WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?

JESUS CHRIST - MAN OF HISTORY?

Biblical Sources:

The New Testament is supported by 5,000+ Greek manuscripts.

Quote: ‘If one discards the Bible as being unreliable, then he must discard almost

all literature of antiquity’.

Josh McDowell.

THE TEXTUAL PEDIGREE BEHIND THE BIBLE IS OVERWHELMING!

THE TEXTUAL PEDIGREE BEHIND THE BIBLE IS OVERWHELMING!

Non – Biblical Sources:

Cornelius Tacitus

Roman historian Born AD50s

Lucian Satirist of 2nd century

Flavius Josephus

Jewish historian Born AD37

Seutonius Roman historian

AD120

Plinius Secundus

Governor of Bithynia

AD112

Thallus Samaritan historian

AD52

All of these recorded the existence of Jesus Christ,

which is evidence accepted by all historians! (As far as we

know none of these men were Christians).

It is accepted, by all historians, that Jesus Christ existed as a man of history.

BUT WAS HE MORE THAN THAT?

JESUS CHRIST - GOD’S SON?

NOTE: No recognised religious leader claimed to

be God – ONLY JESUS!1His direct claim to be God:Mark 14:61-64 NIV Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”62 “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”63 The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. 64 “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”They all condemned him as worthy of death. 

JESUS WAS CONDEMNED & EXECUTED BECAUSE HE CLAIMED TO

BE GOD!

JESUS WAS CONDEMNED & EXECUTED BECAUSE HE CLAIMED TO

BE GOD!

2 His personal claims to be God:

Jesus forgives sins:Mark 2:5-7 NIV 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Jesus due same honour as the Father:John 5:23 NIV 23 that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent him.

Know me, know the Father:John 8:19 NIV 19 Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

Jesus uses God’s own name (see Exodus 3:13,14)John 8:58,59 NIV 58 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him,

Jesus claims equality with God:John 10:30-33 NIV  30 I and the Father are one.”31 Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”33 “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

Trust in me:John 14:1 NIV 1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

See me, see the Father:

John 14:9 NIV 9 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.

JESUS CLEARLY ACTS LIKE GOD, AND CLAIMS EQUALITY

WITH GOD!

JESUS CLEARLY ACTS LIKE GOD, AND CLAIMS EQUALITY

WITH GOD!

3 His miracles:

John 14:11 NIV 11 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. 

JESUS ACCEPTS WORSHIP:Matt 4:10 NIV 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Here Jesus states that only God is to be worshipped ( Greek word – ‘proskuneo’ – to come toward to kiss).

Matt 14:33 NIV 33 Then those who were in the boat worshipped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Matt 28:9 NIV  9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him.

John 9:38 NIV 38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshipped him.

John 20:27-29 NIV 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

In these verses Jesus receives worship which is due to God alone. How can this be?

BECAUSE JESUS CHRIST IS BOTH MAN AND GOD!

WHAT DID OTHERS SAY?

Paul, John the Baptist, Peter, Thomas, the writer to the Hebrews, Stephen – ALL CLAIMED THAT JESUS IS GOD!

ALL THIS EVIDENCE CLEARLY POINTS TO JESUS CHRIST NOT ONLY BEING A

MAN OF HISTORY,

BUT ALSO GOD!

BUT THERE IS MORE!!BUT THERE IS MORE!!

JESUS AND THE MESSIANIC PROPHECIES:

Some try to say that Jesus made them come true - RUBBISH!

Many were completely outside of his human control:The place, time and manner of his birth.The manner of his death.His burial.

Some try to say that the fulfilled prophecies were coincidences or accidents -RUBBISH!

There are 332 prophecies in the Old Testament all literally fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

• The chance of 8 being fulfilled in one man - 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000

• The chance of 48 being fulfilled in one man - 1 in 10 with 157 noughts after it.

Acts 2:23 NIV 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge;

ALL PART OF GOD’S PLAN!

HE IS LORD

LUNATIC

LIAR

JESUS, JUST A GOOD MAN OR TEACHER?

FALSE TRUE

HE DIDN’T KNOWHE KNEW

EVIL

FOOL

DELUDED

ACCEPTHIM

REJECTHIM

JESUS CLAIMS TO BE GOD

JESUS NEVER LEFT THE OPTION OF JUST A 'GOOD MAN' NOR DIDHE INTEND TO!

Quote: ' I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about him: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. " That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher: he would either be a lunatic - on the level of a man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice, either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse'.

C. S Lewis. Mere Christianity

JESUS CHRIST

MAN OF HISTORY

LORD LUNATIC LIAR GOOD MANX

WORKED MIRACLES

CLAIMED HE WAS GOD

RECEIVED WORSHIP

FORGAVE SINS

FULFILLED PROPHECY

CLAIMS OF

OTHERS

Matt 27:54 NIV 54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

JESUS CHRIST IS BOTH MAN AND GOD!

JESUS CHRIST IS BOTH MAN AND GOD!