Who is Jesus?

 

Jesus Healing Ministries

 
Location Map
Year  One
Officials' dying   son
 
Year  Two
2) Madman in the synagogue
3) Peter's  mother-in-law's fever
4) Jesus continues healing
5) The  leper
6) Paralysed man
7) Invalid at the Pool  of Bethesda
8) Man with the  shrivelled hand
9) Jesus continues  healing many
10) Roman  centurion's servant
11) The widow of Nain's  dead son
12) Dumb (and blind) man
13) Madman and the  Gadarene pigs
14) Woman with the haemorrhage;
14) raising of Jairus' daughter
15) Two blind men and the  dumb man

Year Three
16) Jesus heals  the sick at Gennesaret
17)  Daughter of Syrophoenician woman
18) Deaf  and dumb man in Decapolis
19) Blind  man of Bethsaida
20)  Epileptic boy
1) Ten lepers
22) The man bornblind

Last Months
23)  Crippled woman
24) Man with dropsy
25) Lazarus  raised from the dead
26) Blind  man (or men) near Jericho
 
Last Week in  Jerusalem

27) Ear of  the High PriestÕs servant

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What were the seven last saying of Jesus?

1. "Father, forgive them, for they do not know waht they do" (luke 23:34)

2. "You will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43)

3. "Woman, behold your son!" (John 19:26-27)

4. "Eli, Eli, Lama Sabathani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? (Mathew 27:46)

5. "I thirst" (John 19:28)

6. "It is finished" (John 19:30)

7. "Father, into Your hand I commit My spirit" (Luke 23:46)

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About Jesus Christ

Who is Jesus Christ?

Unlike the question “Does God exist?” the question of whether Jesus Christ existed is asked by relatively few people. Most accept that Jesus was truly a man who lived in Israel 2,000 years ago. The debate begins with the discussion of Jesus’ full identity. Almost every major religion teaches that Jesus was a prophet or a good teacher or a godly man. But the Bible tells us that Jesus was infinitely more than a prophet, a good teacher, or a godly man.

  1. S. Lewisin his book Mere Christianitywrites the following: “I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him [Jesus Christ]: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that option open to us. He did not intend to” (Macmillan, 1952, p. 55–56).

    So, who did Jesus claim to be? Who does the Bible say He is? First, He is God in the flesh. Jesus said in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” At first glance, this might not seem to be a claim to be God. However, look at the Jews’ reaction to His statement. They tried to stone Him “for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God” (John 10:33). The Jews understood Jesus’ statement as a claim to be God. In the following verses, Jesus never corrects the Jews or attempts to clarify His statement. He never says, “I did not claim to be God.” When Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), He truly was claiming equality with God.

    In John 8:58 Jesus claims pre-existence, an attribute of God: “‘Very truly I tell you,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’” In response to this statement, the Jews again took up stones to stone Jesus (John 8:59). In claiming pre-existence, Jesus applied a name for God to Himself—I AM (see Exodus 3:14). The Jews rejected Jesus’ identity as God Incarnate, but they understood exactly what He was saying.

    Other biblical clues that Jesus is God in the flesh include John 1:1, which says, “The Word was God,” coupled with John 1:14, which says, “The Word became flesh.” Thomas the disciple declared to Jesus, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28), Jesus does not correct him. The apostle Paul describes Jesus as “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). The apostle Peter says the same, calling Jesus “our God and Savior” (2 Peter 1:1).

    God the Father bears witness of Jesus’ identity as well: “But about the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.’” (Hebrews 1:8; cf. Psalm 45:6). Old Testament prophecies such as Isaiah 9:6 announce the deity of Christ: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (emphasis added).

    Why is the question of Jesus’ identity so important? Why does it matter whether Jesus is God? Several reasons:
  • As C. S. Lewis pointed out, if Jesus is not God, then Jesus is the worst of liars and untrustworthy in every way.

    • If Jesus is not God, then the apostles would likewise have been liars.

    • Jesus had to be God because the Messiah was promised to be the “Holy One” (Isaiah 49:7). Since no one on earth is righteous before God (Psalm 53:1; 143:2), God Himself had to enter the world as a human.

    • If Jesus is not God, His death would have been insufficient to pay the penalty for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Only God Himself could provide an infinite, eternally valuable sacrifice (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

    • God is the onlySavior (Hosea 13:4; cf. 1 Timothy 2:3). If Jesus is to be the Savior, then He must be God.

Jesus had to be both God and man. As God, Jesus could satisfy God’s wrath. As a man, Jesus had the capability of dying. As the God-man, Jesus is the perfect Mediator between heaven and earth (1 Timothy 2:5). Salvation is available only through faith in Jesus Christ. As He proclaimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Is Jesus God?

Some who deny that Jesus is God make the claim that Jesus never said that He is God. It is correct that the Bible never records Jesus saying the precise words, “I am God.” This does not mean, however, that Jesus never claimed to be God.

Is Jesus God? — Jesus claimed to be God.

Take for example the words of Jesus in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” We need only to look at the Jews’ reaction to His statement to know He was claiming to be God. They tried to stone Him for this very reason: “You, a mere man, claim to be God” (John 10:33, emphasis added). The Jews understood exactly what Jesus was claiming—deity. When Jesus declared, “I and the Father are one,” He was saying that He and the Father are of one nature and essence. John 8:58 is another example. Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth … before Abraham was born, I am!” This is a reference back to Exodus 3:14 when God revealed Himself as the “I AM.” The Jews who heard this statement responded by taking up stones to kill Him for blasphemy, as the Mosaic Law commanded (Leviticus 24:16).

Is Jesus God? — His followers declared Him to be God.

John reiterates the concept of Jesus’ deity: “The Word [Jesus] was God” and “the Word became flesh” (John 1:1, 14). These verses clearly indicate that Jesus is God in the flesh. Acts 20:28 tells us, “Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood.” Who bought the church with His own blood? Jesus Christ. And this same verse declares that God purchased His church with His own blood. Therefore, Jesus is God.

Thomas the disciple declared concerning Jesus, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Jesus does not correct him. Titus 2:13 encourages us to wait for the coming of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ (see also 2 Peter 1:1). In Hebrews 1:8, the Father declares of Jesus, “But about the Son He says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.’” The Father refers to Jesus as God, indicating that Jesus is indeed God.

In Revelation, an angel instructed the apostle John to only worship God (Revelation 19:10). Several times in Scripture Jesus receives worship (Matthew 2:11; 14:33; 28:9, 17; Luke 24:52; John 9:38). He never rebukes people for worshiping Him. If Jesus were not God, He would have told people to not worship Him, just as the angel in Revelation did. Beyond these, there are many other passages of Scripture that argue for Jesus being God.

Is Jesus God? — The reason Jesus must be God.

The most important reason that Jesus must be God is that, if He is not God, His death would not have been sufficient to pay the penalty for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). A created being, which Jesus would be if He were not God, could not pay the infinite penalty required for sin against an infinite God. Only God could pay such an infinite penalty. Only God could take on the sins of the world (2 Corinthians 5:21), die, and be resurrected, proving His victory over sin and death.

Is Jesus God? Yes. Jesus declared Himself to be God. His followers believed Him to be God. The provision of salvation only works if Jesus is God. Jesus is God incarnate, the eternal Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8; 22:13), and God our Savior (2 Peter 1:1).

Is the resurretion of Jesus Christ true?

Scripture presents conclusive evidence that Jesus Christ was in fact resurrected from the dead. Christ’s resurrection is recorded in Matthew 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-20; Luke 24:1-53; and John 20:1–21:25. The resurrected Christ also appeared in the Book of Acts (Acts 1:1-11). From these passages you can gain several “proofs” of Christ’s resurrection. First is the dramatic change in the disciples. They went from a group of men frightened and in hiding to strong, courageous witnesses sharing the gospel throughout the world. What else could explain this dramatic change other than the risen Christ appearing to them?


Second is the life of the apostle Paul. What changed him from being a persecutor of the church into an apostle for the church? It was when the risen Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-6). A third convincing proof is the empty tomb. If Christ were not raised, then where is His body? The disciples and others saw the tomb where He was buried. When they returned, His body was not there. Angels declared that He had been raised from the dead as He had promised (Matthew 28:5-7). Fourth, additional evidence of His resurrection is the many people He appeared to (Matthew 28:5, 9, 16-17; Mark 16:9; Luke 24:13-35; John 20:19, 24, 26-29, 21:1-14; Acts 1:6-8; 1 Corinthians 15:5-7).

Another proof of the resurrection of Jesus is the great amount of weight the apostles gave to Jesus’ resurrection. A key passage on Christ’s resurrection is 1 Corinthians 15. In this chapter, the apostle Paul explains why it is crucial to understand and believe in Christ’s resurrection. The resurrection is important for the following reasons: 1) If Christ was not raised from the dead, believers will not be either (1 Corinthians 15:12-15). 2) If Christ was not raised from the dead, His sacrifice for sin was not sufficient (1 Corinthians 15:16-19). Jesus’ resurrection proved that His death was accepted by God as the atonement for our sins. If He had simply died and stayed dead, that would indicate His sacrifice was not sufficient. As a result, believers would not be forgiven for their sins, and they would remain dead after they die (1 Corinthians 15:16-19). There would be no such thing as eternal life (John 3:16). “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20 NAS).

Finally, Scripture is clear that all those who believe in Jesus Christ will be raised to eternal life just as He was (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). First Corinthians 15 goes on to describe how Christ’s resurrection proves His victory over sin and provides us the power to live victoriously over sin (1 Corinthians 15:24-34). It describes the glorious nature of the resurrection body we will receive (1 Corinthians 15:35-49). It proclaims that, as a result of Christ’s resurrection, all who believe in Him have ultimate victory over death (1 Corinthians 15:50-58).

What a glorious truth the resurrection of Christ is! “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). According to the Bible, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is most definitely true. The Bible records Christ’s resurrection, records that over 500 people witnessed the resurrected Christ, and proceeds to build crucial Christian doctrine on the historical fact of Jesus’ resurrection.

Is the deity of Christ Biblecal?

In addition to Jesus’ specific claims about Himself, His disciples also acknowledged the deity of Christ. They claimed that Jesus had the right to forgive sins—something only God can do—as it is God who is offended by sin (Acts 5:31; Colossians 3:13; Psalm 130:4; Jeremiah 31:34). In close connection with this last claim, Jesus is also said to be the one who will “judge the living and the dead” (2 Timothy 4:1). Thomas cried out to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Paul calls Jesus “great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13) and points out that prior to His incarnation Jesus existed in the “form of God” (Philippians 2:5-8). God the Father says regarding Jesus: “Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever” (Hebrews 1:8). John states that “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word [Jesus] was God” (John 1:1). Examples of Scriptures that teach the deity of Christ are many (see Revelation 1:17, 2:8, 22:13; 1 Corinthians 10:4; 1 Peter 2:6-8; Psalm 18:2, 95:1; 1 Peter 5:4; Hebrews 13:20), but even one of these is enough to show that Christ was considered to be God by His followers.

