Who is the Man Called Jesus Christ?

Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers has introduced people all over the world to the love of Jesus Christ and has impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound truth simply stated. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here's Adrian Rogers. Who is The man called Jesus Christ. May I tell you that Jesus Christ is an historical Fact.

Now let me say this. There are some people who doubt that Jesus Christ ever even lived. I mean that there ever was such a person, be he God. or not. That even walked on the face of this earth.

May I tell you that only ignorance talks that way. Leave the Bible alone. Jesus Christ is and historical fact. I'm talking about secular history. Flavius Josephus.

One of the greatest historians of all time. He had a great career in the first century. He was a student. He was a priest. He was a military commander.

He was a diplomat. And he was a historian. He has been described as perhaps the most distinguished. and most learned Jew of his day. He wrote A great set, a compendium of volumes called The Antiquities of the Jews, twenty volumes.

that tell the story of the Jews. And the history of the world. From creation to the destruction of Masada. And historians go to Josephus. Flavius Josephus, And they read to find out what the times were like.

Now he commented on the times of the Lord Jesus Christ. And in one of these volumes, he wrote about the social unrest in Judea. when Pontius Pilate was the Roman procurator, About AD Let me give you a paragraph from this historian, not from the Word of God. From a historian Not one of the writers of the Bible. Not a Christian.

He says, and I quote, Now there was about this time Jesus. A wise man, for he was a doer of wonderful works. A teacher of such men as receive the truth. With pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles.

And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, Had condemned him to the cross. Those that loved him at the first cease not to do so. and the race of Christians So named from him are not extinct. Even Now, notice what he said about Jesus. He said he was a wise man, he said he was a miracle worker.

He said that he was a teacher. He said that he was crucified under Pontius Pilate and that he was the founder of a race of people known as Christians.

Now there's a. Another historian. Suetonius. And Suetonius was the official historian. of the Imperial House of Rome.

That is, he was the official Roman historian. In AD 49, He wrote at the request of the Emperor Claudius, who had banished. all of the Jews from the city an account. And this is what he said. He expelled the Jews from Rome on account of the riots in which they were constantly indulging.

At the instigation of Carl. Priestess. That is another name for Christ. Christus.

Now Nobody suggests that Croesius was ever in Rome in person. It was the introduction, however, of his spiritually radical teaching. I'm talking now about a historian who is talking about a man. Name. Christ.

There was another historian, his name was Tacitus. He was the Roman governor of Asia. You will remember that Caesar Nero, About AD 64, when the city of Rome burned, was accused of of burning the slums in Rome so he could rebuild the city of Rome. Nero, in order to take the heat from himself, no pun intended. blamed it on the Christians.

Now, this is what Cornelius Tacitus, the Roman governor of Asia. A noted historian wrote. And I quote, to dispel the rumor. Nero substituted as culprits and treated with the most extreme punishments.

Some people, popularly known as Christians, whose disgraceful activities were notorious. The originator of that name Christus had been executed when Tiberius was emperor, By order of the Procurator Pontius. Pilot.

Now, what I'm trying to say is that all of these secular historians have to deal with the man named John. Jesus. Plentius called Pliny the Younger. was a contemporary of both Tacitus and Suetonius. And he was the governor of Bithynia.

And he also was Was a historian. I want you to listen to what he said. And I'm quoting from him. He says, and I quote, I have asked the accused themselves if they were Christians.

Now these are some People who were If they were named Christians, they would be put to death. I've asked the accused themselves if they were Christians, and they said yes. I asked them a second and third time, warning them of the penalty if they persisted. I ordered them to be led off to the execution. And what was their crime?

They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before sunrise. and reciting an antiphonal hymn to Christ. As God and binding themselves with an oath not to commit any crime. but to abstain from all acts of theft. robbery and adultery.

from breaches of faith from repudiating a trust when called upon. to honor it.

Now I've just read to you some snatches of history. I've read to you what secular historians have said. contemporaries of those who We're living at the time of Christ. and contemporaries immediately after that time. And they all speak of Jesus Christ.

as an historical fact.

Now these were not Christians. These were enemies of the faith. But they had to reckon with Jesus Christ, and so do you. Ladies and gentlemen, let me just put it down big and plain and straight. Jesus Christ was and is and historical fact.

Now What are we going to do with Jesus Christ? You cannot deny the fact that there walked upon this earth A man known as Jesus Christ, he walked upon this earth.

