Who was Jesus

Good morning Liberty!

I want to thank Jerry for a great message last week. There is a new day coming!! As we approach Easter Sunday we are going to look at what the Bible says about who Jesus is. Today we are going to look at what the Bible says about Jesus before He came to earth. Next week we will look at who Jesus was as a man. Then we will celebrate Easter! There is a new day coming, saying that gets me excited! I can’t wait for the day that my Lord comes back in all His glory and power.

I am going to pray

This is my favorite time of year sports wise. March Madness! I really enjoy basketball and the NCAA Tournament. I like rooting for the underdogs. There is always one team that wins a couple of games that no one thought they would.

Playing basketball in high school, I always thought I was better than I really was. I thought that some day I would play in the March Madness Tournament. I got a couple of small college offers to play basketball and baseball. To my surprise the big schools never came calling! LOL

Reality set in and I came to terms with the fact that I was just average at best.

We don’t have to wonder about who Jesus is? We can be assured that He is who He said He is. He did everything that He said He was going to do. Everything that was prophesied about Him came true. There is only one thing left for Jesus to do! His return, the new day that is promised. When He comes to receive His bride.

Lets take a look at what the Bible says about who Jesus is before He came to earth. We are going to be in John 1:1-3

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.

Time magazine once asked “Who was Jesus?” on their cover. They went on to ask more questions in the article:

How is Jesus to be understood?

Did He stride out of the wilderness 2,000 years ago to preach a gentle message of peace and brotherhood?

Did He advocate some form of revolution?

When did He realize His mission would end with death upon a cross?

Did He view Himself as the promised Messiah?

Did He understand Himself to be both God and man?

These are important questions to ask and answer. Our culture that we live in today is increasingly spiritual yet hesitant to commit to saying that there is one absolute truth. Many today believe that Jesus was a philosopher. Others view Him as a good man with important things to say. Still others view Jesus as a prophet who came to point us to God. This is why the opening verses of John are so critically important. They answer the questions, Who is Jesus and why did He come to earth?

The Bible clearly states that Jesus was more that just a good man or a wise rabbi; Jesus Christ is God!

In verse 1 John gives Jesus the unique title, “ the Word”. Words are powerful! Anyone who thinks that words are not powerful, has never been to middle school. Our bodies heal themselves when we break bones, or have an illness. Mean words that are spoken about us will bring us pain the rest of our lives. I can still remember some mean things that were said to me in the 6th grade. When I think about it I can see the school play ground and the whole scene plays back in my mind. Words have the power to heal and to hurt!

Words reveal the truth. God used Jesus to reveal the truth about who we are and who He is. Without the Word, we would not know that we are dead in our sins and have no hope of reconciling ourselves to God.

Our words as powerful as they are, are no match for the power of the word of God! Psalms 33:6

6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,

And by the breath of His mouth all their lights.

In Genesis 1:3

3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

and in Psalms 107:20

20 He sent His word and healed them,

And saved them from their destruction.

Creation and salvation both came through the Word of God!

God reveals His power and will through His Word. There is no greater revelation of the character and nature of the Father than through the person of Jesus.

Jesus reveals God’s mind.

Jesus expresses God’s will.

Jesus displays God’s perfections.

Jesus exposes God’s heart.

The first three words of John echo the first three words of Genesis. With these words, John is connecting Jesus with creation, stating that He existed before creation. Before the world began, before there was time, Jesus was. Jesus was there when the world and time were created. Jesus is not a created being. He has always been, He is God! This is what sets Him apart from the gods made by human hands and invented by human minds. Jesus has always been.

It says that “ the word was God”. Jesus is God, He has the same character and nature as God. Everything that is true about God is true about Jesus. The only way that verse one can be concluded is that Jesus is God!

This is an essential, nonnegotiable tenet of the Christian faith. If this is not true, then everything else is meaningless! We must never bend or move from this truth.

One example is that if you were to look at the Jehovah’s Witnesses bible, The New World Translation, in John 1 would read, “ and the Word was a god”. Does that one little change matter? It is amazing what a difference it can make by just adding the letter a into the sentence! They are stating that Jesus is something less than fully God!

John MacArthur writes,

confusion about the deity of Christ is inexcusable, because the biblical teaching regarding it is clear and unmistakable. Jesus Christ is the preexistent Word, who enjoys full face-to-face communion and divine life with the Father, and is Himself God.

Jesus was not only present at creation, He was active in the creation. Verse 3 says that all things were created by Him and nothing has coming into being without Him creating it. Jesus made everything from the tiny amoeba to the big fish that swallowed Jonah. From the tiny mustard seed to the redwood trees. From the Sun rise and all its beauty to the little lightning bug. Jesus made you! Jesus designed it all and created it all. Revelation 4:11

11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

God created you because He wanted you to exist. That word all is inclusive. You are apart of all things. God wanted you to exist, so He created you. He loves you. He wants a relationship with you. What an amazing truth!

One day, every knee will bow and His glory will be revealed!

This Gospel’s continuing effect on Christians is equally profound because in John’s account believers find an ongoing source for expanding their concept and knowledge of the Savior’s greatness. The devoted student of John will find that each time he digs into the gospel, Christ will be a little bigger-something like Lucy’s experience with the lion Aslan, in the Chronicles of Narnia. Aslan was C.S. Lewis’ was the Christ symbol. As she gazed into his large, wise face,

“welcome, child,” he said.

“Aslan,” said Lucy, “ you’re bigger.”

“That is because you are older, little one.” answered he.

“Not because you are?”

“I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”

Jesus doesn’t seem bigger because we learn more about His truths about Himself. Because we learn about Him, our eyes are opened to who He truly is.

Who is Jesus?

Why are God’s words so powerful?

Why is Jesus called the Word?

PRAY