Who Is Christ?

Christ’s Testimony About Himself

During the trial of Christ, Saint Mark the Evangelist writes:

“But He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, ‘Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?’ Jesus said, ‘I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?’ And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.”—Mark 14:61–64

Is this not strange? What did Christ say that caused the high priest to tear his clothes, break the commandment given in Leviticus 21:10, and expose himself to punishment? What blasphemy did Christ utter that made the high priest declare that there was no further need for witnesses and immediately sentence Him to death?

Christ said:

“I am.”

In English, the words “I am” may not appear to justify such an angry reaction. However, in the original language as understood by those who heard Him, these words referred to the divine name of God:

“I AM WHO I AM.”—Exodus 3:14

When the high priest asked Christ, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Christ answered, in effect, “I am God.”

For this reason, the high priest tore his clothes and said, “You have heard the blasphemy!” He understood that a man was declaring Himself to be God and therefore considered Him deserving of death.

The Jews themselves clearly explained why they wanted to stone Christ:

“The Jews answered Him, saying, ‘For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.’”—John 10:33

The decisive matter here is the original language and the way Christ’s listeners understood His words. Those who heard Christ understood precisely what He meant: He was declaring to them that He is God.

The Gospel also records:

“The Jews answered him, ‘We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.’”—John 19:7

The Jews said this to Pontius Pilate after they had cried out, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

Pilate answered them:

“You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”

But the Jews insisted that, according to their law, Christ deserved death because He had made Himself the Son of God. This was how they understood His words.

The Jews understood that Christ’s divine Sonship meant complete equality with God:

“But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.’ Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.”—John 5:17–18

Christ also said:

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”

The Jews then said to Him:

“You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

Jesus answered:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

Then they took up stones to throw at Him.

—John 8:56–59

Here, Christ clearly declared His divinity. The expression “I AM” describes the One who exists eternally. It refers to the divine name: the One “who is and who was and who is to come.”

The Jews understood the meaning of His words, and that is why they took up stones to stone Him.

Christ Spoke With Divine Authority

Christ is the only One who never hesitated in His words. He never postponed answering someone by saying that He first needed to ask the One who had sent Him.

He never said, “Thus says the Lord God.” Instead, He said:

“You have heard that it was said … but I say to you.”

Such a statement would be extremely serious if spoken by an ordinary person. Christ was saying that He had the authority to complete and explain the Law of Moses:

“But I say to you.”

The One who has the authority to say this must either be greater than Moses or be God Himself. No one who is less than the One who gave the Law of Moses could speak in this way.

Therefore, the One who says, “But I say to you,” must be God Himself, who has the right to explain His own law so that people may understand and apply it.

Christ never apologized for His words or contradicted Himself. Instead, He declared:

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”—Mark 13:31

Christ Accepted Worship

The Bible teaches us that worship and prostration belong to God alone:

“You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.”—Luke 4:8

It also says:

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”—John 4:24

Yet we find that Christ accepted worship from many people without objecting.

The Leper Worshipped Him

“And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”—Matthew 8:2–3

The Man Born Blind Worshipped Him

“Then he said, ‘Lord, I believe!’ And he worshiped Him.”—John 9:38

The Disciples Worshipped Him

“Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Truly You are the Son of God.’”—Matthew 14:33

Thomas Called Him God

“And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’”—John 20:28

If worship belongs to God alone, and Christ accepted worship without rebuking those who worshipped Him, this testifies to His divinity.

Others Who Affirmed His Divinity

Saint Paul

Saint Paul wrote:

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”—Philippians 2:9–11

He also wrote:

“Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”—Titus 2:13

Saint Peter

Christ asked His disciples:

“But who do you say that I am?”

Simon Peter answered:

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus answered him:

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”—Matthew 16:15–17

Saint Peter also declared:

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”—Acts 2:36

At the Baptism of Christ

At the baptism of Christ, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven saying:

“You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”—Luke 3:22

Saint Thomas

After seeing the risen Christ, Thomas said to Him:

“My Lord and my God!”—John 20:28

Saint Stephen

While Saint Stephen was being stoned, he prayed:

“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”—Acts 7:59

We know that no one can receive the human spirit except the One who gave it. Therefore, when Stephen said to Christ, “Receive my spirit,” he was confessing Christ’s divinity and acknowledging that Christ has authority over the human spirit.

