 All right, it's ready for the start. Okay, recording started. Okay, we will repeat what we just said for the benefit of those who will have to listen to the recording. All right, those who are listening to this recording, we went through about 15 minutes of class without the recording. I apologize for that, but I'll try to condense what I said in 15 minutes in the next couple of minutes and hopefully we will catch up on that. Okay, so let's answer the question from Kennedy and anytime then we'll get back to what we're talking about. So Kennedy's question is, can it be claimed that Jesus was just a legend who had no contradiction? Right, so what we were saying was, Kennedy, a legend or a fable or a story is just a figment of somebody's imagination. One, like we said at the very beginning, the historical fact of the person of Christ cannot be disproved because there are many historians of that time who record him. So it cannot be that all of them are just creating a story on the same person. So that's one thing. And second is, if he was just a legend or a story, all these things we are saying about him and as we will talk about a little later, he would not have had such a huge impact on human history. So no fable or story could have such a transformative impact on human history. But the person of Christ has, so definitely Jesus could not be a legend, one because the fact is historians recorded him, several historians recorded his physical earthly life and then the impact that he had. So for example, you see, just as an example, there are a lot of people who write all kinds of fiction books today. Harry Potter is well known for several decades, but has Harry Potter transformed the world? No, I mean, yes, there have been a lot of people who have read the books and been affected in some way, but not the way Christ has. And it's very likely that maybe give it a little bit more time and people will forget a lot of what was written. But here we are 2000 years later and nobody has had such a huge impact on human history as Jesus Christ. So definitely it cannot be a fiction. Okay. Second question here, Anita. Jesus was, was adored by Son of Joseph and we are also adopted as children of God. Can we say that it represents the power of faith and confession? How can we put this across? Jesus was adopted as a son of Joseph. Okay. We are children of God. It represents faith and confession. Okay, Anita, I'm not sure I understand your question, but you know, the fact is Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary and later on Joseph had Mary, you know, and so Jesus, of course, grew up in that home. But I would not say, I would not say that Jesus being adopted as Son of Joseph is a type of us being adopted in the family of God, that on this, it's not something the Bible talks about, our presence to us as a type. And secondly, you know, we are born into the family of God by a work of the Holy Spirit and we become children of God and Joseph cannot be compared. There is no comparison of Joseph to God the Father. So yeah, so I wouldn't draw this comparison. I think it's a big stretch of imagination. I will just leave it aside and just say that, yeah, you know, Jesus had adopted earthly father whose name was Joseph, but we don't know too much about Joseph. Yeah. So I would just leave it aside. Okay. Jesus is God. Yes. What does it mean when he said, my Lord, my Lord, why have you forsaken me? Yeah. So Charles, that's his expression of the anguish that comes when the one who was eternally with the Father is now and in his earthly ministry, John once says he was in the bosom of the Father and now he's separated from the Father because of sin. Right. So that's the anguish. And of course, he's quoting from the Psalms saying, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? It's expressing the anguish of separation from the Father. So that's what it is. Okay. Another question from Charles. Can a human adopt God? Can a human adopt? No, it was, it was a follow up. It was a follow up from Anita's question when he said that Joseph had adopted Jesus. So it was like, can a human adopt God? Okay. All right. So we'll leave that aside. Maggie, you have a question. First off, yeah, to just follow up on Anita also, Anita's question is, the Bible says, doesn't say that Jesus was adopted. It says that he was born into into the family. So there's no way, that's how I believe there's no way people that have been adopted because since the time was born, he was part of the family. Like the angel said, he was his child and every single person in the community knew that he was Joseph's son. And I think also that helps us understand that I know the Bible says that we have been adopted into his family, but it also said that he knew us before the creation of the world. He predestined us to where we'll be born, where we'll live, which family. So I don't think that we fully grasp the meaning of that, or what those verses speak. Thank you, sir. Okay. It would be helpful if you can help clarify, like John 1, how to say about being adopted into God's family. Thank you, sir. Okay. Thank you. Thanks Maggie. Thanks for that clarification. You're right, Jesus. So we're talking about the natural life of Jesus, that in his natural life, he was born into that family of Mary and Joseph. So I think it may not be right, as you said, Maggie, to use the word adopted because he was actually born into that family. And thank you for that clarification. So I think it's to say that Jesus was born in that family. Mary and Joseph were engaged at that time. And subsequently, Joseph took Mary to be his wife. And Jesus was born in that family, except that it was not through the agency of Joseph. Anything else you wanted to say something on that? Pastor, I just wanted to say where I'm coming from is they would have not declared that Jesus is not their