Jesus: His Words and Deeds

By Alexander Anteyi

Jesus: His Words and Deeds eases its way into an intensive and energetic exploration of the central gure of the Christian faith by posing a thought experiment. What if ? author Alexander Anteyi asks. What if none of the specic, concrete, irreducibly historical events of the life of Jesus had occurred? What if, instead, he came to share the generalities and vague inspirations so often spoken in his name today?

To help readers make their way through those suppositions, Jesus provides a refresher to reacquaint readers with the person who is both Son of God and Son of Man. e seven sections in Jesus lay the foundation, root the history, review the creation, characterize biblically grounded doctrine, identify Jesus, and explore his ministry. In the end, the reader faces the big questionWho is Jesus Christ to you?

By investing yourself in the joyful work of coming to know Jesus Christ through his words and deeds, you can emerge from your time immersed in the pages of Jesus: His Words and Deeds in a position to answer that big question with courage and conviction and with cleareyed awareness of the identity of message of historys central gure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Aug 13, 2016
• ISBN: 9781491788691

Alexander Anteyi

Alexander Anteyi is a Christian. He has worked as a lecturer, accountant, and housing professional. He is the author of The Word of Life. Over the past thirty years, he has worked with students from more than 120 nations.

Book preview

JESUS

His Words and Deeds

47511.png

ALEXANDER ANTEYI

47495.png

JESUS HIS WORDS AND DEEDS

Copyright © 2016 ALEXANDER ANTEYI.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV) Holy Bible (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

iUniverse

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.iuniverse.com

1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4917-8868-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-8869-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016908040

iUniverse rev. date: 8/11/2016

CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

PART 1 PLANNING AND LAYING THE FOUNDATION

PART 2 HISTORY

2.1. The Focal Point of All History

2.2. God the Creator (Elohim)

2.3 God, His Word as Recorded in the Bible

PART 3

3.1 The Created World

3.2 The Earth

3.3 Animal and Plant Life

PART 4

4.1 Biblical Doctrines

4.2 No Room for All Philosophies?

4.3 Biblical Perspective

PART 5 YESHUA

5.1 Jesus (The Hebrew Yeshua Ha’mashiach)

5.2 Who Is He?

5.3 The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit Testimony of Jesus

PART 6

6.1 His Words

6.2 Jesus’s Teachings

6.3 Jesus’s Preachings

6.4 Jesus’s Prayers

6.5 His Silence

PART 7

7.1 His Deeds

7.2 His Works

7.3 Jesus’s Healings

7.4 The Big Question

The Author

Bibliography

Endnotes

DEDICATION

Jesus: His Words and Deeds is written and dedicated to the honor and glory of God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, without whom this work could not have been initiated and completed.

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions, or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.¹

And He said to them, ‘What things?’ So they said to Him, ‘The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all people …’²

This book will seriously challenge and, I hope, stir you to rise and go beyond the elementary principles of your faith. Let us press on to maturity and achieve the goals set by God.

In John 5:31–47, Jesus Christ invites the reader to listen to Him, examine His words and deeds, and make a decision about his future based on faith in Him.

I thank You, Father, for leaving such powerful testimonies of Jesus Christ in the Holy Scripture, particularly in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Revelation. Please build the readers’ faith and empower the inquirer and nonbeliever in Jesus Christ to seriously consider the overwhelming evidence and commit their lives to the Savior, in Jesus’s name. Amen.

PREFACE

Jesus’s words paint a clear picture of the invisible Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is a spirit, Jesus says. No human being has seen God. There are 800,000 in the English language, 300,000 are technical terms. The average person knows 10,000 words and uses 5,000 in everyday speech. A journalist knows approximately 15,000 and uses around 10,000 (source unknown).

A journalist can paint a vivid picture of almost anyone. Jesus came from the Father and knows God intimately. In reporting Jesus’s words on knowing God, John writes, No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him (John 1:18).

Also, Paul says that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. His words impart spirit, life, and power. His words provide answers to human nature, trials, and struggles in both the present and future. His words pose problems for the skeptics because they may be too hot to handle. Jesus backed up His words with deeds of excellence, goodness, and generosity. He raised Lazarus from the dead, thereby giving him life in place of death; He was formally put to death on the cross, buried for three days, and raised to life as prophesied.

Many critics of Jesus have come to acknowledge the uniqueness and power of His words and teachings. Dr. Charles Payne and C. S. Lewis are notable examples. These eminent personalities with brilliant minds studied the words of Jesus and became followers of Christ. They questioned the view that Jesus is not God or the Son of God but a myth.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Christ said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? (Luke 17:17). I am exceedingly joyful and give God the glory, majesty, dominion, and power now and forever. Amen.

William A. Ward said, Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present … and not giving it.³

I would like to give thanks to all my friends who gave their valuable time, energy, and love to share their experiences and expertise in this work.

Philip Clarke, thank you for the hours of tireless work on this book. You painstakingly proofread the manuscript and suggested additional biblical references. Mrs. Francesca Clarke, Anyebe Uji, Dr. John Odihi, and Sarah Mkeryi, I thank you all for your encouragement.

What if …

Jesus Christ had not come to this celestial body called planet Earth?

Jesus Christ was not born of the Virgin Mary?

Jesus Christ had been born a female human and not a male human?

Jesus Christ had not spoken?

Jesus Christ’s ministry had not been supported and backed up by the Father and the Holy Spirit?

Jesus Christ had not carefully selected twelve disciples?

