Top Ten Questions About Jesus by Keith Roberts {for more information go to http://calhounchurch.org/tenJesus.htm}
#10- "Was Jesus A Real Person?"
Yes, Jesus actually lived. No credible historian today would deny the existence of a carpenter & teacher from Nazareth named Jesus. The Bible gives his life history, but several non-biblical historians of his era also mention him. Josephus (AD 37-95) the Jewish historian wrote about him, and so did Roman historians Tacitus (AD 55-120) and Seutonius (born AD 120.)
#9- "Did Jesus Ever Claim To Be The Son Of God?"
Yes, several times. Once when attacked by his enemies, Jesus said, "I and the Father are one." Then he spoke of the miracles he had done, and asked "For which of these do you stone me?"
Their answer was, "We are not stoning you for these (miracles)… but because you, a mere man, claim to be God." (John 10:33.)
On another occasion they tried to kill Jesus because "he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God." (John 5:18.)
Another time when his enemies tried to kill him, he had said, "Before Abraham was born, I am!" - claiming to be the "Jehovah" of Exodus 3:14. (John 8:58.)
He also said to his own disciples, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:9.) Even at his trial, when the High Priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus answered, "I am… And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Mark 14:62.)
Jesus definitely claimed to be God's Son.
#8- "Why Did People Believe His Claims; Weren't They Just Superstitious?"
People believed Jesus' claims because he proved them. How? By fulfilling all the Old Testament prophecies about the coming of God's own Son-the "Messiah."
For example, the prophet Micah (720 BC) predicted that Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2 & Matthew 2:3-6.)
Isaiah (740 BC) foresaw that Christ would heal the sick (Isaiah 53:4 & Matthew 8:17), and that he would be born of a virgin, and would be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 7:14 & 9:6.) Isaiah also gave an extensive picture of the crucifixion of Christ 700 years before it happened! (Isaiah chapter 53.)
Daniel the prophet (600 BC) predicted that the Messiah would come during the Roman Empire (the fourth empire from Daniel's day) and establish God's Kingdom (Daniel 2:44-45.) Jesus fulfilled it. And the prophet Zechariah (520 BC) amazingly predicted that the Messiah would be sold for 30 pieces of silver, which would be thrown back into the temple (Zech. 11:12-13.)
Also, in Psalm 16:10, King David (1,000 BC) predicted that Messiah would be raised from the dead (see Acts 2:27-32.) People in Jesus' day believed his claims because he fulfilled Divine prophecy.
#7- "Since The Bible Was Written So Long Ago, How Do We Know We Have The Words Jesus Actually Spoke?"
Because of the wealth of carefully hand-copied manuscripts-more than for any other ancient work. There are 13,000 ancient manuscripts for the New Testament alone! Compare that to only 7 for the works of Plato, 5 for Aristotle, 8 for Herodotus, and only 9 for Euripedes.
After years of study, scholar F.F. Bruce says, "There is no body of ancient literature in the world which enjoys such a wealth of good textual attestation as the New Testament."
#6- "Did Jesus Actually Work Miracles?"
Yes, Jesus worked scores of miracles right in front of his enemies, yet they never denied it. And he worked so many miracles, that they can't be explained by "mass hypnosis" or "emotionally overwrought witnesses."
His enemies' only defense was to accuse him of working miracles by Satan's power, but Jesus answered, "Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined…" (Luke 11:17.)
It wouldn't make sense for Jesus to do good, like casting out demons, by Satan's power-Satan would be destroying his own kingdom.
It's amazing that people today will deny that Jesus, or his disciples, ever worked miracles, yet no one in Jesus' day ever denied it. His enemies never denied it. And those who saw his disciples work miracles never denied it-they said, "Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it." (Acts 4:16.)
#5- "Did Jesus Really Die On The Cross, Or Just Faint And Awaken Later?"
No one in Jesus' day, including his enemies, denied that he died on the cross.
After suffering an entire night of trials and beatings, and then being forced to carry the beam of his own cross, Jesus couldn't have survived the horrors of crucifixion. Besides that, he was crucified by professionals-four Roman soldiers whose job was to kill people. Letting a prisoner escape death would cost them their own lives-They wouldn't be fooled by one who just fainted.
#4- "Did Jesus Actually Rise From The Dead, Or Did His Disciples Just Hide The Body?"
On the third day after his death, Jesus literally came back from the dead. His spirit returned to his dead body (John 20:1-18.)
The disciples couldn't have moved Jesus' body; Pontius Pilate had posted a guard and sealed the tomb. But when Jesus came back to life, these guards were paralyzed with fear. Later, Jewish leaders paid them to say they had fallen asleep and the disciples grabbed Jesus' body (Matthew 28:11-15.) But falling asleep on guard duty meant the death penalty, yet these guards were never prosecuted.
How could Jesus' disciples have moved his body without overpowering the guards? And if the guards were asleep, how did they know what happened to the body?
#3- "Didn't The Disciples Just Mistake Jesus' Ghost For A Resurrection?"
No, Jesus actually appeared in bodily form. He spent over a month-40 days-with hundreds of his disciples after his resurrection. He ate meals with them, taught them and readied them to be his witnesses (Acts 1:3-8.) On one appearance Jesus said to them, "Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have" and then he ate fish with them (Luke 24:37-43.)
#2- "If Jesus Was The Son Of God, Why Didn't Everyone Believe Him?"
In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus said people fail to believe because Satan comes and steals the good news out of the hearts of hearers (Luke 8:12.)
He also said that religion itself can become a barrier to belief-to a group of religious Pharisees, Jesus said "you nullify the word of God for the sake of your traditions." (Matthew 15:6.) An insincere heart can poison the well of one's belief.
#1- "If Jesus Was Really The Son of God, Why Did He Let Himself Be Killed?"
Because his death and resurrection had a purpose.
After his resurrection, Jesus told his own disciples, "Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms… This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations…" (Luke 24:44-48.)
The purpose of Christ's life, death and resurrection was to repair our broken relationship to the Father-the "forgiveness of sins." As the Holy Spirit later said through the Apostle Paul, "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…By this gospel (good news) you are saved…"(1Cor. 15:1-4.)
Since every human being born after Adam's likeness has sinned-or "fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)-everybody needs their alienation from God repaired. Isaiah said that "your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you…" (59:2.)
Christ substituted himself for us-he went to hell on the cross so we don't have to go there ourselves. He was the sinless Son of God, yet he absorbed our sins so we could be free. All the guilt and shame of every sin-whether child molestation, murder, adultery, theft, lying, etc-all sin and shame were placed on him.
If you believe that he is the Son of God, raised from the dead, and that he did all this just for you, it will change you. You'll be, as Jesus described it, "born again" (John 3:3-18.)
He also said, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16.)
Are you such a believer? Do you have questions? If you need help in finding your walk with Christ, contact us.
May God bless you with the answers to all your spiritual questions.
