Thank you

I would like to thank Michael Burke who introduced me to Jesus Christ on September 3, 1969 and pushing me to understand and accept the truth for my eternal life.

I love you, brother.

The Faces of Jesus

Prologue

Soulmate

The Physical Jesus

The Intelligent Jesus

The Compassionate Jesus

The Relationship Jesus

The Consistent Jesus

The Questioning Jesus

The Confronting Jesus

The Crucified Jesus

The Resurrected Jesus

The Ascended Jesus

The Prophesied Jesus

The Compelling Jesus

The Calling Jesus

Prologue

A beautiful reproduction of a painting known as the, Madonna del Passeggio, was recently sold to a art collectors by a woman in Seattle, Washington. The art, which was one of several copies, was sold for $800.00.

The original was created by legendary artist, Raphael, who along with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci formed the trio of great masters during the period known as the High Renaissance.

The reproduction was a human duplicate believed by the lady who owned it for over fifty years.

When a fine-art investment broker was hired by the owners to authenticate the copy the expert informed them it was not worth $800.00.

He valued it at $20 million dollars.

The expert determined it was not a copy at all. It was painted in detail by the personal hand of the great Raphael.

It was the Original.

It was worth a fortune. It was one of a kind.

For the past 2,000 years, people have been exposed to millions of copies of Jesus Christ decreasing his value and stature. The most famous individual in human history has been cheaply marketed and shamefully represented to the world.

It is time to restore him to his place of honor.

In Philippians 2:10-11, it states,

“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, (NLT)

This book is a tribute to the Original.

Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

It will cover his humanity all the way to his Ascension into heaven. It will include many of the men and women whose lives He changed along the way. It will be an entertaining tribute founded on Scriptural facts.

This is book about the Jesus of the bible, not our imagined perspective of him. He is not a Superstar, a Code from da Vinci or a gory entity hanging on a cross to elicit our pity for him.

If you want to know what the Bible says about Jesus prophetically, powerfully and personally then this book is for you.

Jesus Christ, the Original.

Chapter One—The Roller Coaster

What is the greatest act of love?

Dying for someone else.

Read this powerful story.

A man owned a large amusement park with a great deal of personal pride and joy. From morning until night he visited his park to see all the people experiencing a great deal of joy with all the attractions he had for them there.

But one day, a tragedy occurred at this happy place. One that would change the history of the park forever.

The giant roller coaster filled with cars of tourists suddenly lurched and slid precariously off its tracks as it dangled dangerously over the edge of its highest point.

Employees rushed to the owner, who was spending the day with his young son, and quickly informed him of the impending tragedy. They ran quickly to the ride hoping to save the lives of the innocent people.

The man instantly saw the problem. The main cable had been stretched to its maximum tautness causing the line to derail the cars high above the earth.

Worse yet, within minutes it was about to snap, dooming everyone on the coaster. A decision had to be made immediately.

There was no time to waste.

“We need to secure the line!” shouted the owner. He tried to position his body into the wheel box where the perilously, damaged cable was situated. He was too large a man for the solution.

His son stepped forward.

“Father, I can fit in the slot. I am the right size and I am the only one other than you who has the expertise to fix this problem right now. Let me.”

The father was faced with an agonizing decision. His son was right. He was uniquely perfect for the task. No other person could wedge in there and operate the mechanism to save the coaster riders.

But in the process, the father realized if the cable snapped his son would lose his life. He knew by authorizing this operation, the people in all the cars would be rescued.

But, his young son would die.

He smiled sadly at his child, “Save them, son.”

The boy made his way into the wheel box and adjusted himself perfectly into place as he secured the cable and held it tight long enough for the technicians to bring the car down to ground level.

During the car’s slow descent downward, the gears began to painfully penetrate his body. His blood was spurting everywhere.

As the son shouted in agony near the end of the process, he let out a horrifying scream, the cable finally snapped crushing him inside the wheel box and his voice and spirit were silenced.

The father’s son was dead. He had given his life for strangers.

The people who had been on the car came over to the father and thanked him and went on their way without any knowledge of the son who had just saved them.

They only wondered why the man who owned the park had tears in his eyes.

Soon, they were all gone. The park emptied out. The father was left alone with his son’s broken body in his arms.

He wept uncontrollably. Through his tears he was proud of the righteous sacrifice his son with the greatest love known to mankind.

Agape love.

This tale is not a perfect illustration for what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. But, it may help you realize what his dying meant for you,

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

John 3:16-17 (NASB)

Now that you know that Jesus died for you, it is time for you to get to know him. Intimately. He is your Lord.

“Jesus 101” is the book for you. It is easy to read, entertaining and most importantly, biblical. It tells his story from the Scriptures.

There are several sides of Jesus for you to learn as you discover God’s Son who became a man and ultimately a sacrifice for you.

Eleven passionate Faces of Jesus Christ.

It is my promise that if you read this book and take it to heart you will understand Jesus much better than you do now.

You will fall in love with him.

He is a man of many sides. All of them spiritually attuned and full of hope and promise for you.

Let the journey begin.

Jesus.

Let the journey begin.

Chapter 2—The Physical Jesus

What did Jesus look like?

Nothing like you IMAGINED.

Throw out your false pictures of Jesus.

Get rid of, “Surfer Jesus,” “Girly Jesus,” “Hallmark Card Jesus,” “Movie Star Jesus,” “Hippie Jesus,” “Caucasian Jesus” and even, “Dude Jesus.”

Erase the board. Let’s start over here.

He was no weakling.

This was a strapping, powerful human being. Jesus was not only the Son of God, he was a man’s man.

Jesus was tough as nails, hard-bitten. Strong.

Dirt under his fingernails, rough. All muscle. A carpenter able to carry heavy wood and possessing the ability to shape it.

But, because it was 1 A.D. he was probably shorter than you.

Jewish men back in the day were not tall. Jesus was of average height, about five feet tall.

Surprised?

His height today would range from 5’9” to 6’1”.

As a typical Jewish man in the first century Jesus also had very short hair, dark skin, almost black.

He was enduring.

He lived in the mountains and the deserts often traveling on foot for miles and miles outdoors in climates ranging from 43 to 86 degrees for days on end.

Think about those extreme swings of hot and cold weather and constantly living outside. Yet, there is no record of Jesus getting ill.

The searing sun of the Middle East did not daunt him, nor did the gripping desert coldness in the early morning hours.

Often he had no place to lay his head. No covering to protect his body. No shelter to shield him from the elements.

This was one of the most rugged individuals who ever walked the earth. He was as masculine as any man who ever lived in human history.

Jesus was a physical marvel, a commanding and powerful presence. He was not intimidated by any man, of any size or strength.

He could go days without sleeping and weeks without eating.

How about you? If you stay up all night what are you like the next day? Can you say, W-O-L-V-E-R-I-N-E?

When you don’t eat or sleep, your family and friends pray you are not carrying scissors. You are not a happy camper.