Testimony From Those Who Did Not Believe in His Divinity

The Testimony of the Old Testament

Although many Jews did not believe in the divinity of Christ, their own Scriptures testify to it.

The prophet Isaiah wrote:

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”—Isaiah 7:14

The name “Immanuel” means:

“God with us.”

Where, then, is the miracle in this prophecy?

Someone might say that God had always been with His people. He was with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and the prophets. He had never abandoned them. His presence among them distinguished them from all other nations.

Therefore, the miracle is not simply that God would be with His people.

What, then, about the words “the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son”?

Without the revelation given in the New Testament concerning the Virgin Mary, someone might argue that any virgin could later marry, conceive, and give birth to a child. The prophecy does not explicitly mention marriage in this particular verse.

Therefore, where is the true miracle?

The answer is that the Lord Himself is the miracle. God Himself would become incarnate and become Man. The spiritual and invisible God would appear among human beings in human nature.

Someone may respond, “This is impossible. It is beyond imagination.”

Yes, and that is precisely why it is a miracle. A miracle is something extraordinary that surpasses the ordinary laws of nature.

God is almighty. Nothing is too difficult for Him. If He wills something, it happens; and if He commands something, it comes into existence.

Isaiah 9:6 confirms this truth:

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

A Child is born to us, yet He is called “Mighty God” and “Everlasting Father.”

God became Man. He came in the fullness of time, but they did not recognise Him. He came through the holy Virgin Mary, but they did not honour Him.

References to Christ in the Qur’an

Although Muslims do not believe in the divinity of Christ, their book uses unique descriptions for Him.

Christ Is Called a Word From God

The Qur’an says:

“When the angels said, ‘O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good news of a Word from Him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, distinguished in this world and the Hereafter, and among those brought near.’”—Surah Al Imran 3:45

Christ is called “a Word from Him.”

Is there a separation between a person and his word? If you hear someone speaking to you on the telephone, do you say, “Welcome, the word of that person,” or do you address the person himself?

Although what reaches you is the person’s word, the word expresses the speaker’s identity, mind, and personality. The word and the one who speaks it are inseparably connected.

Some say that “the word” mentioned here refers only to the divine command “Be,” through which Christ was created.

However, this raises two questions.

First, the Arabic word for “word” is grammatically feminine. Why, then, does the verse say, “whose name is the Messiah,” using the masculine form, rather than “whose name” in the feminine form?

Second, why was Adam not called “the Word of God”? Was Adam not also created by God’s command, “Be”?

Among all the prophets mentioned in the Qur’an, Christ alone is given the title “the Word of God.”

Why?

Because Christ is the divine Word.

Christ Is Called a Spirit From God

The Qur’an also says:

“The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was a messenger of Allah, His Word which He cast to Mary, and a Spirit from Him.”—Surah An-Nisa 4:171

In addition to calling Christ the Word of God, this verse calls Him “a Spirit from Him.”

Is God separate from His Spirit? Are not God and His Spirit one?

How much more significant is it, then, that Christ is called both the Word of God and a Spirit from Him? Does this not point towards the divinity of Christ?

Christ Is Called the Word of Truth

The Qur’an says:

“That is Jesus, son of Mary—the Word of Truth about which they are in doubt.”—Surah Maryam 19:34

Christ is described as “the Word of Truth.”

Who is the Truth? God is the Truth.

The verse does not merely say that Christ possesses the truth or knows the truth. It describes Him as the Word of Truth.

Is there any clearer testimony to the unique nature of Christ?

Lord, Liar, or Lunatic?

I conclude with an argument expressed by a university professor who had once been an agnostic but later believed in Christ.

He said:

“I am trying to prevent anyone from saying, ‘I accept Christ as a great moral teacher, but I do not accept His claim to be God.’ This is something that no rational person should say.”

