Lesson Three Jesus, The Son Of God

1. Lesson Three Jesus, The Son Of God Welcome To This Lesson About Christianity. • At The Very Outset Of Our Study We Observed That There Are Three Pillars Of Foundations Upon Which Christianity Rests. There Is a God. • First, We Discussed The Fact That There Is A God And That Evidence Of His Existence Is All Around Us.

2. The Word Of God There Is a God. The Bible Isthe Word of God. • Second, We Studied The Fact That The Bible Is The Word Of God. • Throughout The Ages God Has Revealed Himself To Us Through Inspired Scripture. • In This Third Lesson, We Will Look At The Evidence For Jesus’ Claim To Be The Son Of God.

3. Secular Proof • History Provides Us With Abundant Evidence For The Existence Of Jesus. There Is More Written About Him Than Any Other Major Character In History. • First, Lets Consider Sources Other Than The Bible That Prove There Was A Man Named Jesus

4. Josephus Writes About Jesus • Josephus Was A Jewish Historian Who Was Hired By The Roman Government To Write The History Of His People, The Nation Of Israel. • He Wrote Seven Books Between 60 And 80 AD, About A Generation After The Life Of Jesus. • Of Jesus, Josephus Said, “He Is A Doer Of Wonderful Works” (Josephus, 18.3.3) • He Also Said That Jesus Was Condemned To The Cross By Pilate And Appeared To Them Alive Again The Third Day As The Divine Prophets Had Foretold (Josephus, 18.3.3)

5. Josephus Was A Non-believer • It Is Significant That Josephus Was A Non-believer. • He Was Not A Disciple Of Jesus, Yet He Put Jesus In The Same Place And Time That The Bible Does. • He Makes Jesus’ Life Part Of The Historical Record Within A Generation Of Jesus’ Death And Establishes That These Facts Were Widely Known. • This Is Evidence For The Historical Accuracy Of The Bible And What It Says About Jesus.

6. Look At Thallus, A Gentile • Thallus Was A Gentile Historian And Non-believer Who Wrote In 52 AD About The Darkness That Occurred At The Crucifixion Of Jesus. • He Tried To Credit It To An Eclipse Of The Sun That Fell Upon The Land Of Israel. • This Explanation Is Not Valid Because Jesus Died During The Passover, At The Season Of The Paschal Full Moon, Which Makes It Impossible For A Solar Eclipse To Take Place At Mid Day (F.F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents, Are They Reliable? 113) • It Is Interesting That Thallus Tried To Attribute The Event To Natural Causes, While At The Same Time Giving Us Evidence That By 52 AD The Crucifixion Of Jesus Was Common Knowledge.

7. Encyclopedia Britannica • The Encyclopedia Britannica Takes Over 20,000 Words To Describe Jesus As A Man Of History. • Here Is A Quote Pertaining To Jesus, “Historical Accounts Prove That In Ancient Times Even Opponents Of Christianity Never Doubted The Historicity Of Jesus”. • The Encyclopedia Britannica Describes More About Jesus Than It Does About Aristotle, Socrates, Julius Caesar, Or Napoleon. • Nobody Should Question The Existence Of A Man Named Jesus.

8. Jesus Did More To Change The Course Of Human History Than Any Man Who Ever Lived. • He Is The Pinnacle Of Popularity In History’s Hall Of Fame. • Yet Many Doubt His Existence Because They Do Not Research The Historical Record. • The Historical Documents That Give The Most Detail Of What He Did Are The New Testament Scriptures. • So, Let Us Examine These Historically Accurate Writings To Learn What He Did And Who He Claimed To Be. • We Will Search For Facts That Will Provide Evidence That He Is The Son Of God.

9. Jesus a Fulfillment of Prophecy • Jesus Is More Than A Historical Figure. He Is A Fulfillment Of Prophecy. • The Coming Of The Messiah Was Predicted In Great Detail. In Fact His Coming Was Planned Before The World Was Created. • Jesus Said Of Himself That He Was A Fulfillment Of Prophecy And The Law.

10. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.“ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4:16-21

11. “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.“ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” Jesus Said The Law Of Moses, Isaiah, The Prophets In General, And Many Of The Psalms Are Speaking Of Him. Let’s Look At A Few More Passages Where Jesus Speaks Of Himself. Luke 24:27, 44-45

12. Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. John 5:39-40 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. John 5:46-47 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?"

13. Many More Passages • There Are Many More Passages, But This Is Enough To Make The Point Clear. • Jesus Said He Is The One The Prophets Foretold Would Be Sent By God, • The Christ Of God.

14. Prophecies Are Fulfilled • As Mentioned In Lesson Two, Jesus Fulfilled Prophecies And Predictions Made Hundreds Of Years In Advance. • He Fulfilled 60 Major Prophecies In The Old Testament And 270 Details Of Those Prophecies.

