Do you really know Jesus?
Do you really know Jesus personally?
Do you believe Him as described in the Bible?
Or do you just know Him by knowledge and/or by your standard created this "Jesus" who will do whatever you want?
If you don't believe Him exactly as Holy Bible describes, then who do you believe?
1) Jesus is the Son of God, Messiah, Christ:
a. "The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God."(Mark 1:1)
b. "And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."(Mark 1:11)
c. "God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful"(1Cor. 1:9)
d. “The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah’(called Christ) ‘is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us. Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he”(John4:25,26)
2) Yes, Jesus is Son of God, but He is also God Himself:
- Jesus was here even before Abraham, and He was Lord of David, and very nature God, and created this Earth.
a. "'I tell you the truth,' Jesus answered, 'before Abraham was born, I am!'"(John8:58)
b. "The LORD says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'"(Ps.110:1)
c. ""What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied. He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him `Lord'? For he says, '"The Lord said to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet'" If then David calls him `Lord,' how can he be his son?" (Matt.22:42-45)
d. "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross!"(Phil.2:6-8)
e. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. … The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. … grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.”(John1:1-4,14,17b-18 or just read whole chapter 1 of John)
f. "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'"(Gen.1:26)
3) Jesus is the Savior who is Love, but He is also Lord.
- Where 'Lord' in here means complete ownership, it's not like you give part of you, and just ask Him if only you need help. The mean to be a Lord of you is that you are His, like servant owned by master.
a. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."(Luke2:11)
b. "For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake."(2Cor.4:5)
c. "The centurion replied, 'Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.'"(Matt.8:8)
d. "A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master."(Matt.10:24)
e. "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."(Phil.2:9-11)
4) Jesus is our Savior, but He is also Judge to come on the Last Day when He comes back.
- In here, Son of Man refers to Jesus. He called Himself Son of Man by humbling himself even though He is God Himself.
a. “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,”
b. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”(2Cor. 5:10)
c. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. … Then he will say to these on his left ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ … Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”(Matt. 26:31-34,41,46)
d. “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”(John3:18)
5) But God send His Son to save the world, rather than put it on condemnation.
a. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”(John3:16-17)
6) Yes, Jesus said He will give you rest:
a. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."(Matt.11:28)
But Jesus also said to bear His yoke and burden:
- His yoke and burden is being on that cross. Taking part of what He has done, is doing, and will do even if there is pain. However, Jesus is with you whenever you are working for Him, so that yoke is light.
b. "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."(Matt.11:29-30)
7) Yes, Jesus said if you ask then it will be given to you:
a. "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."(Matt.7:4)
But Bible also said you will not get it if you ask for wrong motive:
b. "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures"(James4:3)
8) Yes, if you confess Jesus Lord and Savior, then you will be saved:
a. "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," ... you will be saved"(part of Romans10:9)
b. "...it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved"(Romans10:10b)
But also what you said confession has to match with the heart and action:
c. "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."(Romans10:9-10)
d. "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"(Matt.7:21-23)
e. "Why do you call me, `Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?"(Luke6:46)
f. “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.”(Matt.23:2-3)
9) Yes, actions will be shown if you have faith in Jesus Christ, but it doesn’t mean that you have faith in Jesus Christ, if your actions are shown.
- You can’t depend on what you do for faith, but depend on faith given only by the grace of God. Just think about people who do “good” in this world. They do “good” and serving other, and even die for close ones. However, God does not call that faith, but only when you believe in Jesus Christ, God call that faith. Believing Jesus Christ is doing good in God’s eye. On here “observing the law” means that you are considered good if you obey all the laws, but if you break one, you are not good anymore: so it depends on your actions.
