John 1:1-5
Jesus Was With God at the Beginning of Creation
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
Genesis 1:26
God Says "Let Us Make Man in Our Image"
26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
John 1:29-36
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
1 Peter 1:18-21
Jesus Was Chosen Before the Creation of the World as Savior
18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors,19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
Genesis 3:15
God Will Put Enmity Between Evil and Mankind
15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel."
Isaiah 59:2
Sin Separates Us from God
2 But your iniquities have separated
you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear.
1 Peter 2:22
Jesus Committed No Sin
22 "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."
Luke 24:13-27
The Messiah Had to Suffer, Die, and Resurrect Before He Could Enter His Glory
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Acts 17:24-31
God Proves Jesus is the Messiah, by Raising Him from the Dead
24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
Often I think of the Bible as two opposing forces...God is the good force, and the evil one is well -evil...The world seems pitted with good versus evil...St. John calls it the Light and the darkness...And the darkness does not understand the goodness and Godliness of the Light...The battle between good and evil has existed ever since our fall from grace and our first sin...And when we fell from grace sin was introduced to the world, and immediately behind it, came evil and more temptation...
For me, God introduced sacrifices in the Law of Moses so that we might understand that sacrifices had to be made for goodness, to learn about goodness and to help conquer evil...We must sacrifice to understand the importance of the treasures of life...We must sacrifice something when we sin...Grain and birds and other things were used as sacrifices and a way to pay for some sin that we had done...But part of God's Plan was to send His Son to us to help with our sins...And although His Son has been with Him from the beginning -in His Plan, He would one day send this Lamb to us who would walk the earth...John the Baptist would introduce Jesus as both God's Chosen On and the Lamb of God, who would take away the sins of the world...After many Great Teaching lessons that will forever be remembered, God's Chosen One was sacrificed on a cross for mankind's sins...The Ultimate Sacrifice was made for God's LOVE for each of us...This sacrifice paid our sin debt...Jesus conquered evil...
St. Peter wrote this about the resurrection...He also called Jesus a Lamb...He said that the precious blood of Christ, was this Lamb without blemish or defect...He was chosen before the creation of the world, but He was revealed in these last times for man's sake...Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so that your faith and hope are in God...This sacrifice would be the end of all the sin related sacrifices, because Someone, the Perfect Lamb was sacrificed for us...The Ultimate Sacrifice has taken place...
Jesus has been here from the very beginning...Man is made in the image of God and Jesus...God put enmity between evil and the woman...Enmity is defined as the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something...God is opposed to evil, the wicked, and to sin...As men, we struggle with sin and our sins keeps us separate from Him...Since the beginning, God tells us that Jesus would crush the head of the evil one, but the evil one would strike His heel...The evil one would tempt Jesus and mankind, but His Son would overcome temptation and sin...When He is in our lives -He helps us against our fight against temptations...But the evil one continues his battle and keeps on tempting us through the senses that God gave us...Man tends to want things through his senses, whether they be wealth or material things, or a certain pleasure...But Jesus has the power to help us resist temptation...Man needs this help...Jesus can help us from sin and is our Savior from sin...He is our hope against the temptations of evil, especially when we have a personal relationship with Him...We are faced with temptations each day, but we have the help of Jesus, when we pray and have this relationship with Him...
On the road to Emmaus Jesus tells us in His own words about God's Plan for Him...If He had not done, what He had done -people would not believe in God or Him...For the Bible and Scripture and the Ancient Ones had wrote about Him and this happening many centuries ago...But sometimes we are slow in picking up things of Great Mystique and in trying to understand the ways and plans of God...The Bible is about the Goodness and the Teachings of the Messiah...The Old Testament Prophets wrote about His coming and what He would do...He had to do what He did...He has been with God from the beginning...The Prophets, and Wisdom Book Authors, and the other authors would also write about Him...He and His Father are the Two Main Characters throughout the Bible...And Jesus tells us “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!...Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?”...He had to suffer before He entered into His glory...And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself...The Scripture are about the Blessed One and the Son of the Blessed One...
Jesus is the One that crushes the head of the evil one...Being raised from the dead proves He is who He told us...This proves that He did die for our sins...It proves that there is, in fact, life after our own deaths...It proves that there is a heaven...God raising Him from the dead is the Great Promise that He fulfills...God has proven that Jesus is the Unique One, the One that was to come by Him dying on the cross, and then raising Him from the dead...Jesus is our Messiah...He is our Savior...He is our Eternal Savior, forever...