Who do you say Jesus is? Take care in your answer—it’s the most important one you’ll ever give. In this message, Dr. Stanley teaches from the Gospel of John, illuminating exactly who Jesus is—God Himself. What you believe about this carpenter from Nazareth not only determines your life here and now, but also in eternity. Discover how Jesus is the perfect image of God the Father.
what do you think of Jesus Christ that’s
the most important answer you’ll ever
have to give if the only thing that he’s
a man simply a man and that’s all he is
and one day you will be greatly shocked
who is this person called Jesus Christ
many people believe in God and they’ll
tell you they do but Jesus that’s a
whole different story he’s just one of
those other prophets or teachers who
roamed the world of his day and talked
about other things that people may be
interested in he’ll some people and so
forth but Jesus not all that important
it’s God who is important that’s the way
the world thinks and I want to ask you
how do you think what do you think of
Jesus Christ the most important question
you’ll ever answer in your life and in
John’s Gospel he has given us a picture
of Jesus unlike any other place in the
scripture and so oftentimes people will
read and they’ll say well I believe this
or I believe that but the question is
what do you really ensure they believe
about Jesus and I’ll say again many
people have God they believe God and
it’s like little g.od they believe that
there is a God but Jesus is a whole
different story and what I want to do is
answer this question what do we believe
about him who is Jesus Christ and the
answer is that Jesus Christ is God now
you probably say well now I I don’t
believe he’s God I believe he’s maybe a
prophet no he’s God and I want to show
you who I is because all the proof that
we need is in the Word of God and you
could just
remain in the Gospel of John if you
wanted to he’s everything he promises to
be and he is God turn if you will to
John chapter 1 and we can read quite a
number verses but I’ll just limit this
that these first five verses of the
Gospel of John because he answers this
question throughout the gospel and we’re
answering the question who is he in the
beginning was the word and the Word was
with God and the Word was God he was in
the beginning with God and all things
came into being through him and apart
from him nothing came into being that
came into being in him was life and the
life was the light of men the light
shines in the dark and the darkness did
not comprehend it who is Jesus well I
want us to think seriously about it
because your whole eternity depends upon
what you think about it and most folks
will say well if as long as I believe in
God and I try to live a pretty good life
that should be sufficient that’s not the
Word of God teaches so I want us to
think about it in this light and answer
the question who is he and so I’m gonna
ask four questions that are legitimate
questions and all that give us an answer
we’re to answer the question who is
Jesus Christ the first question is who
did Jesus say it was who did he say was
Jesus said in John chapter 10 verse 14
and I’m going to give you the scriptures
for all of these so you’ll remember them
jesus said I am the Good Shepherd and I
know my own and my own know me so Jesus
says I’m the Good Shepherd secondly
Jesus said I am the door of the Sheep
in John chapter 10 verse 7 if anyone
enters the door or ennis through me he
will be saved John chapter 10 verse 9
jesus said I and the father are one
look at that he who sees me sees the one
who sent me in John chapter 12 verse 45
and then in John chapter 8 verse 12
Jesus said I am the light of the world
he who follows me will not walk in
darkness but will have the light of Life
and then in the fourteenth chapter of
John in the sixth verse Jesus said I am
the way and the truth and the life no
one comes to the Father but through me
so this is what Jesus said about himself
all of those verses are quotes of Jesus
this is what he said about himself and
then we’re asking questions who did
Jesus say he was the second question is
where his actions consistent with who
God is because we’re trying to define
who is this Jesus so we’re his actions
consistent with who God is
and John the eighth chapter xxix or us
he said I always do the things that are
pleasing to him to the Father no one can
say that but Jesus always do the things
that please him a second verse is John
10:10 jesus said I came that they might
have life and have it more abundantly
that’s certainly consistent with who God
is for example look at the miracles he
performed he fed 5000 He healed the sick
he raised the dead he walked on water
think of all the miraculous things he
did so when we ask who is Jesus he’s
certainly a miracle worker but he’s more
than that
because the one thing he did that
stirred up the Pharisees and the
