I CHOOSE JESUS

ii
 I CHOOSE JESUS

Copyright 2017 by K. R. Funk Cook All Rights Reserved

Permission is granted to download and distribute as many copies of this work as needed,
printed or digitally, free-of-charge in its entirety without revisions or any alteration or omission
of the text.

If the Holy Spirit moves you to send a donation, send to I CHOOSE JESUS c/o K.R. Cook, 15
Cambridge Drive, Red Hook, NY 12571, or via PayPal at krcfunk@aol.com

Cover Photo by Anthony Easton, Creative Commons License

Back Photo by Pablo Juan, Creative Commons CC0 License

iii
I CHOOSE JESUS

iv
 I CHOOSE JESUS

Who Is Jesus?

Jesus Christ is known by this name in the English speaking world. In East Scandinavian, German
and several other languages, the name Jesus is also used. Some other language usage is as
follows:

In the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, there is a table with His name in other languages.

Language Name/variant

Afrikaans Jesus

Albanian Jezusi

Arabic `Is ( Islamic) / Yas` ( Christian)

Aragonese Chess

Aramaic/Syriac( Isho)

Arberesh Isuthi

Armenian (Eastern Armenian) (Western Armenian) (Hisus)

Azerbaijani sa

Belarusian (Isus) (Orthodox) / (Yezus) (Catholic)

Bengali Jeeshu/Zeeshu (Christian) Eesa (Islamic)

Breton Jezuz

Catalan Jess

Chinese simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Ys

Cornish Yesu

Czech Je

Dutch Jezus

Estonian Jeesus

Filipino Jess (Christian and secular) / Hess or Hesukristo (religious)

Fijian Jisu

1
 I CHOOSE JESUS

Finnish Jeesus

French Jsus

Galician Xess

Garo Jisu

Georgian (Ieso)

Greek (Iiss modern Greek pronunciation)

Haitian Creole Jezi

Hausa Yesu

Hawaiian Jesu

Hebrew Yeshu ( Jewish, secular) / Yeshua ( Christian)

Hindustani ( s)

Hmong Daw Yexus

Hungarian Jzus

Icelandic Jess

Indonesia Yesus (Christian) / Isa (Islamic)

Irish osa

Italian Ges

Japanese (Iesu)/ (Iezusu)(Catholic)/(zesu) (zezusu)(Kirishitan)

(Iisusu)(Eastern Orthodox)

Jinghpaw Yesu

Kazakh (Isa)

Khmer (Yesu)

Korean (Yesu)

Kurdish sa

2
 I CHOOSE JESUS

Latvian Jzus

Ligurian Ges

Limburgish Zjezus

Lithuanian Jzus

Lombard Ges

-Marathi Yeshu

Malayalam Isho (Yeshu)

Mirandese Jasus

Maltese es

Neapolitan Gs

Norman Jsus

Occitan Jsus

Piedmontese Ges

Polish Jezus

Portuguese Jesus

Romanian Isus

Russian (Iisus)

Sardinian Gess

Serbo-Croatian Isus /

Sicilian Ges

Sinhala Jesus Wahanse

Scottish Gaelic osa

Slovak Jei

Slovenian Jezus

3
 I CHOOSE JESUS

Spanish Jess

Swahili Yesu

Sylheti Zishu(Christian) Eesa (Islamic)

Tajik (Iso)

Tamil Yesu

Telugu Yesu

Thai Yesu

Turkish sa

Turkmen Isa

Ukrainian (Isus)

Uzbek Iso

Venetian Jesu

Vietnamese Gisu

Welsh Iesu

Yoruba Jesu

Zulu uJesu

To learn more about the name of Jesus, you can read information in the encyclopedia here:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_(name)

Jesus was an actual person and other writings besides the Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John in the Holy Bible record his existence. He lived thousands of years ago and was too poor to
hire someone to paint His portrait or make a statue of Him. No one knows what he looked like.
All the paintings and statues of Jesus you see are from the artists' imagination. Sometimes
people posed for the artists as Jesus.

