There are those who may say that Jesus never claimed to be the messiah, or the Son of God, or divine. But, the record from the Bible is very clear:
* Jesus claimed to be the Messiah
* Jesus claimed to be the Son of God
* Jesus claimed to be God
These are significant claims. These claims are the foundation of our Christian faith. Can we find anything to "back up" these claims, or do we simply "take it on faith?"
In spite of what some may say, it is more reasonable to accept Jesus Christ than to reject Him. It is more reasonable to believe in Jesus than to doubt Him.
It takes someone special to perform the miracles that Jesus performed:
* Born of a virgin
* Raised from the dead
* Restored sight with a touch of His hand
* Feed 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 2 small fish
* Raised Lazarus from the dead
* Forgave sins
Anyone willing to accept the word of the New Testament has all the proof they need regarding Jesus' true identity. But, do we have enough evidence to confirm Jesus' identity as Messiah even without the miraculous acts he performed? Yes we can!
Jesus' identity is confirmed through the fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy.
* The
* Old Testament books were written and their contents established centuries before Christ. Jesus and His followers could not have written those books or influenced their content during His lifetime on earth. These Old Testament books predict a coming Messiah. And, they give information so that this messiah may be recognized when he appears. The life of Jesus Christ is a literal
* point-by-point fulfillment of the prophecies which are specifically intended to identify the coming Messiah.
* It is not reasonable to believe that Jesus fulfilled these prophecies by chance.
* It is not reasonable to believe that Jesus was involved in a plot which falsely presented him as the Messiah It is reasonable to believe that prophetic fulfillment is exactly what it was intended to be: an indication of who the Messiah really is - Jesus Christ.
However, given the fact that Jesus Christ is the only person known to fulfill all the Old Testament prophecies relating to the first coming of the Messiah, is it possible that a future individual will appear and prove to be the true Messiah?
* The Bible tells us when the Messiah would come. The Book of Daniel prophesies that the Messiah would come in the year we identify on our calendars as 26 A.D. The time for the true Messiah to come is past. Whoever the Messiah is, he must be someone who came centuries before now. And, Jesus Christ is the only candidate we have based upon prophetic fulfillment.
To further confirm Jesus' identity we must look at one other possibility. Is it possible that someone other than Jesus came at the right time, fulfilled all the requirements for Messiahship, and was in fact the true Messiah, but did so in obscurity while Jesus received public recognition?
* No, that is not possible because
* widespread acceptance among non-Jewish people was one of the requirements for Messiahship. To be the true Messiah requires wide acceptance by non-Jewish people. There is only one man in human history who has been widely accepted by Gentiles (nonjews) as the Jewish Messiah. And, that man is Jesus Christ. The same man who came at the right time and fulfilled every other required prophesy.
Today, we have only one candidate, Jesus Christ, who meets these three key requirements for Messiahship:
* He fulfills the Old Testament prophecies
* He came at the right time
* He is accepted as the Jewish Messiah by multitudes of non-Jewish people.
Because of the time element, it is impossible for anyone else to come at a future time and lay a valid claim to Messiahship.
Jesus Christ is the only religious leader whose arrival was predicted prior to his arrival on Earth and who came exactly when and as predicted.
Given the fact that, despite incredible odds, someone matching the descriptions found in the Old Testament came at exactly the right time lends credence to what Jesus had to say. Given the fact that His own existence was a miracle, it is not unreasonable to believe that Jesus himself could perform miracles and that we should believe His word to us:
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. (John 5:24)
All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matt. 11:27-30)
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (John 15:12)
And, many many more words which may be found in your New Testament.
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