Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus? This is a life or death question everyone needs to ask and answer. It is a crucial question, because each person’s future depends on what he or she chooses to do or not do after they discover who Jesus really is. More about that later.

During His ministry, Jesus’ disciples and other people often wondered who He was. Usually, it was after Jesus taught some truth or performed a miracle. For instance, there was a storm when Jesus and His disciples were in a boat on the sea, but Jesus was asleep. They woke Him up to let Him know they were in trouble. Jesus rebuked the storm, and there was instant calm. The disciples, surprised and impressed with what they had just witnessed, asked each other, “Who is this man?” Their question indicated they were sure Jesus was not an ordinary person; there was something more to Him. He is the Christ, Son of the living God!

Jesus, the second Person of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), took on the form of man, was born of the Virgin Mary, and lived among men. As Mary’s first born son, conceived by the Holy Spirit, Jesus was born in a manger. Jesus lived with His mother and step-father, and was obedient to them. He found favor with God and men. Many testified about who Jesus was, and needless to say, Jesus Himself testified numerous times as to who he was.

According to God

Jesus’ coming was announced by God in the Garden of Eden when He confronted Satan for deceiving Eve, leading to her eating the forbidden fruit. He said to Satan, “I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15 NLT). Jesus defeated Satan when He died on the cross.

At Jesus’ baptism, God announced, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy” Luke 3:22 NLT). God confirmed Jesus is His Son!

At Jesus’ transfiguration, in the hearing of Peter, James, and John, God said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him” (Matthew 17:6 NLT). Again, God made it very clear that Jesus is the Son of God, and needs to be obeyed.

According to the Prophets

Jesus’ trip to earth, and His agenda, were planned by God and announced by prophets years before they actually happened.

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah prophesied, “The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means God is with us)” (Isaiah 7:14 NLT). In chapter 9:6-7, he also prophesied, “A child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end.”  

Likewise, Micah prophesied about Jesus’ place of birth. “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past will come from you on my behalf” (Micah 5:2). And yes, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and yes, He’ll be coming back to set up His kingdom!

According to Jesus Himself

As the crowds argued with Jesus regarding His relationship with God, Jesus declared, “Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad. Before Abraham was even born, I AM” (John 8:58 NLT). So Jesus existed before Abraham; in reality Jesus was claiming deity. He also declared to the disciples, especially to Thomas who had asked to know the way to heaven, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NLT). On one occasion, the crowds wanted to know for sure if Jesus was the Messiah. He admitted it, and went on to explain He gives eternal life to all who believe in Him (see John 10:22-29). He concluded by saying, “The Father and I are one” (John 10:30 NLT). Jesus’ claims reveal He is one with God, He is the promised Messiah, and Faith in Him is the only way to God and heaven.

 As declared by Jesus’ disciples

Jesus once asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” After their response, He asked another question. “But who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:13, 15 NLT). Peter responded, “You are the Messiah, the son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16 NLT).                    

Toward the end of His earthly ministry, many of Jesus’ disciples deserted Him. He asked the remaining ones, “Are you also going to leave?” (John 6:67 NLT). Simon Peter responded, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68 NLT). The disciples understood and believed the claims of Jesus. He is the Son of God, the Savior of the world, and our coming King!                                                            

What do I say?

I agree with the Psalmist who said, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps 34:8 NLT). In order to experience firsthand what the Psalmist experienced, I placed my faith in Jesus, and that made all the difference. He is my Savior and the Savior of all who place their faith in Him.

Ever since I placed my faith in Jesus, I have experienced Him in amazing ways, and attest that the Bible is 100% the Word of God, and for that reason, I trust it! I believe Jesus is the Son of God, and the second Person of the trinity. He became man, suffered at the hands of sinful men, died a painful death, was buried, and rose the third day. He ascended to heaven forty days later. He’s at the right hand side of the Father, interceding for us. And one day, He’s coming back to take me (and all who believe in Him) to be with Him forever. I’m looking forward with great anticipation to His return, because then I’ll see Him face to face, and I’ll be like Him. This sinful world will be behind me; I’ll be out of this sinful and sickly body. In heaven, there’ll be no more pain, tears, or death, and life will be forever lived in his presence. Amazing!

What do you say?

Have you had my kind of experience? Are you eagerly looking forward to Jesus’ return? If so, I offer you the right hand of fellowship. Let’s love and serve Him, working tirelessly until He returns.

If you don’t quite understand my excitement about Jesus, let me take you back to Psalms 34:8 (quoted above). In order to experience God’s goodness, you’ll need to understand that you’re a sinner (see Romans 3:23), and as a result cannot have a personal relationship with God. To be able to have this relationship, you’ll need to ask God for forgiveness through Jesus who died in our place. He’ll credit you with His righteousness, thus opening up the way for you to have a personal relationship with God. With that done, you’ll begin to experience His goodness as you read and study His word, and live in obedience to Him. Then you’ll also be able to attest that, “Jesus is Lord!”

If for some reason you decide you don’t care for that experience, I’d like you to understand there are consequences for that position. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NLT). Not having a relationship with God means being outside the family of God and spending eternity in hell. Not believing there’s life after death will not keep you out of hell. The only thing that will keep you out is to have the relationship I’ve been talking about. Please think seriously about this; your future is at stake!  

So from your point of view, who is Jesus?

THE TIME IS NOW

Are you one of the many who think time is on their side? Such
people postpone every decision they need to make pertaining to
God and eternity. If you are, you probably say things like, “I am
young,” “I am too busy,” “I am in good health” or “I’ll do it later.”
If you had full control of your circumstances, you could
get away with procrastinating, and at just the right time of your
choosing, you could decide to believe in Jesus and be saved, and
everything would be fi ne. Unfortunately for you, you don’t have
much control of your life, you don’t get to decide when and how
you die; God does.

Maybe end of life issues don’t cross your mind often because
life at present is going so well for you. That’s what happened in
the days of Noah. The Bible says people were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage until the flood came (an indication
that life was going on as usual when the flood came) (see Matthew 24:37-38).
Of course, by the time the flood came, it was too late (see Genesis 6-7).
Their end had come suddenly, when there wasn’t much time for
them to call on God.

No matter how enjoyable you find this life, be reminded that
it is only temporary. The end will come when you least expect it.
All that the world has to offer cannot pay for your salvation. Only
the blood of Jesus is acceptable as payment for your sins. Th e Bible
says, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world,
yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his
soul?” (Matthew 16:26 NIV). Think about it.

Young people are being advised to start planning now for
retirement; so they can live comfortably in their later years. By the
same token, your soul will live forever; you need to make provision
for that. Where would you like to spend eternity, in heaven or
in hell? If you prefer heaven, you’ll need to take the steps now to
guarantee it. When the jailer in the book of Acts asked Paul and
Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30 NIV), they replied,
“Believe in the name of the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31 NIV).

The way to salvation has not changed, and never will. God
decided the blood of Jesus was what it was going to take for Him
to forgive sins. So Jesus came and shed His blood. Now it is up to
you to believe in Him, confess your sins, ask for forgiveness and
accept salvation through His blood. On the other hand if you’d
rather spend eternity in hell, ignore the invitation to believe in
Jesus, and you will be guaranteed to go to hell. But why would you
choose that? Jesus loves you; that is why He died such a painful
death. Choose life today!
“Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”
2 Corinthians 6:2 NIV).

THE GUARANTEED PASSWORD

Codes, Passwords and Personal identification numbers,
They are meant to keep others out of our business.
Do you have a bank account?
Don’t forget your code,
Else you can’t get your money out in a hurry
Codes, Passwords and Personal identification numbers,
They are meant to protect our privacy and prevent fraud.
Do you have a credit account?
Don’t forget your code,
Else you can’t get any account information over the phone.

Codes, Passwords and Personal identification numbers,
They are designed to protect our privacy
Do you have a telephone answering machine?
Don’t forget your password,
Else you can’t check your phone messages.

Codes, Passwords and Personal identification numbers
We each have so many different ones and have become so
dependent on them.
How about the password to get into heaven? Do you have it? It is
the most important one.
Th at password is, “I BELIEVE IN JESUS!”
It is not a secret,
It is guaranteed to unlock the heavenly door for all who desire to
enter. No one gets into heaven without it

To obtain that password, place your faith in Jesus; confess your
sins to Him,
Ask for His forgiveness; He will wash and cleanse you from all
unrighteousness
He will turn your life around; set you on the path to peace and
victory.
Whereas the codes and passwords in our lives are secrets,
The password to heaven should be shared freely, always, and
gladly. JESUS SAVES!! Pass it on!

