Who is Jesus Christ?

God the Son is the second person of the Godhead, begotten by the Father before eternity. He is the Word and image of the Father—through him and for him God created all things. He was sent by the Father as Jesus Christ, God revealed in the flesh, to make salvation possible for us. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary—he was fully God and fully man, uniting two natures in one person. He, the Son of God and Lord over all, is worthy of honor and worship. As the prophesied Redeemer of mankind, he died for our sins, was bodily resurrected from the dead, and ascended into heaven, where he acts as mediator between man and God. He will return in glory to reign in the Kingdom of God as King of Kings over all nations.Johannes 1,1.10.14; Kolosser 1,15-16; Hebräer 1,3; Johannes 3,16; Titus 2,13; Matthäus 1,20; Apostelgeschichte 10,36; 1. Korinther 15,3-4; Hebräer 1,8; Offenbarung 19,16).

Christianity is about Christ

"At its core, Christianity is not a beautiful, complex system like Buddhism, an overarching moral code like Islam, or a fine set of rituals like some churches have portrayed. The crucial starting point for any discussion on this subject is the fact that 'Christianity' is - as the word suggests - all about one Person, Jesus Christ (Dickson 1999:11).

Christianity, although originally considered a Jewish sect, differed from Judaism. Jews believed in God, but most did not accept Jesus as the Christ. Another group mentioned in the New Testament were the pagan "God-fearers," to which Cornelius belonged. (Apg 10,2)They also had faith in God, but again, not all accepted Jesus as the Messiah.

“The person of Jesus Christ is central to Christian theology. While one might define 'theology' as 'talking about God', 'Christian theology' gives a central place to the role of Christ” (McGrath 1997:322).

“Christianity is not a set of self-sufficient or detached ideas; it represents an ongoing answer to the questions raised by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christianity is a historical religion that arose in response to a specific set of events centered on Jesus Christ.”

There is no Christianity without Jesus Christ. Who was this Jesus? What was so special about him that Satan wanted to destroy him and suppress the story of his birth? (Offb 12,4-5; Mt 2,1-18)What was it about him that made his disciples so bold that they were accused of turning the world upside down? 

God comes to us through Christ

The last study session ended with us emphasizing that we can only know God through Jesus Christ. (Mt 11,27), which is the true reflection of God's inner being (Hebr 1,3)Only through Jesus can we know what God is like, because Jesus alone is the revealed image of the Father. (Kol 1,15).

The Gospels explain that God entered the human dimension through the person of Jesus Christ. The Apostle John wrote: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Joh 1,1)The word was identified as Jesus, who “became flesh and dwelt among us.” (Joh 1,14).

Jesus, the Word, is the second person of the Godhead, in whom “the whole fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily.” (Kol 2,9)Jesus was both fully human and fully divine, the Son of Man and the Son of God. “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him.” (Kol 1,19)“And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” (Joh 1,16).

“Christ Jesus, who was in very nature divine, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage, but humbled himself by taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.” (Phil 2,5-7)This passage explains that Jesus renounced the privileges of divinity and became one of us so that those "who believe in his name might have the right to become children of God." (Joh 1,12). We ourselves believe that we are personally, historically and eschatologically confronted with the divinity of God in the humanity of this particular man Jesus of Nazareth (Jinkins 2001:98).

When we encounter Jesus, we encounter God. Jesus says: “If you knew me, you would know the Father also.” (Joh 8,19).

Jesus Christ is the creator and sustainer of all things

Regarding “the Word,” John explains to us that “it was with God in the beginning. Through it all things were made, and without it nothing was made that has been made.” (Joh 1,2-3).

Paul elaborates on this idea: “…all things were created through him and for him” (Kol 1,16)The Epistle to the Hebrews also speaks of “Jesus, who for a little while was lower than the angels” (i.e., he became man), “for whom and through whom all things exist.” (Hebr 2,9-10)Jesus Christ “is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Kol 1,17)He “bears all things with his powerful word.” (Hebr 1,3).

The Jewish leaders did not understand his divine nature. Jesus told them: “I came from God” and “before Abraham was, I was” (Joh 8,42.58). The “I AM” referred to the name God used for himself when he spoke to Moses. (2Mo 3,14)And as a result, the Pharisees and teachers of the law sought to stone him for blasphemy, because he claimed to be divine. (Joh 8,59).

