05 Jul Jesus Christ
Between Jesus Christ and every other person, there is no possible term of comparison
Jesus Christ is the only person in history who can claim that his coming was the fulfillment of hundreds of prophecies written thousands of years before His appearance. Jesus stands alone.
1. The prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament prophesied His coming in stunningly detailed predictions. Scholars tell us there are some 300 Messianic prophecies with reference to the coming of Christ as the Savior of the world. This would include but not be limited to: His lineage, His birthplace, the time, His purpose, His sacrificial death for sin, how He would die, His resurrection and many more details, hundreds and even thousands of years in advance! There is no other person in history that can make such a claim. Why such a grand entrance? So you can know you’ve got the right God! Imposters abound.
2. Jesus Christ would be born of a virgin.
In the book of Isaiah 7:14, (written 750 years before the blessed event) under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, Isaiah wrote,
“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.”
In this case, “Immanuel” was actually a title which meant, “God with us.” The same idea is found in Revelation 19:16,
“And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
“King of Kings and Lord of Lords” is a title rather than a name.
3. Jesus Christ would be God in a human body. In Isaiah 9:6 we read,
“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. There will be no end to the increase of {His} government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”
In Colossians 1:15, speaking of Jesus the Bible says,
“And He (Jesus) is the image (the physical manifestation) of the invisible God, the first-born (a Hebrew idiom meaning pre-eminent) 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 by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
Then in John 1:1 God’s Word says,
“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 by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
And in verse 14 of the same chapter, we find this,
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
4. The place of His birth.
The prophet Micah, writing 500 years before the fact, eliminated all the cities of the world and said the Messiah would not only be born in Bethlehem but also speaks of His pre-existence!
“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.”
5. The Sinless Life of Jesus Christ.
Is there anyone else in history who claimed to be without sin? Jesus did! This claim was also made by His closest friends, relatives and by His most bitter enemies.
Peter said, “He committed no sin” (I Peter 2:22) and John said, “In Him is no sin” (I John 3:5). Judas said, “I have betrayed innocent blood” (Matthew 27:4). Pilate said, “I find in Him no fault at all” (John 18:38). The thief on the cross said, “This man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41). Paul said, “He knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus said concerning Himself, “Which one of you convicts me of sin?” (John 8:46). Jesus also said, “The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please Him” (John 8:29). He was the Lamb of God without spot or blemish (1 Peter 1:19).
Jesus Christ is the only person in the history of the world who lived a perfectly sinless life!
6. His unparalleled teaching.
Truly, no man has ever spoken such words of love, wisdom, or life-changing power before or since Jesus. His words are incomparably superior to those of any other prophet, priest or king. Ray Comfort put it this way:
No politician, prophet, priest, pastor, pope, or any person in history has ever come even slightly near making such incredible claims like those made by Jesus of Nazareth.
Even if they had made such wild assertions, none could back up these claims for a moment.
Jesus spoke these words, and they will come to pass. Read them with a sober heart and with widened eyes:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth— those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:24-29).
To understand His teaching you would have to read the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of John. That is beyond the scope of this article. But, you can read His “Sermon on the Mount” at the end of this article. That should be enough to convince any honest seeker of truth. No one even comes close to speaking the Jesus spoke.
The Bible tells the story of when the religious leaders of the day sent the temple guards to arrest Jesus. They returned without Him. Here is what they had to say after hearing Him speak from John 7:45-46,
“The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, ‘Why did you not bring Him?’ The officers answered, ‘Never did a man speak the way this man speaks.’”
In the Sermon on the Mount (recorded in Matthew 5-7) we have an example of the kind of teaching that not only separated Jesus from all the rest, but has changed the hardest hearts of some of the most infamous people in history. You can read His sermon at the bottom of this page!
7. The death of Jesus Christ would be by crucifixion.
Psalms 22 was written 1,000 years before crucifixion was invented by the Romans. Verses 16-18 provide a vivid description of exactly what happened on that fateful day,
“For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encompassed me; 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.”
Now compare that to John 19:23-24,
“The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and {also} the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. They said therefore to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, {to decide} whose it shall be”; that the Scripture might be fulfilled, “They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.”
