Jesus is part of the Godhead who created the world. Turn in your Bibles to Genesis 1, the account of the creation. In English verse one reads like "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." In the Hebrew which was the language in which the Old Testament was originally written, the word for "God" in that verse was Eloihim which is a plural word--hence the meaning was more "In the beginning Gods created the heavens and the earth." In further testimony thereof, open your Bibles to the Gospel of John, the first 4 verses. They read:
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4In him was life; and the life was the light of men. This passage solidly places Jesus in the creation at the time the universe was created. Verse two of Genesis 1 ". . . and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" declares that the Holy Spirit was there also. So Jesus is someone who has always existed. He was not someone created by God as an afterthought to go straighten out a mess that God had created.
The one sent from Heaven to declare to man how much God loved man and to teach man how to respond to God.
See John 3: 16 for a simple yet eloquent statement that explains this: "6For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
One who is in heaven today and who nurtures and sustains us by his power. Stephen, when he was about to become the first Christian martyr, declared that he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7: 55, 56). It was this Jesus who declared, "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me." (Matthew 28: 18). And it was of him that Paul in Philippians 2: 5-11 said
"5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
It is through this Jesus that we have been given all things that pertain to life and Godliness (see II Peter 1: 2-4). He is the provider of all. It was of this Son that God declared, "This is my beloved Son, hear him. " (Mark 9: 7).
It was this Jesus that had the power to still the storm, to heal the sick, to forgive sins, to raise the dead. And He certain has the power to deal with us today.
Jesus is the one by whom we approach God. See John 14: 5-11.
5Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? 10Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
". . . no one cometh to the Father but by me." John 14: 14 tells us to pray in Jesus' name. There are no commandments anywhere in the Bible to pray in anyone's name other than Jesus'.
Some today attempt to approach the Holy Spirit of God without any reference to Jesus. The central figure of the New Testament is obviously Jesus Christ; in fact the central figure of all creation is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit does the work of God, but we are not commanded to approach Him, nor are we told how to. Our efforts would be much better directed to approaching Jesus Christ, as we have been told to do, instead of attempting to do that which we have not been told to do or instructed how to do.
Jesus is our example.The Apostle Paul declares as much. I Corinthians 11: 1--"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." Jesus was the only one who ever lived a perfect life. Hebrews 4: 14-16 "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Jesus was the only one who was tempted in all points, but without ever sinning.
Jesus is our advocate, our mediator, and our "friend with the Father." I John 2: 1-2--"1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." So Jesus is one who is before the Father, pleading our case, and pointing out to Him how difficult it sometimes is for humans to do certain things. Jesus' time on this earth uniquely enabled him to do this.
Jesus is also described as our mediator. Hebrews 8: 6.
And He is also our friend before the Father, if we will confess him. Matthew 10: 32-33--"2Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. "
Jesus will be our judge. So many people seem to forget this. They seem to think of God the Father as the harsh judge while Jesus is supposed to be the one who stands in the background during the judgement day barely able to get a word in edgewise. But consider the judgement scene that Jesus described in Matthew 25:
31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."
Far from being in the background or being passive, Jesus will be the judge in that day.
So how about it, friend? Will you follow this Jesus?
In every relationship there are some rules. Jesus' rule basically is "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." John 14: 15. Keeping the commandments as a regimen is no substitute for a daily walk with the Savior and a relationship with Him. But no one walks with Jesus who does not do his daily best to keep his commandments. In later lessons, there will be more on this.
We hope that by visiting this web page, you have been blessed.
Sid Womack
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