Study 3 Objective: To discuss who Jesus Christ is, and why He is central to the faith of the believer
reputation, taking on the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:5-7). This passage explains that Jesus divested Himself of the prerogatives of divinity, becoming one of us, so that “those who believe in His name” would have “the right to become the children of God” (John 1:12).
“We believe ourselves to be confronted personally, historically and eschatologically with the very Godness of God in the humanity of this particular man, Jesus of Nazareth” (Jinkins 2001:98). When we meet Jesus, we meet God. “If you had known Me,” says Jesus, “you would have known my Father also” (John 8:19). Reflection: In what way does the humanity of Christ impact your faith? Does the fact that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us help us understand how God has empathy with us when we have problems? (See Hebrews 2:14, 4:14-16) Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of all things
In discussing “the Word” John explains that “He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:2-3). Paul expounds the idea further: “All things were created by Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16). The book of Hebrews also discusses “Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels” (i.e. he became human), “for whom are all things and by whom are all things” (2:9-10). Jesus Christ “is before all things and in Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:17). He “upholds all things by His power” (Hebrews 1:3). |
The Jewish leaders did not understand His divine nature. Jesus told them, “I proceeded forth and came from God”, and “before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:42, 58). The “I AM” reference was to the name God used for Himself when speaking to Moses (Exodus 3:14), and, consequently, the Pharisees and teachers of the law sought to stone Christ for blasphemy because He was claiming to be divine (John 8:59).
Jesus is the Son of God John wrote of Jesus, “We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (1:14). Jesus was the one and only Son of the Father. When Jesus was baptized God proclaimed to Him “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22). When Peter, James and John received a vision of the Kingdom of God, Peter regarded Jesus as being on the same level as Moses and Elijah. He did not realize that Jesus had “been counted worthy of more glory than Moses” (Hebrews 3:3), and that someone greater than the prophets was in their midst. Again, a voice came from heaven, and exclaimed, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” (Matthew 17:5). Because Jesus is the Son of God, we should hear what He has to say. This was the central message in the preaching of the apostles as they spread the good news about salvation in Christ. Note Acts 9:20, speaking of Saul before he became known as Paul: “immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God”. Jesus was “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4). It is the sacrifice of the Son of God “For God so loved the world that he |