... how I shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly, and from house to house ... - Acts 20:20
Even though Jesus was a man, He was no ordinary man. He was "the firstborn over all creation" and "the image of the invisible God" Colossians 1:15. The apostle Paul said that this Jesus was "the Lord from heaven." 1Corinthians 15:47.
There is a great mystery to be revealed in Jesus. The fact that He was conceived supernaturally by the Holy Spirit, lived a life of perfect relationship with God and was always obedient to God demonstrates to us that He was of a different nature to normal humans. Jesus is God in a Man!
"And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh." 1Timothy3:16
The mystery is that God became a Man! This is what it means to call Jesus "the Son of God". Jesus came to reveal who God is. Understanding who Jesus is means understanding who God is!
If you have seen Jesus for who He is, you have seen God! Jesus said to one of His disciples, Philip, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father..." John14:9
The apostle John also says that "He [God] was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin." 1John 3:5 God became a Man in order to take away our sins. He did this by offering Himself up as a sacrifice on the Cross. He decided to take our sin, rebellion, hurt, hate, pain, guilt and shame upon Himself and bear the punishment we deserved. He died in our place.
"God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
But Jesus not only died, He rose from the dead, showing us His victory over death because He could not remain a dead man. Death only conquers those who sin for "the wages of sin is death" Romans 6:23, but Jesus had no sin in Him. Three days later He came back up and was seated at God's right hand being in charge of everything. He has "abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." 2Timothy 1:10
God now "commands all men everywhere to repent [change their minds], because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." Acts17:30-31
Many people have all kinds of thoughts on who Jesus is. The truth is that He is God in the flesh and that He is also the King who now reigns over all: He is seated at God's right hand. He truly came into the world and was seen, heard and touched (1John1:1). John said that if you believe that Jesus is the Christ [King], the Son of God [God in the flesh] then you will have LIFE in His name.
These points on who Jesus is are taken from Lesson Eight of the Basic Discipleship Manual. If you would like to read more:
Click here to download the Basic Discipleship manual