For us, it is impossible to know conclusively 'Does God exist?', and 'What kind of person is He?' unless God Himself takes the initiative and reveals Himself.
We have to look through the pages of history to find any clues to God's revelation. There is a clear sign of this. 2000 years ago, in a stable in a rundown village in Palestine, a baby was born. Today the whole world is celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, and with good reason – his life changed the course of history.
How did people see Jesus?
We are told that “the common people listened gladly to what Jesus said.” And “He was teaching them as one who had authority, not as the Jewish religious leaders.” 1
However, it soon became clear that he was making a very shocking and surprising statement about himself. He described himself as a great teacher and greater than a prophet. He clearly said that He is God. He made his identity a central issue in his education.
To His followers, Jesus asked the most important question, “And who do you say that I am?” Then Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 2 Hearing this, Jesus Christ was not surprised, nor did he rebuke Peter. On the contrary, Jesus praised him!
Jesus Christ often addressed God as “My Father,” and his words had a profound impact on his listeners. We are told, “Therefore the Jews tried all the more to kill him; Because he not only broke the law of the Sabbath (Sabbath day), but by calling God his Father, he made himself equal to God. 3 On another occasion he said, “I and my Father are one.” At that very moment the Jews wanted to stone him. Jesus Christ asked them “For what good deeds of his did they inspire them to stone him (Jesus)?” They answered, “We are not stoning you for any good work, but for blasphemy, and because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 4
Jesus clearly claimed powers that only God has. When a paralyzed man was lowered from the roof so he could be healed by Jesus, Jesus said, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” Hearing this, the theologians immediately reacted, “Why is this man saying such things? He is insulting God! Who can forgive sins except God?” Then Jesus said to them, "Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Get up and walk'?"
Jesus continued, “But so that you may know that I have authority on earth to forgive sins, He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take up your bed and go to your home. " He got up and immediately picked up the cot and walked away from everyone; everyone was astonished at this.
Jesus also made statements such as: “I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.” 5 And “I am the light of the world.” 6 And he said many times that Jesus will give eternal life to whoever believes in him. “And there is no punishment for him, but he has passed from death to life.” 7 “And I give them eternal life. They will never be destroyed.” 8
At those critical moments, when Jesus' life was at stake, to make such a claim, the high priest asked him a direct question: “Are you the Christ, the Son of the most blessed one?”
“Yes, I am,” Jesus said. “And you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of the Almighty, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have for witnesses, after you heard him saying these insulting things.” 9
Jesus Christ's relationship with God was so deep that He equated a man's feelings toward Him, and their feelings toward God, as equal. Therefore, to know him was to know God. 10 To see him was to see the Lord. 11 To believe in him was to believe in the Lord. 12 To accept him was to accept the Lord. 13 To hate him was to hate the Lord. 14 To honor him was to honor the Lord. 15
possible explanation
The question is, was he telling the truth?
Jesus may have lied when he called himself God. It may be that He knew He was not God, and deliberately deceived His listeners in order to give authority to His teaching. Some people think so. But there is a problem with this argument. Even those who deny his divinity recognize that Jesus was a great moral teacher. But they fail to understand that both the statements are contradictory. What great moral teacher would Jesus Christ have been if He deliberately lied about the most important subject of His teachings -- His identity ?
“When we look at the claims of Jesus Christ, only four possibilities appear. Either he is a liar, or mentally ill, he is a divine character, or he is the truth.”
Another possibility is that Jesus Christ was honest but was deceiving himself. Nowadays, a person who thinks he is God/Parmeshwar is called by one name – mentally handicapped. But when we look at the life of Jesus Christ, we find no evidence of the abnormality and imbalance that exists in a mentally ill patient. Rather, we see infinite patience in Jesus, even under great pressure.
A third option is that, in the third and fourth centuries, Jesus' zealous followers exaggerated his words, and if Jesus heard them he would be shocked. And if he came back, he would immediately reject them.
