This is the second part of the series on “Who is Jesus?” The book of John really shows who Christ is so I’d like to examine some of the scriptures.
“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 nothing was made that was made.” (John 1:1-3). This is of course talking about Jesus as Jesus is the “Word”. Continuing on down to verse 10 through 13, “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name…”
So here we have John claiming that Jesus has been since the beginning and that the world was made through Jesus. This is pretty bold to say because Jesus is not just being equated to God, but acknowledged as part of Him! So what does Jesus say? If you can recall in Exodus 3:13-15 when Moses asked God what he should tell the children of Israel His name was, God told him in verse 14, “And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” In going back now to John 8:58, we read, “Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Again in Revelation 1:8 Jesus proclaims, “’I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,’ says the Lord, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
It always amazes me when people who claim to believe the Bible is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16-17) try to discredit who Christ is, denying that He is God. He is not an angel, He is not just a good man. He was born and died and rose again in the flesh just as was prophesied before His coming (please refer to book of Isaiah). 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 assures us that Christ has risen from the dead. John 20:24-30, Jesus has risen and tells Thomas to reach his hand to Jesus side where he was pierced and to look at His hands. Surely, He arose in the flesh.
Jesus makes clear that He wants to dwell within us. As He prays to the Father in chapter 17:19-23, “And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also many be sanctified by the truth. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one; I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” In the next verse Jesus acknowledges that God loved Him before the world was founded. As Jesus was praying for His disciples, you notice that the prayer is extended to those of us who believe through the words of His disciples as well. Jesus wants to live in us.
The next part of my “Who is Jesus?” series will look a bit closer at the trinity of God.
Please check out the forum thread called: Jesus is God
Scripture reference is quoted from the NKJV.