Who Jesus is, is much more than I have thought for all my life.
Recently, my mind has been blown regarding the person of Jesus, who is much more than just a person. There are many things about Christianity that I don’t understand, arguments I can’t resolve, and arguments that may never be airtight for anyone, including Christians. But I like what Matt Smethurst tweeted recently: “God has not given us an airtight argument or proof so much as an airtight person.”† I cannot agree more. Christians can trust God regarding what they don’t know or can’t know (varying arguments) based on what they can and do know: Jesus.
Instead of trying to argue for Christianity amid others’ doubts or even your own, argue Christ. He is the centerpiece of it all anyways, and who he is may be the greatest, most airtight argument for Christianity. Jesus is the reason why I believe in Christianity, and recently, my belief has even better reason.
Jesus is just a man? A good man? A man proclaiming Godship? (doesn’t sound ‘good’ if he’s really not). A good teacher? A social reformer?
He is way more than that. Check out the unparallelled uniqueness and excellencies of his paralleling, contrary traits that yet find fulfillment in each other, for God and for us:
It’s unreal:
Jesus is the Sacrifice who is also the Priest. 1*
Jesus is the Message who is also the Prophet. 2
Jesus is the Servant who is also the King. 3*
Jesus is the Man of God who is also the God of Man. 4
Jesus is God’s perfect man who is also man’s perfect God. 5
Jesus is the Judge who also takes the punishment. 6*
Jesus is the Shepard who is also the Lamb. 7*
Jesus is the Giver who is also the Gift. 8
Jesus is the Prince of Peace who also comes with a Sword. 9*
Jesus is the receiver of Justice who is also the Giver of Grace. 10
Jesus is the Judge who is also the Pardon. 11
Jesus is the Alpha who is also the Omega, the Beginning who is also the End. 11*
Jesus is the Lion who is also the Lamb. 12
Jesus is the Physician who becomes the Sick in our place in order to heal us. 13
Jesus is the Life who receives Death in our place in order to resurrect us. 14
Jesus is the Commended who becomes Condemned in our place in order that we may be commended before God. 15
Jesus is the Full who became the Famished for us so that we may be full in God.
Jesus is the Rich who becomes the Poor that we may be rich in Him. 16
Jesus is the Powerful who is also the Humble. 17
Jesus is the Transcendent who is also the Descendent. 18
Jesus is the Starter of our faith who is also the Finisher of our faith. 19
Jesus is the Gateway to heaven who is also Heaven itself. 20
Jesus is the Life who came to die so that we may live. 21
Tim Keller further unpacks the unique person of Jesus by showing how He is the ‘truer and better’ of the figures in the Old Testament‡:
Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us.
Jesus is the true and better Abel who, though innocently slain, his blood now that cries out, not for our condemnation, but for acquittal.
Jesus is the true and better Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go out into the void not knowing whether he went to create a new people of God.
Jesus is the true and better Isaac who was not just offered up by his father on the mount but was truly sacrificed for us. And when God said to Abraham, “Now I know you love me because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love from me,” now we can look at God taking his son up the mountain and sacrificing him and say, “Now we know that you love us because you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love from us.”
Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserved, so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us.
Jesus is the true and better Joseph who, at the right hand of the king, forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them.
Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant.
Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God’s justice, now gives us water in the desert.
Jesus is the true and better Job, the truly innocent sufferer, who then intercedes for and saves his stupid friends.
Jesus is the true and better David whose victory becomes his people’s victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.
Jesus is the true and better Esther who didn’t just risk leaving an earthly palace but lost the ultimate and heavenly one, who didn’t just risk his life, but gave his life to save his people.
Jesus is the true and better Jonah who was cast out into the storm so that we could be brought in.
Jesus is the real Rock of Moses, the real Passover Lamb, innocent, perfect, helpless, slain so the angel of death will pass over us. He’s the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true light, the true bread.
Jesus is the Mediator 22, the Bread of Life 23, the Living Water 24, the Way, Truth, and Life 25, the Resurrection and the Life 26, the Gate 27, the Rock 28, the Vine 29, the Cornerstone 30, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith 31, the Bridegroom 32, the Deliverer 33, the Fulfillment of the Prophecies. 34
Jesus is the King who is the Prophet who is the Priest who is the Servant who is the Savior who is the Light who is the Word who is the Truth who is the Life.
Everything in Scripture points to and finds its end in Jesus.
Indeed, as someone once said, “Jesus is either Lord of all or not Lord at all.” CS Lewis agrees advocating that the only logical conclusion to deduce is that Jesus is either a Liar, a Lunatic, or he is who he really claimed to be all along: LORD.
Christianity is built upon a strangely unique man. It’s not just built on a moral teacher, not just an imperfect prophet or leader or priest or religious figure. It’s built on a strange man who embodies the fulfillment of all Scriptural and religious motifs and prophecies and themes at the same time—these things all converge in the intersection of the cross, in the middle of the hanging Christ.
It’s so strange and peculiar and unique that it almost has to be true. God reigns in heaven smirking– “is it not already clear that you are living in My story? This has all been set up! This is my purpose! It is all about my grace in my Son—from him and to him and through him and for him are all things. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together (Col. 1:17)!”
The glories of Jesus cannot be exhausted because God cannot be. How foolish to think that we ‘already know’ Jesus.
Familiarity with God may be the greatest enemy to Awe of God.
Indeed, Jesus is beyond what words will ever say. Still, Jesus simplifies it for us:
I AM WHO I AM
_______________
Footnotes:
† Matt Smethurst, Twitter, 8/12/13
‡ Tim Keller, YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmnSnNC8UJk
* Not direct quotes, but ideas from Jared C. Wilson’s Gospel Deeps, chapter 10.
- 10:10; Heb. 4:14-16
- 1:1; Jn. 8:28
- 13:33; Col. 1:16
- 1:1-6
- 25; Rom. 5:1
- 10; Jn. 1:29
- 10:45
- 2; Rev. 19
- 2 Co. 5:21
- 20; Rom. 5:9
- 1, Col. 1
- 5:5; Is. 53:10
- 9:12-13
- 2:20
- 3:16-17
- 2:5-9
- 2:5-9
- 2:5-9
- 1:6; Heb. 12:2
- 14:6; Jn. 17:3
- 14:6; Jn. 3:36
- 1 Tim. 2:5
- 6:35
- 7:38
- 14:6
- 11:25
- 10:9
- Acts 4:11
- 15:1
- 21:42
- 12:2
- 3:29
- 8:2
- 24:44
