Who is Jesus?

  Truly knowing someone means being in a relationship with them. By spending time together people get to know one another. That being the case, what I offer in this post cannot serve as a replacement for a personal relationship with Jesus. But I hope that this post may serve as an introduction to Him, and encourage others to meet Him, be it for the first time or after some time apart. The basis for my statements will be the Bible.

Jesus is God

  The Bible clearly declares that Jesus is God, the one who created us.

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. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:1-5, NKJV)

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.   (Colossians 1:16-17, NKJV)

Jesus is God who became Man

  Jesus has always existed; through Him God the Father created the universe. But at a point in history Jesus was made known to the world as a man who walked among us. In this way God knows what it is like to see life through our eyes and can sympathise with us in all our experiences.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’”  (John 1:14-15, NKJV)

Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:

“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
In the volume of the book it is written of Me—

To do Your will, O God.’” 

(Hebrews 10:5-7, NKJV)

Jesus is the Messiah or Christ

The prophets foretold that God would one day send them the Messiah. This term comes from the Hebrew verb mashach, which means to anoint. Historically priests, kings, and sometimes prophets, were anointed in ancient Israel. This symbolised their being set apart ('consecrated') for special service to God and the people of Israel. The King represented the government and justice of God to the people; the Priest represented the people to God, making atonement on their behalf through sacrifices; the Prophet spoke the words of God to the people. The anointing oil also symbolised the Holy Spirit, who guided and empowered these people to do the work set before them. Jesus is the Anointed One: He was anointed by God with His Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38) to bring salvation to Israel and the world. He holds all three offices in their fullness: as King He will rule the world from Jerusalem when He sits upon the throne of David, dispensing justice to the nations (Luke 1:29-32); as Priest He has made atonement for us by His death on the Cross (Hebrews 10:1-18); as Prophet He is the perfect communication of God to Man (John 1:18) - He is the Word of God (Revelation 19:11-16). When Jesus came, he fulfilled a number of prophecies that refer to the Messiah - I invite any reader to make a detailed study of the New Testament from Matthew to Revelation, to see how Jesus is who He claims to be.                              

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21, NKJV) 

The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”

Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (John 4:25-26, NKJV)

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. (Matthew 16:13-20, NKJV)

Jesus is the Saviour

  A saviour is for those who need saving. The Bible calls Jesus the Saviour because He rescues people from their sins.

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21, NKJV)

If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:9-12, NKJV)

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  (Romans 10:12-14, NKJV)

Many more things could be said about the character of Jesus. My prayer is that this short introduction will help people seeking to find out more about who Jesus is, and inspire them to read about Him in the Bible and ask Him to reveal more of Himself to them.

God bless.