Creation and the Identity of Jesus

If you ask around about the identity of Jesus, you will get a variety of answers. Some history deniers try to pretend he never existed, there are "atheist Christians" who use that title because they like some of the things he said, plus vague or even biblical answers.

While it may be interesting to get opinions from coworkers or someone at the deli, it is best to go to the sources. The Bible has sections written by eyewitnesses. Church history by people who were not far removed from the events is often useful.

Man kneeling and reading the Bible, Unsplash / Ben White

Jesus is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. He was given and received worship, such as in John 20:28 when "doubting" Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" (Note that Thomas didn't believe the Resurrection testimony of the others and wanted to touch the wounds himself. He made the above exclamation when Jesus appeared to him, but nowhere does it mention that he followed through with the touching aspect.) He saw and believed.

Jesus is also the Creator, which on the surface appears to present a contradiction in places, but that is shown to be incorrect. Some folks have the hubris to tell him what he said and meant in Scripture so they can accommodate long ages, evolution, and all sorts of things. We need to get it settled in our minds what he said about creation.

At a crucial point in his ministry, Jesus asked his disciples “who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15). The answer to this question is more important than anything else (John 3:36; 1 John 5:12). Nevertheless, today, just as in Jesus’ day, when Christians ask people the question, “Who do you say Jesus is?” there are various answers given concerning his identity. For example, many people in Western society see Jesus as nothing more than a good teacher, whereas skeptical Bible critics believe he was only “a lower-class Jewish preacher from the backwaters of rural Galilee.”1 For Muslims, Jesus was merely a prophet, while in Judaism, he is considered to be a false prophet. On the other hand, cults like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and Christadelphians, who “claim” the Bible as their authority, teach that Jesus is a created being.

It would be in your best interests to read the rest at "Who Is Jesus and What Did He Believe About Creation?"