COVER-UP

“Cover-up’ is an expression that indicates the truth is being masked or withheld.  Those involved in the cover-up do not want people to know the truth about a situation. Cover-up occurs among all age groups, all the way up to our politicians. If we are honest, we can all recall times we have covered up something.  But why do we cover up? We cover up because we think, if the truth were known, we would be embarrassed, disrespected, disliked, punished or shunned. Simply put, cover-up is lying! 

The idea of cover-up has been successfully transported into the makeup industry. The ads tell us we look younger and more attractive with makeup on, and honestly, a little makeup does make one look nice. So, in essence, when we use makeup, we hide our flaws. The anti-aging products make us look younger than we really are; the creams, lotions and powders cover up the blemishes and age spots.

There are all sorts of products on the market that help us deceive ourselves and others, because they tell a slightly different story about our physical appearance than the truth

What do we cover up in the spiritual world, and with what? Christians have just as many (if not more) struggles, failures, pain and suffering as everyone else. We are not exempt from heartaches, sleepless nights or tears; in fact Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NIV).   

 We don’t always win our battles against sin, and our Christian walk is not perfect, yet we don’t want others to know what we are going through for fear they might judge us as unspiritual or think less of us than we want them to.  So, we cover up! Of course, people have other reasons for covering up, but the point is, it is not helpful. So Scriptures teach us, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16 NIV).

  When asked how we are doing, we give the impression that all is well, which is okay if, truthfully, all is well. But if it isn’t, how can people pray for us when we keep them in the dark? We each need a few good friends to encourage us, pray for us and if possible, pray with us.

A nice hairdo, a little make-up and a fake smile help us with the cover-up scheme; our brothers and sisters are fooled into thinking all is well with us, but God sees through all that. He always knows where we are in our walk with Him, and when we are hurting, and He places others in our paths to encourage us. The caring people in our lives are not there by chance, but by divine appointment. Let’s stop pretending, open up to them, and ask for support. Cover-up might be okay in the world of physical appearance, but is very unhelpful in the spiritual arena. Remember that we are commanded to “carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2 NIV). Don’t cover up; aim to be transparent, and thus be supported!

JESUS IS COMING BACK

Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, Isaiah, an Old Testament prophet, prophesied both of Jesus’ first and Second Advents (see Isaiah 9:6-7). As we know, the First Advent was fulfilled when Jesus was born. The details of the events surrounding His birth happened exactly in the manner in which they were prophesied. That fulfillment was proof that the Word of God is dependable. We celebrate that First Advent as Christmas, characterized by festivities, giving and receiving gifts. Looking back, we see that, that advent was very obscure, very few people knew anything about it, or cared about it. The key people mentioned in that event included: His parents-Joseph and Mary; the Inn Keeper; the shepherds; and the Wise men.

Similarly, the Second Advent will be fulfilled unerringly; Jesus is definitely coming back! Whereas He came as a helpless baby the first time, and did not catch the attention of many, things will be a lot different with the Second Advent. The Second Advent will not be obscure in any way; rather, as the Bible says, “Every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7 NIV ). He is going to come with the armies of heaven and the Christians who were raptured seven years earlier. This occasion is going to be grand, unlike anything we’ve ever seen. He is coming as the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Ruler of the nations, and the Judge of the world, and He will hold sinners accountable for their wickedness, and reward the righteous.

Before His Second Advent though, there will be the rapture of the Church. The Bible describes the rapture as the sudden removal of all Christians from the earth to join with resurrected believers and Jesus Christ Himself, in the air. The rapture will usher in the tribulation period, a seven-year time of suffering, lawlessness, and severe persecution of Christians. At the end of the tribulation period, Jesus will return to earth to cleanse the world of sin and evil, and establish His Millennial Kingdom (a thousand-year rule). This will be Jesus’s Second Advent.

Jesus’ return to earth is mentioned not only in the Old Testament, but also in the New Testament. Jesus Himself spoke about His Second Advent while He was here on earth. Towards the end of His ministry, Jesus promised His disciples He’d return from heaven, “I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3 NIV). Furthermore, the day Jesus ascended into heaven (forty days after His resurrection), two angels appeared to the distraught disciples who were amazingly watching, as their Master went up. The angels comforted them by saying, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11 NIV).

In the book of Revelation, John, the author, recorded for us Jesus’ message to the Churches. He said, “Behold, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done…I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star…Yes, I am coming soon (Revelation 22:12, 16, 20 NIV)! God is faithful; none of his promises has ever failed, and will not fail now! So let’s be ready; Jesus is coming back soon!   

