Who Is Jesus Christ?

November 28,2010

Introduction

 

            One request on our survey/questionnaire said, “I would like to see how to study a  particular subject in the Bible.  How to take a subject and follow it through scripture to validate the truth instead of counting on what we have heard.”

 

            Let me say first of all, that this is a very good, and a very challenging idea.  In  (Mat 15:7-9 NKJV)   we find this statement:   "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: {8} 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. {9} And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"

 

            So Jesus is saying there is a worship which is vain, or worthless.  The New Century Version puts it this way:  “Their worship of me is worthless. The things they teach are nothing but human rules.'"  (Mat 15:9 NCV)   So the question is very important!  Are we following the Bible, or what some man has taught?

 

            We are at that time of year when many will soon be thinking of the birth of Christ, so let’s consider the question, “Who is Jesus Christ??

          

Body

 

I.            Is He part of the Trinity?

 

  1. What do we mean when we speak of the Trinity?

 

1.      We sometimes speak of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, but are these statements found in scripture?

2.      A similar statement that occurs in some of our songs is God in three persons, or Great One in Three.

 

a.       How can such things be?

b.      Where do we find this in scripture?

 

  1. What does the scripture say about how many Gods there are?

 

1.      The Old Testament speaks of only One God.

 

a.       Stated clearly in Deuteronomy.

 

(Deu 6:4 NKJV)  "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!

 

b.      Stated again in Isaiah.

(Isa 45:5-7 NKJV)  I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, {6} That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; {7} I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things.'

 

2.      The New Testament is crystal clear.

 

(Mark 12:29-31 NKJV)  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. {30} 'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. {31} "And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

 

3.      Jesus declared that His Father was the only True God.

 

(John 17:3 NKJV)  "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

 

II.            Jesus is the Son of God.

 

  1. There is Peter’s well-known confession.

 

In Mat 16:13-17, we find Jesus asking this same question, “When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" {14} So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." {15} He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" {16} Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." {17} Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

 

  1. It is how Mark begins writing his gospel.

 

(Mark 1:1 NKJV)  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

 

  1. It was one repeated by the Ethiopian.

 

(Acts 8:36-37 NKJV)  Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" {37} Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

 

  1. John repeatedly called Jesus the only begotten Son.

 

1.      The first reference is in the prologue.

 

(John 1:18 NKJV)  No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

 

2.      The second reference is in what has been called the golden text of the Bible.

 

(John 3:16 KJV)  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

III.            Very often Jesus is described as the Son of Man.

 

A.    Paul refers to Jesus as the last Adam.

 

(1 Cor 15:45-47 NKJV)  And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. {46} However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. {47} The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.

 

  1. Jesus first use of the expression, Son of Man, that we have recorded is in Matthew.

 

(Mat 8:19-20 NKJV)  Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go." {20} And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

 

  1. His power and authority confused many people.

 

(Mat 9:2-6 NKJV)  Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." {3} And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!" {4} But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? {5} "For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'? {6} "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"; then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."

 

  1. All power, or authority, had been given Him.

 

(Mat 28:18 NKJV)  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

 

  1. He is the Son of Man, and the Son of God, but not God.

 

  1. Jesus was tempted in all points as we are.

 

(Heb 4:14-15 NKJV)  Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. {15} For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

 

  1. Now consider what is said of God being tempted.

 

(James 1:13 NKJV)  Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

 

  1. Jesus does not know everything, but God does.

 

(Mat 24:36 NKJV)  "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

 

  1. How do God and Christ relate to us?

 

(1 Tim 2:5 NKJV)  For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

 

Conclusion

 

I.                   It does matter what we believe.

II.                He is the Lamb of God.

III.             He wants to be our Savior but we must obey Him.

IV.             He must be the Lord of our life.

 

Scripture quotations marked "NKJV™" are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

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