WHO IS JESUS? by Staff for Core Christianity
Many people around the world from a variety of religious backgrounds have a positive view of Jesus. Some say he was a great teacher of high moral principles, like Buddha. Others revere him as a prophet. So, was Jesus a kind of sage or guru, or was he something more?
The actual term Jesus used to describe himself wasn’t sage, or guru, but the Christ. We find this word in numerous Old Testament passages that describe a coming Messiah who would rescue people from their sin. And this Messiah, or Christ, was to be nothing less than God himself.
In the book of Daniel, we’re told that this Messiah would both atone for iniquity and reign forever on David’s throne (Dan. 9:24). Isaiah 9:6 says, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” So, according to the Old Testament prophets, the Jews weren’t expecting another good teacher, or sage—they were expecting God himself to come down.
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But did Jesus ever claim to be this divine Messiah? According to the New Testament, many people in Jesus’ day assumed he was a prophet like Elijah, or John the Baptist. When he pressed his own disciples asking, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:15–16). Upon hearing this, Jesus offered not one word of rebuke. He only affirmed what Peter said.
Jesus also said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9), which would have been highly inappropriate, and even blasphemous to say if he were a mere prophet, or teacher of high morals. But he actually went further, saying, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). He applied to himself the very divine name which God revealed to Moses in the burning bush (Exod. 3:1–6). This offended his hearers so much that they actually picked up stones to throw at him (John 8:59).
Now, it’s one thing to claim to be divine, but quite another to prove it. Consider the kinds of things did Jesus did in order to demonstrate that he was God in human flesh:
1. Jesus performed numerous miracles.
According to the eyewitness accounts, Jesus calmed a storm, walked on water, healed people, and even raised the dead. Even Jesus’ enemies conceded he was a miracle worker, but they simply argued that he performed these feats through sorcery.
