Proof that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ the Son of God

Proof that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ the Son of God PROOF THAT JESUS OF NAZARETH IS THE
CHRIST THE SON OF GOD
By Clarence C. Morgan

Introduction In Matthew the twenty -second chapter and forty- second verse, Jesus asked the Pharisees the question, “What think ye of the Christ? Whose son is he?” and from that day until nowr, this has been a universal question to which we find one of three answers is generally given.

1. The avowed atheists and infidels say Jesus was a deceiver and an imposter.

2. Others, including many religionists, accept Jesus to a degree, claiming that he was a great and good man but deny his deity. Today this view is also held by many notable Jews, who formerly' agreed with the infidels.

“Rabbi Ferdinand M. Isserman, of Temple Israel, St. Louis, recently addressed the Chicago Sunday Evening Club. ‘A Jewish View of Jesus’ was the subject announced. On the platform he changed it to ‘A Jew’s View of Jesus’—explaining that while he could not speak for his Jewish brethren, he could speak for himself. He stated, with carefully selected words, that it was not his purpose to recognize ‘the Christ of Christianity.’ Nevertheless, he said: ‘As a Jew, I am proud of Jesus.’ He also insisted—at length, and with considerable, argument—that Christians and Jews should unite in Jesus. That is, doubtless, the most astounding proposition submitted by a famous Jewish leader since Paul urged his Jewish brethren to accept their promised Messiah.” (Quoted from Christian Standard).

3. In contrast to these two views of Jesus, Christianity contends that he was the Christ, the divine Son of the living God, and in this address it is my purpose to establish, by .irrefutable proof, the Christians’ contention.

I. Jesus Claimed To Be the Son of God
1. To an Individual: “The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh (he that is called Christ), who,
when he is come will declare unto us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak to you am he” (John 4:25-26).
2. To the Court of the Jews: “And the high priest said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us
whether thou art the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said unto him, Thou hast said.” Thus on trial for his life,
Jesus took the legal oath of his own nation, swearing that he was the Son of God” (Matthew 26:63-64).
3. To the Roman Court: “Now Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art
thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest” (Matthew 27:11). From the testimony of Jesus we must draw one of two conclusions, either he was what he claimed himself to be,
the Son of God, or he was a lying, deceiving imposter and not even a good man, for good men do not tell lies,
let alone swear them on the witness stand. So, to deny the deity of Jesus is to brand him a deceiving imposter.

II. Jesus Proved His Claim by His Mighty Works
1. When Jesus came, claiming to be the divine Son of the living God, he neither asked nor expected to be believed
simply upon his own testimony, but as heaven’s ambassador, he brought with him heaven’s credentials—miracles
—and by his mighty works proved that he was the Son of God.
2. In his first miracle, that of turning water into wine, (John 4:4-8) he proved his power over nature. In healing the man
born blind (John 9:5-7), he proved his power over disease. In healing the nobleman’s son (John 4:48-50), he
proved his power over distance. In calming the wind and the sea (Matthew 8:26), he proved his power over the
elements; and in raising Lazarus (John 11:39), he proved his power over death.

III. Fulfilled Prophecy Proves that Jesus Was the Son of God
Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, men of God had made certain prophecies concerning the coming Messiah,
the seed of the woman, who was to bruise the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). We give here a few of these prophecies
and where the record of their fulfillment is to be found:

Isaiah 7:14. To be born of a virgin. Luke 1:26-35.
Micah 5:2. To be of the tribe of Judah. Matthew 2:5-6.
Isaiah 9:7.. To be of the house of .David.. .->Luke 2:4.
Mic.. 5:2. To be born in Bethlehem. Matt: <2 :l-,6,••
Zechariah 9:9. Triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Matthew 21:45.
Zechariah 11:12. To be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver. Matthew 26:14-15.
Psalms 22:16. Feet and hands to be pierced. John 20:7.
Isaiah 55:12. To be numbered with transgressors. Matthew 27:58.
Psalms 22:18. Lots to be cast for his vesture. Mark 15:24.
Isaiah 53:9. Tomb to be with the rich. Matthew 27:57-60.
Psalms 16:10. Body not to see corruption. Matthew 28:6.
And many others. In fact Jesus fulfilled every prophecy ever made concerning
the coming Messiah, and he is the only one who fulfilled any of them. Therefore,
by the fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus of Nazareth is proven to be the divine Son.
of the living God.