Sadducees to absolute hatred and
bitterness toward him when he said
speaking to them that he forgave someone
of their sin who can forgive sin we’re
talking about who he is what’s
consistent with who God
then no one can take his life from him
listen to John chapter 10 verse 18 no
one can take his life from him he has
authority to lay down his life and he
says I have authority to take it up
again
is that consistent with who God is yes
it is in six chapter of John the thirty
eighth Horace Jesus said for I have come
down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of him who sent me so the
question is were these actions
consistent with God every one of them
was we’re answering the question is
Jesus God so far you have to admit yes
he is
no one could follow all of this unless
he is the third thing I want us to
notice is this what was his relationship
to God the Father we’re talking about
Jesus being God what was his
relationship to God the Father now
remember in Genesis chapter 1 the 26th
verse when he said let us make man in
our own image who is us it’s certainly
not angels angels aren’t creators not
the devil let us make man in our own
image God the Father God the Son God the
Holy Spirit that three persons of the
Trinity that make up the Godhead
that’s what the scripture teaches in
John chapter 10 verse 13 jesus said I
and the father are one he said for
example the eighth chapter if you knew
me you would know my father also and
when I look at the 14th chapter of John
there are a number of verses there that
I want us to look at but look at verse
16 of the fourteenth chapter from Owen
Jesus said I will ask the Father and He
will give you another helper another in
the Greek is olives that means another
just like just like himself I will ask
the far
he will give you another helper that he
may be with you forever in that one
verse all three persons of eternity so
who is God there’s God the Father God
the Son God the Holy Spirit now tell you
what this is so important the moment he
says that is the Spirit of Truth whom
the world cannot receive because it does
not see him I know him but you know him
because he abides with you and will be
in you then for example in John chapter
1 verse 1 the word Jesus was in the
beginning he was with God and the
scripture says and the Word was God the
testimony of John is that Jesus was God
in human flesh God the Father God the
Son God the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit
is coming after the resurrection but the
three persons of the Trinity now say I’m
gonna say it again I will show you why
this is so important then for example he
says in John chapter 1 verse 3 he was
the creator with the father all things
that came into being through him and
apart from him nothing came into being
so Jesus says that he was the creator oh
wait a minute the Bible says that God
creates God the Father God the Son God
the Holy Spirit and that we have the
three persons of the Trinity let us make
man in our own image then I look for
example in the Colossians chapter 1
because all the way over here in
Colossians and Paul all the things that
he wrote and in this first chapter of
Colossians listen to what he says he
says for example in the first chapter in
the fourteenth verse in whom speaking of
Jesus we have Redemption the forgiveness
of our sins and then he says he Jesus is
the image of the invisible God the
firstborn of all creation for by him are
all things created both in the heavens
and on earth visible and invisible
where the Thrones or dominions or rulers
or authorities all things have been
created through him and for him he is
before all things and in him all things
hold together so the testimony of the
Apostle Paul is the same of the
testimony of John as God the Father God
the Son God the Holy Spirit each one
working in a different way
then all the way down to John chapter 6
verse 38 for I’ve come down from heaven
not to do my own will but the will of
him who sent me and what is that – down
the cross and to save us from our sin
and then the fourteenth chapter John the
eleventh verse I am in the father and
the father is in me and the fifth
chapter xxxvi verse the very works that
I do testify about me that the father
has sent me and then in chapter 8 verse
29 I always do the things that are
pleasing to him would you not say that
all that is consistent with being God
all of it is now let me show you why
this is so important in the mind of the
world there’s God in our mind we know
that as God the Father God the Son God
the Holy Spirit so when you talk to your
friends about yard they said I believe
in God and in their minds there’s God
out there somewhere but he’s so distant
and he’s so foreign and so unimaginable
and so indescribable that he’s just this
big blob of spirituality of some sort
out there somewhere and they pay him
very little attention but they can’t say
