Christianity Considered (Part 2)
Who was Jesus (Continued)
What did others think of him?
He was scrutinised by friends and enemies. None found any error, untrue word, or unkind action. Unsolicited testimonies include the following:
From the Father. “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:17)
From Judas. “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” (Matt. 27:4)
From Pilate. “I find no fault in him at all.” (John 18:38) and “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.” (Matt. 27:24)
From the felon co-crucified with him. “This Man has done nothing wrong.” (Luke 23:41)
From the Roman in charge of the crucifixion party. “Certainly this was a righteous Man!” (Luke 23:47)
From an unclean spirit. “I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24; Luke 4.34)
Indirectly from Herod. Pilate said, “ … having examined him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse him; no, neither did Herod.” (Luke 23:14,15)
From Peter, the apostle to the Jews. “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, …but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Pet. 1:18,19)
From the writer of the letter to the Hebrews speaking of Jesus, Son of God. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin”. (Heb 4:15)
He was scrutinised by friends and enemies. None found any error, untrue word, or unkind action. Unsolicited testimonies include the following:
From the Father. “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:17)
From Judas. “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” (Matt. 27:4)
From Pilate. “I find no fault in him at all.” (John 18:38) and “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.” (Matt. 27:24)
From the felon co-crucified with him. “This Man has done nothing wrong.” (Luke 23:41)
From the Roman in charge of the crucifixion party. “Certainly this was a righteous Man!” (Luke 23:47)
From an unclean spirit. “I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24; Luke 4.34)
Indirectly from Herod. Pilate said, “ … having examined him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse him; no, neither did Herod.” (Luke 23:14,15)
From Peter, the apostle to the Jews. “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, …but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Pet. 1:18,19)
From the writer of the letter to the Hebrews speaking of Jesus, Son of God. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin”. (Heb 4:15)
His miracles supported His claims
The Jewish leadership, many of whom were students of the Scriptures knew what to look for in any individual making the kind of claims Jesus made. They expected attesting miracles. “For Jews request a sign”, wrote Paul. Jesus provided multiple miracles to answer this requirement. The gospel stories contain numerous examples of Jesus healing all kinds of illnesses and, in three instances, raising the dead. He also demonstrated His powers over nature. These miracles, as Archibald Alexander puts it: “...were performed, for the most part, in an open and public manner, in the presence of multitudes of witnesses, under the inspection of learned and malignant enemies, in a great variety of circumstances, and for several years in succession. His enemies never denied these signs.”
The healing of leprosy
In the culture of Jesus’ day, leprosy was considered a judgement of God upon sin. The leper was considered to be personally under the judgement of God. Therefore, the Jewish leadership expected any Messianic claimant to have an ability to heal this disease. Jesus satisfied that expectation. He helped the many lepers that were in Israel at that time, lifting the judgement of God and healing their ravaged bodies. Luke described the beginning of this ministry. “Behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean. Then he (Jesus) put out his hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed. Immediately the leprosy left him.” (Lk.5.12,14) It is significant that this first recorded case of leprosy treated by Jesus was a person “full of leprosy”. The disease had such a hold that it had almost extinguished life. It had run its course and had the decaying man firmly in its grip. The touch of Jesus regenerated the dying body of the diseased man. On another occasion He healed ten lepers at one time. (Luke 17.12 ff.) This ability to heal lepers was also delegated to His disciples who had much success in this area. (Matt.10.7,8; 11.5) This ministry, along with other instances of healing, had added significance by its strong connection with the forgiveness of sins.
The Jewish leadership, many of whom were students of the Scriptures knew what to look for in any individual making the kind of claims Jesus made. They expected attesting miracles. “For Jews request a sign”, wrote Paul. Jesus provided multiple miracles to answer this requirement. The gospel stories contain numerous examples of Jesus healing all kinds of illnesses and, in three instances, raising the dead. He also demonstrated His powers over nature. These miracles, as Archibald Alexander puts it: “...were performed, for the most part, in an open and public manner, in the presence of multitudes of witnesses, under the inspection of learned and malignant enemies, in a great variety of circumstances, and for several years in succession. His enemies never denied these signs.”
