upgraded February 13, 2007

Matthew 24:4-5, (NIV) Jesus answered:  "Watch out that no one deceives you.  For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.

Why do people claim that they are Jesus?  Why did Michael Irving make the ignorant and blasphemous statement that Jerry Rice is "Jesus in cleats."  Almost no one ever claims to be Mohammed or Allah.  The evil spirits that are motivating these people to make these ridiculous claims, know that Jesus is Lord, Mohammed is a deceived, dead deceiver, and Allah is Satan.  The evil spirits know about the True and Living God.  The evil spirits are not motivating anyone to claim to be Allah, because the evil spirits know that Allah is a counterfeit god.  Who would knowingly attempt to counterfeit a counterfeit?

Jesus stated that He is the Son of God.

Mark 14:61-62a (NIV)  But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.  Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" "I am," said Jesus.

Luke 22:70 (NIV)  They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God? " He replied, "You are right in saying I am."

John 5:18 (NIV)  For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

John 10:28-30 (NIV)  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

John knew that Jesus is the Son of God.

John 1:1-18 (NIV)  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'" From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

John 1:34-36 (NIV)  I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

Paul knew that Jesus is the Son of God, because Jesus revealed Himself to Paul.

Acts 9:20-22 (NIV)  At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.

Romans 1:1-4 (NIV)  Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God--the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

Mary knew that Jesus is the Son of God because it was revealed to her by an angel.

Luke 1:35 (NIV)  The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Nathanael stated that Jesus is the Son of God.

John 1:49 (NIV)  Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

Martha believed that Jesus is the Son of God.

John 11:25-27 (NIV)  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

The centurion believed that Jesus is the Son of God.

Matthew 27:54 (NIV)  When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"

Mark 15:39 (NIV)  And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

Satan and his demons knew that Jesus is the Son of God because they knew Him personally when they were angels in heaven.

Matthew 8:28-29 (NIV)  When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.  "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"

Mark 1:24 (NIV)  "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"

Mark 3:11 (NIV)  Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God."

Mark 5:7 (NIV)  He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!"

Luke 4:34 (NIV)  "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"

Luke 4:41 (NIV)  Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.

Luke 8:28 (NIV)  When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!"

Peter knew that Jesus is the Son of God because it was revealed to him by God.

Matthew 16:13-17 (NIV)  When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.

If you know who Jesus is, it is because it has been revealed to you by God. The Word of God was written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 20:28-31 (NIV)  Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

1 John 5:1-5 (NIV)  Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.