Sunday, September 16, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
T O U R : What are the highlights of his life?
Just a great moral teacher or was Jesus something more?
Some people claim he's a great teacher. Others think he's a prophet. Some dismiss him as a liar or even a madman. Millions hail him as Savior and Lord. Whatever people think of him, nobody can deny that he stands at the very crux of human history.
The biblical record of his life shows that Jesus was born to a virgin, lived a sinless life, taught throughout Palestine for about three years, was crucified and then rose back to life three days after his death. The Bible claims that more than 500 people saw him alive after this miraculous event. How could a mere man have lived such a life? The miracles Jesus performed, his death on the cross, his resurrection, his ascent to heaven--all point to the fact that he was no ordinary leader.
Hundreds of years before Jesus' birth, prophets predicted his coming. The Old Testament, written by many people over a period of 1,500 years, contains more than 300 such prophecies. All of these details came true, including his miraculous birth, his sinless life, his many miracles, his death and his resurrection.
By his own account, Jesus claimed he had the power to forgive sins, to cast out demons, and to determine people's eternal destiny. He even declared he himself was God!
Declaring that he was God so angered the religious and political leaders of his day that they had him crucified. They buried him in a borrowed grave, and three days later, he rose from the dead.
The resurrection of Jesus is what makes Christianity uniqueand radically different from Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Judaism, and Islam. In fact, the validity of Christianity hinges on the proof of the resurrection of Jesus. If the resurrection never took place, then the Christian faith is based on a lie and people have no true hope for life after they die. But if it is true, then we can do nothing else but accept Jesus as Savior and Lord and receive his gift of love and forgiveness.
Throughout the centuries, most great scholars who have considered the proofs of the resurrection have believed, and still believe that Jesus is alive.
Who is Jesus of Nazareth to you?
Your life on this earth and for all of eternity is affected by your answer to this question. Find out how you can get to know Jesus Christ personally and discover what provisions he has made for you to live with him forever.
Some people claim he's a great teacher. Others think he's a prophet. Some dismiss him as a liar or even a madman. Millions hail him as Savior and Lord. Whatever people think of him, nobody can deny that he stands at the very crux of human history.
The biblical record of his life shows that Jesus was born to a virgin, lived a sinless life, taught throughout Palestine for about three years, was crucified and then rose back to life three days after his death. The Bible claims that more than 500 people saw him alive after this miraculous event. How could a mere man have lived such a life? The miracles Jesus performed, his death on the cross, his resurrection, his ascent to heaven--all point to the fact that he was no ordinary leader.
Hundreds of years before Jesus' birth, prophets predicted his coming. The Old Testament, written by many people over a period of 1,500 years, contains more than 300 such prophecies. All of these details came true, including his miraculous birth, his sinless life, his many miracles, his death and his resurrection.
By his own account, Jesus claimed he had the power to forgive sins, to cast out demons, and to determine people's eternal destiny. He even declared he himself was God!
Declaring that he was God so angered the religious and political leaders of his day that they had him crucified. They buried him in a borrowed grave, and three days later, he rose from the dead.
The resurrection of Jesus is what makes Christianity uniqueand radically different from Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Judaism, and Islam. In fact, the validity of Christianity hinges on the proof of the resurrection of Jesus. If the resurrection never took place, then the Christian faith is based on a lie and people have no true hope for life after they die. But if it is true, then we can do nothing else but accept Jesus as Savior and Lord and receive his gift of love and forgiveness.
Throughout the centuries, most great scholars who have considered the proofs of the resurrection have believed, and still believe that Jesus is alive.
Who is Jesus of Nazareth to you?
Your life on this earth and for all of eternity is affected by your answer to this question. Find out how you can get to know Jesus Christ personally and discover what provisions he has made for you to live with him forever.
Friday, September 14, 2007
P R E V I E W : What were people saying before he was born?
Long before Jesus was born the Bible predicted his life and death.
The Old Testament (the part of the Bible written before Jesus' birth) was completed in 450 B.C., hundreds of years before Jesus was born. A large number of prophecies were made in astonishing detail by many people throughout these books. In fact, fulfilled prophecy is one of the distinguishing marks of the Bible, authenticating it's claim to be the inspired Word of God.
