Jesus in History

Josephus:

“About this time lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was the achiever of extraordinary deeds and was a teacher of those who accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Messiah. When he was indicted by the principal men among us and Pilate condemned him to be crucified, those who had come to love him originally did not cease to do so; for he appeared to them on the third day restored to life, as the prophets of the Deity had foretold these and countless other marvelous things about him, and the tribe of the Christians, so named after him, has not disappeared to this day.” (Josephus—The Essential Works, P. L. Maier ed./trans.).

Yes There Is A Difference Between Religions

Quoting Alistair Begg:

[T]he idea that there are really no substantive differences between religions needs to be held up to careful scrutiny and declared fraudulent. For example, Islam says that Jesus was not crucified. Christianity says He was. Only one of us can be right. Judaism says Jesus was not the Messiah. Christianity says He was. Only one of us can be right. Hinduism says God has often been incarnate. Christianity says God was incarnate only in Jesus. We cannot both be right. Buddhism says that the world’s miseries will end when we do what is right. Christianity says we cannot do what is right. The world’s miseries will end when we believe what is right. (Begg, Made For His Pleasure, 126)

Believing What Is Right

Quoting Alistair Begg:

“[T]he idea that there are really no substantive differences between religions needs to be held up to careful scrutiny and declared fraudulent. For example, Islam says that Jesus was not crucified. Christianity says He was. Only one of us can be right. Judaism says Jesus was not the Messiah. Christianity says He was. Only one of us can be right. Hinduism says God has often been incarnate. Christianity says God was incarnate only in Jesus. We cannot both be right. Buddhism says that the world’s miseries will end when we do what is right. Christianity says we cannot do what is right. The world’s miseries will end when we believe what is right.” (Made For His Pleasure, 126)

Pray For Your Children’s Welfare

Although praying for our children is clearly a biblical duty it is too frequently neglected. William Scribner reminds us to not only pray for our children’s salvation but to pray also for our children’s welfare because:

1. You may then expect, as a result of your prayers, that the power of God will counteract in some measure the evil you have done them.

Even the best of parents sometimes do their children harm. This may be as a result of undue severity in discipline, partiality or injustice, but equally by misguided tenderness and lack of conscientious in exercising authority. . . .

2. There will be critical periods in their lives when without your incessant prayers, offered with reference to such times, they may be left to act most unwisely if not disastrously. . . .

3. It will lead you to a better understanding of them. Fervent prayer, continuously offered for them, in which their special wants, as far as you know them, are spread before God, will be sure to lead to a greater watchfulness over them. . . .

4. It will increase your holy desires for them. . . .

5. No other means will be so effectual in enabling you to overcome the difficulty you experience in talking with then on religious subjects. . . .

6. You will thereby secure for then God’s aid in the efforts they may make to yield you their obedience. . . .

7. Other parents seeing your example may be led to imitate you. . . .

8. They will often, should they continue in the world, have their times of need when the power of God alone can avail to help them. . . .

In closing, never approach the throne of grace with your own wants without remembering your children’s. Let us resolve that we will give ourselves more intently to the work of interceding for our children. . . . (Based on “An Appeal to Parents to Pray Continually for the Welfare and Salvation of their Children” by William Scribner, 1873)