Who Is This Jesus?
The Identity of Jesus
I. Jesus is a Man
a. Birth
b. Life
II. Jesus is the Messiah
a. Offspring of Adam and Eve
b. Offspring of Abraham
c. Offspring of David
d. Words of the Prophets
III. Jesus is God
a. Exercise of Prerogatives
b. The Object of Faith
c. The Acceptance of Worship
d. Authority Over Nature
IV. Conclusion
a. Is it Possible?
b. What are the possibilities?
V. Notes and References
I. Jesus is a Man
Jesus is a man. This may seem like the obvious being stated. However,
what seems obvious has been contested at various times ever since the
course of world events was impacted drastically by this man. So, to
begin answering the question of Jesus identity, we say he is a man.
a. Birth
This man was born in the days when Caesar Augustus ruled Rome and Herod
was king of Judea1. He was born in the town of Bethlehem
because his parents had to travel there in order to be counted in a
census ordered by Caesar Augustus. All people were ordered to register
in their home towns. Therefore, Jesus’s parents left their home in Nazareth
and traveled about three days to Bethlehem in Judea. While in
Bethlehem and lodging in what amounts to a barn, Mary, the mother of
Jesus, went into labor. Then he was born. The man to whom the world
would give their attention was now among us. Angels sang at his
birth2, wise men brought him gifts3, and prophets
proclaimed that the world would never be the same.4
b. Life
As Jesus grew, he experienced life in the same way as most Jewish boys.
On the eighth day of his life he was circumcised like other male Jewish
children. According to the Law of Moses, his parents paid a price at
the Temple to redeem him as the first born in their family. He learned
the trade of carpentry which his father practiced, and he attended religious
festivals with his family and members of his community. On one such
occasion we can see a glimpse of Jesus’ uniqueness. Luke tells about
how Joseph and Mary lost track of Jesus after attending a feast in Jerusalem.
When they found him, he was in the temple listening to the teachers
and asking them questions. Luke tells us about how those present were
amazed by his understanding.5 So, we can see that Jesus experienced
a real birth, a real childhood, and grew into a very real and extraordinary
man. It is undeniable that what we all have in common with Jesus is
our humanity.
II. Jesus is the Messiah
What we do not all share with Jesus is his ancestry. Jesus is the descendant
of some important figures in history. His ancestry is important because
it qualifies him to claim the title of Messiah. "Messiah" is translated
as "Christ" in Greek which is why Jesus’ name commonly appears followed
by the term Christ. The ancient Jews looked forward to the coming of
the Messiah (or "Christ") because they believed that his arrival would
bring them great blessing, and it had indeed been promised that the
Messiah would be a blessing to the whole world.
a. Offspring of Adam and Eve
Mankind has been the victim of suffering since the beginning of this
world. Suffering entered the world along with sin. Throughout
our history of sin and suffering, God promised that he would act to
alleviate the curse that is upon mankind due to sin. He first spoke
to the serpent who deceived Adam and Eve saying that a certain offspring
of the woman would crush the head of the serpent. That is, a certain
descendant of the woman would strike a deadly blow to the deceiver who
caused sin to enter the world.6 Most people view this as
the first promise of a savior to relieve humanity from its bondage to
sin, death, and the devil. (Who is he serpent) As a human being,
Jesus is certainly qualified to fill this role because, like us all,
he is a descendant of Adam and Eve.
b. Offspring of Abraham
God also made promises to Abraham. God told Abraham that all peoples
on Earth would be blessed through him.7 The Lord also promised
that he would bless all mankind through a certain offspring of Abraham.8
Jesus, as a Jewish man, is a descendant of Abraham. This
qualifies him for the role as the one through whom God would fulfill
His promises to deal with the curse that is upon mankind. When the Angel
of the Lord appeared to the shepherds announcing the birth of Jesus,
the announcement is called "good news of great joy that will be for
all the people." The birth of Jesus was good news because God was taking
steps to fulfill his plans of dealing with the curse of sin. Jesus is
the descendant of Abraham through whom God blesses all the nations as
He promised. He blesses all of mankind by what He does through Jesus
to atone for our sins.
c. Offspring of David
Jesus is also the descendant of David. In the Old Testament we read
about the promise God made to David, the King of Israel. The Lord promised
He would establish the throne of David’s offspring forever.9
Therefore, the Jews understood that when the Messiah came, he would
be a descendant of David. No one could be the Savior if he wasn’t born
in the line of David. Jesus is a descendant of David.10 When
the angel Gabriel told Mary that she would give birth to a son, he said,
"The Lord will give him the throne of his father David." The angel proclaimed
that Jesus would be the fulfillment of the promises made by God to David.
Jesus would be the Messiah. He is the one through whom God breaks the
curse upon humanity and redeems his people.
d. Words of the Prophets
Jesus fulfills the promises concerning the Messiah in terms of his human
ancestry. In addition to this, he did the things the prophets said the
Messiah would do. Jesus himself quotes the prophet Isaiah’s words concerning
the Messiah while in the synagogue at Nazareth. Jesus then explains
that the words of the prophet are now fulfilled because of his presence.11
Jesus then proceeds to do the things the prophets said the Messiah would
do. He heals the sick, the lame, and the blind. He taught the people
truth about the Kingdom of God. He suffered for the sins of the
people he loved and was risen from the dead. He then ascended into Heaven
to take a place of honor next to the Father and He empowered his disciples
with the Spirit of God.
