Who Is Jesus Christ?
The question of whether Jesus Christ existed is asked by relatively few people. Most accept that Jesus was truly a man who lived in Israel 2,000 years ago. The debate begins with the discussion of Jesus’ full identity. Almost every major religion teaches that Jesus was a prophet or a good teacher or a godly man. But the Bible tells us that Jesus was infinitely more than a prophet, a good teacher, or a godly man.
C.S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity writes the following: “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” (Macmillan, 1952, p. 55–56).
So, who did Jesus claim to be? Who does the Bible say He is? First, He is God in the flesh. Jesus said in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” At first glance, this might not seem to be a claim to be God. However, look at the Jews’ reaction to His statement. They tried to stone Him “for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God” (John 10:33). The Jews understood Jesus’ statement as a claim to be God. In the following verses, Jesus never corrects the Jews or attempts to clarify His statement. He never says, “I did not claim to be God.” When Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), He truly was claiming equality with God.
In John 8:58 Jesus claims pre-existence, an attribute of God: “‘Very truly I tell you,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’” In response to this statement, the Jews again took up stones to stone Jesus (John 8:59). In claiming pre-existence, Jesus applied a name for God to Himself—I AM (see Exodus 3:14). The Jews rejected Jesus’ identity as God Incarnate, but they understood exactly what He was saying.
Other biblical clues that Jesus is God in the flesh include John 1:1, which says, “The Word was God,” coupled with John 1:14, which says, “The Word became flesh.” Thomas the disciple declared to Jesus, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28), Jesus does not correct him. The apostle Paul describes Jesus as “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). The apostle Peter says the same, calling Jesus “our God and Savior” (2 Peter 1:1).
God the Father bears witness of Jesus’ identity as well: “But about the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.’” (Hebrews 1:8; cf. Psalm 45:6). Old Testament prophecies such as Isaiah 9:6 announce the deity of Christ: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”.
Who Jesus Christ Is Not
1. Jesus was not God in disguise (Docetism). Think Superman. Jesus was not a superlative man, period (Liberalism). Think Batman.
2. Jesus was not one of three modes of God (Modalism). Think Hank Pym and his alter egos: Ant-Man, Giant-Man, and Yellowjacket.
3. Jesus was not created by God (Arianism). Think Thor. Jesus was not a good man adopted by God (Adoptionism). Think Green Lantern.
4. Jesus did not have a divine mind in a human body (Apollinarianism). Think the Hulk.
5. Jesus was not part man and part God (Eutychianism). Think Spider-Man.
Who Else Jesus Christ Is Not
1. Jesus is not one of many, many gods. Sorry, Latter-Day Saints (Mormons), Hindus, and others who believe in untold thousands and millions of gods.
2. Jesus is not who you want Him to be. Sorry, pick-and-choose-reality doesn’t work…no matter how badly you want the universe to revolve around your wishes, thoughts, and desires.
3. Jesus is not who some scholars say He is. Sorry, you can’t believe everything you watch, hear, and read.
4. Jesus is not a fairy tale. Sorry, He is not the hero of some great stories that we tell children with a smile and wink.
5. Jesus is not nice. Ever wonder if maybe, just maybe, we might be missing the point of the Jesus stories that make us cringe?
Who Jesus Christ Is
The Bible says Jesus is God’s Son, the Son of God, equal with God, and fully God. Jesus is a member of what we call the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is infinite and eternal. Jesus made all things, by Him all things exist, and God the Father has put all things under Him (John 1:1-18; Colossians 1:16; Colossians 1:19; Hebrews 1:1-3; Hebrews 13:8; 2 Peter 1:3).
God’s Word says Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One. He is the snake-Crusher (Genesis 3:15). He is the seed of Abraham (Genesis 12:3; Galatians 3:8; Galatians 3:16). He is the Prophet foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).
He is the Righteous Branch on David’s throne (Jeremiah 23:5-6; Jeremiah 30:9; Jeremiah 33:14-26). He is the glorious Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2). He is the fulfiller of all the other prophecies about the Coming One.
The Bible says Jesus is the Savior, Deliverer, Redeemer. He died on a Roman cross a horrific way to die. He died for us and for our sins, and not just for our sins, but for the sins of the world (Titus 2:14; Hebrews 7:25; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:2). Truly, He “is the Savior of the world” (John 4:42).
God’s Word, Jesus, is the Victor, Overcomer, Conqueror. He physically rose from the grave, having defeated sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). He is the King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16). Any questions?
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