Part 1 – Who Is Jesus, and Why Should I Believe In Him?

Part 1 – Who Is Jesus, and Why Should I Believe In Him?

I’m excited to begin this series because it’s something I’ve been thinking about for several years.

A Little Bit About Me

I gave my heart to Jesus when I was just six years old. I have always loved Him, and I have believed in Him with my whole heart for as long as I can remember.

When I was eight, however, I felt a deep conviction in my heart that I wanted to be baptized. After a thorough examination by the head pastor, I became the youngest person ever to be baptized in our church. That was a long time ago—around April 1982.

Fast-forward many years, and I still believed in Jesus. I still loved Him, but I didn’t even realize that I hadn’t fully understood who He really is. After hearing several teachings about who Jesus is and how the whole Bible points to Him, it was as though the lights finally came on. I can distinctly remember listening to Pastor Steve Kidd teaching on this. It was as though I could see or feel or perceive connections being made in my mind. Everything finally making sense.

I began to see that there was so much more to Jesus than I had understood. I knew what I believed, but I had never fully understood why it all fit together.

That is what I would like to explore in this series.

Before We Begin

Before we begin looking at Jesus, I would like to establish a few simple principles that will guide us along the way.

The Entire Bible is the Word of God.

Somewhere along the way, many Christians began treating the Old Testament as though it were outdated or no longer relevant. I’ve heard it so many times when referencing an old testament passage, that someone will invariably say, “oh that’s from the old testament”. Part of the problem may be that through language barriers or misunderstanding, somehow we have conflated the Old and New Testaments with the old and new covenants.

They are related, but they are not the same thing.

The Old and New Testaments are the two main divisions of the Bible. The old and new covenants describe the ways God established and fulfilled His covenant relationship with His people.

When Jesus said that He came to establish the new covenant, He was not telling us to discard the Old Testament. In fact, Jesus said:

Matthew 5:17 NASB – “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.”

Jesus fulfilled what the Law and the Prophets had been pointing toward.

The promises, sacrifices, laws, covenants, priests, kings and prophets all help us understand who Jesus is and what He came to accomplish. If we ignore the Old Testament, we lose much of the foundation that explains why Jesus matters.

The apostles did not have the New Testament when they first preached the gospel. They preached Jesus from the Scriptures they already had—the books we now call the Old Testament. The New Testament writings help us look back and see more clearly how those Scriptures were fulfilled in Christ.

So, throughout this series, we are going to treat the Bible as one complete story. It was written through many human authors over many centuries, but it reveals one unfolding purpose centered upon Jesus Christ.

There is one more principle we need to establish…

The Difference Between Fact And Faith

I do not believe that God asks us to abandon reason or ignore evidence. There are good historical reasons to take the Bible seriously. We can examine its manuscripts, its historical settings, its people and places, archaeological discoveries, non-biblical testimony and the eyewitness claims concerning Jesus.

These things establish that the Bible is worthy of our serious attention. They can strengthen our confidence that we are not placing our trust in a collection of invented stories.

But fact and faith are not the same thing.

You do not need faith to believe that boiling water can burn you. You can test it, observe it and know that it is true. Biblical faith reaches beyond the things we can prove in that way.

Faith means receiving God’s testimony, trusting His character and placing our lives into His hands—even though we cannot yet see everything He has promised.

Hebrews 11:6 NASB – “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

Historical evidence can show us that biblical faith is reasonable. It can answer many objections and give us strong grounds for taking Scripture seriously. But evidence cannot make us love God, repent of sin or entrust our lives to Jesus.

At some point, we must decide what we will do with the truth we have been shown.

Jesus said that no one comes to the Father except through Him. The Bible also says that God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

So we will examine the evidence honestly, but we will not ask evidence to do what only faith can do.

So, Where Are We Going?

I already knew that Jesus is the Son of God. I knew that when He walked the earth, He was fully God and fully man. I knew that He was tempted as we are, yet lived without sin.

But I had not fully considered an important question:

Why did those things qualify Jesus to die for my sins—and for the sins of the world?

Imagine that someone has been convicted of murder. The evidence is clear, and the person is unquestionably guilty.

The judge then makes a surprising offer. Instead of sentencing the murderer, he offers his own innocent son to be executed—or to spend the rest of his life in prison—in the murderer’s place.

Would that be justice?

No.

Punishing an innocent person instead of a guilty person would be another act of injustice. The innocence of the judge’s son would not solve the problem. It would make the judge’s decision even more troubling.

Why, then, is it just for Jesus to die in our place?

Why is the cross not simply the punishment of an innocent person for crimes committed by someone else?

Why can His death become the basis of our forgiveness?

The answer begins with understanding who Jesus really is.