Jesus is the Son of God

John wrote about Jesus: “We have seen his glory, the glory as of the only begotten Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Joh 1,14)Jesus was the one and only Son of the Father.

When Jesus was baptized, God called out to him: “You are my beloved Son, in you I am well pleased.” (Mk 1,11; Lk 3,22).

When Peter and John received a vision about the Kingdom of God, Peter viewed Jesus as someone on the same level as Moses and Elijah. He did not realize that Jesus was “worthy of greater honor than Moses.” (Hebr 3,3)...and that someone greater than the prophets stood among them. Again a voice came from heaven and said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him!” (Mt 17,5)Because Jesus is the Son of God, we too should listen to what he has to say.

This was the central section in the apostles' preaching as they spread the good news of salvation in Christ. Note Apostelgeschichte 9,20, where it says of Saul, before he became known as Paul: “And immediately he preached in the synagogues about Jesus, that he was the Son of God.” Jesus was “appointed Son of God by the Spirit of holiness, with power through the resurrection from the dead.” (Röm 1,4).

The sacrifice of the Son of God enables believers to be saved. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (Joh 3,16)"The Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world." (1Joh 4,14).

Jesus is Lord and King

At the birth of Christ, the angel announced the following message to the shepherds: “For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Lk 2,11).

The commission given to John the Baptist was to “prepare the way of the Lord.” (Mk 1,1-4; Joh 3,1-6).

In his introductory notes in various epistles, Paul, James, Peter, and John referred to "the Lord Jesus Christ" (1Kor 1,2-3; 2Kor 2,2; Eph 1,2; Jak 1,1; 1Pt 1,3; 2Joh 3; etc.)

The title "Lord" suggests sovereignty over all aspects of the believer's faith and spiritual life. Offenbarung 19,16 reminds us that the Word of God, Jesus Christ,

"King of kings and Lord of lords"

at a hunt.

In his book Invitation to Theology, as modern theologian Michael Jinkins puts it: “His claim on us is absolute and comprehensive. We belong wholly, body and soul, in life and in death to the Lord Jesus Christ” (2001:122).

Jesus is the prophesied Messiah, the Savior

In Daniel 9,25 God explains that the Messiah, the Prince, will come to liberate his people. Messiah means "the anointed one" in Hebrew. Andrew, an early follower of Jesus, recognized that he and the other disciples had "found the Messiah" in Jesus, which translates from Greek as "the Christ" (the anointed one). (Joh 1,41).

Many Old Testament prophecies spoke of the coming of the Savior [Redeemer]. In his account of the birth of Christ, Matthew frequently recounts in detail how these prophecies about the Messiah were fulfilled in the life and ministry of the Son of God, who, at his incarnation, was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit in a virgin named Mary and named Jesus, which means Savior. “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet.” (Mt 1,22).

Luke wrote: “Everything that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (Lk 24,44)He had to fulfill the messianic prophecies. The other evangelists testify that Jesus is the Christ (Mk 8,29; Lk 2,11; 4,41; 9,20; Joh 6,69; 20,31).

The first Christians taught that “Christ must suffer and be the first to rise from the dead and proclaim the light to his people and to the Gentiles.” (Apg 26,23)In other words, that Jesus “is truly the Savior of the world” (Joh 4,42).

Jesus returns in compassion and judgment

For the Christian, the whole story leads and flows away from the events of the life of Christ. The story of his life is central to our faith.

But this story is not over. It continues from the time of the New Testament to eternity. The Bible explains that Jesus leads his life in us, and how he does so will be discussed in a following lesson.

Jesus will also return (Joh 14,1-3; Apg 1,11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2Pt 3,10-13, etc). He returns not to deal with sin (he has already done this through his sacrifice), but for salvation. (Hebr. 9,28). At his “throne of grace” (Hebr 4,16) “He will judge the world with justice.” (Apg 17,31)“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from there we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Phil 3,20).

Summary:

The Scriptures reveal Jesus as the Word made flesh, the Son of God, the Lord, the King, the Messiah, the Savior of the world, who will come a second time to show mercy and judgment. He is central to the Christian faith because there is no Christianity without Christ. We have to hear what he has to say.

by James Henderson