I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the I BELIEVE from thence he shall come right hand of God the Father Almighty; in JESUS to judge the quick and the. CHRIST dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen The Creed
I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen
Key Question… “Who is Jesus Christ? ” Did He Really Exist…? Was He the Messiah? Is He God? “I ask myself a question a lot of people have asked: Who is the Jesus? Was he who he said he was, or was he just a religious nut? That’s the question. ” - Bono The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
“He was the meekest and lowest of all the sons of men, yet he spoke as coming on the clouds of heaven with the glory of God. He was so austere that evil spirits and demons cried out in terror at his coming, yet he was so genial and winsome and approachable that the children loved to play with him and the little ones nestled in his arms. No one was half so kind or compassionate to sinners, yet no one ever spoke such red hot scorching words about sin. A bruised reed he would not break. His whole life was love, yet on one occasion he demanded of the Pharisees how they ever expected to escape the damnation of hell. He was a dreamer of dreams and a seer of visions, yet for sheer stock realism he has all of our self-styled realist soundly beaten. He was the servant of all, washing the disciple’s feet, yet masterfully he strolled into the temple and the hucksters and money changers fell over one another in their mad rush to get away from the fire they saw blazing in his eyes. He saved others, but at the last himself he did not save. There is nothing in history like the union of contrast which confronts us in the gospels, the mystery of Jesus is the mystery of divine personality. ” - James Stewart, Scottish preacher The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Did Jesus Really Exist? “Why should we consider the stories of Osiris, Dionysus, Adonis, Attis, Mithras, and the other pagan mystery saviors as fables, yet come across essentially the same story told in a Jewish context and believe it to be the biography of a carpenter from Bethlehem? ” – Timothy Freke/ Peter Gandy The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Did Jesus Really Exist? “The reality is, Jesus was the Solar Deity of the Gnostic Christian sect and like all other Pagan gods, he was a mythical figure. It was the political establishment that sought to historize the Jesus figure for social control. By 325 a. d. in Rome, emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicea. It was during this meeting that the politically motivated Christian Doctrines were established and thus began a long history of Christian bloodshed and spiritual fraud. “ - Zeitgeist Transcript The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Did Jesus Really Exist? “Today no competent scholar denies the historicity of Jesus. ” - Bruce Metzger, Ph. D The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Extra-Biblical Writings of Jesus “At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus. And his conduct was good and was known to be virtuous. Many people among the Jews and other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. And those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion and that he was alive; accordingly, he was perhaps the messiah concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders. ” – Antiquities 18. 3. 3 (undisputed rendering) The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Extra-Biblical Writings of Jesus “Nero substituted as culprits and punished with the utmost refinements of cruelty, a class of men loathed for their vices whom the crowd styled Christians. Christus, from whom they got their name, had been executed by sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilate when Tiberius was emperor. ” – Tacitus (Roman historian), Annals, Book 15. “They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang an anthem to Christ as God, and bound themselves by a solemn oath not to commit any wicked deed…” – Pliny the Younger, Letters, series 10. “On the eve of Passover Yeshua was hanged … since nothing was brought forward in his favour he was hanged on the eve of the Passover!” – Jewish Talmud, Sanhedrin 43 a. Jesus is referenced by more historians of antiquity than the Roman emperor at the time (Jesus’ 43 vs. Tiberius’ 10). The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Is Jesus the Messiah / Christ? “The last three decades have erased the Messiah from the Old Testament” -J. G. Eichorn, father of higher Criticism “Everything Christians claim for Jesus as the Jewish Messiah is false” -Rabbi Pinchas Stolper “One might say … the death of the Messiah – his torture, his crucifixion – is predicted in the Old Testament. Well, in fact, it’s not. ” - Amy-Jill Levine, Vanderbilt Divinity School The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
What Does ‘Christ’ Mean? “Christos” “Messiah” “Anointed One” “To call Jesus the Christ, therefore, is to make a theological claim – that He is the Messiah long expected by the Jews” -Stephen Prothero -Chair, Boston University Religion Department The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Prophecies Concerning the Messiah 300 total prophecies that concern the Messiah’s first coming 108 distinct prophecies that concern the Messiah’s first coming All fulfilled in the life of Jesus of Nazareth 1 in 100, 000, 000 (one hundred quadrillion): 10 17 Those are the odds Peter Stoner determined in his book Science Speaks of just eight prophecies being accidently fulfilled in the life of one man. Statisticians say anything past 1 to 1050 power is no chance. This is exceeded once 20 fulfilled prophecies is considered (and Jesus fulfilled 108). The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Kingly Predictions about the Messiah “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. ” - Genesis 49: 10 " Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist. ” - Isaiah 11: 1 -5 "“Behold, the days are coming, ” declares the Lord, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. ” - Jeremiah 23: 5 The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Predictions on the Servanthood the Messiah “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. “He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. “A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. “He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law. ” - Isaiah 42: 1 -4 “He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth. ” - Isaiah 49: 6 The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Predictions on the Servanthood the Messiah “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. “He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. “A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. “He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law. ” - Isaiah 42: 1 -4 “He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth. ” - Isaiah 49: 6 " Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted. Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men. Thus He will sprinkle many nations, Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; For what had not been told them they will see, And what they had not heard they will understand. ” - Isaiah 52: 13 -15 The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Prophecies on Messiah’s Miracles & Betrayal “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. ” – Isaiah 35: 5 -6, 500 B. C. “'Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else? ’ Jesus answered and said to them, 'Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. ’” – Matthew 11: 3 -5. “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me. ” – Psalm 41: 9, 900 B. C. “Then the Lord said to me, 'Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them. ' So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord. ” – Zechariah 11: 13, 500 B. C. “Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you? ’ And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him. ” – Matthew 27: 14 -15 The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Prophecies Concerning Messiah’s Death “They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots. ” – Psalm 22: 16, 900 B. C. “…they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son…” – Zechariah 12: 10, 500 B. C. “And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. ” – Matthew 27: 35 The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
More Prophecies Concerning Messiah • The Messiah would come through the line of Abraham, Judah, and David (Genesis 12: 2, Genesis 49: 10, 2 Samuel 7: 12 -16) • The Messiah would be preceded by a messenger (Malachi 3: 1). • The Messiah would come to his people mounted on a donkey (Zechariah 9: 9). • The Messiah would remain silent/suffer at the hands of men (Isaiah 53). • The Messiah would be disfigured at the hands of men (Isaiah 52). • The Messiah would have no bone broken (Psalm 34: 20). • The Messiah would be buried with the rich (Isaiah 53: 9). • The Messiah would ascend to Heaven (Psalm 68: 18; Luke 24: 50 -53) The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
One Chronology of the Messiah “But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. “As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land to this house? ’"(2 Chronicles 7: 19 -21) “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place …Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. "(Daniel 9: 24, 26) "‘I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory, ’ says the Lord of hosts …The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former, ’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give peace, ’ declares the Lord of hosts. ”"(Haggai 2: 7, 9) “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming, ” says the Lord of hosts. "(Malachi 3: 1)
Daniel’s Detailed Chronology “So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. ” -Daniel 9: 25 -26, 500 B. C. Clock began in 445 B. C. with Artaxerxes allowing Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem. 442 449 1 435 2 428 3 BC The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ Sabbatical Years 21 14 67 28 68 35 69 AD 70
Questions About the Messiah The second temple was destroyed in A. D. 70… Atonement for sin had to be made before then … God had to personally visit the second temple before it was destroyed … Daniel’s chronology had to be fulfilled by Messiah … Who else but Jesus appears on the scene of human history to fulfill all of this? The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Is Jesus God? “ O followers of the Book! do not exceed the limits in your religion, and do not speak (lies) against Allah, but (speak) the truth; the Messiah, Isa son of Marium is only an apostle of Allah and His Word which He communicated to Marium and a spirit from Him; believe therefore in Allah and His apostles, and say not, Three. Desist, it is better for you; Allah is only one God; far be It from His glory that He should have a son, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His, and Allah is sufficient for a Protector. ” - The Koran, Sura 4: 171 “Jesus … certainly never believed himself to be God. ” – Should You Believe in the Trinity? The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Prophecies of the Messiah Being God “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity [olam]. ” - Micah 5: 2, 700 B. C. “Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting [olam] to everlasting [olam], You are God. ” - Psalm 90: 2 “Joseph also went up … to Bethlehem … While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. ” - Luke 2: 4 -6 The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Prophecies of the Messiah Being God “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. ” - Isaiah 7: 14, 600 -700 B. C. “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. ” - Isaiah 9: 6, 600 -700 B. C. “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. ” – Matthew 1: 18 The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
