The Bryce Crawford Podcast - Episode 3: Defending Jesus Christ

Episode Date: December 9, 2021

In this episode, Bryce gives proof and equips listeners with facts and details that prove both Jesus' existence and deity.

What's up, guys. Welcome back to another episode of the Heaven on Earth podcast. My name is Bryce Crawford. And today's episode is going to be on defending Jesus, who Jesus is, talk about his deity, talk about his past, and look at resources, Christian and non-Christian resources that defend who Jesus is, that he existed, and stuff like that. So before we get into it, I'm just going to start off with a quick word of prayer. So, Father, we think for this day, I thank you for another breath of life. I thank you for whoever is watching or listening to this. And so, Father, I just pray that you give me a spirit-led tongue and that everywhere that comes out of my mouth is glorifying to you, and we know it's from you, Father. So thank you for another breath of life.

Thank you for leading this podcast and video. And I just pray for a safe, great rest of the week, great weekend, and that you'll touch the hearts and the ears that listen or watch this. It's in your name that we pray. Amen. All right. Let's get into it. So, I want to start off with who Jesus is. Jesus was a Jewish man and he was born of the Virgin Mary.

This is very essential to who Jesus is and his deity, because the fact that Jesus was born of a Virgin Mary means that he didn't inherit sin. He's born of a virgin. So as we know, like in Genesis, when we see the consequences of biting into the apple and giving in and allowing sin it, to enter into the world. We inherit sin through sex because when a man and a female have sex, we inherit sin through that.

But because Jesus being born of a virgin, there is no sin inheritance from that. So that immediately talks about Jesus' deity. The best way to describe Jesus' deity is through this very simple theology term called the hypostatic union. That's where Jesus was both 100% man and 100% God. And I think this is key, because I'm going to be completely honest with you, if Jesus wasn't 100% God, then his sacrifice would mean absolutely nothing. Because if Jesus didn't have deity, and if Jesus wasn't God, then his sacrifice, he wouldn't have been able to bear all the sins of the world and be able to forgive them.

And we'll see later on that he was someone that literally forgave sins not only through his death on the cross and resurrection, but we see him forgive sins, like later on in this podcast. You'll see me talk about how he forgives sins later on in the Bible when he heals people or when people encounter him because of their radical faith to him. So that's just a key thing. We must understand that Jesus being 100% man and 100% God allows his sacrifice to take on the weight of the world and allows him to forgive sins because if he's not 100% God, like I said earlier, then his sacrifice means absolutely nothing. Now, that's just a little bit about Jesus, but the foretelling of Jesus, people think that the Bible doesn't talk about Jesus at all in the Old Testament.

That is absolutely false. One of the things that actually hurts my brain to understand is how obvious it is that Jesus is the son of man and the son of God. It's so obvious to me when we see it in the New Testament. I'm like, how did these people not understand like the Pharisees or the people that persecute him or the people that don't believe in him? Like, how do they not understand that he's literally fulfilling prophecies in, from the Old Testament? Just some big ones. It's going to be Genesis 5. There's a genealogy in Genesis 5 that goes from Adam to Noah.

And it's kind of randomly put in there. But it's very key because that genealogy actually links to the Matthew genealogy. It talks about in Matthew, if you look at the genealogy where it links to Jesus, that genealogy in Genesis is very important for the one in Matthew because it allows that connection there. And it shows that. Another one is just Isaiah 14, I mean, Isaiah 714. And we see that the Virgin Mary, we see the Virgin birth from Virgin Mary and the name being Emmanuel. That label towards Jesus.

Now, these are just two very simple, very, very, very. big predictions and foretellings of Jesus. But there is tons more. And you'll see in the video, like I'm showing a video of multiple other sources that prove that Jesus is the Messiah from Old Testament prophecies being fulfilled all throughout the New Testament and like ways that Jesus fulfilled them. Another thing that I think is very cool is that in that genealogy in Genesis 5, there's something very interesting right there.

So the Hebrew translation of all the names in that genealogy predicts Jesus as well. And you guys might think this is very cool. So I'm just going to list off the names real quick that predict it. And it forms a sentence. So the names are Adam, Seth, Inosh, Kenan, Mahalalal, Jared, Enoch, Methusel, LeMek, and Noah. All those names in order with the Hebrew translation of the names. Create a sentence that says, a man appointed mortal sorrow, the blessed God, shall come. down, teaching his death shall bring the despairing rest or comfort.

