In Essence He is God
I choose to begin with John's
gospel intentionally. John's gospel is unique. John explains who Jesus is.
He starts at the beginning.
John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
Who is the "Word"
here? John 1:14-17 "… became flesh…" "John
testified about Him" "Jesus Christ"
"In the beginning…"
Does that phrase remind you of
another verse? Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens
and the earth."
"… was the Word… "
"When the beginning began,
the Word already was!" He was already in existence when the creation of
everything started. He is uncreated. This means that Jesus is not a created
being (a creature).
"… the Word was with God… "
Here we have an indication of
the two of the persons of the Trinity, God the Father and God the Son. How was
He "with" God? "With" here means literally "face to
face" with God. This is a wonderful description of the inter-relationships
of the Godhead. It describes a close, intimate, loving relationship between
the Father and the Son. This is NOT speaking of a created being relating to his
Creator, for which creature could live in "face to face" fellowship
with the Holy God who dwells in unapproachable light? Even the holy angels in
heaven called the Seraphim, unspotted by sin, who minister before God, cannot
fellowship with Him "face to face", but cover their faces in his
presence (Is 6:2).
"… the Word was God."
Why read it that way? As
written, John changes the word order in the sentence around to emphasize that
Jesus is God. He wrote it in such a way that it builds in intensity each
phrase to the climax of this last part and his emphasis in every word presented
here is leading up to GOD.
The Word was GOD!
The Word in his very nature, his very essence, is fully and completely God
Almighty. He is not "a god". He is not simply "godlike".
He is not merely a display of divine qualities. He is the very essence of God
in bodily form (and fully human also). He is, if you will, the
"stuff" of Almighty God.
John in his gospel starts with
this highest and most beautiful description of Christ as Almighty God. Miracle
of miracles! God himself has come down to us in the person of Christ, walked
the earth, ate with the disciples, caressed a fevered brow, and held children
on His lap. He makes the beauty of the invisible God visible to us.
If we would know God, not just know facts about God, but know him personally,
then we must know Christ!
Some people find something they
call "God" in nature. Looking up at the stars shining in the sky on
a clear night, being alone in the wilderness, seeing a beautiful sunset: all
of these things can stir our emotions and bring to life in us a sense of awe
concerning the grandeur of God. But for many people, this is where they stop.
They seek no more knowledge of God than a chill running down their spine. It
is not the creation that is ultimately the most beautiful. Rather, the source
of that created beauty itself is Himself the focal point of all beauty that
ever has, does now, and ever will exist.
It is the Creator Himself whose
beauty and glory and majesty surpasses every created thing. If you think the
sunset is beautiful, how much more He who created the sun and set it in motion
and preserves it unto this very day? If the night sky is awesome, how much
more awesome is He who set the stars in place and calls each of them by name?
If the wide wilderness is humbling, how much more humbling is the limitless
vastness of the infinite God? How will we see this beauty, glory, and majesty
of our great Creator God? Look to Christ!
| Heb 1:3 | He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature. |
| Col 2:8-9 |
in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form. fullness = God's very essence, not simply divine qualities |
| Titus 2:10-13 | our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus. |
| Heb 1:8 |
Thy throne, O God. Here God the Father refers to the Son as "God" |
| 2 Peter 1:1 | our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. |
So why do we believe that Jesus
Christ is God? In His very being he is presented to us in Scripture as
Almighty God! If we have ears to hear, then for us the issue is settled. God
has spoken through His Word. We have full warrant to believe Jesus Christ is
Almighty God based on these scriptures alone.
What difference does this make?
What is the "therefore", the conclusion we can draw from this?
It means that Christ's commands are to be obeyed as God's commands. It means
that Christ's promises are to be received as God's promises. It means that
Christ's salvation is to be trusted as God's salvation. It means that Jesus
rightly receives everything which exclusively belongs to God, such as: pure
worship, fervent prayer, and joyful service. We do not need to hesitate or
think twice about honoring Jesus too much.
In Creation He is God
Every created thing was created
by Christ and has, as its primary purpose for existing, glorifying Him.
This includes you!
| Is 44:24 | "I, the Lord, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself," |
| Ps 102:24-27 |
David's description of God in creation: the heavens are the work of Thy hands. This is applied by God the Father to God the Son at Heb 1:10-12 |
| Col 1:15-17 | all things have been created by Him and for Him. |
| Acts 20:28 | the church of God which He (God) purchased with His own blood. |
| Zech 12:10 |
God speaking here - "look on Me whom they have pierced." (Zech 12:10 is applied to Christ in Rev 1:7) |
| Rom 10:9-11 | confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, |
Therefore? The salvation that
Christ offers is not merely the promise of good intentions offered by a finite,
limited creature. It is the sure salvation wrought by God Himself. If you do
not own Christ as your Redeemer
God
, then you do not have Christ at all and are still in your sins, without peace
apart from Christ.
In Judgment He Is God
| 1 Kings 8:39 |
God alone knows hearts of men and renders to each according to his ways. (This is applied to Christ in Rev 2:23. Christ searches the hearts of men and gives to each according to his deeds.) |
Therefore? Christ in His glory
is exalted as the judge of all mankind.
One day you will stand before Him and nothing will be hidden.
In Prayer He Is God
| John 14:13-14 | ask me, I will do it |
| Ac 7:59-60 | (Stephen prayed to Christ |
Therefore? The Godhood of
Christ makes a difference when you pray and it makes a difference when you are
about to lay down your life in martyrdom for Him. Stephen cried out to the
Lord Jesus as the stones flew outside the city. Even to this day it makes a
difference in those lands where Christians are persecuted even unto death. Oh
how they recognize the preciousness of the Godhood of their Savior.
In Glory He Is God
| Isaiah 42:8 | God does not share glory - yet His glory is shared with Jesus in John 17:5 |
| Isaiah 6:1-5 | Isaiah's vision of God applied to Christ in John 12:37-41 |
| John 5:20-23 | honor the Son as they honor the Father |
| Rev 5:11-14 | to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. Be honor, glory, blessing… |
Therefore, let us worship the
Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let us join the angels and all of creation in the chorus of praise to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.