If you had only one chance to tell someone why you believe Jesus Christ is God, what would you say? I once had one of the most challenging experiences of my life in Moscow, Russia, given the opportunity to preach to a large audience of Russian Army officers and their wives. They had been taught from their youth there is no God. The Holy Spirit told me, “Adrian, tell them about Jesus—why you believe in Jesus Christ.” That’s what I did, from John 6:
From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
I want to tell you, just as I told them, why I’m sure Jesus Christ is really God. Peter’s question of “Lord, to whom shall we go?” is my question for you: If you turn from Jesus, where will you go? To atheism? Jesus Christ alone can meet the deepest hunger of the human heart and give steadfast, sure hope.
But how do we know Jesus is who He says He is? Why do we believe in Him? I gave the Russian officers four reasons:
Historical Reasons - “I am the living bread which came down from Heaven” (John 6:51).
Jesus Christ is a fact of history. All secular historians having any merit admit Jesus walked the earth, whatever they believe about Him. After His resurrection, He appeared to 500 eyewitnesses at one time. There is more proof Jesus rose from the dead than that Julius Caesar lived.
Scriptural Reasons - “…these are they [prophets] which testify of Me” (John 5:39).
The Bible, the book standing the test of the ages, confirms Jesus is the totally unique Son of God by:
- His virgin-born miraculous birth.
- His sinless life.
- His sacrificial death.
- His resurrection from the dead.
The Bible confirms He is God. The Bible is proved true by its fulfilled prophecy, miraculous unity, longevity, enduring through the ages, historical accuracy, and life-transforming power.
Spiritual Reasons - “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).
You must have the Holy Spirit to help you. If you want to know who Jesus Christ is, ask the Holy Spirit. The human mind on its own cannot comprehend God’s deepest truths. The Holy Spirit will testify in your heart that Jesus is indeed God.
Personal Reasons - “We have come to believe and know…” (John 6:69).
When Peter said, “You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (vs. 68-69), Peter was saying, “I know it personally, through personal experience. Once I received Him into my heart, now I have the witness on the inside. You could argue with me all day and never convince me against Jesus Christ. I know personally.
Jesus Christ alone is the answer to your sin and your heart’s need. No one else walked out of that grave or has the words of eternal life. You can know and be sure that He is the Son of God.
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