if you've ever wondered what's all the hype about Jesus, what is it that makes Him so sought after by so many, I hope you'll take the time to read this so that Christmas, the true meaning of Christmas makes sense to you!
The Identity of Christ Emmanuel - God With Us
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (ESV)
We quickly draw four things about Jesus from this passage.
· Jesus is God,
· the spoken word of God,
· the creator of all things,
· and finally, He is the presence of God as He became personified in human flesh.
The Gospel of Matthew, further confirms this concept of Jesus being God when the angel tells Joseph of the future birth of Christ. He quotes Isaiah 7:14.
Mat 1:18- 23
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). (ESV)
Jesus is the Greek translation of the Hebrew name, Yeshua which means, “God saves.” Likewise, in the same passage, we are told that he will be called Immanuel, God with us. (You will notice the double reference to Jesus being conceived by the Holy Spirit is highlighted in this passage. More on this later in the lesson.)
For those who still have doubts about who Jesus is, hear these words spoken at the Baptism of Jesus.
Mat 3:16 -17
And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (ESV)
There are other gospel scriptures that authenticate Jesus as God. In John chapter 8, Jesus uses the same name to identify himself as was used when God encountered Moses from the burning bush. He calls himself, “I AM.” First, let’s look at Exodus and then see what Jesus says in John.
Exodus 3:13-16
Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. (ESV)
John 8:56-58
“. . . Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So, the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” (ESV)
Also, in chapter 14 of the Gospel of John, Jesus clearly identifies that He and the Father are one.
John 14:10-11
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. (ESV)
What we’ve laid before you in this brief survey of scripture is by no means an exhaustive list of all the scripture that affirms Jesus as God.
The Credentials of Christ - The Lamb of God
Many people know of Jesus Christ. They know what Christ did in terms of going to the cross and dying for us, but when it gets down to knowing why Jesus holds the unique credentials to do what he did for us, they come up short. Many folks just can’t answer the simple questions, “What makes Jesus work?” “What is so special about Him that empowers Him to be able to achieve salvation for anyone who calls on His name?” If you fall into that category of people who can’t answer those questions, this portion of the lesson will serve to build your knowledge and confidence to be able to resolve that issue.
First, we need to set the stage for the Lamb of God. The first use of a lamb as a sacrifice is recorded in Genesis 22. God tests Abraham’s faith by requiring him to sacrifice his most treasured son, Isaac. Briefly, what takes place in Genesis 22, is that God demands a sacrifice and then steps in to provide the sacrifice. That sacrifice is a ram, a male lamb. What takes place in this scenario is important because it is a symbolic foreshadowing of important events in the development of the of salvation of the Jews and eventually our salvation story as we see these things tie in with Jesus.
A lamb again becomes involved in the activity of God when the Jews were called out of Egypt. The blood of an unblemished lamb was painted on the doorposts of everyone’s home so that the angel of death would not visit them on the night before the Jews left Egypt (Exodus 12). Later in their history, a lamb would routinely be offered at the observance of the Jewish holiday known as Passover. The Paschal lamb was a symbolic sacrifice which annually acknowledged God’s provision of protection from the angel of death.
Sin always requires a sacrifice. Eventually, as the Jews were given the law and protocol for tabernacle sacrifices, a perfect unblemished lamb would often be the primary animal to be sacrificed for the atonement of sin (Lev. 5:14 -6:7). A sacrifice of atonement means that payment is made for punishment and restitution. It is an act of making things right between the transgressor and the Holy One who is transgressed against.
To summarize, a lamb appears in Old Testament literature being utilized in three ways:
· A means of providing atonement for sin.
· A means of avoiding the penalty of death.
Now fast forward to the New Testament times and we see Jesus is referred to in scripture as the Lamb of God. John the Baptist first identifies Him as such.
