The Gospel at a Glance

The following is an e-mailed letter, written in response to a request sent to me by a
gentleman who visited this site, a few days after it went on line. He wanted to know
more about Jesus. I call this treatment "
The Gospel at a Glance".

It is my prayer that not only he, but anyone taking the time to peruse our site and this
document will be blessed and helped spiritually.

by
Alvin Mitchell
Copyright 2004 by Alvin Mitchell

                     Hard copies of any article on our sites are now available: click Orders or Order Forms

Dear Daniel:

It is so good to hear from you and to hear that you want to know more about Jesus! Jesus is a name about whom every one should want
to know more. (Before I begin, I'm curious to know if you have a Bible or if you can get one?)

Jesus Christ of Nazareth was a Galilean Jew who lived approximately 2000 years ago. His mother was a virgin young woman by the
name of Mary. His "step-father" was a man named Joseph, meaning of course, that he was “not” a factor in the birth of Jesus. That is,
Joseph was not His biological father.

In many ways, this man Jesus was (outwardly, by all appearances) not unlike any other man. He ate, drank, slept, took a bath, donned
His wardrobe, worked and walked like most every one else. There was about Him, however, a certain peculiarity, one about which only
a hand full of people knew--in any detail. While on the one hand, He looked ordinary--His carriage and the respect He commanded or
demanded being nothing out of the ordinary--this was, on the other hand, no common Jew, for several key reasons:

1) Manner of birth: You see Daniel, although this Jesus was one hundred percent human being--complete with flesh, blood and bones,
like all others of mankind--and whereas He was ultimately birthed or born like all the rest of us, His "conception" was a whole 'nother
story! Unlike the remainder of humanity, Jesus was not conceived by the "usual" union of a man and a woman. There was no copulation,
or there was no sex act involved in His conception. His mother Mary did not have sexual intercourse with her husband Joseph in order to
conceive Him. Although he was the only man she ever knew intimately, they were not married at the time of her impregnation. How
then, you may well be asking, did He or, could He have ever come to be? Well, sir, that's a very good question!

2) Origin: Many years ago, many years even before Jesus was Himself born, beginning with Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:15), the God of the
Bible went on record as having made (as it were) regular promises to certain of the Bible's key individuals (like Abraham, Moses,
King David, Daniel, Malachi) regarding the coming of One whose advent would subsequently prove to be of paramount benefit to all
mankind. God never went into a lot of details or specifics with any one of these persons, when He made these pronouncements.
Consequently, the people to whom God gave these "prophecies" often didn't know what He was talking about or when the things they
were lead to anticipate would take place (I Peter 1:10-12)! If they asked, He would not tell them (Daniel 12:4). They were simply told
things like "His goings forth will be from of old", that is this One coming, (unlike any other man), would have a "prior" existence
(Micah 5:2; Psalm 93:6). An Old Testament prophet named Isaiah goes on to say that of several "nicknames" for this One who was to
come, one name would be "Emanuel" (or God is among us!) (Isa. 7:14; 9:6). Is there any record to the affect that this and similar
predictions ever took place, came to past or were somehow played out in history, you wonder? Only in the Bible, which is the only
source. Is the Bible a reliable source of historical events? Since the year 1900, multitudes of archaeological digs in and around the
Middle East have unearthed a plethora of revealing discoveries of historical significance and, new understandings of the physics of our
world and the universe have come together to prove the Bible to be quite accurate both historically and scientifically.

With all that has been said in mind then, re-thinking the "manner of Jesus' birth", you must still be wondering how He could possibly have
been born of a virgin woman, absent a father! Well, Daniel, as a Christian, my Bible tells me that once God commits Himself to do
something--no matter how ridiculous, preposterous, or how farfetched it may seem to us--nothing is impossible for Him (Gen. 18:14;
Luke 1:37). Bearing this in mind then, skip with me over to John's gospel, chapter one.