But, Jesus was not controlled by sleeping or food.

His eternal passion fueled and fed him. He mostly subsisted on a spiritual substance, not a physical diet.

Satan tried to wear him out on a mountain top after Jesus had fasted for forty days and nights. Most men would be exhausted and vulnerable after such an ordeal.

Most men would have given in to Satan’s relentless ruses.

Jesus Christ was nothing like most men.

Despite his weakened, physical condition, he went one-on-one with the prince of darkness and withstood his ungodly temptations. The devil lost that day. He was never able to defeat Jesus.

He never will.

Superman was known as the Man of Steel, but he was a cartoon, a fantasy. Jesus was well-conditioned, physically fit and remarkably powerful, as real as a man who ever existed.

This Superman didn’t wear a cape. He wore the heart of God and was constantly filled with the Holy Spirit, the most powerful force in humankind.

Jesus Christ wasn’t weakened by kryptonite, never drove a Batmobile, was not an X-man and was never referred to as, “Spidey.”

He had no use for silly gadgets, gimmicks or gizmos.

He was God.

Chapter 3-The Intelligent Jesus

The smartest man who ever lived.

As a scientist, he would have Steven Hawking seeing stars. As a college professor, he would have the students at Harvard standing in lines begging to take his class. As a logician, Jesus would have twisted Socrates in knots.

Start reading in John 1,the book that defines Christ as God more than any other Gospel.

Jesus Christ was the most intelligent man in the universe. He was brilliant on several levels. He was a mobile MENSA.

How smart was Jesus on earth?

How smart is God?

Well, since he created Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, Astronomy, all of science, geography, geology, artistic beauty, agape love, all of mankind, plus every created thing we could conclude one truth.

God is pretty smart.

Since Jesus and the Holy Spirit are also God, it’s a safe bet by trusting them you can gain insight into your homework, friends, love life, career, what kind of pizza to order, what kind of car to buy, how to get rid of that zit or any choice you have to make in life.

But, God didn’t just stop at intellectual brilliance.

Jesus Christ was also a psychological genius. He had a mind that was always a step ahead of his pursuers or critics.

Most people would be afraid to play chess with Bobby Fischer. Jesus would have obliterated him. The wisest men in his day were scrambling to keep up with him when they first encountered him blowing their minds in the Temple.

Jesus was twelve years old.

He was always several moves ahead of the sages, scribes and Sadducees.

A great example of this truism is found in John 8:1-11. It is a classic confrontation on the highest of cerebral levels.

Let me set the scene for you.

One day, Jesus saw several Pharisees (Jewish religious leaders) bringing a woman to him. She had been caught in the act of adultery.

The Law had a consequence for that sin.

Capital punishment.

Jesus followed the Law but he was also a man of grace and forgiveness. Therefore, he had to make a decision here, obey the Law and recommend her execution or exclaim, “Let her go.”

What to do, what to do?

Jesus was seemingly trapped by the mechanics of the situation.

A woman’s life was at stake. The frightened girl stood there terrified waiting for his response knowing she could be stoned to death.

The Pharisees thought they had Jesus pinned here.

But, they were dealing with a master psychologist as they were about to find out.

He looked at her accusers and deftly replied,

“He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

In one sentence, Jesus went from being trapped to trapping them.

He had turned the tables on their devious scheme without condoning sin or breaking the Law. He had also just saved the young woman’s life.

One by one, the accusers walked away until the woman was left alone with Jesus. He said to her, “Did no one condemn you?”

She gave the obvious answer, “No one...”

Then, she added the key word, “Lord.”

“No one, Lord.”

She knew he was the Messiah.

Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go, and sin no more.”

Checkmate.

The Intelligent Jesus.

Satan could not outsmart him, the Romans did not awe him, the Pharisees did not intimidate him, the masses of people did not wear on him and his disciples did not dishearten him.

Most importantly, the sinners rarely refused him.

Remember this, when you give your heart to Christ, you get his mind, too. You are going to have a huge impact on people, as well.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.   2 Timothy 1:7

Move over, Einstein.

Chapter 4—The Compassionate Jesus

Remember the famous story of Jesus feeding five thousand people with some fish and a few loaves of bread?

An incredible miracle but there is a compassionate twist to it.

Read Matthew 14 carefully.

You will see something in that narrative you may not have noticed before…

Two stories linked together to show the depth and dedication of the compassionate face of Christ.

Act One:  Matthew 14:1-12

King Herod ordered the execution of John the Baptist in prison and then called for John’s head being served on a plate as a gift for one of his dancing girls.

The girl was so pleased at her royal “gift” she brought John’s head to her mother, a disgusting example of depravity and evil here.

Yes, that is how John the Baptist died, true story.

When Jesus heard about the execution of his closest friend he disappeared to grieve alone for John, his beloved cousin.

Understandable.

Let me ask you a question…

Have you ever lost a loved one, a spouse, parent, grandparent, close friend, a relationship partner or a teacher or coach?

Do you remember how you felt the moment you heard the news they had died? Did you want to grieve alone?

I am sure that is how Jesus felt, too.

But, the masses of people following Jesus were not so sympathetic. They were hungry. They shouted for the Lord to reappear and feed them.

Act Two:  Matthew 14:16-21.

The masses coaxed Jesus out of his hiding place to provide sustenance for their stomachs. If you were Jesus, would you come out of hiding under all your emotional pain and nourish them?

Maybe not?

His response could only be described by two words,

Mind-blowing.

Spending the entire day to minister to strangers after being emotionally devastated at losing one of the most important people in his life?

Oh, my.

Now, I want you to do something.

Ask most Christians if they are familiar with the feeding of the five thousand and most of them will answer yes.

Next, ask them if they knew the story of John the Baptist being beheaded by King Herod as a gift for Salome, the dancer.

Again, yes.

Finally, ask them if they knew the two incidents were related. Their answer would be NO. Go ahead, ask them. In over forty years of asking Christians that question, I have never heard yes.

I find these back to back events stunning in their connection.

The miracle Jesus performed with fish and loaves of bread takes on a far greater meaning when you understand the emotional situation he was in.

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12 (NASB)

I know what Jesus felt that day.

On March 15, 1990, I was on a Christian speaking tour in the Seattle area. I arrived back at my hotel late at night after a long day of presentations.

I was exhausted.

There was a message to call my brother. I called him immediately. I will never forget his voice that night,

“Brother, our mom died.”.

I fell to my knees in a cold, empty hotel room and tried to pray.

No words came from my heart. I was too busy questioning God, “Do you have any idea how much I am hurting right now?” I demanded of Him.

Then, the words of His still, small voice penetrated my soul as I heard His words,

“My child, remember Matthew 14? I lost a loved one that day, too. Get some rest and put on your heart of compassion, you have people waiting for you tomorrow that need to hear My word from you.”

