Who is Jesus?

Contents

The Question

Who is Jesus? It is the most important question in the world, and it has the most powerful answer capable of turning the world upside-down. Who Jesus is and His good news is the common ground and foundation on which the unity of His followers is built. “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). If two or more can agree on the answer to this fundamental question of “Who is Jesus?”, they will be capable with enough time of coming to agreement concerning anything. Unless there is disagreement on the good news of who Jesus is or unless someone agrees but continues to live contrary to that agreement, there can always be fellowship.

The ICTHUS     The shape of a fish made up of two lines, a dashed line for the top of the fish and a solid line for the bottom of the fish.

About a century after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, his followers began using the symbol of a fish (ichthus in the Greek) to determine the presence of another follower without having to use words. The completed symbol is prevalent nowadays but in the second century, in places of persecution, a follower of Jesus would only draw the first part. Since it was likely that only another follower would know how to complete the symbol, it was useful as a way to more safely determine who else might be a follower.

Besides the obvious reference back to the teachings and miracles of Jesus that made use of fish, the symbol was popular because the word icthus (meaning fish) was also an acronym for the most significant titles of Jesus. ICTHUS is an acronym for Iēsous Christos, Theou Yios, Sōtēr, meaning “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.” Whether we can be certain of the origin of the symbol, nearly 2,000 years later, these titles still represent well the fundamentals of our faith and the foundation upon which our unity is built. The rest of this page is broken into four sections, each presenting the fundamentals behind one of these four titles of Christ and the many supporting scriptural references. These sections are :

  • Iesous: Jesus was a man…who was God manifested in the flesh.
  • Christos: Jesus is the one and only Christ…who is the awaited Messiah, the one Teacher, the Lord of all, and the coming Judge.
  • Theou Yios: Jesus is the one and only son of God…who is one with God, equal to God, God Himself, and the only One who is good.
  • Soter: Jesus is the one and only Savior…who is the Mediator, the permanently sufficient Sacrifice, and the Door for those who have entrusted to Him.

If we can agree on these truths about Jesus, and are truly entrusted to Him, nothing can stop us from pressing on together!

Iesous: Jesus was a man…who was God manifested in the flesh.

A man.

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know — Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.” (Acts 2:22-24)

God manifested in the flesh.

“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 Timothy 3:16)

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, ‘God with us.’ ” (Matthew 1:23)

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, [and] coming in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:5-7)

Why a man?

“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like [His] brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” (Hebrews 2:14-18)

Christos: Jesus is the one and only Christ…who is the awaited Messiah, the one Teacher, the Lord of all, and the coming Judge.

The one and only Christ.

“Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’” (Matthew 16:16)

“But He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, ‘Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?’ Jesus said, ‘I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’ ” (Mark 14:61-62)

“Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, ‘How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered them, ‘I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.’ (John 10:24-25)

“And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you. “For many will come in My name, saying, “I am the Christ,” and will deceive many.’ ” (Matthew 24:4-5)

The Christ is the awaited Messiah.

“Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come– that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the [Jewish] people and to the Gentiles.” (Acts 26:22-23)

“One of the two who heard John [speak], and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated, the Christ).” (John 1:40-41)

“And many more believed because of His own word. Then they said to the woman, ‘Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard [Him] and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.’ ” (John 4:41-42)

“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)

The Christ is the one Teacher.

“The woman said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When He comes, He will tell us all things.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am [He].’ ” (John 4:25-26)

“But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.” (Matthew 23:8-10)

The Christ is the Lord of all.

“Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. … Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:30-31, 36)

“which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated [Him] at His right hand in the heavenly [places], far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all [things] under His feet, and gave Him [to be] head over all [things] to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:20-23)

The Christ is the coming Judge.

“For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: ‘[As] I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:9-12)

“I charge [you] therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:1-2)

“For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law … in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.” (Romans 2:12, 16)

Theou Yios: Jesus is the one and only son of God…who is one with God, equal to God, God Himself, and the only One who is good.

The one and only Son of God

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared [Him].” (John 1:18)

“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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18)

“And the angel answered and said to her [,Mary], “[The] Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)

One with God, equal to God, and God Himself

“I and [My] Father are one.” (John 10:30)

“Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.” (John 5:18)

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, [and] coming in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:5-7)

“Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9)

“And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” ” (John 20:28)

The only One who is good

“What then? Are we better [than they]? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” … for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:9-12, 23)

“For since the creation of the world His invisible [attributes] are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,” (Romans 1:20)

“But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.” (Galatians 3:22)

“Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one [is] good but One, that is, God.” (Luke 18:18-19)

“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth’;” (1 Peter 2:21-22)

“For He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all [points] tempted as [we are, yet] without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

“And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.” (1 John 3:5)

“knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, [like] silver or gold, from your aimless conduct [received] by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Soter: Jesus is the one and only Savior…who is the Mediator, the permanently sufficient Sacrifice, and the Door for those who have entrusted to Him.

The one and only Mediator

“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,” (1 Timothy 2:5)

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ ” (John 14:6)

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

The one and only permanently sufficient Sacrifice

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,” (1 Peter 3:18)

“For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14)

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by [His] Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 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 at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” (Hebrews 1:1-3)

“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be [in the likeness] of [His] resurrection…Now if we died with Christ, we entrust that we shall also live with Him,” (Romans 6:5,8)

“[This is] a faithful saying: For if we died with [Him], We shall also live with [Him].” (2 Timothy 2:11)

“Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Romans 5:9-10)

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and entrusts to Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” (John 5:24)

The one and only Door for those who have entrusted to Him

“Then Jesus said to them again, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who [ever] came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.’ ” (John 10:7-9)

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:27-28)         

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and entrusts to Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:37-40)

“Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you entrust to Him whom He sent.” (John 6:29)

“And this is His commandment: that we should entrust to the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.” (1 John 3:23)

“When He had called the people to [Himself], with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.’ ” (Mark 8:34-35)

“He who entrusts and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not entrust will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever entrusts to Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who entrusts to Him is not condemned; but he who does not entrust is condemned already, because he has not entrusted to the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18)

“Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish [in] the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed [are] all those who put their trust in Him.” (Psalms 2:12)

“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise [his] eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!‘ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:13-14)

“Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, ‘See, [here is] water. What hinders me from being baptized?’ Then Philip said, ‘If you entrust with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I entrust that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’” (Acts 8:36-37)

“Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who entrusts to Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and entrusts to Me shall never die. Do you entrust [to] this?’ She said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, I entrust that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.'” (John 11:24-27)

“He who entrust to the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not entrust the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36)

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and entrusts on Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” (John 5:24)

“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not entrusted? And how shall they entrust to Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14)

Note: Because “believe in’ is a phrase most commonly used in English to mean “agreeing that something or someone is real”, the Greek pisteuo has been translated “entrust’ above to more accurately reflect how the word always indicates one has been persuaded to yield, transfer, and relinquish something. In the case of a follower of Christ, this something being transferred is everything – the person’s entire self including any claim to possessions and decisions.

Why a Savior?

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)

“For it pleased [the Father that] in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight–” (Colossians 1:19-22)

Conclusion

…So what do you think? Can you complete the ichthus?