Bible Pictures of Jesus

 

      The Bible paints many word pictures of Jesus, the Christ. There can be no doubt that Jesus lived, died and was resurrected exactly as the Bible says. Let us see Jesus as the Bible pictures Him.

 

      Jesus Christ is Lord. Peter said, "The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ -- He is Lord of all." (Acts 10:36.) Jesus is "Lord of all." He bore our sins in His body on the tree that He might be Lord of all. "Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness -- by whose stripes you were healed." (I Peter 2:24.) He suffered for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous that He might bring us to God. (I Peter 3:18.) Because of Christ's death for us, He can now be Lord of all.

 

      Jesus Christ is Prince of peace. Isaiah pictured Jesus as "Prince of peace." "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6.) There is no true peace without Jesus. Jesus took upon Himself punishment for our sins so we might receive peace from God. In Peter's second sermon He said, "But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses." (Acts 3:14-15.) Outside of Jesus there is no true peace.

 

      Jesus Christ is Savior. The gospel is the good News that Christ suffered sin's penalty in man's place. "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you -- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." (I Corinthians 15:1-4.) The announcement of the angels was true, "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11.) Because of Jesus man can have hope of eternal life.

 

      Jesus Christ is Advocate. John wrote, "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world." (I John 2:1-2.) Jesus Christ is our advocate with the Father in Heaven. His work is the work of salvation. His location is the throne of grace. He is our only hope.

 

      Jesus Christ is Judge. Acts 10:42 says, "And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead." We are accountable to Jesus Christ as judge. He set forth the terms for salvation and the rules by which we must live. "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day." (John 12:48.) You will stand before Jesus on that great Day of Judgment

 

      Jesus Christ is the way, truth and life. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6.)  Christ is the way of salvation. This was accomplished by blood, Jesus' own blood. "Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption." (Hebrews 9:12.) Christ is the substance of all Old Testament types and shadows. The doctrine of Christ is true doctrine. Jesus is the life because we are alive with God through Christ. "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:11.) Jesus is the only "way of life."

 

      Jesus is the head of the church. Paul wrote, "And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:22-23.) Jesus Christ is above all, and He has authority over all. God made Jesus head over all things including the church. What a wonderful thing that the church can have such a loving and compassionate Head!

 

      Jesus is the good Shepherd of the sheep. Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep." (John 10:11.) The thief comes to kill, steal and destroy. (John 10:10.) Christ came as the good shepherd to give His life for the sheep. Jesus came to put life into His flock. The "flock" is His church. In Christ we have eternal life.

 

      Jesus is the chief cornerstone. Paul said of the church that it was "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone." (Ephesians 2:20.) The church is a "building." The foundation is the apostles and prophets. Jesus Christ is the primary foundation. He is the Chief Cornerstone. In Jesus both Jews and Gentiles meet to constitute one church.

 

      Jesus is the Lamb of God. John pointed people to Jesus saying, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29.) It is by the precious blood of the Lamb of God that we are saved. (I Peter 1:18-19.) Jesus Christ is the great sacrifice by which atonement is made for sins and through whom man may be reconciled to God. "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth." (Isaiah 53:7.)

 

      The heart and substance of our preaching must be Christ and Him crucified. "We preach Christ crucified." I want to always remember who Jesus is, what He has done for me and what He can mean in my life.

 

      To become a Christian you must hear the gospel (John 6:44-45), believe in Jesus (Hebrews 11:6), repent of sins (II Peter 3:9), confess Christ before others (Matthew 10:32) and be baptized for remission of sins (Acts 2:38)! What does Jesus mean to you? As for me He is, "My all and in all."

 

By Charles Box, Walnut Street Church of Christ, P.O. Box 551, Greenville, Alabama 36037