Is Jesus Really God?

Play Spirit as we dive into your word this morning. I pray that you would so enliven our hearts and our minds that we would hear the word that you have for us this morning Speak O Lord your servants.

I'm excited to continue our sport God Series today, but I guess I have in my mind the Super Bowl that's pretty exciting and I see some Packers jerseys in the audience. Jesus is an Underdog Story. So we're all rooting for the Rams today, right? Because we don't we don't want the Empire to keep winning the Super Bowl short story about something that happened to me in the Catholic church and went to Sunday school went to Catechism classes Faithfully, so you can say I knew a little bit about Jesus. I know quite a bit about Jesus for the story is for the Miracles all those things and

Play remember brick-and-mortar bookstores. Those are we coming out like an absolutely old thing. It's kind of crazy to me and it was it was a man laying on the ground with his his head kind of staring at the ceiling like he was in this may and the title of book was why so many gods Why so many gods and begin to live through it and it was this very colorful book and it went through about a hundred and fifty different religions and worldviews and philosophies and what they believed in who believed it and what celebrities were certain religions and all these different things and when you're 13 years old and you've been and you suddenly and there's a hundred fifty different ways of thinking about this kind of a dizzying experience. It can kind of throw you off a little bit and who is Jesus in relation to all of these other things who is Jesus in relation to all of these other gods and worldviews and so I bought the book then and there and I read it. I still have it. I can show it to you sometime since I began to study. I realize you know in our culture where were were very careful not to offend each other not to offend each other's beliefs. Usually the most the time and we say, you know, well the saying the same things they're probably all the same. Anyway, let's let's not be picky. Let's not debate about this but I asked her just last week, you know, we found that a lot of these religions they claim very different things and I think we all can recognize that it's okay to be respectful of other people's beliefs in cultures and religions are very different. They come from different worlds using Parts the world example Hinduism Buddhism doesn't believe in a god at all Muslims believe Jesus was not God. He was just a profit and Christians do believe it. Yes, Jesus Is God and I think that's what it comes down to four Christianity is what Christians say about a real human being a real man who walked this Earth to thousand years ago in Upon the cross what separates Christianity from everything else is what we say about Jesus Christ. And we're back in Oxmoor God series and we've been asking some of those difficult questions of the Christian faith. And today the question that supposed to us is is Jesus really God is really God who was Jesus was he was he simply another religious figure was he a great teacher or philosopher? What are we to do with Jesus Christ? Your Jesus wants as his own disciples will will who do you say that? I am and actually they gave many different answers on the Baptist because people at that time they were wondering they were debating. Who is this man Jesus Christ. What are we to do with him in the same way people are debating who Jesus is today in a Muslim say he was a great prophet the Hindu say he was one of their great gurus some American leaders that he was a good businessman. He was a good entrepreneur. We can learn leadership from Jesus, you know, but we all should think very carefully who is Jesus Christ to you only knew how would you personally answer that question if someone asked you who is Jesus Christ? What answer would you give because I believe that is the most important question. We will all answer in our lifetimes and into eternity, but that is okay and that you can belong here. We want this to be a place for you to explore God With Us and I believe what you will hear today will offer you some some compelling thoughts about who Jesus is in your tea have an answer to this question. But I want you to think about this totally fresh because of what we say about Jesus is true. It should change your entire life. If you really believed it if you really follow it. It should turn your whole life upside down and you may have friends and family who might ask you who is Jesus Christ to you and you might need to be able to offer them an answer. And so I invite you to pay attention to what we have to say this morning. Because we're over 2000 years billions of people all across cultures in the globe have come to the conclusion that Jesus was somehow more than simply a man. So I'm going to ask what separates Jesus from all others. What makes a meeting this morning. And the first thing that makes Jesus you need from all others is the uniqueness of his teaching. Uniqueness of his teaching your Jesus is recognized by Many religious or not that he was a great moral teacher. And actually he was recognized. In fact of the story in the Bible where Jesus when he's 12 years old he gets he wanders away from his parents and he gets lost in the temple and he sits among the great teachers of of Judaism of his time and he's talking with them and it says he's sitting among them listen to them and asking them questions and it says everyone everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. Is it assault even when he was 12, there was something different. There is something unique. There was something astounding about Jesus and he goes on to become one of the greatest ever seen. And billions Christians are not I've been inspired by some of his teachings in the story's many have been inspired by the story of the Good Samaritan in the in the prodigal son. He summed up the entire Hebrew Bible the Hebrew law by boiling it down to saying, you know, we we should love God with all that we have and we should love our neighbors as ourselves.