Jesus is also given titles that are unique to YHWH (the formal name of God) in the Old Testament. The Old Testament title “redeemer” (Psalm 130:7; Hosea 13:14) is used of Jesus in the New Testament (Titus 2:13; Revelation 5:9). Jesus is called Immanuel—“God with us”—in Matthew 1. In Zechariah 12:10, it is YHWH who says, “They will look on me, the one they have pierced.” But the New Testament applies this to Jesus’ crucifixion (John 19:37; Revelation 1:7). If it is YHWH who is pierced and looked upon, and Jesus was the one pierced and looked upon, then Jesus is YHWH. Paul interprets Isaiah 45:22-23 as applying to Jesus in Philippians 2:10-11. Further, Jesus’ name is used alongside God’s in prayer “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2). This would be blasphemy if Christ were not deity. The name of Jesus appears with God’s in Jesus’ commanded to baptize “in the name [singular] of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19; see also 2 Corinthians 13:14).

Actions that can be accomplished only by God are credited to Jesus. Jesus not only raised the dead (John 5:21, 11:38-44) and forgave sins (Acts 5:31, 13:38), He created and sustains the universe (John 1:2; Colossians 1:16-17). This becomes even clearer when one considers YHWH said He was alone during creation (Isaiah 44:24). Further, Christ possesses attributes that only deity can have: eternality (John 8:58), omnipresence (Matthew 18:20, 28:20), omniscience (Matthew 16:21), and omnipotence (John 11:38-44).

Now, it is one thing to claim to be God or to fool someone into believing it is true, and something else entirely to prove it to be so. Christ offered many miracles as proof of His claim to deity. Just a few of Jesus’ miracles include turning water to wine (John 2:7), walking on water (Matthew 14:25), multiplying physical objects (John 6:11), healing the blind (John 9:7), the lame (Mark 2:3), and the sick (Matthew 9:35; Mark 1:40-42), and even raising people from the dead (John 11:43-44; Luke 7:11-15; Mark 5:35). Moreover, Christ Himself rose from the dead. Far from the so-called dying and rising gods of pagan mythology, nothing like the resurrection is seriously claimed by other religions, and no other claim has as much extra-scriptural confirmation.

There are at least twelve historical facts about Jesus that even non-Christian critical scholars will admit:

1. Jesus died by crucifixion.
2. He was buried.
3. His death caused the disciples to despair and lose hope.
4. Jesus’ tomb was discovered (or was claimed to be discovered) to be empty a few days later.
5. The disciples believed they experienced appearances of the risen Jesus.
6. After this, the disciples were transformed from doubters into bold believers.
7. This message was the center of preaching in the early Church.
8. This message was preached in Jerusalem.
9. As a result of this preaching, the Church was born and it grew.
10. Resurrection day, Sunday, replaced the Sabbath (Saturday) as the primary day of worship.
11. James, a skeptic, was converted when he also saw the resurrected Jesus.
12. Paul, an enemy of Christianity, was converted by an experience which he believed to be an appearance of the risen Jesus.

Even if someone were to object to this specific list, only a few are needed to prove the resurrection and establish the gospel: Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and appearances (1 Corinthians 15:1-5). While there may be some theories to explain one or two of the above facts, only the resurrection explains and accounts for them all. Critics admit that the disciples claimed they saw the risen Jesus. Neither lies nor hallucinations can transform people the way the resurrection did. First, what would they have had to gain? Christianity was not popular and it certainly did not make them any money. Second, liars do not make good martyrs. There is no better explanation than the resurrection for the disciples’ willingness to die horrible deaths for their faith. Yes, many people die for lies that they think are true, but people do not die for what they know is untrue.

In conclusion, Christ claimed He was YHWH, that He was deity (not just “a god” but the one true God); His followers (Jews who would have been terrified of idolatry) believed Him and referred to Him as God. Christ proved His claims to deity through miracles, including the world-altering resurrection. No other hypothesis can explain these facts. Yes, the deity of Christ is biblical.

What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of God?

Jesus is not God’s Son in the sense of a human father and a son. God did not get married and have a son. God did not mate with Mary and, together with her, produce a son. Jesus is God’s Son in the sense that He is God made manifest in human form (John 1:1, 14). Jesus is God’s Son in that He was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:35 declares, “The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’”

During His trial before the Jewish leaders, the High Priest demanded of Jesus, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God” (Matthew 26:63). “‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied. ‘But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven’” (Matthew 26:64). The Jewish leaders responded by accusing Jesus of blasphemy (Matthew 26:65-66). Later, before Pontius Pilate, “The Jews insisted, ‘We have a law, and according to that law He must die, because He claimed to be the Son of God’” (John 19:7). Why would His claiming to be the Son of God be considered blasphemy and be worthy of a death sentence? The Jewish leaders understood exactly what Jesus meant by the phrase “Son of God.” To be the Son of God is to be of the same nature as God. The Son of God is “of God.” The claim to be of the same nature as God—to in fact be God—was blasphemy to the Jewish leaders; therefore, they demanded Jesus’ death, in keeping with Leviticus 24:15. Hebrews 1:3 expresses this very clearly, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.”

Another example can be found in John 17:12 where Judas is described as the “son of perdition.” John 6:71 tells us that Judas was the son of Simon. What does John 17:12 mean by describing Judas as the “son of perdition”? The word perdition means “destruction, ruin, waste.” Judas was not the literal son of “ruin, destruction, and waste,” but those things were the identity of Judas' life. Judas was a manifestation of perdition. In this same way, Jesus is the Son of God. The Son of God is God. Jesus is God made manifest (John 1:1, 14).

On what day was Jesus crucified?

The Bible explicitly states, in all four Gospels, that Jesus was crucified on preparation day (Matthew 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:14,31). He rose again on the first day of the week (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). Determining the day of the week for the crucifixion would seem to be straightforward, but it’s not. Several factors must be considered: the Jewish mode of reckoning a day, the start of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and three calendars: Jewish, Julian, and Gregorian.

Three possibilities emerge: Jesus was crucified on what we would call a Friday, on a Thursday, or on a Wednesday. Here is a brief look at each viewpoint:

Jesus was crucified on a Friday

Early Friday: Jesus eats the Passover.
Late Friday: Jesus is crucified and buried.
Early and late Saturday (the Sabbath): Jesus is in the tomb.
Early Sunday: Jesus rises from the dead, and the women find the empty tomb.

The traditional view is that Jesus was crucified on a Friday. According to this timeline, Jesus was killed in AD 30, and the day of preparation was Passover, Friday, Nisan 14. That was the time to eat the Passover meal and to prepare dwellings for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which began the next day, Saturday, Nisan 15. The fact that Jesus was killed on Passover accords well with 1 Corinthians 5:7, which calls Christ “our Passover lamb.”

Mark 15:42 says that Jesus was crucified on “the day before the Sabbath”; proponents of the Friday view consider the “Sabbath” here to be the weekly observance held on Saturday. Immediately after Jesus was taken down from the cross, the women present followed the body of Jesus to the tomb to see where it was laid. This happened “late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation, as the Sabbath was about to begin” (Luke 23:54, NLT). On the day after the crucifixion (Saturday, Nisan 15), the chief priests and the Pharisees met with Pilate, who agrees to have the tomb sealed and guarded (Matthew 27:62).

The Friday view has Jesus in the tomb for three days by reckoning part of a day as a full day: Jesus was buried late in the day Friday (Day 1) and was entombed Saturday (Day 2) and the first part of Sunday (Day 3). Another argument for Friday points to verses such as Matthew 16:21 and Luke 9:22, which say that Jesus would rise “on the third day.” Sunday is the third day from Friday.

According to the Friday view, the “three days and three nights” prophecy of Matthew 12:40 was fulfilled in that both Jesus and Jonah were “confined” in difficult situations where they could not move about freely for three periods of darkness (night) and three periods of light (day). The three nights of confinement for Jesus were His arrest on Thursday night and His time in the tomb Friday night and Saturday night (or, as reckoned in the Jewish method—in which a day begins at sunset—early Friday, early Saturday, and early Sunday). The three days for Jesus were all day Friday, all day Saturday, and part of Sunday.

Jesus was crucified on a Thursday

Late Thursday: Jesus is crucified and buried.
Late Thursday through early Sunday: Jesus is in the tomb.
Early Sunday: Jesus rises from the dead, and the women find the empty tomb.

One point to be made in favor of the Thursday view is that Jesus’ prophecy of the sign of Jonah specifically includes three nights as well as three days (Matthew 12:40). If the crucifixion occurred on Thursday afternoon, the three days and three nights are all accounted for.

As for Luke’s statement that Jesus was taken down from the cross because “the sabbath was about to begin” (Luke 23:54), the Thursday view points out that there were actually two Sabbaths that week, the first Sabbath starting at sundown Thursday, followed by the regular Sabbath starting at sundown Friday. In fact, John’s account says that “the next day was to be a special Sabbath” (John 19:31); Passover was considered a special Sabbath (see Leviticus 16:29–31; 23:7, 24–32, 39).

Further, Matthew 28:1 says that the resurrection occurred “after the Sabbaths” (Berean Literal Bible)—the plural sabbaths being in the original, confirming there were multiple Sabbaths between the crucifixion and the resurrection. So, the “Passover” Sabbath was followed immediately by the “weekly” Sabbath, making the first opportunity to prepare the body for burial on Sunday at first light—and the women came to the tomb to do just that.

Thursday advocates also point to several passages that indicate the number of days between the crucifixion and the resurrection. For example, in John 2:19, Jesus says, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” Three days from Thursday is Sunday. In addition, when Jesus appears to the two men on the road to Emmaus on resurrection Sunday, they state that “it is the third day since all this took place” (Luke 24:21). A natural reading of this sentence would place the crucifixion on Thursday.

Advocates for a Thursday crucifixion consider the “Preparation Day” to be the day before the Passover, the High Sabbath (John 19:14). Preparation day was the day that the Passover lamb was killed prior to the Passover meal that evening—which, according to Jewish reckoning, was the beginning of the next day (Mark 14:12). It is clear from the Old Testament instructions on the Passover (Exodus 12:6; Leviticus 23:5) that the lamb was to be slaughtered late in the day on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan—which was Thursday afternoon in AD 32. Thursday advocates point out that at the same time Israel was slaughtering their Passover lambs on Nisan 14, Jesus, the “Lamb of God” (John 1:29) was dying on a cross. Thus was fulfilled the prophetic symbolism of the Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7).

Based on this timeline, Thursday proponents also argue that the Last Supper, eaten on Wednesday evening, was not the Passover meal. The main course at Passover was a lamb, and there is no lamb mentioned at the Last Supper. Only bread and wine are mentioned.

Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday

Late Wednesday: Jesus is crucified and buried.
Early Thursday (Passover) through Late Saturday (Sabbath): Jesus is in the tomb.
Friday (between the two Sabbaths): the women buy and prepare the spices.
Early Sunday: Jesus rises from the dead, and the women find the empty tomb.

Those who argue for a Wednesday crucifixion agree with the Thursday view that there were two Sabbaths that week, but they separate them by a day. The first Sabbath, in this view, was the Passover Sabbath starting Wednesday evening following the crucifixion (Mark 15:42; Luke 23:52–54). Then came a non-Sabbath day (Friday) and then the weekly Sabbath starting Friday evening. The women purchased spices after the Sabbath, according to Mark 16:1—meaning the Passover Sabbath. Luke 23:56 says that, after the women saw where Jesus was buried, “they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.” The Wednesday argument states that the women could not purchase the spices after the Sabbath and prepare those spices before the Sabbath unless there were two Sabbaths that week, separated by a day.