Jesus was a carpenter. He was born to Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem. Both Mary and Joseph
were deeply devoted to God. The Bible says he was born in a shed, cave or barn where animals
were kept, such as cows, sheep, and donkeys. He was wrapped or swaddle in cloth and he slept
in a manger, a wooden frame where hay was placed to feed the animals. The Bible says his

4
 I CHOOSE JESUS

mother was a virgin and his father was God. God sent the Holy Spirit to form Jesus as a baby.
Because Jesus was conceived this way, he was born without sin. Now, this is important because
Jesus was God Incarnate, God in the form of a human, so he had to be born without sin. Many
people don't believe that Jesus is the Son of God. They say he was a Rabbi (or teacher), a great
prophet, but Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God. They believe he is the Christ, the
anointed one, the Messiah promised in the Bible to the Jews. They argue that no virgin can
have a baby. And yet, God is able to do the impossible. Matthew 19:26, King James Version
(KJV): 26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God
all things are possible.

It is wonderful that God, a spirit no man has ever seen, reached out to human beings in the
form of a baby. Doing this allowed people to know God: When Jesus was a grown man he said
to one of his followers, called disciples, in John 14:9, King James Version: Jesus saith unto him,
Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen
me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

No other god has loved us so much that he sent us Jesus!

Jesus was visited by shepherds and wise men in Bethlehem dedicated in the temple in
Jerusalem, and then he and his parents had to flee Bethlehem and run to Egypt so he would not
be killed by the jealous King Herod the Great. The king was jealous because the Messiah was
also a king, the true King of the Jews. So the wicked king wanted to kill the baby Jesus. Since no
one knew what he looked like and the wise men decided not to tell King Herod where baby
Jesus was, the wicked king killed all boy babies in Bethlehem under the age of two years old.

Jesus and his parents stayed in Egypt until the wicked king died. Then they moved to Nazareth,
where is father worked as a carpenter and taught Jesus the trade. He had many brothers and
sisters, although some people think they were actually cousins, and he was a good son. Not
much is in the Bible about his childhood. He went to Jerusalem with his parents when he was
twelve years old and Mary thought he got lost. She was scared and she and Joseph looked for
him, and finally found Jesus, just a mere twelve years old, teaching the Rabbis! When Mary told
him she was so worried, Jesus replied, in Luke 2:49, English Standard Version: And he said to
them, Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Fathers house?

When Jesus was thirty, he began his ministry. He was baptized by John the Baptist and people
saw a dove ascend on Jesus, representing the Holy Spirit. The Bible says he taught for three
years, starting in Capernaum, which was close to his hometown of Nazareth. There at a
wedding, he changed water into wine. This was Jesus's first miracle and you can read about it in
the Bible in John 2:1-1.

5
 I CHOOSE JESUS

Jesus recruited twelve followers, or disciples, and other followers, including the woman Mary
Magdalene, and they walked all over the Holy Land of Galilee and Judea teaching and
performing miracles so people would believe he was God's Son. He even went to Samaria to
teach a woman who was not a popular person at a well. Besides telling people that he was the
Son of God and that the God Incarnate looked like him, he taught us to love our neighbors as
ourselves and to treat people the way we would want to be treated. He even rose up a dead
man, Lazarus, from the grave! See John 11 for the story. You can read about his entire ministry
in the Bible in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Focus on his temptation by the
devil in the desert, his teaching of the right way to pray, and his Sermon on the Mount.

Because his teachings made him popular with many people, the people in power, the priests,
Pharisees, and another King Herod, were jealous and afraid of Jesus. They also were afraid that
the country that occupied the Holy Land, the Roman Empire, would punish them if people
made Jesus their king and rebelled against the Romans.

