Jesus: Defined By The Word

Only One Truth

Conversation with atheist friend

Living in a Post-modern world we have come to find that truth for all of us is important, no truth however is more important than the truth we claim as our own.

Add to it this function, if your truth violates my truth then your truth can no longer stand and must be revised. What an interesting concept beginning with the fact that truth according to some is simply relative.

By this standard then no truth really matters unless I accept it to be true, but I cant accept is as truth if it violates my truth or hurts someone’s feelings...

Confused yet????

As it pertains to who Christ is… this simply won’t do. Jesus defines truth as He is the truth.

When we begin to talk about who Jesus is… it is not about my Jesus, or your Jesus, who others say Jesus is, or even what I have been told about Jesus. The matter as it presents itself is as follows. Jesus the Christ is in Himself defined as He from the beginning was.

That means one of two options can be true when we discuss Jesus with those who do not believe in Christ, and those who choose to play house with Jesus, ascribing to Him traits forged after their own desire.

Either;

1. The ones who have come to know the Christ as He is defined by scripture are right and those who deny Him or play house with Him are wrong…

or;

2. We have missed the mark and have failed at getting to know the Christ causing us to be wrong, as well as those who deny Him or those who play house with Him

It is imperative for us to know the true Christ a mission we cannot fail at. We might think it impossible to truly know Him, However, Because He is the Truth this seemingly impossible task is possible...

Our Relationship With Jesus Christ is Comprised Of How Scripture Defines Jesus

Luke 1:1–4 ESV

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

Luke not an apostle or man who walked with Jesus the Christ during His earthly ministry

Nature of examining for the self the who and the what of Jesus

Luke Spends 2 years researching all the things pertaining who Jesus the Christ is.

He didn’t respond based on Blind Faith

In this Luke fulfills one of the greatest commands to Love the Lord your God with all of Your Mind...

Luke affirms the following

One can make time to search out for themselves all there is to know about Jesus… and come to not just know about Him but actually come to know Him intimately.

My challenge to us is this… let us move from a passive knowledge of Christ to a full understanding that we may Love Him with all of our Mind

we have something many of the early believers did not have… the compiled account of who Jesus is…

To Know Jesus is To Know God

Hebrews 1:3 ESV

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

The radiance of Christ speaks to the splendor of the Father…

what can be known about the Father is seen in the Son

Because God is who He is without my opinion… We cannot attribute to Jesus things that are not His nature

Exact Imprint refers to the Son Literally being God

Talks of the Trinity lead us to make assertions like

Well the trinity is like the Sun, the Heat, and the Rays as though we could divide them

Scripture affirms the person of Jesus, the person of the Father, the person of the Holy Spirit are all co-equal, in power, and majesty but most importantly they are of the same substance

3 assertions meeting the test of Divinity

Upholds the Universe

Forgives our Sin

Seated on the seat which makes Him equal to God

Jesus According to Those Who Were First-hand Witnesses

John 21:24–25 ESV

This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Similar to Luke, John having walked with Christ is presenting the information as He witnessed it

His assertion is that you can come to know the fullness of Christ by what Jesus did and is now attested of Him

3. How does John Present Christ:

Before Creation He Was

John 1:1–3 ESV

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 was not any thing made that was made.

Jesus the Word, was with God, and was God

Beginning being time defined by Jesus

Creator of all things… Hebrews declares Him to be the one through whom all things were created… by Him for Him through Him

Jesus the Judge

John 5:22–23 ESV

For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

So much for Jesus not Judging… in this instance is presented as a divine function

Progresses this in stating that denying the authority or character of Christ denies that of the Father

Savior of the World

John 3:17–18 ESV

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Mistaken section for why Jesus doesn't Judge

vv19-21 go on to tell us that it is not Christ that condemns us rather it is our own desire for darkness that finds us condemned

Jesus the Christ is the only way into salvation, this is His primary function for the world. Today there are those who are actively working their way into condemnation

Jesus the Christ can be known, we have the blessing of being able to search Him and know Him in scripture… but it is going to take us laying down our misconceptions of Him

Today more than ever it is imperative for us to know that the Truth is found in the Christ and Jesus is the Christ.

Today if you do not know Him and want to know give your heart to Him, listen in as we continue to uncover who Jesus is.

For those who already know about Him I want you to get to know Him more intimately.

We will look at specific instances in the OT and NT of the Titles Ascribed to Him, Divine Functions, and the Worship received.