Who Was Jesus of Nazareth? - Hope Through The Truth

Who was Jesus of Nazareth? Many people would agree Jesus was a first century figure who was raised in the small town of Nazareth, situated in the hill country of lower Galilee about half way between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea. Most agreement seems to end there, since the identity and purpose of Jesus have been the subject of much debate since his public ministry began about two thousand years ago. At one end of the spectrum are those who don’t know or care who Jesus was. He was a figure in ancient history, if he existed at all, and has no bearing on life today.

At the other end of the spectrum are Christians who believe him to be the Messiah, Lord and Savior, the Anointed One, the Lamb of God. According to them, the Christ, the Son of God, came from heaven to earth, took on flesh and blood, lived a sinless life, and then willingly allowed himself to be nailed to a cross where he died to pay the debt for the sins of all mankind. Jesus’s blood, shed on the cross, paved the pathway to eternal life with God Almighty for those who would accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. For these believers, the blood of Jesus is the crimson thread that ties together the books of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation; since his shed blood is central to God’s plan to redeem sinful mankind. He will return to earth again one day as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords; to claim his own and take them to be with him throughout eternity. But, what about all of the others, who fall somewhere in between? What do they say about Jesus of Nazareth?

Was Jesus of Nazareth Man or God on Earth?

Even those who witnessed Jesus walking this earth described him in different ways.

They saw him as a teacher, prophet, the holy one of God, son of David, son of Joseph, or one possessed by Beelzebul [Satan] (Matthew 12:26-27).
The magi (Matthew 2:1-2), the Roman governor Pilate (Matthew 27:11), and his soldiers saw Jesus as king of the Jews (John 19:19).
One time Jesus asked the Pharisees, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied (Matthew 22:41–42).
Another time Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do the people say I am?” Their response was, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets” (Matthew 16:13-14).
As Paul told the people in Pisidian Antioch, “From this man’s descendants [David son of Jesse] God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.. . . The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath” (Acts 13:23, 27).
Lazarus had died and been buried four days when Jesus was talking to Lazarus’ sister, Martha. Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world” (John 11:25–27). To those who loved Jesus and walked with him during his public ministry on earth, he was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.

Eusebius (c. 265 – 340 A.D.), a fourth century church historian, viewed Jesus as Savior and leader of a nation of Christians; the only true religion. In the book, Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History he states, “A short time after the appearance of our Savior Jesus Christ had been made known to all men, a new nation suddenly came into existence . . . the most religious . . . indestructible and invincible, as it has always had the power of God as its support. This nation, appearing at the time appointed by inscrutable wisdom, is that which among all is honored with the name of Christ.. . . And indeed, though we are evidently a new people, this new name also of Christians has lately become known to all nations.”¹

Eusebius continues, “What, then, should prevent us henceforth from acknowledging that there is one and the same principal of life and conduct, the same course of piety common to us who have come after Christ, with those pious men who lived in times long before? It is evident that the religion delivered to us in the doctrine of Christ is not a new nor a strange doctrine; but if the truth must be spoken, it is the first and only true religion.”²

Eusebius also wrote about Josephus, a first century Jewish priest and historian. According to Eusebius, in Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine, Josephus said, “And there lived at that time Jesus, a wise man, if indeed it be proper to call him a man. For he was a doer of wonderful works, and a teacher of such men as receive the truth in gladness. And he attached to himself many of the Jews, and many also of the Greeks. He was the Christ. When Pilate, on the accusation of our principal men, condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him in the beginning did not cease loving him. For he appeared unto them again alive on the third day, the divine prophets having told these and countless other wonderful things concerning him. Moreover, the race of Christians, named after him, continues down to the present day.”³

Yet, in the early centuries of Christianity, there was significant discussion and disagreement within the body of believers regarding Jesus. Was he human? Was he divine? Was he partly human and partly divine? Was he wholly human and wholly divine? It would be the fifth century before the church leaders would take a definitive position on the humanity and divinity of Jesus. During the fourth ecumenical council met in 451 A.D., the attending church leaders determined that Jesus Christ is one person, having two natures that co-existed within him. These leaders proclaimed that Jesus is fully human and fully divine.

