Jesus

Who is Jesus of Nazareth?  Many theologians over the past two centuries searched for the answer to this question.  The quest for the historical Jesus is the theme for many books about Him.  What does the Bible offer about Jesus?

He is God.  John wrote about Him in John 1:1-3: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”  John clearly declares  He was (and therefore is) God.  They were literally face to face according to the Greek text.  He exercised creative power according to John.  Paul confirms this in Ephesians 3:9 where we read that God “created all things by Jesus Christ.”  When Genesis 1:1 took place Jesus was there and He was active in the creation.

What else did Jesus do?  John 1:14 informs us that “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.”  His being made flesh means He became human.  Paul wrote, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8).  The American Standard Version translates verse 6, “who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped.” The idea is Jesus did not feel that equality with God was something to hold on to, to grasp, but instead “emptied himself” (verse 7 A. S. V.) becoming human, a servant.  This means He became a servant to God and mankind.

In what sense did He become human?  The writer of Hebrews offers this: “For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren” (2:16,17).  Jesus took on the nature of human beings “in all things.”  He was fully human, therefore He experienced hunger, fatigue, pain, and the range of human emotions.  And just as importantly, He experienced temptation, “ For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted” (Hebrews 2:18). His humanity.

Next week this article will examine the sacrifice Jesus made for all of humanity.

—Denny