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Faith, Reasons to Believe, The Gospel, What is God Like?

The Murder of Jesus-Part 2-Is Jesus God?

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(Disclaimer, again):  I have never read Bill O’Riley’s book called Killing Jesus. The following thoughts came from my own personal study. Any similarities are purely coincidental.)

I am using the word “murder” because it is different than “killing”.  Killing can be an accident or defensive.  Murder is intentional with malice. Further, the word “murder” in this article is used symbolically to demonstrate how Jesus and His message are denigrated in our society, including in some churches.

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Last time, we looked at how the religious leaders of Jesus’ day belittled and denigrated Jesus’ words, teachings, and example.  They sought to murder Him because he cut across their traditions and man-made rules about the Sabbath.  Their hatred was so strong for Him that they sought how they might destroy Him!

They also did not know Jesus.  They claimed that only God could forgive sins.  They were right about that but wrong about who He was.  In their midst stood Immanuel (God with us)!  Their religiosity blinded them.  Indeed, Jesus could forgive sins because He is God, a member of the eternal Godhead. 

There is nothing new under the sun.  Today, the same two topics of the Sabbath and the divinity of Jesus are constantly called into question even though the Bible is clear on these two topics.  They are twisted and degraded, which leads to the murder of Jesus (symbolically).  So, as we walk on holy ground approaching this topic of divinity, let us consider the importance of understanding the nature of Christ.

Sometimes, someone else can so clearly express the truth better than me.  Rarely do I rely on someone else’s writings, but in this case, I make an exception.  A small book written in the 19th century by E. J. Waggoner, Christ, and His Righteousness, follows the scripture closely and fairly to come to a Biblical conclusion about the nature of Christ.  While some of the following are his words, mine are interspersed as the Spirit leads me. But, the most important words are the words from God Himself as found in both the Old and New Testaments.

The ultimate goal is to understand the depth of the sacrifice of Christ,

who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,

Philippians 2:6

If we fall short in our understanding of Christ’s nature, we may attempt to murder Him by minimizing the story of redemption.  Let’s begin with the basic question:

IS CHRIST GOD?

In many places in the Bible, Christ is called God.  The Psalmist says:

“The mighty God (Elohim), even the Lord [Jehovah], hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people. Gather My saints together unto Me; those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare His righteousness; for God is judge Himself.”

Ps. 50:1-6.

It should be clear that this passage refers to the 2nd coming of Christ by two declarations from God’s word:

First, all judgment is given to Christ by God the Father.

Last time, we saw where the Jews sought to kill Jesus, broke their traditions of Sabbath observance, and He made himself equal with God.  He did this by forgiving the paralytic’s sins, and in John 5, Jesus claimed that He and God were equal:

“Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.”

John 5:18

Jesus’ answer to them showed the closeness of the work of Jesus and God the Father (verses 19-20). It is logical that if Jesus didn’t think He was equal with God, He would have said so.  Instead, He refers back to the Psalmist Asaph’s description of Jesus (God) being given all judgment (Psalm 50: 4-6).  His response to the Jews probably surprised and infuriated them because He is showing the power given to Him by the Father:

For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

John 5: 22-23

Is it not clear that honoring Jesus honors the Father, also?  More on that later.

Secondly, the description of the Psalmist Asaph matches Paull and Peter’s New Testament description of the second coming of Christ.  Asaph refers to God (Elohim) whose coming is destructive and is the time to gather His people.  Jesus fulfills this prophecy.  Elohim is the same name used at the beginning of Genesis…” In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” and over 2,400 times elsewhere in the Old Testament.  This simple comparative chart should help us see the connection between Psalm 50 and the New Testament.  This is just one of many connections between the God of the Old Testament and Jesus’ divinity in the New Testament.

Psalm 50New Testament
Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour before Him, And it shall be very tempestuous (like a storm) all around Him. V.3“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with *a shout, (1 Thess 4:16).” “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be [burned up. 2 Peter 3: 10
The Saints shall be gathered together….God is judge Himself.And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His [saints) from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.  Matthew 24: 31, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” 1 Thess 4: 17

*Note: This shout will be the voice of the Son of God, which will be heard by all that are in their graves and which will cause them to come forth. John 5:28, 29.

A prophecy of Isaiah makes it certain that Jesus would be called (among other descriptive names) “the mighty God, the everlasting Father.”

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”

 Isa. 9:6.

These are not simply the words of Isaiah; they are the words of the Spirit of God. God has, in direct address to the Son, called Him by the same title.

In Ps. 45:6, we read these words:

“Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; the scepter of Thy kingdom is a right scepter.”

The casual reader might take this to be simply the Psalmist’s description of praise to God, but when we turn to the New Testament, we find that it is much more. We find that God the Father is the speaker and that He is addressing the Son, calling Him God. (See Heb. 1:1-8).

But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.

Hebrews 1: 8

Christ is the “express image” of the Father’s person. Heb. 1:3. As the Son of the self-existent God, He has by nature all the attributes of Deity. It is true that there are many sons of God, but Christ is the “only begotten Son of God,” and therefore, the Son of God is, in a sense, that which no other being ever was or ever can be.

The angels are sons of God, as was Adam (Job 38:7; Luke 3:38), by creation; Christians are the sons of God by adoption (Rom. 8:14, 15); but Christ is the Son of God by association with the Father.

When Philip said to Jesus,

“Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father”

John 14:8, 9.

This is as emphatic a statement as when He said,

“I and My Father are one.”

John 10:30.

So truly was Christ God, even when here among men, that when asked to exhibit the Father, He could say, Behold Me. And this brings to mind the statement that when the Father brought the First-begotten into the world, He said,

“And let all the Christ And His Righteousness. angels of God worship Him.”

Heb. 1:6.

It was not simply when Christ was sharing the glory of the Father before the world that He was entitled to homage, but when He came as a Babe in Bethlehem, even then, all the angels of God were commanded to adore Him.

The Jews did not misunderstand Christ’s teaching concerning Himself. When He declared that He was one with the Father, the Jews took up stones to stone Him, and when He asked them for which of His good works they sought to stone Him, they replied:

” For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

John 10:33.

