Answering Basic Questions (Part 4): Who Is Jesus?

Answering Basic Questions

Virtually everyone we will meet has at least heard of Jesus, though they may have different opinions or assumptions about Him. Some may see Him as a great teacher. Others might think that he was just a Jewish rabbi. There are also those who believe that He was nothing more than a myth or a legend. Then there are believers who will affirm that He is the Son of God.

So who is Jesus? We will just scratch the surface here, but let us consider four points to help us answer that question.Continue Reading

The Message of the Gospel

Romans

In his letter to the Christians in Rome, Paul described the gospel as “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). This verse is often thought of as the theme of Paul’s letter – and for good reason. However, it is also important to note the first few verses of this letter as they introduce this central topic.

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:1-6).

Since the gospel is “the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16), we want to be prepared to talk to others about the gospel – especially those who are unfamiliar with it. The opening verses of the book of Romans provide us with an outline to help us do just that. Let us break down these verses and see how they help explain the message of the gospel.Continue Reading

“I AM”

Jesus and the Pharisees

When God appeared to Moses and called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses asked the Lord for His name so he could identify Him when he went to the people. God responded, “I AM WHO I AM…Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14).

When Jesus came to earth, He used this same name for Himself: “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am” (John 8:58). Even Jesus’ opponents recognized that He was claiming to be God because they “picked up stones to throw at Him” (John 8:59). This was not the first time something like this happened. Earlier the Jews sought “to kill Him” because He was “calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18).

By calling Himself “I am,” Jesus declared Himself to be Deity – God in the flesh (cf. Colossians 2:9). Since Jesus was and is God, there are other facts that are also true about Him. These are highlighted in other “I am” statements of Jesus recorded in the gospel of John.Continue Reading

Christ Our Mediator

Cross at sunset

One of the ways that Jesus is described in the New Testament is as a mediator. Paul wrote, “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). It is important that we understand what this means. Let us consider what the New Testament teaches about Jesus as our mediator.
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How Jesus Became Like Us (Season 4, Episode 2)

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How Jesus Became Like Us (Season 4, Episode 2)

Jesus came to earth in order to save man from sin (Matthew 1:21; Luke 19:10). This was God’s plan from the beginning (Ephesians 3:11) and was put in motion shortly after sin entered the world (Genesis 3:15). In order to save us, Jesus first had to be made like us: “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17). How was Jesus made like us? Completely? Or was there some sense in which He already like us? This is what we will discuss in this episode.

Article: How Jesus Became Like Us

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The Life of Jesus

Jesus – Sermon on the Mount

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). In this statement, John was referring to Jesus who came to earth to live among men. This was necessary in order to fulfill His mission through His death on the cross (Hebrews 2:14). We will examine the death of Jesus in more detail in a future article. In this article, we are going to take a broad look at the life of Jesus and see what we can learn and apply to our lives.
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Introducing Jesus

Jesus – Sermon on the Mount

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

The gospel of John was written to teach people about Jesus. The first chapter introduces Jesus to us. We learn of Him through the various words and phrases used to describe the Lord, some of which are found in the verses above. The opening chapter of John is a good place to go to learn, be reminded, or teach others about Jesus. Let us briefly consider some of the ways in which Jesus is described in these verses.
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