Subversive Prayer of Jesus

The Lord’s Prayer.

Prayer made headlines in the past week. An advertisement for the Lord’s Prayer to be played in cinemas was denied. Reasons given included it might offend people who are not Christians, or sympathetic to the Christian Faith.

Predictably, a furore arose because the cinema’s fear of offending was doing just that. It was also breaking anti-discrimination laws. Some other religious bodies and an Atheist organisation supported the Church of England’s right to have it screened.

That is great for Freedom of speech and freedom of Religion. What was shown up in all this was the stupidity of Political Correctness. It also unmasks the subtle changes taking place to isolate Christ, the Church and weaken our Christian heritage. This can be seen in the demeaning of Christmas by certain intolerant Imams, weak city councils and indifferent politicians.

As I thought about the cinema’s reaction to the Lord’s Prayer advertisement they had a point. This finely crafted prayer, loved by many, is subversive, exclusive, prophetic and challenging. This should be a reason for not showing it, but it does say something about the human heart. Within all of us there is an awareness we all have to meet the Lord God, Creator and judge one day. There is either a fear or a joy in this prospect.

This prayer points to a future event as well as God’s expectation of us and ours of Him. Jesus gave this Rabbinic styled prayer to His disciples. It is therefore Jewish in nature and builds on what the prophets of Israel foretold. The Christian Church has claimed it for its own, as it has the right to do, without forgetting the original presentation and environment.

How is it subversive? Because it talks about ‘Our Father!’

We often forget that God is creator of us all, but He is the Father of the nation of Israel (Isaiah 64:8).

The Church is the creation of Christ through His death on the cross and resurrection. He is our Head and Lord.

Jesus didn’t have to prayer ‘our Father!’ Jesus is the Son, eternal, unique and the One who reveals the Father. (John 14:6-13.   10:30.) It is this very fact that upsets Islam. They call Jesus a liar when they say ‘God has no Son!’ However, they are correct when they say ‘Allah’ has no son – for he isn’t the eternal God of creation, redemption and Love.

It is prophetic because it points to a time when the Son of God sets up the promised Kingdom and rules the world from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2 and Zechariah 14. Etc). This kingdom is not wanted, except by those who belong to Christ. It is opposed by a counterfeit caliphate which is doing everything in its power to prevent its coming.

It is challenging because of its implied and explicit demands. The requirement to forgive can be very difficult, yet it holds within it the wonder of grace, liberty and and inner healing.

The Lord’s Prayer is exclusive. To be able to say “our Father” means a person has been spiritually born through His power. This comes about by a personal faith in Jesus as the Son of God, the promised Saviour who was crucified, entombed and rose again on the third day (John 3. Romans 10).

Maybe, just maybe, unseen forces were at play endeavouring to prevent this well known, well-loved prayer being shown. Behind political correctness and other anti-Christian actions lies the power of Darkness.

 However, John1:1-5 tells us about Jesus coming into this World and being the Light of the Word. Verse 5 reminds us of ultimate victory: ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not (will not, cannot) overcome it.”

Ray Hawkins

Nov 29^th 2015.

Jesus is no pacifist!

War is sometimes necessary to curb, control and conquer evil. This is so evident with such devilish groups as IS and the Islamic Caliphate rampaging in the Middle East. We may wish it wasn’t so but we know they, and others, will not be stopped by reason but by force. The Bible revealed God commissioned men such as Joshua to deal with the evil by the sword. In Canaan were seven nations corrupt and degenerate who had despoiled the Lord’s special ‘patch.’ (Genesis 15:1-21) It is often overlooked that these nations were given over 500 years of grace to change their ways. They didn’t! God would need to bring judgement upon them.

There is a principle evident here. Grace precedes judgement. Evidence of that is Rahab and her family in Joshua 6. How she heard of Yahweh’s intentions and what brought her to faith is not amplified. This woman grasped God’s grace and was, with her family, spared the sword. How many others at that time had a similar opportunity but spurned it we will never know.

I find it intriguing how some spruik the notion that the God of the Old Testament is a warmonger. They then compare Him with Jesus in the Gospels who talks about love and loving your enemies. In actual fact The Yahweh (Jehovah) of those 39 books is the Jesus of the Gospels and the other New Testament books. In a later blog I’ll show some of the unbreakable links.