If He had been what they regarded Him, a mere man, His words would indeed have been blasphemy, but He was God. The object of Christ in coming to earth was to reveal God to men so that they might come to Him. Thus, the apostle Paul says that.

“God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself”

2 Cor. 5:19

In John, we read that the Word, which was God, was “made flesh.” John 1:1,14.

In the same connection, it is stated,

” No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. (or made Him known).

John 1:18.

Note the expression, “the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father.” He has His abode there, and He is there as a part of the Godhead, as surely when on earth as when in heaven. The use of the present tense implies continued existence. It presents the same idea that is contained in the statement of Jesus to the Jews (John 8:58),

“Before Abraham was, I am.”

John 8:58

And this again shows His identity with the One who appeared to Moses in the burning bush, who declared His name to be “I AM THAT I AM.” And, finally, we have the inspired words of the apostle Paul concerning Jesus Christ, that

“it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell.”

Col. 1:19

What this fullness is, which dwells in Christ, we learn from the next chapter, where we are told that.

” For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;”

Col. 2:9.

This is the most absolute and unequivocal testimony to the fact that Christ possesses by nature all the attributes of Divinity.

Conclusion:

The sacrifice of God the Father and Jesus, who are so intimately associated by their existence and purpose. The plan of the Father and Jesus made Jesus’ sacrifice far exceed the mere blood of bulls and goats.  Those poor animals who knew not of their pending death must have kicked and squirmed as they felt the blade of the knife on their tender throats and felt the life go slowly out of their consciences.

But Jesus willingly laid down His life in cooperation with the Father,

Therefore, My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

John 10: 17-18

Let us stand in awe and respond with love for God and the value of sinful mankind that our Creator would die for the created. 

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?  For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11: 33-36

Next time, we will consider Jesus as our Creator. 

God's Will For Us, The Law of God

JESUS AND THE SABBATH CONNECTION

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The Pharisees and other religious leaders were constantly looking for reasons to condemn Jesus even though Jesus said His mission was the opposite:

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:17

Self-righteous judgment and condemnation work this way not only for the Pharisees of Jesus’ day but also for modern church members and leaders who don’t know Jesus. Jesus cut across the traditions of men and religious rules that, ironically, paved the way for additional condemnations from religious people.

A good example is the story of the disciples in the grain field on the Sabbath day.

Jesus’ disciples got caught breaking a tradition (not supported by Scripture) regarding the Sabbath. The condemnation by the Pharisees was picky and petty.

A Misunderstanding About the Sabbath

Here was their crime: The disciples were walking through a grainfield and plucked some of the heads of grain because they were hungry. They were condemned by the church leaders for breaking a Sabbath law; then they made sure Jesus knew it! Of course, this was a man-made law regarding the fourth commandment. Jesus attempted to clarify the Sabbath to these religious leaders.

At that time, Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

Matthew 12: 1-2

Was this stealing, or was it something else that was unlawful to do on the Sabbath? The instruction given to Moses by God in Deuteronomy 23:25 allowed the disciples to take some of the heads of grain to satisfy their hunger.

“ When you come into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbor’s standing grain.

Deuteronomy 23: 25

During this time period, It was lawful to satisfy your hunger but not harvest it (use of a sickle)—the issue the priests had with the disciples related to their laws about activities allowed on the Lord’s Sabbath. The Pharisees considered their activities with the grain as work (gathering and threshing), which was prohibited by the melakhah, which describes at least 39 CATEGORIES of prohibitions on Shabbat (Sabbath). Again, these were man-made laws and not laws/prohibitions that God made. In fact, God says very little about prohibitions on the Sabbath. The most obvious is ceasing from labor, but after that,, God says very little about how to keep it holy or things that can’t be done on the Sabbath. Of all the commandments, only the fourth and fifth commandments do not start with a “Thou Shalt Not,” but rather an invitation by God to remember, rest, and honor. This is something that is positive for the mind of mankind.

Son Of Man-And Lord

The Pharisees carefully watched the movements of the man of Galilee, who claimed to be “The Son of Man.” A title that Jesus liked to use. It had a nice ring of connecting Himself with mankind. He was one of us! But, He was also God…Immanual (God with us). Paul would later explain it this way:

 For both, He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren…Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same.

Hebrews 2: 11,14

Jesus said something about the Sabbath that is very revealing about Himself and the Sabbath:

Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

Mark 2:28

Here is the Sabbath connection with Jesus. He is one of us, but He is also Lord, even of the Sabbath!

Apparently, the Pharisees didn’t appear to catch what He was saying. First of all, He is proclaiming Himself to be Lord, a title given to God the Messiah! He is God, even of the Sabbath!

Some have mistakenly tried to say that Jesus was indicating that the Sabbath didn’t matter or that Jesus “broke the Sabbath” to make a point. That is far from the truth.

Jesus said,

I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

John 15:10b

But Jesus did not keep the commandments according to additions and traditions to the law by the religious leaders.

Additions and Traditions

Using the context of this event, the point Jesus made was about additions and traditions by the priests that had made the Sabbath a burden and were not in the spirit of God’s intention of the Sabbath. The religious people had robbed its joy and turned it into a list of do’s and don’t’s.

But Jesus was also proclaiming His Lordship. Jesus was not breaking His own words given at Creation. He is our Lord, even of the Sabbath. If anyone should know what is good or bad on the Sabbath, it would be its Creator.

Jesus made it clear. The Sabbath was made (just like everything else at creation) for the benefit of mankind. Before He proclaimed His Lordship over the Sabbath, He reminded the religious leaders and anyone who had ears to hear:

“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

Mark 2:28

By the multitude of non-Scriptural rules, the Sabbath became their master. It became a do-nothing day for fear of breaking a rule. The Sabbath was hallowed at creation, as recorded by Moses in the first and second chapters of Genesis. It was after God had spent six literal days (evenings and mornings) that God said these words:

Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. Genesis 1:31

Even in the Ten Commandments law, written by the finger of God in stone (Exodus 31:18), is the acknowledgment that God is Lord of the Sabbath.

