Who is Jesus, really?

Who is Jesus, really?

There are so many, seemingly contradicting and even controversial views of who the person of Jesus (really) is, that we thought it is time to set the record straight.

In order to be systematic, we will address this topic at the hand of these 10 points of which the last article can be found on the website:

1. The person and nature of Jesus
2. God incarnate
3. Jesus, both man and God
4. Prophecies pertaining to Jesus
5. Jesus the Messiah
6. Jesus the suffering servant
7. Jesus of Nazareth
8. Jesus, the good Shepherd
9. The Angel of the Lord
10. The reign of Melchizedek
11. Jesus, the Lion and the Lamb

We will strive to remain as objective as possible to ensure that we give a balanced view when weighing up the evidence and comparing sources. 

Not only those found in the scriptures, but also from secular writers, although the Scriptures should ultimately take precedence over any other writing, especially when referring to the deity of Christ – fully Man, yet fully God – as is the case with any other religion when referring to their prophets or gods in their writings.

1. THE PERSON AND NATURE OF JESUS

The bible states that Jesus was there from the beginning.  What does this mean exactly? 

John 1 v 1, 14
[1]“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
[14]“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Does “In the beginning” actually mean Jesus came into existence at a certain point in time?  This would mean that He is bound to the creation (space, time and matter) and therefore he surely cannot be the Creator as John explicitly claims in vers 2;

[2] “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” as well as Colossians 1 v 17 stating that He is the One in whom “all things hold together.”

Surely as the Creator of something, one must not be bound to the material, so to speak, in the same way as a builder or watchmaker is not bound to their handy work.  The design (and final product) requires a designer who looks in from the outside as they create their piece of art.

Is this enough evidence to show that Jesus was present, as part of the Godhead, from eternity past?  If the above is true, it shows Jesus has always existed as God and did not only come into being with His birth.  Before you respond, we have a few more points to cover, so bear with me as you continue reading.

2. GOD INCARNATE

How do we even begin to wrap our heads around the concept of God, the Father, giving a part of Himself in the form of His son Jesus, who in turn is fully man, yet fully God?  More on this in the next section.

Perhaps if we understand the Trinity better, we might begin to grasp the idea of God, the Father.  How everything flows forth out of Him, while He bears the title, Grand Designer, the Creator, our Sustainer and Redeemer.

He is one in three and three in one.  One God in three Devine Persons.  Let us make it practical.  God is the center that holds everything together.  God is the Father, God is the Son and God is the Holy Spirit. On the contrary, The Holy Spirit is not the Father, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, nor is He the Father.

If God is the Father of the Godhead, yet also Spirit, but one God, where does the Holy Spirit then fit in and how does a Sovereign God become a man and remains God while He reveals Himself in the flesh, which is supposedly fallen? 

Someone who has not fully come to the knowledge of the truth might say we are posing question after question, having to fabricate the answers in order to support our belief system.  For the Jewish people it was unthinkable for anyone to say, “I am” other than God Himself and for the Muslims to even consider God to have a son was blasphemous.

Who is this Jesus then, proclaiming to be the Son of God?  Let us have a look at the deity of Christ before we answer this question.

3. JESUS, BOTH MAN AND GOD

”Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in  Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped.  But emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” (Philipians 2 v 5 – 7) [NIV]

We should know by now that one cannot simply take one verse to conclude or build a theology around your belief and therefore we are required to have an in depth look at this before giving our verdict. 

It is no secret that even secular scholars who wrote about biblical history and the life of Jesus based some parts of their writings on the historical accuracy of the bible.  Anyone who denies this proven fact is simply in denial.  They acknowledge that Jesus lived as a man, but only attributes to Him the title of “prophet”, without devine nature.  Much like they would refer to any other religious figure.

They were not convinced that He was the Son of God, nor that He was God, Himself, in the flesh.  This has been a topic of many heated debates, even among believers, whether Jesus is God and if He explicitly proclaimed this.  If the Scriptures prove to be true, then surely a single reference to His deity, in context should suffice, don’t you think?  Do not answer yet.  Let us look at the next section.

4. PROPHECIES PERTAINING TO JESUS

There are dozens of prophecies in the Old Testament referring to Jesus and pointing to His birth, ministry and death by crucifixion, his resurrection and future reign.  Many say the church fabricated the bible as part of a larger conspiracy and that their writings contradict itself.  Well this is simply ungrounded and does not weather the test when looking at the authenticity of the bible.

