What main question is the key to deciding between the three major Theistic religions--Modern Judaism, Islam and Christianity? Choose one of the following and discuss the evidence given which supports it: I605 1 - 6

Theism is the World View that believes there is an infinite God that is outside of the universe and yet within it. This God created and sustains the universe and can act within it in supernatural ways; miracles are possible and do occur.

The belief in the deity of Jesus Christ is the key to deciding between the three major Theistic religions. Judaism denies the divinity of Jesus Christ and drops out of consideration. The holy book of Islam, the Quran, is a redacted plagiarizing of the holy Bible which has Jesus being subservient to both Allah and Mohammed. The Jesus of the Quran is far closer to the person referred to by the Book of Revelation as the false prophet.

We are left with Christianity and the question, “Did a historic Jesus exist?” Was this statement by Jesus the truth? John 8:58, “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

The historian Josephus referred to Jesus in his book "Antiquities of the Jews" which he finished near the end of the first century AD. During the time of Pilate Josephus tells us:

1.            There was a wise man who was called Jesus

2.            His conduct was good and he was known to be virtuous

3.            Many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples
Josephus goes on to report that Pilate condemned Jesus to be crucified and to die. I don't think that Josephus mentioned the fact that the disciples deserted him after his arrest; however he states that "those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship.’ Add to that the disciples “They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion, and that he was alive."

Josephus also revealed how the new high priest of the Jews, Ananus the younger, took advantage of a gap in Roman rule to kill James, the brother of Jesus. This is the same James who deny the truth of his brother Jesus’ birth and divinity until after the resurrection. Psalm 69 alludes to the rejection of Jesus by his family. James went on to be very proactive in the church of Jerusalem and actually wrote a book of the Bible.

What of the empty tomb? The inscription from Tiberius with severe punishment for removing bodies from a tomb may well have been a reaction to Jesus not being in the tomb. What of the 500 witnesses who saw the resurrected Jesus?

“Prophecies that Jesus Christ Fulfilled” lists more than a hundred Old Testament Prophecies fulfilled by Jesus.

http://mb-soft.com/believe/txh/proph.htm.

God stepped out of eternity to become a man and suffer and die in our place.

Ref:

Holy Bible (KJV)

“Worlds Apart A Handbook on World Views” Second Edison  by Norman L. Geisler and William D. Watkins

“I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist” by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek
“Christian Apologetics” by Norman L. Geisler

Added later:

Was this statement by Jesus the truth? John 8:58, “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

Psalm 22, could have been dictated from the cross. Zechariah 11:12-13, “And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.  And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord.” So long before Judas betrayed Jesus the amount he received plus the use to which the blood money would be used were prophesied long in advance. Isaiah 52:13-14, "See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. Many were amazed when they saw him - beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know he was a person." Isaiah 53 is simply astounding as is Daniel 9:25.