Who is this Man?
Have you ever asked yourself the question of who Jesus really was? You’re not the first person to think about that, and you’re certainly not the only one.
This is the question that is at the heart of every one of the accounts of Jesus’ life. The disciples ask,
Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him! (Mark 4:41, NIV).
The leading citizens of Bethany ask each other,
Who is this who even forgives sins? (Luke 7:49, NIV).
When Jesus enters Jerusalem that final time, the whole city asked,
“Who is this?” (Matt 21:10).
They didn’t just ask themselves. They asked Jesus directly:
“Who are you?” they asked. “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied (John 8:25, NIV).
When Jesus healed the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda, telling him to pick up his mat and walk, the Jewish leaders asked him,
Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk? (John 5:12, NIV).
As Jesus taught the crowds about the impending death of the Son of Man, they asked him,
The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’? (John 12:34, NIV.)
Who is this man? Your answer will decide your eternal destiny.
Jesus actively tried to get people to think about who he was, and to come to the right answer. He asked his disciples:
Who do people say I am? (Mark 8:27, NIV).
Pilate presented Jesus before the people so that they could decide for themselves:
Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate *said to them, “Behold, the Man!” (John 19:5, NASB).
After his resurrection, the New Testament tells us that none of the disciples asked him any more about who he was. Now they knew for certain:
Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord (John 21:12).
That’s why Thomas said to him,
My Lord and my God! (John 20:28, NIV).
Jesus had said that knowing who he was was a life and death issue:
If you don’t believe that I Am, you will die in your sins (John 8:24, ERV).
Do you know who Jesus is? The clue is in the “I Am” in the verse above.
“Who is this man?” Your answer to this question, in relation to Jesus of Nazareth, will determine your destiny for ever.
Article supplied with thanks to Dr Eliezer Gonzalez.
About the Author: Dr Eli is the Senior Pastor of Good News Unlimited and the presenter of the Unlimited radio spots, and The Big Question.
