Sunday, June 01, 2008

Why I believe that Jesus of Nazareth created the universe

Hi guys. I wanted to share with you a few reasons why I believe that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed God in the flesh. I love you all and pray that these truths will change your heart, causing you to come to know Him personally and savingly.

First, I must tell you why I believe Jesus was a man "in the flesh". The reason I believe Jesus was a human is because He had a date of birth. He went from being a zygote to a fetus to an infant to a child to a boy to a fully grown adult Man. As a child He had to learn to walk and talk like the rest of us. Throughout His life He ate and slept like the rest of us. He walked, talked, cried, loved, became angry (always righteously), became grieved, distressed, He rejoiced, marveled, became tired, hungry, thirsty and worked a job (carpenter) like the rest of us. He had a mother, siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles like the rest of us. He was a man; a one hundred percent flesh and bone human being.

And now, here are some reasons why I believe that Jesus pre-existed His humanity and was and is one hundred percent divine:

His birth

Out of the billions and billions of us who have been born into this world, He was the only one born of a virgin. Think about that. Jesus of Nazareth was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin. No man was involved in any way in His conception. There was just a young teenage girl and the power of the Holy Spirit.

The way He spoke

Jesus never speculated or deferred to anyone else; He always, without exception, spoke with absolute authority. He never quoted a rabbi or religious leader. He just said what He had to say and thats it. He never said, "I think...", "Well, maybe...", "I hypothesize that...". Words like "possibly" and "probably" were not a part of His vocabulary. Even when speaking of the Bible He spoke with authority. For example He said things like "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery'. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

The things He said


If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven

If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.

Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?




The things He did

Jesus of Nazareth gave sight to a man who had been blind since birth. He cured lepers with a touch, cast out demons with a word, and had compassion on the hungry multitudes and fed them with a few pieces of bread and fish at least twice. He commanded a paralytic to rise, take his mat, and walk home and the paralyzed man did it. He raised Lazarus, who had been dead so long his corpse stunk, from the dead. He walked on water, turned water into wine, and commanded the winds and sea to be still and they obeyed Him. Did you know that it is believed that on any given day Jesus of Nazareth did more miracles than all the miracles of the Old Testament combined?

He also forgave sins; something only God can do.

His sinless life

Jesus never once sinned. He was perfectly holy and righteous in thought, word, and deed. He was tempted in every point like the rest of us, yet without sin. He was actually able to say "I always do those things that please" God. Can you say that? He was able to say to His most ardent opponents and skeptics, "Which of you convicts Me of sin?", to which they had no response [and still don't]. He was the perfect Person; completely impeccable and absolutely blameless. "The wages of sin is death" but because Jesus never ever once sinned, not even in thought, death had no claim over Him.


His claims about His identity


You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.

Then the Jews said to Him..."You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?”...
Jesus answered, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple,going through the midst of them, and so passed by. click here for context

Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father...

I and My Father are one.



His power over the grave

Not only did He raise dead people by the power of His word but He also promised that He would lay down His life only to raise Himself up from the grave three days later:

“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”




His death

He is the only sinless Person who has ever lived who on behalf of others willingly died the worst possible death: crucifixion [the word excruciating is derived from crucifixion]. The charge for his death was "Jesus King of the Jews". Jesus, who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. Even up on the cross He forgave a criminal who was being crucified next to Him and promised him, "Today you will be with Me in paradise." From 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM, while He shed His blood on the cross, the sky was darkened. The last thing He said on the cross before giving up His spirit was "It is finished." Immediately after He died,the ground shook and the veil in the Jewish Temple which divided the holy place from the most holy place, was torn in two, from top to bottom (signifying that now sinners can enter the most holy place through the blood of Christ). Truly, His was a supernatural death whose every detail was a fulfillment of tons of ancients prophecies.


His resurrection from the dead

Jesus of Nazareth conquered death. Three days after He was crucified like a common criminal, He rose from the dead just like He said He would. The Father confirmed and validated Jesus' words by raising Him from the dead and then showing Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. He was seen by Peter, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by Paul. Jesus rose from the dead. There is a Man in history who was killed who on the third day rose Himself from the dead and this was seen by hundreds of witnesses!


His ascension into heaven

Forty days after Jesus rose from the dead and walked and talked and ate with His disciples, He ascended, bodily, into heaven in front of many witnesses. They literally saw Him being raised in the clouds back to heaven.


His fulfillment of prophecy

There are hundreds of ancient Jewish Messianic prophecies which were fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth. Everything from the time, place, and manner of His birth to His ministry and identity to His crucifixion and resurrection was predicted hundreds to thousands of years in advance! Jesus Himself frequently pointed to this. He said,

"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.


Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.


click here to see some of the prophecies for yourself

He forgave and saved me

Among other things, Jesus Christ is known for turning God-hating wicked sinners into God-glorifying saints and I submit to you my life as a clear example of this. Three and a half years ago I had zero interest in the things of the Lord (not enough to read this article thats for sure). I enjoyed drunken parties. I enjoyed all sorts of perversions. I used to love getting high. I enjoyed and was entertained by immorality and violence. I, just like the woman caught in adultery who deserved to be stoned to death, was a guilty sinner utterly deserving of death and hell. But then Jesus came into my life, changed my heart, and instead of condemning me, forgave me and then commanded me, "Go and sin no more". My testimony is this: Jesus of Nazareth forgave me of my sins, which were many, and gave my soul indescribable, all-satisfying joy and rest, and secured my place eternally in heaven. He changed my heart. What I once enjoyed and sought I now hate. What I once hated and had no interest in [God, truth, Jesus] now brings me pure joy. I, along with millions of others throughout history [some whom you know], have personally experienced His love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and transforming power and can fully attest that this Jesus was and is not only the Savior of the world... but the Lord God Himself... in the flesh.

Conclusion



These are some of the reasons why I believe that Jesus Christ was and is the God of the universe, the One to whom we must all give account someday. The Bible clearly reveals Him as the Judge of the living and the dead. My hope is that you will come to cherish Him as the treasure and joy of your life and be saved from wrath through Him. And now I leave you with a question from Jesus Christ Himself:

Who do you say that I am?