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[beenblake]

Dear Nick,

There is something else you should know. Even Christians have difficulty believing that God came to earth, lived as a man, and died on the cross. How could God come die? How could God be both the son and the father?

This is a great mystery. It defies all logic and reasoning. It is absurd to all rational thought. Yet, this is what our faith is based upon. Our faith is based upon Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, our Savior, our King, and our Redeemer. We depend on Him entirely in all things. We know Jesus was a man. There is historical evidence of this. However, who could ever believe that Jesus was God?

It requires faith, a child-like faith. Who but a child could accept such an outlandish notion? And yet, this is what we must believe. We must believe that Jesus is our God, for how else could we be saved?

God did not make it easy for us to believe this. In fact, it has been well hidden. The bible does not make it apparent. Nothing on earth makes it apparent. Truly, to call out to Jesus and ask Him to save us is a leap of faith. We must take that leap and call out to Him. We must ask Jesus, “Please my Lord, save me from my sins.” Only God can do such a thing.

Christians even have difficulty believing in this. That is why the whole doctrine of the Trinity even exists. The doctrine of the Trinity is man's attempt at explaining how God could come to earth as a man and die for all our sins. However, even the doctrine of the Trinity fails at a point to explain this great mystery.

This question has no logical answer. This mystery cannot be solved. It cannot be explained. It is a mystery. God has made it a mystery intentionally. He doesn't want people to find Him through logic and reasoning. He doesn't want people to come to Him through the bible. He doesn't want people to be forced into believing.

God wants people to come to Him through Jesus Christ. He wants people to worship Him in spirit and truth. He wants people to come willingly and to believe in Him with thier heart. God wants people to come to Him in love. This choice is made available through Jesus Christ, whereby God loved us first, and so, we may love Him in return with gratitude.

God has made faith a choice. The choice is simple: will you accept Jesus into your heart? Will you believe in Him?

Do you believe Jesus is God, the one who is greater than you, the one who is Holy and supreme, THE ONE AND ONLY? Do you believe Jesus can forgive your sins? Do you believe Jesus can save you? Do you believe you need to be saved?

The choice is yours. Will you give yourself to Jesus?

In love,
Blake

[beenblake]

Dear Nick,

You said, “Who was working through Christ? God was working through Christ”

Of course, God was working through Christ. Jesus is God.

Jesus is both God and man. God came to earth and lived as a man. This is called the incarnation. By doing this, by coming to earth and being born into a woman, as an offspring of David, God was able to reconcile the large gap between Himself and man.

God loved us first. God is first. Through Christ, God has been first in all things.

We could argue this for years. It is not something that can be discovered through debate or logic. It is the great mystery of faith. Faith is blind. If you could prove it and see it, then it would not be faith. You just have to believe in Jesus. You have to believe that Jesus the man born in Bethlehem is Jesus the Christ, the Lord God become flesh. There is no way to prove it.

True faith starts by going to Jesus Christ and asking Him about the truth. If you really want to know truth, goto the source. Goto Jesus. He is the truth. There is no truth apart from Jesus. Whether you believe that Jesus is God or not, it is quite obvious that you believe Jesus Christ is alive in Heaven. Call out to Him and ask Him.

Otherwise, you are just depending on your own understanding. You are not believing in Jesus, you are believing in yourself. You follow your own logical conclusions. You base your faith on your own interpretation of the bible or that of men, rather than asking Jesus it's true meaning.

Trust in Jesus and ask Him what is true. Let Him answer your prayers.

In love,
Blake

[beenblake]

Dear Nick,

You said, “How foolish of them! God has made it plain to them that they too are sons of God so how could this be blasphemy?”

The Pharisees were not idiots. They were intelligent and well-educated men. They knew that Jesus was not just proclaiming to be any Israelite, any child of God. Jesus was proclaiming to be the “Christ.” He was proclaiming to be the Messiah.

They knew the Messiah would be called the son of God, as it is made apparent in the Old Testament. Isaiah 9:6 says “a son is born to us.” Psalms 2:12 says “do homage to the son.” They new that God's annointed one would come from Heaven. They knew He would be God for He would be God's chosen King to rule over Israel. Israel had but one King, the Lord. The Messiah would be the Lord.

That is why they accused Jesus of blasphemy. They did not believe in Him. Jesus said He was the Christ, and they rejected Him. They wanted undeniable evidence. They thought if they could kill Jesus, that would prove He was not God.

In love,
Blake

[beenblake]

Dear Nick,

If you notice, it says “BE BAPTISED IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.” This means that you are baptized by Jesus Christ. I was baptized “in the name of Jesus Christ” by Jesus Christ who was working through a representative of His.

When the disciples went forth, they performed all miracles “in the name of Jesus.” They acted as His representative, in place of Him. They could only do those miracles and forgive sins, not because they actually had the power to forgive, but because Jesus was working through them. Only those disciples whom Jesus sent had the power to do such miracles. Only those He chose. Not anyone could say, “in the name of Jesus” and see the power of God. Jesus had granted those disciples the power of His Spirit, and it was acknowledged that the power came from Jesus by saying, “in the name of Jesus.”

Thus, the disciples did not forgive sins. Jesus forgave sins.

There is no other name on Heaven or earth that bears such power as the name of Jesus Christ. You cannot be baptized into any other name. There is no other way to Heaven accept through Jesus Christ.

Here is some questions for you….

If Jesus is not God, then how could He breath the Holy Spirit (God's Spirit) onto the disciples as it says in John 20:22?

And….have you accepted Jesus as your Lord?

In love,
Blake

[beenblake]

Dear Nick,

“True servanthood to a Lord involves obedience to him. Indeed forgiveness is available to all who submit to baptism into the Son.”