That's one of Jesus's post-revolutionary teachings was to love your enemy to turn the other cheek when you were struck this teaching of nonviolent. Love of loving your enemy was so radical. It has changed the world in so many ways that we can't even begin to describe or I'll give you a few Gandhi the leader in India. He was very influenced by the teachings of Jesus, especially as teaching on loving your enemy and turning the other cheek is actually based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, especially in The Sermon on the Mount and it changed India forever. So to Nelson Mandela followed in his footsteps and he changed South Africa from apartheid to Freedom shortly ago. He was a Christian Pastor. He based his whole movement on the teachings of Jesus Christ and putting them into practice and he changed our country because of the teachings of Jesus. And so I believe it's a great testimony to the teachings of Jesus Christ that they are Divine because when they are put into practice and that's the key when you put into practice they change lives and they changed the world and amazing thing so we know Jesus has a unique characteristic is I want to talk about the uniqueness of his character. In Jesus. Amazing true see he lived in he lived them out nor in Hershey, right? He writes this says Jesus shun crowds to spend time alone in prayer still refuse to be crowned King by enthusiastic but misguided followers and he stood silent before his scheming accusers is compassion was exemplified in his gracious attitude toward out his association with Samaritans Gentiles in Romans. All of them Jews despised his Embrace of the poor and ritually unclean and his forgiveness of those who executed him. And we see many leaders today. What does a religious leaders whether their political leaders when they have power off? Then? We see them abused that power for their own game for there for something to get for themselves and Jesus weather. Is there never one time they see use this power for himself and said what are we doing you wash feet? He care for the poor and serve then he met needs and he let himself be killed for humankind. It's either the witness of the scriptures of the Bible that Jesus is character was so unique that he was actually a sinless man. He was so he was perfectly holy in all that he did perfectly right. You just want to look at a few phrases of the people who actually were were involved in Jesus's death of Pontius Pilate the governor who sent him to his crucifixion. He says I find no basis for a charge against this man and then a soldier Roman soldier the cross that surely this was a righteous man, and then the thief was being crucified next to him said this man has done nothing wrong. Find a basis to charge him with anything. Jesus was a man. But what about the people who really knew Jesus because normally when you get close to somebody when you live with somebody you see all the dirt, right? You see all the jump and actually even from any other religious leaders in the case of Muhammad or even Gandhi weary about some of the misdeeds that they have done, but would Jesus Christ nothing of the sort is written. In fact his closest disciple the Apostle Peter. He writes this. He says Jesus was a lamb without blemish or defect perfect. John is other clothes Apostle. He calls in the righteous one a righteous man. Be righteous one the only righteous one and the Apostle Paul later says that Jesus had no sin. And that is the teaching of Christianity that Jesus was a sinless holy man. And so out of all religious leaders Jesus's character is unique and far superior, but the most amazing aspect of Jesus's character that I submit to you. This is love. When you see Jesus, he loves people of all ethnicity of all status and socioeconomic status of all ages and types and he went and lived it out. And when those nails are piercing his wrist when they're piercing his feet when he has been whipped when he has been tortured when he is bleeding on the cross and gasping for breath. There's not one else but doesn't love the people who are doing it to any praise father forgive them. They know not what they do. Jesus's whole being is love and when he's on that Frost, he did it for you to even when we were still Sinners and we rebelled away from God he gave his life for us. His love is unmatched and we've ever seen even you know.