"You speak of Caesar, of Alexander, of their conquests and of the enthusiasm which they enkindled in the hearts of their soldiers; but can you conceive of a dead man making conquests, with an army faithful and entirely devoted to his memory? My armies have forgotten me even while living, as the Carthaginian army forgot Hannibal. Such is our power. ” “I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him. ” “I search in vain history to find similar to Jesus Christ, or anything which can approach the gospel. Neither history nor humanity, nor ages, nor nature, offer me anything with which I am able to compare it or to explain it. ” - Napoleon The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Did Jesus Compare Himself to God? God in the Old Testament Jesus Comparison to Himself I AM (Exodus 3: 14 -15; Isaiah 48: 12) I AM (John 8: 58; John 8: 18, 24) The Shepherd (Psalm 23: 1) The Shepherd (John 10: 11) The Light (Psalm 27: 1) The Light (John 8: 12) Ruler of all (Isaiah 9: 6) Ruler of all (Matthew 28: 18) Judge of all nations (Joel 3: 12) Judge of all (John 5: 12) The Bridegroom (Isaiah 62: 5; Hosea 2: 16) The Bridegroom (Matthew 25: 1) God’s Word never pass away (Isaiah 40: 8) Jesus’ words never pass away (Mk. 13: 31) First and the Last (Isaiah 48: 12) First and the Last (Revelation 1: 17 -18) The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Did Jesus Compare Himself to God? In 20 of Jesus’ 52 parables, He identifies Himself as God. Some examples: God in the Old Testament Jesus Comparison to Himself The Sower (Jeremiah 31: 27; Ezra 34: 9) The Sower (Matthew 13: 3 -9) The Shepherd (Gen 49: 24; Psalm 23: 1) The Shepherd (John 10: 11) The Rock (Psalm 18: 2) The Rock (Matthew 7: 24) The Bridegroom (Isaiah 54: 5, Hosea 2: 16) The Bridegroom (Matthew 25: 1) The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Statements Made by Jesus • “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am. ”(John 8: 58) • “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins. ”(John 8: 24) • “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father”, John 14: 9 • “I and the Father are one”, John 10: 30 • “Father glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began”, John 17: 5. “I am the Lord that is My name! I will not give My glory to another”, Isaiah 42: 8 • “My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I too, am working. ”, John 5: 17 The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Statements Made by Jesus “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of Heaven” - Mark 14: 61 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven (Ex 14: 20, 34: 5, Num 10: 34, Psalm 104: 3, Isaiah 19: 1) One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. ” – Daniel 7: 13 “The Lord says to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand…” – Psalm 110: 1 The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God. ' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. ” - C. S. Lewis The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Did Jesus Act like God? “When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven. ” But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone? ” Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home. ” And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this. ”” (Mark 2: 1 -12) The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Did Jesus Act like God? • Jesus accepted worship nine times in the gospels. • Jesus forgave sins (Mark 2). • Jesus said to pray in His name (John 16: 23 -24). • Jesus never said “Thus says the Lord”, but rather “I say”. • Jesus said to baptize in His name (Matthew 28). The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Testimony of the New Testament Writers Witness Verse Statement John 1: 1 -3, 14 God became flesh Thomas John 20: 28 “My Lord and my God!” Paul Romans 9: 5 Jesus is God over all Paul Philippians 2: 5 -8 Jesus set aside His right as God Paul Colossians 1: 16 -19, 2: 9 -10 Created all things including angels; all fullness of Deity dwells Paul 1 Timothy 6: 15, Deut 10: 17 King of kings, Lord of Lords Peter 2 Peter 1: 1 Jesus our God and Savior Writer of Hebrews 1: 8, 13: 8 The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ Has everlasting throne and is immutable
Testimony of the New Testament Writers " 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 came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being…And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. "(John 1: 1 -3, 14) σκηνή “Yahweh’s tabernacle” " Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ” - Exodus 40: 34 The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Testimony of the New Testament Writers “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. ” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD (YAHWEH) WILL BE SAVED. [Joel 2: 3]” – Romans 10: 9 -13. Same Greek word – Kyrios – is used. The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Testimony of the New Testament Writers "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is to the glory of Lord, God the Father. ” -Philippians 2: 5 -10 “By Myself I have sworn, My mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before Me every knee will bow; by Me every tongue will swear. ” - Isaiah 45: 23 The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Testimony of the New Testament Writers "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him” - Colossians 1: 13 -19 "And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. . . But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever” - Hebrews 1: 3, 8 The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Jesus in the Book of Revelation • The First and the Last, who was dead and am now is alive (1: 17, 2: 8). God says He is the First and Last in Isaiah 41: 4 • The Alpha and Omega (22: 13). God is called the Alpha and Omega in Revelation 1: 8 and 21: 6. • The King of kings and the Lord of lords (17: 14, 19: 16). The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
