Most people agree that Jesus was a real historical figure — a holy man that walked the earth 2,000 years ago. Some say He was a prophet, or a great teacher. Who was He really? The Bible shows us that He is a man but is also God.
Some people like to argue that He never claimed to be God. This is false:
“Before Abraham was, I AM” – John 8:58
“I and My Father are one.” – John 10:30
“…He said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.” – John 5:18
“God was manifested in the flesh” – 1 Timothy 3:16
Not only did He claim to be God, He claimed the authority to raise the dead and judge them (John 5:25-29), and to forgive sins (Mark 2:5-7), which are things that only God can do (1 Samuel 2:6; Isaiah 43:25)
The Gospel of John describes Him as the Creator of the universe and that without Him nothing could have been created. He’s also described as the “Word” since He’s the embodiment of God’s truth and commandments. Somehow, He was with God but is also God at the same time. He is God and also the Son of God (Mark 1:11). How can we understand this with our limited minds? As much as we try to make sense of it, our minds of flesh and blood will never comprehend who He is, it can only be revealed by God. (Matthew 16:17)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.“- John 1:1-3
Although He is God, He lowered Himself and purposefully set aside His divinity to live life as a man: from birth to childhood to adulthood and ultimately death, resurrection, to ascension. He was tempted by Satan, experienced hunger, tiredness, weakness, persecution, disappointment, sadness, pain and death — things He could only go through as a man. Yet, in all of this, He did not sin or fail but overcame all of it, not as God, but as a man. No wonder the Father was well-pleased with Him!
“Although He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be held onto, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” – Philippians 2:6-8
He did this so that “through His death He might destroy the one who had the power of death, the devil, and release us all from the bondage of the fear of death. ” (Hebrews 2:14-15)
Also, “in that He himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18)
“He is our High Priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses since He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15).
God does not want to be so far away and distant from us that He can’t understand us, but He wants us to restore our relationship with Him, save us from sin and death, give us a new life and an eternal inheritance! The only way to be restored to God is through faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:6) who suffered and died for our sins, resurrected from the dead to defeat death, and lives today to help us in our weaknesses and be our life.
Believe in Jesus Christ, our Saviour and God, and commit your life to Him today!