Who Jesus Really Is

Monday, December 4, 2023

by Dr. Paul Chappell

When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Matthew 16:13-16

Ever since the time of Christ, there have been heresies that deny His deity. One of these was promoted by Theodotus of Byzantium. He argued that Jesus did not exist prior to His birth in Bethlehem. In his view, Jesus did not have a divine nature but was a normal man who, after passing the test, was adopted by God as a son and given power to work miracles. The teaching of “adoptionism” directly contradicted Scripture's claims of the deity of Christ.

These teachings, however, didn't begin after Christ ascended to Heaven. Even while He was on Earth, there were many people who denied Christ's deity. Jesus did not meet their preconceived expectations for a political deliverer, so they rejected Him. “Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?” (John 7:41). Because Jesus did not conform to their ideas, they refused to believe His message.

Jesus is eternal and eternally God. He took on a human form when He was born in Bethlehem, but His divine nature did not change. This truth is emphasized throughout the Gospels. One such place is when Jesus asked His disciples what people were saying about who He was. Their answer showed a wide variety of opinions the public held, none of which revealed faith that Jesus was indeed the promised Savior. But when Peter declared that Jesus was both the Messiah and fully God, He was speaking the truth. Jesus responded, “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17). We must never lose sight of who Jesus is or allow the truth of His nature as both fully Divine and fully human to be obscured.

Today's Growth Principle
We must accept Jesus for who and what He is as the Messiah and Savior we need.

Old Testament Reading

Ezekiel 47-48

CHAPTER 47

¹ Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. ² Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. ³ And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. ⁴ Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. ⁵ Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. ⁶ And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. ⁷ Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. ⁸ Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. ⁹ And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. ¹⁰ And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. ¹¹ But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. ¹² And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

¹³ Thus saith the Lord GOD; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions. ¹⁴ And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance. ¹⁵ And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad; ¹⁶ Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazarhatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran. ¹⁷ And the border from the sea shall be Hazarenan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side. ¹⁸ And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. And this is the east side. ¹⁹ And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward. ²⁰ The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath. This is the west side. ²¹ So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel. ²² And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. ²³ And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord GOD.

CHAPTER 48

¹ Now these are the names of the tribes. From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazarenan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east and west; a portion for Dan. ² And by the border of Dan, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Asher. ³ And by the border of Asher, from the east side even unto the west side, a portion for Naphtali. ⁴ And by the border of Naphtali, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Manasseh. ⁵ And by the border of Manasseh, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Ephraim. ⁶ And by the border of Ephraim, from the east side even unto the west side, a portion for Reuben. ⁷ And by the border of Reuben, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Judah. ⁸ And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the offering which ye shall offer of five and twenty thousand reeds in breadth, and in length as one of the other parts, from the east side unto the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it. ⁹ The oblation that ye shall offer unto the LORD shall be of five and twenty thousand in length, and of ten thousand in breadth. ¹⁰ And for them, even for the priests, shall be this holy oblation; toward the north five and twenty thousand in length, and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the south five and twenty thousand in length: and the sanctuary of the LORD shall be in the midst thereof. ¹¹ It shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which have kept my charge, which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray. ¹² And this oblation of the land that is offered shall be unto them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites. ¹³ And over against the border of the priests the Levites shall have five and twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth: all the length shall be five and twenty thousand, and the breadth ten thousand. ¹⁴ And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the firstfruits of the land: for it is holy unto the LORD. ¹⁵ And the five thousand, that are left in the breadth over against the five and twenty thousand, shall be a profane place for the city, for dwelling, and for suburbs: and the city shall be in the midst thereof. ¹⁶ And these shall be the measures thereof; the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and five hundred, and on the east side four thousand and five hundred, and the west side four thousand and five hundred. ¹⁷ And the suburbs of the city shall be toward the north two hundred and fifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty. ¹⁸ And the residue in length over against the oblation of the holy portion shall be ten thousand eastward, and ten thousand westward: and it shall be over against the oblation of the holy portion; and the increase thereof shall be for food unto them that serve the city. ¹⁹ And they that serve the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel. ²⁰ All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand: ye shall offer the holy oblation foursquare, with the possession of the city. ²¹ And the residue shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation, and of the possession of the city, over against the five and twenty thousand of the oblation toward the east border, and westward over against the five and twenty thousand toward the west border, over against the portions for the prince: and it shall be the holy oblation; and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof. ²² Moreover from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the midst of that which is the prince's, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, shall be for the prince. ²³ As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side unto the west side, Benjamin shall have a portion. ²⁴ And by the border of Benjamin, from the east side unto the west side, Simeon shall have a portion. ²⁵ And by the border of Simeon, from the east side unto the west side, Issachar a portion. ²⁶ And by the border of Issachar, from the east side unto the west side, Zebulun a portion. ²⁷ And by the border of Zebulun, from the east side unto the west side, Gad a portion. ²⁸ And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea. ²⁹ This is the land which ye shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their portions, saith the Lord GOD. ³⁰ And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures.

³¹ And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi. ³² And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan. ³³ And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun. ³⁴ At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali. ³⁵ It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there.

New Testament Reading

1 John 3

CHAPTER 3

¹ Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. ² Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. ³ And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

⁴ Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. ⁵ And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. ⁶ Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. ⁷ Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. ⁸ He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. ¹⁰ In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

¹¹ For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. ¹² Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. ¹³ Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

¹⁴ We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. ¹⁵ Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. ¹⁶ Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ¹⁷ But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? ¹⁸ My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. ¹⁹ And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

²⁰ For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. ²¹ Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. ²² And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

²³ And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. ²⁴ And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

Proverbs Reading

Proverbs 4

¹ Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. ² For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. ³ For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. ⁴ He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. ⁵ Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. ⁶ Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. ⁷ Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. ⁸ Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. ⁹ She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. ¹⁰ Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. ¹¹ I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. ¹² When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. ¹³ Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. ¹⁴ Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. ¹⁵ Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. ¹⁶ For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. ¹⁷ For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. ¹⁸ But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. ¹⁹ The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. ²⁰ My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. ²¹ Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. ²² For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. ²³ Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. ²⁴ Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. ²⁵ Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. ²⁶ Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. ²⁷ Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.