Here in John 1:1-3, 13-14, we are given a number of pieces of information which are central to the gospel (or good news to man from
God) about Jesus Christ, part of which has to do with His origin:

a) Here, He is called by God (the Father) "the Word" (Jesus Christ)(that is, anything and everything God has to say to men is all
summed up and “fleshed out”—quite literally—in this One Individual) b) the Word has been around since the "beginning" [that is
(fully in keeping with Micah 5:2), He lived before the world, "time" or anything else was made! So, in addition, what this means is that
His appearance in that feeding trough, in a smelly animal stable was not His first ever, nor was it His first ever as a human being (Gen. 3:
8; 18:1-33; Ex. 3:1-22; Joshua 5:13-15)! c) the Word was not only with God (the Father) in the beginning, He Himself was also
"God" [that is, He Himself—in His “prior existence”—was originally exactly identical to the "Father", having all the same attributes,
characteristics and powers; a Spirit Being (Jn.4:24), who is also said to be Light (I Jn. 1:5; Isaiah 60:19; Rev. 21:23; 22:5), living in a
habitat of light (II Tim. 6:16)--we now know that the light by which we see is only a small segment of a broad spectrum of "light" or
energy gradations and variations, known as electromagnetism. The point of God's being a Spirit Being of Light which is energy, is not so
much that He would have us believe that He falls anywhere within that spectrum with which we are familiar, as His represents an energy
form mankind is not likely to ever detect. Scientists and physicists do believe there are other such forms at both ends of the
electromagnetic spectrum. (see also Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 1:1-4)] d) the Word (Jesus Christ) is actually the Creator of
everything in heaven and on the earth (there is nothing anywhere that He, the Word, didn't make)(Ephesians 3:9-10; Colossians 1:16-18;
Hebrews 1:1-3) e) the Word became flesh and He tabernacled (lived) as a man among the very men whom He Himself created!
(that is, as stated in Philippians 2:5-8, altho' this Word was God, He did not regard this as a privilege to be clung to, but He willingly and
knowingly humbled Himself, becoming a man on the same level of a servant, in which case He lived a life of obedience to God that lead
Him all the way from cradle to the cross where He died a vicarious death for all mankind--including you and me! As stated above,
God’s appearance on earth as one of His own creatures did not begin in Bethlehem’s manager. Rather, what is a first for Him is His
birth, via a complete transformation which converted Him from an eternal Spirit God, to a tiny physical ball of chemical reactions
called embryonic cells which would grow normally to become the Man He would be throughout all eternity. In so many words, this
transformation was, for Him, permanent. God the Creator, is now (but for our sin nature) numbered among and as one of His
creatures! There was to be no turning or looking back.]

Curious as to how the Word (God) was able to convert or transform to become flesh and blood, in the form of a man called Jesus
Christ? The gospels of John and Mark don't tell us but Matthew and Luke do. Matthew's gospel simply points out that His mother
Mary was found to have been impregnated by the Holy Spirit of God (Matt. 1:18). Luke (1:26-41; 2:1-7), however, goes into a
bit more detail. Mary was initially confronted by an angel (a messenger) from God--his name was Gabriel--who informed her that she
was soon to give birth to a Son, whose name she was to call "Jesus". This conception and birth was to be without the benefit of any man
or a husband, insofar as her impregnation was to be a miraculous work orchestrated and performed by (Doctor) the Holy Spirit,
Who Himself also is God. Understanding then, that up to this point the God of the Bible was what Bible students call a "Triune" or
"Trinity" of Individuals (Elohim is the word most often translated “God” throughout the OT; it indicates a “plurality”, and is therefore, not
a reference to one individual)--often referred to by theologians in terms of the First, Second and Third Persons thereof, all being
exactly, identically the same--understand furthermore, that it was the Third Person (the Holy Spirit) who took the Second Person (God
the "Word") and--through an apparent irreversible transformation--refashioned His original Spirit persona, shall we say, into a fully
human embryo which was to be carried to term in Mary's virgin womb, on behalf and in the Name of the First Person (God the
Father). For that reason, Mary was informed, moreover, Jesus was not only to be great, inheriting the throne of His ancestor King
David, ruling over the nation of Israel in an never ending Kingdom but, He was also to be called the Son of God.

3) Nature of His being: Herein Daniel, lies the significance of the "virgin" birth of Jesus. There were no human reproductive cells
(gametes: egg and sperm) involved in the conception and birth of our Lord. Because of this, He was born perfect, flawless, free from
the rebel, sin natures I, you, and the six billion (plus) people now living (as well as all those born prior, of Adam's blood) inherited
because of Adam's disobedience and fall in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1ff; Romans 5:12-19; I Corinthians 15:20-22). His nature
(humanity) was precisely, identically the same as what He Himself originally created in Adam--"good in every sense of the word",
completely without blemish of any kind, so that His Deity—everything that He had always been as “God”, given up at the incarnation,
per Philippians 2:5-11—was not a factor in His perfection. Our lot in life is not so, no matter how good we are--as compared to
everyone else.

