9.04.16~The Person of Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the most central figure in all of human history, there has never been anyone like Him. He has been hailed as a good man, a great teacher, a prophet, a religious leader, the Son of God, and even God Himself.
Jesus Christ is God’s Son, God’s Servant, God’s Savior, God’s Sovereign Ruler. Jesus is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew name Yeshua [Joshua]. This is the
name that the angel Gabriel commanded Joseph to name Mary’s child (Matthew 1:21), “You are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”
The name Jesus means “The Lord Saves” or “The Lord Is Salvation,” or “God’s Salvation,” or “God Saves” often it is shortened simply to, “Savior.”
“Christ” comes from the Greek word Christos, meaning “anointed one” or “chosen one.” This is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word “Messiah.”
“Jesus” is the Lord’s human name, “Christ” is His title, for Jesus was sent from God to be a King and Deliverer [Savior] (cf Daniel 9:25; Isaiah 32:1). “Jesus Christ” means “Jesus the Messiah” or “Jesus the Anointed One.”
Jesus came into the world in the flesh of a human baby, (Luke 1:34-35) conceived in the womb of a virgin, named Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit; to Mary Gabriel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you and. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” This is called the “incarnation,” in that, Jesus was both fully man, while also being fully God.
John’s Gospel tells us (cf John 1:1-4) that Jesus is the Word of God, that He was with God in the beginning, that He is the Creator, that “in Him was life, and that life was the light of men,” and (v. 14) that He put on flesh and lived among us, (v. 18) in order to show us, and make known to us, the Father, who no one has seen.
The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ voluntarily set aside the independent use of His divine attributes and took the form of a human creature, submissive to the Father while He was in human flesh (see Philippians 2:6-11).
Concerning Jesus’ humanity as a child, Scripture says very little, but we do know (Luke 2:40), “the child became strong; He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him,” (Luke 2:52), “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”
Scripture tells us some marvelous things about the person of Jesus Christ: Mark 4:38 says, when Jesus got tired He slept.
Luke 4:2 says, when Jesus went without food He got hungry.
John 4:6 says, when Jesus traveled far, He became exhausted and needed to rest.
John 11:35 says, when Jesus suffered grief, He wept.
Jesus acted like a man when it came to normal responses to normal life situations and experiences; and yet, He was fully God.
Hebrews 13:8 tells us He is Immutable [unchanging], “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Colossians 2:3 tells us He is Omniscient [all-knowing], “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
2Corinthians 5:21 tells us He is Perfect [without sin], “God made Him [Jesus] who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
John 6:69 tells us He is Holy, as Peter declares, “You [Jesus] are the Holy One of God.”
Revelation 1:18 tells us He is Eternal and is, “alive for ever and ever!”
John 11:25-26 tells us He grants eternal life to those who believe in Him. Matthew 28:18 tells us He is sovereign, “all authority in heaven and on earth
has been given to [Him].”
Jesus Christ demonstrated His omnipotence [all-powerful nature], in a variety of ways, while He was living on the earth:
Mark 4:39 tells us He had power over creation, even commanding the wind and the sea to be still, and immediately the storm was calmed, to which the disciples pondered (v. 42), “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
John 5:8-9, tells us He had power over disease and sickness, healing a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years.
Luke 4:33-36 tells us He had power of demons, casting them out of a man.
John 11:43-44 tells us He had power over death itself, calling Lazarus, who had been dead and buried for four days, out of the grave alive.
Mark 2:1-12 tells us He had authority to forgive sins, and since God alone can forgive sins; Jesus Christ is God!
There are marvelous Titles/Names of Deity given to Jesus Christ:
Matthew 1:23 says He is Immanuel, which means, “God with us,” the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14, proclaiming that the Lord God Himself would give this sign to the world, “a virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and she will call Him Immanuel.”
In Acts 2:36 says Jesus is both Lord and Christ, and Paul (Philippians 2:11) says, “every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”
John 8:58 says He is there great “I Am,” a name that is reserved for God alone (Exodus 3:14), “I AM WHO I AM,” in Revelation 1:8 He declares, “I am the Alpha and the Omega [the beginning and the end] says the Lord God, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty!”
There are some magnificent statements in the Scriptures declaring the Deity of Jesus Christ, let’s look up a few of them: Colossians 1:15-20; 2:9-12; Romans 1:1-4; Hebrews 1:1-3.
Titus 2:11 says, “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,” 13, “the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Jesus Christ is God’s Salvation, God with us, He is both Lord and Christ, as the Scriptures declare about Him:
John 1:29 says He is the Lamb of God, coming into the world to die for our sins.
John 6:35 says He is the Bread of Life, providing everything we need for eternal life, now and forever.
John 14:6 tells us He is the only Way, only Truth, only Life from God, and therefore, no one receives forgiveness, no one is acceptable to God, no one has eternal life, and no one goes to heaven, except through Him.
Jesus Christ is (1Timothy 6:14-15), the King of kings and Lord of Lords, and Daniel 7:14 says He has been given all glory and power, His authority is eternal, and His kingdom can never be destroyed.
See Revelation 1:5-8, 18a; 5:1-14
Jude 24-25, “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before
His glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory , majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!”
Pastor Mike <‘(((><