Who is Jesus Christ and what is His mission to the world?

Is certainly a logical question to ask. He changed the world in only 30 years on earth, and no one has had more of an impact on this planet than Jesus Christ. This is, after all, His planet. 

Psalms 97:1-6 says, "The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory." 

There is no surer sign of Christ's divinity than 2000 years after His death people and demons still tremble at His name. Many shudder upon hearing His powerful name; there is no other name that has power like that of Jesus. 

The Bible attributes this phenomenon to the fact that Jesus is God. His message is love, and as 1 John 4:8 tells us, God is love. Although His message and His acts were selfless, His teaching focused on Himself. "Follow me;" "I am the light;" "I am the way the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me." 

Damu Ya Yesu Kristo

Mara nyingi imesemwa katika Agano Jipya ya kwamba kuhesabiwa kwetu haki na kupata wokovu ni kwa damu ya Yesu (K.m 1Yoh 1:7; Ufu 6:9; 12:11; Rum 5:9). Kufahamu maana ya damu ya Kristo, yatupasa tuelewe ya kuwa ni neno la awali la Biblia kwamba "uhai wa wanyama wote ni katika hiyo damu yake" (Law 17:14). Pasipo damu mwili hauwezi kuishi; kwa hiyo ni mfano wa uhai. Hii yaeleza uzuri wa maneno ya Kristo, "Msipo ula mwili wake mwana wa Adamu, na kuinywa damu yake, hamna uzima ndani yenu". (Yoh 6:53).

Dhambi huleta mauti (Rum 6:23), yaani, kumwaga damu ambayo hushika uhai uzima. Kwa sababu hii wana wa Israel walitazamiwa kumwaga damu kila wakati walipotenda dhambi, ili kuwakumbusha kuwa dhambi inaleta mauti. Na katika torati (ya Musa) karibu vitu vyote husafishwa kwa damu, na pasipo kumwaga damu hakuna ondoleo (la dhambi Ebra 9:22). Kwa sababu hii, Adamu na Hawa walipojifunika wenyewe na majani ya mtini hayakukubalika; badala yake, Mungu alimchinja mwanakondoo na kuwagawia ngozi za kujifunika dhambi zao (Mwanzo 3:7,21). Vivyo hivyo, dhabihu za wanyama wa Abeli ilikubalika zaidi kuliko matoleo ya mboga ya Kaini, kwa kuwa alielewa jambo hili ya kwamba pasipo kumwaga damu ingekuwa vigumu kusamehewa na kukubalika kumkaribia Mungu (Mwanzo 4:3-5)

Yesu Kristo Ni Mwakilishi Wetu

Tumeona kwamba dhabihu za wanyama hazikuwawakilisha kikamilifu watu wenye dhambi. Yesu alikuwa mjumbe wetu, kwa mambo yote "akafananishwa na ndugu zake" (Ebr 2:17). "Alionja mauti kwa ajili ya kila mtu" (Ebra 2:9). Tunapofanya kosa kama - tukiwa na hasira - Mungu aweza kutusamehe sisi "katika Kristo" (Efe 4:32). Hivi ni kwa sababu Mungu aweza kutulinganisha na Kristo mwanadamu aliyekuwa kama sisi alipojaribiwa kufanya dhambi - kama kukasirika - bali alishinda kila jaribu. Kwa hiyo Mungu aweza kutusamehe dhambi yetu- ya hasira kwa kule kuwa ndani ya Kristo, tukiwa tumefunikwa na haki yake. Kristo akiwa mwakilishi wetu, basi amekuwa na njia ambayo Mungu anaweza kutuonyesha neema yake, wakati tukithibitisha mambo ya haki yake mwenyewe.

