Jesus changed the perspective of one’s relationship to God

During the Old Testament period, faithful Jews thought of serving a holy and awesome God, but never imagined their relationship as personal with the Lord of the universe. Yet, when Jesus spoke of the relationship that people can have with God, he spoke in terms that were far more intimate than people were used to hearing. For example, when he taught his followers how to pray, he started off with “Our father” (Matthew 6:9). The word father (the Greek word Abba) is an intimate term that can be translated as daddy. On other occasions, such as the prodigal son parable (refer to Chapter 3), Jesus spoke of a warm father who desired a deep relationship with his children. Throughout his teaching, Jesus showed a deep reverence for God the Father, but he replaced formality with the simplicity and intimacy of “my daddy.” 

What’s more, an old hymn, called “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” says the same idea about Jesus Christ. Christians believe that the concept of Jesus as a friend is more than sentimental hogwash; it’s really true. Jesus may be the Son of God, but he invites Christians to think of him as a friend as well (John 15:15). 

Balancing reverence and intimacy is a tricky act, and different parts of the Christian Church emphasize one part of Jesus’ teaching over another. Catholics and Orthodox Christians tend to emphasize reverence, while Protestants (particularly evangelicals) tend to focus on a personal relationship with God. 

A must-read: In His Steps

I want volunteers from the First Church who will pledge themselves, earnestly and honestly for an entire year, not to do anything without first asking the question, “What would Jesus do?” And after asking that question, each one will follow Jesus as exactly as he knows how, no matter what the result may be.

-Charles Sheldon,

In His Steps (Barbour & Company, 1993) 

Over the past few years, the phrase “What would Jesus do?” has become so popular (or overused, depending on your perspective) that it’s easy to forget that there’s more to the catch phrase than WWJD bracelets and T-shirts. And though “What would Jesus do?” may be a victim of its own success, don’t let over-saturation keep you from checking out the book that started the WWJD craze – Charles Sheldon’s In His Steps. This simple, but powerful novel chronicles the lives of a pastor and several Christians in his church who take up the challenge to live their lives exactly as Jesus would do in their situations, regardless of the consequences. 

Sheldon wrote In His Steps in 1896, but a contemporary retelling of the story is available under the name What Would Jesus Do?, written by Garrett Sheldon (Charles Sheldon’s great-grandson) and Deborah Morris. The newer version is quite well done and is a worthy update to the Christian classic. 

Jesus prepared his disciples to be leaders of his Church

During Old Testament times, the people who believed and obeyed God formed an actual nation (Israel) and a particular race of people (Jews). God especially chose the Jews, not because of their goodness, but because of his love. He wanted to have a nation proclaim his truth, live it out, and provide the backdrop for salvation to come to the whole world. However, even in the midst of God’s special relationship with the nation of Israel, he made it clear that he’d eventually save the non-Jewish world as well (see 2 Samuel 22:50, Psalm 18:49, Deuteronomy 32:43, Psalm 117:1, and Isaiah 11:10). Therefore, when Jesus came, “God’s people” became the Church of faithful believers – whether they were Jews or Gentiles (non-Jews). 

To transition from nation to Church (see Chapter 10), Jesus handpicked and trained a group of leaders, people who could preach and teach after his death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven. Therefore, when the time for his crucifixion drew near, Jesus spent less time in public and devoted more of his energies to teaching his disciples and preparing them to be future leaders of the Church. 

Jesus voluntarily died on the cross

Christians believe that Jesus came to the earth for one main reason – to die on the cross for the sins of the world and to be raised from the dead three days later (see John 12:27). So, although Jesus was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death by others, the Bible says that he knew what was going to happen and that he actually intentionally allowed it: “No one takes my life away from me, but I lay it down by myself” (John 10:18). See the “Saving People: God’s Game Plan from the Get-Go” section, later in this chapter, for more. 

Considering Who Jesus Claimed to Be

People often think of the President of the United States as one of the most powerful people in the world. Perhaps that idea’s due to the fact that he’s got so many names, roles, and titles associated with his office. Although President is the official job title, the person holding it also has several other titles: commander-in-chief as head of the U.S. military; head of state as ceremonial leader of the nation; executive branch as the third distinct branch of the U.S. government; and leader of the free world, an informal title that the U.S. President has held since the end of World War II. So, while all these names express different roles, they all point back to the same person. 

