Jesus is
John 5:30-40
Who do you say Jesus is? Scripture talks to us about those who questioned who Jesus was, as well as those who just believed in Him. Today we are going to examine who Jesus is, and in the process those who do not believe in Him will have something to think about. And for those of us who believe, well, we will stand firm in that belief.
"I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."
Christ who is called the exact image of the invisible Father is the voice that the people heard. He then says that they search the Scriptures in them you think you have eternal life but they testify of me. In these verses Jesus gives the source of his commission, which is from the Father personally. It is the Fathers voice and form they have not seen, yet Christ has. And it is through the Holy Spirit that we hear His voice today in His Word. So let the Word of God speak to us now so that we can see who Jesus is. And to do that I will be using the persons of the Bible who questioned Jesus.
1. Satan
a. Satan said “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.”
b. Although Satan was not questioning Jesus’ claim to being the Messiah, but like he did with Eve he wants to do to Jesus, to cause Him to disobey the Father by not trusting in His ability to care for and sustain Jesus during His fast.
c. So in relation to Satan’s “if” Jesus tells us who he is in John 6:51
d. “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
e. Jesus is the bread of life to mankind. He is the bread that does not mold, grow stale, or runs low. His body that was broken on the cross of Calvary gives life to all who would believe in Him.
2. The Jewish people
a. “Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.”
b. Jesus had gone about the land healing, teaching, and proving that He was who He said He was, but the people still doubt.
c. So to the people’s “if” Jesus tells us who He is in John 8:23
d. “And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.”
e. Jesus is the Word from heaven. It was Christ who put down His heavenly abode to take on human flesh, so that He could be made sin for the sake of mankind’s salvation.
3. The Chief Priests
a. "If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him."
b. Note that the priests are not looking for a savior; they are looking to a physical king. The priests have long since given up on a true service and worship to God. Jesus hanging on the cross, giving His life for us and the priests with their dark hearts are only looking for a king.
c. So to the Chief Priests’ “if” Jesus tells us who He is in John 8:12
d. “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
e. Jesus is the light that works to remove the darkness from our hearts and minds.The Bible refers to wickedness and evil as darkness. Now who could look upon a person nailed to a cross and make mocking statements…only someone with a dark and cold heart. The priests failed to see the beauty of Jesus laying down His life so that mankind could find his way out of darkness. If only the Chief Priests would have the mind and heart of Nathanael, when he testified: -"Thou art the Son of God, Thou art the King of Israel" (John 1: 16). So if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord we can have eternal life.
4. The passers-by
a. “If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross"
b. Now the people walking by join in in the mocking of Jesus. But they take it a step further mock the fact that Jesus is the only begotten of the Father.
c. So to the passers-by Jesus has this too said in John 8:58
d. “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”
e. Jesus is God! People mock Jesus at His claims of being the son of God, but Jesus steps it up a notch and lets us know that He was here at the beginning of time. The Jews looked upon Abraham as the father of the nation. But Jesus says that before your father was I AM! Back at the burning bush Moses was told that the one who was sending him to talk with Pharaoh was I AM; which is God’s personal name, being Yahweh in Hebrew and Jehovah in English. Oh what a joy it is to know that God put on human flesh to dwell with men to become our gift of salvation.
5. The rulers
a. "Let Him save Himself if He be the Christ, the chosen of God"
b. Like with the Chief Priests and the passers-by the rules join in on the mocking of Jesus, questioning His claims to be the Messiah. It is a sad thing when people cannot see the forest for the trees. Jesus, during his ministry on earth has proven time and time again that He was indeed sent by God.
c. So to the rulers Jesus has this to say about their question, taken from John 10:9
d. “9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
e. Jesus is the way to the Father in heaven. Like Satan, who wanted Jesus to short-cut His work of salvation, so do the rulers want Jesus to short-cut the redemptive work on the cross. Jesus could have called down a league of angels to help Him down, but that was not why He can to earth. He wanted to be obedient to the Father to the end. And that obedience demanded that He stay on the cross until the work that He came to do was complete.
6. The Pharisees
a. "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."
b. This is the account of the woman who cried at Jesus’ feet, wiped the tears from His feet with her hair, and anointed Him with oil. Like many of us today this woman may have been at the bottom of the barrel and realized her only way out is through Christ Jesus. The Pharisees, like us today showed zero compassion for the woman, not realizing that the man that sat before them at dinner was the one who could bring about this woman’s relief and anyone else who desired it.
c. To the Pharisees “if” Jesus has this to say in John 10:11
d. “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”
e. Not only is Jesus a prophet Jesus is the shepherd to those in need, those that have realized their need for a savior. This sinner woman knew her need to change and she found that Jesus was the one who would save her and be her shepherd into life eternal. The Pharisees were blinded to what Jesus came to do. He came to give Himself a ransom for many, this woman being one of the many that will be saved by the blood of Jesus.
7. The High Priest
a. "I put you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!"
b. The high priest is not looking for truth with his question; he is looking for a way to put an end to Jesus and His teachings’. Had the high priest and the people been aligned with God there would be no need of this question, as the works and deeds of Jesus would have been all the proof that was needed. But the sad thing with man is our desire to hide from the truth, living in a world of our own making. The high priest lived in that world of luxury, as well as the Pharisees, rulers, and the Chief Priests; and none of them wanted to give that up to save their souls.
c. For their doubts and lack of faith in Jesus, He has this to say to them in John 14:6
d. “6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
e. The high priest wanted to know if Jesus was the Son of God…not only is Jesus the Son of God, but Jesus is the means by which those who believe upon Him are granted entry into the presence of the Father. Now we will all see God, but what will that visit be like? Will it a visit where you are judged and then thrown into the lake of fire? Or will it be a visit where you are welcomed into heaven? The woman who cried at Jesus’ feet seemed to have found her way to the Father into heaven, while the high priest seemed to find his way to the lake of fire by way of the Father.
Now the focus shifts from the seven persons in this message to each of us gathered here. Have you taken stock of who Jesus is, and what He came to do for each of us? We should all be like the woman who cried at Jesus’ feet, bringing forth tears of joy over the fact that although we have sinned throughout our lives as if there was no tomorrow we can be saved. We should thank our heavenly Father that He sent us a savior that we can believe upon, unlike the seven persons mentioned in this message who doubted and questioned Jesus, we can look upon the person of Christ and know that Jesus is the Christ!