This is not true, because modern archeology confirms that the four biographies of Christ were written during the lifetime of people who saw, heard, and followed Jesus. These gospel accounts describe specific facts and characteristics that are confirmed by those who were direct witnesses to Jesus.
William F. Albright, a world-renowned archaeologist with Johns Hopkins University in the United States, said there is no reason to think that any of the gospels were published before 70 A.D. (After Christ) was written. Because the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were written early, they had greater circulation and influence.
Jesus Christ was neither a liar, nor mentally handicapped, nor was he created beyond historical truth. The only other option would be that Jesus Christ was completely truthful when He said He was God.
What is the proof that Jesus Christ is God?
Anyone can claim anything. There are many people who claimed to be God. I can claim to be God, you can also claim to be God. But if we do, the question we will all have to answer is, “What concrete evidence, or testimony, can we bring to support our claim?” If you ask about me, it will not take you even five minutes to refute my claim. It probably won't take much longer than that to refute your claim either. But when it comes to Jesus Christ of Nazareth, his claims are not so easy to refute. He had a certificate to prove his claim. He said, “…even if [you] do not believe me, yet believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.” 16
The quality of Jesus' life – His unique moral character
His unique moral character matched his claim. His lifestyle was such that he could challenge his enemies with his questions, “Who among you can convict me of being a sinner?” 17 He was met with silence (no one could say anything), while he addressed those who had tried to find fault in his character.
We read that Jesus Christ was tempted by Satan, but we never hear from him any confession of sin. He never apologized, although he asked his followers to do so.
The absence of any moral failings in Jesus is astonishing, especially when we see that it is in stark contrast to what the saints and sages experienced throughout their lives. The closer men and women get to God, the more they are overwhelmed by their failure/failure, corruption, and shortcomings. The closer one gets to a shining light, the more one realizes the need to cleanse oneself. For ordinary people, this is true in the moral sphere.
It is also noteworthy that John, Paul, and Peter, who were trained from childhood to believe in the universality of sin, all spoke of the sinlessness of Jesus Christ “Neither did he sin, nor did his Something deceitful came out of his mouth.” 18
Even Pilate, who sentenced Jesus Christ to death, asked, “What sin has he committed?” After listening to the crowd, Pilate concluded, “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; You guys know.” The crowd mercilessly demanded that Jesus be crucified (for blasphemy, for claiming to be God). The Roman commander who helped crucify Jesus said, “Truly this was the Son of God.” 19
Jesus Christ healed the sick
Jesus continually demonstrated His power and mercy. He made the lame walk, made the mute speak, made the blind see, and healed many sick people. For example, a beggar who was born blind and whom everyone knew, used to sit outside the synagogue. After receiving healing from Jesus Christ, the religious authorities questioned the beggar about Jesus. Then he said, “I know one thing. I was blind, but now I can see!” he declared. He wondered how these religious authorities did not recognize this healer as the Son of God . “Since the beginning of the world it has never been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of one born blind,” he said. 20 This evidence was clear to him.
their ability to control nature
Jesus Christ demonstrated a supernatural power over nature. With words alone, he calmed the storm that raged winds and waves on the Sea of Galilee. Those who were in the boats were astonished and asked among themselves, “Who is this, that even the wind and the water obey him? 21 At a wedding he turned water into wine. He fed a crowd of 5000 people with five loaves of bread and two fishes. He raised the only son of an unhappy widow from the dead.
Lazarus, Jesus' friend, had died and was in the tomb for four days. Yet Jesus called to him, “Lazarus, come out!” And raised him from the dead, and many people witnessed it. It is most important that his enemies did not deny this miracle, but instead, decided to kill him. “If we leave him like this,” they said, “then everyone will believe in him.” 22
Is Jesus God, as he claimed?
The supreme proof that Jesus Christ is God is His resurrection from the dead. Five times during His lifetime, Jesus clearly predicted the specific manner in which He would be killed and confirmed that three days later He would leave His body and rise again.