That is a, that, that just blows my mind. The genealogy in Genesis 5, the Hebrew translations of the names literally predict the foretelling of Jesus' death and the freedom we find in it. So I just think that's very interesting. And there's so many more different things that Hebrew translations of words, like a lot of people forget that the Bible doesn't just cater to America. So we forget that. And so when we look at it, it was translated from Hebrew and Greek.

And when we look at the Hebrew and Greek translations, and we see the deeper meanings behind stuff sometimes. So those are just little bits and pieces that foretell Jesus, that just kind of foretell Jesus' coming, his birth and death and resurrection. So those are just really cool. I really don't think there's a way to deny it. Like, it's just very hard for me to comprehend how to deny that.

Now, Jesus is an earthly ministry. This is very interesting because Jesus is earthly ministry. So if we're considering the Gospels here, there are three ancient biographies that talk about Jesus, and then there's a historical narrative. So the biographies are going to be Matthew, Mark, and John. And Matthew was written to the Jews, and it just tells the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah. That's basically what Matthew's telling people. Mark was written to the Romans, and John tells people that Jesus is God.

So immediately these three Gospels out of the four are pushing this ancient biography, like writing about who Jesus is. Now, Luke, Luke being a doctor, this is very key. Luke goes into a lot of detail because Luke was a doctor, so he knows how to write and he knows the necessity for detail. So he writes a historical narrative that was written to the Greeks explaining how Jesus was perfect. So I think that's very key. And in these, we see different things going on. Jesus was healing people, different wonders happened, and he was teaching, and his encounters of the Pharisees are really key.

And something I want to talk about is just like his healings and wonders, like we see him feeding the 5,000, we see, you know, at the very beginning when he's getting the disciples, when he fills their nets with fish, we see him calm storms, we see him heal lepers and stuff like that. And so I just think that's just very beautiful. The power that Jesus has and just our ignorance towards. as human beings. Like, Jesus is literally God.

Because when we see something supernatural happen, we must realize that it's, I mean, it's from the supernatural, we have to realize it's nothing from this earth. Like, we can't look at something like a wonder or a healing or something like that. I had a personal healing, and I knew immediately, like, this can't just normally happen.

This doesn't normally happen at all. So it has to be from God. Now, again, I want to clarify something. Not everything supernatural is from God. There are many things, especially New Age, crystals, manifestation, tarot cards, stuff like that. There's a lot of supernatural stuff that isn't from God. But when you see something supernatural, you must realize that there's nothing on this earth, physically, anyone on this earth that can make that happen, without the help of something supernatural or someone's supernatural. So that's very amazing.

Now, the biggest issue is Jesus and His deity. Jesus and His Deity is very key. So these are some certain things. things that happened. Jesus literally made direct claims all throughout scripture when he would talk to people. In John 10, 25 through 33, he tells people, I and the father are one. He tells me like, I'm God, that we see the Trinity. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. God the Father, God, the Son, God, the Holy Spirit. Like, he's saying, telling people like, I am the Father are one. Another one is John 8, 19, where it says, if you knew me, you would know my father also.

And John 14, 8, and 9, say, whoever has seen me has seen the father. These big direct claims that he is God. And this upset a lot of people. But like I said earlier, his abilities to heal, his abilities to do things that no one else could just goes to show that he is God, that he has deity. Even on his trial. One funny thing is like, the people when they were putting Jesus on trial, they were trying to find people to condemn Jesus so they would have something to put him on trial for. But nobody would because nobody can find a legitimate reason why Jesus should be put on trial.

So they put him on trial for blasphemy. They said, they claimed he was a blasphumer. And we see that. He's not on trial for his actions, but he was on trial for claiming to be God, even though he is God. And his defense was that he is God and he's not a blaspheme. He tries to tell these people, now it blows my mind,

still blows my mind how in the Old Testament it predicts all of this stuff happening. All of this stuff happening. And yet, it still happens. It goes through because nothing can interfere with the sovereign will of God. Things we pray for and things that we ask God for can align with the sovereign will of God,

but nothing. can alter the sovereign will of God. I think is very interesting. So, yes, when Jesus was on trial, his defense to all the claims were, well, I am God. I'm not a blast humor. Like, I'm trying to tell you guys, like, I am God. So it's very, very awesome. And some of his indirect claims, like him not directly speaking it out was he would accept

worship. John 4 tells us that we should worship in truth and spirit. And so, like, a lot of times we see throughout, you know, I'll give examples. But like in Matthew 8, there was a leper that praises Jesus, that praises Jesus after his healing. There was a blind man in John 9 that praises Jesus after his healing. The sister of

