|
|
251 Powell Drive, Jackson, Ohio 45640 † Phone: 740.286.2864 † Pastor: Rev. Nelson Sharp
» Who is Jesus?
©2007 Jackson First Church of the Nazarene
Without a doubt, no person in history has had a greater impact upon humanity than Jesus of Nazareth.
For more than 20 centuries, He (and His teachings) have stirred the minds and hearts of millions upon millions of people, both followers and detractors alike.
Is Jesus really God, who came into the world of flesh and blood to be the sacrifice for our sins and to reconcile us to Himself?
Or was He just an outstanding teacher of morality, killed simply for speaking too harshly against the religious establishment of His day?
For more than 20 centuries, He (and His teachings) have stirred the minds and hearts of millions upon millions of people, both followers and detractors alike.
Is Jesus really God, who came into the world of flesh and blood to be the sacrifice for our sins and to reconcile us to Himself?
Or was He just an outstanding teacher of morality, killed simply for speaking too harshly against the religious establishment of His day?
Or did He even exist at all?
In answer to the last question, the historical presence of Jesus cannot be denied. He is mentioned in numerous ancient secular writings (including Jewish and Roman) as well as documented in scripture.
But who, really, is this Jesus of Nazareth? We can begin to answer this question by going back hundreds of years before His birth. The ancient biblical texts that comprise what we call today "the Old Testament" foretold the coming of the Messiah (the Anointed One). The Old Testament contains over three hundred prophecies regarding the Messiah.
The prophet Isaiah gives us an incredible glimpse into the death, resurrection and purpose of the Messiah. Although these prophecies were written over 400 years before Jesus was born, they describe Him precisely.
ISAIAH 53:3 "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."
The odds of any one man fulfilling the many prophecies, as did Jesus of Nazareth, are so incredible that they can leave no doubt as to His true identity. Jesus Himself left no doubt, either, as the following scriptures reveal:
JOHN 4:25 The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." 26 Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
JOHN 5:17 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." 18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
JOHN 8:58 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"
JOHN 14:8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." 9 Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.
Jesus' ministry lasted a scant three years, but during that time he performed many miracles: driving out demons, feeding thousands, giving sight to the blind, bringing the dead back to life, and more. He also managed to infuriate the religious leaders of His day by exposing their self-serving "righteous" behavior and the fact that they kept the Jewish multitudes bogged down in religious rules and regulations that, in most cases, had little meaning. Also, His claims to be God were the height of blasphemy to them.
Israel's religious authorities did not believe Him to be the Messiah but, had they chosen not to ignore the words of the prophets such as those in Isaiah, Chapter 53, above, they would have recognized Him. They weren't the only ones who misunderstood Jesus, however. Even Jesus' disciples did not truly comprehend His mission. Like most Jews, they were looking for a powerful leader from King David's lineage to step forth, free them from Roman occupation and re-establish Israel's former power and wealth.
When Jesus returns to earth in the future, He will end Israel's plight and restore the earth, ruling from David's throne in Jerusalem. But His first appearance, as the suffering servant, was to offer to Israel (and all people) freedom from the bondage of sin, and reconciliation to the Father. This He accomplished through His sacrifice upon the cross; that through His shed blood, mankind might receive salvation and the hope for eternal life with Him.
JOHN 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."
JOHN 8:12 ... "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
JOHN 11:25 ... "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
Still, even taking into account what we have read thus far, we are left with a decison to make. Is Jesus really Lord, or was He simply a good, well meaning man teaching the people of His time a higher form of morality?
C. S. Lewis, in his famous book "Mere Christianity," answers that question bluntly. "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us."
When Jesus died on the cross, His disciples went into hiding, fearing for their own lives and feeling that Jesus' mission had failed. But, upon seeing and speaking with the risen Christ and receiving the promised power of the Holy Spirit, this formerly timid group began boldy proclaiming Jesus' divinity and His teachings to a hostile world. Their safety was no longer important to them and, as tradition suggests, all but John were martyred for their faith in Jesus. Certainly, no one would put themselves in such a position simply to spread the moral teachings of a mere man.
Finally, the question "Who is Jesus?" can be answered in the following verses:
COLOSSIANS 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
PHILIPPIANS 2:6 (Jesus) Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, In heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, To the glory of God the Father.
In answer to the last question, the historical presence of Jesus cannot be denied. He is mentioned in numerous ancient secular writings (including Jewish and Roman) as well as documented in scripture.
But who, really, is this Jesus of Nazareth? We can begin to answer this question by going back hundreds of years before His birth. The ancient biblical texts that comprise what we call today "the Old Testament" foretold the coming of the Messiah (the Anointed One). The Old Testament contains over three hundred prophecies regarding the Messiah.
The prophet Isaiah gives us an incredible glimpse into the death, resurrection and purpose of the Messiah. Although these prophecies were written over 400 years before Jesus was born, they describe Him precisely.
ISAIAH 53:3 "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."
The odds of any one man fulfilling the many prophecies, as did Jesus of Nazareth, are so incredible that they can leave no doubt as to His true identity. Jesus Himself left no doubt, either, as the following scriptures reveal:
JOHN 4:25 The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." 26 Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
JOHN 5:17 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." 18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
JOHN 8:58 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"
JOHN 14:8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." 9 Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.
Jesus' ministry lasted a scant three years, but during that time he performed many miracles: driving out demons, feeding thousands, giving sight to the blind, bringing the dead back to life, and more. He also managed to infuriate the religious leaders of His day by exposing their self-serving "righteous" behavior and the fact that they kept the Jewish multitudes bogged down in religious rules and regulations that, in most cases, had little meaning. Also, His claims to be God were the height of blasphemy to them.
Israel's religious authorities did not believe Him to be the Messiah but, had they chosen not to ignore the words of the prophets such as those in Isaiah, Chapter 53, above, they would have recognized Him. They weren't the only ones who misunderstood Jesus, however. Even Jesus' disciples did not truly comprehend His mission. Like most Jews, they were looking for a powerful leader from King David's lineage to step forth, free them from Roman occupation and re-establish Israel's former power and wealth.
When Jesus returns to earth in the future, He will end Israel's plight and restore the earth, ruling from David's throne in Jerusalem. But His first appearance, as the suffering servant, was to offer to Israel (and all people) freedom from the bondage of sin, and reconciliation to the Father. This He accomplished through His sacrifice upon the cross; that through His shed blood, mankind might receive salvation and the hope for eternal life with Him.
JOHN 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."
JOHN 8:12 ... "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
JOHN 11:25 ... "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
Still, even taking into account what we have read thus far, we are left with a decison to make. Is Jesus really Lord, or was He simply a good, well meaning man teaching the people of His time a higher form of morality?
C. S. Lewis, in his famous book "Mere Christianity," answers that question bluntly. "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us."
When Jesus died on the cross, His disciples went into hiding, fearing for their own lives and feeling that Jesus' mission had failed. But, upon seeing and speaking with the risen Christ and receiving the promised power of the Holy Spirit, this formerly timid group began boldy proclaiming Jesus' divinity and His teachings to a hostile world. Their safety was no longer important to them and, as tradition suggests, all but John were martyred for their faith in Jesus. Certainly, no one would put themselves in such a position simply to spread the moral teachings of a mere man.
Finally, the question "Who is Jesus?" can be answered in the following verses:
COLOSSIANS 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
PHILIPPIANS 2:6 (Jesus) Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, In heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, To the glory of God the Father.
Who is Jesus?