Supporters of the Wednesday viewpoint see theirs as the only explanation that does not violate the biblical account of the women and the spices and holds to a literal understanding of Matthew 12:40. The “three days and three nights” of Matthew 12:40 are reckoned as follows: early Thursday (Day 1), late Thursday (Night 1), early Friday (Day 2), late Friday (Night 2), early Saturday (Day 3), and late Saturday (Night 3).

A difficulty with the Wednesday view is that the disciples who walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus did so on “the same day” of His resurrection (Luke 24:13). The disciples, who do not recognize Jesus, tell Him of Jesus’ crucifixion (verse 20) and say that “today is the third day since these things happened” (verse 21). Wednesday to Sunday is four days. A possible explanation is that they may have started their count on Wednesday evening at Christ’s burial, which begins the Jewish Thursday, and Thursday to Sunday could be counted as three days.

Conclusion

While the day of the crucifixion is debated, the day of the resurrection is absolutely clear: Scripture says that Jesus rose on the first day of the week. What’s more important than knowing the day of the week of Jesus’ death is believing that He did die and that He rose from the dead. Equally important is why He died—to take the punishment that all sinners deserve. Jesus is truly the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Putting your trust in Him results in eternal life (John 3:16, 36)! This is true whether He was crucified on a Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.

What does it mean that Jesus is the Lamb of God?

When Jesus is called the Lamb of God in John 1:29 and John 1:36, it is referring to Him as the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for sin. In order to understand who Christ was and what He did, we must begin with the Old Testament, which contains prophecies concerning the coming of Christ as a “guilt offering” (Isaiah 53:10). In fact, the whole sacrificial system established by God in the Old Testament set the stage for the coming of Jesus Christ, who is the perfect sacrifice God would provide as atonement for the sins of His people (Romans 8:3; Hebrews 10).

The sacrifice of lambs played a very important role in the Jewish religious life and sacrificial system. When John the Baptist referred to Jesus as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), the Jews who heard him might have immediately thought of any one of several important sacrifices. With the time of the Passover feast being very near, the first thought might be the sacrifice of the Passover lamb. The Passover feast was one of the main Jewish holidays and a celebration in remembrance of God’s deliverance of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. In fact, the slaying of the Passover lamb and the applying of the blood to doorposts of the houses (Exodus 12:11-13) is a beautiful picture of Christ’s atoning work on the cross. Those for whom He died are covered by His blood, protecting us from the angel of (spiritual) death.

Another important sacrifice involving lambs was the daily sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem. Every morning and evening, a lamb was sacrificed in the temple for the sins of the people (Exodus 29:38-42). These daily sacrifices, like all others, were simply to point people towards the perfect sacrifice of Christ on the cross. In fact, the time of Jesus’ death on the cross corresponds to the time the evening sacrifice was being made in the temple. The Jews at that time would have also been familiar with the Old Testament prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah, who foretold the coming of One who would be brought “like a lamb led to the slaughter” (Jeremiah 11:19; Isaiah 53:7) and whose sufferings and sacrifice would provide redemption for Israel. Of course, that person was none other than Jesus Christ, “the Lamb of God.”

While the idea of a sacrificial system might seem strange to us today, the concept of payment or restitution is still one we can easily understand. We know that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and that our sin separates us from God. We also know the Bible teaches we are all sinners and none of us is righteous before God (Romans 3:23). Because of our sin, we are separated from God, and we stand guilty before Him. Therefore, the only hope we can have is if He provides a way for us to be reconciled to Himself, and that is what He did in sending His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross. Christ died to make atonement for sin and to pay the penalty of the sins of all who believe in Him.

It is through His death on the cross as God’s perfect sacrifice for sin and His resurrection three days later that we can now have eternal life if we believe in Him. The fact that God Himself has provided the offering that atones for our sin is part of the glorious good news of the gospel that is so clearly declared in 1 Peter 1:18-21: “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”

ກ່ຽວກັບພຣະເຢຊູຄຣິດ

ພຣະເຢຊູຄຣິດແມ່ນໃຜ?

ຄືກັບຄໍາຖາມທີ່ວ່າ "ພຣະເຈົ້າມີຢູ່ບໍ?" ຄໍາ ຖາມ ຂອງ ພຣະ ເຢ ຊູ ຄຣິດ ທີ່ ມີ ຢູ່ ແມ່ນ ຖາມ ໂດຍ ປະ ຊາ ຊົນ ຂ້ອນ ຂ້າງ ຫນ້ອຍ. ສ່ວນຫຼາຍຍອມຮັບວ່າພະເຍຊູເປັນຜູ້ຊາຍແທ້ໆທີ່ອາໄສຢູ່ໃນອິດສະລາແອນເມື່ອ 2,000 ປີກ່ອນ. ການໂຕ້ວາທີເລີ່ມຕົ້ນດ້ວຍການສົນທະນາກ່ຽວກັບຕົວຕົນອັນເຕັມທີ່ຂອງພະເຍຊູ. ເກືອບ​ທຸກ​ສາສະໜາ​ໃຫຍ່​ສອນ​ວ່າ​ພະ​ເຍຊູ​ເປັນ​ຜູ້​ພະຍາກອນ ຫຼື​ເປັນ​ຄູ​ສອນ​ທີ່​ດີ​ຫຼື​ເປັນ​ຄົນ​ທີ່​ນັບຖື​ພະເຈົ້າ. ແຕ່​ຄຳພີ​ໄບເບິນ​ບອກ​ເຮົາ​ວ່າ​ພະ​ເຍຊູ​ເປັນ​ຫຼາຍ​ກວ່າ​ຜູ້​ພະຍາກອນ ເປັນ​ຄູ​ສອນ​ທີ່​ດີ ຫຼື​ຜູ້​ທີ່​ນັບຖື​ພະເຈົ້າ.

 

  1. S. Lewis ໃນຫນັງສືຂອງລາວ Mere Christianity ຂຽນວ່າ: "ຂ້ອຍພະຍາຍາມຢູ່ທີ່ນີ້ເພື່ອປ້ອງກັນບໍ່ໃຫ້ຜູ້ໃດເວົ້າເລື່ອງໂງ່ຈ້າທີ່ຄົນມັກເວົ້າກ່ຽວກັບພຣະອົງ [ພຣະເຢຊູຄຣິດ]: 'ຂ້ອຍພ້ອມທີ່ຈະຍອມຮັບພຣະເຢຊູເປັນຜູ້ສອນສິນທໍາທີ່ຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່, ແຕ່. ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ຍອມຮັບການອ້າງວ່າລາວເປັນພະເຈົ້າ.' ຜູ້​ຊາຍ​ທີ່​ເປັນ​ພຽງ​ຜູ້​ຊາຍ​ແລະ​ເວົ້າ​ແບບ​ທີ່​ພະ​ເຍຊູ​ເວົ້າ​ຈະ​ບໍ່​ເປັນ​ຄູ​ສອນ​ສິນລະທຳ​ທີ່​ຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່. ລາວອາດຈະເປັນຄົນຂີ້ຕົວະ - ໃນລະດັບທີ່ມີຜູ້ຊາຍທີ່ເວົ້າວ່າລາວເປັນໄຂ່ຕົ້ມ - ຫຼືຖ້າບໍ່ດັ່ງນັ້ນລາວຈະເປັນມານຂອງນະລົກ. ເຈົ້າຕ້ອງເລືອກຂອງເຈົ້າ. ບໍ່​ວ່າ​ຜູ້​ຊາຍ​ຜູ້​ນີ້​ເປັນ, ແລະ​ເປັນ, ພຣະ​ບຸດ​ຂອງ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ, ຫລື​ອີກ​ຢ່າງ​ໜຶ່ງ​ແມ່ນ​ຄົນ​ບ້າ ຫລື ບາງ​ສິ່ງ​ທີ່​ຮ້າຍ​ແຮງກວ່າ. ເຈົ້າ​ສາມາດ​ປິດ​ລາວ​ໄວ້​ສຳລັບ​ຄົນ​ໂງ່, ເຈົ້າ​ສາມາດ​ຖົ່ມ​ນໍ້າລາຍ​ໃສ່​ລາວ​ແລະ​ຂ້າ​ລາວ​ເປັນ​ຜີມານຮ້າຍ; ຫຼື​ເຈົ້າ​ສາມາດ​ລົ້ມ​ລົງ​ທີ່​ຕີນ​ຂອງ​ລາວ​ແລະ​ເອີ້ນ​ລາວ​ວ່າ​ພຣະ​ຜູ້​ເປັນ​ເຈົ້າ​ແລະ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ. ແຕ່​ຂໍ​ໃຫ້​ພວກ​ເຮົາ​ບໍ່​ໄດ້​ເວົ້າ​ເຖິງ​ຄວາມ​ບໍ່​ສຸ​ພາບ​ທີ່​ເປັນ​ຜູ້​ອຸ​ປະ​ຖໍາ​ກ່ຽວ​ກັບ​ການ​ເປັນ​ຄູ​ສອນ​ທີ່​ຍິ່ງ​ໃຫຍ່​ຂອງ​ພຣະ​ອົງ. ພຣະອົງບໍ່ໄດ້ປ່ອຍໃຫ້ທາງເລືອກນັ້ນເປີດໃຫ້ພວກເຮົາ. ລາວ​ບໍ່​ໄດ້​ຕັ້ງ​ໃຈ” (Macmillan, 1952, ໜ້າ 55–56).

 

ດັ່ງ​ນັ້ນ ການ​ອ້າງ​ຂອງ​ພະ​ເຍຊູ​ເປັນ​ໃຜ? ຄຳພີ​ໄບເບິນ​ບອກ​ວ່າ​ພະອົງ​ແມ່ນ​ໃຜ? ທໍາອິດ, ພຣະອົງເປັນພຣະເຈົ້າໃນເນື້ອຫນັງ. ພຣະເຢຊູໄດ້ກ່າວໃນໂຢຮັນ 10:30, “ເຮົາແລະພຣະບິດາເປັນອັນໜຶ່ງອັນດຽວກັນ.” ຢູ່ glance ທໍາອິດ, ນີ້ອາດຈະບໍ່ເບິ່ງຄືວ່າເປັນການອ້າງວ່າເປັນພຣະເຈົ້າ. ຢ່າງໃດກໍຕາມ, ເບິ່ງປະຕິກິລິຍາຂອງຊາວຢິວຕໍ່ຄໍາຖະແຫຼງຂອງພຣະອົງ. ພວກ​ເຂົາ​ພະ​ຍາ​ຍາມ​ແກວ່ງ​ກ້ອນ​ຫີນ​ໃສ່​ພຣະ​ອົງ “ເພາະ​ການ​ໝິ່ນ​ປະ​ໝາດ, ເພາະ​ວ່າ​ທ່ານ​ເປັນ​ພຽງ​ຄົນ, ອ້າງ​ວ່າ​ເປັນ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ” (ໂຢ​ຮັນ 10:33). ຊາວ​ຢິວ​ເຂົ້າ​ໃຈ​ຄຳ​ເວົ້າ​ຂອງ​ພະ​ເຍຊູ​ເປັນ​ການ​ອ້າງ​ວ່າ​ເປັນ​ພະເຈົ້າ. ໃນ​ຂໍ້​ຕໍ່​ໄປ​ນີ້, ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ​ບໍ່​ເຄີຍ​ແກ້​ໄຂ​ຊາວ​ຢິວ​ຫຼື​ຄວາມ​ພະ​ຍາ​ຍາມ​ທີ່​ຈະ​ເຮັດ​ໃຫ້​ຄວາມ​ກະ​ຈ່າງ​ແຈ້ງ​ຄໍາ​ເວົ້າ​ຂອງ​ພຣະ​ອົງ. ລາວບໍ່ເຄີຍເວົ້າວ່າ, "ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ໄດ້ອ້າງວ່າເປັນພຣະເຈົ້າ." ເມື່ອ​ພະ​ເຍຊູ​ກ່າວ​ວ່າ, “ເຮົາ​ແລະ​ພະ​ບິດາ​ເປັນ​ອັນ​ໜຶ່ງ​ອັນ​ດຽວ​ກັນ” (ໂຢຮັນ 10:30), ພະອົງ​ອ້າງ​ຄວາມ​ສະເໝີ​ພາບ​ກັບ​ພະເຈົ້າ​ແທ້ໆ.