Lazarus and Mark 14 and Matthew 26 do it. Now, one of my favorite stories is in Luke 7 with the woman and the alabaster flask of ointment. I think it's very beautiful because I want you to think about this. I'm going to emphasize this real quick. This alabaster

flask of ointment was very expensive back in this time. And it would sometimes take people a year wage just afford this albaster flask of oint, and because she realizes Jesus' deity, his righteousness, and his greatness, she's willing to give it up easily, no doubt. She doesn't hesitate one second to anoint Jesus with this alabaster flask. And I think it's very special because sometimes we have to think, like we have to sit and think before we want to devote our life to the one that breathed the life into us, the one that gave us a chance of freedom. We have to sit there

and think about giving that up when this woman immediately understand. the weight of Jesus. And it's like, yeah, I'll give up one of the most expensive things I own to anoint Jesus with it. I think that's very beautiful. So he accepted worship and he forgave sins. Like I said earlier, in Mark 2, John 5, when people were healed, like he would forgive their sins because he saw their radical faith. And some other indirect claims, he claimed to be life in John 14, 6, and John 15.

He taught with authority and he speaks with the Word of God. These are just some of the indirect claims that we know, like, this man is Jesus. Like, he has deity. He holds deity. And speaking on deity, some of his titles of deity would be Yahweh, which means Lord, I am, son of God, son of man, and Abba Father. We see him refer to God as Abba Father. And these upset people, especially the Pharisees. Because they were these rule followers, legalistic people, and it upset them.

because he was claiming to be God, and they didn't realize it. And so they were calling him a blasphemer, but he's not a blasphemer. He is God. And so with these labels, these labels are fitting for Jesus because he holds deity. But these Pharisees would get upset. It hurts my heart to see these people not understand that Jesus is God. Really hurts my heart. Now, I could talk about the Bible all day and how it supports Jesus,

but it wouldn't make any sense for me to not show you some non-Christian and pagan resources that literally prove that Jesus existed. So we're going to do it. So for all the people that say that there is nothing outside of the Bible that can't prove Jesus, you're absolutely wrong. Some of the greatest historians that today rely on for past history literally prove Jesus. And one of the most well-known is Cornelius Tacitus. This man would copy Roman records is how history is literally passed down.

that people have to copy it and record it. And back in the time, you know, there were a lot of historians that would like to buffer history and stuff like that to do things. But Cornelius was a very trustworthy man, didn't buffer history, didn't, you know, alter things. So people looked at his old history writings and stuff. Like, even in today's day and age, they look at Cornelius, Tacitus writing, and history for proof and to look back at it because of its truth and validity. And in his writing, he talks about how Nero persecuted Christians

and wrote about Jesus' crucifixion. He copied Roman documents, this guy that doesn't believe in Jesus, just a historian, Cornelius Tacitus. He was alive from AD 55 through 120. He writes about Jesus' crucifixion and how Niro persecuted Christians. And that was proof that Jesus did exist

because he's writing Roman history and he's passing it down. He was considered to be one of the greatest historians of ancient Rome. People literally rely on his old history writings for today's society. And he literally talks about Jesus' crucifixion. Some other amazing, beautiful, beautiful researches are going to be, my boy,

Flegon and Thalus. These guys are incredible, 80, 52, and AD 80 through 140. These guys wrote, so Thalus confirmed the strange darkness. The Bible talks about how there was this strange darkness when Jesus was crucified. And he confirms that there was a strange darkness. on the afternoon that Jesus was crucified. And he wrote a lot of Mediterranean history

from the Trojan War and everything throughout his time. And so, like, he was a very valid historian. And he wrote about how there was a strange darkness on the afternoon that Jesus was crucified. And my boy Flegon, he was a Greek author, and he wrote about the strange darkness as well. And he gives a date and time, the 2002nd Olympiad, from noon to three.

