| What do you think
about the Christ? |
Matthew 22:42-46 saying, "What do you
think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?" They said to Him, "[The Son]
of David." He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call
Him 'Lord,' saying: 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool" '? "If David then calls Him
'Lord,' how is He his Son?" And no one was able to answer Him a word,
nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.
|
| The question is one of great importance. What
we think of Christ, and what we do with Christ, will determine our
eternal destination. |
| "Christ" in the Greek, and "Messiah" in the
Hebrew, both mean "anointed," and refer to God's special, anointed one,
Jesus. What the Jews thought of their awaited "Messiah" affected their
ability to recognize Him, when He came. Similarly, what we think of the
Christ influences us to either accept or reject Him. |
| The Jews needed help with their analysis of
the Christ. Their view of Him being the son of David was incomplete.
They had overlooked the inspired evidence that He also was called
David's Lord. We should examine all of the evidence concerning the
Christ, and then form our opinion of Him. It seems to me, that we must
think of Christ in one of three ways: He was a liar, or a lunatic, or He
is indeed the Lord of Heaven. Look at these three possibilities. |
|
Was He a liar? *
|
| Some reject Him, while thinking
they accept Him. They say he was a prophet, but just a prophet. Some say
that He was a good man. Some claim to respect Him, even revere Him as a
true prophet from God. They say it is mandatory to do so in their
religion. But, as good as these things may seem on the surface, they in
fact reject the Christ. How? They reject part of what He claimed to be. |
Jesus did not claim to be just a prophet, nor just a good man. He
claimed to have come from Heaven. |
Matthew 19:16-17 Now behold, one came and
said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have
eternal life?" So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one
[is] good but One, [that is,] God. But if you want to enter into life,
keep the commandments."
|
John 6:32-38 Then Jesus said to them,
"Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from
heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the
bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the
world." Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always." And
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall
never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said
to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the
Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by
no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own
will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
|
He claimed to be eternal. |
John 8:58 Jesus said to them, "Most
assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."
|
John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the
beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him
nothing was made that was made.
|
John 17:1-5 Jesus spoke these words,
lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come.
Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 "as You have
given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life
to as many as You have given Him. 3 "And this is eternal life, that
they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have
sent. 4 "I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work
which You have given Me to do. 5 "And now, O Father, glorify Me
together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the
world was. (NKJV)
|
He claimed that He was the Son of God. |
Mark 14:61-62 But He kept silent and
answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are
You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" 62 Jesus said, "I am. And you
will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and
coming with the clouds of heaven." (NKJV)
|
He claimed that He was returning to His God, and His Father. |
John 16:28 "I came forth from the Father
and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the
Father." (NKJV)
|
John 20:17 Jesus said to her, "Do not
cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My
brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your
Father, and [to] My God and your God.' " (NKJV)
|
| If any of these is not true, then
none are true. He was a liar, not a good man, nor a prophet from God,
but a liar. This would make Him the greatest "con-man" of all time. It
would mean that He pulled off the biggest "scam" ever. There is no
middle ground here. Either He was what He claimed to be, or He was
lying. He was not a good person, unless we consider Him innocent by
reason of insanity. |
|
Was He a lunatic?
|
| The religious leaders of the
Jews, when they failed to catch Him in a lie, tried to find Him
"insane." |
| They blasphemed the Holy Spirit. |
Mark 3:30 because they said, "He has an
unclean spirit." (NKJV)
|
Matthew 12:22-32 (Note v.23: "Could this
be the Son of David?")
|
| They Claimed He had a demon. |
John 7:20 The people answered and said,
"You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?" (NKJV)
|
John 8:48-52 Then the Jews answered and
said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have
a demon?" 49 Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My
Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 "And I do not seek My [own] glory;
there is One who seeks and judges. 51 "Most assuredly, I say to you,
if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death." 52 Then the Jews
said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and
the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never
taste death.' (NKJV)
|
| They claimed He had a demon AND
was "mad." |
John 10:20 And many of them said, "He has
a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?" (NKJV)
|
| "Mad" - 3105 mainomai {mah'-ee-nom-ahee}
middle voice from a primary mao (to long for, through the idea of
insensate craving); TDNT - 4:360,548; v; AV - be mad 4, be beside
(one's) self 1; 5 times total; 1) to be mad, to rave; 1a) of one who so
speaks that he seems not to be in his right mind. |
| It is the same Greek word used
in: |
1 Corinthians 14:23 Therefore if the whole
church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and
there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not
say that you are out of your mind? (NKJV)
|
|
If He was not lying, nor
crazy, then He truly is "Lord of Lords and King of Kings! |
External evidence (non-biblical) |
| The universe, as a whole, or
dissected to the point of splitting an atom, which scientist have called
"discovering another universe," perfection, order, precision are found.