 “…the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God…”

Exodus 20:10

The Sabbath From The Beginning

It had been an unwritten gift from the time of Adam and Eve. A gift of rest because God rested after His work. This was long before there was a Jew. Therefore, it was an invitation to all mankind to work six days, then rest in Him.


Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Genesis 2:3

He finished His work of Creation and did not add anything else. It was all very good. But it was finished. The Sabbath stands as a memorial in time, repeated every week to teach us to Remember His creative work. What He has blessed cannot be reversed.

Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

Numbers 23:20

Jesus Created The Sabbath

Here is another connection between Jesus and the Sabbath. He made it and blessed it! Both John and Paul tell us that Jesus is God and worked with God the Father to create everything we see, including the Sabbath;

In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. John 1:1-3

In this passage, John uses another name for Jesus, “the Word” He leaves no doubt as to the identity of “the Word” in the proceeding verses, especially verse 14

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. john 1:14

Who else but Jesus fits this description of “the Word“? It would be very fair to read John 1: 1-3 this way:

In the beginning, was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God.

The same (Jesus) was at the beginning with God.

All things were made by Jesus, and without Jesus was not anything made that was made.

John 1:1-3

This one passage eliminates all those who would claim that Jesus was just another prophet or that He was not a member of the preexistent Godhead. Paul agrees with John:

He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him ( Jesus) all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him (Jesus) and for Him (Jesus). And He (Jesus) is before all things, and in Him (Jesus) all things consist. And He (Jesus) is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Hebrews 1: 15-18

The writer of Hebrews adds this:

 …in these last days spoken unto us by his Son (Jesus), whom He hath appointed Heir of all things, by whom also He (Jesus) made the worlds;

Hebrews 1:2

Jesus Himself proclaimed His Divinity by taking the name given to Moses at the burning bush when Moses asked what name he should use when he talked to the children of Israel about their pending release from Egyptian bondage:

God told Moses:

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

Exodus 3:14

Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” John 8:58

Jesus’ Connection with the Sabbath-Summary:

1.) He is the Creator or Co-Creator, at the least.

2.) He created everything we see or don’t see. and blessed the Sabbath after finishing the work of creation.

3.) He told us He made the Sabbath for us and not us for the Sabbath. The Sabbath is not meant to be a burden but rather a delight and a joy (See Isaiah 58: 13-14)

4.) He is Lord of the Seventh-day Sabbath. There is no other Lord’s Day described so well in Scripture. The Lord’s day in these exact words only appears once in Revelation 1:10, but it does not specify which day of the week. But using the plethora of verses connecting the seventh day with the Lord’s Day. It is, therefore, very likely the Sabbath (the seventh day) that John was “in the Spirit.” The only other explanation is that John was “in the Spirit” to describe the events of the coming of Jesus.

Religious People and the Sabbath

The religious people of Jesus day and even some of those who remember the Sabbath today want to put burdens on the Sabbath to make it a day of useless time just sitting around. But this rest is also mental and spiritual rest. Jesus proclaimed the following when He invited us with all our burdens to Him.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11: 28

So the Sabbath is more about coming to Jesus for relief from the mental, physical, and spiritual burdens accumulated during the six days of labor. It was never meant to be a day of does and don’ts or a way to please God.

It encourages time to visit the sick and other acts of mercy. God desires mercy and not sacrifice.

At the end of Jesus’ discourse with the Pharisees, He said,

 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. Matthew 12:7

Worship and the Sabbath

Oddly, nowhere in the fourth commandment does it mention it as a day of worship. In fact, formal corporate worship is not limited to any day of the week, as shown throughout the Bible.

But only the Sabbath was proclaimed “holy” and “sanctified” by Jesus Himself. Jesus’ custom, along with Paul and the disciples, was to be present in the synagogue on the Sabbath (Luke 4:16, Acts 16:13, Acts 17:2). So worship on the Sabbath fits with God’s will by both Jesus’ example and reasons for worship (His Creatorship). Those who worship on Sunday should not be condemned, nor those who worship on Saturday. Either way, it does not take away the sanctity of God nor His word to “Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy…”

While formal worship is not described in the fourth commandment, the main reason for worship is there. He is our Creator! He completed His workweek and ended it. He took time, not because He was tired, but because He desired to look at what was “very good.” He invites the same for us today. A day of worship to Jesus and looking to Jesus who is “very good.“

The call to worship Him as Creator becomes a call from a powerful angel (messenger) in Revelation 14 at the end of time. This messenger is one of three angels:

Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

Revelation 14:6-7

This message of Revelation 14 is pointing back to the fourth Commandment and is connected to the two other powerful messages to the earth, Babylon is fallen and warnings against the beast and its mark. (See Revelation 14: 8-9)

Jesus’ Connection With You

So what do you do with Jesus and the Sabbath? Do you accept both as a gift of love from Jesus the Creator? Do you make the Sabbath a way to please God and make yourself more religious by adding on more additions and traditions? Do you ignore it and claim it was stricken from the table of the Ten Commandments? Or do you embrace God’s command as something to enhance your relationship with Jesus?

Jesus said His law was valid forever.

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5: 17-19

Jesus’ demonstration of mercy, forgiveness, and love extends from the Garden of Eden to the end of time and beyond. The Sabbath is not just another rule but an invitation to be with God in Spirit on His holy day. It is only legalistic if a person puts additional rules on it and thinks that it is a way to gain favor with God or another rule to keep for salvation. It becomes a joy when it is connected with Jesus, and we follow His commandments because of our love and respect for Him…not for just pretentious religious purposes.

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.

John 14:15


Worshipping Jesus on the Sabbath will not stop when He creates a new heaven and a new earth for the redeemed.

“For as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord, And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.

Isaiah 6; 22, 23

Reasons to Believe

Can You Prove God Exists? -Part 3-Circumstantial Evidence

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Logical thinking would conclude that proof of God’s existence would only be possible if one searched for truth. Therefore, there must be some motivation to do so. I was one of those oddballs who started my search for the truth about God on a dare from my wife to prove her wrong. But many people begin the search for answers from God when they have no place to look but up!

