What does the Word of God say about Jesus the Messiah

For many, He is a great prophet of God. One to honour and respect. For others, He was an imposter. One whom they rejected and crucified. Yet for some, He is more than a prophet. One to love and worship.

To find out the truth, we must go the Word of God. Here is what we learn about Him:

1. HIS HOLINESS

The Bible says that Jesus was without sin. It says that Jesus “committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth” (I Peter2:22), and He “knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Elsewhere Jesus is said to be “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.” (Hebrews 7:26). Jesus challenged His enemies, asking, “Which of you convicts me of sin?” (John 8:46).Even demons shouted out, saying that Jesus was “the Holy One of God” (Luke 4:34).

Yet we know that God alone is holy!

2. HE IS ETERNAL

Jesus is referred to as the Word of God. It says, “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). Jesus said, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58). In prayer to God the Father Jesus spoke of  “the glory I had with You [God the Father] before the world existed.” (John 17:5) God’s prophets also wrote about the Messiah before He came saying, though He would be born in Bethehem, He had existed from eternity. (Micah 5:2).

Yet God alone is eternal!

 3. HE IS THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE

Speaking of Jesus, the New Testament says, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4). Jesus added:  “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6) and,  “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” (John 11:25)

Yet God alone is the source of life!

4. HE NEVER CHANGES

The following verses make clear statements about Jesus: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8); “They [the heavens and the earth] will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail” (Hebrews 1:11,12).

Yet God alone is unchanging!

5. HE IS ALMIGHTY

Jesus the Messiah said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). God’s Word says that Jesus sustains “all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). The prophets before Jesus also said the coming Messiah was the “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6). The final resurrection of all people will be accomplished through His power: “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice” (John 5:28).

Yet God alone is almighty!

 6. HE KNOWS EVERYTHING

Amazed at His teachings, Jesus’ disciples said to Him, “You know all things” (John 16:30). Knowing what people were thinking, Jesus said “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” (Matthew 9:4). “Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Jesus said, “No one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27). Here Jesus implies that the Son alone knows God to perfection. Jesus’ knowledge is therefore infinite.

Yet God alone knows everything!

7. HE IS EVERYWHERE

Jesus said that He is present everywhere, saying “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” After His resurrection, He said that His influence was not that of a dead teacher, but a living person. “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Since Jesus is always present, He is able to guard and comfort His people. Therefore no suffering can come upon them except that which He sees to be for their good.

Yet God alone is present everywhere!

 8. HE CREATED THE UNIVERSE

John’s Gospel says of Jesus, “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3). It is written, “ For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16,17).

Yet God alone is the creator of all things!

9. HE HAS AUTHORITY TO FORGIVE SINS

[Jesus] said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” (Mark 2:5–12). No person, priest or prophet can forgive sins. The religious leaders were right in saying that only God can forgive sins.

Imagine that I had done something wrong against you, but someone else approached me saying: ‘I forgive you for what you did to that person!’ Would that seem normal to you? Of course not! Only you would have the right to forgive me. So when Jesus forgave sin He was declaring Himself to be God, since only God can pardon a man and declare him innocent.

Just before His crucifixion, Jesus made it plain that the pardon of sins would be accomplished through His death (Matthew 26: 28). He gave up His own sinless life in order to act as a substitute, taking the punishment we deserve.

Yet God alone has the right to forgive sins!

10. HE ACCEPTED WORSHIP

To worship anyone but God is idolatry. The Apostle Peter refused worship. The Bible tells us: “As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, ‘Stand up; I myself am also a man’” (Acts 10:25). Peter refused worship in light of the Law that said, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.”

An angel also refused worship (Revelation 22:8, 9). Yet, Jesus tells His disciples to pray to Him. He says, “Whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13,14). We also read that on numerous occasions Jesus received worship while He was on earth. When Jesus went to the disciples, walking on the water, those who were in the boat worshipped Him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God,” (Matthew 14: 33).

Jesus restored the sight of a blind man, who returned later and “worshipped Him” (John 9:38). When he saw Jesus after His resurrection, Thomas called Him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).

Since Jesus did not rebuke Thomas, it shows that He Himself acknowledged that He is God. After the resurrection, the disciples returned to Galilee. And “when they saw [Jesus], they worshipped Him.” (Matthew 28:17) Jesus never rejected worship.

Yet God alone is offered worship and prayer!

JESUS IS THE WAY OF SALVATION

Because of who He is, Jesus could do what no man or angel could do: save sinners like you and me. He was able to reconcile man to God because He is both God and man. When Jesus died on the cross, He took the punishment that we deserve for our sin. But how could one man be the substitute for so many people? Because Jesus is the divine Son of God, His sacrifice was enough to cover the sins of all who believe in Him. To sin against God is to sin infinitely and therefore to deserve infinite punishment. Only Jesus, the infinite Son of God, could take that infinite punishment in our place.

A man once asked the apostle Paul: “What must I do to be saved?” Paul answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31).

He also said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” (John 6:37)

The Word of God says, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

These are wonderful promises. They show that faith in Jesus is necessary for salvation, and that apart from Him there is no salvation. No one has made such great claims as those that Jesus makes concerning His own identity and His influence over the lives of others.

The promise of God’s Word is this – “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12)