For instance, the Old Testament indicated Jesus would be betrayed by someone he trusted, "Even my close friend whom I trusted, he who has shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me" (Psalm 41:9). The New Testament, which records Jesus' life and resurrection, reveals that one of the 12 people Jesus chose to be part of his inner circle betrayed him, "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them" (Mark 14:10).
More than 300 Messianic prophecies like this were made in the Old Testament and then fulfilled through Jesus' life, death and resurrection. The chances of one person fulfilling a mere 8 of these prophecies are 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. For one person to fulfill 48 of these prophecies, the number becomes staggering--1 chance in 10 to the 157th power (1 with 157 zeros after it). Add to that the 250 other prophecies and it becomes impossible for any other person except Jesus to ever fit that particular sequence of time and events.
PROPHECY AND FULFILLMENT
Descendant of Abraham
Genesis 18:18 "Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him." Acts 3:25 "And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.'"
Descendant of Isaac
Genesis 17:19 "Then God said, 'Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.'" Matthew 1:2 "Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Descendant of Jacob
Numbers 24:17 "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel." Luke 3:34 "The son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor."
Will descend from the tribe of Judah
Genesis 49:10 "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his." Luke 3:33 "The son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah."
Place of birth to be Bethlehem
Micah 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Matthew 2:1 "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod..."
Will be born of a virgin
Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Matthew 1:18 "This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit."
Infants will be slaughtered
Jeremiah 31:15 "This is what the Lord says: 'A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.'" Matthew 2:16 "When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi."
Will escape into Egypt as a child
Hoseah 11:1 "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son." Matthew 2:14 "So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt."
Will minister in Galilee and along the Jordan River
Isaiah 9:1-2 "Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan--The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Matthew 4:12-16 "Jesus...returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali--to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
He will be rejected by the Jewish people
Isaiah 53:3 "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not." John 1:11 "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him."
Character of wisdom and understanding
Isaiah 11:2 "The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him--the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." Luke 2:52 "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."
He will enter triumphantly into Jerusalem on a young donkey
Zechariah 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." John 12:13-14 "They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, 'Hosanna!' 'Blessed is the King of Israel!' Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written."
The time of his entry prophesied to the very day
Daniel 9:25-26 "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Annointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two 'sevens' the Annointed One will be cut off and will have nothing." This prophesy refers to weeks of years, or 483 biblical years. Beginning with the exact day on which Persian King Artaxerxes gave the decree to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (March 5, 444BC), exactly 173,880 days later--Palm Sunday, March 30, AD33--Christ rode into Jerusalem the week before he was 'cut off' (crucified). This is the precise number of days spanning 483 biblical years, which were then measured as 12 months of 30 days each.1
Betrayed by a close friend
Psalm 41:9 "Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me." Mark 14:10 "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them."
He will be sold for thirty pieces of silver
Zechariah 11:12 "I told them, 'If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.' So they paid me thirty pieces of silver." Matthew 26:15 "And asked, 'What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?' So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver."
Money returned and used to buy potter's field
Zechariah 11:13 "And the Lord said to me, 'Throw it to the potter'--the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord to the potter." Matthew 27:6-7 "The chief priests picked up the coins and said, 'It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.' So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners."
Silent when accused during his trial
Isaiah 53:7 "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." Matthew 26:62-63 "Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, 'Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?' But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, 'I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.'"
He will suffer for others
Isaiah 53:4-5 "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Matthew 8:16-17 "When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 'He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.'"
He will be crucified with sinners
Isaiah 53:12 "Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." Matthew 27:38 "Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left."
His hands and feet will be pierced
Psalm 22:16 "Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet." John 20:27 "Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.'"
Will be mocked and insulted by the people
Psalm 22:6-8 "But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: 'He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.'" Matthew 27:39-40 "Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, 'You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!'"
Will be given gall and vinegar to drink
Psalm 69:21 "They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst." John 19:29 "A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips."
His side will be pierced with a spear
Zechariah 12:10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son." John 19:34 "Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water."
Soldiers will cast lots for his clothing
Psalm 22:18 "They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." Mark 15:24 "And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get."
