Greeting
It is a great joy to be with you this morning. Let me invite you to turn to John 1. Today’s sermon is titled, Who is Jesus Christ? Let’s begin with our sermon texts this morning.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.”
John 1:1-2
“14 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
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus…”
1 Tim. 2:5
Introduction
Dear Congregation. Who is Jesus Christ?
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, truly God, truly man, the second person of the Trinity. The LORD Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man. The Father sent the only begotten Son, who in the fullness of time took on human flesh and was born of the virgin Mary, conceived of the Holy Spirit. He lived a perfect life, without sin, under the law, experiencing temptations and sufferings in his state of humiliation. He was crucified on the cross for your sins as a substitute and endured the wrath of God in your place. He crushed the head of Satan, he was buried, rose from the dead triumphantly, ascended to the Father’s right hand, is now interceding, ruling, and making all his enemies a footstool under his feet. He will return in his second coming and cast the wicked and the demons into hell and consummate his kingdom in the new heavens and new earth.
We are in a series on the great doctrines of the Bible. We learned the Bible is the Word of God and God has revealed himself to man. God is holy, good, just, God is trinity, one God, father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God has planned and eternally purposed our redemption and everything that comes to pass. He exercises his plan from before the world, in creation and in providence. God made a covenant of works with man but man did not keep it and fell. By the temptation of Satan, sin entered the world, and the curse of death. God promised the seed of the woman would destroy the works of the devil through the gospel. Now we should ask, since Jesus Christ is the seed of the woman that crushed the head of Satan, why do we need to know who He is?
There are several reasons also why you must know who Jesus Christ is. Because Jesus Christ is the central of all the Bible and Christianity. You need to know that the core of Christianity is the gospel. The core of the gospel is Jesus Christ. You must know who Christ is because there are many false Christ’s. Lots of people say they believe in Jesus, but which Jesus? The Jehovah’s witnesses teach Christ is only a created being, not God. Islam teaches he was just a prophet, even though Jesus claimed to be God and rose from the dead. The theological liberals say he was just a good teacher. In name only Christians just want fire insurance but want to live however they want, even though Jesus said if you love me you’ll keep my commands. The secular culture wants the state as their God. We must know who Christ is because:
He’s the only mediator between God and man.
Angels cannot mediate. The bible forbids praying to dead saints to mediate. Mary does not mediate. The Pope does not mediate. You don’t goto the pope to get to God.
You go to Jesus. I am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except though me.
John 14:6
There are not many paths to heaven. Narrow is the gate that leads to life and wide is the path that leads to destruction. Without Christ you cannot be saved. “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
1. Jesus is God
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.”
John 1:1-2
The term “Word” in Greek is logos, meaning reason or logic. Here the logos is the person of Jesus Christ. In the beginning was the Word – The word already existed in the beginning. This is the same language of “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This means the word is eternal. The Word was with God – The word was with God indicating the Father and Son relationship. Two eternal persons. The word was God – This is the divine nature of God the Son. This means that this word is divine.
Cults mistakenly insert the article a, to say a god, but this is an error because Christianity is not polytheistic, nor is Jesus Christ a created being. The same error was delt with in the fourth century. The deity of Christ has been confessed by the church universally through the ages but not without attack from Satan. In 325 AD, the council of Nicaea dealt with the issue of Christ’s deity and confirmed that the Son is light from light, God from God, of the same substance of the Father.
“The Son of God, the second person in the Holy Trinity, being very and eternal God, the brightness of the Father’s glory, of one substance and equal with Him who made the world, who upholds and governs all things He has made”
1689 LBCF
The entire Bible reveals many names of Jesus to show us He is God. The title Son of God is used 76 times. Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Mark 1:1). Jesus is the Son of the Father, the second person of the Trinity. At the baptism and transfiguration the Father says this is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.
The title Son of Man is used 81 times. Jesus is called God and Isaiah prophesied that a child to be born would be “mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6). The Word was God (John 1:1). Immanuel means “God with us.” (Matt. 1:23). The name Jesus. Jesus was not the name Mary and Joseph picked. It was given to them from heaven.
“Thou shall call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
Matt. 1:21
He is the Messiah. The Christ. The Anointed One. Christ means anointed. It is the same word in Hebrew for Messiah. He is the only Mediator between God and Man. He holds the titles and offices: Prophet, Priest, and King. His name is the name above all names:
“He humbled himself by becoming obedience to the point of death even death on a cross, therefore God has highly exalted him and given him the name above all names…”
He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
“And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name inscribed KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”.