The Creator God has not chosen to reveal Himself physically except through Jesus. Jesus told doubting Philip:

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. 

John 14:9

One of the many descriptive names given to Jesus by the Hebrew writers was Immanuel or “God with us.” (See Isaiah 7:14). This reveals to us the divinity of Jesus.

Therefore, the most reliable and logical place to discover God is to study the life of Jesus through the Holy Scriptures. Jesus and His disciples used what we know as the Old Testament ( before the New Testament was ever written) as proof that Jesus was all He and His disciples claimed Him to be.

In Part 1, I listed many barriers to belief in God. No doubt, you could probably add to the list. Just one or two of these reasons would discourage most anyone from believing in a God who knows the end from the beginning. These reasons provide good excuses never to start a search for truth. Sadly, therefore, many won’t move forward or will believe a lie that fits more with their own human worldview.

In addition, a search will never happen if someone has had an unhappy, negative religious experience with humans. But, an open-minded search will produce sufficient evidence of God, especially if someone has been compelled for some reason to search. God promises that if our investigation is not casual but consistent, He will be found…and there will be plenty of evidence provided that He is pulling you towards Him!

One writer described our search journey in very plain language:

God never asks us to believe without giving sufficient evidence upon which to base our faith. His existence, His character, and the truthfulness of His word are all established by testimony that appeals to our reason, and this testimony is abundant. Yet God has never removed the possibility of doubt. Our faith must rest upon evidence, not demonstration. Those who wish to doubt will have the opportunity, while those who really desire to know the truth will find plenty of evidence on which to rest their faith.

Steps to Christ, p. 106 E. White

This same author highlights the value of sincerity or the desire to know the truth.

In order to arrive at truth, we must have a sincere desire to know the truth and a willingness of heart to obey it. And all who come in this spirit to the study of the Bible will find abundant evidence that it is God’s word, and they may gain an understanding of its truths that will make them wise unto salvation.

Steps to Christ p. 110, 111 E.G. White

Jeremiah said it this way:

 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 

Jeremiah 29: 11-13

The results of this journey for truth will succeed if we understand it is not a casual search. The determination of its success also includes a willingness to follow the truth. Jesus said,

If you really want to obey God, you will know if what I teach comes from God or from me.

John 7:17

Last time, we looked at the hard evidence that would be viable in any court of law. Eyewitnesses of Jesus and prophecies regarding Him leave no doubt that God can see the future. The conclusion is that there must be an omnipotent God who is more innovative and intelligent than we are.

Because of this, we have reason to believe the gospel story of Jesus in all the books of the Bible, both the Old and New Testament. See Part 2

Often, in a court of law, there is no hard evidence such as eyewitness DNA, a murder weapon, etc. But there is a preponderance of other types of evidence, such as motive, opportunity, and character. This circumstantial evidence can be just as convicting as hard evidence. Therefore, attorneys will combine the circumstantial with the hard evidence to convince a jury.

Circumstantial Evidence-Creation and Life

Paul describes evidence we can see that will lead us to a conclusion about God.

For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

Romans 1: 20

This passage points out that the world was “created.” Then God gave the laws of nature to pro-create or reproduce themselves by looking at the creation in this world and life. There are things that remain as evidence of God’s creation and His original purpose. Things like blue skies, soft wind, rivers, oceans, majestic trees, flowers, animals, the sun, the moon, and the stars all minister to life and sustain it. All are intertwined to bring the reality of life surrounded by beauty. It all points to a loving, caring God who created it all. All this can be seen regardless of your station or place on earth.

The world, though fallen, is not all sorrow and misery. In nature, itself are messages of hope and comfort. There are flowers upon the thistles, and the thorns are covered with roses.

Steps to Christ, p. 10 EGW

As we consider our dependence upon the things we had nothing to do with creating, we are without excuse about the existence of God. His character (invisible attributes )are clearly seen in creation, even His unending (eternal) power and divinity (Godhead). Can you look at the complexity of life and feel sure there is no Creator? Paul tells us we have “no excuse.“

“God is love” is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green — all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children happy.

Steps to Christ, p.10 EGW

In this dangerous and crazy world, our eyes are coxed to look upon negative and disturbing scenes of everyday life. It is difficult, if not impossible, to do otherwise. Think how refreshing it is to see kind humans at work; what a change in humanity would occur if our time were spent directing our eyes to good instead of evil. Again, Paul suggested the following:

Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8

By observing these things, we become changed.

To see love expressed to the unlovable. This is the nature of God. John described God as love:

 God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

1 John 4;16

The writers of God’s inspired word were amazed at the works and complexity of God’s creation.

David asked this question twice in the book of Psalms.

…what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?

Psalm 8:4 and Psalm 144:3

The Apostle John stated the truth about God’s creation.

Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Revelation 4:11

A close look at Scripture reveals something about Jesus that many either overlook or find too incredible. Nevertheless, it is a Biblical truth that all creation came through Jesus. Here are just a few passages:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him (The Word), and without Him, nothing was made that was made.

John 1: 1-3

This “Word,” who was with God in the beginning, made everything. This Word is Jesus! John confirms this several verses later.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1: 14

Paul says the same thing in both the letters to the Colossians and the Hebrews:

 He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him, all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Colossians 1: 15-16

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power.

Hebrews 1:1-3

Summary and Conclusion

If you want to search, you will find the invisible God through Jesus Christ. You will find truth, understanding, and peace when you find God. God is discovered only in Jesus. “No one ever spoke as this man” (John 7:46) . Nor have as many prophecies been fulfilled to the letter as were in Jesus’ life. This is how God the Father has chosen to disclose Himself. Over 40 prophets pointed to a coming Messiah, the woman’s promised seed (Genesis 3:15) who would restore fallen mankind through teaching, example, and sacrificial death to pay for the unchangeable law of sin and death.

The existence of the “invisible” God is plain to see through hard evidence of the life of Jesus and the complexity of life around us. Perhaps this is why David said,

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

Psalm 53:1a

The Hebrew word for foolish is nāḇāl. It combines the English words “stupid” and “corrupt.” as evidenced by the last part of the verse.

