Jesus the Christ- Chapter 1

Chapter 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once upon a time -known as the Christian era- there lived a man whose first name was Jesus and last name was Christ. There are lots of doubts about what happened in his life, but that he existed is almost indisputable.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now then, who/what was He? Here is where we diverge.

Many (Christians) both dead and alive say that He is divine, the Son of the Living God, the Redeemer and Savior of the human race, the Eternal Judge of the souls of men, the Chosen and Anointed of the Father...etc.

Others deny His Godhood, but praise his qualities as a man. Anyone who's studied history can see that this man has had a significant influence on the world's progression. He was great for his character, his simplicity, and the worth of what he taught. What he taught, through example and doctrine, brought about great advancement of the human race.

Christians note another attribute which is the divinity of Christ through his birth.

Christ was born in the Meridian of times and his life and birth had such an impact that all events are now written as AD or BC relative to his birth. He lived for 33 year with only 3 years as a public teacher. He was known personally by only a handful of people and became most famous after his death.

There is only a brief account of what he said and did. And this account lacks thoroughness as we learn almost nothing about how he was as a child or man. Still. this account has become one of the most treasured writings in the world. Christ for the little that is know of him is praised by Christian, Mohammedan, Jew, skeptic, poet, scientist, and many others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We are going to look at the life and purpose/mission of Christ using the scriptures- to do so we actually have to start before his birth. Christ had role as the Firstborn Son of God in the primeval councils of heaven.  He was chosen and ordained, before earth was made, to be the Savior and Redeemer.

The story of Christ covers times that have been, are, and will be. 

Who is Christ: Jesus Christ was and is Jehovah, the God of Adam and of Noah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Israel, the God at whose instance the prophets of the ages have spoken, the God of all nations, and He who shall yet reign on earth as King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the Creator of the world, and the Word of Power, through him what our Eternal Father needed to prepare earth took place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OUTLINE OF IMPORTANT POINTS

(1) The unity and continuity of His mission in all ages—this of necessity involving the verity of His preexistence and foreordination.

(2) The fact of His antemortal Godship.

(3) The actuality of His birth in the flesh as the natural issue of divine and mortal parentage. 

(4) The reality of His death and physical resurrection, as a result of which the power of death shall be eventually overcome. 

(5) The literalness of the atonement wrought by Him, including the absolute requirement of individual compliance with the laws and ordinances of His gospel as the means by which salvation may be attained.

(6) The restoration of His Priesthood and the reestablishment of His Church in the current age, which is verily the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. 

(7) The certainty of His return to earth in the near future, with power and great glory, to reign in Person and bodily presence as Lord and King.