HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!! Jesus is alive!

"an extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence"  Richard Carrier
 College professor Richard Carrier publicly denies the resurrection of Christ.  He compares the claim of the resurrection to someone claiming to have an interstellar space craft.
Yet this is a  rather false analogy.  Jesus Christ was not just any man.  So as opposed to an isolated case for the resurrection we will look at the larger case for Christ.

I.  The World knew a messiah would come.
II.  The Old Testament prophecies about Jesus.
III. Jesus was a historical person
IV. Jesus was a miraculous person
V.  Jesus not a lunatic
VI. Jesus was not an evil liar
VII. Jesus claimed to be LORD
VIII.  Jesus was betrayed
IX.  Jesus died on the cross
X.  The apostles could not pull off the conspiracy
XI.  Hundreds of eye-witness
XII.  persecutors were converted
XIII The Body was never found.
XIV.  Christ has spiritual authority
  Now this report doesn't follow this order of argumentation.  But all the points are here defended.
 https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.M31d0f1470f63d8cbb8dca19a01ffacdeH0&pid=15.1


Is Jesus for real?
   If we are going to talk about Jesus the very simplest fact if we are going to look into Jesus is the question of whether he existed. Richard Carrier actually attempts to makes this case on another occasion.
   Historically, this is a universally agreed upon fact.  But there are some in the atheist communities who have began to doubt in the existence of a historical Jesus. Originally they didn't have any problem admitting to His existence but the case for Him being the true Son of God was so overwhelming that they have denied the nature of history in dire hopes of ignoring these facts.

Tacitus
 Tacitus the perfect witness to affirm the existence of Christ.  He was a historian and a pagan one at that.  He does not revere or even respect Jesus Christ.
"But not all the relief that could come from man, not all the Bounties that the prince could bestow, nor all the atonements Which could be presented to the gods, availed to relieve Nero From the infamy of being believed to have ordered the Conflagration, the fire of Rome. Hence to suppress the rumor, he Falsely charged with the guilt, and punished Christians, who were Hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of the name, was Put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign Of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time Broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief Originated, but through the city of Rome also, where all things Hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their Center and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first Made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an Immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of Firing the city, as of hatred against mankind."
http://www.tektonics.org/jesusexist/tacitus.php
Obviously, was not a believer in Christ, nor was he even respectful.  But even in the negativity and the quickness to deny "superstition"  he admits that Jesus was a real historical character and that he was executed under the reign of Pontus Pilate.
  The Christians were blamed by Nero for setting fire to Rome.  Christ death by Nero's Hand seemed like a good alibi for vengeance from the Christians.  Nero had to have banked on this being a historically reliable fact in order to have set up this people for his crimes.

Josephus
Josephus is the jewish historian of the first century.  His job was to report the goings on of Israel in the first century
Josephus did not claim to follow Christ and would be objective to his existence.
"Antiquities 18.3.3 Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ, and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians so named from him are not extinct at this day."

Thallus africanus and the darkness of the crucifixion.
"" Julius Africanus, writing circa A.D. 221, states concerning the darkness at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus, 'Thallus, in the 3rd book of his histories, explains away this darkness as an eclipse of the sun_ unreasonably, as it seems to me.' Africanus was correct on objecting to Thallus.  A solar eclipse cannot take place at the time of a full moon, 'and it was at the season of the Paschal full moon that Christ died.'"  Josh Mcdowell He walked among us: Evidence for the Historical Jesus pg. 35   Julius Africanus,Chronography 18, 1.

Phlegon (reported by Origen)
 Now Phlegon, in the thirteent  or fourteenth book, I think, of his chronicles, not only ascribed to Jesus a knowledge of the future events (although falling into confusion about some things which refer to Peter, as if they refer to Jesus), but also testified that the result corresponded to his predictions.  So that he also, by these very admissions regarding foreknowledge, as if against his will, expressed his opinion that the doctrines taught by the fathers of our system were not deoid of divine power." Origen 36. 

Hadrian
"I do not wish, therefore, that the matter should be passed by without examination, so that these men may neither be harassed, nor opportunity of malicious proceedings be offered to informers.  If, therefore, the provincials can clearly evince their charges against Christians, so as to answer before the tribunal, let them pursue this course , but not by mere petitions, and mere outcries against the Christians.  For it is far more proper, If anyone would bring an accusation, that you should examine it."

Pliny the younger
 christians faced execution.  the pagan Pliny relates his report of apostate christians who confessed the ancient christian lifestyle.
"Others who were named by the anonymous informer at first confessed themselves Christians, and then denied it; true, they said, they had been of that persuasion but they had quitted it, some three years, others many years, and a few as much as twenty-five years previously.  They all worshipped your statue and the images of the gods and cursed Christ.
  "They affirmed, however, that the whole of their guilt, or their error, was that they were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to perform any wicked deed, never to commitany fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to make it good;"Josh Mcdowell He walked among us: Evidence for the Historical Jesus pg. 46
   So here we see those who denied Christ admitting that Christians were people who believed in the deity of Christ who had pledged themselves to lead righteous lives. Pliny would torture christians and never recieve a different testimony about the early church.



The rabbis
  Within the rabbinic literature there is not a lot of positive sentiment about Jesus.  This is not surprising as he destroyed the authority of the San hedron.   Some claim that he was illegitimate son of a roman soldier(ben pantera).  Others would call him Balaam the false prophet, who turned into a prophet against his will regardless.  But as opposed to claiming that he was a regular person, or non-existent.  He was a historical person with supernatural features.  With all the hatred and opportunity they had.  They never would reveal the body of Christ which would destroy the "heresy" for which they had fought against.

The claim that the existence of Christ is not historical is actually an extremely extraordinary claim.

   Now there are many who argue that there are not secular contemporary sources to Christ.  But the fact is that The temple of Jerusalem was utterly destroyed in 72 AD.  Records would have been destroyed as well. The fact remains that later pagan and Jewish histories have no motivation to authenticate the claims of a small sect. They did because they had confidence in their records and had better access to the time than we.