God has surrounded Himself with numerous titles. The one most fitting for this blog is the title ‘Lord God of Host’. It is a military term. His legions are the angels of Heaven. When Jesus was taken to be crucified He declared that with a command they would come to His aid, immediately! Matthew 26:53. Once again grace preceded justice. Our Lord, however, forewarned His antagonists and supporters in Matthew 24 of events which would lead to the final showdown between the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness.

Christmas steals our hearts with its message and images of a baby in the manager. In Micah’s prophesy (5:2-15) relating to this event we stop at verse two and often try and ignore the rest. Christ’s coming as a baby to live amongst Israel and be delivered as a ransom in fulfilment of Scripture is love made tangible. The message He gave His disciples was and is of grace offered to be received by faith. Should that be spurned they put themselves on a war footing. This is highlighted by the angels to the disciples on the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:8-11). When the Lord returns He will comes on the clouds and to the same mountain from which He ascended to Heaven. Zechariah 14:4. Speaks of that event. Those angels were verifying the fact that the period of grace will end one day. When that happens the Lord Jesus returns as the Lord God of Hosts.

What then elevates Jesus from out of the ranks of tyrants? What lifts Him above all the mythological gods and such claimants to allegiance as blood thirsty and cruel Allah? A number of facets from His revealed character makes Jesus more than a noble warrior, more than a crusading general and more than God with a mission of wrath. From the Scriptures Jesus is shown to be holy, without sin and this saturates everything He is and does. His love (which we enjoy dwelling upon) is holiness expressed. His mercy is holiness extended to its utmost limits (for which we should be thankful). Therefore, when He makes war on those who trample underfoot His Name, desecrate His temple, murder His followers, deny His existence, cross and resurrection, His wrath is not simply an emotional vendetta. It is Justice, controlled by holiness and dictated by giving His opponents time to repent. This allows them to accept the grace of forgiveness. But, when Christ’s patience runs out, His sword of judgement will be raised. Rest assured it too is controlled by holiness.

Individuals and nations rant and rave against the Lord God revealed in the Bible. Religions such as Islam dishonour, discredit and disfigure the Jesus unveiled in the Bible. They place themselves on a collision course with Christ Jesus.

Such a meeting will either take the moment after death or in the ‘valley of decision,’ Armageddon!

God has the last word and what it will be depends upon our trust in Jesus who entered our world to save us from His sword of judgement. His holy patience has its own timetable which allows you and others to own Him as your personal Lord and Saviour. But always remember this, His holy love and mercy doesn’t make Him a pacifist. Neither will it allow Him to bend His word or be bribed by so called ‘good deeds.’ His holiness motivates justice to gird on His sword to conquer and eliminate evil. Until that day the Gospel of Grace unleashed at the cross is offered. To shun the message is to place yourselves under the threat of the sword. That time is drawing ever nearer when it will be wielded.

 

©Ray Hawkins July 2015

O for Eyes to See, Ears to Hear.

Boycotting Israel is a fascinating political and semi-religious extortion program conducted by that Country’s detractors. Why does such a small country, with a wonderful legacy of Nobel Prize winners and inventors, suffer such opposition? Because of an inherent hatred of Gentile nations and their twisted thinking. This is compounded by so many who support terrorists such Hamas, P.A. and Hezbollah.

A sad feature of this boycott program is the way certain Denominations think that God has abandoned Israel. In its place, they think, He has put the Church. Such faulty interpretation of Scripture and thereby the nature of God’s calling, injects unbelief in the Bible. In turn, we see this sickness effecting many other Biblical doctrines such as the Kingdom of God, Christ’s Second coming, Holiness, assurance of salvation and Creation.

No-one can read the Old Testament seriously and not be confronted by the God who is faithful to His word, even when people are unfaithful. In Deuteronomy 28-30 is the record of Israel’s future under curses and blessings. These need to be read so as to understand Israel’s history and the message of the prophets. They based their convictions on the God who keeps His word. (Surely this is what we as Christians also do. God is faithful and the New Testament endorses this truth. This is fortunate for us as we are as faithless as ancient Israel. However, Romans 11:29 is our joy.)

