Who Is Jesus?
In Matthew 16, Jesus asks His disciples who the people say He is. Their answers vary as do the answers we would get today if we asked people to describe Jesus in their own words. Some may say He is a great teacher. Others may describe Him as a prophet. Others may say he is Lord.
Jesus goes on to ask His disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Ultimately, that is the question we must all answer for ourselves. We must explore the claims of Jesus and then decide what to do with Him.
Here are some of the claims made by Jesus in the Bible:
- He is God in the flesh: “Then they all said, “Are You then the Son of God?’ So He said to them, ‘You rightly say that I am’” (Luke 22:70).
- He has authority over the universe: “Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth’” (Matthew 28:18).
- He lived a sinless life:“Can any one of you convict me of a single misleading word, a single sinful act? But if I’m telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?” (John 8:46, The Message).
- He is the way to God: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me” (John 14:6).
- He had the power to forgive sins and provide everlasting life: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25).
- He rose from the dead: “Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, ‘We are going up into Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again’” (Luke 18:31-33).
- He is coming again: “Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’ ‘I am,’ said Jesus. ‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’” (Mark 14:61-62)
We must each wrestle with the claims of Jesus. Do you believe them? Who do you say He is? We invite you to study the Scriptures as well as these other resources:
The Bridge to Life—A Simple Illustration
Historical Evidence of Jesus Outside the Bible
