why i believe jesus is the son of god - gospel teacher i believe... · jesus is the son of god the...
TRANSCRIPT
1
Jesus of Nazareth was not a mythical,fictional character created by men’simagination. He was a real person likeyou and me. He was born about 4 B.C.and died about A.D. 29, according tothe Gregorian calendar, which is widelyused today.
Was He merely an outstanding man?Or was He more than a man? Considerthe abundant evidence that Jesus was —and is — the Christ, the Son of God.
I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Sonof God, because of the PROPHECIES.All of the Old Testament was writtenhundreds of years before Jesus was born.It contains more than 300 propheciesabout the coming “Messiah” (Hebrewlanguage) or “Christ” (Greek), whichmeans “Anointed One.” It foretold thingsHe would do and things His enemieswould do to Him.
When Jesus was on earth, copies of OldTestament books were in synagoguesthroughout Israel. For example, we knowthe synagogue in Nazareth had a copyof Isaiah (Lk. 4:16-21; see Acts 8:28).Also, on a remote plateau near the Dead
Why I BelieveJesus is the Son of God
The Great IsaiahScroll
Partly shown at right isa copy of the entirebook of Isaiah. This
copy, The Great IsaiahScroll, was written
about 125 B.C. It wasfound in a cave near
Qumran in 1947 and ison display in The Israel
Museum, Jerusalem.
The center section inthis photo shows all
12 verses of Isaiah 53.Photo: Public Domain. From a photo byArdon Bar Hama viaWikimediaCommons. Original Source: Website of The Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Sea, devout Jews at Qumran were busypreserving copies, and making morecopies, of Old Testament books and otherdocuments. Israel was literally full ofcopies of the Old Testament propheciesabout the Messiah. So, when Jesus cameto earth, He did not need to carry a“passport.” The documents to show Hisidentity had already been sent on ahead!
Between A.D.1946 and 1956, hundredsof Old Testament scrolls were found incaves near Qumran. Many of these copieswere written before Jesus was born. So,people can now see some of the very docu-ments which were in Israel when Jesus wasfulfilling the prophecies written in them!
Isaiah prophesied around 700 B.C. Heforetold that: the Saviour would come fromthe family of Jesse (Isa.11:1-5); He wouldbe born of a virgin (7:14); His forerunnerwould preach in the wilderness (40:3);He would preach in Galilee (9:1-2); Hispeople would reject Him (53:3); He wouldnot speak in His own defense during Histrials (53:7); He would be whipped andkilled for our sins (53:5-6, 8); He wouldintercede (mediate) for the sinners (53:12);and, His grave and death would be withthe wicked and the rich (53:9).
Human historians mentionChrist and His death. TheRoman historian CorneliusTacitus was born about A.D.53. He was not a follower ofChrist. Yet he recorded that
Christ was executed by the Roman gov-ernor Pontius Pilate during the reign ofemperor Tiberius (The Annals and theHistories, 15:44; from Britannica GreatBooks, Vol. 15, p. 168).
Flavius Josephus was a Jewish historian,born in Jerusalem about A.D. 37. He
Cornelius Tacitus©
2
thirty pieces of silver (11:12-13); thescattering of His disciples (13:7); andHis piercing, which was fulfilled when asoldier thrust a spear into the side of Hisbody (12:10).
These are just a few examples. In thelife of Jesus, all of the prophecies werefulfilled. They happened exactly as foretold.Mere humans could not have known thesefacts about His life hundreds of yearsbefore He was born. The fulfillment ofthe prophecies reveals their cause andeffect: God is the cause of the prophecies;the effect is the verifying of Jesus as HisSon. No other person’s life has beenforetold like the life of Jesus!
I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Sonof God, because of the VIRGIN BIRTH.While Mary was a virgin, the angel Gabrieltold her,“‘...you will conceive in your womband bring forth a Son, and shall call Hisname Jesus. He will be great, and will becalled the Son of the Highest...and of Hiskingdom there will be no end.’ Then Marysaid to the angel, ‘How can this be, sinceI do not know [have not been with] a man?’And the angel answered and said to her,‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you,and the power of the Highest will over-shadow you; therefore, also, that HolyOne who is to be born will be calledthe Son of God’” (Lk. 1:31-35). Maryhad been promised to Joseph. When helearned that she was carrying a child, hewas very troubled. But after an angel ex-plained it to him in a dream, he “...tookto him his wife, and did not know her tillshe had brought forth her firstborn Son.And he called His name Jesus” (Matt.1:24-25). The human life of Jesus wasconceived within Mary by the power ofGod’s Spirit. There is no other like Jesuswho was human and the Son of God!
was not a follower of Jesus,but he wrote that Jesustaught men, worked mar-velous deeds, and waskilled on a cross by Pilateat the urging of Jewishleaders (Josephus, TheAntiquities of. the Jews, 18, 3.3). The deathof Christ for us is the central message ofthe Bible. His death was foretold byprophets, recorded by New Testamentwriters, and verified by historians.
About 700 B.C., Micah wrote that theruler of God’s people would come out ofBethlehem (Mic. 5:2). Before Jesus wasborn, His mother lived in Nazareth ofGalilee, about 100 kilometers (65 miles)from Bethlehem. However, at the righttime, the Roman emperor Caesar Augustusdecreed that all the world should be taxed.For this, all families had to go to the cityof their ancestors. So, Joseph and Marywent to the small town of Bethlehem,where their ancestors had lived. Whilethere, Mary gave birth to Jesus, fulfillingMicah’s prophecy from 700 years earlier.
About 1,000 years before Jesus wasborn, king David wrote many Psalms.Some of them foretold: His betrayalby a friend (41:9); the vinegar and gall,which was given to Jesus to drink(69:21); the piercing of His hands andfeet, which happened when Jesus wasnailed to the cross (22:16); the dividingof His garments among people, whichthe soldiers did at the cross (22:18); themocking by the people (22:7-8); Hisbones remaining unbroken (34:20); andHis rising from death (16:10).
