WHO IS JESUS CHRIST? 3
We have already established how and why Jesus is the Son of God. That is who he is. He is begotten of his Father and so comes into being like a child born of his parents. St. Paul says, 'He is the first born of all creation,' which means that Jesus was born of God before all worlds were made. He says, 'Christ himself is the Creator who made everything in heaven and earth, the things we can see and the things we can't; the spirit world with its kings and kingdoms, its rulers and authorities; all were made by Christ for his own use and glory. He was before all else began and it is his power that holds everything together.' (Colossions 1:15 NRSV)
This places Christ where no one imagined him to be: before all things visible and invisible, which were created by him.
The Genesis account of creation does not mention Jesus Christ, God's Son but God does refer to him in creating man. 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...' (Genesis 1:26) To whom does God allude to if not Jesus Christ? The 'Let us' refers to someone who is God's image, for God says, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.' The 'our image and our likeness' corresponds with the Person of Jesus Christ spoken of in Colossians, 'Christ, who is the image of God,' (2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV) , and who in Paul's letter to the Colossians is identified as, 'The image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature.' (Colossians 1:15 KJV) He was not identified as God's Son, in Genesis. 'It is only in 'these last days,' says the letter to the Hebrews,' 'that God spoken unto us by his Son by whom also he made the worlds.' (Hebrews 1:2)
This also corresponds with the opening passage of John's gospel. 'In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.' He was with God in the very beginning, with God meaning together with God and identical with God. John, speaking to the Greek Christians calls Jesus Christ the Word, which would have been understood to mean the Logos or the reason behind creation. He was with God and was God's Son.
It is clear then that Jesus Christ was truly and properly God's Son who was born before all worlds and who became man and dwelt among us. In other words in the very beginning, before time and things, was wisdom and true being, unmade and uncaused. This pure unlimited power and being was with God. He was God's essence and inseparable from God.
Jesus said, 'Before Abraham was, I am.' (John 8:58)
Jesus put himself before time and existence. His presence was the presence of God. Jesus frequently referred to his Father to impart the mystery of his own Being, a mystery that was very slowly learned and realised. Jesus spoke of his Father in heaven continually. He taught his disciples to pray 'Our Father which art in heaven...' He spoke of his Father in heaven in a personal and intimate way. 'My Father and I are one.' (John 17:11) And of how a knowledge of the Father can be had: 'No man knows the Father but the Son and no one knows the Son but the Father and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.' (Matthew 11:27 NRSV) Jesus wanted his disciples to be like his Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:45) He prayed that his disciples might be one as he and his Father are one. (John 17:11) His teachings were a continual conversation about his Father in heaven who would give them the gift of the Holy Spirit. His continual reference to his Father in heaven identified him as God's Son without a doubt. Sometimes he spoke in the third person to identify his Father and his relationship with the Father: 'For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes on him might not perish but have eternal life,' (John 3:16) The 'third person' form of speaking is often used by Jesus to objectify known external names and events that refer to himself. The reason he spoke in the third person was that it was not timely to disclose all about himself for his disciples were not ready to receive his insight or foresight.
REVELATION
Revelations are those unexpected disclosures that can either astonish us, excite us or even ruin us. Naturally they are hidden until revealed. They may, of course, never be revealed because they are hidden too well, buried too deep in the past or too far in the future. To take an example: a detective may not be able to reveal who the murderer is because there are no clues. His search is aborted by lack of evidence, or by absence of data. Or, we may discover a document, say a birth certificate, that says our parents are someone else other than those who brought us up. There are many more examples of surprises, astonishment's and realisations that can occur which are all revelations.
The birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a revelation. Where he came from, who he was and why he came, are all revelations that are recorded in the Old and New Testament. They are revelations unexpected, astonishing and unimagined objective facts. They are historical and yet beyond history, past, present and future. They are the Presence of God in our midst and in our world.
Where did this revelation come from? It came first and foremost from Jesus Christ, the Son of God who lived among us and who revealed his Father God to us. He is the objective source of God's revelation, of Scripture and of prophecies relating to the future of our lives and our planet.
But there is another witness and revelation that illuminates these facts in our hearts and lives: the revelation of the Holy Spirit within us who leads us to all truth and who makes our lives holy and good by his power. We may call this the inner revelation that confirms the external facts and changes our hearts and lives. To be a Christian we need both the history and the Presence of God in our lives.
This revelation is not obscure, not vague or faint but, as St. Paul said, 'The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, God's gift of new birth, new life and new hope.' (Romans 5:5) This inner regeneration of our souls is itself a revelation for we are astonished by the love we feel and the knowledge of God's presence. This is ours when we receive God's seal of the Holy Spirit. This is not a static experience but ongoing and leading us to new truths, new knowledge and new hope.
It is necessary to see the relationship between the Holy Spirit and Jesus. On one occasion recorded in Acts 19:2, that Paul as some believers if they had received the Holy Spirit. 'We have not so much as heard of the Holy Spirit,' they replied. 'To what then were you baptised?' asked Paul. They answered, 'John's baptism.'
These people had obviously heard and received the forgiveness of sins by John's baptism but they were completely in the dark. Paul explained to them that John had spoken of the coming Christ who would come after him. When they heard this they were baptised with water in the name of Jesus. Paul then laid his hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. The laying on of hands was not strictly necessary. The Holy Spirit is not bound to hands but to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 11:44)
As Jesus had told his disciples, 'You must be born again.' (John 3:7) of the Spirit, for that which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of flesh is flesh. To live a Christian life without the Holy Spirit is impossible. It is the gift of God just as the forgiveness of sins is the gift of God through Jesus Christ. I appeal to you brothers and sisters to rejoice in Holy Spirit. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. (Romans 14:17)
We have already established how and why Jesus is the Son of God. That is who he is. He is begotten of his Father and so comes into being like a child born of his parents. St. Paul says, 'He is the first born of all creation,' which means that Jesus was born of God before all worlds were made. He says, 'Christ himself is the Creator who made everything in heaven and earth, the things we can see and the things we can't; the spirit world with its kings and kingdoms, its rulers and authorities; all were made by Christ for his own use and glory. He was before all else began and it is his power that holds everything together.' (Colossions 1:15 NRSV)
This places Christ where no one imagined him to be: before all things visible and invisible, which were created by him.
