Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Christian Essentials: Who is Jesus



Who Is Jesus?



This is the most  important question you will ever answer.
How you  answer this question determines where you will spend eternity.

Jesus  asked the question like this: Who do men say that I the Son of man am? Matt  16:13

–You might  answer like a lot of people. Jesus Christ was a good man, a great moral teacher,  the leader of a religious and political movement.
•What do you  think? Are these things true?
•C.S. Lewis  wrote about how, based on the evidence and what Jesus said about Himself, we are faced with a logical “trilemma”.
•Jesus was a liar, the greatest con man of all time. He knew what He was not what He said He was.
•Jesus was a lunatic. He really believed He was who He said He was, but didn’t know he  wasn’t.
•Jesus was the Lord, the Son of God, the Messiah.
But some  people say that Jesus never claimed to be God. Let’s look at what Jesus said.
John  4:25-26 The woman said, “I  know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain  everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am  he.”

John 10:30-33 I and the  Father are one.” Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to  them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these  do you stone me?” “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be  God.”

Deut. 13:10 And you shall  stone him with stones until he dies, because he sought to entice you away from  the LORD your God
John  8:58 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping  away from the temple grounds.
Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the  Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”


This is  four Hebrew letters (Yod, He, Waw and He) called the
Tetragrammaton. The four  characters are the four Hebrew letters that correspond to YHWH and are  transliterated IAUE or Yahweh. Yahweh is the name of the Almighty Father in  Heaven that people commonly call “The LORD” or “God”. The reason we see “LORD” and “God” in our bibles is because of a Jewish tradition that the name Yahweh  was not to be spoken for fear that the name be  blasphemed.


Jesus said  He is “The Son of God.”
Luke  22:70 They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You are  right in saying I am.”
John  19:7 The  Jews insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he  claimed to be the Son of God.”

Jesus claimed equality with The Father.
John 10:30 I and the Father are one.
John  14:9 He who has seen Me has seen the Father.


Revelation 1:17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.”
Revelation 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Compare this to the following, in which Jehovah says Jehovah is first and last:
Isaiah 44:6 This is what the LORD says — Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.

Revelation 22:12-13, 16  12 “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. ………16  “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. …”
Compare this to Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Mark 12:36 (ESV)
36  David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, “‘The Lord (Κύριος)said to my Lord (Κύριος), “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”’

Philippians 2:11 (ESV)
11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Κύριος), to the glory of God the Father.

Κύριος = which in the OT would have been Lord.




How can Jesus be God and Human?


The hypostatic union is the term used to describe how God the Son, Jesus Christ, took on a human nature, yet remained fully God at the same time. Jesus always had been God (John 8:58, 10:30), but at the incarnation Jesus became a human being (John 1:14). The addition of the human nature to the divine nature is Jesus, the God-man. This is the hypostatic union, Jesus Christ, one Person, fully God and fully man.

Jesus' two natures, human and divine, are inseparable. Jesus will forever be the God-man, fully God and fully human, two distinct natures in one Person. Jesus' humanity and divinity are not mixed, but are united without loss of separate identity. 




What is homoiousia? How does it apply to Jesus and was this view invented by the early church. 







 How can Jesus be God and still get tired?
The term kenosis comes from the Greek word for the doctrine of Christ’s self-emptying in His incarnation. The kenosis was a self-renunciation, not an emptying Himself of deity nor an exchange of deity for humanity. 
Philippians 2:7 tells us that Jesus “emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men." Jesus did not cease to be God during His earthly ministry. But He did set aside His heavenly glory of a face-to-face relationship with God. He also set aside His independent authority. During His earthly ministry, Christ completely submitted Himself to the will of the Father.

As part of the kenosis, Jesus sometimes operated with the limitations of humanity (John 4:6; 19:28). God does not get tired or thirsty. Matthew 24:36 tells us, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” We might wonder if Jesus was God, how could He not know everything, as God does (Psalm 139:1-6)? It seems that while Jesus was on earth, He surrendered the use of some of His divine attributes. Jesus was still perfectly holy, just, merciful, gracious, righteous, and loving - but to varying degrees Jesus was not omniscient or omnipotent.




 If all people inherit their sin nature from Adam, how could Jesus be born sinless.
If all people have original sin and Jesus was a human being, then didn't Jesus need to have had a sin nature?

