The world of unbelief has one great impossible task to overcome before it can take a second step in destroying the life and work of Jesus Christ. That first problem for atheists and modernists of every class and degree is the deity of Jesus Christ. He is either God or he is an impostor. Since the atheist, agnostic and modernist charge that Christ is not divine, it falls their responsibility to prove the charge "beyond reasonable doubt." The defense is ready with undeniable evidence.

The first thing one would have to do in denying the evidence of the defense is to discredit the Bible, and through the centuries man has utterly failed to do this. The word of God lives and abides while generation after generation has passed away after trying to destroy this indestructible Book.

The denial of the deity of Christ must center upon the fact that he is the Son of God. One must believe in his Sonship to be saved (John 3:16; 8:24; 20:30; Romans 10:9,10; 1 John 4:15). If it can be established that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God, then he is divine and modernism in every form goes down in total defeat.

1. Prophecy. Prophecy was spoken hundreds of years before Christ was born concerning his birth, life, death and resurrection. It began with the promise of the seed of the woman in Genesis 3:15. A promise to bless all nations in the seed of Abraham was made in Genesis 12:3; 22:18; to Isaac in Genesis 21:12; and continued to the close of the Old Testament. Someone has said there are 332 direct prophecies made and fulfilled concerning Christ. It would be impossible for this number of statements to be made of a person hundreds of years before he was born and not one of them fail to come to pass unless God guided the prophets concerning His Son. Again and again in the New Testament it is said: "that it might be fulfilled" concerning something said of Christ in the Old Testament. It all goes on to include the present reign of Christ at the right hand of God. Modernism cannot successfully explain away prophecy as it relates to Christ as the Son of God.

2. The Virgin Birth. Among the prophecies concerning Christ is that in Isaiah 7:14 which said the sign given would be that a child was to be born of a virgin. Luke 1:26-35 and Matthew 1:18-23 make Isaiah 7:14 apply to Christ.

Jesus asked his enemies, the Pharisees, what they thought of Christ and "whose son is he?" and they answered, "The son of David" (Matthew 22:41-46). He then asked how David called him Lord as he spoke by the Spirit. Do you know how they answered Christ? "And no man was able to answer him a word." If he were not divine why did they not answer him?

3. Testimony That He Was the Son of God. Various ones in the New Testament plainly called Christ the Son of God. God Himself did (Hebrews 1:1, 5; Matthew 3:17; 17:5). John the Baptist did (John 1:33). The apostles who had seen, heard and handled him testified that he was the Son of God (John 6:69, Matthew 16:16; Acts 9:20). The devils declared him to be the Son of God (Matthew 8:29). Jesus said himself that he was the Son of God (John 9:35-37; 4:26).

Discounting the proof of prophecy and the virgin birth, how would one go about setting aside the testimony of all these witnesses? What procedure of cross-examination would one employ to discredit all the witnesses to the fact that Christ is the Son of God?

4. The Miracles. It is easy to simply say that these miracles did not happen as they are recorded in the New Testament. But explain why the enemies of Christ did not expose him while he lived and they were present when he did these mighty works? These miracles served to bear witness that he came from God and was the Son of God (John 10:24, 25; 3:2; 5:36).

When Peter and John healed the lame man at the gate to the temple "in the name of Jesus Christ," it created quite a stir among the people. Many believed, but the priests and chief rulers with the high priests, Sadducees and Pharisees laid hands on them and put them in prison until the next day. Now, when they tried to discredit this work and beheld the "man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it" (Acts 4:14). Verse 16 says: "What shall we do to these men, for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it." But along comes a modernist and denies it all with a single statement; no proof at all! These who were there could not deny it!

5. The Resurrection. Christ was declared to be the Son of God by the resurrection (Romans 1:4). God raised him from the dead (Acts 2:32; Romans 10:9-10), and God would not have raised an impostor. The resurrection of Christ is one fact that cannot be disputed, and it declares him to be the Son of God.

The evidence can be enlarged in every area listed above, and other areas of proof can be given, but these are sufficient to give an irrefutable argument for the deity of Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God. That fact is the foundation to all authority in spiritual and religious matters today, and it will be the overriding factor in the judgment of God. Our salvation from sins rests upon the fact that Christ is the Son of God. Our eternal destiny depends upon the fact that he is the Son of God.

- Searching the Scriptures, Oct. 1984