Jesus Christ had not healed the sick, raised the dead, walked on water, or calmed the storm?

Jesus Christ had not died?

Jesus Christ’s body had been embalmed and laid in state in Jerusalem for all to see?

Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead on the third day after burial?

What if …

Christ taught only about strategies of church growth and multiplication?

Christ taught only about tithes and offerings?

Christ taught only about prosperity and health?

Christ taught only about signs, miracles, and wonders?

Christ taught only about living by faith?

Christ’s teaching methods were based only on parables?

What if …

the apostles had built their own individual ministries?

the apostle Paul had denied Christ and said he was drugged and coerced into serving Jesus?

the apostle Paul had written his fourteen letters and had them vetted by the Pharisees before publication?

Jesus’s story is about what happened in history concerning His words and deeds. To catch a glimpse of the scene two thousand years ago, let the reader go through the archives of the Old and New Testaments on Jesus’s speeches—words about His life and deeds.

• When Moses met the God of the Jews, they talked and even wrote powerful speeches popularly known as the Ten Commandments.

• When David confronted Goliath the Philistine, he declared some powerful words and acted on them to defeat Goliath.

• Joseph, the son of Jacob, a Jew who interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, was promoted to the position of being the second-most powerful person in Egypt and was responsible for feeding the Egyptians and the surrounding nations of the world.

• Isaiah and Jeremiah were composers of written works and left books bearing their names.

• Who was Jesus’s brilliant speechwriter—God the father or the Holy Spirit?

• What motivated Jesus to perform great deeds of charity, combining benevolence with compassion?

• He died for His words, claims, and good deeds. Why?

Jesus: His Words and Deeds is a follow-up to this author’s first published work, The Word of Life. In that book, the author narrates his personal experience and encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ through the written Word. Jesus Christ is his passion and preoccupation.

Matthew and John strongly believe God and report of the intimate relationship between the Father and Son. God is quoted as speaking of His Son, Jesus Christ. For example, in Matthew 3:17 the writer demonstrates a father-son relationship when He expressly says, And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ Later in Matthew 17:5, God is heard repeating the same announcement, plus the added words Hear Him. God testifies of Jesus and exalts Him.

The Holy Spirit reveals, magnifies, unveils, and glorifies Jesus in various passages and instances in the Christian Bible.

The Old Testament is about the nation of Israel. The New Testament is about one man, Christ Jesus. The Old and New Testaments combine, to present Christ as the central theme and focus.

Ideally, the reader can begin to understand this author’s passion for Christ. God invites all people into His story. Please turn to Colossians 1 and read verses 14–18. This passage invites all who dare to recognize and worship Jesus. God, in Jesus, rescues believers from the power of darkness. Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. All things— including mankind and the angels—were created through Jesus and for Jesus. Jesus existed before all creation.

Colossians 1 distinctly speaks of Jesus as the redeemer and mediator and gives hints of His deity. He is preeminent and has dominion over all things. All things were created by Him di autou kai eis auton.

Let the words of Christ dwell richly in you.

‘Watch your thoughts for they become words.

Watch your words for they become actions.

Watch your actions for they become habits.

Watch your habits for they become character.

Watch your character for they become destiny.’

Lao Tzu

According to Jesus there is destiny in words. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.⁴

Jesus’s words and deeds are captured in two verses of Matthew 10:7–8: And as you go, preach saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

In sending out the twelve apostles on a mission, Jesus gave them authority to preach (word), heal, cleanse, raise, and cast out (deeds). These are action and dynamic words. The words of Jesus are clear, simple, and electrifying, evoking drama and suspense. In His words, the human soul finds peace, sanctification, and satisfaction. Jesus’s words are spirit and life.

Jesus: His Words and Deeds is about Jesus the Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Man. This work is a selection of His words and works. The reader will also observe that the book quotes Jesus’s words verbatim and His acts, because The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life (John 6:63).

INTRODUCTION

Who says words do not matter, only actions? Both words and actions matter. There should be a balance. To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. There is a time to speak and a time to be silent, a time to work and a time to cease from working. Why do you think the Creator made man’s mouth to open and close? What is the chief purpose of the hands? The ultimate goal in writing this book is to demonstrate that Jesus is He who He says He is. He is the Son of God who came from God the Father in heaven to rescue and restore the broken relationship between mankind and God. He is a person of absolute integrity. How do you conclude that A or B is a person of integrity? The simplest and quickest yardstick for discernment is to look at his or her words and deeds.

Integrity is about honesty, truth, and sincerity of the heart. He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart; …⁵ is a person of integrity. The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.⁶

Jesus Christ is our model in speech and actions because He is holy, perfect, and undefiled in every way. Both the Old and New Testaments are full of the words and works of Jesus Christ. However, this book will focus on the New Testament and reserve the right to call on the Old Testament for fuller explanation and understanding.

Ideally, Jesus: His Words and Deeds will lead to the reader gaining more wisdom and understanding. It is said that actions speak louder than words. This statement could mean what a person does can demonstrate more than what the person says. The actions paint a more detailed portrait of the person. In the scriptures, Jesus’s deeds complemented His words and amplify His personality, mission, and purpose on earth. His deeds support His words, and His words support His deeds.

Jesus’s words perfectly match His life and actions. Writing about the early ministry of Jesus in Galilee, Matthew affirms, "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people"⁷ (emphasis mine). In this verse the writer previews the essence of Jesus’s earthly ministry in active words—teaching, preaching, and healing.

Also, Jesus stated His mandate as follows: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because he has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim