Who is Jesus?
Today we are starting a series reviewing the basics of what we know about Jesus Christ. We will be looking at several scriptures to come up with the documentation to answer today’s question. However, before we start our quest through scripture let’s define some general things about the person of Jesus Christ.
His name is derived from the Old Testament name Joshua, which means, “"Yahweh is Salvation," "Yahweh delivers," or "Yahweh rescues." The title Christ means “anointed one” Original Jewish meaning was "Messiah"—"one [who is] anointed" or appointed by God with a unique and special purpose (mission) on Earth.
He is the most famous person in all of history. Although I doubt that if we were walking the earth today that he would be the most photographed. No where in the NT is there a description, no one speaks of his striking appearance. OR comments on any kind of special characteristic. Isaiah 53:2 makes a prediction about the messiah, “He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.”
He is said to have grownup in a semi- Jewish community on the fringe of Israel. His whole life was lived as a subject under roman occupation. His community might not have been so different from the Lindale - Silver Creek area where the people just get by. Most people settled for a roof over their heads and regular meals. The people were mostly working poor. We believe that he learned the carpentry trade and worked with is earthly father.
From what we read in the Bible, we can calculate that Jesus probably never traveled farther than 200 miles from Nazareth in his adult years. Once he started his ministry he lived as a traveling teacher dependant on the hospitality of others to survive.
History isn’t made to record the life of a person that meet the conditions of Jesus and his family. Millions of people of Jesus’ day lived and died in obscurity. Thousands of rabbis taught and disciple with no record of the lives touched and comforts given. The people of the day had no pretention in changing classes (from poor to rich) to be a member of the haves, or becoming royalty.
When we consider that Jesus was as far as we know just an average person in an average family it would seem hard to believe that His life is remembered or noticed at all.
And yet, there are more songs sung about and to him, artwork sketched, carved and painted of him and books written about him than anyone that has ever lived.
For two thousand years He has been simultaneously the most loved and hated person in this world.
How did a country preacher end up with so much attention?
He never wrote a book. He never held an elected office. He never advertised on the radio or internet or on a bill board. And yet, no world leader or powerful person has changed human history to the degree of this 33 year old homeless man named Jesus.
In our scripture this morning He asks his disciples "What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?"
They replied, "Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets."
They answered with historical religious figures of the day.
To start our thinking on this subject I though we should answer that question in our time.
Jesus is discussed in the media on an ongoing basis so I thought that would be a good place to start.
Since we are a TV culture, I looked for TV shows related to Jesus. There were so many That I decided to share the titles of only a few of them:
Discovery channel -
Jesus the complete story,
The Jesus Family tomb,
Lost tomb of Jesus,
James the brother of Jesus,
Who was Jesus?
Jesus the Missing history
History Channel
Jesus’ Jerusalem
Banned from the Bible
The Trial of Jesus
PBS – Frontline – From Jesus to Christ – the rise of Christianity,
NBC
Dateline NBC: Book - The Jesus Papers – Explains that Jesus survived the crucifixion.
The search for Jesus,
The Birth of Jesus
The Last Days of Jesus
Jesus has made guest appearances on The Simpsons,
South Park – where he has powers, great carpentry skills and fights villains.
Then there are hundreds of movies about Jesus: which started at the beginning of silent films and still are made even today.
Most recently the Passion of Christ and the Da Vinci Code.
There is also a Canadian kung-fu horror comedy called Jesus Christ Vampire slayer.
Every TV show and movie have their own methods to telling the story of Jesus. Most of them seek to tear down the image because of the lack of information that history has recorded about Jesus.
I decided to look up famous people’s comments about Jesus and here are a few examples:
Celebrity comments –
Beatles member – John Lennon once said, “We’re bigger than Jesus Now.” He is dead now, I wonder if he still thinks so?
Actress Pamela Anderson….(I am not sure actress is the right description,) said, All theses Christians are always saying that I need a personal relationship with the Lord. Well I do, He’s my home boy. I am not ashamed to tell the world that Jesus is cool in a trendy sort of way.
Kirk Cameron – says, For me in my life, the biggest celebrity, the biggest star, the one who is famous in my mind—not just here on earth, but throughout the universe— is Jesus Christ.
