Who is JESUS CHRIST really?

No other name is so well-known and at the same time so controversial as the name JESUS. Many people worship and love him, but others despise, hate or completely ignore him.

Today’s historians accept it as a proven fact that JESUS CHRIST really lived.  There is hardly any other person in the ancient world who has such a good historical record as this JESUS from the town of Nazareth. But who is JESUS CHRIST really?


There seem to be a thousand answers to this question. Some say he was a wise teacher, a revolutionary, a philosopher or simply a good person. Others consider him a deceiver or a lunatic. Muslims call him a great prophet and Christians believe that JESUS is the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. But which of these answers is actually true?


JESUS himself once asked the people who were with him, "But who do you say that I am?" (Gospel of Matthew 16:15) How would you answer JESUS’ question? Perhaps you have already made up your own opinion about JESUS. But when you talk about someone, it is only fair to also hear what that person has to say. What then does JESUS say about himself?


What does JESUS CHRIST say about himself?


JESUS CHRIST lived about 2,000 years ago in Israel. Some people who witnessed JESUS at that time were careful to keep a record of his words and deeds for future generations. These writings can be found in the most famous book in the world, the Bible. It is here that we find what JESUS said about himself:


I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (Gospel of John 14:6)


Here JESUS claims to be the only connection to God the Father and therefore the only true way to a relationship with God. This fellowship with God is the meaning of true life.


I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved. (Gospel of John 10:9)


With these words, JESUS claims to be the only entry-way to salvation.


I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (Gospel of John 8:12)


JESUS promises to give life-saving orientation to all who follow him. Those who stand by JESUS are therefore brought out of all the lostness, fear and darkness of human existence and find a life full of security and hope in him.

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (Gospel of John 10:11)


Here JESUS compares himself with a shepherd and those who believe in him with a flock of sheep. A shepherd guides, protects and provides for his sheep. As a good shepherd, JESUS even dies for his sheep.


I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (Gospel of John 6:35)


Food and drink are vital for every human being. JESUS claims to be everything that a man depends on for life. This includes the human hunger for love, acceptance, joy, justice and peace. JESUS promises to satisfy this and much more forever in fellowship with him.


I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. (Gospel of John 11:25)


Here JESUS assures us that everyone who completely trusts in him is not destined to die. If JESUS himself is the source of life, this means that those who live in fellowship with him have a new life – now and for all eternity.


What kind of person is this who so confidently claims such extraordinary things about himself? While on earth, JESUS CHRIST was severely criticised and even attacked for making such statements. His enemies contradicted him by saying that no man on earth has the right to think – let alone speak – about himself in this way. Are you of the same opinion?


Even though JESUS was treated with such great hostility, he unwaveringly stood by his statements and also announced that he was commissioned and sent by God from heaven (Gospel of John 8:42). But why should God send someone to earth? JESUS himself also gives an answer to this question.


Why did JESUS CHRIST come?


JESUS says, I have come ...


... to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice. (Gospel of John 18:37)


... to seek and to save the lost. (Gospel of Luke 19:10)


... not to be served but to serve, and to give [my] life as a ransom for many. (Gospel of Mark 10:45)


... into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. (Gospel of John 12:46)


... that they may have life and have it abundantly. (Gospel of John 10:10)


It is striking that the motives for JESUS’ coming are connected to fearful things such as darkness, lostness, death, sin and judgement. What makes this frightening is that JESUS uses these serious words to describe the sad condition of human beings.


What went wrong?


You surely know the unpleasant feeling of having left a trusted partner such as your spouse, friend or neighbour in an argument. What a joy it is to be reconciled again! Every person has serious relationship problems and this is precisely what JESUS drew attention to.


But the relationship problems to which JESUS refers are much more dramatic than an interpersonal conflict. Again and again, he draws attention to mankind’s greatest problem: We live separated from God, the Father, the creator of all life. God created human beings as persons so that they can live in close fellowship with him.


The first human beings spoke with God and ordered their lives according to his purposes. In doing so, they found that God gave them complete joy and true fulfilment in life. This changed, however, on the day they thought they did not need God anymore. They believed the lie that they could also find a fulfilled life apart from God by having their own say over their lives. So they turned their backs on God and deliberately rebelled against him (see Genesis 2-3).