 

ໃນໂຢຮັນ 8:58 ພະເຍຊູອ້າງເຖິງການມີຢູ່ກ່ອນ, ເປັນຄຸນລັກສະນະຂອງພະເຈົ້າວ່າ: “'ເຮົາບອກເຈົ້າຕາມຄວາມຈິງວ່າ,' ພະເຍຊູຕອບວ່າ, 'ກ່ອນອັບຣາຮາມເກີດ, ເຮົາເປັນ!'” ເພື່ອຕອບຄໍາກ່າວນີ້, ຊາວຢິວໄດ້ຍົກຂຶ້ນມາອີກເທື່ອຫນຶ່ງ. ຫີນ​ກ້ອນ​ຫີນ​ໃສ່​ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ (ໂຢ​ຮັນ 8:59). ໃນ​ການ​ອ້າງ​ເອົາ​ການ​ມີ​ຢູ່​ກ່ອນ, ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ​ໄດ້​ໃຊ້​ຊື່​ຂອງ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ​ກັບ​ພຣະ​ອົງ​ເອງ—ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ (ເບິ່ງ Exodus 3:14). ຊາວ​ຢິວ​ໄດ້​ປະຕິ​ເສດ​ຕົວ​ຕົນ​ຂອງ​ພຣະ​ເຢຊູ​ໃນ​ຖານະ​ທີ່​ເປັນ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ, ​ແຕ່​ເຂົາ​ເຈົ້າ​ເຂົ້າ​ໃຈ​ຢ່າງ​ແທ້​ຈິງ​ໃນ​ສິ່ງ​ທີ່​ພຣະອົງ​ກ່າວ.

 

ຂໍ້ຄຶດໃນພຣະຄໍາພີອື່ນໆທີ່ພຣະເຢຊູເປັນພຣະເຈົ້າໃນເນື້ອຫນັງປະກອບມີ John 1: 1, ທີ່ເວົ້າວ່າ, "ພຣະຄໍາເປັນພຣະເຈົ້າ," ບວກໃສ່ກັບ John 1: 14, ທີ່ເວົ້າວ່າ, "ພຣະຄໍາໄດ້ກາຍເປັນເນື້ອຫນັງ." Thomas ສາວົກ​ໄດ້​ປະກາດ​ຕໍ່​ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ​ວ່າ, “ພຣະ​ຜູ້​ເປັນ​ເຈົ້າ​ຂອງ​ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ​ແລະ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ​ຂອງ​ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ” (John 20:28), ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ​ບໍ່​ໄດ້​ແກ້​ໄຂ​ເຂົາ. ອັກ​ຄະ​ສາ​ວົກ​ໂປ​ໂລ​ພັນ​ລະ​ນາ​ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ​ເປັນ “ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ​ຜູ້​ຍິ່ງ​ໃຫຍ່ ແລະ ພຣະ​ຜູ້​ຊ່ວຍ​ໃຫ້​ລອດ​ຂອງ​ພວກ​ເຮົາ, ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ​ຄຣິດ” (ຕີໂຕ 2:13). ອັກ​ຄະ​ສາ​ວົກ​ເປ​ໂຕ​ກໍ​ເວົ້າ​ຄື​ກັນ ໂດຍ​ເອີ້ນ​ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ​ວ່າ “ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ​ແລະ​ພຣະ​ຜູ້​ຊ່ວຍ​ໃຫ້​ລອດ” (2 ເປໂຕ 1:1).

 

ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ​ອົງ​ເປັນ​ພຣະ​ບິ​ດາ​ເປັນ​ພະ​ຍານ​ເຖິງ​ຕົວ​ຕົນ​ຂອງ​ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ​ເຊັ່ນ​ດຽວ​ກັນ: “ແຕ່​ກ່ຽວ​ກັບ​ພຣະ​ບຸດ​ທີ່​ພຣະ​ອົງ​ກ່າວ​ວ່າ, ໂອ້ ພຣະ​ອົງ​ພຣະ​ບັນ​ລັງ​ຂອງ​ພຣະ​ອົງ​ຈະ​ຄົງ​ຢູ່​ຕະ​ຫລອດ​ການ; ຄທາ​ແຫ່ງ​ຄວາມ​ຍຸດ​ຕິ​ທຳ​ຈະ​ເປັນ​ຄ້ອຍ​ແຫ່ງ​ອານາຈັກ​ຂອງ​ເຈົ້າ.” (ເຫບເລີ 1:8; ຄຳເພງ 45:6). ຄໍາພະຍາກອນຂອງພຣະຄໍາພີເດີມເຊັ່ນ: ເອຊາຢາ 9: 6 ປະກາດພຣະເຈົ້າຂອງພຣະຄຣິດ: "ສໍາລັບພວກເຮົາ, ເດັກນ້ອຍເກີດມາ, ລູກຊາຍໄດ້ຖືກມອບໃຫ້ພວກເຮົາ, ແລະລັດຖະບານຈະຢູ່ເທິງບ່າຂອງລາວ. ແລະພຣະອົງຈະຖືກເອີ້ນວ່າທີ່ປຶກສາທີ່ປະເສີດ, ພຣະເຈົ້າຜູ້ຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່, ພຣະບິດານິລັນດອນ, ເຈົ້າຊາຍແຫ່ງສັນຕິພາບ” (ເນັ້ນຫນັກໃສ່ຕື່ມ).

 

ເປັນຫຍັງຄຳຖາມກ່ຽວກັບຕົວຕົນຂອງພະເຍຊູຈຶ່ງສຳຄັນຫຼາຍ? ເປັນ​ຫຍັງ​ຈຶ່ງ​ສຳຄັນ​ວ່າ​ພະ​ເຍຊູ​ເປັນ​ພະເຈົ້າ? ເຫດຜົນຫຼາຍຢ່າງ:

 

  • ດັ່ງທີ່ C. S. Lewis ຊີ້ອອກ, ຖ້າພຣະເຢຊູບໍ່ແມ່ນພຣະເຈົ້າ, ຫຼັງຈາກນັ້ນພຣະເຢຊູແມ່ນຜູ້ທີ່ຂີ້ຕົວະທີ່ຮ້າຍແຮງທີ່ສຸດແລະບໍ່ຫນ້າເຊື່ອຖືໃນທຸກທາງ.

 

  • ຖ້າພະເຍຊູບໍ່ແມ່ນພະເຈົ້າ ອັກຄະສາວົກກໍເປັນຄົນຂີ້ຕົວະຄືກັນ.

 

  • ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ​ຕ້ອງ​ເປັນ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ ເພາະ​ພຣະ​ເມ​ຊີ​ອາ​ໄດ້​ຖືກ​ສັນ​ຍາ​ວ່າ​ຈະ​ເປັນ “ອົງ​ບໍ​ລິ​ສຸດ” (ເອ​ຊາ​ຢາ 49:7). ເນື່ອງ​ຈາກ​ວ່າ​ບໍ່​ມີ​ໃຜ​ຢູ່​ໃນ​ໂລກ​ທີ່​ຊອບທຳ​ຕໍ່​ໜ້າ​ພະເຈົ້າ (ຄຳເພງ 53:1; 143:2), ພະເຈົ້າ​ເອງ​ຈຶ່ງ​ຕ້ອງ​ເຂົ້າ​ມາ​ໃນ​ໂລກ​ໃນ​ຖານະ​ເປັນ​ມະນຸດ.

 

  • ຖ້າພຣະເຢຊູບໍ່ແມ່ນພຣະເຈົ້າ, ການສິ້ນພຣະຊົນຂອງພຣະອົງຈະບໍ່ພຽງພໍທີ່ຈະຈ່າຍຄ່າລົງໂທດບາບຂອງໂລກທັງຫມົດ (1 John 2: 2). ມີ​ແຕ່​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ​ອົງ​ດຽວ​ເທົ່າ​ນັ້ນ​ທີ່​ສາ​ມາດ​ສະ​ຫນອງ​ການ​ເສຍ​ສະ​ລະ​ທີ່​ມີ​ຄ່າ​ອັນ​ເປັນ​ນິດ​ນິ​ລັນ​ດອນ (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

 

  • ພຣະເຈົ້າເປັນພຣະຜູ້ຊ່ອຍໃຫ້ລອດອົງດຽວ (ໂຮເຊອາ 13:4; 1 ຕີໂມເຕ 2:3). ຖ້າ​ຫາກ​ວ່າ​ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ​ຈະ​ເປັນ​ພຣະ​ຜູ້​ຊ່ວຍ​ໃຫ້​ລອດ, ຫຼັງ​ຈາກ​ນັ້ນ​ພຣະ​ອົງ​ຈະ​ຕ້ອງ​ເປັນ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ.

ພະເຍຊູຕ້ອງເປັນທັງພະເຈົ້າແລະມະນຸດ. ໃນ​ຖາ​ນະ​ເປັນ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ, ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ​ສາ​ມາດ​ຕອບ​ສະ​ຫນອງ​ພຣະ​ພິ​ໂລດ​ຂອງ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ. ໃນຖານະເປັນຜູ້ຊາຍ, ພຣະເຢຊູມີຄວາມສາມາດທີ່ຈະເສຍຊີວິດ. ໃນ​ຖາ​ນະ​ເປັນ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ, ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ​ເປັນ​ຜູ້​ໄກ່​ເກ່ຍ​ທີ່​ດີ​ເລີດ​ລະ​ຫວ່າງ​ສະ​ຫວັນ​ແລະ​ແຜ່ນ​ດິນ​ໂລກ (1 ຕີ​ໂມ 2:5). ຄວາມລອດມີໃຫ້ພຽງແຕ່ຜ່ານສັດທາໃນພຣະເຢຊູຄຣິດ. ດັ່ງ​ທີ່​ພຣະ​ອົງ​ໄດ້​ປະ​ກາດ​ວ່າ, “ເຮົາ​ເປັນ​ທາງ​ນັ້ນ ແລະ​ເປັນ​ຄວາມ​ຈິງ ແລະ​ເປັນ​ຊີ​ວິດ. ບໍ່​ມີ​ຜູ້​ໃດ​ມາ​ຫາ​ພຣະ​ບິ​ດາ​ໄດ້​ເວັ້ນ​ເສຍ​ແຕ່​ຜ່ານ​ທາງ​ເຮົາ” (ໂຢຮັນ 14:6).