Before we can answer this question, we need to know what the term "original sin" means.  This is a term used to describe the effect of Adam's sin on his descendants (Rom. 5:12-32). Specifically, it is our inheritance of a sinful nature from Adam. The sinful nature originated with Adam and is passed down from parent to child. We are by nature children of wrath (Eph. 2:3).  So, if we inherit our sinful nature from our parents, then Jesus, who had Mary as a parent, must have had a sin nature.  Right?  Not necessarily.  I believe that the sin nature is passed down through the father.  Let me explain.
Some Bible commentators, with whom I agree, hold the position that the sin nature is passed down through the father.  Support for this position is found in the fact that sin entered the world through Adam, not Eve.  Remember, Eve was the one who sinned first.  However, sin did not enter the world through her.  It entered through Adam. Rom. 5:12 says, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned." The concept behind this is called Federal Headship.  This means that a person (a father) represents his descendants.  We see this concept taught in Heb. 7:9-10, "And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, 10for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him." We see in Hebrews that Levi, a distant descendant of Abraham, is said to have paid tithes to Melchizedek when Abraham was the one offering the tithes, not Levi. 
What this means is that there is biblical support for the idea that the sin nature was passed down through the father.  Since Jesus had not a literal, biological father, the sin nature was not passed down to Him.  However, since He had a human mother, he was fully human but without original sin.  Jesus has two natures:  God and man.  Col. 2:9 says, "For in Him dwells all the fullness of deity in bodily form." Jesus received His human nature from Mary, but He received His divine nature through God the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, Jesus is both God and man.  He was sinless, had no original sin, and was both fully God and fully man.




John 8:58 (ESV)  Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

Ok, did Jesus appear in the Old Testament?


Luke 24:27 (ESV) And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 








Ok but why did Jesus have to die? Why couldn’t God just forgive us?








The above post may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. It is being made available in an effort to advance the understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, social justice, for the purpose of historical debate, and to advance the understanding of Christian conservative issues. It is believed that this constitutes a ”fair use” of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the Copyright Law.

 In accordance with the title 17 U.S. C. section 107, the material in this post is shown without profit to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Federal law allows citizens to reproduce, distribute and exhibit portions of copyrighted motion pictures, video taped or video discs, without authorization of the copyright holder. This infringement of copyright is called “Fair Use”, and is allowed for purposes of criticism, news, reporting, teaching, and parody. This articles is written, and any image and video (includes music used in the video) in this article are used, in compliance with this law: Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. 107.
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Christian Essentials: Who is God



Genesis 1:1 
In the beginning, God………………...................…
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.


At no time in the bible does God attempt to prove His existence.

The Essence of God
To speak of the essence of God is to speak about who God really is. By essence we mean "being". The word essence is derived from the Latin verb "to be" and is in turn a translation of the Greek word ousia, which also means "being". More than having being or existence, God is being. He makes this clear to all when He proclaims His name Jehovah (or Jahweh) to Moses and explains its meaning:

Then God said to Moses, "I shall be who I am. This is what you will tell the sons of Israel: 'I am sent me to you.'" And God also said to Moses, "Thus you will say to the sons of Israel: 'the Lord [the "is"], the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is how you are to think about me for all generations."     Exodus 3:14-15

Infinity: God is infinite and eternal in His existence and nature, unlimited and unbounded in every positive way:

Psalm 90:2 
  Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

When firmly grasped, God's infinity - infinity in every way and according to any conceivable true standard - is a clarifying concept, illuminating His abilities. God's infinite nature will always be more than the highest, the best and the purest that the human mind can comprehend.

The Hebrew concept of infinity or eternity:

From everlasting to everlasting
From horizon to horizon.


The Greek concept of time.



The Hebrew concept of time was centered around  the events of human life and God’s interaction with people. The Greeks might say, “Time is the medium for God’s saving acts.” The Hebrews might say, “Time is the sequence of God’s saving acts.” For the Hebrews, there was no time that existed as a substance or force or dimension, as the Greek sentence implies. There were only real events that occurred, and men measured and marked life by their relationships to these. Unlike a modern American, a Hebrew would not say, “I don’t have enough time” as though time were like so many coins in a pocket or so much liquid in a glass. Hebrews did not engage in discussions about whether time really existed or if they could “feel” time. The reason is clear. Time was not a thing or object for the Hebrews of the Old Testament.

For the Jews, God gave a cycle of annual feasts and holy days linked to the astronomical calendar. The feasts and how they were connected to past feasts and their relationship to Yahweh were how they viewed time.
So the idea of eternal life was viewed more as an event in a relationship 
than as a period of time.



God is Spirit:
God is spirit, and those who worship Him must do so in [His] Spirit and in [His] truth.      John 4:24 










          God is Immeasurable:
Shall God really dwell on earth? Behold, the heavens -- even the entire universe -- cannot contain You! How much less this temple I have built. 1st Kings 8:27

         God's being transcends space. He is not limited or bounded by spatial issues or concerns. God is not subject to space in any way. God is not confined by space - God created space and employs it however He desires.

