Turn to and read 1 John 4:1-3. Pray.

The Apostle John, one of the original disciples of Jesus Christ, wrote 1 John “…that ye may know that ye have eternal life...” But a secondary reason for writing 1 John, which follows with the first, can be found in the last verse of the book...

1 John 5:20 KJV 1900

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

Who is Jesus Christ?

Why is it important that we know Who Jesus is?

Jesus Christ is the the true God and it is only through Him that we may have eternal life.

Therefore, it is important that we understand Who Jesus Christ is.

Ryrie’s Basic Theology Chapter 40: The Preincarnate Christ

The doctrine of the person of Christ is crucial to the Christian faith. It is basic to soteriology, for if our Lord was not what He claimed to be, then His atonement was a deficient, not sufficient, payment for sin.

False religions can continue without their leaders; cults can arise and their leaders be soon forgotten. But Christ is Christianity. Without Him Christianity has no meaning.

Turn to and read Acts 5:27-39.

The whole substance and strength of the Christian faith centers in Jesus Christ. Without Him there is absolutely nothing.

While we may understand that, we must each be able to answer the question, “Who is Jesus - to us?”

Turn to and read Matthew 16:13-16.

We must each answer that question:

Matthew 16:15 KJV 1900

He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.

So...

What do others say?

The Mormons

Jesus is not God. Before he lived on earth, he was Michael, the archangel. Jehovah made the universe through him. On earth he was a man who lived a perfect life. After dying on a stake (not a cross), he was resurrected as a spirit; his body was destroyed. Jesus is not coming again; he “returned” invisibly in 1914 in spirit. Very soon, he and the angels will destroy all non- Jehovah‘s Witnesses.

Jehovah’s Witness

Jesus is a separate god from the Father (Elohim). He was created as a spirit child by the Father and Mother in heaven, and is the “elder brother” of all men and spirit beings (including Lucifer). His body was created through sexual union between Elohim and Mary. Jesus was married. His death on the cross does not provide full atonement for all sin, but does provide everyone with resurrection.

Islam

Jesus (Isa in Arabic) was not God or the Son of God. His virgin birth is likened to Adam’s creation. He was sinless, a worker of miracles, and one of the most respected prophets sent by Allah. He was not crucified or resurrected. He, not Muhammad, will return to play a special role before the future judgment day, perhaps turning Christians to Islam.

Hinduism

Jesus Christ is a teacher, a guru, or an avatar (an incarnation of Vishnu). He is a son of God as are others. His death does not atone for sins and he did not rise from the dead.

New Age

Jesus is not the one true God. He is not a savior, but a spiritual model and guru, and is now an “ascended master.” He was a New Ager who tapped into divine power in the same way that anyone can. Many believe he went east to India or Tibet and learned mystical truths. He did not rise physically from the dead, but “rose” into a higher spiritual realm.

By way of a simple summary, cults generally believe the following teachings - or variations of such - about Jesus:

Jesus was not God.

Jesus was created by God.

There are three separate gods: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, not one God in three persons.

Jesus is not necessary because there is no sin.

Jesus was not raised bodily from the dead.

Jesus was a great prophet but not God.

There are many ways to God, not just one.

Jesus is not necessary because people must pay for their own sins.

Jesus died for sins, but people can’t be saved unless they obey all of the teachings of the church.

Jesus is God, but less than God the Father.

Jesus was just a man.

Jesus is not the only son of God.

Jesus will never come again.

So, here’s a question:

Is it really important that we know what others believe about Jesus Christ?

There is a danger in too deeply investigating other “religions” and “cults.” There is a danger that we could get “pulled into” that “religion” or “cult.”

Also, because other “religions” and “cults” are based upon the teachings of men (and women), it’s almost impossible to truly know what they believe!

One such example of this would be the Seventh Day Adventists who base their belief upon the Bible and the teachings of Ellen White.

Instead, we should concentrate upon knowing what the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ which is what we will be doing over the next couple of weeks.

Jesus Christ is the theme of Scripture.

Turn to and read John 5:39-47.

John 5:39 KJV 1900

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Later, John wrote...

John 20:30–31 KJV 1900

And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.