Who is Jesus?
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Introduction
Introduction
The $1,000,000 question is who is Jesus?
In fact, every year around this time we see major stories on the identity of Jesus Christ. We live in a secular world that each day attempts to discredit the truthfulness of what the Bible says about the Lord Jesus Christ.
The four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were written from four different perspectives to testify about the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Many people will gather tonight and tomorrow to exchange presents, to enjoy a delicious meal, to wish each other a Merry Christmas without giving a second thought to the identity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our desire, as a redeemed people, is to truly know who Jesus Christ is! For this reason, we will consider the identity of Jesus Christ under the following headings:
Jesus is greater than all men
Jesus is eternal
Jesus is the Lamb of God
I. Jesus is greater than all men
I. Jesus is greater than all men
I. Jesús es más grande que cualquier ser humano
I. Jesús es más grande que cualquier ser humano
In our scripture lesson we encounter John the Baptist. John the Baptist was a cousin to the Lord Jesus.
He was especially chosen by God for the purpose of proclaiming the coming of the Lord Jesus.
For this reason, when the priests and levites ask John about his identify he tells them that he is neither the Christ, Elijah, or the prophet (1:20-21).
He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”
They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
No se negó a declararlo, sino que confesó con franqueza:
—Yo no soy el Cristo.
—¿Quién eres entonces?—le preguntaron—. ¿Acaso eres Elías?
—No lo soy.
—¿Eres el profeta?
—No lo soy.
John was preaching in the dessert and many thought he was the Messiah that would come to set the people free from Rome’s tyranny.
John reveals his identity. He knows he is a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.
A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
Una voz proclama:
«Preparen en el desierto
un camino para el Señor;
enderecen en la estepa
un sendero para nuestro Dios.
John’s calling was to prepare the way for the coming King. John was in no way the King that would come. He was simply preparing the way for the Lord that would come.
John identifies himself as that one who is not worthy to untie even the straps of his sandals (1:27).
In a Jewish household this task was given to the lowest servant in the home.
In fact, Jewish households considered this such a menial duty that it would usually be done by a gentile.
John is declaring that Jesus is the greatest that could ever be.
Jesus is the King whose way should be prepared for his arrival.
Jesus is so great that even if we were given the most menial duty (untie the straps of sandals), we would not be worthy for even the most menial job.
Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords.
If Jesus is truly King of kings and Lord of lords then he is worthy of worship and adoration.
II. Jesus is eternal
II. Jesus is eternal
II. Jesus es eterno
II. Jesus es eterno
Let us not loose sight of what makes Jesus so great and above all humanity.
John’s gospel repeatedly demonstrates Jesus’ divine attributes such as his pre-existence. In order for God to be God he must be eternal. God cannot have a beginning or an end.
If God were to have a beginning he ceases to be God.
If God were to have an end he ceases to be God.
John the Baptist speaks clearly about Jesus’ eternal being:
This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’
John
De éste hablaba yo cuando dije: “Después de mí viene un hombre que es superior a mí, porque existía antes que yo.”
How is it that Jesus, who was at least six months younger than John, could be “before” him?
It is simply impossible for Jesus to have existed before him if we are thinking in terms of birth.
Jesus, the man, was born at least six months after John’s birth. The reason we know this is that when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary Jesus’ birth he said that Elizabeth (John the Baptist’s mother) was six months pregnant with John ().
John the Baptist, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, while he was in his mother’s womb (), understood by the Spirit that Jesus was indeed the eternal Son of God.
The Son of God, the second person of the Trinity is eternal.
He has always existed.
In fact, we made much emphasis in our last sermon when we spoke about Jesus being the Word of God who was since the beginning. He is eternal.
If Jesus is truly eternal, then he is worthy to be proclaimed as the only true God.
III. Jesus is the Lamb of God
III. Jesus is the Lamb of God
III. Jesús es el Cordero de Dios
III. Jesús es el Cordero de Dios
John the Baptist’s mission in this world was to prepare the way of the Lord.
This not only included preaching the message of a baptism of repentance.
He also was commissioned by God to point to God’s remedy for sin, God’s cure for man’s death sentence, God’s plan of redemption.
John sees the Lord Jesus Christ far off and instantly recognizes him.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Al día siguiente Juan vio a Jesús que se acercaba a él, y dijo: «¡Aquí tienen al Cordero de Dios, que quita el pecado del mundo!
Jesus is the Lamb of God. Why would John use such a metaphor?
We must not forget that lambs were used in Israel’s sacrificial system.
Lambs were sacrificed in the Old Testament as part of the sacrificial system. The death of a lamb in the place of the children of Israel spoke to the death of an innocent victim on behalf of a guilty sinner.
This is the reason why Jesus came. Jesus did not come for the purpose of instituting a celebration where the only purpose was the exchange of gifts, christmas trees, lights, time off from work.
Jesus Christ came to be the fullfillment of .
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
Maltratado y humillado,
ni siquiera abrió su boca;
como cordero, fue llevado al matadero;
como oveja, enmudeció ante su trasquilador;
y ni siquiera abrió su boca.
Jesus came to be the lamb led to the slaughter. Jesus came as the sacrificial Lamb of God to die on our behalf.
Bethlehem, the announcement of the angels, the shepherds who came to worship Jesus, the manger - all of this took place so that the Scriptures would be fulfilled according to God’s divine plan.
Jesus came to this world so that we would know that we need a savior. We are under God’s just condemnation and deserve an eternity separated from Him and yet, he came to die on our behalf.
The story of Christmas is not about being able to say Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays - Christmas is about realizing that something had to happen in human history to save us from our greed, our envy, our hateful hurts, our addictions, our jealousies, our pride, to save us from ourselves, to save us from the wrath of God!