About 500 B.C., Zechariah foretold:His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on adonkey colt (Zech. 9:9); His betrayal for
Flavius Josephus ©
3
The ultimate goal of the miracles wasnot money or fame. Their purposes were:(1) To show God’s love. “So Jesus hadcompassion and touched their eyes.And immediately their eyes receivedsight...” (Matt. 20:34).(2) To verify His identity as the Christ.In Jerusalem,“...many believed in Hisname when they saw the signs which Hedid” (Jn. 2:23); “...many of the peoplebelieved in Him…,” and they challengeddoubters by asking, “When the Christcomes, will He do more signs than thesewhich this Man has done?” (Jn. 7:31).(3) To certify His teachings as being fromGod. Even a Jewish ruler said, “...weknow that You are a teacher come fromGod; for no one can do these signs thatYou do unless God is with him” (Jn. 3:2).(4) To lead us to heaven. He came“...to seek and to save that which waslost” (Lk. 19:10).
Thousands of people saw and felt themiracles of Jesus. In Acts 2, Peterreminded the large crowd that they wereeyewitnesses of the miracles of Jesus.Peter said Jesus was “...a man attestedby God to you by miracles, wonders,and signs which God did through Himin your midst, as you yourselves alsoknow” (Acts 2:22). That day, threethousand people obeyed the gospel (2:36-41). Their obedience confirmed that Peterwas telling the truth: those people trulywere eyewitnesses of the miracles of Jesus.
The miracles are powerful evidence thatJesus is God’s Son. No other person hasworked such marvelous miracles like Jesus!
I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Sonof God, because of His TEACHINGS.He taught the highest standards of lifeand worship, and He moved people to
I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Sonof God, because of the VOICE of GOD.Two times, human ears heard God declarethat Jesus is His Son. At the start ofHis work, “...a voice came from heaven,saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whomI am well pleased’” (Matt. 3:17). Nearthe end of His life, “...a bright cloudovershadowed them; and suddenly avoice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘Thisis My beloved Son, in whom I am wellpleased. Hear Him!’” (Matt. 17:5). Godacknowledged no other like Jesus!
I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Sonof God, because of His MIRACLES.He fed five thousand people with fiveloaves of bread and two fish (Matt.14:15-21). He stopped a storm (Matt. 8:26). Hehealed leprosy, blindness, and all kinds ofdiseases (Matt. 8:1-4; 9:27-31, 35; 4:23-24). He even raised the dead (Lk. 7:11-14; Jn. 11:39-44). Jesus worked manymore miracles than the New Testamentwriters could record (Jn. 20:30-31)!
Enemies of Jesus could not deny thatHe worked miracles (see Jn. 9:16; 11:47).Instead, some accused Him of using anevil power to do them (Matt. 12:24).Others said some of His miracles wereunlawful (sinful) because He did themon a Holy day (Matt. 12:9-14). When Hehealed a woman who had not beenable to stand up straight for eighteenyears, “...the ruler of the synagogueanswered with indignation, becauseJesus had healed on the Sabbath; andhe said to the crowd, ‘There are six dayson which men ought to work; thereforecome and be healed on them, and not onthe Sabbath day’” (Lk. 13:14). The rulercould not deny the miracle. He couldonly express anger about the timing ofthe miracle.
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The teachings of Jesus show that He isthe Son of God. There is no other teacherlike Jesus!
I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Sonof God, because of His LIFE. He “...didnot come to be served, but to serve, and togive His life a ransom for many” (Matt.20:28). He lived a life of unselfish service.He did not own land, cattle, or even ahouse, and He would not let men makeHim an earthly king (Lk. 9:58; Jn. 6:15).He came to seek lost souls, not treasuresor pleasures (Lk. 19:10).
When He saw a family’s sorrow at theloss of a loved one, He groaned and wept(Jn. 11:32-38). His compassion movedHim to feed the hungry, heal the sick, andraise the dead. And, He invites all thepoor people from every nation to comelive with Him in His home forever (Matt.5:3;11:5; 28:19-20; Jn.14:2; 1Jn. 5:11-13).
Satan tried to lure Jesus into sin (Matt.4:1-11). Jesus “...was in all points temptedas we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15).Even when He was abused, Jesus did nottake revenge. He told the Roman governorPilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.If My kingdom were of this world, Myservants would fight, so that I should notbe delivered to the Jews; but now Mykingdom is not from here” (Jn. 18:36).He “committed no sin” and “...when Hewas reviled [insulted], did not revile inreturn; when He suffered, He did notthreaten…” (1Pet. 2:22-23). Instead, Hesaid,“Father, forgive them…” (Lk. 23:34).No other person ever lived a perfect,sinless life like Jesus!
I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Sonof God, because of His DEATH. All ofus sin, which makes us unclean (Rom.3:23; Isa. 64:6). Our sin breaks ourfellowship with our pure, sinless Father.
make eternal choices. There was authorityin His message and manner: “...the peoplewere astonished at His teaching. For Hetaught them as one having authority,and not as the scribes” (Matt. 7:28-29).One time, some religious leaders sentofficers to arrest Jesus. The officers foundHim, listened to Him, then returnedwithout Him. The leaders asked them,“Why have you not brought Him?”The officers replied, “No man ever spokelike this Man!” (Jn. 7:45-46).
Jesus teaches us how to love God andothers. He says the purpose of ourworship and work should not be toglorify ourselves, but to glorify God andhelp people (Jn. 4:24; Matt. 5:16; 6:1-18;23:1-12; 25:31-46). He instructs us inmoral purity, honesty, unselfish service,fairness, compassion, and forgiveness. Hetells us, “...love your enemies, bless thosewho curse you, do good to those who hateyou, and pray for those who spitefully useyou and persecute you” (Matt. 5:44).
Using powerful parables, Jesuswrapped heavenly food in stories of theearth and nourished the hearts of Hishearers. The common people heard Himgladly, but many “wise” men did not(Mk. 12:37; Matt. 11:25-26; 13:10-12). Heexposed error, rebuked sin, and warnedof eternal condemnation upon all who donot obey God (Matt. 15:1-14; 23:1-39;Jn. 5:28-29). When enemies tried to trapHim with questions, they always failed,and they were often caught in their owntraps (Matt. 19:3-9; 22:15-46).
