RECENTLY, A TEACHER IN THE MID WEST ASKED HER STUDENTS TO TAKE PAPER AND CRAYONS, AND DRAW WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANT TO THEM. AFTERWARDS THESE PICTURES WERE TO BE HUNG IN THE LOCAL BOWLING ALLEY AND JUDGED. THE WINNER WAS TO RECEIVE A PRIZE. ONE STUDENT DREW A NATIVITY SCENE. THE PICTURE WAS QUICKLY REMOVED FROM THE LOT AND NOT PLACED IN TO THE COMPETITION. THE REASON THE TEACHER GAVE WAS THAT THERE WAS NO PLACE FOR RELIGION IN CHRISTMAS. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? NO PLACE FOR RELIGION IN CHRISTMAS? WHAT DID THIS TEACHER THINK CHRISTMAS WAS ANYWAY? SNOWMEN, SANTA CLAUSE, AND REINDEER? WHO DID SHE THINK CHRISTMAS CELEBRATED. WHO DID SHE THINK THIS JESUS WAS ANYWAY?

I GUESS IT DEPENDS ON WHOM YOU ASK. TO THE JEWS OF TODAY THERE ARE SOME THAT SAY HE WAS A PROPHET, OTHERS SAY A MINOR PROPHET, AND STILL OTHERS MAYBE A GOOD MAN. TO THE MUSLIM HE WAS JESUS SON OF MARY, A BASTARD SON AND A PROPHET. MOST PEOPLE THAT YOU TALK TO WILL MOST LIKELY AGREE "HE WAS A GOOD TEACHER". FINALLY, STILL OTHERS SAY HE WAS A MYTH AND NEVER REALLY EXISTED. WELL, THAT IS THE BIGGEST LOAD OF BUNK I HAVE EVER HEARD. I WILL BRIEFLY TOUCH ON THE HISTORICITY OF JESUS. WE KNOW THAT THE BIBLE TALKS OF JESUS. THIS COULD BE SAID TO BE A PLOT BY HIS FOLLOWERS TO HONOR HIM AS A MEMORIAL. THERE HAVE BEEN OUTSIDE SOURCES THOUGH THAT HAVE TESTIFIED TO THE EXISTENCE OF JESUS. LET US LOOK AT JUST A FEW.

CORNELIUS TACITUS (born A.D. 52-54) A ROMAN HISTORIAN IN 112 A.D. IN WRITING OF THE HISTORY OF THE CEASERS TELLS OF NERO PUTTING THE BLAME OF THE BURNING OF ROME ON THE CHRISTIANS THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST WHO PILATE CRUCIFIED. THIS MAN UNKNOWINGLY TESTIFIED TO THE EXISTENCE OF JESUS.

LUCIAN (a satirist of the second century) SPOKE SCORNFULLY OF CHRIST AND HIS FOLLOWERS. HE CONNECTED THEM TO THE SYNAGOUGES OF PALISTINE AND ALLUDED TO CHRIST AS THE ONE WHO STARTED A NEW CULT INTO THE WORLD AND WAS CRUCIFIED FOR HIS TROUBLES.

FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS (born A.D.37) A JEWISH HISTORIAN SAYS THE FOLLOWING IN HIS WORK "ANTIQUITIES" …"NOW THERE WAS ABOUT THIS TIME JESUS, A WISE MAN, IF IT BE LAWFUL TO CALL HIM A MAN, FOR HE WAS A DOER OF WONDERFUL WORKS, A TEACHER OF SUCH MEN AS RECEIVE THE TRUTH WITH PLEASURE. HE DREW OVER TO HIM MANY OF THE JEWS AND MANY GENTILES. HE WAS THE CHRIST, AND WHEN PILATE, AT THE SUGGESTION OF THE PRINCIPLE MEN AMONG US, HAD CONDEMNED HIM TO A CROSS. THOSE WHO LOVED HIM AT FIRST DID NOT FORSAKE HIM, FOR HE APPEARED TO THEM OVER THE COURSE OF 40 DAYS.