Of us, God's estimation is such that none of us is any in wise righteous, not one of us is capable of doing good on any level that would
ever please Him; every human being born since Adam (through normal procreation) is a rebel and therefore sinful and only capable of
falling short of God's expectations for men (Romans 3:9,10,12,23). The absolute only viable, acceptable remedy for this condition, is
death (Rom.s 6:23). The price is as steep as it is absolute and, somehow, some body has to, and will pay it. Sinful, rebellious
mankind cannot pay any cost for the eradication of his indebtedness to God, owing to his own sinfulness before God. Woe is me!
We're doomed then, right Daniel?

4) "Purpose driven Life (Quintessentially so!)": Not quite! We cannot save ourselves from the consequences of Adam's fall, nor
can another "righteous" human being. God could have made more (multitudes even) of those, just like He made the first Adam and, He
could have slaughtered everyone to His heart's content, but He didn't. Yet, the fact remains, the only remedy for man's sin is the
death of the offender (all of us) or the death of someone else "righteous". And that’s the rub! There is no one else, no man, no
angel, not even the Holy One Himself (as such) except…..?! This Daniel, is where God the Word, who became flesh, comes in. That is
why He, God, was born a man. That was the purpose and the mission driving His life on Earth. He came that He (God) might
die for you and me, to give His life so that yours mine and everyone else’s might be ransomed (Matt. 20:28) from an eternity in hell fire
(Rev. 20:12-15). Just as, He says, no man can demonstrate a greater love for another, than by willingly laying down his life for him (Jn.
15:13), so likewise, God could think of no better way to illustrate His love for us than by willingly transforming, then "birthing"
Himself in our likeness and dying in our place, bearing the penalty for the sins and shortcomings of every man woman and child ever born
of Adam's race. Thus we see in the foregoing, the unfolding of at least two significant revelations: a) morphing (a process whereby
one computerized video image is transformed into another) is a concept not original to today’s computer “geeks” and “geezers”.
The God of all Heaven and Earth (YHWH=The Self-Existent or Eternal One) randomly “morphed” before Adam, Abraham, Moses,
and Joshua (as we saw earlier, though not in these terms; even Adam’s eyes were not equipped to perceive God in His Spirit or Energy
form), as did several of His angelic creatures on several noteworthy occasions, beginning approximately six thousand years ago. The
commencement of His final “act” along this line occurred nine months before His arrival in swaddling clothes and Bethlehem’s manger.
The finale took place following the resurrection from the dead, when the Christ, arisen, returned to His home in the presence of His
Heavenly Father (Acts 1:9-11). There He was administered the finishing touch as His physical body of flesh and bone was, not
vaporized into original Spirit Form, as rather it was “morphed” into a “glorified” physical platform—so to speak—upon which was
imprinted the very “image” of His Invisible Father, whereupon was restored everything He voluntarily gave up prior to His incarnation
(Hebrews 1:1-5; Phil. 2:5-11). Therefore, as He sits yonder in the Heavens, He is physically everything that God the Father
and God the Holy Ghost are as Spirit Beings. b) Contrary to the never-ending opinions of skeptics—even in these modern times—
the life and death of Jesus was no accident. Per the most reliable, dependable, most readily available historical record on Earth,
Jesus Christ was not just some fanatical martyr, caught up in the politics and tough times of His era, only to wind up dead—otherwise
unnecessarily. The scriptures assert that His life, death, burial, and resurrection were all choreographed—as it were, in terms of time—
thoroughly planned and laid out before the earth was ever built (I Cor. 2:7-10; Eph. 1:3-7; II Tim. 1:9, 10; Ti. 1:2,3). His life was
purposeful and focused, showing little if any interest and including no involvement in the political struggles of that day (understandably,
since it was He, as Creator-God of the Old Testament who put them there in the first place!) (Jn. 3:34; 4:34; 5:17-19,30,36; 6:37-40; 7:
16; 8:26-28,38,40,42; 14:10; 17:8,14,24). Moreover, Jesus’ death did not take Him by surprise. In His final days, He took the
liberty of repeatedly warning His disciples (who never understood), showing that He knew well in advance that He would die, when,
why, where, how and by whom He would be executed (Matt. 12:40; 16:21; 17:9-12,22-23; 20:17-19; also Mark 9;10;14; Jn. 8:37,
40; 11:31, 32; 5:17-20). He always knew that He was a “marked Man”, because of the Father’s calling which defined the road He
traveled to Calvary.