8. His death would be the payment for sin.
When Adam and Eve sinned, an animal was killed to cover their shame.
Then we read of Cain who offered a sacrifice from a garden and Able brought a blood sacrifice. One was accepted, one was rejected.
The angel of death passed over the Israelites in Egypt by the blood of a lamb.
God is trying to tell us something. These are prophetic object lessons on how God can forgive sin without compromising His justice.In Leviticus 1-17, God instructed Moses how and why to begin the sacrificial system. A sacrifice was needed to atone for sin. Leviticus and Hebrews teach,
“Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.”
Symbolic of sinless perfection, the sacrifice had to be perfect, without spot or blemish. Since the penalty for sin is death (all men die because all men sin) in order for a savior to save you, he would have to be sinless and die for you (death means eternal separation). If you come to God without a blood sacrifice, your own life is required!
This is how God legally forgives sin without compromising His justice. Justice and mercy were reconciled when Christ (Messiah) died on the cross. Three days later, Jesus took authority over sin and death when He raised Himself from the dead—by His own power!
The sacrificial system provided the world with 1,500 years of literal, historical, and theological context, so when Jesus died on the cross, this would all make sense. That is why when John the Baptist saw Jesus he said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The sacrificial system ended when Jesus fulfilled this prophetic picture of salvation. He satisfied God’s perfect justice (the law of sin and death) once and for all!
The entire chapter of Isaiah 53 (written 750 BC) speaks of His atoning death.
9. The resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption (Ps. 16:10).”
The following quote is one of the most compelling legal arguments ever offered on the validity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“Simon Greenleaf was the famous Royal Professor of Law at Harvard University and succeeded Justice Joseph Story as the Dane Professor of Law in the same university, upon Story’s death. H. W. H. Knott says of this great authority in jurisprudence: “To the efforts of Story and Greenleaf is to be ascribed the rise of the Harvard Law School to its eminent position among the legal schools of the United States.”
“While still a Professor of Law at Harvard University, Greenleaf produced a famous work entitled: A Treatise on the Law of Evidence which is still considered the greatest single authority on evidence in the entire literature of legal procedure.”
“Greenleaf also wrote a volume entitled: An Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists by the Rules of Evidence Administered in the Courts of Justice. What you are about to read is the opinion of one of the world’s foremost leading authorities on what constitutes good evidence in a court of law concerning the Apostles claim that Jesus was actually resurrected from the dead,
“The great truths which the apostles declared were that Christ had risen from the dead, and that only through repentance from sin and faith in Him, could men hope for salvation. This doctrine they asserted with one voice, everywhere, not only under the greatest discouragements, but in the face of the most appalling errors that can be presented to the mind of man. Their master had recently perished as a malefactor, by the sentence of a public tribunal.
His religion sought to overthrow the religions of the whole world. The laws of every country were against the teachings of His disciples. The interests and passions of all the rulers and great men in the world were against them. The fashion of the world was against them.
Propagating this new faith, even in the most inoffensive and peaceful manner, they could expect nothing but contempt, opposition, revilings, bitter persecutions, stripes, imprisonments, torments, and cruel deaths. Yet this faith they zealously did propagate; and all these miseries they endured undismayed, nay, rejoicing.
As one after another was put to a miserable death, the survivors only prosecuted their work with increased vigor and resolution. The annals of military warfare afford scarcely an example of the like heroic constancy, patience, and unblenching courage.
They had every possible motive to review carefully the grounds of their faith, and the evidences of the great facts and truths which they asserted; and these motives were pressed upon their attention with the most melancholy and terrific frequency.
It was therefore impossible that they could have persisted in affirming the truths they have narrated, had not Jesus actually risen from the dead.”
10. His influence for the last 2,000 years.
“Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this (Isaiah 9:7).”
Malcomb Muggeridge…
“We look back upon history and what do we see? Empires rising and falling, revolutions and counter-revolutions, wealth accumulating and wealth dispersed, one nation dominant and then another. Shakespeare speaks of ‘the rise and fall of great ones that ebb and flow with the moon.’ “I look back on my own fellow countrymen ruling over a quarter of the world, the great majority of them convinced, in the words of what is still a favorite song, that, ‘God who’s made the mighty, would make them mightier yet.’
