TheDeityof the Christ: The Deity of the Christ a brief introduction to the nature of Jesus of Nazareth


purpose: purpose increase your faith in Him be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks both you and others are helped...


warning!: warning! this is just an introduction; it can get much deeper how deep you go is up to you...


overview: overview the big claim Jesus’ claim to fame the big proof Is He what He says He is? the big fix? Were the disciples conspirators?


Jesus’ big claim: Jesus’ big claim How ever did we get this idea that Jesus is God? mostly from Him, and his followers…


john 1.1 in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.: john 1.1 in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.


Slide7: but who is 'the Word'? v 14 tells us and the Word became flesh and lived among us if the Word = Jesus and the Word = God thus Jesus = God


john 10.30-33 [Jesus said] “I and the Father are one.” Again the Jews picked up stones to stone Him… “[We are stoning you] for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God”: john 10.30-33 [Jesus said] 'I and the Father are one.' Again the Jews picked up stones to stone Him… '[We are stoning you] for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God'


Slide9: Jesus claimed He and the Father were one! Jews knew what He was implying importantly He never denies it


mark 2.7 who can forgive sins but God alone?: mark 2.7 who can forgive sins but God alone? He had the nerve to forgive sins against others but only God is offended in all sins and only He has that right they rightly accuse Him of blasphemy if He were a mere man


john 8.58 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am.”: john 8.58 'I tell you the truth,' Jesus answered, 'before Abraham was born, I am.' what happened to good grammar? to the Jews, I am = God just afterwards the Jews try and stone Him again again, no denial


mark 13.31 heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall never pass away: mark 13.31 heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall never pass away Is 40.8 The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever. 'my' words = words of God Jesus = God


john 20.28 thomas said to him, “my lord and my god.”: john 20.28 thomas said to him, 'my lord and my god.' Jesus never corrects him (angels and mere prophets would have) [greek = the lord of me and the god of me]


john 8.46 which of you convicts me of sin?: john 8.46 which of you convicts me of sin? He said things like this in front of family and friends; so what? They spent a lot of time with Him; they would know immediately No one said a thing to Jews the sinless one = God


there’s more!: there’s more! besides referring to Himself as I AM, forgiving sins, claiming oneness with the Father, claiming sinlessness, accepting worship... He also changed the names of people (in OT only God did that)


Slide16: He creates! Col 1.16-17 Jn 1.3 He sends the Holy Spirit Jn 14.25-26 He gives eternal life Jn 3.16 He is unchanging Heb 1.11-12 etc., etc., etc.


the big proof: the big proof If Jesus = God, we follow Truth If Jesus ≠ God, our faith is in vain classic logic leads us to…


lord, liar, lunatic: lord, liar, lunatic Jesus was either telling truth, or not if not, he was either intentionally not telling truth (lying), or unintentionally not telling the truth (mistaken) therefore, He was either 1) telling truth, 2) lying, or 3) mistaken


liar!: liar! Jesus = liar? liars have motives; what were His? none of usual benefits but did get hatred, rejection, misunderstanding where are his accusers? if lying he was a very bad man and, most importantly,…


liar!: liar! would a liar go to a horrible torture and death? no confession recorded so…


lunatic!: lunatic! mistaken about being God? farther one’s claims from the truth, the more loony that person is Sermon on the Mount from a lunatic? a madman resurrects people from the dead?


lunatic!: no one has claimed he was loony - even his enemies no other lunacy characteristics: egotism narcissism inability to love, listen to, or understand others lunatic!


aut deusaut homo malus: aut deus aut homo malus either God or a bad man mentally bad if he was mistaken, morally bad if He was lying but Jesus = good andamp; wise liar is not good, lunatic is not wise thus, if he was not a liar or a lunatic, he was… Lord


the big fix?: the big fix? look at it another way the disciples wrote that Jesus = God and He rose from the dead were they lying, mistaken, or telling the truth?


liars!: liars! if lying, what were their motives? no fringe benefits (no wealth, no power, no harem)


liars!: liars! they were mocked, hated, sneered at, jeered at, exiled, deprived of the property, their reputations, and their civil rights; they got imprisoned, whipped, tortured,


liars!: liars! clubbed to a pulp, stoned, beheaded, sawed in pieces, boiled in oil, crucified, fed to lions and cut to ribbons by gladiators.. no confessions to this greatest of all conspiracies


liars!: none of the psychological traits of liars, e.g... they made themselves look less than heroic (rebuked, said silly things, couldn’t stay with Him at Gethsemane, etc.) liars!


liars!: they said women(!) were last with Him, first at the grave, first to see Him why don’t their stories show evidence of collusion? liars!


liars!: what about James and Paul??? James believed after Jesus left; Paul was a man persecuting these people what did they get? James was executed ~AD 62; Paul ~AD 68 liars!


liars!: where is the scholarly book written about the conspiracy? John R.W. Stott wrote that the silence of Christ’s enemies 'is as eloquent a proof of the resurrection as the apostles’ witness.' liars!


losers!: losers! so they were making a big innocent mistake? they spent years with Him and would have seen he was not the son of God were they mistaken about the nail prints and spear wound?


losers!: losers! could they have spent weeks with a poseur and not figured it out? no one snapped out of it? their enemies never said they were insane


losers!: and if they were mistaken, there is one nagging problem: where is His body? did the Jews take it? did the Romans? the disciples? if so = lie, and back we go losers!


conclusion: conclusion a little more complicated than this (this = introduction) but if Jesus and his followers were not lying or mistaken, they were telling the truth, and... Jesus is God and He rose from the dead.


Slide36: suggested starter reading


Slide37: suggested starter reading


Slide38: suggested starter reading


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