Who is Jesus Christ
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Scripture: Mat 16:15
Download PDF file by clicking link above DISC 101 - Who is Jesus Christ? Mat 16:15
I'd like to thank Pastor Craig Caster & Family Discipleship Ministries
This message corresponds to Lesson One
in his Discipleship Workbook -PDF
After hearing this msg - I encourage you to go thru Lesson One
from that Discipleship Workbook (Who is Jesus Christ)
Since this is the beginning of an 8-Part Discipleship Series
based exclusively on the BIBLE
I thought it's be a good idea to first address
the VALIDITY of the Bible Vs's other Religious Writings
1) Why Should We Believe the Bible?
We have a msg at W-B-M by this same name - You can Get It
Of the hundreds of religions in the world
& the hundreds of variations of the hundreds of religions
& with everyone you & I both know
constantly coming up with their own ideas about God
Why should we believe the Bible?
Why should we choose to believe the Bible
over all those thousands of books
by all those thousands of people
who are all relatively confident - they are RIGHT
at least confident enough to try to get their books sold
Why should we BYPASS all those people
& simply believe exactly what the Bible says??
Because - pls listen carefully - There is not ONE other book
in the entire history of the entire world
that can even begin to come close to the
historical, scientific, & archeological proof that the Bible provides
for 2,000 years The Bible has stood the test of a thousand attacks & it has come out stronger & stronger after EVERY TEST (& attack)
There is NO OTHER BOOK in the history of mankind
that can make the claims the Bible can make
There is NO book, from NO religion, & NO other religious writing
that can withstand the tests the Bible has withstood
& the enemies of the Bible
(all spurred on by the ultimate enemy of God)
They can make all their movies - they can cast all their doubt
they can even deceive the naïve
But when you put ALL those enemies together (& all those attacks)
The Bible comes thru w/ Miraculous, Supernatural,
Rock Solid PROOF - of its absolute Validity
Why ?? - Because God protects His Word
Isa 40:8 - ESV
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
Mat 24:35 - ESV
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
The Bible is supernatural, miraculous, & its proven
far above every other religious document in the world
The Bible is ONE CONCISE Msg
Miraculously written in 66 different books,
by 40 different authors,
over more than 1500 years
& it is totally congruent & concise in its Message, & Purpose
& Proof after Proof of
Historical, Scientific, & Archeological finds
All substantiate the fact that NO OTHER religious document
can be placed on an Equal Plane with the Bible
The accuracy of the Bible in regard to its Specific
Historical facts - is Miraculous
& there are over 25,000 documented archeological finds in Israel & NOT ONE contradicts the Bible
If you compare the Dead Sea Scroll of ISA - hidden before 70 AD
to the ISA in your Bible today - it differs by only 9 LETTERS
THAT is the miraculous preservation of God's Word
something NO OTHER religious document can come close to claiming
So - when we decide that the Bible is THE authority
to look to in the matters of God
it is NO arbitrary decision !!
There is NO EQUAL to the Bible
in its Creation, in its History, in its Proof against all attacks
& THAT is why we look to the Bible
to answer our questions about GOD
So With that - Let's Pray - & we'll see what the Bible has to say today
2) Who does the Bible say Jesus Christ is?
If you could pull back the VEIL of heaven
do you think it would change your life?
In Isa Ch 6 - God gave Isaiah a GLIMPSE of Heaven
Isa 6:1-5 - ESV
1 . . . I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.2 Above him stood the seraphim . . . 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; . . . for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
If we "Saw the Lord" we would be UNDONE - just like Isaiah was
But the Bible DOES allow us - to see the LORD
& to KNOW - Who Jesus Christ is
But so many people today
have so many OF THEIR OWN Answers
To the Question - WHO do you say Jesus Christ is
But that's No Different than when Jesus walked the earth as a man
In Mat CH 16 Jesus asked His disciples
the same question He asks us today
Mat 16:15-17 - ESV
15 He (Jesus) said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
Why would we be more sure of our OWN OPINION - than the Miraculous, Supernatural, Proven over 2,000 yrs - Word of God
Why not just Believe Who GOD says Jesus Christ is?
