We want to look at the Person and the Work of Jesus Christ. On one occasion, Jesus asked this question to a group of Pharisees: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?” Matthew 22, verse 42. That was a very important question. It was an important question on that occasion, when Jesus asked it, even of those who were His detractors. It certainly is an important question for us to consider today. What do you, what do I, think about the Christ? What do we know about Who He is, or Whose Son He is? The answer to this question is vital to what we believe. This is the very fact—the very foundation—upon which Christianity is built and upon which we, as Christians, must build our faith. One must confess faith in Christ in order to be saved, 1 John 4:15 [“If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.”]; Romans 10, verses 9 and 10 [“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”].
Also, the church is built upon the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He is Deity—that He is Divine, Matthew 16:13-20 [“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.”
Jesus’ authority over the church today rests upon this doctrinal Truth, Matthew 28, verses 18-20 [“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”].
So “who and what Jesus Christ IS” is the question at hand. It can be best seen by looking at the Person of Christ, and by considering His works. First of all, let’s consider the DEITY of Christ. The Deity of Jesus can be seen in seven states of His existence, which include His existence both in Heaven, as well as on the earth.
First, His pre-incarnate state in Heaven, the “logos” state: Jesus came from God and is God, not something created to reveal God, John 1:1-14; Philippians 2:6-7. (We’ll talk more about the “logos” state later).
Second, the incarnate Lord, as the Man, Jesus, John 1:14 [“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.”].
Third, His death on the cross, Mark 15:24 [“And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.”].
Fourth, His resurrection, as the resurrected Lord, Acts 2:32, 36 [“This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses…Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, Whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”].
Fifth, as One Who ascended to heaven and Who is even now at God’s right hand, Acts 2:33 [“Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.”].
Sixth, as reigning King of His kingdom, that being the church, Colossians 1:18 [“And He is the head of the body, the church, Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”]; 1 Timothy 6:15 [“which He will manifest in His Own time, He Who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords…”].
And then, seventh, as the returning Lord at the end of time, 1 Thessalonians 4:14, 16 [“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus…For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.”].
It will be within the context of these seven states of existence that we will explore this subject and will look at the Person and the work of Jesus Christ.
First, we look at Jesus in heaven. This is His PRE-INCARNATE state. Simply stated, Jesus existed in heaven before becoming a man and coming to this earth. We know that, but we need to be reminded of that from time to time. The teaching—that is, the doctrine—of the Bible is that, the coming of Christ into the world the first time is a happening unlike anything that ever happened before, and unlike anything that will ever happen again. It is different from any other event in all of history. Like none other, Jesus came from God, Philippians 2, verses 6 and 7 [“Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.”]. He was God, not just a revelation of God, as John says in John 1, verses 1 and 2 [“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”]. (Now that may need a little explanation. We spoke last time, when we were talking about the Doctrine of God, that God has revealed Himself in two ways: in a natural way or in nature, and also through His spoken Word. As God reveals Himself in nature, He has created what we see. As He reveals Himself through His Word, it is through the Word which is recorded for us in the Scripture. That is a revelation of God. But Jesus IS God, not a revelation—not something that God created to represent Him. This is a difficult concept for us to grasp and to understand. We’ll talk more about this.) Jesus was sent into this world with a specific mission, John 6, verse 38 [“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My Own Will, but the Will of Him Who sent Me.”]. Therefore, He is the One Who knows God and speaks for God, John 17, verse 2 [“as You [God] have given Him [Jesus] authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.”]. See also: 2 Corinthians 8:9; Ephesians 1:4; Hebrews 1:1-5.
There are several passages that relate the fact that Jesus lived with God in heaven before He came to this earth as a man. Let’s look at John, chapter 1, beginning with verse 1: “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. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His Own, and His Own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His Name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” And then verse 14: “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.” The doctrine of the Bible—the teaching—the fact of the Bible is that, Jesus lived with God in heaven before He came to earth.