THERE WAS ALSO SEUTONIUS A.D.120, PLINIUS SECONDUS A.D.112, TERTULLIAN A.D.197, THALLUS A.D.52, JUSTIN MARTYR A.D.150 AND MANY MORE. THE FACT THAT JESUS LIVED ON THIS EARTH HAS NEVER BEEN DISPUTED BY ANY OF EVEN LIMITED INTELLIGENCE. THE EVIDENCE IS TOO OVERWHELMING. BUT WHO WAS THIS MAN JESUS. WHO DID HE SAY THAT HE WAS, AND WHO DID HIS FOLLOWERS SAY THAT HE WAS?

WHAT DID JESUS SAY ABOUT HIMSELF

MARK 14:61-64 JESUS IS BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN AND IS ASKED "ART THOU THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE BLESSED"? AND JESU ANSWERS "I AM: AND YE SHALL SEE THE SON OF MAN SITTING ON THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER AND COMING IN THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN" AT THIS THE HIGH PRIEST RENTS (RIPS) HIS GARMENTS, A SURE SIGN THAT HE HAD WITNESSED A BLASPHEMY. IT WAS CLEAR TO THEM WHO JESUS SAID HE WAS. JESUS WAS NOT KILLED FOR ANYTHING HE DID, BUT RATHER WHO HE SAID HE WAS.

JOHN 10:33 WAS A TIME WHEN THE RULERS WANTED TO STONE JESUS. WHEN ASKED WHY THEY REPLY THAT IT WAS THAT AS A HUMAN HE CLAIMED TO MAKE HIMSELF GOD. IN JOHN 10:31 JESUS CLAIMED THAT HE AND THE FATHER WERE ONE. THE GREEK IS INTERESTING HERE. IT DOES NOT MEAN ONE PERSON BUT RATHER ONE ESSENSE LITERALLY THE SAME IN EVERY WAY.

MATHEW 26:63-64 ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME TRIAL AS IN MARK ONLY THE QUESTION AND ANSWER ARE MORE STRIKING. JESUS IS ASKED IF HE IS 'THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD"? JESUS'S ANSWER IS "YOU HAVE SAID IT YOURSELF" YOU SHALL SEE THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER AND COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN. SO IN THIS ONE DISCOURSE JESUS SAYS HE IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, THE SON OF MAN AND THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER. ALL ARE MESSIANIC TERMS. THERE COULD BE NO DOUBT IN THE MINDS OF THE HEARERS.

HIS ANSWERS TO THE MODERN EAR, "THOU HAST SAID AND YE SAY THAT I AM AND YE HAVE SAID FROM ALL OF THE GOSPELS, SEEM TO RING OF EVASIVENESS. THEY HAD NOT THIS CONNOTATION TO THE CONTEMPORARY JEWISH MIND HOWEVER. THOU SAYEST WAS THE TRADITIONAL FORM IN, WHICH A CULTIVATED JEW REPLIED TO A QUESTION OF GRAVE OR SAD IMPORT. COURTESY FORBADE A DIRECT YES OR NO. IT WAS NOT EVASIVE TO THE RULERS; THEY UNDERSTOOD EXACTLY WHAT JESUS WAS SAYING. IT WAS FOR THIS AND THIS ALONE THAT HE WAS KILLED.

CLAIMED EQUALITY WITH GOD…JOHN 10:30-33, JOHN 5:17,18, JOHN 8:58. JESUS IS DUE THE SAME HONOR AS GIVEN TO GOD…JOHN 5:23-24, JOHN 8:19, JOHN 14:1, JOHN 14:9, MATHEW 5:20-28.

WHAT DID OTHERS SAY ABOUT JESUS

PAUL…PHILIPPIANS 2:9-11JESUS WAS WORTHY OF ANY AND ALL WORSHIP GIVEN ON EARTH AND EVERYWHERE ELSE. AND ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD. ANGELS ARE NOT WORTHY OF WORSHIP NOR ARE THE SAINTS BUT TO JESUS GOES ALL THE GLORY AND WORSHIP. TITUS 2:13 PAUL SAYS THAT JESUS IS GOD AND OUR SAVIOR.

