What we Believe Series – Part 3
Who is this Jesus? – Phil. 2:3-11 NLT
(Acknowledgement: Dr. Henry Schorr, Centre St. Church, Calgary AB - His What We Believe Series)
. We have been in a series the last couple of weeks called ‘What we believe.’ The last couple of weeks we have looked at God the Father. Now were going to set our sights on God the Son, Jesus Christ. What do Christians believe about Jesus? What was his purpose for coming to earth? What difference can he make in my life?
Have you ever thought or had the statement directed your way that Jesus was just a mythical figure who never even existed? Sure you have.
No historian worth his salt today would promote the idea that Jesus never lived. We have three proofs of his existence.
First we have external evidence www.gotquestions.org . By that we mean evidence outside the Bible.
I. Historians
Tacitus 1st Century
o Considered one of the more accurate historians of the ancient world, mentioned superstitious "Christians” ("named after Christus" which is Latin for Christ), who suffered under Pontius Pilate during the reign of Tiberius.
Chief Secretary Suetonius
o Suetonius, chief secretary to Emperor Hadrian in 117 AD, wrote there was a man named Christus (or Christ) who lived during the first century (Annals 15.44 ).
Historian Josephus
Flavius Josephus was the most famous Jewish historian. In his Antiquities he refers to James, “the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ.” He further wrote "Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man. For he was one who wrought surprising feats. . . . He was [the] Christ . . . he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him." Although the latter quote is controversial, it is recorded.
II. Early Church Fathers
Pliny the Younger, who lived in the1st century, recorded early Christian worship practices. He indicates Christians worshiped Jesus as God, were very ethical, and includes a reference to the love feast and Lord’s Supper.
Lucian of Samosata was a second-century Greek writer who admits that Jesus was worshiped by Christians, introduced new teachings, and was crucified for them.
Then we have all the Gnostic writings. Gnostic writers taught that humans are divine souls trapped in a material world. (The Gospel of Truth, The Apocrypha of John, The Gospel of Thomas, and The Treatise on Resurrection) that all mention Jesus.
III. The Apostles
Evidence is overwhelming for Jesus existence, both in secular and Biblical history. Perhaps the greatest evidence that Jesus did exist is the fact that literally thousands of Christians in the first century A.D., including the apostles, gave their lives as martyrs for Jesus Christ. People will die for what they believe to be true, but no one will die for what they know to be a lie.
IV. The Internal Evidence (The Bible)
Jesus life and witness
Jesus life and witness are recorded for us in the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, as well as Paul’s and others epistles.
o Jesus was born in an obscure village in a rock cave. He was born into a poor family. He was born into a small nation. He lived only 33 or so years. His ministry lasted only about three years. Yet his life has impacted billions of people down through the ages.
o He has impacted every race
o He has impacted every nation
o He has impacted every economic bracket
o Why has Jesus had such a dramatic impact on the world, not only positively, but negatively?
o Why does the mere mention of the name of Jesus evoke such a negative response
o Why do people use the name of Jesus as a swear word
o When was the last time you heard people use the name Buddha as a swear word (O Buddha!)
o It is because of who Jesus claimed to be
o I AM the bread of life. John 6:35: Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
o I AM the light of the world. John 8:12: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
o I AM the door. John 10:7: Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep."
o I AM the good shepherd. John 10:11-14: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me...."
o I AM the resurrection and the life. John 11:25: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies."
o I AM the true vine. John 15:1, 5: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
o I AM the way, the truth and the life. John 14:6: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
o Jesus made some outrageous claims about himself
o Other religious leaders pointed away from themselves saying this is the religious truth and the way
o Jesus pointed to himself and said I am the way, the truth and the life; follow me
o Buddha never claimed to be God. Moses never claimed to be Jehovah. Mohammed never claimed to be Allah. Yet Jesus Christ claimed to be the true and living God. Buddha simply said, "I am a teacher in search of the truth." Jesus said, "I am the Truth." Confucius said, "I never claimed to be holy." Jesus said, "Who convicts me of sin?" Mohammed said, "Unless God throws his cloak of mercy over me, I have no hope." Jesus said, "Unless you believe in me, you will die in your sins." –Unknown
o A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.--C.S. Lewis
o In a video based on his book 3:16 Stories of Hope, Max Lucado illustrates the odd nature of the statement that "all religions lead to God":
All roads lead to heaven. Well, the sentence makes good talk-show fodder, but does it make sense? Can all approaches to God be correct? How can all religions lead to God when they are so different? We don’t tolerate such logic in other matters. We don’t pretend that all roads lead to London or all ships sail to Australia; all flights don’t lead to Rome. Imagine your response to a travel agent who proclaims they do. You tell him you need a flight to Rome, Italy. So he looks on his screen, and he offers, "Well, there’s a flight to Sidney, Australia, at 6:00 a.m."
"Does it go to Rome?" you ask.
"No, but it offers great food and movies."
"But I need to go to Rome," you say.