Some of His teachings foretold detailsof future events, such as His death andresurrection (Matt.16:21; 20:17-19). He alsoforetold the destruction of Jerusalem(Matt. 24:1-35), which occurred at thehands of the Roman army in A.D. 70.
5
of God with power...by the resurrectionfrom the dead” (Rom.1:4). After the fortydays, He ascended to the right side ofGod (Acts 1:9-11; 1 Pet. 3:22). Now, fromheaven, He is ruling over His kingdom,the church (Eph. 1:20-23; Co1.1:13, 18).There is no other like Jesus who arosefrom death, never to die again!
After Jesus was killed, there were noriots by His followers. Instead, they weptuntil He arose. Then they boldly testifiedthat they had seen Him alive — and theyoffered forgiveness to those who hadmurdered Him (Acts 2)! By declaring thatJesus had risen and is reigning in heaven,they risked persecution and death fromthose who had killed Him. But theynever renounced their testimony. Theywere willing to suffer and die, rather thanabandon their testimony (Acts 4:18-22,33; 5:17-42; 12:2). Their courage showsthat they did see the risen Jesus!
The abundant evidence confirms it.Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God! Thereis no other like Jesus!
Jesus came to save us by grace throughthe gift of His death. He calls us to believein Him, repent of our sins, confess ourfaith that He is the Christ, the Son ofGod, and be “baptized into Christ...intoHis death” for the forgiveness of sins(Rom. 6:3-4, 23; 8:1; Gal. 3:26-27; Mk.16:16; Acts 2:36-47; 8:36-39; 22:16).
When Jesus returns to take all savedpeople to heaven, He wants you to beamong them! Are you ready?
The result is “death” — separation fromHim, the source of all life (Isa. 59:2; Rom.6:23; Acts 17:25-28). There are no deedswe can do which can remove our sins orearn a place in heaven (Eph. 2:8-9).
God does not want anyone to perish(2 Pet. 3:9). Before He created the world,He created His plan to send His Son to be“the Lamb of God,” the perfect sacrificefor our sins (1 Pet. 1:18-25; Jn. 1:29).“For Christ also suffered once for sins,the just [righteous] for the unjust, thatHe might bring us to God…” (1 Pet.3:18; see 1 Jn. 1:3; Rom. 5:8-11). Jesusleft heaven to suffer at the hands of Hisown creation — people whom God hadmade through Him (Col. 1:14-17; Phil.2:5-8). He let them slap Him, mockHim, spit in His face, whip Him,“crown” Him with thorns, hit Him onthe head with a reed, drive nails throughHis hands and feet into the wood of thecross, and watch Him die in agony. Hetook the death penalty for us.
Amazing grace! The greatest expressionof God’s love, and His Son’s love, wasthe death of Jesus for our sins (Jn. 3:16;1 Jn.3:16). In earth and heaven’s darkesthour, God’s love beamed brightest fromthe cross! There is no other sacrifice likeJesus!
I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son ofGod, because of His RESURRECTION.Three days after He died, Jesus arosefrom death! During forty days, Heappeared to His disciples many times(Acts 1:3; 1 Cor. 15:1-7). He showed themthe nail marks in His hands and feet,then ate some food to show that they wereseeing the same body which had died(Lk. 24:36-43). On one occasion, morethan 500 people saw the risen Jesus (1Cor.15:6). He was “...declared to be the Son
We invite you to unite in prayer and Bible study with usand millions of others around the world
as we learn more about following Christ and being thechurch of Christ, by the grace and help of God.
©Copyright 2014. International Gospel Teacher. Print as manycopies as you desire, with no changes. To email or print with YourContact Information, go to gospelteacher.org and search by title.
Written by Royce Frederick. Bible quotations: New King JamesVersion.
Sata
n tr
ied
tolu
reJe
sus
into
sin
(M
att.
4:1-
11).
Jesu
s“.
..was
inal
l po
ints
tem
pted
as
we
are,
yet
with
out
sin”
(Heb
.4:
15).
Eve
n w
hen
He
was
abus
ed,
Jesu
s di
d no
t ta
ke r
even
ge.
He
told
the
Rom
an g
over
nor
Pila
te,
“My
king
dom
is
not
ofth
is w
orld
.If
My
king
dom
wer
e of
thi
s w
orld
,M
y se
rvan
ts w
ould
figh
t, so
tha
t I
shou
ld n
ot b
ede
live
red
to th
e Je
ws;
but
now
My
king
dom
is n
otfr
om h
ere”
(Jn.
18:3
6).
He
“com
mitt
ed n
o si
n”an
d“.
..whe
n H
e wa
s re
vile
d[i
nsul
ted]
, di
d no
tre
vile
in
retu
rn;
whe
n H
e su
ffer
ed,
He
did
not
thre
aten
…”
(1Pe
t.2:
22-2
3).
Inst
ead,
H
e sa
id,
“Fat
her,
forg
ive
them
…”
(Lk.
23:3
4).
No
othe
rpe
rson
eve
r li
ved
a pe
rfec
t, si
nles
s lif
e lik
e Je
sus!
I be
lieve
Jes
us is
the
Chr
ist,
the
Son
of
God
,be
caus
e of
His
DE
AT
H.
All
of
us s
in,
whi
chm
akes
us
uncl
ean
(Rom
.3:2
3;Is
a.64
:6).
Our
sin
brea
ks o
ur f
ello
wsh
ip w
ith o
ur p
ure,
sin
less
Fat
her.
The
resu
lt is
“dea
th”—
sepa
ratio
n fr
om H
im,
the
sour
ce o
f al
l lif
e(Is
a.59
:2;R
om.6
:23;
Act
s17:
25-2
8).
The
re a
re n
o de
eds
we
can
do w
hich
can
rem
ove
our
sins
or
earn
a pl
ace
in h
eave
n (E
ph.2
:8-9
).