He would go all the way. Even if we rebelled to the furthest depth, he would still die for us. It's amazing love so Jesus as unique character simply the moral teachings of Jesus, but but we can't really separate that from the other things. He said and did and we need to look at some of the claims he made about himself because these claims should give every single one of us pause. If someone was proclaiming this if I was saying that you were saying is the kind of things that Jesus said you would immediately think that we're out of her mind. I want to write and we were crazy that would offer rocker. It is our crazy things to be at to be said and so we want to look at his flames and the sort through the claims of Jesus. He said many things about himself all the thinking kind of four different categories. This helps me think about it in the first category of things that Jesus claimed as they relate to fulfillment and how he fulfilled the Old Testament scriptures in the sermon Mount Matthew. 5:17 says don't think I've come to abolish the law of the prophets. I did not come to abolish them but to fulfill them in other words, I am the climax of the story. I am here to fulfill everything that has gone on before all the prophecies all the things. I've been foretold. I am here in the time is now he says I'm John 5:39 the religious leaders of his day. He says you study the scriptures diligently diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very scriptures that testify about me. Bibles about me Keep on studying. The Bible is about me. That is an extraordinary claim. Is it not and then he says a second category I want to think about is his claims about his relationship to God. Jesus talked about God all the time and he talked about his unique father that he was unique uniquely related to God Matthew 11:27. He says no one knows the sun except the father and no one knows the father except the son and those to whom the son chooses to reveal in the words. Jesus has the ability to reveal God the father and especially unique way and then a John 10:30. He says this I and the father are one. We are one we are united extraordinary claim to his authority. Is authority Jesus Rock and go around saying your sins are forgiven if you will be able to get what how can you say that only God can forgive sins. And that was exactly the point that Jesus was claiming authority to forgive sins on the earth. And he also taught authoritatively articles for peer-reviewed, you know, the kind of things you can just say Moses. What will I say to you? Here I have the authority to teach what was true without anybody else's Authority and people were Amazed by this. He also he talked about how he would come back at the end of History to judge the whole world. Dirty said he was coming back to E news going to sit on the throne and all the nations would be gathered before and he would separate the righteous from the wicked Like a Shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And Jesus said he alone will have the authority in the power to do such a thing. Isn't that extraordinary something that only God should be able to do Jesus saying I'm going to come back I'm going to do that guards the salvation of mankind John 14:6. He says this I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. And he says this in John 11 amazing promise. I am the resurrection and the life he who believes in me will live even though he dies and whoever lives and Believes In Me will never die. Will never die press this is extraordinary claims that he makes for himself. No other religious leader made these types of claims. No other religious leader claimed to be uniquely the Son of God then Jesus did Muhammad and do it booted them do it. Got even do it Joseph Smith Intuit Socrates didn't do it. No one else claim these type of things except for Jesus Christ. And if we're going to answer the question, who is Jesus Christ, we better take seriously the things that he said about himself should we not It's like it would Jesus said and then go from there. So Jesus made a lot of money claim the fourth category only think about is the uniqueness of his power the uniqueness of his power. And we know that Jesus was a Jewish man and that the Jews were intensely monotheistic. They believe in one God and God has revealed himself to watch the Jewish people so we can blast the whole world. And so when Jesus comes on the scene, the last thing the disciples are thinking this man is is God I know is that he is a human being just like us we see if we see him sleep, but then they begin to see some other interesting things. They see him do some some interesting things and we know from history this group of Jewish disciples, they launched a movement and they died for a movement for claiming a Jewish man was now God and Lord. They're come to believe that this Jewish man was somehow God. I mean how could this happen? You know if I showed up or somebody showed up