He says, "Well, let me suggest Southwest Airlines."
"Southwest Airlines flies to Rome?"
"No, but they win awards for on-time arrivals."
You’re getting frustrated, so you reiterate: "I need one airline, to carry me to one place—Rome."
The agent appears offended: "Sir, all flights go to Rome."
Well, you know better. Different flights have different destinations. That’s not a thickheaded conclusion, but an honest one. Every flight does not go to Rome. And every path does not lead to God.
I want to look at four truths about Jesus that confirm who Jesus was and is.
1. Jesus was and is God
o In my line of work you meditate and study the Bible a lot
o As I think about it Christmas messages are often confusing
o Story of Jesus does not begin in a humble cave in Bethlehem
o Jesus was at the top (vs6)
o Jesus was not an assistant to God
o We read that even though Jesus was in the very nature of God he did not regard equality with God something to grasp for
o What does this statement mean, Jesus was in the very nature of God
o It means that he was equal with God the Father and God the Spirit
o Jesus was and is fully divine and is God
o How do we know Jesus is God
a) Jesus said he was God
o Look at these verses
o (John 5:18b) he was even calling God his own Father, making
Himself equal with God.
o (John 10:30) “I and the Father are one."
o (John 14:9) “Jesus answered: "Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ’Show us the Father’?
o (John 8:58-59) "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
o Circle the two words ‘I AM.’ I AM is the most holy name of God (Ex. 3:13-14)
o When he used those words the Pharisees picked up stones to stone Him
o Jesus understood and his enemies understood that He was claiming to be God
b) Others said he was God
o This started in the prophecies before He was born. Isaiah prophesied and said ‘He will be called Mighty God.”
o It continued with the apostles – Paul (Phil. 2:10-11)
o Isaiah had written as God spoke these words to him (Isaiah 45:22-23)
o John also wrote that Jesus always existed (John 1:1-2)
c) He is worshipped as God
o Many worshipped Him as God
o A healed leper (Matt. 8:2), women (Matt. 8:2), the mother of James and John (Matt. 20:20), a Gerasenes demoniac (Mark 5:6), a blind man (John 9:38),
o Jesus accepted this worship of Himself (John 20:28-29); Matt. 14:33
o His disciples prayed to him (Acts 7:59)
o Not once did Jesus say, stop this, no your wrong, don’t worship me
o When Thomas called Jesus my Lord and my God Jesus affirmed him for his belief
2. Jesus made himself nothing. He humbled himself.
o Jesus, like God the Father and the Holy Spirit was and us a full partner in the divine godhead
o Jesus relaxed his grip on who he was and where he was and voluntarily choose the downward path to the cross
o Jesus was God in his nature and did not need to hold on to that. He did not need to defend it. He was God. He did not have to consider this something to be grasped or held on too. Jesus possessed the glory of God.
o Most of us love rags to riches stories
o One of my favorites is Walt Disney who started Disneyland
o Walt went bankrupt six times before he made it
o But Jesus story is one of riches to rags
o Everywhere he went he was used to myriads of angels shouting ‘holy holy holy is the Lord God almighty’. Yet he let it go to save us from our sins
o Let me ask you, what do you need to relax your grip on?
o We need to give up all rights to our money, to our home, our education; whatever it is that we think is going to meet our needs, so we can put our trust in Christ alone.
o You don’t really own anything; God just gives you the right to move things around for a while.” You really don’t own anything. So why not give up all rights to it and give God permission to remove it if He wants to. That’s what He’s asking!
o Let me ask you ‘how willing are you ready to relax your grip’
o Most of us put up a real fight for our rights
o Take an Insignificant thing like ‘parking’
o Some of you may not be aware, but I mentioned before that we have permission to park in the municipal lot right across the street
o Now you have the right to park right out front
o But will you release your right so our seniors who are less mobile can park in front of the building
o How easy is it for you to release your right
o I recall this very situation with CSC
o Our Senior Pastor was Henry Schorr
o At the time he had four boys aged 12 – 18
o One time he went to a Calgary Flames game with the boys
o The parking lot is the size of three football games
o After the game people were honking, yelling, swearing, cutting one another off
o Henry thought this was a teachable moment
o So he said to the boys ‘this is what a world is like without Jesus Christ’
o Now at that time the church had a 16 acre parking lot just down the hill
o We parked there so seniors could park in the building lot
o We would then take the shuttle bus up to the church
o Henry’s boys worked the shuttle bus parking lot as volunteers
o By now you know where this is going
o When Henry pointed out the attitudes of the people in the Flames parking lot the boys told him what he didn’t want to hear
o They said dad you wouldn’t believe how some of the church people treat us when we tell them where to park
o And pastor Henry thought ‘tell me it isn’t so’
o Now I am sure our church would never struggle with those attitudes
o How many of you struggle with releasing your grip
o It is true that we struggle with minor things
o Now lets compare that to the eternal Son of God
o The one who created you and this entire world
o No wonder the Father could say ‘this is my son in whom I have chosen and delight’
o Jesus attitude was I will take the ultimate demotion to save and serve you
3. Jesus became a man
o He had a human birth but also a virgin birth
o He grew in wisdom and stature
o In other words he grew intellectually, physically, spiritually, and socially
o He was thirsty
o He was hungry
o He had a family, brothers and sisters
o He ran into people who pushed him around
o He was human in every way that you are
o He wept at the grave of a friend
o He himself died
o At the cross the human part of Jesus died
o Now we do not fully understand his ways
o But Jesus knows all about us
o He knows every temptation you face
o He knows your pain
o He feels your injustice from others
o He ate, slept, and had aching muscles
o Can you catch a small glimpse of what it must have been like for Jesus?
