hopealoft

[hopealoft]

[hopealoft]

Who is Jesus Christ?

6. Immanuel – God with us

Isaiah 7:14 – All right then, the Lord will choose the sign—a child shall be born to a virgin! And she shall call him Immanuel (meaning, “God is with us”).

Matthew 1:23 – ‘Listen! The virgin shall conceive a child! She shall give birth to a Son, and he shall be called “Emmanuel” (meaning “God is with us”).’”

Have you ever reminisced on your life and examined specific experiences that made you realise that God is indeed with you? I know I have.

God came to earth to live with us (humankind) for just over thirty years. His presence with us is significant for many reasons. Before Jesus,  God walked with Adam in the Garden of Eden. 

Genesis 3:8 That evening they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden; and they hid themselves among the trees.

After ‘The Fall’, God revealed himself to a few chosen men in various ways. Abraham spoke with God, Moses went up the mountain to talk to God, and the prophets communed with God, but God no longer walked amongst humans. 

When Jesus was born into the world, the full being of God dwelt among us humans. This means humans could speak to, touch, walk with, and experience God's presence. This is a huge deal! However, not everyone realise(d) it. It is beyond human comprehension that a person in human form could bear the full being of God. However, with God, all things are possible! 

When God is with us, there is liberty – captives are set free. 

2 Corinthians 3:17 – Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

When God is with us, there is fullness of Joy.

Psalm 16:11 – You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

God’s presence brings healing.

1 Peter 2:24 – He personally carried the load of our sins in his own body when he died on the cross so that we can be finished with sin and live a good life from now on. For his wounds have healed ours!

God’s presence brings light.

John 1:4 – In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

God’s presence brings grace.

John 1:17 – For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

There is so much more that happens when God is present. Have you welcomed Jesus into your life? When God is present in your life, you will be set free!

Say this prayer to invite Jesus into your life: “Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You into my heart and life.”

Now, join a sound, Bible-believing and practising church. Continue to study Jesus’s words and live as He wants His followers to live.

[hopealoft]

Who is Jesus Christ?

5. The Lamb of God:

A lamb is a young sheep. If someone says they have a lamb, it just means that they have a young sheep. However, if the person was a High Priest from Old Testament times, then owning a lamb has a more significant meaning. In those times, it was common practice to sacrifice a lamb to God as a propitiation for sins.

A lamb is young, innocent, pure. So, when the Bible refers to Jesus as the Lamb of God, it means that Jesus is God’s pure sacrifice.

You might ask for what? For the sins of mankind.

John 1:29 —The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

1Peter 1: 19 —but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

Why Jesus and no one else?

As lambs are used for sacrifice because they are without blemish, God chose Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins because Jesus was without sin.

Hebrews 7:26-29 —For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.

All of mankind is sinful, humans were born in sin and inherit sin. There were many prophets who had died for the sake of serving God, but their death were not considered by God as propitiation in the same way God considered the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. This is because even though they dedicated their lives to serving God, at their very best, they were sinful Humans.

Romans 3:23-25 —for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Jesus’s sacrifice is once and for all — Hebrews 7:27, so in the community of Jesus’s followers, sacrificing of lambs is no longer practiced. They rather fix their eyes on Jesus, and aim to live like Jesus commands.

This is how much God desires the salvation of humans, so much that the Son of God was given (sacrificed), so that whosoever believes in Him (Jesus) should not perish but have everlasting life. —John 3:16

Do you believe in Jesus?

Say this prayer to invite Jesus into your life:

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness.I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life.”

Now, join a sound, Bible-believing and practicing church. Continue to study Jesus’s words and live as He wants His followers to live.

[hopealoft]

Who is Jesus Christ?

4. The Resurrection and The Life:

John 14:6 — Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Today, I read two Bible passages that describes how Jesus raised the dead.

First in the book of Mark 5, where he raised the little girl who had died. He said,

“Talitha Cumi”.

Cumi or Qum is an Aramaic word that could mean arise or come. Jesus called the little girl from the dead, and she came to life.

Secondly and similarly, when Jesus’s dear friend — Lazarus had died. After crying sorely, He asked to be taken to the tomb where Lazarus lay dead, John 11. Again, Jesus called dead Lazarus saying

“Come out!”,

and out came Lazarus.

Jesus said about himself, John 11:25

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,...”

When you hear the call of Jesus, it is a life-giving invitation, to come out of spiritual death into spiritual life.

