Who is Jesus?

 

Jesus is unique among the founders of major religions; he is the only one who has been worshipped as God from the beginning of his ministry. Muhammad claimed to be a prophet (a spokesman for God). Abraham was one who believed God and followed him. Buddha claimed to be a man who found enlightenment.  But the Bible says that Jesus is God’s one and only Son (John 3:16).

 

Mark wrote his gospel to prove this very point. The first verse of his book states his belief:

 

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mark 1:1

 

The rest of his book was written to prove that what he said was true. He did this in several ways, but one was to bring out four witnesses concerning the deity of Christ. Here are the testimonies he presents:

 

God the Father:

 

When Jesus was baptized, the Father spoke from heaven to testify to Jesus’ true identity:

 

And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased. Mark 1:11

 

The Demons of Hell:

 

Demons are angels who followed Satan when he rebelled against God. They were in heaven with Jesus prior to the creation of the world. They know the true identity of Jesus. A group of demons were in control of the life of a man Jesus encountered. When Jesus confronted this man the demons told who he was:

 

He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” Mark 5:7

 

Every time the demons encounter Jesus in the New Testament, they recognized him.

 

Jesus Himself:

 

Who did Jesus believe he was? This is a critical question. As we said earlier, the founders of the other major religions of the world did not see themselves as gods. But Jesus did see himself as the Son of God.

 

When Jesus was being tried (prior to his crucifixion) he showed his understanding of whom he was:

 

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Mark 14:61b-62

 

It is clear from this passage that Jesus honestly believed he was God’s Son and the long awaited Savior.

 

A Roman Soldier:

 

Mark’s last witness was the Roman Centurion (a non-commissioned officer in the Roman army) who supervised the execution of Jesus on the cross. As the soldier witnessed Jesus’ response to those who taunted him and the other men who were crucified with him, this man was convinced that Jesus was God’s Son:

 

And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” Mark 15:39

 

As a Roman soldier, this man was a member of the Emperor cult of Rome. In other words, he worshipped Caesar as God. But when he witnessed Jesus’ death, he was immediately converted and worshipped Jesus as his God.

 

What of it?

 

What difference does it make if Jesus is the Son of God? Here are two things:

 

He has the authority to forgive sin.

 

All of us have sinned. Sin is any thought, word, or deed that is wrong. We’ve all done things we knew were wrong and we need to be forgiven of them. Only the person you have sinned against can forgive you. Our sin is against God and as God’s Son; Jesus has the authority to forgive sin:

 

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Mark 2:5

 

Jesus can and will forgive your sins if you will admit your sins to him and ask for forgiveness.

 

He has the ability to change our lives.

 

Many people are looking for a new start, but fear there is no way to have one. Jesus has the ability to give us a fresh beginning in life. Do you remember the demons that confessed Jesus? When Jesus confronted the man they possessed, he gave him a brand new start. Prior to meeting Jesus the man was described as living among the tombs, totally out of control, and living a self-destructive lifestyle. The Bible gives the following description of the man after he met Jesus:

 

When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind… Mark 5:15a

 

Would you like to commit your life to Christ?

 

If you would like to commit your life to Christ, receive the forgiveness of your sins, and have a new start in life you can by sincerely praying a prayer like this:

 

“Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me and for dying on the cross for me. Please forgive me of my sins and come into my life. I want to be your follower from now on. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen”

 

This is Just the Beginning

 

This is the beginning of your new life in Christ. Now you need to find a Bible believing church. Let them know about the decision you have made; they will be happy to help you grow in this new relationship.

 

Ó Copyright Rik Danielsen 2003

 

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.