The Bible says Jesus Christ is
The Savior (the Christ)
The Son of the living God,
Seated on the Throne in Heaven at the Right Hand of God
& not only that - but the Bible says
Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things
Jn 1:3 says - ESV
All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
AND - the Bible says that in Jesus Christ all things Hold Together
Col 1:16-17 says - ESV
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, . . . all things were created through him and for him . . . and in him all things hold together.
The Bible says - Jesus Christ is the CREATOR of all things
& IN HIM all things HOLD TOGETHER
3) the Bible says - Jesus Christ is also our REDEEMER
2,000 yrs ago Jesus LEFT His rightful place
in the Throne-room of Heaven, to come to earth
Luk 2:11 says - ESV
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
The Creator & Sustainer of all Creation
Had come to Earth to REDEEM mankind
REDEEM means - "To buy back, to recover by paying ransom, to purchase in order to set free"
It's a SLAVERY term that allowed a person to pay
the Full Price required to Purchase a SLAVE,
with the Intention - of setting that slave FREE
& guys - we have become - SLAVES to SIN
Psa 14:2-3 - NLT
2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God.3 But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!
By Nature - & by Choice - we are SLAVES to SIN
& for God to REDEEM us - the FULL PRICE had to be paid
to buy us back from our SIN Master
Which is why - Mat 20:28 says - ESV
the Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many
How could Jesus Christ (Who created us & gave us life)
How could He REDEEM us from Sin ??
How could He PURCHASE us - in order to set us FREE ?
1Pet 1:18-19 - NLT
18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver.19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.
THAT'S HOW ! - - He purchased us
by paying the Full Ransom owed - with His own life
in fact it was the only way to REDEEM us
from sin, & the Judgment our sin required
Eph 1:7 - NLT
[God] is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
Jesus Christ did this - on THE CROSS
Death by Crucifixion was reserved for the lowest criminals
it was an agonizing, painfully slow death
The Bible says Jesus was
Rejected by His own people
Forsaken by His friends
Condemned by the Religious leaders
Then He
Was Mocked
Was Beaten with a scourge that would've killed an average man
Had a crown of thorns beaten down on his head
& then He was Spat upon, Stripped naked, & Humiliated
Then - the Creator of all that had been created
Carried His own cross - & then willingly laid upon it
Where He was nailed alive, & hung for 6 hours
between the Earth He created & the Heavens He deserved
For the 1st 3 hours those on Earth mocked Him
For the 2nd 3 hours the Heavens turned BLACK
as Jesus Christ paid the full penalty for our sin
that had separated us from God
& the last words Jesus spoke on the cross were
IT IS FINISHED !
Jesus Christ had paid for our Sin - in our place
AND made a way - for us to be MADE RIGHT with God
2Cor 5:21 - NLT
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
Because of our sin - we owed God a Debt we could not pay
Jesus Christ Paid that debt
so we could be Made Right with God, thru Him
Rom 6:23 - ESV
For the wages of sin is death (that's what Jesus paid for us), but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (that's what Jesus offers us).
4) The Next Question is - - WHY ?
Why did the Creator & Sustainer of the Universe
Suffer & Die to Redeem us ?
I have to agree with the Psalmist - who asked in
Psa 8:3-4 - ESV
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,4 what is man that you are mindful of him . . ?
But as quick as I can ask the question - God answers it Himself
in the most Famous Vs. in the Bible
The answer to the WHY question - is in Jn 3:16
Jn 3:16 - ESV
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
God so loved YOU - that He gave His only Son
so that He could Offer YOU Eternal Life
& WHERE were WE - when God did this?
Were we showing some PROMISE ?
Had we started CLEANING UP our lives ?
NO !!
He did it - when you & I were DEAD in our Sin
The highlights of Eph 2:1-9 say - ESV
you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, . . . But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ . . . For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
We are Saved by God's grace
Right when we could do NOTHING to earn it, or deserve it
The creator of the universe
came to earth
to go to the cross
to pay for our sins
to offer us eternal life
& He did it because he loves you
He loves you individually - He loves you personally
& He wants to have an eternal relationship with you
5) What is it that Jesus Christ saves us FROM?
Jesus Christ saves us FROM God's "JUDGMENT
that MUST fall upon sin
God CANNOT overlook sin - otherwise He could not be God
God MUST Judge sin
But because of His Great Love for us
God has made a way for us to CHOOSE
whether to have Judgment for our sin
Fall on US, or Fall on Jesus Christ in our place
Rom 5:8-9 - NLT
8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.
