Friday, September 16, 2011

Who is Jesus?

Ralph Mount did a cassette lesson titled, “The Truth About Jesus If You Really Want to Know”. I highly recommend it – if you want to know.

But I think most people don’t want to know. I think most people are happy to sit and listen to someone else tell them who they think Jesus is….and don’t try to find out who He REALLY is.

This is not really an if-ism. I have no questions on this one – this is simply my personal “fact sheet”. So I’ll call it a fact-ism.

I guess there are those who think He was a human being. I have never thought that. I have always known Him to be the Son of G-d, the Son of Jehovah, G-d in the flesh – however you want to say it. I have never doubted for one second in my entire life that Jesus was the son of G-d.

And that amazes me. I love to question everything. I love to argue. I love to research, study, learn, grow. But since as early as I can remember, no matter who has wanted to have a discussion with me, I have remained steadfast in my personal knowledge that Jesus is the Messiah, that He is the Son of G-d, that He is the Savior.

But in recent study, I think I have come to know more of who He is.

No one has ever seen the face of Jehovah the Father. Jesus is Jehovah in the flesh.

I think it’s important to mention a couple of things here. In most Bible translations, there’s a dividing point called the Old Testament and the New Testament. But they really are not in the right place. The New Testament, or new covenant, actually began only after the resurrection of Jesus. His life, His teachings, everything prior to His death…is literally still part of the “old” covenant. There was nothing “new” until after He was raised from the dead.

So, that should help you understand that during His life here on earth, He was bound by the “law” (the Old Testament, the old covenant). He would have taught the Torah. He would have studied the Torah. There were no gospels for Him to speak from. He would have kept all of the Jewish customs, feasts….and I believe if you study, you will see that He did. The last supper was in fact a Passover. He simply expounded upon them, explained them, expanded them.

What else do I believe?

That He entered into the belly of Mary moments before birth. That she prepared a human body, a “tabernacle” for Him to dwell in. That she is NOT the mother of God, she was the person assigned to prepare a human dwelling for the Son of G-d. There is no reason to worship her. In fact, I believe that would be a sin.

I believe that there was nothing human about Him other than the body that He was in. He was Jehovah on earth. He was sent to the Jews as the Messiah. I believe that He was in the beginning.

Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness;….

Plural.

I also think that the “new” testament should build upon the “old” testament. Not take anything away from it, but rather add to it. But I also think if you are Jewish, and if you keep the law, you will have eternal life because you keep the law. Therefore, I would not try to convert someone who is Jewish. I think it is far worse for a Jewish person to take up pagan holidays such as Christmas and Easter than to keep Passover and Sukkot.

I believe that the gospel of the good news of salvation has already been told.

Col 1:21-23 “having-been preached in all creation the (one) under the heaven.

I believe that the gospel of the good news of the kingdom was future and that this was fulfilled in 1948 when the kingdom was restored to the Israeli and when they joined the UN in 1949, then the entire world knew this as well.

ACTS1v6 On-the-one-hand therefore the (ones) having-come-together were-questioning him saying, Lord, if in this time are-you-restoring the kingdom to-the Israeli?

ACTS1v7 He-said to them: It-is not of-YOU to-come-to-know times or seasons which the Father placed-for-himself in (his) own authority,

ACTS1v8 BUT YOU-will-take power, (after) the Holy Spirit (is) having-come-on upon YOU, and YOU-will-be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all the Judea and Samaria even till last of-the earth.

ACTS1v9 And having-said these-things (as) they (were) looking he-was-elevated, and (a) cloud assumed him from their eyes.

ACTS1v10 And as they-were staring into the heaven, (as) he (was) proceeding, and behold two men were-having-stood-alongside with-them in white esthesis,

ACTS1v11 Who also said: Men, Galileans, why have-YOU-stood-and-are-still-standing looking into the heaven? This the Jesus namely-the (one) having-been-taken-up from YOU into the heaven thus he-will-come (in) which manner YOU-beheld him proceeding into the heaven.

I believe that Jesus came to earth as a Jew. I believe that all of scripture was given to the Jews, written by Jews, and that Jesus was here as a Jewish man. The “church” did not exist. The Gospels have nothing to do with the “church”. They were all written by Jews, to Jews. That means Luke was a Jew. Paul was a Jew. Nothing else.

I believe that Gentiles can be grafted into the tree as a branch, but that the branch can be broken off.

Most important, I want my children to know that I pray for them every single day...that Jehovah will soften their hearts, that they might come to know who Jehovah Jesus Messiah is and that one day, they might understand what their mom believed.