It was definitely a big test. This was a claim that was easy to prove. Either it happens, or it doesn't. This would either prove their stated identity to be true, or destroy it. And, the important thing for you and me is this – the resurrection of Jesus would either confirm these things, or make these statements a travesty: “I am the way and the truth
and the life; No one comes to the Father except through me.” 23 “I am the light of the world; Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 24 And whoever believes in me, “I give them eternal life…” 25
So, thus in His own words He testified, “The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; And three days after his death he will rise again.” 26
Who is Jesus Christ?
If Jesus rose from the dead, then He can accomplish what He said He would offer us. This means that He can undoubtedly forgive sins, give us eternal life, and guide us in this life. He is God, so now we know what God is like and we can accept His invitation—to know Him personally and His love for us.
“It's easy to say. Anyone can make claims. But when it comes to Jesus Christ of Nazareth…he had ample evidence to support his claim.”
On the other hand, if Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, Christianity has no validity or reality. This means it's all a lie, and Jesus was just an ordinary man who is dead. And those who were martyred for Christianity, and the contemporary missionaries who lost their lives in spreading its message, were delusional fools.
Did Jesus prove that He is God?
Let's take a look at the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus –
Looking at all the miracles Jesus performed, it can be said that He could have easily saved Himself from crucifixion, but He chose not to do so.
Before being taken into captivity, Jesus said, “No one can take my life from me; I offer myself to him. I have the right to lay down my life and take it back.” 27
While he was being held captive, Jesus' friend Peter tried to save him. But, Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath… Do you not know that I can appeal to My Father, and He will present Me immediately with more than twelve legions of angels?” 28 He had this kind of power, both in heaven and on earth. Jesus Christ accepted his death willingly.
Crucifixion and burial of Jesus
Jesus died by being crucified in front of a crowd. This was a common method of torture used by the Roman government for centuries. Jesus said this was to pay for our sins. The charge against Jesus was blasphemy (claiming to be God).
Jesus was whipped with a thick whip made of many ropes and embedded with fractured pieces of metal and bone. To mock him, a crown made of long thorns was placed on his head. They forced Jesus Christ to walk to the Mount of Execution, outside Jerusalem, where he was crucified on a wooden cross, and his feet and hands were nailed to the cross. He hung on that cross until he died. To find out whether he was dead or not, his side was pierced with a spear.
Jesus' body was taken down from the cross, and it was wrapped in a sheet filled with spices. Their bodies were placed in a tomb that was dug in the rock, and then a large stone was rolled and placed at the entrance of the tomb, so that the entrance would be secure.
Everyone knew that Jesus had said that He would rise from the dead after three days. Therefore, trained Roman military guards were deployed at his tomb. They placed an official Roman seal on the outside of the tomb to declare that it was government property.
Three days later, the tomb was empty
Despite all this, three days later, the stone that sealed the tomb was found on a slope not far from the tomb. Jesus' body was not there. There was only a sheet lying in the grave, without any body.
It is important to note that both critics and followers of Jesus believe that the tomb was empty and that his body was missing.
Initially the explanation being circulated was that his disciples had stolen his body while the guards were sleeping. But this seems to be unfounded, because for trained guards of the Roman army, falling asleep while on guard was no less than a crime punishable by death.
Furthermore, each disciple was tortured and martyred (individually and in different geographical locations) for their claims that Jesus was alive and had been raised from the dead. But he did not go back on his claims. Any man is ready to die for what he believes to be true, even if it is actually a lie. But, he doesn't want to die for what he knows to be a lie. If there is ever a time when a man speaks the truth, it is at the closeness of his death. Every disciple continued preaching the resurrection of Jesus until the end.
Maybe the authorities removed Jesus' body? But this is also a weak possibility. They crucified Jesus so they could stop people from believing in him. If they had the body of Jesus, they would parade it through the city of Jerusalem. In one go they would have successfully suppressed Christianity. That they did not do this gives great testimony that they did not have the dead body of Jesus.
