Estimated Read Time: 7 minutes

Supporting Text: Matthew 16:13, Matthew 16:16, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1, Matthew 1:23, Luke 2, John 1:1–5, John 1:14, John 5:18, John 8:58, John 10:30, John 20:28, Romans 9:5, Philippians 2:5–11, Colossians 1:15–17, Colossians 2:9, 1 Timothy 3:16, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 1:8, 1 John 2:22–23, 1 John 5:20, 2 John 7, 2 Peter 1:1, Revelation 1:8, Revelation 22:13

Matthew 16:13 – Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

There are many important people whom we encounter as we study history or navigate our daily lives, but there is no one who has ever been, or ever will be, more important for you to understand than Jesus. Even more so, who you say Jesus is and who you understand Him to be has eternal consequences.

In this article, I will begin to give you an understanding of who Jesus really is.

“Who do men say that I am?” This is the question Jesus posed to His disciples. They answered that people said He was one of various individuals: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. The people did not truly understand that Jesus was God come in the flesh (John 1:14) and that He was the Messiah.

By the time we get to AD 325, the question of Christ’s identity was still central. Therefore, Emperor Constantine convened bishops in Nicaea to address the escalating theological disputes centered around the nature of Christ and His relationship with the Father.

There are those who say that it was here that Christ was made deity; however, that is not true. This council simply affirmed what Scripture, the apostles, and the first-century Church had already known: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16). He is our God and Savior (2 Peter 1:1).

If you would like to know more about this you can watch Wes Huff’s episode on YouTube about the Council of Nicea from his series on “Can I Trust the Bible.”

Note: Second Peter 1:1 is an early attestation of the deity of Jesus Christ from one of the earliest known manuscripts P72 (~300 AD). This shows a high Christology given by Scripture in the second to third century, which predates the Council of Nicaea. This is also one of those texts where, when looking at your modern English translations, you can see whether the translation properly affirms the deity of Jesus Christ and His role as our Savior.

However, a man named Arius claimed that Jesus was created at a specific moment rather than having existed eternally as God with the Father. It was a claim that needed to be addressed. Overwhelmingly, the council affirmed the teaching of Scripture that Jesus is fully God, that the Son and the Father are of one substance, and that the Trinity consists of three coequal, coeternal persons.

If you would like to know a little more about the biblical doctrine of the Trinity, you can read my article, “Who Is the Holy Spirit?” There, I begin explaining the Trinity.

Unfortunately, Arius was not the last person to detract from the deity of Christ. There are many voices today that have much to say about Jesus and attempt to detract from His deity. Strangely enough, there are many who have much to say about Jesus, but the reverse does not appear to be true.

In these modern days, who do men say Jesus is? If we look at the religions and belief systems of today, this is what they have to say about who they think Jesus is:

• Rabbinic Judaism: A Jewish historical figure or teacher, but not God or the promised Messiah.
• Islam: A prophet and Messiah, born of Mary, but not God or the Son of God; Islam denies His crucifixion.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses: God’s first creation, identified with Michael the archangel, but not Almighty God.
• Latter-day Saints (Mormons): A divine spirit child distinct in being from the Father; this belief rejects the historic Christian doctrine of one divine essence.
• Arianism: The Son existed before the world but was created by the Father and is not eternally God.
• Gnosticism: A range of views that separated the divine Christ from the physical Jesus or denied that Christ truly assumed ordinary human flesh.
• Docetism: Jesus only appeared to possess a physical body and, therefore, did not genuinely suffer.
• Atheists: Some claim He is a myth who never existed historically but instead represents a mythological figure comparable to Zeus or Jupiter. However, even Bart Ehrman, a New Testament scholar and atheist, acknowledges that Jesus existed and that aspects of His life are historically indisputable. Even though scholars like Ehrman accept the historical Jesus as a man, they reject the supernatural claims about His divinity, resurrection, and miraculous acts.

As you can tell from reading this list, men have a lot to say about Jesus. However, who they say Jesus is does not equate to what the Bible, the Word of God, says about Him.

Earlier, I quoted Matthew 16:16 and 2 Peter 1:1, which affirm the deity of Jesus and His salvific work—His work pertaining to salvation. Let us now begin to unpack Peter’s claim that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, which is the correct view of Jesus.

I am going to use a technical term here, but do not worry; I will explain it. When it comes to describing the nature of Christ, we like to use the term “the hypostatic union.”

What is the hypostatic union?

It is a term that describes Jesus as one person possessing two distinct natures: divine and human. He is the only 200% person who has ever existed: 100% fully God and 100% fully man.

Scripture clearly defines Jesus as God. I will let you do the hard work here, but if you go through each of these Scriptures, you will see direct claims of Jesus’ deity, the titles and attributes of God ascribed to Him, Jesus’ direct claims to be God, and the divine functions He performs:

Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:23; John 1:1, 14; 5:18; 8:58; 10:30; 20:28; Romans 9:5; Philippians 2:5–6; Colossians 1:15–17; 2:9; 1 Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:3, 8; 1 John 5:20; 2 Peter 1:1; Revelation 1:8; 22:13.

Furthermore, in Philippians, Paul describes more to us about our eternal God: He emptied Himself into human flesh.

Philippians 2:5–11 is a section of Scripture in which the apostle Paul uses Christ as an example of humility. After all, who better exemplifies humility than the God who left all the glory of heaven and laid aside the expression of His deity, but never His possession of it, to become a man? He did this so that He could dwell among us, truly experience what it means to be human, and fulfill His role in our salvation.

This brings us to another term that helps us understand Jesus: “the incarnation.” This word simply describes God taking on human flesh. This is what the apostle John describes in the first chapter of the Gospel of John (John 1:1–5, 14).

As we also know, it was prophesied—and came to pass—that when God took on flesh, He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1; Luke 2). Both of these aspects were necessary because Jesus is the Savior of mankind, but He would have been unable to fulfill this role as Savior if He were not fully God, fully man, and sinless.

This is why the virgin birth was so important. Salvation could not come from one born into sin; therefore, the immaculate conception had to occur so that the Christ would be born into this world without a sin nature.

At this point, we have covered a decent amount of material. We have gained an understanding of who men throughout the ages have said Jesus is. We have then gained an understanding of what Scripture says about Jesus: He is the eternal God, the second person of the Trinity, who took on flesh through the incarnation, emptying Himself into the form of a man who was born sinless.

This is who Jesus is: the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Anything that comes against this truth and denies that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and God in the flesh is of the spirit of antichrist.

1 John 2:22 – Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist: he who denies the Father and the Son.

1 John 2:23 – No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.

2 John 1:7 – For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.

Do not be deceived by what others say about Jesus. He is not merely a good man or a prophet. He is not a created being, nor is He merely a man. He is our God and Savior (2 Peter 1:1).

His identity is central to your salvation. Do not let anyone tell you differently.

In the next article, we will examine the saving work that only Jesus (the Christ, God manifested in the flesh) could accomplish.