Jesus: The Man, The Myth, The Legend
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
I’m sure each of you here have at one point in time or another have seen the shirts, hats, and other apparel that mention the one wearing them as “The Man, The Myth, The Legend.”
I think we got one for my father-in-law that said “Pa Pa the man, the myth, the legend.”
The reality is there is none that fit this idea and reality more than Jesus.
This morning, I want us to consider how Jesus the Christ is “The Man, The Myth, and The Legend.”
Let’s being by looking at…
Jesus The Man
Jesus The Man
Jesus Is God
Jesus Is God
There is no doubt that Jesus is God in every form.
The bible doesn’t shy away from this this truth.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The bible clearly points to Jesus’ deity in the three ways deity is proven.
Omnipotent - All Powerful
2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
Omnipresent - Spiritually Everywhere
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
Omniscient - Knows All Things Knowable
30 Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you
came from God.”
4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?
Jesus is God and yet…
He Left Heaven & Became Man
He Left Heaven & Became Man
Because Jesus is God, this fact, is what makes him becoming “man” so amazing.
As God he is omnipotent…
Yet born of women he is completely reliant on humans.
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
As God he is omnipresent…
Yet born of woman, until his baptism, he was confined to his human limitations.
Jesus’ first miracle wasn’t until after he was baptized and received the Holy Spirit.
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
As God his omniscient…
Yet born of woman, he didn’t have “all wisdom.”
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
This same Jesus, who is God in everyway, left heaven to become man.
The significance of this goes deeper than what we even just discussed.
He emptied himself to the point of needing to be obedient, and thus in submission to the Father.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.
3 But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
He emptied himself to the point of him never losing his humanity.
5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus
Summary
Summary
When we read, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), there is so much in that powerful statement.
Thanks be to God that Jesus is “The Man” who came to seek and save the lost.
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Jesus is “The Man” but to many he was also…
Jesus The Myth
Jesus The Myth
They Didn’t Deny What He Did
They Didn’t Deny What He Did
When we hear the word “myth” we often think of this definition…
“an unfounded or false notion…a person or thing having only an imaginary or unverifiable existence.
To be clear, many simply believe Jesus is an unfounded, unverifiable figment of people’s imagination.
Bruno Bauer (1809-1882), the famous German philosopher and historian wrote…
“The historical Jesus never existed.”
Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), the famous Indian philosopher wrote…
“No such person as Jesus Christ ever existed.”
Other’s don’t doubt a person named Jesus existed but that the Jesus in the bible is a myth.
Robert G. Ingersoll (1833-1899), an American orator and agnostic wrote…
“I do not say that Jesus Christ did not exists, but the evidence is so contradictory and insufficient that I have serious doubts.”
Richard Carrier, a modern historian who wrote in his 2014 book “On the Historicity of Jesus”…
“The historical Jesus, if he existed, is so buried under myth that we can’t know much about him.”
However, that definition of “myth” isn’t the only definition.
Webster’s also defines the word myth as…
a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon
The reality is, there is no person in world history that has had more written about him, both religiously and secularly.
Secular history not only doesn’t deny that Jesus existed they don’t deny he did miracles.
They just don’t call them miracles they call them “sorcery” and “magic.”
In the Babylonian Talmud we find it saying that…
“Jesus learned magic in Egypt and performed his miracles by means of it”
Celsus, a non-Christian claimed in his critique of Jesus…
That Jesus invented his birth from a virgin.
That Jesus was born to a carpenter’s wife whom he divorced finding her an adulterous and was born in disgrace.
He then says Jesus went to Egypt where he hired himself out as a servant due to his poverty and there learned magical powers with which he then came back to Jerusalem to claim himself a God.
Notice, Celsus doesn’t deny he did miracles only he says they were magic he learned in Egypt.
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book
25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
Summary
Summary
The man Jesus, whom the Jews and many secular ancient historians talk about…
They not only don’t deny he existed but they also do not deny he did miracles.
They just call them by a different name, Egyptian magic.
Jesus The Myth, isn’t that people don’t don’t believe he exist, after all there are people today that think the world is flat, it’s that he was so amazing that people during his own time thought of him as mythical in nature for what all he did.
It cannot be denied Jesus not only existed but was mythical in the amount of miracles he did.
Lastly we find that Jesus is not only “The Man” and “The Myth” but he is also…
Jesus The Legend
Jesus The Legend
The Test Met
The Test Met
For someone to be considered a legend they must, according to webster’s dictionary…
“a person or thing that inspires legends”
With that in mind is there any doubt that Jesus is not only “the man” and “the myth” but also “the legend?”
After all he inspired an entire movement that has produced more legends than any other.
The apostle Paul is a legend for his transformation from a persecutor to a promotor of faith in Jesus.
11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.
14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone
The apostle Peter who went from cussing and screaming that he didn’t even know who Jesus was to preaching the first gospel sermon.
74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.
All but one apostle, after Jesus’ resurrection, died defending Jesus as the Christ.
Peter is said to have died being crucified upside down in Rome.
Andrew is said to have been crucified on an “x” shaped cross.
James was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1-2).
Philip was said to be be crucified upside down or beheaded in modern day Turkey.
Bartholomew (Nathanael) is said to have been flayed alive and then beheaded in India.
Thomas is said to have been speared to death in India.
Matthew is said to have been stabbed to death in Ethiopia.
James is said to have been stoned and clubbed to death.
Thaddeus is said to have been shot with arrows until he died.
Simon the Zealot is said to have been sawn in half in Persia.
Mathias is said to have been stoned and then beheaded in Jerusalem.
Paul died to Nero while in prison.
John died of old age but is said to have been boiled in oil before being sent to Patmos, a prison island.
Summary
Summary
Only a legend could inspire this many faithful followers.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Jesus is The Man, The Myth, and The Legend.
There is no man to have more written about him, more following him, and more faithful to him than Jesus.
Thanks be to God the Father, that Jesus was sent to this earth, emptied himself, and became flesh for our sake.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent
33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
32 Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
