Who is the person we call Jesus? Where did he come from? What was his purpose? Where is he now? What is his name and what is the significance? These and other questions will be answered in the best way that I can say it, with the help of scripture and the Holy Spirit. Let’s study the life, death, resurrection and purpose of the 2nd person of the trinity, God’s son. During this study I hope you will learn the truth, put aside your traditions and your presuppositions and just focus on the truth as the scripture tells it. Say a prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in your understanding and your thoughts so that you can know the real truth and worship the true the Son of God.
His 1st Coming
Although the scriptures in what was named the Old Testament do prophecy about God’s son, the one who was coming, it wasn’t until many years later that we see his arrival described to us in what was termed The New Testament. You can read about about the young woman that God chose to be the vessel in which the son would be born into humanity and the actual birth account in the gospels of Matthew 1:18-24, and Luke 1:26-2:20. John 1:1-18 tells us about the fact that Jesus has always existed. The birth account than is when he became flesh and dwelt among us.
- Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth — Luke 1:26
- to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. — Luke 1:27
- The virgin’s name was Mary. — Luke 1:27
- Gabriel tells Mary she will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name him Yeshua (Jesus in our English translations) — Luke 1:31
- Mary is told how she would conceive and that the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God — Luke 1:35
- There was a census or registration of everyone, to be taken and people needed to return to their home locations. Joseph (Jesus’ step-father) took his pregnant wife (and another translation issue in English translations is they make it sound like they were not yet married. Have you ever thought of this? Link) from Nazareth in Galilee to the City of David in Bethlehem in Judea. There were no empty rooms, most probably in his relatives homes, and they stayed likely on the ground floor of a home dwelling rather than up in the living area with others. This is where she gave birth to God’s son. — Luke 2:1-7
Since the language of Mary and Joseph would have been Aramaic or Hebrew, it’s understood that his name would have been Yeshua or Yehushua which is probably more correct. I’m not going to get into the etymology of the word but lets just say through the languages, alphabets, pronunciations and translations his name began to be written in Bibles as Jesus. However, this is in my opinion a very long, odd way of getting to that as the actual translation should have been Joshua. But moving on. Here is one website that does a good job of explaining it if you want to look into this more. There are many places you can look to research this if you’re interested. As an aside, Yeshua means, Yahweh Saves. Said another way, Jesus means God Saves.
Other names he is called by are Jesus of Nazareth, Prince of Peace, Immanuel (Emmanuel), King of Kings, Messiah, Redeemer, Light of the World, and others. The name Immanuel means “God with us”.
A Purpose Driven Life
The life of Yeshua/Jesus in the flesh here on the Earth is far too much information for me to write about in this blog. You need to read the scripture to know everything he did while walking among the people of that time period. You will read about his life in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Matthew, Mark and John walked with Jesus as disciples. Their accounts then are first hand even if they have different writing styles. They were witnesses of Christ. By the way, The Christ (or Christ) is not a name but a title meaning The Anointed One, therefore you could say Jesus The Christ (Greek, Christos) rather than Jesus Christ, but either way it’s a title, not a name. In Hebrew he was called Mashiach (Messiah), same meaning.
He was prophesied about
Kings, priests and prophets were anointed and so as Jesus was prophesied about in the years before his birth, the people were looking for just that. Men like Micah and Isaiah prophesied some 6-700 years before Christ’s birth about his coming. Jesus was called The Christ by his early followers as they believed he was this anointed one prophesied about. (as do I, btw). The people waiting for his coming, many, were expecting this figure to come as a King or someone of authority to oppose the Roman rule they were under, to rescue them and destroy their enemies. When Jesus came into his ministry at what is believed to be about the age of 30, and he wasn’t an earthly King or rescuing them from the Roman government and oppression, so many did not believe he was who he claimed he was. But they were missing the big picture. They were looking at the wrong things and not listening to what he was trying to tell them. Many did of course listen and he amassed a large following in his short life on Earth.
For more read 2 Samuel 7:1-17.
His life and his death
Again, I can’t begin to encompass the life of Jesus in this blog but you can read about his life and his ministry in the scriptures. We don’t know a whole lot about his childhood or early life but we are told a few details (Luke 2:41-52). Then we really see Jesus once he his baptized by his cousin John (Mark 1:1-11). As you continue to read through the gospel of Mark, or Matthew, or John’s gospel and also Luke, you learn more about Jesus’ ministry. We see he chose 12 men to be his disciples, or closest followers that he would be teaching to continue his ministry once he was no longer walking the Earth. One of those 12 would betray him for money. This was all part of God’s plan and Jesus knew the plan so it wasn’t a surprise. In fact when the time was right he told his disciples what was going to happen, but they just didn’t understand, not entirely.
