As a follow-up to last week’s post, this post will speak a little bit more about who Jesus is.
Jesus is God.
This is one of the boldest claims Jesus ever made, and even today, it is still controversial. The issue of whether Jesus is God or not is only a matter of believing in His honesty. If you believe Jesus to be a liar, then it is safe to say He is not God. But if He is the honest man, full of grace and truth as we know, then He is God.
I and the Father are one.
John 10:30 NIV
In multiple instances during His time on earth, Jesus claims to be God. One of those many instances is when Jesus says “I and the Father are one”. Many people have interpreted this statement to mean that Jesus just said He has the same vision or mind as the Father. However, the reaction of the Jews lets us know that this was not the case (Jn. 10: 31).
No one will pick up stones to kill you just because you say you’re of the same vision as God. It must have been that Jesus was declaring His deity. Despite the outrage of the people, Jesus doesn’t correct Himself or take back His words. He literally was like “I said what I said”. The only explanation for this is either that Jesus is really God or He is a lying fraud.
In another instance, He uses a term reserved for God for Himself. He says in John 8:58 “Before Abraham was born, I am!” This is a two-fold revelation. Abraham was dead and gone at least several hundred years before this incident. How can Jesus say He was in existence before him? This tells us that Jesus is eternal. Man is limited by time, but not God. God is eternal (Isa. 40:28).
Moreover, He doesn’t say “I was”, he says “I am”, using the exact wordings used to refer to God in Exodus 3:14. Again, the Jews were going to give him the punishment for blasphemy but He did not take back His word because He meant what He said.
In other parts of scripture, we see references to His deity and we see Jesus accepting worship from people, even though worship is only meant for God.
Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
John 20:28 ESV
And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.
Matthew 28:9 ESV
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
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.
John 1:1; 14 ESV
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 ESV
Jesus is the way to the Father.
If I’m going to pick my fighter, I pick Jesus. I mean, on the matter of getting to heaven, I will choose the words of someone who has been to heaven and is come from heaven over the words of any other person (Jn. 6:38; 8:23).
The Bible tells us that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and no one gets to the Father except through Him (Jn. 14:6). Some great people have come to “show” us the way, and the prophets spoke often of the way. Only Jesus reveals Himself as The Way. There is no shortcut and no alternative route. We get to the Father through Jesus.
Jesus is the key to salvation.
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12 NIV
Jesus paid the ultimate price for the sins of the whole world, once and for all. He fulfilled all of the laws and prophecies. He gave us victory in His name and access to the Father. He tells us that He is the resurrection and the life. He says the one who drinks from Him will thirst no more. Not only does Jesus save us from the power of sin, but He saved us from hell and death. He saved us from evil in this world and the present world to come.
Eternal life lies in Him. Salvation starts and ends with Him.
If we agree that Jesus spoke truth then we must agree that all of what He spoke is the truth. We cannot pick one part and claim it is true and discard the rest of it. It is either all or none.
I encourage you to see the Bible for what it is; the Book of Truth. The Bible tells us all there is to know about Jesus. It tells us of His deity and His Messiahship. It tells us Jesus is the key to eternal rest. But as true as all of this is, Jesus will never force Himself on you. He leaves you to choose by yourself, for yourself.
If you would like to take God’s offer of salvation today by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please say this prayer:
Dear Jesus, I thank you for your sacrifice of love for me. I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth today that you are my Savior and my God. Save me from my sins and write my name in the Book of Life. Amen.
For further study: https://faithplus.blog/2023/07/07/jesus-the-redeemer/
Faith+blog 