Who is Jesus?
It’s a question that has been asked over and over again for thousands of years now: Who is Jesus of Nazareth? The answer to that question will vary based on who you are asking. In the same way that we look at a prism from many different sides and angles and we experience a different effect from each of those, the same is true of this question. Some, based on past experiences or desires, will say he was a great moral teacher, some will say a prophet, some will say a good man. Some may even deny his existence (although there is overwhelming evidence that he was at the very least a living man who did exist). So how do we know who to listen to? Who is right? I think the best first step would be to go straight to the source; what does Jesus say about himself?
Who does Jesus say that He is?
Jesus describes himself in many ways, far too many for us to cover all of them in this blog post. So we will limit our discussion here to just three.
1. Son of Man – “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” – Luke 12:10
The Jews of Jesus’ time would have recognized this title as a reference back the Scriptures. In the book of Daniel (7:13-14), the prophet Daniel describes a vision he had in which “one like a son of man” comes before God and is given authority and dominion and glory. Each time the Jews of Jesus’ day heard these words, they would have heard Jesus emphasizing his humanity (son of man) and at the same time his divinity (the one given authority and dominion by God in Daniel’s vision). To self-identify as the Son of Man over 80 times in the Gospels was Jesus’ way of highlighting and ensuring that everyone knew who he was. He was fully man; just like you and I. And at the same time, he was fully God.
Both of these are critical characteristics of the one who was to be the Savior of the world. Without his humanity, he couldn’t have been the sacrificial substitute sinners need to be saved. Without his divinity, his sacrifice wouldn’t have been enough to atone for all of the sins of the entire world. It’s this duality of being fully God and fully human at the same time that makes Him the perfect and only Savior of the world. Jesus wanted to make sure we didn’t miss that.
2. Son of God – “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him (Jesus), because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” – John 5:18
At the beginning of his earthly ministry, Jesus most often used the title Son of Man to describe himself. As stated above, this was a roundabout way of drawing attention to both his humanity and his divinity. But as the time of his crucifixion grew nearer, Jesus became more and more overt in his statements about who He is. He began to speak more openly about his relationship to God, that he was sent by God as the Son of God, with the authority of God. In addition to his divinity and authority, with this title, Jesus describes his personal and intimate relationship with God the Father.
The importance of the relationship between God the Father and Jesus, the Son of God, is multifold. We’ve already touched on the authority and divinity pieces. In addition, it brings a confidence in Jesus’ ministry and purpose; what he was doing was what he had been told to do by the Father. The two were in full agreement and therefore Jesus’ actions are trustworthy. Additionally, Jesus modelled for us what God is like and what it looks like to be in a relationship with him. Jesus being the Son of God and walking the earth amongst mankind allowed us to see God as relational and loving. Jesus’ example of prayerful submission to the Father is also emphasized. There is a lot to be learned from the Father-Son relationship demonstrated in the Trinity.
3. The Way, The Truth, and the Life- “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” – John 14:6
There are numerous other ways Jesus identifies himself, but I’ve chosen this one in particular to focus on because I think it most wholly embodies his mission and his purpose for coming to earth as the Son of Man. All of Jesus' miracles, all of his teachings, everything he did pointed to the work he was going to do on the cross; how he would die to atone for the sins of those who would believe, how he would take their punishment for their sinful lives upon himself and give them his reward for his perfect life, how he would make it possible for them to be reconciled and at peace with God. This was the work he came to do; he made a way to God where there was no way. They had tried their best to make their own ways, to behave good enough, to know the Law well enough, but those weren’t ways that would lead to God.
So when Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”, it’s the most remarkable news to someone who will believe him. It’s a call to lay down all of their best efforts, all of their striving and doing, and trust in the work he did on the cross. He is the only Way to God. What he says is true and trustworthy. What he says and what he has done are life-giving. For the one who believes in who he is, that he is true and the only Way to the Father, they will have eternal, abundant Life. That’s who Jesus says he is.
Who do I say He is?
As someone who has taken Jesus at his word, who has trusted in Him as the Son of Man, the Son of God, and the Way, the Truth, and the Life, I have never once been disappointed in Him. In my life, I have found that everything Jesus says he is, he is. That doesn’t mean I’ve never faced hardship or turmoil. I’ve certainly had my share of difficulties, but through those difficulties (and through the joys of life as well) I’ve found Jesus to be a good and faithful friend.
When my first son was stillborn, I asked myself, “Why?” His word reminded me that He works all things together for the good of His people (Romans 8:28). I didn’t understand the specifics of why, only that He promised to use it for my good. Through those hardest first months after my son’s death, Jesus was so near to me. He comforted me and brought me unexplainable peace in the midst of my suffering. He was my dear friend and confidante, a safe place to voice my fears and pains and doubts. It took time to be able to see the good that He was doing through that season in tangible ways, but writing this now 11 years later, I can tell you that the season of grieving my stillborn son was one of the most important and foundational seasons of my life. Although I would never have chosen it for myself, in hindsight, I can see so much good that came from it and I know he’s not done bearing fruit from that season.
