Who Is Jesus?

I have seen a great renewal of interest among women to return to the Word of God. Many friends and social media groups are seeking the Scriptures with a renewed desire to know and understand God’s Word. I am loving all of the literature on understanding Truth as it is written, and I am so proud of all the women who are doing the footwork to really know the Bible.

This post is a little different. After nearly eight months of seekingGod for Judson’s healing, I have learned MUCH. I’ve also learned how little I truly know. I have been a born-again Christian for over 25 years, graduated from a Baptist Seminary with a Master of Theology degree, and have read through the Bible many times doing in depth Bible study.

And I still didn’t have a basic understanding of WHO our God really is. I’m still learning. No matter how well you know Scripture, no matter what your relationship with him is like, you do not know all of God. He continuously reveals himself to us every day until we enter eternity.

So while many Christian leaders are taking you back to the basics and reading God’s Word (keep it up!), I want to take us on a different path. Let’s talk about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Yep, we’re going there, we’re going to meet the Holy Spirit! This study may be for me, but I know it will resonate with you too. Who does God say He is? And with the spirit of Resurrection Sunday before us…

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Who is Jesus?

The Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament, tell us most of what we know about God’s Son. Each of the four Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, each have a unique approach to answering the question: Who is Jesus? Let’s explore more.

MATTHEW, also called Levi, was a former tax collector turned disciple. His gospel focuses on Jesus as Messiah and King. It was written for his fellow Jews who were familiar with Scripture. He fills his chapters with Old Testament messianic prophecies that were fulfilled in Jesus’s life. Mathhew begins his book by tracing Jesus’s bloodline through Joseph, his adopted (earthly) father, back to Abraham. While it can be easy to skim Matthew chapter one with the “who begot whoms”, it is a very important piece of history.

Family descent was very important to Jewish culture. We can notice there are fourteen generations between Abraham and King David, fourteen generations between David and the Jewish exile, and fourteen generations between the return from exile and the birth of the Messiah. Matthew also reminds his reader that God has an attention for detail, and he references women in Jesus’s genealogy – completely unheard of. God can use anyone, despite her past or circumstance, for the purpose of his glory. Matthew, written to a Jewish audience, spoke in this way.

MARK, also called John Mark, who later collaborated with both Peter and Paul, wrote the shortest and earliest gospel. Remember, Scripture is not chronological, even some chapters of Bible books are not chronological, so read in context! Mark gives the most action-packed story, probably intended for a Roman audience. He emphasizes Jesus as a “suffering servant”. He only shares Jesus’s ministry from his baptism, death, and the discovery of an empty tomb. Mark does not share any of Jesus’s divine pre-existence or any of his post-resurrection work. He just wants the reader to know the man Jesus as the Son of God.

LUKE, a Gentile physician, historian, and companion of Paul, is the only gospel writer who did not know Jesus. So who is he to give an account? Luke carefully compiled his account through many interviews and investigations with those who had spent time with Christ. He references time with Jesus’s mother, Mary, and other disciples. Luke’s gospel focuses on Jesus’s parables, teachings, and miracles. He also gives us a beautiful account of Jesus’s genealogy and birth.

JOHN, a fisherman and one of the twelve disciples, wrote his gospel nearly thirty years later than the other gospel writers. Why? His approach was quite different. John mentions only seven miracles that focuses on the ones that show Jesus as God’s Son. He also gives us the most famous of all scriptures, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

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Again, the gospels are where we find the most about Jesus, but not about everything. I am going to spend the next few weeks just talking about Jesus and the NAME of Jesus. I want to dive afresh into the miraculous story of Jesus Christ’s birth, life, and message. Let’s take a look at what he said, those famous I AM statements, and the power found in Jesus’s name. I may push my Southern Baptist boundaries a bit, but I think Jesus is worth it.

Yes, and amen.