In this pre-incarnate state, when Jesus was in heaven with God, He had a part in the creation of the world. We saw that in the text of John, chapter 1. Paul will speak about this as well, Colossians 1, verses 16 and 17 [“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.”]. Paul tells us that Christ “created all things” and “is before all things,” so we have Jesus becoming a part of the very creation that He made. Think about that. He was with God; He was with God as God created; He was part and parcel of that, and then at one point in time, He became a part of what He created. That really boggles the mind when you stop to think about it! He became a part of what He created! He and the Father created mankind, and He became a man. John described Jesus as the “logos” in John 1, verse 1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
That is the Greek word logos, which means “word.” This Greek word logos was used by Greek philosophers as “the personification of pure reason.” You remember that the Greeks were very much into philosophy, logic, and reason. So, this word “logos” for them represented the personification of pure reason. To John, as he wrote these Words, being inspired by the Holy Spirit, Jesus was not the personification of pure reason, but the personification of one of the God Head. As the logos, as the Word, He was the expression of God’s Will to man, and He revealed to us the Will and the very nature of God. In this sense, Jesus was distinct from the prophets. The prophets of old, those who had gone before, bear witness to the Word given to them. Jesus is the revelation that the prophets of old witnessed to and wrote about, this One Who would come—the Messiah. This Word, and this prophesy, was revealed to them through the power of the Holy Spirit. Many think of Jesus as just being a good man, a prophet, like some of the prophets who had gone before—Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah. Of course, there are many things that distinguish Him from the prophets. And this is certainly one of them: That is, the prophecies of those who prophesied were given to them [through the power of the Holy Spirit]. But Jesus IS the REVELATION of all prophecies. It staggers the mind when we think about these things.
Jesus is the Son of God by His very nature, not in the same sense that we are children of God or sons of God in an earthly way. He is the Son of God by His substance, and by His nature. Paul speaks about this in Philippians, chapter 2, verses 5-11: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
When Jesus came to this earth, in substance and nature He WAS, and IS, the Son of God, John 1:1-2. He He He did not become Deity when He was born, as is the doctrine of some man-made religions. He always had been Deity. He remains Deity to this day. He was not just a man who was given Deity by God. The phrase “Only Begotten,” that we read in John 1, verse 14, means that He is one of a kind, the only One of His kind, being born as the God-man of God.
That’s Who Jesus is. He was pre-incarnate—He existed with God before He came to this earth, John 1:1-4; Colossians 1:16-17; He was sent by God with a mission, John 6:38; He knows God, and He speaks for God, John 17:1-5; He had a part in the creation of the world, John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16-17.
Next, let’s look at the INCARNATION of Jesus. The incarnation of Jesus saw God come in the flesh. “The Word became flesh,” as John says [John 1:14—see all of John 1:1-14]. This is the incarnation of Christ. This is Deity taking on the “form of humanity.” Like we said before, the One Who created became a part of the creation. In becoming a man, Jesus emptied Himself of His equality with God, but not His full Deity. That’s what we just read in Philippians 2, verses 6 and 7. He took upon Himself all that was needed to be man. Isn’t that an interesting idea? As Deity, He took upon Himself everything that He needed to be man. That included the physical form and the emotional part of man. All of it! But here is a great mystery. He took upon Himself all that He needed to be man, BUT He was BOTH man and God at the same time. How was that? How do we explain that? How do we quantify that? Well, it’s beyond me to be able to explain that. It is a deep mystery, one that I personally have trouble comprehending. How could He be both? But we accept this fact by faith. He was both man and God when He became incarnate.
The virgin birth of Christ is central in this matter. The “conception” of Christ did not occur in the normal way. Luke tells us that, the Holy Spirit conceived the Christ child within Mary, the mother of Jesus, who was a virgin at that time. She had not had any sexual relationship with a man. Luke 1:26-35 tells about that. [See Luke 1:34-35: “Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’ And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One Who is to be born will be called the Son of God.’”]. So, His conception was miraculous; He was conceived in this young woman by the Holy Spirit. But the rest of His birth was “normal.” In this process, man and God were united through this birth, Matthew 1, verses 20 through 23 [“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.’ So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His Name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’”]. Again, this is difficult for us to understand, to comprehend, and to really appreciate! But this is how Jesus came into this world and how He became incarnate. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born in a natural way, and in that process, God and Man were combined.
Then we move on to the NAMES OF JESUS. While we were looking at the Doctrine concerning God, we studied the Names of God. Understanding the Names of God is important to our ability to understand and appreciate the nature or character of God. The same is true with Jesus. There are a number of Names contained in the Scriptures by which we see Him called or referred to, and even by which He refers to Himself. These Names tell us something about Him. They also show us His relationship to God, to the world, to mankind, to the church, and to us as Christians.
First of all, the Name “Jesus” is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew word “Joshua.” In Hebrew, “Joshua” means “Jehovah is salvation.” This is the personal Name of the Lord, and it was given to Him by God through an angel, Luke 1:31 [“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His Name Jesus.”]. This Name “Jesus” was not something that His earthly parents, Joseph and Mary, decided to call him. Rather, the Name “Jesus” was revealed by an angel of God. The angel instructed Joseph: “You will call His Name Jesus.”