God
doe
s no
t w
ant
anyo
ne t
o pe
rish
(2
Pet.
3:9)
. Bef
ore
He
crea
ted
the
wor
ld, H
e cr
eate
d H
ispl
an t
o se
nd H
is S
on t
o be
“the
Lam
b of
God
,”th
e pe
rfec
t sa
crif
ice
for
our
sins
(1
Pet.1
:18-
25;
Jn.1
:29)
.“F
or C
hris
t al
so s
uffe
red
once
for
sin
s,th
e ju
st[r
ight
eous
]fo
r th
e un
just
,th
at H
e m
ight
brin
g us
to
God
…”
(1Pe
t.3:
18;
see
1Jn
.1:3
;Rom
.5:
8-11
).Je
sus
left
hea
ven
to s
uffe
r at
the
han
ds o
fH
is o
wn
crea
tion
—pe
ople
who
m G
od h
ad m
ade
thro
ugh
Him
(C
ol.1
:14-
17;P
hil.
2:5-
8).
He
let
them
slap
Him
, moc
k H
im, s
pit i
n H
is f
ace,
whi
p H
im,
“cro
wn”
Him
with
tho
rns,
hit
Him
on
the
head
wit
h a
reed
,dr
ive
nails
thr
ough
His
han
ds a
ndfe
et i
nto
the
woo
d of
the
cro
ss,
and
wat
ch H
imdi
e in
ago
ny.H
e to
ok th
e de
ath
pena
lty
for
us.
Am
azin
ggr
ace!
The
grea
test
exp
ress
ion
ofG
od’s
love
, and
His
Son
’s lo
ve, w
as th
e de
ath
of J
esus
for
our
sins
(Jn
.3:1
6;1
Jn.3
:16)
. In
eart
h an
d he
aven
’sda
rkes
t ho
ur,
God
’s l
ove
beam
edbr
ight
est
from
the
cros
s!T
here
is n
o ot
her
sacr
ific
e li
ke J
esus
!
Why
I B
elie
veJe
sus
is th
e So
nof
God
Jesu
s te
ache
s us
how
to
love
God
and
oth
ers.
He
says
the
pur
pose
of
our
wor
ship
and
wor
ksh
ould
not
be
to g
lori
fy o
urse
lves
, bu
t to
glo
rify
God
and
hel
p pe
ople
(Jn
.4:2
4;M
att.
5:16
;6:1
-18;
23:1
-12;
25:3
1-46
). H
ein
stru
cts
us in
mor
alpu
rity
,ho
nest
y, u
nsel
fish
ser
vice
, fa
irne
ss,
com
pass
ion,
and
forg
iven
ess.
He
tells
us,
“...l
ove
your
ene
mie
s,bl
ess
thos
e w
ho c
urse
you
, do
goo
d to
tho
se w
hoha
te y
ou,
and
pray
for
tho
se w
ho s
pite
fully
use
you
and
pers
ecut
e yo
u”(M
att.
5:44
).
Usi
ng p
ower
ful
para
bles
, Jes
us w
rapp
ed h
eave
nly
food
in s
tori
es o
f th
e ea
rth
and
nour
ishe
d th
e he
arts
of H
is h
eare
rs.
The
com
mon
peo
ple
hear
d H
imgl
adly
, but
man
y “w
ise”
men
did
not
(M
k.12
:37;
Mat
t.11:
25-2
6;13
:10-
12).
He
expo
sed
erro
r,re
buke
dsi
n,an
d w
arne
d of
ete
rnal
cond
emna
tion
upon
all
who
do
not
obey
God
(M
att.
15:1
-14;
23:1
-39;
Jn.
5:28
-29)
.W
hen
enem
ies
trie
d to
tra
p H
im w
ith
ques
tions
, the
y al
way
s fa
iled,
and
they
wer
e of
ten
caug
ht in
thei
r ow
n tr
aps
(Mat
t.19:
3-9;
22:
15-4
6).
Som
e of
His
tea
chin
gs f
oret
old
deta
ils o
f fu
ture
even
ts,
such
as
His
dea
th a
nd r
esur
rect
ion
(Mat
t.16
:21;
20:1
7-19
). H
e al
so f
oret
old
the
dest
ruct
ion
of J
erus
alem
(M
att.
24:1
-35)
, w
hich
occ
urre
d at
the
hand
s of
the
Rom
an a
rmy
in A
.D.7
0.
The
teac
hing
s of
Jes
us s
how
tha
t H
e is
the
Son
of G
od.T
here
is n
o ot
her
teac
her
like
Jesu
s!
I be
lieve
Jes
us is
the
Chr
ist,
the
Son
of
God
,be
caus
e of
His
LIF
E.
He
“...d
id n
ot c
ome
to b
ese
rved
, but
to s
erve
,and
to g
ive
His
life
a r
anso
mfo
r m
any”
(Mat
t.20
:28)
. H
e li
ved
alif
eof
un-
self
ish
serv
ice.
He
did
not
own
land
, ca
ttle,
orev
en a
hou
se, a
nd H
ew
ould
not
let m
en m
ake
Him
an e
arth
ly k
ing
(Lk.
9:58
;Jn.
6:15
).H
e ca
me
tose
eklo
st s
ouls
, not
trea
sure
s or
plea
sure
s(L
k.19
:10)
.
Whe
n H
e sa
w a
fam
ily’
s so
rrow
at t
he lo
ss o
f a
love
d on
e, H
e gr
oane
d an
d w
ept
(Jn.
11:3
2-38
).H
is c
ompa
ssio
n m
oved
Him
to
feed
the
hun
gry,
heal
the
sick
, and
rai
se t
he d
ead.
And
, He
invi
tes
all
the
poor
peo
ple
from
ever
y na
tion
to
com
eli
ve w
ith
Him
in H
is h
ome
fore
ver
(Mat
t.5:
3;11
:5;2
8:19
-20;
Jn.1
4:2;
1Jn
.5:1
1-13
).