Someone has written these words, and they may sound beautiful, and you may think that they're wonderful. These are the words: If Jesus Christ is a man, And only a man, I say. That of all mankind I will cleave to him. and cleave to him All way. If Jesus Christ is a God.

And the only God, I swear. I will follow him through heaven and hell. The earth The sea And the air.

Now that sounds wonderful. But let me tell you something, friend. If Jesus Christ is a man and only a man, He is a liar, a fake, a fraud, and an imposter, and no one should follow him. Jesus Christ was an historical figure.

Now you have to ask yourself. What kind of a man was he? Was he a liar? Who said he was the Son of God and was not? Or was he a lunatic who thought he was the Son of God?

And was not. Or was he the Lord who was who he said he was? You cannot escape. He was an historical figure. And he was either liar.

Lunatic. Our Lord. He was deceiver. Deceived. or deity.

Now, let's go back to our scripture. We're in Acts chapter 10. What would you do? If a group of people got together in a house, People who were not Christians. And had no reason to be Christians apart from your testimony.

What would you do if they got together in a house and invited you to come? and speak to them. What would you do if they came and invited you to tell them About why you believe in Jesus Christ. What would you say?

Well, that's exactly what happened to Simon Peter. There was a man named Cornelius. He was a Gentile. He was an army officer. He'd had a vision from God.

An angel had come to him and told him to send for Simon Peter in Caesarea. And Simon Peter will come and tell you and your house words whereby you can be saved.

So, Cornelius, this Roman army officer. got his family together. He brought in his servants, he brought in his friends, and in walked Simon Peter. And he says now to Simon Peter. Tell me.

Tell me why you believe in Jesus Christ. Why you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I want you to notice what Peter did in verse 34. Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. But in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him.

Now, God is not a racist. There is no respect of persons. with Almighty God. Mal So often I am interview. And if I get a secular interviewer, Many times he wants to put me in a hot box.

He wants to embarrass me. And most of them have learned to ask this kind of a question. Mr. Rogers. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven?

But what's the answer to that? Yeah. All right, they've got me there. Got me, I'm glad to see it. I wish I could stand on the top of the Empire State Building with a megaphone to be heard around the universe and say it.

I believe it. Secondly, Do you believe, therefore, that a Jew Without Jesus Christ. is lost.

Now you see what the intent is. is to make me sound like some sort of an anti-Semite. To make me sound like I am. Against The Jews. Make me sound like I am a narrow person.

Pick it. If I say, yes, I believe that a Jew without Christ is lost. But if I say, no, I don't believe he's lost, I would deny the gospel and deny what I believe. Let me tell you how I answer then. And to anybody who may be listening right now by radio.

And any of my Jewish friends who may be listening. When somebody asks me, Do you believe that a Jew without Jesus Christ is lost? I say, dear friend, I believe that one of my own children without Jesus Christ is lost. The matter whether he's a Jew has nothing to do with it. has nothing to do with whether he's a Gentile.

With God, there's no respect of persons. Nobody is saved because he's a Gentile, and nobody is lost because he's a Jew. People are saved or lost according to what they do with the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Not a matter of race or face or place, but grace, dear friend. Don't ever let anybody put you in that corner because the Bible says with God.

There is no Respect of persons. You understand that? Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious. in his sight. And so here is Peter the Jew.

With Cornelius the Gentile. And you're going to find out that God will make them one in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now Peter. Asked to present Jesus Christ. Who is an historical personage? gives three lines of witness. There are three lines of evidence.

That I want you to see, I want you to get in your heart, in your mind. Wow. We know that we know that we know that we know that Jesus Christ is not a liar or lunatic. But Lord. This historical person, how do we know who he is?

First of all, There is the personal witness of the saints. Look to what Peter says in verse 39. He says, and we are witnesses of all these things which he did.

Now Simon Peter includes the other apostles, and he says this. We are witnesses. There was the personal witness of the apostles.

Now, remember, there were 11 of them. without Judas. And all 11 of them had a united witness that is indisputable. They were with the Son of God for three and one half years. What a jury.

And these witnesses. And may I tell you, dear friend, that that jury with unanimity said. that Jesus Christ is. Lord, and they testified to three things about the Lord Jesus Christ. First of all, they testified about his virtuous life.