External References to Jesus as God “I conjure you by the God of the Hebrews, Jesus … who appears in fire, who is in the midst of land, snow, and fog…” (lines 3007 -3041) -Exorcism formula from the Greek Magical Papyrus “They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang an anthem to Christ as God, and bound themselves by a solemn oath not to commit any wicked deed…” – Pliny the Younger, Letters, series 10 “Now if the Christians worshipped only one God they might have reason on their side … But as a matter of fact they worship a man who appeared only recently. And their worship of this Jesus is the more outrageous because they refuse to listen to any talk about God, the father of all, unless it includes some reference to Jesus … And when they call him Son of God, they are not really paying homage to God, rather, they are attempting to exalt Jesus to the heights. ” – Celsus, 2 nd century Christian critic The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Primary Objections to Jesus as God 1. Colossians 1: 15 says Jesus is the “firstborn” of all creation and Revelation 3: 14 says the Jesus is the “Beginning of the creation of God. ” 2. John 14: 28 has Jesus saying, “The Father is greater than I”. 3. Luke 18: 19 states Jesus as saying, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. ” 4. Matthew 24: 36 says, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the Son, but the Father alone. The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Primary Objections to Jesus as God 1. Colossians 1: 15 says Jesus is the “firstborn” of all creation and Revelation 3: 14 says the Jesus is the “Beginning of the creation of God. ” “firstborn” signifies preeminence. For example, David is called the firstborn of Jesse (Psalm 89: 27) even though he was not the “first born” in the family. “Beginning” comes from the Greek word arche, which is where the word “architect” comes from. Jesus is the ruler/architect of all creation. The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Primary Objections to Jesus as God 2. John 14: 28 has Jesus saying, “The Father is greater than I”. Christ is of the same essence and nature as God, but holds a different office/role in the Trinity. Philippians 2: 7 describes how Jesus laid aside His godly form and chose to become a man during His incarnation. Ontological equality and functional hierarchy are two different things. Jesus holds a lesser office than the Father, but is equal to Him in nature. The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Primary Objections to Jesus as God 3. Luke 18: 19 states Jesus as saying, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. ” Jesus is in essence asking the young rich ruler to examine his words. Either Jesus is good, and therefore God, or not good and not God. Jesus Himself said that He was good when he stated in John 10: 11, “I am the good shepherd”. Christ is asking the man to think about what he is asking – in other words, “Are you calling me God? ” The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Primary Objections to Jesus as God 4. Matthew 24: 36 says, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the Son, but the Father alone. Paul makes it clear in Philippians 2 that Christ voluntarily laid aside part of His deity to become a man on earth. For example, did Christ ever get tired? As God no, as man yes. Hungry? As God no, as man yes. Jesus said in John 15: 15 that what He heard from the Father, He made known. In His incarnation, Jesus would “do nothing on My own initiative …” The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Jesus Supplies All The Jews sought Light… The Greeks sought Knowledge… The Romans sought Glory… “For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness, ” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. ” (2 Cor. 4: 6) The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Final Questions & Answers Did Jesus of Nazareth exist…? Yes! Did Jesus fulfill Messianic prophecies…? Yes! Did anyone else appear in history like Jesus…? No! Did Jesus claim to be God…? Yes! Did Jesus prove His claim via resurrection…? Yes! Did others testify that Jesus was God…? Yes! Conclusion: Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
Nearly two thousand years ago in an obscure village, a child was born of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village where He worked as a carpenter until He was thirty. Then for three years He became an itinerant preacher. This man never went to college or seminary. He never wrote a book. He never held a public office. He never had a family nor owned a home. He never put His foot inside a big city nor traveled even 200 miles from His birthplace. And though He never did any of the things that usually accompany greatness, throngs of people followed Him. He had no credentials but Himself. While He was still young, the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His followers ran away. He was turned over to His enemies and sentenced to death on a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – the simple coat He had worn. His body was laid in a borrowed grave provided by a compassionate friend. But three days later this Man arose from the dead – living proof that He was, as He had claimed, the Savior whom God had sent, the Incarnate Son of God. Nineteen centuries have come and gone and today the risen Lord Jesus Christ is the central figure of the human race. On our calendars His birth divides history into two eras. One day of every week is set aside in remembrance of Him. And our two most important holidays celebrate His birth and resurrection. On church steeples around the world, His cross has become the symbol of victory over sin and death. This one Man’s life has furnished theme for more songs, books, poems and paintings than any other person or event in history. Thousands of colleges, hospitals, orphanages and other institutions have been founded in honor of this One who gave His life for us. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the governments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned have not changed the course of history as much as this One Solitary Life. - One Solitary Life The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
“Is he – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion. ” “That you will, dearie, and no mistake, ” said Mr. s Beaver, “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly. ” “Then he isn’t safe? ” said Lucy. “Safe? ” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. ” The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the I BELIEVE from thence he shall come right hand of God the Father Almighty; in JESUS to judge the quick and the. CHRIST dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen The Creed
Jesus Traverses the Past, Present, and Future The Traditionalist looks to the Past… The Existentialist looks to the Present… The Utopians look to the Future… “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me. ” In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. ” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. ” - 1 Corinthians 11: 24 -26 The Creed – I Believe in Jesus Christ
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