God-Man :
"Christianity differs from all religions, because it is more than a religion - it is the life of the Son of God made living in man. Christ is Christianity, and Christianity is Christ. He is he supreme subject of each book of the New Testament, and fulfills all the promises of God in the Old Testament, from His incarnation to His Second Coming as "Lord of lords and King of kings" (Revelation 17:14). He is the God-man Christ Jesus in glory, exalted above all creatures. Jesus said, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18).
During His earthly ministry, He claimed to be God incarnate (in human flesh). He is all that He claimed to be, or He is less than the least (Revelations 1:8). Before His claim can be denied, there are some things that must be accounted for:
His virgin birth;
His holy, sinless life;
His many miracles;
His vicarious death and His bodily resurrection.
His Deity :
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1)
"The deity of Jesus Christ, or His God nature, is well established in the New Testament. Some of the facts are:
01) He is called God by the Apostle John (above verse 1).
02) He is called God by the Apostle Thomas (John 20:28).
03) He is called God by the Father (Hebrews 1:8).
04) He claimed to be God, in that He was with the Father before creation (John 17:5).
05) He claimed to be God, in that He was before Abraham. "Abraham rejoiced to see my day . . . " (John 8:52-59).
06) He received worship, and only God is to be worshipped (Matthew 14:33). Angels refused worship (Revelation 22:8,9). Man refused worship (Acts 10:25,26).
07) He forgives sin (Mark 2:5-11). Only God can forgive sin.
08) He is creator and maker of all things (Colossians 1:16).
09) He is sustainer of all things (Hebrews 1:3). Only God can control the universe.
10) He claimed to have "all authority . . . in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). Only God has all authority.
11) He walked upon the blue waters of Galilee. The winds and the waves obeyed His command. He healed the sick and raised the dead. He gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. He cast out demons and made the lame to walk. He turned water into wine, and fed five thousand men with the lunch of a lad."
{Note: Five thousand is the number of men only; there were women and children also that were fed and not counted in that number.}
{Note: Regarding 4) and 8), above, Jesus is called the Word of God. When God spoke in Genesis 1:1, it was the Word of God taking the action.}
May this Lesson help you to be ready at all times to give answer to those who question what you believe about Jesus and why you believe in Him.
HIS HUMANITY
"Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, Who was born a descendant of David according to the flesh . . ." (Romans 1:1-3)
"The humanity of Jesus Christ is seen in His human parentage (Matthew 2:11).
1) He developed as a normal human being (Luke 2:52).
2) He was subject to all the sinless infirmities of the human nature:
a. He was hungry (Matthew 4:2)
b. He was thirsty (John 19:28)
c. He was weary (John 4:6)
d. He wept (John 11:35)
e. He was tempted (Hebrews 4:15)
Jesus is man, and yet He is more than man. He is not God and man, but the God-Man. He is God in human flesh. His two natures are bound together in such a way that the two become one, having a single consciousness and will."
Jesus had to be human to die for sinful humans; He had to be God to be a sufficiently perfect sacrifice to be acceptable by the Father. Let us always thank Him and praise Him for all that He has done for us.
His Virgin Birth :
"And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. ... And Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:31, 34-35)
"The virgin birth of Jesus Christ is without parallel in human history. It was by the virgin birth that God became man, one perfect person but two natures: One nature being that of Almighty God, the other being that of man - man without sin (Hebrews 4:15). The union of the two natures became the God-Man Christ Jesus.
01) The first hint of the virgin birth is found in Genesis 3:15. The One to defeat Satan was to be born of the "seed" of the woman. This is a biological miracle; there is no "seed" of the woman. From this, we are to understand that One was to be born of a woman without a human father (Luke 1:34-35).
02) Isaiah prophesied that a "virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel (God with us)" (Isaiah 7:14).
03) Again Isaiah prophesied saying, "a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us" (Isaiah 9:6,7). This means that God gave His only begotten Son who was with Him from eternity, and the Child Jesus was born of a virgin. God gave His Son "to us."
04) According to prophecy, He was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Joseph with Mary went up to Bethlehem to be taxed, which fulfilled prophecy (Luke 2:1-7)."