Forgiveness is not something a person can earn. You are not forgiven for your sins by being baptized. That is foolishness. That is not true forgivness.

Forgiveness is something given and accepted. That is why it is called grace. God's grace is free. It can be given to anyone who turns to Christ and repents. Anyone who believes in Jesus may have eternal life. It doesn't say, “anyone who believes Jesus.” This is a big difference. To believe in Jesus means that you believe in His person. This means you believe that Jesus came to earth and lived as a man. He was a real man who suffered and died for our sins. This also means you believe Jesus is God. Only God can forgive sins. If Jesus is not God, then He can't forgive your sins. Jesus is God. Jesus can forgive sins.

God does require a sign of our faith. It is not a work he requires. It is not something we do to earn forgiveness. It is merely acceptance. We accept forgiveness. We do this by believeing in Jesus.

True baptism is something God gives us. It is not something we earn. When you have truly called out to Jesus in repentence and humility, then Jesus baptizes with the Spirit. He does this to help us. He does this to save us.

However, this is not something you can earn. This is something given. And unless you call out to Jesus Christ, you cannot recieve this gift. It does not come from any other way. Jesus is the way. He is the only way.

In love,
Blake

[beenblake]

I found this quote and I think it will be helpful in this discussion:

John 5:18 says they sought the death penalty against Jesus, charging Him with blasphemy “because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.”

In that culture, a dignitary's adult son was deemed equal in stature and privilege with his father. The same deference demanded by a king was afforded to his adult son. The son was, after all, of the very same essence as his father, heir to all the father's rights and privileges—and therefore equal in every significant regard. So when Jesus was called “Son of God,” it was understood categorically by all as a title of deity, making Him equal with God and (more significantly) of the same essence as the Father. That is precisely why the Jewish leaders regarded the title “Son of God” as high blasphemy.

By John MacArthur

Calling Jesus, God's Son, makes Him equal with God. Even Jesus acknowledged there is only one Lord God. So, Jesus knew full well that by being called the son of God was the same as saying, “I am God.” And for saying this, they killed Him because they wanted to prove Him wrong.

In love,
Blake

[beenblake]

Dear Nick,

Quote

Your doctrine is that of “universalism” [Jesus died and thus all are saved!] Nonsense my friend. God requires repentance and a sign of your faith before angels and men.

You must have me mistaken with someone else, for this is not what I said. God does require repentance and a sign of faith. You must repent before Jesus and by calling out for Him to save you is a sign of your faith.

Luke 24:47 (NLT)
With my authority, take this message of repentance to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: 'There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me.'

These are the words of Christ. “There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me.” Have you asked Jesus to forgive your sins?

Let me ask you several questions, and maybe this will help me understand you better.

1) Do you believe Jesus is Lord?
2) In your own belief, what does it mean to be “reborn into the Son”?
3) What does it mean to be saved? How does a person enter Heaven?

Blake

[beenblake]

Quote

“son” is not a title. It is a statement of fact. It is a statement of origin. Adam is said to be a son of God. Was that just a title? Are all the sons spoken of in the bible only such by appointed title? When did the Son of God receive this bizarre empty title? Was in in recognition of his behaviours? It changes the meaning of the word 'son' to something unnatural and unbiblical. Why is this necessary? Do you not believe he actually is the Son of God? He said he was. Are we not all sons of our own fathers or are they just titles too?

The term “son of God” has two connotations. One is used to describe Adam and the angels. The other use describes Jesus.

Adam and the angels have been called the sons of God because they were the direct handiwork of God. This means they did not spawn from another being, but rather were created directly by the hand of God. Adam did not come from another human. He was created directly by God's hand.

Jesus, however, has been called the “only begotten son of God.” If Adam and the angels are sons of God, why is Jesus called the “only begotten son”? It means just what it says. The key word is here is “begotten.” Adam was created by God. Jesus was begotten of God. Jesus was not created by God. Jesus was brought forth from God. Jesus came from God.

As an artist, you can appreciate calling something you created a “son.” Many times artists will stand back from thier work and say, “These are my children.” The artist has expressed herself in the art in every way. Despite this, there is a significant difference from something you have created, and something you have begotten.

As a father, I am sure you can appreciate the word “begotten.” Your children, who are begotten of you, are not created. You did not sit down and design them how you liked. Rather, your children are “of” you. They have been brought forth from you.

Genesis 4:1 (NLT)
1 Now Adam slept with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When the time came, she gave birth to Cain, and she said, “With the LORD's help, I have brought forth a man!”

Notice she said, “brought forth.” Eve did not create a son, she brought forth a son. She gave birth to a son. This son was born of Adam.

Jesus is the “only begotten son of God.” Jesus is the only son who is born of God. Everything else was created by God.

Your son has been born of you. This means that your son shares in all that you are. Your son is an extension of you. When you witnessed His birth, did you not see yourself in Him? It was not until He was much older you began to see all the ways He is not you.

Jesus, on the other hand, represents His Father perfectly. Jesus is God. Adam was created in the image of God. Jesus is the image of God.

Hebrews 1:3a (NLT)
The Son reflects God's own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly.

Colossians 1:15 (NLT)
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation.

John 14:9 (NLT)
Jesus replied, “Philip, don't you even yet know who I am, even after all the time I have been with you? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking to see him?

Evenso, Jesus was also born of man. Jesus was born of Mary. Jesus is called the “Son of God” and the “Son of Man.” So which is it? Is Jesus born of God or born of man? Is Jesus God or is Jesus man?

