Who Is Jesus?
|
W |
hen preachers and teachers are given the opportunity to
share God’s word, they are facing the greatest challenge in their lives. Why is
this assignment so great? Because they are being asked to introduce their
students to Jesus. Therefore, their goal should be to answer for them the
question, “Who is Jesus?” This was the
question that had to be faced while Jesus was on this earth. He asked His
apostles, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man,
am?" (Matthew 16:13). Before Peter could correctly answer,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (vs. 16), he had to receive help
from heaven. The same is true with preachers and teachers today. Before we can
answer this question in our teaching, we must look to heaven—to God’s word.
This
is the question that divided the world in Jesus’ day. Those who accepted who He
was, gave their all to Him, but those who did not, were lost. Since the same is
true today, the question, “Who is Jesus,” should be our number one concern. This is the
question that affects all other questions.
We must begin by
convincing our students that Jesus was and is the Son of God. This was a daily
challenge for Jesus. Since they looked on Him as another human being with a
physical body, they could not see beyond this. They knew Joseph and Mary, and
the place where they worked and lived, and asked, “Is this not the
carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses,
Simon, and Judas?” (Matthew 13:55). There was no doubt in their minds that Mary had
conceived by Joseph, and that Jesus was like all others on earth. But they were
wrong! The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary. “for that which is conceived in
her is of
the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 1:20). Jesus was born the Son of God.
All through His
ministry, Jesus proved Himself to be the Son of God, but the majority still
refused to believe. He performed miracles, forgave sins, and taught that He had
come from God His Father. When they suggested that Abraham was their father,
Jesus said, “before Abraham was, I AM," (John 8:59). Again, He said to them,
“You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this
world; I am not of this world,” (John 8:23). “For I have come down from
heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me,” (John
6:38).
When
Jesus was baptized, God said, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well
pleased,” (Matthew 3:17). He also recognized Him as being His Son on the mountain of
transfiguration (Matthew 17:5). Therefore, we must help the ones we teach to
know, as the Centurion expressed at the cross, “Truly this was the Son of God,” (Matthew 27:54).
As important as it is to
present Jesus as the Son of God, we must also teach Him as the Son of Man. Why?
Because before Jesus could accomplish His mission of salvation for the lost, it
was essential for Him to be born of a woman. After Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit, she
gave birth to a baby who appeared like all other babies. Thus, Jesus
experienced the years of childhood and youth in many ways as others. When He
began His ministry, He went forth as a man who could feel pain, hunger, thirst, and
physical tiredness.
One
morning as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, He was hungry and sought food from a
fig tree (Matthew 21:18,19). Then while traveling through Samaria, He came
to Jacob’s well. At this point, He was weary from the journey, and
asked a Samaritan woman for a drink, (John 4:6,7). On another occasion,
Jesus was with His disciples in a boat when a great tempest arose on the sea
that covered the boat. Where was Jesus? He was asleep, (Matthew 8:23,24).
Even
though He was the Son of God from heaven, He became a man. John introduces Him
as the Word, and reveals that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full
of grace and truth,” (Matthew 1:14).
Therefore,
our students need to know that Jesus had to deal with life, and faced
temptations just as they do. They must know that He “was in all points
tempted as we are, yet without sin,” (Hebrews 4:15). As the Son of Man,
Jesus could give Himself in sacrifice on the cross for our sins.
The Only Savior
Please consider further,
that as we introduce Jesus to the ones we teach, they must know that He is the ONLY Savior. Millions over
the centuries have tried to be saved without Jesus, but they have failed. The
apostle Peter said of Jesus, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there
is
no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved,” (Acts
4:12).
The
Jews in Jesus’ day sought salvation without Jesus. They continued to hold to
the Law of Moses and Abraham, while refusing to believe in Jesus. However,
Jesus told them that they would die in their sins. “For if you do not
believe that I am He, you will die in your sins,” (John 8:24). The world today is
filled with people in religions who do not believe in Jesus as the Savior. For
example, the Jews today (with a few exceptions) do not believe Jesus to be the
Savior. However, the New Testament declares all people in the entire world to be lost who do not
have Jesus, because He is the ONLY Savior.
Paul recognized his
Jewish brethren lost because they did not have Jesus. This led Him to write, “Brethren,
my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved,” (Romans 10:1). Why were they lost?
Paul continued, “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but
not according to knowledge,” (vs. 2). What is this knowledge? It is God’s
righteousness brought to those lost in sin through Christ (vs. 4). Therefore, the
rejection of Christ (God’s righteousness) had caused them to be lost. Those who
reject Christ, reject the saving gospel that reveals God’s righteousness (Romans
1:16,17).
It
is so important for all to learn that all who refuse Jesus refuse salvation. God
has not provided salvation through any other way, and Jesus is the only way to reach the forgiving
Father. Jesus taught, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,” (John 14:6).
As preachers and
teachers, we must continually remind our students that they serve a living Savior. This is one of the
amazing truths that answers the question, “Who is Jesus?” If this is not believed
about Jesus, then all other claims of His life fail, and all hope for now and
beyond this life disappears. In the words of Paul, “If in this life only we have hope in
Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and
has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep,” (1 Corinthians
15:19,20).
Therefore
as Bible preachers and teachers, we have a message of life. We can teach with
full assurance the words heard by the women who entered Jesus’ empty tomb.
“You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See
the place where they laid Him,” (Mark 16:6).
Who
is Jesus? He is the only ONE to be raised from the dead who did not die again. The Bible
records that many were raised from the dead, but all of them died again.
Lazarus, a close friend to Jesus and brother to Mary and Martha, was dead for
four days when Jesus raised him to life (John 11:43,44). But Lazarus eventually died again! When Jesus died
on the cross, “the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had
fallen asleep were raised” (Matthew 27:52), but without exception, they all died again. Not so with Jesus! He
came forth to live forever.
Thus,
because Jesus is alive, never to die again, we can believe that He is the
resurrection with total power over the dead. Before He raised Lazarus, He said
to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in
Me, though he may die, he shall live,” (John 11:25). Jesus also promised,
“for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done
good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the
resurrection of condemnation,” (John 5:28,29).
Who
is Jesus? He is the One who died, but is alive forever. What a great truth for
us to teach our precious students!
Since Jesus is such a
wonderful Savior, some may find it difficult to believe and teach that He is
also the final
Judge
of all who have lived on this earth. However, one cannot fully know who Jesus is,
without seeing Him as the final Judge at the Day of Judgment.
Someone
might say, “But I thought God will do the judging.” He will, but He will do it through His Son. Paul relates this
truth while on one of his journeys in Athens. Speaking of God he said, “because
He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in
righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance
of this to all by raising Him from the dead," (Acts 17:31).
Jesus
described this awesome Day when he pictured Himself sitting on the throne of
His glory. With all nations before Him, He said “He will separate them one
from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from his goats,” (Matthew 25:32). Those on His right hand
will be given the promised kingdom, but those on His left hand will receive
everlasting punishment.
We should always keep in
mind, that all faithful Christians are preparing to be placed by Jesus on His right hand. What a responsibility
and honor this will be!
Therefore, as we live and teach about Jesus, may
we NEVER forget who He is! —BBBristow