God Became A Man

1
A VIRGIN CONCEIVED.
If Mary was telling the truth, her baby had no

human father. She claimed an angel appeared to her and
told her she would conceive a son by Gods Spirit. Then he
said that this child, whom she was to name Jesus, would be
the Son of God. If Mary was lying, the night of Jesus birth
was not holy, and the only thing that was silent was the
truth. But how can we know? How can we take seriously
the kind of story that usually deserves laughs of disbelief?
The answer is in what followed. If there were no witnesses
and no evidence, we could ignore Marys claims. If her sons
life was the same as any other life, her claim of a virgin birth
would be the easiest of all stories to dismiss.
AN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHET

PREDICTED A GOD-MAN.
What we do know is that in the seventh century BC, the

prophet Isaiah made predictions about a Servant of the Lord
who would rule the earth in the last days. He described a
day in which all of the earth would be at peace and all the
nations would go up to Jerusalem to worship God (Isaiah 2).
Isaiah announced, Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is
given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And
His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (9:6). Isaiah also gave a
mysterious prophecy that was only partially fulfilled in his
lifetime. He wrote, The Lord Himself will give you a sign:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall
call His name Immanuel (7:14). Immanuel means God
with us.
ANGELS ANNOUNCED THE BIRTH.
In the shepherds fields outside of Bethlehem, a

group of witnesses formed a bridge between Isaiah and
Mary. According to New Testament records (Luke 2:8-14),
terrified Jewish shepherds were visited by an angel who
announced the birth of Israels long-awaited Messiah. The
angel said, Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is
born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will
find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a
manger (vv.10-12). As the shepherds told it, the sky was
filled with angels praising God and saying, Glory to God in
the highest, and on earth peace among men in whom He is
well pleased (v.14 ASV).
A SIGN APPEARED IN THE SKY.
According to the New Testament, a light in the

sky gave additional credibility to Mary. A group of Magi
from the East followed a starlike sign to the Jewish town
of Bethlehem. What they found was a child they believed to
be the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. For hundreds of years
Old Testament prophets had been speaking of a Star and
a Scepter that would come out of Israel (Numbers 24:17).
The Old Testament also predicted a ruler of Israel who
would come out of Bethlehem, a ruler whose goings forth
are from old, from everlasting (Micah 5:2).
THE TIME WAS RIGHT.
Many believe that the Magi who worshiped

Jesus after His birth came from the region of Babylon. If so,
they could have had access to the prophecy of a Jewish
prophet named Daniel. While in exile in Babylon 400 years
earlier, Daniel had a vision that allows for the calculation of
the arrival of the Jewish Messiah. According to Daniels
vision, from the command to rebuild the temple (458 BC or
444 BC), 69 sevens would be followed by the arrival and
death of Messiah (Daniel 7:13-14; 9:24-27). Some believe this
prophecy predicted the exact number of days until Jesus
triumphal entry into Jerusalem. (For more details see the
RBC publication The Daniel Papers, Q1207).
JESUS CLAIMED TO BE EQUAL

WITH GOD.
Some have suggested that Jesus never claimed for Himself

what His followers claimed for Him. Yet the commotion that
surrounded His life can be best explained by His repeated
claim to be one with God. John, one of the Gospel writers,
quoted Jesus as saying, Before Abraham was, I am (8:58).
(In Exodus 3:14, the name I AM was used by God to identify
Himself to Moses.) John also quoted Jesus as saying, I and
My Father are One (10:30) and If you had known Me, you
would have known My Father also; and from now on you
know Him and have seen Him (14:7). According to the
Gospels, Jesus said that to love or hate Him, or to receive or
reject Him, was to love or hate, receive or reject His Father
in heaven.
2009
HIS FRIENDS WORSHIPED HIM.
When Thomas, one of Jesus disciples, saw the

resurrected Christ, he declared, My Lord and my God! (John
20:28). Years later, Jesus close friend and follower John wrote,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing
was made that was made. . . . And the Word became flesh and
dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the
only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:13,14). Another friend, Peter, in one of his letters to the early
church, addressed his readers as those who have obtained
like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and
Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1).
JESUS ENEMIES ACCUSED HIM