What Do People Today Believe About Jesus?

Today, in the land where Jesus was born and lived, the overwhelming majority of Israeli Jews believe the Messiah or the Christ, which the prophets foretold, has not yet come to earth. They have been waiting, and continue to wait, for an earthly king from the line of David to establish an earthly kingdom, which they believe God promised David through the prophet Nathan. They don’t realize Jesus has already established a spiritual kingdom of heaven on earth. Israel is not alone regarding diverse opinions on who Jesus was or is. Even in twenty-first century America, this polarizing debate continues.

Jaroslav Pelikan (1923 – 2006), a renowned church historian, theologian, and former professor of history at Yale, described the enormous impact of the brief life of Jesus on every subsequent generation. In his book, Jesus Through the Centuries Pelikan wrote, “Regardless of what anyone may personally think or believe about him, Jesus of Nazareth has been the dominant figure in the history of Western culture for almost twenty centuries. If it were possible, with some sort of super-magnet, to pull up out of that history every scrap of metal bearing at least a trace of his name, how much would be left? It is from his birth that most of the human race dates its calendars, it is by his name that millions curse, and in his name that millions pray.”⁴

What Does the Bible Say About Jesus?

The Bible has no ambiguity or indecision regarding either the identity or purpose of Jesus of Nazareth. In fact, Scripture is the only authoritative writing on these topics. In the pages of God’s Word we find Jesus Christ repeatedly proclaimed as the Son of God who came to earth as a man; fully human and fully divine; to die for the sins of mankind.

In the gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, using the New International Version®, NIV®; identify him (from most often to least) as Jesus or Jesus Christ (@ 900), Son of Man (80+), Messiah (50+), Son of God (@ 35), Jesus of Nazareth (@ 12), and the Christ (3). By whatever name he is called, the Bible demonstrates repeatedly that the primary purpose of Jesus Christ. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). While it is true that he had multiple purposes for coming to earth; Jesus of Nazareth was the only human who could “save the lost.” The article, “Why Did Jesus Christ Have to be Sacrificed” discusses in detail the reasons for this.

The Bible recounts: (1) the creation of man as well as the heavens, earth, and everything in them; (2) the separation of mankind from God through man’s willful sin; and (3) God’s plan to bring man back into right relationship with him (redemption). The three main figures in the Bible are the triune God, consisting of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit of God. Jesus Christ would serve as the perfect, sacrificial lamb of God to save mankind from their sins. Scripture tells us, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world’!” (John 1:29).

Jesus was Fully Human

The historical existence of the first-century man known as Jesus of Nazareth is, I believe, a well-established fact. The circumstances of Jesus’s birth were obscure to say the least. The Bible gives us the few details we have regarding his earthly family; his mother Mary and step-father Joseph. The Bible tells us:

The Gospel of Luke also recounts the birth of Mary’s son, Jesus. Joseph and Mary went from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register for the census. While they were there, Mary gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them (Luke 2:4–7). Joseph and Mary must have been poor when Jesus was born. Mary, when the days of her purification after giving birth were over, was allowed to offer two young pigeons for a burnt offering and a sin offering because she could not afford to bring a lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering.

Mary was found to be pregnant before she was married (Matthew 1:18).
Joseph was prepared to divorce Mary quietly (Matthew 1:19).

That put Joseph and Mary’s family near the bottom rung of the Jewish social ladder (Samaritans and lepers would have occupied lower rungs). What a seemingly insignificant beginning for the Christ-child. Jesus would live in this world fully human; completely dependent on Mary and Joseph to feed, clothe, protect, and care for him as an infant and child. To be sure, God provided protection for Jesus to ensure he would live to fulfill his mission on earth. Yet, God also charged Mary to care for Jesus in every way a human mother should.

As mentioned earlier, we know very little about the life of Jesus after his birth, until he began his public ministry. Isaiah, who lived about 700 years before Jesus came to earth, gives us a rare glimpse of the physical characteristics of the Christ; describing him as one who “had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2). On the surface, Jesus was just another “average Joe” for all worldly intents and purposes. Yet, the Christ was anything but ordinary. When Jesus did begin his public ministry, it generated division within the Jewish people, his own family, and eventually the entire world. Because his teachings generated extremely intense hatred among some of the ruling religious leaders of the day; they wanted him dead.