ພຣະເຢຊູເປັນພຣະເຈົ້າແທ້ບໍ?

ບາງ​ຄົນ​ທີ່​ປະຕິ​ເສດ​ວ່າ​ພະ​ເຍຊູ​ເປັນ​ພະເຈົ້າ​ອ້າງ​ວ່າ​ພະ​ເຍຊູ​ບໍ່​ເຄີຍ​ເວົ້າ​ວ່າ​ພະອົງ​ເປັນ​ພະເຈົ້າ. ເປັນ​ການ​ຖືກຕ້ອງ​ທີ່​ຄຳພີ​ໄບເບິນ​ບໍ່​ເຄີຍ​ບັນທຶກ​ພະ​ເຍຊູ​ເວົ້າ​ຖ້ອຍຄຳ​ທີ່​ຊັດເຈນ​ວ່າ “ເຮົາ​ເປັນ​ພະເຈົ້າ.” ແນວໃດກໍຕາມ ນີ້ບໍ່ໄດ້ໝາຍຄວາມວ່າພະເຍຊູບໍ່ເຄີຍອ້າງວ່າເປັນພະເຈົ້າ.
ພຣະເຢຊູເປັນພຣະເຈົ້າບໍ? — ພະ​ເຍຊູ​ອ້າງ​ວ່າ​ເປັນ​ພະເຈົ້າ.

ເອົາຕົວຢ່າງຂອງຄໍາເວົ້າຂອງພຣະເຢຊູໃນໂຢຮັນ 10:30, "ເຮົາແລະພຣະບິດາເປັນອັນດຽວກັນ." ພວກເຮົາຕ້ອງການພຽງແຕ່ເບິ່ງປະຕິກິລິຍາຂອງຊາວຢິວຕໍ່ຄໍາຖະແຫຼງຂອງພຣະອົງເພື່ອຮູ້ວ່າພຣະອົງໄດ້ອ້າງວ່າເປັນພຣະເຈົ້າ. ພວກ​ເຂົາ​ໄດ້​ພະ​ຍາ​ຍາມ​ແກວ່ງ​ກ້ອນ​ຫີນ​ໃສ່​ພຣະ​ອົງ​ດ້ວຍ​ເຫດ​ຜົນ​ດັ່ງ​ນີ້: “ທ່ານ​ຜູ້​ເປັນ​ພຽງ​ແຕ່​ຜູ້​ໃດ​ກໍ​ອ້າງ​ວ່າ​ເປັນ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ” (ໂຢຮັນ 10:33, ເນັ້ນ​ໜັກ​ຕື່ມ). ຊາວ​ຢິວ​ເຂົ້າ​ໃຈ​ຢ່າງ​ແທ້​ຈິງ​ໃນ​ສິ່ງ​ທີ່​ພະ​ເຍຊູ​ອ້າງ​ແມ່ນ​ພະເຈົ້າ. ເມື່ອ​ພະ​ເຍຊູ​ປະກາດ​ວ່າ, “ເຮົາ​ກັບ​ພະ​ບິດາ​ເປັນ​ອັນ​ໜຶ່ງ​ອັນ​ດຽວ” ພະອົງ​ກ່າວ​ວ່າ​ພະອົງ​ແລະ​ພະ​ບິດາ​ເປັນ​ອັນ​ໜຶ່ງ​ອັນ​ດຽວ​ກັນ​ແລະ​ສຳຄັນ. ໂຢຮັນ 8:58 ເປັນຕົວຢ່າງອື່ນ. ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ​ໄດ້​ປະ​ກາດ​ວ່າ, “ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ​ບອກ​ທ່ານ​ຄວາມ​ຈິງ … ກ່ອນ​ອັບ​ຣາ​ຮາມ​ເກີດ, ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ!” ນີ້ແມ່ນການອ້າງອິງກັບຄືນໄປບ່ອນ Exodus 3: 14 ໃນເວລາທີ່ພຣະເຈົ້າເປີດເຜີຍພຣະອົງເອງເປັນ "ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ." ຊາວ​ຢິວ​ທີ່​ໄດ້​ຍິນ​ຖ້ອຍ​ຄຳ​ນີ້​ໄດ້​ຕອບ​ໂຕ້​ໂດຍ​ການ​ເອົາ​ກ້ອນ​ຫີນ​ຂ້າ​ພຣະ​ອົງ​ດ້ວຍ​ຄຳ​ໝິ່ນ​ປະ​ໝາດ​ຕາມ​ກົດ​ໝາຍ​ຂອງ​ໂມ​ເຊ (ພວກ​ເລວີ 24:16).

ພຣະເຢຊູເປັນພຣະເຈົ້າບໍ? — ຜູ້​ຕິດ​ຕາມ​ຂອງ​ພະອົງ​ປະກາດ​ວ່າ​ພະອົງ​ເປັນ​ພະເຈົ້າ.

ໂຢຮັນ​ໄດ້​ກ່າວ​ຢ້ຳ​ເຖິງ​ຄວາມ​ຄິດ​ກ່ຽວ​ກັບ​ການ​ເປັນ​ພຣະເຈົ້າ​ຂອງ​ພຣະ​ເຢຊູ​ວ່າ: “ພຣະ​ຄຳ [ພຣະ​ເຢຊູ] ເປັນ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ” ແລະ “ພຣະ​ຄຳ​ໄດ້​ກາຍ​ເປັນ​ເນື້ອ​ໜັງ” (ໂຢ​ຮັນ 1:1, 14). ຂໍ້ພຣະຄໍາພີເຫຼົ່ານີ້ຊີ້ໃຫ້ເຫັນຢ່າງຊັດເຈນວ່າພຣະເຢຊູເປັນພຣະເຈົ້າໃນເນື້ອຫນັງ. ກິດຈະການ 20:28 ບອກ​ພວກເຮົາ​ວ່າ, “ຈົ່ງ​ເປັນ​ຜູ້​ລ້ຽງ​ແກະ​ຂອງ​ຄຣິສຕະຈັກ​ຂອງ​ພຣະເຈົ້າ ຊຶ່ງ​ພຣະອົງ​ໄດ້​ຊື້​ດ້ວຍ​ເລືອດ​ຂອງ​ພຣະອົງ​ເອງ.” ໃຜຊື້ຄຣິສຕະຈັກດ້ວຍເລືອດຂອງພຣະອົງເອງ? ພຣະເຢຊູຄຣິດ. ແລະຂໍ້ດຽວກັນນີ້ປະກາດວ່າພຣະເຈົ້າໄດ້ຊື້ຄຣິສຕະຈັກຂອງພຣະອົງດ້ວຍເລືອດຂອງພຣະອົງເອງ. ເພາະສະນັ້ນ, ພຣະເຢຊູເປັນພຣະເຈົ້າ.

Thomas ສາວົກ​ໄດ້​ປະກາດ​ກ່ຽວ​ກັບ​ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ, “ພຣະ​ຜູ້​ເປັນ​ເຈົ້າ​ຂອງ​ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ​ແລະ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ​ຂອງ​ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ” (John 20:28). ພະເຍຊູບໍ່ໄດ້ແກ້ໄຂລາວ. ຕິໂຕ 2:13 ຊຸກຍູ້​ເຮົາ​ໃຫ້​ລໍຖ້າ​ການ​ສະເດັດ​ມາ​ຂອງ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ ແລະ ພຣະ​ຜູ້​ຊ່ອຍ​ໃຫ້​ລອດ, ພຣະ​ເຢຊູ​ຄຣິດ (ເບິ່ງ 2 ເປໂຕ 1:1 ນຳ​ອີກ). ໃນເຮັບເຣີ 1:8, ພຣະບິດາປະກາດກ່ຽວກັບພຣະເຢຊູວ່າ, "ແຕ່ກ່ຽວກັບພຣະບຸດພຣະອົງຊົງກ່າວວ່າ, 'ໂອ້ພຣະເຈົ້າ, ພຣະທີ່ນັ່ງຂອງເຈົ້າຈະຢູ່ຕະຫຼອດໄປແລະຕະຫຼອດໄປ, ແລະຄວາມຊອບທໍາຈະເປັນຄမြတ်ຂອງອານາຈັກຂອງເຈົ້າ.'" ພຣະບິດາຫມາຍເຖິງພຣະເຢຊູ. ໃນ​ຖາ​ນະ​ເປັນ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ, ສະ​ແດງ​ໃຫ້​ເຫັນ​ວ່າ​ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ​ເປັນ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ​ທີ່​ແທ້​ຈິງ.

ໃນພຣະນິມິດ, ທູດສະຫວັນອົງຫນຶ່ງໄດ້ແນະນໍາອັກຄະສາວົກໂຢຮັນໃຫ້ນະມັດສະການພຣະເຈົ້າເທົ່ານັ້ນ (ພຣະນິມິດ 19:10). ຫຼາຍຄັ້ງໃນພຣະຄໍາພີພຣະເຢຊູໄດ້ຮັບການນະມັດສະການ (ມັດທາຍ 2:11; 14:33; 28:9, 17; ລູກາ 24:52; ໂຢຮັນ 9:38). ພຣະອົງບໍ່ເຄີຍຫ້າມປະຊາຊົນສໍາລັບການນະມັດສະການພຣະອົງ. ຖ້າ​ຫາກ​ວ່າ​ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ​ບໍ່​ແມ່ນ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ, ພຣະ​ອົງ​ຈະ​ໄດ້​ບອກ​ຜູ້​ຄົນ​ບໍ່​ໃຫ້​ນະ​ມັດ​ສະ​ການ​ພຣະ​ອົງ, ຄື​ກັນ​ກັບ​ທູດ​ສະຫວັນ​ໃນ​ການ​ເປີດ​ເຜີຍ​ໄດ້​ເຮັດ. ນອກ ເໜືອ ໄປຈາກນີ້, ມີຂໍ້ພຣະ ຄຳ ພີອື່ນໆທີ່ໂຕ້ຖຽງວ່າພຣະເຢຊູເປັນພຣະເຈົ້າ.

ພຣະເຢຊູເປັນພຣະເຈົ້າບໍ? — ເຫດຜົນ​ທີ່​ພະ​ເຍຊູ​ຕ້ອງ​ເປັນ​ພະເຈົ້າ.

