The Case for Christmas: Jesus is who he says

We have covered a lot of territory these past few weeks as we have investigated "The Case for Christmas"

Are the writers and writings of the New Testament accurate, reliable, and trustworthy? We concluded by using the same criticism used for all ancient historical documents that the NT was indeed true. The minimal facts argument is accepted by the vast majority of scholars off all walks and discipline.

No imitations. Christmas and the story of the birth of Jesus is a unique and fantastical tale of God working a miracle in the world for the world through the miraculous virgin conception and birth of Jesus. There is not one shred of evidence that shows Christianity's most important story is borrowed from other pagan myths.

Is Jesus who he says he is?

Barton Payne, a Biblical scholar has shown there are 71 ancient prophesies in the OT that have been fulfilled by Jesus. More have a greater understanding in the light of Christ's life.

The suffering Servant text in Isaiah 52-53. Is a great example. You can't read it without thinking of Jesus!

But what does Jesus say about himself?

John 6:41 " I Am the bread that comes down from heaven"

Bread is a powerful image in the Bible. In the wilderness, God provided for his people’s salvation through bread from heaven. In Matthew 26:26, “Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “take and eat; this is my body”

Jesus equates his presence among the people with God’s provision for Israel.

Jesus makes 7 "I AM" statements in the Gospel of John.

The “I Am” Statements of Jesus

I am the bread of life. 6:35, 48, 51.

I am the light of the world. 8:12; 9:5.

I am the door of the sheep. 10:7, 9.

I am the good shepherd. 10:11, 14.

I am the resurrection and the life. 11:25.

I am the way, the truth, and the life. 14:6.

I am the true vine. 15:1

However, Nabeel Quereshi points out that John is written late so what about earlier?

“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.” Mark 14:62 NIV

Son of Man is pulled from OT prophet Daniel. The Pharisees understood the reference completely and that is why they moved to stone Jesus.

Trinity: One in being and three in person.

A being is that quality that makes you “what you are” it is “whatness”. Authority of role.

Person is the definition of the identity or the “who” you are.

Jesus claimed to be God. What needs to be true about Jesus for this claim to be reliable?

Omnipresent John 14:13-17, Jesus will be in the presence of the Father but yet is able to still hear the prayers of the faithful.

Omnipotent, Mark 2:10 the previous passage, Jesus answers prayers and forgive sins.

Omniscient: Mark 2:28, Jesus is LORD of the Sabbath. Lord over the Commandments.

Philippians 2 “If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is…”

Scholars of the historical Jesus.

Paul wrote in one of the earliest kerygma, 1 Corinthians 15:4 “and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures,”

No, one actually witnessed Jesus actually get up and walk out of the tomb. William Lane Craig states “Why then, did they use the third day? Why not the tenth day?”

This is because it was on the third day that something dramatic took place. If Jesus was buried in the tomb. it is reasonable to assume its location was known. If Jesus was not raised and the location was known, if it the resurrection did not take place, the Jews or the Romans could easily have paraded the un-resurrected body of Jesus around the city and put an end to the ministry of Jesus forever. But no evidence supported that he was not raised, in fact there is overwhelming evidence that is historical that the followers of Jesus multiplied and they worshipped him as God! Why

“They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so. When this was over, it was their custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of food--but ordinary and innocent food.” Segment of the letter of Pliny the Younger to Emperor Trajan.

If Jesus is God that we must either recognize his authority and surrender ourselves in obedience or knowingly reject Jesus and place ourselves on the thrown of power in the universe.

There is a cost.

1 Corinthians 15:14–20 “and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.”

We can believe that Jesus is who he says he is. As a mentor once told me “anyone that can predict his/death and resurrection and then do it, I will follow.”