Why I believe Jesus is Messiah

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“Why I Believe in Jesus”John 5 : 31-40Introduction:·         Some believe Jesus is a fraud and never did exist.·         Some believe that Jesus did exist but he was never who claimed to be.·         Some say he was just a great prophet and teacher.·         I believe that Jesus Christ was Messiah, Lord and Saviour.·         Way too many people don’t look at the facts!!!·         They take what others say versus looking up and studying for themselves.·         Their laziness is going to send them straight to hell.John 5 : 31-40 31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.  32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.  33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.  34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.  35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.  36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.  37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.  38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.  39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.  40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.Reasons I believe:1)   His Claims·        Jesus claimed to be God (John 10:30)John 10 : 30 - I and my Father are one.·        Jesus claimed to have come down from Heaven (John 6:38)John 6 : 38 - For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.·        Jesus claimed to have always existed – Before Abram – before all was born I existed –  John 8 : 56-58 – 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.  57Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?  58Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

o   I AM is a claim of Deity

·        Jesus claimed to be the only way to God (John 14:6) John 14 : 6 - …I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.·        Jesus said to see him is to have seen the father (John 14:9) – John 14 : 9 - …he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?o   Either he was lying or He was God!!·        Jesus claimed to have power to raise the deadJohn 11 : 25 – …I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:·        Jesus claimed to be the ultimate judge in our eternal destiny John 5 : 22 - For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:·         Friends, Jesus is either who he claimed to be or he was a total hoax – a total fraud – a total lunatic·         See the first reason I believe Jesus was the Messiah, He was the Saviour is because of His claims!!·         However, I realize that anyone could make these claimsIllustration:Story of man and the preacher at the church – Man claimed to be Jesus Christ of Nazareth – Preacher arrived early at the church with bible in hand, and suit on – Man is there and says to preacher, I perceive you are a man of God – He said yes I am, but who are you? – He said I am Jesus Christ of Nazareth – The preacher said who? – The man said I am Jesus Christ of Nazareth – The preacher said nice to meet you – Where are your people from – The man said down there around South Georgia.·         See friends, I lunatic could make these claims and maybe even believe it·         This is why Jesus made the statement in John 5 :31-32John 5  : 31-32 -  31If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.  32There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. ·          Jesus said don’t just listen to my claims, but listen to my Witnesses·         Their eye witness  to it all is proof 2)   His Witnesses – (Eye Witnesses)·         I believe because of the Witnesses:·         In Luke Chapter 23 – Pilate said I find no fault in this man·         Judas the disciple who betrayed Jesus even said I have betrayed innocent blood.o   He had  lived with Jesus for 3 years and then he betrayed him.o   If anybody would have reason to hang Jesus out, then Judas would have. o   Yet, he knew he had betrayed the Messiah, the Lord.o   He knew he had betrayed innocent blood!·         In Luke Chapter 2 – The angels at the birth  says that there is a Saviour who is Christ the Lord that has been born·         Simeon – Luke 2 – He was an Old man, Says he was ready to die because he has seen the Lord’s Christ·         Wisemen – said He was King of the Jews (Matthew 2)·         John the Baptist – He is the one that takes away the sin of the World (John 1)·         Later in John 1 - John The Baptist says that He is the son of God·         Andrew in John 1 says he is the Messiah·         Peter in Matthew 16 – in answer to the question from Jesus who do you say that I am?.  Peter says thou art the Christ the son of the Living God·         Paul in Acts 9:20 – Declares that Jesus was the Son of God·         There were witnesses that claimed just like Jesus that He was the Saviour, the MessiahI believe because of the His Claims and because His Witnesses, I believe because of 3.  His Works – John 5 : 36 – But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.·         Jesus had a greater witness than even His claims and the Witness of those around him·         His greater witness was His Works.·         Works has to do with Signs, Miracles, and Works – Miraculous happens that prove true what is being said·         Jesus says – His works are a more powerful witness that He is GodJesus performed many works, many miracles:·         Jesus has power over mother nature – Wind be still with Disciples in the boat·         Jesus has power over disease – He healed people even with Leprosy (10 at once at one point)·         Jesus has power over the demons – There were those who were demon possessed in the bible days – there still is today as well by the way.  Others tried to cast them out without success, but Jesus would just show up speak the word and the demons would be cast out.·         Jesus has power over the blind o   These weren’t folks traveling with Jesus on some circus show.  o   These blind men grew up in that town – folks have known they were blind their entire life.  o   This was not some person setup to fake some slight of hand healing.o   These were real people that everyone knew that had deformities, that were blind, deaf, and sick. o   These were people that everyone knew.  o   This was true miracles.  o   These people could attest that these people were real with real problems because they grew up with them and knew them all their lives·         Jesus has power over death and resurrection – o   Lazarus – burried and in the grave for  4 days o   His sister said by now he stinketho   Jesus said roll the stone back, Lazarus come out, he said.o   You can’t fake these miracles.  o   This was real, folks knew he was dead and buried. o   They were there, Jesus brought him back to life by simply commanded it.·         Jesus said, that if I just make claims, but  I don’t do the works then don’t believe me.John 10 : 37-38 – 37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.  38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.·         Anyone could claim the same claims Jesus made, but only Jesus could do the works.Illustration:Dr. Greenleaf (Simon Greenleaf) – professor of law at Harvard University – considered one of the greatest legal minds that ever lived.  He wrote the “A Treatise on the Law of Evidence”.  This book is still considered the greatest book ever on how to determine evidence to be true or not.  He believed that the resurrection was a fake.  He believed it was a Hoax.  He set out to prove the resurrection was not true.  He poured through the historical accounts and evidence.  