What does the Word of God (Injil) say about Jesus the Messiah?

Who is Jesus?

For many, He is a great prophet of God. One to honour and respect.

For others, He was an imposter. One whom they rejected and crucified.

Yet for some, He is more than a prophet. One to love and worship.

To find out the truth, we must go the Word of God.

Here are some of the amazing things which we learn about Him:

1. HIS HOLINESS

The Bible declares clearly that Jesus was without sin. The apostle Peter affirms that Jesus “committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth” (I Peter 2:22 ). The apostle Paul refers to Jesus as He “who knew no sin” (II Corinthians 5:21). Elsewhere Jesus is said to be “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26). Jesus challenged His enemies, asking, “Which of you convicts me of sin?” (John 8:46). Even demons shouted out, saying that Jesus was “the Holy One of God” (Luke 4:34).

God alone is holy!

2. HIS ETERNAL EXISTENCE

Jesus is referred to as the Word of God. John writes “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). Jesus said, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58). In prayer to God the Father Jesus spoke of “the glory I had with You [God the Father] before the world was” (John 17:5). Jesus is said to be “before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). God’s prophets also wrote about the Messiah before He came. They speak of Jesus as the “Everlasting Father” (Isaiah 9: 6), and “the one to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting” (Micah 5:2). He is the eternal King!

God alone is eternal!

3. HIS BEING THE SOURCE OF LIFE

Speaking of Jesus, John writes, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4). Jesus Himself made the following statements: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25). “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself” (John 5:26).

God alone is the source of life!

4. HIS UNCHANGING NATURE

The following verses make clear statements about Jesus:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8).

“They [the heavens and the earth] will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed.

But You are the same, and Your years will not fail” (Hebrews 1:11,12).

God alone is unchanging!

5. HIS INFINITE POWER

Jesus the Messiah said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). “All things have been delivered to Me by my Father”(Matthew 11:27). Elsewhere God’s Word says that Jesus sustains “all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3).The prophets described the Messiah who would come as “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus had the power to raise the dead to life (John 11:43,44; Luke 7:14). The final resurrection of all people will be accomplished through His power: “Do not marvelat this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice” (John 5:28).

God alone is almighty!

6. HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE

Amazed at His teachings, Jesus’ disciples said to Him, “You know all things” (John 16:30). Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” (Matthew 9:4). In another place we read, “Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him” (John 6:64). “Christ,in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Jesus said, “No one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27). Here Jesus implies that the Son alone knows God to perfection. Jesus’ knowledge is therefore infinite.

Godalone knows everything!

7. HIS PRESENCE EVERYWHERE

Jesus Himself declared that He is present everywhere. “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” When Jesus met with His disciples on the Mount of Olives after His resurrection, He assured them of His continued presence and power. He said that His influence with them would not be that of a dead teacher, but that of a living presence. “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Since Jesus is always present, He is able to guard and comfort His people. Therefore no suffering can come upon them except that which He sees to be for their good.

God alone is present everywhere!

8. HIS ACT OF CREATION

John’s Gospel says of Jesus, “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3). Elsewhere it is written, “ For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16,17).

It is written of Jesus: “You, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands” (Hebrews 1:10).

These words are used to speak of God in the Psalms of David. Here they are applied to Jesus. This demonstrates that He is God in the most absolute sense.

God alone is the creator of all things!

9. HIS AUTHORITY TO FORGIVE SINS

[Jesus] 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). No person, priest or prophet can forgive sins. The religious leaders were right in saying that only God can forgive sins.
Let me ask you a question. Imagine that I had done something wrong against you, but someone else approached me saying: ‘I forgive you for what you did to that person!’ Would that seem normal to you? Of course not! Only you would have the right to forgive me. So when Jesus forgave sin He was declaring Himself to be God, since only God can pardon a man and declare him innocent.

Just before His crucifixion, Jesus made it plain that the pardon of sins would be accomplished through His death (Matthew 26: 28). He gave up His own sinless life in order to act as a substitute, taking the punishment we deserve.

God alone has the right to forgive sins!

10. HIS RECEPTION OF PRAYER AND WORSHIP

To worship anyone but God is idolatry. The Apostle Peter refused worship. The Bible tells us: “As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, ‘Stand up; I myself am also a man’” (Acts 10:25). Peter refused worship in light of the Law that said, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.”

An angel also refused worship (Revelation 22:8,9). Yet, Jesus tells His disciples to pray to Him. He says, “Whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13,14). We also read that on numerous occasions Jesus received worship while He was on earth. The wise men, having been divinely guided to Jesus -when He was a child- “fell down and worshipped Him” (Matthew 2:11). When Jesus went to the disciples, walking on the water, those who were in the boat worshipped Him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God,” (Matthew 14: 33).

Jesus restored the sight of a blind man, who returned later and “worshipped Him” (John 9:38). When he saw Jesus after His resurrection, Thomas called Him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).

Since Jesus did not rebuke Thomas, it shows that He Himself acknowledged that He is God. After the resurrection, the disciples returned to Galilee. And “when they saw Him [Jesus], they worshipped Him” (Matthew 28:17). Jesus accepted such worship as perfectly right. He never rejected it as improper or misdirected.

By promising that He will hear and answer prayer, and by accepting worship, Jesus directly claimed to be God. Therefore He is able to satisfy the spiritual needs of all who trust in Him.

God alone is offered worship and prayer!

JESUS IS THE WAY OF SALVATION

Because of who He is, Jesus was able to do what no mere man or angel could have done: save sinners like you and me. He was able to reconcile man to God. Who can re-establish the broken relationship between God and man? Surely, the only one who can bridge the gap is One who is both God and man. When Jesus died on the cross, He died as our perfect human substitute. He took the punishment that we deserve for our sin. He removed the barrier that separates us from God. But how could one man be the substitute for so many people? Since Jesus is also the divine Son of God, His sacrifice was enough to cover the sins of all those who believe in Him. To sin against the infinite God is to sin infinitely and therefore to deserve infinite punishment. Left to ourselves we are lost. Only Jesus, the infinite Son of God, was able to take that infinite punishment in our place.

What must I do to be saved?

A man once asked the apostle Paul: “What must I do to be saved?” Paul answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31). Jesus said “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved” (John 10: 9).

What does Jesus promise those who trust in Him?

A group of people once asked Jesus, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus replied, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent…I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst...All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” (John 6:28–37).

The Word of God says, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Speaking to a woman Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).

These are wonderful promises.They show that faith in Jesus is necessary for salvation, and that apart from Him there is no salvation. No one has made such great claims as those that Jesus makes concerning His own identity and His influence over the lives of others.

The promise of God’s Word is this – “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” John 1:12