In a search for cover art for my thoughts today I came across many which , instead of a statement asked, “Who is Jesus to you?” At first blush, I wanted to dismiss this question out of hand; I mean, is the identity of Jesus Christ really just a subjective summation of a person determined by our own suppositions, preclusions and pre-conceived notions?
There is objective truth to answer the question of who Jesus is but in order to get to it a person has to accept that there is also only one authority on the subject – the Bible. “But wait,” some would object, “after all wasn’t the Bible written by men? What makes their opinion the end all to the question?” The Bible itself answers even that question – can you accept it? The answer is found in (2 Timothy 3:16-17):
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
That the words are inspired require an instigator of inspiration and that instigator is the Holy Spirit of God (see 2 Peter 1:20-21). Everything given to us to know about Jesus Christ is found in the Bible, a book written by God through the hand of prophets, priests, tax collectors, fishermen, and even an ex-Pharisee. Some of these men were also eye-witnesses of the ministry of Jesus Christ as well as of His death burial and resurrection but the Holy Spirit, who provided the inspiration and is co-author of every word in the Bible, as eternal and intrinsically connected to both the Father and the Son is eyewitness to everything pertaining to Jesus from eternity past to this very moment. In essence, God Himself testifies in the Bible, declaring who Jesus is.
Did you know that not every self-declared Christian agrees with the Bible, let alone with each other about Jesus? Jehovah Witnesses for instance, believe that Jesus is inferior to or less than God having been created by God rather than being co-heir, co-creator and co-eternal with God. It is really this point about Jesus that I would like to address: Is Jesus God?
What do the scriptures say?
In prophetic literature we read of the coming of Jesus Christ in books like (Micah 5:2):
““But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”“
Here we see God the Father declaring the eternality of the One (a reference to Jesus His Son) coming forth to Him from Bethlehem. What does Isaiah the prophet Isaiah say about the Son of God then yet to be born in Bethlehem?
“For unto us a Child is born,Unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. and His name will be called: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
Again, in Isaiah 7:9 the Bible says:
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
Allowing the Bible to teach the Bible, what does the name Immanuel mean? ““Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”” (Matthew 1:23) In the New Testament we also read in (Hebrews 1:1-12):
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. for to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You”? And again:“ I will be to Him a Father,And He shall be to Me a Son”? But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” And of the angels He says:“ Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire.” But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” And: “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail.””
Was Jesus a good man as some have said? Yes. Was He a great man? Yes. Was He a good teacher? A Rabbi? Or as eventhe Muslims say, a prophet? Yes, yes and yes. Was and is He MORE than those things? Without a doubt!!! Jesus said, “He who has seen Me, has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) Jesus said, “I and My Father are One.” (John 10:30) Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am;” (John 8:58) this also being a reference to the unique name of God: YHWH also speaking to the eternality of Jesus. Beyond that we read in (John 1:1-3):
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”
Can the Creator create Himself? Yet the Bible declares not only His eternal equality with God but also that Jesus at creation made all things. Passages like (Philippians 2:5-11 and Colossians 1:15-18) likewise point to Jesus’ deity.
Jesus is God – He has a divine nature, so says the Bible but is that ALL that Jesus is? God’s don’t die and Jesus, as we have learned is eternal – He is as His Father is: from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 90:2). In order to “reveal God to men” as Ryrie wrote and to “provide us with an example for godly living” as well as to be the sacrfice for sin (see John 1:18. 1 Peter 2:21 and Hebrews 10:1-10) Jesus was also 100% man. In other words, Jesus had two natures: he was all man as well as all God. To be our Savior he set aside His rights as God rather then ceasing to be God (see Phil. 2:5-11) He was in the “form of God” but for our sakes He took on ” the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men.”
Regardless of our personal beliefs, descriptions, preconceived notions or understandings there is ONE OBJECTIVE TRUTH concerning who Jesus is; this truth is foundational to the Christian faith and a failure to believe that truth or a rejection of that truth about Jesus is to build a faith on a faulty foundation. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17) – the word of God declares who Jesus is and what He has done for your sake and mine; hear that word and believe. Does it matter if you believe that Jesus was less than God, a created being, a mere man or rather that He is equal with God, co-heir, co-creator and co-eternal with God? It matters as much (in that it as distinctly different) as day or night, darkness or light and life or death.
What you believe about the objective truth concerning Jesus Christ does not change it but your belief holds profound implications for you. Think about it…..
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