His Death :
"And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:8)
"The death of Jesus Christ is mentioned more than 120 times in the New Testament, and is spoken of many times by the prophets in the Old Testament.
01) The death of Jesus Christ was vicarious (Matthew 20:28). He was God's substitute for sinners (2 Corinthians 5:21). On the cross, Christ was made sin for the sinner. By faith in Him, the sinner is made righteous with the righteousness of God.
02) The death of Jesus Christ was natural (John 19:31-37). By a natural death, we mean that His spirit and soul were separated from His body.
03) The death of Jesus Christ was unnatural (Romans 6:23). By an unnatural death, we man that since He was sinless, in that He "committed no sin" (1 Peter 2:22) - had "no sin" (1 John 3:5) - "knew no sin" (2 Corinthians 5:21) - before He could die, He had to be "made sin on our behalf." Therefore, His death was unnatural.
04) The death of Jesus Christ was preternatural (Revelation 13:8). By this, we mean that the death of Jesus Christ was not an afterthought with God; it was the forethought of God.
05) The death of Jesus Christ was supernatural (John 10:17, 18). Jesus said, "No one has taken it away from Me." Then He said, "I lay it down on My own initiative (supernaturally)." "I have authority to take it up again (supernaturally)." This He did on the cross, and three days and three nights later, He took life up again when He arose from the dead.
Only God in the form of man could die a vicarious, natural, unnatural, preternatural, and supernatural death."
I pray this strengthens your faith in Jesus, your realization of God's love, and your gratitude to Jesus for all He sacrificed for you. Let us thank and praise Him often throughout each day!
HIS RESURRECTION
"In John 11:25, we read that Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life." The resurrection of Jesus Christ was the doctrine of every disciple, the faith of every true believer, the courage of every martyr, the theme of every sermon, and the power of every evangelist.
Luke tells us in Acts 1:3, that we have "many convincing proofs" of His resurrection. Let us look at some of the "convincing proofs" according to eye witnesses:
01) After Jesus' resurrection He appeared first to Mary Magdalene.
(John 20:11-18)
02) He appeared to the women returning from the grave (Matthew 28:5-10)
03) Then He appeared to Peter (Luke 24:34)
04) Then to the disciples on their way to Emmaus (Luke 24:P13-31)
05) To the apostles when Thomas was not present (John 20:24-29)
06) Again to the apostles, with Thomas present (John 20:24-29)
07) To the seven by the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:1-23)
08) To over 500 brethren (1 Corinthians 15:6)
09) He was seen of James (1 Corinthians 15:7)
10) He was seen again by the eleven apostles (Matthew 28:16-20 and Acts 1:3-12)
11) He was seen of Stephen, the first martyr (Acts 7:55j)
12) He was seen of Paul on his way to Damascus (Acts 9:3-6 and 1 Corinthians15:8)
Many of these eye witnesses died martyrs' deaths because they preached the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They were glad to die for a living Christ. They had the "convincing proofs."
When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, all of His disciples "left Him and fled." (Matthew 26:56) From this time until after His resurrection, the disciples lived in fear. They did not believe that He would rise from the dead. (John 20:9) Had Jesus not come from the dead, the cross would have been the end of Christianity. After the death of Jesus, we see His disciples dejected, discouraged, and defeated. The death of Jesus meant but one thing to them: the end. How do we account for the great change that came into their lives three days and three nights later? The only logical explanation is that they had the "convincing proofs." He had risen from the dead, and was alive forevermore. They saw Him, talked with Him, touched Him, and ate with Him.
Now look at some "convincing proofs" according to circumstantial evidence.
01) The change that came into the lives of the disciples after the resurrection - from fear to unlimited courage. They rejoiced in persecution (Acts 5:40-42). They chose death, with faith in the resurrected Christ, rather than to deny that faith and be released (Hebrews 11:35).
02) The early church began to worship on the first day of the week, the day of the resurrection. It was not a law - it was spontaneous (Acts 20:7) For almost 2,000 years, the church has worshiped on the first day. For the Christian, every Sunday is Easter.
03) The early Christians went everywhere with the word of the resurrection (Acts 8:1-4).