Scripture portrays the fullness of Jesus’s humanity throughout his earthly life. Jesus experienced fully human characteristics such as growth, thirst, hunger, and being tired. He experienced joy and profound sorrow. He suffered and wept. Then, Scripture adds the exclamation point. As the author of Hebrews tells us, “He [Jesus] had to be made like them, fully human in every way” (Hebrews 2:17). Being fully human in every way meant Jesus was also tempted. Scripture tells us, “For we do not have a high priest [Jesus] who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Please read that last sentence again. It blows my mind. Jesus was tempted in every conceivable way. He was fully human and yet, never gave sin a moment’s thought.

Jesus was Fully Divine

Jesus of Nazareth was fully human and fully God or divine as well. My finite brain cannot truly comprehend the concept of any person being both human and spirit; let alone being both human and God Almighty. I have no earthly frame of reference by which to make such a comparison. To be clear, I do not doubt the truth of God’s word. I accept it, but I cannot fully understand it. Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. The Bible provides us with numerous passages on this matter, a few of which include:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us (John 1:1, 14).
No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God . . . (John 1:18).
Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).
. . . Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who, being in very nature God . . . (Philippians 2:5–6).
For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ (Colossians 2:9).

Scripture also details how Jesus, because of his divinity, was different from all other humans. A few examples of this include, he:

Was conceived through the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35).
Came to earth to earth to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
Had no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Was killed by men and then raised to life on the third day by God Almighty (Acts 2:23-24).
Ascended into heaven and now sits at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19).

It is one thing for learned people to say that Jesus was fully human and fully divine. For those who want to believe, how can we know Christ was both? First and foremost, the Bible tells us these statements are true. We also know he was fully human because he died and was buried in a grave. We know he is fully divine because on the third day, he was resurrected from the grave. Jesus Christ is unique in the history of mankind because he was God in flesh while walking this earth.

Faith in Jesus is Man’s Only Pathway to God

There are innumerable distinctions that set Jesus Christ apart from anyone or anything in heaven, on earth, or under the earth. Let’s examine only two; his sacrifice and its eternal impact on mankind.

In the vision Jesus gave to the apostle John, only the Lamb of God was worthy to open the scroll held by God (Revelation 5:3, 6-7). Why was there only one person who was worthy to open the scroll and look inside? The answer is given to us by the four living creatures, the twenty-four elders, and millions of angels.
Because Jesus Christ had been slain; and by his blood he purchased persons from every tribe, language, people, and nation for God (Revelation 5:9).
Jesus’s sinless life on earth made him the only human, a lamb without defect, that qualified to be sacrificed to pay mankind’s sin-debt to God. As a result, Jesus is the sole pathway to God the Father.
As Christ proclaimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Jesus Will Return to Earth One Day

Now that Jesus has paid the debt for the sins of mankind through his blood shed on the cross, he sits at the right hand of the throne of God; waiting for the Father to signal his return to earth. When he does return, it will be in a very different way. He will not return as an unknown human babe, who came to serve and save the world by shedding his blood. The Bible tells us He will return as the conquering king to claim his own who will live with him forever. And every eye will see him.

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:11–16).
“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2–3).
. . . Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood . . . “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen (Revelation 1:5, 7).

Notes

1 C.F. Cruse, translator, Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2000), 13-14.

2 Ibid., 15.

3 Eusebius Pamphilius, Rev. Arthur Cushman, Ph.D. Translator, Philip Schaff (1819-1893) Editor, Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine, (Grand Rapids, New York: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1890) (Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, Republished; https://holybooks-lichtenbergpress.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Church-History-Life-of-Constantine-Oration-in-Praise-of-Constantine-by-Eusebius-Pamphilius.pdf; 115-116.

⁴ Jaroslav Pelikan, Jesus Through the Centuries – His Place in the History of Culture, (New Haven and London, Yale University Press, 1985)

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