Who do you say Jesus is?

What comes to mind when you hear the name Jesus Christ?

It's safe to say that most people in western culture have heard the name Jesus and have at least some impression or thoughts about who he is, what he said, and why he lived. Depending on the way we have been raised, the people we know, and our experiences in life, we each respond to the name Jesus Christ in some way, whether positively, negatively, or indifferently. Some have called him the Son of God, a good teacher, philosopher, prophet, social revolutionary, and even a fraud. I don't know what has shaped your understanding about Jesus Christ, but I would like to invite you to honestly consider what Jesus has said about himself, and determine whether your understanding is consistent with the truth.

Jesus said that he is the Christ or Messiah that was prophesied about in the Old Testament scriptures. The Greek word 'Christ' and the Hebrew word 'Messiah' both mean 'Anointed one' and refer to a great king and deliverer about whose coming men of God had spoken since the beginning of human history. It's written that this King would be our Creator, God Himself, who would dwell amongst us by taking on human flesh, being born of a virgin and called “Immanuel” which means 'God with us'. This Creator-King would come to establish a new and eternal kingdom, judge evil and restore peace and righteousness to the earth, bringing great joy to the people of every tribe, tongue and nation. Jesus said He is that King.* John 4:25-26, Micah 5:2, Isaiah 7:14, Daniel 7:13-14

Jesus said that He is the SaviorOf the world. It's written that the Savior would rescue us from the condemnation and guilt of our rebellion against God and provide a way for sinners be reconciled to Him. He would satisfy the demands of God's justice by humbling Himself to suffer and die on the cross as a criminal, willingly standing in our place of judgment under His law and sacrificially taking upon Himself the penalty of our sins. Having removed the cause of enmity between us by righteously judging and paying for the crimes of His enemies, the Savior would declare peace and call all men to draw near to God, offering mercy, forgiveness and eternal life as a gift of His grace, instead of the judgment, wrath and hell we all deserve. Jesus said He is that Savior.

* Matthew 1:21, Matthew 20:28, Isaiah 53:5-6, Galatians 3:10-13, Romans 3:23-28, Ephesians 2:8-13, Colossians 1:21-22

Jesus said that he would rise From the dead. In order to silence His enemies and critics, the Savior would rise from the dead to justify both Himself and those who have believed in Him. He would prove, by showing that death had no power over him, that He is both Lord and Savior; that He will return again and that the power and right to judge and give eternal life belong to him. After he was dead and buried, on the 3rd day he rose from the dead and was seen by his apostles and then by more than 500 men at one time, many of whom, for proclaiming the reality of Jesus' resurrection would later lose their lives. The resurrection itself and the testimony of countless martyrs say that Jesus is alive and that He is in fact Lord over all and Savior of the world.

* Mark 9:30-31 * Romans 4:25 * Acts 2:32-36 * Romans 1:4 * Acts 17:30-31 * 1 Corinthians 15:3-6

Jesus today is calling all men to repent of their rebellion and to believe the good news of salvation. To repent means to literally change our thinking and way of life. It means with God's promised help we confess and actively turn away from our conscious rebellion, acknowledge our guilt and need for mercy, and turn to God in humility and obedience, submitting to His authority over us as King of our lives. It's written that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. To believe means to fully trust and rely on the truthfulness of what Jesus has said and the sufficiency of what he has done for us as the sole basis for our salvation and peace with God. It is written “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus (repentance), and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”.

* Mark 1:14-15 * Luke 24:46-47 * Isaiah 55:6-7 * 1 John 1:9 * John 5:24 * 1 John 5:13 * Romans 10:9-13

To those who would come to him as Lord and Savior, Jesus offers deep and satisfying hope, both in this life and the one to come. Jesus' death on the cross was intended to convince you of His love and desire that you would not perish, but live forever with Him; that it is joy, peace, freedom and life to know such a beautiful and loving Savior and to worship and serve such a good and humble King. But those who reject Him will be held responsible for their sin on the day of judgement. My sincere desire is that you would see that Jesus Christ Himself is your greatest need today and that you would turn to Him and find that God Himself is the greatest and most satisfying Treasure you could ever possess.* Romans 15:13 * John 3:36 * 2 Thess. 1:6-10 * Romans 5:6-11 * 2 Peter 3:9 * Matthew 11:28-30 * John 6:35

Written by pastor Steven Yeats, missionary in Moldova