WHO IS
JESUS?
Lesson
3
Introduction
The Bible begins by
saying, “In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 The
first chapter of the Bible introduces the
creation of the world but says very little about
its Creator. Who is God? What is He
like? What were His plans?
Unlike all other
literature, the Bible was written to inform man
of his Creator. The problem with literature
is an infinite and omnipotent God can’t be
described on paper.
For example, write a
description of a friend’s face so that a
stranger could quickly identify your friend in a
crowd! So God chose to reveal Himself over
time – to various generations of people
– in little segments of truth. In this
manner, those wanting to know Him would become
acquainted with Him by understanding his actions!
Because man can only
understand God through His actions, it is
important that God is consistent. “I
the Lord do not change.” Malachi 3:6
He is consistent. Paul says, “Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday and today and
forever.” Hebrews 13:8
Man learns about God
From time to time, and in
various ways, God has revealed Himself to men and
women. Paul encouraged Timothy to take heed
to the scriptures saying, “All
Scripture is God breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the man of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work.” II
Timothy 3:16,17 The term “God breathed”
is further explained by Peter. “For
prophecy never had its origin in the will of man,
but men spoke from God as they were carried along
by the Holy Spirit.” II Peter 1:21 In
effect, the Bible offers us more than just human
speculation about God. Bible writers
received special information or revelations of
God through the Holy Spirit. The Bible
says, “When a prophet of the Lord is
among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I
speak to him in dreams.” Numbers 12:6
The library
The Bible is actually a
library consisting of 66 books written by 40
authors over a period of about 15
centuries. There are 39 Old Testament and
27 New Testament books. The Old Testament
was completed with Malachi’s book about 350
years before Christ, and the New Testament was
assembled about 350 years after Christ.
Coming to terms with
terms
We must understand a very
simple but important matter regarding the
Bible. First, the terms “Old
Testament” and “New Testament are
terms we use today but were not used during the
days of Jesus nor after the ascension of
Jesus! The 39 books we call the Old
Testament today were simply called the Scriptures
by Jews and Christians. As the Christian
movement grew in size, a church council was
called about 350 A.D. to collect and assemble the
writings of the apostles (and others). Even
though a number of books by various authors were
considered, 27 were ultimately selected and this
collection became known as the “New
Testament” while the older collection of
Scriptures became known as the “Old
Testament.”
Some people misunderstood
the importance of the Old Testament. They
say the Old Testament has no value or meaning for
the Christian Church today. This is
unfortunate.
Notice what Paul wrote to
Timothy around 65 A.D. “All Scripture
is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the men of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work.” II
Timothy 3:16,17 What is Paul referring to as
Scripture? The only Scripture that existed
at the time of Paul’s writing is what we
call the Old Testament!
In the days of Jesus, the
Scriptures were divided into three parts:
The Law (the 5 books of Moses), The Psalms
(Proverbs, Song of Solomon) and the
Prophets. When Jesus gave His famous sermon
on the mount, he said, “Do not think that I
have come to abolish the Law or Prophets; I have
not come to abolish them but to fulfill
them. I tell you the truth, until heaven
and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not
the least stroke of a pen, will by any means
disappear from the Law until everything is
accomplished.” Matthew 5:17 Notice how
Jesus was referring to the Scriptures!
Again, at the close of His ministry Jesus said to
his disciples, “This is what I told
you while I was still with you: Everything
must be fulfilled that is written about me in the
Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.
Then he opened their minds so they could
understand the Scriptures.” Luke
24:44,45
Same God in Old
as in New
The Old and New Testament
are inspired by the same Holy Spirit, have the
same authority and reveal the same God!
John says, “{1} In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. {2} He was with
God in the beginning. {3} Through him
all things were made; without him nothing was
made that had been made. {4} In him was
life, and that life was the light of men…
{10} He was in the world, and though the world
was made through him, the world did not recognize
him.
{11} He came to that
which was his own, but his own did not receive
him. {12} Yet to all that received him, to
those who believed in his name, he gave the right
to become children of God – {13} children
born not of natural descent, nor of human
decision or a husband’s will, but born of
God. {14} The Word became flesh and made
his dwelling among us. We have seen his
glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came
from the Father, full of grace and
truth.” Selections from John 1:1-14
Some have found this
thought helpful with the verses above.
Think of the name “God” as a last
name. There is Father God, Son God, and
Holy Spirit God. These three have the same
last name, are equals in every way but have
different roles. (See also Matthew 28: 19,
John 15:26) See if you can find the actual
verses above that support the following
conclusions:
Verse _____ The Word
became flesh and dwelt among us.
Verse _____ The Word was
with the Father before the world began.
Verse _____ The Word made
the world.
Verse _____ The Word
existed before the world was made.
Verse _____ The Word is
Jesus.