The next morning, with a grieving heart and a splitting headache, I faithfully spoke at a Christian school and challenged the students to give their lives to Jesus Christ.

The altar was flooded with kids coming forward. That night, I saw another 100 young people come forward to meet Jesus. My heart was still heavy, but my focus was on him.

I had been given a compassionate heart for the day.

Jesus showed me how to love when I had no desire to even come out of my hiding place.

The Compassionate Jesus.

When he captures your heart he will teach you that kind of compassion, too.

Chapter 5—The Relationship Jesus

The Christian life is not a virtuous, lofty religion it is a vital, living relationship.

Jesus Christ is the relationship. He is not a church, a temple, a mosque or a pagoda. It is just you and him.

He is not a set of rules, just a Redeemer. Christianity is not a field of study it is faith in a Savior.

There is no particular church you have to join to have a relationship with him. Go to church for fellowship, go to Jesus for eternal life.

Jesus is not Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Orthodox, Assemblies of God or a member of any Christian sect.

He is not the son of any denomination.

He is the Son of God.

There will be no church labels in heaven.

Just Jesus.

On earth, your choice of fellowship is wonderful and a blessing to you as long as your church proclaims Jesus Christ,

“So that at the name of Jesus Every knee should bow of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  Philippians 2:10-11

The message of salvation is not based on your church attendance. It is Whom you worship at the church not the number of times you show up every year.

Jesus clarifies this in John 4:23,

“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.”

The faith that saves you is not based upon a church or their rules, it is a love relationship with him, remember?

Don’t follow the label, fall in love with the Lord.

Jesus Christ.

Other than Christianity, every other faith is based upon content, rules, lessons, revelations, words of prophets and sacred books.

With Jesus it is based on him. You live and die by believing he is the Son of God.

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”  John 14:6

Those last two words of that verse in John 14:6 define the difference between all other religions and Christianity.

“through Me.”

You put your faith in a Person, not a system of thought. Going to church every Sunday is admirable. Believing in a religion is an effort to find the truth.

The Relationship Jesus.

Everything is in him, on him, because of him and through him.

Begin that relationship with him because your eternal life depends on it.

Seriously.

Chapter 6—The Consistent Jesus

As it is written in Hebrews 13:8,

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Consistent.

Have you ever had a friend who betrayed you, stabbed you in the back? Someone you loved and trusted with your heart?

Have you had a friend who was flaky, you could never count on them when you needed them most?

Have you ever had a friend that led you down a path of sin and shame, someone who made bad decisions and pressured you to make them, too?

Are they out of prison, yet?

It may be time to change your BEST friend.

What a friend we have in Jesus.

He is not a yo-yo, going up and down depending on his mood, his popularity rating, his financial situation or his present insecurity. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Jesus is consistent.

The quality of consistency is not spectacular, it is steady.

When you think of superstar assets in a person consistency is not going to shine through right away.

We may snarl at being called dependable because it sounds boring. But it’s far better than being dysfunctional or being depressed.

The headline hogs tend to feature the yo-yo’s from Lindsay to Charlie to Miley to Johnny Football to the Khardasians. They are fun to read about because they live on the edge.

They would be a hit at your birthday party but I wouldn’t depend on them to drive me to the hospital in a life-threatening situation.

We need the steady Freddie. The Solid Sam. The kind of friend we had in high school that listened to our problems and had the wisdom to keep us on track.

Has your life ever gotten crazy?

Have you experienced a broken relationship, gotten the flu, experienced a job loss, went broke, been served divorce papers or had a fight with your parents all in one DAY!

All without any advanced warning?

We need someone to stand firm holding us in their arms and hugging us with their love.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

This promise was especially needed by a certain apostle.

His name should come as no surprise to you,

Peter.

His brother was Andrew, the dependable trainee, Peter was the train wreck.

In John 1, Jesus calls Peter to follow him. Peter says, “Great! Let’s do it. No problem.”

With Peter, there was ALWAYS a problem.

Right after he made his promise to be a disciple, he stopped following Christ and went back to his beloved fishing boat.

I guess being obedient was a bit much for Cap’n Pete.

The next time Peter appeared was in Luke 5:3. Peter had just come in from all night fishing expedition and had not even caught a minnow.

Nothing.

While Peter pouted, Jesus gave a speech. After his sermon, the Lord smiled and told his flaky follower to put his nets over the side of his boat.

Of course, Peter argued with him, convinced he was an expert on the sea.

He told Christ there were no fish to be found.

He was a fisherman.

Jesus informed Peter he was the Lord. He created them.

Peter reluctantly put his nets into the water and so much fish came in that his boat began to sink. They brought over a second boat to handle the additional seafood.

That one became full, too.

Peter, the “expert” fisherman was a tad embarrassed.

It was time for Peter to find a new career. He needed to move on from fishing. Jesus would teach him to fish for people.

But, Peter was not real confident he could be a leader.

He exclaimed to Jesus, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” Luke 5:8

But, Jesus had no intention of letting Peter get away. He realized that Peter just needed a little direction,

“Do not fear from now on you will be catching men.”

When they had brought their boats to land, Peter and his fellow fishermen left everything and followed Him.

From that moment on, Peter became the lead apostle and drama king.

He was constantly promising he would be the only faithful follower and vowed to never deny Jesus. This caused the other disciples to glare at him.

Peter kept making mistakes, one after another. The only thing consistent about him was his INCONSISTENCY!

Like, the night when Jesus was betrayed by Judas and taken into custody, Peter stepped up and chopped off the ear of one of the arresting officers. Of course, he did! He was Peter.

Or, during the Transfiguration of Christ when he verbally embarrassed himself by trying to organize the event which was not his place to do.

Then, right before dawn, in Matthew 14:25-31, Peter saw Jesus walking on water and asked his Lord if he take a stroll with him. “Come,” said Jesus. Peter was doing fine until…

He saw the wind.

Oh, no.

That indecision made him doubt his faith and down he went, the USS Peter, the Bible’s first and only submarine.

He had trouble trusting God. He only trusted himself.

Inconsistency.

And, at the end, as Jesus was being led away at his arrest, Peter was asked if he was a follower of Christ. Peter said, “No man, I am NOT!”

Of course, he did. The rooster kept crowing, people kept asking him and Peter kept denying.

Remember when he had bragged he would be the only one who would stay faithful to Jesus? That was all talk.

He was Peter.

Inconsistent.

He added new definitions to the word, “disciple,” totally ignoring its root word, “discipline.” Words that typified Peter’s persona included, “braggart,” “loudmouth,” “showboat” and, “impulsive.”

Yet, after all his mistakes…

When the consistency of Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, filled his soul in Acts 2, Peter not only became disciplined, he rose to the leadership of the early Church.

He no longer flaunted, he no longer feared, he no longer fled, he was finally a faithful man of God.

Peter had become Hebrews 13:8,

Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever.