Not a bone of his body will be broken
Psalm 34: 20 "He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken." John 19:33 "But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs."
Will be buried in a rich man's tomb
Isaiah 53:9 "He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth." Matthew 27:57-60 "As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away."
He will be resurrected after his death
Psalm 16:10 "Because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay." Matthew 28:9 "Suddenly Jesus met them. 'Greetings,' he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him."
He will ascend into heaven
Psalm 68:18 "When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious--that you, O Lord God, might dwell there." Luke 24:50-51 "When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven."
The Old Testament (the part of the Bible written before Jesus' birth) was completed in 450 B.C., hundreds of years before Jesus was born. A large number of prophecies were made in astonishing detail by many people throughout these books. In fact, fulfilled prophecy is one of the distinguishing marks of the Bible, authenticating it's claim to be the inspired Word of God.
For instance, the Old Testament indicated Jesus would be betrayed by someone he trusted, "Even my close friend whom I trusted, he who has shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me" (Psalm 41:9). The New Testament, which records Jesus' life and resurrection, reveals that one of the 12 people Jesus chose to be part of his inner circle betrayed him, "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them" (Mark 14:10).
More than 300 Messianic prophecies like this were made in the Old Testament and then fulfilled through Jesus' life, death and resurrection. The chances of one person fulfilling a mere 8 of these prophecies are 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. For one person to fulfill 48 of these prophecies, the number becomes staggering--1 chance in 10 to the 157th power (1 with 157 zeros after it). Add to that the 250 other prophecies and it becomes impossible for any other person except Jesus to ever fit that particular sequence of time and events.
PROPHECY AND FULFILLMENT
Descendant of Abraham
Genesis 18:18 "Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him." Acts 3:25 "And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.'"
Descendant of Isaac
Genesis 17:19 "Then God said, 'Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.'" Matthew 1:2 "Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Descendant of Jacob
Numbers 24:17 "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel." Luke 3:34 "The son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor."
Will descend from the tribe of Judah
Genesis 49:10 "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his." Luke 3:33 "The son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah."
Place of birth to be Bethlehem
Micah 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Matthew 2:1 "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod..."
Will be born of a virgin
Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Matthew 1:18 "This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit."
Infants will be slaughtered
Jeremiah 31:15 "This is what the Lord says: 'A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.'" Matthew 2:16 "When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi."
Will escape into Egypt as a child
Hoseah 11:1 "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son." Matthew 2:14 "So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt."
Will minister in Galilee and along the Jordan River
Isaiah 9:1-2 "Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan--The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Matthew 4:12-16 "Jesus...returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali--to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
He will be rejected by the Jewish people
Isaiah 53:3 "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not." John 1:11 "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him."
Character of wisdom and understanding
Isaiah 11:2 "The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him--the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." Luke 2:52 "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."
He will enter triumphantly into Jerusalem on a young donkey
Zechariah 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." John 12:13-14 "They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, 'Hosanna!' 'Blessed is the King of Israel!' Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written."
The time of his entry prophesied to the very day
Daniel 9:25-26 "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Annointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two 'sevens' the Annointed One will be cut off and will have nothing." This prophesy refers to weeks of years, or 483 biblical years. Beginning with the exact day on which Persian King Artaxerxes gave the decree to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (March 5, 444BC), exactly 173,880 days later--Palm Sunday, March 30, AD33--Christ rode into Jerusalem the week before he was 'cut off' (crucified). This is the precise number of days spanning 483 biblical years, which were then measured as 12 months of 30 days each.1
Betrayed by a close friend
Psalm 41:9 "Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me." Mark 14:10 "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them."
He will be sold for thirty pieces of silver
Zechariah 11:12 "I told them, 'If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.' So they paid me thirty pieces of silver." Matthew 26:15 "And asked, 'What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?' So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver."
Money returned and used to buy potter's field
Zechariah 11:13 "And the Lord said to me, 'Throw it to the potter'--the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord to the potter." Matthew 27:6-7 "The chief priests picked up the coins and said, 'It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.' So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners."
Silent when accused during his trial
Isaiah 53:7 "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." Matthew 26:62-63 "Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, 'Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?' But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, 'I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.'"