Jesus is not merely an innocent man selected by God. He is not an unrelated third party forced to suffer for someone else’s wrongdoing. His identity, His relationship with the Father, His relationship to creation and His relationship to humanity make His sacrifice unlike anything that could happen in an ordinary human courtroom.

The cross cannot be understood apart from the identity of the One who was crucified.

That is where we are going.

We will follow a golden thread running through the whole Bible. We will begin with God’s eternal purpose, creation and humanity’s separation from God. We will follow God’s promises through Abraham and Isaac, the covenants, the sacrifices, the Law and the Prophets.

We will ask why God requested that Abraham offer Isaac, why God stopped him, and why God provided a substitute.

We will look at why the Son of God became truly human, why He had to be without sin, why He willingly gave His life and how His death demonstrates God’s justice rather than setting it aside.

We will also examine why the resurrection matters. If Jesus remained dead, then Christianity has no message of salvation. But if He rose bodily from the grave, then His resurrection changes everything.

The Journey

I am not writing this series because I have every answer or because I think faith never faces difficult questions. I am writing because the more I have discovered about Jesus, the more extraordinary He has become to me.

This journey has strengthened my faith, deepened my love for Him and helped me stand through adversity and persecution. It helped me understand that the cross was not an emergency response to something God had failed to anticipate. God’s purpose in Christ was already in motion before the world began.

It is impossible to surprise God! Everything was always leading to Jesus.

I invite you to join me as we explore the Scriptures, examine the evidence and ask some honest questions.

Who is Jesus—really?

Why was He able to die in our place?

How can the cross be just?

Why should we trust the biblical account?

And why should any of this change the way we live?

Let us discover the answers together.

Prayer

“Heavenly Father, I love You and I pray that as I begin to explore Your master plan and the wonder of Jesus Christ, Yeshua, Your only begotten son, that you will soften my heart and open my eyes and take me deeper with You than I have even imagined possible. I surrender to You. In Jesus’ name.

Amen.”

by Andrew

Rehearsing God’s Wonders

Rehearsing God’s Wonders

How do we cope under great pressure, struggle, and conflict?

Let me share some good news with you: God has given us weapons to use! God—El Shaddai, the Almighty, Mighty in Power—is by our side, and He has already set things in place for us to use to overcome. We just need to know what it is and how to apply it.

So often, we tend to take matters into our own hands, fighting battles in ways that seem right to us. Let me ask you this: What is the first thing you do when something overwhelming happens—something that seems impossible to fix?

Do you run to God for help? Do you wait on Him for the strategy to deal with the situation? Do you first allow your emotions to get hold of you or do you try to figure everything out using your own understanding?

These are important questions we should ask ourselves as children of God:

  • What is my knee-jerk reaction when trouble comes?
  • Where do I turn first when I feel overwhelmed?

Many times, we immediately begin strategizing, overthinking, and even reacting emotionally as we try to solve the problem ourselves. This is one of the enemy’s traps—to keep us striving in our own strength so that we become tormented, weary, and exhausted.

This is where we become battle-weary. Relying on our own strength instead of God’s eventually leaves us drained. We many times quote the scripture not by power or might but by the spirit, but we many times fall short of really relying on the Holy Spirit. We need to hit our problems with the right weapons if we want to be effective in overcoming our enemy.

Zechariah 4:6 “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

Proverbs 3:5–6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Our Testimony

In 2023, God moved my husband, our son, and me to another country through my husband’s job. It was one of the most difficult things we have ever done. We left behind everything familiar and comfortable. For me, it was a very traumatic experience, but God was always there.

During that first year, in a very cloudy season of my life, God spoke clearly to me and told me that my husband should begin looking for another job in March 2024.

So, on March 1, 2024, my husband started searching for a new position.

Just one week later, his manager informed him that the company was in financial trouble and that they would have to let him go. The decision was effective immediately.

At first, we were shocked, bur realized that God did warn us and He had a way out already for us.

We had used all of our finances to move to the new country. We had no savings. We had to start over from scratch, and we were already exhausted from the trauma of relocating.

But we knew one thing: God had brought us there. We had said yes to Him, and He would not abandon us now. He would provide for us.

I often tell people that God placed us in a position where we could not solve the problem through our own reasoning or efforts. I was too exhausted to come up with solutions or strategies of my own.

In the end, I was simply too exhausted not to trust God.

So we trusted and relied on Jehovah Jireh—God our Provider.

We prayed, and God gave us a strategy. My husband spoke with his manager, and they agreed to keep him employed until he secured another job.

Not only that, but God blessed my husband abundantly. The salary at his new job was one and a half times greater than what he had been earning before.

Thank You, Jesus!