Jesus is both. However, this is the great mystery of the Christian faith. How is it possible for God to come to earth, live as a man, die as a man, and then be resurrected into Heaven again? (1 Tim. 3:16)

Jesus knew that this was a great mystery. In fact, He used this mystery to confound the Pharisees.

Matthew 22:41-46 (NLT)
41 Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question: 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They replied, “He is the son of David.” 43 Jesus responded, “Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, call him Lord? For David said, 44 'The LORD said to my Lord, Sit in honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.' 45 Since David called him Lord, how can he be his son at the same time?” 46 No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Notice that Jesus asked, “Since David called him Lord, how can he be his son at the same time?” Jesus was asking, how could a man who was born of David, who was an offspring of David, also be the God of David?

How is that possible? That would be like you calling your son “Father.”

Jesus confirms that He is this very Messiah in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 22:16 (KJ)
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

Notice He says “root” and “offspring.” Jesus says He is the root of David. This means that David branches off of Him. David draws life and sustenance from Jesus. And yet, Jesus is also the “offspring” of David. Jesus is a descendant, a son of David.

Jesus is God and man.

Philippians 2:5-8 (NLT)
5 Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. 7 He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. 8 And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross.

God came to earth as a man to reconcile and mediate between God and man. He suffered and died so that we may be saved. He did this for us. He did this because He loved us.

It is important to understand that it was God who mediated. We needed a mediator, because we were an enemy of God. We had defied Him, and made ourselves like a God. In order to reconcile this terrible situation, God came down to earth and mediated Himself. You must see and understand this, because it is important for you to realize that God loved us first. God made the first move. This my friend, is grace. God gave us grace. We did not have to clean up our act in order to be saved, in order to see Heaven. Instead, God gave us His son, His Holy one. He gave Himself to us, as an act of love, so that we might be saved.

Jesus suffered our punishment for us. We deserved eternal death. We are bad, horrible, and evil people who deserve to go to Hell. Every person on earth is bad. No one is good. And yet, despite this, Jesus died for us. God loved us first.

Through the death of Jesus, we have been reconciled. We have been made right with God. However, this can only happen through Jesus. It cannot happen any other way. If you want to be forgiven for your sins, you must turn to Jesus. It is Jesus who gave His life. It is Jesus who died. It is Jesus who will save you.

In my original statement, I said you must have faith. I could show you proof in the bible. I could explain it to you. However, you must have faith.

Jesus is God and Man. This is the great mystery of faith that confounds even the greatest philosophers. Who can grasp this? Who can fully understand how God could come to earth as a man and die for our sins? It doesn't make sense. It defies logic.

You must have faith. You must believe in Jesus. If you believed in Jesus, you would go to Him. You would seek Him out. You would ask Him for help.

A belief does not exist in the mind. You don't believe in things because people put up a good argument. You believe in things because you have experienced them. You know them by heart. Faith is not a matter of the mind. Faith is a matter of the heart. Why do
you think children have the greatest faith? They believe in things with thier heart.

Don't take my word for it. Don't believe in me. Pray to Jesus. Ask Jesus Himself if this is all true. Ask Jesus to help you. Ask the one who came from Heaven. Ask the one who has all the authority and power over Heaven and earth. Ask the one who will be your judge, the one that decides whether you enter Heaven or Hell. Ask Jesus to forgive and save you. Let Him show you the truth.

John 14:6 (NLT)
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

[beenblake]

Nick,

I am curious, do you believe Jesus is Lord?

Thanks,
Blake

[beenblake]

Dear Nick,

If you don't know Jesus then God is your enemy.

John 8:19 (NLT)
“Where is your father?” they asked. Jesus answered, “Since you don't know who I am, you don't know who my Father is. If you knew me, then you would know my Father, too.”

If you knew Jesus, then you would know God, for Jesus is God. However, if you don't know Jesus, then you don't know God.

Mt 28 18
” All authority HAS BEEN GIVEN to me in heaven and on earth”

You still do not yet understand. God came to earth as Jesus so that all who wish to worship and love God in truth may do so by faith. God exalted the name of Jesus above all names.

Jesus is a person. It is the true person of God. Until this time, God had stayed hidden from everyone. Even Moses could not see the full image of God without being blinded. God revealed Himself in Jesus. That is why it says, “All authority has been given…”

God is trying to tell you that Jesus Christ is God. Jesus has all the authority. If Jesus has all the authority, then why do you run from Him? Why do you not submit unto Christ?

John 4:23-24 (NLT)
But the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.

You see, God wants you to worship Him in truth. What does that mean? True worship is an act of love. True worship comes from love. If God forced you to worship Him, then how could you? It would not be true. Love is a choice. You must have the freedom to make a choice. Through Jesus, you have that choice, because there is no solid proof that Jesus is God. You must believe by faith.

The bible says countless times that we are to only worship God.

You must only worship God. The ten commandments makes this clear, “You shall have no other God's before me.” This is pretty specific.

Matthew 4:10 (NASB)
Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, `YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.' ”

God wants you to worship Him alone and not any other God. However, how can you worship God, if you don't know Him? You could worship any God, so long as it fit the credentials of what God is. You could worship “the Father.” Well, who is the “Father” Have you met Him? You could worship Jehovah, but even He is impersonal. He always stayed at a distance. He never showed His face.

Jesus is a person. All who know Jesus, know God. And so, all who worship Jesus worship God in truth. God wants a relationship with people. He wants us to worship Him in love. Love is a relationship. How many people do you know that loved each other and didn't know each other? Love is intimate. Love is personal. God wants to be personal with us. And so, God came to earth as a person who is named Jesus. God established His person as a human. How could humans relate to some imaginary figure in the sky? How could we ever love that?