He will suffer for others
Isaiah 53:4-5 "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Matthew 8:16-17 "When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 'He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.'"
He will be crucified with sinners
Isaiah 53:12 "Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." Matthew 27:38 "Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left."
His hands and feet will be pierced
Psalm 22:16 "Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet." John 20:27 "Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.'"
Will be mocked and insulted by the people
Psalm 22:6-8 "But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: 'He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.'" Matthew 27:39-40 "Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, 'You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!'"
Will be given gall and vinegar to drink
Psalm 69:21 "They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst." John 19:29 "A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips."
His side will be pierced with a spear
Zechariah 12:10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son." John 19:34 "Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water."
Soldiers will cast lots for his clothing
Psalm 22:18 "They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." Mark 15:24 "And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get."
Not a bone of his body will be broken
Psalm 34: 20 "He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken." John 19:33 "But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs."
Will be buried in a rich man's tomb
Isaiah 53:9 "He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth." Matthew 27:57-60 "As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away."
He will be resurrected after his death
Psalm 16:10 "Because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay." Matthew 28:9 "Suddenly Jesus met them. 'Greetings,' he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him."
He will ascend into heaven
Psalm 68:18 "When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious--that you, O Lord God, might dwell there." Luke 24:50-51 "When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven."
Thursday, September 13, 2007
C L A I M S : What did Jesus Christ have to say about himself?
Legend, Lunatic, Liar, or Lord and GOD?
In his famous book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis makes this statement, "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic--on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg--or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.(emphasis: web author)"
Jesus could only have been one of four things: a legend, a liar, a lunatic--or Lord and God. There is so much historical and archeological evidence to support his existence that every reputable historian agrees he was not just a legend. If he were a liar, why would he die for his claim, when he could easily have avoided such a cruel death with a few choice words? And, if he were a lunatic, how did he engage in intelligent debates with his opponents or handle the stress of his betrayal and crucifixion while continuing to show a deep love for his antagonists? He said he was Lord and God. The evidence supports that claim.
Here are some of the key claims Jesus made about himself.
THE CLAIMS OF JESUS
He claimed to live a sinless life
Jesus could look at a crowd of people angry at his claims to share God's nature and ask, "Which of you can point to anything wrong in my life?" Even more amazing is that none of them could give a reply! No human being has ever lived a sinless life, except for Jesus.
John 8:28-29 "So Jesus said, 'When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know who I am and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.'"
John 8:46-47 "Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."
He claimed to be the ONLY way to God
Not one of several ways, but the one and only way. Not to teach the way, but to be the way to God. Nobody has ever made claims like that before and backed them, but Jesus did through his love, balanced life, and miracles.
John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me."
Matthew 11:27 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
Note: No other world religious leader, such as Buddha, Confucius, or Mohammed ever made this claim.
He claimed to have shared the glory of God in Heaven
Jesus claimed to have pre-existed the people he spoke with. The apostle John--who shared bread with Jesus--wrote that Jesus was with God in the very beginning, and that "all things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being." (John 1:1-5)
John 17:5 "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."
This is a claim distorted by groups like the Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses.
He claimed to be able to forgive sins
One of the reasons that the Jewish leaders were so angry with Jesus was his continual practice of forgiving people's sins. The religious leaders understood clearly that since sins were rebellion against God Himself, only God could forgive sins.
Luke 5:20-21 "When Jesus saw their faith, he said, 'Friend, your sins are forgiven.' The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, 'Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?'"(emphasis: web author)
Luke 7:48-49 "Then Jesus said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.' The other guests began to say among themselves, 'Who is this who even forgives sins?'"
He claimed to be a Heavenly king
Luke 22:69 "But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God."
Luke 23:1-3 "Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, 'We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.' So Pilate asked Jesus, 'Are you the king of the Jews?' 'Yes, it is as you say,' Jesus replied."
John 18:36-37 "Jesus said, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.' 'You are a king, then!' said Pilate. Jesus answered, 'You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.'"
He claimed to be able to give everlasting life
He didn't just tell people how they could find everlasting life, or deepen their own life experience. He actually claimed to give life himself.
John 6:40 "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
John 6:47 "I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life."
