Jesus Unmasked: The Truth Will Shock You
What others are saying about
Jesus Unmasked
. . .
A highly-readable book about the most important person ever — Jesus the Christ.
— David Wheaton
author and host,
The Christian Worldview
Jesus Unmasked
will blast a bright light into a dark and dying world. Give
Jesus Unmasked
to the atheist in your life.
— Ray Comfort
I love the wit and freshness of Todd Friel’s teaching, and how he doesn’t flinch in the face of hard truths. His love of Scripture and passion for sound doctrine always come through — even when he is wisecracking. But he is at his very best when explaining thorny but important theological questions. That’s why I m so excited about this book. No matter where you are in the Christian walk, you’ll find
Jesus Unmasked
a profitable and spiritually uplifting study.
— Phil Johnson
Jesus Unmasked
will silence any Bible critic.
— Ken Ham
Answers in Genesis
What Christians need is not more principles for life, but a continual encounter with the only person who can truly change their lives: Christians need Christ! My friend, Todd Friel, has hit the ball out of the park with
Jesus Unmasked
, getting us from the Bible to the person of Christ in every chapter. If you want to know and love Jesus more deeply — Jesus the person —then read this book. It will change your life.
— R.W. Glenn
First printing: August 2014
Copyright © 2014 by Todd Friel. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews. For information write:
New Leaf Press, P.O. Box 726, Green Forest, AR 72638
New Leaf Press is a division of the New Leaf Publishing Group, Inc.
ISBN: 978-0-89221-726-7
Library of Con
gress Number: 2014945607
Cover by Diana Bogardus
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible. Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Author’s note: The Bible was not originally written on a computer. The inspired writers of the Bible had neither emoticons, italics, nor bold lettering. As you read the Bible verses contained in this book, I have bolded them to highlight a word or thought. Do not expect to see these in bold in your Bible.
Please consider requesting that a copy of this volume be purchased by your local library system.
Printed in the United States of America
Please visit our website for other great titles:
www.newleafpress.net
For information regarding author interviews,
please contact the publicity department at (870) 438-5288
Thank you
Proverbs 31:10 asks, “An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.” Well, I found one.
It is not uncommon for someone to meet my wife and inform me, “You married above your pay grade.” Indeed. This book would not have been possible without Susan. She let me spend Christmas vacation writing this. I didn’t even have to put up decorations. That is a good wife.
It was my wife who introduced me to the fascinating study of types and shadows years ago. She took a Kay Arthur Inductive Bible Study on the Book of Hebrews where she learned much about the Old Testament tabernacle and the rich imagery of covenants. I owe her, and Kay Arthur, many thanks for the chapters on the tabernacle and covenant. If you are in search of a great women’s Bible study, you can’t do better than Kay Arthur.
Thank you, Sweetheart. I mean my wife, not Kay Arthur.
Thank you to my wonderful daughters for volunteering to proofread Dad’s work and offering their very helpful feedback. They didn’t even charge me.
Okay, I lied, they didn’t volunteer. I duct-taped them to a chair and forced them to read this. But they are still great kids and I love them to pieces.
I would also like to thank Starbucks for all of the electricity they gave to me with their overpriced but supposedly environmentally friendly coffee while I typed away. Oh, and thanks for the attitude.
Thanks to Ray Comfort for having the aggressive idea to travel to 13 European countries in 13 days for the
Way of the Master
TV show. Ray assigned me the task of visiting monuments of the great Protestant reformers. I left for Europe with a profound commitment to truth. I returned from Europe with a burning passion to defend that truth.
Our Protestant forefathers were strangled, quartered, and burned for the truth. Thanks to Ray, I am willing to do the same.
Additionally, thank you to all of my teachers throughout the years who lived for the truth. This entire book is a compilation of what I have learned from godly men who dedicated their lives that others would have “the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3).
Thanks also to Tim Dudley for flying to Atlanta to enlist me to the New Leaf team. It is a joy to work with the entire pile of leaves.
Finally and firstly, thank You to my Savior. Thank You for rekindling my heart as I wrote this. May You use it so others might know You, the Truth.
