Who is Jesus of Nazareth?
According to the Bible, this question is of surpassing significance. So important, that your eternal destiny rests upon what you believe concerning who Jesus Christ is (John 8:24). Just who is he? Jesus consistently drew attention to the question of His own identity. For example he asked his own disciples, “But what about you?”... Who do you say I am?” (Matt. 16:15). The Bible unequivocally presents Jesus as the long awaited Messiah of Israel, the Savior of lost humanity. But these titles only take on true significance in light of the astounding revelation of his own identity. Scripture reveals Jesus of Nazareth to be none other than God in human flesh (John 1:1, 14).
The Scriptures reveal that Jesus Christ existed in eternity as God the Son; that He was begotten, not made; that He was, in fact, God incarnate. (Isa. 9:6; Mic. 5:2; John 17:5). The Latin term incarnation actually means “becoming in flesh.” This eternally divine person, without diminishing His deity, took upon himself a truly human nature. Christs’ deity is seen in His personal claims to be equal with God (John 5:17-18; 8:58). But also, because He performed miracles, forgave sin, and raised Himself from the dead — thus demonstrating that he was, in fact, God.
At the same time, Scripture depicts Jesus as fully human. The fact that he experienced birth, growth, development, and ultimately death actually bore eloquent testimony to his humanity (Luke 2:40-52; 22:63; Heb. 5:8). To be precise, Jesus Christ was and is the theanthropos — the God Man. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus was both fully God and fully man. He was one in substance (homoousios) with the Father in regard to His divine nature, and one in substance with humanity in regard to His human nature. The two natures were perfectly united in the one person of Jesus Christ.
To quote the Creed of Chalcedon, the Lord Jesus Christ is “one person in two natures, unmixed, unchanged, undivided, inseparable.” And remember, every single cult and world religion compromises the deity of Christ. So don’t be fooled — you must believe in the real Jesus not a counterfeit Christ.