Who Is Jesus - The Question That Matters Most

Does the idea of talking to someone from another faith make your hands sweat and your heart race? My passion for apologetics, the arguments and evidence in support of the Christian faith, was fueled by fear that I would one day be talking to someone and not be able to respond to their question or objection even though Jesus told us not to worry about this (Matthew 10).

In time I realized that I was going about it the wrong way. Apologetics is a powerful way to address objections and an encouragement to know that our faith is based on reason and evidence as well as the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. But these discussions become a distraction when we neglect to focus on the one thing that matters.

Who Is Jesus?

The next time you have the opportunity to speak with someone from another faith or world view, you can get straight to the point by asking that question. Then just listen to their response and their story. In 1 John 4-1:4 we are told that the question, "Who is Jesus?" is the litmus test. Then it's not an issue if you don't know everything about everything, though knowing the history and background of the major world views is an excellent subject of study.

In Acts and the rest of the New Testament, we find that the apostles spent most of their time explaining and clarifying who Jesus is and what the impact of that is.

So, who is Jesus? Knowing the answer to that question is key so I've listed a few statements and references to get you thirsty. These are just a sample because the roles and identity of Jesus can be found described throughout the Bible.

• King - Lord over all creation (John 1, Revelation 19) and He will return to judge and rule (Matthew 25).
• Man - Jesus came to Earth as a human but did not sin (2 Corinthians 5, Philippians 2). God's creation is good but mired in sin (Romans 8). If Jesus was willing to come to the Earth as a man, and He proclaimed His creation very good then Christians should love their bodies and creation and not seek liberation from it.
• Priest/Savior - Died and resurrected as an offering for our sins (Isaiah 53, Hebrews 10) so we could be reconciled to God and be in relationship with Him.
• God - The Son submits to the Father while remaining fully God (John 14, 15, 17). His divinity is affirmed by all the creeds, the New Testament, and references to the Messiah throughout the Bible. Therefore Jesus has all the attributes of God such as being eternal, holy, and omnipotent.
• Just and righteous - God has always been about justice which means to set things right. He is for the poor and the underdog (Psalm 82, Isaiah 58) and His return and reign over creation will restore (Isaiah 65). God is accused of being intolerant and harsh but if you read closely He is compassionate, slow to anger (Genesis 15, Numbers 14) and wanting to see everyone repent and follow Him (Ezekiel 18, John 3, 2 Peter 3). Whether it is the Israelites or you and me, He has given us a lifetime to choose to learn about Him and love Him and even when we push Him away, He continues to pursue us.

Again these are just a few of Jesus' roles and scripture that supports these claims. It's important that we know who Jesus is so we can reveal misconceptions and clear the way for people to have a fruitful relationship with Jesus.

Perhaps you've found the end of yourself. Your world view and attempts to reach God or success have fallen short and you're not sure what to do. Jesus is with you. He died for you so you can be reconciled to God and have a relationship with Him again (2 Corinthians 5). Seek Jesus!