Who Is Jesus?

[0:00] Take your Bibles and turn to the Gospel of John in chapter 20.! John chapter 20. John chapter 20.

[0:15] Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they put him.

[0:34] So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there, but did not go in.

[0:49] Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head.

[1:02] The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally, the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside.

[1:13] He saw and believed. They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.

[1:25] But Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

[1:37] They asked her, Woman, why are you crying? They have taken away my Lord, she said, that I don't know where they have put him. At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but did not realize that it was Jesus.

[1:55] Woman, he said, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for? Thinking he was the gardener, she said, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him.

[2:10] Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, Rabboni, which means teacher. And Jesus said, Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father.

[2:23] Go instead to my brothers and tell them, I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. And Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news.

[2:36] I have seen the Lord. And she told them that he had said these things to her. On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you.

[2:55] After he had said this, he showed them his hands and sighed. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. And again, Jesus said, Peace be with you.

[3:06] As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. And with that, he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven.

[3:17] If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. Now, Thomas, called Didymus, one of the twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. And so the other disciples told him, We have seen the Lord.

[3:30] But he said to them, Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.

[3:44] A week later, his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you.

[3:59] And then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here. See my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.

[4:10] And Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God. And Jesus told him, Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

[4:25] Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in his name.

[4:47] Who is Jesus Christ? One day, 2,000 years ago, over in Palestine, Jesus Christ was walking with his disciples, and he asked this question, Who do people say that I am?

[5:08] And they said, Well, some think you're John the Baptist. Others think that you're maybe Elijah, or Isaiah, or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.

[5:20] And the same could be said today, couldn't it, about the many different opinions floating around about who Jesus is or was. Well, he was a great religious leader, a good teacher.

[5:32] Others say, No, he was a deceiver. He was a false messiah. Others say, He's very God in the flesh. But what about you? Jesus asked the 12.

[5:44] Who do you say that I am? And that question of our Lord Jesus floats down through the ages to every one of us this morning. Who do you say that I am?

[5:57] And your answer to that, and what you do with this, Jesus, is the most important thing about you. Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

[6:14] Now, there are a lot of books written with titles like the 100 greatest men in history. The 100 most influential people of all time.

[6:26] And they include world leaders, rulers, philosophers, thinkers, musicians, and writers, humanitarians, religious leaders, scientists, inventors, explorers, entertainers, artists.

[6:39] It's the elite. It's the greatest of men who changed their world. And there are many names that you well remember from your school days.

[6:50] And there's other names perhaps that you don't know. And you find that some are on one list and in one book, but not found in other lists and books. But invariably, the name of Jesus Christ is consistently found.

[7:08] Now, usually, he's regarded simply as one among many great men. But as you read down that list of names, there is one obvious thing about Jesus that sets him apart from all others.

[7:25] And it is his resurrection from the dead. He's the only one who has physically risen from the dead and is alive forevermore.

[7:36] All the others are either dead or are dying and will soon be dead. Only Jesus has conquered the grave. And that's why these biographies of these great men always end with his death.

[7:53] And that's where it ends. But none of the four gospel accounts on the life of Jesus end with his death. They all go on to speak of his resurrection from the dead.

[8:04] Even as we read John chapter 20. And they give abundant proof, eyewitness accounts of those who saw him alive from the dead.

[8:16] Jesus Christ is no dead hero from history. He's risen as he said and is alive and well. And it is that resurrection from the dead that is the ultimate sign pointing us to who Jesus really is.

[8:33] He is man. He is God. God. And he is God's only savior of men. Now when Jesus was 30 years old he began his public ministry.

[8:47] That's right. 30 years before he began his public ministry. And it only lasted three years. It was cut short by his crucifixion. And so over those three years Jesus made some staggering claims about himself.

[9:04] Claims so staggering that it actually led to his crucifixion. Claims for which he died. First of all he who was clearly a man claimed to be God.

[9:18] He referred to God as his own father. He said I and the father are one equal with the father equal in honor and glory with God the father.

[9:32] He said that he had come from God in heaven and he was returning to God. He said that God his father sent him into the world to save sinners. Indeed everyone who would believe on him.