Scientific tests have shown that the original manuscripts date back to the time they were written and therefore there was no conspiracy among the writers of the Old and the New.  Subsequently this means that the events pertaining to Jesus were indeed foretold, which could only mean one thing. 

The bible is the inspired Word of God, penned down by the writers of the scriptures.  So to say that the bible is not reliable because men wrote it is a self-defeating argument. 

So which prophesies show that Jesus would be born from a virgin in Bethlehem?

Born of a virgin

The prophecy of Jesus’ birth much of the world recognizes is that of Isaiah 7:14: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” This, of course, came to pass precisely: “After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18). Mary herself confirms she was a virgin: “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” (Luke 1:34).

His “immaculate conception” (not in the Roman Catholic sense) decreed His worthiness to be our High Priest and Mediator before the Father. Though not of Levi, Jesus qualifies as a priest “according to the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 7:14-15):

Therefore, He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens. (verses 25-26)

Richard T. Ritenbaugh
https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/2702/Immaculate-Conception-Catholic-Doctrine-of.htm

Born in Bethlehem

“The prophecy, which was written about 700 years before the birth of Jesus, is effective in a simple way: It eliminates all other cities and towns throughout the world as a place in which the Messiah would be born. It narrows the possibilities to one tiny village, near Jerusalem. And throughout the span of the past 27 centuries, since the time of the prophet Micah, Bethlehem is credited as being the birthplace for the only person who is widely accepted as being the Messiah, by people throughout the world, and that person is Jesus Christ.”

– 100 Prophecies, Chapter 3.
https://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/micah_5_2.htm

Which prophesies pointed to His ministry, death by crucifixion, resurrection and future reign?

Jesus’ ministry

The Messiah Will Be A Prophet Like Moses

Deuteronomy 18:15 – “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites, and you must listen to that prophet.”

About the Prophecy in Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:1a states: “This book records the words that Moses spoke to all the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness east of the Jordan River.” These words were written about 1260 B.C. Throughout the book of Deuteronomy, Moses talks to the people of Israel as they are about to enter the Promised Land. He reminds them of their covenant with God and their glorious future, if they obey Him.

The Fulfillment

John 7:40-42 – “When the crowds heard Him say this, some of them declared, ‘This man surely is the Prophet.’ Others said, ‘He is the Messiah.’ Still others said, ‘But He can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.’”

Acts 3:20-23 – “Then wonderful times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and He will send Jesus your Messiah to you again. For He must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through His prophets. Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything He tells you.’ Then Moses said, ‘Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be cut off from God’s people and utterly destroyed.’”

https://www1.cbn.com/biblestudy/biblical-prophecies-fulfilled-by-jesus

Death by crucifixion

The Messiah To Die By Crucifixion, With Pierced Hands And Feet

Psalm 22:14-16 – “My life is poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within Me. My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of My mouth. You have laid Me in the dust and left Me for dead. My enemies surround Me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on Me. They have pierced My hands and feet.”

Zechariah 12:10a – “Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on all the people of Jerusalem. They will look on Me whom they have pierced and mourn for Him as for an only son.”

About the Prophecy of The Psalms and Zechariah

Again, Psalm 22 is a Psalm of David. In this psalm he is describing an execution. The early portion of this psalm describes the Messiah’s suffering; the later portion describes the universal deliverance the Messiah makes possible.

In Chapter 12 of the book of Zechariah, the prophet speaks of God’s own representative who is killed at the hands of His people. At a future point, the people of God will realize whom they have pierced and will mourn for “the son” who died.

The Fulfillment

Matthew 27:31 – “When they were finally tired of mocking Him, they took off the robe and put His own clothes on Him again. Then they led Him away to be crucified.”

Mark 15:20 – “When they were finally tired of mocking Him, they took off the purple robe and put His own clothes on Him again. Then they led Him away to be crucified.”