04) The empty tomb - for if Jesus is not alive, what happened to His body. The Roman guards were paid to say, "His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep." (Matthew 28:12, 13). First, the disciples lacked the courage. Had the disciples stolen His body, then how do you account for the fact that they all suffered, and most of them died martyrs' deaths? In the face of death, one of them would have revealed the hiding place of the "stolen body" to save his own life. Second, no one was ever arrested or tried for stealing the body of Jesus. It is evident that the governing officials did not believe the story of the guards. Third, the guards could have been put to death for sleeping while on watch. Fourth, if they were asleep, how could they have known that it was the disciples who "stole" the body? Fifth, had the enemies of Jesus moved the body, they could have produced it and brought a quick end to Christianity, and they would have!
05) The linen wrapping found in the empty tomb are proof of the resurrection (John 20:1-10). Had friend or foe stolen the body, they would not have removed the linen wrapping; since He had been dead three days and three nights. When John saw the linen wrapping and recognized that they were folded the same as when they were wrapped about the body, he know that a miracle had taken place. Jesus came out of the wrappings and they collapsed without disturbing the folds. They were left in the empty tomb as "convincing proof"; and when John saw and understood, he believed that Jesus had come from the dead."
HIS ASCENSION AND SECOND COMING :
"And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them; and they also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, Who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:9-11)
"After forty days of instructing His disciples, the risen Christ ascended up on high and is seated at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 10:12). Two men (angels) brought the message of His second coming to the apostles: "This Jesus, Who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way . . ." The message of the second coming of Jesus is so important, that it is mentioned over three hundred times in the New Testament.
1) He is coming to take His church to be with Him (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17); also (John 14:1-6).
2) He is coming to judge the nations (Matthew 25:31-46).
3) He is coming to save Israel (Romans 11:25, 26).
4) He is coming to sit upon the throne of David (Luke 1:31-33; also Isaiah 9:6, 7).
5) He is coming to bring righteous government to this earth (Hebrews 1:8).
Jesus Christ is coming back to this earth again. "Come Lord Jesus!""
And let all God's saints (you and me) say, "Maranatha!" (Come Lord Jesus!)
"Christianity differs from all religions, because it is more than a religion - it is the life of the Son of God made living in man. Christ is Christianity, and Christianity is Christ. He is he supreme subject of each book of the New Testament, and fulfills all the promises of God in the Old Testament, from His incarnation to His Second Coming as "Lord of lords and King of kings" (Revelation 17:14). He is the God-man Christ Jesus in glory, exalted above all creatures. Jesus said, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18).
During His earthly ministry, He claimed to be God incarnate (in human flesh). He is all that He claimed to be, or He is less than the least (Revelations 1:8). Before His claim can be denied, there are some things that must be accounted for:
His virgin birth;
His holy, sinless life;
His many miracles;
His vicarious death and His bodily resurrection.
His Deity :
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1)
"The deity of Jesus Christ, or His God nature, is well established in the New Testament. Some of the facts are:
01) He is called God by the Apostle John (above verse 1).
02) He is called God by the Apostle Thomas (John 20:28).
03) He is called God by the Father (Hebrews 1:8).
04) He claimed to be God, in that He was with the Father before creation (John 17:5).
05) He claimed to be God, in that He was before Abraham. "Abraham rejoiced to see my day . . . " (John 8:52-59).
06) He received worship, and only God is to be worshipped (Matthew 14:33). Angels refused worship (Revelation 22:8,9). Man refused worship (Acts 10:25,26).
07) He forgives sin (Mark 2:5-11). Only God can forgive sin.
08) He is creator and maker of all things (Colossians 1:16).
09) He is sustainer of all things (Hebrews 1:3). Only God can control the universe.
10) He claimed to have "all authority . . . in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). Only God has all authority.
11) He walked upon the blue waters of Galilee. The winds and the waves obeyed His command. He healed the sick and raised the dead. He gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. He cast out demons and made the lame to walk. He turned water into wine, and fed five thousand men with the lunch of a lad."
{Note: Five thousand is the number of men only; there were women and children also that were fed and not counted in that number.}
{Note: Regarding 4) and 8), above, Jesus is called the Word of God. When God spoke in Genesis 1:1, it was the Word of God taking the action.}
May this Lesson help you to be ready at all times to give answer to those who question what you believe about Jesus and why you believe in Him.
