Astonished at the Claims of Jesus!

The world is filled with so many claims of people who are seeking recognition. Bogus as these claims were, the Lord warns us to test every spirit in operation around us to ascertain their authenticity.

During His earthly ministry, Jesus was greatly misunderstood by so many people, but unlike the examples unlike the people of our day with such spurious claims about themselves, the fault was not His, at all. It is evident that even the people who lived with Him and observed Him closely did not truly understand His mission. For a long time, they didn't see that He was the God-sent Messiah. That's why His question in Mark 8:29 is so vital. There He asked His disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" That single question nearly caused a great commotion in the camp of His disciples until Peter came up with an answer that earned him a resounding recommendation: "You are the Christ". At last, His disciples were able to see clearly who Jesus was - the Messiah, the Savior, and the Son of God.

When people misunderstand Him today, it's not because He Has not made clear who He is and what His mission is. Peter, together with the rest of His disciples finally understood who He is. What about you, do you really understand who Jesus is, especially when He constantly claim to be "the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:16)? Do you see His claims as spurious just like that of the so many claimants we have in our day? Recall that according to prophecy, He was "born of a virgin" with God as His Father. Recall that after a discourse to the Jews on how God provided bread to Israel, He called Himself "the bread of life".

Over and over in the Scriptures, Jesus claimed that the Father had sent Him. In claiming to be the good shepherd, Jesus referred often to His close relationship with the Father: "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). Though the leaders of the Jews objected, and were ready to stone Him for such "outrageous" claims, yet Jesus never backed down. He steadily made special claims for His teaching, saying that His words are spirit, and life. The teachings Jesus gave are not only to live by, but to die by. Jesus said: "He that rejects me, and receives not my sayings, has one that judges him: the word that I speak, the same shall judge him in the last day" (John 12:48). No one, before or since, has ever made such claims for what he taught.

The Jews succeeded in having the Romans crucify Jesus, but God raised Him from the dead the third day. He then gathered the apostles together and told them that all authority has been given unto Him, both in heaven and on earth, even though He had proved His power repeatedly throughout His ministry on earth. Recall that after He had healed a blind man, the man told the Jews that if Jesus were not from God, He could do nothing. His reputation was such that Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, said to Jesus, "We know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him" (John 3:2).

In referring to all the miracles which Jesus did, John wrote that there were many other signs that Jesus did in the presence of His disciples, which are not recoded in the Bible, but the few that were written are for the whole word to know and believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He proved His authority by what He did.

Vitus Ejiogu is a writer and publisher with the Fire-Brand Int"l Ministries, a media ministry that is based in Nigeria.

He is the editor of FOUNDATION SATELLITE magazine also published by the ministry. He pastors a Church in Bauchi and is married with two children.

You can reach him at: firebrandhq@yahoo.com or: 234 80 8181 829.

Website: http://www.palmgates.com or http://www.firebrandhq.com