ເຫດຜົນສໍາຄັນທີ່ສຸດທີ່ພຣະເຢຊູຕ້ອງເປັນພຣະເຈົ້າແມ່ນວ່າ, ຖ້າພຣະອົງບໍ່ແມ່ນພຣະເຈົ້າ, ຄວາມຕາຍຂອງພຣະອົງຈະບໍ່ພຽງພໍທີ່ຈະຈ່າຍຄ່າລົງໂທດບາບຂອງໂລກ (1 John 2: 2). ສິ່ງທີ່ຖືກສ້າງຂື້ນ, ເຊິ່ງພຣະເຢຊູຈະເປັນຖ້າພຣະອົງບໍ່ແມ່ນພຣະເຈົ້າ, ບໍ່ສາມາດຈ່າຍຄ່າລົງໂທດທີ່ບໍ່ມີຂອບເຂດທີ່ຕ້ອງການສໍາລັບບາບຕໍ່ພຣະເຈົ້າທີ່ບໍ່ມີຂອບເຂດ. ມີພຽງແຕ່ພຣະເຈົ້າເທົ່ານັ້ນທີ່ສາມາດຈ່າຍຄ່າລົງໂທດທີ່ບໍ່ມີຂອບເຂດ. ມີ​ແຕ່​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ​ເທົ່າ​ນັ້ນ​ທີ່​ຈະ​ຮັບ​ເອົາ​ບາບ​ຂອງ​ໂລກ (2 ໂກລິນໂທ 5:21), ຕາຍ, ແລະ​ຟື້ນ​ຄືນ​ຊີວິດ, ພິສູດ​ໃຫ້​ເຫັນ​ເຖິງ​ໄຊຊະນະ​ຂອງ​ພຣະອົງ​ເໜືອ​ບາບ ແລະ ຄວາມ​ຕາຍ.

ພຣະເຢຊູເປັນພຣະເຈົ້າບໍ? ແມ່ນແລ້ວ. ພຣະເຢຊູຊົງປະກາດວ່າພຣະອົງເອງເປັນພຣະເຈົ້າ. ຜູ້ຕິດຕາມຂອງພຣະອົງເຊື່ອວ່າພຣະອົງເປັນພຣະເຈົ້າ. ການສະຫນອງຄວາມລອດເຮັດວຽກພຽງແຕ່ຖ້າພຣະເຢຊູເປັນພຣະເຈົ້າ. ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ​ເປັນ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ incarnate, ເປັນ​ອັນ​ຟາ​ນິ​ລັນ​ດອນ​ແລະ Omega (ພຣະ​ນິ​ມິດ 1:8; 22:13), ແລະ​ພຣະ​ຜູ້​ຊ່ວຍ​ໃຫ້​ລອດ​ຂອງ​ພວກ​ເຮົາ (2 ເປ​ໂຕ 1:1).

ການຟື້ນຄືນຊີວິດຂອງພຣະເຢຊູຄຣິດເປັນຄວາມຈິງບໍ?

ພຣະຄໍາພີສະເຫນີຫຼັກຖານທີ່ແນ່ນອນວ່າພຣະເຢຊູຄຣິດໄດ້ຟື້ນຄືນຊີວິດຈາກຄວາມຕາຍ. ການຟື້ນຄືນຊີວິດຂອງພຣະຄຣິດໄດ້ຖືກບັນທຶກໄວ້ໃນມັດທາຍ 28:1-20; ມາລະໂກ 16:1-20; ລູກາ 24:1-53; ແລະ ໂຢຮັນ 20:1–21:25. ພຣະ​ຄຣິດ​ທີ່​ໄດ້​ຟື້ນ​ຄືນ​ມາ​ຈາກ​ຕາຍ​ຍັງ​ໄດ້​ປະກົດ​ຢູ່​ໃນ​ພຣະ​ຄຳ​ພີ​ກິດຈະການ (ກິດຈະການ 1:1-11). ຈາກ​ຂໍ້​ຄວາມ​ເຫຼົ່າ​ນີ້ ເຈົ້າ​ສາມາດ​ໄດ້​ຮັບ “ຫຼັກ​ຖານ” ຫຼາຍ​ຢ່າງ​ກ່ຽວ​ກັບ​ການ​ຟື້ນ​ຄືນ​ຊີວິດ​ຂອງ​ພະ​ຄລິດ. ຫນ້າທໍາອິດແມ່ນການປ່ຽນແປງຢ່າງຫຼວງຫຼາຍໃນພວກສາວົກ. ເຂົາ​ເຈົ້າ​ໄດ້​ໄປ​ຈາກ​ກຸ່ມ​ຊາຍ​ທີ່​ຢ້ານ​ກົວ ແລະ ລີ້​ຕົວ​ໄປ​ຫາ​ພະຍານ​ທີ່​ເຂັ້ມ​ແຂງ, ມີ​ຄວາມ​ກ້າຫານ​ທີ່​ໄດ້​ແບ່ງປັນ​ພຣະກິດ​ຕິ​ຄຸນ​ໄປ​ທົ່ວ​ໂລກ. ມີອັນໃດອີກແດ່ທີ່ສາມາດອະທິບາຍເຖິງການປ່ຽນແປງອັນຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ນີ້ນອກຈາກພຣະຄຣິດທີ່ຊົງຟື້ນຄືນມາຈາກຕາຍປະກົດຕົວແກ່ເຂົາເຈົ້າ?

ອັນທີສອງແມ່ນຊີວິດຂອງອັກຄະສາວົກໂປໂລ. ແມ່ນຫຍັງທີ່ປ່ຽນລາວຈາກການເປັນຜູ້ຂົ່ມເຫັງຄຣິສຕະຈັກມາເປັນອັກຄະສາວົກຂອງຄຣິສຕະຈັກ? ມັນ​ເປັນ​ເວ​ລາ​ທີ່​ພຣະ​ຄຣິດ​ທີ່​ຟື້ນ​ຄືນ​ພຣະ​ຊົນ​ໄດ້​ມາ​ປະ​ກົດ​ຕໍ່​ພຣະ​ອົງ​ໃນ​ເສັ້ນ​ທາງ​ໄປ Damascus (ກິດ 9:1-6). ຫຼັກຖານທີ່ຫນ້າເຊື່ອຖືທີສາມແມ່ນ tomb ເປົ່າ. ຖ້າ​ຫາກ​ພຣະ​ຄຣິດ​ບໍ່​ໄດ້​ຟື້ນ​ຄືນ​ພຣະ​ຊົນ, ແລ້ວ​ພຣະ​ກາຍ​ຂອງ​ພຣະ​ອົງ​ຢູ່​ໃສ? ພວກ​ສາວົກ​ແລະ​ຄົນ​ອື່ນໆ​ໄດ້​ເຫັນ​ອຸບ​ໂມງ​ຝັງ​ສົບ​ຂອງ​ພຣະ​ອົງ. ເມື່ອ​ເຂົາ​ເຈົ້າ​ກັບ​ຄືນ​ມາ, ພຣະ​ສົບ​ຂອງ​ພຣະ​ອົງ​ບໍ່​ຢູ່​ທີ່​ນັ້ນ. ເທວະດາ​ໄດ້​ປະກາດ​ວ່າ​ພຣະອົງ​ໄດ້​ເປັນ​ຄືນ​ມາ​ຈາກ​ຕາຍ​ຕາມ​ທີ່​ພຣະອົງ​ໄດ້​ສັນຍາ​ໄວ້ (ມັດທາຍ 28:5-7). ອັນ​ທີ​ສີ່, ຫລັກ​ຖານ​ເພີ່ມ​ເຕີມ​ກ່ຽວ​ກັບ​ການ​ຟື້ນ​ຄືນ​ພຣະ​ຊົນ​ຂອງ​ພຣະ​ອົງ​ແມ່ນ​ຫລາຍ​ຄົນ​ທີ່​ພຣະ​ອົງ​ໄດ້​ປະກົດ​ໃຫ້​ເຫັນ (ມັດທາຍ 28:5, 9, 16-17; ມາຣະໂກ 16:9; ລືກາ 24:13-35; ໂຢຮັນ 20:19, 24, 26-29, 21. : 1-14; 1 ໂກລິນໂທ 15:5-7;

ຫຼັກຖານອີກຢ່າງຫນຶ່ງຂອງການຟື້ນຄືນຊີວິດຂອງພະເຍຊູແມ່ນນໍ້າຫນັກຈໍານວນຫຼວງຫຼາຍທີ່ອັກຄະສາວົກໄດ້ມອບໃຫ້ພະເຍຊູຟື້ນຄືນຊີວິດ. ຂໍ້ຄວາມທີ່ສຳຄັນກ່ຽວກັບການຟື້ນຄືນຊີວິດຂອງພຣະຄຣິດແມ່ນ 1 ໂກລິນໂທ 15. ໃນບົດນີ້, ອັກຄະສາວົກໂປໂລໄດ້ອະທິບາຍວ່າເປັນຫຍັງມັນຈຶ່ງສໍາຄັນທີ່ຈະເຂົ້າໃຈແລະເຊື່ອໃນການຟື້ນຄືນຊີວິດຂອງພຣະຄຣິດ. ການຟື້ນຄືນຊີວິດແມ່ນສໍາຄັນສໍາລັບເຫດຜົນຕໍ່ໄປນີ້: 1) ຖ້າພຣະຄຣິດບໍ່ໄດ້ເປັນຄືນມາຈາກຕາຍ, ຜູ້ເຊື່ອຖືຈະບໍ່ເປັນຄືກັນ (1 ໂກລິນໂທ 15: 12-15). 2) ຖ້າ​ຫາກ​ວ່າ​ພຣະ​ຄຣິດ​ບໍ່​ໄດ້​ຟື້ນ​ຄືນ​ພຣະ​ຊົນ, ການ​ເສຍ​ສະ​ລະ​ຂອງ​ພຣະ​ອົງ​ສໍາ​ລັບ​ບາບ​ແມ່ນ​ບໍ່​ພຽງ​ພໍ (1 Corinthians 15:16-19). ການ​ຟື້ນ​ຄືນ​ພຣະ​ຊົນ​ຂອງ​ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ​ໄດ້​ພິ​ສູດ​ວ່າ​ຄວາມ​ຕາຍ​ຂອງ​ພຣະ​ອົງ​ໄດ້​ຮັບ​ການ​ຍອມ​ຮັບ​ຈາກ​ພຣະ​ເຈົ້າ​ວ່າ​ເປັນ​ການ​ຊົດ​ໃຊ້​ແທນ​ບາບ​ຂອງ​ເຮົາ. ຖ້າພຣະອົງໄດ້ສິ້ນພຣະຊົນຢ່າງງ່າຍດາຍ ແລະຍັງຕາຍຢູ່, ນັ້ນຈະຊີ້ບອກວ່າການເສຍສະລະຂອງພຣະອົງບໍ່ພຽງພໍ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ, ຜູ້ເຊື່ອຖືຈະບໍ່ໄດ້ຮັບການໃຫ້ອະໄພສໍາລັບບາບຂອງພວກເຂົາ, ແລະພວກເຂົາຄົງຈະຕາຍຫຼັງຈາກຕາຍ (1 ໂກລິນໂທ 15: 16-19). ມັນ​ຈະ​ບໍ່​ມີ​ຊີ​ວິດ​ນິ​ລັນ​ດອນ (ໂຢ​ຮັນ 3:16). “ແຕ່​ບັດ​ນີ້​ພຣະ​ຄຣິດ​ໄດ້​ຖືກ​ປຸກ​ໃຫ້​ເປັນ​ຄືນ​ມາ​ຈາກ​ຕາຍ, ເປັນ​ຜົນ​ອັນ​ທຳ​ອິດ​ຂອງ​ຄົນ​ທີ່​ນອນ​ຫລັບ” (1 ໂກລິນໂທ 15:20).

