Tradition

The Open-Air Mission

‘Holding forth the word of life...’
(Philippians 2:16)

‘Holding fast the faithful word...’
(Titus 1:9)

Christian Tradition

The Well Dressings in Tissington as well as a number of other villages in Derbyshire will feature stories from the Bible and in particular, the Person of Jesus Christ, featuring His Birth, life, depicting His miracles and teachings, His death and Resurrection and Ascension.

Sadly we live in an age when these stories are looked upon as only stories and nothing more. It may therefore be a good exercise to examine the evidence concerning the Person of Jesus Christ, for if He is the Son of God which He claimed to be then we must surely take seriously everything that He taught.

It is the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John that give us the story of His life. It is important for us to realise that these four Gospels were all written within a few years of His death.* If these records are exaggerated, or if not true, then we would have expected any of the enemies of the Christian faith who were living at the time to have brought this to our notice since they were doing all within their power to wipe out this new faith. The fact that there are no such records and that there are many documents of that period all of which help to support the authenticity of the gospels.

If we will take the time and trouble to read through the gospels we will make the following observations:

·	Jesus Christ had Power over Nature. Mark 4:35-41

·	Jesus Christ had Power to Provide. Mark 6:30-44

·	Jesus Christ had Power to Forgive Sins. Mark 2:1-12

·	Jesus Christ had Power to Change Lives. Luke 19:1-10

·	Jesus Christ had Power over Death. Hebrews 2:14

It is these powers that clearly give weight to the claims that Jesus Christ made that He was the Son of God. But this is not the only evidence there is more, which is that nobody either in his own generation or in any generation since has ever been able to find fault in anything He did. There was an occasion when Jesus Christ gave a public challenge for those to come forward and to highlight anything He had done that was wrong. Nobody took the challenge. John 8:46

Judas Iscariot one of the disciples who was with Jesus for three years had to admit that he had betrayed an innocent man. Matthew 27:3-5 Pontius Pilate admitted three times that he could not find fault with this man Jesus Christ. Luke 23:4, Luke 23:15, Luke 23:22

It is this faultless life that also gives weight to the fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
If Jesus Christ is the Son of God then what was the purpose of His coming?
The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ died for our sins. 1 Corinthians 15:3 What is sin? 1 John 3:4. In other words when we break the Ten Commandments we sin. The Bible says we have all sinned. Romans 3:23. It is our sin that separates us from God. Isaiah 59:2. Jesus Christ took the punishment for our sin so that we might be forgiven. 1 Peter 3:18 God has given assurance to us that He has accepted the price that Christ has paid on the cross by raising Jesus Christ from the dead.

What must I then do to become a Christian?

·	Acknowledge that I am a sinner and that I am in need of forgiveness.

·	Acknowledge Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and that He died to take the punishment for my sin.

·	Receive Jesus Christ as my Saviour and Lord and be prepared for all the changes He will want to make in my life.

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