The Case For Christ
"There was the true light, even the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world. He came in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth." (John 1:9-14)
In this lesson we deal with the question of the deity of Christ. We are aware that the Lord's own people rejected Him when God sent Him into the world. We are further aware that many reject Him today. Modernists assert that they believe in God but they reject His Son. Was it reasonable that the Jews should have rejected Him? Is it reasonable today for man to profess to have faith in God but at the same time reject Jesus of Nazareth as His Son? Just how strong a case can be built up in defense of Christ? Was He truly God's Son? Is He there with God in heaven today? Is it true that all men shall stand before Him in judgment? If you are to stand before Him in judgment, as say the scriptures, should you reject Him?
Much of the proof that we present in this treatise deals with prophecy and a demonstration of the fact that Christ is distinctly the fulfillment of a number of Messianic prophecies.
Our first proof does not deal with Christ directly, but rather His forerunner or herald. Isaiah prophesied, "The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain: and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it." (Isa. 40:3-5) When John came, he, as a prophet of God, claimed to be the forerunner of Christ and the fulfillment of these verses, "And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make his paths straight." (Matt. 3:1-3) John did not know at the time that he began heralding the Messiah just who he would be. Later he sent to Jesus of Nazareth in inquiry as to whether He was the one or whether they were to look for another. So it was not a matter of collaboration between Jesus and John. Jesus of Nazareth, for one point in His defense, was heralded by a forerunner as the scriptures said that He would be.
As our second point, we mention that Jesus was born of a virgin, just as the scriptures prophesied. This was to be one means by which His identity could be established. Isaiah wrote, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isa. 7:14) When the angel spoke to Joseph, when he was betrothed to Mary, shortly before Jesus was born, it was made clear to him that he should not be ashamed of Mary, who had conceived as a virgin, but that this was simply the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, "Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, And they shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us." (Matt. 1:22,23) There is no logical reason for rejecting this record of the virgin birth of Christ. We believe that this is a basic reason for accepting the deity of Christ.
The deity of Christ should be accepted by reason of the fact that He was born in the very city which an Old Testament prophet said He would be, Bethlehem. "But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting." (Micah 5:2) In response to the inquiry of king Herod concerning the place of the birth of Christ, they answered "In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written through the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah, Art in no wise least among the princes of Judah: For out of thee shall come forth a governor, Who shall be shepherd of my people." (Matt. 2:5,6) The words of these wise men are taken from Micah, the passage just referred to. These two points relating to the birth of the Lord: that He should be born of a virgin, that He should be born in the city of Bethlehem, leave us without excuse for rejecting Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah.
Another point in the life of the Lord, God had spoken through another prophet regarding the land of Egypt and that God's Son would come out of that land. Hosea wrote, "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt." (Hosea 11:1) Jesus was taken into Egypt by Mary and Joseph in response to the command of an angel of the Lord because of Herod's effort to kill Him. Matthew records, "And he arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt; and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt did I call my son." (Matt. 2:14,15) Before the fulfillment of these prophecies relating to Bethlehem and Egypt could be fulfilled. But knowing the full narrative, the case becomes stronger for Jesus of Nazareth, and we can see how beautifully these prophecies were fulfilled to the letter. How can one reject Christ in the face of all this evidence?