Questioning Jesus: Why Jesus?

Part One

You see other religions believe in Jesus. The same one we believe in but just a bit different.

Buddhism
Jesus was a wise man who taught similar things as Buddha.
Works to get to heaven - Reincarnation
Hinduism
Jesus was just a wise man
Works to get to heaven - Reincarnation
Islam
Jesus was a prophet sent by Allah but superseded by Muhammad. Will return with the Mahadi to say that Islam is
the one true religion.
Works to get to heaven = Faith in Allah, Pray x5, Fast for Ramaadah, Alms to poor, Visit Mecca
Jehovah Witness
Jesus was a created being that was an archangel. Was resurrected but only physically.
Salvation through Christ and works. Must do enough works here on earth to be one of the 144,000 to get to
heaven. The others remain here on earth and the unbelievers get annihilated, do not believe in hell.
Mormonism
Jesus was on of the three gods. Believe and work way to Heaven
Scientology
You can become God through good works

ALL OF THEM BELIVE THAT WORKS ARE WHAT GET YOU TO HEAVEN.
Christianity
Salvation is a free gift bought by the sacrificial death of Jesus and his resurrection

THAT IS THE BIG DIFFERNCE BETWEEN ALL THE OTHER RELIGONS AND CHRISTIANITY.

Theirs is based on works to gain salvation or enlightenment:

• Meditation
• Prayers
• Pilgrimages
• Worshiping gods
• Evangelism

Christianity is not based on works. It is based on faith and accepting the free gift of salvation through the man
Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the Key:

Page 202 of Reason for God

Ours is faith followed by works.

There’s works followed by faith.

Jesus is the difference. He is the crux, the sticking point for all religions.
Was he God? Was he man? Is he the only way to heaven?
Yes to all the above

The book of Genesis and talks about how God created every thing and it was good. He created the sun. Moon,
stars, birds, fish, animals and man and after every thing he created he said it was good.

He created man from the dirt and breathed the breath of life into him and man became an eternal being with a
spirit.
God gave him dominion over the earth and said enjoy everything but don’t eat the tree.
But alas woman was made and she was tricked by the devil to eat the apple and then got the man to do it as well.

When this event happened sin entered the world and changed things forever.
• Romans 5

They are now separated from God. You see God cannot be around sin. He cannot stand evil. All he knows is good.

So man is forced to leave the garden and be separated from God. But before they go God gives a prophecy to the
serpent. He tells him in chapter 3 that one-day a man will come, and that man will be born of a woman. That man
will be bruised by the devil and even killed by him, but that man will end up crushing his head and restore man to
fellowship with God.

We know that man’s name. We know that God was talking about his son Jesus who would fulfill that prophecy
thousands of years later. He would be born, live a sinless life, be crucified on a cross, and buried in a tomb and
raise from the dead three days later. He would overcome death and would restore our fellowship back with God
and give us eternal life in heaven with him and God.

Jesus
• Virgin birth
• 100% God and 100% Man
o John 1: 1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. 2He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him
nothing was made that has been made.”
o John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his
glory, the glory of the One and Only,[a] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
• Sinless Life
o Heb 4:15 “We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through
weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin.”
• Crucified as a substitute for our death
o Hebrews 9:22 “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and
without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
o 1 Peter 2:24 “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to
sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.
o Romans 5: 8-9 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we
shall be saved from wrath through Him.
o Read case for christ page 201
• Rose from the dead three days later bodily
• Ascended to heaven bodily
o Romans 6: 8-11 “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9
knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has
dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that
He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin,
but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
o 1 Cor 15: 3-8 “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for
our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the
third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
6
After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part
remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then
by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due
time.
His death and resurrection gave us the free gift of salvation. All we have to do is accept the gift.
• John 3:16
• Romans 10:9-10

So why is Jesus so important?

Because with out him you have nothing. You have an empty religion that will get you nothing.