So, after Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey like a king and threw out the money changers
from the temple, the people in power plotted to kill Jesus. They bribed one of Jesus's followers,
Judas, to turn Jesus in, had him arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, and tried in front of a
Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. The governor thought King Herod should try Jesus because he
didn't break any laws! King Herod mocked Jesus and sent him back to Pilate. Pilate wanted to
release Jesus but the mob yelled to crucify him and release a crook, Barabbas.

Pilate washed his hands in a basin and gave the crowd what they wanted. Jesus was whipped
beyond what any human being could endure, was bleeding from the crown of thorns on his
head, and forced to carry a cross to a hill to be crucified. A visitor helped him carry the cross to
the hill. Jesus was nailed to the cross and hoisted up into the air between two thieves. Death by
crucifixion was a ghastly way to die. The victim was suspended in agony until he could no longer
breathe. Jesus had a sign above his head that said he was the King of the Jews. One of the
thieves mocked him, taunting him to save himself, and the other thief asked Jesus forgiveness.
Jesus granted it. He was given vinegar on a sponge on a stick to drink. He asked God to forgive
people for killing him, a sinless man, the Son of God, gave God his spirit, said it was finished,
and died as his mother and other women cried. He then died and his side was pierced by a
spear to make sure he was dead. God turned the sky to night and the veil enclosing the Holy of
Holy's was ripped from the bottom up.

Jesus's body was buried in a tomb. The governor put a guard of soldiers around the tomb so no
one could steal his body. Yet, on the third day, Jesus became alive, just like Lazarus, and left the
tomb. He met Mary Magdalene in the garden outside the tomb and she did not recognize him
until he spoke. She ran to get the disciples Peter and John to witness the empty tomb and
Jesus's resurrection. Later, when Peter and John and other followers who had seen Jesus told

6
 I CHOOSE JESUS

the others, a disciple named Thomas said he would not believe it until he saw it with his own
eyes. Jesus came through a locked door and showed Thomas the holes in his body where the
nails had been hammered through and the hole in his side where a spear had been thrust.
Thomas no longer doubted that Jesus arose from the tomb.

Jesus ascended to Heaven later, which was witnessed by his followers. They saw him with
Abraham and Moses. To this day, Jesus is with God in Heaven.

Why Did Jesus Die?

It is hard to understand why God's plan all along was for Jesus to die on the cross. It is just as
difficult to comprehend that Jesus arose from the dead and is alive now. It is okay not to fully
understand why Jesus died for our sins. It is more important to believe that Jesus died for our
sins so we could have eternal life with Him in Heaven. John 3:16, King James Version sums it up:
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.

To begin to understand why Jesus had to die, you need to go to the first book of the Bible,
Genesis, and read how Adam and Eve disobeyed God when they ate the fruit from a tree He
told them not to eat. God knew they had eaten from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
because they knew they were naked, covered themselves with fig leaves and hid from Him in
the Garden of Eden. God confronted them. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent that
told her if they ate the fruit they would be like God. So God kicked them out of the Garden of
Eden before they could eat the fruit of the Tree of Life, which would make them live forever.

He killed animals so that Adam and Eve would be clothed suitably, and that was the first time
blood was shed so mankind could be covered for his sin. He then told them that they would
have children and die, and would till the earth to grow food. He promised a Messiah then, a
seed of the woman who would rise up to bruise the serpent.

From that time on God expected people to sacrifice unblemished animals to atone for their sins.
This is why Cain's sacrifice of vegetables and fruits did not match Abel's sacrifice of animals.
Cain made things worse when he killed Abel out of jealousy. Mankind continued to sin, to
believe they were God and could do what they wanted. So God told Noah to build an ark, and
killed all His creation except Noah, his family, and selected animals in a huge flood. Creation
started anew and God promised He would never destroy the earth again with a flood. Offerings
were still blood offerings to atone for sin. And human beings continued to corrupt the world as
God made it, even to this day. Animal offerings were included the First Passover, where the
enslaved Israelites in Egypt had to slay a lamb and cover the door post of each house so the