Have you ever asked yourself what gives or what should give fulfilment to your life? Inside every person there is a longing for personal fulfilment in life. Until this day, most people seek this fulfilment everywhere except in God. By neglecting God, man misses his true happiness in life and offends God who is the source of true joy. With such an attitude, man becomes hostile to God – whether he intends to or not. Such a lifestyle of ignoring God and his purposes is described in the Bible as sin.

God is completely good and righteous; therefore he detests evil such as murder, adultery, unkindness, gossip, envy, falsehood, theft, greed, quarrels, meanness, shamelessness, treachery, dissipation, injustice, schemes, violence, pride, boasting, disobedience, disloyalty, mercilessness, egotism, love of money, ingratitude, unforgiveness, obscenity, deceit, cruelty …


Everyone who honestly considers this will have to admit that human beings do precisely those things which God detests. And this is the great problem: man is not good because his life contradicts what God has declared good and righteous. Since God is holy and takes responsibility for all life, he cannot accept this behaviour, as it mocks him and harms mankind. Therefore God is justifiably angry with all men. In the Bible, God unequivocally says that every person must give an account before him after this life. On a determined day, God will judge and punish men for all their sins.


Is there a way to end hostility with God and avoid the eternal judgement of God’s wrath? Yes, thank God, there is! To be precise, this is the good news of JESUS CHRIST, the reconciler of the world. Especially when you understand what your condition before God is, you will also see who JESUS CHRIST really is.


JESUS CHRIST, the reconciler!


When JESUS asked his followers who they considered him to be, a man named Simon gave the only right answer.


"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. (Gospel of Matthew 16:16-17)


Without exaggerating, JESUS was able to call himself the source of life, the only way of salvation and the truth in person because he is none other than the Son of God who came down from heaven to give his life as a sacrifice. Many people know that JESUS CHRIST was killed by being nailed to a cross, but only few people know the true reason for his death. God the Father sent his Son JESUS CHRIST with a very specific purpose into the world: he was to become a man and pay with his life for the guilt of many sinners. Completely voluntarily, JESUS suffered what we as human beings have deserved – God’s righteous judgement for sin. The Bible says,


... he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)


We as humans have turned our backs on God, but JESUS’ back was whipped. We had the bad thoughts, but JESUS’ head was wounded with thorns. We acted against God and our fellow humans, but JESUS’ hands were pierced. We went our own wrong ways away from God, but JESUS’ feet were nailed to the cross. We deserved to die, but JESUS died in our place. Instead of punishing us, God opened the way to reconcile us to himself by sacrificing his own Son to die.


For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (Gospel of John 3:16)


Through his sacrifice on the cross JESUS CHRIST has become the reconciler. He alone mediates between guilty men and the righteous God. By paying with his life for the sins of men, JESUS leads men back into a relationship with God.


Be reconciled to God!


God the Father confirmed that he had accepted the sacrifice of his Son by raising him from the dead three days later. JESUS CHRIST lives and has the power to forgive sins and give eternal life. Those who completely trust in JESUS CHRIST to be saved from guilt, death and judgement, and entrust themselves with their whole life to this reconciler, have peace with God and eternal life in close communion with him. This message of reconciliation – which is also called the gospel – is addressed to all people. But only those who believe in JESUS CHRIST are also reconciled to God. Those who think lightly of this great love of God and despise and reject JESUS CHRIST’s sacrifice of reconciliation have no other hope. God’s wrath and his eternal judgement remain for those who do not want to be reconciled to him.


Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (Gospel of John 3:36)


Dear reader,
Thank you very much for reading this far. Do not wait any longer, but come with your entire burden to JESUS CHRIST, who can give you forgiveness and true peace with God. JESUS says,


Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Gospel of Matthew 11:28)


Whoever comes to me I will never cast out. (Gospel of John 6:37)


Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. (Gospel of John 5:24)


Come and confess your sins in prayer to JESUS CHRIST and ask him to save you and reconcile you to God.


Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20)


(This text was originally written in German by some friends of mine for the website www.jesuschristus.de, an independent and interdenominational ministry for proclaiming the good news. I was very pleased to translate this text into English for them.)

