WHO IS THIS JESUS?

Posted On: 010/02/2007 Current Mood: very Happy

WHO IS THIS JESUS ?

John 17:3 (in the K.J.V.) Says: "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent."

The Expanded Translation of the New Testament, by Kenneth Wuest, puts it this way.... "And this is the eternal life, namely, that they might be having an experiential knowledge of you, the only genuine God, and of Him whom you sent on a mission, Jesus Christ."

It is not simply a matter of "...taking in knowledge..." But of possessing that "experiential knowledge" of God the Father, and Jesus Christ, who was sent by the Father. 2 Timothy 3:7 speaks of those who were "Ever learning, and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth." An intellectual knowledge of scriptural things or truth is not enough.

The second use of the word "and" in John 17:3 shows further that eternal life comes not from a knowledge of the Father only, but must include an experiential knowledge of Jesus Christ as well.

The One Who was "sent forth" is identified as God in First Timothy 3:16, which says: "And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest (or revealed) in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." Only Jesus Christ fulfills all of the conditions found in this verse.

Jesus Christ is the One spoken of in Isaiah 7:14, which says: "Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel."

Matthew 1:23 refers to this prophecy .... "Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, (and then adds) which being interpreted is God with us."


Isaiah says further in chapter 9 verse 6, in prophesying the birth of Jesus......

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"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." This prophecy can only be applied to the Lord Jesus Christ. No one else (including the Father) fits. This scripture would make no sense at all if Jesus was (and is) not God. Not only that, it would be a blasphemous lie.

It is true that the word "Trinity" does not appear in scripture; but neither does the word "Duality." Even some who deny the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ admit to the existence of the Holy Spirit, and that He is One with the Father. Even as Jesus said in John 10:30.... "I and the Father are One." And in the last part of verse 38 Jesus said: "...that the Father is in me, and I in Him." Then in Matthew 28 verses 18,19..... "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach (disciple) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Surely Jesus was not suggesting that the disciples were to be baptized into the name of one who was inferior to the Father after having shortly before said: "I and the Father are One."

There is a sense in which Jesus was for a time inferior to the Father. Hebrews 2:9 says: "But we see Jesus, Who was made [for] a little [time] lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; [in order] that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man." The Amplified Version puts it this way...... "But we are able to see Jesus, Who ranked lower than the angels for a little while, crowned with glory and honor because of His having suffered death, in order that by the grace (unmerited favor) of God [to us sinners] He might experience death for every individual person." This was necessary because as Hebrews 10:4 says: "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins."Only "...the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:" was sufficient to redeem us from our sin. (1 Peter 1:18,19).

After telling the believers that there is consolation and comfort and fellowship and tenderheartedness and compassion in Christ and in His love for us, God,

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through the Apostle Paul, says: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God

(The Greek says "Morphe Theou" which means the Divine nature actually and inseparably existing in the Person of Christ), thought it not robbery (or a thing to be grasped or plundered) to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form (resemblance or nature) of a servant, and was made in the likeness (shape or similitude) of men: And being found in fashion (or mode of circumstance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him the name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11).

The word LORD in verse 11 is the Greek word KURIOS.... the same word used for JEHOVAH (or more literally YAHWEH in Hebrew), in the Septuagint translation of Deuteronomy 6:16, Matthew 4:7, & Luke 2:11. Then in verse 13 of the same second chapter of Philippians, it says: "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." Obviously it cannot be the Father Who is in the believer. Neither can it be Christ, for Hebrews 12:2 says that we should be: "Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne

of God."

Rather it is the Holy Spirit Who takes up residence in the believer and Who does the internal work necessary to conform us "...to the image of His Son..." (Romans 8:29). In verses 8 and 9 of that same chapter God says: "....they that are in the flesh (that is the non-believer) cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." i.e. If the Holy Spirit does not dwell (or reside) in a person, that person does not belong to God.....that person does not qualify as a Christian. Note that the Scriptures speak of the Spirit of God; the Holy Spirit; the Spirit of Christ; the Spirit of the

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Lord; etc., etc. But obviously these are all designations of One Spirit.

Galatians 4:4-6 says: "But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father."

Note also that the Holy Spirit is not just or simply an influence. John 14,

in addition to that wonderful verse 6, says in verse 16....... "And I (Jesus) will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of Truth; Whom the world (the non-believers) cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him; but you know Him; for He dwells with you , and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." (In the Person of the Holy Spirit). This actually happened on the Day of Pentecost; refer to Acts chapter 2; and has been happening ever since in the lives of those who put their trust in the Saviour.

