Understanding GOD'S
Overall Plan
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Questions & Answers

I am just learning about Christianity, why should I believe in Jesus Christ more than Buddha or Mohammed?

That is an excellent question.  First let’s look at some reasons that are factual and known by everyone today.

When we talk about the calendar we do not say BB, before Buddha or BM, before Mohammed.  We say BC, before Christ.  In fact when we look up Buddha in the dictionary we find he lived 563 years BC.  Doing the same with Mohammed we find he lived and died 600 years AD, or Anno Domini, in the year of the Lord of the Christian era.  When we look up Jesus the dictionary does not mention either of the other two.

When we look at our money it does not say In “Buddha we trust” or “In Mohammed we trust,” it says “In God We Trust.”

Both Buddha and Mohammed lived and died.  Jesus was born of a virgin, lived, died for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day.  The other two just died.  Now let us consider the fact there are no authentic books telling us about Buda or Mohammed thousands of years before they were born.  We are told about Jesus thousands of years before He was born by many different prophets many of which can be confirmed by historical data other than the Bible. 

Let’s take a little time and look at some of the writings in the Bible that tell us about the coming of Jesus before he was born.  We will begin in Genesis 3:15 which is about 4000 years before Jesus was born.  This is also the first prophesy in the Bible.  God is talking to the serpent who is the devil.  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.  Careful study will show this is speaking of Jesus on the cross having His feet bruised or nailed to the cross.  It also shows Jesus overcoming death and dealing a death blow to the head of Satan at the Great White Throne Judgment.

 

Now go to Genesis 22:18 speaking of the Adamic seed line through which Christ would come.  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

 

Exodus 12 tells of the sacrificial lamb which is symbolic of Jesus being our sacrificial lamb.

 

Numbers 24:17 was written 1450 years before Christ and refers to Him as a Star that shall come out of Jacob.

 

Isaiah 7:14 that was written 630 years before it happened declares Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and shall call His name Immanuel.   Immanuel means God with us.

 

Again in Isaiah 9:6 we find: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

 

We find more in Isaiah 40:10, 11 and 50:6.  Let’s read Isaiah 53 where we see what he would do for us on the cross over 600 years before it happened.  Verse 4 Surely He hath borne our grief’s and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted.  5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him: and with his stripes we are healed.  6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

 

If we read on we find more information about His death and what He did for us.

 

Now let’s go to Jeremiah 23 written 489 years before the fact.  Verse 5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.  We find the same message beginning with Jeremiah 33:14 written 477 years before Christ.

 

Micah written over 600 years before the fact tells us in chapter 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me That is to be ruler in Israel; Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

 

We find in Zechariah the Lord referred to as The BRANCH.  This was written 410 years before it happened.  Zechariah 9 says Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation: lowly and riding upon an ass and upon a colt the foal of an ass.  Zechariah 12:10 tells of the one that was pierced.  13:7 refers to Him as the Shepherd that was smitten.

 

Malachi written 374 years before the fact tells about the messenger that will be sent before Him to prepare the way.

 

Now let’s go to Psalms 22 where we find one of the most amazing pieces of evidence spoken by David 1000 years before it took place.  These are the words of Jesus as He hung on the cross.  I will quote the first and last verse and strongly suggest you turn to this Psalm and study it for yourself.  Verse 1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from me, and from the words of my roaring?  In verse 6 we see where He is despised and laughed at.  In verse 14 we find that His bones are pulled out of joint from hanging on the cross.  In verse 16 we find His hands and feet are pierced.  In verse 18 we see the solders casting lots for His vesture.  In verse 31, which is the last verse we see the words in English That He hath done this.  If we go to the Greek we find the meaning to be It is finished.  The first and last verses are quoted in the Bible as Jesus having spoken them.  However, careful study will indicate He quoted the entire chapter and is proof positive that Jesus was the Son of God.

 

Now only God could arrange for these things to be told about thousands of years before they happened, even as to what the Roman Solders would say, and have them come to pass exactly as written.  Only God could arrange for our dating system to be BC or AD.  Only God could arrange for our money to say IN GOD WE TRUST.

 

So the answer to your question is there is much evidence to support that Jesus is the Son of God and your believing and accepting Him is not only a matter of faith but also of fact.  All others are a poor substitute to place the trust of your future upon.

To read more on this, please refer to:
Understanding GOD'S Overall Plan
Chapter 12 - Man’s Salvation
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