They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. Psalm 51:1b

This, in a small way, demonstrates why the world is so corrupt; a majority of the world does not search for God nor follow His ways:

Today if you will yield to God’s pull to turn to Him and reason with Him, you will find…

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7

In future articles, we will discover, through God’s word, the reasons for the world’s death, dying, and suffering. God, through giving angels and mankind free will and choice, planned for it.

We will understand why love does not include force. God provides reasons for love and caution against evil. True love must be based on the freedom of will and choice. You can’t be forced to love, nor can you fake it.

God the Father made Himself known as a way of escape through Jesus. This is why this author recommends a study of Jesus through the Bible as the most effective way to discover the reality of God and the plan of salvation. Unlike other books, your journey doesn’t have to start at the beginning, i.e., Genesis.

Almost any place in the Bible will lead you back to Jesus and the words, “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” I recommend starting with the book of John and his other letters (1, 2, and 3 John). Won’t you begin today? Contact me if you need some guidance on starting your journey. If you want to find a simple guide to beginning your journey, click here. Blessings as you begin your search.

Daniel and Revelation, Reasons to Believe

THE BOOK OF REVELATION-PART 3-The THEME

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Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1: 7-8

After John’s Prologue, Greetings and Doxology, John turns the reader’s attention to what Jesus will do. He then reminds us of who Jesus is.

What Will He Do?

The principal of understanding Revelation’s message is to know when John talks in symbolic language and when he describes the literality of situations or events. There is nothing in Revelation 1:7 that would indicate symbolism. It concerns the eyes of every person who is alive (and resurrected) at the return of Christ and their reaction. He also includes another group in this spectacular event: “they who pierced Him.” This is a direct reference to those who were responsible for His crucifixion. How can this happen? Aren’t those people dead already? That will be answered later in Revelation.

Verse 7 obviously describes the literal second coming of Christ and the end of the world’s history as we know it. How do we know His coming is literal? To solidify the event as tangible, a comparison of the exact same event from other inspired writers of the Bible is critical. Here are just a few passages:

Daniel 7:13

“I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!

Daniel sees a similar vision of the “Son of Man” (Jesus) coming with the clouds of heaven. Notice it is not the clouds of the earth but heaven. Both John and Daniel “SEE” with their eyes as does every believer throughout the ages. including this special group of persecutors.

Zechariah 12: 10-14

“…then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. in that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem,

Zechariah describes those who” pierced” Jesus and their location: Jerusalem, the place where Jesus was crucified. They will look on Me (Jesus). Again, the eyes are used to see the events of Jesus’ return.

Finally, we hear from the lips of Jesus Himself as recorded by Matthew, a description of His return that matches Daniel and Zechariah, to name a few.

Matthew 24:30

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

There is something mentioned by Jesus that is not be the other writers. It is the “sign” of the Son of Man. It appears John is describing something just before Jesus appears. This sign, indicates that Jesus is coming and the mourning begins. Then they see Jesus coming in “the clouds” of heaven. It is a powerful and glorious thing to see.

Jesus talked directly to those who were soon to “pierce Him.”

Mark 14: 61:62

Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”

Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Summary-What He Will Do.

So, What will Jesus do? He will return visibly. It will be an event that is powerful and glorious to see. Every eye of those who are alive (and those resurrected in the first resurrection-(See 1 Thess 4: 16-18) and those who pierced Him will see Him coming (See Mark 14: 62), Matthew 26:64). Those on earth will mourn (grieve) like someone who has lost someone very close to them. As described later in Revelation. those who mourn are under tremendous conviction of remorse and lost opportunity. They have been such great enemies of Jesus that they can’t stand to look at him. They run from Him to hide His face from their sight:

Revelation 6: 14-17

Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

The other eyes that will see Him are those who are “in Christ” and alive at His return. The follower’s of Christ living and the those who “died in Christ” from all ages will see His return. The “dead in Christ” are resurrected to see Him coming. It is something they were promised before they fell asleep in Christ. Perhaps the clearest description of this portion of Christ’s return comes from Paul. Paul was encouraging the believers of the Thessalonian church by describing that great day of Jesus’ return. These early believers thought Jesus should have returned already. But Paul described things that had to happen first (See 2 Thessalonians 2:3). As this church watched believers die and buried, they longed for Jesus, as do many today, to come quickly and put an end to death.

1 Thessalonians 4: 16-18

 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Our comfort is to know that Jesus is coming! The saved of all ages will rise from the dust of the ground along with those who alive to meet Jesus in the air. Here is where eternity will begin. It is after those who are asleep in death are raised and their bodies are changed (See 1 Corinthians 15: 51:55). Then we all meet Jesus in the air. He takes us back to where He is now (See John 14: 1-3)

The saved will not be mourning, rather they will be praising.

Isaiah 24:9


And it will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”

Who is this Jesus?

This question is answered in the context of the previous verses about Jesus return. After John describes the return of Christ, He reminds us who Jesus is, especially as it relates to that glorious event of Jesus’ return.

Revelation 1:8

 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

First, John describes Jesus as the “Alpha and the Omega”. These are the Greek letters we would describe as “A” to “Z” The start and the finish. The Beginning and the End. This world’s history started with its creation and it will end with the return of Christ. Peter described the world’s end as the “day of the Lord”:

2 Peter 3: 10,

 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.  

Again, another inspired writer and an apostle of Christ (Peter) describes the end of this world as a destructive event at the return of Christ or “the day of the Lord.”

Jesus is both the beginning and the end. He acted in the past, he is present now, and he will always be .

“The conclusion of world’s history will not be through ‘a gradual process’ of either degradation or development but through the coming of Christ in glory and majesty.” “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” Stefanovic, p.71

Finally, Jesus is referred to as “The Almighty.” The Greek word for Almighty is pantokratōr. It is used in the Old Testament as “Lord of the Sbaoth” (“Lord of Hosts” or Lord overall). It is used nine times in the book of Revelation (1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 15: 21:22; 19:6;)

To put it plainly, John in both Revelation and His gospel, describes Jesus as God Almighty, the Creator (beginning) and Sustainer of life on earth

John 1: 1-3, 14

In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word (Jesus) was with God, and the Word (Jesus) was God. He (Jesus) was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him (Jesus), and without Him (Jesus) nothing was made that was made. 

