“Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter
answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” {
Matthew
16:15-16 NASB}
Christmas is a wonderful time. It is a time to celebrate the
Advent of the Messiah. There are many ideas and thoughts about who Christ is,
and even those who claim the Christian faith do not agree. Some believe Him to
be a prophet, a good moral teacher, and some the Messiah, the Christ who came
to save the world. C.S. Lewis said concerning the skepticism surrounding
Christ:
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really
foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a
great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one
thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things
Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic —
on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be
the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the
Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a
fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet
and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense
about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did
not intend to.”
This is a pretty provocative
challenge, but I think it is apropos in this season. Each of us should reflect on
Jesus Christ and who He is in our life. Is Jesus the center of our universe, or
something we fit into our schedule on Sunday? Do we celebrate Him in a
liturgical way through the year, or do we celebrate Him every day; every
moment? Can I go several days without giving Him a thought, or is He my oxygen; breathed deep into my soul? These questions beg an answer. Many have offered
their opinion on who Jesus was, but as you reflect on Jesus' heart-wrenching
question, meditate on who the Bible declares Jesus Christ to be. Prepare your
heart to receive Him.
ADAM: (1 Corinthians 15:45) And so it is written, The
first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening
spirit.
ADVOCATE: (1 John 2:1) My little children, these things
write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
ALMIGHTY: (Revelation 1:8) I am Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is
to come, the Almighty.
ALPHA AND OMEGA: (Revelation 1:8) I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and
which is to come, the Almighty.
AMEN: (Revelation 3:14) And unto the angel of the
church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and
true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
APOSTLE OF OUR PROFESSION: (Hebrews 3:1) Wherefore,
holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High
Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
ARM OF THE LORD: (Isaiah 51:9) Awake, awake, put on
strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations
of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?
(Isaiah 53:1) Who hath believed our report? and to whom is
the arm of the LORD revealed?
AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH: (Hebrews 12:2)
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that
was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at
the right hand of the throne of God.
AUTHOR OF ETERNAL SALVATION: (Hebrews 5:9) And being
made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey
him;
BEGINNING OF CREATION OF GOD: (Revelation 3:14) And
unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the
Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
BELOVED SON: (Matthew 12:18) Behold my servant, whom I
have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit
upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles.
BLESSED AND ONLY POTENTATE: (1 Timothy 6:15) Which in
his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of
kings, and Lord of lords;
BRANCH: (Isaiah 4:2) In that day shall the branch of
the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be
excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.
BREAD OF LIFE: (John 6:32) Then Jesus said unto them,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but
my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
CAPTAIN OF SALVATION: (Hebrews 2:10) For it became him,
for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto
glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
CHIEF SHEPHERD: (1 Peter 5:4) And when the chief
Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
CHRIST OF GOD: (Luke 9:20) He said unto them, But whom
say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL: (Luke 2:25) And, behold, there
was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout,
waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
CORNERSTONE: (Psalm 118:22) The stone which the
builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
COUNSELLOR: (Isaiah 9:6) For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his
name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace.
CREATOR: (John 1:3) All things were made by him; and
without him was not any thing made that was made.
DAYSPRING: (Luke 1:78) Through the tender mercy of our
God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
DELIVERER: (Romans 11:26) And so all Israel shall be
saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall
turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
DESIRE OF THE NATIONS: (Haggai 2:7) And I will shake
all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this
house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
DOOR: (John 10:7) Then said Jesus unto them again,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
ELECT OF GOD: (Isaiah 42:1) Behold my servant, whom I
uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him:
he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
EVERLASTING FATHER: (Isaiah 9:6) For unto us a child is
born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
FAITHFUL WITNESS: (Revelation 1:5) And from Jesus
Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and
the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us
from our sins in his own blood,
FIRST AND LAST: (Revelation 1:17) And when I saw him, I
fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me,
Fear not; I am the first and the last:
FIRST BEGOTTEN: (Revelation 1:5) And from Jesus Christ,
who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince
of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins
in his own blood,
FORERUNNER: (Hebrews 6:20) Whither the forerunner is
for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of
Melchisedec.
GLORY OF THE LORD: (Isaiah 40:5) And the glory of the
LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of
the LORD hath spoken it.
GOD: (Isaiah 40:3) The voice of him that crieth in the
wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a
highway for our God.
GOD BLESSED: (Romans 9:5) Whose are the fathers, and of
whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for
ever. Amen.
GOOD SHEPHERD: (John 10:11) I am the good shepherd: the
good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
GOVERNOR: (Matthew 2:6) And thou Bethlehem, in the land
of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall
come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
GREAT HIGH PRIEST: (Hebrews 4:14) Seeing then that we
have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of
God, let us hold fast our profession.
HEAD OF THE CHURCH: (Ephesians 1:22) And hath put all
things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the
church,
HEIR OF ALL THINGS: (Hebrews 1:2) Hath in these last
days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by
whom also he made the worlds;
HOLY CHILD: (Acts 4:27) For of a truth against thy holy
child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the
Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
HOLY ONE: (Acts 3:14) But ye denied the Holy One and
the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
HOLY ONE OF GOD: (Mark 1:24) Saying, Let us alone; what
have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I
know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL: (Isaiah 41:14) Fear not, thou worm
Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy
redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
HORN OF SALVATION: (Luke 1:69) And hath raised up an
horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
I AM: (John 8:58) Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
IMAGE OF GOD: (2 Corinthians 4:4) In whom the god of
this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of
the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
IMMANUEL: (Isaiah 7:14) Therefore the Lord himself
shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and
shall call his name Immanuel.