Another theory is that the women (who first saw Jesus' empty tomb) may have been distraught and overwhelmed with grief, lost their way in the morning gloom, and went to the wrong tomb. In their suffering they imagined that Jesus had been resurrected, because the tomb was empty. But this is also doubtful because if the women went to the wrong tomb, then why did the chief priests and other enemies of religion not go to the right tomb and reveal the body of Jesus?
Another possibility, according to some, is the “unconscious theory.” According to this theory, Jesus did not actually die. He was mistakenly thought to be dead, and in fact he became unconscious due to fatigue, pain, and loss of blood, and regained consciousness due to the coolness of the grave. (Accordingly, you would have to ignore the fact that his side was pierced by a lance to prove that he was dead.)
“No man is ready to die for what he believes to be true, even if it is actually a lie. But, he doesn’t want to die for what he knows to be a lie.”
But, let us assume for a moment that Jesus was buried alive and unconscious. So is it possible to believe that he would have survived for three days in a damp grave, without food or water, or any kind of care? Did they have the strength to extricate themselves from the grave clothes, move the heavy stone from the tomb's mouth, overcome the Roman guards, and walk miles on feet that had been pierced with nails? this does not make sense.
Yet, the empty tomb alone did not convince followers that Jesus was truly God.
not just an empty tomb
The empty tomb alone did not convince them that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead, that He was alive, and that He was God. All these things also convinced them - Jesus appeared many times, as a living flesh and blood person, and he ate with them, talked with them - different places, different times, different kinds of people he talked with . Luke, one of the gospel writers, said of Jesus, “He showed himself to them by many convincing evidences that he was alive. He appeared to them for forty days and told them about the kingdom of God.” 29
Is Jesus Christ God
All four gospel writers report that Jesus appeared to them physically after he was buried. Once he appeared to the disciples, Thomas (a disciple) was not there. When the other disciples told Thomas about them, Thomas did not believe it. He said simply, “Until I see the nail holes in his hands and put my fingers in the nail holes and put my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
A week later Jesus appeared to them again. Thomas was also with them at that time. Jesus said to Thomas, “Put down your finger and look at my hands, and bring your hands and put them into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Hearing this, Thomas replied, “My Lord, my God.”
Jesus said to him, “When you have seen me, you have believed in me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 30
What does Jesus offer you?
Christ gives purpose and direction to life. “I am the light of the world,” he says. “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 31
Many people are in the dark about the purpose of life in general, and their own lives in particular. It feels as if they are searching for the light switch in their life. Anyone who has been in the dark, or in an unfamiliar room, knows all too well the feeling of insecurity. But, when the lights are on, there is a feeling of security. This is exactly what it feels like when we step out of the darkness, into the light of Jesus Christ.
The late analytical psychologist, Carl Gustav Jung, said, “The most critical problem of our time is emptiness. We think that our experiences, our knowledge, our relationships, our money, our success, our success, our fame, will give us the happiness we seek. But there is always a void left. All these do not satisfy completely. We were created for God, and we can find satisfaction only in Him.”
Jesus said, “I am the bread of life: he who comes to me will never hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst.” 32
You can establish a close relationship with Jesus right now. You can know God personally on earth, in this life, and in eternity after you die. Here is God's promise to us:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” 33
Jesus took our sins upon Himself on the cross. He accepted the punishment for our sins, so that our sins would not become a wall between Him and us. Because He paid for our sins in full, He offers us complete forgiveness and a relationship with Himself.
Here's how you can start this relationship.
Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door [of your heart] and knock; If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house….” 34
You can invite Jesus Christ into your life right now. Not your words, only your reaction to it, is important. Knowing what He has done, and is doing, for you, you can say to Him something like, “Jesus, I believe in You. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I want you to forgive me and come into my life right now. I want to know you and follow you. Thank you for coming into my life, and for building a relationship with me right now.”
If you've invited Jesus into your life, we want to help you get to know Jesus better. Please feel free to click on any of the links below to help us.