Jesus is a friend who will challenge you to a holy life and inspire you to purity in him. If he can do it with Peter, he can do it with you.

Unlike a lot of friends we have known over the years who have led us astray and compromised our lives, Jesus Christ has a far better plan for you,

The Consistent Jesus who always wants the best for you.

Have you been consistent in memorizing Hebrews 13:8, yet?

Chapter 7—The Questioning Jesus

Questions that husbands dread being asked by their wives.

“Do I look fat in this dress?”

“My parents want to come and spend two weeks with us, okay?”

“Are we in trouble financially?”

“Can you just hold me tonight?”

“Will you be upset if I forgot to record that game for you?”

“You know how crazy I get at the mall, right?”

Questions can be challenging, embarrassing, pointed or critical depending on who is asking and the depth of the query.

Whenever Jesus was asked a question, he mostly responded in one of three verbal forms,

He quoted Scripture.

He gave a parable.

He asked a question.

No one asked more questions in the Bible than Jesus Christ. He asked hundreds of them.

He used the art of questioning for several reasons,

To teach a lesson to his disciples.

To challenge a sinner to salvation.

To confound the hypocritical Jewish leaders.

To make an eternal point.

To confirm his deity.

Here is one of his first lessons that followed a line of questioning to his disciples,

"And who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Matthew 6:27

Ouch.

The fact is, most of us worry about too many issues. Worry is a subtle slap in the face to God.

Do you worry a lot?

When we worry, we are saying that God cannot take care of us so we have to take care of the situations in our life.

Not cool.

Worry is pride and pride is sin.

If you really believe your worrying can solve your problems and make your life better, go ahead and age ten years in the next month. That is the consequence of three words God hates,

Worry, pride and sin.

Turn away from their attacks on your sanity and peace of mind.

Come home to your Father who can take care of all your needs.

Are you ready for another question?

And Jesus turned and saw them (his future disciples) following him, and said to them, “What do you seek?” John 1:35-39

It was time for him to build his leadership team. Jesus did that by asking a question to his potential disciples.

One of them was Andrew.

Jesus asked Andrew to follow him. The answer was yes.

Andrew was the brother of Simon, who was later to become Peter. Both of them wanted to be with Jesus although it took Peter a little longer to figure it out.

The next day, Jesus added Philip and Nathanael. His number of disciples now grew to four men. One inviting question and his ministry was in full momentum mode.

He asks you.

“What do you seek?”

Do you wish to follow the world of materialism, status, sex and self? Or do you want to commit your life to Jesus Christ and follow his life?

You cannot have both as Jesus clearly stated on that famous Sermon on the Mount,

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

You cannot serve God and pride. You cannot serve God and status. You cannot serve God and sex. You cannot serve God and your selfish interests.

You must make Him your Master.

Here is one on personal responsibility,

“If I want him (John) to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You (Peter) must follow me.”  John 21:22

This question refers to Jesus verbally smacking Peter on the hands for his unnecessary concern for John’s destiny on the earth. Jesus had given Peter his marching orders and Peter was suddenly concerned about John getting a better deal than him.

My, my.

When will we LEARN that our walk with Christ is an individual one? When will you stop worrying about God’s plan for everyone else and focus on His relationship with us?

Frankly, what God does with other people is none of our business. This question Jesus is asking is a clear reminder of that truth.

Here is one about judging others in Matthew 7:3,

“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”

Yeah, why?

We love to find fault in others because it covers up the faults in ourselves. Jesus will not let us get away with that one.

The last time I looked logs were bigger than specks. Stop worrying about everyone else’s specks.

Deal with your own problems. Let God deal with others. He is the ultimate Judge, not you or me.

Another question soars in from heaven from Matthew 16:26,

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”

You spend your entire life making a lot of money, buying nice homes, building up your stocks and investments and becoming rich, powerful and famous.

Then….you die.

How much will you take with you?

Nada.

So, don’t fall in love with THINGS. Make sure you build up your profits in Jesus, not of this world.

All or nothing.

Either you gain the whole world and lose your soul eternally, or you gain the will of God in your life and live with Him forever.

No one is asking you to live in poverty here. Just don’t let your wealth, status or materialism become more important than your life in Christ.

A final question. This one rocked the world forever.

“About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?’” Matthew 27:46

Here is a question that is at the heart of Jesus Christ dying for our sins.

In that moment, God the Father turned His back on God the Son and Jesus felt that separation. He was now alone on the cross.

Even absent his own heavenly Father.

He had become one big sin at that moment. When His Father saw sin, He turned away from His Son.

Jesus felt the separation and let out a blood-curdling scream to be heard from a far distance in and around Jerusalem.

It was a horrible cry and was the most important question ever asked in the entire history of man.

This was the crux, the exact moment of sacrifice for the original sin of Adam gripping our Lord and Savior tightly in its grasp.

This was the beginning of victory for Jesus over that sin as he gave his life for us.

Here is a word picture for you here to understand this concept,

Imagine you got into trouble with the law and you went to court and the judge looked very familiar to you.

He was your dad.

He asked you, “Do you wish to pay a $25,000.00 fine or spend a year in jail?

You chuckle to yourself because you believe him to be joking with you. He is, after all, your dad.

You play along with him, “Uh well your honor, I happen to be broke, so give me the jail time.”

With that statement, your father the judge announces, “The court finds you guilty and remands you to a jail sentence of no less than one year of incarceration.”

Suddenly, you realize there are two people sitting at the courtroom bench, your loving father AND a lawful judge.

You made the mistake of appealing to the judge.

OOPS!

The judge side of your dad is going to punish you. You quickly change your approach here.

You ask your loving father to step in and save you, “Dad, I have no money. I don’t want to go to jail. Please help me. I did wrong and I am truly sorry.”

The judge stands up and removes his court robes. At that moment, he is no longer a judge, he is your father.

He approaches you and pulls out his checkbook and writes you a check for $25,000.00.

He smiles warmly at you and says, “Give this to the judge. I will be back up there in a minute. I love you, son.”

He hugs you and returns to the bench, puts his robe back on and you hand the “judge” your check. He announces, “You are free to go.”

As a judge, he has sentenced you. As a father, he paid the sentence for you.

Jesus is your $25,000.00 check when he died on the cross for you.

“(Jesus) having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

Colossians 2:14

No more penalty. No more punishment. No more death.

Your case is dismissed. The courtroom for you is closed forever.

When you repent of your sins and ask Jesus Christ into your life, you are free to go to heaven.

God became a man to live on this earth so He could eventually die for our sins. He gave up His deity to become like us to do it,

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  John 1:14

Jesus had a lot more questions in the New Testament but I will let you discover them. It is much more fun that way. I just wanted to ignite your curiosity!

Now, read the book of John and begin writing down every question Jesus asked to know him BETTER. Each one could be a new bible study or a training session.

Let his questions change your life TODAY.