JOHN THE BAPTIST…LUKE 3:22 FIRST JOHN SAYS HE IS NOT WORTHY TO LOOSE THE STRINGS OF JESUS' SANDELS AND AFTER HE IS BAPTIZED THE SPIRIT DECENDS ONTO HIM AND A VOICE FROM HEAVEN " THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.

PETER…MATHEW 16:15-17 JESUS WANTED TO KNOW WHO THE PEOPLE SAID HE WAS AND THEN HE WANTED TO KNOW WHO THE DESCIPLES SAID HE WAS AND PETER ANSWERED "THOU ART THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD". JESUS NEVER REBUKED HIM FOR THIS STATEMENT RATHER HE BLESSED PETER FOR IT. ACTS 2:36 IN ADDRESSING THE FIRST CONVERTS OF THE CHURCH PETER SAYS " LET ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL KNOW, ASSUREDLY, THAT GOD MADE THIS SAME JESUS, WHOM YOU CRUCIFIED, BOTH LORD AND CHRIST".

THOMAS…THE DOUBTER JOHN 20:28 AND THOMAS SAID UNTO HIM MY LORD AND MY GOD. ONCE THOMAS KNEW JESUS HAD RISEN AS HE SAID HE WOULD THERE COULD BE NO DOUBT.

STEPHEN…ACTS 7:59 AND THEY WENT ON STONING STEPHEN AS HE CALLED UPON THE LORD AND SAID "LORD JESUS RECEIVE MY SPIRIT". STEPHEN KNEW WHO IT WAS THAT HAD CONTROL OVER HIS SOUL AND TO WHOM HE WAS GOING.

THERE IS SO MUCH MORE BUT YOU REALLY HAVE TO GLEAN THE SCRIPTURES FOR YOUR SELF TO APPRECIATE THEM. WE RECEIVE SUCH JOY EACH TIME WE FIND A TREASURE HIDDEN WITHIN GODS WORD. JESUS CLAIMED TO HAVE POWER TO FORGIVE SINS, HECLAIMED TO BE LIFE, THAT IN HIM IS LIFE, THAT HE WAS IMMUTABLE (unchangeable), HE CLAIMED AUTHORITY, AND MUCH MORE. IT IS WITHOUT DOUBT THAT JESUS AS WELL AS HIS FOLLOWERS TAUGHT THAT JESUS WAS THE CHRIST AND THAT HE WAS GOD. HIS FOLLOWERS BELIEVED IT BECAUSE THEY WERE WILLING AND DID IN MOST CASES GO TO THEIR DEATH RATHER THAN DENY THIS FACT. THAT IS A COMMENDABLE FAITH WE SHOULD ALL HAVE. JESUS CLAIMED TO BE GOD, OF THIS THERE IS NO DOUBT. BUT WAS HE. DID HE BELIEVE IT? IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS STUDY WE MENTIONED WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THOUGHT OF JESUS. HOW HE WAS A GOOD MAN, A GOOD TEACHER, A PROPHRT. HOW DOES THAT STACK UP AGAINST WHAT WE HAVE JUST STUDIED?

LORD, LIAR, OR LUNATIC? THE TRILEMMA

I HAVE A VERY GOOD FRIEND WHO IS A JEW AND BELIEVES THAT JESUS WAS A GOOD TEACHER AND PROPHET, BUT CERTAINLY NOT GOD. I MORE OFTEN HEAR PEOPLE SAY JESUS WAS A GOOD MAN AND TEACHER BUT NOT GOD. THIS IS INTERESTING! YOU SEE, JESUS TOLD PEOPLE TO PLACE THEIR FAITH AND SALVATION IN HIM. HE TOLD THEM TO FOLLOW NO ONE BUT HIM. HE SAID THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY EXCEPT THROUGH HIM. HE SAID HE WAS GOD. IF THESE STATEMENTS ARE FALSE THEN HE WAS EITHER A LUNATIC ON THE LEVEL OF ONE WHO BELIEVES HE IS A POACHED EGG OR THE BIGGEST LIER MANKIND HAS EVER KNOWN.

