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Who Is This Jesus?
Leslie Diestelkamp
P.M.B 1080, Apapa, Lagos, Nigeria
Almost every night we
go out into the streets of Nigeria's capital or its suburbs preaching
the gospel to lost humanity. After every sermon we allow questions and
for an hour or more the people of this great African city will propound
Bible and religious questions that are real problems to them. One of the
most common of such questions, and one which is asked by many audiences,
using identical words, is, "What about this Jesus, who is he?" When this
was first asked me it was not a matter of grave concern, but when asked
again and again it makes me know that it is a problem that deserves a
sensible, simple, understandable answer that will produce faith or that
will strengthen faith in the hearts of the questioners.
Jesus Was a Man
Many fail to
comprehend the significance of the sacrifice Christ made in dying for us
because they fail to recognize him as a man. He was born like we were
born-of a woman. His body was like our bodies-subject to pain, hunger,
fatigue, sorrow, etc. When he drove the money changers and others from
the temple (Jn. 11:3-5), he showed that he could be emotionally
touched just like ordinary men. On the cross he said, "I thirst,"
demonstrating physical desires such as any man would have had under
those trying circumstances. Some say he never laughed, but this cannot
be proved. Some say he was altogether a "Man of sorrows," but
this is also only I conjecture. He did live a sober, serious life, but
by his principles we are taught to "Rejoice with them that do
rejoice" as well is to "Weep with them that weep" ( Rom. 12:15).
He attended a marriage feast in Cana of Galilee, which would certainly
have been an occasion to rejoice with those who were rejoicing.
If we fail to understand the physical nature of Christ, we will
likewise fail to comprehend the full significance of his suffering and
death. It was not a god, but a man that died on the cross. The agony
there was not lessened by the fact of his divinity, but rather it was
endured because of the fact of his humanity.
The
Sinless Son of God
But Jesus was not
just a man. He is the only begotten Son of God-the only person who was
ever born of a woman and did not have a human father. Mary "was found
with child of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 1:18), and they were to
"call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us" (Matt.
1:23). Every other creature that has borne human flesh since the
days of Adam and Eve has been born of man and woman. But not Jesus! He
was born of the Holy Spirit and woman. His mother, Mary, was a virgin-a
woman who had not known man (Luke 1:34)-that is, she was a woman
who had not known the intimate relationships that produce a conception.
Sometimes we are asked, "How can we believe this story?" Jesus
said, "Ye believe in God, believe also in me" (Jn. 14:1 ). True
belief in God and His word will produce belief in Jesus also. Christ
fulfilled the word of God - the word of prophecy given many, many years
before. In every detail the scripture was fulfilled regarding him. On at
least two occasions God said, "This is my Son" Matt. 3 :17; 17:5).
But we can also believe in Jesus because of his own work-the things he
did demonstrated that he is what he claimed to be. (Jn. 20:30, 31;
3:2.) We can believe In Christ because of the testimony of his
disciples who died telling the story, and because of the acknowledgment
of his enemies who admitted that "Truly this was the Son of God"
(Matt. 27:54.)
Jesus is the only one who lived to an age of responsibility and
still did no sin. "All have sinned," said Paul (Rom. 3:23),
but Christ was excluded (2 Cor. 5:21). Sin is the common fault of
all people who are responsible for their own actions-rich and poor,
educated and uneducated, black, white, red and yellow, all are guilty of
transgressing the will of the Lord. But Jesus lived thirty-three years
without an evil thought, an evil word or an evil deed. He went about
doing good, and did no harm at all. It is not true that he did no sin
because he could not sin, for He "was tempted in all points like as
we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 5:15). If He was truly tempted, He
could certainly have yielded to the temptation, and such would have been
sin. Thus it is evident that Jesus could have taken the stones and
commanded them to be bread for his personal use, He could have cast
himself down from the pinnacle of the temple just as a demonstration
before people and he could have taken the kingdoms of this world for his
own. However, He did not sin, not because He could not sin, but because
he would not sin. He said, "I came down from heaven, not to do mine
own will but the will of Him that sent me" (Jn. 6:38). His will was
perfectly dedicated to God's will - He was perfectly subjective to the
will of the Father.
