Jesus: Who’s This Man?
Testimonies Of the Son of God Part I
The person of who Jesus was, was a difficult thing for people of His time to comprehend especially the Jewish compatriots. At a time he decided to ask His disciples who people thought he was? Their answer revealed their dilemma in placing the Lord.
Listen to various guesses people thought of Him, “Some say John the Baptist, some say, Elijah, others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets “ ( Matt. 16: 14; 21: 41-45). No wonder Bible concluded, “ He was in the world and the world was made through Him and the world did not know Him. He comes to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1: 10-11).
The disciples marveled at Him and asked themselves the very question, “Who can this man be?” (Luke 8: 25; Mk. 4: 41; Matt. 8: 27). So who is Him?
Jesus refused to give testimony of Himself. He refused to testify of Himself. He believed that the testimony of Himself by Himself will not be believed by the people. They will regard it as untrue (John 5: 31).
Secondly, it was not the character of the Lord to blow His trumpet, promoting and exalting Himself.
Thirdly the testimony of Himself to the people that do not believe in Him will not change anything. It will sound unbelievable to them still (John 8: 13, 14).
Despite all these, the record He gives Himself is true and there to be seen and verified.
In Revelation 3: 14, in sending the angel to the church of the Laodiceans, He had to make the angel aware of who was sending him in this errand. He is none but, “the Amen, the faithful and the true witness, the beginning of the creation of God”
So He is Amen ie true, certainty, truth, verily or verity
He is the Faithful
He is the True witness
He is the beginning of the creation of God
He is the Word of the truth of the gospel and the firstborn of all creations( Col. 5, 15)
But his listeners were unable to believe Him, because people of the flesh, judged by flesh and after the flesh. For no one calls Jesus Lord but by Holy Spirit ( 1 Cor. 12: 3).
So from what sources shall, we seek evidence of the Lord’s identity? There are so many such sources:
I). John the Baptist (John 5: 32-35; 1: 15-20, 26-27; 29- 35
The Scripture declares clearly that John the Baptist bore witness of Him, “ And cried out, saying, “ This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me ….” (John 1: 15-16). And His credentials are unmatchable.
John was a prominent prophet, a man that saw the beginning (the incarnate Word) and the end (glorified Jesus in heaven). This man, Christ Himself, declared as the greatest of all men born of a woman ( Matt. 11: 11; Luke 7: 28). The testimony of such a man should never be in no doubt and should have been enough.
He was a great forerunner of Christ directly sent from God even before Christ came into the world, John had already been sent to proclaim the coming of Jesus and prepare the way for His coming (Isa 40: 1-3; Matt. 3 :1; 11: 10; Mk: 1: 1-2; Luke: 25-27). Such a testimony of the God’s emissary whom He sent to bear record and witness of His Son of whom He was, would have been more than sufficient to identify His Son beyond all reasonable doubt.
John in a public announcement declared Him (John 1: 29-37)
But Jesus Himself and even His Father did not stop, depend or just rely on the testimony of man (John 5: 33-34). There are numerous other vital evidence out there we can look at.
II). His Works
Jesus has insisted all along that even if the people do not believe verbal human testimonies, His works are there to testify of Him. “But I have a greater witness than John’s: for the works which the Father has given Me to finish – the very works that I do- bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me” (John 5: 36).
Jews pestered Him wanting to know if He were the awaited Christ. “How long do You keep us in doubt, if You are the Christ, tell us plainly”, they demanded (John 10: 24). Christ again referred them to His work, “I told you and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me” (John 10: 25).
People like Nicodemus was persuaded by seeing the works Jesus did. Nicodemus told Christ, “Rabbi, we know that (note “we”; not just him) You are a teacher come from God; for no one can Do these signs that You Do unless God is with him” (John 3: 1-2)
Christ did works that no one else had done and that is an indictment for anyone who is still doubting His very and unique identity. He said, “ If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin, but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father” ( John 15: 24).
Nicodemus was right in his assertion and the use of the “we” have seen acts not seen among them in the past, for “ we never saw anything like this”, ( Mark 2: 12; 1: 27; Luke 24: 19). But because of their ignorance occasioned by hatred and enmity, they refused to correlated what they saw to who Christ was. His statement strongly supports the assertion that their position was hatred of the man, for Nicodemus clearly added, “ Rabbi we know that you are a teacher, come from God……..unless God is with Him” ( John 3: 1-2). Because of this deadly hatred, Jews had against Jesus this man had to come to Jesus sneakily by night.
He challenged those finding it uneasy to believe Him, “ If I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe Me. But if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me and I in Him” ( John10: 31-38)
It is amazing how the works we do or have done are our greatest testimony, can be our greatest witness, bear our greatest testimony and give the greatest tribute about us.
We are what we have done. We are what we have done. The work we have done represents who we are. We are what we have done- either good or bad, no wonder that is how we shall be judged at the end. The judgment in the next life will be based upon the deeds done in this life. Therefore our eternal destiny is determined here on earth, not after we die (Romans 2: 6,10-11; Rev.2: 23; Eccl 12: 14; 2 Cor. 5: 10)
III). The Father’s Testimony. Both at His baptism and Transfiguration, the Father spoke of His Son.
God, the Father Himself bore the testimony of the Son. He testified of the Son whom He has sent. And in all and all the
witness of God is greater ( 1 John 5: 9-12; John 5: 37-38; Matt. 3: 16-17; 12: 18; 17: 5; Mark 1: 9-11; John 6: 27; 8: 17-18). God has not sent Jesus without His witness of Him in every step, that man has no excuse of who the Son is. Bible says God has lifted Him and exalted His name above all names in heaven, on earth, and under the earth (Phil. 2: 9-10). And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (vs 11).
IV). Jesus Declares The Father
No eye has seen the Father but Jesus, the express image of the Father declares Him signifying the close link and oneness between the two (John 1: 18; 1 John 4: 9, 12; John 10: 30; 17: 11, 21-24). When you have seen me you have seen the Father. I and the Father are one. Though I am God I do not compete or struggle for equality here on earth with the Father, but completely obeying Him (Phil 2: 6-8).
And for this Bible declares, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and those under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” ( Phil 2: 9-11).
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