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II PETER 1:16-21

"THE MORE SURE WORD"

Intro: You must decide concerning Jesus Christ, is He the Son of God or a shrewd  charlaton? 
       As a judge you should carefully weight all evidence.

I. EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS.
        A. This always forms the strongest evidence in a case.
                1. Those that were with Him and watched Him wrote their depositions.
                        a. They witnessed of His healing power.
                        b. They witnessed of His power over nature.
                                1. Water to wine.
                                2. Controlling wind and waves.
                                3. Walking on water.
                        c. They witnessed His death and resurrection.
                        d. They witnessed of hearing God's voice from heaven, ''This is My 
                           beloved Son in whom . ."
        B. Are the witnesses reliable.
                1. Some have said that most were fishermen and you know what liars they are.
                        a. One who was a fisherman wrote of fishing all night and catching  
                           nothing.
                2. Maybe it's collusion.
                        a. Maybe they got together and devised this fancy story with all the
                           embellishments.
                        b. It is strange that they would all die for the lie, you would think
                           that one of them would have cracked. "Skin for sink, all that a man
                           has will he give for his life."

II. STRONGER EVIDENCE THAN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS.
        "THE MORE SURE WORD OF PROPHESY"
        A. For over a thousand years Godly men had been writing of one who was to come.
                1. They told where He was to be born.
                2. Circumstances of His birth.
                3. The city He would grow up in.
                4. Details of His life and ministry.
                5. His betrayal, death and resurrection.
                6. In all over 300 details given.
        B. What chance would one man have to fulfill all these requirements?

Micah 5:2 1. Born in Bethlehem     1 -  280,000.
Mal.3:1 2. He would have forerunner   1 -1,000.
Zech. 9:9 3. Triumphant entry on donkey. 1 - 100.
Zech. 13:6 4. Wounded in hands as result of betrayal. 1 - 1,000.
Zech  11:12 5. Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. 1 -10,000.
Zech. 11:13 6. Silver used to buy potters field. 1 -100,000.
Isa. 53:7 7. Though innocent, would make no defense. 1-10,000.
Ps. 22:16 8. Hands & feet pierced. 1 -10,000.
        8. -- 1-1028  - population 1-1017 Texas 2' thick.
        16 -- 1-1045 - 30 times farther than sun.
        48 -- 1-10157  - 500 per min. 1010  x 6,000,000,000 years.
        C. The prophecy of Daniel not included.
                1. From commandment to restore and build Jerusalem to Messiah the prince 69
                   -7's or 483 yrs. or 173,880 days.
                        March 14th 445 BC.
                        April 6th 32 A.D.

III. AND NOW YOUR VERDICT.
        A. Didn't Schoner in his book prove there was a passover plot?
                1. He didn't need to prove it, the Bible confesses the plot existed before 
                   world created.
        B. If Jesus is the Messiah you need to make Him Lord of your life.
        C. The weird twist to this case, your verdict determines not the defendant's destiny
           but your destiny.
"And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life and this life is in the Son and
he that hath the Son hath life."