  

After the millennium, there will be no more tears, pain, or suffering, which is what God had in mind right from the beginning of creation. There will be peace, no political garbage and lies! We will have one Ruler who is kind, loving, and just, and totally trustworthy. Wow! What a world that will be! We’ll get to call it our permanent home; a city whose Founder and Maker, and Ruler is God Almighty! Amen!

THINK ABOUT IT

      

God, the Creator, owns everything – the world and all that is in it (see Psalm 24:1; Isaiah 66:1). If He were hungry, He wouldn’t tell anyone, because He is capable of providing for Himself (see Psalm 50:12),

but He commanded tithing, and delights in and accepts our offerings (See Malachi 3:8-10; Exodus 34:20, 26; 35:5-9).

God is all powerful, and heaven is His dwelling place (see 1 Kings 8:27);

but He humbled Himself, became human, and dwelt among us (see John 1:14) to show us the way back to the Father.

God hates sin (see Psalms 45:7),

but He loves the sinner (see Ephesians 2:4-5).

God is love and has made a way for sinners to have a relationship with Him (see John 3:16), but He is also just and therefore will punish sin (see Isaiah 13:11).

God is patient and longsuffering, not wanting anyone to perish (see2 Peter 3:9),

but He will not wait forever; He will one day judge the world. It may be sooner than you think. You need to repent before it is too late (see Romans 2:16; Acts 17:31).

God knows all our needs, and can do for us without our asking Him,

but how else are we going to demonstrate faith in Him, or give Him thanks and glory? He wants us to ask (see Matthew 7:7-11; Romans 10:11).  

God is good, kind, and giving,

but He does not always say “yes” to our requests, because He’d rather give us something better than what we desire or request, like His grace  to endure (see 2 Corinthians 12:8-9).

God always knows the answers,

but He questions us to make us re-think our position or stand (see Job 38:4-39:27).

God is able to prevent problems in our lives;

but He allows them as a means of growing our faith in Him. If we didn’t have problems, how will we know He can solve them? (See Romans 8:28; James 1:2-4).

Think about it. God is all you need, and you need Him now (See Isaiah 55:6-7). Choose Him!

God Loves You No Matter What

The Bible tells us, “Nothing can separate us from the love of God.” Although this is very comforting, it does not mean we can relax and live any way we want. Unlike ours, God’s love is consistent. Humans love conditionally; God loves unconditionally. Humans choose whom they love, when, how, and under what circumstance. God loves everybody (see John 3:16). He loved us before the foundation of the world; He loved us when we were still sinners by sending His only Son to die in our place: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NIV).

With that said, there is a difference between God’s love and having a relationship with Him. In order to demonstrate His love for us even when we were sinners, He provided His Son, Jesus, as the atonement for our sin. Sin however, makes a relationship and ongoing fellowship with God impossible. You might be wondering why, since He loves us no matter what. This is why: God is holy and cannot coexist with sin. In order to establish a relationship with sinners and maintain ongoing fellowship with Christians, the sin has to be dealt with. He made provision through the blood of Jesus; now the rest is up to us. We need to repent of our sins.

If you’ve never asked God to forgive your sins and make you His child, please do that now. The Bible says we’re all sinners and that the punishment for our sins is eternal separation from God (see Romans 3:23; 6:23). Yet it also says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NIV). Do you want eternal life after you die? Well, this is the only way to obtain it. Although God loves you, where you spend eternity is your choice; God’s love by itself does not automatically translate into eternal life for you. You have a responsibility in this: you have to express your honest interest in being saved from sin.

Even if you’re a Christian, you have the tendency to sin, because Christians are not perfect (see 1 John 1:8-9). Sin interrupts our fellowship with God, causing our prayers to go unanswered: “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalms 66:18). For those times, examine your heart and confess any sin, and God will restore your fellowship. The Bible reassures us, “If anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that ato Jones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of the whole world” (1hn 2:1-2 NIV).

Although God loves us, He will punish those who refuse to respond to His love: “For He has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31 NIV). He also disciplines those who believe but do not walk in obedience to His Word. “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son” (Hebrews 12:5 NIV).So remember

God will always love you, but will not tolerate your sin. Your sinful ways will always cause a separation between you and God. Nothing can separate you from the love of God, but your sin will make a relationship with him impossible, and separate you from fellowship with Him. Take sin seriously!