son. That's what I'm thinking. When Joseph and Mary, they got married. Mary, though like Jesus was born of Mary, but they would know that he is not the biological father. But in the society, Joseph was known as his father, Jesus's father. So at least in the family, they would know. And in like from our perspective, when we are outside, we are reading the story, that we also get to know that he's not the father, but he's called the son of Joseph. So does it mean that he's adopted? Like in the word, if we have to put it in the word, that's what I mean, Pastor. Okay. Yeah, I understand your question. So I think the response would be like what Maggie said. The word adopted may not be the right word to use because he was born naturally into the family. And yes, what you're saying is true in the sense that they knew and a few others knew that Joseph was not responsible, but it happened by the power of the Holy Spirit. So the word adopted may not be the right word to use. He was born in the family. And when they went to register in Bethlehem, they would have registered as a matted Joseph and Mary matted. But the boy, the baby boy born was, they knew, was born by the power of the Holy Spirit. So he was born as their son. So the word adopted may not be the right word to use. Okay, Pastor. Yeah. So in relation to that, I think we've answered, oh, okay, Maggie wanted, okay. So the, so, yeah, so now, so that's about the natural birth of Jesus. Now we're talking about the our asses, believers, this is a little side journey. You know, we are born again, we are born. So the Bible uses both terms for us. We are born off God. It also adopted into his family. So, you know, the Bible uses different terms for us as believers. But every term, like we said, you know, it's describing a certain aspect of God's work in our lives. So we are born of God. What does it mean? That means we have received life and nature from God. Right. So first one, five, one, we are born of God. Second Peter, one verse three, we are partakers of divine nature. So that means we have God's life and nature in us. At the same time, the Bible says, you know, we are adopted into his family, right? So Ephesians 1 verse four, that he predestined us from before the foundation of the world to the adoption of sons. And Romans 8, 16, 17, he has sent us the spirit of adoption, the spirit of sonship, by which we cry out, Abba father. So both, both, you know, both terms are used for the believers. So we are born into the family of God, but we're also adopted. So what does adoption signify? Adoption simply signifies that the one who was fatherless now has a father. The one who had no privileges has now brought into a place, but they have all these wonderful blessings and privileges. So that word adoption is really telling us, look, we were away if being brought in into this privileged position. So that's all the terms are describing different things that God has done for us as believers. Okay. Yes, thanks, Beth, for the clarification. Jesus was treated as, as a national bond. Okay, so I'm going to go back to the notes just to quickly go over this whole point number four. And then we will proceed. Okay, let me try to move a little fast. I was going a little slow so that, you know, I just want you to soak these things in on the uniqueness of Christ. So I'm just going to quickly repeat this. This is, again, for the sake of it recording and also for the benefit of, you know, just for repetition. All right. So the fourth point we talked about was the incarnation and the virgin birth of Christ. Why, and this is, this makes Jesus so unique. So what we said was, you know, the first man Adam, he sinned and he brought through his sin, he brought the entire human race and subjection to sin, Satan and death. And we said that there was no person who was born of Adam. Let's put it this way. Every person was born of Adam by default was born in subjection to sin, Satan and death. So the only way the human race could be delivered from subjection to sin, Satan and death was if there was somebody who was born, who was a human, but was born not in subjection to sin, Satan and death. The only way that could have could happen was if God became a man. So when God became a man, he would be born as a human, but he would not be born in subjection to sin, Satan and death. And this man is Jesus Christ. So that's what the incarnation is absolutely important. The fact that God became a man in the person of Christ, he was completely human, but he was not in subjection to sin, Satan and death. Secondly, this is where the words in both of Christ become so important because he was not born off Adam in subjection to sin, Satan and death, but he was born by the power of the Holy Spirit. And only then he could be the sinless person. So that's why the incarnation was in both of Christ is so important. The other thing we said is, yes, we are aware that other like Hinduism may claim avatars for incarnations. But what makes the incarnation of Christ so unique is that in one incarnation, when God became a man in the person of Christ, he took care of the work once for all. There was no need for subsequent avatars because logically, if you think of having many avatars or incarnations, then it simply means all the previous incarnations were faulty. They failed to do the work that they came to do. And therefore they could not be God because how can God fail? Right? So this makes Christ's incarnation absolutely unique. This was God becoming a man. He became fully human, but he was not born in subjection to sin, Satan and death. And therefore he alone could fully represent man, could become this perfect substitute for all of us and be our deliverer. And he finished that work, he rose up and he ascended back into heaven. So that's point number four, why Christ is very unique. Number five, just