THE POINT. Click the icon.
Regardless of what you believe, there is no doubt one “Man” changed the face of planet earth. Western culture is grounded in Judaeo-Christian values. Jesus moved the world from stoning, pederasty, and bestiality, all routine practices in ancient civilization, to “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Mark 12:31
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
Does contemporary Western culture execute the values surrounding “Love thy neighbor” well? Hardly. But here is the importance – at least we understand the goal. We can’t move towards improvement if we don’t know what we are moving to and Judaeo-Christian values set the target. You have doubt about the claims associated with Jesus? Take a number. Anyone serious about their spirituality starts there, and I was no different.
My Story
2018. At this point, I’ve been aggressively “running my own tests” on the promises in the Bible for almost five years – I call it my “Research Project.” What got me started? Six words that made me jump off the couch to see who was behind me: “Those are you choices, not mine.” Click the icon.
The Question That Cannot Be Avoided
Who is Jesus of Nazareth?
Is Jesus of Nazareth the promised One in Isaiah 9:6 (top of page), written about 700 hundred years before His birth? Is He the savior of the world? Ask God and do your own research. I am convinced an Atheist who is not afraid to ask bold questions is more pleasing to God than a Christian who passively sits in a building called Church without asking any questions. Why? People who ask questions care enough to actively seek out the Truth. Some scholars estimate hundreds of Scripture pointing to Jesus as God’s answer to His promise in the Garden Story: Send One who will “… crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15 I am summarizing just a few to help you start your own Research Project. Click away…
Although experts agree the number of Scripture fulfilled by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is in the hundreds, most research is centered around the Scriptures below. Now you know where to begin your research. Challenge everything. Truth rules.
| Reference in Old Testament |
Reference to Jesus | Fulfillment in New Testament |
| Psalm 2:7 | The Messiah will be God’s Son | Hebrews 1:5-6 |
| Psalm 16:8-10 | He will rise from the dead | Luke 24:5-7 |
| Psalm 22:1-21 | He will experience agony on the cross | Matthew 26:27 |
| Psalm 22:15 | He will thrist while on the cross | John 19:28 |
| Psalm 22:18 | Evil men will throw dice for His clothing | Matthew 27:35, John 19:23-24 |
| Psalm 22:22 | He will declare God’s name | Hebrews 2:12 |
| Psalm 34:20 | His bones will not be broken | John 19:36-37 |
| Psalm 40:6-8 | He will come to do God’s will | Hebrews 10:5-7 |
| Psalm 41:9 | His friends will betray Him | Luke 22:48 |
| Psalm 45:6-7 | His throne will last forever | Hebrews 1:8-9 |
| Psalm 68:18 | He will descend into Heaven | Ephesians 4:8-10 |
| Psalm 69:9 | He will be zealous for God | John 2:17 |
| Psalm 69:21 | He will be offered sour wine for His thirst on the cross | Matthew 27:48 |
| Psalm 89:3-4,35-36 | He will be a descendant of King David | Luke 1:31-33 |
| Psalm 96:13 | He will return to judge the world | 1 Thessalonians 1:10 |
| Psalm 110:1 | He is King David’s Son and King David’s Lord | Matthew 22:44 |
| Psalm 110:4 | He is the eternal Priest King | Hebrews 6:20 |
| Psalm 118:22 | He is rejected by many, but accepted by God | 1 Peter 2:7-8 |
| Micah 5:2 | Christ is to be born in Bethlehem | Matthew 2:1-7, John 7:42, Luke 2:4-7 |
| Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1 | Christ is to be preceded by a messenger | Matthew 3:1-3, 11:10, John 1:23, Luke 1:13-17 |
| Zechariah 9:9 | Christ is to enter Jerusalem on a donkey | Luke 19:28-37; Matthew 21:1-11 |
| Zechariah11:12 | Christ is to be sold for thirty pieces of silver | Matthew 27:5-7 |
| Zechariah11:13 | The money for which Christ is to be sold is to be thrown “to the potter” in God’s house | Matthew 27:5-7 |
| Isaiah 53:7 | Christ is to be silent before His accusers | Matthew 27:12, Mark 14:60-61, 15:3-5 |
| Psalm 22:16, Zechariah 12:10, Isaiah 53:5, 12 | Christ is to be executed by Crucifixion as a thief | Luke 23:33, John 20:25; Matthew 27:38, Mark 15:24-27 |
Sources: Life Application Study Bible, “Killing Jesus,” Bill O”Reilly, Martin Dugard
7So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock. 8In one month I got rid of the three shepherds.
The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them 9and said, “I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Let those who are left eat one another’s flesh.”
10Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord.
12I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.
13And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.” Zechariah 11:7-13
The Second Coming
14Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the family bond between Judah and Israel.
15Then the Lord said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves.” Zechariah 11:14-16
36“The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. 37He will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. 38Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his ancestors he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price. Daniel 11:36-39
5The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. 6It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.” Revelation 13:5-8
My Question: Why Do I Need Jesus?
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.” Hebrews 4:15
My questions? Why do I need to go through Jesus to “go to the Father”? (John 14:6) What is it that I’ve done that requires the need for an intermediary? Those questions revealed the root of my problem. I didn’t understand enough about God the Giver to ever understand Jesus, His Gift. Once I was clear on God the Father and His impossible standard of perfection, the need for the gift of Jesus became painfully clear to me.
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15
Isaiah 9:6 (top of page) was written hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth and represents one of hundreds of Scripture scholars use to justify the conclusion that Jesus is God’s promised One. Promised One? The One God promised to send in Genesis 3:15 who will “crush the head of the one who strikes the heel…” The life, death and resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of the Christian world view.
Why do I need Jesus? Because God is Holy.
God the Father
God is holy and righteous, but desires relationship. His holiness explains His standard of perfection. His righteousness means every wrong, even the ones committed in ignorance, must be addressed. And finally, His desire for relationship means He is interested in long-term relationships with people who willingly choose Him, not robots executing His predefined “script.” The powerful gift of free will is the metric that confirms that statement. Deceived by Satan, man made the wrong choice and walked away from God. Because we learn from one another, dysfunction exploded exponentially making it impossible for any human being with enough health to make choices to ever meet His standards.
Jesus: The Essence of God in a Human Package
Because of God’s standard of perfection, one wrong choice causes permanent separation – spiritual death. Relationship with people who have no capacity to meet His standards caused a real “dilemma,” unless you are God. Instead of lowering His standards, He solved the “dilemma” by placing His very essence in a human package named Jesus. Jesus lived the perfect life, and died a death to pay the penalty for all men’s sin. His perfect life creates a much needed path back to a holy God who desires relationship. God the Father sees all who believe in Jesus in His Light, not in the reality of our own bad choices. That solves the relationship issue. God the Father sees the death of Jesus as atonement for all men’s sin. That satisfies the righteousness of God.
Choose Carefully. Do Your Own Research.
This merging of God’s spirit and man makes Jesus completely man and completely God. The caveat? In His humanity, Jesus still had to use His gift of free will to choose the cross. There was no “God-pass” for the pain He suffered; free will is a powerful gift. Anyone who is serious abut their own spirituality, must come to their own conclusion about this issue because it is through His life, God’s gift of grace is extended. I like the way C.S. Lewis summarizes the choice:
“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 with the 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. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” C.S. Lewis
Did Jesus Claim to be God?
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6
“Did Jesus ever claim to be God?” Good question. Like most important aspects of God, there are arguments for both sides. While the Bible never records Jesus saying the words, “I am God,” there are some strong indications leading believers to the conclusion that yes, Jesus claims to be a manifested extension of God. Read the Gospels carefully and it becomes clear that everything Jesus says and does is done intentionally with the intent of fulfilling scripture announcing His visit to planet earth. You’ll have to research that question on your own, but here are examples of scripture that support the claim.
“I (Jesus speaking) and the Father are one.” John 10:30 *** Jesus said unto them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” John 8:58 *** “‘But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins — He said to the paralytic, I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.'” Mark 2:10-11 *** “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (Written about Jesus by one of Jesus disciples)
Keep reading and you will see the other arguments supporting the claims of Jesus: Scripture written by prophets and other writers in the Old Testament thousands of years prior to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. I’m convinced God isn’t looking for “blind” followers. Researching and challenging the idea of “Jesus” greatly honors God! It means I actually care enough to take the time to research whether I actually “buy into” this doctrine that separates a Bible based believer from all other religions.
WATCH
Jesus. Just another great teacher? As C.S. Lewis points out in the clip below, to consider Jesus as nothing more than a “good teacher” is to ignore a few obvious problems. If Jesus was just another nice man gifted with a teaching skill, what do you do with all His claims of divinity? I know what I think, but I’m not trying to tell you what to think, I’m trying to give you some things to think about. Do your own research and come to your own conclusions because it is the most important decision you will ever make.
Source: youtube Upload*** REMINDER: I don’t own content and have no control over ads and additional links associated with this link. ***
My Favorite Resources
This is a resource site. I’ve included suggestions to some of my favorite resources below.