Chapter 8—The Confronting Jesus

Imagine you are lost in the country. You come to a fork in the dirt road. One road will take you back to the main highway and safety. The other one will take you nowhere and into possible danger.

Which road will you take here?

The answer is the safe one. But, you don’t know which road that is at this point. Is there any way of finding out?

Sure, look up at the sun. It’s position in the sky will show you the direction you need to go. Just pray it isn’t raining.

In the case of life’s confusion, look at the Son. He never rains.

Jesus was a fork in the road everywhere he went. People had to turn one way or the other upon meeting him.

With Jesus, he was never neutral. He always challenged people to make a decision either way, the way to personal holiness.

Why?

Because he wanted them to live the truth found in Ephesians 4:15,

“But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.”

Many of us believe that confrontation is a negative experience. It is not necessarily so. It can be the key to a life of truth if done right.

Confrontation without love can be rude and angry. But, with love it is a life-changing work of beauty. That is the key word here in this inspirational verse.

Love.

Speaking the truth and supported by I Corinthians 13, God’s love is the kind of caring that leads to a changed life for eternity.

Here is one of the greatest face to face meetings in history.

Confrontation: Nicodemus in John 3:1-16.

Jesus is a fork in the road to a religious leader named Nicodemus, a man with a reputation as a renowned religious leader who came to Christ at night.

Nicodemus was curious about Christ. He was also cautious. He wanted assurance concerning his eternal destiny here.

He wanted to know if Jesus was the Messiah.

Nicodemus asked him,

"Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."

TRANSLATION: Are you the true Messiah because if you are I need to walk away from my religion and follow you.

Jesus did not answer the public question here. He quickly surmised what Nicodemus was really asking Him. The religious leader wanted assurance about his own salvation.

Jesus answered,

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Nicodemus was so blown away by this unusual answer he lost his logical mind for a moment. Born again?

What in the heck does, “born again” mean?

He asked Jesus for clarification,

"How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"

Silly man.

Jesus pounded this eternal truth into Nicodemus,

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

Simply put, all men are born once with the stain of Adam’s sin. We are doomed upon birth. We need to be born a second time.

Thus the phrase, “born again Christian.”

We do this by asking Christ’s Spirit into our soul making us acceptable to God in heaven by removing the sin of Adam condemning us.

Without that second birth, we are still under sinful separation from God. Follow the bouncing ball here in verse form,

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned,”  Romans 5:12

And,

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”  Romans 3:23

And,

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

The phrase, “born again Christian,” originated with this encounter between Nicodemus and Jesus. Their meeting underscored the need for all men and women to be born a second time removing the stain of original sin.

That night Nicodemus became a follower of Christ and wound up donating the tomb that served as the final resting place of his Lord.

Ephesians 4:15. Memorize it.

The Confronting Jesus.

He is the fork in your road. What areas of your life do you need to surrender to him?

Smoking

Partying

Sex

Immoral friends

Laziness

Not realizing your potential

Anger

Greed

Jealousy

Will you accept him in your heart today and begin your new life with him?

Chapter 9—The Crucified Jesus

Let me tell you a heartbreaking story.

I was speaking at a high school in Georgia and following my message a freshman girl came up to me and shocked me with her personal experience.

A year earlier, as an eighth grader, she was playing in a football game with her classmates. On one of the plays, she tackled one of the boys which made him very angry.

Boys do not like being thrown to the ground by a girl.

The next day, the boy showed up on campus with a gun. He went up to the girl and asked her, “Are you the one who tackled me yesterday?”

The girl was terrified when she saw his weapon. But, before she could answer him, her best friend (who closely resembled her in physical appearance), announced to him, “You have the wrong girl. She didn’t tackle you, I did!”

She was protecting her friend.

The boy shot her dead on the spot.

True story.

When I asked the freshman girl how she felt about the sacrifice of her best friend, she started crying. Through her tears she whispered to me,

“She died in my place. I was going to die and she died for me.”

That made me cry, too.

This is what happened on the cross 2,000 years ago for us.

Here’s the bible verse,

“No one shows greater love than when he lays down his life for his friends.”   John 15:13

Jesus died in our  place. The ultimate loving sacrifice.

Let’s make something very clear here.

The essence of the crucified Christ was not physical, it was spiritual.

NEVER forget that.

Don’t focus on the blood and all the gore, that is just horrific window dressing for the real substance here.

His torture was the picture frame. The side show. The grotesque adornment.

The beauty and the glory of the Crucified Jesus was how and why he gave his spiritual life for us.

He was not executed. No one killed him. He gave his life purposefully and passionately for us.

Why?

We must go back to the Garden of Eden and listen to God’s curse on mankind for the answer,

“Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.  Genesis 3:17

Adam plunged all of us into sin and doomed us to hell, forever. Unless there was a Plan to overcome that curse, a Plan only God could initiate and carry out, we were without hope because of that Original sin.

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.”  Romans 5:12

We could not save ourselves. We were helpless. We had no plan to overcome Adam’s sin. In order to correct the imperfect Adam and his sin staining our souls, it would take a perfect man to accomplish it.

So, God became a perfect man and reversed Adam’s sin with His righteousness.

This was the Crucifixion.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ.”  Ephesians 2:4-5

God saved us because we are incapable of saving ourselves.

So, let’s stop arguing about who put Jesus to death, the Jews or the Romans.

No one “put him to death.” Neither entity had the right or the power to accomplish it.

This was a Plan that was put in place before the foundations of the world between God, His Son and His Holy Spirit.

Don’t involve the Jews or the Romans here. They were merely pawns in this situation.

It was God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit who orchestrated this from the beginning,

“I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

John 10:17b-18

If God planned it, and He did, then all the responsibility for the crucifixion is part of His will.

Yes, the Jewish leaders conspired to have Jesus arrested and the Romans carried out the execution but they were merely the messengers for a beautiful sacrifice ordained by God Himself.

And, about that movie…

The REAL Passion of Christ, unlike the movie, was not about his flogging, his crown of thorns, his painfully endured march along the Via Dolorosa, the spikes hammered into his hands and feet or the spear that pierced his body near the end.

His passion was captured at the instant he became one big sin on our behalf in his cry out to his Father in heaven.

That is the Crucified Jesus setting us free from sin,

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

II Corinthians 5:21

The physical slaughter of Jesus makes a riveting film, but it didn’t have any power to overcome Adam’s sin and forgive us as sinners.

Stay focused here.

Follow the sin from Genesis to Calvary. Don’t get distracted by the gory details. It is all about the sin, not all that blood.

“For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 6:10-11

Jesus erased the sins of born again Christians.

Have you ever done something really wrong and wished it had NEVER happened?

Guess what?

When you accept Jesus into your heart, that sin is GONE forever in the eyes of God. When you die and go to heaven, no sins go there with you, either.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” Ephesians 1:7

This grace is a free gift to you. You don’t work for his forgiveness. You don’t earn his forgiveness. You don’t do anything to deserve his forgiveness.