IV. Upon the Testimony of Others, Jesus Is Proven To Be the Son of God
1. His Relatives: John the baptist was a cousin of Jesus and no doubt had known him from his youth.
In John 1:29-34 he bears divine testimony'that Jesus was the Son of God. “On the morrow he seeth '
Jesus coming unto him, and saith, behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. This
is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man, who is become before me, for he was before me. And
I knew him not, but that he should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing in water.
And John bear witness, saying, I have beheld the spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and it
abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize in water, he said unto me, Upon
whomsoever thou shalt see the spirit descending, and abiding upon him, the same is he that baptiseth
in the Holy Spirit: and 1 have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.
2. His Friends: Jesus’ closest friends, his apostles, who knew him better than anyone else, all bore testimony
that Jesus was the Son of God.”
(a) Peter. “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).
(b) Andrew. “We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, Christ” (John 1:41).
(c) James. “Lord, wilt thou that we bid fire come down from heaven?”
(d) John. This apostle and member of the inner circle of Jesus’ friends, wrote five books
of the New Testament, in each of which he repeatedly bears tes-timony to the fact that
Jesus was the Son of God.
(e) Philip. “Philip findeth Nathanael and said unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses
in the law and the prophets wrote Jesus of Nazareth . . .” (John 1:46).
(f) Nathanael. “Thou art the Son of God; thou art King of Israel” (John 1:49).
(g) Thomas. “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28.

These seven apostles have borne direct testimony as to their faith in Jesus that he was the Son of God, as also did many other of his personal friends who knew him well.

3. His Enemies:
(a) Judas the traitor. The one who stooped so low as to betray Jesus with a kiss, bore testimony 
that even he believed that he was the Son of God. “Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he
saw that he was' condemned, repented himself, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to
the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood” (Matthew 27:4).
Jesus was charged by the Jews of blasphemy, because he claimed to be the Son of God. The
Jews found him guilty, but Judas said “He is innocent of the charge,” when he said, “I have betrayed innocent blood.”
(b) Mrs. Pilate. The wife of Governor Pilate, who could hardly be counted among the friends of Jesus,
said to her husband, “Have thou nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered many things
this day in a dream because of him” (Matthew 27:19). If Mrs. Pilate had not believed that Jesus was what
he claimed to be, the Son of God, she could not and would not have called him a “righteous man.”
(c) Governor Pilate. Now we come to consider the testimony of the man who passed sentence upon
Jesus and signed his death warrant. Coward though he was, yet he never did admit that he believed
him guilty, for we hear from his lips such expressions as these: “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous
man” (Matthew 27:24). “I having examined him before you, found no fault in this man touching those things
whereof ye accuse him: no, nor yet Herod, for he sent him back unto us: and behold, nothing worthy of
death hath been done by him” (Luke 23:13-16). “Behold your King” (John 19:15). “Jesus of Nazareth,
the King of the Jews” (John 19:19).
(d) The Centurion: The man who directed the crucifixion, and gave the orders for the nails to be driven in his
hands and feet, as he watched Jesus hanging on the cross, cried out, “Truly, this was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39).
4. The Demons: Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record the testimony of tlie Demoniacs of Gadara who said,
“What have we to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God?” From the testimony thus far produced we
see that the man who denies that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, brands
Jesus as a liar, sets at naught his mighty works, ignores the prophets, discredits the testimony of both
Jesus’ friends and enemies, and places himself on a plane beneath cowards, traitors, and the demons of hell.
But the end is not yet.

V. Heaven Proclaims that Jesus of Nazareth Was the Christ the Son of the Living God.
1. Angels:
(a) It was an angel who said to Mary, “Thou shalt bring forth a son and shalt call his name Jesus” (Luke 1:31).
(b) It was an angel who announced to the shepherds that night out on the moonlit hills of Judea,
“There is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).
(c) It was a host of angels who, in that same night, sang, “Glory to God in the highest.”
(d) It was an angel who warned Joseph to flee into Egypt with the babe Jesus to protect him from Herod (Matthew 2:13).
(e) It was angels who came and ministered unto him after his temptation in the wilderness.
(f) It was an angel who stood by him and strengthened him that night in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43).
(g) An angel of the Lord came and rolled away the stone from his tomb (Matthew 28:2).
(h) The angels announced his resurrection (Matthew 28:6).
(i) Angels witnessed his ascension into heaven and announced his second coming (Acts 1:10-11).
2. The Holy Spirit: At his baptism the Holy Spirit came down from heaven in a visible, bodily form and sat upon
him (Matthew 3:16).
3. God:
(a) When Jesus was baptized of John in the river Jordan, God proclaimed from heaven,
“This is my be-loved Son in wdiom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
(b) On the mount of transfiguration God again announced from heaven, “This is my beloved Son
in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him” (Matthew 17:5).
4. Nature: In the first chapter of John, verse three, we learn that “All things were made through him;
and without him was not anything made.” Through him then was made the sun, moon and stars,
the earth, and all that is in it. When Jesus was crucified all creation rebelled at the dastardly deed.
(a) The sun, which Jesus had made, refused to shine at noonday (Matthew 27:45).
(b) The earth, which Jesus had made, did quake, and the rocks were rent, the graves of dead men
gave up their dead, and the veil of the temple was rent in two.

VI. By His Resurrection Jesus Is Proven To Be the Son of God.
1. Death:
a. This grim reaper took away our Lord’s life from his mortal body, consigned his body to the grave and
his soul to nades. But, by the power of God, he conquered death, hades, and the grave, breaking their
bonds and coming forth a victor, abolishing death and bringing life and immortality, to light.

All hail the power of Jesus’ name, let angels prostrate fall. Bring forth the royal diadem and crown lum Lord of all.