John 19:15-16 – “‘Away with Him,’ they yelled. ‘Away with Him – crucify Him!’ ‘What? Crucify your king?’ Pilate asked. ‘We have no king but Caesar,’ the leading priests shouted back. Then Pilate gave Jesus to them to be crucified.”

https://www1.cbn.com/biblestudy/biblical-prophecies-fulfilled-by-jesus

Jesus’ resurrection

A prophecy that was used by the apostles when they first began proclaiming Christ’s resurrection is found in Psalm 16 (note Acts 2:25-28; 13:35-37). The first eight verses of this fascinating psalm are best understood as coming from the lips of Christ as He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane just before His arrest and crucifixion. But then He prays: “My flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”

“Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:9-11). These verses speak poetically first of His burial, then His descent in the spirit into Hades, followed by His return into His body resting in the tomb before decay could begin, then His resurrection and ascension into heaven to be seated at the Father’s right hand. This verse, incidentally, contains the first of 21 references in the Bible to His present position at the right hand of God the Father.

https://www.icr.org/article/prophecies-resurrection/

Jesus’ ascension

Psalm 110:1 gives special insight concerning His ascension after the resurrection. “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” Literally, this reads: “Jehovah said unto Adonai,” using two names of God as the Father is apparently speaking to the Son. This particular verse is applied to Christ no less than five times in the New Testament.

https://www.icr.org/article/prophecies-resurrection/

Future Millenial reign of Christ

THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST WAS PROPHESIED

Through the Word of God, we understand that Daniel prophetically saw the coming of this Kingdom (Daniel 2:45). It is a beautiful revelation. Here was a man whom God gave the vision of this coming Kingdom! Imagine that. Daniel saw the Stone cut from the mountains without hands, which means that the Lord Jesus Christ was born without an earthly father, and He saw the Stone smite the empires (world powers) and destroy them completely. It says the Stone filled all the earth. We will be coming to that time soon. Daniel saw this 2,500 years ago.

The force and power of prophecy is amaz- ing. I don’t know why more people don’t study prophecy! Perhaps they are afraid of it. Proph- ecy certainly is a daring thing. Some of those who study prophecy have a few “screws loose.” They don’t get it right and mess up a lot of people’s lives. But if you just follow the Word of God simply, then the Word of God will teach you the things you ought to know.

The Kingdom is foretold by Christ Himself as well. When the disciples saw Jesus praying, one of them said, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1), and the Lord proceeded to do so (Luke 11:2-4). He said, “When you pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven…” (Luke 11:2). Isn’t it amazing that Jesus directed the prayer to His Father? You should study the relationship of the Trinity, or you might miss something. He also said,“Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you” (John 16:23). This shows there is a movement of unity between the Father and the Son that is unparalleled.

He told them to pray, “Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come…” (Luke 11:2). Jesus prayed, “Thy Kingdom come,” and He prayed it to the Father! He asked it of His Father. The Father’s Kingdom is the Millennial Reign, and Jesus is the One who is ordained to be its King.

His kingdom hasn’t come yet though. You can look back through the annals of history and see that nothing resembling the Kingdom of God has been on this earth. However, during the Kingdom Age, this earth will be called The Kingdom, and it will be the Kingdom of God. And the will of God will be done on this earth!

And for that whole period of time Satan will be bound. He will be bound! That is very exciting! He will be incapacitated. He will have no voice to speak. He will have no dirty fingers to put on anyone. He will have no feet to go trotting after you. He will be bound. He will be incarcerated. Satan has a seal of God against him.

https://drlestersumrall.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Millennial-Reign-of-Christ.pdf

The biblical prophecies pointing to Jesus are spot on.  Accurate in every aspect and therefore trustworthy and reliable.  Surely all the other prophecies that have come to pass, should be given the benefit of the doubt, instead of attributing them to some random and unexplained phenomena.

Sometimes it seems people choose not to believe and that it is not an intellectual shortcoming but rather a decision of the heart.  Like I always say, “Although one’s feelings might seem legite, it does not make the truth less true”.  This means that even though you might feel there is no proof for God, because there is nothing tangible to make Him real to you, it does not take away the fact that He exists, or that His Word is true and everything prophesied about Him is true.

By now you might say, it is my opinion or perception or even that I am gullable to believe in this fairy tale.  We are not even half way, so be patient as you continue reading.

5. JESUS, THE MESSIAH

What makes Jesus the Messiah?  Surely if the prophecies pointing to all the above are true, then everything written about Him as the Messiah, who would come and die for our sins is true.  If He did come to die for our sins, it actually means that everything else written about the fall of man is true and if that is true then everything about the creation must be true and so on and so forth.  You get the point.

