Hi, Pastor Bob here. Welcome back to the Men of Valor podcast. The verse for today is from the book of John, chapter 20 verse 29. And it states, “Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” With resurrection Easter Sunday coming, I am led to share some of the reasons why Christians believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah.

Imagine I came up to you in March 2021, and I told you ten unique things that would happen to you in the next ten years. I tell you the job you're gonna have, how much money you'll make, what illnesses you will have over those ten years. I tell you that you're gonna be married with two kids; a boy, named John, and a blue-eyed girl, named Riley. And you’ll have a dog named Sam, who’s gonna save your neighbor on June 13, 2023, from a burning house. You would probably be thinking, ‘That's ridiculous, that's absurd Bob! That could never happen! Sometimes I just think you're nuts!’

Now, suppose instead of a few prophesied things about you, several people prophesied a few hundred things about you. And they did it 500 to 1000 years before you were even born - and every one of those prophecies were fulfilled? ‘That's ridiculous that's impossible!’ you would say. But that's exactly what happened with the Lord Jesus Christ.

"But God... didn't just fulfill eight prophecies... He fulfilled a couple hundred!"

Just to share a few: The book of Micah, chapter 5 verse 2 says the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Isaiah 7:14 says the Messiah would be born from a virgin. Jeremiah 31:15, a massacre of children would happen at the Messiah's birthplace. Isaiah 11:1, the Messiah would be called a Nazarene. Psalm 78:2-4, the Messiah would speak in parables. Zechariah 11:12 and 13, the Messiah would enter Jerusalem on a donkey, and the Messiah would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, and it would be thrown into a potter's field. Isaiah 53:12, the Messiah would be crucified with criminals. Psalm 22:16, the Messiah's hands and feet would be pierced. Psalm 16:10 and 49:15, the Messiah would resurrect from the dead. And Daniel 7:13, He would have everlasting dominion, and His Kingdom will never be destroyed.

Besides these - and the other 300 plus prophecies - did you ever realize the birth of Jesus was the only birth ever announced when and where it would happen, and when it was anticipated way before the mother even got pregnant.

A visual that can be used to estimate the odds of eight of these prophecies coming true would be to take silver dollars and stack them two feet thick to completely cover the state of Texas and put a red dot on one coin, and have someone parachute down and pick up the correct point on the first try. Impossible! Ridiculous! Absolutely crazy! But God, but God, but God. He didn't just fulfill eight prophecies...He fulfilled a couple hundred!

When you read the Bible, which was written over a 1500 year span, by 40 authors, and the testimonies about what Jesus did while walking on earth, such as healing people, raising dead people, walking on water, performing miracles! So many things, that John says in chapter 21, that if everything Jesus did were written down, there would not be enough room in the entire world to store these books. It all testifies to Jesus being the promised Messiah.

"Why do I and others believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah?"

Did you ever think that in order to avoid the crucifixion, all Jesus had to do was deny that He was the Messiah - the Son of God - when He was before Pilate! But He didn't do that, and His disciples could do the same to escape extremely painful deaths! But they didn't deny Him either! And thousands of followers for thousands of years could have done the same thing! But they didn't deny Him, and they're still dying today for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ because they will not deny Him.

I can testify that when I met Him, He transformed my life so much that I have a hard time relating to my past, and I know many many other people with similar testimonies. I have seen Jesus Christ deliver people from broken marriages, addicted people, homeless people, and rich people, as they surrendered their lives to Him to be their Lord and become their Savior. Why do I and others believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah? For the same reason Peter believed in Matthew 16:16, when Jesus asked him, “Peter, who do you say that I am?’ And Peter says, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven.” And all I can say is, thank You Father for that revelation!

And if God has not revealed who Jesus is to you yet, cry out! Ask Him to reveal Him to you! And I trust He will. He's been revealing His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to people way before the Messiah ever came to earth. What an amazing God we serve.