Who Is Jesus?

“And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’” Acts 9:5 

God had a question for Adam.  “Where are you?” Saul of Tarsus had a question for God.  “Who are you?” The answers to both questions made the respondent vulnerable and open. When Adam revealed where he was, he gave God access to his existence. When Jesus revealed who he was, he gave Saul access to the essence of his life.  So, how did the Lord answer Saul?  “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” 

Jesus boldly declared the He was God. He said, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30).  He was of the same essence as the Father (deity). The Jews understood perfectly that Jesus was claiming to be the Father Himself. If Jesus was not declaring equality with the Father, He had many opportunities to explain Himself. Instead He continued to back up His claim (John10:34-38).  In addition to what he said, Jesus acted like he was God.  If Jesus was not God, indeed his statements would have been blasphemous. Jesus claimed authority with respect to the Law of God. (Luke 6:5). Jesus claimed to have the power of life. (John 11:25). What did the Jewish leaders think of Jesus? They wanted to kill Him.  “Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because … [He] said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.” John 5:18. 

What did the apostles think of Jesus? Peter’s bold declaration to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16, showed Peter’s belief in His deity.  What did Paul mean when He declared Jesus to be God’s image? Notice that Paul contrasted Jesus’ image to that of the invisible God. The point Paul was trying to get across was that Jesus is the visible representation of God to man. That is why Jesus could say, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9; also 12:45). 

Jesus is the “express image of his [God’s] person.” “Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, Hebrews 1:3. The English phrase translated “express image” is from the Greek word character, or the English word, “character.” This is the only occurrence of the word in the New Testament. It means “to impress upon, or stamp.” It denotes an engravement from a tool that impresses an image into the item being engraved. This impression is a characteristic of the instrument used to produce it. The result corresponds precisely with the instrument. Jesus is the corresponding engravement of God in human form.  He is the adequate imprint of God. 

Jesus does not just represent God.  He is the very visible impression of God’s invisible substance and essence. He is God’s very nature expressed in humanity as the Son of God. He is the corresponding engravement of God in human form.  He is the adequate imprint of God. At Bethlehem, when Mary held up her baby, we could trace all the divine attributes of God through the transference of his image into the flesh of Jesus. Jesus is everything about God permanently settled in the body of Jesus. “For in him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” Colossians 2:9. At Bethlehem, God unrolled a blank sheet of humanity over the invisible essence of divinity and mapped a visible image that we could see.  When Mary held up the baby, we could trace all the divine attributes of God through the transference of his image into the flesh of Jesus. 

Jesus is all anyone will ever see of God!  “And behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.” Revelation 4:2.