The Life, Mission and Deity of Jesus

“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he inherited is superior to theirs.”

~Hebrews 1:1-4 (NIV).

Superior, better... a concept that resounds through Hebrews. Jesus it is who is superior; better. Jesus is, summarily put, God.

Putting the whole biblical corpus together, beyond the ignorance of passing over it hastily, we can very well see the foretelling of Jesus’ life—the incarnation of God, the Saviour of the fallen world unto all who would believe.

Irrefutably the prophets of the Old Testament looked forward to the salvation of Israel.

Many hundreds of scholars over time have set out and achieved remarkable works proving, historically—the life, mission and Deity of Jesus—God incarnate, coming to earth to live as we live; to suffer and die a criminal’s death so that we could be so ironically emancipated, revived to God, able to again relate with the Spirit that has forever sought us.

Jesus Lived

It is a historical fact that Jesus lived. It’s not just the Bible that says so. We marvel that God came to be with us. And Jesus’ Spirit is still with us via the Holy Spirit that he sent.

Jesus’ Mission

Jesus’ mission, as catapulted toward us many times through the gospel writers and the letters of the apostles, is irrefutable, notwithstanding the powerful witness of the plethora of Old Testament prophesies.

There is a consistent thread of theological sacrifice woven in and throughout the entire Bible and Jesus’ sole mission—beyond teaching, healing and astounding many by his miracles—was to die on the cross; the pugnaciously repugnant death, typically saved for a cursed person.

Jesus’ curse, the one he and the Father bore, was and is to our eternal blessing.

The Deity of Jesus

That Jesus is God, i.e. part of the Godhead as Son, is a biblically-held fact. It would do little to contribute to the immense writing of that subject here—nothing it seems. And we Christians hold to the fact that Jesus’ death, resurrection on the third day, and his ascension into heaven to be with the Father some time later, are our proof (amongst many other fragments) of Jesus’ deity.

He is our King.

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.