godfried1 - Tumblr blog

THE JESUS OF THE BIBLE:

The Bible teaches that there are false Christs and false Messiahs, especially with the approach of the end of the age. Many are those who claim to know a Jesus who is completely different from the Jesus of the Bible. It is important we come to know the Jesus of the Bible and believe in Him because He is the only one who gives eternal life and guarantees our resurrection. The Jesus of the Bible is more than a prophet, a great teacher, a miracle worker or a healer. He is God. In Christianity, Jesus is our God, and Lord, the Omnipotent Creator of all things, who alone personally forgives the sins of man and offers salvation and eternal life to the penitent sinner. Let me start by debunking the false notion that all religions are fundamentally the same, and that they only differ in the peripheries. The truth is that all the religions are fundamentally different and are only similar in the minor issues. The Bible clearly declares that Jesus is God, who became incarnate in human flesh, that He is the Son of God, virgin born, lived a sinless life, died on the cross to redeem man from sin, rose again the third day from the dead, was seen by many witnesses after his resurrection, ascended into heaven glorified and sat down at the Father’s right hand and that it is this same Jesus who will be returning to earth to rule and reign over the earth for a thousand years and then eternally. And more importantly, ‘Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’. This is the core message of Christianity. Now I would appreciate the points of similarity between this and any other religious dogma out there if anyone would be kind enough to educate me. The truth of the matter is that all religions, by definition, are exclusive of all others. 1 Corinthians 15:12-19

In this brief writeup, I will attempt to explain the Jesus of the Bible as He is portrayed in the Scriptures. We will look at the Humanity of Jesus, His Deity and Redemptive Career so that as Luke wrote in his illustrious gospel, ‘that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed’. (Luke 1:4)

JESUS WAS (AND STILL IS) FULLY HUMAN- born of human parentage (but without a human father) Luke 1:35 Matthew 1:18; 2:11; 12:47; 13:55

He grew up and developed normally like all humans Luke 1:80; 2:40, 46, 52. He was even circumcised like all other Jewish boys on the eighth day. Luke 2:21

He was a man in appearance, with a spirit, soul and body. John 4:9; 20:15; 21:4,5; Luke 23:46; 24:13; Matthew 26:12; 1 Timothy 2:5

Jesus was subject to the sinless infirmities of human nature. This means he got tired, hungry, thirsty, angry, sleepy etc as we all do as humans. Matthew 4:2; 8:24; 23:37; 26:36,40; John 19:28

He had human names. In fact, His most preferred designation of Himself was the Son of Man, thus identifying with our humanity. Luke 19:10; Matthew 1:21; Acts 2:22.

JESUS IS FULLY GOD-

He has divine names ascribed to Him. John 1:1, 18; Hebrews 1:8; Romans 9:5; Titus 2:13

He has divine offices ascribed to Him

His name is coupled (used in conjunction) with the Father (and the Spirit) Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

He manifested divine consciousness. This means He was aware of his divinity. John 2:24-25; 16:30 Matthew 9:4; Revelation 2:2-3

He is the Son of God. John 5:18; 10:30; 19:7; Matthew 16:16, 17; 8:29; 14:33; Mark 1:1; 14:61; Luke 1:35, 41; Acts 8:37.

He is called the Lord. Acts 4:33; 16:31; Luke 2:11; Matthew 22:43-45

Divine worship is ascribed to Him. This means that He was offered and He accepted worship from men, which was only reserved for God. This is because He considered Himself to be God. Matthew 4:10; Revelation 22:8, 9; Acts 10:25-26; 14:14, 15; Joshua 5:13-15

JESUS POSSESSED QUALITIES AND PROPERTIES OF DEITY

His pre-existence. This means that He is eternal, uncreated and before stepping into history as Jesus He existed. He predates the beginning of creation, being the agent of creation Himself. John 1:1; 8:58; Philippians 2:6; Colossians 1:17, 18

He is self-existing and life-giving. This means that He does not derive His life from any external source like all other living organisms do but rather He is the source of life to them all. He is the only being whose reason for existence is found in Himself. John 5:21, 26; 10:17, 18; 17:3-5; Hebrews 7:16

He is immutable or unchanging. Hebrews 1 :8, 11, 12; 13:8

All the fulness of the Godhead dwells in Him. This means He is the full expression of the Godhead and fully represents God in all matters of redemption and salvation. Colossians 2:9; Acts 19:5

He is the Creator. Jesus is the One who created all the created order including this material universe. John 1:3; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:3

