Virtually everyone we will meet has at least heard of Jesus, though they may have different opinions or assumptions about Him. Some may see Him as a great teacher. Others might think that he was just a Jewish rabbi. There are also those who believe that He was nothing more than a myth or a legend. Then there are believers who will affirm that He is the Son of God.
So who is Jesus? We will just scratch the surface here, but let us consider four points to help us answer that question.
Jesus Is Deity (God)
In his gospel account, John introduced Jesus in this way: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The fact that He was with God and was God means that He is one of the members of the “Godhead” – one of three persons of God. These were described distinctly at the baptism of Jesus when “Jesus came up…from the water,” the Spirit was “descending as a dove,” and the Father’s “voice out of the heavens said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased’” (Matthew 3:16-17).
In addition to describing the fact that Jesus was “with God” and “was God,” John also explained that He was instrumental in the creation of the universe and is the giver of life: “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men” (John 1:3-4). Only an all-powerful deity could do this.
Jesus Was God in the Flesh
Some believe that Jesus “was God” before He came to earth, but forfeited His deity when He took on flesh and blood. Yet Paul wrote, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). While on earth, He was fully God in the flesh. In fact, His enemies were often angry with Him for “making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18). We must either accept this (His deity) or reject Him altogether – there is no in-between.
Yet Jesus was “equal with God.” Even in the flesh, He lived a perfectly sinless life. Peter said that Jesus “committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22). This was something that only God could do since “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). John explained that “God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Jesus’ sinless life proved that He was God in the flesh and not a mere man.
Jesus Is the Messiah (Christ)
This word means “anointed one.” Jesus was specifically chosen to offer His life for our sins. During His earthly ministry, He explained that this was the reason why He came: “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself” (John 12:32). In this statement, He was indicating “the kind of death by which He was to die” (John 12:33) – crucifixion. After His death and resurrection, He explained to His disciples that the Old Testament prophesied about all of this: “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44).
On the day of Pentecost after Jesus ascended to heaven, Peter explained how everything that happened was part of God’s plan: “This man [Jesus], delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power” (Acts 2:23-24). Peter concluded His sermon by declaring that Jesus has been made “both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).
Jesus Is King
After His arrest, the Roman governor Pilate asked Jesus about being a “king” (John 18:37). Jesus affirmed that He was a king, but explained that His “kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). In other words, His kingdom was (and is) a spiritual kingdom.
We can be part of this kingdom today. Paul wrote to the Christians in Colossae about how God had “rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13). They were not waiting for the kingdom to come; instead, they were already in the kingdom, having been added to it by God when they were saved from their sins. As was prophesied in the book of Daniel, this kingdom “will never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44).
Conclusion
So who is Jesus? He is the Son of God, the Christ who offered His life for us, and the King who rules over a spiritual and eternal kingdom. Let us recognize Him as our Lord and follow His will in all things.