Remember What God Has Done

Here is the key:

We overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

When the enemy comes against you with pressure, turmoil, oppression, sickness, or fear:

REHEARSE GOD’S WONDERS.

REMEMBER WHAT HE HAS DONE.

REMEMBER HIM.

You might ask, “How do I do that?”

You recall what God has done for you in previous seasons. Remember the times He came through for you. Speak those testimonies out loud. Remind the spiritual realm of who He is.

And if you cannot remember anything in the moment, begin by declaring what God has done for His people in the Bible and who He was for them in their situation.

Just like this: Father I Remember you as,

Baal-Perazim — The Lord of Breakthroughs

2 Samuel 5:20

David defeats the Philistines and says:

“The Lord has broken through my enemies before me.”

2 Samuel 5:22–25

God gives David strategy for another battle and once again brings breakthrough—a double testimony of victory.

DO IT AGAIN FOR ME, LORD!

Jehovah-Shammah — The Lord Is There

Ezekiel 48:35

“The Lord is there.”

Daniel 3:24–25

In the fiery furnace, God’s presence is with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. A fourth man, “one like the Son of God,” appears among them.

DO IT AGAIN FOR ME, LORD!

If there is a specific name of God that you need to hold onto in your situation, search the Scriptures and find every passage that reveals that aspect of His character. Read those verses aloud.

This is how faith is built.

This is how you speak to the mountain instead of allowing the mountain to speak to you.

This is how you rise up instead of coming under the attack.

Elohei HaTikvah — God of Hope

Romans 15:13

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace.”

Genesis 37–50

God gave Joseph hope through suffering, turning betrayal and imprisonment into the salvation of nations.

DO IT AGAIN FOR ME, LORD!

Jehovah Uzi — The Lord My Strength

Jeremiah 16:19

“O Lord, my strength and my fortress…”

Psalm 118:14

“The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.”

DO IT AGAIN FOR ME, LORD!

Jehovah Shalom — The Lord Is Peace

Judges 6:24

God calls Gideon to lead Israel against the Midianites, and Gideon builds an altar, calling it Jehovah Shalom.

Mark 4:39

Jesus speaks, “Peace, be still,” and calms the storm, revealing God as the One who brings perfect peace in the midst of chaos.

DO IT AGAIN FOR ME, LORD!

Jehovah Mephalti — The Lord My Deliverer

Psalm 18:2

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.”

Psalm 70:5

“You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay.”

DO IT AGAIN FOR ME, LORD!

Jehovah Rapha — The Lord My Healer

Exodus 15:26

“I am the Lord who heals you.”

Isaiah 53:5

“By His stripes we are healed.”

DO IT AGAIN FOR ME, LORD!

Jehovah Machaseh — The Lord My Refuge

Psalm 32:7

“You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble.”

Psalm 119:114

“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.”

DO IT AGAIN FOR ME, LORD!

Jehovah Go’el — The Lord My Redeemer

Isaiah 44:6

“I am the first and I am the last; besides Me there is no God. I am the Lord your Redeemer.”

Isaiah 54:5

“For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of Hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.”

DO IT AGAIN FOR ME, LORD!

This Is How We Fight Our Battles

Beloved, this is how we fight our battles.

We fill ourselves with Scriptures that declare the beauty, majesty, power, and holiness of our King and Savior.

We declare who He is in the face of every enemy.

We stand in Him.

Whatever you need, GOD IS.

If you need peace? He is peace.

If you need healing? He is healing.

If yodu nee provision? He is provision.

If you need strength? He is strength.

If you need hope? He is hope.

If you need deliverance? He is deliverance.

WHATEVER YOU NEED JESUS TO BE FOR YOU – OPEN YOUR BIBLE AND REHEARSE HIS WONDERS BY REMEMBERING AND PROCLAIMING WHAT HE HAS DONE! This is the Sword you use in your battle.

And having done all—

STAND.

PRAYER

You can come in agreement with me as you feel lead.

Father, I pray for your beloveds today. I ask that your names will be fused to their lives, names and every situation in their lives. You are mighty to save Lord. When you act no one can reverse it. Father, I ask that you will bring peace to their hearts and minds in Jesus name. Quiet them with your love and bring clarity in what they are supposed to do here. Father, please forgive us for getting overwhemed, fearful and doubtful. Please forgive us for taking things in our own hands and trusting in our own understanding, we repent of it and ask that your blood will cleanse us for aligning ourselves with the enemy’s report and lies. Holy Spirit we invite you to come and rule over us and take full charge over our situations. We acknowledge your presence in our lives and we acknowledge we can not do anything without you. Show us the way out in Jesus mighty name. Amen and amen.