I’ve heard a crazed, cracked Austrian announce to the world the establishment of a German Reich that would last a thousand years; an Italian clown announce that he would restart the calendar to begin his own ascension to power. I’ve heard a murderous Georgian brigand in the Kremlin acclaimed by the intellectual elite of the world as a wiser than Solomon, more humane than Marcus Aurelius, more enlightened than Ashoka.
“I’ve seen America wealthier and in terms of weaponry, more powerful than the rest of the world put together, so that had the American people desired, could have outdone an Alexander or a Julius Caesar in the range and scale of their conquests. All in one lifetime, all in one lifetime, all gone with the wind.
England, part of a tiny island off the coast of Europe, threatened with dismemberment and even bankruptcy. Hitler and Mussolini dead, remembered only in infamy. Stalin, a forbidden name in the regime he helped found and dominate for some three decades. America, haunted by fears of running out of those precious fluids that keep her motorways roaring, and the smog settling, with troubled memories of a disastrous campaign in Vietnam, and the victories of the Don Quixotes of the media as they charged the windmills of Watergate. All in one lifetime, all gone, gone with the wind.
Behind the debris of these self-styled, sullen supermen and imperial diplomats, there stands the gigantic figure of one person, because of whom, by whom, in whom, and through whom alone mankind might have hope.-Jesus Christ!
The life of Christ
“This Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Mohammed, and Napoleon; without science and learning, He shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of schools, He spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, He set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise, than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times.” -Philip Schaff
The famous essay, One Solitary Life
“Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put his foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executors gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth—His coat. When He was dead, He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.”
“Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of the column of progress. I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever were built, all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.”
The Incomparable Christ
“More than nineteen hundred years ago there was a Man born contrary to the laws of life. This Man lived in poverty and was reared in obscurity. He did not travel extensively. Only once did He cross the boundary of the country in which He lived; that was during His exile in childhood.”
“He possessed neither wealth nor influence. His relatives were inconspicuous and had neither training nor formal education. In infancy He startled a king; in childhood He puzzled doctors; in manhood He ruled the course of nature, walked upon the billows as if pavements, and hushed the sea to sleep. He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His service.”
“He never wrote a book, and yet all the libraries of the country could not hold the books that have been written about Him. He never wrote a song, and yet He has furnished the theme for more songs than all the song writers combined.”
“He never founded a college, but all the schools put together cannot boast of having as many students. He never marshaled an army, nor drafted a soldier, nor fired a gun; and yet no leader ever had more volunteers who have, under His orders, made more rebels stack arms and surrender without a shot fired.”
“He never practiced psychiatry, and yet He healed more broken hearts than all the doctors far and near. Once each week the wheels of commerce cease their turning and multitudes wend their way to worshipping assemblies to pay homage and respect to Him.”
“The names of the past proud statesmen of Greece and Rome have come and gone. The names of the past scientists, philosophers, and theologians have come and gone; but the name of this Man abounds more and more. Though time has spread nineteen hundred years between the people of this generation and the scene of His crucifixion, yet He still lives. Herod could not destroy Him, and the grave could not hold Him.”
“He stands forth upon the highest pinnacle of heavenly glory, proclaimed of God, acknowledged by angels, adored by saints, and feared by devils, as the living, personal Christ, our Lord and Savior.”
Napoleon
“Christ alone has succeeded in so raising the mind of man towards the unseen that it becomes insensible to the barriers of time and space. Across the chasm of eighteen hundred years Jesus Christ makes a demand which is beyond all others difficult to satisfy. He asks for that which a philosopher may often seek in vain at the hands of his friends, or a father of his children, or a bride of her spouse, or a man of his brother. He asks for the human heart; He will have it entirely to Himself; He demands it unconditionally, and forthwith His demand is granted. Its powers and faculties become an annexation to the empire of Christ. All who sincerely believe in Him experience that supernatural love towards Him. This phenomenon is unaccountable; it is altogether beyond the scope of man’s creative powers. Time, the great destroyer can neither exhaust its strength nor put a limit to its range.”