Jesus is my Guru!
   One of my favorite Christians artist and ministers was a fellow named Keith Green. Keith green was a Jewish young man raised in California during the 1960's.  He lived in a pluralistic culture and he was exposed to the various worldviews.
  If we are going to accept a supernatural World.  We have to be honest about the spiritual power and authority that has been bestowed upon Jesus Christ.  He is equivalent to God among all the orthodox denominations of Christianity.  He is a prophet of God among the Muslims.   He is an angel among the Jehovah's witnesses.  He is a deity among the Hindus as well as the Mormon church.  The New Ager's consider Christ to be the ultimate stage of spiritual evolution.  He was considered a great Rabbi and teacher among the Jews and atheists.
The point is.  In a supernatural reality, the world has come to recognize the spiritual authority of Jesus.  So if you are going to start a spiritual journey why not consider the person with the greatest spiritual reputation ever?
Bob Marley confesses Christ
 http://www.islandmix.com/backchat/f27/did-bob-marley-confess-jesus-christ-94456/
http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Home-Page-News-and-Views/Did-Rastafarian-Bob-Marley-Become-a-Christian-on-His-Death-Bed.aspx?p=5
   Bob Marley was beloved by all and is a music legend today.  How hard would it be to admit that the greatness which you achieved on the earth was actually a great lie?  Yet Marley did that indeed because Christ was the one whom he could trust eternity with.  This is but one of millions of testimonies of the saving power of Christ!

Anti-supernatural bias
"This closed mindedness means that the continuum of historical happenings can not be rent by the interference of supernatural , transcendent powers and that therefore there is no "miracle" in this sense of the word.  Such a miracle would be an event whose cause did not lie within history... It is in accordance with such a method as this that the science of history goes to work on all historical documents.  And there cannot be any exceptions in the case of biblical texts if the latter are at all to be understood [as] historical." (BuR.EF 291-92)  Rudolph Bultman "Existence and Faith: Shorter Writings of Rudolph Bultmann." selected, translated and introduced by Schubert M. Ogden Cleveland and NewYork: Meridean Books-The World publishing co, 1960.
  Here we see an obvious and naked bias against the supernatural.  The naturalist must impose their worldview upon all knowledge and force their views upon all of Academia.  The Same "closed mindedness" which they fault the biblical fundamentalist for the bias they indeed themselves carry.
  The key problem is that the naturalist can not account for the natural world.  If they can not account for the natural world how are they to determine the supernatural?   For instance, how do we know the laws of logic, or the laws of physics?  What happens when people disagree over what is or is not logical?  How do we know that the laws of science are uniform in areas which we have never even remotely explored?  What if there are events in prehistory which we have not witnessed? What if "miracles"  are actually parts of "nature" which are not yet observed?  But then, undiscovered principles are "supernatural".  That is one reason why the secular world fantasizes about aliens and confuses them quite easily with ancient pagan deities.
  What is more conflicting is the fact that this method Bultmann is employing is anti-empirical.  It doesn't matter how much evidence is shown.  The skeptic is not allowed to accept any form of evidence.  So the skeptic has no evidence, instead only presuppositions.


Jesus Christ super stars!!
 
   Many have argued that Jesus can't be real because many pagan religions have stories about a messiah with many similarities to Jesus.  But what they don't tell you is that the worlds early pagan religions were all based on astrology.  Astrology was based on the constellations.  Who made the constellations?  God!   The constellations were ancient hieroglyphics pointing to the gospel!
Aries, The ram=this would be interpreted as the lamb of God.
john 1:29"²⁹ The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
Taurus, The Bull, In the Old testament Joseph was often looked to as a christological figure. playing the part of the suffering servant in Egypt and the redeemer of his brethren, not to mention judge over the inhabitants of Israel.The 2 tribes Ephraim and Manasseh are symbolized as 2 horns of a bull(or rhinoceros)

^{Deut. 33:17} His glory is like the firstling of his bullock,
and his horns are like the horns of unicorns:
with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth:
and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

Gemini, The twins  This represents a duality.  I would speculate male and female.  Adam and Eve as well as Christ and the church.
Genesis 2:  ²³ And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. ²⁴ Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Cancer, The Crab

genesis 49: ¹⁴ Issachar is a strong ass
couching down between two burdens:
¹⁵ and he saw that rest was good,
and the land that it was pleasant;
and bowed his shoulder to bear,
and became a servant unto tribute.

Leo,  The Lion:  This one is easy Bible loving Christians Christ is the Lion of Judah!

hebrews 7: ¹⁴ For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood."
rev. 5: ⁵ And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof."
Virgo, The virgin
Isaiah 7: ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Libra,  The scales psalm 62:⁹ Surely men of low degree are vanity,
and men of high degree are a lie:
to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity."  When we think of the balancing scales; which the ancients would use in evaluating money.  We consider the price of sin.  How the lord jesus counted the cost and paid the price for our sin when he redeemed us.  It was a price that normal humans could not pay. psalm 49:⁷ none of them can by any means redeem his brother,

nor give to God a ransom for him:"

Scorpio, The scorpion  the hebrew Akrab is not only the scorpion, but also the symbol of War.
Sagittarius, The archer:  The demonic corruption of humanity.
eph. 6: ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Capricorn, The sea goat  the wicked ones of mankind
^{matthew 25:32} and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
 ^{Rev. 20:13} And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. ¹⁴ And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
^{Matthew 25:41} Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Aquarius, the water bearer
Pisces.  The fishes:  people know of the icthus a symbol of the People of God.
Matthew 13:47Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
crux) this constellation is shaped like the cross.  Skeptics have many times declared that they would need a great sign from God.  When in fact this constellation was peering down on civilization for centuries.
john 3: ¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
     In the modern world, these signs are not as blaring a witness.  The cosmos has altered over several millennia and many symbols are subjective.  Modern civilizations don't spend much time looking for signs and if they do they are from an occultic worldview.  But the ancient world got the message loud and clear that there would be a messiah.

