who is jesus? last week … what sort of “faith”?

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?

Last week …Last week …

What sort of “faith”?

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?

Faith: a decision to trust based on a careful examination of the evidence

Reliability of the Bible

Was He only human?

What Jesus claimed

His teaching, works character; prophecy

The problem of the resurrection

What sort of “faith”?

Historical evidence

Why Why did did

Jesus Jesus die?die?

Why did Why did Jesus Jesus die?die?

Crucifixion - God caught out by the unexpected?

… but makes the best of a bad job with resurrection?

““This man (Jesus) was handed over to you by This man (Jesus) was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge …”God’s set purpose and foreknowledge …” Acts 2 23


one of the cruellest forms of execution known to mankind

Cicero: “the most cruel and hideous of tortures”

took hours to die

abolished in 315 CE by the Romans

CrucifixionCrucifixion


Why is Jesus’ life remembered by a cross?

Why does Christian worship focus on the “broken body” and “shed blood” of Jesus?What does it mean when the New Testament says Jesus died “for our sins”?

What did Jesus’ death achieve?

Questions to address this Questions to address this evening …evening …

Why do the Bible writers spend so much space on Jesus’ trial and execution?


The greatest problem …The greatest problem …

Existential Philosophy:Existential Philosophy: “Man is in despair because of the gulf between what he could be and what he is”

Somerset Maughan:Somerset Maughan: “If I wrote down every thought I have ever thought and every deed I have ever done, men would call me a monster of depravity”

The Bible:The Bible: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3 23

(A “sinner” was an arrow that (A “sinner” was an arrow that didn’t even didn’t even reachreach the target) the target)

We We allall do things that we do things that we knowknow are are wrongwrong


The greatest problem …The greatest problem …We We allall do things that we do things that we knowknow are are wrongwrong

The pollution of The pollution of sinsin

Jesus said, “What comes out of you is what makes you ‘unclean’. For from within, out of your hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make you ‘unclean’.” Mark 7 20-23

Even if you are only a little polluted, Even if you are only a little polluted, you are no longer clean! you are no longer clean!



The power of sinThe power of sin

Jesus said, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin” John 8 34 sin becomes an addiction

addictions to alcohol or non-prescription drugs

addictions to temper, arrogance, pride, selfishness, sexual immorality and much more

addictions to patterns of thought or behaviour which we cannot break



The penalty for The penalty for sinsin

Something in human nature cries out for justice in the face of wrong

We rightly feel that sins should be punished

One day we will all be judged by God

The Bible connects the fact of human sin and the fact of death: “The wages of sin is death” Romans 6 23



The partition of sinThe partition of sin

Doing wrong damages relationships. Until someone takes the initiative and puts it right, there is separation.

The Bible tells us that our doing wrong has created a barrier to relationship with God “Your iniquities have separated you from your God” Isaiah 59 2


The solution to the problem The solution to the problem …… We We allall have a have a needneed to deal with to deal with sinsin in our in our liveslives

God loves us so much he does not leave us in the mess we have made of our lives

The “self-substitution” of God (John Stott) “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree … by his wounds you have been healed” 1 Peter 2 24

God sees our predicament, and takes God sees our predicament, and takes the weight of our sin on the weight of our sin on himselfhimself in in JesusJesus


The solution to the problem The solution to the problem …… We We allall have a have a needneed to deal with to deal with sinsin in our in our liveslives


The result …The result …

a picture from the Law a picture from the Law CourtsCourts the penalty of sin paidthe penalty of sin paid

according to God’s justice, we are guilty

because of His love, He pays the price““God did this … to demonstrate His God did this … to demonstrate His

justice”justice” Romans 3 26



a picture from a picture from the the

Market PlaceMarket Place the power of sin broken the power of sin broken

serious debts in Jesus’ time could result in being sold as a slave

it was possible to set someone being sold as a slave free by paying a “ransom price”

““Redemption … came by Jesus Christ”Redemption … came by Jesus Christ” Romans 3 24



a picture from a picture from the the TempleTemple

the pollution of sin the pollution of sin removedremoved in the Old Testament, laws were laid

down about sacrifice to bring cleansing for sin

the New Testament talks about Jesus’ blood with this picture in mind

Jesus said, “The Son of Man came … to give Jesus said, “The Son of Man came … to give His life … as a sacrifice for many”His life … as a sacrifice for many” Mark 10 45



a picture from a picture from the the

homehome the the partition of sin destroyedpartition of sin destroyed

putting right broken relationship - like the “prodigal son”

God (the Father) wants his relationship with us (rebellious children) to be put right … and watches and waits for our return“… “… the Son of God … who loved me the Son of God … who loved me and gave himself for me” and gave himself for me”

Galatians 2 20

who is jesus? last week … what sort of “faith”?

Documents

jesus die

man jesus

jesus death

wrong slide

jesus trial

jesus life

pollution of sin jesus

power of sin jesus