OF BLASPHEMY.
Jesus friends may have wanted to believe He was more

than a man, but His enemies did not. The religious leaders
of Israel were outraged to think that the same man who
accused them of being hypocritical, blind leaders of the
blind, would also claim to forgive sins, would speak of God
as His Father, and would even say that He was one with
God. On more than one occasion the leaders of Israel picked
up stones to kill Jesus, saying, For a good work we do not
stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a
Man, make Yourself God (John 10:33).
JESUS MIRACLES SUPPORTED

HIS CLAIMS.
Jesus miracles recorded in the New Testament were more than

wonders. They were signs. He did them to encourage men and
women to believe in Him for everlasting life. He healed a
crippled man to affirm His right to forgive sins. He fed

thousands of people with a little boys lunch, setting the stage
for His claim to be the bread of life. He walked on water,
stilled angry seas, healed the sick, restored paralyzed limbs,
gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, and even raised
from the dead an embalmed man by the name of Lazarus. One
reason Jesus performed miracles was to support His claim to be
God. The apostle John wrote, Truly Jesus did many other signs
in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this
book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life
in His name (John 20:30-31).
10
HIS DEPARTURE WAS GREATER

THAN HIS ARRIVAL.
Many people down through history have claimed to be gods.

Yet only one man has been willing to die for the sins of
others. Only one has risen from the dead to prove that He is
the Son of God. According to the New Testament, after Jesus
voluntarily gave His life on an executioners cross, He
appeared to His closest disciples and more than 500 other
followers for a period of 40 days (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). The
eyewitnesses were so convinced of His resurrection that they
were willing to suffer and die for their claims. His disciples
said that He showed them His scarred hands and feet, walked
and talked with them, and even ate with them. Then while
they met with Him on the Mount of Olives, He gave them His
last words and ascended into the clouds. With a departure
more spectacular than His arrival, Jesus left us with a better
understanding of the announcement of the angel who said,
There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11).
YOU RE NOT ALONE if you have mixed feelings when you think about the evidence surrounding the life of Jesus. You may
feel compelled to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but youre not sure of your relationship to Him. If thats the case, be assured of
this: If you accept Him, He will accept you. If you will receive His offer of forgiveness, everlasting life, and adoption into the family of
God, He will become your Savior, Teacher, and Lord.
If youve never received Jesus in this way, we encourage you to carefully read the New Testament verses of Romans 3:23
(which says that all have sinned), Romans 6:23 (which says that the wages of sin is spiritual death, separation from God), and
Romans 10:13 (which assures us that all who call on the name of the Lord Jesus will be saved). To accept Gods gift, you can
pray something like this: God, I know Im a sinner. I know I cant save myself. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I
believe He rose from the dead to live His life through all who believe in Him. I now receive Him as my Savior. I accept Your
offer of forgiveness and everlasting life. Thank You, Father. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
If you made a decision to receive Gods gift, let us know by letter or e-mail ([email protected]) and you will receive, without cost
or obligation, devotional and Bible-study materials designed to help you grow in your new life as a child of God. Also, pray for
God to lead you to a church that faithfully teaches the Bible in a spirit of love and Christlikeness. You have received the greatest
gift of all. The gift bought by God Himselffor you.
For more information, or for a catalog of our resources (which includes other 10 Reasons To Believe brochures),
write to RBC Ministries at:
USA: PO BOX 2222, GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49501-2222

CANADA: BOX 1622, WINDSOR, ON N9A 6Z7
RBC Ministries Internet Address: www.rbc.org
2009
REMAN

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1

If Mary was telling the truth, her baby had no

AN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHET

What we do know is that in the seventh century BC, the

ANGELS ANNOUNCED THE BIRTH.

In the shepherds fields outside of Bethlehem, a

A SIGN APPEARED IN THE SKY.

According to the New Testament, a light in the

THE TIME WAS RIGHT.

Many believe that the Magi who worshiped

JESUS CLAIMED TO BE EQUAL

Some have suggested that Jesus never claimed for Himself

HIS FRIENDS WORSHIPED HIM.

When Thomas, one of Jesus disciples, saw the

JESUS ENEMIES ACCUSED HIM

Jesus friends may have wanted to believe He was more

JESUS MIRACLES SUPPORTED

Jesus miracles recorded in the New Testament were more than

crippled man to affirm His right to forgive sins. He fed

HIS DEPARTURE WAS GREATER

Many people down through history have claimed to be gods.

USA: PO BOX 2222, GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49501-2222

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