Bible Study

The Real Jesus, Part Two

According to Scripture, who is Jesus? In the second part of this study, we’ll continue our examination of what the Bible says about Christ.

A. God Himself

1. The Bible depicts Jesus as the Lord.

How can Jesus and the Father both be God? Scripture reveals that the Almighty is a Trinity—One God, yet three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (We use the term “Person” because each has a will, can speak, can love, is self-aware, says “My” and “Mine,” etc.)

The persons of the Trinity are not three gods. They are all one God in perfect communion--an unbroken, harmonious relationship--sharing one essence. They are coeternal, coequal, and copowerful. Yet the Son and the Holy Spirit voluntarily submit their will to the leadership of the Father.

Note: For further explanation, visit www.carm.org/doctrine/trinity.htm.

Let’s look at the biblical evidence that Jesus is God.

• What did Jesus assert about Himself (John 10:30-33; John 14:9)?

   

• What does Colossians say about Jesus (1:15)?

   

• Read Hebrews 1:8-14. What attributes of deity does God the Father ascribe to Jesus in this passage?

   

2. Jesus acted like deity. Read the passages below to fill in the blanks. 

• He was _______________ (Matt. 14:33; 28:9).

   

• The Lord ________________ sins (Mark 2:5-7).

   

• Christ controlled ________________ (Matt. 8:27; Mark 11:13,14, 20; John 2:7-9).

   

• He performed ________________ (Mark 5, Luke 17:12-14, John 5:8-9, John 11).

   

• He rose from the ________________ (Luke 24:1-7). 

   

Note: Jesus’ miracles differ from those of the prophets and apostles because He did them by His own inherent power (Mark 4:39-41; John 10:17-18).

3. Jesus is eternal. Jesus always existed as one with God the Father (John 1:1); He was not adopted as a divine son, which is what some cults believe.

• What does Christ ask the Father in John 17:5?

   

• According to Colossians 1:15-17, who is the Creator and Sustainer of the world?

   

• How long will Jesus be a high priest (Heb. 5:6)?

   

2. Application

Many cults and religions believe that Christ was special but not divine. Yet if our Messiah wasn’t the Almighty, then He was either purposefully lying or delusional. In neither case could He be considered a “good teacher."

• In your opinion, what is the strongest evidence that Jesus was God?

   

B. Messiah

The Hebrew word for "Messiah" means “Anointed One.” Translated into Greek, it becomes Christos, from which we get the English “Christ.” John wrote his gospel “that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ” (20:31).

First-century Judaism, for the most part, was expecting a political Messiah who would rescue the people from Roman oppression.

• What was Jesus’ perspective on His kingdom (John 18:33-38)?

   

1. Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophesies about the Messiah.

In "New Evidence That Demands a Verdict," Josh McDowell identifies 61 predictions that Christ fulfilled. Written at least 450 years before our Lord’s birth, they testify to the reliability of Scripture. Here is a brief sampling:

• A descendant of _____________ (Jer. 23:5, Luke 3:23-31)

   

• Born of the seed of a ______________ (Gen. 3:15; Gal. 4:4)

   

• Born in ______________ (Micah 5:2, Matt. 2:1)

   

• Existed ________________ (Micah 5:2; Col. 1:17)

   

• Preceded by a _______________ (Isa. 40:3; Matt. 3:1-3)

   

• Began His ministry in _______________ (Isa. 9:1; Matt. 4:12-17)

   

• Taught in _____________ (Ps. 78:2; Matt. 13:34-35)

   

• Did many _____________ (Isa. 35:5-6; Matt. 9:35)

   

• Sold for _______ pieces of silver (Zech. 11:12; Matt. 26:15)

   

• Was ______________ before His accusers (Isa. 53:7; Matt. 27:12)

   

• Buried in a rich man’s ______________ (Isa. 53:9; Matt. 27:57-60)

   

Note: Peter W. Stoner determined the chances of a person fulfilling just eight messianic prophecies to be 1 in 10¹⁷. (If a person dropped 10¹⁷ quarters onto Texas, they would form a pile two feet deep covering the entire state!) In other words, the probability that Jesus “just happened” to fulfill the prophesies is so slim as to be next to impossible (McDowell, “Beyond Belief to Convictions,” 67).

2. Jesus asserted that He was the Messiah.

• Why do you think Jesus asked the disciples who they thought He was (Matt. 16:15-17)?

   

• What upset the Jewish high counsel (See John 5:18; Mark 14:61-64)?

   

• What did Jesus tell the woman at the well (John 4:25-26)?

   

3. Application

Some groups believe that our Savior never claimed to be the Christ. But if Jesus wasn’t the Messiah, then our sins aren't forgiven, we have no hope of eternity with God, and Christ is not coming back. It’s vitally important that we know who Jesus is so we can place our full trust in Him.

• What do you most appreciate about the fact that Jesus is the Messiah?

   

Closing: Who is Jesus—a prophet? A good teacher? Yes, and far more. Our Savior is God eternal, who came to earth to reveal the Father. He is also our Messiah, the One who provided redemption for all mankind. Because He triumphed over death, believers can be confident that we will live eternally with Him when our earthly lives are finished.

Prayer: God, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ to earth. I’m grateful that I can know You personally because of the sacrifice He made as the Messiah. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.