[9:45] He claimed pre-existence before his earthly birth. Remember those words before Abraham was I am.

[9:57] Now when Jesus said those words Abraham had been dead in the grave for 2,000 years. And yet he says before Abraham was I am and they said but you're not even yet 50 years old.

[10:09] How can this be? Jesus used the very name of God by which God made himself known to Moses at the burning bush. Remember when God came to call Moses to go back to Egypt and to lead his people Israel out of bondage in Egypt and he drew him aside with the burning bush and then God spoke out of the bush and called him to this task and Moses said to the Lord what if the Israelites ask me what is his name?

[10:44] What is the name of this God of our fathers who sent you to us? What shall I say? And God told Moses tell them that I am has sent you.

[10:56] well that's the name of God that's his he's the great I am the eternally existing one the one that's dependent upon no one absolutely independent and needing nothing and no one outside of himself and Jesus uses that name for himself before Abraham was I am earlier he had told his hearers that if you do not believe that I am you will die in your sins he claimed the very name of God he claimed pre-existence with God he claimed the privileges of God he claimed to have authority to forgive sin when only God can forgive sin and these claims one after another this is just a sampling of them they were staggering and especially when they were coming from a man Jesus of Nazareth his own countrymen the religious establishment understood his claims and because of them they were trying hard to kill him they said it's blasphemy because you a mere man claim to be

[12:15] God that's his claim you see they looked at him and said you're not even yet 50 years old how can you make these statements there was nothing in his appearance that made him look like anything other than a simple Galilean man you could not have picked him out of a crowd this size if there was a police lineup of six men you couldn't pick him out he was an ordinary man two eyes two ears two feet two hands he had all the other weaknesses and needs of a man with regard to his physical being he too needed to eat and drink and sleep he got tired needed to sit down and have a rest needed to take a cat nap in the middle of the day even though they're in a boat out on the sea he's tired he's a man just like you and me with a real body and a real soul and it was this very ordinary looking man who opened his mouth and made claims that were anything but ordinary he claimed to have eternal life in himself to give to anyone that believed on him he said of his followers

[13:32] I give them eternal life and they will never perish whoever believes in me will not perish but have everlasting life can you believe it this man this Jesus of Galilee has everlasting life to give now mankind has long been looking for the fountain of youth hasn't he to stay young forever visit the the cosmetic department in any store and you'll find all these anti-aging creams and things that will reverse aging or at least slow it and well if you had a medicine that could extend life 50 years just 50 years or even 30 years you couldn't make enough of it they'd be beating down your door to get it and they'd pay whatever price you put on it to extend life and yet here is a man saying that what I have to give is eternal life so that a man will never come to death and the end never perish an amazing claim and his claims were as as exclusive as they were staggering because he said I and the way the truth and the life no one comes to the father except through me again think of that a man saying if you want to get to

[15:01] God in heaven you've got to come through me this isn't something to be found anywhere else it's only through me indeed everyone on the side of truth listens to me now that's either the height of arrogance and foolish pride or it's the truth that was his claim and I'm afraid we get used to these claims of Jesus maybe you've grown up in church maybe you you've been around Christianity enough that these aren't new claimed they aren't new things that you're hearing this morning and just reading from the gospel some of the things he claimed and we can yawn and say yeah I know and we take it in stride and we're not shocked by them but think how they shocked the original hearers think if you were one of those people in Capernaum when Jesus started to say such things one of the people in Nazareth do you have a neighborhood kid kid that grew up around you maybe next door maybe a friend of your your son or daughter and they're all often over to the house and just an ordinary guy we'll call him

[16:12] Billy and you've seen Billy you've watched him grow from a snotty nose kid up through his teen years and then Billy went off to college and you lost track of him and then he comes back at age 30 and he stands up in the neighborhood one day at your cul-de-sac and and he simply says God is my father and he sent me into the world to save sinners and no one can come to the father except through me and I'll give eternal life to everyone who believes me say Billy it's me are you in there where are you what's happened to your mind we know who you are Billy we know your parents we see your brothers and sisters even so when