Many still believe today that Jesus was purely a prophet.  Why is it then that the religious institutions and their leadership of the day made it their mission to get rid of Him?  Was it simply because He blasphemed, according to them, by saying He is the Son of God or was it rather because He threatened their lively hood?  There is much to be said about the scribes and the pharisees, but this is not the purpose of the article and they are not our focus.  Our focus is purely on the Lord Jesus and the impact He had on the people of those days.

Jesus, as the Messiah, preached repentance.  Yes, He healed the sick and rose the dead, but He never made this His focus.  He taught on love, patience, humility, respect for parents, relying on Him to sustain you and even pointed people to the law, etc.  The list goes on…  Everyone preceding Jesus’ birth, i.e. the prophets, judges and John the baptist pointed to Him as the coming Messiah, who would be the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world. 

Even from before the foundations of the world, that Jesus created, the plan of salvation has always been there.  The question begs.  If you are God, then why not simply create the world and humanity without sin?  Wait a minute.  He was pleased with everything He created and because God is love, He gave man a free will. They chose to be disobedient.  This does not take anything away from His sovereingty, but shows His love for us, willing to give of Himself as a substitute for our sins, while He could simply hit the reset button, because He is God, right? 

Don’t jump to any conclusions yet, but if you have made up your mind about why you do not believe in Jesus, we won’t blame you if you decide to leave now, we’ll pray for you,but will not hold it against you and hope that in the future you might challenge yourself and seek the truth once more.

6. JESUS, THE SUFFERING SERVANT

I suppose God, deciding to become a man, could have changed the circumstances in which He would be born and that of the life He would live.  Perhaps He could have come as a conquering king to save the Jewish people from their oppressors.  The only problem with that is it would totally defeat the whole purpose, because saving them from their oppressors and changing the world for good would not necessarily have changed people’s hearts.

Unless He forced people to change their hearts, just like you can force your child to respect, love you and obey you, right?  He would not be a God of love if that were His solution as love, by definition, implies choice.  God does not want robots; He desires fellowship with His children.  Surely, you would want your children to love you out of their own free will.  Back to Jesus, although we have been discussing Him all along.

Intead, He was born in a manger, because there was not any place in the Inn for Him and His parents.  He literally had no place to lay down His head when starting His ministry and many treated Him with contempt most of the time.  Not to mention how they mocked Him before and during His crucifixion.

He practiced what He preached and not only because He was without sin or because He is God, but because He set the example of what it meant to be righteous.  He even proclaimed God the Father and did not do or say anything if it was not the will of the Father.  Jesus, the Son of God as a suffering servant, was willing to endure accute persecution.  Something the western world has not experienced yet.

We were raised and schooled in an environment, where a society teaches that serving means you are weak.  Selfishness is just a way of looking out for your own best interest, not to be inconvenienced by anyone, while putting your desires above those of your peers, friends and loved ones is no more wrong than perhaps lying to your parents and spouse. 

Jesus washed His disciple’s feet.  He sat down and ate with those excluded from and rejected by society.  He taught what it meant to pick up one’s cross and follow Him.  The price paid to leave all the riches and luxuries behind, this world has to offer.  He suffered much and endured until the end.  He had a choice and even asked the Father if the cup could pass Him by, yet He was willing to submit to His will just as a servant of those days would submit to His master’s will.

7. JESUS OF NAZARETH

Born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth where He began His ministry, Not much is said about Jesus’ childhood, other than that He was circumcised and dedicated to the Lord as was the custom in those days. 

Next, we read about Him when He is twelve years old, visiting the temple and displaying Godly wisdom, unheard of from a child His age.  Already the people saw something special in Him, not knowing that they were witnessing the Messiah. 

Jesus was a normal man from a worldly perspective, seen by some as a prophet and by others as a magician and even attributing His miracles to the work of the devil, a sin not forgiven by God and seen as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. 

He led a humble existence and allowed people to take care of Him and His disciples wherever they went, although He, Himself provided many times, not only for Himself and His disciples but people all around.  Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.  This “title” was given to Him, not out of respect, rather as an insult and little did they know they were mocking and crucifying the Messiah, Lord of lords and King of kings.

Jesus’ life and crucifixion is mentioned in the writings of Josephus, a first century Jewish Priest and that of Tacitus, a Roman senator.  We urge you to take the time and research these historical figures and their writings.  Perhaps they might persuade you to at least give Jesus’ existence the benefit of the doubt, although it might be a far cry for you to believe He is anything more than an activist for a man made religion and if this is the case then at least you have realized that there is enough evidence for His life as Jesus of Nazareth.

