Who is Jesus? This is the biggest question Jesus asked in the weeks before the resurrection. Jesus asked his disciples this question and then asked Peter the same question. We all should seek to know the answer to this question. All of the major religions have their own opinions about Jesus. They say that He was a good man, righteous teacher, even a prophet. But who do you say Jesus is?
Jesus is God's Son/God with us
Jesus is not a "created being". He shows us who God is. Until Jesus came people didn't really see who God was. Jesus came and took on flesh, born of a virgin to show us who God is.
Hebrews 1:3 Jesus is the "radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature"
John 1:1 Jesus is the Word " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God."
John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father"
Jesus claimed to be God. John 10:30-33 "I and the Father are one." He said that he existed before Abraham John 8:58 "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."
A. Jesus accepted worship Matt. 2:11, 14:33, 28:9, 28:17, Luke 24:42, John9:38
B. Testimony of Apostles John 20:28, Titus 2:13, 2 Peter 1:1
Jesus is our propitiation He is the atoning sacrifice. He satisfied the wrath of God. He took our place. 2 Cor. 5:21, 1John 2:2, Hebrews 9:12
John the Baptist said about Jesus when he saw Jesus coming toward him "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29 Jesus was crucified during Passover...He is the Lamb of God. Jesus gave His life...He took our place. His blood covers us and we are made right with God through His shed blood.
Additional scripture: Isaiah 53:4-7, Romans 5: 6-8, 1 Cor. 5:7, Ephesians 5:2, 1 Peter 1:18-19
Jesus is our Great High Priest
What was the job of the high priest? The job of the high priest was to go before God on behalf of the people and offer sacrifices to God. Jesus goes before God on our behalf. Hebrews 2:17, Hebrews 4:14-16
Jesus is our mediator. He was tempted as we are tempted. He understands what we go through. He empathizes with us.
Additional scriptures: John 17, Hebrews 9:11-14
Jesus is the ultimate prophet
What was the job of the prophet? The prophet delivered God's message to His people. They were hated by the people because they pointed out the people's sin. The prophets were rejected by the people.
After feeding the 5000, the people said "This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!" John 6:14. This was in reference to Moses Deut. 18:15 "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers-it is to him you shall listen" John the Baptist said "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. " John 1: 17-18
Jesus preformed the duties of the prophets John 7:16, John 8:28, A prophet like Moses He has made God known. He speaks the Father's words.
Jesus is King
He came into Jerusalem humble and gentle John 18:37 He came in riding on a donkey not a "war horse". He was not the "King" that the Jews wanted or expected. Matt. 21:4-5
Zechariah 9:9 said 500 years earlier "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
However His 2nd coming will be different. He will come as a conquering King. He will reign until all of His enemies are put under His feet. Psalms 110:1 "The Lord says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.'" Rev. 1:5 "and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth."
Additional Scripture: Psalms 2, Revelation 19:11-16
Jesus is the Messiah, our Savior
Messiah and Savior are not quite the same. Messiah and Christ are the same...the anointed one. A savior is the one chosen to deliver.
What kind of man was Zacchaeus? Luke 19:10 He was a sinful man and Jesus still went to his house. Jesus wanted to "save" him. Jesus came to seek and save the lost .
The Samaritan woman at the well...what type of woman was she? Not a woman of good reputation. She had been married several times. At this time the well was where men would meet their wives. She was surprised that Jesus was speaking to her, but He knew who she was and He knew she was a sinner. John 4: 25-26 Jesus made it clear to her who He was. He did not speak in parables to her. He revealed himself to her and set her free from her sin. She was saved.
Who is Jesus to you?
Is He going to be your Lord? Do you confess Him with your mouth?
C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity
"I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him [Jesus Christ]: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic-on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg-or else he would be the Devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that option open to us. He did not intend to."
Jesus is either a liar, lunatic, or Lord... everyone has to decide for themselves who He is.
Live your life in such a way that people will see that there is something different about you and want to know what makes you different...Jesus.
