One day Jesus asked His disciples what others were saying about Him. They said that some people were saying that He was John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Then Jesus asked them the question that really mattered: "But who do you say that I am?" (Matt. 16:13-15). It matters little what others believe about Jesus. Our relationship with Him, and well as our eternal salvation, depends upon what we believe about Jesus.
Christianity is based upon the belief that Jesus is the Son of God. Christians confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but why do we hold this belief? Is it because we are (as some have accused us) "blind sheep" following a lying shepherd? Is it because we are accepting a family tradition or choosing a particular worldview? Do we hold this belief simply because we want to believe that Jesus is the Son of God? No. The religion of Christ may be a system of faith, but it is not a leap of faith. Our belief is based upon solid evidence. There are good reasons for one to believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
The Way Jesus Spoke. "No man ever spoke like this Man" (John 7:46). There was something about the way that Jesus spoke that made Him different from every other teacher of His day. The scribes and rabbis quoted Scripture to authorize their message. Jesus talked as if His words were Scripture (Matt. 7: 29). He spoke the way that God would speak.
His Claims. Some of the most significant words that Jesus spoke were the things that He said about Himself. He claimed to be the Messiah (John 4:25-26), that He was equal with God (John 5:17-18) and that He was the Son of God (John 10:30-36). These claims were not mistaken by His enemies, for He was eventually killed because of them.
Miracles That Backed Up His Claims. Jesus was not the first or last person to claim to be the Messiah, but He was the only person to back up such a claim with miracles. The New Testament records about 35 miracles that Jesus performed. The purpose of these miracles was to prove that He was the Son of God. "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:30-31).
What Others Said About Him. None of us have seen or heard Jesus, but some people did. The New Testament contains the testimonies of those who encountered Jesus. How did they respond to His claims and miracles? His mother believed in His power (John 2:3-5). Peter confessed that He was "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:16). Thomas doubted, then seeing the evidence said of Jesus, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:24-29). The Roman centurion who watched Jesus die claimed "Truly this was the Son of God!" (Matt. 27:54).
Fulfilled Prophecy. Fulfilled prophecy is the greatest argument for both the inspiration of the Scriptures as well as identifying Jesus as the Son of God. Fulfilled prophecy is not the result of luck or guesswork. It shows the omniscient mind of God at work.
Jesus made very detailed predictions about His death and resurrection (Matt. 20:17-19; John 2:19), Peter's denial (Mark 14:30), and the destruction of Jerusalem (Matt. 24). Every one of these predictions came to pass exactly as Jesus had said.
Jesus was also the subject of Old Testament prophecy. The Messiah is a major theme in the Old Testament. There are 332 prophecies in the Old Testament that are fulfilled in the life of Jesus. At least 25 of them are fulfilled in the last 24 hours of His life.
Some of these prophecies include His birthplace - Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), that He would be born of a virgin (Is. 7:4), His betrayal price of 30 pieces of silver (Zech. 11:12-13), that He would be killed with transgressors (Is. 53:12), that He would be buried in a rich man's tomb (Is. 53:9), that His hands and feet would be pierced (Ps. 22:16) and that men would cast lots for His clothing (Ps. 22:18).
Fulfilled prophecies, both those that Jesus made and those that He fulfilled in His life, argue in favor of His being the Son of God.
Does He Fit the Profile? If Jesus is really the Son of God, we would expect Him to have the attributes and characteristics of deity. The Bible teaches that Jesus is omniscient (John 16:30), omnipresent (Matt. 28:20), omnipotent (Matt. 28:18), holy (1 Pet. 2:22), sovereign (Col. 1:15), eternal (John 1:1), immutable (Heb. 13:8) and forgiving (Mark 2:5-12). Jesus was everything on earth in the flesh that God the Father is (Col. 2:9).
Conclusion: Either Jesus is who He claimed to be or He isn't. If He is not the Son of God, then Christianity is the greatest lie ever perpetrated upon mankind. However, if what Jesus said about Himself is true, then everything that Jesus said and taught must be accepted as the truth. Who do you say that He is? What do you believe?