Who Is This Jesus? Lesson 5

Apostle

• The word apostle means one who is sent on a mission. Jesus was sent by God the father. Therefore, he was called an apostle. When he called the twelve disciples and commission them to go, he called them apostles
• Hebrews 3:1
  Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.
• Luke 9.1-2
  When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Prophet

• He was able to see and predict things of the future. He was able to speak for God. Christ would be a prophet like Moses. Peter and the woman at the well confirmed that Jesus was a prophet.
• Deuteronomy 18:15-18
  The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.” The LORD said to me: “What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.
• Acts 3:22-26
  For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’ “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
• John 4:16-19
  He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.

Savior

• The word saviour means, one who saves, delivers and rescues from sin.
• Luke 2:10-11
  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
• Ephesians 5:23
  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

Rabbi/Teacher/Rabboni

• All these three words mean teacher and master
• John 3:1-2
  Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
• John 13:13
  “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.
• John 20:16
  Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

Lord

• Jesus is master and ruler. He has been given all authority and power. The declaration of Jesus as "Lord" and "Christ" affirms His divine authority and messianic role. "Lord" (Kyrios in Greek) is a title of divinity and sovereignty, often used in the Septuagint to translate the Hebrew name for God, Yahweh. "Christ" (Christos in Greek) means "Anointed One," equivalent to the Hebrew "Messiah." This dual title confirms Jesus as the promised deliverer and ruler, fulfilling prophecies.
• Acts 2:36
  “Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
• Acts 9:5
  “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.
• John 13:13
  “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.

Mediator

• A mediator stands between or represents two parties to reason, make representation and plead. Moses was the mediator between God and Israel.
• 1 Timothy 2:5
  For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.
• Deuteronomy 5:1-5
  Moses summoned all Israel and said: Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. It was not with our ancestors that the LORD made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today. The LORD spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain. (At that time, I stood between the LORD and you to declare to you the word of the LORD, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain.

Stone

• This stone is a solid rock foundation. It is not a pebble. In the Greek language, there is petra and petros. Peter is petros, it means a pebble, a stone, but Jesus is petra, a solid rocky foundation.
• Matthew 16:18
  And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
• 1 Peter 2:7-8
  Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message which is also what they were destined for.
• 1 Peter 2:4
  If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
• John 1:42
  And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).
• Acts 4:11-12
  Jesus is “’the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Bread of life

• The metaphor of "bread" is deeply rooted in Jewish culture, symbolizing sustenance and life. Jesus positions Himself as essential for spiritual life, surpassing the temporary satisfaction of physical bread.
• John 6:35
  Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

The way

• Jesus declares Himself as the exclusive path to God, emphasizing His role as the mediator between humanity and the Father. He is how man can come to God. He is the avenue by which we come to God.
• John 14:6
  Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
• 1 Timothy 2:5
  For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus

The truth

• In claiming to be the truth, Jesus asserts His identity as the ultimate revelation of God. He came to reveal the truth who God is. He also came to reveal truth, the word of God as revealed in the New Testament. Both the written and living word (Jesus) are called truth.
• John 14:6
  Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
• John 1:14
  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
• Hebrews 1:1-2
  In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.
• John 17:17
  Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

The life

• Jesus as the life signifies His power over death and His role as the source of eternal life. This is consistent with His earlier declarations, where He states, "I am the resurrection and the life." The life Jesus offers is not merely physical but spiritual and eternal, fulfilling the promise of abundant life. Jesus promises us spiritual life.
• John 14:6
  Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
• John 10:10
  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
• John 11:25
  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;
  
  

The light

• Light symbolizing God's presence, guidance, and truth. Jesus' claim positions Him as the divine source of spiritual illumination and guidance for all humanity, surpassing the physical light of the sun, moon and starts.
• John 8:12
  When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The rock

• The "spiritual rock" is a reference to Christ, who is seen as the source of spiritual sustenance. The rock "accompanied them" suggests Jesus continual presence and provision throughout the Israelites' journey after they left Egypt. It also confirms the pre-existence of Jesus before he was born of Mary. Paul explicitly identifies the rock as Christ, emphasizing the pre-existence and active involvement of Christ in the Old Testament. This highlights Christ as the source of life and sustenance, both physically and spiritually. The water that came from the rock was miraculously done. It was Christ providing for his people.
• 1 Corinthians 10:3-4
  They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
• The wisdom of God
  Here, Christ is identified as the wisdom of God, contrasting with human wisdom. Paul asserts that true wisdom is found in Christ, who reveals God's redemptive plan. This wisdom is hidden from the wise and learned but revealed to those with childlike faith
• 1 Corinthias 1:23-24
  But we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Jesus is the Power of God

• This phrase emphasizes that Christ embodies the power of God, which is contrary to human expectations of power. However, the power of God is demonstrated through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, which appears as foolishness to those who do not believe. This power is transformative, bringing salvation and new life to believers. It is through Jesus Christ God is saving those who believe.
• 1 Corinthians 1:23-24
  But we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
• Romans 1:16
  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
• 1 Corinthians 1:18
  For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
• Acts 4:11-12
  Jesus is “’the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Jesus is the wisdom of God

• Here, Christ is identified as the wisdom of God, contrasting with human wisdom. In Jewish tradition, wisdom is personified in the book of Proverbs and is associated with the fear of the Lord. Greek culture highly valued philosophical wisdom, yet Paul asserts that true wisdom is found in Christ, who reveals God's redemptive plan. This wisdom is hidden from the wise and learned but revealed to those with childlike faith. It fulfills the prophecy of a coming Messiah who would embody divine wisdom. It was predicted in Isaiah concerning Jesus, from Jesse, a root would arise. He would be a person of wisdom.
• Isaiah 11:1-2
  A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him, the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD.

Last Adam

• Adam, as the first human created by God, is a central figure in biblical history. Genesis describes how God formed Adam from the dust and breathed life into him, making him a "living being. The term "last Adam" refers to Jesus Christ, drawing a parallel between Adam and Christ. While Adam is the first man, Christ is seen as the culmination and fulfillment of God's plan for humanity. Where Adam brought sin and death into the world through disobedience, Christ brings life and righteousness through His obedience and sacrifice. Jesus is compared to Adam. The first Adam brought physical death, but the second Adam (Jesus) brought eternal life.
• 1 Corinthians 15:45-49
  So, it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.
• Romans 5:17-19
  For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.