Why I believe in Jesus.

John 6:66-69

There are many people in the world who do not know anything about Jesus, many countries actually go out of their way to actually teach their people that there is no God or no Jesus, an atheistic society, well I would like to tell you why I believe in God and Jesus.
My Text is taken from John 6:66-69.

"66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."

There are many of you reading this who already know about Jesus, that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. I wish to increase your faith and help you to tell others why you believe. There are many who do not know about the Gospel, and do not take what we believe as the normal.

Let us return back to the story found in John 6, Jesus has just fed five thousand people, that on its own would be a miracle but Jesus used it to teach His own disciples
John 6:1-5.

"1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.
2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"

The people were 5000 men, they did not include anybody else, no women or children, so there could be ten thousand or more. Jesus was about to teach His disciples a very important fact about Him, He had the power and was capable of creating food from very little. Jesus asks Philip where could we get sufficient food to feed all these people.
Philip makes a brief calculation and responds with.
John 6:7-13.

"7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little."

"One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him,
9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?"

"10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten."

What a miracle, but Jesus could read the crowds thoughts, all they could see was a source of free food, they were prepared to follow Jesus for the free food.
John 6:14,15.

"14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone."

The crowd loved the free loaves and fish but later Jesus spoke to them in a very different way and it had a very different response.
John 6:24-36.

"24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. 25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? 26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not."

The people did not like the deeper message that was behind the miracle, and so they began to leave Him.

Are you also going to reject Jesus, are you going to turn from Him to atheism? Are you going to turn to materialism?

If you have decided upon materialism then they will never satisfy your desires, God made each of us for Himself, as His people, but materialism will never satisfy your wants or needs

If today you look at all the world religions, Mohammed’s grave, his body is still there, Budda’s grave, not empty, Confucius grave, not empty, but the one for Jesus is empty, He has risen, you cannot take Jesus out of Christianity and still have Christianity.

Christianity is not a code, a creed, a cause or a church, it is Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him. Simon Peter, in our reading asked "Where shall we go, we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.?" Only Jesus has the answer.

How do we know that Jesus is who He said He is? "we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." It is only Jesus who can meet your desires, your wants and needs, the answer to the matter of man’s sin, it is only Jesus who can give a reason for living and what happens after our future death.

Now we have to ask a very important question, how do we know that Jesus is who we say He is? Why do so many people believe in Jesus? Why have I given my life to Him?, Why do I serve Him? Why am I willing to suffer and die for Him if necessary?

I have a number of reason for the facts, the first one is the fact that there is much evidence that He did exist, the historical data. Jesus is a fact of history.

Look at our secular historians, they are all happy to admit that there was a man called Jesus and He lived on the earth. The most important fact is that our calendar followed by most of the world uses His birth and life to have split history, every time you write a letter and put the date upon it you are testifying that Jesus did exist. Millions of people in the western countries are happy to celebrate special days directly associated with Jesus, Christmas, Easter and others, though Mankind has over the last few years rewritten the celebrations for something totally different, a party, But Jesus was a fact of history.

How do we explain the appearance and growth of the Christian church. It started with twelve men who created the church following the resurrection of Jesus, and it has grown to cover the world. These men are somewhat special as what they learnt from Jesus while on earth has led them to be witnesses to His teaching and to be willing to die for what they believed.

There are some people who say that they were hallucinating, that’s possible, but over five hundred at one time, no that is too many. Others say that the resurrected Jesus was a ghost, no, He ate with them they touched Him, felt Him. These men of faith, do you think that they would be willing to die for what was a lie. These early Christians paid with their lives for their faith.

How can we explain the fact of the church separate from the resurrection of Jesus, I believe in Jesus, there is more proof that He rose from the dead than that Julius Caesar lived. The Bible is full of prophecies concerning Jesus.

Romans 1:2-4.

"2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:"

The second reason

Scriptural reasons:

Read John 6:43-47

"43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."

I believe what the Bible teaches, it is the Word of God, so you are asking "how do you know that all the Bible is telling the truth? " The answer is that it is full of fulfilled prophecy, the amazing unity of the scriptures, it was written over fifteen hundred years by at least forty different authors, in three different languages, on all kinds of subjects, and finally there are sixty-six books to make up the bible and there content is in unity. This book has lasted for many hundred years, many men have tried to destroy it, made laws against it, yet it is still all round the world.

There is also one theme throughout the scriptures, the central theme is centered upon Jesus Christ, His story, for example, following the resurrection of Jesus,
Acts 10:39-43.

"39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins."

This life started with a miraculous birth, He was a God-Man, a sinless man, many people misunderstood His teaching or actions, but still many believed in what He taught and sort to follow Him, especially after His death on the cross and the fact that God raised him up again to a perfect, incorruptible God-Man.

His sacrificial Death.

There is something very strange about the way Jesus died, not that he actually died but that he died of His own choosing. You might say, others have chosen to die, "by suicide." No you are wrong, they actually died early. Jesus was different, there was no sin in Him, he did not have to die,"
John 10:18

"17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."

Jesus was the only person who chose to die.

The Bible tells us that three days after He died, he rose again and left the grave, he was the only person to have risen from the dead. Hang on, there are others who have come back to life, "What about Lazarus?" Lazarus was brought back to life to spend a few years then die again. Jesus was resurrected, to live for ever a glorified body, and has become the first fruits of all future people who have died,
1 Corinthians 6:14

"14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power."

So, I believe in Jesus because He is a historical fact, he lived taught many things and then died, but He then rose again, to have a perfect eternal body. Any thing Jesus has been involved with, the Bible, a miracle book, and the church has now stood the test of time, this presents Jesus as absolutely and totally unique.

Spiritual reason.

We should also look at the stories associated with the church, how the power of God was in full control. The following takes place during the early church, the disciples are preaching and then arrested by the Jewish leaders.
Acts 5:16-33.

"16 There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
17 Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,
18 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.
19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
22 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told,
23 Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.
24 Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them where unto this would grow.
25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.
26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
33 When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them."

You may feel that you need more than this to accept who Jesus is, I agree you need God and His Holy Spirit agree to all I have said, you believe Jesus exist, and died, but the rest you just cannot believe. Someone may tell us that something is the truth, but we need the Holy Spirit to reveal to us what else is the truth.
1 John 5:5-10.

"5 Who is he that over cometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son."

Our daily life is full of believing what we are told by other men and women, If you want to know who Jesus Christ is, then ask the Holy Spirit. I can tell you that if you do want to find the truth, then God and His Holy Spirit will reveal it all to you, all that is the truth.

The final reason.

Personal reasons.

Let’s return to our reference and what Peter said,

"Peter said, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."

Like Peter, I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and He lives in me.