a. “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.”(Romans3:20)
b. “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,”(Romans3:21,22)
c. “he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”(Romans3:26)
d. “Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.”(Romans3:27,28)
e. “know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.”(Gal. 2:16)
f. “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’ Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because ‘The righteous will live by faith’ The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, ‘The man who does these things will live by them.’”(Gal.3:10-11)
10) Jesus reveals your sin as you get close to Him for repentance
- Unless your sin is revealed and you repent, we can’t fall down to God with all your heart and know love of Jesus Christ’s Cross. If you think you are not sinner, then why do you even need the Cross? But by thinking that you are not sinner, does it make you not sinner? No! When you have illness, even if you think you are not, you are still sick. Or if you kill somebody and even you think you are not, still you are murderer. If you admit that you are sinner, because you are, then God listens and He is delighted by your confession.
a. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”(Matt.15:19)
b. “You have heard that it was aid to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment Again, anyone who says to his brother ‘Raca’ (this Aramaic term of contempt), is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell’(Matt.5:21)
c. “You have heard that it was aid, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”(Matt.5:27)
d. “I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he (the one I claim to be), you will indeed die in your sins.”(John8:24)
e. “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you posses eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. … but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.”(John5:39-40,42)
f. “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’”(Acts 2:37)
g. “Jesus answered, ‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent you too will all perish.”(Luke13:2-3)
h. “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and Said, “Go away from me, LORD; I am a sinful man!”(Luke5:8)
i. “’The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!’”(Mark1:15)
11) Jesus did not come to call who think they are righteous, but sinner to repentance.
- Jesus doesn’t want you to come to Him as righteous by yourself since you are not. You are sinner, and accepting that fact and going to Jesus, who was prophesied by the prophets and fulfilled them, He will open your spiritual eyes to see who is God and thru that you will learn how sinful you are. If you come to Him as though you are righteous, He will not accept you, and will try to show your sins to let you know that you are blind. Jesus is the one who can heal, but if you don’t know/believe that or/and if you claim to be not blind, he will wait until you come to him asking him for opening the eyes.
a. “Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”(Luke 5:31,32)
b. “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”(Luke15:7)
c. “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.”(1Tim.1:15)
d. “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness”(Isaiah42:6,7) – In here “you” is Jesus. The person who is “blind”, “captives”, “sit in darkness” in here means you are captive of sin because you have sinned.(John8:34)
e. “So he replied to the messengers, ‘Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.’”(Luke7:22)
f. “Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.’ Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, ‘What? Are we blind too?’ Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.’”
12) Jesus reveals the way to salvation, good news, gospel: Jesus is One and Only way.
a. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few finds it.”(Matt.7:13-14)
b. “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”(John14:6-7)
c. “He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”(Luke24:46,47)
13) Yes, Jesus said you will not taste death if you believe His word:
a. "I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death." (John 8:51)
But you must die in flesh and live in spirit in order for Christ in you to live:
- In here "die in flesh" means that you are not living with your righteousness, and does not follow the worldly way of living. But the man can't do this by their own, they must die in the cross with Jesus Christ(accepting the fact that your sin is the reason Jesus Christ died and believing yourself have died there since you were in Him when He was sentenced death for sins).
- In here "live in spirit" means that you are now living the life in Christ for you have died with Him, and revive with Him on the cross.
b. "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life."(John6:63)
c. "I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable."(1Cor.15:50)
d. “and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”(Matt.11:38-39)
e. "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain"(Phil.1:21)
f. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me"(Gal.2:20)
14) Jesus is the Word of God and the Bread of Life:
a. "Jesus answered, "It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'""(Matt.4:4)
b. "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."(John1:14)
c. "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, 'Take and eat; this is my body.'" (Matt.26:26)
I have not covered all, but please check who you believe.
Is it really Jesus based on Scripture?
Or is it just Jesus you want Him to be?
If you are believing the one you are created, then it's idolatry.
And whoever commits idolatry brings the wrath of God:
"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming."(Col.3:5-6)
I just pray that this post will be a help to lead the people who does not know Christ Jesus truly to know Him as Lord, Savior, Good Shepherd, and coming King of kings.