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Jesus, His IdentityJesus, His Identity

We understand that the Bible presents Jesus both prophetically andhistorically (cp. Isa. 53; Acts 1: 1-3). However, the Fourth Gospel isabsolutely indispensable to a complete study of the identity of Jesus. Thedesign of John is succinctly stated in John 20: 30, 31. John recorded manythings regarding Jesus that the other gospel writers did not. John dwells morefully on the divine character of Jesus. The celebrated commentator Albert Barneswrote thus about John's Gospel and Jesus: "It contains more about Christ, his person, design, and work, than any ofthe other Gospels. The other evangelists were employed more in recording themiracles, and giving external evidence of the divine mission of Jesus. John isemployed chiefly in telling us what he was, and what was his peculiardoctrine.The other evangelists record his parables, his miracles, his debateswith the scribes and Pharisees; John records chiefly his discourses abouthimself" (Barnes Notes on the New Testament, Introduction to John, pg. 171). Let us now consider how John introduces Jesus to mankind (John oftenreveals facts about Jesus by recording particular statements made relative toJesus). John presents Jesus as the Word. "In the beginning was the Word, and theWord was with God, and the Word was God," wrote John (Jn. 1: 1, see addendum).John wrote the Word (oh logos) was with (pros) God. "The preposition is

difficult to translate," writes the Pulpit Commentary, "it is equivalent to 'wasin relation with God'" (Vol. 17, pg. 6). Commentator William Hendriksen wrote,"And the Word was face to face with God. The meaning is that the Word existed inthe closest possible fellowship with the Father, and that he took supremedelight in this communion" (New Testament Commentary, Vol. 4, pg. 70). Beloved,pros ("with") suggests Jesus' equality with the Father in his pre-incarnatestate (cp. 10: 30, 14: 6, 7-9). John said "and the Word was God" (kai theos enho logos, see Jn. 10: 33, 30, 32). Why the "title" Word? A word gives expressionto the inner thought, even if none are present to hear or to read and it reveals

this thought to others. Jesus revealed the Father and his will (Jn. 14: 8-14).The Word was in the beginning. John's opening words are, "In the beginningwas the Word" (Jn. 1: 1). John then re-emphasizes by affirming, "The same wasin the beginning with God" (vs. 2). Jesus mentioned his pre-incarnate state inhis prayer to the Father. Hear him: "And now, O Father, glorify thou me withthine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was" (Jn.17: 5). The Jews sought to stone Jesus (Jn. 8: 59). The cause for the stoningwas alleged blaspheming. Jesus had said, "Before Abraham was, I am" (vs. 58).

Jesus is the Creator. John not only introduces Jesus as being the Word,with the Father, and in the beginning, but he presents Jesus as being the actualCreator of all things created. "All things were made by him; and without him was

not any thing made that was made" (Jn. 1: 3). John subsequently wrote, "and theworld was made by him" (vs. 10). Paul affirmed Jesus did the actual creating(Col. 1: 16). Jesus is the true light. Light is symbolic of knowledge, goodness, andpurity. "In him," John wrote, "was life and the life was the light of men" (vs.4). John later wrote that Jesus not only is the source of light, but also ishimself light. Hear him, "That was the true Light (referring to Jesus, the Word,dm), which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (vs. 9).

Jesus, the King of Israel. The modernist attempts to strip Jesus of his

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deity and the Premillennialist endeavors to divest Jesus of his regal authorityand Kingship. Nathanael said thus to Jesus, "thou are the Son of God; thou artthe King of Israel" (Jn. 1: 49). Jesus accepted Nathanael's designation asaccurate. Jesus is the King in his Kingdom. The Kingdom was in existence in theFirst Century (Col. 1: 13, cp. Acts 2: 30-35).

Jesus is the Lamb of God. John the Baptist had this to say about Jesus'identity, "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold theLamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (Jn. 1: 29). Jesus isreferred to as the Lamb of God because of his docility and submission (Isa. 53:7). Also, Jesus was the sacrificial offering for the sins of the world (Heb. 9:27, Matt. 26: 28).

Jesus, according to John, is the Christ. John describes the joy Andrewexperienced at finding Jesus. "We have found the Messias," said Andrew, "whichis, being interpreted, the Christ" (Jn. 1: 41). Jesus claimed Messiahship. Inconversation with the Samaritan woman who mentioned the coming Messiah, Jesussaid "I that speak unto thee am he" (Jn. 4: 25, 26). John explained that Jesus'miracles were recorded for the purpose of attesting to the Messiahship of Jesus."But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Sonof God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" (Jn. 20: 30,31). John portrays Jesus as the Son of God. Nathanael knew that Jesus was theSon of God (Jn. 1: 49). The Jews highly esteemed John the Baptist and knew hewas of God (Matt. 21: 26). Therefore, it was highly significant when John the

Baptist said of Jesus, "And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God"(Jn. 1: 34). Jesus claimed to be the Son of God (Jn. 10: 29). The Jews knew suchan assertion meant equality with the Father. Jesus removed any doubt when heexclaimed, "I and my Father are one" (Jn. 10: 30). Jesus so perfectlyrepresented the Father in purpose and nature that Jesus said, "he that hathseen me hath seen the Father" (Jn. 14: 9). In addition, John presents Jesus asthe bread from heaven, the true vine, door to the sheep, Good Shepherd, theresurrection and life, and the way, the truth and the life (Jn. 6: 35; 15: 1, 5;10: 7; 11; 11: 25; 14: 6).

In closing, the apostle Paul warned about any preaching "another Jesus,whom we have not preached" (2 Cor. 11: 4). The Jesus John introduced to the

world is truly the "only begotten of the Father" ("only begotten" is from theGreek monogenes, which means unique and one of a kind, click on "Only Begotten"to read more; also, "The Historicity of Jesus"). Addendum: "'The Personal Word,' a title of the Son of God; thisidentification is substantiated by the statements of doctrine in John 1:1-18,declaring in verses John 1:1,2 (1) His distinct and superfinite Personality, (2)His relation in the Godhead (pros, 'with,' not mere company, but the mostintimate communion), (3) His deity; in John 1:3 His creative power; in John 1:14His incarnation ('became flesh,' expressing His voluntary act; not as AV, 'wasmade'), the reality and totality of His human nature, and His glory 'as of theonly begotten from the Father,' RV (marg., 'an only begotten from a father'),

the absence of the article in each place lending stress to the nature andcharacter of the relationship; His was the shekinah glory in open manifestation;John 1:18 consummates the identification: "the only-begotten Son (RV marg., manyancient authorities read 'God only begotten,'), which is in the bosom of theFather, He hath declared Him,' thus fulfilling the significance of the title'Logos,' the 'Word,' the personal manifestation, not of a part of the Divinenature, but of the whole Deity (see IMAGE)." (Vine's Expository Dictionary ofNew Testament Words.)

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