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Cynthia Clayton The title for Cynthia's Corner

EVIDENCE FOR GOD IN
CHRIST'S INCARNATION
AND RESURRECTION

Christians believe that the God who created everything loves us so much that he became human to show us who he is, what his will for us is, and how to have a relationship with him (Hebrews 1:1-3). Jesus of Nazareth was that human. How do we know that? “God testified to it [salvation through Jesus' deity] by signs, wonders, and various miracles” (Hebrews 2:4).

First of all, Jesus' mother, Mary, was a virgin when he was born. “She was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit” and “what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18-25).

Secondly, when Jesus began his ministry, he did miracles that only a supernatural, all-powerful God could do. A few examples are: turning water into fine wine (John 2:1-11), controlling weather and walking on water (Mark 4:39; Matthew 14:25), paralytics walking (Matthew 9:1-8), the blind seeing, the mute speaking (Matthew 9:27-33), and many kinds of illnesses and diseases completely and instantly healed (Matthew 9:35). The most unnatural and powerful of all the miracles was raising the dead. Not only did Jesus rise from dead, but he also raised Lazarus (John 11:38-44), a dead girl (Matthew 9:18-25), a widow's only son (Luke 7:11-15), and others (Matthew 27:50-53).

The purpose of all of these supernatural miracles was to prove that God the Creator did, in fact, become human in the person of Jesus. God's ultimate proof of that was Jesus' bodily resurrection. After his resurrection, Jesus was seen by more than 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). His resurrection started the Christian movement which has changed the world by changing people's lives through Jesus' teachings and his power working in us.

Christianity is unique among world religions in that God the Creator reached out to mankind by sharing in our humanity, becoming human (Hebrews 2:14), solving our sin problem, and showing us how to have a relationship with him now and eternally. God in the flesh never sinned, though as a human he was capable of sinning (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus, the Son of God, died for our sins so we can be reconciled to God. Jesus' sinless life and his death, burial, and resurrection prove his deity (Acts 1:3).

— Cynthia Clayton

Picture credits:
©Patty Gibson

Scripture links/references are from BibleGateway.com.