Son of the historic God
Egypt
 "One, the maker of all things, the Spirit, the hidden Spirit, the maker of Spirits. He existed in the beginning, when nothing else was. What is created He made after he came into being. ... No man knows how to find Him; His name is a mystery and is hidden. His names are innumerable. He is truth, He lives on truth, He is the king of truth. He is life, through Him man lives; He gives life to man, He breathed life into his nostrils . . He Himself is existence; He neither increases or diminishes. He made the universe, the world, what was, what is, and what shall be. ... He hears him who calls on Him, He rewardes his servants, those who acknowledge Him He knows, He protects His followers."
E.A. Wallis Budge, Osiris (New Hyde Park, N.Y: University Books, 1961) p. 357.
china
 The Chinese God was known as "Shang di" (note the similarities to "El Shaddai" one of God's names in genesis) meaning "Lord above" or "Supreme Lord"
E. Allie and M. Frazer, Chinese and Japanese Religion (Philadelphia, Westminster Press, 1969) p. 268.
India

" In the beginning, who was born the Lord the sole Lord of all that is who made the earth, and formed the sky, who gives life Who gives strength, whose bidding gods revere the ONLY GOD."
 Rig Veda excerpt from Selwyn Gurney Champion & Dorothy Short, Readings from World Religions (Greenwhich, Conn., Fawcett Publ., 1951) pp. 26-27.
 http://www.creationism.org/csshs/v07n2p18.htm
     Now if we consider the evidence that the most ancient societies were originally monotheistic. Then our view of the Zodiac clears up.  The ancients saw signs of the heavens and assumed that there would be a coming messiah. So even the gentile world was awaiting the coming Messiah.
Matthew 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, ² saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him."


Keeping the record straight

"We can already say emphatically that there is no longer any solid basis for dating any book of the New Testament after circa A.D. 80, two full generations before the date between 130 and 150 given by the more radical New Testament critics of today." William F. Albright  Recent Discoveries in Bible Lands. pg.136
New York, Funk and Wagnalls, 1955.
   Given the scale of this writing, and the fact that I have written elsewhere on the subject I will not spend a great deal of time covering manuscript evidence.  But in summary, before the printing press we have around 6,000 hand written Greek manuscripts and 18 thousand manuscripts hand written in other languages during antiquity. They differ very little and even across the centuries and cultures. As Oxford Scholar, Dean John Burgeon said...
"Hardly any have been copies from any of the rest.  On the contrary, they are discovered to differ from themselves in countless unimportant particulars; and ever here and there single copies exhibit idiosyncrasies, which are altogether startling and extraordinary.  There has therefore demonstrably been no collusion-- no assimilation to an arbitrary standard.  No wholesale fraud.  It is certain that every one of them represents a MS., or a pedigree of MSS., older than itself." Traditional text of the gospels pp. 46-47 Dean John Burgeon

But the gnostic gospels which offered an alternative Christ were published at a much later date. So they would not be accurate besides the simply fact that Church had traced a historical succession
  Another key issue is that the gnostic gospels have an antisemitic theology of the Old Testament.  But Jesus was a Jew in his ideology and admitted to be so even in the most gentile portions of the New Testament.
Romans 15:⁸ Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:"
john 4: ²² Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
luke 16: ¹⁷ And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail."
luke 24: ²⁵ Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ²⁶ ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? ²⁷ And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself."
 So the gnostic gospels argued for a different gospel than the historical Jesus.

Coming Soon!  To a testament near you!

a.  The son of God

psalm 2:⁷ I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me,
Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
⁸ Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance,
and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
⁹ Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron;
thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
¹⁰ Be wise now therefore, O ye kings:
be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
¹¹ Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
¹² Kiss the Son, lest he be angry,
and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

 his birth
Genesis 3: ¹⁵ and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Isaiah 7:¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 
Micah 5: But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah,
though thou be little among the thousands of Judah,
yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel;
whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
b. His stay in Egypt
hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him,
and called my son out of Egypt.

Matthew 2: ¹⁴ When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: ¹⁵ and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
  Now surely one could claim that Hosea was only mentioning Israel as "the Son" and therefore this was pointless.  But When we incorporate the fact that the scriptures had declared a messianic Son of God

Now one point easily forgotten is that the Bible was not made with chapter and vs. divisions.  Let's consider the text with previous scripture.
Hosea 10:¹⁵ So shall Beth-el do unto you
because of your great wickedness:
in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off. 11 When Israel was a child, then I loved him,
and called my son out of Egypt."
Now the prophesy seems more clear pointing to the deposing of a wicked King.  God is replacing the King with the Messiah!

His gifts
psalm 72:¹⁰ The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents:
the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
¹¹ Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

Matthew 2:2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,"  :11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."

John the Baptist

Isaiah 40: Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
² Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her,
that her warfare is accomplished,
that her iniquity is pardoned:
for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

³ The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness,
Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
⁴ Every valley shall be exalted,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low:
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough places plain:
⁵ and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together:
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it

A prophet
Deuteronomy 18:¹⁸ I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

Matthew 21:¹¹ And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
    Obviously the crowd at Jerusalem recognize Jesus to be a prophet much like what was prophesied.
In fact Christ was sucesful in prophesying the fall of jerusalem's temple.

Matthew 24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. ² And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  The temple would be utterly destroyed in 72 Ad. Over 30 years after Christ death.

His inauguration
 Zechariah 9:⁹ Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O daughter of Jerusalem:
behold, thy King cometh unto thee:
he is just, and having salvation;
lowly, and riding upon an ass,
and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

Zechariah 8:³ Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain. ⁴ Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. ⁵ And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. ⁶ Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the Lord of hosts. ⁷ Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; ⁸ and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.
Matthew 21: ⁵ Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
⁶ And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, ⁷ and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. ⁸ And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. ⁹ And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. ¹⁰ And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? ¹¹ And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

c. his betrayal
zechariah 11:12   And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.
   Matthew 26:¹⁵ and said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
Psalm 69:²¹ They gave me also gall for my meat;
and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

d.  His sacrifice
Isaiah 53:² For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant,
and as a root out of a dry ground:
he hath no form nor comeliness;
and when we shall see him,
there is no beauty that we should desire him.
³ He is despised and rejected of men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:
and we hid as it were our faces from him;
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

⁴ Surely he hath borne our griefs,
and carried our sorrows:
yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions,
he was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon him;
and with his stripes we are healed.
⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way;
and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
⁷ He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth:
he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb,
so he openeth not his mouth.
⁸ He was taken from prison and from judgment:
and who shall declare his generation?
for he was cut off out of the land of the living:
for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
⁹ And he made his grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death;
because he had done no violence,
neither was any deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰ Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him;
he hath put him to grief:
when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin,
he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days,
and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
¹¹ He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied:
by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many;
for he shall bear their iniquities.
¹² Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;
because he hath poured out his soul unto death:
and he was numbered with the transgressors;
and he bare the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.

