by Bruce Mackay | Download PDF | Purchase Hardcopy

The greatest debate that raged during Jesus' thirty-three years on earth was, 'Who is this man from Nazareth?' Many reasoned, 'Is He none other than the son of Joseph the carpenter?' Some would question, 'Do you really believe that story of Mary being a virgin until after Jesus was born?' 'Sounds like a cover-up to me', another would say. Still others said Jesus was John the Baptist who had come back from the dead, or Elijah or even Jeremiah.

Two thousand years on, the arguments and discussions continue. 'Who is Jesus of Nazareth?' No one man has caused such discussion for so many generations. Most people who impact on the world may stay on the lips of one or two generations, but very few for centuries. Only Jesus is spoken of for millennia, be it through worship, faith, carols, argument or cursing. Jesus is spoken from the lips of everyone of every generation from all tribes, languages and nations. Even people who say they don't believe in Him say His name when they hit their thumb with a hammer.

Who is Jesus of Nazareth?

So who is Jesus of Nazareth? Our answer to this question will determine our eternal destiny. This is no small question, because it was for this question that Jesus was crucified. The purpose of this article is not to present an argument proving His existence, as there is more proof that Jesus lived than there is that Julius Caesar lived. Only a bigot would say that Jesus didn't exist. The question is not His existence but rather who He is. As in every article in the Life of Jesus Series, we will simply declare the clear statements from the word of God. We will look at what Jesus said and what others said about Him.

'"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing".' Luke 4:18-21.

Our last six articles on the life of Jesus have focussed on His reading from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue of His home town. He concluded His reading by saying, 'Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing'. In saying this, people gasped and their jaws dropped to their ankles. 'The son of Joseph says He is the fulfilment of Isaiah's prophecy!' With this, they were enraged and thrust Him out of the city, intending to kill Him there and then by hurling Him over a cliff.

When Jesus said, 'Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing', He was unmistakably declaring Himself the Messiah, the Christ, the God and Saviour of the world.

Only God forgives sins

Jesus managed to escape the murderous hands of the people that day. On another occasion, within a matter of weeks, a crowd of people had gathered in a house to hear Jesus speak. Amongst the crowd were some religious leaders and teachers. While Jesus was speaking, four men came carrying a paralysed man on a bed. They were eager to get their friend to Jesus because the power of the LORD was present with Jesus to perform healing. The crowd was so great that they couldn't get the paralysed man to Jesus. Not to be deterred by this, they climbed up on the roof, broke through the tiles and lowered the paralysed man down on his bed in front of Jesus. Jesus marvelled at seeing the faith of the men. He immediately said to the paralysed man, 'Your sins are forgiven'. Hearing that statement, the religious teachers started murmuring to one another, 'Only God can forgive sins'. They were correct – no man can forgive sins, only God can forgive our sin. This raised the question – is this Jesus, God? To demonstrate that He was God and had the power to forgive sins, Jesus said to the paralytic, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk to your house'. Immediately, he stood on his feet and walked.

Even though the scribes and Pharisees (religious leaders) had seen the reality that truly Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, God and the Saviour of mankind, they continued to call Him an impostor and a blasphemer; a man claiming to be God. The full story can be read in Luke 5:17-26.

With this and many other similar events, the religious hierarchy continued to plot the death of Jesus. There was another occasion when they endeavoured to stone Jesus to death. Jesus had openly declared that He was 'I AM'. Although that statement may not mean too much to a non-Jew, to the religious Jews who heard those words, there was no mistake about what Jesus meant by saying, 'Before Abraham was, I AM'. 'I AM' is the phrase that the Lord God used in referring to Himself. Jesus was not only describing His pre-existence before Abraham, He was clearly stating that He was before time, that He was not created. He has always been and always will be. He is 'I AM' with no beginning and no end.