15. Prophecies State That Jesus Would Be Betrayed (Psalm 41:9: Matthew 26:20-23) By A Friend (Psalm 41:9) For 30 Pieces Of Silver (Matthew 27:9-10: Zechariah 11:12) That Would Be Cast Onto The Floor Of The Temple (Zechariah 11:13) And Used To Buy A Potter’s Field (Matthew 26:10) Prophecies Continue

16. If Jesus Had Just Fulfilled Eight Of The Prophecies, The Chances Are 1 In 10 To The 17th Power. That is 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. Using Science Of Probability

17. Suppose We Take That Many Silver Dollars And Lay Them On The Face Of Texas. They Will Cover All Of The State Two Feet Deep. Now Mark One Of Those Silver Dollars And Stir The Whole Mass Thoroughly, All Over The State. Blindfold A Man And Tell Him That He Can Travel As Far As He Wishes, But He Much Pick Up One Silver Dollar And Say That This Is The Right One. What Chance Would He Have Of Getting The Right One? Just The Same Chance That The Prophets Would Have Had Of Writing Eight Prophecies And Having Them All Come True In Any One Man, Providing They Wrote In Their Own Wisdom. But They All Came True In Christ! The Old Testament Gives Us Plenty Of Evidence To Prove That He Is The Messiah. Example

18. Remember God’s Plan Old Testament New Testament History Law Poetry Prophecy 4 Gospels Acts Letters Prophecy 39 27 Books Books

19. Birth Of Jesus • God Told Abraham (About 2000 BC) That Jesus Would Be Born Into His Family. • The Genealogies Of Jesus Recorded In Matthew And Luke Show That To Be True (Matthew1:1-16; Luke 3:23-38).

20. The Messiah Will Be Born • In Genesis 49:8-12, God Revealed That The Messiah Would Be Born Into The Tribe Of Judah. • Revelation 5:5, Refers To Jesus As The Lion Of The Tribe Of Judah. • In Micah 5:2, The Prophet Says The Promised One Would Be Born In Bethlehem, And Mathew’s And Luke’s Historical Records State That Bethlehem Was His Birthplace (Matthew2:1; Luke 2:4-7).

21. We Are Told By Isaiah (7:14), 750 Years Before Jesus, That He Would Be Born Of A Virgin, Just As He Was According To The New Testament Record (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:27). In Daniel 9:25, Daniel Foretells That A “Prince” Would Come At A Particular Time Just As Jesus Did. More Historical Proof

22. Jesus’ Trial Predicted • Isaiah 53 Predicts His Trial, Beating, And Crucifixion. • Matthew 26:62-63 And Acts 8:32-35 Show That Jesus Is The One That Isaiah Was Writing About. • Every Prophecy Of The Messiah Was Fulfilled In Jesus. This Provides An Incredible Amount Of Evidence That Jesus Is Who He Claimed To Be.

23. God With Us • Let’s Look At Some Passages That Say Jesus Was God In The Flesh.

24. John 1:1-4, 14“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. In him was life, and that life was the light of men….. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth”. John 17:3-5“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began”.

25. He Makes It Clear That He Lived With The Father Before The World Was Made. Jesus Was Not A Created Being. ► He Was The Creator! Notice The Plural Nature Of God In Genesis. Genesis 1:26 "Let US make man in OUR image, in OUR likeness”, Jesus Makes It Clear

26. Jesus Was With God, Jesus Was God, And He Came To Live With Us • Jesus Pre-existed With The Father And Became Flesh. • Matthew 1:23 quoted Isaiah 7:14 • “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel”. • In Matthew’s Account, An Angel From Heaven Refers To Jesus As “God With Us.”

27. Eyewitnesses Were Convinced • Let’s See The Impression Jesus Left On People The First Time He Met Them And They Heard Him Teach. Who Did They Understand Him To Be?

28. John 4:39-42 “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did.“ So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."

29. Peter Was One Of The Apostles Who Spent More Time With Jesus Than Anyone Else. Notice His Conclusion About Jesus Being The Christ. Matthew 16:13-17 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?“ They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.“ "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?“ Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.“ Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.

30. Jesus Said He Had Given Evidence Of His Claim, And He Told Them He Was The Son Of God. Jesus Also Said That He And The Father Were One. John 10:24-33 The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.“ Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 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." Jesus’ Claim

31. John 5:17-18 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.“ For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. Jesus Always Referred To God As “My Father.” No Jew Had Ever Done That Before. They Understood His Claim Was To Be Equal With God.

32. John 8:58-59 I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!“ At this, they picked up stones to stone him . . . Jesus Referred To Himself In A Timeless Way By Saying He Was “I Am.” In The Old Testament, That Was A Name God Called Himself (Exodus 3:13-14). These Jews Knew That Jesus Was Claiming To Be the Divine Nature Of God In Human Flesh And For This Reason They Opposed Him. “I AM”

33. Mark 14:61-64 Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?“ "I am," said Jesus. Are You The Christ? At Jesus’ Own Trial, He Made It Clear That He Is The Son Of God.

