Of Jesus and Christianity

Of Jesus and Christianity

“At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them.  
“If you are the Christ,’” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me,  and if I asked you, you would not answer.  
But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” 
They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You are right in saying I am.” 
Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.” 
Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate.  
And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.” 
So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 
“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.” 
                                     Luke 22:66-23:3.
A noted archaeologist Sir William Ramsey who initially rejected the writings of Luke went on later to say,
“Luke is a historian of the first rank.… This author should be placed along with the very greatest historians.… Luke’s history is unsurpassed in respect of its trustworthiness.”
Two other noted historians William Albright and A. T. Robinson date the New Testament books to the first century. Albright to between 50 A.D. and 75 A.D. and Robinson to between 40-65 AD.
These dates place the writings of Luke within living memory of the events he describes. He certainly had access to the witnesses of the life of Jesus.
Thus for Luke or any of the other writers of the Bible to lie about what was said about Jesus would be to put in peril fledgling Christian movement.
In the scripture I quoted from Luke, Luke 22:66 to 23:3 we see that Jesus admits that he indeed is the Son of God.
To the religious leaders of Jesus day to make yourself equal to God is a crime punishable by death. The religious leaders did not believe Jesus was the Son of God and therefore demanded his death. As they had no right to put someone to death under Roman law they turned to the Roman governor to let them put him to death.
Here is another prove that Jesus was who he said he was.
If Jesus was not the Christ why would he risk death and the potential end of the movement he was starting.
C. S. Lewis puts it this way,
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” 
                                                                                                   C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Jesus was everything he said he was the Son of God, the Way to Heaven, the Saviour of all who would believe in him.
Christianity today is being attacked by extremist around the world and by it seems predominantly Atheist groups in a mild way in the west. They will not prevail.
The book of Acts records an incident in which two of Christ’s disciples were preaching about him not long after his death.
Luke the writer of Acts records, what they said and the resulting outcome.
 “We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Peter tells them)
“When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.  
But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while.  
Then he addressed them: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.  
Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.  
After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.  
Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  
But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” 
               Acts 5:32-39
I believe that the fact many principalities and groups great and small have come against Christianity both by force of arms and in courts of law and have been unable to defeat it, shows Christianity is from God.
And the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
Think about it.