JESUS IS MORE THAN A MAN

“In the beginning the Word already existed.The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.” John 1:1-4.

If you would, just for a minute, close your eyes and picture God. What did you see? Did you imagine a roaring lion? You probably watched Narnia too many times. Did you imagine Morgan Freeman than you watched Bruce or Evan Almighty too many times? Or maybe you pictured God as a Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, or Methodist. Most people would say they saw Jesus.  Who is Jesus Christ? Opinions vary.

Twenty centuries have come and gone, His birth divides history in two eras on our calendar. One day of every week is set aside in remembrance of Him. And our two most important holidays celebrate His birth and resurrection. His empty cross has become the symbol of victory over sin and death. His life has furnished the theme for more songs, books, poems, and paintings than any other person or historical event. Thousands of colleges, hospitals, orphanages, and other institutions were founded to honor Him.

He did not come merely to preach a Gospel; He is that Gospel. He did not come to shed light; He said, “I am the light.” He did not come merely to name a shepherd; He said: “I am the shepherd.” He did not come only to point the way; He stated, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”  We’re not just talking about someone who lived on earth, but the eternal Son of God. People know that Jesus lived on earth in Israel for 33 years. But John reminds us in chapter 1 of John that even before the beginning of what we know is time, Jesus, the Word, was eternally God. At no time did Jesus ever cease to be God. Although He was made fully human, the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God.

Philippians 2:6-11 says, “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges he took the humble position of a slave, and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Have you ever thought that God is this big, impersonal force out there, and we can’t know Him? As believers in Jesus, we know that’s not true. We know God is a knowable God, a personable God, and He chose to be known by the Word coming to the earth, taking on the form of a servant, and being hung on a cross. Jesus proved who He was ultimately in His resurrection. He defeated the grave and sin and Satan. He also proves who He is today by changing people’s lives.  He chose to make himself known to us in that way. If we want to know what God is like, we look at Jesus in the Scriptures.

Discussion Questions:

1. How is Jesus’ life proof that He is God? How does His death prove He was more than a man?
2. What would you tell somebody who believes Jesus was just a great moral teacher and nothing more?