Who is Jesus? II

3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom

The Central Message: The Kingdom of God

At the heart of Jesus' preaching was the announcement that the kingdom of God had arrived. Mark summarizes Jesus' message: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel"(Mark 1:15).
The kingdom of God was both "already" and "not yet." It had already arrived in the person and ministry of Jesus—wherever he went, God's reign was breaking into human history. Yet it had not yet come in its fullness—that awaited Jesus' second coming when all sin, suffering, and death would be abolished forever.
Jesus made this clear when he told certain Pharisees that "the kingdom is in the midst of you" (Luke 17:21). The King had arrived, and with him came the kingdom. His miracles, healings, and exorcisms were all signs that God's reign was pushing back the curse of sin and the dominion of Satan.
Yet the kingdom would not be fully realized until the New Heavens and New Earth, where there would be no more sin, suffering, or death. In the meantime, the kingdom advances as people repent and believe the gospel, submitting their lives to the King's authority.

The Call to Repentance and Faith

Jesus' preaching consistently called people to two responses: repentance and faith. Repentance meant turning away from sin and self-rule, acknowledging one's spiritual bankruptcy and need for a Savior. Faith meant trusting in Jesus as the Messiah sent from God, believing that he alone could save.
This was not a message of self-improvement or moral reform. It was a message of radical transformation through surrender to God's rule. Jesus proclaimed, "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3, 5). He demanded that people count the cost of following him, warning that discipleship required denying self, taking up one's cross daily, and losing one's life to save it (Luke 9:23-24).
The good news (gospel) that Jesus proclaimed was that despite humanity's rebellion against God, God in his mercy had provided a way of salvation through his Son. Those who repent and believe would receive forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, and eternal life in his kingdom.

Jesus as the Center of His Own Message

Remarkably, Jesus placed himself at the center of his own message. He didn't just preach about the kingdom—he claimed to be the King. He didn't just teach about God's will—he claimed to be God's Son with unique authority. He didn't just point people to salvation—he claimed to be the way, the truth, and the life, through whom alone people could come to the Father. (John 14:6).
Jesus claimed authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:5-7), to be Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28), to judge the living and the dead (Matthew 25:31-46), and to give eternal life (John 10:28). He accepted worship (Matthew 14:33; John 9:38) and declared that a person's eternal destiny depended on their response to him personally (Matthew 10:32-33).
These claims were either true or utterly blasphemous. There was no middle ground. As the Scottish preacher "Rabbi" John Duncan (1796–1870), stated:

"Christ either deceived mankind by conscious fraud, or He was Himself deluded and self-deceived, or He was Divine. There is no getting out of this trilemma. It is inexorable." ^a

a) Knight, William (1870). Colloquia Peripatetica. p. 109. Knight explains that the conversations quoted took place during the summers of 1859 and 1860

A famous quote by C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) points to the same thing: "Jesus was either a liar, a madman, or the Lord." The miracles, the fulfilled prophecies, and the testimony of those who knew him best all point to the truth: he was the Lord.

4. The Call and Training of the Disciples

Calling Followers

From the beginning of his ministry, Jesus called people to follow him as disciples. The first he called were fishermen—Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John. To them he said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19). They immediately left their nets and followed him.
Later he called Matthew (Levi), a tax collector, one of the most despised professions in Jewish society. Jesus saw past what Matthew was to what he could become. From this diverse group—fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot (political revolutionary), and others—Jesus formed the core of twelve apostles who would be eyewitnesses to his ministry, death, and resurrection.
Jesus' method of discipleship was incarnational—he lived with his disciples, allowing them to observe him in every situation. They watched how he prayed, how he treated people, how he handled opposition, how he responded to needs, and how he prioritized his time. They learned not just from his formal teaching but from his example.

Preparing Them for Mission

Jesus not only taught his disciples by words; he also sent them out to practice what they had learned. He gave them authority to cast out demons and heal diseases, sending them to proclaim that "the kingdom of heaven was at hand" (Matthew 10). When they returned, they reported with joy what God had done through them (Luke 10:17).
This hands-on training prepared them for their future role as leaders of the early church. Jesus warned them that they would face persecution: "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master... If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household" (Matthew 10:24-25).
He also promised them supernatural help: "When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you" (Matthew 10:19-20).

Revealing His Identity and Mission

A crucial turning point came when Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:15-16). Jesus confirmed that this revelation came from the Father and began to teach them plainly about his coming death and resurrection.
This was difficult teaching for the disciples to accept. They had expected a conquering Messiah who would overthrow Rome and establish Israel's political dominance. Instead, Jesus spoke of suffering, rejection, and death. Peter even rebuked Jesus for this teaching, only to be sharply corrected: "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man" (Matthew 16:23).
Jesus repeatedly taught his disciples that the path to glory led through suffering, that true greatness came through service, and that to save one's life one must lose it. These teachings prepared them to understand and proclaim the cross after Jesus' resurrection.