I be
lieve
Jes
us i
s th
e C
hris
t, th
e So
n of
God
,be
caus
e of
His
RE
SUR
RE
CT
ION
.T
hree
day
saf
ter
He
died
, Je
sus
aros
e fr
om d
eath
! D
urin
gfo
rty
days
,H
e ap
pear
ed t
o H
is d
isci
ples
man
yti
mes
(A
cts1
:3;
1C
or.1
5:1-
7).
He
show
ed t
hem
the
nail
mar
ksin
His
han
ds a
nd f
eet,
then
ate
som
e fo
od t
o sh
ow t
hat
they
wer
e se
eing
the
sam
e bo
dy w
hich
had
die
d (L
k.24
:36-
43).
On
one
occa
sion
, mor
e th
an 5
00 p
eopl
e sa
w th
eri
sen
Jesu
s(1
Cor
.15:
6).
He
was
“...d
ecla
red
to b
e th
eSo
n of
G
od
wit
h po
wer
...by
th
e re
surr
ecti
onfr
om t
he d
ead”
(Rom
.1:4
). A
fter
the
for
ty d
ays,
He
asce
nded
to
the
righ
t si
deof
God
(A
cts
1:9-
11;1
Pet.
3:22
). N
ow,
from
hea
ven,
He
isru
ling
over
His
kin
gdom
, th
e ch
urch
(E
ph.1
:20-
23;C
o1.
1:13
,18)
.T
here
is
no o
ther
lik
e Je
sus
who
aro
sefr
om d
eath
, nev
er to
die
aga
in!
Aft
er J
esus
was
kil
led,
ther
e w
ere
nori
ots
byH
is f
ollo
wer
s. I
nste
ad,
they
wep
t un
til
He
aros
e.T
hen
they
bol
dly
test
ifie
d th
at t
hey
had
seen
Him
aliv
e—
and
they
of
fere
d fo
rgiv
enes
sto
tho
sew
ho h
ad m
urde
red
Him
(Act
s2)!
By
decl
arin
gth
at J
esus
had
ris
en a
nd i
s re
igni
ng i
n he
aven
,th
eyri
sked
per
secu
tion
and
dea
th f
rom
tho
sew
hoha
d ki
lled
Him
. B
ut t
hey
neve
r re
noun
ced
thei
r te
stim
ony.
The
y w
ere
will
ing
to s
uffe
r an
ddi
e, r
athe
r th
an a
band
on t
heir
test
imon
y(A
cts
4:18
-22,
33;5
:17-
42;1
2:2)
.The
ir c
oura
ge s
how
sth
at t
hey
did
see
the
rise
n Je
sus!
The
abun
dant
evid
ence
conf
irm
sit.
Jesu
sis
the
Chr
ist,
the
Son
of G
od!T
here
isno
othe
rlik
eJe
sus!
Jesu
s ca
me
to s
ave
usby
gra
ceth
roug
h th
e gi
ftof
His
dea
th.
He
call
sus
to
beli
eve
in H
im,
repe
nt o
f ou
r si
ns,
conf
ess
our
fait
h th
at H
e is
the
Chr
ist,
the
Son
of G
od,a
nd b
e“b
apti
zed
into
Chr
ist..
.into
His
deat
h”fo
r th
e fo
rgiv
enes
s of
sins
(Rom
.6:3
-4,2
3;8:
1;G
al.3
:26-
27;M
k.16
:16;
Act
s 2:
36-4
7; 8
:36-
39; 2
2:16
).
Whe
n Je
sus
retu
rns
to t
ake
all
save
d pe
ople
to h
eave
n, H
e w
ants
you
to b
e am
ong
them
!A
re y
ou r
eady
?
The
Gre
at I
saia
hSc
roll
Par
tly
show
n at
rig
ht is
a co
py o
f th
e en
tire
book
of I
saia
h. T
his
copy
,The
Gre
at I
saia
hSc
roll
, was
wri
tten
abou
t 125
B.C
. It w
asfo
und
in a
cav
e ne
arQ
umra
n in
194
7 an
d is
on d
ispl
ay in
The
Isr
ael
Mus
eum
, Jer
usal
em.
The
cen
ter
sect
ion
inth
is p
hoto
sho
ws
all
12 v
erse
s of
Isa
iah
53.
Phot
o:P
ublic
Dom
ain.
From
a p
hoto
byA
rdon
Bar
Ham
avi
aWik
imed
iaC
omm
ons.
Ori
gina
lSou
rce:
Web
site
ofT
he Is
rael
Mus
eum
, Jer
usal
em.
Jesu
s of
Naz
aret
h w
as n
ot a
myt
hica
l,fi
ctio
nal
char
acte
r cr
eate
d by
men
’sim
agin
atio
n. H
e w
asa
real
per
son
like
you
and
me.
He
was
bor
n ab
out
4B
.C.
and
died
abo
ut A
.D.2
9,ac
cord
ing
toth
eG
rego
rian
cal
enda
r, w
hich
is w
idel
y us
ed to
day.
Was
He
mer
ely
an o
utst
andi
ngm
an?
Or
was
He
mor
e th
an a
man
? C
onsi
der
the
abun
dant
evid
ence
tha
t Je
sus
was
—an
d is
—th
e C
hris
t,th
e So
n of
God
.
I be
lieve
Jes
us is
the
Chr
ist,
the
Son
of G
od,
beca
use
of t
he P
RO
PH
EC
IES.
All
of t
he O
ldT
esta
men
t w
as w
ritte
n hu
ndre
ds o
f ye
ars
befo
reJe
sus
was
bor
n. I
t co
ntai
ns m
ore
than
300
prop
heci
es a
bout
the
com
ing
“Mes
siah”
(Heb
rew
lang
uage
) or
“C
hris
t” (
Gre
ek),
whi
ch m
eans
“Ano
inte
d O
ne.”
It fo
reto
ld th
ings
He
wou
ld d
oan
d th
ings
His
ene
mie
s w
ould
do
to H
im.
