There is much teaching in the Bible which makes clear that God can (and does) overrule the wicked purposes and deeds of evil men to make them serve ends of truth and righteousness. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a vital link in the total chain of proof that Christianity is presently the one true religion of the one true God. But for the resurrection to have effect in the total apologetic for Christianity, there must be proof that Jesus really died—lest some say that it only seemed that He died. In order that there might be no doubt about His resurrection, it was necessary for even the enemies of Christ to pronounce Him dead. The Roman governor, Pilate, who delivered up Jesus to be crucified, admitted the death of Christ by refusing to grant the corpse to Joseph until he had been assured by the centurion in charge that Jesus really was dead (Mark 15:42-45). It was not until then that Pilate gave up the body to Joseph, who along with Nicodemus, tenderly prepared and laid the body in the tomb.
Read MoreStatement of the Problem
The question to be considered in this article, stated simply, is: Does the Bible teach that Jesus of Nazareth was born of a virgin without the agency of a human father? I shall attempt to prove that the question should be answered affirmatively in spite of the fact that there are many who say it should be answered negatively. That our Lord did not have a human father is, as McPherson says, a
. . . basic doctrine that has always been believed by the Christian people, from the apostles down to the present, but that is denied today by a certain class of scholars, some of whom call themselves scientists and religious libralists, and are teachers in educational institutions and preachers, here and there, in Christian pulpits. (11)
Read MoreThe subject before me entails far more than that with which any man could ever fully deal. However, I do hope to deal with enough of the material involved to make it worth our time to be engaged in this study.
I propose to prove that Jesus is the Master Teacher of the ages. I plan to do this (1) by dealing with His person (who He was/is), (2) by considering some things which He did, and (3) by concentrating on His attitude toward and His handling of the truth (God’s sacred word).
Jesus is the Master Teacher of the Ages Because of Why He Is
The Bible teaches, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with god, and the word was God” (John 1:1). The Word eternally existed. The Word was eternally deity (God). There was never a time when He was not God (a member of the Godhead).
But He became flesh (by being begotten and born in a way which was contrary to the laws of nature). “And the word became flesh . . .” (John 1:14; Matthew 1:18-2:1). He became what He was not before. Thus, He was God-man.
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