Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus?

This is a question worth asking, and answering. Many have sought to find the “real” Jesus, assuming His portrayal in the Biblical accounts must not be founded in reality. Dismissing the Gospel accounts of Jesus leads to an erroneous method ignoring the greatest amount of data we have to accurately answer the question. This page will be continually updated to adequately answer the question, “Who is Jesus?”

When attempting to get to know someone, it is helpful to synthesize several data points including:

  1. What does the person say about themself?
  2. What do others close to the person say about them?
  3. What do those opposed to the person say about them?
  4. What do the persons actions say about them?
  5. How do all these connect to give a true picture of the person?

Who did Jesus reveal Himself to be?

In the Gospel according to John, Jesus describes Himself with eight different metaphors:

1. The Bread of life

  • In Jesus’ culture bread was a main source of sustenance. If a person went a day without bread, they would physically hunger. Going a week or a month without bread would cause great physical harm, as the body began to weaken. If one is not allowing Jesus to be the staple food, they will become spiritually weak.
  • Jesus said He is “the living bread come down from heaven, and those who eat from the bread will live forever” (John 6:51).
  • How are you feeding your spirit daily?

2. The Light of the world

  • Darkness. It conjures up images of dread, despair, depression. Many can remember long nights of childhood when imaginations ran wild, turning an otherwise normal bedroom into a room of horrors. Remember longing for the first light of day, in order to escape those terrors of darkness. Morning light exposed the darkness, revealing that which seemed so threatening to be nothing more than a sweater draped over a chair.

  • Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
  • As the light of the world, Jesus exposes all darkness. We need not fear this world, if we remember to see it in its exposed state. Don’t be deceived into only seeing it as a fallen world full of sin and pain. Remember it is a world in which God sent His only Son to die for sinners. And for those who sin against you. And for YOU.
  • How has the Light of the world freed you from the grasp of darkness?

3. The I AM

  • Execute him! Let’s gather stones to throw at Jesus! This is the reaction from those Jesus was speaking to when He exclaimed, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I AM!”
  • This phrase has no simplistic equal in the English language. It requires knowledge of an Old Testament parallel to understand what Jesus is saying, and why the Jews desire to execute Him for it.
  • In Exodus 3, Moses encounters God for the first time. God speaks to Moses from a bush which burns without being consumed, telling Moses to lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt. Moses asks God what His name is, in case the Israelites ask. God responds by saying I AM has sent you.
  • By saying, “before Abraham was, I AM” Jesus is claiming to have the same authority as God, as well as saying He is eternal like God (before Abraham was). The Jews understand Jesus’ claim to deity, and decide He deserves to be stoned to death for blasphemy. Lv 24:16
  • Does your view of Jesus stop at great teacher, miracle worker, and suffering servant, or do you recognize Jesus was more than just a man? He came as God in flesh. Having the full authority of God, He came to die for the sins of man.
  • Moses wanted to know who he should say sent him to lead the people out of slavery and into the freedom God promised. God’s answer was simple, I AM has sent me. I AM has also sent His disciples, to share the Good News of salvation with the broken world around us. Mt 28:18-20

4. The Door/Gate

  • A door/gate provides a very basic but necessary function, it allows or prevents access from one place to another. It does not take a lot of effort to open the door, so long as you are permitted to do so. However, if you are not granted access, gaining entry to the other side can be quite a chore.
  • Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance” (John 10:7-10).
  • In a spiritual sense, Jesus is claiming to be the access point to and for the sheep. He is the gate which must be opened in order to get to the sheep. He is also the access point for the sheep, directing them toward an abundant life.
  • As the gate, Jesus also is a layer of protection for the sheep. He will get more into this distinct role when describing Himself as the Good Shepherd.
  • Is Jesus the access point directing you to an abundant life, or is He simply an inanimate object blocking your path from where you want to go?

5. The Good Shepherd

  • A shepherd of this era would build a sheep pen from stone in a rectangular or square shape. There would be a single opening to the pen, allowing access into and out of the enclosure. At night the sheep would be herded into the enclosure and the shepherd would sleep in the doorway. The shepherd himself would become the gate to the sheep pen, as previously discussed. Any predator, human or animal, wanting access to the sheep would need to go through the shepherd.
  • Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd” (John 10:11-16).
  • Jesus makes a few points about Himself as the Good Shepherd.
    • He is willing to die for His sheep, not just a hired hand who is there to benefit from the them.
    • He knows His sheep and has a relationship with them.
    • He desires for others to join His flock, and is seeking to bring them in.
    • The sheep recognize the voice of the Shepherd.
  • Have you heard His voice calling to you? Are you responding by running toward the voice, or away from it?