ໃນ​ທີ່​ສຸດ, ພຣະ​ຄຳ​ພີ​ເປັນ​ທີ່​ຈະ​ແຈ້ງ​ວ່າ​ທຸກ​ຄົນ​ທີ່​ເຊື່ອ​ໃນ​ພຣະ​ເຢ​ຊູ​ຄຣິດ​ຈະ​ຖືກ​ປຸກ​ໃຫ້​ມີ​ຊີ​ວິດ​ນິ​ລັນ​ດອນ​ຄື​ກັນ​ກັບ​ພຣະ​ອົງ (1 ໂກລິນໂທ 15:20-23). 1 ໂກລິນໂທ 15 ສືບຕໍ່ພັນລະນາເຖິງວິທີທີ່ການຟື້ນຄືນຊີວິດຂອງພຣະຄຣິດພິສູດເຖິງໄຊຊະນະຂອງພຣະອົງເໜືອບາບ ແລະໃຫ້ເຮົາມີອຳນາດທີ່ຈະດຳເນີນຊີວິດຢ່າງມີໄຊຊະນະເໜືອບາບ (1 ໂກລິນໂທ 15:24-34). ມັນ​ພັນ​ລະ​ນາ​ເຖິງ​ລັກ​ສະ​ນະ​ອັນ​ຮຸ່ງ​ໂລດ​ຂອງ​ຮ່າງ​ກາຍ​ແຫ່ງ​ການ​ຟື້ນ​ຄືນ​ຊີ​ວິດ​ທີ່​ເຮົາ​ຈະ​ໄດ້​ຮັບ (1 ໂກລິນໂທ 15:35-49). ມັນປະກາດວ່າ, ເປັນຜົນມາຈາກການຟື້ນຄືນຊີວິດຂອງພຣະຄຣິດ, ທຸກຄົນທີ່ເຊື່ອໃນພຣະອົງໄດ້ຮັບໄຊຊະນະສູງສຸດໃນຄວາມຕາຍ (1 ໂກລິນໂທ 15: 50-58).

ການຟື້ນຄືນຊີວິດຂອງພຣະຄຣິດເປັນຄວາມຈິງອັນສະຫງ່າງາມແທ້ໆ! “ສະ​ນັ້ນ, ອ້າຍ​ນ້ອງ​ທີ່​ຮັກ​ແພງ, ຈົ່ງ​ຢືນ​ຢັນ. ໃຫ້ບໍ່ມີຫຍັງຍ້າຍເຈົ້າ. ຈົ່ງ​ມອບ​ຕົວ​ໃຫ້​ເຕັມ​ສ່ວນ​ໃນ​ວຽກ​ງານ​ຂອງ​ພຣະ​ຜູ້​ເປັນ​ເຈົ້າ​ສະເໝີ, ເພາະ​ເຈົ້າ​ຮູ້​ວ່າ​ວຽກ​ງານ​ຂອງ​ເຈົ້າ​ໃນ​ພຣະ​ຜູ້​ເປັນ​ເຈົ້າ​ບໍ່​ໄດ້​ເສຍ​ຄ່າ.” (1 ໂກລິນໂທ 15:58). ອີງຕາມຄໍາພີໄບເບິນ, ການຟື້ນຄືນຊີວິດຂອງພຣະເຢຊູຄຣິດແມ່ນຄວາມຈິງທີ່ສຸດ. ຄຳພີ​ໄບເບິນ​ບັນທຶກ​ການ​ຟື້ນ​ຄືນ​ຊີວິດ​ຂອງ​ພະ​ຄລິດ, ບັນທຶກ​ວ່າ​ຫຼາຍ​ກວ່າ 500 ຄົນ​ໄດ້​ເຫັນ​ພະ​ຄລິດ​ທີ່​ຟື້ນ​ຄືນ​ມາ​ຈາກ​ຕາຍ, ແລະ​ໄດ້​ສ້າງ​ຄຳ​ສອນ​ຂອງ​ຄລິດສະຕຽນ​ທີ່​ສຳຄັນ​ກ່ຽວ​ກັບ​ຄວາມ​ຈິງ​ທາງ​ປະຫວັດສາດ​ແຫ່ງ​ການ​ຟື້ນ​ຄືນ​ຊີວິດ​ຂອງ​ພະ​ເຍຊູ.

Where Was Jesus Born?

By Bobby Harrington 

Where was Jesus born? Let’s journey back over 2,000 years to explore the place where Jesus the Messiah was born.

Jesus’ birth is literally the basis of the modern calendar that is used all over the world.[1] Currently, we are about to enter the year 2024. In many places the date is still abbreviated as A.D. based upon the Latin expression Anno Domini, which means “the year of our Lord” or now, more commonly as C.E. (an abbreviation for “Common Era”). Everything before the birth of Jesus is considered B.C. (“Before Christ”) or, often now, B.C.E. (“Before the Common Era”).

The calendar our world uses tells us that it has been roughly 2,024 years since his birth. But where was Jesus born?

Historically, Christians have believed that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Not everyone is convinced, however. Some skeptics doubt or disbelieve that he was born there or that he even existed as a historical person. Mormons believe he was born in Jerusalem, for the Book of Mormon states that “he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers” (Alma 7:10).

Yet there is good evidence that Jesus was a real person and that he was born in Bethlehem. Let’s review ten historical truths which provide support for the belief that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was an ancient town, still in existence, about five miles outside Jerusalem and located just inside the Palestinian West Bank.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bethlehem_Location.png)

In what follows, I will be drawing from the Bible, the work of historians/archaeologists, and my own personal explorations of the site in modern Bethlehem, which I have visited twelve times.[2]

“Bethlehem was an ancient town, still in existence, about five miles outside Jerusalem and located just inside the Palestinian West Bank.”

  1. The Old Testament points us to the general area of Bethlehem.

The concept of the coming Messiah, described in the Old Testament, was based upon God’s promises to King David, who was himself from Bethlehem (see below). There are many prophecies given about the birth of the Messiah throughout the Old Testament. One of the earliest was given in Genesis 49 by Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob prophesied about the future birth of a Messiah (the scepter noted a king). He is the one that would receive the obedience of the nations.

“The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.” (Genesis 49:10)[3]

When the tribes of Israel conquered the land of the Canaanites (many years after Jacob’s prophecy), the tribe of Judah was given the land around Bethlehem. Anyone born in Bethlehem would have been from the tribe of Judah. At the bottom of the following map of ancient Israel, you can see the area given Judah. Note Bethlehem at the top of Judah’s region, just south of Jerusalem.

(https://www.israel-a-history-of.com/12-tribes-of-israel.html)

David, son of Jesse, the second king of Israel, was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). He was from Bethlehem. God sent the prophet Samuel to select and anoint him at Bethlehem.

The event is described in 1 Samuel 16:1 when God told Samuel, “I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” 1 Samuel 17: 12 explains, “Now David was the son of an Ephraimite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah” (see also 1 Samuel 20:6).

“God sent the prophet Samuel to select and anoint him at Bethlehem.”

God was so pleased with David as a king, early in his reign, that God made a commitment to him that one of his descendants would be the Messiah. The promise to David is described in 2 Samuel 7:12-13:

“When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” 

Over four hundred years later, God described the Messiah in the book of Ezekiel. He referred to the Messiah as being “David” in Ezekiel 37:24-25.

“My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever.”

With this background in mind, it is easy to anticipate that the Messiah, as a descendant of King David, who was from Bethlehem, would also be from Bethlehem.

  1. The book of Micah explicitly prophesied (around 700 B.C.) that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

The prophet Micah is explicit about the location for the birth of the Messiah. In the period before 700 B.C., there was great turmoil in Israel. The Northern tribes were defeated and the survivors taken off to Assyrian captivity in 721 B.C. The Southern tribes and Jerusalem felt threatened, and many wondered about God’s promises to their forefathers. Would the Messiah still come?

During this time God gave Micah a specific prophecy that in the future, the Messiah, like his ancient forefather David, would be born in Bethlehem.

“‘But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.’ Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son . . .” (Micah 5:2-3)

This passage is so explicit and clear that in the time of Jesus, Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah was regularly assumed by the leading priests and scholars (see Matthew 2:1-5).

Where was Jesus born? “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

  1. Two of the Gospels explicitly state that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

There are four Gospels in the New Testament. These are books that tell the life story of Jesus, from his early days through his death, resurrection, and ascension back to heaven at the end of his life on earth. They are biographies about Jesus (and more). Two of the Gospels are clear on where Jesus was born, as they are the two Gospels which narrate Jesus’ birth.

  • Matthew 2:1 states it succinctly: “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod . . .”

  • Luke 2:4 includes Bethlehem as part of describing how Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, traveled to Bethlehem because of his lineage: “So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.”

The Gospel of John also mentions Bethlehem in connection with Jesus’ birth. John 7:42 describes a question by someone perplexed that Jesus grew up in Galilee, up North, many miles from Bethlehem: “Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” As the Gospels of Matthew and Luke narrate, Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the South (Joseph’s ancestral home) because of a census but was raised in a small town called Nazareth in the North (in Joseph’s actual town).

Where was Jesus born? “Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?”

  1. Luke teaches that shepherd came to Bethlehem from fields nearby.

Although Bethlehem sits on the edge of a desert, there were good fields in the area outside the town for sheep to graze. Luke 2 describes how an angel came to shepherds in their fields at night to tell them about the birth of Jesus which had taken place “in the town of David” (2:11). Then a great company of angels appeared, saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:15 then states what happened next:

“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’”

The picture below is one of the key place’s shepherds watched sheep outside ancient Bethlehem. This site was marked from ancient times as the “Shepherd’s Field” and is now the home of a Greek Orthodox church. This field contains a tower that was used by shepherds as early as two thousand years before the time of Jesus’ birth.

Also nearby is a Roman Catholic area, under Franciscan custody, that also could have been the field where the angels appeared to the shepherds.

No one knows if one of these fields was the exact location described in the Bible, but one of them could have been. What is clear is that they are from the general area in which the angels appeared. These locations help us to visualize what it was like near Bethlehem when Jesus was born. They corroborate the general geographic and historical background to what Scripture teaches.

“These locations help us to visualize what it was like near Bethlehem when Jesus was born.”

  1. The Magi followed a star to Bethlehem.

The Magi were considered wise men and would have consulted books of wisdom in the ancient world. By the first century, many Magi had thriving and complex astronomical systems through which they examined and interpreted the sky.[4] The Gospel of Matthew describes the Magi as men who came from somewhere in the East to honor the newborn king.[5]

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’” (Matthew 2:1-2)

The Magi were then sent to Bethlehem from Jerusalem.

Many attempts have been made to identify the star based upon astronomy going back through time. However, it may not be possible to find an exact astronomical event or alignment because ancient Magi likely used various types of calculations like geography and weather which are not reflected in the modern science of astronomy.

Where was Jesus born? “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?'”