Ezekiel was the prophet of the Babylonian captivity. His ministry wasn’t easy. However, within the pages of his writings is a very unmistakable declaration. It occurs at least 40 times applied to Israel and 25 times to certain nations. That statement is ‘they shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken…’

To Israel, some of the references are to past or present events. God seemed to be saying these have happened and why haven’t you realised it and believed. Then, Ezekiel takes his readers and hearers into the future. Chapters 33, 34, 36, 37, are specific to an unknown date but to a promised fulfilment in relation to the covenanted Nation. Why does God bother? The prophet seems to put forward two reasons. Ezekiel 36:21-23 ‘I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they came. Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. I will sanctify my great name… and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when through you I display my holiness before their eyes.’

The second reason is Ezekiel 37. This is a wonderful chapter. It talks about something only God can do. Verses 25-28 ‘They shall live in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, in which your ancestors lived; they and their children’s children shall live there forever; and my servant David shall be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will bless them and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary among them forevermore. My dwelling place will be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Then the nations shall know that I the Lord sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary is among them forevermore.’ (Emphasis added)

This is a bit much for those who have written off Israel. The more virulent opponents, such as Islam, endeavour to remove any trace of Israel’s occupation in the land. As in last week’s blog, the soil has kept guard over the Nation’s scattered fragments. In effect their Allah is in a pitched battle with the Judeo-Christian Yahweh to try and make the Lord God a failure and a liar. Our God’s track record in keeping His promises is our guarantee of the future promised to Israel.

What was said by the Lord Jesus Christ to the people of His day can be said to the World at large today. Such people have ears, but hear not the word of God when spoken. They have eyes to see but see not what God has done to fulfil His word in the yesteryears. They stand, however, condemned. Why? Because, in the words of Ezekiel, the Lord God has done, and will do things, so that you (and the World) will know that He is God.

Do you want to have your eyes opened? Do you want to have ears that hear? Read especially Isaiah and Ezekiel. As you do, ask the Lord to open your eyes to see His faithfulness; open your ears to hear His word.

(For those who want to follow some other references to this blog:

Ezekiel 6:7, 10, 13-14.   7:4, 9, 27.  28:25.  33:29. 36:11, 38.  39:22, 28.)

Ray Hawkins.

Peace: Islam's verses Christ's

“Islam is a religion of peace” is almost a mantra when their representatives are interviewed. Usually it is a defensive smoke screen after some Islamic terror has been perpetrated somewhere around the world. What riles me however, is the failure of the reporter to ask a simple question: “What do you mean by ‘peace?”’

Islam's idea of peace is submission to Mohammed and the Koran as interpreted by their Imams. Trouble is, Islam’s various sects kill each other as they try to impose their style of peace. The religion of Allah will never bring peace simply because his adherents do not know how to be at peace with him. Muslims have no certainty of paradise because they can never determine if they have impressed Allah enough to merit an entrance ticket. Martyrdom is promoted as the sure fire way to get there. What a travesty and waste of a life. Also, from what is seen and promoted, Islam is a religion of externals. To become a Muslim is to repeat a set formula. There is no change of heart, no repentance, no acceptance of forgiveness and no change of lifestyle.

Christianity's promise of peace is commitment to Jesus Christ. Peace is a heart

matter dictated by a relationship of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. If there can be no peace between an individual and God it is virtually impossible for peace between people. How does the Christian faith define peace with God, especially as it reveals Him as holy and us as the exact opposite? How can the unholy have fellowship with the Holy Eternal God? Unless there is an answer a person will live in terror of fronting Him on judgement day.

Peace with our Creator requires some common ground. Can you or I construct such a meeting place by good works, promises and outward ritual? Impossible! Everything we would touch or endeavour would be smeared and tainted by un-holiness. If such a ground was to exist, only God could bring it into reality. Has He done it? YES! How? Where?

The ‘how’ was accomplished by sending His Son, Jesus. His mission, to deal with all that offended the Father within our heart, mind and behaviour. Jesus took our offences and judgement upon Himself and carried them into the tomb. They were left there when He rose again.

The ‘where’ is the cross of Christ at Calvary! Here is the common ground created by God the Father. We stand upon it when we hear the story of Jesus, believe it is real, recognise our desperate need and ask the Lord for mercy and forgiveness. Such a conviction about Jesus Christ providing the common ground allows Him to deal with our heart ‘disease’, our perverted mind and our vain behaviour. Jesus has the power and authority of His risen life and who He is to forgive, cleanse and recreate. He makes us acceptable to His Father. Then, and only then, will you and I or anyone else have peace with God. For He meets us at the cross. In a sense, the risen Lord Jesus takes our hand and the Father’s hand and joins us together. (Read Ephesians chapters one and two plus Colossians chapters one and two.) This is why we affirm the fact that Jesus is our peace.