LEARN
As the site matures, I hope to have messages related to the topic on the page, but I have to get permission from the ministries below and I am not there yet. Check out their websites – all their messages are useful!
Recommended Resource:
NorthRidge Church. *** REMINDER: This site represents MY PERSONAL STORY and not necessarily the “official” views of this ministry. Click on the icon above to access their talks on-line. Visit their site for more information. ***
Recommended Resource:
Joyce Meyer Ministries *** REMINDER: This site represents MY PERSONAL STORY and not necessarily the “official” views of this ministry. Click on the icon above to access their talks on-line. Visit their site for more information. ***
READ
What’s So Great About Christianity?: Dinesh D’Souza
The Case For Christ. Author: Lee Strobel
A former atheist, holds a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School, was an investigative newspaper reporter, and was the award-winning legal editor of the Chicago Tribune. He spent two years researching Christianity to disprove it. Eventually, he converted and is now a teaching pastor at Saddleback Church. Read a summary of his testimony – the book is well worth the read.
Killing Jesus. Authors: Bill O’Reilly & Martin Duguard
If you are interested in the political and religious environment in which Jesus lived, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND O’Reilly’s book, “Killing Jesus.” He has well-documented resources and manages to tell what could be dry and boring facts about a period of time in history into a fascinating story – I couldn’t put the book down. Well worth the read! Here is how Bill O’Reilly explains the disciples shift in behavior after Jesus’ death:
“After the crucifixion, the disciples of Jesus underwent a radical shift in behavior. They were quite positive that they had seen a resurrected Jesus and soon went out into the world and fearlessly preached his message.”
Don’t like Bill O’Reilly? That’s okay, we don’t have to like everyone and the profits from his books go to charity. Don’t let a difference of opinion prevent you from reading something that brings such clarity to the world of Jesus.
Good or God? Author: John Bevere
“These days the terms good and God seem synonymous. We believe what’s generally accepted as good must be in line with God’s will. Generosity, humility, justice―good. Selfishness, arrogance, cruelty―evil. The distinction seems pretty straightforward. But is that all there is to it? If good is so obvious, why does the Bible say that we need discernment to recognize it? Good or God? isn’t another self-help message. This book will do more than ask you to change your behavior. It will empower you to engage with God on a level that will change every aspect of your life.” Source: Amazon.com
My comment. Before I can strive to have a life that pleases God, I need to understand His standards and boundaries. This book does a great job in pointing out the difference between the Bible’s standards and the world’s version of “good.”
LISTEN
What if it’s true? Make up your mind that you would rather “show up” in front of God wrong instead of uninformed; be ready to defend your position. Challenge everything. God has not given us a choice of no decision. No decision is a decision to reject. Aren’t we all asking the same questions…???
Source: youtube Upload *** REMINDER: I don’t own content and have no control over ads and additional links associated with this link. ***
Nichole Nordeman: READ THE WORDS (this version performed by: Tara Lauren)
Consciousness after Death
What’s that you say? You don’t remember being unhappy before you were born and well, dead is dead – right? Deceived again. I made this mistake for years. Gain concept here.
“In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side. So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’…” Luke 16:23-24
There are two serious problems with that logic. The first problem? You came from a place called “In the Spirit” – a place God’s presence resides, so no, you would have no recollection of being in a “bad” place. The second flaw in that logic? The Bible makes it crystal clear that unlike your body God MADE from dust, God CREATED your soul with His Words. What does that mean? It means your soul will live on forever. You will be conscious after death – near death experiences confirm Scripture on that point. Read the “Worth Consideration” module.
Eternity Is a Long Time.
“If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” Luke 9:26
Eternity is a long time – I’ll be dead a whole lot longer than I am alive. This isn’t a decision to not think about. Hoping that in the end I was “a good enough” person, and all the other excuses I’d told myself while “hoping for the best” knowing I would “deal with God” when I die is not a good plan. I repeat, not a good plan. If you don’t believe in God, that is a different issue (spend some more time thinking about death and then come back), but for those of us who do believe in God, but haven’t really thought through the claims of Jesus, this is not wise.
Being “Busy” Won’t Impress God
“… everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13
What about God’s promise to save those who call on His name? He keeps His promise, we’ll get to that later in the course, but that promise just might not get you where you think it will get you. Read on. Not spending time doing much more than showing up in a building called Church means that regardless of what my flapping lips say, I don’t value God enough to even give these matters some effort. At some point I decided I’d rather “show up” having gotten it wrong through effort rather than “showing up” lazy and ignorant. Let’s see how my primary excuse would have sounded had I died “hoping” I was a “good enough” person. Too bad about that impossible standard of perfection God adheres to.