6. The Resurrection and the Life

  • Anyone who has experienced the death of someone close, or another similar traumatic event knows the feeling of wishing they could reverse history. If only one could change the outcome of the painful event, it would all be OK. Both Mary and her sister Martha tell Jesus they believe if He was there, their brother Lazarus would not have died. Though they are not blaming Jesus, they are acknowledging their belief in the power Jesus has to heal. When it comes to the death of a loved one, many hope for a possibility of taking it back even if only for a short time.
  • Arriving four days after the death of Lazarus, Jesus tells Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this” (John 11:25-26)?
  • Martha replies by saying she does believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God who has come into the world. This declaration of faith is strong in word, but what about her later actions? When Jesus commands the stone covering Lazarus’ tomb to be removed, Martha tries to stop Him. She points out there will be the stench of decomposition after four days, having no hope Jesus can actually resurrect her brother right now (John 11:39).
  • Jesus indeed has the power to raise the dead and does so with three simple words, “Lazarus come out” (John 11:43-44)!
  • Jesus is the resurrection, the power to bring what is dead to life. It does not matter if the physical body has already decayed. He speaks life into being.
  • Jesus is the Life as well. Not simply a biological life, but the very essence of living. The life Jesus provides is everlasting.
  • Have you been like Martha, confessing the truths of scripture, without actually believing them? Do you recognize Jesus as just the source of resurrection, or as the source of everlasting life as well?

7. The Way, Truth and the Life

  • Jesus tells His disciples He would be leaving soon, returning, and bringing them to where He is going. He also tells them they already know the way He is going. Thomas disagrees, and tells Jesus they do not know the way. This is the context for the next I AM statement.
  • Jesus replies to Thomas, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except though me (John 14:6). He is not just speaking to the exclusivity of the Gospel, He is answering Thomas’ question of, “How can we know the way” by pointing to His previous teachings.
    • The Way –Jesus revealed He is the Door to the sheepfold (John 10:7), He is the Way.
    • The Truth – Jesus’ words are Truth. The truth He speaks brings everlasting life to those who believe and act on His words (John 20:30-31).
    • The Life – As noted in John 11:25, Jesus is the life. His death provides the necessary payment for sin, removing the penalty of everlasting death from those who believe. Though we may die a physical death, our life does not end.
  • James urges the church to, “be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22, James 2:14-20). Jesus warns about this in the parable of the two houses (Mt 7:24-27). Many intellectually understand the truths of Scripture, but do not live as though these truths have practical application to their lives.
  • Are the words and actions of Jesus more than just stories to you? How are you allowing Him to be the Truth, which leads you on the Way, to everlasting Life?

8. The Vine

  • A vine is the necessary source of nutrients to the branches which produce fruit. A branch cannot live or produce fruit apart from the vine. The branches require regular pruning in order to remove the parts which are not producing fruit, but instead are drawing valuable resources from those which are fruit bearing.
  • Jesus declares, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener” (John 15:1). He later repeats this with further clarification by saying, “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me” (John 15:5).
  • As one is being sanctified by God, they must acknowledge there are areas of their lives which need to be removed. For some the pruning is of power, control, or authority. For others it is finances or relationships. This can be painful, especially if an eternal perspective is not held. It is important to keep in mind no temporary thing is worth holding onto, if it will have eternal consequences.
  • One must continue to cling to Jesus as the source of life. Much fruit is promised to those who stay close to the truths declared by Jesus.
  • Do you act as an autonomous branch, or one completely dependent on the True Vine?

A greater knowledge of who Jesus is can be formed after contemplating each descriptive metaphor. If you want to further study Jesus’ I AM statements, Real World Theology has provided a 10-part study plan. This could be used as a personal or family devotional, or the foundation for a 10-week Bible Study. The topics of the study are as follows:

  1. Introduction | Who is Jesus, in your words?
  2. Jn 6:35-59 | The Bread of life
  3. Jn 8:12-20 | The Light of the world
  4. Jn 8:48-59 | The I AM
  5. Jn 10:1-10 | The Door

6. Jn 10:11-21 | The Good Shepherd
7. Jn 11:17-27 | The Resurrection and the Life
8. Jn 14:1-11 | The Way, Truth and the Light
9. Jn 15:1-8 | The Vine
10. Conclusion | Who is Jesus, in His own Words