12. Christianity is based on Jesus Christ.
Virtually all other religions are based on the philosophies of their founders. Islam is based on the teaching of one man Mohammed. Buddhism is based on the philosophy of Buddha. Confucianism is based on the beliefs of Confucius, and so it goes. Christianity is based not only on the teaching of Jesus, but on Christ Himself.
If you take Mohammed out of Islam, the basic tenants of Islam would not change. You don’t need Mohammed in any personal way to be a Muslim. If you take Buddha out of Buddhism, the teachings of Buddha remain the same. If you take Confucius out of Confucianism, they will be just as confused as they were before. But if you take Christ out of Christianity there is nothing left.
13. The Ultimate Demonstration of Love
The most profound demonstration of God’s love for mankind is revealed in the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was His sacrifice that made atonement for sin and provided redemption not only for man but for the universe itself. Yes, even the universe is dying. Physicists call it the Second Law of Thermal Dynamics. Theologians know what it’s called and what causes it; it’s called sin. The Bible says that God is going to let sin run its course. After that, He will create new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells-forever!
The cross of Christ represents the defining moment in the history of mankind. Jesus had such a profound impact on the world by what He said and by what He did that the world marks time before His birth and after His death. We live in the 21st century “A.D”. That is Latin for Anno Domini which means “In the year of the Lord”. The reason the world marks time by the birth and death of Jesus is because three days after He was crucified, He raised Himself from the dead! No one ever did that before or since.
I’m not so amazed that Jesus raised Himself from the dead. I’m more amazed that He could have died in the first place! Death is the result of sin. That is why all men die, no matter how they die. But Jesus was sinless. How could He have died? The answer is found in 2 Corinthians 5:21,
“He made Him who knew no sin {to be} sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Christ died all right—He took on the sins of the whole world, past, present, and future! That is how God can legally forgive us without compromising His justice. Someone else paid the price for you!
According to the New Testament, repentance and believing in the deity of Jesus is what constitutes salvation. In John 8:26 Jesus said,
“… you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am (He) you shall die in your sins.”
John 1:1 and Colossians 1:17 state that Jesus was God manifested in human flesh, eternal and not created. Anyone can say that he or she is a prophet, anyone can say, “I am God” but proving it is much more difficult. There are seven “I am” sayings of Jesus in the New Testament. Each is a clear reference to Exodus 3:14 when God revealed His name to Moses: “I am, that I am, tell them I am.” So, when Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I Am,” the Pharisees knew exactly what He meant, and they wanted to stone Him for claiming to be God (John 8:58, 59; 10:30,3 1)!
Anyone can “say” they are God. Jesus did things only God could do!
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world”. But, He did not just say, “I am the light of the world,” He said, “I am the light of the world” and He gave sight to a man born blind!
He said, “I am the bread of life.” But He did not just say, “I Am the bread of life,” He said, “I Am the bread of life”, and He fed 5,000 people with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish!
He did not just say, “I am the resurrection and the life.” He said, “I am the resurrection and the life” and He raised Lazarus (and many others) from the dead!
Each of the “I Am” sayings was accompanied by a miracle, which in turn revealed His deity. The one miracle He performed more than any other was that of giving sight to the blind. In Exodus 4:11, God is speaking to Moses, “And the LORD said to him, ‘Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes {him} dumb or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?’”
The “I Am” sayings show that Jesus not only claimed to be God, but offered empirical proof of being the Creator, the Sustainer, and the Redeemer of mankind. He proved His verbal claims with literal miracles.
Jesus said, “Peace be still and the winds and the sea obeyed Him!” He said, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it.” He was speaking of the temple of His body!
Jesus claimed to be God. He not only said He was God (anyone can say that), He offered proof of His claim by doing things only God could do. If God came to earth as a man, you would expect Him to say and do things that would clearly distinguish Him from all other men. Jesus did!
14. The exclusive and exhaustive definition of love
Another outstanding basis for proof that the Bible is divinely inspired is its unparalleled teaching on love. How is this proof of divinity? We are social creatures. God made us that way. Man’s greatest need is to love and be loved. The Bible reveals the most comprehensive teaching on love that there is.