Ikiwa Yesu alikuwa ni Mungu na siye mtu aliye na mwili wa Adamu tu, asingekuwa mwakilishi wetu. Huu ni mfano mwingine wa wazo moja potofu linalokwenda kwenye lingine. Kwa sababu hii, watu wa dini wameendeleza njia nyingi zilizo ngumu kufahamika kueleza mauti ya Kristo. Mtazamo wa madhehebu mengi ya Kikristo yaliyo kengeuka ni kwamba dhambi za mwanadamu zimemfanya awe na deni kwa Mungu ambalo yeye mwenyewe hakuweza kulipa. Ndipo Kristo akalipa deni la kila mwamini kwa damu yake, iliyomwagika msalabani. Wahubiri wengi wa kwenye baraza la Injili wameeleza namna hii; "Ilikuwa kana kwamba tulikuwa tumepangwa kwenye ukuta, karibu kupigwa risasi na ibilisi. Wakati huo Yesu akakimbilia ndani kwa haraka; badala yetu ibilisi akampiga, sisi tupo huru".

Becoming a Dominator

Why Did Jesus Have to Die?

This incredibly important question involves a matter central to Christianity, yet effectively answering it is often difficult for Christians. We will take a careful look at the question and lay out the answers offered in Scripture.

The reason Jesus had to die for our sins was so that we could be forgiven and go to be with the Lord.  Jesus is God in flesh (John 1:1,14; Col. 2:9) and only God can satisfy the Law requirements of a perfect life and perfect sacrifice that cleanses us of our sins.

All people have sinned against God.  But, God is infinitely holy and righteous.  He must punish the sinner, the Law- breaker.  If He didn't, then His law is notLaw for there is no law that is a law without a punishment.  The punishment for breaking the Law is death, separation from God. Therefore, we sinners need a way to escape the righteous judgment of God.  Since we are stained by sin and cannot keep the Law of God, then the only one who could do what we cannot is God Himself.  That is why Jesus is God in flesh.  He is both divine and human.  He was made under the Law (Gal. 4:4) and He fulfilled it perfectly.  Therefore, His sacrifice to God the Father on our behalf is of infinite value and is sufficient to cleanse all people from their sins and undo the offense to God.

1) To Absorb the Wrath of God

Galatians 3:13 – Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us — for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged u on a tree”

Romans 3:25 – whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

1 John 4:10 – In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

2) To Please His Heavenly Father

Isaiah 53:10 – Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

Ephesians 5:2 – And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

3) To Learn Obedience and Be Perfected

Hebrews 5:8 – Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.

Hebrews 2:10 – For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

4) To Achieve His Own Resurrection from the Dead

Hebrews 13:20-21 - Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, (21) equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

5) To Show the Wealth of God’s Love and Grace

Romans 5:7-8 – For one will scarcely die for a righteous person — though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die — (8) but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16 –  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Ephesians 1:7 – In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

6) To Show His Own Love for Us

Ephesians 5:2 – And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:25 – Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

Galatians 2:20 –  I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

7) To Cancel the Legal Demands of the Law Against Us

Colossians 2:13 – And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

Eight) To Become a Ransom for Many

Mark 10:45 – For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

9) For the Forgiveness of Our Sins

Ephesians 1:7 – In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

Matthew 26:28 – for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

10) To Provide the Basis for Our Justification

Romans 5:9 – Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Romans 3:24 – and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Romans 3:28 – For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

11) To Complete the Obedience That Becomes Our Righteousness

Philippians 2:8 – And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Romans 5:19 – For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

2 Corinthians 5:21 – For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Philippians 3:9 – and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith —

12) To Take Away Our Condemnation

Romans 8:34 – Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died — more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

If God is completely in control, why do our lives sometimes not turn out as planned? If God is love, why do we experience so much difficulty? All of us eventually have to answer these questions in some form or another. In my own walk with God, I have discovered a truth, a promise, that really helps me when I’m struggling. It is found throughout Scripture, but a certain section of David’s story prominently displays it.

