Who Is Jesus Christ?

A God
or a Man?
Appeared in The Watchtower September 15, 2005

Photo Credit: http://flickr.com/midiman/2099466017/

Sermon On The Mount-Carl Heinrich Bloch-19th.C

“I AM the light of the world. He that follows me will by no means walk in darkness, but will
possess the light of life.” (John 8:12)

These words were spoken by Jesus Christ. A learned man of the first century wrote about him: “Carefully
concealed in him are all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3)
 “This means everlasting life,
their taking in knowledge of
you, the only true God, and of
the one whom you sent forth,
Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3)

Photo Credit: http://flickr.com/photos/paul_everett82/2242884911/

Moreover, the Bible says:

“This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one
whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3)
Accurate knowledge about Jesus is essential in order to satisfy our spiritual need.
 Augustus 27 B.C. A.D. 14 - Spanish mint, RARE
Augustus. 27 BC-AD 14. AV Aureus (7.88 g, 6h). Spanish mint - Emerita. Struck 19-18 BC. AVGVSTVS, bare head left / OB/CIVIS/SERVATOS in three lines within
oak wreath. RIC I 29b; Calicó 250; BMCRE 314 var. = BMCRR Gaul 148 var. (head right); BN 1279.
Mint Assignments of Augustus’ Issues in Spain
Assigning a mint to issues in Spain from 20 BC onward is a difficult task as the group constitutes one of the richest and most interesting coinages in the entire
Augustan series.

(Luke 2:1-5) . . .”Now in those days a decree went forth from Caesar Au·gus´tus for all the inhabited earth to be
registered; (this first registration took place when Qui·rin´i·us was governor of Syria;) and all people went traveling to be
registered, each one to his own city. Of course, Joseph also went up from Gal´i·lee, out of the city of Naz´a·reth, into
Ju·de´a, to David’s city, which is called Beth´le·hem, because of his being a member of the house and family of
David, to get registered with Mary, who had been given him in marriage as promised, at present heavy with child.”

People around the earth have heard of Jesus Christ. His influence on the history of mankind is beyond
question. In fact, the calendar used in most parts of the world is based on the year he is thought to have
been born. “Many people refer to dates before that year as B.C., or before Christ,” explains The World
Book Encyclopedia. “They use A.D., or anno Domini (in the year of our Lord), for dates after that year.”

Photo Credit: http://flickr.com/julio-claudians/2578894088/

 Photo Credit: http://flickr.com/photos/nanymata/2349876374/

Yet, there are conflicting ideas about who Jesus was. To some, he was no more than an outstanding man who left
his mark on history. Others, though, worship him as God Almighty. Some Hindu thinkers have likened Jesus Christ
to the Hindu god Krishna, said by many to be a god incarnate. Was Jesus merely a man, or was he someone to be
worshipped? Exactly who was he?
Nazareth Photo Credit: http://flickr.com/photos/emeryjl/508120575/

IMAGINE how excited a young Jew named Andrew must have been when he first listened to the
words of Jesus of Nazareth! The Bible states that Andrew rushed to his brother and said: “We have
found the Messiah [or, Christ].” (John 1:41) In the Hebrew and Greek languages, the words usually
translated “Messiah” and “Christ” mean “Anointed One.” Jesus was the Anointed One, or the
Chosen One of God—the promised Leader. (Isaiah 55:4) The Scriptures contained prophecies
concerning him, and the Jews at the time were in expectation of him.—Luke 3:15.
 HOW do we know that Jesus really was God’s Chosen One?
Well, consider what happened in the year 29 C.E. when Jesus
was 30 years of age. He went to John the Baptizer to be baptized
by him in the waters of the Jordan River. The Bible states: “After
being baptized Jesus immediately came up from the water; and,
look! the heavens were opened up, and he saw descending like a
dove God’s spirit coming upon him. Look! Also, there was a voice
from the heavens that said: ‘This is my Son, the beloved, whom I
have approved.’” (Matthew 3:16, 17)

After hearing those words of approval,

could John have had any doubt that
Jesus was God’s Chosen One? By
pouring out His holy spirit on Jesus,
Jehovah God anointed him, or
appointed him, to be the King of His
coming Kingdom. Thus, Jesus
became Jesus Christ, or Jesus the
Anointed One.

Photo Credits: above: http://flickr.com/photos/oddsock/283888330/ below: http://flickr.com/photos/emeryjl/505036108/

SINCE all created things had a beginning, there was a time when God was alone.
Countless ages ago, however, God became a Creator.