His hands are pierced
psalm 22:¹⁶ For dogs have compassed me:
the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me:
they pierced my hands and my feet.
¹⁷ I may tell all my bones:
they look and stare upon me.
¹⁸ They part my garments among them,
and cast lots upon my vesture."
e. his resurrection
psalm 16:For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell;
neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

f. his exultation
^psalm110:1 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand,
until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
² The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion:
rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

Mark 16: ¹⁹ So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.


g. his judgement

^{psalm 2:6} Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

⁷ I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me,
Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
⁸ Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance,
and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
⁹ Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron;
thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
¹⁰ Be wise now therefore, O ye kings:
be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
¹¹ Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
¹² Kiss the Son, lest he be angry,
and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

H.  Repentance of the Jews!!
zechariah 12:⁹ And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. ¹⁰ And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. ¹¹ In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon."
What is most powerful here is the fact that the Jewish Messiah is prophesied to be rejected by the Jewish people before he dominates the earth.  It is obvious that the messiah was pierced.  Jesus was rejected by the Jews and upon his crucifixion was pierced.


Tell me the story of Jesus

creation
 Originally, God had created a good world.
Genesis 1: ²⁵ And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good."
 ³¹ And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day."

When he created it the earth was a paradise.
job 38:⁴ Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?
declare, if thou hast understanding.
⁵ Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest?
or who hath stretched the line upon it?
⁶ Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened?
or who laid the corner stone thereof;
⁷ when the morning stars sang together,
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"

Even Satan Himself was initially a good angel named Lucifer.
^{Ezekiel 28:14} Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so:
thou wast upon the holy mountain of God;
thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
¹⁵ Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created,
till iniquity was found in thee.
   We still see evidence of the glory which God has made initially at the time of creation.  

corruption
however mankind unlocked the key to the sin and evil that would invade the earth
Genesis 6: ⁵ And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually
psalm 14: ¹ The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.
They are corrupt, they have done abominable works,
there is none that doeth good.
² The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men,
to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
³ They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy:
there is none that doeth good, no, not one.


catastrophe Genesis 6-8
The penalty of sin is death.  As mankind was in such a deep state of murderous depravity, the LORD ruled that the whole of the perfect creation must now be destroyed.  This would end the ancient World and bring us the cured Modern World with it's cycles of life sin and death.  The world wide flood would bring total calamity.

confusion) Genesis 10 While the physical World was punished. The spirit of man still walked in condemnation.  As a result of this spiritual blindness mankind rebelled against God. In order to preserve mankind from complete annihilation. God had mankind slip into confusion.  This is how religious and government and ethnic confusion found it's source.

commandments)  God would  set up his people Israel and establish the law, to guide us to moral truth which is now so easily lost.  But while God would preserve Israel and His Word.  Neither the World nor Israel could live up to this standard.

Christ
John 3:¹³ And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. ¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: ¹⁵ that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

cross:
 1 john 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; ² (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) ³ that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."
galatians 3:¹⁰ For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. ¹¹ But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. ¹² And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. ¹³ Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: ¹⁴ that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

acts 2: ²² Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: ²³ Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: ²⁴ whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. ²⁵ For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: ²⁶ therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: ²⁷ because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. ²⁸ Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
²⁹ Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. ³⁰ Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; ³¹ he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. ³² This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. ³³ Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. ³⁴ For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, ³⁵ until I make thy foes thy footstool. ³⁶ Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ."

hebrews 5:
⁵ Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: ⁶ in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. ⁷ Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. ⁸ Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; ⁹ then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. ¹⁰ By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
¹¹ And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: ¹² but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; ¹³ from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. ¹⁴ For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. ¹⁵ Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, ¹⁶ This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; ¹⁷ and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. ¹⁸ Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
¹⁹ Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Corinthians 1: ¹⁸ For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. ²⁰ Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? ²¹ For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. ²² For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; ²⁴ but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God."

1john ^5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? ⁶ This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. ⁷ For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. ⁸ And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. ⁹ If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. ¹⁰ He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. ¹¹ And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

consummation
 
1 corinthians 15:²⁴ Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵ For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. ²⁷ For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. ²⁸ And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
 Revelation 21:

21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. ² And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. ⁴ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

⁵ And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. ⁶ And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. ⁷ He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. ⁸ But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
⁹ And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. ¹⁰ And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, ¹¹ having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; ¹² and had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: ¹³ on the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. ¹⁴ And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
  If this world has order that has been brought down to chaos.  Then Christ has an answer for that Chaos.  He has come to save us from our sins and redeem us and our world.  This is the greatest story every told.

Why is this the greatest story?  If I were an atheist I would have nothing but death.  No hope for anything no motivation for morality.   I could maybe concern myself with a legacy, but that would never be guaranteed regardless.
If I were a hindu or buddhist I would live life based upon some mysterious past which never treats me fair. It may sound good if I am already rich.  But it could not show me that there is something greater to aspire to even then.  Wealth is it's own slave master.   Which is why we have buddha.  But Buddha only works to have an escape from reality. Nirvana may be a better story than the cycle.  But it never offers justice or happiness.  if I went to traditional paganism or legalism then I have to crawl to the top.  But what is the paradise that I seek?  If gilgamesh couldn't find it why do I think that I can?  If I were muslim I may have a god and discipline.  But does this God want a relationship with me?  Would I really want a relationship with him? The reward of seventy virgins sound good to the flesh.  But in my spirit do I really consider myself an animal that simply needs to be fed and hereded back into the cage.  Why would the great spirit not want to heal my spirit?  I could argue for myself becoming a deity.But am I truly anything worthy of glory and adoration? Do I want my children to worship me as their standard? Perhaps to encourage my selfishness.  but if given enough time I would realize that I am just not enough.
james 4:From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? ² Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. ³ Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. ⁴ Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. ⁵ Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? ⁶ But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. ⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. ⁹ Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."




legitimate vs. illegitimate  kingdom
King Herod was supposedly the king of Judea along with his family.  But the book of Genesis gives the true record.   Herod is an edomite.  Edom was descended from Esau.   Esau gave away his inheritance for a bowl of soup.  As a result Jacob and Israel would be willed the land.  The king of Israel would then go through the line of Judah.   This is the line of Christ.
genesis 49:9 Judah is a lion’s whelp:
from the prey, my son, thou art gone up:
he stooped down, he couched as a lion,
and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?
¹⁰ The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,
nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come;
and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
¹¹ Binding his foal unto the vine,
and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine;
he washed his garments in wine,
and his clothes in the blood of grapes:
¹² his eyes shall be red with wine,
and his teeth white with milk."
One of the things inciting Herod was his illegitimacy to rule the Jewish throne.  He would compensate through brutality.

