Evening journal., 1916-01-31


and said unto Him, MY Lord and my
Sod
In His company Of apostles, Jesus
chose every type and phase Of human
character. There was the intense. i'm
pctnous Peter: the precise, austere
James: the matter-of-fact Andrew;
the earnest loving John: the business
man. Matthew; the Jealous Simon;
and also the skeptical Thomas. Now
] would not imply that Thomas rep
resents the highest type of character.
but ] do hold that Thomas represents
a Very frequently found type. Wher-
ever he is spoken OF in the Scripture,
it is with some expression Of pessism-
ism on doubt. When Jesus broke the
news To His disciples Of the death OF
Lazarus. Thomas exclaimed, Let us
60 and die with him" And then as
recorded in the fourteenth chapter OF
John. Jesus declared. whittier !
go ye know and the way ye know
Thomas speaks forth and says, Lord,
we know not whittier thou goest; and
how can we know the way?' Those
three words. 1--WE know not gives us
The key TO the charcter OF Thomas.
Later. when Mary came from the
empty tomb and declared that Jesus
had arisen from the dead, Thomas
doubted He remained away from the
meeting when Jesus appeared to the
disciples and when they told him they
had seen the Lord. he still protested
and said. Except / shall see
IN His hands the print of the nails,
and thrust my hand into His side
I viii not believe Let us note now
the kindness Of Jesus for the doubter
Eight days later when Thomas met
with the other disciples. Jesus APP
peared in their mist and said to the
doubter. Reach hither thy finger
and behold my hands: and reach
hither thy hand and thrust It into my
side: and be not faithless, but be-
lieving." Then Thomas exclaimed. in
the words OF our text my Lord and
my Cod"
L wish this morning TO organize
this audience into jury and to pre-
sent to you some lines OF evidences
regarding the deity OF Jesus Christ.
The first line Of testimony I would
present is from prophesy. There are
more than three hundred prophecies
in old testament Scripture relating to
the coming Messiah. and these proph-
ecies have been centered and fulfilled
I'M Jesus. It was foretold by Abra-
ham OF what race Christ should come,
and by Jacob from what tribe. The
Messiah was not to be OF the lineage
OF the first born son Reuben, nor from
the youngest son Benjamin. nor from
the favorite son Joseph, but from the
tribe OF Judah. Il was prophesied by
Isaiah from what family the Christ
should spring, that He was TO be
from the stock OF Jesus. Il was fore
told by Micah in what city the Christ
was to be born, that 1t was to be in
Bethlehem. and IL was predicted by
Daniel when the Christ was to come.
You. as a student OF history. know Of
tho four great world empires which
followed in succession. Babylonia
Persia, Macedonia and Rome. Daniel
likens these to four beasts. In speak
ing OF the fourth beast he calls II
the fourth kingdom upon the earth.
and then proceeds to describe at that
time which would be an everlasting
kingdom. This is the kingdom OF
our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Our second line OF evidence we
would draw from the teachings OF
Christ. His recorded utterances oc-
cupy but small volume. They can
be read almost az a single sitting
and yet they are the quintesscnce OF
truth. Thousands Of books have been
written with these words as their
theme. and yet their wisdom has
never been exhausted. There is some
thing in these sayings Of Jesus sim
pie enough TO interest the youngest
child, and something profound enough
10 attract and satisfy the wisest sage
No one has ever scaled their highest
heights. or sounded their lowest
depths. These teachings were true
and applicable 20 the first century ,
they are just as true and applicable
10 the twentieth century. In His ut
terances Jesus made certain definite
claims.
First OF all. He claimed pre-exist-
tANta re rntAf DtlNlt ANidhdul was,
! .am;" and again. What and II ye
should see the Son OF man ascending
where He was before" and later in
that prayer. as recorded in the sew
anteenth chapter OF Johns gospel.
Jesus exclaimed. "Glorify thou Me- oh
Father. with the glory ] had with
Thee before the world was" This
fact OF His pre-existence marks a
distinct contrast between Jesus and
every other life which ever trod this
earth Someone has we'll said, "Be
careful about your definitions" Note
The distinct difference between the
divinity OF Christ and the deity Of
Christ. There are many who will
acknowledge that Christ was divine.
They say He was a Son Of God. but in
he next breath they will add $50
are we all sons Of God That Is,
Jesus was only one among many"
But His sonshiD was difference not
only IN degree. but in kind. His pre-
ekistenre really separated Him from
ail others. You could not imagine
amy Of the gratest men OF history
claiming pre-existence. Imagine a
julius Caesar. or a Napoleon or an
Alexander the Great. or a bismarck
ora Gladstone. OF a Washington on
eripg a prayer like that. "Glorify
Thou Ne, oh Father. with the glory
mn THO rIncT unVII