8. JESUS, THE GOOD SHEPHERD

It is said that a good shepherd tends after his flock and this is something Jesus refers to in the gospels.  He implies that a good shepherd will leave the ninety-nine who are righteous and go after the lost one.

A good shepherd will also guard his sheep agains ravenous wolfs, eager to devour them.  He then warns against the wolves in sheep clothing, pretending to protect the flock, but actually deceiving them and exposing them to danger.  A good shepherd will offer up His life for His sheep.  He will go to any length to ensure they are safe and out of harms way.

Jesus, as the head of the church and the Good Shepherd, sacrificed His life so we can live.  He fought against the authorities, the religious leaders of His day, who were taking advantage of the “lay” people, teaching the precepts of men as doctrines of God [paraphrase]. 

Jesus, as the good Shepherd, hung on the cross and was still concerned with His mother’s well being and even promised the criminal, who hung on His one side, eternal life.  While He could have sought empathy, He asked God for forgiveness on behalf of those who crucified Him.

Many years ago, one was able to purchase a wristband with the letters “WWJD”, which stood for WHAT WOULD JESUS DO.  Today it might sound like a cliché, but the question is this; would you be willing to do what Jesus has done, for He says that whatever you do for or to someone you have done it or said it to Him.

Are you willing to lay down your life for someone?  Perhaps a righteous person, but would you give your life for a wretch?

9. THE ANGEL OF THE LORD

These last two sections refer to the manifistations of God, in the Old Testament, in the First person, as some might believe or as His Son, Jesus Christ.  There are mixed interpretations of Jesus as “The Angel of the Lord” and best practice would be to use Scripture to explain itself, ideally making use of a study bible.

Can you just imagine how jaw-dropping amazing it must have been to have an encounter with their Creator?  In Genesis, Hagar refers to The Angel as God, seeing that He is able to foretell her future.  Both Abraham and Moses have the privilege of seeing God’s representative and even Joshua’s transgressions are forgiven by this entity, which can only mean one thing.  The Angel of the Lord, who had the power to forgive the high priest, would eventually become our High Priest.

Possible Christophany

The early Fathers of the Church, such as Justin Martyr, identify the angel of the Lord as the pre-incarnate Christ, whose appearance, i.e. Christophany, is recorded in the Hebrew Bible. On the reason why some early Christians viewed Jesus as the angel of the Lord, Susan Garrett says:

[The logic behind the] reading of Jesus into accounts of the angel of the LORD went deeper. Many Jews before and during the time of Jesus were deeply interested in angels. Some understood the angel of the LORD as a being completely separate from God—a sort of angelic vizier or righthand angel, who served as head of the heavenly host and in other important capacities, including as a mediator between God and humans.

Further, some Jews routinely appropriated language used in Scripture to describe the angel of the LORD and used it to characterize certain of God’s attributes, including God’s word, glory, wisdom, spirit, power, and name—almost as if these aspects of the Deity were themselves independent angels.

In other words, quite apart from Christianity there was talk among ancient Jews of God’s word, God’s glory, and so forth in terms highly reminiscent of the angel of the LORD. So, when early Christian authors like Justin Martyr connected Jesus with God’s word and that word, in turn, with the angel of the LORD, they were not inventing from scratch so much as adding a new layer to well-established ways of reading Scripture.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_of_the_Lord

10. THE REIGN OF MELCHIZEDEK

Could it be that Melchizedek, King of Salem and Priest of “God, most High” was a manifistation of the pre-incarnate Christ?

Let us look at the similarities between Melchizedek and Jesus:

1. He brought forth bread and wine after Abraham’s victory, just like Jesus did, when He offered it to His disciples
2. Jesus is our High Priest in the order of Melchizedek, who was a priest of the Most High
3. It is written that He (Melchizedek) had no beginning of days nor end of life (Heb 7 v3)

If the comparison between Melchizedek and Jesus is purely figurative, then at least He can be seen as a type of Christ.  Either way, this mysterious figure points to our Lord Jesus Christ and strengthens the argument that Jesus is who the Scriptures say He is….

11. JESUS, THE LION AND THE LAMB

“… and one of the elders said to me, “stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”  6 And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.”  (Rev 5 v 5 – 6)

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