Whe
n Je
sus
was
on
eart
h,co
pies
of O
ldT
esta
men
t boo
ks w
ere
in s
ynag
ogue
s th
roug
hout
Isra
el.
For
exam
ple,
we
know
the
syn
agog
ue i
nN
azar
eth
had
a co
py o
f Is
aiah
(L
k.4:
16-2
1;se
eA
cts
8:28
). A
lso,
on
a re
mot
e pl
atea
u ne
ar t
heD
ead
Sea,
dev
out
Jew
s at
Qum
ran
wer
e bu
sypr
eser
ving
cop
ies,
and
mak
ing
mor
e co
pies
, of
Old
Tes
tam
ent
book
s an
d ot
her
docu
men
ts.
Isra
el w
asli
tera
lly
full
of c
opie
sof
the
Old
We
invi
te y
ou to
uni
te in
pra
yer
and
Bib
le s
tudy
wit
h us
and
mil
lion
s of
oth
ers
arou
nd th
e w
orld
as w
e le
arn
mor
e ab
out f
ollo
win
g C
hris
t and
bei
ng th
e ch
urch
of C
hris
t, by
the
grac
e an
d he
lp o
f God
.©
Cop
yrig
ht20
14.
Inte
rnat
iona
lGos
pelT
each
er.P
rint
as
man
y co
pies
as
you
desi
re, w
ith n
o ch
ange
s.To
emai
lor
prin
twit
hY
our
Con
tact
Info
rmat
ion,
goto
gosp
elte
ache
r.or
gan
dse
arch
bytit
le.W
ritte
n by
Roy
ce F
rede
rick
.Bib
le q
uota
tions
:New
Kin
g Ja
mes
Vers
ion.
Tes
tam
ent
prop
heci
es
abou
t th
e M
essi
ah.
So,
whe
n Je
sus
cam
e to
ear
th,
He
did
not
need
to
carr
y a
“pas
spor
t.” T
he d
ocum
ents
to s
how
His
iden
tity
had
alre
ady
been
sen
t on
ahea
d!
Bet
wee
n A
.D.1
946
and
1956
, hun
dred
s of
Old
Tes
tam
ent s
crol
ls w
ere
foun
d in
cav
es n
ear
Qum
ran.
Man
y of
the
se c
opie
s w
ere
wri
tten
befo
re J
esus
was
bor
n. S
o, p
eopl
e ca
n no
w s
eeso
me
of t
heve
ry d
ocum
ents
whi
ch w
ere
in I
srae
l w
hen
Jesu
sw
as f
ulfi
lling
the
prop
heci
es w
ritte
n in
them
!
Isai
ahpr
ophe
sied
aro
und
700
B.C
.H
e fo
reto
ldth
at:
the
Savi
our
wou
ld c
ome
from
the
fam
ilyof
Jess
e (I
sa.1
1:1-
5);
He
wou
ld b
e bo
rn o
f a
virg
in(7
:14)
; H
is f
orer
unne
r w
ould
pre
ach
in t
he w
ilder
-ne
ss(4
0:3)
; H
e w
ould
pre
ach
in G
alile
e (9
:1-2
);H
is p
eopl
e w
ould
rej
ect
Him
(53
:3);
He
wou
ldno
t sp
eak
in H
is o
wn
defe
nse
duri
ng H
is t
rial
s(5
3:7)
; H
e w
ould
be
whi
pped
and
kil
led
for
our
sins
(53
:5-6
,8);
He
wou
ld i
nter
cede
(m
edia
te)
for
the
sinn
ers
(53:
12);
and
, His
gra
ve a
nd d
eath
wou
ld b
e w
ith
the
wic
ked
and
the
rich
(53
:9).
Hum
an h
isto
rian
s m
entio
n C
hris
tan
d H
is d
eath
. The
Rom
an h
isto
rian
Cor
neliu
sT
acit
usw
as b
orn
abou
tA
.D.5
3. H
e w
as n
ot a
fol
low
er o
fC
hris
t.Y
et h
e re
cord
ed th
atC
hris
tw
as e
xecu
ted
by th
e R
oman
gove
r-no
r Po
ntiu
s Pi
late
dur
ing
the
reig
nof
em
pero
r T
iber
ius
(The
Ann
als
and
the
His
tori
es,1
5:44
; fr
omB
rita
nnic
a G
reat
Boo
ks,V
ol.1
5, p
.168
).
Fla
vius
Jos
ephu
sw
as a
Jew
ish
hist
oria
n, b
orn
in J
eru-
sale
m a
bout
A.D
.37.
He
was
not a
fol
low
er o
f Je
sus,
but h
ew
rote
tha
t Je
sus
taug
htm
en,
wor
ked
mar
velo
us d
eeds
,and
was
kill
ed o
n a
cros
s by
Pila
teat
the
urgi
ng o
f Jew
ish
lead
ers
(Jos
ephu
s,Th
e A
ntiq
uitie
s of
.th
e Je
ws,
18,3
.3).
The
deat
hof
Chr
ist f
or u
s is
the
cent
ral m
essa
ge o
f th
e B
ible
.H
is d
eath
was
fore
told
by p
roph
ets,
reco
rded
byN
ew T
esta
men
t wri
ters
, and
veri
fied
by h
isto
rian
s.
Abo
ut70
0B
.C.,
Mic
ahw
rote
tha
t th
e ru
ler
of G
od’s
peo
ple
wou
ld c
ome
out
of B
ethl
ehem
The
ul
tim
ate
goal
of
th
e m
irac
les
was
no
tm
oney
or
fam
e.T
heir
pur
pose
s w
ere:
(1)T
o sh
owG
od’s
love
.“S
o Je
sus
had
com
-pa
ssio
n an
d to
uche
dth
eir
eyes
.A
nd i
mm
edia
tely
thei
r ey
es r
ecei
ved
sigh
t...”
(Mat
t.20
:34)
.(2
)To
veri
fy H
isid
enti
tyas
the
Chr
ist.
In J
eru-
sale
m,“
...m
any
beli
eved
in
His
nam
e w
hen
they
saw
the
sig
nsw
hich
He
did”
(Jn.
