CFC Singles for Christ Christian Life Program The Basic Truths About Christianity
TALK No. 2: WHO IS JESUS CHRIST? GOAL GO AL :
To attr attrac actt peop people le to Jesus Jesus an an to chal challe leng nge e them them to respo respon n to his his eit eity y an an lorship!
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'ntrouction a! As Christians( Christians( )e eri*e our our ientity ientity from a person( one )hom )hom )e can can be truly prou prou of! +e is truly impressi*e! ,! -illions toay toay claim to be his follo)ers( follo)ers( almost almost .(/// .(/// years years after his his eath! eath! .! Countles Countless s numbers numbers ha*e ha*e been marty martyre re for their their faith faith in him! him! 0! The boo1 boo1 about about him( the the Bible( Bible( is easily easily the $o! , best best seller seller of all all time! b! 't is this this person person )ho )on for us our sal*atio sal*ation( n( )ho restore restore us to our our relati relation onshi ship p )ith Go! 'n him )e can ha*e a full an a ne) life! c! Thus( Thus( reali2ing reali2ing the importa importance nce of this this person person to us( )e )ant )ant to 1no) him more fully! fully! An so )e )e as1: 34ho is Jesus Christ53 Christ53
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The &ni6ueness of Jesus a! +a*ing +a*ing been been born an raise raise as Christi Christians ans(( )e ta1e for grante grante our con*ic con*iction tion that that Jesus is the the Son of Go! Go! But this )as )as not so for for his contemporaries! contemporaries! They foun foun it har to accept that he )as not 7ust an orinary person 8-ar1 9:0! b! 4hat )e )e )ant to 1no) 1no) is )hethe )hetherr there is any any reason reason not not to put Jesus Jesus on the the same le*el as Buha( Buha( Confucius( Lao;T2e( Lao;T2e( Socrates or other )ise men! 4as Jesus more than 7ust a great religious man or moral teacher5 ,! +istor +istory y is full full of men )ho )ho ha*e claime claime that they they came from from Go( or that they they )ere gos( or that they bore bore messages from Go! "*en the person )ho this *ery ay foune a ne) religion! .! +o) is Jesus Jesus iffere ifferent nt from from them them all5
c! Three things that ma1e Jesus an absolutely uni6ue figure in human history: ,! +e )as preannounce an his coming )as e
Some %etails About +is Life a! Jesus )as a young carpenter in $a2areth! For three years he became an itinerant preacher! +e )as ne*er more than ,// miles from his home! +e ha ne*er been into cities )ith a population larger than =/(///! ,! 4ithin 0 years he )as ea( 1ille in little Jerusalem on the fringes of the >oman empire! +e )as crucifie for stirring up the people! .! By right he shoul simply ha*e fae into complete obli*ion! 'nstea( he is surely the most famous( honore( an best;lo*e person )ho e*er )al1e the earth! b! 4hat )as he li1e5 ,! A *ery attracti*e personality! 4arm( personal( ynamic! A ma7or attraction of the times! People are constantly ama2e at his teaching an )or1s! -ar1 ?:,=! .! Strong in min an boy! +e out)itte the leaers of his ay in iscussion as a boy of t)el*e( an later as a man )ho i not ha*e their eucational a*antages! +e )as able to fast for @/ ays! 0! %o)n to earth! $ot a romantic or a reamer! Courageous! @! A magnetic leaer! +e summone Simon an Anre) 8-ar1 ,: ,9;,( James an John 8-ar1 ,:./( an Le*i 8-ar1 .:,@( )ho all follo)e him immeiately! =! A man of e
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Jesus Claim to be Go
a! Jesus is totally uni6ue from any other personality an so is clearly )orth 1no)ing! But is there more to him5 ,! 's Jesus )orthy to be the center of my life5 .! The ans)er is yes! There is something more to Jesus than to any other person! +e is )orth paying more attention to than any other man B"CA&S" +" 'S GO%! b! +o) o )e 1no) he is Go5 ,! By his miracles5 -iracles only sho) that Go is )or1ing through a person! A man coul )or1 miracles an not be Go! John ,@:,.! .! So ho) o )e 1no)5 The ans)er simply is that Jesus himself tol us so! c! Time an again throughout his public ministry( Jesus claime to be Go! ,! -ar1 ,@:9,;9.! .! 'n John( Jesus time an again spea1s of his i*inity! John ,.:@=( ,/:0/( :=! ! Jesus claim to i*inity is a far ifferent claim than Buha or Confucius or -ohamme e*er mae! $one of them e*er claime to be Go!
Duote from C! S! Le)is 8see 6uote A!
e! Also( Jesus claime that he coul forgi*e sin! ,! Story of the paralytic at Capernaum! -1 .:0;,.! .! Duote from CS Le)is 8see 6uote B! ! Liar( Lunatic( or Lor a! Jesus claim to be Go must be either true or false! 'f false( then )e ha*e t)o an only t)o alternati*es! "ither he 1ne) it )as false( in )hich case he )oul be a liar( or he i not 1no) it )as false( in )hich case he )oul be a lunatic! b! Coul Jesus ha*e lie5 ,! 'f he lie( then he )oul ha*e been eliberately ecei*ing his follo)ers! But not only )oul he ha*e been a liar( he )oul also be: c! A hypocrite( because he tol others to be honest( )hate*er the cost( )hile he himself taught an li*e a colossal lie! ! A emon( because he tol others to trust him for their eternal estiny! 'f he coul not bac1 up his claims an 1ne) it( then he )as unspea1ably e*il! e! A fool because it )as his claim to being Go that le to his crucifi
h! +e carrie out a plan of unparallele beneficence( moral magnitue an sublimity( an sacrifice his o)n life for it! 4oul he ie for a lie5 i! The results of his life an teachings ha*e been li*es change for the better( thie*es mae honest( hateful ini*iuals becoming channels of lo*e( etc! ,! Such a man cannot be a liar! 7!