Friedrich Niche – 19th century Atheistic philosopher said “ Jesus Christ died too soon, if he has lived to my age he would had reputed his doctrine.” Basically, if Jesus had lived long enough he would have bee a good atheist like me.
Fidel Castro – said, “I never saw a contradiction between the Ideas the sustain me and that ideas of that extraordinary figure of Jesus Christ.” So Castro, thinks that Jesus would have been a good communist.
Mikhail Gorbachev said, ’Jesus was the first socialist, the first to seek a better life for mankind.’
Adolph Hitler said in a speech in 1922 and his book “My New Order,” “In boundless love as a Christian and as a man I read through the passage which tells us how the Lord at last rose in His might and seized the scourge to drive out of the Temple the brood of vipers and adders. How terrific was his fight against the Jewish poison.” Hitler says that Jesus is the foundation for being a good Nazi.
Mahatma Gandhi says I can not say that Jesus was uniquely divine, he was as much God as Krishna or Rama or Mohammad or Zoroaster.” Basically, He was a good spiritual man like me.
With this sampling that we have just reviewed is it possible to really get a clear image of Who Jesus Christ is? Isn’t it impossible for Jesus to match all the opinions listed? It seems like that there is an endless list of opinions about Jesus. Who is Jesus in this list.
Have you ever been misrepresented, perhaps found out about a set of rumors going around about something you did or your real character and wanted to set the record straight.
So that is want I believe that Jesus want to do with and for us. So, now we will let Jesus speak for himself…
I am going to read 12 selections where Jesus makes statements about himself, with very little extra explanation.
Jesus Said He came down from Heaven John 6:38, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.”
-- He does not tell of a glimpse of heaven, not a near death experience. He left his home to come to earth.
Jesus Said He was more than a good man Mark 10:17-18, “As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone.
Note that he says Why, not don’t – He is identifying that he is good like only God can be.
Jesus said, He was the Son of Man. Mark 13:26-27, "At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
The description “Son of Man” was a Messianic title. Jesus is the One who was given dominion and glory and a kingdom.
Jesus performed miracles. John 10:36b-38, “what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ’I am God’s Son’? Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."
Only a person from or faithful to god can perform miracles.
Jesus Said He was God. Mark 14:61b-62, “Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"
"I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
I AM – mot just a positive answer but the same words given to Moses by the burning bush.
Jesus said He was sinless. John 8:46-47, “Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?
I will not be asking any of you if you can prove me guilty of sin. Renee will be the first in line to testify against me.
Jesus forgave sin. Mark 2:5, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."”
Jesus taught people to pray to Him as God. John 14:13-14 “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
Jesus promised to judge all people ad God. John 5:22-24, “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.”
Jesus said, HE was the only way to heaven. John 14:6, “Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Christians are narrow because Jesus is narrow.
Jesus claimed authority and superiority over all people. Matt 28:18, “Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
As we star this bigger investigation it seemed important to point out that there is a big difference between what the culture, community, TV, Movies and individuals.
Have sources other than Jesus and the Bible influences your faith. Your core knowledge of how you see Jesus. There are some great arguments out there. Some seem very plausible. But they don’t explain how the good news of Jesus Christ made in into history in the first place. They can only guess that the stories survived 2000 years of testing only because believer were willing to lie to preserve mysteries, secrets and an exclusive path.
Let me just say that the more you read about different religions the less that you will find any common basis. Our culture is celebrated for its freedom of everything and historically connected to the freedom of religion. However, this tolerance that was allowed and even encouraged in our nation has opened us up to the leveling of the differences in truth and right and wrong. We to quote our scripture “you put up with it easily enough.” When we put up with things long enough they influence our core belief’s. We can develop our own doubts about what we learned form our parents and Sunday school teachers. We can technically leave Christianity because of the outside influence of TV and movies, culture and celebrities and other people’s expression of their opinions. and The beliefs may acknowledge Jesus because of his amazing impact on all cultures. We leave Christianity when we have real doubts about the source and accuracy of scripture. When we think of Jesus as only a good man and not God our savior. When we come to believe that if the culture we live in defines what is and is not sin and is the only source of forgiveness.
In the next few weeks we will be looking at other classic questions about Jesus which will build on the basics that we considered today.
All Glory be to God.
