Son of God: True or False

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Jesus Is the Son of God—True or False?

Have you ever heard from family, friends or professors that Jesus never claimed to be God? Some say He was just a good moral teacher. Some say His followers created a myth that Jesus was the Son of God. What is true and what is false?

In the movie, there is a scene where Jesus is on trial, and the chief priest asks Jesus to answer—under oath—if He is the Son of God. You can read this scene in the Bible, the original screenplay: The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied (Matthew 26:63-64).

It is true that Jesus claimed divinity. This is just one example of many in the Bible. This was the reason they put Him on trial and put Him to death. They didn’t do it because He was going around saying “Be nice to each other.” That doesn’t get you a death sentence.

But the fact that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God doesn’t necessarily make it true. If someone you knew claimed to be the son of God, would you think it was true? No, you would probably think that person needed therapy. But when Jesus claims it, hardly anyone laughs. Why is Jesus believable? There are many reasons. Here are three: His Life. People believed Jesus’ claim to be God because He was so absolutely trustworthy.

He lived a perfect life—He was sinless. And He had more insight into life and people than anyone. It would be inconsistent for Him to not know His own identity.

His Prophesies. Hundreds of years before Jesus came to earth, many predictions were given about the identity of the Messiah. Jesus matched every prediction. It was like oneof-a-kind divine DNA. (Read Isaiah 53:3–12 for just one example.)

His Miracles. Jesus referred to His miracles as signs. These signs pointed to Jesus’ divinity. Of the hundreds of miracles, two were especially important: He was born to a virgin, and He rose from the dead, never to die again.

How can Jesus’ life be explained unless He is the Son of God?

True or False

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Jesus is the Only Way to God—True or False?

Don’t all the major religions basically say the same thing? The truth is they do ask similar questions: Who is God? Why is the world such a mess? How do we solve this problem?

However, the fallacy is that they come up with the same answers.

Of the world’s major religions, Jesus is the only leader who claimed to be God in the flesh.

Moses didn’t. Mohammed didn’t. Buddha didn’t. But Jesus made another claim many people find even more controversial: Jesus claimed that He was the only way to God: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). In fact, if there were another way to God, Jesus’ death would have been unnecessary.

There could be many solutions or ways to God if the world’s problem was ignorance, desire or just being bad. But God’s diagnosis was different, and it had just one solution. Our problem is our sin separates us from God, and Jesus’ death is our only cure.

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Jesus Died for You—True or False?

How good do you have to be to go to heaven? The common wisdom is that if you are 51% good or obey most of the commandments, then you’ve made the grade for getting into heaven. This is a false belief.

The truth is we all make mistakes that we know need to be forgiven. Do you live up to your own expectations? If you don’t even live up to your own, how can you think you live up to God’s?

The problem isn’t that we are bad and the cure is to be better. Rather, Jesus’ diagnosis was that our sin is a symptom of a diseased and dead heart, and what we need is a new heart from a donor.

Think of it this way: Imagine God said to you, “I want to give you the gift of healing. You can heal anybody of any fatal disease.” Would you take this gift? Now what if God said, “There’s just one catch. Whoever you heal, you will get what they had.” Now would you accept this gift? You might for someone you loved more than yourself. This is the deal Jesus got and took.

The Bible says it like this: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

In the movie, there is a scene when Jesus reveals that He knows the meaning of His death. He takes bread and breaks it then gives it to his disciples and says, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26: 26-28).

For Jesus, dying was His reason for living. He died for you so that you might live forgiven.

True or False

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Jesus is Alive—True or False?

Do you remember the scene when Jesus dies? A few scenes later, he appears to Mary who has discovered the tomb is empty. Jesus appears—resurrected, flawless, glorified.

Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Is this just Hollywood, or is it history? There is good evidence to show that it is the most amazing fact of history. Here are four arguments: Jesus Predicted It. The resurrection wasn’t a myth made up after His death. Jesus predicted He would rise from the dead (Matthew 16:21, 17:22-23, 20:18-19, 26:32).

Eyewitnesses Saw It. Jesus was seen alive after His crucifixion over a 40-day period by men, women, skeptics, believers, individuals and simultaneously by a group of over 500 people (1 Corinthians 5:16).

History Supports It. Within a generation of Jesus’ life, documents were written about His death and resurrection. If treated without prejudice, the historical records are as plentiful and as reliable as any ancient event we know of.

Other Theories Are Pathetic. Not only is the evidence for the resurrection strong, the evidence for alternative explanations (e.g., someone else was crucified, they forgot where His tomb was) are flimsy. They are biased and desperate attempts to avoid the facts.

Why does it matter that Jesus rose from the dead never to die again? Jesus’ resurrection set Him apart from all other religious leaders and anyone else who ever lived. All the other religious leaders were powerless to death, proving their humanity. Jesus had power over death, proving His divinity.

The resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith. All of what Jesus said and did fails if the resurrection is false. All of what Jesus said and did stands if the resurrection is fact.

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Resources You don’t have to have all your questions answered and all your doubts cleared to make a thoughtful decision and claim that you believe in Jesus.

Where do you stand right now? Are you ready to respond to Jesus? Everyone—including intellectuals—comes to God in the same way. Here are the first two steps you need to take in your journey with Jesus back to God. Pray. “God, thank You for what you have done for me. I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. I believe Jesus died to take away my sin. I believe Jesus rose again to give me everlasting life. Please forgive me of my sins. Create in me a clean heart. Give me the gift of your Holy Spirit. Teach me to obey you and to follow you all the days of my life into the life eternal. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.”

Obey. Jesus said, “if anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching” (John 14:23). One of the last teachings Jesus gave was this: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:18–20).

His commands are summarized in loving God with all you are, loving the needy like you love yourself, and loving others as Jesus loved you. The best way to begin doing this is to be part of a Bible-believing church learning to follow Jesus together.

If you are not ready to do the above, ask yourself why. Do you have questions that still need resolution?

Is your hesitation to respond a social one? Are you afraid of what you will have to give up in your life? If so, keep your heart open and pray. You will soon discover that God loves you more than anyone, and He wants what is best for you.

True or False

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“The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.”

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All Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011

by Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved worldwide. Images © 2013 by Lightworkers Media and Heart Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

EB1598316 12/13

Matthew 17:22-23 NIV