When looking to Bethlehem from the Shepherd’s Field or on the way to Bethlehem from other areas, it is easy to have your attention drawn up to the sky because you typically look up to the town from the bottom of the hills that lead up to it (especially as you get closer). When they looked up to Bethlehem, could the Magi have witnessed a constellation that signified a specific location? Could they have looked up and seen a comet move through the sky (comets were called stars in the first century)? We do not know exactly what happened, but the Gospel of Matthew tells us that something happened in the stars.

  1. King Herod looked for Jesus in Bethlehem—and slaughtered male children there.

The Magi first traveled to see King Herod in Jerusalem (Matthew 2:3). Herod then called together “all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law [and] asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written,’” according to Micah 5:2-3.

But Herod was duplicitous, according to Matthew 2:7-8:

“He contacted the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.’”

Herod was evil and a notoriously paranoid ruler. When the Magi failed to return and report the child’s whereabouts, Herod then tried to kill the baby Jesus by killing all the male boys in Bethlehem, ages two and under (Matthew 2:16).

“He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.'”

The description of Herod from Matthew fits the man who is well-known to us not only by written historical records (extra-biblical), but also from the buildings he left behind. A great builder, Herod designed many palaces, and the remnants of some of the palaces are still in existence. For example, just outside of Bethlehem is his palace called Herodium. The following picture shows the location; it was a mini mountain that he turned into a palace.

(Herod’s Herodium Palace today)

Herod stands out as a ruler in history so prideful, self-centered, and easily threatened that he missed the birth of Jesus the Messiah, the most important ruler ever born in history.

  1. The earliest writers after the New Testament tell us that Jesus was placed in a manger in a cave in Bethlehem.

The Old Testament and Gospels point clearly to Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah. Then, in early church history, various Christian writers tell us about the place in Bethlehem where he was born.

Luke 2:7 describes that Mary wrapped Jesus in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. The Greek word translated “guest room” in versions of the English Bible is kataluma. This word could mean a guest room or an extra space which was used as a guest room.

Archaeologists tell us that Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth was a small village. It is very unlikely that there was a commercial inn of any kind. Instead, Joseph probably turned up at the home of his family or his extended family, but because the home was crowded and there was no private place for Mary to give birth, they camped out in the stable.

Where was Jesus born? “Joseph probably turned up at the home of his family or his extended family, but because the home was crowded and there was no private place for Mary to give birth, they camped out in the stable.”

Luke 2:7 tells us that Mary “wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger.” Mangers kept food for the animals, and most managers were made of stone in the first century.

(https://biblicalisraeltours.com/2014/12/the-manger/)

In addition to being made of stone, mangers were also often kept in caves turned into stables for animals. That is right; most Israelites in small towns in the first century kept their animals in caves. Archaeologist Jim Flemming describes it this way: “The Gospels do not mention the word ‘stable.’ They simply say the baby was laid in a manger. Almost all mangers were in caves.”[6]

The early Christian writer and defender of the faith Justin Martyr (100–165 A.D.) writes that when Joseph could not find room at the inn, “He moved into a certain cave near the village, and while they were there Mary brought forth the Christ and placed him in a manger.”[7] There is good reason to believe this information to be accurate and to come from a specific tradition in the area of Bethlehem, as Justin was born about 40 miles to the north of Bethlehem (near modern Nablus), and he would likely know that early tradition.

(https://dwightlongenecker.com/the-cave-of-our-re-birth/)

The tradition of Jesus’ birth in a cave was also known independently to the anonymous second-century A.D. author of the Protoevangelium of James. According to this noncanonical gospel, Joseph and a pregnant Mary were traveling to Bethlehem when Mary cried, “‘Take me down from the donkey, for the child within me presses me, to come forth.’ Joseph asked, ‘Where shall I take you and hide your shame? For the place is a desert.’ Joseph guided Mary into a nearby cave, where she gave birth. Later, a brilliant star directed the Magi to the cave.” [8]

Where was Jesus born? “The tradition of Jesus’ birth in a cave was also known independently to the anonymous second-century A.D. author of the Protoevangelium of James.”

  1. The early residences of Bethlehem marked the spot.

Jesus’ birth in a cave in Bethlehem is the earliest tradition, and it is likely that the earliest inhabitants of Bethlehem marked the location. The cave became the focus of pilgrimages of early Christians, as confirmed by the early church father Origen (A.D. 185–254). He reports that “there is shown at Bethlehem the cave where he [Jesus] was born.” [9] The cave, it appears, attracted regular visitors, including the church father Origen himself sometime between A.D. 231 and 246.

It is hard to imagine that people simply invented the cave tradition, particularly because, as there is reason to suspect, the cave was not always accessible to Christians in the days of Justin and Origen. It is very interesting to find that the church father Jerome (A.D. 342–420), who lived in Bethlehem from A.D. 386 until his death, describes how the cave had been converted into a shrine dedicated to the pagan god Adonis:

“From Hadrian’s time [A.D. 135] until the reign of Constantine, for about 180 years…Bethlehem, now ours, and the earth’s, most sacred spot…was overshadowed by a grove of Thammuz, which is Adonis, and in the cave where the infant Messiah once cried, the paramour of Venus was bewailed.” [10]

A similar thing happened in Jerusalem over the areas where Jesus was crucified and buried. It appears that the Romans, in their attempts to stop Christians from worshipping at the place of Christ’s birth and death, erected places of pagan worship.

“The cave became the focus of pilgrimages of early Christians, as confirmed by the early church father Origen.”

Local Christians in both Bethlehem and Jerusalem were not permitted to worship regularly at these locations because the Romans had converted the special areas of Jesus’ birth and death into pagan shrines. Yet, as we will see below, by trying to undermine Christian history, the Roman authorities helped preserve the original sites.

The Christians in the area did not simply select another site. The birth cave was noted and held in special regard. They were bound to a specific cave.[11] The evidence suggests that they preserved the local memory of the exact location for almost 200 years.

  1. The oldest continually used church building in history is in Bethlehem marking the spot.

Many of the major sites from the life of Jesus were made into church buildings when Christianity was first legalized (in the early 300s). Constantine, the Roman emperor at the time, became a Christian and made Christianity legal. Helena was Constantine’s mother and an important person to note as we retrace the steps of Jesus. She helped her son embrace Christianity and then used her power to ensure that this new faith spread. When her son made Christianity legal, she traveled to the land of ancient Israel.

There, with the support of Roman Empire officials, Helena helped organize the construction of three church buildings at locations from the life of Jesus that had been identified and revered by the earliest Christians: the locations of his birth, his crucifixion, and his resurrection. These actions are wonderful gifts to us because the church buildings became permanent markers, ensuring that people through the centuries would know the precise locations of these events from Jesus’ life.

The church building called The Church of the Nativity was originally commissioned after Helena’s visit to Jerusalem and Bethlehem in A.D. 325-326, over the cave at the site that was traditionally considered to be the birthplace of Jesus. That original basilica was likely built between A.D. 330 and 333 and was dedicated on May 31, 339.[12]

Where was Jesus born? “The church building called The Church of the Nativity was originally commissioned after Helena’s visit to Jerusalem and Bethlehem in A.D. 325-326, over the cave at the site that was traditionally considered to be the birthplace of Jesus.”

The building has been continually used since the 300s to this day. You can see the outside of the building in a picture that I took below.

Inside the church building, you will find places where the original floors from the 300s are still visible, as in the picture that I took below.

 

  1. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem was built over a specific cave.

The Church of the Nativity, built in Bethlehem in the 300s, was built over a specific cave. This was also the location where Hadrian, the Roman Emperor, likely built a pagan temple to stop Christians from making pilgrimages to this location to worship. The pagan temple was removed, and it became a place where Christians once again gathered to worship. In his attempt to stop Christians from worshipping at the spot, Hadrian provided future Christians with direction to the historical spot.

Let’s be clear that Scripture does not teach us to honor this archaeological location. And the history for the location of the cave is not failsafe. Yet the historical evidence is strong. You can travel to Bethlehem, as I have done on twelve different occasions, and enter a church building that marks the likely place of Jesus’ birth.

“In his attempt to stop Christians from worshipping at the spot, Hadrian provided future Christians with direction to the historical spot.”

Once inside the church building, visitors travel to the far end of the building where they find an entrance to the ancient cave. Visitors and worshippers must bend down to enter the cave. The picture I took below shows you the steps down into the cave.

You can follow the steps down into the cave and you’ll see a stone marker inside the cave. The stone marker has a star within it that marks the traditional spot where the manger may have been placed. No one knows for sure.

At Christmastime, when we remember the birth of Jesus, we can know that he was born in a historic town we can still visit Bethlehem. We know it because of the Old Testament promises, especially Micah 5:2-3 which tell us that the Messiah will be born there. The New Testament is also explicit that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and it describes shepherds and wise men coming to worship him there. The earliest Christians after the New Testament noted that he was born in a cave in Bethlehem, and that cave, from the earliest days, was marked. By the early 300s, The Church of the Nativity was built over the cave, which is still intact to this day.

“At Christmastime, when we remember the birth of Jesus, we can know that he was born in a historic town we can still visit Bethlehem.”

Thus, Christmas provides a needed reminder that our faith is not in a God who remains distant and aloof, but in a God who entered human history, becoming one of us in order to restore us to himself.

Christian History

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It is a common saying at Christmastime that Jesus Christ was “born in a manger.” Of course, it wasn’t possible for Him to actually be born in the manger, but that’s where Mary laid Him after His birth (Luke 2:7). Although we are not sure of the exact location of where Jesus was born, we do know that it was near Bethlehem and that there was a manger, or feeding trough, there.


God promised the Savior’s virgin birth immediately after mankind’s first sin in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15). Hundreds of years later, the prophet Micah foretold the birth of Christ in the small town of Bethlehem: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2). This prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus’ earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, were called to Bethlehem for a census of the entire Roman territory (Luke 2:1–5). While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Jesus to be born (Luke 2:6).

Because of the crowds that had come to Bethlehem, there was no room at the inn for Mary and Joseph (Luke 2:7). While tradition says that the inn was a sort of hotel, we don’t know that for sure. In fact, the Greek word translated “inn” (kataluma) could be translated “guest room.” This fact has led some to believe that Jesus may not have been born in a stable or barn, but in a house with a lower floor serving as a nighttime shelter for the families’ animals. If that were the case, it wouldn’t be surprising to find a manger located in that area of the house. When Luke states that there was no room in the kataluma, he could mean there was no room on the upper level, which would have been full of other people sleeping.

In any case, Jesus was born at night, in some sort of keeping place for animals. After Jesus was delivered, Mary His mother wrapped Him in cloths and laid Him in a manger (Luke 2:7). Later that same night, shepherds from nearby fields found Him just as the angels told them they would (Luke 2:10–12).

So, why was the Savior and King born in a place where animals were kept? And why was He then laid in the animals’ food trough? Surely, God’s Son deserved a high-profile birth in the most elegant of surroundings. But, instead, God’s own Son made His appearance on earth in the lowliest of circumstances. This humble birth conveys an amazing message to creation: the transcendent God condescended to come to us. Instead of coming to earth as a pampered, privileged ruler, Jesus was born in meekness, as one of us. He is approachable, accessible, available—no palace gates bar the way to Him; no ring of guards prevents our approach. The King of kings came humbly, and His first bed was a manger.