The word love is used, defined, explained, exemplified, proved and illustrated almost 300 times in the Bible. The number of times the word is used is not the point. The fact is, you cannot find a more comprehensive teaching on love in any other religion, philosophy or system of thought. Not even close. Love is more than an emotion, it’s proactive and it’s powerful enough to soften the hardest heart when nothing else will.
You will not find a greater explanation of love than in 1 Cor. 13:1-8. And in Romans 13:8-10.
In Christianity, it is God’s love (not the threat of violence, or the claim to the eloquence of its literature in a foreign language) that draws us to Christ. Our relationship with God is based on faith, hope, and love.
If everyone loved God and loved their neighbors as themselves we would live in a perfect world! The opposite of love is not just to hate, it’s also selfishness. For God so loved the world He gave!
Man (without God) is inherently selfish. Selfishness is the essence of sin and giving is the essence of love. Man will never solve his own problems because man is the problem.
The greatest commandment in the Bible is to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40). God is love (1 John 4:8). For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16). We love God because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
To love God you must love your brother (1 John 4:20). If you mistreat your wife your prayers are hindered (1 Peter 3:7). Love is defined (1 Corinthians 13: 1-8). We are obligated to Love (Romans 13:1-8). Sacrificial love is the key to a happy marriage (Ephesians 5:25). There is no greater love than to sacrifice your life to save a friend (John 15:13). Love is the distinguishing mark of the Christian (John 13:35). True love is unconditional (Luke 6:32). Love includes your enemies (Luke 6:27). Love is the greatest spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 13: 13). Obedience to God is based on love (John 14:15).
15. The Love of Jesus
No one has ever taken love to the level Jesus did. It was Christ who said, “Love your enemies.” But He didn’t just say, “Love your enemies.” He said, “Love your enemies”, and while He hung on the cross, in unimaginable pain from the top of His head to the tip of His toes, He prayed, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” No mere man has ever loved like that.
This love was so profound, so completely antithetical to human nature, the thief on his right recognized His divinity, and said, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “This day you shall be with Me in Paradise.” No one could make up such stories and expect anyone to believe them.
The teaching of Jesus could not have been more antithetical to the Roman Empire’s idea of justice. In Matthew 5:44 Jesus said,
“I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. If you only love those who love you, what reward do you have?”
It is said that the Mafia love their family members but kill their enemies. Jesus is saying in essence, “If you love only those who love you how are you any different than the Mafia?”
When His enemies nailed Him to the cross, Jesus was naked and in unimaginable pain from head to toe. His accusers laughed, mocked, ridiculed, and spat at Him. Amazingly, 700 years earlier, Isaiah 53 prophesied that the Messiah would be despised, rejected, and crushed for the sin of the world.
The Roman soldiers were throwing dice at the foot of the cross to see who would keep His clothes. It was in that horrible humiliation and searing pain that Jesus prayed,
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
This concern for other people in the pain of death was so profound, so completely antithetical to human nature, the thief on his right (also being crucified) had a revelation— Jesus truly was divine. This dying man then cried out to Jesus,
“Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
And Jesus replied,
“This day you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
Who could make up such a story and expect anyone to believe it? Where else can you find a more compelling or authoritative demonstration of love in all of history? No mere man could have expressed such selfless love and concern for the eternal destiny of the very people who were responsible for His suffering. You will not find this kind of sacrificial love in any other religion, philosophy or system of thought.
AS C.S. LEWIS SO ELOQUENTLY POINTED OUT, JESUS’ CLAIM TO DIVINITY LEAVES YOU WITH ONLY THREE OPTIONS:
- He was a liar
- He was a lunatic
- He was who He claimed to be!
That is the problem that all other religions must answer and cannot. They all say that Jesus was a great moral teacher, or, a great prophet. But that is the one thing you cannot say, He has not left that alternative open to us–He did not intend to.
CAN A PROPHET LIE?
I will never forget the story that one well-known evangelist shared on one of his radio programs. He was invited to an Islamic country to debate a Muslim scholar. When asked to present his passport to the customs officer, the man asked, “For what purpose do you want to enter my country; what is your business?”
He answered, “I am a Christian evangelist. I have been invited here for a debate.”
The man said, “Sir, I would like to ask you one question. “What do you think of Mohammed?” The whole room became dead silent as all the other customs officials turned to hear his answer.