Contents
Introduction — Truth Is Like a Baseball Game 9
Chapter One — Who Is This Man? 17
Chapter Two — The Big Question 21
Chapter Three — Big, Fancy Words 27
Chapter Four — The Scarlet Thread in the Old Testament 33
Chapter Five — The Scarlet Thread in the New Testament 41
Chapter Six — Jesus Is the Ark 51
Chapter Seven — Jesus Is the Rock 65
Chapter Eight — Jesus Is the Living Water 73
Chapter 9 — Jesus Is the Bread 79
Chapter 10 — Jesus Is the Bronze Serpent 85
Chapter 11 — Jesus Is the Tabernacle 93
Chapter 13 — Jesus Is the Sabbath 115
Chapter 14 — Jesus Is Seven Festivals 129
Chapter 15 — The Offices of Jesus 143
Chapter 16 — Jesus Is People 161
Chapter 17 — Jesus Is Places and Things 175
Chapter 18 — Jesus Is the New Covenant, Part One 183
Chapter 19 — Jesus Is the New Covenant, Part Two 201
Chapter 20 — Jesus Is the I AM 215
Introduction — Truth Is Like a Baseball Game
From approximately
a.d
. 33 until approximately
a.d.
1400, a baseball umpire would call ’em as they are.
From approximately
a.d.
1400 until approximately 1989, a baseball umpire would call ’em as he sees them.
From approximately 1989 until today, a baseball umpire would call them and that is what they are.
Notice the difference?
Pre-modernism: Approximately
a.d
. 33 until Approximately 1400
During the pre-modern era, Western civilization generally acknowledged the existence of a divine being as revealed in the Bible. Pre-modern people accepted the teachings of the Church and Scripture with little skepticism. “God said it, that settles it.”
But something changed. Around the 1400s, skeptics began to question the existence of God and the truthfulness of the Holy Bible. Philosophers from Machiavelli to Voltaire paved the way for society to question the authority of the Scriptures.
The Protestant Reformation contributed to this new way of thinking. As reformers questioned and defied the authority of the Roman Catholic Church, laypeople began to believe they could do the same. This ushered in the modern era of empiricism. Man and science became the supreme authorities while God and the Church began to take a back seat.
The Modern Era: Approximately 1400 until Approximately 1989
As the centuries marched along and technology advanced (especially during the late 19th-century industrial revolution), man was feeling rather confident that he alone possessed the truth. The modern era between 1400 and 1989 was the heyday of man. Empiricism and science were the kings of truth. Unfortunately, four W’s showed up and wrecked everything.
World War I was the bloodiest conflict in human history. Unfortunately, what was supposed to be the “war to end all wars” was just a warm-up for the greatest blood bath ever: World War II. Suddenly mans’ confidence in man was rocked. If we are supposed to know the answers to everything, why is the world so dangerous and unstable? Man’s skepticism of man had begun.
Postmodernism: Approximately 1989 until Today
By the end of the 20th century, culture concluded that humans are not the repositories of truth we once imagined. When the Berlin Wall came tumbling down in 1989, man made a decision, “We don’t know what truth is.”
Talk about a conundrum. If man doesn’t know the truth and the Bible doesn’t know the truth, then who does? Answer: nobody and everybody. We are all right and nobody is wrong. Truth is no longer objective but subjective. Welcome to the post-modern world.
Our present postmodern age sounds like this:
> I don’t agree with you, but I don’t believe you are wrong.
> As long as it works for you, then it is true.
> Even though we completely disagree, we are both right.
> Truth is out, truthy is in.
A Bench Is a Watermelon
Several years ago I visited a seminary. I don’t want to name names, so let’s just say the school is called Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia. I struck up a conversation with a fellow who was studying for his master’s degree in theology. I sensed he was a postmodern.
“Sir,” I asked while pointing at a bench, “what is that?”
He replied, “It is a bench.”
“I think it is a watermelon. Am I wrong?”
The fellow replied quite naturally, “No, you are not wrong.”
Two Plus Two Equals Whatever
Again, not to name names, let’s just say I was at Georgia Tech talking to a young man. I smelled postmodernism.
“What is two plus two?” I asked.
“Four.”
“I think it is seven. Am I wrong?”
“No.”
“Then you think I am right?”
“No.”
“Then you think I am wrong?”
“No.”
“Then you think I am right?
“No.”
Here comes the punch line: this fellow was studying to become an engineer. Remind me to never drive over one of his bridges.