JEHOVAH: (Isaiah 26:4) Trust ye in the LORD for ever:
for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
JESUS: (Matthew 1:21) And she shall bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their
sins.
JESUS OF NAZARETH: (Matthew 21:11) And the multitude
said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
JUDGE OF ISRAEL: (Micah 5:1) Now gather thyself in
troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite
the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
THE JUST ONE: (Acts 7:52) Which of the prophets have
not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of
the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and
murderers:
KING: (Zechariah 9:9) Rejoice greatly, O daughter of
Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just,
and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal
of an ass.
KING OF THE AGES: (1 Timothy 1:17) Now unto the King
eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever
and ever. Amen.
KING OF THE JEWS: (Matthew 2:2) Saying, Where is he
that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are
come to worship him.
KING OF KINGS: (1 Timothy 6:15) Which in his times he
shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord
of lords;
KING OF SAINTS: (Revelation 15:3) And they sing the
song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and
marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou
King of saints.
LAWGIVER: (Isaiah 33:22) For the LORD is our judge, the
LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.
LAMB: (Revelation 13:8) And all that dwell upon the
earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the
Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
LAMB OF GOD: (John 1:29) The next day John seeth Jesus
coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin
of the world.
LEADER AND COMMANDER: (Isaiah 55:4) Behold, I have
given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
THE LIFE: (John 14:6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the
way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
LIGHT OF THE WORLD: (John 8:12) Then spake Jesus again
unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not
walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH: (Revelation 5:5) And one of
the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the
Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals
thereof.
LORD OF ALL: (Acts 10:36) The word which God sent unto
the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
LORD OF GLORY: (1 Corinthians 2:8) Which none of the
princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have
crucified the Lord of glory.
LORD OF LORDS: (1 Timothy 6:15) Which in his times he
shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord
of lords;
LORD OF OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS: (Jeremiah 23:6) In his days
Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name
whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
MAN OF SORROWS: (Isaiah 53:3) He is despised and
rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it
were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
MEDIATOR: (1 Timothy 2:5) For there is one God, and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT: (Malachi 3:1) Behold, I will
send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom
ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant,
whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
MESSIAH: (Daniel 9:25) Know therefore and understand,
that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem
unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks:
the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
(John 1:41) He first findeth his own brother Simon, and
saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the
Christ.
MIGHTY GOD: (Isaiah 9:6) For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his
name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace.
MIGHTY ONE: (Isaiah 60:16) Thou shalt also suck the
milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know
that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
MORNING STAR: (Revelation 22:16) I Jesus have sent mine
angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the
offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
NAZARENE: (Matthew 2:23) And he came and dwelt in a
city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
ONLY BEGOTTEN SON: (John 1:18) No man hath seen God at
any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath
declared him.
OUR PASSOVER: (1 Corinthians 5:7) Purge out therefore
the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even
Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
PRINCE OF LIFE: (Acts 3:15) And killed the Prince of
life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
PRINCE OF KINGS: (Revelation 1:5) And from Jesus
Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and
the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us
from our sins in his own blood,
PRINCE OF PEACE: (Isaiah 9:6) For unto us a child is
born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
PROPHET: (Luke 24:19) And he said unto them, What things?
And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet
mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
(Acts 3:22) For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet
shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him
shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
REDEEMER: (Job 19:25) For I know that my redeemer
liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
RESURRECTION AND LIFE: (John 11:25) Jesus said unto
her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he
were dead, yet shall he live:
ROCK: (1 Corinthians 10:4) And did all drink the same
spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and
that Rock was Christ.
ROOT OF DAVID: (Revelation 22:16) I Jesus have sent
mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and
the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
ROSE OF SHARON: (Song of Songs 2:1) I am the rose of
Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
SAVIOR: (Luke 2:11) For unto you is born this day in
the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
SEED OF WOMAN: (Genesis 3:15) And I will put enmity
between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise
thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
SHEPHERD AND BISHOP OF SOULS: (1 Peter 2:25) For ye
were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop
of your souls.
SHILOH: (Genesis 49:10) The sceptre shall not depart
from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto
him shall the gathering of the people be.
SON OF THE BLESSED: (Mark 14:61) But he held his peace,
and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art
thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
SON OF DAVID: (Matthew 1:1) The book of the generation
of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
SON OF GOD: (Matthew 2:15) And was there until the
death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the
prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
SON OF THE HIGHEST: (Luke 1:32) He shall be great, and
shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him
the throne of his father David:
SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: (Malachi 4:2) But unto you that
fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings;
and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
TRUE LIGHT: (John 1:9) That was the true Light, which
lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
TRUE VINE: (John 15:1) I am the true vine, and my
Father is the husbandman.
TRUTH: (John 1:14) And the Word was made flesh, and
dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of
the Father,) full of grace and truth.
WITNESS: (Isaiah 55:4) Behold, I have given him for a
witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
WORD: (John 1:1) In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God.
WORD OF GOD: (Revelation 19:13) And he was clothed with
a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
To read the entire Advent Journal click here:
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men {Luke 2:12-14 NASB}.
