Who Is Christ?

Let’s look at a number of common questions about Jesus Christ. Is He real history? Can we have faith in Him? What is Christ’s Work? Who was He really? Was He really God in the flesh?

Christ is from Greek, meaning the same as Messiah from Hebrew, the Savior of all humanity. Studying Christ is called Christology.

Who is Christ? Part 1

Is Jesus Historical?

Clement of Rome, Ignatius and Polycarp wrote close to 100 AD quoting from Paul’s epistles so often that even skeptics agree that Paul wrote them, and that he and the other apostles preached the same thing.

So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed. (1 Corinthians 15:11 NLT)

Other passages also show that Paul taught the same Gospel as the other apostles (Acts 2:22-32; 3:15; 4:2; 5:29-32; 10:38-43; 13:30-31; Romans 1:3-4; 10:9; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Philippians 2:6-11).

After fourteen years, Paul again met with the apostles in Jerusalem to consult. He concluded that they did not add any missing ingredients to his message, but rather that Paul’s mission was to the gentiles, while Peter’s was to the Jews.

Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also… As for those who were held in high esteem—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—they added nothing to my message. On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. (Galatians 2:1-7 NIV)

Medical experts who have examined Roman crucifixion accounts, testify that nobody could have survived the ordeal. With over 24,000 copies of early new testament manuscripts available, the historical evidence for Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection is more conclusive than for most other ancient historic events. With over 500 witnesses of his resurrection, we are reminded that most were still alive to corroborate the facts.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8 NASB)

When we look at belief in Jesus, there are three views of that faith that we could consider.

From Above

When we look at the history of Jesus there are those who reason that we ought to believe in him through faith alone. This is the so-called view from above, from heaven, put forward by such people as Søren Kirkegaard, who believed that James had the answer to this.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17 ESV)

Faith is one of those gifts from above and it is a good and perfect gift.

From Below

A modern tendency is to ignore what people sarcastically call “blind” faith in search of a “reasoned” faith.

There are a couple of disadvantages to this approach. One is that it can lead us to doubt and search for historic evidence alone, evidence from here below on earth. Another disadvantage is that the historic evidence for Jesus was right in front the noses of the Pharisees and Judas, but it did not help them.

One advantage of searching for the historical Jesus “from below” is to discover his human side. If however, in making such an inquiry we ignore God’s revelation we don’t have a right balance. Thomas Aquinas concluded that “Some truths about God exceed all the ability of human reason.”

From Above and Below

Augustine put it well when he suggested that discovering Jesus starts with faith. Peter would agree.

He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 16:15-17 KJV)

So, a more balanced approach to discovering Jesus, includes BOTH faith and reason regarding physical evidence.

… calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. (Luke 7:19-22 ESV)