IF HE WAS NOT GOD, HOW CAN HE BE A GOOD TEACHER? HE TAUGHT PEOPLE TO LEAVE THERE CURRENT FAITH AND FOLLOW HIS. IF HE WAS NOT GOD, HOW COULD HE BE A GOOD MAN? HE MISLED PEOPLE INTO BELIEVING HE COULD BRING THEM SALVATION. IF HE WAS NOT GOD, HE CERTAINLY WAS NOT A SMART MAN FOR HE DIED FOR THAT VERY REASON, SAYING HE WAS GOD. ONLY A MADMAN WOULD DO THAT. JESUS DID NOT LEAVE OPEN THE POSSIBILITY THAT HE WAS A GOOD MAN OR GOOD TEACHER OR A MINOR PROPHET. HE CLAIMED TO BE GOD AND THAT WAS THAT. HE DOES NOT LEAVE OPEN ANY OTHER OPTION FOR US. THE APOSTLES MUST HAVE BELIEVED HE WAS GOD FOR ALL BUT JOHN DIED A MARTYRS DEATH. MEN DO NOT DIE FOR A LIE. THESE MEN WENT TO THEIR GRAVES WITH PRAYERS AND SONGS ON THEIR LIPS. THEY WERE SURE OF WHO JESUS WAS. ARE YOU??? YOU MAY CHOOSE NOT TO BELIEVE IN JESUS, YOU MAY CHOOSE TO REJECT EVERYTHING HE HAS TAUGHT. YOU MAY EVEN ACTIVLY REBEL AGAINST EVERYTHING HE STOOD AND DIED FOR, BUT DO NOT SPOUT DRIBBLE ABOUT WHAT A GOOD MAN OR TEACHER HE WAS. THAT IS NOT AN OPTION. JESUS WAS THE SON OF GOD AND SO IS GOD. PERIOD THE END.

SO NOW WHAT

IT WAS BELIEVED BUT NOT TOTALLY UNDERSTOOD EARLY ON BY THE JEWS, THAT THE MESSIAH WOULD IN FACT BE THE SON OF GOD AND GOD. THEY HAVE HAD TO REWRITE SOME OF THEIR BELIEFS SO AS TO REMOVE ANY DOUBT THAT JESUS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE MESSIAH.BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE SCRIPTURES AND PROPHECIES CONCERNING THE MESSIAH? WELL IF YOU ARE HONEST ABOUT HOW YOU READ THE SCRIPTURES YOU WILL SEE THAT THE ONLY CONCLUSION IS THAT JESUS WAS AND IS THE MESSIAH. LISTED BELOW ARE THE PROPHECY AND THE NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT OF IT.