The healing of leprosy
In the culture of Jesus’ day, leprosy was considered a judgement of God upon sin. The leper was considered to be personally under the judgement of God. Therefore, the Jewish leadership expected any Messianic claimant to have an ability to heal this disease. Jesus satisfied that expectation. He helped the many lepers that were in Israel at that time, lifting the judgement of God and healing their ravaged bodies. Luke described the beginning of this ministry. “Behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean. Then he (Jesus) put out his hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed. Immediately the leprosy left him.” (Lk.5.12,14) It is significant that this first recorded case of leprosy treated by Jesus was a person “full of leprosy”. The disease had such a hold that it had almost extinguished life. It had run its course and had the decaying man firmly in its grip. The touch of Jesus regenerated the dying body of the diseased man. On another occasion He healed ten lepers at one time. (Luke 17.12 ff.) This ability to heal lepers was also delegated to His disciples who had much success in this area. (Matt.10.7,8; 11.5) This ministry, along with other instances of healing, had added significance by its strong connection with the forgiveness of sins.
The Forgiveness of Sins
The clearest case where an authenticating miracle was used to support His claim that He could forgive sins is recorded in three places. (Matt. 9.1-8; Mark 2.1-12; and Luke 5.17-26) There a paralytic was healed only after Jesus declared his sins were forgiven. You can guess what His enemies made of that claim. They said, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Luke 5:21) In another incident, He forgave the sins of a notorious woman. (Luke 7.48) These acts of forgiving sin are not the acts of a man, not even a good man, but the work of God.
C.S. Lewis, a University academic, said of this claim to forgive sin: “Now unless the speaker is God, this is really so preposterous as to be comic. We can all understand how a man forgives offences against himself. You tread on my toe and I forgive you, you steal my money and I forgive you. But what should we make of a man, himself unrobbed and untrodden on, who announced he forgave you for treading on other men’s toes and stealing other men’s money. This only makes sense if he is the God whose laws are broken and whose love is wounded in every sin.”
That Jesus claimed deity and was God walking the roads of Israel in human form, is further confirmed by the apostle Paul. He wrote: “Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God”, (Phil. 2:5,6), and again, “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ”. (Titus 2:13), and again, “Christ ... who is over all, the eternally blessed God.” (Rom. 9:5)
To Summarise
If we read the gospels aright, we see that Jesus claimed to be Israel’s Messiah. But more than that He claimed a relationship with God as a co-equal. These claims were supported by actions of mercy and blessing, even to the point of forgiving the sins of individuals. There is no doubt that the writers of the gospels intended to indicate that Jesus of Nazareth was God walking the land of Israel in human form—a real man, and at the same time, really God. Consider this—God wanted to make Himself known to us, the crown of His creation. He did this by coming into the world in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus was love personified.
Jesus was good personified
Jesus was wisdom personified
Jesus was God personified.
A last thought: CT Studd said, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him”.
The clearest case where an authenticating miracle was used to support His claim that He could forgive sins is recorded in three places. (Matt. 9.1-8; Mark 2.1-12; and Luke 5.17-26) There a paralytic was healed only after Jesus declared his sins were forgiven. You can guess what His enemies made of that claim. They said, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Luke 5:21) In another incident, He forgave the sins of a notorious woman. (Luke 7.48) These acts of forgiving sin are not the acts of a man, not even a good man, but the work of God.
C.S. Lewis, a University academic, said of this claim to forgive sin: “Now unless the speaker is God, this is really so preposterous as to be comic. We can all understand how a man forgives offences against himself. You tread on my toe and I forgive you, you steal my money and I forgive you. But what should we make of a man, himself unrobbed and untrodden on, who announced he forgave you for treading on other men’s toes and stealing other men’s money. This only makes sense if he is the God whose laws are broken and whose love is wounded in every sin.”
That Jesus claimed deity and was God walking the roads of Israel in human form, is further confirmed by the apostle Paul. He wrote: “Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God”, (Phil. 2:5,6), and again, “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ”. (Titus 2:13), and again, “Christ ... who is over all, the eternally blessed God.” (Rom. 9:5)
To Summarise
If we read the gospels aright, we see that Jesus claimed to be Israel’s Messiah. But more than that He claimed a relationship with God as a co-equal. These claims were supported by actions of mercy and blessing, even to the point of forgiving the sins of individuals. There is no doubt that the writers of the gospels intended to indicate that Jesus of Nazareth was God walking the land of Israel in human form—a real man, and at the same time, really God. Consider this—God wanted to make Himself known to us, the crown of His creation. He did this by coming into the world in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus was love personified.
Jesus was good personified
Jesus was wisdom personified
Jesus was God personified.
A last thought: CT Studd said, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him”.
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