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18BODYOFCHRISTNEWSJANUARY2013x1cHesaidtothemButwhodoyousaythatIamx14Matthew1615Unlikethequestionx1cDoesGodexistx1dveryfewpeoplequestionwhetherJesusChristexisted.ItisgenerallyacceptedthatJesuswastrulyamanwhowalkedontheearthinIsraelmorethan2000yearsago.ThedebatebeginswhenthesubjectofJesusfullidentityisdiscussed.AlmosteverymajorreligionteachesthatJesuswasaprophetoragoodteacheroragodlymanoragoodmoralteacher.TheproblemisthattheBibletellsusthatJesuswasinfinitelymorethanaprophetagoodteacheroragodlymanoragoodmoralteacher.AmanwhowasmerelyamanandsaidthesortofthingsJesussaidwouldnotbeagreatmoralteacher.Hewouldeitherbealunaticx14onalevelwithamanwhosaysheisapoachedeggx14orelsehewouldbetheDevilofhell.Youmustmakeyourchoice.EitherthismanwasandistheSonofGodorelseamadmanorsomethingworse.YoucanshuthimupforfoolyoucanspitathimandkillhimasademonoryoucanfallathisfeetandcallhimLordandGod.WhoyoudecideJesusChristismustnotbeanidleintellectualexercise.YoucannotputHimonashelfasagreatmoralteacher.Thatisnotavalidoption.HeisaliaralunaticorLordandGod.Youmustmakeachoice.JesusisneverrecordedintheBibleassayingtheprecisewordsx1cIamGod.x1dThatdoesnotmeanhoweverthatHedidnotproclaimthatHeisGodasevidencedby...JESUSKNEWWHOHEWASvs.13-14InthispassageJesusaskshisdiscipleswhothepeoplesaythatheiswhileatthesametimeknowingwhohewas.WhodomensaythatItheSonofManamJesusunderstoodveryclearlywhohewashisquestionwaswithregardtotheperceptionthatthemasseshadofwhohewasandasweshallseemoreimportantlywhothedisciplesunderstoodhimtobe.Jesusisreferredtoasthex1cSonofManx1d88timesintheNewTestament.Afirstmeaningofthephrasex1cSonofManx1disasareferencetotheprophecyofDaniel713-14.Thedescriptionx1cSonofManx1dwasaMessianictitle.WhenJesususedthisphraseHewasassigningtheSonofManprophecytoHimselfandthushewastherecipientofauthoritygloryandsover-eignpower.TheJewsofthaterawouldhavebeenintimatelyfamiliarwiththephraseandtowhomitreferred.Jesuswaspro-claimingHimselfastheMessiah.Asecondmeaningofthephrasex1cSonofManx1disthatJesuswastrulyahumanbeing.GodcalledtheprophetEzekielx1csonofmanx1d93times.GodwassimplycallingEzekielahumanbeing.Asonofamanisaman.JesuswasfullyGodJohn11butHewasalsoahumanbeingJohn1141John42.YesJesuswastheSonofGodx14HewasinHisessenceGod.YesJesuswasalsotheSonofManx14HewasinHisessenceahumanbeing.Insummarythephrasex1cSonofManx1dindicatesthatJesusistheMessiahandthatHeistrulyahumanbeing.THEPEOPLEIDENTIFIEDHIMBYCOMPARISONvs.14.InresponsetoJesusquestionthedisciplesdeclaredthatthepeoplesoughttodefinewhoJesuswasbyhistoricalpersonalities.Intheirmindshemustbesomeoneofimportancebutnotonlyimpor-tantbutofspiritualimportance.Theiranswerinmanywaysaffirmedtheirbeliefoflifeafterdeathandofresurrection.ForifhewasindeedanyofthosewhomtheyperceivedhimtobeOldTestamentper-sonalitiesandprophetshewouldhavehadtocomebackfromthegrave.Wasthisamatterofsuperstitionorwerethesementheironlypointsofreference.NooneelsehaddonewhatJesuswasdoingwithouthavingbeenapersonofgreatanointing.Intheirsummationofwhohewastheycouldonlylooktothepasttowhattheyknew.IsthatnotlikeusWelooktoandcomparethepresentwiththepastwhenitcomestothebestplayersforbasketballfootballbaseballetc.Thoseinthepresentarejudgedbytheabilitiesofthoseinthepast.InMatthew124142Jesussetshimselfapartfromhistoricalfigures.AlthoughJesusdidsimilardeedstothoseinthepasthewasgreaterthanthemall.WhenhereferredtohimselfastheSonformanhesethimselfaparthesanctifiedhimselfasmorethananyofthosementioned.TheSonofmanwasthewaythatJesusdescribedhimselfthatwasindicativeofbothhumanityanddivinity.InourdayJesusiscomparedtoMohammedGandhiJosephSmithandotherspiritualper-sonalities.Howevertheresur-rectionsetJesusapartfromallhisearthlycomparisons.Theresurrectionwasandisthecrowningelementthatmakeshimlikenoneother.Allthosetowhomhemightbecomparedaredeadandgonenevertoriseagain.JesusontheotherhandlivesandsitsattherighthandofGod.SIMONPETERSUPERNATURALLYDECLAREDWHOHEWASvs.16-18.SimondeclaredthetruthaboutwhoJesuswas.InJesusresponsetoPeterx19sdeclarationheseemstobesayingthatPeterspokebetterthanheknew.ThedisclosureofwhoJesuswasbydivinerevelation.AlthoughhehadseenJesusworkmiraclesthefull-nessandrealizationofwhohewashadnotcometobear.Thedeathburialandresurrectionwereeventsyettocome.ItisinterestingthatJesuschangesthedisciplex19snamefromSimonBar-JonahmeaningSimonsonofJonahtoPeter.Ingivinghimanewnamehedoesnotsaythatyoushallbecalledbuthesaysx1cyouarePeterx1dandonPeterx19stestimonyofwhoJesusishewillbuildhischurch.BeginninginActs214weseethefulfillmentofJesusprophecyinthatweseePeterstandupanddeclarethegospelthatwouldbetheopeningsermonwherebythechurchwouldbebirthed.Wex1carex1dChristians.Christiansoughtnottobesomethingthatwearejustcalled.Itisindicativeofwhoweare.Itisourspiritualidentity.Othersmaychoosetolabelusotherwisebutifwehavecommit-tedourlivestoJesusasLordandSaviorweamnolongerwhoweusedtobewearerebornwehavebeengivenanewnameweanewcreationinChristJesus.Wecannotandwillnotletlifex19scircumstanc-esredefinewhoweare.WeareChristians.Wearenolongersinnersbutsaints.WearethechildrenofJesusWhatSayYouACASEFORCHRISTIANITYx13PART6ByRev.WilliamT.GolsonJr.Rev.WilliamT.GolsonJr.AmanwhowasmerelyamanandsaidthesortofthingsJesussaidwouldnotbeagreatmoralteacher.HewouldeitherbealunaticorelsehewouldbetheDevilofhell.EitherthismanwasandistheSonofGodorelseamadmanorsomethingworse.ContinuedonPage20