who is this man?

A friend and I decided to read through the Gospel of John, in the Bible. To be honest, I was taken back by the radical statements of Jesus. I have read all kinds of religious writings, from Hinduism to Taoism to Buddhism to Islam, but have never read of a moral religious leader who made the statements that Jesus made. It’s as though Jesus thinks he is equal with and is God. You got to check out these statements and they get more radical as they go…

“Whoever receives his (Jesus’) testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God,…” John 3:33-24

“So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise… Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.” John 5:19, 23

“Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.” John 6:45-46

“So Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.” John 7:16

“You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” John 8:19

“…I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.” John 8:28

“If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I come not on my own accord, but he sent me.” John 8:42

“I and the Father are one.” John 10:30

“If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” John 10:37-38

“And Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.” John 12:44-45

“For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me." John 12:49-50

“…whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” John 13:20

“Jesus said to him… “If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.” John 14:7-11

“All I have heard from the Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15

This is wild stuff… it got me thinking…. If Jesus did not speak on his own, but perfectly represented God the Father, what does God want us to know? What does God want to tell us through Jesus? This is what I found in John…

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” John 5:24

“Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." John 6:28-29

“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:40

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life…. I am the living bread that comes down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.” John 6:47, 51

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” John 13:34

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12

From what I read in John, it seems that God the Father is telling us, in and through Jesus, to believe in Jesus so that we may have eternal life and to love one another as he loved us. What is God’s message to our world? Believe in Jesus and love one another as he loved us. Wow, so when God speaks to us he says... “Jesus." "Believe in him and love like him, and you will have my life in you forever.” Amazing.

Prince of Peace photo