Chapter 4: The Real Jesus
Our hope rests entirely on Jesus because he is perfectly holy. He died for us and came back to life so that he could give his holiness to us. In this chapter, we want to find out who Jesus really is.
Because there are so many different ideas about Jesus, we want to let the Bible speak for itself. Since the Bible is God's written message to us, we believe that it is true and can be trusted.
Jesus is God
Jesus often told the people who listened to him teach that he was equal with God. We know that they understood what Jesus was saying because of their reaction to him:
John 10:22 It was the Feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem. 10:23 It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon's porch. 10:24 The Jews therefore came around him and said to him, "How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
10:25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you don't believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, these testify about me... 10:30 I and the Father are one."
10:31 Therefore [the] Jews took up stones again to stone him. 10:32 Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?"
10:33 The Jews answered him, "We don't stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God."
10:34 Jesus answered them,"…10:36 do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You blaspheme,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God?' (John 10:22-25, 30-34, 36).
Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you such a long time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say, 'Show us the Father?' (John 14:8-9). [Jesus speaking to the Father said] "The glory which you have given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, even as we are one" (John 17:22). For this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill him, because he did these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, "My Father is still working, so I am working, too." For this cause therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God (John 5:16-18).
John 8:19 They said therefore to him, "Where is your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither me, nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also."…8:23 He said to them, "You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. 8:24 I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins."…8:28 Jesus therefore said to them, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things. 8:29 He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn't left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him." 8:30 As he spoke these things, many believed in him… 8:56 [Jesus said] "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it, and was glad." 8:57 The Jews therefore said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" 8:58 Jesus said to them, "Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM." 8:59 Therefore they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus was hidden, and went out of the temple, having gone through their midst, and so passed by (John 8:19, 23-24, 28-30, 56-59).
Other writers also stated that Jesus is equal with God:
Philippians 2:6 [Jesus], existing in the form of God, didn't consider equality with God a thing to be grasped [held], 2:7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. 2:9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… 2:11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:6-11).
"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8). "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for you created all things, and because of your desire they existed, and were created!" (Revelation 4:11). "We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was; because you have taken your great power, and reigned" (Revelation 11:17).
Jesus is the Creator
Several writers in the Bible tell us that Jesus is the Creator. The Apostle Paul wrote:
For by him [Christ — who we also know as Jesus] all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things are held together (Colossians 1:16-17).
The Apostle John, the last of Jesus' twelve disciples to die, wrote five books in the Bible. (Two are short one-page letters and one is a longer letter. His two long books are called The Gospel of John and Revelation.) In the summary at the end of this chapter, we will read his description of Jesus as the Creator from The Gospel of John. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is called "the Lord." The Apostle John also made the following statement in Revelation about Jesus as the Creator:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!"…"Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for you created all things, and because of your desire they existed, and were created!" (Revelation 4:8, 11).
Jesus was completely human
Many passages in Scripture confirm this:
The Word became flesh [human], and lived among us (John 1:14). God was revealed in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). Since then the children [people] have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, (Hebrews 2:14). Every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit who doesn't confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God (1 John 4:2-3). For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who don't confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh (2 John 1:7).
Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this; for after his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 1:19 Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, intended to put her away secretly. 1:20 But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 1:21 She shall bring forth a son. You shall call his name Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins."
1:22 Now all this has happened, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,
1:23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child,
and shall bring forth a son.
They shall call his name Immanuel";
which is, being interpreted, "God with us."
1:24 Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took his wife to himself; 1:25 and didn't know her sexually until she had brought forth her firstborn son. He named him Jesus (Matthew 1:18-25).
Jesus died to take away our sin
The Bible speaks for itself as it gives us information about the wonderful redemption Jesus provided for both humanity and all of creation.
Knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood, as of a faultless and pure lamb, the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God set forth to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins (Romans 3:24-25).
Ephesians 1:7 In [Christ who we also know as Jesus] we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 1:8 which he [God] made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 1:9 making known to us the mystery of his [God's] will, according to his [God's] good pleasure which he purposed in him [Jesus] 1:10 to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, in him [Jesus]; 1:11 in whom also we were assigned an inheritance, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his will; 1:12 to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ: 1:13 in whom [Jesus] you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation — in whom [Jesus], having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:7-13).
[The Father] delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love; in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins (Colossians 1:13-14). How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, since a death has occurred for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, that those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:14-15).
A summary of Jesus as God, Creator, Man, and Savior
The Apostle John also described Jesus in his book The Gospel of John. John wrote this book in about 98 AD, just shortly before he died. John used the title Word for Jesus, indicating that Jesus was God's spokesperson. This is how John began this book:
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God. 1:3 All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made. 1:4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn't overcome it.
1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn't recognize him. 1:11 He came to his own, and those who were his own didn't receive him. 1:12 But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God's children, to those who believe in his name: 1:13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 1:14 The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-5, 10-14).
Can you imagine? The creator of the universe became a man in order to die for our sin. He did all of that so that we could become God's children.
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