Real Life-Who Is Jesus?

REAL LIFE- Who is Jesus?

Scripture Text: John 20:31

Introduction: Indescribable Joy….. Sense of purpose and plan for your life…. do you have these today? Do you know that you were created for a purpose? …. That you are a special creation of God? Further, that you can have eternal life in Jesus Christ, the Son of God…. a life that is not only eternal, as in length of life; but also abundant, as in the quality of your life.

Propositional Statement: We have been studying in the Book of John. This book was written so that you might trust that Jesus will give you life. Packed inside this seemingly simple Bible verse is the identity of Jesus and the definition of ‘real life’…. that is life in His name.

John essentially includes two things here: First, who God is; and secondly, what is the evidence. BELIEVING has to do with WHO God is and a description of LIFE.

I. BELIEVING has to do with who God is. Who is Jesus? If someone were to identify one of us today, they might ask for our driver’s license and they might find out our date of birth, how tall we are or our address; but they would not be able to describe who we are. John wrote this gospel so that we would know WHO Jesus is.

Since the Pastor has been going through the Book of John; we have been told about how Jesus turned the water into wine in chapter 2; how he healed a paralytic man in chapter 5; and how he multiplied the loaves and fishes in chapter 6. In chapter 11, we will see His power of death; but ultimately the book will explain how Jesus was resurrected from the dead….further proof of the power of God and reason for us to worship Him.

In Matthew 16:15, after many rumors about the things that Jesus had been doing, some said Jesus was one of the prophets, and some even thought he was a risen from the dead John the Baptist. After the works that Jesus had been doing were witnessed by Jesus’ closest disciples he asked them, “But who do you say that I am? (NASB)” In John 7, Jesus’ words imply that after the evidence is examined, we have a responsibility to know WHO He is. In the temple of his very own Jewish people, he cried out, “You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me (NASB).” Yes, the question that we need to answer today is: “Who do you say Jesus is?”

A. TRUST that Jesus is the Christ (in the original ‘Annointed’)

In John 20:31; one of two things we learn about Jesus is that he is the Christ. Christ means ‘the Annointed.’ It is the title of His Deity. In other words, Jesus is God and John means his book to prove that. One of my Jehovah’s Witness friends always argued, “Well, if he was God, then why didn’t he just come out and say it?” You see, there are a few things that we need to consider here: First, the nature of Jesus’ mission. He came in loving obedience to the Father. To honor God, the Scripture tells us, we must honor Jesus. Secondly, there was no question in the minds of the priests of WHO Jesus was. At several points they picked up stones to kill him because of WHO He claimed to be. In John 14:11-12 Jesus said, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves (NASB).” If Jesus was just a prophet or a re-incarnated John the Baptist; then how could he say, “I am in the Father and the Father is in me?” In John 10:30, after telling people that His sheep hear His voice, Jesus says, “I and the Father are one.” In fact, one of the strongest evidences that Jesus is God is the claims that He made about Himself.

Jehovah’s Witness’ changed their translation of the Bible and defy the rules of Greek grammar so that these facts would be skewed. Turn to John 1:1 so that I can show you the difference between the Word of God and their poor translation. I will recite their version:….

But, one does not need to argue the rules of Greek grammar to explain to someone that Jesus was not a created being, as the Jehovah’s Witnesses contend. Greg Koukel, a Christian apologist can help us here: Simply skip to John 1:3. Take out a napkin or piece of paper and draw a box. Divide the box into two areas. First, all things that are uncreated; and secondly, all things that are created. Outside the box of created things; write created by or through Jesus. Now remember, the box represents everything that exists. Things that were created and things that were not; there is no third option. Now, if we were to take out a coin and place it on the box into what category that Jesus belongs in; where would we put the coin? “The first impulse of a Jehovah’s Witness, of course, is to place Jesus in the category of "all things that came into being" because that’s what their theology dictates. In keeping with the teaching of Arius in the early fourth century, there was a time "when the Word was not." Jesus was the first created being and everything else was created by Jehovah through Jesus. But John 1:3 doesn’t allow that option. Look at the wording carefully. John says, "All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being," or in the NWT,"...and apart from him not even one thing came into existence" (emphasis mine). John says the same thing two different ways for emphasis and clarity: everything that ever came into being owes its existence to Jesus, who caused it all to happen. If Jesus caused all created things to come into existence, then He must have existed before all created things came into existence. Therefore, the Word could not have been created(Greg Koukel, Stand to Reason).” Jesus even prayed in John 17:5; Now Father, glorify me together with yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the world was.” There is only one conclusion that we can come to understand when we answer the question about WHO Jesus is; …. That Jesus is the Christ, ….that He is God.