What has taken place in the life of a convinced and committed believer is internal. He (or she) is at peace with God. That means he (or she) can be at peace with himself (herself). There will be adjustments. There will be new insights to life. There will be the sense of relief at being forgiven and having the conscience cleansed and liberated. There will be a new outlook on life, on eternity, and on relationships. Peace is the gift of God to us through the person and work of Jesus Christ on our behalf.

There are many wonderful and powerful acts of God’s grace to us who give our lives by faith to His Son, Jesus. One at the top, to my mind, as we live in uncertain days and experience unsettling circumstance, is peace. It is a promise He gave to the disciples on His way to Calvary. It is also the greeting He gave to them after the resurrection. It is also what Jesus offers to us. “Peace I leave; my peace I give you, I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)

©Ray Hawkins 9:3.2015.

Next week. Living out the peace of God which dwells with.

Islam's Greatest Fear

Islam in its many shades of black dominates World headlines today. In lands they control they impose a ruthless regime. In countries where they are not yet in large numbers they wear the demeanour of being victims. From whatever perspective and in whatever country their intent is the same. Islam must rule.

What can stand in its way for it seems unstoppable. Those who oppose it can expect the ISIS treatment (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria – the terrorist group) of subjugation or beheading. Strange as it may seem ISIS, and Islam in general, have a fear which they suppress through violence upon ‘infidels.’ Such a fear isn’t about conflict or death, it is about engaging in a confrontation with Truth.

This is readily seen by its treatment of those from its ranks who commit their lives to the Truth which out-shines anything Islam has to offer. Consider honour killings inflicted upon individuals who leave Islam for the Truth. Without realising it, this action is in fact a tacit statement of its fear. If this wasn’t the case then Islam would have no cause to murder anyone with a different faith, ideology or lifestyle. Fear is irrational in its frenzy to silence that which it cannot answer or control. We have witnessed it in the murder of women and girls who seek an education. We read about it in mobs who kill, without any shred of evidence, those accused of violating the Koran.

Sharia law has no capability to handle Democracy, the Christian view of Human dignity, female equality or the foundation for marriage. There is an implacable hatred to Israel and the Christian Faith which no appeasement will subdue. Islam denies Israel its history for historical Truth undermines and reduces Islam’s claim to the land. The followers of the Koran pervert the Christian Scriptures concerning the person of Christ Jesus and His death on the cross. No death means the Scriptures lie. No crucifixion means no fulfilment of the prophecies of the Old Testament. No entombment means no resurrection and therefore no forgiveness by faith. It also denies the statements of Jesus and His apostles concerning His return to rule. You must understand also the Koran was compiled 500 years after Jesus walked upon this earth. It isn’t eye–witness accounts as we have in the Judeo–Christian scriptures.

When Muslims chant “There is no god but Allah” it is more a confrontation to the Bible’s affirmation “Jesus is Lord!” They are adamant that God has no Son. This is a direct challenge to the Gospels and the celebration of the virgin birth held at Christmas. Rather than accepting the right of someone to believe what they understand as Truth, Islam cannot abide such mental and spiritual liberty. So when ISIS paints the Arabic letter ‘N’ on a house it signifies a believer in the Nazarene, Jesus. That letter becomes a death notice. Why? Because of the fear the Truth about Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God arouses within their darkened minds.

Why would anyone or any ideology fight against the concept of God being Love is hard to

explain. They might not agree with it but that is different to wanting to obliterate those who believe it. The same goes for the wonderful privilege Christians have in calling God “Our Father!” Our relationship with the Triune God isn’t due to our ability to perform things pleasing to Him. Rather it flows from our conviction about the Truth. What is this Truth? To sum it up means we believe Jesus is ‘The Way, The Truth and The Life. It means no one comes to the Father except through a relationship of a living faith in Jesus. Such Truth is what Islam fears. If it didn’t its leaders would allow those within their community the privilege to choose what they understand as Truth. At the moment to believe is to face death for apostasy. Yet around the world many, many people are taking that risk and making Jesus their own personal Lord and Saviour. That’s what Islam fears!