HIS HUMANITY
"Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, Who was born a descendant of David according to the flesh . . ." (Romans 1:1-3)
"The humanity of Jesus Christ is seen in His human parentage (Matthew 2:11).
1) He developed as a normal human being (Luke 2:52).
2) He was subject to all the sinless infirmities of the human nature:
a. He was hungry (Matthew 4:2)
b. He was thirsty (John 19:28)
c. He was weary (John 4:6)
d. He wept (John 11:35)
e. He was tempted (Hebrews 4:15)
Jesus is man, and yet He is more than man. He is not God and man, but the God-Man. He is God in human flesh. His two natures are bound together in such a way that the two become one, having a single consciousness and will."
Jesus had to be human to die for sinful humans; He had to be God to be a sufficiently perfect sacrifice to be acceptable by the Father. Let us always thank Him and praise Him for all that He has done for us.
His Virgin Birth :
"And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. ... And Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:31, 34-35)
"The virgin birth of Jesus Christ is without parallel in human history. It was by the virgin birth that God became man, one perfect person but two natures: One nature being that of Almighty God, the other being that of man - man without sin (Hebrews 4:15). The union of the two natures became the God-Man Christ Jesus.
01) The first hint of the virgin birth is found in Genesis 3:15. The One to defeat Satan was to be born of the "seed" of the woman. This is a biological miracle; there is no "seed" of the woman. From this, we are to understand that One was to be born of a woman without a human father (Luke 1:34-35).
02) Isaiah prophesied that a "virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel (God with us)" (Isaiah 7:14).
03) Again Isaiah prophesied saying, "a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us" (Isaiah 9:6,7). This means that God gave His only begotten Son who was with Him from eternity, and the Child Jesus was born of a virgin. God gave His Son "to us."
04) According to prophecy, He was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Joseph with Mary went up to Bethlehem to be taxed, which fulfilled prophecy (Luke 2:1-7)."
His Death :
"And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:8)
"The death of Jesus Christ is mentioned more than 120 times in the New Testament, and is spoken of many times by the prophets in the Old Testament.
01) The death of Jesus Christ was vicarious (Matthew 20:28). He was God's substitute for sinners (2 Corinthians 5:21). On the cross, Christ was made sin for the sinner. By faith in Him, the sinner is made righteous with the righteousness of God.
02) The death of Jesus Christ was natural (John 19:31-37). By a natural death, we mean that His spirit and soul were separated from His body.
03) The death of Jesus Christ was unnatural (Romans 6:23). By an unnatural death, we man that since He was sinless, in that He "committed no sin" (1 Peter 2:22) - had "no sin" (1 John 3:5) - "knew no sin" (2 Corinthians 5:21) - before He could die, He had to be "made sin on our behalf." Therefore, His death was unnatural.
04) The death of Jesus Christ was preternatural (Revelation 13:8). By this, we mean that the death of Jesus Christ was not an afterthought with God; it was the forethought of God.
05) The death of Jesus Christ was supernatural (John 10:17, 18). Jesus said, "No one has taken it away from Me." Then He said, "I lay it down on My own initiative (supernaturally)." "I have authority to take it up again (supernaturally)." This He did on the cross, and three days and three nights later, He took life up again when He arose from the dead.
Only God in the form of man could die a vicarious, natural, unnatural, preternatural, and supernatural death."
I pray this strengthens your faith in Jesus, your realization of God's love, and your gratitude to Jesus for all He sacrificed for you. Let us thank and praise Him often throughout each day!
HIS RESURRECTION
"In John 11:25, we read that Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life." The resurrection of Jesus Christ was the doctrine of every disciple, the faith of every true believer, the courage of every martyr, the theme of every sermon, and the power of every evangelist.
Luke tells us in Acts 1:3, that we have "many convincing proofs" of His resurrection. Let us look at some of the "convincing proofs" according to eye witnesses:
01) After Jesus' resurrection He appeared first to Mary Magdalene.