to you and said, hey, I'm God. I mean you think they're crazy or you will back it up. You better prove it if you got to make that type of plane and this is what Jesus did it again. And again, if you read through the gospels, you see Jesus doing amazing things. You can sight to the blind. He feeds 5000 takes a little bread and Fishin and feed them. He turns water into wine. He heals leper scene other diseases. He drives an evil spirits. He walks on the water and then he stops a storm with the word of his mouth. I finished this is very Jewish disciple. Say who what man is this? What kind of person are we dealing with you? Who is this man that even the wind and the waves obey him what is going on with Jesus? Perhaps he is somehow more than just a man. Even people today they have found that amazing things happen when you pray in Jesus name. When you pray in Jesus name things change frames things happen miracles happen power goes out there is something powerful that Jesus is still doing in the world. He has a unique power out of all of human history. V a r e I want to talk about is the uniqueness of his death. Jesus's death is different than any other religious leader take a few examples Muhammad. He died at the age of 62 Moses was under and 20 Confucius was 72. Buddha was 80 years old and they were all celebrated by their followers after death. And then you look at Jesus. He's a man who dies in his early thirties rejected by the religious leaders of his day and the political powers of his day as disciples deserted him at the time that he most needed. Do not be a sharper contrast in Jesus's death influence of their leaders life, but Christians focus on the ongoing influence of their leaders dad. And a heifer says Christians have been pointing to the Cross because Jesus told his disciples. This is why he came. BK Miller, I am destined to die to be killed by the authorities and I will rise again 3 days later. This is the hour for which I have come was the cross and ever since we've been pointing and saying that God has died for us on the cross to forgive our sins to redeem us from the power of sin to cancel the debt in the penalty of sin that was against us and to reconcile us with our creator. Even if you're not sure what you believe about it yet friends. This is the most amazing love story the world has ever heard that a God who is so much. That you would come and be one of us and suffer a brutal death that he might reconcile you to himself that he would give everything just to be with you. even if you're not sure what you believe about anything we can always send me this is the most amazing love story the world has ever heard of and so we believe Jesus's death is unique. We Proclaim it and finally we were playing the uniqueness of his resurrection. No other religious leader predicted that they would die and come back from the dead except for Jesus. Are some people say things like well Martin Luther King jr. His his his influence lives on so he let he lives on in that sense. But no that's what Christians are saying come out just continues on and we're clearing out what it what he did know we're saying he really died on that problem and that he really physically came back 3 days later. This is an extraordinary clay, isn't it? Because if it's true, it proves the Divinity of Jesus Christ, if it's true Jesus predicted his death and came back and he is certainly he said he is gone. And now we know that the tomb is empty because I wanted to stop this Jesus movement. They going to settle up there. There's a body in the two happening is the Jews. They started spreading a rumor that act that actually the disciples had stolen Jesus's body. So in other words, it wasn't Up For Debate that the tomb is empty. That's the one fact they all agreed on. Where was what happened? What happened with the body? And so what happens afterwards as many people start claiming that they seen Jesus in The Flash after they saw him crucified imagine that this happened to you. If you had seen Jesus crucified and then a few days later he appears and you can see him and you can touch him and you can eat with him that will change your life and then this happens too many people and and we know from science that this is nothing of the character of hallucinations or anything like that. In fact, it's scientifically impossible for that many people to have the exact type of hallucination so that that's so that's out of it out of there. But what we know is that the world was eventually turned upside down. From a group of very Jewish very model theistic people certain proclaiming that I'm a Jewish man had risen from the dead and now he was God and Lord of the world and that we were going to start spreading his message and it moved from a very small sect of Judaism over a hundred people doing a few hundred years. It would be the most dominant religion in the entire world and back to the religion of the Roman Empire later in the 300.