Similarly, the Bible says that Jesus often described himself by using a lot of different names or roles. At first glance, you may think he comes across as a scatterbrain or a member of the Title-of-the-Month club. But when you start to look at them side by side, you see that all the titles actually fit neatly together to provide what Christians believe is a clear, all-around picture of who he was (and is, as Christians believe he still lives; see the section, “Peering into an Empty Tomb: Revisiting the Resurrection,” later in this chapter). Consider the following references to Jesus: 

Messiah (or Christ): The Hebrew word Messiah (translated as Christ in Greek) means “anointed one,” or the one God sent to earth to free people who believe and trust in him. The scriptures of the Hebrews talked much about a coming Messiah, so the Israelites were on the lookout for the “chosen one” for centuries. When Jesus began his ministry, he claimed that he was the Messiah that they were waiting for (check out John 4:25-26). 

Son of man: Son of man is a term that the Old Testament book of Daniel uses to refer to the coming Messiah (see Daniel 7:13). It emphasizes the humanity of Jesus (who Christians believe was the Messiah) and his role as the ultimate, perfectly sinless man. This is the title Jesus seemed to favour over others, as he refers to himself as the Son of man more than 80 times throughout the Gospels. His preference may have been due to the fact that it expressed who he was to people without being as theologically charged as the name Son of God was. 

Son of God: Son of man is a term that emphasizes Jesus’ humanity, but the term Son of God expresses the Christian belief regarding his divinity as a member of the Trinity (see Chapter 7 for the lowdown on the Trinity). “Son” expresses a distinction from God the Father, but it doesn’t imply that he’s any less God than the Father. 

God himself: Although the name Son of God implies divinity, the Bible tells that Jesus went even further on occasion and described himself as equal with God – and even outright claimed to be God. Jesus said at one point, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). In other words, Christians believe that, as the Son of God, Jesus isn’t just a super-man or an angel, but that he’s literally equal with God the Father. He said that he should receive the same honour that’s due the Father (John 5:23). In a conversation with Jewish leaders, Jesus said, “Before Abraham came into being, I AM” (John 8:58). Basically, Jesus was saying that he is eternal, having existed (in heaven) before Abraham – who the Bible calls the “father of the Jews” and who had lived some 1,000 years before. What’s more, “I AM” was a likely reference to God’s holy name (“I AM WHO I AM” in Exodus 3:14). 

Only True Path to God: Jesus emphasized that the only way one has access to God the Father is through him. He said flat out, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus also used other word pictures to illustrate his primary role in saving the world, including: 

Bread of life: “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35). 

Light of the world: “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). 

Access door: “I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture” (John 10:9).

See Chapter 15 for more on why Jesus is the only pathway to God. 

Good Shepherd: In the agricultural society of first-century Palestine, shepherding was a common job. Shepherds watched over their flocks of sheep and protected them from wolves, thieves, or stormy weather, often on a 24/7 basis. The Bible says that Jesus used the analogy of a shepherd to describe his purpose, saying that he is the “good shepherd” (John 10:11), caring, protecting, and sacrificing for his sheep. The Old Testament Book of Ezekiel also shows the shepherd analogy when the Lord says, “I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep” (34:15). 

King: Jesus accepted the title of king when Pilate asked him during his trial whether he was King of the Jews, meaning the Messiah that the Hebrew scriptures prophesied about. Jesus said, “You are right in saying that I am a king. For this reason I have been born, and for this reason I have come into the world, that I should testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice” (John 18:37).

Although Christians believe all these terms appropriately describe Jesus, they also recognize the truth in the old saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” The Bible says that Jesus undertook certain actions (or promised that he’d perform them in the future) that Christians believe only God has the power to perform, such as forgiving sins (Mark 2:10), raising the dead (John 6:39-40), judging humans in the future (John 5:22), and giving life (John 5:26). Therefore, Christians believe these actions back up Christ’s claims, which in turn strengthens their belief that Jesus was (and is) God.