Part 2 of 12 of the theme 'Answers to Questions' by Gijs van den Brink
What the apostles say, who knew Jesus, is important to me. Thomas doubts greatly and cannot believe that Jesus has risen from the dead. When Jesus appears to him a week later, he exclaims "my Lord and my God" (John 20:28).
Paul constantly speaks of the Lord when he speaks of Jesus, Kurios. Kurios is Greek for the Hebrew Adonai. That is what the Jews call God, because they do not pronounce His name. We know how the name of God is written: YHWH. But no one knows how it is pronounced.
Everywhere YHWH is mentioned, the Jews read and say Adonai. And that name LORD Paul continually uses for Jesus. For Paul, Jesus is God.
But most importantly is what Jesus Himself said. For example, in John 14:6 "I am the way the truth and the life. Only through Me can anyone come to the Father". And then He says in 14:9 : "He who has seen me has seen the Father."
Therefore, John can say that Jesus is the Word and voice of God. The Word who has been with God from the beginning. That Word came into the world and became man. (John 1)
After the Jews criticized him, Jesus replies in Mat. 11:19b, "Wisdom is vindicated by her works". Jesus is talking about himself when he talks about the person called Wisdom. He says, look at the works I do! And he calls himself Wisdom.
Who is this person called Wisdom? In the OT, that is a designation for God.
In the OT, we read in the book of Proverbs that the person Wisdom calls people. And we read that this Wisdom was already in heaven when God created the world (Proverbs 8:30).
Similarly, Paul later says, Jesus is the power and wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24)
So in summary:
Jesus is the Word of God
Jesus is the voice of God
Jesus is the Wisdom of God
Jesus is the power of God
Jesus is the character of God.
Jesus is God
Next time: Part 3 of the series 'Answers to questions' is entitled 'If someone does not believe in Jesus but has lived well, where does he go after he dies? '
See also: Part 1 of 12 of the theme 'Answers to questions‘ "How can we best evangelize?
Author: Gijs van den Brink
From: Study Bible Magazine
This is part 2 of 12 from the theme "Answers to Questions' Some of which we will be posting online in the near future. We hope this will help you understand the Bible better!
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