Watch closely: I am preparing something new; it’s happening now, even as I speak, and you’re about to see it. I am preparing a way through the desert; Waters will flow where there had been none.
Isaiah 43:19
Who Is Jesus?
The questions we like to ask about God are endless:
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“Is God real?”
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"If there really is a God, why do bad things happen to innocent people?"
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“Is what we know about Him really true?”
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“What does He have to do with my life?”
This is just a small list. The Bible may not answer every question about God – and could even lead us to ask more – but one of the areas the Bible is quite definite is the answer to the question: "Who is Jesus?"
C.S. Lewis, a well-known Christian author, wrote of Jesus, “Either this man was, and is, the son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon, or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher.” (Mere Christianity)
Jesus commends the apostle Peter’s confession of Him as “the Messiah, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16) because Jesus knew who He is – and could be to us – is the power to change our lives. Jesus is unique because two worlds collide within Him: heaven and earth, the divine and the human. His name is above all names, and His star-breathing, storm-calming, water-walking, miracle-working power is second to none.
Yet, He is also the human Jesus, the personal friend who knows what we are going through and cares about us. This is why the Bible also calls Him “Immanuel," God with us.
What Jesus says to us and what to do about it
Jesus's promise to us all is eternal life when we choose to follow Him. He says the following to everyone who would choose to believe in Him:
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“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
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“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
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"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
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"The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness." (John 10:10)
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But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” (Matthew 19:14)
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“Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out.” (Luke 5:31-32)
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“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies. Pray for those who treat you badly." (Matthew 5:43-44)
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Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)
The disciple John said this about God’s love for humanity: “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son, so that we could have a relationship with Him. This is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go through all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again." (John 3:16-17)
If you have read this and would like Jesus to change your life forever, all you need to do is surrender yourself to Him. Ask Jesus to come into your life and begin to change you. Begin to read the Bible and look for a local church for you to get involved in. Find a group of men or women who love Jesus and begin to ask them questions about God. Finally, talk to God every day through prayer.