Look, if you will, in verse 34. Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, He is Lord of all. That word, I say. Ye know which was published throughout all Judea.

and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth. With the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good. And healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him. Here.

Now what does he say about Jesus Christ, especially in this verse, verse 38? That Jesus Christ When about Doing good. Good. He performed miracles. And they were all good miracles.

Simon Peter says he was there. I was there. He turned water into wine. I drank some of it. He walked on water.

I saw him do it. He raised a little girl from the dead. the daughter of Jairus. I was there and saw him. He healed the lepers.

I saw him heal the lepers. He cast out demons. I saw him cast out demons. He went up on a mountaintop. He was transfigured.

I was an eyewitness of his majesty. There was a voice that came from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son. I heard that. Voice. Dear friend, they were witnesses of the virtuous life of the Lord Jesus.

What a life Jesus lived. Robert Clark. Has rightly said this about the Lord Jesus. In his life, There was meekness. without weakness.

Tenderness. without feebleness. Firmness. without coarseness. Love?

without sentimentality. Holiness. without sanctimoniousness. Lowliness without lowness. Truth.

without error. enthusiasm without fanaticism. Passion. without prejudice. Heavenly mindedness without forgetfulness.

Carefreeness. without carelessness. Service without servility. Self-exaltation without egotism. Judgment without harshness.

Seriousness without sombreness. and mercy without softness. Isn't that beautiful? There is not one attribute That was lacking in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. I was witnessing to a Jewish doctor one day.

And I said, Do you believe that Jesus is the Messiah? Oh, he said, no, we're waiting for Messiah. And I said, my dear friend. Why wait? What could anyone have that would improve on Jesus Christ?

How could you improve? on the person of Jesus Christ. Simon Peter stood before Cornelius. And he said, Let me give you my testimony, first of all, as to the virtuous life. Of the Lord Jesus.

He went about doing good. But not only did he testify of his virtuous life, But he also testified of his vicarious Death. Look, if you will, in verse 39 of this same chapter. And we are witnesses of all things which he did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. Whom They slew and hanged on a tree.

Now, if he went about doing good, it is obvious that he didn't die for his own sins. He died for the sins of others. He went about doing good, and yet he was hanged on a tree. That is, he was made a curse. There was his mock trial.

And then he was crucified. My friend, his death is an established historical fact. Simon Peter said, We saw him laid away in the tomb. that day. But there's a third thing that he said we're witnesses of.

not only his virtuous life, Not only his vicarious death, but listen to me. His victorious resurrection. Look, if you will, in verse 40 again. Him God raised up the third day and showed him openly. Not to all the people.

But unto witnesses chosen before by God even to us. who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he who was ordained by God to be the judge of the quick and of the dead.

Now what was the keynote of the apostolic preaching? What is it that makes Christianity different from any other religion? What is it that sets Christianity apart from other religions of rituals and rules? It is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Well, somebody says, But these eyewitnesses. What if they were hallucinating?

Well, the Bible says over 500 saw him at one time. We have some judges in our congregation tonight.

Now, judges, what would you do if 500 people came in your courtroom and said the same thing? Over 500 at one time.

Well you say, well, he was a ghost, it wasn't a real resurrection. Simon Peter says in this passage that we ate with him. We actually touched him who did eat and drink with him after his resurrection.

Well you say, wait a minute, it was a lie.

Well, why would Simon Peter lie about it? I mean after a while they're going to crucify him upside down for his belief. Most all of these witnesses died. Because of their belief. A man may live for a lie, but very few will knowingly die for a lie.

They died. Why? Because death held no more terror for them. Simon Peter stands before Cornelius. Cornelius knew that Jesus was an historical fact.

The question is, is he the Lord? Or is he a liar or a lunatic? First of all, there was the witness of the saints. Simon Peter says, we are witnesses of his virtuous life. We are witnesses of his vicarious death.

We are witnesses of his victorious resurrection. He is the judge of the living and the dead.

Now there's a second line of evidence. Not only the personal witness of the saints. but the prophetic witness of the scriptures. Look, if you will, now in verse 43, one of the great verses in all of the Bible. To him give all the prophets witness.

Now first of all, Simon, Peter, and the Apostles say we're his witness. But now watch it. to him, to Jesus. Give all the prophets witness. that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

Let me tell you something. When he said all the prophets, he's talking about the Old Testament. He's talking about the word of God from Genesis through Malachi. The New Testament had not yet been written. And what Simon Peter says is this, Cornelius, The book called the Bible The Old Testament, everybody in the Old Testament was writing about the Lord Jesus.