This demands a Maker who consists of perfection, order, and precision. |
| Archaeological finds, defend the
Bible accounts of history, city locations, long extinct, other writings,
too much to examine at one sitting. |
| The Flood: Continents inhabited
by people unknown by the inhabitants of other continents have had handed
down the story of the Great flood. (Peter said some people are willingly
ignorant of the flood. It can not be denied) |
| Man's makeup and character: Man
alone seeks to worship a higher power. |
| Man was made in God's image, a
moral being. |
| He has a spirit, which came from
God, and will return to God. This spirit longs to worship God. All
cultures and societies known to exist or to have existed, have had some
form of worship. |
| Jesus, actually lived, actually
preached, actually was crucified. His influence on the world is
unequaled. Many "would be prophets" have a great number of followers,
however, none have done for mankind what people influenced by Jesus have
done. |
- Where are the hospitals all over the world,
that have been built by the atheists, agnostics, Muslims,
non-Christian Jews, etc.?
- Where are the universities throughout the
world that are built to honor these other "great men"?
- Where are the non-profit, worldwide, relief
and disaster organizations that serve mankind because of the influence
that these other "great men" have had on them?
- Where are the countries that mark their
calendars as "before some other great man," giving recognition to one
of these other "great men"?
|
| NOTE: Even though some use
"BCE" (before common era), trying to avoid admitting the influence that
Jesus, the Christ has had on the world, why did this "common era" start
at the year (as best they could calculate it at the time) of the birth
of Jesus? |
Internal evidence |
| The many Old Testament
prophecies, written hundreds of years before Jesus was born, prophesied
of the coming Messiah. Jesus fulfilled every one of them. |
Deuteronomy 18:15-19 The LORD your God
will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your
brethren. Him you shall hear, 16 "according to all you desired of the
LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let me not
hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great
fire anymore, lest I die.' 17 "And the LORD said to me: 'What they
have spoken is good. 18 'I will raise up for them a Prophet like you
from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He
shall speak to them all that I command Him. 19 'And it shall be that
whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will
require it of him. (NKJV)
|
Acts 3:22-23 "For Moses truly said to the
fathers, 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me
from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says
to you. 23 'And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that
Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.' (NKJV)
|
Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at various times
and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has
appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; (NKJV)
|
Hebrews 2:1-4 Therefore we must give the
more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2
For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every
transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we
escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to
be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various
miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? (NKJV)
|
The Father testified to His deity. |
At His baptism: |
Matthew 3:16-17 When He had been baptized,
Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were
opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and
alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying,
"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (NKJV)
|
At the transfiguration: |
Mark 9:5-7 Then Peter answered and said to
Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three
tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- 6
because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid. 7
And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the
cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!" (NKJV)
|
The Holy Spirit was His witness. |
Acts 5:30-32 "The God of our fathers
raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 "Him God
has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give
repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 "And we are His
witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has
given to those who obey Him." (NKJV)
|
His miracles prove His deity.
(Water to wine, healed all manner of diseases and birth defects, walked
on water, fed over 5,000 people with a boy's lunch, raised the dead,
read people's mind, told people everything about their past, cast out
demons, etc....) |
His teaching. |
His authority |
Matthew 7:28-29 And so it was, when Jesus
had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His
teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as
the scribes. (NKJV)
|
The wisdom of the parables. |
Matthew 13:11-15 He answered and said to
them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 "For whoever
has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but
whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
13 "Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not
see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 "And in
them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you
will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not
perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears
are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should
see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should
understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.' (NKJV)
|
Mark 4:11-12 And He said to them, "To you
it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to
those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12 "so that
'Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and
not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven
them.' " (NKJV)
|
| His Sermon on the mount is
considered a masterpiece of teaching. |
His prophesies:
(Peter's denial, Peter's manner of death, His own death, burial, and
resurrection, suffering of the saints, destruction of Jerusalem, the
coming of false prophets, teachers and christs.) |
His impeccable character: Sinlessness, without guile. |
The change He made on His disciples. |
Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness
of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and
untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been
with Jesus. (NKJV)
|
| The following words of a song
demonstrate this idea: ** |
"Please don't tell
my daddy, that Jesus isn't real,
Please don't make him like he was before.
Since Jesus changed my daddy, he good to me and Bill,
And he don't hit my mommy anymore." |
The change He has made in my own life!
As I learn to lean on Him and prove Him over and over. As He lifts me
out of the depths of depression. As He teaches me to trust Him and His
grace and providence. |
Conclusion: |
| Atheist talk of "black holes and
vacuums," for their explanation of making "something from nothing." Tell
me where the black hole came from and who painted it black! They stand
in the darkness of their "black hole theories" and the vacuum is between
their ears! |
| The Christian has been translated
from the power of darkness. |
Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from
the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of
His love, (NKJV)
|
2 Corinthians 4:1-6 Therefore, since we
have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2
But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in
craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by
manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's
conscience in the sight of God. 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it
is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this
age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of
the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5
For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and
ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. 6 For it is the God who
commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ. (NKJV)
|
| * The idea for the basic three main points in
this study came from a lesson I heard William L. St. John give. I know
that Josh McDowell has the same principle in his book, "Evidence that
demands a verdict." Any other similarity to these or other works is
simply coincidental. |
| ** I do not know who wrote this song. The
Inspirations sang it on a cassette tape that I had. |
|