Jesus, who was crucified at age thirty-three, spent the last three years of His life on earth traveling the areas of Galilee, Samaria and Judea. His purpose was to share His identity as the way, the truth and the light of God.  

Even while Jesus was a young child of twelve, everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers while discussing scripture.  

Jesus, who has the power of heaven within Him, could have saved Himself from the agony of the cross but He chose to suffer.  Why, people want to know, did this “man” do this?

1.Why didn’t Jesus “prove” Himself ?

Jesus did prove Himself to His contemporaries to be exactly who He claimed.  He did this by fulfilling over 300 prophecies  from Old Testament writings  through His life, death and resurrection.  Here is are just a few:

• Micah 5:2   “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem.  (Matthew 2:1-2)

• Isaiah 9:6-7   For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Jesus came from the house of David. (Matthew 1:1-17)

• Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

Jesus lived in Egypt as a young child, until the death of king Herod.(Matthew 2:13-15)

• Psalm 78:2-3 I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old— things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us.

Jesus taught in parables. (Matthew 13:10-13)

• Isaiah 9:1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan, which flows into the Sea of Galilee. (Mark 1:9)

• Isaiah 42:1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.

Jesus is the redeemer of all nations. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Jesus openly proclaimed who He was to the people of Israel; at the same time, proving His identity by fulfilling scripture. For various reasons many chose not to believe,  though He fulfilled even more Old Testament prophecies.

2. Why did Jesus choose to die?

God, knowing exactly what mankind would do, in the beginning chose to create as apposed to not create. But in order for mankind to live out eternity with God, because our holy God can not live among sin, humanity needed to be redeemed/forgiven for our sin. 

The fall of mankind did not take long. It happened in the first book of the Bible:

• Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Being God of love, He had a plan for our redemption:

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

That plan was fulfilled through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ:

• Luke 24:44-47 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Jesus really is the Son of God. He fulfilled scripture through His birth, lineage, childhood, teachings, and actions. Jesus is the Messiah, our savior of the world, our redeemer.

Christ’s choice was to die for you and for me, so that we may spend eternity with Him in paradise.  I pray you believe in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, so that you too receive His precious gift of salvation. 

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