John 10:28-30 "I give [my followers] eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
John 11:25 "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die...'"
He claimed that he would die and come back to life
John 10:17 "Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
John 12:32-33 "'But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.' He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die."
John 16:16 "In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me."
Luke 18:31-33 "Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, 'We are going up into Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.'"
He claimed that he would return again to judge the world
Matthew 24:27-30 "So as the lightening comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man... At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory."
Matthew 25:31-32 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep and the goats."
Mark 14:61-62 "Again the high priest asked him, 'Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?' 'I am,' said Jesus. 'And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'"
Jesus clearly claimed to be both God and Messiah.
In his famous book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis makes this statement, "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic--on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg--or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.(emphasis: web author)"
Jesus could only have been one of four things: a legend, a liar, a lunatic--or Lord and God. There is so much historical and archeological evidence to support his existence that every reputable historian agrees he was not just a legend. If he were a liar, why would he die for his claim, when he could easily have avoided such a cruel death with a few choice words? And, if he were a lunatic, how did he engage in intelligent debates with his opponents or handle the stress of his betrayal and crucifixion while continuing to show a deep love for his antagonists? He said he was Lord and God. The evidence supports that claim.
Here are some of the key claims Jesus made about himself.
THE CLAIMS OF JESUS
He claimed to live a sinless life
Jesus could look at a crowd of people angry at his claims to share God's nature and ask, "Which of you can point to anything wrong in my life?" Even more amazing is that none of them could give a reply! No human being has ever lived a sinless life, except for Jesus.
John 8:28-29 "So Jesus said, 'When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know who I am and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.'"
John 8:46-47 "Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."
He claimed to be the ONLY way to God
Not one of several ways, but the one and only way. Not to teach the way, but to be the way to God. Nobody has ever made claims like that before and backed them, but Jesus did through his love, balanced life, and miracles.
John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me."
Matthew 11:27 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
Note: No other world religious leader, such as Buddha, Confucius, or Mohammed ever made this claim.
He claimed to have shared the glory of God in Heaven
Jesus claimed to have pre-existed the people he spoke with. The apostle John--who shared bread with Jesus--wrote that Jesus was with God in the very beginning, and that "all things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being." (John 1:1-5)
John 17:5 "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."
This is a claim distorted by groups like the Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses.
He claimed to be able to forgive sins
One of the reasons that the Jewish leaders were so angry with Jesus was his continual practice of forgiving people's sins. The religious leaders understood clearly that since sins were rebellion against God Himself, only God could forgive sins.
Luke 5:20-21 "When Jesus saw their faith, he said, 'Friend, your sins are forgiven.' The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, 'Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?'"(emphasis: web author)
Luke 7:48-49 "Then Jesus said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.' The other guests began to say among themselves, 'Who is this who even forgives sins?'"
He claimed to be a Heavenly king
Luke 22:69 "But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God."
Luke 23:1-3 "Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, 'We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.' So Pilate asked Jesus, 'Are you the king of the Jews?' 'Yes, it is as you say,' Jesus replied."
John 18:36-37 "Jesus said, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.' 'You are a king, then!' said Pilate. Jesus answered, 'You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.'"
He claimed to be able to give everlasting life
He didn't just tell people how they could find everlasting life, or deepen their own life experience. He actually claimed to give life himself.
John 6:40 "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
John 6:47 "I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life."
John 10:28-30 "I give [my followers] eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
John 11:25 "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die...'"
He claimed that he would die and come back to life
John 10:17 "Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
John 12:32-33 "'But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.' He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die."
John 16:16 "In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me."
Luke 18:31-33 "Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, 'We are going up into Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.'"
He claimed that he would return again to judge the world
Matthew 24:27-30 "So as the lightening comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man... At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory."
Matthew 25:31-32 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep and the goats."
Mark 14:61-62 "Again the high priest asked him, 'Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?' 'I am,' said Jesus. 'And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'"
Jesus clearly claimed to be both God and Messiah.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
M U S C L E : What kind of miracles did Jesus perform?
Since Jesus claimed to be equal to God, what did he do to prove it?
Many people have claimed to be God, but only one man in history demonstrated through his actions that he had a supernatural power source. The power Jesus displayed shook the nation of Israel to its core.