And the Word (Jesus) became flesh (incarnation) and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth

Conclusion

There can be little doubt that the theme of Revelation is centered on What Jesus will do: A very literal destructive return to planet earth . Every eye will see Him coming in heaven’s clouds. “Every eye” includes the living; those who are resurrected; and those who pierced Him. The lost living will “mourn” and try to hide their face from Him. The saved of all ages will rejoice at the fulfillment of His promise to return.

John reminds us of who Jesus is: This is important in the scope and reason for Jesus’ return. He is the one who began life on earth (The Alpha) and is the one who will end it (Omega) except for those who are “in Him.” He is everything in between. Finally, Jesus is the Lord Almighty, The Lord of Hosts. He will return and not keep silent:

Psalm 50:3

Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour before Him, And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.

This is the theme, the foundation of the Book of Revelation. Everything revolves around the literal event of Jesus’ return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Revelation 19:16

And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Essential Christian Beliefs

28 Fundamental Beliefs-#3 The Trinity

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trinity

The Trinity

There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three coeternal Persons. God is immortal, all-powerful, all-knowing, above all, and ever present. He is infinite and beyond human comprehension, yet known through His self-revelation. God, who is love, is forever worthy of worship, adoration, and service by the whole creation.

(Click on the Bible verses below to quickly access the verse in New King James Version.)

(Gen. 1:26; Deut. 6:4; Isa. 6:8; Matt. 28:19; John 3:16 2 Cor. 1:21, 22; 13:14; Eph. 4:4-6; 1 Peter 1:2.)

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The Trinity is one God existing in three Persons. This does not mean there are three Gods. The word “Trinity” is not found in Scripture. It  is a term used to describe the triune God—three coexistent, co-eternal Persons who make up God. In this study, we will see that the concept of the Trinity is found throughout Scripture.

Each participated in Creation

 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…”

Genesis 1:26

From the start of God’s word, we see a coeternal Godhead made up of three distinct persons yet one.  They interact with each other and perform specific roles in the universe and on earth….They all work to save mankind  from eternal destruction that is sure to come.

The use of the word “Our” indicates there is more than one person, otherwise it would be read as,

“Let (me) make man in (my) image according to (my) likeness”

Present on that week of creation were the Spirit, God the Father, and the Son-Jesus

And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Genesis 1:2

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

John 1: 1-3

Notice that the “Word” become a personal pronoun “He.”  Who is this?  Let’s let the Bible speak for itself a little further down in John 1

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth

John 1:14

Who became flesh and was with us?  Who is described as the only begotten of the Father?  Is it not clear that it is none other than Jesus?  From this passage, we can clearly see that Jesus was with God (Father) in the beginning along with the Spirit.

Let’s look at another few verses that make this passage even more clear.  Notice in Colossians that through Jesus “all things were created” and they are “for Him.”

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Colossians 1: 15-18

Further God (Father) calls His Son God!

But to the Son He says:

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;

Hebrews 1:8

So, we see God the Father, Jesus in his pre-human form participating in the creation of all life and all the universe.  Further, The Spirit of God as the third member of the Godhead is vital in the creation of man and giving him life.

The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Job 33:4

The Father, The Son, and the Spirit are the  “Our” found in Genesis 1: 3. In a future post, we will examine all Three in separate studies.

The Lord is One

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!

Deuteronomy 6:4

As we will study in a future post, the plan of salvation began before the foundation of the world.  The Trinity would participate in different roles but with the same purpose and forthrightness.  They are one in purpose, but separate in their roles.  Isaiah pulls back the curtain on the mystery of God dwelling among us in order to save us.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

Isaiah 6:8

Jesus was sent to us to save a planet in rebellion.  We were on the path to eternal death and annihilation, but God intervened and sent forth His only begotten son to die for us that we might have a way of escape.

 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

Here we see two members of the Godhead at work.  God the Father sending His Son.  The motivation?  Love for us, His creation.

This was foretold in the Tanakh (Old Testament)

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (God with Us)

Isaiah 7:14

The gospel writer Matthew recognized Jesus as Immanuel.  He wrote:

 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:  “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Matthew 1: 22, 23

While upon the earth, Jesus recognized his role and referred to himself in his pre-incarnate existence when he said to His accusers,

Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

John 8:57, 58

Jesus was referring them to the Torah and the story of Moses and the burning bush, when God stated,

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’

Exodus 3:14

This statement infuriated the Jews.  they took stones and attempted to stone Him as blasphemous (claiming to be God) as the Torah allowed.

Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

John 8:59

So Jesus was claiming to be God to the Jews!  He is part of the Trinity with one specific purpose…the salvation of man. He demonstrated there was another member of the Trinity when he prayed to the Father and asked that His people (including you and me) would be one as they are one:

 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours….

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You”

John 17:9, 20

In this prayer, Jesus also refers back to his pre-existence when he prayed,

 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

John 17: 24

Paul tells us that the eternal Three are seen in Christ,

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily

Colossians 2:9

Jesus confirmed this when he told His disciples that seeing Him is the same as seeing the Father.  Keep in mind, this is not a reference to his physical being, but His character, purpose, and will

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

John 14:9

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The Mystery and the Work of The Spirit

 The Trinity is a mystery to most for a couple of reasons:

1.)  To understand spiritual teachings, one must be spiritual. Too many today operate on a purely day-to-day human level way of thinking. But, once they have been influenced by the Spirit, a whole new world opens to them

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 2:4

It is the work of the third member of the Godhead to help us all move from our carnal way of thinking to a spiritual level:

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth

John 16:13 

Did you notice that the Spirit is given the designation of a personal pronoun, He?

At the baptism of Jesus, all three are present. Can you see them in this verse?

 “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He[c] 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.”

Matthew 3: 16,17

2,) Understanding the truth comes from a desire (will) to do God’s will and to act on the truth given you.