And then, we see the Name “Christ.” Rather than a name, “Christ” is actually a title. “Christ” means “Messiah” or “The Anointed One.” This Name, then, becomes the official title of Jesus. This title demonstrates Him as the One Who was to come, the One Who fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. Jesus is anointed prophet, priest and king, Matthew 16, verse 16 [“Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’”]; 1 John 5:1 [“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him Who begot also loves Him Who is begotten of Him. ”]. So we see that “Jesus” is His Name, and “Christ” is His title.
Then another title is “Lord.” “Lord” means “owner” or “master.” It is used as a title of respect and of submission. Jesus is the Lord of all things, but He is to rule in the soul of each person as their Lord and as their Master, Acts 2:36 [“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, Whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”]; Acts 22:10 [“I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’”]; Romans 6:17 [“But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.”]. We make Him our Lord by being submissive to Him. This is a title that is descriptive of Who He is, but it is not something that comes “automatically,” if you will. In order for Him to be my Lord—in order for me to be able to call Him Lord, then I must submit to Him. If I do not submit to Him, I might refer to Him as “Lord,” in a general sense, but I cannot refer to Him as “my Lord.”
Jesus is also known as the “Son of God.” The “Son of God” is really from the Old Testament and was used in the Old Testament times in various ways. It was used regarding angels; it was used regarding the children of, or nation of, Israel; and it was also used in regard to kings. However, in the New Testament, it is used to imply that Jesus is the One, the Only Begotten Son of God, Matthew 16, verses 13 through 18 [See verses 15-16: “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 never referred to Himself in this way—He never called Himself the “Son of God,” at least not in the record that we have. But many times God called Him by this Name, Matthew 14:33 [“Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Truly You are the Son of God.’”]; John 5:23 [“that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father Who sent Him.”]; John 8:36 [“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”]; Hebrews 6:6 [“if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”]. So, indeed, it is an appropriate Name—the “Son of God.”
Another Name for Jesus is the “Son of man,” Matthew 20:28 [“just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”]. This is the most frequent way that Jesus referred to Himself. Those who have thought about this say that, by referring to Himself in this way, two things are revealed. First, this Name gave the least support to the political and to the national desires of the Jews during Jesus’ ministry. In other words, if Jesus had referred to Himself in some other way (for example, if He referred to Himself as the “Son of God”), that Name would have, perhaps, been more inflammatory. After all, things were inflammatory enough for Jesus. Secondly, this Name also reveals to us the humanity of Jesus and His humility. He didn’t go about “bragging,” as we might put it.
Other titles and Names of Jesus include the “Son of Joseph,” the “Son of Mary,” “Rabbi,” (meaning “teacher”), and also “Prophet.” In applying the Messianic titles, Jesus was also referred to, and correctly so, as “The King,” “The Holy One,” and “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah.”
And so these are the Names of Jesus. As we look at these, we can then see how descriptive they are in helping us to understand more about Who He was, and what His purpose was in this world.
Now let’s look at the ETERNAL SONSHIP OF JESUS. In His nature, Christ shares equality with God in “essence.” We refer again to the text that we read in Philippians, chapter 2, verses 5 through 7; that is, Jesus is fully Divine, possessing the attributes and the characteristics of divinity, as well as its make up or its nature.
Yet, as far as function is concerned, He is subordinate to the Father. There is an element of subordination within the God-head Itself. And Jesus is subordinate in the areas of planning and purpose, and in the area of roles. Think about it this way: The Father is the sender; the Son is the One sent. Also, the Holy Spirit, part of the God-head, is sent by the Father and the Son, and they speak through Him. Yet Jesus prayed that those in the church—those of us even now—would be one even as He and the Father are One.
Well, that sets up a little bit of a dichotomy [division into two parts], perhaps a little bit of a conundrum any puzzling problem]. What does this mean? It is also one of those mysteries that is difficult for us to comprehend. How can Jesus and the Father be One, yet be different? How can Jesus, being subordinate to God the Father in the areas of planning, purpose and roles, still pray that we be one as He and the Father are One? It is interesting to comprehend.
While in the flesh, Jesus’ divine attributes were mostly veiled. He spoke of Himself being under God the Father. He said, “the Father is Greater than I,” John 14, verse 28 [“You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.”]; and the Son can do nothing without the Father, John 5:19 and 30 [Verse 19: “Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.’” Verse 30: “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My Own Will but the Will of the Father Who sent Me.”]. So there is that relationship, that Eternal Sonship of Jesus being the Son of God—being Divine, but also being subordinate to the Father.