that they believe in God so what’s his
name well I don’t know well what kind of
God is a he’s God
now watch this you see if he is this
invisible something out there somewhere
they believe in that they cannot
describe that he is impersonal that they
pray to him whatever he is when they get
in trouble but he’s out there and
they’re afraid they cry out to God and
if you ask him if they believe in God
yes I believe in God describe it well
you know you can’t describe him but I do
believe in God and so when you think
about what the world thinks about God
that is sort of this big spiritual blob
out there somewhere and they just don’t
want it to be personal enough that they
have to give an account and I think
about people for example who do not
believe in Jesus Christ as their
personal Savior don’t believe that they
are subject to him watch this they want
a God who is impersonal enough that they
can sin and not feel bad about it you go
ahead get drunk last night and they show
up on Church on Sunday more not thinking
to think about it
do you believe in God yes or what about
Jesus well you know what I never have
believed about Jesus I don’t need that I
just believe in God I think about all
these religions who believe in some God
what kind of God when you eliminate
Jesus you eliminate the Holy Spirit you
cannot have the one true God without the
son and without the spirit and so you
ask yourself this question do you
believe in God yes do you believe in his
son and remember what Jesus said watch
this carefully I and the father are one
and if you do not believe that Jesus
Christ is God you do not believe in the
one true God or you believe that Jesus
Christ is a liar and if he’s alive what
about God maybe he doesn’t exist if you
do not believe the biblical concept and
truth about God you end up being
confused and so one of the reasons
people don’t want to believe in Jesus
that makes it too personal that too
minute verses about Jesus I am the
father 1 he said it jesus said if you’ve
seen me you’ve seen the father the
problem is that most people haven’t seen
him and to have a very distorted view of
what God is like and so ask yourself the
question do you really and truly believe
that Jesus Christ is God God the Father
God the Son God the Holy Spirit
there is only one God God the Father God
the Son God the Holy Spirit three
persons of the Trinity who have a
different work in the world and so when
somebody says well III do believe in God
here’s the problem when he comes to
Jesus and what he said about how we’re
to live they don’t want to believe that
and so therefore if they can kept sue
God over here
whose impersonal and really can’t define
him really though oftentimes they
describe him like this what God
understands mm-hmm and so they’ve got
him in such general out there somewhere
they can’t define and do not want to be
talking about any judgment or being
subject to or responsible to they want a
God that they can control in their mind
he’s only there when they need him think
about living that kind of life and
coming to the point when you’re gonna
die and you know that you maybe have an
hour so to live I wonder what happens to
this nebulous indescribable invisible
God out there who has been in the
background of your life all the life and
now you’re getting ready to die and you
think maybe maybe I’ll meet God my
friend you better know Jesus before you
die because if the only gods you have if
the only God you have is this
indescribable non biblical God then you
don’t have a lot of true God and so I
want you to think about this why did he
say he came into the world and he
answers this Jesus came in the world
that we might have life and have it more
abundantly
he came for a specific purpose and you
look at his whole life the life that
Jesus lived what is it about Jesus you
don’t like you see most people want to
God
that will pacify them and that will
agree with them and won’t scold them
won’t keep them up at night and just not
tamper with their business they want a
convenient personal God they describe
that helps them get what they want in
life but no accountability whatsoever
have a God but if he’s not a God that
matches what we just read in the word
which is God’s Word you don’t have the
one through God who is this God that you
believe in is he real if he’s not the
God of the Bible Jesus Christ you don’t
have a true God it’s your imagination
you say well what about all those other
millions and people in the world they
have their imagination also and you see
the Bible’s made it very clear and John
who walked with Jesus
the last disciple to die the youngest
one of them all but when he wrote the
gospel he wrote the gospel inspired by
Almighty God to describe for us so
intimately so beautifully who Jesus was
and what he’s like and the only way you
can have a relationship with him is to
