…in the God’s plan for Salvation
In the beginning God the Almighty created the Universe and waiting for reveal Himself to the world’s people. The world proceeded with the evolutions. At the end of the evolution human beings were evolved. In earlier days when the human beings evolved first, they had afraid of natural events. Thunder and rain, fire and cyclone were appeared as amazement to them. Human beings were desired to find answers for the nature's puzzles.
The knowledge did not give answers to the questions arise in human mind. But their inner thoughts answered them. Human beings felt there is an extra - ordinary Power accompanied with the natural events. Some people worshiped separate deities to each and every power of the nature. Some other worship single God. The habit of sacrificing evolved. In later days, humans made idol images to the deities. Though some were worshiped single God without idols.
Ideologies over God:
Because of development in the ideas on virtue and vice, various thoughts on the God also developed. There are so many expectations arise among the people. They are: God must be born as human, God should lead the humans to the righteous path through His preaching, God should be sacrifice Him himself as remedy for human sins.
“Like the fading crop expect rain, people expect the forthcoming of God” -Seeking (an ancient Chinese book).
“If God does not send a person to preach in His name, you cannot establish the people in good conduct” -Plato (a Greek philosopher).
“Do not expect the end for this curse, until the God appear and bear the harm evolved by your sins upon Him” -Aeschylus (in Greek mythology ‘Prometheus’).
Prophecies about Jesus:
God wish to appear Himself in front of the humans, who were searching the God in various ways and different images. God revealed Himself to Abraham who worshiped God without idols and selected him for His plan. Through him, the tribe of Israel prepared for the coming of redeemer of the world. As an offspring of Abraham, Jesus Christ who is the second person of God would born in the form of human being. To prepare the world for His arrival, God announced about His birth, life and death through His prophets from Israel.
"But as for you Bethlehem, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for me to be ruler in Israel" -Micah 5:2.
"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a Son, and shall name him Immanuel [God with us]" -Isaiah 7:14.
"A Child has been born for us, a Son given to us; authority rests upon His shoulder; and He is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace" -Isaiah 9:6.
"I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you" -Psalm 32:8.
"Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf will be unstopped, the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb will shout for joy" -Isaiah 35:5.
"He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors. He himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors" -Isaiah 53:12.
Fulfillment of Expectations:
To satisfy the expectations of the world people and the prophecies of prophets, Jesus arrived to the world. The God who had been born as a man served the people for 3 years to lead them into righteous path. Then He entrusted Himself to the sacrifice on the Cross. According to His own prophecy, He resurrected on the third day of His death. He appeared many times to His Apostles and Disciples to strengthen them for forty days. Then He ascended to Heaven and sits right to God the Father Almighty in glory.
“In the past God spoke to our ancestors many times and in many ways through the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us through his Son. He is the one through whom God created the universe, the one whom God has chosen to possess all things at the end. He reflects the brightness of God’s glory and is the exact likeness of God’s own being, sustaining the universe with his powerful word. After achieving forgiveness for the sins of all human beings, He sat down in heaven at the right side of God (the Father)” -Epistle to the Hebrews 1:1-3.
‘Peter said: “You know about Jesus of Nazareth, he went everywhere doing good and healing all. We [his apostles] are witnesses of everything he did in the land of Israel and in Jerusalem. Then they put him to death by nailing him to a cross. But God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead.” -Acts of the Apostles 10:38-42.
“Now, by means of the physical death of his Son (on the cross), God has made you his friends, in order to bring you, holy, pure, and faultless, into his presence” -Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians 1:22.
“Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross. It is by his wounds that you have been healed” -First Epistle from Peter 2:24.
“God showed his love for us by sending his only Son into the world, so that we might have life through him. This is what love is: it is not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven” -First Epistle from John 4:9-10.
From unbelievers’ mouth:
“Even though a person don’t has the Christian belief, and he wants to lead a righteous life, the best way is he should follow Jesus Christ” -John Stuart Mill (1806-1873).
“The victory of Jesus Christ is very grateful. It is tough to understand how it was happened” -H.L. Mencken (1880-1956).
“If we say the life and end of Socrates is a Man’s life and end, we can say without hesitation the life and death of Jesus is the God’s life and death” -Russo (1712-1778).
“I know the men. But Jesus Christ is distinct from all men and above them. He always expected His victory in His death. Is it an ordinary man doing like that? His wise preaching, His spiritual kingdom and His glory are mystery to me. Confidently I conclude that Jesus is the true God” -Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821).
If there is no Shame, there is no Fame!
If there is no Death, there is no Resurrection!
If there is no Cross, there is no Salvation!