7
 I CHOOSE JESUS

Angel of Death would not enter. However, animal offerings were not good enough. God knew
that only the sacrifice of his only begotten Son, Jesus, whose blood was shed while he was
whipped and nailed to the cross, his death and resurrection, could save his fallen creation, but
only if people believed in John 3:16 and Jesus's words in John 14:6, King James Version: Jesus
saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus Will Come Again

In the Gospels, Jesus promised that although he would be killed, he would come back to earth
again and establish his kingdom there. His followers really did not understand what he was
talking about until after his death and resurrection. Through the Apostle Paul's writings, God
explained that Jesus's death and resurrection also made eternal salvation available to every
human being who believes in John 3:16, not just Jews who were circumcised and kept the laws
God gave them through Moses. The Apostle John later wrote the Book of Revelation to record a
vision he had seen from Jesus about the signs of his Second Coming. Other books about the end
of the age are the Old Testament books of Isaiah and Daniel. Read these books for yourself to
learn about the rapture and the tribulation.

In Matthew Jesus said no one would know the day or the hour. (Matthew 24:36) Some day
everyone will look up in the sky and see a great wonder. They will all exclaim, "Jesus is here!"
They will all bow down and know that He is the Son of God. He will also be the Supreme Judge
and His word will be final. He will decide if you go to Heaven or hell.

Jesus Christ is not a myth. He was an actual person and other writings besides the Gospels
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Holy Bible record his existence. He lived thousands of
years ago and was too poor to hire someone to paint His portrait or make a statue of Him. No
one knows what he looked like, but his impact has been tremendous.

Today many people claim that the stories of Jesus's birth, ministry, death and resurrection in
the Gospels are myths, and they claim that Jesus of Nazareth was just a man. Some say he was
a great prophet and teacher, but argue that He was never God in the flesh. It takes faith to
believe that Jesus is God Incarnate and came to show us the Kingdom of God, died for our sins,
and has risen from the dead so we can escape death ourselves. All we have to do is believe in
Him and we can have eternal life.

Faith is hard for people to come by because they cannot touch it, smell it, see it, taste it, or hear
it. It comes from a person's inner being, what has been traditionally called the heart of the
person. To believe in Jesus Christ you have to believe that the impossible has happened. You
also have to believe that the impossible can happen. Matthew 19:26, King James Version (KJV):

8
 I CHOOSE JESUS

26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all
things are possible.

God can cause a virgin to give birth to Jesus, his only begotten son. God can will that Jesus died
on the cross for our sins. God can raise Jesus up to Heaven. God can return Jesus to earth at the
Second Coming. Human beings cannot do any of these things although we try. We try to create
life and we try to bring back people from the dead. We try to be God. So we are skeptical that
God can do the impossible, that Jesus will come again. It takes great faith and imagination to
believe that Jesus is the way to God.

Whether or not you believe, Jesus will come again and everyone will proclaim, "Jesus is here,"
when he does. Are you ready? Do you choose Jesus? I know I do.

Finding a Church

Look for a church that teaches the Bible more than denominational doctrines, that stats
focused on traditional preaching and forsakes anything trendy, such as prosperity preaching.
Make sure the Holy Spirit is not stifled. Other things to watch for are the power structures of
the church. Is it run like a country club? Do the minister and the people in church invite
participation from newcomers? Does the church constantly focus on money over ministry ( a
huge red flag)?

The online church is the place to be if you are between church families. If you are on Facebook,
visit the group Word of God Speaks at
https://m.facebook.com/groups/414924375350168?ref=bookmarks

Resources

Bible: Two good websites to read the Bible are www.biblegateway.com and www.biblehub.com.
The Bibles here are free, and so are some of the commentaries. A wonderful app is YouVersion,
which allows you to download a free Bible. YouVersion also has a website:
https://www.youversion.com/.

Questions: https://www.gotquestions.org is a great website dedicated to answering questions

about the Bible.

Jesus is not a myth: Read https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historicity_of_Jesus

9
I CHOOSE JESUS

10