He is the upholder of all things. This means that all the created order rests on His shoulders. Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3

He has the right to forgive sins (which is the exclusive prerogative of God). Mark 2:5-10; Luke 7:48

He raised the bodies of dead men from the dead. John 6:39; 40, 54; 10:17, 18; 11:25; Acts 9:34

He is the Judge of all men. God the Father has committed all judgement to His Son because He is the Son of Man. John 5:22; 2 Timothy 4:1; Matthew 25:31-46; Acts 17:31

He is Omniscient or all-knowing. He possesses perfect and complete knowledge about everything. Matthew 24:25; 25:31-46; Mark 2:8; John 1:48; 2:24; 16:30

He is Omnipotent which means he has all power. In other words, there is nothing too hard for Him. Matthew 28:18; Revelation 1:8; John 17:2; Ephesians 1:20-22

He is Omnipresent. This means He is everywhere at the same time. This is what makes prayer such a reassuring undertaking because no matter where you happen to be, He can see, hear and reach you. Matthew 18:20; 28:20

HE LIVED A SINLESS LIFE, the only man to have ever done so. Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21

HE DIED ON THE CROSS TO ATONE FOR THE SIN OF ALL MANKIND. Matthew 27:50; John 19:30

His death was a ransom or a payment of the debt we owed God for breaking His law. Matthew 20:28; 1 Peter 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:6; Galatians 3:13

His death was a propitiation or the appeasement of God’s divine wrath for our sin against Him. Romans 3:25; 5:1; 1 John 2:2; Hebrews 2:17

He died to reconcile man to God. This made it possible to settle the enmity between man and God and also to enable man to have a favourable mind towards God. Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19; Ephesians 2:16; Colossians 1:20

He died as our substitute or in our place. Isaiah 53:6; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21

He rose from the dead on the third day Matthew 28:1-4, 11, 15; Luke 24:12; John 20:4-8, 11-16; Luke 24:13-16, 31, 33-34; 1 Corinthians 15:5-8

HE ASCENDED TO HEAVEN AND IS NOW SEATED AT THE FATHER’S RIGHT HAND. Acts 1:9; Luke 24:51; Hebrews 10:12; Colossians 3:1

IT IS THIS SAME JESUS WHO IS COMING BACK TO RULE AND REIGN OVER THE EARTH. Acts 1:9; Zechariah 12:10; 13:6; Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:30.

In reflection, the Jesus that will be returning to the earth to judge its inhabitants is the same Jesus who pre-existed, became incarnate and was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life and was crucified for the sin of all mankind. He will come with the scars in his head, his hands, his feet and his side. This is the Jesus who said to Mary and Martha in John 11:25, ‘I am the resurrection and the life, He who believes in Me, though He may die, He shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?

Yes, the question is worth repeating, ‘Do you believe this?’ Are you trusting in a Jesus that is the figment of someone’s imagination or the real Jesus? Or worse still are you trusting in some cobbled-up ideas that do not add up, hoping that on the crucial day it will somehow deliver something it cannot even promise with any coherence.

This is the Jesus who stepped into Zacchaeus’ house and declared in Luke 19: 9 ‘Today salvation has come to this house’. No wonder his enemies said of Him in John 7:46 ‘No man ever spoke like this man’.

Who or what gave him the ‘audacity’ to speak so politically incorrectly, even declaring of Himself ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’.

I guess He could only speak as He did because He is the very embodiment of salvation, eternal life personified, the ultimate Judge of all mankind. He spoke this way to give you the necessary certainty in trusting Him with your eternal destiny. No suggestions, no theories, no religious rituals, but to come boldly to Him knowing that ‘…as many as believed in Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God’. John 1:12-13.

Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near Isaiah 55:6

BEWARE OF DECEIVERS 2 John 7-11

For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.

9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.

1 John 2:22-23

Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Finally, is clear from the above that what someone or a group believes about the doctrine of Christ (and what they do with that belief) is the dividing line between who is a Christian and who is not. Truth with different versions is no more truth . For truth to be truth it has to be internally consistent, empirically true and evidentially relevant, all of which tests Biblical Christianity passes with flying colours with any impartial inquirer. We cannot believe differently about the person of Christ and claim to be serving the same God. Neither can we share fellowship with those who hold a different view on the person of Christ. We love them, nevertheless, but we do not acknowledge their erroneous beliefs about our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the only God-man that ever lived. Believe in Him to save your soul.

THE JESUS OF THE BIBLE: Mark Nyarko