Regular listeners know that Jesus is the name that crosses our lips more than any other. Today we review New Testament passages asking “who is He?”
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“Who is He?”
Hebrews 1, Philippians 2, I John 4, Romans 5, Acts 4
- We want to answer some questions about Jesus today
- Why are we constantly talking about Him?
- Why did He come?
- What does the Bible say about Him?
- And why should it matter to me?
- Several New Testament scriptures will help us
- As we spend time in Hebrews, Philippians, I John, Romans, and Acts
- Answering one question that helps clarify the others: “Who is He?”
- Regular listeners will know that Jesus is the name that crosses our lips more than any other
- We call Him Christ, the Messiah, the Savior, our Lord, the Son of God
- We’re referring to God with us, the God-man, God-made-flesh
- These are names, titles, and descriptions of the second person of the Godhead
- God who became man to live a sinless life, dying in our place and for our sin
- Our only way to heaven, the embodiment of truth, the only provider of eternal life
- Even these descriptions fall short
- So…we look to the scriptures for more, beginning in …
Hebrews 1:1-4
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
- Who is He?
- The express image of God’s person
- We call Him, based on passages like this, “very God”
- He was with His father at the very beginning, creating the world
- His sacrifice has power to wash away all sins
- And He has been given the very highest place of power and prominence
- As one commentator put it…
“It isn’t so much that Jesus brought a message from the Father; He is a message from the Father. The revelation from Jesus Himself was unique, because not only was it purely God’s message (as was the case with every other inspired writer) but it was also God’s personality through which the message came.”
- What else can we say?
Philippians 2:5-11
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
- Who is He?
- The name which is above every name
- At His name, every knee shall bow – from the highest king to the lowest peasant
- And every tongue shall confess
- There shall be no doubt
- That this One – God himself – who came humbly, in the form of a servant
- Even dying a criminal’s death
- Is the highly exalted One
- The One who has all power and will have all glory
- No confusion will persist
- The idea that He was “just a good teacher” will be eliminated forever
- Those that call Him merely “a prophet” will be proven liars
- And all denials of His deity will cease
- Jesus is Lord
- But who else?
I John 4:7-11
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
- Who is He?
- The only begotten son
- The picture of His sacrifice was seen in that Old Testament story
- When Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac
- And before the knife could fall and strike his only son, God intervened
- Sparing the boy
- Only to offer His own son (God’s son), in the stead of Abraham, Isaac, and every man
- A blood sacrifice, sufficient to wash away all sin
- Proving once again His mercy, great grace, and abundant love
- He is the son who said, when facing this bitter cup, “not my will, but thine be done”
- And was obedient to His father unto death
- The death that gives us life
- There’s more about Him – and this, in…
Romans 5:6-11
6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
- Who is He?
- The One who “died for us”
- Not because we were righteous – we were “yet sinners”
- We were at that time His enemies
- Yet He died in our place
- His, was the only blood, that could bring justification
- That could cleanse us from sin
- We are sinners
- Sin separates us from a holy God
- Sin has to be punished
- And were it not for Jesus, we would suffer eternal punishment in Hell
- But He took the wrath of God that was meant for us
- And by His grace, through faith in Him alone
- We can enjoy reconciliation with God and a home in heaven
- One more description of Him from…
Acts 4:10-12
10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
- Who is He?
- The only name, by which we can be saved
- We are destined for Hell apart from God
- (Who is of purer eyes to even look upon sin)
- No good work – or collection of good works (no matter how large) – can save us
- No religious organization can grant us entrance
- No repetition of religious words or acts
- Only faith in Him – belief in the only Savior
“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:18