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Who is Jesus?


This question is typically an easy one to answer, even for the non-Christian. Or...well, that is what I used to think anyways!

A few nights ago, my wife and I were going through YouTube videos and found some that were filmed by churches or evangelism groups walking the streets asking people: “Who is Jesus?” I was surprised to find out that many people knew of Jesus, but they really had no idea who he really was or what he really did.

Some people were able to give a great answer, and explained that Jesus was the son of God – or God incarnate – who lived a perfect life in order to die for the sins of all mankind. Others spoke of Jesus as being a great teacher, someone who came and just showed people how to love. Still, others talked about how Jesus was really more of an idea of how people should live, and that some people accepted belief in him while others accept belief in some other form of religion or humanism.

The results were extremely mixed, and there was no absolute consensus. I have long been an advocate that the United States of America is a Christian nation, but I find myself questioning that idea. If the vast majority of people don’t even know who Jesus is, then how in the world are we able to claim that this nation is God fearing?

The conversations from the videos may not have been an accurate sample of all of America, but the troubling truth is that as the years pass, we are likely heading in a direction that is away from God and not a country that is seeking his guidance.

So, who is Jesus?

“Christ is exactly like God,
who cannot be seen.
He is the first-born Son,
superior to all creation.
Everything was created by him,
everything in heaven and on earth,
everything seen and unseen,
including all forces and powers,
and all rulers and authorities…
He is the head of his body
which is the church."
-Colossians 1:15-16, 18

Answer? 

Jesus is God. 

The God of the universe took off his royal robes of Heaven and chose to put on the flesh of man so that he could show us how to live. Is he love? A great idea? A great teacher? A priest? A savior? Righteous? Yes. Yes, Christ is all of the above, he is the reason that we were brought into creation, and his atoning and sacrificial death is the reason that we are able to be called the children of God. He is the reason that we are allotted a spot in heaven. No one deserves that spot except for Jesus, and since he took our place here on earth – we are allowed to take his spot in heaven, all we have to do is put our faith in him.

The best part about it? He wants us to take that spot, so we can dwell with him forever… because that is who Jesus is.

In Christ,

Jon

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