Dripping Springs Weekly Bulletins

Is the Bible Right About Jeus' Life? Events in life do not take place in a vacuum—they have implications; there are consequences. Only those with the hardest heads ever question the existence of Jesus. He lived. He lived in the first century. He did many mighty works. He died for our sins. He was and is the Son of God. He is coming again in judgment and to glorify His saints. To reject these facts is but to place oneself in the ranks of those who reject reason and refuse to acknowledge truth. While there are many implications of Jesus’ life on this earth, we want to put our emphasis on these two: Jesus’ life is powerful proof of God’s love Many of us learned at our Mother’s knees that true love will motivate us to make great sacrifices for those we love. Sure enough—the life of Jesus is the greatest proof that God loves you and me. Romans 5:6-8 says: “When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” More than one secular writer has described the life of Jesus as “the greatest story ever told,” or similar words. He left the beauties, the joys and the glory of heaven to die for you and me. You can’t find a greater story of love than that: He Died For You! And For Me! Think of what that means—He has given us the hope of heaven that could come from no other source. He made only one real condition upon which that hope is founded. It is not our perfection…our wealth…or our power…or anything like that. The condition Jesus has placed upon our salvation is our obedience to Him. The love of God is an ocean, and no line can sound its depths. It is a width of unsurpassed country, and no survey can find its boundary. It is a mine of wealth, and no delving of man can estimate or exhaust its riches. There has never been a greater demonstration of love than the life and the death of Jesus of Nazareth. Those who have not heard that great gospel story need to hear it today! And it’s our job to take it to them. Jesus’ birth proves the Bible was right all along Having been crucified, put to death and resurrected from the grave, Jesus told His disciples these words: “These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me,” Luke 24:44. Peter Stoner, in Science Speaks, uses mathematical probability to show the enormity of the implications of Jesus’ life on earth. Of the many prophecies about His life, Stoner took only the eight over which Jesus could have had no control at all. In other words, Jesus could not have first read the prophetic words and deliberately performed whatever it took to fulfill them. By using standard mathematical procedures, we discover that the chances of Jesus’ fulfilling just these eight are so small that they are impossible to achieve without God’s intervention. There is only one chance in 100,000,000,000,000,000 [yes, that’s seventeen zeroes, or a “quintillion”]. While there are over 300 such prophecies, the probability of just these eight being fulfilled is far too small for them to have occurred by chance. Note just a few of those prophecies: He would be born in Bethlehem, Micah 5:2, during the days of the Roman Empire, Daniel 2:31-44, Luke 2. He would come from the tribe of Judah, Gen. 49:10. He would be betrayed by a friend for thirty pieces of silver, Zechariah 11:12-13, Matthew 27:9, and the money would be used for a “potter’s field.” He would die with the wicked and his burial would be with the rich, Isaiah 53:9, Matthew 27. His side would be pierced, Psalm 22:16, John 19:34f. Nearly three hundred other specific prophecies are powerful evidence that the Bible has always been right about Jesus. And we can be “right” when we live in harmony with its teachings. Carl B. Garner

Take 100,000,000,000,000,000 silver dollars and lay them on the surface of the state of Texas. Evenly distributed they will cover the entire state about two feet deep. Now put a special mark on one of those coins and stir (!) the whole mass thoroughly, from Ozona to Texarkana, from Dalhart to Harlingen, and Sherman to Corpus Christi. Now blindfold a man and tell him he can travel as far over the state as he wishes, but he must pick up one and only one silver dollar and it must be the one with the special mark. What chance would he have to do so? Just about the same chance the prophets would have had to make just those eight previously mentioned prophecies be fulfilled in one man in the first century without God’s intervention. The Bible will always be right.

Jesus Christ . . . The Son of God Well over 100 times in the New Testament Jesus is called or referred to as the Son of God. God declared it (Matthew 3:17; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35). He proclaimed it (John 5:17-27; 11:4). Prophets foretold it (Matthew 2:15; Mark 1:1-2). His apostles confessed and proclaimed it (Matthew 16:16; John 1:49; Acts 3:26; Romans 1:3-9; 1 John 1:3-7). Angels declared it (Luke 1:32-35). Demons confessed it (Matthew 8:29; Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28). Heathen confessed it (Matthew 27:54; Mark 15:39). And, all men will some day confess it (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10). No truth is more clear in all the New Testament than that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Consider what this meant to Him. He was the image of His Father (John 14:9; 1 Corinthians 11:7). He was to do and declare His Father will (Matthew 12:50; 26:39; Mark 3:25). He was to be obedient even unto death (Matthew 26:39; Philippians 2:8). He was to honor His Father (John 8:49). He was loved of His Father (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; Luke 9:35). He was resurrected by His Father (Acts 2:33; 5:31; Philippians 2:9). And, He became the Saviour of the world (Luke 19:10; John 3:16; 2 Peter 1:1; 1 John 4:15; Jude 25). Consider what this means to you and me. We are to hear Him (Matthew 7:24-26; Mark 9:7). We are to obey Him (John 15:14; Titus 2:10; Hebrews 5:9). We are to confess Him (Matthew 10:32-33). We are to emulate Him (Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 11:1; 1 Peter 2:21). He is our only hope (John 3:16; 14:6). Jesus Christ is the "only begotten Son" of God (John 1:15-18; 3:16; 1 John 4:9). This truth stands sure, our only choice is how it will affect us. If we confess Him now, we do so unto salvation (Romans 10:10). If we refuse, we will still confess Him…later in Judgment unto condemnation (Romans 14:11-12). Let us all acknowledge with our heart, lips, and lives: Jesus Christ - the Son of God. Author Not Known

The Balance of Christ The past three months I have been reading four chapters of Mark each day. In my study I have been impressed by the great balance in Christ's life. He was extremely tender, full of compassion and willing to suffer, yet firm in His stand against sin. The following review of Christ's life in Mark shows this balance. Christ was moved with compassion (1:41; 6:34); showed mercy (5:19; 10:47-48); took pity (9:22); loved (10:21); held children in His arms (9:36; 10:16); was rejected (8:31; 12:10); suffered (8:31; 9:12); was treated with contempt (9:12); distressed and troubled (14:33); deeply grieved (14:34); betrayed (10:33); mocked (10:34); spat upon (10:34); scourged (10:34); crucified (15:24; 8:31; 9:31; 10:34) and insulted (15:32). At the same time, Christ showed this great spirit. He stood firmly against sin and false teachers. His anger was aroused against the Pharisees (3:5); He called the Pharisees hypocrites (7:6); rebuked Peter (8:33); called the crowd an unbelieving generation (9:19); rebuked an unclean spirit (9:25); was indignant against the apostles when they forbade the children to come to Him (10:14); cast out those who were buying and selling in the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers (11:15); cursed the fig tree (11:21); told the Sadducees they did not understand the Scriptures or the power of God and that they were greatly mistaken (12:24,27); told the people to beware of the scribes and that the scribes would receive greater condemnation (12:38-40); told them to let the woman alone who poured nard on His head (14:6); pronounced a woe on Judas (14:21). Why can't we who are his followers be more like Him? Why are we so tempted to go to extremes instead of having the balance He had? Being loving and compassionate and standing for the Truth are not either-or propositions; we must do both. I am wrong if I think I can be loving and not have to rebuke error and sin. I am equally wrong if I oppose error inside and outside the church and do not do it in love and with love for the one that is wrong. I pray that each one who reads this will carefully measure himself by our Lord. Do you have the balance of Christ? by Tom Kelton