Who is Jesus
The Enunciation
As I write this Christmas is about two weeks away. One of the holiest days on the Christian calendar. A time when Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of their Lord and Saviour.
The question however for non-Christians is just who is Jesus. Perhaps one of the best accounts as to who Jesus is comes from the Gospel of Luke.
The gospel of Luke opens with,
“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.
Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” Luke 1:1-4.
Luke is believed to be a well educated gentile believer, writing to another gentile believer we only know as Theophilus.
He states,
“I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus” Luke 1:3.
He makes it clear that he spoke to eyewitnesses of the events. Thus the way I see it when we read the gospel of Luke we can either believe him or don’t believe him. We either believe the witnesses Luke talked with or we do not. The choice is up to the reader.
Luke’s first mention of Jesus come in Luke 1: 26-38, where Luke records,
“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.
For nothing is impossible with God.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.” Luke 1:26-38.
What Luke records here is quite remarkable if you think about it. While he is writing to believers. He is also presenting the story of Jesus to the world at large.
Luke does not hid the miraculous visitation of the angel Gabriel to Mary. He makes it clear that Mary is a Virgin. He does not hide what was obviously told to him by Mary. The angel Gabriel telling her,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35.
Luke lays everything out for his readers. Luke truly believed what he wrote. That Jesus was born of a virgin, that the child she bore was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was called the Son of God.
Luke asks all who reads his gospel be they in the first century or in the twenty-first century to believe it. He leaves no room for any middle ground.
Question, who do you believe Jesus is?
Please think about it.
The Enunciation
As I write this Christmas is about two weeks away. One of the holiest days on the Christian calendar. A time when Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of their Lord and Saviour.
The question however for non-Christians is just who is Jesus. Perhaps one of the best accounts as to who Jesus is comes from the Gospel of Luke.
The gospel of Luke opens with,
“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.
Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” Luke 1:1-4.
Luke is believed to be a well educated gentile believer, writing to another gentile believer we only know as Theophilus.
He states,
“I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus” Luke 1:3.
He makes it clear that he spoke to eyewitnesses of the events. Thus the way I see it when we read the gospel of Luke we can either believe him or don’t believe him. We either believe the witnesses Luke talked with or we do not. The choice is up to the reader.
Luke’s first mention of Jesus come in Luke 1: 26-38, where Luke records,
“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.
For nothing is impossible with God.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.” Luke 1:26-38.
What Luke records here is quite remarkable if you think about it. While he is writing to believers. He is also presenting the story of Jesus to the world at large.
Luke does not hid the miraculous visitation of the angel Gabriel to Mary. He makes it clear that Mary is a Virgin. He does not hide what was obviously told to him by Mary. The angel Gabriel telling her,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35.
Luke lays everything out for his readers. Luke truly believed what he wrote. That Jesus was born of a virgin, that the child she bore was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was called the Son of God.
Luke asks all who reads his gospel be they in the first century or in the twenty-first century to believe it. He leaves no room for any middle ground.
Question, who do you believe Jesus is?
Please think about it.
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