moving forward now, is his impact, his life work teaching and impact on history. Right? So you just think about it. And if you just logically think about this, right? Here was somebody and there's this beautiful prose that was written by somebody back in 1926. And I just love to just read that and I kind of adapted it a little bit. But it's called One Solitary Life and you can listen to it online. You know, that here was somebody was born 2000 years ago. And he was born in a small village of Nazareth. He worked as a carpenter. He became a Nigerian preacher. And this was my addition here. You know, he did all these miraculous things. And then, you know, he never went to college. He never wrote a book. He never helped public office. He never had a family, he never owned a place. He never traveled more than 200 miles from where he was born. So he never did any of these things that accompany greatness, no credentials. And yet, throngs of people followed him. And while he was young, people turned against him. They crucified him. They took away his clothes. They, you know, they laid his body in a borrowed grave. But three days later, he rose from the dead. And here we are, you know, 20 centuries after. And all of his human history is centered around that one person. You know, our calendars are defined by his birth. Every day of the week, we take a day to remember him. Two holidays celebrated in his remembrance. Church peoples around the world, all over the world, are talking about his victory. There have been more books, songs, poems, paintings on him or around him, colleges, hospitals, orphanages, institutions in honor of him. And so, you know, all the armies, nobody else, no governmental army has ever impacted history as this one solitary life. Do you think about it? So insignificant. 2000 years ago, such a great impact on all of human history. And he never did anything in the sense of writing a book or setting up a religion or, you know, and yet today, nobody else could claim the kind of impact this one person has had. Could it have been an accident? Or is it something so real? And this is so unique because you can't point to any other human person who's had such an impact. There's no other person. There have been great people, wonderful people, freedom fighters, politicians, generals, they have people who come and go on but never impacted the human race like this one. So there's some quotes here, you know, Napoleon was known to have said that you speak of Caesar, of Alexander, and the enthusiasm, they kindle the hearts of the soldiers, but can you can see for a dead man making conquest with an army faithful and entirely devoted to his memory? My armies have forgotten me, but I tell you Jesus Christ knew me a man, and he says millions would die for him. I search in vain history to find similar to Jesus Christ to anything which can approach the gospel. The history nor humanity nor age is not nature often, anything with which I am able to compare it to explain it. Here is everything is extraordinary. So there's so many others recognized that Christ's impact on human history is so profound, so unique and incomparable, right? So that's number five. Why is Christ unique? Well, you consider his life, his work, his teaching, and his impact on history. Even today, people go back, read his life, his teaching, and he continues to have impact, profound impact. There have been, there were many great philosophers before him, but nobody has any kind of impact today, hardly any, but this one man, each and every day, his reach on human race is only increasing. So that was number five. It's very unique and this kind of ties back to an earlier question. Could he have been just a fiction? No, because something of fiction has not had this great impact and continues to have this great an impact on human history. Okay. I'll just move forward and let's see how much we can cover today. So number six. Why is Christ unique? The sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. So this also is very unique because, like we said, nobody claimed that their death would bring redemption, that so usually death is considered as, okay, that's the end of the religious leader's life, gone. But for Christ, he said, look, unless a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone, but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit. So he's saying, look, my death is only going to bear so much fruit. You know, John 12. So Christ said, if I be lifted up, I'll draw all men to me. He's saying, look, if I'm going to be put on the cross, I'm only going to draw people. So when Jesus spoke about his death, he was not talking about it as, look, this is the end of my life. And I hope you guys will continue what I've talked to you. He said, look, I must go, I must die, but it's going to all work out for good. And in fact, it's going to cause something great to happen. So the death of Christ is so different from any other religious leader. His death was full of purpose. In fact, Jesus said in John 12, for this purpose came I into this world. That means I came to die. And all of my earthly life finds his fulfillment in my death and resurrection. And we understand it now that his death was what paid for our sins. It was his death, his death by real resurrection that brought in this new covenant. It was his death and burial resurrection that resulted in the salvation of people. So that's very unique. You can't find another religious leader or anything else that says, look, in the death of this person comes life, comes salvation, comes the new beginning. Don't find that. Number seven, why is Christ unique? It's because of his resurrection. Again, the New Testament, Paul himself writing in 1 Corinthians 15 says, look, if Christ had not been raised from the dead, then all our preaching is useless. In other words, he's saying this, this