2:2
3);“
...m
any
of t
he p
eopl
e be
lieve
d in
Him
…,”
and
they
chal
leng
ed d
oubt
ers
by a
skin
g,“W
hen
the
Chris
tco
mes
, w
ill
He
do m
ore
sign
s th
an t
hese
whi
chth
is M
an h
as d
one?
”(J
n. 7
:31)
.(3
)T
o ce
rtif
yH
is t
each
ings
as b
eing
fro
m G
od.
Eve
n a
Jew
ish
rule
rsa
id,
“...w
ekn
ow t
hat
You
are
a te
ache
r co
me
from
God
; fo
rno
one
can
do t
hese
sig
ns t
hat
You
do
unle
ss G
od i
s w
ith
him
”(J
n. 3
:2).
(4)
To
lead
us
to h
eave
n.H
e ca
me
“...t
ose
ekan
dto
save
that
whic
h wa
s los
t”(L
k.19
:10)
.
Tho
usan
ds o
f pe
ople
saw
and
fel
tth
em
irac
les
of J
esus
.In
Act
s 2,
Pet
er r
emin
ded
the
larg
ecr
owd
that
they
wer
e ey
ewit
ness
esof
th
em
irac
les
ofJe
sus.
Pet
er s
aid
Jesu
sw
as“.
..am
anat
test
ed b
y G
odto
you
by m
irac
les,
won
ders
,an
dsi
gns
whi
ch G
od d
id t
hrou
gh H
imin
your
mid
st,
as
you
your
selv
es
also
kn
ow”
(Act
s2:
22).
Tha
t da
y,th
ree
thou
sand
peo
ple
obey
edth
ego
spel
(2:
36-4
1). T
heir
obe
dien
ceco
nfir
med
that
Pet
er w
as t
elli
ng t
he t
ruth
: th
ose
peop
letr
uly
wer
eey
ewit
ness
es o
f th
e m
irac
les
of J
esus
.
The
mir
acle
s ar
e po
wer
ful
evid
ence
tha
t Je
sus
is G
od’s
Son.
No
othe
r pe
rson
has
wor
ked
such
mar
velo
us m
irac
les
like
Jesu
s!
I be
lieve
Jes
us i
s th
e C
hris
t, th
e So
n of
God
,be
caus
e of
His
TE
AC
HIN
GS.
He
taug
htth
ehi
ghes
t st
anda
rds
of l
ife
and
wor
ship
,an
d H
em
oved
peop
leto
mak
e et
erna
l ch
oice
s. T
here
was
au
thor
ity
in
His
m
essa
ge
and
man
ner:
“...t
he p
eopl
ew
ere
asto
nish
ed a
t H
iste
achi
ng.
For
He
taug
ht t
hem
as
one
havi
ngau
thor
ity,
and
not
as th
e sc
ribes
”(M
att.
7:28
-29)
. One
tim
e, s
ome
relig
ious
lea
ders
sen
t of
fice
rs t
o ar
rest
Jesu
s.T
heof
fice
rs f
ound
Him
, lis
tene
d to
Him
, th
enre
turn
edw
itho
utH
im.
The
lead
ers
aske
d th
em,
“Why
have
you
not
brou
ght
Him
?”T
he o
ffic
ers
repl
ied,
“No
man
ever
spok
e lik
e thi
s Man
!”(J
n.7:
45-4
6).
you;
ther
efor
e,al
so,
that
Hol
y O
ne w
ho i
s to
be
born
will
be
calle
d th
e So
n of
God
’”(L
k.1:
31-3
5).
Mar
y ha
d be
en p
rom
ised
to
Jose
ph.
Whe
n he
lear
ned
that
she
was
car
ryin
g a
child
, he
was
ver
ytr
oubl
ed. B
ut a
fter
an
ange
l exp
lain
ed it
to h
im in
adr
eam
, he
“...t
ook
to h
im h
isw
ife, a
nd d
id n
ot k
now
her
till
she
had
bro
ught
for
th h
er f
irst
born
Son
.An
d he
cal
led
His
nam
e Je
sus”
(Mat
t.1:2
4-25
). T
hehu
man
life
of
Jesu
s w
as c
once
ived
with
in M
ary
byth
epo
wer
of
God
’s S
piri
t. T
here
is
no o
ther
like
Jesu
s w
ho w
as h
uman
and
the
Son
of G
od!
I be
lieve
Jes
us is
the
Chr
ist,
the
Son
of
God
,be
caus
e of
the
VO
ICE
of
GO
D.
Tw
o tim
es,
hum
an e
ars
hear
d G
od d
ecla
re t
hat
Jesu
s is
His
Son.
At
the
star
tof
His
wor
k,“.
..a v
oice
cam
efr
om h
eave
n,sa
ying
,‘Th
isis
My
belo
ved
Son,
inw
hom
I a
mw
ell p
leas
ed’”
(Mat
t.3:
17).
Nea
r th
een
d of
His
lif
e,“.
..a b
righ
t cl
oud
over
shad
owed
them
;an
d su
dden
ly
a vo
ice
cam
e ou
t of
th
ecl
oud,
say
ing,
‘Thi
s is
My
belo
ved
Son,
in w
hom
Iam
w
ell
plea
sed.
Hea
r H
im!’”
(Mat
t.17
:5).
God
ack
now
ledg
ed n
o ot
her
like
Jesu
s!
I be
lieve
Jes
us i
s th
e C
hris
t, th
e So
n of
God
,be
caus
e of
His
MIR
AC
LE
S.H
e fe
dfi
ve th
ousa
ndpe
ople
wit
hfi
ve l
oave
s of
bre
ad a
nd t
wo
fish
(Mat
t.14
:15-
21).
He
stop
ped
a st
orm
(M
att.
8:26
).H
ehe
aled
lep
rosy
,bl
indn
ess,
and
all
kin
ds o
fdi
seas
es (
Mat
t.8:
1-4;
9:27
-31,
35;
4:23
-24)
. H
eev
en r
aise
d th
e de
ad (
Lk.
