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Jesus the Messiah

Who is the Savior?

            Before we find out who the Savior is, let’s first look at why we need one in the first place.

            God’s initial grand plan for humankind included an earthly paradise, lush with vegetation that would produce all the food that they would need to eat and then He populated it with peaceful and harmless animals. Afterwards, Jehovah created two perfect, immortal human beings, (a man and a woman), to rule over this world and fill it with offspring (See What God Had in Mind).

         Unfortunately, everything abruptly took a dark turn due to a visitation from the devil, especially when he asked Eve this question:

“Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” Gn. 3:1 NLT

            Satan is misquoting Jehovah, to cause Eve to doubt the word of God. As a result, both she and Adam committed the ‘original sin.’ In fact, sin always begins when you entertain those doubts, when you say to yourself, ‘Did God really say…?’

            The devil’s major purpose in that situation, was to make Adam and Eve believe that they could be something more than how Jehovah perfectly created them. Instead, through their sin, our Parents became something less – mortal, fearful, and cut off from having a direct connection with their Creator.

            Yet, God cherishes us so much – even the First Sinners. He initiated ‘blood atonement,’ an animal sacrifice, a life for the life we kill inside when we sin. This was for the purpose of re-connecting with Him in this life, but it did not enable a heavenly transition, because the sacrifice of animals cannot remove the stain of the Original Sin. That is only facilitated by the Savior (See A Devilish Indoctrination).

         That same sin stained every ensuing generation, beginning with Cain (See The Bad Seed), until things got so bad that Jehovah wiped the blatant and willful sinners off the earth, and began a re-do through the family of Noah (See Rebellion and Mercy). 

            Generations passed, and humankind just kept repeating itself in cycles of godly obedience, broken continually by wanton sinning.

         God offers a solution by giving His children rules to live by, through Moses, (The Ten Commandments). It was a perfect solution for being saved provided that you perfectly obeyed them. However, not one human being who ever lived, has been able to do that.

            The real purpose of these commandments was to get the people to at least take on some attributes of godly behavior, to try to facilitate a civil society;  but its primary intent was to show the people their real need for a Savior. (See Laying Down the Law).

         Many generations later, the children of God put themselves in a severe state of enmity with Him (because of their unrepentant transgressions). He responded by banishing them into 70 years of Babylonian captivity. Yet, His love never wavered. During that time, Jehovah sent ‘prophets’ to speak for Him, declaring a better future, along with the promise of a Messiah.

            From them, we learn many things: The Messiah will battle the devil throughout the ages and will ultimately be victorious. He will be a descendant of King David from the tribe of Judah and will speak for God.

            The Messiah shall possess an eternal kingdom, and He shall rule over all the earth. He will be born of a virgin and will be the Son of God – bringing salvation, peace and justice to the entire earth for all peoples. 

            Also, we find that He shall be treated spitefully, yet He shall not retaliate, remaining laser-focused on His Father’s commission. The Messiah shall bare all of the sins of humankind, so that everyone who ever lived might be saved. (See Introducing the Messiah).

“…this is the name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD our righteousness.’” Jer. 23:6 NASB

“On that day a fountain will be opened for the dynasty of David and for the people of Jerusalem, a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity.” Zec. 13:1 NLT

         Now, we’re ready to ask, ‘Who is the Savior?’

“Don’t be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the City of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Lk. 2:10, 11. NASB

“The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross. Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven.” Acts 5:30, 31. NLT

“…we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.” Phil. 3:20 NLT

         Thus, it is proven that Jesus Christ is our Savior. Therefore, there must be something very special about Him. Let’s delve into that:

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. Jn. 1:1 – 3. NLT

            Jesus is the living word of God.  But is He God? That is the million-dollar question. One Christian denomination translates the above as ‘…and the word was a god’ (no capitalization), to show them separate.

            We see that Jesus was with God before creation. Therefore, He, like His Father, existed before time. Thus, they were both outside of time. Jesus existed as a Spirit-being, just like Jehovah and the Holy Spirit. We know this because the human form cannot inhabit heaven (1 Cor. 15:50)

         Before we can continue, we must consider the concept of the Trinity, of which, I was adamantly opposed to for the majority of my Christian life.

            The Trinity is a man-derived construct from the Council of Nicaea, convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine in 325 A.D., to try to explain several scriptures, of which, the council felt revealed that Jehovah was a triune God – existing as three persons: Jehovah, Christ and the Holy Spirit.

            My problem was, that I felt that there were scriptures that could be taken that way and many which seemed to indicate that they were separate. And unfortunately, many Trinitarians have difficulty in explaining their position. But then I had an encounter with Thomas Aquinas. Let’s briefly follow his revelations from his book Aquinas’ Shorter Summa:

            He begins by describing Jehovah God as the ‘First Mover,’ who puts into motion all things, but that He Himself is immovable, and thus unchangeable:

“For I am the Lord, I do not change…” Mal. 3:6 NKJV

            If God is immovable and unchangeable, and as we’ve seen, outside of time, He is also eternal and complete. If complete, Jehovah is pure, indivisible and infinite. So, there is but one God:

‘I am the First and I am the Last; and there is no God besides Me.’ Is. 44:6 AMP

            God must remain indivisible. He cannot be divided into component parts, or, He would become finite. As He is infinite, so is His power. Since He puts everything in motion, Jehovah must exist in a state of pure action, which Aquinas defines as existence.