Forced to leave Israel because of King Saul’s deadly rampage against him, David and his men had been serving a Philistine lord named Achish. Achish loved David and was led to believe that David had fully defected to him, heart and soul. But the princes of the Philistines, for good reason, did not trust David. They had no intention of letting a Hebrew fight with them against Israel. So right before the big battle, David and his men were sent home.

When they arrived at their city of Ziklag, they found it completely ravaged. The Amalekites had attacked while David and his men were away, carrying off their families and their possessions and setting the city on fire.

Consider the situation for a moment. In a short period of time, David and his men were stripped of everything they valued. They were warriors who were not allowed to fight. Their enemies had stolen their families and destroyed their homes. Their heartache is tangible in 1 Samuel 30:4: “David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.”

Benny Hinn Ministries - The Master's Healing Touch - Instrumental Reflec...

What does it mean that Jesus is the 'first-born' over Creation?

In a letter to the church at Colossae, the Apostle Paul gave an intriguing description of Jesus. In it, he explained Christ's relationship to God the Father and to creation. Some have claimed that Paul’s description of Christ as the first-born of creation means that Jesus was created -- not eternal, not God. Such a doctrine, however, conflicts with the rest of the Bible. Christ could not be both Creator and created; John 1 clearly names Him Creator. Let’s take a careful look at the passage where Jesus is called the first-born.

Colossians 1:15-21

“And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”

Jesus himself affirmed his eternal existence, when he said to the Jews: “Before Abraham was born, I am” (Jn. 8:58). The present tense form, ego eimi (“I am”) stands in contrast to the aorist form “was born” (genesthai – to begin to be, to come into existence). The two expressions contrast the eternal and the temporal.

The Jews certainly caught the drift of what Christ was saying, i.e., that he was claiming eternality, therefore, the status of being God. That is why they sought to stone him. The expression “I am” points one back to Exodus 3:14, where Jehovah identifies himself as the “I AM,” i.e., the self-existent One.

Ahadi za Biblia

Mungu hutimiza ahadi zake. Imeandikwa katika 2Wakorintho 1:19-20 "Maana Mwana wa Mungu, Kristo Yesu aliyehubiriwa katikati yenu na sisi yaani mimi na Silwano na Timotheo hakuwa Ndiyo na siyo; bali katika yeye ni Ndiyo. Maana ahadi zote za Mungu zilizopo katika yeye ni Ndiyo; tena katika yeye ni Amin, Mungu apate kutukuzwa kwa sisi."

Mungu hazirudishi ahadi zake au kuzibadilisha. Imeandikwa katika Zaburi 89:34 "Mimi sitalihalifu agano langu, sitalibadili neno lililotoka mdomoni mwangu."

Hakuna mojawapo ya ahadi za Mungu ambazo hazijatimika. Imeandikwa katika Yoshua 23:14 "Angalieni mimi nimekwenda njia ile waendayo watu wote wa ulimwengu...... Mungu wenu katika habari zenu yote yametimia kwenu hapana neno lo lote mlilopungukiwa."

Tumeahidiwa uzima wa milele. Imeandikwa katika 1 Yohana 2:25 "Nahii ndiyo ahadi aliyotuahidia, yaani uzima wa milele."

Mungu aweza kufanya mambo yasiyowekana. Imeandikwa katika Luka 18:27 "Akasema yasiyowezekana kwa wanadamu yawezekana kwa mungu." Tume ahidiwa moyo mpya na maisha mapya Imeandikwa Ezekieli 36:26 "Mimi nitawapa moyo mpya nami nitatia roho mpya ndani yenu nami nitatoa moyo wa jiwe uliomo ndani ya mwili wenu, nami nitawapa moyo wa nyama." Ametuahidi kutusamehe dhambi zetu. Imeandikwa katika 1Yohana 1:9 "Tukiziungama dhambi zetu, yeye ni mwaminifu na wa haki hata atuondolee dhambi zetu, na kutusafisha na udhalimu wote."