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JESUS
Day 7
As we continue to build our connection to God in Day 7, we must understand more about our savior Jesus Christ. From the beginning, God had a plan to restore mankind. It's important to understand that we cannot be reunited with God the Father without Jesus Christ. We also cannot have access to the Holy Spirit without Jesus Christ. Lastly, we cannot have eternal life without Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the knot that ties our faith together; without Christ, it's impossible for our faith to hold together. Jesus Christ is the "Good News" that establishes the concept of hope and redemption for all mankind through his love and sacrifice on the cross!
So as we begin a deeper dive into understanding Jesus, what things should we know about Him?
Jesus existed since the beginning of time.
John 1:1-18, John 8:58 Genesis 1:26
Understanding that Jesus existed before the world started is significant because it establishes his eternal nature and divine authority. It means that Jesus is not just a human being, but rather a part of the eternal Godhead (Father, Son, & Holy Spirit), who played a central role in the creation of the universe. This knowledge provides a deeper understanding of the nature of God and the significance of Jesus' mission to redeem humanity from sin and death.
Jesus was prophesied about throughout the Old Testament.
Isaiah 53, Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2
The prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament are important because they provide evidence of the divine plan for salvation that extends throughout human history. It demonstrates that the coming of Jesus was not an afterthought or a random occurrence, but rather a fulfillment of God's promises and a part of his larger plan for redemption. It also helps to establish the credibility of Jesus as the Messiah.
Jesus was born through a virgin birth.
The virgin birth of Jesus was a miraculous event that sets Jesus apart from all other human beings. It affirms his divine nature and establishes his unique role as the Son of God, who came to Earth to save humanity from sin and death. It also fulfills prophecy as we see in Isaiah 7:14.
Jesus was 100% Man/100% God.
1 Timothy 2:5 John 10:30 Colossians 2:9
Jesus’ dual nature demonstrates God’s love and grace towards humanity. By taking on human form, Jesus identifies with us in our suffering and shows us the depth of God’s love by willingly sacrificing himself for our salvation. Within Jesus's humanity, he also sets forth an example of how we should live on earth as well.
Jesus lived a sinless life.
The importance of Jesus's sinless life is a direct reflection of proving Jesus's divinity. His sinless life created a "perfect sacrifice" as well. This also helps encourage believers to follow Jesus's example in how he lived. Although we cannot be perfect, our newfound life should develop inside of us a desire to resist sin Romans 6:6.
Jesus became a perfect sacrifice to make us right with God forever.
Hebrews 10:1-18. Hebrews 9:11-14
Because of the fallen nature of man, sacrifices were used to cover our sins. Since the beginning, as we read in the Old Testament, they used animal sacrifices to temporarily cover the sins of God's people, to be made right with God. Over the course of the Old Testament, we see that God had a plan to send a savior (Jesus) to make us right with God once and for all!
Jesus conquered death.
Romans 1:4. Luke 23:46. Luke 24:1-35
Jesus died in His human state, but 3 days later rose from the grave. In Luke 23 we can see evidence of Jesus breathing his last breath, and very shortly afterward we see that He arose from the grave. When Jesus conquered death this proved His divinity (meaning He was God). This is also an encouragement to the believer, if Jesus conquered death, then what should we fear if we have Jesus in our lives? We have nothing to fear, not even death for those who are in Him. We are now secure in our eternal life through Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:55-56.
Jesus was not only seen by the disciples after his resurrection but seen by over 500 people.
Luke 24:36-49 1 Corinthians 15:6
Some skeptics would say that Jesus's disciples faked his resurrection and stole his body and hid it in an attempt to say that he resurrected from the dead. You also might hear skeptics point out and say that "of course" Jesus's followers said they saw him, but it's a completely different story to have over 500 individuals see the resurrected Christ. We must understand as we develop our faith that this is not just a nice story; Jesus truly resurrected, and many people saw this. There is even non-biblical documentation about these events as well. This should help build greater confidence in our faith and who Jesus is.
Jesus is the only way to God.
It's important to understand that Jesus Christ is the only way to a life reconciled with God. There are no amounts of works or deeds you and I can do to earn our way to heaven. There are also no other religions or spiritual practices available to rescue us from sin and eternal separation from God. Jesus is the only way. Be cautious–the world around you will try to convince you that there are other ways, but that isn't true because of what we find in John 14:6.
Today's Questions:
Additional Resources:
Book: - No Greater Love - A.W. Tozer: Click Here
Verse Of The Day:
