WHO IS JESUS? PART III Kay K. Peebles 10/04/2019 19.34
Two thousand years after the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus the world is still clamoring over the question “Who is Jesus?” Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world and yet, Christianity is the fastest growing religion in the world. For centuries the Church has become divided by factions of man’s doctrine which has watered down the purity and power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. Sadly, many have become simply religious instead of relevant and their influence of the Gospel on modern society has shifted from powerful to impotent. In this day and hour of our soon coming King, it is necessary to again pose the eternal question: “Who is Jesus?”
“When Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples this question: ‘What are the people saying about me, the Son of Man? Who do they believe I am?’ They answered, ‘Some are convinced you are John the Baptizer, others say you are Elijah reincarnated, or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you—who do you say that I am?’ Jesus asked. Simon Peter spoke up and said, ‘You are the Anointed One, the Son of the living God!’ Jesus replied, ‘You are favored and privileged Simon, son of Jonah! For you didn’t discover this on your own, but my Father in heaven has supernaturally revealed it to you.’” Matthew 16:13-16, Luke 9:18-20, See Matthew 16:18-20 .
Jesus lost many followers after He explained the cost of true discipleship. They were interested in His blessings, healing and handouts but not willing to serve selflessly or sacrifice their lives for the sake of the Kingdom. Jesus then asked His 12 disciples if they were also leaving Him.
“As a result of this many of His disciples abandoned Him, and no longer walked with Him. So Jesus said to the twelve [disciples], ‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You alone have the words of eternal life [you are our only hope]. We have believed and confidently trusted, and we have come to know [by personal observation and experience] that You are the Holy One of God [the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God].’” John 6:66-69.
Jesus was the promised Messiah but because of envy, the leaders of the Jewish faith rejected their Messiah, the Son of God. See Matthew 27:18.
“Then turning to the assembled Pharisees, Jesus put a question to them. ‘Tell me your view concerning the Messiah: whose son is he?’ They said to him, ‘David’s.’ ‘Then how is it, he asked them, that David, inspired by the Spirit calls him Lord, when he says, ADONAI said to my Lord, Sit here at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet?’ ‘If David thus calls him Lord, how is he his son? No one could think of anything to say in reply; and from that day on, no one dared to put him another question.” Prophecy Psalm 110:1, Restated by Jesus Matthew 22:41-46; Testified Hebrews 12:2 (See below). As Creator, Jesus preceded David and as the Son of man, He descended from David. See Who Is Jesus? Part 1. By the power of the Holy Spirit, David saw into the future and prophesied about the Messiah, the Lord Jesus who would one day sit on his throne.
Part 1 of this series discussed our need to know that Jesus is our Creator. It is imperative for us to understand that we are not an accident but the part of a Divine master plan having an eternal purpose for being in the earth at this precise time. Part II delves further into Jesus’ identity as the Son of God by revealing 4,000 years of prophecies about Him recorded in the Old Testament and their fulfillment recorded in the New Testament. It began with Jesus’ conception/birth and went through His ministry. Part III continues His life by studying His transfiguration. All are vital for us to know Who He is in order to understand completely who we are and what purpose God has ordained for each of us. See Jeremiah 29:11.
WHO IS JESUS? HE IS THE SON OF GOD!
His Transfiguration: The prophecy and the fulfillment
“I will declare the decree of the Lord; He said to Me, You are My Son; this day [I declare] I have begotten You.” Prophesied in Psalm 2:7.
“The LORD (God) says to my Lord (the Messiah) ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Your adversaries your footstool.’” Prophesied Psalm 110:1. See Matthew 26:64, Fulfilled Acts 2:34-35, 1 Corinthians 15:25, Colossians 3:1 and Hebrews 12:2.
“Eight days later, Jesus took Peter, Jacob (James), and John and climbed a high mountain to pray. As he prayed, His face began to glow until it was a blinding glory streaming from Him. His entire body was illuminated with a radiant glory. His brightness became so intense that it made His clothing blinding white, like multiple flashes of lightening. All at once, two men appeared in glorious splendor; Moses and Elijah. They spoke with Jesus about His soon departure from this world and the things He was destined to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions had become very drowsy, but they became fully awake when they saw the glory and splendor of Jesus standing there and the two men with Him. As Moses and Elijah were about to return to heaven, Peter impetuously blurted out, ‘Master, this is amazing to see the three of you together! Why don’t we stay here and set up three shelters; one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah?’ While Peter was still speaking a radiant cloud of glory formed above them and overshadowed them. As the glory cloud enveloped them, they were struck with fear. Then the voice of God thundered from within the cloud. ‘This is My Son, My Beloved One. Listen carefully to all He has to say.’ When the thunderous voice faded away and the cloud disappeared, Jesus was standing there alone. Peter, Jacob (James) and John were speechless and awestruck. But they didn’t say a word to anyone about what they had seen…” Fulfilled Luke 9:28-36; Matthew 17:1-9
This testifies to the fact that Jesus did not raise Himself or vainly proclaim Himself to be the Son of God, equal to God the Father. The Lord God Himself did! “This He has completely fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second Psalm, You are My Son; today I have begotten You [caused You to arise, to be born; formally shown You to be the Messiah by the resurrection.” Hebrews 13:33.
Moses had a similar experience when he went to Mt. Sinai for 40 days to be in the presence of God and receive the 10 Commandments. “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hand, he did not know that the skin of his face was shining [with a unique radiance] because he had been speaking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to approach him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him; and he spoke to them. Afterward all the Israelites approached him, and he commanded them to do everything that the Lord had said to him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out.” Exodus 34:29-34.
This profound experience was an instance when the divine Shekinah glory of God came from the Spirit realm and manifested in the natural realm. Peter, James and John were personal witnesses to this experience and were transformed by it. In Part II it happened when John the Baptist baptized Jesus. He saw the Spirit of God descend upon Jesus in the form of a dove and heard the audible voice of God declaring: This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. See Matthew 3:13-17. There are certain times and circumstances when God’s supernatural Spirit realm breaks through touching people on earth. That realm of God can be seen, heard and felt by natural men and women. It not only happened then, but it is still happening NOW!
The transfiguration separated Jesus from all the other heavenly beings mentioned in the Bible. It raised Him to the status of Deity equal to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Although He was flesh and blood, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit; making Him the Son of man and the Son of God.
His transfiguration and Old Testament prophesies of being seated at the right hand of Almighty God on the throne in heaven again attest to the supreme divinity of Christ Jesus. The audible voice of God the Father affirmed the identity of His Son as well as the glorious transfiguration of His fleshly body. The Old Testament prophesies are signs left by God thousands of years ago. They are markers and proof of the profound event that would transpire at the birth of Jesus and culminate at His death, burial and resurrection. Because Moses and Elijah were also glorified with Him, the promise of eternal life in heaven for all who believe in Him by knowing Him personally and intimately is also confirmed.
The Lord God did not want any of us to miss this. He compiled a book called the Bible by using many authors over 4,000 years who heard His voice and were faithful to record what they witnessed in their lifetime. The Old Testament contains the prophecies of Jesus, Messiah’s birth, death, return and eternal Reign over the Kingdom of God. The New Testament contains the eye-witness accounts of Jesus’ birth, baptism, transfiguration, death and resurrection proving the fulfillment of 300-400 prophesies about Him.
The pages of the Bible are filled with life, light, faith, truth and wisdom from above. It is not only alive, it is eternal! There is no other God or name by which mankind can be saved. “There is one body and one Spirit—just as there is also one hope to the calling you received—one Lord, one faith one baptism, one God and Father of [us] all. Who is above all [Sovereign over all], pervading all and in [us] all.” Ephesians 4:4-6. Who is Jesus? He is the Son of God!