            If we look at the perfection of God’s creations, we know that the Creator is perfect, and if so, He cannot make mistakes. Perfect too, is His intelligence. He knows all things because He exists in a state of complete understanding of everything.

            Everything that we have seen about God, is what comprises His essence. Jehovah brings that essence to bear, through His will.  

       Where does Jesus fit in?  

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son… Jn. 3:16 NKJV

            Let’s revisit Aquinas one more time. He said, ‘God is Father, God is Son, and God is Holy Spirit. And these are not three Gods but one God.’

            God left us His word, so that He could be revealed to us. Jehovah’s word is an outpouring of His essence; so it is related to God, and proceeds forth from Him as His Son. So, because God cannot divide Himself, Christ was generated (begotten) by the essence of God. Thus, He must be incorporated in God.

            Jehovah is identical with His actions. Therefore, if God speaks, it is indistinguishable from who He is. Thus, Jesus, the living word of His Father, cannot be anything other than God Himself:

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” Jn. 10:28 – 31. NLT

            And if God is perfect, Christ as His essence, must be as well.

God is also love:

…for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature]. 1 Jn. 4:8 AMP

            If Jehovah is love, He must love Himself; and He expresses that love, His essence, through the Holy Spirit, also incorporated in God.

            God is a perfect unified essence, consisting of His thoughts, His substance and the exercise of His will (actions). His word (Christ) is a representative of His thoughts – distinguished as different only with regards to the process of God’s generated words becoming Jesus’ expression of them.

            Likewise, God’s love is who He is, yet it is expressed outwardly through the Holy Spirit. This directed process is the only distinction, if you will, between the Holy Spirit and God.

            So, God expresses Himself through the Son and loves through the Holy Spirt. Again, Jehovah is a unified essence; so, He cannot have differing views from Jesus or the Holy Spirit. They are in perfect harmony.

            Thank you Thomas Aquinas…

            God is the Father, Jesus the Son who emanates from the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from them both. God designs, Jesus creates them, and the Holy Spirit brings them to life.

            Am I now saying that Jesus is God? Am I a Trinitarian? Let me give you a few scriptures to chew on:

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth…Everything was created through him and for him…and he holds all creation together.

Christ is also head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ… Col. 1:15 – 19. NLT

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory. 1 Tim. 3:16 NKJV

            God placed Christ at the center of everything; but check these out:

After dismissing the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Mt. 14:23 CSB

“…I am going to the Father because the Father is greater than I.” Jn. 14:28 CSB

After that comes the end (completion), when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after He has made inoperative and abolished every ruler and every authority and power. 1 Cor. 15:24 AMP

            Well, who is Jesus praying to? Who is greater than He? Who is He handing the kingdom over to? Obviously, even though the Godhead is totally enmeshed, there is a distinct hierarchy. So, it is a mystery that has yet to be revealed. For myself then, if Jesus is not God, He is so much like Him and He wields all His Fathers’ attributes, that there is no meaningful difference.

            I humbly hope that you now know who your Savior is…

Goodnight and God bless.

Passing the Torch

            We left off with Moses teaching the second generation of the Israelites, at the end of their exodus through the wilderness. He was imparting to them all that God wanted them to know for living a godly life. This was Moses’ last sermon before they leave him behind in their trek to the Promised Land.

            As Moses continues to speak for God, he tells them that Jehovah will visit their descendants ‘face-to-face’ through a ‘Messiah’, (Jesus would come to the Israelites approximately 1400 years later):

“I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.” Dt. 18:18 NKJV

            Jehovah is saying that the Messiah will be of Jewish descent and that He will speak for God Himself.

            Moses then shifts his focus and tells the Israelites how God shows up for them in the present moment – just like He shows up for all His children throughout time. Why? Because God cherishes you:

“Yes, He loves the people; all of your saints are in Your hand…” Dt. 33:3 NKJV

            [Anyone seeking a ‘right relationship’ with God is a saint (holy one). Nowhere in the Bible is their anyone who holds a formal title of ‘Saint,’ e.g. St. Peter, St. Paul, etc. These are false titles that are conferred by man].

“Now not with you alone am I making this covenant and this oath, but both with those who stand here today in the presence of the LORD our God and with those who are not with us here today…” Dt. 29:14, 15. NASB

            God both nurtures you and protects you:

“Who is a people like you, a people saved by the LORD, the shield of your help, and the Sword of your triumph!” Dt. 33:29 ESV

“And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” Dt. 31:8 NKJV

“…you are advancing today to battle against your enemies. Do not lack courage. Do not be afraid, or panic or tremble [in terror] before them, for the LORD your God is He who goes with you to fight against your enemies, to save you.” Dt. 23:3, 4. ESV

            Moses then wraps this final sermon up:

And when Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, he said to them, “Take heart to all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. For it is not an empty word for you, but for your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.” Dt. 32:45 – 47. ESV

            [We all have a ‘Jordan’ (our former life) that we need to cross over, to grab hold of Jehovah’s promise of eternal life with Him. We make that journey by living by His word.]

