THE CHRISTIAN’S JOURNEY

WHEN DOES THE CHRISTIAN JOURNEY BEGIN? 

The Christians journey begins when a lost sinner hears that Jesus is God’s Son, Who came into this world to save sinners; died on the cross as a sacrifice for their sins; and rose again from the dead.  The instant a lost sinner acts on this knowledge and reaches out to Jesus Christ in sincere faith, asking Him to save him or her, and believing Him to do it, that lost sinner is born into God’s family.  Jesus is their Savior; God is their Father. 

 Spiritual Insight Grows Sharper and Stronger

 The new Christian may not have a clear understanding of God’s work of salvation at first, but as they read God’s word and sit under the teaching and preaching of mature Christians, the following truths become crystal clear:

 1)      Jesus is God’s Son come in the flesh.

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

                                         John 1:1, 2, 14. (See also Hebrews 1:1-3).

 2)      Jesus lived a sinless life.

And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins ,and in Him there is no sin.”   

    1st John 3:5  (See also 2nd Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1st Peter 2:22).

3)     Jesus accepted the sins of all mankind to be laid on Him.

The prophet Isaiah revealed, “All we like sheep have gone astray, We have turned, every one, to His own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”  Isaiah 53:6.

 The Apostle Paul confirmed, “For He (God, the Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”.  2nd Corinthians 5:21.

 4)     Jesus received the full punishment for all sin (past, present, and future)
        by His sacrificial death on the cross. 

Isaiah also revealed, “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;  Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed”.  Isaiah 53:4, 5.
       (See also Romans 4:25; Hebrews 9:26, 28; 1st  Peter 2:24; 1st John 2:2.).

  5)  Jesus arose from the dead and ascended to His heavenly Father’s right Hand.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the most well established facts of history:

 a).  The Old Testament Prophesied His Resurrection

 Psalm 16:9, 10   “ Therefore may heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.  For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.”   –  These verses were quoted by Peter at Pentecost and by Paul in the synagogue in Pisidia.  (Acts 2:26, 27; Acts 13:35).

Psalm 2:7 -  “I will declare the decree:  The Lord has said to Me, You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.”  Quoted by Paul at Antioch in Acts 16:33;  (See Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5; Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:5).

Isaiah 26:19
.  “Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise.  Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead.”

            b).  Jesus foretold His death and/or His resurrection six times. 

From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”   Matthew 16:21. 
                   (Also recorded in Mark 8:31 and Luke 9:22).

 “Now while they were staying in Galilee Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.’ And they were sorrowful.”    Matthew 17:22, 23.  
                              (Also recorded Mark 9:9, 10).

        “Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and
       said to them, ‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be
       betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death,
       and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify.  And the
       third day He will rise again.’”  
Matthew 20:18, 19           

After His teaching on the Mount of Olives Jesus “said to His disciples, ‘You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.’”  Matthew 26:1, 2 See additional statements in Matthew 20:18, 19; 26:1,2;

  And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.  Then Jesus said to them, ‘All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered.’   But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.’”    Mark 14:26, 28;

The first time Jesus drove the money changers and merchandisers from the Jerusalem Temple the Jews asked, “What sign do you show us, since You do these things?”  Jesus answered, 

 “. . .Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”  ‘But He was speaking of the temple of His body.’”  John 2:19, 21,22. 

c).  There are twelve recorded appearances of Jesus after His resurrection:

             Mary Magdalene and another “Mary” – Mark 16:9; John 20:18.
                         Other women – Matthew 28:9.
                         Simon Peter – Luke 24:34
                         The two disciples walking to Emmaus – Luke 24:13-31.
                         Ten apostles (Thomas absent) – John 20:19
-24.
                         Eleven apostles (Thomas present)  John 20:26.
                         Seven apostles at Sea of
Tiberius – John 21:1
                        
Eleven apostles on a mountain of Galilee – Matthew 28:16, 17.
                       
 Over 500 believers at once – 1st Corinthians 15:6.
                         James (step-brother of Jesus) – 1st Corinthians 15:7
                         The apostles and believers on the Mount of Olives at His ascension back
                         to Heaven – See the parallel records of Mark 16:19; Luke 24:45-51;
                               Acts 1:4-9.
                         The apostle Paul – Acts 9:1-12; 1st Corinthians 15:8. 

The power of the above evidence is better understood when we realize that no other person at this period of time has half as much documented eye witness that they even lived. 

     6)The supreme ministry of Jesus through the church age is being High Priest
           
 Mediator between God and man. 

“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.”  1st Timothy 2:5. 

But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.”  Hebrews 8:6. 

…How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God.  Cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant…”  Hebrews 9:15, 16. 

But you have come. . .to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling. . .”  Hebrews 12:22-24. 

The word “mediator” means “a go-between”.  It describes a person who mediates between two parties for the purpose of producing peace.  In regard to Jesus it points out that Jesus possessed the nature of sinless deity Who satisfied the holiness and justice of God and also the nature of sinless humanity by which He provided cleansing from sin by the shedding of His blood on the cross. 

The great value of Jesus being our High Priest Mediator is explained beautifully in Hebrews 4:14-16. 

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

 A clear understanding of the above truths provides a strong foundation for a successful Christian journey.  There is a great profit in learning these truths well

 


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