You gratefully accept it when you ask Jesus into your heart.

The Crucified Jesus died for his sinners. Praise God!

Chapter 10—The Resurrected Jesus

I remember Easter Sunday mornings growing up in our home. After my sibs and I dyed all the hard-boiled eggs with our mom the night before, we went to bed confident the Easter Bunny would come during the night and HIDE them all over the living room.

I see now what a strange ritual that was for us. Why would a giant rabbit take the time to visit our house just to hide a bunch of dyed eggs?

What would be the POINT?

Furthermore, as I lay in bed in the dark and imagined I heard the mammoth cottontail, I wanted to creep to my door and look around the corner. I was stopped by the image of a HUGE rabbit’s head greeting me snarling, “Sorry kid, now I’m going to have to eat your FACE!”

That was Easter in our house.

I have a more mature thought here.

Did Jesus rise from the dead?

If so, Easter baskets are a joke. If not, Christianity is a bigger joke.

When it comes to the Resurrection, much is at stake here, the existence of God, the Bible, the deity of Christ, the person of the Holy Spirit, life after death and eternal life in heaven.

No big deal.

Just EVERYTHING.

The second smartest human in the Bible wrote it nicely,

“If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”   I Corinthians 15:13-14

Wow.

So, is Jesus in the tomb or isn’t he?

Based on the people in and around the grave, the answer is NO.

We begin with the Roman guard, the most powerful soldiers in the world at that time in history.

They ran for their lives.

Huh?

These sixteen warriors were responsible to ensure no one would steal the body of Jesus or tamper with the tomb in any way.

Oops.

They RAN away?

Just to understand something here, if any of these soldiers fell asleep on duty all sixteen would be put to death. They guarded the seal of Caesar which was placed on the tomb and anyone who broke it would be executed by the greatest empire known to man.

The grave was also secured by a two-ton boulder blocking the efforts of anyone who tried to steal the body.

As if the soldiers and the seal of Caesar were not enough.

Empty tomb. Broken seal. Fleeing soldiers. The boulder had been literally picked up and carried away from the entrance.

On the third day, just as Jesus had predicted, he rose from the dead,

“ From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

Matthew 16:21

In addition, the disciples met with Jesus after his death on several occasions including the skeptical Thomas who demanded proof that his Lord was indeed alive.

The other disciples told him, "We've seen the Lord." Thomas told them, "I refuse to believe this unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my fingers into them, and put my hand into his side."  John 20:25

Okay Thomas, wish granted,

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”  John 20:26-28

Happy now, Thomas?

The Romans and Jews spread the rumor that the disciples secretly came in and stole the body to further the doctrine of Christianity.

Two problems with that silly rumor.

The disciples were no match for the Roman soldiers securing the tomb who guarded it as though their life depended on it, which it literally did.

Secondly, ten of the original disciples were martyred for their faith in Jesus as God.

If they somehow managed to outfight the powerful guards and flip the boulder several yards away would they die for a LIE, something they knew wasn’t true?

That’s not a martyr, that’s an idiot.

Someone might die for something they believed to be true but no one is going to be boiled in oil, crucified upside down or stoned to death for something they know to be false.

Questions:

Why did the Roman soldiers run away?

How was the Roman seal broken?

Who picked up the two ton boulder?

Answer: The Holy Spirit.

God’s Spirit moved the Son from that tomb to be revealed by several angels Jesus was no longer present there. This action is what terrified the Roman soldiers. When they saw just the linens and nobody inside, they bolted like screaming seals in the pursuing wake of a Great White.

Greatest army in the world, huh?

Chicken livers to a righteous and holy God.

After the military mice sprinted away the angels hung around to tell Mary and Martha, “Happy Easter !“

These heavenly soldiers of spiritual substance were God’s glorious messengers announcing, “He is risen!”

Here is the personal part for you and me as Christians.

The power of the Holy Spirit not only raised Jesus from the dead but now resides in every believer to give each of them that same power to live forever,

“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

Romans 8:11

How cool is THAT?

Adam sinned in Genesis 3:17-24, plunging all mankind into eternal death and physical death as well.

But, the resurrection of Christ was necessary not to just raise Jesus from the dead but resurrect all believers who belonged to him, as well.

Read on, eternal soul man and woman.

“For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”  I Corinthians 15:21-22

Jesus rose from the dead so we could do it, too! That is why the resurrection is the TOUCHSTONE of our faith in God. Make sure you study it and grasp its powerful meaning here.

For all the wonderful details of the resurrection, I refer you to one of my mentors, Josh McDowell, who wrote a great book entitled, “Evidence that Demands a Verdict.”

It needs to be in your library.

One of my favorite sayings summarizing this event,

“What is the difference between Christmas, Buddhamas and Hindumas?

Answer: Easter.

Have fun dying your eggs and hiding them if that is important to your family. Enjoy your chocolate bunnies and candy chickies. But, take the time to celebrate the holiest day in history, Easter Sunday, the day Jesus Christ delivered us from death.

Forever.

Stick that in your ear, Giant Rabbit Face!

Chapter 11—The Ascended Jesus

A famous zoo introduced a powerful lion to the public and enclosed him in an enclosure next to a tree house of chattering monkeys. It was not long before the little apes figured out how to harass and irritate the king of the jungle.

The simians began tossing coconuts on the roof of the lion’s lair causing such a ruckus that the zookeepers moved in to change the texture of the roof from wood to tin.

Bad move.

The metallic covering was even worse.

Down thundered the coconuts like explosive bowling balls as they bounced noisily on the roof. It was driving the lion even more crazy. He began losing sleep, along with his magnificent fur.

The king was not being respected. The monkeys had all the control.

Finally, the head zookeeper called in an expert to remedy the situation. The consultant looked at the enclosures positioned side by side and within seconds had a logical solution,

“If you want to resolve the issue, stop protecting the lion. Just remove the roof and turn him loose. Then, you’ll see a lion act like a lion and monkeys acting like monkeys.”

Problem solved.

Jesus Christ is the lion.

We need to turn him loose and stop protecting him. He doesn’t need us to defend him. He can take care of the universe. He is the real Lion King.

The Lion King Jesus was turned loose at his Ascension into heaven where he ceased to be the Son of Man and resumed his deity as the Son of God.

Up to that moment on earth, Jesus was constantly filled with the Holy Spirit but as He disappeared into the sky above, He was God again in all his glory and power.

The Ascended Jesus, raised from the dead and eternally positioned next to His Father in heaven. The roof is off, the Lion is free and Satan and his monkeys are out of coconuts.

FIRST, we establish the position of Jesus in heaven now,

“And what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.”  Ephesians 1:19-21

These verses not only establish Jesus in eternal power but they doom the devil forever.

It couldn’t happen to a more evil spirit. Now, we get the right to be established with Him in eternal glory.

Hallelujah!

