Who Is Jesus Christ?

Fundamentals of the Christian Faith Series
� 2000 William R. Cunningham
September 17, 2000

This is the beginning of a series of studies that deal with the basics of the Christian faith. In these series of studies we are going to discuss Jesus Christ, God, the Holy Spirit, and Christian beliefs. Why is this important? I believe that the focus of many Christians have been misplaced due to the abundance in teachings about reaping what you sow, prosperity, healing, and similar teachings. For the most part and from my experiences, I believe that many Christians know little about Christianity! Many Christians can tell you a lot about their church politics and beliefs but if asked what are the basic components and beliefs of the Christian faith, they will be at a loss for words.

What is Christianity about anyway? Why do we believe what we believe and how can we be confidant that what we believe is true? These questions lead us to such questions as who is Jesus Christ, who is God, who is the Holy Spirit, and what are the fundamental and determinant beliefs of Christianity. What distinguishes Christianity from other religions of the world? What is special about Christianity? Do you know?

What if someone asked you to explain Christianity? Would you be able to intelligently explain your faith? Peter told us to, be ready to give an answer (defense) for the reason of the hope (faith) that we have (1 Peter 3:15). Would you only have your church clich�s and memorized scripture to use? What if a non-Christian asks you about your faith, which implies that the Bible and therefore your memorized scripture have no credibility? Why do you believe that the Bible is true? We will discuss this in future studies in this series as well.

We will begin our discussion with a general overview of the basic beliefs of Christianity and an evaluation of the person called Jesus Christ.

What is Christianity? Let's begin our discussion by simply getting a bird's eye view of Christianity and gradually work our way down to details.

First let's look at the word Christian just to start things off. The following is from the Holman Bible Dictionary.

From this the above definition we can see that a Christian is someone that is identified with Christ because of a lifestyle (you talk like Christ, you act like Christ acted). This is very important to true Christianity because it means that Christianity is something that is real and not something that is merely declared. True Christianity should be evident in the lifestyle of an individual.

A typical "text book" definition of the word "Christian" is to be Christ-like. This indeed, as we can see, is very true. A Christian is someone who lives according to the way that Jesus lived (and taught us to live). A Christian then is someone that is a follower of Christ. The word follower here refers to one that is a disciple. A disciple is one that adheres to the teachings of the one he or she follows. Disciples learn from the discipler and then do what they were taught. Therefore a Christian learns the teachings of Christ and implements those teachings in his or her life. Consider the following very important scripture regarding a true disciple and therefore a true Christian.

A true disciple implements what he or she has learned. Therefore a true Christian must be a true disciple, which is very consistent with what Jesus told the original disciples to do. Consider the following scripture.

Jesus told his first disciples to begin making disciples of all people. The disciples were therefore commanded to cause others to follow Christ and therefore to be Christians.

Christianity is many times thought of as a religion. However, I think of Christianity as more than just a religion. Many people will say that Christianity is a religion based on the redemptive act of Jesus Christ and His teachings. I think that this answer is still not adequate enough to understand fully what Christianity is and what it is about. For example, one can immediately ask, "who is Jesus Christ?" and "what was the redemptive act?" One definition of Christianity is: "A monotheistic religion based on the redemptive act of Jesus of Nazareth." Yes, Christianity is based on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ along with his actions and teachings. Also important to the definition of Christianity is the virgin birth of Jesus of Nazareth and his deity. Christianity is also a real historic "religion." Jesus was a real man who walked on the earth, which we shall discuss later.

First Christianity is a system (of faith). It is a way of life that is based on the teachings or ways of Jesus Christ and therefore God. The word faith here refers to the following.

• Loyalty to God based on His prior loyalty to the world and to humanity in general.

• Confidence that God is trustworthy in truth and love.

• Dependence on God (the source of all).

• Commitment to direct thought and action in accordance with the divine word and will of God.

• Affirmation that certain events and declarations (by divine revelation) are a reliable index to God's will.

An illustration of the above discussion can be seen in salvation itself. The Old Testament (Hebrew) scriptures prophesy about the Messiah, namely Jesus Christ. The New Testament records the teachings and activities of the Messiah as well as his students (the disciples/apostles). Jesus came to bring salvation to the entire world, those who would receive it (See John 3:16 and Matthew 1:21). So God's word declares the salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and we therefore can believe that our faith in Christ brings about forgiveness of sins and reconciliation of ourselves to God, i.e., salvation or justification.