whole thing about Jesus and the Christian faith is useless. All right. So the Bible itself is telling us, look, if you don't believe in the resurrection of Christ, everything else doesn't matter. It is useless. So here is Jesus and everything about him is predicated on this one thing that he rose from the dead. And if he had not risen from the dead, everything else means nothing. And as we will see in a subsequent lesson that the resurrection of Christ is authentic, indisputable, like Craig Bloomberg said here, no religion stands a false with a claim or the resurrection of his founder in the way that Christianity does. So the resurrection of Christ makes him unique because basically we are saying, if he didn't rise from the dead, everything you're saying doesn't matter. And no other faith predicates itself so much on the resurrection of its founder, the one who initiated it. Last two things very quickly, the provision of salvation through faith in Christ, simple faith. So here again, the gospel is so, the message of Christ is so unique. The Bible simply says, look, salvation is given as a free gift through faith in Christ. You don't need to earn it. And interestingly, you can be absolutely certain of it in this life. And it's, yeah, it starts here and now. So it makes it so unique. It's through simple faith. It's in Christ given as a free gift, something that you can be certain about and something that starts now, very unique. Because other thoughts of religious schools would say, look, you may have salvation if you've done enough works. You may have salvation if Allah decides you have to work for it. But Christianity says, look, it's a free gift. You can be absolutely sure. And it's going to start right now if you receive Christ. So it's not just about a philosophy or a religion. It's about a relationship with God. So all these aspects of Christ's salvation makes it so unique, so different. And lastly, that there is Christ's power to transform, heal and deliver. That means today in His name, lives are changed, people in bondage are set free, the sick are healed, demons are cast out. Why would demons have to listen to commands issued in the name of somebody if that somebody didn't exist or if that somebody was just a fiction or if that somebody was not there for the fact is demons listen to us in the name of Jesus Christ. So having talked through on these nine statements or ninth facts concerning Christ, we have to or we can come to this place where we are absolutely convinced about Jesus Christ. He can't be a legend to have such a great impact and a continuing impact. He would have been exposed a long time ago if he was a liar. Or if he was a lunatic, there would be no coherent message coming through that would transform people's lives today. And the fact is he is Lord. All right, so let's look at some questions. This Charles is asking if Jesus Christ is God, why did he get tired? Yeah, so remember Jesus got tired many times before, even without carrying the cross. In John 4, he was tired. He sat by the well at Samaria to drink water. So why did he get tired? Well, remember Jesus slept when he was on the boat. Remember he ate food. So we need to understand his humanity, right? So he's God in essence. But when he walked the earth, he walked as a human, right? And so that's why he was tired. He slept to grow. He wasn't a physical earthly physical body and everything that a physical body went through, he went through, right? That's why he was tempted. So understand when we say he's God, he's God in his humanity, he was God in essence, but he walked as a human, as a human person, okay? So we're not saying he walked in all of his glory of omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. No, he walked as a human. That's why he went through all that a human body would go through. And did they crucify somebody else instead of Jesus? That would not be true, simply because right at the foot of the cross, there was Mary and there was John. And they're looking up at the cross. And if it was not Jesus, but somebody else, whoever it was, John, Mary, his own mother would not be standing and looking at the cross. I'm sure a mother would be able to recognize her own son. And John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, would be able to recognize Jesus. So the claim that this was not Jesus is just a fanciful imagination when you look at the historical account of what happened at the crucifixion, right? And neither the Jews nor the Roman soldiers would have made such a mistake, right? So, yeah, we will leave it there. Any other questions? Okay, so we're going to pause here. What we did today was we looked at nine reasons on the uniqueness of Christ. And I want to challenge you that, you know, you need to be absolutely convinced in your heart about the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. And so when we present Christ, we're not presenting him one among many, but we are presenting him as the one and only one. Okay, let's close in prayer. I would like to request somebody to pray with us and we will take a quick break and meet in the next class. Anybody could pray for us? Can I take the opportunity to pray also again? Absolutely, chance. Go ahead. Heavenly Father, we are appreciating the fact that you are teaching us. We really love you and we tell you that you are our God. Thank you for all this download through a human being that would be able to learn this and be able to get the explanations. Lord, I pray that it will sink in us and we will be able to appropriate it for our ministry so that we will be ready to give a defense for the hope we have in you. For in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen, Charles. Thank you. Thank you, everyone. I have a good short break and we'll see you in a few minutes in the other class. God bless. Thank you. Bye now.