John 1:29
The next day he (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (ESV)
John 3:16a
God loved the people of this world so much that He gave His only Son, . . . (CEV)
“He gave” infers that God the Father offered Jesus as the sacrifice. The one who demands the sacrifice provided the sacrificial lamb just as in Genesis. An illustration that is often used to help us understand the significance of this action is found in the anecdote of a Judge pronouncing a sentence on a person who has committed a crime. Afterwards he steps down from the bench and pays the fee himself on behalf of the defendant.
In the temple sacrificial system, the priest was at the altar to represent the people before the righteousness and holiness of God that demands justice. The sinner likewise, approached the altar bringing a confession of his sin and a sacrifice to make things right. The blood of the lamb was shed on the altar by the priest as a substitutionary act of paying for the sins committed. One life given up to redeem the other.
Picture Jesus at the altar being capable of representing both parties. Being the Son of man, Jesus fully represents mankind in His humanity. Being the Son of God, He becomes the solitary divine sacrifice worthy enough to completely and universally appease God’s demand for justice. Jesus, therefore, is the unique sacrifice that completely satisfies the requirement of both sides of the altar. He covers it all!
· He becomes the substitution for a required sacrifice demonstrating God’s faithfulness toward us.
· He is the means of providing atonement for our sin.
· He is the means by which we avoid the penalty of death.
One might still ask, “How did Jesus come into this world being fully divine and fully human?” It was necessary for Jesus to be conceived by the Holy Spirit and be born of a virgin so that the sin nature of mankind could not be transferred upon Him by an earthly father. Being conceived by the Holy Spirit (as pointed out in scripture at the beginning of this lesson) made Him perfect and without sin. Jesus entered into our world as a one of a kind divine and sinless human being. He was fully God and fully human simultaneously!!
Yes, He is the word of God who became flesh. Yes, he did become the visible, tangible, manifestation of God capable of speaking directly with us. But, just as importantly, He became like us so that when He went to the cross, He could be a worthy substitute for all of us!
It was God’s decision to offer a one-time sacrifice. This was done not because of what we’ve done to deserve it, but because He loves us as His created children. So, God the Father, chose God the son as a one time, all inclusive, final, and complete payment for all the sins of mankind. It was Jesus’ Divine nature that qualified Him as the supreme sacrifice, the Lamb of God. Only Christ could be the one to fulfill the requirement of the law and go to the cross on our behalf. It’s all summarized in the following passages:
Philippians 2:5-11
. . . Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (ESV)
2 Corinthians 5:21
Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God. (CEV)
Galatians 3:13
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us . . . (NIV)
The Distinctives of Christ - His Prophetic Fulfillment of Scripture and Other Important Truths
There is not much agreement among scholars as to how many prophecies Jesus fulfilled in his brief time with us when the Word became flesh. Some number it to be between 40 and 100 while others feel they can list 400 or better. Let’s not get ourselves caught up in the academic community debate. The debate is not about whether there are enough fulfilled scriptures. It’s about how many there actually are! Just know that there are scores of prophecies easily identified and agreed upon that sufficiently place Jesus in the statistical range of probability that is astronomically incomprehensible!
In 1969, two men, Peter W. Stoner and Robert C. Newman, wrote a book called Science Speaks. In it, they explored the statistical possibilities of a single individual being able to accurately hit just 8 prophecies. The probability that Jesus could have done this is only 1 in 10 to the 17th power. Try to wrap your mind around this. That's 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000! ( https://www.christiananswers.net/q-aiia/jesus-odds.html) Mind you, that’s just the odds for satisfying 8 prophecies!
In addition to Jesus’ overwhelming authentication through prophecy fulfilment, there are other unique facts that stand out about Him.
· There is no other world religion that contains a narrative of God providing salvation and having an uncalled-for desire to be in relationship with mankind. Every other world belief system is based on personal works. In those belief systems, the human has to perform something in order to better their spiritual status or earn something from their god or gods.
· As alluded to already in this lesson, our God humbled himself to save us. There is no other story of any god that claims this.
He turned the definition of leadership upside down.
He became the servant King.
He washed the disciples’ feet.
He mingled with sinners and social rejects.
He demanded nothing in terms of being treated like royalty.