In fact, there are eight recorded occasions when Jesus declared Himself to be 'I AM', which is translated as YAHWEH. One of the most vital statements was when Jesus said, 'If you do not believe that I AM you will die in your sins'. John 8:24. It is not enough to acknowledge that Jesus lived, but who do you believe He is? Only God can forgive our sins. We must believe that Jesus is the Lord God who came to take away the sin of the world.

The Son of God crucified

In a little less than three years from when Jesus declared in the synagogue that He was the Saviour Isaiah spoke of, the religious leaders conspired to have Jesus taken prisoner and tried.

'Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.' Matt 26:3-4.

'And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes. But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree. Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.'" But not even then did their testimony agree. And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?" But He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!" And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.' Mark 14:53-65.

We notice that the high priest knew the Scriptures taught that the Messiah, the Christ, would come. He also knew that the Christ was not just a special man, but the Son of God. When he asked Jesus if He was the Son of God, Jesus answered saying, 'I AM'. Jesus, under oath and on trial, declared Himself to be the Lord God!

Was Jesus speaking the truth? The high priest said he wasn't and accused Him of blasphemy (a man claiming to be God). The true test of whether Jesus was God the Son, who had become the Son of God and the Son of Man, was whether the words Jesus spoke would come to pass. 'And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.'

Jesus was taken that day and crucified. Interestingly, one of the soldiers who was asked to guard Jesus, as he watched Jesus lay His life down on the cross said, 'Truly this man was the Son of God'. Jesus was then laid in the tomb which was guarded by soldiers. On the third day, the eternal proof and reality that Jesus was who He said He was, took place. Jesus rose from the dead. He was seen by many and over five hundred people saw Him at one time. After forty days, He ascended in a cloud back to the right hand of God the Father. He returned to the glory that He had before He was begotten as the Son of God.

'I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, "You are My Son, today I have begotten You".' Psa 2:7.

'And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.' John 17:5.

Our great God and Saviour

Following the resurrection and ascension of Christ, His life, power and words were still changing the lives of multitudes of people, through the forgiveness of sins. One of those whose life was turned around was a man named Paul. He was a Pharisee (a religious teacher) who had been trained in studying the Scriptures. He had, at first, agreed with the other scribes and Pharisees who put Jesus to death. He went about denouncing Jesus as God. He was travelling to Damascus to silence those who spoke of Jesus as God and Saviour. On the way he was confronted with the risen, living Christ. From that moment, Paul was converted and spent the rest of his life preaching and proving that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the great God and Saviour of the world.

'Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then all who heard were amazed, and said, "Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?" But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ. Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him.' Acts 9:20-23.

Despite the threats and constant harassment of those who refused to believe that Jesus was the Christ, Paul continued to proclaim Jesus as the Christ. The following are the words of Paul.

'For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.' Titus 2:11-13.

'But when the kindness and the love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.' Titus 3:4-7.

The first Christians fully declared and believed that Jesus of Nazareth was the one and only true God and Saviour. The Bible warns that there will be many who come and claim to be Christ. John the apostle said that such people are liars and have the spirit of antichrist. 1 John 2:22.

That we all may believe

The word of God clearly teaches that we only have forgiveness of sins and eternal life by believing on God the Son.

'He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.' John 3:36.

'Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world".' John 11:25-27.

Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus of Nazareth returned to God the Father and the glory He had before the creation of the world. When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, accepting and acknowledging Him as our great God and Saviour, we are also raised spiritually with Him and a whole new dimension of relationship begins. The Lord Jesus is only One person of Three in the Godhead. God lives in a relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Through the Lord Jesus we are gathered into that relationship. We now participate in love and conversation (fellowship) with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Along with the relationship we now have with the Godhead, we also can fellowship with every other believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible expresses it this way. 'Concerning the Word of Life (Jesus) the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us. That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.' 1 John 1:2-4,7.

Author: Bruce Mackay | Citywide Christian Fellowship - Cairns | CCFC
Published by Vision One at Toowoomba Christian Fellowship | TCF
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