10 Reasons To Believe God Became a Man
1. A Virgin Conceived: If Mary was telling the truth, her baby had no human father. An angel told her she would conceive a son by God’s Spirit. This child, to be named Jesus, would be the Son of God (Luke 1:26-35). If Mary was lying, the night of Jesus’ birth was not holy, and the only thing that was silent was the truth. If her son’s life was the same as any other life, her claim of a virgin birth would be the easiest of all stories to dismiss.
2. An Old Testament Prophet Predicted A God-Man: Seven hundred years before, the prophet Isaiah made this prediction, “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Isaiah also prophesied, “The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Immanuel means “God with us.”
3. Angels Announced the Birth: An angel announced the birth of Israel’s long-awaited Messiah to terrified Jewish shepherds (Luke 2:8-14). “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manager” (vv.12-12).
4. A Sign Appeared In The Sky: A group of wise men from the East followed a star to the town of Bethlehem where they found the long-awaited Messiah. For hundreds of years Old Testament prophets had been speaking of “a Star” and “a Scepter” that would come out of Israel (Numbers 24:17), a ruler of Israel who would come out of Bethlehem, a ruler “whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).
5. The Time Was Right: If the wise men who worshiped Jesus after His birth came from the region of Babylon, they could have had access to the prophecy of a Jewish prophet named Daniel. While in exile in Babylon 400 years earlier, Daniel had a vision (Daniel 7:13-14, 9:24-27) that allows for the calculation of the arrival of the Jewish Messiah.
6. Jesus Claimed To Be Equal With God: Jesus repeatedly claimed to be one with God. Jesus has said, “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). (In Exodus 3:14, the Name I AM was used by God to identify Himself to Moses.) “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also” (John 14:7). Jesus said that to love or hate Him, or to receive or reject Him, was to love or hate, receive or reject His Father in heaven.
7. His Friends Worshiped Him: When Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples, saw the resurrected Christ, he declared, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). The apostle John wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made . . . And the Word became 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 1:1-3, 14).
8. Jesus’ Enemies Accused Him Of Blasphemy: The religious leaders were outraged to think that the same man who accused them of being hypocritical and blind leaders, would also claim to forgive sins, speak of God as His Father, and even say that He was one with God. The religious leaders picked up stones to kill Jesus saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God” (John 10:33).
9. Jesus’ Miracles Supported His Claims: Jesus’ miracles were signs and wonders to encourage men and women to believe in Him. He walked on water, healed the sick, and even raised the dead. The apostle John wrote, “Truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, where are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31).
10. His Departure Was Greater Than His Arrival: Many people have claimed to be gods. Yet only one man has been willing to die for the sins of others. Only one has risen from the dead to prove that He is the Son of God. After Jesus voluntarily gave His life on an executioner’s cross, He appeared to His closest disciples and more than 500 other followers for a period of 40 days (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). The eyewitnesses were so convinced of His resurrection that they were willing to suffer and die for their claims. Then on the Mount of Olives, He gave them His last words and ascended into the clouds. With a departure more spectacular than His arrival, Jesus left us with a better understanding of the announcement of the angel who said, “There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).
You’re Not Alone: You’re not alone if you have mixed feelings when you think about the evidence surrounding the life of Jesus. You may feel compelled to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but you’re not sure of your relationship to Him. If that’s the case, be assured of this: If you accept Him, He will accept you. If you will receive His offer of forgiveness, everlasting life, and adoption in the family of God, He will become your Savior, Teacher, and Lord. It’s the greatest gift of all – the gift bought by God Himself – for you.
For Further Reading: Why Does It Make Sense To Believe in Christ?” Read it online at www.discoveryseries.org/q1104 or request it by writing to RBC Ministries at USA: P.O. Box 2222, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-2222 or CANADA: Box 1622, Windsor, ON N9A 6Z7
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10 Reasons to Believe God Became a Man.