Thursday, August 28, 2008
First Baptist Church of Dover/Rockaway
Jesus
   Jesus has been acclaimed as the greatest religious leader who ever lived, as being the most influential person to have lived on our planet, and as being unique to the degree that no one can be compared to Him.

   But considering Jesus Christ merely on the basis of an exemplary life and His superior moral teaching will not remove the stumbling blocks to Christianity raised by an unbelieving world. The real test of what one thinks of Him must revolve around who He claimed to be and what He accomplished during His brief mission to our planet. Our conclusion must be that there is no Christianity without Christ; all centers in Him.

   The predominant theme of the Scriptures is the Person and the work of Jesus Christ. He is God. He became a human being, died by crucifixion, and was buried. He rose again from the dead. He is the only, all- sufficient Savior of the world. He will come again to this earth. Removing this from the Scriptures robs them of all coherent meaning and continuity.

Jesus Christ is God:
Deity is the only explanation for all that He was and all that He did.

  1. He was pre-existent with God the Father. (See John 1:2-3,17:5 and Colossians 1:17).
  2. He is the Son of God (See John 5:18, 6:69. 10:30).
  3. He was sinless, as only God can be. (See John 8:46, I Peter 2:21,22, 2 Corinthians 5:21).
  4. He forgives sin, as only God can. (See Mark 2:7, Matthew 9:6, John 8:11, 1 Peter 2:24).
  5. He performed miraculous works. (See Matthew 8:9-13, Luke 4:31-44, 5:12-15, John 4:43-5:16, and other references.
Jesus Christ became Man:
  1. His miraculous birth was prophesied 800 years before His coming. (See Isaiah 7:14).
  2. The prophecy was fulfilled to the letter. (See Luke 1:30,31).
  3. Jesus demonstrated human characteristics. (See John 4:6,19:28. Luke 24:40-43, Mark 6:34, John 11:35 , Hebrews 4:15, John 9:30).
Jesus Christ Accomplished the Works of His Father:
  1. He died on the Cross. This is the fundamental theme of the Gospel.
    • The fact of His death One -fourth of the Gospels are dedicated to His Passion and Resurrection. His death was prophesied hundreds of years before He came.
    • The meaning of His death.
    • It was a ransom for sin (Matthew 20:28, Romans 3:24, 1 Peter 1:18).
    • It was to pay the penalty for sin (Romans 3:24, 1 John 2:22, 4:10). Man is the object of God's wrath because of rebellion and sin, but God took the initiative in satisfying His wrath by sending His own Son to Calvary.
      • It is a reconciliation. (See Romans 5:10), and we are restored to God (2 Corinthians 5:18,19).
      • It is a substitution : He died in our place (1 Peter 3:18, 2 Corinthians 5:21).
      • In summary, the matter of sin has been completely dealt with (1 Peter 2: Hebrews 9:26, 10:12).
  2. He was resurrected from the dead: This is unique and fundamental to Christianity.
    • The reality of the Resurrection (John 20:1-10, 1 Corinthians 15:4).
    • The credibility of the Resurrection:
      • Jesus predicted it: (Matthew 13:39-41, Luke 24:1-7).
      • The tomb was empty: (John 20:11-13).
      • Many witnesses saw Him alive: the women (Luke 23:55,56); Mary Magdalene (John 20:1,2; 11-18); Peter and the other disciples (John 20:3-9,19,20,24-31;21:1-14).
The Results of His Work:
  1. He ascended to His Father ( Luke 24:49-53; Acts 1:6-11).
  2. He is our eternal Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 8:6; 1 John 2:1).
  3. He is our Savior: "Thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21).
    • He is our only Savior, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Act 4:12).
    • He is a complete Savior. (See Hebrews 7:25) .
    • He is a personal Savior . "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God Hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness: and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9,10).

Do you want to know Jesus ?    Click here: The Four Spiritual Laws

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