Who Is Jesus Christ?

TEXT: John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

MAIN POINT: Jesus Christ is God in human form.

TALKING POINTS:

1. Briefly this morning, we are going to take a brief look at the central figure of our faith. I think that you know whom I am talking about. But let’s be reminded with a few statements about Him: Q: He claimed to be the Son of God. A: Who is Jesus? Q: Easter is the day on which returned from the dead. A: Who is Jesus? Who is Jesus Christ?

2. I am reminded of the story of the teenage son with long-hair and his father who were engaged in a disagreement over the son’s use of the family car and the father’s displeasure with his son’s appearance. In a flash of teenage insight designed to convince his father to let him use the car as he was, the son said, “Dad, Jesus wore long hair.” To which his father thoughtfully replied, “you’re right son, he did. . . . But, Jesus also walked everywhere He went.”

3. Who is Jesus Christ? Here are some common descriptions: “a good man,” “a prophet,” “ a rebel,” “a teacher.” But, the Bible says that Jesus Christ is “the Son of God.” There are two important statements that the Bible makes about Jesus Christ that back this up: He is fully God and fully human. What does that mean?

4. In regards to being fully God it means three things:

He eternally exists with God. In John 8 Jesus got into a discussion about freedom from sin. The discussion came around to father Abraham. In verse 58 Jesus said, “The truth is, I existed before Abraham was even born!” This got Jesus in trouble and he was almost stoned as we read in verse 59.

Jesus possesses the same characteristics of God that we talked about last week. For example, Jesus is all-powerful (omnipotent) and we simply have to look at Matthew 8:26 – 27 where the disciples see this first hand during a storm on the lake where they were. And Jesus answered, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he stood up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly all was calm. The disciples just sat there in awe. “Who is this?” they asked themselves. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

There are only some things that Jesus does that only God can do. One is forgiveness as we recall from the “man on the mat” story in Mark 2:1-12. “Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’? I will prove that I, the Son of Man, have the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, take your mat, and go on home, because you are healed!”

4. But, Jesus was also fully human and because He was He understands our situation:

Jesus had a human body as we read in Luke 2:52 So Jesus grew both in height and in wisdom, and he was loved by God and by all who knew him.

Jesus had a human spirit and soul as we read in Matthew 26:38 where he said, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me.” And in Luke 23:46 when on the cross He shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!”

Jesus also demonstrated normal human characteristics such as we read in Matthew 4:2 that “For forty days and forty nights he ate nothing and became very hungry” and in John 11:35 which simply says, “Then Jesus wept.”

5. So, according to the Bible. Jesus was fully God and fully human. Why? Because as we step back and reflect on the entire message of the Bible, one thing becomes clear. God created us and wants to have a relationship with us. But because of our disobedience that broke our relationship with God sent Jesus Christ to make it possible to have a relationship with Himself once again. That required Jesus to take on human form and live like a human being and face all of the things that we face as human beings without giving into the temptations of this life that causes us to be imperfect and full of doubt and fear and sin.

6. When it comes to Jesus Christ there are two key questions that we must ask and answer: What does one do with Jesus? Pilate basically asked the same question when Jesus was brought before him: “What do you want me to do with Him? I don’t find fault in Him.” We have to do something with Jesus. Who do you say Jesus is? Is he the Son of God? Or is He merely a prophet like the Muslims believe? Or a good man like many people believe?