And just who is this Saviour? Isaiah 43:3.... "For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour:..." and 43:11.... "I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour." And then in John 4:42 we read..... "... ¿Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.¿" And in Philippians 3:20 we read..... "For our conversation (or citizenship) is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ."

No honest evaluation of these scriptures can come to any other conclusion than that Jesus Christ, Who throughout the New Testament is called the Saviour is (as 1 Timothy 3:16 puts it), "God ...manifest in the flesh..."

In Revelation 3:20... Jesus, the Alpha and Omega says......"Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man (or woman or child; many translations render this as "anyone"), hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him

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and sup (commune) with him, and he with me." Not magical, but certainly super-natural. And not momentary, for Hebrews 13:5 says: "Let your conversation (manner of living) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have; for He has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Once the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the life and person of the believer, He never leaves. He may be quenched or grieved, (see 1 Thessalonians 5:19 and Ephesians 4:30), but He never, never, leaves.

Sincerity is not sufficient. Even belief in God in not sufficient to secure eternal life. James 2:19 informs us that "....the demons believe, and tremble." They know that God is real. They know that JESUS CHRIST

alone is "...the way, the truth and the life.....(and that ) no man cometh to

the Father, but by [Him]." (John 14:6) The kind of belief mentioned in James is only intellectual assent. The kind of belief that results in salvation and becoming a new creation in Christ Jesus must go beyond the intellect, and include trusting in Him, clinging to Him, and relying on Him, as is shown in the Amplified Version of John 3:16.... "For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life."


That belief must include faith, the full meaning of which includes the following three things: persuasion (we are persuaded of the truth); conviction...(we come to a settled conviction that what God has said about our lost condition without Him is true); and fidelity...(once having come to the conviction that Jesus Christ is the only Savior, we are absolutely faithful to Him), and that what He has said we need to do to remedy our lost situation is true as well. That is, as John 1:12 says..... "...as many as did receive Him and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His Name." (Amplified Version).

Written by: W.A.B.



ADDENDUM TO "WHO IS THIS JESUS?"


A brief study of "Theology"

It is true, (as several earnest representatives of the Jehovah's Witnesses have told us), that the Name of The Almighty Creator of heaven and earth is vitally important. In view of that fact, please prayerfully consider the following Scriptures (from the NKJV).

Hebrews 1:8 "But to the Son he says: 'Your throne O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.'" "...O God..." is the English translation of the Greek Ho The'os. According to Strong's Greek dictionary, the term the'os, by itself, means: "a diety..." (undefined except in context), but Ho The'os is defined as "the supreme Diety." i.e., Yahweh.

Matthew 3:16... "When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God (the'os) descending like a dove and alighting upon Him."

Matt. 4:1-3... "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, 'If (first class condition.. i.e. "since") you are the Son of God (the'os), command that these stones become bread.' But He answered and said, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. (the'os)'"

Matt. 4:7... "Jesus said to him, 'It is written again, You shall not tempt the Lord (Kurios, translated Jehovah in the Septuagint) your God (the'os).'"

Matt. 6:33... '"But seek first the kingdom of God (the'os) and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.'" And there are 46 more uses of the'os in Matthew.

Mark 2:5-7... "When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven you.' And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 'Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God (the'os) alone?'" Indeed! And there are 48 more uses of the'os in Mark.

Luke 1:6..."And they (Zacharias & Elizabeth) were both righteous before God (the'os),

walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord (Kurios) blameless."



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In addition to verse 6, there are 122 more uses of the word the'os in Luke.

John 1:1,2... "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God (the'os), and the Word was God (the'os). He was in the beginning with God (the'os)."

John 3:16... '"For God (the'os) so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.'"

John 9:29... (the Pharisees speaking): '"We know that God (the'os) spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from."' And there are 47 more uses of the'os in the Gospel of John.

Romans 5:8... "But God (the'os) demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

There are an additional 163 uses of the word the'os referring to Almighty God in Romans alone, and a further 1,100 plus uses of this reference to Deity in the New Testament.



If one is honest before God, one cannot but come to the conclusion that as this word the'os is used in reference to Yahweh and Yeshuah interchangeably, the Scriptural and logical conclusion is, as 1 Timothy 3:16 puts it..."...without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God (THE'OS) was manifested in the flesh, judged in the Spirit; Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory."

HALLELU-JAH !!



Written by: W.A.B.

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