To him give all the prophets witness.

My dear friend, the Bible is about one person. The hero of the Bible is Jesus Christ. If you read the Bible, Old Testament or New Testament, and you don't find Jesus Christ, you have missed the message of the Bible. It is about the Lord Jesus Christ. What a wonderful unity.

Acts chapter 10, verse 43 sums up the Old Testament. To him. Give all the prophets witness. Now the Bible, the Old Testament. was written by a number of different authors.

The Bible was written over a period of about 1500 years. And yet there is a cohesion That this one person, the Lord Jesus Christ. In the third chapter of Genesis, after men had sinned, The Bible says there's going to be a Redeemer. And Genesis 3, verse 15 says, he's going to be the seed of the woman. All right, that eliminates angels and animals.

and any other creature. Right away, we've just eliminated so many people. It's got to be a man. and a male. And then we read in the 12th chapter of the book of Genesis that he's going to be of the seed of Abraham.

Boy, the focus. comes in a little closer. And then we read that not only is he going to be of the seed of Abraham, but he's going to be. of the tribe of Judah. And the focus gets a little tired.

And then we read that he's going to be a descendant of Jesse. And the focus gets a little tighter. And then we read that this one is going to be born in Bethlehem. It gets a little tighter. And then to make it impossible it could be anybody else.

He's going to be born. of a virgin. Can't be anybody else. Oh, dear friend, do you see how the Bible just, oh, he's going to be born of a race, then a nation of that race, and then a tribe of that nation, then a family of that tribe, then a specific woman is going to give birth. His name is Jesus.

Can't be anybody else. Because, dear friend, to him Give all the prophets witness. This book The Old Testament is incredible. The pictures of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Genesis chapter 22, you see Isaac going up on Mount Moriah with Abraham.

Where God told Abraham to take your only son Isaac and there offer him for a burnt offering in a place that I will show thee. And of all of the places in the world, Abraham takes Isaac to Mount Moriah, which is the same mountain where Jesus was crucified. Mount Calvary and Mount Moriah. are the same place. And they're in that wonderful story.

Genesis 22. The crucifixion is pictured. Dear friend, if you open your Bible to the book of Leviticus, On every page, you'll find pictures of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the book of Leviticus, when the people had sinned, the high priest would lay his hands on the head of a goat and confess the sins of the people, and then that goat would be carried away into the wilderness. He was called the scapegoat.

He pictures the Lord Jesus Christ, who has borne my sins away, never to be brought up against me anymore. In the Old Testament, they would take a little dove, a mourning turtle dove that made that mournful sound called a mourning dove, and they would sacrifice that dove. That speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ, the man of sorrows. Then, on other sacrifices, they would take a snow-white pigeon. and sacrifice that pigeon.

That represents Jesus, the sinless and harmless Savior. In other sacrifices, they would take fine flour. and they would bruise it and beat it and grind it. and then bake it. That pictures the Lord Jesus Christ bruised and beaten for us.

Then they would pour oil on that flower. That represents the Lord Jesus anointed with the Holy Ghost because oil. is an emblem of the Holy Spirit. Then they would take and sprinkle frankincense on it. And that frankincense represents Jesus our intercessor because that incense ascends to God.

Then there would be an Old Testament priest who would offer those sacrifices, and the Old Testament priest prefigures and points to Jesus, Christ, our high priest. They did this in a building called the Tabernacle because the Bible says Jesus was made flesh and tabernacled among us. The wood of that tabernacle speaks of the humanity of Jesus. The gold of that tabernacle speaks of the deity of Jesus. The veil in that tabernacle spoke of the flesh of Jesus.

The altar in that tabernacle spoke of Christ, our sacrifice. The showbread in that tabernacle spoke of Christ our sustenance. The golden lampstand in that tabernacle spoke of Christ our sight. The incense in that tabernacle, Christ, our supplication. In the book of Numbers, Moses lifts up a brazen serpent.

