Modern Opinions about Jesus Christ.

Who or what is Jesus Christ? Modern thinkers have a variety of opinions most of them more than a millennium after he walked the shores of Galilee. Let’s look at a list of them, then make some observations and finally ask some decisive questions.

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Ø  Astonishingly, Muhammad admitted Jesus was Messiah, a prophet, sinless and performed miracles. But of himself denied, he could perform miracles when asked several times to prove he was God’s prophet. Yet he claimed his coming centuries after Jesus made him God final authoritative prophet.
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Ø  Liberal “Christianity” thinks Jesus was a good man and great teacher but not God. But how could such a deceiver claiming to be God even be a good man?

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Ø  Jehovah’s Witnesses say Jesus is the archangel Michael, God’s first creation who came to earth, and died on a stake. He rose as an invisible spirit and supposedly returned to earth in 1914. But the Bible says the resurrected Lord Jesus was seen, touched, ate fish with his disciples and even said he was not a mere spirit. John. 20:27; 21:12-13; Luke. 24:39.

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Ø  Mormons claim man can become God and Jesus in one god among many. He’s the brother of Satan, was married, and that his cross is foolishness. Bible contradicts all these statements. Such statements are man’s saying without evidence.

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Ø  Mary Baker Eddy of Christian Science thought Jesus merely a pleasant idea or ideal of perfection. Jesus really taught we’re all sinners going to Hell if we don’t’ trust in the Savior.

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Ø  Sun Myung Moon of the Unification Church claims Jesus was a man who failed and that he is the second coming of Jesus who will succeed. What evidence supports that?

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Ø  Baha’is say Jesus was only one of nine manifestations of God yet not God and didn’t rise from the dead. Now how would he know that?
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Ø  Unitarians say Jesus was a good man but his followers deified him. Can they prove that from the Bible? Or, is that their private bias?

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Ø  Hindus say Jesus was a guru and manifestation of god like anybody else, but not a Savior. Salvation is absorption into Brahma (universal energy) after release from many cycles of reincarnation. Hindus never lived in Palestine or saw Jesus, how could they know that?

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Ø  Rosicrucian's believe Jesus is a manifestation of cosmic consciousness. They are entitled to their beliefs and imaginings.

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Ø  Maharishi and Transcendental Meditation say Jesus is not uniquely God, but unlike most persons, he discovered his divine essence. Could their worldview exclude honest inquiry?

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Ø  New Agers claim Jesus was not the one true God or Savior but a New Ager who tapped into divine power the way anyone can. Jesus 2,000 years ago couldn’t have been a New Ager. Would New Agers endure torture and death to substantiate that as Jesus disciples did testifying he was God and Savior?

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Ø  Atheists dogmatically deny a personal God and some aggressively try to destroy belief of those who do. What evidence can show there’s no God? Much in science, nature, history and experience points to God. Have they given it honest open-minded inspection?
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                                Some Observations Are in Order.
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First, these religions claim exclusive truth and exclude others who disagree with them. They are each based upon prior assumption, limited human reasoning and preferences that often are found incorrect. Second, these religions contradict each other so not all if even one can be correct. Third, they furnish no evidence to show they are anything more than human opinions--no evidence of God.

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Now some general comments about these religions are in order. Unlike Jehovah's Witness, primary New Testament documents state many times that Jesus died on a cross, that he arose in bodily form, not as an unidentifiable invisible spirit, and that he was God not the angel Michael or the first created being. If Jesus proved he was a prophet by being without sin and by miracles, what substantiated Muhammad who did neither? To claim all religions are essentially the same by teaching good works is to ignore, discount and discredit basic religious differences and motivations. For example, radical Muslims believe killing Christians and Jews will likely get them into Heaven while Christians believe telling persons of the loving Jesus who died for them gives people opportunity for Heaven and makes a better world.

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                                       What Are Our Assumptions?

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I confess that my knowledge placed in a huge circle representing all knowledge would be a very small period. I don’t even know what’s happening in the next room. So, I can’t say an infinite Creator, Savior and Judge doesn’t exist, or that a Creator of men can’t take on a human nature, and body and live among us, or that Jesus Christ can’t be the God-man who died for my sins and arose from the dead. I would have to know everything in this space-time universe and be God to say such things impossible. I would be presumptuous and arrogant. And wouldn’t that be true of everybody?
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          Have You Considered the Evidence that the Jesus of History Is God?

