Jesus Christ
JESUS CHRIST
The question is simply, ÿ”Who is Jesus Christ?” ÿSome say He was the ÿgreatest teacher to ever live; ÿsome say that He was a ÿgood man ÿwho ÿbecame ÿthe ÿvictim of ÿcircumstance ÿand ÿwho ÿdied ÿa senseless and tragic death; ÿsome say He was a man deceived; some say He was the one He claimed to be. Is it important to know who He claims to be? ÿIn the words of Jesus himself we hear, “If you do ÿnot ÿbelieve that I am the one that I claim to be, ÿthen ÿyou will ÿindeed die in your sins.” ÿTo die in one’s sin means ÿthat upon ÿdeath you are thrown into the fires of Hell, ÿÿbecause ÿyou still carry your sins with you. ÿIt is of extreme importance ÿto know who Jesus is.
- JESUS IS GOD
Who ÿis Jesus? ÿHe is God! ÿJesus said, ÿ”I and the Father ÿare one.” He claimed that they were of one essence. They are one in the same. ÿWhoever the Father is, then so is Jesus. ÿThe Father is God, ÿtherefore Jesus is God. ÿPhilip, ÿa ÿdisciple of Christ asked ÿJesus to, ÿ”Show us the Father,” ÿto which Jesus ÿreplied, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”
Jesus also verified that He indeed meant to claim that He was God by ÿthe fact that He accepted worship as God. ÿThe scene is ÿthe upper ÿÿroom ÿÿwhere ÿthe ÿdisciples ÿare ÿgathered ÿÿafter ÿÿthe resurrection ÿof Jesus from the dead. ÿJesus is not there, ÿÿand Thomas ÿhas arrived and has not yet seen the resurrected ÿChrist. He ÿmakes ÿa ÿstatement that, ÿ”unless I put my ÿfingers ÿin ÿthe nailprints in his hands and put my hand in his side, ÿthen I will not ÿbelieve that he has risen!” ÿLater that week, ÿwhen ÿJesus reappears ÿThomas is there and Jesus says to Thomas, ÿÿ”put ÿyour fingers ÿin my hands and your hand into my side.” ÿÿThomas ÿthen replies, “My Lord and my God!” What was Jesus’ response to being referred to as God? ÿSilence! ÿIf He was not God then He ÿwould have ÿcorrected ÿThomas, ÿyet He did not say anything. ÿThis ÿin effect is His acceptance of worship as God.
2. JESUS IS THE CREATOR
The Bible tells us, “. . ÿ.by Him (context is direct reference to Christ) all things were created: things in heaven and on earth. . .all ÿthings were created by Him and for Him. ÿHe is before ÿall things, ÿand in Him all things hold together.” ÿ(Colossians 1:16- 17). ÿJesus made the entire universe! Everything on earth has a source; dogs, plants, trees, minerals, and man, ÿwe all come from something. That something also has a source and on it goes until you ÿcome ÿto the beginning of life–Jesus Christ. ÿWe have ÿour existence ÿdirectly ÿby the hand of Christ. ÿNot only did ÿJesus create ÿus, ÿHe also sustains us. ÿWe do not pick the moment ÿof birth nor the time of death. It is all decided by Jesus, ÿHe has picked ÿthe ÿday of our birth and the exact moment of our ÿdeath. What ÿa ÿgracious God he is to allow any of us to live. ÿWe ÿall deserve ÿinstant death for our disobedience to God’s ÿHoly ÿWord, but ÿthe grace of Jesus allows us to live for a while to find him and to worship him with our souls.
3. JESUS IS THE SAVIOR
“Salvation ÿis found in no one else, ÿfor there is no other ÿname under ÿheaven ÿgiven to men by which we must ÿbe ÿsaved.” ÿÿ(Acts 4:12). ÿJesus is the only one in all of creation who can save us from ÿthe ÿjudgment ÿdue us for our sins. ÿMichael ÿis ÿa ÿgreat Archangel but unable to save man from the “fires of Hell.” There is ÿno man who ever lived that could pay to God the ÿpenalty ÿdue for ÿthe ÿsmallest sin. ÿNot even Paul the Apostle or ÿMary ÿthe earthly mother of Jesus could have any effect on the atonement of man’s ÿsin. ÿÿIn fact, ÿGod the Father and the Holy ÿSpirit ÿare unable ÿto ÿprovide ÿsalvation without the “Shed Blood ÿof ÿJesus Christ!”
Jesus ÿsaid, ÿ”I am the way and the truth and the life. ÿNo ÿone comes to the Father except through me.” ÿ(John 14:6). ÿWe cannot even ÿapproach ÿGod ÿthe ÿFather unless we ÿfirst ÿ”bow ÿdown ÿin worship” ÿÿat ÿthe feet of Jesus. ÿThere are a number ÿof ÿfalse religions in the world that attempt to worship God without coming through ÿJesus. ÿThink of the Jewish faith that believes in ÿGod but rejects Jesus, ÿor the Hindus who only consider Jesus a “good man” ÿÿand ÿtry to approach God without the ÿcleansing ÿBlood ÿof Jesus. The only hope we have is the person of Jesus Christ.
Jesus ÿcan ÿclaim to be the only one able to save man because ÿHe was the only one who went to the cross. It was at the cross that all ÿof ÿour ÿsins ÿwere ÿpaid for by ÿthe ÿsuffering ÿof ÿJesus. Therefore ÿJesus can say, ÿ”If you do not believe that I am who I claim to be, ÿthen you will indeed die in your sins,” ÿlet us bow down and acknowledge the God of the Universe–Jesus Christ.
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 115
Galveston, IN 46932
Modem (317)-452-1535
June 14, 1986