Who is Christ

In America, there is a Jesus for every occasion. There is a thumbs up, Buddy Jesus a Redneck Jesus, a tattooed Jesus which are very common images. We have designed him to be everything that suits our needs. We have created a Jesus to support just about every cause that we can think of. So let me ask you, who is Christ to you? Is Christ just your buddy? Is he someone, as the children’s song puts it, you keep in a little white box? Is he someone you just celebrate with on Sunday? 

I ask who is Jesus, because our response to him in our life is dependent on who we claim him to be. If he is just a buddy or casual in our life then we don’t really need to care how we respond to him. However, if we understand who he is, not just our friend, comforter, and personal assistant, but who he really is, I guarantee, our response would be radically different.  Colossians 1:15-20 gives a wonderful description of who Christ is. He is the image of God, the first born of creation, the creator, the redeemer, and the head. Think about that, the Creator, the person who made us, came down and redeemed us. He paid for us, he rescued us from ourselves. He gave up all the comforts of Heaven to come down to Earth for us. Think about that like this, look around your house, the heat/ac, electricity, indoor plumbing, groceries, etc. Now, image that you  are to give it all up and go live in a desolate place, no plumbing, no electricity, all the comforts are gone and you have to stay like this for thirty-three years. That is what Christ essentially did for us. He did so out of love for us. 

Again I ask you, who is Jesus to you? I urge you if for you he is just a novelty, that you take time to get to know him. I gave you the passage above to start with, after that ready the book of John, get to know who this Christ is. I promise again, it will change your life.

Jesus said I am...

Jesus said I am... several  time throughout the book of John. Most people can think of verses like John 14:6 or 8:12 but they never really think about what Jesus is saying. In these I am statements Jesus is showing who he is and what his purpose is.  John contains 15 I am statements but for times sake, we are going to just look at three of them.

First Jesus said, “I am the light of the world...”(John 8:12). Many times we equate this as how we are to be light, and we are a reflection of Jesus. However, the meaning runs much deeper. When Jesus speaks he is saying follow him and he will lead us. When the religious leaders of his time heard this, they would have immediately thought of the the exodus.  During the exodus God led the Israelites by cloud  during the day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22). Jesus claim to be a light leading out of darkness is a claim that Jesus is God. 

The second I am statement is “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11). This statement is not only a teaching of Jesus but also another direct reference to Jesus’ claim that he was God. This is a claim based on the writing of Ezekiel. God told Ezekiel that the shepherds (leaders) had ignored the sheep (people) and made themselves fat. Therefore, God said that he would take care of the sheep (Ezekiel 34). So when Jesus equates himself as the good shepherd he affirms his deity.

Finally, Jesus said “I am the true vine” (John 15). The idea of the vine or vineyard runs throughout scripture. Psalm 80:5, Isaiah 5, and Matthew 21 all contain teaching about God planting the vine or vineyard.  How it was supposed to grow, but instead grew wild. Jesus’ assertion that he was the true vine shows that he is the one living out God’s will, and that when we remain in him, we are part of the vine living out God’s will.

I urge that you join me in remembering who Jesus is as we celebrate his birth and life this time of the year.