Post by jazzlover on Sept 29, 2006 1:27:53 GMT -5
Jesus is God because He lived like a God. No man has ever, nor could, live as He lived. If He was only a man, then other men could perfectly follow His teachings and live the kind of life He lived. But all fall short of the perfect life He lived. Jesus' teachings were as perfect as His life. It is not difficult to conclude that because He lived like a God that He is indeed God.
Jesus is God because of His humanity, which was genuine. Though He possessed divine power, He never used it for Himself. He went by a plain title, "the Son of man". It takes a truly big person to go by a plain title. Jesus took on this title for Himself to emphasize His humanity. But as with plain titles on big men, Jesus' humanity stressed in the "Son of man" title was so large and all-encompassing that He was more than a mere man, but God.
Jesus is God because He died like a God. When one considers His trial and crucifixion, the agony He went through and the words He spoke, one can see the unearthliness, the supernatural, the divine about Jesus. Unlike the death of men who go down in defeat, Jesus' death was victory! He died like a God because He is God.
Jesus is God because He did things only a God could do. He claimed to forgive sin, and proved this ability by removing the penalty. Recall the story of the paralytic man. The first thing Jesus told him was that his sin were forgiven. His opponents accused Him of blasphemy, because by forgiving sin He was making Himself equal with God, who alone could forgive sin. But Jesus answered this charge by say, "Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, and walk'?" In other words, what is easier to do? Forgive sin, or remove the penalty? Then to prove His authority to forgive sin He said, "Get up, pick up your bed and go home." He forgave, then removed the penalty. His Godhood was demonstrated. The religious leaders of His day were to blind to see the evidences of the deity of Jesus. They crucified Him for blasphemy, for claiming to be God. Jesus had many opportunities to deny this, but He let the charges stand. He could not deny Himself.
Jesus is God because of what He does in the lives of countless people today. His continuing power to forgive sin and regenerate lives, making them partakers of the divine nature, testifies to His Godhood. For He does what no philosopher, teacher, or religious leader can do. He does only what a God can do!
Jesus is God because of His influence on the world. One can see this in the rapid spread of Christianity in first several centuries. How could the disciples of Christ go from being cowards who ran and denied Him on the night of His arrest and subsequent cruxifixion, to men that persecution, deprivation, and martyrdom could not deter from telling the world about Jesus. What caused this dramatic change? They had been witness to His resurrection. They saw Him die; they saw Him raised from the dead. They were convinced beyond doubt that He was God. Could a mere man have brought about such a change in others? No, only a God could have. Jesus' influence on the world has been too great and far-reaching for a man to have produced it. And it continues to grow to this day and age, and there is nothing powerful enough to stop it.
Because of all that has been said, and many other things that could be said, the deity of Jesus Christ has been demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt. It is up to those who continue in disbelief and denial to prove that Jesus is not who He claimed to be. But they cannot, since it is impossible to prove a negative. It is the folly of men that causes them to persist in disbelief. Even demons believe and tremble!
If Jesus is not God, then who could replace Him? Surely none of the many religious leaders and teachers that have come and gone on the world scene. None of them could bring forgiveness of sin or salvation. None of them died for humanity and conquered death by rising from the grave. There is only one Savior. Jesus Christ! Without Him there is no other savior. No one else who can save from sin and the penalty of sin.
The same question Jesus posed to His disciples almost two thousand years ago confronts us today? Who is Jesus to you? Did he even exist? Was he just a good man? Or is He the fullness of deity in bodily form (Colossians 2:9) who was sent to make salvation available to us (John 3:16)? These questions are important because if Jesus is not who He claimed to be, then we have no Savior and His authority to forgive sin would be invalid. If Jesus is not our Savior, then we have no means for our salvation and He would be a liar, and the Bible would be a lie, for it declares that Jesus Christ is the only name by which we may be saved (Acts 4:8-12). And without a means for salvation, we are all doomed and our faith would be in vain.
