TITLE: NO OTHER NAME – Who is Jesus?

TEXT: Acts 4:10-12

PROPOSITION: We must know and believe in the Jesus of the New Testament to find salvation in Him.

Introduction:

1. Some think He is a myth, figment of some wild imagination

2. Others feel He is a good teacher, moral man – not deity

3. And some believe He was all that He claimed to be

4. How can you decide?

Existence

Did Jesus ever live?

1. Yes, He was a real person.

2. The shock paperbacks – Martian, alien

3. History – no question – Jesus was crucified about AD 30

How much can we know about Jesus, and how much is legend?

1. Facts most agree on:

   1. Jesus lived in the first century

   2. Died around AD 30

   3. Spent 3 years as a traveling preacher

   4. He was disliked by the Roman government and Jewish leaders

   5. Then – Faith takes over -

      1. Did he head a blind man?

      2. Raise Lazarus from the dead?

      3. Was He really born to a virgin?

   6. You will have to study and decide for your self

What records of Jesus are there outside the Bible?

1. Josephus, Jewish historian, in court of the Roman Emperor

2. His greatest work was published in AD93

3. "Now, around this time there lived Jesus, a wise man – if it is lawful to call him a man. He did amazing works and was a teacher of those people that receive the truth gladly. He won over many, both Jews and Gentiles. He was the Messiah. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that had loved him did not abandon him. He appeared to them alive again the third day, for the prophets of God had foretold these and a thousand other incredible things about him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day."

4. Josephus refers to the stoning of the apostle James, "the brother of Jesus who was called the Messiah".

5. Tacitus, Roman historian, about 110 – Wrote about the fire of Rome in 64: "To stop the rumor, [that he had started the fire himself] Nero falsely accused and executed with the most exquisite punishments the people called Christians, who were notorious for their abominations. Their originator, Christ, had been executed in Tiberius' reign by the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate."

6. Mara bar Serapion, 73, wrote: “For what advantage did the Jews gain by the death of their wise king?”

Where can I read about the life of Jesus?

1. Begin with the gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

   1. Matthew – King and His Kingdom

   2. Mark – Jesus the servant of man

   3. Luke – The perfect man

   4. John – The Son of God

2. As for books about Jesus – Amazon will list almost 4,000 titles currently available

Is the Shroud of Turin the burial cloth of Jesus?

1. This burial cloth is from the middle ages (14^th century)

2. The cloth has been carbon dated to 1260.

3. Jesus had a “napkin” over his face – John 20:6-7

4. Jesus' body was wrapped in strips of cloth – not one large piece

Identity

Who did Jesus think he was?

1. Matthew 16:13-19 – Christ (Messiah), Son of the Living God

2. At his trial – Mark 14:62-64 - The High Priest asks, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed God?" "I am." And for this he is sentenced to death. (Mark 14:62-64)

3. John 14:9 – Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

Did Jesus claim to be God?

1. Indirectly

   1. Forgave sins – Only God can do that (Matthew 9:6)

   2. John 14:9 – seen me, seen the Father

2. Directly

   1. Mark 14:62-64 – Are you the Christ? I AM

   2. John 7:28 – I come not of myself, but of Him that sent me

   3. John 8:23 – I am from above, you are from beneath

   4. John 8:58 – Before Abraham was, I AM

How could Jesus really be God?

1. We must understand two natures –

   1. physical, human, flesh

   2. eternal, spiritual, divinity

2. God became flesh – so we (flesh) could become spiritual

Was Jesus more important than other religious leaders?

1. Here are two possible ways of looking at Jesus' relationship to other world religious leaders:

   1. He was a great teacher –
      Can He make false claims and still be a great teacher?

   2. He was the only Son of God

Why has Jesus had such a big impact on the world?

1. The message was believed – followed – with passion.

2. He became the focal point for – art, music, morals, hope, faith