WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?
When the truth about the One True God takes root, the next natural question people usually ask is: “Is Jesus God?” The following Bible study will clearly show you who Jesus really is and how He can also be called “God”—not by personality, as will be clearly seen in the Scriptures of truth.
Another controversy in many churches today is about the Father sending His literal only begotten Son to die for our sins. Is the Father and Son’s relationship real, or is it just a metaphor? Many church leaders today believe it to be metaphorical. However, the following Bible study will confirm the truth: the Father did send His literal only begotten Son to die for us.
WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?
The first thing we need to determine about Christ is His identity. Let’s begin by confirming His identity from the Scriptures of truth, starting in Matthew 8:28-29:
“And when He was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God? Art Thou come hither to torment us before the time?”
From the outset, the Scriptures confirm Jesus Christ to be the “Son of God.” This may seem obvious, but it has massive implications, as we shall see moving forward. Let’s examine a few more verses:
- Matthew 14:33:
“Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying, Of a truth Thou art the Son of God.” - Mark 1:1:
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” - Mark 5:6-7:
“But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped Him, and cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of the most high God? I adjure Thee by God, that Thou torment me not.” - Luke 3:22:
“And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased.” - John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” - John 9:35-37:
“Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee.” - John 10:36:
“Say ye of Him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?” - John 11:4:
“When Jesus heard that, He said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” - Acts 9:20:
“And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.” - 1 John 1:3:
“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” - 2 John 1:3:
“Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”
From all these Scripture verses, we can clearly see that Jesus Christ was declared as the “Son of God.” This is important to understand because nowhere in the Bible is Jesus ever called “God the Son.” This is a significant distinction to observe.
WHY DID THE JEWS CRUCIFY JESUS?
Many sincere Christians today don’t know the real reason why the Jews crucified Christ. The following Scripture verses will give us the answer—prepare to be surprised:
- Luke 22:66-71:
“And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led Him into their council, saying, Art Thou the Christ? Tell us. And He said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: And if I also ask you, ye will not answer Me, nor let Me go. Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. Then said they all, Art Thou then the Son of God? And He said unto them, Ye say that I am. And they said, What need we any further witness? For we ourselves have heard of His own mouth.” - Matthew 26:63-66:
“But Jesus held His peace. And the high priest answered and said unto Him, I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us whether Thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard His blasphemy.” - Mark 14:61-64:
“But He held His peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, and said unto Him, Art Thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned Him to be guilty of death.” - John 19:6-7:
“When the chief priests therefore and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, Crucify Him, crucify Him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye Him, and crucify Him: for I find no fault in Him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”
From these verses, we see that Jesus was crucified because He referred to Himself as the “Son of God.” This is a crucial matter to understand: Christ was killed simply for telling the truth—that He was indeed the literal Son of God. Many religious teachers and pastors today teach that the title “Son of God” is a metaphor. This is grossly inaccurate and a lie perpetuated by Satan himself, who has always sought to destroy the Sonship of Christ with His Father.
The Scriptures make it absolutely clear that Christ has always been the “Son of God”, even when He was in Heaven.
IS JESUS REALLY THE LITERAL SON OF GOD BEFORE HE CAME INTO THIS WORLD?
Because of the erroneous doctrine of the Trinity, many pastors and religious teachers today teach that Christ was not the Son of God until He was incarnated on Earth. This is a serious error and a great deception. Thankfully, the Scriptures of truth will always divide truth from error. Let’s examine some Bible verses that prove Christ has always been the Son of God:
We see that the “Son of God” was present at the beginning of creation:
- Proverbs 30:4:
“Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in His fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, if thou canst tell?”
Here, a pagan king, Nebuchadnezzar, recognized the “Son of God” in the fire. He likely learned about God’s Son from Daniel or one of his associates:
- Daniel 3:24-25:
“Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
Philip and Nathanael, as keen Bible prophecy students, recognized and acknowledged Christ as the “Son of God” from studying the Scriptures:
- John 1:45-49:
“Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto Him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto Him, Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel.”
Martha, also a keen Bible student, recognized Jesus as the Son of God who “should come into the world.”:
- John 11:27:
“She saith unto Him, Yea, Lord: I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”
Christ asked His disciples a simple question about His identity, and Peter recognized Him as the “Son of God.”:
- Matthew 16:13-17:
“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that Thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven.”
The Bible language couldn’t be clearer: God “sent” His Son “into the world.” Christ was the Son of God before He was incarnated on Earth:
- John 3:17:
“For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.”
Again, the Bible is clear: God the Father “sent” His Son. Christ came in the “likeness of sinful flesh,” not in His divine majesty:
- Romans 8:3:
“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.”
These following verses make it absolutely clear that the Father “sent” His literal Son to be our Saviour. This fact is crucial because verse 15 gives us an injunction: if we confess that God has a literal Son, God will dwell with us. Conversely, if we do not acknowledge this truth, God cannot dwell with us, as we have made Him a liar:
- 1 John 4:9-10:
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” - 1 John 4:14-15:
“And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” - 1 John 5:10:
“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.”
These verses are just too plain and clear to be misunderstood.
HOW IS JESUS GOD?
Many Christians know that Christ is God, but they may not understand how. The Scriptures make it clear that there is only One True God—the Father (Jehovah). So, how can Jesus also be God? The Bible explains this perfectly.
THE TWO NATURE’S OF CHRIST;
Let’s begin by examining Philippians 2:5-8:
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
From this passage, we see that Christ has Two Nature’s:
- Divine Nature (v.6, “form of God”)
- Human Nature (v.7, “form of men”)
This is a crucial truth: Christ is unique in the entire universe, possessing both divine and human natures.
CHRIST’S NATURE BEFORE COMING TO EARTH;
Before Christ came to Earth, a prophecy in Hebrews 10:5 reveals:
“Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared Me.”
This confirms that Christ had a different nature before His incarnation. Christ had a “form of God”, before coming to this Earth and inheriting His fallen human nature.
WHAT DOES A “FORM OF GOD” NATURE LOOK LIKE?
The Scriptures provide the answer in John 4:24:
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”
This verse confirms that God is a “Spirit”, meaning He has a completely different nature than our own.
WHAT DOES GOD’S “SPIRIT” FORM LOOK LIKE?
The Bible further clarifies in Luke 24:39:
“Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have.”
This verse confirms that a Spirit does not have “flesh and bones,” distinguishing God’s nature from ours. However, God does have a “form” like ours, as the Bible teaches in Genesis 1:26-27:
“And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness… So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.”
HOW DID CHRIST APPEAR?
For many Christians, it’s difficult to conceive that Christ had a beginning in eternity. But how did He appear? The Scriptures answer this clearly:
- John 1:14:
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” - John 1:18:
“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.” - John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
These verses teach us that Christ was “begotten.” But what does this mean?
WHAT DOES THE WORD “BEGOTTEN” MEAN?
The answer to this question is clearly taught in the Scriptures of truth in the following Bible verses;
John 8:42:
“Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.”
John 16:27:
“For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.”
Christ teaches that He “proceeded forth” or “came out” from God. Paul further clarifies this in Colossians 1:15:
“Who [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.”
This means Christ was not “created” but was “begotten”—reproducing after the same kind, as explained in Genesis 5:4:
“And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters.”
The word “begotten” simply means; “taking out someone or something from one’s self.” Christ was taken from the Father’s divine substance.
WHAT DOES THE WORD “CREATED” MEAN IN THE BIBLE?
The Bible distinguishes between “begotten” and “created.” Let’s examine Genesis 1:27:
“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.”
This verse confirms that God “created” man, which is different from “begotten.” Creation involves making something from another substance, outside of oneself, as seen in Genesis 2:7:
“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
In contrast, Christ was “begotten” from the Father’s divine nature, making Him unique.
WHY CAN JESUS BE CALLED “GOD”?
There are two primary reasons why Jesus can be called “God”:
- By Nature: Christ possesses the divine nature of God.
- By Inheritance: God the Father has given Christ the name “God”.
However, Christ is not the one true God. That title belongs solely to the Father (John 17:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6).
CHRIST IS “GOD” BY “NATURE”:
This truth clearly teaches that Christ, before He came to Earth, possessed a different “Nature” than His human nature. This is clearly taught in the following Scripture verses;
Hebrews 1:3,
“WHO BEING THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY, AND THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF HIS PERSON, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
This verse teaches us that Christ was, at the beginning, the “Brightness of His [Father’s] glory” & the “Express image” of His Father. This means that Christ was nearly ‘identical’ to His Father’s image, because He was “begotten” from the Father and therefore would have the same Divine Nature as His Father.
John 17:5,
“And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self WITH THE GLORY WHICH I HAD WITH THEE BEFORE THE WORLD WAS.”
This truth clearly teaches that Christ, before He came to Earth, possessed a different “Glory/Nature” than His human nature.
CHRIST IS “GOD” BY “INHERITANCE”:
In Hebrews 1:1-4, we see:
- God the Father speaks to us through His “Son.”
- Christ has been made “heir” of all things.
- Christ has, by “inheritance,” been given a more “excellent name” than anyone else.
This “excellent name” is revealed in Hebrews 1:8:
“But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom.”
Here, God the Father calls His Son “God,” showing that Christ “inherited” this name.
CAN WE WORSHIP CHRIST ?
The Bible also teaches that Christ can be worshipped, like the Father:
- Hebrews 1:6:
“And again, when He bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him.” - Philippians 2:9-11:
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUE GOD!
While Christ can be called “God” by “nature and inheritance”, He is not the One True God. That title belongs exclusively to the “Father/Jehovah”. This truth is eternal and essential for all Christians to understand.
The Father – The Source of Salvation:
The Father must be glorified and praised because He is the “source” of our salvation. He provided the “Lamb” (Christ) who took away our sins. This truth reveals the Father and Son’s great love for us. Eternal life is found only in Christ, as the Scriptures declare in 1 John 5:10-13:
“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself… And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”
The Father is the Only True God:
The Bible repeatedly affirms that the Father is the “Only True God”:
- John 17:1, 3:
“Father… this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” - 1 Corinthians 8:6:
“But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him.” - Ephesians 4:6:
“One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
Conclusion:
The Father sent His ‘literal’ only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and restore us to Him. This truth reveals the Father and Son’s great love for us. Let us glorify and praise the Father, the “Only True God,” and acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
“Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from GOD THE FATHER, and from THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF THE FATHER, in truth and love.” 2 John 3