[17:14] Jesus of Nazareth and Galilee began making these claims people shook their heads and said where did he get such stuff isn't this the carpenter from Nazareth I've been in his shop I've seen him around we know his parents and his brothers and sisters they're all here with us come on Jesus what who do you think you are anyway another said can anything good come from Nazareth such staggering claims made some conclude that Jesus was literally out of his mind they called him a lunatic a madman he'd lost it he's out of touch with reality others said no it's worse than that he's a liar he knows what he's doing and he's just trying to deceive the people to get a following you see his claims were literally out of this world he even claimed that he was the judge of the entire world that he would one day judge angels and everyone who's ever lived not merely the judge of

[18:20] Marshall County not not nearly merely one of the judges on the Supreme Court of the United States but the one to whom all people would have to stand before in the last day in a given account for their lives for he said the father has entrusted all judgment to the son and when he comes again he says he will sit on his throne and all the nations yes North Korea South Korea and China and Russia and the United States and Argentina and France all the nations will be brought before him gathered before and then he will just separate them like a shepherd does the sheep from the goats and then those on his left will go away to eternal punishments but those on his right to everlasting life he's claiming that the eternal destinies of all of us are going to be determined by him the judge and his decision is based on people's relationship to him and his words that whoever believes on him will not perish but have everlasting life and whoever does not repent and believe in him will be condemned to eternal punishment the decisive thing will be whether

[19:52] Jesus was yours whether you knew him in a saving way whether he can say I know who you are we've had a relationship maybe it's been going for a week maybe it's been going for 70 years but I knew you but to those that do not know Jesus he will say depart from me I never knew you had no relationship with you on earth depart from me to those who knew him and he knew them he will say come and share your master's happiness this man this man looks no different from any other man in the marketplace and he's saying that he's going to determine the eternal destinies of all who've ever lived but what about those who have died and they're not alive when he comes back well he says he claims that a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out those who have done good will rise to live and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned but they will all rise when they hear his voice this man with his robe there these were just some of his staggering claims now anybody can make claims right you see that on the internet you see that on the advertisements anybody can make any claim but was there anything believable about Jesus claims oh yes yes there was for Jesus as he was making these claims was also doing many miracles he was doing what no mere man could do he was doing supernatural things things that made people exclaim we have never seen anything like this before never never seen in it like this the Bible calls these miracles signs you know signs point to something don't they you see it an

[21:52] H on a sign well that's not the hospital it's pointing you to the hospital somewhere there is a brick and mortar hospital with real doctors and nurses and help can be found for medical problems but the sign is pointing you to the reality and Jesus the Bible refers to Jesus miracles as signs because they point us to who this man is they point to his identity and these miraculous signs and wonders prove that he is who he claimed to be so his staggering claims to be God and judge and Savior were backed up and they were proven by staggering miracles of divine power doing what only God could do so he claimed to be the bread of life which if a man eats and partakes of he will live forever and then he proved that he had the power to give life to men by taking five loaves and two fishes and multiplying it to feed a multitude of 5,000 men plus women and children he claimed I am the resurrection and the life whoever believes in me will live even though he dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die and he demonstrated it by going to the tomb of his friend Lazarus who had been in the grave for four days and was stinking and he said Lazarus come forth and he came out the dead man came out he proved that his claim to be the resurrection and the life is real he claimed to have authority to forgive sins remember the guy they lowered the paralytic they lowered down into the room where Jesus was and he said your sins are forgiven who can forgive sins but God alone

[23:49] Jesus says which is easier to say your sins are forgiven or to say take up your your mat and walk but that you might know that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins I say to you take up your bed and walk and he walked away proving that Jesus is indeed God with authority to forgive sins he claimed to be God and he proved it I say by doing what only God could do forgiving sin raising the dead turning water into wine commanding the winds and the waves and they obeyed him this little nation of Israel was blessed supremely blessed to have Jesus among them and in him they had ample proof that he was more than a mere man that he was indeed God because his staggering works backed up his staggering claims we've never seen anything like this they said and yet when he urged them to repent of their sin to stop living for themselves and to trust in him these people said give us a sign and we'll believe always clamoring for yet another sign wanting more evidence when they had already more than enough evidence to believe on him it was just a cover up of a heart that doesn't want to believe a heart that doesn't want to surrender to this Jesus doesn't want to receive him as my Lord and master and

