Who Do You Say That I Am?
“Who Do You Say That I Am?”
Do You Know Jesus, or do you just know about Him? Many people have spoken of Jesus. Many true and false reports have been given. However, the question still remains, “Who do you say that I am?” This very question has eternal interests. It must be individually answered if we are to receive eternal life. “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3.
Our salvation is personal and will not depend on the thoughts or decisions of others. Each of us is responsible for reviewing the facts, so we can make a decision to accept or reject Jesus Christ. In this lesson, we will examine the Bible facts to discover who Jesus is and the part he plays in our Choosing God.
Let us begin with prayer. Lord, open my mind so that I may be able to discover who Jesus is, and his importance to my life; in Christ’s name. Amen.
In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, John 1:1. The Word existed from eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the Father. John 1:14 identifies who the Word is, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. Jesus left His home of peace and security; He left the glory that He had with the Father before the world was, and His position upon the throne of the universe, to give his life in ransom for the lives of a lost world.
Jesus is the Creator of all things. “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made,” John 1:3. Jesus Christ, the Word, created all things. That includes you and me. There is no one more qualified to give us instructions for our lives than our Creator.
When on earth Jesus identified himself as the Son of God, “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee,” John 1:17. Father God also identified Jesus as his Son. Not only did our Heavenly Father identify Jesus as his Son but he instructed us to hear his Words, Luke 9:35.
One of Jesus’ main purposes for coming into the world was to take away sin. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,” John 1:29. Jesus was to rescue man from his fallen condition. 1 John 3:4 identify what sin is. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. God’s Law, the Ten Commandments are found in Exodus 20:1-17. This law governs the universe. Because God is all-powerful, ever-present, all-knowing, and Creator of all things, we can trust that this law is in our best interest, and will maintain harmony throughout the universe. By breaking God’s law we array ourselves in opposition to Him and his governmental system.
We sometimes blame our fore-parent, Adam and Eve for our sins. It’s true, that sin entered into the world through their disobedience, but we too have sinned. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23. Adam and Eve had a choice, and we also have a choice. We don’t have to make the same mistake our fore-parent made. As they were brought down through disobedience, we can be lifted up through obedience. “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous,” Romans 5:19.
There is a penalty for sin, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, Romans 6:23.” When sin entered the world the union between God and man was broken. God did not stop loving us because of our disobedience. Nor did he want us to die. The wages of sin is death, which could not be changed; the sentence had to be carried out.
In God’s love and mercy, he provided a solution for the sin problem. Jesus offered himself as a substitute. Jesus, the Sinless one, would take our punishment and die in our places. How great is the love of God? “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, Romans 5:8” Through Jesus Christ, God has given us the choice of life.
We may want to make all the right choices in life but it is impossible for us to change our character without the power of God. It is only through Jesus that we can obtain righteousness. Jesus says, “I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing,” John 15:5. Jeremiah expressed the impossibility of being righteous of ourselves, by asking, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil,” Jeremiah 13:23. Our character is who we are. Without Christ character change is impossible.
Salvation is only made possible through Jesus Christ. There is no good work we can do to be saved. No matter how many people we help or how honest we may be, we are still a sinner. “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags,” Isaiah 64:6. It is by God’s grace that we can be saved. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast, Ephesians 2:8-9. Grace is divine favor, undeserved. We can join with Paul in Saying, “I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ,” I Corithians1:4. Jesus Christ is our Creator, Redeemer, and Savior.
Jesus represents himself as standing at the door and knocking, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me,” Revelation 3:20. The heart represents our mind. To invite Jesus into our life we must open our mind to receive him. We must be willing to be taught of God. God will teach us through his Word, for he says, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth,” John 17:17.
When we are willing to do this, Jesus can come into our lives and impress us with eternal truths. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” John 14:6. We must know Jesus personally to be saved.
1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. All things are known unto God. When we confess our sins to God, the purpose is not to inform Him of our errors. We are acknowledging we have done wrong. We are also accepting the responsibility for the wrongdoing. These are important steps in giving our life to Christ.
When we began to seek God earnestly, for a true Christian experience, the creative power of God will work in our lives. Selfishness is removed from our minds and we become as Jesus is. Jesus creates us anew. “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do [them]," Ezekiel 36:26-27. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new,” II Corinthians 5:17. We are able to follow Christ’s example of obedience.
By beholding Jesus, spending time in the Word of God, Bible study, and prayer we will be changed into his likeness. “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord, “2 Corinthians 3:18’
By viewing Jesus we gain a brighter and clearer view of who God is. By beholding we become changed. Righteousness and love for mankind become natural. Our sinful human character is changed as we grow into the image of Christ.
Though formed in the image of God, we can become so familiarized with wrongdoing and corruption through beholding it, that the sinfulness of violence and crime has no effect on us. Many times violence and suffering become pleasant and entertaining to us. Christ will protect our minds as we meditate upon pure and holy things. “ Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things,” Philippians 4:8. These character traits are represented in Christ. We are to meditate on His life and character daily.
Christ's advice to us is,” Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light,” (Matthew 1:29,30). As we learn of Christ we will increase in knowledge and wisdom necessary for our salvation.” And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent,” John 17:3. It will be an eternal mistake to fail to learn of Christ. For we shall all be called upon to answer the question, “Who do you say that I am?”