And in the New Testament, the Bible says, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. In the book of Ruth, Ruth needs someone to redeem her, and Boaz comes and redeems Ruth. The more bitters. Outside the covenant promises of Israel. And Boaz, the kinsman redeemer, is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Psalm 2, Jesus is called the Son of God. In Psalm 22, His crucifixion is so described that 800 years before crucifixion was even known of. It is written as the one is standing at the foot of the cross. In Isaiah chapter 53, you have the gospel according to Isaiah. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement of our peace was upon him.

It is the gospel according to Isaiah. In Daniel, the ninth chapter, Daniel speaks of Messiah. He calls him the prince to come. And Daniel in the ninth chapter gives the exact precise date. Of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ.

in the book of Micah. It is told clearly and plainly that he would be born in Bethlehem. The book of Zachariah, we see the wounds in his side and the wounds of the nails in his hands. Zachariah tells plainly of the second coming of Jesus Christ. In Malachi, We see that John the Baptist is to be the forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And all through the Bible, there's but one plan of salvation. God made skins of animals to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve. Talking about the shed blood and the covering that the Lord Jesus gives us. For Cain and Abel, there was a spotless lamb to take away sin. When God told Noah to build an ark, he said, put pitch on the outside and the inside of that ark.

And the word for pitch, kaphar, is the word which means atonement. Put atonement on the outside, atonement on the inside, because the ark was a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. The water was judgment, but not one drop of judgment could come through that atonement in that ark of safety, which was the Lord Jesus Christ. The Passover lamb, the sprinkled of the blood upon the door. And God said, When I see the blood, I will pass over you, for Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us.

And Simon Peter. Stands before Cornelius and he says, Cornelius, do you want me to tell you whether this man Jesus, who is a historical fact, do you want me to tell you whether he's liar, lord, or lunatic? First of all, there's the witness of the saints. We... were eyewitnesses of his glory.

Not only the personal witness of the saint, but the prophetic witness of the scriptures. All the Old Testament is about the Lord Jesus Christ. My dear friend, there is no way possible anyone could rig it. No way possible. And I'll give you the third reason now.

Here's where God steps in to give Simon Peter some help. Look, if you will, now in verses 44 and following. And while Peter yet spoke these words, the Holy Spirit. Fell on them, on all them who heard the word, and they of the circumcision who believed were astonished. As many as came with Peter, that is the whole bunch of them, because on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they ask him to tarry. Certain days.

Now. There is the personal witness of the saints. The prophetic witness of the scriptures, and then, my dear friend, the powerful witness. of the spirit. The Holy Spirit.

Takes the word of God and the word of the redeemed, and he says, Amen. It is true. Dear friend, I thank God that I don't have to try to talk you into it. If there's anything I could talk you into, somebody else will talk you out of. But thank God there's one in the glory when his word is preached.

who says amen. Amen. It is true. And the Holy Spirit of God. fell on these people and convicted them in their hearts.

Now they spoke with tongues. Why did they speak with tongues? People don't always speak with tongues when they get saved. This was the Gentile Pentecost. We had the Jewish Pentecost in Acts 2.

Now in Acts 10 you have the Gentile Pentecost. What God is saying here is there's no respect of persons, whether it be Jew or whether it be Gentile, that the gospel is for all. There were Jews there present who needed to see. That the same God who'd poured out the Holy Spirit upon them on the day of Pentecost was now pouring out the Holy Spirit. upon the Gentiles.

And dear friend, I have never spoken with tongues. But I tell you God has poured out his Holy Spirit upon this poor servant. And I know that I know. That Jesus is Lord. Thank God for the witness of the saints.

Thank God for the witness of the scriptures. And hallelujah for the witness of the Spirit. Romans chapter 8 and verse 16. The Spirit Himself Beareth witness. The Spirit Himself.

beareth witness That we are the children of God. 1 John 5 verses 9 and 10. If we receive the witness of men, The witness of God is greater. For this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.

And he that believeth not God has made him a liar. You said, God, the witness that you've sent is not true. because he believeth not on the record that God gave. of his son. My dear friend, when you hear Jesus Christ preached, The Holy Spirit says, He's the Son of God, and you say, No, he's not.

You're calling God a liar, my dear friend. He that believeth not God hath made him. A liar. I have said That Jesus Christ, beyond the shadow of any doubt, is an historical figure.

Now was he liar, lord, or lunatic? There's the personal witness of the saints. The prophetic witness of the scripture. The powerful witness of the Spirit. I says he Yes.

Lord. If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org or call 1-800-274-5683. Thank you.