Who is Jesus?

One of my relatives is very religious. We have had some discussion about what he believes and like the roots determine the tree, his core belief affects everything else. This core belief is where we differ; he believes Jesus is a created being and I believe that Jesus is God in human flesh.

We don’t argue about it now like we once did. We agree that the world is in a mess and that people need a change of life. He says people need to obey God and I agree. Our root belief makes the difference. He thinks Jesus died to give us the ability to earn our salvation; whereas I am certain that Jesus died to grant us our salvation.

It is about the identity of Jesus. Both of us might use this passage to ‘prove’ our different views:

He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:15–20)

My relative’s idea that Jesus is a created being is tied up in his definition of “firstborn.” If used in the normal sense, this passage could be taken to mean that Jesus was the first one created. However, the religious group that my relative belongs to does not believe in or encourage scholarship. If they did, they would find out that the Greek word used has a broader meaning than the English word ‘firstborn.’

The Greek term pertains to existing prior to something else or ‘existing first, existing before’ or ‘existing before all creation’ or ‘existing before anything was created.’ It can also mean ‘superior in status.’ While it can also include all the rights and privileges that accompany being a physical firstborn, here it refers to Jesus as preceding all others in time or space or degree. This is about His status.

The rest of the passage clarifies: He created all things and existed before all else. All creation was made before Him and He holds it together — translated from a word that means to be or become composed of many parts into a cohesive and enduring whole. This is a description of God our Creator and clearly equates Jesus as deity.

The rest of the passage is about prominence also. Again, firstborn from the dead is about the significance of His resurrection. He wasn’t the first in any other sense since He raised people from the dead before He died, such as the widow’s son and Lazarus. His resurrection was unique and gives Him preeminence.

Not only that, in Him all the fullness of God dwells. Some say God is in everyone, but the Bible does not say that. We are made in His image, but He dwells only in those who by faith have accepted His offer of salvation and have been reconciled to God through the death and resurrection of this unique person, Jesus Christ who is God the Son. He, unlike us who have been marred by sin, is the sinless image of God the Father.

My relative admits that they do not worship Jesus “because he is only a created being” yet also admits that his hope is in his ability to live up to God’s standards. His assurance is in how good he can be, not in Jesus Christ.

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Lord Jesus, as I worship You today, I will also be praying that You will reveal Yourself to those who have yet not seen the glory of who You are. You have delivered millions of people from the domain of darkness and transferred us to Your kingdom, the kingdom of God’s beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13–14) May this be true of millions more.

Today’s thankful list . . .

The wonder of God revealing His Son to me, a sinner.

The wonder of God revealed in creation, especially as we drive in the Rocky Mountains.

Good roads and a dandy chauffeur — my hubby.

Wonderful supper in a restaurant built of logs.

Able to sing worship songs in a motel.

The blessing of listening to a preacher like Jamie Rasmussen on the Internet. 

Oh how He loves you and me

The book I’m using for devotions asks a question about the significance of the events in John’s Gospel that are not included in the other three Gospels. After reading more in John, I thought of how we define other people. Often it is by what they do: Mr. Smith is a high school teacher. Sometimes it is by who they are: Mr. Smith is a man with great love and respect for teenagers. Or by where they came from: Mr. Smith was born and raised in Georgia. Or by their unique traits: Mr. Smith has a wonderful sense of humor.

These first four books in the New Testament are about Jesus. Each have a particular emphasis when describing Jesus. Matthew writes about Him as a King, Mark presents Him as a Servant, Luke as fully Human. However, when reading John, I get the great sense that Jesus is God who became man and loves us. Yes, He is Savior, Prophet and King. Yes, He came from the Father and returned there when His time had come. Yes, He was born in a stable. But more than all these, He is God who loves us.

He is God because He created all things:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1–3)

He is human, not like us who were created in the image of God, but fully God who became flesh:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

And He loves us:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16–17)

The religious leaders decided this was unacceptable. They accused Him of being a sinful man and wanted Him dead. The crowds loved Him as long as He fed them, but when Pilate asked who he should release, they yelled, “Crucify Him” forgetting His innocence, His power and His love for them.

The other Gospels are filled with action, their stories suitable for a stage play. John’s writing depicts the heart and appeals to the heart. It is more frequently used to show sinners how He loves us, and more frequently depicted in film and on the stage.

John called himself ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved.’ He used the word ‘love’ more than twice the times the other three put together. This theme drives home the truth that rebuffs Satan’s most frequently used lie that God does not love me. John wants his readers to know their security in the love of God.

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Jesus, Your love melts my heart. From the least of Your children to the greatest, all of us need to know that, be reassured of it. No matter how long we have walked with You, the enemy tries to ruin us and make us stumble using lies on this very issue. John knew we needed to hear the truth in a variety of ways so we could we could be set free from the bondage that comes when we fall for Satan’s lies, particularly that lie about Your love. John could have written about Your life like a resume but instead wrote it like a love story. Thank You for the gift of Your love so wonderfully expressed in Your life as written in the Gospel of John.