Who is Jesus? - Jesus is God!

In the introductory post I indicated that for the first study, I wanted to take on a controversial subject. A subject that has been misrepresented by many people and many cultures in just as many ways. And that is the subject of Jesus.

First off I would like to start with an aspect of Jesus which I have to admit was a shock to me. Really though, it is a 'no-brainer', but being raised in the type of church that didn't teach Biblical doctrine, it was initially shocking. Jesus is God!

There a some religions that would immediately take offense to this statement, but if you trust that the Bible in its original form is God's word, then the only result can be that Jesus is in fact God. In this post I will be using both the old and new testaments to illustrate each example.

THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA (THE FIRST AND THE LAST)

God addresses Himself as several times in the Old Testament as the first and the last. Isaiah 41:4, 44:6, 48:12

When John was writing his revelations on the Island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea, he had a vision of Jesus. Jesus declared himself to John, ...'I am the first and the last,..(Revelations 1:17)

"I AM"

When Moses had his first encounter at the mountain Horeb, (Mt. Sinai) he asked God what should he tell the people what the name is of the God of their fathers. God answered him by saying, "I AM WHO I AM". Exodus 3:13,14

In the new testament when Jesus was at the temple teaching, Pharisees were attempting to trap Jesus in a doctrinal issue. John 8:1-11 In John 8:58, he declares to them that he is God. "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am."

When he said this, the crowd grasped stones to kill him for blashemy. "I AM" is the revelation name of God in the Old Testament and Jesus statement is a bold and unequivocable claim to diety.(1)

IMMANUEL - 'GOD WITH US'

Prophecy of Jesus is announced in Isaiah 7:14 '....and she will call His name Immanuel.', and is fulfilled in the New Testament in Matthew 1:23.

INCARNATION OF GOD

Prophesized in Isaiah 9:6 'For a child will be born to us;...Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.'

The story of Jesus' birth is told in Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 2:1-20

This is by no means an exhaustive study on this subject, but hopefully it has whetted your appetite to dig further.

Till next time,

In Christ,

Scott <)))))><

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(1) page 553 Illustrated Bible Handbook, Lawrence O. Richards, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Copyright 1982,1987 by Word, Inc.