Who Was JESUS, The CHRIST?
Does it really matter who Christ was? Does it make any
difference in the life of the individual and society whether
people believe that Jesus was God, the second person of the Holy
Trinity, or man? In my opinion it shouldn't and it wouldn't, if
Christians concentrated on Christ's message and how to follow
his example. Unfortunately, however, the main concern of
Christians is to propagate far-fetched dogmas that cause strife
and division among believers and offend common sense and
God-given reason. The result? Christian fanaticism pushes many
intelligent people to atheism or to other religions.
So, then, who was Jesus? The truth about Jesus the Christ is to
be found in the Bible, the very book from which the various
Christian doctrines also derive. It is all there: the wheat and
the chaff, the meat and the bones. However it takes
unconditional love of the Truth and fearlessness to shake off
erroneous old beliefs.
>From many verses of the New Testament, it is evident that Jesus
considered himself as being a prophet. His disciples and all
those who believed his message and followed him during his
ministry also considered him as a prophet.
The following scriptures testify to this:
"Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the
day following; for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone
those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your
children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,
but you were not willing!" (Luke 13: 33-34)
As a prophet whom God sent to the Jews, Jesus longed to gather
Jerusalem's children together and guide them to the right path.
However, they were not willing. Worse still, they planned to
kill him in Jerusalem, as they had done to many other prophets
before him. Let us look at more relevant scriptures:
"For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his
own country." (John 4: 44)
" And they were offended in him. But Jesus said to them, 'A
prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in
his own house'. And he did not do many miracles there because of
their lack of faith." (Matt. 13: 57-58)
In the previous two verses Jesus leaves no doubt that he
considered himself as prophet and nothing more. That's why he
was not surprised that he could not do many miracles in
Nazareth, his hometown. His family as well as his compatriots
did not take him seriously. Some might have been jealous of him.
This was usual for a prophet and it is verified throughout the
ages. It is almost an axiom. Other prophets, before Jesus, had
not been accepted by their own people. He couldn't be an
exception.
"When the people saw the sign which he (Jesus) had done, they
said, 'this is indeed the prophet who is to come into the
world!'" (John 6:14)
The sign was the feeding of the multitudes with five barley
loaves and two fish. Indeed at that time the Jews expected a
prophet to come to the world, and some recognized him in Jesus.
"When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and
asked, 'Who is this?' The crowds answered, 'This is Jesus, the
prophet from Nazareth in Galilee'." (Matt. 21: 1-11) Apparently,
the crowds that believed and followed Jesus who was riding on a
donkey, in his triumphant entrance to Jerusalem, considered
Jesus as prophet.
"And he said to them, 'What things?' And they said to him,
'Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed
and word before God and all the people, and how our chief
priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death,
and crucified him." (Luke 24: 19- 20)
These are the words of two of Jesus' disciples on their way to a
village called Emmaus, after his crucifixion. Even his disciples
considered Jesus as a mighty prophet and nothing more!
As regards the divinity of Jesus, for those who have "eyes to
see and ears to hear", here are some Biblical passages that
clarify the issue:
<<"I and the Father are one." The Jews picked up stones again to
stone him. Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good
works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone
me?" The Jews answered him, "It is not for a good work that we
are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a
man, make yourself God." Jesus answered them, "Is it not written
in your Law, 'I said, you are gods'? If he called them gods to
whom the word of God came--and Scripture cannot be broken-- do
you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the
world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of
God'? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not
believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me,
believe the works, that you may know and understand that the
Father is in me and I am in the Father." >> John 10:30-38
It is interesting that Jesus did not refer to his alleged
miraculous conception in order to prove that he was the Son of
God! Instead, he referred to an O.T. Scripture that implies that
every one is a son of God! Why?
Let me quote here the verse from the Old Testament Jesus
referred to: "I said, 'You are gods, and sons of the Most High,
all of you; nevertheless, you die as men, and fall like one of
the princes'." (Psa. 82: 6-7)
Naturally, if all men are sons of the Most High, they must
partake in His divine nature, i.e. they must be potentially
gods, although they don't know it.
Let us now see what the New Testament says about divine sonship,
and further what Jesus said about himself and his heavenly
Father. Did he claim to be the unique, the only begotten Son of
God?
"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted by the devil. (...) And the tempter came and said to
him, 'If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become
loaves of bread'." (Matt. 4: 1,3)
In the beginning of Jesus' mission, the "devil", having taken
the permission of the Holy Spirit, tempted Jesus in what he had
claimed to be, i.e. Son of God.
"And when he came to the other side, to the country of the
Gergesenes, two demoniacs met him, coming out of the tombs, so
violent that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried
out, saying: What have you to do with us, Jesus, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before our time?" (Matt. 8:
28-29)
Here we have the demons, speaking through the demoniacs of
Gergesenes, addressing Jesus, whom they had not seen before, as
Son of God, acknowledging that he had power over them. Notice
that they didn't address him as God.
