1) The Son was the perfect “Branch” of God. (Old Testament prophecies)

Isaiah 4:2 On that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious,…

Isaiah 11:1-5 Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.…

Romans 15:12 And again, Isaiah says: The root of Jesse will appear,the One who rises to rule the Gentiles; the Gentiles will hope in Him.

Jeremiah 23:5-6 “The days are coming” —this is the Lord’s declaration— “when I will raise up a Righteous Branch of David. He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land.”

Jeremiah 33:15 In those days and at that time I will cause a Righteous Branch to sprout up for David, and He will administer justice and righteousness in the land.

Zechariah 3:8 “Listen, Joshua … I am about to bring My servant, the Branch.”

Zechariah 6:12-13 … This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Here is a man whose name is Branch; He will branch out from His place and build the Lord’s temple.…

2) As a branch the Son was not the source of what He said or did, He was a usable vessel, constantly available to the Father.

Deuteronomy 18:18 I (God) will raise up for them a prophet like you (Moses) from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.

John 3:32 (John the Baptist said) He testifies to what He has seen and heard,…

John 5:19 … “I assure you: The Son is not able to do anything on His own, but only what He sees the Father doing.” …

John 5:30 “I can do nothing on My own. I judge only as I hear, and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

John 7:16 Jesus answered them, “My teaching isn’t Mine but is from the One who sent Me.”

John 8:16 And if I do judge, My judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent Me judge together.

John 8:26 “… what I have heard from Him—these things I tell the world.”

John 8:28 … Jesus said … I do nothing on My own. But just as the Father taught Me, I say these things.

John 8:38 I speak what I have seen in the presence of the Father.…

John 12:49-50 “For I have not spoken on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a command as to what I should say and what I should speak. I know that His command is eternal life. So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”

John 14:24 ... The word that you hear is not Mine but is from the Father who sent Me.

John14:31 … that the world may know that I love the Father. Just as the Father commanded Me, so I do.…

John15:15 … I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father.

John17:8 (Jesus to His Father) … because the words that You gave Me, I have given them.…

Philippians 2:5-7 … Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, … emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave.…

3) The Son is the visible manifestation of the invisible God.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John10:37-38 “If I am not doing My Father’s works, don’t believe Me. But if I am doing them and you don’t believe Me, believe the works. This way you will know and understand that the Father is in Me and I in the Father.”

John 12:44-45 Then Jesus cried out, “The one who believes in Me believes not in Me, but in Him who sent Me. And the one who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.”

John 14:9 (Jesus said to Philip) The one who has seen Me has seen the Father.…

John14:10-11 … The words I speak to you I do not speak on My own. The Father who lives in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Otherwise, believe because of the works themselves.

Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, … He will be named … Mighty God, Eternal Father.…

2 Corinthians 4:4 … Christ, who is the image of God.

Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God.…

Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature.

4) The Son did not seek to please people to win their praise, but sought only to please His Father.

Matthew 26:36-44 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, … Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” … Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done.” … He went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.

John 4:34 “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work,” Jesus told them.”

John 5:30 “I can do nothing on My own. I judge only as I hear, and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

John 5:41 “I do not accept glory from men.”

John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

John 7:18 The one who speaks for himself seeks his own glory. But He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

John 8:29 “The One who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.”

John 8:50 I do not seek My glory; the One who seeks it also judges.

John 8:54 “If I glorify Myself,” Jesus answered, “My glory is nothing. My Father— … He is the One who glorifies Me.”

John 12:27-28 “Now My soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save Me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name!” …

5) The Son totally entrusted Himself into His Father's care. He knew His Father was sovereign and totally trustworthy.

Matthew 26:39 … He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”

John 7:28 … I have not come on My own, but the One who sent Me is true.…

John19:10-11 So Pilate said to Him, “You’re not talking to me? Don’t You know that I have the authority to release You and the authority to crucify You?” “You would have no authority over Me at all,” Jesus answered him, “if it hadn’t been given you from above.” …

Philippians 2:8 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross.

Hebrews 5:8-9 Though He was God’s Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. After He was perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him.

1 Peter 2:21-23 … when He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He was suffering, He did not threaten but entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly.

6) God wants me to have that same abiding relationship with Him.

John 14:12 “I assure you: The one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.”

John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.”

John 17:3 (Jesus prayed to His Father) This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent—Jesus Christ.

John 17:14 … they are not of the world, as I am not of the world.

John 17:18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

John 17:23 I am in them and You are in Me. May they be made completely one, so the world may know You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.

John 17:26 I made Your name known to them and will make it known, so the love You have loved Me with may be in them and I may be in them.

John 20:21 Jesus said to them again, “ … As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

Matthew 10:40 “The one who welcomes you welcomes Me, and the one who welcomes Me welcomes Him who sent Me.”

Romans 8:29 For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

2 Corinthians 3:18 We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory;…

Philippians 2:5-7 Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave,…

1 Peter 2:21-23 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His steps.…

1 John 2:6 The one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked.

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3-11 Jesus, God's Son, is our Model for Continual Abiding