Apologetics
Who is Jesus Christ
1. Was Jesus a mere man or was He God?
The nature of Jesus Christ has been debated for centuries. Was Jesus all man and none God? Was Jesus all God who only appeared human? Or, was Jesus fifty percent human and fifty percent divine? Here is what the Bible says about Jesus.
First, Jesus was fully God. Colossians 2:9 says: “in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (NIV). Isaiah 9:6 says, “He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
And yet, Jesus was fully man. The apostle Peter referred to Christ as: “Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him” (Acts 2:22). The apostle Paul wrote, “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
2. Did Jesus claim to be God?
Although Jesus never said out-right, “I am God,” He did furnish undeniable evidence that He was God.
He referred to Himself with the divine title “I am,” just as Jehovah had revealed Himself to Moses (Exodus 3:14).
He forgave the sins of men (Matthew 9:6), which is an action only God performs.
He accepted worship from both men and angels (Matthew 2:2-11; 14:33; John 9:35-38; Hebrews 1:6) and the Bible clearly states that God is the only object of worship (Exodus 20:3-4; Luke 4:8).
3. Did Jesus fulfill any Old Testament prophecies to reveal He was the Messiah?
There are six billion people on this planet and each person possesses a unique, one-of-a-kind fingerprint. When the Old Testament Prophets finished their writings, 400 years prior to Christ’s birth, they recorded sixty specific prophecies regarding the Messiah’s appearance. When these prophecies are traced they converge to make a fingerprint that only the true Messiah could bare. The fingerprint of Jesus Christ left evidence that He was the true Messiah!
Isaiah 7:14 said the Messiah would be born of a virgin and He was (Matthew 1:23).
Micah 5:2 pinpointed the exact place of His birth—Bethlehem—and Jesus was born there (Matthew 2:1-6).
Moses and Jeremiah accurately predicted that His ancestry would descend from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That it would proceed from the tribe of Judah and then the house of David. The New Testament writers Matthew and Luke validate the prophecies of Moses and Jeremiah.
The Psalms foretold a detailed account of Christ’s betrayal and how false witnesses would rise against Him. The Psalms even predicts that at His death the Messiah would be scarred in His hands and feet. (This prophecy is remarkable inasmuch as crucifixion was unknown until the Roman Empire invented it hundreds of years after the Psalmist’s prophecies.)
And then the Old Testament spoke of the Messiah’s resurrection from the dead.
One statistician estimated the probability of the Messiah fulfilling just eight of the sixty Old Testament prophecies would be one in one hundred million billion! But Jesus fulfilled all sixty of the messianic prophecies!
4. The Bible ascribes divine titles to Jesus Christ.
Jesus and other writers of Scripture asserted that He was the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world, the Mighty God, the Word of God, “the Alpha and the Omega,” the sovereign Judge, and the “Resurrection and the Life.” These are titles that no other man has claimed and then validated by raising Himself from the dead!
5. Is any Prophet, Sage, or so-called “Messiah” greater than Jesus?
The life of Jesus Christ answers this question:
a. Jesus was born of a virgin—completely unique to all other births.
b. Jesus lived without the moral deficiency of sinning, misspeaking, or erring at any point.
c. Jesus worked miracles, opened blind eyes, raised the dead, walked on water, and performed more wonders than anyone in the Bible.
d. Unlike any other man, three days after His death, Christ arose from the grave and showed Himself to over 500 people.
e. Jesus fulfilled all of the scores of Old Testament prophecies that spoke of the Jewish Messiah.
f. Jesus loved others unlike anyone in history. He loved those that failed Him, hurt Him, forsook Him, and falsely accused Him. His love toward others did not depend on their worthiness; His love emanated from His moral perfection.
g. Jesus accurately interpreted the hearts and intentions of men.
Jesus is God’s only begotten Son that sits at His Heavenly Father’s right hand (Acts 2:33). There never has been, nor will ever be, a prophet equal to or greater than Jesus!
Become a Christian now. Invite Jesus Christ into your life!
Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today
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