The blessing and curse of coniah.

Jeremiah 22:²⁴ As I live, saith the Lord, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence; ²⁵ and I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans. ²⁶ And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die. ²⁷ But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return.

²⁸ Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?²⁹ O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord.
³⁰ Thus saith the Lord, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah."
Matthew 1:¹² and after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;"
 Coniah(jechonias)  was cursed and removed from the royal lineage. How could jesus be his decendent?
Before I defend this notion.  it should be apparent that If Christ were either imaginary or a fraud, this would certainly be the last reference to put down as His descendent.  especially considering that it was not an exhaustive genealogy.  This verifies the family tree as accurate.
 Coniah's seed was cursed and would not reign from the Judean throne.  Yet Christ was not of the physical seed or lineage.  He was of the legal lineage.  This may have not qualified on it's own.  But he was of the Physical lineage through Mary.

Numbers 27:¹¹ And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Pilate sets the record straight
luke 23:³⁸ And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
john 19:¹⁹ And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. ²⁰ This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. ²¹ Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. ²² Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.

Christ competitors)  there were around 30 men who claimed to be the jewish messiah in the 1st century yet none of these men suceeded and their deaths meant nothing.
Acts 5:³⁴ Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space; ³⁵ and said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. ³⁶ For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. ³⁷ After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. ³⁸ And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: ³⁹ but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. ⁴⁰ And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.



Lord, liar or lunatic?
 
Was Jesus a liar?
   What is it that motivates people to lie? Lying is an alteration of the truth for the purpose of self.  Maybe altering the truth will help you gain something.  Maybe altering the truth will help you defend yourself from something. Does Jesus Christ claims to be the Son of God or the Messiah put him in the place of an advantage?  It could in the right circumstance. But Christ seemed to avoid the right circumstances.  When the people want him to take the kingdom by force it would have been an advantage.  When he publicly performed miracles it could be an advantage.  But instead he saved these occasions for times in which he was at risk.


 Does Jesus fit the psychological profile of a lunatic?
 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lunatic
noun
1.(no longer in technical use; now consideredoffensive) an insane person. 
2.a person whose actions and manner are marked by extreme eccentricity or recklessness.

3.a person legally declared to be of unsound mind and who therefore is not held capable or responsible before the law: a former legal term.
 When dealing with the accusations of the pharisees Jesus is shown as quite brilliant.  having his character challenged, the laws challenged the customs challenged.  Yet Jesus escapes the snares without being pushed off edge. Jesus showed no substance abuse problems.  He is considered by many atheist communist and Jews as a highly moral man.  In fact Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr.  Claimed him as their inspiration in peace movements.  Though Ghandi was not even Christian.

Was Jesus delusional?
 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/delusion

1.an act or instance of deluding.

2.the state of being deluded.

3.a false belief or opinion:

4. Psychiatry. a fixed false belief that is resistant to reason or confrontation with actual fact:
   Here we have the understanding that Christ would have been wrong about his beliefs if he were delusional.  yet from what we have seen in Bible Prophecy it appears that he would have plenty of reason to believe that this was reality.  Even at his crucifixion, Pilate made a point to title him as the king of the Jews.  In our society it is ok for the Dalai lama or the Pope to consider themselves to have a supernatural status or authority.
Was jesus a narcissist?
  Does a narcisist clean his servants feet? Does an ego maniac feed 5,000 and heal multitudes?   Jesus refused an earthly throne in John 6.
Was Jesus a criminal?
"The whole trial of Christ abounds with illegalities.  To mention only a few, it maybe pointed out that it was held at night, there was a lack of a definite charge, an interrogation of the accused was made, and there was haste in condemnation... Christ was then brought before Pilate(matt. 27:11), who against his own convictions and through fear of a charge of disloyalty to Caesar yielded up the One whom he had declared guiltless." Joseph P. Free Archaeology and Bible History pg. 297-298


The baptism testimony
Matthew 3:¹³ Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. ¹⁴ But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? ¹⁵ And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. ¹⁶ And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: ¹⁷ and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Mark 1:⁹ And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. ¹⁰ And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: ¹¹ and there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Luke 3:²¹ Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, ²² and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

^{John 1:29} The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. ³⁰ This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. ³¹ And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. ³² And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. ³³ And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. ³⁴ And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
³⁵ Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; ³⁶ and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
acts 10:³⁶ The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) ³⁷ that word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judæa, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; ³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. 
  So here we the testimony recorded 5 times the gospels and then Peter discusses this in acts.  John even comments..
1 John 5:⁶ This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
   Why is this event so powerful?  Here we have a man, who has won the hearts of the people and shown to be a prophet of God, John The Baptist.  The Son of the High Priest Zechariah, John stood as a symbol of the apostasy of Israel and was a messenger of God to bring repentance.  
What is important in all these accounts is the agreement of a supernatural

Did he really raise from the dead?
  If you believe the rest of scripture or at least in almighty God this should not be such a hard sale.  But yet many have made the case even without a biblical worldview.


The fact that Jesus died (as opposed to the swoon theory)


Flogging
"The adjudged criminal was usually first forcefully stripped of his clothes, and then tied to a post or pillar in the tribunal.  Then the awful and cruel scourging was administered by the lictors or scourgers.  Although the Hebrews limited by their law the number of strokes in a scourging to forty, the Romans set no such limitation; and the victim was at the mercy of his scourgers."
"The brutal instrument used to scourge the victim was called the flagrum.  Of this device Mattingly comments: 'It can readily be seen that the long lashing pieces of bone and metal would greatly lacerate human flesh'" gathered from Josh Mcdowell in Evidence that demands a verdict pg. 203-4
Jesus' scourging was probably worse than usually.  Because Pilate used Roman guards who were naturally more vicious than the temple guards.

beating:  The guards would bully Christ physically and mentally.  Even after his scourging there was no relief.