We, as humans, need something real. We needed God to come to earth as a man. We needed to see this man and know this man. Jesus, who is God, was a man. He was a real human being who faced all the trials and difficulties we have. This is a God we can worship. This God exists on our level.

God gave all His authority to Jesus. Don't you understand? God will not just give all His authority away. That's like saying, “God decided that He didn't want to be God anymore, and so He gave all His authority away.” Why would He do that? It doesn't make any sense.

God established Himself as a human being, as a real person on earth, and gave that identity, that person, all His authority. It is the same God. There is only one God. However, God established an identity among His people.

Countless times in the bible, people worshipped at the feet of Jesus. Why would Jesus not stop these people? Why did He not stop Mary when she wash his feet with her hair? She worshipped him as God? This is the biggest sin of all. This is blasphemy. And yet, Jesus allowed it. God does not share His worship with anyone. And so, if you say Jesus is not God, then you are calling Jesus a lair. For Jesus let people worship Him.

Revelations 5:14 (NLT)
And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped God and the Lamb.

In this verse, they worshipped both God and the Lamb. How can this be? Jesus said we should only worship God. And yet, they worshipped Jesus in this scripture. So wait, are there two Gods? Or is there one?

Psalms 2:11-12 (NASB)
11 Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling.
12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish {in} the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

Worship and homage are the same thing. In fact, to pay homage is the highest act of worship one can give. It means “to bow down, prostrate oneself.” To prostrate oneself is to lie completely flat against the ground. It means you are giving your all, everything. This scripture is saying that we should give everything to Jesus.

And what happens if we don't give everything to Jesus? We will perish.

Matthew 10:38-39 (NLT)
If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will find it”

If you don't give up your life to Jesus and submit unto Him, then you will lose your life. You will die. You will not be given eternal life, for eternal life only comes through Jesus. You must believe in Jesus.

What did Jesus do on the cross? He gave His life for us. He died for us. He redeemed us. This means that He bought you at a price. Jesus redeemed you. He bought you. He owns you. Jesus owns you. Let me say this again, Jesus owns you.

In Romans 6:23, it says the wages of sin is death. When people commit a sin, they earn the punishment of death. Workers earn what they recieve. (Romans 4:4). This means that you own a huge debt. You have sinned (Romans 3:23). We all have sinned. I have sinned too. We owe a huge debt. How are you going to pay it?

Well, you can pay this debt by working it off. You work it off by trying to do good things. For every good deed you do, you pay off your debt a little. And slowly, you work your way to goodness. You keep doing this, hoping, that when the day of judgement comes, you can show God how good you have been. And so, you will sit in a huge court proceeding with Jesus as your lawyer. This is wrong!!

Read the rest of Romans 6:23….

Romans 6:23 (NLT)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

It says, “free gift.” It is free. You can't earn it. You cannot earn a free gift. There is nothing you can do in this world to earn eternal life. It doesn't matter how hard you work, the gift is free. So what do you do with gifts?? When you give gifts to your children, what do you want them to do? You want them to accept them. All you have to do is accept it. Accept this free gift. We call it grace. “Amazing grace, how sweet it is.”

Jesus died for you. You deserved to die. And yet, Jesus who bore no sin, who was perfect in every way, took your sins. He paid off your debts. He went to your debtors and paid them off. By doing this, He bought you. He bought you at a steep price. Jesus owns you.

However, Jesus cannot force His grace on you. He cannot force you to believe in Him. All He can do is plead with you, “Will you be mine?”

Well, will you? Will you be His?? Will you give up your li
fe to Jesus? Will you pay homage to your King? Will you bow down to the son of God and worship Him? Will you make Jesus your Lord?

[beenblake]

Dear Nick,

Quote

Hi bb, So in the trial of Jesus Christ he agreed he was “The Messiah” and “The Son of the Blessed God” So how can this mean to you he is saying he is God Himself? That's crazy. He even said they would see him “Standing at God's right hand in the place of power” and “Coming back on the clouds of heaven”

It is not as crazy as you think. It is the truth. How can God be omniscient? How can He be every where at once? He is God. He can do all things and more.

This is not something I can force upon you, and I do not wish to force it on you. This is something you must believe. It is a matter of faith.

Jesus came to earth as a man. And yet, Jesus was also God. While Jesus was on earth, He had all the authority and power of God because He was God. And yet He was a man.

This is important. I know you believe Jesus was a man. You have the first half of the gospel. However, you will not be saved unless you accept Him as Lord. You must accept Him as being greater than you, as being God.

Why? How can Jesus save you unless you call out to Him? How can Jesus forgive you for your sins unless you ask Him to forgive you? How can you be born again, unless you believe in Jesus?

You cannot be saved unless you pray to Jesus. And once you do, the Lord will reveal to you the truth.

I tell you these things because I used to be just like you. I fought against so many people about the trinity. I refused to believe and accept it. I was raised one of Jehovah's Witnesses and for so many years they lied to me. They told me that Jehovah is God, when in fact the word “Jehovah” is an adjective and not a noun. The word “Jehovah” is used in connection with the word “God” which means that it describes God. Jehovah is not the name of God. We say, “Jehovah God” because we are saying, “Almighty God.” If it were the name of God then it would stand alone. There was so many lies that they told me, but Jesus told me the truth. Not any person or religion. It was Jesus who told me the truth.

Jesus came down from Heaven and saved me. Yes, indeed, I am born again. I know that I am, not because of what the bible says. I know Jesus personally. I have met Him. His Spirit lives inside me. I shared with you my testimony.

You do not have to believe me. I don't expect you to, and honestly, I don't want you to. This isn't about me. I am just a lowly human. I cannot help you or save you or forgive your sins or transform you.

