Jesus, God Incarnate - Nathele Graham - twotug@embarqmail.com
Jesus was God incarnate. That is a truth that many people deny. Many cults claim that Jesus was a prophet or a great teacher, but they do not recognize Him as God the Son, the second Person of the Trinity. Cults, such as Mormonism, claim to follow Jesus, but they deny His deity. Islam recognizes Jesus as a teacher, but they worship a demon god and deny the true God. Christianity has nothing in common with these religions or any other group that denies the deity of Christ. The Bible is quite clear that only God Almighty is to be worshipped and we are not to have any idol or false god in our life. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Exodus 20:3. Christians know that Jesus Christ is God the Son and therefore is to be worshipped. It's through Him, and Him alone, that the free gift of salvation is imparted. Without Him we would be lost and without hope.
Why do people dispute the fact that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh....God incarnate? The Biblical evidence of His deity is overwhelming, yet Satan blinds people to truth. One of the arguments these doubters use is they say that Jesus never claimed to be God. That's not true. Jesus certainly didn't run around saying "I'm God, I'm God so bow down and worship Me", but He did make it clear that He was God in the flesh. In fact, that claim was why the Pharisees plotted to kill Him. These religious leaders kept a close eye on Jesus. They didn't like that He seemed to have broken the Law by gleaning food from a field on the Sabbath and healing people on the Sabbath, so they confronted Him. "But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God." John 5:17-18. During another dispute with the Pharisees, Jesus explained to them that they didn't understand because they weren't His sheep and nobody could pluck His sheep from His hand, nor from His Father's hand. "I and my Father are one." John 10:30. You may not understand that Jesus was claiming to be God, but the Pharisees did. "Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God." John 10:32-33. These are just a couple of instances that Jesus asserted that He was God. If you are unwilling to accept that He is God, then in His own words "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." John 8:24. The word "he" is not in the original transcript but was inserted by translators. What Jesus actually said is that "If you don't believe that I am you shall die in your sins". I AM, of course, is God who spoke to Moses from the burning bush.
The Pharisees should have been well aware of the fact that Jesus was the Messiah, and therefore God in the flesh. Prophecy foretold that the Messiah would be born of a virgin, which He was. "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14. Matthew records the events surrounding the angel talking with Joseph and confirming that Mary was indeed a virgin but would give birth to the Messiah. "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." Matthew 1:22-23. The prophet Isaiah also wrote of the Messiah saying "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6. "The mighty God"? This prophecy of the coming Messiah was about Jesus, who is indeed "the mighty God". In fact, Jesus fulfilled hundreds of prophecies which foretold of His birth, life, and death. Only someone blinded by Satan would not be able to understand the fact that Jesus was God incarnate. That is true of the Pharisees and also true of people today who deny the deity of Christ.
Only God can forgive sin, yet Jesus did just that. Mark wrote about an incident when Jesus was in Capernaum and many people who just wanted to hear His words filled a house. Four men had a friend who was unable to walk and they knew Jesus could heal him. There is much speculation as to why this man was paralyzed, but it seems as if the paralysis had been caused by sin. His friends lowered the man and his bed down through the roof in order to bring Him before Jesus. "When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee." Mark 2:5. This upset the scribes who were among the crowd "Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?" Mark 2:7. It was always the religious leaders who were vocal about doubt. They knew only God could forgive sin and accused Jesus of blasphemy, but were blind to the fact that He was God. Jesus knew what they were thinking and confronted them. "But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house." Mark 2:10-11. This is just one incident where He forgave sin, but it is evidence that He is God. He still forgives sin today, and if you ask He will forgive you.
Only God forgives sin and only God is to be worshipped, and Jesus did allow Himself to be worshipped. One interesting account of Jesus accepting worship is found in John chapter 9. One Sabbath Jesus healed a blind beggar who was subsequently interrogated by the Pharisees. The once blind man stood firm against the Pharisees in regards to his healing. Ultimately they cast him out of the Temple. Later he encountered Jesus again and they had an enlightening conversation. "Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him." John 9:35-38. Jesus wouldn't have allowed Himself to be worshipped unless He was God. "And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind." John 9:39. He was not speaking of physical sight and blindness, but spiritual. The man who had been physically blind saw much more than the Pharisees who had physical sight. The blind man had his eyes opened and worshipped Jesus who was God in the flesh. One of the strongest declarations of worship came from Thomas, a disciple who doubted many things but knew Jesus well. Thomas hadn't been with the others after the Resurrection when Jesus came to them in a locked room, but a week later he was with them when Christ once again made an appearance. All doubt left his mind and he worshipped the risen Christ. "And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou has seen me, thou has believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. John 20:28-29. Christ is worthy of worship, honor, and praise. Don't be a doubting Thomas. Worship Christ and be blessed.
God is eternal. He had no beginning and has no end. John began his Gospel with the fact that Jesus, the Word, always existed. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1. John was one of the first to follow Jesus and knew Him well. He saw miraculous things and marveled. He saw the transfiguration and heard God the Father declare that Jesus was His son. John was an eyewitness and we can believe it when he says that Jesus, the Word, was God. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." John 1:14. Jesus is God and the Creator of all things. "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth." Genesis 1:1. Evolutionists deny God by denying His work of creation. Christians need to believe truth, not satanic deceptions. "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:" Colossians 2:8-10. Don't be led astray by people who are deceived. Jesus is the Creator. Jesus is the Word made flesh. Jesus is God.
People have always looked for God, but most people are really looking for a little "g" god instead of God Almighty. King David defined a fool as one who says there is no God. "[To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David]. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." Psalm 14:1. It's easy to justify sin or make up rules of right and wrong if there is no God. These fools who say there is no God do abominable things as evidenced in news headlines. The majority of today's society seem to have conveniently come up with a god who has no rules or basis of morality. It's easy to invent a god who says it's OK to participate in whatever sin you enjoy, but that god is Satan, not God Almighty. The Bible was penned by men, but is inspired by God and is our guide in morality and doctrine. If you reject Jesus and make up your own rules then you will be following Satan and he will lead you to eternal damnation.
It isn't enough to believe that Jesus was an historical figure. Jesus is God and you have to believe that in order to obtain salvation. He shed His blood for the forgiveness of sin; no human blood could accomplish that. If you deny His deity then you believe that the blood of a mere human can save you and you're deceived and lost. It was God's pure blood that was shed on the cross and only that blood has the power of salvation. Salvation only comes through Jesus, God incarnate. Peter knew this. In speaking of Jesus he said "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.
Don't be deceived. Jesus is God. Believe in Him and live eternally.
God bless you all,
Nathele Graham
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