Suppose that a person whom you do not know came to you and said:

“I am God.”

Then he left before you had the opportunity to ask him for evidence.

How would you respond?

There are two main possibilities.

The First Possibility: He Is Telling the Truth

You have never seen God before, because no one can see God in His divine essence and live.

At the same time, God is able to appear in whatever form He wills. Therefore, the possibility that the person is telling the truth cannot be rejected without examination.

The Second Possibility: He Is Lying

If the person is lying, there are two further possibilities.

He may be lying without knowing that he is lying. In that case, he is sincerely deceived about himself and would therefore be insane.

Alternatively, he may be lying while fully knowing that his claim is false. In that case, he is deliberately deceiving others.

If he then allowed himself to be sentenced to death because of this false claim, he would also be acting foolishly.

Let us apply this reasoning, with all reverence, to Jesus Christ, who declared that He is God.

There are two possibilities.

Either He was telling the truth, in which case we must worship Him and say:

“My Lord and my God!”

Or He was not telling the truth.

If He were not telling the truth, there would again be two possibilities.

Was Christ Sincerely Deceived?

Could Christ have made a false claim without realising that it was false? If so, He would have been deceived about His own identity and therefore mentally unstable.

Could Christ possibly have been like this?

Certainly not!

Even His enemies testified to His wisdom.

The Gospel of Matthew says:

“When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?’”—Matthew 13:54

The Gospel of Mark says:

“And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, ‘Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary …?’”—Mark 6:2–3

The Gospel of Luke says:

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”—Luke 2:52

The Qur’an also describes Christ as:

“Distinguished in this world and the Hereafter, and among those brought near.”—Surah Al Imran 3:45

Christ committed no sin, and He is honored in this world and in the world to come.

Therefore, it is impossible to claim that Christ was mentally deceived or insane.

Was Christ Deliberately Lying?

Only one other possibility would remain: that Christ knew His claim was false but deliberately lied.

How, then, could He teach His disciples to be truthful and say:

“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one”?

If Christ knew that He was lying and knew that His claim would lead to His crucifixion, He would not have remained silent. He would have denied His claim immediately, because human life is precious.

He was given an excellent opportunity to escape when Pilate said to Him:

“Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”

If Christ had been lying, He could have withdrawn everything He had said, apologized, and saved His life.

But listen to the answer Christ gave Pilate:

“You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above.”

Christ did not withdraw His words, deny His identity, or attempt to escape death by confessing that His claims were false.

Therefore, the possibility that He was deliberately lying must also be rejected.

Only the first possibility remains:

Jesus Christ is God, and He is worthy of worship.

Why Should We Believe in Jesus Christ?

Simply because faith in Jesus Christ is the true faith, and therefore it is of the greatest importance.

But how can we know that it is the true faith?

The truths of the Christian faith can be examined because they are founded upon historical events—namely, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our Christian faith is based on reliable historical sources. Moreover, Jesus continues to demonstrate today that He is alive and that He saves those who believe in Him.

Who Is Jesus?

There is no doubt that Jesus is a unique figure in human history. His coming was so significant that history itself came to be divided into two periods: before Christ and after Christ.

Jesus was and remains the Son of God. Some people claim that He was merely a wise religious teacher, but this claim cannot stand in the face of what Jesus said and did.

Jesus declared that He is the Son of God and that He and the Father are one. He forgave sins on earth, and He will judge the world on the Last Day according to each person’s response to Him.

Jesus said:

“I and My Father are one.”—John 10:30

The Gospel also tells us:

“When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you.’ And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, ‘Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, ‘Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven you,” or to say, “Arise, take up your bed and walk”? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins’—He said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’ Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!’”—Mark 2:5–12

Jesus also said:

“For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”—John 5:21–24

His Character

No one can be compared to Jesus in love, mercy, and perfection. His teachings are among the purest and greatest words ever spoken.

He is God who became incarnate and took human nature, even though this mystery may be difficult for the human mind to comprehend.

His Victory Over Death

One of the most astonishing truths of Christianity is that Jesus rose from the dead.