Pressing on then, recall that in Romans 6:23 we were told that the wages demanded for sin is death. The second half of the same verse
says, however, that there is a gift offered by God: that being eternal life through Jesus, to all who will accept. We are instructed by
John in his gospel (3:16) that because of His great love for mankind, God (the Father) gave the only "Son" (Jesus) He ever had
(to die for us on Calvary's Cross) so that any one placing his faith, trust and confidence in Him, would not have to bear the penalty for his
own sin. Instead, those repenting (Matt. 4:17; having a change of heart, thinking differently about their past lives of sin and rebellion)
and trusting, will receive everlasting life. Moreover, all of us "believers" have been given the right to be called "sons" of God (Jn. 1:12;
Rom. 8:16; II Cor. 6:14-18), so that God is not Just His Father, but ours as well: all that's required is that we--in recognition of our own
sinfulness—heed the call to repentance, accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ, trust and have faith and confidence that He is the Son of
God whose sinless blood is sufficient to take the place of our own before a Holy and righteous God. Furthermore, His invitation to all
is (Matt. 11:28-30), “Come to Me, with all your cares and concerns, for whatever the reason, and I will give you refreshment for your
souls. I will not be arrogant, haughty, or overly and unnecessarily demanding in My treatment of you. All My expectations are
reasonable and beneficial, and refreshing”. In Rev. 22:17, the Holy Spirit of God and the “bride” chime in and take up the call, “Come”,
they say to all who hear, to all who have longing or a vacuity (emptiness of life) they feel or know needs to be filled (if your life is marked
by a thirst for hope, satisfaction, purpose, meaning in life, etc.), or just anyone who will listen and heed, “Come” in faith, trust, confidence
and readiness to commit, so as to partake of the “water of life” freely.

So, there you go Daniel (or whoever has occasion to read this article). The story of Jesus Christ, in a nutshell. I hope and pray this will
be a blessing to you. If I can be of further assistance to you, shoot me an e-mail.

[If you do not yet know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, may I remind you of His invitation to “come” just as you are. You can never,
ever make yourself good enough to be accepted, in advance. You cannot be saved on someone else’s merit. Do not delay. You may
never get another chance, for “…now is the accepted time,…now is the day of salvation”…so, having heard His voice—as you have
through this reading—do not harden you heart, as have the Jews (and Christians!) many times throughout their long, often tumultuous
history (II Cor. 6:2; Heb. 3:7-9). All you need to do is direct a simple prayer of confession to God the Father in which you 1) admit
your sinfulness, 2) acknowledge your need of His Son, Whom He gave so that you could be forgiven (owing to your own inability to
save yourself), 3) admit your desire to repent or have a change of heart, think differently so as to turn away from your past life of sin, and
close by 4) acknowledging that you are coming to Him in the Name of or in accord with what you know to be the will and desire of His
Only Son, Whose life was sacrificed so that you could have this privilege.]

May God bless you.

P. S.: I would be interested in knowing how you came across my site. Bye.

>From: webhosting-userform@biblestudyhour.net
>To: hossnhousexpress@hotmail.com
>Subject: Yahoo! WebHosting Email
>Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2004 01:59:42 -0800 (PST)
>
>name = daniel isaac
>email = dan_isaac2003@yahoo.com
>phone = 08037902238
>comments = i love to know more about jesus christ , please tell e more ok.
>REMOTE_HOST: 216.139.170.236

Since the re-establishment of the nation of Israel as an international entity and an enclave of the Jews, in 1948, there has
been a rash other advances in technology and archaeology in America and around the world that serve as confirmation of
the Word of God, underscoring the many way-markers or “leading Bible indicators” which in turn point to the soon return
of the Lord Jesus Christ, coming for His church (a huge segment of which will not be ready), and to the commencement
of the time of horror known in theological circles as the Great Tribulation. In light of the mess of the evangelicals,
fundamentalists, the pentacostals (who dominate the televised airwaves in America, and apparently, internationally), it is
imperative that the truth, untainted and twisted by the denominations (including catholics, jehovah’s witnesses and
mormons, etc.), be made available to all who thirst and seek thereafter. If you would like to be apart of this small but great
and growing work on behalf of the Lord Jesus—to make ready a people prepared for His coming—you may do so in
one of several ways: 1) pray (that is most essential), 2) tell others of the ministry and get them praying, 3) donate as
generously as you feel led. So far, just three pages on the sites have drawn in excess of 1.5 million clicks per month this
year alone. However, only a few thousand have been able to click through, due to the limited budget with which we have
to work. Whatever you can contribute will be much appreciated, and God bless you.

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Gospel at a Glance