34. Jesus Truly Is An Historical Character. He Did Live. Even Sources Other Than The Bible Say So. Jesus Is A Fulfillment Of Prophecy. Everything Written About Jesus In The Old Testament Was Fulfilled In His Life. The Samaritan Eyewitnesses Said He Was The Savior Of The World. Even His Opponents Knew He Claimed To Be Of A Divine Nature, Equal With God. Let’s Summarize What We’ve Studied So Far.

35. The Miracles As Proof of His Claim John 14:8-11 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.“ Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.

36. His Words Were The Father’s Words. He Was In The Father And The Father Was In Him. The Works He Did Were The Father’s Works. The Works Were The Evidence That Philip Needed. Jesus Said:

37. On The Day Of Pentecost • On The Day Of Pentecost, A Jewish Holiday, When Thousands Of Jews Were In Jerusalem. • God Sent His Spirit To Empower His Disciples. • This Was About Fifty Days After Jesus’ Resurrection.

38. Read What Peter Said • Peter Was Inspired By The Holy Spirit And Said: Acts 2:22 "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. Jesus Was “Accredited” (NIV), “Attested” (RSV), Or Approved” (KJV) By God With The Miracles God Did Through Him.

39. Peter Continued His Inspired Sermon, Explaining That Jesus’ Resurrection Also Proved His Claims To Be Divine. Acts 2:23-24, 32 This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him . . . God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. The Resurrection Proves His Claim

40. Peter Says That The Resurrection Of Jesus Was A Witnessed Fact. Paul Tells Us That Over Five Hundred People Saw Him After The Resurrection (1Corinthians 15:3-6). This Is Important To Note Because These Documents Written By Paul And Peter Were Circulated Among The Very People That Paul And Peter Say Were Witnesses. None Of Them Took His Resurrection As A Statement Of Fiction But As Fact. The Resurrection Of Jesus Is The One Miracle That Truly Proves He Was The Son Of God. Resurrection Of Jesus Was A Witnessed Fact.

41. Look At What Jesus Said To The Skeptics Who Looked For A Sign From Him To Prove His Claim. • Matthew 12:38-40 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you." He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

42. One Sign Would Be Sufficient Jesus Said One Sign Would Be Sufficient To Prove His Claim, His Resurrection On The Third Day. John 2:18-22 Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?“ Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.“ The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?“ But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

43. John 10:17-18 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.“ Jesus Claims That He Has The Authority To Lay Down His Life (As A Sacrifice), The Authority To Take It Up Again (His Resurrection) And That His Father Gave Him That Authority. His Resurrection From The Dead Is Proof Of His Authority. Romans 1:4 . . . (Jesus) was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. His Resurrection Was The Most Important Event Since Creation. Paul, In The Above Verse, Says He Was Declared Or Proven To Be The Son Of God By His Resurrection From The Dead. Again, Jesus Points To His Own Resurrection On The Third Day As Proof Of His Authority And Identity.

44. There Really Was A Man Named Jesus. History Says So. Jesus Perfectly Fulfilled The Old Testament Law And Prophets, Everything That God Had Foretold About The Messiah’s Coming. Jesus Claimed To Be The Son Of God And His Eyewitnesses Agreed. Jesus Proved His Claim By The Miraculous Signs He Performed And The Words He Spoke. The Final Proof Of His Claim Was His Resurrection From Death On The Third Day. Conclusion To Lesson Three

45. Even With All Of This Evidence, Some People Today Believe Jesus Was Just A Good Man, But Not The Son Of God. Think About What They Are Saying. It Is Impossible For Jesus To Be Just A Good Man Because Good Men Do Not Tell Those Kinds Of Lies. Jesus Said He Was The Son Of God. He Is Either A Liar Or The Son Of God. The Evidence Is Overwhelming. He Is Both Lord And Christ. He Is The Son Of God, God Become Flesh, God With Us. If He Is The Son Of God, You Must Listen To Him. He Is Telling You The Truth. You Must Make Him Lord And Place Him On The Throne Of Your Life. Some Are Still Skeptical

46. Jesus Is The Way • Jesus Said He Is The Only Way To Be With God For Eternity (John 14:6). • He Is The Living Messiah. • He Is The Savior. • He Ascended Back To Heaven To Prepare A Place For You, And He Promised To Come Again To Take You Home.

47. Three Major Pillars Of Faith We Have Now Looked At The Three Major Pillars Of The Christian Faith: There Is a God. The Bible Isthe Word of God. Jesus Is The Son Of God. What You Do With These Facts Is Your Choice. May God Richly Bless You In Your Search For Truth.

48. End Of Lesson Three