He healed the lame and the blind, controlled the movement of fish, and calmed storms. Not only did Jesus heal hundreds of people from sickness and disease, but on several occasions he raised people from physical death!
Many people have claimed to be God, but only one man in history demonstrated through his actions that he had a supernatural power source. The power Jesus displayed shook the nation of Israel to its core.
He healed the lame and the blind, controlled the movement of fish, and calmed storms. Not only did Jesus heal hundreds of people from sickness and disease, but on several occasions he raised people from physical death!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
M U S C L E : What kind of miracles did Jesus perform?
THE MIRACLES
Changes water to wine
In his first recorded miracle, which took place at Cana in the Galilee area, Jesus changes water at a wedding into wine after the host's wine ran out unexpectedly.
John 2:6-11
Cures the centurion's servant
In another miracle, Jesus heals the servant of a centurion at Capernaum without any contact with the ill man.
Matthew 8:5-13
Luke 7:1-10
Heals the paralytic at the pool
At the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, Jesus heals a man who had been unable to walk for 38 years.
John 5:5-9
Reverses the drought of fish
After a fruitless night of fishing on the Sea of Galilee, Peter receives a command from Jesus to lower his nets again. This time so many fish are caught that Peter's nets begin to break.
Luke 5:4-9
Heals the demonized in the Synagogue at Capernaum
Who is this man with the power to cast out demons?
muscled2.htm - demonized
Mark 1:23-28
Luke 4:33-37
Heals Peter's mother-in-law and many sick
Matthew 8:14-16
Mark 1:29-34
Luke 4:38-41
Heals the leper
Matthew 8:2-4
Mark 1:40-42
Luke 5:12-13
Heals the paralytic
Matthew 9:2-8
Mark 2:2-12
Luke 5:18-26
Raises the widow's son back to life
Luke 7:12-16
Heals the blind, mute demoniac
Matthew 12:22
Luke 11:14
Calms the storm
Jesus calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee with a wave of his hand--a storm of such an intensity that it terrifies his crew of experienced sailors.
Matthew 8:24-27
Mark 4:37-41
Luke 8:23-25
Heals the demonized man at Gerasa
Matthew 8:28-34
Mark 5:1-20
Luke 8:26-39
Heals the woman who touched him
A simple touch of Jesus' garment was enough to heal this woman.
Matthew 9:20-22
Mark 5:25-34
Luke 8:43-48
Raises Jairus' dead daughter back to life
Jesus demonstrates that he has the power to raise the dead back to life.
Matthew 9:18-19,23-26
Mark 5:22-24,35-43
Luke 8:41-42,49-56
Feeds crowd of five thousand
In one of the most spectacular miracles, Jesus feeds a massive crowd of 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two small fish. And there is enough food left over at the end to fill 12 baskets, one for each of the 12 disciples, nterestinlgly enough!
Matthew 14:15-21
Mark 6:35-44
Luke 9:12-17
John 6:5-14
Walks on the lake and stills the storm
Jesus is seen walking on the surface of the Sea of Galilee! One of his disciples, Peter, caught in a moment of pure faith, begins walking on the water towards Jesus. Moments later he starts to doubt, plunges down into the water, but is pulled to safety by Jesus when he cries out for help.
Matthew 14:22-33
Mark 6:45-52
John 6:16-21
Heals the Canaanite woman's daughter
Matthew 15:22-28
Mark 7:25-30
Heals deaf and mute man
Mark 7:32-37
Feeds four thousand
In another miraculous example of God's power, Jesus takes compassion on a large, famished crowd of followers who hadn't eaten in roughly three days. He feeds them with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. Seven large baskets of food are left over after everyone is full.
Matthew 15:32-38
Mark 8:1-9
Heals the man born blind
Mark 8:22-26
Heals the blind, mute, and demonized son in Peraea
Matthew 17:14-20
Mark 9:14-29
Luke 9:37-42
Heals ten lepers
Ten lepers are healed. Yet only one has enough humility to return to Jesus and thank him for the miraculous healing of his illness.
