“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1, 14)
by Pastor Patrick Cho
In all of human history, there is no more significant or controversial individual than the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus came and walked this earth, He upset entire religious institutions, He challenged governmental authorities, and He gathered quite a following. He was peculiar and remarkable not only because of the things that He did, but also because of the things that He said. He clearly communicated that He was the Son of God who came to save the world, but He also proved it through His miraculous deeds and especially through His resurrection from the dead.
I would argue that there is no greater study in Scripture than to examine the life and person of Jesus Christ. The Bible attests to His deity – He is the everlasting God. Paul wrote to the Colossians that in Jesus “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col. 2:9). The author of Hebrews explains that Jesus “created the world,” and, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature” (Heb. 1:2-3). When I study Jesus, I can come to understand who God is and what God is like.
The titles of God were rightly applied to Jesus. He is constantly referred to in Scripture as “Lord.” This title underscores His divine sovereignty over all things. It also points to His authority over His people. Jesus is the rightful King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Tim. 6:14-15). He is the one who governs the universe and His people (cf. Dan. 7:14). He also applied the titles of God to Himself, like in John 8:58 where He deliberately referred to Himself as “I am” (cf. Exod. 3:14).
He not only took on the titles of God, but He also demonstrated the power and authority of God. When the disciples were on the Sea of Galilee during a violent storm and fearing for their lives, Jesus arose and calmed the storm (Matt. 8:23-27). He thus demonstrated that He possessed authority over all creation. He also showed His authority over spiritual forces by commanding demons to come out of people (Luke 4:33-36). He even proved His authority over life and death by summoning Lazarus from the grave (John 11:43-44).
The greatest demonstration of Jesus’ deity was in His authority to forgive sins. The religious leaders of His time were particularly offended when Jesus proclaimed that He had the authority to do so (cf. Mark 2:3-12). They accused Jesus of blasphemy because they understood that only God could forgive sins. But Jesus came to rescue sinners. He was referred to by John the Baptist as the “Lamb of God” (John 1:29). This was an Old Testament title referring back to the sacrificial system which was God put in place to atone for the sins of the people. Jesus came to save sinners by dying on the cross and paying the penalty of death that we deserved because of our sins. He stood in our place. He served as our substitute. And in so doing, He brought us into right relationship and peace with God.
This is why Jesus became a man. One of the most mind-boggling truths in Scripture is that even though Jesus was fully God, He was also fully man. When Jesus was born as an infant in Bethlehem and laid there in the manger, He possessed the fullness of deity. As He grew up as a child learning to walk and talk, He possessed the fullness of deity. When He came to the banks of the Jordan to initiate His earthly ministry in His baptism, He possessed the fullness of deity. And as He hung on the cross and gave up His life, He possessed the fullness of deity.
He hungered as a man (Luke 4:2), He grew weary as a man (John 4:6), He had flesh and bones as a man (Luke 24:39), and He was completely God undiminished. But it was necessary for God to take on flesh for our sakes. Since man sinned against God, it was just for man to also pay for that sin. Jesus took on human flesh to stand in our place as a man and to die in our place. Philippians 2:5-8 helps explain the lengths to which Jesus went to provide a way of salvation for us.
After His earthly ministry was complete, after His death and resurrection, Jesus met His disciples at Galilee. After giving them some final instructions, He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9). But the Bible tells us that He is coming again. He said so Himself (John 14:3). He will return to set up His kingdom and sit on His glorious throne (Matt. 25:31-32). In light of His coming, all those who believe in Him are called to walk in holiness and to pursue peace (2 Pet. 3:14).
If I could only study one thing for the rest of my life, it would be the person of Jesus. All of human history hinges on His life. When He walked this earth, He demonstrated for the world what God was like. We could observe Him, talk with Him, and learn from His teachings. Though none before Him had ever seen God (John 1:18), God made a way for us to see Him and know Him. This was all made possible through His coming as a man and making atonement for our sins.