TODAYS WORD

Who Is Jesus Christ...

More than 2,000 years ago, God did an amazing thing. He came down from Heaven and became a human being by the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus traveled about the region of Nazareth of the Northern District of Israel where he gained a large following. After a few years, the religious leaders in Jerusalem falsely accused him of crimes and handed him over to the Roman authorities. They executed him by crucifixion nailing him to a cross.

Soon after that, his followers continued the preaching and teaching of Jesus Christ, whom they said rose from the dead. Over the next 20 centuries more and more followers were added to this movement which has become today's Christian Church.

But, there is so much more to know about Jesus. Where he came from, what he did before he came, what he did on earth, what he can do for us now is all revealed in the Bible. The Bible contains the prophetic coming of Jesus and the great writings of his arrival, his teaching and deeds. It tells us of his crucifixion and resurrection and the future of mankind.

The central question of Christianity, and of history itself, is: Who is Jesus Christ? The Bible makes it clear that, whether we recognize Him now or not, we will all one day stand before God and answer that question.

The Bible Says in Philippians 2:11...

..."And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

The Bible Also Says in John 3:16...

..."For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

That is the "good news" or "gospel", that God sent His Son to die for our sins so that we could be forgiven and go to be with the Lord in heaven.

He came to earth as a man, to teach, heal, prophesy and finally to be crucified and killed which paid the price for the sins of all mankind. Three days later, He was raised from the dead and lives forever in heaven.

By His sacrifice every person that lives has an opportunity to not perish, but spend eternity with God. All we have to do is simply put our trust in His Son, Jesus Christ and receive him as our Lord and Savior.

To learn how to do that...go to... Steps to Peace with God.

Jesus is God...

The Bible Says in John 1:1...

..."In the beginning was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God and the Word was God."

In the beginning, before time began, Christ was already in existence with God.

The Bible Says in John 1:14...

..."The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us..."

This clearly indicates that Jesus is God in the flesh.

Jesus Christ was unique, for He was God from all eternity and yet joined Himself to sinful humanity in the incarnation.

The God-man possessed all the attributes of deity (Philippians 2:6) and the attributes common to humanity (apart from sin).

The Bible Says in Acts 1:11...

..."They said, You men of the country of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus Who was taken from you into heaven will return in the same way you saw Him go up into heaven.”

He will exist forever as the God-man in His resurrected body.

Jesus is the Son of God...

According to the Bible, "Son of God" means: (1) He is fully God. (2) He is one of three persons who together make up the One God. This concept is called the "Trinity." It consists of the "Father", the "Son" and the "Holy Spirit".

The Bible Says in John 20:31...

...But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

How Did Jesus Get Here...

The best way to understand is to look at the word "incarnation" which is a term used to indicate that Jesus, the Son of God, took on human flesh.

The word incarnation means "the act of being made flesh." It comes from the Latin version of John 1:14.

The Bible Says in John 1:14...

...Christ became human flesh and lived among us. We saw His shining-greatness. This greatness is given only to a much-loved Son from His Father. He was full of loving-favor and truth.

The Bible story of the birth of Christ (The Incarnation).

The Bible Says In Luke 1:26-38...

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.'

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.'

'How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?'

The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.'

'I am the Lord's servant,' Mary answered. 'May it be to me as you have said.' Then the angel left her.

The Holy Spirit will come upon you. The incarnation was accomplished by this creative act of the Holy Spirit in the body of Mary. The virgin birth was a special miracle performed by the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, whereby the Second Person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God, took to Himself a genuine, though sinless, human nature and was born as a man, without surrendering in any aspect His deity.

...So Joseph and Mary went up from the town of Nazareth to Bethlehem. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

His Three Primary Names...

The three primary names in use for the Son of God is Jesus, Christ, and Lord.

1. The name Jesus, meaning "Jehovah is the Savior," is His human name, linking Him with humanity whom He came to save. His career here on earth was as a prophet, healer and teacher, healing people and teaching men the truth,
2. The name Christ, meaning "anointed," is His Messianic name, linking Him with the prophecy which He came to fulfill. This name suggest His priesthood, atoning for sin.
3. The name Lord, is the New Testament equivalent to the Hebrew word "Jehovah", linking Him with deity whom He came to represent and reveal, and to whom is due homage. This name suggest His Kingship, ruling over men.
These three names have a chronological emphasis:

He is simultaneously all three and has been throughout history.

Mankind's relationship and responsibility to Him follow this same pattern: obedience to Him as prophet, faith in Him as priest, surrender to Him as King.

The Bible Says in Acts 2:36...

..."Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ"

Jesus is Christ and Lord, so He can be referred to as Jesus or Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus or Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Created the World...

The Bible Says in John 1:3...

..."He created the world and all that is in it."

Through Him all things were made.

Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World...The Issue

Anytime we disobey God, it is called sin. The penalty for sin is death.

The Bible Says in Romans 6:23...

...For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

While the physical consequence of sin is physical death, that is not the only kind of death that results from sin.

Psalm 51:4 says: All sin is ultimately committed against an eternal and infinite God.

Because of that, the just penalty for our sin is also eternal and infinite.

What we need to be saved from is eternal destruction.

Matthew 25:46 says: And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.

Revelation 20:15 says: And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

But God in his love wants us to live. Therefore, he sent His Son to save the world. Jesus Christ, came to earth to die in our place. Because He lived a life without sin, only He was qualified to pay for our sins by His death on a cross. He then demonstrated His power over death when He rose from the grave three days later.

Only through Jesus can we be saved.

The Bible Says in Acts 4:12 and 16:31...
Only through Jesus can our sins can be forgiven and we can come to God...
Believe in the Lord Jesus,and you will be saved.

Jesus Performs Miracles...

All through his time on earth, Jesus performed miracles. Here are a few:

Matthew 8:16 says: He cast out the evil spirits and he healed all the sick.

Mark 4:39 says: He controlled the weather.

Matthew 14:14-21 says: He multiplied food.

Matthew 17:24-27 says: He provided money when needed.

John 11:38244 says: He raised people from the dead.
Acts 3:12-16 says: Even after leaving the earth, He still performs miracles in people's lives.

Jesus Changes Lives...

People who followed Jesus turned away from their sins. Luke 8:2 says: He cast seven demons out of Mary Magdalene and she became a devoted follower who told others about Jesus.

Luke 19:1-10 says: Zaccheus,a tax collector, repaid people whom he cheated when collecting taxes and gave half of everything else to the poor.

Luke 10:1-20 says: When followers were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, they were able to declare the message of Jesus, perform miracles, and live free from sin.

For nearly 2,000 years, Jesus Christ has been changing the lives of people all over the world.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says: Therefore,if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

He can change your life as well.

Romans 6:22 says: Jesus will deliver you from sin's addiction.

Romans 12:2 says: Jesus will renew your mind.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 says: Jesus will heal your hurts.

To learn more...go to... Steps to Peace with God.

Jesus Lives in Heaven at the Right Hand of God the Father...

Romans 8:34 says: After Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended to heaven to the right hand of God. From there he is able to intercede or intervene for us.

Jesus Will Return to Judge All of Humanity...

Matthew 24:30 says: While he was still on this earth, Jesus said, Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man (a title Jesus used for Himself), and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

When Jesus returns, He will separate those who will live with Him (they have received Him) forever in heaven from those who will be punished.

Jesus Christ Will Receive You Right Now...

John 6:37 says: Jesus said, Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

Luke 19:10 says: This was why He came to earth-to seek and to save the lost.

It does not matter what you have done, Jesus still wants you to come to Him.

Luke 5:32 says: He said, I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

To receive Jesus now...go to... The Good News