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Was Jesus a real historical person? Historians accept two independent sources as verifying events and three really confirm the facts. With Jesus, we have the four Gospels, Acts, and the epistles making six independent sources all saying Jesus claimed to be God, performed miracles and fulfilled ancient prophecies of the Jewish Messiah. Jews hostile to Christian faith and alive when these documents were published would have disputed and destroyed Christian testimony if not true. The church fathers who followed the apostles quoted these documents and the events of Jesus’ life. Nineteen non-Christian writers wrote of Jesus often in derision but mentioned details of his life such as his virgin birth, baptism, cured lame and blind, raised people from the dead, was betrayed by Judas, died on a cross and was raised from the dead.

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The Gospels boldly connect Jesus’ life with names, towns, events, and dates that can be checked and verified by eyewitnesses even asking them to do so. They cite prominent emperors, governors, priests and local laws, customs, and traditions. Ancient documents and archaeological artifacts confirm Jesus’ life is historical fact, not anything like myth, legend, or fairy tales. More is known about Jesus than about undoubted persons such as Plato and Tiberius Caesar.
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                                 Would You Die for What You Knew to Be a Lie?

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Remember Jesus miracles often astonished his disciples and he rebuked their unbelief who knew nature’s laws as we do today. The Gospels show them slow and almost forced by the facts to believe Jesus’ resurrection though he predicted it several times. Fellow Jews expelled them from synagogues that meant condemnation to Hell. Jews rejected and ridiculed them and later Romans tortured them to death. Can you seriously believe they underwent all this for what they knew to be a lie?
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   Is It Possible to Extract the Supernatural from the Gospels and They Make Sense?

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Throughout the Gospels Jesus claimed to be God and to prove it by performing miracles. He astonished his disciples and his critics accused him of blasphemy since no mere man could claim to be God. Can we extract these supernatural elements and the accounts still make sense?

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John chapter 5 mentions Jesus closely identifying himself with his Father in healing and raising the dead. He cites John the Baptizer, his miracles, his Father, and the Scriptures that testify to his being God. The Jews clearly understood the cited witnesses showed Jesus was equal with God so they accused Jesus of blasphemy (5:18).

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Similarly, in John 10 Jesus declared he was Messiah and did miracles in his Father’s name since he and the Father were one. Fiercely angry, the Jews attempt to stone Jesus for blasphemy for claiming to be God (John. 10:29- 33).  

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In Mark 2:1-12, four men let down a paralyzed man on a cot through a house roof since the room that was too crowded to enter at the door. Jesus forgave the man’s his sins. Some scribes reasoned Jesus blasphemed since only God could forgive sins (2:6-7). Then Jesus healed the man saying it was just as easy for him to heal as to forgive sins. Is there a clear message here?  

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In Matthew 26:63-65 Caiaphas, the high priest, and the Sanhedrin were amazed that Jesus said nothing at his trial in his defense. Put under oath, Jesus affirmed he was the Messiah and Son of Man mentioned in Daniel 7:13 who would come in the clouds of Heaven. The high priest tore his clothes and charged Jesus with blasphemy condemning him to death (26:64-67).

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Now in every account Jesus identifies himself with God the Father. Like the Father, Jesus can heal and raise the dead—he cites four witnesses to prove it. He does the works of his Father and is one with Him—it makes angry Jews attempt to stone him. He forgives sins that only God can do. He testifies to be the Messiah and Son of Man who will come in the clouds of Heaven. In each case, Jesus is accused of blasphemy, as the Jews clearly understand he was a man claiming to be God.

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Now if we extract these supernatural elements we make the accounts utter nonsense. Further, hostile eyewitnesses still alive when the accounts were published would quickly deny them and disprove Christianity at its outset. So the accounts must be absolute truth that Jesus is God equal to the Father.
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                      Will You Consider This Your Greatest Opportunity?

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I had heard of many beliefs and theories but one day heard that Jesus was God and Savior of sinners. I knew I was far from perfect by my own moral standards and anybody else’s. I didn’t understand all about an ethically perfect God or perfect Heaven. But I put my trust in Jesus who promised me eternal life and a place with him in Heaven.

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I understand now that Jesus Christ, the resurrected God-man offers mankind all our basic needs.Only his resurrection assures us of life after death. It confirms he is God and all he taught is true. He taught we are not perishing soulless dirt or impersonal energy but beings of dignity created in God’s image. Thus, we have dignity, rights, freedom of choice, and a real ethic since everything we think, do and say will either be rewarded or punished. This makes life explosive with purpose. In Christ, we can work to achieve a better would of love and goodness rather than hate and destruction.
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All this is called the Christian worldview. None of the above opinions has a basis for these things. Would you like to trust the Savior and then work with me for this better world? Send these articles to loved ones and friends. It’s worth more than their gaining the whole world and losing their own soul. Also, see my articles on Jesus’ resurrection.
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