begin by asking him to forgive you of
your sins and surrender your life to Him
you got to believe in him so as long as
you have your personal God out here who
doesn’t mess with your conscience
doesn’t bother you when you commit
adultery a living sin and you’re talking
and all the things that go on in a
person’s life as long as that doesn’t
bother you that’s your God but I’ll tell
you one thing there’s gonna be death
it’s gonna be a judgment you’re gonna
give an account and guess to whom Jesus
Christ the Son of God that I want you to
understand you need to surrender your
life to him here and now because He is
God then of course listen to John 3:16
which you know so well for God so loved
the world that He gave His only begotten
Son that who
ever believes in him would not perish
but have everlasting life
but in your life at this moment what
kind of relationship do you have of
Jesus because the Word of God
there’s witness that Jesus Christ is a
god who walked in flesh watch this
this is the awesome expression of a holy
God not only was it not only was it
sufficient for him to give the truth
through the prophets all the way back to
Moses and all the things that happened
with the prophets but he sent Jesus to
walk in human flesh to be tempted by the
devil but to perform all of these
miracles so that man does not have any
excuse for not believing in him as the
Son of God that is an example of God’s
awesome love for us why he came into the
world motivated by love and you said
well you know what I don’t know I don’t
know that I think God’s all that
important wait till you come to die and
the only person who’s gonna be important
is not your doctor
he can’t keep here no Lord not your
family you’re gonna you’re gonna leave
them the only person that’s going to
matter is Jesus Christ the only person’s
gonna matter is Jesus because only he
can forgive sin only he can write your
name in the Lamb’s Book about life only
he can take you from this life into
heaven you can have everything else in
the world you want everybody thinks
you’re fantastic
you have all power whatever it might be
if you don’t have Jesus except a man be
born again he will not see the kingdom
of God that means unless you have a
spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ
and accept him as your Savior you’re
going to be lost
who is Jesus God the Father God the Son
God the Holy Spirit a person of eternity
when he said let us make man in our own
image who is he talking about God the
Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit
there isn’t anything you and I need it’s
not in the Word of God he answers all
the questions that I need have answered
if a person does not believe in Jesus
but they have a God mark it down there’s
a watch that says something about Jesus
that interferes for their lifestyle
something about Jesus that bothers their
conscience something about Jesus that
demands of them something that want to
give something about Jesus that sort of
cramps their style of living and so they
decide I do believe in God don’t ask me
to define him don’t ask me to describe
him there’s none of your business I do
believe in God you have your God I have
mine you’ll die with your God and be
sorry that you rejected Jesus Christ as
your Savior he’s the only Savior now
let’s think about something for a moment
because in light of all of that suppose
Jesus is not God if Jesus is not God
think about this Jesus has been
untruthful about his relationship with
the father he said I’m the father of
warning if that’s not true Jesus has
been untruthful about his relationship
with the father if that’s not true
secondly Jesus can’t be trusted if he is
not the Son of God in the Savior and
that he’s not God he said if you’ve seen
me you’ve seen the father and the father
alone if that’s not true then you can’t
trust him three his death had no effect
upon us therefore we’re still in our
sins if he’s not who he says he is his
death on the cross was just another
Roman execution that’s what the
Sadducees the Pharisees thought that’s
why they sneered at him on the cross if
Jesus were not God is not God his death
on the cross did
any more than the two thieves who died
on the cross they died because they were
guilty of something Jesus died because
of our guilt not his guilt think about
it think about the guilt of all your sin
throughout your life
if Jesus death on the cross didn’t pay
your sin debt in full who paid for it
nobody you have to pay for it you stand
before Almighty God and give an account
for your life Jesus is our salvation he
paid our sin debt in full for every
single person who will trust them as
their Savior we know salvation comes
from him think about this the story of
the resurrection is the false claim by
his followers if Jesus is not who he
says he is that’s a false claim that
even rose from the dead that he was the
son of God and so therefore there’s no
