What do you think about the Christ? |
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The question is one of great importance. What we think of Christ, and what we do with Christ, will determine our eternal destination. |
“Christ” in the Greek, and “Messiah” in the Hebrew, both mean “anointed,” and refer to God’s special, anointed one, Jesus. What the Jews thought of their awaited “Messiah” affected their ability to recognize Him, when He came. Similarly, what we think of the Christ influences us to either accept or reject Him. |
The Jews needed help with their analysis of the Christ. Their view of Him being the son of David was incomplete. They had overlooked the inspired evidence that He also was called David’s Lord. We should examine all of the evidence concerning the Christ, and then form our opinion of Him. It seems to me, that we must think of Christ in one of three ways: He was a liar, or a lunatic, or He is indeed the Lord of Heaven. Look at these three possibilities. |
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Some reject Him, while thinking they accept Him. They say he was a prophet, but just a prophet. Some say that He was a good man. Some claim to respect Him, even revere Him as a true prophet from God. They say it is mandatory to do so in their religion. But, as good as these things may seem on the surface, they in fact reject the Christ. How? They reject part of what He claimed to be. |
Jesus did not claim to be just a prophet, nor just a good man. He claimed to have come from Heaven. |
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He claimed to be eternal. |
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He claimed that He was the Son of God. |
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He claimed that He was returning to His God, and His Father. |
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If any of these is not true, then none are true. He was a liar, not a good man, nor a prophet from God, but a liar. This would make Him the greatest “con-man” of all time. It would mean that He pulled off the biggest “scam” ever. There is no middle ground here. Either He was what He claimed to be, or He was lying. He was not a good person, unless we consider Him innocent by reason of insanity. |
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The religious leaders of the Jews, when they failed to catch Him in a lie, tried to find Him “insane.” |
They blasphemed the Holy Spirit. |
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They Claimed He had a demon. |
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They claimed He had a demon AND was “mad.” |
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“Mad” – 3105 mainomai {mah’-ee-nom-ahee} middle voice from a primary mao (to long for, through the idea of insensate craving); TDNT – 4:360,548; v; AV – be mad 4, be beside (one’s) self 1; 5 times total; 1) to be mad, to rave; 1a) of one who so speaks that he seems not to be in his right mind. |
It is the same Greek word used in: |
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If He was not lying, nor crazy, then He truly is “Lord of Lords and King of Kings! |
External evidence (non-biblical) |
The universe, as a whole, or dissected to the point of splitting an atom, which scientist have called “discovering another universe,” perfection, order, precision are found. This demands a Maker who consists of perfection, order, and precision. |
Archaeological finds, defend the Bible accounts of history, city locations, long extinct, other writings, too much to examine at one sitting. |
The Flood: Continents inhabited by people unknown by the inhabitants of other continents have had handed down the story of the Great flood. (Peter said some people are willingly ignorant of the flood. It can not be denied) |
Man’s makeup and character: Man alone seeks to worship a higher power. |
Man was made in God’s image, a moral being. |
He has a spirit, which came from God, and will return to God. This spirit longs to worship God. All cultures and societies known to exist or to have existed, have had some form of worship. |
Jesus, actually lived, actually preached, actually was crucified. His influence on the world is unequaled. Many “would be prophets” have a great number of followers, however, none have done for mankind what people influenced by Jesus have done. |
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NOTE: Even though some use “BCE” (before common era), trying to avoid admitting the influence that Jesus, the Christ has had on the world, why did this “common era” start at the year (as best they could calculate it at the time) of the birth of Jesus? |
Internal evidence |
The many Old Testament prophecies, written hundreds of years before Jesus was born, prophesied of the coming Messiah. Jesus fulfilled every one of them. |
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The Father testified to His deity. |
At His baptism: |
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At the transfiguration: |
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The Holy Spirit was His witness. |
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His miracles prove His deity. (Water to wine, healed all manner of diseases and birth defects, walked on water, fed over 5,000 people with a boy’s lunch, raised the dead, read people’s mind, told people everything about their past, cast out demons, etc….) |
His teaching. |
His authority |
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The wisdom of the parables. |
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His Sermon on the mount is considered a masterpiece of teaching. |
His prophesies: (Peter’s denial, Peter’s manner of death, His own death, burial, and resurrection, suffering of the saints, destruction of Jerusalem, the coming of false prophets, teachers and christs.) |
His impeccable character: Sinlessness, without guile. |
The change He made on His disciples. |
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The following words of a song demonstrate this idea: ** |
“Please don’t tell my daddy, that Jesus isn’t real, Please don’t make him like he was before. Since Jesus changed my daddy, he good to me and Bill, And he don’t hit my mommy anymore.” |
The change He has made in my own life! As I learn to lean on Him and prove Him over and over. As He lifts me out of the depths of depression. As He teaches me to trust Him and His grace and providence. |
Conclusion: |
Atheist talk of “black holes and vacuums,” for their explanation of making “something from nothing.” Tell me where the black hole came from and who painted it black! They stand in the darkness of their “black hole theories” and the vacuum is between their ears! |
The Christian has been translated from the power of darkness. |
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* The idea for the basic three main points in this study came from a lesson I heard William L. St. John give. I know that Josh McDowell has the same principle in his book, “Evidence that demands a verdict.” Any other similarity to these or other works is simply coincidental. |
** I do not know who wrote this song. The Inspirations sang it on a cassette tape that I had. |