Who is Jesus Christ?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Old Testament foreshadows Jesus Christ as the promised King, suffering servant, divine Son, and eternal priest who would save His people. The New Testament reveals that Jesus is God in the flesh, affirmed by His own claims, the testimony of His disciples, and His works. He came to bear the penalty of sin that only God could pay, offering forgiveness and eternal life to all who believe. History shows He cannot be reduced to just a teacher or prophet—He is either Lord, liar, or lunatic, as C.S. Lewis argued. The Bible makes clear He is Lord, and He calls us to trust Him, follow Him, and receive the salvation He offers.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Old Testament never uses the name “Jesus Christ,” but it lays the foundation for who He is through prophecy, foreshadowing, and promises. The Old Testament foretells a coming King from David’s line who would reign forever (2 Samuel 7:12–13; Isaiah 9:6–7).
• Isaiah 53 describes One who would bear our sins, be pierced for our transgressions, and bring us peace through His wounds.
• Passages point to the Messiah’s divine nature, such as Psalm 2:7:“You are my Son; today I have begotten you,” and Micah 5:2, which speaks of the ruler from Bethlehem whose “coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”
• Psalm 110 presents the Messiah as both a King who rules and a Priest “forever after the order of Melchizedek.”
• The sacrificial system (Leviticus 4:27–31; see Hebrews 10:1–10), Passover lamb (Exodus 12:21–27; see 1 Corinthians 5:7), manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16:4, 15; see John 6:31–35), and the tabernacle (Exodus 25:8–9; see John 1:14 and Hebrews 9:11) all point forward to Christ’s role as Savior and mediator.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• In John 1:1 we read, "the Word was God." Then in John 1:14 the Apostle John writes, "the Word became flesh" obviously meaning Jesus was God in the flesh.
• The Apostle Thomas comes to the same realization and proclaims to Jesus, "My Lord, and my God!" (John 20:28).
• In Titus 2:13, the Apostle Paul calls Jesus "our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."
• The Apostle Peter also affirmed Jesus as God: "our God and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:1).
• Jesus claimed to be God. In John 10:30 we read that He said, "I and the Father are one." Some would say, "Now that's crazy!" The Jews called it blasphemy. "The Jews answered him, 'It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God'" (John 10:33). Jesus did not attempt to correct their understanding of what He said, demonstrating that they had understood Him correctly.
• Jesus had previously made another clear statement connecting Himself with God, recorded in John 8:58-59, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." In that instance, the Jews tried to stone Him as well. They clearly understand that Jesus was using the "I Am" as an Old Testament title for God (see Exodus 3:14).
• Why did God take on human form in the person of Jesus Christ? Our sin is ultimately committed against an infinite and eternal God, making it worthy of an infinite and eternal penalty - eternal death. Only God could pay such a penalty. God became a human being, in the person of Jesus Christ, so He could die in our place, paying the full penalty for our sin, thus providing salvation to all who receive Him (John 1:12).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Other than the most hardened skeptics, everyone agrees that Jesus Christ actually existed and walked the earth some 2000 years ago. Many believe He was a prophet, a good man, and also a great moral teacher. But, in the Bible we discover that Jesus Christ was far more than a good man, prophet, or teacher. What C.S. Lewis pointed out in his book Mere Christianity, a lot of people still say today, "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God."

C.S. Lewis demonstrates the illogic of this standpoint by pointing out what Jesus said about Himself. If we don't believe what Jesus said, He was a lunatic or a liar. If either one of those are true, we have to even reject the prophet, teacher, and good man option. So, either Jesus Christ is God in human form as He claimed, or else the man Jesus was crazy or a liar. People in His day who refused to believe tried to shut Him up, too. They spit at Him, slapped His face, and said He was crazy. He no longer walks physically upon the earth among us, but we also spit, slap and ascribe lunacy to Him when we refuse to believe He is the Son of God, the Savior of all who will believe.

Because Jesus is God, He could proclaim, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

Who is Jesus Christ? God in human form, and this living God calls us to believe, follow, and receive Him. The Bible makes clear that neutrality is not an option—we must either reject Him as a liar or lunatic, or trust Him as Lord and Savior. Today He invites us to turn from sin, place our faith in His finished work on the cross, and find life in His name (John 3:16; Romans 10:9–10).

UNDERSTAND

• Jesus Christ is God who took on flesh.
• Jesus is the promised Savior who fulfilled the prophecy of a coming Messiah.
• Faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection is the only way to eternal life.

REFLECT

• How does knowing Jesus is God in human form change the way you view His life, death, and resurrection?
• How does Jesus’ role as Savior affect how you respond to sin and forgiveness in your own life?
• How does your faith in Jesus as Lord shape the decisions and priorities you make daily?

ENGAGE

• How do the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah help us understand Jesus’ identity and mission?
• Why is it significant that Jesus claimed to be God, and what do we learn from the way people responded to that claim in His time?
• How does C.S. Lewis’ argument about Jesus being Lord, liar, or lunatic challenge or affirm our view of Him today?