religions. Some claim He is just a good man and a prophet, others say He is a created being; still others say He is the Son of God. Every major religion acknowledges Jesus, but only one can be right about who He really is. If you are seeking the truth, the beginning point of your search should be on the person of Jesus. There is a common belief that all religions are the same; that we all worship the same God. This is not true. In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is THE WAY—not a way. It is imperative to know the truth about Him. Many people refer to Jesus as being the Son of God. This statement is Biblically correct. Unfortunately, many religious groups acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God, but they do not mean the same thing. When you question them further, you will find that they believe He was a created being of some sort. In today’s spiritual climate, it is incomplete to say Jesus is the Son of God. IF WE ARE TO CLEARLY CONVEY WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT JESUS, We must recognize HIM AS GOD IN THE FLESH. This statement will clearly distinguish the core of your belief. In 1 John 2:22-23 we read: “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?... Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either.” In John 4:25-26 we find that the term Christ and Messiah are synonymous. Jesus was telling the woman at the well that He was the Messiah. In the Old Testament, the Messiah’s deity was foretold. In Isaiah 7:14 we are told, “...the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” In Matthew 1:23 we find that the term Immanuel means GOD WITH US. In Isaiah 9:6-7 we see that the child was to be called MIGHTY GOD. In John 5:18 and 10:33, the Jews clearly understood that Jesus was claiming to be deity. In John 8: 58 Jesus referred to Himself as “I Am”, the same term that God used about Himself when He talked to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). In Acts 20:28 we are told that God purchased the church with His own blood. The only way that could be true is if Jesus was God. In the Gospels, several incidents reaffirm His deity. In Mark 2:5-7 Jesus forgave sins, in Matthew 12:25 and Luke 6:8 He knew people’s thoughts. He also exhibited power over nature in Luke 8:24 and Matthew 14:25. In Exodus 34:14 we are commanded to “worship no other god.” Jesus received and approved of others worshipping Him (Matthew 14:33, John 9:38). All these things were powers and prerogatives that belong only to God! Finally, in John 2:18-22, Jesus made the most astounding prediction of all time. He prophesied that his body would be destroyed (crucified), but in three days HE WOULD RAISE HIMSELF FROM THE DEAD! All four Gospels clearly show the resurrection. Jesus fulfilled His prophetic statement, something only God could do! Jesus clearly claimed to be God in the flesh. This means either He was a lunatic of epic proportions, or He is who He said He is. There is no middle ground. If Jesus is who He claimed to be, there is nothing more important than receiving Him as our Savior (John 1:12). First, we must acknowledge His deity, what He did on the cross, and His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). We also must recognize we are sinners (Romans 3:23) and we need God to redeem us from our sin (1 Peter 1:18-19, 3:18). We then must ask Jesus to come into our life (Revelations 3:20). We receive Christ by faith. Salvation is a gift offered to us by His grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). If you sincerely do believe, and want Jesus to forgive you and come into your life, pray the following: Jesus, I believe You are God in the flesh and that You died on the cross for my sins and rose again the third day. I confess that I am a sinner and I ask You to forgive all my sins. Please come into my life and be my Savior. Thank You for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If you prayed this prayer with all sincerity, you now know God has forgiven all your sins (Ephesians 1:7). You have assurance of eternal life (John 3:36, 5:24, and 6:47). You also know that Jesus will help you to change whatever needs to be changed in your life (Philippians 4:13). Chaplain Don Anderson 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 a 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 away with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. So Who is This Jesus, Anyway? By ANDERSON, CHAPLAIN DON |
| Heaven's Saints M/M Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
| Jesus is Lord |