[25:25] Savior so Jesus miracles as many as they were were never miracles enough for their sin loving unbelieving hearts so to their never-ending demand for a sign Jesus finally says a wicked and an adulterous generation asked for a miraculous sign but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah for his Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish so the son of man must be three days and three nights in the heart the belly of this earth this is Jesus ultimate last sign his resurrection from the dead on the third day he claimed that he would be killed and on the third day he would rise again and he is willing to hang all of his claims all that he's ever said about himself upon this one sign this one sign this will be the ultimate proof of who he is and all he's claimed his resurrection so his resurrection will prove that he really is God's divine son with power over Satan and sin and death and hell his resurrection will prove that his body and blood given for sinners on the cross really does save from endless torments all who trust in him that he really has come to save sinners by dying for them that his sacrifice is the lamb of

[26:59] God really is finished and it's accepted by God it will prove that he really can forgive sin and wipe off of the record books in heaven the sins of his people who trust in him his resurrection will prove that he really does have eternal life in himself to give to anyone who believes on him it proves that no one comes to the father except through him that he is the only way the only savior and all who do not believe in him are condemned already and it proves that he is now seated at God's right hand ruling and reigning over all things coming again in power and great glory at the end of this age with authority to judge all people and assign to them their eternal destinies just as he said and all of these things will be proven true by his rising from the dead on the third day this is the sign for the unbelieving generation and if the sign never happens why then you can dismiss me and all I've ever said and as a big farce he's willing to hang it all on this one event all of his eggs are in this one basket I will rise again on the third day you know his apostle Paul said the same thing about the resurrection of Christ in first

[28:25] Corinthians 15 he says the resurrection of Christ is a linchpin and the entire Christian religion hangs on the truthfulness of this claim Paul is willing to say that if Christ is not risen from the dead then our preaching is useless and so is your faith I'll swallow that a minute Paul says our preaching is worthless what did Paul preach he the whole Christian religion that Paul preached is useless if Christ is not risen he preached about a perfect life of Christ without sin he he preached about an atonement on the cross as Jesus was the lamb of God suffering the punishment for sinners he preached his teachings what he had said but it's all useless he doesn't say you know it's still worth a bit no he says it's worth nothing it's useless and so is your faith by the way if it is in an unrisen Christ for without his resurrection

[29:27] Christianity is not worth a second of your time not a bit of your money your thoughts or your concern furthermore we preachers are liars we're false witnesses because we have testified that Jesus indeed did rise and by the way we're not the only liars that would make Jesus a liar wouldn't it because he claimed many times over that he would rise from the dead on the third day but if he's not risen then Jesus is no good man he's no good teacher he's a low-down liar a deceiver a scam artist if Christ is not risen he's no savior we're still in our sins we're miserable we're without hope by the way Paul says if he's not been risen then there is no final resurrection for us either so we might as well just eat drink and be merry because tomorrow we die and that's it we die like the dog the whole of

[30:35] Christianity the whole of Christ claims hang on this sign of his resurrection oh but if Christ is indeed risen as he is well then he demands your unconditional surrender and trust he demands that you receive him as the God and King that he is as the only Savior and judge you see what the Bible teaches is that Christ is worth nothing or everything and his resurrection will prove which it is nothing or everything there's no in between that's the gospel of Jesus there's no half half for Jesus half for me no it's all or nothing if he's not risen he's not worth half of your life he's not worth a court he's not worth a second of your life but since he is risen he's worth your all all your heart soul and mind to love him to trust him to obey him to serve him to live for him demands as God your love your loyalty your life to no longer be live for yourself but for him who died and rose again so