Was that happened and they did all this under the threat of their lives, they faced intense persecution and martyrdom. Friends, I think when you look at the evidence, I think it's very plausible to say Jesus really did rise from the dead and people really saw him after he was crucified and that's how this whole thing got started. And I believe the resurrection is God's way of saying Jesus was telling the truth. Most crazy things. He said he was right he was he was telling the truth all along. And now the good news is you can have your past forgiven because of the cross that whatever is going on in your life in the present all the junk and mess of Our Lives can be utterly changed for the power of the Holy Spirit and now your future can be secure because Jesus has made a way for Eternal resurrected life when you put your life in Jesus's hands. Your past is Forgiven. Your present is is is transformed and your future is secure past present and future Made Alive in Jesus Christ. That is the good news that Christians Proclaim that we have through Jesus Christ. Slither recap Jesus is unique. Because of his life changing teaching his impeccable character his extraordinary claims his miraculous power his sacrificial death and his Victorious Resurrection. So who is Jesus Christ is he really good friends of Jesus really did and said all the things that we discussed CS Lewis put it this way many years ago either he was a liar either. He was a lunatic or he is Lord Miracles had his disciples fertilizer that he would come back from the dead. But only reason would Jesus do such a thing. I mean, we don't gain any money or power through it. In fact his teaching let him to be tortured by one of the most gruesome regimes all of human history has seen and then he was put to death and he never once recanted about what he taught. Why would he go through that if he knew he was lying if you were doing that you would certainly recant at the moment. You have the opportunity. Don't forget. It was just making it up if you're going to go through that. Jesus went through it to the end and furthermore. If Jesus was a us a Serial liar, we would expect to see other character flaws other things come up, but we don't see any of such evidence in the things that are written about Jesus. So given the evidence I would submit to you that the liar option doesn't seem to be very plausible. All the second option might say well maybe he was a lunatic. Maybe it's just one of those crazy people that just claims are God and got a following, you know, but Jesus he's revered as one of the world's greatest teachers even by people who don't follow him and that he's just remarkable Storyteller and we we don't he doesn't seem to be the kind of person that is out of his mind on a regular basis. She seems to be in his right mind and able to teach others and then he says everywhere he goes in front of me. And here's the kicker for me. Jesus is own brother. It is written the Bible on church history actually history outside. The Bible that Jesus is own brother James is there he goes on to become one of the Apostles of the church in the father of Jesus and he gives his life Jesus Is God and Lord What would it take for you to be convinced that your brother was the son of God was convinced and he gave his life is a know. He's not out of his mind. He's not a lunatic. I've seen my brother and I've seen all of these things. I followed the whole story. Yes. He is the Son of God. He's not a lunatic. So I would submit to you this morning that the lunatic option also does not seem very plausible. Give me a chance. No friends, I would submit to you this morning if he's not a liar if he's not a lunatic and given the evidence. It is most plausible to conclude that Jesus really is Lord. He really is God really is who he said he was and if that is true that should change everything for us and moreover besides the arguments. I would say to you billions of people around the world including myself would give you their own testimony that Jesus has changed my life. He has transformed my life. He has given me his peace. He is giving me his Joy his spirit is in me and you can have a personal relationship with him because he is the living room And many people will tell you the same thing. Jesus is Alive and Well, and he's still changing lives today. Know if you're here this morning and you're still curious. You're still wondering you're still seeking. I want invite you to take a step closer to Jesus today that you might actually begin to have some of your questions answered that you might say. You know what I want to try this out. I want to I want to take a step closer to Jesus and if that's you don't let this moment slip away from you. I would only be up here after the service is down. I'd love to talk with you and speak with you. I'll be waiting up here and I love to play with you and give you the opportunity to take a step closer to Christ and many of you here this morning and you're already a follower of Jesus. And remember I'm special. How amazing how unique Jesus's it's all this whole thing is all about Jesus Christ. It's not about what we Proclaim Jesus Christ and we have to remember that. Jesus said to folks. Why do you call me Lord Lord and you don't do what I say. If Jesus is your savior make sure that he's our Lord make sure that you build your whole life around him not fit him into your life know if he is Lord. He wants your Allegiance Your Surrender because he is giving you everything.

Friends, we Proclaim that Jesus is the unique Son of God that he has given his life all because he loves us and invites us to walk with him.

Would you play with me this morning?

Yo Gabba Gabba for you, and we thank you that you have indeed not left us to ourselves. but you came for us in your son Jesus Christ to become one of us to be among us to teach us to show us your power and to give us new life and you And father I pray for all of us here. No matter where we on our journey that we would take a step closer to you today that we would open up bigger spaces in our hearts to welcome you in. And to say yes, you are Lord. I want to follow you. I want to trust you. I want to give my life to you Lord remind us for those of us who have followed for a long time reminded how special you are. How unique you are. God give us the courage give us the energy to proclaim the uniqueness of Jesus to our friends to our neighbors to our family members or to know that they are so loud because of what Jesus has done all or give us the boldness and give us the courage. We greatly needed and father help us to make Jesus the center of our lives. That we want Bill than anything else that sinking sand, but we would build on the One Foundation that you've given us and we thank you for that. We thank you for his teachings. And we thank you that even Jesus taught us how to pray to you. And we pray the prayer together the heat on us saying Our Father who art in heaven Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us and lead us not into temptation. But Deliver Us from Evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.