Rev. 19:16
He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the End, the First and the Last (Rev. 22:13). He’s always been God. He is before all things.. Col. 1:17 Did you know it was Christ whom Israel encountered in the wilderness (1 Cor. 10:4)? Before Abraham was, I am (John 8:58) His actions reveal his divinity.
Jesus created everything
“All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made…”
John 1:3
“For by him all thing were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible…all things were created by him, and for him..”
Col. 1:16
Jesus sustains creation – he upholds the universe by the word of his power. (Heb. 1:3)
Aren’t you thankful that Jesus is sustaining you this morning by his omnipotent power? For in him we live and move and have our being. He performed miracles with a word. He heals, gives sight to the blind, casts out demons, calms storms. He forgives sins. He raises the dead. He was raised from the dead. After his resurrection he said “all authority in heaven and earth is given unto me” (Matt. 28). He sent and gives his Holy Spirit and regenerates dead hearts. He judges – the Father made him the judge of the living and the dead (John 5:27). He is worshiped in heaven as God. Billions of angels in heaven cry out: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
You hear so often, “I have my Jesus”. Who is your Jesus? If it’s not the biblical Jesus, it’s not the true Jesus and nothing more that a figment of your imagination. Men want a Jesus who’s merely a prophet, merely a good teacher, merely someone who was ethical. Why? Because the Jesus who is God reveals our sin. Men are haters of God by nature. If they can have a Jesus in their image that approves of their sin, they love that Jesus. But it’s a false Christ.
Dear unbeliever: You must believe Jesus is God to be saved from your sins. A Jesus who is not God cannot save. Turn to the true Christ who is God. Dear believers: beware of the Jesus of the crowds. The Jesus of the masses.
Today the American church wants a Jesus that’s merely in their image, but isn’t divine. They may want a Jesus who can get them into heaven, but not God, not LORD over their lives. Remember the more Jesus revealed about who he was the smaller the crowds got that were following him. They wanted a miracles only Jesus. A Jesus that makes a name for them Jesus. They wanted a political Messiah. When he said eat of my flesh and drink of my blood, the crowd left and were tempted to disciples leave too. I am thankful that this church believes, worships, and proclaims the true Jesus to this community. Jesus is the center all we do on Jesus Christ. A Christ centered church with Christians who live Christ centered lives. Praise God the past few days we got to share the true Jesus with the children at VBS. We gave out bibles. Children were asking questions about Jesus.
2. Jesus is a man
“14 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
The word became flesh – this is the doctrine of the incarnation, the central fact of all human history, prepared from before the foundation of the world, the Son of God took on human flesh. The divine nature has put on the human nature, in one person. To some of John’s audience the flesh and the spirit were opposed. The Gnostics believed the material world was evil and for God to become man would be impossible. What John is teaching here is the word of God didn’t merely appear to be God, the Word became flesh in real human nature. In John’s letter he says they saw him with their own eyes. He wasn’t a ghost as some early errors circulated. John says they touched him with their own hands. How did Christ become human? Through the Virgin birth he was conceived of the Holy Spirit.
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).”
Matt. 1:22-23
Christ was not a human before conception, though the second person of the Trinity eternally existed. The second person of the trinity received human nature from his mother. He did not inherit sin because his conception was by the Holy Spirit. He never sinned. He was the only human who never sinned. The church has confessed this doctrine of the virgin birth through the ages. The Apostles Creed puts it like this “I believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary…”
When he became flesh he still remains fully God. His divinity does not change because God is immutable. There is a union with the divine nature and the human nature in one person. He is One Christ. He is the second Adam. The divine nature and the human nature did not combine to become a person. The Second person of the trinity was already a person eternally. The second person took on human nature. The father didn’t become flesh. The Spirit didn’t become flesh. It was the second person only.
Now let’s look at verse 14;
“the word became flesh and dwelt among us” –
John adds that the word dwelt among us. Literally tabernacled. Pitched his tent. This combined with glory in the next phrase means Christ is the true tabernacle in which God’s glory dwells with His people as a human person. Why did Jesus become a man? He came to live in your place as a real person, to keep the whole law and to live under the law as a man. To save us He had to dwell among us like as one of us. He had a real mother just like you and I that nursed him. He grew up as a boy son of a carpenter. His parents looked for him and found him in the temple. He increased in wisdom and stature, favor with God and man. He was grieved and was angered at the hardness of men’s hearts. He had a burning zeal and drove the merchants out of his father’s house with a whip. My house shall be a house of prayer for all nations. When he was tried he slept. Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus. He loved him. Have you lost a loved one? Jesus can sympathize with the pain. He cooked breakfast. He ate. He thirsted. On the cross he said I thirst. He was tempted in every way, even by Satan, and without sin.
