Is Jesus God?

Had a few people over at our place the other night for our fortnightly catchup and we kicked off a discussion out of the book of Mark, chapter 2.

It was a good conversation but before I get into a little of what we talked about let me preface by saying that the Bible is a freaky deaky book if you read it and believe any of what is being shared in and through its pages as opposed to seeing it a just a bunch of mythical legends or stories.

Mark chapter 2 is no exception. There's a story in it that tells of how Jesus was hanging out at someones place in a town called Capernaum; when news spread that he was there, the house quickly became packed, and even overflowing to the point where four men decided that in order for them, and their paralyzed mate, to get close enough to hear Jesus they decided to dig through the clay roof and lower their mate down?! Um, are these guys nuts?

Imagine for me, if you will, that Oprah Winfrey is speaking at Rod Lava arena, with the roof closed... the place is packed to overflowing and in the midst of Oprah telling the crowds about the latest book to make it onto her book club reading list you look up to see sparks flying from the roof as the acetylene cutting torch slices out a hole big enough for a crew of 4 healthy men along with their 1 paralyzed mate to ab sail down, Mission Impossible style, to where Oprah is standing on the platform?! What do you reckon the response would be? I reckon she would have been taken swiftly away by her security and the men who cut the hole and then ab sailed down would have been arrested and taken into custody?! It's not normal to cut holes in peoples roofs, not today and not back then when Jesus walked the earth... but it happened.

But that's not the craziest thing I see in this story. This is freakier - this is the first time in this book that Jesus seems to 'out' himself as God - he does it when he says to the paralyzed man "My son, your sins are forgiven." That wasn't the done thing for a jewish preacher to do?! Jesus had performed miracles prior to this event (a massive thing in and of itself) but here he was forgiving sins and according to Jewish understanding the only Cat with the authority to forgive sins was God Himself...

Let's take the Oprah analogy one step further - this would be like Oprah claiming to be God. Now I love Oprah, and I have no doubt that some people would believe that she is God - but not this cookie, and hopefully not Oprah!

I reckon that what Jesus does here is nothing short of massive. The religious teachers who were present felt the same way - check out there response, "What? This is blasphemy! Who but God can forgive sins?"... It is interesting to note that what the common people, who witnessed this particular healing, were really blown away by was the authority Jesus appeared to have (Mark 1:27). It was His authority that separated Him from all the other teachers they had heard before.

Jesus was a big deal, he was controversial - I think that if someone comes out and says they're God they are either crazy, joking around or telling the truth...aren't they?

So, is the Bible nuts, are the writers insane, or is the Bible truthful, is Jesus God?

I believe He is - but not because it makes sense, not just because I read it in the Bible but because I have had a personal revelation of the fact. I cant explain to you why, I couldn't win an argument with you based on reason and logic. This kind of faith exists outside of human logic and understanding... For a guy to be able to forgive sins, perform healings and get resurected from the dead goes beyond anything any human has been able to accomplish through scientific or technological means, right? So how can I explain that using logic or graphs or big words. I can't do it, I am just not smart enough.

Reality suggests that I am either crazy or I am kidding myself or I have discovered the truth and I am telling it.

I do believe that the Bible tells the truth and that it is God inspired and God breathed and in terms of an attempt to explain why I believe this to be I have to direct you to it and what it says about Jesus - John chapter 1:

"In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and He was God. He was in the beginning with God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that He didn't make. Life itself was in Him, and this life gives light to everyone...The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was going to come into the world."

It goes on...

"So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithullness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father... God's unfailing love and faithfullness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But His only Son, who is himself God, is near to the Father's heart; He has told us about Him."

This was the testimony, the personal witness and declaration of one of Jesus' mates - who got to see Him in the flesh, walk and talk with Him, see him die and then be ressurected... but it is my testimony also. Jesus has shown me unfailing love and faithfulness in a number of ways and I believe Him to be God!!

I have to acknowledge that this doesn't make sense without revelation, and I am talking about a revelation that comes outside of the realm of the natural, it comes by the Spirit... it's Uber natural!!

Pete got it before I did - check out Matthew chapter 16:

[Jesus] asked them, "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the liiving God."

Jesus replied, "You are blessed Simon, son of John, because my Father in Heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being..."

Some would say that to believe that Jesus is God, or that there even is a God in the first place is limited or that it is even a cop out - but I am of the opinion that it actually expands the realm of the possible.

If you can believe that Jesus was, in fact, God and that He did all that the Book says He did then it takes the possible, rips it up and throws it out and replaces it with the impossible. Check out these stories - Matthew 19: 24-26, Mark 10: 27, Acts 4:13-14 as a starting point... Impossible was normal for Jesus.

It's a whole new, crazy way of viewing life because it operates outside of our understanding. I can't possibly explain this impossibility so I'll leave it to my impossibly massive God to do that work...

Any further thoughts - add them, attempt to ask me or just ask Jesus to reveal it to ya! ha ha