[32:00] Christ himself has made his own resurrection the all or nothing game changer but alas his disciples had forgotten his words about the resurrection hadn't they and so his his dead limp pierced body was taken down from the cross and put in a tomb and all the disciples hopes that he had been the one who was going to to save us those hopes died with the dead Jesus and the day followed night and it was night in their souls they felt the misery they felt the hopelessness of a dead Savior we had hoped that he was going to be the one to save us but on the third day up from the grave he arose and as the women came early in the morning on the first day of the week to anoint his dead body they didn't find a dead body they were shot first of all to see the stone was rolled away and when they went inside his body they could not find and two angels said why are you looking for the living among the dead isn't that a humorous question if you're looking for somebody do you go down to the graveyard and try and dig him up and see is he in the grave here no why are you looking for the living among the dead he's not here he's risen as he said and they ran and told the eleven disciples who refused to believe them because they sounded like they were speaking nonsense but Peter and John ran to the tomb and they found it empty and

[33:35] Peter left wondering what had happened here and along the way Jesus appeared physically in a body he appeared the risen Jesus appeared to Peter and at once his dead hopes were raised to life now that his savior is risen he now has a living hope that's what he says in first Peter chapter one praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ in his great mercies he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Christ from the dead so our hope is alive because our savior is alive and then Jesus appeared to many others to the to the eleven to other people even to more than 500 of the brethren at the same time most of whom when the scriptures were the New Testament was written were still alive to be able to verify yes this is what we saw and you could go through most of the 500 and they tell you the same story because they were all there at one time and saw him record after record of eyewitnesses who saw Jesus alive from the dead well we we read about his first appearance to the eleven disciples it happened on the evening of his resurrection so this is the day he rose from the dead and they're all behind locked doors they're afraid of the Jews after all they've killed their master they're wondering are they going to come for us next and suddenly Jesus stood among them and he showed them his hands and his pierced side and they were overjoyed when they saw him but sadly the disciple Thomas was not present with them on that occasion on the first day of the week when Jesus rose from the dead and the others saw him and they said it's true we have seen the Lord he's alive and Thomas has his heels dug in and says unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my fingers into those nail marks and unless I put my hand into his side where the spear pierced him

[35:53] I will not believe it well Thomas what are you saying that these ten bosom friends of yours are lying to you that they really didn't see Jesus that they were all dreaming and all had the same dream all at once and touched this what was it they touched if they touched his hands and his side I will not believe unless I touch and my eyes see well a week later his disciples were there in the house again and this time Thomas is with them the doors are locked and Jesus came and stood among them and after his greeting peace be with you he turns at once to Thomas and says come here put your finger here Thomas see my hands reach forth your hand and put it here here into my side stop doubting and believe

[36:56] Thomas is saying how does he know the very words that I spoke in his absence he knows my words he knows my doubts he knows all about my unbelief and at once doubting Thomas became believing Thomas and worshiped the Lord saying my Lord and my God you see your real resurrection Jesus proves all your claims to be true you are indeed my Lord and my God now doesn't Thomas does Thomas skepticism and unbelief make his witness to the resurrection more or less credible are we better off because we had a doubting Thomas or one that would have agreed the first time they told him oh Jesus is alive

[37:58] I believe no we have a more credible witness because he dug his heels and he says unless I see and I touch I will not believe and it's such a skeptical man who can then bow and say my Lord and my God he did see he did touch he did experience a personal meeting with the risen Lord Jesus Christ and then Jesus told him because you have seen me you have believed blessed are those who have not seen and have yet believed what a blessing is spoken to those who have not seen and yet have believed it's the blessing of salvation it's the blessing of eternal life for all who believe is that you are you one of these that Jesus calls blessed do you believe on Jesus as your Lord and your Savior and your God you say but I haven't seen Jesus so I can't believe oh no

