Christ

The actual year of Jesus’ birth is still the subject of debate. Since our modern calendar system uses the birth of Christ as its starting point, many people assume that Jesus was born during the first year. However, it is quite likely that the compilers of our calendar made a mistake in calculating Jesus’ birth. Historical and astronomical evidence points to 3 B.C. as the most likely year. Though it is illogical to say that Christ was born in the era “Before Christ” it is simpler to do so rather than cause confusion by trying to change the date of every other historical event to make it agree with the new data.

The day when Jesus was born is also subject to debate. The Gospel accounts do not provide us with enough detail to say with any certainty in what season, much less what day, Jesus was born. However, as early as the third century, the followers of Christ in the western portion of the Roman Empire celebrated Jesus’ birth on December 25. Others, in the eastern church, believe that the correct date is January 6.

Many people take offense at the fact that followers of Christ consider Jesus divine – that is, that Jesus is actually God in human form. These people claim that the followers of Christ give Jesus a position that Jesus never claimed for Himself. However, Jesus did, in fact, say that He is God. For example, on one occasion Jesus said to the Jews, “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” “You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”” (John 8:56-58 NIV) By using the words, “I am” Jesus was clearly stating that He is, in fact, God. The words point to the incident when God spoke to Moses from a burning bush and appointed him to rescue the Israelite people from slavery in Egypt. “Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”” (Exodus 3:13-14 NIV) The Jews knew exactly what Jesus was saying when He said, “I am.” “At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.” (John 8:59 NIV)

On another occasion Jesus referred to Himself as a shepherd and His followers as sheep. He said regarding His sheep, “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”” (John 10:29-33 NIV)

From these and other incidents we see that Jesus did, in fact, claim that He is God.

An argument people use to claim that Jesus is not God is that He never told anyone to worship Him. This argument actually shows a profound ignorance of Jesus’ ministry and the purpose for which Jesus came into the world. Jesus came on a mission of redemption. As He, Himself said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:10 NIV) He came to serve, and to model ultimate service by giving His life to save others. Jesus told His disciples, “…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 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 10:43-45 NIV) Since Jesus’ purpose was to serve and to die for others, it would have been inappropriate for Him to demand that people worship Him.

However, it is worth noting that when people did worship or pay Him homage, Jesus did not refuse it. For example, on the occasion when Jesus walked on water Scripture says, “Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”” (Matthew 14:33 NIV) On another occasion a man to whom Jesus gave sight worshiped Him. “Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.” (John 9:38 NIV) It is also recorded that people worshiped Jesus after His resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:9, 17, Luke 24:52) In none of these cases did Jesus reject their worship or say that it was inappropriate.

Though Jesus came to serve, we must never forget that Jesus is coming again and when He returns He will come for a different purpose. Then it will not be to redeem but to judge. God anointed Jesus as the Christ. As one of His positions as the Christ, Jesus is also Lord, that is, supreme Ruler. Jesus told His disciples, “…All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18 NIV) Scripture makes it plain that, “…God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11 NIV)

We have the choice to freely acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and bow before Him now, or be forced to bow before Him later.

The word ‘Christ’ means ‘Anointed One.’ In Old Testament times, people were appointed to fill special high offices, such as king or prophet, through the ceremony of anointing. A special mixture of olive oil and spices (see Exodus 30:23-25) was poured on their head. (For example, see Exodus 29:10 and 2 Samuel 5:3.)

Jesus is called ‘Christ’ because God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power (Acts 10:38). God anointed Jesus to become our High Priest, our Prophet and our King.

In His role of High Priest, Jesus sacrificed Himself as a sin offering (See Hebrews 10:11-14). As High Priest, Jesus also acts as mediator between us and God (1Timothy 2:5).

As our Prophet, Jesus discloses God to us (John 14:9).

As King, Jesus rules over His people. The time is coming when all will bow before Him (Philippians 2:9-11).

