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Why Study the Life of Christ? (Part I)
Bible study on the life of Christ.

We are studying the life of Christ for the first six months of 2011. So in this brief series of articles, we are exploring the importance of our 2011 study, to help us make the best use of our time and be as productive as possible.

History of Jesus' Life
Jesus is the most important person to live on the earth, so it's important to know the history of His life.

In public education, we study the history of people who are important to us. We study about world leaders such as George Washington, and people like Albert Einstein who changed the world.

So we know it's important to study and learn the history of important people, whose contribution has impacted our lives.

Since Jesus is the most important person to ever live, studying His life is the most important historical study we can undertake.

Evidence Jesus is God's Son
One of the most valuable lessons we learn from studying the life of Jesus is that He is God's Son. Thus we are obligated to obey Him, since He has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18).

We learn that Jesus is God's Son by examining prophesy. Jesus fulfilled Old and New Testament prophesies, showing that He is God's Son and the Messiah. And His personal prophesies came true according to His word, proving that He is from God and we must obey Him (Deut. 18:15-22).

From studying the life of Jesus, we also learn about the fruits of His life. Not only do His fruits testify that He is a true prophet of God whom we must obey, but we also learn how to walk in His footsteps (Matt. 7:15-20; 1 Pet. 2:21).

Perhaps most importantly as we study Jesus' life, we learn about the miracles He performed, by which the Father testified that everything He taught was truth (Heb. 2:1-4). As a result, we believe in the name of Jesus, and obey Him to be saved (Jn. 8:24; 20:30-31).

Learn About Sin
When we study the life of Jesus, we learn about sin. Not that Jesus sinned, but we learn about the price He paid to save us from our sins (Heb. 4:15; Matt. 26-27).

We begin to understand the horribleness of sin when we realize the sacrifice God made in sending Jesus to die on the cross so we can be saved (Jn. 3:16).

And by learning about the price Jesus voluntarily paid when emptying Himself to come to earth, then to be scourged and crucified, all along despising the shame, we begin to understand the ugliness of sin and how much we need salvation.

Learn to Love God
When we study the life of Jesus, we learn about love.

We learn about God's love to send Jesus to earth so we can be saved through His sacrifice on the cross.

And we learn about love from our Savior, who wept the night before being crucified, not wanting to die on the cross, yet He obeyed because of love.

We also learn about love from Jesus' teaching. Love is a commitment to obey God, no matter the cost.

  • "'If you love Me, you will keep My commandments'" (Jn. 14:15).
  • "'He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him'" (Jn. 14:21).
  • "Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me'" (Jn. 14:23-24).

Not only does Jesus teach us how to love God, He teaches us how to love each other. As He gave His life for us, we are to give our lives for our brethren. And by this, the world knows we are His disciples.

  • "We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (1 Jn. 3:16).
  • "'By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another'" (Jn. 13:35).

Lastly, Jesus teaches us how to love our neighbors, and even our enemies.

  • ". . . 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Matt. 22:39).
  • "'But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven . . ." (Matt. 5:44-45).

Summary
When we study the life of Christ, we learn many lessons, one being that Jesus is the Son of God, the one whom we must obey while carefully learning all the lessons He teaches.

If we'll learn these lessons and live by them, we'll be saved by Jesus, and live with Him forever in eternity.

To be continued.