Who is Jesus?

A new Christian should be interested in these three things:

1. Who is this Jesus Christ that saved me?
2. What am I saved from?
3. How should I act thereafter?

We shall start with the first question: Who is Jesus?

Who did Jesus claimed to be?

In the Gospel of John, He made seven "I am" claims; Jesus claimed to be:

1. The Bread of Life (John 6:35)

2. The Light of the World (John 8:12)

3. The Door / Gate (John 10:9)

4. The Good Shepherd (John 10:11)

5. The Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)

6. The Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6)

7. The True Vine (John 15:5)

While the Bible did not record Jesus saying, "I am the Son of God" in those exact words, He did affirm it whenever He was asked if He was the Son of God (Matthew 16:15-17, Matthew 26:63-64, Luke 22:70, John 10:36-38). He also claimed that He is the Messiah, i.e. Christ, or the Anointed One (John 4:25-26).

He claimed that He is not of this world (John 8:23), born to be a King but His kingdom is not of the world (John 18:36-37).

So the Jesus that saved you is the promised Messiah of Israel, the Son of God.

But many people also claimed to be gods, reincarnations of gods, of buddhas, some also claim to be prophets, all offering different ways of salvation. How do you know that Jesus is the true God, and not one of the many gods, buddhas or prophets?

This is the difference: all these gods, buddhas or prophets who had come, came alone. They just appeared and claimed that they were somebody. But Jesus's coming is predicted. His life is written before He was born. The Old Testament predicted His time of birth (Daniel 9:25) and His place of birth (Micah 5:2). The Jews of His time studied Daniel and were expecting the Messiah to appear soon. The wise men told King Herod of His place of birth by reading Micah (Matthew 2:3-5).

The Old Testament also predicted His death by crucifixion (Psalm 22:16, Isaiah 53:5, Isaiah 53:12), His burial in a rich man's tomb (Isaiah 53:8-9) and His resurrection (Psalm 16:10, Psalm 68:18, Isaiah 26:19, Psalm 30:3). The authors of the Gospels were very careful to show us that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament predictions.

I have not known of a founder of any religion that had received such authentication. All founders of the other religions authenticate themselves. Nobody predict their birth or death. They came in their own name and, without objective proof, declared themselves to be somebody and you are expected to believe.

This Jesus, who saved you, the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel, came fully authenticated by the Old Testament prophecies. The Old Testament is Jesus's PKI certificates.

Death and the Five Year Old

Clara Chow, the Manic Mummy of "My Paper", could not answer a question her five year old son asked, "Mummy, where do people go when they die?"

We are glad that the Bible tell us the answer. I am able to tell my children the answer for sure.

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2 KJV)

Those who believe in Jesus will have eternal live.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13 KJV)

But those who do not believe will go to everlasting condemnation.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18 KJV)

Biblical Regulations for Israel Concerning War

As you approach a town to attack it, you must first offer its people terms for peace. If they accept your terms and open the gates to you, then all the people inside will serve you in forced labor. But if they refuse to make peace and prepare to fight, you must attack the town. When the Lord your God hands the town over to you, use your swords to kill every man in the town. But you may keep for yourselves all the women, children, livestock, and other plunder. You may enjoy the plunder from your enemies that the Lord your God has given you. (Deuteronomy 20:10-14 NLT)

But these instructions apply only to distant towns, not to the towns of the nations in the land you will enter. In those towns that the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession, destroy every living thing. You must completely destroya the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, just as the Lord your God has commanded you. This will prevent the people of the land from teaching you to imitate their detestable customs in the worship of their gods, which would cause you to sin deeply against the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 20:15-18 NLT)

Religions and Societies

All religions have at least two components: personal and religious. Some religions include political and cultural components.