JESUS 101
Jesus charged us to take HIS Gospel of “Good News of Great Joy” to all of the world, teaching everyone what He taught us. Nothing we do is more important!
(Matthew 28: 18-19)
WHAT WE TEACH THE WORLD ABOUT JESUS IS CRITICAL!
Here is a basic guide to the TRUTH about Jesus that, like all of His Gospel, is simple and easy to understand. Use it to feed His sheep.
WHO IS JESUS?
Jesus is God in the flesh. (John 1:1-14, John 14:7-9)
Jesus is the Word (John 1:1)
Jesus is the LIGHT OF THE WORLD (the creator and maintainer of all things. He is the pulsating, illuminating energy that creates and holds together ALL THINGS.(John 1:3-5)
Jesus is God’s only means of salvation. He is the only acceptable sacrifice that pays for all of the sins of humanity, past, present, and future. He was the only one who led a perfect, sinless life and is, therefore, the only worthy ransom for our sins. Jesus is the ONLY WAY, THE ONLY TRUTH, AND THE ONLY LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER BUT BY HIM. (John 3:16-18, John 14:6 John 1:29, Psalms 103:1-3 and12, Isaiah 53:4-5, 1Peter2:24, Revelation 1:5, Hebrews 8:12, Hebrews10:18
JESUS IS LOVE
Jesus is the unqualified, uncompromised, infinite, eternal, inexplicable, impossible-to-comprehend Love of God. (John 3:16-18)
Jesus is THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Jesus was the Messiah (the salvation that is to come) until He donned an earth suit. Jesus was the Christ (the anointed, for the three years of His ministry.) Now He has returned to His glorious throne in Heaven, where He is The KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, and of His reign there shall be NO END. ( Revelation 19:16, Isaiah 9:6-7) (PLEASE, Don’t call Him the Messiah or the Christ. Christ is not His first or last name).
What must a person do to be saved and receive all of the blessings of Jesus? BELIEVE IN AND BELIEVE THE ONE WHOM GOD HAS SENT! Period.
“Jesus answered them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, you have been searching for Me, not because you saw the miracles and signs but because you were fed with the loaves and were filled and satisfied,
Stop toiling and doing and producing for the food that perishes and decomposes but strive and work and produce rather for the lasting food which endures unto life eternal; the Son of Man will give you that, for God the Father has authorized Him and put His seal of endorsement upon Him.
They then said, What are we to do that we may habitually be working the works of God? What are we to do to carry out what God requires?
Jesus replied, “THIS IS THE WORK THAT GOD ASKS OF YOU: THAT YOU BELIEVE IN THE ONE WHOM HE HAS SENT!”
(John 6:28-29)
There are no other requirements for salvation! Jesus made it loud and clear. No gotta’s! No, yes, but’s! No other qualifiers. No, but you have to be baptized. No, but you have to confess and repent. God’s only requirement is that we believe in and believe the One Whom He Has Sent Period!
JESUS AIN’T GONNA DO NOTHIN! Because He already did everything and declared: IT IS FINISHED!
Jesus has already given us “ALL THINGS” that pertain to life and Godliness. We did not earn it. He gave it. Jesus gave us His faith! We can’t build, multiply, divide, subtract from, or lose it. We got it as a free gift by believing in Him.
(2 Peter 1:1-4)
Jesus gave us His power! He gave us the ability and power to do the same and even greater works that He did because He went to His Father.
“I assure you, most solemnly, I tell you if ANYONE steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do, and he will do even greater things than these because I go to the Father.
And I will do WHATEVER you ask in My Name.
(Jesus spoke here to the unsaved because He had not yet finished His work. We do not need to ask for anything because He gave us everything on the cross.)
Yes, I will grant whatever you shall ask in My Name.
(John 14:12-14)
Jesus gave us the power to speak things into and out of existence. (Mark 11:22-24)
Jesus healed every disease known and unknown to man by dying from them on the cross.
(Psalm 103:1-3, Isaiah 53:4-5, 1Peter2:24, Matthew 8:16-17)
Jesus defeated the evil one and gave us dominion over him and all of his minions. The only power over Jesus’ believers that the evil one has left is to lie and get us in agreement with his lies.
(Luke 10:18)
JESUS IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD!
(emphasis on GOOD)
Jesus came so that we would have life and enjoy it and have it in abundance. He speaks to us, and we can hear Him. Jesus calls us by our name, and we can talk to Him. He hears us and understands everything we are going through because He was tempted at all points as we are but did not sin.
(John chapter 10)
Jesus did not come to judge or condemn us but that we would be saved through Him. Contrary to false religious dogma, Jesus never sends anyone to hell! The only way to earn eternal damnation and separation from God is to refuse to accept the salvation of Jesus. God has no control over that decision. (John 3:17-18)
Jesus loves each of us as individuals so much, regardless of our behavior or lack thereof, that He died the most horrid death that anyone ever could or would to prove it.
“But God shows and clearly proves His own love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us!”
(Romans 5:8)
This teaching began with the importance of teaching the Gospel of Jesus, the “GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY WHICH SHALL BE TO ALL PEOPLE.”
Our relationship with God is based on His Grace. Grace is God’s willingness, ability, and power that has done for us those things that we can not or will not do for ourselves. An example is being saved.
It is by that Grace that we are saved and not by our works.
“For it is by Grace that we are saved through faith. And this is not of ourselves of our own doing; it did not come through our works; it is a gift from God. Not because of works lest any man should boast.”
(Ephesians 2:8-9)
“THEREFORE, SINCE we are justified (found not guilty and put in right standing with God) through faith, let us grasp the fact that we have the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy, peace with God through our Lord Jesus.
Through Him also we have access by faith into this Grace in which we firmly and safely stan. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.”
(Romans 5:1-2)
NOW THAT IS GOOD NEWS!
As you minister to family, friends, neighbors, and
acquaintances, be very careful that you share is the true Gospel of Jesus. Remember that it all begins with Love. Be sure that the teachers you send to the world communicate the “GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY.”
END OF TEACHING
