Is Jesus the Son of God?

(15)

“But Rafael, How do you know, that Jesus is the Son of God? There were so many prophets, saints, they too did the same thing - Save. How can you so surely say, it is Jesus, who is the Savior?”

“Mark, It's true, we had prophets but there is one difference between the prophets and Jesus. Jesus was the only person, who called God as ‘My Father’

“Have anyone heard the prophets calling God as Father?” All nodded in the negative.

“I know you want some proof. OK fine, Jesus itself spoke openly about it.”

“Really, Oh.. Great. Go on Rafael, we are all ears.” Rafael smiled and nodded. “Jesus was being tested by the Pharisees by several questions and then Jesus asked them the following question

“What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

“The son of David,” they replied.

 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,

 “‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
    under your feet.”’

 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”

“So what do you feel?”

“True rafael, only a son calls his father as father and not by any other name.” Rebecca said it in a trance and all nodded their acknowledgement.

 “One more thing, Jesus said more authoritatively and gave a pictorial representation of how heaven would be.” All nodded.

“What does it mean Mathew?”

“Well if I have to say the details of any home, then I should live there, even if its my best friend’s home, I won’t be able to say that much perfectly as we don't move around their private rooms.” All nodded. “But if it is my own home, sure I can explain it perfectly, can say about it quite confidently and in detail too.” Rafael nodded.

“Exactly Mathew, only ones own home can be explained in great detail and Jesus did just that, which means, He lives in Heaven and it is His home.” All nodded.

“Now we will go deeper still to bring proof that Jesus is the Son of God.” All smiled.

“In the scriptures, Have you read anywhere, God publicly announcing that Jesus is my Son?”

“Yes Rafael,  during the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist,

“When Jesus came out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and alighted on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 

All were awed by Mathew’s knowledge of the Bible.

“Fantastic Mathew, its right, In one other place too Jesus was acknowledged by God, Does anyone know about it?” All nodded in the negative.

“It was some days after Jesus foretold about His death. He took Peter, James and John to a mountain and there He transfigured in front of them.  

“While he was speaking with Moses and Elijah , a cloud appeared and covered them, and the disciples were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”

“Oh!!!! Its simply superb, lucky, the disciples didn’t fall unconscious with fright.” All smiled

“Yes Mark, lucky they didn’t go unconscious, or else, there wouldn’t be anybody to say that this happened.”

“But Rafael, How did Moses and Elijiah come there?”

“Good question Monica. These two personalities were prophets before Jesus, They were selected by God. God never forgets those whom He have chosen. They would be given the highest position and that is to be with Him always. Do you know, why prophets are selected?”

“To direct the people to move in the right path?”

“Yes Mark, you’re right. For that, they should be capable, they should be pure and when God chooses, He purifies them with His Spirit making them strong and pure and that stays eternally”

“Do you mean to say, that they never die?”

“Yes Rebecca, they would never die, as long the Earth is there, the sky is there, the kingdom of God is there, they would live, that is what the scriptures prove. We’re deviating from our topic. We will get back to the topic of prophets later, what do you think, children?”

“You’re right, Rafael, better continue. So now you have given more than enough proof that Jesus is Son of God, Rafael.”

“But there are more Rebecca, which you should know, so that no doubts stay in your hearts.” All nodded. Rafael continued.  “Can anyone say, who is the epitome of evil in the scriptures?”

“The devil?”

“Yes Monica, the devil. Did you know, that he too acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God?”

“Really, Then it would be simply superb.”

“Yes, Rebecca, its true, immediately after the Baptism of Jesus, he fasted for forty days and after that Devil came to Him, to test Him and this is what the scripture said,

“The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written:

“He will command his angels concerning you

to guard you carefully;

they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.””

“Oh wow!!!! Rafael, that’s something different, the Devil himself openly asking, if you are the Son of God. I have never read anywhere, devil asking this question to anybody.”

“Yes Rebecca, that is the first time and not the last time he has acknowledged that Jesus is the Son of God and don’t you want to know what was the reply of Jesus?”

“Sure. Go on”

‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’

“So its an open acknowledgement from the part of Jesus too that He is God, isn’t it Rafael?

“Yes Mark, it is.”

 “I was just thinking how the devil spoke to Jesus, Rafael. He used the exact words from the scriptures, starting as, “For  it is written”. Rafael, do you mean to say, that the devil too know the scriptures?”

“Yes Rebecca, they know the scriptures without misplacing a single word because they were God’s angels.”

“Then how come they became devils.”

“Because of jealousy. When God showed more care on Man, they became jealous and as the first parents had to face the consequences of their deeds, the angels too had to face their consequences of jealousy. So don’t think, that you can win them on scriptures. I think, we are again deviating from our topic. Shall we continue?” All nodded

“Have you seen anywhere in the scripture, God giving any commandments”

“Yes, to Moses” all chorused

“Right, and what about Jesus. Did He get any commandments?” all shook their heads in the negative.

“Rafael can I say, correct me if I’m wrong.” All smiled

“Go on Mathew, you’d be right.” Mathew nodded and continued, I have read Jesus saying to the Pharisees who wanted to test Him with the question

“Which is the greatest commandment?” Jesus replied ““‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

 “Absolutely Correct, Mathew. So we don’t see anywhere in the scriptures, as God giving to the Son, these compact commandment. So with the power endowed to Jesus as the Son of God,  He concised the  ten commandments into two . Then He also specified, that there is a heaven, for the people who lived according to the commandments. Has there any prophets spoken about all these things?”

“No Rafael.”

“Thus proving that Son of God came to this world to take us all to Heaven.”

“But Rafael, these are all in the scriptures. Is there anything out of the scripture, that Jesus really lived here.”

“Hmmm. That’s a good thought Rebecca. Yes there is. Does any one know, when did we start putting dates, approximately from which year onwards?” all nodded in the negative.

“God knows.” All smiled and Rafael smiled and nodded.

“Yes Mark, I too don’t know, only God knows. But the years which we had, after the creation of this universe, is such that, as the years progressed it was counted backwards, exactly like a countdown timer. Do you know what a countdown timer is?

“Counting backwards and when it comes to zero it will end.”

“Exactly Mathew and that was how, the years were when Jesus was born too and exactly when it became zero,  at that juncture there was a turning point, a point where we do not have to look backward  but forward. Thus a new era started and a new beginning.”

“But Rafael what was the turning point? You didn’t say that?”

“It's the death of Jesus.”

And the date started as 1 AD, or  ‘Anno Domini Nostri Iesu (Jesu) Christi ‘ which means, "In the Year of Our Lord Jesus Christ". Do you feel that Jesus put that date?”

“No Rafael, man did.”

" If the whole mankind used this system of dating, then we should really acknowledge the presence of Jesus and He is indeed the Son of God, who opened the way to heave. It's simply amazing Rafael, how well planned is the arrival of Jesus, isn’t it? all nodded But it's sad, Jesus had to die. If He had lived, we could have seen Him isn’t it Rafael?”

“Yes Mathew, we could have, but in this Universe everything with God is well planned and planned well ahead, it's not a spur of the moment decision.  So, the death of Jesus on the cross is also a planned  happening. If Jesus had not died, then no turning point would have taken place. Man would not be connected to God. For God it was very important.”

“But why did Jesus have to die on a cross?

“I think, we’ll have to stop.”

....to be contd...(16)...

Until then...

                Take care. Bye.

                                Meena.