Who was his first creation? The last book of the Bible identifies Jesus as “the
beginning of the creation by God.” (Revelation 3:14) Jesus is “the firstborn of all
creation.” That is so “because by means of him all other things were created in
the heavens and upon the earth, the things visible and the things invisible.”
(Colossians 1:15, 16)

Yes, Jesus was the only one directly created by God himself. Therefore, he is
called God’s “only-begotten Son.” (John 3:16) The firstborn Son also bears the
title “the Word.” (John 1:14) Why? Because before being born as a human, he
served in heaven as one who spoke for God.

“The Word” was with Jehovah God “in the beginning,” when “the heavens and the
earth” were created. He was the one to whom God said: “Let us make man in our
image.” (John 1:1; Genesis 1:1, 26) Jehovah’s firstborn Son was there at his
Father’s side, actively working with him.

At Proverbs 8:22-31, he is represented as saying: “I came to be beside [the

Creator] as a master worker, and I came to be the one he was specially fond of
day by day, I being glad before him all the time.”

Photo Credit: NASA

 The second stage of Jesus’ life course
began when God sent his Son to the earth.
Jehovah did this by miraculously
transferring the life of Jesus from heaven to
the womb of a faithful Jewish virgin named
Mary. Jesus inherited no imperfections
because he did not have a human father.
Jehovah’s holy spirit, or active force, came
upon Mary, and his power ‘overshadowed’
her, miraculously causing her to become
pregnant. (Luke 1:34, 35) Mary therefore
gave birth to a perfect child. As the adopted
son of the carpenter Joseph, he was
brought up in a humble home and was the
first of several children in the family.—
Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22, 23; Mark 6:3.

La vierge aux raisins, 1640. Pierre Mignard (1610—1695 )

JESUS lived in Nazareth until he was 30 years old. Then he went to John to be baptized. Following his baptism,
Jesus embarked on his dynamic ministry. For three and a half years, he traveled throughout his homeland declaring
the good news of God’s Kingdom. He gave evidence that he had been sent by God. How? By performing many
miracles—powerful works that were beyond human ability.—Matthew 4:17; Luke 19:37, 38.

Jesus was also a man of tender warmth

and deep feelings. His tenderness was
especially evident in the way he viewed
and treated others.
Because Jesus was approachable and
kind, people were attracted to him.
Even children felt at ease in his
presence. (Mark 10:13-16) Jesus treated
women with respect, even though some
in his day looked down on them. (John
4:9, 27) He helped the poor and
oppressed to ‘find refreshment for their
souls.’ (Matthew 11:28-30) His manner
of teaching was clear, simple, and
practical. And what he taught reflected
his heartfelt desire to acquaint his
listeners with the true God, Jehovah.—
John 17:6-8.
Using God’s holy spirit to perform
miracles, Jesus compassionately
healed the sick and the afflicted.
(Matthew 15:30, 31) For example, a
person with leprosy came to him and
said: “If you just want to, you can make
me clean.” What did Jesus do? He
stretched out his hand and touched the
man, saying to him: “I want to. Be made
clean.” And the sick man was healed!— Photo Credit: http://flickr.com/photos/angela7/128977443/
Matthew 8:2-4.
JESUS died on a torture stake at the age of 33 1/2. But
death was not the end of his life course.
The third stage of his life began about three days later
when Jehovah God resurrected his Son as a spirit person.
After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to hundreds of
people living in the first century C.E. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)
Thereafter, he “sat down at the right hand of God” and
waited to receive kingly power. (Hebrews 10:12, 13)

When that time came, Jesus began ruling as King. So how

should we imagine Jesus today? Should we think of him as
a suffering man being put to death? Or should we view him
as someone to be worshipped? Jesus today is neither a
man nor God Almighty. Rather, he is a mighty spirit
creature, a reigning King. Very soon now, he will manifest
his rulership over our troubled earth.

Using symbolic language, Revelation 19:11-16 describes

Jesus Christ as a king seated upon a white horse and
coming to judge and carry on war in righteousness. He has
“a sharp long sword, that he may strike the nations with it.”
Yes, Jesus will use his great power to destroy the wicked.
And what about those who strive to follow the example he
set while on earth? (1 Peter 2:21) He and his Father will
preserve them through the upcoming “war of the great day
of God the Almighty”—often called Armageddon—so that Photo Credit: http://flickr.com/photos/davichi/342964781/
they can live forever as earthly subjects of God’s heavenly
Kingdom.—Revelation 7:9, 14; 16:14, 16; 21:3, 4.

During his reign of peace, what miracles Jesus will perform

in behalf of all mankind! (Isaiah 9:6, 7; 11:1-10) He will cure
sickness and bring an end to death. Jesus will be used by
God to resurrect billions, giving them an opportunity to live
forever on earth. (John 5:28, 29)

We cannot even imagine how wonderful our lives will be

under Kingdom rule.

It is important, then, that we continue to take in

Bible knowledge and become better acquainted
with Jesus Christ.