Who is this Jesus?
In the beginning mankind, being formed by Almighty God Himself, was set upon the earth to worship God and tend to His creation. This was to be done under the boundaries of godliness and was (still is) the very best way for man’s life.
Soon though, mankind sinned. Resulting effects of the direct defiance and willful sin against God’s perfect design immediately manifested. Sin, deep, dark, and at enmity against God, entered into mankind. This resulting effect, this depravity of mankind, took root and spread through the human seed, generation to generation.
Yet, God in His sovereignty, omniscience and omnipotence, began to lay out His redeeming plan of grace and mercy. Over and over and over again, grace and mercy, in His agape, would be demonstrated. Prophet after prophet, prophecy after prophecy, would lay hold of the authenticity of the “word made flesh,” a “Savior” to come, the very “God with us.” For Jesus was the authenticity of grace, the tortured One offering mercy, the Chief-most of love given and sacrificed and foretold of His coming.
As Loraine Boettner put it,
“In all the history of the world Jesus emerges as the only “expected” person. No one was looking for such a person as Julius Caesar, or Napoleon, or Washington, or Lincoln to appear at the time and place that they did appear. No other person has had his course foretold or his work laid out for him centuries before he was born. But the coming of the Messiah had been predicted for centuries. In fact, the first promise of his coming was given to Adam and Eve soon after their fall into sin. As time went on various details concerning his person and work were revealed through the prophets; and at the time Jesus was born there was a general expectation throughout the Jewish world that the Messiah was soon to appear, even the manner of His birth and the town in which it would occur having both clearly indicated.”[1]
This Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us. He who fulfilled every prophecy of the Old Testament, He declared, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”[2]
This Jesus was yet again foretold by the angel Gabriel to a virgin, favored by God, named Mary. He foretold of this coming One, this Jesus, this one who would be conceived in her, by the Holy Spirit.
This Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city of David, the Savior, Christ the Lord.
This Jesus was raised sinless, without spot or blemish.
This Jesus lived a life in the demonstration of passion for the glory of God and the fulfillment of His perfect will.
This Jesus taught us a great many things, yet maybe none so great as to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul, and with all our strength.
This Jesus “did not exalt Himself,” yet “in the days of His flesh, [He] offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.” And “although He was a son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.”[3]
This Jesus suffered when not guilty; suffering for the sins of many. Yet, this Jesus, “when He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly.”[4]
This Jesus was beaten and bruised, broken and whipped, mocked and spit upon. He was led up a long, spiritually dark, tortuous road unto Calvary’s hill, the very place where He would be lifted onto a tree and left for dead.
This Jesus, even in the darkest hour, pitied and prayed for the multitudes, forgave a condemned sinner and was in the control of all things.
This Jesus, bore our deserved punishment of wrath, being crushed of His own Father.
This Jesus, even while under such immense and unfathomable pressure, spoke forth His reminder to all that He indeed was the One, the only One, who fulfilled it all. For in such an unbearable time, as He drank down the cup of God’s own wrath against sin, Jesus said, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” For you see He was quoting, and bringing attention, to the fact He was indeed the fulfillment of the “worm,” being encompassed by the “bulls of Bashan;” for it was He would “walk through the valley of the shadow of death;” it was He who would speak to the doors of heaven, “Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.”
This Jesus, giving up His own spirit, said, “It is finished.”
This Jesus died, but He could not be held back, for it was foretold that this temple would rise again on the third day, and so this Jesus did just that.
Death was conquered.
This Jesus, after defeating the grave and rising from the dead, showed Himself to over 500 people at the same time.
This Jesus, even after all He went through, still offered forgiveness to His disciples, even the one who turned away from Him the hardest.
This Jesus ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God.
This Jesus will return, riding on a white horse, to destroy the kingdom of Satan forever.
This Jesus, today, still offers His unconditional love, grace and mercy to those who will seek Him. For to those who will knock, the door will be opened, for those who desire Him to come in and dine, He will.
But know this, this Jesus, this “God with us,” this mighty Savior, He is not impotent nor is He ignorant; He knows exactly those who are serious about knowing Him, worshiping Him, using His name in term only but not in reality of a new life.
This Jesus, oh friends, this Jesus, do not trifle with; do not cast Him aside. Do not think Him slow nor take Him lax. For many, oh a great many, will presume upon Him, using His name, doing all kinds of things in His name; and a great many, a great many of those who make claim to Him and the religions holding His name, will be told, by Him, “be away from Me, I never knew you.”
This Jesus, oh yes, this Jesus, friends, is real; for He is the only way, the only truth, the only life. He is The Great and Only Propitiator for our eternal life.
This Jesus, this day, seek to know Him.
Regardless of your stance on this Christmas/New Year Holiday Season – “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”[5]
[1] Loraine Boettner, The Person of Christ, pg. 42-43
[2] Matthew 5:17 (17-20)
[3] Hebrews 5:5-10
[4] 1 Peter 2:23
[5] Psalm 2:11-12
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Blessings,
Jeremy
ForgeFlower 