Jesus- God With Us
Jesus
by
Bryan Craig
TUESDAY- God With Us
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made." John 1:1-3
 |
The Bible, also known as God's Word, is used interchangeably in John 1 as a description of Jesus. This says so much to me about the holiness of Scripture and also, how it is a revelation of Jesus. We tend to think of the Old Testament as B.C. (Before Christ) and the New Testament as A.D. (Jesus' life and death and the time after). However, John is teaching us that Jesus was there in the beginning and that He was the Creator. We could quickly get into a discussion about the Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit), but we will only go as far as to say they were ALL three there in the Beginning.
Most people on the planet believe that Jesus existed, but where the rub comes in is in His claim to Deity. C.S. Lewis, famous author of "The Chronicles of Narnia", in his book, "Mere Christianity" talks about the fact that if you believe Jesus existed, then you must deduct that He was Lord, or else a Lunatic or Liar. He says this because Jesus made some very boastful claims about Himself. Either He was Who He said He was, or He was a madman or a liar. Consider a few of His statements:
"I and the Father are one." John 10:30 NIV
"'I tell you the truth,' Jesus answered, 'before Abraham was born, I Am!'" John 8:58 NIV
"Then He said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.'" Mark 2:27 NIV
"Again the high priest asked Him, 'Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?' 'I am,' said 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 14:61b-62 NIV
Yes, Jesus claimed to be God. He proved His Deity by the miraculous powers He displayed while on earth, but more than that, by being publicly murdered and then, rising from the dead. Hundreds of witnesses verified this historic event. Thousands witnessed the trial and crucifixion and then, after His resurrection, He appeared to more than 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). It was clear that Jesus wanted to prove to His followers that He was the Messiah.
Yes, He was the Messiah, the promised Deliverer of the Hebrew people. There are hundreds of Old Testament scriptures which foretold Jesus' coming. ATTACHED IS A PAGE OF SOME OF THESE, ALONG WITH THE NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT OF THEM.
Make no mistake, Jesus Christ is worthy of our belief, our worship and our celebration. He is "Immanuel!"
"The virgin will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel- which means, 'God with us.'" Matthew 1:23 NIV
Enjoy this YouTube video of the powerful song, "Mary, Did You Know?" which highlights the amazing revelation of this baby, Whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.
|
|
| Mary, Did You Know? |