The Apostle John writes that Jesus is God’s Word who became a human being (John 1:1-14). In other religions, God sends down. But in Christ, God came down in order to lift us up to His level. The Apostle Matthew writes that Jesus is “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)

The New Testament clearly says that Jesus is God. For example the Apostle Peter writes, “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:” (2 Peter 1:1) As another example, Hebrew 1:8 reads, “But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever…””

But Jesus has characteristics which we do not normally associate with God. One of them is His humanity. Because of His humanity, Jesus is able to sympathize with us. “For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)

Jesus also gave up the glory He shared with God (John 17:5) in order to be born as a human being. He did this to take on the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3). While Jesus remained totally sinless, becoming like us exposed Him to evil temptations of every kind. God, of course, cannot be tempted by evil in any way (James 1:13).

Perhaps the characteristic of Jesus which we consider most unlike God is His mortality. Immortality is an attribute of deity (1 Timothy 1:17). Jesus voluntarily gave up His immortality to die as a sacrifice for our sins. “For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a righteous person someone would even dare to die. But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8) Having died, however, Jesus demonstrated His divinity by rising from the dead (John 10:18).

Since we could not rise to God’s level, God came down to our level in order to save us. He accepted the limitations of human experience so that, one day, we can become like Him (1 Corinthians 15:51-57, 1 John 3:2). Jesus truly is God in the flesh (Matthew 1:21-23).

Jesus died voluntarily out of love for us. He died to save us from the effects of our sin. The wages of sin is death. Jesus, who is totally sinless, paid our debt for us. Scripture says, “…at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a righteous person someone would even dare to die. But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life. Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” (Romans 5:6-11)

The Bible is clear that Jesus died only once. Romans 6, verse 10 says, “For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God.”

Another verse which states this truth is Hebrews 7, verse 27. He ” …doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself.”

Still another Scripture which leaves no doubt that Jesus died only once is Hebrews 9, verses 24 through 28. “For Christ hasn’t entered into holy places made with hands, which are representations of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy place year by year with blood not his own, or else he must have suffered often since the foundation of the world. But now once at the end of the ages, he has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this,judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, without sin, to those who are eagerly waiting for him for salvation.”

1) All agree that a few days after Jesus was buried, His tomb was empty. The question is how it became empty. One theory is that the disciples visited the wrong tomb when they went to anoint the body. Some propose that Jesus didn’t die, but only swooned. Then He revived in the cool of the tomb, somehow rolled the stone away which covered the entrance, and walked out on mutilated feet without drawing the attention of those on guard. This theory is obviously absurd. Others say that Jesus’ followers somehow stole His body under the noses of the Roman soldiers who were guarding the tomb. When all of the theories are examined, the most logical conclusion is that Jesus really did rise from the dead. All the authorities had to do in order to quell the rumors of Jesus’ coming to life again would be to produce the body. They did not do so. They did not arrest the disciples for breaking the law by taking the body. They did not try or execute the guards for dereliction of duty. The evidence says that the reason none of this was done is because Jesus really did rise from the dead.

2) Something must account for the remarkable change which took place in Jesus’ disciples. They changed from fearful, discouraged men into bold, fearless, courageous people who gladly risked everything, including their lives, to proclaim that Jesus had risen. This only makes sense if it is true.

3) At one time or another, Jesus appeared to over 500 different people after He rose from the dead. It would be foolish to dismiss this eyewitness testimony.

After His resurrection Jesus spent 40 days teaching His disciples. Then He was taken bodily up to heaven. Scripture says, “To these (that is the Apostles) he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking about God’s Kingdom… as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:2-9) Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God. Because Christ is in heaven, His followers are instructed to seek after heavenly things. “If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2)

There are three reasons:

1) Jesus had no earthly father. In other words, He was conceived through the power of God’s Holy Spirit rather than a man impregnating His mother, Mary. Mary was still a virgin when Jesus was born.

2) He displayed the characteristics and attributes of God. For example, He had the ability to control nature, He had the ability to create and He had the ability to discern people’s thoughts and motives.

3) He called Himself God’s Son. If we accept Jesus as a prophet, then we must also accept what He said about Himself.

For a fuller discussion of the meaning of the title ‘Son of God’ please read the article called Jesus, the Son of God.