In addition to my friend, confidante, peace and comfort, Jesus is truly my joy. It doesn’t matter what I’m going through, I always have a reason to rejoice because I have Jesus with me and I have hope in what He has promised me, an eternity with Him and His people. There was a time in my life when my blood pressure sky-rocketed and the doctors couldn’t tell me why. They couldn’t believe I hadn’t had a stroke yet and they didn’t have a plan for how to help me. I felt like I was sitting on a ticking time bomb. For months, I went to sleep every night wondering if I would have a stroke in the middle of the night, wondering if I would wake up with a completely different reality, or if I would even wake up at all. But through it all, I had joy because I trusted in the one who had always been good to me, who had always provided and cared for me. I knew that He was in control and that even if I did have a catastrophic stroke, He would use it for good. I had seen him do it before. And even if I died in my sleep, I knew I would be met with his smiling face and an eternal life where he promised no more tears or suffering. Jesus is my unexplainable joy, my hope in all circumstances.
Jesus is my provider and sustainer. There have been so many times in my life where I had a need, whether small or big, and I didn’t see any way that my need could be met. From seemingly insurmountable spiritual questions, to relational issues, to logistical work problems, I have seen Jesus meet every need. It’s not always been in the way I’ve asked. It’s rarely been in the way that I’ve expected him to provide. But He never fails. My needs have always been met far beyond satisfaction.
Like I said at the beginning of this blog post, the answer to the question “Who is Jesus?” really depends on who you ask. There are countless other answers you could receive. But this is who I’ve personally experienced Jesus to be: He is my Lord, my Savior, my friend, my provider, my joy and peace, my hope. Jesus is my everything. And He is everything He says He is.
Who do you say He is?
We’ve covered who Jesus says He is and who I say that He is. But now we’ve arrived at the most important side of the prism of our question: Who do you say Jesus is?
In Matthew’s gospel (16:13-17), he describes a conversation that happens between Jesus and his disciples. Jesus knows that this question is being asked about him and there are multiple answers going around. Jesus wasn’t really concerned with all the different theories and answers people had about who he was. He was concerned about how his disciples would answer the question. Did they believe Jesus was who he said he was?
But this isn’t just a question for the 12 men with Jesus in this story. This is a question Jesus poses to each and every one of us. What do you believe about Jesus? How do you answer the question, “Who is Jesus?” It’s the most important question you’ll ever be asked.
Who does Jesus say that He is?
Jesus describes himself in many ways, far too many for us to cover all of them in this blog post. So we will limit our discussion here to just three.
1. Son of Man – “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” – Luke 12:10
The Jews of Jesus’ time would have recognized this title as a reference back the Scriptures. In the book of Daniel (7:13-14), the prophet Daniel describes a vision he had in which “one like a son of man” comes before God and is given authority and dominion and glory. Each time the Jews of Jesus’ day heard these words, they would have heard Jesus emphasizing his humanity (son of man) and at the same time his divinity (the one given authority and dominion by God in Daniel’s vision). To self-identify as the Son of Man over 80 times in the Gospels was Jesus’ way of highlighting and ensuring that everyone knew who he was. He was fully man; just like you and I. And at the same time, he was fully God.
Both of these are critical characteristics of the one who was to be the Savior of the world. Without his humanity, he couldn’t have been the sacrificial substitute sinners need to be saved. Without his divinity, his sacrifice wouldn’t have been enough to atone for all of the sins of the entire world. It’s this duality of being fully God and fully human at the same time that makes Him the perfect and only Savior of the world. Jesus wanted to make sure we didn’t miss that.
2. Son of God – “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him (Jesus), because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” – John 5:18
At the beginning of his earthly ministry, Jesus most often used the title Son of Man to describe himself. As stated above, this was a roundabout way of drawing attention to both his humanity and his divinity. But as the time of his crucifixion grew nearer, Jesus became more and more overt in his statements about who He is. He began to speak more openly about his relationship to God, that he was sent by God as the Son of God, with the authority of God. In addition to his divinity and authority, with this title, Jesus describes his personal and intimate relationship with God the Father.
The importance of the relationship between God the Father and Jesus, the Son of God, is multifold. We’ve already touched on the authority and divinity pieces. In addition, it brings a confidence in Jesus’ ministry and purpose; what he was doing was what he had been told to do by the Father. The two were in full agreement and therefore Jesus’ actions are trustworthy. Additionally, Jesus modelled for us what God is like and what it looks like to be in a relationship with him. Jesus being the Son of God and walking the earth amongst mankind allowed us to see God as relational and loving. Jesus’ example of prayerful submission to the Father is also emphasized. There is a lot to be learned from the Father-Son relationship demonstrated in the Trinity.
