With all the current hype of a Jesus
Christ Superstar revival
and the Da Vinci Code, Jesus’ Godhead versus
His manhood have been called into question.
However, based upon scripture we know the following three
important concepts:
· Jesus was true God and true man.
In Jesus Christ superstar, Mary Magdalene
sings that Jesus was just a man. However,
many verses in scripture talk about who Jesus really was:
Philippians 2:5-7
5Your attitude should be the same as
that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature[1] God,
did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[2] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
Footnotes: 2:6 Or in the form of ; 2:7 Or the form
Matthew
23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and
they will call him Immanuel"[1] --which means, "God with
us." Footnotes:
1 Timothy 2:5
5For there is one God and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus
John 1:1, 14
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his
glory, the glory of the One and Only,[1]
who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Footnotes: 1-Or the Only
Begotten
Questions:
Is the “Word” God,
Man, or both?
Who is the “Word” referring
to?
· 2) He never sinned and He did not have an intimate relationship
with or marry Mary Magdalene
In the Da Vinci
Code and in Gnostic religious books, we are told that Jesus and Mary Magdalene
had intimate relationships, kissed often and may have gotten married.
For we do not have a
high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one
who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.
As for Mary Magdalene, the Bible only tells us this about her:
·
Jesus cast seven demons
from her.
·
She was at His crucifixion.
·
She witnessed Christ's burial.
·
She was with the group of women ("The Myrrh-bearers")
at the tomb after Jesus’ burial
·
She was the first
person to see the risen Christ.
It does not say anymore.
While some Theologians have speculated that Mary Magdalene was a
prostitute and was the woman who poured perfume on Jesus’ feet – neither of
these is stated in scripture. These
beliefs are purely conjecture and not founded in scripture.
NOTE: To add or take away from scriptures account is simply is
wrong. Jesus’ warning in Revelations 22:18-19
should be a reminder about how we should view all of scripture:
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If
anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this
book. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will
take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which
are described in this book.
Questions:
According to Revelation’s
view of scriptural interpretation, Is it acceptable
then to say Jesus got married or had intimate relationships with women? Yes or
No?
Why would Satan want
you to think Jesus did this?
· 3) Satan is a deceiver and
desires to confuse your beliefs in God.
He does that by telling “half-truths” which get you to doubt God’s word.
Satan even tried to tell Jesus half truths when he
tempted Jesus; but Jesus was not fooled.
After all, He inspired the scriptures and new them
better than Satan did.
Matthew 4:1-11
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the
devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter
came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to
become bread." 4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on
bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'[1]
" 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the
highest point of the temple. 6 "If you are the Son of God," he said,
"throw yourself down. For it is written: “’He will command his angels
concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not
strike your foot against a stone.'"
7Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to
the test.'" 8 Again, the devil took
him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and
their splendor. 9 "All this I will give you," he said, "if you
will bow down and worship me." 10Jesus
said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord
your God, and serve him only.'[4]
“ 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and
attended him.
2 John 1:7
Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh,
have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the
antichrist.
2 Corinthians 2:10-12 Paul writes:
I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11in order that
Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his
schemes.
2 Corinthians 11:14
And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
9The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of
Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10and
in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing.
John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your
father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the
truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native
language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
1 John 2:22
Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a
man is the antichrist–he denies the Father and the Son.
Questions:
According to these
verses, what are the characteristics of Satan?
How do these compare
or contrast with Jesus’ characteristics?
Can Satan be trusted
to tell you the truth about Jesus and scripture?
How can we know when
Satan is deceiving us? What should we
do?