MIND OF CHRIST MINISTRIES, INC.
PASTOR THOMAS E. OGLESBY
P.O. BOX 85
NUTLEY, NEW JERSEY 07110
Website: mindofchristministries.net
Phone: 973-818-2750
e-mail:mindofchrist@verizon.net
September 2021
“Who is Jesus?” Part 1
Dear Believer(s):
Many people have asked this question for more than 2,000 years. Who is this man called Jesus? Do you know who Jesus is? Do you have a personal relationship with Him? Do you spiritually know Jesus? Does His Spirit live in you?
Jesus asked His disciple’s this question, “Who do people say the Son of Man is? “Some say John the Baptist, “they answered.” Others say Elijah, while others say Jeremiah or some other Prophet.” “What about you?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” “Good for you, Simon son of John! answered Jesus.” For this truth did not come to you from any human being, but it was given to you directly by my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13-17) Have you had a personal spiritual awakening? Has the Holy Spirit revealed to you who Jesus is? Jesus is not a church doctrine or tradition, a religion, or a denomination. It was revealed to Simon Peter by God who Jesus is. Who do you say Jesus is? Has the Power of God in your life revealed to you the true Nature of the Son of God? When you say the name Jesus, what does this name mean to you!
We as Christians believe in the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ; in His virgin birth, in His sinless life; in His miracles; in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood; in His bodily resurrection; in His ascension to the right hand of the Father.
But who is Jesus? He is divine. “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” (1John 4:14, 15) Christ is the eternal Son of God, He perfectly did and revealed the will of the Father, taking upon himself the demands and necessities of human nature and identifying himself completely with mankind. He was one hundred percent God and one hundred percent man. He is called divine by the Scriptures, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1) Thomas called Him God. “And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.” (John 20:28) Peter calls Him God, “and Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)
Even the demons recognized Him as God, “And, behold, they cried out, saying what have we to do with thee, Jesus thou Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” (Matthew 8:29)
Paul saw Him as God, “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.” (Romans 1:3) John saw Him as God, “These shall make war with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” (Rev. 17:14)
Jesus claimed to be God, “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30)
He forgave sins, a privilege reserved only for God. “When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. “But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, “Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.” (Mark 2:5-11)
In His personal prayer, He claimed to be God, “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” (John 17:5) He is called Creator and Sustainer of life, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:” (Colossians 1:16) He holds the world and upholds all things by His power. “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 on the right hand of the Majesty on high:” (Hebrews 1:3) All power in heaven and earth resides in Christ.
Now the Bible teaches us, that Jesus Christ existed before He was born in a manger in Bethlehem. When He was conceived in Mary’s womb, He took on the form of a human body. However, John 1:1-3 says, that He existed in the beginning. Before anything else was created. When Jesus was given bodily form through the Incarnation, God became man. By the power of the Holy Spirit, a young woman became impregnated and gave birth to the Son of God. Now this was highly unusual because Mary was a virgin. She had never known a man in the sexual sense. As a result, Jesus could come into the world in His human form without the sin nature.
Jesus could experience everything that we experience, be tempted by everything that we are tempted by, and yet not commit sin. His humanity caused Him to be compassionate toward us because He was fully man. And yet He was also fully God.
He was so much God; it was as if He were not man. And He was so much a man it was as if He were not God. Colossians 2:9 declares, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
Let us pray, “We thank you Lord, for revealing spiritually who Jesus is to us. Let us be led by His Spirit in all that we do, and let His love guide us in our daily living. We pray in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen!”
I thank all the individuals who put God first in their giving and for their support of the ministry. I pray that the blessings of the Lord will overtake you.
Prayerfully,
Thomas Oglesby
Pastor Thomas Oglesby