 © Ray Hawkins

Son of God -The Name all will bow before

There’s an accounting that’s been set. On that day every person who has ever lived will have to acknowledge the One whose Name is above every name. Before this person kings and tyrants, peasants and slaves, Mohammed, Buddha, Popes, tribes and clans will bow. Whether this submission will be freely given or enforced will have been decided within each person’s lifetime.

Who is this person whose Name is superior to any other? What has He done to warrant such acclaim? How is it possible for Him to sit in judgement on the faith and deeds of others? Where do we find the record of this King of king, Lord of lords, and God of gods?

To take the last question first: The Judeo-Christian Bible is the source. Despite attempts to obliterate it across centuries the Bible’s Author has preserved it. Though forces have tried to eliminate the historical accuracy of its accounts, they have been foiled by archaeology. Opponents endeavoured to turn it into myth but the fulfilment of prophetic statements, especially about the promised Messiah, simply revealed their falsehoods.

How can He sit in Judgement on the living and the dead? To do that in righteousness and truth requires the ability to know all about the person. He must know the motives and the reasons for their actions or inaction. Can He weight their love or hate, their opportunities to obey the Truth and to exercise justice? Will He be able to discern true forgiveness and mercy, repentance and reformation? If He is so high and holy how can He understand the weak, frail, hurting and lost?

The One who will sit upon the throne of Judgement has two claims to it. One is by the right of His person. He is the Creator and ruler of the Universe. The details of this are acknowledge not only in the Bible but also in the heavens. They declare His existence. The other factor is that this Creator took upon Himself the failure of Adam and Eve to fulfil His instructions. To do that He, in the fullness of time, came to earth to offer forgiveness, grace, hope and a new beginning. It also required experiencing their judgement, and ours, upon our rebellion and indifference to Him. That was death. His name at that event was Jesus. It is the Name declared at the  Christmas event in fulfilment of Isaiah 7:14. Luke 1:26-35.

When you read the accounts of the birth of Jesus you will notice the Name given which goes beyond the Greek Jesus or Hebrew Joshua. Jesus is called ‘The Son of God.’ Here is the distinctive claim about Jesus. During the time of His earthly ministry the Jewish people wanted to stone Him for this, as it made Him, rightly so, equal with God. Peter, one of His disciples came to the conviction that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the Son of God (Matthew 16:16) which further adds to the meaning of ‘Emmanuel’ God with us. Now all of this is beautiful and poetic but can it be true? Remember this Jesus was crucified for blasphemy. There can be only one of two answers. He is a fraud and rots in the tomb or He is who the Bible portrays Him to be. How?  Because He conquered Death and reversed the judgements of The High Priest and Pilate. They were wrong. The prophetic scriptures were and remain right! (Psalm 2. Romans 1:1-4 Revelation ch.4 & 5 Philippians 2:6-11).

Therefore the name He bears is unique (John 3:16) and the message of the gospel about Him is this: ’These are written that so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.’ (John 20:31)

Some try and tell us that Allah and Yahweh are one and the same terms for God. How can that be when Islam declares God has no Son. The Bible and the Koran are from two entirely different sources. What they say about Jesus are totally opposed one to the other. The Koran portrays Jesus as a prophet who lies and is a coward, certainly not worth a second thought. The Bible written across two thousand years and numerous authors, endorsed by historical records and prophetic statements declares the Jesus – His historical name, is the Messiah –the promised redeemer – and at the same time – The Son of the Living God. To believe in Him on that basis is to know forgiveness, a new beginning in time and a new destiny in eternity. It means also that on that accounting day you will gladly bow before Him and praise His Name as your Lord and Saviour, giving thanks to God the Father for Him.

Whose Land?

This in My Land.

The Middle East is constantly highlighted across the media. In particular the arguments between the Palestinians and the Israeli’s over who in entitled to the land the Bible called Canaan. Islam tries to stake a claim to it all. Unfortunately for them even their Koran specifically mentions God gave the land to Israel. Then the Jewish Scriptures assert, with the support of history, that the land belongs to Israel.

However there is a problem. The small country which makes the world tremble whenever trouble breaks out doesn’t belong to anyone nation or tribe. Leviticus 25:23 makes this clear: The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; with me you are but aliens and tenants. (Emphasis added) To whom is the ‘mine’ referring. Not to Allah. It belongs to Yahweh (Jehovah)!