Picture: sxc.hu

Strength in weakness

Are you weak? Do you feel weak? Do you know that you are weak? Are you wondering how you will ever cope with everything this year?




Here is a wonderful promise for the new year. It comes from none other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God:

Jesus says, "My strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

What is your weakness? Is it a physical weakness? An illness? A fear? A burden? A besetting sin?

The apostle Paul also had a particular weakness. We do not know what exactly this was. He called it a "thorn in the flesh". Maybe this was the same thing you have. But even if not, it does not matter. Jesus has the answer to all our weaknesses, whatever they may be.




Paul says he prayed three times to the Lord that this thorn in his flesh would depart from him. His prayer was answered, but not in the way he was hoping for. God did not take away whatever it was that Paul was struggling with. But his prayer was still answered...




Jesus answered Paul's prayer by telling him two wonderful truths:



1) "My grace is sufficient for thee."
2) "My strength is made perfect in weakness."

Jesus' grace is sufficient for everybody. No matter what your weakness is, how difficult your struggle, how hard your trial, how great your sin - Jesus' grace is enough. Look to Jesus. Come to Jesus. Cry out to Jesus for help. He is merciful and gracious. If you have fallen down and feel like you have lost it all, there is hope. Jesus's grace is sufficient.




Someone has defined grace as "God's Riches At Christ's Expense". I think this is a great definition. Grace is God's unmerited favour towards us, which came to us through Christ and His death on the cross. As sinners, all that we deserve from God is His just punishment. But because Jesus suffered this punishment for all those who believe on Him, there remains no more punishment for God's children - only grace. The grace that comes through Christ is all-sufficient and more than enough for every situation. Songwriter Chris Tomlin states it as follows in one of his songs:

All of You is more than enough for all of me

For every thirst and every need

You satisfy me with Your love

And all I have in You is more than enough

You're my sacrifice

Of greatest price

And still more awesome than I know

You're the coming King

You are everything

And still more awesome than I know

More than all I want

More than all I need

You are more than enough for me

More than all I know

More than all I can say

You are more than enough for me

This first truth that Christ's grace is sufficient is wonderful and you will find it to be true if you know Jesus as your personal Saviour. Remember:

Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace.
And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace.
(Jerry Bridges)

But the second truth is also very important...




Christ's strength is made perfect in weakness. The truth is that you will never know and experience Christ's strength until you recognise your own weakness and sinfulness. If you think you have it all together and do not need any help, if you think you are not such a bad sinner, then you will not know the grace or the strength of Christ. Jesus Himself said in Mark 2:17,

They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Will you admit your weakness and sinfulness to God? He already knows everything about you. There is nothing you can hide from Him. Jesus Christ did not come to condemn sinners, but to call them to repentance and save them. If you will turn away from your sins and place your faith in Christ as your Saviour, He will not turn you away. His all-sufficient grace is available for you today.




As I look forward to this year and the years ahead, I realise that I am attempting great things. My path to serve God in a foreign country so far has not been easy and it will not get any easier. I have not yet even properly left my home to live and work in another culture. I have not yet given serious effort to learning the language of the Indians, let alone given serious thought to the great responsibility of translating God's word for them. And, to be honest, I don't think I am the best person for the job. I know my own weaknesses and struggles. I know I am just a sinner, saved by grace. But I do believe God is calling me to serve Him in Mexico. And if God accomplishes anything good through my life, then it will be all His work through me - His strength in my weakness. All the glory goes to Him.



Jesus says, "My strength is made perfect in weakness."




What was Paul's conclusion about his "thorn in the flesh" after receiving this promise from the Lord? This is what he says in 2 Corinthians 12:9b-10:

Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Paul recognised that his weaknesses ("infirmities") were actually something to glory in, to take pleasure in and to be most glad about. Not for the weaknesses as such, but because it was though his weaknesses and struggles that He saw his need for Christ and Christ showed His all-sufficient power and grace to meet his every circumstance.




May God also use our weaknesses in 2012 to remind us of our need for the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that we will run to Him and find Him to be our all-sufficient Saviour.

How much is Jesus worth?