If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.

John 7:17

When Jesus left this earth, he made a promise to his disciples and to us.  It was a promise of the work being passed on to the omnipresent Spirit.

“But now I go away to Him who sent Me…I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

John 16: 5,  7, 8

Again, these verses designate the Spirit as “He” and the work “He” will do until Jesus returns.

So through out Scripture it is easy to see the working of the eternal Three and their roles in the great plan of salvation.

Next time, we will begin our study of each one separately. Until then, this is my prayer,

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

2 Corinthians 13:14

trinity

Reasons to Believe

Will The Real God Please Stand UP-Part 4 (Who do you think He is?)

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Jesus is God…….

“ Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?”“

Mark 8:27

The disciples had just witnessed the healing of a blind man and had seen many other miracles of Jesus.  They would see more. They heard him teach.  They would hear more. The disciples had seen how loving and gentle he was with people.   His words were wise and penetrating.  They came with power and in a way that no other man had ever spoken.

“So they answered, ‘John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”

Mark 8:28

Of course these perceptions did not come from anything other than speculation and faulty human reasoning by those who were not with Him everyday as were His disciples.

“But who do you say that I am?”

Mark 8:29

Peter spoke fast and first,

“You are the Christ.”

Mark 8: 29

The Christ is the One whom the nation of Israel had long-awaited.   Many Jews today still look for the Messiah.  Most have given up and now subscribe to the nationalistic view of their existence.  Their religion has been reduced to holidays and traditions.

Being the “anointed one” (Christ) was only the beginning of Jesus’s identity.  He was much more!

They would find out that He had the power over life and death:

“I am the Resurrection”

John 11:25

He had all knowledge

I am the Truth;

John 14;26

He could forgive sin and grant pardons:

When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

Luke 5:20

Ultimately, after his death and resurrection, they would discover that He was God, as Thomas proclaimed:

And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

John 20:28

Which of these can Muhammad or any other person claim?

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There is another reason Jesus is far superior than Muhammad and confirms that Jesus is God:  Jesus preexisted before coming to this earth.  Muhammad did not make this claim.

What does this pre-existence mean?  Why is that so important in knowing that Jesus is everything He claimed and everything the writers of the Bible described He would be?

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Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”

Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” 

Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

John 8: 56-59

In this passage, the religious leaders took up stones to stone Jesus because not only was He claiming to have existed before Abraham, but Jesus was claiming to be God by taking the name “I AM.”

 Erroneously, they thought Jesus was blaspheming the name of God.   Because they did not believe Jesus, they could easily  justify stoning Him to death.  According to scripture anyone who blasphemed God’s name was to be put to death immediately:

“Then you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: … And whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the Lord, he shall be put to death.

Leviticus 24: 15-16

But, Jesus was telling the truth.  Surprisingly, many Christians do not know that it was Jesus who instructed Moses to deliver the children of Israel.  Not only did Jesus pre-exist, but He took the claim of being God.

Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

Exodus 3:14

I AM means to exist, to be present.  God did not come into being, He simply exists and has always be present.  The concept of no beginning and no ending is practically impossible for the finite brain of man to comprehend.

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The disciples later proclaimed Jesus as God, but at first their view was that Jesus was the Messiah only.  Although partly correct, they would discover the ultimate identification of Jesus:

John, the beloved disciple, who wrote both the gospel and Revelations, as well as 1st, 2nd, 3rd John confirmed Jesus’ claim of divinity and Creator by writing the following under the guidance of the Spirit of God:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

John 1: 1-5

In this passage, John identifies a being he refers to as “the Word.”  He goes on to describe “the Word” as being with God in the beginning and he says that “the Word” was God!

Further, “the Word”  made everything and there is not anything you can describe that was not made by Him.  In Him was the light of men (the truth).

Notice that “the Word” is described with a personal pronoun (Him).  This is not some comic concept or fancy philosophy.  This is the true and personal God who made everything and is truth.

In a few verses later, John makes it clear that “the Word” is none other than Jesus Himself..

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’”

John 1:14-15

Knowing this, we can replace “the Word” (object) and Him (personal pronoun) with Jesus so there is no mistaken identity for Jesus:

In the beginning was JESUS, and JESUS was with God, and JESUS was God.  JESUS was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through JESUS, and without JESUS nothing was made that was made.  In JESUS was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

John 1: 1-5

Who else but Jesus can fit this description?  Jesus came, as predicted by the prophets hundreds of years before His birth.  He was proclaimed as Immanuel (God with us).  The prophet John identified him and proclaimed Him to the people who gathered to watch John baptize Jesus.  This was the beginning of Jesus’ 3 1/2 years of proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God or Heaven.

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Thomas

For eight days after the Resurrection of Jesus, the doubts of Thomas persisted.  He did not understand the need for Jesus to die and was not only surprised, but perhaps quite disappointed at how Jesus died.

It is comforting and interesting that Jesus gave the disciples lengthy Bible Studies on one topic:  Himself!  He showed from scripture that He was the fulfillment of all the prophets hopes for the coming Messiah.  But, he showed why he had to die and be raised again.

These Bible studies and their effects on the disciples are explained in two previous blogs:

Now I Understand-He’s Alive

and

A Substitute for The Resurrection?

When Thomas was able to see Jesus, touch His side and feel His hands, Thomas proclaimed this:

“And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.”

John 20:28

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This is difficult for many to accept and confusing even in Christian churches.  It is much easier to believe that Jesus was either a great prophet or the Messiah.

But Jesus is God and there is something more!  He is our God who will one day judge us.

For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

John 5:22

Claim #1-Jesus is God.  He made everything.  All Judgment is given unto him.

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Before someone can believe Jesus is God, they must first understand He is the Messiah as predicted from the Old Testament.

Below are just 44 of the hundreds of prophecies concerning Jesus as the Messiah.  Some have demonstrated that there are at least 352 prophecies fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  The possibility of one person fulfilling only 8 of these prophecies is 10 to the 17th power.  That is 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.  Now add 348 more prophecies and the number becomes astronomical!

The point is this:  Jesus is all that he and the prophets claimed.  No other can make this claim.