To be born again is to be transformed by the power of Christ. He makes us into a new person. I used to be a terrible sinner. When Jesus came down and saved me, He removed my sins. He washed my sins away.

I tell you these things my friend, because I want you to experience the same thing. I want you to know God, to know Jesus personally. I want you to know Jesus right now, while you are alive and on earth. Why wait until the tribulation? He will come to you now. And He will remove your sins, and give you new life. He will do all the things He has promised in the bible. You will know them now.

Jesus has been trying to speak to you. He sent me here to speak to you. He loves you and is calling to you. He has sent countless people to speak to you about the trinity. He has sent countless messengers in order that you would listen.

Revelation 3:20 – (NLT)
“Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends.”

Right now, you are an enemy of God. You said so yourself. You need Jesus to mediate. You need the bible to believe. You have quoted me tons of bible verses and scripture. That's great. I love the bible. Except, the bible won't save you. You need to experience Jesus. You need to meet Him in real life and real time. Open the door to Jesus, and you can be His friend.

I am telling you that I have experienced this. I know Jesus personally. I know Him better than I know myself.

Do you not believe Jesus died for your sin? Do you not believe that Jesus is your Lord? Do you not believe He is alive right now? Do you want Jesus?

Jesus cannot come to you unless you humbly bow down to Him. Pray to Jesus and ask Him to take your sins. Accept Him into your heart. Ask Him to be your Lord and Savior. Ask Him to tell you the truth. Ask Him to help you and guide you. Ask Him anything you want. Jesus will answer your prayers.

You have not been praying to Jesus. You have been praying to the Father. I am trying to tell you that you need to pray to Jesus. Confess your sins to Jesus.

If all you say is true, if Jesus has all the authority and power, if Jesus can forgive your sins, and if Jesus is the Messiah, then call out to Him. He is the one you need.

Jesus has been saying to you, “Come.” What is your reply? Will you come, or will you let the bible and religion and other people tell you what or who God is? What do you say? Will you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

[beenblake]

You said, “God did not come in the flesh. Remember, He sent his only begotten Son.”

The bible says,

Philippians 2:5-6
5 Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though HE WAS GOD, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. 7 He made himself nothing; F5 he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form.

You said, “He was given ALL authority by the Father.”

God gave ALL authority to Jesus. What this means is that Jesus is equal with God. This proves that Jesus and God are one. Jesus is equal with God. They have the same authority. Why would God do that? Why would God give Jesus all His authority if Jesus was seperate from God? That defies logic. By doing that, you are saying there are two Gods. Do you believe that? Do you believe there are two Gods?

You said, “Remember, He sent his only begotten Son.”

This is true. You must understand a few things though. You must understand the word “begotten.” If I was to go out to my workshop and create a toy, this would be my creation. It would be something I created. Would I call this thing something I have “begotten”? No, because things I create are not begotten, they are created. We only use the word “begotten” in relation to children. If I were to have a child, would I say, “This is my son who I created.” No. We don't create children. They are begotten.

Why do we say this? We say “begotten” because it means, “of”. I am saying that my child is “of” me. The toy I created is not “of” me. It is seperate. It is something that I created. However, a child is “of” me. It has all my characteristics. It shares my genes. My child is a part of me.

When Jesus called Himself, the “son of God,” He was saying, “I am of God.” He was saying that He was a part of God. God was in Him, and He was in God. They are united as one.

Jesus also called Himself the “son of Man.” So, tell me, which is it? Is He the son of God or the son of Man? Did He come from God or did He come from Man? The whole point is that Jesus was both God and Man. Jesus was God in the flesh. He was God as a man. That is why He said,

John 14:8-11 (NLT)
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus replied, “Philip, don't you even yet know who I am, even after all the time I have been with you? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking to see him? 10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of what you have seen me do.

Now, Jesus is God's Word. That is established in John chapter one. I am sure you won't argue against that. It is pretty straight forward. This is important: You cannot seperate God's Word from God. They are not two individual parts. They are one. Your word is YOURS. Everytime you speak, your words come out of your mouth. They are your words. Everytime you speak, your words are begotten. Your words are “of” you.

God's Word was begotten. Although, I prefer the way it is said in Proverbs.

Proverbs 8:24 (KJ)
When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.

God's Word was always in God. It was always a part of God. God's Word was always God. And, it still is God. However, there was a time when God was silent. His Word was in Him. Then He spoke. His Word was “brought forth.” When God spoke, His Word was “begotten.”

And what happened when God spoke??

Genesis 3:1 (NLT) Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
6 And God said, “Let there be space between the waters, to separate water from water.”
9 And God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky be gathered into one place so dry ground may appear.”
14 And God said, “Let bright lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. They will be signs to mark off the seasons, the days, and the years. 15 Let their light shine down upon the earth.”
20 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.”
24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth every kind of animal – livestock, small animals, and wildlife.”
26 Then God said, “Let us make people F2 in our image, to be like ourselves. They will be masters over all life – the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the livestock, wild animals, F3 and small animals.”

All things were created through Jesus.

Jesus is the son of God. However, this does not mean Jesus is seperate from God. They are one and the same. They are equal. They are one. That is why Jesus said, “The father and I are one.” (John 10:30)

That is also why the Pharisees killed Jesus for claiming to be the son of God. When Jesus said this, He was claiming to be God. Jesus never denied this. He never once said, “I am not God.” Instead, Jesus agreed with the Pharisees. He said, “I AM.”

[beenblake]

Dear Nick,

You said, “It is the Pharisees who made the false accusation that Jesus Christ was claiming to be God.”