5. Opposition and Conflict

Growing Hostility from Religious Leaders

From early in his ministry, Jesus faced opposition from the religious establishment. The scribes and Pharisees were threatened by his popularity, his authority, his claims, and especially his critique of their hypocrisy.
They challenged him on multiple fronts: his association with "tax collectors and sinners" (Matthew 9:11), his disciples' failure to fast (Matthew 9:14), his healing on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:10), and his authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:7). Each challenge gave Jesus opportunity to reveal the hardness of their hearts and the emptiness of their religion.
Jesus responded with devastating clarity, exposing their hypocrisy: "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (Mark 7:6-7). He pronounced "woes" upon them for their false piety, calling them "blind guides," "whitewashed tombs," and a "brood of vipers" (Matthew 23).
This opposition escalated throughout Jesus' ministry. After he healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, "the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him" (Matthew 12:14). The religious leaders who should have recognized their Messiah instead plotted to kill him.

The Fulfillment of Scripture

Yet even this opposition fulfilled God's plan. Jesus frequently withdrew from confrontation because "his hour had not yet come" (John 7:30). He was working on a divine timetable, accomplishing everything the Father had given him to do before going to the cross.
Matthew notes that Jesus' withdrawal and healing ministry fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy about the Suffering Servant who would not cry aloud or break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick (Matthew 12:17-20; Isaiah 42:1-4). Jesus operated with strategic wisdom, avoiding premature confrontation so that he could complete his earthly ministry before the appointed time of his sacrifice.

Conclusion: Preparing the Way for the Cross

Every aspect of Jesus' ministry before the cross pointed toward the cross. His teaching revealed the holiness of God and the sinfulness of humanity, showing our desperate need for a Savior. His miracles demonstrated his divine authority and gave a foretaste of the full restoration that would come through his death and resurrection. His proclamation of the kingdom announced that God was acting to save his people from their sins. His training of the disciples prepared witnesses who would carry the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Jesus' earthly ministry revealed three crucial truths:
First, it revealed WHO he was: the Son of God, the Messiah, God incarnate, possessing all authority in heaven and on earth. His words, works, and character all testified to his divine identity.
Second, it revealed WHY he came: not primarily to heal bodies or provide material blessings (though he did these things), but to seek and save the lost, to give his life as a ransom for many, and to bear the sins of his people upon the cross.
Third, it revealed WHAT he accomplished: through his perfect life of obedience, he fulfilled all righteousness, providing the righteousness that would be imputed to all who believe. His sinless life qualified him to be the spotless Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world.
The work Jesus did before the cross was essential preparation for the work he would accomplish on the cross. He lived the life we should have lived but couldn't, and then he died the death we should have died but didn't—absorbing the full wrath of God against sin in our place.
As we move forward to examine Christ's work on the cross, we do so with full understanding that the cross was not a tragic accident or a plan gone wrong. It was the very purpose for which Jesus came into the world. He himself said, "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).
Everything in Jesus' earthly ministry pointed toward that final, glorious, terrible moment when the sinless Son of God would cry out, "It is finished," and accomplish the redemption of the world.

2. Christ's Work on the Cross

[Content covered in Chapter 4 above]

3. Christ's Work in the Church

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

Before his ascension, Jesus promised his disciples that he would not leave them as orphans, but would send "another Helper" - the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17). This promise was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost when the Spirit descended upon the gathered believers with power, enabling them to proclaim the gospel boldly in multiple languages (Acts 2).
The Holy Spirit's coming marked the beginning of a new era in redemptive history. The Spirit would convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). He would guide believers into all truth (John 16:13), glorify Christ (John 16:14), and empower them for witness to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
The Spirit's work in the church is multifaceted: regenerating dead hearts to new life, sanctifying believers progressively into Christ's image, distributing spiritual gifts for the body's edification, producing the fruit of Christlike character, and interceding for the saints according to God's will (Romans 8:26-27).

The Church as the People of God

In Acts we see the growth of the church and the expansion of the mission, as the apostles and others proclaim the crucified and resurrected Lord. What began with 120 believers in an upper room (Acts 1:15) grew to 3,000 on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41), then to 5,000 (Acts 4:4), and eventually spread throughout the Roman Empire.
The early church devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer (Acts 2:42). They met in homes and in the temple courts, sharing meals with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people (Acts 2:46-47).
The church is described as Christ's body (1 Corinthians 12:27), with Christ as the head (Ephesians 1:22-23). It is also portrayed as God's building, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). Believers are living stones being built into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5).
The church's mission, given directly by Jesus, is to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:19-20). This Great Commission continues until Christ returns.

