RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2020-09-29	Was Jesus Real?
		How do we know that Jesus was for real? 1. The apostle Paul treated the resurrection of Jesus as a compelling warrant for believing what Jesus said. Act 17:30  Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, Act 17:31  because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead. Paul treated the resurrection as the news by which God gave the world assurance that His Son was speaking the truth. God is saying, My Son by dying was vindicated by His resurrection. 1Co 15:5  and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 1Co 15:6  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. 1Co 15:7  After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 1Co 15:8  Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. Paul argues to his audience that they could actually confirm the claim of the resurrection because there were people still alive who witnessed the resurrection. Notice in verse 6 Paul says, “the greater part remains to the present”. Paul says this because he is writing about 20 years after the resurrection. He wants the folks in Corinth to know they can go to Jerusalem and find first hand accounts of those who saw Jesus alive from the dead. You can compare their testimonies. We call this historical control. Paul is speaking about a real event that his readers could check the claims for themselves from first hand accounts. So the first way that Paul credits historical testimony of Jesus is by saying He rose from the dead. Paul says I personally saw him as well. The more you get to know the apostle Paul, you will accept his testimony about Jesus. 2. The terms, Liar, Lunatic, or Lord are used to determine the claims of Jesus. This is from C.S. Lewis. If you read the gospels you find Jesus saying the absolute outlandish things. “If you seen Me you have seen the Father”. Jesus claiming to be equal with the Father “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Mt.10:37) “You have heard that it was said to those of old… But I say to you” (Mt.5:21-22). He claims greater authority than the OT. “No one takes it [My life] from Me, but I lay it down of Myself… and I have power to take it again” (Jn.10:18). “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (Jn.2:19). Jesus refers to His dying and resurrection. “before Abraham was, I AM” (Jn.8:58). So these words of Jesus say that He was either a liar, a lunatic, or He is the Lord. As you get to know Jesus you cannot with integrity say He is a liar. People are confronted when reading the gospel is Jesus a liar, Lunatic, or Lord? If the Holy Spirit is at work people cannot bring themselves to say, “Jesus is a liar” or “Jesus was a lunatic”. How do you decide who to trust? You get to know somebody by listening to them. Plus you watch them act, and you conclude, that person is reliable or not. 3. The words of Jesus are not intellectual but spiritual (Jn.7:17). Joh 7:17  If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. For most people the obstacle to recognizing truth in the words of Jesus is not intellectual. Rather it is that they do not want their will to be subjugated by Christ. People do not want to change their wills. They realize that if Jesus is Lord then they would have to yield to Him. They do not want to do that. Joh 5:44  How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

An Evangelical Free Church of America

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