NOW, we establish our position in heaven when we die,

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”

Ephesians 2:4-6

My favorite set of verses in the Bible. I know, as a Christian, I am now SEATED in eternity forever, before I even die.

No one and nothing can ever hurt me again. I am forever accepted by God. Everything else is meaningless.

This is the CORE of the Ascended Jesus, the seating of Him and us at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

The truth of this will never change here. From the moment you ask Christ into your heart and become a child of God, (John 1:12) you will always have your place next to Him.

Nothing you do on earth can change that,

When you have a bad hair day, you are still seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

When you lose your job, you are still seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

When you gain weight, lose someone you love, have your home foreclosed or are up vomiting all night, you are still seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

You are always seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven as a believer in Christ.

You and I do not deserve it, we did not do anything to earn it and we are still going to sin on earth.

But, we are still seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

One more thing about the Ascension…

Just before he ascended into heaven he gave all of us believers a final command in Matthew 28:18-20.  Memorize it.

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

This is called, The Great Commission. It is our command to spread the name and Spirit of Jesus Christ to the world.

He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs  which the Father has fixed by His own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and  Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Jesus was challenging them, “It is time to go to work, young men. It is time to set in motion the ‘Acts of Jesus Christ’ not only in the Bible but in the world. It is time to set up the first church in Antioch and begin a ministry that will rock history forever.”

And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

Dumbfounded, the disciples just stood there. Here come the angels again,

And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said,

"Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This  Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."

Finally, the disciples made the most important journey of their lives. They took the first steps to go back to the place where their Master had been executed to begin the most important mission of their lives in the city where the Book of Acts began...

“Then they returned to Jerusalem.”

A simple sentence in Acts 1:12a setting in motion the beginning of Christianity forever. Once the disciples came off that mountain and headed back into town, they turned the world upside down.

The mountain represents our moments on Sunday morning in church and “returning to Jerusalem” is sharing Christ during the week with what we learned in church.

Christians are not called to the pew, we are called to the world.

The earthly ministry of Jesus was over. The Holy Spirit was now ready to lead the men and women of God to proclaiming the kingdom of God.

Jesus had done his work. He had conquered everything in sight and had empowered his followers to take the baton and run to win, evangelizing others to fulfill The Great Commission.

It is important to note the three greatest victories of Christ founded in the events below,

At the Crucifixion, Jesus conquered sin. At the Resurrection, Jesus conquered death. At the Ascension, Jesus conquered Satan and was placed above all people, places, things and spirits in the Universe.

The Ascending Jesus.

He finally took His place at the right hand of the Father and is now prepared to greet us at the time of our judgment with the words, “Well done good and faithful servant.”

Yes, we are.

Yes, he is too.

Chapter 10—The Prophesied Jesus

This chapter will BLOW YOUR MIND.

That’s all I am going to say.

Before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the Old Testament prophets were predicting his arrival in a variety of prophecies.

The prophets and writers in the Old Testament ordained by the Spirit of God were uncannily laying out a blueprint for God’s promised Messiah.

There are 331 prophecies linked to Jesus Christ hundreds of years before he took his first human breath. He completed every one of them, hence the chapter name here.

We can only focus on EIGHT main ones here for reasons of impact and space.

This will be an amazing series of verses for you to see here. These were written hundreds of years before anyone even knew the name of Jesus.

Take a deep breath, here we go,

#1: Genesis 18:18-19

“Since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?  For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.”

THE PROPHECY: Of all the nations of the world, God chose Abraham, the leader of the Jews, to head up the righteous line of heirs that would beget His Son. Jesus is now prophesied to be Jewish.

Yep.

#2: Genesis 49:10

“The scepter shall not depart from Judah,

Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes.”

The PROPHECY: There are twelve tribes of Israel. This is the accurate prediction that Shiloh (Jesus) will come from the tribe of Judah.

True.

#3: Jeremiah 23:5

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.”

PROPHECY: Within the tribe of Judah are many houses. One of them is the house of David. Making the blueprint of the Messiah even more specific.

Jesus is from the House of David.

#4: Isaiah 7:14

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name]Immanuel (God is with us).”

PROPHECY: Mary, the mother of Jesus was a virgin when she gave birth to him.

#5: Micah 5:2

“[But as for you, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.”

PROPHECY: There are two cities of Bethlehem in the region. Jesus was born in the city located in Ephratah, just as predicted.

#6: Psalm 41:9

“Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.”

PROPHECY: Judas, one of the chosen twelve apostles betrayed Jesus.

Luke 22:47-48. Right on schedule.

#7: Isaiah 52:13 to 53:17

“Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.”

PROPHECY: These verses in Isaiah 52 and 53 describe the detailed moments before the crucifixion of Jesus 700 years before Calvary. Long before the New Testament writers who were actually there that day!

#8: Psalm 22

“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.”

“Many bulls have surrounded me;

Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.

They open wide their mouth at me,

As a ravening and a roaring lion.

I am poured out like water,

And all my bones are out of joint;

My heart is like wax;

It is melted within me.

My strength is dried up like a potsherd,

And my tongue cleaves to my jaws;

And You lay me in the dust of death.

For dogs have surrounded me;

A band of evildoers has encompassed me;

They pierced my hands and my feet.

I can count all my bones.

They look, they stare at me;

They divide my garments among them,

And for my clothing they cast lots.”

PROPHECY: Psalm 22 is especially amazing since it predicted 11 separate things about Jesus’ crucifixion a thousand years before crucifixion was even invented.

Whoa!

Here is an amazing response to these prophecies,

A probability expert by the name of Dr. Peter Stoner, who was skeptical about Christianity, was challenged to come up with the odds that all 331 Messianic prophecies could be fulfilled by one man.

He chose to examine the odds of just eight prophecies and announced that if just these numbered predictions came true it would have the same odds as 1 in 10 to the 17th power.

That is 17,000,000,000,000,000,00 to 1, folks. It was too mind-boggling, so he put it into a simple word picture,

“Take the entire state of Texas and fill them knee-deep in silver dollars. Put a red check on one of the silver dollars and the odds that a blindfolded person could find that red-checked silver dollar on his first draw are the same odds that Jesus Christ, or any man, could fulfill just eight of the prophecies by chance.

He was asked about the odds if the other 325 prophecies were added to the equation and Dr. Peter Stoner just shook his head and exclaimed,

“Impossible.”

Soon after that, Dr. Stoner gave his life to Jesus Christ.

When you give your life to Jesus Christ, I want you to memorize these EIGHT prophecies.

Master them and share with them your skeptical friends.

These are called APOLOGETICS and they are powerful tools to bring unbelievers closer to accepting Jesus Christ.

The Prophesied Jesus

Amazing, amazing, amazing.

Chapter 12—The Compelling Jesus

Here is a definition of this remarkable face of Jesus,

Compelling (def.) Evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way.

Some people walk into a room and disappear into the crowd. Other people walk in and the crowd is mesmerized by them for the next several hours.