Christian belief began with the person of Jesus Christ. Before there was a coherent structure of Christian theology, Jesus Christ was seen as God and worshipped as such. The belief in Jesus Christ was at the forefront of Christian thought and theology. The early Christians believed that

• Jesus Christ was the son of God

• That Jesus Christ was divine-He was God in the flesh

• That Jesus Christ was savior and Lord-He died for our sins and delivered us from impending death

Before there were theologians, apologists, and bishops there was a belief system based on the person of Jesus Christ and his teachings. The question then is who is Jesus Christ? What do we know about him? Was he a real person or a myth?

First of all let me declare, as does the scriptures, that Jesus Christ was a man who did walk on this earth. The Bible also declares that he was divine (of the same essence as God and therefore was God). Jesus and the Father were indeed one though he was the son of man born of a virgin.

Over the first few centuries (and even to this day) various aspects of the person of Jesus Christ were challenged. These included.

1. The actual reality of his existence. Some believed (and still do today) that Jesus never existed. He was said to be a mythical figure fabricated by people to start a new religion or to give credence to it.

2. His deity. Some believe (even to this day) that Jesus was a real person but he was not God.

3. His relation to humanity and the divine

4. His nature.

We must realize that the person of Jesus Christ was fundamental to the Christian faith as well as the solid foundation necessary for the development and survival of Christianity. Christianity would have become just another religion, philosophy, or cult without the fundament truths of the person of Jesus Christ, which Christianity is founded upon.

Therefore, knowledge of Jesus Christ is fundamental to the understanding of Christianity and all Christians should pursue and become very familiar with this truth, namely Jesus Christ (see John 14:6. So who was Jesus Christ?

Who was Jesus Christ? Understanding Jesus Christ is crucial to understanding the Christian faith. So let's begin this part of our discussion with an excerpt from the Holman Bible Dictionary.

Consider the following scripture.

The Greek name (Jesus) Ie�sous is the Equivalent of the Hebrew name Yeshua, meaning "The Lord Shall Save" and it was a common Jewish name. The above verse informs us that this Jesus would be the source of salvation to "his" people. Jesus would save his people from the bondage of their sins.

What do we know about Jesus Christ? Let's focus our attention on the way that first century believers would have known Jesus Christ. For the most part, Jesus was an ordinary human being. He was a traveling teacher and preacher that gained quite a following. His reputation caused him distain from the religious leaders of his time. He grew up in a normal fashion as all Jewish boys. He went to school and learned the "Law." He practiced the family occupation of carpentry before a brief occupation as a preacher. He was never married, had no children, but did have siblings. He died a relatively normal death (many were killed by crucifixion during his time). This reminds me of the following scripture.

Jesus is able to help us in our temptations because he was tempted as well.

The important point that I am making here is that Jesus Christ was a real person. He is the anointed one of God that was the incarnation of God on earth. Consider the following scriptures about Christ.

Immanuel literal means "God with us." Consider the following prophecy of Jesus Christ.

Jesus healed those that were bound by the devil. He was killed (crucified) and was raised from the dead by God. There are two very significant things that Jesus did according to Christian doctrine.

1. Died for our sins

2. Was raised from the dead defeating death (the penalty of sins)

Jesus also taught us about the Kingdom of God. He was the revelation of God on earth. So if we want to know about God then we should only look at Christ. Consider the following scripture.

Hebrews 1:1 through Hebrews 1:3 (NKJV) God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

And,

The Christian faith is based on Jesus Christ. Who was Jesus Christ? Who is Jesus Christ? Understanding Jesus Christ is crucial to understanding the Christian faith because Christianity is based on the redemptive act of Christ as well as his teachings. Jesus was a real person that walked the earth about two thousand years ago. He was a normal man by all practical aspects though he was very different in that he was Immanuel (God on earth with us). He was God incarnate and therefore the very essence of God-He was God walking on the earth.

In subsequent studies we will get in more detail in the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Who is Jesus Christ? This will hopefully enlighten us on the fundamentals of the Christian faith.