1. Is Jesus God? (3)

Proving that Jesus is the Son of God

There is little doubt that Jesus really lived about 2,000 years ago in Palestine under Roman rule. Few question that He was considered a wise rabbi (teacher) who preached a message of love for one another. Even other religions (Islam) accept that. However, none of this proves Him to be the Son of God. It is one thing to claim to be God, it is quite another to back up the claim. The four most important lines of evidence to support Jesus’ claim as the Son of God (Lord) and the Son of Man (Savior) are:

Lord, Liar or Lunatic? Who did Jesus Himself claim to be? Did Jesus Himself believe and teach that He was the Son of God or was this invented later by the Christian church? If Jesus taught that He was the Son of God – and He did, was He a liar or a lunatic, or is the only logical conclusion that He indeed is the Son of God?

Miracles, Signs of Divine Powers. All the gospels report numerous miraculous deeds of Jesus. From healing the sick to controlling the forces of nature, His miracles show compassion and set forth evidence for his divine powers. Do these miracles provide us convincing evidence? 

Fulfillment of Messianic Prophecies. Jesus fulfilled hundreds of Old Testament prophecies. Well before Jesus was born, the Jews realized that the Old  Testament had numerous references to a Messiah who would save the world. These references contained numerous predictions about the life and the death of the Messiah. Just coincidence? Are there other explanations or is this a confirmation of Jesus’ divine nature?

Did the Resurrection Really Occur? The cornerstone of the evidence of Jesus’ claims to be the Son of God is the resurrection. Despite all other evidences, if the resurrection is not a well proved, historical event, the whole system of belief falls apart. The fact that both the Old Testament and Jesus predicted in advance that He would rise from the dead makes the resurrection that much more powerful. Proving (or disproving) the resurrection proves (or disproves) the truth of the Christian faith. No other person who has ever lived can successfully claim a resurrection from the dead. Only Jesus uses this claim as evidence that He is the Son of God, and through that, opening the door to redemption with God the Father.  Great claims demand great evidence. We will spend serious time researching the facts and proofs that build the foundation for our faith in the resurrection.