Verse _____ Jesus is one
of the Godhead.
If you will reread these
verses from John 1 carefully, you will discover
they are packed with valuable information about
Jesus. Interpolating verse 14, we can
exchange some words. Whenever
“Word” is used, replace it with
“Jesus” and notice the meaning!
The God of the Old
Testament is the same God as in the New
Testament: Jesus!
The Bible is very clear
that Jesus was in heaven before the world was
created. Although we do not refer to
“Jesus” by this earthy name in the Old
Testament, the fact is that nearly all references
to God in the Old Testament are references to the
person we call Jesus! Here’s the
conclusive evidence:
Jesus asks for His
previous glory in Gethsemane: “And
now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the
glory I had with you before the world
began.” John 17:5
Jesus told the Pharisees
that the Scriptures focus on Him: “And
the Father who sent me has himself testified
concerning me. (The Father spoke at the
baptism of Jesus saying, “This is my
Son,”) You have never heard his voice
nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in
you, for you do not believe the one he
sent. You diligently study the Scriptures
(Old Testament) because you think by them you
possess eternal life. These are the
Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse
to come to me to have life.” John
5:37-40
Jesus the Creator
Paul tells us that Jesus
is the creative agent within the Godhead.
He writes, “In the past God spoke to
our forefathers through the prophets at many
times and in various ways, but in these last days
he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed
heir of all things, and through whom he made the
universe.” Hebrews 1:1,2
Notice this statement by
Paul affirming that Jesus is the creative agent
within the Godhead, “For by Him
(Christ) all things in heaven and on the earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers
or rulers or authorities; all things were created
by him and for him. He is before all
things, and in Him all things hold
together.” Colossians 1:16,17
Jesus is as much God as
the Father. In fact the book of Revelation
is primarily focused on the revelation of who
Jesus really is!
The Bible gives us
harmonious information on which Jesus really
is: Paul says, “For in Christ
all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily
form…that is head over every power and
authority.” Colossians 2:9,10 In
Revelation Jesus said to John, “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
John, as mentioned
earlier says, “In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. He was with God in the
beginning. Through him all things were
made; without him nothing was made that has been
made.” John 1:1-3
Peter says,
“He (Jesus) was chosen before the
creation of the world, but was revealed in these
last times for your sake.” I Peter
1:20
Isaiah quotes the Lord,
saying, “Listen to me, O Jacob, Israel, whom
I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am
the last. My own hand laid the foundations
of the earth, and my right hand spread out the
heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up
together…This is what the Lord says –
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am
the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best
for you, who directs you in the way you should
go.” Isaiah 48:12,13,16,17
Philip, one of the first
disciples of Jesus, told his brother,
“We have found the one Moses wrote about in
the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote
– Jesus of Nazareth, the son of
Joseph.” John 1:45
Jesus said to Abraham,
“…I am God Almighty; walk before me be
blameless.” Genesis 17:1 The Jews
argued with Jesus because He claimed to be
preeminent over Abraham but Jesus said,
“Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought
of seeing my day; he saw it and was
glad.” The Jews sneered back,
“You are not yet fifty years old… and
you have seen Abraham! I tell you the
truth, Jesus answered, before Abraham was born, I
am!” John 8:56-58
So, who is Jesus?
- Jesus
is Jehovah. Exodus 6:3
- Jesus
is the Lord God. Isaiah 48
- Jesus
is the King of Kings and Lord of
Lords. Revelation 19:16
- Jesus
is Almighty God. Genesis 17:1
- Jesus
is our Creator. John 1:10
- Jesus
is our Redeemer. Isaiah 48
- Jesus
is our Friend. John 15:13-15
Jesus said, “Do not
your hearts be troubled. Trust in God;
trust also in me. In my Father’s house
are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have
told you. I am going there to prepare a
place for you. And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come back and take you to
be with me that you also may be where I am.
You know the way to the place where I am
going.” John 14:1-4
VIP – Very
interesting point
The role and identity of
Jesus has not only been a mystery to human
beings, but to angels also! Before coming
to earth as a baby boy, Jesus lived in heaven as
an angel. The angels called Him
“Michael” who means “One who is
like God”. Four times in the Bible the
name “Michael” is used. In Jude
9, Michael is called the archangel. In
Daniel 10:13, Michael is called “One of the
chief princes”. In Daniel 12:1, the
Great Tribulation begins when Michael (who is
presently seated at the right hand of the Father)
stands up.
Daniel appropriately
calls Jesus “Michael” for he writes
about 600 years before “Michael”
becomes baby Jesus.
In Revelation 12:7 we
find Michael and His angels fighting Satan and
his angels. Both Michael and Satan were angel
kings before the creation of the world.