You may say to you yourself, “well he wasn’t temped with what I’ve faced”. “You don’t know what I’ve gone through”. Tempted to commit suicide? What about when Satan said, throw yourself down from this temple. He was tempted when he was starving. He had temptation for riches. Yet he lived in poverty. Satan said I’ll give you all the kingdoms of the world, even though they weren’t his to give. “if you worship me, it’ll all be yours.” Jesus rebuked him with scripture. You shall worship the Lord your God and only him shall you serve.
The word became flesh and dwelt among us.
He enjoyed the last supper with the disciples. He washed people’s feet. He knew disappointment when the disciples could not watch and pray for one hour. He had human relationships. He felt abandonment when they left him and Judas betrayed him. Have you had someone close abandon you? Jesus has experienced this too. All the disciples left him. He escaped from crowds that tried to stone him.
They saw his glory – Jesus was transfigured, the inner three disciples saw his glory Yet even Peter would deny him three times. He watched all the crowds leave him, then shout crucify him. He stood before earthly rulers, condemned unjustly, though he was the ruler of all. He felt aches and pains. He was a man of sorrows. Have you had a bodily ailment? Jesus sympathizes with you, he was beaten and scourged for you. He had a real human will. He submitted in obedience to the Father, even to death.He felt deep anguish over the coming wrath of God he would bare for you. He sweat drops of blood in the garden.
He is the only Son from the Father – Jesus is the Son of the Father. He prayed and communed with the Father. He was ministered to by angels. He was beaten and suffered real physical torture by the hands of men. He had hands, fingers, feet. They drove nails through them. He had a head. They put a crown of thorns on it. He had a back. They scourged it. He was in real places. He walked by the sea of Gallie. His body was nailed to a real roman crucifix at a point in time, 2000 years ago.He knew what it was like to die completely abandoned.And he knew joy – For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross.
And he loved – Jesus hanging from the cross naked. Stripped of his clothes. His eye caught the gaze of his mother. “Woman behold your son”. There He is, the Word became flesh, the son of Mary, who loved his mother. He loved His mother and oh how He dwelt among us.
Behold your son! He is not telling her to behold him, but to behold John, in a new relationship where he will take care of her now. Jesus was departing from his beloved mother. Then he said to the disciple, “Behold your Mother”. From that very hour John took her to his home. Oh the love of Jesus! Even in the most intense moments of pain, His desire is to care for her and honor her, who is now widowed. He tells John to take her and care for her. And now experiences the full wrath of God for your sin. He is cut off from his mother. Jesus knows me must suffer and die alone. But He cries out to the only one left to hear His voice.
Father, why have you forsaken me. And there is no answer. His mother gone. His father cannot look upon him. And all your sins are on him. And the father unleashed to complete weight and immensity of the infinite divine justice of hell upon Him. Upon him a real man. He dwelt among us to die for us because of his great love. Jesus is love crucified in human flesh.
Dear ones, if Jesus will care for is mother while he’s nailed the cross for you, how much more will he take care of you his bride whom he died for?
But then Jesus rose from the dead as a glorified man. He walked out of the tomb on two feet. After the resurrection, when we meets his disciples who left him he doesn’t rebuke them, he calls them brethren. He tells them to tell the others. After his resurrection Thomas touched him. More than 500 people say him over 40 days. He was taken up into the clouds and they saw him no more. When he entered into heavens gates during the ascension, He entered into heaven as a glorified man! Who is the King of Glory, the Angels cry out, “it is the Lord strong and mighty! He is the Lord!”
A glorified man who walked into the gates of Heaven. All of the Angels looking upon Him. Who is this man who dare comes to the throne of God? And he walks up to the throne and sits down. And the Father looks upon him and is satisfied. When he returns he will still be a glorified human with eyes like flames of fire, with all the armies of heaven and the angels.
Dear one have you been walking far from God?
I have good news for you, Jesus has come near to you as a man. Take hold of him. Go to him who will accept you with human hands. Are you afflicted with cancer, pains, issues with work, heartache with family, your marriage, lost children, grandchildren, family. Take heart dear brother or sister burdened with the trails of this life, Jesus has gone through all, and he will carry you through it. Lay it all down at his human feet.
