He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ―Colossians 1:15
Didn’t God make us in his image?
God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)
Who is God’s image again? God’s image is Jesus Christ. Would God give a different name to his image? If I have an image or photograph of myself, and I give it to someone, do I give my image a different name?
He who sees me sees him who sent me. (John 12:45)
Who sent Jesus? God the Father sent Jesus. Is Jesus Jewish? Yes, he is:
The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) (John 4:9)
Why was Jesus crucified? He was crucified out of envy:
For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up. (Mark 15:10)
But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’ (John 15:25)
Who killed Jesus? The Jews killed Jesus (see 1 Thessalonians 2:14-15), and to a lesser degree, Pontius Pilate. In John 19:11, Jesus tells Pilate the Jews have the greater sin. So, Pilate has the lesser sin. Pilate could’ve listened to his wife, but he didn’t (see Matthew 27:19).
Let’s make a case for God the Son:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
This scripture says, “The Word was God.”
The Word became flesh and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
In the second sentence of the last verse, it says ‘as of’ because God the Son is in a different state of being than God the Father, just the same as when God the Father stood on the rock in Horeb when Moses struck it. God the Son is the rock (see 1 Corinthians 10:4 and Exodus 17:6).
Let’s go to Revelation 19:
11 Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God. (Revelation 19:11-13)
Many who don’t believe in the deity of Christ use the following scripture to try and prove their case:
But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Mark 13:32)
They may ask, “If Jesus is God, then how come he doesn’t know the day and hour like the Father?” We can refer to the following scriptures to answer this question:
who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:6-7)
But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:9)
Jesus was made “a little lower than the angels.” Yet in the beginning, God said the angels will worship him:
When he again brings in the firstborn into the world he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him.” (Hebrews 1:6)
Jesus, as a man, is “lower than the angels” (Matthew 4:11). If Jesus Christ wasn’t a true Man and true God, there wouldn’t be any point in the proclamation of salvation.
We dwell in God:
for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ (Acts 17:28)
When Jesus Christ was dwelling on earth, wasn’t he dwelling in God as well? Yes, and God was dwelling in him (see John 14:10). Every word spoken by Jesus Christ is God speaking because Jesus is God in the flesh (see John 12:49). God’s image, Jesus, is the firstborn of creation because God is infinite, self-eternal, and immutable. How can God be born if he’s infinite?
Those who don’t believe in the deity of Christ may also ask, “If Jesus is God, then how come the Father speaks while Jesus is present?
“Jesus answered, “This voice hasn’t come for my sake, but for your sakes. (John 12:30; see also 11:42)
When Jesus comes out of the water after being baptized by John, the Holy Spirit is seen descending “in bodily form” like a dove and the voice of the Father is heard (see Luke 3:22). This scene represents the Trinity. We know that God is one, and there is only one God. God exists as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is represented in this one scene, and this is to help us understand. This scene happens near the beginning of Matthew, and at the end of Matthew, Jesus tells the disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 28:19).
At different times in the Scriptures, Jesus lets others do the speaking for him:
They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in truth, no matter whom you teach, for you aren’t partial to anyone. (Matthew 22:16; see also James 2:9)
Others speak for Jesus concerning where he is going:
34 You will seek me and won’t find me. You can’t come where I am.” 35 The Jews therefore said among themselves, “Where will this man go that we won’t find him? Will he go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? (John 7:34-35)
That’s exactly where he’s going (see Acts 11:18). Jesus speaks for himself:
“I do not accept human praise; (John 5:41)
If Jesus is our example, should we accept glory or praise from others?
42 Nevertheless even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it, so that they wouldn’t be put out of the synagogue, 43 for they loved men’s praise more than God’s praise. (John 12:42-43)
Jesus lets the Jews speak for him on a very sensitive subject–suicide:
21 Jesus said therefore again to them, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sins. Where I go, you can’t come.” 22 The Jews therefore said, “Will he kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going, you can’t come’?” (John 8:21-22)
People who commit suicide can’t go with Jesus.
16 Don’t you know that you are a temple of God, and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, which you are. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
Preaching forgiveness for suicides is from Satan. Many do it out of sympathy for the loved ones left behind. They don’t realize that Satan wants people with depression or other problems to believe they can kill themselves and be forgiven by God. It’s the devil’s age-old trick of playing God through priests, pastors, and those who are overly sympathetic and well-meaning. People who preach these things simply tell people what they want to hear. They might say, “It’s ok to sin, God will forgive you. He’ll just guide you back on the road when your GPS goes down.” It’s difficult to listen to because people eat it up. And why not? Who likes to be corrected when they’re doing wrong? Evil hates correction. Some suicidal people ask about forgiveness before they make a suicide attempt. This ‘asking’ proves that suicide is wrong. Our conscience testifies to this fact. If we lose a loved one by suicide, we want forgiveness. This is sad for the families, but this is their test. We can help others by being a positive force for suicide prevention.
Jesus Christ was a man. He was born, he was raised, he ate food, he had pity, he wept, he got tired, he got angry, he slept, and he rejoiced. Yet, what man ever walked on water? Jesus had the power over the elements (see Mark 4:39-41), men (see John 10:39 and 18:6), evil spirits (see Mark 5:7), and the plant and animal kingdoms (see Mark 11:21 and John 21:6).
They brought the young donkey to Jesus, and threw their garments on it, and Jesus sat on it. (Mark 11:7)
We can say it’s impossible for a man to ride a young donkey like Jesus did without getting bucked off, because “no one has sat” on it. Hence, the donkey is unbroken.
We can only receive God’s promise of everlasting life and avoid the terrible fate of hell through Jesus Christ. In these end times, let’s accept Jesus as Lord, turn from wrongdoing, and receive the crown of eternal joy from God our savior.
The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of distress; He cares for those who trust in Him. (Nahum 1:7)
Futile World 