Twelve Points That Show Christianity is True

1. Twelve Points That Show Christianity is True By: Dr. Norman Geisler Owning Your Worldview Considers:

2. Building Foundations • Apologetics • Logical Foundation (Points 1 and 2) • Supernatural Foundation (Points 3 through 5) • Historical Foundation (Points 6 through 12) • Point 7: The New Testament said Jesus Claimed to be God.

3. Review: • We established a logical framework for evaluating the exclusivity claims of the Christian worldview. • We reviewed classes of Apologetic arguments. • We defined what miracles are and how God uses them to confirm His message and messengers. • We determined that we can be confident the NT manuscripts were written with truthful and accurate details, and that those writings were copied and passed along without being corrupted.

4. The Bible & Claims of Divinity • The Old Testament outlines messianic prophecies.

5. – Psalm 2:7 (HCSB) I will declare the Lord’s decree: He said to Me, “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.” Father-Son relationship.

6. – Psalm 45:6-7 (HCSB) Your throne, God, is forever and ever; the scepter of Your kingdom is a scepter of justice. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy more than your companions. The author is addressing God and letting Him know that His God has anointed Him.

7. – Psalm 110:1 (HCSB) This is the declaration of the Lord to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool.” The Lord will extend Your mighty scepter from Zion. Rule over Your surrounding enemies. Is God talking to Himself?

8. Jesus Quotes Psalm 110:1 While the Pharisees were together, Jesus questioned them, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose Son is He?” “David’s,” they told Him. He asked them, “How is it then that David, inspired by the Spirit, calls Him ‘Lord’ : The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet’? “If David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how then can the Messiah be his Son?” No one was able to answer Him at all, and from that day no one dared to question Him anymore. – Matthew 22:41-46 (HCSB)

9. – Proverbs 30:4 (HCSB) Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son— if you know? God has a single son.

10. – Isaiah 9:6 (HCSB) For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

11. – Isaiah 63:7-9 (HCSB) He said, “They are indeed My people, children who will not be disloyal,” and He became their Savior. In all their suffering, He suffered, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. He redeemed them because of His love and compassion; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of the past.

12. – Zechariah 1:12 (HCSB) Then the Angel of the Lord responded, “How long, Lord of Hosts, will You withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah that You have been angry with these 70 years?” The Lord replied with kind and comforting words to the angel who was speaking with me.

13. – Zechariah 12:10 (HCSB) “Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem, and they will look at Me whom they pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly for Him as one weeps for a firstborn…”

14. The Bible & Claims of Divinity • In the New Testament Jesus claims He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies and therefore He is also God.

15. – John 8:4-6 (HCSB) “Teacher,” they said to Him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do You say?” They asked this to trap Him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse Him.

16. – Mark 2:5-7 (HCSB) Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” But some of the scribes were sitting there, thinking to themselves: “Why does He speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

17. – Mark 14:61-62 (HCSB) But He kept silent and did not answer anything. Again the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” “I am,” said Jesus, “and all of you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

18. Jesus Accepted Worship • Only God is allowed to accept worship.

19. – Mark 4:10 (HCSB) When He was alone with the Twelve, those who were around Him asked Him about the parables. He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables so that they may look and look, yet not perceive; they may listen and listen, yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back—and be forgiven.”

20. Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. And he said to Him, “I will give You all these things if You will fall down and worship me.” – Exodus 34:14 (HCSB) You are never to bow down to another god because Yahweh, being jealous by nature, is a jealous God. – Matthew 4:8-9 (HCSB)

21. Jesus Accepted Worship • Humans and angels are forbidden to receive worship.

22. – Exodus 20:1-4 (HCSB) Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. Do not have other gods besides Me. Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers’ sin, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands.

23. – Deuteronomy 5:6-10 (HCSB) I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. Do not have other gods besides Me. Do not make an idol for yourself in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. You must not bow down to them or worship them, because I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers’ sin to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands.

24. – Acts 14:15 (HCSB) “Men! Why are you doing these things? We are men also, with the same nature as you, and we are proclaiming good news to you, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them.

25. – Revelation 22:8-9 (HCSB) I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown them to me. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow slave with you, your brothers the prophets, and those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

26. Examples of Jesus Accepting Worship • The mother of James and Matthew (Matthew 20:20). • The Gerasene demoniac (Mark 5:6). • A healed blind man (John 9:38). • Doubting Thomas (John 20:28). • The women at the tomb (Matthew 28:9). • The Canaanite women (Matthew 14:33). • The disciples after the storm (Matthew 14:33). • A healed leper (Matthew 8:2). • The rich young ruler (Matthew 9:18). • The disciples at the Great Commission (Matthew 28:17).

27. Jesus Accepted Worship • Jesus not only accepted worship, He also promoted it.

28. – John 20:28-29 (HCSB) Thomas responded to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Those who believe without seeing are blessed.”

29. – Matthew 16:16-17 (HCSB) Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!” And Jesus responded, “Simon son of Jonah, you are blessed because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in heaven.

30. By Accepting Worship, Jesus Claims Deity • Jesus was well versed in the Law. • Jesus knew His claims would be seen as claims of deity. • Jesus knew that the people who did not accept His claim of deity would be deeply offended. • Jesus knew that the followers who worshipped Him would have consequences in their lives.

31. Jesus Spoke as God God had sent prophets to speak for Him. Jesus didn’t claim to speak for God, He claimed to be speaking AS God.

32. – Matthew 24:35 (HCSB) Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

33. – John 14:13 (HCSB) Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

34. Jesus Accepted Titles of Deity When Jesus was addressed as God, He did not correct those speaking to Him. People witnessing this lack of correction would clearly have perceived this a Jesus believing He was God.

35. – Matthew 16:16-17 (HCSB) Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!” And Jesus responded, “Simon son of Jonah, you are blessed because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in heaven.

36. – John 20:28-29 (HCSB) Thomas responded to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Those who believe without seeing are blessed.”

37. Other assorted indicators that Jesus believed He was God.

38. – Matthew 3:16-17 (HCSB) After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him. And there came a voice from heaven: This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!

39. – Matthew 17:5-6 (HCSB) Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it’s good for us to be here! If You want, I will make three tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said: This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him. Listen to Him!

40. – John 12:27-28 (HCSB) “Now My soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save Me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name!”

41. – Luke 1:32 (HCSB) Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

42. – Luke 1:35 (HCSB) The angel replied to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.

43. – Luke 2:11 (HCSB) Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.

44. – Matthew 8:29 (HCSB) When He had come to the other side, to the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met Him as they came out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. Suddenly they shouted, “What do You have to do with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

45. – John 20:28-29 (HCSB) Thomas responded to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Those who believe without seeing are blessed.”

46. – John 1:1 (HCSB) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.

47. – Hebrews 1: 3-4 (HCSB) The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. So He became higher in rank than the angels, just as the name He inherited is superior to theirs.

48. The Trilemma C.S. Lewis

49. – C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell...”

50. – C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity “... You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”