He answered with a question, “Sir, I would like to ask you a question, “Can a prophet lie?”
The officer thought for a moment, and answered, “No, a prophet cannot lie.”
The evangelist asked, “Mohammed was a prophet?”
The answer, “Yes.”
Question, “Mohammed said Jesus was a prophet?”
The answer, “Yes.”
“Jesus said He was God. If Jesus was right, Mohammed was wrong. And, if Jesus was wrong, Mohammed was still wrong because Mohammed said Jesus was right!”
The man stamped his passport and said, “Get out of here!”
Compare the words of Jesus to other so-called religious leaders…
- Buddha said, “I am a teacher in search of truth.
Jesus said, “I am the truth.”
- Confucius said, “I never claimed to be holy.”
Jesus said, “Which one of you convicts Me of sin?”
- Mohammed said, “I do not know what Allah will do to me.”
Jesus said, “I Am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me. though he die, yet shall he live.”
None of these other men ever claimed to be God. They all said God is this way, go this way.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the father but by Me.”
Jesus is not just our Redeemer, He is our redemption. Jesus is not just our savior, He is our salvation. Jesus does not just teach us how to be sanctified, He is our sanctification!
Since all other religions are merely the opinions of men, they are subjective, and no matter how appealing their teaching may be to our felt needs, or how one may be pressured by culture to accept these religions as true, that does not make them right. Jesus speaks without hypocrisy.
No man ever spoke like Jesus before or since
Matthew Chapter 5
And when He saw the multitudes, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And opening His mouth He {began} to teach them, saying,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when {men} cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me.
“Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty {again} It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. 2
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. “Nor do {men} light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house.
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.
“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished.
“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches {them,} he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses {that} of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.
“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’
“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty {enough to go} into the fiery hell.
“If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.
“Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, in order that your opponent may not deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
“Truly I say to you, you shall not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
“And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
“And if your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to go into hell. 3
“And it was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for {the} cause of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
“Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. “Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ {or} ‘No, no’; and anything beyond these is of evil.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ “But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.
“And if anyone wants to sue you, and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. “And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two.
“Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on {the} evil and {the} good, and sends rain on {the} righteous and {the} unrighteous.
“For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax-gatherers do the same? “And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more {than others} Do not even the Gentiles do the same? “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Chapter 6
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
“When therefore you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
“But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.
“Therefore do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him.
“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. ‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ‘Give us this day our daily bread. ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.’”
“For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. “But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
“And whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites {do,} for they neglect their appearance in order to be seen fasting by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. “But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face so that you may not be seen fasting by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
“The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (material wealth).
“For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, {as to} what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, {as to} what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing?
“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and {yet} your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
“And which of you by being anxious can add a {single} cubit to his life’s span?
“And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these.
“But if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is {alive} today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, {will He} not much more {do so for} you, O men of little faith?
“Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’
“For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.
“Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. {Each} day has enough trouble of its own.
Chapter 7
“Do not judge lest you be judged.
“For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
“And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye?
“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
“Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
“Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.
“For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.
“Or what man is there among you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone?
“Or if he shall ask for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
“Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
“Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.
“For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn {bushes,} nor figs from thistles, are they?”
“Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.”
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.
“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.
“And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and {yet} it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.
“And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand.
“And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall.”
The result was that when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as {one} having authority, and not as their scribes.”
As the French skeptic Ernest Renan admitted,
“It would take a Jesus to forge a Jesus, and if it is true that what we have in the Bible is a giant forgery, then let us worship the individual who was so brilliant as to think up a picture of a person like Jesus of Nazareth and the story of the Word of God.”
James T. Fisher from, A Few Buttons Missing: The Case Book of a Psychiatrist:
“If you were to take the sum total of all authoritative articles ever written by the most qualified of psychologists and psychiatrists on the subject of mental hygiene, if you were to combine them and refine them and cleave out all the excess verbiage, if you were to take the whole of the meat and none of the parsley, and if you were to have these unadulterated bits of scientific knowledge concisely expressed by the most capable of living poets, you would have an awkward and incomplete summary of the Sermon on the Mount. And it would suffer immeasurably by comparison.”