In the Old Testament there are many prophesies concerning the savior. It even speaks of him comming from the the liniage of King David. Here are some verses that point out that Jesus is the Son of God and not just a normal person.
Mat. 10:32 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
Not a claim to be God. Not a statement saying we must believe Jesus is God.
Does not change Jesus' teachings that you have to forgive to be forgiven. (Re Mat 6;18 Mark 11; Luke 6; John 20, etc)
Mat. 11:28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest"
Not a claim to be God. Not a statement saying we must believe Jesus is God.
Does not change Jesus' teachings that you have to forgive to be forgiven. (Re Mat 6;18 Mark 11; Luke 6; John 20, etc)
Mat. 14 The story of Peter being afraid to walk on the water. God gave Jesus and later the apostles the gift of the Holy Spirit to prove that they are from God. The word of God (Bible) replaces those miracles now.
Mat 19:8 "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the begining it was not so." This is another reference that Jesus was at the begining.
Not a claim to be God. Not a statement saying we must believe Jesus is God.
Does not change Jesus' teachings that you have to forgive to be forgiven. (Re Mat 6;18 Mark 11; Luke 6; John 20, etc)
Mat 20:28 "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom from many"
God didn't hold Jesus hostage, the Romans did. Jesus taught you must forgive. He believed this message critical to be forgiven. He believed he was the 'Christ', = annointed = sent by God to teach his message. Not a claim to be God, nor a statement saying we must believe J is God, does not contradict that Jesus taught you must FORGIVE to be forgiven.
Mat 21:42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes?"
Jesus was the stone that was rejected. He has become the cornerstone of the church. That was a quote that Jesus made from Psalms 118:22.
Again, he didn't claim to be God, his message was you must forgive to be forgiven, never that you must believe Jesus is God your sin atonement sacrifice.
Mat 23:10 "And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ."
Mat 24:5 "For many will come in My name, saying 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many."
Not claimes to be God, not a requirement to believe Jesus is God, sin atonement sacrifice. Not at all. Does not contradict the many times Jesus claims that to be forgiven, you must forgive others.
Mat 24:30 "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory"
This is referring to when Jesus makes his final return. If Jesus was just another prophet then why would he be picked out of them all to come back and have power and great glory? It's because Jesus was in the beginning and will be at the end.
Is God a son of man? If someone claims to be 'sent' by God, then why not come in clouds with glory?
Notice the context:
36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
So Jesus is like Noah? Noah wasn't God. Jesus isn't claiming to be God.
He certainly doesn't state we must believe he is God to be forgiven.
He does claim to be 'sent' by God and he did say that to be forgiven, you have to forgive others. Matthew 24:30 does not quote Jesus as saying we must believe Jesus is God, our sin atonement sacrifice to be forgiven.
Mat 28:18 "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."
I will stop with that one. I didn't have to look much because it is all through the gospels.
18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Verse 18 is not a claim to be God. He's saying God gave him power, that could simply mean all he has to do is pray for it.
Compare:
Matthew 18:19
"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you
ask for, it will be done for you by my
Father in heaven.
That doesn't mean Jesus thinks every Christian is God. Just Sons of God.
Matthew 26:52-54 (King James Version)
53Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
Jesus is only referring to the fact that we can ask God for things, God will do them.
Matthew 18:18-20 (King James Version)
18Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
Jesus believes he is the key, his message is the key.
Shouldn't a Christian at least believe Jesus' statement that if you forgive others, you will be forgiven?
Notice Jesus always uses the word,'forgiven' to describe those who were 'forgiven', before the cross?
If I have to believe Jesus is God, sin atonement sacrifice, before being forgiven, then Jesus couldn't say, 'forgiven' about people before the cross. But since Jesus did say people were forgiven, past tense, before the cross, logically, they didn't get forgiven by the cross.
Was Jesus telling the truth when he said,
Matthew 6:14-15 (King James Version)
14For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Mark 11: KJV
25And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Luke 6:37 (King James Version)
37Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven
Was Jesus telling the truth when he said if you forgive others you will be forgiven?
He said that over and over and over, with examples, with illustrations, in detail, spelled it out, in context, very clear.
Not once do we find anything like this sentence, not once:
'You must confess your sins
believe I am God
your sin atonement sacrifice
to be forgiven."
16 words. Jesus lived 33 years. Never said those words.
He was asked how to pray, his answer was different, it was Mat 6 above.
John 3:16 requires Christians to believe in Jesus. At a bare minimum, this must mean you believe in what the man says.
Imagine someone believing in a leader, but denies what the leader teaches?
John 3:16 says you have to believe in Jesus.
Jesus taught if you forgive others, you will be forgiven.
Mat 6
14For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
If one doesn't believe Jesus at Mat 6; Mark 11; Luke 6; then one does not believe what Jesus said and violates John 3:16 . Kind of hard to claim to obey John 3:16 if one refuses to believe what the man taught over and over and over again, directly, with examples, in context.
And John 3:16 does not state Jesus is God at all. It says God 'sent' Jesus. That's another way of saying Jesus is *not* God.
If Bob is 'sent' by Bill, then Bob is not Bill.
There are other religions. There are other opinions also. The Bible is the only thing I follow because I believe it is the inspired word of God. My beliefs can only be changed if someone can point out how I am biblically wrong.
Really?
I brought you proof that Jesus says how to be forgiven, clearly, in context.
Do you believe what Jesus says in the bible?
Thank you for your time and attention.
Please note John 1; 8; and 10 for chapters Christians use to argue Jesus was God.
John 1 is symbolic, Jesus isn't mentioned until verse 14, the 'Word' of verse 1 are the words God used to make the world, example, 'Let there be light,' etc.
John 8 Jesus says God 'sent' (five times) him, compare with God sending Moses in Exodus 3:14, tell them "I am that I am"
sent you.
John 10:38 must be compared to John 17:11 end of the verse.