SEED OF A WOMAN GEN 3:15 GAL 4:4 DECENDANT OF ABRAHAM GEN 12:3 MATH 1:1 DECENDANT OF ISAAC GEN 17:19 LUKE 3:34 DECENDANT OF JACOB NUM 24:17 MATH 1:2 FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH GEN 49:10 LUKE 3:33 HEIR TO DAVIDS THRONE ISA 9:7 LUKE 1:32,33 ANNOINTED AND ETERNAL PS 45:6,7 102:25 HEB 1:8-12 BORN IN BETHLEHEM MIC 5:2 LUKE 2:4-7 TIME FOR HIS BIRTH DAN 9:25 LUKE 2:1,2 BORN OF A VIRGIN ISA 7:14 LUKE 1:26-31 SLAUGHTER OF CHILDREN JER 31:15 MATH 2:16-18 FLIGHT TO EGYPT HOS 11:1 MATH 2:14 THE WAY PREPARED ISA 40:3-5 LUKE 3:3-6 PROCEEDED BY FORERUNNER MAL 3:1 LUKE 7:24 PRODEEDED BY ELIJAH MAL 4:5,6 MATH 11:13,14 DECLARED THE SON OF GOD PS 2:7 MATH 3:17 GALILEAN MINISTRY ISA 9:1,2 MATH 4:13-16 SPEAKS IN PARABLES PS 78:2-4 MATH 13:34 A PROPHET DEUT 18:15 ACTS 3:20 BIND UP BROKENHEARTED IS 61:1,2 LUKE 4:18 REJECTED BY HIS PEOPLE ISA 53:3 JOHN 1:11 PRIEST AFTER MELCHISADEK PS 110:4 HEB 5:5,6 TRIUMPHAL ENTRY ZECH 9:9 MATH 11:7-11 ADORED BY INFANTS PS 8:2 MATH 21:15 NOT BELIEVED ISA 53:1 JOHN 12:37 BETRAYED BY A FRIEND PS 41:9 LUKE 22:47,48 30 PIECES OF SILVER ZECH 11:12 MATH 28:15 FALSE WITNESSES PS 35:11 MARK 14:57 SILENT TO ACCUSERS ISA 53:7 MARK 15:4 SPAT ON & STRUCK ISA 50:6 MATH 26:67 HATED WITHOUT REASON PS 35:19 JOHN 15:24 VICARIOUS SACRIFICE ISA 53:5 ROM 5:6 CRUCIFIED WITH MALFACTORS ISA 53:12 MARK 15:27 PIERCED ZECH 12:10 JOHN 20:27 PRAYER FOR ENEMIES PS 109:4 LUKE 23:34 GAMBELED FOR CLOTHING PS 22:17 MATH 27:35 FORSAKEN BY GOD PS 22:1 MATH 27:48 NO BROKEN BONES PS 34:20 JOHN 19:32 HIS SIDE PIERCED ZECH 12:10 JOHN 19:34 BURIED WITH RICH ISA 53:9 MATH 27:57-60 RESSURECTION PS 16:10 MARK 16:6 ASCENSION PS 68:18 MARK 16:19 1 COR 15:4 EPH 4:8

IF JESUS WAS NOT WHO HE SAID HE WAS AND HAD KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROPHECIES, POSSIBLY HE TRIED TO FULFILL THEM SO AS TO FOOL PEOPLE. HOWEVER, MANY OF THESE HE HAD NO CONTROL OVER. WHERE HE WAS BORN, THE SLAUGHTER OF CHILDREN, FLIGHT TO EGYPT, THE GAMBELING FOR HIS CLOTHES, THE PIERCING OF HIS SIDE, NON OF HIS BONES BEING BROKEN (USUALLY DONE AT A CRUCIFICTION) AND ON AND ON. THE ODDS OF ONE MAN NOT BEING GOD AND FULFILLING ALL OF THESE AND MANY MORE OF THE O.T. PROPHECIES ARE ASTRONOMICAL. TAKING ALL OF THIS AS WELL AS HIS LIFE AND HIS TEACHINGS, WE MUST IF WE ARE HONEST, CONCLUDE THAT JESUS WAS AND IS WHO HE SAID HE WAS, GOD IN THE FLESH. AND WITH THAT IN MIND WE ARE LEFT WITH SOME SOBERING REALIZATION THAT WE MUST DO SOMETHING IN RESPONSE. AFTER ALL SATAN AND HIS DEMONS KNOW JESUS IS GOD, BUT IT WILL PROFIT THEM NOTHING. SO JUST BELIEVING IN HIM IS OBVIOUSLY NOT ENOUGH. HE IS TO BE WORSHIPED, ADORED, PRAISED AND OBEYED AS THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE. THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE. HE IS THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIGHT AND NO ONE WILL GO TO THE FATHER EXCEPT BY HIM.

I HOPE THIS STUDY HAS BEEN A BLESSING TO YOU AS MUCH AS IT HAS BEEN TO ME. SHOULD YOU WISH TO STUDY FURTHUR THE PROPHECIES FULFILLED IN JESUS OR ANY OTHER SUBJECT, WE ARE HERE FOR YOU. SHARE THIS WITH A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER.