Not many of us like to study theology. We know it’s important, but we don’t want to sit through a seminary class or read a 500-page book on theology. We know what we believe, and we’re comfortable with that. “Going any deeper will probably just confuse me,” we say.
But I would argue we should understand what we believe and why we believe it. In a world that is so opposed to God, it’s important that we’re able to stand confidently on our beliefs and that we’re able to explain them to those around us.
We’ve already completed a series on God, so let’s talk about Jesus. In the following series of posts, I’ll be focusing on the person of Jesus. Maybe in a later series, I’ll focus on the work of Jesus, what he did and what he does. But for now, let’s start by asking, Who is Jesus?
Jesus is the central focus of our faith, the only hope for mankind. We must understand who he is and be able to share that with others. So who is he?
For starters, Jesus is 100% God. He’s also 100% human, but for now, let’s focus on what theologians call “the Deity of Christ.”
Jesus wasn’t some kind of Superman, a human being with special powers. He wasn’t simply a Jewish carpenter who was “adopted” by God as his Son for a few years.
Neither was this a situation where God “possessed” the body of Jesus so that this man behaved like God only because God acted through him.
Jesus is 100% God. He is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity, and he has existed from eternity past and will exist for eternity future as God.
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:16-17)
Jesus was not created by God. He is God and has always existed. Jesus is the Creator (John 1:3) and Sustainer (Hebrews 1:3) of the universe. He didn’t become Christ at his birth or his baptism. He always has been and always will be God the Son, co-eternal with God the Father.
One day Jesus was teaching in the village of Capernaum. People gathered to hear, and soon the house where Jesus taught filled up. The crowd kept growing, and soon there were so many people outside the house that people couldn’t get to the door.
Four men came to the house carrying a paralyzed friend. The men couldn’t get their friend anywhere near the door, but they knew that if they could get him to Jesus, Jesus could heal him. These friends climbed onto the roof of the house where Jesus was teaching, broke open the roof, and lowered their friend right in front of Jesus. I can imagine the smile on Jesus’s face when he saw this happen. He saw more than their actions. He saw their hearts. He saw their faith. He also saw deep inside this man and knew that the man grieved over his sin. Knowing this, Jesus said, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5).
There were some scribes there, Jewish religious leaders, and their immediate concern was not whether this young, paralyzed man was healed, but whether Jesus claimed to be able to forgive sins. They didn’t say anything out loud, but they were thinking, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (v. 7).
The scribes were correct in understanding that only God can forgive sins. Only God is capable of removing guilt from a person. So there were only two options that day: either this Jesus was God, or he was a man claiming to be God, and that was a serious offense.
Jesus knew the thoughts of the scribes, and he knew that this was an opportunity to show them who he was. Both forgiving sins and healing a paralytic require omnipotent power, so if they wanted to see evidence of a miracle in the spiritual realm (forgiveness of sins), then let them also see a miracle in the physical realm. To prove that he, as God, had the power to forgive sins, Jesus healed the paralytic.
And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” (Mark 2:8-12)
We don’t follow a Savior who was simply a good man given magic powers by God. We don’t follow a Savior who was merely a wise teacher or a prophet.
We don’t follow a Savior who was created by God. We don’t follow a Savior who acted like God.
We follow a Savior who is God. He’s 100% God.
When the paralytic man came to Jesus in faith wanting both physical and spiritual healing, Jesus provided. He healed, and he forgave. He still does both.