3. The Way, The Truth, and the Life- “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” – John 14:6
There are numerous other ways Jesus identifies himself, but I’ve chosen this one in particular to focus on because I think it most wholly embodies his mission and his purpose for coming to earth as the Son of Man. All of Jesus' miracles, all of his teachings, everything he did pointed to the work he was going to do on the cross; how he would die to atone for the sins of those who would believe, how he would take their punishment for their sinful lives upon himself and give them his reward for his perfect life, how he would make it possible for them to be reconciled and at peace with God. This was the work he came to do; he made a way to God where there was no way. They had tried their best to make their own ways, to behave good enough, to know the Law well enough, but those weren’t ways that would lead to God.
So when Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”, it’s the most remarkable news to someone who will believe him. It’s a call to lay down all of their best efforts, all of their striving and doing, and trust in the work he did on the cross. He is the only Way to God. What he says is true and trustworthy. What he says and what he has done are life-giving. For the one who believes in who he is, that he is true and the only Way to the Father, they will have eternal, abundant Life. That’s who Jesus says he is.
Who do I say He is?
As someone who has taken Jesus at his word, who has trusted in Him as the Son of Man, the Son of God, and the Way, the Truth, and the Life, I have never once been disappointed in Him. In my life, I have found that everything Jesus says he is, he is. That doesn’t mean I’ve never faced hardship or turmoil. I’ve certainly had my share of difficulties, but through those difficulties (and through the joys of life as well) I’ve found Jesus to be a good and faithful friend.
When my first son was stillborn, I asked myself, “Why?” His word reminded me that He works all things together for the good of His people (Romans 8:28). I didn’t understand the specifics of why, only that He promised to use it for my good. Through those hardest first months after my son’s death, Jesus was so near to me. He comforted me and brought me unexplainable peace in the midst of my suffering. He was my dear friend and confidante, a safe place to voice my fears and pains and doubts. It took time to be able to see the good that He was doing through that season in tangible ways, but writing this now 11 years later, I can tell you that the season of grieving my stillborn son was one of the most important and foundational seasons of my life. Although I would never have chosen it for myself, in hindsight, I can see so much good that came from it and I know he’s not done bearing fruit from that season.
In addition to my friend, confidante, peace and comfort, Jesus is truly my joy. It doesn’t matter what I’m going through, I always have a reason to rejoice because I have Jesus with me and I have hope in what He has promised me, an eternity with Him and His people. There was a time in my life when my blood pressure sky-rocketed and the doctors couldn’t tell me why. They couldn’t believe I hadn’t had a stroke yet and they didn’t have a plan for how to help me. I felt like I was sitting on a ticking time bomb. For months, I went to sleep every night wondering if I would have a stroke in the middle of the night, wondering if I would wake up with a completely different reality, or if I would even wake up at all. But through it all, I had joy because I trusted in the one who had always been good to me, who had always provided and cared for me. I knew that He was in control and that even if I did have a catastrophic stroke, He would use it for good. I had seen him do it before. And even if I died in my sleep, I knew I would be met with his smiling face and an eternal life where he promised no more tears or suffering. Jesus is my unexplainable joy, my hope in all circumstances.
Jesus is my provider and sustainer. There have been so many times in my life where I had a need, whether small or big, and I didn’t see any way that my need could be met. From seemingly insurmountable spiritual questions, to relational issues, to logistical work problems, I have seen Jesus meet every need. It’s not always been in the way I’ve asked. It’s rarely been in the way that I’ve expected him to provide. But He never fails. My needs have always been met far beyond satisfaction.
Like I said at the beginning of this blog post, the answer to the question “Who is Jesus?” really depends on who you ask. There are countless other answers you could receive. But this is who I’ve personally experienced Jesus to be: He is my Lord, my Savior, my friend, my provider, my joy and peace, my hope. Jesus is my everything. And He is everything He says He is.
Who do you say He is?
We’ve covered who Jesus says He is and who I say that He is. But now we’ve arrived at the most important side of the prism of our question: Who do you say Jesus is?
In Matthew’s gospel (16:13-17), he describes a conversation that happens between Jesus and his disciples. Jesus knows that this question is being asked about him and there are multiple answers going around.
Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”
But this isn’t just a question for the 12 men with Jesus in this story. This is a question Jesus poses to each and every one of us. What do you believe about Jesus? How do you answer the question, “Who is Jesus?” It’s the most important question you’ll ever be asked.
Posted in Christian Foundations, Evangelism
Posted in Son of God, Son of Man, The Way, The Truth, The Life, Jesus is God, Jesus is Man, divinity, humanity, Savior, most important question
Posted in Son of God, Son of Man, The Way, The Truth, The Life, Jesus is God, Jesus is Man, divinity, humanity, Savior, most important question
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