Michael is the archangel over the faithful
angels, and Satan is ruler over his angel
followers. Thus the great controversy
between Christ and Satan began before the world
was created. Each time the name Michael is
used in the Bible, there is a conflict between
Satan and Jesus.
The beauty of knowing
that Michael is Jesus is that the creative agent
of the Godhead lives as one of his own
creation! He lived many years as an angel,
and stooped lower to become a man. What
divine love!
Satan’s problems
with Michael stemmed from the fact that he would
not bow to another “angel”. Satan
came to feel in his heart that he was greater
than Michael. (See Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel
28.) The same problem also occurred upon
earth. Many only saw Jesus as a man and
accused him of blasphemy when he said that he
“came from God”.
In the Old Testament,
Jesus is often called or referred to as “the
angel of the Lord.” Two excellent
examples are provided. When Abraham was about to
offer up Isaac the Bible says, “But
the angel of the Lord called out to him from
heaven, ‘Abraham! Abraham! Do not lay a hand
on the boy,’ he said. The angel of the
Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time
and said…’I swear by myself, declares
the Lord, that because you have done this and
have not withheld your son, your only son, I will
surely bless you and make your descendants as
numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand
on the seashore. Your descendants will take
possession of the cities of their enemies, and
through your offspring all nations on earth will
be blessed, because you have obeyed
me.” Selections from Genesis 22:11-18
The second example is
even more convincing that Jesus is sometimes
called the “angel of the Lord.”
One day when Moses was tending his sheep he
discovered a burning bush. The Bible says,
“There the angel of the Lord appeared to him
in the flames of fire from within the bush.
Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did
not burn up. So Moses thought, ‘I will
go over and see this strange sight – why the
bush does not burn up.’ When the Lord
saw that he had gone over to look, God called to
him from within the bush, ‘Moses!
Moses! And Moses said ‘Here I
am.’ Do not come any closer,’ God
said. ‘Take off your sandals, for the
place where you are standing is holy
ground.’ Then he said ‘I am the
God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’”
Exodus 3:2-6
The Bible leads us in
small steps to understand who Jesus really
is. When Jesus came to earth, He stooped
even lower. Paul says, “What is
man that you are mindful of him, the son of man
that you care for him? You made him a
little lower than the angels; you crowned him
with glory and honor and put everything under his
feet… But we see Jesus, who was made a
little lower than the angels, now crowned with
glory and honor because he suffered death, so
that by the grace of God he might taste death for
everyone.” Hebrews 2: 6-9
The story of Revelation
is devoted to the singular point of revealing who
Jesus is. This is why the book is
called “The Revelation of
Jesus.” When the last of the seven
seals has been broken, then all the angels in
heaven, the evil angels on earth, the wicked of
earth and the redeemed will behold the fullness
of who Jesus really is. At that time the
revelation of who Jesus really is will be
complete!
One final and glorious
point. At the end of the millennium –
when Jesus is fully revealed, He does a very
beautiful thing. Paul says, “Then
the end will come, when he (Jesus) hands over the
kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed
all dominion, authority and power… When he
has done this, then the Son himself will be made
subject to him who put everything under him, so
that God may be all in all.” I
Corthinians 15: 24,28
What a wonder Savior is
Jesus! Think of it. Michael, the Son
of God, was humble enough to live as an
angel. Then, he stooped even lower to live
as a man. Even more, he willingly died on
Calvary to pay the penalty for sin. Is it
any wonder that Jesus said,
“…whoever wants to become great among
you must be your servant, and whosoever wants to
be first must be your slave – just as the
Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve, and to give His life a ransom for
many.” Matthew 20:26-28
Thought
questions:
One of the most touching
verses in the Bible is found in John 1:11.
John says, “He came to that which was his
own, but his own did not receive him.”
Reflect for a moment that Jesus was literally the
One who chose Israel, the One who delivered
Israel from bondage, the One who fed Israel with
manna from heaven, the One who cared for and
blessed Israel, the One who sought the affections
of Israel – and He was the One rejected and
crucified by Israel.
How do you receive
Jesus? Do you know Jesus well enough that
you want to live with Him for eternity? Do you
really want to live with Jesus? Are you
willing to be His servant for eternity? Are
you willing to do what He asks? Are you willing
to become what He wants you to be? Are you
willing to go where He commands? If not now
– when? If you are willing now, you
know the way to heaven. Take a few minutes
and read John 1:14-17 from your Bible.
You’ll be glad you did.
Quiz
- How
many books are there in the Bible?
The Old Testament:
The New Testament:
- How
was the information written in the Bible
written?
- Name
the three divisions of the Old Testament:
- Who
created all things?
- What
evidence suggests the Holy Spirit is a
member of the Godhead?
- Jesus
has promised to return to earth.
Why?
Memory Verse
John 1:11 “He
came to that which was his own, but his own did
not receive him.”
Notes:
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