4. Christ's Return

The Day of the Lord

The prophet Amos provides the earliest known use of the expression "the day of the LORD" in biblical literature. This day represents God's direct intervention in human history to judge the wicked and vindicate his people. The New Testament writers understood Christ's second coming as the ultimate fulfillment of this prophetic theme.
Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians that when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, he will inflict vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).
Yet for believers, that day brings not wrath but rescue. Christ "shall appear a second time not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him." (Hebrews 9:28). The first time he came to deal with sin; the second time he comes to save us from the wrath of God's judgment.

Living in Light of His Return

The New Testament consistently connects the hope of Christ's return with practical Christian living. The second coming provides motivation and power to live godly lives in several ways:
Pursuing Purity: "Everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure" (1 John 3:3). If we really hope to be like Christ when we see him, we will pursue being like him now. The desire to be transformed at his appearing fuels our present pursuit of holiness.
Remaining Faithful: Jesus taught multiple parables about servants awaiting their master's return, emphasizing the importance of being found faithful when he comes. The question is not what we want to be found thinking about when the Lord comes, but what we want to be found doing. Are we faithfully carrying out the work he has assigned us?
Gathering for Worship: "Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" (Hebrews 10:24-25). The nearness of Christ's return should intensify, not diminish, our commitment to corporate worship and fellowship.
Eager Expectation: Paul writes that "there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8). Loving Christ's appearing is a mark of genuine faith. A phony faith wants only to escape hell but has no desire for Christ himself.
The second coming is not meant to be a source of speculation or controversy, but a cause for worship, earnest hope, and liberating confidence for ministry. We do not know the day or the hour, but we live with consciousness of the nearness of the Lord's return, working faithfully, pursuing purity, and gathering with God's people in worship.

Chapter 7: God's Ultimate Authority Over Death

The Cry of Romans 7

^{A brief reflection from the Apostle Paul}

"Who will deliver me from this body of death?"
(Romans 7:24)

The passage from Romans 7:24-25 describes a profound conflict and struggle between the sinful nature and the desire to follow God's law, but concludes with gratitude that deliverance comes through Jesus Christ. The phrase "this body of death" refers to the sinful human condition that leads to spiritual death - not merely physical mortality, but the state of alienation from God that characterizes fallen humanity.
Apostle Paul, who expresses the deep conflict and struggle between the mind that wants to serve God and the flesh that is enslaved to sin. Every believer experiences this tension: the law of God delights the inner person, yet another law wages war in our members, making us captive to the law of sin (Romans 7:22-23).
The apostle's anguished cry - "O wretched man that I am!" - resonates with anyone who has honestly examined their own heart and found themselves falling short of God's perfect standard. The struggle is real and ongoing because we cannot redeem ourselves through willpower, discipline, or religious efforts.

The Answer: Jesus Christ Our Lord

The response to this desperate question comes immediately: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:25). Even though the struggle between flesh and spirit continues in this life, a Savior has provided the way for deliverance. The hope is not in our ability to overcome, but in Christ's finished work on our behalf.
This deliverance is both present and future. Presently, we are justified - declared righteous before God through faith in Christ. We have peace with God (Romans 5:1) and are no longer under condemnation (Romans 8:1). The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).
Yet we still await the full consummation of our salvation. Though we have been rescued from the dominion of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of God's beloved Son (Colossians 1:13), we groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23).

God Alone Possesses Immortality

God alone possesses immortality as part of his very being (1 Timothy 6:16). This is not merely endless existence, but life in its fullest sense - life that is eternal, unbounded by death, untainted by corruption. Humanity was not created with inherent immortality; we were given life as a gift, and that life was intended to be sustained through relationship with the eternal God.
When sin entered through Adam, death came with it - not just as a biological reality, but as a spiritual separation from the source of life. Death represents the ultimate enemy, the final consequence of sin, the visible manifestation of humanity's broken relationship with God.
But God will grant believers immortality at the return of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:53-54). Paul writes:

"For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, 'Death is swallowed up in victory.'"

The Resurrection Hope

The Christian hope is not disembodied existence in some ethereal realm, but bodily resurrection to eternal life. Just as Christ was raised from the dead with a glorified, physical body, so believers will be raised with bodies like his glorious body (Philippians 3:21). This is the "redemption of our bodies" for which we eagerly wait.
Death, then, does not have the final word. Through Christ's death and resurrection, death itself has been conquered. "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:56-57).

Chapter 8: Jesus' Coming Back

The Blessed Hope

The second coming of Christ represents the culmination of God's redemptive plan. Just as grace appeared in history about 2,000 years ago in the first coming of Jesus Christ, so glory will appear at his second coming to complete the work of salvation that grace began.
Paul writes to Titus, "The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:11-13).

