The Apostle John says that if one was to attempt to write down everything Jesus said and did, “that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written” (John 21:25). Jesus, as a member of the Trinity, was active long before He came to earth in the form of man. As the eternal Son, Jesus was the force behind creation (John 1:3, Col 1:16) and is actively holding creation together (Col 1:17). Prior to the earthly life of God the Son, the majority of conservative biblical scholars believe that He appeared as the Angel of Yahweh, who was seen a number of times in the Old Testament (Gen 16, 22; Num 22; Judg 2, 6, 13; 1 Kgs 19; etc). At the incarnation, the Son actually took upon Himself a human nature (Phil 2:5-8; Gal 4:4). The divine person joined with the human nature, creating one person in two natures. He is called “the Word,” the “Son of Man,” and the “Son of God” in the Gospels. He was born to the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem and grew up in Nazareth, was baptized by John the Baptist, and ministered to all of Israel. While on earth, Jesus’ ministry consisted of preaching the Kingdom of God, calling people to faith, healing, forgiving sins, creating disciples and preaching about the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt 11:5; Mark 3:13-19; Matt 4:7). Through His death and resurrection He gave humans full access to God and became a surety of God’s best (Rom 10:9; Heb 4:16, 7:22; Eph 1:5). Since His resurrection, He has been building a room in the Father’s house for each believer, where they will join Him as His Bride (John 14:2-3; Eph 5:23-27) at the rapture. Jesus is our advocate and defender before the Father God (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25; 1 John 2:1). He will come again for His own (John 14:3), and again as the commander of the armies of the Lord who will defeat Satan and his minions, and inaugurate the eternal Kingdom of God.
Jesus
Word Study
| Steve Stanley • Hershel Wayne House
ἸησοῦςIēsoûs·Strong's G2424
The name “Jesus” finds its origin in the Hebrew word יֵשׁוּעַ (Yeshua), a later form of the word יְהֹושׁוּעַ (Yehoshua), “Joshua”—Jesus and Joshua share the same name in the Greek NT (cf. Luke 3:29; Acts 7:45; Heb 4:8). The English word “Jesus” comes from the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew Yeshua. The Hebrew meaning of the name is “Yahweh is salvation,” most appropriate for Jesus. Matthew 1:21 shows that God makes a deliberate connection between the naming of Jesus and His role as Savior. Jesus is Savior. This name was common among Jews, apparently naming their sons after Joshua. The connection of Jesus and Joshua by name in the Bible is not coincidental either, as Joshua in his role in the conquest of the Promised Land serves as a type, or foreshadowing of Jesus and His role in providing believers salvation and access to heaven.
The Hebrew word Yeshua is transliterated as Iesous in Greek and Jesus in English, as the chart reveals.
This is the word from which we get our English word “logic,” but to read that meaning from English back into the first century use of this Greek word would be anachronistic and inappropriate. This word, λόγος (logos), is used over three hundred times in the NT. In one category of uses, it refers to 1) an expression of the mind, 2) a statement or discussion, 3) a “word,” or a matter or thing under discussion and 4) extending of the previous meaning, simply a “thing.” In another category, it is used for a “mathematical computation,” “reckoning” or “settlement of an account.” Finally, it is used for the second person of the Trinity as the “expression” or “revelation” of God. Jesus is by choice and destiny Savior; He is by nature the revelation of God. In the progress of revelation from Job and Genesis forward, the “Word,” the incarnate Jesus, is the best and most complete revelation of God to date. The next progression or improvement in revelation will be at the revelation of Jesus Christ when He comes again. In John 1, the apostle does not specifically identify that the subject of his writing is Jesus until 1:17. John refers to his subject at first only as the word, then creator, then light, then the one who came, then the word become flesh, then finally as Jesus Christ. Most foundationally, the “Word” is the second person of the Trinity. He is the express revelation of God in the most personal and intimate way, since He reveals God, while being God. John’s grammar in 1:1 asserts first the eternality of the Word (at the beginning [of time and creation], the Word already was), secondly the interrelatedness of the first and second persons of the Trinity (the Word was in a face-to-face relationship with God) and thirdly the divinity of the “Word” (and the Word was divine). The Word is Jesus, the personal expression of divinity, God’s best revelation yet.
The prophet Isaiah, when speaking to King Ahaz of Yahweh's deliverance for Judah, prophesied that a future virgin would give birth to a son, and that this son's name was Immanuel, God is with us. The apostle Matthew, when seeking to identify Jesus as the fulfillment of that Isaianic prophecy quotes that text regarding the virgin Mary's boy Jesus, that he would save His people from their sins. When Isaiah told Ahaz that the king could ask God for a sign of his deliverance from the kings Rezin of Aram and Pekah of Israel, no matter how magnificent the request. After Ahaz refused to do so, Isaiah spoke of a future deliverance as well that would be given by God of His ultimate deliverance, that of Immanuel being with His people.
Christ (Messiah)
Word Study
| Steve P Sullivan
ΧριστόςChristós·Strong's G5547
Christ is one of the most familiar names for Jesus and these two names occur together in the NT almost 500 times. It is the Greek word transliterated from the Hebrew משיח, (mashiach, Messiah in English) and means anointed one, king or messiah. Biblical scholars generally acknowledge that Christ, or Messiah, is not a name per se in the New Testament but the title for Jesus—Jesus the Messiah. He is the promised Messiah of God, the offered King of Israel and, ultimately, the king over all of God’s kingdom. This term harkens back to the anointed kings of Israel, who were all types, foreshadowing Jesus as the Christ, the high king of Israel and the supreme ruler of the universe, who currently sits at the right hand of the Father. As Lord over the church, Jesus is our King (Rom 5:21), the promised Messiah who reigns over the church in the “times of the Gentiles” and over the whole earth, when He reigns as David's Son.
1The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2But he answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3In the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can’t discern the signs of the times! 4An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”
He left them and departed. 5The disciples came to the other side and had forgotten to take bread. 6Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
7They reasoned among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.”
8Jesus, perceiving it, said, “Why do you reason among yourselves, you of little faith, because you have brought no bread? 9Don’t you yet perceive or remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up, 10or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up? 11How is it that you don’t perceive that I didn’t speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
12Then they understood that he didn’t tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
13Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
14They said, “Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17Jesus 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. 18I also tell you that you are Peter,and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hadeswill not prevail against it. 19I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.”20Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.
21From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.
22Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This will never be done to you.”
23But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.”
24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 25For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it. 26For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life? 27For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will give to everyone according to his deeds. 28Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”