On Jesus

On Jesus
Matthews gospel records,
“Going on from that place, he (Jesus) went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they (the Pharisees) asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?  
How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 
Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.  
But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.” 
Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, warning them not to tell who he was.  
This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 
“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. 
He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. 
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. 
In his name the nations will put their hope.” Matthew 12:9-21.
It seems here that the Pharisees seem to concluded Jesus was trying to overthrow the mosaic system. Although Jesus said,
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  
I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.  Matthew 5:17,18.
God’s laws are universal and eternal. Jesus did not come to change them in any way.
The Pharisees however  interpreted the law very strictly as a result many times this conflicted with the spirit of the law.
For example here with the healing of the mans hand. The Pharisees viewed even the healing of someone on the Sabbath to be work. Thus it was not permitted.
They failed to see that the law against working on the Sabbath was not intended to prevent the doing of good works. Particularly when it comes to healing of someone and especially when God gets the glory.
This according to one commentator I read, is the point in the ministry of Jesus that opposition by the religious establishment starts to grow. Matthew Nothing,
“...But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.” 
Matthew tells us that aware of what the Pharisees were doing, Jesus rather than fight with them, withdrew to a safer place. Where he continued to minister and heal people.
Matthew points out that this is in keeping with the prophesy of Isaiah
“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. 
He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. 
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. 
In his name the nations will put their hope.” (Isaiah 42:1-4)
Matthew points out that Isaiah the prophet predicted that the Messiah would be someone the nations of the world will put their hope in. In other words non-Jews, the gentile world.
This is happening around the world today. People in nations around the world, Christians, see Jesus as the Jewish Messiah the one who came through the linage of Abraham Isaac and Jacob to reconcile mankind to God.
The writer of Hebrews tells us,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3.
If Jesus is not the Messiah and Christians have it wrong, which I do not think we do. Christians are doing no harm.
Christians in following the teachings of Jesus to love God, your neighbours, even your enemies are doing good.
In following the teachings of Jesus to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations teaching them to believe in the one true God. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is a good and noble thing. One I am sure will please God.
Please think about it. 

On Jesus

On Jesus
John’s gospel records,
“The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 
Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.  
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  
I and the Father are one.” 
Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” John 10:24-32.
Jesus made it abundantly clear throughout his time on the earth who he was. He never backed down from claiming he was The Son of God.  Something that in his time would be blasphemous.
C. S. Lewis noted,
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.     He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.
Each person who hears about Jesus must make their own mind up as to who he is. They must answer the question Jesus asked to Martha,
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes Lord” she told Him, “I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world,” John 11:25,26,27.
Before you the reader make your mind up I would ask that you carefully read the New Testament for yourself. With and open mind.
Read it and ask God this question “If you are real God and Jesus is your one and Only Son, The Saviour of mankind show me.” I believe if you are truly sincere in wanting to find God, God will show himself to you.
Pleases think about it.

On Jesus

On Jesus
Flavius Josephus, born 34 A.D. A Jewish historian, who became a Pharisee at 19, later commander, of the Jewish forces in Galilee.  Was captured by Romans and attached to their headquarters. Wrote,
“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 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.”
Julian the Apostate, Roman Emperor from 361-363 A.D. was reportedly one of the most “gifted” ancient adversaries to Christianity. In his work against Christianity wrote,
“Jesus…has now been celebrated about three hundred years having done nothing in his lifetime worthy of fame, unless anyone thinks it is a very great work to heal lame and blind people and exorcise demoniacs in the villages of Bethsaida and Bethany.”
But at the end of his life was forced to say: “Thou has conquered, O Galilean!”
The book of John records,
“The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 
Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.  
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  
I and the Father are one.” 
Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” John 10:24-32
C. S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity said,
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Throughout history Jesus has remained a controversial figure. The debate on who He is continues among non-Christians to this day.
Ultimately however it comes down to the individuals decision. To your decision dear reader. Who do you think Jesus is?
Please think about it.