05.02. Who Is Jesus Christ?

Who Is Jesus Christ?

History testifies to Jesus Christ in no uncertain terms. Dr. William R. Bright wrote: “Visit any part of the world today. Talk to people of any religion. No matter how committed they are to their particular religion, if they know anything about history, they will have to admit that there has never been a man like Jesus of Nazareth.

He is the most unique personality of all time. Jesus changed the direction of history. Even the date of your morning newspaper testifies to the fact that Jesus of Nazareth lived on earth nearly 2,000 years ago. B.C. means ‘before Christ’; A.D. Anno Domino, ‘the year of our Lord’.”

GOD announces the gift of His Son Jesus Christ through the prophet Isaiah, in the midst of judgment over the nation of Israel for failure to adhere to the Law, GOD had given through the prophet Moses.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty GOD, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will perform this.” [Isaiah 9:6-7] To understand who Jesus Christ is, we need to examine the Bible in greater detail. The Bible proclaims itself to be the written Word of GOD. The pages of the Bible (the Scriptures as it is also called) record GOD’s Words spoken through chosen human vessels at appointed times in history. The Bible written over some 1500 years of human history bears witness to GOD’s Testimony to man.

How does one write a book over 1500 years? How does one communicate a unified and compelling message that proclaims the power of GOD as the basis of its outcomes in human life and the outcomes of history - in a set of writings made over 1500 years!

Today we are looking at Scripture some 1900 years after its writing.

Today we can see that the Bible predicts itself in terms of events in history (past, present and future), its spiritual contents and, its future outcomes through prophecy. The Bible proclaims the sovereign power of GOD to be expressed in its every outcome – personal, corporate and even cosmic (as impacting the creation)! The Scriptures therefore declare that: “All Scripture is inspired by GOD and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of GOD may be adequate, equipped for every good deed.” [2 Timothy 3:16-17] The Psalmist [Psalms 138:2] proclaims that GOD has magnified His Word in accordance with all of His Name. The Scripture also testifies that: “GOD, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son (Jesus Christ the Messiah) … with a view to an administration (by government) suitable to the fullness of the times, that is the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth …” [Hebrews 1:1-2; Ephesians 1:10]

Except for a diversity of predicted future events, all of the Bible’s prophetic outcomes are dependent on Jesus Christ and His Testimony being communicated into humanity in personal, corporate and cosmic terms! In Scripture, GOD speaks to us by His Son, by Testament unfolded in personal, corporate and cosmic terms: “For GOD so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. … (GOD sent His Son) that the world should be saved through Him.” [John 3:16-17]

“GOD demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (to pay the price of our sin under the Law).” [Romans 5:8] “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of GOD is eternal life in Christ Jesus.” [Romans 6:23] In the fulfillment of the Law – by Jesus Christ - GOD proclaims a future for man through the Testimony of Jesus. The Testimony of Jesus is thus proclaimed to be the Spirit of Prophecy [Revelation 19:10]. The Spirit of Prophecy is the spiritual ingredient to the fulfillment of every promise contained in the pages of the Bible – from the beginning of creation to its redemption [Romans 8:19-22; Ephesians 1:9-10; Ephesians 3:8-11; Colossians 1:15-20; Revelation 5:1-14]. The Spirit of Prophecy is the life-giving Spirit of Jesus Christ [1 Corinthians 15:45; Php 1:19]. The life-giving Spirit of Jesus Christ is the spiritual genetic ingredient for a new man [Ephesians 2:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17]. This life-giving Spirit of Jesus Christ has the capacity to manifest the righteousness of GOD into man.