apologetics

Who is Jesus?

/ insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

easter01This is a momentous week in the life of the church.  Because it has been framed by two monumental events of history, it is the week traditionally referred to as “holy week.”

It’s a week that began with Palm Sunday, and it will end this Sunday with the celebration of Easter.  Palm Sunday is associated with the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, and Easter is the joyful recognition of His resurrection.

There’s a three word question that was asked by those who observed Jesus on Palm Sunday. As He rode a white donkey through the narrow and dusty streets of Jerusalem, they asked:  “Who is this?”

The Gospel of John presents a group of witnesses that offer a line of testimony that answers this question:

  • John testifies that Jesus turned water into wine at the marriage supper of Cana.
  • The nobleman gives a detailed account of how Jesus simply spoke and his dying son was healed.
  • The man who had been crippled for 38 years jumps in the air and clicks his heels together to show the miraculous manner in which Jesus healed him.
  • The little boy holds up an empty lunch pail and says: “It had just enough food for my dinner, but Jesus blessed it and there was enough to feed 5,000 people.”
  • The seasoned fishermen relive the moment when they thought their boat was going to sink and they were going to drown: “The Master appeared out of nowhere, walked on the waves, commanded the water to be still, and we were saved.”

After listening to all the testimony, a man rises and says:  “May I speak?  I think my evidence is conclusive.  You see, I was dead, but somehow I heard the clear and loud voice of Jesus:  ‘Lazarus come forth,’ and I shook off the chains of death.  I’m living proof of who Jesus is.”

Who is this?  Jesus is:

  • The Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
  • The Bread of Life.
  • The Light of the world.
  • The Good Shepherd
  • The Way, the Truth, and the Life.
  • Resurrection and the life

Who is Jesus to you?

Faith: Who? Why? and Where?

/ insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

Question Everything Clean_0Studies have shown that people with no faith are more likely than their religious counterparts to suffer from depression and are more likely to commit suicide. I believe faith makes a difference because it provides you a sense of meaning and a purpose for your life; and, it offers you hope beyond the grave.

There may be times when you struggle with the big “W” questions of life:
• “Who am I?”
• “Why am I here?
• “Where am I going?”

Without God in the equation, finding answers to these questions can be difficult. Animals are guided by their instincts, but mankind needs the Spirit of God to solve the riddles of life. If God does not exist, both man and the universe are without hope. If there is no life beyond the grave, the future of man is exactly that—grave! Without the hope of the cross and the power of the resurrection, life is little more than a flickering candle that fades and is engulfed in a consuming darkness.

One of the accounts that helps to verify the claims of Christ, the crucifixion, and the resurrection is found in the words of John. He was present with Jesus from the early days of His ministry, at the time of the crucifixion, and he was also a witness to the empty tomb.

If the biblical record was inaccurate, why would John continue to fabricate a hoax? If he was spreading a myth, he had nothing to gain and everything to lose, but John spoke the truth; and, he dedicated his life to the cause of Christ.

As an old man with a still vibrant faith, John wrote: “From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, and verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we’re telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. We saw it, we heard it, and now we’re telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy (I John 1:1-4 The Message)!”

I hope this blog will strengthen your faith and help you enjoy the joy of knowing Jesus.