The Credentials of Jesus Part 2

Here is part 2 of our theme “The Credentials of Jesus” to the world. Generally these weekly emails are focusing on all the amazing character aspects of Jesus. (You can find all old emails posted at http://GodIsJustLikeJesus.blogspot.com.  As we delight in His goodness, the fires of fascination are stoked by the incredible things that Jesus did!

Last week we considered: 1) Jesus’ sinlessness, 2) the moral perfection of Jesus’ mind, 3) the eyewitness accounts (over 515) that He rose from the dead with a physical body and 4) that He fulfilled over 300 prophesies that occurred over 4,000 years of Jewish history.

This week let’s quickly look at 7 other credentials that He provides to an unbelieving world to draw all who will respond. For believers, these radical aspects of Jesus life just produce another opportunity to be apprehended by wonder and joy at the single most unique person to step on the stage of world history!

 

1. Jesus’ Power over Nature  – the physical and material world

• Jesus walks on the water (Matt 14:22) Then Jesus enables Peter to walk with Him on the water.
• Jesus calms and controls the raging storm on the Sea of Galilee (Mk 4:35)
• Jesus directs Peter exactly where to fish on two occasions for a huge catch (Luke 5:4 and John 21:4)
• Jesus orchestrates a fish to bite on Peter’s hook that has a 2 drachma coin in it’s mouth (Matt 17:27)
• Jesus changes water into wine (John 2:2)
• Jesus multiplies the bread and fish on 2 different occasions (Mk 8:1, Matt 14:13)
• Judas and the soldiers fall to the ground as Jesus says, “I am He.” (John 18:6)

 

6. Jesus brings people who were dead back to life

 

1. Jesus releases the very life of God into 3 dead people striking a similarity to God breathing the breath of life into humans in Genesis 1:27 & 2:

• Jesus raised the Widow of Nain’s son from the dead Luke 7:11-15
• Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead (Luke 8:40-
• Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44)

7. Jesus’ Power over the Spiritual World (the spiritual realm, angels and demons)

 

• The Resurrection – Jesus dies, has mastery over the supernatural world and reappears as both a supernatural person and a physical person. Jesus new body can eat fish, drink liquid, be touched and held. (John 20:27, Matt 28:9, Luke 24:41-43)
• Jesus transforms Himself and the immediate environment to talk with Moses and Elijah about his crucifixion Mark 9:1
• Jesus can call on the unlimited resources of Heaven in a moment’s notice. “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (5,000 – 6,000 Angels) Matthew 26:53
• Jesus drives out numerous demons (Mark 1:21, Mk 5:1 and many others)

 

8. Jesus’ Power over Sickness & Disease : Jesus was a compassionate healer of many people (Biblical references are replete)

 

• Jesus demonstrates His power over physical human bodies to heal them from any type of sickness, disease or birth defects (man born blind John 9)
• Muhammad did not heal people
• Buddha did not heal people. His teaching focused on “detaching” from suffering as a means of finding freedom from it. He was not overcoming sickness and disease. Jesus did that.