THE BIBLE’S VIEWPOINT
Jesus
Is Jesus God?
“No man has seen God at any time.”
—John 1:18.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Many people believe that Jesus is not God. Still, others point to Bible verses that supposedly indicate that Jesus is equal to God.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
The Bible does not portray Jesus as being Almighty God or equal to God. On the contrary, it clearly teaches that Jesus is inferior to God. For example, the Bible records Jesus’ own words: “The Father is greater than I am.” (John 14:28) The Bible also says: “No man has seen God at any time.” (John 1:18) Jesus cannot be God because many people did in fact see Jesus.
Jesus’ early followers did not claim that he was God. For example, the Gospel writer John said concerning the things he recorded: “These have been written down that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God.”
When was Jesus born?
“There were . . . shepherds living out of doors and keeping watches in the night over their flocks.”
—Luke 2:8.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Some people observe Christmas on December 25
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
The Bible does not state the date on which Jesus was born. However, it does say that at the time of Jesus’ birth, “there were . . . shepherds living out of doors and keeping watches in the night over their flocks.” (Luke 2:8) It is very unlikely that those shepherds would have kept their flocks outside at night during December and January. Why?
The area where Jesus was born experiences some of its coldest weather during December and January. Regarding that time of year, the Bible reports that people were “shivering . . . on account of the showers of rain.” (Ezra 10:9, 13; Jeremiah 36:22) That would have been no time of year for shepherds to be “living out of doors” with their flocks.
Did Jesus really come back to life after he died?
“God raised him [Jesus] up from the dead.”
—Acts 3:15.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Some people believe that it is impossible for anyone, including Jesus, to have come back to life after death.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
Jesus taught his followers that he would “suffer many things . . . and be killed, and on the third day be raised up.” (Matthew 16:21) The Bible reports that after he was killed and resurrected, Jesus appeared to upwards of 500 people. (1 Corinthians 15:6) Those eyewitnesses were convinced beyond doubt that he had been raised from the dead. They were even willing to die for that belief!
WHY IT MATTERS
The Bible teaches that Jesus’ death and resurrection opened the way for all humans to benefit from the Bible’s promised Paradise on earth. (Psalm 37:11, 29; Revelation 21:3, 4) We have the prospect of enjoying a happy, unending life in that earthly Paradise thanks to the love shown by Jesus and his Father, the Almighty God, Jehovah.
^ par. 7 The Bible does not teach that God has a literal wife with whom he has fathered children. Rather, it calls Jesus “the Son of God” because Jesus was created directly by God, having qualities similar to those of his Father.
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