Introduction.
The words of a man reveal what he is thinking. So the Word of God tells us what God is like. Let us see what the Bible teaches us about the Word of God so that we may learn about Him. Listen to the cassette and look at some of the pictures from 'The Living Christ'. You will need pictures numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 33, 42, 43 for part A of this lesson.

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Look at Picture 1. John 1:1-5
This is a picture of (the Prophet called) Jesus. In the Gospel of John, Chapter 1 we read that Jesus Christ is called 'the Word of God'. Why is Jesus called that? Because God the Father can speak to us through Jesus. Jesus knows God the Father. God the Father wants us to know Him too, and so Jesus came to reveal God to us. Jesus speaks the words of God to us. God communicated with man for many hundreds of years before Jesus came.

Picture 2. Genesis 2:4-22
God spoke and the earth, the sky, the sun, moon and stars, the trees and all the animals were created. Then He spoke again: "Let us make man in our own image." God wanted to have fellowship with someone like Himself. So God created man. You can see in the picture the first man called Adam with some of the animals which God created by His Word.

Picture 3. Genesis 3:1-7
God created a wife for Adam. He talked freely with them both. They were like good friends. They had joy and peace. They had all the food they needed. However there was one special fruit tree. God said that they must not eat from it. One day Satan came to Adam and Eve in the form of a beautiful serpent. He spoke to them. He persuaded them to eat from the forbidden tree. Adam and Eve decided to obey Satan instead of God. They disobeyed the word of God and so they sinned against God.

Picture 4. Genesis 3:8-24
God spoke again. This time He spoke judgment upon Adam and Eve. He punished them because they had disobeyed Him. He sent them out of His presence. They were separated from God. God is perfect and holy. He cannot have fellowship with sinful men and women. But God gave a promise to Adam and Eve. He said that He would send One to restore fellowship between God and mankind.

Picture 5. Genesis 15:1-6, 22:15-18
Adam and Eve died. Many years passed. The One whom God had promised did not come. Then the Word of God came to another man. His name was Abraham. You can see him in this picture. He is looking at the stars. God told Abraham that he would have as many descendants as the stars in the sky. He told him also that through his descendants all nations of the earth would be blessed. His descendants became the people of Israel.

Picture 9. Luke 2:1-7
Many more years passed. Then finally, God sent the One whom He had promised. He was born in a stable in Israel. The name of His mother was Mary. She was a direct descendant from Abraham. The name of the baby was Jesus which means 'Saviour'. He was the One to bring blessing to all nations. He grew to be a great man, and He pleased God in all that He did.

Picture 33. Matthew 5:1-12
Jesus travelled around the country-side in Israel. You can see Him teaching the people in this picture. People loved to hear His words. Crowds of people came long distances to listen to Him. Jesus often taught by means of stories. The stories showed what God is like.

Picture 42. Mark 4:1-9
One day Jesus gave this teaching: He taught about the things you can see in this picture. He said that a farmer went out to sow seed. Some seed fell on the path and the birds ate it. Some fell on rocky ground and it dried up quickly in the hot sun. Some seed was choked by thorn bushes and could not grow properly. Other seed fell on good ground and gave a good harvest.

Picture 43. Mark 4:10-20
The story of the seed has a hidden meaning. Jesus said the seed is like the Word of God. The ground is the people who hear the Word of God. Some people hear God's Word, but Satan takes it away like the birds in the story. Other people hear God's Word but they do not obey it. The things of this world destroy God's Word like the seed in the dry and thorny ground. However, some people hear the Word of God and obey it. They do good in this life and they gain everlasting life after death. Jesus told this parable so that people would think about His teaching. He brought the Word of God to us. Some of us will not receive it. But some will believe that it is the Word of God and those who believe will gain everlasting life. Will you be like that good ground and receive the true Word of God?

(Continued in Part 2.)