Luke 17:11-19
Raises Lazarus from the dead
In a spectacular miracle which creates a stir throughout the country, Jesus brings back to life a man who had not only died, but had been laying in a tomb for several days. Many of the religious leaders now begin to follow Jesus after this clear demonstration of the power of the living God.
John 11:1-46
Heals woman of her illness
Luke 13:10-17
Curses the fig tree and it withers
Jesus performs this miracle to demonstrate the coming judgement upon the nation of Israel, which because of its refusal (as a majority) to accept his message, will soon wither into near oblivion under the brutal military might of the Roman empire. This takes place on the Monday following his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, just days before he will face his death and resurrection.
Matthew 21:18-20
Mark 11:12-14,20-21
Jesus is himself resurrected from the dead
In the greatest miracle of all, Jesus is raised from the dead, just as he had foretold on numerous occasions.
Matthew 28:2-20
Mark 16:1-20
Luke 24:1-48
John 20:1-31
The final miraculous catch of fish
After his resurrection, Jesus performs another miracle. His disciples immediately identify who is responsible for this sudden abundance of fish stocks on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is the resurrected Jesus of Nazareth.
John 21:1-14,24
Changes water to wine
In his first recorded miracle, which took place at Cana in the Galilee area, Jesus changes water at a wedding into wine after the host's wine ran out unexpectedly.
John 2:6-11
Cures the centurion's servant
In another miracle, Jesus heals the servant of a centurion at Capernaum without any contact with the ill man.
Matthew 8:5-13
Luke 7:1-10
Heals the paralytic at the pool
At the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, Jesus heals a man who had been unable to walk for 38 years.
John 5:5-9
Reverses the drought of fish
After a fruitless night of fishing on the Sea of Galilee, Peter receives a command from Jesus to lower his nets again. This time so many fish are caught that Peter's nets begin to break.
Luke 5:4-9
Heals the demonized in the Synagogue at Capernaum
Who is this man with the power to cast out demons?
muscled2.htm - demonized
Mark 1:23-28
Luke 4:33-37
Heals Peter's mother-in-law and many sick
Matthew 8:14-16
Mark 1:29-34
Luke 4:38-41
Heals the leper
Matthew 8:2-4
Mark 1:40-42
Luke 5:12-13
Heals the paralytic
Matthew 9:2-8
Mark 2:2-12
Luke 5:18-26
Raises the widow's son back to life
Luke 7:12-16
Heals the blind, mute demoniac
Matthew 12:22
Luke 11:14
Calms the storm
Jesus calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee with a wave of his hand--a storm of such an intensity that it terrifies his crew of experienced sailors.
Matthew 8:24-27
Mark 4:37-41
Luke 8:23-25
Heals the demonized man at Gerasa
Matthew 8:28-34
Mark 5:1-20
Luke 8:26-39
Heals the woman who touched him
A simple touch of Jesus' garment was enough to heal this woman.
Matthew 9:20-22
Mark 5:25-34
Luke 8:43-48
Raises Jairus' dead daughter back to life
Jesus demonstrates that he has the power to raise the dead back to life.
Matthew 9:18-19,23-26
Mark 5:22-24,35-43
Luke 8:41-42,49-56
Feeds crowd of five thousand
In one of the most spectacular miracles, Jesus feeds a massive crowd of 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two small fish. And there is enough food left over at the end to fill 12 baskets, one for each of the 12 disciples, nterestinlgly enough!
Matthew 14:15-21
Mark 6:35-44
Luke 9:12-17
John 6:5-14
Walks on the lake and stills the storm
Jesus is seen walking on the surface of the Sea of Galilee! One of his disciples, Peter, caught in a moment of pure faith, begins walking on the water towards Jesus. Moments later he starts to doubt, plunges down into the water, but is pulled to safety by Jesus when he cries out for help.
Matthew 14:22-33
Mark 6:45-52
John 6:16-21
Heals the Canaanite woman's daughter
Matthew 15:22-28
Mark 7:25-30
Heals deaf and mute man
Mark 7:32-37
Feeds four thousand
In another miraculous example of God's power, Jesus takes compassion on a large, famished crowd of followers who hadn't eaten in roughly three days. He feeds them with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. Seven large baskets of food are left over after everyone is full.
