Week 5: Who is Jesus?

"Jesus never claimed to be God." - Jehovah's Witnesses Watchtower Society, "Is God Always Superior to Jesus?"

"Jesus Christ is not God."

- Mary Baker Eddy, founder of Christian Science

"No, I don't. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak." - Gordon Hinckley, Church News, 20 June 1998.

JESUS - Fully God (The DEITY of Christ) 

1st - attributes

2nd - works

3rd - names 

4th - Bible

Colossians 2:9 - For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.

Luke 2:11 - For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

5th - Jesus claims

Mark 14:61-64 -  He remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, 'Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?' And Jesus said, 'I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.' And the high priest tore his garments and said, 'What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision? 

John 8:58-59 - 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.' So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. 

John 10:30-33 - "I and the Father are one." Then, "The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, 'I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?' The Jews answered him, 'It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.'"

Matthew 16:13-17 - Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

Historical Jesus Movement: 

Who does the Jesus Seminar really speak for?

http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-t017.html

A Summary Critique: HONEST TO JESUS

http://www.equip.org 

The Jesus Seminar, Jesus, and Higher Criticism 

http://www.johnankerberg.org 

JESUS - Fully Man (The HUMANITY of Christ) 

1st - birth

Matthew 1:18 - "Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit."

2nd - body

3rd - characteristics

--> Jesus was without sin! 

2 Corinthians 5:21 - "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

1 Peter 2:22 - "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."

1 John 3:5b - "And in him there was no sin."

Hebrews 4:15 - "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are -- yet without sin." 

--> Jesus will be a man forever! 

Luke 24:39 - "See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." 

"Jesus continues to reside in this perfect but human body in heaven." (Wayne Grudem, CHRISTIAN BELIEFS, p.68)

"He continues to have a body, though resurrected." (Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology, p.247)

--> Why is it necessary for Jesus to be fully human?

Romans 5:19 - "As by one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous." 

Hebrews 2:17 - "He had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." 

1 John 2:6 - "He who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."

JESUS - Fully God & Fully Man

(The HYPOSTATIC Union) 

--> Did Jesus give up some of His Divine attributes while on earth?

Philippians 2:5-8 - Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.