7:11
-14;
Jn.
11:3
9-44
).Je
sus
wor
ked
man
y m
ore
mir
acle
s th
an t
he N
ewT
esta
men
t wri
ters
cou
ld r
ecor
d (J
n. 2
0:30
-31)
!
Ene
mie
s of
Je
sus
coul
d no
t de
nyth
at
He
wor
ked
mir
acle
s (s
eeJn
.9:1
6;11
:47)
. In
stea
d,so
me
accu
sed
Him
of
usin
g an
evi
l po
wer
to
doth
em
(Mat
t.12
:24)
. O
ther
ssa
id
som
e of
H
ism
irac
les
wer
e un
law
ful
(sin
ful)
bec
ause
He
did
them
on
a H
oly
day
(Mat
t.12
:9-1
4).
Whe
n H
ehe
aled
a w
oman
who
had
not
been
abl
e to
sta
ndup
str
aigh
t fo
r ei
ghte
en y
ears
,“...
the
rule
rof
the
syna
gogu
e an
swer
ed w
ith
indi
gnat
ion,
beca
use
Jesu
s ha
d he
aled
on
the
Sabb
ath;
and
he
said
toth
ecr
owd,
‘T
here
are
six
day
s on
whi
ch m
enou
ght
to w
ork;
ther
efor
eco
me
and
be h
eale
d on
them
,an
d no
ton
the
Sab
bath
day’
”(L
k.13
:14)
.T
heru
ler
coul
d no
t de
ny t
hem
irac
le.
He
coul
don
ly e
xpre
ss a
nger
abou
t the
timin
gof
the
mir
acle
.
(Mic
.5:2
). B
efor
e Je
sus
was
bor
n, H
is m
othe
rliv
ed i
n N
azar
eth
of G
alile
e, a
bout
100
kilo
met
ers
(65
mil
es)
from
Bet
hleh
em. H
owev
er, a
t the
rig
httim
e, th
e R
oman
em
pero
r C
aesa
r A
ugus
tus
decr
eed
that
all
the
wor
ld s
houl
d be
tax
ed.
For
this
, al
lfa
mil
ies
had
to g
o to
the
cit
y of
the
ir a
nces
tors
.So
, Jo
seph
and
Mar
y w
ent
to t
he s
mal
l to
wn
ofB
ethl
ehem
, w
here
th
eir
ance
stor
s ha
d li
ved.
Whi
le t
here
, M
ary
gave
bir
th t
o Je
sus,
ful
filli
ngM
icah
’s p
roph
ecy
from
700
yea
rs e
arlie
r.
Abo
ut1,
000
year
sbe
fore
Jes
us w
as b
orn,
kin
gD
avid
wro
te m
any
Psal
ms.
Som
e of
them
for
etol
d:H
is b
etra
yal
by a
fri
end
(41:
9);
the
vine
gar
and
gall,
whi
ch w
as g
iven
to J
esus
to d
rink
(69
:21)
; the
pier
cing
of
His
han
ds a
nd f
eet,
whi
ch h
appe
ned
whe
n Je
sus
was
nai
led
to t
he c
ross
(22
:16)
; th
edi
vidi
ng o
f H
is g
arm
ents
am
ong
peop
le, w
hich
the
sold
iers
did
at t
he c
ross
(22
:18)
; the
moc
king
by
the
peop
le (
22:7
-8);
His
bon
es r
emai
ning
unb
roke
n(3
4:20
); a
nd H
is ri
sing
from
dea
th (1
6:10
).
Abo
ut50
0 B
.C.,
Zec
hari
ahfo
reto
ld:
His
triu
mph
al e
ntry
int
o Je
rusa
lem
on
a do
nkey
col
t(Z
ech.
9:9
); H
isbe
tray
alfo
rth
irty
piec
es o
f si
lver
(11:
12-1
3);
the
scat
teri
ng o
f H
is d
isci
ples
(13:
7);
and
His
pie
rcin
g, w
hich
was
fulf
illed
whe
n a
sold
ier
thru
st a
spe
ar in
to th
e si
de o
f H
is b
ody
(12:
10).
The
se a
re ju
st a
few
exa
mpl
es. I
n th
e lif
e of
Jes
us,
all o
f th
e pr
ophe
cies
wer
e fu
lfill
ed. T
hey
happ
ened
exac
tly
as f
oret
old.
Mer
e hu
man
s co
uld
not
have
know
n th
ese
fact
s ab
out
His
lif
e hu
ndre
ds o
fye
ars
befo
re H
e w
as b
orn.
The
fulf
illm
ent
of t
hepr
ophe
cies
rev
eals
the
irca
use
and
effe
ct:
God
is t
heca
use
of t
he p
roph
ecie
s; t
heef
fect
is t
heve
rify
ing
of J
esus
as H
is S
on. N
o ot
her
pers
on’s
life
has
been
for
etol
d lik
e th
e lif
e of
Jes
us!
I be
lieve
Jes
us i
s th
e C
hris
t, th
e So
n of
God
,be
caus
e of
the
VIR
GIN
BIR
TH
.Whi
le M
ary
was
a vi
rgin
, th
e an
gel
Gab
riel
tol
d he
r,“‘
...you
will
conc
eive
in
your
wom
b an
d br
ing
fort
h a
Son,
and
shal
l cal
l His
nam
e Je
sus.
He
will
be
grea
t, an
d w
illbe
cal
led
the
Son
of t
heH
ighe
st...
and
of H
is k
ing-
dom
the
re w
ill b
e no
end
.’ Th
en M
ary
said
to
the
ange
l,‘H
ow c
an th
is be
, sin
ce I
do n
ot k
now
[hav
eno
t be
en w
ith]
a m
an?’
And
the
ang
el a
nsw
ered
and
said
to h
er, ‘
The
Hol
ySp
irit
will
com
e up
onyo
u, a
nd t
he p
ower
of
the
Hig
hest
will
ove
rsha
dow
Flav
ius
Jose
phus©
Cor
neliu
sT
acitu
s ©