Who is Jesus?

Introduction

Have you ever played the game 20 questions? For those who may not know, 20 questions is a game when you ask a person 20 questions to figure out the thing that they are thinking about. The premise of the game is that you have someone or something that is mysterious. That person or thing is hidden and you must find information to discover the answer.

Sometimes when students come to Hype the opposite thing happens. We know an answer but don’t know why it is the answer. For example, we talk about a man named Jesus but sometimes it feels like we know nothing about Jesus. We know the right answer but we don’t know anything other than that.

I hope that through this year that will change as we start our study of the book of John. In the first chapter of John’s gospel, we are told at least 20 things about who Jesus is and what Jesus did for us.

So please join me in John chapter 1 verse 1. As I read, I’m going to ask you to underline things that describe who Jesus is or describe what He did. As a side note when reading John 1, when it says the Word it is referring to Jesus. (Read Slowly)

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life,, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.

Let’s pause after the first paragraph and see what you underline.

Read John 1:9-13

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.,

10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

Pause again to see what students underlined

Read John 1:14-18

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him and exclaimed, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘The one coming after me ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ ”) 16 Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness, 17 for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—he has revealed him.

Pause again to see what students underlined

Main Things to Know about Jesus

Things to know about Jesus

Jesus is God. He is part of the Trinity. (God the Son)

Being God, Jesus is eternal, He always has been, no beginning. Being part of the Trinity means that Jesus took part in creating the world.

Jesus became human and lived among humanity

Jesus had an earthly life that had a starting and ending date (roughly 35 years).

He was fully God and fully man

While living on earth, Jesus did not sin, unlike us who sin everyday. He was perfect on earth. Making him the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Jesus is full of Grace and Truth

Because Jesus died in our place for our sins, if we believe and trust in Him as our savior than we will experience God’s grace. What is Grace? Grace is undeserved favor.

Grace is like when your mom or dad tell you to do a chore (clean your room) if you don’t do it to their standard in 2 hours they will take away your video game system. But instead of cleaning your room, you play a round of Fortnight and you look up and realize that two hours have gone by. When your mom or dad find out that you disobeyed, they come into the room and they are ready to throw away the Xbox, your controllers, and all your games. But just then your older brother comes in and tells your parents to get rid of his gaming system, controllers, and games instead of yours. And then your older brother cleans your room for you. Your older brother takes the punishment for your disobedience and because the price for disobeying your parents was paid for. Your parents treat you as if you had obeyed.

You did nothing to deserve your parents favor but they show you favor because your punishment was paid for by someone else. It is undeserved favor. That is grace.

Grace happened when Jesus took our punishment for our sins. The payment for sinning is death. Jesus died for our sin. Because the payment has been paid, if you believe and trust in Jesus as your savior, you will be shown grace by God. This is why we say that Jesus is full of grace.

Transition statement: What we are reading in these first 18 verses of the gospel of John is the introduction to John writing about the ministry of Jesus. The next section of scripture is when the timeline of events start. The apostle of John starts his story with a different man named John. John the Baptist. Let’s continue reading our passage to find out who John the Baptist is.

Read John 1:19-28

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

19 This was John’s testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”

20 He didn’t deny it but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”

21 “What then?” they asked him. “Are you Elijah?”

“I am not,” he said.

“Are you the Prophet?”

“No,” he answered.

22 “Who are you, then?” they asked. “We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?”

23 He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord,—just as Isaiah the prophet said.”

24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 So they asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”

26 “I baptize with water,” John answered them. “Someone stands among you, but you don’t know him. 27 He is the one coming after me,, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.” 28 All this happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Preparing the World for Jesus

John the Baptist purpose in life was to preach the news that the Messiah or Jesus is about to start his earthly ministry as Jesus was approaching 30 years old. In order to prepare people to receive the ministry of Jesus, John the Baptist told people to confess their sins and repent from them.

It would be like if a popular celebrity came to Eureka, IL. (Ask students to name a celebrity to use for an example)

When anticipating (name of celebrity) coming to Eureka, what would you do to get people excited for (name of celebrity)? You would tell as many people as you could and tell them why they should come see (name of celebrity).

That is what John the Baptist is doing for Jesus. He is doing this by baptizing people. Which can seem a little weird that this his method of preparing people but if we look at it deeper I think we can make some sense.

What is Baptism? It is an action of going under water and then coming back up. Baptism signifies the washing away of sins. Notice I said symbolizes. The water does not actually get rid of your sins. Having your sin taken away happens on a spiritual level. This can only happen when your sin is exposed. This is what John the Baptist is doing. He is exposing sin in people’s lives, so that they repent from their sin, as a symbol of their repentance, John baptizes them.

How Does Exposing Sin Prepare People for Jesus?

When your sin is exposed, then your need for forgiveness is also exposed. Since the only person who can forgive sins is God. This means that when my sin is exposed then my need for God is also shown. If my need for God is shown to me then by God’s grace I will go to God because of my need for Him and need for His forgiveness.

So I ask you then, are you aware of your sin? Are you aware of your need for forgiveness.

Do you want to feel close to God? Do you want to grow in your relationship with God. Let me suggest that in order to do so, you must first see why you need God. You must see where you have sin in your life, where you need God to forgive you. It is only then will you be drawn closer to Him as He meets you where you are at in your sin. Because of Jesus, God doesn’t meet you with judgement for your sin. He meets you with grace because of payment that was paid by Jesus on the cross.

In closing I ask you two questions

Do you have a relationship with God? Have you asked God to forgive you of your sin?

The great news is that you can have that happen right now, tonight. If this is you please say something to your leader in your small group. We would love to talk to you about it.

If you have a relationship with God, have you gone public with it? Have you been baptized? By getting baptized you are telling people that you identify with Jesus. You’re telling others around you that your sins have been forgiven and you have a relationship with the God of the universe. If you have not been baptized but have a relationship with Jesus, again say something to a leader, we would love to talk to you about it.

At the end of the day, I want you to know this. Jesus loves you and no matter where you are at spiritually, He desires to have a deeper relationship with you. Are you willing to say yes to growing a deeper relationship with Jesus today?

Let’s Pray