That's the most important question you can ever ask.
Jesus is the center of the Gospel, and the whole Bible is a unified story pointing to Him. Jesus is the only reason your sins can be forgiven and you can have a right relationship with the one true God of the universe.
Does this seems outlandish? Do you have questions? All of your questions are relevant. Before we understand Jesus, we first need to examine who God is and who we are. Lets break it down.
Jesus is the center of the Gospel, and the whole Bible is a unified story pointing to Him. Jesus is the only reason your sins can be forgiven and you can have a right relationship with the one true God of the universe.
Does this seems outlandish? Do you have questions? All of your questions are relevant. Before we understand Jesus, we first need to examine who God is and who we are. Lets break it down.
However, as you may have already acknowledged, we are NOT perfectly good. We make mistakes, do bad things and make poor decisions. We hurt ourselves and we hurt other people, over and over again. All the time. Sometimes intentionally and sometimes because we are selfish. We have gone against our original design. These bad actions and/or omissions are called "sin". Sin hurts us, other people, and God.
We see in Scripture that God's law was presented to help us to not sin — to help us not hurt ourselves, others, or God. But the law shows us that we always sin. We are unable to follow the law and habitually fall short.
Sin leads to death and eternal separation from God: hell. Hell is complete separation from God- no light- no life-no goodness-no hope-no joy-no peace. The ultimate suffering. (Genesis 1:27, Ephesians 3:19, Romans 3:23, Galatians 3:19, Romans 6:23)
We cannot save ourselves from the reality and the consequences of sin. From the beginning of time, God knew that we would sin. He created a plan to save and redeem us, so that we could be made right with Him and never be separated from Him because of sin.
We see in Scripture that God's law was presented to help us to not sin — to help us not hurt ourselves, others, or God. But the law shows us that we always sin. We are unable to follow the law and habitually fall short.
Sin leads to death and eternal separation from God: hell. Hell is complete separation from God- no light- no life-no goodness-no hope-no joy-no peace. The ultimate suffering. (Genesis 1:27, Ephesians 3:19, Romans 3:23, Galatians 3:19, Romans 6:23)
We cannot save ourselves from the reality and the consequences of sin. From the beginning of time, God knew that we would sin. He created a plan to save and redeem us, so that we could be made right with Him and never be separated from Him because of sin.
SO WHO IS JESUS?
Jesus is God in the flesh. Jesus is the Son of God- one part of three of God, who is both fully God and fully human. Jesus came to live a life on earth that was without sin. Completely perfect. Jesus challenged sinners to repent from their sin and be healed, and He challenged those who were highly religious (those who thought they were righteous) to recognize their sin. He sought out those who were lost and broken. He embodied God's love for us.
Jesus was tortured and killed on a cross. That death was meant for us because we sin, not Jesus. But He chose to die in our place so we wouldn’t have to be apart from God. In doing so, He took on all of our sin — past, present, and future — and paid the punishment that was meant for us.
But God is the author of resurrection!
Jesus rose from the dead three days later, conquering death and hell! He ascended to heaven and sits victorious over all things. (Ephesians 1:3-5, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Luke 5:31, Matthew 15:3-9, John 19, Hebrews 10:14, 1 Corinthians 15:3-5, Mark 16:19)
Jesus was tortured and killed on a cross. That death was meant for us because we sin, not Jesus. But He chose to die in our place so we wouldn’t have to be apart from God. In doing so, He took on all of our sin — past, present, and future — and paid the punishment that was meant for us.
But God is the author of resurrection!
Jesus rose from the dead three days later, conquering death and hell! He ascended to heaven and sits victorious over all things. (Ephesians 1:3-5, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Luke 5:31, Matthew 15:3-9, John 19, Hebrews 10:14, 1 Corinthians 15:3-5, Mark 16:19)
Who did Jesus claim to be?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 claims equality with God.
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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 at the time rejected Jesus’ identity as God Incarnate, but they understood exactly what He was saying.
In his book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis 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).
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” (emphasis added).
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” (emphasis added).
Why is the question of Jesus’ identity so important? Why does it matter whether Jesus is God? Several reasons:
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Jesus had to be both God and man. As God, Jesus could satisfy God’s wrath. As a man, Jesus had the capability of dying. As the God-man, Jesus is the perfect Mediator between heaven and earth (1 Timothy 2:5). Salvation is available only through faith in Jesus Christ. As He proclaimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
WHAT DO I DO WITH THIS?
We must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him by personal invitation.
The Bible says: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me." (Revelation 3:20) "But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." (John 1:12) "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9) Will you accept this invitation? |
Here is how:
Admit your need. (I am a sinner. I cannot be good on my own. I mess up. I hurt others. I hurt myself. No matter how hard I try, I cannot be good)
Be willing to turn from your sins (repent)- change your mind in accepting sin as acceptable- and ask for God's forgiveness.
Believe and simply accept that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.
Speak to Him- tell Him. Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Jesus as Lord and Savior)
We suggest a prayer like this one:
"Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I want to turn from my sins, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe He died for my sins and that You raised Him to life. I want Him to come into my heart and to take control of my life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow Him as my Lord from this day forward. In Jesus' Name, amen.
Admit your need. (I am a sinner. I cannot be good on my own. I mess up. I hurt others. I hurt myself. No matter how hard I try, I cannot be good)
Be willing to turn from your sins (repent)- change your mind in accepting sin as acceptable- and ask for God's forgiveness.
Believe and simply accept that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.
Speak to Him- tell Him. Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Jesus as Lord and Savior)
We suggest a prayer like this one:
"Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I want to turn from my sins, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe He died for my sins and that You raised Him to life. I want Him to come into my heart and to take control of my life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow Him as my Lord from this day forward. In Jesus' Name, amen.