Some have raised the question whether or not Jesus was fully aware of His Own Deity. Was He aware of Who He was? Was Jesus aware of His Deity? Was Jesus aware of His Mission? What does the Bible say about this? To answer these questions, we can look at what Jesus said and taught about Himself in the Gospels.
During His ministry, Jesus called on men to follow Him. There are several references we can look at: Matthew 4:18-19 [“And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’”]; also Matthew 8:12-22 [see verse 22: “But Jesus said to him, ‘Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’”]; Matthew 9:9 [“As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ So he arose and followed Him.”]; Mark 1:16 and following [see verse 17: “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’”].
Also, Jesus accepted Peter’s confession of Him as the Son of God, Matthew 16, verse 16 and following [“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.’”].
At His trial before Pilot, Jesus implied Sonship to God, Matthew 26, verse 64 [“Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.’”].
Also, Jesus cast out demons by the power and the authority of God, Matthew 12, verse 22 and following [“Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.”].
Jesus claimed power to forgive sins, Matthew 9:2 through 6 [see verse 2: “Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.’”].
On one occasion, Jesus was in Nazareth, the town where He grew up. On the Sabbath, He went to the synagogue, and stood up to read. He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. He found and read the Scriptures concerning the Messiah, “And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing,’”Luke 4:21. He had made His claim that He was the Messiah.
Jesus said that He was “Lord of the Sabbath,” Mark 2, verse 28 [“Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”].
And, while on the cross, Jesus didn’t just make the claim that He could forgive sin; He showed His power to forgive sin, Luke 23:39 through 43 [see verses 33-34: “ And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’ And they divided His garments and cast lots.”].
So Jesus clearly was aware of Who He was and of What He was about. Jesus was aware of His Own Deity.
Let’s look at the PERSON and the WORK of Jesus Christ. Jesus made claims that He was greater than others. For example, in Matthew 12:41 and 42, Jesus said that He was greater than both Jonah and Solomon [“The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.”].
Also, Jesus would say that He was greater than the Temple of the Jews, Matthew 12, verse 6 [“Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.”].
And in His sermon on the Mount, Jesus demonstrated, and showed through what He said, that He was greater than Moses and the Law of Moses, Matthew, chapters 5, 6 and 7.
And He topped all of this by claiming that God had given Him all authority in heaven and on the earth, Matthew 28:18 and 19 [“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…’”].
The Gospel of John records many claims of Jesus that He made in His Own teachings. For example:
Jesus taught that He is the temple, John 2:19 through 21 [“Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ Then the Jews said, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?’ But He was speaking of the temple of His body.”].
To Nicodemus, Jesus said that He was God’s Only Begotten, John 3:16 [“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.”].
Of the coming Christ, Jesus told the woman at the well, “I am He,” John 4:26 [“Jesus said to her, ‘I Who speak to you am He.’”].
And the Jews were angered when Jesus called God “My Father,” John 5:17 and 18 [“But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.’ Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.”].
Jesus would also declare Himself to be the “bread of life,” John 6:57 and 58 [“As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”].
Jesus also said that He was the “light of the world,” John 8:12 [“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’”]; the “door,” John 10:7 [“Then Jesus said to them again, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.’”]; and the “Good Shepherd,” John 10:11 [“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”].
In John 14, verse 6, Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Also, In John 15, verses 1 through 5, Jesus would set up that metaphor of the vine and the branches, saying that He was the One true “vine,” [see verse 5: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. ”].
Well, all of these claims by Jesus Himself make it clear that He is Divine, and, as such, He is to be the object of our faith. We are to believe, not like Him, but we are to believe IN Him.
Let’s now look at the MIRACLES OF JESUS. Jesus claimed to be God’s Son and this was proved by the many miracles that He performed. These miracles demonstrated His power. They were also a demonstration of Who He was, and, moreover, they showed—they were proof—that the One Who was performing these miracles had the approval and the power of God, Matthew 9, verses 4 through 6 [“But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, ‘Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven you,” or to say, “Arise and walk”? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins’—then He said to the paralytic, ‘Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’”]. These miracles also showed that Christ was above natural laws, AND that He was in complete control of natural laws.
Jesus’ miracles can be seen in three senses: first, as signs which point to His Deity; second, as wonders referring to the affect that they had upon people; and third, as powers or works, because they showed the might of God. Seeing them in these three senses, these miracles then fall into six categories.