"The Roman soldiers see a great joke in this provincial Jew claiming to be king. They throw a robe across His shoulders and place a stick in His hand for a scepter. They still need a crown to make their travesty complete. Flexible branches covered with long thorns (commonly used in bundles for firewood) are plaited into the shape of a crown and this is pressed into His scalp. Again there is copious bleeding, the scalp being one of the most vascular areas of the body. 

After mocking Him and striking Him across the face, the soldiers take the stick from His hand and strike Him across the head, driving the thorns deeper into His scalp. Finally, they tire of their sadistic sport and the robe is torn from His back. Already having adhered to the clots of blood and serum in the wounds, its removal causes excruciating pain just as in the careless removal of a surgical bandage, and almost as though He were again being whipped the wounds once more begin to bleed.  In deference to Jewish custom, the Romans return His garments." http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/onlinediscipleship/easter/a_physician%27s_view_of_the_crucifixion_of_jesus_christ.aspx

carrying the cross

 "The heavy patibulum of the cross is tied across His shoulders, and the procession of the condemned Christ, two thieves, and the execution detail of Roman soldiers headed by a centurion begins its slow journey along the Via Dolorosa.
 In spite of His efforts to walk erect, the weight of the heavy wooden beam, together with the shock produced by copious blood loss, is too much. He stumbles and falls. The rough wood of the beam gouges into the lacerated skin and muscles of the shoulders. He tries to rise, but human muscles have been pushed beyond their endurance."
" Jesus follows, still bleeding and sweating the cold, clammy sweat of shock, until the 650 yard journey from the fortress Antonia to Golgotha is finally completed."http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/onlinediscipleship/easter/a_physician%27s_view_of_the_crucifixion_of_jesus_christ.aspx
 Crucifixion
" The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square, wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly, he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms to tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement. The patibulum is then lifted in place at the top of the stipes and the titulus reading, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” is nailed in place. 

The left foot is now pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees moderately flexed. The Victim is now crucified. As He slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain — the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves.

As He pushes Himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He places His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again there is the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of the feet.  At this point, as the arms fatigue, great waves of cramps sweep over the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push Himself upward. Hanging by his arms, the pectoral muscles are paralyzed and the intercostal muscles are unable to act. Air can be drawn into the lungs, but cannot be exhaled. Jesus fights to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath. Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically, he is able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in the life-giving oxygen."

 Jesus experienced hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain where tissue is torn from His lacerated back as He moves up and down against the rough timber. Then another agony begins -- a terrible crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.  One remembers again the 22nd Psalm, the 14th verse: “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.” http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/onlinediscipleship/easter/a_physician%27s_view_of_the_crucifixion_of_jesus_christ.aspx

Spear)  A spear to the heart is entirely capable of killing all by itself.
"Apparently, to make doubly sure of death, the legionnaire drove his lance through the fifth interspace between the ribs, upward through the pericardium and into the heart. The 34th verse of the 19th chapter of the Gospel according to St. John reports: “And immediately there came out blood and water.” That is, there was an escape of water fluid from the sac surrounding the heart, giving postmortem evidence that Our Lord died not the usual crucifixion death by suffocation, but of heart failure (a broken heart) due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium." http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/onlinediscipleship/easter/a_physician%27s_view_of_the_crucifixion_of_jesus_christ.aspx

Mummification)  Jesus body would have been bound tightly with about 75lbs of herbs there is no chance of survival.

Joseph of Arimathea) Jesus did not have enough money to afford his own burial plot. the synagogue member donated His burial plot.  This begs the question over how a conspiracy could be pulled off win obviously the family of Jesus couldn't afford a burial.

The stone "Scholars estimate that the stone enclosing the tomb of jesus weighed about 2 tons.  It was typical of the stones used in burial tombs at the time." Ralph Muncaster Examine the Evidence  pg. 389
 With this magnitude a stone there is no chance of escape. nor is there a chance for "dogs" to bury their way in and steal the body.

The cord.  Wrapped around the stone was a cord to seal the tomb.  this functioned as a security device so that no one would meddle with the stone.

The fact that the tomb was guarded
  Some have argued that jesus tomb was simply guard by the temple guard.  But the pharisees had approached by for the elite forces of the Roman guard.
 matthew 27:⁶² Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, ⁶³ saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. ⁶⁴ Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. ⁶⁵ Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. ⁶⁶ So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch."
 "The Roman Guard would have consisted of 16 soldiers for an important political prisoner like Jesus.  These guards were typically arranged four on each side of whatever they were to protect.  At night, four guards would have been placed directly in front of the entrance to the tomb, with the other 12 sleeping "face in" a cemicircle in front of the four that were at watch.  Guards slept in shifts so that there would always be a minimum of four on watch at a time.  As noted earlier any guard who deserted his post or fell asleep would face crucifixion." Ralph Muncaster Examine the evidence pg 389


  How could the apostles overcome the guards?  Sure they did out number them numerically. But these guards were trained killers and the apostles had revealed that there fightings skills were feeble.  If they had kidnapped the body, wouldn't the guards have reported them and had them arrested.  Was Rome intimidated by a small band of fishermen? Why wasn't there a search for Jesus body? why were the apostles let off the hook?  I f The apostles had the money to pay the guards off, then  why didn't they have the money to pay off the sanhedron for their crucifixion to begin with?


The women
luke 23: ⁵⁴ And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. ⁵⁵ And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. ⁵⁶ And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
  The women were the first to see evidence of the resurrection.  Women in that culture were seen as ignorant and unreliable.  Some of this is due to the fact that they were illiterate.  However the sexism of the age would not have looked favorably on female witnesses.  Why would they use female witnesses unless the women did see that the body was gone and christ had risen.


The apostles testimony
The apostles are honest about their humiliating defense of Christ. They were easily scattered.  Even Peter denied Christ so strongly that he cursed!
Mark 14:⁷⁰ And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilæan, and thy speech agreeth thereto. ⁷¹ But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.
Judus betrayal nulifies an apostle conspiracy:  Judas took the money that the disciples had and was a theif.  he then betrayed Jesus for silver.  If the disciples were robbed, then they could not afford to pay off the guards.
Yet all the apostles would be executed for their claims, none of them denied that Jesus was the Christ.  if the resurrection had not occurred..  why die for a lie?  Why wouldn't someone fess up?

