Who is Jesus?
(Part 3 of a 3-part series)

Part 1 of 3 "Who is Jesus"
Part 2 of 3 "Who is Jesus"

When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.  He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:13-16, KJV)

In the second installment of this series, I wrote that I would like to refer back to the things mainstream Christians believe concerning Jesus in contrast to some of these beliefs concerning our Lord and Savior.

The Nicene Creed, also referred to as the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed or Icon/Symbol of the Faith, is the most widespread or ecumenical Christian statement of faith.

The original Nicene Creed was first adopted in AD 325 at the First Council of Nicaea, which was the first Ecumenical Council.  Since its original formulation it continues to be used in the Roman Catholic, Syrian Orthodox (Jacobite) Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Assyrian, Anglican, Lutheran, and most other Protestant Churches.

The Nicene Creed declares, in part, “We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.

He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.” (italics added)

John 14:5-9, along with others like Hebrews 1:3, which speaks of Jesus as being the “express image” of the heavenly Father’s person, compels us to conclude that Jesus drew a doctrinal “line in the sand” when He told Phillip “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Biblically consistent Christians believe that Jesus is God, the second person of the Trinity (John 1: 1-3).  As God the Son, he has always existed and was NEVER created.  We believe him to be 100% God and 100% man.  His character as God is not contaminated by or mixed with his person as a man.

We believe Jesus to be co-equal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.  Biblically consistent Christians believe that in becoming a man, he was begotten through the miracle of a virgin birth, and no man had anything to do with this conception.  Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary.

The fact of the incarnation of the Word or “intelligence” (John 1:1, 14) is a mystery incomprehensible to our human minds.  How can the infinite, eternal Spirit take upon Himself a tangible form (Philippians 2:6-8)?  Martin Luther said, “The mystery of the humanity of Christ, that He sunk Himself into our flesh, is beyond all human understanding.”

I use the term “Biblically consistent” to emphasize a key distinction – not everyone who uses the name of Jesus applies the same historical interpretation to the person referred to by that name.  This point should not be minimized or ignored in our determinations as to who we should legitimately call our “brothers in Christ.”

The very earliest known letter of the Apostle Paul to the churches in the region of Galatia indicates they were faced with competing presentations of the Gospel, and Paul addressed the issue with a rather “narrow-minded” (to use the parlance of our current age) declaration about how those presenters should be regarded by the believers.

Paul wrote, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-9, KJV)

The Jesus of the Bible, without additional (e.g. new) “revelations” is the ONLY way to the Father, salvation, and eternal life, and the Jesus of the Bible is not merely a “good teacher” or a good prototype for “highly moral men.”  He is the Son of God; he is deity; and he is worshipped as God.  Paul understood the significance of drawing the same doctrinal line in the sand as did Jesus and the earliest disciples.

John wrote in his first general epistle:

“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.  Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” (1 John 2:18-23, KJV)

The words “antichrist” and “denieth” are inextricably linked.  Anyone who denies the revealed Jesus of history and the faith are operating in and under the spirit of “antichrist.”  Such a person cannot be considered a “brother in Christ” for the simple reason they have denied the very foundation that places us in the faith – the person and work of Jesus Christ.

The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the essence of the Gospel.  The Scriptural account of the Gospel is stated most succinctly by Paul:

“Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.”

(1 Corinthians 15:1-5)

As Peter and John were preaching the name of Jesus to a crowd gathered in the temple areas, they were accosted by the priests, the captain of the temple and the Sadducees. 

In response to the challenge raised concerning their preaching of Jesus, they responded, “If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:9-12, KJV)

I would like to close with a quote from C. S. Lewis:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: '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 the 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 with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.  He did not intend to.” (Mere Christianity, pg 52)[1]

Jesus is the only begotten Son of God.  He is not “a son” of God; he is the only begotten Son of God.  Jesus is God and he is worshipped as God - just as the Father is God and is worshipped as God; and just as the Holy Spirit is God and is worshipped as God.  Jesus is the only medium by which the Father may be approached; he is not one of several avenues to the Father.  Finally, Jesus is the righteous and just Judge.  His judgments are final and unalterable concerning eternal union and rewards for all men.

---

Until the next time . . .

Pastor Mike

Prayer:
Father in heaven, we claim the promise and assurances in your word to us that, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16,KJV) Help us by the power of your Holy Spirit to cling to and obey your divine instructions that help us to rightly know and serve you.  Help us Oh Holy Father to remember that we are not our own, and we have been bought with a price.  In the precious name of Jesus our Lord, we pray.  Amen

back to the top...