The Genesis account of creation does not mention Jesus Christ, God's Son but God does refer to him in creating man. 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...' (Genesis 1:26) To whom does God allude to if not Jesus Christ? The 'Let us' refers to someone who is God's image, for God says, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.' The 'our image and our likeness' corresponds with the Person of Jesus Christ spoken of in Colossians, 'Christ, who is the image of God,' (2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV) , and who in Paul's letter to the Colossians is identified as, 'The image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature.' (Colossians 1:15 KJV) He was not identified as God's Son, in Genesis. 'It is only in 'these last days,' says the letter to the Hebrews,' 'that God spoken unto us by his Son by whom also he made the worlds.' (Hebrews 1:2)
This also corresponds with the opening passage of John's gospel. 'In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.' He was with God in the very beginning, with God meaning together with God and identical with God. John, speaking to the Greek Christians calls Jesus Christ the Word, which would have been understood to mean the Logos or the reason behind creation. He was with God and was God's Son.
It is clear then that Jesus Christ was truly and properly God's Son who was born before all worlds and who became man and dwelt among us. In other words in the very beginning, before time and things, was wisdom and true being, unmade and uncaused. This pure unlimited power and being was with God. He was God's essence and inseparable from God.
Jesus said, 'Before Abraham was, I am.' (John 8:58)
Jesus put himself before time and existence. His presence was the presence of God. Jesus frequently referred to his Father to impart the mystery of his own Being, a mystery that was very slowly learned and realised. Jesus spoke of his Father in heaven continually. He taught his disciples to pray 'Our Father which art in heaven...' He spoke of his Father in heaven in a personal and intimate way. 'My Father and I are one.' (John 17:11) And of how a knowledge of the Father can be had: 'No man knows the Father but the Son and no one knows the Son but the Father and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.' (Matthew 11:27 NRSV) Jesus wanted his disciples to be like his Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:45) He prayed that his disciples might be one as he and his Father are one. (John 17:11) His teachings were a continual conversation about his Father in heaven who would give them the gift of the Holy Spirit. His continual reference to his Father in heaven identified him as God's Son without a doubt. Sometimes he spoke in the third person to identify his Father and his relationship with the Father: 'For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes on him might not perish but have eternal life,' (John 3:16) The 'third person' form of speaking is often used by Jesus to objectify known external names and events that refer to himself. The reason he spoke in the third person was that it was not timely to disclose all about himself for his disciples were not ready to receive his insight or foresight.
REVELATION
Revelations are those unexpected disclosures that can either astonish us, excite us or even ruin us. Naturally they are hidden until revealed. They may, of course, never be revealed because they are hidden too well, buried too deep in the past or too far in the future. To take an example: a detective may not be able to reveal who the murderer is because there are no clues. His search is aborted by lack of evidence, or by absence of data. Or, we may discover a document, say a birth certificate, that says our parents are someone else other than those who brought us up. There are many more examples of surprises, astonishment's and realisations that can occur which are all revelations.
The birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a revelation. Where he came from, who he was and why he came, are all revelations that are recorded in the Old and New Testament. They are revelations unexpected, astonishing and unimagined objective facts. They are historical and yet beyond history, past, present and future. They are the Presence of God in our midst and in our world.
Where did this revelation come from? It came first and foremost from Jesus Christ, the Son of God who lived among us and who revealed his Father God to us. He is the objective source of God's revelation, of Scripture and of prophecies relating to the future of our lives and our planet.
But there is another witness and revelation that illuminates these facts in our hearts and lives: the revelation of the Holy Spirit within us who leads us to all truth and who makes our lives holy and good by his power. We may call this the inner revelation that confirms the external facts and changes our hearts and lives. To be a Christian we need both the history and the Presence of God in our lives.
This revelation is not obscure, not vague or faint but, as St. Paul said, 'The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, God's gift of new birth, new life and new hope.' (Romans 5:5) This inner regeneration of our souls is itself a revelation for we are astonished by the love we feel and the knowledge of God's presence. This is ours when we receive God's seal of the Holy Spirit. This is not a static experience but ongoing and leading us to new truths, new knowledge and new hope.
It is necessary to see the relationship between the Holy Spirit and Jesus. On one occasion recorded in Acts 19:2, that Paul as some believers if they had received the Holy Spirit. 'We have not so much as heard of the Holy Spirit,' they replied. 'To what then were you baptised?' asked Paul. They answered, 'John's baptism.'
These people had obviously heard and received the forgiveness of sins by John's baptism but they were completely in the dark. Paul explained to them that John had spoken of the coming Christ who would come after him. When they heard this they were baptised with water in the name of Jesus. Paul then laid his hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. The laying on of hands was not strictly necessary. The Holy Spirit is not bound to hands but to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 11:44)
As Jesus had told his disciples, 'You must be born again.' (John 3:7) of the Spirit, for that which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of flesh is flesh. To live a Christian life without the Holy Spirit is impossible. It is the gift of God just as the forgiveness of sins is the gift of God through Jesus Christ. I appeal to you brothers and sisters to rejoice in Holy Spirit. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. (Romans 14:17)