. God is holy God is holy.

When this is me. It means that God is utterly perfectly and impeccably impeccably pure sinless virtuous your member. Isaiah chapter 6 verse three every body in heaven was crying out holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of the universe. The whole of earth is full of his glory. Leviticus chapter 19 verse two says you shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. Holiness means that there has never been will never be can never be sin in God, not even the thought of sin can be in God. He is utterly pure and virtuous and we don't talk about the holiness of God is much as we should in the church because the justice of God makes no sense and the judgment of God makes no sense unless we understand the holiness of God and how sensitive sin is the holiness of God.

I use this example, a couple weeks ago the holiness of God is like a bright red hot as it can get electric burner on the stove and I can see it is like a drop of water that the minute it hits that burner if it arises, it disappears is what happens.

This is the holiness of God when it comes to encountering sin.

This is why no sooner. Whenever I heard people say well when I meet God on a given.

Some of them know you're not know you're not.

I don't even know it will be able to stand in the presence of God will probably be prostrate on our face completely without energy or the ability to speak.

You cannot argue with God and his holiness of friend that will never happen but that because God is holy like he must judge sin, which is why we must be covered by the blood of Christ and this leads us to number six the justice of God which is the fact that God punishes on the holiness everywhere within his creation, he must.

He has to holy being has no choice but to punish sin everywhere in his creation.

Listen Jesus said in Matthew 16 verse 27 for the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to his works. God is going to even the score with every body. Perfect justice is going to prevail because ethanol holy God. He has no choice, it's who he is. He must pronounce judgment on sin, unless that sin is hidden behind the blood of Jesus Christ and atone for by the work of Christ on the cross. Now another one. Verse seven is God's mercy.

Praise God for this the mercy of God means that God is kinder and more benevolent to sinners than we deserve. This is why he provided the plan of salvation in the first place. Ephesians 2 verse one but God, who is rich in mercy, there's our word because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, he made us alive together in Christ. Mercy mercy. Thank God that mercy is part of who God is and that we can appeal to God's mercy and were appealing to a basic part of his intrinsic being that he is a God of mercy, but is also a God of justice. He has to be because he's holy and and in the way God found to reconcile his holiness and his justice to his mercy and his grace. How would God find a way to do that when it came sinners like you and me. Very simple. He sent Jesus to take RCM to pay for our sin to cover our sin and to satisfy the judgment in the holiness of God and the offense that our sin is to the justice of God. He sent Jesus to do that for Saddam's mercy and now that our sin is been forgiven through Christ. Now he can exempt us from his judgment pursuant and he can take his mercy and his love and magnify to you and me is true, beautiful, beautiful. Now there are other attributes we have the lovingkindness to patients of God we have the goodness of God. My word is good to us even though we don't deserve it. We have the love of God we have the forgiveness of God. The God is a forgiving God we have the sovereignty of God, meaning that this is God's universe. He owns it. He runs it and he do what does whatever he wants to do. However, he wants to do and not only does he have the power to do in his omnipotence, but he has right to do it in his sovereignty because the universe belongs to him and he sovereignly runs it. He runs every detail of he doesn't give the Angels either. Here you know.

Well, when I was wrong running church people so really got a delegate God is not delegate the running of the universe to anybody. God runs his universe and he has a sovereign plan for the universe and a sovereign plan for each one of our lives that he has the sovereign rights to have and nobody is changing his monitor is my because he is will anyway I hope that helps us to go through a few of those and the you know it. If you want a little more detail.

You cannot go to my website. Once all the ministries.com and you can look up the sovereignty of God under my series on know who God is and you can you learn more about anyway. Wonderful to be with you. Hope this little extra time was valuable for those of you stating listen and the Lord willing.

Next week will see you talk about the temptation of Christ. Next week, Matthew chapter 4 where the devil said to him three times and Jesus answered it three times and this lesson is there is a hold of you,