In the first category of miracles, there was His power over nature. A demonstration of that was His walking on the water, John 6:18 through 21 [see verse 19: “So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.”]. You know, it’s interesting to think about the fact that we’ve talked about Jesus being present with God at the creation, that Jesus was the Creator. Is it any wonder at all, then, that He had the power, the authority, the control, over these natural things that He had a hand in creating? No, walking on the water would not be any problem for Him.
The second category of the miracles of Jesus is that of healings, for example, in healing the lame man, John 5:1 through 9 [see verses 8- 9: “Jesus said to him, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk.’ And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.”].
The third category of Jesus’ miracles is raising the dead, as with Lazarus, John 11:17 through 44 [see verses 43-44: “Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go.’”].
The fourth category of the miracles of Jesus was in making physical changes, changing from one element of nature to another, as He did when He changed the water into wine, John 2:1 through 11 [see verses 7- 9: “Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the waterpots with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, ‘Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.’ And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.”].
The fifth category of Jesus’ miraculous power was the capability or power of casting out demons, Matthew 9:32 and 33 [“As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, ‘It was never seen like this in Israel!’”].
Then, the sixth category of the miracles of Jesus was the reading the minds of men, Matthew 9:4 [“But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, ‘Why do you think evil in your hearts?’”] and John 4:16 through 19 [“Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come here.’ The woman answered and said, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You have well said, “I have no husband,” for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.’ The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.’”].
These miracles show Jesus’ power over all segments of the physical world. And there is one more miracle that we see, connected with the life of Jesus on this earth, which was the greatest miracle of all. That was His resurrection from the dead—to die no more, Matthew 28:1 through 8 [see verses 5-7: “But the angel answered and said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus Who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.’”].
Of course, the resurrection of Jesus is emphasized in the New Testament. This was the very thrust of Peter’s message on the Day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts, chapter 2 [see verses 31-32: “he [David], foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.”]. It was that message that led 3,000 Jews to obey the Gospel [Acts 2:41: “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”]. Paul also stressed the importance of the resurrection of Jesus, Romans 1:1 through 4 [“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the Gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, Who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”]; also, 1 Corinthians 15:1 through 19 [see verses 3-4: “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures…”].
So the resurrection was the greatest of all of the miracles or signs. Even with all of the other miracles that Jesus performed, whether it was changing one element to another, whether it was healing the lame, or whether it was raising someone else from the dead, it was the miracle of the resurrection that proved, without a doubt, that He Was—that He IS—the Son of God. Without it, then we are without hope.
Let’s look now at the EXALTED LORD and REIGNING KING. We just mentioned the great miracle of the resurrection of Jesus. By His resurrection, Jesus was raised to be the “head of the church” and to “sit at the right hand of God in heaven” as “Lord and Christ,” Acts 2:36 [“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, Whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”] and Colossians 1:18 [“And He is the head of the body, the church, Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”].
In Ephesians 1:20 through 23, Paul wrote again of the fact that Jesus is head of the church and that He sits at the right hand of God: “Christ was put far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in the world which is to come, which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all.”
As Lord, Jesus rules during the Christian age over all creation, Matthew 28:18 through 20 [“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.”]. All authority has been given to Him by God the Father.
So, Jesus is reigning over the creation; He is sustaining the creation; and He will also be the judge in the last day, Acts 10, verse 42 [“And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He Who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.”].
As Lord, He will continue again at the end of time to render vengeance on the lost, 2 Thessalonians 1:7 through 10 [“and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.”]; and He will take the saved home with Him to heaven, 1 Thessalonians 5:1 through 11 [see verses 9-10: “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.”]; and John 14:1-4 [“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the Way you know.”].
Next, let’s look at the HUMANITY OF JESUS. As we’ve said before, Jesus, as Christ, was fully God, and He was fully man. Although conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, Jesus’ birth was a normal entrance into the world. Little is actually told to us about His life before the age of 30, but He grew as a normal Jewish child would have grown in that day. Matthew records that “Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,” Matthew 2, verses 1 through 6, and as a young child, He was taken to Egypt, Matthew 2:13 through 15. Sometime later, His family returned to Nazareth, in Galilee, and this is where He grew up, Matthew 2:19 through 23. That, of course, is why He is often referred to and known as “Jesus of Nazareth.”