THAT is God's Grace
Never something we could EARN - or DESERVE
What we EARN is DEATH
What we are GIVEN in Jesus Christ - is Eternal Life
Again - Rom 6:23 - ESV
For the wages of sin is death (that's what we earn), but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (that's what Jesus offers).
6) Is Jesus really the ONLY way for man to be Saved?
Really - Come on
Can’t we just "Be a Good Person" & get to heaven ?
Won’t God accept us if we just live "a pretty good life" ?
Remember - we already established
The Miraculous - Beyond Comparison
Stand alone Validity of the Bible
So - Here's how the Bible answers that question
Acts 4:12 - ESV
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Jn 14:6 - Jesus said Himself - ESV
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
1Jn 5:12 - ESV
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Here's the problem with all those MAN-MADE ways to God
It's our SIN that separates us from God
& there is NO other religious idea, opinion, or writing
that Substitutes God Himself (in human form)
to pay the FULL PENALTY of your sin - IN YOUR PLACE
There is NO OTHER Payment
sufficient to meet God's PERFECT HOLINESS!
& so - there is no other way for you to be saved
from the Judgment required upon your sin
Except by Receiving the FULL PAYMENT
Jesus Christ paid for you - in your place
& if you reject Christ - then your only other option
is to pay the Full Penalty for your sin - YOURSELF
which the Bible says - is eternal separation from God
in the place we call, HELL
So the only question left is
7) How can I receive this Salvation ?
There's a couple things we've got to make clear first
1) The Gift of Salvation is Freely offered to ALL
Rom 10:13 - ESV
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
1Tim 2:4 - ESV
[God] desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
That includes YOU today,
no matter who you are,
where you've been,
what you've done - God wants you to be saved TODAY
2) Salvation comes BY FAITH ALONE (you can’t earn it)
Gal 2:16 - NLT
Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law.
Rom 5:1 - ESV
Therefore, since we have been justified (made right with God) by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So - 1) Salvation is for ALL who would receive it
2) Salvation is BY FAITH in Jesus Christ ALONE
& so here are the basic steps the Bible addresses for salvation
1) CONFESS - agree with God that you are a sinner
2) REPENT - turn from your sin
3) BELIEVE - that Jesus Christ died for your sins
4) RECEIVE - Jesus Christ as the LORD of your Life
Confess - Repent - Believe - Receive
In Mk 1:15 Jesus said - ESV
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
I pray that time - for each of you - is NOW!
Rom 10:9-10 - ESV
9 . . . if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Jn 1:12 - ESV
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
Now is the time - Today is the day - for you to;
Confess to God, you are a Sinner
Repent of your sins
Believe that Jesus Christ Died to pay for your sin
Receive Jesus Christ as your LORD
& I want to give you a chance to do exactly that - right now
& when you do
You will become a Child of God
Your sins will be Paid For by Jesus Christ
You will be put in Right Standing with God
& God will reserve for you - Eternal Life in Heaven with Him
& here's how I'm going to ask you to do it;
Confess to God, you are a Sinner
Repent of your sins
Believe that Jesus Christ Died to pay for your sin
Receive Jesus Christ as your LORD
Let's Pray
Praise the Lord !
In Luk 15:10 - Jesus said - NLT
. . . there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.
Luk 10:20 - ESV
. . . rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
If you just put your FAITH in Jesus Christ
& made Him your LORD
Then God's Angels are REJOICING - & you should be TOO
there is now - a place reserved in Heaven for you
HOWEVER - pls listen carefully
Making Jesus your Lord is not "Say a Quick Prayer
& then you go back to living however you want"
This is THE BEGINNING - of the Greatest Life possible
& the Greatest Eternity you could ever imagine
But that Great life - & that Great Eternity
come from ABIDING (remaining) in Christ
Jesus said in - Jn 15:4 - ESV
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
The GREATNESS of the Christian life
comes from ABIDING in Christ
But learning to ABIDE in Christ
takes Time - & it takes Effort
It takes becoming a DAILY DISCIPLE (follower) of Christ
Go to our Website - at wordbymail.com
& click on the Discipleship Workbook Link (homepage)
& go thru LESSON ONE - Who is Jesus Christ ?
that lesson goes with this msg
Again - I want to thank Family Discipleship Ministries
for providing that Discipleship Workbook
Let's Pray