Coul Jesus ha*e been a lunatic5 ,! 'n Jesus )e o not see any abnormalities or imbalance that usually go along )ith being erange! 'n fact( his poise an composure )oul be ama2ing if he )as insane! .! +e spo1e some of the most profoun sayings e*er recore! 0! Such a man cannot be a lunatic!
1! 'f not a liar or a lunatic( the only alternati*e left to us is that Jesus i spea1 the truth! +e )as( an is( the Son of Go as he claime! l!
Throughout scripture( )e can rea about a number of Jesus contemporaries coming to the reali2ation that he )as Go! ,! .! 0! @! =! 9!
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Simon Peter! -atthe) ,9:,0;,9! -artha! John ,,:.E! $athanael! John ,:@?! Thomas! John ./:.E;.! The centurion! -atthe) .E:=@! "*en the e*il spirits! -atthe) :.?( -ar1 ,:.@( -ar1 0:,,( Lu1e @:@,!
Go Confirme Jesus Claim a! As many as there )ere )ho accepte the i*inity of Jesus( there )ere also others )ho refuse to accept him! +o) can )e ha*e confirmation of Jesus i*inity5 b! Go +imself confirme it! ,! 'n the miracle of the raising of La2arus from the ea! John ,,:@,;@.! a! Jesus )as gi*ing a emonstration! b! To the Je)s( Go alone )as the one )ho ha the prerogati*e to gi*e life or to ta1e a)ay life! ,! But the most conclusi*e proof is Jesus o)n resurrection from the ea! The tombs of Buha( -uhamma an the founers of all the great )orl religions are still )ith us! Only Jesus tomb is empty!
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Conclusion a! Jesus is a man )hose )ors an life eman a response from us! claims that affect us!
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,! 'f he is not Go( then )e shoul ha*e nothing to o )ith him( because )e o not )ant to be follo)ers of a liar or a lunatic! .! But if he is Go( then )e shoul seriously consier him! Our response )ill ha*e eternal conse6uences! b! 4ho is Jesus Christ5 Liar( lunatic or Lor5 The choice is yours!
D&OTAT'O$S: Duote A! CS Le)is 3On the one sie clear( efinite( moral teaching! On the other( claims )hich( if not true( are those of a megalomaniac( compare )ith )hom +itler )as the most sane an humble of men! There is no half)ay house( an there is no parallel in other religions! 'f you ha gone to Buha an as1e him( Are you the son of Bramah5( he )oul ha*e sai( -y son( you are still in the *ale of illusion! 'f you ha gone to Socrates an as1e( Are you eus5( he )oul ha*e laughe at you! 'f you )oul ha*e gone to -ohamme an as1e( Are you Allah5( he )oul first ha*e rent his clothes then cut your hea off! 'f you ha as1e Confucius( Are you hea*en5( ' thin1 he )oul ha*e probably replie( >emar1s )hich are not in accorance )ith nature are in ba taste! The iea of a great moral teacher saying )hat Christ sai is out of the 6uestion! 'n my opinion( the only person )ho can say that sort of thing is either Go or a complete lunatic suffering from that form of elusion )hich unermines the )hole min of man3
Duote B! CS Le)is( -ere Christianity 3$o) unless the spea1er is Go( this is really so preposterous as to be comic! 4e can all unerstan ho) a man forgi*es offenses against himself! ou trea on my toe an ' forgi*e you( you steal my money an ' forgi*e you! But )hat shoul )e ma1e of a man( himself unrobbe an untroen on( )ho announce that he forga*e you for treaing on other mens toes an stealing other mens money5 Asinine fatuity is the 1inest escription )e shoul gi*e of his conuct! et this is )hat Jesus i! +e tol people that their sins )ere forgi*en( an ne*er )aite to consult all the other people )hom their sins ha unoubtely in7ure! +e unhesitatingly beha*e as if +e )as the party chiefly concerne( the person chiefly offene in all offenses! This ma1es sense only if +e really )as the Go )hose la)s are bro1en an )hose lo*e is )oune in e*ery sin! 'n the mouth of any spea1er )ho is not Go( these )ors )oul imply )hat ' can only regar as a silliness an conceit unri*alle by any other character in history3!
CFC Singles for Christ Christian Life Program Participants Outline
TALK No. 2: WHO IS JESUS CHRIST? Brief Outline '!
The impact of Jesus on history! a! +is coming )as pre;announce through Ol Testament prophecies! b! +e struc1 history )ith such impact that he split it in t)o: BC an A%! c! +e came into the )orl not to li*e but to ie!
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Jesus )as a *ery impressi*e person! a! A *ery attracti*e personality! b! A magnetic leaer! c! A man of e
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Jesus claime to be Go! a! $o other great religious leaer claime to be Go! b! +e clearly )as not a liar or a lunatic! c! +e claime that he coul forgi*e sin( something only Go can o! ! -any of his contemporaries came to the reali2ation that he inee )as Go! e! Go confirme his claim by raising him from the ea!
%iscussion Starter ,! Share about your Christian bac1groun! .! %iscuss ho) you sa) or thought of Jesus before( an )hat ne) insights you ha*e gotten through the tal1! Scriptures for %aily Prayer %ay
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The Challenge Jesus is Go! Are you )illing to accept him as Lor of your life5 As Lor( )ill you allo) him to rule your life totally5
