John 1:1-18
The Word is Jesus and He Becomes Flesh
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 all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”)16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
John 14:27 (KJV)
Jesus Kind of Peace
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Luke 5:17-26
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man
17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”
Matthew 16:16
Peter Says Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God
16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
Matthew 19:16-30
The Cost of Discipleship
16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[c] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”
20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
Acts 4:12
Salvation is Found in No One, Except Jesus
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.
Mark 14:60-62
Jesus Tells Us He is the Son of the Blessed One
60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" 61 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.
Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"
62 "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
There is this great connection between forgiveness and love...
We see clearly this connection of forgiveness and love when a Certain Man walked the earth...Two thousand years ago a Certain Man walked around forgiving others, in a most peculiar way…He really did not tell anyone why He was forgiving them or what He was forgiving them for, and as far as we know, He never or seldom ask the ones that had sinned against God, asked what their sin or sins were...He mostly said, "Your sins are forgiven."...No person that He forgave, in any detail, really questioned Him what they had done wrong to need His forgiveness...But He held and had such an authority about Himself, the people following Him (for the most part) believed in what He was doing the right thing in this forgiving act...They believed that He could, in fact, forgive them, even without inquiring much about their own past of wrongdoings...And if they didn't believe He could forgive them, they did not ask about it or why He was forgiving them or ask what are you doing this for...This Certain Man was just a Very Forgiving and LOVING Man...
He is a Man, who since the world began has forgiven us…He came to the world and dwelt with us…He chose Twelve close eyewitnesses to be with Him and taught them and called them Disciples…And these Twelve men were taught by Him and said things about Him that make us believe that He is and was the One to come...That He is the Messiah...This Man is full of grace and truth, and seeks mercy…So, if there is one who forgives us and we would believe that there is, He is the One...But first we must realize that we are sinners and need His forgiveness, like His earliest of followers…We must believe and have the view that there is something wrong with this world and with us -if we need this forgiving...
He says He brings us a peace not of this world...And in this peace, and His followers feel a worldly and universal harmony that is shown by His LOVE and His actions toward humanity…He wants us to look at things differently, maybe more through His eyes, through the eyes of LOVE and mercy…And He says there is a cost for following Him, which is odd...Odd, because it is not about money...The cost of following Him is said to be high...But believers understand anything that you have gotten or received in life one has paid a proper price for those things and for the ideals which you treasure…And His treasures are odd...Money and fame are not treasures to Him...So for the common man, the price seems odd and joining forces with Him more difficult...He would rather see one's wealth and possessions be given to the poor...Wealth and fluency, often gives us a feeling of security, but only He brings true security...
If One believes in this Certain Man, then one can believe or in the very least believe He is part, if not all of our salvation to our sins that we have done and do…Salvation can be in no One else for if He is who He says... He cannot be any less…How can He be the Messiah?...For what One says about God (and in the detail He says these things about God), pretty much tells what kind of man we are…So we know He either knows God (and an awful lot about Him), or He has lied about knowing Him...Which would make Him no Man at all (if He is lying about His Father)...And No Man has seen God...Yet, this Man has seen God..This Man Himself knows God and is in closest relationship with the Father, that has ever been made known...
This Man taught about goodness, and love, and forgiveness, and mercy, and gives us hope...If He is not who He says He is, why do the ones who do not believe in Him, follow and believe in the very moral and ethical ideals in what He taught...He taught all about human rights for every man and woman...Why do non-believers want their children to be as moral and ethical as can be?...The way I see this is even the non-believer wants their children to have the highest virtues and value, or like Jesus?...Don't people want their children to be loving, forgiving, charitable, and have mercy?...But in saying that and (me personally) believing that, they refuse to acknowledge Him as a Person or as the Son of the Blessed One...