(John 20:11-18)
02) He appeared to the women returning from the grave (Matthew 28:5-10)
03) Then He appeared to Peter (Luke 24:34)
04) Then to the disciples on their way to Emmaus (Luke 24:P13-31)
05) To the apostles when Thomas was not present (John 20:24-29)
06) Again to the apostles, with Thomas present (John 20:24-29)
07) To the seven by the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:1-23)
08) To over 500 brethren (1 Corinthians 15:6)
09) He was seen of James (1 Corinthians 15:7)
10) He was seen again by the eleven apostles (Matthew 28:16-20 and Acts 1:3-12)
11) He was seen of Stephen, the first martyr (Acts 7:55j)
12) He was seen of Paul on his way to Damascus (Acts 9:3-6 and 1 Corinthians15:8)
Many of these eye witnesses died martyrs' deaths because they preached the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They were glad to die for a living Christ. They had the "convincing proofs."
When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, all of His disciples "left Him and fled." (Matthew 26:56) From this time until after His resurrection, the disciples lived in fear. They did not believe that He would rise from the dead. (John 20:9) Had Jesus not come from the dead, the cross would have been the end of Christianity. After the death of Jesus, we see His disciples dejected, discouraged, and defeated. The death of Jesus meant but one thing to them: the end. How do we account for the great change that came into their lives three days and three nights later? The only logical explanation is that they had the "convincing proofs." He had risen from the dead, and was alive forevermore. They saw Him, talked with Him, touched Him, and ate with Him.
Now look at some "convincing proofs" according to circumstantial evidence.
01) The change that came into the lives of the disciples after the resurrection - from fear to unlimited courage. They rejoiced in persecution (Acts 5:40-42). They chose death, with faith in the resurrected Christ, rather than to deny that faith and be released (Hebrews 11:35).
02) The early church began to worship on the first day of the week, the day of the resurrection. It was not a law - it was spontaneous (Acts 20:7) For almost 2,000 years, the church has worshiped on the first day. For the Christian, every Sunday is Easter.
03) The early Christians went everywhere with the word of the resurrection (Acts 8:1-4).
04) The empty tomb - for if Jesus is not alive, what happened to His body. The Roman guards were paid to say, "His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep." (Matthew 28:12, 13). First, the disciples lacked the courage. Had the disciples stolen His body, then how do you account for the fact that they all suffered, and most of them died martyrs' deaths? In the face of death, one of them would have revealed the hiding place of the "stolen body" to save his own life. Second, no one was ever arrested or tried for stealing the body of Jesus. It is evident that the governing officials did not believe the story of the guards. Third, the guards could have been put to death for sleeping while on watch. Fourth, if they were asleep, how could they have known that it was the disciples who "stole" the body? Fifth, had the enemies of Jesus moved the body, they could have produced it and brought a quick end to Christianity, and they would have!
05) The linen wrapping found in the empty tomb are proof of the resurrection (John 20:1-10). Had friend or foe stolen the body, they would not have removed the linen wrapping; since He had been dead three days and three nights. When John saw the linen wrapping and recognized that they were folded the same as when they were wrapped about the body, he know that a miracle had taken place. Jesus came out of the wrappings and they collapsed without disturbing the folds. They were left in the empty tomb as "convincing proof"; and when John saw and understood, he believed that Jesus had come from the dead."
HIS ASCENSION AND SECOND COMING :
"And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them; and they also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, Who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:9-11)
"After forty days of instructing His disciples, the risen Christ ascended up on high and is seated at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 10:12). Two men (angels) brought the message of His second coming to the apostles: "This Jesus, Who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way . . ." The message of the second coming of Jesus is so important, that it is mentioned over three hundred times in the New Testament.
1) He is coming to take His church to be with Him (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17); also (John 14:1-6).
2) He is coming to judge the nations (Matthew 25:31-46).
3) He is coming to save Israel (Romans 11:25, 26).
4) He is coming to sit upon the throne of David (Luke 1:31-33; also Isaiah 9:6, 7).
5) He is coming to bring righteous government to this earth (Hebrews 1:8).
Jesus Christ is coming back to this earth again. "Come Lord Jesus!""
And let all God's saints (you and me) say, "Maranatha!" (Come Lord Jesus!)
