“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?”  (Matt 16:13)

Their answers reveal that, even during the time of Jesus, folks didn’t fully understand who He is.

You may think that folks today know who Jesus is, but they also have varying descriptions of Him. They know of ANOTHER JESUS.

“For if he that cometh preacheth ANOTHER Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive ANOTHER spirit, which ye have not received, or ANOTHER gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him” (2Cor 11:4. emph mine seb).

Peter gave the inspired answer; “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This answer did not come from human hearts, it is divine.

Let’s be ready to answer the question, WHO IS JESUS?

While the scriptures say that the books of the world could not contain all the things Jesus did (John 21:25), we can give an answer to the question.

JESUS is…THE JUDGE. People say rightly that Jesus didn’t come to judge the world (John 12:47), but what they miss is that He didn’t come to judge AT THAT TIME. He came to bring salvation to the world through His sacrifice. Now that He reigns in Heaven, one day He will JUDGE the world and He will JUDGE it through His word.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2Cor 5:10; John 12:48).

JESUS is… THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF THE GODHEAD. No man has seen God at any time (John 1:18). To do so would to be death (Ex 33:20). However, Jesus came to earth in human form, He is IMMANUEL, God with us. This opens for us a world of comfort and excitement. Job longed for someone who was qualified to both stand on earth and in Heaven to mediate between God and man. Jesus is the EXPRESS IMAGE OF THE GODHEAD (cf. Job 9:32-33)

“For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;” “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Col 1:19; 2;9)

JESUS is… THE SON OF GOD. When Jesus said that His Father is God, the Jews understood this to mean that Jesus was claiming to be God (John 5:17-18). They understood it well. As the Son of God, He is God, and He has all authority on earth and in Heaven (Matt 28:18).

“And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11; cf. Ps 2:7; Mat 3:17; Mar 9:7).

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds” (Heb 1:1-2)

JESUS is… AN UNDERSTANDING & SYMPATHETIC SAVIOR. Because Jesus is God, and that He came to earth and suffered, He UNDERSTANDS us experientially. It’s so comforting to know we serve the God who was tempted and suffered in all points just as we suffer (even more so). No world religious figure compares to Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God.

“For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted” (Heb 2:18)

“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:15-16)

JESUS is… THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD. Lastly, and most importantly, Jesus is our SAVIOR. Without a Savior, we are dead in our sins (Eph 2:1). “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 6:23). Everyone needs a Savior, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). No one will be lost because they haven’t heard of or don’t know Jesus; we will be lost because of our sin (2Thess 1:8-9).

Jesus is the Savior to all who will believe and obey Him. “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Heb 5:9). He will present us to God, “unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister” (Col 1:22-23);

To know Him is to love Him is to obey Him. “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous”

(1John 5:2-3).

“And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1John 4:14).

Oh, how wonderful it is to know the Lord. Let us be ready to help others who know another Jesus to know, to love, and to serve THE LORD.

Agape,

Spencer