Notice the connection: past grace, future glory, and present godly living. The incentive and power to live a Christian life pleasing to God comes from two directions - looking back with gratitude to the grace of God that appeared in Jesus Christ at his first coming when he purchased our redemption, and looking forward with hope to the glory of God that will appear at the second coming when he completes our redemption.

The Certainty of His Return

The second coming of Christ is as certain as his first coming. The same Christ who was physically incarnate, who physically died, who physically rose from the dead, and who physically ascended to heaven, will physically return to establish his throne and be acclaimed by his people as Sovereign over his Father's world.
Jesus himself promised, "I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:3). The angels declared to the disciples watching Jesus ascend, "This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).

What Will Happen When He Comes

Scripture describes multiple aspects of Christ's return:
The Resurrection of Believers: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
The Transformation of Living Believers: "Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
The Judgment of Unbelievers: Those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).
The Vindication and Glorification of Christ: Jesus will come "to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed" (2 Thessalonians 1:10). So the Person who was despised and rejected will be universally recognized as Lord.

Living as We Wait

How should we live in light of Christ's imminent return?
Continue in Faithful Service: Do the work God has assigned you. When the Lord comes, he will bless those whom he finds faithfully doing what they were assigned to do (Matthew 24:46).
Pursue Holiness: The hope of seeing Christ and being like him motivates us to purify ourselves now (1 John 3:2-3).
Gather with Believers: Do not neglect meeting together, but encourage one another all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:25).
Maintain Gentleness: "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near" (Philippians 4:5).
Pray for His Coming: The early church prayed "Maranatha!" - Come, Lord! (1 Corinthians 16:22). The final prayer of Scripture echoes this longing: "Come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20).
This is not escapism but a genuine desire for Christ himself and for the restoration of all things.
The second coming is not a peripheral doctrine to be debated or ignored, but a central hope that shapes how we live today. It assures us that history is moving toward a glorious conclusion, that suffering and injustice are temporary, that death is not the end, and that Christ will have the final victory.
As we wait, we do so with confidence, knowing that "He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming quickly.' Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20).

Conclusion

Who is Jesus? He is the God-man, fully divine and fully human, who came to accomplish what no one else could accomplish. He is the promised Messiah, the Son of Abraham who brings blessing to all nations, the Son of David who reigns on an eternal throne, the Last Adam who reverses the curse of sin and death.
He is the Prophet greater than Moses, the Priest greater than Aaron, the King greater than David. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and the Lion of Judah who will conquer all his enemies.
He is the One who was, and is, and is to come - the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. He died for our sins, rose for our justification, ascended to the Father's right hand, and will return in glory to complete our salvation.
The question posed by the religious leaders in Mark 11:28 - "By what authority are you doing these things?" - has been answered definitively. Jesus acts with the authority of God himself, because he is God. He has authority over sin, sickness, demons, nature, and death. He has authority to forgive sins, to give eternal life, and to judge the living and the dead.
The question that remains for each person is not "Who is Jesus?" but "What will I do with Jesus?" Will we recognize him as Lord and Savior, or will we, like the religious leaders of his day, reject him despite overwhelming evidence? The decision we make about Jesus Christ determines our eternal destiny.
Thanks be to God that he has provided such a great salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord!

Sources

This booklet drew upon the following theological resources and biblical commentaries:
Enduring Word Commentary by David Guzik (enduringword.com):
- Commentary on Matthew's Gospel, particularly the genealogy of Jesus and the religious context of first-century Judaism
- Commentary on Hebrews, specifically regarding Christ's role as High Priest and Mediator
- Commentary on Romans 7-8, addressing the struggle with sin and deliverance through Christ
Desiring God Ministry (desiringgod.org):
- Articles and sermons by John Piper on Romans 5 and the Adam-Christ parallel
- Resources on the doctrine of justification by faith
- Teachings on the second coming of Christ and living in light of eternity
- Materials on the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers Biblical Texts Referenced:
- Old Testament: Genesis, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Isaiah, Hosea, Daniel, Amos
- Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John br6 - Acts of the Apostles
- Pauline Epistles: Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus
- General Epistles: Hebrews, 1-2 Peter, 1 John
- Revelation

Additional Theological Resources:

- ESV Study Bible notes and introductions
- Reformed theological traditions on Christology and soteriology
- Historical context from first-century Judaism studies

This booklet is intended for personal study and small group discussion. May it deepen your understanding of who Jesus Christ is and strengthen your faith in him as Lord and Savior.

_{I used claude.ai to prepare my notes, collect data, and write my essay/booklet.}

Search This Blog

Tune and Prepare!