3. The Mediator of the Covenant of Grace
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” 1 Tim. 2:5
There is no one in all the universe like Jesus Christ for He is in one person, God and man, in two natures. And this God man is the one mediator between God and man. He is the only one qualified to do it because He has both natures. Paul’s immediate argument is that all kinds of men should be prayed for, whether they are Jews or Gentiles, since both Jews and now Gentiles are included in the Covenant of Grace. Paul writes, “There is only one God” – This is consistent with all the OT and NT. Then, notice Paul writes: “There is only one mediator between God and man.”
What is a mediator?
A go-between. He is one who stands between two groups in dispute. business is to bring them together, to make peace between them;
Why Does man need a mediator?
Immediately upon Adam’s sin, man broke the covenant of works The door of communion with God with slammed shut. No man could have access to God. But Jesus Christ is the mediator who opens the door. You need reconciliation with God because you are by nature at enmity with him and God’s wrath is upon man.
A mediator makes reconciliation for the sins of the people; brings them that were afar off near to God, and makes peace for them by the blood of his cross, Since Jesus is the only mediator to reconcile you to God, your reconciled soul should thankfully count all enjoyment, peace, favor, and comfort from God to Jesus Christ. If you have sweetly enjoyed the fellowship of God it is because of Christ the mediator. If you have had blessed worship on the Lord’s day for the course of your life, it is all due to Christ’s mediation.
Notice Paul writes this one mediator is “the man Christ Jesus.” Why do you need a mediator who is both God and human in one person? Jesus’s full humanity is required to die for your sins and satisfy the wrath of God:
“Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”
Heb. 2:17
He had to be God to bare the wrath of God on the cross. “That he might by the power of His Godhead sustain his human nature, the burden of God’s wrath.”
Now let’s look at 1 Tim. 2:6: “who gave himself as a ransom for all”. There is a story of the the rich man who bought the slave: He heard of the gold rush in California and made his millions. He was sailing back to England through new Orleans and saw two wicked men bidding on a young slave woman. He said he would pay double. She spit in his face. He took her by the hand. Got her papers signed and gave them to her. She spit in his face again. He said you’re free. You mean to say you bought me to set me free? She fell at his feet weeping. There’s only one thing I ask, let me be your slave all the days of my life.
That’s what Jesus Christ does for us. He purchases us to set us free from our sin so that we can serve him as our God all our lives.
As we close, I offer the following applications.
Live for the Lord Jesus Christ, who is truly God, truly man.
Center your whole life upon Jesus Christ with love for him. Give your whole life to him. Turn from sins that keep you from loving Jesus and turn to Jesus. Cut them off. The sins that are keeping you from being sold out completely to Jesus Christ. Have fellowship with the Lord Jesus. Think often and warmly of him by reading your Bibles and praying. If you don’t have a bible and want one, come see me after and we will give you one.
Make every effort to let Jesus Christ full your hearts with love, admiration, and praise that your soul will be transformed into his image.
Do let your minds be filled with troubles, fears, dangers, distress, anxieties. Fix your soul on Jesus Christ and find peace and rest for our souls, for the mind of the spirit is life and peace. Honor the Lord’s day Sabbath. I’m encouraged that we are doing that every Lord’s day worshiping God, through preaching, singing, praying, having fellowship, breaking bread, we have a cookout meal after service next week. It’ll be a wonderful time of followship together. Later in July we’ll be taking the Lord’s supper.
If you’re a Christian and not a member of a church or you’re a Christian and never been baptized come see me after. Come to Sunday school bring your kids to Sunday school. Love your brothers and sisters in Christ. I’m glad you are showing hospitality and inviting one another over, visiting the sick and shut-ins. Make disciples of Jesus Christ. Let’s storm the gates of hell! Let’s win this town for Jesus Christ! God can convert the whole zip code. Jesus is alive. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. The community around us does not exist for the church. The church exists to reach the community for the Lord. I’m encouraged to hear stories of those of you handing out Bibles. I’m encouraged to hear you praying for the lost. And I’m glad to hear you’re sharing the gospel with your friends and neighbors.
Believe Jesus mediates for you right now as a man in heaven.
He lives evermore to make intercession for you. (Heb. 7) He sympathizes with us in our weakness because he felt and experience all of humanity except sin and he is still a man right now in heaven. He sympathizes with a human heart. He is a person. He knows our sufferings because he experienced them. And he enters into them with you right now while you experience them by His Spirit from heaven as a man. He remembers all his sufferings and pains he experienced for you.He will bring you through what you’re going through because he already went through it himself, and his human heart from heaven has compassion for you. Hope for the day when he returns he will give you a glorified body. We will see him face to face, and we shall be like him.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.”
John 1:1-2
“14 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
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”
1 Tim. 2:5
Amen
Benediction
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