· Jesus makes exclusive claim to be the only way to attain eternal life in John 14:6.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. (ESV)
This single statement leaves everyone with a personal decision to make. Either it’s true or it’s false, but it can’t be both. Our encounter with this statement from Jesus is a defining moment for anyone who dares to read the scripture or hear the gospel message.
The offer made by Christ is open to anyone but only valid for those who choose to receive it and call on His name. Specifically, it is only those who know there is nothing they can do to save themselves and know that only Christ is capable of saving them. Others who make the claim that there are multiple paths to a relationship with God do not understand the exclusive claims of Christ. His words bring us to a juncture that requires us to decide which path to follow in terms of what truth is.
Ultimately, we are saved exclusively by faith alone, in Christ alone, through His mercy and grace alone.
The Worthiness of Christ - The Effects of His Gifts of Mercy and Grace
Because Christ is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world," (John 1:29), we become recipients of mercy. Mercy is a compassionate act of someone who has power over us. It removes the punishment that we deserve as sinners. What an incredible gift that is for us! If this were all we received from Christ, we would certainly not have the right to ask for anything more. His action on the cross puts us in a place where we no longer have criminal status. Our “sentence” is essentially expunged because Jesus stepped in on our behalf and willingly received our collective punishment. It removes our status of persona non-grata as we stand in judgement before a righteous God. We are redeemed and restored because of the love of Jesus!
But, that’s only half the package!
God, through His infinite, unmerited, and undeserved love for us, makes it so much sweeter. Beyond the forgiveness we receive, we are blessed and favored with something we cannot earn and do not deserve. Through Christ, we become recipients of grace. God acts with benevolent favoritism by appointing us to be members of His royal family. Spiritually, we become sons and daughters of the Most Holy One!
· Through Christ, we are made citizens of the kingdom of heaven.
· Through Christ, we receive adoption into the family of God. Our status gets changed to favored ones.
· Through Christ, we receive the gift of eternal life.
· Through Christ, we receive the power of the Holy Spirit.
All these things we receive in Christ are wonderful, amazing, and out of this world. Nonetheless, there is still one other fact about Christ that is exclusive and absolutely necessary to validate and empower His Grace and Mercy. It’s the indisputable fact that he arose from the dead! This single event is the deal beaker for Christianity. Without it, Christianity would fall into a melting pot of world religions and probably become obscure.
Scripture testifies that there were over 500 eyewitnesses in the presence of Christ after His resurrection and before His ascension (1 Cor. 15:6). What’s really intriguing is that this is recorded by the Apostle Paul who was originally a persecutor of the church. His conversion was a result of a personal encounter with Jesus after His ascension. There was no logical worldly reason for Paul to become a follower of Jesus and a minister of the gospel. Paul went on to be the most prolific writer and apostle of the first century church. He lived in poverty and found no financial or political gain through his experience with Christ. He died as a martyr.
Jesus Christ’s birth, life, crucifixion, resurrection, post resurrection ministry, ascension, and continued power to change people’s lives remains irrefutable.
The Impact of Christ - Your Relationship with Him
After all that we’ve said, who is Jesus Christ to You? Is He nothing more than a verified factual historical figure? Is He a distant God that you feel unable to connect with?
Have you come to an understanding that at this very moment He is the living Christ who sits on His throne in heaven? Do you understand this is Jesus who transforms lives and who can encounter you in a personal way that verifies beyond doubt that He knows you by name and is willing to have an ongoing relationship with you?
Facts are great, but none of it matters if you haven’t had a personal life-changing encounter with God! Your life can be changed forever by surrendering to the Holy One, Jesus Christ who came into this world to save YOU!
Contact me if you want to explore more about who Jesus is and what He has waiting for you!
God bless you and Merry Christmas!
References
Science Speaks: Scientific Proof of the Accuracy of Prophecy and the Bible; Peter W. Stoner (Author), Robert C. Newman (Collaborator);1969, MOODY BOOKS PRESS (3rd Revised Edition) PAPERBACK