Mary and James the brother of Jesus
Imagine if your child.  Your first born Child who never sinned was  publicly executed naked before the city.
Now imagine that His followers stole His body in order to start a fake religion.Wouldn't you feel outrage at them for doing such an act?  Mary had been placed in the care of the apostle John.  She would know if they conspired to fake his resurrection.  but Mary supported their activities she was a source for the writings of Luke and James and Jude would also contribute inspired books to the faith.  it is also interesting to know that even though they supported him now.  While Jesus was alive they were not so supportive.  If they did not support Jesus at the height of his success, why would they have support him at the most fruitless time imaginable?

Mark and the resurrection) many modern Christians have given up on Mark's account of the resurrection thanks to the reinforcement of new popular bible versions.  However the evidence against Mark's account of the resurrection is actually weak.  Here are a few points..
A. the extreme majority of greek manuscripts and contain Mark 16:9-20
B. codex Alexandrinus an alexandrine manuscript contains the manuscript
C.  Alexandrine patriarch athanasius quoted it.
D. V and S  were both missing books and large passages of the bible.
E. sinaiticus has a blank page were the text should have been
F. the vast majority of ancient translations contain mark 16:9-20
G.Irenaus quoted mark 16:19 as the end of Mark and prophetic fulfillment of psalm 110 in chapter 6 of Against Heresies written prior to vaticanus or sinaiticus.
H. the manuscript of 16 may be abrupt, but not compared to the gospel which is consistently fast past.


"With the exception of the two uncial manuscripts which havejust been named, there is not one codex in existence, uncial or cursive, (and we are acquainted with at least 18 other uncials, and about sux hundred cursive copies of the gospel), which leaves out the last twelves verses of St. Mark.
  The inference which an unscientific observer would draw from this fact is no doubt, in this instance, the correct one.  He demands to be shown the Alexandrine (A), and the Parisian Codex (C), neither of them probably removed by much more than fifty years from the date of the codex Sinaiticus, and both unquestionably derived from different originals; and he ascertains that no countenance is lent by either of those venerable monuments to the proposed omission of this part of the sacred text.  He discovers that the codex Bezae (D), the only remaining very ancient manuscript authoritty- not withstanding that it i observed on most occaisions to exhibit an extraordinary sympathy with the vatican (B)- here sides with A and C against B and x.  He inquires after all the other uncials and all the cursive manuscripts in existence, (some of them dating from the tenth century,) and request to have it explained to him why it is to be supposed that all these many witnesses, belonging to so many different patriarchates, provinces, ages of the church, have entered into a grand conspiracy to bear false witness on a point of this magnitude and importance?  But he obtainsno intelligeable answer to this question." Oxford scholar Dean John Burgeon  cited from Jay P.Green, ed., Unholy Hands on the Bible, vol. 1, An Understanding to textual criticism, Including the complete works of John W. Burgeon, Dean of Chichester(lafayette, Ind.:Sovereign Grace Trust Fund,1990), c40-c41.


Paul's testimony
 
^{1 corinthians 15:12} Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: ¹⁴ and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. ¹⁵ Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. ¹⁶ For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: ¹⁷ and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. ¹⁸ Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. ¹⁹ If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. ²⁰ But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. ²¹ For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. ²² For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. ²³ But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
500 witnesses
1 corinthians 15:⁶ after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep."
   What is significant here is not simply the number of witnesses, for which Paul is reporting; but the tag at the end. "but some are fallen asleep".  Paul was giving an open challenge for those in his day who doubted the resurrection and the Greek culture which he was speaking to did indeed deny the Resurrection.   He also was giving them asurance of what they would find.  If Paul did not know that they would find several hundred eye-witnesses to Christ resurrection, he would not have explained that some of his witnesses have died.  That would only make sense if they were all dead.
   But how would Paul have the occaision to find so many witnesses for christ? 
Acts 8:1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judæa and Samaria, except the apostles. ² And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. ³ As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison."
  So Paul was in Jerusalem imprisoning Christians. Obviously when you are capturing and making arrest you have a an easy time counting prisoners. 
acts 2:⁴¹ Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls."
 Obviously, with 3,000 converts in the city, it is quite fathomable 500 were around at the time of the crucifixion and able to report an eye-witness of Christ resurrected.

Early church witness

resurrection dinner
john 21: ¹⁰ Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. ¹¹ Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. ¹² Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. ¹⁴ This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead."
  If Jesus were simply a ghost, he would not eat with the disciples. Though he was a supernatural creature, he was also a physical creature and could accomplish the human activity of having dinner with His beloved disciples.
 Luke 24: ⁴¹ And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? ⁴² And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. ⁴³ And he took it, and did eat before them."

And a second dinner.
John 21:¹² Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. ¹⁴ This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead."
   If a ghost is spiritual, it is not material.  So it would not eat.
"flesh and bone"
luke 24:³⁶ And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. ³⁷ But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. ³⁸ And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? ³⁹ Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. ⁴⁰ And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet."
  If Jesus had swooned, He would still be a regular human being. But how does a regular person show off their bones? When Christ showed off his flesh and bones there was no hemoraging which would blind people.  This testifies to the fact that christ no longer had blood.  Which is exactly how it worked out in the process of his death.  Not only did he loose so much blood in his floggings and crucifixion and spearing.  But they had filled his body with herbs.  We know that the pouring out of christ blood was an atonement for our sins.And it was literally accomplished.  Fundamental to the point Christ is making, is that he has been physically resurrected.  Christ was not a spiritual apparition.

doubting Thomas.
^{John 20:26} And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. ²⁷ Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. ²⁸ And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. ²⁹ Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.



No body found) assuming that Christ did not rise from the dead and it was a grand conspiracy.  Why was their no body found?  The Christians had virtually no political power.  As big as a menace as they had become the pharisees could have conducted a search and appropriately found the body.  It's not as if they couldn't find a disciple who couldn't be coerced into revealing where they put the body.  There were multitudes who at one time turned their back on Christ.  Yet the picture is entirely different.  Even though they did have a "witch hunt" for Christians.  The Jews did not seem pre-ocupied with finding the body.  Why is this? The only conclusion would be that they knew this would be futile sense Jesus rose from the dead.