“…there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved!”

Acts 4:12

Check out this chart and meet me on the other side of it.  One last point before we end this study.

44 Prophecies Jesus Christ Fulfilled
Prophecies About Jesus Old Testament
Scripture		 New Testament
Fulfillment
1 Messiah would be born of a woman. Genesis 3:15 Matthew 1:20
Galatians 4:4
2 Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2 Matthew 2:1
Luke 2:4-6
3 Messiah would be born of a virgin. Isaiah 7:14 Matthew 1:22-23
Luke 1:26-31
4 Messiah would come from the line of Abraham. Genesis 12:3
Genesis 22:18		 Matthew 1:1
Romans 9:5
5 Messiah would be a descendant of Isaac. Genesis 17:19
Genesis 21:12		 Luke 3:34
6 Messiah would be a descendant of Jacob. Numbers 24:17 Matthew 1:2
7 Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah. Genesis 49:10 Luke 3:33
Hebrews 7:14
8 Messiah would be heir to King David‘s throne. 2 Samuel 7:12-13
Isaiah 9:7		 Luke 1:32-33
Romans 1:3
9 Messiah’s throne will be anointed and eternal. Psalm 45:6-7
Daniel 2:44		 Luke 1:33
Hebrews 1:8-12
10 Messiah would be called Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 Matthew 1:23
11 Messiah would spend a season in Egypt. Hosea 11:1 Matthew 2:14-15
12 A massacre of children would happen at Messiah’s birthplace. Jeremiah 31:15 Matthew 2:16-18
13 A messenger would prepare the way for Messiah Isaiah 40:3-5 Luke 3:3-6
14 Messiah would be rejected by his own people. Psalm 69:8
Isaiah 53:3		 John 1:11
John 7:5
15 Messiah would be a prophet. Deuteronomy 18:15 Acts 3:20-22
16 Messiah would be preceded by Elijah. Malachi 4:5-6 Matthew 11:13-14
17 Messiah would be declared the Son of God. Psalm 2:7 Matthew 3:16-17
18 Messiah would be called a Nazarene. Isaiah 11:1 Matthew 2:23
19 Messiah would bring light to Galilee. Isaiah 9:1-2 Matthew 4:13-16
20 Messiah would speak in parables. Psalm 78:2-4
Isaiah 6:9-10		 Matthew 13:10-15,34-35
21 Messiah would be sent to heal the brokenhearted. Isaiah 61:1-2 Luke 4:18-19
22 Messiah would be a priest after the order ofMelchizedek. Psalm 110:4 Hebrews 5:5-6
23 Messiah would be called King. Psalm 2:6
Zechariah 9:9		 Matthew 27:37
Mark 11:7-11
24 Messiah would be praised by little children. Psalm 8:2 Matthew 21:16
25 Messiah would be betrayed. Psalm 41:9
Zechariah 11:12-13		 Luke 22:47-48
Matthew 26:14-16
26 Messiah’s price money would be used to buy a potter’s field. Zechariah 11:12-13 Matthew 27:9-10
27 Messiah would be falsely accused. Psalm 35:11 Mark 14:57-58
28 Messiah would be silent before his accusers. Isaiah 53:7 Mark 15:4-5
29 Messiah would be spat upon and struck. Isaiah 50:6 Matthew 26:67
30 Messiah would be hated without cause. Psalm 35:19
Psalm 69:4		 John 15:24-25
31 Messiah would be crucified with criminals. Isaiah 53:12 Matthew 27:38
Mark 15:27-28
32 Messiah would be given vinegar to drink. Psalm 69:21 Matthew 27:34
John 19:28-30
33 Messiah’s hands and feet would be pierced. Psalm 22:16
Zechariah 12:10		 John 20:25-27
34 Messiah would be mocked and ridiculed. Psalm 22:7-8 Luke 23:35
35 Soldiers would gamble for Messiah’s garments. Psalm 22:18 Luke 23:34
Matthew 27:35-36
36 Messiah’s bones would not be broken. Exodus 12:46
Psalm 34:20		 John 19:33-36
37 Messiah would be forsaken by God. Psalm 22:1 Matthew 27:46
38 Messiah would pray for his enemies. Psalm 109:4 Luke 23:34
39 Soldiers would pierce Messiah’s side. Zechariah 12:10 John 19:34
40 Messiah would be buried with the rich. Isaiah 53:9 Matthew 27:57-60
41 Messiah would resurrect from the dead. Psalm 16:10
Psalm 49:15		 Matthew 28:2-7
Acts 2:22-32
42 Messiah would ascend to heaven. Psalm 24:7-10 Mark 16:19
Luke 24:51
43 Messiah would be seated at God’s right hand. Psalm 68:18
Psalm 110:1		 Mark 16:19
Matthew 22:44
44 Messiah would be a sacrifice for sin. Isaiah 53:5-12 Romans 5:6-8

 

Jesus in the Bible

To further solidify the fact that Jesus was all He claimed to be is this fact:

The prophets knew when the Messiah would appear!  We get hints of this in passages like this:

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

Galatians 4:4

Notice the expression “fullness of time”  Jesus ministry, it’s length, and the crucifixion came on a schedule set by God.  The Message Bible seems to understand this and expresses the phrase “fullness of the time” as this:

when the time arrived that was set by God the Father

Galatians 4:4 (MSG)

In the Book of Daniel, we find the exact time Jesus was to appear on the scene.  It was 483 years after the commandment for restoration of Jerusalem as found in the Book of Ezra.

This prophecy along with an easy to read chart is found in the blog called:

Part 3-Second Coming Predictions (7 years of tribulations?)

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My friends, there is so much to learn about Jesus.  I hope you will continue with me on this “Jesus Journey.”  As we continue to get our answers from scripture your faith in Him will increase and you will find peace for your soul.

Next time, we will talk about the difference between Allah and Jehovah.  Many Christians think they are the same.  We will see there a big difference between the true and the false.  Finally, we will end with the real God standing up as we have asked in this series.  Until then, let us be comforted by the words of the Lord Himself:

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

John 14:27