13 Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, to send them out to preach, 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 He appointed the Twelve: To Simon, he gave the name Peter; 17 and to James the son of Zebedee, and to his brother John, he gave the name “Boanerges” (that is, “Sons of Thunder” ); 18 Andrew; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. — Mark 3:13-19 (CSB)
For those 3 or so years they walked with Jesus he was equipping them with the knowledge they needed to share about his purpose and about the Father, to the people who would listen. Because you see, until Christ fulfilled his purpose by the will of the Father there was no connection for humanity to the Father. Once Adam sinned against God, the bond, or line of communication or whatever you want to call it, was severed between God and man. But God being rich in mercy sent his son to pay the price for that sin that we are all subjected to, so that we may be eternally restored to the father. We, through the blood of Jesus, are made righteous, restored or redeemed, so that we are not under condemnation but can have eternal life. Without Jesus’ sacrifice this would not exist.
23 Now Jesus began to go all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 Then the news about him spread throughout Syria. So they brought to him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics. And he healed them. 25 Large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. — Matthew 4:23-25 (CSB)
We are not given many details about what Christ’s personal life was like. We don’t know what he looked like, what he ate, how he spent all his time but it does appear he spent most of his time teaching crowds and preparing his disciples. It appears he spent a lot of his time with them. Those details are far less important than the reason he came, and the message he was teaching. We learn the human condition and the need for a redeemer when we read through the Old Testament. Man is sinful, as in, disobedient to God, and this caused man to be separated from him. The scripture than is the story of Jesus, who is God’s redemptive plan for humanity. In order to be reconciled to God, our creator, our Father, required a payment in blood. The blood of a pure sinless man. None of us could do it. God sent his son, part of the trinity, through the Holy Spirit to the womb of a virgin who was the vessel for God to dwell among us in the flesh. He came not as a grown man with wealth, power, and a kingdom, he came as an infant to humble beginnings. Later he gave up his life, willingly, in total obedience and humility to the Father so that through his shed blood we have a way. If you haven’t read my post on Calvary, here’s a good time to do it.
21 From then on Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day. — Matthew 16:21 (CSB)
Read the book of John and you will see the life of Christ in it, but in truth, you will see Jesus in the entire Bible because it is in fact his story, not ours. Jesus came seeking the lost that they may be reconciled and have eternal life through him. You will see Jesus’ humility, his power, his love, and his obedience. You need to read everything to see all that Jesus did and what he was teaching them and why. As you keep reading you learn about Jesus’ future death and promise of rising again. We also learn of his Kingdom and the promise of his 2nd coming. We clearly see why he came and why it’s important we believe in him.
31 The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, and yet no one accepts his testimony. 33 The one who has accepted his testimony has affirmed that God is true. 34 For the one whom God sent speaks God’s words, since he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hands. 36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him — John 3:31-36 (CSB)
Where is he now?
44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three, 45 because the sun’s light failed. The curtain of the sanctuary was split down the middle. 46 And Jesus called out with a loud voice,“Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.” Saying this, he breathed his last. — Luke 23:44-46 (CSB)
The above scripture is the death of Jesus. He body hung on a cross, beaten and than bloodless as they pierced his side and blood poured out. Reading down through Luke you see information about Christ’s burial. When the women returned to the tomb the stone in front of the tomb was rolled away. Jesus body was not inside. Move on to John chapter 20 for more details about the empty tomb and Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene. Jesus then appears to the 11 disciples and afterwards he ascends to the Father. That is where Jesus is now. He is coming again as the scripture speaks of. Read Acts 1:1-11 (that is a study for another day)
17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus told her,“since I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord! ” And she told them what he had said to her. — John 20:17-18
50 Then he led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 And while he was blessing them, he left them and was carried up into heaven. 52 After worshiping him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they were continually in the temple praising God. — Luke 24:50-53 (CSB)
Closing
This is only a tiny fraction that I could say about Jesus. There are many who say Jesus was a created being, like man and the angels, but the scriptures refute that. If you’re a follower of Christ you have faith in the words written by the men who were inspired by the Spirit to write them and in some cases were eye-witnesses to Jesus. Everything has a creator and God the Father or Yahweh is the creator but he didn’t create Jesus or the Holy Spirit as they are him. I have a post about the 3 persons of God also. Keep coming back to my site as I continue to share and study about our amazing Creator and our perfect Redeemer. If you do, I hope that you will continue to learn about who Christ is and who God is, as I can’t read the Bible without seeing it and I hope you can see it too. I am so unworthy to live among my Father in heaven and my Redeemer, and yet I know I will one day because God loves so amazingly that he gave me a way. I am reconciled to him through Jesus. Jesus my mediator, my advocate, my saving grace by which I obtain the promise of eternal life.
Read the Bible without putting yourself in it, without putting modern day troubles in it. Read it looking for what it says about God. You might see things differently. Can we learn from what we read and apply it to our lives? Sure. For one thing a major theme is living in humility and obedience to God, persevering in faith even in the midst of persecution. We have a model of what that looks like, it’s Christ. He was perfect though, as he is God, but still there are other ordinary humans in the scriptures we can model. People like Daniel or his friends; people like Paul, Mary the mother of Jesus, and countless others show us how to live in faithful obedience.