FAQ's

Why is Jesus Called 'the Son of God', if He is the Second Person of the Trinity, Co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit?

This questions often arises in the minds of many because of our associations and connotations with the word "son".  But Jesus had many names - Teacher, Son of Man, Teacher, Rabbi, Bread of Life, Door, and many more. 

So why is Jesus called the "Son of God"?

1.  Because it is a claim to His fulfillment of the prophecies about a coming Messiah who would be born into the world redeem mankind, save it from the power of sin and death, and eventually rule and reign as King.  The the Old Testament talked about a coming Messiah who would be born into the world, and that this Messiah - or "anointed one" - would in fact be "God with us".

2.  Because it is one of his "five key titles", signifying one of the primary characteristics of His being.  These titles were all used to refer to Jesus, and each says something about His character:  Messiah; Yeshua (or Christ, in Greek); Son of Man; Son of God; Lord. 

3.  Because the LORD spoke through an angel, announcing that the Child would be called 'the Son of God'.  Luke's gospel records how that an angel (messenger) appeared to Mary (Miriam), letting her know that she would conceive supernaturally, without the involvement of a man, by rather by the Spirit of the Most High.

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Why is the Resurrection so important?  

The resurrection of Jesus is the most important event in history.  Why? 

First, because it proves the claims He made about Himself are true.   He made claims that set Him apart from any other person in history:
1.  He claimed to be God in human form:  "I and the Father are one";  He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father";  "If you had known Me, you would have known my Father also"; 
2.  He predicted numerous times that He would be betrayed, killed, and rise again. 
3.  He declared that He was "the resurrection and the life.  He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet he shall live.  And he that lives and believes in me shall never die" .

Second, if He rose, then this fact sets Jesus apart from all the other "holy men" of history -- including Buddha, Mohammed, and all the rest.  These spiritual leaders are all still in the tomb, proving they were but men.  Only the tomb of Jesus remains empty, proving He was who He claimed to be:  "I am the way, the Truth, and the Life -- no one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).

Third, if Jesus has risen, and is who He claimed to be, then we had better pay attention to all of the things He said -- our eternal destiny hangs in the balance.  For example, Jesus claimed that the Bible is the inspired word of God, and "cannot be broken" - this sets the Bible apart and above all other so-called "holy books".  Jesus claimed that a person must be "born again" to enter the kingdom of God.  Finally, He stated that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:15).

Fourth, because He rose, we can be assured that one day He will cause all those who trust in Him to rise also.  This is the "blessed hope" that the scripture speaks of.  From Genesis to Revelation, the central message of the Bible is God's plan of redemption.  Through Adam sin entered the world, and man put his will above the Lord's.  As a result we have all gone astray -- "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God".  Our Creator is perfect, holy, just and merciful.  Because He cannot deny Himself, He must punish sin.  But due to His great love for His creation, He formulated the ultimate, fail-save plan.  Even back then, at the time of Adam's fall, God foretold that "the seed of the woman will crush the serpent's head".  God's plan was perfect, fail-proof:  He Himself would "become flesh", dwell among men, lead a sinless life, and become the unblemished "lamb of God who takes way the sins of the world".  He would take the penalty for all of mankind - past, present and future.  He would make the ultimate sacrifice, and be judged and die in mankind's place.  Jesus paid the price for our sins.  And as predicted, He did "not suffer His Holy One to see corruption".  God raised up Jesus, just as He had predicted.  His resurrection crushed the head of the serpent -- forever.
 

Don't all faiths lead to God?

No, for several reasons.  First, religions involve more than just having faith in something or someone.  They also involve claims about truth - claims that can be investigated, and put to the test.  If you dig deep enough, you'll find that all religions "claim" to have a lock on exclusivity to truth. 

For example, eastern religions (Hindus) and many New Age believers claim that the universe always existed - always was.  Christianity, Judaism and Islam claim that the universe had a beginning - that it was created by God.  These claims are mutually exclusive.  Both world views can't be right - one view is correct, the other is not.  Either the universe had a beginning, or it did not.  The exciting thing is that we can - with the help of science - investigate whether the universe had a beginning.  If the evidence supports a creation scenario (which it does), then we can reasonably conclude that the other world view is mistaken.

Another example is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Christianity maintains that Jesus died, was buried in a tomb, and rose again the third day.  Muslims, on the other hand, believe that Jesus never even died, much less rose again.  These claims are contradictory -- they cannot both be true.  Either Jesus died, was buried, and rose again, or He did not.  One world view is correct, the other is not.  How can we know which is true?  We can examine the historical record, we can examine the evidence -- then make our decision concerning which record is the most credible.

The first commandment includes loving the LORD with "all of our mind" -- if we examine the evidence, and use the powers of reason that God gave us, we will ultimately conclude that one faith -- Christianity -- it the most well supported, most consistent, most reasonable faith.   Other religions have elements of truth, to be sure. But ultimately there is but one Truth, one Way.  And that Way is the Person of Jesus Christ.  He said it best:  "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life -- no one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6).