Now, this is what I also think is crazy. He also mentions an earthquake, which it talks about in the moment, Bible as well, but his excuse for the darkness was a solar eclipse, which blows my mind. I've seen a solar eclipse myself. It happened in school, and historians and science snow, solar eclipses don't last from noon to three. They last three to five minutes, maximum maybe 10 minutes, not super long. So it would have to be impossible, impossible for an eclipse to happen. of that, scientists and historians retract the location of planets in the sun and the moon all the way

back to this 200 second Olympiad. And the sun and moon were nowhere near each other for a solar eclipse to happen. So that disproves the solar eclipse theory there, but the fact that these historians that don't believe in Jesus are writing about Jesus' crucifixion and the strange darkness and earthquake on his crucifixion prove that the event happened. And last resource would be Mara Bar Serapian. She compares Jesus to Socrates and Pythagoras, two

very well-known influences within history. And she says Jesus was the wise king and that he lived in his teaching, which he had given. He would live out the teaching that he gave. They're writing, literally writing, about who Jesus is,

Jesus existed, compared him to some of the most well-known, wise, everyday Americans are not Americans, everyday people, and then goes on to say that Jesus lived out the teaching that he taught, which if he lived out the teaching how he taught, which he did, that proves that Jesus was perfect and the things that he taught. So it's very, very amazing.

Now, the last thing I want to talk about is Jesus' death and resurrection. The Garden on Mount Olives talks about right before Jesus' rest. Jesus goes off and prays, and in Luke 22, 43, through 45, it talks about how his sweat became like great, of blood. And I love that emphasis because I think that emphasis is necessary to understand the weight of the sense he's about to bear past, present, and future. Because his sweat being as heaviest drops of blood, I think, like, just goes to show the amount of weight this man is about to carry on the cross. I have this, I have this tire track here. It's like a train,

tire track thing. They would nail it in the ground. I don't know if you could see how big this thing is, but it's just as big as my head. And sometimes I look at it, and I hold it up to my wrist like this. And I imagine this being nailed and driven through my hands. But imagine something bigger and thicker being driven through your hands. And not only the physical pain, but the weight of the world's sins and of humankind's sins,

being born on the cross along with the physical pain. It's incredible. The death, I love the robbers on the cross. There's two other people being crucified next to him. One of them is mocking Jesus, and the other one decides to believe in Jesus. He's like, you are the son of God. And I love Jesus to look over at this man.

He's like, you're going to be a paradise with me tonight. Like, you will be with me in paradise. And I think that's beautiful because of the man's radical faith, just knowing, he's like, this guy is the son of God. so because of his radical faith, he ends up believing and going to heaven. And as we see the phrase, it is finished, being set on the cross, the last phrase, it is finished, the prophecy being fulfilled. Now, giving all of humankind after this death and resurrection, the opportunity of freedom through Christ.

And like I said, it goes on to talk about the earthquake in Matthew 27-54 that we talked about earlier. And then the resurrection, we see Jesus meets with other disciples, and we see doubting Thomas, where Thomas put his hands in the holes and realize, oh, man, Jesus, you actually did resurrect, you conquered death. And then we see the Great Commission go out and tell these people, and tell the disciples, and the commandment to all of us believers as well to go spread the gospel. And we see some of the greatest gospel presentations all throughout acts and persecution, and it's incredible.

It's an honor to be persecuted for Jesus. All in all, I really think there's too much proof to deny Jesus. and there's so much more proof that I didn't even talk about in this episode. But, man, I'm just really excited and hope that there are some facts and things that you can use that I talked about to combat, to combat people that argue with you about Jesus. And I will put this note sheet out. If you want the note sheet, I'll put a link to it. You guys can totally have it and use it, look at it. Really cool.

Guys, I love you, and let me pray real quick. So, Father, thank for this day. Thank you for allowing me to speak and speak through me. So I just pray that we have a safe, great week, and that the people who listened in their hearts that were tuned in, Father, just allow them to use the knowledge and wisdom from this podcast episode or this video that they watched to impact other lives that they may be equipped and go out and defend Jesus' name.

So, Father, we love you, and we praise you. We thank you. It's in Jesus' name. Amen. Guys, thank you so much for paying attention and watching and listening to this Heaven on Earth podcast, episode 3. You guys, stay safe, say great, and new episode. next Thursday. Thank you guys.