            If you read my previous post Are You a Child of God, you might recall that Moses dishonored God through his angry outburst to the Israelites. Subsequently, Jehovah barred Moses from leading them into Canaan. In addition, Moses was instructed to lay his hands upon Joshua (one of the spies sent into Canaan to check out the land), so that God could transfer His Spiritual leadership authority from Moses to Joshua:

Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him, doing just as the LORD had commanded Moses. Dt. 34:9 NLT

            Moses was passing the torch. Then, he ascended a mountain next to the river Jordan, and God showed him all of the Promised Land, and He told him that the Israelites would possess it. It was a gesture of His vast compassion.

            Moses was 120 years old when he died – still of sound mind and body. God had to punish him for his transgression, but He loved Moses so much, that he was the only person in all of history, that was personally buried by his Creator:

There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. Dt. 34:10.

            Moses made his mark. He was a mighty warrior for God, a steadfast reflection of His righteousness and he allowed himself to be God’s Spiritually-inspired vessel for writing the first five books of the Bible, (which by now, I hope, that you too are intimately familiar with), called the Torah in Hebrew, and the Pentateuch in Greek. They collectively make up the foundation of the entire remainder of the Bible…

            Spiritually-enhanced, and with God on his side, Joshua led the people over the Jordan River, (of which Jehovah miraculously stopped the river flow, to make the crossing possible., He was granted victory after victory as he settled all of the people in Israel. At the end of his life, Joshua also tries to inspire the people with the value of passing the torch:

“Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke to you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them have failed.” Jos. 23:14 NASB

            Unfortunately, after Joshua’s generation passed, the Israelites turned their backs on God and began pagan idol worship. Why? Because no one passed the torch after Joshua.!

            Don’t shut your eyes or cover your ears. Every one of us is commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, to pass the torch. If not you, who? You are saved because somebody passed it on to you:

“Only pay attention and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your grandchildren [impressing these things on their mind and penetrating their heart with these truths]-“ Dt. 4:9 AMP

“If you obey all the decrees and commands I am giving you today, all will be well with you and your children. I am giving you these instructions so you will enjoy a long life…” Dt. 4:40 NLT

“You shall teach them diligently to your children [impressing God’s precepts on their minds and penetrating their hearts with His truths] and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up.” Dt. 6:7 AMP

“…we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.” Dt. 29:29 NLT

            God holds us accountable for passing His torch. However, we can’t pass it if we don’t learn it first, understand how to communicate it, and actively pass it on to our children and to as many other ‘potential children of God’ as possible.

            What happens if we don’t?

My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. Hos. 4:6 NKJV

            That doesn’t sit well with God, because all children of God have a duty to bring His message of salvation hope to all people:

“…I am making you a watchman for the people…Therefore, listen to what I say and warn them for me. If I announce that some wicked people are sure to die and you fail to tell them to change their ways, then they will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn them to repent, and they don’t repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself.” Ezek. 33:7 – 10. NLT

            All of this is wrapped up part and parcel with our Savior’s ‘Great Commission’:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you…” Mt. 28:19, 20. AMP

            So, we know our task; and it is a vital one, because we are saving lives. To be the most effective, we have to know our message and have faith in it. This only comes about through reading the word, and praying to Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith, to strengthen us in that area.

            We let the gospel make its own case, but we can help by sharing how it has changed our own lives, because the hearer wants to know the ‘why’ that caused you to embrace Jesus, in order to gauge what is in it for them.

            Look to teach and invite, not to make wrong and divide. You are trying to help facilitate a love relationship between them and God.

            Tell them that God put an innate knowledge of right and wrong in everyone. This is made evident when we make wrong decisions; and we feel it in the remorse that follows.

            We can also say, ‘As a Christian, we believe that there is a God who both created and directs this universe; and who takes a great and loving interest in the behavior of the people living in it. Furthermore, He left us a plan for having a great life, now and forever – In the Bible.

            We must make a daily choice as a Christian to obey what is in it, to have that right relationship with Him. Also, we believe that God gave us a good world. Unfortunately, some people choose bad paths – usually because they entertain the suggestions planted in their conscience by an angel gone bad. This ‘devil’ is the author of lies and chaos and stands in direct opposition to the followers of Christ.

            Yet, we don’t have to worry about him, as long as we use our free will to cling to Jesus – to choose good over evil.

            At this point, you could explain the when, who, how and why of Jesus Christ and how salvation works. (We’ll look at that in detail in a future post. To get more detail now, look at my two archive posts: Speaking God’s Promises and Speaking God’s Promises part 2, from which I mined a few jewels for this post. 

            In order to be a beacon for Jesus, we must choose daily to promote goodness and righteousness – through kindness, fairness, honesty, love, helpfulness, respect and by being amiable and reasonable. It’s time to pass your torch to others, so that they too can pass theirs.

Share your light…

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Mt. 5:16 NASB

            Goodnight and God Bless

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