Great political leaders, sports figures and celebrities have a strong presence about them, John F. Kennedy, Elvis, Oprah, Ronald Reagan and Magic Johnson.

But, none more than Jesus.

In terms of the numbers that followed him, his teachings, his miracles, his memorable events and his legacy, no other human being comes close to matching him.

People adored or hated him but no one ever ignored him.

The Jews and the Romans were always aware of his dominating presence, where he was and what he was doing.

Even the powerful King Herod was so threatened by him in babyhood he had all the male children slaughtered when they were two years old or younger.

He wanted to snuff out the life of Jesus before he reached adulthood. Obviously, he failed.

Talk about being intimidated. The powerful King Herod feared the future Messiah, for good reason. Jesus is to be feared.

Compelling.

Jesus was SPECTACULAR, in so many ways and events.

Some orators give a great speech. Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount.

Prisoners are offered a final meal before they execute them. The final meal of Jesus was called the Last Supper.

Most people die without fanfare. Jesus was crucified, the most public and famous death in all of human history.

Will people be talking about President Kennedy, Elvis or Princess Di 2,000 years from now?

Not a chance.

These historical figures were famous for a time. 2,000 years after his death Jesus is more dominant than ever.

Compelling.

We celebrate the birthdays of George Washington, Dr. Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln.

Do they compare to the birth of Jesus?

Christmas.

Not even.

Someone once coined history as His story because everything involving events and mankind begins and ends with Jesus.

He is to human life and existence as Shakespeare was to literature, Alexander the Great was to emperors, George Washington was to the presidency, Babe Ruth was to sports and Michelangelo was to art.

Combined.

If you want to understand the word, “compelling,” read the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Once Jesus inserted himself into someone’s life it was never a casual meeting.

Ask Zacchaeus, Nicodemus, the Roman Centurion, the woman at the well, the man by the side of the pool, the Roman Centurion, the woman caught in adultery, the blind man by the side of the road, Lazarus and Pontius Pilate.

Engaging him was as casual as a Taser.

Jesus didn’t sashay up to people, he stunned them. The men and women he challenged were left reeling in his wake, never to be the same again.

Compelling.

Jesus had a powerful effect on people. They were drawn to him. They were called by him. They were chosen by him. They were commanded to follow him.

People love to talk about free will today as the foundation of the salvation experience.

That is like saying a condemned building can resist a wrecking ball.

Free will is not the assent, it is the afterthought. There is a standard phrase that always had it backwards,

“God says it. I believe it. That settles it.”

Wrong order here.

The truth of a compelling Christ is more accurately stated,

“God says it. That settles it. (therefore) I believe it.

The wrecking ball of salvation always wins here. When Jesus calls you, it’s time for your born again soul to go to heaven.

Your only possible answer is, “Yes, Lord.”

What else can you say to a Taser?

The Compelling Jesus.

Chapter 13—The Calling Jesus

Remember when you were a little kid and your mom called you to come inside at night? Remember how you usually complained about it?

“Awww mom, can’t I just play a little longer?”

Then, your father came out with that voice of his, and said, “Now.”

And, you quickly responded, “Yes, sir!”

The calling Jesus is like that. You have free will up to a point and then, “Now!”

“For He says, "AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU." Behold, now is "THE ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is "THE DAY OF SALVATION"    II Corinthians 6:2

When Jesus Christ calls a sinner to repent on that day of salvation, they accept.

Now.

On your day of salvation, your heavenly Father is calling you home to heaven. You have one response,

“Who are you, Lord?”

Yes, those words have been uttered before.

“Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

Tough guy.

As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’

Not so tough guy, after all.

And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.’”

The dynamic conversion of a man named Saul, a former persecutor of Christians is recorded here.

We know him by his new name.

The Apostle Paul.

Was he seeking Jesus Christ?

Nope.

Was he sympathetic to the Christian faith?

Not in a million years.

So, how was he converted to Christ?

God the Father called him to come home and Saul obeyed Him.

Just like your father used to do. Same voice.

Did Saul exercise his free will? Absolutely.

While he was blinded and lying helplessly on the ground he said, “Yes.”

Jesus reached down and through the power of the Holy Spirit, He told Saul to give up his soul. The response is a done deal.

When Jesus calls, you say yes. You never say no.

You stop playing and come home to your father, remember? Therefore, Saul was never going to say no. His free will was predestined to say yes to Jesus.

Accepting Christ is like receiving a bullet from a .357 Magnum. You don’t argue or negotiate with the Lord. You just do it.

Let’s not play theological games here. God has all the power and we have none.

Too many churches put too much emphasis on man’s free will and not enough on the sovereignty of God.

That is why humanistic churches are struggling out there.

An all-powerful Father in heaven is going to bring to salvation whomever He wants.

Period.

This is His universe and we are his inhabitants.

“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.”

Ephesians 1:4-5

There are three basic types of salvation theologies out there, free will, Calvinism and Calvinism that also believes in free will.

The bible clearly includes free will in any theological debate. The question is, how much free will really exists and when does it kick in?

Free will theologians argue that the human assent is the crux of the salvation decision.

Calvinists insist that if you are dead in your sins, then free will can only come alive after God brings the unbeliever to life.

By then, the sinner is destined to say yes to Jesus and he acknowledges it by using his free will, a mere formality.

Guess what?

It’s not important who is right or wrong here. But, it is vital to believe in a higher view of a sovereign God. He gets all the glory not man. God first, free will second.

For now, focus on Jesus.

Do you want a relationship with him?

Don’t worry about the heathen in Africa, “once saved, always saved,” what the various Buddhas, Mohammed or Gandhi ever said or wrote, which religion or church is best, what you do or don’t understand about the Bible or how you should be baptized.

Don’t worry about all the questions you really don’t care about anyway. Move on from them. Get to the point here.

Focus on Jesus.

He is calling you home.

Revelation 3:19-20,

“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

Open the door of your heart and invite him in.

This is your time.

Here is your prayer,

“Jesus, I am a sinner. I believe you died on the cross for me and I turn away from my sins and I open the door of my life and invite you into my heart. I believe you are the only way to God. I believe you gave your life for me and rose from the dead allowing me to live in heaven with you. Please take my life now and forever. Amen.”

Amen.

You have now completed your course on Jesus 101.

Welcome to heaven.

If you enjoyed reading, “Jesus Christ 101,” you may want to purchase the second book in the Faith 15 Series by Pat Hurley.

Powerful. Bible-based. Real. An entertaining and easy to read look at the Holy Spirit of God for new believers and anyone interested in understanding the Person, power and presence of the Holy Spirit and how He affects your life in dynamic ways.

Here is the link to Amazon kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GWR4IG2

If you wish to be included on the next installment of Pat’s basic series on Christianity, please send your email address to us at:

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Thank you for being one of my wonderful readers.

In His love,

Patrick