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He
claimed to live a sinless life
Jesus could look at a crowd of people angry at his claims
to share God's nature and ask, "Which of you can point
to anything wrong in my life?" Even more amazing is that
none of them could give a reply! No human being has ever lived
a sinless life, except for Jesus.
John 8:28-29
"So Jesus said, 'When you have lifted up the Son of
Man, then you will know who I am and that I do nothing on
my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The
one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for
I always do what pleases him.'"
John 8:46-47
"Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling
the truth, why don't you believe me? He who belongs to God
hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that
you do not belong to God."
He
claimed to be the ONLY way to God
Not one of several ways, but the one and only way. Not to
teach the way, but to be the way to God. Nobody has ever made
claims like that before and backed them, but Jesus did through
his love, balanced life, and miracles.
John 14:6
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes
to the Father but by me."
Matthew 11:27
"All things have been committed to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows
the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses
to reveal him."
He
claimed to have shared the glory of God in Heaven
Jesus claimed to have pre-existed the people he spoke with.
The apostle John--who shared bread with Jesus--wrote that
Jesus was with God in the very beginning, and that "all
things came into being through him, and without him not one
thing came into being." (John 1:1-5)
John 17:5
"And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with
the glory I had with you before the world began."
He
claimed to be able to forgive sins
One of the reasons that the Jewish leaders were so angry with
Jesus was his continual practice of forgiving people's sins.
The religious leaders understood clearly that since sins were
rebellion against God Himself, only God could forgive sins.
Luke 5:20-21
"When Jesus saw their faith, he said, 'Friend, your
sins are forgiven.' The Pharisees and the teachers of the
law began thinking to themselves, 'Who is this fellow who
speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?'"
Luke 7:48-49
"Then Jesus said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.'
The other guests began to say among themselves, 'Who is
this who even forgives sins?'"
He claimed
to be a Heavenly King
Luke 22:69 "But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated
at the right hand of the mighty God."
Luke 23:1-3
"Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate.
And they began to accuse him, saying, 'We have found this
man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to
Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.' So Pilate asked
Jesus, 'Are you the king of the Jews?' 'Yes, it is as you
say,' Jesus replied."
John 18:36-37
"Jesus said, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If it
were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the
Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.' 'You are
a king, then!' said Pilate. Jesus answered, 'You are right
in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born,
and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.
Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.'"
He
claimed to be able to give everlasting life
He didn't just tell people how they could find everlasting
life, or deepen their own life experience. He actually claimed
to give life himself.
John 6:40
"For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to
the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and
I will raise him up at the last day."
John 6:47
"I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting
life."
John 10:28-30
"I give [my followers] eternal life, and they shall
never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My
Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no
one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father
are one."
John 11:25
"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the
life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;
and whoever lives and believes in me will never die...'"
He
claimed that he would die and come back to life
John 10:17
"Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and
I lay down my life for the sheep. The reason my Father loves
me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.
I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it
up again. This command I received from my Father."
John 12:32-33
"'But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw
all men to myself.' He said this to show the kind of death
he was going to die.'"
John 16:16
"In a little while you will see me no more, and then
after a little while you will see me."
Luke 18:31-33
"Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, 'We are
going up into Jerusalem, and everything that is written
by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.
He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him,
insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third
day he will rise again.'"
He
claimed that he would return again to judge the world
Matthew 24:27-30
"So as the lightening comes from the east and flashes
to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man...
At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the
sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will
see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with
power and great glory."
Matthew 25:31-32
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the
angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.
All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will
separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates
the sheep and the goats."
Mark 14:61-62
"Again the high priest asked him, 'Are you the Christ,
the Son of the Blessed One?' 'I am,' said Jesus. 'And you
will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the
Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'"
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