         God is Unique:
"With whom will you compare Me that I should be equal [to him]?" says the Holy One.   Isaiah 40:25

  ……..that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other. Isaiah 45:6 

God is Omnipotent:
Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Does any miracle lie beyond my power?   Jeremiah 32:27
God is all-powerful, irrespective of matter. He can effect anything He desires in the material realm. Therefore there is no deed, nor was there ever, nor will there ever be which God is unable to do, small or great.

God is Omniscient:
I am God -- there exists no other One;  [I am] God -- and nothing like Me exists.  Since the [very] beginning, I have been making known the end; Since [eternity] past, things that have not yet been done.   Isaiah 46:9b-10

God is all-knowing, irrespective of time. He can effect anything He desires in the temporal realm. Therefore God knows, always has known and always will know everything, the end from the beginning.

God is Omnipresent:
•Where shall I go from your Spirit?
•Or where shall I flee from before you?
•If I should ascend to heaven, you are there.
•If I should make my bed in Sheol, there you are.
•If I should wing my way to where the sun rises in the east, or take up residence beyond the furthest reaches of the western sea,
•Even there you would lead me by the hand, you would hold me fast with your [strong] right hand.  Psalm 139:7-10

God is ever-present, irrespective of space. He can effect anything He desires in the spatial realm. Therefore God has the ability, has always had and always will have, to be anywhere and everywhere, local and universal.
God is Immutable:  
Malachi 3:6 
  “I am the LORD, and I do not change.
God is unchanging with respect to character yet He can change tactics when dealing with humans.





Perfection: God is perfect in His character, irreproachable and blameless in every possible way.
So be perfect, as your Father in Heaven is perfect.  Matthew 5:48
•When firmly grasped, God's perfection - perfection in every way and according to any conceivable true standard - is a clarifying concept, illuminating His motives. God's perfect character will never be less than the highest, the best and the purest that the human mind can comprehend.

God is Good:
The Lord is good to everyone, His kindness extends to everything He has made.  Psalm 145:9
God's character is good (Hebrew tobh: bvu); it is the antithesis of evil.
God is Holy:
   But just as He who has called you is holy, you too should be entirely holy in your behavior. For the scripture says:  Be holy, for I am holy. 1st Peter 1:15-16

        God's character is holy; it is completely separate from evil. In His holiness, God can never compromise His perfect standards for any reason. Therefore His commitment to condemning evil and rewarding good is inviolable.




 God is Faithful and True:
O Lord, thou art my God.
I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name.
For thou hast done wonderful things.
Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.       Isaiah 25:1 

God is Sovereign:

But the Lord shall be seated as king forever: He sets up His throne for judgement, to judge the world in righteousness, to render justice to its peoples.   Psalm 9:7-8
        Sovereignty comes from God's perfect character. No one else has a legitimate right to rule over the universe. He is the absolute sovereign within His own creation, and therefore the one Person to whom all honor is due. 

For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. Deut. 4:24

For the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. Ex 34:14

He is a jealous God and does not want to share His honor and glory with false gods. 





 God is Love:
Whoever does not have love, does not know God, for God is love.     1st John 4:8
        Having love for His creatures, is a natural consequence of God's goodness. Out of the intrinsic goodness of His character, God loves us with a perfect love, desiring to help us in our sinful state.

God is Just:

Psalm 92:15 (NLT)
…………. “The LORD is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!” 

 Demanding justice for His creatures is a natural consequence of God's holiness. Out of the intrinsic holiness of His character, God must deal with us in perfect justice, righteously condemning us in our sinful state. However, He does not overlook His goodness and love in the process and abandon us to our sins (as evil suggests He will). For God found a way to treat us as righteous without compromising His character, and did so through the gift and sacrifice of His only Son on our behalf. 

God is Merciful:

Titus 3:5 (NKJV) 
 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

        Psalm 100:5 (NKJV) For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

God is Life: 

I am the way: the truth and the life.     John 14:6
        Saving the lives of His creatures, is a natural consequence of God's truth and faithfulness. Out of the intrinsic veracity and trustworthiness of His character, God honors His gracious and merciful promise to restore us to Himself and thereby to eternal life, delivering us from the condemnation of death accruing to us in our sinful state.





OK, but who created God. Where did he come from?














Yeah, but why would a “good” God create evil and allow it in the world?
















The above post may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. It is being made available in an effort to advance the understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, social justice, for the purpose of historical debate, and to advance the understanding of Christian conservative issues. It is believed that this constitutes a ”fair use” of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the Copyright Law.

 In accordance with the title 17 U.S. C. section 107, the material in this post is shown without profit to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Federal law allows citizens to reproduce, distribute and exhibit portions of copyrighted motion pictures, video taped or video discs, without authorization of the copyright holder. This infringement of copyright is called “Fair Use”, and is allowed for purposes of criticism, news, reporting, teaching, and parody. This articles is written, and any image and video (includes music used in the video) in this article are used, in compliance with this law: Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. 107.
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