When the Lord God of Hosts chose such a small parcel of the earth as His own He had a strategy in mind. Ezekiel 5:5: Thus says the Lord God: This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the centre of the nations, with countries all around her.’ According to the Scriptures this land was special to God for specific reasons. Some of those we will consider in coming weeks. This should actually make individuals and nations serious think through how they treat what God delights in. We are told that His eyes are on this area constantly for He cares for it.

How then did the descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob come to possess it? The Scriptures tells us the Lord God gifted it to them as an inheritance. Jeremiah stressed this in a prophecy recorded in 3:18: In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land of the north to the land that I (God) gave your ancestors for an inheritance.’

Why would the Eternal God and Creator want to do such a thing? As with anything recorded within the pages of the Bible, there is a purpose. It has to do with redeeming a lost world, overthrowing a usurper’s attempt at domination and dethroning Death’s claim to sovereignty. It is within the book of Genesis we will begin our journey of discovery and understanding why this all was necessary.

The land God has claimed as His own is featured in the Bible as the centre for Moral and Spiritual domination. This is the real issue which is being played out behind the political games of the nations and the anti–Jewish rhetoric throughout the media. Consciously or unconsciously the anti–Christ and anti–Yahweh forces of this world want to rob God of His land and destroy His purposes and obliterate those He claims as His inheritance. You can read all about it in the books of Ezekiel, Joel, Zechariah and Revelation for starters. You will also read of the failure of such opposition.

To be continued.

Questions from God #5...Who Do You Say I Am

Who Do You Say I Am

The twelve disciples had been with Jesus for over two years. Now near Caesarea Philippi Jesus wants their assessment of who He is. That’s fair enough! If you are going to call yourself a follower of someone best to make a true and accurate judgement. The account of their assessment and that of others quoted is found in Matthew 16.

When you seriously consider this question your response becomes the most critical one you will ever make. So much hinges on your understanding and thereby your choices.

Views about Jesus range from him being a myth, a miracle worker, a teacher prophet to Saviour, Lord and Son of God. The overwhelming bulk of information about this Man of Nazareth comes from the Judeo-Christian Bible. Some say this is biased. True! However that doesn’t make it false. These 66 books have been placed under the severest scrutiny. No flaws have been discovered in their testimony even though they have undergone such stringent examinations over time.

Across the centuries individuals and religious movements have endeavoured to tie Jesus to their ideology. Such attempts feign to honour him when in reality they are either exploiting or denigrating Him. One such group today calls Him a prophet. That is true. Then they betray their real view by disclaiming most of what He said, especially about Himself. The biggest issue is His assertion to be the Son of God. (Matthew 26:63-64. John 10:22-39. Romans 1:1-6)

This religious and political movement also rejects what Jesus claimed to be His ultimate mission. He came to fulfil the references to the Messiah in the 66 books of the Old Covenant. That meant He was to be the suffering Servant of Isaiah 53. To be that meant He had to die. For that to happen meant charges worthy of death. The Jewish people’s charge was about blasphemy. The Roman’s charge was about treason and sedition. The manner of capital punishment for non Romans of that time was Crucifixion. History and Scripture record that event.

Why then would any one who says they honour Jesus especially as a prophet call Him a coward and a liar? He is made into a coward by duping some other person to take His place. He is a liar because He claimed this was His mission. Jesus was to die as a substitute for Humanity. Why? To deliver them from eternal judgement and loss but if He chickened out it was a failed mission! Who wants to be named as a follower of such a wimp!

To deny the Eternal nature of Jesus is a subtle way of contradicting the biblical view of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Granted such a view of the Eternal Living God is hard to understand. However that is how He has revealed Himself. Some would try and say that when Jesus used the filial term of Father He was referring to Allah. This is nonsense and anti biblical. Allah has links with the Moon god not to the one who said ‘I am that I am’. The triune Lord God revealed in Scripture is the God from everlasting to everlasting.

Whenever people want to make Jesus more presentable to the modern age they actually rob Him of His identity. Included in that is the rejection of the cross and resurrection, His role as Judge and returning King to reign over the Kingdom of God.

So much more can be said. In coming question time more might be stressed about the person and work of Jesus. Why is the question Jesus asked about a person’s assessment of who He is so important? Because the answer you give will have eternal consequences that no other religious leader, prophet or guru can match. This is perhaps one reason Jesus isn’t liked by other religions. Jesus said ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me.’ On that there is no compromise!

What do you think of Jesus? On whose authority!