Luke records that at the age of 12, Jesus had gone with his family to the City of Jerusalem to observe the Passover. It was during that time that Jesus was left behind at their departure, Luke 2, verses 40 through 51. Not to suggest that He was not aware of this beforehand, but this is where it’s recorded for us that it is also at this time [in the temple in Jerusalem] when Jesus gives His first indication or awareness of His relationship to God. He had come to this earth with a mission. In Luke 2, verse 49, Jesus makes this statement to His parents when they had found Him in the temple: “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business.” Luke 2, verse 52 sums up the period of Jesus’ life between the ages of 12 and 30, stating that during that time, “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Thus, the implication there for us is that He grew in all areas of life, including intellectually, physically, spiritually, socially, and so on, to adulthood.
As a man, Christ was born of the seed of David, as reflected by the genealogy that is contained in Matthew 1, verses 1 through 17, and also in Luke 3:23 through 38. This, of course, fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the coming Messiah, prophecies such as the one contained in 2 Samuel 7:12 through 16, Psalm 89:3 and 4, Psalm 132:11, and Isaiah 9:6 and 7.
As a man, Jesus was like us in all things except that He was sinless, Hebrews 4, verse 15 [“For we do not have a High Priest Who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”]. The fact that He was fully human was seen in the fact that He became tired—He became exhausted, Mark 4, verse 38 [“But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’”].
We see that Jesus had all of the emotions that we as humans have:
He was angered on one occasion, Mark 3:5 [“And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.”].
He was moved with indignation, Mark 10, verse 14 [“But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.’”].
He showed surprise, Mark 6, verse 6 [“And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.”].
He was moved with compassion, Mark 6, verse 34 [“And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.”].
And on one occasion, “Jesus wept,” John 11, verse 35. He was moved to tears—not so much over the death of His beloved Lazarus, but at the show of emotion that He saw in Mary and Martha and those who loved Lazarus. Yet, through all of His life, Jesus obeyed the Will of God in all things.
As a human, it was possible for Jesus to sin, but He did not sin. Sometimes this is a point which is overlooked. People might say it was “impossible” for Him to sin. I submit to you that without the possibility of sin, then there could have been no temptation. So we realize and understand that Jesus, indeed, could have sinned, but He did not.
Let’s look now at Jesus’ SUFFERING and DEATH. The cross was a curse and a stumbling block. Deuteronomy 21:22-23: [God said,] “If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.” Galatians 3:13: “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’)…” 1 Corinthians 1:23: “but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness…”
Jesus spoke of His own suffering, and His impending suffering and His passion on the cross, Luke 24:46 [“Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day…”]; Matthew 16:21 [“From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”]; and Matthew 17:12 [“But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.”].
All of that is bound up in the humanity of Jesus. As a human, He had to die to atone for the sins of mankind—for human sin, Hebrews 9, verses 11 through 14 [“But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His Own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”]. IF Jesus’ Deity left him before He died on the cross, or IF, in some other way, His death was nothing more than a “sham,” then there is NO atonement for sin. There is NO sacrifice for sin. There is NO forgiveness for sin. It is an essential point to our understanding of the life of Jesus that we KNOW that He HAD to die to atone for the sins of mankind: His suffering and His death really happened! It really was what we read about on the pages of the New Testament.
Thinking about the past, the present and the future, let’s look at the WORK OF CHRIST. First, what Jesus has done in the past: He was active in the creation; He came to earth to fulfill God’s plan to save man eternally; and in doing so, He fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. Jesus entered the world at just the right time, Paul says, Galatians 4:4 and 5 [“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”]. He lived a sinless life as a man, which enabled Him to serve as a sacrifice for our sins. He died on Calvary’s cross, shedding His Own blood as a sacrifice to God for our transgressions. In doing this, He reconciled us—that is, He brought us back to God. And all of this was accomplished by the work of Christ in His passion and death on the cross, and, ultimately, by His resurrection from the dead. On earth, Jesus was a Teacher Who taught God’s Will for man in this age. He commanded His followers to teach others all that He had taught them, and He sent the Holy Spirit to guide the apostles into all Truth and to establish the church. That is the work Jesus has done in the past.
What is Christ doing now? What is His present work? He continues to be the Savior of the lost; He continues to be the Head of the church; He continues to be the King, the Ruler, of the Kingdom; and He now acts as Mediator between God and man.
Then there is the third aspect to Christ’s work, which is His unfinished work—His future work—which awaits His second coming at the end of the age. That will be an event that everyone will know about. At the time of the judgment, He will be the Judge, and He will sentence many to eternal destruction. But those who are faithful, those who are His children, He will usher into the presence of God.