There are so many religions,

how do I know which one is true?

Isn't there more than one way to get to

Heaven?

1) Jesus claimed to be the ONLY way to God. Jesus said, " I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

 

He didn't claim to be one of several ways, but the one and only way;  Not to teach the way, but to be the way to God.  Nobody has ever made claims like that before and backed them up, but Jesus did through his love, righteous life, and miracles.

2) Jesus was either a Legend, Liar, Lunatic or Lord and God.  

 

Jesus could only have been one of four things: a legend, a liar, a lunatic-- or Lord and God.  There is so much historical and archeological evidence to support his existence that every reputable historian agrees he was not just a legend.  He made outright claims to be equal with God.  If he were a liar, why would he die for his claim, and if these claims were serious but dishonest he was crazy when he could easily have avoided such a cruel death with a few honest words?  And, if he were a lunatic, how did he engage in intelligent debates with his opponents or handle the stress of his betrayal and crucifixion while continuing to show a deep love for his antagonists?

He said he was Lord and God. The evidence supports His claims!

Here are some of the key claims Jesus made about himself.

A) He claimed to be able to give everlasting life.

He didn't just tell people how they could find everlasting life, or deepen their own life experience. He actually claimed to give eternal life himself.

 

John 6:40 "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

John 6:47 "I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life."

John 10:28-30 "I give [my followers] eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

John 11:25 "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die...'"

B) He claimed to be able to forgive sins

One of the reasons that the Jewish leaders were so angry with Jesus was because of his continual practice of forgiving people's sins.  The religious leaders understood clearly that since sins were rebellion against God Himself, only God could forgive sins.

Luke 5:20-21 "When Jesus saw their faith, he said, 'Friend, your sins are forgiven.'  The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, 'Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?'"

Luke 7:48-49 "Then Jesus said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.'  The other guests began to say among themselves, 'Who is this who even forgives sins?'"

C) He claimed that he would die and come back to life

John 10:17 "Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

John 12:32-33 "'But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.' He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die."

 

John 16:16 "In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me."

Luke 18:31-33 "Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, 'We are going up into Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise

again.'"

 

 

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