$15 for a Bible, $10 for a necklace with a cross, $2 to put in the offering plate in church on Sunday and maybe $20 for the Salvation Army once a year… Christianity really seems to be quite affordable. But is that all it takes to be Christian? Somebody might say you must give 10% of your income to God. But even that is quite affordable. Is Jesus worth only that much? Just our loose change and maybe a little extra every now and then?

Think about it: What is most the most valuable thing or person in the universe, which we should give everything for in order to get? The answer is simple: Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ surpasses riches, family, health, religion, houses, holidays, fame, cars, fun, music, sex, drugs and football by far. This life on earth will soon be over and all you have accumulated and achieved will be gone forever. Here today and gone tomorrow. But one thing will not be gone - your soul. Your soul will live on forever in one of two places: heaven or hell. Then everything you have lived for on earth will account for nothing and will be worthless – unless you lived for Christ.

Jesus once said,

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mark 8:36-37)

Your soul is far more valuable than everything this world offers. Therefore, you should make it your top priority in this life to guard and protect your soul and make sure that it is not lost in the everlasting torments in hell when this life is over. Seriously, who cares about movies or football? Don’t get me wrong. These things are not necessarily bad in themselves. I love football. But they are completely worthless and absurd in light of eternity! What difference will it make to your life 100 years from now? Hopefully, these kind of things will not make the decisive difference in that they kept you away from the most important thing - the salvation of your soul.

Jesus Christ is the One who will make the difference when it comes to the eternal destiny of your soul. Therefore, He is infinitely valuable. All the money in the world cannot buy your way into heaven. Jesus has already paid the price for you by shedding his own blood on the cross and dying for the sins of the world. God gave everything so that you could be forgiven. And this shows you how great your sins are in the sight of God – the perfect, holy Son of God had to suffer a cruel death on the cross and suffer God’s wrath. It was the only way your sins could be forgiven.

What will you give in order to know this God and have Jesus Christ as your Saviour? In one of His parables, Jesus made the following point:

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. (Matthew 13:44)

This is what Jesus is worth – everything. All your possessions, all your time, all your money, all your health, all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, all your strength, all your dreams, all your relationships, all your past, all your present, all your future. Every penny, every word, every thought, every deed, every breath, every second, every minute, every hour, every day, every week, every month, every year. All your life.

Not only is Jesus worth giving up everything in order to know Him, He is also worth giving up everything in order to make Him known to others, even if this means being ridiculed, despised, hated, persecuted, abused and tormented by others for His sake. The apostle Paul regarded these things merely as a “light affliction” compared with the “far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:13). This kind of attitude has also been demonstrated by countless Christians who have died for their faith throughout history – from the earliest days of Christianity right until today.

The great Protestant reformer Martin Luther, whose life was under threat when chose to remain true to his faith in Christ, penned these words in the last stanza of his famous hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”:

Let goods and kindred go, This mortal life also;

The body they may kill: God's truth abideth still,

His kingdom is forever.

Somebody once said, “Until you find something worth dying for, you’re not really living.”

Are you clinging on to worthless, deadly pleasures, or are you giving everything for the greatest treasure?

Jesus’ worth is immeasurable. Treasure Him above everything.

(The 5-minute video below probably does a much better job of communicating what I am trying to put down in my own words.)

John Piper is bad

Ok, this is my 4th post on this blog and the 3rd one with something about John Piper. You get the picture - he's my favourite contemporary author and I have learnt a lot from his ministry. So you can imagine my shock when I saw the headline "John Piper is bad" for a little music video on Youtube. But the words you hear are from his own mouth: "John Piper is bad." Check out the extended video which includes a short interview with Piper about the song:



So, yes, John Piper is bad. But so are all of us. This afternoon, I was teaching the children in church from the book of Romans. One of the verses we looked at was the following:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

According to the Bible, all people are bad. All have sinned. That includes, for example, the first man Adam, the Buddha, Mary the mother of Jesus, the apostle Paul, Mohammed, Joseph Smith, Bob Jones, Mother Teresa, John Piper, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the pope, you and me. There was only one Man who ever lived without sin - Jesus Christ. And this Man took upon Himself the sins of the world and God's just punishment on it when He bled and died on the cross, so that we would not have to pay the penalty but could have our sins forgiven.

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

This is what Good Friday is all about.