Truth vs. Preferences
Truth is definitive. Preferences are not.
Truth is factual. Preferences are opinions.
Truth is provable. Preferences cannot be tested.
Quiz Time
True or false? Cleveland is in Ohio.
True or false? John Kennedy was assassinated.
True or false? John Kennedy had the best hair of any president.
True or false? Elvis wore increasingly tight white jumps.
True or false? Elvis was the best singer ever.
True or false? Penicillin unplugs your drain.
True or false? Penicillin fights bacteria.
True or false? Monet painted in the impressionist style.
True or false? Monet is a better painter than Degas.
You see, some things are factual while other things are preferential. Some things can be proven through scientific methods or observation, while other things simply are not provable. Things that are not provable are merely preferences.
Is coffee made from coffee beans? Absolutely.
Does coffee taste good? It depends on who is drinking it.
Truth can be tested and verified because truth will always be true. Truth does not change. Truth is always the same, but not all things can be proven.
What about Religion?
Postmoderns are quick to say, “Your religion is true if it works for you.”
Umm, no it’s not. Just because something “works” does not mean it is true. A convicted criminal on death row can get through the day believing he is going to be released tomorrow, but his belief is misplaced; his faith is wrong. It may “work,” but it is not correct.
Many cultists believe that their faith has helped them, and perhaps it has, but that does not mean a belief in Zeus or a carved idol is correct.
If I believe that Oprah Winfrey is the goddess of the universe, like millions do, and I will spend eternity with her in a Chicago high-rise if I read each of her magazines cover to cover and say, “Stedman is groovy” three times, will I be spending eternity in the Windy City on the 50th floor with O? Of course not, I would be wrong.
Let’s say that I really, really, really believed that. Would the intensity of my belief send me to eternity with Oprah? Nope. Intensity of faith does not make it so.
What if a lot of people believed the same thing? What if there were a billion Oprah-ites? Would we all spend forever with Ms. Winfrey? Nein. Majority vote doesn’t make something right.
Can you prefer one religion over another? Yes, you can; you can prefer anything you want. You can like one thing more than another, but that does not make the object of your affection true.
> You can prefer that 4 times 4 is 24, but you are wrong.
> You can prefer injecting a shot of Drano to cure lockjaw, but you are wrong.
> You can prefer plugging your computer into the cat, but you are wrong.
You can prefer being any religion you choose, but your preference does not make it true. You can prefer being a Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, or Mormon, but that does not make your religion correct. Faith can be misplaced.
So how do we know what religion, if any, is actually true? We must examine their claims and determine if they are true or not. Can that be done? Absolutely.
Truth Is Not an Opinion
Two thousand years ago, a Roman governor dismissively asked Jesus Christ, “What is truth?” Unfortunately, Pontius Pilate did not ask that question with a genuine desire to hear the answer. Had he waited for a response, he would likely have heard what Jesus often claimed about Himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
For centuries, the Western world accepted His answer, but recently skeptics and liberal theologians have disagreed with Jesus. Many have offered a different understanding of Jesus ranging from a good teacher to a figment of mans’ imagination. Many have sought to put a mask on Jesus of Nazareth.
Why Bother?
Why should you take the time to encounter the real Jesus Christ?
> He changed the calendar from
b.c
. to
a.d
., He must be kind of important.
> He has more followers than the Rolling Stones, Beatles, and Miley Cyrus combined.
> He claimed that He will personally sentence you to a room with a view on the lake of fire if you fail to believe in Him. A pretty serious accusation.
No other religious leader besides Jesus Christ makes exclusive claims on the truth. No other guru claims that his system is correct and you better believe it or you will suffer eternal consequences. The biblical Jesus does.
Let’s Make a Deal
If you take the time to read this book, you will learn:
> What Jesus believed about Himself
> Why Jesus’ contemporaries wanted to murder this “good teacher”
> What the Bible is actually about. It will make sense, whether you believe it or not.
If you take the time to read this book, you can draw your own conclusions about the most influential man in history. You can determine if Jesus is merely a role model or the Redeemer. You can determine if Jesus is a myth or the Messiah. You can determine if Jesus
is
a
way or
the
way
.
Prepare to see the unmasked Jesus and discover who this man really is.