“Oh, You are there! I was going to look into this, really I was, but you only gave me 42 YEARS to figure this out – sorry, I was really “busy…“
Busy? I am pretty sure that “busy” isn’t going to go well… It was my first sign of being a hypocrite. In my life, anything of value gets attention-period. Once that ran through my mind, I decided to make it my business to find out what Luke 9:26 (above) meant. So I started to investigate…
The Science of Probability.
You need science to prove the credibility of the claims of Jesus? You are not alone. Take a look at the statistical and probability analysis done by Dr. Stoner and 600 science students from twelve different classes on the eight prophecies below. The results are not unusual. There are other studies as well. It will give you a place to begin if you really want to put your doubts to rest through science. The information below is gleaned through the book, “God or God?” written by John Bevere.
Evaluating the Evidence
“In the mid 1900s, a science professor named Peter Stoner published a book entitled Science Speaks. In this work he discussed the prophecies of Christ in the light of the science of probability. Consider his findings, H. Harold Hartzler, Ph.D, wrote in the forward to Science Speaks:
‘The manuscript for Science Speaks has been carefully reviewed by a committee of American Scientific Affiliation members and by the Executive Council of the same group and has been found, in general, to be dependable and accurate in regard to the scientific material presented. The mathematical analysis included is based upon principles of probability which are thoroughly sound and Professor Stone has applied these principles in a proper and convincing way.’ Source: John Bevere, Good or God? – H. Harold Hartzler, Ph.D, (Forward to Science Speaks)
The Probability
” ‘We find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in [100,000,000,000,000,000]}3 Source: John Bevere, Good or God? – H. Harold Hartzler, Ph.D, (Forward to Science Speaks)
That statistic is staggering, but unless you’re a mathematician or scientist, it’s difficult to comprehend… If it were possible to obtain 100,000,000,000,000,000 silver dollars… and marked one of the coins and distributed the coins (which would be 2 feet deep over the entire state of Texas). Now blindfold a man, put him in a helicopter, and fly him over the state, waiting for him to give the order to set it down. Once on the ground, he can get out of the helicopter, still blindfolded, and pick out one coin.” (Parphrased: John Bevere, Good or God)
Statistical analysis is important, but I believe the prophecies for a completely different reason. I ran the tests. Everything I can test in the Bible (while I am alive), has been true. I have a changed life. Read the My Strange Story blog. This website is the results of my test or “Research Project.” My point? Do your own research. Start by reading the Worth Consideration blog.
Science
You love science? Consider researching the Star of Bethlehem; the star associated with the birth of Jesus at Christmas. Consider. Just before the birth of Jesus, there was a very real star in place – the Heavens were different. This isn’t just folklore from the Bible, it is a fact.
Note: In 1991, The Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society (volume 32, pages 389-407) noted that Chinese astronomers had observed a long-tailed, slow-moving comet in their skis during March of 5 B.C. This star hung in the Capricorn region for more than 70 days… and would have been directly in front of the Magi during their journey – hence, they would have truly followed the star.” (Source: Bill O’Reilly, Killing Jesus)
You doubt it? For a more in-depth article check out the source below.
“The astronomer in me knows that no star can do these things, nor can a comet, or Jupiter, or a supernova, or a conjunction of planets or any other actual bright object in the nighttime sky. One can claim that Matthew’s words describe a miracle, something beyond the laws of physics. But Matthew chose his words carefully and wrote ‘star in the east’ twice, which suggests that these words hold a specific importance for his readers.” Professor David Weintraub, “Amazingly, astronomy can explain the biblical Star of Bethlehem,” Source: www.washingtonpost.com
For Consideration
According to the Bible, a rejection of Jesus is actually a rejection of God. Sadly, I loved Christmas long before I really understood its meaning and I was “raised” in a church. Observation tells me I am not alone in this challenge. You will be dead so much longer than you are alive. Why not DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH on the claim that Jesus is the very manifestation of the God the Father in a human body? Choose carefully because in essence you are answering a question: “At the end of my life, do I want to ‘get what I deserve’ based on God’s standard of perfection, or do I want to get what He offers? Grace.”
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’ ” John 14:6
Summary
In this module, you were asked to consider the following statements:
- It is impossible to “inherit” a relationship with God.
- You must come to your own conclusion. “No choice,” is a choice to reject what God offers.
- God is not afraid of our questions, disbelief or anger. Ask!
- A good place to start your own “Research Project” is the Scripture confirming the divinity of Jesus.
- Care enough about your own eternal destination to challenge everything. Truth rules.
