Question: Can you explain Christ to us?

    Answer: Many have not accepted the Messiahship of Jesus of Nazareth. Some who claim to have accepted him, do not know the real Jesus of the scriptures. A brief observation of some of the terms applied to Christ should help us become better acquainted with "the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world" (Jn. 1: 29).

    Christ is called an apostle, counselor, and governor. The writer of Hebrews refers to Jesus as "the apostle" (Heb. 3: 1). "Apostle" means "one sent." Jesus was sent of the father (Jn. 8: 18). There are about 333 prophecies concerning the Christ in the Hebrew scriptures. One such prophesy states that Jesus would be named "counselor" (Isa. 9: 6). Counselor is a designation reflective of wisdom (Isa. 11: 2). The same prophesy refers to Jesus thus, "...and the government shall be upon his shoulder...." Jesus is presently ruling as King of kings and Lord of lords (Acts 2: 32 ff; I Tim. 6: 15, 16).

    Jesus is called Emmanuel, mediator, and the way. The angel announced to Joseph, "...and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us" (Matt. 1: 21). Jesus said to see him was tantamount to have seen the Father (Jn. 14: 8 ff). Paul wrote of Jesus: "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus" (I Tim. 2: 5). Jesus being both God and man, he is the ideal mediator between God and man. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (Jn. 14: 6).

    Beloved, Jesus the Christ is absolutely essential to man's salvation. Jesus said, "...for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins" (Jn. 8: 24). We read, "...he (Christ, dm) became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Heb. 5: 8, 9). Jesus is the "I am" (Jn. 8: 58 cf. Ex. 3: 14).