Who is Jesus?

Who exactly is Jesus? An angel? A Prophet? Just a good man? A created being but one that is lower than God? How can we know? If I told you who Jesus was would you believe me? What about someone who was born many years after the life of Jesus on earth, even if they claimed to be a prophet could we trust them? The answer is you can’t really trust my opinion, and you can’t even trust those who simply make a claim to be prophets. To get the real answer you would have to ask people who were there during the life of Jesus. In fact, if I could ask anyone who Jesus was, I would ask the people who lived every day with him. I would ask them what Jesus said about Himself. Wouldn’t you?

What is exciting is we have the ability to actually do so. Remember beloved, we have a timeless treasure, the letters of those who actually saw Jesus, who lived with Him for over 3 years during the most important part of His life here on earth and recorded his own words. That is the best resource to uncover who Jesus is, don’t you agree? Let’s open those letters today and discover who exactly Jesus is.

But before we do so, let’s ask God to help us, after all it can only help! I invite you to pray with me, below is a prayer you can repeat if you so desire.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Today we have a tremendously valid and important question. Who is Jesus, where did He come from, and how does it affect our lives? We ask that you open our eyes today so that we may see wonderful things from your Word. Teach us today, may we learn directly from your word and not from the option of any man. We ask for your Holy Spirit to be with us and guide us now we ask, in Jesus name amen.

Created or Creator?

I think no matter what your background logically we could both agree on some points.  If Jesus was created by something or someone, then he could not be God. If you need to be created by someone then you are not all powerful.  Also Romans 1:25 speaking of those who have gone astray “worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator”. So if Jesus is God, He could not have been created. For God is the beginning and the Creator. Also it is clear we should worship God and not anything created.

Just a man?

Who did Jesus say He was? In a brief conversation with some Jews the following was recorded by John a follower of Jesus….

Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” ~ John 8:57-58

Here Jesus is stating something radical, He is saying that before Abraham lived (who was alive hundreds of years before Jesus walked this earth) Jesus was alive.

Again Jesus says…

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. ~ Revelation 1:11, 18

Now here I think we can agree that Jesus cannot be just a good teacher or just a prophet. For if he were just a man then he wouldn’t be a good teacher nor a prophet, for no true prophet would claim what Jesus just claimed!

An angel or created being or God?

Since we know that Jesus claimed to be more than just a man let’s continue to read the words of Jesus.

And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. ~ Revelation 21:6-7

Here again Jesus is stating that those who enter heaven, He will be there God. That is more than just a claim to an angelic position, that is a claim of divinity.

Is there any way we can know that Jesus is God besides these verses? There is actually so much in the Bible that I simply can’t write it all at once! But let’s look at Hebrews 4:15 it says…”For we do not have a High Priest (Jesus) who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

The Bible says that Jesus lived a life without sin. So let us consider the actions of Jesus. Many people are familiar with the following text where Satan is tempting Jesus found in Matthew 4:10…

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” ~ Matthew 4:10

But people throughout the Bible worshiped Jesus and Jesus didn’t stop them. Below are just a few verses that document this.
And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ~ Matthew 2:11

And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” ~ Matthew 8:2

While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.” ~ Matthew 9:18
Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” ~ Matthew 14:33
Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” ~ Matthew 15:25
When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. ~ Mark 5:6

So it is clear that Jesus is God, if He was not, He would have been sinning when people like the disciples worshiped Him. No prophet or good man would allow others to worship him. If someone allowed others to worship them and they were not God, they would have been crazy and a liar! Therefore Jesus could not have been just a prophet, or just a good man. Listen to the words of Jesus in John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father (God) except through Me.”

Jesus is saying the only way to heaven is through Him. What if I made such a claim? “No one goes to heaven except through me.” If I wasn’t God (which I’m not) and if I made such a claim (which I would never dare to make) that would be blasphemy. No one who is not God and who is “just a good teacher” or “just a prophet” could make such a claim. If they did they would be a bad teacher and a false prophet. Therefore Jesus must be God, consider the miracles He did, having control over the wind and waves (Matthew 8:23-27), healing the sick instantly and casting out demons (Matthew 8:16), healing the blind (Matthew 9:27-31), raising the dead (Matthew 9:18-26), forgiving sins (Matthew 9:6, Mark 2:10) and even raising Himself from the dead (Luke 24). Only God has such power.

Lastly, again Jesus said “I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30) Even those who did not believe in Him knew that this was a claim to divinity, for it is written…
Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”
The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.” ~ John 10:31-33

There are many more texts we can cover regarding this (John 1, Hebrews 1, Genesis 1) but for now hopefully that should be a detailed enough.

So since Jesus is not created but is rather God the Creator what does that mean for me?

Simple, it unlocks the key to understanding the most famous Bible verse on this planet. John 3:16. In it, Jesus says

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

But wait, Jesus is God. Therefore God gave Himself for you and me? So the essence of John 3:16 says “For God so loved you that He gave everything for you, that you may have eternal life by believing in Him”.

Once you discover just exactly who Jesus is, then you realize just how much God gave for you. He gave everything. All that He has.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. ~ 2 Corinthians 8:9

The king of heaven on the cross! What great love is this?

There is no greater sacrifice than what God made for you and me. Since Jesus is God, then it stands to reason that if we want to understand who God is, what His character is like, then we are to look at the character of Jesus. May I recommend a quick study on the character of God entitled…

Is God loving? (link to study here)

It helps us discover what God gave for us and why He did so.  May the Lord bless you as you continue to search His word.