When His followers and disciples came to the tomb on Sunday morning, they found only the linen cloths in which His body had been wrapped. Jesus Himself was no longer there because He had risen from the dead.

During the six weeks following His resurrection, He appeared eleven times to more than five hundred people. As a result, the lives of those who believed in Him were radically transformed. From that time onward, the early Church began to grow and spread continually.

The empty tomb testifies that Jesus rose from the dead. His resurrection also confirms the truth of His teachings, His words, and His works.

Why Did Jesus Come?

Jesus is the only One who voluntarily chose to come into our world and endure the suffering of the cross and His atoning death in order to take away our sins.

He said:

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”—Mark 10:45

Crucifixion was one of the most brutal forms of execution. Jesus was scourged and then forced to carry the cross until He was physically exhausted.

At the place of crucifixion, His executioners nailed His hands and feet to the cross and left Him to die in this painful manner.

Yet the Gospel teaches us that this physical suffering cannot be compared with the spiritual and emotional suffering He endured when He bore our sins and iniquities upon Himself.

Why Did Jesus Die?

The death of Jesus was part of God’s plan to save humanity from sin. God had revealed this plan through the prophets of the Old Testament, including Moses, David, Isaiah, and others.

Jesus said that He would die for us. This means that He died in our place.

He did this because He loves us and does not want us to suffer the punishment resulting from our sins and transgressions, which deserve death. Jesus went to the cross in our place and offered Himself as an atoning sacrifice for us.

After His resurrection from the dead, He said to two of His disciples:

“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.—Luke 24:25–27

Because of His love for us all, Christ offered Himself as a ransom for us.

A ransom is the price paid to purchase a slave and set him free. In the same way, Christ paid the ransom through His blood on the cross in order to deliver us from sin, guilt, slavery, and fear.

Freedom From Sin

Whether we feel that we are sinners or not, the truth is that we have all sinned before God.

We have sinned against Him in thought, word, and deed by breaking His holy commandments.

The Bible says:

“For the wages of sin is death.”—Romans 6:23

The death referred to here is spiritual death, which means complete separation from the living God. This is a punishment that all of us deserve.

But Jesus bore this punishment on our behalf. Therefore, through His blood, we can stand before God as though we had never sinned.

Freedom From Slavery

Jesus said:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.”—John 8:34

Christ died for us in order to free us from this cruel slavery. Therefore, Jesus said:

“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”—John 8:36

Freedom From Fear

Jesus came into our world so that:

“Through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”—Hebrews 2:14–15

We no longer need to fear death. The lives of those whom Jesus has set free do not end with death. Instead, they pass into the Kingdom of God in heaven.

Jesus, who has freed us from slavery to the fear of death, is also able to free us from every other fear.

New Abilities

When Jesus left our world, He gave us the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.

When a person asks Jesus to enter his life and heart and to dwell within him through the Holy Spirit, Jesus responds and grants that person freedom and new spiritual abilities.

The Ability to Know God

Sin creates a barrier that separates us from God.

The Bible says:

“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”—Isaiah 59:2

When Jesus died on the cross, this barrier between God and humanity was torn down. Through Jesus, we can come to God and have a living relationship with Him.

Through faith in Jesus, God also makes us His children.

Through the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of the living God—we receive confidence in God. The Holy Spirit helps us deepen our relationship with Him, teaches us how to pray, and enables us to understand His holy Word, the Bible.

The Ability to Love Others

The Bible teaches us:

“We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?”—1 John 4:19–20

When we look at the cross, we understand how greatly God loves us.

When the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts, this love also fills us. We then become able to love God and to love others.

We become capable of living a new life filled with love—a life that is no longer centred on the self, its desires, and its passions.

The Ability to Change

Some people claim that it is impossible for human beings to change.

However, when the Holy Spirit dwells in a person’s life, He gives that person the ability to change for the better.

Saint Paul teaches us:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”—Galatians 5:22–23

These virtues grow within us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Through the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, sinners, sexually immoral people, murderers, criminals, and those addicted to drugs or alcohol can be transformed and become saints.