Jesus raising the dead is to demonstrate the life-giving power of God. So, even if you feel very alive, you are dead in sin. The invitation to believe in Jesus, is a life-giving invitation to come out of spiritual death and experience life in and through Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:1-2 —And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

Romans 8:10 — But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Could this be you? Will you accept Jesus’s invitation to life today, and welcome Jesus into your life?

Revelation 22:17 —And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

Say this prayer to invite Jesus into your life:

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness.I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life.”

Now, join a sound, Bible-believing and practicing church. Continue to study Jesus’s words and live as He wants His followers to live.

[hopealoft]

Who is Jesus Christ?

3. God

John 1:1-3  1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.

John 1:14-18 14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. 15 John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’” 16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.  17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.  18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

John, the beloved disciple of Jesus Christ, tells us that Jesus was there in the beginning with God, as God created all things. Then, he concluded that the Word was God. He went on to explain that the Word, who is God, became human and dwelt among us. John is talking about Jesus. Jesus said it Himself that His Kingdom is not of earth.

John 18: 36 Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”

Jesus is God, and created all things with the other God beings – the Holy Trinity.

In the book of Hebrews Chapter 1, the Author writes what God says to His Son,

Hebrews 1: 8-10 8 But to the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice. 9 You love justice and hate evil. Therefore, O God, your God has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.” 10 He also says to the Son, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands.

The scriptures of the Holy Bible repeatedly reveal Jesus Christ as God, who existed at the beginning of the earth and created it. 

When Christians worship Jesus Christ, we worship God. Yes, there is only one God, and the one God came to earth in human form, so we know Him as Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is one with God, as the Holy Spirit is one with God—the Holy Trinity.

In Colossians 2:9, the Apostle Paul also reveals Jesus as God. He says,

“For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.”

[hopealoft]

Who is Jesus Christ?

2. The Son of Man:

Jesus often referred to himself as the Son of Man, which denotes his true humanity. The Humanity of Jesus Christ is evident from various biblical scriptures and historical recordings. 

A woman gave birth to Jesus Christ: Women conceive and give birth to children in the human species of creatures. This is God’s beautiful design. If you have discovered a man who conceived and gave birth to a child naturally, please enlighten us.

Luke 2:4-7 (TLB)  And because Joseph was a member of the royal line, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, King David’s ancient home—journeying there from the Galilean village of Nazareth.  He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was obviously pregnant by this time. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born;  and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.

When children are born, they are often taken care of by parents or guardian or someone with the capacity to care for them until they have grown. This is part of the human life cycle. Jesus was a child and grew up, like every other human child.

Luke 2:39-42 (TLB)  When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the Law of God, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee.  There the child became a strong, robust lad, and was known for wisdom beyond his years; and God poured out his blessings on him. When Jesus was twelve years old, he accompanied his parents to Jerusalem for the annual Passover Festival, which they attended each year.

All human grown-ups, in every era, have had a vocation: a fisherman, a carver, a carpenter, a mason, a physician. In modern times, a scientist, a medical doctor, an engineer, and more. Jesus also had a vocation before He started His ministry.

Mark 6:1-3 (TLB)  Soon afterwards he left that section of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown.  The next Sabbath he went to the synagogue to teach, and the people were astonished at his wisdom and his miracles because he was just a local man like themselves. “He’s no better than we are,” they said. “He’s just a carpenter, Mary’s boy, and a brother of James and Joseph, Judas and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” And they were offended!

Jesus ate and drank. If Jesus weren’t human and didn’t feel hungry, there would be no account of him eating or being tempted to eat.

Matthew 3:17 - 4:2 (TLB)  Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, to be tempted there by Satan.  For forty days and forty nights he ate nothing and became very hungry.

What’s the definition of emotions? It is a strong feeling deriving from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.

Jesus had strong feelings derived from circumstances. He was moved to tears by Lazarus’s death and the mourning sisters. He was moved with compassion because His audience had nothing to eat.

John 11:35 (TLB) Tears came to Jesus’ eyes.

Matthew 15:32 (ESV) Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”

Jesus was baptised. As a jew, Jesus fulfilled several Judaic customs, and it was customary in Jesus’s time to be baptised. Jesus went to the Jordan River to be baptised.

Matthew 3:13-15 (TLB)  Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized there by John.  John didn’t want to do it. “This isn’t proper,” he said. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you.” But Jesus said, “Please do it, for I must do all that is right.” So then John baptized him.