Let us look at what the bible says about this:

Mark 14:60-64 (NLT)
60 Then the high priest stood up before the others and asked Jesus, “Well, aren't you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” 61 Jesus made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the blessed God?” 62 Jesus said, “I am, and you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God's right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of heaven.” F87 63 Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Why do we need other witnesses? 64 You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?” And they all condemned him to death.

The Pharisees did not make a false accusation. They accused Jesus. They asked Him, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the blessed God?” Jesus said, “I am.” When Jesus said this, Jesus was saying, “I am God.” He said specifically the words, “I am” in order to reference God calling Himself “I am” in scripture. They accused Him of blasphemy, of saying that He is God. Jesus did not defend Himself. Jesus did not say, “You are wrong. I am not God.” Instead, Jesus said, “I am.” He agreed with them.

The accusations were not false. They were true accusations. So, they killed Jesus. However, they killed Jesus because they didn't believe Him. They did not believe Jesus is God, and so they wanted to prove Him wrong. They thought, that if they killed Him, this would prove He was not God. However, the opposite happened. When Jesus died there was an earthquake that caused the temple to collapse.

You must understand that Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit are in perfect unity. That is why we say trinity, for it means “Tri-unity.” Three are one. There is one God. And the three are one.

Rom 2.11f
” For there is no partiality with God. For all who have sinned without the law WILL ALSO PERISH without the Law, and ALL WHO HAVE SINNED UNDER THE LAW WILL BE JUDGED BY THE LAW;”

You placed emphasis on the wrong part. If you are without the law, you WILL PERISH without the law. However, if you have the law, you WILL BE JUDGED BY THE LAW. This means that God shows no favoritism. Whether you are gentile or Jew, you will be judged. It also means that without the law, you will die. However, if you have the law, you will be judged by the law.

Paul also said later in that chapter that everyone has the law for it is written inside of them.

Romans 2:14,15 (NLT)
14 Even when Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, instinctively follow what the law says, they show that in their hearts they know right from wrong. 15 They demonstrate that God's law is written within them, for their own consciences either accuse them or tell them they are doing what is right.

It also says we will be judged for what we have done. The law is about what we do or say. The law gives details on what we should not do. It tells us what is wrong. This law is also in our conscience. We know what is right or wrong. And so, we will be judged for what we have done.

Romans 2:5b & 6 (NLT)
For there is going to come a day of judgment when God, the just judge of all the world, 6 will judge all people according to what they have done.

The bible also says,

James 2:10 (NLT) And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God's laws.

If you break one law, you have broken them all. The point of this is to show that we are sinners. The bible says in Romans 3:10b (NLT) No one is good – not even one. Have you ever done anything wrong in your life? If you have done even one wrong thing, then you are a sinner.

If you Jesus was to come back today, and judge you, what would you say? What would you say if Jesus said, “You are no good. Why should I let you into Heaven?”

You said, “Mediators are used in all sorts of disputes. But how fair would it be if you turned up to meet with your opponent and a mediator and you found your opponent WAS your mediator? How just would that be?”

What you are saying is that your opponent is God, and Jesus is your mediator. Why is your opponent God? Why are you fighting with Him?

And how is Jesus your mediator when He is also your judge? (John 5:22)

You said, “As Peter said you must repent and be baptised for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

This is true, you must be born again (John 3:3). To be born again, you must be baptized in Spirit. To be baptized in Spirit is to recieve the gift of the Holy Spirit. John the baptist said:

Matthew 3:11 (NLT)
“I baptize with water those who turn from their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is far greater than I am – so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

The question is: Do you have the Holy Spirit? Have you been born again?

[beenblake]

Dear Nick,

You said, “So should we listen to you or scripture on matters that are literally life and death?”

No, you shouldn't. You should listen to Jesus, Himself. You should pray to Jesus. You should believe in Him.

You said, “1Jn 42
” By this you know the Spirit of God;every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God”

Your “gospel ” does not say this but that God came.So you are not teaching in the Spirit of God.”

I did say that Jesus came in the flesh. If you read my post again, it says that Jesus called himself the son of man, which means that he came in the flesh.

You said, We were never under the Law so we do not need to be set free from it. Instead scripture says that we will perish apart from the Law unless we are born into Christ. We are gentiles and the Law was given to the Israelites.

Romans 2:12-15 (NLT)
12 God will punish the Gentiles when they sin, even though they never had God's written law. And he will punish the Jews when they sin, for they do have the law. 13 For it is not merely knowing the law that brings God's approval. Those who obey the law will be declared right in God's sight. 14 Even when Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, instinctively follow what the law says, they show that in their hearts they know right from wrong. 15 They demonstrate that God's law is written within them, for their own consciences either accuse them or tell them they are doing what is right.

Romans 3:19-20
19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses and to bring the entire world into judgment before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right in God's sight by doing what his law commands. For the more we know God's law, the clearer it becomes that we aren't obeying it. 21 But now God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight – not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago. 22 We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done. 23 For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. 24 Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. 25 For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times. 26 And he is entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus. 27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds. It is based on our faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. 29 After all, God is not the God of the Jews only, is he? Isn't he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. 30 There is only one God, and there is only one way of being accepted by him. He makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles

You are bound to the law just as the Jews. God will judge you just the same. The entire world will be judged by God on the basis of the law. God may not have given the gentiles the law, however, He still judges the gentiles in accord to the law. Therefore, even the gentiles are bound by the law.

Galatians 5:1 (NLT)
So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law.

You are right in saying that we must be born again, as Jesus said in John 3:3. What do you think it means to be born again?

Also, what do you think about this scripture:

Romans 10:9 (NLT)
For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

[beenblake]

Dear kenrch,

You said, “Jesus doesn't want sacrifice He wants compassion.”

