The Real Jesus

Many people say they follow, love, and identify with Jesus. Unfortunately, a lot of different Jesus figures are out there, and all but One of them is fake.

Many people believe in the Mormon Jesus, a celestial being who will lead us to an exalted celestial existence. Others believe in the Jehovah’s Witness Jesus, a man who became a spirit-being after his death. Muslims call Jesus a powerful prophet.

Others believe in a Jesus who taught unconditional love for everyone and sought to bring peace on earth through nonviolence and tolerance of all people. Some serve a Jesus who only came to rescue our souls out of a vile and temporary world.

So who is the real Jesus? And how can we know who He is? The real Jesus is the actual man revealed in the four Gospels and other New Testament writings. He is the Jewish Messiah promised by the Old Testament prophets to restore the presence of God to His people. And He is the Old Testament God, the Creator of the whole world.

He is the One who made men and women and took on human flesh to dwell with them, who died and rose again, who ascended bodily to heaven, and who will return bodily to reign forever on Earth with His people—all so that they might live forever with Him, free from sin and death. • Kevin Zeller

• What kinds of Jesus figures have you seen people invent?

• The Bible is God’s Word. God breathed out every word of it through the Holy Spirit, who used real people to write down what God wanted us to know (2 Timothy 3:14-16). And what did God want us to know? He wanted us to know Himself, revealed in the person of Jesus, the One the Bible is all about (Luke 24:44-48; John 5:39; Acts 10:43). That’s why it’s important that we use the Bible to understand who Jesus is. In today’s Bible passage, how is Jesus described? How do these descriptions match (or not match) the false Jesuses you’ve heard about?

• Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are books of the Bible that are true accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry. They are known as “the Gospels.†How do these books describe Jesus? How do these descriptions fit (or not fit) the false Jesuses you’ve heard about?

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5 (NIV)

Read Verses:

2 Timothy 2:8-13, Hebrews 1:1-3