Matthew 15:32-38
Mark 8:1-9
Heals the man born blind
Mark 8:22-26
Heals the blind, mute, and demonized son in Peraea
Matthew 17:14-20
Mark 9:14-29
Luke 9:37-42
Heals ten lepers
Ten lepers are healed. Yet only one has enough humility to return to Jesus and thank him for the miraculous healing of his illness.
Luke 17:11-19
Raises Lazarus from the dead
In a spectacular miracle which creates a stir throughout the country, Jesus brings back to life a man who had not only died, but had been laying in a tomb for several days. Many of the religious leaders now begin to follow Jesus after this clear demonstration of the power of the living God.
John 11:1-46
Heals woman of her illness
Luke 13:10-17
Curses the fig tree and it withers
Jesus performs this miracle to demonstrate the coming judgement upon the nation of Israel, which because of its refusal (as a majority) to accept his message, will soon wither into near oblivion under the brutal military might of the Roman empire. This takes place on the Monday following his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, just days before he will face his death and resurrection.
Matthew 21:18-20
Mark 11:12-14,20-21
Jesus is himself resurrected from the dead
In the greatest miracle of all, Jesus is raised from the dead, just as he had foretold on numerous occasions.
Matthew 28:2-20
Mark 16:1-20
Luke 24:1-48
John 20:1-31
The final miraculous catch of fish
After his resurrection, Jesus performs another miracle. His disciples immediately identify who is responsible for this sudden abundance of fish stocks on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is the resurrected Jesus of Nazareth.
John 21:1-14,24
Monday, September 10, 2007
QUESTIONS : Answers to tough questions
How can I be sure the Bible is really the Word of God?
A number of facts make it reasonable to believe the Bible is accurate and reliable. Jesus, the Son of God and the greatest spiritual authority of all time, attested to the accuracy of the Bible, even to the "smallest letter or stroke."(Matthew 5:18) Archaeology has affirmed its historical accuracy. Biblical manuscripts number in the many thousands and, in some cases, date less than 30 years from the actual occurrence of the events that they describe – giving us by far the best attested historical document civilization possesses.
The Bible’s amazing unity – even though composed of 66 books written over a period of 1,500 years by more than 40 authors from widely different cultures and parts of the world – attests that there was divine superintendence over its writing. The Bible not only claims to be the Word of God, (2 Timothy 3:16) but through the minute fulfillment of prophecy and the miraculous transformation of individuals (even skeptics) who have believed its message, it has proved itself over and over to be exactly that.
The bottom line is whether you will choose to believe the Bible is God’s Word or not. Moreover, if you choose to believe, will you obey what it tells you to do? True ‘saving faith’ is shown by a growing desire to please God out of love. Jesus stated, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me …"(John 14:21a) A true believer will demonstrate love towards God as he chooses (with God’s help) to bring increasing numbers of areas of his life into obedience with what the Bible teaches
A number of facts make it reasonable to believe the Bible is accurate and reliable. Jesus, the Son of God and the greatest spiritual authority of all time, attested to the accuracy of the Bible, even to the "smallest letter or stroke."(Matthew 5:18) Archaeology has affirmed its historical accuracy. Biblical manuscripts number in the many thousands and, in some cases, date less than 30 years from the actual occurrence of the events that they describe – giving us by far the best attested historical document civilization possesses.
The Bible’s amazing unity – even though composed of 66 books written over a period of 1,500 years by more than 40 authors from widely different cultures and parts of the world – attests that there was divine superintendence over its writing. The Bible not only claims to be the Word of God, (2 Timothy 3:16) but through the minute fulfillment of prophecy and the miraculous transformation of individuals (even skeptics) who have believed its message, it has proved itself over and over to be exactly that.
The bottom line is whether you will choose to believe the Bible is God’s Word or not. Moreover, if you choose to believe, will you obey what it tells you to do? True ‘saving faith’ is shown by a growing desire to please God out of love. Jesus stated, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me …"(John 14:21a) A true believer will demonstrate love towards God as he chooses (with God’s help) to bring increasing numbers of areas of his life into obedience with what the Bible teaches
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