Exactly who is this JESUS that we all talk about?  Is He really who He said He is; and if so, what are we doing about it?  Let’s take time to explore these things today so we know that there is no more doubt whatsoever.

We know there are many people named “Jesus” in the world.  But actually, to be accurate, the one we refer to as Christ Jesus was never named “Jesus” in the first place.  He was raised as a Hebrew by Hebrew parents who spoke Hebrew, and there is no name “Jesus” in the Hebrew language, sorry, that’s just the way it is.  His name was “Y’shua”, and the name “Jesus” was a transliteration into the English language.  But the name is not what my focus is today, but rather who He is and what He did. Notice I said “IS” because He “was, is, and shall always be” our living Lord and Savior.

We know He was born of a virgin, which is just the beginning of His supernatural life on this earth.  The miracles He did were a sign to the people that He was not just “Jesus the normal”, but rather “Jesus, the Son of God, sent from heaven by His heavenly Father”.  Over and over, Jesus told the people he was sent here by His father, but they just didn’t get it, any more that WE seem to get it today.  What I’m saying is this: if Jesus appeared in your town today doing what He did back then, oh, we would marvel at the miracles alright, but WOULD WE BELIEVE HE WAS LITERALLY THE SON OF GOD?  People are no less unbelieving today than they were some two thousand years ago.

Multitudes gathered and followed Jesus as He taught what His Father gave Him.  He healed all their sick who came or were brought.  He showed them the very character of His Father: mercy, grace, and love.  When His disciples asked “Show us the Father”, Jesus said “ If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.”  He even said, “I and my Father are One.” Friends, it just doesn’t get any clearer than that.  Jesus was declaring He was the physical  manifestation of God upon the earth, doing what God does, and having all His character.

Now Jesus knew He was going to die on the cross for our sins, in fact, that’s exactly WHY He came in the first place.  The purpose was to restore our fellowship with God, which was broken way back in the Garden of Eden by Eve, right down to the days of Jesus. We can fast-forward to the mock trial Jesus was given, then to His death by crucifixion when the devil thought he was through with all the problems Jesus was causing him.

But the problems for the devil were just BEGINNING.  You see, Jesus had given power over the works of the devil to His twelve disciples.  And if that wasn’t enough, He sent seventy others with the same power to do the works Jesus was doing, to prepare the people where He himself would go, so they would believe.  You can read it for yourself here:
Luk 10:1  After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

Luk 10:2  Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
Luk 10:3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
Luk 10:4  Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
Luk 10:5  And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
Luk 10:6  And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
Luk 10:7  And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
Luk 10:8  And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
Luk 10:9  And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
Luk 10:10  But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
Luk 10:11  Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
Luk 10:12  But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.
Luk 10:13  Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
Luk 10:14  But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.
Luk 10:15  And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.
Luk 10:16  He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
Luk 10:17  And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
Luk 10:18  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Luk 10:19  Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Luk 10:20  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Well, you know the rest of the story; they crucified Jesus, and that was not uncommon for the time.  But Jesus did something nobody else ever did: HE AROSE FROM THE DEAD!  What does that mean?  It means now the devil has not only Jesus to contend with, who cannot be killed, but he also has every believer in Christ Jesus upon the face of the whole earth to deal with!  Think about it; every believer who has ever lived since the resurrection of Christ Jesus has been granted power over all the works of the devil by God.  Have all used it?  Unfortunately NO, and I can say that with absolute confidence, because I see the same thing going on today.

Remember I said in the beginning, exactly who is this Jesus, is He really who He says He is?  Yes He IS who He says He is, and the Holy Bible gives us witness, attesting to the miracles He did.  We have the accounts down through the ages of miracles being done in the name of Christ Jesus of Nazareth.  But they are only being done by those who BELIEVE!  You see, power has been given to all who believe, but the problem is, not all believe.

Did you know Christ Jesus prayed for YOU personally?  He knew what His disciples were up against, and He prepared them ahead of time to be overcomers.  He not only prayed for them, but for all who would hear the Gospel and believe through them, right down to the end of time, and here is part of what He prayed for you, because YOU are called to be His witness:

Joh 17:12  While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Joh 17:13  And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Joh 17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Joh 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
Joh 17:19  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Joh 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
Joh 17:21  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Now I’m going to get right to the point: do YOU believe?  If so, it is written in Mark 16:15-18:
Mar 16:15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mar 16:16  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mar 16:17  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mar 16:18  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Now, you have two choices, my friend, you can either BELIEVE or NOT.  If you believe, Christ Jesus himself says the above signs will follow and accompany you.  God will see to it that signs and wonders are done by your hands.  And if you DON’T BELIEVE, well….they just won’t.  You can be right out there doing what the disciples did, or you can sit there and make excuses.  It’s time for you to make a decision. Which will it be?