Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 11/9/2009

Question
My brother recently became a Christian.  He is doing well in his studies but we have a disagreement on the wealth of Jesus.  He tells me that Jesus was a monetarily wealthy man and had plenty of money.  I say that isn't true.  I use the verse that explains that the Son of Man had nowhere to lay his head. The verses that tell the people to support his disciples when they come to preach, like evangelists of today.  The only verse he gives me to prove Jesus was wealthy was the one that says He was rich but became poor for our sake.  I try to explain that Jesus had all the wealth because He is God.  He gave up the heavenly wealth to became poor to save us spiritually not so we can be monetarily wealthy.
Is there anything you can give me to help explain this.  If I am wrong is there anything you can tell me to show me that also?
Thank you for your time.

Answer
Hi David,

Thank you for this great question.  It is unfortunate that your brother has fallen prey to the false teaching of the prosperity gospel.  Jesus became poor because He was the creator of the universe and was born in a feeding trough!  Yes He was rich in that He lived in Heaven and owns the world as God, but as a man he was meek and lowly.

Matthew 11:29
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Isaiah 53:1-3


Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?  2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

This is not a man of wealth or means... this is a humble man of megar means.

It is because of Christ's voluntary humiliation that God will some day exalt Him above all.... if he was already a high and mighty rich man, God would not do that.

Philippians 2:9-11
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

I hope that this gives you a place to start.

In Christ
Pastor Don
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.