Who is Jesus
Living in 21st century Scotland, or anywhere else in the western world, it’s difficult to watch anything on TV, walk down the street, or go to work, or school and not hear people swearing. It’s part of the culture but the usual ‘four letter’ swear words that are commonly used aren’t the worst thing for Christian ears. It’s common to substitute the four letter words with the name of Jesus Christ as ‘polite swearing’.
Many don’t appreciate that, for the Christian, this name is more than just a ‘polite swear word’. They don’t appreciate the depth of meaning that this name has to the Christian, and despite being one of the most famous figures in history, many today only carry a caricature or watered-down idea of who Jesus is. The truth is far greater.
So, Who is Jesus? To answer this, we can look at Him in four ways: Jesus the Man, the Messenger, the Messiah, and the Master.
Jesus the Man
The Church of the Nativity - Bethlehem
This church is built on the location that is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth.
Some argue Jesus of Nazareth never even existed—that He’s no more than a legend, like King Arthur or Robin Hood. They argue that there is not enough historical evidence to prove, without reasonable doubt that Jesus was a real man, but reality doesn’t support this. There is as much, if not more, evidence of Jesus of Nazareth compared to any other 1st century historical figure, and to suggest otherwise is a misrepresentation of the facts.
To begin with there are the Gospels, four separate documents that were written within living memory of the actual events, which stand as strong historical testimony. Three were written by eyewitnesses—Matthew, John, and Mark (a close companion of Peter)—and the fourth by Luke, a physician who carefully investigated the accounts.
Far from being one biased source, they circulated independently for centuries before being gathered together into the Bible. And Jesus is not only found in Christian writings. Roman historian Tacitus and Jewish historian Josephus both mention Him.
“If any Jewish writer were ever in a position to know about the non-existence of Jesus, it would have been Josephus. His implicit affirmation of the existence of Jesus is the most significant obstacle for those who argue otherwise.” Robert Van Voorst
From these accounts, we know Jesus was born around 4 BC in Bethlehem, lived in Judea, and was crucified in Jerusalem around 30 AD. Historically, His existence is one of the best-attested of any first-century figure.
The Sermon on the Mount - Carl Bloch 1877
Jesus the Messenger
What makes Him stand out from thousands of other people who lived and died in the ancient world? His message.
At the age of 30, Jesus began traveling, teaching, and performing miracles. He proclaimed:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor… to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim the time of the Lord’s favour.” (Luke 4:18–19)
He not only spoke these words but lived them out—healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind, even raising the dead. His miracles were so numerous that John wrote:
“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book.” (John 20:30)
Yet not everyone welcomed Him. Religious leaders were outraged when He claimed to forgive sins, since only God could do that. His growing popularity threatened their authority, and in the end, they conspired to have Him executed by the Romans.
Jesus the Messiah
Why, then, did His claims matter so much? What was it about his message that the Pharisees objected too so much? In claiming to forgive sins, Jesus was also claiming to be God. This was a step too far for the religious rulers.
C.S. Lewis pointed out, a man who went around forgiving sins committed against others would seem either insane or deluded—unless He really was the God against whom all sin is committed.
The Old Testament had long promised a Redeemer, a Messiah, who would save His people. Isaiah prophesied:
“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end.”
Jesus claimed to be that fulfilment. He was the Messiah, God in the flesh, who suffered on the cross for the sin of the world. As Paul put it:
“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21)
The Incredulity of St Thomas - Caravaggio 1602
Jesus the Master
But the story did not end at the cross. The tomb has been empty for nearly 2000 years. Jesus rose from the grave, defeating death and making a way back to God possible for all who accept him as Lord and Master.
But why do I call him Master? We all know that Jesus is said to be our ‘friend’ if we trust in Him, and that’s true. The bible tells us that if we accept Him, he will accept us before God, so why do we also need to call him Master?
Paul explains:
“You become the slave of whatever you choose to obey. You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.” (Romans 6:16)
Everyone serves a master. Sin is a cruel one, leading only to destruction. But Jesus is the Master who died for us. To follow Him is not bondage but true freedom—the kind that leads to life.
A Final Challenge
C.S. Lewis concluded his essay What Are We to Make of Jesus Christ? with these words:
“What are we to make of Christ? It is entirely a question of what He intends to make of us. You must accept or reject the story.”
That leaves us with a decision. Jesus doesn’t just say, “Here is the truth.” He says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
So, the question returns to each of us: will we dismiss Him as irrelevant, simply another person from history, someone whose name can be used as a polite swear word? Or will we fall to our knees with Thomas who, after doubting, finally confessed, “My Lord and my God”?