Whenever people want to express unity or humanity, they often say something like, “We look different, but when you cut us, we all bleed red”. In the same vein, no pun intended, Jesus bled red blood. Some Roman soldiers were there to witness Jesus’s humanity because they pierced Jesus themselves. In the end, they confessed that, indeed, Jesus is the Son of God. These Roman soldiers witnessed both the humankind and sovereignty of our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 19:34 (TLB) However, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water flowed out.

Yes indeed! After hanging on the cross and gushing blood and water when His sides were pierced, Jesus gave up the ghost. Death marks the end of the human life cycle; however, because Jesus isn’t merely human, He is resurrected, He lives, and He will return to take those who believed in Him to be with Him for eternity. This is our hope as Christians. Apostle Paul has explained that if there is no resurrection, our faith is empty and meaningless.

Matthew 27:50 (TLB)  Then Jesus shouted out again, dismissed his spirit, and died.

[hopealoft]

Who is Jesus Christ?

1. The Son of God

Many Christians who understand their faith believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The Holy Scriptures refer to Jesus as the Son of God several times. Let’s start from the conception of Jesus Christ.

Luke 1:30-35 (TLB)  “Don’t be frightened, Mary,” the angel told her, “for God has decided to wonderfully bless you! Very soon now, you will become pregnant and have a baby boy, and you are to name him ‘Jesus.’ He shall be very great and shall be called the Son of God. And the Lord God shall give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he shall reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom shall never end!”Mary asked the angel, “But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin.”The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of God shall overshadow you; so the baby born to you will be utterly holy—the Son of God.

This is a famous story told every Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, but there’s a chance you haven’t heard of it yet. It’s not a mere story; it is History. Mary, a young virgin in Nazareth, Galilee, was engaged to a descendant of the Jewish King David, Joseph. One day, God sent Gabriel – the Angel, to deliver a message to Mary. This is the message seen in the scripture above. God had chosen Mary to bear Jesus Christ. You might ask how? Mary asked the same question! The angel revealed to Mary that she would conceive of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. This is the only event of its kind recorded in history. Jesus Christ was born as the angel of God said, and He has changed the world to date. 

Before Jesus Christ started His ministry, His cousin, John the Baptist, had been announcing the coming of Christ.

John 1:23-28 (TLB)  He replied, “I am a voice from the barren wilderness, shouting as Isaiah prophesied, ‘Get ready for the coming of the Lord!’”Then those who were sent by the Pharisees asked him, “If you aren’t the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?”John told them, “I merely baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you have never met, who will soon begin his ministry among you, and I am not even fit to be his slave.”This incident took place at Bethany, a village on the other side of the Jordan River where John was baptizing.

Although John the Baptist didn’t know who Christ was, he announced that Jesus was the Christ when He came to be baptised by John the Baptist.

John 1:29-34 (TLB)  The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the world’s sin! He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Soon a man far greater than I am is coming, who existed long before me!’ I didn’t know he was the one, but I am here baptizing with water in order to point him out to the nation of Israel.”Then John told about seeing the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descending from heaven and resting upon Jesus.“I didn’t know he was the one,” John said again, “but at the time God sent me to baptize he told me, ‘When you see the Holy Spirit descending and resting upon someone—he is the one you are looking for. He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ I saw it happen to this man, and I therefore testify that he is the Son of God.”

Several accounts of people calling Jesus the Son of God because of the supernatural things He did. 

Nathanael:

John 1:49 (TLB) Nathanael replied, “Sir, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!”

Peter:

John 6:68-69 (TLB)  Simon Peter replied, “Master, to whom shall we go? You alone have the words that give eternal life, and we believe them and know you are the holy Son of God.”

Martha: 

John 11:27 (TLB)  “Yes, Master,” she told him. “I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one we have so long awaited.”

Paul the Apostle:

Romans 1:1-4 (TLB)  Paul, Jesus Christ’s slave, chosen to be a missionary, and sent out to preach God’s Good News. This Good News was promised long ago by God’s prophets in the Old Testament. It is the Good News about his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who came as a human baby, born into King David’s royal family line; and by being raised from the dead he was proved to be the mighty Son of God, with the holy nature of God himself. Hebrews 4:14 (TLB)  But Jesus the Son of God is our great High Priest who has gone to heaven itself to help us; therefore, let us never stop trusting him.