But if Jesus is all He claimed to be and the Bible is reliable and true, then by faith we can accept Him and have the salvation He secured for His people. We would be able to say with conviction along with Peter that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16); and also along with the Apostle Paul that Jesus "is God over all". (Romans 9:5)
Jesus is God because of His humanity, which was genuine. Though He possessed divine power, He never used it for Himself. He went by a plain title, "the Son of man". It takes a truly big person to go by a plain title. Jesus took on this title for Himself to emphasize His humanity. But as with plain titles on big men, Jesus' humanity stressed in the "Son of man" title was so large and all-encompassing that He was more than a mere man, but God.
Jesus is God because He died like a God. When one considers His trial and crucifixion, the agony He went through and the words He spoke, one can see the unearthliness, the supernatural, the divine about Jesus. Unlike the death of men who go down in defeat, Jesus' death was victory! He died like a God because He is God.
Jesus is God because He did things only a God could do. He claimed to forgive sin, and proved this ability by removing the penalty. Recall the story of the paralytic man. The first thing Jesus told him was that his sin were forgiven. His opponents accused Him of blasphemy, because by forgiving sin He was making Himself equal with God, who alone could forgive sin. But Jesus answered this charge by say, "Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, and walk'?" In other words, what is easier to do? Forgive sin, or remove the penalty? Then to prove His authority to forgive sin He said, "Get up, pick up your bed and go home." He forgave, then removed the penalty. His Godhood was demonstrated. The religious leaders of His day were to blind to see the evidences of the deity of Jesus. They crucified Him for blasphemy, for claiming to be God. Jesus had many opportunities to deny this, but He let the charges stand. He could not deny Himself.
Jesus is God because of what He does in the lives of countless people today. His continuing power to forgive sin and regenerate lives, making them partakers of the divine nature, testifies to His Godhood. For He does what no philosopher, teacher, or religious leader can do. He does only what a God can do!
Jesus is God because of His influence on the world. One can see this in the rapid spread of Christianity in first several centuries. How could the disciples of Christ go from being cowards who ran and denied Him on the night of His arrest and subsequent cruxifixion, to men that persecution, deprivation, and martyrdom could not deter from telling the world about Jesus. What caused this dramatic change? They had been witness to His resurrection. They saw Him die; they saw Him raised from the dead. They were convinced beyond doubt that He was God. Could a mere man have brought about such a change in others? No, only a God could have. Jesus' influence on the world has been too great and far-reaching for a man to have produced it. And it continues to grow to this day and age, and there is nothing powerful enough to stop it.
Because of all that has been said, and many other things that could be said, the deity of Jesus Christ has been demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt. It is up to those who continue in disbelief and denial to prove that Jesus is not who He claimed to be. But they cannot, since it is impossible to prove a negative. It is the folly of men that causes them to persist in disbelief. Even demons believe and tremble!
If Jesus is not God, then who could replace Him? Surely none of the many religious leaders and teachers that have come and gone on the world scene. None of them could bring forgiveness of sin or salvation. None of them died for humanity and conquered death by rising from the grave. There is only one Savior. Jesus Christ! Without Him there is no other savior. No one else who can save from sin and the penalty of sin.
The same question Jesus posed to His disciples almost two thousand years ago confronts us today? Who is Jesus to you? Did he even exist? Was he just a good man? Or is He the fullness of deity in bodily form (Colossians 2:9) who was sent to make salvation available to us (John 3:16)? These questions are important because if Jesus is not who He claimed to be, then we have no Savior and His authority to forgive sin would be invalid. If Jesus is not our Savior, then we have no means for our salvation and He would be a liar, and the Bible would be a lie, for it declares that Jesus Christ is the only name by which we may be saved (Acts 4:8-12). And without a means for salvation, we are all doomed and our faith would be in vain.
But if Jesus is all He claimed to be and the Bible is reliable and true, then by faith we can accept Him and have the salvation He secured for His people. We would be able to say with conviction along with Peter that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16); and also along with the Apostle Paul that Jesus "is God over all". (Romans 9:5)