The
Crucified Savior; The Resurrected Lord
Jesus is the only
one who willingly died for his enemies. Others have died for friends,
and some may have been forced to die for enemies but Christ gave himself
"A ransom for many" (Matt. 20:28). He dreaded the cross and
despised its shame, for he was completely able to comprehend its agony
even before he climbed Golgotha's hill, but he did not surrender to
self-pity, fear or personal desires, but with a compassionate appeal
that his enemies might be able to receive forgiveness, he submitted to
the death of the cross in behalf of every sinner. He did not die because
he was helpless to prevent it, for a whispered word from his lips would
have brought death to every enemy, but he died because it was the only
way to redeem lost humanity.
Jesus is the only one whose body has been resurrected to die no
more. On that third day his body came forth, having put off mortality in
every way and having thus become the conqueror over death and the grave.
It was the preaching of this resurrection story that brought death to
many early disciples, for it is not difficult to believe that Jesus
died, but many refused to believe that his body was made alive again.
Even today his death is hardly questioned, but whether or not he is
resurrected is a matter of much dispute, for this is the very crucial
point of unbelief. But after his body rose from the grave, he was seen
by the twelve, by other disciples on occasions, and for forty days he
showed himself to those who were to be his witnesses (Acts 1:2-8).
Indeed, "Up from the grave he arose, with a mighty triumph o'er his
foes." The thrilling and magnificent story of the resurrected Lord is a
great and dynamic power, drawing sinful men to God.
He Is The Head,
The King
"And he is the
head of the body, the church . . . that in all things he might have the
preeminence" (Col. 1:18). He is before all others. He alone is head
of the church which he purchased with his own blood. God hath "put
all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to
the church" (Eph. 1:22). The Father sacrificed his Son for us, but
he utilized that sacrifice to the fullest extent by making the
resurrected Son head of the purchased church, and by giving him all
power in heaven and in earth (Matt. 28:18).
The prophet Daniel said (Dan. 2:44), . . the God of heaven
shall set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed," and
speaking prophetically of Jesus he said, "There was given him
dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all people, nations and
languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be
destroyed" (Dan. 7:14). Hebrews 12:28 indicates that the
kingdom has been received, and in Acts 2:29-36 Peter tells of the
crowning of Christ in the present kingdom (which is the church). Indeed
he is today, "King of Kings and Lord of Lords" (Rev. 19:16). He
will reign over this present kingdom until the last enemy (death) is
destroyed (I Cor. 15:24-26), and then he will deliver the kingdom
up to the Father.
Then He Will Be
The Judge
When Christ has
finished his work as King, he will come in his glory, and all his holy
angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: "And
before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one
from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats" (Matt.
25:31, 32). He shall be "revealed from heaven with his mighty
angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and
that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. 1:7, 8).
His decision will he based upon the deeds we have done (Rom. 2:6;
Rev. 22:12).
As the crucified Savior, He paid the price for our redemption; as
the resurrected Lord, He gave us hope of life after death; as the
sinless son of God, He revealed the Father to us and gave us the perfect
example to follow; as the head of the church, He gave every directive
for His people (2 Tim. 3:16, 17); as the King, over God's people
He has all authority today; and as the judge He will finally declare the
destiny of all people of all ages, races and cultures. By faith in him
you can be brought to salvation, and by obedience to him you actually
receive that redemption. Indeed, "by grace are ye saved, through
faith . . ." (Eph. 2:8) when your faith expresses itself in
obedience (Rom. 6:17, 18). This Jesus of whom you ask can be your
Savior and King. He will certainly someday be your Judge. Believe and
obey him TODAY.
--Truth Magazine IV:6; pp. 22-24
March 1960
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