When he got through studying the evidence, he wrote another book called “An Examination of the Testimony of the 4 evangelists by the rules of evidence administered in the courts of Justice”  He said in that book – quote “It was impossible that the apostles could have persisted in infirming the truths that they had narrated had not Jesus Christ actually risen from the dead”  He also stated in that book that “The best attested historical event is the resurrection of Jesus Christ”o   This is from the man who wrote the book on how to determine whether evidence is good or noto   This from a man who did not believe in Jesus Christ who set out to prove that it was a fake.o   When he got done researching, he was a believero   He had to swallow his pride and change his view. ·         If you don’t believe today – then I invite you to examine the evidence yourself.·         Quit listening to what others say and research the evidence for yourself!! ·         If you examine the evidence you will come back with the same conclusion 4).  Common Sense Reasons to believe:1.      Empty Tomb2.      The re-appearing to 500 people 1 Corinthians 15  : 4-6 4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:  5And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:  6After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep 3.      How do you explain away the historical results – why do we meet on Sunday? – Why does stuff shutdown on Sunday – because of honoring the resurrection of Jesus Christ.4.      Jesus Christ made monumental changes in our world – (Our Time AD/BC)5.      The change lives of the Apostles themselveso   Remember they didn’t believe he would raise from the deado   They were hiding in the upper roomo   They were shocked out of their socks when he reappearedo   Seriously, they wore sandals after that6.      10 of the 11 remaining apostles died because they wouldn’t recant their testimony on the resurrection of Jesus Christo   I say 11 because we take Judas outo   10 of the 11 were given the opportunity to denounce Jesus Christ and they could live, yet they didn’t.o   They were told to recant their story and they could live, yet they wouldn’t.o   They would not change their testimony.  o   They died instead.  o   John the Apostle is the only one that didn’t die as a Martyr, but he was boiled in Oil.o   He just as well have been dead – Can you imagine the pain? Illustration:Chuck Olsen – One of the guys in the Watergate scandal (cover up).  They all believed in Richard Nixon.  They loved and would have followed him at any cost they thought.  They had power and probably could have all worked together and spun it to get out of it.  But when the pressure of the investigation was on and the need for self-preservation kicked in.  They one by one turned on President Nixon and told the truth.  He said this demonstrates the human need for self-preservation.Chuck – said he believes in the resurrection of Jesus Christ because human nature would not have let anyone go on for  40 years of beating, persecution and death go on perpetuating a lie.  He said had it not been true that the apostles would have caved in under all that pressure under the human instinct of self-preservation.·         But they didn’t recant.·         In Acts 4:33 – it says that the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of Christ with great Power·         They never once over 40 years even hinted that it wasn’t true.·         The continued to witness with great power·         They were willing to be beaten and killed.·         Would they all be willing to do that for a lie?·         I ask you to apply common sense to this and you tell me!!I believe because that Jesus is the Messiah, is Christ because of His Claims, His witnesses, His Works, and finally I believe because He fulfilled the prophecies:5)   The Fulfilled Prophecies (Scripture Says So) John 5 : 39-40 - 39Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.  40And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.·         There were over 330 Prophecies that had to be fulfilled by the coming Messiah.·         I am not talking about generic fit all predictions like Nostradamus made.·         I am talking about specific prophecies like: A.   He would be born in BethlehemMicah 5 : 2 -  But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.·         I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t pick where I was born.·         The only person I know that could do that would be God!!·         It wasn’t like Bethlehem was a big city either.·         It was a specific small town that most people had never heard of and the ones that had heard of never wanted to go there!!Matthew 2 : 1 - Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem…B.   He would be born of a VirginIsaiah 7 :14 - Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.·        The virgin birth is important!!·        If your bible says “young women” throw it out!! – Another sermon another week·        Jesus knew know sin – He was born in purity!!·        His father was the God Almighty!!Matthew 1 : 18 - Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.C.   He would enter Jerusalem on a ColtZechariah 9 : 9 - ..: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.·        Not only was it prophesied that Jesus would ride into town on a donkey (not a horse), but it was so specific to say that He would ride on a young coltJohn 12 : 15-1615 Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.D.   He would be a Suffering Servant who would bear all our iniquities Isaiah 53 : 5-6 -  5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. ·         That is exactly what Jesus did folks!!·         The King of King and Lord of Lords came to us as a servant and suffered for you and me·         He took the beating we deserved·         He took it all for our sins for our iniquitiesE.   Even with the Beating He was going to take for our sins, there would be no bones brokenExodus 12 :46 - In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.John 19 : 31-33 -  31The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.  32Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.  33But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:F.    Messiah was to die by CrucifixionPsalm 22 : 16 -  For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.  ·         When this was written there was no such thing as death by Crucifixion·         It didn’t become a method of death until years later·         There is only one type of death though that pierces hand and feet·         The death of the crossFolks – that is just 6 of over 330 specific prophecies from the Old Testament that the coming Messiah must fill.Jesus Christ fulfilled everyone of them!!The mathematical probability of it being a coincidence is out of this world.·         Peter Stone calculated that the probability of any man who has lived fulfilling just eight prophecies has been calculated as 1 in 10 to 17th power (100,000,000,000,000,000)Illustration:Suppose that we take that many silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas.  They will cover all of the state two feet deep.  Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state.  Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one.  What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets could have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote them in their own wisdom. ·         The probability of fulfilling just 48 prophecies is one in 10 to 157th power! Illustration:If you counting at the rate of 250 units per minute, it would take 19 million x 19 million x 19 million years to count to 10 to the 157th power!Friends - Jesus fulfilled not 8, not 48, but over 300 prophecies!I believe Jesus is the Messiah, that Jesus is Christ, that Jesus is Saviour because of His Claims, His Witnesses, His Works, and Finally because of the Fulfilled Prophecies.
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