Jesus is a man with a unique place in the plan of God. He is the Messiah
through whom God acted to bless all the peoples of the Earth.
III. Jesus is God.
a. Exercise of Prerogatives
There is another aspect of Jesus’ identity we catch on to when we see
what he does and when we hear what he says. In the Gospels, it is reported
how Jesus makes claims and exercises prerogatives that only belong to
God. For example, on one occasion Jesus tells a paralyzed man who is
brought before him that his sins are forgiven. Some who heard this accused
Jesus of blasphemy because the authority to forgive sins belongs to
God alone.12
Jesus demonstrates his authority to forgive sins by healing the paralyzed
man. When we evaluate this report given to us by Luke, we must ask ourselves
two questions. Is Jesus is a man guilty of blasphemy, and therefore
also a liar and a lunatic? Or does Jesus possess the authority to forgive
sin, and therefore share in the nature of God? How Jesus presents himself
demands us to make a decision about his identity. If he does share in
the nature of God, then he is someone deserving our attention and ultimately
our allegiance. If he shares in the nature of God, then he can forgive
our sins.
b. The Object of Faith
Jesus does more to support the idea that his identity qualifies him
to exercise the prerogatives of God. Jesus makes himself the object
of faith. He tells the Jews that they must believe in him or die
in their sins.13
He does not say believe in God or perish, but he says believe in me
or perish. Thus, he makes himself the one who is to be believed in and
worshipped. Once again, we must ask if he is someone who has escaped
from the loony bin or someone who is telling the truth.
c. Acceptance of Worship
Jesus also accepts the worship of other men.14 Jesus does
not try to stop those who worship him, but he accepts it as a right
act on the worshipper’s part. He does not discourage them as one not
worthy of such honor but accepts their worship as rightfully his. Worship
does not rightfully belong to an ordinary human being.
d. Authority over Nature
Jesus also exercises authority over nature in a way that is beyond the
power of an ordinary man. On one occasion, he commands the winds to
cease and the sea to be still.15 This is one instance when
those present worship him. On another occasion he is seen walking on
water, which is not common to ordinary men.16 On more than
one occasion he fed thousands of
people with very little food.17 So, there are many events
in the life of Jesus that cause us to think that there is more to his
nature than humanity.
IV. Conclusion
a. Is it Possible?
In Jesus, God became one of us. The God of Heaven chose to share in
the flesh and blood of his creation that he loves so dearly. You may
be thinking, "How can this be possible? How can a person be God and
man at the same time?" The answer is through the power of God! Like
the angel told Mary, the mother of Jesus, "Nothing is impossible with
God."18 In a recent book,
Dr. Gregory Boyd compares the identity of Jesus to a beam of light.
It can be shown that light has both wave and particle like features.
We do not completely understand how light can have qualities of a wave
and particles at the same time, but it is a reality.19 In
the same way, we do not know how Jesus shares in the nature of man and
the nature of God simultaneously, but it is true. Ultimately, there
is one factor that validates Jesus' claims and actions. He was resurrected
from the dead! Jesus’ victory over death validates the claim that he
is the Messiah, as we spoke of earlier and that he is God-Incarnate.
That is, in Jesus, God was among us.
b. What are the Possibilities?
In the man Jesus, God stepped into the realm of human history, fulfilled
his promises, and accomplished the way for mankind’s salvation. Therefore,
when we look at Jesus we not only see the life of an extraordinary man,
but we are looking at the nature of God. God has revealed his qualities
to us by revealing himself in Jesus. The scripture says, "[Jesus] is
the radiance of Gods glory and the exact representation of his being."20
Because God has revealed himself like this, we can know him and have
a relationship with him. Furthermore, when we look at the life of Jesus,
we see what God wants for mankind. Gods has expressed his will
through Jesus. We know, because of Jesus’ death on the cross,
that God loves all of us and that he wants us to be saved from the consequences
of our sins. God wants us to be forgiven and have life.21
Because Jesus died for us, we can be forgiven. If we are willing to
trust God and surrender to Him, he will forgive our sins against him
and grant us an eternal place in his kingdom.
V. Notes and References
1. Luke 2:1-20, Matthew 1:18-2:12
2. Luke 2:13-15
3. Matthew 2:1-12
4. Luke 2:25-35
5. Luke 2:41-52
6. Genesis 3:15
7. Genesis 12:3, 22:18
8. Genesis 22:18
9. 2 Samuel 7:12
10. Matthew 1:1, Luke 1:27
11. Luke 4:14-30
12. Luke 5:17-26
13. John 8:24-26
14. Matthew. 14:33
15. Luke 8:22
16. John 6:16
17. Luke 9:10
18. Luke 1:37
19. Dr. Gregory A. Boyd, Edward K. Boyd. Letters From a Skeptic: A Son
Wrestles with His Father’s Questions About Christianity. Chariot Victor
Publishing: Colorado Springs, 1994.
20. Hebrews 1:3
written by Jeremy Monk
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