[39:20] Jesus is here talking about people just like you who have not seen and yet they do believe and there have been millions of them and there are many sitting here this morning we've never seen Jesus but do we believe you bet we believe Peter wrote an epistle to such and he writes in these these are believers scattered around the Roman world and he says of them though you've not seen him you love him and even though you have not seen him now you believe in him and you're receiving you're filled with an expressive inexpressible and glorious joy for you're receiving the goal of your faith the salvation of your souls what a blessing to those who believe without seeing salvation the eternal life the blessing that Jesus promised to all who believe you see the fact is we don't need to see to believe we don't need to see new miracles of Jesus to believe on him we have the record of eyewitnesses who saw those miracles that's all we need we don't need to see the risen

[40:33] Christ physically bodily before we believe on him we have the record of eyewitnesses of even skeptical they were all skeptical nobody was believing it until they met him until their hands handled him until he eats fish to show them that he's not just a spirit he's a real body spirit being just like we unique properties to be sure walking through walls but still a real body a real human being real God Lord and God we have the record you see of those who put their fingers in the nail prints and that's enough evidence to believe and all of this is for you it's for you and I who are coming along think of it it's a couple thousand years later now and here we are with the gospel of John and we're reading this account of Jesus resurrection and

[41:35] John inserts a personal note to us the reader did you catch it Jesus this is the note to you the reader of John Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples that are not recorded in this book the book of John doesn't record all that he's done he did many other miraculous signs but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name do you know that life eternal life is in Jesus it's not found anywhere else John will say in his letter at the end of our New Testament testimony about his son that he has given us eternal life and this life is in his son you can't separate eternal life isn't a gift apart from Jesus it is the gift in Jesus he is life and when you receive

[42:36] Jesus you receive eternal life this is God's record about it that he's given us eternal life and this life is in his son he that has the son! has life but he that has not the son of God has not life and this is written these things are written the skepticism of Thomas the unbelief of Mary where have you put him somebody hauled him off where is he the unbelief of Thomas and the eleven all of it's written that you may believe such doubters saw him touched him handled him and it's written that you could believe and by believing may have life in his name oh but you want more evidence do you before you will believe I'm sorry you want another sign God says no there will be none this is my ultimate sign you have enough proof of who

[43:36] Jesus is now bow before him believe in him receive him with Thomas as your Lord and Savior Acts 17 the Apostle Paul preaching to those who had never heard about Jesus as God now commands all people everywhere to repent for he said a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed and he's given proof of this did you hear that he has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead there's coming a day of judgment when when God's going to judge the whole world all men by the man he appointed and he's proven it to all men by raising him from the dead there's all the proof all the evidence you need to believe it you ready to meet the risen Jesus will you meet him as your savior or as your judge that you never had a relationship with you see it's because

[44:41] Jesus ever lives that he's able to save all that come to God through him so come to God through him who is Jesus what is he to you you know the choices aren't many are they we've seen that this morning C.S.

[44:58] Lewis wraps it up like this he's either a lunatic who said crazy things and was out of his mind or he's a liar who knew what he was claiming was false or he's the Lord of glory and that's what Thomas came to see and believed on him my Lord and my God what is he to you have you surrendered to him in faith you can't make up this kind of Jesus he's the is he one of the hundred greatest men no no he's the incomparable Jesus he's the uninventable Jesus he's the real son of God trust him and live join with the many here this morning who've never seen him and yet believe in him and one day every eye will see him and every tongue will confess that he's Lord and every knee will bow in recognition that Jesus is indeed the Lord and God he claimed he was he's ready to receive you today this is what gathers

[46:07] Christians all around the world together to rejoice and to sing praises it's why we meet on the first day of the week this is the day of resurrection and it tinctures it it flavors all of our worship that we're not worshiping a dead hero of the past but the living Lord of glory are you worshiping him join Thomas join these who are here this morning and take him as your Lord and Savior our Father in heaven you are great and you are good and we thank you that there at your right hand right now is one who is man like us and who is God like you the only mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus and we thank you that every one of us who have believed on him though we've not seen him that he has saved us and he's taken our sins away and he's given us eternal life that begins here and now in knowing him and knowing you the

[47:10] Father and that will never end for all eternity bring others today to believe in him whom they've not seen and to love him and to serve him and to praise him send us on our way then rejoicing in the risen Savior Savior we ask in Jesus name amen