"Blessed be the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of
God." (Matt.5: 9)
Jesus said that all peacemakers shall be called sons of God.
Peace is so important for the welfare of mankind that those who
endeavor to establish it among men shall be called sons of God!
"But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you, so that you may become sons of your Father who is
in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the
good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matt. 5:
44-45)
Another sure way to become sons and daughters of our heavenly
Father and manifest some of His qualities is to love our enemies
and pray for those who persecute us.
It remains for us to discern if Jesus was the unique Son of God
or a Son of God. The following scriptures will help us to answer
this question.
"And looking around on those who sat about him, he said, 'Here
are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is
my brother, and sister, and mother'." (Mark 3: 34-35)
Jesus calls all those who do the will of God, brothers and
sisters. In other words, whosoever does the will of God is a son
of God, just as Jesus was.
"Jesus said to her, 'Do not touch me, for I have not yet
ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, I
am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your
God'." (John 20: 17)
By these words Jesus asserts, once again, that God, his Father,
is also God and Father of his disciples. Apparently, he does not
claim to be anything different from his disciples.
Let us now see the scriptures where Jesus clearly states that
his Father is greater than him:
"If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the
Father; for the Father is greater than I." (John 14: 28b)
The verse is very clear on this: the Father is greater than the
Son. Doesn't this contradict the doctrine of equality of three
persons in the Holy Trinity?
"My sheep listen to my voice; (...) My Father who has given them
to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my
Father's hand." (John 10: 27a, 29)
Once again Jesus declares that the Father is greater than all.
"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of
heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." (Matt. 24: 36)
But if the three persons of the Holy Trinity were equal and
inseparable, as Christians believe, then how could there be any
secrets among them? Whatever the Father knew the other two
persons would also know. But the above verse says that there are
things that only the Father knows!
"As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you
the truth that I heard from God. (...) The Jews answered him,
'Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and
demon-possessed?' 'I am not possessed by a demon' said Jesus,
'but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I am not seeking
glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the
judge'." (John 8: 40a, 48-50)
Here we are told that the truth Jesus came to tell the world was
not his own! He heard it from his Father! And Jesus was not
seeking glory for himself. Let them who praise and glorify Jesus
contemplate on these scriptures...
"And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and
knelt before him, and asked him, 'Good Teacher, what must I do
to inherit eternal life?' And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you
call me good? No one is good but God alone'." (Mark 10: 17-18)
Strange as it may sound, Jesus even denies that he is good! He
says that God alone is good!
Do we need more evidence that Jesus did not believe himself to
be equal to God?
"Then Jesus said unto them, 'When you have lifted up the Son of
man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on
my own authority; but I speak just what the Father has taught
me. And He who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone; for
I always do what is pleasing to Him'." (John 8: 28-29)
So, it was the Father who taught Jesus the Truth! Jesus did
nothing on his own authority. And the Father was with Jesus,
because he did what was pleasing to the Father! By these words
Jesus confirms that the Father is greater than he, and he
implies that if he didn't do what was pleasing to God, the
Almighty would not be with him!
"Jesus answered, 'My teaching is not my own. It comes from him
who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find
out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my
own. (...) Why are you trying to kill me?' 'You are
demon-possessed', the crowd answered. 'Who is trying to kill
you?' Jesus said to them, (...) Why are you angry with me for
healing the whole man on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere
appearances, and make a right judgment." (John 7: 16-17, 19b,
20, 21a, 23b, 24)
There are many more scriptures that support that Jesus was a
unique prophet, totally devoted to God, who was "sent" to speak
the Truth, as all true prophets before him were. God anointed
him with the Holy Spirit and He endowed him with wisdom and
power to do miracles. He attained Christhood after his baptism
and the 40 days' fasting in the wilderness, where he overcame
all fleshly temptations.
Would Jesus need an anointing if he were God himself? Would the
Anointer need to be anointed by another? His very name "CHRIST",
from the Greek verb "chrizo", i.e. anoint, speaks clearly of his
office and leaves no room for misunderstanding.
Anyway, in the times Jesus walked on earth, it was usual of
people to consider as god any miracle worker. I close this
article with the following passages from the New Testament,
which is indicative of this tendency, and offers much food for
thought:
"Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his
feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. He
listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and
seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice,
'Stand upright on your feet.' And he sprang up and began
walking. And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted
up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, 'The gods have come down
to us in the likeness of men!' Barnabas they called Zeus, and
Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. And the priest
of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought
oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice
with the crowds. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard
of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd,
crying out, 'Men, why are you doing these things? We also are
men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that
you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made
the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them'."
Acts 14: 8-15