resurrection then we have no assurance
of life after death the resurrection of
Jesus Christ is our one awesome
assurance of life after death and that
we really experience the resurrection so
when people don’t believe in Jesus then
I ask the question what are you gonna do
when you die where are you going what’s
going to happen to you every once in a
while somebody say well I’ll just
disappear no you won’t you may like to
disappear but you can’t what happens to
you when you die well I don’t know don’t
you think it’s important enough to find
out what you should do it’s important
under men once to die and after this the
judgment you should know what’s going to
happen you don’t have to know all the
details what you have to know is this
that jesus promised eternal life but
those who would trust him as their
Savior listen to this Christianity is
just another world religion if Jesus is
not who he says he is only Jesus Christ
gives us the
and the proof that he is the son of God
that He is God
suppose you don’t have that what do you
have thinking about the people who don’t
give Jesus Christ a second thought but
they have in their pocket their little
security and that is they believe in God
and somehow when it’s all over that
everything is gonna be okay though
everything is not gonna be okay because
he said it is appointed unto man who
wants to die and after this the judgment
we’re gonna have to give an account for
our life if I were lost and I don’t want
to believe that I just say well that’s
what I have heard many attempts well I
have my own god you’ve got yours yeah
that’s true you may think about things
that have happened in your life and say
well God helped me out God may have
helped you out they know to give you an
opportunity to trust him as your Savior
does not mean that God judges every
single person every single day no he’s a
God of awesome mercy or none of us would
be here so I will mention this last
thing if Jesus Christ is not God we are
all hopeless and helpless in this life
but Jesus is God and listen to this
Jesus is God all he said all he did has
resulted in the forgiveness of our sins
the gift of eternal life and heaven is
our home there’s one God and if somebody
asks you who is God God is Jesus God is
the father God is the Holy Spirit three
persons of the Trinity so jesus said to
them to make it very clear I’m going
away and if I go away I will send the
comforter to you the Holy Spirit he’ll
be in you with you and upon you and so
what happened Jesus rose from the dead
spoke to those disciples and then at
Pentecost he sent the Holy Spirit to do
what to enable you and me
who come along afterwards to live a
godly life he didn’t leave us and you
think about how absolutely thoughtful
God was it’s not enough for them to have
seen him even walk among them but the
Holy Spirit to live in them he says we
are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise
under the day of redemption if you don’t
have Jesus what do you have you said
well I have my god let me ask you this
describe my God to me I’ll tell you how
to describe him you describe him in a
way that suits what you want what you
hope for but you can’t describe him by
facts by the truth your God is a false
God your God is an empty God if your God
is not Jesus Christ as Savior our Lord
our God and amen
and it is my prayer that you’ll be
honest I’m not being critical I’m just
saying here’s the truth you can’t deny
the truth everything we’ve said is the
truth and the question is what would you
do with the truth you have two choices
accept it or deny it and going your way
having put behind you what you heard you
will regret it for all eternity if you
did not make a decision and my prayer is
that you would say yes what you’ve said
is true I do believe that what you said
is true and by faith I will accept Jesus
Christ as my personal savings the one
true God surrender my life to him and
watch him work in my life he will do an
awesome work in your life and all of us
who believers can bear testimony that
Jesus Christ is not on the Son of God
but there is the Spirit of God and the
father who is God that’s our prayer for
you that your life had be radically
changed by believing trusting the Word
of God that Jesus Christ came into this
world lay down his life at the cross and
made it possible for us to be forgiven
father how grateful we are you did not
leave us to guess or wonder our dream or
fear you gave us a very clear answer to
the question who is God and I pray that
every person who hears this message will
be honest enough to examine their life
their belief system
and what they really believe and who
they really trust in for their future
and I pray that many people will turn
from that false belief and accept Jesus
Christ as their personal Savior and this
we ask it in Jesus name Amen
[Music]
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