Thus Saith the Lord: If we count how many times the Old Testament prophets said, "Thus says the Lord" we find them using that phrase, in the New King James Version of the Bible, about 420 times. The New Testament on the other hand, never once records that phrase. Jesus Christ, with all the red ink devoted to recording His words, never once used that ubiquitous phrase, "Thus saith the Lord." Rather, Jesus proclaims, "I say to you," in the Gospels! Not a single "Thus says the Lord," but rather, "I say to you," 135 times. The following chart demonstrates biblically that these two phrases, Thus saith the Lord, and I say unto you, indicate the same thing, that God is speaking. For Jesus Christ made it clear that He Himself was at the heart of His message. Unlike the righteous priests and kings, prophets and the apostles, the Lord came to teach us about Himself:
Christ's Self-focus:
- "Follow Me" 19x Mt. 4:19; 8:22; 10:38; 16:24; 19:21; Mk. 1:17; 2:14; 8:34; 10:21; Lk. 5:27; 9:59; 18:22; Jn. 1:43; 8:12; 10:27; 12:26; 13:36; 21:19, 22
- Pray and act "in My name" 18x Mt. 7:22; 18:5; 18:20; [24:5]; Mk. 9:37, 39, 41; [13:6]; Lk. 9:48; [21:8]; 24:47; Jn. 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:23-24, 26; Acts 9:15
- "the Holy Spirit" comes "in My name" Jn. 14:26
- "for My name's sake" leave family and property Mt. 19:29; or even be killed 5x Mt. 24:9; [Lk. 21:12, 17;] Jn. 15:21; Acts 9:16
- Believe in the "name of the… Son" and "in the Son" 3x Jn. 3:18, 36; 9:35 and "in Him [Jesus]" 4x Jn. 3:18; 6:29, 40; 8:31
- "believe in Me" 14x Mt. 18:6; Mk. 9:42; Jn. 3:15-16, 18; 6:35, 47; 7:38; 11:25, 26; 12:44, 46; 14:1, 12; 16:8; 17:20
- You "are sanctified by faith in Me" Acts 26:18
- Live "in Me" Jn. 11:26
- "come after Me" Mk. 8:34; Lk. 14:27
- Abide "in Me" Jn. 15:2, 4:5, 7 "abide in Me" or else Jn. 15:6 "abide in My love" Jn. 15:9-10
- "where two or three are gathered" Jesus is "there in the midst of them" Mt. 18:20
- So too: "I [Jesus, will abide] in you" Jn. 15:4-5
- "know that I am He" Jn. 8:28 or "if you do not believe that I am He you will die in your sins" Jn. 8:24
- Do things "for My sake" Mt. 10:22, 39; even lose your life "for My sake" 4x Mt. 16:25; Mk. 8:35; 10:29; Lk. 6:22
- "I never knew you, depart from Me" Mt. 7:23
- "I am willing; be cleansed" Mt. 8:3; Mk.. 1:41
- "confess Me" Mt. 10:32; Lk. 12:8
- Do not deny "Me" 7x Mt. 10:33; 26:34; Mk. 14:30, 72; Lk. 12:9; 22:34; Jn. 13:38
- Do not be "ashamed of Me" Mk. 8:38; Lk. 9:26 nor "My words"
- "love Me" 5x Jn. 14:15, 21, 23-24, 28
- Do not reject "Me" Lk. 10:16; Jn. 12:48
- "He who is not with Me is against Me" Lk. 11:23
- Love Me "more than" your family members Mt. 10:37; [Lk. 14:26]
- "I… have loved you" Jn. 15:9, 12
- Be "worthy of Me" Mt. 10:37-38
- "Come to Me" 5x Mt. 11:28; Lk. 6:47; Jn. 5:40; 6:35; 7:37
- "I will give you rest" Mt. 11:28
- "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" Mt. 11:30
- I am "greater than the temple" "than Jonah" "than Solomon" Mt. 12:6, 41-42
- I am "Lord even of the Sabbath" Mt. 12:8; Mk. 2:28; Lk. 6:5 [Lord of God's Ten Commandments]
- Thus He says keep "My commandments" 4x Jn. 14:15, 21; 15:10, 12
- "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you" Jn. 15:14
- "keep My word" Jn. 14:23-24
- "He who is not with Me is against Me" Mt. 12:30
- The angels are "His angels" Mt. 13:41; 16:27 and He commands "His angels" Mt. 24:31; Mk. 13:27
- The kingdom is "His kingdom" Mt. 13:41 and He calls it "My kingdom" Lk. 22:30
- Jesus called it "My church" Mt. 16:18 and believers are "My sheep" Jn. 10:14, 27 and they are "His elect" Mt. 24:31; Mk. 13:27
- Paul is a "vessel of Mine to bear My name" Acts 9:15
