Is Jesus God or sent by God?   
      
      
   The first of a two-part article discussing the true role of Jesus.  Part 1:   
   Discusses whether Jesus called himself God, Jesus referred to as Lord and the   
   nature of Jesus.   
      
      
   Jesus is a figure who is loved and revered by billions of people the world   
   over.  Yet there is so much confusion surrounding the status of this colossal   
   personality.  Muslims and Christians both hold Jesus in high regard but view   
   him in very different    
   ways.   
      
   The questions raised in this article aim to get to the heart of the issues   
   surrounding Jesus: Is Jesus God? Or was he sent by God? Who was the real   
   historical Jesus?   
      
   Some ambiguous verses of the Bible can be applied erroneously to show that   
   Jesus is in some way divine.  But if we look at the clear, direct verses of   
   the Bible, we see again and again that Jesus is being referred to as an   
   extraordinary human being and    
   nothing more.  What emerges, when we consider the historical and logical facts   
   about Jesus’ life, is conclusive proof not only that Jesus cannot be God, but   
   that he never claimed to be either.   
      
   What follows are five lines of reasoning which clarify this subject for us   
   through the Bible itself and thereby allow us to discover the real Jesus.   
      
   1.      Jesus Never Calls Himself God   
      
   The Bible (in spite of being changed and adulterated over time) contains many   
   verses in which Jesus speaks of God as a separate person to himself.  Here are   
   just a few of them:   
      
   When a man addressed Jesus as “Good Teacher”, he replied “Why do you call me   
   good? No one is good except the one God.’’ [Mark 10:18]   
      
   In another instance he says: “I can’t do anything by myself.  Whatever I hear,   
   I judge, and my judgment is just.  I don’t seek my own will but the will of   
   the one who sent me.” [John 5:30]   
      
   Jesus speaks of God as a separate being to himself: I’m going up to my Father   
   and your Father, to my God and your God.  [John 20:17]   
   In this verse he affirms that he was sent by God: This is eternal life: to   
   know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent.  [John 17:3]   
      
   If Jesus was God he would have told people to worship him, but he did the   
   opposite and disapproved anyone worshipping him: And in vain they worship Me   
   [Matthew 15:9]   
      
   If Jesus claimed to be God than there should be hundreds of verses in the   
   Bible which would have mentioned it.  But there is not a single verse in the   
   entire Bible in which Jesus says I am God, worship me.   
      
   2.      Jesus as Son and Lord?   
      
   Jesus is sometimes referred to as ‘Lord’ in the Bible and at other times as   
   ‘Son of God’.  God is called the ‘Father’, so putting these names together it   
   could be claimed that Jesus is the son of God.  But if we look at each of   
   these titles in context we    
   will find that they are symbolic and not to be taken literally.   
      
   ‘Son of God’ is a term used in ancient Hebrew for a righteous person.  God   
   calls Israel his ‘son’: This is what the LORD says: Israel is my oldest   
   son.[Exodus 4:22].  Also, David is called the ‘Son of God’: The LORD has said   
   to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today    
   I have begotten You.’ [Psalm 2:7].  In fact anyone who is righteous is   
   referred to as God’s ‘son’: All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons and   
   daughters.  [Romans 8:14].   
      
   In the same way, when the word ‘Father’ is used to refer to God it shouldn’t   
   be taken literally.  Instead it’s a way of saying God is the creator,   
   sustainer, cherisher etc.  There are many verses for us to understand this   
   symbolic meaning of the word ‘   
   Father’, for example: one God and Father of all.  [Ephesians 4:6].   
      
   Jesus is sometimes called ‘Lord’ by the disciples.  ‘Lord’ is a term used for   
   God and also for people who are held in high esteem.  There are many examples   
   of the word ‘Lord’ being used for people in the Bible: So they (Joseph’s   
   brothers) went up to    
   Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.  “We beg your   
   pardon, our lord,” they said.  [Genesis 43:19-20].  Also, in other parts of   
   the Bible, Jesus is even called a ‘servant’ of God by the disciples: the God   
   of our fathers, has    
   glorified his servant Jesus.  [Acts 3:13].  This clearly shows that when   
   ‘Lord’ is used to refer to Jesus, it is a title of respect not of divinity.   
      
   3.      The Nature of Jesus   
      
   The nature of Jesus was totally different to that of God.  There are many   
   parts of the Bible that highlight this difference in nature:   
      
   God is All-Knowing but Jesus by his own admission was not All-Knowing.  This   
   can be seen in the following passage when Jesus says “But nobody knows when   
   that day or hour will come, not the heavenly angels and not the Son.  Only the   
   Father knows.” [   
   Matthew 24:36]   
      
   God is independent and he doesn’t need sleep, food or water.  Jesus however   
   ate, drank, slept and depended on God: As the living Father sent me, and I   
   live because of the Father.  [John 6:57].  Another sign of Jesus’ dependence   
   on God is that he prayed    
   to God: Going a little farther, he (Jesus) fell with his face to the ground   
   and prayed [Matthew 26:39].  This shows that Jesus himself sought help from   
   God.  God, being the one who answers prayers does not need to pray to anyone.    
   Also, Jesus said: I am    
   going to the Father, because the Father is greater than me.  [John 14:28].   
      
   The Bible is clear that God is unseen and is not a man: for no one may see me   
   and live.  [Exodus 33:20], God is not a man [Numbers 23:19].  Jesus on the   
   other hand was a man who was seen by thousands of people, so he could not be   
   God.  Furthermore, the    
   Bible makes it clear that God is too great to be inside his creation: But how   
   could God possibly live on earth with people? If heaven, even the highest   
   heaven, can’t contain you [2 Chronicles 6:18].  According to this verse Jesus   
   cannot be God living on    
   the earth.   
      
   Also the Bible calls Jesus a Prophet [Matthew 21:10-11], so how could Jesus be   
   God and be God’s Prophet at the same time? That wouldn’t make sense.   
      
   Additionally the Bible informs us that God does not change: I the Lord do not   
   change.  [Malachi 3:6:].  Jesus however went through many changes in his life   
   such as age, height, weight etc.   
      
   These are just some of the proofs within the Bible, which make it clear that   
   the nature of Jesus and God is completely different.  Some people may claim   
   that Jesus had both a human and a divine nature.  This is a claim that Jesus   
   never made, and is in    
   clear contradiction to the Bible which maintains that God has one nature.   
      
   4.      The Message of Jesus   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)