1 Samuel 15:22 (NLT)
But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Listening to him is much better than offering the fat of rams.

Matthew 10:38 (NLT)
If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.

John 14:15 (NLT)
“If you love me, obey my commandments.

You said, “Like it or not I'm part of the God family, His brother and God's son.”

I like it. I want you to be a part of God's family. I do not think it's by mistake that you capitalized the word “His” giving diety to Christ. You also said, “His” in reference to God. You do believe Jesus is your God.

Psalms 33:20 (NLT)
We depend on the LORD alone to save us. Only he can help us, protecting us like a shield

Do you believe that Jesus is your Savior? If you do, then you believe that Jesus is your God. Only God, the LORD, can save people.

John 10:22-38 (NLT)
22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah. 23 He was at the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon's Colonnade. 24 The Jewish leaders surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don't believe me. The proof is what I do in the name of my Father. 26 But you don't believe me because you are not part of my flock. 27 My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. So no one can take them from me. 30 The Father and I are one.” 31 Once again the Jewish leaders picked up stones to kill him. 32 Jesus said, “At my Father's direction I have done many things to help the people. For which one of these good deeds are you killing me?” 33 They replied, “Not for any good work, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, have made yourself God.” 34 Jesus replied, “It is written in your own law that God said to certain leaders of the people, 'I say, you are gods!' F47 35 And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people, who received God's message, were called 'gods,' 36 why do you call it blasphemy when the Holy One who was sent into the world by the Father says, 'I am the Son of God'? 37 Don't believe me unless I carry out my Father's work. 38 But if I do his work, believe in what I have done, even if you don't believe me. Then you will realize that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”

Do you not believe Jesus when He says, “The father and I are one.”

God is one. There is only one God. Jesus and God are one. They are one and the same.

Matthew 1:23 – (KJV)
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us

Jesus is God. That is why they called Him, Emmanuel, which means, “God with us.” God came to earth as Jesus. God was with us.

You said, “Jesus is my Lord.” I say, “Amen!”

If Jesus is your Lord, then you worship Him. Lords and Kings alike are worshipped by thier subjects. You have willingly submitted unto Christ and you worship Him. You should. He is God.

Exodus 34:14 (KJ)
For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:

Matthew 4:10 (KJ)
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

God wants our worship for Himself. He said, “Do not put any God's before me.” If Jesus is your Lord, then He must also be your God, or else you are breaking the ten commandments.

There is only one God, one Lord, one King, one Messiah, and one Holy Spirit. They are all one.

This is not religion. This is the truth. Jesus is the truth. Only God can be true. Jesus is the life. Only God can give life. Jesus is the way. Only God is the way.

No one can come to the father except through Jesus. Obviously. Jesus is God. If you know Jesus, you know God. If you have seen Jesus, you have seen God. That is what Jesus was trying to say.

When you realize this truth, that Jesus is God, then you realize that He has all the power and authority of the universe. He can do anything. He is God. That is why Jesus says, “You can ask anything in my name and it will be done.” It means, Jesus has the power to save you and renew you.

[beenblake]

Dear kenrch,

You said, “Jesus doesn't want sacrifice He wants compassion.”

1 Samuel 15:22 (NLT)
But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Listening to him is much better than offering the fat of rams.

Matthew 10:38 (NLT)
If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.

John 14:15 (NLT)
“If you love me, obey my commandments.

You said, “Like it or not I'm part of the God family, His brother and God's son.”

I like it. I want you to be a part of God's family. I do not think it's by mistake that you capitalized the word “His” giving diety to Christ. You also said, “His” in reference to God. You do believe Jesus is your God.

Psalms 33:20 (NLT)
We depend on the LORD alone to save us. Only he can help us, protecting us like a shield

Do you believe that Jesus is your Savior? If you do, then you believe that Jesus is your God. Only God, the LORD, can save people.

John 10:22-38 (NLT)
22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah. 23 He was at the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon's Colonnade. 24 The Jewish leaders surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don't believe me. The proof is what I do in the name of my Father. 26 But you don't believe me because you are not part of my flock. 27 My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. So no one can take them from me. 30 The Father and I are one.” 31 Once again the Jewish leaders picked up stones to kill him. 32 Jesus said, “At my Father's direction I have done many things to help the people. For which one of these good deeds are you killing me?” 33 They replied, “Not for any good work, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, have made yourself God.” 34 Jesus replied, “It is written in your own law that God said to certain leaders of the people, 'I say, you are gods!' F47 35 And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people, who received God's message, were called 'gods,' 36 why do you call it blasphemy when the Holy One who was sent into the world by the Father says, 'I am the Son of God'? 37 Don't believe me unless I carry out my Father's work. 38 But if I do his work, believe in what I have done, even if you don't believe me. Then you will realize that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”

Do you not believe Jesus when He says, “The father and I are one.”

God is one. There is only one God. Jesus and God are one. They are one and the same.

Matthew 1:23 – (KJV)
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us

Jesus is God. That is why they called Him, Emmanuel, which means, “God with us.” God came to earth as Jesus. God was with us.

You said, “Jesus is my Lord.” I say, “Amen!”

If Jesus is your Lord, then you worship Him. Lords and Kings alike are worshipped by thier subjects. You have willingly submitted unto Christ and you worship Him. You should. He is God.

Exodus 34:14 (KJ)
For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:

Matthew 4:10 (KJ)
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

God wants our worship for Himself. He said, “Do not put any God's before me.” If Jesus is your Lord, then He must also be your God, or else you are breaking the ten commandments.