Failure of the enemies to debunk the resurrection.
swoon theory

mark 15:¹⁴ Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him. ¹⁵ And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
¹⁶ And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Prætorium; and they call together the whole band. ¹⁷ And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, ¹⁸ and began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! ¹⁹ And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. ²⁰ And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him."
  Many people may remember the movie "The Passion of the Christ". Jesus was horribly beaten..


 
conspiracy theory
john 12:⁴ Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, ⁵ Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? ⁶ This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein."
Judus betrayal nulifies an apostle conspiracy:  Judas took the money that the disciples had and was a theif.  he then betrayed Jesus for silver.  If the disciples were robbed, then they could not afford to pay off the guards.

early church tradition
Baptism
^"3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? ⁴ Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: ⁶ knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. ⁷ For he that is dead is freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: ⁹ knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him."  The early church performed baptism by immersion as a sign of the resurrection of Christ.

Encyclopedia Americana: "Baptism (that is, dipping, immersing, from the Greek baptizo) . . . In the time of the apostles, the form of baptism was very simple. The person to be baptized was dipped in a river or vessel with the words which Christ had ordered . . ."
New International Encyclopedia: "Baptism . . . was originally by immersion. The candidates used to descend into fonts or streams, or rivers, and sink beneath the waters under the pressure of the hands of the minister."
   So obviously the church started with this practice testifying to the resurrection.

Lord's supper
1 corinthians 11:²³ For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. ²⁵ After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. ²⁶ For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come."   Here we have the early tradition as recalled in the gospels as well that a covenant with God was made through the spilling of Jesus blood. This is the earliest of church traditions.  Everyone was of the understanding that Jesus died with the purpose of atonement.  this was clearly no later invention.

first day of the week:
1 corinthians 16: 1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. ² Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."  here we have more than one congregation worshipping in the form of offerings on the 1st day of the week.  Which is the day of the resurrection.
Acts 20:⁶ And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. ⁷ And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight."  Here worship on the 1st is conducted with the breaking of bread/communion/Lord's Supper.  There is obviously a tradition in the early church of congregating on this day which the Lord was seen resurrected.

  Obviously the entire point of anyone following Christ was to assue the truth of His Life death burial and resurrection.

The mighty god!
isaiah 9:⁶ For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:

and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
The mighty God,
The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.

 John 14:¹⁰ Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake."

Why do we know that Jesus is divine?
 Many christian philosophers have pointed out scriptures which show Christ being prophesied to be, apostles recognizing Him as the Lord- God.
The many godlike miracles of Christ,  and this consistent testimony of church leaders confessing him to be the deity.   All of these are good reasons.  I think it is best to give a simple scripture to meditate on this issue.

john 20:²⁴ But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
²⁶ And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. ²⁷ Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. ²⁸ And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. ²⁹ Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
³⁰ And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: ³¹ but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."


Wonderful savior
a. prophet
deuteronomy 18: ¹⁵ The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;"

Isaiah 2:² And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills;
and all nations shall flow unto it. ³ And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."

Matthew 5: 1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: ² and he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, ³ Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. ⁵ Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. ⁶ Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. ⁷ Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. ⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. ⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. ¹⁰ Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹ Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. ¹² Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

b. priest
hebrews 5: ⁵ So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. ⁶ As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. ⁷ Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; ⁸ though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; ⁹ and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; ¹⁰ called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec."
John 17: ¹³ And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. ¹⁴ I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. ¹⁷ Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. ¹⁸ As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. ¹⁹ And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
²⁰ Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; ²¹ that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. ²² And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: ²³ I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me."
c. king
Matthew 21: ⁵ Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
⁶ And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, ⁷ and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. ⁸ And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. ⁹ And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
^{Rev. 11:15} And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. ¹⁶ And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, ¹⁷ saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. ¹⁸ And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
Luke 23: ³⁸ And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Testify!!
https://youtu.be/sh4ANv9mIXk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh4ANv9mIXk&spfreload=10
Why am I doing this?  Why do I write these things and others defending my faith?  Am I a seeker try to establish a new philosophy? Am I a hack just advancing a cause for my profession?

Honestly, my identity is that of a sinner and a failure.  I have always coveted more.  If there were expectations that I have met;  they were quickly met with expectations which I could not meet. Inside my heart is pride.  If I were left to myself I would exalt myself endlessly and brutally murder any and everyone who offends me.  As a child I remember seeing myself as a star.  At times fame and accomplishments were in my grasp.  But I realized later that I running so hard because I had so little. Even after becoming a christian for many years my "old man" would guide me down the same spiral.  To this day I have no confidence in my flesh.  I know how often I fail and how easily I could fall further.
I speak of Christ because of my own doubts.  How could He love me?  Why did he do this?  Did he know that I would keep failing?  Many people scoff at Christ.  It is offensive when you know the truth.  But when you really know the truth, You will know love.
  Everything in the heart dies, just  like it dies in the body; but the love of God is everlasting.  I can love others with the love God though the love is not from me.  When you have love you have life.  Though I was dead in my spirit, I am now alive in the rebirth.  When I tell you reader that I love you.  I can be honest because I found that love in the grace of God in Christ.  When I say I love you, I also say that God loves you.
    Jesus attracts the worst people in our world.   He attracts the poor, the failures , the simple and the strange.  Why? Because God is love.  If your are poor he will make rich.  If you are sick he will make you healthy. If you are a stranger he will make you family.  Not because you are reaching Him but because he is reaching you.
Maybe that will happen in this life, but with him, it will always happen in the next life.   This life maybe important now.  But now will be gone very soon.
  Please reader ... please open your eyes.  You don't have to sleep.  You see the natural world is a light that is flickering out.  Can you feel the wind blowing through your hair as you fall through the sky.  It feels so good until you hit the ground.
Can you give up your condemnation?  Can you give up your anger? We can all talk about being non-judgmental and loving.  But as soon as we point fingers at anybody, have set the rules of your own damnation.  If you don't believe in Hell, then why are journeying there?
There is no other direction which heads to salvation.  But God is always seeking to save you, while you are in this life, then savable.
Revelation 22:
¹⁶ I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
¹⁷ And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.