o Bible says “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted (Hebrews 2:18 NIV).”
o How could he live on this earth without sin?
o Because Jesus is God
o Jesus was not any less divine because he was human
o He was and is fully God
o From equality with God he chose to become a man and suffer for us
4. Jesus became obedient to death
o Jesus allowed his life to be taken
o Bill Hybels gives an example
o Two cowboys are at the OK coral
o The far superior one lays down his gun
o He says ‘go ahead and shoot me’
o I will die so you can go free
o For Jesus the cross was one more step of descent
o You can imagine an angel crying out enough degradation
o Jesus didn’t die soft mattress
o Jesus didn’t die like a senior in a hospital slowly dying
o The cross tortured Jesus slowly
o He felt every sensation of dying
o The cross was a humiliating death
o He was stripped of his dignity
o The even gambled for his clothes
o They jeered at him on the cross (Mark 15:31-32)
o Friends it does not get any more degrading than this
o Jesus didn’t go up the ladder and crash like many of us
o Jesus started in heaven and ended up on the cross
o We love rags to riches story – W. Disney
o But the most important story is one of riches to rags – burial rags – top to bottom
o this may not be the most entertaining story you have ever heard
o but it is the greatest story
So how do we apply this to our lives?
1. Jesus shows us what He is like and appeals to Calvary to become like Him
o Paul says our attitudes should be the same as Jesus
o He appeals to us to take the downward path
o We live in a culture that says if you want to be something you have to take the upward path, accomplish something
o Greatness, fame and pleasure go together
o There were two men who were trying to define success
o One said success is spending a day in Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office
o Your sitting there and the telephone rings
o Stephen ignores the call and keeps talking to you
o The second man says no that is not success
o The second man said success is spending a day in Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office
o Your sitting there and the telephone rings
o He answers the call and says ‘it’s for you’
o The Bible defines success as fundamentally down
o The secret is loosening your grip on your rights rather than demanding them
o It is found in serving others without expecting anything back in return
o When was the last time you helped someone who couldn’t possibly pay you back
o It is the opposite of this areas definition of success
o Gratifying every pleasure and desire without thinking of the impact it has on others
o Self-indulgence leads to despair
o Can you imagine what Goldcorp would be like if you treated every person as if he was the President of the company?
o Can you imagine if all our church people in this area took the servant attitude of Jesus?
o The Bible says the things of the world are fleeting
o Money
o Career
o Family
o Friends
o Don’t put your hope on what is temporary
o Jesus said we cannot serve two masters
o We each must decide whom we will serve
o I knew a doctor who worked in Canada part of the year to raise money for missions and his church
o His real love was to go to Pakistan and build houses for poor people who would never have a home
o His colleagues thought he was nuts – he gave up hundreds of thousands in income to serve Jesus
o On his last trip there he had a heart attack and died giving his life to the Pakistani people
o The comment at his funeral was ‘he died with his boots on – doing what he loved’
o I knew and loved that man – he was my doctor
o Another hero of mine was Jim Elliott
o Most of you younger people have no idea who he was so let me tell you his story
o Jim Elliot had a loving wife, a beautiful little girl, and a reason for real joy. God had called him to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the Auca Indians in South America. The love of Christ not only thrilled him but also gave him peace. Jim would spend the rest of his life bringing Jesus to the lost Aucus ... but the rest of Jim’s life was only a matter of months. Persecution and death was a reality in his life. Jim Elliot and four other young men died in the middle of doing God’s work. The very people they had come to rescue came out against them with machetes and clubs. Jim had clearly understood the cost of serving Jesus. There is nothing that is worth more than Jesus - not even your life. ’He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.’
o Today there is a thriving Christian community among the Aqua Indians
o One of the original murderers gave his testimony at an International Billy Graham crusade
Conclusion
o Do you want to see your neighbors and friends come Christ
o Do you want to see renewal in your families
o Then begin to live this way
o Take the downward path
o It will require a choice
o There are two roads
o One will lead to emptiness
o The other will lead to fulfillment
o The high adventure on the downward path will lead to fulfillment
o Because brokenness and a servant attitude leads to exaltation
- Concluding prayer
- What is Jesus saying to you?
- What are you going to do with what he says?