There is only one God, one Lord, one King, one Messiah, and one Holy Spirit. They are all one.

This is not religion. This is the truth. Jesus is the truth. Only God can be true. Jesus is the life. Only God can give life. Jesus is the way. Only God is the way.

No one can come to the father except through Jesus. Obviously. Jesus is God. If you know Jesus, you know God. If you have seen Jesus, you have seen God. That is what Jesus was trying to say.

When you realize this truth, that Jesus is God, then you realize that He has all the power and authority of the universe. He can do anything. He is God. That is why Jesus says, “You can ask anything in my name and it will be done.” It means, Jesus has the power to save you and renew you.

[beenblake]

Dear soxan and yes2truth,

Was it not Jesus who said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

If you are true followers of Christ, why do you use such unloving words?

Please think about what you say.

In love,
Blake

[beenblake]

Dear kenrch,

God did not create Jesus. God created all things through Jesus. This is a big difference. You must understand, Jesus is God's Word. (This is established in John chapter one). When God spoke, it was Jesus. When God commanded, it was Jesus.

Now, let me ask you, can you seperate your word from you? No. You and your word are the same person. Your word is you. You are your word.

You said, “Jesus is a God.”

There is only one God. If you say Jesus is “a” God, then you are saying there is more than one God. For Jesus is one and the father is one. This cannot be. You cannot have two Gods.

There is one God. Either Jesus is God, or Jesus is not God. If Jesus is not God, then Jesus has no power. He is nothing. He cannot save anyone. Only God can forgive sins. Only God can redeem people.

However, if Jesus is God, then He can forgive sins. He can save people.

[beenblake]

Dear Nick,

One last comment.

You said, “so it is not what the bible says we should believe but what you tell us? IOr shoul;d we read between the lines and find revelations? I prefer to believe what the bible says and then test the speculations of men against that. There are a lot of men out there who claim to have the truth and they all disagree and hate one another. It seems a lot safer to abide in the Word.”

I don't want you to believe in me. You are certainly wise to check everything against the bible. However, the bible is not a basis for faith.

I am asking you, as a brother and friend, to believe in Jesus. Place your faith in Jesus. This means you should pray to Him. Ask Him to come to you. Ask Jesus to forgive you and save you.

When you do, Jesus will come down from Heaven and meet you. He will give you a revelation and testimony. Then you won't need the bible for faith.

Don't get me wrong. I love the bible too. It's an awesome book. It is good for testing as you say. However, God gave the bible to help us find Him. Have you found Jesus? Do you know Him personally or just by what the bible says? Has He ever spoke to your heart? Does He live in you?

You don't have to answer these questions on here for me. These are personal questions. I am just trying to encourage you to seek out Jesus. To call out to Him and make Him your King.

[beenblake]

Dear Nick,

The Pharisees sentenced Jesus to be killed on the verdict of blasphemy. Blasphemy is to declare that you are God. It is the worst of all sins.

In those days, the Pharisees knew there was only one God. Only God would and could save Israel. Only God was the King of Israel. Only God had the power to forgive sins. Only God was master of the law, for the law was God's law. Only God had the power to command demons. Not even Michael, the top angel, can command demons. Michael must fight against them. God, however, can control them.

So, when Jesus performed miracles, cast out demons, forgave sins, and saved people, He was showing people that He was God. When Jesus called Himself the Messiah and the son of God, the people back then knew what He meant. He was saying, “I am God.”

Jesus also called Himself, the “son of man.” You must understand what these two terms mean. To be a “son of man” means that you are born of a man. It means that you have a flesh. Jesus was a man. He has flesh and bones. To be a “son of God” means that you have the Spirit of God. It means you are “of God.” Jesus had the Spirit of God. Lastly, to say you are the Messiah, means that you are a Savior and King. It means you have all the power, authority, and goodness to be King, God, and Lord.

The Pharisees knew there is only one God. There can be no more than one. If Jesus has all the power and authority of God, then He is God. If you say that Jesus is not God, then what you are saying is that there is actually two Gods, one is Jesus and the other is the Father.

There is one God. He is Jesus. There is one Lord, one King, one God. He is Jesus. He rules over everything.

Here are some scriptures that coincide with what I am saying:

Matthew 9:1-3 (NLT)
1 Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. 2 Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Take heart, son! Your sins are forgiven.” 3 “Blasphemy! This man talks like he is God!” some of the teachers of religious law said among themselves.

Luke 5:20-21 (NLT)
20 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 21 “Who does this man think he is?” the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to each other. “This is blasphemy! Who but God can forgive sins?”

John 10:32-33 (NLT)
32 Jesus said, “At my Father's direction I have done many things to help the people. For which one of these good deeds are you killing me?” 33 They replied, “Not for any good work, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, have made yourself God.”

Mark 14:63-65 (NLT)
63 Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Why do we need other witnesses? 64 You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?” And they all condemned him to death. 65 Then some of them began to spit at him, and they blindfolded him and hit his face with their fists. “Who hit you that time, you prophet?” they jeered. And even the guards were hitting him as they led him away.

Matthew 12:8 (NLT)
“For I, the Son of Man, am master even of the Sabbath.”

Lastly, the Pharisees did not believe Jesus was God. They wanted proof. They wanted Jesus to prove He was God. So, they tested Him. They hit Him, beat Him, knocked Him down, and crucified Him. While Jesus was hanging on the cross, the Pharisees waited for Jesus to prove Himself. However, Jesus knew He was God. He had nothing to prove. He let Himself be killed so that we could all be forgiven.

Mark 15:29-32 (NLT)
29 And the people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Ha! Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You can destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days, can you? 30 Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!” 31 The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can't save himself! 32 Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!”

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