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Who is Jesus?
Everyone has their
theories. Political activist? Religious zealot? Slave of Allah?
Well-meaning hippy?
Controversy over
Jesus’ identity goes back 2000 years. He once asked His followers, ‘Who
do people say that I am?’ (Matthew chapter 16, verses 13-16). Some
thought He was a prophet. Others thought He was a reincarnation of the
heroes of old.
No-one who saw and
heard Jesus could ever think small thoughts of Him. But what is the
truth?
One man responded to
Jesus’ question correctly. He said:
‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living
God.’
Explaining this one
sentence takes us to the very deepest issues of life, of God and of our
world. Let’s think about the word ‘Christ.’
Who is the Christ?
Christ is not Jesus’
surname – it is a royal title. Just like the Hebrew word Messiah, Christ
means ‘the One Anointed to be King’.
Kings of the Hebrew
Scriptures (the Old Testament) were anointed with oil. (e.g. 1 Samuel
10:1). This represented the anointing (or filling) of the Holy Spirit
which they would require to perform their role. (see especially 1 Samuel
16:13)
Jesus - the Christ -
is therefore involved in the very deepest relationship with the Creator
Spirit who empowers all of God’s works. Jesus Christ is, supremely, the
Spirit-filled King.
Who is the Son of
God?
Jesus is also the Son
of the living God. Again the Hebrew Scriptures help us to understand
this. The Son of God was the One who created the world with His Father.
(Proverbs 30:5). He is also the One who rules the world as God’s King and
will inherit the world as the True Heir. (Psalm 2).
The Son of God has
been involved in a loving, family-like relationship with His Father from
before the world began.
Thus when we ask the
question, 'Who is Jesus?' the Bible gives us this reply:
From all eternity Jesus has been the One filled with the Spirit and the
One beloved of His Father.
To see Jesus for who
He is, is to be introduced to His Loving Father and His Holy Spirit. It
is to meet God – the God who is this loving relationship of Father, Son
and Holy Spirit.
Jesus unfolds to us
the very heart of God. But He does not do so from a distance. Jesus
reveals God to us in the midst of our messy, suffering and shameful
world.
Jesus comes to earth
2000 years ago He
became one of us - a bona fide member of the human race. John's Gospel
tells us He 'became flesh and made His dwelling among us.' (John 1:14).
The life of God has descended to earth and has been lived out in full
view of a watching world.
When we see this
extraordinary man teaching as no-one has taught, healing as no-one has
healed, loving as no-one has loved, we are seeing the living God up close
and personal.
When we see this man
stooping, suffering, bleeding and dying for His people - we are seeing
the living God stooping, suffering, bleeding and dying for His people.
The life of heaven has met the wickedness of earth and, on the cross,
Jesus bore the full brunt of this world's evil.
Our determination to
live life apart from the Father, Son and Holy Spirit has always been a
foolish and wicked declaration of independence. It has brought all the
evil and suffering into this world which we see around us. Yet Jesus -
the One who we have offended - has entered into our wrong-doing. He has
taken it upon Himself and satisfied divine justice. When He died He cried
out 'It is finished' (John 19:30) - Jesus Himself paid in full for our
rebellion. And He has risen from the grave to give us a life beyond death
and beyond condemnation.
Jesus 'became flesh'
to rescue us. He met us where we are - in suffering and sin. But He does
not leave us there. Jesus burst through into resurrection life and He lives
to bring us into this life also.
Jesus became what we
are so that we could become what He is - a beloved child of God.
He said to His
friends, 'The Father Himself loves you because you have loved Me and have
believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the
world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.' (John
16:27-28)
Jesus swooped down
into this world to bring us back to God.
When you look at Jesus
do you see the life of God laid bare? Do you know Jesus to be the true
Spirit-filled King? Have you begun to understand that He is the Son of
the living God who brings us into His divine family?
There is nothing more
important than understanding who this Jesus is?
Pray that the Father
would open your eyes to see the true identity of Jesus. You might like to
say something simple like this:
Dear Father God, give to me
Your Holy Spirit so that I can see Jesus clearly.
Help me to know Him and to
find true life in Him. Amen
Then let me suggest
you pick up a John's Gospel and read. I’m happy to give you one for free
just give me your address and I'll put one in the post for you or else go
online here.
The book was written
by an eye-witness of Jesus - a very close friend called John. He wrote
his biography of Jesus "so that you may believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His
Name." (John 20:31)
May you find the true
Jesus. And may you have life in His Name.
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