As we enter into Holy week, a week that leads up to the most critical and essential day for followers of Jesus Christ around the world, Easter Sunday, both my heart and my mind are stirring around belief. There are many things that I believe in or believe to be true. I believe in gravity, you know, what goes up must come down. I believe that tomorrow, the sun will rise in the east and set in the west. I believe in love. I believe, perhaps foolishly, that one day the Cubs will win the World Series.
I digress.
Back to belief. This week in particular stirs something within me that defines who I am at my core, and I would go so far to say that for anyone else who claims faith in Jesus Christ, this week and its events should also do the same for you. Because everything about my belief hinges on what happened on that very first Good Friday 2000 years ago and what followed just a few days later on that very first Resurrection Sunday. Everything.
Here’s what I want to do this week on the blog. I want to write a short series of posts titled “I believe,”, and in them, I hope to clearly communicate what we as Christians should believe. There are many things that Christians around the world split hairs over theologically, but there are some absolutes. There are some things that Scripture would define as non-negotiables. These are the things I want to highlight this week as we prepare ourselves for another Easter.
Let me start with what I believe to be THE most crucial and foundational belief which Christians should claim as their own. Are you ready for it?
Jesus is God.
It’s as simple as that. You could also put it this way: Jesus = God. Still, as simple as it may sound, it is not as easily received. If this statement is true, then it is also true that the most important thing about you will always be who you say Jesus is. Not your job, who you marry, how many children you have, where you live, or how well-liked you are. You see, many major world religions believe in Jesus. Most will claim that He was a good person, and some will even go so far as to say He was a prophet. Others will say He was the son of God. The one thing that sets Christianity apart from all others is our claim of who Jesus Christ is.
He is God. He is equal to God in every way. He is the image of the invisible God. Just take a look at how the apostle John put it:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
Not only did Jesus co-exist with God in the very beginning, but He IS God. Jesus was far more than a really good person, someone by whom we should model our life after. Jesus was far more than a prophet, someone who spoke the truth. Jesus IS the truth. Jesus is God, and this truth sets me free to believe every other claim He made in His Word, every promise, every command.
So, who do you say Jesus is?
I believe that Jesus is God.
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