- "all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine" Jn. 17:10
- "My peace I give" Jn. 14:27 "in Me you may have peace" Jn. 16:33
- "My joy" should fill you Jn. 15:11
- "Who do men say that I am?" Mt. 16:13; Mk. 8:27 "who do you say that I am?" Mt. 16:15
- Receive "Me" Mt. 18:5; Mk. 9:37; Lk. 9:48
- Heaven and earth will pass away but "My words" will never Mt. [5:18] 24:35; Mk. 13:31; Lk. 21:33
- Tell others about Jesus Mk. 5:19
- "you belong to Christ" Mk. 9:41
- Hear "My sayings" and do them Lk. 6:47
- Jesus has "His own glory" Lk. 9:26; [Jn. 2:11; 16:14] The Son is "glorified" 8x Jn. 11:4; 12:23; 13:31-32; [17:1, 5, 10 24]
- "He who hears you hears Me" Lk. 10:16
- Jesus expects praise, from stones if necessary Lk. 19:37-40
- Return "to Me" Lk. 22:32
- Be "My disciple" Lk. 14:27; Jn. 8:31; 15:8 Forsake all to "be My disciple" Lk. 14:33 "you are My disciples" Jn. 13:35
- "I shall send… the [Holy] Spirit" Jn. 15:26; 16:7
- The Holy Spirit "will testify of Me" Jn. 15:26
- We read in John 5 and Luke 24 that "the Scriptures… testify of Me" Jn. 5:39; [Lk. 24:44]
- "You [Apostles] also will bear witness [of Me] because you have been with Me" Jn. 15:27
- Paul gives "testimony concerning Me" Acts 22:18; 23:11
- "the Son gives life to whom He will" Jn. 5:21
- "seek Me" Jn. 6:26
- Serve "Me" Jn. 12:26
- "all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father" Jn. 5:23
- "I am the bread of life," "of heaven," "of God" Jn. 6: 32-33, 35, 41, [48,] 51
- Just seeing Christ is reason enough to believe in Him Jn. 6:36 [56]
- Drink "My blood" and eat "My flesh" Jn. 6:53-54, 56
- "I will raise him up at the last day" Jn. 6:40 for He is the resurrection
- "The world… hates Me" Jn. 7:7
- "I am the light of the world" Jn. 8:12; 9:5; 12:46
- "I bear witness of Myself" Jn. 8:13-14, 18
- "know… Jesus Christ" for "eternal life" Jn. 17:3; [8:19; 10:10, 14]
- "the Son makes you free" Jn. 8:36
- "Abraham rejoiced to see My day" Jn. 8:56; "Before Abraham was, I AM" Jn. 8:58
- Of believers, Christ said, "I know them" Jn. 10:27
- "I give them eternal life" Jn. 10:28
- "I am the resurrection and the life" Jn. 11:25
- I "will draw all peoples to Myself" Jn. 12:32
- "I will… receive you to Myself" Jn. 14:3
- Be "Mine" Jn. 14:24
- "I am the vine" Jn. 15:5
- "without Me you can do nothing" Jn. 15:5
- "Because I live, you will live also." Jn. 14:19
- "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you" Jn. 15:16
- Those who oppress Christians are "persecuting Me" Acts 9:4-5; 22:7-8; 26:14-15
- "because they have not known… Me" Jn. 16:3
- The Spirit "will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it" Jn. 16:14
- "All things that the Father has are Mine" Jn. 16:15
- "Whatever He [the Father] does, the Son does" Jn. 5:19
- "the Father… loves you, because you have loved Me" Jn. 16:27
- "If I will that he remain" Jn. 21:22
- "I have overcome the world" Jn. 16:33
- "I am the way" Jn. 14:6
- "I am… the truth" Jn. 14:6
- "I am… the life" Jn. 14:6
- "I will… manifest Myself" Jn. 14:21
Scores of times Jesus uses the personal pronoun My with words like commandments, sake, words, lambs, sheep, peace, love, joy, voice, name, sayings, kingdom, angels, and church. Three examples powerfully illustrate the point. First, "Abraham rejoiced to see My day..." Secondly, "I know My sheep, and am known by My own." And thirdly, "Assuredly, I say to you... Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." The prophets and John were the messengers; Jesus is the Message, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and put Himself at the center of His message, because He is God. |